THALIA
To her relief, Thalia had finally managed to convince Padme to return to Coruscant, though the Senator hadn't been happy about it.
"I should be staying to help you." She'd argued.
"You'll be helping me by staying safe." Thalia had replied.
"That's what Anakin says." She'd pointed out and Thalia had told her that he was right.
That was two days ago. Know she, and her personal guard were on their way to the forest province on Troska. Villages dotted the outskirts with a few buildings venturing into the tree line, but it wasn't long before the wood became so thick that a speeder would have trouble squeezing through.
Thalia was wearing her own armour. It was identical to that of her army, with it's grey material and dark blue breastplate, gauntlets and boots, but instead of a smooth helmet, hers had three short radio fins as did all of her captains, meaning they could communicate continuously from anywhere across Troska. Her uniform had ice blue piping around the seams and panels, which glowed the colour of Kyber Crystals, establishing her as Queen.
Her army had the element of surprise on their side. They'd tracked Class Five to a depression in the centre of the forest, which had once been an old crystal mine, but over time, trees had grown up, around it. Though it was a space large enough for a small village, the depression in the land meant it was often subject to flooding.
The ship she was on flew silently over the old mine. Thanks to the Kyber technology, they were able to reflect the light that bounced up from the ground against the hull of the ship. It meant the day light could be bent around the ship to give the illusion of invisibility. People looking up from the ground would just see whatever was above the ship, though a keen eye could pick out the way the air quivered as the shuttle passed above them.
Down on the ground the empty space was filled with makeshift tents, ships and Class Five soldiers. Racks of blasters and other weapons had been erected against the bases of thick oak trees where groups of warriors had assembled to train. There had to be at least two hundred of them, far more than Thalia had been on Helwater.
"That's a lot of fire power." Her captain said beside her.
"Stick to the plan." Thalia replied. "If we play this right the bloodshed will be minimal."
As they flew away from the depression to join the other ships, Thalia pushed her helmet onto her head and wrapped her hand around the hilt of Obi-Wan's repurposed lightsabre at her hip.
Padme had promised to tell him about Maul, but when Thalia had received her transmission, she'd said he was off world on Utapau. Utapau of all places, at the opposite end of the galaxy. She didn't need him here, now, but she'd wanted to warn him about this Maul character.
Any thoughts of Obi-Wan were chased from her mind as the orders came through to descend to the forest floor below. Thalia reached up to the roof of the ship and pulled one of the cables free, attaching it to the loop at the front of her belt. The doors of the ship slid upwards, and she waited for her captain to move to the edge of the floor before joining him. Together, they turned their backs to the sky and tipped backwards, sliding smoothly to the ground below.
The moment they detached their cables, the wires flew back up to the ships, ready for the next set of troops to rappel down.
They had a plan, and it was good. It was safe and it ensured the least amount of bloodshed, something her army had always accounted for, respectful and proud of their Troskan ways.
Once her army was on the ground, Thalia gave her captains the go ahead to begin their assault.
They split into ten-man squads and spread out around the outskirts of Class Five's base. From the pouch on her belt, Thalia unclipped a mini shield generator they'd paired with a homing device, allowing the technology to connect with other devices in the area. Every squad had one.
Thalia wedged it into the soft ground and waited for it to power up. Once the small set of lights on the top flashed blue in unison, it was ready to be activated. Her captain gave a low whistle, mimicking the birds in the forest and it was echoed seven times by the other squads. She pushed the button on the side of the generator and a pale, blue light shot skyward, stretching fifteen metres into the air before spreading rapidly from its centre. As it shot sideways, there was a soft fizzing sound as it hit the shields from the other generators. In no time at all, the Class Five base was surrounded by a large bubble, stopping anyone inside the shield from escaping.
Well, anyone apart from Thalia's army. Once she'd realised Class Five had been using their Troskan armour and all the advantages it afforded them, she quickly instructed her scientists to design a new set for the army. One of the new features paired their armour with the hybrid shield technology, which, when activated, allowed them to pass through the shield as if it were air.
"Move in." The captain said into the comms beside her, his voice sounding droid-like through her helmet.
