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The Rogue Shadow flew out of Hyperspace above the planet of Trandosha, home to the vicious lizard-like Trandoshan species. Inside the starfighter was Jayden. He was frowning as he looked at the readings of his ship's hyperdrive. It will need repairs as he had just come from a losing battle to the Republic on the world of Gan Moradir. He had been getting chased by republic forces so he had to make Hyperspace jumps to lose them, but it seemed to have taken it's toll on the hyperdrive.
Seems like Jayden will need to set the ship down so he can make repairs, so with that in mind he flew down towards Trandosha. Jayden knew he had to be wary should he ever encounter the native species. Trandoshans were not to be messed with when one was under-prepared. While Jayden could easily destroy a group of them, he was in no mood right now. All he wanted was to fix his ship and then get back into the war.
Heading towards the moon instead of the actual planet as he really did not want to deal with Trandoshans, Jayden broke through the moon's atmosphere and noticed the series of islands that comprised the moon's geography. Isolated and unconnected, it appeared this place was uninhabited.
Perfect.
Picking the nearest island, Jayden set down on the shore before disembarking to investigate his hyperdrive problem. "Hopefully it just needs a cooldown..." He mused as he circled around to the side and lifted the side panel before sliding the cowling aside. At first glance his engine appeared to be fine, but Jayden knew better than to trust initial appearances as looks could be deceiving. Getting a report of his ship's state, Jayden learned that it was indeed needing a cooldown after the many jumps he made.
He should be lucky it wasn't broken or anything beyond repair or else he'd really be stuck.
Sensing four presences through the Force, Jayden leaped onto the top of his ship and hid out of sight before he pressed a button to turn invisible.
Who showed up surprised him greatly. The first two to poke their head out of the foliage was a blue male Twi'lek and a female human with straight black hair. After immediately recognizing them to not be Trandoshans and very young, Jayden couldn't help but lose his heightened sense of ready anticipation and exchange it for confusion.
"What's this doing out here?" The Twi'lek wondered as he stepped out to approach the ship.
"Careful Jinx. It could be a trap." The human cautioned him.
"I'm pretty sure that isn't a Trando ship, Kalifa." The Twi'lek, Jinx apparently, replied. The girl, called 'Kalifa' it seemed, emerged next. Jayden suddenly realized that they were both wearing Jedi robes as well as telltale braids.
'This is interesting.' Jayden thought with a frown. As he was thinking, a Cerean poked his head up from behind the plants.
"Is... Is it abandoned?" He wondered. "Can we fly it out of here?"
"I do not know yet?" Jinx replied, examining the craft.
"O-Mer, watch our backs." Kalifa told him. Jayden's gaze returned to the Cerean for a moment before someone else stepped out of the jungle, whose presence made Jayden's eyes widen.
Ahsoka was here too.
'What the hell...?' Jayden silently wondered, shocked by her presence. He took note of the lack of Lightsabers clipped to her belt and the lack of any Clones or Skywalker around, all of which led him to conclude that none of this was normal.
Something seemed off about this whole situation.
After only a few seconds of carefully examining the ship, Ahsoka was hit with a spark of realization.
"I know who this ship belongs to." Ahsoka said, having seen it before and there was only one guy she knew that owned a ship like this.
"Maybe we can take it and get off this rock!" O-Mer said. Jayden chose this moment to jump to the ground between the group and the closed ramp of the ship and decloaked.
"No one is taking my ship." He said, watching the younglings back off in surprise and fear while Ahsoka quietly breathed a sigh of relief and actually smiled. Their chances of survival had gone up with Jayden around now. The younglings hid behind Ahsoka but Jayden ignored them as his gaze was on the girl he loved. "Ahsoka...out of all the places I expected you to be, this is the least. What the hell are you doing here?"
"The short version is, we've been kidnapped by a group of Trandoshan hunters-" She started to say.
"Who are hunting us for sport." The Cerean finished. "Not like you'd care." He added with a hint of bitterness.
"We were kidnapped just before it started. Ahsoka has filled us in on what has happened... others have mentioned you before." The Twi'lek said warily looking the young Sith up and down. "You must be Darth Khan."
