Beyond - Legends The New Empire 2: Credit to the Race (NJO AU, major Hutt-busting adventure - repost COMPLETE 050803)

Well that felt like a scene out of The Matrix films with them all floating and freefalling.

Jerrica certainly seems to be getting the brunt of the ickiness of situations. Gahhh- almost becoming dinner to a stinking beast can't be fun.

And thank you Anakin for remembering about the floundering Padawan after the fact.

Oh well- so now they are now on their way! Go get Jacen guys

 

Qingauk - Well, my imagination's always been a little overactive. if it defies physics, you might like to take that up with the authors of the "Tales of the Jedi" comics--the Dxun/Onderon phenomenon was their idea.

Tych - Uh, good. And ya never know, what's coming up might be subject to change without notice.

PLJ - Yeah, I know, a lot of the bad stuff happens to Jerrica...but ya see, she's the only one who doesn't yet know how to handle it due to lack of experience. Also toughens her up, wouldn't you agree? (It could've been her in captivity instead of Jacen, ya know...)

**********

Imposing over the main hangar of NRMP headquarters sat the Millennium Falcon and Jade Shadow, directly in the middle of the bay, taking up the better part of the space therein. They would be making room soon enough, however. Beneath the Millennium Falcon, under the watchful eyes of Han, Leia, Luke, and Mara, a formidable special weapons assault team was gathered in a large circle. In the middle, with two police captains at his side, Ray Sorveli paced around the circle, giving each of the team's forty members a solid stare in the eye.

"All right, listen up," he said, his voice ringing from one end of the bay to the other. "In case the scuttlebutt hasn't gotten around yet, we're going up against the Bujirki family. And you all know what that means. We may not have the army we need to deal with them, but you people are the next best thing. We're going to keep a low profile--the last thing we need is to let the Hutts know we're coming."

"Hopefully, just the appearance of these two ships will scare the Hutts into giving Jacen up," Mara remarked wryly to Luke, who answered with an appreciative grin. They should be so lucky--even if it was remotely possible.

"Team Alpha will ride with Captain Brookan on the Millennium Falcon," Sorveli continued, indicating one of the officers with him. "Team Bravo goes with Captain Kellikos on the Jade Shadow. Our source has pinned down a location, and thanks to General Solo, I think we can trust it. We're headed for the Japrael system--best guess is Onderon. As the mynock flies, it's maybe an hour at point-five past lightspeed, if that. So that's how long you have to get your asses in gear and remember your special high-intensity training.

"Now once we hit Onderon, we'll start sweeping the planet at maximum velocity, starting with Iziz. Keep one thing in mind at all times, people--there's a life in danger here. His relatives are gonna be flying these ships, so with any luck, the goons will give away their position by sending some flak our way. There are four Jedi Knights ahead of us, and hopefully they'll have the defenses softened up a little. Either way, the ships will lay down some cover fire for us while we go in--and yes, we go in with blasters blazing. Master Skywalker should be able to tell if the victim is in the area.

"Anybody got anything?" Sorveli finished, tossing up his hands. "Ask 'em if you got 'em. Last call. Three, two, one, let's go!" He loudly clapped his hands twice, pacing back and forth as Brookan and Kellikos barked orders to their teams. The circle split in half, one half marching in a smart, orderly fashion up the ramp into the Millennium Falcon, and the other boarding the Jade Shadow in like kind. Han, Leia, Luke, and Mara kept their distance--as impressive as this team's bearing was, they had no intentions of disrupting it.

Once Brookan and Kellikos had boarded each ship, the foursome brought up the rear. Their engines were already as warmed-up as they would ever be, freeing them to head straight for the cockpits, strap in, and ready the two vessels for takeoff. Han and Leia had just seated themselves in the front seats of the Falcon's cockpit when Sorveli, standing in the rear, turned around to greet Captain Brookan entering behind him.

"Beg your pardon, Detective," Brookan said. "But are you sure this operation's cleared through our CO?"

"Don't need it," Sorveli said simply

 

And Lapesce can do what he does best, sit on his ass in his nice comfy office, and look it up in regulations to his heart's content."

Great line, there, Sebby. I'd forgotten about that one, actually.

"If you're wishing that you were back on Malastare, I totally agree,"

Shades of his uncle there?


Keep it up, Sebby!

Force be with you,

Tych_sel

 

I am liking how you interject the humour with the excitement in this story! I am keeping up right now as school was out this week. I hope I can do the same while working!

