NationStates Jolt Archive

Konohagekure Village, Konoha, Konoha System

It started with a dream.

A dream that’s not so much a nightmare as it’s a vision of portends to come.

A boy, asleep in his bed, tosses and turns fitfully as the dreams come before his eyes...

FLASH!

An army of thousands of strange creatures stands at attention before a giant red dragon. Some creatures look like small black imps with sickly yellow eyes and sharp claws. Some creatures have the shape of oozing pus. Some creatures take the form of anthropomorphic stars with black optical sensors on their heads. There are hundreds of such creatures and more, thousands of soldiers in all.

The mysterious evil dragon speaks. “Go out and subjugate all who stand in my way! Show no mercy! Let all the galaxy know...that I have returned!”

A terrible roar rang out from the crowd, pleasing the demon. They chanted a name, but the boy could not discern it.

FLASH!

Under a storm-laden sky, the boy finds his lightsaber ablaze as he faces down numerous enemies, the same types as in the previous dream. He also notices allies, familiar and unknown, standing next to him, wielding their own weapons, raising them to strike. Then a terrible battle rages...

FLASH!

The boy stands alone on a desolate wasteland. Everything was gray and lifeless as far as the eye can see. Then a soft voice sounds.

“This is the work of the Evil One. He goes out and lays waste to a world, consuming all life and resources before moving on to the next one. Some worlds, he leaves for his armies to ‘play’ with. Help...us...please...” The voice trailed off.

An evil presence makes the boy turn around, face to face with Evil One himself. He was nearly formless this time, looking like an evil red ghost with a menacing face. A cruel smile plays across the features of the Evil One and then he opens his mouth. Air violently rushes into the maw, carrying dust, rocks and everything else not tied down, including the boy. He screams as the maw closes around him, but no sound exits his throat as a cold, vast darkness surrounds him...

And the name of his ultimate enemy whispered from everywhere and nowhere at once...

Giygas....

11 year old Travis Masaki gasped for air as he woke up from the nightmare. His shirt was soaked from sweat and he tried not to recall the face of Giygas, but it stuck in his mind like glue. Shaking his head to clear the image, he looked at his clock, noticing that it’s 0500 in the morning. Pre-dawn hours. He groaned and got out of bed. After washing up, he traded his PJs for his favorite yellow and green striped T-shirt and black cargo pants, not to mention a rust-colored long sleeve collar shirt with open buttons. After rolling up the sleeves of his overshirt, Travis headed downstairs to eat breakfast.

After breakfast, the kid latched his weaponry to their various positions on his body and headed out of his apartment. Walking down the street at predawn hours, Travis was so into his thoughts that he nearly ran into his older cousin Keith.

“Whoa there, Slick. Head in the clouds again?” Keith asked. The second youngest Masaki is thirteen years old and has an affinity (some may say obsession) for animals and plants, and is beginning to develop related powers. He often calls Travis ‘Slick’ for no discernable reason. He has straight brown hair, blue eyes and often wears a green hooded sweatshirt and khaki cargos.

“Hey cuz. Had a strange dream.” Travis seemed down.

Keith looked pained. “Does it have anything to do with a giant red dragon dude?”

“What? How did you know?” Travis looked up sharply.

“Because...I had a similar dream.” Keith answered.

OOC: Dun dun duuuun! OOC Thread Here! (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=450658)

ThoopBang-ThoopBang-ThoopBang

Three guards down.

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat

Two sentries down.

Thooooooooom

Guard tower cleared.

"C'mon kid! Get the feck up here! You wanted action, here it is!" yelled a burley man, toting a flame thrower, which had just cleared the guard tower of its occupants, very painfully.

Quickly, three shapes moved into a camp, a fourth shape crouched lower over in a hill some twenty meters away from the gate.

Their entry wasn't unoticed, squads of poorly armed, ragged bunches of men started to exit their bunkers, and patrols were called in. The four man team didn't waste a second though. Muzzle flash after muzzle flash was seen from the figure in the hills, his long rifle catching men in the heads and chests, the shells exploding into small fire balls, shrapnel being spread in all directions, particulary inside the targeted victim. A young boy wielding two slug throwers of ancient design poked his head out from behind a barrel of fuel, taking pot shots at men infront of him coming towards him, or aiming at the burley man. The burley man himself unleashed firey hell upon the hapless victioms, rushing to earn their pay for the day, and a meal, most likely water and bread. The third figure that entered the base, was no where to be seen.

"Call the geezer! Ask him what is taking so long!" barked Cain, he himself trying to gain cover, while spewing hot death at the enemy.

The boy tapped his ear, and spoke into it. "Ivod! ETA on objective?!". A silence, then a response, "It's done, photo taken, and DNA sample retrieved. Fall back, damn adreniline junkies."

"It's done!" Screamed the boy at Cain. Slowly, Cain started to back up from the action. Most of the small camp as ontop of them, and that's just what they wanted. The frontal assault was a diversion, so that the unusually sneaky old man was able to get to the bounty.

Again they wasted no time. The boy and Cain quickly exited the main gates, while the man on the hill showered the oncoming enemies with sniper fire, forcing them to take cover.

Beyond the hill, a ship uncloaked. An old class valkylrie (http://www.mendyka.de/Valkyrie.JPG) sat, armed to the teeth with missile pods. The only major difference was the ship had a third engine between the two turbo fans. This was the space acceleration engine, and warp drive.

Slowly the sniper pulled back aswell, firing shots intended to scare the soldiers before he ran off, Cain and the boy right behind him. By the time they got to the meager ship, the old man was already there.

"Crazy sneaky old coot." they all mumbled at him as they ran to the back of the ship were a converted troop bay was. With a hiss and a whir, the VTOL capable ship lifted off. Immediatly they could see the enemy rushing up out of the gates. With a wish, a torrent of rockets was launched, obliterating the enemy soldiers, and the better part of the base. Rocket engines blazing, the ship took off into the sky.

Inside the cockpit, the boy sat in the gunners seat, while Cain piloted the machine. With a woot and a yell of excitement, the young good looking sniper said aloud, "C'mon! Get to the closest bounty office! We be eatin' good t'night!"

Later that day...

Lightsabers flashed in a blaze of color as two combatants duked it out with three others watching. It was a one-on-one battle, but Travis was getting his ass kicked by his great granddad!

"You call this a duel?" Patriarch Masaki taunted as he blocked two supposedly quick blows in succession, then delivered a counterattack that left Travis in the dust. "I could drink my cup of tea and not spill it while fighting against you!"

"Oh, shut it, Old Man! I'll kick your ass so fast you'll be sucking wind before you blink!" Travis yelled arrogantly while barely deflecting swift thrusts to the vital points of the body.

"You call that an insult, boy? You'll excuse me if I don't start crying." Old Alex deflected an impressive series of blows almost lazily. Then with a simple twist of his wrist, he sent Travis' yellow lightsaber flying and the pointy end was suddenly close enough to the boy's neck to smell the ozone, ready to stab inward. Travis gulped at the closeness of the blade.

"Thirty seconds, my boy. That's all it takes for a foe to leave your corpse rotting in the sun." Alex flicked off his lightsaber in a flourish and replaced it on his belt. "Of course, you did quite well in the blaster deflecting department, but in a swordfight, you are simply...screwed. You still have much to learn."

Travis' eyes trailed downwards. "Yes, Master."

"You are young yet, Travis. And you have good friends to rely on in a scrape." Alex said, eyeing his teammates Nick and Kagome. "You have learned the tree-climbing technique yet?"

The three members of Team Seven nodded. Kagome answered. "Right after our first mission, Naruto-sensei put us to work doing both the tree and water walking. It was very tough, but worth it."

Alex nodded. "I see."

The tree-climbing technique is one of the first lessons learned after Jedi or ninjutsu students are assigned a master, usually after their first successful C-level mission. The object is to be able to release the right amount of Chakra (aka Force) energy when executing a technique, whether it be climbing a tree with just the feet or in battle conditions. Simply put, tree-climbing requires a small but precise amount of chakra in order to be successful. Too little, and you slip off. Too much, and you break the tree bark and fall. Thus, it teaches control. It usually takes two days on average to successfully execute the technique.

Water-walking is a more advanced skill. The shinobi or Jedi execute this by focusing a steady stream of chakra on the feet to be able to walk on water like it was solid ground. It is harder to master due to the naturally fluidity of water, but it teaches balance, both for the body and for the chakra flow. It takes about a week to master the skill.

By forcing these kids to master the two vital skills, especially at this early stage in their training, Alex knew that Naruto was doing them a great service by putting them above the other newly-minted apprentices skills-wise, especially in Travis' case. The galaxy is increasingly getting more dangerous and the kids will need every last bit of their training to survive.

"Very well. Then you have the necessary skills to conduct this next mission."

"What about Sensei?" Nick asked.

"He is, as you know, on a high-ranking mission with Travis' father," Travis stiffened at the mention of his father, once lost and now out in the galaxy doing good deeds. He's rarely home, like many military families. "And will not be available at this time. However, I have faith that Keith here will be able to help you in the mission. It promises to be right up your alley, but remember to expect the unexpected."

Alex turned on a holoscreen in the room, switching channels to the Bounty Hunter Network (BHN). Then he selected a particular bounty, which involves a kidnapping, complete with the world where the kidnapping took place. A picture of a beautiful redhead seventeen-year-old girl was splashed across local headlines.

"This world is known as Heveca. The governor's daughter, Reida Samson has been kidnapped by a rather large and boisterous pirate gang known as the Space Sharks, and the ransom is an outrageous sum of ten billion credits. The reward for the safe return of the daughter is two million credits."

Keith whistled. "That's a lot, but the beauty of that lovely lady is priceless!"

Pervert! Was the running thought in Team Seven's heads. Keith, being a teenager, is a known pervert, and doesn't let anyone forget it.

"*Cough* Yes, well. It will be up to the four of you to save Ms. Samson and bring the pirates to justice. But beware, their leader Frank not to be underestimated, especially in close combat." The Old Man warned the quartet.

"Understood." Travis nodded.

"Any questions? No? Very well." Alex pulled out four aerospaceline tickets. "These tickets are for the Jurai-Heveca run aboard Corellian Hyperways. The liner will leave in two hours at the Konoha Spaceport."

The four young ones took the tickets.

"A taxi will be waiting outside shortly. May the Force be with you all. Dismissed." Alex concluded. Without a second to waste, the kids picked up the backpacks they left at the door and sped out to the waiting taxi.

The taxi drove them down the ten minutes to the spaceport and dropped them off at the departure gates. The kids recieved funny looks at first due to the various weapons they carried, but after flashing their IDs, they breezed through security.

Two hours later, they boarded the cruise liner and soon after that, the liner took off into space and made the jump to hyperspace.

-----

I sense a grave disturbance in the Force. Like that of a great storm about to overcome the galaxy. Master Masaki sighed, puffing on an old Victorian-style (like Sherlock Holmes) pipe after the kids left. I can only pray that the children are ready for what will come to pass...

"I thought this was supposed to be an actual fight, not one of those little kid games." taunted Makr as he deflected yet another needle from Kim. The floor was getting quite littered with them.

"Be quiet you short freak!" retorted Kim. She then rapidly launched a succession attack by attacking with one needle to distract Makr in order to throw a small ball at him. As Makr recovered from the attack he noticed and attempted to avoid the ball. The ball exploded in midair releasing a cloud of red gas. Makr held his breath and rolled sideways out of the cloud. He stood up smirking. "That was so easy." he shouted out.

"That was so predictable," replied Kim who was standing right behind him. She inserted a needle into his neck and he collapsed.

"You might want to see this guys!" called out Raoul who was watching a holoscreen. The rest of the group crowded around. Well, except for Makr who was still out of it. It was currently displaying news about the kidnapping of one Reida Samson.

"Jeez that's a lot of money!" exclaimed Kim. "All that just for rescuing one girl? What are we waiting for! Let's go!" She ran off.

Do you even know where you are going? inquired the Andalite, Molari.

Kim stuttered. "Well.. Umm.. We're... I mean..."

Raoul snickered. "Come on, the world she was kidnapped from is called Heveca. Now grab Makr and we'll head there."

Kim snarled at Raoul and picked up Makr. Ten minutes later they entered hyperspace in a medium sized Andalite ship.

Thirty minutes after THAT, Makr woke up in a very uncomfortable position. "Huh? Wha-? Where am I? KIM!!!!" He was currently hanging upside down in midair with the message. "Your fighting sucks horribly." in front of him.

"Well it's about time you woke up." Kim released Makr from his aerial prison and then the rest of the group briefed him on the coming mission.

As the slim, yet muscular young man had said, the one known as Sinier, they were eating well that day upon a back water world, where anything expensive was just a few credits. Though the expensive things were hardly worth the few credits.

"Kid kid, you have got to learn to put yourself in the line of fire on those mission types. We are there to draw them to us, not make them look for us." grumbled Cain, as he plowed a huge peice of cooked meat into his mouth.

"I know what the hell I was doing, man. I jist needed tah get my bearings, and by the time I got mah bearings, the fight was already ovah." the kid replied.

Sinier looked at the kid, and shook his head. "My young friend, you have got to learn how to speak right..."

Slowly lifting his hand, the kid gave Sinier the middle finger, in a sort of nuetral look, making it impossible to see if the kid was kidding, or serious.

The old man sat lazily in his chair, peeking at the behinds of any women that passed by him, human or alien, fat or skinny, he simply gandered. It was not long before it struck him like a sledgehammer in the head. He jerked a little and looked around. The other three looked at him quizically, then went back to eating, knowing the cooky old man was prone to anything random. The old man, Ivod, smiled a little, and went back to half-heatedly staring at the rears of females. What hit him shook him to the bone, and it had been a long time since he had felt such a feeling.

"LEFT, YOU IDIOT, LEFT!!" Nathan screamed "C'MON DAMNIT!! MOVE!!"
The ship flew straight passed his crosshair. He let go a few short bursts on the cannon. "BULLSEYE!!"
"QUIT YELLING!!" Malaki blasted another on from atop the main turret, an energy ball ripping straight through the hull
"Both of you shutup" Furr always seemed calm, even when faced with certain doom. She was even purring lightly.
"Dao lai opern dorz fol. Maz ferk tyq wer liyn" Rin was still having trouble learning english, and common politness. They tended to keep him away from dangerous objects and anything alive.
As they had been flying through a binary solar system they had been hit by a small fleet of bounty hunters. There was a small destroyer and several fighters. Now there was just the destroyer...
They dipped left and did a quick flip. They flew up behing the destroyer, and as they leveled up and began firing everything they had at it a small rocket came zipping out of the ships, just before massive explosions tore the ship to pieces. The rocket came straight at them, and Furr tried to manuver to the right... But the rocket tore into their wing. "crap... I'm losing power in the right thruster... We have a problem guys!!"
A thick plume of smoke barreled out of what was left of the wing, and the ship began dipping over towards an industrial planet...

When the cruise liner reverted to realspace, a distant explosion caught the eyes of the passengers, including four excited children.

"Man! What's going on out there, a space battle?" Travis exclaimed.

"Looks like it." Keith answered. "Wonder who's fighting."

"Could be the Sharks...they always seem to be causing trouble." Nick suggested.

"Yeah, probably." Kagome said.

The trip to the orbiting space station known as Buffer was uneventful and soon the kids disembarked the cruise ship to mingle among the crowds, book rooms, and start planning on how to find out where Ms. Samson is being held.

---

Meanwhile, at an unknown dungeon on the planet...

The girl known as Reida Samson sat calmly in a traditional kneeling position with her eyes closed. She appeared to be praying or something. A diamond-like pendant around her neck glowed softly in her hands and appeared to hum a tune of some sort.

Her pendant was very special, special enough that the Sharks kidnapped her and repeatedly demanded her to give up its secrets. But time and time again, the Sharks were thwarted, and their patience was wearing thin. Especially because whenever the Sharks tried to yank the pendant away from them, they recieved a nasty electrical shock, for it can detect the evil in their hearts and reject it. Even Frank himself was not immune to the attack.

The girl had protected the pendant all her life, and her family before her. But soon was the time that it would have to choose a new owner, for it somehow knew that the Great Evil draws near, an Evil so corrupt, even the pendant's defense powers would not be enough. It would require the aid of a special person to aid it in the fight against the evil Lord Giygas. One with a pure heart...

"Nice light show, my dear. Care to share how you do that now?" A sneering voice asked. A man stood before her cell, flanked by two black jumpsuit-clad yes men. The man had red pants and black shoes, a white shirt, a red jacket, a pair of sunglasses, but the weirdest part was his blond hair. It was slicked back in the shape of a shark's fin. The same shark fin were on the hoods of the yes men's uniforms, which were always raised.

Reida opened her eyes and looked out the bars of her cell. "You have learned nothing, Frank of the Sharks. No matter what you do, I will never give up the pendant. It is not yours to take."

Frank grunted in frustration. "Grrr. One way or another, I will have that pendant. If I cannot kindly have that pendant, then I shall force you to give it to me...by hijacking and holding hostage the Buffer space station. Perhaps the cries of the innocent bystanders will make you listen!"

A tear began running down the girl's face, staining her beautiful cheeks. "Then you will never have the pendant and the blood that will be shed by your hands will be for naught. And then...your end will come, Frank. One way or another. Mark my words."

A growl of anger and disbelief escaped Frank's gritted teeth. "We shall see. You have pushed me too far. Now the innocent shall suffer for your stubborness!"

With that, Frank spun around and stomped his way out of the dungeon, leaving the yes men to guard the cell. He soon began ordering his pirates to make ready to strike within the hour.

Reida weeped for the loss that will be felt. For the evilness that has corrupted Frank. For all the lives that will be slain in the war against the Evil One. For the terrible times whatever heros come to retrieve her will go through. Aye, this is only the beginning...

The Valkyrie sped through space, not in hyperspace, but scouting the area.

"Oi, got a job here on the network." said Sinier.

The old man scuttled over to right over Sinier's shoulder, his heavy wet, smelly old man breath fogging up the screen. Sinier elbowed the man slightly in the stomach and pushed him off. "Get away! LEarn to brush your teeth!" The old man chuckled and stepped further away this time.

Ivod looked at the screen again, and grinned. "Oh, that's a pretty girl there..."

Sinier sighed and turned back at the old man. "Horny old coot..." He turned back to the screen, and shouted to Cain. "Hey! Wana save a damsel in distress?!"

He got a reply, "Sure! Why the hell not! Where do we go, and what we dealing with?"

"The usual, riff raff, pirates and the like... set course for the... Haveca system! Should be civilization there besides pirates, so we can land more information!"

"You got it!"

The a snap and a flash, the tiny ship took off into hyperspace.


Inside the ship, the old man looked on and sighed. There was a connection to what he felt, and the picture he saw, but he couldn't figure out what about the picture that made him feel the connection.

Several pirate craft slipped into space from the northern continent of the planet. Inside, the Sharks were prepared to execute their boss' orders. First, they will hijack the space station Buffer and kill all the security guards. Then they will hold the station hostage and make demands. If demands are not met, everyone will know their resolve.

The Sharks flew into the hangar bays of the Buffer and then deployed, to the outrage of the guards and the cries of the occupants. Firefights broke out between the guards and the Sharks, but it was clear that the pirates were well-trained and soon, the Sharks' squad leader reached the control room and tied up the patrons, stuffing them into a closet.

The four kids who booked a room were treated to the sounds of blaster fire and stomping boots.

"What the hell is going on?" Travis asked, awakening to Kagome shaking him.

"We got a problem." She hissed. "And keep quiet. We don't want them to hear."

"Who?"

The answer came over the PA system. "Ahem. The Buffer is now under new management: The Space Sharks! All patrons of the station are to head over to the Commons Area near the hangar bays. Failure to comply will result in unnecessary suffering. We will now be conducting patrols to ensure that this rule is followed and that no stragglers are left behind. Thank you and have a nice day."

"Damn. They're taking over the station!" Keith growled.

"What are we going to do?" Kagome worried.

"What can we do?" Nick asked.

Travis, however, was uncharacteristically quiet. Something in himself told him that this was his chance. His destiny is beginning to unfold before him. With an edge in his voice not known before. "Guys. We're going to take back the station."

"What? Travis..." Kagome answered, but was cut off.

"We're ninjas!" Travis exclaimed, hitting his palm with his fist. "We were trained for something like this! We can't let the Sharks or anyone else scare us. Are you with me?"

Keith smiled. "You have the Masaki spirit after all. I'm with you."

"Yeah. It's time to kick Shark ass." Nick agreed.

"Let's do it!" Kagome grinned.

Then someone knocked on the door...

Again, with a pop and a flash, the ship exited hyperspace, inside the system.

Cain started to scan the area for stations or civilized planets, and what he found was a station. "Hey guys, I got a space station here, should we head on over there and see if its public?" He got the usual grunts of acknowledgments. Cain listened in on the radios, aimed at the station. "Oi, I ain't gettin' nothing on the radios, they do have working transmitters, but nothin' is transmittin'."

Larod slipped into the gunner's seat, and strapped himself on. "Eithah dey'z got problems wit dere communications arrai's, o' dey'z in sum sorts of trouble."

Cain looked down at Larod from his seat, "What the hell did you say? Can never understand you, kid."

Sinier interjected, "He said that the station is in trouble, either with the communications or something else."

Cain nodded and grunted, "Fire up the weapons systems kid, just in case."

The ship sped towards the station, but still wary of what may happen.

"Excuse me, unknown ship." The comms of the newcomers' ship crackled on all channels. "You are intruding on our space. Please shut down all power and prepare to be boarded. We are searching for contraband. Failure to comply will result in your unfortunate demise."

Then almost before they knew it, two pirate Skipray Blastboats zoomed around the ship, weapons primed...

----

A Shark blasted the door to the kids' room down. At first glance, he saw nothing. He shrugged, lit up a smoke, and exhaled. As he exhaled, he looked up...

"Now!" Four kids slammed onto the Shark from above, knocking him down and putting him out for the count.

"Smoking's bad for you." Travis commented as he and his friends stuffed the Shark in the closet and Nick grabbed the blaster. "Alright. That's one. Let's go."

The kids headed out into the hallway then with weapons out, ready to shoot, ignite or throw, they leapfrogged down the hallway, wary of Shark patrols...

The Aryll spiralled downwards, a thick plume of smoke trailing behind her. suddenly she broke through the cloudline and they could see a high ridge, sprawling city underneath. They smashed into the ridge and all but the droid were knocked unconcious. He hid the others in a storage compartment and began working to repair the ships wing, whilst targeting the autoguns and the guards who came to arrest them. He worked for a good 6 to 7 hours until he was eventually satisfied and set the auto-pilot to a space-station orbiting another nearby planet. maybe they could take the place long enough to repair properly... only one way to find out!! He took the others out of the closest as the ship began a shaky rise, being fired on by small arms. They gained altitued as he brought them one by one back to the world of the living, getting ever closer to the SS as they prayed the wing held up...

OOC: Sorry if sucky... need sleep... nite

The Aryll spiralled downwards, a thick plume of smoke trailing behind her. suddenly she broke through the cloudline and they could see a high ridge, sprawling city underneath. They smashed into the ridge and all but the droid were knocked unconcious. He hid the others in a storage compartment and began working to repair the ships wing, whilst targeting the autoguns and the guards who came to arrest them. He worked for a good 6 to 7 hours until he was eventually satisfied and set the auto-pilot to a space-station orbiting another nearby planet. maybe they could take the place long enough to repair properly... only one way to find out!! He took the others out of the closest as the ship began a shaky rise, being fired on by small arms. They gained altitued as he brought them one by one back to the world of the living, getting ever closer to the SS as they prayed the wing held up...

OOC: Sorry if sucky... need sleep... nite
Then a message to the Aryll came from a Shark pirate ship. "You are trespassing on our territory! Submit to a boarding party or prepare to fight!"

----

Meanwhile, Team Seven began causing trouble for the Shark patrols as they fought the Sharks bit by bit. Closer and closer they get to the commons area and the control room, where a dangerous Shark commander awaited, getting increasingly furious when patrols failed to respond...

A Shark ship moves to dock with the Aryll. From there, two pirates in black uniforms enter the ship. Their hoods have the trademark shark fins that give them their gang's name.

"Mmm. Mmhmm. Nice ship." One shark commented.

"Yes. Shame it was broken on the outside. Wish we could fix it, but we're kinda busy on the station." The other replied.

"Yes. I hear there's someone trying to be a hero in there." One chuckled. "Fool."

"Indeed. The commander will never allow such an idiot to live..." Two laughed. Then he turned to the crew. "Have anything to declare for the security of our territory?"

The Andalite ship exited hyperspace near Hevaca.

"Hmm.. Let's dock at that space station over there. We might be able to get some information on these Space Sharks."


This is the Andalite Fighter, Torraquar. We request permission to dock at your space station to refuel and replenish supplies.

They headed slowly towards the station with weapons down but shields up. Then, a short distance away, they waited for permission to board. They didn't want to get in trouble before even starting their mission.

OOC: I'm glad you're here, Ageaol. We should IM each other.

IC:
"Sir, another ship is entering the system. What should we do?" A shark asked.

"I believe it's time...for everyone to know our resolve. Allow the ship to enter the hangar bay, but be sure to take the passengers prisoner." The Shark Commander ordered. "Also, select a patron from the commons room. It's time to see if this so-called hero really has the guts to stand against the Sharks!"

You may enter.

Meanwhile, the kids neared the hangar bay, planning to take the remaining Sharks out of commission and get some interrogation out of the leader...

"You hear that??" They had listened to the pirates, for thats what they seemed, over the ships intercom. "That station aint civvi or milli... its hostage... I reckon they'd be pretty happy if we bailed em out dont you??"
"Why, Malaki, thats the best idea Ive heard in that mettalic skull of yours!!" Nathan laughed. "Tell the droid to vape those two, and Furr, head to dock with our new friends"
The mech walked out of the cabin, a sheild raising and his guns coming out, clicks and whirs as he headed to dispatch them. Furr gunned the engine, de-attaching the pirate ship...
A horrible ripping sound was heard from the pirate ship, exposing a big portion of the ship to space. The 'poor' pirates never had a chance. However, a fighter noticed that, grew angry, and started firing at the fools who dared mess with the Sharks!

Roaul pondered over it. He would normally help people but he sensed something was wrong with the space station.

He sent a reply

We apologize, but we have to decline. We are currently unable to assist you. Maybe you should contact the space station with your request.

Then the Torraquar started to enter the hanger bay. The 4 people onboard were ready for almost anything that might happen.

As the Andalite ship entered the hanger bay, everything seemed normal at the moment. A man in a mechanic's suit walked around the bay and waited for the ship to stop.

The Torraquar slowed down to a stop in the hanger. Then the group noticed a mechanic outside and let him do what he needed.

The mechanic knocked on the hull, trying to get the crew's attention. He wasn't sure what they needed as this was an unusual ship.

"What do you want?" Shouted Kim to the mechanic. "There's nothing wrong with the ship and we aren't a bomb waiting to be blown up if that's what you're looking for."

"What do you want?" Shouted Kim to the mechanic. "There's nothing wrong with the ship and we aren't a bomb waiting to be blown up if that's what you're looking for."
"Just to let you know that there's a little problem." The mechanic replied.

"And what problem is that eh?" asked Kim. I'm really starting to hate these kinds of things. she thought to herself.

"And what problem is that eh?" asked Kim. I'm really starting to hate these kinds of things. she thought to herself.
"Look around you." He suddenly smirked. The hangar door suddenly slammed shut. Then members of the Sharks piled out of doors and from behind hiding spots. Several were carrying shoulder rocket launchers.

"Here's the deal. You and your friends are going to get out of your ships with your hands in the air. If you fail to comply or open fire, we will launch ion rockets that will disable your ship's systems and forcibly remove you from it. Do you understand this?"

---

"Oh no..." Kagome whispered as the kids, hidden behind a pile of old cargo boxes, saw the Sharks surrounding the ship from all sides. "What are we going to do?"

"Wait...wait for the right time..." Travis whispered. There was something inside the ship, he knew. But what, he could wait to find out.

Cain looked oddly at the ragged fighters.

"Under who's authority do you have the right to search us?"

He turned his head around and uttered to Sinier and Ivod, "Get weapons ready, I know they will provide some hokey excuse, so we will let them in, and give them a suprise."