"I see my reputation proceeds me." Jayden mused as Ahsoka stepped closer, more familiar with him than the younglings.
"What are you doing here?" Ahsoka asked curiously.
"Hyperdrive needed a cooldown after multiple jumps to lose Republic forces after we lost the battle of Gan Moradir. Ended up here so I could let the ship cooldown before it was ready to take off again."
"Can you help us? While you are here?" Ahsoka pleaded with him. Jayden looked at her and gave a single nod.
"For you...anything." He whispered to her, making her smile and blush at the same time. "Trandos are not to be underestimated. They are crafty hunters and like to score big prey...so why did they capture you?" He looked at the younglings as he asked this. Why capture Jedi younglings? Why not someone famous like Skywalker?
"Because Jedi Knights are too powerful for them." Jinx told him. Hearing that, Jayden balled his hand into a fist, his attitude changing in an instant. Normally the only Jedi he'd ever stop to help would be Ahsoka. But these mere... kids... at the mercy of these kriffing Trandos... These damn lizards would act so cowardly? They would stoop so low in order to try and put Ahsoka's head on a wall?!
"You will survive this." Jayden told the younglings, whose faces brightened with hope. "Because I'm here and that is not good news for these lizard lips."
"Why would you help us? You are a Sith and have killed Jedi." Kalifa asked with a frown and a questioning look.
"Yes, and I have done many bad things...but even I am not heartless to leave you to the sick, twisted game that is Trandoshan hunting." Jayden said with a growl at the Trandoshans. He then looked at Ahsoka. "That, and they want you dead which won't happen while I'm around." Ahsoka took the subtle hint and bashfully looked down.
"Meaning?" Kalifa implored, ignoring the somewhat obvious and strange connection between Jayden and Ahsoka.
"Meaning there's gonna be a galaxy full of corpses before that day comes." Jayden growled, attention returning to the youngling. "I will cloak my ship and then join you. Hopefully once the cooldown has finished, I'll get you off this rock."
Moving back into the jungle, the group of five carefully crawled through the foliage, Kalifa taking point while Jayden advanced from behind, Ahsoka beside him. They ascended a tree, crawling across thick branches, Jayden demonstrating impressive agility which surprised the younglings, but not Ahsoka.
"It's daylight now, they'll be out hunting for sure." Jinx noted, looking up at the risen sun.
"They don't attack during the night?" Jayden looked at him.
"We don't know, but they haven't so far." Kalifa replied. Jayden said nothing more, pausing to process that information. Ahsoka looked over her shoulder at him. She knew that quiet look well.
"What're you thinking, Khan?" She asked.
"The more predictable they are, the better. It makes it easy for us to chart their moves and be able to coordinate a proper, crippling strike." He answered. "The sooner I learn their patterns and styles, the sooner we stand a better chance of taking them down." Kalifa lead them down onto a lower branch, motioning for them to be quiet.
"Get down. Someone's coming." They dropped as low as they could, sneaking along the edge of the branch until it interwove with another one, creating a sense of cover that the group hid behind. Looking down towards the jungle floor, they caught sight of a male Snivvian and a female Terrelian Jango Jumper walking in the open.
"Those two came in with me. We should help them." Ahsoka urged.
"No. It's too late." Kalifa said sadly and with remorse before the male Snivvian was shot down from behind, causing the Jumper to flinch in surprise before a Trandoshan fired on her but she ran off.
"Look at her run!" A Trandoshan hissed. Ahsoka moved to help but Jayden and Kalifa held her back. The Trando vehicle was maneuvered into position behind the fleeing Jumper.
"It's your shot, take her out!" One lizard instructed his partner, who slipped a rifle off his shoulder and took aim, lining up the Terrelian through his scope. The female continued to bounce from branch to branch as she ran away from the hunters, only to be fueled by a single shot from the Trandoshan's rifle. Her body paused for a moment before falling back off the branch and hitting the jungle floor, dead. Ahsoka recoiled in horror.
