Resurgence of the Crystal
Chapter 12: The Rescue
AN: I'm finally back! I'm really sorry for the long wait. I've just been getting back into my Different but Same story. I hope this chapter makes up for the long wait.
And I want to thank mobleytrey6, Mantingar, Sixpennykhan45, 1, tehtasticz, and Bushida Hikara (badass username by the way) for following and favoriting this fic. I hope you're all enjoying it and are excited for this chapter.
Zhorvak: I'm glad you like the story so far. And a lot is going to go down during Order 66, so anything can happen. And I agree with you about Mace Windu. Thank you for your feedback!
"Come on," Arakan said. "We need to get out of here."
"You bastard!" Ember screamed. "You let them get away! It could take us days to even figure out where they went!"
Arakan looked down at her, curiosity gleaming in his eyes. He wasn't curious, though. He was pissed off. "So you suggest that we just chase after them and somehow get Rafe and Ekram out of there without them noticing? That's a real good plan."
"What do you suggest we do, then?!"
"I'm with Ember on this," Yuki said.
"What?!" Ahsoka suddenly exclaimed. "Are you serious, Yuki?!"
Yuki nodded. "Yes. We're not going to get Rafe and Ekram back if we just stand here and do nothing. We need to rescue them!"
"And as Master Arakan just said, how are we supposed to do that? We have no idea where they are, and who knows how many more mercenaries are with them now. We're completely in the dark."
"Not entirely…" Ember said.
Ahsoka's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "How so?"
"I've developed a good instinct for tracking. I might be able to find out where those mercenaries took Rafe and Ekram."
"Then let's go!" Yuki said impatiently.
Arakan looked between Yuki and Ember with narrowed eyes. He didn't trust Ember one bit, but he knew she could possibly be their only shot at finding Rafe and Ekram, so he had to keep her along. But he didn't like the influence she was having on Yuki. His apprentice was usually very passive and reserved, but now she wanted to charge in and take Rafe and Ekram back by force.
He internally sighed, knowing Ember had nothing to do with Yuki's sudden change in behavior. He knew it was because she was attached to Rafe, and he refused to let that cloud her judgment. He already lost one apprentice and a dangerous crystal, he wouldn't lose another one. I can't… Not again.
"Hold on, you two," Ahsoka said, grabbing the other girl's attention. "I want to find them too, but we can't just go on a rampage. We need a plan."
"Their mercenaries," Ember said. "They don't care who they kill as long as they get what they want. No amount of planning will matter once the first blaster bolt is fired."
"You're right," Arakan said. He knew from several missions that having a plan was meaningless once all hell broke loose. But he knew he could still come up with something. I have to. I can't lose that kid. "We'll do things your way, girl."
Ember crossed her arms over her chest. "And why would I come along with you guys? What's in it for me?"
"You get Ekram back and possibly get to kill Cutler."
Her eyes widened as she let out a surprised gasp.
"Don't act so surprised. It was pretty obvious that you wanted Cutler's blood from the way you were screaming at him. Just try to keep a level head so you don't get yourself killed."
"Tch. Don't underestimate me," Ember growled.
"Should we bring this to the Council, Master Arakan?" Ahsoka asked.
"We don't have that kind of time," Yuki said.
" Yuki's right," Arakan said. "We have no idea why those mercenaries were after Rafe. He could already be dead for all we know." That left a sickening feeling in his stomach, but he ignored it. He knew Rafe was still alive. The brat wouldn't go down without a fight.
"That's not true!"
"Yuki, check your emotions. I get that you care about Rafe, but you can't let that dictate your decisions. You need to think and act clearly if you want to stay alive."
"I…" Yuki faltered, looking at the ground.
"Come on, let's get out of here."
"Master Arakan, why are we still down in the Underworld?" Ahsoka asked as they walked along the side of an Underworld portal. "Wouldn't the mercenaries have escaped off-world?"
"That's likely so…" Arakan looked back at Ahsoka. "And how do you think they would've gotten out of here, or even into the Underworld in the first place?"
"A ship."
"Possibly. Or they could still be here on Coruscant…" Arakan had a feeling the mercenaries were still on Coruscant. They have to be. With how many mercenaries there are, it would be difficult to fit a crew that big on a ship—one small enough to safely land, anyway. And if they somehow did have a shop, they would've been questioned. He narrowed his eyes. "They're still here on Coruscant."
"Are you sure?" Yuki asked.
