Chapter 14
There is No Death
TAKOBO
Imperial Star Destroyer Chimera
The Militia strike team had come to Takobo to find Jed imaster Qu Rahn before the Empire had, and unknown to them, had played right into the Empire's hands by chasing Rahn out of hiding into the skies of Takobo, where the Imperial fleet was waiting. And Rahns ship, the Moldy Crow and HWK-Class freighter was caught in the tractor beam dragged into the bowels of the ship.
But that didn't mean the Jedi would go quietly.
"SHOOT THEM SHOOT THEM-ACK!" A stormtrooper shouted as Ahkilleon and Qu had leapt off the ship lightsabers in hands deflecting the stormtroopers' blasters and cutting them down when they got too close.
Qu deflected incoming shots as Ahkilleon used the force to throw two stormtroopers off the opening in the hangar, "Wonderful plan you have here padawan, chase me out and right into the Empire."
"Just shut up and fight, where the hell is your crew Master Rahn, we need to get out of here?" Ahkilleon asked.
"We won't be going anywhere without the tractor beam disabled you, moron?" Qu said as they got back to back, suddenly the doors of the hanger opened and some familiar unwelcome faces appeared, running out in their black robes and were both Yun and half of Maw who had his cybernetic repulsor device around his waist where his legs should be.
They drew their red sabers "Hello boy, ready for round two?" Yun asked.
Ahkilleon saw them and noticed Maw still half alive, "Friends of yours?" Qu asked, holding his lightsaber up.
The two red blades focused on the Jedi and the stormtroopers surrounded them, a blaster shot echoed into the ceiling and everyone looked up "That is…. Quite enough."
Up one one of the higher catwalks walking out with two dark troopers flanking him and beside him Jerec, but the one who had opened fire on the ceiling of his hanger was a blue skinned, white uniformed Grand Admiral Thrawn, "I tire of this squabble aboard my ship."
"Now you did it, padawan." Qu whispered to Ahkilleon.
"Grand Admiral Thrawn…" Ahkilleon whispered.
He tightened his grip on his lightsabers, "Well I am glad I won't have to waste time on Introductions Captain Tano, however this defiance is most distracting, should you continue to resist Admiral Thrawn's ship is ready to fire on city below, no doubt you still have allies down there, and the countless civilian deaths will follow, surrender." Jerec said licking his lips eager for more suffering.
The air became thick with indecision and Ahkilleon could sense his strike team running back to their hanger and the lives down below, he looked back over the edge of the hanger on Hammertown below, "He's right, they win this round." Qu said sheathing his yellow saber.
Ahkilleon looked at the stormtroopers, the smirking Sith before he he dropped his lightsabers to the floor, Thrawn smiled at him "A wise choice." he said walking down some steps as the stormtroopers came up and handcuffed Qu and Ahkilleon, they forced them to their knees "I had the pleasure of meeting Agent Kallus, the Imperial ISB officer you returned to us with the message that you Captain Tano, would not be defeated by me-" Ahkilleon saw the imperials force the Moldy Crow's ramp down and stormtroopers rush in, he heard Qu's crew shouting inside before blaster fire ripped into their ears, Qu shut his eyes and bowed his head, knowing his crew was dead. "It seems your overconfidence will be your downfall."
Ahkilleon gritted his teeth fixing his jaw. He looked up at Thrawn, "Something to say?" Thrawn asked, leaning smugly, tempting Ahkilleon to try something "Like Master Rahn said, you win this round."
"Then I believe it is your move." Grand Admiral Thrawn said before the stormtroopers led them away.
Jerec snickered and licked the side of his lips "Take them away and prepare for us to leave the system."
HAMMERTOWN
Hanger
Turok and the strike team came running into the hangar, "Why the hell was he on that dam ship?" Turok snapped at Tai as they ran aboard the Revenant, "He told me to throw him, that the Star Destroyer came out of nowhere." She replied.
They scrambled up the ladders to the cockpit, as the Padawans and Cadets came out, "What happened, what's going on?" Corto asked.
"Captain's been captured." Breacher said as he whipped his brow of sweat, "Along with Qu Rahn." Sawyer said, slipping off her helmet.
Yumi, Corto, Rulf and Jay all looked at one another "Well… first missions usually go astray?" Corto said.
"Not now Corto, alright that Destroyer, which one is it?" Turok looked around at everyone, there was a long drawn out silence, "Come on who was monitoring coms?" he asked.
Beetoo rolled up the blue and yellow droid beeped out some binary and Turok sighed "Just great…" he grumbled as Sawyer put her hand on a wall, "Oh no."
"What the droid say?" Breacher asked.
Turok looked up at everyone. "That destroyer is the flagship of the Seventh Fleet, named Chimera of one Grand Admiral Thrawn."
"Oh shit." Jay said.
"What's a Thrawn?" Yumi asked quizzically.
Tai spoke up "In short, he's the Empire's greatest Military tactician, never lost a battle, never fought someone he couldn't beat." Tai said.
"And he has not only Captain Tano, but Master Qu Rahn…. Arcadia, Valley of the Jedi is as good as found by the Empire." Turok said as he paced back and forth, his metal claws were twitching as he was thinking "So what's the recuse plan?" Jay asked.
Turok stopped.
There was a long pause, and he looked up, sighing he didn't want to say it, "Standing orders for the Militia should Admiral Thrawn's presence be known in or near our borders…." Sawyer started to say and she looked at Turok "To withdraw." he growled.
"What!" Corto snapped.
"We aren't just going to leave Ahkilleon- I mean Captain Tano?" Corto snapped walking forward, he looked at Turok, then at Tai, at everyone "You… you don't leave friends behind." he muttered.
Sawyer coughed "... long stretch there."
"Lord Skell…. Master Uzuma, you can't just… run?" Corto asked them he looked at Turok who was still silent "Gerrera, ready the ship once the Imperial fleet has moved to the other side of the planet we make for hyperspace to warn Arcadia." he stood on the elevator lift for the second floor and it rose up "You can't just abandon him Lord Skell, I thought you raised him, I thought-" "Stand down Padawan Vos-Ventress." Tai said as she got in front of him.
