As Ben heard Rain and Tyler set off down the corridor in search of Andy, he continued gazing into the room ahead, watching as the many-legged creatures scuttled around. Could he and Aubrie really kill that many, before they were overwhelmed? He had seen how fast these things could move, and if he and Aubrie missed a single one… Ben had felt Navarro's pain and fear all too keenly as she passed into the Force. He could not let that happen to his apprentice… and he certainly could not let it happen to Rain.
Ben's thoughts began to drift, and he began to wonder what his old Master, Tamzin Norcuna, would have to say about all that had happened today. The Rutian Twi'lek had always emphasised to Ben how the Jedi were meant to stand as an example of strength and wisdom. Ben had strength, he knew that… but he had never seen himself as particularly wise.
If I was wise, I wouldn't have gone from commanding a Clone Legion to ending up almost dead at the hands of a scavenger with an electric stick, Ben thought gloomily, as he heard Andy's footsteps in the corridor.
"My apologies", Andy said, "I was consulting my friend about our situation."
Ben could not suppress a shudder at being reminded of the new personality Andy had adapted. Even hisvoicedidn't sound the same as before.
As Andy drew closer, he began to explain. "The creatures have no eyes. They track by sound, or primarily by heat signature."
"What?" Tyler asked.
"Your body temperature", Andy clarified.
"Okay", Rain spoke up. "If we raise the temperature in the room to match our bodies, would that make us invisible to them? If we're quiet enough?"
By the Light, she's smart. I would never have thought of that.
But Ben had no intention of letting Rain walk through there unless it was safe. And for another reason as well…
"It is a good idea, but it is for the best if Aubrie and I enter first", Ben said. "If you close the doors behind us, we can clear the room ahead while remaining invisible to the creatures' senses."
"What?" Rain asked, open-mouthed. "No. No, you arenotgoing through there alone-"
"Do you know what might happen if you step into a heated room, right now?" Ben asked. He knew Rain remembered. When they had been researching all the dos and don'ts of pregnancy, they had found some very strong recommendations against women using saunas and hot water baths during all three trimesters, lest it be harmful to their babies.
Rain's eyes widened as she clapped a hand to her mouth in understanding, and Ben felt her fear as he saw her other hand drift across her stomach.
"Sorry, what might happen?" Tyler asked, clearly confused.
"Uh, I might get… sick. Very sick," Rain mumbled. She still didn't want him to know.
Not now, not yet,her eyes pleaded with Ben, and he gave a small nod. Right now, the priority was getting through the room ahead, not upsetting Tyler.
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As they waited for the room to heat up, Andy looked out the window while the others sat on the floor.
"Are you both really Jedi?", Rain heard Tyler ask Ben.
"We are. We managed to survive the fall of the Order", Ben explained, levitating his lightsaber above his hand, like he had done when he and Aubrie revealed their true identities to Rain.
"Are you really brother and sister, too?"
"No, master and apprentice. My real name is Ben Obrin."
"Mine is Aubrie Wyn", Aubrie chimed in.
"Why did you come to Jackson's Star?"
"To…", Ben began, and Rain subtly shook her head.The less he knows, the better. For his own sake.
"To hide. We thought it might be best to hide in plain sight."
"And you are…" Rain realised Tyler was now looking at her. "You two are…"
"Yes", Rain said. "We're together."
It came off a bit more sharply than she'd intended, but after realising her baby would be in danger if she stepped into the heated room, Rain was in no mood for any judgement from her ex-boyfriend.
Tyler seemed to get the hint, and he turned back to Ben. "So, Ben Obrin, eh?"
"That's my name, yes", Ben said, looking confused at the smile emerging on Tyler's face.
"Did anyone ever call you Bob? You know, becauseBenObrin."
"Uh… no", Ben said. His tone was not convincing.
Oh my God. People DID call you Bob, Rain realised, as she felt a smile of her own creep on to her face.
