Chapter Sixteen
Kyra continued to watch the attack, but her shaking hands made it difficult to keep a steady sight picture through the rifle's scope. She lowered the gun, and took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to clear her head. "Sa'kard is on the rooftop, and moving towards Trellan," Kyra said and then peered back through the scope.
"Copy," Master Windu responded, "Disengaging from the Wing-Blasts, and moving in."
Mileesha dispatched the final attacker with a dagger she must have had concealed, and turned quickly back to Trellan, only to run into the hulking monster. Salas extended his massive hand, gripping the female Omwati by the throat. She stabbed at him with the dagger, the blade piercing his arm and shoulder, but he didn't even flinch. She slashed the dagger at his chest, but the point just bounced off his armor.
Kyra perceiving the inevitable, took aim with the rifle and fired, missing completely. However, the shot did turn Sa'kard's attention away from the struggling Omwati in his iron grip. The red-lit helmet's gaze turned upward towards her. She could feel the sneer emanating from the covered visage. Kyra took a breath, placed the shaking crosshairs on the center of the Sa'kards torso, and squeezed the trigger. The laser blast hit high up on his shoulder, but like the dagger point, it merely ricocheted off.
He turned back toward the helpless Mileesha. Kyra fired again striking him in the lower back, but it still had no effect. Sa'kard then lifted his prey high in the air, pivoted around, and slammed her down into the ground head first.
Trellan Luk stared in apt horror at the death of his kin, not even perceiving the four magnaguards that grabbed him roughly by the arms, and began walking him towards the hole. It wasn't until they dropped into the darkness below that he started screaming.
Salas Sa'kard stood among the dead bodies, and stared around at the wreckage and nodded once, as if pleased with the wonton destruction. He reached down and picked up the dagger, eyed it for a second, and put it in his belt. He glanced up one more time at Kyra, their gazes locking. Then stepped through opening in the floor, and disappeared from sight.
"Master Windu, how close are you?" Kyra asked
"Thirty seconds, and clo-" he halted midsentence.
"Master?"
"Two on my tail," the Korun Master said, unflustered. "Evading. Master Ti, engage Sa'kard."
"Roger, approaching now."
Kyra looked up from the rifle scope and saw one Delta-7 fighter streaking toward the terrace. Then she put her eye back to the scope as Sa'kard climbed back out of the hole, a rocket launcher on his shoulder. He aimed and fired in half a second.
"Incoming Missile," Kyra yelled, but it was too late as the projectile struck Master Ti's fighter on the left side, sending the spacecraft into a downward spin. "Eject, eject!" she shouted.
A figure shot out from the cockpit of the crashing fighter, and a parachute catch in the wind. "Successful ejection, but I'm out of the fight," the Togruta radioed.
Kyra stood in dismay as every member of the team was down or otherwise engaged. She radioed in, "I'm going in," and then began taking off the downed Weequay's harness, and then put it on herself.
"Negative, Padawan," Aedan responded, "I'm almost out."
"Master, he is getting away with Trellan as his hostage."
"Stay put, that's an order. The building is still surrounded."
Kyra groaned, "Mayva, are you there?"
"Right here," she said.
"Good, stay with me."
"Padawan," Aedan warned gravely.
"Master Windu, a little help here," she pleaded.
Kyra could feel his scowl through the earpiece, "Kahl, we need to at least have someone tailing him."
"Mayva and the drone can do that."
"A person, a Jedi," Mace answered.
The silence stretched out. "Fine," Aedan growled, "But do not engage. Just follow him."
"Copy. In pursuit."
She attached the durasteel carabiners to the cable, and readied herself for the crossing. "Here goes nothing," she whispered, and leaped out into the open air. The wind rushed by her and she zipped across the divide. Movement caught her eye and she saw someone mimicking her from the other building.
"Caleb, is that you?"
"Couldn't let you have all the fun," he said.
She couldn't help but smile, new confidence surged within her knowing she wasn't in this alone. She detached from the zip line as she neared the terrace, hit the durasteel floor, and rolled forward. Coming from the opposite way, Caleb landed, stumbled, and then crashed into her. They fell in a heap.
"Thanks for cushioning my fall," Caleb groaned, as they both got to their feet.
"No problem," she said, as she sprinted towards the hole. Both leapt down, and peered down the hallway. Downed Grey Bek soldiers littered the corridor, but Sa'Kard was nowhere in sight. "Mayva, get your drone in here with us."
"I'm right behind you, Silly."
Kyra turned and saw the half meter long droid silently hovering a few feet behind them. "Any idea where they went?"
