A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away…
STAR WARS: ILLUMINATION
VOLUME III: LIGHT IN THE DARK
The galaxy's most noble defenders, the Jedi Knights, have descended into civil war. With his crimes exposed, TAU SKYWALKER has retreated to a hidden stronghold while his OMNISTS strike at the Jedi Order from the shadows.
In the wake of Asharr's death, Tau has seized control of his late apprentice's criminal Consortium, using its resources to build his army. Meanwhile, the Triumvirate, still reeling from the murder of Empress Thalia Fel, searches for her heir, JADE SKYWALKER, who has vanished into the wider galaxy.
As the Jedi and the Triumvirate hunt him down, Tau has turned his sights to the remote world of Cerestene. There, the guardians of a Jedi outpost work frantically to defend their home as the Omnists come to steal the secrets held within…
Prologue
Tekerntown, Cerestene, 214 ABY - Eight Months after the Battle in the Old Jedi Temple
Colorful thunder lit up the gray, stormy sky. Though faint, obscured by dark clouds and rain, Kormni Al'Yan could see it in the distance; flashes of green, red, and orange lights, surrounding the Jedi's mountains.
She had been out here for several minutes. Her mom had asked her to secure the gryntha pen's roofseals, to make sure the retractable plastoid cover wouldn't come loose or even fly off in the storm. Kormni and the grynthas shared a mutual dislike; ignoring the snarls the mangy beasts always gave her, she had taken pains to finish her task quickly. As she had started walking back to the house, she had noticed the flashing lights and couldn't take her eyes off them.
Beneath her poncho, the Caamasi child was cold and drenched, standing ankle-deep in a puddle. Yet her gaze was fixed upon the Twin Hills and the surrounding flares. Less than a minute ago, a ship – a large, vaguely bug-shaped vessel – had swooped through the rain and flown towards the temple. Then, the bright flares had begun to pop up.
Less than a kilometer away, the hills loomed over the town; a pair of tall, thin, angular rock spires covered by moss and waterfalls. Between the two spires, near the lake in the center, was a small, comfortable, calming structure within which lived Master Aaragor and the other Jedi who worked alongside him.
Kormni had been there before, two years ago. A bout of Timon's fever had plagued the southern reaches, and she had been one among many who had fallen ill. Her world had completely unraveled as she had lain on the bed, trapped in a nonsensical world molded by the hallucinations of her mind – her days filled with terrifying and bizarre images as her body felt like it was boiling.
When the world finally stopped spinning, she found herself in the Jedi Monastery; over the course of a few days, her dreamlands slowly gave way to the comfort of a small, modest, yet calming home. Kormni's memories of those days were a blur, but she especially remembered the first time she had seen Master Aaragor. She had awoken to what she had thought was a monster's visage: a leathery, wrinkled, bat-like face with tusks and slit-like pupils in its green eyes, complete with a warm, fanged smile. Kormni had felt frightened, but something about it had also left her curious. Master Aaragor had been gentle, talkative, but also eager to listen. Kormni could never forget the Jedi Master's gentle voice.
You'll be alright, Kormni, Master Aaragor had said encouragingly, You'll be alright.
Now, watching the colorful flashes surrounding the Jedi homestead and hearing the roaring, mechanical thunder in the distance, Kormni pondered what was taking place there. Was there some kind of celebration? Perhaps the Jedi were practicing some strange, esoteric technique related to their Force?
"Kormni!" Her mother's voice called from the house. Kormni looked back towards the house and saw her mother's silhouette at the window, putting on a coat. Kormni knew she was drenched and shivering in the rain; she realized she should go back inside.
As she hiked back to the door, she cast a final glance at the colorful thunderstorm surrounding the mountain. Some of the lights were lasting longer now, glowing a vivid orange: it looked like something was burning.
Jedi Monastery, Valley in the Twin Hills
As a rainstorm brewed in the sky above, the peace of the small compound was shattered by battle. The Jedi Master Kaul Aem Aaragor, his wife Oraeyj, his padawans, and their droid aides lived in the simple, ascetic building that encircled the plain, bordered by the cliffs of the Twin Peaks. On a peaceful day, this valley would be filled with the silk cawing of the mikno flies as they hunted for leaches and burrowers in the rocks. Within the monastery, a student might study in the archive, exercise in the cliffs, spar in the courtyard, or meditate in the caves to connect with the Force. Researchers might stop by to discuss their findings. Afflicted individuals might come in search of healing. The Monastery was a place of study, training, contemplation, and discussion.
