A massive cataclysm has struck the universe, and destroyed most everything in its wake. The survivors are now trying to pick up the pieces, and figure out exactly what has befallen them. Gather together, lightsiders!! The darkness has shattered the peace and calm of the galaxy...and they will do anything to stop anyone from finding out exactly what has been done! This is our first sitewide RP plotline. Lightsiders, you are looking for the source of this massive event. Clues must be found, lackeys tracked down, and bits of memory discovered. Darksiders, you guys don't want that to happen....because of the one behind the whole thing is furthering his ultimate goal. Mandalorians, and non-force users, you guys can decide where you stand on this line....do you side with the Jedi, and try to discover the reasons behind the ruined universe, or will you side with the darkness, and protect those secrets. Will the secret of the cataclysmic reaping be kept under wraps? Or will the Jedi and their allies find out the truth? Your RP and writing will decide the outcome!
BATTLE ARENA
Welcome to The Saga Continues. We have a section called the Battle Arena. Here you can use your characters to fight other characters. Hone your skills and see what you are made of. Don't worry, anything that happens here, does not effect your characters in posts, so if your character dies, you can still use them over and over. Have fun and check it out!
The Saga Continues is the product of the mind of ADMIN ADI; all contents are copyright their original owners. All characters belong to their original creators, and may not be used or replicated without permission. All images are copyright their original owners. This skin Operation Mindcrime was made by pharaoh leap of Pixel Perfect and put together by ADMIN KRYSTAL
*My eyes snap open as the ship comes fully to life, it's reactors and engines up to full capacity in less than 2 minutes, damn I'm good. I don't have any time to dwell on that pleasant thought as I slam levers left and right, roughly engaging the ships repulsorlifts at the same time as the landing gear began to retract. I yell a vague warning to Tireya, who's presence I had felt make it onto the ship, just before the ship shudders with the rough handling. I didn't suspect that the ship would be fine, I knew it. Wasting no time I swing the ship around, locking the boarding ramp open as I catch up to the running sith. I was a good 10 meters up, keeping the ship as steady as I could while avoiding the occasional outcropping of academy ruins that could still reach that high, silently urging the darksider to get the hint and jump. I wasn't too worried about Adi and his magic flying armor as they had plenty of time to catch up and get aboard as well. With half a mind I reach out with the force and begin powering up the navigational computer at the back of the cockpit, had no interest in prolonging this visit any more than I had too.*
There it was!! Mike had the ship up and running...and in about half the normal time. There was higher ground about four hundred meters to the south of the destroyed Jedi Temple...and there is where they would rendezvous. Opening a com to the ship, Adi let Mike in on the plan.
::Get over to the hill to the south....We will cover you, and then catch up. If we get overrun, just get out of here, and get to Naboo. Matango out.::
A pair of infected individuals were coming up on Loki's blind side, and Adieumus picked them off with a pair of repulsor blasts when they were less than ten feet away, all-but vaporizing them where they were hit. They exploded in a burst of blood and bone, throwing pinkish-red spatter in all directions.
This was getting to be too much. Opening the external speakers, Adi spoke to Loki.
"We are falling back!! Get to the south hill....Mike will have the ship there waiting on us. I'll be your air cover for...."
A pop, and a shower of sparks shot from the left side flight repulsor, and it sputtered, dropping the CLoWDS armor down about ten feet. It came back online, but failed again just as quickly. It was then that he noticed the power supply was dangerously low. Apparently, it hadn't been able to charge on the old systems in the ship, and now it was running out quickly.
"Dammit! Gregory, we gotta get outta here. Do we have enough power to grab Loki?" ::Barely....but I believe we can. Plotting fastest course now.::
Gregory had nary gotten the words out, when the suit screamed down from the sky, unceremoniously plucking the Zabrak from the ground, and making a beeline for the ship. Both flight repulsors were sputtering now, but still able to propel the suit forward at a massive speed. The rear hatch was open...and that is exactly where Adi was aiming for. Just as the Arkanian thought they were home free, however, both repulsors gave out. With the last bit of power left in the suit, Matango whipped Loki into the hatch, and grabbed for the very edge of the ramp. With a final effort, he squeezed into the metal, and created enough of a divot for each finger that he could hold on.
