Part Thirteen: A Narrow Escape
For several hours the fleet offloaded the supplies for the ground army amassed by the night elves and draenei. During that time Okus knelt before the portal in Mannoroc Coven grasping his throat and struggling for breath. Around the portal satyrs and orcs prostrated before the mammoth structure as a booming voice filled the air. Corpses of several foolish mages littered the ground before the portal. When they complained that they were expending too much energy and needed a break, Okus slaughtered them for their impudence. Sargeras would not wait indefinitely. Now as he choked by the demon lord's might, he thought perhaps killing those weaklings had actually been a gift. His black orbs for eyes bulged as he watched scores of demons pour out from the portal now held open by Sargeras himself, but the connection was tenuous. Although it looked like any other portal, this particular structure was designed for use with Force energies and not the potentially more destructive arcane energies. After the demise of Dzovitza and Atazay, that method of opening the portal disintegrated along with Okus' aspirations of replacing Kil'jaeden at the right hand of Sargeras. He resorted to using older arcane methods to proceed with bringing the demonic legion to this world, but for such a portal to succeed required different glyphs, runes, and other arcane writings and etchings into the stone to bolster the strength of the structure. This one had none of those, so it was limited to the amount of arcane energy one could use to pour into the dimensional opening without ripping the actual structure apart. Sargeras was very disappointed.
"I reconstituted my body for this moment, Okus, and yet still I cannot enter to that world." the booming voice resounded through the region surrounding the portal. "There is something to say about feeling the world burn beneath the flesh of my feet…so you will enlighten me as to how you have failed me so completely."
Eredar, ered'ruin, felhounds, and other forms of demons continued to come forth from the portal and step around those that remained prostrate in the presence of their god. The valley behind the choking being filled with the smaller forms of demons because larger kinds like the mammoth sized Pit Lords still could not fit through the opening of the portal. The invisible hand at Okus' throat relaxed allowing him to breathe, but it did not release its grip entirely. The wrong answer would be his last in this realm, of that he was certain. To lie, however, would lead to a fate far worse than the emptiness of oblivion.
"I await an answer, Okus!"
"M-m-my Lord…I…" he began but the invisible hand clenched again choking him.
"I already know the answer…you disappoint me in that you do not. That body you inhabit…it belonged to a race I found cowering in fear on a distant glacial planet. They possessed knowledge and power I expected to bring this world to ruin…so I offered them salvation in exchange for their service." The grip lessened on the throat of Okus allowing him to breathe enough to stay conscious. "With their power…one based on and generated by life…they could manipulate it…pervert it…bend it to their will…something I have forgotten."
"Y-you…f-forgot…"Okus tried to question.
"I have forgotten more than you could ever possibly know," the booming voice answered. "Do not interrupt me again." Okus nodded feebly. "This race of beings could create controllable beasts from other living creatures with this power they called the Force…and it was this power I sought to usurp the freedoms mortals of this world currently enjoy. Rakghouls were what these wonderful creatures were called…the mindless and controllable manifestations of these sith's perversions of this Force. Unlike undead creatures…these rakghouls spread their plague amongst the living at an incredible rate creating a veritable army bent on nothing but feeding and destroying everything living in their midst while also multiplying their numbers. I planned to begin with this world and then once all of its creatures were transformed into rakghouls…I would take them to other worlds. The Burning Legion would grow exponentially…that is until these…sith…failed."
Silence followed as demon after demon emerged from the portal. Despite that Okus hovered near the edge of consciousness, he began to understand why his master sought these sith in the beginning. Demons were from other races that pledged allegiance to the great Sargeras but still maintained their individuality. These rakghouls, however, would be under his control and follow his desires without question or ambition…perfect cannon fodder for other worlds the demon lord chose as his next target for destruction. With this kind of army, Sargeras would have no need for the likes of Kil'jaeden or himself. The realization both thrilled and terrified him.
