"Lord Malek was very upset when he heard you had escaped Taris alive, young Bastila." The Sith Jedi's voice was monotone and heavily augmented. Most of his lower jaw was covered in a mechanical grill and one whole eye had been replaced with a bulky cybernetic. A lens of red crystal, like watered down ruby, stared blankly at Bastila and her companions. The lead Sith beckoned to his followers and they all in unison activated their lightsabers.
Alexander looked back at Juhani and Bastila and as one they activated their blades. Bastila held her double-bladed saber in front of her and lowered her stance to a defense position. Juhani growled loudly and bared her fangs to the Sith. Alexander was calm and composed. He raised his violet lightsaber in challenge to the leader of the Sith.
"Zaalbar?" Alexander tilted his head towards the Wookie, "Sit this one out. We won't be long." The Wookie nodded and took a step back, but he kept his bowcaster leveled and drew a vibro-sword from its sheath on his back.
"Bastila, you take blue one." Alexander nodded to a deep blue Twi'lek. The young Jedi nodded and walked slowly into position. The Twi'lek licked her lips and followed Bastila's motions exactly.
"Juhani, you have the one with horns." Juhani nodded her accent and growled towards a red skinned horned Sith.
"You two," Alexander called out to the lead Sith and a second Twi'lek, this one with sickly green skin, "Are mine!" The leader responded with an arc of lightning from his fingertip. Alexander raised his blade and deflected the energy into a tree, where it took a chunk out of the bark in a blazing explosion. Alexander leapt at the Sith leader and their blades met in a wave of sparks.
Bastila took this as her cue to attack but the Twi'lek was already moving. The Sith opened with a flurry of blows and Bastila was forced back a step with each blow she blocked. Bastila countered and brought her lightsaber down in a sweeping arch. The Twi'lek blocked the first blade and the second slipped past her guard, slicing the tip from one of her tentacles. The Twi'lek hissed in pain and sent a surge of energy into Bastila, knocking her into the air. Bastila tumbled end over end through the air but she recovered quickly and landed gracefully on her feet. The Twi'lek was sprinting hard with her lightsaber poised to deliver the killing blow. Bastila brought her blade up and deflected the blow. Each blow she deflected came closer and closer to landing. The Twi'lek was like a berserker, striking at every opening without any care for her safety. In a split second, Bastila saw an opening and spun around the Sith, through her guard and drove her lightsaber deep into the Twi'lek back. The Sith staggered to the ground and pitched over, dead.
Juhani swung her lightsaber in an upwards arch but the red-skinned Sith easily deflected and his return strike nearly took the Cathar's head off. Juhani dodged out of the way and landed a kick square in the Sith's chest. He stumbled and brought his lightsaber up blindly. Juhani's blade crashed into his and with a twist of the knuckle, her rolled her lightsaber down and sliced off the Sith's hand. The red-skinned Sith suddenly lunged forward, tackling Juhani to the ground and ripping the lightsaber from her grasp with his one good hand. The Sith struck Juhani in the temple with her own lightsaber handle. For a second all Juhani could see was stars and a blur of movement. The Sith drew his arm back to crush Juhani's skull but the Cathar lashed out with her hand and slashed across his face with her claws. The Sith growled in anger and clutched his ruined face, dropping the lightsaber. Juhani snatched up her fallen weapon and in one smooth motion, flicked it on and drove it into the Sith's chest, burying the blade to the hilt.
Alexander's lightsaber was a blur of motion, blocking and striking with perfect precision. The green Twi'lek lunged with his saber poised at Alexander's heart. The Jedi spun out of the way and brought up his violet lightsaber to block a return blow from the Sith leader. Alexander quickly countered, his lightsaber landing a telling blow on the Sith's chest plate but failing to draw blood. The Sith lashed out with his fist, catching Alexander in the jaw and snapping his head back. The Twi'lek saw an opportunity and swung his lightsaber in a disemboweling arc. Alexander sent a jolt of Force energy through is muscles and jumped out of the way. In a blinding arc he brought his lightsaber down to slice the Twi'lek in half. The Sith barely blocked but Alexander pressed his advantage and thundered a series of blows at the Twi'lek. The Sith blocked each blow but was forced to a knee. Alexander smashed the Twi'lek's saber out of the way and took his head off in one swing. The Sith leader roared his rage and hammered his knee into Alexander's chest, cracking a rib. Alexander staggered for a moment and the Sith leader raised his lightsaber high above his head to deliver the killing blow. Alexander brought his lightsaber up just in time and was driven to a knee by the force of the blow. The Sith pressed in and slowly forced his lightsaber closer to the Jedi's face. Alexander face was twisted with effort as he tried to hold the Sith leader at bay. Thinking quickly, Alexander let go with one hand and purposefully fell back out of the way of the Sith's blade. With his free hand he drew the laser pistol at his side and fired a round at point-blank range into the Sith's chest. The Sith staggered back and put a hand to the bleeding hole in his chest. Alexander staggered to his feet, keeping the blaster pistol on the Sith.