Loki snarled as he was plucked from the ground, and tossed onto the ramp, at the same time Adi's armor finally powered down Loki reached down with a single hand and heaved Adi armor and all into the ship as though he weighed little more than a child then as he dragged himself up gripping the ramp's arm he looked down at the swirling mass of infected. He had replaced his saber and attached it to his belt, he let go of the arm and held up both hands, the Dark side welled inside him and out, those in the ship would feel it as though an immense pressure where around them. Loki saw where the center of the mass was, and let the force flow through him like a conduit, the wind howled, not from the ships movement but from the force, rains suddenly battered infected and lightning struck into the crowd killing dozens at a time, the storm would rage for hours yet it seemed to avoid the ship, Loki snarled again he was waning but if their where other survivors the least he could do was thin the herd. He looked back at Adi and then crawled his way and hit the ramp lock as it swung upwards. "That was too close." He muttered as the storm of energies whipped into a further frenzy more lightning crashing into the infected below as the ship took off. Loki yanked Adi to his feet so he could remove his armor then walked further into the ship.
Now that everyone was aboard, the small light freighter rose above the storm. It raged beneath them, causing massive turbulence that rocked the ship, tossing them this way and that. It only took a few moments before they cleared the cloud cover completely, and rocketed off towards the orbit of the planet.
Adi was just thankful that everyone was still alive.
It was here where had spent his life, living the life of a Jedi Healer. This academy was his home, the only place that had taken him in when he was but a young child. He would be forever grateful for his master, who had without question taken the Cerean under his wing and taught him all there was to know about the way of the Jedi.
Nearly fifteen years have passed now, and Rai found himself within the depths of the now abandoned Jedi Academy, searching tirelessly and endlessly for answers. It had been months since since he had been in contact with anyone from the outside world, and he had since meandered away from the holonet (oblivious to the Jedi summit on Naboo) due to his obsession over his work.
People were dying, governments and planets thrown in to complete and utter chaos. Fear, pain, desperation and death were all the Jedi Knight could feel through the Force now. It always lingered in his mind, threatening to overcome him and drown him in darkness and despair, but Rai was disciplined in his studies and always found comfort in the light of Ashla, and the consumption of booze... one of the many traits he acquired from studying with the great Drunken Master himself, Mike Frantz.
Rubbing the tiredness from his eyes, Rai looked at the clock mounted on the wall in the medical bay where he was located. 3 o'clock in the morning. He couldn't remember the last time he slept. He didn't have time for sleep. There was only time to find the answer to this galaxy-wide problem... Whenever there was a virus, there was always a cure.... And the Cerean Jedi Knight would not rest until he figured out the secrets and inner workings of this complicated strain of whatever the hell it was.
"Damn it!" He yelled as he slammed his fists onto the table, frustration seeping into his low pitched voice. He took a flask from his pocket and let the Corellian ale wash down his throat. Every time he took a step forward, getting closer to the answer, he was always knocked back two steps, as the virus always seemed to counter the antidote. One thing was for certain, this virus didn't develop naturally. It was lab made, genetically engineered and manipulated into a chemical weapon.
Rai believed the virus to be the resurrection of the notoriously lethal "Blue Shadow Virus". Although in its natural form, the virus was waterborne, he knew that its genetic makeup could be reconfigured to make it survivable through the air, as it was recorded during the Clone Wars by CIS scientist, Dr. Nuvo Vindi. With a kill rate of nearly 96%, in all carbon-based lifeforms, everything seemed to add up. The sudden onset of symptoms, acute cases of rapid mental degeneration, everything. And there was only one known cure: the main component being a rare item known as the Reeksa root found exclusively on the planet of Iego.
The problem at hand was that the supplies at the small medical facility within the academy were not stocked to deal with such sicknesses or experiments, and Rai had never been able to test his hypothesis. He would travel to Iego himself, if only his ship had not been destroyed with most others during the riots that had taken place when the planet was first hit by the plague.
Since then, the Healer had been forced to test other things but was always met with failure. If there was one thing for certain, it was that Rai knew exactly what the plague wasn't.
"Its useless," He muttered to the empty academy, "You aren't equipped with what I need. I need to get off world, I need to get to the Red Dawn Medical Facility on Honoghr." He froze as he processed what he had just thoughtlessly said. "That's it!" He yelled joyously. Throwing on his brown robe, Rai made his way to the academy's communication center.... It was time to find someone who'd be willing to take him off world.
