The Republic camp was silent and tense; the knowledge that at dawn, a major battle would take place that would decide the fate of Dathomir had sent many of the Republic troops to bed early, desperately trying to gain a few hours of blessed sleep before the battle began. In one of the many buildings that made up the Republic base, two soldiers were staring silently at the prone form of an unconscious pink Twi'lek female, their rifles held at the ready.
With a tired sigh, one of the soldiers turned to his companion,
"How long until dawn, you think?"
"It can't be much longer," the female replied, "maybe two hours at most."
"I wish I knew why this bitch's son is worth all this trouble," the male sneered, pointing his rifle at the unmoving Twi'lek, "Considering how many Republic troops this one has killed, we would be doing the galaxy a favor by just putting a bolt in her skull."
"Not saying I don't agree with you," the female replied, "But our orders are to keep her alive until the Jedi return with her brat. I don't know about you, but I don't want to end up on the wrong side of a Jedi knight…"
"We should be a part of the upcoming battle…" The male growled, "But no, instead, we're relegated to playing babysitter for some Mandalorian bitch! It's not fair! This isn't what I signed up for, I joined to kill Imperials for what they did to my home world!"
"Me too…" The female replied sadly, "But we have our orders, whether we like them or not is irrelevant."
The male released another angry sigh before turning to leave,
"Where are you going?" The female demanded,
"I have to take a piss," the male sneered back.
"Our orders are to guard the Mandalorian," the female spat back angrily at her companion's coarse language and refusal to follow orders; this wasn't the first time he had disobeyed orders, and she was in no mood for another punishment duty because of him. "We're to remain here until Master Oaksmith returns."
"The bitch is unconscious," the male sneered back, "She's not going anywhere, and honestly, I don't think we're both needed to guard one unarmed prisoner."
"You should know as well as I that even an unarmed Mandalorian is dangerous," the female hissed angrily, "Or have you forgotten how many of us they killed at Bomodon?"
"I'll be gone five minutes," the male replied angrily, "Don't be such a coward…"
Unseen under her helmet, the female colored with rage, but before she could respond, her companion quickly opened the door and walked out, leaving her alone with the prisoner.
"Unbelievable…" The female growled, shaking her head angrily; she'd be informing Master Oaksmith about this the first chance she got. How that moron ever managed to last as long as he had in the Republic army was beyond her, the Republic must genuinely be desperate if men such as her companion were allowed to serve.
Personally, she thought he should have been discharged long ago, and hopefully, this would serve as the final straw needed to see him gone for good. So consumed in her own grumblings of her companion and his inability to follow orders that the female failed to notice the pink Twi'lek was no longer lying prone on the floor behind her but rather had silently climbed to her feet and had managed to approach the unsuspecting guard. Terra had awoken some time ago and had wisely chosen to remain perfectly still, hoping beyond hope that some way of escape would present itself and allow her to make her way back to the Imperial base before the Jedi managed to complete their mission and kidnapped her son, Killian.
It seemed her patience was finally rewarded, and Terra had immediately used the female guard's distraction to her advantage, quickly and quietly rising to her feet and approaching the female's unsuspecting back. As quick as a snake strike, Terra lunged forward and swung her bound hands over the woman's head before pulling back, using the very metal bracelets that bound Terra's hands to choke the soldier from behind. Caught by surprise at the sudden attack, the commando's weapon dropped from her hand as she brought both hands to her neck, trying in vain to free her airway from the metal coil that was strangling her.
Unseen behind her helmet, the female's eyes widened in panic. She tried to scream for help, only for her voice to come out as a gasp as Terra savagely jerked the cuffs harder against the woman's throat; as Terra pulled back again, both women fell backward to the floor, and Terra let out a small gasp as she fell onto her back. The guard fell on top of her, momentarily knocking the air out of Terra's lungs.
Using the floor for added leverage, Terra wrapped her legs around the struggling woman and pulled her cuffs as tight as she could against the woman's throat as the female's struggles began to grow weaker.
"You shouldn't have threatened my kid…" Terra whispered into the woman's ear before giving the cuffs one final savage jerk, which caused a loud 'snap' to sound within the quiet room, signifying that the woman's neck had been broken.
Instantly, the woman's struggles came to an end, and she collapsed on top of Terra lifelessly; for several moments, Terra continued to hold the cuffs against the dead woman's throat, her own breath coming out in gasps from the terrific fight the female guard had put up.
Finally, with a growl of annoyance, Terra pulled her cuffed hands off of the woman's throat and shoved the corpse off of her before quickly ruffling through the woman's pockets for the key to Terra's cuffs. Terra had almost given up hope when she finally managed to find her quarry and quickly unlocked her wrists, rubbing them for a moment once she was free.
Quickly grabbing the fallen rifle, knelt in front of the door and waited for the dead woman's companion to return; knowing that the sound of a bolt firing would wake the entire base and make any escape impossible, Terra switched the rifle to stun. It wasn't a moment later that Terra's target arrived, entering the room with his weapon held lazily in his hand, the barrel facing the floor.