"It's over." Alexander wheezed, "Give up." The Sith was breathing heavily and clutching his ruined chest.
"Ne…never." He managed. The Sith took off in a sprint towards the Jedi. Alexander fired a round into his shoulder and a second into chest but he kept coming. The dying Sith collided with Alexander with all the force of a hurricane. The two fell back and stumbled over the edge of the wooden path to plummet to the forest floor below.
"NO!" Bastila screamed and reached out for him, but she knew it was too late. She sprinted over to the edge of the walkway, her heart beating faster than it ever had.
"Alex!" She screamed into the echoing darkness of the forest floor below. She pulled the vox-device from her belt and switched it on, "Alex can you hear me? Alex, come on damn you, respond." Bastila waited for a few heart-breaking seconds but only static responded. She could not feel him through her Force bond but she also knew she had not felt his death. Even with their connection she wasn't positive she would know if he was dead. Her heart was beating like a drum. This shouldn't be happening. He was supposed to lead them; he was supposed to be their hero. Now he was gone before he could make a difference. No! He was not dead. He was alive, he had to be. Bastila looked up at Juhani who looked equally distraught. After a moment the Cathar was impassive.
"I am not worried." She said, "And you should not be either. He is alive, I know he is. We will find him."
"I…you are right." Bastila said slowly, carefully. The next words out of her mouth filled her with self-loathing. "But we have to continue searching for the Starmap."
"What?" Juhani exclaimed, "We need to go find him. We have to-"
"Juhani please." Bastila said quietly, "I want nothing more than to find him, and make sure he's safe. Make sure he's…that he is…but we have a mission. We can't do anything from up here. Not right now at least. Alexander is a capable Jedi. He'll be fine on his own, for now."
"He would never abandon you." Juhani spat and turned away.
"Juhani." Bastila said darkly, "I am not abandoning Alexander. He and I share a connection that no other Jedi ever have. Something you could never understand. He matters more to me than you know. Do not dare to presume I would ever abandon him! Ever!" Juhani was speechless for a long moment.
"I…I am sorry. You are right, of course." She said at length, "It's just…" Her words trailed off.
"I know." Bastila said and turned back towards the forest below, "I'm not as cold and bitchy as everyone says I am. I do care. I want to find him. But we are Jedi. We have responsibilities. The safety of the Galaxy must come before our happiness. No matter how much we…" Bastila didn't finish her sentence and for the first time in years, she felt tears forming in her eyes. She quickly walked away, unable to be near the Cathar or Wookie.
Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. She was filled with regret and sorrow and anger. Regret because there was a chance that her last words to Alexander were harsh and dismissive. Sorrow that a friend, her best friend if she was honest, may be dead. And anger. Bright and raging anger. Towards the Sith for hurting her friends and rampaging across the Galaxy. At Alex for being so charming and handsome and passionate and caring. Anger towards the Jedi Council for forcing her into this quest, and forcing her to…
But most of all, the anger was directed towards herself. How could she let this happen? Why didn't she fight harder? Why couldn't she help her friend? Why couldn't she control her emotions?
Bastila looked down at the limitless jungle of Kashyyyk and sighed. He was down there, somewhere. She didn't know if he was alive or dead. It tore at her heart not to go find out immediately, but she knew Alexander would want them to carry on. He would want her to fight and protect the Galaxy.
But how could she? Loathed to admit it, Alexander was a better leader than her. Maybe she was the better swordsman, maybe, but she lacked his charisma. Alexander was also much more street-smart than she was. He knew what people wanted to hear. If it was possible to find a peaceful was to resolve any issue, he found it. And never once did he use his powers to persuade. Bastila sighed and looked down at her hands. She wanted…what did she want?
Touch. She wanted to touch him and be touched by him. Bastila felt equally disgusted and thrilled by the idea. She was a Jedi. She valued self control but she also valued honestly. If she was honest, she just wanted to lie down and let Alex hold her close. Nothing sexual or lustful. She just wanted comfort from him. Bastila crushed the thought before it took hold. She was a Jedi! She was above this.
