Chapter XII Jedi Knight Rescue (Jaren Perspective)
(Flashback to the day before on Taris)
We had been chasing the Imperials all over Taris for days, and it seemed like we had lost them, but the Imps had made a mistake and given away their location. Watcher One and his team were trying to capture Doctor Godera, the Republic's best military scientist. A Watcher was a high-level Imperial Intelligence operative, and I was tasked with thwarting his plans, but capturing him would be a huge win for the Republic and me personally. Watcher One had managed to capture the doctor and was trying to get off-world with him. Kira and I managed to find the Imp team and fight them in one of Doctor Godera's labs. There was a moment when things seemed to have gotten out of reach because amid battle; Watcher One had somehow slipped away with part of his team and Doctor Godera.
Kira and I were left in the wilderness of the Brell Sediment without any leads. Things were getting desperate. RE-M0, Doctor Godera's droid, could not locate the doctor's signature unless the sensors were re-adjusted, which would take too long. It felt like the Imps had gotten away. Then, Republic counter-intelligence detected a signal being transmitted from a location in the Tularan Marsh area. It seemed too coincidental, and I was sure that it was Watcher One. Colonel Gaff had joined the call and insisted on sending a squad of soldiers to the area to help with the search. Kira and I hopped into the hovercraft and raced off towards the signal, which was, unfortunately, moving away from us. I could not close the distance despite pushing the hovercraft past its design parameters. The blasted ruins and thick undergrowth made me continually adjust course and even backtrack. Governor Saresh kept speaking about Taris as a wounded world that needed to be healed. To me, it was more like a tomb that needed to be sealed and forgotten.
I received a message on my com, so I pulled it up on my HUD visor. In irritation, Kira glanced over at me, not liking my multi-tasking while driving. It was B'Zeya; she was responding to my update from earlier.
Please be safe, Jaren. I don't know what we would do without you.
I can't believe you had to kill people. Are you hurt?
I had told B'Zeya about the fight at Doctor Godera's hideout, where some Imp assassins tried to ambush us. A high-powered blaster rifle nearly took out Kira before we could get things under control. My mind pondered on the little orchid-colored Twi'lek. B'Zeya and her twin sister, Cen'Zeya, had been with me since I left Coruscant after being given the Defiant. As I had promised, I took a detour back to Tython to collect the girls. Their companionship certainly made fixing Republic problems all over the galaxy more pleasant.
I was about to send her a response when another message interrupted my reverie. Republic counter-intelligence informed me that the signal disappeared, and all we were left with was its last known location. I hoped that would be enough as we drove for another twenty minutes through stinky swamps in a god-forsaken landscape. It seemed like we were lost again as we exited out of the wetlands and started to climb into another area of broken buildings. The only passable terrain I could find was a broken flat area that continued upward into the crumbling ruins, so I followed it, assuming that the Imps would have used it too. We climbed the broken dura-crete path up into the crumbled remains of large buildings, and when several paths presented themselves, I stopped the hover-car. I glanced around us at the widely spaced trees amidst the debris, not having a clue where to go. Kira shifted next to me, and I looked over at her, seeing irritation and something deeper in her eyes.
"Any ideas?" I asked.
"Let me meditate a moment," she replied. Kira had spent the formative part of her teens growing up on densely populated planets like Nar Shaddaa to blend in and hide from her past. She said it gave her the ability to sense the presence of sentients and their emotions. I was not a believer, but could not think of any other options at the moment. I sat still and even tried to calm myself with the Force because she had told me in the past that my presence inhibited her 'special' ability. It felt like everything about me inhibited her.
"Maybe further up the road," she said uncertainly as she pointed to the path running off to the right. I moved forward at a slower pace as she continued to meditate. "Wait," she said sharply, "I think they're up there," she said as she pointed behind us up the hill of debris into a collapsed tunnel. I turned the hover-car around and drove toward where she pointed, hoping we were not getting even more lost.
The tunnel did not go far before it ended against a building wall, but there was an entrance, and an Imp vehicle sat just to its side. "Nice work," I said with a surprised glance at my padawan.
"Told you I wasn't imagining things," she mumbled. "I'm going to send a message to the military vehicles helping our search." I didn't answer her as I jumped out of the hover-car and drew my saber. "Jaren," she warned behind me, "don't rush in there."