 

Darnit, the evening snuck up on me.. I only got 1/2 way through your post... here's some initial comments and I'll get to the rest later...


i] "Hopefully, just the appearance of these two ships will scare the Hutts into giving Jacen up," Mara remarked wryly to Luke, who answered with an appreciative grin. They should be so lucky--even if it was remotely possible. [/i]

hee hee ? always hoping that notoriety will cause scumbags to just give up and surrender. Somehow, I doubt that will happen.

Now once we hit Onderon, we'll start sweeping the planet at maximum velocity, starting with Iziz. Keep one thing in mind at all times, people--there's a life in danger here. His relatives are gonna be flying these ships, so with any luck, the goons will give away their position by sending some flak our way. There are four Jedi Knights ahead of us, and hopefully they'll have the defenses softened up a little. Either way, the ships will lay down some cover fire for us while we go in--and yes, we go in with blasters blazing. Master Skywalker should be able to tell if the victim is in the area.

Well at least they?re heading to the right place. Let?s just hope our quartet of heroes don?t drown before getting to Jacen first (I know FAT chance of that happening.)


Evening Up!

 

Alright so the Jedi are being crafty and are gonna try sneaking in underground. Hopefully Jerrica and Sebrona are good swimmers w/ good lung control- not worried about Jaina and Anakin- they're both full of hot air

Han looked over at Leia, who sat pensively in the copilot's seat, staring hypnotically through the viewports at the endless tunnel of hyperspace. The flashing colours sparkled in her eyes, which were oddly free of moisture. At this point, Han couldn't really tell if she was thinking about Jacen or not; in fact, he thought he could detect the merest smile on her face.

Great turns of phrase in this paragraph. I loved the way you described Leia staring into hyperspace.

"If the Empire failed, so will the Hutts," Han told her, leaning over. "I promise. Where those kids are concerned, I never fail and I never break a promise."

WAHHHH!! I love Han!

"If you're wishing that you were back on Malastare, I totally agree," Anakin nodded.

Reminds me of Luke babbling to R2 on Dagobah.

 

Tych - Yep, shades of his uncle. You know what a ball I have writing dialogue.

Qingauk - I hope so, too! Thank you verrrrry much!

PLJ - not worried about Jaina and Anakin- they're both full of hot air LOL!!!! Yeah, I guess they are at times, huh? Tee hee. Couldn'tcha just hear the H/L theme from ESB playing during that cockpit scene?

I gotta go to class and then work, so I'll post later. Next part, I must say, was everybody's runaway favourite scene in the original post.

 

Hee hee I knew you'd like that line

The Han and Leia scene was done well, although simplistically written, I could perfectly visualize everything in my head.

Can't wait for next post!

 

Anakin was the last one to cram himself into the flume. And he immediately wondered why he had listened to Jaina.

He let out a wordless yell of alarm as he entered the flume, which started with a vertical drop of about twelve meters. He went down head first, still yelling, and further below, he saw Jerrica reaching the bottom of the drop. Mercifully, it didn't end at a right angle that would result in telescoped legs. Rather, it curved, and Anakin hit the curve seconds later. Now the flume travelled horizontally, but the water carried the four Jedi at ludicrous speeds.

Jaina couldn't close her eyes, nor could she breathe out due to the adrenaline surge. At the head of the line, she was the first one to encounter the flume's perils. She flailed her arms and legs about wildly, trying to slow her pace, but while she was soaking wet, her limbs offered no purchase on the walls. The current swept her around a bend, bringing a low, imposing root into view--it threatened to decapitate anybody who sat up too high.

"Guys, heads up!" she screamed over her shoulder, lying down flat on the bottom of the flume. She shot beneath the root a second later, and soon swore she could feel it brush her body as she passed. Sebrona turned his head to one side, ensuring that the root wouldn't break his jaw; Jerrica and Anakin both spread-eagled themselves on the bottom, almost afraid to lift their heads for fear of hitting another root. They hurtled over a low hump beneath the rushing water, then reached a downgrade that further increased their speed.

"This--" Anakin said to himself, pausing as he winced to avoid a protruding rock in the side of the tunnel. "Was a mistake," he finished.

He repeated the statement in his mind when the flume forked.

Jaina swore to herself as she remembered too late what the layout of the fortress looked like. There were two sections: the low, sprawling, domed edifice that had housed the beasts, and the palace-like structure where Modon Kira and the Beast Riders had resided. This must be the spot where the flume diverged to service both areas. There was no way for her to control what direction she would take, and she didn't even know which passage led where. And so she wound up shooting into the passage on the left.

