Disclaimer: The brilliance of this plot and these characters is not mine, unfortunately.
Chapter One
Aithne Morrigan awoke in her underwear when the Sith began firing on the Endar Spire. She stood up, automatically checking for exits. She was in a sparsely furnished soldier's dormitory. It had been her dorm for two months now, ever since she'd been recruited on Deralia. But no more. Aithne could tell from the rock of the ship and the firing she heard distantly in the hallways that she'd have to jump ship, and fast.
She heard the whoosh as the door to the dorm opened. Aithne spun, ready to attack, but the tall man with the regulation haircut and blue eyes who had just run in was dressed in a Republic uniform.
"We've been ambushed by a Sith battle fleet!" he shouted in her face. Aithne blinked at him. "The Endar Spire is under attack! Hurry up! We don't have much time!" The sheer force of his adrenaline and fear nearly bowled Aithne over.
"No, duh, we're under attack," Aithne said irritably. "Otherwise I'd still be asleep." She crossed quickly to the footlocker that held her supplies, and began rooting through it, deciding what to take with her. "Who in the galaxy are you?"
"I'm Trask Ulgo, an ensign with the Republic Fleet," the man replied with an impatient toss of his head. "I'm your bunkmate here on the Endar Spire. We work opposite shifts; I guess that's why you haven't seen me before." The man looked at her in frustration. "Now hurry up! We have to find Bastila! We have to make sure she makes it off the ship alive."
Aithne got the sense that Bastila was someone of importance, but all she had seen since boarding the bucket were a few navigators. She'd advised them where to land, instructed them on galactic conditions, that sort of thing. Still, as the Spire bucked and rolled, Aithne knew she was now playing a different game. She nodded grimly at the blonde man, pulling on her cargoes , long-sleeved shirt and vest "Bastila's that uppity Jedi the navigation officer keeps complaining about, right?"
Trask looked incredulously at her. "Bastila is the commanding officer on the Endar Spire." He looked awkward for a second. "Well, not an officer, really. But she's the one in charge of this mission. One of our primary duties is to guarantee her safety in the event of enemy attack!" He glared at Aithne, daring her to walk away. "You swore an oath, just like everyone else on this mission. Now it's time to make good on that oath!"
Aithne stared levelly at him, belting a simple leather belt around her waist. She'd been offered some of the fancy stuff for stealth, but she'd never been good at sneaking around. She couldn't really believe Trask had the nerve to order her to fulfill her oath. She'd been press-ganged into Republic service. She had been visiting her homeworld, minding her own business, when her assets had been frozen and she'd been taken into custody. There, the Republic had basically told her that she could join up or starve. At the time, Aithne had considered telling them to go jump off a cliff and going rogue as a smuggler or some such, but she also had been rather bored, and eventually she had agreed. This war with the Sith was getting tedious, and to be sure Aithne didn't want the interfering bullies to win. Still, she had no real loyalty to the Republic, either, and if Trask didn't know that she was a firaxa. Soldiers gossiped like domestic servants.
To her satisfaction he dropped his gaze. "I heard what everyone is saying about you;" he said, in a quieter tone. "You've explored the farthest reaches of the galaxy, you've visited planets I've never even heard of. People with your skills and abilities are hard to find; it's no wonder the Republic recruited you for this mission. But now's the time to prove yourself!"
Aithne knew he was flattering her. But she also knew that the soldier wanted someone at his side in this battle, and it spoke volumes for him that he'd come to warn her. He'd known she would be sleeping, and now he'd have to go twice the distance to escape. And she had never been able to resist a challenge… Still.
Trask must have seen the hesitation in her face, for he added gently, "I know you're a scout and not a soldier, but Bastila needs all troops at her side during this attack!"
Aithne caved. Bastila needed her. She needed to get off the ship. And she'd need a friend on the planet below once she did. Trask would serve, but they had to save Bastila before he'd be of any help at all. He was the noble, idealistic, young soldier-type. "Ok," she acquiesced. "Let's go help Bastila!"
