Knights Errant Run-On

This will be the official Knights Errant RO thread!

Posting rules:

1. No real world vulgarity, no pornography, no racial slurs. Don’t be a tool.
2. Post after one another. No double posting.
3. Minimum two posts for participation cred, minimum 250 words.
4. Use realism, don’t break the game. Work together, discuss posting order on TG and abide by it.
5. Have fun!

Enemy Forces Size:
450 Thuronian insurgents.
1 AAT, refurbished and upgraded.
10 light landspeeders, weapons equipped.

Our enemies have capable armor and weapons. Some are mercs, some criminals, some terrorists - highly erratic and dangerous. This is meant to be q deadly battle that will push us all. Fight accordingly, use tactics, and may the Force be with you.

######Week One Objective: Regroup with KoA, establish a staging area to keep civilians safe, take down comms tower to end jamming.

New Tython
Tanduran
Drunken King Ruin

Torin’s blaster rifle fired off a trio of shots, each ripping a hole in an enemy chest. A flurry of bolts answered him. “Come on!” He shouted.

“Out the back!” Tisto hollered, as Morgan snatched up a rifle. He grabbed the barkeep, handing him one. “What’s your name?”

“Seth,” The man stammered. “Seth Danner. My bar…”

Tisto shoved him forward. “Avenge it, we have to move.” He looked to Lucia. “Try the short range!”

She nodded, opening up a lower frequency on her comm. “Calling anyone out there, we need some backup…”

“I’ve got something!” Gui hollered from behind a broken landspeeder, seconds before a blaster bolt above showered sparks into his hair. “On the low range comms - we have a signal!”

Lambow growled in response, his twin green sabers weaving a pattern in the air as they swept and deflected. Liam moved along with them, his eyes snapping up to a nearby alley.

“Master?” Gui asked frantically, “What is it?”

Liam’s hand crooked up, to the bloodied form of an angry Falleen, sprinting with a violet blade drawn. Jalen rushed toward them, falling behind Lambow and taking cover.

“Changed your mind?” Gui asked, firing a pair of stun blasts.

“Enemy of my enemy,” Ramz replied. “Now shoot straight!”

“Follow that signal, Gui,” Liam said. “There are too many. We cannot carry on alone.”

“Go!” Jason shouted, sprinting at the head of the column. Behind the three Outlaws, a refitted AAT floated into position, its TSC logo sprayed over with red and violet.

They passed a jewelry store, and Tekk screeched to a halt. “Guys,” He said, “No one would ever-”

“Not right now!” Hunter snapped. Suur shrugged, before his eyes went to his comlink. “Got a distress signal, Jason. I hear a woman and an old fogie, asking anyone around to come help them regroup.” His pistol flared out a shot, his rapier shining in his free hand.

“Then that’s where we’re going.” He waved at the Aleena. “Come on, Tekk!”

The little blue alien growled in frustration, before toddling after them. “Idiots!”

New Tython
Tanduran
Drunken King Ruin

Quinn looked around with cold, calculating eyes. Eyes that had seen countless skirmishes and horrors. She glanced at Morgan who was helping one of the few civilians who had survived the explosions. Her eyes drifted to the face of solid Torin, another of her companions, then on to the strange bikers that had arrived moments before the world exploded. The Mirialan did not really know them, but the desire to see them to safety was paramount. The woman looked down at the rifle in her hand with a sound of disgust. She hated using these things - highly impersonal for combat.

Zoso shoved the rifle into a nearby civilian’s hands and quickly explained how it worked. “Point that end at them and pull the trigger. Don’t shoot anyone that is currently with us. All others can be considered an enemy. Enemies will kill you without hesitation. Even if they were your neighbor, do not trust them.”

The golden giantess flexed her hands and moved to the open doorway, glancing out quickly. The street outside was ravaged by the explosion, body parts littered the ground and scraps of uniforms drifted on the wind. Rage boiled in the Mirialan’s mind, hate seethed just beneath the surface. Senseless death and comrades cut down by an equally senseless act. Her mind raced until a hand was laid gently on her shoulder. She turned baleful eyes on the woman beside her and relaxed almost visibly.

“Quinn,” the raven-haired woman said softly. “You know what needs to be done. We need to get in touch with the boss. Soon.”

Zoso nodded quickly and looked out into the street again, her eyes scanning quickly. “There’s a building not too far from here. It should serve the purpose of a forward base until we can be reinforced.”

Her mind worked quickly, faster than before and the Lieutenant Colonel took immediate command. “Ardell, covering fire. Biker, you and your friend watch the civilians. Use everything at your disposal to protect the few we have left with us. I’ll scout ahead and find a haven for us. Morgan can locate me without much trouble.”

Quinn touched her wrist lightly and a soft red light began to flash beneath the black cloth of her glove. The tattooed woman nodded slightly as Quinn disappeared through the door.

=====

The sounds of blaster fire and explosions rocked the city, rubble from nearby buildings had collapsed into the street and sealed off several avenues of approach. Moments before a shot took the woman in the shoulder, she realized the formation of a rough kill box. She dove quickly out of the way, the bolt hitting the ground and sending up a spray of pavement from the street. Quinn rolled quickly to her feet and landed roughly against the sniper’s building with her back to the wall. Zoso knew that unless the rooftops were clear, this street would mean the death of those trapped inside the bar who already had to deal with forces moving in on them from the rear entrance. Blood thudded in her ears as her mind began to work in overtime again. The sounds of Torin and the others holding the bar would only last for so long before they were overrun. The sniper on the roof would be scanning for another shot to take. The forces converging on the remaining troops would find them. She knew that one thing had to be handled first and she had no weapons other than herself.

The golden warrior smiled viciously as she moved to the door that led into the house behind her. There would be answers and nothing was going to stop her from getting them, but first she needed to clear the way out of the Drunken King.

Rapid, soft footfalls were all that someone could listen for as the Mirialan rushed up the stairs in the building, quickly scanning each room as she passed it.

Tisto looked to where the golden woman went. Well, she is here… things are going to get interesting now, he thought to himself. He shook his head, clearing the thought as quickly as it came to him. He did not have the time for foolishness.

“You three hold this area down,” he called out to the sniper, the human woman, and the barkeep. “Lucia with me now, we need to get to the local comms tower.”

“Right,” she replied curtly. She was never one to talk during a fight. She flipped her blaster pistol around in her hand, moving toward the door.

Tisto pulled his twin Westar blaster pistols out from their holders on his legs. He moved in front of Lucia, ready with their usual gang war tactics. A soldier carrying a vibroblade charged towards Tisto, screaming out some nonsense Tisto didn’t even bother to listen to. The Kiffar brought his head down on the soldier rapidly. Tisto grunted grunted audibly as his skull smashed into the fool’s helmet with enough force to knock the man unconscious. The man slumped over, his head lolling listlessly. Tisto could barely contain a laugh, the move worked every time, no one expected someone with guns to use a headbutt.

The Kiffar and the Twi’lek continued to move forward, Lucia firing from behind the lean, but well-built racer. Tisto, moving forwards with his arms outstretched, fired his blasters in tandem. This is going well, but the second more soldiers enter the door we will be overwhelmed. Need to change tactics. he thought.

“Lucia, cover me!” the racer called out, throwing his blasters away, and grabbing his saber.