"Bastila?" Juhani's voice was a quick whisper. Bastila looked over but found herself staring into the barrel of a bowcaster. She looked around and found a dozen Wookie soldiers standing around her, weapons drawn. One of their number, their leader, approached the two Jedi and Zaalbar. He brandished a vibrosword, indicating for them to follow him. Damn her aimless mind wondering. She was angry again. Angry at herself, but mostly angry at Alexander for causing these…feelings.
"What do we do?" Juhani asked, noticing the looks the Wookies were giving Zaalbar.
"What can we do?" Bastila asked, "We go with them. Peacefully."
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Alexander awoke with a start and the first thing he knew was pain. His breath came to him in ragged, halting gasps. It was clear several ribs were broken. He tried to open his eyes, and found he could only see through one. His other was gummed shut with pooled blood. He cupped the blood from his eye and took a look around.
He was lying on soft green moss and he could see the broken branches he had fallen though on his way to the ground. The sounds of the jungle echoed around him. He looked up and saw thin streaks of light bleeding through the forest canopy. In the distance he heard water rushing, and the call of birds. He could here leaves rustling. He felt movement on his leg and jerked quickly from a multi-legged insect crawling up his body. The creature scuttled along a piece of rotten wood before a spiked limb stuck it. A second, large insect held the first aloft as it died, and then began the process of eating it.
Alexander crawled to his feet, finding one ankle swollen and a throbbing pain in his head. He reached ouch and put a hand on a nearby sapling. He pulled the communicator from his waist and pressed in the broadcasting stud.
"Bastila? Juhani? Zaalbar?" His voice was harsh and ragged, "Anyone up there?" there was static for a second before the light on his communicator flashed out and started to smoke. He sighed and let the broken device fall to the floor. It was then he noticed a dull gleam a few feet away. It was his blaster. Relief flooded him briefly. At least he had a weapon. His lightsaber was nowhere to be seen and he doubted he would find it any time soon.
Summoning up his last bit of strength, he limped away. He had to find a way to get back to the others. His head throbbed in pain, and he found it nearly impossible to concentrate. His vision swam as he staggered down a small animal trail.
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Bastila, Juhani and Zaalbar were led at gunpoint into a Wookie village. Once they were through the wooden gate, Zaalbar was roughly taken away. Juhani cast a glance at Bastila, but the young Jedi's attention was elsewhere.
Bastila's mind was fixed on one action: Contacting Alexander through their Force bond.
Alex, can you hear me? She whispered into the Force, praying for an answer. Several horrible seconds past and there was no answer.
Alex, please…There was no response and a terrible sense of dread gripped Bastila. She could not sense him. If felt as if there was a static block between them. But, Bastila was quick to remind herself, that did not mean he was dead. It was possible he was just unconscious or too injured to concentrate.
Bastila laughed coldly and shook her head. Those two options didn't make her feel any better. A Wookie guard shoved Bastila with his blaster, and pointed to a longhouse at the edge of the village. Bastila and Juhani walked along a worn wooden path through the village heart.
Bastila got her first good look at Wookie life. It was beautiful in its simplicity. There was a sense of community in that no individual was made to work alone. Here Bastila observed a child with his father, or mother, it was difficult to tell, as the two wove a basket together. There two Wookies sat together over a small fire, turning a slow roasted hunk of meat. For the most part, the two Jedi were ignored. Briefly Bastila caught the eye of a older, grey Wookie and gasped at the sorrow in his eyes.
It was then that Bastila noticed the atmosphere of the village. Where before she saw community now she saw sorrow. There was an air of tragedy, and quiet desperation. Even as Bastila searched for an reason, she knew in her heart what happened. Slavery.
Her conversation at the Czerka office earlier flashed in her mind. These Wookies were the lucky ones. The ones either too old, or weak to be taken as slaves. Cursed to live without loved ones and in growing fear. At brief glance at Juhani told her the Cathar Jedi had come to the same conclusion. But where Bastila's eye were set, Juhani's eyes were alight with fiery anger. Bastila wondered if the Cathar had some personal experience with slavery. Before she could ask, the door to the longhouse was opened by a Wookie honor guard. Bastila and Juhani approached a throne, flanked by growling armed Wookies.
A human, in the garb of a Czerka specialist, stood at the right side of the Wookie on the throne.
"Greetings, Jedi, and welcome to the village of Rwookrrorro. This is Chief Chuuundar, and he welcomes you." The Czerka man said in a smooth, diplomatic way.
