Chapter 32: First Strike
She felt it, even before she saw the flames.
Shyra whimpered as the wave of death rolled over her, voices crying out, and silenced in moments.
"Jedi?"
She looked over at Gnar, the old pureblood had a concerned look on his face.
As one trained in the darkside, he would not have experienced what had happened as she had, but he would have known something had gone wrong.
"What is that?"
The question had come from Captain Buz. He and Rufo had accompanied them, Dunc drove the speeder with the pirate captain next to her, Gnar and Rufo sat next to Shyra.
Even in the distance they could see the orange glow outside of Eulogy, a glow that had not been there before.
They were on their way back to town; they had sought out the last surviving Knight of Bantoon. Shyra's time with Neven Roeks had left a bad taste in her mouth, the man proved just how far the group had fallen in the last few months of their existence.
The creature had fallen apart at the first sight of the lightsaber on her belt, begging and pleading for mercy. Confessing and making excuses for dozens of cruel acts. Apologizing for what he and had allies had done.
The knights were no more, that was clear from what she had learned.
Roeks had confessed that his allies had intended to ransom Princess Bayla to the highest bidder, but they group had not had a chance to carry out their mission.
Princess Bayla had been taken by someone…someone wielding a lightsaber. Someone who had destroyed the remaining knights, cutting them down where ever they had tried to hide.
Roeks had feared that she had come to do the same, but she wouldn't do that.
She wouldn't waste her blade on such a creature.
Still what he had said.
Bayla had been taken by someone wielding a lightsaber?
She was not sure what to make of that.
If it was one of Avaryss' Sith, surely, they would have heard about it by now. The alliance's contacts, not to mention people still associated with Dunc would have let the galaxy know that the princess was dead, or had been captured. Her end didn't help Avaryss' cause unless it was confirmed.
Of course, Bayla's fate was not what was important, not in this moment, not after what she had felt.
Something had gone wrong in Eulogy…
…very wrong.
Shyra pulled out her commlink.
"Temmin? What is going on?"
She got no answer, only a single tone, a signal of warning should the young half-blood not be able to answer his comm.
Fortunately, he was not the only one in Eulogy that she could call.
"Rix? Rix report."
She had left Hunt behind, just to keep an eye on things. She trusted Temm, but that didn't mean she trusted the rest of his crew. Who knew who might try to make a few credits selling that an alliance crew had arrived in Eulogy, and who knew who was willing to buy. Rix had promised to keep an eye on things, just in case…
"Rix? Report." She repeated.
Again…no answer.
In the distance, the orange glow had spread, it now was inside Eulogy as well, and then…
Another flash.
Again, Shyra felt the loss of life, the suddenness of many deaths.
She gasped in surprise.
"What is going on?!" Buz demanded.
"WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MY TOWN?!"
Dunc brought the speeder to stop, the sound of the distant explosion was enough.
They could not simply go flying into Eulogy, not without knowing what was going on.
"Master Shyra."
The voice emerged from her commlink.
"Rix? Rix, what is going on?"
There was a brief crackle of static before the commando responded.
"We got Sith in Eulogy, Shyra. I'm counting three red blades, and some mercenaries, a Twi'lek and a Gamorrean, and four creatures that I've never seen before."
There was a pause.
"There…there is something really wrong here. I'm…I'm having trouble focusing. Didn't even notice the Sith were here…until…until that first building blew up."
Such confusion, Shyra thought, that didn't sound like Hunt.
Some kind of glamour, using the Force to avoid detection. The fact that Rix was able to respond showed the degree of shock the deaths in Eulogy had caused in the Force.
"Do you see Temm?"
"Yeah, the creatures have him, they got him on his knees. The Gamorrean has Miss Switch too. They…they blew up the Last Breath, Shyra. Some boarding house too!
A growl escaped Shyra's lips.
Sith bastards!
She had been in the Last Breath this time of night, so many people!
"We're on our way," Shyra said, "See if you can cause a distraction."
"Roger."
Shyra put her paw on Dunc's shoulder.
"PUNCH IT!"
The soldier responded, as Shyra and the others drew their weapons. Even Rufo and Captain Buz.
Given the state of the galaxy, it seemed unlikely the Sith would choose this moment to pick on a place like Eulogy.
Which meant one thing, one possible culprit.
Avaryss.
