:: Chapter Five ::
"Status report?" Eliza circled the holo-communicator while taking notes on her datapad.
It had been a week since she'd taken out the Black Hoods and Theron had awoken. Now all of them, including Theron, Nyssa and Lord Cytharat, had gathered at command center which was really just a bunker underneath the mansion.
"Lord Darius and Jedi Master Timmns have found several runaway Padawan eager to join the cause. They've relocated to Voss for the time being but cannot remain there indefinitely while the Star Fortress looms overhead. Sooner or later Arcann will take note of so many Force users gathered in one place." Lana informed them all from a distant and unknown location.
"Agreed, we need to get them away from any Eternal Empire patrols as soon as possible."
"If I may," Lord Cytharat cut in "these days Makeb is once more stable and largely abandoned."
Lana thought for a moment and nodded "I will have Agent Balkar and his team scout the planet."
"Who is he working with now?" Theron wondered.
"His wife Charlie and Havoc Squad—he appears to know their Commander quite well. Stumbled upon them after Lieutenant Jorgan traded their Thunderclap for one of our own Phantom models and the Squad wound up chased by Acina's men."
His natural complexion concealed it well but Lord Cytharat flustered when he heard and recalled the Cathar he'd traded ships with on Nar Shaddaa. Luckily for him, no one else was any the wiser save for Eliza who briefly glanced his way and smirked.
"What of Vette, Risha and Jenna?" Me'ghan asked next.
Though she'd released Vette from her service years ago and granted the Twi'lek her own ship, they remained close friends. When the war came to their doorstep Vette ventured out by herself to meet up with her old friend Risha and a Republic Smuggler.
"Forever staying just a few parsecs ahead of any law enforcement chasing them. Recently made a drop on Ord Mantell but we're running low on medical supplies now Nyssa's been caught."
"Sorry…" Nyssa looked around the room and a blush crept onto her cheeks but Eliza waved her apology off.
"You did what you could for as long as you could at great personal risk. No need for apologies here."
"She's right," Lana concurred "and Darth Vowrawn's already reached out to some of his old contacts in hopes of finding ourselves a new supplier. Now there's one more thing and this is for you specifically Eliza."
"Go on?"
"A potential ally reached out and requested a meeting with you. He would not say anything else, just that his loyalty lies only with you now but he will not join our cause until he has met with you in person. I'd venture to guess he's looking for guarantees."
"That stinks of a trap." Ravage scoffed and he shook his head "Obviously she won't be going."
"Did he leave a name?" Eliza ignored Ravage.
"No. Only what I assume is a call sign of sorts, 'Shock Drum'."
The second Lana read those words out loud, a smile formed on Eliza's face and she nodded "Set the meeting."
"You can't be serious!" within seconds Ravage towered over her "Did I not just say this is clearly a trap?"
"Does 'Shock Drum' mean anything to you Eliza?" Me'ghan frowned her way.
"It does so I will be going and…" she began looking around the room and considered her options but Theron already volunteered.
"Then I'm going with you."
"No." Eliza turned him down quite adamantly "You're still recovering, you're not going anywhere except for your rehabilitation sessions."
"I would accompany you." Malavai, who'd mostly observed the meeting in silence, spoke up at last but Eliza turned him down too.
"I'd prefer you and Meg look after Cyara while I'm gone," she smiled and held her hand up to Ravage before he could speak next "and you ironically enough lack the diplomacy for this little meet."
A small growl escaped him as his jaw tightened while Me'ghan bit down on her bottom lip and tried not to laugh.
"Lord Cytharat, would you join me?"
"Of course."
"Good then that's settled. Now Lana, do you have any news about your own progress?"
"Nothing substantial. There's a Knight who once served in Valkorion's personal guard and who's spent quite some time chasing Koth, the deserter I met recently. Word is she's struck out on her own, left Zakuul behind. Might be a worthy ally if I can convince her to join our cause."
"A Knight of Zakuul…" Eliza paced the holo-communicator once more. Someone like that, she figured, may know more of what transpired after the attack on Darth Marr's ship. "Good, yes. Keep me posted?"
"Always and I will be in touch once I've arranged your meeting with this other person. Any preference for a location, do you want him flying out to Rishi?"
