Disclaimer: Don't own KotOR 1 or 2, or SWTOR. KotOR 1 and TOR belong to Bioware, and KotOR 2 belongs to Obsidian!
A/N: Alright, this chapter has been revised. I had to revise it (along with the rest of the chapters) to keep the flow of the story going and make it simpler. So anyway, before I begin I would like to thank moody bloom for his thoughts on my prologue (which is probably the only thing that will never change whenever I try to revise this story). Also, kudos to Godskeybladewarrior for leaving a review for the first version of chapter 1 that I posted.
Okay with that out of the way, let's get started. R & R!
Chapter 1
The bridge of the Imperial Harrower-class dreadnaught Decimator was quiet, save for the sounds of small beeps as Imperial officers attended to their duties. They were focused on monitoring the ship's progress from their computers, not paying attention to anything else. That was until the doors to the bridge slid open, allowing Lord Kera to enter.
Kera strode down the long aisle of the bridge, her two lightsabers moving around a little as she passed by the maintenance droids. Flapping in the air was her black cape, which was accompanied by matching Sith armor the young Sith Lord wore. The armor's look was completed with a black helmet that covered her entire head. Kera's menacing appearance sent shivers down the spines of a few gray-uniformed officers who spared a glance at her.
However, her imposing appearance did not one come across Kera's mind, for her masked face fell upon the two figures at the end of the bridge. The two said figures both wore black robes that completely covered their bodies, the hoods over their robes placed over their heads. They had their backs turned from Kera, their attention focused at vastness of space through the bridge's main window.
When Kera finally reached them, the two robed figures turned to face the Sith Lord. The cowls of their hood concealed their eyes, but the tendrils on their red cheeks allowed her to identify them as Pureblood Sith. They were strong in the Force, but did not possess any lightsaber on their person. Then again, they did not need them for they were the eyes and ears of the emperor. They were his Hand.
The figure on the right, whom Kera recognized as Servant One, approached her. "How was your mission, Wrath?" Servant One asked, his deep voice emanating from his throat.
The name 'Emperor's Wrath' still felt a little odd to the young Sith Lord. It had only been some months when the two Hands before Kera bestowed jer the position of the emperor's personal enforcer, which she considered to be a great honor. Yet, Kera could not shake off the feeling of suspicion within her gut.
Kera pushed the feeling to the back of her mind as she stared at Servant One underneath her black visor. "The Dark Council traitor was on Quesh, as you said Servant One," Kera replied. She paused for a moment. "However, you ordered me to return when I finally reached him. Why?"
At this point, Servant One's accomplice, Servant Two, intervened in the conversation. "Because we noticed the traitor was being accompanied by another Jedi," Servant Two answered. His voice was in a higher pitch than his fellow Hand. "This Jedi was the one, who defeated Darth Angral many months ago."
The name of Darth Angral caught Kera's attention. He was one of the Sith Lords who led the Sacking of Coruscant and forced the Republic to sign the Treaty of Coruscant. According to recent news, he recently tried to destroy the Jedi Order using a superweapon, but Angral was stopped by a single Jedi. This Jedi gained much attention and Kera could identify him with his title: "The Hero of Tython."
Neither of the Emperor's Hand nodded, but they did not need to. The reputation of this single Jedi reached many Sith Lords and being the emperor's ears in the galaxy, the Hands were the first to know of his existence.
From under the shadow of his hood, Kera swore she saw yellow eyes staring at her as Servant Two continued. "Our emperor has recently learned the Jedi Council has made up a strike to team to capture him. This Jedi is amongst them."
Under her visor, Kera's eyes widen with surprise. The thought of the Jedi trying to capture the ruler of the Sith first brought alarm, but that was soon replaced with curiosity. Kera knew, as much as the two Hands did, that the emperor was a mysterious political figure who rarely showed himself, but he carried a power that not even his most trustworthy servants knew. Still, it was enough to make most–if not all–enemies cower before him. Any attempt to capture the emperor would seem reckless and futile.
The Emperor's Wrath continued to press onto the subject: "That still doesn't answer my question. What does it have to do with this Jedi?"
Servant Two simply turned his hooded head to Servant One. The taller Hand faced the Wrath as he explained, "The Jedi will be leaving Quesh soon. We are to intercept his ship and bring the Jedi to our emperor." The concealed eyes of Servant One fell on Kera's masked face. "You are to apprehend him, should this Jedi attempt to escape."
Under the black helmet, a smile crept itself onto Kera's face. The Sith Lord had faced many Jedi in her time, even before she became the personal executioner of the emperor. She struck them down one by one, but her enemies were not even close to her skill, thus leaving her victories hollow. Now, the Wrath would face against one of the Jedi Order's finest, a challenge worthy of her skills.
