Shantea |
Disclaimer:
Zaxos, Kirana and Shantea are mine the rest are the property of Lucas or many
Star Wars authors as well. Well it's only been 3 years since I wrote this and it
is about time I finished it - Part 4 is now available. Note this was written
before Attack of the Clones and has Boba Fett's old past.
Part
1 Findings
Shantea
looks up from her meditations and across the room. The room is filled with
bright faces willing to learn almost as bright as the blue walls, almost. She
looks around at the faces, Jaina, Jacen and Anakin look at her with a curious
expression as if they are one person she looks away but still feels their eyes
watching her and searching her with the Force. She sends back a slight surge and
laughs inwardly at their gasps of surprise, Concentrate Shantea, don’t let
them bother you. Shantea looks at the source of the message, Luke Skywalker
who is walking around behind his students keeping an eye on them, but not as
much as the new comer with her surprise. The lightsabre incident had left him
puzzled for hours during his meditation; even Mara couldn’t break his
concentration on it.
Shantea
follows Luke around the room in her mind, May I leave now? She asks the
ever-surprising Master, Yes, but not too far. Comes the reply. Shantea
gets up and leave the circle with the Solo kids eyes following her until she
leaves the room. She walks down the hall and into her dim lit quarters and flops
on the bed and lands on a hard lump. She pulls up the bedding and looks to find
the source of the lump, finding nothing she lays down again and finds the lump
still there. Instead of looking with her eyes again, Shantea searches the Force
for the source of the lump and finds a small data pad concealed under her
bedding. She lifts up the bedding again and pulls out the pad and turns it on.
My
Journal by Qui-Gon Jinn
Shantea
gazes down at the screen and decides she should show Luke her findings. She
walks out of her room only to be confronted by the three Solo kids, who look at
her quizzically, still trying to find something from her with the Force.
“You
can use the Force can’t you?” Asks the youngest.
“Anakin,
don’t be so rude,” scolds the female, “Hi, I’m Jaina, this is Jacen,”
indicating to the young reserved man behind her, “and Anakin.”
“I’m
Shantea, and the answer is yes to your question, I learnt off of an old friend
who sadly has been captured but the authorities on my home world, you see I come
form an Imperial dominated world and they still believe that practicing the Jedi
arts is a punishable crime, I did all I could to get away.”
“The
Empire, you come from an Empire controlled world?” asks Anakin in disbelief.
“But
we sense no danger form you, why exactly are you here,” murmurs Jacen.
Shantea
looks to study the young man, “I have come here on my Master’s wishes to
learn to Jedi arts properly and I also with to save her from the torment she no
doubt has been put through,” she replies still staring down the young man.
Jaina,
noticing the stand off ventures in between, “Well we will let you go and do
what ever it is you are doing,” she says as she ushers her brothers down the
hall.
Shantea
shakes her head slightly as if trying to get rid of Jacen’s piercing stare and
continues down the hallway. She passes an open door and looks in, inside two
figures are having a heated argument:
“No,
no not now, wait until after when things are a little more quiet and they wont
miss the equipment,” insures one.
“If
we go now we wont seem suspicious but if we go later when there is not many
people around then we might get caught,” insists the other.
“What
ever you do, just get it, I don’t want to wait any longer,” scolds a new
deeper voice.
“Yes,
yes Master, all will be done, we are going now,” the second one insists and
starts to head for the door, “He wouldn’t have come if you agreed.”
“Calm
down everything will be fine, did you leave the door open? Someone could’ve
heard,” replies the first sticking his head out the door to see if anyone was
in the corridor, but Shantea was long gone by then, already seeking out the Jedi
Master.
***
Meanwhile
Luke Skywalker had dismissed his students and shook his head when the Solo kids
darted out the same exit Shantea did only moments earlier. Mara walks form
across the room to meet him.
“You
are worried about them aren’t you?” she asks.
“They
need to learn to trust my judgment, and their parents for that matter, I wonder
how their holiday is going, I hope they are enjoying it, Leia looked a little
run down before they left,” he replies, looking deeply into thought.
‘I’m
sure they’re fine.
Now back to this Shantea, what do you make of her, she sort of burst in suddenly
and we know nothing about her, who exactly is she,” enquiries Mara.
