Path of Destiny - Chapter 18
The Path of Destiny
Chapter Eighteen
Part One
Hover platform base
Krysira stood near Trip as the chief engineer consulted
the schematics of the hover platform that he had downloaded into his scanner
earlier. He was trying to figure out how to operate the alien transportation
vehicle.
The
female Jedi gazed at her remaining companions. Caden had placed both dead
Exoians side by side next to one wall. She watched him briefly, feeling a tinge
of sadness from the big Exoian. Death, no matter the cause or who it was, was
never easy to deal with. She had hoped to take all of the Exoians prisoner, but
it was not meant to be.
Her
gaze drifted over to Elkan, who paced restlessly in another part of the area.
She could feel his anxiety leap out at her. Krysira also felt the sense of loss
emanating from him.
Loss
was something that she had dealt with when she was fifteen years old. Her
parents had perished as a result of a tragic transport accident. Yoda had felt
that it was important for Krysira to attend the funeral and allowed Mace to
take her. It was there that she had met her much older brother Kendryck. It was
also the first time that she had had contact with any of her family since being
taken to the Jedi Temple when she was six months
old.
Meeting
with Kendryck had been awkward at first, for Krysira was unsure how he would
react to her sudden appearance after so many years. But much to her surprise,
Kendryck was very accepting of her. He had remembered when she had left with
Master Yoda. There was sadness and joy when she had been chosen. But what
Krysira remembered the most about her brother was the way in which he helped
her deal with the deaths of their parents. She had felt responsible because she
wasn�t there to help or at the very least offer comfort to them or her brother.
But Kendryck understood and was grateful that she was given permission to come
back home when she did. They had parted on amicable terms. She had not seen
Kendryck since.
So,
in a sense, Krysira understood what Elkan was going through. However, she also
felt anger from him, but it was different than the anger she had felt from the
Exoian woman earlier. Hers was pure malice, while Elkan�s anger stemmed from
not being able to save Vallen. However, she hoped that this anger would not consume
him; for anger led to irrational acts, which led to possible disaster.
Her
gaze finally came to rest on the handsome young man from Earth that stood next
to her at what was most likely the control panel for this vehicle. He had shown
much more Force-sensitivity than she had originally thought. He had been
unnerved by what he had been able to do. But Krysira realized that anyone with
Force-sensitivity like Trip would feel the same way, without proper training.
Krysira
moved closer to Trip, laying her hand on his upper arm. His dark blue eyes were
fixed on her face. She gazed back at him, searching his face.
Trip
seemed to know what she was looking for without her asking him. �I�m doing
okay, Krys,� he drawled out softly. �Considering what I did.� He paused, trying
to find the right words. �I hope this makes sense to you, but I can feel your
presence, I guess, and it makes me feel...calm.� Trip let out a low short
laugh. �Hell, I don�t even know I�m doing it. It just seems to happen.�
�It
is the bond that we share, Trip,� Krysira offered, lowering her hand.
Trip
thought for a moment or two, then nodded. �Works for me.� He smiled, then
tenderly brushed his lips against Krysira's lips gently. He looked down at the
scanner that he held, studying the readout closely, then grinned broadly. �Hey,
I just figured this thing out!� He announced.
This
caught the attention of Caden and Elkan, who joined the humans on the hover
platform.
�It�s
preprogrammed,� Trip continued.
�Set
to Drayce�s location, no doubt,� Elkan said in a hard tone.
Krysira
nodded. �That being the case, we need to be on our guard,� she told them, her
eyes studying Elkan.
The
resistance leader gazed back, his hard expression softening somewhat. �Knight
Krysira, I will not take matters into my own hands regarding Drayce without
your permission,� he said, realizing the concern that the female Jedi had
regarding the control over his fragile emotions. �It is the same promise I gave
to Master Jinn.� He pressed his lips in a thin line to control himself.
�Revenge
does not satisfy anyone. It will bring back neither Vallen nor your mate. As a
result you would be no better than Drayce.�
Elkan
nodded.
�In
the end, justice will be done,� she assured him.
Trip
could feel the calmness emanating from not only the gorgeous Jedi�s words and
tone, but from her being. He wondered briefly if the others could feel it as
well or only him.
Krysira
looked at Trip who understood her unasked question.
�According
to the schematics, this blue button should do it,� he told her touching the
previous mentioned button.
The
hover platform rose slowly up about a foot, then glided smoothly into the
left-hand passageway.
Part Two
Holding cells
Isak
and Akar escorted Myrek into an empty cell. Once he was inside, Akar touched a
button and a series of criss-crossed beams appeared.
Myrek
turned around to see four armed guards standing on either side of his cell
door. He sighed heavily, as he sank down on the cot on one side of the small
cell. He wondered if Drayce had any idea that he and the others had not
followed in a reasonable amount of time and would send someone to investigate.
The loss of Riaden and Dalosi was unfortunate, but not devastating. Being in
Felorym made them condemned people. They were no longer citizens of Exoia;
therefore they didn�t exist in the eyes of the government. Myrek knew that
Drayce would consider them...expendable.
