Second Chance/Part 12

A long, dark night stretched into a bleak day.

When the Sith snipers were disarmed or dead, the Republic troopers were able to force the enemy into a stalemate until a Sith Acolyte began casting Force lightning down at them. Narasi watched her master duel the Acolyte across the roof of the processing plant, holding off reinforcements until Tirien cut the Acolyte's leg and, off balance, he fell, screaming, into an electrical relay five stories below. Then the Sith fielded one last rail gun tank, either hidden in reserve or salvaged and repaired; the whining brrrrrrrepppps echoed across the city as Tirien and Narasi ran toward the chaos at Force speed. She held off fire until Tirien finally upended the tank with the Force, and Republic rockets troops obliterated it by firing on its exposed underside. Troops with flamethrowers, a report of Sith infiltrators among the populace, a pair of gunships that had gotten through Republic repulsor defense artillery with only cosmetic damage…there was no end to it.

She saw various Jedi here and there. A Human she didn't know helped Tirien kill a dark side adept. The Gran Knight, See Klees, joined them as they brought down the gunships. Master Cazars seemed to materialize out of nowhere in time to strike down a regiment of war droids. And no sooner had she vanished to the next crisis point than Mali Darakhan and Aldayr Nikodon joined them, along with a battalion of Republic troops and what looked like at least a dozen Pandath City Police Department officers.

"Aldayr, take those three on the left!" Mali commanded; his blue blade was moving so fast, deflecting concentrated fire, that he seemed half-encased in a hemisphere of blue light.

"On it!" Aldayr said, and with a running leap he landed behind a bus the Sith were using for cover. Two sweeping blows took down all three of them.

"I can flank them, Master!" Narasi offered. She crouched in the ruins of a toppled building, a few paces below Tirien and Mali, who stood atop the heap of rubble. Soldiers on either side of them exchanged volleys with the Sith troopers.

"No," Tirien said tightly, his teeth gritted in concentration. He was deflecting fire one-handed, but neither as quickly nor as smoothly as Mali. "Stay here."

Narasi sighed internally. She had been too open with her feelings, she was sure of it. Tirien thought she was still stuck on her grief, and didn't want to unleash her on the Sith. She had barely had time to think about it through this endless battle, but when she had been forced to strike Sith soldiers down, she had taken no pleasure in it, and she thought that was a good sign. But this was hardly the right time to argue about it with Tirien.

It had seemed so close, though. She wished she knew what he had intended to say…

"Mali, cover me!" Tirien said.

Narasi watched the Corellian shuffle sideways, blocking fire every step of the way. Tirien slipped behind him, then returned his lightsaber to his belt and stretched out both hands. Across the ruined intersection, a traffic control device strained and groaned, then ripped free from the ground, coming to waist height and mowing down Sith troopers one rank after another; only the back rows had time to duck. The blunt force impact didn't seem to have done much more than floor them, but that was enough; Republic troops fired on their prone forms and threw grenades, and whole clusters of life signs winked out in the Force.

The survivors fell into a retreat, firing blindly behind them, and the Republic troops pursued. Narasi came to Tirien's side at the same time Aldayr rejoined Mali. A Mon Calamari wearing a major's insignia came up to them.

"General Darakhan," he croaked, "this intersection is vital. If we commit to the assault, we'll be open to a flanking maneuver."

He showed a tactical map on a holoprojector to make his point. Mali glanced at it, then said, "Leave half the battalion here and have them take up defensive positions."

"Is the other half enough to pursue safely?" the Mon Cal asked.

Mali smiled. "It is with Jedi Kal-Di and me leading it."

The major went to form up the troops, and Mali ran a hand through his wind-tousled hair as Tirien wiped the sweat from his brow. Mali said, "Oh, you're not getting tired yet, are you? We're just getting warmed up!"

"Yes, warm," Tirien said dryly. "I swear, just one battle on Mygeeto, or Arkania…"

Mali's laugh was cut short as he looked at his belt; the sounds of blasterfire and explosions were too loud for Narasi to hear the comlink's buzz. Pulling it from his belt, he said, "Darakhan."

"General, it's Lieutenant Zody," Narasi heard. "We've got Sith downtown."

