The Force's Shepherds

Chapter 27

Rivals

They clung to what little shadows there were in the hot desert sun. The stifling heat caused Cordelia to feel a little light headed as she followed Marth's every move. Each step, she copied. Each slide along the sandstone walls, she replicated the best that she could. But to move in such a quiet manner was a real challenge.

She was not a sneak. Or a thief. She did not thrive in being unseen and unheard. Cordelia was a Pegasus Knight. A member of the most elite group of soldiers in the Ylissean military. Her fast grew downcast.

I once was one of the members of the Pegasus Knights.

It still was hard for her to believe. All of her comrades. Every fellow rider, every person she had called sister, was dead. Killed by that monster named Maul. Her hand tightened on the sword that sat sheathed against her hip. If she saw that demon, she would make him pay.

Marth stopped in front of her. At first Cordelia wondered if they were at risk of being spotted. Instead, the blue haired girl glanced at her over her shoulder.

"Are you alright?"

Cordelia blinked. In truth, she was not alright. She knew that well enough. But for Marth to so pointedly ask that question after what had gone through her own mind startled the pegasus knight.

"If you need another role in this mission, we can make it work." Marth continued, "I don't want you to be put in harm's way."

Cordelia frowned, "I'll be fine."

Marth stared hard at her. Then she gave her a stiff nod. The pair slipped further along the walls. They tiptoed through the dusty alleys and streets near the palace walls. Marth's eyes continued to scan the area around them. Checking for any sign of guards or patrols. Much to her surprised, there was none.

She held up her hand. Cordelia came to a stop behind her.

"What now?" Cordelia whispered.

"Listen." Marth replied.

Cordelia strained her ears, "I don't hear anything."

Marth nodded, "Exactly. We don't hear anything. Where is the clanking of chain mail and weapons from city guards? Where is the chatter from people wandering the streets? Where is anyone?"

Cordelia gulped, "Maybe it's a national holiday?"

Marth shook her head, "Not a chance." She drew Flachion from it's sheath, "Something sinister is afoot."

"What do you need me to do?" Cordelia asked.

Marth thought for a moment. She did not doubt Cordelia's prowess in battle. In order to be a member of the Pegasus Knights, one had to be one of the best warriors in the entire Halidom. Both with a spear and sword. But Pegasus Knight hardly ever engaged in infantry combat. Almost always, they fought in the air. Would Cordelia be as effective on the ground? For that matter, Marth could sense the anger in Cordelia. It simmered. Like a slow boiling pot of water. Once combat occurred, would she lose sight of their mission in favor of seeking vengeance for her fallen comrades?

She glanced up at the walls beside them again.

"I'm going up top." Marth explained, "See if I can get a better view of what is going on. I need you to watch from the ground."

Cordelia nodded, "And how exactly are you-"

Marth took a sharp breath. Using the small amount of control she could muster, she willed the Force around her body. Then she jumped. Wind rushed past her ears as she surged up through the air then landed heavily on top of the wall. She stumbled a few paces before slowing down and regaining her balance.

I need to work on my control. Marth thought to herself before turning to look back down at Cordelia.

The red head looked up at Marth with wide eyes.

"Keep a lookout." Marth hissed down to Cordelia.

The red head nodded then took up watch on the road. Her head swiveled from one side of the street to the other.

Marth's observations unsettled her even more as more time passed. No patrols still. Was King Gangrel that overconfident or that mad? Any sane ruler would have patrols constantly moving around the palace. Especially in a time of war. Was he so self assured of his own victory and power that he thought no one could possibly enter his own palace?

Cordelia shook her head. King Gangrel was insane, but he was not stupid. A stupid man would not have been able to bring Ylisse to her knees so quickly. A stupid king would not have been able to rally his nation against a foe that had already defeated them once before.

She could feel her stomach starting to twist in knots. This whole situation was not right. It was too quiet. Too calm. Too easy.

Hoof beats pounded against the sandy road. Cordelia's gaze whipped to her right. Racing down the dusty street was a single, black horse. There was a saddle, a small travel pack. But no rider. The horse galloped past the pegasus knight and disappeared down the road.