Two blaster shots came from behind him, as Tisto hit the doorway. Running through he ignited the saber, grabbing the attention of every soldier in the vicinity. Unlike the normal hiss of a saber, his roared, somewhere between the usual his and the engine of a swoop bike. Two soldiers charged at him, one felled by another blast from behind him, Lucia falling into her role perfectly. The other, a small but well muscled male, ditching his blaster for an electro staff. The weapon change did not matter, as Tisto’s saber came down in a haphazard motion, cutting the man in half, splitting him down the spine. As the man’s corpse fell in two perfect halves, he heard Lucia speak.

“This is going to take to long, Tisto,” she called out. “We need allies.”

As the trio fled from the oncoming AAT Tekk couldn’t help but glance back and ponder the utter joy he’d feel getting behind the controls of that beast. Turning forward to face the backs of his fleeing cohorts Tekk shouted “Do you think we could steal that tank?!”

Almost in unison Hunter and Suur both shouted “NO!!” in reply.

“Aww you guys are no fun at all” he muttered under his breath.

As they made their way through the narrow twisting back alleys of Tanduran the sounds of battle began to intensify as the stench of smoke and burnt flesh started to become a lot more noticeable, the column of thick black smoke becoming larger with each step. Slowly the alleyway began to widen as the trio approached an open area of the city, walking directly into a firefight. Spread throughout the area were two dozen or so men and women dressed in a wide array of outfits but all with two things in common, the bandana’s in varying shades of purple and red obscuring their faces and the fact that they all seemed to be human.

They were firing on what was left of a building on the north west corner of the plaza, its front completely torn away by the explosion. Body parts and debris lay everywhere, the groans of the dying barely audible over the cacophony of blaster fire. Jason and Suur took cover behind some large crates observing the battle when from behind them they heard a sound that made them both turn. Their eyes locked on their Aleena compatriot as he went to town on a large kavasa fruit, the juices running down his tiny chin coating the front of his shirt.

When he finally noticed the Pirate and the Drifter staring at him he said “What? I was hungry and it was just lying there.”

Shaking his head in amusement Suur said “The signal’s coming from what’s left of that building.”

“Then we need to get over there,” said Jason. “We’re gonna need to clear out some of these guys if we want to make it over there in one piece.”

“Why?” asked Tekk.

“Why what?” Hunter replied.

“Why do we need to go over there and help. We’re not getting paid for it. What’s in it for us?” queried the little blue merc.

With a look of frustration Jason said “How long do you think the three of us alone are going to last in a place like this?” in reply.

“Yeah Tekk, you ever hear of safety in numbers?” said Suur backing up the Jedi.

With a little growl of resignation Tekk replied “Ohh fine,” before he raised his appropriated blaster rifle, a wild look in his eyes, and said “let’s have some fun.”

By the Force I wish I had my rifle, thought the Melewati Jedi as a ducked behind what was left of a wall as a hail of blaster fire ripped into it. He returned fire, scoring a hit, before even more fire came pouring in. From behind him he could hear Morgan spraying fire out into the street and, while not aimed particularly well, it was enough to keep the enemies heads down. In a slight lull in the fighting he turned to check on her and the bartender Seth but could only manage to see one of them.

“Where’s the bartender?” he shouted to Morgan.

“He disappeared behind the bar a minute ago” she replied pointing with her thumb over her shoulder.

As if summoned by the question Danner reappeared from behind what was left of his bar a gun belt and hat clutched in his hands. Placing the hat on his head he began to strap on the belt and check the matching slugthrowers resting securely in their holsters. Noticing both Torin and Morgan staring at him he gave them a cheeky smile pulled the guns from their holsters and opened up on the men and women responsible for blowing up his home and business.

Shouting over the sound of combat Ardell yelled “You left us to fight these guys alone so you could go find a hat and some guns? Are you crazy?”

“Their important to me ok, these dogs may have taken my bar but i’ll be damned if I let em take these from me too.” replied Seth.

Torin could tell there was a story there but given their present predicament it struck him as the wrong time to ask. Slowly the three of them were picking off members of the attacking force but they were being overrun and eventually they’d run out of power packs and bullets. They needed a solution and they needed one now. As they couldn’t go forward the only way was back in the direction of the strange Kiffar Jedi and his Twi’lek companion.

Deciding to take charge of the situation the Melewati shouted “We need to fall back now, head for the back door!”

“But what about Zoso!” Morgan shouted back.

“She’ll be fine,” Torin answered “If we stay here much longer we’ll be overrun. Now move”

They were about to move when the volume of fire coming in on their position seemed to decrease. Looking out into the street he could barely make out a cluster blasters firing at the insurgents from their rear. This was just the break they needed. Calling back to Morgan and Seth who had began to make their way towards the back door he shouted “Looks like we’ve got a chance after all. Let’s not waste it” before turning back to the ruined front of the building and opening fire.

“Formation C,” Tisto called out, leaping to the side of another soldier. Formations were something Lycia and Tisto had been working on since Tisto was twelve. They had perfected almost fifty of them, and formation c generally helped when outnumbered.

Unfortunately they were of no use today, as he was pressed back several feet as the soldier disarmed him. The racer was alive by his reflexes alone, his foes skill with an electro staff beyond that of his comrades. To his right Tisto saw Lucia holding of another soldier, her usual blaster replaced with a vibrodagger. The two were having a difficult time holding off their foes, and soldiers were circling around them as the battle dragged on.

Why did everyone have to die in the explosion. Could have used the rest of the gang right now, he thought to himself.

Tisto and Lucia were pressed until they were back to back. The two fought well, but they both knew they were running out of time. At that moment they heard several shots, and the soldiers they were fighting fell. Tisto used that moment of chaos to retrieve his saber with the Force.

The saber ignited with a roar and Tisto joined the chaos. He saw the three people he had left at the bar had come out. Even more surprising to the biker was that they were the ones who helped him. Smiling sheepishly he picked up Lucia and ran to aid his new comrades. He passed by the remaining soldiers quickly, ending next to Torin, the crimson blade taking out a soldier.

Lucia lept from Tisto, pulling out a second blaster from her waistband and fired twice, taking out a single soldier.

“Thanks for aiding us,” Tisto said, the adrenaline in his system making him talk fast.

“No problem. Too many people for a small group to take out, even if I had my sniper rifle on me,” Torin replied. “The name is Torin, though we may not live long enough for it to matter.”

“Tisto,” the racer replied.

Suur poked his head above the dumpster he’d been using for cover and looked around at the cramped battlefield. There were about nineteen attackers still standing when he noticed the blaster fire that had been coming from what was left of the building had disappeared. Turning back to Jason and Tekk he said “Ahh guys, I think our new friends have disappeared.”

“THEY WHAT!!!” shouted the Aleena.

“They’re gone. There’s no fire coming from that building.” replied the burly Pirate.

Between volleys from his blaster pistol Hunter said “I’m sure they had their reasons.”

“Their reasons?” said Tekk. “This is what happens when you try and act all altruistical like. You swoop in and save the day and don’t get so much as a thank you. This is why I work for credits damn it.”

Pointing a finger in Tekk’s direction a clearly frustrated Jason said “Would you quit your damn complaining and shoot someone please.”

“FINE!” shouted the Aleena. Turning back to the firefight he snapped off three quick shots. The first punched through the throat of a woman about a dozen meters from their current position. The next blast hit the man beside her square in the forehead leaving a deep furrow in what was left of his skull while the final bolt slammed into the chest of a man nearly thirty meters from the trios hiding spot.

Turning back to the Jedi Tekk said “Happy now?”

