Here's a new story for your reading pleasure. I'm going in a different direction for this one. Most of my stories follow a Republic theme. I'm going dark this time around! Should be a fun ride. Let me know what you think, if you get a moment.
Vala watched, lightsaber in hand but not ignited, as a mix of Balmorran civilians and scientists, along with many Republic soldiers, hurried through the blast door to hangar three. The last transport out of the factory was almost fully loaded and ready to make its escape.
The Balmorran arms factory had been infiltrated by the Empire. The Balmorran's hold of the facility had been tenuous to begin with and there were simply not enough soldiers between the Balmorran resistance and the Republic volunteers to hold it any longer.
Vala had been one of a handful of Jedi who had volunteered to stay behind and help hold the factory during its evacuation. Now, she was the only Jedi still alive. Jedi Master Corban, Vala's master, had sent her along with the last of the evacuees and soldiers as he attempted to hold off the Imperial onslaught on his own. She had sensed his death, even as she directed people towards the transport.
"That's all of them." Major Chase Trillo said, dashing through the outer door, a slight wisp of smoke rising from his blaster rifle. "What about Master Corban?" He asked Vala.
Vala just sighed and shook her head.
"Dammit." Trillo said, slamming his fist against door control harder than was necessary to seal it. "I'm sorry, Vala."
"My master died to ensure the safety of the people on this transport." Vala replied, trying to keep her emotions in check. She was young, only just turning nineteen three days earlier, and had only been a full Jedi Knight for two months. Like many young Jedi, she struggled with controlling her emotions, but she was determined to keep things together now. She'd make her master proud.
"Unfortunately, that door won't last for very long. There were at least two Sith out there and I have a feeling a lightsaber will make short work of it."
"It will take at least ten more minutes to get the transport off the ground." Vala replied, reading the status from a panel on the wall. "You need to get onboard and get those people to safety. I will stay here and ensure no one prevents the transport from leaving."
"Vala, they'll kill you the moment the door is breached, you know that!" Trillo said sternly. "You're coming with us."
Vala simply shook her head.
Trillo cursed. Jedi stubbornness. "Then I'll signal for the transport to leave when ready and I'll stay with you."
Vala turned to Trillo, placing a hand on his cheek. "No, Major. The Balmorran resistance needs you. You must survive. This is why I'm here, remember. I will face my destiny."
The major was in his early sixties and had been serving in the Republic military his entire life. He'd volunteered to help defend Balmorra, simply because this was his home planet. He was born and raised here. Though he was stern and commanding, much like most officers at his level, he had been kind and compassionate to the young Jedi. He'd seen a lot of himself in her when he was young. Vala also reminded him of his own daughter, who was only a few years older.
"I can't leave you here. I don't leave my people behind."
Vala smiled sweetly at the major. "You must. For the greater good."
He glared at the young Jedi for a few moments. With a growl, Trillo leaned in and kissed Vala on the cheek. It was a gesture he'd never had done in normal circumstances, but the kid was basically sacrificing her own life, to save others. It wasn't much, but it was something.
"You give them hell." He ordered softly.
"You know I will."
With a final look, Major Trillo ran to the transport, sealing the final blast door behind him, leaving Vala alone in the small hallway between the two doors. She was now the only thing between the controls to the hanger bay and the enemy, once they breached the outer door.
Vala looked at the heavy blast door the major escaped through for only a moment before returning her attention to the outer door. She could sense the first of the Imperial opposition were just outside the door. It would only be a moment until the two Sith the major had mentioned would arrive, so she had to act fast.
Vala replaced her lightsaber onto her belt, then focused her mind, knowing she could not win this fight. She could, however, stall it. She allowed everything to slip away except the Force. She was young, but she was powerful. She'd descended from a powerful family of Force users and she was determined to use the power she'd inherited to buy the transport the few minutes it needed to escape.
She slowed her breathing and concentrated on the outer door, using the Force to create a second skin to the outermost surface. She could hear nothing but her own breath and a tiny sense of awareness to the transport, which was still several minutes from being ready to launch.
Between breaths, Vala could vaguely sense one of the two Sith just outside her Force shielded door. She did not let the impact of a lightsaber on her barrier distract her from her one focus, to keep that door sealed. If it was her destiny to die in this factory, the innocent people on that transport were going to live.
The minutes ticked by like hours and Vala could feel her strength begin to drain with each impact to her shield, but she held her ground. She could feel a second lightsaber begin to stress her shield and a mind begin to slowly, almost gently, stress her mind. The mind needled in, looking for a way into her psyche. With a deep breath, she focused. The transport only needed a few more seconds.