"Damn, what do we do?" asked Roaul.

"There are too many of them" replied Makr. "We'll have to go along with them."

After some of them leave, I will give the signal and we will escape. Molari privately told them.

They started leaving. Before the door opened, Molari and Makr paused and then morphed into humans. Best they not know what we really are. Then the four humans opened the door and stepped out with hands raised.

Cain looked oddly at the ragged fighters.

"Under who's authority do you have the right to search us?"

He turned his head around and uttered to Sinier and Ivod, "Get weapons ready, I know they will provide some hokey excuse, so we will let them in, and give them a suprise."
"Why, under the authority of the system governor, that's what! Now are you going to let us in or do we have to blast you?" The Shark member yelled.

"Damn, what do we do?" asked Roaul.

"There are too many of them" replied Makr. "We'll have to go along with them."

After some of them leave, I will give the signal and we will escape. Molari privately told them.

They started leaving. Before the door opened, Molari and Makr paused and then morphed into humans. Best they not know what we really are. Then the four humans opened the door and stepped out with hands raised.
"Search them." The 'mechanic' ordered and some of the Sharks went to search them for weapons.

When they were searched, the Sharks found nothing. The four had left all their external weapons in the ship. Each of the four touched one of the Sharks touching them and the Shark involved suddenly went still for a second, then returned to normal. Little they did know it but their DNA had just been absorbed.

Quirking an eyebrow, Cain calmly spoke into the radio, "Such manners for a govener's guard? How rude.... But if you say so, you may board us. Nothing here except a station's human waste, we have just come here to dispose of it, you may want to bring gas masks, it really reaks in here."

When they were searched, the Sharks found nothing. The four had left all their external weapons in the ship. Each of the four touched one of the Sharks touching them and the Shark involved suddenly went still for a second, then returned to normal. Little they did know it but their DNA had just been absorbed.
"Alright. Take 'em away." The 'mechanic' replied. Then he thought he heard a noise coming from one of the cargo boxes. He sent a Shark to check it out, but he found nothing.
The four newcomers were being taken to the commons room, where a bunch of the stations' patrons were held hostage. Guards ringed the perimeter and would make it tough for any escape attempt to succeed without hurting the patrons.

"Alright." Travis whispered. "Let's go."

Quietly as possible, the kids followed the crowd, hiding behind boxes and ships and stuff. Then Keith bit his thumb and spread the blood on the palm of his other hand...

Quirking an eyebrow, Cain calmly spoke into the radio, "Such manners for a govener's guard? How rude.... But if you say so, you may board us. Nothing here except a station's human waste, we have just come here to dispose of it, you may want to bring gas masks, it really reaks in here."
"Very well." One of the Blastboats moved over to the docking door and mated with the ship. Then the door opened, revealing two members of the Sharks, carrying gas masks. "Alright. Show us the goods."

"Furr, Malaki, looks like we need to hook up with the station. Malaki, make the link. Furr, you as always, do the talking. And hunk-o-junk... you cant understand me but aim the guns at the doors... If we aint wanted we break 'em down"

HTML Code:
Hail, This is the...uh... merchant... ship Aryll. We are having... engine difficulties and wish to dock to repair them. We are carrying a very valuable cargo... I REPEAT VERY, VERY VALUABLE

"Very valuable, you say?" One could almost hear the greed over the station's line. "Very well. We shall open the hangar doors for you."

And the hangar doors opened, revealing a ship being looked over by a mechanic. All normal.

The sharks had barely finished the sentence when blaster fire erupted from Sinier and Ivod, killing the two sharks instantly.

Ivod rushed over to the door controls and sealed them. "Gun it!"

Cain fired up the engines, and ripped away from the docking clamps, harming the Valkyrie alittle, but the shark ship more. He sped away as fast as he could, then turned the ship sharply and pointed towards the shark ships, his weapons clearly armed.

"Your move.." he muttered over the radio to the sharks.

The sharks had barely finished the sentence when blaster fire erupted from Sinier and Ivod, killing the two sharks instantly.

Ivod rushed over to the door controls and sealed them. "Gun it!"

Cain fired up the engines, and ripped away from the docking clamps, harming the Valkyrie alittle, but the shark ship more. He sped away as fast as he could, then turned the ship sharply and pointed towards the shark ships, his weapons clearly armed.

"Your move.." he muttered over the radio to the sharks.
The second Blastboat attacks! It fired it's laser cannons at the ship, followed up by a missile. No one messes with the Sharks and gets away with it!

Hmm.. a bunch of hostages too. We'll have to change the plan a little. Molari said to the group when they reached the commons room. Now, no offense Raoul, but you aren't much good without a weapon so you should take the others to safety. Attack on my signal.

They waited a little while for when the guards got relaxed a bit. Molari focused on the guard in front of him. His mind stretched to the weapon he was holding. He focused on it and then it hit and killed the enemy to the right of it. NOW! signalled Molari as confusion arose in the guards.

Raoul gathered the patrons and then they went for cover behind anything they could find.

Kim started jumping around using her Mystical Palm Technique to slice the muscles of the guards.

Makr demorphed and started knocking people out with his Noghri strength.

Molari demorphed too and started whacking them solidly on the head with the flat of his tailblade.

"What?!" The 'mechanic' cried out as a Shark reported that the 'hostages' are fighting back. "Get rid of them! I don't care how! Get the boss!"

*Smack* A Shark went flying from a nasty blow behind him. He turned around to see some kids attacking Sharks left and right. Then someone tapped his shoulder and he turned around. "What?"

"Hello." Travis grinned as he ignited his lightsaber. Before the mechanic could reach for his blaster, he was already on the ground, howling in pain from a chopped arm. A kick to the head knocked him out.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Inu nins!" Keith, covered by Nick and Kagome, summoned ninja dogs to aid in the brawl. Between the young shinobi/Jedi, the dogs and the four unknowns duking it out, the Sharks were in serious trouble and the commander in the control room knew it.

He slammed his fist on the table in frustration, as Shark unit after Shark unit failed to respond to his summons. The kids had already taken care of them. But he still had a trump card...

With the assistance of the 4 newcomers and the dogs the commons room was soon free from Sharks momentarily. "I don't know who you are but thanks." said Kim. "Now come on, let's get back to the ship and get our weapons."

The four headed out equipped with some blasters they grabbed from the fallen. They left the patrons with the 4 kids. They fought their way back to the hanger bay. They quickly boarded the ship and got their weapons as well as getting some soldier pills to replenish their energy. Then they went back out again.

If we get the leader of this group, the rest will probably fall easily. said Molari as he neatly sliced the head off of one person.

"Well, where is the leader?" pondered Makr.

"He's probably in the control room managing his troops." replied Roaul. "And even if the leader wasn't there we might be able to gain control and send the intruders packing."

"Then, let's GO!" shouted Kim. The four went running down the halls heading for the control room.

The kids, having left the nin-dogs with the patrons, fought their way to the control room, where the Shark commander was getting increasingly fearful of justice's forces.

He heard shouts and blaster bolts being fired, then yelps and howls of pain outside the control room door. He then heard a young voice. A brat?!

"Come out of there with your hands in the air or we'll come in after you!" Travis shouted.

The Shark Commander gave no answer. Then the door to the control room turned red with heat as a lightsaber bore its way through. As the door gave way to the kids, the Commander smirked, carressing what appears to be a remote control in his hands.

"I wouldn't step any closer if I were you." The Commander grinned. "We've placed bombs at the reactor core. One step and we all go boom one minute after pressing this button."

"What?" The kids yelled.

"Oh ho ho ho! I commend you on getting this far. You kids have been a torn in our side!" The Shark Commander crowed. "Now it's time to die..."

His finger flew down towards the button...

The remote control flew out of the Commander's hand before he could activate it and it flew towards the four exasperated rescuers.

You know, you really shouldn't talk so much. Someone might interrupt you. commented Molari as the remote flew to her hand. I guess I'll go down to the reactor core to disable the bombs. Perhaps I might find a use for them later. She headed down to the reactor core.

"Oh. It's you kids again." said Kim as she surveyed the scene. "And Molari's right you know, you do talk too much." Kim told the Commander. "I think I'll shut you up for a while." She sent a needle flying towards the Commander that would knock him out.

"This is a dangeorus area kids. You should go home." commented Raoul.

"Excuse me, but we're on an official mission from the Coredian High Command to rescue the governor's daughter." Keith said indignantly, pulling out an official apprentice's badge of the Jedi Order. "We're not just kids."

The commander spasmed when the needle hit a point in his neck and he slumped unconsious.

"That's right!" Travis nodded proudly. "Now let's interrogate the survivors...see what we can find about the kidnapping and everything."

"Hmph, the Jedi have badges now? Jeez they've certainly done a lot of strange things recently. And anyway, even if you are on a mission, you're still a bunch of brats! Besides, we're the ones who are going to rescue the governor's kid." exclaimed Kim.

Did I miss something? asked Molari who had returned in the middle of Kim's speech. The bombs they used weren't too powerful but could still be useful so I pocketed them.

"Let's go interrogate some of the survivors now." said Makr as he led the group out. They headed back to the commons room where some of the guards were waking up.

Kim took one of them and slammed him against the wall. "Where is the governor's daughter?" she asked in a sweet voice.

"I'll show you!" Travis exclaimed angrily. He certainly does not like being called a brat. Kagome simply knocked him down with her fist.

When eight angry people are staring at you, bravado tends to flee quickly, especially when they're carrying lightsabers.

"I'll tell you! Just don't hurt me." The guard said. "I hear the boss has her hidden in a dungeon of his castle in the northern hemisphere. That's all I can tell you."

"Wow these guys aren't very brave are they?" laughed Kim. "To reward your cooperation I won't hurt you." She inserted a needle in his neck to knock him out for a good while. "Now let's GO!" and Kim ran for the ship.

"She really needs to calm down sometimes." remarked Raoul as the rest of them followed her. They climbed into the ship and headed for the planet. "Now to scan the northern hemisphere for a castle...." As they searched for the castle, the four did different things.

Raoul started sleeping. Kim set up particularly large displays just to destroy them. Molari ate some nice blue grass. Makr read a book.

"Hey, come back here!" Travis yelled, but they were gone already. "Now how are we gonna get down there?"

"Uh, hello there?" A person said. Turns out that this guy had a Shark uniform, so the kids were trigger-happy. "Whoa, whoa. I'm not really a Shark. I'm undercover. See?"

The guy pulled off his mask to reveal a man in his 20s with black hair. "I heard you kids were Jedi. I know a way to get into the castle's dungeons."

"Really? Thanks mister!" Keith said.

"Don't mention it, and call me Jim." Jim smiled. "Well, if you want to come with me, better hurry up."

The kids were led to one of the Shark's ships that they left while hijacking the station. They got in the ship, strapped in, and Jim overturned the engines. Soon, they were heading out of the station and down to the planet. Towards the castle, that is.

"Now once you get down to the castle, there will be patrols around the perimeter, so you best be careful. But once you get in, it's quite the maze, so you better stick with me." Jim said.

"Why are you helping us anyway?" Kagome asked.

Jim smiled oddly. "From what I've seen of you kids (hiding from view, of course), you have potential to help rid us of the Sharks. They've plagued us for months now, but you guys cleaned them out of the station real good."

"Thanks." Travis rubbed his head, slightly embarrassed.

Oh great, he's getting a big head... Nick rolled his eyes.

The ship continued to descend into the atmosphere and zoom over the land to the castle.

OOC: Where'd the other two guys go?

IC: "We've found a castle." reported Makr bored.

"Huh? Wha? You've found the castle! HE FOUND THE CASTLE GUYS WAKE UP!" shouted Kim waking the other two up with a jolt.

"Ow.." Raoul had jumped up and hit his head on a panel.

Hmm.. there's another ship that's already in the atmosphere and approaching the castle. observed Molari.

"Those brats knew where she was all the time!!!" exclaimed Kim. "I'm going to wring their little necks!"

You do that. Now, we'll land the ship out of sight from both the castle and the other ship so we can maintain secrecy. Then we will observe the castle and make up a plan to get inside and into the dungeons.

The Torraquar then inserted itself into the atmosphere and soon landed a couple of kilometers away.

"We'd better hurry up or those kids will get to the castle before we do." said Kim and she promptly started towards the castle. The rest followed her groaning mentally.

OOC: Dunno. Guess it's just you and me...

IC:
The ship landed in a clearing near the castle and Jim followed by the kids got out.

"Now, we're not likely to bluff our way through the front door especially with the equipment you're carrying..." Jim said.

"No problem, we can hide them with a simple technique." Nick smirked. He formed a couple hand-seals and muttered, "Henge!"

His lightsaber and ninja equipment disappeared from sight. The other kids did the same.

Jim laughed. "Well, you're full of surprises. All right. We could get you in as new recruits."

"Cool." Keith mentioned.

Jim, now back in Shark gear led them to the front entrance of the castle, which was guarded by a high electrical fence and the guards halted them.

"What are these brats doing here?"

"New recruits for the Shark cause." Jim replied in a gruffer voice.

"Ah. Very well. Orientation room's inside, take a left. And be sure to get them uniforms. The boss gets touchy about that." The guard said.

"I'll do that. C'mon brats." Jim growled.

Jim escorted them inside. "Take the uniforms. It'll be easier to get around."

Under a sign that said 'For New Recruits', there was a table for uniforms. It was a simple black sweatshirt with a shark on the front and black pants. The kids took them and put them over their clothes in a private area.

"Ugh. I look horrible in this." Kagome groaned.

"Nah. It's ok." Keith commented. "Not my favorite color, though."

"All right. All set?" Jim asked. The kids nodded. "All right. Let me see if I can remember the way to the dungeons...and keep your hoods up!"

Keeping their hoods up, the kids followed Jim through the maze that is inside the castle.

----
The dungeons...

"You're lucky, my dear. The authorities have managed to take down my friends up on the space station." Frank growled.

A stirring of hope fluttered Reida's heart. "I have told you. Your end will come one way or another. Justice draws near..."

"Foolish girl. No one can touch Frank! No one! I will see to it. You will give me the pendant." Frank answered haughtily. "Perhaps by making an example of your family, you could be more accomodating."

Her lips quivered. "No. You wouldn't dare."

"Oh yes, I would. You have one more hour to think about it. Then...poof. You are alone in the universe!" Frank laughed and left the dungeons.

Reida was left alone to shed tears. Her only strength left was in the hope that her father has given her. That faint, tantilizing hope...

"Never let anyone take the pendant from you. No matter what happens. No matter how much enemies who covet it will make you suffer. The prophecy is adamant on this. 'Only when one with who the pendant resonates comes near will you give it up. And only to that person...'"

The group huddled outside the castle and developed a plan. "Since the only other way to get inside is to blast a hole in the wall-" started Makr.

Blasting a hole in the wall is good. said Molari.

"HOWEVER, it would be much better if we went in through the front door, disguised."

Molari managed to sigh somehow despite her lack of a mouth. Very well, it's a good thing we all got some of the guard's DNA on the space station. The four morphed into Shark guards, complete with uniform. Now remember, we have four hours, so we should split up into groups of two. Me and Raoul in one group, and Kim with Makr in another.

The four walked towards the castle door confidently.

The guard allowed the four 'new' Sharks to come through. After all, it didn't occur to him that anyone else but Sharks would be around the castle.

----

Moment by moment creeps by. Reida's pendant glows slightly as it begins to detect the presence of one who it will choose next...

----

Another dead end. That's what the little group came to.

"Jim! I thought you knew where to go!" Travis yelled impatiently.

"Hey, it was a couple of weeks since I was last here!" Jim retorted. "There's only so much I could remember while here, you know!"

"Hmph!" Travis pouted.

"Calm down. I'm sure we will find the way through." Keith mollified his cousin.

"Yeah...maybe..." Travis sighed. Then something...a feeling came over him. "Huh?"

"Travis? What is it?" Kagome asked.

But Travis didn't answer. Instead, he began to follow the strange feeling. "Something's...I can't explain it. Let's go!" Travis suddenly started running down the halls of the castle.

"Travis!" The kids yelled, running after their friend.

"Kids. Always on the move." Jim shook his head and ran after them.

Cain lets the valkryie take the brunt of the laser fire, while he screams at Larod to take out the missile with the gattling gun. The nose-slung weapon started its turn cycle quickly, and spewed out an infinite number of metal slugs, shredding the missile in twain, and destroying it.

Cain then gunned the ship, heading straight for the Shark blastboat. Larod kept pumping away on the gattling gun. The ship accelerated faster and faster. Would the shark buy into the game of chicken? If not, both parties would end soon.

Cain lets the valkryie take the brunt of the laser fire, while he screams at Larod to take out the missile with the gattling gun. The nose-slung weapon started its turn cycle quickly, and spewed out an infinite number of metal slugs, shredding the missile in twain, and destroying it.

Cain then gunned the ship, heading straight for the Shark blastboat. Larod kept pumping away on the gattling gun. The ship accelerated faster and faster. Would the shark buy into the game of chicken? If not, both parties would end soon.
The Shark pilot panicked at what seemed like a ramming situation and veered off to the port side of the ship.

Cain grinned as he slowed down to get a better aim at the blastboat. Larod swiveled the gun to the side, and pumped round after round into the side of the blasboat before they passed the ship. Cain hurridly turned around and armed missiles.

Cain grinned as he slowed down to get a better aim at the blastboat. Larod swiveled the gun to the side, and pumped round after round into the side of the blasboat before they passed the ship. Cain hurridly turned around and armed missiles.
The Blastboat became damaged, but returned fire with a laser cannon. It's maneuverability however became sluggish, enough for a missile shot..

"Wait a second." Makr paused and slowly sniffed the surrounding air.

"You know that's gross right?" Kim said conversationally.

"I smell those kids from before." Makr replied. "And you have much grosser habits."

"Those brats are here?" Kim inquired, her surprise making her forget his insult. "Wait.. they knew where this castle was, they might know how to get the dungeons!"

"Looks like you finally got something correct for once." Makr smirked. Molari, we've found a trace of those four kids from the space station. They might lead us to the girl.

Well, it's the best we've got so why not? Molari replied. Soon Molari and Raoul appeared next to Makr and Kim.

"So, where'd they go?" asked Raoul.

"This way." Makr led them along the kids' path. They went to the Orientation room, then went back out. Then they followed the path through several dead ends. Then it seemed to finally have a sense of direction and wasn't wandering everywhere. "It appears our friends have found the dungeons for us."

Stay out of sight, those kids are loud. We don't want to attract unwanted attention. The four slowly followed the scent cautious about where it might lead.

The kids finally found a hallway that leads to the dungeons. However...

"Hey! You can't be here! The boss says no one is allowed here!" A Shark guard yelled as they approached the dungeon entrance.

"Oh really?" Travis smirked. In a puff of smoke, the kids revealed themselves. Keith summoned the Force and threw them back to smack against the wall.

"Let's go!" Travis said, but Jim moved down another hallway. "Hey!! Where are you going?"

"I must contact the Heveca defense forces once I found the girl. You kids go on and rescue her!" Jim shouted as he disappeared around a corner.

"Feh." Travis muttered as the kids headed down the stairs.

----

Reida's pendant glowed brightly but the guards were busy with another problem.

"Ugh! Ahh!" A Shark fell down the stairs with a shuriken sticking in his neck. The guards guarding her pulled out their blasters and went upstairs. Sounds of blaster fire and grunts of pain were heard. Then four kids descended the last of the stairs and rushed into the dungeons.

Reida's heart soared with joy. "You have come! I never doubted it!"

"And I never doubted that I'd be glad to rescue you, my fair maiden!" Keith smirked.

"Uh...thank you..." Reida sweatdropped.

"I think I'll have to give you the benefit of the doubt, buddy!" Kagome annoyedly pulled Keith aside by his ear.

Travis swiped the lock of the cell door with his lightsaber and it sprang open. "I'm Travis. Kagome's my friend. Nick's my other friend, and loverboy over there is Keith."

"Oh. You are children."

"Nope. We're Jedi ninjas." Travis corrected. Then he spotted the pendant. "That's beautiful."

The pendant glowed brightly. "Ah! And so bright, too!"

Reida looked down at her pendant. Could this child be...? Are you sure? "It is time."

"Huh?" Travis asked confusedly. Before Reida could remove the pendant, the sounds of alarms rang out.

"Damn! It's time to make our exit!" Nick yelled.

"Let's go!" Without thinking, Travis grabbed Reida by the hand and the new fivesome turned around to see...

The four, after a while of following the kids' scents, had found it led them through a hallway that finally led to the dungeons. "Jeez, about ti-" started Kim but she was interrupted as an unknown man that ran past her and back down the hall. "Who the hell was that?" she pondered.

Either the person who led those kids here or a person who is going to raise the alarm. Either way we have very little time. We must get the governor's daughter and get out of here.

They went down the stairs to find a dead guard. "Hmm.. shuriken. This is the work of those brats." said Kim. They walked further along the path and found the four kids talking with the governor's daughter.

"That Keith kid is very strange..." commented Raoul.

"I think it's less to do with strangesness and more to do with the possibility his mother dropped him on the head as a baby at least once too many times." replied Makr.

"No no, it's obviously the fact that he grew up in a strange family and the sight of a girl such as Reida has caused his personality to screw itself up."

It doesn't matter what's wrong with him, it only matters that they have done part of our work for us. Molari said sharply.

Then as the four Jedi ninja and Reida turned around, they found themselves face to face with our four special ops people.

"Yo." greeted Kim.

"Yo." Travis answered calmly yet seethingly. "We really haven't time to argue with you guys. I think it's time we blow this joint before too many bad guys get here."

The sounds of shouting and running feet came from upstairs.

"It would appear to me, that we won't be leaving without a fight." Nick commented wryly.

"Let's kick it, peoples!" Travis yelled. Then the first of the crowd of Shark pirates attacked from the stairs...

----

Frank was steamed as he heard reports of the dungeon area being breached. "Bring the girl to me and kill the intruders! I don't care what it takes! Just do it!"

He slammed the phone down and leaned back in his expensive chair. "What am I going to do now...?"

Then he remembered. "Of course...of course! Hehehehehe! Let us see the so-called heroes deal with that!" Cackling madly, Frank headed to a secret part of his castle to prepare a secret weapon.

"Well of course we have to fight. You kids talk so loudly it's a wonder you even managed to get this far." said Raoul as he dodged a coming blaster shot.

"Oh, and I would get down if I were you." Makr said suddenly. All of them ducked. A explosion suddenly went off on the stairs killing those Sharks on it and hitting those not so close in the resulting shockwave.

Hmm. The Sharks have better bombs then I thought they would. observed Molari calmly.

"Anyways, we'll help you get out ma'am, but we want part of the reward money in return." Raoul told Reida as the Sharks recovered from the blast.

"Well of course we have to fight. You kids talk so loudly it's a wonder you even managed to get this far." said Raoul as he dodged a coming blaster shot.

"Oh, and I would get down if I were you." Makr said suddenly. All of them ducked. A explosion suddenly went off on the stairs killing those Sharks on it and hitting those not so close in the resulting shockwave.

Hmm. The Sharks have better bombs then I thought they would. observed Molari calmly.

"Anyways, we'll help you get out ma'am, but we want part of the reward money in return." Raoul told Reida as the Sharks recovered from the blast.
The wall crumbled and crashed down at the stairwell, blocking their exit.

"Well, that worked well. Just one thing. That's our only way out." Travis commented. Where's an alchemist when you need one?!

"You'll get your reward, but we must survive first." Reida replied wryly.

Everyone glared at Molari. Hehe, sorry? replied Molari who nervously stepped backwards.

Makr sighed. "Nevermind that now. Kim?"

Kim stepped torwards the sealed off exit. "Hehe now it's MY turn." she grinned evilly. She then brought her fist back and then brought it forward to punch the collapsed wall. The resulting shockwave from the punch sent all the rubble flying outwards.

"Now, let's MOVE IT!" she commanded.

Makr went out first and then Kim. The kids and Reida were in the middle, and Raoul and Molari brought up the rear. They quickly ran out under cover from the smoke and debris hanging in the air.

"What the heck is up with her?" Travis asked Kagome.

"Dunno. Sounds like another Sakura-sensei to me."

"Heh. You got that right."

Blaster bolts rang out but lightsabers reflected them away from the good guys into the walls.

Sharks were defeated by various means by the little group while they made their way back towards the entrance of the castle. It was a little slow-going and a couple wounds broke out, but otherwise, it appeared to be a safe exit...

Until Frank himself, flanked by several of his best guards, blocked the entrance.

The group stopped as they saw a bunch of new Sharks guarding the exit. They seemed more skilled than the ones beforehand. "Let me guess, you want the girl back right? Well you ain't going to get her." Kim told Frank. Then she glanced at Raoul. He nodded.

He looked back at the group. "You'd best put these on." and he tossed each of them a set of earplugs. "And you'd better hurry up if you don't want to lose your life." Kim was quickly morphing into a new form. It's skin was black, like hardened lava. In cracks and creases, one could see red lines underneath the black. It had blue eyes and claws. It was a Howler.

Making sure everyone had their earplugs in, Kim began the devastating howl that gave the creature it's name. Everyone who heard it soon began to feel their ears bleeding and after a while some started to drop dead from the power behind it.

After around a minute, Kim stopped. That was more than enough time to kill everyone nearby. The exceptions being her group who were saved by the earplugs that blocked all sound waves from entering the head and going to the brain.

All but Frank were dead.

"Damn...you..." Frank growled, disoriented and deaf from the Howler's scream. "Your...lucky...but...you...will...die...anyway...My...Frankystein mk III...will...take...care..." His life faded away.

"Well, that's that...except...What the hell's a Frankystein mk III?" Keith asked.

A robotic roaring sound occurred from somewhere deep inside the castle.

'Uh, I don't wanna find out! Let's get out of here!" Travis yelped and the kids with Reida in tow ran for the entrance.

"Yeah, I agree. I really don't want to know what a Frankystein is.. Let's get out of here." Raoul said and they rushed for the entrance. They ran outside and quickly looked around.

"The ship you guys came in is probably closer. " said Kim. "Ours is a good distance away. We should all head for yours and get out of here as quick as possible."

Where is it? asked Molari.

Suddenly, a large mace crashed through the outer wall of the castle, revealing a three-meter tall robot with laser cannons, the aformentioned mace, a shield and tank treads. It roared loudly and barrelled for the intruders, belching out smoke along the way.

"We'll show you! Just run for it!" Travis yelled, running so fast he's leaving a cloud of dust, followed by his friends and Reida, who was also surprisingly quick when motivated. The Frankystein gave chase...

"Oh crap" they said in unison. Four more dust clouds appeared as they ran for their lives.

"Hey Molari, don't you have anything to get that thing with?" asked Kim.

It's probably made from strong material and the shield is probably strong too. I can try though. She ran even faster, breaking ahead of the group. Then after she got a distance away she stopped, kneeled and place two things on the ground.

Then the others caught up to her. Run for it. Molari instructed them. Listening to her, everyone ran even faster with the fear of being caught in the explosion.

Then, as the Frankystein crossed over the land, two large explosions erupted from underneath it. The cloud that resulted from the blast was about 40 meters in diameter. Even if the Frankystein was abnormally strong to the point it could resist that, it would at least have been knocked off the path which would give the group a breather for a while.

The explosion destroyed the shields of the Frankystein and ruptured away its mace, but it appeared to get angrier -if such a thing was possible for a droid- and continued to chase them. The spaceship was only meters away now and the good guys were almost home free.

Then Reida tripped on a root and fell down hard. "Ohh!"

"Reida!" Travis yelled. He went back to help her up.

She stumbled in pain. "Oh no! I think my ankle's twisted!" She groaned.

The Frankystein slowed down, now that its prey was injured. Travis interposed himself between the young woman and the droid, raising his lightsaber to defend against the onslaught of blaster bolts sure to come.

Then Reida took off her pendant and stuffed it in his hand. Travis was surprised at the move and more surprised as it constantly changed color, as if glad to be with him. "What did you do that for?"

"The pendant resonates with you, child. You must keep it safe from the Evil Ones." Reida explained, breathing hard. "I shall explain more later..."

Then blaster bolts rang out for the girl. Travis deflected most of them away, but he couldn't get them all, and she suddenly cried out in pain as a blaster bolt connected with her stomach.

