Survival, Dark Times

[hk47fan]

Naos

"This is the third time I've lost her." I said coldly with a sigh "First during the Purge, then when Vader captured her and faked her death, and then now. But this time I think she might actually be dead. After all we've been through, all we've survived, we're at the final steps of defeating the two people who have wreaked havoc on our lives for over twenty years...and they kill her..."

Sora

I stared at Jaskia. No. Not again.

But this time, Jaskia and Nait seemed to know she was dead. There was always a hint of doubt that she really died when we found that corpse that resembled Scout at the prison on Apatros, but this time...it seemed so concrete....

Palpatine killed her. He struck her down...he struck down one of the sweetest and kindest women I ever met...he struck down one of my best friends...no he didn't strike down one of my best friends...he struck down my daughter.

"You're right," I finally said as I turned back to the controls "We're continuing on. We'll blow those two Sith fools right out of space."

I thrust the Killer forward, following the other Rebel ships deep into the Death Star...

[Abby]

Shaak Ti pursed her lips. "We will do a proper ceremony after the battle," she promised. "We will give her the highest honors. She deserved as much. She had become a martyr, but don't let that dissuade you from your task. Work. There are many injured. We'll need all of the remaining Jedi to act as our Healers."

--

Jaskia frowned as a thought occurred to her. "Luke's still inside," she said harshly. "He doesn't know that we're in! And I can't Meld with him without a Bond."

[hk47fan]

Naos

"You're right, I suppose." I said simply and turned and approached the others, at least this would hopefully get my mind off of Scout...for now

Sora

The Killer haulted once again when what Jaskia said hit me like a rock, and I sighed, not knowing what to do this time. For a brief second, I thought that there was no hope for Luke, and we couldn't save him this time like we have before. "I-I don't know..." I said as my face turned lightly pale at the thought of my half-nephew perishing "There is Obi-Wan but at this point I don't think we can get in contact with him because he's deep in the Home One somewhere and it'd take way too much time, even with the Force...I just...have no idea what to do because its not like we can just stop the attack altogether."

Vader

"Now, it is time for you to take your rightful place, young one." my master declared to Luke "That foolish girl is dead, she has no influence over you now. You know what you must do...kill your father and take his place at my side."

I lied there in pain, and my eyes widened. My Master, my own master...the one I had trusted for so many years...the one I confided in...this was his plan. Ever since he discovered Luke existed, he had this plan. He had decieved me just as he decieved Dooku during the Clone Wars...

Padme was right. Scout was right. Nait was right. Jaskia was right. Obi-Wan was right. Sora was right. Luke was right...they were all right.

[Abby]

"Not stopping the attack would be good," Jaskia agreed. "Luke needs to get off the station now. He and Scout may have lured Vader away from guarding the shield outpost on Endor, but I can't possibly see how he can get away... We're going to kill a million bad guys and one friend in one blow." She made a 'hunh' sound, like she was amazed. "It's crazy."

--

Luke only shook his head. He threw his lightsaber down the darkened floor, and heard it tumble out of sight. "No," he said, standing up straight and proud. "I will not turn to the Dark Side." He took one step towards Palpatine and his throne. "I am a Jedi, like my father before me."

He imagined Scout's face again. She would have snorted right about now and said 'cheesy'. Then she would suddenly get hungry for something with cheese on it. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

--

She no longer felt human. She was standing in fog, fog so dense that she couldn't see more than two feet in front of her. She no longer felt like the calm, easy-going Tian Gash. Instead, she felt awkward. She did not understand the world in which she arrived, but the eery claustrophobic feeling made her whimper in fear... which she couldn't. She felt great power stirring in this place.

She wanted out.

She was afraid.

She was lonely.

At least in the other world, she had had others. Others who she loved with all of her heart. Now she felt ragged, torn, like a piece of butter spread over too much bread. 'Can't I help?' she seemed to ask. She wished she could. But those friends were long gone, down in the place where she had lived.

No more friends for her.

No more, no more, no more...

[hk47fan]

Sora

I nodded in acknowledgement "I've never sacrificed one of my close friends, or anyone, and I don't want to..but...it might have to happen...I'm sorry but there's nothing we can do...I don't want to give up..but..."

I sighed once again. I'd be letting Padme's son, her only son and my own step-son, die. I can't let it happen but...what more could I do?

Vader

"So be it, Jedi." Palpatine growled angrily, and he raised his hands and Force Lightning poured out of it, and Luke screamed in pain as he fell to the ground and his whole body was being hit

I slowly stood and walked to my Master's side, and looked at Scout's body. He killed her. Palpatine murdered her. He killed her in cold blood.

And only now did I realize how evil that was...how malicious, and how evil I had been.

But...I couldn't betray him...I still had that sense of loyalty...

[Abby]

Jaskia pursed her lips. She leaned over and switched on the Ghost frequency. "All Jedi, if you have the time, please try and get a message to Luke Skywalker aboard the Death Star. Inform him we're about to blow the place up and that he better get his scrawny hide out now."

"Right-o."

"I'll do it if I can, Jask."

Other replies and affirminations came out, but Jaskia paid them no mind. She kept the frequency open. "Now..." she said. "We destroy the Death Star." Easier said than done.

