Chapter Six
Countdown to Supernova Pt. II
Or, Assault on Yavin IV
Two Standard Days Later..
Nick opened his eyes, leaving his meditative state to see both of his girlfriends looking at him. "Hey, girls. Everything alright?" He asked, greeting them.
Sariana smiled and shook her head. "Everything is fine. But your mother wants all of us down in the command center. Voxyn Squadron has a new mission. And I think there was mention of your XJS." That got Nick up quicker than she had thought.
"Right then, let's go see what dear old mother needs with us, shall we?"
All the while, Keryne stayed silent as Nick looped his arms with her and Sariana, the young Mandalorian letting a blush creep up on her face as he kissed her cheek. "You alright, love?" He whispered to her in Mando'a.
"Yes, everything is fine. Just been thinking too much." She replied back, smiling at Nick as they continued their trip down to the lower floor of the Hidden Temple.
As they entered the Command Center, otherwise the Council Chamber, Corbyn waved them over to the holoprojector in the center of the room, where the rest of the older young Jedi, Dreeana, Captain Yun and Master Jiang all stood. "What do you need Voxyn Squadron for, mother?" Nick asked as the trio took their positions within the assembly.
Dreeana looked at Nick with narrowed eyes, probably still trying to figure out what her son and his two girlfriends were thinking, making such an arrangement with such apparently hard times ahead of the teenagers. "We have finished decoding everything you downloaded from the former Inquisition base on Abregado-Rae. Every superweapon created by the Empire, First Order and the Inquisition run on the energy collecting ability of massive amounts of Kyber crystals." The look on all of the young Jedi's faces showed they knew where Dreeana was going, but Yun seemed oblivious.
"Your majesty, what makes Kyber crystals so important?"
"Kyber crystals are what Jedi, and by extension the Sith, use to build their lightsabers when they reach that stage in their training. Kyber crystals come in any color a lightsaber can be except for Red. Those crimson blades are from man-made Kyber crystals, which are inherently unstable. The Death Star used massive amounts of Kyber crystals to amplify and focus the weapon's planet-destroying lasers. Similarly, the First Order used the same trick while using a star's energy to destroy whole systems. But, what does this mean for us, mother?" Nick explained to the military man before looking back at his mother.
"It means that, among other information, we know that there is a facility on Yavin IV, most likely the old Jedi Temple ruins there, that the Inquisition is using to stockpile the Kyber crystals. Voxyn Squadron is to go and destroy the building and the stored crystals to ensure the Inquisition cannot launch the Supernova cannon. This mission has a thirty-six hour deadline before every crystal on Yavin is moved to the secure location where Supernova is being built."
"I'm not just going to go and blow up what could be one of the last Jedi-related monuments in this galaxy, mother. Not without scouting the temple for anything of possible worth to the Order, including some of those Kyber crystals. There are none here on Taivas, and unless the younger students would like to be sent to their possible deaths at the hands of Inquisition personnel guarding the sparse caves that usually house Kyber crystals, then we'll need some sort of supply for them. You want me to lead this mission, then whatever plan you already had is denied. My mission, I decide how we do this." None of his friends had heard Nick speak with such determination about a mission, or even about this endangered status as Jedi.
Dreeana sighed. "Fine, Nick. You have full authority over this mission. What's your plan, then?" She asked, bringing up a current projection of the Yavin system.
Nick studied the hologram. The space around Yavin IV was blockaded by several Inquisition Star Destroyers and there looked to be a relay station in the space surrounding the first moon of the system. "Alright, I'm going to need more than just the entirety of Voxyn Squadron for this. Is there any other support in the systems around Yavin?"
"There is Wampa Squadron in the next system over, nothing else."
"That'll do. Voxyn Squadron and Wampa Squadron will converge and distract the Inquisition fleet guarding Yavin IV. But, not until a small squad infiltrate the relay station and make sure no one in that fleet gets a call for reinforcements out into the surrounding systems. Then, the two squadrons attack the Inquisition while several of us young Jedi make our way to the surface, where we will liberate as many Kyber crystals as possible and upload any other worthwhile data we can find. Once we have finished inside, well make our way to our rendezvous point while assisting the fleet drive the Inquisition away. Does that all sound fair?
Dreeana looked deep in thought before nodding. "Yes, I think that is a sound plan. Ships up in two hours or less. It's time the Inquisition sees just how powerful the Opposition is." With that, the young Jedi and Captain Yun left the room to prepare for the upcoming strike.
As they made their way to their quarters, Laurana turned to her brother. "Nick, was it really a good idea to talk to mother like that?"
"Yes, actually. If mom doesn't approve of my choices in who I keep around, then I just have to be better with planning. Especially when my first priority is to our new Jedi Order, not the mother that left both of us for dead for our entire lives. I can't blame her for that, I know. But, we're practically adults now, and we can make our own decisions about our own lives. Mother may be the queen of Bespin, but she is not queen of me." With that, Nick stalked off from the rest of the group, Sariana and Keryne looking at each other worriedly, noticing a flash of yellow in Nick's eyes.
Elliot watched his best friend walk away with a frown on his face. "Is Nick truly alright? Even I've noticed something has been off with him."
