Chapter: 26 Compassion Amidst Chaos

Shattered lights still flickered overhead of the Pilot's Lounge. Clusters of broken glass coated the floor while loose cables swayed against them. Toppled drinks and abandoned comlinks littered toppled tables. Holonews touchscreens lay cracked against the walls, each flashing a crackling ERROR message in red. A small fire started on one of the shredded cushions. It spread to the decorative fauna, charring it along with a portion of the bar counter. Spare credits glimmered from the disheveled carpeting. The last shuffle of civilian feet sounded as bystanders fled the scene.

A table flipped over and Scraps emerged from behind it. He crawled across cracked tiles until he reached a pair of legs. They seemed lifeless to Scraps until he saw one of the black boots shift. His eyes followed the legs towards the rest of the body. He clenched at the tattered blue vest and cautiously tugged it. Nadess flipped over in response. She wiped several fractals of glass from her chin and reached for Scraps. A painful ringing tormented her ears. She peered up at the burning hole in the ceiling and then looked down at her smoking blaster. Nadess didn't have a clear shot at Vala, nor did she understand what exactly was happening. All she knew is that she had to take action if it meant saving Dain. Her only choice was to fire a high-powered laser into the ceiling and hope it created enough of a distraction.

Scraps gasped and Nadess looked across the devastation. Dain's body lay spread against the floor. "Dain!" she called out. She sighed in relief when he started to stir. Dain groaned and rolled over. He hissed with pain and clutched his shoulder. Nadess rushed over to his side. He panicked and threw up his fists. "It's me!" she warned.

"Nadess?"

"I'm here, kid. I've got you." She wiped the dust from his eyes and gently shifted his hand. "I just want to see." Dain winced as Nadess examined the burn on his shoulder. Her distraction was enough to stray Vala's shot. The laser only tore through his robes and grazed his skin. "You're going to be alright. It's only a scrape."

"It still burns," he said. "What just happened?"

Nadess shook her head. "The hell if I know. Vala just-" A booted heel struck the back of Nadess' head. She buckled forward, completely disoriented. Another kick struck her torso and sent her rolling over. Her spinning vision barely made out the image of Vala looming over Dain.

The young Jedi tried to sit up. "Vala! What are you doing?"

She took aim with her wrist blaster when Nadess lunged back into action. Vala was quick to catch Nadess by the wrist and flipped her hard against the floor. This gave Dain enough time to throw up his hands and push Vala away with the Force. She used her jetpack to resist, forcing Dain to push harder. Scraps slid between the two and tried to wake Nadess from her unconsciousness. Only then did Scraps catch a glimpse of Dain's shining lightsaber. The hilt was wedged between a toppled cushion and a cracked countertop. He glanced back at Dain and Vala before rushing for the blade.

Taking advantage of Dain's occupied hands, Vala fought to take aim again. She fired, but his Force constriction caused the shot to stray. The laser blazed inches from his head and sent sparks flaring on to his robes. He gasped when they caught fire and flailed to rip himself free of them. Vala felt the Force gripping her disappear and landed on her feet. Dain stood up, feeling lighter with his robes reduced to a burning heap of fabric. His pale tunic spun as he heard Scraps screech. The Jawa tossed him his lightsaber and he ignited it when Vala fired. His green blade deflected her shots as he backed against the wall.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked.

"Because it's my job!" she shouted back as her laserfire intensified. "The Empire pays well for heads like yours!"

Dain frontflipped across the room and slid behind the bar. "So what? All of this was just a lie? A ruse?"

"Now you're catching on." Vala blasted three lasers into the bar's counter, forcing Dain to emerge.

"I don't believe you!" Dain yelled while batting lasers away. "I won't! Why wait all of this time? You had us aboard your ship!"

"Every bounty hunter knows the right time takes patience."

Dain's anger intensified. "Not good enough! Like you said, you would've killed us sooner if you wanted us dead!" Dain's eyes lit up with a thought. "Daliz put you up to this, didn't he? He thinks he owns you!"