“Very.” replied Hunter as he replaced the power pack of his blaster pistol.

Suddenly the guns of every one of the terrorists in the plaza was turned on them, a wave of blaster fire slamming into their cover slowly ripping it to pieces. “Guys we can’t stay here!” shouted Suur over the racket.

Looking around quickly Jason spotted a doorway just meters from their position. Pointing at the door he shouted “That door, now!”

They moved for the door, the two Humans crouched low while the Aleena laid down covering fire as he slowly retreated backwards. Suur, who was the first to hit the doorway, pushed against the old metal door but it didn’t budge. Again he hit with his shoulder putting all his weight behind the action but again the door didn’t move. Pushing the Pirate aside Jason called on the Force, gathering it to him, before releasing it in a targeted telekinetic strike at the door. The metal of the door screeched loudly before it flew open and the three bundled inside.

“The locks broken. How are we gonna keep em out?” asked Tekk.

Looking around Suur grabbed a large set of shelves, heavy and made of metal and said “Give me a hand with this.”

The trio grabbed the shelving unit and began to drag it across the floor blocking the doorway. Suddenly they could hear shouts and thumps on the door behind them so, with nowhere else to go, they headed for the only other door out of the room they currently found themselves in. They exited into what appeared to be a housing complex with a large central staircase leading up. “Up the stairs guys.” said Jason. “Maybe we can use the rooftops to get clear of the lunatics outside.”

The trio ran up the stairs eventually bursting out onto the roof just in time to see a large golden skinned woman, her face and arms a patchwork of diamond shaped tattoos, throwing a man off the roof. The deed done she turned and finally saw the three of them standing there panting. Pulling a slugthrower from a holster below her arm she raised the weapon and said “Who the hell are you?”

“We need to find out where they’re jamming our signal from. If we can shut it down I can get some K.U.D.F. reinforcements here.” said Torin as he scanned the surrounding alleyways for approaching enemies.

“Ok.” said the tattooed biker. “Any idea where the jammer is?”

Shrugging Ardell said “Comm center maybe. It’s the main communications hub for the whole city. If they’re jamming the signal where better to do it than the source.”

“Do you know the way?” asked Tisto’s Twi’lek companion Lucia.

Looking around as if gaining his bearings Torin replied “It should be about twenty blocks north of here.” he replied pointing to the north. “If it wasn’t for the buildings we’d probably be able to see the top of the array.”

“Lead on.” said Titsto.

The group were about to set off when Torin stopped dead in his tracks turned to face Seth and Morgan and asked “What about you pair?”

Turning back to stare wistfully at what was left of his bar Danner said “I got nothin keepin me here no more. Figure if I go with you I might get some revenge.”

“Ok.” said Torin before he looked to the younger of the two Sorenn’s and said “Morgan? Are you with us?”

“Well I’m not gonna hang around here waiting to get shot. Let’s go.” she replied.

“Good, let’s move.” said the Melewati sniper before heading off deeper into the city.

As they made their way through the city they caught glimpses of the battle erupting throughout the city, the local constabulary clearly outmatched and outgunned by these unknown terrorists. It was slow going through the twisting and turning back alleys of Tanduran but they were making decent time. As they traveled they told every civilian they ran across to get indoors or find somewhere to hide and don’t come out until they get the all clear. They were less than six blocks from the comm center when they ran into an eight man patrol on the hunt for resistance.

As the two groups almost ran into each other, quite literally, Torin raised his rifle and squeezed the trigger but nothing happened. He’d foolishly forgotten to check the power levels on his blaster and the weapon had run dry. As the terrorists each raised their weapons a pair of loud cracks echoed through the cramped alley before two of the enemy soldiers dropped to the ground with bullet holes in their skulls. Seth had pulled his pistols from their respective holsters and fired before anyone else could even react.

Moments later Tisto had his lightsaber activated, the red blade throwing dancing shadows across the walls as he sliced through three of the terrorists with a single swipe. Just moments behind her friend the Twi’lek pulled her blaster pistols from her belt and fired a handful of blasts, punching a handful of holes into the chests of two of the remaining three attackers. Regaining his composure Torin drew the Force to him, releasing it in a powerful concentrated blow directly into the chest of the last standing enemy. The concussive Force blast struck him in the chest with such force it knocked him from his feet through the air and into the wall, his skull cracking with the force of the impact.

Noticing the display of power Tisto asked “You can use the Force?”

“Yeah, i’ve been know to from time to time. Not my first choice though.” replied Ardell.

“Interesting.” replied the Kiffar.

Scooping up another blaster rifle and some power packs he led them deeper into the city. Eventually they arrived at the comm center and were greeted by the sight of several dozen enemy soldiers and a trio of modified land speeders each with what looked to be an E-Web or similar weapon attached to the rear.

“We need to get in there.” said Torin “Any ideas?”

Ardell was about to answer him, but the surprised shout of discovery and the rather impressive reaction of blaster rifle fire aimed in their general direction by said guard cut them off, and moments later the air was thick with blaster bolt fire.

The group took what cover they could, but being in the alleyway the most they had were the foyers and rather thin cover from various structures designed to house garbage receptacles and were starting to wither away from the concentrated firepower being thrown their way.

“By the…” Tisto swore to himself. They needed to get out of this killbox, and fast. There were no doors here that they could reach to duck into, which meant… Fine.

He plunged his lightsaber into the wall, and cut out a rough circle. With a hard shove through the Force, it went flying inwards, giving them their impromptu doorway. “In, in, in, in!” he shouted, his lightsaber now in deflect mode, giving them a brief shield so they could jump in. After Torin jumped in, he was the last one left and followed him.

Taking a look, he was astonished to find himself in a group of people all huddled around on the floor, some looking terrified at his lightsaber, some just with eyes glazed over, clearly scared out of their wits. Looking about, he saw that they apparently had busted into a bakery and these people were here buying stuff when it all went down. His hands must have been guided by the Force, he realized, because when he stuck his lightsaber in the wall he easily could have impaled one of the civilians accidentally. Momentarily grateful, he spoke in as a calm manner as he could, “Sorry folks, didn’t mean to alarm you there. We’re the good guys, sorry to come barging in. We’ll try and protect you the best we can, but we have a mission to accomplish and you may be in harms’ way.” To two of the members of the party he signaled them to cover the hole in the way with one of the heavy pieces of equipment, probably an oven or some such, hoping to buy themselves a bit more time.

Blast it, he didn’t want to get civilians involved, but he had to do what he had to do, or else way more people would wind up getting killed. He needed eyes on target, but at this location he was blocked and worse he knew that they would come looking for his team momentarily.

“Lucia, any luck?”

She shook her head, “I keep trying. I may be getting something out in fragments, but the jamming team or droids or whatever switch to my frequencies almost instantly. Not sure if anyone is getting my messages.”

Frustration and anger battled at him, but he took a calming breath. Okay. They needed eyes on. Maybe they could take out the comm center in an alternate way. “Keep trying, Lucia. Torin, with me. Everyone else, try and get the civilians shielded the best you can and protect them.”

Lucia’s eyes narrowed at him. “What are you going to do?”

She didn’t get an answer because it was too late.

