Author's Note: You guys should watch this video on Youtube called 'SC 38 Reimagined,' it's so good. They completely redid the fight between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan on the Death Star and made it more epic, yet still blended it perfectly into the movie scenes. You need to watch it!
Iziz - Onderon
Jarik POV…
With the plan laid out, everybody knew what they were going to do. The Raid team would strike the storage houses, led by Saw and Rex, in order to gain supplies for the Partisan group, while I lead the Stealth team to the palace in order to rescue Ahsoka.
Hopefully.
The last time was on Onderon was during the Clone War, and things have definitely changed since then. Imperial patrols are constantly on the lookout in the streets just like last time with the Separatists, but the people are a lot more dull and hopeless than before with their previous occupation. It's the simple reason that the Empire rules the entire galaxy, whereas the Separatists did not. So there won't be any help from an opposing side to be free of occupation. Hopefully that can be change when the Rebellion grows much larger.
Using the cover of the growing darkness thanks to the late evening, I lead the Stealth group through the city, consisting of Mara, Rylla, Kanan, Ezra, Sabine, and Hayden.
We get closer to the palace, evading any Imperial presence we come across, using the shadows to our advantage. Sabine, Rylla and Hayden were sneaking along the higher levels, while the rest of us continued through the narrow streets, staying off of the main ones. Since curfew is in effect, we don't have to worry about being accidentally noticed by a civilian.
Eventually we reach the palace, stopping just before the open space between it and the housing units. I look up the side of the structure with narrowed eyes, a sense of determination filling me.
"Alright, we're in position," I report through the comlink.
"Understood Commander," Boil replies.
I lower my comlink and then look at the rest of the team. "When they give the signal, start ascending the building."
"Got it," Mara and Ezra both reply.
They glance at each other in surprise before Mara looks away irritably, crossing her arms. I glance at Ezra sympathetically at his helpless expression before returning my gaze to the palace, waiting for the call to come in.
"This is nuts," I hear Hayden mutter, before Rylla shushes him.
Boil POV…
"Alright, we're in position," Jarik reports.
"Understood Commander," I reply, closing the transmission and looking up. "They're ready and waiting."
"Good. Let's get ready men!" Saw tells his troop.
The Partisans all ready their weapons eagerly, about twenty people total, checking their munitions while Rex, Zeb and I do the same. Hera and Chopper are waiting back at the Ghost, ready to evac us when the time comes. Saw and the Partisans have their own method of transport offworld, so we don't have to worry about them.
"Ready to bust some buckets?" Zeb asks.
"Do you even have to ask?" I reply with a grin, and he chuckles.
"Let's just hope this doesn't turn sour," Rex adds, glancing at Saw cautiously for a moment.
"Well that's why we're here, remember?" I remind him.
"Yeah. Still, I don't want to have to confront him if he does," Rex replies. "He's a great rebel and a good friend but… he's still harsh and unforgiving."
"Why'd he end up like that then?" Zeb asks.
Before either of us could answer, the man in question approaches us, moving to Rex first with an authoritative look on his face.
"So Captain, any suggestions you may have?" he asks.
Rex is momentarily surprised, but nods his head. "Well, we should start with a surprise attack. Hit 'em hard, and scatter them. They'll call for reinforcements, but that's what we want. So before those reinforcements arrive, we pack up the supplies you need and send them on their way before we continue the distraction."
Saw nods his head in apparent approval of the plan, smiling.
"I like it. We'll litter the street those punks are traveling along with explosives, and blow them sky-high," he states.
Rex nods slowly, although he shares the same cautious look as me and Zeb.
"Yeah, but remember we have to make sure we don't harm civilians in the crossfire," Zeb reminds him.
Saw sighs in exasperation but nods his head.
"I get it you guys, I really do," he tells us. "But if some random person decides to get too close to the battle zone, I'm not responsible for that."
"As long as you have some regard for their safety," Rex relents.
