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Hunting Shadows 1999 short story by
Jonathan Hicks Thirty-seven years before Episode
IV - A New Hope The Jedi leaped sideways, her momentum carrying
her past her adversary and behind him. As she landed she swung her
blue-beamed Lightsabre for another attack. Arcc Nedeen, his cloak so dark blue it almost
appeared black, had already spun on one heel to deflect the blow. The blue-
and green-bladed laser swords clashed, their hum as they travelled
intensifying with the speed of their movement and the connection causing a
flash and a noise like a huge electric short. Arcc was swathed in his blue attire, the arm and
leg coverings appearing like bandages. The hood of his cloak was tightened
around his face as if he was protecting himself from cold and long straps of
cloth splayed out with his twirl. The Jedi, Hutos-Qui-Lan, met his counterattack
with effort. Her light beige clothes were already singed from several almost
fatal strikes, her black hair was like a mop on her head, with a single short
braid hanging from behind her left ear. Her skin was tanned, sheened with
sweat, her eyes were piercingly black. She stared at the dark being afore
him. The Dark Side of the Force seemed to emanate from
the alien’s every pore. Arcc Nedeen’s face was long, white lines streaking
over the dark skin, a huge grin fixed on the features, and the sharp teeth
interconnecting like a series of doors. The apparent humour the being showed
was not an expression of joy; it was a permanent physical fixture. Horns grew
from the cheeks, short sharp growths that spread back over the heavy-browed
eyes and under the hood. A single long horn grew from his chin and curled
upwards. Again the Jedi leaped forwards with an overhead
blow. Arcc countered, and then countered the next one that sung at his side.
His return blow was a sweeping uppercut that Hutos only just stopped, the
force of the blow staggering her backwards. She turned her head to another figure on the
platform. “Run!”
she shouted. “Warn Coruscant!” The other figure was a small alien in ceremonial
robes, the redness of them appearing as blood. A huge headdress was adorned
with pearls and symbols from many worlds, his face marked with tattoos and
paint from several planets. The ambassador looked on the scene with horror,
clutching a battered portacomp to his chest. His third arm’s fingers
intertwined with nervous movements, and he tried in vain to pull himself to
his feet. His snouted face writhed with anxiety. Slowly he moved to the
lift-tube standing proudly in the middle of the landing platform. One of Arcc’s eyes flicked in his direction to
ascertain his movement and then back to the Jedi in front of him. He lifted
one arm and suddenly thrust it out, palm upwards, towards the ambassador.
There was a sound of a muted thunderclap and the painted alien was thrown
forward by an invisible force that carried him past the tube entrance and
towards the edge of the platform. Over the railing was a fall of at least a
kilometre. The landing platforms of the planet Aliass were high above the acidic
clouds that comprised it’s atmosphere and, whilst the city on the only
mountain peak above these clouds was being built, were the only means of
landing on the dangerous world. The ambassador slammed into the railings and
was winded. The Jedi, thinking Arcc had been distracted by
dealing with the ambassador, lunged forward to strike. Arcc, sensing the
Hutos’ imminent attack, shifted sideways and deflected the blow so that the
Jedi staggered past. He quickly spun the Lightsabre in his hand to strike the
back but Hutos had already lifted her weapon above her head and down the
length of her back, stopping the swipe. She dived forward with the momentum
of the powerful blow and did a one-handed spring that twisted her through the
air to land facing her opponent’s next move. They traded more blows, some attacks being made
and parried with such speed the loud hum of the weapons and the clashing of
their connections sounded almost continuous. Arcc forced her back in the
direction of the ambassador who was getting groggily to his feet. Hutos could see where Arcc was taking the battle
and she tried to divert their direction. “Run,
Lith, for goodness’ sake!” she almost screamed. She turned quickly; ducking under a slice that
would have decapitated her and ran for ambassador Lith. As Arcc approached
she shoved the alien towards the lift-tube with another shout and planted her
foot on the railing. Arcc came at her with an overhead chop but she
pushed herself up and off the railing as the green blade came down. She
back-flipped over Arcc’s head and behind him as his Lightsabre slashed
through the railing with a shower of sparks. Her next attack was successful.