“I’m
not sure but I don’t feel any hostility from her only an urges to go
somewhere. I need to ask her why did she arrive with Boba Fett, his ship
frightened quite allot of the students and many rumours have been started about
Shantea being the accomplice of the bounty hunter.” Luke looks away and out
the window to just see the remains to the sun disappear under the horizon.
Suddenly he jumps up.
“What?”
Asks Mara soothing his arm.
“It’s
Shantea, something has happened,” replies Luke looking urgently around the
room with the Force.
“I
felt nothing,” replies Mara.
“That’s
why I’m the Jedi Master, “grins Luke.
Mara
shakes her head, “find her,” and lets go of Luke who rushes out of the room.
***
Luke
and Shantea meet somewhere in the middle. They look deep into one another’s
eyes, There is something about her, if only I could pinpoint it, thinks
Luke.
“Is
something wrong, I felt you with the Force,” enquiries Luke.
“Yes,
I was on my way to show you this,” Shantea replies holding out the Journal,
which Luke grabs and turns on:
My
Journal, by Qui-Gon Jinn.
I
am finally a Jedi Knight much to Yoda’s pleasure and am awaiting my first
mission, I really can’t wait but I know I have to be patient.
Luke’s
eyes moisten at the mention of Yoda and he looks back up at Shantea, “but
something happened didn’t it.”
“Yes,
I think someone has infiltrated the Academy as I overheard two people talking
about taking something,” she replies with all urgency.
“Too
Late, they already got away and you held up Uncle Luke long enough for them to
get away,” accuses Jacen from behind them.
“What?!”
Screams Shantea, “I came here to warn him, not distract him!”
“It’s
okay Shantea, I believe you, I think Jacen is just being over suspicious. I
actually knew about the rouge Jedi’s, they are working for a person called
Zaxos, an enigma from some distant galaxy I think, I have let them go, they are
harbouring tracking devices. It’s this journal that I am interested in, the
name seems familiar, come I’ll search the only remaining Jedi archives,”
Luke replies and walks up to the library area with Shantea and a still
suspicious Jacen behind him.
“Oh
this is interesting, it seems Qui-Gon Jinn was the Master to Obi-Wan,” Luke
says excitedly.
“You
mean Obi-Wan from the Death Star Obi-Wan,” asks Jacen.
“Yes,
it seems that Qui-Gon was the one who found my father on Tatooine and brought
him to be trained as a Jedi and he helped my mother reclaim her planet back, but
he died fighting a Sith Lord, later to be known as one of the Emperor’s
apprentices. Wow it seems I owe quite allot to this Jedi Master, Shantea?”
“Yes,”
she replies and steps forward to the Jedi Master.
“I
believe it was the will of the Force that you found this Journal, I’d like you
to keep it after it is downloaded into the main data banks, I think I’ll have
some fun reading time ahead of me,” supplies Luke, “Now Jacen I believe we
have to have a chat, see you next meditation time Shantea.”
Luke
walks out of the room leaving Jacen and Shantea behind, Shantea walks up to the
terminal and starts downloading the Journal into the machine with Jacen watching
suspiciously behind her.
Jacen!
Screams Luke with
the Force and Jacen rushes to meet up with his uncle, taking one last look at
Shantea over his shoulder.
It
will be fun reading this, thinks
Shantea and moves off to her quarters.
A
misty figure moves out of the shadows, It will be Shantea, it will be,
murmurs Kirana and she disappears as quickly as she came.
Part
2 Discovery
“Master
Luke?” asks Shantea.
“Yes,
Shantea, I hear you, just wait a moment,” replies the Jedi master still in his
mediation pose, “There, done. What do you want, Shantea, I sense an
urgency.”
“I
must leave now, something has come up and I must go,” replies Shantea hastily.
“Now
calm down Shantea, tell me what has happened,” answers Luke, looking worried
as his new acquisition..
“I
was reading Qui-Gon Jinn’s journal about a man named Zaxos, he encountered him
on several occasions once helping people from another universe or something, the
man is dangerous and he has infiltrated this academy, I believe with Kirana’s
help I can find him and put a stop to his menacing,” Shantea explains hastily.
“Zaxos?
Kirana? Who are these people? It has something to do with arriving with Boba
Fett doesn’t it?”
“Kirana
was a Jedi Apprentice to Adi Galia, friend of Qui-Gon Jinn, she died by the
hands of a Mandorlian warrior, Boba Fett is her brother, her spirit helps and
guides me from time to time. She knows Zaxos well as she has encountered him
several times.”