"Let's keep moving." Jayden said after a moment of silence. "Mark my words, when this is over...they will die."
Kalifa led the group onwards until they arrived well out of earshot of the hunters and stopped in a clearing. Kalifa turned to Ahsoka. "We're not saviours, we're survivors." She told her. "We can do nothing against them."
"You can't. I can." Jayden said as he looked behind him then to his Lightsabers, considering it but he didn't know how many were hunting. "If they don't hunt at night...then I will hunt them and kill them all."
"We'll never get out of here if we just keep hiding!" Ahsoka spoke up. "We have to act!" The younglings said nothing, taking a seat with their eyes downcast, expressions looking glum as if they couldn't see the hope in Ahsoka's words.
"There were other Padawans here who once thought as you do now." Jinx mused.
"Alright... where are they?" Ahsoka wondered. Jayden knew the answer right away.
"Dead."
"Just because they failed doesn't mean we will." Ahsoka earnestly replied, determined to do something about this. Jayden appreciated her tenacity, finding it rivaling his own.
"You don't understand. It's not that we don't want to... We're younglings, they have every advantage." O-Mer replied, revealing just how devastated they were. Jayden took note of his words and realized they had lost hope as the days wore on. They'd succumbed to the ravages of time and duress. Only he and Ahsoka truly had what it took to retaliate.
But as he was contemplating this, Ahsoka turned and made to re-enter the jungle.
"Ahsoka?" He asked.
"Get back here!" Kalifa hissed, not wanting her to be found. Ahsoka turned with a determined fire in her eyes.
"I can't do that. My master would never forgive me for running and hiding in a situation like this. I'm doing this whether you're with me or not." She replied before turning around, very determined to leave.
"Do not overestimate your abilities." Kalifa cautioned her, trying to get Ahsoka to see the wisdom in their current course of action. Before either of them could continue, Jayden spoke up.
"The things she drags me into." He said before he followed Ahsoka. "I'll watch her."
Dropping down to the ground, Jayden and Ahsoka looked at their surroundings in case any Trandoshans were waiting or walking around.
"Here lizard lizard lizard... come and find me..." Ahsoka softly called, halfheartedly hoping a Trandoshan would find her.
Jayden gave her an amused look behind his mask. "Cute." Ahsoka chuckled at that.
They continued on for a few more moments before Ahsoka suddenly turned to her right and found an armed Trandoshan sizing her up. She quickly used the Force to push him to the side before grabbing him again and hurling him into the ground with a burst of telekinetic power. The Trando got up and started swinging at her. Ahsoka ducked each one. The Trando let out a call for help before Jayden used the Force to start choking the Trando.
Pulling the Trando to him, Jayden activated his Lightsaber and sliced the Trando into two halves by the waist. Jayden tossed the upper half aside and deactivated his Lightsaber as the younglings jumped down, looking shocked at the sight of the dead Trando.
"You...You got one." Kalifa whispered in awe.
"I've never seen a dead Trandoshan before." O-Mer said, chiming in.
"Well, there's gonna be plenty more when I'm through with them." Jayden said as he looked at the corpse. "Both already let out a call for help before I killed him. More will be coming."
"Well... I guess we're in it now." Jinx sighed as they realized they weren't exactly hidden any longer. Understanding the sudden tensity of the situation, Ahsoka turned to the one man who was their only help.
"Alright Khan, what do we do?" Ahsoka asked.
"Trandoshans seem to have no hunting pattern. they are brutes that are relishing in their hunt with no clear plan of attack or pattern of it. I'll use that to my advantage when it comes to killing them." Jayden said as he crossed his arms after thinking it over. "For now, you run while I will face them."
"Run? That's your plan?" O-Mer repeated in disbelief.
"You're gonna get us killed!" Kalifa exclaimed.
"None of you will die. You have my word on that." Jayden assured them. "I can take them on because I still have my Lightsabers. Now go. All of you!" He ordered as the thrum of distant engines grew louder. Ahsoka and the younglings turned and fled, Jayden staying behind as he stood his ground, waiting for the Trandoshan ship to arrive.
