Thirst of the Blade
Amelia leapt and straddled the Nexu's back, landing neatly on the moulded seat that gave her protection from the lethal spines. A distinctive snap-hiss filled the air she ignited her pure white lightsaber and held it out to one side as Anji charged at the collection of assassins that had underestimated her minutes before, their ambush backfiring as she and her growling mount outmanoeuvred the highly trained men and driven them into their tightly compacted circle. She brought the weapon around in a wide arc that tightened at the last moment to disembody a Bith who had ducked below it to make a last ditch-attempt on her life.
She wheeled Anji and chased after the scattered men, again herding them into a group. She deflected a bombard of blaster bolts and took down another three before jumping meters forward from the savagely hissing Nexu to land amongst the seven remaining men, pirouetting and cutting down over half of the stragglers.
Two more were mauled by Anji who took her chance while the men were facing Amelia and pounced on them.
Two remained. A Rodian, armed to the teeth with thermal detonators, blasters, tranquilisers and even a threatening array of knives and scimitars, who obviously had frightening ability with mêlée weaponry and a Bothan with only a blaster. She quickly dispatched of the Bothan and turned to the Rodian. He had drawn two long knives that each curved into a cruel, tapering spike.
Her and Anji circled the green man and repeatedly feinted inward, making as if to dodge through his guard before retreating to a few meters to continue circling. He made no move to stop any of the faked attacks and began to taunt.
"My blades are thirsting Jedi, will you let them drink? Or will they take their relief from you as you writhe on the floor, taking the blood of one so, powerful, should strengthen them, yes?" An evil grin grew on his face. "The creature will make for a good dessert."
Anji pounced from behind and the Rodian dropped to one knee and raised the two blades over his head, slashing deep into the belly of Amelia's beloved Nexu. He let her momentum carry her to the ground, where she crashed into the dirt, staining the particles a deep red with the blood that poured from her body. Anji whimpered and then fell silent.
"NO!" cried Amelia shrilly, as dread washed over her. She raised her head to the laughing Rodian and allowed her anger to engulf her. She leapt into the dusk air, already taking the lightsaber through an impossibly quick series of movements. She brought it down onto the crossed blades where it was stopped by the Mandalorian iron. The two danced and parried, the assassin's skills matching those of the Jedi. They locked together their faces coming tantalisingly close, their gritted teeth baring past their mouths, and pushed apart, merging again into an indiscernible blur of swirling energy and twisting iron.
Amelia saw her chance as he lifted both blades to bring down on her and she ducked his guard to drive the shimmering rod of light into the gut of the Rodian. She wrenched it out and watched his sneer turn to disbelief. He gasped and let the knives fall and clatter against the flat rock that they stood on. He stepped back and Amelia spun the lightsaber before burying it deep in his skull. He collapsed to the floor.
Amelia turned and knelt by her stricken friend, a friend whom she had relied on so much in the past twenty years. She was wracked with sorrow and she sobbed, letting the tears fall freely, and hugged the fallen predator, majestic even in death. She let the gushing blood drench her hand and smelt the metallic tang. She buried her head in the fibrous hair and to her, it felt to be as soft as silk. She closed the eyes of her lifeless companion and slid her arms beneath it. She straightened her back and stood, lifting Anji and bearing her to the ship that was still miles from them, not bending from the weight, but rather standing tall and holding the Nexu high, the pain of the spines digging into her hands she ignored, determined to bear her without question, as had been done for her since the cub had grown into a powerful adult.
She laid her down and walked numbly to the controls of the ship, ready to fly from the planet to the Jedi temple on Coruscant where she would cremate Anji as she would do a fellow Jedi, for to her, Anji was greater than any Jedi.