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

Chapter Four: Aria

DJ lands on the surface of the planet Felucia. He spends three days on the planet’s surface. On the fourth morning, as he is asleep, the ground starts shaking. He wakes up and it stops. He looks around and it still seems pretty dark around him. Then he hears a familiar voice that he would really rather not hear first thing in the morning.

Aria: Good morning, little brother. I hope you had sweet dreams.

DJ looks up from where he is laying and there stands a Bull Rancor towering over him, with his sister on its head. She is clad in her usual denim jeans, dark red sleeveless tunic, and white hooded cloak. At a slight motion of her hand, the Rancor smacks its claw down where DJ is lying. He quickly rolls out of the way and stands up.

DJ: Couldn’t you have just used something shiny to get me out of bed, like you normally do? Or bacon... Bacon would be good.

Aria: This isn’t a game, DJ. And you just made things harder on yourself.

The earth starts to shake and out of the giant, neon-colored trees and flowers come numerous amounts of Rancor, Bull Rancor, and Acklay.

DJ: Aria, trust me when I say you don't want to do this.

Aria: (coldly) You don’t know what I want. You’re not me. Kill him.

The animals start to close in.

DJ: (a little worried) Hey, can’t we talk about this? You know, brother-to-sister?

Aria: Tempting, but no.

DJ opens his V-shaped orange lightsaber. Suddenly, there is an explosion and several of the animals go flying. Aria and DJ both look up and there is Josh Sietsma in a War Bird starfighter.

Aria: (enraged) No!

DJ: (relieved and excited) Yes!

DJ’s comlink beeps and he answers it.

Josh S.: Wohoo!Alright, let’s get your sister back!

DJ: Help me from the sky. I’ll take the ground. She’ll run out of animals, eventually.

Josh starts shooting down the animals and DJ is taking out the “smaller” things. They have been fighting for a while - Josh has run out of rockets and DJ is beat.

Aria: (mockingly) What’s the matter, little brother? Did you fall down?

Suddenly there is a crash - Josh’s left engine is down. Josh calls DJ over the com.

Josh S.: She had a Felucian bird take out my engine. I gotta set her down. I’ll be right out to help you out. I’m going to set up the gun as auto turrets for a little help.

The ship lands and Josh runs out side to help. The two fight for a little while.

Josh S.: This isn't working. We need to take out your sister!

DJ: I'm on it.

DJ jumps on the back of a rancor, and starts jumping from animal to animal, working his way towards his sister.

Josh S.: DJ, no!

DJ finally makes it to the Shadow Sith. He jumps up from the ground to the head of the bull rancor. Aria turns on her pink lightsabers. Before his feet touch the rancor’s head, as he is flying over Aria’s head, she Force-slams him into the ground below.

Then she jumps down off the rancor and stabs him center chest. The next thing she knows, her crystal is being ripped from her neck. Just before she passes out she looks down and sees DJ lying there.

DJ: (with his last breath) Hannah... don't... blame.. yo..ur..ssse..lf...

Aria falls to the ground. Josh is in disbelief he slips the dark crystal into his pocket. The animals are out cold everywhere and the auto turrets stop firing.

Josh S.: (in shock that his vision came true) I couldn’t stop it...

Josh buries DJ, and then starts fixing the engine so he can get them off the system. It starts to get dark. That night Josh forgot to shut the door to the ship. Around midnight someone comes into the ship. Josh is almost asleep when a blaster is pressed up against his back.

Cut Lawquane: (quietly, trying not to wake Aria, not knowing she’s unconscious) If I were you, stranger, I’d be very careful about what I said and did.

Josh’s eyes are wide open now. He recognizes that it’s a clone trooper’s voice.

Josh S. Now, now let’s not do anything irrational, trooper. What are your orders?

Cut Lawquane: Get up and walk outside. Don’t turn around; don’t try and wake up the girl.

Josh S.: (walking toward the door) She’s unconscious, anyway.

They get outside. Josh has his back away from Cut and his hands up.

Cut Lawquane: Turn around slowly.

Josh turns around.

Cut Lawquane: So what did ya do, boy? Drug her? Kidnap her to sell as a slave? What?

Josh S.: No way, man! She can kick most boys’ butts! She’s a Jedi and so am I.

Cut Lawquane: Prove it.

Josh pulls the crystal out of his pocket with the Force and puts it back in, knowing anyone who was taken over by Censes knows about the crystals.

Cut Lawquane: Alright. (Lowers gun) What are you doing way out here? I heard the shooting earlier but my wife wouldn’t let me leave.

Josh S.: I came out here to help my friend save this planet from Censes’s rule. He died trying to save his sister - the girl in there - and my ship was damaged.

Cut Lawquane: Why don’t you bring her out to my place and we can help you out? And tomorrow, we can fix your ship. Trust me, I know how uncomfortable ship bunks are.

Josh S.: Right now? In the middle of the night?

Cut Lawquane: Sure. She can’t get better, laying on a hard bunk like that. I don’t live that far from here; we can throw her on the sidecar and you on the back.

Josh S.: Ok, let’s go.

Josh uses the Force to set her down carefully in the sidecar and they stay the night at Cut’s house. The next morning Josh comes down for breakfast. They talk for a while about the Clone War and what happened with the orb, Luke Skywalker and other such things.

Josh S.: Hey, can I ask you something?

Cut Lawquane: Sure, go ahead.

Josh S.: Why did ya move here from Saleucami?

Cut Lawquane: Well, that's quite simple, actually. Back in the Clone Wars, we decided to come here right after Captain Rex left. It wasn't safe having someone in the army knowing where we lived. I mean, I knew my brother could keep his word, but still.... It was a safety precaution. Now, suppose we go fix that engine of yours, shall we?

Josh S.: Sounds like a plan to me.

The two go out for several hours and fix the ship’s engine.
Josh S.: Thanks for your help, man. I’d still be working on this, if not for you.

Cut Lawquane: No problem, kid. Come back any time for a visit.

Josh S.: I will.

Cut Lawquane: I’ll be back with your friend in the sidecar.

Josh S.: Thank you.

Cut goes and comes back in about twenty minutes with Aria. By time he gets back Josh has both Star Fighters on the ship. The two say their goodbyes and Josh gets Aria back onto the Rebellion.