I suppose that's the best we can expect from Saw. The burden of keeping the firefight away from civilians is definitely going to be something the three of us have to watch out for.
Saw nods and then turns to his Partisans. "Alright, let's move out!"
We begin making our way through the streets over to the storage houses, following Saw's lead. Everyone is mostly silent, since we're in the middle of a city past curfew, and this is supposed to be a surprise attack. Doesn't exactly work if the attackers are projecting their voice for all to hear.
Once we reach our destination, Saw brings us to a halt. He then directs some of his men to split up, with Benthic leading a group to the other side. Rex, Zeb and I also make our move, Rex staying by Saw while we sneak to the other side with Benthic group. Then we wait for an Imperial patrol to arrive, which doesn't take long.
An Occupier combat assault tank turns around the corner, accompanied by a squad of about twenty to thirty stormtroopers. They slowly make their way down on their regular patrol, passing by the storage houses.
We glance across the street, and saw flashes a green light to give the signal. In response, Benthic whispers an order to one of his men, who scurries along the backside of the buildings that we're hiding next to. A Partisan then pops up on a bridge crossing over the street just behind the Imperial convoy. Two more appear on his side with blaster rifles, and he throws a grenade.
It lands in the middle of the group of stormtroopers, and they only have time to look down in surprise before it bellows up. Four stormtroopers are thrown into the air, dead instantly, while dirt and pieces of the road are flung upwards along with the explosion.
The Imperials all look around in alarm, facing the direction that the grenade came from to spot the Partisans. The three rebels open fire with heir blaster rifles, striking down several stormtroopers as they begin to fire back.
"Move in!" Saw roars.
On cue, all of the Partisans hidden along the street charge out and begin shooting at the patrol, catching them completely off guard. Rex, Zeb and I rush out with them as well with our blasters blazing, and I quickly gain a headshot on one of them. The street is lit up with laser fire as red blaster bolts criss cross each other, me and Rex's blue bolts adding to the color.
"Commander, the attack is a go!" I shout into the comlink.
"Copy that," he replies, ending the transmission.
The pilot of the assault tank scrambles to direct his troops around to try and counter the ambush. His tank shoots a shot, causing a large explosion against the side of a building and killing three Partisans. Screams of civilians can be heard from inside, and I scowl angrily.
Before I could shoot him however, Rex instantly fires a shot that impacts against the pilots helmet, killing him instantly. Zeb roars as he charges forwards, bashing a trooper with his bo-rifle and then shooting another. Saw also works quickly, shooting two stormtroopers with cold efficiency that try to blindside him. I shoot the final stormtrooper in the chest, and he collapses against the side of the tank.
Everything is left in silence for a moment apart from the terrified screams of civilians inside their buildings. I grimace, glancing at the shot that destroyed part of a building sadly, but shrug it off. The Imperial pilot shot that, not us.
"That went well," Zeb comments.
"Indeed. They never even saw it coming," Saw states with a satisfied smile, kicking a dead trooper with his foot.
"Reinforcements will arrive soon, so let's pack up the supplies," Rex reminds us.
We nod in understanding, and Saw begins directing his men to the storage houses to get what they need.
Jarik POV…
"Commander, the attack is a go!" Boil shouts into the comlink.
"Copy that," I reply, putting it away. "Let's go guys!"
All of us rush across the street as fast as we can, stopping beside the wall of the palace and look up. Pulling out our grappling guns, we fire them up the side of the wall, hooking them over the edge of the roof. Once that's done we begin our quick ascent.
The sound of explosions and blaster fire in the distance lets us know that the attack is in progress. I just hope that Saw makes sure to keep civilians in the clear.
Reaching the top of the palace wall, all seven of us hop over the top and into a courtyard, remaining silent for a moment to make sure there are no guards around.
"I think we're clear," Sabine says.
"Great," Ezra comments.