"I…thank you." Bastila said and nodded her head to Chuundar, "I am Bastila Shan of the Jedi. With me is Juhani Marr, also of the Jedi." She paused, and looked around, "We had another. A Wookie. Zaalbar, he wa-" With a roar of anger, Chuundar leapt from his throne and gripped Bastila by her throat. He growled something in his language. The Czerka officer laughed.
"It seems that name if forbidden here, Jedi." He told them, "He is a madclaw. A Wookie who slew another with his claws. He has been exiled."
"Hrr….grrrr…release…me…" Bastila managed and Chuundar obeyed. Bastila gasped on the ground for a moment and fought the sudden urge to kill the Wookie chief.
"The Madclaw will be caged, like an animal should be."
"We will free him." Bastila said with a hard edge in her voice. Chuuundar sat back down on his throne and growled something.
"Why are you on Kashyyyk?" The officer asked after a pregnant pause.
"We have our own mission. We must go to the Shadowland. " Bastila spat, "A Jedi matter. That should be enough for you." The officer relayed Bastila's word to Chuuundar in the Wookie's language, who studied the Jedi with a cold eye. He turned to the officer and growled a response.
"You're quest ends here, Jedi." A ghost of a smile played on the Czerka officer's lips, "You are forbidden to go any further. You may not journey to the Shadowlands"
"You can't!" Juhani suddenly exclaimed. Bastila held up a hand for her to calm down.
"Please, Chuundar, there was another in our group." Bastila tried to keep the sadness from her voice, "Another Jedi. We were ambushed by Sith warriors, and our companion fell into the jungle. You must let us look for him."
"Jedi, if he fell into the Shadowland, then he is already dead." The Czerka officers voice became more casual, "even if he survived the fall, he's been eaten alive by something by now. You wouldn't want to see what's left of him."
"Please, just translate what I said." Bastila growled, the idea of Alex being eaten bringing her blood to a boil. The Czerka officer sighed and did as she asked. The chief, Chuundar, studied Bastila for a horribly long time. Chuundar motioned to another Wookie, a confidant of some sort, and whispered to him. After a brief discussion, Chuundar spoke to the Czerka officer. After a moment, the human turned to Bastila.
"Chief Chuuundar is willing to make a deal with you, Jedi." The officer motioned to the two, "He will allow you to look for your companion, and by extension, you may continue your quest. In return, while in the Shadowland, you hunt down and slay a Wookie. Another madclaw, named Freyyr. Kill him. Take it or leave it?"
"We'll take it." Juhani said quickly. Bastila shot her a look, but nodded.
"Deal." Bastila told Chuuundar. The Wookie nodded and motioned for the Wookie guards to take the Jedi away.
"Good luck." The Czerka officer said mockingly. Bastila bit back a reply, and steeled herself for the mission to come. Bastila and Juhani left the longhouse and were escorted out of the village.
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Alexander stumbled blindly through the jungle, his head throbbing in pain and his ankle giving him no small amount of discomfort. He didn't know how long he had been wondering. An hour? Two? It was impossible to tell through the tree line, and his chronometer had broken during his fall. All he could do was press on, hoping to run into someone. He hoped it would be Bastila, but he knew that was unlikely. Kashyyyk was a big planet, with endless kilometers of jungle and swamp land. Who knew where she was? Or if she was safe?
A chilling thought entered Alex's mind. What if a second Sith party had ambushed his friends? Was it possible that Zaalbar, Juhani and Bastila were already dead? Could the Ebon Hawk have been destroyed? Was he the last one left to fight Malak? He could not believe it was so. He had to push on, he had to find his friends. Alex's bad ankle landed on a lose rock and he stumbled, falling into the mud.
He screamed in pain and clutched at his leg. After a moment, he pulled a pain-killer syringe from his belt. On a count of three, he plunged the needle into his leg and emptied the contents. There was more pain, followed by a cooling sensation. His foot went numb in moments and he sighed. He pulled a water canteen from his belt and sipped at the precious liquid. It was cool and calmed the fire in his throat. After a moment, he retrieved a ration bar and ate it ravenously. While he was chewing, he studied the land around him. He was on a small outcropping, and in the distance he could hear water running. He stood on weak legs and buckled his canteen away. If nothing else, he could refill the thing at the water. Maybe if he followed the stream, it would lead him to a village.
He walked slowly making sure each step hit solid ground. There was another bite at his neck, and he slapped the area quickly. Looking at his hand, he saw the bloody smear of some leeching insect. Gods, how he hated this planet and its insects. When they weren't trying to eat you, or suck your blood they were trying to lay eggs in your eyes, or burrow under your skin. There was a level of violation in what they did that sickened him. He toyed with the idea of summoning some sort of Force barrier to keep the troublesome bugs away, but decided against it. Who knew what he would encounter later?