A pair of the modified landspeeders raced past the storefront, their E-webs spitting death towards them, not caring who or what was inside. The Jedi immediately went on the defensive, but the pair of blasters started to tear everything up. This was not going to end well. What to do, what to do? Desperation, anger, some fear…

With the sight of a squad of enemy troops starting to poke around the edges of the shop and he knew it was over. Still blocking as much fire as he could, he was about to order a cease fire and a surrender when the point man for the enemy squad inexplicably was visibly tossed at least twenty meters, hitting the wall of another shop with an audible crunch, even with the dual E-Webs still firing. The troops turned every which way, searching for the new threat.

It never occurred to them to look up.

With a brilliant viridescent disk of death, a lightsaber flew through the mount of an E-Web, cutting it off the mount and ceasing it’s fire. At the same time a huge figure came from above, stabbing into the other E-Web on the other landspeeder with another ligtsaber, the landspeeder itself visibly absorbing the shock of the weight of the person that landed on it.

Similarly decapitated, the blaster fell off the mount, but with a savage push and a roar, all 40 kilograms flew towards the face of another enemy trooper, not only impacting with a sickening crunch, but with the power supply gone but the charge within the conversion chamber still there but not inhibited anymore by the regulators, exploded, the shrapnel slicing through the rest of the squad. The figure, the air in front of it shimmering for just a split moment as the fragments bounced off the apparent shield that had come out of nowhere, was now gone, moving, lightsaber once again in action, surgically disabling the landspeeder he was on. The crew from the first landspeeder finally came out of their shock long enough and exited their vehicle, and started to fire at the figure.

Bad mistake.

The big figure roared a roar that shook the small area, its’ lightsaber blocking the incoming fire while it charged at them.

There was no chance. With horror Tisto saw a burst of blue lightning come forth from the figures’ free hand and fry the troopers in the second landspeeder, they themselves just exiting the cab of their landspeeder, while the crew from the first one were cut down without mercy with highly precise and mechanical sweeps of the brilliant green lightsaber.

Suddenly, it was over. Tisto, shocked, realized that only about fifteen seconds had passed, and that the figure was Warden Lambow, currently and angrily calling his first lightsaber to him while running towards them in the bakery. Then he was there, voice calm. “Everyone okay?”

“But… How?”

“We managed to piece together her message and heard the commotion this way when we were coming via the rooftops,” another voice replied, the focus of everyone shifting to the new speaker. It was none other than Liam, himself watching the rest of the small plaza, wary of danger. “We need to take down that jammer…”

Five minutes earlier…

Quinn exploded from the doorway leading to the roof, her eyes glinted dangerously in the sunlight. The sniper turned quickly and stared at the angry Mirialan towering in front of his only escape path. He raised his rifle and fired quickly from the hip, singing the giantess’ hair before it impacted the wall beside her head. Zoso growled, charging furiously, her hands balled into fists as she closed the distance.

The sniper regained his composure and tossed his weapon onto the roof, his own fists coming up to protect himself as the Lieutenant Colonel swung a haymaker at the side of his head. The blow was meant to be blocked, but the sniper’s other fist snapped forward and struck Zoso in the shoulder. The blow knocked her off balance momentarily, but the Soldier recovered quickly and spun. Setting her shoulder, the Mirialan smashed the side of the sniper’s helmeted face with a backhanded strike that caved in the metal protecting his brains.

He reeled for a moment before yanking his helmet off, blue eyes filled with hate. The woman stared at him flatly, her fists raised once again in challenge. The man was not completely incompetent, but Zoso had mastered fighting with her fists and feet. She dodged a forward punch, using the momentum to pull him directly into the path of her knee, driving it into his solar plexus, violently pushing the air from his lungs with a loud whoosh.

Quinn capitalized on his sudden lack of oxygen, striking the side of his face with a devastating hammerfist blow that caused him to spin away from her. She planted the heel of her boot into the man’s spine just above his waist, driving him forward towards the edge of the building. The Soldier roared as she grabbed her opponent and lifted him above her head before throwing him viciously off the roof of the building. The former sniper landed on the ground with a loud crash and lay below her, twisted and broken.

Behind her the sounds of heavy breathing suddenly filled the air.

Present

The three men in the doorway stared down the barrel of the Soldier’s firearm, the competence of her grip and stance showed that she more than knew her way with the weapon. The shortest one, a small lizard-looking thing stepped forward carefully. “Tekk. These two are with me.”

The woman looked down at the creature and twitched an eyebrow. “Now you’re with me. You do what I say or I will shoot you where you stand. I have no time for games and since you didn’t just attack, that means you are not an enemy.”

Tekk looked at her, his eyes narrowing. “I don’t work for free, you know.” He gestured behind himself with a grin. “Neither do they.”

Quinn gave the little lizard a flat stare and shook her head. “Fine. We can settle up after this is over. Follow me.”

Tekk looked over his shoulder at Jason and winked. Suur laughed softly as the Drifter shook his head. Quinn turned and scanned the horizon for a moment before she pointed at a large building a few blocks away. “That one.”

Jason looked at the building curiously. “Why that one? It’s just a warehouse from the looks of it.”

The Mirialan turned her head and looked at the trio over her shoulder. “It’s an old forward base that was turned into a warehouse. They used to store weapons in it, now there’s general supplies. The walls are lined with metal plates and the doors are solid durasteel. If we take that building, we have a place to rest.”

The three men looked at each other and shrugged. “Nothing better to do, I guess,” Tekk said lightly. “And now we’re getting paid for it.”

At that moment Liam’s bushy brow shifted upwards as he heard a familiar voice ringing from his comm-link. “Um, Master?” Said the kid in a hushed voice.

“Gui?” Tisto chimed in, stepping towards the old man.

“What is it, what did you find?” Liam asked. He already knew the answer but always allowed the young Sol to humor him.

“Well…” Gui started and with the words that would follow, angst could be heard growing in his voice. “Hold on, I’ll call you back!”

The transmission came to an abrupt end.

“Hey. You. What are you doing out here?”

Gui’s emerald eyes grew wide as two of these would-be assassins shouted. They looked intense as they approached and one of them aligned the barrel of his pistol to the center of the newly appointed Knight’s forehead.

“I won’t ask again.” Said the threat.

“Easy fellas,” Gui centered his attention, not on the guards, but on the low wall to his left. “I haven’t done anything wrong,” He continued. He used his age for an advantage on many an occasion. Playing an ignorant teen was something he was good at. “I was just watching.”

Gui feigned an authentic smile as he watched the focus of the second terrorist slide down to the junky Lightsaber hilt on his waist.

“Jedi!” Was enough to make the Knight leap on top of the low wall. Soon after the warning was unleashed into the air, so was a blaster bolt. The red beam screamed from the barrel and melded with the stone at Gui’s heels as the boy took a few steps and leapt off and tucked into a roll as a shower of blaster bolts rained down upon him.

“Keep firing!” Came the command. “I want him dead!”

The young Sol had to juke from side to side, “We can work this out!” He shouted. As he pleaded, one of the guards steadied his blaster and squeezed off a shot. The young Knight felt a slight disturbance but it wasn’t enough of an early warning sign as he merely spun away. The terrorist licked his lips and time seemed to slow as he watched his bolt crease the air, bearing down on its mark. However, that same confidence he had embraced quickly turned to a feeling of dread as a yellow blade flashed from the young Jedi’s waist.

As Gui spun, his Lightsaber was tethered to his waist and swung wildly. It crackled and popped, it sizzled. It was working and a thing of beauty.

A hollow snap echoed as the sure-fire shot smacked the blade of the clambering Knight and produced a smoking hole in the street as it was deflected.

