Star Wars Legacy: Family Ties
A/N: I don't own Star Wars. It is owned by George Lucas. Star Wars Legacy Comics are written and illustrated by Jon Ostrander and Jan Duursema. All Original Characters belong to me.
A/N: This fanfiction is dedicated to ChildofWinds over at JCC.
Chapter 5
Their reverie was broken by the appearance of two Imperial fighters. "No," Sia shouted, realising the Sith trap had been sprung. "This isn't right," she screamed, running, as the two fighters were seemingly destroyed by the Sith. "Hang back, Imps got no more love for us than Sith or Jedi," Cade shouted, as Astraal went to go follow Sia. "No listen to the Princess, something is wrong," he felt it both through the Force and knew it from his talk with the Princess.
Two figures dropped out onto the ground, hooded, and armoured with the Imperial Knight armour. Two silver lightsabers lit up the night, followed by the green and blue of the Jedi as the Sith came.
"Roan Fel, false Emperor, my Master says it is time for you and your pitiful insurrection to die," Darth Talon said, as Marasiah lit her own lightsaber its faint blue hue lighting up the night, taking her position behind the two hooded knights.
"Your master's a usurper. And you're a fool Sith, if you think I'm Roan Fel," the hooded knight replied, as he and his partner threw off their hoods. "I am Master Draco, and this is Master Krieg," he stated, a dark look shot at the Sith, "Your master is a greater fool than you if he thinks Emperor Fel would fall into your clumsy trap. He saw Krayt's hand in this. Perhaps he is more powerful than you know…"
"Run Sith, while you still have the chance," Master Krieg continued. Darth Talon stood impassive, as she was joined by four more Sith, including Darth Nihl. Their red lightsabers stood in opposition.
Cade grabbed the visibly shaken Deliah, and ordered, "Syn, Deliah, the Mynock starts up now."
"I cold start those engines, Cade and they'll," Deliah replied, scared almost frozen by fear.
"Better odds with the engine than those Sith, Blue," Jariah interjected.
"Initiating power, Captain," Jariah said, as the two of them ran up the boarding ramp of the ship. "Come on missionary, I'd hate to see you be Sith kill," Jariah sneered, as Astraal went to save the Princess.
"Lady, unless you can use a lightsaber or the Force, right now you can't do what needs doing," Cade shot back, the green of his eyes, glowing. Was it the Force power or a trick of the light? "And Syn, get those shields up," he commed, as he ran with his Rawk-chopped Special Blaster towards the fight. He stood on top of a hillock as he saw the fight below. Darth Nihl was engaged in a fierce battle with Wolf, the red Lightsaber staff of the Sith held expertly as he parried Wolf's blow.
"You should have stayed dead on Ossus, one-arm," Darth Nihl stated. "I dislike having to kill my opponents twice." Cade froze on top of the hillock, as he watched Master Sazen fight Darth Nihl. The green lightsaber of the Jedi clashed against the red of the Sith's blade. Meanwhile, Shado was engaged in a duel against the Twi'lek Sith, Darth Talon. His blue double-bladed lightsaber held clenched in one hand, as it blocked Talon's slash. Cade continued to stand frozen as he flashed back, the trauma of Ossus once again playing through his head. He remembered snippets Cade wake up, the Sith are attacking the Temple a young Shado had said. Shado where's my father? Where's Master Sazen? He remembered he said, as he and Shado ran through the Temple. We have to get to the younglings, take them to a shuttle, Shado had said, as they faced three Sith with their lightsabers. We're cut off. Then cut a new opening, the reply came, as they killed the enemy Sith they faced.
Back in the present, Princess Sia, Knight Master Antares and Krieg, faced off agains the Sith reinforcements. "Antares, you're an idiot, coming here has just gotten us both killed," the Princess had time to say between batting away a Sith blade and then stabbing her enemy in the gut.
"Not by these three," Antares replied, as he force pushed another Sith whilst Knight Master Krieg killed another Sith.
"I know my father. He didn't send you on this mission," the Princess shot back, as she blocked the Sith's red lightsaber with her own light blue.
"Actually he forbade it," Knight Master Krieg, interjected, had time to interject that the Sith were now dead.
"Wonderful, you'd better hope these Sith kill you, Antares, so you won't have to face my father's anger. What were you thinking?" the Princess asked, as Antares interposed his blade between her and her Sith opponent and then decapitated him.
