HUZZAH! Sorry for the long wait, everyone! I've been working overtime every week at work plus trying to finish the last stretch of the semester strong and I just kept coming into FanFiction to work on the story, but never completely finished it to post it. It's always something. But here it is! The second to last chapter of this crazy story! I hope you all enjoy! READ ON!
I opened my eyes to find myself in a bed on the very familiar and comforting Republic cruiser. I sat up and looked to my right to see Kix working alongside the ship's medics. Anakin walked in, stopping right through the doorway as he made eye contact with me. I jumped out of the bed with only the slightest protest from my body and bolted towards Anakin. His smile could've lit up the room had it been completely dark. He let out a small chuckle as my body crashed into his and we wrapped our arms around each other.
"Where's Obi-Wan?" I blurted out as I pulled back and looked Anakin in the eyes.
"On the bridge." I was already halfway out the door with Anakin racing to keep up with me. As soon as I crossed the doorway, I was slowing to a stop on the bridge. I felt it was weird that I was in the medbay 2 seconds ago, but the thought left my mind as soon as I laid eyes on Obi-Wan. I broke out in a huge smile and crashed into him just like I had Anakin.
"I'm glad to see you're okay." He said. I opened my mouth to reply, but one of the clones down in the command pits stood up and shouted.
"Sir, several Separatist cruisers are coming out of hyperspace!" As soon as the words left his mouth, four cruisers appeared and began firing at us.
"Raise the shields! Red alert!" Obi-Wan ordered. We weren't prepared. The vulture droids started swarming our ships and bombing them before anyone could react. The cruiser to the left started going down as it's bridge exploded from a direct hit by a vulture droid flying into it. I looked in horror to the cruiser on our right as it broke apart, engulfed in flames. I stepped forward and looked out the viewport only to see a vulture droid flying right at the bridge we all stood on. Everything went black as it made impact.
—
I gasped as my eyes flew open and I picked my head up to look around. I was still chest down in the dirt on Elrood.
"Kemara!" I heard from right beside me. I whipped my head to my right to see Anakin sitting on his knees next to me, his hand hovering just over my back. "You're okay!" He reassured softly. I looked up at Anakin, who was smiling faintly, yet his eyes said he was still concerned. I was still on Elrood. As realization hit that it was just a dream, exhaustion swept over me and I dropped my head back to the ground, closing my eyes. It was just a bad dream.
Then the words Taelo spoke while we were on our way here rang through my ears. "I've got a plan." My breath hitched in my throat. It was a vision. I opened my eyes and balled my fists as I pushed myself up off the ground on them.
"Hey, woah, Kemara, take it easy." I heard Anakin say as he rose to his feet next to me. I ignored him as I looked out to see Obi-Wan still parrying Taelo's attacks. I took a tentative step forward as everything rushed back. Ahsoka was loading clones into the gunship that had brought them down. A hand touching my shoulder caused me to flinch, turning around suddenly. Anakin pulled his hand back quickly, looking at me worriedly. I turned the other way quickly. I couldn't look at him right now. I honestly didn't know how he could even stand to be near me.
I looked down at myself, raising my hands in front of me and turning them over while opening and closing them. After determining I could follow my own basic commands, I looked back out to where Taelo and my Master were dueling. Anger welled in me towards the man my Master was fighting, telling me Morek's antidote worked. I looked down to see my white and gray outfit smeared with dirt in various places.
Kemara…" Morek stepped out from behind Anakin. I looked over to him to see a fretful smile on his face.
"It worked?" It was more of a plea than a question.
"Yeah." He breathed out, nodding. I let out a huff of air and looked back up to Anakin.
"Are you okay?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing. I looked down to see a boot print I had made on him when I kicked him in the gut. I attacked them. Remorse suddenly erupted in me. The absolute rage I had felt when fighting them. Taelo hadn't just controlled me, he took every negative emotion I'd ever felt towards them and brought it all up to the top, making me want to hurt them. "Kemara?" Anakin called out again. I snapped out of my thoughts suddenly to become aware that there was dirt sticking to my face. I began brushing it off as I looked down. Once I got most of it off, I looked back up to Anakin.
