Chapter 46

Darklings, Lightlings & Jedi

Part II

The Millennium Falcon was one of the most famous ships in the galaxies history, a heavily modified YT-1300 freighter, piloted by the famous ex-smuggler Han Solo it was a vessel that survived countless encounters and battles from as far back as the beginning of the Galactic Civil War until now. A major reason why the Falcon had survived for so long was because of its heavy, illegal modifications giving the freighter enough firepower to go toe to toe with a frigate and make it as nimble as a starfighter. Such modifications included a pair of proton torpedo tubes, two concussion missile launchers, frontal laser cannons, dorsal and belly quad-laser turrets, military grade shielding, sensors, hyperdrive engines and just recently the most recent cloaking technology.

Luke didn't know how Han acquired the cloak and quite frankly he didn't care, he was just happy that it was active, shielding the vessel and allowing it to slip quietly through the Eldar fleet squadrons which were now mobilising against his fathers forces. To add to the infiltration the ten Jedi knights within the freighter had expanded their awareness and cloaked it from psykers as well as ships sensors.

Luke sat in the co-pilots seat of the Falcons cockpit. His best friend and brother-in-law Han Solo sitting in the pilot's seat beside him, his eyes fixed on the massive intimidating form of the Craftworld which completely engulfed the main view-screen, his hands on the control yoke of the piloting console, making minor adjustments to the freighters trajectory towards the gapping hanger bay doors of the Craftworld.

"They see us kid?" Han asked, his eyes not leaving his goal.

"No" Luke replied, a now rare smile gracing his lips "They have no idea that we're here"

"Halleluiah to Jedi cloaking techniques" Han muttered.

"Halleluiah to that cloaking device you got for this old bucket of bolts"

"Hey, hey, hey, this ship is still as good as she was when I got her"

"So she was falling apart then too?" Luke asked with a chuckle.

Han huffed and returned his attention to his job. Luke had been decimated when Mara vanished just over a year ago. Even now he was still not the same guy that he knew. He had become a shadow of what he once was and his son Ben, now seven years old had also been decimated after his mothers supposed death. Even now Luke didn't seem to believe what his sixth sense, the force was telling him, and Han believed that Luke wouldn't believe that his wife was alive until he saw her and held her in his arms. It was exactly what would happen to him if he lost Leia.

Finally the Falcon passed through the decimated hanger doors into a chamber bigger than anything they had ever seen before, the chamber stretched for as far and as high as the naked eye could see. Ships lay docked in the walls of the chamber which was almost three kilometres wide.

But the duos attention was brought to a massive 3km long, sleek vessel landed in the centre of the hanger, coloured in blacks and purples and shaped like a blade with a scorpion tail in the dorsal section. Flashes of white light and small explosions dotted the landscape surrounding the battleship, showing columns of red and white armoured guardians and aspect warriors mixed in with the black and purple armoured forms of Dark Eldar warriors and a mass of other elite troopers.

Several hundred meters away the modified freighter hovered, watching the main battle and doing last second checks before they launched their attacks. Han was busy pulling switches and levers, arming the proton torpedo tubes and main laser cannons.

"Right um" Han started before putting his hand over the mic and turning to Luke "What's the names of those two on the quads?"

"Luminara Undali and Barriss Offee" Luke replied in an equally hushed tone.

"Luminara, Barriss. You guys ready?"

"Bring them on" the younger tone of Barriss piped up.

"We're ready" Luminara added more seriously.

"Whenever you're ready general Solo" Luke said with a mock salute as he rose from his seat and headed towards the main chamber of the Falcon, obviously to prepare the strike team for a fight.

"Okay" Han replied as he cracked his knuckles and placed his hands on the control yokes, bringing the old Corellian freighter forward.

The freighter immediately accelerated. Its cloak deactivating as it fired a pair of proton torpedoes and a volley of lasfire from its main laser cannons and quad turrets. The torpedoes hit the unshielded vessel head on and exploding on impact, tearing through the large vessels dorsal section with the lasfire peppering the hull, damaging the already crippled battleship more and making it completely unable to enter space again. The freighter flew past, surprising the scores of Eldar and their dark kin who were fighting on the floor and turning around for another attack run, this time firing a volley of concussion missiles along with another bombardment of lasfire.