Sebrona tried to alter his course far enough to follow her, but the water had other ideas. It bore him straight into the tunnel on the right, leading him to curse in frustration. Jerrica had better luck; a slight roll in the right direction brought her in behind Jaina. Anakin clenched his teeth, scarcely believing the decision he had to make. Join the girls or join Sebrona? In the end, the water made up his mind for him by carrying him into the tunnel on the right. Reflection led him to conclude that he would have decided on that anyway--he couldn't leave Sebrona alone.

"Do you even know where this thing comes out?!" Jerrica yelled.

"Best guess is the beast barracks," Jaina replied. "They were on our right when we dived into this THIIIIING--!" Jaina's voice turned to an incomprehensible scream when the flume arced sharply to the left and then dropped down at a sixty-degree angle. Jaina and Jerrica fell like rocks, twisting, tumbling and sliding all at once. They tried to struggle upright, but the water current made that impossible. Then the flume bent to the right again, and further down, it returned to an even grade; but neither Jaina nor Jerrica could see it as they hurtled down the slope headfirst.

"Oh, Sith!" Jaina cried, squeezing her eyes shut. She had been able to raise her head just long enough to see that the passage ended in a zone of utter darkness. She had no idea what she was speeding into, and she covered her head. Jerrica followed suit, rolling onto her stomach and flying feet first down the last few meters of the flume.

She felt herself sail out of the portal at the end, her feet making contact with a pliable surface a split second later. Her speed reduced to nothing in an instant, Jerrica was hurled backwards, creating a sizable splash i

 

Hee hee! Well THAT was fun Waterslide ride from hell! Your descriptions were wonderful and I felt like I was moving along with the guys. Great job!

I really think I'm going to enjoy Anakin/Sebrona working together. The language barrier is amusing. And I can't wait to see Jaina and Jerrica working together- can anyone say Catfight?

He let out a wordless yell of alarm as he entered the flume, which started with a vertical drop of about twelve meters. He went down head first, still yelling, and further below, he saw Jerrica reaching the bottom of the drop. Mercifully, it didn't end at a right angle that would result in telescoped legs. Rather, it curved, and Anakin hit the curve seconds later. Now the flume travelled horizontally, but the water carried the four Jedi at ludicrous speeds.

Wow, welcome to the waterslide park guys!

Anakin clenched his teeth, scarcely believing the decision he had to make. Join the girls or join Sebrona? In the end, the water made up his mind for him by carrying him into the tunnel on the right. Reflection led him to conclude that he would have decided on that anyway--he couldn't leave Sebrona alone.

Humm so this should be exciting w/ Anakin not knowing what Sebrona is saying. And the 2 girls together should be fun- because they just love each other soooo much

"Oh, Sith!" Jaina cried, squeezing her eyes shut.

LOL! Now why don?t more people use THAT as a curse?

"Damn," Anakin murmured in awe. "This must have been Modon Kira's court."

"That must mean we're in the palace, then," Sebrona gathered.

"Yeah, and that must mean we're in the palace," Anakin said, not noticing the dirty look he got from Sebrona.

Hee hee- well at least they?re on the same brainwaves

 

I would love to have accompanied the four of them in the waterslide - as long as Jacen's with me, of course and we aren't dashing into danger, of course.

Ditto to whoever responded before me (I always get confused between her username and another username, which has something like a solo in the end). I loved the waterslide - it has been sufficiently long enough since I read it to feel as if I'm reading this the first time.

Now, let me just sit tight and wait for them to find Jacen - I forgot (yeah, yeah, blame it on CS), who finds Jacen first again? Personally, I'm speculating Anakin.

Aunecah

 

PLJ - well, like I said, that was everybody's favourite scene in the original post. Jaina and Jerrica probably won't have much catfighting to do while they have a common goal, but later in the series... Still, ya never know what might go between 'em.

Aun - I think you're outta luck, since they're ALWAYS dashing into danger. Nice to see you caught up - you are now about to see who finds Jacen first. (Caution: this is one of those long posts that I know you just love to death. )

**********

"When we get out of here, I don't think I'm gonna take another swim on Naboo for at least a month."

"Hey, it could be worse. We could be on Mon Calamari or Aquilaris or something, where you can't get anywhere without swimming. And there aren't any sea monsters in here that we know of."

"Oh, yeah? How do you know there's not some mutated opee sea killer swimming toward our legs right now?"

"'Cause you're just saying that to make me shut up. Besides, there's always a bigger fish." Jerrica paused, turning to study a large chink in the wall a foot above the water line. She was almost up to her chest in the water, which was thus up to Jaina's shoulders already. It was a slow walk, but less exhausting than swimming.