Strange. Cordelia thought as her hand kneaded the grip on her sword.

She returned her gaze to the other side of the road. She froze.

Standing up the road, hood covering his head, was the Black Rider Ben spoke of. The Black Rider that had caused Exalt Emmeryn's capture and had helped distract the Shepherds from Maul.

She ripped her blade free from its scabbard and glared at the Black Rider. Her blood began to pump through her veins. She could feel her heart hammering in chest. Blood rushed through her ears. Creating a horrible, mournful sound that caused the hair on the back of her neck to stand on end.

Her eyes widened as the Black Rider put a finger to his masked face. Right where the lips should be. Was he telling her to be quiet?

Like hell she would be!

"MARTH!" Cordelia cried.

The Black Rider shot forward. An elbow slammed into Cordelia's chest. The air rushed out of her lungs as her metal breastplate bent inwards from the impact. She felt herself flying back through the air before landing hard on the road.

Coughs wracked her lungs as she struggled to catch her breath. Her vision had fogged over. As she struggled to get to her feet, Cordelia saw the man stalking towards her now. Yellow eyes blazing with fury and frustration. The red head shook her head and struggled to her feet. She brandished her blade and readied herself for a fight.

The Black Rider stopped a few feet short of Cordelia. He had yet to draw his weapon. Instead of moving to attack again, he cast his eyes up at the walls.

Cordelia followed his gaze. Standing on top of the wall, looking down at both warriors, was Marth. Falchion glinted in the sunlight as she glared at the Black Rider. A look of pure, dangerous menace.

A light chuckle filled the air. He was laughing at Marth. Marth scowled. Just as she was about to jump back down and confront the Plegian warrior, he held out an open palm at Cordelia.

Something grabbed her. Like a massive invisible hand. Only rougher and stronger. It jerked her high into the air then tossed her like a rag doll up onto the walls. Only Marth's quick reflexes kept the red head from falling off the other side and down to the stony courtyard below.

The bluenette hauled Cordelia to her feet. As she gathered her wits, the Black Rider surged up from the ground. Using the same strange magic Marth had used to jump to the top of the wall.

Cordelia gulped. There was a darkness coming from their enemy. And it clouded the air all around them. For some reason, she felt like it was hard to breath. Those yellow eyes burned holes into her. As if the rider could see right into her very thoughts.

She gasped. Was it possible? Did this man have the same abilities as Ben? She glanced over at Marth as the younger girl stepped between Cordelia and their enemy. Did Marth have the same abilities? Suddenly, she felt very out of her depth.

There was a tower behind the two women. The door to the tower burst open. Four Plegian palace guards rushed out. Each one brandishing a hideous ax. Cordelia twirled around and swallowed hard.

"We're cornered." Cordelia shivered.

"It's a trap." Marth cursed to herself, "How could I have not seen this coming!?" She glanced back at the Plegian guards, "Can you handle them?"

"Can you handle him?" Cordelia replied, nodding in the Black Rider's direction.

Marth's face became grim, "We're about to find out."

Before Cordelia could say another word, the Plegian guards charged. Cordelia grit her teeth and charged as well. The last thing Marth needed was to get caught in the middle of her fight when the blue haired girl was dueling the Black Rider. An enemy that was able to challenge Ben on the battlefield.

The first guard to reach her swung back with his large ax. Aiming to take her head from her shoulders. Cordelia did not give him the chance to follow through. She buried a fist in the man's gut. Surprising the Plegian with her strength. The guard stumbled back. Then her blade bit into his flesh.

The first guard uttered a strangled cry. Cordelia kicked him out of the way, sending the poor sod falling off of the wall. She twirled and blocked a savage ax swing from the next guard. Her foot kicked out and hit the third guard behind the knee as he moved to strike her. There was a wet snap. Then a loud pop as Cordelia kicked him the same spot again. The third guard howled and collapsed to the ground. His hands wrapped around his leg that was now bent the wrong way around.

She tore her blade free from the second guard's ax. As she did that, the fourth guard moved in. Cordelia ducked out of his way and slipped around his bulky form. She did not turn to face the two guards. Instead, she rushed towards the guard tower and entered it.

