"I heard you and Mira talking," Visas said as Seth peeked into her dormitory like he always did. He was about to leave but stopped in the middle of his step. "You what?" he asked.
Visas walked over to the door to stop him from fleeing the conversation. "I'm worried about you," she said. "Your face—your emotions after what you saw on Korriban…" "You ran off," Seth said.
"I remember seeing him in a previous place," Visas said, "but I did not remember where. I only knew his power. I came back to the Ebon Hawk quickly, and I thought you would do the same." "Well I didn't," he said. Seth was still upset that she'd left him high and dry. "But what's that got to do with Mira?"
Visas took a breath. "Your emotions…they are full of unrest and you are angry." "Oh and you can read that from meditating?" Seth closed his eyes. "Look, it was just probably a bit too much Juma, the Korriban air, whatever. I'm not here to hook up, you know. I'm here to save the galaxy—again." He sighed. Why does she need to know anyways? He stopped his thoughts. What was I doing!
Seth turned to leave, but Visas voice stopped him again. "If…if you need something to hold onto," she said slowly. He turned to look at her. "…just remember what you're fighting for—who you're fighting for. All onboard this ship have someone they're fighting for. Whether it be themselves or someone else, they have someone to fight for." "And who am I fighting for?" Seth asked. "The galaxy," she said. "You are going to be fighting for Onderon soon, and you have already fought for Dantooine." Visas paused a brief second before continuing. "Remember what you are doing—remember who you are."
Seth nodded, and knew he would remember her words. How come everything she says seems to have substance and wisdom behind it, like she already planned it? He then wondered whether or not she had the gift or foresight, when Mandalore came a few meters from him. "Dxun is in sight."
Seth stood next to Mandalore in a circle the crew had made with a few Mandalorians. "We've found some interesting land and someone may want to check it out," a Mandalorian said. "It's a tomb of some sort."
"Alright," Seth said. But Kreia started talking—again. "We must send a team out to see what is in that tomb. It may be vital, or it may be nothing at all. You must appoint a team leader." Seth studied the not-so-eager faces. He shrugged. "Visas, you can lead it." She just nodded casually. Kreia expressed her approval. Seth turned to the group. "Mandalore, you go with. You too, Rand." Atton scowled. "Do I have to?" he asked in a whiny voice, purposely sounding like he was a child. "Stop with those childish antics," Kreia scolded. Atton rolled his eyes.
"I will be accompanying you to Onderon," Kreia said. "Pick someone to come with." Seth studied the faces staring at him, waiting. "You," he said, pointing at the Handmaiden. "Consider it Phase One of training." He threw her his own lightsaber. "It's a bit heavier than that staff, but it's more lethal and it'll save us time." "What will you use?" the Handmaiden asked, knowing this was Seth's lightsaber. "I've got myself covered," he said, revealing a second, Master Vash's lightsaber from Korriban.
"Oh, I have the one you gave me," Visas piped up. She handed him the lightsaber he'd lent her on Korriban. Seth accepted it with a nod of thanks. He then turned to Mandalore. "How're we getting there?" he asked. "Follow me," Mandalore said.
They proceeded through the grass to an unlocked hangar. "A basilisk!" Seth asked in amazement. Mandalore chuckled. He laughs? Seth wondered, but snapped back to attention when Mandalore spoke. "They won't know what hit them." He patted the side of the war droid. "Treat 'er well," he commanded.
Bao-Dur was leaning up against the wall where they had been before Mandalore took Seth off. He then heard a soft footstep on the grass. Bao-Dur turned around to see thin air. He stuck out his hand to the Handmaiden. "May I borrow that?" he asked, motioning for the lightsaber. "I don't…" she started. Bao-Dur gave her a stern look and the Handmaiden reluctantly turned it over.
He sent the hilt out in a blaze of blue, and whipped it through the air. It made the famous sound of a lightsaber in combat. He walked slowly, still swinging the lightsaber in great circles until he saw a black arm fall to the ground. "We're being attacked!" he shouted and put the lightsaber hilt back in and threw the it back to the Handmaiden.
Bao-Dur reached for his lightsaber that was a bit broken and would flicker since he wasn't done fixing it up. He'd constructed it out of spare parts from broken ones from the Jedi enclave on Dantooine.