Now, this sanctuary was frantic with a different kind of activity. The Jedi had learned of the impending attack a mere eleven hours ago, and six Jedi and ten civilian and mercenary volunteers from the Antarian Rangers and Great River – whoever was in range and could arrive quickly – had taken up defensive positions around the compound, bracing themselves for the Omnists' assault. Though it was as well-defended as it could be under the circumstances, the monastery was no fortress, and there stood a very likely chance that it would fall. In the fleeting time they had before the assault, a small number of droids and volunteers were stripping the monastery of its most valuable supplies and loading them onto the ship.
Jenna Mar'ik knew their time was up. A sharp feeling of danger gripped the young Jedi Knight as she completed her part in great earnest. She had been given the task of gathering the artifacts stored in the monastery's library. Protruding from the walls around her were shelves filled with an array of books, holodiscs, tablets, and other artifacts gathered by the Jedi caretakers of the Cerestene outpost. Over the last century, the monastery had accumulated an archive filled with treasures from across the Rim: wisdom recorded by the Jedi and other civilizations and orders from centuries, even millennia ago. Mar'ik had arrived here mere hours ago, and given her love for history and archeology, Master Aaragor had assigned her to catalog and pack the most valuable items, in preparation for the possibility that the monastery fell.
"Mar'ik!" Oraeyj Aem Puraeyna's guttural voice called her attention. She turned to see the aged Kaleesh ranger approaching, clutching an RC-5 rifle in her hands, her earnest gaze cast in shadow by her blue-painted Erkush skull mask.
"I know," Mar'ik grasped Tahiri Veila's holocron from the shelf and carefully placed the emerald crystal hexagon into her bag. The Omnists had come sooner than anticipated. The battle was about to begin.
"Finish the catalog, Jay-Three," Mar'ik turned towards the crimson-painted LTY "household assistance" droid at the entrance, "And guard the library with your life, okay?"
"I shall, Jedi Mar'ik," J-3D6's tiny head repeatedly swiveled up and down in a crude equivalent of a nod. Mar'ik was certain that the library was in safe hands – as safe as could be under these circumstances.
"Thanks, Jay-Three," Mar'ik nodded back. She ran out of the simple comforts of the library into the beginnings of a storm.
A deflector shield loomed over the compound like a pale bubble, rippling as rain impacted it. Engines roared as starfighters flew over the deflector shield and the sky rumbled as their blasterfire impacted the shield.
"The shield is holding," Oraeyj said, "But we don't know for how long."
Acurious feeling of impending danger gripped Mar'ik, and she recognized it. It was the same feeling she had felt the day her master had died, just before they had been ambushed on Fhost. A feeling that something wasn't right. A sort of warning…
Mar'ik grabbed her macrobinoculars and looked up at the shield. She saw jetplumes emanating from silhouettes, slowing descending into the field…
"They're penetrating the shield!" Mar'ik warned, "Look up!"
Jet plumes engaged as five Mandalorian supercommandos flew across the field, dropping grenades and firing spouts of flame which torched buildings and scattered the defenders. Their attacks struck too quickly, disorienting the defenders and making it difficult for them to rally.
"They're going for the shield generator!" Oraeyj yelled over comms, "Get to the shield generato…"
Suddenly, an explosion erupted near the dormitory. Above them, the deflector shield's protective embrace dissolved. Mar'ik heard engines roar and saw two floodlights swooping through the sky as two T-Wing Rapier fighters sped towards the valley and unleashed a barrage of red laser fire upon the compound, leaving charred craters in the ground and setting buildings ablaze.
A commanding wave echoed through the Force, impacting Mar'ik in her core, filling her with a flash of resolve and focus. She recognized the presence as Master Aaragor, and his message was clear: rally. Protect the compound.
Mar'ik ignited her lightsaber, finding a faint comfort in its humming, flickering yellow blade. She examined the battlefield around her quickly.
All around Mar'ik, lightsabers, blasters, flashlights, and glowing visors lit the watery darkness of the valley like beacons. Rhythms of sound echoed through the valley: the rapidfire drumming of the rainstorm, the energetic pelting of blasterfire, the stomp and splash of Mar'ik's footsteps against the soggy ground, and the whining clash of lightsabers. She decided to find the nearest Jedi and help them.