He
lay down on the cot slipping his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling,
as he waited for an opportunity to escape. That seemed to be highly unlikely at
this point...not with all the guards around. He could only wait for Drayce,
Jeyzen and the remaining Exoians to launch a rescue. That is if Drayce figured
out that he was here.
Part Three
Secondary Dwelling
Drayce
sprung up from his chair and strode out of his room into the main area to see
Jeyzen come into the area. He merely stared at the younger man. Although he was
aware of their presence, Drayce ignored Makkor, Cluna and Narset who were
sitting in the area.
�They
have not arrived yet, my lord,� Jeyzen said.
Drayce�s
handsome features darkened. The younger man could see Drayce�s face become a
shade of purple that he had never seen before.
�I
DO NOT BELIEVE THIS !� Drayce roared, then whirled on the Felorym escapees,
pointing at them. �If anything has happened to Myrek, your companions will be
dealt with...harshly!�
Makkor
leapt to his feet and was instantly standing toe to toe with Drayce, before
Jeyzen could react. �How dare you!� He spat angrily, as he grabbed the front of
Drayce�s tunic. Just as he was about to lift Drayce off of the floor, Makkor
felt the business end of a blaster against the back of his head.
�Release
Lord Drayce...now!� It was Jeyzen.
Narset
and Cluna had started to move to aid Makkor but stopped when they saw a second
blaster aimed at them.
Drayce
allowed a smirk to appear as Makkor release his tunic. Makkor glared at Drayce
with contempt.
�If
I did not require your assistance, you would now be dead, Makkor,� Drayce said
in a deceptively soft but dangerous voice. �As would your companions.�
Makkor
merely grunted, knowing that Drayce was right.
Jeyzen
backed away from Makkor with a simple gesture from Drayce. Makkor moved to join
his companions keeping an eye on Jeyzen.
The
former chief of staff now had his rage under control. The outburst had been
helpful, if not a bit precarious. He clasped hid hands behind his back and
walked slowly into another section of the dwelling, wondering what was taking
Myrek and the others so long to arrive.
Part Four
Small side office
Obi-Wan had just relayed the information that Qui-Gon had
shared with him earlier, when the Jedi Master and Trey arrived. Both men were
greeted with nods and smiles. Chelz made her way over to Trey. She held his
hand, getting a grin from the pleased space pilot. Qui-Gon paused, gently
squeezing his Padawan�s shoulder before venturing further into the room.
Malcolm
looked over at Ryvinia whose expression made her appear that she was a million
miles away. He walked over to her, gently touching one of her hands discreetly.
�Ryvinia?� He questioned quietly.
The
Counselor blinked then focused on the handsome human gazing at her in a
concerned fashion.
�Are
you okay?� He continued.
Ryvinia
sighed. �I will be, Malcolm,� she replied, quietly. �Drayce believes that I
am...dead.� She shook her head. �He left me to die.� She blinked back the tears
that were threatening to fill her eyes. �His betrayal...hurts deeply.�
Malcolm
nodded, as his dark eyes narrowed. �He�ll pay for what he tried to do to you,
Ryvinia,� he told her in an even tone.
Ryvinia�s
expression softened as she gazed at the determined British armory officer.
Suddenly...
�I
found the location of Drayce�s second computer,� Entok told the others. �It is
in Delkye.�
�Delkye?�
Kaylar exclaimed, moving towards the computer to stand behind Entok. �Are you
able to determine an exact location?�
�I
believe so,� Entok told him as his fingers flew over the keyboard, while images
on the screen blinked past in rapid succession.
A
partial map of Delkye appeared with a blinking red dot.
�There
is Drayce�s location,� Entok announced, pointing to that area on the map.
Kaylar
peered over Entok�s shoulder, studying the map. �I know where that is. And as
limited as my knowledge of warfare is, that does not appear to be a strategic
location.�
�What
makes you say that, Kaylar?� Archer questioned.
�It
is near a large marketplace and residential area.�
Trey
was peering at the screen as well. �I know this area as well,� the space pilot
added. �But Drayce knew exactly what he was doing when he chose this location.
He and his associates can merely slip into the marketplace and disappear.� He
paused. �I can fly us there.� He looked at Kaylar. �Do you think that Elkan
would mind if we borrowed his ship?�
Kaylar
thought for a moment. �I will accompany you to the hangar bay and inform the
rest of the warriors. I do not foresee any problems.�
�I
will inform the hangar bay to give you clearance to leave when you are ready,�
Ryvinia offered.
Qui-Gon
grunted in satisfaction. �Excellent. Then we should be off,� the Jedi Master
suggested, as he looked at Archer, Trey, Kaylar, Entok and Malcolm, pointedly.
He glanced at Obi-Wan to see the teenaged Padawan give a barely perceptible
nod.
The
men nodded.
While
heading towards the hangar bay, Qui-Gon drew in the Force and opened a
connection between himself and Krysira.