"Well, do you have rockets left? If there's a Force Don't Explode power, I haven't learned that one."

"Negative, sir, ordnance exhausted."

"Flamethrowers?"

"No. Sir, we're only a few blocks from the plant that powers the shield generators…"

There was a burst of static, then a new voice said, "Sir, Captain Ezdel. One of them is an Anzat; I think it's Darth Vandak."

Narasi watched Mali's smile disappear, and his eyes hardened. "I'm on my way."

"Roger sir."

"If they bring down the shields we're done," Tirien said.

"Agreed. You lead the counterattack, I'll—"

"Sir, Vandak's not alone," Captain Ezdel chimed in. "There are two of them. The other's a woman.  Not sure who…"

"Acknowledged," Mali said, replacing the comlink on his belt. He looked at Tirien, who now wore the same iron expression.

"Alecto," Tirien said.

"Good bet," Mali agreed. "Major!"

The Mon Cal jogged over, and Mali said, "Change of plans. Jedi Kal-Di will lead the attack—"

"No I won't," Tirien cut him off, eyes narrowed. "The battalion will have to carry it."

"Tirien, half the battalion is too little—"

"And one Knight—even you—against Vandak and Alecto together is too few," Tirien retorted. "We'll both go. We can kill them both now and hamstring their attack."

Mali hesitated; the expression was bizarre to see on his usually-confident face. Finally he grumbled and said, "Right. Major, commit the battalion to the followup."

"But the square!"

"We'll have to chance it," Mali said.

Tirien looked at Narasi, and the intensity in his yellow eyes startled her. "No we won't."

He laid a hand on her shoulder, looked at Aldayr, then looked back. "We need you two to hold this block."

Aldayr said, "We could lead the attack. Go with the batt—"

"No," Mali cut him off. "The choke point is more important. If the Sith dig in behind the battalion, they'll catch it in a pincer and slaughter them all."

He looked at Tirien gravely, but nodded. "They need to commit their troops to the assault, which means this block has to hold."

"Call for aid if you get overwhelmed, but do not let the Sith overrun this intersection," Tirien added. His fingers dug into Narasi's shoulder hard. "Can you do this?"

"We've got this!" Aldayr said, but Tirien didn't even look at him.

Narasi swallowed, but drew a deep breath and straightened. "We've got this," she repeated. "Go stop Alecto."

Tirien nodded, and he and Mali were gone, rocketing off on the speeder bikes on which Mali and Aldayr had arrived. The Republic battalion finally charged off in pursuit of the Sith, leaving Narasi and Aldayr alone.

Though she had seen a dozen varieties of "war zone" in her two months on Taanab, Narasi thought this best matched the image she had pictured a lifetime ago in the Jedi Temple. Fires burned in the streets and in windows around them. Two hoverbuses and a speeder were laced by blaster holes and crushed together to form a barricade on one street, and the ruins of the toppled building left a mountain to block another. As she picked her way down to the street level over shattered ferrocrete and broken glass, avoiding lives wires, Narasi thought it made a good place to make a stand, but it didn't allow much in the way of escape.

Narasi took a moment to meditate and refresh her energy, remembering all the times she had done the same thing after Master Z'dar had worn her Clan down. She smiled to herself, thinking Tirien would approve.

Aldayr sighed, pacing among the potholes left by explosives. After a few minutes he said, "I think we could've led the assault."

"Well, maybe," Narasi said, mostly to shut him up. "But my master and Mali both thought this is the important spot."

"He's your master again?" Aldayr asked, raising an eyebrow.

Narasi hesitated, but then looked up at the Human. "…yeah. I think he is."

Aldayr tensed at the same moment Narasi shivered. The Human took the lightsaber from his belt. "Narasi…"

She turned to find three dark-garbed men walking toward them.

For a moment Narasi was a thirteen-year-old, and she let her eyes instead of the Force guide her. She fixated on the hideous Swokes Swokes in the lead, chilled by his soulless black eyes and the gaping maw of sharp teeth that dominated half his milk-white face. His black robes were ripped and smeared with grease, and he wore black sandals over his fat, clawed toes. His thick tail thumped the ground behind him.