As if to answer his thought, just as he crested a hill, Alex heard a deep growl. With mounting dread, he turned slowly. There, only a few meters away, standing at the bank of the small river he had searched for, was a beast. It was some sort of reptile, with a large armored head and two scything claws. Its body was a mess of green leathery skin and natural armor plates. Its eyes were like two baleful suns, sickly and dying. And they were looking directly at him. It growled at him, and bared a mouth of powerful teeth.
What gripped Alexander wasn't fear, but trepidation. This beast could, and most likely would, kill him. On some level, he was okay with that. Death didn't frighten him. But what he would leave unfinished did. Malak was still out there. The Sith were still waging their war against peace and freedom. And his friends needed him. Mission wanted to find her lost brother. Juhani, Carth, and Canderous were lost souls, looking for something. Alex was determined to help them find it. And Bastila…
He didn't know what she meant to him, or vice versa, but she was special. He wanted to be her friend. To stand with her as they fought the Sith and brought order back to the Galaxy. But all those hopes and dreams were going to end, here and now. End on the claws of some reptilian predator.
Alex pulled his blaster from his belt, determined to at least die with a weapon in hand. He briefly fumbled for something on his belt, and found a single adrenaline stimulator. He despised these things. Too many good soldiers had suffered terrible side effects of prolonged stim use. With regret he injected the drug into his system and breathed deeply.
The Kataran charged. Time slowed for him as the stims took effect.
Alex fired a barrage of red death, easily striking the reptile in a dozen places. Slowly, purple blood oozed out, but it have no signs of pain. It barred its teeth, and Alex leapt to the side, barely dodging the creature. It turned quickly and swatted at him with its tail. The force of the blow was staggering, and sent the Jedi sprawling in the dirt. He groaned and raised his blaster again. He fired and this time was rewarded with a screech of pain. A shadow loomed over him, and, acting on instinct, Alex rolled out of the way. The Kataran's claw cut through the ground where he had just been. The creature acted quickly, and slashed again.
Alex screamed in pain as the Kataran's claw cut through his armor and deep into his arm. He wrenched the vibro-knife from his belt and plunged it into the reptile's stomach. It howled in pain. Alex withdrew the knife and plunged again, and again, and again. Each strike ripped a new hole in the Kataran, rupturing organs and spilling precious blood. Retrieving his blaster from where he had dropped it, Alex buried the weapon's barrel in one of the knife wounds and fired. The Kataran bellowed as it died, but he kept pulling the trigger, sending round after round into the beast. He only stopped when the pistol clicked empty. The Kataran fell to the ground heavily, the smell of burned meat and smoke rising from the corpse.
Alex lay exhausted on the dirt, his breath coming is gasps and blood leaking from the wound in his arm. Already he could feel things crawling on him, biting at his torn flesh and drinking his flowing blood. He pulled the can of synthetic flesh from his belt and sprayed the last little bit on his shoulder. There wasn't much; he had used most of it on his numerous cuts and scrapes from his fall. But there was enough to disinfect the area and cover it with a temporary seal.
His eyes grew dark, but he forced himself to his feet. He didn't want to be nearby when scavengers came for the Kataran's corpse. He stumbled down the bank of the river, his feet dragging and his eyelids heavy. He had to keep moving.
A sound cut through the air. Screams. Human screams and laser fire. Alex tensed and quickened his pace. He knew at his core, that he would find Bastila soon.
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"Are you sure we're going the right direction?" Bastila asked for the third time in fifteen minutes. Their newest companion, an ebony skinned Jedi named Johlee Bindo, sighed.
"Yeah young Bastila, I'm sure." He said in his deep voice. Bastila cast a glance at the older Jedi. To her it seems too convenient for her and Juhani to just stumble upon him.
Bastila and Juhani had taken an elevator to the Shadowland and had wondered through the jungle for several hours. Every now and then, Bastila called out to Alexander or tried him again on her communicator. He never responded. Bastila was beginning to wonder if she wanted to find him. She worried he was already dead. When they had heard the unmistakable sound of a lightsaber, Bastila had felt a thrill. But instead of finding Alexander as she had hoped, they had found this man; Johlee Bindo. He had been beset by numerous reptilian predators and together, the three Jedi had easily slain them.
They had exchanged brief pleasantries until Johlee had mentioned he was hunting poachers. Bastila had seen an opportunity. Now they were hunting for poachers on the promise that Johlee would help them find Alexander when they were done. Bastila put a hand to a throbbing vein on her forehead. This situation was getting absurd. It was suppose to be a simple search for a legendary Starmap. But instead, Bastila was ankle deep in foliage trying to find local poachers so she could eventually find her partner.