"Has to be the stairs. The turbolifts were shut down before the presentation started for security measures."
"Smart, but let's check anyway," Kyra said as the two padawans sprinted for the lift lobby. Sure enough, the doors to the supposedly deactivated lift were wide open, and cables were running down into the darkness. "This is how they got in. They must have overridden the system," Kyra said. "Mayva, go down in front of us and see if you can stay with them."
"Copy," she said, and the droid zipped down into the turbolift shaft.
"After you" Kyra said to Caleb with a smile, hooking her lightsaber to her belt.
Caleb nodded, and stepped forward, attaching his harness to one of the cables. He dropped down into the shaft. Kyra moved to attach her harness, but was violently yanked backwards, and then flung against the wall. Seering pain blossoming from where her back impacted the wall, and her earpiece had come loose, and dropped to the floor, but she stayed on her feet. She looked up and saw two black clad soldiers approaching her, one red-armoured Nikto and one slimy-looking Quarren.
"Well, what do we have here?" the Nikto said.
The Quarren laughed, "Looks like our prize," he said, and reached forward.
Kyra intercepted the grab, her right hand catching the wrist, her left forearm slamming into the locked-out elbow joint, shattering it. The Quarren howled in pain, and stumbled backward, but Kyra had no time to celebrate as a wild hook came from the Nikto. Kyra ducked under it, and then moved forward, launching a side kick at the still reeling Quarren. Her boot landed solidly on his chest and sent him stumbling backwards even more, until he finally began to gain his footing. As he took one more half step back, his foot found no purchase. His eyes went wide, his arms wind-milled twice, and he dropped out of sight down the elevator shaft.
As his scream echoed out of the lift entrance, Kyra felt the Nikto's arms wrap around her from behind, pinning her arms to her body. But not her hands. She was able to unclasp her lightsaber, and slowly began maneuvering it behind her body as the impossibly strong Nikto squeezed the life out of her. Kyra gasped as she felt her ribs begin to give under the immense pressure of his clasped fists, and knew she had to change tactics.
She slammed her head backward, feeling a crunch. Then slammed her head back again awarding her with another crunch, causing the Nikto to release her, his hands going to his ruined nose, blood seeping through his fingers.
Kyra then slammed the hilt of her saber into his forehead, sending him crumbling to the ground. Kyra dropped to one knee, her hand going to her ribs. She took a deep breath, which only exacerbated the pain.
"Frakkin Fyrnocks," she cursed.
She centered herself in the Force, drawing on it, and felt the pain lessen. But only slightly. She reached down and picked up her earpiece. She could hear a rush of yelling and shouting.
"Mayva!" Aedan yelled, "Get back up there and find Kyra."
"I'm going as fast as I can."
"Caleb, you got anything?"
"Nothing," the young Padawan's voice sounding worried.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," Kyra said, interrupting the frantic transmissions.
"Padawan, sitrep."
"I'm fine, Master. Was attacked by two goons, but I took care of them."
Kyra could hear her Masters sigh of relief through the earpiece. "Be careful, Kyra."
"Roger that, Master. Resuming pursuit."
She moved back towards the lift shaft cables, attached her harness and dropped down into the darkness.
She flew down the shaft, and after several hundred meters, used the force to slow her descent. She landed softly on top of the inactive elevator, detached from the cable, and hopped down through the hole in the ceiling of the lift. Caleb was waiting for her outside the lift doors, clearly looking relieved.
"You okay?" he asked.
Kyra nodded, "Good to go." Then she surveyed the area.
The doors were open, and TarSec Commando's bodies lay strewn about the main lobby floor, their blood pooling on the off-white marble floor.
"Where are they, Mayva?"
"Head to the left of the front desk, down the employee tunnel to the back of the building. They just dropped down through the reinforced support structure, and are now fast-roping down the old turbo lift shaft of the old tower."
"The one that this is built on?" Kyra asked. "How did they get through the support structure?"
"They're using an old maintenance shaft."
"Kriffing Kaadu," Kyra cursed.
"Nice one," Caleb said, as they both took off running, following Mayva's direction. They dropped down through the old, dilapidated maintenance hatchway, and found themselves right next to a rusted turbolift shaft, more cables hanging down into the blackness below.
"Once more unto the breach?" Caleb said, attaching his harness to the lines.
Kyra exhaled sharply, "Let's go together this time."
"Not arguing there," Caleb said, and together they leapt into the darkness. They descended down another two hundred meters, the only noise in the black corridor was the carabiners scraping against the cables. They landed once more at the bottom of the shaft, and snuck through the darkened opening. "Mayva, are we in the lower city?" Kyra whispered.
