We arrived in orbit around Kuril with about four hours before our first target was under the cover of darkness. Juhani and I were going through our gear, testing everything we would carry. We both had a pair of interface goggles to locate mines and provide night vision. Although we were capable of using the Force to navigate through the dark, I wanted to ensure we had every advantage we could get. We both slipped on black body armor, tough enough to give us some protection, but not heavy enough to encumber our freedom of movement.
I was provided a Defel stealth generator to wear around my waist. It was powerful enough evade both sensors and prying eyes, but the field worked both ways. I would be shrouded in darkness while I was cloaked, but only within the base would I have to rely on the Force to navigate. With only an hour's supply of power, I could not afford to use it any more than I had to.
I also was provided a security breaker that I placed on my left wrist. The unit would be my means of going from one sealed area to the next. On the other arm was an Echani personal shield. The odds of it doing me any good were slim. If I got past security, then I had no use for it. On the other hand, if I were caught, Sith weapons would beat it down in seconds. Had it been anywhere else on the planet, their standard projectile weapons may have been easier to stop with a Mandalorian power shield.
Juhani did not require much more than her lightsabers, but I insisted that she be equipped with a stealth belt and Echani shield generator as well. Since she would not be infiltrating the bases, she didn't have to travel light.
Nevski would have remained with the ship for the duration of the mission. Although capable, he was not required for anything more than taking off and landing the ship. His piloting was required to get us through undetected. Other than that, his presence would only increase the risk of us being discovered. Our ship did not have a cloaking device, but it could camouflage with its surroundings.
By the time Juhani and I were equipped, I was greatly concerned that I may have been leading all of us to our deaths... so much depended upon me. Then I pushed the thought aside... I couldn't be second-guessing myself now. I had to show courage, not fear. Fear was contagious.
I got in front of them and gave one more pep talk... I think I did it more for myself than for them. "Juhani... Nevski... I know that you have doubts about my ability to command. And although the last thing I should do is show doubt, I feel you must know the truth. I'm greatly concerned about what will happen during the next 16 hours. I know that the stakes of this mission are high, but as long as we all do our jobs, we will succeed. For whatever my word is worth... I assure you that I won't let you down. This is the first time I have been entrusted with people's lives and I have no intent to lose that trust." I went up to both of them and placed my hands on their shoulders. "Millions of lives will depend on us. Keep that in mind, but don't let fear interfere with your judgment." I turned around, but realized I forgot something. "One last thing: I'm glad to be here of all places. You two have made my acceptance into the Order much easier. For that: I thank you."
They smiled at me with great confidence. I couldn't be sure if it was genuine or if they just hid their true feelings that well. The last few hours were spent preparing ourselves psychologically for the task ahead of us. Very little more was exchanged among us.
-----
We were about 10 minutes away from our first target, I went into the front to see how Nevski was doing. "How are we coming in?"
"We've got a problem... the sensor systems around the base are not what Kavar anticipated in the battle plan. They must have obtained type 14 sensors from the Sith as well. We can't get through undetected."
"How do you know that?"
"Kavar's battle plan anticipated that they were still using EMP systems. The ship could have slipped through those, but not type 14 sensors." Nevski said.
"Is there anything that could be done?"
"We either have to land ten kilometers further from the landing sights than we intended, or cut power completely. Then we'd have nothing to control our descent, let alone take off again."
"We can't land that far away... how heavy is the ship?"
"This ship is about 20 metric tons. Why do you...?" He realized what I was thinking. "Are you suggesting that we levitate the ship all the way to the landing sites?"
"Have you ever tried it?"
"I've never been able to perform such a... delicate operation. I could move something as large as the ship, but I couldn't pull off such a landing without causing damage to critical systems... or harming ourselves."
"Harming us?"
"Yes." He looked at me as if I couldn't understand something so basic. "The ship is mostly hollow and trying to move something like this involves applying the Force to key locations that can handle the stresses. If I tried to take hold of anything inside, I might tear open a fuel tank, harm one of us, or crush a computer system. And that is simply holding the ship, not performing a landing."
I leaned my head back as I realized I had to be the one to do it. Here's where Alfred's training came in handy. If I could animate a sand sculpture, then surely I knew where to hold the ship's superstructure so it wouldn't tear apart from the hull. "Get out of that chair, Nevski. I'm going to take us in."
"Wait, you're saying you can do it?" He stood up from his seat, but didn't move aside. "You seriously can take full control of the ship and land us without destroying us?"
I put my hand on his shoulder and pulled him out of the pilot's chair. "I guess I'll soon find out."
Juhani had been in the compartment behind us, but the hatch was open. She exclaimed in protest as she came to the flight deck. "Wait! Are you seriously considering trying to take us in without power? Are you that confident that you can manage that?"
"Size is meaningless to the Force, remember?"
"That's all well and true, but that depends upon our level of control. Do you seriously believe that you can take us all the way to the base without losing your concentration and land us safely?"
"And take off unpowered?" He and she both stared at me. "We have to get out of there undetected as well."
I dropped my head from the frustration of what I had to do. Suddenly, I realized that I displayed fear when I should have been showing confidence, so I moved into the pilot's chair to make it look like I was just sitting down. "I've never tried, but if anyone can levitate the ship, it's me."
"Yuthura..." Nevski got to my side and on a knee. "We can't just resort to something like this without considering other options. Take us up and we'll figure out another way to penetrate the defenses."
"We don't have time. You said we need to go in unpowered... that's a solution."
"But can you do it? Can you...?"
"If you have any bright ideas, I'm listening!" I shouted in anger. When he didn't give an answer, I gave a direct order. "Then shut up and strap yourselves in."
Juhani looked at me as though I just offended her personally, but nervously got into one of the seats behind me. Nevski took the co pilot's seat next to me. "We'll need to cut power at least 10 kilometers away from the perimeter of the base. You should take us in high and fast so it'll make it easier to land. Our speed will provide lift and you can sacrifice altitude for speed."
"When we get close to the landing sight, you two may need to help me slow the ship so we don't crash. I'll hold the ship steady, but you two may need to harness our speed so we don't overshoot the landing sight. Understood?"