Aithne, now fully suited up, did a few stretches, trying to limber up. She'd been asleep five minutes ago, and now apparently she was going to wade through a Sith ship invasion to rescue some uppity Jedi with this Trask Ulgo she'd met three minutes ago. She didn't know how he fought. She suppressed a snort. For all she knew he might be a total amateur. He looked young. She reflected for a moment how firefights never seemed to wait until you were ready for them. Then she grabbed the large leather bag she'd come aboard ship with, empty now, and looked at her weapons. An ordinary blaster and a short sword. She reached for the blaster at first, and then changed her mind. Stuffing the blaster in her pack with a few medpacs at the bottom of her footlocker, she wrapped her hand around the battered hilt of her short sword. A blaster might make for a more antiseptic kill, but Aithne had always preferred melee fighting to ranged weapons. It felt better, somehow, and anyway, going into an unknown situation she had always found it best to play to her strengths.
Aithne turned back to Trask and smiled predatorily. She was gratified to see him shy away slightly. Good. She hadn't lost it living easy on the Spire these past few months.
"Ok," he said. "Let's move out! We should stick together: there's a better chance of survival that way. I think the door locked behind me because of the attack, but I've got the override codes. I should probably unlock it."
Aithne blinked, and raised an eyebrow. Trask was suddenly treating her as if she was in charge. Last time I checked I was just an explorer brought on to advise, she thought, but if this is what he needs to survive… "Well feel free," she said, using sarcasm as a shield for her surprise. Trask quickly unlocked the door.
He turned to her expectantly. "Now that the door's open, you had better take the lead."
Aithne had thought he'd looked young. She realized he was maybe only twenty one or twenty two. He's just a kid. No wonder he's so scared. She nodded, suddenly frightened for him, and ran down the corridor.
She was halted by a buzzing from her communicator. She brought it up and saw Commander Onasi. She'd seen him once or twice while up briefing the navigators.
"This is Carth Onasi," he was saying. A general broadcast, then. "The Sith are threatening to overrun our position! We can't hold out long against their firepower! All hands to the bridge!"
The line went dead. Trask's face had gone white. "That was Carth Onasi-"
"I know," Aithne cut him off.
"He's one of the Republic's best pilots, though," Trask said. Fear laced his words like a drug. "He's seen more combat than the rest of the Endar Spire's crew put together! If he says things are bad…"
Aithne pushed away her compassion for a more convenient hour. Right now, compassion would get them killed. "Save it, Ulgo," she advised. "Let's move out." Before she turned away, she was satisfied to see his expression harden in renewed confidence.
Jogging forward, Aithne found a locked door. It was a minor annoyance. Aithne threw the hair out of her face. The ship bucking made picking the lock a little more difficult than normal, but Aithne had considerable pride in her security skill. She was in before too many seconds had passed.
"C'mon, Ulgo!" she called over her shoulder, then stopped. Two uniformed Sith blocked their way. Aithne took a deep breath, tensing for the fight, evaluating their stances.
Trask reddened as he caught sight of the Sith. "These must be the advance boarding party," he called to Aithne. Then, drawing his blaster, he plunged in. "For the Republic!" he shouted.
Aithne could tell the kid had never been in a firefight. He plunged in blindly, without looking to see what his partner would do, how she'd move, or even evaluating his opponents. Aithne sighed. This greenie would get himself killed. They'd shot him in the shoulder already, and even now one was gashing his face. She'd planned to incapacitate the two Sith, but they had already half killed her partner. Bounding forward, she felled the two Sith with a few brief, brutal strokes. In the same lithe movement she drew a medpac out of her pack and injected her companion with it.
"Never," she growled at him, "rush into a firefight without evaluating your opponents. You're no good to Bastila or the Republic dead. Our objective is to aid Bastila, not kill every Sith that crosses our path."
Trask nodded dazedly, climbing to his feet. Blood streamed from the cut above his eyebrow. Aithne eyed it. The injection she'd given him would help the blood congeal faster. He'd live. "Yes, ma'am." He looked at her in wonder. "You saved my life."
"I'm no good to Bastila or the Republic dead, either," Aithne informed him, kneeling down and searching the Sith and the vicinity for supplies they could use later. "I'll need your help to get out of here."
Trask nodded again. "Still," he said. "I've got a feeling that won't be our last battle with the Sith. Good thing we have medpacs to heal our wounds. Thank you."
