Chapter Nine

"Alright, sweetheart, remember to focus on the redhead. Get her out, then the blond," Carth whispered as he and his wife slipped to the edge of the waterfall and looked over at the camp. It was silent except for the sound of a crackling fire. There was one lone shadow on the wall in the cave, and Carth and Magda could see it's maker clearly.

"Where'd the other two go?" Carth asked with a slight frown on his face.

“Who cares?” Magda said. “Now’s our chance.” The female whirled with a blaster rifle pointed in Jade’s direction. “You ready for round two, red?”

Jade jerked and reached for her saber, flipping the hilt from her belt to her hand.

"No, ya don't," Carth said, jumping out and sending off a well-aimed shot. It hit the hilt of Jade’s lightsaber and sent it flying from her hand. Both Carth and Magda had their blasters leveled at her and were walking side by side towards her.

“What, no big man to run out and save your skin?” Magda asked. “I guess he prefers blonds.”

Jade stewed where she sat. “You don’t know anything.” She glanced at her saber where it laid, then back at her.

“Don’t even try it,” Magda growled. “I know you could just as easily call that thing back, but if you so much as twitch a finger at it, you’ll lose that hand.”

Jade set her face in a defiant look, then swept her legs underneath her and folded her hands in her lap. Glaring at Magda, she shut her eyes and let her body language become tranquil and unaffected.

“Hey,” Magda said, glancing over her shoulder at Carth, then back at the redheaded Jedi. “Hey, I’m talking to you.”

Jade didn’t move a single muscle.

"Jedi, you better not try any of that blasted Force stuff on us," Carth warned, taking a few steps forward and eyeing the redhead. "Magda, get her lightsaber."

Magda crept toward Jade’s fallen hilt. When she bent toward it, she paused. She could have sworn she heard something in the cave crack. She speared Jade with a glare and leveled her blaster at her as she picked up the weapon.

“Want I should pop off a warning shot in her arm?” Carth asked, aiming his blaster.

“No,” Magda purred, putting her face distressingly close to Jade’s. “Why don’t we take her with us?”

“A hostage?” Carth asked, then shrugged.

Magda reached for Jade, then stopped when she felt an unseen wall blocking her. It made her immobile for a moment, then released her. She stumbled back with a growl, then pushed forward again. She grasped Jade’s hair and wrenched her forward. Jade was dragged from her comfortable, meditating position, but her expression never altered. The cave began rumbling, and Magda suddenly loosened her grasp, tripping backwards. She landed in Carth’s ready arms and scrambled.

“She’s bringing the place down on all of us!” she shrieked.

“She wouldn’t dare!” Carth roared. “She’d be committing suicide!”

“Crazy little…” Magda leapt toward Jade again in a rage, slapping her across the face where she lay. “Stop it! Wake up!”

With a thunderous crack, a stalactite hurled toward them. Magda was jerked back toward Carth and watched with horror as the pointed rock slammed into the ground between herself and the Jedi.

“Do we run?” Carth asked.

“No,” Magda snarled. “I’m not leaving without my prize.”

* * * * *

Obi-Wan halted, putting a hand up to still Amabel as well. “Did you hear that?” he asked, eyes wide.

Amabel nodded and reached out with her senses. "It's Jade... at the cave. Something is going on."

Obi-Wan and Amabel sprinted back towards the cave, using the Force to speed them up.

"Hey!" Amabel yelled, her lightsaber leapt to her hand and sprang to life at the sight of smugglers.

Carth spun towards the two new Jedi, another blaster coming to his hand so he could point one at each of them.

Obi-Wan’s lightsaber came to life as well, and he noted the crumbled rock blocking his view of Jade.

“Stay away from her!” he bellowed. “I have what you want!”

Gathering the Force around her, Amabel began throwing the rocks that blocked Jade towards the smugglers.

"Magda, we've got to go!" Carth yelled, grabbing his wife by the arm and yanking her out of the path of a large stone.

Magda wrestled with him for only a moment, then followed him through the line of trees, blocking them from view as they raced back to their ship.

“Watch for them,” Obi-Wan ordered Amabel. He turned back toward the cave, closing his eyes and lifting his hand toward the blocked entrance. One by one, boulders shuddered and rolled away. When his path was fairly clear, Obi-Wan raced inside and powered down his weapon, falling down beside Jade and gathering her up in his arms.

Jade’s eyes fluttered open as he gazed down at her. “Obi.” Without a second thought, she shot up and threw her arms around his neck.