I stopped after taking a few steps and turned in frustration. "We need to reach the doctor now!"
"You don't know what you're going to run into; we should wait for military backup."
"You wait," I grumbled as I turned and headed for the door.
"Dammit," I heard her mutter behind me.
There was no one guarding the entrance which seemed a little odd. I stepped into the dark interior and noticed a long hallway. I was halfway toward a set of heavy doors at the far end when Kira caught up to me.
"You aren't supposed to go alone," she hissed, "we work as a team."
"Then follow my lead," I replied softly as I turned away and proceeded down the dark hall.
A motion caught my attention beyond the heavy doors, and an Imp soldier fired two errant blaster bolts towards us and then disappeared from view. It actually encouraged me that I was being shot at because it meant the Watcher was still here and the pursuit was over. I ignited my saber and rushed forward. A large room opened up to the left at the end of the hallway beyond the doors. Imp soldiers opened fire when I burst into the room, but I simply sidestepped the bolts or deflected them back toward the attackers.
Several doors led out of the room, but the Watcher and his team were not near any at the far end, and I quickly cut off any escape path. Several more blaster bolts careened towards us before the shooting stopped. Watcher One had signaled them to cease fire.
Doctor Godera was lying on a table and seemed out of it when I stepped forward. Watcher One was working with some electronic devices next to the doctor. "Stop what you're doing and move away from the doctor," I commanded.
Watcher One stepped away from the table. "Very resourceful of you, Jedi. I was hoping that we had lost you."
"Your game is over," I said, moving to the doctor's side to see if he was alive. "What did you do to him?"
"He'll be all right in a bit," Watcher One stated calmly. "I suppose you deserve a reward for your diligence. You can have the doctor since he means so much to you."
"You're in no position to bargain now, Watcher."
"Hasn't there been enough senseless violence and death?"
"Anything that has occurred is your fault. You should have never come to Taris, and I intend to see that you face judgment for your actions." There were five Imp soldiers near the Watcher, still holding their weapons and equipment. "I want all your weapons and equipment on the table over there," I pointed to an empty table next to a few of the Imps. No one moved for a moment. "Do it, or I start hacking," I said as I stepped forward and lifted my saber.
Watcher One nodded to his men, and they began setting their things on the table slowly. It was an uncomfortable moment as the Imps started to realize their fate, and I began to wonder about logistics. Kira was standing nearby, and we gave each other a thoughtful glance.
"Check on the entrance and see if the reinforcements have arrived." She nodded and moved back toward the entrance.
The device on the table next to the doctor chimed, and I saw the Watcher give me a grin. I stepped over to the equipment and realized that it was some sort of transmitter. "What the hell is this?"
"That, Jedi, is all of the good doctor's research, including passwords and encryptions I just extracted from him through truth serum, being transmitted to Imperial Intelligence. All of his research has now been compromised." A flash of anger rushed through me, and I slashed the device off the table with my lightsaber. "It served its purpose," the Watcher added as I turned to glare at him.
"You're going to pay for this," I growled.
As I was threatening Watcher One, a holocom activated on the table full of Imp equipment, and Darth Angral's image appeared. "I've just begun receiving your transmission and . . ." The Darth turned to face me, and his sentence cut off as his face filled with rage. "You!" he seethed.
"Yes, me," I replied. "I've got the doctor, and now your Watcher." I had killed Darth Angral's son, Lord Tarnis, on Coruscant to stop him from stealing Republic weapon plans. The battle and his sons demise occurred over holo-com, and Darth Angral witnessed it first hand. He vowed to hunt me like an animal until I was destroyed.
"I thought I told you to kill this fool!" Darth Angral raged as he turned to look at Watcher One.
"Yes, well, that task appeared to be more than my team could handle."
"I will have my vengeance on you, Jedi. It is only a matter of time before we crush the Republic, and I personally get my revenge on you."
"Promises, promises," I mocked. "How many times have the Sith announced they were going to destroy the Republic, and we're still standing."
Darth Angral's eyes flared with anger. "Mock me while you can, but it will not be long. I have all of the Republic military research. You can't hope to counter what the Empire will throw at you." He turned his hateful eyes back to the Watcher. "Kill the doctor so that he can no longer help the Republic."
Watcher One glanced from the holo of Darth Angral to me. "I'm afraid I'm all out of Jedi fighting tactics, Lord. I've lost over eighty percent of my team and have limited resources at my disposal."