"Hey, Jaina, check this out!" she called. Jaina turned, wading over beside her to study the chink. It was large enough for her and Jerrica to crawl through, and it was a few meters long; its end was just within sight in the gloom. Jaina took a wordless glance at Jerrica before heaving herself out of the river and lifting her knees into the chink, crawling ahead. Jerrica kicked her way up and slid into the chink a moment later, hoping that the opposite end wouldn't yield more water. Might it yield Jacen, though? Jerrica's pulse quickened as she wondered about the answer.

When she and Jaina emerged, they found themselves on a narrow stone ledge overlooking a cavernous, completely empty chamber. It occupied at least 500,000 cubic meters, and strips of slime, sludge and weed still adhered to its walls. It was dark and dank, no doubt courtesy of the heavy mold growing between the stones. Jaina wrinkled her nose, squinting around the forbidding chamber.

"What do you make of it?" Her voice was barely above a murmur, but it still echoed and amplified for the next five seconds.

"I'd say a catch basin in case the river overflowed," Jerrica guessed.

"Maybe." Jaina's gaze drifted to her left. When it lit on something that looked out of place--namely, a steel ladder running from the floor to a gap near the ceiling--there it froze. Doubtless a tunnel lay beyond that gap, and unless the tunnel was blocked, they had their way out.

"Or maybe it was the water source for the warbeasts," Jaina said, with the hint of a grin crossing her face as she started along the ledge. Jerrica followed, slightly unnerved by the speed with which Jaina bounded along the ledge. As an experienced levitator, she thought nothing of losing her footing and taking a spill to the bottom of the basin. Jerrica chose the safer route of slow progress, her back against the wall.

Jaina reached the end of the ledge in less than a minute, and she promptly launched herself off the edge, sailing through midair onto the ladder. She grabbed a rung in both hands and then let her feet coast gently down onto another rung below. Looking over her shoulder, she grinned at Jerrica and then started to climb, scampering rapidly up the short distance to the gap. However, Jerrica decided to jump from a closer distance, from which she was certain of grabbing hold. When the ladder was just a couple of meters away, she took a flying leap, making a safe and level landing.

"Not bad," Jaina called from above. "Looks like Jacen's been teaching you well."

"It's not a kashyy vine, and that's a fact," Jerrica said with a confident grin. "Here I come." Whatever apprehension she had had about that ledge was vanished, as if it had never been. She vertically marched up the ladder to the gap, where Jaina stood back and gave

 

Well things are definitely heating up- let's hope Anakin and Sebrona can figure out where in the heck everyone is going. At least Jacen's up on his feet.. even if he is a bit woozy.

Again great descriptions of the rooms and jungle.

It occupied at least 500,000 cubic meters, and strips of slime, sludge and weed still adhered to its walls. It was dark and dank, no doubt courtesy of the heavy mold growing between the stones. Jaina wrinkled her nose, squinting around the forbidding chamber.

Why Jerrica, what an incredible smell you?ve discovered.

Rolling his eyes at his own forgetfulness, Sebrona pointed at Anakin's blaster, then at the two thugs, and made a shooting motion with his foot. Although Anakin understood this time, he declined the suggestion.

Playing mime w/ Anakin will mostly get old really fast.

Anakin couldn't imagine what that entailed--Jaina and meditation were like Yuuzhan Vong and technology

*Snicker snicker*

Meditation, however, was a necessary evil in Jaina's mind. She had actually lowered herself deep into sync with the Force, willing the billions of midichlorians in Jacen's body to awaken and battle the serum. She heard his breathing become steadier, but what brought her the greatest relief was to sense his returning presence in the Force. She smiled slightly, her grip tightening on his hand. As his midichlorians fought their way back to consciousness, they started awakening each other, communicating the task at hand. Without fresh serum being dripped into his bloodstream, there was nothing to stop the midichlorians from defeating what was already in it.

Fascinating description of the living Force inside the Jedi.

Oddly, his rapid recovery made her feel a little more comfortable--she would have hated to think that she was more powerful than her own master.

Not only more powerful, but more powerful w/o the training to properly know what to do w/ her abilities.

His left knee promptly went out from under him, and he caught himself before keeling over.

"Oh, good, you're practising," the Falleen said, watching Jacen balance on one knee. "Bolga's gonna love that."

LOL- poor Jacen.

Jaina was scowling at him, but Jerrica's sky-blue eyes showed nothing other than concern. It wasn't hard for Jacen to decide which face to look at.