"Wha…?" The commando said before Terra fired, sending a blue ring of energy to spiral from the barrel and slam into the soldier in less than a second; instantly, the man dropped to the floor in a heap, and Terra quickly jumped to her feet and dragged him into the room, peaking her head out the door for a moment to see if there were any guards nearby watching. To her relief, the outside was pitch black, with only the stars to cast a small amount of light upon the unsuspecting base; ducking back inside, Terra quickly closed the door before turning back to the unconscious man.
With a snarl of contempt, Terra raised the rifle over her head and brought the buttstock down three times on the commando's throat, crushing it beyond repair and ensuring the man's death.
Twenty minutes later, a Republic trooper with pink lekku trailing out of the back of their helmet, quickly and quietly made their way out of the Republic base on a stolen speeder bike as they raced toward the Imperial base. The scream of the bike's engine was like an alarm, and soon the entire base was bursting with activity as the remaining soldiers tried to figure out what was happening. By the time the two dead guards were found, Terra would be long gone.
As the two troopers bodies, one of which was stripped naked, were brought before Jedi Master Durango, the Lannik couldn't help but growl in aggravation; he had told Talon that the Mandalorian was too dangerous to be left alive, that she should have been executed alongside the rest of her filthy kind. Instead, Talon had argued that the woman was necessary to complete his mission of recovering the woman's brat; given that Talon's mission was given to him directly by the Jedi council, Durango had no choice but to acquiesce, even though the capitulation filled the Lannik Jedi with disgust.
Now, the entire battle plan that Master Durango had painstakingly planned down to the last second was in jeopardy, all because of one woman that Talon had mistakenly chosen to spare!
"Get the troops ready…" Master Durango growled, causing his guards to turn to him with surprise, "And send a messenger to the witches to begin their advance toward the Imperial base."
"Sir? We've still a few hours before dawn…"
"The plan has changed!" Master Durango snapped, "Once that Mandalorian bitch reaches the Imperials, the game will be all over! They'll know that we're coming, and any hope of surprise will be lost! Our only remaining hope of victory is to attack before they have a chance to shore up their defenses!"
"So, what are your orders, sir?" Master Durango's guard replied in a stiff voice as she gazed at the diminutive Jedi; though small, his aura was one of absolute power that almost left her breathless. This was further enhanced by the Jedi general's recent refusal to wear the customary robes of his Order, choosing instead to wear a set of pitch-black Republic Commando armor with red highlights along the neck and shoulders.
Ripping his lightsaber from his hip, Master Durango ignited the weapon and held it high over his head, the green glow of the blade seeming to cast an eerie light amongst the listeners as the Jedi roared out,
"We. Move. Now!"
XXXX
Talon tried not to show how nervous he felt as he stood alongside his fellow Jedi, all clad in different colored Mandalorian armor; Talon had chosen a set of forest green armor, taken from a genuinely proficient warrior that had managed to kill eight of Talon's troops before the Jedi managed to behead the man. Two short hours were all Talon, and his squad had to find their target and escape the base before Master Durango unleashed everything he had on the unsuspecting base.
As Talon gazed around at his fellow Jedi, he could almost taste the tension and nervousness in the air as though it were a physical presence amongst them. Six Jedi were all that Talon had been allowed to 'borrow' for this mission. Six, and one pilot against the literal hundreds of Imperial troops that were currently standing ready at the Imperial base where Talon was headed. Would it be enough? Truthfully, Talon knew that the odds were massively stacked against him and that this mission may very well end in failure, but the reward far outweighed the risks, at least as far as Talon was concerned.
In his entire life as a Jedi, Talon had only encountered one being that came close to the strength that Talon felt when he last met with Killian Farr, and that was the former Grand Master of the Jedi order, who had passed peacefully into the Force nearly a decade prior, at the incredible age of two hundred and thirty. Unseen beneath his helmet, Talon closed his eyes and bowed his head respectfully as he remembered his old mentor; if only the man had lived a few more years, perhaps this war would have already been won and the Imperials driven back into wild space, or better yet, obliterated.
Reopening his eyes, Talon raised his head back up as his mind returned to the matter at hand. Killian Farr was incredibly powerful, untrained perhaps, but powerful. And right now, Killian was at a tipping point, caught in the middle between light and dark. The boy could use his incredible potential to bring an era of peace to the galaxy not seen in centuries, or he could use it to bring destruction and death on a scale that Talon could scarcely imagine. Talon was determined to ensure the boy was put on the correct course. As the dark outline of the Imperial base came into view, Talon felt the tension in the shuttle ratchet up even higher; a moment later, a voice echoed over the shuttle's speakers,
"Inbound shuttle, you are approaching Imperial airspace, transmit landing codes immediately, or prepare to be destroyed."
"Let's hope our spy was telling the truth…" Satele muttered from beside Talon as the pair watched their pilot press a button and begin to send the requested codes.
For the next several moments, no one in the shuttle seemed to breathe as the base grew ever closer, and yet no word came over the speaker; finally, after what seemed like an eternity, one of the Jedi standing behind Talon but out,
"Something's wrong, too much time has passed. We need to turn back!"
