The Adventures of Rickon and Osha Chapter 7

Outline

This chapter sees a major clash between Rickon and his companions, and Mara Taral's Imperial forces. We also see some classic Star Wars elements including speeder bikes, Scout Troopers, and Stormtroopers. The Ranat Jedi Master Tamati Kiore makes a great sacrifice and Mara finally captures Rickon. The Jedi Code below was borrowed from Wookieepedia, the Star Wars Wiki. Please note that I don't own any of the characters or concepts except Mara Taral and Tamati Kiore. The rest rightfully belong to Lucasfilm, George R.R. Martin, and J.K. Rowling. As always, feel free to leave a review but please keep it civil and courteous.

Part 1: Tamati's POV

Rickon and his companions were traveling through the grassy plains east. Following their brief encounter with the Imperial probe droid, the adults had decided that it was in Rickon's best interests for them all to leave the Jedi enclave and flee south to the Last Hearth. Everyone was carrying a rucksack with everything they could carry. They had travelled for two and a half days. It was approaching noon.

"We'll head to that clearing over there," panted Han Lee "And we'll have a rest there."

Suddenly, there was a screeching sound. Rickon and Osha turned and saw several dark shapes in the distant horizon. The shapes were getting bigger and closer by the second.

"What now?," growled Osha

"Those are Imperial speeder bikes. Scout troopers," replied Tamati Kiore, as he ignited his lightsaber.

"We split up. That will make it harder for them to catch us." said Han Lee, pointing to the forest and mountain. "We head for the woods and we meet near that mountain to the east.

"I'll hold them back," spoke Tamati "I have been relishing the opportunity to dance with my lightsaber again."

Rickon and Shaggydog headed into the forest in one direction while Osha and Han Lee headed in the other direction. Tamati stood his ground as the speeder bikes approached him, firing their frontal blaster cannons. Staying calm, Tamati repeated the Jedi code in his mind:

"There is no emotion, there is peace.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

There is no passion, there is serenity.

There is no chaos, there is harmony.

There is no death, there is the Force."

Raising his blue-bladed lightsaber, Tamati easily deflected these shots and threw them back at their shooters. Two speeder bikes crashed to the ground like burning coals. Their riders emerged brandishing pistols. Like the rest of Mara's Stormtroopers, these Scout Troopers wore black armour. However, their helmets had the wide visors, one of the distinguishing features of Scout Trooper armour. Unlike Mara's other troops, these Scout Troopers wore lighter armor. Tamati cut these men down with his lightsaber.

Two more speeder bikes circled Tamati like wasps but the diminutive Ranat Jedi used the Force to ram them into each other. The speeder bikes collided into each other, killing their riders in a brilliant explosion. The two wrecked speeder bikes blazed like a great funeral pyre. Tamati sensed the agonizing death throes of the two Scout troopers. He regretted that he had to take several lives today. But these were dark times and he had to do what he could to survive. Tamati sensed that more were coming. He could hear the stomping of footsteps and the screech of more speeder bikes. These had merely been scouts. Tamati fled into the bush before more came.

Part 2: Rickon's POV

Rickon and Shaggydog ran through the forest. He was panting as he ran as fast he could. Rickon could feel beads of sweat streaming down his brow. His body was steaming heat as his legs carried him through the forest. Suddenly, Rickon felt a sharp, stinging pain in his right leg. Howling in pain and shock, Rickon tripped, his chin slammed into the muddy forest floor. Rickon found that his right foot was trapped in a leghold trap similar to those used by hunters to trap wild beasts. Sensing his master's distress, Shaggydog rushed towards Rickon, in a vain attempt to come to his aid.

"Shaggy….," shouted Rickon, trying to ignore the excruciating pain "Get Osha or Han here."

"Well, well. What have we here," said a cold, malevolent voice. Rickon turned his back and saw the Dark Sider Mara approaching. She was flanked by two robots: the same IG-100 Magna Droids he had encountered three weeks ago. Behind them trailed, the "dog man": the Bothan intelligence officer Mer'slya.

Shaggydog growled at the intruders and leapt at them. Before Rickon could cry out, Mara ignited her red-bladed lighsaber and slashed the direwolf in the side, delivering a deep cut to his right fore shoulder. Shaggydog whimpered in great pain and lay still. Mara smiled and walked towards Rickon.

"I sense your pain, boy," gloated the Inquisitor "Did you know that pain makes it hard for you to think and concentrate. Join me, and I will teach you how to harness pain."

Suddenly, Mara and her companions were thrown to the ground by an unseen Force. Rickon gazed up and saw the Ranat Jedi Master Tamati Kiore standing in the forest.

"You will do no harm to the boy," said Tamati solemnly "Nor will you corrupt him."