"Whichever is most convenient for him. If he's using code names he may be in trouble and hiding."
"Understood. Beniko out." Lana's holo-image disappeared.
"Who is this person?" immediately Ravage turned his attention back to Eliza.
"If I'm right, an old friend. The first Sith I ever befriended actually."
It was the only thing she was willing to share for now. Given the secrecy her old friend appeared to insist on, Eliza decided not to tell others of his identity and instead first see where her meeting would lead.
Tython, her former home. The place where she'd grown up among those who'd deceived her throughout her entire childhood. Eliza had not set foot here since she'd left for Manaan with Lord Scourge so many years ago—since she'd first met her true family. And it had changed so much.
An eerie cold and grey haze loomed over the planet as if all life had been sucked from its core. The Jedi Temple sat in ruins once more, abandoned. No one had bothered to rebuild it this time, not after Arcann and Thexan had carried out the attack that started this new war.
"This is not what I had expected…" Lord Cytharat spoke silently as though he feared raising his voice by a single octave would disturb the fallen Jedi whose bones decorated the courtyard.
"No…"
Eliza held her step and looked all around her. The green fields in which she'd once ran, played, lay basking in the sun were fogged up now and only scarcely hiding the corpses of those who'd lost their lives in the battle. The training droids she'd practised on so often were no more than a rusty heap of scrap. For a moment, an old memory surfaced and she could hear Theron's voice on the first night they'd met.
'And what exactly have those droids ever done to you?'
A single tear rolled down her cheek. Once upon a time she'd harbored much hatred for the Jedi, for those who'd deceived her for so long but she'd always kept Tython in her heart. Even through the lies, the planet still represented home in a way and she ached seeing it so destroyed.
"Are you sure this is where your friend wanted to meet?"
"I am. Strange as it may seem… this is one of the safest places now. Ever since the Jedi left it behind well, Tython's no more than a graveyard. One doesn't seek out the living in a graveyard… Come."
Despite her words, Eliza kept her hands readily resting on the hilts of her lightsabers and they tread carefully towards the Temple ruins. Lord Cytharat levitated some of the rubble aside to clear a path and Eliza lead him up the treacherous and crumbled stairs towards the old Jedi Council chambers.
The majestic golden and white doors had remained intact and she came to a halt once more "I used to be so nervous standing here waiting to be called inside…"
"And now?"
A wry smile was all he got and Eliza placed her hand against the door. Before entering she let her senses reach out through the Force to see if it was truly her friend awaiting them or if they'd been mislead as Ravage predicted.
"He's in there…" she breathed out with relief.
No sooner than she'd said those words, both doors flew open and together with Lord Cytharat she stepped inside. Much like the rest of the Temple, the Council chambers were scarcely lit and Eliza could only vaguely make out the hooded figure stood by the shattered round table.
"Praven?" it had to be him, she could feel his essence reach out to her and yet at the same time something felt not quite right.
It caused the hair on her arms to rise and a shiver coursed through her. The hooded figure turned, slowly, his red-orange eyes meeting her blues and relief washed over Eliza upon recognizing her old friend. She dashed forward eager to meet his embrace but upon closer inspection she stopped.
A thick metal collar sat around his neck and identical cuffs bound his wrists together. His eyes expressed a deep sense of regret and suddenly the Jedi Council chambers lit up, each light activating simultaneously. Soldiers in uniforms she did not recognize rushed out of hiding to surround Eliza and Lord Cytharat and shrewd laughter rang in their ears.
"Well well, if it isn't the Traitor of Tython."
Eliza balled her fists. She'd recognize that grating voice anywhere "Saresh…" she hissed angrily.
The former Chancellor emerged and fell in at Praven's side while waving around a small device she held in her hand. Behind Eliza, Lord Cytharat had already ignited his blades and faced several soldiers, eager to strike them down.
"I wouldn't if I were you," Saresh gloated "unless you want your friend here to lose his head. This slave collar one of my Agents stole from the Empire is the latest technology. Rather than shock its wearer, it sets off a small explosion instead leading to instant decapitation."
"You foul secretion!" Eliza spat "What have you done, what is this?!"