[crystal]

Luke

I screamed in agony as the electricity poured into my body, and I writhed on the floor as the pain exploded throughout my nervous system and caused all of my muscles to spasm. There was only pain, intense pain, and the seconds seemed to crawl by.

"Father!" I yelled, my voice shaking violently. I was barely able to get any words out at all. "Father--please!" I screamed again, unable to speak anymore.

[Abby]

She could feel it, the slight tugging at the back of her mind. Luke needed her, but she couldn't go... Couldn't move, couldn't see, couldn't hear... She felt the darkness and the fog closing in around her until she felt as though she would suffocate. 'Luke!' she wanted to cry, but her voice was muffled against the clouds.

The mist sworled around her, faster and faster. It formed into the shape of an orb in front of her, gray like the entire area, but glowing with an inner light and power. :I am the spirit you seek,: said the orb. :Or perhaps, not.:

She tried to tell him all about Luke, about her death, but found her voice muffled against the fog once more. The orb bobbed up and down slightly, waiting. :You may use mind-speak.: it finally said.

She shook her head. Mind-speak? What was that? Telepathy?

:Yes,: the thing said, answering the un-voiced question.

She felt her awareness prickle at the idea. She needed out. She needed to help Luke, to defeat the Empire, to get back to her lover. The orb listened patiently, and she knew she did not have to worry about time, for it moved much, much slower in the spirit realm than any living. :It is not yet your time,: the spirit decreed. :You still have much to do, young one.:

She wanted to say thank you so much. The spirit seemed to understand. But what about her wounds? Wouldn't she die from them? :No,: the spirit said. :Not immediately. I will move the location ten centimeters to the left so it does not hit your heart. But medical treatment would be advised.:

She felt relieved. She almost thanked it again when it said, :You will form your Bonds from scratch once more. I cannot form them for you. It is for the Force-bearer to do alone.:

She understood. Soon she was back in those arms, and floating down.

[hk47fan]

Sora

Once again I nodded, and thrust the Killer forward. We'd have to catch up with Lando and the rest first, then try to fly our way through all of these beams into the Core. It wasn't going to be easy, but we've done so much already, we can do this.

At least I hoped so.

Vader

I kept glancing from the Emperor, to Scout's lifeless body, and then to my son. I had already done so much to him, so much to her...so much to Padme...so much to Leia...so much to all of them...I owed them something...however, my Master had given me power. He had saved my life, I had eternal service to him.

He has done so much for me...don't I owe him, as well? If that is true...then I had to stand by and let him succeed...

Naos

As I sat and healed an unconscious Rebel trooper, I kept feeling the emptiness that Scout left. The same emptiness I felt when she was Lady Cerasi all those years ago. The same emptiness I felt when I had to hide out on Onderon...

And no one could fill it.

Erin walked over, and commented "You know, Noas, you don't look very happy today."

"Its Naos." I said, irritated "And I just found out that Scout, the most wonderful woman I ever met, died."

"Oh my goodness...wait, didn't Scoot do this before? I'm sure that she's just sleeping like all of these guys that we blasted are." Erin said, that dumb look still on her face

"You know, you're not being helpful." I said with gritted teeth

"Well fine then, but remember that Scoot did this once before and ended up coming back!" Erin exclaimed, then got up and stomped off

[Abby]

OOC: Erin is an idiot. *rolls eyes* Poor, poor Naos. But I don't envy him.

[Abby]

She was floating, floating... No, she was falling. Falling fast, fast fast. She waited for the impact she knew was to come. The arms wrapped around her could not calm her. As she was carried from the spirit world back to the mortal world, she felt all of her Bonds with her allies--and enemies--snap. She could do nothing, but hope only that she would make it. Her spirit essance was ripping, tearing at the friction. The arms around her could not stop the pain, the intense pain that seemed to be a part of her being...

Scout

The pain. It was the first thing I knew. I managed not to cry out--I didn't think I'd be able to spare the mindpower--and struggled not to black out. My muscles were on fire, burning as life flowed through my body once more. My wrist was still numb. My chest? Whatever the Force spirit had done, it had done it right. The pain was overwhelming, and I wanted to fall back into the comforting arms of Death once more.

My vision seemed to lighten a bit--I realized that I had been dead with my eyes open--and I squinted at the arcs of blue light swirling a little ways away. I heard screams. Still dazed, I clutched the lightsaber Palpatine had dropped when he killed me and crawled towards the noise, each move hurting more than the last.

Vader and Palpatine stood side-by-side as the latter laughed and killed my Padawan. I felt the anger course through my veins again, and I took a deep breath, gritting my teeth. I don't think anybody could have seen me as I creeped behind Palpatine. I was about a foot away from him when I started to stand on shaky feet.

I almost dropped back to the ground.

With slow, supreme care, I brought Palpatine's emmiter to his back--careful not to touch his heavy cloak--and thrummed the activation stud. The red beam shot out and ripped through his chest. With an effort that made my arms shake even more, I ripped the lightsaber diagonally to the left, cutting through flesh, bone, heart and lung. It was a wound not even he could survive.

