19 BBY
Sullust, Outer Rim
Jaika let out a grunt as she was pushed through the doors into a tightly packed operational room. She eyed the restraints which were locked over her wrists, as the B1 droid walked ahead of her with her lightsabers in hand, as it placed the weapons on a table, high up on a observation level.
Navess peered towards her Master, before she gazed towards Jaika, who observed their surroundings with a calm demeanor. Watching Jaika's nonchalance prompted Navess to take in a deep breath. Jaika peered towards Wolffe and the other clones, who were guarded by destroyer droids. The Jedi knew that one wrong move could trigger their execution.
A small chuckle gained Jaika's attention, as she looked back up at the desk, as a chair turned around. The girl instantly recognised the banking clan politician, as well as the other Muun representatives who stood on a similar platform, peering down onto the Republic forces. "Ah, Jedi! Your Council really spoilt me by sending three of you, just for me." Nix Card gushed.
Master Prine sent the Muun a disapproving frown, "You tampered with the treaties. You had taken innocents as hostages, don't act so surprised that we have come after you." Master Prine expressed, making the Muuns glance towards the old Iktochi Jedi. Nix Card smirked, making a distasteful sensation fill within Jaika, as the man's mannerisms began to aggravate her. "Yes, of course. But to send three Jedi after me. The Jedi must really be running out of things to do." He expressed.
"Not everything is about you." Jaika interrupted, speaking in a calm tone. The Muun moved his gaze from the old Jedi, to the girl. Nix Card and his representatives honed in on the Jedi who stood with an assertive stance
"We know you're working with Aurra Sing, and that you have a suspicious amount of fighters lined up outside a facility that was designed for mining. I know for a fact that your intentions go further than keeping the prisoners for digging up coal." Jaika analyzed. Her reading made the Muun representatives tense up and share a couple of glances, while Nix Card glared down to her.
From behind her, Wolffe smirked from beneath his helmet as he felt ounces of pride swell from within. In just a couple of sentences, the Jedi managed to pierce through his facade.
A representative muttered into Nix Card's ear, making his gaze harden. "Skywalker. I've heard of you. The female twin, who's true power relies on the spiritual connection with your brother. The prophecy which was foretold many years ago." Nix Card greeted, before he paused and gazed around the room. "...is he here?"
Jaika's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, "No, but I am. You can decide for yourself whether that makes you lucky or not." Jaika answered back, while her fingers twitched when she rubbed her wrists against the restraints.
Nix Card hummed, "You are one half of an equation. Without the other half, you are a mere threat." Nix Card explained. Jaika did not react, she would not let the Muuns see how her being viewed as an extension of her brother always crept under her skin.
Navess eyed the Jedi, before she glanced up towards one of the Muuns who approached Nix Card. "Sir, I read her files. The Skywalker twins don't need to be in the same room to fuel their power. She's the one that Dooku--"
"Her? Really? No, it can't be her, she's too young." Nix Card interrupted as they continued to assess Jaika. Sucking in a deep breath, Jaika focused her attention onto the desk that he sat at, and honed her focus onto her two lightsabers.
The two Muuns muttered and squabbled over the many watered-down theories that they had overheard from various different Separatist leaders. Jaika kept her eyes on them, slowly opening her palms. She made sure to keep her movements small and discreet.
The Muuns turned back and looked at her in suspicion, while Jaika bit back a smirk. "If you are done with your petty theories. I think now would be a good time to focus less on what you know already, and more on what is happening around you." Jaika suggested, before she felt her hilts smack against her palms and back into her grasp.
The contact caused Nix Card to shoot up from his seat, before he pointed down to Jaika. The droids within the room began to close into her, making Jaika ignite one blade and cut through the restraints and free herself.
Her self-liberation posed as a true threat towards Nix Card as he began to back away from his place at the desk. Jaika quickly faced the two other Jedi and with a wave of her hand, their restraints fell from their wrists.