"Did your level of intelligence abandon you when you joined the Sith?" the Twi'lek sneered "All of this is a trap obviously, carefully laid out just for you."
"You see when this…" Saresh gestured at Praven with a disgusted look in her eyes "brainbolted mongrel took it upon himself to free some of the Republic's prisoners and got himself caught, well he provided me with the perfect opportunity of luring you here. I knew you'd come—after all he's still listed as a known associate of yours. "
"Your Republic is now a slave to the Eternal Empire and you're wasting time on what appears to be a personal vendetta?" Lord Cytharat confronted and clipped his lightsaber back in place.
"Don't waste your breath," Eliza followed his example "Saresh has never cared for the Republic, she only serves her own interests."
"Eliza I'm sorry I never—" Praven began, his eyes pleading with her, trying to tell her the betrayal wasn't his.
"Silence you!" Saresh barked and upon her words, one of the soldiers jammed the butt of his rifle into Praven's ribcage.
"He is right though." she continued. "In fact his refusal to cooperate almost cost him his life until we realized we didn't really need him to reach out to you—you just needed to think it was him."
"Then why is he here?" Eliza carried on, deliberately keeping Saresh talking while her mind exhausted every possible way of gaining the upper hand.
"To keep you in your place, stop you from killing us all on sight."
An effective strategy because Eliza realised there was no way for her to win in this situation. One move and Praven would lose his life long before Eliza could even take one soldier out, let alone all twelve of them. It was a risk she'd never consider taking.
"What do you want Saresh?" she asked though she was fairly certain she already knew the answer.
"You." Saresh confirmed and held up a second collar "Lay down your weapons, surrender yourself and wear this and I will let your Filthblood friend go."
"And where's my guarantee you won't just kill us both the minute I put that collar on?"
"There is none." a wide grin spread across Saresh's face.
'I could burn them, all of them right where they stand…' Eliza considered 'but what if I pass out before I've gotten everyone…'
"Tick tock." Saresh taunted and her finger hovered dangerously close over the button on the detonator.
Coming to terms with the futility of her situation, Eliza glanced over her shoulder at Lord Cytharat who vehemently shook his head but she had no other choice. She wouldn't let anyone die for her.
"Fine." she sighed and threw her lightsaber hilts down at Saresh's feet "You win."
"Eliza don't!" Praven argued and was instantly punished, taking another punch to his gut but he wouldn't let that deter him now "I'm not worth it, just get out of here!"
"Who were the prisoners he intended to free?" Eliza asked curiously while she stepped closer to Saresh and Praven.
"Fallen Jedi who've betrayed the Order over the past years, rogue Agents and soldiers who rebelled against the treaty." Saresh activated the collar she held "A few Smugglers with stolen medical supplies."
"I see…" Eliza smiled at Praven and immediately understood he'd attempted to assist her, bring further aid to her cause. He must have and it only more so convinced her he was worth saving "Well then…" she reached to take the collar from Saresh.
Just then the Council chamber doors flew open once more and Ravage stormed inside, snapping the necks of two soldiers while he made his entry.
"You filthy, disgusting, worthless Twi'lek cunt!" he bellowed in all his fury.
His sudden appearance made for such a startling surprise that for a split second, Saresh actually became distracted. Eliza noticed and through the Force floated the detonator out of Saresh's hand swiftly and into her own, taking control of the situation.
"What the… men, fire!" Saresh called out and tried to make a grab for Eliza.
Unfortunately for her, the tables had turned. Without breaking a sweat Ravage marched on using his sheer hatred and the Force to snap the neck of every other soldier in the room—they never even got a chance to take aim. He fell in next to Eliza and she smirked before taking Saresh in a Force-choke hold while Lord Cytharat rushed to Praven.
"Game over bitch." it was now Eliza's turn to gloat and her grip tightened "Any last words?"
Saresh spat down at her feet "Just get it over with you filthy Sith harlot!"
"As you wish." her grandfather's lightsaber roared to life and Eliza prepared to swing when Lord Cytharat stopped her.
"Wait! I can't get his collar removed." he pointed at Praven's neck.
"Well of course not," Saresh cackled, shaking her head at the four of them "you need to enter the five-digit deactivation code before it comes off."