She blinked. Partner. The word was apt for her relationship with Alexander. But part of her still thought it was inappropriate. She was a Jedi. She shouldn't be attached to anyone.
"Bastila?" Juhani's heavy accent called to her, "I…I found something." Pulled from her thoughts, Bastila jogged over to the Cathar but stopped when she saw what Juhani had found. It was small, silver and in the shape of a cylinder. It was a weapon, used only by a most sacred order of protectors. A Jedi lightsaber. And it was horribly familiar.
"No…" Bastila breathed as she reached out her hand and brushed it against the lightsaber.
"It's his." Juhani said solemnly, "It's Alexander's." Bastila took the lightsaber and held in close.
"He's alive." Bastila sighed, "I know he is. We will find him." Juhani nodded and walked away, lost in her private thoughts. Bastila studied the lightsaber in her hand and sighed. After a moment, she clipped it to her belt. She would give it back to Alexander herself.
"Listen!" Johlee suddenly called out. Bastila looked up and strained her ears. She heard jungle birds, rushing water, insect calls, and the general atmosphere of the jungle. But there was a snap and hiss that wasn't natural. It was barely audible, but it was there. Weapons fire. Blasters. Johlee met Bastila's eyes and nodded before they took off into a run.
They ran through the jungle, their preternatural reaction time easily allowing them to dodge pitfalls and logs. Bastila ran hard, her heart hammering. She dreaded that they'd fine these poachers, with a laser blast riddled Jedi corpse at their feet. When they came to a clearing, Bastila stopped dead in her tracks. She gasped.
"Nord?" Her voice was a whisper. A man in a blue speeder jacket and black sunglasses turned to her and smile. A dozen heavily armed warriors, and one black robed Sith stood at his side. The bodies of several men, the poachers they had been looking for, were at their feet, dead.
"There's quite a hefty bounty on your head, darling." Nord smiled as he twirled a pistol in his hand, "Alive or dead." The group of bounty hunters with him raised their weapons in unison.
"I say we kill the old fuck, and have ourselves a little fun with the babes." One of the hunters, a Mandalorian in purple plate armor, sneered. The other hunters laughed or made whistling sounds. Bastila felt sick to her stomach. She knew exactly what these hunters would do to her and Juhani if they were taken alive.
"I'll take the Cathar. I like 'em feisty." A Twi'lek blew a kiss at Juhani, "Here kitty kitty." Juhani bared her teeth in a snarl, and activated her lightsaber.
"I will never let you touch me, filth!" Juhani spat back. A number of the hunters laughed at her.
"Damn. Feisty." A human said, "I wonder how tight she is? What do you think? Think she's a virgin?"
"Easy boys." Nord said with a grin, "Let's get them on their knees first."
"Well what are we waiting for?" The Mandalorian raised his rifle and fired. Bastila ducked under the red laser and activated her duel-edged lightsaber. She used a quick Force blast to paralyze the Mandalorian. She charged, leaving Johlee and Juhani to deal with the other hunters. She wanted to kill the Mandalorian. She really, really wanted to kill him.
The Mandalorian dropped his rifle and pulled a vibrosword from his back. The energized blade met Bastila's lightsaber in a burst of sparks. Bastila pressed against the bounty hunter, her face tight in a sneer. The Mandalorian laughed and brought his knee up into Bastila's hip.
She yelled in pain and stumbled. In the second it took her to regain her balance, the Mandalorian hammered his armored fist into her face. Stars danced across her vision and she fell to her knees. A second plow hit the back of her head, and everything went dark.
Alexander's blood boiled in his veins as he came into the clearing. He had just seen Bastila fall to the Mandalorian bounty hunter. His vision went hazy with anger and he felt the Force surge through his veins.
Alexander raised his blaster and fired round after round at the Mandalorian bounty-hunter. The first blasts took him in the arm before he could react. With precision that came from countless battles, the Mandalorian activated his shield and raised his vibroblade. Alexander gritted his teeth as he limped towards Bastila's attacker. Each broken step he took, he pulled the trigger, keeping up a steady stream of fire. Alexander pressed the "over-charge" stud on his pistol and fired several fat, powerful blaster rounds into the Mandalorian. The bounty hunter staggered under the assault. A final shot took the bounty hunter in the face, killing him instantly. By then Alexander was at point blank range and glared down at the dead Mandalorian. Without thinking he retrieved the fallen man's vibroblade and used a burst of Force power to glide just over the ground. He covered the distance between him and the next bounty hunter in a second.