"These…sith…had an enemy they were hiding from when I discovered them," the booming voice of Sargeras resumed. "They called them jedi…users of this Force that adhered to the light. Through the eyes of your companions I witnessed their demise at the hands of one of these…jedi." Okus's mind reeled. What was a jedi? His body contained no memories of such a race. Granted that it had gaps in those memories, but if what Sargeras was telling him was fact and that this body's past inhabitant had fled this mysterious race, there should be some sort of recollection upon hearing the name jedi yet there was nothing. "Through others I have discovered another of these jedi on this world that poses a threat to us because of your failure, Okus. You will find and defeat this creature before he can unleash his army upon this valley and destroy the portal…this very portal…you failed to properly construct."
"A-alone?" Okus struggled to question as the flow of demons through the portal ceased.
"I just sent an army of ten thousand to aid you in that endeavor," the voice of Sargeras responded from the portal. Okus felt the invisible grip disappear from his throat. He swallowed hard as he turned and walked to the edge of the cliff to overlook the valley below…the same valley where last he stood with Dzovitza and Atazay. He felt breathless as he gazed upon the masses of demons lined in formations before him. "While you deal with this jedi…these other creatures prostrating before me will construct a proper portal so that I may enter and finish what was started millennia ago by the way these mortals measure the passage of time." Okus fell to his knees and cried out in pain as the presence of Sargeras bore upon his consciousness. "Do not fail me again, Okus."
"We should march on the demon army from here," Olivaw said as he paced near Daneel and Shandris Feathermoon as they examined a map of Desolace. It was set atop a small table surrounded by the jedi and Sentinel General plus Lokar, Cheyuun, Demira, Kai'moira, Celeste, and the draenei leader named Veira. The army had set up camp on the beach after offloading the ships and prepared to move out in the morning for Karnum's Glade. Surrounding them was a bustle of activity as those preparations were still under way.
"This isn't Corellia, Ollie," Daneel responded.
"No…no…it's not Corellia. That's something I thought you would especially notice," the zabrak stated as he stopped to face the jedi. The setting sun glistened off the shoulder pouldrons and holsters of his armor. "You can't just march in on one front. Unlike Corellia…you don't have ships in high orbit that can bombard the enemy from space!"
"Their main army here has been decimated…I've seen it through the Force," Daneel said placing his hands on his hips. "Now is the time to gather our forces for a single assault. Strength in numbers. Dorak's sacrifice…"
"It's his passing and your sister's that clouds your judgment," the smuggler countered interrupting the jedi grand master. "The time to strike is now…not after a few days to gather the army and then march on the portal…strike now and from two fronts before they can rebuild. Send runners to those in the Glade and tell them to march towards the Coven while we move from here and flank the demons before they know what hit them."
"And if they have rebuilt then either or both armies could be destroyed," Daneel responded. "The casualties…"
"People die in war…remember?" Ollie said. "You told me that on Corellia when I wanted to hunker down and fortify our defenses. It was you who noticed a weakness in the imperial formations and suggested a multifaceted attack on several fronts. You even convinced me to take a blaster bolt to the leg to infiltrate a fake hospital that housed the main shield generators." He walked over and placed a hand on the jedi's shoulder. "Don't forget that just because another friend has been lost to the enemy. We owe it to him to strike the demons hard and fast…not play it safe. We need to take advantage of the situation he left us with…a decimated enemy that is holed up in a bunker."
Demira walked over and placed her hand on Daneel's other shoulder. He looked at her as she looked up into his face with a warm smile. "He's right," she said quietly. "I know you are in pain…it doesn't take our bond to notice that. We've all noticed it."
He looked around to see the faces of the rest looking at him with concern. Had he become that single-minded? It seemed all he could think about the past few days was meeting the demonic army head-on…facing them with the others behind him for support but while he would be doing the bulk of the fighting and the demons falling one by one at his feet. "Kai?" he asked the other jedi master.
She looked at all of the rest before returning her gaze to her longtime friend. "Ollie's right, Daneel. As much as I hate to admit it…"
"Hey…" the smuggler protested.
