Lexa's crew were gathered on the main deck, a tide of sceptical frowns and reserved concern as they listened to the blonde woman's speech.
"You thought you could help her before and look how that ended," Cal recalled, arms crossed across a broad chest. "Why will this be any different?"
There was no denying that Clarke's initial attempts had failed miserably, but she had been misguided in her effort. This time she knew what had to be done. They were now a week behind the Jedi and no closer to locating her or the elusive holocron's. The crew were understandably reluctant to put their lives on the line without substantial results.
"You've been lucky so far," Sharr chimed in, "but this might get you killed along with the rest of us."
A murmur of agreement rippled through the group who were well aware of the danger posed by the dark Jedi. It was near impossible to predict her intent or feelings towards those who had once been her friends. There was no guarantee that she held any regard for their lives, not anymore.
"You'll just have to trust me on this," Clarke urged, frustrated that she was unable to voice the absolute faith in her heart that this would work. "I can do this, preferably with your help."
Lexa had chosen her crew with delicate accuracy, making optimisation of resources the first priority. Each individual possessed unique skills that complemented each of their colleagues, allowing for the maximum efficiency possible.
Battle prowess, intellectual excellence, and technological genius made these people an exceptional team. Clarke would feel a lot safer in her mission knowing that they supported her efforts.
"We can't just stand by and do nothing! We're only here today because of her," Bekk noted, addressing the gathering with his gruff tone. "If the Commander needs our help then we will not abandon her."
A wave of nods began to surge through the crew members, each reminded of the fateful day that the Jedi had swept into their lives and provided a future that they could be proud of. She had not only chosen a crew that was smart and battle hardened, but unwaveringly loyal. Treating them with respect and kindness had gone a long way to securing their trust and friendship.
"Then it's settled," Cal confirmed, turning away from his colleagues to address the blonde smuggler. "You have our full support."
Clarke smiled broadly at the crew, quietly relieved that they had agreed to help her. The task would have been exceedingly more challenging without them.
"Then prepare the ship for departure, there's no time to lose."
Bellamy leant against the wall as he watched the crew scuttle into action, peeling away in different directions to carry out their assigned duties. He was impressed by their perseverance. Personally, he would have given up hope of the Jedi's recovery a long ago. In fact, he had.
His presence thus far had been to ensure Clarke's safety and he had succeeded for the most part. Now it was time to leave. The blonde woman turned to him expectantly, but she soon recognised the apologetic glint in the brown eyes.
"Thank you, for everything you've done," she stated quietly, sad to learn of her friends departure but forever grateful for his help. "We couldn't have done it without you."
"I think you'd have managed just fine," Bellamy replied with a brief smile, sweeping forwards to pull his old friend into a tight embrace.
"Look after everyone," the woman whispered against his shoulder, a twinge of sadness in her chest that she hadn't been able to reunite with her old smuggling companions. "Maybe one day I'll come and find you all again."
"You'd better," the dark haired smuggler replied, loosening his grip before he could change his mind. "But this time over a drink in a cantina, no more Sith battles please."
Clarke grinned and slapped him heartily on the arm. "You wouldn't have it any other way."
The ship would be ready to depart in a matter of moments. There wasn't any time to waste. Bellamy's fellow smugglers would be waiting for his return and his sister would undoubtedly be pissed that he was taking so long.
He nodded meaningfully at his old friend, a silent promise that this wouldn't be the last time they spoke.
"I know how much the Jedi means to you," he said as the blonde escorted him to the ramp. "I hope you can save her. You brought out the best in each other."
Clarke bit her lip and nodded, unwilling to speak for fear of ruining her confident composure. "Thank you."
A shrill voice chirped over the intercom to relay the ships readiness to depart. It was time for the friends to go their separate ways.
Bellamy turned to leave, but a sudden reminder sparked to life before he could fully descend the ramp and hurried back onto the ship, much to Clarke's surprise as he swept straight past her towards the bunks.
Nova, the onboard droid, watched the smuggler's return with a discontented whir, having silently bid farewell to the irritating man for good. "The exit is behind you."
His words seemed to fall on deaf ears as the smuggler rifled through drawers before darting back out of the room, only pausing for a brief moment to fix the droid with a scathing stare.