Tai put her hands on his shoulders "The good of the entire Militia can't be weighed on a suicide mission, even if we got aboard the ship we'd never make it out alive."
"But that suicide mission could save the Militia, surely that counts for something sir?" Jay asked.
Rulf nodded "He's right, it's worth the risk to save our home?"
Turok scanned each of their faces "You're all very brave, but you're all very young, Thrawn is not just some run of the mill Imperial, he'll be expecting a rescue mission, his ship will be on high alert, we can afford to underestimate him all we can do is fall back and prepare for whatever's coming."
"But Ahkilleon is-" "On-his-own." Turok barked baring his fangs, his composure and command slipping before he snarled and turned away "We wait till the fleet moves on, and we run." Turok turned and climbed up the ladder and headed into his room, he set down his rifle and leaned on his table smashing his metal claw into a fist against it, looking over at the mirror the trandoshans green skin was pale, cracking around the eyes his one good one and the glazed over blind eye uncertain of what to do.
He pressed a button on the desk and transmission started to go through "Ghost protocol, call sign wraith…" he waited until a connection was established.
"I've got an offer you can't refuse." The trandoshan said "Grand Admiral Thrawn's flagship is here on Takobo, he's only got a planetary blockade fleet, you'll never get a better chance to take his head and the glory, you have two hours." Turok said as he turned off the transmission "Force help us."
THRAWN'S FLAGSHIP
Chimera
Qu and Ahkilleon were clamped in irons, their weapons taken into the belly of the ship as Admiral Thrawn and Inquisitor Jerec watched, "Our alliance bears fruit at last my dear Admiral." Jerec licked his lips, his head turning slightly as if looking Thrawn's general direction, "We should begin the interrogation of Master Rahn immediately, soon the locations of both the Valley of the Jedi and the Militia's homeworld will be ours, the Emperor will be most pleased."
Admiral Thrawn stood tall and smiled "Yes, this war will be over soon, in the meantime your Inquisitors should scour the city for the Militants; they are either waiting for our fleet to move on or planning a rescue."
Jereck's smile faded; he looked at Thrawn and at his Deathtrooper guards, "Perhaps… your own guard could assist in the search, if our reports of these Militants are true then there are Jedi among them, as well as Turok Skell."
Thrawn showed no emotion, "My Death Troops are yours to command, it would be most unwise to underestimate the hmhm 'Immortal Dragon'."
Yun and Maw glance at one another, "One old lizard, he won't be a problem."
"Your acolytes are most confident, Inquisitor Jerec." Grand Admiral Thrawn as he gestured for this deathtroopers to go get ready.
Jerec gave a slight bow "Shall we go to the brig and interrogate the prisoners?"
Thrawn scratched his chin to give the plot thinking "No, we should alert his highness of our progress and have the fleet prepared to strike at Arcadia."
"... Agreed." Jerec said as he stood aside "After you."
Down below in the prison level of the ship, Ahkilleon and Qu were thrown into a cell, they'd taken Ahkilleons poncho and helmet leaving him in his armor, the two of them still handcuffed and the stormtroopers escorting them even tossed in a large cage with a Ysalamiri inside. Qu looked at it "You know what that is?" Qu asked as they shut the door.
Ahkilleon sneered at the lizard, "Ysalamiri, they can create force neutral bubbles if the Empire has them we're in trouble." Ahkilleon slouched into the cell seat as Qu looked around.
"Maybe…" he said looking up at a camera recording them from the corner of the room, a small red light blinking on and off to show it was recording. Ahkilleon looked at the creature, Qu looked side to side "My crew were good people, they didn't deserve to die."
"They chose to fight the Empire, they knew the risk." Ahkilleon grunted.
Qu glanced at him "There is no death, there is only the force…. Doesn't make it easier to say goodbye does it?"
"... no." Ahkilleon whispered.
"That message from Asimov, have you ever read it?" Qu asked him as he walked over to him, Ahkilleon looked up and shook his head.
Qu leaned in to whisper "Swallowing was a good idea, but if I know Asimov it'll be important, you should try to see it before they torture us."
"I swallowed it, it's going to be a little bit till I-" Qud suddenly moved and shoved his handcuffed hands into Ahkilleons gut under the armor and pressed with a twist and Ahkilleons face went green before he keeled over and puked up Corto's breakfast along with Asmiovs message "No time to waste Padawan."
Ahkilleon gagged coughing "hate…. You."
Qu knelt down and looked in the vomit, "If we get out of this I'll show you that trick Ahkilleon." Qu pushed through the half digested chunks of pancakes and pulled out the saliva and puke covered halo device and turned it on, before he made sure the volume was down low to a wiper.
A shimmering image of Lord Asimov appeared "Padawan Tano, it's no small thing to say that the Arcadia's fate rests in your hands to find Master Qu Rahn, if we lose the secret hyperspace coordinates to Arcadia, the Militia could survive on other worlds like Raxus or Lothal but if Jerec finds the location of the Valley and gives it to the Emperor, the whole Galaxy will suffer."
"The Inqusitiors looking for the Valley?" Qu gasped looking up at Ahkilleon the blue hologram shimmering light off of their faces color coming back to Ahkilleons giving a weak nod as Asimov continued. "I cannot trust the others with this, and I am sorry to burden you with this but… Qu Rahn is a good man but if the Empire gets control of the Valley they will have power unither to anything our fleet could do." Lord Asimov paused, "That is why if you cannot capture him alive, you must kill him."
Ahkilleon gapped hearing that from Lord Asimov's lips even if he was wearing his helmet "The hardest decisions require the greatest of convictions, I know you will do what's necessary."
Suddenly the doors to the cell opened and the stormtroopers who threw them in appeared "What did you get there!" One of them barked.
Qu looked back still crouched "This-." he dropped the holo device and smashed it with his cuffs destroying the message "I don't I think it's broken."
The stormtroopers came in and hit Qu with the but of their blasters and Ahkilleon lunged from his seat to hit them with his cuffs, more stormtroopers swarmed in and hit Ahkilleon with their blasters before shooting him with their weapons on stun. Qu pounced then at one of the stormtroopers making them misfire the stun ring hitting the camera in the corner of the ceiling. The other stormtroopers grabbed Master Rahn and flung him into the ground starting to beat him "Leave him alone." Ahkilleon barked before he was shot with another stun ring and shot him again. Ahkilleon fell back on the wall but was still conscious he yelled and was shot again before hitting the floor and watched them beat Qu Rahn as he slipped into unconsciousness.