"You need to tell the fleet they need to jump somewhere safe." I ordered, pushing down whatever I was feeling and getting into fight mode. "Taelo has a Separatist fleet on the way here, ready to destroy the cruisers."
"I can't get a transmission through. I sent Ahsoka to tell them to send a medevac and reinforcements down." I shook my head at his words.
"No, no, no. They need to get out of here." I reiterated as I pointed to the sky. Anakin nodded and stepped around me to run after Ahsoka. "Morek, can you get on the ship and find that signal jammer?" I asked as I pointed to the stealth fighter Taelo and I had come here on. He nodded and ran off towards the ship. I turned back around and saw my lightsaber on the ground. I walked over to it and bent down to pick it up, standing slowly as I looked at it. I gripped it tightly as I looked it over.
It didn't feel the same in my hand now that I'd used it to attack my friends. And not even for attack, but out of anger. What hurts the most is I'd be lying if I tried to say there wasn't some truth to how I felt while under Taelo's spell, or whatever he did to me. I ran my thumb over a small engraving I'd made into the hilt when Anakin and I were younger. It was the word clan, but in Jawaese as a joke. Anakin and I came into the Order too late to be assigned to a clan, so we said that we were each other's clan, and a sand crawler was its mascot. It worked out well because it turned out we both had a knack for collecting and tinkering with things.
I let out a slow breath as I looked back up. Anakin was running towards Obi-Wan and Taelo. I ran over and met Anakin a little ways behind Obi-Wan. I heard Taelo let out a cry of anger as he pushed Obi-Wan back and stepped away from us, pointing his saber at me.
"So you finally turned my little servant against me." He sneered. Indignation flared within me as Anakin and Obi-Wan stepped forward, their sabers ignited.
"I was never your servant, Taelo. You just want everything that you can't have." I replied cooly, staying behind them as I crossed my arms over my chest, holding my saber against my upper arm. He growled, balled up his free hand and threw his hand out toward us before an orb of fire propelled itself towards us. I stepped out from in between them and waved my hand at the flames, dissipating it with my own powers. "Give it up, Taelo. You can't beat all three of us. You have nowhere to run." Anakin stepped up next to me, twirling his lightsaber before standing in the Ataru opening stance, both hands on his saber held out to the side. Obi-Wan stepped up to my left and got into his classic Soresu stance. I took a deep breath before igniting my lightsaber and holding it out in front of me diagonally with my other hand pulled back behind me.
Taelo let out an amused laugh as he held his arm out and called the Guardian's staff to him. He held his lightsaber out in front of him and the Guardian's staff over his head towards us.
"I'm going to kill them, Valors… and I'm going to make you watch." He snarled as his grip on the weapons tightened and he crouched a little lower.
"No…" I started as I drew my saber closer towards myself and held it with both hands angled slightly downwards pointed at Taelo. "You're not."
He yelled as he launched himself forward. He swiped his saber down, but Anakin and Obi-Wan caught his saber with theirs but he stabbed the staff forward so I jumped back. Taelo pushed the staff up hard and knocked the boys' sabers back before leaning to the side and kicking his leg out into Obi-Wan's chest while pushing his hands out at Anakin, sending both of them back hard. He stood up straight and tilted his head down at me as he walked forward slowly. I could tell he was smiling under his mask.
"Your pain has only just begun." His crazed rage just radiated off him as I backed up, keeping space between us. He swung his saber around forcefully, knocking mine around as I gripped it tightly. He jumped and spun, striking the staff first against my upper blade and I pressed back, only for him to swing his saber through the middle of my lightsaber, cutting the hilt in half. I stumbled forward and he drove his knee into my gut, knocking the air out of my lungs and putting me on my hands and knees in front of him. I quickly pushed off the ground to get up on my knees, but he was already swinging the staff up into my cheek.
And suddenly, I was back in the Throne room, hitting the ground. My body screamed in agony as every move I made was paired with a stabbing pain. I knew I wasn't being electrocuted in the moment, but it felt like I was. It felt like my skin was on fire. And my skin was being cut into. And like there was a swarm of people beating me all at once.
I didn't want to do it anymore. I wanted to give up. Taelo wanted me broken and he'd finally done it. I just wanted it to stop. If me saying the words "okay, you win" would end my suffering, I was ready to say them.