Kera faced the two Hands. "I understand. I will do as you ask," Kera acknowledged before nodding. "For the emperor."
Servant One returned the Wrath's nod with his own. "For the emperor."
Taran Windu could feel the floor of the Defender-class corvette vibrating as it traveled through the void of space. He stood in the ship's main hold, the lights shining onto the blue and white floor as well as the walls that made up the circular chamber. Clashing with the bright colors of the floor was the typical brown robe of the Jedi Knights over Taran's body.
Like many Jedi, he into the Order at a young age and it would not be until a nearly year ago when Taran arrived on Tython. He found himself defending the Twi'lek settlement of Kalikori village from the Flesh Raider, Tython's natives. At the end, Taran completed his training with the construction of his lightsaber and soon afterwards he was knighted.
The young Jedi's blue eyes fell upon the hologram emerging from the holocomm in the center of the ship's main hold. The hologram was of a man donning the armor of a typical Republic soldier. The transmission was emerging from Quesh, where Taran had left some hours ago.
"This is Jedi Knight Taran Windu," Taran introduced. "I wish to talk to Lieutenant Reca Jorgan, please."
The soldier stared at the Jedi before he spoke, "Wait one moment."
The image of the simple soldier was gone and another image appeared. This image was of the commanding officer of Havoc Squad, Lieutenant Reca Jorgan.
While she almost a decade older than Taran, Reca carried a youthful appearance on her face along with her Mirialan facials tattoos. Her black hair had been tied into a small braid that went down to the back of her neck. The white armor of a Republic trooper, but the insignia on the armor identified her as Havod Squad, the Republic's finest soldiers. The experience on her face proved her command of the Republic's finest soldiers as she apprehended her old squad mates who defected to the Sith Empire.
The leader of Havoc Squad stared at the Hero of Tython. The cowl of Taran's hood was lowered, allowing Reca to see his dark complexion and the short black hair. She even caught sight of the lightsaber dangling from his belt. "This is Lieutenant Reca Jorgan of Havoc Squad," the commander of Havoc Squad introduced before she smirked at the young Jedi. "Well what do you know? How's it going, kid?"
Taran did felt a small bit annoyed being called 'kid,' but he shrugged it off. "I'm alright," he answered. "I just wanted to thank you for your assistance on Balmorra."
Reca simply crossed her arms over her chest plate. "No problem. Glad I could help. Though I don't think that Jedi was too appreciative."
The memory of Sajar, flashed into Taran's mind. The man was once a former member of the Dark Council before he became the Padawan of Tol Braga of the Jedi Council. Sajar was stationed on Quesh and Tol Braga requested Taran to find Sajar when the former Sith Lord did not report.
Finding Sajar, Taran learned the Dark Side's influence still remained as the former Sith executed Imperial prisoners in anger. Sajar was hesitant to fight, wishing to not give into the Dark Side, but Taran was able to convince him to seek other methods of assisting Republic troops. With some help from Havoc Squad's leader, the young Jedi was able to hold back the Imperial forces from advancing onto the Republic station.
Before he departed, Taran remembered Sajar left Quesh to confess his crimes to the Jedi Council, crimes which Reca was not aware of. Taran thought it would be best to keep that a secret until the Jedi Council made a decision on Sajar's judgment.
"Sajar was experiencing some difficulties," Taran explained as best as he could. Deciding to change the subject, he continued, "Either way, I couldn't have done it without your help. You were a real help."
"Don't worry, kid. You're not so bad yourself," Reca assured. "Can't really say for your medic, though."
Taran remembered the medic on board his ship, who was oddly enough named Doc. A well-known doctor on the field, but his skill in medicine was as great as his flirting with various beautiful women. Reca, herself, was one of Doc's recent attempts to flirt, even if it did not turn out so well for him. "Doc's a good man…" the Jedi defended, but he soon found himself stating, "He's just like to be a bit of a flirt."
"I could tell," the Havoc Squad leader smirked. "Still, he won't be bothering me. My husband made sure of that."
The thought of Aric Jorgan making Doc squeal almost brought a smile to Taran's face. The large Cathar had military training and currently served under Reca, and his Cathar features made him fearsome to most. Also, being married to Havoc Squad's leader made him even more fearsome.
Reca uncrossed her arms before she momentarily looked over her shoulder, her gaze at the direction of those inside Quesh's base. Returning her gaze to Taran, she announced, "I've gotta get going. My team's calling for me."
As much as Taran wanted to continue the talk, the young Jedi knew he could not delay Havoc Squad from accomplishing its duties to the Republic. "You should get going then," he told her. "I hope we meet again, someday."
