Chapter 7: The Rescue
AN: Well, I'm afraid no one actually placed that Star Trek TNG reference from last chapter. :( But, both Lila and SukuU21 were pretty close. So, I'm giving them an honorable mention here.
The Dandy looking Sith's instructions proved to be accurate. It seemed the man, although manipulative and evil, had had some level of integrity after all. Of course, in addition to trying to kill Seras after telling her where the Jedi younglings were being held, he'd also failed to mention that those children were being guarded by more than two dozen silver assassination droids.
As soon as Seras and her companions had entered the room housing the former animal pens, they'd been greeted by a salvo of blaster fire. Anticipating the burst of laser fire, Seras had hit the floor as soon as she saw the red, box shaped glow of the optical sockets which served as the droids' eyes. Not all of her companions had been as quick to react however.
The blaster fire ripped into Seras's master, like a hundred small lightsaber slices. He didn't seem to care, just laughed a deranged sort of laugh as the red bolts tore into him until his limbs, trunk and head dropped lifelessly to the floor. To the Sith's right, HK47's frame was singed from the first few bolts that had struck before the droid had the chance to activate his personal force-field. Behind where Alucard had stood a moment before, Heinkel had just managed to switch on her lightsaber before the second volley of red fire reached her. And for just a split second the Jedi fixed a strange look upon the Sith corpse. For all his posturing and boasts, he'd been the first one killed, and yet that death, that unintentional sacrifice, had soaked up enough of the first salvo of enemy fire to save her. She owed her life to a Bastard of a Sith; the Force certainly had a peculiar sense of humor.
The misery in the room was thick, strong, almost tangible. Seras had no idea what these monsters had been doing to the Jedi younglings, but whatever it was, they were completely terrified. And as a Force lens she felt this terror fill every inch of her body. Yet, she, herself did not feel the least bit afraid. Instead this raw emotion fueled the latent force abilities within the younglings and as their emotions reached her, they carried that primal power with them. No, Seras was not afraid, but rather the fear of those around her became focused into fury and adrenaline fueled fire.
Faster than the eyes could see, Seras pushed off of the floor and rose to her feet, and in the same movement her lightsaber floated free of her belt and into her hand. She was nothing more than a blur as she flicked it on and charged the droids.
Dodging enemy fire with a speed and precision that seemed impossible, even to her former Jedi mentor, Seras cut a swatch through the enemy line. Not, a single bolt grazed her skin as she dived head first into the enemy with seeming reckless abandonment. Heinkel could hardly believe her eyes; her former student looked more wraith than human.
And so shocked was the Master Jedi that she forgot to block an incoming enemy shot. It hit her shoulder, searing flesh and drawing a muffled exclamation of pain. The Jedi was then shoved to the side, out of the stream of fire, by a cold, metallic hand.
"Exclamation: Get out of my way, Meatbag! I've got imposters to frag." A gravity beam shot from HK's wrist and pulled one of the fallen imposter's blaster-rifles to him. His shield shimmered both from its own energy and the impact points of enemy fire, as the droid's targeting program lined up headshot after headshot.
Poor Heinkel was just starting to recover from her shock, when she got an even bigger one. As she rose back to her feet and swung her lightsaber into a more offensive stance, preparing to join her former student in the bloodless massacre, a dark, sinister voice cooed in her ear. "She's quite impressive, isn't she?"
Heinkel's eyes went wide as she recognized the voice. "B-But you're... dead," she commented without thinking.
Alucard's only response to Heinkel's confusion was a twisted chuckle. "Yes, quite impressive... but that doesn't mean she gets to have all the fun." The Sith Master stretched out his hand and pulled three of the enemy droids to him. They hung helplessly, suspended by the Force; and as they floated around the Sith's body, purple lightning arched out, charging each of the droids in turn. And then, with a psychotic grin, the Sith let them fly. Each one of the makeshift lightning bombs impacted a small cluster of the remaining enemy droids, exploding and sending out charged shrapnel that tore through vital systems and fried the machine's remaining circuits.
"'A marvel of superior design and function'?" The Sith smugly quoted as he briefly turned towards HK47.
The proud droid quickly replayed the battle footage, totaling up his 'kills' and those of each of his companions, only to find that he'd trailed behind both of the Sith. If HK's face had been capable of such things, it would've twisted into an unhappy and disappointed scowl. As it was, all he could do was determine to wipe that smug grin off the Sith Master's face with they're next confrontation. The droid could tolerate being second to his master when it came to wanton slaughter, but he utterly refused to play second fiddle to anyone else. Oh, the 'game' was on now.