“Okay,
now I know what you are talking about, how has Kirana lasted so long on this
side, Obi-Wan told me he couldn’t say for too long.”
“I
believe Kirana will finally have rest when Zaxos lies dead, he is not a normal
being, he has incredible powers, not the Force, but something else, he has lived
for a very long time.”
“And
you believe that you alone can stop this being, that many Jedi’s has failed
against?”
“I
will not be alone, Anakin has already volunteered to help me along with Mara,
she told me to ask you to help as well, but knows you are in great demand in
other places, she told me to tell you that she understands. Don’t forget I
have Kirana and this,” Shantea waves Qui-Gon’s journal in his face.
“Yes,
you all can go, but be careful, this Zaxos sounds very very dangerous, be
careful, especially you Mara, I can’t lose you now,” Luke answers and grins
at the silent chuckling of his wife, “What ship will you take?”
“Mine,”
answers the emerging figure, Luke gasps in surprise and motions for his
lightsabre to his hand.
“No
need for that Jedi, I owe a favour to this young woman, she helped me see
something I thought I had lost, I too need to put my sister to rest,” Boba
Fett’s mechanical voice replies.
Luke
breaths a sigh of relief and motions for Anakin, Mara and Shantea to follow the
bounty hunter out the door.
***
Students
gasp in horror as the bounty hunter leaves with three of the Jedi’s only to be
reassured by Luke, standing in the doorway, waving goodbye.
“Thank
you for responding Boba Fett, we thank you for your help,” explains Shantea,
“After this Kirana will be able to rest, finally.”
The
bounty hunter says nothing in return but grasps his neck instead and turns
around to see the form of Kirana in the doorway, she motions for them to follow
and they obey. Anakin, Mara, Shantea and Boba Fett watch in wonder at the
apparition, waiting for her to explain what she wants.
“Great
danger lies ahead and you can’t sense his manipulations at all, I am warning
you to be careful. He is as dangerous as he seems, don’t believe a word he
says, he never tells the truth and read Qui-Gon’s words, he wrote down a lot
of what he learnt, that was my failing, I was always too impatient to do the
paper work. Remember my words and May the Force be with you,” Kirana explains
and disappears.
Boba
Fett lets go of his neck and goes back into the cockpit leaving the Jedi to
discuss things behind him.
“Why
have you invited me to help Shantea, why not either of my siblings, they have
more control in the Force then I do,” whines Anakin, but his bright blue eyes
keen for the adventure.
“Kirana
showed me in a vision, you are integral to this mission, I knew Master Luke
would stay behind, I was shown who I needed to defeat Zaxos so I gathered them
all,” replies Shantea.
“Even
Boba Fett?”
“Especially
Boba Fett, he is the key to this all, I believe that Jedi powers weakens our
ability to sense Zaxos’s manipulations, Boba Fett is slightly attuned to the
Force but he depends on his other abilities and that is what will help us all
defeat Zaxos, we must all work together, especially you Jaster.”
Boba
Fett grunts from the cockpit, which was very quiet.
“What,
who is Jaster?” Asks Anakin.
“Never
mind Anakin, will this Kirana help us as well?” Asks Mara.
“She
can only assist me in my visions, Zaxos would sense her presence, we must rely
on ourselves and this,” Shantea replies holding up the journal.
“Well
what does Qui-Gon say about this Zaxos?”
Shantea
turns on the data pad and picks the relevant file and holds it up for the other
Jedi’s to read.
We
encountered this Zaxos for the first time yesterday, I am weary of him though,
and something doesn’t feel right about him. John says he felt some kind of
danger from the man, even Chiana felt something around her attentions to
Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan is not happy at being stuck with Chiana at all. Today I plan on
following this Zaxos around to see what he is up to.
“Can
we get to the point Shantea, this idle information is of no relevance but I must
show Luke more on Obi-Wan and this Chiana, he hasn’t had a good laugh in a
long item,” demands Mara, “But get to something more interesting please.”
Finally
Moya and her Crew have gone home. Obi-Wan and I followed Zaxos to the fourth
moon of Yavin but lost him there somewhere, I choose to leave a copy of this
data pad hoping someone will take up the search for Zaxos and silence him once
and for all, but be weary. Here is a list of facts we had discovered on Zaxos:
He
belongs to a race called the Supreme beings (not very original I grant you),
they seem to live forever, but they do not, it is a small parasite that gives
him his apparent strength and abilities, severe his connection and his is like
any mortal being.