Arakan nodded. "I'm sure. Their main objective was to capture Rafe and they knew exactly where to find him. They must've been asking around for him down here…" He suddenly widened his eyes as realization dawned on him. They're not after Rafe, they're after his crystal. Everyone in the Underworld knows about it and how Rafe stole it. It's no surprise they were able to find him so quickly.
"Master, is everything okay?" Yuki asked, her voice filled with concern.
"They must be hiding out in a desolate area of Coruscant, somewhere that's forgotten by everyone else, including the Senate," Arakan speculated.
"And what if they're not?" Ahsoka asked. "What if they did escape off-world?"
"They've already made themselves noticed to the public—down here at least—so their supposed ship would've been gunned down instantly. And they're also carrying Rafe and Ekram along with them, so they would probably need to keep them close by before escaping."
"But how are we supposed to find them in a metropolis like this?" Yuki asked.
"We ask around," Ember said. "We gather information. That's how you find who you're looking for."
Arakan nodded in approval. He may not trust Ember, but he knew she was possibly their only hope of finding Rafe and Ekram.
"Better yet, can't you just use your magic or whatever to find their location?"
"That's not how the Force works," Arakan said. He glanced back to Ember. "Speaking of information, how do you know Cutler?"
Ember lowered her head, her messy red bangs covering her eyes. "None of your damn business."
"How did you know where to find him?"
"Ask one more question and I'll knock your fucking teeth out!" Ember growled. "Then I'll leave you all down here to rot in your own shit while I find the mercenaries."
Arakan came to a halt and turned around to face her.
"I'm your best shot at finding those bastards, so I suggest you stay on my tolerable side."
Arakan nodded. "Just so you know, killing Cutler isn't going to give you any satisfaction."
Ember screamed as she suddenly jumped at Arakan, but Ahsoka managed to grab her shoulders to hold her back.
"Now is not the time to fight!" the Togruta said. "We all need each other, so let's try to work together."
Ember exhaled a fiery breath before taking a step back from Arakan. "I'm not working with you. I don't need you Jedi." She glared up at Arakan. "I don't answer to anyone, got that?"
Again, Arakan nodded, then led the three out of the Underworld.
Rafe opened his eyes once he regained consciousness. He didn't know where he was. All he could see was gas, smoke, and vapors that poured from the factories that surrounded him.
He tried to stand, but was pulled back down to the ground, widening his eyes when he saw that he was tied to a metal post next to Ekram, who was already awake.
"It's no use," Ekram said miserably. "We're not getting out of here."
"Oh yeah? Watch me," Rafe said, eyes narrowed in determination. His determined gaze disappeared as soon as he caught sight of the campsite full of mercenaries. Tents were set up in the factory they were in and a large crowd of mercenaries surrounded a bonfire.
"You see? Do you really think we can fight our way through all of those mercenaries?"
Rafe looked at Ekram. "So you just want us to sit here and wait for them to torture us?"
Ekram's head lowered further toward the ground. "What else can we do? If you figure out a way to free us of our bonds, then maybe I can come up with an escape plan…"
Rafe instinctively tried reaching for the knife that he usually had hidden within his boot, then sighed in defeat once he realized yet again that his arms and wrists were completely bound behind him.
"Maybe we can get one of those mercenaries to get close to us so that you can retrieve their weapon to cut us free," Ekram suggested.
"Are you forgetting that you have the Force?" the Sith suddenly reminded Rafe. "It's not like these ropes are restricting you of your abilities…"
Rafe widened his eyes, realizing that he could indeed use the Force to free him and Ekram from their bonds. He closed his eyes, transferring all of his Force energy throughout his upper body. He gritted his teeth in pain as the ropes rubbed against his robes, tearing them. After trying a few more times, he slumped back down, panting. "It's not use… I can't free us."
"I can help you get out of this," the Sith offered.
"How?"
"You'll know soon enough."
"So you just want us to sit here and do nothing?"
His demand was met with silence.
"What do you think they even want with you?" Ekram asked.
Rafe looked at the crowd of mercenaries in front of them. "I don't have the damnedest clue. The old bastard just found me and demanded I come with him."
"How did he even know where to find you? Nothing's known about you since you're a Jedi, right?"
"Yeah…" Rafe then remembered when he was wanted by literally everyone in the Underworld before he got out of that hellhole and became a Jedi. Of course! That's how Cutler was able to find me so easily! He must've known I lived in the Underworld on level 1313. He narrowed his eyes. That could only mean he's after my kyber crystal. Why else would he be after me?
"Do you know what he wants with you?" Ekram asked again.