Vala felt her strength slip as the transport sped away and outside her senses. They were gone. Not wanting to pass out from exhaustion, Vala dropped her shielding, having to lean against the wall to remain standing. If this was to be her end, she'd come to it on her feet. She didn't bother with her lightsaber. Her lightsaber skills were barely up to fighting a single Sith, with two, she'd have no chance at all in her current state.
Surprisingly, the mind which had been attacking hers had stopped its assault when she dropped the shield. The Sith could have easily continued his or her assault and completely compromised Vala's mind, but didn't.
In a matter of seconds, two red bladed lightsabers, one pure red, the other red with a black core, sliced through the outer door as if it were made of paper. Two Sith, one a sith pure blood, the other a red skinned zabrak, along with a dozen soldiers, stepped through, all weapons pointing at Vala. She kept her eyes open, ready to face her end.
The pure blood held up a hand and all the soldiers pointed their weapons up and away from the lone Jedi. The zabrak relaxed his posture, but reluctantly. Obviously, the pure blood sith was in charge.
"Hold your fire, all of you." The pure blood commanded. His voice was deep, but not as menacing as Vala had expected from a man of his size. He was almost twice her size, or it might have been just her perception skewed by her weakened state.
He took a step towards Vala and she stood her ground. She honestly didn't have much choice, since her efforts to keep the outer door sealed had drained a good deal of her strength. The Sith almost chuckled.
"So, you're the one making our lives difficult. I was expecting...more. You're young, just a child, but yet, such power."
Vala remained silent, looking up at the Sith without anger or fear. She locked her eyes with his and neither looked away.
"What did you plan to accomplish, little one? Did you really think you could win?"
Vala shook her head. "In a fight, no, but the transport is gone. So, I still won."
Rather than lash out in anger, the Sith laughed. "So you did."
"Why are you bothering with this pointless conversation?" The zabrak said angrily. The malice in his voice sent a chill down Vala's spine. "Just kill her so we can get out of this place. We've taken it. There is no one left to kill."
"Take the soldiers, Apprentice, and make sure the hangar bay is secure and free of anyone who might be hiding out." The Sith ordered, eyes still locked with the Jedi.
"But Master…" The zabrak began to argue.
The pure blood turned away from Vala reluctantly, giving his apprentice a piercing glare. "Now."
The zabrak sighed angrily, but nodded, opening the door which led to the control room and hangar. The dozen soldiers followed behind.
"Now, what are we going to do with you?" The Sith asked Vala, returning his attention back to her.
Vala reached out with the Force, knocking back the Sith and pulling her lightsaber off her belt at the same time.
"You wish to die fighting. Admirable." The Sith sounded amused as he plucked the blade from Vala's hand with ease, then pressed her to the wall with the Force. He was too powerful for her to fight.
"Nice try, but none of that." The Sith chided, waving his hand, knocking out the young Jedi with the Force. She crumbled to the ground. The Sith looked over the Jedi's lightsaber, turning it slowly to examine it thoroughly. During the research he had done for his master on the Jedi, he'd learned they made their own weapons, once they were powerful enough to do so. This weapon was expertly crafted, obviously made for a small, delicate hand, only confirming the potential power this young human possessed.
"The hangar is secure, Master." The apprentice replied as he returned. He lurked over the unconscious Jedi. "She was barely worth killing, but…" He began, then seeing the Jedi wasn't dead, turned to his master. "Why didn't you kill it?"
The pure blood sighed, shaking his head slightly at his apprentice. "Because 'it' has more potential power than almost any young Sith I've evaluated. I think Darth Marr will find her amusing."
The zabrak scoffed. "Your master wastes his time trying to turn captured Jedi to the darkside! He could do so much more if he stopped being weak and…"
The zabrak found himself unable to breathe, his master's hand extended, holding his apprentice firm. The Sith tucked the Jedi's lightsaber into his belt with his free hand.
"It is not your place to judge a member of the dark council. You are constantly forgetting one very important thing about being an apprentice to a Lord of the Sith." He twisted his hand at the wrist and the zabrak's neck snapped, falling to the ground, dead. "You can always be replaced."
One of the soldiers stood at attention in the doorway. He didn't comment or make any move to intervene on the Sith's behalf. He knew better than to butt into Sith business. The soldier simply stood and waited for the Sith Lord to acknowledge him.
"Yes, Commander?" The Sith said, turning to the soldier.
"The hangar is clear. Except for a few of the more isolated areas which are still being checked, the factory is ours."
The Sith smiled. "Good. Have two of your men slap a slave collar on this Jedi and take her to my ship. Make sure to keep her sedated."
"As you wish, My Lord." The soldier replied and with a swift and exact turn, moved back into the hangar to carry out his orders.
The Sith waved his hand, sending his dead apprentice's body off to the corner, then stood over his Jedi captive. "Yes, my master will be very pleased with you, indeed."
To Be Continued...
