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"CAPTURED" - Chapter 2

by Eric R. Umali

“The Search”

 Zekk and Tenel Ka were making very good time, thanks mostly to the young woman’s survival skills.  At one point, Zekk watched her as she walked among some berry-bearing brush, moving from bush to bush, knowing on sight which to pick and which not to.  The dark-haired student had lived in some of the harshest places in the galaxy, including the dangerous lower levels of Coruscant.  He recalled when his friends had come to visit him there, and the tables were turned.  As he looked Tenel Ka over one last time, he understood what his friend Jacen saw in her.  *She’s pretty special, all right.  Granted, she’s no Jaina… but who is?*

 A few hours later, they were on the move again.  Out of nowhere, Tenel Ka turned to him.

 “Zekk, I have a question,” she said.

 Zekk popped a berry into his mouth.  “Shoot.”

 “Do you think Jacen is funny?”

 The young man thought a moment.  “You mean his jokes?”  She nodded.  “Well, ah… no, not really.”

 “Then why does he constantly make them?”

 “I suppose,” he said thoughtfully, “it’s his way of breaking the ice, of making himself or other people feel comfortable.  Even when it’s a really bad joke, it’s usually better than awkward silence.  Also, I think he does it a lot to get a rise out of you.”

 Tenel Ka arched an eyebrow.  “A ‘rise’?”

 Zekk laughed.  “Jacen once told me that you have a beautiful smile, but he’s only seen it once.  I think he wants to see it again.”

 The young woman gave an exasperated sigh.  “Jacen is always like that.  It seems he takes little seriously sometimes, other than his studies-- or his animals.”

 Zekk’s eyes widened.  “Jacen?  Are you joking?  Well, no, of course you’re not.  Listen, I’ve got a story to tell.  It’s about time to make camp, anyway.”

 “Very well,” she answered.  Zekk was right-- the night had turned from deep blue to star-filled black, and the temperature had dropped fifteen degrees in the last two hours.  Within twenty minutes, they sat across a small campfire, their Jedi robes wrapped around them.

 “All right,” said Zekk, “so Jacen doesn’t take things very seriously, eh?  Do you remember about a month ago, he took me on a two day hike?”  Tenel Ka nodded.  “Well, late in the first day, near sunset, we found this great clearing in the woods and decided to get in some lightsaber practice.

 “Now I’m pretty good with a lightsaber, but Jacen-- he’s really impressive.”

 Tenel Ka nodded again.  “Jacen is a formidable swordsman-- this is a fact.”

 “Well, during this duel, I got a little sloppy and the tip of his blade nicked my shoulder.  It was nothing-- it barely drew blood-- but Jacen shut off his ‘saber and dropped it on the ground.  I couldn’t get him to stop apologizing for two hours!

 “Sometime around midnight, Jacen woke up screaming your name and shouting ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry!’  He was in tears.  That was when he told me about the accident.”  Zekk gestured towards Tenel Ka’s left arm.

 She brought the arm-- a biosynthetic replacement-- from beneath her robes, remembering the incident with perfect clarity.  Tenel Ka’s decision to rely on her physical abilities, rather than her Jedi talents had led her to fashion a flawed lightsaber which malfunctioned during a practice duel.  The weapon short-circuited, allowing her opponent’s blade to sever her arm above the elbow.  Her opponent had been Jacen.

 “Did you know,” Zekk continued, “that for three weeks after that, Jacen didn’t sleep for more than a couple of hours a night?  He told me.  He’d wake up the same way-- consumed with grief and nightmares.  You were unconscious, so you don’t know what he did right after it happened.  Jacen wanted the medical droids to give you his own arm.”

 “But that would be impossible--“

 “That’s not the point.  He couldn’t forgive himself for what had happened.  He still hasn’t, not really.”

 “But-- on Hapes, and afterward-- it was his support that helped me,” she said, her words coming more and more rapidly.  “No one was there for me more than Jacen.  He--“

 “I said it before,” Zekk interrupted, “_I_ am not the one who should be hearing this.”

 Tenel Ka drew back from the fire.  She had much to think about tonight.

**********

 Hours later, her Jedi robes wrapped tightly around her, Tenel Ka slept peacefully.  Her mind, however was most active.

 She was again by the lake, and again in Jacen’s arms.  Only now, there were no interruptions.  Tenel Ka raised her eyes to find him staring at her with a tenderness that washed over her like a wave.

 Tenel Ka felt his hand touch her chin and tilt it upward as he leaned towards her.  She closed her eyes and felt his warm breath on her face.  There was an instant electric shock when their lips touched.

 Then there was a deafening sound, and Tenel Ka was jarred from her dream.  She woke only to stare into the running lights of a large landspeeder.  Her hand went to her hip and grasped the rancor tooth hilt of her lightsaber, but she was not able to ignite it.  A strong cable lashed around her, immobilizing her.  She recognized the bright blue flash of a stun blast, then lost consciousness, with only a single thought.

 *Jacen!*

**********

 *Jacen!*

A few kilometers away, Jacen woke with a start.  Without a second thought, he fastened his Jedi robe around his neck and shook a peacefully snoring Lowie.  Jacen knew better than to wake a sleeping Wookiee, but didn’t care.  With a tired roar, Lowie swatted at him and rolled over.  Jacen shook him again.

Lowie sat up, groggy.

“Tenel Ka is in trouble!” he said, then rushed out into the dark.

Immediately awake, Lowie stood, grabbed his own robe and tried to catch up with the speeding Jacen.

