Krysira’s Destiny
Chapter Fifteen
Hangar Bay
Silik, Archer and the four other Suliban spun around to see a very infuriated Drayce standing just inside the hangar bay with the Rybrillians just behind him.
Silik blinked. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Drayce!” He snapped back. Archer wondered what caused the sudden animosity between the two, when they appeared so...chummy earlier. “Liar!” Drayce snarled, as he pulled out a blaster, aiming it at the Suliban leader. But before the Exoian could get off the shot, one of Silik’s men fired, hitting Drayce in the shoulder. Drayce dropped to one knee, holding his shoulder, as he let out a string of curses in some alien language. He then looked at the Rybrillians. “What are you waiting for? Protect me!” He snarled. The Rybrillians charged forward at the order, pulling out blasters, while they fired at the Suliban. One of the Suliban shoved Archer against a nearby wall a few feet away. Archer grunted as he hit the wall, sliding down it to a sitting position on the hangar bay floor. He blinked, as he focused on the situation at hand. He could see the battle between the Suliban and the Rybrillians. He looked for Drayce, seeing the Exoian stand up, still holding his shoulder. He noted two things about Drayce. One: the Exoian was staying out of the conflict, as he watched with obvious glee; and two: he was slowly making his way across the hangar bay. Archer looked around for a means of escape, but found that he had to stay where he was due to the laser and blaster fire. He scowled. He then noticed something about the battle. The Rybrillians’s shots were coming fairly close to the Suliban or just nicking them, but doing no fatal damage. However, by this time, the Suliban had already killed one of the Rybrillians.Corridor
Krysira, Trip and Elkan, along with the Exoian warriors ran down the corridor.
“I really hope...that we can get...to the Captain...before anything happens to him,” Trip managed to get out as they ran. Krysira glanced at Trip, catching the worried expression on his face. “I am sure that we will find him...unharmed, Trip,” she assured him. Trip managed to give her that grin of his that always gripped her heart. “Stop!” Elkan called as he stopped, listening. The group skidded to a halt. Krysira saw that Trip was breathing a bit heavily and laid a hand on the bare part of his chest. She gathered in the Force and sent it into the chief engineer, who almost instantly felt rejuvenated. “What’s wrong, Elkan?” Trip asked, catching Krysira’s hand in a gentle squeeze in thanks before she withdrew. “Listen,” Elkan replied. The group now heard the energy blasts coming from around a nearby turn in the corridor. “Blaster fire,” one of the male Exoian warriors stated. “Then we must proceed with caution,” Krysira advised. “But...” Trip began, but stopped when the female Jedi laid her fingers gently across his lips. “Lest we surprise Drayce or whoever is fighting and cause unnecessary harm to Captain Archer,” she said gently to Trip, as she withdrew her fingers. The Enterprise officer considered her words, then nodded, conceding to Krysira’s wisdom. “It would be best to stick to the sides of the corridor,” Elkan suggested. “We would be less of a target.” “Agreed,” Krysira replied. Krysira and Trip went to the left side of the corridor, while Elkan led the Exoian warriors along the right side.Open area
The corridor spilled into an enormous semi-lit area. Ori skidded to a stop about a fourth of the way into the area, frantically looking around for another corridor. She saw an opening straight across from her and took off again.
However, about three-fourths of the way across, Ori lost her footing and fell forward. She grunted upon impact. “NOW I HAVE YOU...TRAITOR!” Upon hearing the deep furious voice, Ori whipped her head around to see Caden charging towards her. Desperate, the petite Mesarian woman yanked her blaster rifle out of its holster and aimed it in Caden’s general direction, firing as she rose to a half-kneel position. Caden roared in pain, as the blast ripped through the side of his thigh, but he kept on in his pursuit of Ori, though a bit slower. Ori sprung up onto her feet, whirled and made a mad dash for the nearby corridor. She would finish him off later. Wounded, he would be easy to wear down and ambush. Ori had killed before...out of survival. There was nothing wrong with that...killing Caden out of survival. That made perfect sense to her. The pain and bleeding from the wound forced Caden to stop and sink down to the floor. He pounded the floor in frustration, as he let loose a string of Exoian curses.Corridor
Since Obi-Wan’s rescue, the group was no closer to finding the Rybrillian Prefect. Oddly enough, they had not encountered any of the Rybrillians.