"A little help?" a high-pitched, sharp voice directed Mar'ik's attention to her left, where Kosa Torein – a thin, adolescent Rodian padawan who was apprenticed to Master Aaragor – frantically clashed lightsabers with a human. The human wore a bright white robe with black trim: light and dark together – the clothing of an Omnist. Mar'ik sprinted to assist him.
As the rain left their lightsabers steaming and her cloak smoking, Mar'ik and Kosa met the Omnist's blade, yellow, green, and white sabers clashing and crackling as Mar'ik's quick blows and Kosa's swings and strikes met her opponent's staunch defense.
The Omnist then shifted his tactics; wide blocks gave way to a flurry of quick strikes, forcing Mar'ik and Kial onto the defensive against her opponent's strikes. As Kosa maintained his defensive shield, Mar'ik met speed with speed until the Omnist raised his saber for wide, powerful blows. Mar'ik blocked once, twice, and then swung, catching her opponent's blade on her own and pushing, staggering him slightly. She swung, and he swerved back, leaving himself vulnerable to a strike from Kosa's green blade, which sliced him across the heart.
"You okay, Kosa?" Mar'ik asked, panting.
"Guard the hangar, Kosa," the sound of Master Aaragor's voice hooked Kosa and Mar'ik's attention, "You're not ready for this."
Kaul Aem Aaragor marched towards the duo, his green-bladed saberstaff casting an emerald light upon a bone mask very similar to his wife's. Most would likely find his visage in battle frightening; Mar'ik was only reassured.
Kosa nodded, "Yes Master. I'll guard the hangar."
"Good boy," Master Aaragor said before a new blade ignited, "Mar'ik, Oorannu is stuck near the dining hall. He needs help."
"I'll get him," Mar'ik said. She ran towards the dining hall. Outside it, the Ithorian Jedi Padawan Oorannu Mariaan was struggling to hold off the multiweapon barrage of an armored, cloaked warrior whose glowing T-visor marked them as a Mandalorian. Mar'ik ran to assist him, raising her blade to strike.
She was too late. Deflecting the padawan's blade with a beskar vambrace, the Mandalorian's other arm impacted Mariaan in the chest. As he staggered back, the Mandalorian drew their blaster and shot him twice in the stomach. Shock, surprise, and anger flashed through Mar'ik's mind as she watched her fellow Jedi fall to the ground and lie still.
She raised her lightsaber defensively as the Mandalorian charged towards her. They opened fire upon Mar'ik, their pistol flashing red and orange flame spouting from their gauntlet. Mar'ik frantically leapt back, quickly parrying their blasterfire whilst attempting to evade the blaze. Still, the flame had caught the sleeve of her cloak. Mar'ik suppressed a yelp as her arm grew painfully hot.
As raindrops pelted and attempted to douse the flames on her sleeve, Mar'ik held her left arm outward and calmed herself, attempting to control her breathing lest she inhale the smoke. Holding her lightsaber in her right hand, she prepared to meet the Mandalorian's counterattack.
She thought back to her own late master, Sab'io, who had died in a duel with a Mandalorian warrior.
The Mandalorian charged again, opening fire. With her right hand, Mar'ik spun her lightsaber and caught their blasts on a golden fan. Her left hand opened towards the Mandalorian commando, a gesture which helped Mar'ik to channel the Force through her body and outward, impacting the Mandalorian with a blow more powerful than a sledgehammer, made of something that could not be seen, only felt. The commando hit the wall of the building and then fell to the ground, lying still.
Amidst the sounds of thunder and the rain, Mar'ik heard the heavy hum of a repulsorlift. Looking up, she saw a tall, thick outline with wings, complemented by bright lights – likely floodlights – in the distance. With a fiery roar, the gunship slowly swooped over the valley toward her, revealing itself to be a heavy, pregnant metal monster with four long wings and a massive compartment between its thin bow and five yellow engines. The sight of it ignited a burst of anger within Mar'ik and left her seething. She recognized this ship: it had been used by the Jedi Shadows and Mandalorians who killed her master, and imprisoned her and many other Jedi in the depths of a Sith ruin.
As if on cue, the twin cannons raised up and unleashed a barrage of green light around her. The air grew hot and filled with the smell of ozone as Mar'ik tore across the battlefield with the greatest speed she could muster. The ground shook and trembled beneath Mar'ik's feet as she gave in to instinct, careful to maintain her balance as she stepped from vibrating stone to stone, knowing that one slip might spell her death.
