A/N So at the time of writing this note I am already multiple weeks after my previous upload. So yes this chapter is late. But I hope you enjoy it anyway. Who knows? Maybe I might surprise a few of you?
The first thing Kitnandor felt was a throbbing pain in his head. Gradually he began to regain his sight and began to take in his surroundings. He was in a metal cell made of Mandalorian iron. When he glanced forward he saw the face of Narcissa staring down at him. She was in 'clothes' that seemed to take pleasure in revealing as much skin as possible and yet were somehow still able to disguise the bruises that Narcissa had. Remembering how he had been apprehended Kitnandor immediately began a conversation.
"Why did you shoot me?" Kitnandor asked almost dumbly as he was expecting an 'it was just a prank bro' answer.
"Why did you not kill me?" Narcissa answered in reply. Kitnandor stared blankly at the girl before he realised what she was referencing.
"It was against the Jedi code." Kitnandor said carefully not trying to antagonise the mentally distraught girl.
"Against the code?! Against the bloody code?! Are you fucking serious?! Are you telling me that some dumb rules are the only thing that stopped you from putting my monster of a 'husband' behind bars?!" Narcissa spat.
"Yes it was. I did it to save you." Kitnandor replied trying to get Narcissa on his side. Narcissa turned sharply with pure venom in her eyes.
"Save me? You think you saved me? It would have been better to kill me. Do you have any idea about the pain I have suffered after your failure? The nights I have spent bleeding almost to death? Do you have any idea? It is because of you that I am who I am now. And because of that you will suffer. My 'husband' despite all of his evil has let me do whatever I want with you. I intend to make good use of that." Narcissa concluded letting loose a truly cold smile. Kitnandor grimaced; He had no idea what was in for him but the chances are it would be very bad.
Shaak and Kitnandor's apartment
"I don't believe them!" Shaak shouted venting her obvious rage at the council. Not only had the council denied her request to search for Kitnandor they had also refused to allow Shaak to even continue training Siri.
"I get your point." Xeraph said slowly. Although, she was trying to be angry at the council as well (honestly that was not too challenging) it was amusing how they had handed Kitnandor to the dark side on a silver platter. All that she needed to do now was arrange a tragic 'accident' for Shaak Ti and then he would easily fall. As for arranging that tragic 'accident': Xeraph already had a plan for that.
"Pack your things." Xeraph said. Shaak glanced up sharply.
"What the?" Shaak asked. "Where are we going?"
"To save your boyfriend." Xeraph said with a wink.
"But we don't know where he is." Shaak said stammering.
"You see Shaak. In the modern galaxy there is something called a tracker. It allows one to locate lost possessions or in this case rescue someone from one of the most ruthless slave traders in the galaxy." Xeraph said with her voice filled with sarcasm.
"But how?" Shaak asked getting increasingly excited.
"In his light sabre. He may not have it on him but they go for a lot on the black market. It won't just be thrown away." Xeraph said.
"Thank you Siri." Shaak said with tears in her eyes.
"Thank me when we rescue Kitnandor. Now lets get moving!" Xeraph shouted.
Hiring a ship to get off planet was easy. Xeraph pumping in the coordinates was even easier.
"So Siri… Where is Kitnandor?" Shaak asked.
"Yavin IV" Xeraph replied sending the ship into hyperspace.
Yavin IV
Narcissa prowled around the chained Kitnandor whilst taunting the helpless Jedi.
"I did a bit of research you know? As it turns out the code you hold in such high regard is nothing compared to the other things you have gotten up too. Tell me: how long have you been with master Ti?" Narcissa asked. In reply Kitnandor merely stared up at Narcissa not honouring her with a reply.
"I hope she finds us here. That way I can tear apart your family like you did to mine." Narcissa spat not even bothering to hide her contempt for Kitnandor.
"I did not tear apart your family Narcissa." Kitnandor said slowly.
"Did you now?" Narcissa replied sarcastically. "I bet you don't even care do you? I bet that you forgot about your mistakes and moved on like the coward you are!" Narcissa shouted. That was a mistake. Kitnandor could survive most taunts but what he could not handle was someone telling him that he did not care.
With inhuman power through the force (and his anger) Kitnandor broke the chains binding him and lashed out at Narcissa breaking her spine with a brutal force push. With another force push he broke down the cell door and escaped into the base of Jerec. Moving quickly he slipped through the winding, dark corridors and out of the structure (whilst evading guards) and entered into the great outdoors. The planet he was on was Yavin IV. Jumping onto a speeder bike, Kitnandor slipped into the night.
Yavin IV (the next day)
Shaak and Xeraph had been observing Jerec's base for about three hours. The building was an extensive modern structure that ruined the natural beauty of the planet.