The ramp way opened in midair and a group of eight Jedi lead by Luke Skywalker dived out towards the battle taking place below them, their lightsabres active before they landed and killed a Dark Eldar warrior each. Twenty clone jump troopers followed, activating their jump-packs as they fell, which stopped them about half a meter above the floor. They then turned them off and landed in crouches, their specialised E-17 blaster rifles already firing upon the scores of Dark Eldar charging towards the Jedi strike team.

-----

Mara followed the Eldar Banshees as they took off down a small labyrinth of side corridors, away from the main skirmish taking place in the palace and taking the long way towards the Farseers chambers. They continued running up the corridors with almost supernatural speed and grace, so fast in fact that the red haired Jedi Master had to call upon the force to keep up with the fleeting elites.

Eventually they came to a chamber shinning white with wraithbone and at the sides of this small chamber were four pools, full of some kind of bluish liquid. Through the force Mara could have sworn that she could feel emotions and thoughts escaping the pool, almost as if they were a living, breathing entity. Without a hint of hesitation the Banshees dived into the far pool, vanishing in the blue liquid. The Jedi master entered the chamber more carefully than the Banshees and slowly approached the pool they vanished into.

She looked down into the liquid, expecting to see her own reflection in the shinning blue water. Instead she saw a birds eye view of the reception chamber directly outside of the Farseers main chambers, a massive hall that's walls shinned from wraithbone, pillars were strategically placed along the walls, keeping up the equally magnificent ceiling. Other than that the chamber was bare, the wraithbone doing the decoration for it with illusions of what a visitor expected the hall to look like.

On the floors were the Banshees, fighting with a squad of Incubi warriors with such passion and determination that it couldn't be matched. As Mara touched the pool the liquid turned red and the psychic voices started to whisper warnings into her mind. She was an unknown to the spirits of the Craftworlds infinity circuit, the fact that she was human probably had something to do with it as well.

She was jumping in, no matter how the spirits that infested the spirit pool felt, but just as she prepared to jump in she heard the blood curdling sound of a death scream. She spun around in time to see an Eldar Guardian fall to his knees outside of the chamber, his abdomen cut open and his blood flowed down his psycho-plastic armour and forming a pool of crimson on the floor.

As he fell forward a swath of Dark Eldar warriors ran into the chamber, either wearing their nightmarish helmets or without, showing their sickly pale skin, crazed eyes and black teeth. Armed with splinter rifles and a mass of twisted, bending and in some cases forked blades held in their free hands and clenched between their teeth. Their intentions were clear, they wanted to decapitate her, mutilate her and cart her off to their torture chambers on whatever nightmarish world they called home.

Mara snorted, let them try. She then fell into a defensive Soresu stance and readied herself for the battle to come. Let them come, the Jedi will dance and all around her would die.

------

Anakin Skywalker stood at his daughter's side, watching as she negotiated with the Siam-Hann superior officer, a male Eldar who had introduced himself as High Admiral Eldran Sylvanne, supreme commander of the Siam-Hann's combined defensive and offensive fleet.

She not only physically resembled his wife in appearance she also had Padme's keen mind and natural negotiating ability. She stood beside him, dressed in a simple white dress with a black belt slung around her waist, the silvery hilt of a lightsabre holstered, it was this weapon that both he and his daughter had that got the attention of the High Admiral but he was still being cryptic.

"High Admiral" Leia said, her dark brown eyes fixed upon his silvery orbs "Please listen to what I have to say, I know the sending a team of Jedi and troopers into your Craftworld may have not been the most wise decision to make but I can assure you that they will take no action against your forces"

"You expect me to take your word for it Mon-Keigh" the High Admiral bit back, his disgust clear in his voice.

"Right then" Leia returned heatedly "If we had not acted then what would have happened. You would just simply return Mara-Jade Skywalker back to us without a fuss. I find that doubtful, plus the fact that if the Jedi team had not infiltrated your home then more of your kind would fall to your, your dark kin!"

Anakin hid a smile, she may have had his wife's looks and political mind but she had his short fussed temper and way of speaking her mind no matter what.

"Enough" Anakin said, raising his hand to silence both his daughter and the supreme commander "We will discuss the outcome of our hurried action later. The fact of the matter is our people are in your city fighting with your soldiers against these pirates and raiders. As my daughter here has already explained we are here to offer our assistance"

"And you expect me to believe that you would simply help us out of the kindness of your heart?"

"No, we simply wish that our people are returned to us once the battle is finished, including Mara-Jade" Anakin retorted lightly, if being in the netherworld for nearly three decades had one good effect on him it was learning patience.