"No," the Chadra-Fan whispered back, "You're at the bottom level of the old upper city, if that makes sense. You're standing on a super thick level of reinforcing duracrete and anti-grav apparatus holds."
"Copy, do you still have eyes on them?"
"Yes, they're right outside the building, getting into skiffs," Mayva said, her high-pitched voice remaining remarkably calm. "They look like PL-90 Speeders."
"Roger," Kyra said, moving to the entrance of the old building. She peeked around the doors, and saw Sa'kard getting into the lead skiff which was parked alongside the city walkway. The Four magnaguards hopped onto his skiff, and a resigned Trellan Luk was then shoved onto the speeder as well. While the rest of his sentient minions climbed into the second skiff. "Come on," she said to Caleb, "We're gonna lose them."
"I'm with you," he said.
Kyra nodded, took out her saber, and then charged out of the doorway, and towards the two skiffs. Sa'kard was the first to see them coming but made no reaction. He merely sat down in one of the seats, and then ever so nonchalantly lifted one hand and pointed to Kyra's left. Her eyes darted that way just in time to see a Wing-Blast bear down on them and open fire. Kyra dove into Caleb, driving both of them out of the way of the incoming turbolaser fire.
"Well, that was close," Caleb groaned.
She stifled a groan as white-hot pain seared through her bruised side. She clenched her teeth and got to her feet. The mission comes first. "Master Windu," Kyra said into the comm channel. "Are you still airborne, we need air support."
"Affirmative, Padawan," the Jedi Champion said, "Bearing down on the final Wing-Blast. I disabled the other two, but the Mandalorian pilots were able to escape from the crashing aircraft with their jetpacks."
"Perfect. Caleb and I will draw them out for you," she said.
"We will?" the younger padawan asked.
Kyra grabbed his tunic, and tugged him through the doorway, "Come on."
The two padawans sprinted out of the building towards the two skiffs which were now descending. The Wing-Blast had been circling, but was now locked onto them, and lining up its turbolasers on them. It opened fire, but then was blasted out of the air by Mace's Delta-7.
"Nice shooting, Master!" Caleb cheered, arms going up in triumph, as the arrowhead shaped starfighter screamed over-head.
Just as it was passing by, two Mandalorians streaked down past it, and threw something on its hull, and then quickly, jetted away.
"Eject, Master!" Kyra screamed, "Get out of there!"
Master Windu must have sensed the explosive on his spacecraft, because before she even finished yelling, there was a bright flash from the cockpit, and the Korun Master was soaring through the air, clearing the doomed fighter.
The explosion blew the ship to pieces, and blasted Master Windu off his current trajectory, knocking him into a building, and pieces of shrapnel shredding his parachute. Intact parachute or not, the wizened Jedi Master floated slowly to the ground.
"Do we still have eyes on Sa'kard?" he asked.
"Yes, they seem to be heading straight down," Mayva answered
Master Windu scowled. "They're going to use the lower city to get away, knowing we won't be able to find them down there."
Caleb Dume groaned, "How do we go after them?" he asked. Looking around for any form of transport.
"TarSec aircraft are down," Mace said, "We were not prepared for those Wing-Blasts, and they did a number on the local air support."
Mayva chimed in again, "They're down a few hundred meters, nearing the lower city."
Kyra was fiddling with her harness, trying to think of anything they could use to transport them. Then her hands clasped one of the carabiners. An idea struck her. "Mayva, what's the maximum load weight on that drone?"
"Um, um, sixty-five kilos," she answered. "Why?"
"You're not thinking what I think you're thinking?" Caleb said.
Kyra cocked an eyebrow at Master Windu and Caleb Dume. "That rules you out, Master, doesn't it?"
Master Windu shook his head, sighing, "I weigh ninety kilos."
"I can do it," Caleb said.
Kyra admired his bravery, but she knew it had to be her. "I'll do it."
"Negative, Padawan!" Aedan yelled, "Stand down."
"I can do it, Master!" she yelled into her comm.
The force rippled, and blasterfire erupted from behind them. The three jedi turned swiftly, and deflected the oncoming fire. The two Mandalorians had returned for more. Master Windu was a mesmerizing spectacle of finesse as he parried the incoming fire. In between volleys, he glanced toward Kyra, and nodded, mouthing the words, "Do it."
She nodded, "Mayva, get up here."
"Already there," the Chadra-Fan answered, just as the drone crested the edge of the walkway. Kyra bounded towards the droid, and quickly attached a carabiner to the load bearing hook on the underside of the half meter long drone.
"Ready when you are, Captain," Kyra said.