"I'm not asking," Darth Angral fumed, "that is a direct order!"
"Very well, sir." Watcher One gave me a resigned look and then nodded to his men. He and two of his men engaged personal shields as the remaining three backed into a protective corner. I had dealt with personal shields before and was not worried, but then the Watcher pulled out a sonic device and activated it. The high-pitched pulsing sounds caused painful ringing in my ears and made it hard to think. At the same time, the men attacked with concussive guns. The first blast came at me, and I had to dive away.
Their attack was well planned. The sonic disrupter made it hard to think, let alone control the Force, and the concussive blasts could not be blocked with a lightsaber. I managed to avoid two of the blasts, but Kira was not so lucky. One had caught her legs and sent her tumbling backward with a cry of pain. To add to the attack, Watcher One produced a flame gun and strode forward to engulf me in a blaze. Despite my efforts to focus, the sonic disruptor had me rattled, and I began to think about retreating.
Somehow, despite being knocked to the ground and driven back, Kira had managed to use the Force to insulate her ears. Using Force run, she surged forward, rolling under a concussive blast and then rising up to slash her saber blade through the sonic disruptor. With the sound distraction removed, I could call up the Force and turn on the Watcher. He got off a final stream of flame before I yanked the pistol out of his hand with a Force pull, throwing it across the room. One of the Imp soldiers aimed his concussive gun at the doctor, but Kira rushed him and cut the weapon in half before it could go off. I Force pulled the gun out of the final opponent's hand as I slashed at the Watcher's shield. The shield blocked my saber cleanly. It was clearly designed to counter Jedi attacks. Weaponless, Watcher One and his men backed away with their hands raised.
"Don't stop, you fool!" Darth Angral spat in fury as his hateful eyes bore into me.
I stepped over to the com device. "This conversation is over," I said with a grin as I sliced the com in half, ending the transmission. I turned to the Watcher and his men. "Enough games, shut off your shields and surrender, or I'm going to lose patience with you."
Watcher One glanced at his men and then slowly reached to deactivate his personal shield. "Very well, then," he sighed, "you've once again bested me, Jedi." He nodded at his men to surrender as well.
"Take off all your equipment and put it on the table." I pointed to the empty table opposite where the doctor lay. "Come on!" I added after a moment of no one moving. The Imps slowly complied, and I watched closely as they took earpieces, com devices, weapons, and other gear and set them on the metal table. While I was watching, my com pinged to inform us that the military team had arrived at our position. Kira went out the doors to coordinate with them.
"So, what do you intend to do with us now, Jedi?" The Watcher looked disappointed and a little anxious. "The Republic zone isn't well suited to handle prisoners."
"We'll manage," I replied sharply. "You need to pay for the people you killed and the damage you've caused." I shut off my lightsaber but kept it in hand just in case.
"You've killed many of my men today," he replied sharply, "who's going to make you pay?"
"I acted defensively to protect the doctor," I spat back.
"We can each assert our own interests . . ."
"Don't try to equivocate with me! I'll not lose sleep over anything that I did."
Kira came back in with a captain and his men. They fanned out in the room, some taking defensive positions next to the door while others followed Kira to my side. I was not happy to have Republic military tailing me around Taris, but at this moment, it did seem practical, considering they could handle the prisoners.
"See to the doctor," I said to Kira.
"We are at your command, sir." The captain said as he stood stiffly before me.
"We need to bind these prisoners and get them back to Republic command."
The captain looked over at Watcher One and his men. "That will make our troop carriers a little cramped, but I think we can manage. Corporal," he called over to one of his men, "get the binders out of the carrier and bring them to me."
There was an awkward moment when Watcher One stared me down and then looked over his men. I could see the reality of his situation was beginning to impact his thoughts. I glanced over as Kira and the Republic medic looking over the still incapacitated doctor. They did not look overly concerned, so it did not seem like Doctor Godera was in a medical emergency. I took a deep breath, finally beginning to realize that the mission was over. After days of searching and fighting, we had finally completed the mission.
"I will go and assist the men," the captain said as he moved away from my side.
"Captain," I stated as I turned to him, "call into Republic command that we have the doctor and will be coming in with prisoners."
"Yes, sir," he nodded.
"Do you really want to deal with that complication?" Watcher One said as he got my attention with a move forward. "You've got the doctor, and I've got the information I wanted. We could just call it a day and leave each other be."