Nix Card's eyes widened, before he turned around and began to run towards the door. As he began to scale up the metallic steps, his feet froze in place. The Muun grunted with a frown as he tugged at his legs, trying with all of his strength to pry them away from the floor. He could not move, he was frozen in place.
The other Muuns gazed at him with wide eyes as they neared the door, while he shouted orders out to them. "Help me. Do not take a step out of that door without me, I know your families, I know where they live. I will make your betrayal known, I will make a public example--"
A small fluttered thud echoed from behind Nix Card, freezing his fearful voice in place. "That's not how you speak to your comrades, is it?" Jaika's voice spoke from behind him. Nix Card looked forward at his representatives, whose eyes were glossed over in fear, as they trembled in place while they continued to rush towards one of the exits.
Nix Card was unfrozen from his place, as he turned around and looked upon Jaika who perched on his desk with both of her lightsabers ignited in a reverse grip. The Jedi somehow slipped past all of his droids and had jumped up to their observation level. The Muun did not fail to notice the remnants of droid oil which had been spilt upon her skin, and the dust from battle which dirtied her skin. The appearance of a relentless fighter.
"I-" Nix Card stuttered, before the distant clutter of his representatives breaking through the door caught his attention, as he watched them scurry out of the room. Jaika watched his hands jolt and tremble, making her frown before she held out her hand and pulled a small remote device from his pocket.
As she laid eyes on the device, a low hum resonated from behind her. Jaika turned around and looked upon a battle drone, which was armed with various blasters and knives. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Jaika forced her hands out and pushed it back.
From the corner of her eye, she watched as Nix Card sprinted up the steps towards the door. Jaika straightened up her posture and held one hand out and closed the door, while she focused her attention back onto the droid.
The drone flew back towards her, making her twist her right blade into a forward grip before she angled the sword into various positions to block the blasts that it fired towards her. Jaika ducked beneath its stream of blasts, before she rolled towards the drone and sliced her blade down its body, cutting it in half and making it crumble onto the desk in front of her.
Letting out a sigh, she turned around and laid eyes on Nix Card, who was pressed against the door. He looked back at her in fear, as the drone he had used to torture renown Republic fighters, was defeated by the Jedi with one hand.
Nix Card focused back onto the locking mechanism of the door, and continued to press various buttons. "Come on, work! The code is right, why aren't you opening. Come on, no.." He grumbled, before he sensed approaching footsteps.
The Muun slowly turned around and faced the girl, backing into the crevices of the door as he slouched beneath her. The Skywalker looked down to the Muun, who got on his knees and looked up at her with desperate eyes. "It's true then. Darth Sidious, his plan..." He muttered.
Jaika's eyes widened when she heard the name, having heard that same name only once before, uttered by Count Dooku. "What plan?" She ordered, only to earn a couple more indistinguishable mutters from the Muun. "I thought it wasn't possible...the plan...he will do it."
She let out a frustrated breath and deactivated one of her lightsabers, before she yanked the Muun up to his feet, before she slammed him into the metallic door. "What is he planning?" She questioned, gripping his shoulder in a tight grasp. The Muun whimpered again. "He's going to do it...he's going to succeed." he muttered.
Jaika grew impatient and spun her ignited lightsaber around her wrist before she held its blade to his neck, making the man let out a frightened gasp. "What plan?" She pressed again. Nix Card's eyes darted all around the room, as his stress began to overwhelm him. "He's going to win." He muttered.
The girl frowned, "Win what?" She questioned, acknowledging his face. His once fearful expression morphed into a look of dread and acceptance, as if he had given up. As if he had accepted some kind of truth.
Jaika felt a wave of chills crawl down her spine when he looked at her. "..everything." Nix Card revealed, making Jaika narrow her eyes, as she gripped her lightsaber hilt tightly.
"Darth Sidious?" She questioned, as a new found fear infested itself through his eyes. Nix Card looked up at Jaika. "With the help of another." He paused, as he looked around once again.