They both nodded. Nevski prepared to power down the ship in-flight. "Approaching ten kilometers. As soon as we power down, you will have to take us the rest of the way. I will not power up again unless a crash is imminent."
"Understood."
"Powering down in three, two, one..."
Suddenly, all flight systems went dead and the pilot controls were dead. We started descending, but glided for a few seconds before the Force took its hold through me. In order to tap the force energy I needed, I had to fall into a trance that cut myself off from the rest of the galaxy. Although I would not be aware of events around me, I would be able to complete the task I set out for. During that time, I often relived the memories that caused me great anger, hate, and hurt.
I focused all my anger for one of the last vile acts that Omeesh committed against me. My friend, Nenya, was a victim because of an act I committed. I should have been the one punished, but Omeesh thought it more amusing if my friends were the ones to suffer for what I've done. He had turned everyone I ever loved against me and it still wasn't satisfying enough for him. I despised everything about him and I wanted him dead! All that ever mattered anymore was hurting him for every beating he ever gave... every friend he murdered...
-----
My thoughts were interrupted by Juhani's yelling. "We're down... it's over. Yuthura!"
I was gasping for air when I came to. I was exhausted by the concentration I needed to land the ship. After catching my breath, I asked, "Nevski... how did we do?"
"You did very well at controlling our descent. We were only a few hundred meters above the ground when we had to harness the ship's momentum. It was amazing how accurate you were."
I sighed in exhaustion and leaned my head back. "Good. At least we know we can do it."
"You look terrible. Maybe you should rest..." Juhani suggested.
"We don't have time." I got out of my seat. "Nevski, start working on those proton torpedoes. Have them ready to program at a moment's notice. Juhani, we need to get going."
----
The area around the first stronghold was a jungle infested with bugs, but very few animals. My lekku were completely exposed to biting insects, and I had to keep myself from reacting to their stings. I was still tired from the landing, but could keep myself focused on the surroundings.
Juhani extended her arm to hold me back. "Mines. They are not strategically placed, so we can go around them."
"Maybe, but if they are scattered about, it would mean we would not have a clearly defined path. Can you fuse the detonators without blowing them up?"
She didn't face me. "Maybe, but I wouldn't do it just for the sake of it. If I blast them with too much electricity, they will explode. I don't think we should risk attracting attention unless they are in the way."
"I don't have any explosives with me. If you can, could you disarm a few? It doesn't matter if you blow out the detonator, but I'd like to have something with me that can be used as a distraction or whatever explosives are good for."
She shrugged her shoulders and pulled off her night-vision goggles. "I'll try to short-circuit the fuses." She reached out and shot a fan of electricity that hit the mines, but nothing went boom. Then she extended her arm and pulled the mines from where they were laying and directed them to levitate in front of me.
I took the three mines suspended in the air and slipped them into whatever pockets I had to spare. "Thanks. I wonder why we didn't have any grenades in our inventory."
"Jedi don't use grenades. And this is a covert mission. There should not be any guards patrolling this area, so we should quicken our pace." I nodded. "I'll go ahead of you. Tell me if you sense any patrols."
She went on for about 300 meters, disabling every mine we came across. We couldn't proceed much faster than we could run, so I had some time to rejuvenate my Force energy. As we came across a clearing, I sensed others were in the area. Juhani felt them as well and lowered herself to the ground. I got beside her and whispered "Two guards ahead. I'll take care of them."
I reached out to snag them with the Force, snapping their necks with a gruesome sound. The path ahead looked clear, but there was still another sentient being in the area. "Juhani, stay down. There's someone up ahead."
I switched on my infrared goggles to search for a heat signature, but couldn't locate him. I had no choice but to fall back to Juhani's position in the trees. "I sense a sniper, but can't locate him. We may have to go around."
"That would take too much time. Let me go up ahead and I'll find him." She requested.
"Be careful. We can't be seen... that is our first priority."
She focused her mind and used her force stealth abilities to hide from anything with eyes... even I couldn't see her. After she went ahead, I meditated again. I wasn't sure if I could push my abilities to lift the ship another four times in addition to carrying out my duty.
It was strange for me to know that I couldn't do what was required to complete the mission, yet not be worried about the ultimate outcome. I should have been greatly concerned about what would happen if we were discovered, but I almost felt comfortable with the idea... if we were discovered, it didn't mean that we were dead. If discovered, I no longer had to go into the other two bases.
Then something about that thought left me with a sickening feeling. If we were discovered, there were going to be many lives lost and I would have gotten the blame for the mission failure. Jedi don't execute for failure like the Sith, but that didn't mean I would have welcomed their harsh words. All I had to do was push myself to the limits of my endurance for one day and it would all be over. Still... the next few hours were going to be hell.
Almost by reflex, I jumped to my feet running after I felt the spark of life ahead get extinguished. Juhani became visible again and I met up with her. "We're almost there. The shield perimeter is just ahead."
"Great job. Keep the path clear and I'll be back as soon as possible."
She checked her watch. "We're ten minutes behind."
"I'll worry about that. Just keep the path clear!" I switched on my stealth generator and moved in.
----
There was a checkpoint in the shield that allowed passage into and out of the facility. I couldn't afford to wait for a guard to pass through, so I used my lock breaker to open the doorway and got through the security systems.
The main entrance seemed too fortified to get through undetected, so I searched for an alternative means of infiltrating the compound. I was already about almost fifteen minutes behind and hadn't even found the shield generator yet. When I didn't sense anyone nearby, I lowered the shroud of the stealth field to find another way inside. Even these fools needed air conditioning, so I took advantage of the air ducts.
With a thought, one the grate was open and I leapt up to the opening before anyone caught sight of me. I had to assume this area was not riddled with sensors, so I didn't reactivate the stealth field. It also much easier to see with my eyes again, so I started down the shaft and looked through each vent for some idea as to where I could locate the generator. Around one juncture was a massive power conduit. The most likely place to find critical systems would have been near one of those, so I followed it to its source.