Shyra's eyes narrowed.
The witch's agents were here!
She was determined to make them pay for that.
IOI
I want him to kill her.
Rain was reveling, the dark side was raging both inside and around her.
She would destroy this town as Temmin watched, and then…in his anger, he would turn…he would see.
The thought made her giggle.
When he fell, he would realize he was wrong, he would fall into arms, and they would begin a life together. He would understand why these mundanes had to die, and then…to seal the deal…
…he would bring her the mechanic girl's heart!
She couldn't deny it, when she had asked the gate guards about him, if they knew a Temmin Tagge, they hadn't, but they did know a tall half-blood named Temm Vokai.
If he isn't at the cantina, the first guard had said, check the mechanic's shop on the edge of town.
"Yeah, the other guard had agreed, he has a thing for Miss Switch, he is always stopping in for a private lube job, if you get my meaning, miss."
The guards had both laughed at that, Rain had not.
She got the meaning, and in her jealous rage, she took the two guard's heads.
That is when she decided to bomb this wretched place.
Temmin was hers, and hers alone.
He was hers!
She could forgive him for taking a play thing, heck, she had too, but what she was sensing, his fear for this girl, that was unacceptable.
UNACCEPTABLE!
She had waited years; how dare he betray her like this?!
HOW DARE HE!
"ZAY! STOP IT NOW!"
One of the creatures hit him again, preventing him from focusing, while at the same time, their powers kept him disoriented.
She could feel that too, it was taking all of her concentration to maintain the glamour, the web she had woven, she had cast it around this place, but people were starting to wake up. Realizing something was wrong.
She had to move fast!
She primed the next detonator, the one they had planted in the building down from them, the one with even more people inside, workers she guessed.
She smiled as she raised the remote and.
BAMM!
The remote in her hand was struck by a blaster bolt, shattering it, the left-over heat burned her hand!
She spun with an angry curse, shaking her burned fingers. Still she was able to draw her light pike, prepare to block the next shot.
It wasn't aimed at her.
BAMM!
It hit one of the hunters, one of the two holding Temmin. The creature died with one final bleating giggle.
As it fell Temmin got free!
That is when chaos broke out!
He roared as he swatted away the remaining hunter holding him. Gul tried to dive in with his short swords, but was struck with a knee in the gut and thrown into Calin and Lyka.
Temmin drew his blade and made for Tront, the Gamorrean still held the girl as a hostage.
"Tront," Rain shouted, "KILL…"
BAMM!
She didn't get the chance to finish. Gul tackled her, pulled her down as another sniper shot passed right where she was standing.
It would have gone through the back of her head.
As she tasted dirt, she heard her Twi'lek lover shout.
"SOMEBODY GET THAT SNIPER!"
Rain pushed her play thing away, just in time to hear Tront squeal. The Gamorrean staggered back having been struck by Temm. Freeing his blond plaything, and now…
"SWITCH! RUN!"
Rain's eyes narrowed in anger.
The girl was getting away!
She raised her hand, sending a blast of Force lightning. She didn't have the talent her master had, but it would have been enough to kill.
The blast never found the girl it crackled harmlessly to her side.
Lyka came to her aid, firing a blast of dark side energy from her gauntlet, the one made by her alchemist father.
Again, the blast didn't track, the energies flared wildly, disrupted.
Rain shook her head, she felt disoriented.
Had she hit her head when she fell.
She…
One of the three remaining hunters lunged at Temm, getting inside his guard before he could raise his saber. Yet, that didn't stop the young half-blood, he released his weapon and grabbed the creature by the neck, lifting it into the air.
He roared with anger as he literally twisted the fool creature's head, ending its life with a sickening snap. He then released it, spun it around and threw it into Tig, the large monster caught the body, but went down. Rain didn't see Ziza, she must have been off dealing with the sniper.
Rain rolled to her feet, her blade lit, Calin and Lyka were at her side, their sabers engaged as well. Tigg growled, flexing his claws, ignoring his weapon's belt. Tront snorted as he held his ax at the ready, while Gul brandished his swords.
He sneered at Temmin.
"I'll have your head, half-blood!"
"Come and take it, Tail-head!"
Gul almost leapt in, but Rain stopped him, her eyes narrowed as she looked at Temm…her first love.
The one who had betrayed her.
"Surround him," she ordered, " Attack as one!"