Keryne turned to him, a scowl on her face. "Nick is beyond stressed, do any of you really see that?! You're his sister and best friend," She pointed between Laurana and Elliot. "But neither of you actually check on him. You know Nick has seen so much more of our futures than any of us would really like to know." As she continued her tirade, she met Sariana's eyes, the other girl knowing what the Mandalorian was speaking of. "And yet no one even goes to him to see if he is alright.
"He probably won't talk about it, in fear of having another paradox like the evil clone of you that was spawned apparently because you came back to the Light sooner than anyone thought you would, even with your reservations about being in the hands of Sariana's father in the first place." Her voice had raised to a shout as she grilled Laurana, who shrank away at the other girl's words. "But that isn't important. What is important is that Nick is our leader, for our team and later on our new Gray Jedi Order. And instead of making sure that everything is alright with him and that he's actually okay, you all go about your daily lives full of training that if you knew anything you would realize that we're all much too old to even have this training. So, in order for me to stop yelling and calm myself down, I'm going to go and make sure he's alright, because unlike you all who have known Nick longer than I have, I actually care enough to do so. Saria, you coming?"
The girl in question was surprised at Keryne's outburst, but she couldn't argue that she was wrong. Out of the group of young Jedi, at least their own age, only herself and Keryne made sure Nick was alright constantly, both of them knowing that the true blow to Nick's will was almost upon all of them. So, Sariana nodded. "Yeah, of course. Let's go." Looking back at Laurana, the other girl smiled and nodded knowingly.
Once they were out of earshot from the rest of the stunned group, Sariana felt outward with the Force, finding Nick. "He's not in his room getting ready." She stated much to Keryne's confusion.
"What? So where is he, then? Better not be with the younger Padawans."
"In his current emotional state? No. He's down in the training room, but.. I feel so much.. Anger.. Nothing we do seems to be enough, Ryn. Nick just pushes himself further into his feelings. What do we do?"
"What you've always done, and what I will continue to do once.. Well, you know.. We make sure he knows that whatever happens, we'll be there for him. Whenever, wherever."
"But what if it isn't enough? What if we do all that, but my death just sends him off the deep end? I don't want to see such a great man reduced to a shell, or worse, turned to my father's side."
"Saria, Nick would never join your father. Not with what Jarell has put you, Nick or Laurana through because of his tyranny. Everything will work out for the best, it has to. Now, let's go get our man, yeah?" The young Mandalorian smiled at her friend.
"Yeah. You're right, let's get going. Otherwise we won't have any time to pack before the mission." Nodding, the two girls found the stairs and made their way down to the training room.
Arriving at the training room, both women stopped in shock at the scene before them. Nicklas had set his wrath upon what looked like hundreds of training droids, broken bits and components strewn about wherever you could step. Nicklas stood in the center of the room, his lightsaber casting a grayish shadow on his features as he panted from the exertion he had to have pulled off for the other destruction of the room. There were scorchmarks all over the walls, but the droids were all piled closer to the center, and Nick's lightsaber didn't have that long of a reach.
Sariana and Keryne both walked up to Nick, careful not to startle him into another attack. "Nicklas? Honey, you okay?" Sariana asked, squeezing Nick's hand and taking the lightsaber out of the other hand slowly, deactivating it.
"We're here for you, boo. For anything." Keryne added, lightly cupping Nick's cheek and watching his eyes. His currently yellow eyes. "You're never alone, love." She continued in Mando'a, smiling as the boy's eyes turned back to their natural steely blue color.
Then, Nick passed out, Keryne managing to catch him before he hit the floor. Sariana grabbed one arm and together the girls managed to get him to the Force Shadow before going back to pack their own supplies and Nick's.
When they walked back into the hangar, Elliot and Laurana were already present. "Why is Nick in the medical bay?!" Laurana asked her best friend, knowing she would be the most likely to know.
"He passed out after going into the training room to take out his stress and anger on some training droids. Unfortunately, he overdid it. Like, he may not be awake for this mission at all, which means if that is the case then I'm in charge."
Laurana rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Hopefully he wakes up, but we should be able to make due without him, if it comes to that. The others are all on Corbyn's ship already, so maybe we should get this show on the road."
"Yes, let's. You two are driving, by the way. I don't know how to pilot a ship, and I don't see why I should learn at this point." Keryne made a disapproving face at the way Sariana spoke of her impending death, but kept quiet as she started making her way to the medical bay.
Stepping into the room where Nicklas currently lay, Keryne was hit with a wave of what felt like total confusion, but Nick wasn't moving so the cause of the feeling was unknown. Having probably felt the motion as well, Sariana soon appeared in the medbay with a confused look as a new emotional shockwave hit the two girls, this one of anger.
SW:NA
Nicklas woke in a dark chamber, the only visible light coming from a passing star he noticed outside of a single viewport. "Finally, I meet the boy who dare oppose my reign over the galaxy." Came a voice from behind him.
Turning, Nick found himself face-to-face with a man whom he had never met, but instantly knew. "Gareth Jarell." He growled out.
The High Inquisitor chuckled. "That's High Inquisitor Jarell to you, brat. It truly amazes me, your deep connection to the Force. Why do you waste your potential with those sad excuses for Jedi?"
"Because I care about all life in the galaxy, and wish to protect it as well as keep it in balance." Nick sneered at the man who had not only torn his family apart, but caused so much death throughout the galaxy.