"They called him that when he was a youngling", Aubrie grinned maliciously.
"Shut. Up",Ben growled at his apprentice. But it was too late, as Rain and Tyler both dissolved into giggles.
"Jedi Master Bob", Rain keeled over. "Can you imagine?"
It was so stupid, but after they day they'd had, they needed this. The look on Ben's face was so indignant, Rain simply couldn't stop laughing.
"Jedi Bob!" Tyler officially christened Ben. "That's what we'll call you."
"Alright", Ben suddenly snapped, "but first we have to get through there."
He pointed towards the area crawling with the face-hugging creatures, and Rain suddenly felt the jovial mood in the room die.
Tyler face fell. "This is all my fault, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it is", Rain said, scowling at Ben. "Yours, mine, and everyone else's."
She placed a hand on Tyler's arm. "We all decided to do this together. We'll get to them."
"We will", Ben agreed. "Together."
He reached out a hand to take Rain's, and she let him. As she felt their bare fingers intertwine, Rain suddenly realised, for the first time since entering the station, that she had left her gloves in her bag on theCorbelan.
Oh, shit. Hope that doesn't come back to haunt me.
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As the hallway's temperature finally reached the same as their bodies, Ben and Aubrie stood in front of the door, leaving their jackets for Tyler to carry so they would be able to move more freely.
"The creatures should not be able to sense you", Andy began, "but stress, fear, panic… any spike in your temperature will be exposed. Sweat, goosebumps-"
"Stay calm and quiet, we got it", Aubrie interrupted, her hand tightening around her lightsaber.
Meanwhile, Rain put her hand on Ben's chest and gave him a light, sweet kiss. "Good luck", she whispered, as Ben sensed her trying to suppress her fear.
"I'll see you soon", Ben smiled at his girlfriend, dipping his head to kiss her back.
He did not bother to acknowledge Tyler.I cannot BELIEVE he figured out that stupid nickname. If the aliens don't kill me, the shame might.
Ben had been so relieved when his fellow Jedi finally stopped calling him "Bob". It had haunted him throughout his time as a youngling, and it wasn't until he became Master Norcuna's Padawan that Ben had finally been free of the idiotic moniker. At least, he thought he had been free of it. He set the thought aside as Andy opened the doors.
There is a time and a place for these thoughts. This is neither.
As they felt the heat emanating from the opened doors, Ben and Aubrie quietly stepped through, letting the Force flow through them as they heard the doors close behind them.
They knew what to do. They were essentially invisible to the creatures if they moved quietly- and swiftly. As they came upon the first creature, Aubrie ignited her lightsaber and cut it in half, using the Force to let the pieces slowly come to rest on the ground. The others scuttled about, but Aubrie had already turned her lightsaber off, and the rest of the aliens moved around at random. Ben could sense their confusion at their compatriot's death from an invisible enemy.
Ben turned towards the next alien, ignited his lightsaber, and sliced it apart, then deactivated his weapon immediately after and used the Force to let the creature's remains fall quietly to the floor.
So far, so good. Let's finish this quickly.
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Kay slowly felt her eyes open. At first she thought she had been dreaming, but as her vision came into focus, she saw Navarro's eviscerated body lying across from her, and realised what had happened had been all too real. Navarro had come rushing into the cockpit, mumbling something about Jedi hunting her, and before Kay could make any sense of it, the other girl had fallen to the ground and… and…
Kay suddenly found the strength to stand up as she realised her situation. Thethingthat had come out of Navarro's chest was still here. Kay had never seen anything like it, and she didn't want to see anything like it again, but for that to happen she had to get off the ship. Now.RIGHT NOW.
As Kay slowly climbed down the ladder, and walked down the hall towards the docking bay, she wondered if Bjorn was still alive. He wasn't perfect, she knew that… but he was the father of her child, though that hadn't happened intentionally.
