The horror unfolds
- Bastila Shan -
Everything was falling apart. We were trapped on the bottom of the ocean, in a deserted base, with no vehicle back to safety. And no communication link back to Karon.
If that wasn't bad enough, my worry for Juhani was beginning to supersede everything else. The intense Cathar had been strangely quiet, but I hadn't failed to sense her burgeoning fear. Perhaps because my link with Revan was muted – small mercies, at least there is some peace – but I had realized all was far from well with Juhani. The Cathar insisted she was fine, but the tense set of her shoulders and the feral look in her eyes betrayed her.
And now we only had each other to rely upon. In the past, I had wished for that barbaric Mandalorian to leave – to allow me to continue my quest without his interference and snide temperament – but not like this. I could not quite forget the ugly look in his eyes.
Why did Canderous have to be so stiff-necked? His death-threats did not strike fear into me – I refused to let anything that uncouth simpleton said scare me – but I could not help but be cautious. Canderous was no match for the Force, but should he catch me unawares...
I pursed my lips in annoyance. If it hadn't been for Roland Wann and his self-righteous interference, Carth would be accompanying us. While I trusted in the Force and my own abilities, the rabid Selkath set my teeth on edge and both Carth's assured competence and his loyalty would be most welcome. We had been lucky so far, and had not encountered more than two of them together. But the cursed Base had been grotesque in its offerings – the last Selkath looked to have been feeding on a corpse when we interrupted him. Juhani had barely dodged a vicious bite to her leg.
"I wonder what could have occurred to warp these Selkath." Juhani's voice was jarringly loud as we picked our way through one of the endless meeting rooms that populated this part of the Base. The darkened chambers were now behind us, but the artificial light emitting from halogen bulbs cast an eerie glow over the plasteel walls.
Silence had enveloped us as we tentatively strode through the cursed Base. An hour earlier I hadn't been able to ignore the faint, muted sounds that occasionally reached our ears – sounding suspiciously like human screams – but now, nothing. I was not sure what was worse.
"I do not believe I wish to know," I finally replied. "These Selkath do not feel right." They had been the only sentients we had encountered in the last hour. And their demeanour has been so crazed that I could not categorically call them sentient anymore.
The Force shone in all living beings, brighter in the more conscious ones. Somehow, it had been dulled, or twisted, in Selkath we had found. The only thing I could compare it to was a rabid kath hound.
"They do not smell right either," Juhani muttered under her breath. "Like a caged reek."
The incoherent, raving Selkath had dogged us through the twisted channels of the underwater base, and revulsion sat like sick in my stomach. They used to be researchers here. Logical sane people that have been contorted into something macabre. What could have happened to degenerate them so?
We exited into a hall that was dominated by a large, round table. Datapads and techJournals sprinkled the floor in a disjointed mosaic. Days ago, scientists met here to discuss their findings and research projects. A vast ferracrystal window gave us a view into the gloomy depths of the Manaan ocean. The water was too dark to make anything out, although I thought I caught a glimpse of a slithering shadow in the murky depths.
Juhani shuddered and moved on.
"You are safe inside, Juhani. The water cannot come in."
"I know," the Cathar replied tartly. "I am well aware that it is an irrational fear, and I apologize for it. But I can – no, I will deal with it. In silence."
She stepped past me after that pointed remark, and did not look in my direction. I held in a sigh and followed her. I should not have brought that up, I rebuked myself. Surely reminding Juhani of her own fear achieves nothing. But I wanted to help her, and I needed her strong.
I silently followed her into one of the long corridors that sprawled like treekan tentacles throughout the base. Walls loomed on either side, closeting us in this claustrophobic place. I had never been so anxious to see blue sky again.
Our objective was to discover a working transmitter or console, but thus far we had been unlucky. The only computers we had found were either malfunctioning, or had been maliciously destroyed.
The corridor curved gently to the right, and the lights above flickered intermittently. Panels from the ceiling had fallen to leave rubble in our path, but beyond that I could make out a larger room. The door had been smashed open, and pale electronic light shimmered from within. Juhani straightened her shoulders, and stepped over the rubble on the floor.
As the Cathar strode into the room – a command centre of some sort, I could see that now – I noted a faint whirring noise. What is that? The Cathar froze, and my mind raced. I'd heard that sound before, but couldn't place it.
A blast of bright laser fire spat back at us, aiming directly for Juhani. I gasped, instinctively reaching forward to pull her to safety, but the Cathar was quick enough. I sensed a vague hum of the Force swirl inside her as she leaped backwards, falling onto the broken ceiling tiles and scrambling back over them. Her wild eyes met mine.
"Turrets," I muttered, edging away from the room. "They must be malfunctioning."
"Why?" Juhani gasped.
"I am not sure," I returned, but my eyes were on the room. I can destroy the turrets, but it may take out the computers also. Is it a better choice than turning around? We had to find a working console to request help, but moving onwards was even more important. We would achieve nothing if we kept backtracking at every obstacle.
"No, no, you misunderstand me. Why would a research base be armed with turrets?"
I looked back at Juhani; she was frowning in thought. "As a defence against the Sith, I imagine. Should they ever find out about this secret base, they would stop at nothing to destroy it." My first thought upon hearing about the problems down here had been that the Sith were somehow involved. Now, I wasn't so sure.
"You believe they would risk the neutrality agreement to attack here?" Juhani inquired.
"I do not think they would be jeopardizing it. This place is secret – even from some members of the Selkath government. The Sith could attack here and the Republic could not afford to cast the blame upon them – not without revealing their operations. The political ramifications of that could cost us the kolto agreement, rather than the Sith."
Juhani had turned to face the room again, her body tense. Her ears lay flat against her head. I laid my hand on her arm to forestall her.