"Not likely," I countered, "you're in no position to make demands."
"True," he sighed, "but you can't fault me for trying."
"Do you sense that?" Kira stated as she stepped away from the doctor.
"Sense what?" I replied. Kira was always sensing something, and more times than not, it was some emotional flight of fancy in her mind.
She twisted her face in thought, "I don't know; I sense death or something."
"This whole planet feels like death."
"I guess, it's just . . . I don't know." She gave me a funny look and then returned to the doctor's table.
The captain and his men came through the doors with hands full of prisoner bindings and began walking towards me when I felt a shift in the Force. Kira spun to look at me, and I could tell that she felt it too. I turned to look at the Watcher, wondering if he was up to something, but his expression had not changed. Suddenly, cries began to ring out.
"We're under attack!" one of the soldiers at the heavy doors yelled out. The sound of blaster shots began to echo from the hall.
Watcher One's eyes found mine. "What's going on?" I demanded.
"I'm not sure," he replied, "maybe what's left of my men found us."
"There wasn't anything left of your team," I countered in frustration.
"Surely, you didn't kill them all," he replied flatly.
While I stared at the Watcher and tried to assess the situation, the Force echoes became apparent. A Force user was attacking us.
Kira stepped quickly over to me. "It's a Sith," she whispered. "We need to go and confront them."
I sensed she was right, but at the same time, the Watcher and his team had not been secured yet, and he had proven to be a resourceful and dangerous opponent. I did not want to respond to an unknown, just to have Watcher One overpower the Republic soldiers and slip away again.
"Captain," I yelled, "can your men handle this?"
"We've got anti-Sith commandos, sir," he said confidently, "they won't get through."
Kira gave me a dubious look, but I wanted to secure the Watcher first. "Very well, bring those binders over here and secure the prisoners.
The captain handed his binders to another soldier, who, with the corporal, moved towards us as the captain turned to focus on the defense. The Force echoes grew worse, and I sensed strong currents moving the Force just beyond the entrance. I closed my eyes to focus for a moment. The presence was clearly dark side, but it seemed odd, like broken or splintered and chaotic. Glancing over at Kira, I knew that she recognized what I did. The Sith attacking us was powerful. I cursed under my breath for listening to the captain's boast, knowing that the commandos would be no match.
A voice cried out in the hallway, "close the doors!" Soldiers at the entrance scurried, one of them smacking the activator to get the heavy doors moving. Soldiers started firing down the hallway, and I realized my assumption was correct; the commandos had failed. The doors seemed to move in slow motion, but they looked almost secure when a dark form floated between the steel panels near the ceiling and landed in a crouch behind the defending soldiers. The doors clanged shut as the Sith rose, red saber glowing sharply in the dim room.
Soldiers cried out and started firing, but the Sith simply leapt over them and came rushing at me. The soldiers firing at the Sith missed everything, and their shots came at us from the opposite end of the room. "Stop firing!" I raged, knowing how difficult it was to actually strike a Force user with a blaster. I struck my saber and stepped forward.
The boldness, near audacity of the Sith impressed me, and I found myself surging with adrenaline. Finally, I had an opponent that would test me. I rushed the Sith with a sense of excitement, wanting them to feel my confidence was equal to theirs. We closed the distance quickly, and our blades struck in a quick conversation for the first time. The Sith was small, and I sensed it was a woman, which surprised me. Her saber skills were not impressive, but her movements were sharp and erratic. Her control of the Force was odd, almost mercurial, making it difficult to counter her attacks.
She cried out then, an almost primal screech, as she attacked me with quick slashes and thrusts, driving me back for a moment. I was gathering myself, preparing an attack strategy, when Kira rushed in from the side with her double-bladed saber twirling. It made me a little angry, though Kira was certainly capable, because I wanted to have this fight. The Sith circled away from Kira and attacked again. I was growing accustomed to her moves and was able to stand my ground, though one brazen jab came very close to landing on my side.
Kira pressed her on her free-hand side, and the Sith gave way. I counterattacked, moving directly at her. Our blades danced quickly against and around one another, but she stood her ground and thwarted my attack, twisting her frame lithely to keep away from my blade. Kira pressed in again, and with both our blades targeting her, the Sith backed away. My soul seemed to vibrate from the challenge. I had never fought someone so strange in Force powers. Lord Tarnis, Darth Angral's son, was capable and confident, but he was a straightforward, brute force opponent. I bested him because I knew what to expect. The Sith attacking me now was chaotic and disruptive, not relying solely on one skill to attack me.