"Remember, we just passed through a one-way shield, so there's no escaping from here," I remind them.
"Got it. So where do you think they're keeping Ahsoka?" Kanan asks.
"I'd suspect she's being held captive in the prison cells down below the bottom level," Sabine says. "But if they're carrying out a private execution then I don't know."
"The bottom?" Ezra asks with a sigh. "We just came all the way to the top."
"Would you prefer we fight though the front gate?" Mara demands with a glare.
"Alright guys, let's focus," I interrupts sternly. "We need to focus on where to find her."
"Not to be a Sith's advocate here, but how are we going to sneak through this entire palace?" Hayden asks with a frown. "We're still a big group."
"A Stealth group to be precise Hayden," Rylla says.
"Yeah, but still a group! This isn't like your solo infiltration missions," he retorts.
"We may have to find a computer somewhere, maybe in the buildings control room," I suggest. "There we can see if they have information recorded about the execution."
"I think I could find a way to one," Sabine offers.
"I'll slice into the data once we find it," I state firmly, leaving no room for argument.
The sensitivity of this mission is a lot harder for me than I'm letting on. My stern demeanor of professionalism is what's keeping the worry and nervousness at bay. Mara is hiding her worries using her bitterness towards Ezra as a cover. She's going to have to learn to forgive him at some point, and he just needs to muster the courage to apologize already.
"Remember, big group?" Hayden reminds us again, and I sigh in annoyance.
"Yeah, I get it," I reply irritably, despite knowing his concerns are valid. A group of seven people is hard to sneak through a palace. "Let's split up then. Mara, Ezra and Kanan, you guys search the prison area to see if Ahsoka's there. Sabine, Rylla and Hayden, we're going to the security room."
"That's not exactly…"
"Oh hush Hayden," Rylla sighs.
"Ok."
"The prison cells are going to have more guards than usual, aside from the king's living area, so be cautious," Sabine warns them.
"Got it. We'll be fast and efficient," Kanan nods.
"If you find her the contact us immediately," I tell him, and then look at Mara. "And I don't want you to lose your focus."
"I won't dad," she declares determinedly, casting Ezra a narrowed glance for a moment.
"Let's move it then, we're wasting time," I say firmly.
We split up into our assigned groups, Mara, Kanan and Ezra running off to one side of the roof for the exit while Rylla, Sabine, Hayden and I move to the other side. Reaching a door, I press the button so that it slides up, and we move through to the inside of the palace.
"Where would the security room be located?" I ask Sabine.
She stops for a moment and pulls up a hologram of the palace on her comlink, nodding after a momentary study.
"This way," she says.
She moves quickly down the hallway, and the rest of us follow after her, moving as quietly as we can while also maintaining speed. Our combat boots aren't a the best for complete silence, but Rylla manages the best with her bounty hunter getup, followed secondly by Sabine. Hayden, the one who's been worried about getting caught, ironically has the loudest footsteps.
My Jedi cloak billows from air moving through it as we race along, turning through hallways and descending several steps to reach the lower levels. The throne room and the king's living area is on the upper levels of the palace, so we don't have to worry about security from up there.
We get into an elevator to travel down further, and I press a button on my gauntlet to disable the video feed of the elevators camera momentarily.
"So… is this exciting or what?" Hayden asks, trying to break the silent tension.
"No," I reply instantly.
"Yeah, this is actually a sensitive subject still," Rylla reminds him. "For me as well."
"Oh," he realizes. "Right, sorry."
Sabine sighs in exasperation underneath her helmet, and I keep my impassive expression on my face, staring forwards. When the elevator doors open, I move to step out before faltering, the rest stopping as well.
A palace guard attempts to enter the elevator before stopping, staring at us with wide eyes.
"Hey!" he exclaims.
Without a moment to waste I dash forwards and slam my metal fist against his face. The guard goes flying several feet before crashing on the ground, knocked out cold from the punch, his nose broken. Onderon's palace guards may not be stormtroopers or technically 'Imperial,' But they are still an obstacle that can't know of our presence.