"Bahahaha," he croaked, his voice guttural and froglike. He pointed at Narasi. "This little one's afraid of me!"

"More fool her," said the man beside him. He was tall and strongly built, although not half as wide as the Swokes Swokes. His hood shadowed his face, so Narasi could not be sure if his face was yellow or gold, but she knew his eyes were yellow, because they burned hatefully. He carried a double-bladed lightsaber in one hand, laid across his forearm and through the crook of his elbow.

In the back was a Pau'an, taller than either of the others, carrying a walking stick. Narasi could see the dark side's effect on him; his skin was so gray he looked like a corpse. But he did not seem in ill health; indeed, he twirling the walking stick slowly from hand to hand, smiling cruelly.

"The Zygerrian Jedi," he said; they stopped ten meters away. "I've heard of you, my dear. The archtraitor to an otherwise-useful race.  You belong to Kal-Di."

Narasi bared her teeth at him, and the Pau'an chuckled. He looked at Aldayr. "And you, boy?"

"Aldayr Nikodon," Aldayr returned bravely. He activated his lightsaber; belatedly, Narasi unfroze and pulled her own lightsaber hilt from her belt. "And we're holding this spot."

The Sith Lord chuckled. "Bravado. How refreshingly prideful from an Order of monks and philosophers."

As he laughed, Narasi whispered sideways, "We need help."

"We can take them!" Aldayr hissed back. He seemed to be focusing himself for the fight.

The Pau'an heard him, and his smile widened. "I wonder what a Sith we could make of you, my boy." He laid his hands on his attendants. "These are Lord Ondar Vargh and Churka…"

He leaned in to give the Swokes Swokes a stage whisper. "…who, if he brings me Kal-Di's Padawan alive, may yet be Lord Churka."

Narasi knew it was impossible for the Swokes Swokes's permanent grin to stretch any wider, but she sensed his amusement. One of his beefy hands pulled a thick lightsaber hilt from his belt. "Gladly."

Narasi activated her own blade, fighting against her fear. She knew fear was a path to the dark side…but pride was too. Glancing sideways at Aldayr, she ripped the comlink from her belt with her free hand. "It's Narasi! Sith at my location!  Three Sith—"

She yelped as the comlink sparked in her hand, dropping it even as the plastic folded in on itself. She looked up to find the Pau'an holding his thumb and forefinger apart with a remonstrating look. "So cowardly, little Jedi?"

"Look who's talking!" Aldayr taunted. "Didn't see you with the front of the army!"

The Pau'an turned his gaze back to Aldayr, and his face chilled. "Churka, bring me the Zygerrian. Ondar…at least bring me part of the boy.  You may decide what parts."

"Yes, Lord Zedum," Lord Vargh said, and he and Churka ignited their blades in unison.

Aldayr took the battle to Lord Vargh, but Churka charged right at Narasi, giving a roaring war cry and swinging at her hard. She dodged aside, but even as she swung at his arm, he turned faster than she would have expected for a being of his bulk, batting her blow aside and slashing at her face. Narasi scrambled back, her arms half-numb from the force of his blow. She blocked the following three strikes, but every one sent vibrations up her arms and into her spine.

Dodging another bisecting strike, she saw Aldayr dueling Lord Vargh. The other Padawan was fast, and he mimicked his master's strong style and intense look. Vargh, by contrast, had no expression whatsoever, and he fought in a remorseless, mechanical way, like a combat droid, albeit one with lightning speed. Churka took another swing at Narasi, and she looked away.

The Swokes Swokes was too powerful; it reminded Narasi of trying to fight Master Z'dar. And while Churka was nowhere near as skillful as Z'dar, he too was fast, and Narasi couldn't catch her breath against him. She tried to channel the Force, but dared not split her focus. Their blades crossed, and Churka snapped at her face with his teeth. She screamed and stumbled back over a pothole.

Churka slashed down at her leg, and Narasi wrenched it back with centimeters to spare. Eyes wide, she retreated, but found herself backed against a hoverbus. Part of her was aware of Aldayr overleaping one of Lord Vargh's cuts at his legs and stabbing at the man's face, only to have the blow swatted away. Most of her, however, was focused on the Swokes Swokes charging her with a roar.