Soon enough, it arrived.
The small, box-shaped hover pod came flying from out of the jungle foliage, bearing three Trandoshans. Activating his crossguard Lightsaber, the red blade humming, Jayden ran then Force jumped onto the craft, stabbing the nearest Trando as he landed hen used the Force to send the other two to the ground before he leaped off the craft as it spun out of control and soon crashed and exploded. Jayden faced the other two Trandoshans.
"You're going to pay for that!" An orange-scaled lizard hissed as he raised his rifle. "And I'm going to get a nice trophy..." Clearly he had no idea who he was talking to.
Jayden twirled his Lightsaber around before the Trandos opened fire but Jayden easily deflected their blaster shots as he strode towards them, causing them to back up in fear as they kept firing at him but his weapon easily stopped their shots. Jayden then unleashed Force Lightning on one of them, causing him to scream in pain as the other backed up in horror and fear at this...monster. The second Trando turned and ran but a Lightsaber was thrown and got him through the head, causing the body to drop as the Lightsaber went flying back to Jayden's hand as the Sith stopped his torture on the remaining Trando.
Rearing his Lightsaber arm back, Jayden swung down on the Trando's neck...
As night started to come, Jayden was able to track down the Jedi and arrived at their treetop hideout. An impressive room carved into the tree set high from the forest floor, it made for quite a nice place to stay. Jayden settled in around the fire the younglings had constructed, pulling his hood down but he hadn't taken off his mask. The Jedi were busy eating some tree fruits they'd collected and found to be edible.
"For the first time in a long time, I think we might actually stand a chance against them." O-Mer mused.
"I know. It's so weird..." Kalifa agreed. She then turned to Jayden, who sat opposite Ahsoka. "I never thought I'd say this... but I'm grateful for your help." She honestly told him. "Thanks to you two and your strength, we've got a fighting chance that we've never had before."
Jayden nodded. "We may be on different sides, I may be a Sith, but there are some things we can agree upon. Not everything is black and white as your Jedi Masters seem to teach you. Plus...you'll find I'm not your average Sith."
"Oh I don't know." Ahsoka said with a teasing smirk. "Mask, black robes, armour, intimidating voice when wearing the mask, red Lightsaber, you seem like the average Sith."
Jayden gave her a slightly amused look though she couldn't see it. "Now you are just making fun of me, my dear."
Kalifa chuckled and offered him a fruit. "Hungry?"
Jayden shook his head. "You eat, I already had mine this morning. I can go longer, you guys are still young and need your strength replenished...just don't go to Dathomir and take blackroot." He saw the confused looks they had and shook his head. "Long story."
"Khan, we found out that the Trandoshans can control their blasters, so they can't be used against them." Ahsoka told him, still using his Sith name because if she used his real one then the younglings may suspect there's more to Jayden and Ahsoka than they see right now.
Jayden hummed in response. "Most likely some kind of failsafe they installed so that it only works for them." Jayden suspected, thinking it over. Kalifa then yawned and stretched her arms. "Get some sleep, all of you. I'll keep watch in case these lizards do hunt at night."
"After such a long day, you're gonna stay up all night too?" Jinx wondered.
"I can handle it." Jayden said with a smirk as he took his position at the entrance of the hideout, looking down at the ground. The younglings retired to their beds, but Ahsoka didn't follow them right away.
"I'm going to stay up a little later. We need to talk about... strategies." She explained to Kalifa, the word 'strategy' sounding more like an excuse to Jayden. The youngling nodded and climbed into bed, Ahsoka scooting over to sit right next to Jayden as they began to speak in hushed tones.
"I knew you had a heart." Ahsoka said quietly to him.
He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "You are worth saving, Ahsoka. I may be a Sith but...even I'm still human and I don't like to see children hunted like this. I may not be perfect, never claimed to be, but I am still a human being with feelings and emotions. Can't say the same for the Jedi."
"Don't start." Ahsoka said with a sigh, knowing he was taking a jab at the Jedi's refusal to allow attachments and emotions in, basically be emotionless beings that keep the 'peace'. "So...got a soft spot for kids even though you killed several cadets I knew on Mandalore."