She grinned wickedly.
"We will dance on his grave!"
Temm watched them as they began to spread out, he tried to back up, give himself room to move, but he found himself cut off by Tront and Tigg.
Rain's blood burned with excitement, even as part of her recoiled slightly.
She had not wanted it to be this way. She had wanted Temm with her, at her side, where he should have been.
No, the pleasure of what was about to happen was minimal. She would still do it, as her master ordered, and then she would hunt down the little blond mechanic, gut her for making her love betray her, making him…
"AWHOOOO!"
The familiar howl made her eyes widen, even as the speeder roared down the street, sliding to a stop as it swung around…
…but not before slamming into Tigg and Tront! The force sent the hunter and the Gamorrean flying.
A shadow wielding a green blade leapt out, it moved with a speed that even a Sith's eye couldn't catch.
One moment it was flying through the air, and the next, it was in before her, the emerald blade swinging at her face!
"WHOA!"
She spun backward, pirouetting out of the way as Lady Taya had showed her in the earliest days of her training. Back pedaling with difficult with her bad foot.
She extended her pike to the fullest length, trying to get some room between her and her opponent.
Their blades met twenty to thirty times in less than five seconds, only then did they pause.
Only then, did she truly see who she faced.
"Master Shyra," she said coldly.
The beast woman growled.
"Well look at you, the witch's serving girl…all grown up."
Shyra raised her blade.
"I'm bringing you in for murder, girl. You and your flunkies."
Shyra smiled.
"The commander will be wanting to talk to you."
"That is not happening," Rain spat back, " My people…"
She looked up, realized just how bad things had gotten in the last few minutes.
Temmin was dancing with Gul, their blades flashing. Tigg and Tront were both injured, but had drawn hand blasters, trading fire with Shyra Viel's speeder, using their weapons to keep a Weequay, a Wookie, and a large human woman at bay.
Calin and Lyka were engaging an old Sith pureblood, the man whirled with a speed and skill that left her two teammates almost tripping over each other as they tried to land a killing blow.
Rain's eyes narrowed.
It didn't take a military genius to know how this fight would end.
She did the only thing she could do.
She hit the button on her beckon-call, summoning Rink.
Then…she attacked.
She fired a blast of lightning, that Shyra caught with her blade, and then moved in, using her chaotic style to try and overwhelm the Jedi's defenses.
Shyra met her attacks, and tried to go on the offensive, she tried to slice Rain's light pike in half, but the cortosis weave plating held. Her Niman keeping the Jedi guessing.
Of course, she was also pushing herself, trying to keep up with the Jedi Master, would exhaust her reserves eventually.
I need to kill her quickly, she thought.
A thought that excited her.
If she could return to her master with news that she had slain Shyra Viel, one of her master's greatest rivals. She could…
"Yikes!"
Rain was forced to fall back again, the Jedi switched easily between the styles of Makashi and Djem So. Her features becoming more beast-like with each exchange.
Shyra Viel no longer looked human, her face had become the mussel of a beast, her lips pulled back in a savage snarl.
Rain tried to catch her with the weighted end of her pike, but the beast ducked, ducked and tumbled under her weapon, getting inside her guard.
The Sith only just managed to whirl away as the Jedi's blade sliced at her legs.
She cartwheeled back and found her center again, dropping into her guard.
Shyra hissed and moved in again.
Rain gritted her teeth.
So much for killing her first Jedi Master.
The beast was good, almost too good.
She swung her pike back and forth, keeping her foe back.
This, she realized…could be a problem.
IOI
"I heard of you before this night Jedi. My Lady Rain spoke of you sometimes."
The Twi'lek gave him a toothy grin.
"It seems her opinion of you is a bit…inflated. I thought it would be challenging to fight a Jedi…
…I was wrong."
Temmin moved again as the warrior charged him. He could not deny that Rain's ally was not wrong.
His saber skills were not what they were three years ago. They had gotten better since his grandsire had come, and he had been forced to train again, but…
Temm avoided a slash from the Twi'lek's blade. He tried to take advantage when the offending sword was out of position, but the warrior easily adjusted his stance, and Temm almost found himself impaled by the sword in his enemy's opposite hand.
He was forced to give ground…again.
The creature called Gul laughed.
"Oh! Now you aren't even trying, come on, make me work for this win!"
