Ranna and I contacted our fighter's R-1 droid and told it to fly the starship to where we were. A few moments later we saw the fighter land in front of the lab we were using as a refuge from the rakghouls. The droid beeped angrily as we approached the fighter. It explained that bombers were being readied for something and I speculated to destroy the city.
"I knew it, that Rancor brain is going to destroy the city!" Her tone sounded like all of her suspicions had been confirmed. "He released the Rakghouls in the lab when the doctor found out what they were, now he's going to kill everyone!"
"Calm down Ranna, we're not going to let that happen." I answered. "I'm going to contact the council, tell them what's going on." I walked over to the wing of the fighter and opened up the booster satellite.
I didn't have enough signal strength to send a complete call but I was able to send out a message and distress call. I told the council that the the Prime Minister was dead and the Capitol city was threatened. I also requested they sent a Jedi Master to help Ranna and I with Onasi.
Our next step was going to be the hard part. Delaying the bombers long enough for the council to send aid. Ranna and I climbed into our fighter and set course for the military hanger on the outskirts of the city. As we flew over I realized we were too late to disable the bombers, too many soldiers lined the runway, so the next pass we made I pulled the trigger on the fighters guns.
Blaster bolts obliterated twelve of the eighty bombers on the far side of the field. I flipped the ship around to make a second pass, but the military base's defense turrets activated, forcing me to jerk us into a barrel roll. Ranna clenched her stomach like she was going to be sick as I corrected the ships orientation.
There was no way I was going to destroy more bombers without being shot down and that would certainly not help stop O'Nasi from blowing up the city. I powered down the fighters guns, transferred the power to the shield generator and bolted the fighter away from the base as fast as I could.
"What do we do know?" Asked Ranna, who's stark white face returned to its normal, slightly less pale color.
"I'm going to the city control center." I answered, yanking us in the direction of the large tower at the center of the city.
"I'm going with you right?" She asked.
"No, you'll be safer taking the fighter back to Coruscant." I answered. "Make sure the other Jedi arrive with a cure."
"No way am I being held back, I'm going in with you." She complained. She pounded her fist on the consol and turned around in her seat to face me. "This guy is obviously crazy, you're going to need my help."
"Ranna, you don't get it." I sighed. "I need you to do this. End of conversation." The control tower was now little over a kilometer away. "The best way we can help these people is if I go in alone and you come back with the cavalry."
"Master, the droid can fly the ship by itself, you're leaving me behind because you are trying to 'protect' me." Her tone had changed from angry to understanding. "And I completely understand that, but I don't need to be protected. I need to be taught." I remembered having this same argument with Caren during our mission to Correlia.
"Ranna..." I sighed. At least I knew she had my back. "Fine, but stay behind me." I ordered as I opened the fighters canopy. I placed the sample of Rakghoul blood on my seat. Then Ranna and I jumped out of the fighter just as we passed over the top of the control center and watched our ship take off into space.
Hopefully Onasi would assume that we had departed along with our transportation. The roof had no entrance so Ranna and I had to lower ourselves down on grappling hooks. We were lucky, the floor we lowered to was empty. I used my lightsaber to cut a circular hole and Ranna used the force to prevent the cut glass from crashing the ground alerting every guard in the guiding to our presence. We quickly ran to the door way that would lead us into what I assumed was a hallway.
Now the bad luck struck. When we opened the door a lone guard happened to be walking by pushing a grav-sled of supplies. He noticed us immediately and pulled his blaster out of its holster. He wore the a dark green military vest and his gray helmet was equipped with a holographic display that over layed in front of his eyes. "Hold it right there!" He barked. I spied Ranna's hands inching towards her lightsaber. The guard fired a warning shot at her feet. I hoped no one heard him fire his weapon. "Hands up Jedi!" He ordered.
Ranna I slowly raised both our hands. I had one option to avoid a firefight in the halls. The force. "We're not the Jedi you're looking for." I soothed, pushing my way into the mans consciousness. I could feel him fighting me.
"I am not the Jedi I am looking for." I had never exactly been the best at mind tricks.
"No, we are not the jedi you are looking for." I corrected, forcing his mind to my will.
"You are not the Jedi I am looking for." His tone was confused and I felt my control over him waver for a moment, but he lowered his pistol.
"You will give us your blaster and tell me where to find the Administrator." Ranna was now helping me and his mind was much easier to bend.
I held out my hand and he dropped the pistol into my hand, then he pointed us in the direction of Onasi's office. The guard collapsed as we released his mind and bolted down the hall.
The halls were empty the entire time we were running down the hallway. I assume it was because Onasi was in the process of evacuating his soldiers. We made it to Onasi's office without incident.
Ranna and I readied our lightsabers before we entered the room. "Ready Etch?"