“It’s really working!” Gui laughed and gyrated his hips as his Lightsaber blocked yet another shot. As if it was the will of the Force, his weapon was one with him. Until it fizzled out. “Great.” Said Gui as he slumped his head, flashing his hands down to his holstered stun-guns and released them with a smooth draw. His once lighthearted demeanor shifted to one of grim determination as he raced towards the threat. He could be bold, it was a trait his first master and dearest friend had taught him to embrace. The kid mirrored Xirini as he steadied both barrels and ran, aiming on two different fixed targets while looking for an escape route. Just as he was taught to do.

Light blue pulses of energy coned out as he squeezed the triggers, shifting from side to side to avoid a couple of misplaced shots on his approach. Tremors of electrical ice crept into the bones of the Terrorists as Gui sped by. Their joints locked and their muscles constricted in his wake. Their last image before they faded to black was the kid as he raced down the street and nestled into the darkness like a shadow.

A flashing beacon in the distance drew Gui’s attention and became more suspicious the closer he got to it. He hugged the walls as he consistently maneuvered himself to a better position than before. His comrades were depending on him and by the sound of things violence had outweighed the peace.

“Master.” Gui broke the silence. “I’ve been closing in on what appears to be a beacon. It appears to be a temporary resting place.”

“I read you, Gui. What do you see?” Came the response from the eager Tisto.

“It’s dark.” Teased Gui.

“What do you feel?” Liam interrupted, he had seen many fall due to levity and instantly brought focus with his simple yet stern question.

“I dunno, Master. I feel a strong pull. I think it’s what we’ve been looking for. Everything about this thing tells me it’s the heart and soul of a comm-tower.” Gui added as he slowed down and hunkered down next to an adjacent building.

The beacon was quite large and surrounded by Durasteel pillars which jutted into the sky. Heavy wiring trailed from the power source to a large dish which was locked to the roof of the metal enclosure which protected it. All around it were Turrets and there was a busy nerve center at its base.

“I’m sending you the coordinates. This is it.” With a click on his data pad he sent his encrypted location.

“Can you get inside?” Said Liam as he reached out and grabbed ahold of the living Force. His mind’s eye was very sharp and missed very little as it showed him the strange beacon and its surroundings. “Gui, let me be your eyes.”

Tisto paused after looking up. As Liam talked to this Gui character, Tisto heard a lot about the young mechanic. A group of twenty five soldiers were approaching.

Tisto felt someone press against him, and noted it was a human woman about his age, one who had followed him since they meet the Wookie. Tisto patted her shoulder assuringly. He noted a stillness, as Torin, Liam, Morgan, Lambow, Seth, and Lucia stopped moving, realizing the soldiers approached. For a second everything was completely still. The soldiers paused, and a female in black and purple armor stepped forward. She was taller than average, and carried an electrostaff.

“Surrender or die in the name of Prince Therrak Mar,” she proclaimed in a voice that was familiar to Tisto’s ears.

Lambow and Liam ignited their sabers in defiance, though the reasons of their defiance was unknown to the racer. Torin, Morgan, and Seth raised their guns ready for a fight, as Lucia and the new Human looked at Tisto expectantly.

The racer stepped to the front of the small group he was with, his lightsaber not ignited, was held tightly. He noted a small nod from the old man and smiled to himself.

“I don’t care who this Therrak is,” he began indignantly. “But, I would die before my friends and I bowed to him.”

“Tisto?” The lead soldier replied, taking off her helmet. “How can this be? Your father said you were killed in the streets?”

Tisto dropped his saber, the hilt hitting the ground. Impossible. The only woman who can look like that… Have the same ratios as I… he thought.

“Mom?” he asked, the sadness and pain he had been feeling since this started floating to the top.

“Yes,Tisto, it’s me,” she replied. “Come here, join me. Come back to your family.”

Zoso stood looking out over the city of Tanduran, her eyes took in everything at little more than a glance. Signs of fighting had erupted throughout the city. Those who attacked were faced by those who tried to defend, screams still seemed to echo from the streets and blaster fire could be heard in the distance. A sudden thought hit her and she turned to the three men gathered behind her. Her eyes blazed as she looked at each in turn, an ordering finger pointed to the building she mentioned.

“That building. Take it as intact as possible. Disable, sabotage or steal any ordinance on the way. We do not want them using it against us or our reinforcements when they arrive,” she commanded quickly. “Parsa, you are in charge for now. Do not fail or there will be no credits.”

The Aleena narrowed his eyes and nodded a moment before the woman dove from the roof and landed gracefully on the ground below. The Mirialan took off like a ship breaking the atmosphere as she bolted across the street and up the wreckage of a collapsed building. Her strides were quick and measured as Zoso moved along the tops of the buildings, jumping and rolling as she cleared the distances.

The Soldier found herself moving rapidly toward the largest source of smoke and hoped that it was not too late. A bad feeling had settled in her stomach and gnawed at her worriedly. She rounded a nearby corner and skidded to a halt behind an abandoned speeder, looking on a level of carnage that had not been seen in Tanduran since the forces of the Mad King. Soldiers in purple and black stood near a small family, their guns aimed directly at the three wretched-looking humans. The sound of blood thundered in the golden giantess’s ears as her foot struck the ground and she began to run again.

Two blaster shots echoed through the streets moments before the adults fell to the ground, leaving a single child alone to face these men. Zoso growled softly as she closed the distance between herself and the enemy combatants. Civilian lives were never an accepted cost of battle. Quinn reached the men and one of her fists flashed through the air, striking the first man in his temple. As he began to topple over with blood dribbling from his nose, the Mirialan spun quickly to avoid a hastily raised blaster in her direction. The weapon went off and a bolt raced through the empty space she had occupied only a moment before as she grabbed the soldier’s arm, spun him around with his back to her chest and grasped his hand to force the blaster to fire again directly into the face of his final comrade. The movement was completed when Zoso pulled her slugthrower from its holster beneath her arm and placed the barrel against the back of the enemy soldier’s head.

The crack from her weapon was followed immediately by the spray of the man’s final thoughts as his body stood there before her for a moment. The corpse fell to the ground and the blood spattered Quinn looked down at the child, who blankly touched her mother’s arm and caused the Mirialan’s heart to break. She smiled sadly at the child and held out her hand, motioning the child to come over.

“Come here. I’ll take you somewhere safe,” the woman said softly. “I’m one of the good guys, I promise.”

The child stared at her, uncomprehending, but reached out and took Zoso’s hand. A quick movement placed the girl on the Soldier’s back and pulled her arms around Quinn’s neck. “Hold on, we have to go fast. Okay?”

The child nodded and buried her face in the Mirialan’s hair as the Soldier took off once again at a dead run. The pressure of the small child on Quinn’s back did throw her balance slightly, but the Soldier was adaptable and quickly made the calculations to offset the additional weight. Tanduran was not a rich city, but neither was it poor. However, the downtrodden seemed to exist in every city the woman had seen and this child was definitely underfed. She made a note of that as she scaled another broken building to reach the rooftops again.

Zoso scanned the city once more and spotted the location of the smoke again. She adjusted her bearing and ran on sure feet across the closely huddled buildings, the inky cloud stood against the blue sky like a beacon of impending violence. The thought seemed to spur her into an even faster pace as her stride stretched and she began to cover the buildings in a faster order.