"Noo!" Travis yelled. Then the pendant flashed a very bright light, alarming him and everyone else. Something within him connected with the power inside the pendant and then a white beam of light shot out for the Frankystein, blasting it into pieces before it could shoot again. Travis just stood there, mouth agape. "Whoa...did...did I do that?"

"So...you are the chosen, after all..." Reida smiled as she witnessed the whole thing. Travis then remembered that she was injured and got down to her.

"Please save your strength. Don't talk!" Travis cried. "We'll get you to a hospital! Kagome!"

"Right!" From her backpack came a medical kit to stop the bleeding.

"Ungh." Reida groaned as Kagome treated her. Then she turned to Travis, who was squeezing her hand. "Listen, child. I do not have much time. You are now the bearer of the Shukumei no Tama, the Destiny Jewel. Be warned, for from here on out, the Enemy will seek the Jewel by corrupting the minds of creatures and evil-hearted people, so be on your toes always. You must learn to unlock its powers by travelling to the eight Sanctuary locations scattered across the galaxy and absorbing the energy within each. The journey will be long and hard, but I have faith in you."

"I..." Travis was near tears as he sensed her fading away despite Kagome's best abilities. Even though he has only met her for a few moments, it was like he has known her as a friend.

"No matter what, you must have courage." She coughed up blood. "Tell my father...my family...what happened. Tell them...that I have done my best...tell them...that I love them..." And she breathed her last. Almost immediately, it started to rain as if the very skies was crying at the death of this innocent young woman.

It was the first mission failure for Team Seven. But that's not why Travis was crying. Why Kagome cried with him. Why Keith and Nick just stood quietly in the rain. It was the loss of innocence torn away by the work of evil. In that moment, the four young Jedi ninjas from Coreworlds were no longer children, but beginning to learn the truths of maturity...

OOC: kk Ive deleted most of my posts gonna start from the planet again. rather than having crash on an industrial world I will make it shark homeworld. We had a bit of a virus, thats why I was away.

They watched as the explosion enveloped the Frankystein. "Nice one," called Kim to Molari.

"Run, it's still working!" cried out Raoul and they continued running.

As the ship approached everyone ran even faster to get to safety while hoping that the Frankystein had no secret functions that would let it fly.

However, all their plans were cut short as Reida tripped and fell hard. Then Frankystein launched its attack. The four older teens were a bit ahead of the younger ones and were too far to help protect her. They watched in horror as a bolt hit her in the stomach.

Then her pendant seemed to explode with power as Travis cried out. They watched in amazement as a white beam singlehandedly took out the Frankystein.

Then their attention returned to Reida. Kim helped Kagome try to heal Reida but it was too late. Everyone remained silent honoring the memory of Reida. Travis and Kagome were crying. Molari would've too, except Andalites couldn't. The team had been battle hardened against this but the pain of an innocent dying was just too much for her.

"Come on now," Makr said gently. "We've got to go. Other Sharks are coming." He and Raoul gently lifted Travis and Kagome and led them to the ship. Kim, Keith, and Nick trailing sadly behind, and Molari carrying Reida's dead body on her back.

The older teens were thinking carefully about what she said before she died. Apparently the Destiny Jewel was a great weapon. By the way it reacted with Travis he was destined to have it as it was tied deeply to his mind. It must've been used against a great evil ages ago. However, they seemed to be unable to defeat it and so sealed away part of its power and waiting for both hero and evil to wake again and battle each other to the very end.

What shall we do? Molari asked privately.

Kim shook her head slightly as if to say, 'Not now, later.'

They boarded the ship and soon set off for the governor's home.

*Two hours later*

It was a sad day for the planet of Heveca. The Governor, upon seeing the body of his daughter, was horrified that the Sharks would do such a thing and ordered the defense force to track down and destroy the remnants of the Sharks. But right now, the body now lies in state for a funeral to take place within the week.

There was no mention of the bounty, for it would have been callous. There was simply a short conversation of the previous events as Travis related her final words to the father and that was that.

Soon, a large shuttle escorted by two fighters descended onto the city and landed at the mansion next to the other ship. An old man walked serenely out of the shuttle, cane clicking every so often in the rain. He walked inside, shaking himself off and continued walking up to the kids sitting just in front of the room where the girl lies in state.

"Grandfather." Travis looked up when the old man came.

"Travis. I've come by to pay my respects to the governor." Alex said. "You've tried your best."

"I know." Travis simply looked down.

"Come with me." Alex patted the boy on his shoulder and they began walking outside to talk. "Your life will be full of successes and failures. Good times and bad times. It will never be truly easy to see innocent lives lost as time goes on."

"But it's not fair! It's not fair." Travis choked.

"It is never fair." Alex agreed. "But life goes on. We continue to protect and serve, even in the dark times."

"I...guess." Travis said.

"Now, let us to lighter subjects. I notice you have something around your neck."

"Oh, this? Before she...passed away, she gave this to me. Called it the Shukumei no Tama."

The Shukumei no Tama? Most interesting... Alex thought. "I see. May I look at it?"

"Sure." Travis handed the jewel to his great-grandfather. He began inspecting it.

"A legend tells of a special gem that was passed down from generation to generation since it was first forged, then disappeared, only to resurface at certain times. It could be used for great evil or great good, depending on its bearer. To have it fall into your hands...you must be careful from now on." Alex handed the Destiny Jewel back to the boy.

"I know. She said that enemies will attack me nowadays. But she also said that I had to go out and absorb energy from eight 'sanctuary' locations around the galaxy. Sounds like I have an adventure in the making." Travis smiled.

Alex chuckled slightly. "Perhaps, my boy. Perhaps."

"Where should I start?" Travis asked. "I don't even know where to begin..."

"Perhaps, you should start at the place where many great adventures began in this galaxy." Alex suggested. "Tatooine..."

"Hi there. Did you send off the report to HQ?" asked Raoul as Molari came into the room where they were all lounging.

Yes I did. We now have about a month of vacation time to do what we want. replied Molari.

"SWEET! VACATION!" screamed Kim. "This is going to be great! Where we going huh? Where we going!?"

"What about the kids," asked Raoul.

"Oh I'm sure they'll be fine." responded Makr. "They've got a weapon that took down the Frankystein with ease."

"Yeah, we don't have to worry about them. So where we going?" asked Kim once again.

Well, Tatooine seemed to be a good choice so that's where we are going. I made all the arrangements and everything. Oh, but we have to retrieve our ship first. responded Molari.

"Oh yeah, I hope no one tried to steal it." sniggered Makr as he thought of just how much pain that person would be in.

"Tatooine? But I hate sand!" said Kim as she started to grow angry.

Ah, that was one of the reasons I chose Tatooine.[/] replied Molari making a weird Andalite eye-smile.

"Bastard..." growled Kim and punched Molari into the wall.

"You're the one who's going to have to carry her around." observed Raoul.

They started the long trek back to the ship. Makr and Raoul as wolves, and Kim as a strange creature that resembled a mule, yet was much longer and faster. They made their way back to the castle.

"Wow their place looks like a mess." said Makr. Indeed the castle was in a shambles. There were holes and debris all over the place.

"Here's the ship," called Raoul. They all boarded the [i]Torraquar and soon entered hyperspace heading for Tatooine.

The kids were soon ushered off on a ship to Tatooine. Before they headed up the ramp of the YT-3200 model light transport, the Patriarch told them thus.

"If there's anything you need from me, don't hesitate to call." Alex called after them. I'd send the Marines to Hell if that's what it takes to keep them alive.

"Don't worry, we'll be ok!" Travis and Keith yelled and waved. The kids boarded the transport and strapped into the seats. The pilot, a Rodian, gruffily ignited the engines and grumbled about having to babysit a couple of brats ("WHO ARE YOU CALLING A BRAT?!" Travis yelled, startling the pilot.) then the ship headed off into space.

Alex gave a soft smile as the ship winked away then walked away. This adventure will be the greatest yet. I have faith that he will survive this. He's not a Masaki for nothing...

Soon the Torraquar exited hyperspace. They waited in orbit while their backgrounds and papers were checked. After a few minutes they were allowed to enter the atmosphere and land on the planet. Molari guided the ship to a large city known as Mos Eisley.

Okay. I've secured housing for us 5 blocks from here. You guys go ahead to the cantina. I doubt they serve anything I can eat there. Molari said after they landed. She remained on the ship while the other three headed towards the cantina.

They entered and took a seat. "Get me a Tatooine Sunburn." said Makr.

"Some Membrosia here." ordered Kim.

"I'll take an Old Janx Spirit." said Raoul.

An hour or so after Team Andalite landed, a relieved pilot of the YT-3200 let the kids off once they arrived at Mos Espa, Tatooine (complete with anti-sandstorm gear like sand cloaks and goggles) and they never looked back.

First things first, the kids booked a room at the Sandblower, a fairly seedy motel (though it was a four-star compaired to some of the other places) and then headed into the local cantina, where they got strange looks due to their age and size. Fortunately, they chose the local kids' popular drink: jawa juice. It was a fizzy soft drink with the alcoholic and taste consistency of apple cider, making it a safe drink for them.

Then trouble occurred.

A seriously drunk pirate and his two cohorts swayed menacingly towards the kids. One cohort was a Rodian. The other was a Klingon.

"Hey kids. *hic* That's my spot. *hic*" The pirate hiccuped. The other pirates were ready to do what their friend say.

"First come, first serve." Travis replied quietly. He and his friends were calm and cool.

"*hic* I said get off!" The human tried to roughly shove the small kid off his seat. But in a flash of movement, Travis had twisted his hand to the breaking point. "Ahhh!"

"I told you so." Travis replied quietly, his eyes staring cooly into the man's own. Then he used the Force to send the man to the floor and into dreamland.

The two cohorts then began to pull out blasters, but a flash of green light severed the limb of the Rodian and slashed the Klingon across the chest. Keith then moved up into a casual guard position, as if daring anyone else to attack. No one else wanted to mess with Jedi, even those who are preteens.

A few moments passed and Nick motioned to the bartender. "This may sound odd, but has anything...strange been happening recently?"

The bartender raised an eyebrow and leaned forward. "There has, young friend. A recent increase in Tusken Raider attacks has the outlying settlements up in arms. Also, something strange has been occuring out in the desert southeast of Mos Espa. Some of the authorities tried to investigate what's going on, but none have returned."

"I see. Anything else?" Keith asked.

"Keep on your toes. The guys you just wiped out are members of the Krayt Swoop Gang that haunts this area. They won't take kindly to this."

"We'll be fine. C'mon guys, let's go rent a bike or speeder or something." Travis said.

And so, our four young heroes finished up their drink, headed out to stock up on desert supplies, and then began searching for a vehicle to rent.

Kim and Raoul returned to the ship a while later with Kim on Raoul's back.

What happened to her? questioned Molari.

"She just drank a little too much." Raoul said, placing her on the floor.

Ah, I see. replied Molari. Where's Makr.

"Oh he's looking around town. He wants to find some way to pay back Kim for hanging him upside down before."

At that moment Makr burst through the doors. "Hi there. Kim still asleep? Good. We're taking a little trip to the desert."

"Really? That sounds like fun." replied Raoul.

"Yeah, I heard that strange things have been happening in the desert between here and Mos Espa. So.." Makr said and glanced at Kim.

Molari followed his look. Ah I get it. I'm not responsible for any pain that might be caused to you afterwards though.

"Yeah yeah, let's go outside. I got the speeders already." They exited the ship and walked a short distance with Kim slung across Makr's back. They soon picked up two two-seat speeders. Makr and Kim sat in one. Molari had some trouble getting his body to fit so he morphed into a human before joining Raoul in the second speeder. With that, they sped off northwest hoping to find a good place to have a little fun.

After some haggling, the kids soon were able to rent four speeder bikes and sped out into the deserts of Tatooine, heading southeast towards some of the settlements. There were only a few random encounters, like the occasional womp rat, which were taken care of easily by a minor application of Nick's blasters.

So far, nothing happened as they passed by the place known as Beggar's Canyon, a area for the local youths to hone their flying skills. The kids zoomed through the area, but unbeknownst to them, someone was watching...

The journey to this mysterious spot was rather uneventful. There was the occasional creature or person that they met but it either ended up in killing an annoying creature, or giving up on seemingly mute people.

The only real thing of importance happened approximately 2 hours into their little trip. They were speeding along inside a canyon. Raoul was humming some strange marching song and Molari was attempting to dissect a bomb.

Then a large krayt dragon appeared charging at them from the left, ready to devour them. Raoul instantly had his staff weapon up ready to fire.

However, Molari stopped him. "Wait, just stun it. This might be some fun."

Raoul reluctantly complied, lowering the power setting and stunning the krayt. Molari instantly jumped off and demorphed. He headed for the krayt and placed a hand on it.

"Hmm. Your right. Being a krayt might be fun." stated Makr and the three of them quickly acquired the krayt's DNA. They checked to make sure Kim wouldn't wake up soon and then they spent two more hours ripping across the sand in their 10 meter long bodies before returning to the speeders and continuing the trip.

The kids sped onwards through Beggar's Canyon, oblivious to a danger ahead of them. That is, until Travis suddenly shifted his bike aside to avoid a slugthrower bullet. "What the--"

A small gang of Tusken Raiders have attacked, intent on making easy victims of the young Jedi ninjas. Unfortunately, by reflecting back laser bolts and neatly vaporizing bullets, Team Seven has shown themselves not to be as vulnerable as they thought. Travis and Keith then telekinetically tossed small rocks at the Tuskens as cover as they moved onwards from the canyon towards a distant plateau, as noted by Travis.

-----

Carved into the plateau, there was a large cave that led into a network of recently-dug caves, full of creatures native to Tatooine to deter the occasional curious traveller. At the end of the cave, a star-of-David shaped object lies in wait before a final area.

Soon...very soon...was the only thought of the object as it waited for the young members of Team Seven to approach...

As the three teens shortly made work of the twenty-third group of raiders that had attacked them, they noticed a plateau in the distance.

That's odd. said Molari as she looked at a datacard.

"What is it Molari?" asked Raoul who checkd to see if the bodies of the raiders had anything good on them. "Man these guys never have anything good."

That's why they attack us, to obtain items of worth. Anyways, according to this map, that plateau doesn't exist. replied Molari.

"Let me see that." Raoul said as he grabbed the datacard from Molari. "Hmm it isn't here. But then this map is very old."

"But this plateau looks much older than the map. Must be one of those strange things they told me about." said Makr with a glint of excitement in his eye. "Let's head there."

The two speeders changed course slightly and now headed for the plateau in the distance.

Travis and his posse have finally arrived at the plateau, where there were pillars of rocks surrounding a cave entrance. The kids stepped off their bikes and took a look around.

"Are you sure this is the right place, Trav? It seems...well, quiet." Kagome asked.

Travis nodded and the jewel hummed warmly against his chest. "Yeah, it is. This jewel is reacting with it."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Nick said.

The kids headed inside, and were immediately besieged by a small squad of rowdy womp rats.

"Man, are they aggressive or what?" Keith grumbled as his lightsaber got to work taking out the rats.

"I don't know. Maybe we've stumbled into a nest or something." Nick suggested, shooting blaster bolts at a couple rats.

Kagome's staff whirled around, smacking rats into the walls. "Or perhaps...*thwack*...they're guarding something."

"Maybe..." Travis slashed and cut through a couple of rats with his own blade.

Soon, the kids defeated the rat's nest, nursing a few wounds. Prompted by the jewel, they headed deeper and deeper into the caverns, wary of other more-aggressive-than-usual Tatooinian wildlife.

Shortly afterwards the two speeders stopped in front of the cave.

"Heh nice entranceway." commented Raoul as he observed the pillars.

Someone else is here. Molari said as they dismounted. Molari then demorphed back into Andalite form.

"Smells familiar," commented Makr as he sniffed the bikes. "I remember it from somewhere but I can't say exactly where."

"Let's just go in. This looks like an interesting place." The three went in with Kim laid across Molari's back. They were instantly set upon by a group of voracious womp rats.

"What the HELL?" yelled Raoul as he slammed a rat into the wall with his staff weapon.

It appears we've hit upon a nest of some sort. replied Molari as she sliced the rats with his tailblade.

"Heh, perfect place to leave Kim." Makr said with an evil grin as his blade slashed through the rats.

"Nah, let's go deeper in and leave her there." Raoul replied with an equally evil grin.

I really am not responsible for what torture is going to be inflicted on you two. sighed Molari.

Unknown to all of them, Kim was already awake and was simply feigning sleep. The three of them walked deeper into the caverns slicing and dicing the creatures that attacked while Kim was growing steadily angrier at what the two males planned to do.

After passing through a real skinny tunnel, the kids managed to find their way to a large cavern. Inside the cavern, there were a few Jawa bones that spooked the kids a little, but they were more awed by the size of the place. There was a slight declination at the entrance, and the walls looked like they were carved out recently.

"This place is so big, it'd probably fit a Star Destroyer..." Travis commented.

"Yeah." Nick agreed. Then he moved to check out the wall, frowning. "Hey, it looks like it's been sandblasted recently.."

"That doesn't sound natural. There's no wind inside a cave like this." Travis looked confused, scratching his head.

"Wrong. There is wind. Or in this case, was." A booming, echoing voice growled, making the kids jump in fear. "Ha ha ha. What's the matter? Scared?

Travis recovered courage. "Who are you? Show yourself!"

"By all means, Bearer of the Destiny Jewel..." The voice chuckled, then at a distant corner of the cavern, a shining star-like object appeared, leading to an exit of some sort.

"Hey, look there." Keith pointed. "There's an exit."

"Not only that, kid, it's the exit to the first Sanctuary location." The voice seemed to come from the star, as strange as it may sound.

"I see. Then you wouldn't mind letting us pass, I take it?" Travis stepped forth. Then a violent wind slammed into him, blowing him backwards into a rock. "Yaah!"

"Travis!" Kagome ran over to him as he rubbed his head. "Are you all right?"

"Y-yeah. What the hell was that for, baka?" Travis yelled at the star, who only chuckled.

"Hahaha! Young fool. Of course I won't let you pass! I am the guardian of this Sanctuary! By the way, I notice you definitely are the bearer of the Shukumei no Tama. If you'll kindly hand it over, I'll gladly let you and your pathetic friends live." The star-thing cackled.

"My jewel?" Travis clutched it tightly. "No way! I'm here to absorb the power of the Sanctuary, to keep it from idiots like you! Now stand aside, or prepare to fight!"

The star growled and began shining an evil red color. "Very well, boy. This Sanctuary is mine, now. But take it from me...if you dare..."

[Insert dramatic boss battle music here]

Dust and sand blew into our heroes' faces, and they raised their arms to protect their eyes. The star changed shape, coating itself in the red light. From the star, a large, powerful beast stepped forth. It was as red as the color it was birthed from and grew twelve dangerous meters of scale, claw and teeth.

http://www.starwars.com/databank/creature/kraytdragon/img/eu_bg.jpg

A Krayt Dragon now stands before the kids. But this was no ordinary one as the kids immediately learned when it gathered a white energy in its mouth and unleashed it in the form of a blistering hurricane windblast. The kids barely dodged the dangerous windblast and it continued onwards to carve a hole into the rock.

Travis rolled to the side, bringing his lightsaber up to bear. "Why do I get the feeling that I'm going to be sore in the morning?" He asked rhetorically.

The Krayt dragon shrieked, a bone-chilling roar that dug right into the bones, then charged...

The four followed the same path a little behind the kids. The tunnel was getting very cramped.

Damn it. I'm starting to hate this place. Molari said as her eyestalks scraped once again on the top of passage.

Then they finally emerged into a large cavern. Finally. That was getting uncomfortable. exclaimed Molari who extended her eyestalks fully and let them move around a bit.

"Hey look it's those kids!" said Raoul.

"What the hell was that?" asked Makr as they heard a loud roar. They looked past the kids. They definitely didn't like what they saw. It was a giant Krayt dragon.

And it was charging right at them.

"AAAHHHH!" screamed Kim, forgetting she was supposed to be asleep. The others didn't even bother showing their surprise as they were too busy jumping out of the way of the Krayt dragon. In midair Raoul let off a blast from his staff weapon, Kim shot some poisoned needles aimed for the eyes, Makr shot at the Krayt dragon with his zat'ni'katel, and Molari blasted it with a fully powered Dracon beam.

They landed cautiously with weapons raised. Waiting for the smoke to clear to see how it had fared with the assault.

The dust began to clear and the Krayt was clearly bloody from the damage it took. It even had one eye injured and roared angrily from the blows. Then it summoned another windblast and shot it at the newcomers that tried to attack it.

"Uh oh. I think you made it mad!" Keith warned.

'Gee, ya think? Keep attacking the thing!" Travis ordered.

Nick shot blaster bolts at it as Kagome threw shuriken to weaken its legs. Keith and Travis nodded and then moved to attack it with their lightsabers, stabbing and carving through flesh, careful to dodge it's spined tail and sharp jaws. The dragon tried to shake off its attackers, but like a saurpod going under from a pack of raptors, the damage was too great. Travis moved to finish it off, slashing into the neck before it could summon one final breath of wind. Once it was killed, the red coloring disappeared, returning it to its normal brownish color as the overriding evil disappeared in defeat.

Travis sighed in relief, but it wasn't over yet, for the jewel prompted that he still had to go in the cave that the dragon had guarded. "I'll be back, guys. Watch for anything."

As they nodded, Travis headed into the cave and down a short slope to find another cavern, slightly smaller than the previous one. Once he stepped inside the cavern, a sound like that of a jet engine roared and a sand-colored tornado sprang up in the center, rustling the boy's hair and clothes.

Travis wondered just how is he supposed to 'absorb' the power of this Sanctuary, which was clearly the wind element. It seemed to him that each Sanctuary has the power over a particular element, and to get to the sanctuary requires defeating an enemy with the same elemental powers.

Child. I sense great potential within you. The winds seemed to whisper. You have the Jewel?

"Y-yes." Travis replied, holding it up.

Step within, and concentrate... The wind whispered again.

Travis did as instructed, stepping through the side of the twister. Then as the wind whistled and howled around him, he began to concentrate, drawing on the Force and activating the power within the Destiny Jewel. It began to shine brightly and Travis braced himself as the winds intensified, threatening to sweep him into the storm, but it was the Jewel working its powers. The tornado howled, seeming to resist the Jewel, then it began to get sucked up like a vacuum into it. The tornado was quickly absorbed into the jewel, and one small portion of it glowed a tan-orange color.

The Wind Element is yours to command. Use it wisely... The wind whispered once more and then, the cave was silent.

Travis sighed, looking at the orange glow on the edge of the jewel and smiled. I'll use it well. Don't worry!

Travis headed back up to his friends and grinned as he put up a V-sign. "I did it! I got it's power!"

"Cool!" Keith beamed. "What is it?"

"Isn't it obvious? It's the wind. It could help me in the future..." Travis replied.

"Oh man, I'm starting to hate this entire situation." complained Kim. The four were huddled in a corner of the cave discussing what to do in whispers.

I say we help them. From what the girl said, there are 7 more places like this before they have to go face the Enemy. said Molari.

"Plus it'll be something exciting to do in our free time." added Makr.

"But there's a very high chance of DYING!" Kim exclaimed though still maintaining a whisper.

"Look at it this way. If we don't help the kids now, then chances are they might lose to the Enemy. Then he'll enslave the world and murder us brutally. Then, there's the chance that they'll defeat him without us. Then we'll be looked upon as cowards and probably lose our jobs." Raoul calmly reasoned.

But, if we help him, then he will have a greater chance of proving victorious. Then we shall also become famous having been part of the group that saves the universe. Molari finished.

Kim had an excited glint in her eyes. The others smirked and knew that they had convinced her with the becoming famous part. "Okay then, so we'll help them!" She turned away.

Makr and Raoul let out a long sigh thanking the gods that she forgot about the prank they were going to pull. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot." Kim turned around. "Punishment begins right now." Kim grabbed both of their heads and smashed them into each other.

Ouch, they're going to have huge headaches when they wake up. commented Molari.

"Yeah well YOU can carry them." Kim tossed the two towards Molari who sighed and placed them upon her back.

They turned towards the four kids. "Hey there brats!" Kim called out to grab their attention. "We've decided to help you on your journey to gain power and defeat the Enemy."

Molari groaned a little under the weight of the two males. Any idea where another Sanctuary is? Molari asked as she shifted the weight so it was more comfortable.

"Gee, thanks. But, uh...I'm not sure where to go next." Travis rubbed the back of his head innocently.

"If these Sanctuaries hold the power of the elements, then...my guess is that our next challenge would be up against wind's wetter relative..." Keith smirked.

"Water." Travis replied. "It does make sense. But let's get back to civilization first."

With that, the group of eight then headed back up to the entrance of the cave. Along the way, they noticed the womp rats and some other creatures of the cave, but the odd thing was, none of them attacked anymore. In fact it almost seemed like they were regally moving aside for the group, as if upon Travis' action in defeating the Sanctuary boss and retrieving the element, the creatures were not only lifted from the Evil One's mind control, but also thanking them for it in a way.

"Huh, they seem to be acting normal again." Kim said as yet another womp rat moved aside for them. After a short bit of walking they made it outside. Kim stuffed Makr and Raoul into separate speeders. She sat in the one with Raoul and Molari sat with Makr. They drove off towards Mos Eisley with the kids following behind.

As they rode along, the conscious members of the team were thinking somewhat related yet separate thoughts.

Kim was thinking something along the lines of. Oh god, not water. I hate water. Water screws my hair up. Not to mention it's so hard to move around in it. Not water! I want to go look for the Sanctuary of Fire. At least that's warm!

While Molari was thinking about where they would actually go. Hmm.. a water planet. Normally I would say Leera but that's way too far from here. In this galaxy the first planets I think of are Ando, Mon Calamari, Naboo, and Pantolomin. Hmm. I would much rather prefer Pantolomin over something like Naboo. Molari shudders at this. God, I hope it's not Naboo. Those sando aqua monsters are so freaking gigantic.

As our young hero and his friends near the famous town of Mos Eisley, a funny whirring sound like that of a helicopter emanated from somewhere in the sky.

Travis and co slowed down. "Hey, what's that noise?"

"Hey, look up there!" Kagome asked. For some odd reason, a bearded man in black clothing and a top hat, wearing a pair of sunglasses came spinning down on a rock pillar.

"Hello, hello, kids! I'm the Interdimensional Photographer and I take very good pictures, if I do say so myself." The man said, pulling out an old-style camera from nowhere. "Ready?"

Rolling their eyes, the kids put up v-signs and smiled.

"Say, 'fuzzy pickles'!" The old man instructed.

"Fuzzy pickles?!" The kids asked confusedly as a picture was taken.

"My my, this will bring back memories, I'm sure..." Then shouting interrupted the old man. "Oh dear. See you another time!"

The photographer suddenly raced away into the desert like the Roadrunner, pursued by a squad of Godulan marines. The kids sweatdropped as the crazy scene occured and moved on into Mos Eisley.

They left the scene as the 'Interdimensional Photographer' left the scene, chased by a squad of marines. The two older teens also sweatdropped as they quickly left the area.

Pretty soon they had entered Mos Eisley. They headed towards the ship and entered it. Kim grabbed Makr and Raoul and stuffed them into an empty cabinet while Molari demorphed back into an Andalite.

Then Molari took the controls and they left the planet. The other five were seated around a table.

"Any idea where the next Sanctuary is?" asked Kim.

Obviously a planet with lots of water. replied Molari.

"No duh, question is which one?" retorted Kim. Groaning noises could be heard from the cabinet. Kim walked up to it and was about to knock them out again when Molari stopped her.

We might need them now. You can knock them out later. said Molari.

"Oh fine." Kim sighed and stopped. "So, what are our choices?"

The planets I've narrowed it down to are Ando, Manaan, Naboo, and Mon Calamari. replied Molari. She sighed as more groaning was heard from the cabinet.

In hyperspace...

Travis sat cross-legged, conducting a meditation exercise taught long ago by the Masters. Breathe in, hold, breathe out...

The Jewel glowed softly as he strived to 'see' where they should go next. His mind tugged towards a location. A planet, blue as any place with numerous oceans could be. The name whispered in his mind. Naboo...