"If we turn around now, they'll shoot us out of the sky," Talon snapped back, "We have no choice but to continue on."
A moment later, Talon's prayers were answered as the voice came over the speaker again,
"Inbound shuttle, your landing codes have been approved. Proceed to landing zone three."
The group seemed to all release their breath simultaneously as the tension eased in the shuttle; a moment later, Talon swallowed nervously again as the shuttle flew over the base wall and headed toward their ordered landing zone.
"Pilot, when we land, I want you to stay with the ship," Talon said immediately, "We may need to make a quick getaway. Keep the ship ready to leave at a moment's notice, and under no circumstances are you to let anyone aboard. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir!" The Republic pilot replied at once, discipline taking over in an instant and making Talon nod approvingly. Turning back to those standing behind him, Talon began to issue orders as he gazed at his fellow Jedi, some he had known nearly all his life.
"Now, you all know why we are here, to find and capture Killian Farr. Each of you has been briefed on his looks and his fighting style; under no circumstances are you to underestimate him! He may look like a teenager, but he and his squad, 'Killer Frost,' have been responsible for more Mandalorian victories than any other unit! If given the opportunity, he will kill you without a second thought, so watch out for each other and do not give him or his squad a chance to kill you, are we clear?"
Echoes of "Yes, master" resounded within the shuttle, and Talon nodded approvingly before he continued.
"Now, Satele and Drax will be coming with me to search the north of the base." Satele, dressed in dark blue armor, and another Jedi in blood red armor both nodded at that, "Ben, I want you to take Kat and Beatrice and search the south." Three Jedi in matching grey armor all nodded at once, "Remember that there are Sith here, so be very careful about using the Force to search. Only use the Force if you must; we do not want to alert our enemies until we are long gone unless we have no other choice."
"We will not fail you, master," Ben Tavo replied, bowing his head respectfully. "And should we find the boy?"
"Try and use non-lethal means to subdue him," Talon replied, "But if you feel the odds are against you, then the codeword will be Odysseus. If any of us hear that, we'll come running."
Satele smirked, unseen beneath her helmet, at the irony of using a character from one of Killian's own stories to track him down, and not just any character, but the one who had managed to end the Trojan War, not through military superiority but rather through trickery.
As the shuttle slowly began to land, the other Jedi all turned as one to the back, swallowing down their nervousness as they awaited the doors to open; when they did, Talon nearly fell to his knees as the Dark Side slammed into him with all the strength of a charging Rancor. The Imperial base seemed to be inundated with the power of the Dark Side; the very air filling his lungs seemed to be saturated in it, and Talon had to take several deep breaths before he managed to find his center again. Casting an eye to his companions, Talon saw that they all had felt the same way, and Ben Tavo's apprentice, Beatrice, had actually fallen onto one knee for a moment before she managed to rise shakily back to her feet.
"Force…" Satele breathed, "I never imagined it would feel like this…. It's as though this entire base is shrouded in evil…"
"It is…" Talon replied, "But we are Jedi. We do not fear the dark. We fight against it. Remember that, and you need not fear what's out there."
The other Jedi seemed to take strength from his words, their backs straightening and their heads raising a bit, making Talon nod at them in approval.
"We have two hours before the attack begins," Talon growled. "Let's find the boy and get out of here!"
Several eager grunts followed his words as the Jedi all began to make their way down the ramp and into the camp of their hated enemy.
XXXX
Darth Striga was floating several inches off the floor, her eyes closed in silent meditation as she delved deeply into the Force, searching desperately for some way to end the annoying predicament she currently was in. For nearly a month, the Republic troops on this world had been waging guerrilla warfare against her; rather than face her with honor, the one in charge of the Republic army had wisely chosen to pick Striga's troops apart, one piece at a time. Scouts had gone out looking for the army, only to vanish without a trace, and any ships that Striga sent out soon found themselves blown out of the sky. It was maddening! More than one poor soul had been shown just how little patience Darth Striga had left, bringing her bad news only to suddenly find themselves sliced in two, or else Force choked until their necks broke.
The mission parameters that Striga had been given upon taking command of this army had been crystal clear: she must either bring the witches of Dathomir into an alliance with the Sith Empire, or else destroy the planet completely so as to not leave an enemy at the Imperials back as they pushed farther into Republic space.
She had tried several times to reach out to the witches, trying to entice them with offers of rewards and power beyond their wildest dreams if they would only join with her, yet every attempt at diplomacy was met with a violent refusal to submit; Striga's last attempt had been especially violent, with her messenger being sent back in pieces, with the word 'No' carved into his severed head.
The more Striga thought about it, the angrier she became; how DARE these pathetic alien scum defy the demands of the emperor! They should have fallen to their knees and proclaimed their gratitude that the emperor even deigned to allow them to become an ally to the Sith Empire, rather than slaves as was the usual custom of nearly every alien world that the Imperials had conquered.