"...No idea…" Rafe could easily tell Ekram his speculation, but he didn't want to share any information with him. If he did, the mercenaries would just torture Ekram for information, and if he didn't have any information, they would have to lay off. Unless they just kill him. He glared at the mercenaries. But I'm not going to let that happen! We're going to get out of here!
"How do you think they're going to torture us?"
"Why the hell are you asking me that?!" Rafe snapped, surprised by Ekram's question.
"Well, it's pretty obvious they're going to torture us for information. Why else would they go through all that effort just to get to you?"
Rafe frowned. "You shouldn't give up so easily, blondie."
Ekram looked at Rafe. "Huh?"
"They're not going to torture us any time soon, so stop worrying."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Just look at how those filthy pigs are stuffing their faces," Rafe said, looking at the mercenaries.
Ekram followed his gaze. "Yeah… They just tied us up and completely forgot about us. It's like we don't even exist to them."
Rafe glared at the mercenaries, who were all laughing amongst themselves. He hated how they nearly got him and his comrades killed just to ignore them as if they were completely useless. "How dare you pieces of bantha shit look down on us," he seethed through gritted teeth, trying to hold in his anger.
"Rafe," Ekram said carefully, "cursing at them isn't going to make our situation any better. All we can do is wait."
"Well, I'm sick of waiting. I'm gettin' us outta here. Hey, pigs!"
Some of the mercenaries looked back to Rafe and Ekram.
"What the hell do they want?"
"Probably gonna beg for some food. They are teenagers, after all. Must be starving."
"Heh! Why would they need food if we're just gonna kill them anyway? No need to waste our spoils on our source of money."
"Hey, don't worry. I've got an idea."
The last mercenary to speak up grabbed a bone and approached Rafe and Ekram with a friendly smile. "You boys hungry?"
Ekram opened his mouth, but Rafe cut him off before he could say anything.
"We don't need your filthy spoils! Now go back to hell, you retched pig!"
The mercenary chuckled. "Looks like the boss was right about you. You are a feisty one."
Rafe shot him a murderous glare. "Get out of my face. You're gonna make me sick."
The mercenary was laughing now. "Am I really that hideous to look at, kid?!" He held the bone in front of Rafe. "Here, you two can share this."
Rafe eyed the bone, which had little to no meat on it. Even if there was meat on it, he would never eat something that had anyone else's saliva all over it. He wasn't an animal like these mercenaries.
"It's got a little meat on it," the mercenary said. "Clean the bone."
"We're fine, thanks," Rafe said neutrally.
"All right." The mercenary turned around to head back to the crowd of mercenaries. "I was only trying to be nice."
Before he could take another step, Rafe kicked the bottom of his boot into the back of the mercenary's knee, making the mercenary drop to the ground. He rolled over, widening his eyes in horror when Rafe dove on top of him and bit the side of his neck, causing blood to gush out of the fresh wound like a broken pipe.
The mercenary was now stumbling about in no particular direction as he tried in vain to stop the blood from pouring out of his neck. He reached for his sword that was resting at his hip and drew it, letting out a bloodcurdling scream, which eventually died down when he collapsed on the ground, now lying in a pool of his own blood.
Rafe spit the mercenary's flesh out of his mouth. "You taste fucking disgusting, you know that?"
"Now, Rafe, get his sword!" the Sith urged.
Rafe pulled himself forward as much as his binds would allow him, extending his boot to the sword that was lying on the ground next to the dead mercenary. "Dank Farrik. I can't reach it. Why do I have to be so damn short?"
"Hey! What the hell's going on over there?!"
"Rafe, the mercenaries are coming!" Ekram warned, sounding panicked. "When they see what happened, they'll kill us for sure!"
"Just shut up, blondie," Rafe said, keeping his eyes on the approaching mercenaries.
The mercenaries came to a halt, all of their eyes fixated on the dead mercenary in front of them.
"What the hell happened to him?"
"What does it look like, Arlan? He was killed. Struck in the neck from the looks of it."
"Have you both noticed that there's not a single drop of blood on his sword?"
"You're right, Eskel," Arlan said as he narrowed his eyes to inspect the blade.
"What have you womp rats done?!"
"Calm down, Sven," Eskel said calmly. His brown eyes lowered to the blood that trickled down Rafe's lips. "How'd you do it, boy?"
Rafe just spat the blood in his face.
"Answer us, you little shit!" Arlan demanded, stepping closer to Rafe.
"He doesn't need to answer us," Eskel said. "I know how he did it."
The other two mercenaries looked at him quizically.
"Then he needs to pay!" Sven shouted, then slammed the bottom of his boot onto the top of Rafe's head, slamming him face-first into the bloody ground.