"Same here. Take care kid," Reca nodded. "Lieutenant Jorgan, out."
Taran watched Reca's hologram retract into the holocomm terminal, leaving a silence in the ship's main hold. The Hero of Tython stood there, wondering how the lieutenant would be doing in the future. The life of a soldier was hard, especially for the Republic's best.
Yet, Taran did not think about it too long as he heard a familiar voice called out to him, "You sure enjoyed talking with her."
The Hero of Tython turned his head to see another Jedi, her back leaning against the entrance. That Jedi was a young woman with a set of light brown robes, and on her belt was the hilt of a double-bladed lightsaber. Her hair was red with a small pony tail on the back. Brashness shone in her blue eyes and her lips were curved into a cocky smirk.
Taran simply shot back a smirk at the young woman. "Jealous much, Kira?" he teased.
From across the main hold, the young Jedi could see a look of denial appeared on Kira Carsen's face. "No!" she denied. Pausing for second, she finally confessed, "Alright, maybe a little."
A small laugh escaped Taran's lips. Ever since he met her on Tython, Taran always knew Kira to be a confident and headstrong Jedi with a sharp wit that could annoy even the most patient of Jedi Masters. It had also been known to annoy Jaric Kaedan, a member of the Jedi Council, from time to time. The only possible exceptions were Grandmaster Satele Shan and Kira's own master, Bela Kiwiiks.
"Still the same Kira," Taran said as he faced his fellow Jedi. "With that attitude, I'm surprise the Council made you a Jedi at all."
Kira's own lips curved into a smile as she leaned off of the walls and approached Taran. "Hey, I make being a Jedi fun," she proclaimed proudly. "You have to admit, meditating all day can get a little boring."
"It can," he admitted, the smile not leaving his face.
After their enjoyable vocal exchange, a small silence came between the two Jedi, both taking in the pleasure of each other's company. They would have continued to done so if not another matter had been creeping in the back of their minds, a certain matter that Kira brought up as she spoke with some in hesitation her voice.
"So, this Havoc Squad leader," Kira began, "I'm assuming she doesn't about our mission."
The hesitation in Kira's voice felt strange to the young Jedi, but he felt the same hesitation overcome him as well. He wished the subject had not been brought up, but there was no escaping it. Taran's lips turned into a thin line before he finally gave his answer. "No, she doesn't. Master Braga said this mission needs to be kept a secret, even from the Republic's best soldiers."
Kira prevented herself from sighing remembering well about the secrecy of their special mission of capturing the emperor. They came across it when the spirit of Taran's master, Orgus Din, appeared informed them of a Jedi on Tatooine. That Jedi turned out to be Jomar Chul, who had been on a recon mission, investigating the Dromund Kaas system and trying to find a way inside Sith space. Ever since then, Taran and his crew found themselves involved in the mission.
The silence between the two had been broken when Kira raised her voice to speak. "Do you think this will work?" she asked. "We are going to be going up against one of the most powerful Sith Lords in history. Can we really capture the emperor?"
Taran noted of the fear in her voice and understood her reasons for bringing up such concerns. She personally knew what it was like to know the power of the emperor. Kira was once a member of Children of the Emperor, agents of the emperor selected at birth, before she escaped to become a Jedi. However, the emperor's influence lasted and Taran came to realize that soon on the bridge of Darth Angral's flagship when the emperor seized control of Kira's body. She managed to break free of the emperor's control, but it worried the two Jedi if the emperor was able to control her once more.
A sigh escaped through Taran's nostrils as he stared at Kira with honest eyes. "Honestly, I don't know. I don't know if this will work. I don't even know we might make it out alive." The young Jedi paused before he finished with the utmost confidence, "But if it means an end to all of this fighting, then I'll take it."
Such words would have inspired young private in the Republic's army, but it just made Kira's lips turn into a grin. "Man that sounds cheesy! Have you been watching any of T7's holovids?"
Taran returned Kira's grin with his own. "Maybe one or two," he said, taking a step towards her.
The gap between the two Jedi Knights was closed as Taran brought himself to Kira, who welcomed him with a kiss. One enjoyed the others' warmth as the two wrapped their arms around each other in a loving embrace. Neither one of them wanted to the moment to end.
To the Jedi Code, what they were doing was heresy. The Code forbade any Jedi–Padawan, Knight, or Master–to form any sort of relationship in fear of such Jedi falling to the Dark Side. Yet, Taran and Kira disobeyed that part of the Code, like many Jedi before them, and they kept it a secret. If they were found out, the two would most likely face being thrown out of the order, a risk Kira and Taran were willing to take.