Fortunately, of the three paths the conduit took, I followed the it to the shield generator. I half expected that I was going to run into the power generator or a maze of junctures that would have taken an hour to locate the right path. The control room to the generator had to be near, so I switched my generator back on and slipped through an opening.
There were guards everywhere, so I had to be especially cautious where I stood. I was in pitch black, but I could feel the life energy of everyone around. Even though I was cloaked, there was always the possibility that they would see the light refracting around me. The stealth field worked by bending light around the user, but it was never perfect. The more sophisticated Defel generator I had was among the top quality, but moving distorted the field because it could only process so much input from the surroundings. When still, the field was perfect, but the more I moved, the less perfect it became. I would have preferred to take it slow, but I was so desperate for time that I had to move at an uncomfortable pace and just not run into anyone. I could sense them, but they couldn't see me at all.
When I finally found the shield control room, there were too many people around to decloak, so I had to create a diversion... somehow.
I didn't have the time! I needed the shield frequency and couldn't spare a moment, so I focused my mind and tried stunning the engineers who were at their stations. Three fell to the floor, but the fourth was unaffected by my mind trick. I heard him speak after he saw his companions hit the floor, so I dropped my cloak and grabbed him with the Force by the neck, effectively silencing him. Unfortunately, I had gripped too hard that it snapped his neck. I was only trying to shut him up and hold him where he was, but I had just erred.
A dead body was a clear indication of an intruder. The only choice I had was to hide the corpse and hope they wouldn't notice for at least a few hours. The air vent was the best place, but I lost even more precious time disposing the body.
To get the shield frequency, I needed an authorization code, so I touched the forehead of the chief engineer and began draining his life energy. With it came memories, many of were of little use to me. I was surprised at the garbage floating in the guy's mind, but I got some useful info on the situation of the trade that was going to take place. There were a few sith posted in each of the bases that acted as instructors to train the Kurillians on how to effectively use the advanced weapons.
I believe the Sith wanted to take advantage of the situation by giving an enemy of the Republic an edge over the other side. Kuril was a Republic world, but half of the population did not agree to become part of it. The Tupilov created great discord among the other side because they had conflicts that did not involve the Republic, yet they had the protection of the Republic fleet. They essentially were both protected by the fleet from outside threats, but were not allowed to interfere with their internal conflicts.
Naturally, the Sith would have wanted to have those on the Republic's side wiped out so that the Tupilov could become independent, or worse allied with the Sith. If this trade were to go through, it would most likely happen... I had to stop that from happening.
It took a few minutes, but I managed to extract the info I needed, which included the precious access codes. I had not realized it, but I was decloaked and in sight for a long time without realizing it. Before I reactivated the field, I entered the code into the main computer and found what I needed: a frequency of 527 mark 459. I put it into my data pad and logged out before reactivating the field again.
I checked the status of the cloaking device and saw I had less than ten minutes of power remaining. I needed to get out of sight as quickly as possible, but before I left, I revived the engineers. While they were waking up, I clouded their minds so that they didn't realize that they were unconscious just a moment ago. When I heard them resuming their duties, I assumed I was successful and they did not notice one of their comrades was gone.
-----
I crawled back through the vents and got to the shield checkpoint again. Juhani was waiting for me at the edge of the sensor perimeter and my stealth field went down just moments after I was clear. As we began running toward the ship, I knew what she was going to say and I just answered before she could ask the question. "I know. We're twenty minutes behind, but I got what we needed."
"I took out another patrol while you were in. The path is clear, so we should run as fast as possible." She stated.
After the intense sprint, we were back on the ship. The instant we closed the hatch, I yelled "Nevski, get us ready for takeoff!"
"We can't power up, remember? We will take off whenever you're ready. Once outside the sensor range, we can power up. Until then..."
I got into the pilot's seat. "Yeah, yeah. Just strap yourselves in and power up as soon as we're clear. I'll get us out of here."
When I was ready, I concentrated all my thoughts onto the ship and where the critical points of the superstructure where I would focus the Force upon. I did not want to focus on the more delicate components that could be crushed or torn away. The landing gear were the ideal places to focus on and I slowly began to lift us off the ground. The more I concentrated, the less aware of the real world I became and soon fell into a trance.
-----
When I focused my mind on another moment of extreme anger, I relived a time when Omeesh wanted to watch me shriek in agony. He had me whipped by a shock lash for as long as it amused him. It was the most intense pain of my life because I was not allowed to pass out when the pain became too intense. The drugs I was injected with ensured that I would stay conscious for every last moment of it. He only ended it when I couldn't scream anymore.
What infuriated me most was that these kind of injustices were allowed to happen and those who committed the crimes were never punished. Huts took such sick pleasure in watching my people suffer... they had to pay for their crimes! I desired so much to kill every single one of them! I could not allow that to happen again!
I had the power to change the galaxy and I was just as guilty for not stopping them. I hated myself more because I wasn't dealing out the death and punishment they deserve! Why couldn't I have just been able to forget the pain of my past and move on? How could anyone abide by such cruelty?!
-----
When I regained consciousness, I released a painful shriek and fell forward in my seat. After a short moment, Juhani pulled me back up and showed great worry in her eyes. It was a comfort to see that she was concerned about my well-being. "Yuthura... you can't do this again. It is straining you beyond what you can handle."
I was breathing very heavily and couldn't keep my head up. "We have no choice... If we don't... we'll be detected... and we'll..."
She placed her index finger over my lips to silence me. "It's all right. You should rest now."
Nevski turned to face me. "Yuthura, we must find another way to do this."
"There is not... you said it yourself... we can't land... unless we use... our Force power."
"You're no good to us in this condition. You are the only one who can infiltrate the remaining bases." He said.
I thought of what else could be done to accomplish the mission. There had to be a way to save some time or effort. Finally, I came up with something. "Nevski... I need you... to do something for me... When I'm retrieving the shield frequency... in the next compound... you need to find a way... to disable their sensors... without attracting attention."
He began to object. "Any kind of attack would alert them to our presence..."
