"That's all she wanted?" asked Kayla.
"Yeah," Vaukel said as he was putting his clothes on, "the mind games… The torture… forcing herself on me… All to find out who I was to you. And I don't even know why."
"…To rob me of Lord Vader's favor," said Kayla.
Vaukel looked over his shoulder as he put on his hooded jacket.
"What?" he asked.
"Inquisitors weren't Sith, but we behaved like them. While we held a mutual relationship with each other, we would crave power and compete with each other for more credit when hunting down our targets," said Kayla, "believe it or not, there was a case when Sixth Brother betrayed Ninth Sister by cutting off her leg, after the two of them and Tenth Brother got caught up in a skirmish in Bel City. Another inquisitor attempted to take on an apprentice to use against us before she ended up being betrayed."
"So, the case with you and that last inquisitor you were with when you fought me, then?" Vaukel asked as he put on his gauntlets.
"…I did that to protect you," Kayla said slowly.
Vaukel looked at Kayla.
"I just… Didn't want to say it out loud," she said.
Vaukel started to put on his boots.
"But now that Claieva knows who we are to each other, she probably knows that you didn't 'escape' me and she can openly kill me without a penalty from Lord Vader," said Kayla.
Vaukel put on his chest plate and grabbed his mask.
"You still have some fight left in you?" asked Vaukel.
"What?" asked Kayla.
"Do you still… Have some fight left in you?" he asked.
"Um… Yes?" Kayla asked slowly.
"Good," said Vaukel, "I'd hate for you to not have the strength to get out of here."
He pat Kayla's head.
"Ready to do this… Little sister?" he asked with a smile.
Kayla looked at Vaukel's face. Despite how weary he looked, despite how ruffled his black hair was, there was a distinct glint in his baby blue eyes. Kayla allowed herself to smile back.
"I'm ready… Big brother," she said.
"Then let's go," he said.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait… Don't you want one of my lightsabers?" asked Kayla.
Vaukel reached out and pulled a stormtrooper's blaster into his hand.
"Uh… When did you learn how to use a blaster?" she asked.
"You have to learn new things when you're living in a time where being a 'Jedi' is outlawed," he said, "let's go."
Kayla nodded and the duo took off. Unfortunately, they didn't get far from Vaukel's cell when…
"Hold it!" barked a stormtrooper captain.
Kayla ignited her lightsabers.
"I count at least eighteen to twenty," she said.
"I've got you covered," Daralec said as he raised his blaster.
/\/\/\/\/\
"Who is this guy!?" demanded a stormtrooper.
"We're no match for him! Fall back!" another stormtrooper cried out.
The imperials made a run for it.
"Jeez, you cut down a few dozen stormtroopers and they run for the hills," said Daralec.
As the imperials fell back to regroup, they ran into a problem.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, where's the fire boys?" chuckled Orthus.
Orthus and Lavok started blasting, killing off the remaining six stormtroopers without hesitation. Daralec, who saw the volley of blaster fire, raced over to see who it was.
"Orthus, Lavok," he said with a grin
Orthus slung his blaster rifle over his shoulder and the boys 'Bro Hugged'.
"Am I glad to see you boys," said Daralec, "did you take out that soldier?"
"Aye, we did," said Lavok, "he was good, and gave us a bit of a run around… But he's not like us."
"Agreed. But enough about us? Where's Kayla?" asked Orthus.
"We reached the detention center, and she took off to go free her brother, I doubled back to regroup with the two of you," said Daralec.
"Don't you think it's a bad idea to leave her with rescuing her brother?" asked Orthus.
"What are you saying she can't handle herself?" asked Daralec.
"Of course, she can handle herself, I'm just concerned about her brother, I mean what is he's in poor condition?" asked Orthus.
"They'll be fine," said Daralec, "besides, I think our concern is trying to get to the bridge, wouldn't you agree?"
"I concur," said Lavok, "if we can take control of the bridge, we can keep the imperials from calling for reinforcements."
Orthus made a quick jerking motion, catching something coming straight ahead. He, Daralec and Lavok all looked in the direction of… Footsteps. Multiple footsteps. Belonging to eight saber guards and one shadow guard.