"That is no excuse. You should be happy. Because of me, you now have two sisters to love."
"Don't try to fucking turn this around! You created an evil version of my little sister. One who has tried to kill me and my friends on multiple occasions. Why would I love one who only sees hatred?"
"Because, young Nekron, she is still your sister, no matter what I did to bend her to my will."
"But that's the fucking point! You had to bend her to your will. That isn't truly caring. And because of you, the galaxy lives in fear! Ruling by fear is no way to rule."
Jarell scoffed. "And what do you know of ruling? You're nothing more than a child compared to me. And you cannot stop me from unleashing the Supernova Cannon unto the galaxy."
"The Supernova Cannon will end all life in the galaxy, including yours! What is the point of ruling when you'll just destroy all those who may or may not follow you?!"
"Such cheek. You know nothing of the Cannon's true purpose. Yes, it may well exterminate the entire galaxy. I have known this since I began to build it. But, it must be done, and not all life shall be exterminated. You know naught of the threats beyond our galaxy."
"And? I will destroy you, Jarell, for the pain you have caused and that which is to come in the near future. Any threats to this galaxy, my friends and I will find a way to destroy as well."
The Sith lord chuckled again. "And what pain might you mean? In the near future? Perhaps the death of that defiant daughter of mine?" The look of shock was evident on Nick's face. "Yes, I know of the connection between you and her. My dear Laurana did not hesitate to tell me of her ex-friend and her connection to our enemies. And I am as adept as you when it comes to visions. I have seen Sariana's death, as tragic as it may be, but I believe it to be a doorway to a new future for you, one who is so powerful in the Force that even my most powerful Force-sensitives cannot stop."
"I will never join you! It would only be a shameful way to remember Sariana. And if the future holds true, I am more powerful than you will ever be."
"Big words from but a Padawan. I also know of your plans regarding the Kyber Crystals stored on Yavin IV. Your friends will not leave the planet alive, not with their most powerful leader in a semicomatose state."
That made Nicklas laugh. "You truly underestimate my friends. And that is why you will fall."
"We shall see. Good luck waking up, Nicklas Celondia Nekron." Before the room vanished from Nick's sight, all he heard was Garruf Jarell's sinister cackle.
The scenery changed to that of the ruined hut on Kashyyyk. "Now what, grandfather?" He asked the wind before the Force spirit of Galen Marek appeared before him.
"I understand you had a bit of a tantrum that Ben Solo would be proud of. What brought that on, I wonder?" Nick knew whom his ancestor meant by Ben Solo, but hadn't known of the infamous Kylo Ren tantrums.
"Mother thinks she can control what I do, despite not knowing I was even alive my entire life. The only thing I could think of to do was to go into the training room. Yes, I overdid it, but I'm a lot calmer for it now."
"Indeed. However, you know you should not be angry at your mother for wanting to keep you safe and alive. I myself never knew my mother, nor even what her name was. And for all the pain I caused the galaxy following Vader, I would have given anything to know her. I doubt your mother's overprotectiveness is the only thing truly bothering you, though."
"Of course it's not, grandfather. The real problem is I can feel the pull of the Dark Side. It's getting stronger, but I don't want that. I know I have to bring myself into balance, but I don't know how."
Galen chuckled. "Simple. Do not put the full weight of the galaxy on your shoulders. You are not the only protagonist in this time. Your friends, those two girls that truly care for you."
Nick smiled as the other young Jedi flashed through his mind. "I know, grandfather. I just.. I can't help but worry about how Sariana's death will truly make me feel. How I'll react. These visions of the near future have, in ignorance of a better explanation, utterly fucked with me and made me depressed. The only things keeping me anchored to my life are Sariana and Keryne. And this new relationship Sariana has set up just seems so.. Distracting, and I get that she doesn't want me to think wrongly, it just seems acclimating to just Keryne, even for the best reasons are going to turn my life into hell. And I already know that's the truth."
Galen shook his head. "She knows you will grieve. She wants you to grieve, but you also have another willing to give you their heart so easily because of trusting in the Force. The Force has big plans for you, Nicklas Celondia Nekron, and those plans include her. Sariana is looking ahead for the both of you. However, you can't look past your first love, which is exactly what you will do to save this galaxy and in a way avenge Sariana's memory."
Nick sighed. "Yes, grandfather. Were you this torn when it came to your rebelling against Vader and the Empire?"
Galen shook his head. "No, I was not. Not until I had already lost Juno during my first assault against Vader and the Emperor. It was then that grief got to me, made me start turning down the path of the Dark Side once again. It took all of my allies, my friends to set me straight once again. Alas, our time is short. You must awaken before your ship reaches Yavin IV. The Supreme Inquisitor was not kidding about having planned for your involvement in this battle."
Nick nodded. "I understand, grandfather. Thank you for guiding me, I feel I am in need of too much as it is."
"Nonsense. Everyone must look for guidance whether they think it needed or not. Until next time, Nicklas." And like that, Nick was left alone until the mindscape vanished, leaving him in darkness before he woke up.
Aboard the Force Shadow..
Nick's eyes opened and he sat up, taking in his surroundings of the medical bay. As if sensing his awakening, Sariana and Keryne appeared. "You're awake! Thank the Force!" They said together, practically tackling Nick back onto the bed.