Aithne nodded wordlessly, and led Trask on toward the Bridge. Trask was right. They fought two more duos of Sith in the next room. True to his word, Trask evaluated the fights, with no more recklessness on his part. Aithne had to admit that when he kept his head, Trask was a fair marksman. Everywhere they passed bodies of soldiers in uniforms just like Trask's, and a few bodies in Sith armor. The slaughter of the Republic soldiers sickened Aithne, and she felt dirty every time she left bodies behind like they had.
"Take that, Sith scum!" said Trask before they passed into the room directly adjoining the bridge.
"Don't say that!" snapped Aithne as the Sith fell at her feet. "Never forget," she hissed, "that these are people. Sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, mothers, and fathers. They may be deluded. Some of them may be evil. But you have it in you to be just as bad. Never forget," she finished, "that you all share the common heritage of all sentient species."
She saw Trask's eyes widen. He looked at her bloody sword and then at her angry expression. He looked down at the Sith she'd just killed, and his face softened. Then wordlessly, he nodded, and gestured for her to proceed. Aithne opened the battered door with a hiss.
A woman shrieked in pain and lightsabers hummed. Tension crackled as the two Jedi fought. Trask swore, holding out an unnecessary arm to keep Aithne back.
"It's a Dark Jedi! This fight is too much for us! We better stay back. All we'd do is get in the way."
Aithne bit her lip but said nothing. The Dark Jedi man appeared to have the advantage. He used brutal strokes, pressing the woman back, and laughed at the fear in her eyes. Aithne's stomach churned at the cruelty of it, but then she noticed the set of the woman's jaw and how she had shifted her weight to her back foot, as if preparing….yes. Aithne was unsurprised when the Dark Jedi went down, cloven nearly in half by the woman's counter attack. She sprang forward to identify herself and beg for assistance to the bridge and escape pods, but just then the ship gave a particularly violent toss. Aithne was knocked to her feet, and she heard the woman scream as a piece of paneling came loose with a jerk and impaled her.
Trask looked shocked. "That was one of the Jedi accompanying Bastila," he relayed. He cursed under his breath. "We could have used her help."
But they had no time to lament the woman's passing any further, for two Sith stepped forward to take the Dark Jedi's place. Aithne gritted her teeth. This was the outside of enough. Reaching to her belt, she lobbed a frag grenade at the men. They went down in the ensuing explosion.
"C'mon," she growled at the young man. She stopped briefly twice to gather more supplies, then said to Trask, "You ready? We're at the Bridge…"
Trask nodded grimly.
The next few minutes passed in a blur. Aithne vaguely remembered fighting several Sith as the ship buckled underneath her feet. The close confines of the Bridge stifled her, but a few minutes later she stood panting, bloodied, with three dead Sith at her feet. Trask looked around briefly.
"Bastila's not here on the bridge-they must have retreated to the escape pods! We better head that way too! The Sith want Bastila alive but once she's off the ship there's nothing stopping them from blasting the Endar Spire to galactic dust."
Aithne looked at him. She wiped the blades of the two swords she now carried on a Sith corpse. "Well, come on, then."
The duo circled the Bridge, and opened the following door. Suddenly icy cold gripped Aithne's heart. An awful premonition swept over her. A hum sprung up behind the opposite door.
"There's something behind there, "Trask said. The door opened. Aithne felt herself unexpectedly shoved to one side as Trask sprang past her, blocking her from the Dark Jedi's reach.
"Another Dark Jedi!" he cried back to her. "I'll try to hold him off. You get to the escape pods! Go!"
And with that Ensign Trask Ulgo ran bodily into the Dark Jedi, punching the door lock behind him as he went.
Aithne ran to the starboard wing of the Spire, filled with sorrow and anger. Trask didn't have a chance. Whatever had possessed him to take on the Jedi alone? He had expressed awareness of how utterly beyond him they were as foes, and for some incomprehensible reason had decided to sacrifice himself for her, a stranger.
But again, she was allowed no time for grief. Buzzing came from her wrist again. She lifted it and saw Commander Onasi say, "This is Carth Onasi on your personal communicator. I'm tracking your position through the Endar Spire's life support systems. Bastila's escape pod is away- you're the last surviving crew member of the Endar Spire! I can't wait for you much longer; you have to get to the escape pods!"