"Always a pleasure NOVA," he lied, at the very least pleased to be leaving the abhorrent droid behind.
"Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for you," NOVA whirred, tracking the despicable human's movements back towards the exit and hoped it would be the last they saw of him.
Clarke raised an eyebrow as she observed the far from tender farewell, fixing the smuggler with a questioning stare when he finally returned.
"Here, I retrieved it from the ship when you left," Bellamy explained, extending a wrapped object towards her with steady hands. "I thought you might want it."
Brief confusion clouded the girls face as she claimed the offered item, gently unfolding the surrounding material to reveal a lightsabre nestled within. Emotion swelled in Clarke's chest as she gently rotated the weapon in her grip, carefully securing the material around it once more when she glanced up gratefully at her friend.
"Good luck," Bellamy said with finality, jogging down the exit ramp before he could be mistakenly taken along for the ride. He'd had quite enough of Sith dealings and dark encounters to last him an eternity. His people needed him, but he wished nothing but the best for his friend.
Clarke was left clutching the weapon reverently, lifting one hand in a brief wave before the metal ramp rose to block her view. She gazed down at the Jedi's weapon with quiet remembrance as the ships engines roared to life, overwhelmed by the enormity of the task that lay before her.
"The Commander will be pleased to have her sabre returned," NOVA chirped, focusing his yellow eyes on the quiet woman, his spirits far brighter now the intruding smuggler had departed. The crew was almost fully restored, all but one member was accounted for and he was confident that Clarke held the key to her return.
"How are the odds looking of tracing her ship?" Clarke asked tentatively, letting the covered weapon fall to her side as she addressed the droid. Part of her would rather not know, but she couldn't avoid the inevitable truth.
NOVA seemed to freeze momentarily, his eyes glowing with enhanced luminescence as the calculations were computed at a speed faster than Clarke could comprehend.
All of a sudden his head tilted to one side, the jarring movement startling the blonde. "If my calculations are correct then you stand a 3.5% chance of successfully predicting the Jedi's destination from retrieved data."
Despair settled over Clarke, heavy and foreboding as she struggled to comprehend the low figure. It wasn't impossible, just highly unlikely. She had beaten worse odds before, just about.
"That is, unless you utilise Republic intel and increase your odds to 64.8%," the droid proclaimed in the silence that followed, drawing a narrowed gaze from the blonde.
"What Republic intel?"
A voice drifted over the intercom before she could interrogate the droid further. "Clarke, we have a Republic transmission incoming. Any idea what they might want?"
Clarke smiled at the droid who was whirring pleasantly at his vital contribution. Lexa hadn't only given her choice of crewmates careful consideration, but also the droid accompanying her ship. Original thought, creativity and curiosity were defining features of the G3E model and Clarke had never appreciated a mechanical being more than in that moment.
"Good work," she called to droid, already jogging towards the stairs to accept the transmission. She would take any advantage that presented itself and the Republic was one hell of a resource.
NOVA whirred happily to himself, pleased by his forward thinking. The Republic would have access to information restricted to any outside forces and overcoming the security would be a waste of valuable time. Contacting them had been simple enough, interacting with the sophisticated technology to present an urgent message to the highest ranking officials.
The Commander would be proud of his contributions. He would make sure to tell her when she returned.
Four painful hours passed as the sharpest minds worked to plot the Jedi's course of travel, first identifying the vessel and proceeding to calculate its projection from Alderaan and beyond. No easy task by any means, not when the Jedi had been so careful in covering her tracks.
Clarke waited impatiently for the moment it all came together in a neat report, not even attempting to understand the complex calculations that Toril repeatedly plugged into the main console, pressing fingers to his temples as he observed the rolling text on the monitor.
After several restarts and countless complications, they finally had coordinates to guide them.
"You're sure this will work?" Clarke questioned the young man, resting one arm over the back of his seat, squinting blindly at the display. Whatever was held on the flickering screen conveyed no meaning to the girl.
"I think so?" Toril said hesitantly, scrutinising the work one final time as Clarke sighed heavily.
"If that's all we've got to go on, then we're going to have to trust it," she said, having hoped for more reassurance that this wouldn't be a waste of time.
Toril shook his head sharply. "No, I'm pretty sure this is correct."