Obi-Wan gripped her desperately in return, nearly crushing her against him. “Kitten, are you all right? What happened?”

“I just…” She wrestled with him, grasping one of his hands in hers, feeling the solidity of it frantically. “They shot my lightsaber out of my hand, so I closed my eyes. I kept saying ‘the Force is my ally’ in my mind over and over until it was all I could hear.”

Obi-Wan used the thumb of the hand she held to brush her cheek, smiling warmly at her. She aimed his hand toward her mouth, dazedly nibbling on his thumb. He allowed it, even sighing a bit when he felt her tongue join her teeth. Something in it reminded him of when they were younglings. But there was also something more…

“And, Obi, I could see everything.” Her words were slightly awkward and muffled. “What I saw was more than what I see with my physical eyes. Every particle was made known to me, and nothing escaped me. I’m… a little shaken.”

“I can tell,” he whispered, running his free hand over her hair. He urged her into his arms again and shushed her gently. “They are gone.” He looked up at Amabel. “No more wandering off. None of us goes anywhere alone, is that understood?”

Jade nodded, releasing his thumb even though she already missed its warmth and familiar callus.

Amabel had to work hard to mask her annoyance and jealousy as Jade sat in Obi-Wan’s arms. She looked up at Obi-Wan as he spoke, and she bit her tongue for a second, wanting to argue. But she just took a deep breath and nodded.

"Understood," she grunted, turning back to the forest in case the smugglers appeared again.

“Obi, I’m sorry,” Jade sighed.

“You did nothing wrong,” Obi-Wan said. “I should never have left you. Will you be all right?”

“Yes,” she said. “That was some deep meditation. Made me a bit dazed. I think I just need to rest.”

Obi-Wan clung to her once more. “I thought I’d nearly lost you. When I saw that the ceiling had collapsed…”

“Takes a lot more than a couple of bungling smugglers to get me,” Jade said, squeezing him back. She felt her eyes fill inexplicably and whimpered. He was so close and still so far from her. He was breaking her heart and didn’t even know it.

“Jade, what’s wrong?” he asked. “You said yourself that you’re fine. If they come back, we’ll chase them off again.”

“I’m not crying about that,” she wept softly, rubbing her tears into his shoulder. “Just… hold me, okay?”

“Okay,” he said, nodding and rubbing her back, obviously at a loss.

Amabel closed her eyes and gritted her teeth at the words coming out of the cave.

Just... hold me, okay? Amabel twitched slightly. Who did that bitch think she was, getting Obi-Wan to hold her and always finding a way to turn the attention on her?

Letting out a low breath, Amabel took a few steps away from the cave mouth and towards the lake. She sat down on a rock and rested her face in her hands.

"I can help you, Amabel, I can help you achieve what you desire." The voice seemed to rumble through the trees, and Amabel shot up, looking around. "You want Kenobi, and I know ways you can get him. Follow me, join me, and you'll have him."

Amabel's lightsaber was in her hand again as she paced from the lake to the woods and back, looking for the source of the voice. She knew who it belonged to, but he was attached to the temple. He couldn’t be out here, could he?

Within the cave, Jade and Obi-Wan had yet to release one another. Jade was nestled quite comfortably, and even though she had not intended to wind up in such a position, she was not moving any time soon.

“Obi, I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” Jade began. “Why do you call me ‘Kitten’?”

“Because it is what you are,” he said, smiling. “Playful and curious. Innocent and fragile. Sometimes you become ill with me and swipe with your little claws, but it never hurts so badly that I can’t stand it. Because you are only just a Kitten.”

Jade laughed. “Well, if I’m your Kitten, then you are my Lion. Brave and strong and protective. Even though you’re obviously stronger, you’re so gentle with me. I think that’s what makes me brave enough to do all that swiping.”

Obi-Wan chuckled, then looked up and felt his smile melting away. “What’s wrong with Amabel?”

Jade tensed up in his arms, the sudden anger filling her an unwelcome emotion. Then she looked up and followed his gaze, softening a bit when she saw that his concern was with good reason.

“She’s pacing nervously,” Jade noted. “Do you think they’re back?”

“There’s only one way to know,” he said, standing and pulling her up with him. Together, they cautiously stepped outside, eyeing the trees and moving closer to Amabel.

“Is something wrong?” Obi-Wan asked her when he was at her side.

