Star Wars: The Jedi Chronicles:Enter The Shadows (Books 1-4)

Chapter 11 Decisions

Eve: (walking down the boarding ramp of the “Rebellion”) Anthony, you made it! (She looks around and does not see any more ships.) Where’s Michael and Elizabeth?

Anthony: (disappointed) I couldn’t even get to him. Mike is uber-powerful. Do you guys have a medical center in that ship?

Eve: Yeah.... Oh, you’re injured! Come on; let’s get you inside!

Anthony: Yeah… thanks for noticing.

Shain, Cassandra, Josh, and Jordin break into the atmosphere as Eve and Anthony are heading inside. The foursome land and head for the “Rebellion”. A clone trooper guards the doorway of the ship.

Josh: Clone, what's your designation?

Clone: TK42, sir. Friends call me Blake.

Josh: Alright, Blake; where are the Jedi on this cruiser?

Blake: All four are in the medical bay, sir.

Shain: Medical bay?

Blake: Yes, sir; Rymeris and the padawan are both injured and Conner has a laser-blast wound in the shoulder.

Josh: Thank you.

The four find their way to sick bay. They walk into the room where D.J. is lying on a table, unconscious, and Jacklinea is floating in a bacta tank. Cassandra, Josh and Jordin walk in while Shain stands in the doorway, trying to look like he is not freaking out (which he is). Composing himself, he heals everyone and walks out of the room.

Eve: (concerned) Hey, guys? Is Shain ok?

Jordin: I'm not sure.

They get Jacklinea out of the bacta tank and go find Shain, who is sitting on the exit ramp to the ship.

Josh: Hey, bro... you ok?

Shain: (quietly) I can’t take this anymore. We’re fighting and severely injuring everyone we care about and we’re going to get ourselves killed. I can’t keep watching us hurt each other like this.

Eve: What are you saying?

Shain: I'm saying... I'm going home.

A wave of shock runs through the little group.

Anthony: Don’t do that.

Josh: Yo, bro, we need you.

Jordin: Yeah! We may be going through a rough spot, but we can through this.

Shain: Nothing you say or do will make me change my mind. I suggest you all come home, too and leave this galaxy. If you’re not joining me, then I wish you good luck.

Cassandra: (starting to cry) Shain, you can’t go! You’re like my big brother... the only family I have.

Shain: I'm sorry, Cassandra; I’ve made up my mind. (he stands up) Good-bye everyone.!

Cassandra: (sobbing) You.. you... You JERK!... I HATE YOU!

Cassandra turns to Eve and hugs her, hiding her face. Without looking back, Shain climbs into his starfighter, revs the engines and blasts off, setting a course for Earth.

D.J.: I can’t believe it… he really left. I’d never have expected him to leave. Not in a million years.

Eve: Hey now, you don’t hate him. You just don’t want him to leave.

Jordin: What are we going to do, now he’s gone?

Josh: (determinedly) We’re going to retake the Galaxy, same way he planned on doing it.

D.J.: Cool, but I think we should take some time to recover.

Eve: That’s a fantastic idea.

Everyone heads down to the Jedi enclave to get something to eat and spend the night.

To be Continued