She gave me a proud nod. "I have your back Master." I had only known the girl for less a couple months, but I will admit, I was proud of her. "Ready when you are."
I hit the button that opened the door and we charged inside. The room was the largest of the rooms we had passed through. A single green hologram lit up the room, displaying the entire city and the positions of what I assumed to be artillery placements around the city. Four DSN-4 GAUSE droids stood on standby around it. Onasi was among them relaying orders to his soldiers.
"-to the beta sector, make sure too..." He looked up from the communication unit and noticed us. "Relay to all teams to begin the bombardment." He ordered before switching off the call. He signaled to his droids and they took defensive positions around him. "Was it too much to hope you would get killed by the Rakghouls or shot down?" He bellowed.
"Administrator Onasi, you are under arrest on a count of treason!" I raised my lightsaber in his direction. "Call off your troops and surrender!"
He chuckled at my accusations. I realized that Onasi was armed. He held a small Blast Tech Dl-22 blaster pistol in his right hand and had a long viro-sword attached to his belt.
"This is the only way to protect the rest of the planet!" He explained before firing his blaster.
I deflected the bolt directly back at one of his droids causing it to clatter to the ground. Directly after a barrage of blaster bolts were released from the remaining droids forcing Ranna and I to take refuge behind a crate.
"If I have to give my life to save this planet, that is what I will do!" Screamed Onasi as more bolts riddled our position. I could hear the booming sound of thermal charges bombarding the city. "If one Rakghoul makes it out of this city, the entire planet will be lost!"
A large explosion shook the tower causing Onasi to stumble. I took the opportunity and fired the blaster, the guard had 'given' me, at the three remaining droids, exploding them with each bolt. I dived back behind our refuge just as Onasi unleashed an onslaught of blaster bolts.
I looked over at Ranna. She was clutching her arm tightly. "You okay?" I asked as I moved closer to her.
"I'll be fine Master." She groaned painfully. She scooted closer to the crate revealing a painful blaster burn burned through her tan tunic, creating a painful crater of charred skin just below her elbow.
"Don't move." I ordered her. Now this was personal. I know jedi aren't supposed to get mad, but looking at poor Ranna got the better of me.
I bolted out of cover and charged Onasi. He fired a few surprised blaster shots but I deflected them and sliced his blaster in half. He franticly dropped the destroyed pistol and drew his viro-sword. The administrator had barely enough time to block my first strike before I was moving onto my second strike.
He was able to anticipate each of my assaults after just a few attacks. I had to change my strategy, maybe a more defensive tactic would work better. I let him go on the offence and hoped he would grow tired before I did. He would try to hack through my defense, but I would perry his sword, twisting it in futile attempts to tear the blade from his hand.
Our swords interlocked one last time, sparks flew as my lightsaber contacted his energy enhanced sword. We struggled against each other for what felt like an hour, until a menacing grin grew across his face. He reached down with his free hand and drew a second blaster, a dirty dueling trick.
Bang! One blaster bolt struck my chest. Bang! The second one struck. Bang! He fired his third and final bolt. The burns hurt like a thousand blazing suns. I collapsed in pain.
Onasi laughed triumphantly. He slowly walked over to my crippled frame, kicked the lightsaber across the floor, and placed his boot over my throat. "Jedi knight!" He spat before placing more pressure on my neck. "Your council must be very desperate for jedi." His blade was now less than an inch from my face. The room rumbled as more explosions bombarded the city. "I'll do you a favor and kill you before your padawan so you don't see her suffer, I know how important that is to you Jedi." He raised his viro-sword and prepared for one last jab.
BOOM! A loud explosion rocked the entire floor and sent both, Onasi and me flying across the room. My head struck the wall and everything went dark.
The next thing I know a blurry woman with dark hair is lifting me onto a stretcher and placing a bacta mask over my mouth and nose. She must have noticed I was waking up because she ran her soft hands through my short, red hair. "You did it Tharen." She soothed, her tone was soft and familiar. "The council received your message just in time." I racked my mind trying to figure out who it was. Saras, it had to be her. "Rest, brave Jedi knight, rest." She soothed, gently sliding my grav-strecher out of the room.
Once outside I was exposed to the full onslaught that the city had endured. The area around the tower, and the tower it's self were in ruins. A cloud of purple gas lingered along the streets. A squadron of Jedi starfighters streaked across the sky releasing more of the purple gas to other areas of the city.
Now the combined effects of my injuries and the bacta began to take hold. My eyes grew heavy and I fell into a weary sleep.
~~~•••~~~
The next time I regained consciousness, I was lying in a cot inside a medical bay. A blue medical droid stood over a bunk a few feet away from me working. My vision was too blurry to see farther than the droid, so I couldn't tell who was in the bed but I hopped it wasn't Ranna.