Arlan kicked his leg forward, the front of his boot hitting Rafe's forehead and sending the back of his head into the metal post he was tied to. "You think you can just kill one of our brothers and get away with it?!"
The pain Rafe was feeling immediately disappeared when he saw Eskel slam his boot into the back of Ekram's head, slamming him face-first into the ground. "Hey, he had nothing to do with this!" he called out to Eskel. "Just leave him alone! Do what you want with me!"
"Shut up, you spawn of the devil!" Sven shouted, then slammed his boot into the side of Rafe's ribs, making him cough out a little blood.
"That's enough, you two," Eskel said. He looked down at Rafe. "Are you admitting to your crime, boy?"
Rafe defiantly glared up at Eskel, remaining silent. He wanted nothing more than to rub in these bastard's faces how he killed their friend, but he knew that would just make their situation much worse. He needed to keep them away from Ekram, so he would take whatever punishment they threw at him. "Just get it over with already," he said. "Give me your worst."
"Very well," Eskel sighed, taking a few steps back. "Just make sure he's still breathing when you two are done with him, all right?"
Arlan and Sven grinned maliciously.
"Don't worry, he'll only be breathing for dear life."
Rafe suddenly felt boots and fists hitting him from every possible direction. He'd taken several beatings down in the Underworld, but he could at least try to defend himself. Now, he was completely helpless, and all he could do was endure the merciless beating he was receiving.
"You bit his neck, didn't ya?!" Sven asked, thrusting his boot into the side of Rafe's neck, making him gasp for air. "How'd you like that?!"
More blows were delivered all over his body, and then—
Rafe felt Arlan's fist on his atom's apple. He coughed out a sickening amount of blood, feeling like he couldn't breathe.
"How do you think Axel felt when you chewed his neck to bits?" Arlan asked, kicking the side of Rafe's neck.
"Stop it!" Ekram suddenly screamed. "He's had enough!"
"Shut your mouth, little brat!" Sven said in annoyance, throwing the front of his boot at Ekram, but before he could make contact, Rafe swept his leg in a clockwise motion, sweeping the back of his boot onto Sven's shin, making him drop to his knees. "You bastard…" He stomped on Rafe's knee, causing him to howl out in agony.
"Stop! Please! You're going to kill him!"
But Ekram's pleas were heard on deaf ears as Arlan and Sven continued their merciless assault.
Rafe eventually stopped struggling when he lost the strength to endure the beating. He just slumped onto the ground, letting the mercenaries beat him. He closed his eyes, but was surprised when he had to use almost all of what little energy he had to open them. Am I… going to die…? Am I really going to die… at the mercy of these savages…? He caught one last glimpse of Ekram's horrified eyes before he felt his eyes close. I'm sorry… Ekram…
Rafe slowly opened his eyes, letting out a painful and tired groan. He tried rubbing his eyes, but couldn't since his arms were still tied behind his back. He looked beside him to see Ekram hunched over, sleeping. He felt a smile of relief creep up to his lips, but forced himself not to let it show.
"It's about damn time you woke up."
Rafe looked to his other side to see Cutler sitting beside him. "You should count yourself lucky that I even woke up. Your three little lap dogs could've killed me, you know."
"You were askin' for it, boy," Cutler said. "You drew first blood when you killed Axel."
Rafe looked at the ground, which was still covered in blood. He was surprised that he didn't instinctively argue with Cutler like he usually did with Arakan. Maybe it was because he knew Cutler would kill him at any moment while Arakan would just give him an annoying lecture.
"You know, for a runt, you sure are tough. You heal fast, too. You're barely even bleedin'."
Rafe narrowed his eyes. He'd always been aware of how quickly it took for him to heal, from both injuries and illnesses.
Now that he thought about it, he hadn't really caught any illnesses that plagued everyone in the Underworld, and he was only a small child throughout those years.
And then he remembered when he got his crystal. Ever since then, it was as if the Force guided his every move.
He remembered when Yuki mentioned that his tooth grew back a few hours after his trial, and teeth didn't just grow back naturally like that.
"Hey, Sith spit, do you heal my injuries, or is it just natural?" Rafe internally asked.
"Now is not the time to speak about this," the Sith said, sounding surprisingly serious. "You should be focused on escaping."
"I already tried and look where that got me."
"You'll be cut free eventually, just wait."
Rafe internally growled, frustrated that the Sith wouldn't help him. But he expected no less from a Sith.
"So you're the thief who stole that kyber crystal everyone down in the Underworld's been ravin' about," Cutler suddenly said, breaking the silence. "Although, I'm not that surprised that you were able to pull it off… A little runt like you should be able to crawl through spaces most adults can't."