His dysfunctional lightsaber started to fly through the air as the assassins came out from behind their stealth generators. Mira, Bao-Dur, Visas, the Handmaiden, Atton, and Kreia all began at once flinging their lightsabers through the air.
At least fifty assassins were present where they stood. Seth heard the battle, and ran back with Mandalore to see what was going on. Sith assassins fell to the ground as well as two Mandalorians who were overwhelmed with ten against one. Seth saw about twenty-five surrounding the two at the battle ring.
Seth never liked using Force lightning on enemies, but there were too many of them. He concentrated hard and extended his hand. He didn't even feel the lightning bolts fly from the tips of his fingers and onto each of the assassins' bodies. He did this for about thirty seconds before they all fell.
Mandalore was gone, and the battle circle victims were already fighting off more. Seth returned to the group and began to cut down Sith assassins. His robes, once again, were full of blood. Again? He killed another. Why is this so messy? I'm getting a bit sick of washing these robes in the sinks all the time. He decided to buy more.
Mandalore watched more assassins appear. "Go onto the basilisk! My men can take care of them."
Seth, Kreia, and the Handmaiden ran away from the battle and the rest of the crew scattered toward the exit point to either go to the tomb or return to the Hawk.
The basilisk was a bit cramped, but they all fit. Seth fired up the engines and they were on their way to Onderon.
Visas was gathering last minute things in the dormitory when Mira suddenly appeared in the doorway. "I'm coming with you," she said firmly, as if expecting her request denied if she asked. "Seth appointed Atton, Mandalore, and myself to go," Visas said plainly.
"Atton?" Mira asked shocked. "I'm shocked—really I am. You're thinking of him as the least bit of help. At least let me fill in for him if he gets cold feet." Visas shrugged. "Come on," Mira coaxed. Visas looked up at her. "You snuck off the ship and joined us as we were about to go into the tomb." Mira nodded. "Right."
"That means that's what you tell Seth if he asks about you accompanying us," Visas clarified. Mira laughed. "You're going to lie about this? I don't believe it."
"Believe what?" Visas said as she discarded a few syringes on a bed. "I don't believe you're lying about this. I mean, I thought you'd lie about something worth while," Mira said. "He gave me orders," Visas said blankly. "You follow them all?" Mira quipped. Visas ignored her comment. "He trusted me with a job, and I plan to see it through," Visas said. "I do my jobs, I follow my orders. My life for his."
Mira kept herself from laughing hysterically. "Your life…for his?" she said. "I think he can handle himself." Mira stopped laughing when Visas looked at her again. She could tell she was glaring beneath her veil. "A simplistic debt," she said as she injected herself with a strange yellowish chemical. "If you are to come, then keep quiet. Do not provoke Atton, for I know he will argue about anything you set up." Mira rolled her eyes. "You got that right. Now are we going to head out or what?"
Atton had taken charge, despite he wasn't team leader. He'd drawn his lightsaber and taken the liberty upon himself to cut down branches in their way, and ones that even weren't. Does he have an obsession with swinging his lightsaber around? Visas wondered.
They neared a cave where a Mandalorian explained a sensor device was up ahead. While Atton was arguing with Mandalore they'd be detected anyways, Mira ran up to the group.
Atton turned and frowned. "Let me guess…this was scripted." Mira rolled her eyes. "Do you ever stop arguing, or is it your pass time?" "Hey I—" Atton began but Mandalore looked directly at him. His helmet was off because of the heat. His squinty told Atton to shut up. He stopped talking instantly.
Mira wanted to laugh at this. How the mighty have fallen. Visas walked past Atton, Mandalore, and Mira and took point. "We will be detected, but if we can delay it was should," she said. Visas then snapped off a stealth field generator that was round her waist and shoved it in Atton's hands. "Put this on and go up ahead and turn off the device," she instructed. "Don't make any sudden movements."
Atton grumbled as he strapped himself into the device and disappeared. They heard his footsteps and saw mines disappear as he bent down to take some. They heard the slight buzzing sound die down, and Atton materialized before them by the device. He waved to tell them it was alright to run by.
Mandalore, Visas, and Mira weaved through the mines to meet up with Atton. Then they readied their weapons and proceeded out of the cave to an open field where they saw the tomb entrance and a Sith camp. They heard shouting and saw the Sith charging at them. So much for that delay, Visas thought as her lightsaber came to life. "Let them come to us," she said. "We can tire them a bit."