Jayden winced at that a bit. "Not my finest moment. And I still wonder how you see good in me."
"You keep proving it to me all the time...you just can't see it yourself." Ahsoka said with a smile as she placed her hand on his, causing him to look down before he turned his hand so that he can squeeze hers. "What would you do if you left the Sith?"
"Not join the Jedi or Republic that's for certain." Jayden said instantly. "They'd have me put on trial regardless of me defecting because I'm a Sith and trained by Dooku. So tell me...where were you before you were brought here?"
"I was on Felucia, helping Anakin and Master Plo retake ground from the droids." Ahsoka told him.
"So that's where you ran off to in the middle of our last... connection." Jayden mused. A couple days ago, Ahsoka and Jayden had spoken during one of those weird time/space connections they had yet to fully understand. Ahsoka had to leave not long into it and now he knew why.
"What about you?" She inquired.
"Already mentioned that earlier. Once my ship's ready, I'll get you off this world but I won't be taking you directly to the Republic or Coruscant. Just somewhere you can contact them." Jayden said, knowing he'll be captured if he took them to Coruscant or a Republic ship. "You know... it feels so recent when we first met on Grievous' station. I'm pretty sure that was when I developed a crush on you."
Ahsoka felt her face go flush... and not from the heat of the fire. "R-Really?"
"So bright. So youthful. So energetic. So... powerful. I was completely and utterly enamoured with you." He answered. Ahsoka smiled, the compliment rendering her quite bashful.
"And now?" She wondered. Jayden turned to her with a smile.
"Even more so." He replied. Ahsoka smiled in return. "You know...I never understood why the Jedi tell you to ignore your feelings."
"Because feelings and emotions can be a gateway to the Dark Side." Ahsoka informed him. To Jayden, it sounded like she was reciting someone else's cue cards. "Too much of any-"
"That is probably the biggest load of crap I've ever heard." Jayden cut in. "And they say Sith are heartless, remorseless monsters. Have they looked in a mirror when they don't even feel anything for what they do? At least the Sith embrace what they feel because we're born with our emotions and feelings, it's part of us and helps us who we are. Sure anger and hate can be...dark emotions, but only if you let yourself be so easily consumed by the Dark Side. Instead of letting you be controlled by it, it should be controlled by you."
"You don't know what it's like to have two different sides pulling at you." Ahsoka emphatically replied, trying to help him realize the very real struggle Jedi like her faced every day.
"...I do now." Jayden whispered as he looked away. Ahsoka looked at him in shock. "You...You seem to be the light in my darkness, Ahsoka. The only one who sees the good within me, who thinks I can turn from the Dark Side, but as I said...the Dark Side is in my nature as is the Light. And I've been in the Dark Side since a young age due to Dooku's training. I do feel the call to the Light sometimes, but I know one side isn't going to work for me regardless."
Ahsoka was silent as she thought about what he said before she yawned.
"Get some sleep, 'Soka." Jayden said softly.
"'Soka...that's the first time you've ever called me by my nickname." Ahsoka smiled as her eyes started to close but she struggled to remain awake.
"And I'll continue to do so." Jayden smiled as he put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close so he was basically her pillow to sleep on. "Sleep. You'll always be safe while I'm around."
Ahsoka snuggled into him, choosing to do so due to being tired. "Thank you..." She whispered before finally sleep claimed her. Jayden smiled at how peaceful she looked before returning his gaze to the outside.
The next morning...
Ahsoka hummed as she slowly awoke, blinking her eyes as she registered the early morning sun. Stretching a little, she suddenly realized the positioning of her arms were... rather awkward.
While her head was still resting against Jayden's shoulder, her left arm was wrapped around his while her right was draped across his lap, her hand curling around his side as if she were hugging him. Realizing her predicament, her face turned bright red and she quickly sat up with surprising speed for this early in the morning. She hoped Jayden had nodded off and hadn't realized where her arms had been, but her hopes were quickly dashed when Jayden turned to her and asked,
"Sleep well?"