His
powers are not Force orientated so it is hard for Jedi to find him, but he wants
to build his own army and young Jedi’s can learn his arts very easily and
become his devoted slaves (their connection is broken by severing their link
with Zaxos’s parasite.)
“Is
that why you need me, bait?” Anakin demands.
“Yes
that is one reason, but you will be able to resist where many others will fail,
you must be on your guard,” replies Shantea.
Zaxos
loathes women, he sees them as unnecessary, he loses his temper when any come
near, this also helps in ferreting him out of a crowd, be wary he can manipulate
his form.
“That’s
why you needed me I guess,” Mara asks.
“That
and it is always good to have another women to help,” replies Shantea smiling.
Remember
these simple facts and Zaxos can be defeated, but also remember he is a great
manipulator; he likes to create Chaos and Confusion before he will attack.
Shantea
turns off the data pad and glances at the other Jedi’s faces only to feel a
vast surge of horror in the Force. “The Temple, return to the temple Boba
Fett, quickly,” Shantea screams at the cockpit and the ship lurches out of
hyperspace suddenly.
“Boba
Fett, what is happening?” Demands Shantea, “Jaster??”
Part 3 -
The Trap
Shantea runs up to the cockpit to find
Boba Fett frantically pushing buttons, guns blazing from hidden ports, she looks
out the window to see that they have been ambushed.
“Give them up Fett, we have a whole
fleet one you,” rasps a voice over the comsystem.
Fett grunts and weaves Slave-I in
and out of the ships avoiding being hit and making hits all the same until a
clocked vessel uncloaks in front of him and he angles the craft to miss them
only to be caught in a tractor beam.
“Don’t bother trying to get out, it
has been specially formulated to catch your ship,” continues the raspy voice
with a laugh.
Fett gets out of his chair shoving
Shantea aside and jumps down into the holding area to the amazement of the two
Jedi’s.
“What is going on?” asks Anakin.
“We are being boarded, go along with
it, we can use it to our advantage,” replies Shantea, racing up to Boba Fett.
“We have to surrender, Jaster, it is
the only way,” soothes Shantea quietly.
“I won’t surrender,” replies Fett.
“You have to, please for our sake,”
Shantea pleads waving her hands at the Jedi, “tie us up and put us in the
holding cell, they only want a bounty, take this,” she places a small comlink
in her hand, “it will work over long distances, when they let you go, wait
till you hear my signal then come and get us.”
Boba Fett looks at her in wonder,
“Fine. Get into the holding cell, quickly.”
Mara and Anakin looks at Shantea in
wonder, she mouths, “Trust Me” at them and gets into the holding cell, they
follow and Fett locks them in, “This had better work Shantea.”
Anakin looks at Shantea, bursting with
questions but her look of “Not now,” stops the words in his mouth.
The boarding doors open to reveal 3
figures, two female and one male and they walk in, guns trained on Fett.
“No funny business now Fett, unless
you want your precious bounty and yourself to be blasted to the yesteryear,”
rasps the lead female, “Get them out of there,” she motions for her hands to
remove the Jedi who quickly rush to her orders and she walks brazenly up to
Fett, “So Fett, we meet at last, I thought you’d be more, I don’t know,
hard to catch.”
She walks around Fett, examining his
armour as the Jedi’s are taken out of the holding cell and loaded onto the
cloaked ship, “Now Fett, when we let you go, you wont follow us will you?
Don’t worry we have disabled your ship so you wont be going anywhere for a
while.”
She turns and notices that her aids are
gone along with the Jedi, she backs away from him, gun still aimed, “Nice
doing business with you Fett,” and leaves, the door shutting behind her.
Fett
flies backwards across the ship as Slave-I
is ejected out into space, he rushes up to the cockpit and watches as the vessel
cloaks, leaving only darkness behind.
****
Meanwhile on the cloaked vessel the
three Jedi are herded into a small cell, the lead bounty hunter, leaning on the
door.
“Now, that your ordeal is over, we
will take you home,” she says, her voice no longer raspy, she pulls off a wig
to reveal a youthful face, not much older than Shantea.
Shantea stifles a laugh, “What, you
aren’t going to claim the bounty on us?”