Kira pressed again, and suddenly the Sith drove at her with a flurry of slashes. Kira backed away, surprised by the attack. Her double-bladed lightsaber whirled relentlessly to keep the red saber at bay. It seemed like Kira had recovered, but then lightning was at the Sith's fingertips before either of us could sense it. Kira caught the purple tongues on her green blade, but the Sith shifted her hand, and Kira's ward failed. Lightning struck her in the face and sent her reeling.
"Kira!" I yelled in frustration and anger.
I rushed forward and slashed quickly at the Sith, who spun on me and met my attack. Lightning appeared before me without warning, and I barely raised my ward and caught the energy on my blade. I had faced enemies with Force powers before. Even Lord Tarnis threw lightning at me, but not like this, not without warning. She attacked, her blade trying to spear me, and I had to sidestep. I slashed at her neck, but she ducked easily under it. Then we sparred again, our blades moving faster this time. My timing and precision were gaining on her, and I sensed that I could best her.
She shifted away from me, and I glanced into her face, hidden beneath the hood she wore, and saw yellow eyes glaring at me. More blaster bolts careened towards us, and I had to dodge a few that the Sith deliberately moved me into.
"Stop firing!" I yelled again in anger. The foolish soldiers were doing more harm than good.
Kira had recovered and tried to press the Sith on her free-hand side again, but the Sith simply attacked her directly.
"Kira, get back," I ordered as I moved to counter the Sith's attack. Lightning arced from the Sith's fingers again, but this time Kira was able to protect herself, but the enemy continued to press and almost stabbed Kira with the same jab she tried on me. I needed to end the fight. The Sith was dangerous and would likely injure Kira. I surged forward, attacking sharply to get the Sith to focus on me. I felt I could best her if I could press a saber attack.
Something shifted, I felt it in the Force, and then the Sith leapt away from me, across the room at the captain. I watched in horror as the captain raised his pistol to defend himself, but the Sith stepped away from the bolt and viciously cut off the man's hand. Soldiers courageously stood their ground as the Sith raged through them, mercilessly slicing them down and burning them with lightning. Kira cried out in shock and rushed to the soldiers' defense. I moved too, but not before Kira attacked the Sith.
Dread welled up in me as I rushed toward Kira, knowing that I was too far away if the Sith managed to get through her defenses. Kira tried to block the Sith from the remaining soldiers, and the Sith attacked her. They dueled as I crossed the distance, and Kira's double-bladed saber was just a step slower. The Sith almost caught her left arm, and Kira had to let go with that hand and spin away. The lightning flared, and Kira was not prepared. It caught her full on the chest and neck, and she screamed in pain as the energy threw her back onto the floor.
"Kira!" I yelled in panic, feeling responsible for my padawan. "Stop!" was all I could think to say, still not close enough to block the lightning. The Sith turned her lighting on me, making me ward myself.
"I will kill them all," she hissed at me as her lightning died away.
"No," I replied, knowing she would. I could feel the hate vibrating in the Force around her and see the determination in her eyes. How had things turned so quickly? I thought to myself. I was just gaining the upper hand on her before she erratically shifted the battle. The Sith was beatable, and she had to be getting tired from all the Force powers she was using.
"I want the Watcher and his men," she stated more calmly, her yellow eyes boring into me. She stood there aggressively, almost taunting me to come at her again. I took a step toward her, wanting to beat the confidence out of her. "Get out now," she spat as she raised her saber, "or I kill them all!"
It took all the effort I had not to attack her, but my will softened when my eyes cast across the room and saw all the wounded soldiers. I could defeat her, I sensed it in my heart, but I could not protect all the soldiers or even Kira at the same time. Frustration overwhelmed me. The council would punish me for letting men die. I could not overlook my responsibility.
"I take Doctor Godera," I replied harshly, venting my anger.
"No," Watcher One yelled from the back of the room.
The Sith shifted her strange eyes from me to the Watcher and then back again. "Take him and go," she agreed, "before my reinforcements arrive."
I still felt I could take her and wondered if I could shift her away from the men so that we could fight one-on-one.