It would be a risky move, but the fate of the Universe depended on him.
Rushing into the communications center of the Jedi Academy, Rai's mind was whirling, processing new thoughts that had not yet crossed his mind. Surely the RDMC was still intact, and if that was the case, the information that he had about the current strain could be put to use and properly supplemented research could take place. He had to find a way there. There was no other way!
He sat down in a swivel chair and then rolled across the floor, turning as he went to catch himself as he approached the transmission equipment. He thumbed the activation switch, but nothing happened. The power was dead, or the electrical supply was cut off. Trying his best not to assume the worst, the Cerean bent over and removed a metal plate from the side of the console, exposing all sorts of colored wires and gadgets and gizmos. Oh the perks of having a mechanic as a mentor.
"Lets see here," He said as he reached into the exposed compartment, examining its contents and trying to troubleshoot the problem. "Ah ha, there we go." There was a brief spark as his hands reconnected two wires and then the terminal began to make a whirling noise before the monitor flickered to life. "Good as new!"
At first, as the monitor rebooted, it first opened up a communications channel with the Jedi Holonet, its default server. As Rai went to reroute the transmission frequency, his eyes caught sight of a message that had been broadcasted only a week or two earlier. There had been a summoning of all Jedi to Naboo by the Grandmaster, and he had missed it. Of course.
Pushing his frustration aside at his own mistake of neglecting to regularly check for transmissions, Rai's hands expertly pressed buttons on the console, reconfiguring the academy's radio signal so that it would broadcast on all emergency frequencies.
"Attention, to whoever can hear me. My name is Jedi Knight Rai Darkwater and I am broadcasting on all emergency frequencies. I am at the Jedi Academy and am in need of immediate assistance. I have important cargo that must be escorted off-world. I repeat, I have important cargo that must be escorted off-world. If you can hear me, please respond."
Above the terrain, they sped towards the remains of Coronet City. They had heard that part of the original civilian populace still resides there. They would do an aerial sweep of the area near the city, then work their way to Coronet City. The troops observed the terrain in silence as they streaked over the remains of what had at one point been a prosperous world. Brought to its pitiful knees by the awe-inspiring power of the virus. They didn’t know what virus it was specifically, but it had helped cleanse the galaxy. Coronet City came into view, and the Citizens could most certainly see the fearsome sight of their dropships and fighters closing in over the horizon. The troops readied their weapons, checked their HUDs to make sure they were fully ready to land, and prepared to drop and massacre the citizens. At the same time, fighter pilots prepared their bombs, torpedoes, missiles, and bombs, and gunners prepared their rockets and repeating laser cannons to rain destruction from the sky.
Well that was going to have to do. Rai had no idea if the transmission had been received, but he went ahead and set the message to loop every hour on the hour. Standing up, Rai removed the headset from his head and placed it back on the table before exiting the room. If there was someone on their way, Rai had to be ready when they showed up. And he needed to gather as many supplies as possible.
First, he made his way to the cafeteria. Making his way into the kitchen, Rai grabbed a small satchel and slung it over his shoulder. Immediately, he began to browse the pantries, finding a stash of empty canteens. Grabbing five of them, the Cerean Jedi made his way over to the sink where he filled all of them with water. Screwing on the cap of the final container, Rai carefully placed them into the sack and continued searching. Unfortunately, there wasn't much left in terms of food, as the Cerean had consumed most of it in the two weeks he had been isolated in the academy. All that was left was nonperishable food. Specifically in mind, Rai grabbed the remaining three full ration kits. Grabbing the blue rectangular boxes, he stuffed them into the bag, lodging them tightly against the canteens of water, trying to conserve as much room as possible. As he left the kitchen, Rai grabbed a single ration bar that he had left on the counter the day before and began to munch on it as he walked.
The next stop was a return to the medical bay. The Jedi Healer walked over to his desk and grabbed his data pad, which contained all of his research notes and tests on the cure. Sliding it into one of the many pockets within his brown robes, he left as soon as he had arrived.