It would have to be. He swiftly transferred the coordinates to the main system to be inputted into the navigation device, but Sharr's sharp inhale of breath was apparent when she caught site of the data.
Clarke strode to the central controls where Sharr was perched to pilot the ship, a frown creasing her brow to witness the dismayed expression.
"What's wrong?"
"These coordinates," Sharr intoned, peering closely at the display in case she had misread the data. "They originate within the Unknown Territory."
A shared sense of unease drifted through the three crew members at the notion, aware of the regions deadly reputation.
As the name suggested, these regions were vastly unexplored, home to unidentified planets, creatures, and habitats that were responsible for countless deaths throughout history. Some organisations undoubtedly took advantage of the hostile environments to hide their lawless activity, setting up bases and hideouts in the distant region where they would be far from any lawful repercussions.
In short, it was not a safe place to be at any time, least of all when there was a dark Jedi roaming the expansive territory. The mission was becoming more foreboding with every strike of bad luck that arose, forcing the crew to reconsider the sanity of their plan.
"Well, this is going to be interesting," Sharr said weakly, punching in the coordinates and preparing the ship for hyperspace travel. "What could go wrong?"
Toril paled slightly and slumped back in his seat, unable to ignore the unyielding sense of defeat that was already beginning to grow before they had even begun their journey. This was not going to be a simple mission, not by a long shot.
Three long days of hyperspace travel dragged by agonisingly, with very little to do but mentally prepare as the crew approached their destination. Clarke had paced the ship a dozen times, carefully avoiding the Commander's chambers that only harboured painful memories and an unsettling emptiness. Finally, she opted for passing the time with much needed sleep.
She was blissfully enveloped within the relaxed state when a sudden jolt returned her to reality, her eyes flying open when she was nearly thrown from her bed when the world tipped alarmingly.
"What the hell?" she muttered to herself, blinking away blurry vision as she jumped from the top bunk, narrowly avoiding breaking a leg when the ship arched sharply to the left, forcing her to stumble unsteadily towards the door.
Sharr's shrill voice echoed over the intercom, strained with concern as their bumpy journey continued. "Toril, get your ass up here!"
Clarke was only seconds behind the panicked man, shrugging on a light jacket as she stepped into the control room.
"What the hell is going on?" she called out sharply, the words dying on her lips as her mouth formed a silent 'O' when she glimpsed the view through the panel of glass. "That's not good."
Hurtling around the comparatively small ship were hundreds of asteroids, a potential devastating threat if even just one collided with them. It could damage the ship irreversibly.
Toril hurried to the controls and assisted Sharr with the navigation, a thin line of sweat forming on his forehead. Very few adventurers had delved into an asteroid field and lived to tell the tale.
"You're meant to be avoiding the asteroids," Cal grumbled when he lunged into the room, forced to grab onto the nearest seat when a sharp movement threatened to unbalance him. "Not flying us into them!"
"You're more than welcome to take over," Sharr replied through clenched teeth. "We're almost through."
Her response was accompanied by an unnatural shudder ripping through the ship as it tore past the final layer of asteroids.
"The Commander will not be pleased to learn that you destroyed her new ship," NOVA beeped reproachfully, not that anyone was listening as they looked through the wide window at the distant planet lying before them.
The asteroid may have been an unwelcome surprise, but what lay before them could only be described as inhospitable.
GH-531 sat alone in the darkness, a desolate, rocky, windswept world that held no appeal to the onlookers. Just once, it would be nice to arrive at a lush, green planet, free from mutated creatures and dark forces that only sought to do them harm. Maybe one day, but this was not it.
"This is definitely the right place," Toril confirmed reluctantly, leaning forwards to scrutinise the display again. "She's down there, somewhere."
Wonderful, Clarke thought to herself. At least a barren world such as this would mean no civilian casualties.
"Take us down, gently" she requested in the heavy silence that had taken hold, a collective sense of apprehension for what awaited them on the surface.
All that mattered now was the Jedi and her recovery. Clarke wasn't going to let this hellish landscape deter her from their goal, she would take on whatever nightmares stood between her and Lexa. She wouldn't fail now.