"Let me disable the turrets," I murmured. She nodded, and I gathered the Force inside me. The life energy inundated through my veins and settled my nerves – some part of me understood just how addictive the Force could become. I closed my eyes and reached out my senses, feeling for the electrical impulses in the room beyond. It buzzed with the artificial energy of working machinery, and I knew a moment's regret about the computers I was about to destroy. Though surely we would find more deeper in the base – we had to.
I stepped forward, flat against the north wall and out of line from the working turret. Why it was activated I did not know; I preferred to believe it was malfunctioning. The other reason – that someone had set it to fire at anything that moved – raised too many questions. I only knew of two beings alive in the base, and that hysterical Twi'lek we encountered earlier was in no frame of mind to be turning on defence systems. I did not want to consider that the Mandalorian might be angry enough to impede our progress – or worse, to actively attempt to kill us.
I stretched out my hand, letting forth a flood of ionizing Force power that streamed towards the electrical oscillations. Loud pops and bangs of systems shorting out issued from the room, and bright sparks danced against my eyelids. I let the flow continue for a moment longer and then stopped, panting slightly against the wall. While I was proficient at this use of the Force, it was tiring.
I opened my eyes to Juhani staring at me quizzically. "You transform the Force differently than I, more efficiently. That looked very similar to what Revan used against me, back on Tatooine."
I stiffened, indignation spiking hot in my belly. Lightning – that is an abomination. Used to torture and kill. "It is not the same," I said tartly, aware that my voice had turned stiff and insulted. "This use of the Force affects only electronic equipment, such as droids or computer systems. It is nothing like lightning."
"I am sorry." Juhani looked taken aback. "I did not mean to offend you."
I realized I was glaring, and hurriedly schooled my features. Why am I so upset? Revan had once been one of the most powerful Jedi around. She was renowned for her ability with the ionization, far more so than me. Just because her skill had transferred to the electromagnetic side of the Force - what she had used on Juhani - did not mean I should be so offended. For, it was the way she had used her talents that made them so odious, not the talents themselves. Revan is certainly a touchy subject for me these days, I realized with some chagrin.
"And I should not be so quick to snap," I apologized. "Master Zhar once told me that ionization was a close cousin to the lightning many Dark Jedi employ. Perhaps I am more like Revan than I care to admit."
Juhani smiled at me in understanding, and her face filled with warmth.
We cautiously edged into the room again. Sparks shot from the turret mechanism up on the ceiling as it hung limply by a cable. Four consoles in the centre of the room showed nothing but static.
My shoulders drooped as Juhani laid a comforting hand on my arm.
"We will press on," she whispered. "There must be some system – or person – left on this base that can help us."
I nodded at the Cathar; she appeared steadier, calmer than she had been. Perhaps we both benefit from reassuring the other. With that thought, I followed her silently out into yet another corridor.
As we left the doomed command centre behind, a clattering noise reached my ears. I tensed, and once more activated my lightsaber. The corridor turned sharply to the right some twenty metres ahead, and beyond that came the sounds of incoherent muttering. We froze, as into sight loped the crazed Twi'lek Canderous had scared away earlier.
"You!" he garbled, breaking into a run. A hiss next to me indicated Juhani's lightsaber; with a wary eye I spotted a blade in the flailing hand of the panicked Twi'lek.
"I want your ship! Give it to me!" His hand waved uncontrollably; his eyes were wide and dilated. Part of me marvelled that he had survived these last few hours – he was lucky to have avoided that bloodthirsty Mandalorian.
"Please, calm down," I said slowly, carefully. "We can help you, but-"
"No! I'll kill you if you stand in my way!" Saliva dripped from his open mouth.
"Bastila, let him past," Juhani whispered.
"Our ship is damaged," I spoke slowly, struggling to keep my voice low and non-threatening. "You must listen to reason-"
"I'm not afraid of you!" he shrieked, his fingers clenching on the blade.
"Let him past, Bastila!" Juhani's voice was intense. "Let him to our ship."
Surprise at the Cathar was what made me stand down; at the very second I stepped aside, the crazed Twi'lek was past us at a scream, almost cackling in glee.
"Juhani!" I hissed. "The hull of the submersible is cracked – allowing him through has condemned him to certain death!" Stunned disbelief choked me; that the Cathar would allow such an unbalanced person to their demise was not what I expected.
"He would have attacked us otherwise, and died in the effort," she replied, her yellow eyes fierce and gleaming. The sound of the Twi'leks footfalls grew fainter before dying away completely.
"No, you cannot know that!" I protested. "We should have tried-"
"We did, earlier," she countered. "You sensed his mind – he was as far gone as the Selkath, and you have not managed to get through to any of them, either."
Defeat sat heavy in me; the Cathar was right. I had tried to communicate with all the Selkath we encountered. Nothing but insane war cries had met my desperate pleas.
"Besides," a half smile sat oddly on Juhani's face. "He does not have the access codes to start the submersible."
I felt my mouth drop open as chagrin overwhelmed my sense of despair. Juhani was smiling openly now, not mocking, but merely conveying reassurance. I could feel my cheeks flushing in embarrassment. I detest it when I miss the obvious. Juhani turned to stare intently down the corridor, the warm expression sliding from her face.
"This place is a rotting cess-pit of evil," Juhani muttered, switching off her lightsaber and hooking it to her belt. "Bastila, not everyone can be saved. And some- some must find their own path to salvation."
I knew she was no longer talking of the Twi'lek. My thoughts shied away from Revan automatically, but I could not quite still a smile at Juhani's words.
"And who taught you the wisdom of a Master?" I asked, a lilt in my voice.
Juhani smiled back, and assumed walking once more. "I had a good talk with Karon."
We stayed quiet after that, walking silently down the eerily empty tunnels. Speaking with Karon had been a balm to my soul; but down here in the bowels of the ocean, I was no longer at peace. Tension returned to Juhani as we moved further; the Cathar's movements became abrupt, jerky. Occasionally we could hear creaks as the base groaned under the weight of all the water. I could only hope that Juhani was not dwelling on it also.