As Striga delved ever deeper into the Dark Side, her rage became a physical thing, and the metal beams of her room began to groan as they were slowly crushed by the power of her anger. A moment later, several overhead lights exploded from the power spreading out within the room, sending showers of sparks and glass cascading down around Striga.
As the room continued to warp around her, Striga suddenly felt something, something that didn't belong… Following the sensation, Striga nearly gasped as she followed the trail to its destination, there was a Jedi in her camp! How had they managed to get inside her camp? And better yet, why would they make the suicidal decision to come, alone, to a place where literally hundreds of Imperials would have liked nothing better than to see them dead! The Jedi must have sensed that they had been caught, for Striga felt a momentary flicker of panic before the Jedi's Force signature all but vanished, as though they had disappeared entirely.
Slowly opening her eyes, Striga gently lowered herself to the floor before rising to her feet, a look of sadistic pleasure on her face as she lowered her hand to her lightsaber and began to caress it as if it were a lover. She didn't know what reason had brought the suicidal Jedi to her base, but she thanked the Dark Side that they did; she would not let this opportunity pass her by. Licking her lips for a moment, Striga allowed the power of the Dark Side to fill her as she worked out what to do next; she would track this Jedi down like a hunter tracks its prey, and when she found them, she would finally learn the location of the Republic's base, one way or another, the Jedi would talk.
Striding out of her room, Striga stepped past the two Sith who had been tasked with guarding her, barely giving them a look as she stormed past them into the cool night, yet knowing that they were following, all the same.
After several steps, Striga stopped and turned to her guard; both were wearing the traditional black robes of the Sith, complete with a silver mask that had swirling patterns carved into it and hid their identity.
"You…" Striga growled, pointing to the guard on the right and causing said guard to immediately kneel before her, "Go and deliver a message to the rest of our brothers and sisters."
"What message, my lady?" The Sith replied in a deep baritone voice that was not unpleasant to Striga's ears; perhaps if his looks were as good as his voice, she would take him to her bed when this was over.
"There is a Jedi hiding in our camp," Striga replied, causing both Sith to start slightly at the revelation, "And I want them found. They are to be brought to me alive, I want to know what they are doing here."
"Yes, my lady…" The Sith replied at once, his head still bowed, yet through the Force, Striga could feel his anticipation at facing one of her people's hated enemies; deciding to let him have a little fun, Striga added,
"I want them alive, the condition they are in is immaterial to me. As long as they are still capable of speech."
Unseen beneath his mask, the Sith grinned sadistically at his mistress' order for a moment before slowly rising to his feet and stalking away to inform the others about the prey that had walked so willingly into their hands.
Once he was gone, Striga turned and began to stride away quickly, not needing to look to see that her guard was again following.
"You can run, little Jedi…" Striga growled, "But you cannot hide…."
XXXX
With a gasp, Killian shot up out of his bunk, nearly banging his head on Aola's bunk, which sat directly above his own; due to how close the squad was, Killer Frost had all chosen to bunk in the same room so as to be closer to one another, even if their rotating shifts made fraternization more difficult these days.
"Killian? You okay?" Aola's voice called out from above him, before her pink head appeared, staring down at him with worried eyes. It had only been a few hours since Killian's 'meltdown,' and for a few seconds, all he could do was stare at Aola's upside-down face as he tried to make the pounding in his skull go away, using a tiny bit of the Force, Killian willed the pain to recede and was able to breathe a sigh of relief as his headache went from agonizing to annoying. Casting an eye around the dark room, Killian could see that the other bunks were all empty, meaning that he and Aola were alone for the moment. Turning back to his sister's upside-down face, Killian swallowed against the impenetrable sadness that once again threatened to consume him as he recalled what the Force had shown him.
"Yeah… I'm alright…"
With all the grace of a cat, Aola fell sideways out of her bunk, before landing gracefully on her feet in front of Killian; a moment later, she kneeled down to face the teenager, a worried look evident on her face.
"Don't lie to me, Killian…" Aola whispered sadly. "I can always tell, remember? Is it what you told us earlier? Another nightmare? Do you want to talk about it?"
"Are… Are we still siblings?" Killian asked in a broken voice as he sat up and stared at his knees hidden beneath his blanket.
"Of course, we are, dummy!" Aola retorted, "What kind of question is that?"
"It's just… I've been so cruel to you, Aola…" Killian replied softly, "I haven't been acting like a good brother lately…."
"Killian, listen to me…" Aola replied, gently touching Killian's face and forcing him to look at her, "I know the terrible weight you must be under after learning who your true family is, but no matter who you share blood with, you will always be my brother. We share a bond that none can sever, and until the last breath leaves our bodies, we will always be family, okay?"
"But what about my vision?" Killian croaked, a single tear running down his cheek, "I don't want to hurt you, Aola. You or any of our friends and family…"
"I don't know much about visions, Killian…" Aola replied gently, her hand still pressed against her brother's cheek to keep him from looking away, "But I do know you. You could no more harm me than I could you… Whatever you saw was simply an illusion that bitch created to try and manipulate you. I know it."