He suddenly released from meditation and sped to the bridge. "Naboo! It's on Naboo!"

"So. Our destination is Naboo eh? How did you figure it out? Did your Jewel tell you?" said Kim as she leaned back on her chair. "You hear that Molari? Time to go to Naboo!"

Molari just sighed and refused to answer back. She changed course and thought how bad this trip was going to be just from what she remembered about the sea monsters on Naboo. Then she got some rest.

The Andalite changed course and headed towards Naboo. The two male teens onboard took this time before they arrived to recover from the damage Kim had caused their heads.

Meanwhile, on Naboo...

An increase in crime from unsavory elements and wild animal attacks has the local Naboo security forces on alert. A task force was supposed to be dispatched to investigate, but they never arrived. It seems that the troubles of the young heroes were not over yet!

Hours later...

The Andalite ship dropped out of hyperspace above the planet Naboo.

Kim's voice sounded from the intercom system located throughout the ship. "Calling all brats and slaves. We have now reached the planet Naboo and are preparing for our descent."

Molari simply ignored this statement and started the landing procedure. During this time Raoul and Makr crawled out of the cabinet Kim had forced them to stay in.

Take this and eat something. I snatched this from Kim's collection. Molari said tossing them each a pill. They swallowed it and instantly felt their headaches clear up. Then they stood behind Molari, Raoul eating a bag of chips while Makr ate a sandwich.

Pretty soon they had entered the atmosphere and were descending towards the city Kadaara.

As the ship descended, the kids took out MREs from their backpacks and began eating them while they discussed where the Sanctuary could be next.

Keith has a database of the planet on his datapad and he linked to the relevant parts for the kids to read.

Naboo is a geologically unique world. It lacks a molten core, indicative of an ancient world. The planet is a conglomerate of large rocky bodies permeated by countless caves and tunnel networks. This causes numerous swampy lakes on the surface, which lead deeper into the planet's structure. The native Gungans have developed transports that exploit these cave networks, but even these hardy explorers pause at venturing too deep into the planet core, for it is infested with gargantuan sea beasts with ravenous appetites.

"I would bet my lightsaber that the next Sanctuary is in the core of Naboo." Travis said. "It makes sense, really."

"Yeah, but that part about the monsters..." Kagome winced.

"We'll have to figure out how to get past them. The guardian's likely to be a nasty beast too." Nick said.

"It's not like we have a choice if we want to defeat the big bad guy. We have to be able to take on anything in our way." Travis argued. "No matter what, we must overcome our obstacles."

"That's all well and good, but we're going to have to figure out how to deal with the beasts before we get down there." Keith said. "We'll probably have to take a submarine with lots and lots of torpedoes..."

Soon after that everyone had spread throughout town looking for a suitable submarine. Of course they had to give a false reason for requiring it. Each person said that they were looking for a ship to explore deep underwater and that the torpedoes were to provide protection should one of the monsters attack.

None of them were foolish enough to say that they needed it to gain power in order to defeat a great evil. None of them that is, except for one certain Noghri who kept finding people quickly walking away from him after they talked to him for no reason he could comprehend.

They went like this for several hours and finally went back to the ship to compare their finds.

Makr went first. "I didn't find anything. Although people kept looking at me like I was crazy or something." He frowned and went into deep thought.

Molari went next. The only thing I could find was a bunch of old ones that were about to fall apart.

Raoul came then. "I found one that was in okay condition, but they didn't have torpedoes."

Kim finished their group. "I found a bunch of great Gungan bongos on the coastline. They didn't give me a price since they were under the opinion that I was too fragile to handle a vehicle." She smirked. "Heh, I sure showed them who's fragile."

What did you guys find? asked Molari of the four kids.

Trailing no more than fifty feet from the rear of the kids' shuttle. But ofcourse no one would see such a thing. The ship itself was sleek and black, if you ever got the chance to see it. The ship lacked any defenses of any kind. Weapons, armor, shields, EMP systems, even a self destruct. The ship was entirely focussed on stealth, and most of it was dedicated to speed and the cloaking system.

Inside the ship, there was an air of... uncertainty. Sitting in the center seat was absolute grey, force-wise that is. He was not sith, nor was he jedi. He had sampled both paths, and found them irrelevent, he was now "Grey". There was no good or evil to him, there was only what was there. He himself was a tall lean man. He was lankey in appearance, and had ironically, grey eyes. He looked around mid-age, his early 40's, though with no grey hairs yet. He did not posses brawn, or finess, he lacked much in physical ability. No, he focussed on the aspect of the force, making great use of its abilities to his full advantage.

To his right was his first apprentice. He was in his late teens, and liked to dress himself in some-what happier tones than his fellow apprentice. If you must put him in a category of the force, he leaned more towards the "light side". He had compassion, and vigor. He liked to do good, and enjoyed helping others. Physically he was a toned young man, the athletic build. Unlike his master, he was a sabre duelist. Using a light purple sabre, he can stand toe to toe with most Jedi Knights, Sith "knights" are a different story.

On the man's left sat the second apprentice. This one was also in his late teens, and dressed in dark cloaks and attire. He leaned more towards the "dark side". He craved power and bloodlust. What kept him in check was his master, who tried to purge both apprentices of their directions, and bring them both to the "grey side".

"We will be landing on Naboo soon, my sons. Remember, do not stray to far from me, or you will be revealed, we must keep our promise to the Masaki clan, and Master Masaki." said the master, his voice of no real excitement, but not totally bored.

The two apprentices nodded in acknowledgement, and waited for them to land.

"We didn't find anything." Travis sighed. "All of the subs we saw didn't have weapons."

Disappointed, the kids didn't notice a familiar grey-haired figure approaching them. "Hey kids. Remember me?"

Travis looked up. "Jim? What are you doing here?"

Jim scratched the back of his head and chuckled. "I came to investigate the rise in criminal activity here. So I hear you're looking for a sub, eh?"

"Yeah, that's right." Keith nodded. "Did you see one?"

"Hmm..." Jim put a finger to his lips, then smirked. "I believe so. Come with me!"

Their hopes soaring, the kids followed Jim to an obscure corner of the city, where a proprietor was looking to sell his subs, but since few people come to his corner, he was down on his luck.

Jim and the kids started walking. The older teens however, stayed still. They were a bit suspicious.

"Hmm.. okay we'll follow you." Raoul said cautiously.

They reluctantly started to follow him even though it went against most of their training.

"Who the hell are you anyways?" asked Kim. "You should introduce yourselves to us since we don't know you."

He kind of looks like that person from the castle... Molari thought to herself.

"We should at least know who we are following to a possible doom." interjected Makr.

"I'm Jim Osbourne, Interstellar Law Enforcement Agency." Jim smiled warmly, pushing his glasses up his nose. "I don't think I've had the pleasure of meeting you..."

As they talked, Jim led everyone to the proprietor of the obsure subs.

"Ah, hello, hello!" The Gungan shopkeeper grinned. "What can I do for yousa?"

"My friends here want a sub. Preferably fast and well-armed." Jim replied.

"Ah! Lemme show you!" The Gungan's eyes lit up. The Gungan showed them a fairly small sub, with just enough room for the eight of them. "Thisa bongo goes berry fast and hasa couple torpedoes tubes for yousa. It will cost five-thousand credits. Cheap, no?"

"Hmm. It's not bad-looking...What do you think?" Travis asked the older teens.

No more than ten feet away from the group, the Grey sider and his apprentices lurked, right in the open, oddly enough. No one could see them thankfully, or hear them, or smell them, thanks to the shroud of Force Cloak the older was putting out. It took much strain on him to do so constantly, especialyl right out in the open, but he held it up. The only exception was, no matter how hard he tried, he could not fully mask his force connection. He did it well enough, but a little slipped through. To force adepts, it would only seem like a whisper in the force.

The man and two older teens looked on, sighing as they did. "They are going deep into this blasted planet..." said the lighter boy. "Indeed..." replied the darker.

After the silent yet reluctant approval from the older teens and then paying for the sub, the kids then slid into the sub, which looked like a large Naboo squid.

http://www.starwars.com/databank/vehicle/bongo/img/eu_bg.jpg

"Hey, aren't you coming?" Travis yelled back at Jim.

"Heh. Sorry, no. There's no more space in there. Even if I could come, there's still too much criminal activity." Jim rubbed the back of his head and smiled. "Good luck again."

"All right. Bye!" Travis waved at Jim before he closed the hatch and then he yelled. "Prepare to dive!"

They were provided with a droid pilot that soon turned on the engines and motored out of the little dock and into the sea. The search for the second Sanctuary begins!

The older teens reluctantly followed the young enthusiastic kids into the sub. It was somewhat cramped but what made it worse was Travis yelling excitedly about diving.

Something is seriously wrong with that kid. they all thought.

As they started to descend into the water, Makr thought he had felt a presence in the Force. It soon disappeared to him and he cursed himself for cutting classes sometimes. He soon forgot about it however, and wondered instead how large a sea monster could grow.

After the teens had left on the bongo, the Gungan turned around to take care of a small task. As soon as he turned around, a hand waved across his face, and he felt entranced.

"You will give us a small bongo for free, it is an important matter." Said the older, in a calm voice.

Shaking his head slightly, the gungan nodded dumbly. "Uh, sure, wessa gots a bongo.. Isen need to move sum of da peoples aroun-." Before the Gungan could finish, the Grey-siders had dissapeared, and a bongo slipped under the water.

The bongo went deeper and deeper into the core of the planet, so deep that no light but that of bioluminscent creatures flicker in the depths. The lights automatically went on, but it was a matter of Travis' navigation with the help of the Jewel, which was glowing or dimming depending on if they were getting nearer or farther.

An hour into the hunt, danger struck.

Keith Masaki was mediating in the Force, when he picked up a sudden, simple thought. Food. Kill. Eat. Eat...

"Uh, guys. We got trouble!" Keith yelped. "Predator on the way!"

Then something big entered the area, barely illuminated by the lights. It was one of the larger predators of the Naboo seas, the Opee Sea Killer! Larger than the bongo by a good margin, it then attempted to make it a quick morsel...

"Huh? Really?" asked Kim who had just been sleeping moments before. Then she caught sight of the giant creature outside. "AAHHH! WHAT THE HELL!" she screamed.

Molari instantly jumped into action, leaping for the controls and activating the manual override. She instantly took evasive action, rolling the submarine so that it just dodged the Opee Sea Killer's tongue.

"Quickly!" urged Makr. "Launch the torpedo into its mouth while it's still open."

Molari quickly found the weapons controls and launched a torpedo. Then she quickly had the submarine dive to avoid a swipe from the Opee Sea Killer's tongue. The torpedo flew straight and true right into the beast's mouth where it exploded violently.

"Man, that was close..." Travis sighed in relief.

Keith then opened his eyes again. "Don't look now, but there's another one coming!"

An even larger, more eel-like and more dangerous creature swam through the area. It was a Colo Claw Fish and it immediately snapped up the pieces of the Sea Killer, then growled as it wasn't satisfied and went after the little sub.

"Punch it!" Kagome yelled as it hyperextended its jaws wide.

What have I gotten myself into!? Travis thought panickily. He just stared down the gullet of the new creature and shuddered at the long rows of teeth...

This is getting very troublesome now. commented Molari as she had the sub duck under the Colo Claw Fish.


"Punch it!" Kagome yelled as it hyperextended its jaws wide.
Everyone sweatdropped at this. Punch it? Is that kid really that stupid? they all thought.

I have something better than punching it. Molari replied. As the Colo Claw Fish turned around to try and swallow its prey a second time, Molari launched a second torpedo into its mouth.

"We'd better not run into many more of these." Raoul muttered as the torpedo exploded, obliterating the Colo Claw Fish.

"I meant more like evasive action, but that works too." Kagome sighed.

"I hope there won't be any more, because we're down to two torpedoes." Nick pointed out on the weapons indicator.

"Yeah." Travis said, sitting back.

The next hour was uneventful for a change. Then Travis' pendant began to glow brightly as they passed a large arch and then a gigantic cave. "Hey, I think we're getting close..."

Kim had gone back to sleep during the past hour. The other three were thanking any diety they could think of that no more creatures had attacked them.

"Getting close eh? About time." Makr growled, who was very bored that nothing even remotely interesting had happened for a while.

Molari guided the submarine carefully through the archway and then they entered the cave.

"Hey this cave is large." commented Kim who had just woken up.

It's probably large because it's holding some large sea creature that wants to eat us. Molari replied darkly.

Then, giant evil, red eyes peeked out at them. It was the owner of by far the largest predator in Naboo: the sando aqua monster, with a length of two hundred freaking meters!

"I hate it when you're right!" Travis groaned.

"Look at the size of that thing..." Keith gasped.

"Ha ha ha ha!" An evil voice from the monster crowed. "I am the guardian of the Second Sanctuary, and I commend you on surviving this long against my minions. But it's over now. Prepare to die!

and to Travis alone: So, boy, you have the Power. Take this Sanctuary away from me...if you dare...

And then with a simple sweep of his tail, the Sando Aqua monster attacked...

"Holy... That thing's GIGANTIC!" shrieked Kim.

Molari worked the controls furiously, dodging the Sando Aqua monster's tail and then kept dodging any other attacks the thing might make.

So... Anyone got a plan? Molari asked.

"Aim for the eyes so it can't see?" suggested Makr.

"That would be great except we don't have enough torpedoes to make it work. Remember, we've only got two left." Raoul reminded him.

"Then I've got nothing." Makr said disappointedly.

"Um...um..." Travis' mind was racing to think of a plan. "Aim a torpedo at it!"

"Are you insane?" Nick panicked at Travis. "You'll just make it mad!"

"That's the idea! Make it mad then let it chase us out of the cave!" Travis ordered quickly. "Remember the arch we passed?"

"Oh yeah..." Keith remembered then winced as the very edge of the tail swished close to the sub, rumbling it. "The arch is too small for it to pass through. It'll get stuck and then we can go back in the cave and get the sanctuary!"

Here goes nothing. Molari said as she fired off the torpedo at the Sando Aqua monster. It didn't do much damage to it and seemed to only enrage the creature.

"Run for it!" Raoul shouted.

Molari quickly spun the submarine around and headed out the same way they had come in. The Sando Aqua monster was following behind them but it had to go slower or risk losing some appendages.

After a short while the submarine shot out of the cave. They turned around and watched to see how the monster would fare with the arch.

The sando aqua monster was very close to chomping down on the bongo when the bongo sped through the arch. And then, that's when the sando's size became a disadvantage when it's neck then body went through the arch. And then the bongo suddenly pulled away when the monster found itself stuck in the arch and couldn't get out of it. It wriggled and thrashed, but the arch was a strong one.

"Let's not wear out our welcome here! Get back in the cave!" Travis ordered again. That arch is not going to hold forever...

The bongo turned around and headed back into the cave...

"That was close!" Makr said, relieved.

Molari sighed as she guided the bongo right back through the cave they had left. She went as fast as she could without destroying the bongo. Pretty soon they were back in the large cave.

"So, where's the sanctuary?" Kim asked.

"I think that thing's free now." Makr said, his face with a look of deep concentration on it.

We'd better hurry up then. Molari got up. It'd be faster if you were to lead us to the sanctuary.

Travis concentrated. "Straight ahead."

The bongo soon came to a wall and then a current nudged them upwards into a very secret portion of the cave and the bongo suddenly surfaced. Bioluminscent algae grew on the walls of the underwater cavern, giving it a faint, spooky glow. The bongo bumped into very shallow water and in front of them lies steps carved into the rock, leading to where Travis needs to go as the Bearer.

"Hey, the pressure's loosened up." Nick said, reading the instruments. "Strange."

"Well, looks like it's time..." Travis said, unstrapping his seatbelt harness. "Second Sanctuary, here I come!"

And before anyone could object, he headed up to the hatch and opened it. Immediately, salty, stale air wafted into the bongo. "It's ok! Still breathable."

The four kids came out of the bongo and jumped down, walking on the water with their ninja-trained budding powers to the steps.

"Impressive." mumbled the lighter boy, the darker grunting in acknowledgement, not liking to admit it verbally.

The bongo they were in rushed passed the archway soona fter Travis and his sub was gone. All three inside the bongo turned their heads, to see the giant sea beast having a difficult time trying to get out of the cave by going backwards.

The older and the lighter boy were piloting, the darker seeminly brooding in the back.

"Elder, what do these sanctuaries do?." Asked the darker.

Elder sighed, he knew what he was about to do, but he could not leave his apprentices in the dark forever. "They give power to the beholder so as to fight an evil. I know what you are thinking, and no, you will not be able to wield it."

Dark smirked. "Very well Elder."

The sub followed Travis and his party, though at a distance. They approached there Travis had dissapeared to, and followed. Surfacing quietly, they tried to keep out of sight in a darker part of the cave.

They had barely opened their cockpit when Dark thrusted out of the bongo with a force assisted jump. Landing on Travis' bongo, he lept another time, bringing himself ahead of Travis.

He barely got another step before something paralyzed him, and he remained in some sort of stasis...

"HEY!" Travis yelled as the dark kid sped after him, then he became confused when he got paralyzed or something. "Who the hell are you and what are you doing here?"

His friends turned around, sensing the source of the Force move.

With a flick of his wrist, Elder slung the boy back. With a great speed, the boy was flung all the way back to the sub, hitting the water at some points, though that seemed purposeful. The boy landed perfectly in his seat, though a little hard.

With a blink of an eye, Elder, and the two apprentices were righ behind the party.

"YOu may call me Elder, Travis and friends. These are my apprentices, Light and Dark."

He motioned to the two, Light was standing proudly. Dark was slumped on the ground still dazed.

The older kids followed Travis out too. They had enough rudimentary chakra training from Kim to know how to walk on water. Then they saw those annoying people with the strange names.

"Well, why are you here? And would you hurry it up? I don't want to become fish food." Kim said impatiently.

As she spoke, the four of them moved their hands a bit closer to their weapons, preparing for the worst.

With a flick of his wrist, Elder slung the boy back. With a great speed, the boy was flung all the way back to the sub, hitting the water at some points, though that seemed purposeful. The boy landed perfectly in his seat, though a little hard.

With a blink of an eye, Elder, and the two apprentices were righ behind the party.

"YOu may call me Elder, Travis and friends. These are my apprentices, Light and Dark."

He motioned to the two, Light was standing proudly. Dark was slumped on the ground still dazed.
Travis snickered a little. "Well, I'm Travis Masaki, my friend here is Kagome Outerbridge, my other friend is Nicholas Kingfisher, and my cousin here is Keith Masaki. What brings you guys here?"

He nudged the two apprencitces forward. "They are learning the way. Thus they will help on this expedition. I will be involved, just not as.. directly."

Slowly, Elder started to walk away, Light looking around, a bit nervous, but smiling. "Uh, hi."

Then a deep rumbling roar sounded from somewhere below in the cave.

"Uh, hi to you too, but I got a job to do now." Travis laughed nervously.

Then he jogged up the stairs to a smaller cave. The entrance shimmered slightly, like the last time. Only one who wields the Shukumei no Tama, aka the Destiny Jewel, can pass through the shimmering. And of course, that someone is Travis.

As he entered, the little group, now with the addition of three new people, have a BIG problem: the Sando Aqua monster has managed to free himself and is now coming up fast! With a bellow, it breached the surface, knocked aside the bongos with it's wake and its mouth was agape. Blood-red eyes glared at the tiny morsels before it, and then it attacked, sending forth a mighty blast of water from its mouth...

As the blast of water came, Elder simply blinked seemingly out of existance. His apprentices however, didn't have quick reflexes at the moment, and were knocked back to the cave walls.

Light shook is head and became wide eyed. "How can we kill something like that?!"

Dark simply glared and said, "Any other way out of this place?"

Elder was no where in sight.

The older kids jumped out of the way.

"You could always try and go through there." Makr indicated the entranceway which Travis had gone through. "I wouldn't recommend it though. Only other way is through that thing."

As for killing it, I would recommend attacking it with long range weapons. Molari said in answer to the other question.

Everyone pulled out their long range weapons. Armed with staff weapon, zat'ni'katel, and Dracon beam, the four shot desperately at the creature, aiming for its eyes and mouth when they could. They were soon getting tired of jumping in and out of the water and tail blasts and hoped that the sando aqua monster would either die or Travis would hurry up.

"Gaah!" Travis' team found themselves floundering from the giant water attack and also smacked into the wall, but they soon got up and resumed the futile fight.

Even with Nick shooting his pair of blasters and Keith adding his own blaster, the Sando Aqua monster was just simply too large to be killed with such puny weapons. He moved his head side to side to dodge some shots and his thick head and skin soaked up the rest. Then he sent another deluge of hydro power at the crew who narrowly dodged the attack.

"C'mon, Travis. We can't take much more of this..." Kagome groaned. I'm gonna need a hairblower after this!

----

Travis headed through yet-another-narrow cave to a cavern that was much like the first, only now it still has the faint glow of the algae and in the middle of the second Sanctuary was a large floating ball of water.

"Oh! What a surprise, child! You're the bearer of the Jewel!" A chirppy voice sounded from the water-ball. "I could just glomp you, but I have no body to glomp with..."

Travis sweatdropped. "Yeah, sure. I'm ready to take you now." He held up his pendant.

"Oh thank you! Thank you! I was sooo bored here! I won't let you down! Just swim in the center and let 'er rip!" The voice answered happily. It somehow took on the personality of a hyperactive cheerleader, probably from boredom.

Travis just sighed and took a deep breath. Then he jumped in the water and swam to the center as instructed. Then he held out the Jewel and then the water began to swirl around it and create a whirlpool as it was sucked 'down the drain' into the Jewel. Once finished, Travis dropped down to the floor and saw that another side besides the orange-tan glowed blue.

"Another Sanctuary completed." Travis smirked and ran back to the others.

----

"Hey guys! I got it!" Travis yelled as he got back to the front. Then he got splashed by the monster's attack. "Hey! Watch where you're splashing, buddy!"

"We've barely scratched him..." Keith panted.

"Ah." Travis said as if understanding something. He held up the Jewel high, so that the monster can see it's glow. Like with the Frankystein, he shot a white light out at the monster, but instead of killing the creature, it impacted and a shrieking reddish evil spirit was forcibly pulled out and destroyed by the purity of the beam. The Aqua's eyes turned from its' evil red to a more serene blue color and it was healed from the wounds it recieved. "Cool! You know, I think I should give this attack a name or something...Psybolt, maybe?"

The Sando Aqua then crooned its thanks at being freed from the evil spirit's grasp. Somehow, both Travis and Keith understood it (plus others who have an affinity with nature).

"You're welcome!" Travis answered.

Then the monster crooned that it would give them the clue to the next Sanctuary. Lizard creatures are very common on the planet where the third Sanctuary lies. But be warned, the monster crooned. The Enemy will begin to take notice of your actions once you near it. It will begin to send its' own forces and allies to intercept and destroy you. Be on your guard. The fight will intensify from now on.

Finally, it crooned it's good-byes to the group and slipped under the water more peacefully than it came up and headed off to scare away all the other predators of the deep for a smooth trip.

Dark stood up, and watched the kids fire pointlessly at the monster. Light did so aswell, both in simple awe of the creature.

Finally, as Travis came out, Dark shot a quick look at Travis' necklace and grinned.

"Well then." Said light, as he walked closer to the group, squeezing the water out of his padawan robe. "...Where do we go from here? I am quiet lost..."

Dark also stepped forward, and talked in a more sinister voice. "Indeed, where do we get more of this... power?"

"Hmm. That big guy said that it would be a planet with lots of lizard creatures..." Travis mused. He didn't like the hungry look of the Dark one...

But she also said that the Enemy would send forces to kill us so we have to be more careful now. Molari added as the sando aqua monster swam away.

"You can't get any of that power. That power is reserved for Travis alone." Raoul said to Dark.

He craves power too much. Makr thought.

"We should get going now." Kim added. "We can figure out where to go next in transit."

The older teens headed towards their bongo which was a bit roughed off but still in fine condition after being knocked across the cave by the sando aqua. They hopped in and Molari decided to let the droid pilot, sure that there would be no attacks now that the evil inhabiting the space had been forced to depart.

"See you at the surface!" Kim called to Dark, Light, and Elder.

They waited for the kids to climb aboard and then set off for the surface. The trip was very uneventful as the sando aqua had scared all the other creatures off.

It was another two hours back to the surface and by that time, the kids were almost dry. Now, Keith was once again rooting through his datapad, looking into planetary databases and cross-linking with lizard-like creatures. Of course, the list was very long, but he managed to narrow the list down to several major planets.

The planets were as follows:

Jurai (due to dinosaurs)
Genan
Utapau
Enlle
Kenase
Ilehn

"Six planets. Hmm." Keith went through the stats on each one of them, and believe that he narrowed down the next sanctuary to Jurai, Utapau, and Kenase. Then Jurai was dropped because if there was anything strange occurring, the Order would have notified them by now. That left Utapau and Kenase...

Well, until you figure out where we are supposed to go next I'll take a nap for a while. Molari said. She switched control back to the droid and started sleeping.

Raoul soon followed suit but Kim stayed awake planning on what particular tortures she should inflict on them next. Makr was reading a book trying not to hear the words Kim was muttering, all of which are too terrible to repeat here.

As the boys tried to figure out where to go next, Kagome went to Kim to talk a little bit. "So, what's up?"

Kim paused her muttering and looked up. "Oh, nothing much I just can't decided whether to burn little holes in their skin, blow parts of their body up, or just castrate them. You ever get confused about the best way to torture someone?"

Makr groaned at those words and fainted.

"Umm... Whoops?" Kim said.

Kagome just giggled. "I dunno. Nick is ok, but Travis and Keith...I think they need their asses kicked. I personally would dip them over a velociraptor pen then proceed to practice my kunai throwing at the ropes."

A sudden violent sneezing from the Masaki boys sounded, along with a spewing of juice from Nick.

"Anyway, we figured that Utapau would be the best choice. It has numerous sinkholes topped by powerful hyperwinds. A harsh, but interesting place to find the next Sanctuary."

Kim pondered Kagome's words. "Well that would work but then there'd be a chance of them dying. You never know when you might them to be human shields." She replied.

At that moment Raoul, Molari, and Makr all woke up. "Ah good you're awake. We've just reached the surface." Kim said.

They all climbed out of the bongo and Kim lifted it above her head and carried it back to the ship. She then stuffed it in the cargo hold for safekeeping. (OOC:wait, who paid for it?)

They then waited by the coastline for the other bongo to appear so that they could tell them the location of the next Sanctuary.

OOC: Ministry of Finance. They hold the Masaki accounts. :D

Dark slowly strode to Light, and talked... an odd occurence. "Why must we help these little brats? Why does that young punk get to hold all the power?"

Light smirked and replied, "Because, he seems to be a bit more mature than you. LEss greedy, less evil... and he can be trusted to not destroy the universe with it." Light then chuckled.

"Ha ha ha... very funny." Dark remarked, sarcastically. "Dumb feck" he then whispered to himself. He turned to Travis, and gazed at the jewel, the lust for power very apparent within his sinister eyes.

Light on the other hand walked over to Travis, and smiled. "I havn't properly introduced myself... I am Light, and that sithspit behind me is Dark."

Travis placed the pendant under his shirt. "Pleased to meet you. By the way, why do you call yourselves Light and Dark?"

"Well, Elder has taught us, in order to truely be one with the force, we must cast aside what we know as 'good' and 'evil'. There is no such thing within the force. To Elder, I am too good, and Dark is too evil. We are his apprentices, and he is trying to get us 'grey' I guess... I dunno, just kind of fell into the whole thing. Reason we have these names is because we havn't earned true names... we havn't become one with the 'grey-side'. But once we achieve equalibrium, then Elder will grant us true names."

Dark nodded slightly.

"I see." Travis nodded. "Anyway, aside from the fact that your friend needs a lesson in compassion, we're about to head off to the planet Utapau."

"Very well. Maybe this time me and my... peer... here will be of more use."

Dark and Light followed Travis to his destination, though Dark lurking far behind, still brooding.

Dark and Light joins Travis' Party!

Soon, everyone was in the Andalite ship and it shortly zoomed out of the atmosphere of Naboo and made the jump to hyperspace.

Molari programmed the jump to Utapau and then went to get some sleep.