=====================================================================
They discovered during a relatively simple descent that the planet's unusual atmospheric conditions were scrambling communication signals, vanquishing any hopes of maintaining contact with the ship during Clarke's expedition. If something went wrong then she wouldn't be able to call for help. It was unfortunate and predictably in line with their recent string of bad luck.
"You can't go out there by yourself," Bekk insisted, watching with a deep frown as the blonde woman packed an assortment of resources into a small bag and did an inventory of her weapons.
"She won't hurt me," Clarke said confidently, holstering the blaster gun at her waist. "I'm not going to risk your lives in my place."
"We're coming whether you like it or not," Cal chimed in, marching into the armoury to claim his own arsenal. "Lexa might not hurt you, but I'm betting there's a hundred ugly creatures down there that would."
With very little reason to argue, it was decided that Clarke, Bekk and Cal would venture onto the planets surface in search of the Jedi. The rest of the crew would remain to protect and fix the damaged ship that had taken the brunt of several minor collisions with asteroids.
Clarke was grateful for the breathable Type 2 atmosphere as the trio stepped onto the planet surface, not that she intended to hang around any longer than necessary. As fortunate as it was for them in some respect, it also meant that other, less friendly organisms would be able to inhabit the planet and that could mean danger.
"Stay alert, we don't know what's waiting for us out there," Clarke warned, casting her eyes over the barren landscape as they began their advance.
"You don't have to tell me twice," Cal muttered, grip tightening comfortingly on his gun.
The Jedi's ship had been traced to a nearby position so Lexa had to be close. It was difficult to understand what potential this derelict planet could hold, but the lack of vegetation and established infrastructure would only make it easier to find her. At points it was possible to see the wasteland for miles ahead, but glance the other way and your view was obscured by jagged peaks of solid rock that twisted and arched into the orange-black sky.
It was from behind one of these monumental structures that the trio were first ambushed by a deadly hunter. A multi-legged arthropod with biting mandibles peeled itself from the rocky crevice and sped towards the newcomers with terrifying ferocity. They would later learn of these Wild Crawlers that inhabited the planet and decided that they needed a far more intimidating name.
Three heads whipped towards the startling movement and a cry of warning was barely out of Clarke's mouth before Cal was opening fire without hesitation. Blaster fire echoed across the expansive land, but not a single shot hit the creature as it darted lithely behind an outcrop of rock and disappeared from sight.
"Damn thing is fast," Bekk noted, gun held at the ready in case it re-emerged. "Shouldn't be much of a threat though."
Clarke knelt down to examine the rocky surface as Cal speared the man with a dark glare. "Now why would you say that? Are you trying to kill us all? Where did the damn thing go anyway?"
Clarke ignored their pointless conversation and carefully peered around the pillar of rock to observe the almost unnoticeable tunnel that cut down through the hard surface. No wonder these creatures could appear seemingly out of thin air if they were burrowing beneath the surface.
She cast her eyes over the ground with renewed interest and couldn't believe how blind they had been. Similar tunnels existed all over the surface, the majority of which lay concealed behind rocky outcroppings or an uneven formation of land.
"They're beneath us," she whispered to herself, kneeling next to the closest tunnel as she realised what it meant for their mission. More imminently she realised what it meant for their safety when a distinct scrabbling of limbs could faintly be heard originating deep beneath the ground.
"If that's the worst thing on this planet then I think we'll be okay," Bekk concluded, drawing a second scathing glare from the Cathar but merely shrugged. "What?"
"Seriously man, you're asking for trouble."
Clarke paced back to their position and ushered them into action. It was time to move. "We found trouble alright."
They frowned in confusion but compliantly surged into a light jog next to her, fractionally delayed in their realisation. Cal had barely opened his mouth to ask the obvious question when the ground beneath their feet seemed to explode with life.
Hundreds of the creatures poured forth from the extensive tunnel systems, each one clacking hungrily at their prey as they charged swiftly over the harsh surface in pursuit. By itself, one might not have posed a danger to the travellers, but a horde of them could cause serious damage.
"Goddamit!" Bekk exclaimed, firing several deterrent shots at the advancing swarm but it was a useless effort and he soon refocused on running. "Anyone got a bright idea out of this one?"
Clarke did in fact have an idea, but it wasn't necessarily a bright one. She had been sensing the Jedi's presence on the planet for some time now, an unmistakeable signal drawing her towards their current vicinity where the unsettling sensation grew stronger with each step.