"Cut the bantha crap and get to the point already," Rafe sighed irritably.
Cutler chuckled lightly. "You could've made a fortune off of that crystal. Why did you decide to keep it?"
"It was too valuable to sell."
Cutler raised an eyebrow. "So you decided to keep it and continued to rot in the Underworld when you could've used the money to make a better life for yourself out of the Underworld? You're not very wise, kid."
"At least I still have some humanity left in me, unlike you savages!" Rafe bellowed.
Cutler just smirked, seemingly amused by Rafe's sudden anger. "That's pretty hypocritical of you considering the way you killed Axel."
Rafe opened his mouth to defend himself, then closed it, knowing that Cutler was right. He didn't intend to kill anybody. All he was trying to do was escape, and the only part of his body he could use as a weapon was his teeth. "I know. The guilt's really tearing me apart," he said sarcastically.
Cutler chuckled. "You're not that bad, kid. You took a beating to defend your friend. Not many people would do that."
"Well, I'm not like you bastards."
"Yeah…" Cutler looked at his band of mercenaries, who were all shouting and chanting as several impacts could be heard, followed by the eventual clanging of metal. "We're all just a bunch of bastards, huh…?"
"Tch," Rafe scoffed. "You guys are just animals. You'll kill each other for your own benefit. Just look at those two."
Cutler's blue eyes narrowed as he focused his attention on the two mercenaries who were fighting in the middle of the crowd. "Don't fault them, boy. Sometimes a warrior just needs to let off some steam. Both of them know what they're getting into."
"And that doesn't bother you?"
Before Cutler could respond, Ekram let out a soft groan.
"Rafe! You're alive!" he exclaimed, his surprise turning into relief.
"Well would ya look at that… The boy wonder is awake."
Ekram looked at Cutler, eyes widening in fear. "What do you want with us?"
"It's nice to meet you, too," Cutler sighed grumpily. "Well, since you saved me the trouble of torturing you brats, I guess I'll come clean…"
Rafe shifted away from Cutler. He didn't know if he was messing with them or if he was telling the truth. But with how friendly he was being, Rafe could only assume Cutler was manipulating them.
"I was hired to get that crystal of yours."
Rafe scrunched his eyebrows together. "Then why didn't you just take it from me?"
"That thing's literally a weapon. I had to use force," Cutler said defensively.
"Then why didn't you just take my lightsaber and leave me and Ekram alone?"
"Because the man who hired me wants you alive. So it looks like you're stuck with me for a while."
"The moment you untie us we're getting out of here," Rafe said.
An amused smirk graced Cutler's lips. "Oh… I would certainly like to see you try. Do you really think you can fight your way through my band of bastards?"
"Watch me."
Cutler reached for his sword.
"Wait," Ekram suddenly said. "You're a warrior, Cutler. And judging from that armor you used to be a Mandalorian. So if one of us defeats you in single combat, you let us go. How does that sound?"
Cutler tilted his head to the side thoughtfully. "You're pretty perspicacious for a pipsqueak, but I like the way you think. All right, single combat it is."
He cut the ropes that bound Rafe and Ekram, then walked to the crowd of mercenaries. Rafe and Ekram followed behind him.
"Are you sure about this, blondie?" Rafe whispered to Ekram. "We're not exactly in fighting shape. And I'm pretty sure the only way you can win a duel is by death."
"I don't expect us to win," Ekram whispered back. "I just needed to create a distraction. Do you think you can hold Cutler off for a few minutes?"
"How is this a distraction?" And then it hit Rafe. "If by some miracle of the Force the others come looking for us, all of these bastards will be too preoccupied with our duel, which will give Arakan and the others enough time to blend in with the chaos that's bound to erupt and sneak us out of here."
Ekram smirked proudly. "You catch on quick."
"Oi, shut up back there," Cutler said, glancing back at Rafe and Ekram, who immediately closed their mouths.
"You gotta do something about this, Cutler."
"Yeah, one of them is going to die, for sure!"
They pushed their way through the thick crowd, eventually getting to the center where two mercenaries were fighting.
"All right! That's enough, you bastards!" Cutler barked.
"But this piece of shit's askin' for it!" the mercenary on the left protested.
"I don't care. You can settle it later. I've got a duel with these brats."
All of the mercenaries started chanting in excitement.
"The boss is finally gonna have a duel?"
"This should be interesting."
"Try not to go too hard on them, Cutler. They already look like shit."