Before the Rodian hunter could react, Alexander drove the vibroblade deep into his chest, and ripped it out. The Rodian collapsed to the ground, his upper torso separating from his body. The next two bounty hunters, a Twi'lek and a human, died in a flash of steel and blood without firing a single shot. Alexander moved like a man possessed, the Force covering him in a faint blue glow. His stolen sword rose and fell, rose and fell, cleaving through shields, armor and flesh with ease.
Alexander's vision was a blur as he entered a battle haze. Faces came and went. Bodies seemed to move in slow motion. His sword found every weakness, every gap in a defense. Men died before him. But the one thought that burned in his mind was Bastila. He had to protect her. He had to keep her safe. And as long as these bounty hunters lived, she would never be safe. He knew what he had to do. He could show no mercy. Not for these men. They wanted to hurt someone close to him. A friend. A loved one.
His vibroblade suddenly met glowing red resistance. Alexander found himself blade-to-blade with a Sith warrior. The fallen Jedi smiled in a crooked way, his mouth filled with too many razor sharp teeth. His eyes burned a baleful red. Alexander powered through the Sith's defense and blasted him back with a Force push. Capitalizing on his advantage, Alexander rained a flurry of blows at the Sith, driving him back with each strike. The Sith managed to counter every attack, but he was becoming frustrated and tired. They traded blows, Jedi and Sith each searching for a gap in the other's defense.
There! Alexander saw the gap in the Sith's guard and struck. His vibroblade ripped through the flesh of the Sith's thigh. The Sith staggered back and Alexander drove his palm into the man's face, flattening his nose and cracking his skull. The Sith fell and Alexander dispatched him with a strike to his neck. The Sith died with a roar of denial in his throat.
There was only one enemy left. Calo Nord. The man from Taris, a man Alexander had thought died in the Sith orbital bombardment. Now he was here for Bastila. He wanted to give her over to Malak to be tortured, beaten…violated. Righteous anger flooded Alexander's limbs. What the Sith started on Taris, Alexander would be happy to finish here. Calo Nord fired a barrage of laser blasts from his duel pistols. Alexander charged through the storm, somehow evading every shot.
"Die, die, die!" Nord snarled as he unloaded on the charging Jedi. Thinking quickly, Nord pulled a thermal detonator from his belt. He primed it and hurled it at the Jedi. Alexander used his Force powers to halt the grenade in mid air, less than a meter from the bounty hunter. The detonator exploded with all the power of a supernova, throwing Nord to the ground in a daze. Alexander felt his skin burn and some of his hair singed away but he kept charging.
Nord's vision slowly cleared. His head throbbed and his body ached. A figure loomed over him, and Nord instantly raised his blaster and fired. The round took Alexander in the arm, but he ignored it. Summoning the last of his strength, Alexander raised the vibroblade with both hands and drove is deep into Nord's chest. Armor splintered. Flesh tore. Blood flowed. Alexander twisted the blade and watched Nord die. He felt a dangerous sense of accomplishment that left his gasping for breath. The blade dropped from his hand as Alexander's energy left him.
What had happened to him? Where had such power come from? He glanced around, seeing Juhani and another dark skinned man, another Jedi, standing a distance away. They stared at him in awe and maybe fear. He had single handedly killed over a dozen professional bounty hunters, and a Sith in matter of heartbeats. Alexander saw Bastila rising to her feet and his heart started to beat faster. Their eyes met.
Bastila stared at him for a long moment. Her heart hammered in her chest and she felt waves of relief flow through her. Pain was forgotten.
"Alex…?" She breathed the name, and slowly reached a hand out to him. Alex's body armor was dented and smeared with blood and crushed vegetation. He smiled in a broken, injured way and took a slow limp towards her. Bastila dropped her lightsaber and sprinted as fast as she could.
She collided with him hard, and wrapped her arms around his chest. Alexander hissed in pain, but managed to put one arm around her and held her close. The other arm hung limp at his side, his wound still throbbing with pain. None of that mattered to him right now. All the pain faded to a dull ache as he held Bastila.
Juhani smiled happily and made to approach the two Jedi but Johlee stopped her.
"Give these two a moment." He said quietly, "They deserve one. Come with me. Your friend looks injured. I have supplies back at my cabin." Juhani nodded and cast one last forlorn glance at Alexander before following the aged Jedi back into the jungle.
Bastila breathed in deeply and let herself get lost in her happiness. A small Jedi voice in the back of her head told her to show some restraint, but she'd be damned if she didn't revel in the joy of seeing Alexander still alive.