"Hey, girls. Sorry to worry you. Have we arrived at Yavin yet?"
Keryne shook her head. "No, we're still about ten minutes out from leaving Hyperspace. Why? You've got that look."
"The Supreme Inquisitor knows we're coming. We have to warn the others before we end up shot down as we exit hyperspace."
"I'm on it." Sariana said, hurrying back out of the medical bay.
Keryne half-frowned at Nick. "You alright?" She asked.
Nick nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just worried. I can't get over the fact that she has to die in less than a month."
Keryne nodded. "I know what you mean. This relationship we've put ourselves in isn't the most conventional, but I do love Sariana as you do already. It's going to hurt us both, Nick."
"Yeah.. I just wish this wasn't how things had to be. Like, is this war and the balance of the Force really worth losing Sariana?"
"Maybe not, but her father can not be allowed to keep ruling the galaxy. He's done so much damage to it already. So, if the Inquisition knows we're coming, what's the plan?"
"We leave hyperspace cloaked and land as planned. We're taking those crystals whether Jarell wants us to or not."
"There's the Nick we need." Smiling, Keryne took Nick's hand before the two of them left the medical bay.
Later, Surface of Yavin IV..
The exit from hyperspace and subsequent landing went off without a hitch. Nick and the rest of the young Jedi were now making their way towards the Jedi temple ruins. "Everyone good with the plan?" Asked Nick.
"We just infiltrate, take out every Inquisition officer we can find and get out of dodge with as many of the stored Kyber crystals we can, granted however many that may actually be with the Inquisition knowing we're coming." Elliot explained. "What could go wrong?"
"You're totally at fault if shit hits the fan, then. Come on, let's go." Pressing the button to activate their apparently handy stealth suits, the young Jedi disappeared from view and began making their way to the ancient Jedi temple.
As the temple came into view, Nick stopped. "Damn. Well, stealth isn't an option this time." Ahead of the teenagers, Inquisition troopers ran left and right past their vantage point, seemingly endless in their marching. "Saria, what other tech do we have this time out?"
Sariana looked at him before she realized what he was thinking. "We have deflector shields, but they have limited coverage so we're gonna have to still fight our way through."
Nick's hand instinctively went to his lightsaber before drawing back. "Alright, let's see how long we can hold out without relying on our Jedi abilities. These guys will expect the ground troops to come to the main entrance, even with the back entrance being this well guarded. So if we attack them here and thin the herd, the main ground force can mop up. Blasters out, and shoot as the Inquisition does: to kill." Nodding at the rest of his friends, Nick pulled a blaster rifle from his back. Pressing the safety switch off, he took point and left their cover, ducking under an old piece of rubble from a previous battle on the planet.
The others filed behind him, lining up along the large piece of rock and readying their own blasters and rifles. Looking between the entire group, Nick nodded for the attack to begin. Nodding back, the young Jedi sprang up from their cover, each aiming at the first Inquisition troopers they could find. Several Inquisition troopers fell lifeless to the ground as the Jedi all released volley after volley at their enemy.
When the initial shock wore off, the Inquisition positioned themselves behind whatever cover they could find, all the while the young Jedi were inching their way forward, flanking the opposing forces without them even being any the wiser. Laser fire zoomed past each teenager as they dodged and shot back, surprisingly handling themselves much better than they expected. Soon the Inquisition's ranks were worn thin, as Nick could hear one of the enemy troopers trying to contact the ships in orbit for reinfprcements. "That's our cue to get in. Voxyn One to Opposition Flagship. Send backup to the temple. The Inquisition is already mobilizing. Get here and cover our asses before they get here."
"Copy that, Voxyn One. We'll be there shortly. Flagship out." Came the reply as the Jedi wasted the remaining forces outside, making their way inside the temple.
As the teens entered the ancient Jedi temple, Beckha shivered. "This place.. I can feel intense darkness. What does that mean?"
Nick looked at her. "I'm not sure. The most likely answer is that Jarell is keeping something here. Something he may have planned for us to find. He told me he all but laid this assault as a trap."
Sariana shook her head. "It's not a thing. There's a familiar Force signature present in the bowels of this temple. But, as far as I can tell, the Kyber crystals are actually close by, maybe two levels down in what I think could be this Temple's archives."
Keryne nodded. "I feel it too. Whoever is down there, I don't think we want to just go looking for a fight."
Nick sighed. "I agree, but we have to investigate. I'll go alone if I have to."
"No, Nick, you won't. Keryne, you and me will go with Nick. The rest of us should get to those crystals back to the ships as quickly as possible. Can we all agree on that?" Sariana motioned.
"Agreed. If anyone can hendle a bad situation down in the depths, it's you three. Just come back, all of you." Laurana replied, arms crossed over her chest.
"Of course we will." Sariana smiled, winking at her best friend before the trio split from the rest of the group.
After the threesome had left, Elliot turned to his girlfriend. "Is it smart sending those three down there?"
Laurana laughed. "Nope. But, Nick is best equipped to handle whatever or whoever is down there. I think we're the lucky ones, going after the Kyber crystals."
"I guess. I just feel it wasn't a good idea to split up."
Elsewhere..
"..wasn't a good idea to split up… Wasn't a good idea to split up.."