She sliced through his robes as he tried to turn to face her, surprised at
her tenacity. The robes smouldered. Appearing unaffected Arcc swung back as she danced
away, knocking away his blows that now rained down on her almost impossibly
fast. Just as she thought she had finally got his attention away from Lith he
changed his attack. He came in with an unexpected high blow that she
had to lean up to parry. He was very tall and her short stature was working
against her. Even more unexpected was his foot that seemed to materialise out
of nowhere, swinging up and connecting with her midsection. The attack winded
her, knocking her down to the floor and ruining her concentration. Almost
defenceless, she waited for the final strike that would end the duel. But the deathblow never came. Arcc, realising that
the ambassador was almost at the lift, turned and ran at him. He leaped so
high it was unnatural, sailing through the air in a flurry of robes that
bought him down in front of the alien and blocked his escape. He held out the
Lightsabre threateningly. Lith staggered back as the shadow landed. He fell
on his rump with a squeal, dropping the portacomp. Arcc advanced, the grin
now appearing malicious. “No!” Arcc looked up, to see that Hutos had thrown her
Lightsabre directly at him. Using her own Force powers she directed the
trajectory of the weapon straight for his head. Shocked, he raised his weapon
and struck the hilt of the sabre, scorching the metal down it’s length. The
deflection was successful and the Lightsabre spun away, heading back to the
Jedi and for her hand as she ran to meet him again. Arcc jumped over Lith, one foot connecting with
the alien’s head as he did so and sending him sprawling. He raced towards
Hutos, and she realised with panic he was trying to get to her before she
could handle her weapon and use it effectively. As she grabbed the Lightsabre
she tried to use it. It was too late. Arcc came in with his blade held high, and as she
started to parry he suddenly swung low and her left leg below the knee fell
to the platform. She screamed, the pain sending her falling, making
her body spasm and her senses whirl. Nausea griped her insides, her hands
letting go of the sabre as she fell which clattered to the floor, the bright
blue beam receding as the weapon deactivated. She gripped her thigh and lay
panting. Arcc stood over her, his blade humming with a low
vibration as it waited passively. He stared at the crippled form below him
and pulled the cord that held the hood in place. It fell away, revealing a
high head that had long hair tied back into a topknot that now spilled down
over his shoulders. He glared at the Jedi. Through the tears of pain Hutos could barely see
Arcc. “Who are
you?” she hissed. “I am Arcc Nedeen, last of the Bedois. Lith
has on his portacomp evidence of my existence, and I cannot allow the news to
travel to Coruscant so that another hunt for me can begin. For a thousand
years I have walked in shadows.” “All the
Bedois are dead!” Hutos groaned. “There is nothing left of that dark race!
You're lying!” “I do not lie. I tell you this, for you are
the first Jedi I have encountered since the purge of my people. Be honoured.” But Hutos was not feeling honoured. “If Lith
knows then so do others!” she shouted. “The Jedi council will hunt you down!” “If they all believe as you do that the
Bedois are extinct they will not hunt me. If they do they will only be
hunting half-truths and shadows. I have become quite adept at keeping myself
hidden. I have been doing so for a millennia.” Hutos, defiant to the last, held her chin high and
glared at the alien. “Then
finish it and keep your secret.” Arcc thrust once and finished the duel. He reached down and recovered the Jedi’s
Lightsabre. It was damaged on the casing, scorched by his deflection as it
had spun for his head, but it appeared to be operational. He hid the weapon
under his robes, keeping it for a keepsake of this secretly historic
occasion. Lith, half-conscious, was trying desperately to
drag himself to the lift. The first indication that Arcc was behind him was
when he heard the Lightsabre swing down and his portacomp was sliced in two.
He rolled over, staring up at the now hooded figure who was silhouetted by
the dim sun.. “I was
right.” Lith whispered. “You do
exist.” “Unluckily for you.” Arcc whispered
back. Hunting Shadows 1999 short story by
Jonathan Hicks Thirty-seven years before Episode
IV - A New Hope Histories – Chronicling the return of Arcc Nedeen,
Bedois dark force user who was born a thousand
years before. After gaining virtual
immortality Nedeen lay low, much like the sith, firstly to protect himself
and secondly to bide his time, consolidate his powers and wait for the
anointed time to strike. Cast of Characters Arcc Nedeen Hutos-Qui-Lan Ambassador Lith |