Narasi could not match him for strength, or even skill, but Aldayr had given her an idea. She had watched Tirien fight dark siders and spar Master Z'dar, seen him duel with Alecto before her disastrous intervention, even sparred him herself a few times. Her master was among the greatest swordsmen she had ever seen, and he didn't meet strength with strength.

As Churka closed, Narasi scampered aside, switching to a one-handed grip and jabbing as fast as she could. Churka slammed into the bus, and as he whirled, Narasi's blade nicked his ribs. There was a puff of smoke and the scent of cauterized meat in the air.

She was feeling enormously proud of herself until she realized Churka wasn't even slowing down; she barely avoided having her head hacked off. Ducking the blow, she stabbed again, this time poked Churka in the gut; he responded by kicking her in the chest, and she flew backward, bouncing on the pavement and rolling, her chest one big spot of pain. She called on the Force to keep from blacking out.

"Impressive," Lord Zedum said; as she struggled to her feet, Narasi saw him leaning on his walking stick and observing the contest with a faintly interested expression. "But I fear Swokes Swokes aren't much for pain."

As Narasi stood and shifted one aching leg back into a pseudo-Makashi stance, she heard a scream at the same time she felt a wave of anguish in the Force. She looked and saw Aldayr's sword arm falling away from his body, amputated above the elbow. Lord Vargh twirled his double-bladed lightsaber in a bored way, strolling after Aldayr as the young Human pushed himself back on the ground with his legs, eyes squeezed shut against the pain, clasping his stump of an arm with his remaining hand.

"Seems he is, though," Lord Zedum mused.

Roaring her fury, Narasi leapt at him to cut him down, but the Pau'an merely waved a hand, and she flew across the combat space, smashing into the hoverbus in the same dent Churka had made. Her vision blacked for a second, her entire body aching. She sensed more than saw Churka coming, and she blocked on reflex, reverting to a two-handed style. Churka chopped at her face and she blocked; he slashed for her arm and she blocked; her hands were raw from the force of impact as she staggered back, trying to defend herself.

She slipped out of his range, but Churka slashed anyway, and Narasi blocked on reflex. Their blades crashed together and crackled…and then, with a shower of sparks from the hilt, her blade simply vanished. Narasi could feel the metal heating under her palm, but as she frantically pushed the activation stud, nothing happened. Churka stared at her for a moment, his smiling face grotesquely comical as he cocked it to one side, but then he guffawed and stumped forward.

Out of ideas, Narasi threw the lightsaber hilt at him; it bounced off his shoulder, and he laughed harder.

"Got spirit, she does!" he roared.

"Quite," said Lord Vargh. Narasi started; she had been so focused on her own duel she had forgotten the other Sith Lord. He was still strolling after Aldayr, but was only meters away. "I'll have to skin it out of her."

Narasi reached for Aldayr's fallen lightsaber with the Force, but Lord Vargh caught it in midair. He looked at her, and at least she saw a smile creep over his lips. It was more terrifying than any expression Churka could make.

"Bahahaha, you're in for it now, girlie!" Churka taunted. "He can keep 'em alive for days before they stop screaming!"

Narasi felt her heel bump into Aldayr as she retreated. She tried to Force push the two Sith away, but they rebuffed her efforts without difficulty.

"Yeah, string you up on a rack!" the Swokes Swokes said. His leering face was close enough that she could smell his fetid breath. "You'll be a nice treat. Lord Vargh can get that pesky skin out of the way, then I'll eat your muscles off your bones!"

"No," said a cold, familiar voice. "You won't."

Narasi's heart sang as the same time Churka flew backwards; Lord Vargh dodged out of the way, but the Swokes Swokes smashed into the rubble of the toppled building so hard that he bounced off, and though he landed on his feet, even he looked a little dazed. Lord Vargh, his smile wiped clean, took a few paces back to clear his way, cutting Aldayr's lightsaber in half and discarding the pieces so he could take his double-bladed weapon in both hands. Beyond them, Lord Zedum hissed in anticipation.

And Tirien Kal-Di picked his way down the ruins, coming to Narasi's side.