Malcolm sighed, as he finally put away the scanner, unable to fix it. “Where’s Commander Tucker when you need him?” He muttered rhetorically to himself. “Is there a problem, Lieutenant?” Qui-Gon asked, his voice held concern. The British armory officer grunted. “I’ve tried to fix the scanner, but the circuits are beyond repair...at least in my estimation. Commander Tucker, who’s our engineer, could’ve probably have figured out a way to repair it,” he replied. “Have patience. The Force will lead us onto the right path.” Malcolm merely nodded. Hoshi found herself walking next to Vallen with Lonan the Exoian warriors following. She didn’t have to be a Jedi to feel the anger practically emanate from the Exoian warrior. She saw him look around in disgust. “This is ridiculous! We are going in circles!” Vallen suddenly announced, angrily. Hoshi started at Vallen’s sudden outburst. But before she could react, the attractive Oriental woman found herself facedown on the concrete. She suddenly felt herself being picked up with ease and placed on her feet. She turned to see Vallen next to her. Hoshi smiled nervously. “Thank-you,” she said. “Pretty clumsy of me.” Vallen’s usual angry expression faltered, as he allowed a genuine soft smile appear. “Just be more careful,” he growled in a softer tone than he had been using. Hoshi merely nodded, as Vallen turned away. She looked down to see that she had tripped over nothing. She cursed under her breath in one of the many languages that she knew. She looked back up and caught sight of something on the side of the corridor next to her. Upon closer examination, Hoshi was able to make out an impression of a large hand and some sort of runes above it. She had seen runes before, but not like these. One of the Exoian government warriors, a female, stopped behind Hoshi, peering at the wall. “Hmmm....runes,” she mused outloud. “That’s what I thought,” Hoshi agreed. “Is it a language?” “Yes...an old high Exoian language.” “Do you know what it says?” “Actually...yes. It says: Place hand here.” Hoshi laid her hand in the impression... Nothing happened. “Let me try,” the female warrior suggested, as she reached over Hoshi, placing her hand in the impression. Much to their surprise, the door slid slowly open, creating the sound of stone against stone. “Qui-Gon! Lieutenant Reed!” Hoshi called, seeing the two men spin around. “We found another passageway!” The Jedi Master headed towards the two women with Malcolm and Obi-Wan right behind him. He stepped up next to Hoshi, gazing at the open doorway. Lonan ventured forth, but once again was yanked back by Vallen, who merely glowered at the young page. In response, Lonan leaned against the opposite corridor wall. Hoshi started to enter the doorway, when she felt a large hand on her shoulder, stopping her. She looked around to see Qui-Gon slowly shake his head. “There could be a trap,” the Jedi Master said calmly, as he moved around Hoshi, drawing the Force within him. Qui-Gon walked just inside the entranceway to see a corridor leading to the left. He started to move slowly when the Force alerted him to immediate danger. Hoshi peered inside to see an enormous log suddenly swing down at the tall Jedi. She opened her mouth to shout a warning, but saw him raise a hand and the log stopped within mere inches of Qui-Gon’s raised hand. She stared in awe. Qui-Gon glanced at the entrance to see Obi-Wan next to Hoshi, along with Malcolm who pretty much had the same expression on his face as did Hoshi. “Padawan, would you be so kind as to clear the corridor for us?” The Jedi Master requested, his gray eyes twinkling softly. The young apprentice smiled broadly. “Yes, Master,” he replied. Taking a moment, Obi-Wan could feel the Force swirling through him. The youth suddenly leapt forward, his lit lightsabre in hand. Whirling gracefully, he had the ropes cut with two precise swings, landing lightly on the log in a defensive stance with uncanny balance. Malcolm and Hoshi exchanged a surprised look. Qui-Gon walked forward to stop next to his apprentice. “Well done, Padawan,” he complimented. The youth practically beamed at his master. He jumped down while deftly belting his lightsabre, after switching it off. “Thank-you, Master,” he answered softly. Qui-Gon turned towards the entranceway. “Let us proceed carefully. There may be other traps along the way,” he informed the others, who were gathered around the entranceway. With that, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan ventured down the corridor. One by one the others followed with blasters drawn. Surprisingly, Vallen positioned himself not only in front of Lonan, but Hoshi as well. The human female and the Exoian youth exchanged a puzzled look, but followed without question, as the group slowly, alertly made their way down the corridor.Outside the hangar bay
Krysira, Trip, Elkan and the other Exoian warriors approached each side of the entranceway to the hangar bay quietly. The laser and blaster fire was evident.
