After a few days of being back, there was an incoming transmission from Ahsoka... She was calling out the war. "I take it the Rebels have Dooku's full attention." Obi-Wan said. "Its a full scale war! They need our help! Please talk to the council!" She begged. "Even master Windu would be weary at this point. The council will not engage or involve the Republic in an internal affair." He said.
"The Separatists have a new gunship with a powerful ray shield! Nothings getting passed it!" She shouted. "I'm sorry Ahsoka. They will have to find a way. Do not stay there if their failure is certain. Evacuate who you can and return to Coruscant immediately! Do you understand?" He said. "Yes, Master!" And the transmission cut off. I ran a hand through my bangs and stomped my foot. "We need to help them!" Anakin said. "No shit." I laughed to break the tension and stood up. "We will do what we can to relocate the survivors." Obi-Wan said.
I growled. "Before they lose my home!"
"We can't, Nina." He said. "What difference does it make now? The Separatists know we're involved!" Anakin snapped. "I don't disagree with you two, but to send in Republic gunships defeats our purpose. We must stay true to our intentions." Obi-Wan told us. I rubbed my forehead. "While my brother dies on the battlefield? That's rich." I growled deep in the back of my throat. "It doesn't have to look like we're the ones helping! What if another party was involved?" Anakin asked.
"Another party? Who in the Galaxy would be running around with an extra batch of missiles?" I stopped in my tracks and then smirked at Anakin. He looked at me and smirked right back. "Hondo!" We said in unison.
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"OK, I'm heading out on a gunship, I'll be coming back soon... So stay out of trouble, Nina." Anakin pushed on my arm. I rolled my eyes. "When have I ever done otherwise?" I asked. He smirked. "On second thought, don't answer that. Rhetorical Question." He smiled. And then, he jumped in his ship... When I was certain he wasn't looking, I ran across the hangar and jumped into a separate gunship and powered it up. I tried not to draw attention to myself... But that backfired. I saw someone bang on the glass.
"Bonteri! Get out of that ship, now!" Rex shouted at me. I looked down. "I can't do that Rex." I said.
"I'm not getting off the wing until you power down this ship!" He yelled. I growled. "You don't let go, you'll find yourself drifting to the next wreck you can find. Get your damn ass off the wing!" I lifted the ship and he fell on the ground. "Bonteri! Power down, now!" He yelled again. I sighed... "I'm sorry Rex... My brother needs me." And then, I flew to Onderon...
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"You have to help us!" Lux was begging Ahsoka for her help! She was the only way they would win. They need a lightsaber! Not just one deflecting lasers but chopping up the clankers!
"I'll do all I can to protect you... But I cannot fight this war for you." She said. Lux stomped away in anger. "We wouldn't have made it this far without you or Nina." Steela said. Ahsoka looked down. "I wish she was here... I wish I could do more to help." She looked down and then heard a ship engine. "Wait! Looks like we have company." She said.
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"OK, think I'm starting to get the hang of this... Undi, I could've used your help right about now!" I swore under my breath as I entered the planet's atmosphere... "Likely chances they aren't in the cities anymore... I'll look the outskirts first." I piloted over the tops of the trees and then saw droids. Oh, boy... I tuned my comm system to a matching frequency and then unlocked the guns... I locked onto a target and fired. The Patrol then shot at least 200 feet in the air, falling on the ground in pieces. I smirked.
"Where did that come from?" I heard over the comm. "Up there!" Someone else shouted. And then, they yelled in. I knew who it was though... "Command Gunship 207-518, Identify Yourself!" I smirked at Saw's voice. "Hey, Saw! I didn't miss anything, did I? Has Lux been arrested yet, cause I could turn around and wait." I smirked.
"Nina?" He said. "You know it! Now clear that station on the right! I'm coming in for a landing." I shouted. "I'm on it!" And the line went dead. I smirked. "I still got it."
I watched the animals pull in separate directions and I landed the ship, pulling back the glass and taking off the headset. And then, someone crushed me in a hug. I new that scent of cologne and shampoo anywhere. "Lux, your OK." I smiled. "I knew you'd come back... We need you, Nina. We need your lightsaber." He said. I pulled it out and opened it up. "Lead me back." She said. He smirked and we both ran to the nest. "Steela! We've got a visitor." Lux stepped to the side and then everyone brightened at the sight of me. "Nina!" I looked up at Ahsoka who hugged me tight.
"You came back." She smiled. "I couldn't let you do this on your own, Ahsoka... Your like a sister." I smiled. "There's been some changes around here, Nina." Ahsoka said. "Like what?" I asked. "Well... We have a new leader... Steela's our leader." She said. I looked at her and then smiled. "I'm at your service, Steela." I said, bowing down. Steela laughed. "If I wasn't so nice, I'd send you home... Truth is, we need you." She said. I smiled. "Nah... You missed me." I smirked. "Yeah... We all missed you." She said. I rolled my eyes. I then saw something... "Hey... Those rocket launchers? Highly accurate charging chips and tracking software that gives direct hit with every fire? Shoulder fire?" I picked one up. "Uh... Yeah, how'd you know?" Steela said. I smirked. "Believe me, we all do our studies... You learn a few things serving under a Sith Lord!" I cocked the barrel and smirked. "These must be perfect on those gunships." I smiled. "You bet."
And then, I heard gunshots. "Uh, here." I handed Lux the rocket launcher and ran out of the cave, jumped on a high bridge and opened my lightsaber... The droids hesitated. "Nina Bonteri. Set your guns on stun." The droids said... They want me alive. Great. "Not today!" I jumped forward and sliced one in half. And then, another one fired and hit my arm, grazing dad's jacket. And then, I got pissed off. "You'll regret that." I lifted the droid in the air and he stopped firing... I made a fist with my hand and then the droid crumpled into a cube. I flung it from the skylight and it landed on the ground with a thud.