“No of course not, I’m Kit, this is
Ren,” motioning to the other girl who is about the same age, “and that’s
Cad.” She finishes by motioning to the other boy, “We are part of the LOB,
Liberation of Bounties, we search out bounty hunters and steal their bounty from
them and return them to their homes.”
Shantea laughs, “You’re kidding. We
weren’t bounties, we are traveling with Fett on a very important mission.”
“What?” cries Kit, “you mean we
took on the greatest bounty hunter in the galaxy for nothing? We could’ve been
killed!”
“Fett, doesn’t deal with the same
sort of bounties anymore, he is a liberated man,” replies Shantea, “do you
mind if I call him back?”
“Call him back, we are in hyperspace,
that little comlink won’t go very far,” pipes in Cad.
“This is a special comlink, watch,”
Shantea turns on the comlink and waits for a moment.
“Yes?” comes through the static
voice.
“Meet us at the following
co-ordinates,” says Shantea.
“Okay, you have overthrown them?”
“Somewhat.” CLICK
“You’re bringing him here, he’ll
kill us!” cries Ren in a panic.
“No he won’t,” replies Shantea.
****
After a couple of hours of waiting,
Anakin ventures up to Shantea, “Can I have a look at Qui-Gon’s data pad?”
“Sure,” Shantea replies handing the
pad over to him.
Anakin sits down and starts reading the
datapad and after a while it starts beeping.
“Um, Shantea, it’s beeping at me, I
wasn’t playing with it I swear.”
Mara shoots Anakin an angry look as he
hands the file back to Shantea.
“Wait a moment, here is a hidden
file,” says Shantea looking at the now beeping data pad.
Zaxos
is trying to impress his ‘gods’, he tried to sacrifice Obi-Wan and two of
Moya’s crew to impress them, though he is only intimidated by women with
skills, female Jedi’s beware, Zaxos now hates the Jedi, especially women. He
also tried to wipe Obi-Wan’s memory so that Obi-Wan couldn’t use the Force,
and blocked off my abilities by the small wristband I will leave with this
journal. Heed my words, Zaxos will try and manipulate, a well-formed plan will
be his only undoing. Be wary and may the Force be with you.
Qui-Gon
Jinn
“What do you suppose that means?”
asks Anakin, “do you have this wrist band?”
“It means we have to come up with a
plan, and I think I have one,” replies Shantea as she pulls out the band to
show Anakin.
****
A further 2 hours later the proximity
alarms start beeping and Kit walks over to the controls, “He is here,
uncloaking now.”
Slave-I
attaches
itself to the hull and Boba Fett boards the vessel, he sees the three “bounty
hunters” and draws up his weapon, Ren cries, “He’s going to kill us!”
Shantea walks up to Fett, “Don’t
kill them, they aren’t really bounty hunters they are part of the LOB.”
Fett nods and lowers his weapon, “What
now then?”
“Now, we take these three as our
“Jedi” bounty to lure Zaxos out of hiding,” replies Shantea.
****
Half an hour later.
Shantea, Mara and Anakin, come out in
the three LOB’s bounty hunter gear and the other three come out in Jedi robes.
Kit scratches at her neck, “How can
you wear these things?”
“You get used to them,” replies
Anakin, looking very strange in his bounty hunter gear, a black jumpsuit with
blood stripes down the legs, with a bright yellow sash around his waist and his
hair all slicked back, “Hey, I look like Dad!”
Mara stifles a laugh, he red hair tied
neatly in a bun and the green catsuit clinging to her body, she looks quite at
home, “I haven’t done this in a while.”
Shantea, looks at herself in the mirror,
“I think it is a little tight,” she says, grasping at the skin tight blue
spacesuit, her hair all teased up and eyes darkly painted.
Fett, looks at the three, “You look
the part.” He says and walks away.
“Okay, now to lure Zaxos,” says
Shantea moving to the controls of the ship only to be confronted by the large
wavering image of Zaxos.
“You have already found me, now hand
over the Jedi before anyone gets hurt,” rasps Zaxos, his menacing form filling
the deck.
“What about our fee?”
“Fee? Braver than I thought. Get the
Jedi, then kill the bounty hunters.” Zaxos’s image fades from sight.
Anakin looks at Shantea, “What now?”
“Now, we begin.”
Part
4 - The End
Note:
Sorry if you have been waiting for this for a while - I completely forgot about
it for 3 years! Anyway I'm going to finish the story off now - I hope it was
worth the wait.