"Wow! I wouldn't want to be punched by you," Hayden comments with wide eyes.
"Metal arm. I've made it stronger since getting it," I reply simply.
I pick the guard up off the ground and drag him over to a nearby closest or small storage room of some sort, shoving him inside and then locking the door.
"How much further?" I ask Sabine.
"Not far now," she replies.
Boil POV…
The mission so far has being going without a hitch, with the Partisans retrieving the supplies that they need. Rex and I watch as they gather supplies and pack them up in a small transport, when the sound of heavy stomping gets our attention.
We turn around and Zeb pulls out his bo-rifle, backing up towards us.
"Here they come!" he warns us.
Saw whips around, and the Partisans look up as we see a scout walker and another combat assault tank turn around the corner of the street in front of us. A much larger group of stormtroopers accompanied the two vehicles, and they begin to open fire.
"We got Imps inbound!" Saw exclaims. "Get those supplies out of here! Benthic, you go with them!"
Benthic nods and rushes off to the transport along with two other Partisans. The transport begins moving, traveling away from the area at a fast pace and soon disappearing. The rest of us begin to scatter as the blaster bolts from the tanks and stormtroopers land on our position.
"We're gonna fight these scum and cause as much damage as possible!" Saw yells.
We all fire back at the Imperials as they get closer, using the combat assault tank we ambushed for cover, lighting the street with laser bolts once again. Some Partisans scatter to other areas of the street, three of them still on the bridge and blasting away. The sides of the street also provide cover for us, while the Imperials advance forwards, undeterred.
I aim my blaster and take out two stormtroopers, while Rex fires his pistols beside me. Zeb also uses his bo-rifle to good effect, taking down a few troopers. The scout walker proves to be the biggest problem, the explosive bolts disrupting a few Partisans from their positions, killing one as he's thrown into the air.
A Partisan on the bridge throws another grenade and takes out a group of stormtroopers, damaging the assault tank. However the Occupier pilot directs his turret to the bridge and fires, destroying the bridge entirely.
Saw scowls with anger and then rushes over to the empty assault tank, ignoring the blaster fire as he turns it back on. Pressing a few buttons, he aims the tanks turrets at the Imperials and fires with a feral grin. The other assault tank takes the full force of the blast, receiving heavy damage and knocking the pilot from his position.
The scout walker then directs its attention at Saw's tank, firing explosive bolts at him. He widens his eyes in alarm and jumps out of the tank with a cry, just narrowly avoiding the bolts, and the tank explodes behind him.
We cover our heads from the explosion for a moment and then look back at the Imperials through the smoke, seeing that they're still advancing.
"We have to pull back and regroup!" Rex exclaims.
"No! We can finish these scum!" Saw retorts angrily.
"There's too many of them, we need better ground! We can't keep fighting if we all die!" Rex argues.
Saw growls angrily before reluctantly nodding, waving to his men.
"Fall back! Follow the Captain's lead!" he yells.
Everyone comes out from their cover and starts running down the street, me and Zeb included. We shoot back at the Imperials as we make our way out of there, following Rex's direction as he leads us to a better area. Two more Partisans are shot down when they're exposed, but the rest of us manage to escape around the corner. The Imperials are no doubt in heavy pursuit.
I hope the others are having a better time than we are.
Jarik POV...
When Sabine has us stop at the corner of a hallways and gestures for silence, we realize there's security up ahead. She peeks her head out for a moment and then pulls back to look at us.
"The security room is just behind that door, but it's being guarded," she informs us.
I move forwards to take a peek, observing the end of the hallway where the door is located. Three palace guards are standing near the door, chatting with with other.
"I've got this," I state quietly.