"Kill him, boys," shouted Mara at the Magna Guards. IG-164 and IG-165 charged towards the Jedi with their Force pikes. After exchanging blows for a few seconds, Tamati mowed them down with two strokes of his lighsaber. He also took care to slice through their heads with his lightsaber, permanently destroying them. These wouldn't be coming now.

"You won't find me as easy to kill as those weaklings," taunted Mara, as she approached Tamati. The two lightsabers met and unleashed several blasts of sparks. Both Mara and Tamati were skilled lightsaber fighters, having being trained in the Jedi arts.

"You were my best Padawan," shouted Tamati "It grieves me that I taught you the arts of war."

"I have gotten a new Master now," said Mara "And he's taught me so much about the true nature of the Force. I am now more powerful than any Jedi."

"The Sith will never prevail," roared Tamati "You will never gain domination over the galaxy."

Enraged, Mara hurled several rocks and branches at the diminutive Ranat Jedi but Tamati easily deflected them away with the Force, sending them skirting to the ground harmlessly.

"A lot to more to learn have you," taunted Tamati, as he unleashed a torrent of lightning from his left hand which threw Mara to her feet. Mara fell to the ground, groaning in pain.

Tamati stepped towards his former disciple, raising his lightsaber over her. In a sad and solemn voice, he spoke: "It grieves me greatly that I have to take the life of my Padawan. But it must be done for the good of the galaxy."

Suddenly, Tamati was hit from behind by three blaster bolts. The wounded Jedi collapsed, bleeding from three deep gashes. Mara and Rickon both stood up and saw that the Bothan Imperial Intelligence officer Mer'slya had shot Tamati several times in his torso. The mortally wounded Ranat Jedi coughed, each breath becoming more haggard and difficult. Nearby, Shaggydog groaned in pain and despair.

Smirking, Mara stood over her former master and said triumphantly: "Go and die, old Master with your pitiful Jedi ways. The Sith will always prevail."

Several black-armoured Stormtroopers arrived, having been drawn by the noise of lightsaber battle. Rickon screamed while trying hard to ignore the excruciating pain of the leg trap. The furry dog-headed man approached him. Rickon attempted to bite the man but the Bothan punched him in the face with his glowed fist, delivering a stinging blow.

"Now yer better behave and be a good boy," taunted Mer'slya, as he released Rickon from his leg trap.

With tears streaming down his eyes, Rickon did not resist as a Stormtrooper clasped handcuffs around his hands. As the forest disappeared behind a sea of tears, Rickon could hear Mara ordering her men to evacuate the battlefield, having accomplished their mission.

Part 3: Tamati's POV

Tamati Kiore was dying. His lungs had been pierced by three blaster bolts. Kiore could feel the life draining out of him. Every breath became more difficult. Crawling to his feet, Tamati approached Rickon's gravely wounded direwolf Shaggydog. The direwolf had a deep gash on its right shoulder from the lightsaber wound inflicted by the Sith Inquisitor. Rickon loved that wolf very much. He had been given Shaggydog as a cub after his brothers and their dad had gone on a hunt in a nearby forest. Direwolves were the sigil of Rickon's family, the Starks, one of the noble houses of Westeros. There had been six direwolves for each of the six Stark children, including one for the bastard Jon Snow. Knowing that Shaggydog meant a lot to Rickon, Tamati did one final selfless act of sacrifice. Using his remaining life force, Tamati healed the wounded Shaggydog using his Force powers. Within seconds, Shaggydog's wounds had sealed up and the direwolf was well again. Using mental telepathy, Tamati told Shaggydog to run to Osha and Han Lee with Rickon's right shoe, warning them that he had fallen into the hands of Mara. Closing his eyes one final time, the Ranat Jedi became one with the Force, leaving behind just his ragged cloak.

Part 4: Osha's POV

Osha gripped her lighsaber with both hands. It was a green lightsaber, which she had acquired during the night of her first encounter with the Dark Sider and her minions. Osha had been running through the woods, pursued by the big lizard man known as Corrsk and several Stormtroopers. Now, she fought back against her attackers, slicing a blaster rifle on her right and slicing through flesh and bone on her left. In the past three weeks, both Han Lee and Tamati Kiore had taught her how to fight with a lightsaber. A Stormtrooper attempted to punch her in the head but Osha kneed him in the groin and then decapitated him, sending his black helmeted head falling to the ground. Another Stormtrooper attempted to shoot her from behind but Osha turned, deflecting the man's blaster bolt. In desperation, the man threw a grenade at her. However, Osha quickly jumped out of the way just in time before a bright blast of energy blew up the man's comrades. Body parts, armour, and equipment rained down on the forest floor. Osha killed the man by using the Force to throw her lightsaber at him, slicing him in half across the chest. Osha smirk, confident in her victory.

Suddenly, she was hit in the back by a stun blast. Groaning, Osha fell to the forest floor and found herself staring into the eyes and sharp teeth of the big green lizard Corrsk.