Rather than reply, she guided them confidently over the hostile terrain, trusting her instincts to set them on the right path. They were close, she just knew it.
Cal continued to shoot at the pursuing creatures, occasionally disabling one of them with a glancing blow. Regular blaster fire into the swarming creatures may not have caused significant damage, but it succeeded at instilling a wary avoidance of the guns and gained the trio a few vital seconds as they scanned the oncoming landscape.
"Where the hell are we going?" Bekk gasped unevenly, glancing briefly over his shoulder to assess their progress, boots pounding heavily over the rocks. "There's nothing here!"
"She's here somewhere. I can sense it!" Clarke called out to her companions, gritting her teeth in frustration as the internal sensation signalled that the Jedi should have been stood virtually in front of them. "She must be hidden from us somewhere...like that..."
Cal followed her gaze to the distant structure and would've sighed if he had the breath to spare. A gaping cave mouth tore a jagged hole in the vertical rock wall that loomed in the distance, a foreboding sight to say the least.
Without an alternative plan, the trio raced towards the entrance with a renewed burst of energy and didn't slow down until the towering structure cast its dark shadow over them. Cal glanced over his shoulder and was surprised to witness the creatures fanning out in a semicircle in front of the cave, skittering wildly from side to side but refusing to advance any further.
"They've stopped," he observed, frowning at the unusual behaviour. "What now?"
Clarke stood with one hand on her hip, ignoring the mass of creatures behind them as she gazed intently into the cave entrance and attempted to catch her breath. That was where she had to go, where she would find Lexa.
"I'm going in to find her, but you need to stay here and keep our new friends at bay," she directed, already anticipating the chorus of opposition and waved it away. "I can't waste time arguing with you. I have to do this and I have to do it alone."
She could make Lexa listen to her, reason with whatever part of her was left, but not with the added distraction of her crew doing more harm than good. Cal and Bekk reluctantly agreed and positioned themselves near the entrance, firing the occasional blaster shot at the swarming crowd of arthropods, watching them scuttle nervously away from the explosion in a lithe movement.
Clarke turned her back on the swarm and pushed away thoughts of their almost certain demise if the creatures decided to attack. There was something far more deadly waiting for her in the cave and it was enough to deter even these mindless beasts from engaging with it.
Clarke could hear nothing but her own nervous breathing as she carefully maneuvered into what became a claustrophobic winding maze of low corridors and several dead ends. Her progress was slow, with numerous collapses forcing her to find another route, but eventually she emerged onto an open stretch of the cave as the ceiling arched far over her head.
It was on this rocky platform that the Jedi stood, head bowed in deep concentration with her back to Clarke. For a moment it wasn't certain whether she was even aware of the other woman's presence but, as the blonde took yet another step into the expansive space, a calm voice echoed throughout the chamber.
"You shouldn't be here."
Clarke swallowed thickly, a glimmer of joy flashing into existence to hear the familiar voice again, only to be overwhelmed by the knowledge that this was not the woman she had come to know and love.
"I came for you," she finally replied, hating how her voice quivered so audibly in the space between them. "To save you."
The Jedi slowly turned to face the blonde, an impassive expression firmly held in place as she spoke with icy malice. They had already been over this. "Then you had a wasted journey."
Rather than engage in further pointless conversation, the Jedi extended her arms out to the side and closed her eyes. A deafening boom of crashing rock resulted instantly, forcing Clarke to clasp both hands over her ears with a pained grimace. The ground began to shake simultaneously, sending the blonde down to one knee as her balance was thrown.
Through the chaos Lexa remained resolutely in her stance, her eyes only opening once the tremors had largely died. Chunks of rock rained down from the ceiling but still she stood with unflinching confidence, meeting Clarke's gaze through the haze of dirt that had accompanied the collapse.
"You should go, before you get yourself killed."
Clarke rose to her feet and stared back defiantly. She would call that bluff any day. Without pause she began her advance across the platform, not even bothering to glance at the plummeting debris around her. None of it was going to hit her.
"I don't think so."