Back on the surface, the Militia watched from the revenant as TIE fighters flew overhead, and Imperial dropships, Rulf and Jay were watching them "Not good." Down below outside the ship Sawyer and Breacher were outside the loading dock, they had their blasters in hand and kept to the shadow of the ship waiting on the fight that was coming. Turok smoked his pipe sitting on the ramp "The Imps are searching the city, they'll find us soon." Sawyer said, holding her helmet under her arm.
"The Revenant can out run them, but only if we leave now my lord." the Dragoon said as Turok looked at the ground wrestling his arms on his knees, saying nothing.
"We'd get banged up, but if we have everyone on guns we can make it to a hyperspace jump." Breacher said in agreement to what Sawyer said.
Deeper in the ship, the three jedi were meditating again, Tai had eyes closed tight and she was kneeling hands on her knees, Corto sat legs crossed hunched over trying to focus, Yumi reflecting Tai's posture. Before the three of them felt a dark shadow over the city sensing the Inquisitors, opening their eyes Yumi shivered and Corto looked at Tai who had a focused look of not anger, something else "They're coming."
Tai stood up and the other Jedi followed "I-inquisitors, do they know where we are, Master Uzuma?"
"Not yet." Tai said walking out of the ship, "What about Ahkilleon, do we know if he's alive?" Corto asked.
Tai said nothing but left the main level of the ship "Turok."
The trandoshan looked back, "Inquisitors are in the city, they'll soon know where we are, we should leave now."
Smoking his pipe, Turok emptied it and stood he walked back into the ship with the others following him seeing he was about to take them off planet. "Gererra." Turok said as they went to the second level, Rulf and Jay came down from on top of the ship sealing the hatch, "You'll pilot ship out of here, Cadets you're on the guns with Breacher and Uzuma." He said walking into his room he grabbed his rifle and his beskar battle ax. "When you hear the fighting, take off."
"Fighting, Turok?" Tai asked.
The trandoshan leaned the ax on his shoulder "I swore a vow to Ahkilleons mother I would protect him with my life, I've failed that vow… my life is forfeit." Turok said, taking a breath and standing tall "The Inquisitors are hunting us, I will hunt them and give you all the window to escape back to the Militia and warn them."
"What now your going on a suicide mission?" Corto asked.
"Padawan." Tai snapped to hush him, Tai walked up to Turok "I understand you are upset, but Ahkilleon made his choice, you-" "Know you'll never get off planet while the imperial forces are covering skies, it's my command my choice. Militia Invictus." he said before he headed for the exit "Militia Invictus." Sawyer said "Militia Invicuts." Breacher replied, and then the Cadets said it.
Corto gawked in astonishment "You can't just-" "Corto enough." Jay said, biting his lip "As painful as it is to say, this is what Rufl and I signed up for, at the end of the day we are soldiers, we will give our lives for the Militia and Turok is offering us a way out, don't dishonor him." Jay said as Turok walked out of the ship and headed to the dock exit, "A dragon deserves to die fighting."
CHIMERA
Groaning, Ahkilleon came to his ears ringing, stiff from the three blasts of stun rings that had sent volts of electricity, he rolled up on his arse legs pushing him up, the world came into view and he looked over at Qu who was on the opposite side of the cell. He looked like he'd just been on the losing side of a bar fight; his hair was messy, he had a black eye swollen shut. His lip was swollen and cut, one swollen from being broken and his white tunic torn smeared with his own blood hiding whatever other bruises "Morning." he said smiling with a missing tooth, he spat out blood. "Hmrr- hurts to talk, thanks for trying to help me nice you really sold it."
"Sold it?" Ahkilleon looked around the cell and at the camera to see the small red light wasn't blinking, it was off "You wanted them to come in to get the camera off?" Ahkilleon asked.
Wincing, Qu sat up a bit more "Oh yeah, saw can-hnn talk."
"Talk?" Ahkilleon asked "No talking, we can find a way out of here, if we can kill the ysalamiri we can get out?" Ahkilleon said, looking at the hissing lizard in its thick cage. He kicked it with his boot and the beast just snarled and snapped its beak-like mouth at him, "Make it to the Moldy Crow, signal Turok and the others…" "Ahkilleon." Qu said.
Ahkilleon got up and looked around, eyes darting from the cage to the cell around them, "They'll soon know the cameras are off, maybe move us to another cell before they interrogate us, we could jump the bucketheads and get their blasters?" Ahkilleon muttered thinking out loud "Ahkilleon."
"I'm a lousy shot but I just need to get my lightsabers, yours too?" Ahkilleon said "Ahkilleon!" Qu snapped.
The young jedi snapped his head to him "Got an idea?"
Qu fixed his jaw and sighed like his voice was dragged on gravel "I do."
"Okay, good, let's hear it." Ahkilleon knelt down in front of him ready to put their heads together to escape "Shame I turned the cameras off, he'd love to have a recording of this… he was right, your Master."
"What?" Ahkilleon asked "No, no, we can get out of this."
Qu shook his head wincing from the pain "How?"
"I told you we will escape the cell, fight our way to the Crow-" "And then what, pilot it while being chased by this Destroyer and TIE Fighters, we leave they'll raze Hammertown to the ground, you have to kill me." Qu said his brown eyes, or just one locked on Ahkilleons
Ahkilleon shook his head "No, I won't, do it."
"The whereabouts of the Valley, or the way to Arcadia. I know them, you don't." Qu explained shaking his head but smiling still? Qu looked at him from across the cell with sorrowful eyes ``I'm sorry, but Jerec is on this ship I didn't know him well as a Jedi, hardly new of them I was away from the temple so long as a Wayseeker but I've heard the stories of how the inquisitors tortured Jedi from your Master no less." He said as he looked down at his shackles "The physical stuff that's not how they break you, it'll be how they soften us up and you'll be so focused on staying alive they use the force to influence your mind, the way we use it to get people to ignore us or do what we want they go deeper instead of a gentle nudge it's ripping and tearing your thoughts like they held your brain in their hands." Qu said somberly rubbing his broken fingers.