She and the others got in a ready position and prepared for blows. The very first of the attacks was aimed towards Atton who barely missed getting hit with a stray blaster. He deflected a few with his lightsaber, but dodged most of them by running left and right.
Mandalore held up his sword and war axe and ran towards the Sith. He attacked each one that crossed him with full force; he didn't tire which amazed the rest of the small team.
Visas stayed where she was and deflected blaster shots until the Sith wielding vibroblades and other melee weapons came up to her. Visas cut them down, and had a flashback to the Korriban Sith Academy and the Sith assassins. She pushed thoughts such as this from her mind so she could concentrate on what she was doing.
Mira had run full force like Mandalore at the attackers and had gone right for the general of the camp himself. She killed him with two swipes of her lightsaber and began with the large group of Sith to her left.
The group of four had cleared the entire camp out with not serious injuries and blood stained clothing. They stood by a puddle where Mandalore was washing off his armor. "There's the tomb," Atton said, stating the obvious. The mammoth doorway dwarfed the trees round it, and intimidated Mira somewhat. A lot of enemies can be in there, she thought.
Atton took a step forward to press onwards, but Visas stopped him. "We must stay where we are," she said. "Place the mines you collected from the cave on the walkway so they will be crippled somewhat before they can attack us."
"Lay them?" Atton asked in shocked. "Hey, it took forever to just pick them up. Laying mines is even more tricky than picking them up." "Fine," Mira said annoyed. "Gimme that damn stealth field generator and I'll do it."
"Well we might as well jump off a cliff," Mandalore said, "because with this constant bitching we'll never clear anything." Atton and Mira looked at him. Mandalore never spoke like that to them. He usually talked in the communications room or speak to Seth a few times a day. He never interacted with any of the other crew. Mandalore turned to Mira. "You're not even supposed to be here." Mira opened her mouth to say something, but she didn't. "If we just shut up and run up there, we might be able to get inside the tomb. I'm sure they won't follow us inside."
Mandalore gripped his weapons. He turned around, and all three could feel him giving them a stern look like how an old teacher looks at a dunce.
"We should get them to come at us," Mandalore said. Mira, Visas, nor Atton knew who he talking to. He reached for plasma grenade at his belt. Mandalore set it off and threw it as far as he could. He drew a rugged looking repeating blaster out.
"Ranged weapons until we can cut them down," he instructed. The team drew their blasters and got ready as they saw numerous Sith soldiers and Dark Jedi running. "Dark Jedi…" Atton breathed. He'd never seen this many in his life.
Mandalore didn't flinch like Mira and Atton did at the sight of all the Dark Jedi. It was as if he'd seen them before. They wanted to flee or at least run back a bit, but Mandalore didn't move. Mira's hand was directly on her lightsaber as she saw the red blades coming closer and gaining speed. As they were fifty meters away and closing, Mira threw her blaster back into his holster as Visas, Mandalore, and Atton were already firing as fast as the guns would shoot. She drew out her lightsaber and threw herself out of small line of defense and began to strike hard the Sith troopers.
Visas took out her blade and followed Mira out and began to take on a Dark Jedi. The Dark Jedi put his hand up into air and Visas felt an electric shock spread throughout her body—he'd used Force Lightning.
Her body was weakened, so she took away some of his stamina using a power she learned way back that was called Force Drain. It illuminated an orangish light from her hand, and spread to the Dark Jedi. Visas took her lightsaber and thrust it at him and he fell within a few seconds.
Mandalore was taking down a lot of Sith soldiers as Atton and Mira made their way to the tomb slowly. Their robes were full of blood and wetness from the Dxun grass. It was drizzling as they fought their way towards the tomb entrance, and the wetness began to get to Mira.
After an hour of bloody fighting, they were finally in the clear. They'd reached the entrance. It was clear in the interior and cold also. It was a large stone structure with doors leading inside. They stopped to rest and then began to continue on again.
Mandalore took the lead, Visas followed, and Atton and Mira brought up the rear. Their weapons were always at the ready, especially now when they were opening the door to the interior of the tomb.