"Get up!" A distant voice yelled at me. It's what Taelo used yell at me after I went down during my 'sessions' with him.
"No, please." I started to beg. "I can't do it anymore…" I muttered. My eyes squeezed shut and my teeth were grit in pain.
"Kemara! Get up!" It was getting closer.
"Please, just kill me." I felt a tear roll down the side of my face and into my hair as I tried to ball myself up on my side. It only sparked more agony so I stopped and laid there, ready to accept my fate.
"Kemara! Fight it!" It was right next to me now and it wasn't Taelo. It was a familiar voice. A friendly one. "You're stronger than him!" His voice turned into a plea. "Please! Get up!" Morek's voice yelled from the background of my mind.
"It's only going to hurt…" I argued, my voice barely above a whisper.
"I know, I know it is." His voice softened. "But you can't let him win. Don't let him win."
I opened my eyes and took a deep breath, smelling the dirt beneath me. Morek was kneeling beside me, hands supporting him on his knees as he hovered over me. I winced as the phantom pains of the only thing I'd felt for days coursed through my muscles while I rolled onto my chest from my side. Morek stood up and held a hand out to me as I pushed myself up onto my hands and knees. I grabbed his wrist and he gripped mine tight, helping me to my feet. I straightened myself as he was smiling at me. I clapped a hand to his arm in gratitude as I turned around.
Taelo's back was to us as he pushed Anakin and Obi-Wan backwards with relentless assault. I felt his rage growing. I looked down and saw my saberstaff in pieces on the ground in front of me. I didn't feel anything for it except chagrin. It had been tainted when I used it against my friends. My family. I looked back up to see Taelo throw a large wave of his power at Anakin and Obi-Wan. They tried their best to block it with the Force, but were knocked to the ground, their lightsabers flying back away from them. Taelo let out a sinister cackle.
"This is it!? This is what you're capable of?!" He bellowed before looking down on them. I moved forward, past my broken lightsaber that laid at my feet. I lifted both my arms and called out with the Force. "Pathetic." Taelo spat as he ignited his lightsaber.
Anakin and Obi-Wan's lightsabers flew past them as they sat up and Taelo, who had to sidestep them. Taelo turned around as my friend and Master's lightsabers flew into my hands. I switched them on and twirled them around, getting used to their weight quickly. I stopped in the Makashi stance, both sabers held at my side, pointing out and to the ground in front of me, one foot directly in front of the other facing outwards.
Taelo stepped toward me, ducking his head and taking his helmet off. He dropped it to the ground next to his feet. "It appears you need one last session…" He sneered at me, but I remained stoic, my face expressionless. This seemed to anger him even more as his sneer morphed into a snarl. His lip twitched and he gripped his saber tighter. I only tilted my chin up slightly. It ended here.
He let out an enraged cry as he Force jumped into the air and started coming down towards me. I slid one foot back and stood in a forward lunge stance, crossing my sabers as his connected with mine. I pushed him back and made a small hop into the air, spinning and swinging both sabers down across his chest. He blocked it but I pushed his saber down to his side. I went for a wide strike across his torso, but he threw a hand out, Force pushing me back through the air. I flipped myself upright and landed on the ground in a slide, stabbing the lightsabers into the ground to slow myself. Once I was stopped, I stood back up straight, and flipped my sabers back upwards in my hands. Taelo was already rushing me. He swung hard and wide. It caught me off guard and I backpedaled. I grit my teeth as his swings kept coming, keeping me on the defensive. He just kept swinging, fast and hard, grunting and crying out in exertion.
"How does it feel knowing those rebels died because you weren't there to protect them?!" He yelled as I parried strike after strike. I scrunched my face as I tried to keep my composure during his onslaught. "None of them stood a chance as they all tried to defend against me!" My anger started to rise, but I tried to push it down. He's just trying to rile you up. Don't let him unbalance you, I told myself. "I can still hear their wonderful screams!" It was hard not to get angry. I couldn't stop the tears that started welling. "They were calling for you!" I gave him exactly what he wanted when I cried out and tried to strike at him. He dodged my attack, sidestepping my blades and backhanded me across the face. My head snapped to the side, but I sensed his strike so I brought my blades up to block as I looked back to him. His blade hit mine hard, throwing them to the side. He went for another strike down my chest so I brought up one blade as fast as I could. His connected with mine forcefully. He continued pushing as he twisted the saber, pulling it out of my grip. Anakin's lightsaber flew off to the side as he jumped and twisted in the air, roundhouse kicking me in the side of the head. My whole body whipped to the side. I used the momentum from the hit to spin my body fully. I was able to barely lock blades with him as he had gone for a strike through my upper body. I was unbalanced as our sabers connected and I stumbled back against a tree as he kept his blade on mine. I gripped Obi-Wan's lightsaber with both hands, keeping Taelo's blade from cutting through me.
