Star Wars: The Untold Adventures of Kajin Savaros

Chapter 16

"Lord Vader!" A stormtrooper commander, marked with an orange pauldron, scurried up to the black-armoured menace, accompanied by a hooded figure. "The majority of the rebels have either been killed, surrendered, or scattered, but there is a small group of holdouts in the middle of the base. What are your orders?"

"My apprentice and I will deal with these insurgents, commander," The Dark Lord answered, already striding away with the hooded figure towards the rebel base under siege. "But you and one of your men are ordered to bring the prisoner along, to accompany us."

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"How many more stormtroopers are there going to be?" Den shouted, firing laser after laser at the white-armoured troops. "I'm going to run out of ammo soon!"

"Just keep shooting!" Laranth yelled back, firing her twin blasters in sync. Left, right, left, right. "If we stop firing, we die!"

"Good to know!"

When Laranth and her friends had exited the vent to where Pol had set the signal, they had been shocked by the situation. The remaining holdouts, Yimmon had told her, included only the leader himself and the operative that they had rescued a few weeks ago, and now, the rescue party of three. Pol Haus had already fled the scene, promising to make contact within a few days, if safe–and possible. The fact remained though, that Yimmon and the operative had gone up against probably a hundred stormtroopers alone and were still alive. Which was a miracle in itself.

"Look!" Laranth heard I-Five's cry, and turned her head sharply, green lekku swishing, to what the droid saw.

If she had had a lightsaber, it would have been flying at the Sith Lord's head now.

"Stand down!" The order came from Darth Vader, accompanied by a shorter, hooded figure dressed all in black. Laranth wondered briefly about the twisted Force-signature swirling around the unfamiliar figure, but then watched the stormtroopers, still shooting her blasters. The remaining stormtroopers immediately stopped firing at the Sith's command, and in stunned surprise, the rebels halted their laser fire as well.

"Remaining Whiplash rebels," Vader spoke, breath echoing through his respirator. "You are ordered, in the name of the Empire, to surrender."

"And why would we do that, Sith spawn?" Den shouted impulsively.

The Dark Lord ignored the taunt. "Because if you won't, I will be forced to persuade you in ways other than mercy."

"Mercy?!" Den snorted, but his pale face went even paler when two stormtroopers entered behind Vader and his hooded accomplice, dragging a body along the floor. But when the Sullustan glanced at Laranth, her eyes had gone wide with fear. Then they narrowed.

The body belonged to Jax Pavan.

The Jedi was forced to his knees beside Darth Vader, and Jax glanced around almost desperately. His tunic was horribly crimson, and Den had to force himself not to gag and look away. Jax's eyes were full of pain; likely inflicted by the gory and bloody lightsaber wound on his chest. His hands were cuffed, and he was gagged, but he was still alive.

For now.

Jax and Laranth met each other's gaze, and Den didn't need the Force to see the spark between them light up, then dim in dismay.

"If you refuse to cooperate, I will kill your precious Jedi," Vader said, igniting his red lightsaber and putting it to Jax's throat. The Jedi arched his back, trying to put some distance between him and the red blade.

"No!" Yimmon cried before he could stop himself. The droid beside him muttered the same, single word in dismay. All of the rebels lowered their blasters absentmindedly.

Under his helmet, the Dark Lord smiled chillingly. Beside him, internally, Kajin slammed his fist against his cage's bars in fury.

He didn't keep his word!

Who cares, Blade rebutted, shoving Kajin back into the middle of his cage. We knew he was going to die anyway.

"No," Laranth growled under her breath, hands moving towards her belt. Then a sudden fire lit in her eyes. "NO!"

She launched herself from behind her cover and sailing through the air, aided by the Force's touch, her hand flew out and pulled Jax's lightsaber from Vader's belt. She activated it in midair, and the Twi'lek flung herself at the Sith.

Blasters are useless in this fight, she thought as Vader blocked her and pushed her away. But she rebounded and swung her blade, determination shining in her eyes.

Strike. Parry. Swing. Block. Spin, lunge, strike. Duck. Force-leap. Strike. The moves that Jax had used so many times echoed through her brain, and she remembered them as clearly as glass as she fought the armoured menace, careful not to accidentally hit Jax.

"Keep shooting!" she yelled back at the other Whiplash, who immediately started attacking the stormtroopers again. Out of the corner of her eye, Laranth watched as every single stormtrooper fell in a flurry of blasterfire, as the enemy was unable to return fire in time. Her attention distracted for just a single second, she didn't see Darth Vader's hand stretch towards her.

Then she was flying. She felt the impact of glass, heard it shatter and shower all around her. The lightsaber flew from her hand as the glass shards cut into her back and lekku. She heard Jax's ragged cry, calling her name, and suddenley she was falling.

She slammed into something hard and the world turned black.

For the first time in a long time, Laranth was at peace.

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He wrenched the gag from his mouth at last.

"No!" Jax wailed as Laranth soared out of the window and fell from sight. His lightsaber fell to the ground in front of the broken window and he stared at it desperately, longingly as the ache of his wounded chest slipped from his mind.

Force, don't let her be dead. Please, let her live. I need her.

Beside him, Darth Vader chuckled darkly, not seeming to care that all of his stormtroopers had fallen.

"Get out of here!" Jax shouted suddenley, voice hoarse, startling the Whiplash rebels, all of whom were slowly moving from behind their cover and towards him. "While you have the chance! Move!"

"Jax–" Den started, but the Jedi cut him off.

"You won't get within a few feet of me before you get killed. Go! Now!" Jax yelled, urgency lacing his voice. His eyes pleaded with his stubborn friend. "Please!"

Den glanced at I-Five, whose metal shoulders seemed to slump in dismay. They knew the truth. None of them were prepared to face a Sith Lord, especially if they wanted to win–and get out alive.

Yimmon grabbed Den's arm, and together, the four rebels fled just as two more squadrons of stormtroopers flooded the room behind the Sith Lord. "After them," the Dark Lord rumbled. Jax sensed fury from the mechanical monster beside him, still holding him captive. Kaj's costly deal had been in vain, as he had feared.

Vader turned to Jax, his voice ever chilling and calm. "Your loyalty is foolish."

"I don't agree," Jax replied, determined to irritate this awful being until his death. Which would likely be soon, the way this was going.

"You should," the Sith snarked, then nodded at the hooded companion on his other side. The figure slipped off the black hood, turning to the Jedi.

Jax stared into the eyes of his Padawan, his worst fear coming true.

Because instead of the curious, bright eyes that he had known, Jax was met with an dim, amber shade of eyes.