The inside was lightly furnished. A couple of rickety old tables and chairs. A single, wicker rug sat at the sent of the room. There were two sword racks lining the wall closest to the door. Cordelia grinned and snatched a small dagger from the rack. She spun back to the door and buried the dagger into the first guard's chest as he came bursting into the tower.

The man's breath rushed out of his lungs. Cordelia smacked the pommel of her blade into the back of his head, knocking the wounded man out. The fourth guard surged into the tower. He actually managed to get a few swings in with his ax. Cordelia backpedaled as the large man hammered against her blade with hard, heavy blows. He bashed her blade to the side then raised his ax over his head. Ready to cleave her two. Cordelia smirked. She rolled to the side, right back to the weapon's rack. With speed few warriors could muster, she ripped another dagger from the wall and threw it with all her strength at the last guard.

The dagger buried itself in his stomach. The guard grunted, looked down in shock, before dropping his ax and falling to the floor, dead.

The redhead sucked in sharp breath. She exhaled and stood straight up. Her eyes glanced at her crimson blade.

"If I had a lance, it would not have taken that long." She muttered to herself.

Her eyes hardened as the sound of armor clanking up the tower stairs drew her attention. Her grip tightened on her sword. More were coming.

She took a deep breath and moved towards the stairs. If the enemy was going to try and overwhelm her with numbers, then she would make sure that it was as difficult for them to do that as possible. The stairs were narrow and steep. A perfect spot to make a stand. She took one more breath before spotting the next guard as he sprinted up the stairs.

"For Commander Phila." She whispered to herself.

Three more guards rushed towards her. All of them huffing and puffing, red in the face, as they shot up the stairs. Cordelia grimaced, readied her blade, then attacked.

….

"HOLY SHIT!" Gaius cried as Maul became a blur of black robes and savage red light.

Ben gripped his wrist and tossed the thief out of the monster's way. Whatever weapon the evil man was using, it was something Gaius had never seen before. His eyes grew even wider as the blade dug into the floor. Turning the sand that covered the dungeon cell into clear glass. Gaius swallowed hard. He had no time to process what he had seen. Let alone recover from nearly getting cut in two by a sword made of red fire.

Maul was upon him again. How the old geezer moved so fast was a mystery for Gaius. The guy was a cripple. He relied on that cane. Or so Gaius thought.

Is this what people mean when they say the elderly have old man strength? Gaius thought to himself as Maul's lips curled into a savage snarl.

Gaius grit his teeth and raised his short sword to block Maul's weapon. But their blades never connected.

Something grabbed Maul. Gripping the horned devil and throwing him hard against the dungeon wall. Dust drifted down from the ceiling as Maul hit the wall and left a cracked imprint in the stone.

"Gaius, run!" Ben cried.

The thief watched in disbelief as Ben pointed an open hand at Maul. His fingers flexed. Maul uttered a rage filled roar as he was grabbed by some invisible force again and tossed across the room like a rag doll.

"GO!" Ben shouted, snapping Gaius out of his stupefied state.

His instincts kicked in. Instincts that had never failed Gaius in his entire life. That had helped him survive on the dangerous streets of Plegia's Capitol city. Instincts he had fine tuned in order to perfect the art of thievery. Survival was paramount for a street urchin. Avoiding death and imprisonment was even more important for a thief. His feet carried him swiftly out of the lowest level and up the many dungeon levels beneath the palace.

As he sprinted away from danger, he heard Maul uttered a furious roar that made his hair stand on end. It sounded inhuman. Like the cry of a creature that had come straight from the deepest pits of hell. A demon's roar. Gaius felt his teeth start to chatter.

Maul was not human. No human could move like he did. No normal man could look like that. With all of the black and red skin and the horns protruding from his skull like a sinister crown.

Gaius faltered as he reached the top floor in the dungeons. Maul's rage filled cries had stopped. Did Ben somehow beat that monster? Or was his friend dead? Gaius gulped and decided to take a small peak back down the stairs.

There was a red glow. And it was growing. Fear coursed through Gaius's body. Normally he was not terrified of the enemy or any form of security.