As she neared the inky column of smoke, Zoso slowed to a walk and approached the edge of her building. She could see several figures below her. Tisto and his Twi’lek stood closely together with a human touching the Racer almost nervously. A wookiee stood nearby as well as those from the bar, including Morgan. Quinn breathed a sigh of relief as she watched the interaction between the two disparate groups. The leader, a lean woman with a pretty-seeming face gestured to Tisto, her words disappeared over the distance. The Kiffar made no movements whatsoever, bringing a scowl to the Mirialan’s face.

Zoso took a few steps back and ran toward the edge of the building. Her feet hit the edge of the building and powerful legs flexed as she launched herself into the air. One of her hands moved behind her to steady the child as she crouched in the air and sailed toward the center of the group of soldiers facing the ragtag group of fighters.

The golden warrior crouched upon landing, absorbing the shock of the descent into herself and barely jostled the child on her back. Without a single word, the woman advanced on the woman in front of the group, gripped her head with vice-like hands and jerked quickly. The enemy captain’s eyes looked into her own blankly for a moment before the body fell to the ground, revealing a shocked Tisto and a fainting Twi’lek and human female. The Mirialan’s eyes glinted in the sunlight as she quickly spun and began to attack the remaining soldiers. Her highly toned instincts and trained muscles gave her a distinct edge over the common soldier. Years of torture at the hands of the Mad King’s regime had made her cold. Time spent locked in a pit of despair had turned the Soldier’s heart to ice.

Her strikes were true and her aim nearly flawless. The nearest combatant went down as her fist embraced his throat and crushed his windpipe. He fell to the ground, gasping for breath, but the woman was already moving rapidly, her feet beating a quick staccato on the pavement as she seemed to dance effortlessly between the soldiers. Several more went down before the nerves of the soldiers broke and many ran away, leaving only a handful left to deal with. As though the shock had worn off from her own companions, Torin aimed his weapon and dispatched another soldier that was taking aim at Quinn’s back. Her hand lanced forward and struck another on the jaw, which caused him to collapse in an unconscious heap.

Morgan was there as well, lightsaber hissing through the air as she etched deep red lines in the ground and enemy alike. Within moments, the soldiers that had remained lay either dead or dying with the sole exception of the one unconscious man that Zoso currently stood over.

“You okay, kid?” the woman asked, her voice calm and disturbingly light. “I hope I didn’t upset you too much, but I had to save my friends.”

A quick shake of the child’s head gave her the assurance she needed as she pointed at the man. “That one is for later. Tie him up, Morgan. Make sure he doesn’t have any thoughts of leaving us too soon.”

The black-haired woman grinned viciously and nodded as Quinn turned towards Tisto, her eyes aflame and her features cross. It took two strides to close the distance and without warning, she decked the stunned Kiffar and knocked him to the ground.

Zoso stood over him, her eyes dark and unfriendly. She fixed him with a flat stare and spoke softly. “Hesitation will get you and your friends killed, boy. Next time, I’ll save them the trouble and kill you myself. That may have gotten you by with your little biker buddies, but this is a war and your friends are already dead if you hadn’t noticed.”

The old man coughed once and Quinn glared at him as well. “Stay out of it, old man. He will get us all killed if he doesn’t learn. If I have to teach him, then I will, but he will not enjoy it.”

The Mirialan looked once more at the downed Tisto and grunted. “Disgraceful.” She turned and walked away from them, muttering to herself and the child hanging on her back.

Tekk watched as the Mirialan giant, to Tekk at least, took of over the roof tops. Wordlessly he motioned for his two Human companions to follow him as he took off at a trot towards their new objective. It wasn’t that far and they arrived promptly creeping to the edge of the closest building to get a look at what they were up against. In the street below was an old landspeeder a turret mounted E-Web on the vehicle’s rear guarding the large set of double doors that lead into the warehouses interior. Three people manned the vehicle, one manning the E-Web while the other two leaned against the vehicle casually talking with one another.

“Let’s get this done.” said the Aleena.

“Woah, wait a minute.” said Jason grabbing the little mercenaries shoulder. “Do we even have a plan?”

“Not a one.” replied Tekk.

With an exasperated sigh Hunter asked “Well don’t you think we should formulate one?”

Shrugging Tekk replied “I was just gonna go down there and shoot everyone.”

“Brilliant.” said Suur under his breath.

Pointing a little blue finger at the Pirate Tekk said “So you come up with one then smart guy.”

“Can’t you just go down there and Force them into giving up?” Suur asked looking at Jason as he waved his hands in front of his face.

“Sure, and why don’t I just turn into a rancor while I’m at it.” replied Hunter.

With wide eyes Tekk asked “You can do that?”

“You’re an idiot.” replied Jason.

“Well is there anything you’re little magic powers can do to help?” asked the Aleena.

Closing his eyes the Drifter began to call on the Force extending his senses down into the street and the warehouse below. A few moments later his eyes shot open as he turned to his companions and said “There’s ten people inside that warehouse.”

“How do you know that?” asked Suur.

“My magic powers.” replied Jason somewhat sarcastically.

With a look of grim determination on his face Tekk said “Well it won’t matter how many guys are in there if we can’t do something about the three outside. Come on let’s go.”

The trio made their way carefully down from the roof and snuck through the back alleys until they were as close to the speeder as they were going to get. With a few quick hand signals Tekk told the other two that he would take the guys on the gun while they dealt with the other two. Gripping his blaster tightly the little Aleena leapt up onto the rear of the speeder jammed the barrel against the unsuspecting enemies back and squeezed the trigger, the blast of energy slicing through the man’s back before exploding from his stomach.

Almost before Tekk’s victim dropped to the ground Suur was on the move vibrodagger in hand. He plunged the blade deep into the stomach of the man before him three times in quick succession before drawing the blade across his throat. While this was happening Jason had sprung into action. He pulled his lightsaber from its place on his belt and ignited the weapon its blue blade springing to life with a familiar snap-hiss. He threw the weapon using the Force to guide it to its intended target. The blue blade sliced through the last defenders neck removing the head from the neck. As the blade returned to the hand of its owner Jason deactivated the blade and returned it to his belt.

With the defenders dead Suur asked “So what do we do about the guys inside?”

“I go an idea.” said Tekk as a mischievous grin split his face.

Inside the warehouse

Akras sat on a chair staring at the game of sabacc going on in front of him when his comm unit beeped drawing his attention away from the game. Raising the comm unit up to his mouth he activated the device and said “What?” in a bored voice.

“We’ve got incoming get everyone out here now.” came a panicked voice from the devices small speaker.

“Karabest.” Akras swore. “Everyone gear up we’ve got incoming.”

The occupants of the warehouse grabbed their weapons and headed for the doors. As they slowly slid open the group exited the building directly into the oncoming path of a flurry of blaster bolts. In a heartbeat they were cut down as bodies and limbs went flying to and fro. With the warehouse occupants dead or dying the hail of blaster fire stopped and all was quiet once again in the street.

Moments before

“I go an idea.” said Tekk as a mischievous grin split his face. “One of you grab a comlink off these guys and call for help. When they come out I’ll cut em down with this baby.” he said as he gently patted the E-Web.

“That’s not a bad idea.” said Jason.

Shrugging Suur said “It could work.” as he began to search the bodies. Finding a comm unit he activated the device and shouted “We’ve got incoming get everyone out here now.”

As the doors slid open and the enemy began to emerge Tekk opened fire laughing maniacally as he cut them down. With the enemy dead or dying he took his fingers off the triggers and stared in awe at his handy work. With a smile he asked “Do you think they’ll let me keep this?”