"I would like to know more about these Star Maps," the Cathar's voice broke the ominous silence; I recognized she wished more for a distraction than an explanation. I, for once, appreciated the chance to share what had been my mission alone for so long. Juhani was a sister Jedi; returned recently to the fold, yes, but she could be trusted with some of the details. There were many I could not divulge.
"Karon explained the majority of what we already knew," I began. "The Star Maps are relics of an ancient civilization – but more importantly, we believe they point towards some sort of powerful weapon. A weapon that Revan and Malak discovered."
Juhani nodded. She had heard this before from Karon, less than a day ago. "There are four maps, yes?"
"Five if you include the one on Dantooine – the starting point. The Council found that it contained the coordinates to the four others." I paused, wondering how to phrase the rest. "I- I shared some of Revan's memories before her mind was rebuilt. One of which was her and Malak entering the tomb on Dantooine. That is how the Order found out about the Star Maps."
Juhani lapsed into silence, and I wondered what she was thinking. We walked cautiously through an empty storage room; I grimaced at the sight of two Selkath corpses lying broken on the ground. Splintered metal fragments lay next to lockers that had been blown wide open. Scorch marks and grainy residue marked the ground, suggesting evidence of a grenade blast. Could this be the Mandalorian's doing? It seemed likely, although I dearly hoped I would not encounter Canderous again.
Juhani's voice cut through the dead air. "Do you not think the others deserve to know about our mission?"
I could not help a bitter laugh. "What others? Juhani, in case you haven't noticed, our team has disintegrated. Mission and Zaalbar have disappeared; Canderous has deserted us. Carth is the only one to remain loyal, and he is not even here!"
Juhani did not reply as she opened the exit at the south of the room. Another vast hallway greeted us, this one splitting nearby into two closed doors. A sign dominated the wall next to us.
"It seems we have a choice," Juhani murmured, her eyes skipping over the sign. "Research Administration or the Experimental Laboratory."
"Let's try the former. Perhaps we can find a working console there," I suggested.
Juhani nodded, and stalked to the door. A camera mounted on the ceiling shifted to track her movements, and I froze in readiness, glancing around quickly for turrets. I could not spot any defence weaponry in sight.
"It will not open," Juhani said, palm pressed on the door control. "Either the door has been locked, or the electronics are damaged."
My eyes stayed fixed on the camera as I walked slowly next to Juhani. It moved slightly to point at me.
"Juhani," I said softly. "I think that camera is tracking us."
Juhani twitched, shooting me a look of surprise before affixing her gaze on the ceiling. She frowned, and raised a hand, palm open, in a universal greeting.
A faint noise permeated through solid ferracrete; I could not make it out, and Juhani shook her head in irritation.
"Hello?" I called out. "Is someone there?"
"Survivors?" Juhani murmured, her eyes lighting. Nothing but silence answered our call.
I knocked loudly on the large door. "We are part of a Republic rescue team! Can you hear me?"
"Go away!" a muffled voice reverberated through the thick ferracrete. "You'll let the Selkath in! They'll get us like they got all the others!"
Juhani's face was solemn as she laid a palm on the door. "There are none out here," the Cathar cried out. "You can see from your camera – there is but us two!"
"We will not hurt you!" I added, knocking again on the door. "Roland Wann sent us!"
The vague sounds of a stifled argument filtered through – there is more than one survivor then. I could not quite perceive what they were saying.
"We are here to help!" I appealed again. "Please, we will not harm you!"
Voices were raised once more in debate before I heard an answering call. "Okay- I'll unlock the door, but you have to come in quickly!"
The door swished open as I sighed in relief. Two humans stood back from the entrance, staring at us, faces fraught with distress. The younger female was pointing a gun directly at me.
"Quick!" the elder, a male, said frantically, waving his hands. "Before the Selkath come!"
I had barely taken a step inside the room before the door snapped closed behind us.
"Who are you?" the woman cried, her eyes wide. The gun – a small blaster – wavered in her trembling grip.
"Sami, calm down," the man murmured, raising a placating hand to rest on her arm. "I don't think they're here to kill us." The woman lowered the gun at his words, her shoulders sagging in fear and exhaustion. She muffled a sob, and I felt a surge of pity at what these poor people had gone through.
"My name is Bastila Shan, and this is Juhani," I introduced. "Roland Wann sent us to rescue any survivors."
"I am Kono Nolan," the male responded, but his head had jerked to face me at my introduction. "This is Sami Touraide. I- are you Jedi?" His eyes had wandered over us, and were resting on the deactivated lightsaber in my grasp. "Did you say Bastila Shan?"
"Jedi?" the one called Sami murmured. Something that resembled hope lifted the weariness from her features.
I was surprised Kono recognized my name, though I should not have been. It seemed like years since I had been actively involved in the war, utilizing my prized Battle Meditation for the good of the Republic. Any person, be they scientist or merchant or clerk, would have heard my name if they followed the holofeed headlines. It was easier then, knowing where the enemy was, and what I needed to do to help our allies. Better than this sneaking about from planet to planet, unable to consult with the Masters and not knowing who to trust.
"Do you have a way out of here?" Sami demanded. She'd put her gun aside on a table, and took an expectant step towards us.
"Bastila Shan," Kono muttered disbelievingly under his breath, staring at me the faintest glimpse of awe in his eyes. I shifted uncomfortably.
"Unfortunately, our submersible was damaged on the trip down here," Juhani replied. "We will have to look for another way out."
Sami was shaking her head as the hope fled from her face. "So you have no way of getting out of this pit either? Some rescue!"
"Sami!" Kono reprimanded her sharply, shooting me an apologetic look.