"I'll break, I know will I'm not a young man anymore, and if we somehow hold out the'll torture you-" "I won't break, you barely know me, you don't owe me anything I was trying to capture you an hour ago." Ahkilleon tried to argue with him but Qu shook his head "Then they'll just kill the people in Hammertown, until we do."
Ahkilleon shook his head "No. You… you can't die."
"Your master says I have to, and I sensed you are loyal to him."
"My master is… wrong." Ahkilleon grumbled it out like he was speaking bile "Look, I may not like you but you're a good Jedi from what I've seen, you tried to talk to us, you didn't draw your lightsaber until you were attacked and even then you never tried to hurt me or Tai I… I… think we need Jedi like you, you have to survive so you can teach the New Jedi how to be real jedi, true Jedi not like me." Ahkilleon said.
Qu sat up and got to his own knees "And what makes you say you're not a true Jedi?"
"I've done things, terrible things, irredeemable things." Ahkilleon growled looking at him with anger and sadness in his eyes.
"Then you miss the point of being a true Jedi, no one is beyond redemption, even you." Qu said holding up his hands he grabbed onto Ahkilleons "I was selfish to leave Arcadia, to join the Rebellion, I thought the old way was how we needed to save the future, but I'm old, I had my time now it's yours, Jedi King." Ahkilleon looked up hearing that and Qu nodded "How-" "Asimov, Turok, they believe you can be the leader we need and being a leader means doing what no one else can, to protect not just those close but everyone… this is the only way, it's only a matter of time before they torture us."
Ahkilleon shut his eyes like he was in some sort of nightmare he couldn't escape he felt a forehead on his and opened his eyes to see Qu pressing his forehead against his "Please, do this for me, let me become one with the force on my terms not theirs, not on the bastards who took everything from us."
Ahkilleon shook his head "There is no death, there is only the force." Qu repeated the last line of the Jedi Code.
Pressing his teeth together Ahkilleon shook his head "... no, we can't give up."
The doors to the cell opened, Jerec and Thrawn came in, Jerec blind as he could feel what Thrawn saw, Qu Rahn's face nearly smashed in "What did you do?" he asked the stormtroopers behind them with some of Qu's blood still on their blasters.
"They had some sort of device in here, a message and broke it before we could take it, they tried to escape." The Stormtrooper said.
Thrawn snarled, "Have a medical droid brought in for the Jedi Master, take the young Captain to the interrogation chamber."
Jerec cleared his throat "Begging your pardon Grand Admiral, but we should extract the locations of the Valley and Militia homeworld from Master Rahn, I doubt a padawan even a Captain knows anything of value."
"All the same, we must deduce if the man's injuries are severe, information given under duress cannot always be trusted." Admiral Thrawn commanded his stormtroopers to take Ahkilleon.
HAMMERTOWN
Down below in the city, Yun and Maw were walking with a squad of death troopers down the city streets as Imperial stormtroopers broke down doors of apartment buildings and stormed inside looking for the Militia, "This is so beneath us." Yun grumbled as he oversaw the raids with Maw, the half cyborg inquisitor just growled in annoyance at the task. Yun glanced back at the Deathtroopers who said nothing but looked back at him.
Suddenly one of them pressed their finger to their helmets comlink, and said something in the strange dialect the deathtroopers spoke "Hmm?" Yun asked.
"There's been an incident at a nearby cantina, a trandoshan killed an entire squad of stormtroopers and we have the building surrounded." One of them said in basic.
Yun smiled "Finally." he moaned before they headed that way.
Eventually they made it to the cantina that had the stormtroopers surrounding it with transport guns trained on the building, Yun and Maw looked at one another, "We'll handle this." Yun said walking forward and Maw following, taking out their lightsabers, they walked into the cantina to see six stormtroopers sprawled across the floor of the cantina all dead. The bar itself was empty with a jukebox playing a song and blaster burn marks all over the walls from the fight. Turok sat at the bar drinking his ax leaning against the counter top.
"Turok Skell I presume?" Yun asked.
"Nothing gets by you boy?" Turok said, downing a shot of dark red liquid.
Yun sneered at the remark "Boy, I am your worst nightmare."
"Nightmare huh, you don't know the meaning of the word." Turok said, turning ax and rifle in hand. He tossed the rifle away and took off his long trench coat, raising the ax he prepared to fight.
The two Inquisitors held up their red blades "Is that an ax, adorable." Yun said when the two of them advanced, Yun went high and Maw went low, Turok waited and didn't move but to adjust his ax so he blocked both blades the loud chime of beskar alloy against red kyber crystal laser swords that caught both Inquisitors off guard. Turok pushed back with his strength knocking Yun back but Maw pushed his repulsor engine to keep his upper body afloat and attacked again. Turok dodged spinning in three sixty. Maw spun around but Turok was faster and smashed the ax down on Maw's left shoulder burying it deep the blade's edge and weight cleaving Maw down the shoulder to where his torso and stomach met. Blood sprayed all over the bar and on Turok while Maw screamed before Turok ripped the ax out of Maw. The Boltrunian's repulsor lift with no control over the brain started to sputter around the bar spraying blood before crashing into a table and falling over dead.
Turok didn't even watch, he just looked at Yun, spun the ax around till the head was in a reverse grip and watched Yun who got up, the young man smiled "Looks like the old man still has some bite."
"Shut the fuck up and fight me." Turok snarled.
CHIMERA
Every muscle and nerve in Ahkilleon body was on fire as he was suspended arms above his head legs pulled out wide by containment field, A detainee would hover over a meter, held inside the blue-colored field, and be required to wear magnetic cuffs that not only anchored the being in place but also monitored life signs, since a too-powerful field could stop one's heart or cause irreversible brain damage. In addition, the cuffs could be used as torture devices, capable of unleashing powerful electrical charges, and rotate the prisoner. Against Force-sensitives, the field served to disrupt the captive's connection to the Force, preventing their escape. And in this instance Ahkilleon's hope of survival was weighed down even more by the surge of the Chimera's power generator being fed into his body via the containment field. It made the lights on the level flicker as Jerec bared his teeth the music of Ahkilleons muffled screams mixed with the perfume of pain he felt before Jerec held his hand up to stop the Imperial K2 unit from continuing. Thrawn watched inquisitively with two stormtroopers behind him as Ahkilleon gasped, sweating bullets his body smoking from the electricity "Higher." Jerec ordered.