LOL! The thugs got to see the Solo side of Jacen That whole fight scene was so Han complete w/ him collapsing nearly senselessly after losing all strength.

"Okay," he wheezed. "That wasn't such a good idea."

"Yeah, Force forbid you should listen to me," Jaina said sardonically, giving him a love tap on the shoulder.

Hee hee- twin banter is always good.

 

ooohhh good chapter..but you better get Anakin there soon to the rescue.. I will check back.. what tomorrow? or Friday?

 

Uppity do!

 

Qingauk - Anakin's comin' right up in this post, no worries about that.

PLJ - You think the Solo side of Jacen is showing now, wait till you see the kids take cover.

**********

"Any more bright ideas?" Jaina muttered to Jacen.

"I don't think faking it is gonna work this time," Jacen mumbled back. He paused, his mind racing. Even though his physical condition was below its peak, the Force was still gushing through his mind, restoring it by the second. He couldn't outfight Krummell and company, but he could outsmart them in a heartbeat. He cocked his head in Jerrica's direction.

"Chu ki vya doos Trandosh'perra, rube?" he asked.

Jerrica hesitated, but instantly realised what Jacen was up to. Without even dwelling on it, she took his bet that none of the hoodlums spoke Dugese. "Belok," she answered. "Vi?"

"Ti geveri. Aufeern enna kossu."

"What're they saying?" Krummell muttered to one of his henchmen, frowning.

"Beats hell outta me," the henchman said, shaking his head in confusion.

"All right, shut up, both of you!" Krummell shouted. "Over here. Now!"

"Go ahead," Jacen muttered to Jerrica and Jaina. "Right behind you." He nudged both of them to move forward, and they complied rather hesitantly. Jerrica knew what Jacen's idea was, but how he was going to pull it off in his shape was beyond her. Jaina, however, knew that there was more to the idea. According to a hint from the Force, "right behind you" meant something else entirely.

Jaina and Jerrica took two steps forward and then stopped short. Watching them move, the goons didn't even observe Jacen as he stood still, flexing his hands. Then, abruptly, he snapped them both up, calling the blaster rifles away from the fallen Weequay and his half-dead Falleen partner in the pen. The rifles were in Jacen's hands in a second, and he tossed one to Jaina, keeping the other for himself. Jerrica, still armed with Jaina's blaster pistol, went straight into a crouch, ducking the inevitable rain of blaster bolts from Krummell and his thugs.

"Get down, get down!" Jacen roared. He and Jaina both threw themselves flat on the ground, Jerrica a split second later. As far as the hoods were concerned, their targets were now sitting ducks--but they had fallen for some of the shrewdest Force trickery since the Jedi Purge.

Anakin and Sebrona vaulted up from the trench, lightsabers ablaze. The goons were startled, but recovered themselves quickly and maneuvered for position within the barracks, pumping bolts as fast as their trigger fingers allowed. At first, Anakin and Sebrona held the front line, darting back and forth across each other's paths to deflect the bolts with their lightsabers. Meanwhile, the other three, still prone on the floor, propped themselves up on their elbows, returning fire. The two Trandoshans were still guarding Krummell, but Jerrica dropped the one on the left with her second and third shots. Jacen eliminated the one on the right less than a second later.

Anakin dodged a blaster bolt and then spun 360 degrees on the ball of his foot, sweeping his lightsaber with him. He swung it like a smashball bat to parry another bolt, hitting a line drive straight back to the shooter. Although the Jedi had now eliminated three hoodlums, the element of surprise was no longer with them, as it had been when they went after Jacen on Kashyyyk. The hoods were dashing hither and yon, gaining positions that required Anakin and Sebrona to twist and turn, almost unable to keep track of every bolt that was fired.

"This ain't getting us anywhere," Anakin yelled over his shoulder.

"On the contrary, it's getting us the hell out of here," Jacen responded. "Fall back! Trench! Go! Move! Eject, and other expressions of urging!" He crawled backwards, still a little shaky as he moved upright. Jaina threw her blaster rifle behind her into the trench, flipped onto her feet, and joined the boys with her lightsaber. This screen was moderately effective, allowing Jerrica to help Jacen up and backward to th

 

Yeah.. rescue.. well almost!! That was exciting. Good fic,, very good fic. ..gets the blood going, that's for sure.

 

I'll get to the post tomorrow- but here's a night-time UP!

 

Sorry I didn't reply to the post before this - I printed it out to read it because I tend to get a headache when reading ten, fifteen pages at a time on the screen - and then later just sort of forgot to reply.