"We were sent to rescue Doctor Godera, Jaren," Kira said behind me. I knew she was right, but I did not want give up.
"Listen to your padawan," the Sith urged, which made it worse.
Then, she backed away from me, angling into a protective position in front of Watcher One and his men. I glanced around, struggling with the frustration of the moment. Watcher One was going to get away, after all the things he had done to the Republic. I could not stop thinking of the situation as a failure. My eyes fell on Kira, who was watching me expectantly. The battle was not over, not if I had anything to do with it, but getting the soldiers out of the way would prove helpful.
"Get the soldiers out of here," I said to Kira before turning back to the Sith.
"We're pinned down at the entrance," one of the soldiers complained near the door.
"Watcher," the Sith spoke, "call through your com and have my men cease fire and move aside so the enemy can leave."
Her men! my mind complained, and her plan! She had somehow twisted my victory into hers; pulled it right out of my grasp.
Watcher One looked perplexed. "We picked up what was left of your combat team and have a headset tuned to your frequency," the Sith added as an explanation.
The Watcher moved to the table and picked up his ear-piece. "This is Watcher One to the Imperial forces firing on the entrance; the Republic troops have agreed to retreat. Cease fire and give them distance. Please confirm?"
I looked around, feeling like I had lost control of the moment. I braced myself to continue the attack, but Watcher One commented again before I acted.
"The order has been confirmed; the firing should stop."
A soldier behind me activated the heavy doors, and they started to swing open with a metallic grinding noise. The rest of the military team shifted positions towards the exit. It was clear they had no interest in continuing the fight. I looked over at Kira in frustration. "Someone needs to help the doctor; he's been drugged."
I flexed my muscles and held out my lightsaber, taking a few steps forward near Kira as she tended to the doctor. The Sith stared me down. I hated to see the conviction in her eyes, as if she were mocking me. "This won't end well for you, Sith," I could not stop myself from asserting. I had every intention of attacking as soon as the soldiers and Kira were out of the way.
"Do you sense any fear in me, Jedi," she returned my challenge. In truth, I did not, which created all the more eagerness in me to defeat her. We stood awkwardly just paces apart, two warriors facing off, knowing that the battle was unfinished. I lost track of time; of the moment, focused entirely on the Sith in front of me, waiting for my opportunity to finish her.
"We're ready," Kira spoke next to me, but I barely heard her.
Those evil yellow eyes bore into me, as if she was reading my thoughts. Then she took a step towards me, raising her red saber. "What is it, Jedi? Will you throw it all away and attack me?"
She was goading me. Was she that confident about victory, even if she knew I was a better swordsman than her? Worse, her goading was working, and I stiffened my form and raised my saber.
"Jaren," Kira snapped next to me. I hesitated, glancing over at her. Her eyes held mine, and I realized that I had snapped in that moment. The Sith was manipulating me, just like she had the whole battle. "The doctor is our primary mission," Kira added, hoping to get through to me.
I was lost in that moment. My impulse was to attack her, answer the challenge and finish the battle. Yet that is what the Sith wanted. Why? What did she know? If I turned and left, I would admit defeat, but that seemed the practical decision. It was what Kira was urging. The doctor was our primary mission; she was right. He was in my custody and needed to be delivered safely to Republic command, but that would mean leaving the Sith's challenge like a coward. I looked from Kira to the Sith, torn by two seemingly bad decisions. Finally, I stepped away from the Sith, not wanting to be manipulated again. I hated to leave, but it seemed the most practical option.
The soldiers were cowering in their vehicles when we emerged from the building. I could not unsee the carnage; limbs and bodies packed into the carriers, wounded soldiers writhing and moaning without limbs, scared and scarred eyes staring blankly at me when I boarded. They did not want to leave anyone behind, but riding back to base with bodies stacked up on the floor would not be easy for anyone. Our hover-car had been damaged in the fighting, and we would need to ride in one of the troop carriers. I was sad for the soldiers for having to ride home with the dead and wounded, but it was even worse that I had to be packed in there with them. I made my way to the front and told the pilot to move out. The captain who lost his arm looked over at me in shock, a medical cuff on the stump where his wrist and hand should be. I could see the question in his eyes, the accusation. 'Why did you not protected us and defeat the Sith?' I imagined he was thinking. I turned away from him, not knowing how to answer his unspoken accusation.