Unknown to the Jedi, a lone human entering the main hold, dressed in a uniform of his profession as a medic. In spite of his humble uniform, the combed black hair and mustache gave him a roguish look that was known to attract the attention of his female admirers.
"Hey, Jedi I was-whoa!" the human began but halted at the sight of the two Jedi kissing. "Really need to make sure you lock to the door for some privacy!"
The young Jedi couple turned away from each other and looked at the entrance of the cockpit to see the human. Kira's eyes glared at him and shot at him, "Can it, Doc! We were having a moment!"
The medic member of the crew simply waved off Kira's words. "Yeah, yeah. Look, I'm just wondering where the bacta is. I kind of used mine up back on Quesh."
Taran kept a look of restrained annoyance on his face as turned his attention from Kira to Doc. "Why don't you go find T7? He probably knows where to keep a few extra packs."
"Okay," Doc was about to turn around to leave, but stopped. "By the way, do you know…" he started, but he was cut off by an annoyed glare from Taran.
"Doc," the young Jedi warned, his patience wearing thin.
"Alright, alright I'm going!" Doc held up his hands up, but a smirk was present on his face. "I'll leave you two love birds alone."
And so, the medic turned around with a teasing grin on his face and he disappeared into one of the ship's many corridors. The Jedi couple was finally left alone with the peace and quiet they desired for so long. No longer were they in the presence of the medic who constantly loved to tease the pair.
Kira returned her gaze to Taran, a roguish grin on her face. "Now where were we?" Kira gave a mischievous grin as she started to close the space between their faces.
Taran was more than happen to oblige her advance, bringing his face closer to hers. However, the entire hull of the ship shook and the sudden movement sent both Jedi onto the floor of the main hold, their arms still around each other. Shock and surprise appeared on their faces as their bodies hit on the floor with Kira on top of Taran.
"Ow…" a moan came from Kira moaned before she used the holocomm as leverage to stand up. Placing a free hand on her now bruised head, she spared a glance at Taran. "What was that?"
A moment later and Taran managed to stand on his two feet, and leaned on the holocomm to prevent himself from swaying. "I don't know," he replied, trying to shake off the feeling of disorientation.
Turning his head, Taran could see Doc entering the main hold once more, rushing in with an expression that matched Taran's. "What's going on?!" he raised his voice over the ruckus.
The young Jedi prevented an irritated sigh leave his mouth. "I don't know," he found himself answering again.
A light beep caught the young Jedi's attention, making him turn around to find a familiar astromech droid rolling on the floor. The droid in question was T7-O1, a little astromech Taran met on Tython when he was still a Padawan. While there was no expression on T7's face, Taran could tell there was still some fear in the droid's single eye lens.
"T7, what's happening?" Taran ordered.
A series of high-pitched chirps and beep emerged from the astromech's voice box in a frantic tone. The answer was less than satisfying to the three humans he had been accompanying, especially with Kira as she repeated, "We're under attack?!" She gritted her teeth for a moment. "Out of all of the kriffing things to happen…"
Taran cut her off before she could finish that sentence. "Kira, head to the cockpit. Figure out what's going on!"
Kira glanced at her fellow Jedi, but she knew better than to question him in a dire situation. She rushed out of the main hold for the cockpit, leaving Taran alone with the others in the main hold.
Turning his head to the astromech, the young Jedi requested, "T7, give me a status!" T7 answered with more beeps and chirps to which Taran inquired, "Hyperdrive's been hit? Can you fix it?"
Before the droid could reply, everyone felt the ship's hull shake once more, yet it was not as strong as it was before. Taran and Doc were able to keep their footing, and T7 managed to keep himself stationed on the floor. The entire moment last for a moment, but it was the feeling of a dead ship that followed was what sent alarms into everyone's mind. "That's not good," came from Doc.
It was not long until Kira's voice came over the comm panel on the holocomm. "Guys, we've got a problem. We're caught in a tractor beam!"
At this point, Taran wanted to know who it was that wanted to capture his ship. He approached the holocomm and called out to Kira, "Do you know who's after us?"
"The Sith, that's who!" was her reply. "We've got an Imperial cruiser on our tail!"
The young Jedi stiffened a curse at the news, not needing the Force to know it was the Sith ship who also fired on their engines. His outrage was oon replied with a series of endless of questions in his mind. They were not even near the border of Sith space, yet they were being assaulted by a Sith ship. No one knew about their mission… did they?
Doc's voice caught Taran's attention as he asked, "Any ideas?"
A small amount of hesitation almost prevented Taran from answer that question, and it would have if he did not push it away. "Honestly, nothing's coming to mind," Taran admitted as he faced Doc and T7. "All we can do confront whoever's in charge."