Anyway, as far as the post before this one goes - well done - I should say. It almost frightened me at the frequency with which Jaina threw out possible dangers lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce as soon as they got the chance. She definitely has been in danger long enough to start joking about it - apparently Jerrica hasn't. Give her another decade, she'll get there.

It's nice to know that Jacen is strong enough in the Force to be able to ward of those monkey, belonging-in-a-circus-goons even being as weak as he was. It was, however, sad to see how much they tortured Jacen. If Leia had been with them, she would have surrendered them all and gone to Dxun, to strangle the Hutt in a very imitated version of the great Jabba the Hutt's demise style.

(Sometimes, I do wonder what it would be like if Leia, Han, Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin went out on a vacation and got into loads of trouble with Hutts.)

As far as Anakin and Sebrona goes - Luke should seriously start thinking about sending them on more missions together. They complement each other so perfectly. And, on a side - tut, tut, tut, Anakin - how can you be so forgetful? You're too young for that. (In some cases, age, apparently, does matter.)

As far as this post goes - yay! Jacen got rescued (finally!), though it would be folly to think that there won't be any more danger coming their way. (Of course, it threw me off a little when Jacen said that 'a' word. I am strangely against swearing, and I would like to think that my hero doesn't do anything that I wouldn't want him to do. )

Awaiting the next post, Sebby.

Aunecah

 

Qingauk - Thanks! You liked that? You're gonna love this.

PLJ - Well, here's another one for ya.

Aunecah - Remember that one Solos-on-vacation story that I abandoned? In the process of reposting, I'm determined to reopen and finish that one. Hmm...an Anakin-Sebrona pairing doesn't sound too far off, now that our little Dug friend is almost ready to be knighted. And you gotta give Jacen a break, he'll act a little out of character after what he's been through. Trust the ladies in his life to help him get back to good.

**********

During the transition from hyperspace to normal space, the view of the Millennium Falcon changed very little from Luke and Mara's viewpoint. They drew slightly closer to the crescent of engine thrusters before them as the starlines streaked past, marking the return to normal space. It was the view ahead that caught their gaze, though. The Falcon was already dwarfed by Onderon at their reentry point, and almost straight overhead was Dxun, its atmosphere still less than five kilometers from Onderon's.

"It's twilight over Iziz now," Han radioed. "Which way should we start, Luke?"

"Give me a minute," Luke answered. He closed his eyes, bending his head slightly, probing the planet with his mind. Mara gave him a sidelong glance; evidently he was seeking the kids out with the Force, determining which direction to take. If there was unwelcome company to deal with, it would be far easier to do so on the night side of the terminator, she reflected. Hand-to-hand combat in the dead of night did have its kicks, so to speak.

Luke's head rose abruptly, and so did his eyelids.

"Han," he exclaimed. "Han, I can sense Jacen! I think the others already got to him! They seem a little jumpy, but I'm pretty sure they're all right!"

Leia's heart leaped the moment she heard Jacen's name. If her elder son was safe, alive, and regaining his strength in the Force, it was a sure bet that the other two were also in one piece. She couldn't tell with Han--if his heart leaped, it usually had more to do with winning a bet against Lando--but she could safely assume, this time, that it was all he could do to stay in his seat. "Are you sure?" Han demanded in a loud voice. "Where are they?"

"I'm sure of the former, but not the latter," Luke answered. "They could be on either Dxun or Onderon. Leia, can you tell which?"

"No, afraid I can't." Leia was sitting tightly in her seat, eyes closed, lips pursed as she also tried to make out the kids' presences. The two globes were so close together that it was impossible to tell which one they were on. Either choice had its pros and cons; Dxun was smaller and easier to search, but the wildlife there was deadly. Civilisation at least formed some protective force on Onderon, despite its size.

Looking at Han, she inquired, "Should we start with Onderon?"

Just as Han was taking a breath to answer, Mara's interjection cut him off. "No, wait!" she exclaimed. "They must be on Dxun."

"Dxun, you're sure?" Luke asked.

"That's where I'd plant myself if I were Bolga the Hutt, and thank the Force I'm not. Palpatine sent me to investigate Freedon Nadd's tomb site once--he wanted as many Sith artifacts as he could lay his claws on."

"Freedon Nadd?" Luke frowned. "You mean the Sith wannabe who came to Onderon about four hundred years before the Great Sith War?"