As a thief, it was normal to be nervous, even afraid when attempting a heist. So many things could go wrong. A healthy amount of fear made a thief cautious, calculating, and above all else, successful. It allowed a good thief to find the perfect hiding spots. Recognize the best routes for escaping a sticky situation. Judge if a target was worth the risk or not.

Terror did none of those things. There was no benefit to it. Terror froze thieves. Rendered them dumb and useless. Prone to mistakes and easy to catch. Normally, Gaius would use humor to try and suppress that fear. Or candy. But the terror instilled in him by Maul was not natural. It was incredible. Downright horrifying. If he had to look that monster in the eye again, he would probably turn into a blubbering mess.

So he was not going to allow that monster such an opportunity. He sprinted for the door and burst out of the dungeons and into the palace's main hall. Right into the company of ten palace guards and the Mad King himself.

"Hello there, thief." King Gangrel gave Gaius a manic smile, "Going somewhere?"

Gaius's eyes drifted back to the dungeons.

"Not down there, if that qualifies as an answer."

Gangrel uttered a shrill laugh that made Gaius shudder. The man's mind was worse now than when the war first started. The insanity was now present in his very appearance. There was a craze gleam in Gangrel's eyes. A malicious, glee filled expression on his face. A sallow, unhealthy appearance to his skin. He looked like he was made of just skin and bones.

The King pointed a finger at Gaius.

"Kill him." he ordered his guards.

Gaius readied his sword. He glanced behind him. The red glow from Maul's weapon was growing. He returned his gaze to the ten guards charging at him. He was good in a fight. Not half bad by most soldier's estimates. But certainly not a true fighter. Someone like Ben or Marth could probably take on these guys all at once. But Gaius, he was better suited sneaking through the shadows. Not attracting an ounce of attention. An open, pitched battle was a worst case scenario for him.

Well, Gaius thought to himself as he dug into his pocket and popped a fresh lollipop into his mouth, It was a good run.

The palace doors burst open. A large, furry animal sprinted in on all fours. Two, clawed paws ripped into three of the guards before a strong jaw grabbed another and tossed the guard to the side.

Gangrel fell backwards as he avoided the animal's attack. The guards froze, unsure of what to do in the presence of a giant rabbit.

Gaius beamed at the creature.

"Whiskers, I could kiss you right now!"

"Get on already." Panne growled.

Gaius smirked. He rushed past the surprised enemy and hopped onto Panne's back.

"The inn is no longer safe." Gaius grunted as Panne spun around and kicked two more guards to the ground.

"Where can we go then?"

Gaius swallowed hard. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the red glow growing brighter behind the dungeon's door.

"Anywhere but here!" He yelped.

Panne's powerful muscles flexed. Gaius cried out as she sprinted out of the palace, leaving a cloud of dust in their wake. As they sprinted out of the courtyard, Gaius could see Marth and Cordelia fighting for their lives on the palace wall.

Bad idea. His mind said. No. Stop it. Don't do it, idiot.

"Whiskers." Gaius said, his voice much higher than he intended it to be.

"What man-spawn?"

You damn idiot.

"We gotta go get Red and Blue."

Panne did not reply. Instead, she pivoted hard in the sandy earth. The Taguel surged towards a flight of stairs that led up to the walls. At that point, Gaius jumped from her back and sprinted up the stairs and onto the walls. His blade danced in his hands as one guard came at him. Then two. Then three.

Panne appeared behind him. Her beast form ripped the guards to shreds. Her sharp claws tore through their shields while her strong jaw crushed their armor. As big of an animal as she was in this form, she was shockingly nimble. She easily evaded several devastating hacks and slashes from the enemy.

The duo, Gaius and Panne, fought back to back. Or, if Gaius were to be more honest, back to hindquarters. They began to make slow progress along the wall towards Cordelia and Marth. But the tide of soldiers was growing by the second.

"We won't make it man-spawn." Panne growled.

Gaius cut down another Plegian before looking across the courtyard to the two girls. Cordelia was tiring out. She was fighting wave after wave of Plegian soldiers. And as more fell around her, her attacks grew slower. Her defense became weaker. And her movements became less swift and agile. She would not last much longer fighting on her own.