As one, all seven squads started forwards, spread out in a line surrounding the shield. Thalia brought her gauntlet up to her hand and selected the shield pairing on the small screen. As she stepped through the bubble, the blue light moulded around her before reforming once she was through.
Thalia could see the camp through the trees. She unholstered the sleek, navy blaster every soldier carried and held it at the ready, the mode switched from deactivator to stun. Once she was a meter from the clearing, she knelt down beside a thick bush and looked the way of the captain, waiting to catch his eye.
Once he was hidden, he looked to her, and she nodded.
"To arms." She heard his voice crackle through her helmet and Thalia raised her own blaster, picking out one of the Class Five warriors by the weapons rack.
"Fire." Came the order.
In almost perfect unison, the first blasts rang out in the clearing and Class Five soldiers fell instantly. Thalia pushed up from her position and tracked into the clearing, firing at warriors as they scrambled to their weapons. Around her, both Troskan and Class Five soldiers fell as the clearing turned into a battlefield.
Suddenly, she was thrown backwards by a blaster bolt, landing on her back. She looked down at her blaster, which had a huge hole gaping through its centre. By some miracle, the shot had missed her and hit her weapon. The Class Five soldier who'd fired it stalked towards her, their weapon pointed at her chest.
Thalia didn't wait a moment longer. She hurled her useless blaster at the warrior who batted it away like a fly, but the moments distraction was enough for Thalia to leap to her feet and throw herself at the warrior. Her foot found purchase on her opponent's chest, sending them stumbling backwards. She grabbed the blaster from their hands and tried to pull it away from them, but they held fast.
By now, Thalia was close enough to recognise the markings on the soldier's helmet. It was Kaz.
Both women grappled for the weapon. Kaz twisted away from Thalia, but she was ready for the sudden change in direction. They both went to the ground with Kaz landing on top of Thalia. She managed to get a hold of the blaster's grip and aimed it at Thalia's head. Before she could fire, Thalia wrapped her hands around the barrel. It was a battle of strength between Kaz, trying to move it over Thalia's face, while Thalia was trying to keep it aimed at the grass beside her head.
Thalia knew they couldn't stay like this forever – someone had to win. She knew she had to time her move perfectly. With one hand, she let go of the blaster and the barrel instantly appeared between her eyes, but with her hand now free, she used the force to direct it upwards and away from her head. She let go with the other hand and reached for her lightsabre.
With one hand keeping the blaster at bay, she pressed the lightsabre against Kaz's neck and ignited the blade. Thanks to her modifications, it only extended until it hit its target, delivering an electric shock powerful enough to knock someone unconscious.
Kaz's body went rigid above her, and she shook violently before collapsing atop Thalia. The Queen allowed herself a moment's rest before pushing the Class Five soldier away from her, letting her slump to the ground. Thalia sat up and looked around the battlefield. Her army was doing well. The warriors who hadn't been stunned where being backed towards the centre of the clearing. As she watched, a few managed to make a break for it, running for the tree line. However, they didn't get far, running straight into the shield. It was like hitting a brick wall and they all stumbled backwards, trying to keep their balance.
Four Troskan soldiers rounded them up and brought them back to the centre of the group. There were only about fifty who were still on their feet, and they looked around at their fallen comrades, including their team leader. They eyed one another, waiting for someone to make a move.
A warrior who had painted their helmet green was the first to thrown down their weapon and raise their hands in the air. As if waiting for confirmation, the remaining Class Five soldiers dropped their own blasters and surrender themselves to Troska's army.
"Well done, Captain." Thalia said, joining her army's leader as his soldiers surged forward and began handcuffing their prisoners. "Let's lock them up in the palace before they can escape again." She added quietly, and though he nodded his understanding, she heard him chuckle.
. . .
Thalia and Minister Guin wasted no time in paying the imprisoned Class Five warriors a visit in the palace cells. There were still questions that needed answering and Thalia wanted this over with. Now.
A thick, glass wall stood between her and Kaz as the latter tried to scowl a hole through the barrier.
"Tell me about Maul." Thalia said.
"Why should I?" Kaz smiled sweetly.
"Because you have the chance to do it yourself, or I will make you tell me." Thalia replied calmly. "And believe me, I don't want that any more than you do."