"Tweensy was calling for you as the Guardians stabbed her." Taelo hissed. No. No way Tweensy was dead. She couldn't be. She was alive when I went to help Morek. "Her last words were your name." He snarled.
"NO!" I shrieked in anguish. I pushed back against him, forcing him away from me as I kicked off the tree. I swung at him over and over again. His sneer started fading as I just kept barraging towards him. He was the one backpedaling now, confusion took ahold of his features as I kept swinging.
I wanted to kill him. I wanted to hit him and shock him and burn him just like he did to me and all the other rebels. I wanted to cut him, limb by limb. I wanted him to suffer just like how I was made to suffer. And I wanted to be the one to make him suffer.
I knocked his saber out of his hand finally and pulled my right hand off Obi-Wan's lightsaber to form a bar of ice in my free hand. Swinging as hard as I could, a deep sense of satisfaction rose in me when I heard the sickening crack against the side of his head and felt the smack and ice shatter on impact. His head whipped around and his body soon followed. I dropped the remains of the ice to the ground and gripped both hands to the lightsaber as I swung up towards Taelo's exposed back. He screamed out in pain as he fell to the ground, rolling onto his back. I twirled the lightsaber in my hand, flipping it into a reverse grip as I raised it over my head. Taelo pushed his hands out, throwing a wave of his power at the lightsaber in my hands. Obi-Wan's lightsaber went flying, so I let out a cry of pure rage as I formed a long spear of ice in my hands. His eyes widened in fear as I started to bring the spear down towards the defenseless man on the ground.
His mouth fell open in shock, maybe pain, as the spear went all the way to the ground. As realization set in, my body went numb. He was gone. I felt Morek stop next me and look down at our dead brother. I felt lightheaded. Like everything that had happened these past few weeks were all hitting me at once.
Is it over?" I whispered. He nodded slowly and hesitated before answering.
"Yeah… it's over." He finally responded. All of the emotions that I've had to deal with since I woke up on the streets of Nar Shaddaa hit me like a truck. All of the fear, anger, pain as well as the confusion, hurt, and uncertainty. My vision started blurring and my eyelids were getting heavy. I started to take a step back.
"I'm sorry I didn't kill him back on Mekkef." I felt myself take another step back, but my legs gave out and I started falling, my eyes finally closing. I fell right into somebody's arms and they held me tight.
"Hey, I got you." Anakin's worried voice was the last thing I heard.
—
The soft beeps of machines were the first thing I noticed when I woke up. They were soothing, not like the harsh sounds that you heard in the medbays on the cruisers. I opened my eyes slowly to find myself in the Halls of Healing. I was in the Jedi Temple. I was safe. I heard soft whispers to my left and looked over to see Anakin and Obi-Wan over by the window, speaking quietly as they looked over the city. I couldn't make out what they were saying so I sat up with a small groan. They turned around quickly and rushed over with worried expressions. Anakin sat down by my feet and Obi-Wan sat down on the bed next to mine.
"How do you feel?" Anakin asked softly. I smiled at him as I pulled my legs around Anakin and put my bare feet down on the floor. My body didn't ache with the movements. I took a deep breath as I looked across to Obi-Wan before looking back to my best friend.
"I think I'm okay." I answered honestly, my smile dropping a little. Anakin opened his mouth to say something back, but the door swooshed open and a dark clothed man walked in quickly. A red lightsaber ignited and swiped Anakin across his back before any of us could react. He fell to the floor as Obi-Wan and I jumped up, but his hand rose toward us and I felt my airway close as I rose into the air. I couldn't make a noise as Obi-Wan moved to ignite his own saber. The hooded figure was too fast, thrusting his lightsaber right through Obi-Wan's midsection. Tears welled as the red blade was pulled out of Obi-Wan and he fell to his knees, right next to Anakin. I could only watch my mentor crumple to the ground in horror as I struggled to breathe.