I pursed my lips, biting back indignation at the scowling woman. "Perhaps, rather than recriminations, you can tell us what happened and we can go from there."
Sami glowered at me, but Kono was nodding in agreement. "It was... almost a week ago, now. Our work teams were outside in the rift near the vent. This... this monster-"
"Firaxan shark," Sami interrupted, her eyes flashing.
"Larger than any shark I've ever seen!" Kono shot back incredulously. Juhani looked at them in askance; this sounded like the echo of an argument run ragged in the past.
"Kono, I know what I'm talking about-"
"What did this shark do?" Juhani interrupted in a steely voice. The two humans quietened, and Sami closed her eyes in despair.
"Our people outside- they, they were torn to shreds," Kono answered finally, his voice low and quiet. "This shark or whatever it was– and I've never seen a creature so large– seemed to lead an attack. Swarms of firaxan followed it, our cannon defences were useless..." he trailed off, and I was appallingly reminded of the presence I had felt when approaching the Station. Some vast entity slammed into my Force walls and disintegrated them, I recalled with horror. Something that rekindled the frenzy of the firaxan swarm attacking us. Could it have been this monster they are talking about?
"Then our Selkath researchers went mad," Sami continued. She was looking away from us, vacant gaze fixed on the wall behind. "They started screaming... and clawing at everything around them."
"We barely made in here alive," Kono added. He swallowed. "Sami and me... I... I thought we were the only ones left. We heard the Selkath outside at the doors every once in a while... and those strange noises echoing through the base. We... thought everyone was dead... dead or insane. All we could see was the cameras... and we saw the Selkath slaughter everyone..."
A portentous silence pervaded the room; Juhani was looking down, a painful grimace twisting her mouth. Unease swept through me, heavier than before. I must find a way forward. Trust in the Force, Karon had told me. I struggled to take the words to heart.
"Can you contact the Republic from in here?" I asked quietly. "That must be our first objective. We need to let them know there are people alive down here-"
Sami snorted, and I halted my discourse to frown at her. "It's not like they'd send another rescue team – the firaxans are attacking any vehicle that approaches the base!"
Annoyance wound its way through me; I could understand that they had experienced a horrific time, but the woman so far seemed to be objecting at every turn. "Regardless," I went on smoothly. "We need to communicate with them. Is it possible?"
Kono was shaking his head. "No, not yet. Our communications array went down days ago. We don't know how – either the Selkath or those blasted malfunctioning turrets. Something happened, and caused the security systems to kick in and seal the room shut. I can't connect to the mainframes from here, so I have to assume the damage is irreparable."
I could feel myself frowning in thought. "You said not yet," I replied slowly. "Do you believe there is a way, then?"
The older scientist hesitated, and then nodded slowly. "The systems in this room were used for communicating to our workers outside. Each envirosuit is kitted with a small transmitter, so from here we can keep track of our mining teams. Our computers aren't equipped for long-range communication, but I've been trying to strengthen the signal using the amplification units from our spare envirosuits. If I can run it through enough amplification stages without too much signal degradation, it might just be strong enough to reach the surface." Kono shrugged. "It's a long shot, and it's been slow going, but we haven't had many other options."
I had a good look around then – I had not paid much attention to our environment since Kono and Sami had so grudgingly granted us entrance. We were in what looked like a research station – terminals lined two walls, yielding what appeared to be scientific data on most of them. A full circle of even more consoles dominated the lower end of the room, and multiple camera outputs illustrated their screens, half of which showed static. I could see that the two humans had been able to track parts of the Base while staying safely locked inside this haven. Desks and benches laden with equipment I did not recognize furnished the north end of the room, underneath a wide window that showed a dark portal to the world outside.
"Well, that is good news," Juhani said after we paused to digest it. "If you believe we can eventually contact Commander Wann-"
"We've got a bigger problem," Sami cut in, looking intently at the both of us. "The air conditioning's not working."
I stared at her. "What?" I spluttered in disbelief.
"The air con's not working," she repeated indignantly. "The firaxans have attacked parts of the base, and we believe that's what caused a leak in the pipes leading from the air turbines. The immediate countermeasure by the control cluster was to shut the pipes down, causing the air circulation process to feed back on itself."
There was a heavy pause. "What, exactly, does that mean?" Juhani enquired in a tiny voice.
Sami sighed. "In short, the air's not replenishing."
I froze, and heard Juhani moan beside me. Sami, however, did not look so alarmed. Perhaps she'd had days to come to terms with the ghastly knowledge of her impending suffocation. "Now this base is pretty big, I'd say we've lots of air left – but I just don't see the Republic sending another rescue vehicle when the last three haven't made it back. We've gotta sort out the firaxan problem ourselves first, otherwise even if they do send another ship – it's not going to make it down here intact," the words tumbled in a rush from Sami, and she finished by inhaling deep and folding her arms defensively.
"We're running out of air?" Juhani whispered, her eyes widening. I felt a churning in my stomach, and swallowed despite myself.
"We might have weeks left," Kono amended. "I'll only need a day or so and I should be able to send a delayed message through. The Republic will send another rescue team – they must-"
Sami snorted, and despite myself I was almost inclined to agree with her. "Kono, we've seen three submersibles arrive since this happened. We've tracked them on the cameras. All of them were assaulted by the sharks – one didn't even make it inside! It'd be suicide for them to send any more-"
"You think they'd leave us to die?" Kono shot back heatedly. "You really think the-"
"What can we do about the sharks?" Juhani intervened.
Sami fixed her gaze on the Cathar. "We've powered down most of our harvesting machines. I believe that-"
"What's that?" I cut in, my attention caught sharply by a blur of activity on the screen directly in front of Kono. In the periphery of my vision I vaguely noticed Sami shoot me an irritated frown, but I was more focussed on what looked like the onset of a fight. Kono and Juhani turned to study the console as I walked forward. I heard the Cathar gasp.