Unable to stop himself, Killian immediately wrapped his arms around Aola and pulled her into a hug as his body shook with quiet sobs; Aola gently rubbed her brother's back, gently whispering words of comfort into her brother's ear as she did so. Many years may have passed since they found Killian on that plain on Alderaan, but Aola still knew that the years of abuse that Killian had suffered before coming to their galaxy had left a scar on her brother's soul that would forever linger; all she could do is be there for her brother when the pain from those scars proved too strong to ignore any longer.
Will… Will you stay with me?" Killian whispered back as he finally pulled away, staring at his sister with a red eye, "Just until morning? I don't… I don't want to be alone…."
"Of course, I will, dummy," Aola said gently, wiping away the tear tracks that had been left on her brother's cheeks.
As Aola climbed into the bed next to her brother, holding him close to her, she felt his body begin to relax, the tension and stress melting away.
"Where is everybody else?" Killian asked in a soft voice as he slowly began to drift back to sleep.
"On guard duty," Aola replied softly, "I was supposed to be on the wall tonight, but Alexander took my place so I could be here for you…"
As Killian finally began to fall back asleep, Aola heard him whisper one final thing,
"I love you, Aola…"
Feeling his body relax into her arms, Aola smiled gently down at the boy who had become her brother so long ago; no matter what this galaxy threw at them, they always had each other, and that was something that the pink Twi'lek was determined to ensure continued. Darth Striga might very well be Killian's real biological sister, but Aola was his true sister in all the ways that mattered, and Aola would kill that Sith bitch before she allowed her to take Killian away.
"I love you too, little brother…" Aola whispered back, running a gentle hand across his head, "Sleep, Killian. I'll be here to protect you until you wake…"
XXXX
Terra pushed the speeder bike as fast as she could, every second that she wasted trying to get back to the Imperial base was another second that her children were in danger; for all she knew, the Jedi were already inside the base!
Seeing the dark outline of the Imperial base appear on the horizon, Terra breathed a small sigh of relief; that was until she drew closer, and the guards on the wall began shouting at one another and pointing at her.
A moment later, the cannons on the wall began to open fire, peppering the ground around Terra and forcing her to steer sporadically as dirt and debris exploded around her.
"I'm on your side assholes!" Terra snarled angrily, missing being blown to pieces by literal inches as the ground beside her exploded; releasing her grip on the handlebars, Terra ripped the helmet off her head and threw it to the ground before continuing her approach toward the wall.
"STOP KRIFFING SHOOTING AT ME!" Terra shouted as loud as she could, her voice nearly breaking from the volume as she came within thirty feet of the base of the wall. Suddenly, the ground in front of the speeder bike exploded. The front end dipped into the newly formed crater with a loud crash, sending Terra flying over the handlebars before landing painfully on the ground and rolling a few feet.
As Terra slowly and painfully raised herself up, she swallowed hard as she realized that she was most likely about to die, and no one would be able to warn the Imperials about what was coming.
"Stop!" A sudden voice called out into the night, "Stop firing! That's my aunt!"
Terra had never been a particularly religious person by any stretch of the imagination, but at that moment, as she heard her nephew's voice ring out, Terra whispered a silent prayer of gratitude to anyone who might be listening.
A moment later, a dozen guards dropped from the sky, their jetpacks turning off as they landed and their weapons trained on Terra.
"General Farr…?" One of the guards, a Mandalorian in blue armor, asked in surprise, "It really is you! Where is the rest of your squad? And why, the kriff, are you wearing a Republic soldier's outfit? We nearly killed you!"
"I know, I was there!" Terra snapped back angrily as Alexander suddenly appeared at her side and wrapped her arm over his shoulder, "And as to why I am wearing the armor of our enemy, that would be because I was captured by them. The others are all dead."
"Yet you live…" One Imperial officer said in an oily voice as he approached the injured woman, "How?"
"They wanted me alive," Terra growled back, "For insurance."
"Insurance for what?" Alexander asked quickly,
"For Killian…" Terra hissed in pain, "The Jedi want to capture your cousin and take him back to Coruscant in order to brainwash him into one of them!"
"Do you mean to tell me," the Imperial officer demanded in a panicked voice, "That there is a group of Jedi loose in my base! How the kriff did they get in! What did you do, alien?!"
"You watch your tongue!" A Mandalorian in red armor snarled, "That is our general you are speaking to!"
"I did nothing!" Terra retorted, "Those Jedi filth stripped my people of their armor and are using it to hide themselves as they search for my son. But that's not all! The Republic are planning a major offensive against us! We need to prep our defenses before they get here!"
Hearing that the Jedi had not only stolen the armor from their kin, but were also wearing it to hide amongst them, the assembled Mandalorians all seemed to snarl as one with fury.
The Imperials were all staring at Terra in shock as they took in the second thing that she had said, a major offensive? If Terra had been killed, they would have been caught completely unawares!
"Sound the alarm!" The Imperial officer yelled out as he rushed back to the base, "We have Jedi inside the compound! We need to find them! And get those cannons reloaded! The Republic army is coming!"