"Then give us the code." Ravage had little patience and pressed the tip of his blade against Saresh's throat but all she did was smirk "Now!"
"I think not. Whether I give you the code or not, you're going to kill me either way and I'd rather go out having had the last laugh."
"There could be a world of pain between now and the moment where you actually die!"
The Twi'lek's smirk remained, she wasn't about to give in and faced Ravage's blade with more bravery than they'd expected. Eliza thought for a second and placed her hand over Ravage's. She directed his blade towards Saresh's lekku, leaving a scorch mark on her pale green skin "Try there."
Immediately Saresh screamed out. Her lekku were hypersensitive and quickly took the pain she experienced from none to unbearable, much to Ravage's delight.
"That's more like it." he hooked one of Saresh's lekku and let it curl along the length of his blade "I could do this all day."
A charcoal like smell of burned skin reached everyone's nostrils while Saresh continued to cry out in agony. She tried to slither out of Ravage's reach but Eliza was quick to assist him and took the Twi'lek in a Force hold once again restricting the movement of her body. For just a moment, Eliza met Ravage's eyes and the two grinned at each other, delighting in the torment they were inflicting.
"F-five, nnnine…" Saresh finally spat out, blood dripping down her mouth from gritting her teeth and biting her tongue "z-z-ero… t-two… ssssev-en."
"Now was that so hard?" Ravage withdrew his blade so roughly he sliced off the tip of her lekku. It twitched on the ground while Saresh fell to her knees, horrified.
Lord Cytharat rushed to enter the digits into the display on Praven's collar and with a simple click, both the collar and the cuffs around his wrists came off.
"M-monsters… all of you… I was r-right all along… we, w-we should have eradicated all S-Sith, all Imp-p-perials…" Saresh whimpered and she picked up the bleeding tip of her lekku, staring at it with widened eyes.
"Which makes you as bad as the Sith Emperor. How you ever became the Supreme Chancellor is beyond me though I imagine you spent a lot of time down on your knees quite as you are now…" Eliza casually circled the broken woman and sighed "Still. Your reign of terror ends today Saresh, along with your life."
With one fluid swing, she separated Saresh's head from her body.
"Thank you…" Praven breathed out and oddly stared at the severed head as though he'd expected it to continue twitching much like the lekku had.
"Are you okay?" Eliza hopped over Saresh's body and finally embraced him.
"Nothing some kolto, a shower and a decent meal can't fix. I'm glad you came even though the entire time I found myself wishing you hadn't."
"Yeah well this could have turned out a lot worse if…" Eliza frowned and glanced over her shoulder "Ravage, how did you get here?"
"I followed you."
"Even though I specifically told you not to?" she demonstratively placed her hands on her hips and quirked a single brow, now ignoring the fact he'd just saved them all.
Lord Cytharat cleared his throat slightly, drawing their attention before they could launch into a brand new argument "Uh, what are we doing with her…" he indicated at Saresh's corpse.
"Leave the body and bag the head—a nice present for the Senate." Eliza decided.
A duffle bag belonging to one of the dead soldiers was emptied out in favor Saresh's decapitated head and together with Praven, Lord Cytharat left the Council chambers "Trust me, you don't want to be around for a bickering match between those two…" he whispered.
Eliza turned back to Ravage and tapped her foot "Well?"
"I chose to ignore your orders. I warned you this was a trap and I was right!" he argued back and shook his head at her "Get angry with me all you like but at the end of the day, I'll be the one keeping you alive! Always!"
She looked away and muttered a quiet 'thank you' but Ravage didn't want to hear it "What were you thinking giving yourself over to that cunt in favor of Lord whoever he is?!"
"Praven and she was going to kill him!"
"Ah so what? Just another casualty of war but you, you—"
"My life is not worth more than his!"
Angrily Ravage gripped her wrist and hissed through his teeth "Yes it is! You have a daughter at home waiting for you! A family counting on you! People who love and need you! Don't you ever dare just give your life for someone, anyone else's because I will be there every single time to stop you!"
Eliza blinked a few times, taken aback by his words "I'm… sorry…"
A low growl escaped him but rather than push the matter further, he released her "Let's go home, I hate this place."
