FORSAKEN - Target: Zero

CHAPTER ELEVEN

"What are we going to do when cops arrive?"

Before Elynn could answer, the security cameras began to display static one at the time.

"Er, Eels? Something's happening."

The rumble of ships shook the building. A cacophony of breaking glass, blaster fire, footsteps, and digital scrambled voice came from the top and bottom floors. The droid commandos turned around to face the elevator.

"They're here. Get ready." Elynn logged into the dark HoloNet through the Curator's computer.

"That doesn't sound like the CSF."

"It's not. It's Military Intelligence." Elynn typed a message as fast as she could.

"What? I thought you called the cops."

"We can't negotiate with the CSF. We're going to escape while the Curator and his goons deal with them." Elynn encrypted her message before sending it, then cleared the computer's history. "Take that banner. We're going to use to it to lower ourselves out the window."

The elevator began to climb. The droid commandos faced it, activating their electrostaffs, and twirling them into a fighting stance.

"What makes you think they're not going to shoot at us?" Kogo-Leeto tensed up.

"I got an idea." Elynn inserted a pass key from a pocket of her jacket into the manual control of the wall safe by the desk. The liquid metal-teeth automatically changed shape to match the lock, allowing Elynn to open it.

She snuck to the display and grabbed the lightsaber the Curator used to intimidate Kogo-Leeto. Her plan for a daring escape, while deflecting blaster fire with the sword, ended when the Grand Inquisitor appeared inside the elevator. The blade of his lightsaber ignited the moment the door opened.

"It can't be..." The stunned Elynn had heard of the Jedi hunters known as the Inquisitors, but she never thought she would find herself in the presence of one.

The Grand Inquisitor cut through the droid commandos with ease. A cruel smile crossed his face, when he saw the young Theelin holding the buzzing lightsaber. A strong connection to the Force came from her. Judging by her age, the girl had to be an Initiate when the Jedi order fell. The Grand Inquisitor couldn't imagine how she managed to survive the Purge—but it didn't matter.

"Jink, I presume," the Grand Inquisitor grinned.

Elynn got into a fighting stance. The unpleasant grin on the Pau'an broadened. He gave the girl a fencing salute and attacked without mercy.

"Pfassk me..." A dumbstruck Kogo-Leeto witnessed the duel. He didn't know what to make of it, but he snapped out of it long enough to say to the KX, "Protect her." He then threw a desk chair at the window and shattered the glass.

"Affirmative." The security droid went to the wall safe and analyzed the weapons therein with his tactical processor.

The Grand Inquisitor disarmed Elynn and kicked her down, pointing his lightsaber at her. "Not bad." He was impressed with Elynn's fighting skills. "But not good enough."

"Go fall down a tall shaft." Elynn staring at the plasma blade a few inches away from her face.

The Grand Inquisitor parried the powerful blast of green energy that sent him tumbling back on the floor. The security droid had picked up a lightsaber rifle and had loaded one of the hilts in its barrel.

"Eels, let's go," Kogo-Leeto had tied the banner to the desk's chair, and was ready to use it to rappel down the window.

The door to the stairway blew open and a team of purge troopers poured into the gallery. The KX shot at them, covering Elynn. She ran to the window, deflecting blaster fire.

"The girl's mine." The Grand Inquisitor blocked a lightsaber bolt.

Concentrating their fire on the droid, the purge troopers dropped the KX. Elynn leapt through the window and froze before she could cross the broken frame. The Grand Inquisitor used the Force to stop her mid-jump.

"Eels?" said a shocked Kogo-Leeto, having reached the street.

"Leeto, go!" Elynn threw him the activation key before the Inquisitor pulled her inside.

Purge troopers approached from inside the antique shop. Hating himself for not being able to help his friend, Kogo-Leeto jumped into the Streetboss 20-20, and floored the accelerator with blaster bolts flying passed his head. One of the two Imperial dropships hovering above gave him chase.

"There's nowhere to run." The Grand Inquisitor approached Elynn with his lightsaber humming. The remaining purge troopers stood behind him.

As the Grand Inquisitor, escorted by purge troopers, walked out of the building toward his dropship with Elynn in shackles, escorted by purge troopers, a new craft came in fast and landed on the street. Four elite death troopers in polished, black armor with their green image-intensifying active pulse emitters glowing in their helmets, hopped out. They communicated with each other through their vocal scramblers, creating a security perimeter for Commander Eisvolk to deboard.

"Grand Inquisitor." She nodded.

"I gave specific orders that the Inquisitorius was handling this." The Grand Inquisitor put his lightsaber away.

"And it seems that you have." Eisvolk peered around the Inquisitor. "It's nice to see you alive and well, Elynn Threel."

"Too bad I can't say the same," Elynn said.

"I thought I recognized your handiwork. You have improved greatly since the war."

"You know her?" the Grand Inquisitor said.

"We were former colleagues... when Elynn's people knew where their loyalties lay."

"Not to a totalitarian regime." Elynn said before getting Force-choked.

"Silence." The Grand Inquisitor reached out to her with a gripped hand. "What are you doing here, commander?"

"Lord Vader has ordered the Jedi to be taken to the Fortress Inquisitorius. He wants to conduct her interrogation himself. His orders are to take her in the Talon Strike right away."

"How did Vader learn about this operation so quickly?" The Grand Inquisitor's eyes narrowed.

"His direct orders are to be briefed of any development regarding the Jedi immediately. If you have any issues with them, I suggest you take it to him when you see him."

"There's no issue." The Grand Inquisitor's hypocritical smile reminded Eisvolk of a predator. "The Inquisitorius relies on dependable people, since our ranks tend to change quite unrepentantly. Loyalty is everything. Wouldn't you agree? Prepare my ship." He walked pass Eisvolk.