Suddenly, an explosion to her right knocked her off her feet and caused her to fly into the air. Her eardrums rang as she hit the ground hard. Acting on instinct, she quickly turned her fall into a roll and moved to her right, only narrowly dodging a pile of falling rocks. She moved to her feet and continued running down the valley towards the fiery remains of the dormitory, narrowly dodging another round of cannonfire. She took cover behind the burning building, where Pollar also stood, laying down blaster fire towards the advancing Mandalorians.
"Hang on," Iutan declared over comms, "We'll cover you!"
Suddenly, the gunship veered off as two additional craft swerved into action. One was a nimble T-Wing Rapier fighter, flown by the skilled Jedi ace Iutan Kaller. The other was a dingy, V-shaped Borthis-class transport known as the Blue Dungfly. The three ships engaged in a deadly dance in the storm-filled sky, and though the molter was the most heavily armed, the T-Wing was faster and the Dungfly's pilots knew how to use the terrain to their advantage. The gunship veered away as the T-Wing swung up and around the vessel while the Dungfly swooped around the valley, using the mountains as partial cover in between exchanges of fire.
Mar'ik then ran towards the bulk of the group, who had coalesced around the storehouse.
Blades clashed and the air rippled with lifted objects and forks of lightning as an armored duelist fought against the group. Still, against four other Jedi, this being stood no chance, and a strike from Aaragor's lightsaber separated their helmeted head from the rest of their body. As Mar'ik reached the group and glanced at the body, she recognized the armor's animalistic aesthetic as that of a Jensaarai – a practitioner of one of the Jedi Order's more radical traditions, many of whom had joined the Omnists.
"We have the library and the storehouses," Iutan said, "If we can hold them here, perhaps we can wear them down…" suddenly Iutan grunted.
"What?" they gasped, "My fighter's just frozen…"
Suddenly, the sound of a fiery thunderstrike echoed through the valley.
"...Kriff, I'm hit!" Iutan yelled over comms. Mar'ik looked up to see their T-wing streaking towards the cavern wall, its plume in flames.
"Get out of there, Iutan!" Mar'ik yelled. She wasn't confident that Iutan could evacuate in time.
"Help me slow the ship!" Aaragor was clearly of the same mind. The old master extended his hand towards the shuttle. Mar'ik followed suit.
"Watch our backs!" she said to the other Jedi, then turned her attention towards slowing down the ship. She closed her eyes and began to compress the ship in her mind, imagining it as a damaged toy. In her mind, she was reaching out and carefully catching it with her hand.
Master Sab'io, a wise Corellian Togruta, had been very practical in her teachings, making the mystical world of the Force easier for Mar'ik to understand. Techniques such as this had gone a long way towards helping Mar'ik learn to navigate the ethereal sea that bound the universe together.
She felt the toy begin to slow down, gently easing towards the ground instead of plummeting. A cannon blast issued again, and she felt the ground shake around her as she heard something collapse… rocks perhaps. Yet she kept her attention on the ship until Iutan opened the canopy and leapt from the burning wreck, their astromech ejecting from its socket to join them. She then let go, and sighed with relief as Iutan ran towards the group. They were a tall human with curly brown hair and a diamond-shaped earring, dressed in a vermilion flightsuit, a blue-bladed saberstaff in their olive-skinned hand and a hardness in their hazel eyes.
"Smooth landing, Iutan," Aaragor jested, grinning.
"You taught me well, Master," Iutan responded. They turned to their astromech, a small pill-shaped 4RD-series droid with six wheels on its bottom.
"Get to the shuttle, Champ," Iutan ordered, "Stay with the padawans, make sure the shuttle's prepped to take off.
"Droot-Hoot-Woot-Wiit!" The little astromech chirped affirmatively. It rolled off towards the hangar.
"We need to take out their dropship," Iutan said, "If we can just do that, we can drive them back!"
"There's something more, Iutan," Aaragor responded, "But perhaps we can still prevail."
The three Jedi raised their sabers, preparing to charge the enemy once more. They still held the library, the hangar, and much of the compound, keeping the enemy largely contained. The battle might yet be theirs.
Suddenly, Mar'ik's determination to win the battle gave way to a new feeling of dread, one he could also sense in Aaragor and the other Jedi as well.
"Master Aaragor," a voice echoed across the compound and stopped Mar'ik and the others in their tracks. They all recognized who it belonged to.