"All right, then, which one of you brats am I dueling?" Cutler sighed, sounding bored.
"I'll fight you."
"Rafe…" Ekram said. "I challenged him to single combat, therefore I should be the one to fight him."
"That's very noble of you, blondie, but you're not exactly fighting material. …No offense," Rafe added. "Just keep a lookout, all right?"
Ekram nodded hesitantly. "All right… Just hold out for as long as you can."
Rafe narrowed his eyes in determination. "Don't worry… I don't plan on dying to these savages." He locked his gaze onto Cutler, who unsheathed his sword. "I'll duel you."
"Fine," Cutler grunted. "Let's just get this over with…"
"Can I at least have a weapon?"
"Eskel, give the kid your sword."
Eskel appeared out of the crowd and handed his sword to Rafe. "Good luck, kid."
Rafe shot him a dark glare before turning back to face Cutler.
"Come, boy," Cutler said, sword lazily resting at his right side.
Rafe remained still. He knew Cutler outmatched him, but he didn't want to defeat him. He only needed to stall for time, which meant he needed to be on the defensive, but it didn't look like Cutler intended to attack him any time soon. Fine, I'll give you a duel, old bastard.
"You can do it, kid!"
"Don't let him get to you!"
Rafe took a step back, holding his sword in a reverse grip in his right hand, and then in one explosive burst, he charged at Cutler. He grabbed the handle of the sword with his left hand and swung it in a backhanded slice, but Cutler just took a step back to avoid the sudden attack.
Rafe continued to attack Cutler with a barrage of sidecuts, underhand cuts, and backhanded cuts.
"That's it! Get in close, kid!"
"You've got him on the ropes!"
"Not so fast. Don't underestimate me just because I'm gettin' old!" Cutler suddenly said, then swung his sword in a backhanded cut.
Rafe easily blocked it, but the force of the impact was so intense he was sent flying back. He jumped to cushion the impact, skidding to a halt.
"Whoa… Cutler sent him flying."
"No," Ekram said. "He jumped away as he blocked Cutler's attack."
"The hell'd you just say, you bastard?!"
"I was just explaining the situation."
Eskel was eyeing Ekram carefully, then looked back to the duel.
Rafe focused his attention back on Cutler. I can't get distracted right now. I need to keep fighting for as long as possible. He sprinted toward Cutler again and swung his sword in the same backhanded arc, but instead of attacking with the blade, he flipped the sword into a reverse grip, hitting the guard of Cutler's sword with the pommel of his own, knocking Cutler's sword out of his hand.
"No way."
"Did he actually get him?"
Cutler slowly reached his hand out to grab Rafe's wrist.
Rafe widened his eyes and jumped away. "Damn it."
Cutler reached down to pick up his sword. "You're strong, kid. I'll give you that. But why even bother fighting me? We're not even enemies."
"Then why'd you try to kill me and my friends?!" Rafe demanded. "Why'd you capture Ekram if you didn't even need him?"
"Are you sure they're even your friends?" Cutler asked. "They haven't even come to rescue you. Then again, what would the Jedi want with a filthy rat from the Underworld?"
Without a second thought, Rafe charged for Cutler. "I'll show you what a filthy rat can do!" he screamed, but before he could swing his sword, Cutler swept the flat surface of his blade at Rafe's ankle, knocking him on his back.
"You've got skill and strength, but you're too damn emotional." Cutler pointed his sword at Rafe's throat. "Looks like I win this duel."
Rafe grounded himself with his left hand and sprung himself backward, kicking Cutler's sword out of his hand in the process. "This duel is far from over…"
"That's it, kid!"
"That was pretty impressive."
Rafe narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath. He caught sight of Ekram, who looked nervous, then back to Cutler.
"Looks like you've still got some fight left in you…" Cutler said, sounding surprised.
Tightening his grip on his sword, Rafe charged once again.
"Master, where exactly are we?" Yuki asked as she looked around the abandoned city of factories.
"The Works," Arakan said. "It's an abandoned industrial zone."
"And how do you know if this is where the mercenaries took Rafe and Ekram? There are tons of abandoned places on Coruscant, aren't there?"
"Yes, but the gas and smoke provide good cover." Arakan suddenly stopped, confusing the others.
"Why the hell are we stopping?" Ember asked.
"Be quiet," Ahsoka hissed.
After a few seconds, Arakan opened his eyes, looking in the direction of a worn-out factory. "They're in there," he said, pointing to the factory he had his eyes on.
"Are you sure?" Ember asked. "Shouldn't we try to find their ship first?"
"We don't have to. I already found it."