Amabel glanced quickly towards Obi-Wan and Jade and shook her head. "No, nothing..." She turned from them again as Sordes' voice echoed from the water. She spun towards it and marched forward, muttering to herself.

"What do you want?" she hissed.

"You. What else did you think I wanted?" Sordes laughed, the voice coming from yet another direction.

"Well, tough luck, now beat it," Amabel muttered, spinning in towards it. She glanced backwards towards Obi-Wan and Jade. They were looking at her like she was insane, obviously they couldn't hear him.

“Uh, Amabel,” Jade said slowly. “Are you feeling all right?”

"Yeah... yeah, fine." Amabel said hurriedly as she turned again, moving slightly into the woods as the voice moved in that direction.

Jade whistled and twirled a finger beside her head.

“That’s not funny,” Obi-Wan scolded. “Come on.” He moved away toward the trees.

“You’re following her?” Jade asked.

“I must,” he said. “I can’t allow her to go off along again, and I can’t leave you behind.” He waved for her to hurry, and Jade simply sighed and jogged after him.

Amabel suddenly stopped and stood stock still for a moment. She spun right, then left then turned all the way around and ran back towards the waterfalls.

"Where the hell are you?" Amabel yelled.

"Come find me," Sordes teased, his voice coming from the other side of the waterfall.

Amabel raced into the waters, running until it got too deep and then swimming.

“Hey, where…?” Jade spun around when she heard a resounding splash.

“This way!” Obi-Wan shouted, running past her and back they way they’d gone.

They burst back out into the clearing, and Jade halted when she saw Amabel splashing around in the pool near the waterfall. Obi-Wan moved as if to rush over and dive in, but Jade stopped him with a hand on his arm.

“Let’s just see what she does,” Jade whispered.

“She may drown!” Obi-Wan yelled. “If she’s not in her right mind—”

“She may try and drown you,” Jade snapped. “Just wait a minute, okay?”

Amabel stopped in the middle of the lake, kicking her legs to keep her afloat as she heard laughing.

"What are you—” Amabel was cut off as she felt something grab her leg. She let out a shriek as it jerked her under the water. With her mouth open, she immediately inhaled water and gagged.

Obi-Wan bolted toward the pool, leaping and diving underwater by instinct. He barely even registered Jade’s cries for him to wait. When he plunged, her voice was cut off from him completely.

He paused only to look into the depths. He saw Amabel struggling against some invisible thing she was tangled in and kicked after her. Her reached her arm and pulled her upward, gritting his teeth with bubbles releasing themselves from his mouth. Amabel went instantly limp, and Obi-Wan hooked his arm around her prone torso, kicking toward the surface again.

Jade awaited on the shore with bated breath, gasping when Obi-Wan broke the surface. He moved back toward dry land, hauling Amabel along with him.

“I don’t think she’s breathing!” he huffed, laying her back. He bent over her, brushing wet strands of blond hair from her face.

Jade dropped to her knees and put her cheek over Amabel’s mouth. “No, she’s not.” She put her finger to her neck. “Her pulse is weakening.”

“Get back,” Obi-Wan said, pushing at Jade’s shoulder.

Jade sat back quickly and watched as Obi-Wan pinched Amabel’s nose shut and clamped his mouth over hers. After two quick breaths, he sat back and pushed in her chest. Then, he laid his cheek against her lips.

“Still nothing,” he said, sounding slightly anxious. So he placed his mouth over Amabel’s again.

Amabel felt like she was swimming through tar, but there was a light somewhere in the distance. She felt her stomach lurch and suddenly jerked forward, coughing. Water spewed from her mouth. Her eyes popped open, wide in shock as she gasped for air.

Obi-Wan helped Amabel sit up, letting her lean against him as she caught her breath and coughed up water.

“Jade,” he said. “Get my cloak. It’s in the cave.”

Jade hesitated. “There might be a blanket in one of the packs…”

“My cloak will do,” he said, brushing at Amabel’s drenched hair.

“Why can’t you get it?” she asked.

Obi-Wan’s attention snapped to her. “Well, I would, but my hands are bit full. Please?”

Jade nodded, averting her gaze and creeping away toward the cave. She meandered around what was left of the rubble, calling the cloak to her hand. She brushed bits of dirt and rock from it, telling herself it was only a cloak. Just a bit of cloth. Not a declaration of love. She moved back toward them and draped the cloak over Amabel, turning away when Obi-Wan tucked it warmly around her.

Amabel shivered in her wet clothing, still slightly dazed.