Two lightsaber-wielding Sith appeared. They were a challenge for the four, even though the Sith were clearly outmatched for once. All of a sudden, blaster shots began to fly at the four.
Atton was the first to take about five shots before he could get out of range. Mira took two before deflecting the rest and running towards Atton. Mandalore was protected because of his armor, and Visas had ducked out of sight.
Mandalore picked up a lightsaber from a dead Sith Jedi and began to cut down the assailants. He disappeared from sight out of the doors.
The team wasn't in very good conditions: Atton was clutching his side where 3 shots had hit him around the same place, Mira was admiring her bloody robes, and Visas was thinking of what to do next.
About fifteen minutes later, Mandalore had reappeared. Everyone was sitting on the floor save Atton who was lying down. "Damn Sith are everywhere," Mandalore said. "We've got a window to get out." He looked at Atton's wounds. "Go back to the Ebon Hawk." Atton nodded wearily as he got up. He must be in some pain, Mira thought as she watched him stand up.
"I'll take him," she said as she stood. "You know—so he doesn't die or fall apart." Atton didn't argue at this. So he doesn't argue when close to unconsciousness? Mira mused. She helped Atton up with Mandalore and helped him support his weight. "My men'll meet you back at the cave and will help you the rest of the way," Mandalore said.
Mira gave an affirmative nod and proceeded with Atton out of the tomb at a steady but fast pace. They proceeded out the door and Mandalore watched them until they disappeared from sight. He then turned to Visas who was sitting down and seemed to be meditating. "Let's go so we can get off this rock," he said.
Visas stood and drew her lightsaber. "Be prepared for anything that might come for us," she said. "There will be things inside here that haven't been touched for centuries—or until now. Be wary of the Sith and their ways." You're a Sith, girl, Mandalore thought as he followed Visas through the doorway to the interior of the tomb.
Damn, I want this to be my tomb, Mandalore thought as he admired the size of the tomb. He and Visas had already cleared the main areas of the tomb. They had just gotten from the left alcove where a computer console was. Mandalore had opened large doors that were in the main area of the tomb and they were already proceeding through them.
Visas's grip on her lightsaber tightened as they saw more Sith awaiting them. A general and a few soldiers were awaiting them. The pair rushed at them at the speed that their bodies would allow them. They were tiring a bit, but both of them knew that they'd make it out alright.
There were three men in front of them with lightsabers now. They were wearing strange masks, and were standing in front of the actual burial chamber. A strange light was flowing from the crypt. There was a pool of still water in the center, a statue, and various baskets and storage containers scattered round.
"Break the ritual," the masked guy in the center said. "You are too late. We have set in cycle events that cannot be reversed." Though you could not see Mandalore's eyes, he gave the masked man a quizzical look. He was wearing black, like all the Sith seemed to. His mask was grey and the mouth curiously moved when he talked. Maybe it's not a mask? Visas wondered.
The masked man suddenly spoke to Visas. "You," he said sharply. "You are strong in the Force, and are full of much anger. You harbor many feelings, and many I can read. Though you are blind, you see brilliantly. Your memories are terrible, but your future can be bigger than whatever you are now."
"But that I do not know," Visas said. "You can become something," he said again. "By allying myself with you I can unlock the greater mysteries of the Force and gain more knowledge of the Force itself?" Visas asked him. He nodded eagerly. "Yes," he said. "Tell me something: how do you know this is right?" she asked. "How is this right for your destiny?"
"You are a Miraluka, are you not?" he said. Visas reeled back a bit, because nobody talked to her about her past, let alone her race. "You will collide with fate eventually," she said.
"Come to the dark side of the Force," the masked man said. "You will learn many things from my master." "I am my own to ally," Visas said. "I have a master, and I needn't two." She drew her lightsaber. "Whatever you have put into cycle, my master can stop." The blade came out of the hilt and she sliced the leader of the group.
The Ebon Hawk finally appeared from the Dxun pathway. Mandalore and Visas silently boarded. Mandalore went to the communications room, and Visas returned to her normal place. She sat on the floor and concentrated. But her mind was elsewhere, and meditation could not come to her, which was a first in a long time. Instead, she shut the door and lay on one of the beds—armor and all. She closed her eyes and fell into a deep and dreamless sleep, and she could not explain for anything why she was this way.
I hope this chapter is alright. I've got mixed feelings about it.