[Junior Jedi Knights] - 02(9)

They reached an opening, and before them was a circular area, roughly ten meters round, filled with water that was blanketed with blue-green algae. The Melodies who carried Lyric moved toward the edge of the pool and gently slid Lyric in. She floated on the bed of algae for a moment, then slowly sank beneath it and disappeared from view. Tahiri and Anakin stared at the blue-green pool of water. It rippled with movement from beneath its surface. Anakin turned and studied the cove. It was set deep within the mountain, but the jagged rocks that ringed it did not close out the sky.

The entire cove was open to a shaft of thick sunlight. Perched on the rocks surrounding the pool were young Melodies with bagfuls of stones.

“She’ll be all right now,” one of the Melodies said in a voice that sounded like the soft patter of water falling on dry sand. “You brought her in time.”

Anakin took the bag of stones and sharp spear that one of the Melodies held out to him. Then he moved to a flat rock next to the spot where Lyric had disappeared and crouched, ready to defend his friend. Anakin hoped that he could help protect Lyric and the other changelings by using the Force, but if not, he’d use the weapons that rested at his feet. Tahiri, too, was given a sack of stones and a spear. Anakin looked at his friend. Her orange jumpsuit was covered with purplish smudges of dirt from the mountains, and dust streaked her white blonde hair. Tahiri met Anakin’s ice blue eyes. Her own green ones flashed. She, too, was determined to protect their friend. Suddenly a young girl raced into the sunlight of the cove.

“The eggs!” the girl cried. “They’re attacking the eggs!”

Anakin felt the terror of the girl’s voice cut through him like a lightsaber. He jumped to his feet.

“Stay here and watch out for Lyric,” he called to Tahiri. Then he raced to the tunnel behind two Melodies. They tore through the dark passageways. Anakin felt the raiths before he saw them. He sensed their hunger, their frenzied aggression. The group rounded a corner, rocks poised. Before them was a large cavern stacked with pure white eggs. And in its center were three enormous black rodents, their thick, hairless, green tails lashing madly as they faced the two young female Melodies who stood between them and the eggs. The girls stood, rocks ready to throw. The Melodies beside Anakin didn’t budge. They were frozen by their own fear.

“Don’t move,” Anakin called softly to the girls. The creatures were too large to be killed with mere stones. Once the Melodies began their attack, the rodents would be on them. The girls wouldn’t survive, Anakin thought. Anakin moved between the Melodies and stood directly behind the raiths, spear poised. The loathsome rodents heard him approach and turned. They reared on massive haunches and snarled. On their hind legs, they stood a full three meters. Anakin watched thick brown saliva drip from their pointed teeth. A steady calm washed over Anakin, and he opened himself to the Force. He could feel the beating of the rodents’ hearts, feel the air rustle as their black whiskers twitched.

“Did you think I was going to let you have all the fun?” a soft voice whispered as Tahiri joined Anakin. She held her spear before her.

“Let them attack first,” Tahiri said quietly. “If they’re anything like the joined Anakin. She held her spear before her.

“Let them attack first,” Tahiri said quietly. “If they’re anything like the womp rats on Tatooine, you’ll be able to sense which way they’ll strike a split second before they like the womp rats on Tatooine, you’ll be able to sense which way they’ll strike a split second before they-“

Tahiri’s explanation was cut short as one of the raiths emitted a high-pierced whine and launched itself. She ducked sideways, keeping her spear vertical. The raith impaled itself on the sharp tip. Tahiri hardly noticed the thick green blood that sprang from the wound. She wrenched her spear out of the dead creature and turned to face the other two rodents. Anakin moved with one graceful motion as a raith leapt toward him, its teeth gnashing. He rolled forward and met the creature with his spear midair. It screamed in anger and pain, then fell in a crumple to the floor.

“Anakin, watch out!” Tahiri cried. Anakin lunged sideways as the third raith flew toward him. He had not had time to pull his spear out of the one he’d just fought. Now, weaponless, he stood facing a snarling raith, driven mad by the death of its companions and its own hunger and frustration. He could feel the rodent’s hot, rancid breath on his face, and he crouched in readiness to spring sideways when the beast attacked.

“Hey, big guy, over here,” Tahiri called out from behind the raith. It twisted and sprung at her in one powerful movement. Tahiri was ready, and seconds later the rodent lay twitching at her feet. For a moment the cavern was filled with silence. The pure white eggs almost seemed to glow around them.