"Hey, what's that…?" An Imperial asked softly, pointing out toward the trees at something and making the others turn.
A moment later, all hell broke loose as dozens of bolts exploded out of the trees toward the small group; the few Imperials who were too slow to react were soon turned into Swiss cheese, a multitude of holes punching into them and ensuring that they were dead before they hit the ground.
"It's the Republic!" Terra screamed out as she and the others dove to the ground, "Everyone get back to the base!"
As the Mandalorians and Imperials began to sprint back to the slowly closing door of the base, Terra snarled with fury; were the Imperials really going to close the doors before they managed to get back in? Locking their own comrades outside and leaving them to the mercy of the Republic army? As the doors continued to slowly close shut, Terra knew that she had her answer, damn the Imperials to hell for their cowardice!
"Alexander, leave me," Terra growled as she limped as fast as she could toward the door, "I'm only slowing you down…"
"Respectfully, aunt," Alexander retorted as he tried to move faster, "Shut the kriff up! Mandalorians do not abandon their own! Besides, Aola and Killian would murder me if I left you behind just to save myself!"
Terra felt a wave of pride rush through her at her nephew. He had grown into a fine man in the time since he had earned his armor, and she knew that one day, he would make a great leader to their people.
As dozens of bolts flashed past them, some missing the pair by inches, Terra began to fear that they would not make it, even as the door grew closer; at the last possible second, when there was barely enough room for them to squeeze in without being crushed, the pair managed to get through the gate, collapsing onto the ground as the door boomed behind them.
"Get my aunt to the medical station!" Alexander roared as he rose to his feet and hurried up the stairs to take his place on the wall, "And awaken the rest of our troops! We're under attack!"
"Yes, sir! Right away!" A Mandalorian in green armor called out before he and his companion gently helped Terra to her feet; as she was led away, Terra cast an eye back toward the wall. By now, hundreds of red bolts were flashing over the wall. The air shook with the sound of thunder as the Imperial cannons fired out into the night. In contrast, the cannons of the Republic responded in full, slamming into the ground outside and shaking the earth beneath Terra's feet. The battle for Dathomir had begun…
XXXX
As the sound of cannons reached Talon's ear, he had to physically suppress the sudden wave of anger that shot through him, even as his fists clenched.
"We still have over an hour until dawn!" Satele whispered harshly as she and the other two Jedi ducked behind a nearby wall, "Why are they firing their cannons?"
"Because Master Durango decided to begin his assault early," Talon growled, causing the other to turn to him.
"But what about the plan!" Satele demanded, "He was told to give us until dawn!"
"Obviously, he decided to kriff the plan!" Drax retorted,
"It would seem so…" Talon replied in a dangerous voice.
"What do we do now, master?" Drax asked as the three ducked further into the shadows as a group of armed Imperials ran past them, "Do we go back to the shuttle?"
Talon worried his lip, unseen beneath his helmet, for a moment before taking a deep breath and regaining his center.
"No, we would be blown out of the sky before we made it a mile, either by our own troops or by the Imperials."
"So, what do we do?" Satele asked respectfully, taking courage from the older Jedi's apparent lack of fear.
"The plan remains the same: find the boy and leave," Talon replied quickly. "With the base under attack, our time is even more limited than it was before, so we will need to split up. Try to remain inconspicuous. Remember, there are still Sith here who will sense you if you use the Force. If you find Killian Farr, try and subdue him as quickly as possible and radio the rest of us."
"May the Force be with you, master," Satele replied softly,
"And with you both as well," Talon replied, "Be safe, the both of you…"
With a nod, both Jedi darted off in opposite directions, leaving Talon alone for a moment before he, too, sprinted off in search of his quarry.
XXXX
The sound of the cannons firing instantly had Aola and Killian shooting up into a seated position, sharing one sleepy, confused look at one another before full clarity returned to them, and they scrambled out of bed. A moment later, an alarm began blasting out of the speakers outside their barracks. Tearing open the lockers that sat next to their bunks, the pair immediately began to pull on their armor before reaching for their weapons and performing their preliminary inspection to make sure the weapons were operational, as they had done a thousand times before.
"What the kriff is going on!" Killian screamed as the ground suddenly shook with such intensity that he nearly lost his footing and had to grab the door of his locker to stabilize himself, his plasma rifle falling from his hand to the floor.
"I'm no expert, but I'd say we're under attack, dumbass!" Aola retorted as she placed her twin blasters in their holsters, "Looks like the Republic finally decided to come out and fight!"
"Where are Ben and the others?" Killian asked as he bent down to retrieve his rifle and quickly checked to make sure it was still operational.
"They were assigned guard duty on the north wall," Aola replied, "We should head that way!"
Biting back the rolling pain that was banging around his skull, Killian quickly nodded, and the two quickly strode to the door; as they stepped outside, Killian's eyes widened, unseen, under his helmet. Several buildings had been transformed into towering infernos, and there were soldiers in every direction, some not even appropriately dressed, running about screaming orders or otherwise still half asleep and trying to figure out what was going on. A group of four Imperials suddenly who had been running suddenly vanished in a shower of dirt and gore as the ground around them exploded; when the smoke cleared, Killian couldn't help but stare at the crater that had suddenly formed, inside which lay the broken remains of the soldiers.