------

Chara spun on her heel, her witchblade moving as fluently as her body as she parried and countered the attacks of the Incubi attacking her. The Incubi was no amateur to a battlefield, he himself danced his own fluent dance of death, striking at her with almost sadistically articulate strokes. He still had one weakness that she did not, he enjoyed the battle to much and in doing so he was bound to get cocky and give her an opening.

He did and she took it, feigning a swing into his abdomen she abruptly changed the direction of her blade, bringing it up and cutting through his chin, slicing his head neatly in half. She spun around, the now limp body falling forwards to the floor and surveyed the chamber before her.

Her Banshees were fighting and fighting well but they were outnumbered at least two to one by the Incubi warriors. Another Incubi warrior charged towards her, his face set in a snarl and his blades held firmly in his hands. She spun as he charged, spinning around her new opponent and digging the already bloodied blade of her sword into the now stumbling Eldar's back, exiting through his chest with a spatter of blood.

She wrenched her witchblade free and gazed at the continuing battle with bloodshot eyes. She was a warrior of the Howling Banshees, a servant of Kharne, the Bloody Handed God. Combat was her path and she craved it. She craved for her blade to taste blood, she craved to dance the dance of death, she craved to live and die by the stroke of a sword.

"My lady" one of her warriors, Drynnia called as she jumped beside her "Do you sense it?"

"Yes" Chara replied as she turned to glance at the spirit pool where they had entered the chamber "The darkness is almost palpable" more of the dark kin were coming, their lust to inflict pain and death palpable to her fledgling psychic abilities. At least fifty warriors, lead by a being whose darkness and lust to cause unimaginable pain and suffering, a sudden psychic assault made her stumble backwards, forcing her to close herself of from the warp. A mandrake was coming.

"Can you handle this?"

"Easily ma'am" Drynnia replied before drawing her second witchblade and spinning both weapons in her hands "We'll rescue the Farseer"

------

She had them in a bottleneck, fought them back into the corridor and kept them there. She spun and danced at the mouth to the room, her emerald lightsabre a blur of motion as she deflecting splinter rounds and parried poison covered blades. Dark Eldar flew forward and just as quickly fell to her blade, losing limbs and heads, weapons lay cut in half on the wraithbone, and blood spattered the walls and floor.

This was a dance, a dance of the force, a dance of death. One wrong move could prove to be fatal. One slip of her guard would mean a cut or a slice that could prove lethal. Still Mara spun and danced, looking more like a true warrior of the force than any other time she had in her life. The force was with her, the force was controlling her and she let it do as it wills.

Slowly the bodies at her feet turned into a mound and the surviving warriors had to clamber over it before facing her, a second later and they fell onto the pile, adding to its height and making it more difficult for the warrior behind to face her. As the seconds turned into minutes and the minutes into a half hour she had already gone past her physical limits. The only reason she was continuing with such ferocity was because she was calling completely upon the force, even her adrenaline boost was exhausted.

The dance was slowing. Her entire body ached even with the soothing balm of the force upon her. Now every once and a while one of the warriors was getting a lucky shot, cutting and nicking her body with their poison covered blades, red blood trickled from the gashes on her arms, legs and sides, tainted purple from the paralysis toxins. She knew what these poisons did, they didn't kill the victim. They paralyzed the target so that she could be dragged back to their world, enslaved, tortured and thrown into their coliseums as gladiators until she fell.

As Chara jumped out of the spirit pool, expecting to find a small force of at least twenty warriors and one mandrake, instead found the Mon-Keigh, Mara-Jade standing on a pile of black and purple armoured dead Dark Eldar warriors. Panting heavily her eyes were alive with her force abilities, her arms and legs were covered with cuts and gashes with blood staining her white and brown sleeveless tunic and pants, her life fluid dripping onto the dead at her feet, tainted purple by the paralysis toxins that were now in her bloodstreams.

"Mara" Chara called, saying her name for the first time "Can you hear me, are you alright?"

Her eyes suddenly came back to life with a gasp, and she slowly turned her head to see the Banshee, a smile crossed her lips "Kicked their ass" she muttered before her eyes became dilated and she fell, rolling down the small mound of dead she had made and landing flat on her back. Chara moved over to her and scanned her suddenly glazed over emerald eyes, those weren't the eyes of a dying woman and the colour of the poison told her that it was a paralysis. The dark kin were better known for using that than any deadly venom.