"Hang on!" Mayva said, and the drone lifted up, struggling with the take off and getting over the walkway railing, and then flew down over the side. Kyra's stomach dropped as they plummeted almost straight down. The wind pulled at her tunic and hair, and made her eyes water at the intensity of the rushing air. She closed her eyes and reached out with the force, sensing they weren't too far behind. The bandits thought they were in the clear now. Not if I can help it.
The small droid zipped down at an angle, "I'll try and get you right behind them," Mayva said in her earpiece, her voice betraying her excitement. "I think we're gaining on them."
"We are," Kyra said, "I can feel it."
Sure enough, after another minute of rapid descent, they came upon the two skiffs that were now moving ten meters above the lower city walkways. Kyra had a few moments to see what exactly the lower city entailed, but hoped she'd never have to again. The streets were lined with trash, debris, and junk. It was dark, an most of those inhabiting the dirty streets were dressed in rags. The stench was rancid, and Kyra felt she was being infected by the filth of the place.
"Get me on top of that one, Mayva," she said, as they were coming up on the rear skiff. The occupants did not realize they were being pursued until Kyra was directly above the rear guard. She unhooked herself, and leapt down onto the rear skiff. Before they could even get their heavy blasters trained on her, she ignited her lightsaber, pulled her arm back and threw the blade at the front speeder. It zipped through the air, spinning end over end, and sliced through the rear of the aircraft, destroying the engines. The propulsion system sputtered out, and Kyra leapt to the side as the skiff she had been on slammed into the now disabled speeder in front of it, sending the minions hurtling out of the open passenger seats, and down onto the hard duracrete.
Sa'kard rose up from the wreckage with a inhuman growl. He turned his head ever so slightly towards Kyra, and then stalked away. The two magnaguards with Trellan Luk in tow, followed him. While the remaining magnaguards activated their staffs, and approached Kyra.
"Here we go," she said, as her saber returned to her hand.
The two guards spun the magenta tipped staffs in a circle. Kyra had had dozens of dreams where these red-eyed, menacing droids viciously tore her to pieces. But here, now, in reality, they were...slow. She parried the strikes, but it was far less difficult than anything Aedan had thrown at her. She was far faster, and much more skilled. Might as well end this now, she thought. She parried one purple charged tip, and brought it across to block its counterparts strike, then she sliced low, cutting off its leg, then bringing her saber back upwards, dissecting its torso diagonally.
The second droid swept its electrostaff high, and Kyra ducked low while slicing horizontally, cutting the droid in half. "Well, that was easy," she said, and turned to pursue Salas.
Pain exploded in her right shoulder as a long dagger was now imbedded just underneath her clavicle bone. She gasped in pain, and sank to her knees, her lightsaber falling from her fingers. Salas Sa'kard stood ten meters away, his right hand extended towards her in a follow through. He had thrown the dagger just as she had turned.
She reached up and gripped the hilt of the dagger, and pulled it out with a scream, blood splattering her face and the ground below as she yanked it free. She weakly got to her feet, and called her saber to her left hand.
"Ah, I remember this," the deep voice boomed, "Your master died in much the same way, one arm hanging by his side. How fitting."
Kyra reached out for the force, seeking its power, but unable to access it fully due to the overwhelming pain. The monster stalked forward, as he had on Obredaan, as he had in so many of her nightmares.
She gritted her teeth, and extended her left hand out in a formal makashi style, blade pointing towards the big monster. In the blink of an eye his hand went for his sword over his right shoulder, pulled it free, and slashed at the extended blue blade.
Kyra deactivated her lightsaber, so the Cortosis blade passed through air, and forced Sa'kard off balance. Kyra capitalized by bringing her reactivated blade across his exposed back. But instead of slicing through, the lightsaber just brushed over the black armor, causing no damage to it.
Recovering quickly, the big gen'dai swept his own sword in a backhanded slice, which she ducked under. But the duck brought her right into his quickly rising left knee. It connected solidly with her chin, and sent her sprawling backward.
She had clearly blacked out, because by the time she came to, and tried raising her lightsaber up, a heavy black boot stomped down on her left wrist. She screamed upward, but was quickly silenced as she now looked up into that fearsome visage of Salas Sa'kard and his red lined black mask. Death stared back down at her. She let out a breath, all hope exiting through her lips in a rush. It wasn't supposed to end like this.
The demon lifted his sword up high with both hands.
Goodbye, Aedan.
"Take this!" someone squeaked in her ear. And then something slammed into Sa'kard's masked face, knocking him backward. It was EsDee 250, piloted by Mayva. She had flown the droid, full speed right into his face.