The surge of electrical current running through Ahkilleon made his insides twist and his nerves betray his body, before Jerec held his hand up to stop the torture.
Ahkilleon opened his eyes drooling and said nothing, but the look in his eyes showed he was still alive. "You think your silence is strength, it is only a matter of time before you break." The droid turned the dial up on to full max and electrical current flowed out of the containment field, it sent a surge of power into Ahkilleon attacking his nerves, making his muscles cease and insides burn. The sheer stabbing pain of a million spears running up every cell of Ahkilleons body made him cry out in agony. "Come on Demon, you can take it!" Jerec shouted over his screams.
Thrawn watched unfazed by the brutality of the torture, "Enough." he said annoyed as if it was loud inconvenience.
The K2 unit lowered the containment field's power surge and Jerect snapped his head fangs bared, "You dare."
Thrawn turned his head coldly, saying nothing. "Need I remind you, Inquisitor Jerec, you are aboard my ship."
"You have been at it for the past hour, and he has said nothing, perhaps another approach I am eager to see what you Inquisitors can do with your old religion." Thrawn said coldly.
Jerec sneered, "I will rip it from his mind."
"By all means." Thrawn said holding a hand out in a gesture to give it to Jerec, the Inquisitor flipped his cape and walked in front of Ahkilleon holding out his hand, Thrawn scratched his chin resting it on his elbow watching. The Inquisitor reached out with the force and sunk invisible hooks into Ahkilleons mind, as if his hand had broken open Ahkilleons skull, digging his fingers into his brain and to his very soul. Blood ran from Ahkilleons nose and his eyes rolled back into his head.
The pain.
The suffering.
The helplessness was too much for any normal man to face. Ahkilleon could feel Jerec wrenching open his memories of Serenno, of Jabiim, of Arcadia looking through his training but even further back, he was digging deeper all the way to Malachor, to his mom and Roxy's death. To his time with the rebels, the laughter of Ezra, the warm kiss from Sabine, even the lessons from Kanan and Hera, to the annoying antics of Chopper and Zeb, more and more Jerec was stealing from the boy's mind.
But not a demon.
Ahkilleons head fell back before he flung it forward, eyes burning yellow and Ahkilleon roaring so loud the stormtroopers guarding the room raised their blasters aimed at him. Jerec tore his hand away and took a step back "I'LL KILL YOU!" Ahkilleon shouted "ALL OF YOU!"
Jereck licked each side of his mouth and reached for his lightsaber, before he let go. But Thrawn's lip curled up, "Such anger, such fury, you will make a fine Inquisitor." Jerec snickered, "In fact, I may just let you be the one to kill Qu after all?"
Ahkilleon's head snapped at him and Jerec smirked "Oh yes, his little trick with the camera was most amusing, but we had more than just optics in the room, a few listening devices in the walls can make all the difference." Jereck gave a scoff "Before this day is over, you'd wish you killed him to spare your precious Militia and New Jedi."
"Leave him with me Inquisitor, you can go and secure the information from the Jedi Master." Thrawn said, Jerec lowered his arm and turned to Thrawn, who had enough of his fun, embarrassed and unbalanced, Jerec stormed out of the cell followed by the droid and the stormtroopers. Thrawn waited till they were gone and paced around the room in a circle, his black boots clicking on the metal floor like a clock timing down to when Ahkilleon would die.
"I must say, from my dealings with Jedi and what I've studied you… hmhm I dare say surprise me." Thrawn said while Ahkilleon hung his head raising it weakly beads of sweat running down his face. "You must know, it was the Inquisitor's idea to hold the city hostage, not mine."
Fixing his jaw, Ahkilleon groaned "Like I'm going to believe an Imperial Grand Admiral." he spat out blood to add to the insult.
"Believe what you like, I find the death of non combatants complicates matters, it urges more resistance. You are such an example. The harder Jerec pushes the deeper you will dig in, as someone who has nothing to lose like friends, or a mother?"
Ahkilleon turned his head to Thrawn, who had made a full circle. "Yes, though little I know about you, I know where you come from, both your lineage as a hybrid and a jedi."
"You don't know me at all." Ahkilleon told the chiss.
The blue faced man looked up at him, "I will soon enough, I know you don't know how to get to Arcadia, or the whereabout of this so called Valley of the Jedi, in full consideration I don't care about the Valley the Inquisitors often hinder the Empire in their obsession with Jedi, with you're Militia' resurgence of the Order and their advantage over our Imperial troops the Emperor has sought to give more attention to Jerec and his cult."
"What are you going to do… talk me to death?" Ahkilleon wheezed.
Thrawn leaned his head back, "To the point then. In my youth I encountered a young jedi on a mission to defeat a common adversary, I see providence in our meeting." Thrawn said turning to leave "I do not want the Militia to win, I need Inquisitor Jerec to lose, that is where you come in."
"Like I'd ever work for you." Ahkilleon snarled.
"Your compliance is not a factor, only your will to act when the opportunity presents itself." Thawn turned and headed to the door and walked out leaving Ahkilleon locked up and confused about what was coming.
HAMMERTOWN
The ax fell heavily on the nearby table, cleaving it in two, Yun dodged just in the nick of time to catch it with his lightsaber, while Turok made long sweeping strikes with the ax blade or blocked with the long beskar staff attached to it. Yun fell back to the bar and Turok swung the ax shattering glass bottles before Yun used the force to try and push Turok off his feet. The trandoshan side stepped dodging the force blast that shattered one of the cantina windows. "Upstart lizard." Yun snarled attacking, The two of them danced in combat, Turok using the ax like a staff swinging the metal to block Yun's attacks from left and right.