The two lightsaber hilts that were attached to his belt on his right hip clacked together as the Jedi jogged down the hallway, making his way for the small armory. When he had finally made his way back to the academy right after the initial outbreak of the plague, Rai had encountered a large group of looters, and by the will of the Force, had managed to drive them back, not before they had stolen most of the valuables from with the academy's walls. But, there were a few things the Jedi had managed to save.
Throwing open the first weapons locker, Rai reached in and felt his hand clamp around a hilt and pulled the sword from the shadows and into the light. The hilt was long and slim, approximately a hand and a half long, built into the cruciform configuration. It held a presence in the force, as it was force imbued. An old Jedi relic that Rai could not just leave behind. Not that he had any use for it... The Healer's reliance on form zero and avoiding combat as much as possible rarely required him to draw his blade. Unfortunately, during his confrontation with the looters, that had not been the case... But they had all managed to escape with their lives due to the Cerean having always refused to take a life. Truly, he was a pacifist in nature, and only carried his two lightsabers at the constant nagging and request of his old master.
Strapping the rare Jedi blade to his back, Rai moved back into the shadows of the dark abandoned academy making his way to the hangar bay where he would wait until help arrived.
Rai's journey to the hangar bay was stopped abruptly, as he rounded a corner to find the ceiling collapsed and rubble piled high. "Oh come on. Nothing ever goes the way you want it to." He sighed as he began to summon the Force around him. It was warm and comforting, reminding Rai that not all hope was lost. As long as there was hope, they could survive. He raised his hands in front of him, palms facing the mighty obstacle of durasteel and rock, and he felt every fragment as if each piece were in his own hand. Gently, he gripped hold of them through the Force and began to raise his hands. At first, Rai felt resistance, the debris lodged too tightly together. Furrowing his brow and taking a deep breath, he lifted harder. The rocks began to quiver, almost as if they were fighting against him. But then, as the rocks began to shift, there was a loud crashing sound as even more debris fell down from above.
As the walls and ceiling began to collapse even more, Rai was thrown backwards, landing firmly on his back with a loud "thump". A wave of dust cascaded over him as the air was knocked from his lungs, causing him to inhale at the worst moment possible. Immediately he began to cough, deep and violent, as the dust penetrated his lungs. He sputtered for breath as he turned over and lifted himself onto his hands and knees, his body convulsing with each cough. His small, whisky length of black hair fell into his face as he struggled desperately for oxygen. Finally, he found it, the cool air soothing his aching throat, the irritation from the dust settling into nothing.
Standing up, Rai looked to survey the damage, and was disappointed at what he saw. Whatever chance there had been of escaping the current wing of the Academy, Rai had eliminated it. It was impassable, or at least, without the acquisition of proper tools. If anyone was coming to his aid, they wouldn't be able to get to him from the hangar bay.
Turning around and picking up the bag full of rations that he had dropped, Rai proceeded back to the communications center. Surely, anyone who heard a transmission would check there...
His footsteps echoed through the empty halls, reminding him of the reality in which he lived. He was in a dark and desolate place, death threatening to encapsulate not only the planet, but the galaxy at large. It was surreal, and it had all happened so fast. The Cerean's thoughts dwelt in sorrow as he made his way closer to his destination.
"Hello? Is anybody there?" A feminine voice penetrated Rai's eardrums, startling him out of his thoughts. He froze and waited. The voice was distant and it sound tired, helpless. How could he ignore the plea of anyone in a time like this?
"Hello? Where are you? Are you ok?" His voice was resonant as he projected it as far as he could. Hearing his voice reverberate off the walls sent a chill down his spine. A few seconds passed by.
"I was attacked by the infected, but I think I lost them." Oh man, did Rai have a bad feeling about this.
"Ok, I'm coming. Keep talking so I can follow the sound of your voice." Rai had been able to pinpoint the general direction in which her voice was coming, it sounded like it was coming from the medical bay.... He had just been there, how had he missed something like this? He quickened his pace as the girl began to share her story of survival, having been holed up one of the numerous department stores nearby. After she had ran out of food, she was forced to leave her besieged fortress in order to survive. It was then that she was attacked, chased endlessly by a swarm of the infected. She warned that they were close by, having only lost them a block or so from the temple.