After his behaviour on Empire Day, Kay's father had given Bjorn an ultimatum: stay off the booze, or find a home elsewhere. They had all been fed up with him; Kay had been angry at Bjorn for ruining her chances of sleeping with the handsome Max Felian, and Tyler had been especially enraged at their cousin after Rain had broken up with him, citing Bjorn's actions against Andy as the main reason. Kay had suspected there was more to it than that, but kept her opinions to herself.
Then only a few weeks later, Gavyn had told them that his quota for working hours with the Empire had been doubled, and it would be at least another five or six years before they could leave the horrible planet they were stuck on. That night, Kay had started to cry, and had been unable to stop, and Bjorn had taken her into his arms to comfort her, which was all she had wanted, and then… well, one thing had led to another, and now Kay was pregnant with her cousin's child.
And Rain is pregnant with Max's, Kay thought bitterly.She was always the lucky one. She broke my brother's heart and fucked Max the first chance she got. And now she's in a happy, loving relationship, and all I've got is-
Kay's thoughts were interrupted as she suddenly trod on… what the hell was this? As she gazed at what looked like a thin, empty, flesh-coloured sack on the ground, her eyes were suddenly drawn to the wall ahead, towards a dripping, pulsating… whatwasit? Whatever it was, Kay wanted nothing to do with it, and she slowly backed away- only to be taken by surprise as a hand clamped over her mouth.
Kay's scream died in her throat as she saw Bjorn standing behind her. He was bloodied, and visibly limping, butalive, and Kay's hand clasped his in relief. Then Bjorn slowly limped past Kay, brandishing… was that a shock baton? Kay had seen them on the stormtroopers patrolling through Jackson's Star. Where on earth had Bjorn gotten one? Kay watched almost in disbelief as Bjorn hopped on one foot towards a charging station, connected the baton towards the cord the boys used to power up electrical appliances, and turned the station on as far as the setting would go.
Kay then stared at her cousin as Bjorn shoved his charged weapon into the cocoon-like object on the wall and turned the baton on. As he struggled back and forth with the weapon, Kay was taken aback to hear what sounded horribly like screaming coming from the cocoon.
As the electricity crackled, Kay jumped back, covering her hands with her mouth as an explosion was set off within the corridor. Had the charging station overloaded? Was the ship breaking apart from the earlier crash? Kay didn't know, and she didn't care. All she wanted in that moment was to get off the ship.
As Bjorn pulled his weapon out of the cocoon, Kay saw that the edge was rapidly dissolving. That did it for her- they were getting off.NOW.
"Okay", she said, pulling Bjorn along with her as she set off down the corridor. "Let's go. Let'sgo."
Bjorn dropped his baton, and limped after her. They reached the door of the ship, and Kay pressed the button only to find it was locked.
"Shit",she heard Bjorn swear behind her. "I used the key to manually lock it."
"Okay, so use the key to manuallyunlock it."
Bjorn looked at her in despair. "I… I dropped it on the floor when I came in."
"You did WHAT-"
Then Kay's anger was replaced with fear as she saw the cocoon behind her beginning to move. Whatever was within that thing… it was still alive. And it was starting to emerge.
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Rain watched intently at the darkened room ahead of her, as it was briefly lit up again and again by a green or blue lightsaber, which would appear then disappear almost within the same heartbeat. As the flashes of green and blue emerged further and further down the corridor, Rain saw the progress the Jedi were making as they eliminated the creatures one by one.
They're getting through, Rain realised.It'll be over soon.She couldn't help but wonder if, one day, she would be able to move like that with the right training. Then suddenly her attention was drawn away from the window as she heard Tyler's comlink crackle. She could hear what sounded like whimpering come from the other end as Tyler put it to his ear.
"Kay?" He asked.
"Oh my God, Tyler!"Rain heard the fear in Kay's voice."Tyler, please help us, Navarro's dead. I don't know where the key is to unlock the door, there's something coming-"
That'll be the newborn… what was it called? A Xenomorph,Rain remembered.