She turned to see a hooded, cloaked figure standing near the burning archive, slowly approaching towards them. A green lightsaber flashed to life in his hand, casting him in an almost ethereal glow.
Though the darkness hid the man's features, Mar'ik knew his visage; every Jedi did. She knew that the hand that gripped his lightsaber was not his own, but an artificial, skeletal replacement of wires and gleaming metal. She knew his face: a lined, weary countenance with graying blonde hair and beard, and tired blue eyes that sometimes flashed yellow. Beneath the surface of the mundane world, he was a chaotic storm of power, knowledge, pain, and determination. A shifting beacon in the Force, brightening and darkening, powerful and magnetic: the aura of a charismatic madman who had swayed many to follow his mad quest to change the Jedi forever.
"Please, give me the artifacts," Tau Skywalker's words suggested a plea, but his tone was demanding, "and I shall take you all in unharmed."
Mar'ik's past experience as a prisoner of the Omnists discouraged her from taking any comfort in Tau's current offer.
She braced herself for a difficult fight. Tau Skywalker was, perhaps, the most powerful Jedi of their time. Few matched his prowess with the Force, and he had trained the greatest duelist in the Order. He had mastered a ritual that had allowed him to assassinate most of the Jedi Council in one fell stroke, and he had still been able to contend with the survivors in the aftermath. What chance would a handful of Jedi Knights, padawans, mercenaries, and one old master stand against him and his troops? Mar'ik doubted their odds were reasonable.
"Iutan," Aaragor said calmly, "Take the others and get to the ship."
Iutan paused. Mar'ik realized solemnly what was about to happen. She thought back to the death of Master Sab'io, a wound still fresh in her heart after all these months.
You don't have to die, Mar'ik wanted to say, We can escape together.
"Master," Iutan said, "We won't leave you here."
"Iutan," Aaragor responded, "Oraeyj, Mar'ik. You can handle this. Don't worry about me," a fanged smile emerged beneath the shadows cast by his mask, "There are other ways for me to escape."
Iutan paused for a moment, then nodded. Oraeyj said nothing. Mar'ik sensed a double meaning in Aaragor's words, and silently hoped against all logic that her intuition was wrong.
"I'll cover you," Oraeyj declared, reloading her rifle.
Her words broke Aaragor's serene facade.
"No, Oraeyj," he responded.
"We vowed to do this together to the end, right?" Oraeyj flashed her own resolute grin. Even through his mask, Mar'ik could see Aaragor's sorrowful eyes and sharp-toothed smile.
Mar'ik no longer held any doubts as to their fates.
"May the Force be with you, Master Aaragor," Iutan said, taking the mask in their hands.
"And you all," the old master reignited his green blades and began to sprint towards Tau. Oraeyj raised her rifle and started blasting.
"The library," Mar'ik remembered, "I'll go get the artifacts and blow up the rest."
"Mar'ik, it's too risky!" Pollar said.
"We can't let Tau get that knowledge," Mar'ik said, "Get the shuttle ready!"
"Come on," Iutan said, "Follow me!"
The remaining combatants followed their lead, sprinting towards the hanger entrance hidden in the cliff wall.
"We'll buy you some time!" Camol, the Dungfly's pilot, said as her freighter swooped over the battlefield, unleashing red bolts of cannonfire upon the advancing army, "Go, go!"
Nearby, blades clashed, stones flew, and lightning crackled as Aaragor dueled with Tau Skywalker. Flames shot up into the air, the directional plumes of rockets and Mandalorians on jetpacks, attempting to catch the freighter. Mar'ik bolted across the compound, weaving through buildings and deflecting blasterfire from Mandalorians as she sprinted towards the library. Two flying silhouettes highlighted by the flames of rocket jets and glowing T-visors approached to her left: Mandalorians on jetpacks. As Mar'ik reached the door, she raised her lightsaber, bracing for an assault…
"The library is now closed!" J3's cheerful, metallic voice rang through the air as the droid stepped out of the doorway. Her hands retracted into her forearms and gave way to the tips of blaster cannons, and a rectangular slot emerged from her chassis. Behind her emerged a quartet of floating spheres – Jedi training droids.
A swath of blue laserfire flew from J3 as the remotes flew off to swarm the two Mandalorians. While their patchwork beskar armor could withstand blaster bolts, they had plenty of gaps, and one of the Mandalorians fell to the ground, groaning in pain. The other pressed on, their own blaster bolts shooting down one of the nimble remotes.