"So are we going to storm it?" Xeraph asked eager for a fight.
"Something is off. There are barely any guards. I think it may be a trap." Shaak said.
"Then me might as well spring it." Xeraph replied already walking towards the base with purposeful strides.
"Siri wait!" Shaak shouted but in seeing Xeraph continue to move stopped her opposition and followed. Slipping down into the foliage next too the base Shaak and Xeraph prepared to storm the building. Suddenly the doors opened!
First two Twi'lek came out followed by a dark haired girl on a wheel chair. Then a human male came out holding a heavy blaster.
"You see. I told you! There is nothing out here!" One of the Twi'lek shouted towards the girl.
"I know there is something." The girl said.
"Narcissa, maybe we should go back inside." The human said again to the girl on the wheel chair. "We are the only guards left and being outside exposes to an attack from the Jedi." The human male continued unwittingly giving his life away. That was all Shaak and Xeraph needed.
The pair rushed out of the undergrowth hacking down the two Twi'lek within seconds. The human managed to pull off one blaster shot before Shaak decapitated him. Instinctively Narcissa threw herself out of her wheel chair (forgetting that she broke her spine) and tried to make a run for it. Shaak picked Narcissa up with the force and began to drag Narcissa back to where she started.
"Please don't kill me. I did nothing wrong. I know nothing." Narcissa begged weakly.
"I'll be the judge of that." Shaak hissed menacingly before digging through Narcissa's brain. At first Shaak tried to be gentle but pretty quickly Shaak stumbled across the 'fun' Narcissa had with Kitnandor. After that the girl stood no chance. Shaak ruthlessly ripped through Narcissa's mind tearing into parts of it that were not even necessary to find Kitnandor. Narcissa's life as the 'wife' of Jerec was an interesting story. Under different circumstances it would have made a good hollow drama. The only difference was that this holo drama would not have a happy ending. With a reluctant sigh Shaak let go of Narcissa and then proceeded to break all of Narcissa's bones.
The girl gave a great shriek of pain as Shaak and Xeraph left the clearing. Narcissa was on the floor. Her being had been broken by Jerec, her mind and bones had been broken by Shaak and now the girl was shattered across the forest floor. That was where Narcissa had died. But truly the girl on the inside had died a long time before that. All was left was a bitter empty husk consumed by the sadness and anger in her life.
Shaak and Xeraph walked in silence. Shaak was trying to come to grips with how brutal she had been with Narcissa and Xeraph was getting over her shock about Shaak's brutality. They had recovered Kitnandor's sabre from the base earlier and began to set camp in a clearing.
"I will see if I can hunt a trail. You stay here and set up the camp." Shaak instructed. Xeraph nodded in reply. As soon as Shaak was out of sight Xeraph contacted Sidious.
"It's about time Xeraph!" Sidious snapped.
"Forgive me master. It is hard to contact you with a Jedi master breathing down your shoulders. I see that Tisiphone has arrived." Xeraph said.
"Indeed. It was long overdue." Sidious said.
"Three Sith now… I don't suppose you are going to turn another so there is nice od number?" Xeraph said in a sarcastic tone.
"As a matter of fact there is already a fourth." Sidious said.
"What? Who?" Xeraph asked shocked.
"I presume you have heard of Count Dooku? But no more questions Xeraph! I want your report."
"Very well." Xeraph said before beginning to fill Sidious in on the events of the past few days. Suddenly Xeraph heard Shaak returning. "Shaak is returning. Very well lady Xeraph. Keep me in the loop." Sidious said ending the call.
"Who's Xeraph?" Shaak asked entering Siri's tent.
"Oh just a character from a book I am listening too in my spare time." Xeraph said thinking quickly. Shaak frowned obviously noticing the weakness in the excuse but was also too tired to challenge it.
"They have headed north. We begin the chase tomorrow." Shaak said.
"Very well. Goodnight." Xeraph said. Shaak nodded in reply and then began to stare up into the night sky.
"I will find you Kitnandor. If anyone or anything gets between us I will destroy it." Shaak said with determination in her voice. That steely determination would carry her through the coming days but it would also define the events to come…
Jerec's camp
Romeo (the human on sentry duty) was terrified. He had heard rumours of how the Jedi they were hunting was able to sneak up on someone without them even knowing it and dispatch them in a single strike. He wished that he was left behind to guard Narcissa. The girl was far fairer than Jerec (granted that was not saying much at all). He would have given anything to be kicking back with a cup of caff.
Suddenly there was a rustle in the surrounding undergrowth. Cautiously Romeo approached the bushes only to have his neck snapped by the force.
Wearing the cloths of the dead sentry Kitnandor snuck into Jerec's camp. No one even bothered giving Kitnandor a second look. The Jedi knight only had one purpose in mind: to kill Jerec.