"It's more psychotic Selkath," Kono muttered. "Most are dead now – they even turn on each other – but there's still some stragglers around."
"Where is that room?" Juhani's voice had a note of distress. I looked closer, and with mounting horror recognized the bulky figure standing in the centre of the room: Canderous Ordo.
"It's our chemical storage room – just down the hallway from here actually," Kono replied.
I couldn't hold back a gasp of terror; my stomach clenched and my veins turned to ice as I processed the video starkly playing out in front of me. Bile churned in my stomach.
I could make out perhaps seven Selkath, charging at him in unison. The Mandalorian fired point blank into the chest of one, but two others leapt onto his back. Revulsion flooded me as I saw one of the crazed Selkath sink his teeth deep into Canderous' neck. He's going to die in there! The Mandalorian arched in pain, but retaliated by slamming his elbow into the stomach of the Selkath.
"We must help him," I whispered, realizing at once that for all I disliked the callous barbarian - I did not wish him to die. Juhani swivelled to stare at me in surprise.
"We can't!" Kono objected. "We're safe in here – the Selkath attack anything that moves!"
One of them had wrested the Mandalorian's blaster from his grip; another had taken a frantic swipe at his legs. Canderous twisted as he fell to the ground, fists snapping out in a wild attempt to fight back. The Selkath with his gun turned to fire, stumbling backwards as the repeating blaster coughed laser chaotically through the room.
"Open the door!" I demanded urgently. Without consciously realizing, the Force had swirled and interleaved through my verbal command. Kono stepped backwards, a dazed look on his face. "Open it, now!"
Sami's mouth dropped, her hand snapped towards the console and I heard the door swish open. At once, I ran for it, harnessing the Force to lend me speed.
"Bastila-!" Juhani cried from behind. I paid her no mind, sprinting through the corridor. The walls blurred past as I ran, pausing only to slam my hand on the door control at the end.
The entrance opened, and a horrific sight met my eyes. Selkath corpses garnished the large room, but at least four were a writhing pile in the centre. I could not even make out the Mandalorian – it looked like a feeding frenzy. Feral shrieks and cries mingled with brutish Mandalorian howls – he was still alive.
An upsurge of Force power erupted from me, rippling through the room and thrusting the Selkath off Canderous, like petals plucked by a sharp winter's breeze. My lightsaber glowed yellow in my hands; with a sharp cry I ran forwards, cutting down the first Selkath in my path. It hissed as it seared into blue-green flesh.
The Selkath howled in anguish, and two others scrabbled up to face me, leaping rabidly at me, snarling, hands outstretched in a frantic bid for my face. They are crazy! My lightsaber whirled in desperation, searing a limb off as warm blood spattered on my face, stabbing deep into a belly as I dodged the swipe of a claw. I could hear Canderous grunting as he struggled to remove himself from the fray; the thrumming noise of his blaster-
Wait, he was not holding his weapon!
Sharp pain blossomed in my lower back, and I screamed convulsively as my legs caved underneath me, my lightsaber slicing through a Selkath leg as I lost my footing-
There was a roaring noise in my ears as the agony overrode everything else; daggers of fierce torment biting deep into vertebrae-
"Bastila?" Canderous yelled, his voice shocked and incensed. I'd fallen on my front, my lightsaber slipping from my grasp. Alien growls dimmed under the torrent of pain as a heavy, snarling weight landed on my back – another Selkath, a dim part of me realized, as I sunk helplessly into black oblivion.
xXx
A flaring of agony in my back brought me to jarring consciousness; my eyes stayed tightly closed as I struggled to contain my breathing. Painful warmth throbbed at my side and tailbone, overshadowing a murmured conversation I barely registered.
"I told you! There are no working submersibles left. Each one that fled the base was smashed to bits by the sharks – I don't see any way out of here other than to hope for a rescue team." The voice was desperate; it sounded like the scientist.
"Yeah, and we all know how successful that's been," a gravelly voice fired back.
"Bastila? Are you awake?" a quiet murmur by my ear; I felt a faint pressure on my hand.
Bastila? The query rippled faintly through my mind. I shied away in reflex.
"Or we could manually disable the last harvesting machine. No, Kono, listen to me! We have no choice-"
"You wanna go for a swim out there? What, you think the sharks haven't been fed enough?" That was definitely Canderous, his deep voice mocking and sarcastic.
With effort, I pried open my eyelids. Harsh light blinded me and I gasped, squeezing my eyes shut involuntarily. The pain stabbed deeper in my back.
We need to talk. Are you there? The voice was dimmer now, so quiet I barely registered it.
"He's right, Sami. We don't stand a chance out there!"
"Bastila, can you hear me?"
Dizzying nausea pulsated through my senses, and with something akin to gratitude I let unconsciousness claim me once more.
xXx
Angry, raised voices pervaded my oblivion, but this time, awareness was quicker to emerge.
"I ain't putting my life on the line for a pair of cowardly academics!"
"I'm needed here! I cannot afford to leave this room!"
The breath expelled from my lungs as my eyes opened. Blurry colours morphed into people; Canderous was sneering at Kono Nolan, whose face was red with indignant fury. The Mandalorian has stayed, then. Unease crawled through me.
"Canderous, this is our mission! One of us must brave outside, and I- I don't..." Juhani's voice trailed off, and her head bowed in what I guessed was shame.
"I'll go," a young female voice spoke out firmly.
"No, Sami, I need you here!"
"What's going on?" I intended my voice to be firm; that the same argument was still raging seemed ludicrous. However, what emitted was a weak croak that transformed into a choke. My back flared with heat.
"Bastila," Juhani's face lit up as she turned to me, a smile curving her lips. Concerned relief warmed her voice.
"Welcome back, princess." The Mandalorian's tone was harder to pick.