"You will never be able to get rid of me!"
The voice rang in my ears as I sat up quickly, screaming. I blinked, looking around the room as I breathed heavily.
It was just a nightmare. Taelo was dead. I remember killing him. The harsh beeps zoned me in to my surroundings. I was in the medbay on our cruiser. I took a deep breath as I relaxed my body, slouching and I dropping my head. I shook my head and twisted myself on the bed, putting my feet on the floor. I was in the standard medbay plain white tunic. The door swooshing open made me look up. Cody walked in with the medic. I stood up as I saw Cody smile at me and start walking over.
"Feeling better, Commander?" Cody joked. I let out a soft sigh and smiled faintly at him.
"Anything feels better than what I went through back on Mekkef, Cody." His relaxed demeanor helped calm my nerves. He nodded shortly with a slight smirk. "Where's Anakin and Obi-Wan?"
"The Generals are on the bridge." I was already on the way to the door. "Do you want me to-"
"No, it's fine!" I blurted out. I brushed past the medbay officer, patting him on the arm. "Thanks, doc." I called out as I ran through the door. My heart raced as I ran through the corridors. I grew anxious as I grew closer to the bridge. Who knew what they were going to think about what happened back on Elrood. I don't think they'd blame me for Taelo making me attack them, so I was probably worrying for nothing, but I couldn't help the fear that crept up my spine. I felt extremely guilty about the anger I held onto while I was fighting them. While I would never attack my friends over the things that happened in the past, what I felt in the moment was real. That unadultured rage scared me, honestly. And I know I shouldn't have struck Taelo down in anger, but I just wanted to end everything. All the pain and suffering he had caused while we were on Mekkef. And it was over now. The proof was right in front of me. I slowed to a stop as the door to the bridge slid open.
As soon as I laid eyes on Obi-Wan and Anakin standing in front of the viewport, slight tears stung my eyes and I began moving again. The soft patter of the medbay tunic's shoes sounded through the room as the men stopped whatever they were talking about and turned around. I threw my arm around Anakin's neck first and pulled him down as I wrapped my other arm behind Obi-Wan's back and held both of them tightly. I heard Obi-Wan laugh before feeling Anakin wrap his own arms around me and Obi-Wan put a hand on my back, holding me as well.
"We're glad to see you okay." Anakin sighed as he loosened his arms and began pulling back.
"I'm just happy to be back." I admitted as I stepped back from the two of them and looked up at them. They were smiling down at me softly with Obi-Wan's hand remaining on my shoulder, but I couldn't stop from beaming.
"I had no doubt that you'd find your way back." Obi-Wan praised before squeezing my shoulder and letting his hand drop.
"All thanks to you, Master. Your teachings are what saved me while I was on Mekkef." His eyebrows furrowed upwards as I thanked him. I took a small step back and placed a fist into the palm of my other hand as I brought them up and bowed slightly. "Thank you, Master."
"You are welcome, my Padawan." We looked back up at each other and dropped our hands as Anakin stepped forward to put his own hand on my shoulder, giving me a slight squeeze. The bridge door slid open again and I turned to see Ahsoka walking in.
"Ahsoka!" I rejoiced. I hurried over and wrapped my arms around her, holding her close. She hugged me back tightly, reassuring me she doesn't hate me for what happened. I pulled back and held her by the shoulders, looking down to her eyes. "I know what you're going to say, but I have to say it. I'm sorry." She smiled sincerely at me.
"I know. And it's okay. I'm just glad you're back." She said softly. "It hasn't been the same without you." She giggled as she looked to the side at the boys. I smiled brightly as I turned back around. Obi-Wan had his arms crossed over his chest and Anakin was standing with his hands behind his back.
"Yes, I did miss my Padawan who actually listened…" Anakin looked at Obi-Wan with a jokingly wounded expression. "Most of the time." Obi-Wan added, making Anakin smile and nod.
"Thank you." Anakin sassed. Ahsoka let out a soft laugh and I rolled my eyes. It was good to be back.