"You will fail. You all will. It's too late." Nix Card swore, looking up at Jaika with crazy eyes. Jaika took a step back, keeping her lightsaber blade between the two of them. The Muun's true form began to shine through, as his lunacy and cowardice replaced his previous demeanor.
Nix Card gasped, "I have said too much. I fear he knows already." He muttered, as Jaika frowned, watching as the Muun's hands shook in fright. The Muun was deathly afraid of whoever Darth Sidious was, and he did not hide that fear, for that fear was far too powerful to hide.
"How would he know? You told me, he doesn't know--" Before Jaika could finish, Nix Card looked her in the eye and leapt towards her. But he wasn't aiming for her; no, he was aiming for her lightsaber blade. The Muun quickly fell to the ground in a burning heap, as Jaika's lightsaber steamed from the impact.
Jaika let out a gasp and took a step back. Her gaze fell onto the deceased Muun, as his burned body steamed below her. She was in complete shock. Nix Card just leapt into her lightsaber, willingly. His fear overwhelmed him to the point that he preferred his own defeat than facing Darth Sidious. Jaika frowned, as she thought of the name that had only been muttered by a few. Who was he?
A chorus of footsteps echoed from behind her, catching her attention and pulling her away from her distress as she looked upon Wolffe and Comet. "The Muuns have escaped, they have been spotted in the hanger." Wolffe revealed, making Jaika's chest ache in desperation.
Wolffe's gaze fell to Nix Card's body, as he noticed the lightsaber cuts that were burnt through his body. The scene he had approached was a graphic one, but something told him that there was more to the story. He knew Jaika's style, and that was not it. He titled his helmet back up to look at Jaika through his vizor, noticing a distressed look glimmering in her eyes. "We can't let them escape." Jaika spoke.
~☆~
Jaika rushed through the narrow halls, as a small opening made by the Venator allowed her access. She crawled through the opening and stood upon an unstable bridge.
The outside air drifted past her, as the infected wind sent shivers up her arms. Wolffe stood beside her with Alpha humming in curiosity. Master Prine and Navess were stood by the barrier, in the interior of the building, watching the Jedi with anticipation.
Jaika's eyes latched onto a small transport which began to ascend further up into the air. "Ready, and...fire!" Wolffe ordered, before a heavy stream of blaster fire was shot towards the ship.
The blasts skimmed against the surface of the ship, hitting the engines and the power systems. But the ship's thrusters were proven to be very powerful, even against the Wolfpack.
Wolffe realized this, "Activate your jetpacks..." Wolffe suggested, but stopped himself when Jaika stepped past him, further out onto the bridge. "General...what are you doing?" He questioned, as the troopers gazed towards the Jedi.
The wind sliced through Jaika's hair, as it scraped against her exposed skin. She closed her eyes and let her mind travel, across the galaxy, to Coruscant. Anakin.
In a matter of moments, she felt his presence in her mind. Even an ounce of his presence was enough to fuel her, prompting her to withdraw her mind and open her eyes. She shot out her hand and focused on the transport. The blood in her veins began to rush as she reached out to the ship, feeling its motors and thrusters suddenly stop as she held it in place.
The ship shook in its place as the emergency engines fired up, yet their power could not overcome Jaika's grip. Her muscles tensed and ached as she held onto the ship with a tight grip, using all the power she could conjure to keep the transport from escaping.
Wolffe slowly raised his hands to his helmet and removed it from his head to look with his own eyes. He had never seen a display of such power before. His eyes traveled from the still transport, towards Jaika who held her hand out. Wolffe could not believe it, and neither could the boys as they too lowered their blasters.
Navess widened her eyes as she watched Jaika stop the ship. An excited sensation swarmed her as she gazed up to her Master with expectant eyes, wondering if he could teach her the same thing. Only when she noticed her Master's astonished eyes, Navess realized that her Master could not do what Jaika could.
A distant clanking echoed through the corridor, catching the attention of the troopers as they raised their weapons again. Wolffe gazed over his shoulder and looked through the opening, where he noticed a distant patrol of droids march through a door.