"Killian!" Aola shouted, smacking him on the shoulder for good measure, "Move your ass! We've got a battle to win!"
"Right…. Right!" Killian replied, softly at first but then with conviction, "Let's get to the wall!"
As the two sprinted toward their destination, they rounded a corner and suddenly slammed into a Mandalorian in silver armor, sending the three to the ground in a painful heap that left them groaning for a moment.
As the warrior raised itself back to its feet, it turned to Killian and seemed to freeze for a moment.
The buzzing in Killian's head suddenly returned tenfold as he and Aola climbed to their feet and turned to the warrior. Trying to shake the buzzing away, Killian focused on the warrior, trying to discover what the Force was trying to tell him.
"What are you doing here?" Aola demanded, "You should be on the wall!"
"That is not where I am meant to be…" The silver warrior replied in a soft voice, "I have other orders."
"What orders?" Aola demanded in a confused voice as Killian tried to shake away the buzzing again.
Rather than reply, the silver warrior reached behind its back and pulled out a lightsaber, which it activated a moment later. The lightsaber sent a beam of blue light into the air, causing Aola and Killian to freeze in shock.
"Killian Farr, in the name of the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order, you are under arrest! Put your hands behind your head and surrender!"
Rather than reply, Killian immediately shouldered his rifle and began to open fire, causing the Jedi to twirl its weapon as they sent the bolts harmlessly away.
A moment later, Aola regained her composure and ripped her blasters from her holsters before opening fire alongside her brother; yet to the aggravation of both, neither of their shots seemed able to connect. Almost effortlessly, the Jedi sent every bolt that the pair fired sailing harmlessly away from him, or else back at the pair so that the three had begun what almost looked like a dance as each tried not to be hit.
Finally, the pair's luck seemed to run out as a bolt slammed into Aola's chest, ricocheting off of her armor and sending her to the ground with a cry. A moment later, another bolt struck Killian's rifle, causing it to explode in a small burst of flame and twisted metal, causing him to drop it with an angry cry.
Looking up, Killian felt his face pale as he saw the Jedi had placed their boot on Aola's chest, pinning her to the ground, while the tip of their lightsaber rested mere inches from Aola's throat.
"I have read the report on you, Killian Farr," the Jedi said softly, "I know that this girl is your adopted sister, and you will never do anything that would jeopardize your family. So, I will ask one final time: surrender or watch your sister die! I assure you that I will take no pleasure in the act, but I will kill her if you don't do as I say."
"Don't you kriffing dare, Killian!" Aola grunted painfully, "I'll kick your ass myself if you do!"
"You have ten seconds to decide…" The Jedi replied as Killian expression changed unseen beneath his helmet between hatred and worry.
Lowering his head as though in submission, Killian slowly lowered his right hand to his belt while Aola screamed at him not to surrender; through the Force, Killian could feel the Jedi's pleasure at him having seemingly given up, and it was that feeling that sent Killian over the edge.
With an angry roar, Killian leaped into the air, ripping his lightsaber from his belt and activating it as he came down, intending to slice the Jedi in half. Seeing the red blade, the Jedi released a cry of alarm before bringing its own blade up to block the blow; as the two swords connected, a sudden gust of wind exploded from the pair for a moment.
"Where did you get that armor?" Killian snarled as the two stared at one another, their blades connected and sparking dangerously.
Rather than answer, the Jedi simply stared at Killian in silence, their expression hidden behind the helmet they wore.
"You carry a red blade," the Jedi finally replied, "The weapon of a Sith… Master Talon wants you taken alive to take you back to Coruscant and show you the true way of the Force. But I can see now what a fool he is… You are already too far gone to join the Order. And you are too dangerous to be left alive…. I will no doubt be punished for this, by my master, but you must fall this day, Killian Farr. For the good of all."
"Bring it, asshole!" Killian snarled as the two separated and began to duel at full speed.
As the two dipped and dodged each other's strikes, Killian found himself, unbelievably, feeling gratitude for the weeks of hell that Darth Striga had put him through as she sought to teach him how to effectively wield a lightsaber. The Jedi, it seemed, had been trained in the Soresu form of lightsaber combat, and was elegantly twirling and dodging Killian's strikes in a way that reminded the boy of Obi-Wan Kenobi; while Killian, who had been primarily trained in the forms of Juyo and Ataru by Darth Striga and Darth Malgus respectively, tried to batter and bull through the Jedi's defenses.
Out of the corner of his eye, Killian could see that Aola had risen to one knee and was holding her blasters in front of her, trying to get a decent shot; unfortunately, the pair were moving too fast for her to.
"You have much anger in you, boy…" The Jedi replied softly, "Such hate…"
"Yeah, well, that's what happens when someone threatens to murder your sister!" Killian snarled as he ducked beneath a decapitation swing and followed it with a vertical slice, aimed to take the Jedi's arm off, only to growl in annoyance when the swing was blocked, "Not that you Jedi filth would know anything about family! Seeing as how you steal children from their parents the moment they're born!"