I raised my hand. "No. After we land, you need to go in with a stealth generator and cause a sensor glitch... a diagnostic... anything that would allow us to launch normally at the next base."
"I should go in with you." Juhani suggested.
I shook my head. "No. Your Force stealth ability can't fool electronic sensors. That and you have little skill with computers... no offense." I leaned my head back in exhaustion. "What's our ETA?"
"Eighteen minutes." Nevski stated after checking his console.
"All right. I need to have my stealth belt recharged." I reached to remove the device from my waist, but Juhani took care of that for me. Then she took it to the back to recharge the power cell. "I just wish I could do the same for myself."
"Can't you? Aren't you able to drain energy from others?" Nevski asked.
"Life energy." I corrected. "I am very much alive, but drained of Force energy. Draining life from others detracts from the very energy I'm lacking."
"Yuthura, if you can't do this..."
I raised my arm. "Please don't argue anymore. I'm not going to let half a world be destroyed if I could stop it. Please just let me rest."
I could not imagine that I could push myself so hard for people I didn't even know; maybe who didn't care about what I did with my life. For some reason, I couldn't turn away from this. I began to doubt that we would succeed, but I couldn't let Trevelyan or myself down. I had to make this work.
-----
"We're three minutes out. I'm going to have us go in at full speed to minimize the time I must keep the ship level. We might end up skidding to a stop, but the terrain is grassland." I said as we approached the second base's sensor range.
Juhani was watching me nervously as we came closer to T-minus zero. "Don't strain yourself this time. Nevski and I should help you support the ship as well."
"You can't. I have to do this alone because I'll be controlling the ship's course and descent. You two need only to slow us to a stop once we're over the landing site. Before then, I must take full control without any other influence."
Nevski turned his head to the left. "Are you ready for this?"
"Not really, but it's not like we have any other choice. You just do your job. I'll worry about mine." I concluded the conversation.
Nevski started powering down the ship's systems. "We're nearing ten kilometers. Cutting thrusters... now."
-----
I lost myself to a moment I hated while I was among the Sith. After I had become Uthar's second, we often rolled around in bed. Although we hated each other, it didn't stop us from giving in to our animal instincts now and again. Although he was everything I despised, I enjoyed those late-night sessions with him.
One night, shortly before Trevelyan crossed my path, we got down to business after the excitement was over. "The recruits we're getting are becoming less worthy than their predecessors." I complained.
"I've been teaching here for six years. They're no different than the last class." Uthar said.
"They're getting dumber, more wild, less devoted... Surely you've noticed?"
"Yes, I have. Perhaps they are following your example?"
"What?!"
"I had been expecting that you'd start using other tactics than... this. I'm not a fool to think you're doing this other than to advance your goals. If you think that I wouldn't be expecting you to usurp me, then you don't deserve to beat me." He stood up and began dressing himself.
"If you already know that, then why do you bother with me?"
"I enjoy being with a beautiful woman. I also enjoy watching you demean yourself." After he got on his uniform, he looked back at me. "It's all you're good for. That's why I'll always be the master... I don't have to bring myself to such depths as you to beat my enemies." He got in my face. "You're just a whore... and you're powerless against me."
-----
This time, I awoke more peacefully. I could barely focus on my surroundings and was of no use to the others. "How are you?" Juhani asked.
"I'll live. How was the landing this time?"
Nevski turned around. "We came in pretty hard, but all major systems are still online. Are you all right?"
I unfastened my seat harness and stood up. "We are still behind schedule. If we can..."
Nevski gently pushed me back into my seat. "You... are staying right here. We will clear the way and you can catch up. Until then..."
I nodded. "Rest. I won't argue with you on that."
Juhani placed her hand on my shoulder. "We'll contact you when the way is clear." When the two of them exited the ship, I threw my head back and fell asleep the instant I hit the headrest.
----
I was asleep for nearly an hour before I heard the comlink. "Yuthura? Are you there?"
I pivoted my head to find the comlink laying on the panel in front of the co-pilot's station. I extended my arm and grabbed it. "Yeah. I'm on my way."
"Nevski is already inside."
-----
My run through the second fortress went without incident. Nevski managed to arrange for a sensor diagnostic to take place during the time we would take off. To ensure we would not miss the window of opportunity, he gave me 90 minutes to go in and get back... I did it in 70.
For the twenty minutes of time we had before the sensors went down, the three of us had a casual conversation.
"So Yuthura, tell me about Master Zhar. What is he like as a Master to a single apprentice?" Nevski asked.
"He's... very strict about how I use passion to fuel my connection to the Force. He doesn't get angry like Vrook, but he doesn't allow me to progress to the next level if I don't do a task with a mastery of peace." I explained. "I can do something just as easily with passion as you could through peace, but if I use passion to accomplish my goals. Even if I succeed, he would just say 'again.' That gets frustrating."
"Quatra never forced that upon me. Often I used anger to fuel my connection to the Force, but she said it was alright as long as my feelings did not influence my actions." Juhani said.
I made a sound of interest. "Any chance I could train with him?"
"She..." Juhani emphasized. "...already has her hands full with three padawans. I don't think she'd be able to take on another." She said almost jokingly. "Who was your master... from before?"
"Master Kolchak."
She raised her head upon hearing the name. "He's still around. Why aren't you with him?"
I didn't answer.
Nevski looked at me as though he's seen a ghost or something. "You're Master Kolchak's apprentice... the one he lost... to the Sith."
I raised my head in surprise. "Yes... you sound as though you didn't know."
He shook his head. "He never spoke of you by name. In fact, he never really did speak of what happened before he settled on Coruscant."
"You know him?"
"He and I are acquainted. He's always been somewhat of a mystery to everyone. Never was willing to speak of his past. We've heard rumors that he had taken an apprentice, but nothing in his records indicated what happened before he came to Coruscant."
I looked at Nevski with an odd sense of respect or something. "There are no records that I was his apprentice? Or that he was my master?"
He shook his head. "They often don't have records of that... in order to isolate each Jedi from those that could be a liability. It was not unusual for that, but Alfred... he never really admitted that he ever took an apprentice. He was always very sensitive to the master/padawan relationship, which was where the rumors of a lost apprentice originated."