"How many Freedon Nadds do you know, Skywalker?" Mara said, her voice like ice. "Thanks to good old Exar Kun, there's nothing left of Nadd himself. But when Palpatine sent me to check it out, I found that Kun hadn't left much behind. Still, the tomb is made of Mandalorian iron--it can barely be scratched with a lightsaber. It'd be a perfect place for Bolga to set up shop."

"Which makes it a perfect place for us to start looking," Han said. "All right, up we go!" Before he completed the sentence, Luke and Mara were watching the Millennium Falcon arc upward, gathering speed as it soared through Onderon orbit toward Dxun. Mara swiftly slapped the forward re

 

Last chapter's been read, very fun- reminded me a lot of L&L&H escaping the detention level on the Death Star.

Let's hope Jace gets some time to recover his strength. Methinks he's gonna need it.

Even though his physical condition was below its peak, the Force was still gushing through his mind, restoring it by the second.

LOL! Interesting choices of words there, Sebby.

Anakin dodged a blaster bolt and then spun 360 degrees on the ball of his foot, sweeping his lightsaber with him. He swung it like a smashball bat to parry another bolt, hitting a line drive straight back to the shooter.

LOL! Such the showoff!

"On the contrary, it's getting us the hell out of here," Jacen responded. "Fall back! Trench! Go! Move! Eject, and other expressions of urging!" He crawled backwards, still a little shaky as he moved upright. Jaina threw her blaster rifle behind her into the trench, flipped onto her feet, and joined the boys with her lightsaber. This screen was moderately effective, allowing Jerrica to help Jacen up and backward to the trench.

?Into the Garbage shute, flyboys!?

Bomas were just as bloodthirsty as the next Dxun denizen. Jacen didn't know if any were still extant, but the thought of taking on anything from that godforsaken moon didn't appeal to him, no matter how great his affinity for the living Force.

LOL!

 

CONGRATULATIONS!

Readers? Choice Female Original Character in a Supporting Role

Runner-Up -- ?Lady Tsara? in ?First Knight? by Arwyn_Whitesun, ?Jerrica Sulvecto? in ?The New Empire? by Sebulba2179, ?Treseal? in ?Coming Fury? by Lonewolf89 and ?Chaawushro? in ?Some Other Future?s Past? by Chaos_Rose

Jerrica Rocks!

Congratulations Sebby!!!


Now if she can only beat Jacen at a pod race

 

WOWO..THAT WAS FUN!! LOVE THAT FLYING.. LOL.
I WON'T GO BACK TO ORIGINAL BUT WILL WAIT TIL YOU POST IT HERE SO DON'T DELAY.

 

PLJ - Jacen's definitely gonna need every bit of strength he can get 'fore this is over. And ohhhhhhhhh yes, I have never been prouder than last night!!! Oy, if wishes were horses, Jerrica would still be out getting drunk with the Solo kids right about now...

Qingauk - OK, here it is - just give me a little more time to post on the weekends, OK? With the hours that I work between Thursday and Sunday, I'm lucky if I have time to update every other day.

**********

Using Force influence on whatever wildlife might be in the area, Sebrona and Anakin had led the trudge along the jungle trail to the palace. Jaina covered the rear, blaster rifle in both hands and lightsaber within easy reach. Jerrica was helping Jacen move along--he had definitely overdone it defending himself and his compadres from the malefactors in the barracks. The first true signs of fatigue were becoming evident, and Jerrica knew this time that he wasn't faking it. She tirelessly supported him, both physically and mentally, paying back every red cent she owed him from her ordeal on Baroonda.

It was an uphill trek to the palace, where Sebrona and Anakin, playing on their meager familiarity with the structure, crept into the vast hall that led toward the court. Anakin had decided, however, that their path should be as obscure as possible. The moment he saw an observation post built on top of a tower to the right, his mind was made up. He set about searching along the right side of the hall for the entry, hoping to the Force that it wouldn't be blocked off by rubble.

As it happened, the entry was blocked, albeit not completely--but it would still be tough for the goon squad to spot. Sebrona only spotted it because of his height and his according ability to see the crack at the top of the doorway. A massive slab of stone blocked the other side of the doorway, but the slab swung inward easily. All five Jedi lost no time climbing over the average-sized heap of stones lying in front of the doorway, although Jacen lost his footing a few unnerving times.

Once they had made haste through the short corridor connecting the observation tower to the palace, their upward journey began. Here the floor alternated between short flights of stairs and level, semi-circular floor sections that ran three-quarters the circumference of the tower. There were ten levels total, each of which sported three wide slits to serve as gun ports. Anakin, however, passed up every one of them; the top level would give them the best view.

Jacen was all but crawling by the time they reached the top level.

