Every conflict in galactic history is either instigated or made worse by the Jedi and the Sith. How many countless souls shall suffer while they tear the universe apart?
Blasters fire was the only thing that could be heard. The sergeant was shouting orders into his commlink, but even these words were drowned out among the chaos of the battle.
It was the planet of Faa in the Kamino system. Three months ago, the Sith enacted a scorched earth campaign and when it was over they claimed the ashes. The 421st was sent in for reconnaissance purposes. Our mission was to observe the Sith capabilities and report back to the fleet so the liberation could begin.
But something somewhere went wrong. As we patrolled the forest near the capital, we found ourselves in an ambush. How they knew we were here I will likely never know.
We're outnumbered 3 to 1 and they have the high ground. We have managed to break their left line, but that is all we have managed. And now there weren't many of us left.
I moved back behind the tree I was using for cover just as a red bolt passed through the space my head had previously occupied. I surveyed our position. There was eight of us now, not counting the Jedi. I had a few choice words with the commander when he said that she would be overseeing us during this mission. A new face breaks the flow of the team. Now I think she may be the only thing that can get us out of this.
She was locked in combat with some Sith warrior… lord? I didn't know. I didn't care. She was keeping him from using that Lightsaber on us and that's all I cared about.
I pulled out a thermal detonator and primed it. Withdrawing from cover I hurled it at a cluster of war droids. They were too dumb to avoid it. The explosion sent pieces of earth and metal everywhere in a great cloud that provided the perfect cover. I signaled to the two men nearest me and we advanced.
Blaster shots whizzed by, but none found their mark. Now we were on high ground, behind the enemy. We ducked behind a few trees, and then unleashed several volleys of shots down into the midst of their force. This seemed to cause them to stagger. The soldiers anyway, the droids didn't care. Now it seemed like the fight was sitting comfortably at 2 to 1 odds. We just might make it home after all.
As I thought this, something in my peripheral vision caught my eye. At first I thought it was an unlucky bird flying into the contested air because it was moving so fast. But it got closer and I could tell that it was no bird as it was human shaped. Woman shaped. Before I could process this, she darted into the cloud of dust still hanging in the air from my grenade.
At first I thought she had gotten lost and was unfortunate enough to end up here. But her silhouette in the dust moved with a speed of purpose. She was using the dust to cover her movement just as we had, though I couldn't have guessed as to why.
That is when a yellow luminescent shaft appeared in the dust as visibly as if the explosion hadn't happened. I could almost hear the hum of it over the hectic battlefield. Was she another Jedi? Her light saber wasn't red so she must be. Our odds just kept on improving.
I couldn't take my eyes away from her. Though I had to rub my eyes to make sure I was seeing this right. She was sprinting head long into a cluster of about five droids, and she showed no sign of slowing down. She cut down the first losing no momentum and she rolled into the second, before cutting down the third. She then crashed into the fourth knocking it helpless to the ground and decapitated the last, and then just kept on running. The droids never even managed to fire off a shot. It was like her body was a projectile. She hit quick, she hit hard and then moved on. And she seemed to be heading for the Lightsaber duel taking place in the center of the skirmish.
The Sith was too focused on the fight that he never even turned to see her. The Jedi on the other hand noticed, but couldn't react as she was locked in the duel. The mystery girl must have used the force. Because she leapt about five yards into the air, kicked herself off a tree, and with light saber outstretched, slammed it with full force down into the back of the Sith.
He collapsed to the forest floor and didn't move. I felt a sense of elation that lasted less than a second. The girl used her momentum carried over from her acrobatics to deliver a spinning elbow into the Jedi's temple. The Jedi herself was too bewildered to mount a defense, and as she flailed back she lost grip of her Lightsaber. The girl caught it, and turned her own off before grabbing the Jedi by the hair and bringing her head down into her knee. I could almost hear the impact. If the Jedi was alive after a hit like that, she didn't look it. She was as still as the Sith with the plasma burn still glowing in his back.
What had just happened? Before I could make sense of anything, the forest was filled with the sound of engines. A vessel, I didn't know what class had appeared in the sky. The bay hatch opened, and a tether fell down. The girl stretched out her had not to grab the cable, but to send a shockwave into a group of Sith soldiers who were getting to close.
I couldn't get hung up on this. Jedi or no, we had the advantage. If we wanted to live we would have to press it. I resumed the barrage on the remaining enemy combatants, and saw once more out of the corner of my eye the girl tying the Jedi with the cable. The cable rose and the Jedi was evaced high into the ship. The girl, remained on the ground and joined our fight.
That fight didn't last much longer. Soon the last droid was decommissioned, and the forest was silent. But I for one sure as hell didn't feel safe. The girl turned off her Lightsaber, and raised her hands in surrender. That didn't stop every man left from training his blaster on her.
"I would like to speak with your commander." She said. Hearing her voice, I only now noticed that she was young. Very young. The main attention grabber though was the black eyeless mask covering her face.
I looked at the remaining men and realized that the sarge wasn't one of them. That made me the highest rank here now.
"He took a blaster during the fight. You'll have to settle for me." I said, lowering my blaster, but signaling that everyone else should remain ready.
"Good enough. I…"
"You just attacked a Jedi. We have the authority to arrest and detain you." I said, trying to assert my authority. Because of the mask she was wearing, I couldn't tell if it worked.
"You do. You're also on a hostile planet. I imagine you've already called for your evacuation. So if you try to take me, you should know that my ship will send a message to the Sith telling them exactly where that evac point will be."
She could have been bluffing. But we had lost enough men today. As if sensing my thoughts, she suggested.
"Tell whoever you report to that the Jedi was captured. They'll believe you." She said lowering her hands.
I would never call myself a scoundrel. But if she wasn't bluffing, then this was the only way to save my men. By giving one up. I looked around at each of their faces, and consigned myself to what I was about to do.
"Men… grab the tags and start for the drop point." Surprisingly to me, they followed that command without hesitation. I however remained in front of this strange girl.
"Why didn't you just leave with your ship?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"Oh I will. You gentlemen seemed like you could use some assistance." She said in a anxious voice indicating she had more to say.
"There's another catch?" I asked, hand ready to dart for my pistol. But there was no need.
"Just a favor."