Chapter 9 - After What I've Been Through, I Wished I Was Dead

Still a tad annoyed about the whole Evin incident, Nicola watched as Adra tapped in Daala's personal code for Tyria's cell door. The door hissed open, revealing a stormtrooper guard and an almost unconscious Tyria Tainer. One quick shot from Nicola at the camera and one at the guard from Adra later, all the present Wraiths crowed into Tyria's cell. Adra and Asyr started to pick the locks on the stuncuffs that attached Tyria's hands to opposite walls. As she started to fall forward, Kell moved to catch her, but Cloud got there first.

* * * * *

She fell forward into a strong set of arms, barely conscious. Seven black blurs moved in front of her. "Kell?" she asked her voice hoarse.

"No, it's Cloud," the man holding her said quietly.

"Bror, see if you can heal her!" That would be Nicola, but Tyria didn't see any black blurs with red-gold hair.

A tall blur came over and lay a cool hand on her forehead. Slowly, the world became sharper and clearer and the pain started to dull.

She blinked several times and then reopened her eyes to take in scene before her. Bror stood in front of her, smiling slightly. Kell was hovering over her, letting his big brotherly protectiveness show through for once. She was a bit surprised that he wasn't the one supporting her.

Tyria glanced up slightly and studied Cloud's expression. There was an emotion there that she didn't know the name of. It wasn't one that one would normally see on Mechanic Boy's face. Before she could ponder that thought any longer, Adra half pushed her way through the thong surrounding Tyria. Embracing the older woman, she smiled slightly, tears in her eyes.

"Tyria...I never should've gone. I'm so sorry..." Adra's expression changed to one of self anger. "I shouldn't've left you to the Imps." Adra paused for a moment. "I thought I'd killed you."

Tyria grinned slightly at Adra and replied dryly, "After what I've been through, I wished I was dead."

Adra glared at her friend. "If you ever say that again, I will give you a million other things to think about that would be much, much wo-" Cloud glared at Adra, causing her to shut up.

Through a gap between bodies, Tyria saw Nicola look critically at Cloud. Knowing Nicola, she was probably getting some ideas for her on-the- side matchmaking business.

Thracia checked her chrono and glanced over at Jade. "We'd better go soon. I don't know how much longer Jade can keep this shield up,"

Tyria smiled slightly at the sound of the curse words coming out of Nicola's mouth. She had leaned a few new ones, probably from Kell. It was astounding how many things, both small and large, that she had taken for granted several months ago, had disappeared over the past two months. Now that they were back again, she was enjoying every one of them, even her brother's annoying love of explosives.

"Tyria," Nicola's voice cut into Tyria's musings. "Can you walk?"

Tyria shrugged. "I'm not sure. Nothing to do but see. Cloud, you big oaf," she said "Put me down for a moment!"

* * * * *

Cloud winced slightly at Tyria's choice of wording. Sure, Tyria called all of the male Wraiths 'big oaf', but it hurt him slightly. He was in love with this woman and she had just called him a big oaf. Of course, she didn't have any idea that he was in love with her, and he didn't plan on her finding out any time soon. She had already turned him down when she had said that she wouldn't exactly be jumping up and down to date an explosives expert several months ago.

Setting her down carefully, he watched as she struggled to walk more than several feet.

"That would be a 'no', Nicola," Tyria said dryly. She leaned heavily on Kell's shoulder. Right now, Cloud actually hated his friend, wishing that he was the one Tyria was leaning on.

Nicola nodded sharply and looked over a Bror, the two obviously Force talking. Bror raised an eyebrow and moments later, Nicola's silver eyes flashed. Finally, Bror nodded and caught Tyria in a Force grip.

The Wraiths moved out of the cell, Cloud trailing behind with Tyria, Thracia, and the still form of Jade.

Almost unconsciously, his hand went to the hilt of Jade's lightsaber, which hung at his waist on the hook where his own lightsaber had once hung. The Council had taken it away and forbidden him to build another one when he had been thrown out of the Jedi Order. He had never expected to even touch another one, never mind use or carry one. For the first time in awhile, Cloud regretted making his Master's lightsaber into a bomb and not getting to complete his Jedi training. If he had, he could've been the one who had her in a Force grip.

He frowned slightly as the Wraiths moved through the halls, pausing momentarily as Nicola fired her blaster several more times into Evin's body. Couldn't really blame the woman after what had happened. Musing over many a thought, Cloud followed the rest of the Wraiths, very nearly running into several support beams as his mind was elsewhere.

* * * * *

Nicola held up a hand, halting the Wraiths. Turning her head, she glanced at Jade. The silent woman was covered in sweat, her eyes closed in her trance. But this wasn't the worst of the Wraiths' troubles. Another group of Imperials was headed their way, no doubt to check the detention block they'd just come from.

"Oh Sithspit! Not again!" she muttered underneath her breath.

"What? Will y-" Kell started to say loudly, cut off by his sister who elbowed him in the stomach. Lowering his voice, he continued, "Will you have to go Targeter again?"

She merely nodded and motioned for everyone to get flat against the walls and to keep silent. Three hands reached down for lightsabers, two for blasters, and three for both.

Silver eyes glanced once more towards the prone figure of Jade. The woman's strength was definitely fading, she was surprised that she'd even lasted this long, most Jedi couldn't. She glanced over at Thracia. The older woman still seemed to be going strong even after almost one and a half-hours of levitating Jade.

Could you help reinforce Jade's mind shield, Jedi Girl? Nicola asked her silently through the Force. Thracia nodded slightly.

Yes, though I'm not sure how long I'll be able to last. I think there's a Sith or two here.

Sithspit. Well, just see what you can do to help. The troops are about twenty standard seconds away.

Thracia nodded and broke off the Force link between them. Nicola sensed the woman add her strength to Jade's.

All the Wraiths remained deathly still and silent as the Imps approached. And then, it happened.

All the Jedi bent over double, wincing in pain as they felt the touch of two Sith, Darth Maul and most likely his apprentice Seba, probing at the shields. Before any of the Jedi could reach out with the Force to assist Jade and Thracia, an even stronger probe came, breaking the shield. Thracia let out a low cry of pain, as her connection with Jade was broken, Jade came out of her trance and dropped to the floor, too weak to stand or even move, and more than a few blasters came to aim straight at the Wraiths as Jade's Force shield failed.