Jedi Temple Hallways, Coruscant
Gunnery Sergeant Olun Broc silently made his way through the dimly lit corridors, blaster rifle at the ready. Creeping along behind him was Sergeant Petra and her squad of nine shocktroopers. All around them lay bits and chunks of rubble and debris from the uprising that came after the Emperor's demise. No one ever bothered to clean up afterwards.
When they approached the next corner, Broc quickly held up his hand, a signal for the team to hold up.
Booted footsteps could be heard around the corner. Standard urban warfare formation: three-man scout team, six-man assault team behind them.
"I'll handle this."
Petra nodded, and the other droppers took a few steps back into the shadows.
Gripping his rifle with only his right hand, Broc pressed his left side against the wall and waited. The footsteps were getting closer. He waited. Then, as the first stormtrooper made his way around the corner, the old soldier pounced.
In a split second, Broc grabbed him by the collar of his back plate and opened fire. The trooper , clutching his seared thigh, shrieked in pain, prompting his other two comrades to rush around the corner. Broc immediately dragged the injured trooper in front of himself to block a volley of blaster bolts. As the two troopers reeled in shock at what they had just done, the old soldier seized his moment, thrusting the dead trooper into one of them to knock him down and firing into the other one's chest. He then promptly finished off the last trooper with a shot to the head.
"Get down!" Petra shouted.
The gunnery sergeant immediately dove for the ground as the droppers behind him unleashed a hail of blaster fire at the remaining stormtroopers who made the mistake of rushing around the corner.
As Petra and the rest of the squad moved forward to secure the corridor, a young dropper approached the old sergeant and offered him her hand. He took it.
"You good sir?" she asked. Broc noticed the red-and-white medic armband on her arm.
"Not a scratch. What's your name, Doc?"
"Sharron Forrest, sir."
The sergeant nodded in acknowledgement. It takes guts to be a dropper medic.
"We're ready to move," Petra declared.
The entire firefight lasted just seven seconds.
Elsewhere in the Jedi Temple
Using only the Force to guide her, Rey cautiously advanced through the dark hallways. Behind her were the ten droppers under her command led by Sergeant Marco.
Rey then suddenly stopped. Marco signaled a halt and his squadmates raised their blasters. Rey turned towards her troops.
"Someone's close. Stay alert."
Marco's comm crackled to life. It was Finn.
"Spotted anything, Marco?" the commander asked.
"Negative, sir. Got nothing so far-woah!"
Just in the nic of time, the young sergeant swerved his head aside to see a black throwing knife sip past where his face had been and lodge itself into a nearby wall next to Rey. Before she could react, the knife violently exploded, briefly stunning the Jedi and knocking aside a couple other shocktroopers. For a brief moment, Marco caught a glimpse of a dark figure disappearing around the next corner.
"Get him!" he commanded.
The entire squad got up and charged ahead to deal with their mysterious attacker. By the time Rey came to, the last one was gone.
"Sergeant, wait!" she called out.
Blaster fire and muffled, bone-shattering thumps could be heard in the room ahead, each followed by blood-curdling screams in agony. Rey rushed down the hall, igniting her yellow saberstaff. She turned the corner and entered a large arena. She gasped in horror.
Littered across the floor were the corpses of the soldiers under her command, all mangled from beatings by a blunt weapon. Off in a corner, Sergeant Marco was lying on his stomach, badly injured. As soon as he saw her, he began dragging himself in her direction, face white with fear. But at his back, and slowly approaching, was Ushar Ren, dragging his infamous war club along the floor behind him.
The dark side user quietly sauntered over to the struggling soldier until he was right on top of him. He raised his club, and before Rey could react, brought it down hard on the dropper's head. Rey could feel, through the Force, Marco's life slipping away shortly after the impact. He was gone.
The knight then turned his attention to Rey. He shouldered his club, and just stared mockingly at the Jedi as he approached her, as if to egg her on into doing something reckless. Rage coursed through her veins over seeing how casual he was in killing her troops. She raised her saber staff and prepared to charge at her soldiers' killer.
Then, a familiar voice spoke up in the back of her head. Revenge is not the Jedi way.