"He does have a point," she continued. "I know you want to win this and keep the casualties to a minimum…we have to face the reality here. Shandris, Tyrande…even Lokar here…they've all told us what it was like facing this enemy before. There will be casualties no matter what precautions we take…and Ollie's plan might mean more in the short term, but it might also mean we end this conflict quickly which will save lives in the long run. The demons depend on that portal…even your vision showed you that…so let's take it out fast…then all they will have is what is left on this world and they cannot rebuild as they have in the past. Take out the portal and we stop the enemy from advancing in greater numbers."
"I…I need a moment to think," Daneel said quietly, turned around, and walked away from the table and towards the shore. Without a word, Demira followed her husband until they stood just at the edge of the surf. He looked out over the waters with his arms crossed over his chest while ocean spray showered him. Demira stood before him as her eyes searched his face. Finally after a few moments he looked down at her. "You agree with them, don't you," he stated not as a question but an observation.
The mage looked over her husband's shoulders to the stares of those they had just left at the table. Some, Like Kai'moira and Celeste, wore expressions of understanding while the others wore those of confusion. Olivaw was the only person to have walked from the table after the couple had left, and he paced not far from the others looking towards the interior of Desolace. Demira's gaze turned back at her husband and she took his hands into hers.
"For as long as I have known you…you strive to protect those around you…those close to you," she said quietly. "You've never lost someone close to you until your sister died…have you?"
Daneel looked up into the sky. "Our parents…I never really knew them or remember them," he started. "We were taken to the academy at so young an age that all I can remember of my youth was with the jedi. I was four and she was three…prodigies we were called…" He was silent for a moment and then he looked back to Demira's face. "I've lost friends before…training at the academy or during the conflict with the sith…"
"But she was the first you lost that was very close to you…family," she whispered.
Daneel nodded. "And I have always looked upon Dorak as a brother and especially after he told me of his marriage to my sister. Of all those I have known before coming to this world…they were the two that were actually very close to my heart," She reached up and placed her hand on his cheek. "You…Kitali and Zharn…Celeste…you are my family now…this world is my home. Before…I could travel to one world or the next…but I find myself now on a single world…and the happiest I have ever been and no desire to leave with a woman beside me closer to my heart than even my sister. Even Tython really held no feeling inside me like it was home…we relocated the order there after the sacking of Coruscant…but Azeroth…this is my home, Demira, and the first I have ever really had. These people…no matter what their allegiances are in the current war…they are all my neighbors…"
"And you want to protect them all if possible…I understand that," she added. "That is what attracted me to you in the first place…you tried to protect me from harm."
"You weren't in any danger then," Daneel said remembering the ranger that had fired an arrow at him that first day he arrived on the planet. He had assumed the arrow was meant for Demira, but he learned quickly otherwise.
"You didn't know that at the time…you thought you were protecting me…someone you didn't even really know. Then when you thought I was going to die you almost fell to the dark side…you convinced Kitali to reveal her true self to Zharn and look at how that turned out…they love each other more now than they ever did before that day up there…the same day you were willing to die to destroy a real threat to our world," she said pointing at the sky. Then she smiled and placed both hands on his cheeks. "You placed yourself in danger to shield Illiana and then Adaria against a foe that no sane person would try to face alone, but you did. Hon…as much as you want to…you can't protect everyone all of the time…sometimes we will face a foe that is more powerful than any you have faced…even on this single small world…and people will come into harm's way…it's unavoidable. I know you know this…you've fought in wars and battles on a scale I cannot fathom…this conflict is no different just because it's happening in our own backyard, so to speak."
"Then how do I stop the pain," he asked placing his hands on hers. "I can't turn off my feelings…I lived that way once, but I cannot do that again."
"I don't think there is a way," she whispered, "and I don't want you to stop feeling. Just…let us help you. You don't have to take on the weight of the world all by yourself…let them help you if only by listening to their suggestions…they care as much for this world and its people as you do, and they'll do their damnedest to try and save it just as you would. Let them also help make the decisions and carry the burden with you. Like you said…it's their world too…and their home."
Daneel kissed her hand and nodded. They returned to the table holding hands as they walked, and as they approached they noticed Kai'moira place a holocommunicator into a pouch at her waist. Olivaw was now leaning on the table while perusing the map of Desolace.