"Jedi do not 'steal children,' boy!" The Jedi retorted, showing their first sign of anger, "Being able to use the Force is a gift, but it is also a responsibility. And those born with this gift must learn how to properly use it, away from those who would use their gifts for their own selfish ends."
"Sure, keep telling yourself that," Killian sneered, "Whatever helps you sleep at night, kidnapper!"
A moment later, the Jedi cried out in pain and shock as the red tip of a lightsaber suddenly punched through their chest; jumping back in alarm, Killian could only stare as Darth Striga suddenly walked around the corner, having used levitation to place her weapon behind the Jedi and activating it without Killian or the Jedi even noticing.
"Very well said, little brother…" Striga chuckled darkly as she gently grabbed her weapon before ripping it free of the Jedi's back, causing the Jedi to collapse to the ground with a cry of agony.
Sneering down at the fallen Jedi for a moment, Striga clipped her weapon back on her hip before she looked up at Killian with what one could almost say was delight,
"I must say I am impressed, little brother…" Striga purred, causing both Aola and Killian to growl. "I was watching your duel for some time before you managed to get the Jedi into a position where I could strike. You did quite well. So, what do you say…?"
Knowing what she wanted of him, Killian swallowed down the anger that was burning through him before replying in a tight voice,
"Thank you for teaching me how to use my lightsaber properly…."
A Cheshire cat-like grin spread across Striga's face at that,
"You're very welcome, little brother…"
"Stop calling him that!" Aola suddenly snarled, causing the pair to turn to her; in the time since the duel ended, she had managed to rise to her feet with both blasters pointed straight at Striga's head, "He is NOT your brother! He is mine!"
Striga growled at that and turned fully to Aola, her hand dropping to the weapon on her hip.
"No, he is not…" Striga hissed, sending goosebumps up and down Killian's arms, "You and your family stole him from my mother and me. You can lie to yourself all you want, but the truth is that Killian belongs to us. He is mine."
Aola's blasters began to shake slightly, and Killian could sense through the Force that she wanted nothing more in that moment than to pull the trigger, consequences be damned. Judging by the small grin on Striga's face, Killian knew that she sensed it as well and was simply waiting for Aola to make the first move.
"No!" Killian snarled, jumping between the pair and pointing his lightsaber at Striga, "I don't care if you ARE my sister, if you hurt Aola, I will kill you!"
"Killian, get out of the way!" Aola snarled, trying to get a shot at Striga from behind Killan, a task that was proving impossible.
"You're no match for her, Aola," Killian growled, "And what's more, she's still our commander! If you attack her, she'll finally have the pretext she needs to have you executed!"
Seeing the smirk on Striga's face, Aola knew that her brother was telling the truth, even as she hated it; with visible effort, Aola slowly lowered her blasters to her sides, her hands shaking with rage as she did so.
"Smart move, alien…" Striga sneered, causing Aola to growl lowly in her throat. Turning away from the pair, Striga approached the fallen Jedi who had been trying to crawl away while Killian and the others were distracted. "Now, let's see what our little Jedi looks like, shall we?"
Reaching down, Striga grabbed the helmet and ripped it free violently, before carelessly throwing it over her shoulder.
The Jedi looked to be about Killian's age, pale-skinned with a pixie-cut head of light blonde hair. As the Jedi looked up, Killian could see fear reflected in her deep-blue eyes and, for a moment, felt a wave of pity roll through him at whatever Striga would do to her new prisoner.
"Quite the pretty little Jedi, aren't you?" Striga sneered, kicking the girl onto her back and placing her boot on the Jedi's chest, just above the wound that Striga had given her, and making the girl cry out.
Turning back to Killian and Aola, Striga sneered slightly before twitching her head for them to leave,
"Get to your posts, both of you, I will interrogate our new friend here, alone…"
Looking back at the girl, Killian felt another wave of pity roll through him as he saw the terror reflected in her eyes, before he swallowed it and turned away.
"Let's go," Killian mumbled as he deactivated his lightsaber and clipped it to his belt before taking his sister's hand and beginning to lead her away. Through the Force, Killian could sense that Aola was just as sick as he was at the thought of leaving the girl with Striga, but neither could do anything about it, so instead, they tried to ignore the guilt churning in their guts as they rounded the corner and walked quickly away.
They had only gone perhaps two dozen steps when the sound of insane laughter and agonized screaming began to ring out behind them…
XXXX
Author's Note:
Wanna hear a funny joke? I wrote this chapter to be a full-scale battle, twenty pages of the best chapter I've probably written in my life, only to drop my laptop while moving to my new apartment and smash it to pieces… And because I only ever save my stories to my desktop and not to my cloud, I basically lost everything and had to buy another laptop!
Proceeds to begin balling in the corner*
It's gonna take me a while to rewrite the amazing chapter that I had created, but I hope this one holds you over for now… Until next time, guys.
Author begins to walk away while quietly sobbing*