Krysira could feel Trip’s strong presence right behind her, as she peered cautiously into the hangar bay. She saw the Rybrillians exchanging fire with yellow green mottled skin aliens. She continued to scan the area, when her eyes suddenly widened upon seeing a man with his hands bound behind him unable to move because of the energy blasts. Noting the uniform, Krysira came to the conclusion that this was who they were searching for, Captain Archer. Trip was a little frustrated that he couldn’t see into the hangar bay, but was happy with the proximity to Krysira, nonetheless. He discreetly slipped one arm lightly around her waist, holding her close as he enjoyed the physical contact with the beautiful Jedi Knight. He noticed that she was now looking over her shoulder at him. He leaned forward. “I can see Captain Archer,” she said quietly. “Is he okay?” Trip questioned quietly. “Yes. However he is bound and unable to move due to the battle.” “Damn!” Trip swore softly. “Do not be discouraged, Trip.” He studied her for a few moments, then blinked. “You have a plan.” She smiled. “Indeed.” Trip gave her a half-grin and an affectionate squeeze. “Should’ve known.” The pretty Jedi caught Elkan’s attention, then very carefully mouthed the words: “Diversion...needed.” She then motioned to the part of the hangar bay that was opposite from Archer’s position. Elkan studied the situation, as another Rybrillian fell, seeing only two left. He quickly formulated a plan, then turned and had a brief hushed discussion with the other Exoians, who all nodded in agreement. Elkan and the others drew their blasters and charged into the hangar bay, surprising not only the Suliban but the Rybrillians as well, as they fired well-placed shots to draw fire away from Krysira and Trip’s objective...Archer.Corridor
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan led the group down the corridor.
Vallen glanced over his shoulder at Lonan and Hoshi, then looked forward again, while walked next to Malcolm. He studied Obi-Wan for a few moments. Here was a Jedi apprentice, who would most likely become a great warrior, perform a seemingly menial task in a cheerful manner...with no complaints. It was as though he was eager to please the Jedi Master. Vallen sighed silently to himself. A teenager put him to shame. Here he was, asked to watch Lonan and all he did was gripe and complain about it, insisting that he was a warrior, who only wanted to fight. But that hadn’t always been the case. His late wife, Reyna had brought out his gentle compassionate side, but he had buried it when she died. Yet, when he briefly looked into Hoshi Sato’s dark eyes, Vallen saw gentleness in them...just like Reyna had. Also, he had not touched another female, until he helped Hoshi to her feet. The unexpected physical contact had stirred up his forgotten gentler self. Once again, Vallen glanced back at Lonan and Hoshi, seeing the apprehension on each of their faces. Obi-Wan felt a warning from the Force and had his unlit lightsabre in hand. He looked aside to see that Qui-Gon had done the same. He saw his master give him a look of approval. Suddenly, two large tan colored metallic balls, appeared out of nowhere, rolling towards the Jedi. “Fall back!” Qui-Gon shouted, as both he and his apprentice turned on their lightsabres. Both Vallen and Malcolm drew their blasters, as they backed up. Taking their cue, the rest of the group backed up, as well. As Master and Padawan took defensive stances, the metallic balls stopped rolling and transformed in two Exoian-sized, humanoid looking ‘droids that were drawing blasters. “Quickly, Padawan,” Qui-Gon urged, charging forth, not waiting for a response. Obi-Wan leapt forward as well. With uncanny precision