Ahsoka blushed. "Y-Yeah. Thanks for...being my pillow."
"Anytime." Jayden said and returned his stare to the outside, daylight had come so the Trandos were probably going to begin their hunt.
"How was keeping watch?" Ahsoka asked, sitting beside him.
"Quiet." Jayden answered with a sigh. He stood up and offered her his hand, which she took.
"I was talking with the others last night before you returned, and we think we have a plan." She informed him once she stood.
"Good. Fill me in while we move." Jayden said. "We better move before the lizards get really active."
Once the younglings were awake, the five moved into the jungle, Ahsoka informing Jayden of the plan she and the others had concocted last night. Ahsoka had come to the conclusion that the Trandoshans has to have a base somewhere, meaning if they were going to attack that would be the best place to start.
Jayden agreed. "A group of hunters like this...they have to have some sort of base to recover and prepare themselves. Smart thinking, Ahsoka."
Ahsoka grinned, but knew there was another issue to mention. "The problem is we don't know where to start looking for one." She added.
Jayden hummed. "We'll look while evading the lizards."
With Kalifa taking the lead on where to look, the group started searching the island, combing areas left and right, all while trying to keep a low profile and avoid the Trandoshan hunters. Having never worked with, or even seen, the Sith before, the younglings were growing rapidly impressed with who Darth Khan was. They watched as he scaled the terrain along with them, displaying impressive agility to rival a Jedi's but he was a Sith after all so of course he'd be taught such agility moves.
The day wore on as they searched the island for any kind of base the Trandoshans are using. Around midday, they stopped for a moment of rest, Jinx and O-Mer taking a seat while Kalifa leaned against a nearby tree, Ahsoka and Jayden standing tall.
"We've already covered the beach area and most of the briar on this side of the bay." Jinx mused as they paused.
"If it was easy to find, you guys would've found it before I got here." Ahsoka commented with a light chuckle.
"True enough." The Twi'lek agreed with a chuckle.
"Perhaps they have some kind of ship. How else would they get you here? The reason you cannot find their base of operations on ground could be because it's in the air." Jayden pointed out after thinking it over.
Ahsoka nodded. "Possibly, but we have no way of searching the skies. And your ship might be shot down before we can even find them."
"I don't think you'll have to." O-Mer interrupted, his gaze turned skywards. Everyone else followed him and soon saw the colossal Trandoshan hunting lodge emerge from the misty clouds that covered the sky.
"Seems like we don't have to search anymore...they come to us." Jayden said as he tensed
"Split up!" Kalifa cried. Ahsoka, Jayden and Kalifa ran in one direction as they broke off from Jinx and O-Mer, blaster firing coming behind them. Red blaster shots zoomed past the Sith and two Jedi as they ran. Jayden whirled around and used the Force to send the blaster shots back, uncaring if they hit their prey or not.
As they bounded across wide-spread branches, the one Kalifa was on was suddenly struck, causing her to lose her balance and fall to the jungle floor.
"Kalifa!" Ahsoka cried, desperate to keep her from getting killed. Jayden jumped down with Ahsoka not too far behind him.
Down on the ground, Kalifa quickly scooted away and tried to get out of sight, despite her injuries sustained in the fall. Dar was quick to give chase, but so too were Jayden and Ahsoka. Ahsoka dove headlong towards Kalifa, eager to save her fellow Jedi. Jayden hung back, analyzing the situation and anticipating a moment where he could intervene.
He trusted Ahsoka. It seemed likely that she had this under control.
The young Togruta dove down from her branch and dropkicked Dar just as the Trando was lining up Kalifa in his sights. He was quick to spring to his feet and fire in retaliation, but Ahsoka deftly used the Force to push his rifle aside and miss, buying Kalifa time to escape. Finally giving up shooting her, Dar opted to swing his rifle like a club. But Ahsoka ducked and responded with a jump kick, a move that impressed Wraith. Dar fought back, swinging wild punches that the Togruta dodged with honed, expert ease.