The idea did not bode well for the other two members in his crew, especially T7 who let out high-pitched chirps of objection. Taran's eyes fell upon the astromech and he told it, "I know T7, but we really don't have much of a choice." Focusing his gaze on the holocomm, the young Jedi spoke, "Kira, prepare to lower the boarding ramp and come back down here."
Doc's words reached his ears as the medic hopefully wished, "I hope this works."
All Taran could do was simply mutter under his breath, "So do I, Doc. So do I."
The ends of Kera's black cape flapped in the air as she paced around the bridge of the Imperial dreadnaught, her feet impatiently pounding against the floor. The Sith Lord paid little attention to the many Imperial personnel on the bridge, even though a few of them often spared a glance in her direction. However, Kera's focus was more on the Jedi she was anxious to encounter.
The Emperor's Wrath was not sure exactly how long it had been since the two Hands of the Emperor revealed their plan to her. After discussing with her, they left the bridge to tend to their own duties, which Kera assumed them to be contacting the emperor. Ever since then, she had an exciting tingle course throughout her entire body, wishing for her skills to be tested on the famous Hero of Tython.
A high-pitched whine emerged from Kera's side, making her stop in her tracks. The Wrath reached a hand down and removed the portable holocomm from her belt. The circular device fit perfectly in hand as the blue holographic image emerged and took the shape of an Imperial officer–a commander from his uniform.
"What is it, commander?" Kera inquired, trying to keep a level tone in her voice.
The commander stood to attention as he gave his report. "My lord, the ship you've been looking for has dropped out of hyperspace. We've already captured it in our tractor beam, and it is currently being detained in our hangar bay. I am to convince the Jedi to surrender, but I wish for you to be there."
Under her mask, Kera's eye twitched in irritation. She had been hoping for a challenge with the Jedi, not some talk of surrender. But there was little Kera could do in the matter, so she replied, "Very well, I will be down there shortly."
"Yes, my lord," the commander nodded.
Disconnecting the call, Kera returned her holocomm to her belt and immediately, headed for the exit. As the bridge's door closed behind her, the Wrath strode the long halls, suppressing the urge to wrap her fingers around her weapons. "Perhaps another time," she muttered to herself before continuing her journey to the hangar.
It not been the first Taran had been on board a Sith Imperial dreadnaught, and he felt it would not be the last. He had been inside many Sith ships, especially during Angral's crusade against the Jedi Order, and those times it had been to fight against Sith Lords and Imperial military personnel. However, the young Jedi never found himself or his crew in a situation like this before.
Taran cautiously walked down the ramp of his ship, his crew slowly following behind him. He founds squadrons of Imperial troopers swarming around the entrance of the Republic ship, their black armor clashing against the gray floor. Oddly enough, the Imperial soldiers kept their blaster rifles lowered, ready should Taran and his friends attempt to attack them. At the front was an Imperial commander, dressed in the typical gray military uniform given to him by his Sith superiors.
The wrinkles on the commander's face moved up as he gave his "guests" a warm smile. "Welcome, Jedi," he greeted, the thick Dromund Kaas accent leaving his mouth along with his sardonic tone. "I apologize to have halted your pleasant journey, but it was necessary."
The young Jedi wondered what the commander meant, but before he could contemplate any reason for their dilemma, he saw Kira walking right next to him. There was a look of outrage on his fellow Jedi's face, and it matched her tone. "Look, just what the kriff do you think you're doing? We're just minding our own business until you attacked us!"
While Kira's approach was blunt, Taran found himself agreeing with her. At the same time, he knew that losing his calm over the situation would not make the situation any better. Turning his head to the commander, Taran said, "My friend here is right. You attacked us and captured us while we have not intruded in Sith space. This goes against the Treaty of Coruscant."
The welcoming expression on the commander's face turn sour as he spoke, "Oh, and I suppose what you're doing isn't the same?"
The question brought confusion to the two Jedi in front and the other two in the back, but they found out when the commander explained, "We intercepted many transmissions between you and the Jedi Council. Our spies caught you meeting with Jedi Master Warren Sedoru on Balmorra. You were also found on Quesh, helping a Dark Council traitor."
Concern arose within Taran, and he did not need the Force to know the same feelings were inside the others. Those crawling suspicions in their minds were about the same thing, to which the commander revealed, "We know what you're planning, Jedi. We know of your plans to capture the emperor."
The first thought that popped into Taran's mind was to pull out his lightsaber and cut down the Imperial in front of him, but he stopped himself. Taran did not want to risk the lives of his friends, and he needed to figure out why they were still alive. Sparing a glance at Kira, he could see her hand placed on her lightsaber, but the blade was not lit. As for T7 and Doc, Taran could sense they too were keeping their weapons ready for anything.