"That the person I cae about more than my vows as a Knight, than my fealty to your father, then my loyalty to the Empire was in danger. I was thinking of you," Antares replied, "I love you Sia."
"I know," she replied, recovering as she faced another Sith.
The Mynock fired its laser cannons destroying a Sith troop carrier. "Blue, engines are online burn those fighters and we kiss dirtside goodbye," Syn shouted.
"Skrag, that, we're not leaving without Cade," she replied, as she struggled with the flightsticks.
"Think with you head, woman. This little war's between Imperials, Jedi and Sith. It ain't our fight! If Cade was one of us, he'd be on board," Jariah countered. "He's made his choice. I'm getting us up and out."
"But the Princess," Astraal complained. She has to get away. And we're the only way.
"Forget the Princess," Deliah shouted back, "You leave Cade behind and I swear, Syn, I will space you while you sleep."
Back outside, Sia looked up and saw Cade standing on the hillock, still frozen. She saw a male Zabrak Sith approach from behind, igniting his lightsaber ready to strike Cade down. She knew what she had to do. She Force jumped up and kicked Cade out of the way, he didn't even react. She bought her lightsaber up to block the Sith's but he slipped around her guard and stabbed her. She decapitated him with her own lightsaber afterwards. She fell, as she felt the life begin to leave her. She was about to rejoin the Force. Cade, now shocked out of his fear, "Sia," he said, as she fell.
"Skywalker," she answered, as she felt weak, her lightsaber dropped out of her grasp, it's dead-man swtich activating. Cade cradled Sia in his grip as he flashed back yet again to Ossus. He remembered his father, We take what is given. "Why," he asked her, as she lay gasping for breath.
"Told you…" she wheezed, "had to make it right, even if it's only…one life." She fell unconscious, soon to be dead. Cade lay her down on the grass, as he called the Force to him, Sia's lightsaber flying to his grip as he stood. I have had enough.
He Force-jumped off the hillock, towards where Darth Nihl and Wolf were fighting. "Cade no," Wolf shouted, as Cade attacked bringing Sia's blue saber around. The Sith taunted him, "Listen to the one armed dead man, fool. Taking up a fallen lightsaber does not make one a Jedi."
Darth Talon warned, "be wary, Lord Nihl, the Force almost blazes in this one."
"I was trained as a Jedi. I was on Ossus! I watched you kill my father," Cade retorted, as the blue saber clashed against the red Sith lightsaber staff.
"I killed many Jedi that day. Perhaps your father was one," Nihl taunted.
"My father was Kol Skywalker," Cade shouted.
"Vengefulness is not a Jedi trait, boy," Nihl taunted again, as Cade flipped over his sweep, utilising the acrobatic movements of Ataru.
"Yeah, well, I'm a pretty nasty Jedi," Cade replied, between clenched teeth, drawing deeper and deeper into the Force. Wolf came to help, his green saber swinging, "You cannot defeat him with anger, Cade!" he warned. "That is a Sith weapon."
"Whatever works," Cade replied, intent on killing the Sith and that only.
"You've failed you mission Sith, the Princess is dead," Shado goaded, as the Sith flipped over.
"Dead of alive she will serve. With you and the others also dead, there will be no one to tell Roan Fel his daughter has died. We will yet entice him out," Darth Talon replied as she struck.
"Your plan has a flaw. It assumes you can kill me." Shado replied, as he blocked her blow.
The Imperial Knight Masters continued to cut through the Sith reinforcements taking down three, four, five, six Sith. "You have betrayed my Emperor, sullied the Empire,killed my friends and struck down se I have sworn on my life to protect," Ganner stated as he eviscerated another Sith. "I will levea your bones for the beasts to crack."
Antares, hugged Sia's fallen body. "Sia, why, why sacrifice yourself for him?" tears beginning to stream down his face.
"Antares," she answered, barely there, coming in and out.
"She's alive, the Princess is sill alive," Antares shouted, as he picked her up. "we have to get her to the ship."
"Do it," Wolf assented, "I'll cover you." A rare moment where the Imperials and the Jedi agreed.
"Cade," Wolf shouted, as he went to help against Nihl. "Cade, you can't defeat Nihl. He's too much for you now."
"But I can hold him," Cade replied, as he swung his lightsaber again. "This isn't Ossus, and I'm not running this time."