Ember kept her gaze on him for a moment, then conceded. "All right, let's go."
Arakan led them to the factory, which was surprisingly empty, but Yuki figured it was because it hadn't been functioning in several years.
There was a giant circular opening at the top of the building which they climbed from the outside to avoid detection. Inside was a large group of mercenaries who were all gathered in the center of the room, cheering.
What's going on in there?
"They're having a duel," Arakan explained. "All of their attention is focused on the duel, so we'll charge in and start a riot. The chaos should provide us with enough cover to get Rafe and Ekram and to get out of here."
Yuki narrowed her eyes in determination. Don't worry, Rafe. We're going to get you back. Just hold on a little longer.
"Move!"
"Come on, Rafe! Get up!"
Ekram's shouts were overcome with the several shouts from the other mercenaries.
"You show him, Cutler!"
"Come on, kid, kick his ass!"
"I thought the Jedi were supposed to be strong."
Rafe pushed himself off of the ground, using his sword as leverage.
"Is that all you've got, boy?" Cutler asked, sounding disappointed.
Instead of preparing for another attack, Rafe looked behind him, widening his bruised eyes when he saw Arakan, Yuki, Ahsoka, and Ember charging toward them. "What the hell are they thinking? Damned idiots…"
"What the hell's going on?"
"Where'd they come from?"
"Who cares? Take 'em out!"
And the mercenaries drew their weapons and charged toward the Jedi, letting out roars of excitement and determination.
Rafe looked behind him to see Cutler, still standing in the same spot, completely uninterested in the all-out brawl.
"I'm gonna need my sword back, if you wouldn't mind."
Rafe looked up at Eskel. "Give me my lightsaber and we have a deal…"
"This?" Eskel asked, holding up Rafe's lightsaber. "If you want it back, you're gonna have to—"
Before he could finish speaking, Rafe spun around, slashing Eskel's sword in an upward, backhanded slash, knocking his lightsaber out of Eskel's hand. He caught his lightsaber and ran off after throwing Eksel's sword at him.
Rafe activated his purple lightsaber and ran into the battle, deflecting blaster bolts and cuts and slashes from various weapons. "Where the hell are they? I can't see shit in here…"
"Rafe!"
He wildly turned around and swung his lightsaber at the caller of his name, widening his eyes when Yuki blocked his sudden attack. "You've gotta stop doing that…"
"Sorry…" she said. She deflected a blaster bolt and grabbed Rafe's arm. "Come on. We're getting out of here. Stay close to me."
"Wait! Where's Ekram?"
"Right here."
Rafe looked to see Cutler holding his sword up to Ekram's throat.
"Give me your crystal and I'll let you walk away," Cutler proposed.
Rafe glared at him. "You know that's not going to happen. Now release Ekram."
Cutler pulled his blade closer to Ekram's throat, but it was suddenly pulled out of his hand. He blankly stared ahead of him, loosening his hold on Ekram.
"Ekram, get out of there!" Rafe shouted, charging toward him.
Ekram stomped on Cutler's boot, jabbed his elbow into his ribs, then pushed him back and ran for Rafe. "Rafe, are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Let's get out of here." He held onto Ekram and Yuki and sprinted toward the factory exit.
"Rafe, over here!" It was Ahsoka who called to him.
"Don't let them know where you are, idiot!" Rafe said, kicking an axe out of a mercenary's hand, then kicked the handle, sending it flying into three mercenary's hands, their bloody limbs limply falling onto the ground.
"Let's go! Move your asses!" Arakan called to them, using the Force to push a few mercenaries back.
They all made a beeline for the exit.
Ember was just standing out of the line of fire, but she had her daggers at the ready in case someone attacked her. She couldn't help but try to find where Ekram was in the crowd. It was hard to tell who was talking with all of the screaming.
And then she saw him, in the hands of Cutler, sword held to his throat. She tightened her grip on her daggers and dashed toward Cutler. Honorable duel be damned… I'm going to kill that bastard right now!
But before she could do anything, Cutler's sword was out of his hands and tossed aside, giving Ekram enough time to escape.
She was about to turn around, but caught Cutler's eye. She knew that look all too well. She glanced at his sword, then back to him, silently telling him to pick it up. She was ready to kill the old bastard in front of her. She'd been waiting far too long.
But then she heard a voice.
"Ember, we've got to get out of here!" It was Ekram. She recognized that crack in his voice.
She held Cutler's stare for another second, then ran off into the battle. I'll kill you another day. Just you wait.
She eventually caught up with the others and made it out of the factory.