Her advance was almost ended dramatically when she stepped directly into the path of a particularly large collection of rocks that had become dislodged, the sheared rock following gravity's path straight down onto the unfortunate soul beneath. It would have killed her but, rather than complete it's descent, the rocks froze mid air before flying harmlessly into the far wall.
Clarke didn't even wince at the resonating boom that followed, her step not faltering until she stood directly in front of the Jedi who still had one hand outstretched to divert the fatal incident.
"I didn't think so. You wouldn't hurt me," she reasoned, her gaze eventually slipping beyond the Jedi to glimpse the gaping chasm that had opened in the floor. As if the extensive maze of tunnels wasn't enough, it only kept going deeper beneath the surface.
"You can't accept the holocron if you're dead," the Jedi retorted, a half smile unexpectedly curving her lips. "Now that you're here, your enlightenment will have to be performed earlier than expected. You should have left whilst you had the chance."
Her haunting smile lingered with dark promise as she stepped back without warning and plummeted down into the gaping chasm, dark hair streaming as she was lost from sight. Clarke's breath caught at the unnatural sight and she stepped forwards to gaze down into the darkness below. She had little choice but to follow and threw her rucksack down first so as not to be unbalanced by its weight.
With comparatively less grace and dramatic flare, Clarke was forced to climb cautiously down the jagged rock ledges that had formed along the chasm edge at a sharp angle. It wasn't a particularly easy descent and on numerous occasions her foot had slipped numbingly into empty space. It was a relief to reach the solid ground at its base.
A brief glance around her surroundings confirmed that she had arrived in another chamber, virtually identical to the last but somehow even larger. The dark energy coiling around her was all the confirmation that she needed of both the Jedi and holocron's presence within, it was like nothing she had felt before.
"This is where the holocron's were first created. A fitting location for your ascent to power." Lexa's lilting voice echoed throughout the chamber, at first appearing to float without origin until Clarke glimpsed her moving along the far right wall, recovered holocron grasped loosely in one hand.
"I don't think so," Clarke said quietly, moving further into the cavern before kneeling gracefully to sift through the rucksack at her feet. "You see, I bought an artefact of my own."
Lexa observed her with detached interest, peeling away from the shadows of the wall to stand centrally. There was nothing that could halt her plan, not now. It was inescapable.
"It's a holocron," she stated simply when the girl produced the familiar device and placed it on the ground beside her. "An empty holocron."
"For now, until the evil that has overtaken you is trapped inside it once more," Clarke proclaimed calmly, rising to her feet under the intense scrutiny.
Lexa sneered gleefully. Was this the grand plan? If so then she had already won.
"If that's what you think is about to happen, then you're sorely mistaken," she quipped, confident in her victory as she lifted the holocron to be witnessed in all its glory. "You will accept your new power and we will rule the world together."
The ominous light curled within the holocron, highlighting the etched markings that radiated dark energy and enticed even the strongest souls with its power. It was almost overwhelming to be in the presence of such pure evil, but Clarke said nothing in response, she didn't have to. Her plan didn't involve any words at all. Their conversations so far had resulted in nothing but failure from either side and she wouldn't make the same mistake again.
Instead, the blonde woman strode across the chamber fearlessly with nothing but conviction in her eyes. It was an unsettling sight for the Jedi who frowned at the advance and faltered briefly as she wondered what was about to happen, suspicions aroused by the unusual behaviour.
"What are you-,"
She didn't get a chance to finish the question, stunned into silence to observe a gentle smile growing on the girls face as she stood merely inches away. Clarke's hands rose to gently hold the Jedi's face, her concentration burning to new heights as she closed her eyes and projected every scrap of her soul towards the woman.
This was about her, about them, with their bond defying any dark entity that would dare to infiltrate their lives. Clarke just had to remind the Jedi of who she was, and she had countless memories and emotions that would do just that.
Lexa was unable to prevent the tsunami of memories that flooded into existence, not only of her own life but those of the woman before her. Memories of interactions, missions, flashes of emotion and regret. She saw the smiles, laughter, the unity within her own crew. Joy, hope, trust, sadness, pain, love. Their minds had become so entwined that it was difficult to know where they originated from.
Clarke's death replayed behind her eyes like a nightmare, firing forgotten emotions of dread and despair into existence. She had blocked such memories for so long that she had almost forgotten the devastation of losing the girl, the inescapable gut-wrenching sorrow of losing someone so important.