I was lying on a bench at the end of Kono's command room. The smell of kolto and bacta patches overpowered anything else, but I took a moment to realize my wounds weren't as uncomfortable as they had been before.
Juhani moved closer, crouching next to me. "Sami's patched you up. I do not think you will walk for a few days, but with luck there should be no lasting damage. You will need a proper scan when we get to the surface to make sure. I tried... I tried to heal you. I am afraid it has been too long... since..."
"Peace, Juhani," the words slipped out, cutting softly through her diatribe. I had no wish to hear Juhani doubt herself again. "It will come with time."
Canderous had stalked towards the bench, stopping to stare down at me. "It's not the first time you've saved my neck, princess." His eyes were unreadable; cold slats of grey. A bloodied rag was tied tightly around his neck, and his face lacked the ruddy colour it normally held. "This time, you had no reason to. We'll talk about Jen later - but Mandalorians honour their debts. I'll get you to the surface."
I nodded slowly at him, not trusting myself to respond.
"We won't get to the surface unless we power off the harvesting machine!" Sami burst out angrily.
"What harvesting machine?" I cut in. I felt exhausted, and my legs prickled with fatigue. I was straining just to follow the heated argument, wrestling against eyelids that were determined to close.
Kono and his assistant had moved towards me also; they glanced at each other briefly before Kono's gaze returned to me. He smiled, but lines of tension cut deeply into his weathered face.
Sami was studying me appraisingly. "That was pretty brave what you did," she said, in a musing tone. Indignation flooded me – I knew she had not liked me on sight, but any proper Jedi would not sit back while someone else was in danger!
"We didn't have a chance to talk properly before," she added before I could open my mouth to object. She dropped into a worn chair opposite me. "I'm a deep ocean biologist; I was sent to this base to investigate the recent upsurge of firaxan activity in these waters."
"Now, the sharks have always been a problem," Kono interrupted in a pious tone. "We use sonic blasters and projectile cannons as a defence, but they still got some of our workers from time to time."
Sami threw a brief frown at her boss. "Yes, but only when our workers ventured past the safety markers! Firaxan sharks usually stay in their territory, and attack only when provoked. Since we discovered the new kolto vent, and subsequently opened our new harvesting machine, there has been a marked alteration in their behaviour. I've never seen oceanic animals attack machinery without provocation, yet this is precisely what they've been doing. Almost as if they believe our operations are a threat to their way of life, or an impingement on their territory-"
"Sami, you talk like these beasts are intelligent," Kono scoffed. "They're rabid sharks! To be respected, like any other predator, but-"
"They're a pack animal, Kono!" Sami was scowling at him in anger. Canderous rolled his eyes, leaning against the wall with a contemptuous look fixed firmly on his face. "Just like kath hounds, they will attack something collectively if they've a reason to!"
"Perhaps you had best explain where the harvesting machine ties in," Juhani broke in softly as Kono's mouth opened once more.
The scientist huffed in frustration. "We've powered down all bar one of our harvesting machines, and yes, the sharks have mostly dispersed from our older kolto mines. Now they've all swarmed to the new mine, just past the docking bay."
"They can't power it off remotely," Canderous cut in, his voice disgusted. "Seems the little fishies have damaged it somehow. Someone's gotta get out there and flick the switch."
I must have shown my incredulity, for Sami intervened quickly. "It's not as crazy as it sounds! We've been working on ways to repel the sharks – poison, cannons – but our most successful experiments have been using sonics. Caal Jordan's created a handheld sonic emitter that so far has aided all our workers immensely-"
"Have you looked outside lately and seen that swarm?" Canderous growled. "Ain't no way some fancy little gun is gonna kill off that lot-"
"It's not a gun." Sami's dark eyes flashed. "It'll scare away the sharks – if they're close enough, it'll stun them-"
"Do we have any other options?" I intervened, flaring with irritation at the lot of them.
Silence hung in the air, and Kono sighed heavily. "I'm a few hours away from contacting HQ."
"However, if they cannot safely send another vehicle, then we are effectively trapped here regardless." Juhani's voice was solemn. "And we do not have an endless supply of air to rely upon."
"Is there any way of modifying this sonic emitter on a larger scale?" I queried. "A handheld device may not be powerful enough to repel all the sharks outside."
Sami and Kono shook their heads in unison; the latter wearing a dark scowl. "All our techs are dead. Killed by those insane Selkath – most of them are dead, now, too. Seems like we're the only ones left alive on this gods-forsaken base."
I struggled to sit up on the bench, jolts of agony shooting down my legs as I did so. I squeezed my eyes shut, containing a grimace as I battled to withstand the pain. There is no emotion. I allowed myself a few seconds respite, then opened my eyes again. The pain dulled to a manageable level.
From my vantage point at the head of the room I could view the camera outputs. They showed nothing but glaringly empty rooms. Venturing out is our only option then. But I battled to sit, let alone walk - and I could not heal myself.
"It appears we must brave the sharks," I said, my gaze fixed seriously on each of the others in turn. "I can use the Force to distract the swarm away from the harvesting machine. What other resources do we have? Sami, how many of these sonic devices are here?"
The dark-skinned human returned my gaze steadily. "Two. There's more in our storage rooms."
"You lot can't be serious," Canderous groused. "Only a laser-brain would think they could live through that swarm outside."
"It's possible!" Sami objected, swinging around to glare at Canderous. "Firaxans are attracted to vibrations and movements – as well as blood, of course. If you walk outside, very slowly, the sharks may not even notice you."
"Right." The Mandalorian's voice dripped liberally with sarcasm. "So you want us to go outside, walk very slowly at the sharks, all the while firing noise-makers at them?"
Sami grimaced, glancing down. She appeared somewhat ashamed of her own suggestion. "The harvesting machine isn't that far from Base, though. Only about a five minute walk – just at the edge of the rift, before the ruins.