Taking a moment to ready myself, I then roll out into the middle of the hallway and stand up, reaching out with my arm. Using the Force, I yank all three of them in my direction, causing them to yell out in surprise. They fly through the air and over to me, and I charge forwards, punching all three of them in the head with my metal fist in quick succession, knocking them out cold.
"Clear," I tell the others.
They come out from the behind the corner and follow me up to the door, Hayden slightly shocked.
"Well that was quick," he comments.
I punch in a code, hovering my hand over the button to open the door, and give the others a look. They all nod readily, pulling out their blasters and tensing up for a fight. I press the button, and the door opens.
Sabine and Rylla rush inside first, follow closely by me and Hayden. The officers and security personnel, who are stormtroopers, all look up in surprise at our entrance, before we begin our attack. Sabine shoots a couple of stormtroopers as they raise their blasters, and Rylla does the same, kicking out one troopers blaster, although she shoots him in the leg to incapacitate him before slamming his head against the wall.
Hayden though has no qualms about killing, shooting down an officer getting up from his chair as he tries to retrieve his blaster.
I move forwards and slam one officer against the wall and then grab a stormtrooper that approaches me, throwing him against the ceiling, breaking it. With all of the Imperials taken care of, I waste no time in getting to a computer.
"Executions… Jedi…" I mumble to myself, typing furiously.
"Got anything Jarik?" Rylla asks me.
"Not yet," I reply.
"We should bring those other three guards in here Incase a patrol walks by," Sabine suggests.
"You guys do that," I respond, not taking my eyes off the screen.
"Come on smuggy boy," Sabine tells Hayden.
"Smuggy boy?" he mutters with a frown, but follows her out.
I type on the keyboard furiously, text in Aurebesh popping up constantly as I bypass their security codes, going deeper into their files. Rylla watches over my shoulder, humming to herself.
"It always amazes me how well you could slice through computers," she comments.
"It's my skill," I reply with a shrug. "Better be worth it here though."
"If she's here Jarik, we'll find her," she says, laying a reassuring hand in my shoulder.
"If she's here," I point out cautiously.
She remains silent, unsure of what to say, and I continue searching through the database. The door opens, allowing Sabine and Hayden to drag the three palace guards inside. As they do so, I come across a file mark as 'execution,' and quickly open it up. Inside is a document describing a private execution taking place in the throne room… tonight. And it seems to be already in progress.
"That's it!" I exclaim.
"What?" Hayden asks.
"She's in the throne room. They're about to execute her!"
"Then we've gotta get up there!" Rylla says urgently.
Mara POV…
I peek my head around the corner, spotting two guards standing at the doorway leading to the prison area. Narrowing my eyes, I formulate a quick plan in my mind before looking back at the others, mostly Kanan.
"There're are two guards," Kanan says knowingly.
"Yup," I confirm.
"We can take them," Ezra says confidently.
"Not with weapons!" I snap. "We don't want the whole palace knowing we're here!"
"Ok, ok!" he quickly apologizes with placating hands, and I shake my head.
"I've got this. It'll take just a few seconds," I tell them.
Waiting for a few moments, I then zip around the corner and make a dash for the guards. They widen their eyes in surprise, and one of them moves to press an alarm button while the other aims his staff weapon.
Thrusting my arm out, I slam the guard attempting to sound the alarm against the wall, and then jump into the air. The second guard attempts to shoot blue energy bolts from his staff, but I flip out of the way and then kick him heavily in the face. He tumbled to the ground while the other guards tried to get up.
I launch myself at the first guard, flipping around behind him and then wrap my arms around his neck, yanking him harshly into the ground. I thread my right leg around his neck and bend it, choking his airways between my calf and hamstring. At the same time I grab his staff and swing it around, striking it against the second guards head to knock him unconscious. I then release the first guard from my grip and kick him in the face, also knocking him unconscious.
The whole fight takes about ten seconds.
Kanan and Ezra both come up to me after I'm finished, the latter eying the unconscious guards with a shocked expression.