"Alecto?!" Narasi whispered.

"Mali's got it," he answered, not looking at her. He took the curved hilt from his belt. "Get Aldayr up."

She crouched down, draping the Human's remaining arm over her shoulders. Tears of pain were streaming down his cheeks, but Aldayr forced himself to his feet, his hand digging into her arm for support.

"Tirien Kal-Di," Lord Zedum mused. "Here I thought I could present your Padawan to Darth Saleej for sport, and instead, I get the man himself. How very fortuitous."

"Do you dare to challenge me, my lord?" Tirien asked. He activated his blade and pointed it at the Pau'an.

Zedum laughed. "Oh yes, you're quite a fearsome Jedi, we're all very impressed. But I rather think the three of us are more than a match for even you."

"Too afraid to face me yourself?" Tirien taunted.

The Pau'an smiled. "You know, I was just speaking to that young man about bravado. A passable use of dun möch, I admit, but you'd have better luck with a Darth.  No, I'm quite content to drag your corpse aboard the Unquenchable Fire however we get it there.  What my servants do, after all, I do."

He twisted his walked stick, and the head came away; Narasi noticed the curve in the handle just before the Sith Lord ignited the concealed red blade. "Let's call it 'team building'."

He saluted with the blade, and Tirien returned the salute; Vargh and Churka prowled on either side, waiting. As the three Sith closed in, Tirien raised his blade to guard. "Narasi, get Aldayr out of here."

"Master…"

"Now."

Narasi's heart sank as she realized Zedum was right; skillful as Tirien was, she doubted he could take two Sith Lords and a Swokes Swokes all but immune to pain. Not all together. He was not just covering her retreat, he was going to die for her. Another friend lost, and with so much unsaid…

"Now, Narasi!"

"Narasi…" Aldayr whispered in her ear. He was trying not to show his fear, but Narasi could feel his pain. "We have to go."

Tirien dropped into a Makashi stance as Lord Vargh came close enough to probe with the tip of his blade, but Narasi caught a flash of movement just before Master Cazars landed in their midst. Lord Zedum retreated, bringing up his own blade; Churka growled at her, but she waved her hand and he flew into the rubble again.

"Got your distress call, Narasi," the Twi'lek said. She gave Narasi a smile, but the look faded as she looked at Tirien. "You came."

He nodded.

Master Cazars looked from him to Narasi and back, and she nodded too. "I'm sorry I doubted you."

"Elata Cazars," Zedum spat. "Darth Saleej will reward me greatly for tearing those tails from your skull and hanging them from his throne."

"Come and take them," she taunted, then closed on him in a whirlwind of blue fire.

Tirien lashed out at Ondar Vargh, who fell back on defense, spinning both of his red blades, trying to defend the long handle of his weapon. Groaning, Churka picked himself out of the broken ferrocrete, picking up his lightsaber and joining in the duel. Tirien dodged, and Churka caught a light blow across the face from Vargh.

"Hey!" he croaked. "Same team!"

Vargh ignored him, pursuing Tirien, and Churka stomped off to catch up. They dueled past Master Cazars and Lord Zedum, who were dancing around one another. Narasi saw in Zedum the same skill she saw in her master; there again were the balanced stances, the one-handed style, the graceful lunges. For all his snideness, the Sith Lord was very good. But Master Cazars was good too, her feet never in one place for more than a second, moving at a blistering pace and forcing Zedum to block as often as he parried.

Vargh darted around Tirien so he and Churka could come at Tirien from both sides. The Pantoran retreated, keeping them both in front of him, his blade flashing like green lightning as he tried to hold them both at bay. He managed to knock one of Vargh's blows aside, and Narasi thought for sure he would kill the man then and there, but Churka came in with a ferocious downward blow and Tirien had to skip back. Churka's tail accidentally swept out Vargh's legs.

Tirien stabbed the Swokes Swokes instead, catching him through the ribs in almost exactly the same spot Narasi had, but much deeper. He seemed stunned when Churka simply roared and spun around with a sai tok slash which Tirien barely dodged.

"They don't feel pain, Master!" Narasi warned.