But there would be no help coming from Marth. The blue haired girl was in one of the most heated duels Gaius had ever seen.

"We must escape!" Panne shouted over the din of battle, "The King and his demon servant are approaching!"

Gaius felt his mouth go dry. Maul was nearing them? He cast a guilt filled look over at Cordelia and Marth.

"Damn it all." He muttered before hopping back onto Panne's back, "Go." He said, his voice quiet. Any humor lost, "I know a place we can hide."

The Taguel nodded. With shocking grace and power, she jumped from the walls down onto the sandy street below. It took only seconds to lose the enemy soldiers in the tightly packed alleys around the Palace. And once they did, once Gaius could breathe again, he could not help but feel guilt burst up in him.

They had failed to rescue the Exalt. Maul had most likely killed Ben. And now Marth and Cordelia were likely were about to be killed. Or worse, captured. He doubted Gangrel would be merciful to two Ylisseans attacking his home. He shook his head and buried his face in Panne's fur as they disappeared deep into the heart of the city.

….

Marth glared across the rampart at the Black Rider. Her dark eyes met his blazing yellow irises. There was no doubt in her mind now about what this enemy was. The dark side of the force billowed out of him like a thick fog. It was oppressive. So much so, that she found it difficult to connect to the Force in any way.

He was a Sith. Not a master. That distinction belonged to Maul. No, this was the apprentice. An apprentice she knew all too well.

"So." Marth said scornfully, "You've decided to show your true colors."

The Black Rider reached up and pulled the mask down from his face. Revealing a youthful, boyish face. His hands reached up to his hood and tossed it back. Allowing his blonde hair to feel the warm air.

To her surprise, he did not seem… pleased to be across from her? There was a hesitance to him. His intentions were murky. Unfocused. There was something horribly off about the boy. Marth frowned. Did he not want to fight her?

"I'd rather not do this, Luce." He said, his arms hanging loose at his sides.

Marth scowled, "Then why did you come here, Kage?"

Kage sighed, "To try and talk you out of this."

"Talk me out of what?" Marth snapped back, "Doing what is right!?"

"No! To talk you out of doing something stupid!" Kage snarled, "You know how powerful my Master is. You know that right now, your master does not possess the power to defeat him outright. If my Master finds you, he will not hesitate to kill you."

"I'm well aware." Marth snarled, "What I'm not sure about, is whether you will try to kill me or not."

A hurt expression crossed Kage's face.

"Luc-"

"Don't. Say. My. Name." Marth hissed. Her teeth clenched tight. Her grip on Falchion was so tight that her arms were beginning to shake.

She saw this coming. She knew Kage was a possible traitor. But for it all to be true in the end; it gutted Marth. She had not realized how bad she wanted to believe that Kage had indeed rid himself of Maul. That he had finally gotten away from his evil influence and was genuinely interested in helping the Shepherds.

"I was a fool to think better of you." Marth said, "You are just like your Master."

Kage's eyes flashed, "I am nothing like him."

"Really!?" Marth exclaimed, "Then why are you helping him?"

Kage did not reply. Instead, he lowered his gaze. Unsure of how exactly to answer her.

"Are you that much of a coward!?" Marth cried, "That you, of all people, would be so afraid of one man that you would so easily betray everyone who cares about you!"

"No one cares that much about me."

"Liar!" Marth screamed, her voice cracking, "I- I cared." She swallowed hard. Struggling to prevent tear from cascading down her cheeks. She took a deep breath, "Kage, please stop this. Help me fight back against Maul!"

She could faintly make out the loud sounds of steel hitting steel. The pain filled cries of men falling to their deaths. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Panne and Gaius burst out of the palace. Behind her, she could hear Cordelia valiantly defending herself against waves of Plegian soldiers.

But she was not focused on any of that. All she could see now, was the young man in front of her. The old rival that she had once called friend. That stood by her side in battle after battle against all odds of survival. Her heart felt like it was being ripped out of her chest as she realized he was weighing his options.

She held out an open hand, letting Falchion fall to her side.

"Come with me."

She held her breath. Kage took one step forward.