"Wow. Where'd you learn that?" he asks.
"My mom," I say, despite not wanting to answer.
Kanan grabs a keycard from one of them and then opens the door, allowing us to file into the prison area.
"Grab those two Ezra, and shove them in a cell," I order him.
He glances at the two guards in exasperation before going back to grab them by the back of their armor, muttering to himself about why he has to do it. As he carries that out, me and Kanan move along the different cells, sensing for lifeforms on the other side.
"Can you sense anyone?" I ask Kanan.
"Not yet," he replies.
"Me neither," I groan helplessly.
We continue along the corridor, stopping at each prison cell to sense for someone on the other side, but we don't find Ahsoka. As a matter of fact, we don't find anyone in these cells at all. Reaching the last cell, I sense it to be different than the others and quickly open it, rushing inside with the hope that Ahsoka is here.
Instead I just find an empty room with nobody inside, just a machine that suspends prisoners in energy shackles, that's not currently in use.
Kanan and Ezra enter the cell after me, the latter looking around just to realize what I've already figured out.
"She's not here," Kanan says grimly.
"AGH!" I shout angrily, kicking the turned-off machine. "Why does everything have to be so hard?!"
"We'll find her Mara. I promise," Ezra says reassuringly.
I turn around to glare at him, before glancing away helplessly, unsure of what to say with no retort coming to mind.
"Mara, are you there?" dad's voice asks.
"Yeah, I'm here. But mom's not in the prisons!" I reply helplessly.
"We know. We found out where she is," he replies.
"Really? Where?!" I ask excitedly.
"In the throne room. Meet us on the way there," he informs us, ending the transmission.
"Well come on! Let's go!" I shout, dashing off down the hallway before Kanan and Ezra could say anything.
"Now we're going all the way back up?" Ezra groans.
Jarik POV…
I lead the team through the hallways of the palace, having already come across several patrols of guards and stormtroopers. We didn't bother with stealth and quiet anymore, being pressed for time with Ahsoka's life on the line, and just took them out.
When we reach the entrance to the throne room we encounter two death troopers standing guard. I narrow my eyes and rush forwards as they yell out at our appearance, activating my lightsaber. One of them attempts to fire at me, but I easily deflect the lightsaber and slash him across the chest for an instant kill. The second smacks the butt of his rifle against my head, making me flinch, before I smack him hard with my left arm, stabbing him through the chest.
The other three stand in momentary shock for a moment, Rylla looking at me uneasily.
"That was… kind of ruthless," she says slowly.
"I don't care anymore," I reply impassively.
Footsteps from around the corner get our attention and we ready our weapons, only to relax when we see the other team come up to us.
"There you guys are," Sabine says.
"We sprinted the whole way," Ezra pants heavily.
They notice the death troopers and pause momentarily, before shrugging it off. However I sense Kanan's disapproval as he turns his head in my direction, a frown crossing his face. I don't pay him any heed and turn around, slashing my lightsaber through the door. The door lifts up, and we rush into the throne room, ready for a fight. To my surprise I don't see any stormtroopers or guards, in fact the room is completely empty. I lower my lightsaber, sensing the same surprise from the others.
My confusion is instantly forgotten when I spot a person kneeling on the ground at the foot of the throne with a ray shield projector sitting in front of them, much like the one that the Separatists attempted to use on King Dendup years earlier. They're completely bound with shackles and some sort of restrictive jacket, but the shape of montrals protruding from beneath the sack covering her head are unmistakeable.
"Mom...?" Mara whispers hopefully.
I feel tears of joy beginning to come to my face, before I falter. I still can't feel her presence... Before I could think any further on it, a cold and angry voice cuts through the air, getting our attention.
"I was hoping that Kenobi would be here..." he growls out menacingly. "Where, is he?!"