Temm backflipped out of the range of his opponents' swords and fired his lanvarok. The discs caused his opponent to dodge, as Temmin made a slight lunge, his enemy tried to close in, expecting another attack.
He cried out as one of the discs returned, and sliced into his bicep, recalled by Temmin's power. As Gul whirled to parry two more returning discs…
Temmin struck.
He would have taken off the Twi'lek's head, but another of those creatures Zay had brought with her appeared. It blocked his attack with a cortosis weave blade.
It laughed as it gave him a shove back.
Temm thrust his hand forward. The Force push sending the creature flying back. Tripping over the Twi'lek, the two went down in a tumble of arms and legs.
Before he could finish either off, he noticed how his grandsire was being ganged up on.
He abandoned his fight, and ran to aid the old pureblood.
The Sith girl, seeing him approach, fired a blast from her gauntlet. Most of the blast dissipated before it could strike him.
Temmin's eyes narrowed.
Something was not quite right.
The Force flowing between the combatants was…off somehow. His Force push should have sent the creature that he hit flying, but she had only just stumbled over the Twi'lek.
Was he that out of practice…or was their something more going on?
His blade met the girl's and she retreated.
Temm ended up standing beside his grandfather, the old pure blood was grinning.
"Are you okay, Grandsire?"
Gnar chuckled.
"It has been a while since I've been able to test myself like this." He said, his eyes turning to their opponents, "I owe you a debt, children. I had feared that I had lost a step."
"You will lose more than a step, old man," the boy declared.
If Gnar was worried he didn't show it.
He smirked.
"Allow me to offer you some wisdom, boy. Be wary of old warriors. To survive to old age among the warriors of the Sith is to show your power…to show TRUE power."
"Or cowardice," the boy spat back, "You probably stayed back while…"
Gnar roared and raised his hand.
The boy, Calin, gasped as the old pureblood tore through his Force-shield. Tore threw them and lifted him in the air.
He gasped as the old one closed his hand into a fist.
Calin Dresco's body compacted like an empty ration's can. Blood spurted from his mouth as Gnar threw down his broken corpse.
The girl, Lyka wailed his name and threw herself at her enemies in grief fueled rage.
Temmin flung her back, sending her skidding across the dusty ground.
Gnar looked down at the dead Sith before him.
"There is your cowardice, boy," he spat.
Both men moved in to finish off Lyka.
The air above them was split by a Sonic boom!
Both men were sent flying. Temm managed to correct that flight and turn it into a controlled tumble. He came up on his feet, noticing that his grandfather had done the same.
His eyes narrowed.
A Sith interceptor craft now hovered over Eulogy.
Its automated belly gun spat fire.
Temm back pedaled, he used his saber to block the blasts.
While at the same time noticed that the Sith girl had recovered the body of her dead comrade.
All around them, Zay's, Rain's, allies were falling back to their ship.
Temmin growled.
No.
They couldn't get away.
He tried to advance only to be pushed back by the ship's weapons.
No, he thought.
NO!
IOI
"Fall back," Rain shouted, "Back the ship!"
"FALL BACK!"
The arrival of the Fury had broken up her fight with Master Shyra, and now the ship's swivel blaster was keeping their enemies back, but it would not last for long.
Rain bit her lip.
This fight was over, she knew that.
She cursed under her breath.
They had lost!
Avaryss' apprentice was no coward, but the odds were turning against them.
They had lost two hunters, and now…Calin.
She shivered.
What was going to tell Lady Taya.
Her little brother was dead!
Tront limped towards the ship, squealing in pain. Ziza had Tigg leaning on her shoulder, struggling to make their way back.
Gul stumbled up to her, looking furious!
"We can still win this!" he shouted.
"No," she responded, "Look!"
Pirates were emerging from the various buildings, the web of disinterest she had wove around the town of Eulogy had failed.
The pirates knew they were here, and were now mobilizing.
Blaster shots sang out all around the Fury. If they had any heavy cannons the ship might be in danger.
They needed to leave before such a weapon could be deployed.
The landing ramp lowered.
Commander Holli leapt down, wielding a repeating blaster rifle.
She covered their escape.
"COME ON!" she shouted, "WE ARE GOING!"
Gul snarled, he saw Temmin, the Weequay and the Wookie now at his side, them, and the mechanic girl.