"Ruins?" I interrupted, frowning. "What ruins?" A shaft of surprise ran through me. Could it be? What with the horror that lurked throughout this doomed station, I'd almost forgotten our original mission.
Sami shrugged. "We don't know. To be frank, the Republic has been more interested in harvesting the kolto in this new mine than investigating the ruins. Our workers have told us that it's a few broken structures, with some old machinery in the middle of it. None of them have looked closely – no one ever wants to stay outside any longer than necessary."
I'd frozen halfway through Sami's address, my gaze fixed on Juhani's shocked, reluctant one. The Star Map! It has to be! There was no choice now – one of us had to brave outside. But I cannot walk. Can I really request such a daunting task of Juhani? With her fear?
"What's up with you?" Canderous barked. "Your face is all scrunched up like a kinrath pup."
"You cannot walk," Juhani muttered in a stumbling whisper. "And we cannot delay this." She drew in a shaky breath, and I could see realization painted starkly on her face. She had surmised, then, that she must go. We cannot trust Canderous to get the coordinates, and it needs to be a Force-user to boot. Only Juhani and I understand the significance of this mission.
The Mandalorian was scowling at both of us.
Slowly the fear on the Cathar's face was replaced with shaky determination; her mouth tensed, and I knew she was rallying her will power as steadfastly as possible. "I will go." Her eyes met mine; resolved and terrified, all at once.
"Juhani-"
"No, Bastila, I see it now. If I am to be tested, then I will not run. Not this time."
Grief echoed softly in her voice – I knew she was dwelling on her past. "No one is testing you, Juhani. And we do not need to investigate the Star Map now-"
"Star Map?" Kono interrupted.
"The Force led us here," Juhani countered. With every passing second, the fear slid from her eyes. A determined sort of resignation held station there instead. "It is time I faced my fear. I do not believe this is chance, Bastila."
I wondered how she had found such unwavering faith in such a short time; sometimes, it seemed like mine was disintegrating slowly with each passing day.
Canderous spat on the ground; Kono shot him a repulsed glare. "Fine, guess I'll join you then, Cathar."
"But minutes before you were adamant you wouldn't go outside!" Kono blustered indignantly.
"Bah, it's better than sitting around here, listening to you lot whining," the Mandalorian said derisively. "If it's the only way to get to the surface," his eyes held mine firmly, "then looks like I ain't got no choice. Now give me one of those noise-makers."
xXx
It had been a torturous hour as we all struggled to prepare for the dangers ahead. Sami had spent the time explaining at length about the behavioural characteristics of firaxans; Juhani remained anxiously intent on her words, but Canderous had all but ignored the younger woman, choosing to rifle through cupboards and canisters instead. What he had expected to find of use in a research station, I did not know.
They had left mere minutes ago, headed towards the airlock Kono had directed them to. My stomach was tied up in tense knots, and my mind fogged fraught with apprehension. I did not like staying behind and leaving them to brave the danger outside, even as I logically knew that my part to play was crucial to our success. If I could not calm or distract the sharks, Canderous and Juhani would not have a chance.
"They've reached the airlock, and are suiting up," Kono informed us, standing in the circle of consoles at the end of the room. "We'll be able to communicate with them once they have their envirosuits on."
I was leaning uncomfortably against the wall, my weak limbs still spread out helplessly on the bench. Sami sat near me with a reassuring expression on her face. Since my frantic plight to aid Canderous, the woman had been more benevolently disposed towards me.
But worry stirred within, overshadowing all else. An unwelcome voice whispered that this was more than a fool's errand; that we may be sending Canderous and Juhani to a watery grave. We seem to have no other choice, and I must have faith in the Force. There is a reason we were led here, and the Star Map is not far. Yet how could they withstand the frenzied fury of the sharks? Our submersible had barely emerged from the swarm intact, and I dared not dwell upon the Force presence that seemed to fuel the rage of the firaxans. For I may be facing that again. I had to help them, and utilizing the Force – in a passive paradigm of my Battle Meditation – seemed to be the only way I could.
"Yo," a crackly voice emitted from Kono's station.
"Canderous," the scientist greeted him. "Hearing you loud and clear. Are you ready to leave?"
"I am. The Cathar's standing around like a stimmed-up loon, though."
Juhani, I thought desperately. Do not let your fear overcome you.
"Come on, kittycat. Let's not lollygag all day," the derisive taunt slid out into the room.
"Do not call me that, Mandalorian!" Juhani hissed. A raucous laugh echoed her.
"When you're ready, go through the airlock," Kono intervened. "I'll track your movements from here. There's no sharks near this side of the Base – you shouldn't have a problem until you near the harvesting machine."
I closed my eyes, pushing back despair and reaching out numbly for the Force. The affliction in my spine and legs had been dulled from painkillers, and disappeared into nothingness as I stretched out my senses. It always felt like this, this awed wonder, this reverence, as I half-departed my conscious body and enveloped my surroundings with awareness.
The Base itself was dead around me, a block of man-made structures that emitted no life. Further out, I could feel the frenetic sparks of the firaxans, heavily coalesced around something I surmised to be the harvesting machine. I could not sense that vast foreign being yet, but not far was a swirl of evil; a familiar taint in the Force – the Star Map! It feels just like the one on Tatooine!
"We're out," I barely registered Canderous' statement. "Haar'chak, it's hard to move in these kriffing suits."
"You're coming out past the kolto treatment rooms," Kono informed them. "Not far, and you'll see markers leading to the new harvesting machine."
"It's dark." Juhani's voice was a whisper. "The water goes on forever here."
I gathered in the tendrils of Force, pulling back to focus on the two of them. I could stimulate a sense of serenity around Juhani if needed, but would I attract the attention of the firaxans? I did not dare utilize the Force for anything bar awareness, not yet.