"I have heard rumours about the Jedi" a voice rasped from behind the body mound. Chara spun, her witchblades unsheathed in time to hear the sound of firm footfalls as the mandrake scaled the mound and made it to the top, his skin was a pale and sickly grey and his head was shaved bald. Wearing slender black and purple carapace armour with satchels and belts tied around it, showing a number of blades, needles and a pair of swords across his back "Impressive, she and you would undoubtedly make a fine duo for her slave pits…if we didn't overdose her with the toxins that is"

Chara was frozen in place, she could handle warriors and elites like Incubi easily, but she couldn't take on a mandrake. There was a reason why they were feared even by the most powerful of the Dark Eldar lords and archons. Their combat ability was second to none. One mandrake was worth ten, maybe twenty normal warriors at the very least.

A hand grabbed her armour and pulled her down to stare into Mara's emerald eyes, obviously the human had sensed her sudden fear and panic through the force. It was through those eyes that Chara decided she couldn't run, if she did then her fellows and the farseer herself would be in danger.

"Chara…hold him off…for a…few more minutes" Mara gasped, gritting her teeth as the toxins ran through her blood vessels, felling like molten lava "Just a…few minutes"

"I was planning on doing that anyway Mon-Keigh" Chara bit out "But why only for a few minutes?"

"Because Luke is coming" Mara replied weakly before she closed her eyes and lost consciousness.

"Oh is the little Mon-Keigh Jedi out cold" the mandrake taunted with a sadistic grin, his blades drawn and held firmly in his gauntleted hands "Then that just leaves you little lightling"

Chara sprung to her feet, her two witchblades held across her psycho-plastic armoured chest. She jumped high into the air and sliced downwards with her two witchblades only to have them keenly intercepted. The mandrake smirked and batted the blades away with his sword, sending her flying into the air. The banshee somersaulted backwards, landed feet first against the far wall in a crouch and lunged forward, propelling her back towards the mandrake, her blades held straight in front of her.

The mandrake grumbled something inaudible and sidestepped the banshees attack, swinging with his sword as she flew past him and cut into her side, blood spurted out of the slash wound and spattered across the corridors floor as Chara landed on a heap. Her every movement radiating shock.

"Is that it" the mandrake asked as he approached the Banshee who had dragged herself to her knees, her back facing him "I must admit I expected better from a Howling Banshee, even if she is new blood" he licked his lips and in a move to fast for the eye to detect he grabbed her masked face with his clawed hands and yanked her to her feet before throwing her against the wall. She hit the wall with a painful thud, her spine erupting in agony even as the mesh armour absorbed the worst of it.

The clawed fingers of his gauntlets dug into her helmet, creating cracks across the otherwise immaculate armour. Chara growled angrily, her adrenaline finally starting to circulate around her system. She lashed out with her foot, catching the arrogant mandrake in his groan. He doubled over in pain and was immediately assaulted with a head butt from the banshee. He fell backwards, dazed by the sudden almost desperate move.

Chara stumbled as the mandrake released his vice-like grip from her face mask. The manoeuvre she used was one of desperation, whatever it took to survive, her teacher had told her that and she was glad that she listened. The head butt had damaged her mask more with half of it cracked and falling away showing the top right side of her face, her violet eyes alive with fire and passion.

She reached down and felt the handgrip of one of her swords, thanking the gods she grabbed it and examined the blood covered blade before breaking out in a run for the recovering mandrake. Her blade was parried and followed up by a knee to her gut, which took her back down to her knees again. The mandrake then kicked her in the side of the head, sending her corkscrewing in midair and landing on a heap a few meters down the hall.

"Lightling whore" he swore as he approached her, his every word spewing out venom and hate "I'll send you to your precious dead gods. I'll crush your soul stone in my hands and hope Slaanesh does the same to you as she did to them!!!" He reached down and grabbed her by her throat, hauling her up so that their faces were millimetres apart. She could smell his breath, which smelt like rotting flesh and blood. She gasped for air, her feet dangling a few inches away from the floor.

He held her there for a few moments, his right hand gripped firmly around her throat, his left holding the hilt of his own sword. He thrust up, stabbing her through her abdomen and straight through her back, he then slowly pulled the blade out, letting her feel the agony of her organs getting butchered and her ribs splintering before dropping her uncaringly to the floor.