Rain cursed loudly, she summoned a bolt of Force lightning, but it was stopped by the old pureblood.
More blasts converged on the Twi'lek and his Sith lover.
"We are done," he said taking Rain's arm.
She pulled away from him.
She shook her head, her rage upon her.
No, one more death!
She raised her hand, and reached out with the Force, she watched as the blond gasped. She…
BAMM!
She cried out as a blaster bolt caught her hand.
The sniper again.
She gasped, looking down at her hand.
She had lost two fingers.
Gul grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder.
She cried out in fury.
"I'LL KILL HIM!" she cried.
"THEY'RE DEAD! THEY'RE!"
"LYKA!" Gul shouted over the blaster fire.
"WE ARE LEE-VING!"
Teary eyed, the girl fled back to the ship. She ran past Holli as Gul followed.
The changeling fell back, sealing the hatch behind her.
Rain was still cursing as Gul set her down, the Fury's engines roared as they clawed for altitude, leaving the village of Eulogy behind.
"Hold on back there," Rink called out.
Teryn appeared at her side, the merc tried to get a look at her damaged hand.
She pushed him away.
She felt like a reactor ready to go supercritical.
Damn you, Temm!
DAMN YOU!
Rain was breathing hard, pain and rage filled her, she thought of revenge, wanting it so bad.
Wanting to make Temmin's friends suffer.
She thought of ordering Rink to strafe the town, the Fury's cannons could do a bit more damage, but the sound of blaster strikes hitting the ship's shields made her reconsider.
The pirates had sent ships after them.
Again, she had to accept what had happened.
They had lost this round.
They had lost.
She was trying not to look at her ruined hand. She…they…
ARGHH!
Temmin was gone.
She had lost him, probably forever.
She…she…
Her eyes widened.
She had failed.
FAILED!
Oh no!
Master, she thought.
The penalty for failure was death!
Her master would…
No.
NO!
She swallowed hard.
No, she thought.
Oh no!
IOI
"My ships will stop them!"
Shyra looked at Captain Buz, the pirate lord was shouting into his commlink, calling on his sentry ships to pursue the interceptor.
They might bring it down, if it tried to attack again, but she doubted it would.
Right now, the only thing the Sith could hope for was to escape.
Of course, they had hurt the people of Eulogy.
Yes, they had hurt this place badly.
Shyra growled as she closed down her saber. She looked at the damage done to Eulogy.
She shuddered.
The Last Breath was gone, only burning wreckage remained. Her sensitive nose picking up the smell of burned flesh., The same smell that was now coming from one of the town's apartment buildings.
It had been destroyed too!
She shook her head.
So much death!
She spoke into her own commlink. Kort had stayed behind with Erbba, maybe they could get the Fallow in the air, stop that interceptor…
A fool's hope she realized.
She growled.
More blood on the witch's hands.
She looked up at Temmin, the boy was on his knees, badly beat, Switch was with him, tearfully helping him.
She also looked down at the dead creatures, the things that had been helping Zay.
She had never seen anything like them, but sensed something…similar, a kinship of sorts.
Sith alchemy, she realized.
The creatures stank of it.
It was a smell she knew well.
She had also begun her life as a creation of the Sith.
She knew something like her when she smelled it.
They would have to be examined, determine what they were…in case Avaryss had more.
As for her own people, they didn't seem the worse for wear.
Dunc was striding through the crowd, trying to organize a brigade to help put the Last Breath fire out. Gnar was speaking with Rufo, she heard him mention detonators.
Those would need to be removed quickly, less the Sith finish what they started. If they were on a timer…
Rix Hunt emerged from his sniper's perch, he was bleeding from the shoulder, but it didn't look too bad.
He brushed her off when she tried to help him.
"I'm fine," he hissed, "Help the others."
She obeyed, but not before taking one last look at where the Sith vessel had retreated.
She shook her head.
You didn't get what you wanted this time, witch, she thought, thinking of her old rival.
She could almost see Avaryss' cruel face, imagined her reaction when Zay ran back to her and told her what happened.
The Jedi smiled grimly.
She knew how the Sith rewarded failure.
Zay would return empty handed, the place she was sent to destroy was still standing.
How would a Sith Master react to that?
One thing was certain she thought. The serving girl might not be a problem much longer.
Her master…would not be pleased.