Returning his attention to the commander, Taran listened to his explanation. "I would have you killed, but my superiors want you to be imprisoned. So I am asking for you to surrender," the commander stated.
The Imperial soldiers found themselves in Taran's gaze, making them grip their blaster rifles in anticipation. "What makes you think we'll do that?" Taran challenged, returning his attention to the commander.
A small chuckle left the commander's mouth. "I know what you're capable of Jedi. I've heard about your exploits against Darth Angral." The Imperial commander motioned his head to his subordinate soldiers behind him. "My men here are trained to take down Jedi and they will do so if you and your crew won't surrender."
Taran's gloved hand came closer to his lightsaber with every passing second, slowly stalling until the Imperials made their move. "Is that so?"
"Yes. A few of these men here once served under Darth Angral before you killed him," the commander matched his gaze with Taran's, and a small smirk appeared on his face, as if he already won their little verbal sparring. "In fact, some personally witnessed him executing your master."
The words struck a blow through the young Jedi's barrier and it stirred old emotions within in, emotions of anger and sorrow. These emotions were the result of scarring from the memory of Orgus Dinn being impaled upon Angral's red blade. The words made Taran bring his hand even closer to his lightsaber hilt, yet it was now shaking with rage.
Kira could sense the emotions in Taran and noticed the signs of his restrained anger. The clenched jaw, the shaking hands, all results from the verbal assault. The death of Taran's Jedi master had been a touchy subject for him, and the commander used that to his advantage. Now, Taran was having trouble trying to keep his anger at bay.
The Imperial commander cared little for Taran's feeling and he repeated his order, "Again, I suggest you surrender."
In an instant, the sound of a hum echoed through the air and the officer found himself at the tip of a blue lightsaber. His eyes traveled down to see the blade originating from a silver hilt in Taran's hands, the gloved fingers wrapped around its elegant design. Soon, the officer found himself staring at Taran's blue eyes, now filled with a burning rage that matched his tone.
"You will let us go this instant, or else!" Taran demanded.
Before Kira could tend to Taran, she found the Imperial troopers aiming their blasters at the young Jedi. The Imperial commander had been escorted back and Taran's blade came across barrel of a troopers' blaster rifle. She whipped out her lightsaber and a green blade sprung out of each end. Out of the corner of her eye, Kira could see T7 and Doc with their blasters out and ready to join them in the case of a battle.
The commander, now placed behind the wall of soldiers between him and the Jedi, stared at his enemies for a moment. A scowl appeared on his face before he ordered his men, "Take them! Remember, they're needed alive."
The gray uniform of the Imperial commander became a distant speck as he retreated from Taran, leaving his subordinated soldiers to deal with the Jedi and his three allies. Taran wanted to impale his lightsaber into the commander's chest, but he pushed it away to focus on the Imperial troopers surrounding him.
His eyes came onto the closest Imperial trooper and the blue blade sliced through the barrel within that trooper's blaster rifle. The same Imperial was then met with a wave of the Force from Taran that sent him crashing into his fellow soldiers. Blue stuns were discharged into the air as the few Imperial troopers were knocked into the ground and accidentally pulled the trigger on their blaster rifles.
Turning his attention to the other Imperials, Taran drove them back with wild slashes and wide swings. Kira quickly covered for Taran's left, deflecting the bolts with her lightsaber. She attempted to strike out, but the troopers quickly backed away before the green blades could touch them. Any areas that were left unattended by the two Jedi, Doc and T7 covered them with their quick blaster fire at the Imperial troopers.
Taran's blue lightsaber swung through the air, deflecting any stun bolts sent his way. The commander did not lie about their training to withstand Jedi for they managed to avoid the Jedi's offensive attacks, but that did not mean they were invincible as Taran sent a stun bolt right back at an Imperial trooper. As the Imperials continued to fire volleys of stun bolts, one dropped his blaster rifle and pulled out a vibroblade. That lone trooper ran past his fellow soldiers and towards Taran with hopes the Jedi was distracted by the stun bolts.
Unfortunately for that trooper, the attack was foreseen as his vibroblade came in contact with the blue lightsaber. The Jedi's blue eyes met with the black visor on the Imperial's helmet before he lashed out with a kick to the trooper's stomach. The kick sent his enemy back, and Taran was quick to jump over a slash and the young Jedi came slamming down onto the ground with his lightsaber. The small burst of the Force added into the attack sent surrounding Imperial troopers flying away from himself.
Taran glanced at his fellow companions to see them holding their own against the rest of the Imperial troopers. Then, his eyes came across the many bodies of Imperial troopers that lay across the floor. Many were either knocked or dead, yet Taran could see one was still conscious and separated from the rest.
