JEDI RESURRECTION

CHAPTER 4

The timelord led the Jedi to the main control room which was only a few steps from her private chambers.  This was the one part of the TARDIS' ever-changing interior that remained constant.  Once inside the brilliantly-lit room, Mika went straight to the controls and began fiddling with them.

Jinn followed her example stopping at the controls of the view screen. "This activates your viewing screen, does it not ?" he asked her, "May I?"

Mika smiled brightly at her new companion and nodded towards the central time rotor.  "See that column?  When it's moving we are in flight and the scanner will only show you the vortex.  It's stopped now, so you may proceed."  She adjusted another control.  "You catch on quickly don't you?" she grinned without looking up.

"A Jedi can see many things before they happen, and knows many things through the Force." he answered, as he worked the controls as if he himself were a Timelord. The view screen came on and an image slowly faded into view.

The reddish sentient planet was breathing hard, it seemed. Jinn could see small fissures open, release steam from it's core. The ground shook lightly.

Mika turned to look at the screen, and found herself standing close to the tall Jedi.  Unable to resist being so near, she reached up and began to tickle the hairs on the back of his neck while trying to make out what looked like three small specks on the edge of the screen.

Qui-Gon turned his head slowly, a funny grin on his broad face. "And what, pray tell, are you doing?" he asked in a mock-disapproving tone.

Mika kept a perfectly straight face, even managing to frown a little.  She adjusted the scanner controls to zoom in on the planet's horizon.  "I'm trying to see what those things are.  I think they're our problem," she said innocently enough while continuing to tickle him.

"You think the hairs on my neck are the cause of our trouble ?" Qui-Gon returned, "Well, then fetch out a razor."

She tried to act annoyed at his remarks.  "Look, I don't have any idea as to what you are referring."  She pointed to the screen with her free hand as three landing ships came into view, several dark figures moving among them.  "That.. that's what I'm talking about.  Vegalans.  They're trying to destroy the planet.  They are what we came here to stop.  Remember?"  She continued to tickle though, struggling to keep a straight face.

"Ohhhh.. that's why we're here !" Jinn replied, "I'm glad you remembered." he squirmed a bit and tried to act as if he didn't noticed; as Mika smiled, musing that the great Qui-Gon Jinn was being tickled to distraction.

Trying to avoid actually letting off a laugh, or perhaps indulging in greater temptations; he pasted his eyes to the screen, adjusting the magnification to zero in on the marauding aliens.

Soon a face came into view. It had a greenish colour and was covered with lizard-like scales. The eyes were small, with slit pupils, and red. The face it's self was shaped more or less mannish, but there was a protrusion of the mouth, almost Neanderthal-like, and the snout... A broad, flared pig like snout that the creature seemed to be working like a sensor as hard and rapidly as it was sniffing.

The Vegalan pulled back a black hood, and Jinn saw a row of small bony spikes running the center of the hairless head, from forehead back down into the collar. The ears were flat against the head, small, and pointed.

Jinn looked down at Mika, still feeling her tiny fingers dancing through the hairs on his neck. "They... they do not look friendly." he remarked.

"They aren't," she said matter-of-factly as she continued to watch their activities... and work her fingers.  Almost as if having a mind of their own they began dancing in his long hair that covered his shoulders as well.  "But, they're none too bright either.  Ruthless to a fault, they'll even kill their own over a small disagreement."

"I've met their kind before... before..." he stammered. "Shift the balance of power... and they'll..." Jinn suddenly grabbed her hand, took it from his hair, and brought it to his mouth. She felt the hairs of his beard tickle as he kissed her fingers.

He let the hand go and smiled, "Hadn't we best be .... concentrating on the Vegalans."

Mika looked up into his rich, blue eyes, goose bumps ran down her spine at the touch of his soft lips upon her skin.  She fought the urge to grin and instead put on her best puppy-dog pout, giving him the full force of her full, red lips and large, violet eyes.  "Oh, do we have to?" she said softly.

"If you wish to save the planet, yes." Jinn responded, "But... I promise I won't forget your attentions to me. It has been longer than long... you know... you have made me feel, very much a man."

Mika held her hand to her chest and turned away, blushing a pale shade of violet.  She tried hard to think of something to say but couldn't.  Instead she decided to concentrate on getting this mission over with.  It shouldn't be too hard, she thought.

"Right, I think we'd better go see what our friends are up to, shall we?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly.

"Indeed, let's have at it. Just lead the way; and I shall follow." said Qui-Gon. He gestured towards the door of the TARDIS with one hand, his sabre clutched in his other.