We whip around to spot Maul standing on the balcony of the throne room, taking slow steps forwards with an angry scowl on his face. I instantly get into a defensive stance, the others aiming their blasters and pulling out their lightsabers.
"Hello ugly," Hayden mutters.
"Maul!" Ezra exclaims.
"How nice to see you again my apprentice," he remarks with a smirk at Ezra, before glaring. "But you are not who I wanted!"
"What are you doing here?" I demand angrily, tensing up for a fight.
"Where is your master?" he questions with a snarl. "Where is Kenobi?!"
"Obi-Wan Kenobi?" Rylla asks with a furrowed brow.
Ezra and Kanan both activate their lightsabers, holding them up aggressively.
"Master Kenobi died years ago," Kanan states.
"Oh how wrong you are master Jedi," he retorts.
"What do you mean?" he replies in confusion.
"You don't know?" Maul remarks with apparent surprise. "Considering who you came to rescue, I'm surprised you never told them Shan. What a trustworthy ally you are."
"I think we should get Ahsoka out of here," Sabine says.
"Yes, please!" Mara exclaims.
"That won't work," Maul says calmly.
"Oh really? You gonna try and stop us?" Mara demands sarcastically, moving over to release... them...?
Probing along with the Force, I begin feeling a heavy sense of dread upon not sensing Ahsoka's life signature anywhere. From what I'm feeling, she's just as absent as she's been this past year. I turn around slowly to face the lone prisoner, widening my eyes.
"So you've figured it out Shan..." Maul murmurs in amusement.
"Figured what out?!" Ezra demands.
"No..." I whisper quietly to myself.
"Mom, I'm so glad you're alright!" Mara says, practically tearing up in relief as she moves over to release them, Sabine moving to help. "We're gonna get you out of here!
Mara quickly pulls off the bag covering the person's head, only to widen her eyes in shock at who was underneath it. The bag being pulled off revealed that it was actually adjusted to give the appearance of a togruta's montrals beneath it, showing that this wasn't actually a togruta. Instead, the person underneath the bag was a human male with a gag in his mouth, looking up at us with worried eyes. I gasp quietly upon recognizing who it was, and the man locks eyes with me, recognition dawning on him.
Lux Bonteri...
"What?!" Mara breathes out in horror.
"Woah!" Hayden shouts in surprise.
"It's not Ahsoka!" Sabine calls out.
"What?" Ezra asks incredulously, whipping around to face Maul. "What've you done with her?!"
I remain completely still in horrified silence as I come to terms with the fact that this wasn't Ahsoka we were trying to rescue, and instead it's Lux Bonteri. But why would I receive a vision of her then if it's not her… Oh kriff.
This is a trap meant to lure me in.
"I have done nothing my apprentice," Maul scoffs.
He goes to say more before freezing, looking around with a sense of growing fear. I can sense it too, and my blood instantly runs cold as I sense the dark side swelling in great power. Everyone else that's Force sensitive instantly feels it as well, and Rylla shivers as if on the planet Hoth, her eyes wide in absolute terror. This is power that can only be reached by the likes of two people currently alive in the galaxy today... Darth Sidious is one of them.
A chilling cackle echoes throughout the room, and we all whip around in its direction to face the one responsible for the laugh. At the other end of the throne room is the Emperor himself, walking out of a door with his hands in front of him, yellow eyes gleaming beneath his hood.
"How intriguing. All of my enemies in the same room, awaiting a gruesome death," he says gleefully.
"Ezra, stay back!" Kanan exclaims, shoving him behind him.
"Sidious!" Maul growls furiously. "You tricked me here!"
"Did I?" he remarks with a frown, shrugging. "If you believe so, my former apprentice."
"Mara, get back behind me!" I demand, pulling out my lightsaber.
"The Emperor's a shriveled, demonic hag?" Hayden exclaims incredulously.
"Apparently!" Sabine replies, blasters raised.