and timing, both teacher and student deflected the energy blasts, then made short work of the ‘droids. Suddenly, part of the wall next to Obi-Wan slid open. Both whirled to see a force field just like the one Obi-Wan had been freed from earlier. Inside, they saw a being of white sitting among large cushions. Ca-Yanne looked up at the sound of the wall sliding open. At first she saw two beams of energy: one blue, the other green, then two beings. Her large amber eyes studied the newcomers, who shut off their weapons, belting them. Although she wasn’t familiar with the species, Ca-Yanne recognized the clothing that they wore. She had met and healed a Jedi many years ago. As per her request, the Jedi Knight did not disclose the location of Rybrill, for the rest of the galaxy was not ready for them...yet. She looked at Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. “You are Jedi?” Ca-Yanne assumed in her soft voice. Qui-Gon bowed, slightly at the waist. “Yes,” he replied. Ca-Yanne nodded, then looked past the Jedi to see others in the entranceway. The Rybrillian Prefect smiled softly. “Young Lonan?” She assumed. Lonan, who had been peering around Vallen’s shoulder, stepped around the elder Exoian, making his way forward to stand next to Obi-Wan. He bowed deeply. “Prefect Ca-Yanne,” he replied. “You have grown into a handsome young man.” Lonan’s cheeks flushed purple. “Thank-you.” Vallen sighed heavily. He now realized that what Lonan was telling everyone was true and that he had sorely misjudged the boy. “Have my people done any harm?” Ca-Yanne asked, looking back at the Jedi Master. “Regretfully...yes,” Qui-Gon replied. “I feared that might happen.” Malcolm stood staring at the force field arms crossed over his chest. “This is the same kind of force field Obi-Wan was in and lightsabres can’t penetrate it. I wish my scanner was working; then we could probably get her out the same way was got Obi-Wan out,” he said sourly. “Take heart, Lieutenant. The Force will show us a way,” Qui-Gon assured him. Malcolm sighed. “I hope so.” In the meantime, a couple of the Exoian warriors were looking over the destroyed ‘droids to see if anything was salvageable. After a couple of minutes, one of the warriors reached inside the circuitry of one of the ‘droids, seeing something that looked out of place. He pulled out what looked like a small rectangular data card that was definitely more technologically advanced than the ‘droids. He straightened, looking thoughtfully at the card, then made his way through the group to the Jedi Master. “Excuse me, Master Jinn,” the warrior began, seeing the tall Jedi turn to him. “I found something in one of the ‘droids that does not belong there.” He showed the data card to Qui-Gon. “It seems to be a data card of some kind. I have seen similar ones.” Malcolm, who had been studying the force field, looked over at what the warrior was holding. His eyes widened. “Or perhaps a key!” He exclaimed. Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?” He questioned. “Better yet, let me show you.” He turned to the warrior. “May I?” Malcolm gestured to the data card. The warrior handed it to him. The group watched as Malcolm walked over to the force filed and bent down on one knee. Ca-Yanne watched as Malcolm slid the card into a tiny dark metallic box that he had just noticed earlier. Upon hearing a click, the Englishman saw the force field shimmer, then fade. Malcolm straightened and assisted Ca-Yanne off of the cushions, noticing that she had claws instead of fingers. He was aware of how cool her skin was. The Rybrillian Prefect smiled in thanks.
| Back to Chapter 14 | Krysira's Destiny chapter listing | On to Chapter 16 |
| To kapridragon's page | To Main MEG Archive page |