I pulled my head back in surprise. I had no idea that Alfred and I were shrouded in such mystery. I would have assumed he'd not speak of me, but that he pretended like I never existed... that was painful to know. I turned my head away to hide my feelings from their sight. "I suppose that he wanted to forget me and move on with his life. That was the best thing for him to do."
"I don't think he ever did resume his life after that. For the first decade of his service, he was a great Jedi Watchman. Always traveling from one place to another and giving hope and serving justice to those who needed it." He looked at me, very saddened. "Then he came to Coruscant and took up teaching in a classroom. Unlike Master Vrook or Zhar, he didn't have much enthusiasm and had really just kept to himself. That was a far cry from the Jedi he used to be."
I stared into Nevski's eyes with a great feeling of shame running through my thoughts. "I didn't want to hurt him. I was just doing what I thought was right."
"I'm not judging you. Master Kolchak knew the risks when he took you as an apprentice. Whatever happened to him after you left... it was ultimately his choice to make. He chose to his path, not you."
"But it was because of me that he..."
Juhani jumped in. "This is not the best time to talk about this. We need to be ready when the sensors go off-line."
Nevski was in the pilot's seat this time around. He turned forward and checked the clock he had set. "The diagnostic is scheduled to begin in three minutes, twenty four seconds. We'll know when they go down and should have a window of five minutes to power up and get out of range. Then Yuthura just has to take us in one last time and we'll not have to worry about being detected after that."
I leaned my head back and felt like I could fall asleep, but I soon was alerted to a new disturbing realization. I heard Nevski almost cry out in panic. "The countdown has ended, but the sensors have not gone off-line!"
"What?"
"I set the sensors to shut down at exactly this time, but they are still operational. It did not work."
"What if the timers are off? Could it have just been delayed or something?"
"No. They must have discovered what I did and stopped the diagnostic... damn!"
Juhani asked, "Then what do we do? Go back and shut them down?"
"There's no time. I have to take us up again." I said.
"Can you pull that off two more times?" Nevski asked.
"I don't think so, but I have no choice but to try."
"If you can't do it, then we can't risk..."
"I'm taking us out of here! We can't afford to lose any more time... we've only got a few hours to reach the third installation and leave the planet before the Sith transport ships arrive in orbit." I got myself ready to take us up again and concentrated all my focus on lifting the ship. "We're going up, so either strap yourselves in or we will crash."
"Hold on! Don't just..."
"Shut up! You're breaking my concentration!"
----
I put all my thoughts on the most defining moment of my life; when the strength of my anger conquered pure evil.
I had watched as all my friends have died and I have learned to avoid making attachments to others who would inevitably die as well. Omeesh had spent years trying to break me... although I refused to surrender to him, I knew that it was only a matter of time before I would bow down and do whatever he asked. I have suffered so much pain... so much humiliation that it hurt just to live.
One night, I was left alone with him in his bedchamber. I came to realize that if he were gone, maybe the pain would stop. I took a knife he had been using and leveled it at his throat. A surge of adrenaline coursed through my veins as I drove the blade through with all the anger, rage, and hate of a thousand lifetimes.
His eyes opened, but he couldn't speak. He just gagged on his own blood and slowly suffocated. I moved myself to his ear and whispered "Never again will you hurt me." As he choked on his blood, I smiled for the first time that I could ever remember and I savored every moment of his suffering.
----
I was screaming in agony for a long time before main power had been restored. I had collapsed forward and fell into tears. I had never come to understand just how much Omeesh had hurt me. I knew that I would never see justice for what had been done to me or my friends.
With every fiber of my being, I hated Omeesh, but could never be free of him. He may be gone, but the memories would always continue to hurt me. It may have been that realization that was making me cry, but I was physically and mentally taxed.
Juhani held me in her arms and let me cry on her shoulder. Nevski also did what he could to comfort me, but it did very little to ease the pain. The last time I've had a moment like this was when Master Kolchak found me on that desolate planetoid. I remember his gentle voice telling me that he would not let anyone hurt me again. Although I greatly appreciated having them with me, it was not enough to make me forget that the mission was doomed at that point.
After a long period of silence, Juhani spoke very softly to Nevski. "You may have to take command now."
He shook his head. "I can't. Without Yuthura, we can't slip through the sensors. I know that I can't take us in. I don't have her... delicate touch with the Force. We'd lose the ship if I tried to put us down."
"Then what are we to do?"
"We'll just have to take out the two bases that we can and hope the Tupilov will not continue with the trade. They..."
"No... we have to take out that last base. If we don't the Sith could just re-negotiate for the Endurium... or steal it... or something. We need to leave nothing for either side to have. The Sith would think the Tupilov stole the weapons and destroyed the bases to cover their tracks. The Tupilov will think the Sith backstabed them. They will blame each other and both enemies lose." I explained.
"Yuthura, you can't pull off another landing in your condition, let alone get the last frequency. Even you can't deny that."
I breathed heavily. "You're right. I can't."
"Then we should attack the two bases with the modified proton torpedoes and leave. The original plan might still work if they don't know that a Republic ship was responsible. We've already done much more than would be enough to disrupt this trade. We should not risk endangering it all if we know you can't get the third frequency." Nevski declared.
I leaned my head back and tried to come up with another solution to the problem. There had to be a way in which I could get the last shield frequency that didn't involve landing the ship without power. Suddenly, a wild idea came that just might have been crazy enough to work. "Nevski, how far do we have to be from those sensors before our energy signature can be detected?"
"Ten kilometers, but that's the maximum limit of their range. We might be able to reach five or closer, but the risk of detection increases the closer we get. What are you suggesting?"
"We have an environmental suit among our stores of equipment. It could act like a space suit, is that right?"
Juhani answered. "Not quite. It could work in a vacuum, but it would only keep the one wearing it alive for a few minutes before they freeze to death. What are you thinking of doing?"
I paused a long moment before I made such a bold proposition. "If Nevski were to take us over the base, ten kilometers overhead, I could jump out wearing the suit and I can control my descent much easier than if I were controlling a 20 ton ship."