"And this!"
It slammed into the confused foe once again, and backed him up a few more steps. He growled and shot out one hand, catching the drone, and then bringing it in close, and gripping it with his other hand.
"And one more thing!"
BOOM!
The drone exploded in his clutches, and sent him flying back ten meters and where he landed hard on his back. Sa'kard shook his head in disbelief, and slowly climbed to his feet.
Kyra quickly sat up, her left hand coming in contact with something metal. Her lightsaber? She looked down for a quick second. No, the dagger, still coated in her blood. Better than nothing, she thought, and gripped the hilt. "You just got whupped by a Chadra'Fan," Kyra said weakly, "You see, Sa'kard, it pays to have friends."
Then a bronze armored Mandalorian landed deftly at his side, and once more Kyra's hopes were dashed. Sa'kard stood up, "No, little girl. I pay to have friends."
The Mandalorian gestured to the sky, "Boss, we gotta get going, now. Their reinforcements are on the way." The thunder of an engine blocked out all other sounds in the lower city, as Kyra looked up and saw a large, sleek black and red starship descending towards their level. Its wings were shifting, rotating upwards and pointing towards the sky, as the fuselage remained parallel to the ground. It was a Kom'rk Starfighter. And its skilled pilot managed to land it in the close-quarters lower city.
The two magnaguards pushed a belittled Trellan Luk towards the ship.
Salas grunted, "Fine, but finish this one off," he said, and then followed behind them.
The Mandalorian just chuckled, and raised his blaster.
The unflinching cruelty of it ignited some last bit of energy in her, giving her one last effort. She flung the dagger forward with everything she had left at the Mandalorian's pistol.
It missed the blaster, but sank deep into his bicep, causing him to drop the weapon. He growled, and clutched the dagger sticking out of his arm. He yanked on it, but snarled in pain, unable to pull it free. His helmeted gaze stared at her for a moment, and she could sense the anger. Then the vizor rose, seemingly looking behind her.
"Atin di'kut," he cursed in Mando'a, and then activated his jet pack, and flew away.
She watched as Sa'kard, Luk, and the magnaguards stepped onto the ship, and seconds later, it was rising into the sky, and blasting off. She once more struggled to her feet, vision going blurry, black spots forming in her eyes. The dizziness overwhelmed her and she fell back to the ground. The roar of engines could be heard, but it seemed they were now getting closer. Did Sa'kard turn back to finish the job?
Then she heard voices yelling her name, but that didn't seem to fit. Footsteps drew near, and soon hands were on her, lifting her up gently. One arm was now cradling her, supporting her underneath her shoulders.
Nope. Definitely not Salas.
"Kyra, are you okay? Answer me." She knew that voice, she'd recognize it anywhere.
"There's so much blood," another voice said.
"Aedan, her shoulder," a female voice this time.
"I see it."
"Doesn't look like anything vital was hit," Master Windu said, "But she's lost a lot of blood."
"What if it clipped a lung?" Aedan said, panic in his voice.
What in the galaxy were they talking about?
"Relax, Aedan. MedTechs are thirty seconds out. If they can get a blood transfusion going, and an I.V. of fluid, we should be able to handle the rest together."
"What's her blood type?"
"B Positive," Aedan said.
Silence stretched for a few seconds, and then Master Windu snorted. "Of course, it is."
"We need a donor," Shaak Ti said.
"I'll do it," Aedan answered quickly. "I'm Oh Negative."
Sirens sounded, accompanied by flashing lights, and more voices, these wholly unfamiliar. Information was given over, talking about some girl who suffered a stab wound to the shoulder, and who is in need of blood and fluids.
Sucks to be that girl.
She felt herself being lifted onto something soft, and then moved. Hands probed at her clothes and skin, and soon she was shivering, her bare skin now unprotected against the wind.
"Close the hatch," she murmured, and then yanked the covers up to her face. That movement sent a shrill of pain through her right side that had her seeing stars. "Ow."
"Don't move, Kyra. Just stay still. You're going to be fine."
"You're going to be fine," Kyra mumbled back, and then felt fabric wrap around her right arm at the upper biceps, at the forearm, and at the wrist. Then she felt a pinprick in the crook of her elbow. "Ouch."
"Kyra, they're giving you a sedative right now, and then they'll give you blood and fluids. And then the three of us will patch you up."
Kyra nodded into her pillow. "Okay, but training in the morning, right?"
"Yes, Kyra. Of course."
"More Makashi, okay?" she mumbled.
"Whatever you want."
She smiled, "Goodnight, Master."