"The Force be with you," Wolf said, as he left to fight off more Sith. Nihl and Cade continued their battle.
"One arm is right. You have no chance against me, boy. Lie down and die. Like your father. I'll give you the quick mercy of death," Nihl taunted.
"He never lay down. You killed him and it took half a dozen Sith to do it," Cade replied, as he bought his lightsaber to block Nihl's sweeping blade. "I'm not looking for mercy. You destroyed my life and I will kill you."
Back onboard, Jariah shouted, "Blue, Astraal, we've got wounded," as he saw Antares carrying Princess Sia on the viewscreen. In the infirmary, Antares lay Princess Sia down on the bed as Jariah and Deliah came down with the medkits. "Where's everybody else," Jariah asked.
"Holding off the Sith, I'm going back," Wolf replied.
"No Jedi," Antares interrupted. "The Princess, must come first. She's dying, I swore an oath to her and her father to protect her at all costs."
"I did not. Other lives are at stake as well. Lives I hold dear. I'm supposed to sacrifice them for the daughter of the man who ordered the Massacre at Ossus," Wolf replied, acerbic, this was the closest he went to losing his calm.
"It was done against Roan Fel's express orders. And the Princess had no part in it. Imperial or not, isn't her life that matters," Antares argued.
"I will do what I can. You do what you can, Imperial, to protect the ship. Go!" Wolf assented, knowing that Antares was right, he was much better at healing than any Imperial Knight.
Meanwhile, Cade continued to hold Darth Nihl off. Suddenly, a blaster shot nailed Nihl in his chest armour, sending him backwards. "Syn," Cade said, "What's this…" he continued, as Jariah shot again, "change your mind about Jedi."
"Don't make no mistake. I may hate Jedi, but Sith are worse." Jariah shot back.
"Don't worry, I got no illusions about you, and this is hwy you don't shot a Sith," Cade answred, as Nihl danced around, avoiding Jariah's blaster shots. Nihl force pushed Jariah away, sending him sprawling as Nihl used an Ataru move, flipping over Cade, but Cade's life in the rough and tumble society of bounty hunting served him well. Instead of blocking with his lightsaber, he dropicked Nihl in the face, breaking his teeth, drawing blood, as he kicked him off the hillock.
"Stop messing around and go tell Blue, we're off this dampa now," Cade shouted, as they started running back.
"I wasn't messing, and I've been telling her that," Jariah shot back again.
"Couldn't get her to abandon me, huh Syn?" Cade said, knowing through the Force, "Umo Ju Muna, Blue."
As he approached the Mynock and the fight between Shado and Darth Talon, he saw the Sith launch into a languid flip whilst force pushing Knight Master Krieg. "Keep clear, Cade. You don't have the skills." But Cade refused to listen and intervended. "Ship's taking off, Shado. Finish her or marry her," the last part obviously a joke.
"Neither appeals to me. I prefer you all die," Darth Talon replied, as she shot Force lightning, blocked by Shado's lightsaber. The Jedi and Imperial Knights and Cade all jumped into the open hatch. Just as Darth Talon came to jump on as well, Antares Force-pushed her off the ship. The Mynock escaped into the atmosphere.
"We must get to our ships immediately, follow them," Talon ordered, frustrated.
"Useless, by the time we reach them, our foes will be in hyperspace," Nihl replied. "There is nothing left for you but to report your failure. And when he kills you, he will again have only one hand, which will be sufficient.
Onboard theMynock, Antares and the crew were on the bridge. Cade leaned in to Deliah, "Can we hold together for a jump to lightspeed, Blue?"
"C'mon Cade, have I ever disappointed you," she replied. Not yet came the answer.
"Set a course for Bastion," Antares ordered.
"Bastion," Jariah questioned, "we just escaped those Sith and you want to go to Bastion?"
"The Sith don't hold Bastion," Antares retorted, "the true Emperor does. It's the only safe place we can go that has the bacta tanks and the skilled healers that the Princess needs."
"Okay, best course plotted in. Still going to take time," Jariah answered, as he punched the numbers on the navicomp.
"And we can only push the engines so hard," Deliah added.
"The Princess has no time," Antares said, "we'll help the Jedi. We'll do everything we can to keep her alive. You get every bit of speed this junk heap has, or I swear I will kill you myself." He stalked out of the bridge towards the infirmary.