"No, you can't possibly expect us to go along with this. We would not be able to rescue you once you've jumped out. And there is no telling if you would be able to perform such a feat. We're talking about a jump from at least 10,000 meters without a parachute or anything to break your descent." Juhani protested.
"Do you think I don't know that? I could get in much faster, transmit the frequency to you and get out before the compound explodes. After that, you can pick me up and we all can leave this place forever." I said.
Nevski and Juhani looked at each other, not knowing if to let me try such a stunt. Juhani shrugged her shoulders. "If you want to try it, I can't stop you. Trevelyan would not let me hear the end of it if you die, though."
"Just say you were following your orders."
She looked at me almost as though she expected the worst. "I just hope you know what you're doing. I'll get the suit ready for you." She moved into the back compartment.
"I'll not be able to drop you directly over the base, so you'll need to control where you land and try not to attract attention where you chose to hit the ground. I'll take us there now. And I'll have to depressurize the back compartment, so get Juhani in here once you're ready."
"Understood. Have those proton torpedoes ready. When I transmit the last frequency, I'll get out of the base as quickly as possible. Wait for me to clear before you come back to bomb the last target."
-----
I was in the environmental suit and looking down upon my target. From 10,000 meters, the facility was still very massive, but it was about to get much larger once I made the jump.
"You can still back out of this. No one will think less of us if you don't want to try it." Nevski said over the intercom in the suit.
"I'm sure I can do it. I just need you to be ready when I signal you with the last frequency. I will see both of you soon enough." I cut communications before they could say goodbye and just leaped out of the open hatch.
At first, I was almost thrilled at the experience, but soon realized just how quickly the ship above me was shrinking from my sight. In only ten seconds, the 20 ton ship looked like an insect before it moved beyond my sight. I suddenly realized just how fast I was accelerating towards the surface.
The air was thin at such a great altitude, so my terminal velocity was much greater there than near the surface. It didn't mean much to know I would slow down as the air got thicker because I came to realize just how fast I was falling. I must have been dropping at 300 km/hour and still accelerated.
I did not use my Force abilities yet because I would have wasted the precious little energy I had if I did it before I reached terminal velocity. As I fell, I extended my arms and body to get as much wind resistance as possible, which slowed me down drastically, but still I was getting scared at just how fast I was going.
After terminal velocity was reached, I knew that I would only slow down from that point, but watched my altitude get lower and lower much faster than I had expected. When I was at about a thousand meters above the ground, I started breaking myself with the Force, but found it was more difficult because of the cumbersome suit I was wearing.
When I realized that I wasn't going to break myself in time, I knew I had to get rid of the suit, so I released a Force repulse... shedding the suit from around me. The sudden change in pressure on my body was harder than I expected, but it almost seemed to give me the drive I needed to harness my fall. Before, I was just slowing myself as much as was comfortable, but then I brought and extreme amount of stress on my body as I dropped below two hundred... excruciating G-forces below 100 meters... then I positioned myself to land on my feet... and felt myself hit the ground. Although painful, I knew I had not broken anything when I collapsed onto my back.
For a very long moment, I just laid there, letting my body adjust to the conditions at ground level. I had just made a 10 kilometer jump and survived without a parachute... they need to include that from now on.
When I heard activity going on in the distance, I realized that I landed inside the base's perimeter and was in plain sight. Standing up was painful, but it was something I could work through. The stealth field generator had not been recharged when I had the opportunity, so I had very little power left to work with. I sprinted to the main entrance uncloaked and with very little Force energy to aid my speed, but I got through without being seen.
-----
Once inside, I engaged my stealth field, but found it was almost impossible to sense anything around me. I had almost exhausted my Force energy and had to be much more careful this time. I couldn't reach the air vents without dropping the field, so I had to try and make it through the base without running into anyone in the hallways. I was being reckless with what little I had to work with, but I was desperate to get what I needed and get out before the stealth field died on me.
I was over an hour behind schedule when I started, but the fall made up for the lost time. I still had to move as fast as possible to find the shield control room. Each base was of a different layout, so there was no way to know if I could reach my destination in time. I could hear soldiers preparing themselves and their equipment for battle, adding even more pressure and obstacles to avoid while I moved through the base. I felt like I had just walked into the jaws of hell and kept going in the wrong direction, but I had no choice. I was desperate to end this.
When I was finally in the control room, I dropped my stealth field and simply killed everyone in the room except the chief engineer. I didn't care about being discrete at that point. When I tried draining his lifeforce, I found I was too weak. He grabbed my neck and threw me against a wall. Normally, I could have just gotten up and defended myself, but I struggled to stay awake.
Then I heard him activate a comm system and alert security to my presence. "I've found a Sith spy! Deck four, section forty! They're deceiving us! Repeat: Sith spy..." I threw my lightsaber and cut him to pieces, but knew I was too late. Everyone was going to be on top of me shortly.
I got back on my feet and ran to the control terminal. To get the shield frequency, I just inserted my lock breaker into an open slot. It didn't matter at that point whether I was breaking in since alarms were already blazing. I grabbed my comlink and contacted Nevski. "I've been discovered! Start the bombing run now... I'll transmit the frequency when I have it."
"If we don't have the third frequency, I wouldn't..."
"Start your attack on the other bases first! When you have the last frequency, return here to finish the job! I'll try to get out before then!"
"What if you're..."
"Start the bombing run now!" Two guards armed with assault riffles came into view to my left. Given the dead bodies laying at my feet, they didn't bother to demand my surrender, so they started shooting on sight. I activated my lightsaber just in time to block the shots, but I didn't deflect them back to their source like I intended.
After nearly being hit by their own shots, they took cover behind a corner and started firing volleys and ducking for cover. I didn't have time to wait for a clean shot, so I just reached out with the Force and grabbed one of their guns and directed it at the other's foot. When the guy realized he shot his own ally, he let go of the gun instinctively, not knowing I still had control of it. Instead of hitting the floor, the weapon spun around in the air and eventually pointed at him.