Meanwhile Kim had Makr and Raoul locked in another room. Loud screams of pain were issuing from the room at intervals of about 3 seconds for three hours.

The screams woke Molari up. She sighed, plugged in her earplugs and went right back to sleep.

The kids used various anti-sound methods to drown out the screams of pain, mainly by listening to music from multigigabyte IPods.

Three hours later...

The planet Utapau was a large greenish-brown planet with lots of white limestone patches and a powerful hyperwind storm system to its south swirls like a hurricane. But otherwise, it was a fairly uneventful planet. A little dry, but not Tatooine dry.

The Andalite ship descended onto the planet, buffeted by hundreds knot winds until it descended belowground into the largest of the sinkholes, where the spaceport is. After that, the kids disembarked the ship and talked to the locals a bit before meeting back together.

"Ok. We can grab a varactyl or two and then start searching." Travis said to the others.

"Yeah." Keith nodded. "By the way, the locals have told me that there's a mass of strange shadowy things lurking around. Might be that army the Enemy's sending to kill us or something."

"Ah. That's not a good thing." Nick said.

"Well, let's first get those lizards and then we'll cross that bridge when we get there..." Travis said and then the kids went off to get the varactyls.

After they landed, the screams of pain finally stopped. Kim emerged from the room very happy. Makr and Raoul emerged a while later, seemingly perfectly fine, but their faces showed the extents of the torture they'd gone through.

They went with the kids to grab some varactyls.

"Any idea what element this Sanctuary's going to hold?" pondered Makr as they walked.

"Well, judging from the pattern so far, we should be down to either earth or fire." Travis said. "I'm thinking it's earth, since it's so obvious here."

Soon enough, the kids reached a varactyl pen and chose two of the fifteen meter beasts. Travis and Kagome would ride on and Nick and Keith will mount the other.

"So, uh, Travis? Have you ever ridden a giant lizard before?" Kagome asked her friend.

"I've ridden my dad's dragon Ryujin. Couldn't be that baaaaad!" With a sudden lurch, the impatient, squawking lizard lept forward with an unexpected speed, followed closely by Keith's ride. The quest for the third Sanctuary has begun!

Meanwhile, dark shadowy shapes that looked like imps with sickly yellow eyes watched the kids from dark corners. Chittering at each other, they knew what was happening and began to prepare for the inevitable arrival of the Bearer of the Jewel and his friends...

Molari and Kim chose out two more beasts for the others to ride on. Molari had to morph into a human (again) to be able to fit on the beast's mount. Molari gently calmed the beast and it docilely followed Travis's beast. Raoul sat behind Molari.

Kim chose to tame her beast by whispering it some very violent threats and it immediately began listening to her every command. Makr sat behind Kim nervously and carefully as he didn't like the giant lizards. They too followed Travis's beast.

OOC:So, where'd Taylor come from?

Molari and Kim chose out two more beasts for the others to ride on. Molari had to morph into a human (again) to be able to fit on the beast's mount. Molari gently calmed the beast and it docilely followed Travis's beast. Raoul sat behind Molari.

Kim chose to tame her beast by whispering it some very violent threats and it immediately began listening to her every command. Makr sat behind Kim nervously and carefully as he didn't like the giant lizards. They too followed Travis's beast.

OOC:So, where'd Taylor come from?
OOC: Typo.

IC:
Travis and co, now clad in their goggles, guided the lizards up to the drier and windier conditions of the surface as per the Jewel's nudging and then sped south at over sixty miles per hour, avoiding dust devils and dishing death to random nasty creatures. An hour or two of lizard-riding, the kids came up to a huge obstacle while straddling the edge of a plateau: a passing east-west duststorm so large that it covered the path from horizon to horizon. The wind moaned like a demented monster, grabbing at their clothes and hair.

"What do we do now?" Kagome asked.

Travis focused on the Jewel. It said to go forward. "I-I'm not sure. It's saying that we have to go forward, but look at the size of that storm!"

"Yeah. This is going to be tough..." Keith nodded.

"Ride through it, don't be a bunch of wimps. It's sand, throw on some heavy clothes and lets go." Dark said gruffly. He rode forward ahead of the group, after lingering in the back with his fellow apprentice, at the back of the group.

"Moron, the wind and sand will rip you apart." replied Light.

With a snort, Dark gave Light a rude gesture and rode ahead.

"Ride through it, don't be a bunch of wimps. It's sand, throw on some heavy clothes and lets go." Dark said gruffly. He rode forward ahead of the group, after lingering in the back with his fellow apprentice, at the back of the group.

"Moron, the wind and sand will rip you apart." replied Light.

With a snort, Dark gave Light a rude gesture and rode ahead.
Travis sweatdropped at Dark's insolence. But the lizard that Dark rode refused to go any further because it knew the danger too well. The hide of a varactyl is tough, but even a storm like this will scour the flesh off of its bones.

"Even the lizard sees the danger. Why don't you?" Keith yelled sharply.

'I believe the proper term to describe his insanity is called hubris. Molari replied.

"So is the Sanctuary on the other side of this or in the middle of this storm?" asked Makr nervously. "Maybe we can try and go around it?"

"No. It's far too big." Keith shook his head.

"We will have to go through somehow..." Travis clutched his Destiny Jewel. Then he remembered the first Sanctuary, the Wind one. He wondered if there was a way to access the power...and then, the Jewel spoke, not in words, but brightening in an orange color, linking his mind with its powers. Travis held his pendant high and shouted a spell he never knew before...until now. "Fuuton: Bakuha no Kaze!"

A visible white wind swirled outwards, slamming into the dust storm. It carved a pathway through the storm, but it would not hold forever. There was no time to waste!

"Let's go!" Travis yelled as Kagome held on tight. His lizard bellowed a warbling squawk and sped into the windy pathway, followed very closely by Keith's lizard.

Dark mumbled to himself and cursed a bit. "That damn jewel will be mine.."

He let Light ride past him, then came in close behind.

Everyone was very surprised to see a giant white wind carve a pathway in the storm.

"How is that even possible?" questioned Kim.

"Ask that later. Just get through now." Makr urged.

They all rushed after the others into the dust storm.

Soon, they passed through to the very center of the dust storm, where an eddy slowed the dust to a more manageable level. The cause of the eddy was yet another cave that lead into the third Sanctuary. The white wind pathway collapsed shortly after they arrived inside the relative safety of the cave, blocking their way back out. Travis and the others demounted their lizards, who will wait at the inside entrance of the cave for them to return.

"Well, time to get through this..." Travis said and prepared his lightsaber for anything. Especially a crowd of mole-like creatures that dug out from underground to slash at them with their claws. And from the shadows came black imps with yellow eyes and they also began scratching at the heroes-to-be. Lightsabers, blasters and other weapons once more dished out damage to anything that looked mean, nasty and bloodthirsty.

With a jump, the two apprentices lept into combat. What had been previously been unseen, was now shown. Despite having weak force signatures themselves, they were master duelists and showed this to a deadly extent.

While Light and Dark were very unkind to each other in non-combat situations, they complimented each other extremely well in combat. Where one lacked one aspect the of combat, the other made up for it. Though it be seen was the major one lacking. They knew each other's moves, and moved around each other as if they were one.

The team sighed in relief as they escaped the ferocity of the wind and dismounted. Then the white wind failed and the dust storm raged again outside.

"How do we get back out?" asked Raoul.

'We'll think about that later, right now we have other troubles.' Molari pointed to the incoming creatures while demorphing back into her Andalite form.

The group sighed as they engaged in yet another battle with little pests. Blade, staff, saber, and needle flashed as they struck down foe after foe. However, there was a difference in their mode of attack this time. By now, they realized that the native creatures were only possessed by the spirit of the Enemy and once the place was purged they would return to normal. As such, each attack aimed to incapacitate, not kill, the creatures.

The kids moved on to a second chamber after the enemies were defeated, with a few random imps, foot soldiers of the Enemy itself, popping in at random times. Then...Travis heard a hissing sound, a familiar and horrifying one. And then a buzzing like that of a swiftly quivering rattle.

"Oh no...snakes. Why did it have to be snakes..." Travis moaned.

"You're scared of snakes? You just rode a lizard!" Nick raised an eyebrow at his friend's irrational fear.

"They don't have legs! They have the long...poison...fangs!" Travis shuddered.

"Oh, come off it." Nick snorted. "I can't believe you're afraid of snakes."

"Lay off of him." Keith shot back, in defense of his cousin. "You'd be scared shitless too if you were attacked by a giant snake when you were four! It was a rather big one, as I recall."

"Forty feet." Travis muttered. "Would have eaten me if Uncle Taylor hadn't burned it..."

"Come on Travis. We gotta get through this." Kagome said. "Just fight. Don't think about the snakes. Just act."

And then they struck. Serpents of all shapes and sizes, from small, evil-looking black snakes to deadly rattlers and venom-spitting cobras. It appears that to fight the Bearer of the Jewel, the Enemy has sent his worst fear...

Scared of snakes... How interesting.. Kim thought to herself and filed the tidbit away for future use.

Scared that much just because he was attacked. Must've led a very sheltered childhood. Makr thought to himself.

Everyone had to kick their speed up a notch as snakes were much faster creatures than the imps and moles.

"This is getting boring." Raoul said as he knocked a python into the wall. "When are we going to reach the end of this damn thing?"

OOC: You try facing down a forty foot long snake when you're less than three feet tall! It's truly a childhood horror. :p

IC:
Travis kept chopping up the nightmares of his childhood with shouts of "Get away!" and "Back, ye serpents, back!" as he tried to conquer them with his lightsaber. By the time the kids reached the third and final chamber, they were covered in bites which had to be treated with healing potions and antidotes just in case they were poisonous.

"Ahh. Finally." Travis sighed in very obvious relief.

Keith shook his head. "It's not over yet..."

"As long as it's not another snake, I can take whatever's coming." Travis replied.

A hissing-growl sounded from somewhere within the final chamber.

"I spoke too soon." The boy groaned.

A gigantic snake slithered out of a pore within the wall of the chamber, slithering towards the kids. It flicked out a thick tongue, tasting the air and the flesh it would feed on, then slicked it back between venom-filled fangs. On its head were horns curving back. A small creature scurrying around gazed at its eyes and immediately turned into stone.

"A basilisk..." Travis hissed, gripping his lightsaber hilt tightly. "Of all the evil bastards..."

"Close your eyes." Keith warned. "Use the Force."

The kids shut their eyes, going into the 'sight' of the Force, which seemed more like faint wavy patterns of light and dark. And the snake was definitely dark.

This was going to be a tough battle...

OOC: When could a basilisk turn stuff to stone?

IC: "Really going all out to scare the kid aren't they." Makr said.

They shut their eyes and stretched out their senses. Makr who was well trained in the Force could easily sense the basilisk infront. Raoul had more difficulty but it was still easy for him to see with the evil spirit making the basilisk even more agressive. Kim and Molari were forced to rely on their normal senses.

'Aim for its eyes first!' Molari shouted as they jumped out of the way of a tailswipe. They spread out and landed away from each other giving the basilisk more targets and more difficulty in killing them all.

In midair Molari had pulled out her Dracon Beam and aimed for the eyes. Being unable to "sense" the snake, as the Jedi could, she missed.

This is going to be difficult. she thought as she heard the blast be dodged and hit the wall.

The others had pulled out their long range weapons and the battle continued.

OOC: When could a basilisk turn stuff to stone?
OOC: In the Final Fantasy games, there was such a creature. Besides, it plays well with the Earth elemental. I probably could have gone with Medusa, but nah.

IC: "Really going all out to scare the kid aren't they." Makr said.

They shut their eyes and stretched out their senses. Makr who was well trained in the Force could easily sense the basilisk infront. Raoul had more difficulty but it was still easy for him to see with the evil spirit making the basilisk even more agressive. Kim and Molari were forced to rely on their normal senses.

'Aim for its eyes first!' Molari shouted as they jumped out of the way of a tailswipe. They spread out and landed away from each other giving the basilisk more targets and more difficulty in killing them all.

In midair Molari had pulled out her Dracon Beam and aimed for the eyes. Being unable to "sense" the snake, as the Jedi could, she missed.

This is going to be difficult. she thought as she heard the blast be dodged and hit the wall.

The others had pulled out their long range weapons and the battle continued.
Unable to kill its meal with its deadly gaze, the snake shifted to attacking its primary target: Travis.

It was his own potential in the Force that prevented Travis from becoming snake food, but only barely. Travis jumped away from a lunge that would have swallowed him whole and fired shuriken at the snake. They missed the eyes, but didn't do much to the scales.

Then, the snake roared in pain as Nick nailed a blaster shot to one of the eyes and reared up. "Gotcha. Whoa!" Nick hopped over a tail strike.

One eye down, one to go.

While the others were blasting and tossing stuff at the immense snake, Kim had another plan. She morphed into a bat. It would be easier to dodge and easier to see with the bat's echolocation system. She took off in the air carrying a poisoned needle.

She flew quickly towards the basilisk and charged straight at its head. At the last moment she flung the needle into the uninjured eye and dived to the side. Another scream of pain indicated her success.

'Yes! Eye two is down!' Unfortunately at that moment the basilisk's tail came swinging around and smacked Kim into a wall. She groggily demorphed.

"Damn that hurt like hell." she said, still somewhat dizzy from the attack.

The basilisk howled in pain and then the kids could use their eyes again without getting turned into stone. The snake, though blind, turned to its other, highly tuned senses to track them. It jabbed its fangs at Travis and he scored a hit, slicing one of the fangs and carving scales off the head. Growling, it managed to headbutt Travis hard, forcing him not only to smack into a rock in pain, but also to lose his lightsaber.

"Travis!" His friends yelled, but the snake prevented them from getting to him with sweeps of its tail. The boy swooned, but focused back to reality when the Force screamed a warning into his brain. He rolled to the side, but suddenly found himself lifted into the air by the snake's tongue, hurled up to nearly smack the high ceiling and yelled out loud when he fell into a gaping hole full of teeth and surprisingly warm saliva. The gullet pulled and pushed him via peristalsis ominously towards the stomach, where the acids would dissolve his body to nothing.

Dammit! I...can't...breathe! Think! Think! Travis thought frantically. Being swallowed by his worst fear, however, gave him a kind of perspective. By experiencing it, he actually wasn't as afraid as before, but his life was still in very real danger. Have to get out! Now!

But his arms were trapped by the all-too-tight lining of the gullet wall so he couldn't use his kunai...wait...that's it! Sensei's technique! If only I could...

Inside the tight, stiff, hot, nearly airless gullet of the still fighting basilisk, Travis grunted and groaned to get his fingers together for his sensei's technique, barely succeeded, and with the addition of the Jewel around his neck, gathered enough last-minute energy to perform one of the most famous techniques in all of Coreworlds...

"Kage...Bunshin No Jutsu!"

----

The Basilisk snapped its fangs at the other kids, and swiped its tail at everyone until it felt something funny inside its stomach. Then it stopped, tried to swallow several times, only to panic as it felt itself suddenly bloating up and then exploded, sending snake innards all over the place, as well as shadow clones of Travis.

"Eeewwww!" Kagome shrieked as snake slime smacked into her. "How the hell am I going to get this shit out of my hair, Travis?!"

"If you recall, stupid, you'd realize that I was eaten by a freakin' snake and and I had to think of freakin' something!" Travis shot back as he released his clones.

"Oh yeah! Well, why didn't you try something that didn't involve throwing snake intestines in my face!" She shot back.

"That happened to be liver!" Travis argued.

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT, BONEHEAD!" And so Kagome and Travis began an argument while standing in the middle of basilisk insides.

"Oh, here we go again..." Keith sweatdropped.

"You can say that again..." Nick agreed, sweatdropping as well.

bump

OOC: Waiting for Azaha to post but guess he died again...

IC: "Ugh that's gross." Kim muttered as she ducked underneath a barrage of snake insides.

And so Kagome and Travis began an argument while standing in the middle of basilisk insides.
Everyone just sweatdropped at this. Kim walked calmly up to both of them and gave them a good whack over the head.

"SHUT UP!" she yelled.

"Isn't it rather hypocritical to yell when you want quiet?" asked Makr.

"WHO ASKED YOU?" she yelled back. Makr cringed and tried hiding behind Molari.

'Don't you have to go absorb the power of the Sanctuary or something?' Molari said trying to diffuse the situation.

OOC: Waiting for Azaha to post but guess he died again...

IC: "Ugh that's gross." Kim muttered as she ducked underneath a barrage of snake insides.


Everyone just sweatdropped at this. Kim walked calmly up to both of them and gave them a good whack over the head.

"SHUT UP!" she yelled.

"Isn't it rather hypocritical to yell when you want quiet?" asked Makr.

"WHO ASKED YOU?" she yelled back. Makr cringed and tried hiding behind Molari.

'Don't you have to go absorb the power of the Sanctuary or something?' Molari said trying to diffuse the situation.
"Oh, right." Travis said, breaking off the argument (courtesy of Kim) and headed into the cave leading to the third sanctuary. Like the others, Travis descended a little slope and found himself confronting a rocky pillar in the middle of the small cavern. "Huh? Is this it?"

"Ha ha ha. No, young one." An aged, booming voice sounded from the pillar, so loud it made Travis jump. "I am the Sanctuary of Earth. For defeating the manifestation of your worst fears, I bestow my powers upon you. Take it. It's yours now."

"Uh, thank you." Travis said as he held up the Jewel and began absorbing the rock pillar. Once that was done, the Jewel glowed an indigo color and Travis headed back to the others.

Once Travis had returned they started to walk back to the entrance.

"I hope that storm is gone. It would be very troublesome to have to clear another path in it again." Makr said.

"That reminds me, you never said how it was possible for a burst of wind to carve a path in a storm." said Kim.

Travis returned to the others with the third Sanctuary with pride. Defeating his childhood fears does that to him. "Hey guys. I'm back."

"Good. When we get back, I'm going to take a nice hot shower." Kagome griped.

Keith ignored her. "So if the pattern keeps up, the next sanctuary should have the fire elemental."

"Oh, that's an easy one." Travis grinned. "The Legendary Duel."

"Oh yeah. That one. Everyone knows the Duel." Nick grinned. "And everyone knows where that duel took place."

Once Travis had returned they started to walk back to the entrance.

"I hope that storm is gone. It would be very troublesome to have to clear another path in it again." Makr said.

"That reminds me, you never said how it was possible for a burst of wind to carve a path in a storm." said Kim.
"The storm was extremely windy, so I just counteracted the wind with the one created by the Jewel itself. It did say I had the power over wind." Travis explained.

'That makes sense,' Molari said as they mounted the lizards and rode back towards civilization.

"Well then I guess our next destination is Mustafar." said Makr.

"Jeez, we're going to so many strange places I can't tell which clothes I should wear." Kim frowned.

'That makes sense,' Molari said as they mounted the lizards and rode back towards civilization.

"Well then I guess our next destination is Mustafar." said Makr.

"Jeez, we're going to so many strange places I can't tell which clothes I should wear." Kim frowned.
The dust storm has ended and the animals returned to normal, but one thing was still sticking around.

"Ugh. When we get offplanet, I want to get some new clothes at a stopover on our way to Mustafar." Travis wrinkled his nose as his lizard squawk-warbled in agreement.

Soon, they headed back to the main city of the Utapans and gave the lizards back to the pens before moving back to the ship.

After they entered the ship Molari keyed in the jump for Mustafar.

'Feel free to stop at a planet if you want to buy clothes that much.' Molari said before she quickly fell asleep.

Makr, Kim, and Raoul soon fell asleep too, leaving the other two groups to talk amongst themselves.

The kids decided to use their spare clothes and took turns in the very tiny shower to clean off dried snake gunk and then put on their fresh clothes, sending the dirty ones into the trash bin and then dozed off as well.

------

Unknown location

"My Lord," A young man with grey hair kneeled before his master. "The children are heading towards Mustafar."

"They are moving quickly." A shadowy figure frowned. "Too quickly. I order you to send a force and deal with them personally."

"Aye, my master." Jim Osbourne smirked coldly, a light flashing across his glasses as he walked away to carry out the orders. Soon, my little 'friend', I'll meet you again...

Suddenly, a beeping sound erupted from the cockpit, the signal to prepare for reversion to realspace. Travis and co awoke from their nap and Keith pulled back the lever to revert. Soon, a planet with what looks like long red scars appeared before them, hurtling through space between two gas giants. The gas giants were the cause of the planet being molten as tidal forces and strong magnetic fields worked over Mustafar like a gang on a weak kid. The ship slowly descended onto the planet, and sensors will note a slightly odd anomaly near it, but it could be a sensor ghost.

OOC: I knew he was up to no good!

IC: The rest of the gang woke up shortly after the signal.

'So, where did you guys go for new clothes?' Molari asked.

"I think they fell asleep too so they wanted to." Makr replied.

'Well, don't blame me if you start sweating alot.' Molari said.

Molari took the controls as they descended onto the molten planet. She noticed a small anomaly near the planet but she was still too sleepy to pay too much attention to it and dismissed it as an error. Working carefully, Molari guided the ship down to the surface of the planet.

OOC: Heh. Betrayal is a bitch, some say.

IC:
The ship descended onto a landing pad at one of the coolest parts of the planet. That wasn't saying much as the temperature hovered at 80 degrees or higher, and the only air conditioned part was a former Separatist base now turned into the headquarters of the local mining company.

"Now what?" Nick asked Travis as they headed through the base to the other side.

"We be careful. Swimming in lava is not my cup of tea." Travis smiled a little nervously. A hot wind blows through the area, caused by convection currents and Travis begins to follow the Jewel's prompting once more through a labrynth of potentially deadly footfalls.

OOC: If you get the chance, come on to MSN, Ageaol. We gotta plan this attack by Jim out.

"Oooh, that could've really hurt," Kim commented as the group hopped over one particularly large hole that could've sent them hurtling straight into a lava flow.

Makr started fanning himself with his hand. "Damn this infernal heat! I hate this planet already!"

'Also, the Enemy's forces could attack us at any second. This would be a good place for them to ambush us.' Molari warned.

"I'd welcome an ambush just to get my mind off the heat." Makr muttered as they continued walking through the labyrinth.

The path the kids took paralleled with a particularly large river of lava streaming downhill to a distant lava fall. Shielded robots and suited natives streak across the surface, collecting the rich minerals that makes Mustafar a worthwhile endeavour for the mining company despite the dangers. A few enemy lava fleas decided to try and make meals out of them, but changed their minds after a quick battle that left them nursing lost limbs. Soon, the kids came to a precipice where two lava rivers met together to create a larger one. On the other side of the river of lava was a cave, presumably the one holding the next Sanctuary...

'It appears we have almost reached our destination.' Molari said.

"I don't fancy falling into that by accident." Makr said looking at the lava river.

"Then just fly over it." Kim said. She was already halfway into a bird morph. The other three quickly followed and they flew over the river to the other side. They looked back towards the others.

"We don't have all day you know." Makr said.

"I hope one of them falls in." Kim whispered so the kids couldn't hear her.

"I wish I could do that..." Keith mumbled.

"You do realize that some of us don't have the ability to fly, right?" Travis yelled after them.

"Never mind them, Travis. Let's find a way to cross." Kagome said, looking around.

"What about those droid things?" Nick asked. There was a lot of droids skimming around the lava surface.

"You know that if we miss, we are melted apprentices." Travis pointed out.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Nick answered.

"I try." Travis replied with a smile. He turned his attention to the lava river. "Now how to get across without getting burnt..."

As it is, a large droid passed by, then a few more near that droid. "Grab those with the Force! We can jump them!"

"Right." The four kids coupled their telekinetic abilities and stopped the droids in their tracks to create makeshift jumping stones.

Travis bravely ran down, gathered the Force, and jumped to the closest one, followd by a second jump to the next, and so on. His friends followed him and then the droids started moving again. Once Nick was safely on the other side, they all headed to the fourth Sanctuary...

"Aww.. they made it across." Kim sighed.


"You do realize that some of us don't have the ability to fly, right?" Travis yelled after them.

'Actually, since you have power over wind, you might've been able to use the wind to make you and your friends fly or at least glide over the river. We should conduct some tests later to see the limit of your new powers. Molari said.

They all entered the Fourth Sanctuary.

Makr instantly started complaining that it got even hotter.

"That's because the cave walls are insulating the place you dolt. Now shut up.." Raoul reprimanded.

"Well, I didn't want to rely too much on my Jewel." Travis explained. "Master always said to use my head as much as I use my powers."

They were led through the hot cave to yet another large room with a bubbling pool of lava and the inner cave at the edge of the pool. The Jewel glowed, letting Travis know that this was the place. "This is it."

"Alright. Be careful now..." Keith said. But no sooner had he said it than a large creature pulled itself out of the lava, growling at the kids.

The creature was a large dog, about as tall as a grown man at the shoulders. But it wasn't any ordinary dog, for it had three heads and a thick tail, and it was all black with a shiny coat. And because it just came out of the lava, energy weapons won't be quite as effective as on other enemies...

"The legendary Cerberus..." Keith breathed.

"Am I the only one sensing a pattern here?" Travis backed up. Nice doggy...

"You mean the mythological creatures popping up?" Kagome ducked a sizzling fireball tossed by one of the dog's heads.

"Yeah. That." Nick answered.

"Well, shit. I wonder what's next, a hydra?" Travis grumbled as he jumped back from a close snap of the dog's sharp teeth.

"Let's concentrate on this guy, first..." Nick said, pulling out his blasters and shooting at him. The Cerberus growled a bit as the shots bounced off him, but seemed to chuckle. "Damn! No effect!"

The dog advanced...

"I hope we don't have to meet a hydra." Makr shuddered.

Molari fired her own shot which bounced off the Cerberus's coat. 'My guess is that the lava still covering its body is helping deflect the energy shots.

"Well my needles should still hurt it." Kim said as she lept over a fireball. In midair, she quickly launched six needles. One for each eye.

Meanwhile, Makr, Raoul, and Molari were all attempting to get close enough to attack it with their close range weapons but were having a very difficult time with the three heads and tail guarding the body.

A full half of the dogs' eyes were hit by the needles, giving the chance for Keith and Kagome to bash the heads with their staffs. Nick and Travis nodded to each other, and then moved to jump over the dog's heads, their teeth just inches from their heads as they flipped onto the back of the Cerberus. Between the dog trying to shake them off and the poisoned tail lashing out at them, it was tough trying to fight the three-headed dog. Travis dueled with the tail, striking it several times before his lightsaber locked with the tail and with all his might, he managed to sever the tail. The Cerberus howled in agony and shook violently, throwing Travis off. He skidded to a stop at the edge of the lava pool, close enough that a pebble was pushed off and melted with a hiss.

"That was close..." Travis breathed as he twirled his lightsaber and ran to help Nick.

Nick slashed at the third dog's neck, burning through the spine before the other two registered the pain and also tossed the boy off. Travis slashed at the other side's head and also killed it before dodging the central head's bone-snapping crunch.

And then there was one...

Raoul finally saw his chance. He suddenly leapt forward and landed on the Cerberus's final head when it was distracted. All of the Cerberus's attention instantly fell on Raoul. The dog instantly began a series of shakes and swipes to try and knock him off. Raoul barely held on. He drew his staff weapon and launched a powerful strike at the neck.

CRACK!!!

The attack had snapped the spinal cord in the neck area, instantly killing the final head. The head hung limply and Raoul jumped off the Cerberus. With no head to control it, the body collapsed onto the floor with a loud crash.

"It's dead." Raoul said as he wiped some sweat from his forehead.

Kim then walked over and knelt by the poisoned tail.

"Um.. what are you doing?" Makr asked tentatively.

"Making sure that some of this stuff doesn't go to waste." Kim replied. She pulled out a small bottle and a dropper. She placed the dropper on the tail where it instantly began absorbing all the poison. She then poured the poison into the bottle and corked it. She placed the bottle in her pocket.

'That's actually not a bad idea.' Molari said. She walked to the body of the Cerberus itself. There she carefully removed the claws and teeth.

'This thing has terrible breath even when dead.' She complained. She quicky moved away from the heads and headed towards the chest of the Cerberus. She sliced off some of its coat and wrapped the items in it. She then put everything in her pack.

Makr looked at Travis. "Hurry up and get the Sanctuary so we can get off this godforsaken planet." he said.