But then, Dar tackled her with a sudden burst of speed, pinning Ahsoka to the ground. As she struggled to free herself, one of the hover pods flew onto the scene, carrying Dar's cheering comrades. They urged him on, chanting his name as they believed him ready to score his first ever kill of a hunt. The Trandoshan gave a toothy grin, more than ready to slay her.
"You're mine, Jedi welp!" He growled, confident his first kill was, literally, in his hands. His friend looked on as his clawed hands squeezed Ahsoka's head, causing her to cry out. Suddenly, from out of the jungle, Jayden burst through and tackled Dar, throwing him into a tree.
"Actually, she is MINE!" Jayden growled as he cracked his knuckles before he delivered a series of bone-crushing punches to the Trandoshan, using the Force to enhance his strength in punches. He could easily use the Force to kill the lizard, or kill him with his Lighstaber...but Jayden wanted to savour this. He kept up his punches before he unleashed Force lightning, listening to the screams of this inferior lizard. The watchers were dumbstruck. First Dar was winning and now he was being brutally assaulted.
They were too surprised to intervene.
Jayden stopped his assault, used the Force to lift Dar's body and looked at Ahsoka who nodded. Jayden threw Dar towards her with the Force, and Ahsoka did a flying spinning kick to Dar's chest that sent him flying back towards Jayden who activated his Lightsaber and jumped up before he sliced Dar's body in half from the waist. The two pieces of the corpse falling down to another section below.
"Nice." Ahsoka complimented. Jayden nodded before he turned to the remaining Trandoshans and started going towards them, but they made a hasty retreat, seeing as they would be next to die at the hands of the Sith. "Let's get Kalifa."
The two of them found Kalifa sitting on another branch, clutching her side. Knowing they needed to go, Ahsoka helped Kalifa up.
"Careful." Ahsoka whispered when Kalifa winced as she tried to put weight on one foot.
"It's okay. I can make it." The girl replied, determined to see this through. Suddenly a laser bolt ripped clean through Kalifa's chest, striking her from behind.
"KALIFA!" Ahsoka screamed as the girl urged forward, gasping for air.
"No!" Jayden exclaimed, catching her before she fell. The two of them quickly carried Kalifa behind another tree as more red laser rounds flew past them. They set Kalifa down as a Trando started yelling.
"There's no escape! I'll hunt you down!" Garnac shouted from a distance. In that moment, Jayden felt his anger boil over. His fists clenched before he stepped out of hiding and unleashed Force Lightning wherever the Trandoshans were hiding
"Kalifa, we have to move!" Ahsoka told the girl, believing she could still be saved.
But Kalifa knew she didn't have long before she dies. "Please, Ahsoka, leave me."
"We won't!" Ahsoka fervently replied, still determined to save her somehow.
"You... have to..." The black-haired human rasped. "Ahsoka... please... t-take care of..." She couldn't quite get the last word out. Ahsoka accepted her statement.
"I'll will. I'll take care of the others." She quietly reassured her. Kalifa smiled weakly.
"I know you will..." She whispered. Taking a few more shallow breaths, Kalifa closed her eyes... and passed away.
Ahsoka felt her heart lurch as Kalifa's body slumped forward, her hands shaking as she eased Kalifa's body back against the tree. The girl remained still and limp, her life vanished from Ahsoka's senses. Ahsoka felt her emotions swell severely, forcing back tears as her sorrow rooted her to the ground, forever stuck looking at the girl she had been determined to help.
She had failed her. And by extension, she felt like she had failed Jinx and O-Mer in the process.
Another life she couldn't save.
Jayden stopped his barrage of Force Lightning, seeing that the hunters had retreated for good this time. He turned to the mournful scene and clenched his fist as he felt remorse and a feeling of disappointment...at himself for not being able to save Kalifa.
Jayden walked over and carefully lifted Kalifa's body, much to Ahsoka's surprise. "What are you-"
"She doesn't deserve to be their trophy." He told her, a low growl masking his rage and sadness. Understanding and silently appreciative of his efforts, Ahsoka rose to follow him as they made their way out of the brush...
And that was it for Hunt of the Trandoshans part 1.