"…Them again?" groaned Daralec.
/\/\/\/\/\
"Okay, now all we have to do is pass through here in the mess hall and out through the other door," said Vaukel.
Kayla nodded and followed her brother into the mess hall, the one place that imperial troops likely wouldn't be at this time with what's been going on. However, when the duo came through the doors, they found someone waiting for them… A familiar face.
"…Welcome," she said as she was sitting at a table with her fingers locked together in front of herself.
Kayla frowned. Vaukel gritted his teeth and readied himself. Claieva got up, drew her disc saber, and ignited it. Kayla sensed Vaukel becoming angrier and angrier, the more Claieva stared at them, with a grin and a giggle to go with it.
"…Get behind me, and wait for my signal," she said, moving in front of her brother.
Vaukel was hesitant and prepared to protest, but he gave her a nod and stood down as Kayla drew her main hand lightsaber and ignited it, then she began her approach, Claieva approached Kayla as well. When the two met in the middle, their blades started flying. Vaukel hung back and watched as crimson collided with crimson inside of the mess hall, both girls delivered precise, fluid, fencing swings at each other, the two of them barely moved an inch as they moved ever so slightly to the left or the right to slip past each other's defenses.
When Claieva swung at Kayla's back, Kayla blocked, swung her lightsaber around and went for a riposte. Claieva parried and swung at her neck, Kayla performed a one-handed backflip and stuck the landing, then she came at Claieva again, this time going for a charging thrust. Claieva jumped onto one of the tables to the left, Kayla followed, and the girls went at it again.
As the girls continued their duel, Vaukel stood by, waiting for… Whatever the signal was, all while taking note of how the girls fought each other, Kayla's use of Form III matching Claieva's use of Form II with perfect synchronized strikes. Vaukel watched the girls swing low and lock their blades, then slowly… Ever-so slowly… brought their blades up as they tried to shove each other back. Finally, Kayla and Claieva broke away and performed a low kick, then a high kick; both of which, ended up connecting. Kayla jumped over onto the table to her right and Claieva followed, jumping, and bringing her disc saber down. Kayla, performed a cartwheel and jumped over to a table behind her, flying right across Vaukel before sticking the landing.
Claieva was getting annoyed and jumped after her, then the girls went at it again. As Kayla and Claieva continued trading swings, Vaukel saw something that caught his eye. His lightsaber. He forgot that Claieva clipped it to her belt. Without wasting time, Vaukel tossed the blaster off to the side and pulled his lightsaber into his hand, grabbing and igniting it. Claieva, who was getting ready to deliver a thrust, turned and saw the blue glowing blade.
"…Well, well, well, isn't this a treat?" she asked with amusement.
She looked at Kayla.
"The treacherous daughter of Lord Vader," she mocked.
Claieva turned to Vaukel.
"…And my darling," she said with a wicked grin.
"Lady… You have some serious issues if you think that the time, we spent together makes me your darling," Vaukel said flatly.
"Oh, but you are… To be quite honest, Jedi… You really are a cutie," she said with a wink, "it's such a shame it has to come to this though… But don't worry, I'll try not to hurt you too bad."
Kayla gritted her teeth as Claieva locked her emitter ring and ignited the second blade. Kayla looked over at Vaukel and gave him a slight nod as Claieva walked off the table and faced the prepped Jedi. Kayla jumped at Claieva and brought her blade crashing down on the inquisitor. Claieva blocked and spun her disc saber to throw Kayla back.
Vaukel jumped in afterwards, delivering three quick strikes before locking blades with the inquisitor.
"I hope you're planning to get serious this time," she said.
"Oh, this is me getting serious," he growled.
Kayla came at Claieva again and jumped, going for an overhead chop, but the inquisitor shoved Vaukel and evaded via backflip. Kayla brought her lightsaber down and cut a table, then she turned and came at the inquisitor, with a burst of speed, jumped and delivered an overhead strike. Claieva blocked the first strike, then she spun her disc saber to deflect the next flurry of swings from Kayla, then she deflected her last strike and sent her sliding back with Force Push.