The inquisitor turned on the rotating mechanism of his lightsaber and Turok backed up with a high guard as Yun spun himself around masking his lightsaber swing in every direction. Turok swung down with the ax and Yun caught it.
"You're no match for me." Yun howled before he broke the guard. Turok stepped back and hit him with the but off his ax's handle before he grabbed the inquisitor with his metal claw and flung him over his shoulder smashing him into a table.
"I hate how your kind never shut up." Turok walked around and held the ax with both hands before he got ready to take his head.
Yun rolled out of the way at the last second before he ran for the exit, "FIRE, FIRE!" the Inquisitor screamed running away. The stormtroopers and deathtroopers opened fire on the building and Turok leapt over the bar counter grabbing his coat from cover and sighed "Sith spit coward."
The barrage unloaded onto the building echoing across the city and the Revenants crew heard it, "That's it, lets go." Sawyer said while TIE fighters flew over hammer town to the sound of the disturbance.
Inside the cantina Turok took a swing of a bottle before the Deathtroopers signaled to hold fire, advanced on the building and went inside to see Turok nowhere to be found, they then heard something clank on the ground rolling to their feet, a pair of thermal detonators. Yun was panting outside when the whole cantina's ground floor exploded sending more glass and metal chunks into the streets. Along with Maw's head rolling like a ball on the ground half burned off not that there was much left of the sith spawn anyway.
Yun snapped his head back in shock, "Dammit." he held up his comlink and looked to the nearest Imperial officer who was on coms "I want every damn trooper at my location RIGHT NOW!"
"Repeat, I say repeat again?" The officer asked.
"You there- aren't you listening to me, what are you doing?" Yun stammered marching up to the officer, he grabbed the officer just as something blotted out the sun.
Elsewhere the Revenant flew out of Hammertown and started to gain speed as it went upward to the atmosphere, Sawyer was in the pilot seat, Rulf was on the rear guns, Jay the top one, Breacher the belly and Tai the front. "We got TIE's on our tail." Rulf said as he opened fire on the TIE's and unexpectedly the TIE's broke off and went straight up.
"Uh… I guess not?" Rulf said.
"What's happening?" Breacher asked into his headset.
Sawyer started to look around the bridge, "Beetoo what's on Imperial chatter?"
The droid plugged into the ship's computer and beeped out, Sawyer looked up as they broke through the clouds "No way?" Through the gray clouds above flashes of explosions were ripping open the sky and when they broke out of the clouds to the upper atmosphere. Dropping out of hyperspace was a Militia fleet of Providence MKII dreadnoughts, already a total of eight no ten, no twelve in a wedge formation with Vulture droids swarming out of the belly of the warships. They were attacking the five Imperial Star Destroyers guarding the planet and moving into attack position. "What the hell, there are no fleets in this sector?" Breacher said as he looked out from the gunner seat.
"Yeah well I know the closest sector to this one that belongs to the Militia." Jay said seeing the red marked Militia ships.
"The Lothalians?" Tai said from the cockpit watching as the flagship with two red blood wolves painted on the bow was moving ahead of the others. And sitting in the commander's seat was Reik Bloodwolf himself Warlord of Lothal, Keiza, his second in command, stood beside him in full Militia armor with red stripes on it, "Send a signal to that ship Turok called us from."
Moments later he appeared as a hologram on the Revenants Dashboard "Warlord Bloodwolf?" Tai said, seeing him.
"Tai, fancy seeing you here." Reik said while his fleet engaged the Empire.
"Warlord Bloodwolf, what are you doing here?" she asked him back.
Reik chuckled "I received an invitation from our mutual friend Turok Skell that the Empire's big bad Grand Admiral was here, I wanted to give him a Militia Welcome." He said as his fleet launched their Hawk fighters and then Sawyer noticed Interceptors flying from one of the ships, "Dragoons?" Sawyer said, recognizing her own corp.
Inside one of the interceptors was Colin the Lothal Dragon "All fighters, watch those turbolasers and fire on the TIE's wings, and hit those bridges in their flank." The Interceptor's engaged the TIE's and the dogfighting chased around the nearby destroyers and dreadnoughts.
Back in the Revenant Tai was still speaking to Reik, "So you guys are after a Jedi Master who knows where Arcadia is, and a so-called mystic Valley of the Jedi and if he gets it at the end of the Galaxy, am I up to speed?" Reik asked.
"Sir yes sir." Sawyer said while she flew around the dog fights dodging in and out of the "And he's on the flagship coming up from the surface." Sawyer said as the Chimera had joined the fray, "AND one our strike team, Captain Tano."
Reik cocked a brow "Asimov's boy, how the hell did he get onboard Admiral Thrawn's ship?"
"It's a long story, we need to board that ship and get them off, Warlord." Tai said.
Reik leaned in his chair and rested his chin on his jaw, he looked over at Keiza "Commander, want to stretch your legs?"
Keiza smiled "With pleasure sir."
Back in the Chimera, Grand Admiral Thrawn had taken the bridge along with Inquisitor Jerec briskly following, the bridge was in full alert as bridge officers were watching their monitors and explosions run outside the ship "What in the stars is this?" Jerec barked.
Thrawn's red eyes scanned the ships, his mind moving step after step into the battle, "Send a fleetwide transmission, this is Grand Admiral Thrawn I am taking command of the fleet. Form a firing line two rows all ships broadside, draw on all non priority power sources for full shields." He commanded, and the Militia fleet continued its assault, the Dreadnoughts getting closer and closer. Thrawn looked at the Dreadnoughts moving forward, "Admiral Thrawn we've got boarding pods heading out of the way."
"All ships prepare to repel boarders, focus fire on those pods." Thrawn relayed to the fleet.
"Sorry sir, they are heading just for our ship." the bridge officer said back.
Jerec glanced down at them, "They know we have the Jedi." Jerec growled as droch boarding pods pelted Thrawns ship hitting it in six spots; the Droch-class boarding ship,[2] also referred to as the Droch dropship, the Separatist boarding ship, droid landing pod, or pod-hunter, was a model of boarding craft manufactured by Colicoid Creation Nest and used by the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars against the Galactic Republic. These Militia variants were bigger and carried larger crews in one of them was Keiza who had a laser shield in one arm and a blaster in the other, when the pods pierced the thick armor of the Star Destroyers haul it opened it's pod doors and she slid her helmet on, she had adorned it with two horns from a dead animal and a wolf's skin on top of it, "MILITIA INVICTUS!" She shouted running out to stormtroopers' blaster fire as her raiders followed her out and formed a shield wall in the narrow corridors giving them the advantage of mobile cover. "How many pods made it?" Keiza asked.