"Lightlings are only good for one thing" the mandrake mumbled as he stalked back up the corridor to his quarry and a fresh group of victims "Dying!"

As he reached the top of the corridor he found himself stopping in his tracks, something had changed. He spun around to see three new figures at the end of the corridor, their faces illuminated by glowing blades of light that they held in their hands. Jedi, more Jedi.

The mandrake found himself grinning, one Jedi should be good enough for his master but another three, dead or alive would make her most pleased. Two of the new individuals were human, one male with spiked black hair and dressed in some sort of red armour with a crimson cape while the other was a female of the repulsive species, her hair a long brandy brown with piercing dark brown eyes and unblemished features, she wore a simple tunic and trousers with a black belt hanging around her waist. The third was a male from a species he hadn't seen before. His skin was greyish in colour with black hair, the top half of his head covered in a crown of small horns. Long brown robes hid his physique well but he held his weapon like a true professional.

Perhaps he would gain a little bit of sport from these three before he took his prize, redrawing his power-sword he held the handle firmly with both hands and jumped high into the air.

------

Jaina found herself leading the way, her force-senses on high alert, following the trail of destruction that was left by an individual of great power and evil. She could feel at least that much, following her were two Jedi masters of the old order who were also part of the strike team, Jedi masters Rii'ke En and Agen Kolar, a Zabrak male Jedi master and once a member of the Jedi High Council.

As they finally rounded the corner Jaina's eyes fell upon the limp form of an Eldar elite warrior, lying on the floor, blood flowing out of a fatal wound in her abdomen. Her eyes rose in time to see the attacker, a bald male Eldar, wearing slender black and purple armour with an assortment of weapons hanging from belts, satchels and holsters. He spun to see them, his grotesque mouth curling into a repulsive smile of scarred lips and serrated teeth before he drew his sword, blood still oozing from the blade.

As one both En and Kolar jumped forward to meet him, their blades held firmly in their hands, the Dark Eldar didn't hesitate. Smiling and jumping up to meet them. Jaina started running towards the battle, her lightsabre glowing in her hands before she was stopped, a hand grabbing her ankle firmly. She looked down to see the Banshee, blood trickling from her bruised lips.

"Are you…Jedi?" she wheezed.

Jaina nodded as she knelt down beside the dying warrior and carefully pushed her onto her back before inspecting the wound, she shook her head sadly "I'm afraid this is beyond my skill to heal"

"I know" the Eldar replied "I have a favour to ask"

"What is it?" Jaina asked softly.

"Your fellow is…in the spirit pool chamber…unconscious but alive" Chara whispered "Beyond is the Farseer's chambers…I beg of you, please protect her…give me your…word!"

"You have my word" Jaina said as she reignited her weapon "And my lightsabre, promises that I make with this weapon are promises that I keep"

"I see" Chara replied as darkness clouded the sides of her vision, threatening to drag her down to eternal sleep "Then go…you can't help me Mon-Keigh"

"What is your name?" Jaina asked.

"Chara Tan of the Howling Banshees" she whispered with pride.

"Jaina Solo of the New Jedi Order" Jaina replied.

"Fight well Jaina Solo of the Jedi" Chara said before her eyes turned into lifeless pools and she was no more "Fight well"

Jaina leaned forward, closing the Banshee's eyes before leaping to her feet and joining the battle with her two predecessors against the mandrake. The two masters had used their numbers to their advantage, manoeuvring the mandrake into a corner with well timed lightsabre combos and strikes. But an animal that has been backed into a corner can be a dangerous creature, the mandrake struck out with such power and force that it took the two masters completely by surprise.

He charged forward, his black bladed sword spinning and slashing at incredibly high speeds, the two masters were finding it difficult to keep up. Eventually the mandrake found an opening and took it, plunging his sword into master Rii'ke En's chest. The Jedi master gave a strangled cry before he fell to the floor and once again joined the force.

Agen Kolar barely had time to register the death of his comrade for the mandrake once again came onto the offensive, attacking him with slashes and swings from his power-sword, making the veteran Jedi master back away and lose ground. The Dark Eldar elite continued his advance, stabbing and swinging his weapon with uncontrollable delight, he grinned and laughed, his blade catching the Jedi master in the arm and leaving a shallow gash which immediately started to ooze with blood. He didn't stop there, levelling the master with a kick to the side and sending him skidding several feet.