The monitor rewound itself back to repeat the sentence again as a face hidden by shadow watched the young Jedi as they made their way through the ruined temple. The man smirked. "Yes, go deeper into the maze, little womp rats. Soon you will all be within my grasp."
Yavin IV Jedi Temple, Lower Levels..
Nick, Sariana and Keryne couldn't help but feel the darkness grow stronger the closer they got to their intended destination. None spoke in fear of what may lurk within the ancient Jedi ruins, least of all Force Ghosts. Upon descending to the lowest level they could manage, Nick stopped. "Nick? You alright?" Sariana asked.
Nick stayed silent until he looked back at the girls, the duo gasping at Nick's once again yellow eyes. "You're all going to die down here." He said, his voice not his own.
Keryne leveled her Darksaber at her beloved. "Who are you? What is your purpose here?" She said sternly, her Mandalorian half showing.
The possessed Nick chuckled darkly. "I, child, have been dead for millennia, for I am much older than even the oldest stories of the Jed'aii. I have not spoken my name in as long, for I am the one the ancient Sith fear. My name is Yoru Tamasu, but I go by the title of Darth Primus. The very first master of the Dark side." With but a look, suddenly Keryne found her Darksaber deactivated and on the ground by her feet. "You did not think the most ancient Sith weapon would be above my control, did you?"
Sariana had had enough as she brought her own lightsaber to bare, the blade illuminating the creepy catacombs in a pale blue-white glow. "I don't give a womp rat's ass who the fuck you are, asshole. Get the hell up out of our boyfriend's body! Are you the one whose dark presence we've felt since we entered the temple?"
Another chuckle was emitted. "Such fire. Yes, you are much better suited to the Dark side, aren't you? Inquisition heiress." Sariana took a step back. "I do not need this body's memories to know who you are, daughter of Jarell. I also have no need of them to know about your approaching death at the hands of one of my scions."
Keryne growled. "Enough games! What do you want?!"
"My dear Mandalorian Jedi. Oh, the futures I can see of you. A shame, really. I have grown fond of how this Galaxy has gone about it's time without a true Master. Unfortunately, you all must die if my utopian vision is to become a reality."
"Fuck! Stop talking in riddles and give us a straight answer!" Keryne shouted, moving to lunge at Nick's possessed body as Sariana put her arm out to stop her.
"And what of our beloved?" She asked, making Keryne stop herself as well.
"Well, this one is quite powerful.. Even more powerful than Kylo Ren and that incessant Rey. I have been looking for a suitable body to act as my host. With this body I could easily take that impudent Supreme Inquisitor and throw him right off the tops of Coruscant's skyscrapers like I was a child."
"We would never let you take Nick away from us! Now leave him and go back to whatever pit you crawled out of." There was an edge to Sariana's voice that Keryne had never heard before, a tone full of anger the girl usually rarely showed.
"And what could two Padawans do to stop me from forever inhabiting this body? Hmm?"
Then, Sariana unleashed a scream and, pushing both hands out, a massive wave of Force repulse slammed into Nick's body, the malignant spirit visibly being torn from it's target body. As the parasitic spirit faded, the girls heard him laugh one last time. "This isn't the last you'll see me. Well, at least not all of you. Soon, Darth Primus shall rule this Galaxy once again!" As the spirit fully faded from sight, Nick collapsed to the floor momentarily.
When he awoke once again, he looked at his two lovers and frowned at their worried faces. "What happened?"
"Some ancient Sith Force ghost possessed you. If it wasn't for Sariana, we might have lost you for good." Keryne answered, struggling and losing to hold back tears.
"I'm alright, Keryne. I.. I know why it possessed me. And how it was so easy to do so."
"Is there something you're not telling us, love?" Sariana asked, frowning with her arms crossed.
"Nothing serious. I was going to bring it up when we were finished here. I've been.. Struggling to hold onto the Light, the balance within myself. The last few days have brought me very close to accepting the temptation of the Dark side and if that was a Sith ghost, then it stands to reason that it would be easier for it to take control. It's only because of our upcoming battles, the personal loss I feel responsible for even knowing it isn't my burden to bear. It's becoming too much and it makes me doubt just how useful I can really be for the Galaxy." Nick hing his head in shame ay not being able to tell the closest to him something so important to know.
"Nick, stop that." Keryne started, kneeling down to him to comfort him. "You are not turning to the Dark Side, no matter what happens. Sariana and I will never allow for that to happen, and neither would the rest of our family. I still may not be as friendly with the others as you two are, but I can see why you call them family. It may not seem it, being so soon after announcing it between ourselves, but I love you both, truly, and when it comes down to Supernova and how much it'll hurt you, Nick, you won't be the only one. Laurana, Elliot, Corbyn. They all see Saria as a sister, and what about me? I'll hurt just as much as you will, being as close to her as you are. If I have to go with you on this self-imposed exile you seem to have set for yourself to keep you from going over the edge then so be it! After falling in love with both of you, watching over you is the only way I can think of to respect Sariana after having to watch her die same as you. Nick, you have to get it together, boo, and stop thinking this is all about you and not all of us." When she had finished speaking, she had to swallow a few times to help her not be as winded as Nick looked away, unable to meet her eyes for the last few sentences.
