IV
Through double vision, Azaleé Myrra beheld the thing rising out of the wreckage.
It seemed to be all but unaffected by the inferno surrounding it.
Only a cape like garment it wore blazed and whipped around it from the searing updrafts of the flames.
The inferno threw it in silhouette to the transfixed republic recon team as they beheld its skeletal appearance and imposing height.
When the figure stood to its full height, they caught a glimpse of its face.
Or what served for its face.
A mask whiter than death, and in its sockets were blazing golden, slit-pupilled eyes hungrily looking at them from the gloom.
A demon summoned from the pits of whatever dark hell that existed.
Just as the gunship had burst apart, she felt fear explode into every particle of her being as the skeletal monster in the burning cape began to stride out of the fire.
Her heavy breathing began to catch in her throat when she heard a guttural roar from behind her.
Warrgo had lunged toward the monster in the fire, his amethyst lightsaber held aloft.
Among the Jedi Knights of his generation, Warrgo had become a rising star due to his strength, valor and courage.
Powerful in the Force, he was also a master practitioner of Form V, which made the most of Jedi who possessed prodigious natural strength.
The Wookiee had even modified his lightsaber to capitalize on that quality upon ascending to Knighthood; more massive and consequently with a longer and broader blade than a regular lightsaber, Warrgo's lightclub brought with it the advantage of reach and added force.
It was through those measures of competence by which Warrgo had survived every battle he had experienced, literally beating down every opponent he had faced.
Myrra expected the demon—whatever it was—to meet its end through the same.
Just then it held up high a lightsaber that erupted a blade of green fire.
Then there was this mind-numbingly fast flash of green; one which Warrgo had only managed to block at the very last possible moment.
Warrgo was strong, but he was not nearly strong enough.
To their combined horror, the thing's one-handed strike instantly buckled both of Warrgo's arms and they beheld the gruesome spectacle of the giant amethyst lightsaber carving into the shoulder of its owner.
The sword of green fire then finished the job with impunity.
Warrgo was cleaved in half literally and effortlessly in the blink of an eye.
Azaleé Myrra felt oddly detached from her horror even as she saw through double vision how the skeletal monster split Warrgo in two with just one overhead strike.
She was numb—from absolute fear or from her injuries she did not know.
Everything seemed to unfold in blaze of hazy lights and fuzzy sounds.
The female human could have sworn she saw and heard the clone commandos open fire at the skeletal figure.
Perhaps it was the choking darkness of the night in Raxus Prime.
Perhaps it was the dancing flames and toxic fumes from the corpse of their transport.
Those could have all played tricks on her rattled mind.
She was sure that the thing had suddenly appeared in the throng of clones, whether it could instantly change it position through space and time or simply moved with impossible speed, she did not know.
But it possessed two lightsabers now.
One blue and one green, and she saw how it killed three clones in one effortless move.
Blaster bolts seemed to be as ineffectual against it as the inferno from which it was born.
Even then, the surviving commandos continued to throw everything they had it.
And even when two humanoids; one sporting a green blade and another with dual blue sabers—were those Masters Orvid and Ardann?—proceeded to duel the monster, she thought she heard Master Ardann's voice shouting as if from underwater.
"Back to—garrison! Back—NOW! Shasta—Commander—"
She then felt someone helping her get to her feet and felt a small sting on her shoulder—a revitalin shot.
The drug worked almost immediately and her head began to clear.
She saw that her arm was slung over the shoulders of the young Mirialan, Shasta Orsin.
Surrounding them were five surviving clones, Commander Wrench included, who were fast running back up the vent they had exited from.
Silhouetted by the burning wreck, Myrra saw both Jedi Masters were still engaged with the monster.
Myrra knew she needed to help the Masters and immediately rushed back despite Shasta's protests.
As she ran back down the slope of junk, Myrra could tell that the thing was frighteningly skilled in lightsaber combat.
It clearly possessed strength and speed far beyond most beings and it fought with unpredictable and unorthodox tactics—her eyes did not deceive her when she saw the skeletal demon fight not only its hands but with its feet—tossing and shuffling both of its lightsabers in impossible maneuvers, nearly catching Ardann and Orvid off guard as it did.
Even when both Masters called on the Force in tossing all sorts of objects in an attempt to subdue their adversary, it simply leapt or twisted out of the way with its extraordinary reflexes. It then immediately closed the gap between them where they could not use such tactics.
She leapt from the slope and ignited her twin blue shotos,—dagger-like variants of the lightsaber— aiming for the monster who had just delivered a vicious backhand that sent the Rodian Jedi Master flying backward.
She and Master Ardann struck at the same time with speed capable only by those touched by the Force.
Most opponents wouldn't even have time to react to such a joint attack, much less have the strength to withstand it.
But the demon did and did so with astounding ease.
It met their strikes head on, blocking both the Zeltron Jedi Master's blades with one hand and Myrra's twin shoto with the other.
She knew that it possessed unnatural strength after it had brutally executed Warrgo.
Even then, she could not believe how powerful it was until she felt it block her attack.
Her fears were fast multiplying as she felt herself losing the saberlock—the skeletal monster's malevolent golden eyes were fixed on her and the green blade that had caught both of hers was inexorably inching toward her.
She was too afraid to notice Master Ardann was himself struggling.
Azaleé Myrra could taste the bile rise in her throat and the scent of ozone mixing with the smog as she strained to keep her opponent's blade at bay.
Force have mercy!
Just then the lock was broken and Myrra's saw the skeletal monster thrown back violently by a Force push from the recovered Master Orvid.
Wasting no time, she hurled all manner of debris at the thing, feeling a sense of satisfaction on the sounds of metal-on-metal, knowing she hit her mark.
Master Ardann compounded her action by sending a massive section of rusted pipe which he had torn out from the wall of the derelict garrison hurtling down at the creature who was then recovering from her assault.
She thought it was over and wanted to rest—only for the thing to suddenly rise like a vengeful wraith and catch the great pipe with its hands.
The momentum from the Force push by Master Ardann and the sheer mass of the pipe was such however, that even with all its frightening strength, the monster was forced backward, its talons screeching and sparking as they dug onto the rusted floor.
Myrra then felt her hand being tugged and soon she was running alongside Masters Orvid and Ardann back up the slope.
A loud gong-like noise told them that either their adversary had dropped the pipe or was pinned beneath it. Or so they hoped.
The Jedi did not stop to check and soon enough, metallic footfalls were heard, fast on their trail.
As soon all three of them had made their way into the vent did they all bring the roof down to seal the broken vent for good.