"Shut up!" Vala launched her whipcord at Dain but he leapt to evade it.

"He's in your head, Vala. It doesn't take much to see it."

"He's the only one with the brains to lead. You've heard him!"

"That's not true," Dain intoned. "You're more than what he says you are. And he's less than what you say he is!"

"Enough!" Vala used her jetpack to add power to her kick. She struck Dain in the shoulder and sent him spiraling into a row of chairs. "You think you know me. You don't know a thing about me!"

"Then inform me." Dain mustered the strength to rise. "Tell me who you are!"

A whirlwind of memories swarmed through Vala's mind. The traumas once stilled by Dain's healing now poured and fueled her anguish. Enraged, Vala lowered her wrist blaster and shook her fist. "I'll tell you who I am...I'm the Jedi killer you fear so much."

Dain's eyes widened. "No..."

"Yes," assured Vala. "I killed your master and now I'm going to finish the job."

Dain's jaw dropped and his eyes squinted. He hung his head and fell to his knees. His fists trembled while a lone tear trickled from his cheek. Vala prepared to move in when she heard a unanimous rustling. Many of the inanimate objects around the bar began to shake like Dain's fists. Plates cracked and tiles dislodged. Dain's head flung upward and he roared with grief. A pulse of Force energy dispersed across the room. While Nadess and Scraps were low enough to avoid the shockwave, Vala was directly struck by it. She went crashing out the door and tumbled on to a dining platform.

She picked herself up just as Dain emerged from the lounge. His lightsaber hung low and its green tip dragged across the floor. His glare resided between furrowed brows and a twitching scowl. He grit his teeth and pointed his weapon at her. "By the Force, I will make you pay for what you've done!"

"Finally," said Vala. "A challenge."

Dain rushed at her as she fired rapidly. His lightsaber deflected every blast until he launched himself up at her. Using the Force, Dain generated enough momentum to push Vala through the nearest window. The two of them crashed against outside balcony. Vala rolled to evade Dain's repeated saber strikes. His technique had changed. His swings were as ferocious as his reddened face. His glassy eyes narrowed with rage, hoping that his saber would impale Vala. She pulled herself up, kicking Dain's chest in the process. He swung his blade, almost taking her leg with him. Vala threw herself off of the balcony and fired up her jetpack.

Dain readied himself as Vala looped around. She hovered over and showered his position with laserfire. Dain rolled to cover and then leapt to a lower platform. Civilians rushed for shelter while others bolted away in their ships. Vala dive-bombed the platform once Dain had his back turned. Her wrist blaster overheated, forcing her to bank away from Dain. He used the Force to pull her close and then jabbed his saber. Vala activated the personal shield beside her wrist blaster and used it to block.

The sound of screaming denizens brought a smirk to Daliz's snout. He stood up from his seat and departed to watch the show. Meanwhile, Scraps worriedly shook Nadess with the hope of her waking up. Dain and Vala's fight took them to the edge of the station. Vala would hover around Dain and search for a weak spot, then dive-bomb with the hope of catching him off guard. The young Jedi was nimbler than she first perceived. His rage put him further on the offensive, making Vala thankful for her personal shield.

Dain's lightsaber sparked against Vala's shield as he looked to her. "Do you have any idea what it felt like when Master Zena died?" He took another swing at her. "We were connected through the Force! Losing her felt like having half of my heart clawed out of me!"

"We all lose people," Vala quipped.

"But who did you lose to become this?"