Her blood ran cold as he stopped moving. He closed his eyes and sighed with regret.

It hit her like a tidal wave. A brutal assault from the dark side that nearly brought Marth to her knees. She knew where it was coming from. Just from the power bursting out of the palace, she knew Maul was near. And that he was… celebrating?

Her breath got stuck in her throat. Panne and Gaius escaped the palace. But Ben did not.

"He's coming now." Kage said. His voice quiet and filled with remorse, "If he fights you, you will die. And it won't be a swift death."

Her eyes widened and pupils shrank as Kage reached to his belt. Not for his sword but for the silver hilt hidden by his black cloak. He gripped the hilt in his right hand then activated it. Unveiling a crimson blade made of brilliant light.

Her hand fell to her side.

"Kage... please."

His face turned grim. He closed his eyes took a deep breath.

Those yellow eyes shot open. The dark side of the force roared around him. In the blink of an eye, he was on top of Marth. Red blade cutting a deadly arc through the air.

Marth raised Falchion and parried the attack. The blow caused her to stagger backwards, both from surprise and from the sheer power behind it. In that moment, Marth realized that Kage would not hold back in this duel. He was going to hit her, hard. Possibly kill her. She could feel her heart being torn in two as all the memories she had with him burst through her mind. At one time filled with hope and joy, now sullied by grief.

He cut another brutal slash through the air. Marth backpedaled. She took a deep breath. The Kage she knew was gone. In his place was a cold blooded killer. Created and molded by Maul.

If he was not going to hold back, then neither could she.

She readied herself in Soresu's traditional posture. Praying that she could hold out against Kage's oncoming assault long enough in to find some sort of route for escape.

Marth did not delude herself. She was a great swordsman by normal standards. But by Force Adept standards, she still had a lot of work to do. Her training was not complete. A true Jedi had control of both the force and their lightsaber. Utilizing the pair to form a deadly combination that could overpower any opponent. She barely had proper control over the force. And, when it came to weaponry, she was at a disadvantage. Falchion was a powerful sword. But how long could it hold up against a true lightsaber?

Then there was Kage's abilities. He had always outclassed her in almost every way. Kage had a raw power to him that made her own force sensitivity look small in comparison. His skill with a blade had only ever been matched by her Master and Maul. She had sparred with him on many occasions. Every time they did, he won.

Even so, she thought she was prepared for an actual duel with her rival. She thought she knew how he fought. His tendencies and patterns. What form he preferred to use. Everything.

Naga, she was so wrong.

He was a whirlwind in front of her. A maelstrom of red light danced before her eyes as she struggled to keep up. All the while, the dark side of the Force roared in her ears. Whispered in her mind. Sweet, malicious words.

"Give into your anger. Only then will you have the power to save the ones you love."

Marth grit her teeth. She did her best to keep the dark side at bay in her mind. But the call was proving strong. And she was proving to be woefully unprepared for a duel of this magnitude.

Her back pressed up against the wall. Falchion intertwined with Kage's lightsaber. Blue flames licked the edges of the divine sword while bright flashes of light sparked from Kage's lightsaber.

Her arms were began to tremble. It was like she was fighting Maul all over again. Only this time, she was on her own. Her master was not there to save her. Chrom was not there to assist her. In the heat of the duel, with his red blade pressing ever closer to her throat, Marth felt how powerful Kage was. And it was terrible to behold.

There was no way she could hold out against him. She had underestimated her old friend. Three years of separation had turned him into an unstoppable juggernaut. Maul's vile guidance no doubt the source of his leap in power.

Her eyes widened as Kage yanked free of their blade lock. She was puzzled at first. He had her pinned? Why didn't he end it there and then?

His yellow eyes flashed. Malice filled his gaze. Marth recoiled and he narrowed his eyes at her.

One hand ran parallel to the ground. Marth felt the breath get caught in her throat. Sparks danced along his fingertips.

She uttered a startled cry before it hit her. Bolts of blue lightning, arced through the air and slammed into her body. She shot backwards and slammed into the stone wall. Her body convulsed for a moment as electricity crackled over her body.

"I gave you the chance," Kage growled, "To leave. To save yourself. To actually do something smart for a change."

