The Knave's Crusade

Melancholy and Treachery: 22

Footfalls of the stormtroopers thundered through the concourses and grew louder. Tels forced Kulan ahead of her whenever he looked back at Pascal. A dread filled Kulan with each stride, he tried to keep up with Tels and Pascal, however he never could. At times Tels would outpace Kulan and always kept him in her peripheral vision.

As they hit a dead end, cracks sputtered across the forgotten floors. A scent of bitterness like the cleaners at Shili's hospitals swept through the air and Kulan's heartstrings felt strained. The image of Dakaan in the hospital was stitched into Kulan's mind.

Tels skidded by him and unholstered her blaster while Pascal opened fire. Kulan looked between Pascal and Tels, his heart thrumming loudly and his thoughts splintered like the floor. Pascal appeared concentrated on keeping her stormtrooper at bay, Tels' eyes narrowed on them. He struggled with the disgrace blooming in opposition to his love for Tels.

Something snapped in Kulan, clarity clear as a kyber crystal crossed his expression, his face dropped to nothing. "I have asked you this time and time again, Tels. Is it worth it to join those traitors called the rebellion and lose everything we have? Is it worth it to commit treason against the Empire? To put our lives at risk?"

"Y-yes it is, kiddo. Where is this coming from?" Tels struggled to say.

"Give me an honest answer." Kulan held Tels' eyes and demanded, his voice cold and steady, "Was I ever your family?"

Tels tripped, her feet slipping under her weight as she tried to comprehend what was happening. Before she could answer, Kulan held Pascal and Tels at blaster point and yelled over his shoulder, "Vass, they're over here!"

As the stormtroopers raided the Temple, hot tears ran down Kulan's face. He wrestled with his shaking hands and unable to move, but he never lowered his blaster. "I wish that I meant something to you, Tels. However, I need to see my family, Dakaan, again. Time is so precious and too short."

Vass lead her squad, her feet quicker than she ever thought possible, and she lifted her blaster. Her finger swept past the trigger as she stared at Pascal, her eyes softened underneath the helmet. Vass wondered:

Maybe this all can be fixed, Agent Bankole could come back home.

Krekor was the first to fire and brought Vass back to reality, she refocused onto her mission. Streaks of blue rained down on Pascal and Tels while they ran for their lives. They wended around corners and curves, the light began to palely reflect off the glass. Tels adjusted her blaster to stunt and fired the icy circle at them as Pascal shot redness. Then, the two rounded a wall and were pinned behind a pillar.

Yarla and Raeth followed suit behind Krekor, Vass, and Alta with their blasters firing. Each step felt heavier than the last, drops stained their faces, their fingers shook from each bang. Vass kept pushing forward trying to find the reasoning for this, but there was no time to. An order was an order.

Vass muttered to herself, "I have a duty to my soldiers and the Empire, not to Bankole anymore."

Hastily, Tels pulled out her comm and informed, "We're on the west side of the palace and about to exit to the X-334 landing pad."

"I've got the door," determined Pascal when she shot the panel.

Wind rushed through Tels' tendrils, Pascal's dreadlocks whipped wildly and smack against her back. Tels and Pascal leaned against the doorway and kept shooting at the stormtrooper's feet. A sleek ship flew by with the entrance opening to reveal a figure wearing red and black armor, a crimson streaked down the middle of the helmet.

Pascal spun on her heel, her facial expression drew darker with each step back. Tels shoved off the frigid stone wall, her eyes darting past them, searching desperately for Kulan. As the ship drew closer, the stormtroopers broke past the door and chased Tels and Pascal to the end of the landing pad. Pascal took a running start and sprung for the entry ramp, her fingernails dug into the metal and the clone pulled her up.

Pascal called out, barely audible, "We need to get closer for Eto."

Tels held up her blaster and looked back at the stormtroopers one more time, teardrops flooded down her face and she sprinted to the edge. Air sang by Tels' ear, Coruscant flew by her and metal hit her arms with a roll. Pascal ripped Tels' away from the entry ramp and into the belly of the ship.

The figure removed the helmet and Hunter stared back at them, his coco eyes wild. Wrecker and Omega rushed forward with Frank and Tech on their heels. Shakily, Tels rose to her feet as she leaned onto Pascal, their hands intertwined.

The Tempest shouted from the cockpit, "I'm glad to see you three!"

Omega demanded, "Where's Kulan? I thought he was with you?"

The words were stuck in Tels' throat, tears streamed down her face and to the floor. Tels' knees buckled under her, hitting the ground hard, a silence filled the room. The only sound was the rising sobs of Tels as Pascal gently squeezed her shoulder.

Omega covered her mouth with her hand and backed into Wrecker's arms. Tech looked to Hunter and Wrecker as if he didn't know what to do. Hunter steered Omega, Tech, and Wrecker to the cockpit leaving Frank rolling up to Tels.

"I-I'm so sorry for everything, Pascal," wept Tels, her body shook violently.

Pascal wrapped her arm around Tels' shoulder. "It's not your fault. Not any of this. I chose to be with you, Tels."

Tels sprung up and held Pascal tightly, tears clouded Pascal's eyes but nothing fell. Pascal crumpled into Tels' embrace and buried her head in the crook of Tels' elbow, Tels' hand wrapped Pascal's head and drew her closer.

When Tels quieted, she mumbled to Pascal, "I'm sorry about Vass, Krekor, Alta, Yarla, and Raeth. I hoped it wouldn't come to this."

"I could say the same about Kulan," returned Pascal as she guided Tels to a wall.

Coolness seeped into Pascal's shirt, somewhere along the way she lost her coat. Tels settled next to Pascal and clung onto her sleeve. Shooting away, Pascal cupped Tels' face and gently nestled Tels' head in her lap. Smoothness met Pascal's as she stroked Tels' tendrils, each one moving towards Pascal.

An emptiness crept into Pascal's heart, a pain that couldn't be consoled that ate away at an ancient one. Regret pierced her brain, her need to protect her stormtroopers were for nothing now. Everything has changed. 

In the wavering sound of hyperspace, Frank deactivated by Tels and Pascal as they held onto each other. A gloomy cloud followed the ship through the glistening stars, each soaring by. Time seemed to slow down to almost nothing and it was too late.

Tels said to herself, "Yes, you are family, Kulan."