Mika led the way, glancing once over her shoulder at the large bear of a man behind her.  "You know something?  You're too tall," she chuckled.

Once outside, Mika checked that her own lightsabre was tucked into her belt and began leading the way across the rocky surface of the living red planet.  "Batraxis, it's Mika," she called out to the air.  "We've come to help.  What are the Vegalans doing?"

Qui-Gon was taken aback for a moment as he heard the deep rumbling voice of the living world, throbbing within his mind. The planet communicated telepathically.

"Grrrrrrooooooommmm!" came the first sound in their minds, "Those little beast-rrrrrroooooommmm-people are grrrrrrom... going to eat me alive!" The voice was clear and concise but the words were often punctuated with deep, baritone rumblings, like an earthquake deep within the core of the world. Batraxis was angry and scared.

"Steady, old friend.  I'll take care of them.  It shouldn't be too difficult.  Batraxis, I'd like you to meet my new friend, Qui-Gon Jinn.  He's going to help me take care of your 'problem'."  She continued to speak to the planet as she would a small child, all the while marching straight towards the creatures in question.  She stood out quite well against the landscape in her white, formfitting jumpsuit and matching boots and leather jacket.  Her dark hair was loose and blowing in the wind that had begun to stir the red dust.  She turned to her companion and smiled, "Qui-Gon, this..." she spread her arms wide, indicating the entire planet, "is Batraxis, one of the Elders of the Galaxy."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Batraxis." said Jinn smiling, and looking around. They heard an approving rumble in their minds and then:

"I... broooommm.... hope you can help me, Mika... Mr. BOOM Jinn...you are the only ones to answer my distress broomooom call."

Mika frowned as she continued to march ahead.  "Yes, that puzzles me greatly.  You say the Supreme Council actually denied your request for help?  Did they give a reason why?"

"Hroooomm.. no !" answered Batraxis, "Not a one.... 'tis why I'm sooo glad you came !!" there was a slight tremor right below their feet. Qui-Gon assumed the planet was happy.

"Well, you know I'll look after you, m'dear.  I always have haven't I?" she grinned back at Qui-Gon who, despite his great advantage in size, was having a hard time keeping up with the speedy, and angry little timelord.

"I suppose it's too late to ask... but what sort of weapons do the Vegalans carry ?" Jinn asked. "Are they telepathic?"

"Telepathic?" she snorted.  "They're not even intelligent as far as I'm concerned.  I mean, they eat rocks for Rassilon's sake.  And for weapons, they're rather primitive.  Large double-tipped pikes I believe."  She dropped to the ground behind a large boulder as a laser shot just missed her left ear.  "Then again I could be wrong," she looked surprised.

Jinn's sabre immediately sprang to life, the blade humming and hissing as it extended itself. A laser blast flew past the Jedi as he turned his blade to block it. He blocked off two more then fell in beside Mika.

"For primitives, they're pretty good shots." he remarked calmly.

"Well, yeah, I guess I could have gotten my time periods mixed up.  Still, they aren't very bright."  She scanned their surroundings for another way to approach their enemy without losing cover since they had no long-range weapons of their own.  She spotted another larger pile of boulders and pointed it out to the Jedi knight.  Staying low to the ground, Mika scurried towards it, followed closely by Qui-Gon.  She had still not pulled out her own weapon, not being used to carrying it yet.  When they settled behind the new hiding spot, Jinn's sabre deflecting a few more shots along the way, Mika dusted off her knees and took a deep breath.

"We need to eliminate all the Vegalans on the surface.  I counted three landing ships so that means there are nine, maybe ten at most to contend with.  We can't let any escape and run the risk of warning the mother ship.  Besides, I'll need one of the landers to destroy the mother ship."

"So... we have to destroy them, outright ?" asked the Jedi, "I've been on such missions. Perhaps our purpose would be better served if we split up?"

"You know I hate to, but there's really no other way.  Very well.  I'll go this way, you go that way."  Mika got ready to take off, still not having drawn her sabre.

A laser blast flashed over her head, and into an outcropping of rock; sending dust and stone splintering in all directions. Qui-Gon sprung to his feet, and quickly his sabre warded off two more shots. "You had best arm yourself." he said to her hastily.

Then they both heard a rumbling above them. Jinn looked up to see a stone, dislodged by a blast, rolling towards them. It was easily a meter in diameter and moving fast.

Qui-Gon lifted one hand and gestured, and the stone veered from it's course to fall harmlessly into a pile of rocks about 10 feet off.