With Carth's pronouncement, a strange, cool feeling took over Aithne, much like the one she'd had when she'd first woken up on the distressed ship. With a burst of speed, Aithne sprang upon the Sith at the end of the hall. He was dead before he knew what had hit him. Aithne hit the ground at a run, dashing for the escape pods. All she knew was that at the end of the day, she would survive to fight again.
She felt no regret as she demolished the two Sith in the next room. Later, she'd wonder about her animalistic fury, wonder where her morals had gone. But at the moment, Aithne was in full survival mode. She wanted to live. They wanted to kill her. The Sith had to die. And it was as simple as that. In theory.
A buzzing on her communicator slowed her rampage. "Be careful!" the commander warned. "There's a whole squad of Sith Troopers on the other side of that door! You need to find some way to thin their numbers. You could reprogram the damaged assault droid to help you, if you have enough repair parts. Or you could use computer spikes to slice into the terminal and use the Endar Spire's security systems against the Sith."
Aithne was forced to slow down long enough to recognize the commander's wisdom. Pausing to pick some more credits off the ground, Aithne opened a trunk, retrieved a few repair parts, and strode over to the droid. Repair was also a skill she excelled at. In a few seconds she had repaired the droid. She stood to one side calmly as the droid butchered the Sith next door. She picked up a beautiful vibroblade off the dead Sith captain, and strode through to the escape pods, humming with adrenaline.
"You made it just in time!" said a sudden voice, startling Aithne into defense mode. Then she relaxed. It was Commander Onasi. He'd been waiting for her. Well, she thought, he had said he would. "There's only one active escape pod left. Come on, we can hide out on the planet below!"
Aithne looked at the man. "Just the two of us?" She wondered what in the galaxy they would do there, what planet it was, if she'd visited before. She wondered if the Sith would look for them, and how they'd escape if they did. And she wondered what use Commander Onasi would be, or if he'd be useful at all. She wished Trask had made it…
Commander Onasi apparently misinterpreted her desire for more information as suspicion. He grabbed her bloody hand and looked her in the eye. "I'm a soldier of the Republic, like you. We're the last two crew members left on the Endar Spire. Bastila's escape pod is already gone, so there's no reason for us to stick around here and get shot at by the Sith. Now come on. There will be time for questions later!"
His amber eyes pleaded with her, and instinctively, Aithne knew she could, and would trust this man. She extracted her hand from his gently, and beckoned for him to join her in the last escape pod of the Endar Spire.
The inside of the escape pod was cramped and ill-lit. The seats were hard. Carth pulled the door shut behind them, engaging the air lock. Strapping herself in, Aithne pushed the button to eject them towards the planet below.
Her stomach dropped. She could hear the air wrestling violently with the escape pod. The temperature climbed steadily as they burned a path through the atmosphere. The pod began to shake, and Aithne wondered if it would crumple. Carth took her hand, and she saw his face as terrified as her own. They weren't at the mercy of Sith or Republic enemies now, or any mortal creature whatever, and it was dreadful. The forces of nature impassively determined the fate of herself and the other last survivor of the Endar Spire.
A sudden jolt shook Aithne to her very bones, and she felt a sharp pain in her left side and a dull one in her head. She was barely sensible of the lights going out before she knew no more.
A/N: So, hi. I loved my story, but being a perfectionist, I thought it could be much, much better. So I'm reposting it. I am methodically going through every chapter, making my main character less obnoxious, correcting minor errors, and obliterating large portions of unnecessary plot. I may also ditch some canon-character conversations in favor of ones I like better. Some, not all. Many will still make an appearance.
If you're new to this story, welcome! And fear not! You may still play an active part in improving my writing style. This whole story is undergoing repairs. Leave a review giving me feedback.
If you liked this story before, and are angry at me for taking it down, I'M SORRY, I just couldn't be satisfied. This is a writer's playground, isn't it? Who knows, maybe you'll like the new-and-improved The Edge of Light and Dark better, too!
Bear with me, and may the Force be with you,
LMSharp