"We have six of ten, Commander." one of Keiza's droids said, red painted B5's came out of the pods and were starting to pour out into the ship. "Warlord, we're aboard the flagship, send the surge." Aboard Reiks flagship, he pressed a few buttons on his Commanders Chair and all six of the pods unleashed their ships power to overload the ship's own systems, sending a power surge up and down the Chimera, Jerec looked around at the flashing lights and Thrawn just squinted.
"Diverty all auxiliary power to the shields and rework the rest, sign Admiral Konstantine to engage." Admiral Thrawn ordered and then he turned to Jerec.
"Inquisitor, I would be most appreciative if you take care of our unwelcome guests?" Admiral Thrawn asked. Jerec eyed him and licked the left side of his cheek "The sooner it gets us out of this interruption the better." Jerec said heading off the bridge.
Down in the brig, Ahkilleon could hear the battle outside the shaking of the shields and the sudden breaching of the ships haul by the pods made a power surge, his anti-gravity prison's power shuttered and Ahkilleon fell out of it on the floor. Getting up he groaned when the doors to his cell opened and he saw two stormtroopers looking at him "My turn." A flap of thunder echoed down the cells as he unleashed a blast of force lightning on them, and ran out of the cell, more stormtroopers were coming and Ahkilleon blasted them with force push smashing them into the walls. He sprinted down to the center of the level where he saw the command center two stormtroopers were there "Close the blast doors- close it!"
They started to seal them and Ahkilleon let out a pain fueled yell blasting the doors open one after another till the invisible cannonball of force power unleashed tore the doors open. The stormtroopers fell back and Ahkilleon jumped over the desk before he kicked one of them and picked up their blaster, shooting the other. He moved to the console and started to scan the cells before he found Qu's. "There you are." he looked around the brig and found a safe, shooting it he opened it to find three lightsabers in it, his and Qu's.
Taking them out he tossed the blaster away and took the sabers, running down the hall he came to Qu's cell and sliced the door open with his blue lightsaber, coming in Qu looked at him weakly, "So what'll it be, me chasing you, killing you or saving your ass."
"Days still young." Qu forced himself to stand and Ahkilleon cut Qu's bondages and looked over at the Ysalamiri still in it's cage, Ahkilleon sliced the cage open and picked it up out of the cage and kicked open the trash grate tossing it in "I hope you get crushed in a trash compactor."
Qu rolled his shoulders and neck, "Oh that's better, force heals all wounds."
"And Ahkilleons save all the days, come on." They headed down the hallway lightsabers drawn and started to make it to the elevators, Ahkilleon passed by a contraband locker and spotted its helmet, running in he grabbed it and slipped it on.
They got into the elevator and Ahkilleon started to configure the coms, "Tano to the Revenant do you read." His transmission carried over the radio waves through the ships cannons to the dog fights, to the experimental warship and into the communication center.
"Ahkilleon?" Tai gasped hearing him.
"Master Uzuma, I've got Rahn, we're going to make a run for it." Ahkilleon replied as the elevator opened up "What's all that commotion outside."
The gunners were unleashing as much as they could. "That would be the mad bastards from Lothal here to save our asses, and trust me guys when stuff like this happens you want the Wolves on your side."
"Wolves, Devils, so long as there's Militia I'll kiss em on the face." Lt. Breacher said from his gun as he took out another TIE.
Back in the bridge, Sawyer and Tai were starting to rework the ship's power, "Listen up everyone, Captain Tano is alive, somehow, he and Master Rahn are making a break for the Chimera's hanger so we're heading there now."
"The hangar of a Star Destroyer, we'll never get close enough?" Rulf said racking up kills left and right.
"-zzt Not alone you won't." A new voice said over the coms, flying alongside them were a dozen Interceptors, all of them with Dragoon pilots in them, chief among them was Colin, "Fancy flying there, Revenant, we'll get you there safe and sound." Colin said giving her a thumbs up behind his teal Dragoon helmet, the X visor of a Militia with a modified breathing apparatus showing he was apart from normal soldiers like Sawyer, she gave a nod to and put her helmet on as they made for the Chimera.
Which was under siege outside and within, the Militia borders were expanding their position among the six breach pods that had suckered onto the warship, B5 battle droids in red paint were pouring out of the pods and advancing behind the cover of the shield walls. Keiza, the mountainous commander of the Raiders was hacking away at stormtroopers with her vibrosword and blocking their fire with his yellow laser shield. "Push forward, we have them on the run."
"Roger, Rog-ack" One of her seconds said before he grabbed his neck and it was snapped, Jerec had come walking briskly like he was on an errand holding his lightsaber in one hand deflecting shots. When the Militia saw the Inquisitor they didn't freeze or go silent they out furious battle cries and rushed the blind man.
Jerec scoffed like they weren't worth his time "Rabid dogs." He licked his lips and sliced in half the first one who came at him, he used the force to smash two more in the wall. Keiza saw him coming and held back her men, "Flashbangs."
Four of the Militia lobbed the flashbangs at Jerec who caught them with the force before they exploded in blinding light and sound, Jerec fell back a step stunned for a moment, but a moment was all Keiza needed she dropped her shield and swung her vibrosword right at Jerec who to her surprise blocked it, "What?" Keiza gasped as Jerec held up his hand "Enough of this."
Jerec unleashed a force push from his open palm that cracked like thunder, no that crack was the sound of Keiza's neck snapping from a twist before she fell to her knees dead, "Fall back- fall back." The Militia soldiers said running for their boarding ships.
Not far from the Chimera, aboard Reiks own flagship he was getting the distress signal from the boarders who were all starting to fall back, "Boarding Pod 5 to Lycanthrope, we're being pushed back." One of the Militia Raiders said over a hologram.
