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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ankh-Morpork Guard" data-source="post: 3991624" data-attributes="member: 10079">Chapter 552: In the RainTobias knelt behind one of the larger trees about a half kilometer from the destroyed temple that was meant to be shelter from two things that were currently a little too close to him: the rain and the Yuuzhan Vong. The former was all around him, still falling from the clouded sky above so hard that it was hard to see very far in any one direction. Tobias was, of course, drenched because of this, his ears flattened to his blue-black hair by the weight of all the water and the fact that it wasn’t letting up one bit. He was still in his Alraxian body, knowing that since he was unable to detect the Yuuzhan Vong through the Force, he would have to rely on his other senses. Logically, that meant he needed to be Alraxian, with a much better sense of smell, more acute hearing, and better eyesight in the dark as it currently was thanks to the clouds and the jungle trees. Of course, the rain meant his sense of smell was no good, but his ears worked...    ...and that was why he was down on one knee by the largest tree he could find. Tobias had heard movement not far from him, and considering the circumstances, he wasn’t about to assume that it was any native life, which usually steered well clear of him, or Master Ral. So he’d found a spot to hide, identified the rough direction of the sounds, and reached out with the Force again. It was harder than before...Tobias was still strained, but he felt nothing. Maybe he didn’t reach far enough, but maybe...    There.    About seven meters away from him, Tobias could see the movement. Sadly, through the thick trees and underbrush of this part of Yavin IV’s planet-stretching jungle mixed with such a torrent of rain, it was hard to make out any details at that distance. All Tobias could make out were tall, maybe humanoid figures carefully moving through the jungle.    Multiple figures meant it wasn’t Master Ral. So it was either Vong or Peace Brigade and Tobias just wasn’t strong enough to sense them. The former was the most likely, but Tobias wasn’t about to rule out the latter. Unconsciously, he ducked down a bit lower towards the ground, sinking his boots a bit deeper into the mud that the ground had become.    What was he supposed to do now?    Tobias hadn’t been gone from the small shelter for long at all, and there was no sign of Master Ral. He’d seen a few small animals scamper for cover, but most of the intelligent creatures were out of the rain and away from the Vong. He’d run out here to...to do what, exactly?    Suddenly, Tobias began to consider the option of retreat. He’d gone against what common sense and Master Ral had told him to do because he was still a child that just wanted to be like his father: the impulsive hero that charged in and saved the day despite all the odds.    But...but that wasn’t Tobias. He was still a child. Sure, he could protect himself well enough, but he sure wasn’t a hero. He was Tobias. And...though, for some reason, he didn’t like to admit it, he did the one thing that Jyren didn’t really do: Tobias listened to that voice in his head that said “Wait...”    So he knelt there, waiting for...something. No, no he was waiting for those Yuuzhan Vong warriors to move very far away. And he was sure they were Vong now. Through the haze of rain and the trees, he could make out more details now thanks to the fact that the figures, while not moving straight at him, were coming closer to him while still moving off in the other direction. They had that very distinct, spiky, crab-like armour and black tattoos on pale skin that easily identified them as Yuuzhan Vong. And to think, Tobias had always been terrified of the Mrrakesh. They may have been larger than Vong, but at least they made sense! The Yuuzhan Vong were just...completely alien monsters that he just couldn’t understand. Seeing them up close had made it worse, those scars and tattoos all over their bodies...why in the name of the Force would any sentient being scar themselves like that?!    And then something happened that caused Tobias’ blood to freeze. The Vong stopped.    “Bos sus si?” through the roar of the rain, Tobias could hear one of the Vong speaking in their native tongue, a harsh voice cutting through the air like a weapon.    He saw one of the other figures shift its position slightly, looking back the direction they had come from, “Remaga?”    “Guvvuk!” a third voice cut in harshly, and its source motioned with an object that had to be an amphistaff.     The three Yuuzhan Vong began to move again, but they had changed direction.    “Oh, gods...” he whispered the words without realizing it, seeing the three warriors walking straight towards him.    And then, a second time, they stopped.    Had they heard him?!    He should run. Right now, he could bolt up and run away, use the Force and just go! But...but he couldn’t move! Fear gripped Tobias so strongly that he could do nothing but kneel there behind a tree and stare in horror at the three Yuuzhan Vong warriors, the closest of whom was only a few meters away from him.    The lead warrior of the three was looking forward, right over Tobias. He hoped to the Force and any Gods that might exist that the warrior continue to look straight over him and decide there was nothing there. Tobias had no idea how good Yuuzhan Vong eyesight was, but he also was desperately hoping the heavy rainfall impaired it even more...    That was when the warrior in the front leaned in slightly, then snapped back, raising his amphistaff and called out straight to Tobias, “Qe’u!”    The other two Yuuzhan Vong then locked onto Tobias’ location.    Time froze in that moment for Tobias as he stared down three Yuuzhan Vong warriors. What could he do? He sure as hell couldn’t fight them! But he couldn’t run! What kind of Jedi would Tobias be if he ran?    A live one.    Suddenly, time was moving again. So were the three Vong, charging straight for him with weapons drawn and a battle cry in their throats.    Tobias was on his feet in a second, spinning around and running as fast as he could the other way. To hell with being the hero! What good was any of that if it got him killed?!    “Yuuso ba toras!” one of the warriors cried from behind him as Tobias darted around a tree, nearly tripped over a branch, but kept going without even looking back. He could hear their heavy footsteps behind him, almost like the rain hitting the leaves but so much heavier and much more terrifying.    And then Tobias heard an odd buzzing sound. It was growing quickly. Instinct took over and he glanced over his shoulder to see the source. Before he could see anything, however, a palm sized...beetle of sorts flew right at him, catching Tobias across his left side and slicing in with sharp fangs before flying past and slamming into a tree.    The jolt of pain nearly forced Tobias to double over. Other instincts, though, those beat into him by Marix, took over and quickly remorphed the wound as he continued to run. It still hurt, though, and that was the worst part. But he couldn’t stop. They were still after him and he could hear more of those buzzing sounds behind him.    Reaching out his left hand, Tobias grabbed onto a nearby tree and pulled himself around it, hearing two heavy thuds as he went past. But he kept running, jumping over a large section of roots and then landing awkwardly in thick mud that made running that much more difficult. Behind him, Tobias could still hear them yelling. He was getting tired quickly, and the mud was making it so much worse and he could barely see through the rain and somehow the damned Vong were keeping up with him...    “Don’t ever be afraid to retreat, Toby,” Marix had told him firmly. It was after one of the many training sessions she’d forced him through, and then after yelling at Jyren for telling Tobias to stand his ground.    Jyren, of course, hadn’t backed down and ignored the sharp glare he was getting from Marix to repeat himself to Tobias, “Sometimes you can’t run, Toby. Sometime you have to stand your ground.”    Marix actually had growled very slightly at that, “And is that how you want him to get killed? Trying to be some damned headstrong idiot like you and then getting his throat clawed out because he didn’t know what he was getting into?!”    “I didn’t say he should never retreat,” Jyren growled right back at her, then looked back to a suddenly terrified Tobias and spoke sharply, “But sometimes you can’t run. Sometimes running will just tire you out and whatever you’re running from will have you the second you slow down. Instead of killing yourself you stand and you fight.”    Sometimes you have to stand your ground.    Tobias wasn’t going to outrun these Vong.    He didn’t stand a chance in a fight with them either...but if he ran, if he tired himself out just running with them keeping up the entire time, they’d have him anyway. So Tobias was going to at least give them a fight.    It was sudden, but Tobias stopped himself, spinning around in the current mud pile he was running through while pulling Jyren’s old lightsaber off of his belt. The snap-hiss of the blue-green blade coming to life cut through the sound of the rain just as the blade itself dissolved the water that fell onto it.    And the Vong came straight at him.</blockquote>

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