"Did they get any information out of you?" Arakan asked Rafe.
Rafe shook his head. "No. All they did was beat the shit out of me."
Arakan sighed. "Well, you're both still alive and your crystal is still with you." His eyes narrowed. "However, I don't like having a band of mercenaries on our tail. We already have enough to deal with already." He looked at Ember and Ekram. "What will you two do? Will you stay with us or will you go off on your own?"
"We can stay with you guys?" Ekram asked, sounding hopeful.
"We're fine on our own, thanks," Ember interjected.
"Wait, Ember. I know you want to kill Cutler, but that's not going to happen now. We need to stay away from him for now." Ekram looked at Rafe, throwing him an ingratiating smile. "And you kept me alive, Rafe. I am forever in your debt. Although I don't have much to give…"
"Bantha crap," Rafe said. "You're the smartest person I know. If you want to repay me, knock some sense into the Jedi with that big brain of yours."
Ekram was beaming now. "You mean it?"
Rafe nodded. "If that's alright with fire face."
Ember glared at him. "I don't make his choices for him."
"Hey, Rafe, do you have nicknames for everyone?" Ahsoka asked curiously.
"Shut up, head tails," Rafe snapped. "So, what's it gonna be, fire face? Are you coming with us or not?"
Ember grumbled. "Whatever… I'll go…"
The newly formed group made their way out of The Works and to the Jedi Temple.
"This is the Jedi Temple?!" Ekram exclaimed, eyes wide in disbelief.
"You must really be living like royalty," Ember commented.
For once, Rafe didn't scoff at her. He had the same exact thought when he first saw the Temple. He took a step forward, but stumbled slightly. What the hell was that?
"Everything okay, Rafe?" Yuki asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Come on, kiddos," Arakan said dully. "I've got to take you to the Council." He then led Ekram and Ember into the Temple, leaving Rafe and Yuki alone outside.
"I'm fine, softy," Rafe said when he still felt her hand on his shoulder. "I just got the shit kicked out of me…" He closed his eyes as he remembered how he got beaten nearly to death, then was snapped out of it when he suddenly felt small arms wrap around him. "What the hell are you—"
"I thought I was going to lose you…" Yuki cried into his shoulder. "I know you can take care of yourself, but I just couldn't stand the thought of losing you."
Rafe just blinked, completely taken aback. He was somewhat expecting her to be relieved that he was alright, but this…
His thoughts were interrupted when he felt Yuki's soft hair on his mouth. He fought the urge to spit it out and instead gently grabbed her shaking shoulders and pushed her away from him.
"Do they hurt?" Yuki asked. "Your injuries?"
They hurt like hell, but Rafe knew he couldn't appear weak, especially when Yuki was as vulnerable as she was. "They're healing."
She reached a hand out to cup his bruised cheek, but Rafe took a step back.
"Softy, do you truly believe that there is no emotion, there is peace?" Rafe decided to ask.
She looked at the ground, lowering her hand. "Well… I'm feeling all different kinds of emotions right now, so… no, I don't believe it."
"I don't think the Jedi truly understand it, either. They just want us to cut off our emotions, but that's not possible when our goal is to protect the peace, or peace we're trying to create."
Yuki stepped closer to him. "I believe you will help us create peace, Rafe. Without you, I would still be ignorant about the galaxy and the hypocrisy of the Jedi and the Republic. I know that crystal holds powers of the dark side, but you've never succumbed to it. You're different from the rest of us, yes, but that's only because you've seen things no other Jedi has seen. That's why you became a Jedi."
Rafe just stared down at Yuki, completely speechless. He never expected her to say such things. Just what did she see in him?
He was reminded of how he killed Axel. No Jedi would've done that. Am I really meant to be a Jedi?
"Rafe, I know I'm ignorant and unwilling to do what's necessary when the situation calls for it, but I promise you, I will always be here to protect you."
Rafe finally blinked. "Thank you… Softy…" He felt the corners of his lips curve upward.
"Come on. Everyone must be waiting."
Rafe and Yuki entered the Jedi Temple, the illuminated metropolis shining behind them.
To be continued
AN: And that's the final chapter of the Mercenaries Arc. I hope you all enjoyed it. The mercenaries will be showing up later and their goals will be more clear.
And since the mercenaries are inspired by Vikings, I decided to give them names of Vikings, and that's also why they use weapons such as swords and axes.
Also, I hope the endings of my chapters (especially this one) aren't rushed. When I'm writing them, it just feels like I'm rushing the ending, especially when all of the action died down. Let me know what you all think.
See you in the next chapter!