Marth grit her teeth and winced as more electricity arced around her. Then another wave of lightning slammed into her. Falchion fell from her grip and clattered to the stones at her feet. She dropped to her hands and knees. Every muscle in her body was on fire. It hurt to breathe. Each ragged breath felt like she was inhaling fire and exhaling ash.

"And yet, you still chose to hold to your foolish ideals. To stand in the way of my master, even though you knew he would kill you." Kage let his hand falter for a moment, "I don't understand it. Why would you allow yourself to die like this? What good does it do anyone?"

Marth fought off the pain long enough to give him a betrayed look.

"More than you are possibly capable of." She said, her voice dry and hoarse.

Kage's eyes blazed. Lighting shot into Marth again. She could not contain the pain anymore. She uttered a horrible scream as her body flopped to the ground.

"Do not presume to know what I'm capable of!" Kage roared as he shot torrents of pale lightning into Marth, "Do not dare assume that I do not have a very good reason for what I am doing!"

Marth could only reply with screams. She writhed on the ground as Kage took a moment to catch his breath. Marth stopped screaming once the lightning stopped. Small wisps of smoke rose from her battered form.

"He's waiting for me to finish you." Kage told her as she moaned on the ground, barely conscious, "I have no choice."

Marth stared at him through her foggy vision. She couldn't speak. But Kage could see the hurt in her eyes. The betrayal she felt. It cut far deeper than any words ever could.

"Maybe, once you are one with the Force, you will understand." Kage said solemnly.

He activated his lightsaber once again and raised it to strike the killing blow.

A dark shadow crossed over Marth. A ball of black magic plowed into Kage, sending the Sith Apprentice plummeting from the walls.

"Marth!" Cordelia cried as she rushed towards her. Only to get tackled off of the walls by a Plegian guard. The red head uttered a startled cry as she hurtled to the ground.

On the wall, Marth turned over onto her back and spasmed again as electricity arced over her body.

Who? Marth did not see who had rescued her.

It was not Cordelia. She did not know magic. Was Cordelia still fighting? Were they both about to die? She felt a slender hand grab her wrist. A dark voice muttered something unintelligible. Once it stopped speaking, she heard a dark snicker. Her body floated in the air. Marth wanted to struggle. But she could not move. She was too tired.

I can't… rest. She thought as her vision faded, Master and the Exalt… they need… help…

….

Emmeryn did not know what was going on. When they captured her, Gangrel had placed her in the dungeons at first. A high security cell. Guards watched her at all hours of the day and night. Occasionally, Gangrel himself would pay her a visit. His way of gloating. Boasting about his victory over Ylisse and how he would soon end the Exalt's tyranny in the world.

She never responded to him. Deep down, she wanted to spite the man. She did not want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he was getting to her. That his words, his actions, the news he brought of the many defeats Ylisse had suffered were finally starting to break her peaceful appearance.

She ate the meager food that was given to her. There was enough nutrients in it to keep her alive. It was not delicious. It certainly wasn't filling. But it was enough. There was no doubt in her mind that Gangrel wanted to publicly execute her. His savage way of declaring total victory over her people.

But she held out hope that Gangrel was not entirely successful in his campaign against Ylisse. She believed that Chrom was still fighting. That Commander Edward was rallying the armies and that the Khans of Regna Ferox were honoring their alliance. All three marching against Plegia even as she languished in the dark cell she called home. She abhorred the thought of more bloodshed. But at this point, it was inevitable.

Until the day she was either rescued, set free by a treaty, or killed, she would remain in her cell. And she would wait. And while she waited, she would pray to Naga for guidance. At this point, she needed the Divine Dragon's wisdom. She needed strength that only Naga could provide if she intended to come out of this alive.

Then, all of a sudden, a few hours ago, guards came to her cell. They took her away from the dark walls she had become familiar with and dragged her all the way up to a suite near the top of the Plegian palace. Now she no longer had a bench to sleep on or a view of the bars of her cell. Instead, she had a mattress. Not a comfortable one, but it was an improvement. And instead of dark walls, she had a striking view of one of the many eyes of Grima. A startling thing to wake up and see in the morning.