"I'm sorry. Being orphaned and being so focused on finding Laurana all those years didn't really have the more carefree times one would have otherwise like looking at women or even dating in any capacity. Meeting Sariana, falling for her almost instantly and then knowing I had already fallen for you through my visions I was forced to acknowledge those feelings all at the same time. Having what we have now? I'm used to it already and going back to one gorgeous women will be a hard thing for me. In the beginning. But the real problem is how much the Dark side feeds off of grief. I have to try as hard as I humanly can to keep myself away from such a dark place, and my only beacons of true light are the two of you. I'm sorry to make you worry any more for me than I know you both already do."
Sariana and Keryne smiled, the latter standing up before they both extended their hands to help Nick off the ground. "Don't worry, Nick. Whatever happens, we're both here for you. As we have your heart, you have both of ours. Just come to us when you need us, love." Sariana said.
"And I'll be here for you as long as I intend to live, I trust in what the Force has shown us." Keryne added.
Nick laughed as he allowed the girls to help him up, hugging them both to him. "Thanks, girls. You're both life savers."
The trio continued on their way deeper into the ruins, following the Dark energy they still felt below them. Soon, they came to a chamber that looked like something out of a bad horror medical holovid. There was a single tank in the center of the room, another far off to the left. Inside the tank floated the body of a Zeltron girl, only about as old as the group themselves. Next to the tank was a computer telling whatever information there was about this person.
Nick's first thought was shared by the girls. "It looks like a bacta tank, but why would this girl be carrying such a large signature in the Dark side? Zeltron are hardly an angry race."
"Well, what does that computer say? Wait, didn't you upgrade BB-T3 in order to gather information while we scouted the rest of our targets?"
"Yeah, that's why I gave you the biggest bag. He's inside it waiting to be activated."
Keryne gave him a look before opening up her pack and extracting the small astromech and it's magnetic head piece. Placing them on the floor, Nick pressed a button on his datachrono and she took a step back as the head was pulled onto thw spherical body, eliciting a short groan of a whistle as BB-T3 activated.
"Oh my, where are we now?" The droid asked, it's protocol CPU working it's magic. Nick was surprised at the voice, it reminding him of his grandfather's but at a slightly higher pitch.
"We're in the lowest levels of the Temple ruins on Yavin IV. Tee-Three, can you access this system and relay any information to us?"
"Of course, Master Nekron." BB-T3 stated with a short bob of his head before he rolled over to the terminal and plugged himself in. Nick activated the comms on all of the Jedi's datachronos. "Beckha, how did you get a voice sample of Galen Marek?" He asked.
Beckha answered shortly after. "Pyrell gave it to me, said you'd appreciate it."
Nick chuckled. "I do. He was my grandfather. Makes me feel just a bit closer to him. How are you guys doing on your end?"
"We found the crystals. There's a lot over here. Like enough to potentially power a city as big as Cloud City for at least a millenia. Elliot and Laurana have already begun transporting them back to the ships but we may be here a while. How long do we have until reinforcements arrive?"
"Shouldn't be too long now. Just get them out. We found the source of that energy, still analyzing exactly what we found. Let us know when you guys have finished your end of the mission."
"Will do, Voxyn One. Stay safe and may the Force be with you."
"As it shall be with you. Voxyn One out." Turning comms off again, he looked to the small droid. "Well? Find anything Tee-Three?"
The astromech beeped several times before speaking. "I have a bad feeling about this, Master. According to this terminal's records, the person contained within this stasis tank is a half-Zeltron female, age seventeen standard years, Corellia time."
Before Nick could ask anything more, Keryne gasped as her eyes shot open as she came out of a sudden Force vision. "Tylesha Zionia.. Oh, things just got more complicated." Looking, Nick noticed the slightly faster breathing but filed it away to ask her later.
Tee-Three heard her statement. "Yes, records show her name is Tylesha Zionia, currently kept in stasis due to Supreme Inquisitor Jarell's mistrust in her abilities although she shows much promise in the Dark Side of the Force."
"Mistrust?" Nick looked at Keryne, who gave him a look that said she would explain it to him later. "Does that mean she's a potential ally?"
Keryne scoffed. "Ally? Yes. Too bad it isn't as simple as that. Fucking half-Zeltron." The last bit was in Mando'a, and couldn't help but make Nick chuckle at the obvious- but confusing to him- disappointment in her tone. Then he remembered her earlier words and the hitched breathing. Nick couldn't help but have a feeling. Not necessarily a bad feeling but a feeling all the same.
"Good. Tee-Three, deactivate the tank. We're taking her out of here with us."
"Yes, Master Nekron. However, there is something you should know before I release her."
"Like what?"
"The tank in the corner is a cloning tank, installed by the Supreme Inquisitor's personal consultant on Kamino. It seems Tylesha was put in stasis in order to grow a fully Dark clone of her for use in Jarell's army."
"How long until the clone is ready to use?" Nick asked as the three humans looked towards the other tank, where what looked like a young girl was suspended.
"She is ready in all but one way. That one way is her memories have yet to be altered to the design Jarell ordered, leaving her a blank slate in the Force."
Nick sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Great. So we have two new arrivals. Fine, shut down all functions and release the two. We'll figure out what to do with them once we get safely back to Taivas."
