The Young Republic | A Star Wars Story

Chapter 18

Time Walker

"Most powerful is he who controls his own power."

TW: Not anything too bad, just the way Maul will talk to Satine, later on, is... disturbing. 

Xena awoke to the smell of smoke and flames. A face yelled at her, shaking her shoulders forcefully. Her ears felt clogged with cotton, her vision was fuzzy, and she needed to sleep. But why was her heart beating so quickly? She could feel her pulse racing and her heart palpitating as if she had run over Tatooine's deserts.

"...Give her some more adrenaline..." The face turned to speak. A sting was felt in her arm, and it suddenly felt as if Xena was about to burst. Her vision was clear, her ears were working, and her body wasn't numb anymore.

"Korkie?" Xena croaked. Why was her cousin there? Her back ached, stiff and sore from the hard surface she was lying on. Why wasn't she in a bed? Was she still on the ship?

An ache pierced Xena's heart, and an overwhelming darkness attacked her mind and spirit. She winced, curving herself farther into her cousin's arms. "What... what is going on? How long has it been?"

Korkie's expression clouded, and the momentary joy of Xena's wake washed away. He chewed his lower lip, unsure how to tell Xena that her plan had failed. "You've been asleep for at least two days. Around a day or so ago, the Sith came. They've arrived along with the Dathomir witches."

A sharp pang struck Xena's chest once more, this time the agony of lost lives. Through the Force, Xena could hear Mandalorians wailing and calling for aid all around her. Oh, her mother... oh, her mother! Xena could feel her panic, the stress and fear clawing against her lungs like stinging sand.

Xena tried to sit up with a lot of help from her cousin. Korkie handed Xena a small packet of glucose, the sweet jelly making Xena nauseous. No way was she drinking that now, not while it felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest. She reached up to feel her pulse, which was much slower than the tempo her heart was going at. Great, her body was in shock. Xena threw a quick glare at her cousin, who at least looked sheepish for the amount of adrenalin he gave her.

"Can you tell me where we are?" Xena asked, taking a look around. A cluster of other teenagers formed around them, some on the lookout, some in odd awe of Xena. It was suffocatingly dark here, smoke from outside crowding a little too close to Xena's liking.

"We're in a bunker," Korkie explained. "We managed to grab you from the med center right before the witches attacked. We've been waiting here for you to wake up ever since."

Xena rubbed her hands over her face, desperately trying to stop the feeling of her head from spinning. Kriff, she was going to kill her cousin. "And the Duchess? Did she follow my backup plan?"

Korkie nodded, much to Xena's relief. "She contacted the Jedi in time. Although... the Republic can't help us much."

"What?!" Xena whipped her head to her cousin. "They are supposed to come!" Even if Mandalore is a neutral planet, if the Sith attacks, the Jedi should help. And besides! Xena was here! If her mother had done what Xena said, then the Republic believes that Xena - who is a member of the Republic - was stuck here on Mandalore by the Sith. The GAR must come and assist; a rescue party is sent to retrieve Xena.

"I know, and they did come," Korkie said. "They just can't get in."

Xena didn't understand.

"The witches brought some sort of crystal. It casted a barrier around Sundari. Bo-Katan and other Death Watch members are getting rid of it right now as we speak. So it's only a matter of time before more help arrives. Luckily, one Jedi managed to get into the city long before it went up."