"Where's Commander Keiza?" Reik asked.
"The Commander's dead, killed by a redblade." Reik fell back in his seat and shut his eyes, "Master Uzuma?"
The Revenant was in the thickest of the dogfight with the Interceptors covering her, "We're almost to the hanger-" Tai said as something started to blare on their fleet. Dropping out of hyperspace to the battles rear flank were six more Star Destroyers, putting the fleet almost even to the twelve Dreadnoughts that were barring down on the Tokobo orbital fleet, but this new fleet was moving in behind the Militia's forces to out flank them, "Admiral Konstantine welcome to Takobo." Admiral Thrawn said arms crossed as he watched the fleet move into position.
A hologram of the dark haired mustached Admiral Konstantine appeared, "At your service Grand Admiral, moving in behind the enemy." The Admiral said back to the Grand Admiral pushing the Militia into a pincer movement that already took out one of the more severely damaged Militia ships.
Thrawn pressed a button on the holotable to patch a channel to the ship, "This is Grand Admiral Thrawn, or reinforcements have arrived, secure the ship and I want our uninvited guests alive." The Grand Admiral said like silk racked on nails. That message was received by Jerec who had hacked apart his third boarding party and sneered at the order as he held the last surviving raider with the force then snapped his neck, going against the order.
Closer to the hanger both Ahkilleon and Qu heard it, their lightsabers out Ahkilleon had Qu leaning on his shoulder the two of them moving deflecting stormtrooper fire from behind as they ran away. "That doesn't sound good, you know you have-"
"Oh shut up with that pooda, you're going to live." Ahkilleon said as they came into the hangar and saw it had been emptied of TIE fighters but there were maintenance crew and stormtroopers there. When they saw the Jedi the imperials opened fire, Ahkilleon had to drop Qu from his shoulder and take out his red lightsaber starting to deflect the blasts, Qu got his back managing to stand with his yellow lightsaber they moved through the hanger back to back deflecting lightsaber shots.
"Master Uzuma, we're in the hangar." Ahkilleon said under his helmet, the Revenant could be seen as they looked out below in the battle being fought, another Militia ship was going down but they'd managed to take at least one Star Destroyer with them and a second to follow from the reinforcements.
Back aboard the Lycanthrope, Reik heard that from his comlink "All raiders, withdraw, B5's self-destruct." Reik ordered, out of all the remaining boarding pods only two were able to detach in time the third was being attacked by Jerec who cut down another Raiders as others fled to their pod, the B5 battle droids still in the ship all stopped and exploded where they stood almost knocking Jerec off his feet, he spat and sensed something. "No, no, no, I will not lose the Valley after coming this far." he growled, sensing the jedi were free from the prison and about to escape.
Ahkilleon and Qu were backed up to the very edge of the hanger at least two dozen stormtroopers shooting at them, Ahkilleon and Qu deflecting their shots back at them to quell their numbers, "Count of three." Qu said and Ahkilleon could sense what the man was about to do "Three-two-AH" Qu's wounds had taken their toll and he was shot in the arm dropping his lightsaber off the edge "ONE!" Qu shouted the two of them held their hands up and force pushed all the stormtroopers off their feet and into the wall of the hanger, "Revenant it's now or never." Ahkilleon told them.
The Revenant then flew up their rear turning to face them, the loading ramp opening in the air bubble the hanger provided, Breacher and Corto were there with Yumi behind them "COME ON JUMP!" Breacher shouted as he shot stormtroopers who were recovering Corto waved them on.
There was a massive gap between them and the hanger floor, not enough for a normal person to make but a Jedi could. "Go on." Qu said.
Ahkilleon shook his head, "You heard Thrawn he wants us alive, take some steps back I'll throw you like Tai did to me, be right behind you." Qu heard the alarms of the hanger going off and could sense more reinforcements were on their way, and nodded.
He took ten steps back and then ran toward Ahkilleon who got ready to use the force to throw him but Qu drew his hands back pressing the butts of his palms together and "NO-" Ahkilleon felt his feet fly off the black reflective floor of the hanger and sailed through the air right into the Revenant, he crashed onto the metal floor and rolled to his feet "No, no, no, you bastard!" Ahkilleon ran to the edge and looked back to see the stormtroopers had surrounded Qu and were firing at the Revenant, Breacher tried to cover them and so did the other gunners but in the chaos of it all, Lt. Breacher took a shot to the chest, his breastplate taking the brunt of it so it only knocked the wind out of him. But he was down and the sniper rifle they'd taken from Serenno was on the floor. To make it worse Jerec and Thrawn had arrived in the hangar, "Seal the hanger." Thrawn ordered as the blast doors started to close on the hanger and the underbelly of the ship "We got go or we'll be trapped." Sawyer shouted seeing the underbelly starting to close.
Qu had his hands up and looked back at the Revenant getting riddled with blaster fire, and smiled, closing his eyes as he held out his arms.
"He wouldn't dare?" Jerec gasped.
Thrawn heard him and looked up to see Ahkilleon had picked up the rifle from where Breacher had dropped it, he took aim, right at the back of Qu. Who whispered "There is no Death, there is only the Force."
Jerec let out a furious cry and raised his hand to try and grab Jerec but Ahkilleon squeezed the trigger, a red hot blaster bolt flew at lightning speed and cut into the back of Qu and out his chest into the floor, Tai felt the death of Qu Rahn in the force "Go, go, go." She told Sawyer who pulled the Revenant away from the Star Destroyer sealing the loading door to secure everyone. "Warlord Bloodwolf, we have what we came for." Tai said over the comlink as the Militia fleet that had come here with twelve ships was now down to seven, and would soon be down to six, the star destroyers pincer maneuver taking out their carriers and fighters "...All ships withdrew." The Militia fleet peeled away from Takobo and made for open space before jumping into hyperspace.
Back aboard the Chimera, Thrawn and Jerec stood over the dying Qu who was still smiling "Your… move…" Qu said before he died. Jerec ground his teeth pressing his tongue against the cage of his mouth before he spun around his cape billowing heading back into the ship, the Valley out of reach once again, but so was Arcadia and the Militia.
Thrawn stood there hands behind his back and he smiled.
"... well played."