"Hey there beautiful." He whispered in her ear; Bastila laughed despite her training, "I take it you missed me?"
"I…I was…" She looked at him and put a hand on his face and took in the damage done to him. Most of his face was stained with dried blood and several smaller cuts decorated his handsome features. Their compromising position suddenly struck her mind and her Jedi resolve returned. Her Jedi mind spoke for her. "I was worried the mission would suffer without you."
Alexander's smile fell and he stared hard at her. Bastila winced at her own words and regretted them instantly."Is that all?"
"No." Bastila admitted and looked away, ashamed, "I was also worried for you. I feared you were dead…and we can't do this without you. I almost hate to admit it, but we need you."
"By we do you mean you?" He asked dangerously. To his surprise, Bastila smiled softly and rested her head on his chest.
"Yes." She whispered and let herself melt into his embrace, "I need you...And if you mention this moment to anyone I will not hesitate to make your life a living hell."
"I understand." He responded quickly and just enjoyed holding her close. She felt his lips brush against her forehead and she stiffened. Her Jedi training screamed at her, but she couldn't listen. She didn't want to listen. She looked up and found her eyes locked with his. She could feel his warm breath on her face and a longing stirred in her stomach. She leaned forward, her lips mere inches from his. She closed her eyes and waited in anticipation for her first romantic kiss. But it never came. Seconds dragged by at an agonizing pace. Slowly she opened her eyes and saw that Alexander's features were sorrowful.
"We can't." He said at length, "I want to. Believe me Bastila, I want to, but if we did you'd never forgive yourself. I won't let you suffer because of my…desire." Bastila sighed but nodded. It was her desire too.
"You're right. We can't."She looked at him and smiled sadly, "Thank you Alex, for being strong. I… wish…perhaps…in another age, in another life…we could…" She let the words hang in the air before she brushed a hand on his face. Without another word she spun on her heel and walked several feet away. She waited for her heart to slow down. Her face burned with shame, guilt and passion.
What's happening to me? She thought to herself. Outwardly she said "If you need help walking, I can assist."
"I can manage. Walk it off. That what my old drill sergeant used to say. " He said with his trademark grin and limped over to her. She could tell he was in pain and when he stumbled it was too much for her. His manly pride be damned!
"Oh for Force's sake, here!" Bastila sighed and walked over to him. Alexander held up a hand and shook his head.
"Please. Let me do this." His voice was low, and filled with sadness.
"Alex?" She breathed.
"I…I don't trust myself to be strong a second time." He looked away and limped by her. Bastila stared at the ground as he passed. Her heart ached for his touch and her brain hated her for it. How could she long for someone so much? She was a Jedi. Granted she was only a Padawan, but a Jedi none the less. She was above this. Better than. She had to deny this. If Alex could stop himself from…kissing her, then she could at least not act like an awe-struck schoolyard bimbo. Bastila steeled her heart and resolve and followed him into their temporary camp outside Johlee's house. She saw that Juhani and their newest Jedi companion had laid Alexander down on a small cushion while they tended to his wounds. As she approached, Juhani looked up and scowled.
"You let him walk all the way here on his ankle?" She asked, "It's practically broken Bastila! How could you?" Bastila breathed in sharply and was about to retort when Alexander interrupted.
"It was a favor." He said cheerfully, "I have to keep my manly persona, you know? No offense Bastila, I'd love to let you hold me, but I need to fly solo for awhile."
"Don't…don't mention it." Bastila said slowly, then grinned, "Nice to see none of that hot air leaked out during your little side adventure. Maybe we can use it to float over the trees?" The three other Jedi laughed and Juhani relaxed and turned her attention back to Alex. Bastila held his gaze for a long moment.
Thank you. She whispered into his mind.
It's ok. He managed back. Bastila allowed herself to feel his mind through their link. She suddenly felt weak on her knees and steadied herself on a nearby stump.
Gods, Alex. You're exhausted. You need to rest. She looked at him, feeling the sympathetic pain he was in.
I will. Just…just be there when I wake up. He smiled weakly at her as Juhani applied a healing solvent to his face. Johlee was talking aimlessly about a wound on Alex's arm that could only have come from some local alpha hunter.
I promise. She told him. He nodded and let his head rest on a small cushion. Sleep took him almost instantly. Bastila smiled to herself and entered Johlee's hut to see what food supplies to old hermit had. If they were going to continue their quest, then they would need to eat. And Bastila was determined to be of some help, even if she couldn't be as close to Alexander as she wanted. The female Jedi sighed and shook her head. This quest would be the end of her.