Heeding her master's words, Rey took a deep breath, struggling to control her emotions. With her head now cleared, she then calmly leveled her weapon and assumed a defensive stance. Ushar paced slowly around the Jedi, like a lion circling his prey. Rey stood firm, tracking her opponent's movements.
Patience, Rey. Patience.
Suddenly, Ushar Ren pounced, lunging at the Jedi with his war club. Rey swung her staff to block it. The duel was on.
Temple Atrium Hallways
Broc's team picked up the pace as they continued to search the halls, blasting their way through any stormtroopers that stood in their way. The squad then reached a grand doorway to a vast atrium that led to the temple's main entrance. The atrium was a wide open space held up by row after row of tall, but decaying pillars. Some of the pillars had fallen over, remnants of the chaotic looting spree that occurred after the Emperor's death.
The atrium seemed empty as they started filing out of the hallway, but once everyone was through, an invisible force slammed the grand doors shut, and Kuruk Ren stepped out from behind one of the columns, toting a heavy repeating blaster rifle.
"Take cover!"
Right when Broc opened his mouth, the dark side user already started shooting. Broc immediately dove for cover behind a large piece of rubble. Petra grabbed Sharron by her vest and pulled the medic with her behind a fallen pillar. The three could only crouch as Kuruk riddled their remaining squadmates with laser bolts.
Broc glanced down at his charred rifle, which took a blaster bolt meant for his chest as he dove away.
"Dank Farrik!"
His heart pounded as he cast aside his ruined weapon. His comlink crackled.
"Distract him, sir. Grenade launcher ready," Petra said quietly.
The old soldier peeked out from cover.
"Hey slimo!" he hollered before ducking just in time to avoid a blaster shot.
That bought Petra just enough time to pop up from behind her pillar and fire a grenade at the Kuruk Ren. But the knight was faster. He reached out with the Force, harmlessly deflected the projectile aside, and fired a burst straight into her chest.
"Petra!" Sharron cried out in alarm as the young sergeant fell to the ground.
Without hesitation, Broc popped up again and threw out another grenade before hunkering back down. Kuruk immediately whirled around to deflect it with the Force. It went off with a deafening bang and a powerful blast of blinding white light. It was a flashbang grenade.
With a defiant yell, Broc vaulted over his hiding spot and charged at the stunned dark side user with his vibroblade. Kuruk fired another burst from his rifle, but it was a blind shot. As soon as he was within grappling distance, Broc trapped the barrel of the rifle under his arm, and with two fast strikes, he slashed the dark side user's arm with his vibroblade and fatally plunged it into the side of his neck.
Pushing aside Kuruk's lifeless body, the old grunt rushed over to his remaining comrade's position. As Petra laid dying sprawled out on the floor, Sharron was desperately pumping bacta fluid into her charred chest cavity. It wasn't working.
"That shot pulverized her aorta. There's nothing more I can do," she sadly admitted.
Broc crouched next to his fallen teammate. With one last breath, Petra addressed her commander.
"Did...we...get him?"
Broc quietly nodded as the light faded from Petra's eyes. He then picked up Petra's rifle, which had the underslung grenade launcher, and her bandolier and gestured to Sharron to follow him. Rey is going to need all the help she can get.
Temple Amphitheater
A sickening sizzle filled the room as Rey's lightsaber cleanly cut through Ushar's flesh. The dark side brute's body split in two at the abdomen as it toppled to the ground. Rey stood panting in front of Ushar's corpse, her yellow blade still humming in the silence. His attacks were strong, but his technique was sloppy, she thought to herself.
A wave of Force energy caught Rey's attention. Another dark side user. She turned around just in time to block a hail of red blaster bolts coming from the doorway from which she first came in. She resumed her defensive stance as Cardo Ren stepped into the light. He again revved up his arm cannon and resumed firing.
Rey spun and twirled her saber staff to block the bolts, but they were coming too fast. A bolt barely grazed her shoulder. She took a powerful Force-boosted leap backwards into the spectator stands and took shelter behind a wall dividing the arena from the stands as lasers streaked overhead.
Maybe I can take him from behind? Rey thought as she snuck along the length of the wall. She took a moment to peek over the top, and ducked to avoid another volley of blaster fire. Blast, he's using the Force to track me! There's no way around this. She's pinned.