"Cool trick," Mika grinned as she pulled her sword from her belt and activated it, the pale violet blade a companion to his darker one.  "Batraxis," she called out.  "We could use a little help here."

Suddenly, the ground rumbled and the Vegalans forgot their prey for the moment, being caught off-guard and frightened by the sudden earthquake.  Grunting and squealing they backed away towards their ships slowly, the rising dust making it hard for them to see.

"Now!" Mika shouted, "Before they reach their ships!"

Jinn responded with a catlike grace, moving his big body with surprising agility. He and Mika separated and Qui-Gon took off at a run.

Mika turned to look after him, and shook her head, tempted to rub her eyes. Jinn was flitting from rock to rock at a speed too fast for any normal human.

The timelord followed suit, running at the bewildered Vegalans like a savage warrior, screaming out her samurai cry and wielding her lightsabre as she would her trusty katana.  She fended off a few laser shots until she was too close for them to do any good.  The creatures began putting away their guns and pulling out their double-tipped pikes, just as she had predicted.

Using a lightsabre was both new and old for Mika. The weapon handled more or less like a katana. But it was much easier to do damage. When the first Vegalan lunged at her with his pike a swipe of the sabre removed the weapons head neatly, with a bit of smoke.

Two other Vegalans came up to aide their companion, both of them wielding their weapons expertly. Mika hopped easily over a blow delivered low by one and as she came down to the ground delivered a savage kick to the midsection of the other. The first Vegalan twirled his pike and lunged with the remaining blade.

Mika dropped to the ground, rolled, and regained her footing off to the creature's side. Her sabre came down and sliced into his flesh near the shoulder. He dropped the weapon as she dispatched him with another quickly delivered blow.

The other two Vegalans bore down on Mika, one twirling his pike over his head, the other brandishing his like a javelin.

The twirler leaped on a rock, but a quick rumble from Batraxis sent him tumbling onto his back.

Mika met the javeliner with her sabre, slicing his pike in two and forcing him to drop his weapon. The Vegalan then went for a short knife, but it was too late for him and Mika dropped him with a quick sideswipe of the sizzling beam.

The third Vegalan pulled out his laser and fired, but Mika quickly whirled and blocked the shot. Then another, and another. The last bolt was sent back directly at the shooter and seared a neat hole in the center of his forehead.

Qui-Gon watched, with admiration, at Mika's fighting skills. Her talent with the sabre was as if she had been training for years as a Jedi. He allowed his attention to waver, staring at her, watching her deadly yet graceful movements. It was exactly at that moment that a Vegalan decided to make his attack move.

A pike swung in the direction of Jinn, the Vegalan charging stealthily and silently.

In a flash Qui-Gon's sabre activated, almost as if by itself. The Jedi spun and blocked the pike-blow with his dully purple blade. Taking his queue from Mika he then advanced, bringing down the scavenging alien with a second blow.

Energy bolts began to fly past him, hitting the rocks, and causing the ground to shake. For an instant Qui-Gon wondered why the ground was made to shake... then he heard the rumblings of Batraxis in his mind. With a soothing telepathic word, the Jedi calmed the planet, and the ground stopped it's vibration.

A lavender blur caught Jinn's attention as Mika came into view, somersaulting over a Vegalan, and landing beside the big Jedi. Her sabre was soon raised and it blocked two energy bolts that were aimed directly for her head.

"Take out the trio controlling that ship, I'll cover you, then I have a plan !" she shouted over the din of gunfire.

"As you wish." responded Jinn, his sabre deflecting a bolt, as he ducked behind a rock. The energy blasted away at the rock. Qui-Gon looked towards to Mika, to see her skirting among the rocks dodging laser fire. With a shake of his head, he leaped over the small rock he was using as cover and took off at a sprint.

A sprint powered by the Force, and it carried him to the nearest of the Vegalan vessels almost as if he were being transported by a Starfleet transporter. The Vegalan laser blasts seemed almost to fly through the Jedi as his Force-driven form sped past them at slightly higher than their own speed.

As Qui-Gon came closer to the vessel, two Vegalans took cover behind a small hillock and aimed for the area Qui-Gon would be in in a few seconds. They turned to face each other, and odd little smiles crossed their faces, until they heard a voice.

"Target-practice boys, not with him you don't !" the first Vegalan to turn his head caught a sharp healed white boot on the chin and his head spun. He was soon face-first in the dust with a snapped neck. The second Vegalan brought up his gun and fired.

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