"Affirmative, Master." BB-T3 did his thing, both tanks draining and opening to release the suspended girls. Nick nodded to Keryne to help him with the older Tylesha while Sariana went for the younger clone, who looked to be about eleven, the age of the younger Jedi back at the Hidden Temple.
"Alright, guys. Let's get back to the ship. Rendezvous with the others after we drop them off in the medical bay of the Force Shadow." Nodding, the three teens made their way back out of the creepy lower levels.
In the most shadowed area of the stasis room, a figure chuckled darkly. "They took the bait. Now to unleash the ambush." They touched a communicator in their ear. "This is High Knight Tierra. The Jedi have taken the bait. Shadowtroopers move in on my signal."
Back in the room where the Kyber crystals were stockpiled, several almost unnoticeable red lights blinked where the Shadowtroopers stood waiting for further orders as the other young Jedi packed the crystals away unaware of their hidden enemies.
It took the three Jedi twice as long to make it back to the ships with the two unconscious girls along with them. After the two had been secured in the medical bay, Nick's datachrono went off. "Voxtn One, come in!" Came Elliot's voice, panicked.
"What's going on?" Nick asked back urgently.
"Inquisition Shadowtroopers. They have us surrounded. Corbyn is unconscious, got hit by one of their stun batons. We need backup if the last of these crystals are going to come home with us."
"Understood. We're on our way, just hold them off if you can't take them out until we get there. Voxyn One out." He nodded to his girlfriends, who both nodded in return and began rushing back into the Temple behind him.
Nick, Keryne and Sariana were about to reach the level where the Kyber crystals were held when a voice Sariana and Nick recognized sounded from behind them. "Not so fast, kiddies."
Turning around, Nick clenched his fist as purple sparks radiated from his fingertips. "Tierra.. I wasn't able to fight you back on Utapau, but this time I'm ready for you."
Tierra laughed. "Oh, really? And what are you going to do to me, little orphan?" She opened her mouth to continue but her comment had already gotten to Nick, who swiped one arm to the side, Tierra becoming shocked as she felt an inhumanly strong slap to her face before her body was thrown hard into the closest wall.
"I am no orphan, and I have every right to kill you right fucking here. But, because it was your distress beacon that allowed Master Jiang to know about Keyrinn, I'm going to give you one chance to get the fuck out and out of our way."
Tierra giggled, a demonic sound as she picked herself up from the wall, albeit slowly from the pain and shock of the attack. "Really, now? And what makes you think I'll back down from a fight? I'm not useless like that worthless whore of a clone you-" She never finished her sentence as another hard Force push sent her back into the wall, this time twice as hard as the first.
"She may be evil, she may be on your side, but that clone is still my sister, and I won't have anyone drag her name through the mud. I'll ask you again. Leave us in peace and you will continue to live. If not?" Nick actuvated his Omnisaber, flicking the switch and flexing the now whip-like blade. "My lightsaber has already cut one High Knight's head off. I'm not opposed to making that number two." Tierra panted as she now struggled to get up, noticing Nick's eyes change color for the umpteenth time that day.
"Oh, it looks like the big bad leader of the Jedi isn't as Light as the Supreme Inquisitor thought. Why don't you join us, Nick?" Nick was surprised that she knew his name, then figured the Dark Laurana would be telling the Inquisition about him. "You could easily be one of the top High Knights."
"I'll never join you! It is my sworn duty to protect the balance of the Force and wipe out all who threaten that balance, including you and your ill-chosen Master." Sariana and Keryne both stepped up to either side of Nick, lightsabers at the ready. Nick held his arms out and shook his head. "No girls. This one is personal."
Tierra laughed again. "Oh, you're too much, boy. If you really think you stand a chance, then come at me."
Nick smirked, his eyes shining yellow. "Fine. Have at you." He rushed his opponent, who managed to stop him in his tracks and flung Nick into the wall opposite. Getting up, Nick growled before he sent purple lightning at the High Knight, making Tierra scream as the metallic exoskeleton of her armor conducted the lightning.
As she panted from the pain, Tierra ground out. "Why you little fucking shit! I'll show you!" Now she rushed in, Nick unable to strike back right away from the strain of using Force Lightning for the first time.
Sariana instead was the one to block Tierra's strike which made the older woman smirk. "Oh? Now the Inquisition's princess? You think you can defeat me, little girl?"
Sariana had to keep herself from screaming in rage about Tierra's comment. "I don't have to beat you." She said, blocking another strike then ducking while twisting her body around to loose her own strike. "I'm just the distraction."
Suddenly, Tierra's lightsaber flew from her hand and landed in another, this new figure standing in the shadows. They took a step forward to reveal Master Jiang. "Master Jiang?!" Said all three young Jedi as the elderly Jedi smiled at them.
"Greetings, young ones. Go and help get the others out of here. I can handle Tierra."
The three ran off to find their friends, Nick stopping short and looking back at Jiang, who took his own lightsaber out from his robes and tossed Tierra's back to her. "Don't worry, Nick. We knew this day was coming. You'll do just fine, I've seen it." He winked at Nick. "You and the rest of the older class are now officially Jedi Knights. Serve our Order proud."
Nick had to fight back tears. "I will, Master. May the Force be with you." He said before turning heel and rushing to the others.