"Right." Travis headed into the fourth Sanctuary. Inside, it was so hot that Travis' hair began to crisp and he had to use a large amount of Water and Wind to keep down the temperature around him with ice. Then, in the center of a pool of lava, stood a huge bonfire. It opened its eyes and snorted with disdain at the boy.

"Oh. It's you. So you made it. Feh. Scrawny little brat." The Fire elemental haughtily snorted.

"I am not scrawny!" Travis yelled. "I'm here to seek your aid, so shut up!"

"My aid? Hah! Give me one good reason why I should help you?" Firey snickered.

"Ohh, so you want a reason?" Travis asked, pulling off his Jewel and holding it out in front of him. "You see this? The Shukumei no Tama. I hold it in my hands now. And if that doesn't faze you, I grabbed the Water Element. So if you don't help me out, I'm going to soak you down until you do."

The Fire elemental stared at the boy and a short stare-down occured, then he laughed out loud, sending embers into the boy's face.

"What's so funny?" Travis asked indigantly.

"You've got spunk, kid. All right. I made my decision. I'm coming." The fire elemental said to Travis' delight. "Right then. Off we go."

Travis absorbed the Fire elemental and the Jewel glowed red for a moment, joining orange, blue and indigo in an X fashion. He smirked. "Four down and four to go."

He headed back to his friends, glad to get out of the hot cave. "Got it!"

"Finally! Let's get out of here now. I think I'm starting to melt." Makr said.

The others laughed at this statement.

"No really! I'm serious!" Makr replied and showed them some goo on the ground. Upon closer inspection it appeared to be a part of his left leg.

A short silence followed.

'How disgusting....' Molari finally managed to say.

They left the cave and the dead body of the Cerberus and headed back towards the ship.

"So what's next? We've already gone through the four elements." Kim asked.

"I dunno. I guess it's just up to the Jewel and my Force skills to...hey, look." Travis noticed something descending from the sky.

As they neared the Andalite fighter, two spaceships began swooping down on it and opened fire with red spears of light. The spaceships would look familiar to the Andalites, for they were shaped somewhat like cockroaches with serrated spears for attennae, which happen to be their Dracon Beams.

Yes, Mr. Andalite...they have returned with a vengeance.

Bug fighters of the Yeerk Empire...

"What the hell?" The kids exclaimed as they attacked.

"Hmmm... what are those? They seem to be very familiar..." Kim said.

Molari looked up. 'Yeerk Bug Fighters! So the Yeerks have joined sides with the Enemy.'

"And they're destroying our ship. How nice of them." Makr said.

They were helpless to do anything to prevent the attack and before long there was almost nothing left of the Andalite ship.

'My ship... My poor poor ship... My poor beautiful ship....' Molari said woefully.

"Snap out of it!" Kim said.

'Ship..... Gone... Destroyed.....' Molari replied.

"Well he's out of it." Raoul said. "Hopefully those Bug Fighters will leave before they decide we'd make better target practice."

"Hmmm... what are those? They seem to be very familiar..." Kim said.

Molari looked up. 'Yeerk Bug Fighters! So the Yeerks have joined sides with the Enemy.'

"And they're destroying our ship. How nice of them." Makr said.

They were helpless to do anything to prevent the attack and before long there was almost nothing left of the Andalite ship.

'My ship... My poor poor ship... My poor beautiful ship....' Molari said woefully.

"Snap out of it!" Kim said.

'Ship..... Gone... Destroyed.....' Molari replied.

"Well he's out of it." Raoul said. "Hopefully those Bug Fighters will leave before they decide we'd make better target practice."
"The Yeerks?" Travis asked. Obviously, he hasn't studied them.

"Parasitic slugs that go into your brains and control your entire body. You slept through the lesson, didn't you?" Keith asked.

"But it was boring, and I never thought I'd see those things!" Travis managed to reply.

"Dunce!" Kagome yelled as she smacked him. "Expect the unexpected!"

"Don't look now, but they're coming around for another pass." Nick yelped.

The kids jumped out of the way of Dracon fire as the Bug fighters made another pass, narrowly missing them. Then a larger ship decloaked overhead, sending embers flying around as retrorepulsars allowed it to hover over them. It looked something like a battle-axe, with the axe end as the engines and wings of sorts, followed by a 'handle' and the bridge was at the front where the pommel would be. A Blade Ship...

Enemies began dropping down around the kids, trapping them in all directions. Some of them were the black imps first seen at Utapau (think Heartless), the scouts/light troopers of the Enemy. Some of them were seven feet tall and to Travis, looked like walking Cusinart prehistoric tree-walking birds. Hork-Bajir, shock troops of the Yeerks. And yet more were battle droids of the 'roger-roger' variety. And one final person descended lightly using his dark powers. Clad in black garb with a cloak and mask over his face, he appeared to be their leader.

The kids moved into a defense stance back-to-back so they could cover each other, lightsabers, staffs and pistols out ready to fight.

"Ha ha ha!" The leader laughed as he eyed Travis. "So you are the boy who gives my Master so much trouble."

"Who are you?" Travis asked, lightsaber pointing at him.

"Just call me...Kurou." The leader -Kurou- said. Then he pointed at him. "The Jewel, if you please."

"Why does everyone want this thing when they know full well that no means no!" Travis shouted, sweeping his arms in an X. "If you want this, you'll have to get it!"

A volcano rumbled in the distance as Kurou grew angry. "Very well, boy, so be it. I'll pry that thing from your cold, dead hands if I must."

The enemies drew weapons and/or went into stances. The kids prepared to defend themselves to the end...

"Kill them." Kurou ordered coldly.

And then...all hell broke loose.

OOC: And yes. Kurou is Jim, but he won't be revealing himself until later.

"Hurry up and snap out of it!" Kim yelled at Molari and then hit her on the head.

'Wha? Where am I?' She looked up. 'Ahhh! A Blade Ship!'

Makr was carefully examining Kurou. He smells familiar... Makr thought but before he could try and identify the scent the group was surrounded.

"Oh crap." They said in unison.

They quickly drew out staff, saber, and needle.

Molari took out two Dracon Beams but also attached something that looked like a cylinder to the barrel.

"Hey, what's that? I've never seen it before." Raoul said intrigued.

'It's a special attachment that modifies the blast into a viral form that can be preprogrammed to kill only certain creatures no matter what it hits. In this case, it's designed to kill the Yeerks inhabiting the brains of the Hork-Bajir.' She explained.

Then the attack began.

Makr took a Shien stance. As the enemy approached he launched into action, ruthlessly killing anyone in his range.

Kim was not quite as indifferent as Makr, and only incapacitated the Hork-Bajir because they were unwilling slaves. However, one would also find some imps with large dents in their bodies and even some that had their heads smashed into their necks. Such was the power of an angry medic-nin.

Raoul carefully shot at the enemies with his staff weapon, taking down as many as he could as they approached. When they were close to him he then began to use the weapon to knock them out with a clean blow on the head.

Molari was a whirlwind of carnage. The arrival of the Yeerks had caused her to go berserk. She was leaping through the enemy ranks, knocking out the Hork-Bajir and then killing the Yeerks inside their head, while also slicing through the heads of any imps that stood near her.

Keith lashed out with skilful blows of his staff, and when that didn't work due to the Hork-Bajir slicing it, he fell back to his lightsaber. Kagome did the same, but utilized shuriken and kunai more often. Nick's blasters chattered away, sending imps and battle droids to their doom with shots of red laser energy. And Travis? His lightsaber deflected Dracon beam energy and then he moved to attack with a mix of basic Form I and taijutsu, dishing damage to the enemies, while he tried to fight his way to Kurou. However, the battle droids and imps repulsed the boy with blaster shots and lunges of sharp claws and he got no nearer to the leader until...

"Psybolt!" He called out. The Jewel reacted to his orders, but instead of a white beam, a multicolored blast of psychokinetic energy shot out through the enemy ranks, blasting them aside, some of them falling to their doom. Kurou cursed and jumped out of the way as the energy zipped just past him to impact a distant wall.

This boy...he's stronger than ever... Kurou growled. I must find a way to...yes...

With his powers, he picked up hot rocks and hurled them at Travis to distract him. The boy ducked and sliced the rocks, and then got distracted by a fast Hork-Bajir who surprisingly dodged most of the blows and managed to execute shallow cuts with his blades. Then Travis dealt a blow that cut off the Hork-Bajir's knees, before going for the chest.

Kurou then smirked as he scanned the battle, and with a speed as great as anyone with a mastery of the dark arts, struck at Kagome with blows of a surprisingly green lightsaber blade. The girl tried to defend herself from the onslaught of the older man, but he was just too fast and strong, and knocked away her lightsaber, then grabbed her.

"H-help!" Kagome screamed as the dark leader began to drag her away.

"Kagome! Get out of my way, you bastards!" Travis yelled, slashing at enemies left and right, desperate to reach his friend. The other boys also fought their way towards Kurou and his prey, but the enemies fought a tough rearguard action to protect their leader.

OOC: I'd suggest you pick a char to get kidnapped as well, but it's ok if you don't.

Whether or not another member of the group was kidnapped, Kurou laughed darkly. "If you ever want to see your friend(s) again, you'd best bring the Jewel along with you to this location." A datachip was hurled in the general direction of the kids and Travis grabbed it, fury on his face. "Whoops, I forgot to tell you, it's encrypted, so you'll have no less than three days to figure out where to go, or your friend(s) will become one of them." He jerked a thumb at one of the Hork-Bajir, then laughed again. "Bye, bye!"

"No!" Travis yelled, but the Blade ship dipped very low, enough for Kurou to use a familiar jutsu to fade in and out with black smoke with his catch and most of his army. Travis and co ran after them futilely, but the slipstream of the Blade ship blew the boys backwards and Keith had to grab Travis before he went over the side down to a distant lava stream. Then the Blade ship and the two Bug fighters disappeared into space. A small number of troops were left, mostly imps and battle droids, but an angry Force shove from Travis sent them packing. "Damn it!"

"Damn those bastards." Kim said.

"Don't worry, we'll get her back. Molari's good with this sort of thing. She'll be able to decode the datachip." Raoul consoled the younger boys.

They looked around. "Where'd Molari go?" Makr inquired.

"Looks like Kurou took her too." Raoul said. "I swear I'm going to kill him the next time we meet."

Meanwhile, on the Blade Ship...

Molari woke up slowly. Where am i? Oh wait... I got captured and I'm on the Blade Ship.

Flashback

As the enemy retreated with Kagome, Molari had charged foolishly into the enemy lines. Before she knew what had happened she had been surrounded by Hork-Bajir Controllers and knocked out.

End Flashback

Molari sighed mentally. I really got to stop doing things like that. She then tried examining her surroundings. She noticed a group of Hork-Bajir Controllers examining her.

"She awake?" One said in a guttural voice.

"Knock her out. Orders say no waking for Hruthin." responded another.

Molari felt the cold blade knock against her head before she was sent back to unconsciousness.

Back on the ground....

"Well, this sucks." Kim said. "So, any of you good with technology?"

"No, none of us are really that savvy..." Keith answered. But then he perked up. "But I think I know who could decode that thing in record time!"

"You mean Cousin Brianna?" Travis asked. Somewhere in space, a high-pitched angry shriek occurred and a wrench flew out of nowhere to smack Travis on the head (@_@). "Owww! How the hell does she do that?"

"Who knows what goes on when my sister's concerned." Keith shrugged. "Anyway, I guess we can call home and have them pick us up."

"Good idea, plus I need to get my friend Jeremy to let me pack more heat." Nick answered. "These little blasters aren't going to cut it from here on in."

"All right." Travis said, pulling out a pager-like object that doubles as a GPS (Galactic Positioning System), holophone, and even a TV tuned to HNN for the latest news. Dialing Jurai, he tried to burn through the atmosphere on Mustafar to reach a hypertranciever relay. "Calling Jurai, this is Team Seven, repeat, Team Seven with an urgent request."

Static crackled, and then the communciations center of the Jedi Temple was barely able to reach the little device. "Jedi...here...what...is...situation? Damn...atic!"

"I need a transport to get off Mustafar, stat." Travis answered.

"...what? ...ransport? Musta...*static*...barely understand..." The comms Jedi answered.

"Transport, Mustafar, now!" Travis answered.

"Very...we'll get...one hour, k?" The staticly voice tried to acknowledge.

"Yeah." Travis nodded vigorously, then static ended the call and Travis closed it down. "Looks like we'll have a ship coming in an hour."

"Will this Brianna really be able to help?" Raoul said doubtfully.

"Even if she doesn't, I still want to visit her. I've got to learn how to do that." Kim added excitedly as she watched the wrench hit Travis in the head.


"Good idea, plus I need to get my friend Jeremy to let me pack more heat." Nick answered. "These little blasters aren't going to cut it from here on in."

"Maybe you guys should get a better transmitter while you're at it." Makr suggested as Travis completed his staticky call.

"One hour? That's good. Now let me see that datachip." Kim said. She grabbed the datachip from Travis and loaded it on her handheld computer.

In the background she heard someone mutter. "What a waste of time."

She stared at it for about two minutes before handing it back to Travis.

"Maybe we should wait until we meet the experts." She said sheepishly.

"I knew it was a bad idea. You barely know binary! How could you expect to have a chance of decoding ANYTHING at all!" Makr laughed.

Travis just chuckled as the chip was handed back to him.

After an hour of waiting at the mining company's headquarters to keep cool, a ship descended onto a platform nearby.

"Hey, there's our ride!" Keith said and the kids ran out to the platform. Recognition dawned on his face. "I know this ship, it's the Much Ado About Nothing!"

"Dad's ship?" Travis was suddenly excited. "Oh yeah! Dad!"

The door opened, and a young eleven year old kid tackled a thirty-one year old Jedi Master (though looks a decade younger) in glee. "Hey Dad!"

"Hey kid." Daniel smirked. "I hear you got into quite the adventure these days."

"Yeah, we have lots to talk about." Travis grinned. "But first, let's get off this molten rock, I'm melting!"

"Right." His father waved for everyone to come in the ship, and then he ordered his elder apprentice Chris to take off once everyone was safely inside.

"Much Ado About Nothing? What an interesting name for a ship." Kim muttered.

"Hey, just be glad we're getting off this planet." Makr said.

They gratefully boarded the ship.

Kim turned towards Daniel. "Thank you for picking us up from that planet sir."

"Heh. Any friends of Travis is welcome aboard." Daniel chuckled. Then he noticed someone missing out of Travis' Team. "Uh, son? There seems to be..."

"Kidnapped." Travis said curtly.

"Oh." Daniel grew serious. "Well, let's not waste time. To Jurai!"

The ship then had a bluish glow appear around the engines, the glow absorbed into the engines, and the ship lept into hyperspace.

http://www.sadgeezer.com/html/modules/My_eGallery/gallery/news/valk1.jpg

-----

One hour later, the Much Ado reverted to realspace over Jurai and it swiftly descended onto the Jedi Temple spaceport. The Jedi Temple is carved into the mountains, making it a very defensible place as well as having a plain with a large town growing up around it. Jedi families and all.

"So then we gave that bad dog a good spanking and I got the Fire elemental!" Travis was talking, telling his dad all about his adventures to this date. "See?"

Travis showed his father the Jewel, and it glowed nicely with the elements gathered already.

"Very nice. The four elements gathered." Daniel said. "And you say there's four more?"

"Yeah. I wonder what they could be." Travis said.

"Heh." Daniel smirked, and sent a small static shock up Travis' back.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Just a hint." Dad shrugged innocently.

"The lightning element? Cooool!" Travis grinned, his hair sticking up from the static.

"Yeah, I have a hunch that's going to be one of them. But now, let's get that little chip to your cousin." Daniel said as he landed the ship softly on a Reserved parking lot. The Jedi Master ushered everyone out and then lead them inside the Temple to a large room with lots of cyberspace-related items inside. Brianna's room. Daniel made an excuse and left the room.

"Rina!" Travis called. "I need your help, cuz!"

"Over here!" A fifteen year old voice called, and to their far left, a brown haired girl with a pair of glasses around her blue eyes was at work building something or other. Tools and materials were strewn all over the place.

"What are you building, sis?" Keith asked.

"Oh, a Shield-Piercer Missile." She answered with a slight grin, showing them a bazooka-sized missile that looked oddly like a squid of some sort. "I've been trying to work on a way to pierce shields in order to hit the enemy inside them. If I ever get this to work, nobody with shields will be safe anymore!" She boasted.

Travis nodded as if in understanding. "Hate to break you away from your work, but do you think you can help me with this?" He held up the datachip.

She gasped and grabbed the chip to Travis' protest. "Oh my. This is an Imperial-grade Quantum Encryption Chip! What intricate design! What engineering! I've been wanting one of these for a long time!"

"Can you decrypt it?" Travis asked.

"Oh...hmm..." Brianna seemed to be deep in thought. "Yes, I can!"

"Great! When can we get results!" Travis asked. "Please tell me it's a couple of hours."

"A day, and that's assuming it won't blow up on me in the process or something." She answered.

Travis groaned. "Kagome and a friend named Molari's in deep trouble. That thing is our only hope of finding them!"

Brianna nodded. "I'll see what I can do, but I can't promise anything before tomorrow."

That means about two days to go. Keith thought-spoke to Travis, who nodded.

"All right. We can wait." Travis sighed.

"Yeah. We'd need to stock up on new shuriken and kunai. Plus I need to upgrade my blasters." Nick said.

"And I need a sturdier staff." Keith added. "My old one broke during that last battle."

"What about building a dual-bladed lightsaber?" Travis suggested.

"I'll think about it, but the time to build one is too long for now." Keith said. "Should be something in the Temple shops in the meantime..."

"Ah. I'll come with you. I'm thinking of getting a few things too..." Travis said as the boys headed out of Brianna's room to let her decrypt the chip in peace.

"The lightning element? Cooool!" Travis grinned, his hair sticking up from the static.

"Obviously lightning. Don't ninjas uses Raiton jutsus that fall under the category of elemental jutsu?" Kim muttered.

Makr chuckled and said, "Hey, you forgot about that too."

They followed the group into Brianna's messy room.

"A Shield-Piercer Missile... Molari would like this girl a lot." Raoul observed.

"No kidding, I probably won't even remember that this thing's called an Imperial-grade Quantum Encryption Chip by tomorrow. I shudder to think of what would happen if these two were to meet up." Kim said.

They thanked Brianna for agreeing to help and left the room.

"A store? Hmm. I could do with some better firepower too." Raoul admitted.

"Then let's go shopping!" Kim said excitedly.

"Better weapons will probably prove very useful." Makr replied and followed the group.

Travis and company came to the shops section of the Temple and read the sign on one of them.

Have you been stomped on by stormtroopers, beaten by Mandalorians, crushed by Sith and skewered by demons? If so, you've come to the right place! Welcome to the Temple One Stop Weapons Shop, guaranteed to have your favorite weapons in stock!
We also sell defensive items. Please inquire within for details and locations of branches around the galaxy. If you're looking for potions and elixirs, see next door.

Next door was the Items Shop.

Once they stepped inside, they were met by an apprentice named Kohaku (Yes, that one, with the sickle-and-chain weapon) standing in a counter and several service droids wandering about.

"Hi there. Welcome to the Toswus (TOSWS)! How may I help you?" Kohaku smiled.

"I'm first. I would like two shuriken packs (25 credits each), two kunai packs (25 each), two packs of exploding marbles (50 each), two packs of exploding notes (50 each), and a vibrodagger (150)." Travis said. The vibrodagger is for if he loses his lightsaber.

"All right. That'll come to 450 credits plus tax." Kohaku rang up the order and a service droid brought the items to the counter.

"Right." Travis pulled out his ID card and swiped it through the reader. A happy face with a *ding* appeared as the sale was approved. "Thanks!"

"You're welcome. Next." Kohaku said.

"Alright. I want a pair of DL-45 heavy blasters (750 each) to replace these DH-17s (500 each)." Nick came up. The DL-45 is the upgraded version of the famous DL-44, with a better power pack for the same buck, bringing up the number of rounds to 50 instead of 25.

"Alright. Selling is half-price, so that's 250 each for the '17s. Meaning you'll only get to pay 1000 for the blasters. Plus tax."

"Alright." Nick said, paying up and recieving his weapons plus two standard reload packs for each blaster.

"Anything else?"

"Three packs of exploding marbles." Nick said, peeling off 150 credits. He recieved the goods and then it was Keith's turn.

"I need a new staff. What kinds do you stock?" Keith asked.

"We have the Force-enhanced wooden types (200). Then there's the telescoping electrostaff (1550) made from phrik alloy. And there's also a vibro-staff model (350). That's just a sample." Kohaku ticked off some staffs.

"I'll take the electrostaff and the same as Travis." Keith said.

"That'll be 2000 credits plus tax, then." Kohaku said as the droid picked off the weapons for Keith. Keith paid for it and strapped the staff to his back.

"Next." Kohaku smiled.

OOC: What in the world is Kohaku doing selling weapons on Jurai?

After they read the sign they entered the store. Raoul and Makr started browsing. Kim immediately went next door to examine their wares.

After the kids had finished their purchases, Raoul ordered. "I'd like to purchase one Imperial Heavy Repeater (1200) as well as a Stouker Concussion Rifle (1400)."

"Very well. Your total is 2600 credits plus tax." Kohaku replied. Raoul payed and retrieved the weapons from the service droids. He then slung them on his back.

Then it was Makr's turn. "I guess I'll take a vibrosword (550)." He payed for the weapon.

It was at this time that Kim returned, with a bag of supplies in her hand. She examined the weapons and said. "I'll take 4 packs of steel needles (25 each). Oh and I also want this stun baton (100) here."

"Alright, your total will be 200 credits plus tax." Kim payed for the items and put them in her bag.

"Have a nice day, and please come again!" Kohaku called after them as they left.

"So what's in the bag?" Makr inquired as the exited the TOSWS.

"Oh just some medical supplies, you wouldn't believe how incompetent and greedy the apothecaries are here. They were charging outrageous prices for something that wouldn't even heal you properly." Kim replied.

OOC: He just kinda wandered in and was given a home. Turns out that he's gotten some abilities of his own and is currently being trained.

IC:
As soon as everyone has gotten their weapons and items (Travis went next door to stock up on healing potions), the guests were shown some empty rooms as night fell.

----

All through the night, Rina Masaki worked hard on the quantum chip. At 5:00 in the morning, she finally discovered the secret. She then headed to bed so she can sleep.

----

At about 11:00 am, Travis and company woke up and had breakfast, then headed to Rina's room to find out if she's discovered the secret.

"Rina? You awake?" Travis asked. A snoring sound could be heard in the only relatively clean spot of the room. Rina was sound asleep.

"Jeez." Pouring a glass of water, Travis dumped it on her face.

"Wah! Flood!" Rina suddenly got up upon being drowned. "Oh. Good morning, cousin."

"Morning. Did you find anything?" Travis asked.

"Oh yeah." She wiped herself with a towel and put on her glasses (don't ask her why she uses glasses when medical tech can fix eyesight. call it a fashion statement). "Come here."

Wandering over to one of the many computers in the room, Rina booted up the OS and got to where she decrypted the quantum chip. "It's a location. The system is known as Jabiim."

"Thanks, cousin! What's the planet like?" Travis grinned.

"No prob." Rina opened a holomap of the galaxy and searched Jabiim. A planet covered mostly with clouds with a few splotches of green, mostly brown and a small amount of blue was seen. "Jabiim, a world deluged by year-long rains and massive thunderstorms, it was the site of a famous Clone Wars battle where many Jedi were killed, leaving their padawans to carry on the fight. Forty days of rain, mud and slog, and all but Anakin Skywalker were killed, and subsequently evacuated on the orders of then-Supreme Chancellor Palpatine."

"Now that was one history lesson I could never forget." Keith said quietly. "Looks like we have another trip to take. Thanks, Rina!"

"Anytime!" Rina smirked.

Travis headed down to his father's office. On the door, it was labeled "Office of the Supreme Commander of the Interstellar Defense Force". And that's exactly what his father is, the highest military authority in all of Coreworlds. The boy knocked on the door. "Dad?"

"Come in, kid." Daniel said, looking up from his paperwork. "What can I do for you?"

"Need a transport to Jabiim. We believe that's where the leader Kurou has taken our friend." Travis said.

"Jabiim? You realize that they have long hated the Jedi for abandoning them during the Clone Wars." Daniel said warningly. "You're as likely to get shot by 'accident' as to get dirty looks."

"I know. But I don't care! Kagome's in trouble and I need to find her!" Travis yelled. "Come hell or high water, I'm going to save her!"

Heh. You'll probably have to go through hell then... Daniel smiled at his son's determination. "All right. I'll book you on a cargo transport like so..." The Jedi Master typed something on his computer. "However, you won't be able to contact Jurai once within the atmosphere. Electrical interference is very high, and you'll get only static."

"So we're on our own." Travis nodded. "All right. When do we leave?"

Six tickets spat out of a fax connected to the computer. "Now." Dad smirked. "Or more correctly, half an hour."

"Jeez. Why does that always have to happen!" Nick grumbled as the kids grabbed their tickets and ran for the spaceport to the terminal.

Hmm. I think it's nearly time... Daniel Masaki thought. He looked down at his paperwork, decided to delegate it to various senior apprentices and junior military officers and headed out of his office to the meditation rooms.

"Jabiim eh? That damn Kurou must have brought them there just so we'd have a hard time even walking on the planet. Oh well. Thank you for all your help Brianna." Kim said as they left.

"Jabiim... definitely not a friendly place towards those kids." Makr said pointing to the three boys. "And they'll probably do something to us as well just because we're in their company."

"Don't be scared! We need to rescuse Molari!" Kim growled at Makr and gave him a small shove that sent him flying. "Oh yeah, and Kagome too." she added afterwards.

Six tickets spat out of a fax connected to the computer. "Now." Dad smirked. "Or more correctly, half an hour."

"What!" they all shouted in unison. They quickly grabbed their tickets and ran towards the spaceport as if chased by the Devil itself.

"That baka. No consideration at all." Kim muttered angrily and then added a few choice swear words all directed at the Supreme Commander of the Interstellar Defense Force who would probably kill her if he heard her.

Travis and company barely managed to reach the transport and it shortly took off and headed into hyperspace.

-----

Meanwhile, on Jabiim...

Rain pitter-patters the muddy ground in seeming eternity, coupled with the crashing of constant thunder and lightning in the sky. Under this infinite deluge of water, life goes on, though ecking out a living here is extremely tough.

Nevertheless, a contiguent of Giyga's forces, including his allies the Yeerks, a company of droid troops, black imp grunts, and the leader Kurou have all erected a base here, most ominously to trap the young heros of Team Seven and their allies. And the bait was the two friends, Kagome and Molari, unceremionously dragged through the mud to a Yeerk Pool hidden in the only entity that could be considered a city on Jabiim: Hyrane.

To await the arrival of the youngsters, Kurou had the girls thrown into a cell with several other persons to await infestation by the Yeerks, given only enough nutrition to last until infestation, with weapons confiscated of course. There's even an anti-morphing device trained on Molari to prevent escapes.

"Crap..." Kagome cursed quietly as she curled up at a corner in the cell. "How the hell did I end up like this? It's so cliche, a girl being rescued by her 'knight in shining armor'. On the other hand, he is my best friend, so that's a moot statement. *sigh* I hope he comes soon..."

----

Two hours later, the cargo transport carrying Travis and company landed safely at Hyrane, and almost as soon as they got out, they were drenched by rain, rain and more rain.

"You know, somehow I think the omnipotents of the universe are laughing at me right now." Travis said sullenly as rain splattered on his head, turning his hair into a wet mop running over his eyes. And the only reason he or his friends weren't slipping on the mud was because they've recieved water-walking training in the early days of their training.

"You aren't the only one." Keith nodded. "So where do we start?"

"I sense a darkness here." Nick said, frowning. "There's something weird about."

"Yeah. The Jewel's glowing a bit too. Think there's a Sanctuary nearby." Travis said, putting his Jewel under his shirt so as to not attract scum and villainy.

As they walked through town, dirty looks were all over the place and they had to Henge their weapons away to keep from raising alarms. But still, dirty looks abounded, mainly due to mistrust of outsiders, however youthful.

As the boys (and one girl) continued down the road, they were met by an old friend...Jim!