Her voice was growing closer, and the longer she talked, the more Rai had this feeling that it sounded familiar. Shaking his head and ridding it of its absurd thoughts, Rai finally entered the waiting room of the medical bay. His light blue eyes immediately met brown and he stopped in his tracks, a gasp escaping his lungs.
The very air around the Cerean became thick as he swallowed, a frog forming in his throat. How was this even possible? It wasn't only a surprise that she was alive, but that it had been just over two years since they had last seen each other.... He opened his mouth at first, but couldn't find any words. He just stood there, gaping like an idiot. The young human female smiled sheepishly, brushing her matted and disheveled auburn hair from her face, pushing it behind her right ear to reveal her pale, freckled face. Her nose was pointed, as was her chin, which gave her facial features a very sharp definition. She was clad in a black jumpsuit that was wrinkled and dirty. There was a holster for some sort of pistol on her right hip, but it was empty with the weapon nowhere in sight. Her brown eyes, although bright with shock and happiness, showed a deeper, more resonate pain. Her brow furrowed with concentration.
"Is it really you?" Her voice shook as she too overcame her shock much better than the Jedi that stood before her.
Shaking his head, Rai finally managed a genuine smile, the first moments of happiness he had felt in a long time filling his heart. "Kendra? What in the blazes are you doing here?" He walked forward, extending his arms to give her an embrace. Immediately, she backed up, holding out her arm in front of her, trying to keep her distance. Those brown eyes were immediately alert, alive with fear.
"No! Stay away, Rai." He froze again, as he followed her gaze. His eyes scanned down her body until he noticed a tear in the left pant leg of her jumpsuit just above the ankle, the cloth around it stained in dark red blood. There was a section of exposed flesh with the marks of a deep, malicious bite. A chunk of her pale flesh missing from her leg. "I'm infected. I didn't think anyone would be here..."
"No no no!" The happiness that Rai had found was immediately lost, destroyed in an instant. His heart fell and he visibly slumped. "Kendra, you're going to be ok. Help is coming, I'm sure of it. If I can get us off world, I can heal you. I know the answer!" He felt panic rising in his chest, and he sought to fight it off. No, he couldn't succumb to his emotions. They would cloud his judgment and he needed to remain level-headed. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, forcing himself to somewhat relax. When he open his eyes again, he extended his hand and grabbed a nearby chair with the force. It levitated across the floor, landing behind Kendra. "Sit down and rest. You're going to be ok."
"Don't lie to yourself, Rai. I know you've seen what this virus does. I was bit yesterday trying to escape out a window... It's only a matter of hours now before I either die or become one of them." She sat down and gave out a loud sigh, bringing her left leg up and resting it on her right. Her hands began to rub her calf as she closed her eyes. "Rai, I know this is a surprise. And I know what you're thinking. But you aren't going to be able to save me. Not this time."
Rai sat down on the floor, fighting back the sadness that threatened to envelope his heart, his vision becoming blurry as his eyes began to water. "Dammit, Kendra. I'm not going to let you die. I can't."
"Would you rather me become one of them?" Kendra's voice was aggressive, just like Rai remembered. Her question struck him hard and he failed to come up with an answer. Ashamed, he looked away as memories began to make their way into his thoughts.
Kendra was a longtime friend of his. In fact, she had been the first person he met when he had joined the Jedi Order here on Corellia. They had been students together, training along side each other, sharing meals together, traveling the galaxy on missions together. They had grown close and were nearly inseparable. It was two years ago when things became tense, as their relationship threatened to go to a place that was forbidden by the Jedi Order. They're attachment to one another never stopped growing, and finally, Kendra succumbed to it. She finally managed to get Rai alone in the dormitory one evening, and expressed her love for the Cerean. Immediately, Rai was assaulted with the inner conflict of pursuing his love interest, or staying true to his duty as a Jedi and keeping the Jedi Code intact. But Rai couldn't betray the Jedi, and he rejected Kendra's feelings. The next morning, Rai was summoned by the Jedi Council. Upon entering the council chambers, he was informed by the headmaster that Kendra had denounced the Jedi Order and would be leaving the academy that very same day. Naturally, Rai went after her, hopelessly trying to convince her to stay. Rai had always thought Kendra's stubbornness was cute... until then.
That was the last time Rai had seen her. His final memory of her was watching her as she walked out the front door and into the horizon, never once looking back to see if he'd follow.