"Bah, pull yourself together, Cathar," Canderous jeered. "You fight well when you're not whimpering."
"Fight?" Sami spluttered nearby. "You can't fight in an envirosuit!" I vaguely heard the woman stir, and stride away towards Kono.
"Thank you, Canderous. I shall be okay."
"Let's just do this before I die of boredom."
My senses hovered over the two of them, and I could feel the sharp spike of fear recede from Juhani. She was not calm, but she was keeping her panic at bay. In relief, I extended the Force further, past the frenzied swarm and back around the Star Map. The evil aura both repulsed and fascinated me. Revan came here once. The base had not been here, then, and the rabid behaviour of the firaxans was only a recent problem. I wondered briefly if the sharks were attracted to the dark Force that permeated this area.
"We're by the markers," Canderous said. "There's a few fishies around, none close though."
"If any are heading towards you, just stand still," Sami advised them. Her voice came from further away; she was obviously working next to Kono. My eyes stayed closed as I struggled to stay in a partial meditative state. "Don't use the sonic devices unless they get real close."
"Yeah, yeah, I hear ya."
"What- what is that? Up ahead?" Juhani's voice was shaky.
"You can probably see the swarm from here," Kono said. "These markers lead straight to it."
"There's one shark- it's heading towards us!" Juhani was panicking now; I reeled back in to hover over her presence, her desperation and fright sending ripples through the Force. An angry spark of life was homing in on them rapidly.
"Stay still!" Sami cried. "The shark may not bother with you if you don't move-"
A Mandalorian curse echoed from the console; I did not know enough of the language to comprehend it. Sami gasped, and I pulled desperately on the Force, ready to unleash it-
"Well, at least we know your little toys work," Canderous barked out. "That's one dead fishy, all right."
Relief surged through me dizzyingly, and I held back – just in time.
"It's not dead, merely stunned." Sami's voice was acerbic.
"I am sorry." Juhani was barely audible. "I know what to expect, now. I will not move next time."
"See that you don't," Canderous said shortly. "Let's go."
Shame wafted from the Cathar; using the Force like this, I could almost smell it. It was an extra sense – a blend of sight and smell that permeated through me. I touched Juhani with the Force briefly, reassuringly, before moving further out.
I lingered over the swarm of sharks, and could sense the harvesting machine now, small jots of electronic impulses scarcely noticeable in the Force. It was intermittent and unsteady, almost as if the machine was no longer stable. Some of the firaxans were hurling themselves at it in rabid fury.
"We're about as close as we can be," Canderous said. "Look, I don't see how we're gonna get any closer without being torn to shreds."
"Bastila will help us," Juhani responded.
It was time, then. I dropped deeper into my trance, breathed in, and suspended myself over the writhing mass of sharks. Pure energy flooded through me. I knew how to influence this species now, after using Juhani's aid on our entrance to the station. I only hoped it would be enough.
I released a surge of peace, of passive calm, that settled around the swarm of sharks and infiltrated the aura of rage that surrounded them. Dazed confusion responded, but the crazed frenzy that had been there was dissipating. I felt some sparks of life turn tail and swim away.
In the periphery of my Force senses, something huge and ancient loomed. Trepidation broke my concentration – No, I knew this was likely. If I cannot calm them, then perhaps I can distract them – and then my hold on the Force was rocked by a vast righteous fury. I gasped, gathering myself desperately as I struggled to stay aware, to stay in a Force trance, all the while attempting to slip away from its focus and back to the swarm.
Wild ferocity shot back to life around me, and the mass of sharks turned as one, veering sharply towards the base. The dead electronic pulses of the harvesting machine were more noticeable, thrumming in an unsteady staccato beat as the sharks left it naked to my Force sight.
"The sharks are clearing out. K, there's a drukload of them. Let's move, Cathar."
I followed the swarm, deftly evading the sentient being who seemed to wield such great power, even if it was so incredibly foreign and primitive to my senses. The firaxans had reached a wall of the Station, and began to flail and thrash against it in rabid fury.
"What- what's that, Kono? I can see something through the window!"
I discharged another passive torrent of Force power, only to find it blocked from even reaching the sharks below.
What? How can it do that?
"Kono, look! The sharks – I think they're attacking the base!"
"Got it! Easier than the girls at Roxy's cantina."
"Canderous has turned the machine off. Should it be rumbling so?"
"I- Sami, it's ferracrystal, it'll hold. It has to!"
The vast entity smashed once more into my web of Force, and my senses reeled and staggered under the onslaught. I felt my grip on the Force unravel slightly.
"It's just powering down. Taking awhile though. No, it- damn, it's unstable- get out of here!"
"Canderous? What's going on out there?"
"Cathar, you're going the wrong bloody way! It's going to blow!"
"I must find the Star Map, Mandalorian! I will not fail!"
"Kono, the window's flexing – there's hundreds of those sharks out there! We need to get out of this room!"
Horror seared through me as I desperately tried to hold myself together. Vaguely I was aware that everyone was in trouble, and the sharks were now attacking the Base itself. I wildly thrust my awareness out further, away from the Base in the desperate hope the swarm would follow. But all that came was the almighty force I could barely defend against.
Bastila, can you hear me?
The presence slammed into me again, and I felt a scream loose from my throat as I was taken unawares. I was holding too tightly onto the Force, my very mind enmeshed with the channels I was pushing out, and the vast being was tearing it to shreds, pulverizing my senses as I struggled frantically to evade it.
Look, I'm back on Manaan. What the frell is going on?
The raged being actively chased me – No! – I reeled my senses in hurriedly, but it slammed into me again and again, my very thoughts fraying and blurring until my awareness narrowed to nothing but pure unmitigated terror.
With a last sharp burst of colour, I felt my mind disintegrate into a thousand shards.
xXx