A wall of blasts fired onto their forces, making the Wolfpack scatter under any cover that they could find, before they raised their blasters. Wolffe gazed behind him, watching as Jaika began to tense her arms as she pulled the ship back towards the ground. The clone Commander slipped his helmet back on and raised his twin blasters, standing on the bridge, guarding Jaika from the droids.
The red blasts ricocheted across the walls, as troopers were hit one by one. The many droids continued to pile into the space, overwhelming the Wolfpack. Within the mess, Master Prine and Navess ignited their lightsabers and fought back to back, deflecting the attacks from the droids.
Navess gazed to the side and watched a B2 super battle droid kick a trooper onto the ground. Before the trooper could reach for his blasters, the droid stood on his hands. Navess felt her heart hammer against her chest, and before she could register her own movements she had ran across the space and sliced her lightsaber through the droid.
The droid released a couple of sparks before it collapsed onto the ground. The trooper instantly sighed, as Navess knelt down to the ground and handed him back his blaster. "Thanks kid." He spoke, taking the blaster rifle from the girl.
The young Jedi smiled back at the clone, "What was your name again?" She asked, making the trooper stop. He slowly looked back at the young Jedi, eyeing her through his vizor as her youthful and naive eyes gazed back at him with care. The youthful naivety of the Jedi, and the care in her eyes reminded the trooper of Jaika from the start of the war. In fact, the Twi'lek girl held many mannerisms that were similar to the Jedi Knight. He wanted to laugh from their similarities, as he briefly analyzed the young Padawan; dreading to witness the day that her happiness is crushed, just like what happened with Jaika.
"Call me Comet." He answered back, before Navess helped him back onto his feet. Navess sent Comet a kind smile before she turned around and disappeared back into the battle.
Jaika let out a grunt and pulled her arm in, towing the transport closer to the ground. The distant tremors of the battle beside her made the job a lot harder, as her mind raced into various situations. Wolffe fired his blasters in her peripheral, as he created a barrier between the droids and Jaika.
She let out a deep breath before she closed her eyes again and concentrated on the ship. She could sense its presence in the sky, and could feel the way the wind knocked it. All she had to do was bring it down to the ground.
Jaika's mind traveled back to Anakin, while her muscles ached from her physical exertion. She continued to pull the ship closer, as the once distant engines grew louder. While she worked, all she could think about was Anakin.
He was very conflicted when she left him, and she was worried. She hoped that the Jedi Council weren't putting too much stress onto him, while also including him in the meetings now that the other Jedi were absent. Yet her gut churned in disagreement, as she sensed that Anakin might not be doing well now that she was gone.
She opened her eyes and watched the ship draw in closer to the ground. While she held the transport, her muscles began to contract as her arm shook. Taking in a deep breath, she extended her arm again and pulled the ship once again. As she did so, Jaika was suddenly engulfed with an overwhelming sense of emotion, fueling her even more so as she dragged the entire ship to the ground, plummeting it into the side of the building.
Once Jaika let go of the ship she collapsed onto the surface of the bridge, shaking as the emotions surged through her. The surrounding chaos of troopers rushing for cover went unnoticed to her. Her muscles shook as her mind grew busy with thoughts and emotions which did not belong to her. Their sudden presence was overwhelming, it was painful.
The fire began to spread through the impact zone, as a thick smoke cloud loomed over the building, casting a dark sky above the facility.
Jaika still did not notice. The Jedi was knelt on the metal grated bridge, looking down at her shaking hands. Her veins burned and her muscles ached, her chest grew tight while she struggled to breathe. Her eyes stung from the tears that filled them, as a tear ran down her cheek, scraping her skin with a burning sensation as it fell.
The Jedi quickly wiped the tear from her face and took in a deep breath, attempting to fill her lungs with as much air as she possibly could.
Jaika knew they weren't her tears, they were Anakin's. The Jedi frowned instantly, why was Anakin crying?