"Man's a motivator, ain't he," Jariah joked.
In the infirmary, Ganner stood watch, as Jedi Sazen tried to save Sia. But no, it was getting too late, even though the Jedi were very skilled, they were losing her. Antares stalked into the infirmary, "Let me join with you. That will help, it must help," he said, as he shoved Ganner out of the way.
"Do not fear my death, Antares, I do not," the Princess said, even as she was fading. "Listen to me, Listen. Jedi and Knights must join together. As we did today. Fight the Sith together. Restore the Empire's Honour. Make it right," she continued.
"I can help her," Cade said, as he emerged from the shadows of the infirmary.
"You," Antares shot back, "You're the reason she's hurt, she's dying, I don't care if you are a Skywalker," the pent up anger beginning to boil over. He punched Cade in the face, sending him sprawling into the ground, "You keep your filthy hands off her," he said, releasing the anger, "look at her life," he berated, "Skywalker, and look at yours. She has sacrificed herself for duty, for honour for the greater good of the galaxy. What have you done with your life that is worth her death."
"I said, I'll help her," Cade shot back, his blaster drawn, pointed at Antares. Snap-hiss. Two silver lightsabers lit up, hissing. A blue one joined them a moment later, "This fight has no purpose," Shado stated as he stood next to Cade, ready to defend him, if need be.
"You delude yourself, Jedi, You are not match for one Imperial Knight, let alone two," Antares stated, as he prepared to attack.
"Now that's an interesting theory," Shado replied. It was then that Astraal intervened, "Master Krieg, the Princess is dying. I can tell how deeply you feel for her, but you must master those feelings if you want to help her. Everything else has failed. I don't care who he is or what his life has been like, if he says he can help her, let him try," she pleaded.
Cade walked towards her bed, but was met by Wolf, "Cade, if the Force wills the Princess die here, today, then who are you to stop her death?" he questioned.
"How do you know it isn't the will of the Force that I save her," Cade retorted.
"Because to do it you must touch the Dark Side. You're not accepting the Will of the Force. You're imposing your own. You cannot live in the light if you keep pulling the shadows around you! Would the Princes want yo live if she knew this took you so close to the Dark Side Cade?" Wolf questioned.
"Weren't you listening," he shot back, "Wolf, don't you get it, Sia's the one you've been looking for, not me. She's the symbol to rally both Jedi and Knights. She's the one with the vision to unite everyone against the Sith." He approached her body, laying peacefully but dying in the bed. "who are the all more likely to follow, someone like her or someone like me?"
"Your healing doesn't have to touch the Dark Side. You can be trained," Wolf replied.
"And Sia will be dead," Cade shouted back, as he drew on the power of the Force, "And how do you know I'm not meant to take life back from death by touching the Dark Side, Do you think that makes me a monster? Will you and Shado strike me down for saving a life. Then do it because I'm going ahead." He continued to gather the power of the Force, until he began to blaze, lightning began to crackle as he bought his hands towards Sia's body.
"I will not stop you Cade. I cannot. Perhaps this is your destiny. But doing it because you can is not enough reason," Wolf replied.
"Then let's just say I'm, doing it because she saved my life," he answered, "No one dies for me, never again!" he stated with utter conviction, as the Force began to roar like a torrent through his body, light and dark for now. Sia's body began to float in the air, as waves of Force energy went from Cade into Sia. Everyone watched breathlessly, as Cade employed his most unique gift. Sia awoke, her eyes staring into Cade's as he staggered away.
"The Princess, she's alive," Astraal celebrated. Antares hugged Sia's upper body, "Sia," he said.
"Antares, I dreamed I was dead," she said, crying.
"Her wound," Shado stated, "it's almost healed."
"Cade," Wolf whispered, as he followed the tired and staggering Cade where he sat down. "I know how close you cane to the Dark Side. I could feel it. But now, I can't feel you at all. It's like you closed yourself off after Ossus. It's almost as if you took her death into you," he said, as he knelt down, next to where Cade sat hunched over, against a crate.
"Go away Wolf," came Cade's reply. "Go away, don't ever speak to me about this again, ever." If Wolf could have seen Cade's eyes he would have been worried about the eerie yellow Sith glow.
A/N: Another chapter gone. The next chapter shall start the branch-off from the Comic-story...so tell me what you think.