Shantea,
Anakin, Boba and Mara leave the ship. Shantea and Boba in the lead the other two
following behind. They separate abruptly and dissipate into the crowds of the
space port.
Shantea
tugs on her outfit, trying to adjust its position.
"Leave
it alone, you look fine," snares Boba Fett, not even looking at her.
"But
it is irritating, it won't sit right and people keep on staring at me,"
replies Shantea still adjusting her clothes.
"What
do you expect when it looks like you've sprayed that thing on?" replies
Boba with a little laugh.
Shantea
punches him in the arm, "Stop it you..." She stops abruptly. Boba
stops immediately and starts glancing around and notices a balding man walking
past a stall.
"That's
him, I can feel his chaos," says Shantea, she nods her head ever so
slightly and two shadows move out onto the street.
"I
don't care what you say, I can do what I want! You can't tell ME what to
do!" shouts the young man.
"I'll
tell you what I damn well please and you will obey me!" replies the red
haired woman.
"I've
HAD enough of you! That's it I'm gone!" screams the young man.
"Fine
by me, good riddance! I don't see you going?" replies the woman as she
sneers at the young man. The balding man walks up to the young man.
"Any
trouble here?"
"None,
of your business, old man," sneers the young man.
Zaxos
laughs, "Oh but it is, your exactly the person I've been looking for. Do
you want to ditch the ..."
"Sure,
I'll come with you. No point hanging around here anyway, what'd you have in
mind?" buts in the young man and grabs Zaxos's arm and starts leading him
away.
Mara
throws up her hands and stalks away. Shantea leans towards Boba, "Quite a
performance if I do say so myself."
"I'm
glad you approve, we going to follow him or what?" replies Mara, throwing a
cape over her head.
Boba
taps his head, "No need I have him right here."
***
Zaxos
leads Anakin up to a broad building and Anakin gasps in wonder, "You own
this thing?"
"And
much more."
"Oh
I think I've joined the right person then."
Zaxos
leads Anakin into the building unaware of the trio climbing up the North face of
the building. He leads Anakin past a room full of young adults the same age as
Anakin himself, all reading and watching some kind of sermon and nodding
eagerly. Zaxos notices his interest, "Soon my child soon."
***
Boba,
Shantea and Mara push through the last air vent and scamper along to its end and
drop down to the floor effortlessly. Shantea motions left then right and runs
down the corridor, Boba runs to her left and Mara to her right. They come to a
three way and head off in different directions. Shantea follows the corridor to
its end and looks around anxiously, she hears some voices coming near her and
launches herself up into the roof beams. Three students round the corner and
push a button on the wall, "Slippery Eels" says one student and the
wall opens up, the three students walk in and Shantea swings through the door,
only to fins herself face to face with Zaxos.
"You
really think I didn't notice you?" he sneers, "Take her to the others,
we will recondition them this afternoon, kill the masked one when you find
him."
Shantea
is hauled away and led to a room holding both Anakin and Mara, she smiles
sheepishly at them and they glare at her in return, she shakes her head
slightly, "I'll never join you Zaxos, NEVER!" Two of her attackers gag
her and tie her up to the wall. She struggles against her bonds as they take her
lightsabre away and walk out of the room, "Sure they all say that in the
beginning," sneers one as he appraises her outfit, "I think I'll like
having you around." The pair leave and Shantea Force spits her gag out.
"Finally,
I was wondering how long it was going to take them, you okay?"
The
other two glare at her, "This was your plan all along?" shouts Anakin
in disbelief.
"Why
of course, it was never going to be any of us that killed Zaxos," replies
Shantea almost lazily. A white smoke surrounds her body and her eyes and hair
start to change colour, "I am."
Anakin
stares at Shantea-Not Shantea in disbelief, "Who are you?"
Shantea-Kirana
smile at him, "I'm Kirana. Now want me to get you out of here?"
Mara
shakes her head in disbelief, "How can you inhabit her like that?"
Kirana
frowns, "She was born for it, she new eventually it would happen and why I
was still around," Kirana pulls out her arm and shows it to Mara as she
releases her bonds, "This is a symbol of the Meloi, Shantea's people. They
have been battling Zaxos for generations and bred Shantea for this use."
"She
was bred, you make her sound like an animal," says Anakin in shock.