Anger, hatred, pain. It was all destroyed in the relief that the girl was still alive, a wash of delight and comfort like no other. It tore through everything that she had clung to, surrounded herself with to be blinded into an isolated existence. It was a realisation like no other, she didn't have to be alone anymore.
The evil, the darkness in the deepest recesses of her mind was being tormented by the unbridled purity that was sweeping into existence. It fought back with a vengeance but there was no defence against the unexpected sensations that were assaulting her very being.
"Remember who you are Lexa, who you have always been."
Soft words floated into existence until the Jedi was no longer certain whether they were being spoken aloud or if they were an accompaniment to the mental onslaught of pure light that was being poured into her very being.
Unnoticed, the dark holocron fell from the Jedi's weakened grip, bounding to the floor with an echoing thud that was unheard by either woman. They were aware of only each other and nothing else.
"Just let go," Clarke whispered, sensing the writhing darkness within the Jedi that unfurled at the unwanted intrusion. "Release it and come back to me."
Lexa lurched back without warning, freeing herself from the woman's intense touch, her mind reeling with conflicting forces that vied for her attention. It was tearing her apart. She shook her head sharply, as if to repel the uncomfortable sensation but it could not be deterred. Her cheeks were damp with tears that she didn't remember, tracing a hot path along her face like fire.
For the first time in weeks, her gaze sought Clarke's with unrivalled clarity and the blonde exhaled sharply to witness the clear green depths that stared back without dark intervention. A hopeful smile formed on the smuggler's lips but soon died when a clatter of disturbed rocks caught her attention.
She spun swiftly, just in time to see the mutated creature crawling from a deceptively shallow crevice, mandibles clacking audibly as it scuttled towards it's prey. It wasn't alone. Several surges of movement could be detected within the cavern, drawn by the disturbance in the Force that could only signal the presence of life forms. These creatures were even more hideous than those at the surface, morphed into something worse during their isolated life beneath the ground.
Clarke glanced back to the Jedi but it was clear that they would not be fleeing from this fight without conflict. Lexa's eyes had drifted shut during the interruption, her entire body tensing as every tendril of concentration was drawn inwards, focusing solely on the dark intrusion on her soul. It had been born from death and chaos, now destined to be purged with light.
With a string of curse words, Clarke freed her weapon from its holster and destroyed the closest creature, advancing intently across the cavern to strategically annihilate the emerging beasts as they sought out their victims.
As the smuggler fought the swarming beasts, Lexa was undergoing her own internal battle, unaware of the fragile situation that surrounded them. Her body was on fire, exploding with the conflicting forces raging mercilessly beneath her skin. The Jedi's mouth opened in a silent scream, her head gradually falling back as she swayed unsteadily on her feet, heart beating an erratic rhythm as the dark entity resisted expulsion.
Clarke glanced over her shoulder during a brief interlude when the aggressive creatures attempted to shelter from the destructive onslaught, scattering back into darkest recesses of the cavern. It was terrifying to witness, worse yet to experience the wave of dark force energy cascading from the Jedi, alone in her struggle against the overwhelming power.
"Screw this," Clarke whispered to herself, abandoning the defensive position when no more creatures came leering out of the shadows towards them, rightly scared away by the display of power. She couldn't stand by any longer, not when the Jedi was deep in the throes of such agony.
With minimal consideration, the blonde girl holstered her weapon and jogged the short distance towards the Jedi, face contorting with concern to witness the immense struggle that was underway. She barely got within a stone's throw of the woman when dark eyes snapped open, seething with chaotic energy that fought to maintain its stranglehold.
"No!" a deep voice erupted, originating from the Jedi when her back arched suddenly, a tremor seeming to shake the entire planet before a catastrophic wave of force energy exploded into existence, ripping mercilessly through the cavernous hall to reign destruction throughout the intricate maze of corridors.
Clarke's advance was counteracted when she was roughly thrown back like a ragdoll, past where she had been previously guarding the Jedi for her body to collide painfully with the hard ground, her vision swimming momentarily from the sheer shock that invaded her body.