During his silent infiltration of the camp Kitnandor felt a small warning in the force. All of a sudden, stun bolts rained down from every side on the Jedi knight. Instinctively Kitnandor reached for his sabre but realised with horror that it was nowhere to be found. Cursing under his breath he tried unsuccessfully to dodge the stun bolts. Unfortunately, it was not long before one bolt caught Kitnandor square in the chest knocking him unconscious.
Shaak's camp
"We need to go now." Shaak said to Xeraph even though the padawan had barely an hours sleep.
"What? Why?" Xeraph asked groggily.
"Something's wrong; we need to move!" Shaak shouted frantically as she ran where the force told her. Xeraph followed trying to figure out how Shaak was able to run so quickly in the thick undergrowth. It must have been her love for Kitnandor. Perhaps somehow that linked in with compassion, which was a form of weak anger. It would be worth looking into but for now Xeraph has more important issues.
After about fifteen minutes of tearing through the undergrowth Shaak stopped suddenly leaving Xeraph running straight into Shaak.
"What's wrong?" Xeraph asked. Shaak put her finger to her lips and pointed towards a clearing on the edge of a large cliff with a river at the bottom. Inside there were Jerec's thugs who were laughing, drinking and pointing towards Kitnandor. He was strung up with four ropes and was hung upside-down. Jerec was prowling around the Jedi occasionally stabbing him with a shock staff.
Shaak turned to Xeraph and pointed to the camp. Then Shaak counted down from three with her fingers. Preparing for the charge Jedi and Sith rushed the camp.
The fight was short and bloody. Jerec suffered a sharp kick in the chest and a deflected blaster bolt to the leg early on in the fight. Seeing their leader fall the rest of the thugs broke and ran. In a very un-Jedi like fashion Shaak and Xeraph pulled the thugs back to them one by one and killed them all.
After the melee subsided Kitnandor and Shaak embraced for a solid minute. It was obvious that despite her limited experience with the two as a couple that they cared deeply for each other. After letting the pair embrace for a while longer Xeraph finally spoke up.
"I hate to be the one to break up this romantic moment but what are we going to do with this one?" Xeraph asked referring to Jerec.
"Honestly the answer seems pretty obvious to me. But I am more curious about how you managed to find me so quickly." Kitnandor said expertly deflecting the unpleasant topic of Jerec's fate.
"I put a tracker in your light sabre." Xeraph said tossing the weapon towards Kitnandor. Then Kitnandor opened it up and removed the tracker.
"I would rather that you did not know my location at all times Siri." Kitnandor said with some amusement in his voice.
"Fair enough master. But, you still have not answered my question. What do you want to do with Jerec?" Xeraph asked pressing her master for an answer.
"Honestly I don't know. But how about you Siri?" Kitnandor asked placing the question on his Padawan.
"Me? I think we should kill him." Xeraph said bluntly. There was a moment of silence as the two Jedi took in the suggestion. On the surface it seemed like the kind of thing that a foolhardy padawan would suggest in a fit of rage but there was actually a different motive to Xeraph's suggestion. She wanted to know how much Kitnandor respected the code. If he said yes to execution then he primed and ready to be turned. If not more manipulation would be needed. Unfortunately, Kitnandor had a very Jedi like answer.
"I do not think executing him is the right choice. Even a man as disgusting as Jerec deserves a trial." Kitnandor said slowly. Shaak nodded in agreement. It was hard for Xeraph to disguise her flare of anger. Obviously more manipulation would be needed. But then another husky voice entered the conversation.
"You should listen to the blond one. Not that it would save you." The voice originated from Jerec. With horror Xeraph realised that the man was carrying a bomb.
Everything then began to happen in slow motion. Jerec pressed the button on his bomb letting lose an unearthly bang! Kitnandor lunged in front of Shaak Ti taking the majority of the blast. And Xeraph shielded herself. The force of the explosion blasted Kitnandor off the side of the cliff along with his light sabre whilst, Jerec had been consumed by the fires of his bomb. After the explosion died down there was a Sith and a Jedi standing on the top of a cliff inside a devastated clearing…
Kitnandor had sacrificed himself to save Shaak Ti. But, little did he know that his 'sacrifice' lead to a far worse fate for both of them.
A/N Dun Dun Dun! Well that was the chapter. Did you love it? did you hate it? please tell me a in a review. also before you ask: Kitnandor is alive, for now… I am so sorry this one took so long to write but whilst writing it I also planned out the rest of this story, started writing another story which will essentially be dark Leia and took a holiday. So yeah… anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Also, I really regretted killing off Narcissa so quickly. I feel like at some point I may write a short novel explaining her time with Jerec because there is a real story to be told from her eyes. But that is a plan for another day…