Heinkel felt a little self conscious herself. The Jedi hardly boasted about their abilities to kill and destroy. Even still, she'd been taken so off-guard by... everything that she'd failed to take out a single enemy droid. And despite the fact that her training told her such things were ultimately unimportant in the grand scheme of things, she still felt a strong desire to show up her former student's current master and prove all his derogatory comments about Jedi inferiority were unfounded. But that would have to wait; for now the Jedi had more important responsibilities to attend to - checking on the welfare of youngling's they'd just saved.
Heinkel rushed over to the barred cages the children were being held in. They were filthy, looking as if they hadn't been given a chance to wash up since they'd been abducted. In fact the smell coming off of the cages, made the Jedi doubt that the children's captors had even permitted them trips to the bathroom. They also looked malnourished and dehydrated. The only positive thing that could be said was that among the myriad stains in there robes, none bore the telltale color of dried blood. It seemed their captors had not tortured them, merely neglected them.
These poor, mistreated youths, moved to the ends of their cages. They pressed against each other and stuck their arms through the gaps in the bars. Reaching towards the familiar face, it was evident that the younglings did not care one bit that their instructor from the academy had failed to rack up a single 'frag' in the preceding battle. No, they were simply grateful for the kind, reassuring presence that told them their captivity was nearing its end.
Seras keyed the code she'd been given by the gambling crazed Sith, and the cage doors swung open. The children ran to their teacher and she allowed herself the very non-Jedi slip of embracing the mistreated and frightened youths, despite their grungy state. It was a heartwarming scene... at least as far as Seras was concerned. Her master merely let out a gruff huff, while her droid whispered a very inappropriate comment.
"Commentary: The little urchins seem to be thronging our meatbag companion. With your permission, Master, I could blast a few of them until the rest learn to keep their distance."
"What? No. You're... you're horrible!"
"Pleading query: Please, Master? Just a couple of the scrawny ones? It would make me so happy."
"No. Absolutely not. You're never to 'blast' children... is that clear?"
"Patronizing Response: Yes, Master. Of course, Master. We must always think of the children, Master."
"I'm serious, HK."
"Regretful Resignation: As you insist, Master."
With the initial rush of the happy reunion out of the way, Heinkel noticed that not all the younglings taken were present. "Where are Jacqu, Quicreg, Meldiah, To-Es, Ben, Quin-Kac-"
"They took them away. All of them, by threes!" one of the rescued younglings, a red Twilek, cut in, answering her master's comment before the woman could finish it. "Rouque was in the last group they took. Please! You have to save him! The ones they take... They never come back!" the girl begged as tears began to stream from her violet eyes.
"Don't worry. I'll save him," Heinkel consoled.
"I'm coming too," Seras piped in.
"What? Listen, Jedi Girl, I've indulged your whims so far, but this is too much. We have our own mission to complete, remember? We've already saved the bulk of your sniveling Jedi brats. We're not wasting more time trying to track down a few stragglers, who are most likely already dead anyway."
At this the Twilek broke down completely into sobs. Heinkel patted the youngling's back reassuringly and glared daggers at the Sith.
"You said being a Sith meant doing what you want to do," Seras replied stubbornly. "Well, I want to go looking for the lost younglings."
Alucard growled and stalked up to his apprentice. Towering over her, he looked down and replied through strained teeth. "You are still my apprentice."
Seras stared right back up at her master. "Sith apprentice," she commented, refusing to back down. "And what kind of Sith apprentice would I be if I didn't go after what I want? 'My chains are broken. The Force shall set me free.' If I am free, then I choose to use that freedom to help Heinkel. It's my right to do so."
Alucard growled once more, but then turned away. "Fine... but freedom works both ways, my young apprentice. I'm going to complete our mission. I'll not be there to save you if you get in over your pretty, little head," he warned.
"I... understand."
"Good. I'll meet you back at the ship when I'm finished." And with that the Sith Master started to the doorway. Then he paused for a second or two as he reached it. "And do try not to get yourself killed... I've invested a lot in you. I'd hate to see that investment wasted." The Sith was gone before Seras had a chance to reply.
The former Jedi turned to her droid. "HK, I want you to escort the younglings back to that room I first found you in. They should be safe there until Heinkel and I can rejoin you."
"Strenuous Objection: Master, I am an assassination droid, not a meatbag babysitter!"
"Be that as it may, you're my assassination droid, are you not? That means you follow my orders."
"Resignation: Very well, Master."
"Oh, and, HK, when we meat back up with you, I expect to find all the younglings alive and fully intact."
"Placating Response: Of course, Master. As you wish, Master. Should I wash the little meatbags' robes as well?"
Seras grinned in an amused sort of way. "No, HK, that will not be necessary."
"So, how are we suppose to find the lost ones?" Seras asked her old mentor as they crept through one of the ancient Sith Academy's corridors.
"The same way a Jedi finds everything she needs; the Force will guide us."
Seras considered that for a moment. "Maybe, but I'd prefer something a little more concrete."