Let's hope Ben and Aubrie get through quickly.
"Look for the key, it has to be there somewhere", Tyler reassured his sister.
Rain heard more whimpering come from the other end, then finally what sounded like a door unlocking- then to Rain's shock, a huge crash that none of them need a comlink to hear.
As Rain looked back into the corridor, she realised she couldn't see where Ben and Aubrie had gone.
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As Ben and Aubrie felt the crash, every one of the remaining creatures, which were still scuttling about in confusion, suddenly stopped moving. Ben and Aubrie quickly froze, neither one of them moving a muscle.
Then Ben saw Aubrie looking at him.
What? What is it?
She silently motioned with her eyes, and Ben noticed a drop of sweat moving off the edge of his hand. As it fell off his skin, he slowly moved his shoe so the perspiration would land on it and not hit the floor- then was horrified as Aubrie quickly thrust her hand out, immobilising the sweat in mid-air.
At the sudden movement, every remaining creature in the room turned around to face Aubrie.
No. NO!
Ben heard Andy's voice come over the intercom.
"Run."
The creatures launched themselves towards Aubrie, and Ben launched himself towards them in response, cutting down three of them before the first of their bisected bodies hit the floor. Neither of the Jedi made any attempt to run, as Ben and Aubrie stood back-to-back with each other. Master and Padawan moved completely in sync with each other, drawing upon the Force to strengthen themselves. Aubrie ducked as Ben's blade passed above her, missing her by a hair's breadth- and cutting apart yet another creature.
In the same moment, Aubrie turned around and stabbed directly under Ben's arm with her blade, impaling another of the aliens the moment before it struck. They knew they were going to win, and this knowledge strengthened them as they finally cut down the last of the creatures.
As the final alien dropped to the floor, Aubrie grinned at Ben as she deactivated her lightsaber.
"I win."
"Ibegyour pardon-"
"I got nineteen, you got seventeen. I win."
"Do you have rocks in your head?" Ben sniped at his apprentice. "I got at least twenty,easy-"
He was cut off by Rain's panicked voice over the intercom."Ben! Aubrie! Are you alright?"
Ben and Aubrie quickly moved back towards the door the others were standing behind.
"This isn't over", Ben warned his Padawan, but all Aubrie did was laugh. As the door opened, Rain threw her arms around Ben's neck and pulled him down to kiss her.
"You're okay", she murmured. "Thank God."
"I love you", Ben replied, moving his forehead to rest on Rain's, his hands moving around her waist, not knowing or caring what Tyler's reaction was. No matter how many times he said those three words to Rain, he felt like they never quite encompassed what she had come to mean to him.
"I love you too", Rain smiled, as she pressed her warm, soft lips to his.
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"T-minus thirty minutes to impact event."
Whuuu…Kay's eyes flickered open as she regained consciousness. Her head was throbbing, her stomach was aching, and to top it all off, Kay could feel someverycold water falling on her, like she was taking a shower with all her clothes on. Had she been knocked out again? If she made it out of… whatever this was… she would definitely need to have her head scanned. Her stomach too. But what on earth had happened?
The last thing she remembered was running out of the opened door, looking behind her as the creature emerged from the cocoon, then… had she fallen? As Kay slowly started to refocus, she realised that Bjorn was trying to drag her along the floor, his hands under her armpits.
"I'm awake", Kay mumbled.
"Oh, thank God", Bjorn replied. "I didn't think I could carry you much further."
What a gentleman,Kay thought sarcastically, trying and failing to not feel jealous of Rain. As she struggled to her feet, the cousins dropped down to the next level of the room they were in. Seeing a door on the other side, Kay and Bjorn began crawling under a grate to get to it- then froze as so something huge and heavy dropped right onto the grate, directly on top of Kay.