Taran slowly approached the lone Imperial, his lightsaber gripped tightly in his hands with anticipation. Upon seeing the Jedi approaching him, the trooper frantically reached for his blaster and fired multiple shots only for them to be swatted away.
Inside of the young Jedi, the anger from the commander's words burned brightly. The man dared to insult the memory of Taran's master, and now the Jedi felt the desire to strangle the commander, but since that man was not present, Taran felt tempted to unleash his rage on the trooper before him.
Before Taran even had the chance, a suddenly burst in the Force sent him off his feet. The sound of the young Jedi hitting the floor far away from his target echoed and it caught the attention of his friends. They all managed to spare a glance from the Imperial troopers they were fighting, and it was not afterwards until Taran rose and see the one responsible from finishing his job. His eyes came across the black armored form of the Emperor's Wrath at the entrance of the hangar, a gloved hand outstretched and palm opened.
The sound of boots clanging against the floor echoed with every step as she passed by the fallen forms of the Imperial soldiers and coming to a stop in between Taran and the Imperial soldier. Taran could feel the Dark Side pouring off of the Wrath in waves when she faced him, and it unnerved him to no end.
As for Kera, she momentarily eyed the bodies of Imperials littering the floor of the hangar to see many of them stirring from their slumber. A small spark of excitement arose inside her mind as she mused to herself, "It seems like this Jedi will be a challenge, after all."
She looked over her shoulder and her eyes stared at the Imperial soldier behind her. "Take your soldiers and fall back," Kera ordered before returning her gaze to Taran. "This Jedi is mine."
The Imperial soldier was more than happy to obey, quickly raising himself. "Y-yes, my lord," he stuttered, the hint of relief in his voice.
Looked over the Wrath's shoulder, Taran saw that Imperial, along with his fellow soldiers, departing the hangar. His eyes went to his companions, and he could see they were still facing the others Imperial troopers since the beginning of all of this. But that was not the problem. The main focus now was the Sith Lord before him.
Kera found the Jedi before her staring back, his blue eyes shining brightly with the Light Side of the Force along with his aura. It was almost sickening to the Emperor's Wrath, but that was pushed aside when she saw Taran raise his lightsaber. Kera removed both of her own lightsabers, each hilt held within one hand.
Igniting her lightsabers, the tips of the red plasma dug into the floor and left a trail as she bounded towards her Jedi opponent. Taran's blade caught one lightsaber at his head before parrying the other intended to slice into his side. The Hero of Tython went on the offensive, bringing to Kera's armored chest. The attack was swatted away and Kera saw an opening as she lunged forward.
The assaulted was thwarted when Taran unleashed a wave of the Force from his hand on the Wrath, sending her back. Kera's feet screeched against the floor and brought her to halt in time to see her Jedi opponent charging at her.
The Wrath moved to the side to dodge a downward slash from Taran and she spun her body around to bring her lightsabers at his back. Taran ducked for the blades to strike air instead of their target, and he twirled around, bringing his lightsaber at her legs. Kera was quick to lower her blades in time to catch the Jedi's strike at her legs.
The blades remained locked with one another, Taran raised himself from his crouched position and his gaze matched with the Wrath's masked face. He could see the yellow eyes under the mask and they were filled with excitement as she pressed her strength against Taran's own. "Not bad," Kera complimented. "You live up to your title, Hero of Tython."
All Taran did was stare back at the Wrath, questions wrapping around his mind. Kera had the familiar taint of the Dark Side swirling around her, but Taran could sense something was off that distinguished her from the rest. It was almost familiar. In the end, the Jedi simply found himself asking, "Who are you?"
Kera felt herself smirk under her helmet. "I am the Emperor's Wrath," she proudly boasted. "The personal enforcer of the emperor's will!"
With a loud grunt, Kera raised her blades high into the air, breaking the saber lock and taking Taran by surprise. He had to shake it away to avoid the Wrath's blade from decapitating him, and Taran felt himself almost lose his footing as he retreated back. Planting his two feet onto the floor, the Jedi found himself staring back at the Sith before him.
The two red blades lowered to the ground and Kera flexed her fingers with excitement. "And I am the one who will beat you," she finished before charging at him.
While the Hero of Tython and the Emperor's Wrath continued their duel on one side of the hangar, Kira fought against Imperial troopers on the other side. She dodged a stun bolt before charging forwards to slice her blade into the black armor of the trooper who fired at her. The trooper fell to the ground and the lack of Imperial troopers in her sight was a sign for her to breath.