"General!" Wolffe called out, making Jaika gaze ahead as Wolffe quickly approached her, with Alpha rolling behind him. Wolffe held a hand out, which Jaika took without any hesitation. "Are you alright, Jaika?" he questioned as he dropped all formalities. The Jedi nodded as she took a step back.
Jaika walked alongside Wolffe on the bridge, towards the building. "Good. Because this battle is far from over. There are more droids in the Venator. The rest of the battalion has backed them into the remains of the ship." Wolffe revealed, earning a nod from Jaika.
"We need to take down the droid Commander, he is the droid that poses as our biggest threat. As long as that droid stays powered on, Aurra Sing is not ours." Jaika theorized, expecting the droid to try and reclaim their captured bounty hunter.
~☆~
Jaika ignited her lightsabers when her eyes landed on a group of droids. The red blasts were instantly fired in her direction, while she slid against the dusty corridor floor and moved her lightsabers about in various angles, deflecting the blasts.
Navess was by her side and moved her lightsaber in front of her body with both hands, blocking the blasts. Jaika rolled onto her feet and spun her lightsabers into a reverse grip and began to spin her lightsabers, deflecting more blasts.
The droids began to march towards their forces. As did the Wolfpack, who lined up from behind the three Jedi and blasted the droids in front of them. Jaika shared a look with the two other Jedi and charged towards the droids in front of her, using one arm to slice through the abdomen of one droid and with her other arm, she sliced the head off another droid.
Navess watched with an open mouth as Jaika defeated multiple droids at once with her two lightsabers. The young girl sensed her Master beside her, making Navess shut her mouth and approach the droids.
Jaika turned around and forced both hands forward, pushing a few droids into Master Prine's lightsaber. Jaika turned around once again and sliced the head off another droid.
A heavy clank resonated from behind her, making Jaika slowly turn around and face a B2 super battle droid which had its arm aimed at her. Before Jaika could readjust her grip on her lightsabers, a stream of blue blasts seared through the droid's body, making it collapse in front of her.
A relieved breath escaped from her lungs, as she glanced towards the clone who lowered his weapon. Jaika readjusted her grip on her hilts and stepped away from the droid, as the trooper approached her. "Thanks Sinker, again." Jaika acknowledged.
"I'll always have your six, Skywalker." He reassured, before he took a step forward. "You still owe me." He joked, earning a small eye roll from Jaika. The battle continued through the corridors. Jaika led the assault, as she launched herself onto droids, slicing through them before she attacked the next droid.
Far into the winding hallways of the Venator, the droids began to dwindle down. But before they could claim victory, many droids retreated back through a set of blasts doors, before the doors were sealed behind them.
"Don't let them escape! Boost, get that door open!" Wolffe commanded, as many troopers swarmed around the doors with their blasters held in a tight grasp.
Jaika gazed over her shoulder to where Aurra Sing was held, or previously held. The Jedi's eyes widened when she looked upon an unconscious trooper who was guarding her and a set of empty restraints. "We have another problem." Jaika announced, before she looked back to her battalion. "Aurra Sing has escaped." She revealed, earning a cluster of grim groans from the troopers.
Master Prine and Navess observed the scene from beside Jaika. Navess grew overwhelmed by her excitement and turned to Jaika, "That was amazing fighting, earlier, by the way. I've never seen anything like that, from the way you took many droids down at once, to you pulling the ship down with the force. How did you do that? I never thought that was possible, could you teach me when we're back at the Temple? I'd really like to learn, you're such an inspiration, I really want--"
"Navess. This way." Master Prine ordered as he shot his Padawan a disapproving stare, while he stepped through the troopers towards the blast doors. Navess cringed to herself for letting out her word vomit, prompting her to quickly send Jaika a sheepish and apologetic look. When Jaika sent the young girl a gentle smile of gratitude, Navess beamed back at her.
The Padawan stepped away from Jaika and reunited with her Master, leaving Jaika on her own. The girl was suddenly transported back to her worries, the many questions in her mind, the possible theories as to why Anakin was crying, and why her small connection to him opened up such a surge in power that caused her to crash the ship.