"I just got a short burst on the holo from Zharn," Kai'moira stated as Daneel and Demira stopped at the table next to the others. "It was distorted, but what I did get was that they found where Dorak died and no sign of the other two." She looked at the others and then Daneel. "He also said they have over thirty dragons at the Glade and then the message cut-off."
"Dragons in this fight will be quite formidable," Lokar added as he looked at the jedi. "I didn't know you had such powerful friends. I have no doubt now that what you said about the Burning Legion is true…and I agree with your friend with the horny head…the time to strike is now and on two fronts. We have a chance to stop this thing before it begins."
Daneel looked at Shandris who nodded her agreement with the orc leader. He took a deep breath before he spoke. "Then that's what we should do…strike now…hard and fast. Kai...can you reestablish contact with Zharn?"
"No doing…the atmosphere in this place is playing havoc with comm signals…I'm surprised we got the message we did and I'm not certain he knows we received it."
Daneel looked around at the activity on the beach. "Where's Aeyrn?"
"Druids," Shandris stated following Daneel's thinking. "They can assume avian forms and fly to the others and inform them of our plans…to relay the message and have the others in the Glade begin their march towards the Coven."
"Might send some to Shadowprey Village also," Lokar added. "We have a few tauren druids with us…they could get the warriors at the village to march and add a third front to this battle."
"Will they trust the information?" the Sentinel General asked.
"They will…coming from us," he replied with a tusky smile. It reminded Daneel of Zharn's. "They've been edgy about the inactivity of Mannoroc Coven…we explain what we know now…they'll march. We all remember the last time the Legion came to this world and all of us have lost loved ones…they'll fight with us." Demira squeezed Daneel's hand tighter letting him know that what they had talked about was so very true just as the orc was explaining with his own words.
"There's one more thing," Olivaw stated drawing everyone's attention. "We still have at least four that are trapped out there." He pointed to the map nearest where they could tell Zharn stated they had found where Dorak had perished. "We don't leave anyone behind." He looked at Daneel. "Let me take Aeyrn and go find them. We can rendezvous with those from the Glade while they are en route to the Coven."
"How would you get there, Ollie?" Kai'moira asked. "He can't carry you all the way…you would exhaust him before you even reached half the distance." She looked at Daneel and Demira. "I understand we don't leave anyone behind, but Aeyrn can't leave here with an extra man and get that done…"
"Illiana is out there! And her mother and Grogg! And let's not forget Aeyrn's sister!" the smuggler shouted as he slammed his fists into the table.
Everyone jumped back except the jedi couple. Daneel looked into the knowing eyes of his wife. She was right, of course, in that everyone had a stake in this fight including the smuggler who was a stranger to this world. No matter what plans he strategized or efforts he made…he could not protect everyone. He thought back to the war on Corellia when he was separated from all of his friends and allies as he sought the First Son of the Emperor. Not until he had finished his task had he thought about the others and if they were alive and successful just as he was and by then Olivaw and Dorak had already left the surface on their respective missions. He remembered focusing on the bigger picture of the war and the steps needed to change the course of the conflict to their favor…they each had a role to play and were all prepared to die to succeed. Looking at the faces around him now reminded him of that world and that situation from many years before. Had Master Satele Shan stressed herself about their survival as he did now about those with him? If she had, none of them ever saw her express that anxiety or show any deviation from staying the course during the conflict. An epiphany struck him, and he knew the secret to her calm during that crisis and it was something in the past couple of weeks he had forgotten. He looked at the others and then smiled at Demira.
"I have lost sight of something very important for a jedi to remember," he started. All eyes looked to him. "It took this meeting to remind me of this central belief to the jedi...something that I think can help all of us at this time."
"There is no emotion, there is peace," Kai'moira said to his side. "There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death…"
"There is the Force," Daneel said completing the jedi code. He looked down into Demira's eyes. "I have focused so much on trying to save everyone that I lost sight of the big picture. I would face this enemy alone if I knew I could succeed and save all who live on this world…a world that I call my home." He looked up and at each person around the table as he spoke next. "But now I realize that we are all here and willing to die to protect those we love. Losses in my own life…my own pain…blinded me to what was important…that I am not the only one that has suffered and the burden is not just mine to bear. We all have a stake in the outcome of this upcoming battle…and we all have a role to play in it." He now looked at the Zabrak. "Ollie…you will stay with us." He raised his hand before the smuggler could object. "Kai is right…and Aeyrn has as much a stake in finding his sister and the others as you do. I need you here…we need you here. Your experience as a soldier…your knowledge of military tactics…we need you with us."