"Come out and play, little Jedi," Cardo bellowed, "You are running out of time...and space."
A violent explosion rocked the amphitheater. Rey covered her ears and crouched behind her wall. When the dust settled, a small metallic object that was once Cardo's mask bounced onto the bench in front of her. She decided to take a peek. There was a charred spot on the stone floor of the arena where the knight once stood, and about twenty feet behind it stood a smiling Olun Broc, brandishing a rifle with a grenade launcher attachment. Rey jumped back down to the arena to greet him
"The others?" he asked her solemnly.
"I'm sorry, I-" Rey began.
"Don't blame yourself, Master Jedi. You did the best you could."
Sharron stepped in next and holstered her pistol. She noticed Rey's grazed shoulder.
"You're hurt."
"Eh, It's just a scratch." Rey brushed off the light wound.
While the three were catching their breaths, Broc's comlink crackled. It was from the beacon room.
"Requesting support-ugh!"
"Berner? Berner!"
Finn! Rose! Rey's eyes widened.
"Let's go!"
She immediately dashed for the arena entrance, with Broc and Sharron hot on her heels trying to keep up.
Temple Beacon Room
Ap'lek Ren paced impatiently back and forth. The floor around the Temple beacon was littered with the corpses of the Alliance soldiers who foolishly tried to stop his knights. Trudgen and Vicrul were quietly standing at attention keeping watch on their prisoners. Kneeling on the floor with their hand on their heads, there wasn't much Finn, Rose, and Berner could do. Things couldn't get more bleak.
Ap'lek stopped pacing. He turned to face Berner.
"Where is the Jedi?"
The soldier replied by spitting on the dark side user's boot.
"E chu ta, slimo."
Ap'lek growled with frustration as Vicrul whipped out his heavy blaster pistol and shot Berner in the head. Rose bit her lip with angst as his body keeled over. Finn would be next.
"I will ask again. Where is the Jedi?"
Finn gave Ap'lek a death glare. He feared the Knights of Ren back when he was a stormtrooper. All the stormtroopers feared them. It kept them in line. The knights knew it too. He won't give them the satisfaction.
"Go to hell."
Ap'lek Ren was about to signal Trudgen to execute Finn, but something stopped him. He looked over at Rose. She had a defiant expression on her face, but she was radiating with concern through the Force. Ah, sentiment. Like a ghostly reaper, Ap'lek suddenly lunged forward and seized Finn by the throat, and pinned him against the wall.
"Finn!" Rose shouted. Ap'lek turned to Rose.
"Answer the question," he snarled, "or the traitor dies!"
"I'm right here."
Ap'lek turned his head to see an angry Rey standing at the door, yellow saber staff in hand, spoiling for a fight. He released Finn from his grasp and approached the Jedi, brandishing his two-handed axe. Trudgen followed closely behind, shouldering his massive cleaver sword. Vicrul stood by, holding Finn at the point of his scythe to discourage him.
Off on one side of the room, the two knights were alternating their attacks against the Jedi, with Ap'lek violently swinging his axe and Trudgen following up with attempts at decapitating strikes. Rey furiously spun her saber staff around to block some of their attacks, and did her best to parry the rest. She was holding her ground well.
As the three Force users fought, Broc and Sharron emerged from the entrance and immediately started firing at Vicrul. The knight twirled his scythe to absorb the bolts, giving Finn an opening to grab a nearby spanner. Vicrul then whipped out his pistol to deal with the prisoners. Finn swung the spanner to knock the pistol out of his hand, though not before Vicrul managed to get off a misaimed shot into Rose's shoulder. She cried out in pain.
"Rose!" Finn exclaimed.
"On it! Cover me!" Sharron called out as she holstered her pistol and made a dash for Rose.
Vicrul swung his scythe at the medic in response, but Finn quickly moved to block it with the spanner. Vicrul answered with an elbow to Finn's face. Broc fired several more bursts as he emptied his rifle's power cell, which the dark side user masterfully dodged. He then charged at Vicrul, wielding his rifle like a short halberd. Recovering from the previous hit, Finn followed up with another swing of his spanner. Vicrul moved swiftly to block and parry his opponents' melee attacks.