I forcefully move to the front of the group to keep them all behind me, being the most experienced Jedi here. Maul whips out his saberstaff with an angry growl, and we reluctantly face Sidious together, knowing the circumstances.
"You set us up. You knew I'd come to rescue Ahsoka!" I state angrily.
"It's only thanks to your attachment Shan that I was provided the opportunity," he says with a smirk. "Only this time, you will not escape my grasp!"
The door behind us then opens, and the sound of cold, mechanical breathing makes us freeze up in horror. I glance back to see Darth Vader also walking out, his blood red lightsaber snapping to life with a menacing hiss.
"Your time has come to an end Jedi," he states coldly.
Vader's gaze is focused on us, more specifically, on me, while the Emperor is much the same way. We alternate between the two Sith, and a drop of sweat rolls down my face from nervousness and fear. Facing just one Sith Lord is bad enough, but two?! Not to mention the fact that they are two of the most powerful Sith Lords to ever live!
"Oh this is really bad," Rylla says fearfully.
"You think?" Hayden exclaims incredulously.
"Rylla, you three get Lux and get him out of here," I say, referring to her, Sabine and Hayden. They can't face Sith Lords like we can.
"Loud and clear," Sabine says in response.
"Mara, Ezra, Kanan, you need to keep Vader occupied," I say, before giving Maul a glance. "Maul and I will face the Emperor."
Maul glances at me with an angry scowl on his face, but accepts the situation with the same amount of reluctance that I have. We don't like each other, and I doubt we ever will, but right now we share a common enemy in the Sith. Not to mention Sidious wants us both dead, so we have to fight him if we want to leave here alive. He snaps his double bladed lightsaber to life, and I pull out Ahsoka's green lightsaber, now wielding both lightsabers in my hands.
Vader's cold breathing echoes around the room, the sound of the Emperor's low chuckle adding to it. The Emperor stares at me and Maul with sickening delight, taking slow steps forwards. He hasn't pulled out a lightsaber yet, but I know he has them. Besides, it's not as if he needs them to be dangerous anyways.
"I wonder how you can possibly hope to be successful," he taunts us.
"I've irritated you plenty of times, and I'm not about to stop now," I retort.
"When all of your companions are defeated Jarik Shan," Vader states coldly, pointing his lightsaber at me. "You will suffer for all of the pain you and Kenobi caused me."
"In your dreams Sith!" Mara screams furiously.
She slashes her saber through the air as tears of anger and helplessness rolling down her face from the realization of this being a set up. Mara, Kanan and Ezra ready themselves for a fight against Vader as he strides forwards, while me and Maul both tense up in the face off against the Emperor. Sabine, Rylla and Hayden remain frozen between us, knowing they can't help this fight, but are ready to jump into action and get to Lux.
Then Force lightning begins to crackle the Emperor's hands.
Vader's Castle - Mustafar
3rd person POV...
Sylvia and the Third Brother both walk calmly through the dark hallways of Vader's castle, the bodies of two dead Imperial Royal guards laying on the floor behind them. They make their way through the palace, searching for a hint of where their prize is located.
"The Power Stone will soon be in our hands," Third Brother declares.
"Thankfully, our efforts in leading our enemies to destroy each other on Onderon worked in our favor," Sylvia comments with a satisfied nod.
She then stops walking, forcing him to stop as well, and gives him a warning glare. "I know you seek power, Third Brother. Don't attempt to betray my Father's promise by seeking to control the Stone yourself, or you will not enjoy the consequences."
Third Brother scowls at her, but nods his head slowly.
"I have no intentions of doing so, Sylvia," he retorts.
Sylvia narrows her cold eyes at him before continuing onwards, and the Third Brother reluctantly follows after her with a growl of irritation. Neither of them notice the green and white convor watching them from the shadows.
Really intense chapter you guys! The entire thing was a set up, and the Empire does not have Ahsoka! Things are really not looking good for Jarik and the others, and unfortunately things are only going to get worse...