"Bahahaha!" Churka laughed as he forced Tirien back with another series of power chops. "I heal fast, Jedi! Sith come tough and Swokes Swokes tougher!"

Lord Vargh got to his feet, turning his cruel eyes on Narasi and Aldayr. Narasi started to back away, dragging Aldayr with her, but this time Vargh did not just drift in their direction. He strode toward them with purpose, glancing at Tirien.

Tirien either caught the look or sensed the danger, because he tried to skip past Churka, who slashed at him. "No you don't, Jedi!" he barked, punctuating every few words with a swing. "I'm gonna do what Alecto couldn't and avenge Lord Zygro! And when I feast on your flesh—"

He swung at Tirien's neck; the Jedi leaned just back, letting the blade sizzle past his throat, then took his weapon in both hands, skipped in before Churka recovered, and chopped off his head.

Vargh lunged for Narasi's heart with one blade point, but Churka's head flew across the dueling space, propelled by the Force, and hit the man in the elbow. The stab went wide, cutting through the metal of the hoverbus. By the time he drew his blade free, Narasi had dragged Aldayr out of range and Tirien was all over him.

One-on-one, there was nothing held back now; Narasi exchanged a look with Aldayr and saw that, despite his pain, he was watching the contest with wide eyes too. Tirien and Vargh lunged and retreated, feinting and riposting, both their faces contorted with the struggle.

There was a dopplering slash and a cry of pain, and Narasi turned in time to see Zedum stagger back, clutching the stump of his wrist. "Ondar!"

Vargh threw a Force push at Tirien; in the time it took her master to brace himself against it, the other Sith Lord crossed the intersection to come at Master Cazars. She turned to meet his charge and held him at bay easily, but Zedum sneered and raised his remaining hand. Blue-white lightning coursed from it, striking Master Cazars in the back. She went down to one knee with a cry, holding Vargh in a saber lock while trying to deflect the lightning with her free hand.

Tirien was on Vargh then, and the man had to defend himself. Master Cazars turned, catching the lightning on her blade; she staggered back under its force, but held her ground. The duel interrupted Narasi's view, but when Tirien and Vargh were past, she saw Master Cazars getting to her feet and a blur of black in the distance.

Vargh leapt back from one of Tirien's stabs, and Tirien pointed his blade at the man. "Surrender. You're alone and outnumbered, Lord Vargh, there's no escape.  He abandoned you; don't die for him."

Vargh studied him, and Narasi watched him smile again. He actually laughed; it was an artificial sound, as if he had studied the concept of laughter and was trying to replicate it. "You're a fool, Jedi Kal-Di." He traced one thumb across his brow. "Once you're anointed, it's the Sith there's no escaping."

They closed again and it was over. Tirien parried, parried again, blocked and put Vargh off balance, then stabbed him through the forehead.

As the dead Sith Lord fell, Tirien took a deep breath, closing his eyes and calling on the Force. Then he returned his lightsaber to his belt and helped Master Cazars to her feet. "Are you all right, Master?"

"I'm fine, it just aches," she said.

"I remember."

She laughed once, winced, then looked at Narasi. Tirien followed her gaze, and Narasi shivered a little at the intensity of his expression. At his side, Master Cazars said, "Set him down, Narasi, or he'll fall."

With the adrenaline of the duel fading, Aldayr looked likely to pass out. She carefully deposited him on the ground, minding his amputated arm. While Master Cazars laid a hand on his brow, Narasi turned to face Tirien.

"I'm sorry, Master, we couldn't hold them," Narasi admitted. "I hit him, but it didn't even hurt him, and something happened to my lightsaber, and—"

Tirien caught her face between his hands. As Narasi fell silent, eyes wide, he said quietly, "I am so proud of you."

Narasi thought her legs might give out under her, but before she could speak Tirien drew away, blinking. "Something's happened. Something's changed."

Master Cazars took her comlink from her belt. Narasi was still looking at Tirien and missed the chatter from the other side, but she caught the surge of enthusiasm and looked at the Council Master. Immediately she saw she had underestimated the strength of the emotion; the Twi'lek's face was nothing short of triumphant.

"Contact from Admiral Ok-Majan," she grinned. "It's the Republic fleet. They're here to break the blockade."