The return of Vala's traumas made her back up and hide among a series of fuel lines. Dain carefully tread across the pipelines until Vala emerged behind him. She fired her whipcord at his ankle and dragged him into the darkness. She dragged him against the dusty ground like a wrangled animal. Dain waited until he was close enough to kick her in the face. The strike made her helmet go flying off and gave him time to slash the cord with his blade. Vala recovered and unleashed her flamethrower. Dain leapt to evade the flames and slid down a gravel slope. As Vala spun, she realized that her flamethrower nicked one of the fuselage pipes. She jetpacked away mere moments before the entire system exploded. Black clouds billowed towards the sky while shockwaves rippled at the ground. Shards of scorched metal sailed in every direction and dotted the landscape.

Daliz watched the blast from atop the station veranda. "Ooo," he marveled.

Nadess awakened to a distant booming. Her first sight was that of Scraps still frantically shaking her. "Where's Dain?" she muttered. Scraps pointed out the shattered window. Nadess rushed to look outside and gasped at the explosive aftermath. "We need to get down there!"

Dain backed away from the blast sight and observed the colossal clouds. He sat back against the gravelly slope and let out a deep sigh. A thick layer of sweat dripped from his head as it hung. A distant sound sent his head shooting up. His eyes widened as the whir of a jetpack closed in on him. "No," he panted. "It can't be." He stood up with a grunt and activated his lightsaber. Vala was more capable than he imagined. The sight of her survival was a deadly mix alongside thoughts of losing his master.

He snarled as she landed in front of him and aimed her wrist blaster. "This ends here."

Dain sneered and raised his lightsaber. "So be it."

Just when he prepared to block her laserfire, Vala faked him out and switched to her flamethrower. He gasped and threw himself to the ground. Vala's flames trailed after him as she took to the sky. Gravel shredded his tunic and scraped his flesh as he scrambled to his feet. Dain deactivated his lightsaber for greater mobility to avoid the flames. He inexperienced Jedi didn't realized he'd fallen into another fake out trap. Once his saber shut down, Vala quickly switched to her wrist blaster. She shot Dain's lightsaber out of his hands and sent it rolling down the next slope.

Vala was about to blast Dain when he threw up his hands and roared. She felt the Force wrapping around her right arm. The grip tightened until the wrist-mounted blaster crunched like a scrap of tin. She then felt the same immobilizing grip press on her other wrist. Her flamethrower's emulator cracked and crumpled as the blaster did. Its tubing snapped, spraying the ground with spurts of fuselage. She activated her jetpack but Dain's powers kept her grounded. Vala's eyes widened as Dain's had, for now she was genuinely concerned. Dain used the Force to lift her by the arms and then repeatedly slam her against the gravel. After the battering, Dain flung Vala into a heap of gravel and the impact dislodged her jetpack. The device swiveled before crashing down where his lightsaber landed. Without any means of flight, Vala was truly at Dain's mercy. She felt herself climbing in altitude until Dain was half his size. She was high enough to feel the ashy wind puffing against her face. Dain swung his arms downward, sending Vala plummeting against the ground below. He then ran at her, putting all of his rage in to a mighty kick. His heel met Vala's chest and she slid across the slope. Dain put all of his Force energy into one hand to keep Vala pinned. He raised his saber in the other and locked eyes with her. Vala's stare was chilling and she snarled through bloodied lips.

The green lightsaber shook in Dain's sweaty palm. His forearm twitched, halting the killing blow. Daliz watched the situation unfold atop the fuel station balcony. Nadess and Scraps slid down the slope just in time to see it. Vala sneered and said, "Finish it!"

Still Dain remained frozen. His breaths hastened and he pointed his lightsaber downward. He grit his teeth and hissed the words, "This...is...for Master Zena!" He brought the blade down and struck right beside Vala's head. He let all of his anger out by grinding the blade into the scorched gravel. He then released his grip on both the Force and his saber. He caught his breath and pointed at Vala. "I have lost so much over the years. My Order. My friends. My Master. But I will never abandon my code." He beat a fist to his chest. "The Jedi may be gone, but their way lives on through me. I will not be blinded by darkness as you have."