Shaking her head clean of her many anxieties, Jaika stepped forward to rejoin the Jedi and Wolffe. But as she took a step forward, she suddenly became overwhelmed with a sick feeling in her stomach. The feeling scraped at the insides of her stomach, as if there were a creature inside of her trying to tear itself out. The cramping in her stomach traveled up towards her chest.
Her breath was caught in her chest, as her lungs began to fill with a mysterious sensation that Jaika had only felt a couple of times before. Jaika's muscles tensed as she used all of her strength to force the air back into lungs.
Jaika forced herself to step through the crowded space, as she slipped past the troopers. While she walked, her steps became lighter as her legs grew numb. She stopped in her tracks and looked ahead at the two Jedi who spoke with Wolffe and the other troopers. Their conversation began to grow quieter and quieter, barely speaking above a whisper before their muffled speech became indistinguishable to Jaika.
In a matter of seconds she could not hear anything. All that could be heard was a distant hum, which grew louder and louder by the second. The same hum which would always warn her about her surroundings, rung in both of her ears, deafening her.
The hum turned into a mystic choir, as the melodies battled against each other. Their harmony stopped caring about their synchronization, as the sopranos and altos fought for domination, as they began to scream.
The screams in Jaika's ears made her choke out a breath, as she held her head in her hands, ignoring the concern which came from the troopers around her. The screaming circled around her, as she felt their vibrations in her eardrums. The voices were so loud that she felt as if her ears were close to bleeding.
The screaming came to an abrupt stop as a loud clash echoed through her ears, startling her as her surroundings blurred, "You must choose..." A distant voice yelled, as Jaika's skin crawled. "..don't listen to him, Anakin!" Another voice shouted back, a voice which Jaika quickly recognised.
Jaika's eyes widened, as her chest tightened even more so, and her blood began to rush. A scream in the background seared through Jaika's mind, making her muscles ache as the voices continued to echo within her mind. "It's not the Jedi way, he must live!"
Her muscles tensed when she heard Anakin's voice, as his presence felt further from her than it ever has before. The distance between them was continuing to spread. Her heart increased its tempo as she struggled to identify the reality of the situation, whether or not the voices were real.
"He's too dangerous to be left alive!" Windu's voice echoed, as tremors shook against her skin, while her muscles tensed. "Please don't." The third voice spoke, "I need him!" Anakin shouted, drowning out the other voices. Anakin's voice ached within Jaika's chest, as she suddenly felt his desperation and heartbreak fill her, drowning her in his emotion. Jaika's eyes widened in shock, as she became confused. What she was sensing was not a trick by the force. It was real, it was very real.
A frown spread across Jaika's face, as a shiver crawled up her spine. "Unlimited power!" A voice yelled before a powerful surge of lightning erupted afterwards, deafening Jaika as her eardrums rung. The surge of power caused Jaika to tumble a few steps back, before she quickly regained her composure while she held her head which began to ring.
A cluster of distant screams echoed, as a sudden pain seared through her mind, piercing through the muscles in her head, making Jaika cringe to herself. Within the conflict of emotions that she could sense, the Jedi felt a sudden loss within her mind, as a distant light lost its flame, a flickering light powered out into the darkness. The faintest weight was lifted from Jaika's shoulders, as a presence drifted within the air around her. The force had claimed a presence for itself. Jaika could not place or understand what happened or what the cause was, but once her stomach dropped and her veins stopped rushing, Jaika knew something was wrong, something happened.
"What have I done?" Anakin's voice echoed, repeating in her mind over and over again, drilling itself deep into her discomfort and anxiety. His voice echoed into the silence of her mind, as her thoughts blanked.
All fell silent, as no more voices could be heard. Jaika's breath increased as she forced her breath out from her tight lungs, panting as she attempted to regain her composure within the tight corridor. Jaika closed her eyes again, distancing herself from her surroundings as she searched through the endless galaxy for anything, something.
"Anakin.."
Jaika could no longer feel him.
(4916 Words)