"I'm done packing," J3 said, "Your bag's in there, Mar'ik!"
Nodding, Mar'ik sprinted into the building, finding a simple knapsack on the shelf. Mar'ik knew that J3 had used it to pack the holocrons, datatapes, and most archaic tomes – the only things that could be transferred easily. Mar'ik and J3 had transcribed everything else onto the datatapes. There was only one thing left to do.
Mar'ik took an incendiary charge from her belt and placed it in the center of the room. Mar'ik knew that the knowledge would be preserved and understood the need to keep the contents archive out of Tau Skywalker's hands. Still, as she looked upon the books one last time, she couldn't help but feel that something meaningful was being lost.
Emotion, yet peace, Mar'ik recited to herself. There would be time to mourn later; right now, she had to leave. She set the charge for fifteen seconds, then sprinted to the exit. Outside, she gasped as she discovered J3 on the ground, her photoreceptors flickering, one of her arms blasted off, numerous charr marks torn into her chassis.
"I leave the contents of the library in your care, Mar'ik…" J3's eyes went dark.
Thank you Jay-Three, Mar'ik thought solemnly as she sprinted away from the library with all the speed she could muster. She forced herself to keep looking ahead as the library exploded behind her in a pillar of flame and a wave of heat burst through the humid air.
There would be no secrets left, nothing for the Omnists to take.
Mar'ik hurried towards the hangar, buried in the cliffs. Mud splashed on her boots and clung to her robes and pants. Endless drops of rain pelted her as if to wear her down, yet she was too focused and energized to shiver.
"They're breaking in!" Camol yelled over comms, "We can't…"
The Dungfly's cockpit vanished in an explosion. Figures in jetpacks flew off of the falling wreck as the freighter impacted the ground and erupted in flames. As Mar'ik sprinted for the hangar, she heard the fiery roar of the enemy gunship as it swerved back into the clearing and opened fire.
"We're holding down the hangar, hurry Mar'ik!" Iutan ordered.
Mar'ik bolted towards the cliff wall. The ships were stored in a large, cavernous field just outside the main compound. Even through the rain, Mar'ik could see a colorstorm of lights as the Jedi party assembled at the aperture in the cliffs here, blue and green lightsaber blades flashing and deflecting red blasterfire while the orange plumes of rockets were redirected through the Force.
Mar'ik decided to weave around the storehouse lining the cavern wall. This would allow her to reach the entrance whilst letting the building provide some cover from the blasterfire. She was almost there…
Suddenly, Mar'ik heard an approaching jetplume. As she reached the edge of the building, she saw an armored figure swooping towards her through the air, landing at the passage's edge, blocking her escape.
Mar'ik instantly recognized her. She was Mandalorian, dressed in brown robes covered by white, engraved armor. A sleek azure T-visor adorned her ornate helmet, and mounted on her vambrace was a strange, cylindrical device, with an elongated plate covering the top of her hand. With a sharp hiss, a shining blue blade with a black core ignited from the device; a wrist-mounted lightsaber.
Mar'ik knew her, both from briefings and personal experience. Míranda Nai-Jal, also known as Mand'alor the Sentinel, the leader of Clan Tracinya.
Tau Skywalker's hunting dog, Mar'ik though to herself, gritting her teeth. She reignited her own lightsaber and raised it defensively. The Mandalorian would try to steal the artifacts; Mar'ik couldn't let that happen.
Mar'ik took the offensive, swinging her saber with strong, quick blows, all of which were parried by Míranda's wrist-lightsaber or her beskar vambraces. The Mandalorian was quick and surprisingly precise with her blocks, and retorted with a kick to Mar'ik's abdomen.
Mar'ik yelped as pain shocked through her torso, struggling to fight through it and hold her guard. Yet the quick second of vulnerability was all Míranda needed, and she came in close, batting aside Mar'ik's weakened counterstrike and pinning her to the wall, their blades separating their bodies by mere inches. As Mar'ik struggled to push back, the Mandalorian reached out with her free hand and grabbed a pouch on Mar'ik's belt. Holding her saber in one hand, Mar'ik reached out to grab Míranda's hand as it left her belt, but her grip was swatted aside. Frantically hoping she hadn't taken anything, Mar'ik's fingers reached into her belt, and closed around something small, metallic, intricate. A datachip.
As their bladeblock broke, Mar'ik looked into the Mandalorian's blue visor. She felt hints of her intentions in the Force: duty, calculation, hope…hope for understanding. With a jolt, Mar'ik recognized Míranda for what she was: a spy.