The sound of lightsabers clashing against one another made Kira spare a glance at the duel. The blue and red blades crashed against each other as Kera smacked Taran's lightsaber away with one of her own. The Emperor's Wrath was utilizing the duel-blade form of lightsaber combat known as Jar'kai, forcing Taran into using Soresu. Kira knew the defensive style had never been Taran's strong suit, but he was able to use it against the Sith. Suddenly, something dashed in front of Kira's vision, making her swirl her head to find herself staring at the hooded form of Servant Two.
Kira was surprised by this lone Sith in front of her. What concerned more than the sudden appearance was the Dark Side taint surrounding him. It was too much like the emperor's, a feeling that Kira never forgotten since her time on Korriban. The feeling almost made her shiver, but she shrugged it away.
Servant Two saw Kira lunged forward to strike with her green saberstaff only for the Emperor's Hand to leap over it. The former Child of the Emperor raised her head to see Servant Two flipping in the air before he gracefully landed behind her. The young Jedi Knight sprinted towards him, her lightsaber tightly gripped in her hands.
Surprise appeared on Kira's face when she saw her saberstaff only a few millimeters from Servant Two's outstretched. No doubt the Emperor's Hand was using the Force to stop the plasma blade from touching his hand.
Before Kira could strike again, a burst of the Dark Side shot out of the same outstretched hand of Servant Two. The electricity crackled around the saberstaff and soon it engulfed the body of the former Child of the Emperor. Her mind screamed with pain, and soon that same scream left her mouth.
The scream caught T7 and Doc's attention, and they moved their focus away from the Imperial troopers to Kira. They were shocked as they witnessed her being electrocuted by the Emperor's Hand. "Kira!" Doc shouted as he and T7 immediately rushed to help their friend.
Their act of selflessness became their undoing as two stun bolts struck Doc. T7 was next as another bolt hit his wheels, knocking the astromech onto his side. The Imperials who shot them immediately surrounded the two, their blaster rifles aimed at them as a precaution.
As for Taran, the Hero of Tython parried a blow from his opponent and he swung his blade to force Kera back, making the Wrath backed away to avoid the blue blade. Taran have continued his assault if he did not notice the Imperial troopers surrounding Doc and T7. Worry appeared on his face, and it only increased when his eyes caught the sight of Kira falling onto her knees due to the intensity of Servant Two's electricity.
That single moment allowed the Emperor Wrath to make her advance and by the time Taran noticed, it was too late to avoid the attack. All he could was raised his lightsaber to shield himself from a twin strike at his head. Kera lashed out again and again, both red blades constantly pounding against the blue one. She could feel Taran's strength slowly weakening and it was only a matter of time until he would be overwhelmed.
That turned out to be true when Kera sent the Hero of Tython's lightsaber out of his hands, leaving him defenseless. Taran attempted to lash out with the Force, but the Emperor's Wrath beat him to it, unleashing a wave of the Force on him. The Jedi found himself casted off of his feet and it was not long until Taran felt his back crashing against the outer hull of his ship. Pain shot through Taran's entire body before the feel of fatigue and darkness overcame his body.
Kera watched as the Jedi's unconscious form dropped onto the floor like a ragged doll, his robes lying close to the Corellian corvette he arrived in. A sense of victory washed over the Wrath as she sheathed her lightsabers. She won the duel. Her victory was hers and hers alone.
"Well done, Wrath. You have served the emperor well," the familiar deep voice congratulated her.
Turning her head around, Kera saw Servant One's robed form entering the hangar. As for Servant Two, the Wrath could see him standing over the unmoving–yet breathing–form of the former Emperor's Child.
Her masked face returned to Servant One and she asked, "What do we do with them now?"
The questioned was answered by Servant Two as he approached her. "We shall bring him to the emperor. He will decide what to do with them."
A rattling sound made Kera take notice of the lightsaber belonging to the Hero of Tython as it flew into the hand of Servant One. "You work here is done, Wrath. You may return to your ship until we call upon you," the Emperor's Hand spoke. Walking towards her, he held out the lightsaber to Kera. "Take this as a token for your victory today."
The Emperor's Wrath did not hesitate as she grasped the lightsaber in her hand. "I appreciate it," Kera thanked.
That was all Kera said before she parted ways with the two Servants of the Emperor. As she strode through the hangar, her eyes momentarily focused on the unconscious body of Taran. The Emperor's Wrath swore she felt a small hint of pity for the Jedi, but she shook it away, deciding not to dwell on the subject any longer. It had been a while since she had seen her companions and they would most likely wish to know of her success.
Raika: Alright, that's chapter one. So what do you think of the start? Was it good? Did I give the characters the right treatment? Was the lightsaber duel any good? Please leave reviews to let me know and if you have any criticism, please let it be constructive so I know what to fix in the future.
Raika out.