Meanwhile, Rey had changed strategies. While continuing to defend against Ap'lek, she began applying more offensive pressure on Trudgen. After repeatedly swinging his heavy cleaver at the Jedi, and getting foiled every time, the fight was already starting to tire him out. Rey deactivated one of her blades and began dueling her opponents as if she were wielding an ordinary lightsaber. She increased the speed of her attacks, alternating her attention between Ap'lek and Trudgen.
Trudgen raised his cleaver to attempt another strike, but a sudden Force push from Rey sent him flying back into a wall. Ap'lek charged at Rey with his axe, and the two traded more blows. Off to the side, Trudgen picked himself back up, shouldered his sword, and rushed to rejoin the fight. Rey stepped up her attacks on Ap'lek, repeatedly thrusting her single blade at him, trying to get off a stab. On her third attempt though, it was only a feint. Right as she pulled her saber back, she reignited her second blade, impaling Trudgen squarely in the chest as he attempted another swing.
Trudgen's sword fell to the ground with a deafening clang. For a brief moment, Ap'lek froze as Rey resumed a defensive stance with both blades active, and his trusted lieutenant's body toppled aside. Then, without another word, he lunged at the Jedi, striking at her again and again with a renewed fury that had not been present while Trudgen was still alive. Rey struggled to defend herself as Ap'lek swung again. Rey dodged the blow. However, she wasn't fast enough to avoid his follow up, and Ap'lek was able to whack her over the head with the other end of his axe handle.
The impact knocked Rey to the ground, causing her to drop her lightsaber. Ap'lek Ren shifted his grip on his weapon from the end of the handle to closer to the middle and thrusted the blade of his axe towards Rey's chest. Disoriented, Rey came to just in time to grab the axe handle near the blade and hold it back. Ap'lek placed a hand behind the blade and applied more weight to his weapon. Rey struggled harder to resist, but the blade inched closer. She may be more skilled in the Force, but Ap'lek has more physical strength, and she is slowly being overpowered.
Rey desperately pushed back as hard as she could, staring defiantly into Ap'lek's emotionless mask with all the determination she could muster. She will not go down without a fight. She continued to stare into Ap'lek's mask. I swear that she had seen that mask before…
Rey's eyes widened as that single passing thought unlocked a flood of memories that had previously been hidden away deep inside her mind. Visions started flooding her mind. A cottage on a forest planet. A window of an apartment in a desolate desert town. In every image that flashed through her head, there were black hooded figures off in the distance, one of which wore the same mask that she was staring at right now.
Then, she was returned to the vision she had while meditating back on Mon Cala. She saw her parents disappear over the sandy dunes of Jakku. But this time, the scene expanded even further. As the events replayed before her, Rey saw those same hooded, menacing black figures making their way across the desert.
A familiar scream of pain shook Rey out of her trance. Finn. Still holding Ap'lek's blade at bay, Rey looked around for where it came from. Finn and Broc's fight with Vicrul hadn't gone well. The old sergeant was lying unconscious in the corner, knocked out by a strong Force push into the wall. Finn on the other hand, sat cornered on the ground clutching a bloodied arm, thrown back into a wall by another Force push. Being the last one standing, Sharron had positioned herself between her patients and a bloodthirsty Vicrul, wielding her pistol in one hand, a vibroscalpel in the other.
Something awakened deep inside Rey. Her unshakeable determination devolved into an uncontrollable rage. Her hands, still holding back Ap'lek's axe, started to shake. Ap'lek Ren, who just moments ago was savoring every last moment of his impending triumph over the last Jedi, was taken aback by her newfound growing strength.
That brief leak of fear was all Rey needed.
With a furious scream, Rey shot a powerful arc of Force lightning from her fingers, pumping lethal amounts of current into Ap'lek's body and throwing him back into the wall. Then, before anyone knew what was happening, Rey called her saber staff back to her with the Force, ignited both blades, and threw it at Vicrul, cutting him down where he stood.
Happy New Year everyone! The year of 2020 was a difficult for all of us. May you all find good fortune in 2021!