Mar'ik knew she couldn't say anything, lest she risk exposing Míranda's cover. Instead, she employed Sab'io's old trick. As Míranda raised her blade, Mar'ik quickly deflected it with the tip of her own and extended her hand, blasting Míranda into the wall. The woman fell to the ground, stunned.
As Míranda stirred weakly, Mar'ik immediately broke into a sprint for the ship.
Míranda's world spun as she staggered back into a sitting position against the cliff wall, letting her spell dissipate. Her shoulder was aching, as were her back and head, however the pain was faint – probably bruising at the most, no serious injuries. Mar'ik had been careful.
More importantly, no one had seen what had just transpired. This rock passage was well-hidden away from the bulk of the battle. Mar'ik had received the message, and hopefully she would escape the battle.
Just recently, Míranda had been informed of Tau's discovery on Tandos, and she needed to act quickly. It would take too long to smuggle a message through the Great River network; by the time the Jedi learned of what was to come, it would be too late. The attack on Cerestene had presented a desperate opportunity, and she had taken advantage of it.
"Mand'alor, are you alright?" Vorer Auchs, her lieutenant, asked over comms.
Míranda shook her head.
"I'm alright, Vorer," she responded, "I tried to ambush one of the Jedi alone, she put up quite a fight and slipped through my fingers. I'm okay."
"Understood," Vorer responded, "We need you, come on!"
Míranda engaged her jetpack and soared over the building, flying towards the center of the compound. There, Tau dueled Aaragor, their green blades clashing in the stormy night, debris raised and turned into projectiles, lighting flashing and crackling as the two Jedi Masters fought. Tau kept trying to shift the battle, to move closer to the hangar bay. Aaragor recognized his ploy, and kept interposing his blades in Tau's path, refusing to budge. His unwillingness to step aside left him with several instances where he took minor injuries from Tau's lightsaber, but Míranda could see that they didn't break his resolve. Kaul Aem Aaragor was facing the last fight of his life, and all that mattered was that he keep it going for every single second he could.
Míranda flew to land in front of the advance team, in front of the door carved into the cliffs.
"We've eliminated all combatants in the courtyard," Vorer reported, "The Jedi sealed the doorway, we're breaking through right now."
One of the cloaked Omnists, a Jensaarai in gleaming emerald armor and a crested helmet that evoked the image of an Acklay, finished cutting through with their violet bladed-saber.
"Get ready," Míranda ordered, "Go in blasting, and spread out quickly once we bust the door down. We'll only have one shot at this."
The Jensaarai raised their hand and pushed. The door went flying into the hangar. At the same moment, Míranda heard a guttural yell of pain, and recognized the voice as Master Aaragor's. Doing her best to ignore it, she led the charge alongside the Jensaarai, engaging her jetpack and flying into the hangar. Silently, she worried that she was doing her work too well, and would prevent the Jedi's escape.
The hangar was a cavernous chamber, within which lay a Rendili Hyperworks SP1 L-Wing Shuttle: a tall, inclined wing-shaped craft with a cockpit on its bottom flanked by two bubble-turrets. Its engines were firing up as its ramp raised.
Míranda ignited her wristsaber, silently pleading to the Force that the ship would take off, now…!
And then suddenly, the world spun again and Míranda impacted the ground before she realized what was happening. She felt a burst of heat and wind and heard the roar of engines firing as the L-wing arose into the air and soared off into the sky.
Once her head cleared, Míranda realized that one of the Jedi had used the Force to stagger her troops long enough for the ship to escape. She narrowly prevented herself from laughing in relief.
"Is everyone alright?" she called.
"My hand's seen better days," Vorer replied, waving his gleaming cybernetic appendage, which sparked.
Míranda turned to see Ranah kneeling beside her sister's body.
"Tormu didn't make it," Ranah said softly.
All worries of Míranda's being discovered gave way to guilt. This was the worst part. She hadn't let everyone in the Clan know of their impending defection from Tau's cause yet, and though she hadn't struck any blows, it felt as if she was sacrificing her own people to maintain their cover. Every member of Clan Tracinya who died at the Jedi's hand had died at her hand, as well. She was their leader, and she was sending her own people to die for the wrong side.
May the Force help me to escape this path soon, Míranda silently prayed. She went to Ranah and placed her hand on her shoulder.