Vaukel ran across the tables, jumping and swinging at Claieva's neck. The inquisitor evaded, via backflip and made her way over towards the door that Kayla and Vaukel came through. Vaukel and Kayla followed in close, though Vaukel was closing the distance much quicker than his stepsister. Claieva grinned under her helmet and beckoned the Jedi and initiate. Claieva buckled down as Vaukel jumped first, delivering three quick, strong power swings to put Claieva on the backfoot as the two of them moved out into the hallway.
Kayla came out of the mess hall, jumped onto the wall in front of her and launched herself at Claieva, delivering a powerful diving thrust to get her to jump back. Kayla jumped forward and delivered an upward slash, a downward slash, then a sweep and a leaping overhead slam, putting Claieva on the defensive as the inquisitor buckled down and weathered the assault. When Kayla went for a thrust, Claieva spun her disc saber and deflected the attack, then she retaliated with three quick sweeps from her weapon to put Kayla on the backfoot.
Vaukel wasn't having it, so he jumped on the wall to the left and jumped at Claieva. The inquisitor turned and jumped back towards the wall on the right, thinking fast, she unlocked her ring and deactivated the other blade, then she retaliated with a thrust of her own, putting Vaukel on the defensive as she let loose a flurry of precise cuts and thrusts.
Kayla wasn't having it this time, and jumped at Claieva, delivering a thrust herself, as well as a swing to her left, right, and a flourishing upward strike, all of which Claieva blocked with brisk speed, save for the upward strike, which she deflected and followed it up with a pommel strike to Kayla's nose, knocking the initiate back.
Vaukel delivered three overhead slams, forcing Claieva to buckle down and block to the best of her ability, but with one upward strike, the Jedi Knight shattered her guard; Vaukel didn't let up, once Claieva's guard was shattered, he struck her in the face with his pommel, then he pulled her towards him with the Force, grabbing Claieva by the throat and slammed his pommel against her helmet once more before sending her flying into the wall with Force Push.
Claieva yelped in pain and tried to get her bearings, but she was forced to roll to the right as Vaukel charged and attempted to split her right down the middle.
"Got you!" Kayla roared as she charged.
Claieva sent Kayla flying back with a powerful Force Push.
"Kayla!" exclaimed Vaukel.
The Jedi Knight growled and came at the inquisitor, the two of them began trading blows once again while Kayla tried to get her bearings. Vaukel changed up tactics, switching from Form V to Form VII to overwhelm Claieva, unfortunately, this only prompted her to become much more evasive and rely heavily on parries and counterattacks.
"You seem angry darling," Claieva teased as the two fierce warriors locked blades, "did you not enjoy the time that the two of us spent together?"
Vaukel growled and shoved Claieva back, breaking the lock. Vaukel got ready to engage again when he ducked low, letting Kayla leap over his back, roll and deliver an upward slash. Claieva gasped and jumped back, then she jumped forward, trading swings with Kayla once again.
"Inquisitor!" exclaimed a voice.
Claieva looked and saw that she ended up in the hallway's intersection, and to her left, she saw at least a dozen stormtroopers heading towards her and Kayla. The initiate, seeing an opening, attempted to get Claieva with a thrust from her lightsaber. Claieva deactivated the first blade and activated the second blade, deflecting Kayla's strike and following it up with a roundhouse kick to her face, knocking her to the floor.
Vaukel gasped and charged, but Claieva grinned under her helmet and took off towards the advancing stormtroopers. Kayla, got to her feet quickly and moved around the corner as the imperial soldiers began to fire.
"She fell back," panted Kayla.
"Damn," muttered Vaukel.
"Don't worry, she won't get far," Kayla said as she drew her offhand lightsaber and ignited it, "come on, let's take care of these bastards quickly."
"Right," said Vaukel.
When the first stormtrooper rounded the corner, he was met with a lightsaber through the gut and dropped to the ground, dead. Kayla and Vaukel came charging around the corner and rushed the squads of imperial soldiers, letting out a unified battle cry.
Author's note: Let's start this month off with a bang, eh?