It was only then that Jaina entered the fight, her lightsabre a blur of motion as she parried his slash and countered with several jabs and stabs of her own. Singeing the mandrakes black armour and charring his exposed skin with her near misses. The revived Jedi master joined her counterattack, getting to his feet and channelling the force through him he levitated several blades which were strewn about and launched them towards the Dark Eldar, planning on impaling him on one of the swords.

The Eldar kicked Jaina in the chest, throwing her aside as he started to spin and dance, his blade nothing more than a complete blur as he deflected the incoming blades with his power-sword, sending them flying in different directions and plunging into the walls and floor. He then reached into his satchels and pulled out two handfuls of throwing needles, he spun in midair, landing in a crouch and throwing the projectiles at his two opponents, Kolar was able to deflect the weapons in time but Jaina was too close to be able to do that.

Instead she instinctively raised her arms across her face and upper body, trying to shield her vital parts from the crazed Eldar's attack. Three needles imbedded themselves into her arms, making her give out a grunt of pain. Before the Eldar could follow up Kolar was on the attack again, his lightsabre weaving in a protecting arc against the still flying projectiles being thrown at him.

"Pull those out Solo" he shouted "Their bound to be poisoned!"

Jaina starred wide eyed at the needles and happily complied, pulling out the needles and examining their tips, she saw a purplish liquid mixed in with the crimson of her blood, she had been poisoned, but what was it, a paralysis toxin or a killing poison.

The mandrake took that moment to laugh almost fanatically "Within a matter of seconds your arms will go numb, and then it will spread up to your shoulders and down your body until you can't feel a thing. By the time you reawaken child you'll be in a Homunculi torture chamber!"

"Assuming you can defeat me darkling" Kolar replied flatly as he struck with his lightsabre again, the force behind the swing making the Dark Eldar jump back a few feet.

"You don't get it" the mandrake replied, as if stating a fact than asking a question "You have just lost one of your comrades to my blade and the other will be immobilised in a matter of moments, without them you are just a mere hindrance, a hindrance that I will squash!"

He was right, already Jaina could no longer feel her arms, they hung limply by her sides, her lightsabre escaping her grasp and hitting the floor with a clank, its blade deactivating as it rolled several feet away. She felt it slowly slither up to her shoulders, feeling like they were exposed to the coldest winds of the Hoth storms. She fell to her knees as Agen Kolar picked up the duel again, trying to lead the mandrake away from her now useless self. The freezing feeling seemed to bypass her main organs and slither down to her legs, numbing them as well. She fell sideways as her legs gave way, darkness threatening to overcome her vision, the cold making her wish for rest and sleep.

Agen Kolar felt the young new blood Jedi begin to flicker in and out of consciousness and mentally cursed. He had been charged as her protector by Skywalker, his exact words being 'Watch my grandchild master and make sure you all come out of this in one piece'. He had already failed at that, Rii'ke lay dead on the floor, joining the vile Dark Eldar and the brave Banshee as one of the dead. The mandrake grinned as he continued his assault, his attacks seemingly getting faster and harder to predict.

The poison in the Zabrak's own wound was beginning to take effect, until now he had suppressed it with the force but the continuous assault by the mandrake had tired him out to the point that he was losing the forces current. He was basically fighting with one arm and the mandrake knew it, aiming for that side in attempts to end the fight, Kolar had no choice, he hated humiliating himself with these dirty tactics. He waited until the mandrake lunged at him and then took the chance, head butting the foul demon with his forehead, the horns crowning the top of his head digging into the Dark Eldar's skin. The monster stumbled backwards and screamed in both agony and ecstasy as light red blood started to cascade down his nightmarishly pale face from the opened wound in his forehead.

He ran his hand down his face, covering the remainder of his skin red with his blood before levelling a feral stare upon the Jedi master. He screamed a war-cry and threw his power-sword, the blade spinning in midair as it flew towards its target. Kolar was just able to bring his lightsabre up to deflect the sword away but by then the Mandrake had dashed into the opening and jumped high into the air, spinning and delivering a perfect roundhouse kick to the side of the Jedi's head, sending him flying and crashing into the far wall.

He followed up, running towards the dazed master, grabbing a duo of forked knives from one of his belts as he did so and plunged them into his opponent's abdomen. Agen Kolar coughed up blood as the Eldar pulled them out and followed them up with a devastating kick to that same spot. He stabbed the master again and again, his arms a blur as he thrust and pulled, by the time he was finished the Jedi fell dead to the floor, blood trickling from a dozen wounds in his abdomen and chest.