"Hey guys." Jim smiled despite the rain. "Surprised to see you here!"

How does he do that? Something's up... Travis thought. "Yeah. I thought you were at Naboo?"

"Heh. I've been transferred here. There's something weird around here and I aim to investigate it, again." Jim explained.

"Yeah. We felt it too." Keith said. Something about him...can't place it.

"You know, come to think of it, I thought I saw something a little odd. In one of the bars at the northwest corner of the city, I saw people going in, but they don't come out, or different people come out instead." Jim said.

"That's weird." Travis said. Hmm...sounds like Yeerk activity, from what I read last night before going to bed...

"And worth investigating." Keith said. "Why don't you lead us?"

"Excellent." Jim said oddly. "Follow me."

The kids followed their friend, beginning to feel suspicious of Jim, although what occurred next will shake them to their very foundations...

OOC: !!! I've tried posting this thing three times now and it never works! It better work this time!

IC: Molari groaned. She had been dragged through the mud and rain and then thrown into a dark cell with barely any food. The worst part of it all was, they had tied up her tailblade!

Five minutes after she had been thrown in the cell, she tried to quickly morph into a rat and escape. One second later, the anti-morphing device reacted and sent Molari to her original form. Two seconds after that, three blaster bolts were fired and hit her on the side. That destroyed any thought of her trying to morph again.

Unable to escape, and unable to commit suicide, she was forced to stay in the corner and think how stupid she was that she was going to become another Abomination.

-----

The rest of the gang was walking through the pouring rain after being dropped onto the planet. Their thoughts could be summed up in three short but meaningful words.

"This planet sucks."

Kim was uselessly trying to block the rain from hitting her head with her arms when Jim showed up. "Hey Jim! Fancy meeting you here!"

Why do we keep bumping into him? How suspicious. Raoul thought.

Jeez, him again? He must be stalking us or something. passed through Makr's mind.

"You know, come to think of it, I thought I saw something a little odd. In one of the bars at the northwest corner of the city, I saw people going in, but they don't come out, or different people come out instead." Jim said.

"That sounds very suspicious. Let's go check it out." Kim said.

Must be Yeerks. ran through all their heads simultaneously.

They followed Jim towards the bar but were cautious if Jim would betray them and lead them into a trap.

Jim led the kids to the bar on the northwest corner, a bar known as the Great Floods, a fitting name considering the rain. As they entered the bar, the atmosphere was familiar to all who frequent such places, dim lights and smoke from cigarettes permeating the area.

"Well, here we are. The bar." Jim smiled. "From what I understand, the people have entered there." He pointed to the employee room, near the restrooms. "But they don't leave. Ever."

A subtle change seemed to come over Jim, and he looked back at his 'friends' with a smirk that grew dark as the nights. Travis felt the change first, curling his hand around his lightsaber. "Jim? Is there something wrong."

Jim chuckled. "Oh, nothing's wrong. At least not with me. You, on the other hand..."

Patrons started getting up from their seats, chuckling like goons. Travis and company stepped back. Travis himself grew angry, for he realized just what's happening. "Jim...you traitor..." He hissed.

"Traitor's such a strong word. I prefer the term...realist." Jim smirked. "I'm sorry, Travis. I wish it were otherwise."

"Bastard!" Travis yelled furiously. "Wait til I get my hands on you!"

"That won't be necessary." Jim/Kurou smiled coldly and motioned for his goons to move in on them. "After all, you'll be dead once we're through with you and your foolish friends."

"We'll see about that..." Travis said. With a sudden movement, two guys were clutching their throats from quickly-thrown shuriken, then the kids struck. Travis lashed out with furious slices of his lightsaber. Keith pulled out his electrostaff and ignited it, the purple ends shock-smacking whoever comes near. And Nick was shooting bolts that put big holes in the chests of patrons. And as they fought, Jim moved towards the employee rooms.

"Damn it! He's getting away!" Travis yelled. Without a second thought, he jumped and kicked a goon out of his way and slashed his way through the crowds in pursuit, leaving his friends to fight them. As he neared the swinging-doors, two battle droids sent blaster bolts after him and he reflected them back, sending one to the scrap yard and the other was TKed to a wall. And then the boy entered the room...

"Damn that Jim." Kim cursed as she backed away.

"Of course! Jim smells like Kurou!" Makr finally realized.

"Is that so?" Raoul said. "He's not going to survive for very long then."

They quickly drew out their weapons as people surrounded them. Raoul drew his new Heavy Repeater and proceeded to blasting large amounts of the enemy in one pass. Kim took out her anger at being betrayed by slamming people into roofs and through the walls. Makr ignited his lightsaber and whirled through the enemy, slicing anyone who dared oppose him.

Makr spotted Travis chasing Jim. "Damn that kid, he's probably going to get himself kiled."

Kim had managed to find herself fighting right alongside Makr at this point. "Well, we can't help. There are too many enemies blocking our way. He's on his own for now." She replied.

OOC: Hope you had a Merry Christmas!

OOC: I hope you did too!

IC:
Jim telekinetically tossed random objects, knives and chairs at the boy chasing after him, but Travis either TKed them aside or used his kunai and lightsaber to bat them away. With an evil smirk, Jim turned around at the entrance to the Yeerk Pool and ignited his green lightsaber blade. Travis slowed down and maneuvered into a stance, then attacked furiously. Jim shifted back, deflecting the blows and slowly lured the young apprentice down to the Pool itself, where the evil leader would execute his plan to defeat Travis.

Down the ramp they dueled, nicking wounds and executing close calls on each other, but it was increasingly clear that due to Jim's greater strength and experience, he was merely toying with the boy, luring him to a position from where he could execute the finishing blows.

Meanwhile, Keith and Nick finished dealing with the goons in the bar and rushed in the employee room to help Travis. They noticed the inner door leading to the Yeerk Pool and headed down there, only to go through a series of unfortunate slaves of the Yeerks on their way to Travis. When they got to the Pool itself, Travis and Jim were still dueling amidst encouragements of Controllers and caged persons alike. Then the two duelists locked blades, trying to out-do each other in a contest of strength.

"Guys! Guys!" Kagome yelled from one of the cages. "Over here!"

"Coming!" Keith yelled and smacked aside enemies with his staff. "Outta my way!"

Keith and Nick made their way through the crowds to Keith and Molari and then Nick shot the lock off with a point-blank blaster bolt, while Keith destroyed the anti-escaping mechanisms with the Force. The girls and other captured people were quick to escape from their cages, while Force-walls held back the throngs of enemy forces alerted to the breach. Nick gave his lightsaber to Kagome, allowing for the rejoining of Team Seven.

"Keith, Jim has talked of a trap being placed for Travis." Kagome said as she sliced a Hork-Bajir's arms off. "We gotta get to him, fast!"

"Right!" The three kids began fighting their way towards the dueling duo...

Jim broke the blade-lock by blasting Travis with an energy bolt, then as the boy rolled backwards, moved to strike at his neck. Travis' yellow lightsaber clashed with the green one again and the boy kicked at Jim's side. Jim took the blow with a minor grimace and smacked Travis again with a Force blow. Jim followed up with a roundhouse kick to the head, barely blocked by Travis' arm and knocking him to the ground again, this time with bleeding. By now, they were beyond the Yeerk Pool and at the edge of an abyss, the trap placed for Travis.

Travis staggered back to his feet, rubbing blood from his nose and glared at Jim. Jim chuckled. "Come back for more, brat? You must be eager to die."

Travis huffed. "I don't think so. My friends are kicking the asses of your troops and coming quickly, soon you'll be outnumbered and outmatched." The boy smirked. "I'll accept your surrender now."

"My surrender. You actually want my surrender, in my moment of triumph!" Jim laughed. Just as quickly, he ended his laughter and stared coldly at the young Jedi ninja. "You insignificant little bug. I'll help you on your way to death now!" Red energy curled around Jim's hands as he drew the tips of his fingers together. Travis prepared for an onslaught, raising his lightsaber.

"Shockwave!" Jim cried out. A reddish blast of energy shot straight out at Travis just as the others arrived.

"No! Travis!" Keith yelled, but he and the others were sidetracked by enemies keeping them off Jim's back.

Travis found himself fighting the energy blast and sliding backwards towards the abyss, his lightsaber and a Force shield the only barriers between him and death. But with each successive blast of red energy, Jim thrust him closer and closer to the abyss until...

...Travis slipped at the edge of the abyss, causing the Shockwave to smack into his chest and send him flying into the hole. "Aaaaah!" His screams echoed as he fell down and down and down until they faded...

"Travis!" His friends yelled futilely.

Jim snickered evilly. "Troops, assemble and find his corpse, and bring me the Jewel. And his head as proof of his death." He ordered. Some troops acknowledged and moved into caves leading down to the abyss.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Team were still fighting, but with the apparent loss of Travis, it was only a matter of time before they were forced to retreat into one of the caves as well. If nothing else, they hoped they could get to Travis before the enemy would.

But it was Keith who believed that Travis isn't dead. That he would find a way to survive the fall. "He's a Masaki. He'll pull out of this..." He insisted to the others as they retreated deeper into the bowels of Jabiim.

"I hope you're right..." Kagome said as she deflected stray bolts. "I really do..."

Makr, Raoul, and Kim quickly moved as quickly as possible towards Travis to help him while the others rescued the prisoners.

"That damn brat better not die." Kim said.

'Ah yes, thank you very much for rescuing us.' Molari said. The very first thing she did when she was freed was to walk to the anti-morphing device and then stomp on it until it was crushed into many pieces. She then went to help her friends fight against the enemy.

However, they were too late and before they knew it Travis fell screaming into a large hole.

"He's a Masaki. He'll pull out of this..."
"He'd better. Well, guess we should go down and find him before Jim and his troops do." Raoul said.

Makr, having barely any long range weapons, went infront as a scout with Kim slightly behind if they ran into any troubles. Raoul acted as the rearguard while Molari helped him with the use of some borrowed zat'ni'katels.

Travis Masaki fell through an eternity of blackness, unable to see anything, unable to hear nothing but the wind whistling through his ears and his own quickened breathing. He cursed himself for not sensing Jim's deception, but now was not the time to dwell on it. Now was the time to figure out how to keep from going splat. Dammit! Think fast!

Thinking quickly, Travis oriented himself so that his face is meeting the wind, and then charged up a Psybolt.

"Psybolt Alpha!" He yelled, tossing out a powerful blast of white energy that sped down down, nearly disappearing before it crashed, rumbling slightly.

"Ok. I don't have much time, so I'd need to slow myself down alot..." Travis said to himself. Then he snapped his fingers. "That's it!" He pulled out the Jewel and concentrated. The Jewel then glowed blue, giving him the technique name via mystical means. "Water Type: Waterspout!"

Suddenly, a powerful blast of swirling water roared down towards the distant ground and just when Travis thought it would go on forever, the waterspout suddenly crashed onto the floor and slowed Travis' fall drastically. "All right!"

A few hundred feet later, Travis was at the bottom of the abyss, the water draining away in a stream into the crater formed by the Psybolt. "Whew. That was close." With the Fire elemental, the Jewel acted as a flashlight for him as he took a look around. He was in yet another cavern, perhaps the one that will lead him to the next Sanctuary. "Well, only one way to find out..."

Travis started walking down one of the tunnels, guided by the random pulses of the Destiny Jewel...

-----

Meanwhile, Keith and company headed down another long tunnel, using a glowtorch in the dark and the Force to guide them. Occasionally, they were ambushed by Jim's forces, but the enemies were easily defeated with judicious applications of lightsaber, staff or blaster bolts. Inexortibly, they all headed down to the lair of the next Sanctuary Guardian, a most powerful creature considering the next element and the fact that they're still drying.

"So once we meet up with Travis -if he's still alive- how do you propose to deal with a lightning creature?" Nick asked the others.

"Heh. Ever trained with the Lightning Master?" Keith smirked.

"Master Masaki? Not really." Nick shook his head.

"I see." Keith nodded. "Daniel's taught each of us kids how to fight lightning even as he zapped us, said it'd build electrical resistance. Since Sith Lords tend to use lightning all the time, they were useful lessons."

Kagome nodded. "Problem is, we're training under Master Uzumaki, not Masaki. He doesn't have that lightning prowess."

"Yeah, I know." Keith said. "We'll find a way to defeat the next sanctuary guardian."

"Yeah. We always do." Nick smiled. Then another troop of shadow imps (slightly larger imps with swords) came at them. "Geez. Don't these guys ever learn their lessons?"

"Guess not." Kagome said, slicing through the imps and the kids moved on.

------

Travis also had his probems with shadow imps on his way to the cavern of the Sanctuary. "Is it just me, or are these things getting stronger?" He asked himself as he blocked a blow and set fire to the imp, burning it to ashes, then he whirled and sent a Force shove behind him, blasting away several other imps. "Not much stronger, heh."

He soon arrived at a very large cavern, larger than all the others he's seen so far. A shimmering a few hundred meters away let Travis know that the Sanctuary is nearby. Travis took a deep breath and prepared to defend himself from anything as he started running for the Sanctuary. He almost made it when a sudden loud shriek and a rush of wind stopped him. He dove to the ground as a shadow narrowly missed him.

"Sithspawn..." He cursed. Then he yelped as he narrowly dodged a bolt of lightning from above. "Damn!"

A giant yellow-orange bird floated above the cavern arena shrieking loudly. It had dark plumage sprouting from its head trailing back, and a wicked beak like that of an eagle. It's talons were extremely sharp, and most definitely the ones that nearly skewered the boy. It also had long tailfeathers, also in dark orange plumage. Something tells him that this bird was a Phoenix, one of the most powerful of all creatures, capable of dogfighting dragons. But unlike other Phoenixes, this one was corrupted by darkness and evil, seeking to destroy, rather than heal. And as it was a phoenix, it is immortal, so the only way to end it's evil is to defeat the evil spirit controlling it.

And as it blasted lightning and fire down at Travis, who narrowly dodged the bolts with dive rolls, he knew that it would be far from easy to do so...

------

A sudden loud shriek permeated the tunnels. Keith and company ran towards the direction of the shriek, down to a side entrance of the huge cavern. They entered the cavern.

"Hey, there's Travis!" Kagome grinned, then a lightning bolt struck the ground near her. "Eeeek! Who did that?"

"Hey guys!" Travis waved at them. "No time to talk. Help me defeat the phoenix here!"

"A phoenix?" Keith asked, then looked up at the giant bird circling near the ceiling. "Oh man! We're in for it now!"

"You can say that again!" Nick pulled out his blasters.

[Insert Random Boss Battle Music here]

And so, the battle for the Fifth Sanctuary has begun with a shocking situation...

"A phoenix?" Makr questioned. "Isn't the phoenix supposed to be a firebird?"

"You know, I don't think it cares." Kim replied, referring to the phoenix, as they dodged another lightning bolt.

Raoul drew out his Concussion Rifle and fired a blast at the phoenix. The phoenix attempted to dodge but the blast hit the tip of the wing. The phoenix cried out in pain as a small part of its wing disappeared.

"Yes! Now it can't fly anymore!" Raoul cheered. But then his cheer turned into a cry of surprise as the wing regenerated itself. Before long the phoenix was back to normal.

"Oh crap, how can we defeat something that keeps regenerating?" Makr asked.

"Keep attacking it until it dies?" Kim suggested, throwing a bunch of needles filled with the poison she had gotten off the Cerberus's tail. They hit the phoenix and it faltered for a moment as the poison started to course through its body. Then the phoenix healed itself and shook the needles off.

"Well, this is troublesome." Makr stated.

Blaster bolts from Nick had little effect as well. "Yeah. Really troublesome."

"So how are we going to defeat it?" Kagome asked, dodging a lightning bolt.

"I don't know." Keith said. Then he had a thought. "Wait a minute..." He bit his thumb, and spread it across his other hand. "Travis, hit it with everything you got! I've got a plan!"

"Right!" Travis said, clutching his Jewel. It glowed red, and sent off a volley of fireballs at the phoenix, who retaliated with lightning. Fire and lightning met in midair, exploding on contact. "Whatever you plan to do, do it fast!"

As his hand glowed, Keith nodded silently, then he slammed it on the ground. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Ryuutsuku!" (Summoning: Dragonstrike)

A triad of three human-sized dragons appeared upon Keith's summon, each one a different color. One was red, the color of fire. One was blue-white, the color of ice. And one was yellowish-tan, the color of lightning.

"Help us out, please! We need to find a way to stop that phoenix." Keith asked the dragon triad.

Jouka, the fire dragon nodded. "As you wish, young master."

"A phoenix? You owe me one, boy." The lightning dragon, Raijuu answered.

The ice dragon, Hyouhen smiled. "This will be interesting." She flew off first, followed by her brothers.

"Wow. I didn't know you could summon the Triad Siblings!" Travis gaped, then dodged another bolt.

"Yeah. I got them to help me last night." Keith said.

"You have to tell me how you got them sometime..." Travis said, and then prepared to attack when the time was ripe.

The three dragons dodged and juked against the powerful lightning bolts and fireballs of the phoenix and lit off with their own blasts of heat, electricity and ice. Feathers were burned, lightning struck the torso, and ice froze the wings, but still the phoenix shook the attacks off and retaliated with a devastating storm of volts. The dragons were struck, roaring in electric pain and fell to the gasps of the kids, but they recovered and came back up for more.

"They can't continue this forever." Nick groaned.

"They don't need to..." Kagome said, utilizing a scan ability on the phoenix. "It's weakening with all the attacks it's being submitted to."

"Not fast enough!" Travis cried.

Raijuu was the first to fall, struck by the talons of the phoenix when it dived on him. He fell hard and roared in pain. Keith ran over to him. "Raijuu. Are you all right?"

"Yes..." He tried to get up, but a wing was slashed, bleeding red. He's out for the count. "I must return, boy..."

"Alright. Kai!" Keith muttered, and the dragon disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Damn...Travis, you'd better be ready."

"I am." Travis' hands were already glowing.

Then, Jouka and Hyouhen summoned their most powerful breath attacks and lashed out with a double volley of fire and ice. Lightning from the phoenix repulsed the stream of fire and ice, and it became a deadlock.

"Now!" They roared.

"Psybolt..." Travis collected energy. "Beta!" A multicolored blast of psychokinetic energy lanced out from his hands and struck the phoenix. It shrieked in pain as the three attacks bore down on it, and the holy-based energy of Travis' now signature attack hurt the evil spirit something fierce. The spirit summoned all its will to hold on to the phoenix and managed it, but barely. In the meantime, it fell and landed on the ground. Energy continued to wrack it, and yet the phoenix spread its wings wide, blowing the energy away. It struck the other dragons with massive bolts and forced them to retreat as well.

"What?" Travis exclaimed. "That blast should have done it!"

"The evil spirit...it's very strong, and with the phoenix's strength..." Kagome groaned. "You'd better run for the Sanctuary before it heals again, Travis!"

As it stands, the phoenix was visibly hurt, bleeding from wounds it incurred during the course of the battle. But the evil spirit forced the phoenix beyond what it was meant to take, for it didn't care whether it fell to exhaustion as long as it finally killed the foolish brats standing before it. Travis felt pity for the creature, and anger burned against the spirit. As the phoenix began to heal again, the boy began to run for the cave, dodging deadly lightning bolts that struck right at his heel.

"Aaah!" Travis was struck from behind by a bolt that drove him to his knees, but he refused to black out, refused to stop until he gained the power of the Sanctuary and defeated the evil spirit. Keith moved swiftly, blocking the next lightning bolt with his staff. "Go!" The older boy yelled.

Dragging himself to his feet, Travis ran for it until he reached the cave of the Sanctuary, just as Keith was overwhelmed, yelled in pain, and slammed into the wall next to the entrance, his body wracked by electricity. Lightning continued to strike the cave entrance, but Travis was already inside, dodging bolts until he turned a corner. Furious that its prey escaped, the phoenix took its anger out on the others, striking them down with coursing electricity and awaited the young boy's return.

Travis panted as he entered the Sanctuary itself, where a crackling of static was heard, and in the middle, was a series of sparks that ran up and down the center. The Lightning Elemental!

"Hey there." A young voice was heard, like that of a teenager slightly older than Travis.

"Hey." Travis answered. "You know why I've come here?"

"Yeah. I've been waiting for you. I'm ready to go now." The Lightning elemental said. The shrieks of the phoenix could still be heard. "Hurry. Taikou needs your help."

"Taikou? That's the phoenix's name?" Travis asked as he prepared to absorb the power of lightning, a power familiar to him already.

"Yeah. She's a beautiful bird. Help her, please!" The lightning elemental pleaded.

"I will." Travis nodded sincerely, then absorbed the lightning with an accompanying crack-BOOM sound. The Jewel glowed yellow in response to getting number 5. "Alright. Now let's free the bird."

Travis headed back to the battlefield and was immediately attacked by the phoenix's lightning. But now with the same power under his belt, Travis collected it, smirked, and rebounded it back to the phoenix. It shrieked loudly in rage more than pain, but Travis didn't let up for a moment, adding the other elements in a second Psybolt Beta, now powerful enough to attack the spirit directly and separate it from the phoenix, who slumped to the ground in exhaustion.

"And now, time to send you back to your boss!" Travis grinned and sent a final blast of white energy at the evil spirit. It screamed in agony, then exploded into black dust.

Nearly out of energy from the numerous blasts he executed, Travis panted heavily as he checked on the others. Team Seven was unconscious, with smoke visible from their bodies. "Oh no..."

"They will be fine." A beautiful voice sang. The phoenix rose and walked to each person, shedding healing tears to awaken them. Her plumage was no longer dark, but as bright as the sun.

"Wha--what happened?" Kagome asked then gasped as the phoenix was no longer consumed by darkness. "Oh wow! You did it Travis!"

"All right!" Keith grinned lopsidely, his hair in shock. "I knew you could do it!"

"Yeah, you're great." Nick smiled.

"Thank you, young one. I am Taikou, Queen of the Avians." The Phoenix introduced herself. "I must apologize. I could not stop the evil from consuming me."

"Don't worry about it." Travis smiled. "You're free now, and that's all that matters."

"Yes. I am." The giant bird cocked her head aside, eyeing Keith, then smiled in a way that birds smile. "I understand you have the power to summon creatures to your aid."

"I do." Keith nodded. "What about it?"

Taikou began her story. "Long ago, I was also the summon of a young one, not much older than you. He was my friend and we grew together, wise and strong. For many decades, we fought evil and lived with kindness in our hearts, but as with all mortals, he too grew old and faded away. In my grief, I cremated my friend's body and blew his ashes to the wind. I vowed never to be called a summon again and flew from world to world, always in the guise of someone I was not, until I roosted in a mountain range of a planet in the outer rim, and slept through millenia. Slept until the Evil came and forced me to become its slave."

Tears ran down her feathered face. "To my horror, I did terrible things against my will, things that I wish I could forget. Stories of war and rage that stay with me even today. And now, in my gratitude of being freed, I now break my vow, and with your acceptance, wish to become your friend, your summon, the link between you and all other birds of the universe. Do you wish it so?"

"Do...do you really mean it?" Keith gaped, along with his friends.

Taikou bowed her head in agreement. "Yes, I truly mean it."

Keith thought it through. "Well, in that case, I accept!"

"Very well. You know what is to be done." Taikou lowered her beak so that Keith could touch it, and he pricked his hand on the sharp end in order to create the blood-pact between a boy and his phoenix. Then the phoenix used her powers to pull a scroll out of thin air and open it. Keith and co noted a slot that was written by the original summoner and went to the next clean slot. Keith wrote the summoning spell in kanji, with his own name and that of Taikou in it, and then the scroll glowed, completing the pact. "It is done, my friend. Thank you."

"Anytime, your Majesty, anytime." Keith grinned as he rolled up the scroll and put it inside a slot on his belt.

"He can summon something like that? Not too bad for a brat." Kim said, impressed.

"Yeah well, I hope Travis hurries up." Makr said. "All the others are out of the fight." Kim looked around. The other summons had disappeared and Team 7 had been knocked out. Currently they four were the only ones fighting a VERY enraged possessed phoenix.

"Ah crap." Kim said and they were only able to dodge as the bird launched her assault on them with no end in sight. Before long Molari too was knocked out being weakened from lack of proper food.

"Hey look Travis is back." Raoul observed.

"Finally, I couldn't have kept that up for much longer." She said, panting, as Travis destroyed the evil spirit possessing Taikou

Molari woke up painfully as the phoenix revived her. 'Wow the phoenix looks so beautiful now.' she observed.
"I must apologize. I could not stop the evil from consuming me."
"Don't worry about it. It's not your fault." Raoul responded.

'So, the boy can summon Taikou now. I guess that means that not only Travis will gain new powers on this adventure.' Molari observed.

As Taikou disappeared in a puff of smoke, the group turned around and prepared to depart.

'I hope Jim's still searching for Travis's body. I need to get my revenge on that bastard.' Molari said wearily.

"Comeon Molari, you're much too weak to be threatening people. You should eat and rest first, then go punish him." Makr chided her.

Molari just continued walking, being too tired to argue.

Before she disappeared, Taikou gave the kids one last message. "Your adversary will be searching for you. Go quickly to this cave entrance and you'll get to the surface in a safe spot." She pointed to an entrance just above their heads, then disappeared in a large cloud of smoke, with ozone present in the air.

"Well, let's get going." Travis said as Team Seven ate MREs to recover energy and then jumped up to the cave opening with the others and quickly headed to the surface.

When they reached the surface, the yellow-orange sun peeked out for the first time in many months on Jabiim, presumably due to the fact that the lightning element has been taken. With the electrical interference now gone from the atmosphere, the Much Ado About Nothing was able to run through the Yeerk blockade to pick up the kids. This time, Daniel wasn't available as he was gone on a state trip, but his apprentice Chris was a good pilot in his own right.

"Jeez, they're persistent..." Travis groaned as they ran through a gauntlet of Bug fighters pursuing them and went up the ramp of the starship. With laser cannons blazing away and the door closed, the ship roared away, deflecting fire with its shields and headed into space. Travis headed to the bridge to check up on things.

"Three Yeerk cruisers (Blade Ships) and one Yeerk battleship (the Pool ship) closing in on us." Another apprentice named Jeremy reported.

"I know, I know." Chris growled as he fought to keep the ship aimed for hyperspace. "Keep those weapons alert and ready torpedoes."

"Right." Weapons officer Jeffrey answered and prepped the torpedoes.

A cruiser came around for a pass, lighting the shields up with flares of Dracon energy beams.

"Fire!" Chris ordered. The missiles flew out and chased the Blade ship, impacting on the shields, followed up with a concentrated turbolaser volley that collapsed the shields and disabled it. The dead ship opened a break that allowed the Much Ado to make the jump to hyperspace. The Visser in command of the blade ship would be dealt with personally by Kurou. In the meantime, the crew and passengers of the Much Ado About Nothing were allowed some downtime as Travis prepared to find the next location of the Sanctuary.

"I see why the Andalites hated the Yeerks so deeply now." Kim said as they finally made it to the safety of the ship.

"They really need practice if a group of kids could run through a squadron of Bug fighters with no injury." Raoul said as he gasped for breath.

Molari rose her head as Jeremy reported three Blade Ships and a Pool ship present in orbit. She then looked at the data display. 'No no! You've got this information all wrong!'

After they had reached hyperspace Molari spent a good deal of time correcting the ship's terminology, properly labeling the Blade Ships as the battleships. 'Because, Molari explained. 'The Pool Ship's main purpose is to house Yeerks without hosts as well as act as a backup source for Kadrona rays should a Kadrona on the surface fail. They also are not very manueverable so are not very efficient in battle.'

Then she went on to explain how the true cruisers of the Yeerk Empire had been dubbed 'Boomerang Ships' due to the fact that they were shaped like a pointy and dangerous boomerangs.

By the time she finish explaining the details of ships and classes of the Yeerk Empire the others had fallen asleep from boredom. She ate a quick meal and then went to sleep herself.

An hour later, Travis found the general location of the next Sanctuary and hurried to the cockpit. "Hey Chris. I got the location of the next Sanctuary."

Having heard the story from the last time, the seventeen year old apprentice nodded. "All right, where to?"

Taylor smirked. "Dagobah."

"Dagobah?" Chris raised an eyebrow. "Why there?"

