CHAPTER XXXVI: Making a Fortress
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"Remind me," Mira grumbled as they (Kiray, Bao-Dur, Visas, Brianna, Lonna Vash, and herself) marched down a grassy slope towards a dark nook in the plateau walls, "exactly why we're going into these caves supposedly filled with kinrath and probably mercenaries?"
"One, so we can get Vrook out of there," Kiray answered, rolling her shoulders and cracking her neck as they walked, "and two, to get a new crystal for my next lightsaber. And maybe get some practicing in along the way." Mira chuckled a little at Kiray's explanation and shrugged.It seemed to Kiray that everyone was more than a little stir-crazy; when she had returned to the ship to get all the Jedi, she had found Mira arguing with HK about the best way to hunt, kill, or capture a target. More than a little unnerving was Brianna talking with Kahned quietly in the corner; Kiray still held to Brianna's and Visas's warnings, and had also asked him to keep watch over Atton, although nervously.
"Here we are," Lonna said as they stopped just outside the cave. It was very strong in the Force; it was almost tangible in the air as Kiray peered into the tunnel. "Who wants to go cave crawling first?" Brianna instantly took two steps away, followed by a rushed glide from Visas and a couple of wide strides from Bao-Dur, which left only Kiray, Lonna, and Mira directly in front of the cave.
"I'm not scared," Mira affirmed with a nod, and Kiray gave Lonna a grin before turning to the others.
"All right, if you want to be scared, then stay out here. Me, Lonna, and Mira will take the cave," Kiray said, and the trio descended into the darkness. The other three exchanged glances between each other, to the cave, and back to each other before running after them.
The cave was pitch-black, and near-impossible to see except for strips of luminous rock in the cave's walls, aided by various-colored lightsabers and a glowrod Kiray held up as a lantern. Moisture dripped from the ceiling, making sizzling noises when they hit the energy blades, and causing Kiray to blink when a trickle of water rolled down into her eyes.
"Glad that you could drop in," Kiray said in approval when the other three appeared. Staring at her companion's faces glowing with a rainbow of lights (Brianna's silver; Visas's crimson; Mira's a fiery orange; Lonna's golden yellow; Bao-Dur a combination, since he was lacking a lightsaber), she nodded and said, "Let's go." They slowly walked down a path, immediately coming across a series of kinrath spiders. Brianna leaped to the farthest while Visas charged the middle one, and Mira and Bao-Dur combined an effort to take out the closest one. Lonna closed her eyes and focused; a faint green cloud appeared around their allies, and, as Lonna made another pass of battle meditation, Kiray sent up a Force storm that lit up the tunnel in white light spiked with blue. The bright electricity blinded the kinrath long enough for final blows to be dealt, and they quickly moved on.
There were more scattered throughout the passage, finding a route that would take them around the mercenaries' hole and explore deeper. At the end was a large cave filled with glowing crystals. All of them gasped and awe at the glittering colors on the dull rock wall, and Kiray nearly dropped her glowrod.
"I can sense her..." she breathed, closing her eyes to focus better. "Revan was here; and not too long ago."
"This would be a good place to meditate; providing that the kinrath were driven out," Lonna said, looking into a blue-streaked crystal formation. Everyone dissipated to analyze the crystals, and Kiray climbed up the low hill to the largest and most beautiful. It seemed to be quivering with excitement, and when Kiray pressed her hand to the cool crystal, she felt a jolt of the Force before being thrown back wildly, landing in a small pool of water.
They all stopped and stared at the crystal, which kept shaking and humming violently. Kiray was able to get on her feet and grab onto a pillar of stone before the crystal seemed to explode: there was a bright flash of light, and seven large crystal fragments spun out from it, all towards someone. Two crystals fell into the ground at Kiray's feet, one a deep navy blue, the other glowing viridian. The crystal at Lonna's feet shone an even brighter yellow than her blade; Mira's an even more violent orange with hints of red; Visas's a deep wine red; Brianna's silver so bright that it could have been white. Bao-Dur stared at his crystal in shock, which was a beautiful blue-violet, as did everyone else.
"Bao...is there something you want to tell us?" Kiray asked, staring at the Zabrak's crystal as he picked it up.
"I don't know, General...what does this mean?"
"It means," Visas breathed, "that you are Force-sensitive. You have indeed known Kiray longer than any of us..."
"It still doesn't mean that I am," Bao-Dur replied, but kept glancing over at Kiray, who was just as amazed as he was. "Why did you get two?"
Kiray stared down at the twin crystals, and saw that the blue was far brighter; it was the crystal tuned to her, she guessed. "One is for me," she said, looking up. "The other is for Atton."
They quickly stowed away their crystals and began doubling back, this time down towards the cave with mercenaries and Master Vrook. Kiray looked around the lip of the cave at him, and thought, He still has a nose like a hawk-bat, even after all these years!