Kay didn't dare move, but she could hear a lowhissright above her, and she knew instantly it was the creature Bjorn had tried and failed to kill. What else could it be?
Panicked, she slowly turned her head to the side for a better look- and instantly regretted doing so once she saw the creature dragging Navarro's body behind it, like a child dragging a toy.
Once the creature moved out of sight, Kay and Bjorn quietly dropped down to the floor and made a beeline for the door they could see. Relieved that they had evaded the creature for now, Kay fumbled with the controls next to the door- then felt her stomach drop as she set the door's alarm off.
"ACCESS DENIED! ACCESS DENIED!"Suddenly echoed around the room, and although the blaring alarm was no louder than a person shouting, in that moment it felt as deafening as a marching band to Kay. They may as well as put up a sign saying "COME AND GET ME" to the creature.
"No, nonononono…" she mumbled, fiddling frantically with the controls- then felt an overwhelming sense of elation as she saw Tyler appear on the other side of the door.
Oh, thank God. They were saved.
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"Andy, open the door", Tyler said, as Ben saw Kay and Bjorn on the other side. He felt his anger rise at the sight of Bjorn's cousin- he had a score to settle with him. Ben began to clench his fist as he steeled himself for the blow he would deliver to Bjorn's jaw as soon as he stepped through the door… then realised that Andy still hadn't opened it.
What's he waiting for?
Ben's anger dissolved into shock as he saw Andy step back from the door.
"Andy, open the door, stop fucking around", Tyler said, not noticing what the droid was doing.
"What are you doing?" Rain asked her brother.
"Don't look over there, don't look at it", Tyler said to Kay.
Don't look at… oh. The Xenomorph that came from Navarro is on the other side. And it's waiting,Ben realised, as he approached the door and saw for himself.
By the Light.
Even though he had already seen a skeletal version of the Xenomorph, he still felt a twinge of fear as he sighted the gigantic black alien through the door's window.
"I need you to open that door right now, okay?" Rain asked her brother.
"That's what the creature is waiting for us to do", Andy replied, in his cold, authoritative voice.
He's right,Ben realised. He could sense only one emotion coming off the creature: excitement. It waslongingfor the chance to rip them apart.
Right then,Ben thought.Let's make it realise that is the very worst mistake it could make.
"Tyler, step aside. Aubrie, with me", he spoke, as calmly as he could, igniting his lightsaber, as Aubrie ignited hers.
Sensing the shock emanating off of Kay at the sight of their weapons, Ben and his apprentice thrust their blades through the door, working together to cut a hole as they had earlier.
"Ben, watch out-"
Rain's warning came a split second before Ben realised Andy was advancing toward him, hand outstretched.
"Stop! You'll kill us all-"
Ben took his right hand off his lightsaber and turned around, stretching out with the Force and sending Andy flying across the room into the wall before the droid could lay a hand on him.
As he heard Rain gasping in shock, Ben and Aubrie finished cutting the hole and pulled the obstruction out, then aside. In that moment, Ben felt the creature pounce right at the hole they had made.
"AUBRIE!"
His Padawan understood.
Both Jedi reached past Kay and Bjorn and pushed the creature back in mid-air, taking it by surprise as it was launched across the room.
As Kay and Bjorn hurried through the hole, Ben and Aubrie pushed through, holding their lightsabers in front of them as they stepped into the room, cold water raining down on them from above.
Hey, this is just like…
Ben felt the recognition from Aubrie as well. A dark environment, raining pouring down from above… the setting was just like Jabiim. Where they had met, and forged the first of the bonds that would unite them as master and apprentice. Ben felt Aubrie's resolve strengthen, which strengthened his in turn. They had the upper hand here, and they knew the creature knew it.
Ben sensed the now more cautious alien creeping around as he and Aubrie swept their gaze around the room. The Xenomorph hadn't anticipated the threat they posed to it, and Ben knew it was now being purposefully quiet, to avoid detection.