“Look at the size of it.” replied Suur.

“How would you even carry it?” asked Jason.

Shrugging his tiny shoulders he answered ‘I dunno, that Quinn woman looked pretty strong, maybe she could carry it for me.”

The populace of Tanduran stopped, everyone frozen for a brief second as a ship descended over head. The city was more or less intact, the only major damage being the pub. Corpses littered the ground, both civilian, and invading soldiers. The vessel was a black and purple Lambda class shuttle. For the brief second looks of awe came from those invaders not wearing helmets, and looks of fear came from the civilians still running around.

Lucia and the other woman woke up, to see the enemy gone. Both looked at the giant Mirialan with awe, wondering if they could ever do that.

“Torin, Lambow, Liam, can you sense that?” Lucia heard Tisto say.

“Yes,” came a near unified response.

“What is it?!” Zoso responded, falling into a battle stance. The child on her back looking around like a soldier

“Something dark, and powerful,” Liam replied.

“You guys get out of here,” Tisto said, his crimson blade roaring to life as he spoke. “I’ll handle it.”

“This disgrace is a Jedi?” Zoso remarked. “Listen you can’t take on a group of soldiers, how can you take on something Liam Says is powerful?”

“Alright,” the racer responded. “Then who is for an assault on that ship.”

Jalen saw the ship descend as he thought out his next move. Staying put had helped him so far, those few soldiers who had crossed his path hadn’t lived long enough to give away his location. Yet the darkness he sensed was immense. Far beyond him in power. He could also sense a gathering of light sides, two close to the power he sensed from the approaching dark sider, one person near Jalen’s own power, and one scar.

“I’m probably safer with them then on my own at this point,” he muttered to himself.

Tekk, Jason, and Suur looked at the oncoming ship with awe. While it would have been just any other ship, it was painted phenomenally.

“That ship is bad news,” Jason stated.

“How do you know?” The little guy replied. “It looks beautiful.”

“My magic powers haven’t failed us yet have they?”

Unlike everyone else Gui couldn’t see the ship. He was too entranced in his work. However this did not stop him from sensing it. He dropped his hydro spanner as he did, a feeling of dread flowing through him. I shouldn’t have left Liam

Torrek Marth exited the shuttle, his cloak billowing in the wind. Wearing the black and purple of the Thuron monarchy, he was an imposing figure. His hand clutched his saber hilt, he sensed a strong group of foes, none at his power, and thought it to be his best option to test his skills. A few other Force users were scattered about, yet the strength this larger group had was worth a check.

Many of the New Dawn soldiers bowed, but none looked to his face, were a bone mask rested. It covered from his nose up, and had been painted black, with two purple streaks coming up from the eye holes. All the soldiers knew its reasons for being there, and knew of Torreks feelings about it.

“There is a large group I will be heading to, with another person heading towards them,” the masked man stated. “Show me a map, I can point out a few other groups for you to target, and one loner hiding near the coms.”

Zoso looked in the direction the shuttle landed, her eyes flat and unfriendly. “This isn’t going to end well. It feels like a lump of metal in my stomach.”

She reached up and unwrapped the little girl’s arms from around her broad shoulders. The Soldier pointed at the bartender and spoke softly. “I want you to go with him. There is a small group of people that will make sure you stay safe. I do not want you around when the one in that shuttle gets here, okay?”

The small human looked up at her imploringly, still seemingly unable to speak. The Mirialan’s heart softened slightly and she smiled at the waif. She stood up, shrugged out of her combat shirt and draped it over the child’s shoulders, then pulled her hat off and placed it on the girl’s head.

“Keep those safe for me, okay? I’ll come back for them when I’m done, and then we can go find a place for you to live. I think you’re gonna need someone to take care of you now.”

The young girl smiled and nodded, before putting on a serious look, trying to imitate the giantess’s scowl. Quinn laughed softly and spoke to the bartender. “A few blocks from your bar is a fortified warehouse. The little blue one is in charge, tell him I sent you.”

The man nodded quickly and shuffled most of the remaining civilians away. The golden warrior turned back to the direction of her ominous feeling. Zoso shook her head and sighed. Her words were soft, almost kind as she spoke to the others behind her. “I would suggest most of you leave as well. This is a dying ground and only the hardest of us should go.”

The raven-haired woman scoffed at the comment and shook her head stubbornly. “Do you have any idea what she would do to me if I let you get yourself killed? She might not always show that she cares, but she hates losing people.”

The Marksman also raised an eyebrow before checking his weapon. “I’m easily as hard as you, Miss War Veteran. I’m not some soft recruit, you know.”

The Mechanic snuffled a soft laugh and stepped forward as well, flanked by Liam and Tisto. The Kiffar spoke haltingly, clearly intimidated by the angry woman. “You are not the only one who can fight, Lieutenant Colonel. We will stand as one or not at all.”

The Mirialan looked over her shoulder and raised and eyebrow with a light smile. “Maybe there’s hope for you after all. Provided any of us survive.”

Quinn turned back towards their collective fate and strode resolutely toward her own doom. She hoped that many made it out, but old soldiers were always broken shadows of their former selves and the Mirialan never wanted that for herself. The human child had given her a sense of hope and she had felt her own heart soften slightly towards the girl. Being a mother was never in her plan either. Glory and honor and all things gained by combat, but never a family. Her mind flashed to Morgan and a pang of sadness welled up in her. Even this woman was intended to be no more than a distraction. Something to pass the time. She had treated everyone around her as a tool, something useful that served a purpose, but when that purpose was over she tossed them aside and found a new one.

The sounds of footfalls coming towards them jerked them all into a state of hyperawareness, as they scanned in all directions for the source. A dark cloaked figure, in a hooded robe, approached them cautiously, his posture tense but non-threatening. His voice was almost sibilant. “I think that we should work together. I know something about the Dark and that might just help you.”

The meaning behind his words was not lost on the Jedi in their little group, but Zoso shook her head slightly. “I will take what I can get as long as it doesn’t get me killed faster. Never turn away a willing soldier.”

The figure pushed back his hood, revealing his reptilian features. The Falleen touched his hand to his chest and nodded. “I am skilled, so there is no fear of that. I am-”

He was cut off by the others turning away to face the other end of the plaza. A small contingent had entered and stood watching. The man in the center pushed his way past the others and stood staring at the gathered allies. “I am Torrek Marth. I claim this city and its inhabitants. Those who submit will be spared the agony of death.”

Quinn’s eyes narrowed as she heard the man speak. Her muscles tensed and rippled as she stood there staring at the man. She felt fear grip her heart and finally understood. Everything must come full circle. “Everyone, escape while you can. I will buy you as much time as I can.”

Tisto stared at her. “Quinn, that’s suicide! If we work together, we can take him!”

Zoso shook her head. “No, we can’t. One dies or we all die. I’m not so noble as to sacrifice myself easily, but I swore to protect everyone I can. Right now, that means you. Go now. Look after them. Morgan, make sure they leave and give the General my regrets.”

Morgan stepped forward as well, her eyes hard. She gripped her lightsabers with a scowl. “You can tell her yourself. I’m not your messenger.”

The gathered Jedi stared at her. This woman was clearly outmatched and outgunned, intent on standing against a man who worried even Liam. Tisto seemed like he was going to say something and then turned away. “Come on, guys. We…we retreat for now.”

As one, the others turned away and began to walk off except for Torin. “I’m staying, Quinn. The two of us give them a better chance. Besides, I didn’t expect to make it out of this anyway. Everything means something right?”