There was an awkward pause as the pair sat in silence, Rai trying hard to avoid eye contact as the reality of what was happening to Kendra set in. It was clear that she did not have much time left before she turned into one of the infected. Could Rai let her turn? Could he let her mindlessly wander the streets of Corellia with the hundreds of thousands of other roamers? Could he allow her to degrade to where her mind only reacted to pure primitive instinct, hunting anything that made a noise, moved, or otherwise caught her attention?
He wanted to cry. Why was this happening to him? Shaking his head, Rai stood up and moved to a cabinet at the receptionist's desk. Opening it, he withdrew a small box of bandages. He tossed the roll to Kendra, "Here, at least bandage it up. Let's try to get you a bit more comfortable." Her reflexes were quick, her arm snapping through the air and expertly catching the tossed roll. It seemed that despite her two years of solitude or whatever she had been up to, she had upkeep her training as a Guardian, a stark contrast to Rai's own upbringing as a Consular. Although their personalities often clashed, together, they resembled a ying-yang relationship, which ultimately led to their attractiveness to each other. Leaving her to bandage her wound, Rai slipped into a nearby patient room. Approaching the cot, the Cerean activated the small repulsorlifts and the bed immediately began to hover just an inch or two off the ground. Gripping the headboard, he guided it back into the waiting room, where Kendra was just now tying off the bandage.
"Get some rest, I can..." "Quit avoiding the subject, Rai. God, you're always one to avoid confrontation." She interrupted him before he could finish his sentence. She stood up and approached him, her five foot four, toned body diminished in size by the Cerean's seven foot two appearance. And even though she was nearly two feet smaller, her presence filled the room as she look up into Rai's eyes unyielding.
Rai briefly looked into her caramel eyes but shied away, looking to his left. Then, he felt her smooth, warm hand touch his cheek, cupping it in a gentle caress. There was the slightest pressure against it as she urged Rai to look at her. Letting her hand move his face, his eyes met hers. They were soft, her gaze full of affection and longing. The edge was gone, her aggressiveness cast aside. Rai felt his heart flutter. "Look, I had no idea I would anybody here, especially you. I came here so that I would be trapped inside by the time I turned... so I couldn't hurt anyone. But Rai," Her voice began to shake, "I'm afraid. I don't want to turn. I want to be at peace."
Rai didn't look away. He listened, trying to come up with an alternative solution. "I can take you to Honoghr.."
"You've already said that. There isn't enough time, Rai."
"I could restrain you so that you wouldn't hurt anybody. Then when we get there, I can cure you, bring you back."
"You want to cage me like an animal so you can experiment on me? You don't even know if your cure works!"
"Except I do know, Kendra. I can save you."
"There's only one way to save me, Rai."
That was when Rai started to cry, sadness and despair breaking through his mental defenses as tears began to trickle down his face. "I ca- can't lo-lose you." He stammered, his breathing was becoming heavier. "Not again." He let his head fall in defeat, his eyes closing, his body shaking, tears dripping to the floor, leaving wet spots in the dust.
Kendra's hand slid down his cheek until it rested on his chin, pushing his head back up. "You are strong. Promise me, Rai. Promise me you won't let me turn."
He gulped as his hand finally reached up to grab hers. He looked at Kendra, his mind, body and soul being bombarded with a dozen different emotions, his Jedi teachings forgotten. All he could focus on was her, and the love that had never died away. "I promise."
The LAAT hadn’t been in the air for very long before it started shaking from blaster fire. I look out the side of the dropship to see armored soldiers standing where we had just taken off from. “Why are they attacking us? We are here to help people, not a fight.” I shouted above the roar of the engines to my squad. One private piped up once he saw what I was talking about, “Those are Enclave soldiers! If they are here and shooting at us then we are in big trouble!” the worry was apparent on his face. I took into account the fear on the soldier’s face and the fire our LAAT was receiving and decided that this ‘Enclave’ was bad news for us, and possibly this Jedi we were trying to save.