"No,
of course not, she is still who she is but, it's too hard to explain, we have to
find Zaxos now," replies Kirana.
The
trio open the door cautiously and sneak out behind the noses of the two guards,
Kirana leaps up in the air and pulls down three lightsabres. She hands Anakin
and Mara theirs and stows hers in its holster.
"But,
how..." Kirana puts her finger to her lips and motions to the voices....
***
"The
famous Boba Fett, I've heard about you, come to claim a Bounty on my head have
you," sneers Zaxos at the barrel of Fett's blaster.
"No
Zaxos, no bounty, just justice," rasps Boba Fett, not moving an inch.
"You
really think that you can kill me? With this?"
Zaxos
waves the blaster away and it flys across the room. Boba steps back slightly and
raises another effortlessly. Zaxos laughs, "You want to keep doing this
till your weaponless?" He makes this one fly across the room to join the
other. Fett draws up another one from somewhere.
"Nope,
just stalling."
Zaxos's
eyes widen as Kirana, Mara and Anakin enter the room, he runs to the comlink,
"All of you get in here now!"
Fett
laughs, "Oh I don't think they'll be coming."
"What
have you done to them?" screams Zaxos.
Kirana
steps up to Zaxos and stares him in the face, "Ah Zaxos, ugly then, STILL
ugly now?"
Zaxos
looks at her in disbelief, "Who are you?"
"What
you don't remember me? After all these years you can't remember me, pity."
Zaxos's
eyes widen as Mara and Anakin place a Force field around him, he flays his arms
in terror as his illusion is stripped from his skin, leaving a slick brown face
staring out at them, a small serpent buried in his neck. Kirana leans forward
and pulls it out with exceptional force. The snake writhes in her hands trying
to find another host as it's previous one falls to the ground in a slump. She
lifts it to her face, "Sorry Zaxos, looks like your time is up." She
grabs it's neck and twists sharply with a cracking sound and its eyes go dead
and it falls limp in her hands.
She
looks up at the three behind her and waivers slightly, Boba Fett leans forward
and catches her as she faints. Zaxos-Serpent falls to the floor and turns to
ash. Fett drapes her over his shoulder and grabs his guns, "Time to
go." Mara and Anakin nod in agreement and follow him out of the room. They
find dazed students walking the corridors, one comes up to Anakin, "Where
am I?"
Anakin
looks to Mara who shakes her head as Boba Fett continues walking up the corridor.
They reach a large room and Boba sets Kirana-Shantea to the ground, she opens
her eyes and stares at his mask.
"Take
it off, " she demands and he complies without question, a single tear rolls
down his face.
"Kirana."
"Stop
crying you big baby, yes it's me, you know what this means don't you?"
He
nods.
"Good,
now look after Shantea for me wont you?"
He
nods again.
"Goodbye,
Jaster, see you soon."
Shantea-Kirana
goes limp in his arms and Fett lowers his head, "Goodbye," he whispers.
"You're
crushing me," says a muffled voice and Fett lets her go, Shantea's features
had returned to her face, "It's done then?"
Fett
nods and gets up abruptly and starts walking back to his ship, Anakin helps
Shantea to her feet, "You know something, I wish I never even saw
that."
Shantea
smiles and wraps her arm around Anakin's shoulder, ruffling his hair, "Ah,
think of it this way your own of only three people in the entire universe that
has seen Boba Fett with his guard down."
Mara
smiles and Shantea grins back.
***
Back
at the Temple.
"You
sure you don't want to stay? I'd love to learn about your people, they sound incredibly
interesting," asks Luke as he walks Shantea to the space port.
"I'm
sure, my path lies else where," she replies her head flicking towards Boba
Fett.
Luke
gives her a slight hug, "Come back at any time, your always welcome
here."
Shantea
steps back, "I know," she turns and starts walking up to the ship only
to find herself spun around.
"You
thought you'd leave without saying goodbye huh?" asks Anakin his hair
ruffled from getting out of bed too quick.
"Well
I don't like long goodbyes," she replies with a shrug.
"Tough,"
replies Anakin as he gives her a big hug, "Come back anytime."
Shantea
untangles herself and nods. Anakin walks back to Luke as they watch the ship
take off, "She's quite something isn't she Uncle Luke."
"I'd
say," replies Luke as Slave-1 launches into the air and disappears
across the horizon.
The
End
|