Part Five
Courtyard in Delkye
Krysira,
Trip, Caden and Elkan emerged from a building after the hover platform had
reached its destination. The sun was bright which caused them all to blink
until their eyes adjusted to the sunlight. The all saw that they were in a
large courtyard.
Trip
looked around. �We still in Jinix?� He questioned the two Exoians.
�No,�
Elkan replied, as he looked around. His eyes widened in surprise. �We are
in...Delkye!� He shook his head.
�Is
something...troubling you, Elkan?� Krysira questioned.
The
resistance leader folded his arms across his chest. �Drayce had another place
here and we never suspected it.� He pressed his lips in a thin line.
Krysira
neared Elkan, laying a slender hand on his forearm. �You have not been remiss,
Elkan,� she assured him. �Drayce has cleverly deceived everyone. It would have
been difficult for anyone to truly figure out what any of Drayce�s plans or
moves could have been.� She removed her hand.
Elkan
nodded.
�So...how
do we find Drayce�s place?� Trip wanted to know.
�We
look for evidence of his presence,� Caden replied. �We start here.� He gestured
around the courtyard.
�Agreed,�
Krysira said.
They
all moved off in different directions.
As
she studied the area that she was in, Krysira felt a gentle nudging in her
mind. She realized that someone was trying to contact her through the Force.
She stopped, closing her eyes, as she let the Force flowed through her.
/�Krysira?�/
It was Qui-Gon.
/�What
is it, Qui-Gon?�/ Krysira thought back.
/�Much
has happened. We have found Durriken�s computer and it led us to Drayce�s
computer in Delkye. We think Drayce is nearby. However, we are uncertain which
building he is in.�/
/�The
hover platform has also brought us to Delkye. We are searching for evidence for
Drayce�s exact location.�/
/�Very
well. We will see you in Delkye.�/ Qui-Gon closed the connection.
Krysira
opened her eyes.
Meanwhile,
Trip and Elkan were having no luck in finding any clues to Drayce�s
whereabouts, as was Caden who was the furthest from the group.
Trip
looked over at Krysira, noting that she had stopped and was standing still with
her eyes closed. He had seen this enough to know that she was most likely in
mental contact with Qui-Gon. He saw her open her eyes, then make her way over
to him. Elkan joined them as well.
�Qui-Gon
and the others are about to depart from Jinix,� Krysira began. �They were able
to locate Drayce�s computer, but not the building he is in.�
Elkan
nodded. �Then it is up to us to discover Drayce�s lair,� the resistance leader
assumed.
�Yes.�
A
short sharp whistle caught their attention. They looked around to see Caden
motioning for them to join him. When they reached him, the big Exoian was
squatting down near a double-edged serrated black dagger that lay on a stone
path that led to a large white stone building.
Caden
picked up the dagger, handing it to Elkan, who took it, tucking it into his
belt. �I would say that our adversaries are in there,� Caden assumed, motioning
towards the nearby white stone building. �It is the same weapon that the other
female attempted to use against me.�
�I
would agree,� Elkan said.
�Drayce
would be expecting someone...but not us,� Caden pointed out.
�Therefore...we
have the element of surprise on our side,� Krysira told them. �A moment,
please.� The pretty Jedi Knight closed her eyes and drew in the Force.
/�Qui-Gon.�/
/�Yes,
Krysira,�/ came the immediate response.
/�Drayce�s
lair appears to be a large white stone building. We are about to enter what
appears to be the rear of the building.�/
/�Very
well. Be cautious, my young friend. We are heading your way even as we speak.
May the Force be with you.�/
Krysira
closed the mental connection and opened her eyes. �The others are aware of our
location.� She glanced at the door, then looked at her companions. �Let us end
this conflict once and for all.�
All
three men saw the determination on Krysira's delicate features, as the female
Jedi Knight led them down the short path towards the rear door with weapons at
ready.
Part Six
Secondary Dwelling
The
three escapees from Felorym lounged on the couch, looking bored.
Jeyzen
glanced at Drayce who had appeared in a nearby doorway. He shook his head
slightly. He saw his superior sigh heavily.
Hearing
the rear entrance door slide open, Jeyzen spun around. �Myrek, what took
you...� he trailed off mid sentence when he saw the female Jedi enter the vestibule.
�FLEE!� He shouted to the others, as he sprinted towards Drayce.
Narset,
Cluna and Makkor leapt to their feet and simultaneously pulling their blasters,
fired at the intruders as they ran towards a large circular ramp that led up
into the building. �
Krysira
instantly reacted as she ignited both lightsabres, deftly blocking the blasts.
She charged ahead, turning off the lightsabres as she pursued the three fleeing
Exoians up the ramp way. Trip and Caden followed her.
Elkan
was about to bring up the rear when he caught some movement from another
direction. His large eyes widened even further, seeing that it was Drayce along
with another Exoian, moving away from him. He glanced at the ramp, seeing that
Krysira, Trip and Caden were nowhere nearby.
Elkan
was not about to let Drayce get away again. Therefore, he made a split second
decision and went off in pursuit of Drayce and his accomplice.