After hearing the body hit the deck, I looked back at the terminal and got what I came for. I grabbed the comlink, "Nevski, the frequency is 384 mark 671. I'm getting out!"
-----
I knew the place was going to be crawling with guards quickly, so I ran through the nearby corridor. When I reached the door, a squad of soldiers had already started firing at me from behind. I tried deflecting their shots, but got hit in the leg. My armor protected me against the second blast to my side.
I managed to get the door open and crawled through before seeing two grenades coming at me. I reached out my arm and managed to close the door before they exploded in my face. After hearing the explosions, I jammed the door shut with my lightsaber and fell to the floor in exhaustion. In that precious moment, I injected myself with a battle stimulant and checked the shot I took to my leg. While painful, it was only a flesh wound. I just had to tough it out.
When I heard the soldiers trying to get through the door, I jumped back on my feet and started running wherever I could. Four more guards tried to cut me off, but I shot them with a blast of electricity. I knew it was a mistake to waste what little Force energy I could muster, but it was done.
When I reached the main entrance, soldiers were already pouring through that room faster than I could kill them. I saw an opportunity to get through the entrance, but I needed more than just my lightsaber against all those blasters. After activating my personal shield, I was getting ready to make a leap of faith before I confronted by two more soldiers that appeared from another hallway.
I should have just taken my chance when I could, but they pinned me down and started shooting with everything they had. Although I deflected their shots back at them, I took several more from the soldiers near the entrance. The shield saved me from certain death, but by the time I had ducked from their sights, it had burned itself out.
Without that shield, I could no longer go forward, so I had to fall back and find another way out. More soldiers started coming in from behind and cut off my only means of retreat. Their blasters started blazing, but I had no means to dodge the shots because the only way I could go was towards the source. I deflected as many as I could, but couldn't keep it up... I was doing whatever I could to block the shots that I didn't care where they went as long as it wasn't me they hit.
In desperation, I threw my lightsaber towards them and jumped back. My hope was that before I hit the floor and became a still target, that my lightsaber would take them out. When I was on my back, I heard the saber cutting through flesh, but I didn't know how many I got. If even one were still standing, I was dead.
When the lightsaber hit the floor, I heard silence. I lifted my head to confirm that I had killed all four with that desperate throw. Every instinct told me to take a sigh of relief and relax, but I knew that I was not out of danger yet. I pulled myself to my feet and grabbed my lightsaber before I started running again.
I ran back down the hall from where I came and made a right turn, but soon found myself at a dead end. My only means of escape had been cut off, so I needed another. When I attempted to cut through the wall with my lightsaber, I realized the duracrete wall must have been over a meter thick. The other walls were clearly laced with fuel and power conduits, so I couldn't cut through them without blowing myself up. There was no way out except through dozens of fully equipped soldiers. My only defense against them was a lightsaber, but I knew I was doomed. After exhausting myself to the point of collapse, I took my final stand here.
I positioned myself around a corner to allow me some cover, but it didn't keep grenades from being thrown near my position. I was deflecting their shots as best I could with the lightsaber, but since I couldn't see my enemies, I was just redirecting missed shots from one blank wall to another. There was no point in it, but if there was even the slightest chance of scoring a hit... at least that's one more I take with me.
There were too many of them and it was only a matter of time before I found myself in the blast radius of a plasma grenade. I just stared at the red object as it rolled closer to me, but my reflexes weren't telling me to dive for cover. When it detonated, the fire bomb singed my left lekku and face. My cloths were scorched, but nothing serious came to the rest of my body from the flames.
I was knocked to the floor, also deafened by the sound and couldn't summon the strength to stand. I managed to look over my left shoulder and suddenly felt a terrible pain erupt in my left chest. I pulled myself out of the line of fire, but the damage had already been done.
As I tried to inhale, I choked on blood. A hole in my chest left my rib cage shattered and punctured the lung it was supposed to protect. The pain was excruciating and only got worse. I knew that I couldn't possibly escape death this time. I wanted to end the pain, but lacked the strength to reach my lightsaber and finish it.
Blasters continued firing for a long time after I had fallen, but I noticed that they began dying down. When they fell silent, I couldn't understand why I wasn't dead. Darkness took me, but I was not unconscious. That must have been what death felt like, but it was nothing like I expected.
Although I couldn't open my eyes, I could barely hear over the ringing in my ears a woman's voice. "No... no!" I felt a gentle touch on my neck. "She's alive, but dying... No! We must stabilize her before she can be moved."
"If we don't get out of here, we'll be overwhelmed!" came a man's voice.
"If we move her, she'll die... and we'll have killed her."
A moment passed. "Give me your lightsabers. I'll hold them off as long as I can. Hurry!"
I could hear her whispering to me. "Please hold on... just a few more minutes." The pain in the left side of my chest was going away as the gentle touch of her hand relieved the hurt. "Almost... and an injection of dilaphin should be enough for now... Done!" Then pain returned when I was flung over her shoulder. "I've got her. Just watch my back." When the pain became too intense, I finally passed out.
-----
The ringing still echoed in my ears, but I could hear the rumble of a hyperdrive and the breathing of another. I couldn't feel my body; I was numb. As I stretched myself across the bed, I groaned as if in pain, but because I was drugged, I didn't feel anything.
I heard her voice very softly over the ringing. "Careful! Your internals are barely being held together. Keep still."
I opened my eyes and saw Juhani hovering over me. I was having trouble breathing, but there was no pain. I spoke very weakly, "You... came for me." I saw a nasty wound on her right shoulder. "You should have that treated."
"With what? We used everything we had to keep you alive."
I lifted my head off the pillow and saw Nevski beside her. "You were there as well. I told you to bomb the targets."
"They were. I programed the computer to make the bombing run automatically. Since I didn't need to be aboard, we decided to rescue you."
"What if... something went wrong?"
"It was a risk I was willing to take." Nevski stated.
"As your commanding officer, I should reprimand you for that." I laid my head back and closed my eyes. "As a friend, I thank both of you. What's the prognosis?"