Jacen ran at full speed, drawing upon the Force for strength and stamina.  *I didn’t think either of us was strong enough in the Force to communicate that way.  She must really be in trouble.*

The two young Jedi reached their friends’ campsite in record time, both drawing their lightsabers for both protection and illumination.  Lowie spotted movement.  They rushed towards the remains of the campfire to find Zekk unconscious.  The young man had been stunned, but was beginning to come to.

“Zekk!  Zekk, are you all right?  Where’s Tenel Ka?  Who did this?”

The dark-haired boy coughed.  “Don’t know… landspeeder attacked us… got stunned.  Jacen-- they took her…”  Zekk collapsed again.

*Jacen!*

Jacen’s head snapped up.  Lowie supported Zekk as Jacen rose.

“Lowie, see if you can get Em Teedee’s comm system working again.  Get back to the academy and have Uncle Luke start searching the area!”

“But Master Jacen,” said the translator droid frantically, “where are you going?”

“I’m going to find Tenel Ka.”  Jacen closed his eyes and stretched his Jedi senses outward, searching for Tenel Ka.

“Master Jacen, that is a most dangerous plan.  You should stay here and wait for Master Skywalker and Mistress Jade!”

“I can’t wait.  They could be off the planet at any time.  Besides, she has something of mine.”  Jacen turned and disappeared into the night.

Lowie let out a sad howl, then unclipped Em Teedee from his belt.  “Whatever did Master Jacen mean?  What could Mistress Tenel Ka have of his that would be worth risking his life for?”

The Wookiee gave a few wistful growls.

“I see,” replied the droid.  “How very poetic.”

**********

 Tenel Ka opened her eyes.  Her head ached powerfully, but she forced herself into a sitting position.  She could see nothing.  She feared a moment she might have been blinded, but realized she’d been placed in a darkened room.

 Her hands had been bound behind her back, and her feet were tied as well.  She could not understand, but she felt very tired and very cold.  Tenel Ka closed her eyes and began to reach out with the Force, but found her “vision” cloudy and her Jedi senses dulled.

 Focusing her waning strength, her mind shouted again.  *Jacen!*

 She allowed herself the slightest of smiles.  *Bound and blind, with no idea where I am, and _who_ do I call for?  The most powerful Jedi in the galaxy, my master?  No-- and I’m starting to understand why.*

 There was a sudden sound, and a shaft of light pierced the darkness of her cell.  Two beady eyes peered through a slit in the door.

 “Ah, good, you’re awake,” said the man in an unctuous voice.  “Don’t bother struggling or trying to use your Force powers, little Jedi girl.  We’ve taken steps against that.”

 “Who are you?  What do you want?”  Tenel Ka demanded.

 “Who I am is not important.  What I want is money.  And you, little girl, will fetch me plenty.”  The slit slammed closed, leaving Tenel Ka in darkness again.

 *So they are slavers,* she thought.  *They cannot have been on Yavin Four very long, or Master Skywalker would have detected them.  Perhaps he already has, and is already on his way.*  She found some comfort in this, but still pondered his other words.  *What did he mean I would not be able to use the Force?*

 Again, she reached out with her Jedi senses, only to find them still dulled.  She searched, but could not “see” well enough to do so.  An idea springing to mind, she turned her senses inward, and opened her senses to receive the energy from the Force.

**********

 Jacen cleared his mind, focusing it and gave his body over to its actions, and it continued running tirelessly.  He spread his mind out into the Force, seeing it as a web of energy, with gossamer threads linking everything in the universe.

 Jacen knew to look for one of the bright points that indicated a being with Force talents, sweeping his senses around, trying desperately to brush Tenel Ka’s mind with his own.  He came across his sister and his uncle, and the concentration of bright points at the academy.  Jacen nearly missed it-- a dim point, but it was more open, more receptive than a normal being.

 He channeled his energies right towards that single person, straining to make contact.

 There was a sudden rush of thoughts in his head, and a very familiar presence.

 *Tenel Ka?!*

 **Jacen!  Thank the Maker!**

 *Are you all right?*

 **So far, but my Jedi powers seem to have been limited somehow.**

 *Yes, I can feel it.  Do you know where you are?*

 **I am aboard a slavers’ ship.  I believe we are still on Yavin Four, but I do not know when they intend to leave.**

 *Slavers?!  Tenel Ka, are you-- Did they--?*

 **No, Jacen, I am unharmed.  I believe they think me more valuable untouched.**  In her cell, Tenel Ka found herself almost enjoying his protective concern.  **Is Master Skywalker there?**

 *No.  I sent Lowie and Zekk to find him.*

 **Zekk!  Is he all right?**

 *Yes,* Jacen answered, *he was just stunned.*

 **Good,** she said, then realized something.  **Jacen-- you are alone?**

 *I had to get to you in time.*

 **It is too dangerous.  I do not know how many of them there are.**

 *I’m touched by your concern.*  Tenel Ka could almost see the lopsided grin on his face.  *But I would take on every ship in the Second Imperium for you.*

 There was a moment or two of silence.  **And I for you, my friend Jacen.  I--**  Jacen felt her weaken.

 *Tenel Ka?!*

 **I am… all right… just… tired…**

 *Then rest.  Save your strength.  I know it’s useless to ask you to just sit and wait, so I won’t, but be careful.  Remember, the Force is with you.  Soon I will be, too.*

 Tenel Ka’s strength was fading.  **Jacen…**  She was gone, her energy too spent to continue.

 Jacen’s mind returned.  His face set with grim determination, he pushed himself faster towards where he’d felt Tenel Ka’s spirit.  A moment later, he saw a ravine before him, more than a dozen meters wide.  Without missing a step, Jacen used the Force and leapt the crevasse, never slowing.