"What in the Force happened?" she choked, coughing a little more, then leaning back against Obi-Wan. Her memory seemed fuzzy. She didn't remember going into the lake.

“I’ll tell you what happened,” Jade said, sitting down with her legs folded beneath her. “You went stark raving mad and almost drowned yourself.”

“Jade,” Obi-Wan warned.

“Your stone didn’t glow red, so we all know I’m not lying,” she noted, glaring at him. She turned her look back on Amabel. “You were running around speaking to no one. Then you dove headfirst into the pool. Any recollection of that?”

Amabel shook her head slowly as she thought. She didn't remember leaping into the lake, but the voice... Sordes, she did remember. "No, I don't remember any of that." She winced as the bright red of the stone pierced the dark night.

“Yeah,” Jade said, sitting back. “I’m sure you don’t… Now, would you like to tell the truth?”

Obi-Wan looked from Jade to Amabel with shock. “Amabel? What really happened?”

"I thought..." The bright red filled the night again, and Amabel sighed. "I heard a voice... I was trying to find the source," she said quietly. "But I honestly don't remember going into that lake." She finished, glancing at the stone that stayed dark.

“The smugglers, perhaps?” Obi-Wan asked, glancing from her to Jade again.

“Still doesn’t explain the lake,” Jade said. “Did you hear something in the water?”

"I don't reme— dammit— from the waterfall, same voice." Amabel huffed, standing up and moving away from the two.

Jade stayed where she was, glancing over at the waterfall with obviously no intention of believing Amabel’s story. “So you thought diving in and drowning was the best option?”

Amabel narrowed her eyes slightly at Jade, knowing the other couldn't see them with her back to them.

"I didn't know I was 'throwing myself' into the lake," she almost growled.

“What you have yet to answer is why you lost your ability to reason all of a sudden,” Jade said. “From what you’ve told us, my natural instinct is to believe you had some kind of epileptic episode. Hearing voices, losing consciousness, performing actions you don’t recall…”

"That voice... It had some kind of power. I'm honestly surprised that you two didn't hear it." Amabel knew she was treading very close to telling them about the temple and what she had discovered inside of it. She needed to do something....

Amabel shivered and turned back to Obi-Wan and Jade. "I need to get out of these wet clothes… um..." Obi nodded and turned around, Jade following suit.

She slipped out of the wet clothing and then pulled Obi-Wan’s cloak tightly around her bare body as she used the Force to float her clothing onto some rocks to dry.

"Alright, I'm covered."

Jade turned back around, noting that she was wrapped in Obi-Wan’s cloak with every article of her clothing discarded. Though she bristled inwardly, she hid it well.

“What did the voice say to you?” Obi-Wan asked, trying his best to ignore her state of undress within his cloak.

Can't we just get off this subject... Amabel thought. "It was just taunting me..." She fidgeted nervously then sat down on the rock next to Obi-Wan.

“Taunting you how?” he asked, leaning toward her a bit.

Amabel looked down, knowing it would be impossible to lie. Not with that stupid stone around his neck. But she'd be a wampa in hell if she was going to let Jade know what was truly going on in her head.

I'd rather not talk about it in front of Jade... Amabel sent the thought to Obi-Wan’s mind, biting her lip slightly as she leaned into him.

Obi-Wan put an arm around her. I don’t understand, but… all right.

Jade noticed that Amabel didn’t answer his question, and she knew something must have passed between them. Obi…? But his mind was blocked to her.

Thanks... we'll talk... later. She responded, laying her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes, feeling herself relax a little.

Obi! He still wasn’t responding to her, so Jade stood and moved away from them both. She did this only because she feared what she may do if she didn’t leave altogether.

“Jade, don’t wander—” Obi-Wan began.

“Shut up,” she interrupted. “I’m just going to the damn cave. Idiot.”

Obi-Wan clenched his jaw, his body tightening with insult. Jade had never called him an ugly name before. In fact, she was usually the one who most readily defended him and refused to even use harsh words with him at all. When she did, she was always apologetic, and they both chalked it up to the issues she had with controlling her temper. This time he felt it was more. Her cruelty had been deliberate, and she wasn’t spinning around to smile and say “just kidding”.

Amabel glanced after Jade, frowning slightly. "What happened?" she asked Obi-Wan, though she could probably take a good guess and figure it out.

“I don’t know,” he said stiffly. He looked at her and softened. “Are you ready to tell me now?”

Chapter Ten

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