I dropped the lightsaber--which, by the way, cut a straight line down his torso--and felt myself hit the ground. It all seemed to happen in slow motion. I rasped, trying to get air to my lungs. The wound, the Force spirit had said, was severe. Even when the spirit had moved the location, I knew it had pierced a lung. "Luke!" I whispered harshly, trying to sit back up again, "Luke!" Luke wasn't moving as much as I would have hoped, or my mind was playing tricks on me. I knew Palpatine was dead by now, but we needed his body gone. Tossed down the reactor core.

I closed my eyes and felt myself border on the edge of consciousness and unconsciousness. "Anakin, help me..." I whispered.

[hk47fan]

Vader

I looked in shock as suddenly a lightsaber was stabbed right through my Master, and I the lightning stopped immediatelyt as he stood perfectly still, dying. Luke was lying on the ground trying to recooperate, and Scout had asked for help...

No, don't do it. He's your master. my Dark Side told me

But you know its right...end this nightmare...you're the only one... my Light Side told me

I finally knew what I must do, and without a word, I picked up the Emperor's body and threw it down the reactor core, and watched as it caused a small explosion...

I sighed, and then looked at Luke, and at Scout "You're alive...how can that be?" I asked her

[Abby]

Scout could only shake her head, eyes closed in a deep grimace of pain. "Not... for long... We need to get out." She coughed, and felt wet blood splatter against her dry, chapped lips. Her eyes opened halfway and she glanced at Luke, then at Vader. She smiled. "I knew... knew you could do it."

Scout didn't try to sit up again and instead lay on the floor, breathing heavily. She coughed again, feeling the blood rise in her throat and trickle down the side of her pale, porcelain face. She closed her eyes in a grimace and did not talk again, instead focusing on the battle fought outside. They needed to get out. Right now.

--

Jaskia pursed her lips and worked in synchronization with Sora, turning the ship left and right, putting just enough power on the thrusters to work their way around the obstacles. Green laser blasts could be seen overshooting them. Frustrated, Jaskia turned on the comm for the turret area. "Nait, you have to shoot back or we're all dead!"

"I can't," was his answer. "I'm too busy trying to fix them. A line creeper must have gotten in during our stay with the fleet. Can't fix this right now."

Jaskia let out a cry of frustration. "Alright, get back up to the cockpit. If the Falcon can't blow the reactor, we'll have to do it."

"We can't do it without guns. Do you have a plan?"

"Yeah," she said. "And it's a really good plan."

[hk47fan]

Anakin

"Thank you, Scout." I simply said, since there was no time for extreme thankings or apologies here

She was right, we did have to leave. The whole station was already beginning to fall apart, I could tell. The Rebels obviously have the shield down and are inside the Death Star as we stand here.

"We can use my personal shuttle as transportation off of the Death Star," I said as I reached my hand out to Luke, who seemed to be improving from the Force Lightning that Palpatine brought down on him "We all are wounded, but I am afraid you will have to pilot it, my son. You are the one who is in the best condition. I am missing a hand, and Scout is near-death."

I then walked over to Scout once Luke was up, and began to help her up. It felt like the Clone Wars again. I was working a tactic out with Scout, and Luke was like a younger Nait. We had completed our mission and now had to escape before we got killed.

Yes, just like old times.

Sora

"Alright..." I said hesitantly as we continued to navigate the Killer through the complex space station, but luckily I had a feeling we'd be approaching the Core soon, or at least 3/4 of the way through this thing

I just hoped whatever Jaskia had in store worked, or we'd all be dead meat.

[Abby]

Scout pitched foreword and would have fallen if Vader--no, Anakin she had to call him Anakin now--hadn't been there. She was glad he had saved her the embarrassment of carrying her. Scout did not open her eyes, but leaned heavily on Anakin, griping his arm with her left hand, keeping the right folded over her chest. Her breathing, shallow as it was, did not bring all the needed air to her lungs. She coughed again.

She allowed Anakin to guide her to the elevator. As he typed in the activation code for the private shuttle area, Scout sank to the ground and pressed her head against the wall.

--

"Approaching in... two minutes," Jaskia said. Nait leaned over her shoulder, his face stony. "I have two wingmen behind us taking care of our aft quarters. Gray Squad's gone up to draw away the fighters. Red's taking some losses. Green's limping home."

Jaskia sighed. "It'll be close."

--

Lando shot into the reactor chamber, a much larger room big enough to fit five warships. He twisted and turned, allowing his turret men get clear shots on the TIEs tailing them. "There it is, baby," he whispered, glancing up at the reactor control. "Let's get some missiles up there!"

"I've got the tower!" Wedge said.

"Roger that." A little bit closer... "Fire!"

He pressed the activation studs for the missiles just as an explosion starboard sent the ship rocking off its' mark, expending five useless torpedos at the metal wall, which absorbed the blast like jelly. "We've got a situation back here!" cried one of the turret men. "They got a shot in. Pull out!"

Lando read the damage and cursed. "Red Leader, we're bailing out. No more ammunition and we've got a fatality."

"Copy that. I'll inform Home One and the Killer."

Lando shut off the comm and cursed once more.