I pressed the comm switch to talk to our pilot, “Fritz, can you make this girl move any faster? We have ground troops firing at us and I expect we will run into more at the Academy if we don’t hurry!” I yelled over the wind and engines into the comm. Fritz’s voice crackled back over the speaker, “I’m going as fast as I dare at these altitudes Dogma. Their rifles cannot shoot us out of the sky anyway. They will need a lot more firepower to bring this LAAT down. Besides our ETA to the Academy is ten mics. And I don't know if you noticed but there are other fighters circling different areas of this city, if I bring too much attention to us we could potentially be shot down. Everyone, get prepared to disembark.”
I disengaged the comm channel and turned back to my troops, “We don’t know who or what we will find when we get to the Academy, but we will have to find the Jedi before this ‘Enclave’ arrives. They may be following us, they may already be there and then again, they may not. We cannot rely on time to be our friend. Also, don’t forget about the infected, they could have the Academy already surrounded.” The uncertainty I saw in their eyes drove me to speak on, “I came here with ten other men, six of them died to the infected. You have only lost three men, you are true warriors, true soldiers of the Republic. You won’t give up when things get tough, you will stand for what is right and fight until you can’t fight anymore. And then you will keep fighting!” The fire in their hearts rekindled right before my eyes, they weren’t here because they wanted to be, but they were here because they knew it was the right thing. “Saving those civilians was the first step, next was saving the Jedi, after that, we will save the entire galaxy!”
The entire LAAT erupted in cheers and yells of defiance against whomever would stop these Soldiers of the New Republic. Fritz came over the comm once more just as the roar died down, “Touchdown in three mics.”
Silence fell upon the pair again as Rai sat down in a chair while Kendra rested on her bed. She closed her eyes and Rai noticed that her breathes were becoming more shallow and quick. Was her skin paler than it was five minutes ago? Every now and then, he would notice a rasping sound as Kendra exhaled and finally the Cerean allowed himself to think about what he was seeing. The transformation, or whatever it is that you called it when someone became one of the infected, was starting. Her body was fighting the first stages of the illness as her immune system did everything it could to kill off the intruding virus. But of course, her immune system would fail and she would soon descend into mania. And Rai had promised he would keep her from doing so.... It would have to happen soon.
Rai sat there mustering his courage, as his thoughts were interrupted when Kendra broke into a gurgling and violent fit, sending blood spewing from mouth as she coughed, speckling her clothing, the sheets, and the floor in crimson, wet blood. Quickly, the Cerean got up and moved to her side, but she held out her other arm.
"Stay back, Rai. You know better." Kendra's voice was forced as she fought to speak each word between labored coughs and gasps for air. She looked up at the tall Cerean and Rai noticed that there was a small stream of blood pouring out of the corners of her eyes, a symptom of an internal hemorrhage. Grabbing a small white cloth from the nearby desk, Rai tossed it to Kendra who wiped the blood away, leaving her face stained with an eerie red hue, almost as if she were wearing a heavy amount of blush. Holding the bloodied rag in her hand, she looked at Rai. "I think its time."
He remained stoic as he looked at his best friend, who lay upon a cot, defeated and exhausted and literally begging for death. He walked over to her side and wrapped his arm around her waist, hoisting her to her feet. Rai waited a moment for Kendra to catch her balance before he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her into his chest in a warm embrace. He didn't care if her blood got on him. He didn't care if he became infected. She needed this... and he probably needed it even more. She stood nearly two feet shorter than the Cerean and Rai could feel the warmth of her face pressed against his upper abdomen.
"I'm glad I found you again, Rai. After all this time, the Force brought us together again." Her voice was distant, her breathing becoming quicker by the second. Even without directly feeling her pulse, Rai knew it was too rapid, and that her heart was overworking herself. It wouldn't be long now before she turned, and he could not let that happen.
"You never lost me." Tears welled in his eyes as he let his right hand drop to his waist, silently unclipping one of his lightsabers from his belt. He felt the cool touch of the leather straps in his hand as he let his arm hang loosely at his side. His body froze as he was flooded with the internal conflict of taking a life.
No, he wasn't taking a life. He was saving one.
"Until we meet again, Kendra." His voice cracked as he was betrayed by his sadness. Kendra gave him an affectionate squeeze and then Rai flexed his thumb.
There was a snap hiss, and the dim room flooded with light as a silver blade ripped through Kendra's back. Kendra gasped as the blade penetrated her hear. Her head flung back in agony, her brown eyes once again connecting with Rai's. He saw her pain flash across her features before it was quickly erased and replaced with peace and serenity. Her hand came up and stroked Rai's cheek, leaving a streak of blood. "Thank you...."