"All right, Anakin, break time whether we have time or not," Jaina said curtly as she grabbed Jacen's free arm.

"Well, we're in luck," Anakin said, striding over to one of the windows. "We're on the top of the tower and Krummell and friends are nowhere in sight."

"Makes a nice change." Jacen crashed to the floor and sagged back against the wall, wheezing. "Okay. Shoot me if I try to get up."

"You're on," Jaina said.

"You won't even try if I can help it," Jerrica told him, applying a light pressure to Jacen's shoulder.

"No, I probably won't. This is as good a time as any for you to learn the healing trance. All you have to do is quiet your mind, clear away your thoughts, questions and doubts. Just immerse yourself in your surroundings?then let the Force work its magic on your injuries?imagine what it might be like to?" Jacen never completed the sentence. His eyes had already dropped shut, and his head inclined to one side. He was out cold.

"Always did have a knack for self-hypnosis," Jaina said sardonically. "Anakin, gimme a hand here. It's probably best that we help him along."

"And that we keep an eye out," Jerrica volunteered, vacating Jacen's side for the first time in over an hour, as reluctant as she was to do so. While Anakin took her place to help Jaina with Jacen's healing, Jerrica moved up to the window alongside Sebrona. Their view, although limited by the glare from the setting sun, stretched all the way to the sea

 

Well the chapter on Dxun was definitely exciting- silly Mara- leading them on a wild goose chase!

Next chapter- well at least Jacen's healed. Can't wait to see what traps these Jedi spring for the unsuspecting fools headed their way

Just as Han was taking a breath to answer, Mara's interjection cut him off. "No, wait!" she exclaimed. "They must be on Dxun."

Gahhh! Impulsive redhead! They?re on the Onderon! Guess they?re gonna get to shriveling some Hutt?s first.

Skimming the treetops, he paid no heed to the flying brutes that passed uncomfortably close to the two ships. He could outrun them to begin with, and make short work of them with the laser cannons if necessary.

LOL! He complained about mynocks, but huge, flying Dxun beasts, nahhhh they?re just like flies.

He was just a few kilometers away from destroying another Hutt while saving the lives of his own flesh and blood, and it was exhilarating as ever.

LOL! Just like Han? ?I feel the need, the need to blast those damn slugs to smithereens!?

"I should have seen it," Mara said sharply, angling the Jade Shadow over the tomb.

"Seen what?" Luke queried.

"The tomb isn't the hideout--it's just the decoy. I'll bet all four of those minarets are loaded with concussion missiles, and anybody who gets too close to them is liable to get shot down. Bolga must have a fresh hideout below the trees somewhere, but I don't think we'll be getting close enough to find it."

Great, mark one off for women?s intuition

The tomb was less than a kilometer ahead, and Han decreased altitude even further, making Leia's eyes ache with the speed at which the treetops swept beneath them.

And I?m sure activating her gag reflex and desire to hurl chunks

"Fine time not to have any spare parts to jettison and detonate that thing," Luke said tensely.

"Well, we're not screwed yet if I can help it." Mara caught her breath, dipping the Jade Shadow to avoid a winged beast sweeping across their flight path. Once it was in the clear, Mara, seeing that the path was unobstructed, peered ahead; there was a clearing a few hundred meters away. There would be nothing between the missile and the ship. Maybe they were screwed after all.

Reminds me of Bill and Jo racing away from projectiles at the end of ?Twister?

Luke could hear the cocky grin in Han's voice, and he responded in kind. "Now let's not blow this thing and go home," he said, fighting back a chuckle.

Bwaahhhaaahhh! LOL!

"No, I probably won't. This is as good a time as any for you to learn the healing trance. All you have to do is quiet your mind, clear away your thoughts, questions and doubts. Just immerse yourself in your surroundings?then let the Force work its magic on your injuries?imagine what it might be like to?" Jacen never completed the sentence. His eyes had already dropped shut, and his head inclined to one side. He was out cold

LOL! Nice to know Jacen could bore himself to sleep

"Then we've gotta cut their numbers somehow," Anakin said. "Let 'em get inside and then kick ass from out of sight. There's got to be some effective booby traps we can set up somewhere in the hall and the court, then hide."

"And do all that before they get here?" Jerrica said skeptically.

"You'll be quick to learn some amazing Force trickery, my not-so-young apprentice," Jacen said. "Gives us?" He paused to glance at Anakin's chrono. "Ten minutes. C'mon!"



Hee hee- I just love Anakin?s gung-ho- knock ?em where it hurts mentality.