"I'll find Aeyrn," Celeste said as she turned to leave the group.
"Fine…I'll stay here," Olivaw grumbled. "But if you want my military tactics…here's the first thing I would do besides what we've already decided."
"That is?" Shandris asked.
"Split those dragons up into three groups…some stay there…some with us…and some with the group in that village Lokar mentioned. Air support from all angles will prove an advantage and might help facilitate communication since the comms are unreliable."
"I like him," the orc said to the tauren to his side as he nodded towards Olivaw.
Kuro flew just below the cloud ceiling so that she could see the ground easier, but even with her heightened dragon eyesight spotting the two padawans proved difficult assuming they were still alive. She spent as much time sensing and avoiding the frequent lightning strikes from the clouds as she did looking for Illiana and Grogg. The fact that both were last seen wearing darker robes and armoring made the search that much harder. She also assumed the padawans would travel directly for the last known location of Raeva, but Kuro knew she could not make too many assumptions and flew in a zigzag pattern over the barren landscape in case they were forced into a more indirect path. What normally would have taken minutes in flight time for her now stretched to several hours and still no sign of Illiana or Grogg. All she could see in every direction was miles and miles of barren land dotted with husks of trees and residual plant life. Kodo bones littered the ground where some had fallen and died often in what appeared to be the middle of nowhere. Winds constantly howled so she could not hear much, and they destroyed what footprints might have been left by the two padawans in the soft and loose soil.
After another hour she spotted a single living tree rising high into the sky. Hoping that at least Adaria and Raeva might be there, she banked towards the only sign of life in this desolate place. As she flew nearer she finally spotted the elf and orc some four hundred yards from the tree, and they were walking directly towards it. Her heart raced as she descended to contact them, but then an eerie sensation pricked the edge of her awareness. Turning her head to look towards Mannoroc Coven, she realized she had not seen a single demon during her flight but something nefarious was happening close by. Again she banked but this time towards the Coven as she picked up speed. What was happening in that region? She had told the others she would find the padawans, and thankfully she had done just that and was certain they would reach the tree within the hour.
As she crossed the roadway that bordered the Coven the darkness seemed to intensify although she knew that was not possible. Darkness was darkness and only light sources could change, but the winds and lightning never diminished or increased. Her attention was suddenly drawn to a reflection of metal on the ground during one of the electric discharges. Curious of what the object could be, she descended to land near the reflection and transformed to her human form. Scanning the area around her, Kuro was surrounded by trunks of long dead trees and thorny bushes devoid of greenery. Under one of these she found the source of the reflection she spotted from the air. It was a metal cylinder about the size of a sword hilt, and Kuro knew instantly what it was…Raeva's lightsaber. She deftly reached through the branches of the prickly bush and snatched the hilt from the ground. Holding it as she looked around her, she knew this was the spot where Raeva had fallen ill, but to leave her lightsaber behind meant that it was more than a simple illness that caused her the intense pain the jedi masters had sensed…the woman fought something in this place and lost. Carrying the weapon in her hand, she walked quietly further into the coven examining the ground and dead foliage for clues to what had transpired.
Suddenly a foul odor almost overwhelmed her. Having no real need to stay, she transformed back into her dragon form and quickly launched into flight. What she spied not far from her almost caused her to falter…thousands of demons roamed the region moving indirectly towards the others and would reach the padawans within an hour. The lightsaber hilt now in her paw, she gripped it tightly and flew as quickly as she could back to the tree near where she had seen Illiana and Grogg earlier. Above the winds she could hear the shouts and rants of the demons behind her…she had been spotted. How well they could see her black shape in the dark sky she did not know, but she also could not stay behind to find out. The jedi were now in immediate danger, and she had to get them out of the region before the demons arrived. Within minutes she was back at the tree and as she descended to land she noticed the two padawans had surprisingly made quicker time than she originally guessed. The beat of her wings alerted the orc and elven jedi to her presence as well as a kaldorei woman near what looked like a crude wheeled cart. Grogg stood beside the night elf while Illiana knelt next to the litter. As Kuro touched down she transformed to her human form once again and walked directly to the orc.