"How do we do this? Charge on in? Draw 'em out? Throw grenades while blasting them?" Mira asked, obviously excited at actually getting to something. Kiray instantly decided to keep her away from HK for awhile.
"Let's go plan A," Kiray replied, feeling the lightning crackling in her fist. They quickly strode in, and, even before the lead merc could speak, Kiray released the energy build-up, charring most of the mercenaries guarding Vrook, who watched impassively as the group of Jedi took down the remaining mercs with relative speed before deactivating the force cage.
"You again, is it? Always rushing into things, not realizing the consequences," Vrook muttered. Kiray thought, Yeah, he's still Vrook. Lonna frowned and stormed right up to face Vrook.
"And you're still as distrusting as you ever were, Vrook! She has just saved you from being turned in on Nar Shaddaa for that bounty!" Lonna growled, jabbing a finger into Vrook's chest, whose scowl grew even more sour.
"You are just as blinded as she! As long as I was being held by the mercenaries, they would not attack Khoonda, and now they will with such speed that it will dwarf how quickly Revan went to fight in the Mandalorian Wars!" Vrook growled. Mira seemed offended for Kiray, and stormed up to meet Vrook herself.
"Let me tell you somethin'. If the mercs didn't attack Khoonda while you were held in that frakking force cage, then they would have when you were shipped off to Nar Shaddaa so they could collect on the bounty, and with a hell of a lot more firepower than they obviously do now!" Mira shouted, shaking her fist and fire sparking in her green eyes. Kiray stepped forward and stopped Mira before she drove Vrook over the edge.
"How much time do we have?" she asked. If it was enough time to get some parts together, she could have her next lightsaber ready before the assault.
"A day, at most. The mercenaries will want to make sure that they have a full fighting force ready to attack," Vrook answered, his dark eyes on Kiray, who nodded.
"It's enough time to fortify Khoonda and get everyone ready," Brianna recommended, and Kiray grinned. She was ready for this; if anything, she had been ready since she'd landed here.
"I will head for Khoonda and warn Adare," Vrook said, pulling out his lightsaber. "Follow me as quickly as possible." With that, the Jedi Master ran out of the cave, and Kiray suddenly leaped into commander mode.
"Mira, Brianna, Lonna, I want you three to stay with him," Kiray ordered. "Make sure he reaches Khoonda safely and start building up Khoonda's defense. Visas, Bao, we'll follow a little later to clean up after them and get back to Khoonda before the attack starts. By the time we get there, I want everyone, and I mean everyone, battle ready."
"Wait a sec...everyone?" Mira asked in disbelief. Kiray grinned and nodded.
"Everyone. Even the droids."
"Whoa...all right, we'll do it. Let's get rolling!" Mira lead the three women out of the cave and back into the cave's passages. Visas explored the niche a little, and Kiray looked over to Bao-Dur, who had pulled out his crystal and was staring at it again.
"Bao? Are you all right?"
"I...I don't know, General," Bao-Dur replied, glancing over at Kiray. "I feel like...like there's been a change in me, ever since I found you on Telos. It's been coming on so slowly, I don't think I noticed until the crystal came to me." The Zabrak put the crystal back onto his belt before he continued, "Having you around again has had an affect on me, General. I joined the war out of hatred, and it's been in my life for so long...but now it's ebbing away, just going too far out of reach, and fading."
"Are you saying that...that I have had some affect on this? That I've drawn the hatred and all those feelings you had in the Wars –"
"Away?" Bao-Dur finished for her, and he nodded. "Yes, I think you have. You gave me enough trust to believe in me, and tell me the truth about you...and I accept it. And...if training to be a Jedi can make sure I don't hate anymore, that it stays out of my system, will you?"
"Bao-Dur, I never thought you'd ask," Kiray said, smiling at her old friend. "Now, I want you to close your eyes."
"Why?"
"Just do it, Bao. This takes time." Bao-Dur closed his eyes without another question.
"Now...imagine how you were during the Wars. Find a river of calm there. Dive into it, and wash away all the anger, all the hate you have harbored for so long. Now, imagine how you are now; you're calm, at peace. You know what you want, and you have an idea on how to accomplish it." Kiray watched as Bao-Dur took a long, slow breath, and Kiray felt the Force begin to trickle in him...and then exploded, not quite a much as it had when Atton had opened his Force reserves, but with an equal amount of force.
"General...thank you..." Bao-Dur gave Kiray a nod before tossing aside his sword and pulling out a lightsaber hilt. "Atton asked for a spare, in case something should happen to one of his other ones. I decided to hang onto this for him. But now, I think I oughta make this one rightfully mine." Bao-Dur carefully pulled off a tiny panel and put in his crystal before returning the plate to its rightful place. Kiray watched as Bao-Dur held the lightsaber out way from him, closed his eyes...