"Ni su'cuyi," Ranah, Míranda, Vorer, all of the Mandalorians present said together, "Gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum."
In Basic, the words translated to: We're still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal. Míranda never felt the translation properly captured the meaning of the eulogy.
"Tormu Karr, Koriyn Bals, Arpat Skirata."
Over the last eight months, the list had grown much longer. Míranda remembered every name.
"Gather their bodies and gear and move fast," Míranda ordered, "We must leave soon."
Vorer nodded solemnly. He too was aware of what the Clan was about to do, and the sacrifices that were committed to this goal.
"Promise me, Mand'alor," Vorer responded, "Promise me we'll act soon."
Míranda nodded. She then turned away. It was far easier to lie to Tau Skywalker than to her own people.
She turned to see him outside, alongside a figure on his knees. Master Aaragor's hands were both missing, and the hilt of his saberstaff lay cut in two at his feet. Tau held the green blade of his lightsaber to Aaragor's throat, and had removed his own hood, revealing his long hair. The light cast from the blade seemed to highlight the deep lines on Tau's face, the emotional toll of his actions made manifest.
"You were quite clever, Master Aaragor," Tau seemed impressed by his opponent, "I should have come for you much sooner. Because of my arrogance, I let your humility protect you from me."
"I never desired to sit upon the Council, Tau," Kaul's face broke into a fanged smirk, "I only took it out of duty. The Jedi will carry on without me now."
"It will be a loss," Tau responded, "But they will understand in time. As will you."
He looked up to see Míranda approaching him. The remaining three Omnists on the striketeam. – hooded figures in either armor or robes – returned, as well.
"Watch closely, Tarrin," Tau said to the shortest of the three, a Caamasi Padawan with golden fur.
"Yes, Grand Master," Tarrin said attentively. Tau then turned to Míranda.
"Kill him, Míranda," Tau ordered.
Míranda's heart seized. It seemed her day would be filled with betrayals.
"You don't want to keep him as a prisoner?" she asked.
"He only just joined the Council, he knows none of their secrets," Tau responded, "And his wife has passed on. Give him peace, Míranda."
Míranda understood. This was as much a test of loyalty for her and a lesson for Tau's disciples as it was a means of ending the life of a Council Master. She knew what she needed to do.
"I'm sorry," Míranda whispered. The Jedi's eyes seemed to pierce the T-visor and meet her own. They were filled not with anger or pain, but peace, understanding, and sympathy. He knew who she really was, and he was silently giving her his blessing to do this.
Míranda ignited her blade and stabbed the Kaleesh in the heart. She retracted her blade and let Kaul Aem Aaragor fall upon the wet ground with a splash.
Suddenly, his body faded away, leaving only his rain-slicked robes behind, which sank beneath the puddle's surface.
Míranda stepped back, astonished. She had heard legends of Jedi Masters passing on their essences to the Cosmic Force, allowing their beings to communicate with the living. In all of these tales, their bodies faded as they became one with the Force, leaving nothing behind. She had little reason to doubt these stories now, but had never seen such an instance in person. It was wondrous to her.
Beside her, Tau stood motionless, sharing none of her astonishment. He only smiled.
"Do you know how Jedi Masters are able to communicate with the living after death, Míranda?" Tau asked.
"I don't," Míranda replied.
"I suspected," Tau replied, "It is love. A selfless love for those they leave behind. A release of the self which grants the ultimate freedom. That is what allows them to anchor themselves to the living world for a time."
His smile turned sad, "The Jedi try to forswear attachments, to love without it. But what is love if not an anchor?"
Míranda thought of her own betrayals again. Val. Kali'sto. Her son Riko. Her own principles. Tau. And, now, her people. All in the service of greater causes.
"If you won't take whatever action you must to save that which you love," Tau placed his hand on her shoulder, "How can you say you truly love them?"
Tau himself had killed several of those closest to him. Míranda wondered if he was asking himself this as much as her.
She had no words for him, only knowing that she was just as conflicted, yet resolute in her cause. She mused that, perhaps, the only differences between them were their goals and the fact that Tau could feel the Force and she couldn't, as much as she longed to.
"We must go, Míranda," Tau said, "The war to restore balance is still only beginning."
He returned to the gunship. His disciples, Míranda, and her clanmates joined him, abandoning the ruins of the monastery and retreating back into the shadows until the time when they would strike again.
Still, I succeeded, Míranda allowed herself a hopeful thought. What I've given the Jedi will change everything.