"I won't, so do your worst." Kaz said cockily, clearly thinking Thalia was threatening torture, which she knew the Queen wouldn't allow.
"Well, since I have your permission." Thalia sighed and raised her hand to Kaz's head height.
"Who is Maul to you?" She asked and the Class Five soldiers started as the force rumbled through the cell block.
Kaz frowned slightly but then her eyes flickered, and a deep crease spread across her forehead. She was trying to fight it. Thalia pushed harder.
"Tell me." She said again.
"He…he was a Sith…Obi-Wan Kenobi thought he'd killed him on Naboo, but he survived…he wants revenge. He and his brother Savage were saved by the Dathomir Witches." Kaz groaned, digging her fingers into her scalp. "We made a deal with them. We both benefitted from Troska's demise…we would get our home and they could use you to get to Kenobi."
"Where are they now?" Thalia asked and Kaz's face turned red from trying to regain control of her mind. "Tell me!" Thalia demanded.
"I…I don't know." Kaz gasped. "They said they were going off world, but would be back in a few days. They didn't say where they were going."
She was telling the truth. Thalia was certain of that. She let her hand fall away and the rumble of the force died. Kaz collapsed to the ground, taking gasping breaths as a few of her warriors ran to her aid, but she battered their hands away.
"I will give you two options." Thalia continued, looking down at the murderous Class Five leader. "My offer still stands. You can take my offer of freedom and be exiled from Troska; and I promise you, you won't be able to return. My scientists are already working on a way to make that happen. Or stay here, and live out the rest of your days in this very cell. The choice is each of yours to make." She added, addressing entire army. "But I will need an answer now."
While Kaz glowered, a few tentative warriors raised their hands in favour of exile. Just like in the battle, once the others saw a few take the lead, the majority followed. Soon, all but Kaz and a few other loyalists had chosen exile.
"Come on, Kaz." One of them said, nudging their leader in the leg. After a glare and a begrudging shake of her head, Kaz also reluctantly raised a hand, causing the last few to follow suit.
"Excellent. I shall arrange for transport to take you to the nearest commuting station from Troska." Thalia nodded, pleased with the outcome.
"The nearest commuting station is in the next system." One of the soldiers protested from the back.
"Indeed." Thalia agreed. She wasn't going to let them run amok in Troska's transport hubs. They'd be taken as far away as possible. At the commuting station they could board all manner of transport and go anywhere in the galaxy. Frankly, she'd hope they'd be more grateful.
. . .
It took a few days for everything to return to normal on Troska, particularly in the palace where evidence of Class Five's attack was still present. The windows had been temporarily filled with a thick, clear resin while designs for the new stain glass windows were being finalised.
From her home, Thalia could see the crumbled balcony and shattered outer wall of the throne room, but everything was quiet. She'd decided to enjoy the warm evening out in the garden. While the air was warm, the cool breeze meant it wasn't quite warm enough for short sleeves, so she wore a closefitting, white, cashmere jumper and a pair of navy pants that tucked into long, brown boots.
She wandered past the honey suckle and smiled at the memory of Obi-Wan toiling away in the garden under the watchful eye of her housekeeper Beth. She'd always loved the garden, so Thalia had ensured her ashes were buried beneath her favourite willow tree. As the gentle breeze whispered through the hanging leaves, Thalia closed her eyes, letting the peacefulness wash around her.
Suddenly, she froze. The serenity had been interrupted by a rapid shift in the force. She felt the Dark Side swirl around her as if carried by the breeze. Her eyes flew open, and she looked around the garden. There was a presence here that was not welcome.
Thalia took a deep breath and steadied her breathing, letting her hand rest on the hilt of her lightsabre. The force ebbed and flowed around her as she slowly scanned the garden, turning in a careful circle. There it was. Right behind her. She whirled around but a pair of huge arms wrapped themselves around her chest before she could turn. The hold on her was so tight that it felt like whoever was holding her was trying to squeeze the air from her lungs.
Her mind went foggy as her captor used the force to disrupt her brain, and the last thing she saw before slumping into the arms was a tall, red figure with mechanical legs and horns protruding from his bald head.