I then saw Lux staring up at me, blank expression, mouth open wide, gaping. "What? He shot daddy's jacket!" I said. He shrugged and then ran. "Nina! Stay here, protect the King!" Steela shouted. "Yes, captain!" I saluted her and jumped off the bridge, landing on my knees. "Ah, that's gonna hurt in an hour." I said, jumping up. And then, I looked up... King Dendom. "Your Majesty!" I fell on my knees, dropping my lightsaber. "Please, Nina. There's no need for that." I could sense his smile. So I stood up and hugged him.
"I haven't seen you in so long. Are you alright?" I asked. "We're in a war, Nina... Nobody is alright." He said. I looked down. "The unfortunate truth, sire. I serve under you... I await your orders, my lord." I smiled up as I bowed. He picked up my lightsaber. "You'll need this." He said. I grinned. "Thanks."
"My Lord, we are taking heavy fire!" Someone then ran in. I looked up at a stranger. "Nina, get up front with General Tandem. Protect the base, please." He said. "Yes, sire." I ran forward, jumping on the bridge but then almost fell. The wooden bars started cracking. "Here we go again."
And then they broke. I screamed out but before I could fall, someone grabbed my wrist. It must've been General Tandem. "I've got you!" He said. I smiled as he pulled me back up. And then, I saw a missile. "Get down!" I tackled him down on the bridge as the missile zoomed over where he used to me standing. It exploded on the wall. "Fall back!" I yelled at him. "Are you giving me orders?" The General said, firing. "You wanna die today?!" I snapped. He then looked back up. "On second thought, you get command over this skylight." He said. "Uh-huh." I nodded. And then turned on my comm as a ship came in. "Lux! Their attacking the nest! They're after the King!" I yelled.
And then, every militia man around me was shot dead. "Lux, Hurry!" I yelled. And then opened my lightsaber. But the droid shot it out of my hand and then grabbed my throat... "Where is the false King?" It said. I growled. "I will never tell you." It was a droid, but if it could smirk... It would. And then, it seemed to know who I was. "You have failed, Assassin..." Then, it threw me from the skylight...
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Nina screamed in terror as she landed on the pile of dead militia men, along with droids. And then, something happened... Something to change her life, forever.
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"Wait... Where's Nina?" They knew where Steela was... Steela made the ultimate sacrifice. And she paid the price, by letting herself die. But the thing was... Nina was missing. "Nina... NINA!" Lux shouted his sister's name and ran around frantically... "Ahsoka, where is she... Tell me she's alive." He begged. She closed her eyes and then... There was a pull on her mind. But it was very weak. "She's alive... But she won't be for long." She said.
"No... NO!" And he ran for it, looking around for his sister. "NINA!" He shouted over and over again... He then saw a hand... Under a pile of scrap metal. "Nina..." He ran to her and moved the metal... What he saw next horrified him. There was a shock baton that pierced her stomach and she sat up. "Lux..." He caught her before she hit the ground.
"I... I don't understand... Why did you do this, Nina?" He said, leaning over her. She sucked in a shaky breath. "We all have sacrifices... Just like Steela..." She said, putting her bloody hand on his cheek. He grabbed it and more tears came. "Nina... You can't go. Your all I have left... Please, don't leave me." He begged. She shook her head. "I don't want to, Lux... But it's inevitable..." She said. "No! Not a chance in hell!" He shouted. She smiled and blinked a few times before saying something she thought she'd never say...
"Mom?" She whispered, looking up. Lux looked up with her, but saw nothing... She was slipping away. "NO! Nina, stay with me... Please." He said, crying over her. And soon, everyone was gathered around them. Ahsoka stood there, completely helpless... She would heal her if she could, but she didn't know how. "You can't see her, Lux..." She closed her eyes for a split second and looked up. "It's been a good life... My brother." She said. He shook his head. "Not for me. Your not dying, Nina! Please... You can't leave me... You promised." He said.
She shook her head. "Sacrifice, Lux..." She said. He looked down and broke down in tears she just rubbed his cheek and he breathed in. "Don't cry for me, Lux... I'm already dead." She said. "Don't say words like that!" He said... "It's too late... I love you, Lux." She said and then, the light slowly left her eyes... And then, she stopped breathing. "No! No, no, no! Nina... Come back..." He said, shaking her. But it was too late... Nina Bonteri was dead. He put her body down on the ground and then ran for the forest. "LUX!" Ahsoka shouted, running after him.
She found him in the woods, as he fell on his knees, broke down in tears and looked up at the sky. "Its because I loved her, wasn't it?! She died because she was the only thing I had left! No... You bring her back! I want her back, now!" He shouted... Nobody was gonna answer. "Bring her back, please bring her back..." He dropped his head and broke down into heavy sobs. Ahsoka saw the whole thing. And she felt tears coming on too... She wiped them away and walked to him. "Lux," She touched his shoulder and he slapped her hand away. "It's my fault... Turn my back for two minutes... And she dies." He said. "Lux, it is not your fault." She said.
"EVERYTHING IS MY FAULT!" He shouted. She looked down. "My mother is dead because I left the house. And Nina is dead because I didn't watch her... Like a brother should have..."
~OOHH! CLIFFHANGAR! What will happen? Will Lux live out his life without Nina? Or can light shine down on this day? Wait for the next Chapter!~