Then, the life left her eyes and her body went limp in Rai's hands. The blade disappeared as quickly as it had come, and Rai dropped to his knees, letting the hilt roll to the floor. He knelt there, Kendra's lifeless body pulled tightly against his chest. At first he was numb, but then he felt it creeping into his heart.
It was ice cold and dark as pitch. It was thick like syrup, threatening to drown him as it rose inside of him. Finally, his grief got the best of him and he didn't even try to fight it back. He succumbed to it. At first, he couldn't breath, the air refusing to enter his lungs no matter how hard he tried. His hands clenched into fists, balling Kendra's clothes firmly in his grasp as his knuckles turned sheer white. Tears streamed down his face as he violently gasped for air and Rai rocked back and forth, unable to feel anything other than grief. Kendra was gone. Rai had been forced to kill. Already, the image of seeing Kendra's face etched in agony haunted his closed eyes.
They made swift progress after breaking through to the fringes of the city. The shoreline was clear of the infected, and though red eyes watched their journey from just beyond the tree line, none sought to accost them. 'Probably due to those Imperials wreaking havoc in the city,' Miras mused from his place in the rear of the squad. Sweat beaded on his brow as he watched the trees nonetheless, and his hand never left the hilt of his lightsaber. He noticed the rest of the squad- what was left of it, anyway- kept their fingers on the triggers of their rifles, and he couldn't blame them. All of them had seen a stray infected break from the crowd and charge, only for the entire mob to take its cue and follow.
"Just keep moving." Rhyn called from the front of the group. "We're less than a quarter of a klick away from the academy."
"Yeah, sanctuary." said the trooper in front of him. Miras could almost hear her eyes roll beneath her helmet. He couldn't resist the chuckle that rose up within him. After a moment, Loman joined in.
Minutes later, the ancient structure loomed before them.
All five of them stopped dead in their tracks, surveying the carnage.
"Sithspit..." the Jedi breathed.
"Alright," Rhyn snapped, bringing one arm up and gesturing forward. "Weapons ready, and cut the chatter."
The Jedi watched as the troopers shouldered their rifles and began a forward march up the crumbling steps. One by one they were swallowed by the inky black interior, until finally it was his turn.
The dead littered the hallways. Most were dressed in nondescript garb, but scattered among them Miras could see the telltale brown robes of the Jedi. He hadn't worked closely with the Academy here, preferring to spend his time in the city, but each pair of sightless eyes that met his gaze as the squad made their way further inside felt like a blow to the stomach. A stark reminder of his own mortality- that even Jedi could fall.
He shook it off and looked up just in time to avoid ramming into the back of the woman in front of him. Rhyn had called a halt.
"Attention!" The sergeant called, the amplifiers in his helmet carrying his voice through the winding hallways. "This is Sergeant Rhyn with the Republic Garrison. If you can hear me, we received your distress call. We're here to help."
The LAAT dropped quickly out of the airspace above the academy to hover a foot off the ground due to the repulsors on the ship. “Everyone off! Go! Go! Go!” I yelled to my crew as I disembarked and readied my A-280 for any appearance of resistance or Ragers to which there didn’t seem to be. After everyone was off the dropship and had formed a parameter around it I looked at Fritz who pointed to his commlink on his wrist, made a spinning motion with his opposite hand then pointed up indicating he would wait at a safe altitude and wait for a comm signal to pick them up. I nodded simultaneously responding with my commlink, “Roger that. We shouldn’t be more than thirty mics. If you haven’t heard anything by then call before you descend.”
“Roger Wilco! Over and out.”
“Alright men, let’s make this as quick as possible. I know y’all are Shinies, but you have proven you can learn and adapt fairly quickly. Form up into a tight two column formation and keep your rifles trained around you for any danger. I will take point. Let’s move on the Academy and save ourselves a Jedi. And keep an eye out for this ‘Enclave’ that attacked us.”
All nine troops formed two four-man columns with Echo taking rear guard and I took point, I wasn’t thrilled about being front guard, but I wasn’t about to make someone else be it if I wasn’t willing. Once formed I gave to command to move forward and we headed toward the entry of the Jedi Academy.