Corrsk smirked and said: "Did your master ever teach you to watch your back, I wonder?"

Pointing his blaster down at her face, Corrsk smiled said: "Die now, wannabe Jedi."

Osha closed her eyes, determined to meet death fearlessly. However, there was a cry and both Osha and Corrsk turned to face the Jedi Knight Han Lee. Han was armed with his green lightsaber blade and a blaster. Corrsk grabbed Osha by her neck with the intention of using her as a hostage against the Jedi.

"Bravo, bravo Jedi," taunted Corrsk, rising to his feet "Come on, Jedi. Put down your fancy laser sword and your gun. And let's finish this fight once and for all. Man to Man."

"No, you will not," shouted Han "Let her go or die."

"Here's how the rules work," smirked Corrsk, as he held Osha in a neck-lock "Kill me with your lightsaber and I'll snap your pretty bitch's head off. But if we fight man to man, I'll spare her life."

Han reluctantly agreed and dropped his lightsaber and his blaster. Frowning, he said: "Allright, we'll play the game your way. Now let her go."

Corrsk released Osha, dropping her to the ground. Osha scurried away as the two men approached each other.

"I remember you," shouted Han Lee "We met once. You were a pirate and slaver kidnapping Wookiees. Me and my Clone troopers arrested you near Kashyyyk. Yesterday, you were fighting for the Separatists. Now, you're fighting for the Empire, the people who murdered my brothers and sisters."

"Oh, don't lecture me," taunted Corrsk, as he smacked his right fist against his left palm "I'm relishing for a fight, not with words but with brawn and muscle."

Han Lee charged at Corrsk but the hulky Trandoshan punched him in his right cheek, knocking him to the ground. Osha watched as Han spat blood and leapt to his feet. This time, he succeeded in pushing Corrsk against a tree with the full weight of his body. Blood flowed down from the Trandoshan's nose. Cursing and spitting out a tooth, Corrsk rushed at Han but the Jedi dived out of the way with the help of the Force. Sneaking up behind the hulking Trandoshan, Han grabbed Corrsk around the neck in a choke hold with his left arm while attempting to punch his opponent. However, Corrsk bit the Jedi in the arm. While Han was screaming in pain, Corrsk grabbed the Jedi with both arms and threw him against a tree. Han hit his head against the tree.

Osha screamed and rushed to help her wounded friend. Blood poured down from his forehead and Han had sustained a black eye. He was in great pain. Behind them, Corrsk towered over them. The Trandoshan lifted his blaster and said: "It's lovely to see our two love-birds embracing each other for the last time. I'll make sure that it will be your…."

Suddenly, Corrsk was hit by five blaster shots. Three hit him in the back while two hit him in the head. Osha and the barely conscious Han looked up and a saw a man dressed in the same black armour of Mara's Stormtroopers. However, he did not wear a helmet. The man had olive skin, black hair and brown eyes. He was carrying a blaster rifle.

Coughing blood, Corrsk scowled and said, "You traitor…."

The "rebel" Stormtrooper then fired two more blaster shots into the Trandoshan's chest, killing him. The dead Trandoshan's unknowing eyes were permanently fixed in a frozen expression of shock, pain, and rage.

"I'm no traitor," replied the soldier "I will never work with Separatist scum like you again."

"Is that really you, Able Fett," asked a bemused and wounded Han "I thought I would never see you again."

Grabbing a fallen pistol, Osha pointed it at the stranger and asked: "Freeze, who are you?"

Lowering his blaster rifle, Fett replied: "I mean you no harm. I'm an old friend of your Jedi pal Han Lee."

Osha and Fett then tended to the grievously wounded Han Lee, who had sustained a bruised head and several other bruises during the fight with Corrsk. After bandaging his wounds, Han introduced Osha and Able to each other. Osha learnt that Able Fett was a former Clone Trooper who had fought alongside Han Lee during the Clone Wars. Fett respected the Jedi and had grown to hate the Empire he was serving. He regarded Palpatine as a tyrant and never believed that the Jedi had ever plotted to overthrow the Republic.

"It's rare to find a free-thinking Clone trooper," said Han Lee "But Able is one of them."

Suddenly, Shaggydog arrived, carrying Rickon's right shoe and Master Tamati Kiore's robe. Shaggydog at first growled at Fett but Osha was able to calm him down by assuring him that the new stranger was a friend. During the fight with Corrsk, Han had felt a sudden pain in the Force and quickly realized that Master Tamati had been killed. Through his Animal Friendship Force powers, Han was able to learn from Shaggydog that the Inquisitor Mara had taken Rickon captive.

"No, screamed Osha half in rage and frustration "I should have remained by him."

"We must rescue him," said Tamati "And avenge the death of Master Tamati. That man was like a father to me."

"I can help you," spoke Able Fett "I have a plan and here's what we'll do…."