"We have to get out of here now!" she said as she approached.
"How did you find us?" Grogg asked. Kuro stepped next to him and now could see that Raeva lay unconscious and face down on the flat surface of the cart. Her exposed back was scarred and bloody yet sporadically covered with patches of clothing and green leaves from the tree. Illiana looked up to the dragon but made no move to stand as her left hand held that of her mother.
"No time to discuss that now," she responded. "Demons are moving this way and will be here soon." She looked at the night elf. "You are Adaria, correct?"
"I remember you," she replied to the dragon. "Yes…I am Adaria. My brother and I found Raeva near the edge of Mannoroc Coven like she is now. A poison…"
"We can discuss that later," Kuro said interrupting her. "Priority is to get all of you out of this place." She looked at the litter and then back at Grogg and Adaria. "I cannot carry all of you…we must choose who stays and who goes and quickly."
"You have to take Mother," Illiana said finally standing.
"Can she be moved?" Kuro asked. "Upon my back will be precarious in her condition. I could carry her in my paws, but that would be a much rougher journey and could injure her further."
"Illiana can hold her in place while you fly," Grogg offered. "Adaria and I can then follow on foot."
"NO!" Illiana shouted. She walked over to stand before the orc. "You must go with mother. You have to…Master Dorak said you were the only one who could heal her."
Kuro looked back towards the Coven and sniffed the air. "Choose quickly…our time is running short. They are advancing on this place much faster than I anticipated."
"How much time?" the druid asked.
"Half hour…maybe less," the black dragon answered. "We must leave…now."
Illiana took Grogg by the shoulders and turned him to face her. "You go with Mother," she pleaded. "Adaria and I can make faster time than she could with you. You outweigh me by at least a hundred pounds, and in the form of a saber she can carry me much more easily than you."
"She is right in this," Adaria added to their side. "And you are a healer which is what Raeva needs right now. Neither Illiana nor I can help her with this illness. You should go with her and Kuro…only you can save her life now."
Kuro changed back into her dragon form and lay on the ground as flat as she could. "The choice is made. Grogg…climb up while the women bring Raeva over. I will try to fly as straight and true as possible, but you must hold her tightly."
"I understand, Kuro," Grogg answered as he left the side of the elves and placed a foot on the bent right forepaw of the dragon. "Glad you arrived when you did."
"Me too," she answered with a toothy smile.
He climbed up and straddled the base of Kuro's neck as the women carried the unconscious form of Raeva. Grogg leaned over the help lift the elf up before him. The smell of the wound was horrible, but despite what pain she must be enduring; Raeva made no sound…not even a moan. He draped as much of his robes as he could over her body, and with a nod to the dragon he indicated they were ready. Kuro stood up on her four legs and spread her wings. Looking down at Illiana she held out her paw. With a curious expression, the elven jedi reached out and accepted the metal cylinder Kuro offered. Recognizing what she held, Illiana looked up into the eyes of the black dragon.
"I found it just before I found the demons coming this way," she said to the elf. "I figured you might want your mother's weapon." And with that she leapt into the air and quickly took flight from the area.
Holding the hilt, Illiana joined Adaria as they watched the dragon fly from their sight. After they were gone, she looked back down at the lightsaber that had belonged first to her father and then to her mother. The metal was cold in her hand. When she felt the touch of Adaria on her shoulder, she looked into the compassionate face of the kaldorei.
"You mother's?" she asked.
"My…my father's," Illiana answered.
With an understanding nod, Adaria lowered to her hands and knees and looked up at the jedi. "Time for us to leave as well…climb on, Illiana." After the druid transformed into a frostsaber, the jedi did as her companion asked, and soon they too left the area just moments before the demons arrived to destroy the only remaining living tree.