Wait for it… wait for it…
Then Ben heard aclick,and he felt the alien the moment before it pounced right at him from above. He responded by somersaulting right over it, cutting its long tail off with his saber as it passed below him.
Screeching in pain, the creature crashed to the floor, flailing around as Ben landed lightly on his feet, not harmed in the slightest.
The Xenomorph was fast. There was no denying that. But it was not faster than Aubrie.
In the time it took Ben's eyes to blink, his Padawan landed three sharp cuts to the alien. First to its torso, cutting it in half. Then to its upper limbs, slicing them both off and preventing it from grabbing on to her. Then finally to its head, finishing it once and for all.
As Ben's felt his heart swell with pride at Aubrie, he got his first proper look at the parts of the recently deceased Xenomorph, and noticed for the first time that the tail he had cut off had a knife-like edge on the end.
Probably wouldn't have gone for the somersault if I'd known it could have gutted me with its TAIL.
Ben then walked over to look at its other parts, and realised just how close he and Aubrie had come to death.
Claws that look sharp enough to cut into bone. Jaws and teeth that look strong enough to slice right through somebody's limbs. Or somebody's neck…
If Ben and Aubrie had not been as well-trained and experienced in the ways of the Force as they were, Ben did not doubt the Xenomorph would have won the fight. He did not fancy the idea of meeting one of these creatures by himself.
As they walked back through the hole in the door, he was caught off guard by Rain once again throwing her arms around him.
"You know I'm all wet, right?"
"I." Rain kissed him. "Don't." She kissed him again."Care."She kissed him yet again, smiling against his mouth, and he felt his hands move up to her face as he kissed her back with all the passion he could muster, feeling the warmth within his heart spreading from his head to his toes.
Then as they pulled apart, Ben saw Bjorn.
"Excuse me", he said to Rain, letting her go.
"I just wanted to say-"
Ben's foot smashed into Bjorn's solar plexus in a perfect spinning back kick.
"Now we're even, and trust me, you're getting off lightly", Ben snarled, as Bjorn gasped on the floor.
Then as Tyler helped his cousin to his feet, Ben felt Aubrie brush past him.
"What do you mean, 'getting off lightly'?" Aubrie snapped, as she struck Bjorn across the face with a right hook that was beyond flawless.
As Ben heard Bjorn's nose break, he couldn't stop himself from smiling. Then the smile dropped off his face as he felt it.
The darkness. The cold emanating from somewhere else in the ship.
Inquisitors. They're here. THEY'RE HERE. How did they know where to find us?
Ben saw Aubrie reeling as she felt it as well.
"Ben…" she asked, in a voice quieter than a mouse.
"I know. I felt it too."
Ben turned to the others.
"We're all in danger. We need to go.Now."
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As the Tenth Brother and his colleague stepped onto the station from where their ship had docked, he immediately felt Obrin's presence. So, the synthetic hadn't lied.Good.
But time was running short. The Miraluka species may be eyeless, but the Tenth Brother didn't need eyes to sense just how close the station was to crashing into the nearby asteroid belt.
The Inquisitor turned to his colleague. "We need to split up. We'll cover more ground that way."
"Righto!" The Third Brother was already bouncing on the balls of his feet with excitement as he slapped the Tenth Brother on the back.
Really?
"Time to kill Jedi again! And this time, we'll be killing two! I hope it's a good fight, I've been gettingso bored,you have no idea…"
Don't I?The Tenth Brother swiftly set off, walking as fast as he could away from the other Inquisitor.
He didn't know who the Third Brother thought he was fooling. Beneath that stupid, skull-shaped mask he so liked to wear, lay a young, unremarkable human face.
By the Force, I hope Obrin kills him. It would do us all a favour.
The Tenth Brother broke into a jog as he felt the Jedi's presence growing stronger.
Alright, Obrin. Let's see if you remember everything Norcuna taught you.