Dain took a step back and peered towards the starry sky. His eyes were filled with a longing, wishing as though the spirit of his master was watching and wondering if she'd be proud. Vala was utterly dumbfounded that Dain would spare an adversary...especially his mentor's murderer. She shook off her bewilderment and leapt to her feet. Dain turned just as she deadlegged him to the ground. She pinned him and raised her final weapon. A knife flicked out of her vambrace. She seized his throat with one hand and readied her knife with the other. Despite her rage and determination, Vala's arm stalled. She pursed her lips and tried to bring herself to stab him. It felt as though the Force was holding her back again, only this time she knew it wasn't.

Rather than stab Dain, Vala yelled, "I lied to you!...I took away your master! How could you be so weak as to let me live?"

Dain spoke firmly through Vala's grip. "I'm not the weak one. Killing you won't bring my master back."

Vala lowered her blade and tried to recollect her thoughts. "You...you can't spare an enemy. I-...You don't...You were supposed to kill me. You have to kill me. I-" Vala dropped to her knees and felt her traumas return in a profound wave. "I wanted you to." Dain's eyes widened at her comment and he sat up with her. Vala's eyes swayed aimlessly across the ground as if trying to focus on something. The noise in her head was too loud. Blasts from the battle of Mandalore, her mother's weeping, and Dee's final words all rang out within her.

She heard Dain's voice amidst her recollections. "Vala?"

Vala spoke in a hushed tone and hugged herself. "I've seen so many horrible things. I've done so many horrible-" Vala shut her eyes tight and murmured. Her lower lip quivered and she felt tears swell up in her eyes. "No!" she snapped and hurriedly dried her eyes. Yet no matter how much she rubbed, the tears would not yield. She heard Bo-Katan's voice like poison-tipped blade piercing her mind.

"Mandalorians don't cry. Stop it!"

But Vala couldn't stop it. Her lieutenant's haunting words drove her mad. She anxiously grabbed at her short hair and tugged its blond strands. She looked up at Dain with reddened eyes. "Kill me...please. Just make it all stop."

Much to Vala and the others' surprise, Dain inched forward. He gripped Vala by the shoulders and pulled her in for an embrace. She panicked in his grip calmed upon feeling his hand running through her hair. "I've got you," he said.

"She said Mandalorians don't cry," Vala uttered. "But it's all I want to do."

Unsure of who the she Vala mentioned was, Dain tightened his embrace. "Now is the time to do what you want. Not what Daliz said. Not what anyone said. What is it you want, Vala?"

Vala's head hung against Dain's shoulder. She let out a heavy sigh and tears came streaming down. "I don't know what to do," she whimpered. "I've lost every leader I've ever had. I feel so...lost."

"You may be lost, but you aren't alone." Dain ran his hand across her pulsing back. "You don't have to feel aimless. We can find our purposes together. Our true purposes. No more lies...no more pain."

Vala's tears soaked Dain's tunic. "There is always pain," she replied.

"Pain is inevitable in all forms but within. It is our choice as to how we channel it. To give up all we stand for is to surrender to pain. I almost did."

"You don't understand," said Vala. "You don't understand anything about me."

Dain looked down at her in his arms. "Then make me understand. Tell me. Tell us." Vala looked up to see Nadess and Scraps slowly approaching from the slope.

Vala sighed. "Alright...I'll do it. The whole truth in all its integrity."

"That alone is enough," assured Dain.

Daliz was beyond furious. He slammed the railing and stomped with anguish. "I don't believe this!" he growled. "I gave that pathetic child life and this is how she repays me? Must I do everything myself? I'll blast them...I'll blast them all!" Daliz ran across the station and back to the Anooba. He was nearly there when he noticed an Imperial shuttle docked right beside his. "Shan?" he wondered.

"Guess again," said a grizzly voice. Daliz turned and was immediately stunned by Commander Gradek. The blue-striped stormtrooper examined the Rodian's motionless body. "Haul this bug onboard. Inform the Inquisitor that we've apprehended Talee's contact."