𝘚𝘈𝘓𝘜𝘛𝘌→𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩

faith forgotten.

                ALORA NERO ALMOST felt ill towards the thought of Count Dooku being behind all of this. She couldn't grasp how he was able to slip so easily behind the scenes, going unnoticed thus far. But, she had to remind herself that the mission was still in full progress. With Corra Jento left safely underneath the castle, in the catacombs familiar only to the queen herself; Alora began her return to the top.

"Commander? Where are you? We need you." A troubled voice sounded from the com link. It was Tech.

Alora picked up the pace. "I'm on my way, what's happening?"

"The General needs help." Blaster shots. "Just hurry! I have contacted Coruscant to ask for help, but no one is coming!" The Bad Batch asking for help? It had to be terrible.

A sudden wave of panic washed over Alora. This entire time she sensed danger, and every sense of the word dread. She felt as though something horrible was going to happen. On the surface this seemed like a simple droid army takeover, and that they'd be back on Coruscant by next rotation easily. Just to be sent out again on another dangerous mission. However, now, she fears that this overwhelming buildup of dread is coming to a terrible climax. Soon.

When Alora caught up to the five clones she's come to enjoy company with, her mind was racing a mile a minute. They were surrounded by droids, and she wanted to protect them. They, of course, wanted to do the same for her. However. she was incredibly worried, and they could tell. "You may need this, sweetheart." Hunter muttered, tossing Alora her lightsaber. Lo'ree had placed it into his care, for the time being.

"Where is Master Lo'ree?" Alora's voice pierced through the sounds of blasters being shot, as her and Hunter took out a trio of clones back to back.

Hunter looked back at the young knight, his usual confident look was gone. He was worried, and Alora couldn't grasp why. She wanted to understand anything and everything the instant she took it in, but this time, she couldn't. It was frustrating.

Hunter nodded hurriedly, to above the battle taking place. "Up there. With some weird old man, he's got one of those lightsabers, too!"

Alora's eyes widened as she gazed up, her ears now filled with the distinct sound of lightsabers clashing. There were three people on that planet with a weapon, as eloquent, and dangerous, as a lightsaber; yet only two were being used in that instant. Against eachother.

"I have to go." Alora said, her voice now somber.

"We're all gonna have to go soon! As soon as Tech gets back with that dropship, we're out of here!" Hunter exclaimed.

"We've got everything under control down here, commander." A voice behind her said, quietly. He was coming to take Alora's place at fighting alongside Hunter, as he had just finished taking out twelve droids and figured his leader could use the extra support. (He later brags that he done it with a single bullet.) Crosshair gave Alora Nero an encouraging nod, before she jumped, letting the force guide her way up to the platform above.

The horror. Count Dooku stood, a satisfied smile plastered on his old and greyed face. The Twilek Jedi Master was forced onto her knees, as a red lightsaber was held dangerously close to her neck. She was beaten.

"You should be proud of your master, little one." Dooku says, raising his brows at Alora. She never took her eyes off of Lo'ree, who was staring down at the ground underneath her. She knew, and had accepted, her fate.

"Master!" Alora cried, but as she began to charge forward, Dooku's saber came dangerously close to the Jedi's skin. Alora felt helpless.

"I applaud your work, my Jedi friend." Count Dooku said calmly. "Thanks to you, my mission here was a failure, but never fear." He suddenly grabbed Lo'ree by her lekku, pulling her head back, and with a smile he pronounced; "I shall get my revenge."

For Alora Nero, everything following that moment was a blur. The sounds of the Bad Batch pleading with her to come onto the dropship was almost inaudible to her. All she could focus in on was her master, being killed right before her eyes.

The scream Alora Nero let out was something the Bad Batch would never forget. Count Dooku had pierced through the Twilek's chest with his lightsaber. Her eyes never left Alora's until she fell, face first, onto the ground. Lifeless.

Tech, Hunter, Echo, and Wrecker, immediately began shooting their blasters at the murderer. They continued to shout at Alora to aboard the ship, but she sat on her knees, not hearing anything that was being said to her. All she could hear were her master's words, and all the other Jedi master's before her, telling a group of younglings, that death was a natural part of life. And you must learn to let go. As a youngling, that seemed easy. But now, Alora knew that was something she could not do.
The clones were angry. Never have they let their General be hurt in battle, let alone be killed.. They didn't want the same to happen to their commander.
But, with swift and easy movements of his lightsaber, Dooku easily deflected the blaster shots. At that moment, another squad of droids was arriving to aid the Count. The clones were incredibly outnumbered.

Crosshair couldn't understand why he suddenly was sprinting out onto the platform, and not shooting. The maker knows he wouldn't have missed a target. However, there he was, quickly wrapping his arms around a distraught Alora, pulling her up to her feet. "Come on, commander! You can't just sit here and be killed!" She hopelessly attempted to leave his arms and run to her master, but he wouldn't allow it. "We must go."

"Wh-Why wouldn't anyone come? They wouldn't help her!" She now sobbed, as Crosshair drug her to the dropship. He never felt so sad in his entire life.

All the young girl could think about was how Master Lo'ree Obrinth, one of the most powerful Jedi, a fearless general, a wonderful master, and almost like a mother to Alora, would be forgotten by the council. Considered a terrible loss, and forgotten. Alora Nero's life changed drastically in those moments. She hadn't got to say goodbye to the woman who had practically raised her. And now, she couldn't stand the thoughts of going back to a order, who, at this point, Alora had lost all faith in.

Crosshair noticed something on the ground as he was bringing Alora to the ship. Without thinking, he reached down and picked it up, before pushing the girl on board. Then, Tech took off. And Alora felt completely empty, not being able to feel her master at all anymore.