Her own discomfort was quickly forgotten when she squinted through blurred vision towards the Jedi, barely able to bring the lone figure into focus. Shaking her head determinedly, Clarke dragged herself up to stand unsteadily, lurching forwards with shaking legs to resume her advance.
The unrelenting tremors throughout the cavern had finally ceased, casting an uneasy silence throughout the chamber that ripped fear through the blonde's chest at what she would find at its heart. Her unsteady breathing seemed to echo through her skull, the only sound that filled her ears as she progressed along the uneven ground.
Deep crevices had threatened to form through the exposed rock, jagged chasms spearing a path through the two shortest walls and Clarke vaguely considered how slim their chances of survival would be if it collapsed around them. Debris and loose rock scattered down onto the ground, unnoticed by the desperate blonde as she peered at the Jedi.
"Lexa?" she uttered hoarsely, unsettled by the manner in which her voice echoed back after a short delay.
The Jedi remained perfectly still with her back to Clarke, head tilted forwards with both arms hanging loosely at her sides. It was as if she were frozen in time, a remnant of what had once been. In reality, she was trying to process exactly what had happened, whether she had won the battle against darkness itself. Something told her that she had.
The soft voice floated into existence and Lexa's eyes slowly flickered open in recognition, swivelling first her head and then her entire body to locate the blonde who had risked everything and more to save her.
It was with reserved anticipation that Clarke regarded the Jedi, searching for any sign of the woman that she had grown to love. Limping ever closer, the blonde was soon within arms length of the woman. For a long moment they merely stared at each other, lost in the swirling depths of emotion and hope that lay within their gaze.
Something had changed, altered irreversibly within the Jedi and it took another moment for Clarke to realise what had caused the sensation. With a start, it dawned on her that she could no longer sense the dark entity sweeping from the woman, relief coursing through her veins at the insinuation.
A brief glance to the unattended holocron on the cavern floor confirmed her suspicion, observing the faint glow resonating from the inscribed surface. The darkness was contained once more, trapped for all eternity within its prison, never to unleash its devastation on the galaxy.
In turn Lexa was free from its grip, no longer consumed by its infiltrating deception. It was over. They had achieved the impossible.
Clarke turned her focus back to the Jedi, a hopeful smile breaking through her reservations to sense the familiar shine of essence before her, losing herself once more in the comforting green irises.
"You did it," the blonde girl uttered, joy blossoming in her chest at the revelation. "We did it."
Lexa felt a smile trying to form on her face even as she desperately wished to reach out and lay a shaking hand on the girl before her, almost to convince herself that this was real. Regardless of her intent, exhaustion swept through her body and she was unable to resist the sweeping motion as her knees buckled and the ground flew up towards her with terrifying speed.
Dismay replaced Clarke's relief as she instinctively reached her arms out to ease the Jedi's descent, slowly lowering her to the ground.
"Hey, you're okay, I'm here," the blonde said comfortingly, ignoring the wave of fear that carved a cold path through her chest. She had not come this far only to fail now. Concerned blue eyes darted desperately over the Jedi in search of any visible injury that could be attended to, but this was not a wound that could be healed with any medicine.
Lexa tried to speak, her lips moving soundlessly as fatigue washed over her mercilessly, stealing the words of gratitude that she so desperately wished to express.
"Clarke..."
It was only a single word, uttered in a sharp exhale of breath, barely audible in the expansive cavern, but it was enough. Darkness no longer coiled deceptively from the Jedi, vanquished in place of the glowing aura of light that Clarke had come to know so well. For the first time in what felt like an age, she could finally look upon the familiar green eyes and bask in their radiance.
The clatter of falling rocks jarred the blonde back to the present moment and she glanced up sharply as the cascade of debris continued to rain down around them. The explosion of power from the Jedi had not left the unstable cavern unscathed. Her gaze returned to the prone woman cradled in her lap, noting the strain of effort that was required to maintain consciousness after the monumental physical exertion.
"It's okay, you're okay. We're going to get out of here."
Thank you for reading this chapter! Leave a comment and let me know what you thought :D
Sorry for the delay in releasing this chapter but it took a few drafts to get it right and ended up being a lot longer than expected!
I can't express how much I loved seeing Lexa back on our screens for the 100 season finale, she was phenomenal and Clexa are forever endgame!
Here's to more Clexa fanfics and their eternal love 3