I tried to pull myself up, but was forced to lay back down by somebody's hand who gently pushed me back down against the pillow.
"Don't move too quickly, you'll tear your bandages." Cautioned Saras's voice.
"Where are we?" I groaned painfully. "Is Ranna okay?"
"We're on the way back to Coruscant." Saras answered. "Ranna is fine, she's down the hall getting something to eat. You know, that's a tough girl you've got." So if it wasn't Ranna in the medical bed, who was it? "You're lucky that the Administrator was on top of you when the tower exploded." Continued Saras.
"What do you mean?"
She pointed to the bed next to me. "He got riddled with shrapnel." Her tone was full of pity. "The droid say's he'll survive, but probably is going to need cybernetics to breath and walk." She helped me sit upright and sat down beside me. "Not that its going to matter, he's going to be in a Republic prison for a long time."
"Its probably for the best." I answered.
Saras grinned. "I think you're going to be fine." She gave me a joyful slap on the back. "I'll go tell Ranna you're awake, she wanted to speak to you."
"No, I'll go see her." I answered. "It'd be good for her to see that I can stand." I turned to the robotic doctor. "If its alright with the doc, I mean." It nodded but didn't divert it's attention from it's unconscious patient. Saras stood up, then offered me her hand. I took it and she helped me stand upright. I wobbled unsteadily for a few moments and Saras tried to talk me into staying in the med bay, but I told her no.
Even though I objected, she forced me to allow her to help me limp down the large starship's hallway. She led me into a small mess-hall, the walls were metallic with clear view ports that looked into hyperspace. The symbol of the Jedi,a shining lightsaber with republic wings, had been painted on the wall in gold paint.
Ranna sat at a table alone near one of the windows eating and watching the hyperspace blurred stars., away from the six or seven other Jedi on the other side of the room. Her right arm hung in a cloth sling across her chest. Her white hair had been tied back and she was wearing a fresh, clean tunic, which was more than I could say. I was still dressed in my undershirt and torn tunic pants.
Saras set me down silently next to my padawan and walked over to the food droid behind the counter to get me and her something to eat.
Ranna was too focused on her food to notice me. "Morning Etch." I joked.
"Day light is relative in spa-" She stopped mid sentence and used her one good arm to pull me into a painfully tight embrace. "Master!" The six jedi on the other side of the room looked at us and smiled. "Are you okay Master? I saw you in the medical bay when I woke up."
"Just a little kicked around, what's for breakfast?" I answered noticing the bandage on her pale cheek.
"As I had just said, morning is relative in space." She laughed peacefully. "But I believe the droid is serving yampa juice and mappa bread."
Right as she finished speaking Saras returned with the food Ranna had mentioned. "Just so you know, this means you owe me three weeks of lunches since I amthe one who found you in that tower." Laughed Saras before sliding onto the seat ahead of us.
"I thought that saving an entire planet would make us even." I answered sarcastically before cutting off a portion of the sweet, berry flavored bread.
She started to laugh as she drank her juice, making her choke slightly with laughter. "You couldn't have done it without the help of thirty other jedi. On top of me finding you bleeding out in that tower, three weeks."
"No deal, two weeks and I pick the place."
"You're the one who owes me, a two and a half weeks and Dex's Diner."
I smiled triumphantly, over the years I had discovered that Saras was extremely difficult to negotiate with and even a small subtraction to my sentence was a huge victory. "Deal." I answered offering my hand in acknowledgement of our deal.
Saras took a bite of her bread and turned to Ranna. "You keep him out of trouble?"
The young girl chuckled. "Only as much as is possible, you should have seen him try to mind trick one of the guards."
"Hey!" I objected.
My padawan ignored me and continued her story. "Not only did he fail to convince him we weren't jedi, he made the poor nerf for brains think he was a jedi." Both women laughed, Saras even started to slip out of her seat.
"In my defense, I did eventually get him to forget us." I pulled the blaster off my belt and flashed it to Saras before reequipping to my belt. "Thanks for that blaster by the way. Ranna."
"That reminds me." Saras chuckled as she reached down to her own belt. "Did you happen to lose anything during your fight with Onasi?" She flashed by lightsaber, its light wooden hilt rolling in her palm as she spun it.
"Hey, give that to me!" I ordered her, half jokingly. She gave me a defiant grin and continued to chuckle. I started to reach across the table to grab it from her but my wounded chest struck the table causing me to recoil from pain. "Etch, help me here."
She gave me an amused look. "What do I get out of it?"
"Oh come on Ranna." She proceeded to lean back in her chair, placed her feet on the table and began to relax. "Fine, you can come to lunch with us." I gave up. The girl raised up her hand and Saras threw her the weapon, then tossed the hilt into my lap. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you two planned this." They both gave me a nonchalant chuckle and ate their meals in quiet.