The Soldier turned and looked at her companion sadly. “I like to think so, Ardell. Maybe when they tell this story, we’ll be more heroic than we were in the past. We all have sins to atone for and perhaps this is a way to do just that.”

The Marksman laughed softly and readied his weapon. “I’ll provide support as I can.”

=========

Around the corner, Lucia stopped them, her features set and disgusted. “What are we doing? Running away like cowards? Those are our friends and we’re just going to let them die without a fight? How can we look at ourselves after this if we let it happen?”

Tisto looked at the woman and shook his head. “We won’t. But, you heard her. We will all die there if we stay.”

Lucia growled at the Kiffar and shook her head, lekku twitching aggravatedly. “The chance is there. But, if we leave them, they will. They have no chance of getting out alive.”

Liam spoke in a soft voice. “We do what we must. The Force will always guide us.”

The looked around at each other and turned as one to return to their companions’ aid.

========

The Soldier flexed her fists as she walked forward confidently, nodding to Torin. As deadly eyes locked on her opponents ahead of her, fear evaporated, anxiety became an afterthought and every fiber of her being shuddered at one thought - she lived for combat. Death was irrelevant and falling in battle was an honor. Exhaustion ebbed away from her as the thrill of battle descended into her adrenaline-filled veins. She half-smiled as she stopped near the center of the plaza, her voice clear. “Make it worth my time.”

A shimmer of black hair next to Quinn made her smile as Morgan came to a stop next to her. Even though it was never intended, she found that she was quite fond of the woman, and her presence emboldened her; possibly even gave her a reason to fight. Morgan was more than a tool, more than…something. She couldn’t quite place the woman, but she knew Morgan was worth protecting.

The soldiers of Torrek Marth leveled their weapons, only to freeze in place, as if the Force itself pressed down on them. Marth frightened them, but something primordial creeped into their bones, penetrating their most intimate fears. Even Zoso and Torin felt a sudden ripple of fear as they observed the former pirate. The soldiers reflexively stepped back from her gaze, before Marth took control again. “What’re you waiting for!? Fire!” More in panic than discipline, the soldiers fired at the trio before them.

No great insults, no grand explanations, no memorable speeches. The pitched battle began because someone was afraid. It was always like that, but this time, there was little chance of survival. Quinn strode forward, unconcerned about the blaster bolts lancing the air around her. She had nothing to lose. Nothing left to give and it was time to rest. One last thing to do.

Without warning, Morgan walked in front of her, lightsaber moving quickly to deflect several well-aimed shots. A bolt reflected back at to its origin, burning the man’s face into muck. Torin took to the flank, giving the women some much needed respite from the barrage. Fully half of the detachment aimed at him as Morgan pulled Zoso into cover.

“Are you trying to die?” she asked, with only a grunt as a reply. She pulled out her blaster and handed it to the Mirialan. “Take this, I’ll make a hole and distract the frakker. You handle the rest. Now watch this.” She smirked confidently as she leapt over her cover, deflecting several bolts in midair.

The Marksman held true to his nickname, firing shots rapidly with unerring precision into the bodies of armed men. His cover was not ideal, but it afforded him the ability to be as small of a target as possible. The Soldier gripped her blaster with trained hands and fired over the small barricade she was thrown behind. Morgan focused on the group directly around Marth, her eyes glinting. Suddenly, her body seemed to split into a half dozen copies as she surged forward. Her lightsaber flashed dangerously, slashing and deflecting incoming blaster fire. The opposing soldiers continued to die. The former pirate outstretched her hand and purple forks of electricity shot forward into the chest of the closest standing soldier, his body jerking up straight before spasming as the electricity sparked and arced away from him before he collapsed into a smoking heap.

Several soldiers turned and leveled their weapons at Morgan, who had become the greater threat, causing her to dive behind the low wall of a nearby fountain. The Soldier and the Marksman resumed firing to relieve the attention the raven-haired woman was now receiving. Their shots hit both their targets and the ground around them, some enemy combatants fell to the ground and writhed in agony, while others fell dead from their wounds. Marth’s force was dwindling, but all he did was stand there, unconcerned. Their lives meant nothing to him, he could always find more. There was always a pool of men who felt they had been wronged by the government and his words offered respite from that, a place in the hierarchy to come.

Quinn got to her feet, created a target of herself and drew the remaining attention from Morgan. The Dark Sider stood once more, her eyes frosty as that all too familiar creeping fear continued to drench the gathered members in the stark clarity of fear. Morgan stepped forward her features flat and unforgiving. Several soldiers stared at her as a look of terror crossed their features. Another step from the woman and their nerve broke. They threw down their weapons and turned away to run.

The soldiers turned and found themselves face to face with Marth, who sneered at them and quickly cut them down with his own lightsaber. “Pathetic.”

Morgan sagged slightly, but ran forward to strike directly at the soldiers. Her fiery orange blade struck lethal blows on those gathered around her. Cleaved in twain, the soldiers fell, their cohorts turned as one and leveled their weapons at the woman.

The Soldier leapt over the barricade and charged forward, throwing the blaster in her hands at the group of men. They flinched as it hit the ground, their nerves already tight from the battle and that primordial fear that exuded from the pale woman. Now there was also an enraged Mirialan charging them, her fists clenched in hate. Several remained focused on Morgan, but the others turned to face Quinn as Torin once again fired into the group. Marth looked over at the building the Marksman was firing from and thrust his face forward. From the outstretched palm, a dreadful blast of energy screamed forward, knocking the wall into the building and caused it to collapse.

Torin screamed for a moment, but the sound was quickly drowned out by both debris and noise of the destruction. The Soldier turned and looked at the building in horror for a moment before turning back toward the man who had likely killed a man that had watched her back several times. As she turned, a blaster bolt arced through her vision and struck the right side of her face, burning away flesh and a single violet orb. Howling in pain, the war veteran fell to her knees with a hand covering the side of her face.

The soldiers took notice of this and leveled their weapons at the alien, their faces intent and triumphant. Marth laughed softly, his deep baritone voice seemed to boom. “And the defenders are beaten. And now they die, just as they always should have.”

Zoso heard the audible click of triggers, but there was nothing. No pain, but the smell of burnt flesh filled her senses and smoke filled her limited eyesight. She looked at Morgan curiously, her features racked with pain. “I told you I wasn’t going to let you just get yourself killed.”

The raven-haired woman slumped forward, landing roughly against the kneeling Mirialan, who wrapped her arms gently around the injured woman. Several blaster bolts had struck her in the back and legs, charring the flesh and exposing deep red musculature beneath. Morgan closed her eyes and fell unconscious. The ice covering the Soldier’s heart continued to melt. This woman had just used her own body to shield the Mirialan. Quinn placed her forehead against the top of Morgan’s head for a moment, her body shuddering as years of isolation and insulation from others began to crumble around her. She would not allow this woman’s sacrifice to be in vain. She would fight, she would survive. The Mirialan made a quick note in her mind to address this with her companion. Quinn looked up at Marth, her remaining eye filling with tears and defiance. She rose to her feet, gently cradling the fallen partner. “You will not get away with this!”

The man laughed stridently at the woman’s words, his eyes flat and unfeeling. “I have-”

As though their shared pain summoned them, a group of Jedi burst from an alley on the far side of the plaza behind the wounded Soldier. Marth looked up at the group and glared, his eyes filled with hate and rage.