"You've changed, Seras. You use to be far more trusting. The Force guides all Jedi - all people - whether we're aware of it or not."
"And yet there's so much suffering, seems like the Force isn't doing such a great job... or its intensions are not what we believe them to be."
Heinkel stopped and turned to her friend. "So, you are a Sith."
"I... I'm not big into labels," the former Jedi dodged.
"Oh really? You didn't seem to have any hang up labeling yourself a Sith when you were chatting with Alucard back there."
"I was just selecting the argument most likely to win."
"So you don't consider yourself a Sith?"
"To tell the truth, I don't much think about it anymore. What's the difference anyway?"
Heinkel seemed surprised by the question. "A Jedi lets the Force guide her and moves with it to help others. A Sith attempts to subdue the Force and use it to make herself stronger, and in the process is consumed by the Darkside."
"Well, I use the Force to help others. So, you tell me: does that make me a Jedi... or a Sith?"
Heinkel shook her head. "I don't know, Seras. I don't know." She paused. "But - whatever you are - I don't think I could've made it this far without you. Thank you for helping me."
Seras smiled. "No problem."
The two continued on a short ways, the one who still believed in the guiding nature of the Force leading the way. Then Seras broke the silence. "You know, my ma- Alucard helped too."
"I suppose," the Jedi master consented in a non-committal tone, then held up a finger as she sensed a small group headed their way.
The two Force users retreated into the shadows and watched. They held their breath as the silver droids passed them by. And only once the mechanical clunking of steel feet upon the stone floor receded did Seras again pick up their conversation. "I told you he was different," she whispered in a vindicated tone.
Heinkel rolled her eyes. "He helped because you offered him the chance to use his powers to destroy. That hardly sets him apart from other Sith."
"Other Sith abducted the younglings. He helped save them," the young woman defended. "Are you really so blinded by prejudice that you can't see the difference?"
Heinkel shrugged. "The Sith have always fought each other. Their division is their greatest weakness. So it means little to say that he stood against another group of Sith. Such a thing comes naturally to them."
"You just can't give him a break, can you? He showed concern for me, doesn't that count for anything?"
"He showed concern over his 'investment'; he didn't want his time 'wasted'. And why do you care so much what I think of him?" Heinkel paused and turned once more to her friend. "Unless there's more to this relationship than you're letting on," she prodded.
"I... No... That's not... I just think you're being unfair. That's all."
Heinkel sighed and looked unconvinced. She shook her head again. "I suppose it wouldn't do any good to warn you that He's a Sith Bastard?" She studied the expression on her friend's face. "No, I didn't think it would. See, this is why the Jedi forbid such things. People get emotionally involved and their hearts start running away with their heads. It leads to bad judgment... and stupid mistakes."
Now it was Seras's turn to roll her eyes. "Quit being so dramatic. I already told you nothing was going on," she responded, forgetting that she'd said nothing of the sort... merely attempted to switch the focus of their conversation. "And even if it was - which it's not - untold trillions of people across hundreds of worlds find love and happiness. It can't always end in the kind of disasters the Jedi code predicts. If it did, no one would bother anymore."
Heinkel fixed her friend with a strange look: part sorrow; part longing; and part concern. "Untold millions find love. Happiness is far rarer. Two people can't ever be perfectly happy with each other; differing goals will always create some tension. And most of the time, the relationship is not strong enough to survive that tension. And when that relationship is between two people with important destinies before them... Even Reven and Bastila parted eventually. Such is the nature of things. Love leads to heartbreak far more often than happiness. And to love a Sith... I'm sorry, Seras, but I can't see that ending in anything but misery, separation... likely even death."
Heinkel saw the dejected look on her friend's face and realized that the advice was coming too late to do any good. "You've already fallen for him," the Jedi Master commented in a melancholy tone, and then allowed herself to offer up one placating observation for her friend. "Well, at least as far as Sith Bastards go you managed to fall for one who seems willing - if a bit unhappy - to let you live your life your way."
Seras smiled. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me. I'm only speaking the truth, and it's a poor Galaxy indeed if we have to start thanking people for that." Heinkel stretched out her arms and placed her hand upon the younger woman's shoulder. "You just remember when... if things go..." The Jedi sighed. This should not have been so difficult. "Just remember that whatever happens, you are never alone. You'll always have friends to stand by your side." A moment passed between the two, and then the Jedi Master decided to switch the conversation before they dredged up too many of those dangerous and unpredictable emotions. "Now, come on... We've got children to save, and I think I finally got a bead on them."
Well, that should take care of chapter 7. I hope you all enjoyed. Next chapter we find out the sinister secret behind what Millennium's been doing with the younglings they separated and more mystery unfolds as Seras finds a lost, little girl who isn't quite what she seems.
Have a good day, and God bless.
Metropolis Kid.
PS. Alright, Lila, you're up. ;)