Juhani grimly stated "You took two blaster shots to your left ribs. You have a punctured lung which will likely have to be replaced. You suffered second and third degree burns to your arms and lekku. There was also shrapnel throughout your body that I've been able to remove."
"Thank-you."
She smiled at me. "Other than that, how do you feel?"
"Like I was ripped apart and had my internals stuffed back in." I chuckled and coughed up more blood.
"Careful! You're only breathing on one lung. I stabilized your condition, but you'll have to take it easy until we get you to a kolto tank." She grabbed a towel and wiped away the blood.
"When will we be back?"
"We're 18 hours away. You should rest now." Nevski answered.
"Wait... what happened on Kuril after we left?"
She looked at me very sadly. "The Sith had intended to double-cross the Tupilov in the first place. They stole much of the Endurium that had been prepared for the trade. They had effectively planned ahead on how to take what they could and leave the Tupilov with nothing."
I sighed in great frustration. "All that for nothing."
Nevski spoke up. "No. We were able to prevent one side from being eradicated. The people of Kuril will have to settle their problems by themselves. By destroying the weapons and turning the Tupilov against the Sith, we may have gained another ally against a common enemy." He leaned over me. "You're a hero. You understand?"
"You're a hero." Juhani added.
I chuckled weakly. "We were in this together. Besides, you were the ones who saved me. Remember?"
They both kept smiling at me. "You should rest now. We'll take care of you."
It felt so rewarding to hear myself called a hero. It made me smile to know that I made a difference to so many. This must be how Trevelyan feels which gives him such peace. I turned my head away and let myself fall into a blissful sleep.
-----
When I was woken up, I didn't want to get out of bed. Juhani told me to sleep just a while ago; now she's forcing me to get up?
"We're back now. We have to get you to a kolto tank, so get up and we'll take you the rest of the way." Nevski said.
I leaned forward and saw that I was in my underwear. It didn't bother me that I was exposed, but I didn't like others seeing the bandages throughout my body. "Where's my robe?" Juhani handed it to me. She even offered to dress me, but I could do it myself. The two gave me some privacy and I saw the extent of the damage. My left leg was covered with cuts and open wounds from a fragmentation grenade. My left lekku was bandaged almost completely. I was glad that I was numb to the pain, or I might have been screaming like I was on Sleheyron.
After I got dressed, I was able to stand up and went through the door. The two placed my arms over their shoulders and carried me down the loading ramp. When we emerged I heard great applause from everyone in the temple. They had gathered in the hanger to welcome us back. It made me smile. "They're honoring us?"
Juhani smiled at me. "It's you, Yuthura. They honor you."
I was offered a stretcher, but I didn't want to show weakness, so I tried walking on my own. I managed only got a few steps before collapsing. They caught me before I landed on my face and Juhani said that they would not think less of me if I accepted the stretcher. I looked at the crowd and then nodded.
As I was being carried through, everyone gathered around me. I heard nothing but compliments and praise. It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I felt like I was no longer an outcast to them... that I have earned their trust again.
"Congratulations."
"You've become a true jedi."
"You were great."
Kavar walked along side me. "I'm sorry you were put in that position. You were brilliant to come up with a solution to those advanced sensors. Many lives were saved because of you."
"Thanks. That means a lot." I replied.
"Welcome home." Vash said.
I caught sight of Dustil Onasi. He hovered over me. "I can't believe I once called you 'master.' To think you would turn to the jedi? That made me laugh."
I smiled very cheerfully. "So you came all this way to ridicule me?"
"I really didn't have anywhere else to go. The Father said you had come here and I guess I had to see it for myself."
"And...?"
"How could one as wicked as you be accepted by these people?"
"I shouldn't have been... I was forced upon them. They would accept you if that's what you want."
He shook his head and smiled at me. "If you think I'm calling you 'master' again, you're wrong."
"You never did on Korriban. I would have killed you for such disrespect, had Uthar not found it amusing." He laughed out loud. "You think I'm joking, don't you?" He looked at me more seriously, then backed away. He understood that I was stating a fact. If Uthar hadn't stopped me, I would have made an example out of him.
"You've not only met my expectations, but you've far exceeded them." Vrook stated.
"I could think of no higher praise than that." Zhar stated. "I don't think any more training is required for you. You've been nominated for the rank of jedi knight and we'll hold a ceremony after you recover."
Despite all their praise, I was almost desperate for Trevelyan. I wanted to see him more than anyone else. I grabbed Master Zhar's arm and pulled him towards me. "Where is Trevelyan? Is he here?"
"He is currently on a mission of his own. He has been informed of your success and should be back in a few days." He replied.
-----
I was taken to the medical facility within the enclave. There was a surgical suite, a kolto tank room, and a patient recovery area. Unlike other facilities, the jedi mainly employ sentients for the medical staff over droids. This is probably just another tradition of the order.
I was carried into a private room with a single kolto tank and a medical bed. A female human nurse was left to tend to my wounds. Before I could be treated with kolto, I had to remove my cloths. I even had to take off my top so she could remove the bandages covering my ribs.
As I was laid on the bed under a bright light with my breasts exposed, it brought back many unpleasant memories of Sleheyron. The chastisement chamber was often filled with slaves stripped of their clothing so they could be beaten and humiliated for Omeesh's amusement. This was like being in that horrible room again.
When she began removing the bandages from my lekku, I couldn't stand it anymore. The lekku were the most sensitive part of a twi'lek's body and I wouldn't let another handle them again. I let out a force wave and threw her hard against the wall.
I gasped in horror at what I had just done. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to..." She was not moving. I rolled onto the floor and crawled over to her... she still had a pulse, but I may have just broken her neck. "Help! Someone, Help!"
Two others heard my call and rushed in to help. "What happened?!"
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to...!"
She grabbed a comlink. "We need a medical team in here now! We need to get her into surgery!"
I was still half naked and in despair at the thought of having killed yet another innocent. When the team entered the room, the two nurses carried me to the kolto tank; I was still a patient after all. I was sedated, despite being too weak to put up any kind of resistance. I soon lost consciousness.