The mandrake rose to his feet, a wide blood covered grin crossing his crimson face, the two blades spinning in his hands. He hadn't had so much fun in a long time, not since he found himself fighting against a champion of the Dark Angels chapter. He threw his head back and laughed viciously, hoping that he will meet another of these upstarts soon. He didn't see the lightsabre until it stabbed through his back and through his chest, the green blade burning away his left lung and disintegrating his left ribcage.

He slowly turned to see a flicker of golden red hair and a pair of glowing emerald green eyes, full of life and determination. Mara Jade had somehow beaten his paralysis and gotten back to her feet. He shivered and groaned, more in disappointment in himself than in anger before his eyes lost all life and he fell to the ground.

------

As the mandrake fell dead to the ground Mara winced as another wave of pain flowed through her, her lightsabre slipping from her grasp and hitting off the floor. She stumbled backwards, feeling more than seeing the slashes and gashes lining along her entire body. Blood trickled from her wounds, staining her clothes crimson. She called upon the force, clearing her vision and giving her extra strength, she was completely calling upon it to move.

Her eyes fell upon the prone form of her niece and then widened in fear, Jaina simply wasn't moving, her blood trickled from several miniscule stab wounds in her arms. Mara stumbled over to her fallen niece and falling to her knees pushed Jaina over onto her back before pulling her away from the body strewn battle and leaning her against a wall.

"Jaina" Mara called weakly. Wiping away a trickle of blood from her mouth while doing so "Can you hear me?"

The young woman's eye flickered open at the sound of her name "Aunt Mara?"

"I'm here Jaina" Mara said as she put her arms around her niece in an embrace.

"Good" Jaina replied in a weak whisper, a seemingly fragile smile curling her now blue lips "Your alive, Luke will be so happy"

"He'll be even happier when he sees the two of us" Mara replied "I'm going to put us into a healing trance okay? You just rest"

Jaina nodded, her eyes suddenly looked drowsy before she closed them and entered a blissful sleep. Mara repositioned herself so that Jaina could lean against her, allowing the dual healing trance to continue on unhindered before she too started to close her eyes. A familiar and very welcoming force presence brought her back out of the trance and she looked up to see a man with sandy blonde hair and piercing blue eyes kneeling beside her.

"Hello farm-boy" she muttered sleepily and was rewarded with a soft kiss to her forehead.

"Hello my little firecracker" Luke replied with a real smile crossing his lips before he turned to a group of white armoured soldiers standing behind him, Clone Troopers "Gentlemen take care of my wife and niece for me!"

"Yes sir" one of the soldiers replied.

Luke took out his lightsabre and walked steadily into the spirit chamber, Tahiri and Jacen flanking him on the left and right. He felt Jacen's worry for his sister through the force but knew that he had a job to do, she was in safe hands. He sighed as the spirit pool changed from a tranquil blue to a raging red but with a swift discharge of force energy silenced them.

"This Farseer had better be worth the bother" Luke muttered before jumping into the pool, Tahiri and Jacen following close behind.

He stepped into a magnificent chamber, made of pure wraithbone which resounded with the psychic voices of thousands upon thousands of beings, in his minds eye he felt the discomfort and plain old fashioned will to fight, a massive set of double doors stood out at the other side of the chambers, blasted open by some unknown and powerful force. Bodies covered the floor, either the dark armoured forms of Dark Eldar or the crimson psycho-plastic armoured forms of Siam-Hann Banshees. The battle was still progressing but the Craftworld Eldar was now outnumbered two to one.

With a roar Luke lead the charge, releasing a concentrated series of force pushes, each one smashing into a black armoured Incubi warrior and sending them flying. Allowing the banshees a chance to regroup, it was only then that the Jedi and the Banshees laid eyes upon each other. Both sides unsure of whether the other was friend or foe, they didn't get a chance as the warriors jumped back to their feet and surrounded the group, they began closing in, eyes aflame and weapons held firmly in their hands. The Banshees and Jedi ended up back to back, witchblades and lightsabres alive and ready for the battle to come.

To be continued!

Originally I was planning on making these two simple chapters, but because of how much I wrote I have decided to turn it into three. So the main battle in the Farseer's chambers is about to begin. Hope you guys are enjoying the show!