During the afternoon, she was forced to remain away from the window by a pair of guards. She could hear faint sounds of fighting in the courtyard below. Then she heard an ear piercing scream that made her stomach flip. Someone was dying down below. She prayed it was not someone she knew.

Slowly, the sounds of battle died away. Her guards became less tense. She subtly moved towards the window. As she was about to take a peak at the scene far below her, there was a knock on her door.

The guards jumped to their feet and moved to door.

A wave of cold hit Emmeryn as the door opened. Goosebumps formed on her skin. Only one creature was capable of inducing such a reaction.

She cautiously turned to see Maul stepping through the double doors to her room.

"Comfortable, your majesty?" Maul asked.

Emmeryn moved her weight from foot to foot. His gaze always made her uneasy. This creature had a way of unsettling her in a way that Gangrel could never do. It was like Maul could see through her very being. Pierce her mind and see every waking thought.

"Yes." She replied carefully.

Maul chuckled. Emmeryn could not help but notice that his sounded out of breath. Like he had been put under some strain recently.

"Good." Maul replied, "These are your last days. May as well have some comfort during them."

Emmeryn swallowed hard, "What do you want?"

Maul's eyes narrowed, "Much more direct than normal. Gangrel will be most envious of me. Apparently you don't say a word to him." he sighed, "Then again, I don't blame you. Speaking to that fool of a king is a waste of breath."

His eyes gleamed at her. Fear coursed through Emmeryn as he smirked at her.

"I came to inform you, that some of your friends just attempted a rescue."

Emmeryn's heart stopped in her chest.

"They failed, obviously." Maul hobbled closer on his cane, "Can you guess which friends?"

All color rushed away from her face.

"Ben Kenobi led them." Maul chuckled, "Along with Marth, a traitorous thief, some strange rabbit creature, and a pegasus knight that escaped the reach of my saber." He grinned in delight as Emmeryn's legs began to shake, "My apprentice dealt with Marth and the pegasus knight. As for your precious Ben…"

The doors opened again. Two guards dragged an unconscious Ben into the room and tossed him unceremoniously onto the floor.

A panicked cry left Emmeryn's lungs. She scrambled over to Ben and cradled his head in her lap.

Maul uttered a loud laugh.

"Oh isn't that precious." He leaned on his cane, "The Jedi has someone who loves him. Now you two can enjoy each other's company before your deaths."

Emmeryn uttered a shuddering breath as she struggled to keep herself from breaking down into tears. Ben looked horribly beaten. There were several large bruises on his arms. One of his eyes was swollen shut. A nasty gash lay above that same eye and his lip was split open. She felt her chin trembling as she looked back at Maul.

"Wh-what did you do to him?" She managed to ask.

Maul's eyes gleamed with delight, "He tried to break you out of the dungeons. I met him down there. His thief friend escaped my wrath. At a cost of course. Let's just say, once his friend was out of harm's way, he stopped struggling." Maul's glee abruptly left him, "And so," Maul's voice grew harsh, "I punished him for being weak."

Emmeryn stared stunned at Maul.

"Wh-why?"

Maul's amusement ran away. His eyes became cold. Vile and evil.

"Because," Maul growled, "I hate him. And because you are close to him, I hate you. I want nothing more than to destroy Kenobi. And this will break him. And when he is broken, when he is begging me for death, I will grant it to him. But only after he is broken."

Emmeryn stared at Maul in horror.

"What could he have possibly done to you to deserve such a fate?"

Maul snarled, "Ask the Jedi when he wakes up."

He stormed out of the room in a cloud of black fury. The doors slammed shut behind Maul. Emmeryn heard his cane tapping against the palace's stone floors. Once that sound faded, she ran a hand over Ben's cheek.

Then she let the tears fall.

And chapter! The rescue has failed. Ben is captured. Marth is injured and in the hands of someone else. Cordelia is missing. The only shepherds still free in the city are Gaius and Panne. As for Kage, well, his master will be none to please about the duel's results. We will return to Robin and Chrom in the next chapter, where two new characters will arrive! I can't wait! Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Have a nice day!