Travis shrugged. "I don't know, the Jewel's just pointing me places. I figure the next Sanctuary will have something to do with plants, though."

"Makes sense." Chris said, punching in a rarely-used set of coordinates for the distant planet. "Alright, sit back, relax and get ready to roll!"

"Great!" Travis sat in the copilot's seat. "Can I--" He asked, wanting to drive the ship.

"No." Chris replied sternly, it was clear that they had the argument before.

"But I--"

"Two years."

"I'll ask--"

"He said no, too." Chris pointed out.

"Awww!" Travis pouted as the ship zoomed into hyperspace for Dagobah.

----

Two hours later, the Much Ado About Nothing reverted to realspace over Dagobah, the swampy planet. According to Jedi history, it was once the home of Jedi Master Yoda, where he trained a young Luke Skywalker in the ways of the Force to be able to stand against Darth Vader and the Emperor. Now all that remains of that training was the Dark Side Tree of Jedi Lore. Again, according to legend, Yoda had fought against and defeated a powerful Dark Jedi at the location of the tree many centuries ago, and the Dark Jedi's blood seeped into the roots of the tree, turning it twisted and dark, the servant of the unrestrained power of the Dark Side.

And the Jedi Knights, in the form of young Travis and his friends, have returned once more to perform a grueling task: extract the Sanctuary of Darkness from the dark cave of the evil tree. The starship descended into the cloudy mists of Dagobah, buffeted by the winds of high clouds and then descended further into the misty swamps.

About several dozen meters above and a kilometer or so from the cave, the Much Ado descended as far as it could go without landing.

"There's no place to land, especially not for a ship like this." Chris said. "I'll get you guys to a tree, but that's as low as I can go."

"All right." Travis said, getting up to head to the side with his friends. The ship descended close to the top of one of the trees and then the door opened. Immediately amist the wash of the repulsarlifts, the smells and sounds of the swamps wafted into the ship, and without a second thought, Travis jumped down to the tree, catching a branch and brachiating to another branch. Kagome followed, then Nick and finally Keith. Once everyone was gone, the ship powered up and moved into the sky to await their return. And now, time to go...

"Dagobah. A swamp-planet as I recall. This is going to be hell on my clothes." Kim complained.

"There's no place to land, especially not for a ship like this." Chris said. "I'll get you guys to a tree, but that's as low as I can go."

'It would be very troublesome if you crashed into a swamp.' Molari agreed.

When they were in range, Kim, Makr, and Raoul jumped out of the ship and then after landing on a branch, leapt down to the floor. Molari paused at the door, very aware that if she attempted to land on a treebranch her extra pair of legs would cause her to fall. She pondered the matter for a few seconds before morphing into a monkey and jumping off. While the others were on the ground, Molari stayed in the trees swinging around while letting the monkey control the body.

"Get down already Molari!" Kim yelled. Molari reluctantly leapt down and demorphed.

"Anyways, my bet would be that the next Sanctuary would be located in the cave underneath that strange tree." Raoul said.

"Ah yes of course, I always thought that tree had an evil look to it." Makr replied.

"Let's go!" Kim uttered once again. They began the journey to the Sanctuary of Darkness underneath the Dark Side Tree.

After a few moments, Travis and company reached the Cave of the Dark Side. A feeling of icy blackness wafted through the area, a feeling no fire could extinguish. Fear crept into the dark corners of the kids' minds, a subtle yet menacing feeling of...nothingness. This was Darkness at its very core, the true foe of all who live. To master the Darkness is to master the Sanctuary.

Forcing themselves inside the cave itself, the kids immediately found themselves alone, and not even torches and lightsabers would be able to peer through the gloom.

"Guys?" Travis asked. "Where are you?"

The only answer was his own voice's echo.

A pair of boots clop-cloped behind him and Travis whirled around, face to face...with himself!

His alter-ego wore black robes and had a scar on his face. Unruly black hair covers his head, with a short tail running down the neck. In short, he looks like an older Travis, but with one difference: his eyes glowed an evil yellow, a major sign of corruption by the Dark Side.

"Hello, Travis." The alter-ego smirked coldly. "You like how I look?"

"What do you think?" Travis answered, reaching for his lightsaber. "That's so not my style."

"It became your style a few years down the road. Auntie Nightshade really taught me well." Alter-Travis smirked. "And then...I wiped out the family. All of them. Leaving me to rebuild according to my perfect design."

"You're sick." Travis hissed, drawing his yellow blade.

"Good. You hate me, yes?" Alter-Travis smirked, drawing a blade of dark purple color, stained with the souls of the lost. "Then let us begin..."

To the tune of Clash of the Lightsabers, the two opposites began to duel.The same occurred with each member of the Team, facing down their own inner darkness...

"What the HELL!?" Kim roared out in surprise as she found herself facing an older and clearly more evil version of herself.

The others were very surprised as well except for Makr who had read about this when he was studying. So, when a person enters this Cave, they are instantly faced with a possible future of themselves. A self that has chosen the Dark Side. Ugh, this is going to be troublesome.

Kim's fight was basically evenly matched. The alter of Kim was faster than her so she used a daring combination of taijutsu combined with lots of running and lots of needles. Her alter had no trouble against this and was slowly cornering the young kunoichi.

Makr was locked in a lightsaber duel with his other self. They were both using Makashi and were evenly matched. Both had their eyes closed and relied on their noses. Their lightsabers were moving so fast they blurred and one could hear constant clanging as the lightsabers met each other over and over, with both duelists fighting at their best.

Raoul was somewhat surprised with his counterpart. It appeared that the evil Raoul had abandoned the Goauld staff weapon and had instead adopted a Yuuzhan Vong amphistaff. Raoul dismissed it however as he appeared to have the edge seeing as how he was more well-versed in the ways of the staff than the other was versed in the amphistaff.

Molari on the other hand, was having quite a bit of fun as she hadn't had a good fight with another Andalite since she had left the homeworld and been placed in a team with her friends. She was beginning to get overpowered so she began to lure her look-alike into a trap that would hopefully settle things with a boom.

OOC: HAPPY NEW YEAR!

IC:
Bleeding from close calls, Travis and his evil doppleganger continued to fight their way through the darkness, utilizing every skill and trick they know to upstage each other. It was purely and simply, a stalemate. That is, until...

"Good! Strike me down! You know you want to!" Alter-Travis sneered. "Give in to your hate!"

"You want me to do that?" Travis scoffed. "You're just my dark half. I can't kill you no more than I can kill myself. You're a part of me, but that doesn't mean you can control me."

"What? You fool." Alter-Travis growled.

Travis stretched his arms wide, his lightsaber easily away from his body. "Strike me down, then. Prove me wrong. Show me your great power." Travis smirked.

His alter-ego chuckled darkly. "Very well. I shall oblige you, then."

Alter-Travis swiped his blade right through Travis. The boy felt pain, but only a phantom sort of pain, like one would experience when one's arm is amputated. Alter-Travis was shocked. "What?"

"I told you so." Travis grinned. "Now that I know you can't hurt me, begone! I am fully in control now."

His alter-version sneered. "I'll be back, Travis. And next time, I won't be so easy."

"I'll be waiting." Travis answered. And then, Alter-Travis disappeared and Travis was compelled to walk forward. For what seemed like an extremely long time, Travis came to a point of a strong sensation: Sanctuary Number Six.

"Who dares disturb my slumber?" A gruff voice growled, seemingly from everywhere at once.

"Uh, I'm the bearer of the Destiny Jewel." Travis answered, not sure where he should be speaking.

"I see." A deep purple outline of a sphere appeared in front of Travis. "Few have had the power to reach this far. I must see if you are worthy enough. You understand."

The purple sphere pulsed strongly, and Travis suddenly found himself dragged forward. Not wanting to know what happened if he was dragged too close, he pulled out his Jewel and focused. Very quickly, it became a tug of war as Travis fought to absorb the Sanctuary as it tried to absorb him at the same time. He focused his chakra to his feet, dug in his heels and bent his will to the Sanctuary, mentally ordering it into the Jewel, but lo, it struggled. After a while of this tug-of-war, Travis was dragged inside the sphere by the powerful force and felt...

Nothing. No sensation. No sight, smell, nor touch nor hearing nor sixth sense. In entering the Sanctuary, he was, for a moment, the absolute darkness that permeates the Universe, the very primordial loss of identity that all sentients fear. And it very nearly broke his sanity until he realized the one thing that kept him from dissolving away into the blackness:

In the darkness, all was one and one was all. There truly was nothing to fear from the dark itself, for it was indeed...nothing. It was only the fear of fear itself that holds men back from understanding this rather obvious revelation. And it gave him strength, strength enough to stare Death itself in the eye and give it the finger, strength enough to pull back from the darkness and into mortal reality. Strength enough to absorb the Sanctuary's power, the purple sphere satisfied that a lesson has been taught to this very young, yet very powerful Jedi apprentice.

Travis smiled wistfully as he blinked in a sudden bright-yet-dim light, sensing the others coming behind him. "Hey guys."

"Hey." Kagome grinned. "So you got it?"

"Yeah." Travis said in a strange, yet cheerful voice. "I got it." The Jewel glowed purple for a moment.

"What's up with you?" Keith asked, hearing the odd tone.

[Music begins]

"Oh, nothing." Travis shrugged. He seemed to stare at a far away location. "Somehow, I believe that everything that has occurred and is yet to occur will work out for the best. It's like a neverending story, the best kind there is."

"Uh, Travis?" Nick said.

"Yeah?"

"You're weird." Nick pointed out.

At this, Travis burst into laughter. "That may be, but we still have two more Sanctuaries to go through! Last one to the ship is a smelly bantha!" He suddenly ran for the cave exit.

"Hey! Wait up!" His friends exclaimed, hot on his heels.

Turn around, look at what you see...
In her face, the mirror of your dreams;
Make believe I'm everywhere, living in your eyes;
And written on the pages, is the answer to our neverending story...

The kids jumped through the trees, going higher and higher with each leap of faith. The Much Ado About Nothing descended quickly, lowering a long rope ladder for them. With a great final leap, first Travis, followed by Kagome, Keith and then Nick, climbed up the ladder to the cargo bay.

Reach the stars, fly a fantasy...
Dream a dream, and what you see will be...
Lives that keep their secrets, will unfold behind the clouds
And there upon the rainbow, is the answer to our neverending story...

Once everyone was inside the ship, Chris wasted no time in punching the accelerators through the clouds and spearing into space. Once the obligatory hyperspace lever was pulled back, the stars outside the windows became streaked, and the ship disappeared in a flash of tachyonic glory.

Show no fear, for she may fade away...
In your hand, the birth of a new day...
Lives that keep their secrets will unfold behind the clouds
And there upon the rainbow, is the answer to our neverending story...

As the kids sped through hyperspace on the Much Ado About Nothing, they decided to take some downtime before heading off to the next Sanctuary. They rested or practiced katas in the cargo bay, generally keeping themselves sharp for the next one, which promises to be tough once more.

They won't realize just how tough the Sanctuary of Life will be...

----

Jim, codenamed Kurou, was furious. So furious that several minions lost their lives to his blade and dark side powers. By the time of the tenth minion's death, he managed to calm himself down enough to decide on the next course of action.

"No more playing this time. No more messing around. This time, it's serious..." Jim growled. He then recalled a contact and smirked coldly. "Perhaps..."

He turned to a comms center and activated the contact number. "Get me the Empress, now..."

Soon enough, the Jewel started glowing once more. Travis saw this and ran to the small navigation room to scope out the next Sanctuary. After a half-hour of searching, he found the general location and by the time he reached the cockpit, his face was ashen.

"C-Chris? Change course to the planet Ruusan." Travis said.

"Ruusan? A lot of Jedi/Sith history there." Chris raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. We'd better be careful, because I have a feeling Jim's going to be there..." Travis said.

"Well, what do we do when we know there's an obvious trap in the way?" Chris began to grin.

Grins are contagious, as Travis noted. "We spring the trap."

The Much Ado About Nothing shifted course to the legendary Ruusan system, and the seventh Sanctuary will soon be within reach...

After a couple hours of practice, three of the team ate some food and then went to sleep. Molari however, continued practicing long after the others. She kept trying to improve her skills so the next time they met Kurou, she would be prepared.

An hour later, the Much Ado About Nothing appeared out of hyperspace over the planet Ruusan and began descending onto the windswept surface. Ruusan was the site of the final battle of the Sith Wars over one thousand years ago. Thousands of Republic troopers and Jedi engaged the armies of the Dark Lords of the Sith in a massive engagement that lasted weeks until Lord Kaan detonated a powerful thought bomb, a Dark Side technique capable of wiping out all life on a planet. Upon detonation, every Jedi and Sith except for Darth Bane perished, their souls trapped in a place known as the Valley of the Jedi. There, they waited for a thousand agonizing years before Kyle Katarn was able to journey to Ruusan and duel the dark Jedi Jerec, releasing the spirits into the Force.

Some eighty years later, the Sith Lady Nightshade journeyed here to tap into and unleash her full potential as Dark Lady of the Sith, leaving the world a most powerful woman. Now, it would be the Jedi, in the form of Travis Masaki and his friends, who will journey to this world, a world where the scars of war could still be seen a thousand years later...

As they descended onto the world, Travis and co could see that the world was largely brown with some blue and green splotches, denoting seas and forests respectively. A nudge in the Force told them where to go, to a large scar in the northern hemisphere of the planet: the Valley itself!

The Much Ado About Nothing's repulsarlifts flared to life and it landed softly near the entrance to the Valley, an entrance guarded by two stone monuments dedicated to the Jedi that were lost during the Battle of Ruusan. Descending down the ramp, the four kids and their elder friends began a trek through the valley, guided by the Force and the Jewel, and slowly hiked their way to a date with destiny...

As the group passed by the two stone monuments, they all bowed their heads. Even though they didn't really care for the Jedi, they still had respect for those who died in combat, fighting for what they truly believed in.

A while later Makr morphed into a bird and soared above them. He claimed he did it to scout for the enemy but he truly just wanted to relieve his sore feet. He was getting so tired of walking all the time.

Travis and company hiked their way through the area, watching out for enemy forces until they stopped at a wide expanse of arid land, low-lying plants dotting the landscape like any desert has. The 'crack' that was seen from space turned out to be a huge valley that could easily swallow Earth's Grand Canyon without trouble. And that's not all, for there was a very strong Force residue emanating from the Valley, still vibrant after hundreds of years. The Valley of the Jedi.

"So this is the Valley." Travis exclaimed, looking out over the breathtaking scenery. "Nice place to tour."

"Yeah, but we have a job to do." Kagome smiled. "Keep moving."

"Yeah, yeah..." Travis said, and the kids trekked on.

Soon, the kids encountered trouble in white armor and had to sneak their way through the area, lest the Empire learns of their presence, not that they don't know that someone's there. Still, the young Jedi ninjas were forced to summarily deal with several encounters in a relatively swift and silent way, slowly advancing on the Sanctuary itself.

Soon, they came face to face with the enemy they sorely wished never to meet at the very entrance to the Sanctuary of Life. A triad of foes they will have to defeat to secure Travis' ability to absorb the power...

The Dark Twins, Janus and Jesse, and Jim himself, surrounded by a platoon of elite Hork-Bajir guards and clonetroopers.

"Great." Keith groaned as everyone prepared stances. "Go after Janus. I'll deal with Jesse."

"And Jim?" Travis asked.

"I'll take him." Kagome said coldly.

"Me too." Nick said, pulling out a spare lightsaber.

The plan executed, lightsabers were ignited, blasters were primed, and Bajir blades were readied to kill.

With but a signal from a smirking Jim, the Hork-Bajir advanced first, whirling and slashing with their blades, followed up by blaster shots from the clones. Ruusan is now the site of yet another battle for the fate of all beings...

Parrying blaster bolts away, the young members of Team Seven slashed and fought their way through the enemy ranks, dodging Bajir blows and clone attacks as the three boss foes looked on with smirks. But their smirks soon turned to frowns as the elite Hork-Bajir and clonetroopers were quickly slain by the varied powers and abilities of the young Jedi ninjas. Breathing heavily, bodies strewn across the floor, the young Jedi advanced on the dark Jedi and a four-on-three duel began.

Travis took on his cousin Janus, the two boys furiously battling each other in what would be a prelude of things to come. Telekinesed objects, shuriken, kunai, and exploding items flew around, and then Travis and Janus lashed out at each other again, but this time, Travis summoned a blast of his signature Psybolt ability, smashing into Janus at point-blank range before the latter could bring up his gravity shields. Checking to see that he's unconscious, Travis moved on towards the Sanctuary, but was blocked by Jim, skillfully deflecting blows from Nick and Kagome at the same time. Travis rushed to assist and then Jim knew he was in trouble...

Facing down three unhappy Jedi youngsters, Jim decided that it was time to exit stage left, especially as Travis was bearing down on him like a charging reek. Sending out a wave of dark energy, Jim, known to older Jedi like Daniel and the Council as A-level criminal Kabuto, flipped backwards several times before smirking once more. Keith and Jesse disengaged their duel and Janus revived himself to step to Kabuto's side.

"Believe me, my young Jedi, this won't be the last time we meet." Kabuto said. "Till then, give my regards to the Kyuubi's Vessal."

With that, a large cloud of miasma rose up, choking the kids, and then the enemies and all the bodies were gone.

"Well, that's that, I guess." Travis sighed as he entered the seventh Sanctuary.

The seventh Sanctuary was the quietest and most serene of all the sanctuaries so far. Embodied by a large flower with white petals and a green stalk, the Sanctuary of Life was a breath of fresh air, and it smelled like it too. As Travis neared it, he could feel his recent scars closing up, as the healing powers of the flower went to work. The boy smiled softly and held up his Jewel. "It's time, my friend."

"So it is." A soft voice replied. "I have been waiting a long time. Now you have one left to find. It is my twin brother, Time. Find him, and your quest is complete." The flower said.

"Thank you." Travis replied, and the flower floated into the Destiny Jewel. With the Seventh Santuary in the Jewel, which glowed a green color, Travis and his friends soon headed off the planet in search of the eighth and final Sanctuary...

The final journey to the final Sanctuary, unsurprisingly took a long time, a full day because it was so far from the bright center of the galaxy. About 7,500 lightyears from Coruscant, there is a planet circling a feeble brown dwarf star, a star that has died billions of years ago.

"For the location of the last Sanctuary, it's awfully drab." Travis commented, looking down over the grey planet. It looked as if it was frozen or something.

"You were expecting bright and colorful?" Kagome asked.

"Uh, something like that." Travis anwered, then the Jewel started glowing again and sent out a beam of light down towards a particular part of the planet. "Something tells me that we should follow that."

"Gee, ya think?" Nick asked as Chris banked the Much Ado About Nothing and dove towards the light.

Descending into the hazy atmosphere, Chris noticed an oddity about this planet. "Hey, check out the temperature."

"Uh, it's about fifty degrees. Why?" Travis asked.

"Keep watching the thermometer as we descend." Chris instructed. Confused, Travis and co watched the thermometer as the ship flew closer and closer to the ground. Then it clicked.

"It's not changing!" Keith frowned.

"Exactly. Check the climate reports." Chris said.

"Alright." The kids looked over the onboard climate display.

"Wait a minute. Wind: 0 knots, precipitation: 0 centimeters, humidity: 0%, pressure: 760 millibars." Travis rattled off the systems. "It's weird, as if everything's frozen."

"Yeah. That's what I thought. Everything seems to have stopped here." Chris said. "Well, here we are."

The ship landed, kicking up a cloud of gray dust.

"Well, no time like the present to finish this up." Travis said. "At least there's air."

The kids stepped forth, out into the final unknown...

Travis and company moved towards the location of the final Sanctuary, which, surprising enough, was not actually anywhere.

"Hmm. Where is the Sanctuary? The light's pointing right here, but there's nothing. What do you think guys?" Travis asked. But there was no answer. "Guys?"

The boy turned around to find his friends frozen on the spot, as if in suspended animation. "Guys? This isn't funny. Snap out of it."

"They won't be helping you this time." A young voice, something like a kid his age, replied.

"Huh? Why not?" Travis spun around to see a young boy with black hair in a white robe.

The kid grinned. "Well, your the one with the Jewel, right? This is your final test."

"Oh. You must be Time, right?" Travis replied. "I kinda expected someone..."

"Older?" Time smirked. "A Merlin lookalike? True, most people think I look like an old guy, but what they forget is that I'm timeless, so to speak. I can take any size or shape...or age for that matter. This is my favorite form."

Travis chuckled. "I can see why. Anyway, what do I have to do?"

"Come with me, and I'll show you." Time said. The next thing Travis knew, a blinding light filled his eyes, forcing him to put up his arms and shut them to protect them.

When the light faded, he blinked away the spots and noticed that he was in a city, but not a modern one with skyscrapers or anything. It was an ancient one, like a city the Romans would have had at the height of their power.

"This is the past of the planet you stood on before and the origin of the Destiny Jewel." Time explained. "To understand the power you wield now, you must understand its beginning."

"I see, I think." Travis nodded. "So where do I go from now?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out." The timless boy giggled. "Actually let me show you."

They came to a large temple, and marching with determination through the courtyard were eight warriors, each one decked out in armor and carrying weapons. An army stood before them and without a warning, attacked.

"This temple was known as the Guiding Light Temple, but it's High Priests slowly turned to corruption and darkness until they were nothing more than pawns for the then-Grand Priest, Giygas." Time explained as the eight warriors battled their way up thr steps of the temple. "Each one of us were determined to stop Giygas before he could consolidate his rule, but there was a problem."

As the warriors, one of them being Time himself, ran into the inner chambers to confront Giygas and his high priests, many heated words were passed back and forth before the fight broke out. The priests were taken down with blasts of elemental energy, but Giygas proved a very powerful challenge.

"Wind was the first to fall." Time said sadly. "One by one, until it was just me, Dark, Life, and Energy."

"Primal forces of the universe." Travis nodded.

"Yeah." Time's face winced with remembered pain, putting a hand over a scar on his chest. "Even so, Giygas was so powerful that he was actually able to wound me, Time itself. But still we fought."

A buildup of powers from each of the remaining warriors lashed out at Giygas, who fought back with his own powers. The buildup became so intense that one mishap could...and did cause much destruction. What occurred was something Travis wished he could never see, but was forced to watch in horrible facination.

The energy buildup caused not so much a explosion as a rupture in the very fabric of space-time, causing a violent and horrible death to everyone on the planet and several systems beyond. Being primal forces, Dark, Life, Time and Energy were the only ones to survive, but so unfortunately, was Giygas. Giygas was weakened enough by the blast that he was able to be banished by Time and Dark, but the four knew that the banishment will not be forever. ..

"We knew that Giygas would one day recuperate his powers and return, so with the last of our powers, we created the Shukumei No Tama, the Jewel of Destiny." Time said. "I then carried it to a planet who's inhabitants has just arrived to colonize it."

Travis and Time now floated over a familiar planet.

"Earth." Travis' eyes widened in recognition.

"The Nexus of the Universe." Time nodded. "Throughout the history of humanity on Earth, the Jewel was entrusted to those who's hearts were worthy of carrying it. That is, until Giygas began to return."

Modern times. A meteor struck the planet, but didn't do much more than shake the inhabitants of a small town. A boy about Travis' age with a red cap went out in the middle of the night to investigate it, meeting up with a small bee-like creature who was the last known wielder of the Jewel. After a short battle with one of Giyga's minions, the bee was killed and the boy was entrusted with the Jewel. He soon met up with three other young children and had many adventures, culminating with a fight against Giygas.

Time chuckled. "When Giygas attacked Earth, he underestimated the champions sent to 'persuade' him of that folly and fled again to rethink his plans. The Jewel then fell through the years and finally ended up with you, the latest bearer in a long line of bearers."

"Wow." Travis said. "I feel burdened..."

"Don't be, my friend. You're just coming into your own as a Knight of the Jedi Order. You still have much to learn." Time giggled, then turned serious. "We don't have a lot of time left before Giygas strikes again."

Travis frowned. "How long do we have?"

Time shrugged. "About five years or so. Just barely enough for you to master the Jewel's powers."

Travis groaned. "Yeah. That's not a lot considering most training takes years. But I will do what I must to stop him. That's my way."

"I expected no less." Time began to glow a silvery color. "And now, it's time to begin."

"Huh?" Travis asked, then the Jewel started glowing as well. "Oh! Yeah, I thought so. Will I see you again?"

'When you're ready to learn the powers of Time." Time confirmed, then he turned into a ball of silvery light and shot into the Jewel.

The reaction of the final Sanctuary to the Jewel was different from the others. It glowed in the following colors, each one from each Sanctuary before and Travis heard a small voice repeat them.

"Wind. Water. Earth. Fire. Energy. Dark. Life. Time. The Eight are reunited at last..."

The next thing Travis knew was a blinding rainbow light that turned golden, filling the boy with overwhelming power. The power so consumed his body and the pain -like millions of volts coursing through his body- was so intense that his brain simply shut down to preserve his sanity, blacking him out for an eternity and he fell to the ground, energy coursing around and through him...

----

"Travis? Hey, Travis?" A familiar voice rang in his ears. "Wake up, baka!"

"Urgh...ungh..." Travis felt extremely sore all over his body, like he's been through one of his 'training sessions' with Sensei Uzumaki. Nevertheless, he managed to open his eyes and squeak, "K-kagome?"

Despite herself, Kagome Outerbridge hugged Travis tightly and bawled waterfall tears. "I thought you'd never wake up, Travis! You were out for two weeks and we thought...we thought..."

"Ack! Kagome...choking me..." Travis turned an odd shade of blue as Kagome squeezed him tighter.

"Oh, sorry." Kagome giggled slightly and moved back.

"Where are we?" Travis asked, looking around at an unfamilar hospital room, noticing that everyone he knew was in the room.

"Jedi Temple Hospital Ward." Naruto smirked. "We went through quite a lot to bring you back."

"Oh." Travis said, then remembered something Kagome said. "I was out for two weeks?"

"Yeah." Nick nodded. "Let's tell you what happened since."

*Flashback mode*

The four members of Team Seven had reached the location of the Sanctuary. Travis went on ahead a bit, then a blinding light encompassed Travis, making him float a few inches off the floor. After a few minutes, a wave of energy blew the other three apprentices back. Travis had yelled in pain as something like electricity coursed through his body, then the enegy faded and Travis was left in a coma. Distraught, his friends took him back to the Much Ado About Nothing, but not before Keith picked up a strange golden gem where Travis was knocked out. The Much Ado headed to Jurai as quickly as possible while the small medical station stabilized Travis' vitals.

*end flashback*

"And then we waited every single day for signs that you're coming back." Nick ended the story. "I'm just glad it's over."

"Yeah. Me too." Travis nodded. "Hey Keith? About that gem..."

"Oh! Here." Keith produced it from his pockets.

"Hmm." Travis looked it over. It was his Jewel, but obviously golden and smaller and smoother. Perfect for a lightsaber. "It's not over yet, guys, but we do have a few years before the bad guys attack. Let me tell you my story..."

For the benefit of his father and the rest of the Masaki Clan and their friends, Travis began from the beginning of the whole Worldjumper Saga and it continued through his discharge down to the Council Chambers, where the story ended with what happened with Time.

"Hmm. So Kabuto is still alive. How...discomforting." Naruto growled, his wife Hinata touching his arm to calm him down.

"Not to mention that you're got a lot to do and train for." Daniel Masaki smirked. "It's no mean feat to master all eight elements, plus your Psybolt ability."

"We can start with Fire." Uncle Taylor chuckled.

"No way. Water's the way to go." Jacen shot back, sparking an arguement.

"Heh. By the way, kid." Daniel said to his son. "As soon as you're up to it, I was wondering if you'd like to learn the family trade."

Travis gasped in glee. "You mean..."

Daniel nodded, grinning. "Yep. Escaping enemy traps with teleportation."

"ALL RIGHT!" Travis yelled at the top of his lungs, making Naruto comment that 'he'd give me a run for my money at that age', then everyone laughed.

And so begins Travis' real training, studying his family's secrets, the elemental powers of the Shinobi, and the ways of the Force. He has a long way to go and an obscenely hard training regimen to go through, but if anyone can do it, it's Travis Samuel Masaki, heir to the legacy of the Masakis...