Then came the familiar snap-hiss of a lightsaber activating, and Kiray gasped at the beautiful, gleaming blue-violet blade that stretched out from Bao-Dur's lightsaber. The Zabrak opened his eyes, and his mouth had dropped in surprise.
"Great job, Bao," Kiray complimented as they reached the mouth of the cave and departed into the overcast day. However, standing before them, waiting, were seven mercenaries, one of them Kiray knew all too well. His black hair and pale skin were new features, but one milky-white eye and the look of pure hatred across his face allowed Kiray to recognize Azkul.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Kiray Fett, Cassus's exiled daughter," Azkul spat in welcome. Kiray balled her fists at the sight of him, and she could sense Visas and Bao-Dur readying lightsabers. Kiray minutely shook her head as Azkul continued, "I heard that you had joined the Jedi, but doubted it until I saw you on Dxun. Killing your own fellows...I expect the Jedi did not take kindly to your murdering of your own people?"
"That's none of your business, chakaar," Kiray said, restraining herself from saying anything even worse. Azkul gave her a smile, which boded very badly for her and her friends.
"I was even more surprised when someone from Revan's army came into my camp, saying he wanted to join us," Azkul started. "Of course, I welcome any help I can get, but then I noticed he was talking to too many men." Azkul stepped aside to reveal the mercs behind him, holding up a bloody and beaten Jaq, who was unceremoniously thrown to the ground. Kiray helped pick him up to his feet, and Kiray frowned at Azkul.
"I always thought you were insane in some manner," Kiray growled and Jaq hobbled to steady himself on a plateau wall, muttering under his breath and cleaning up his wounds. Azkul simply grinned all the broader.
"Now, now, no need for a temper. I just have a simple offer."
"Whatever it is, the answer's no." Azkul's expression flickered a little before swiftly regaining his composure. He strode up to Kiray and ever so lightly stroked her face. Kiray flinched, and Jaq, whose nose was still bleeding profusely, growled something under his breath, and started going for his blaster. Kiray caught his eye and shook her head, carefully sending a thought: Don't do anything rash. The only one who needs to die is him.
Both Jaq and Atton, far off in Khoonda, sent a minute confirmation, and Jaq's gun hand slowly relaxed. Azkul turned the stroke into a powerful slap, but Kiray shielded the force of the blow enough off into the Force that she remained standing, and focused an electrical shock up from her face to Azkul's hand. The mercenary hissed as the shock hit his fingertips, and Kiray cracked, "Careful; high voltage." Both Bao-Dur and Visas grinned, and Jaq replied, "Couldn't have said it better myself!"
"Shut up, you fools! All of you!" Azkul roared, some of his men cracking up at Kiray's joke. Azkul turned back to Kiray and growled, "Well, then you don't deserve to hear my offer anyways. Men, kill them. I have an assault to plan." With that, Azkul vanished, and the six mercenaries traded looks.
"Actually, we ain't interested in killin' you," one said, sheathing his vibrosword. "We're here only 'cause Jaq persuaded Azkul into letting us come." Kiray looked over at Jaq, who was grinning despite his bloody nose.
"You said get back-up."
"I know I did," Kiray answered. Well, six highly trained mercenaries would be very good back-up indeed. Without another word, the group of ten charged off for Khoonda, finding several people at work; T3 was installing mines nearby, and hooted a greeting as they charged past; Goto and HK were patching up some turrets, and Kiray sensed that someone, most likely Lonna, was near the back door, locking it down to slow down any enemy advances.
Kiray lead the group into Khoonda, and the six mercs took up positions near the door as the other four went to Adare's office, finding Mira, Vrook, Atton, and a couple of militia men in there with Adare.
"You finally made it!" Mira said, sounding exhausted. "We've been working our tails off to get this place like a fortress, and getting everyone combat ready is no mean feat."
"How's everything going?" Kiray asked, turning her attention to the others. Atton ran his hand through his hair, obviously at a loss for words, and Jaq drew him off to the side. Probably to figure out some kind of truce once we get them back together.
"Very well, actually," Adare began. "Your friends have done an excellent job; I think you noticed your droids fixing the turrets and placing more mines as you returned. Your historian has been stitching up our militia corps, so we will be relatively able to have a first line of defense before they invade here."
"I even got their droids up and running," Mira put in, positively beaming. Kiray gave her a smile and a nod as a gruff-looking man stepped up.
"Zherron, the militia captain," he introduced himself. "Most of everything's set, so we can go over the battle plans if you want."
"How much time will we have afterwards?"
"'Bout six, seven hours," Jaq replied. "Five if Azkul's a couple of steps ahead, but I doubt it." That would give Kiray plenty of time to make a new lightsaber, if she hurried. Kiray glanced back at Zherron and nodded.
"Let's do it."