Entering the current battlefield, Nick switched his lightsaber back to the static blade form as he tapped on the shoulder of the nearest shadowtrooper to him. Tirning around, Nick could imagine the face the Inquisition trooper wore as he slashed a fatal wound across their chest. Falling to the ground, the remaining seven shadowtroopers turned and made the mistake of shooting at him, ignoring their original opponents.
Elliot sighed in relief. "Finally. No holding back now." He said as he slashed the vulnerable section of the trooper's stun baton, effectively leaving them without a primary weapon against the young Jedi and his green saber. Cutring him down, He grabbed a bag of what Nick assumed to be Kyber crystals and went to help Laurana as she struggled to finish off her apparently attentive opponent.
Corbyn, who had regained consciousness, and Beckha were back-to-back, deflecting the few blaster strikes while lashing out at their opponents to thin the herd. They were all surprised there had been so many shadowtroopers hiding out in the room watching them. "This is what proves it. We make a ridiculously good team." He grinned cockily at her, making her giffle as she shook her head.
"Always gotta say shit like that, no one needs proof, Naboo-boy."
"Ah, you love it. On your left, love." Beckha ducked as Corbyn sliced backward over her left shoulder, cutting through the attacking shadowtrooper.
"Must you two flirt in life or death situations?!" Keyrinn shouted from several feet over. "It's your own fault if you get killed because you listen to your hormones more than your heads."
Suddenly serious, both teens nodded and resumed their attack.
As Sariana struck down the final shadowtrooper in the room, she took a sigh of releif. "Fuck. Okay, I think we have more than overstayed our welcome down here. And the fleet is almost finished. We won, but there are stragglers a squadron of Chiss fighters showed up to help."
"How do you know all that?" Elliot asked. None of them had their comms on the entire mission unless necessary.
"I just know okay? We need to get out of here before anything worse than Tierra shows up." Nodding their heads, the group ascended the temple's floors back to their entry point and boarded the Force Shadow.
As the battle in the skies above Yavin IV finished, the Jedi ship docked with Dreeana's ship. Coming aboard the cruiser Nick, Sariana and Keryne hauled the two unconscious half-Zeltron women off to Opposition medics on standby.
"Who are the identical sisters?" Elliot asked as it was the first time him or the others outside of Nick and his two girlfriends had seen them.
"They're not sisters. The younger one is just a younger clone of the other. Her name is Tylesha Zionia. She was what we felt when we entered the temple. Jarell put the original in stasis to keep her from betraying the Inquisition and cloned her at the same time to have a pawn similar to Laurana's clone."
Corbyn was surprised. "Well then it was a good idea we brought her out of there. Was the clone complete?"
"In all but education. When she wakes up, she's a blank slate. I know I'm trying to give another name for her because two of the same girl with the same name can only get confusing." Both Elliot and Corbyn nodded in agreement.
"Alright, so what do we call her?" Asked Beckha.
"Anesha, it's close enough to her now sister's name where they wouldn't know one is a clone until we tell them."
Laurana looked at Keryne, who was half-frowning as the group continued talking about the new potential Jedi. She could feel the waves of shy excitement rolling off of the Mandalorian through the Force, and looking between her and Nick, she didn't know what else to make of it. "Anyway, I think Nick and myself should go report to mother. We all should rest now while we're en route back to Taivas." Earning nods from the rest of the teenagers, the siblings split from the others, leaving them all to go back to their quarters and begin resting from their successful mission.
Not Long After..
Keryne was wide awake in the bed in Nick's 'hidden' quarters on the Force Shadow, Sariana sleeping soundly with an arm draped around the Mandalorian since Nick had not yet returned to rest with the girls. Keryne suppressed a sigh as she remembered the vision she'd had in the temple, said vision having replayed in her mind several times already..
Keryne's back arched as a moan escaped her throat, the presence of another woman obvious. However, Keryne recognized the room, the one her and Nick shared after Sariana's death, and she was sure the timeframe of said vision was not much farther than Nick returning from his self-exile.
As if knowing the Keryne in the present had called him, Nick was there as well pumping into Keryne like a possessed wampa. This vision showed her more than she'd thought she would ever see in a Force vision, the confusion in her mind strengthened by the now visible face of Tylesha watching the couple, begging Nick to take her just as hard..
Another scene, the three laying in bed together. Tylesha looked at Nick but kissed Keryne. "Force, I love you both. With you, I feel complete. Goodnight, my loves."
Keryne sighed. "Is this how we're meant to be? Is being in a three-way relationship the only way to make you feel complete, beloved?" She asked herself as sleep finally overtook her.
A/N: This chapter was very hard to figure out and write once the group got to the temple. I had to go and find inspiration and ideas in other fics to help me along, but finally it's complete. And again, my own timeline is screwed up and honestly? I don't even care. I just love writing this story enough that whatever happens, happens, whether my muse makes me want to strangle them or not. Also, this took so long because I have begun continuing several other stories that I have neglected for too long while rereading the current chapter drafts of. These include The Third War, Ilvermorny Year One (U.S. Harry Potter) and Pokémon the Ultimate Journey among a couple others. At this point, the only reason I haven't gotten any writing done in general is because I have too many stories in-progress. But that's what happens when inspiration hits randomly for writing. So don't expect the next chapter of New Age for some time, but I do apologize profusely for the ridiculous delay.