Star Wars: The Rise of Darkness

Epilogue

Epilogue

Slowly Kish dragged Scion onward down the catwalk grunting at his weight. As they drew further from the facility a harsh wind began to carve over the surface of the planet picking up abrasive clouds of blood coloured sand. On the distant horizon Elion's shimmering orange sun began to dive behind the distant mountains.

Scions wound was already taking on a funny smell, leaving the charred stench behind, a smell that was never a good sign with stomach injuries. He growled and ground his teeth together at the pain, his tawny red skin slowly taking on a yellowish tinge.

When they reached the door to the hangar Scion stumbled, threatening to drag them both to the ground. With help of the Force and pure determination Kish was able to keep him upright, then flick her hand toward the control panel. As the massive bay doors began to slide open she chanced a glance back toward the balcony. She could just make out the searing red gleam of a light saber. Callous would be through very soon.

“Quickly Master,” Kish said and stepped through the door applying the Force one more time to close it behind them.

Within the hangar, not to far from them, was a cargo ship. Kish could see a total lack of vibrant colours and abnormal identifiable markings. At the rear of the vehicle a ramp was already descended for entry. Aside from that the Hangar was nearly empty aside from refueling equipment, benches of tools, and..

Bodies…

Dead bodies, and many of them lay about the floor of the Hangar. Fresh blaster wounds on each of them sent lazy tendrils of smoke circling through the air which was charged with ionised molecules. They where all dressed in what looked like civilian clothes and they all had died weapon in hand.

Kish came to a stop, aghast at the sight before her. Then the sound of boots came, as a pair of legs became visible marching down the ramp of the cargo ship. Slowly a powerfully built man in a familiar armour came into view a blaster rifle in hand. He looked in their direction and started to make his way over to them.

“Oh dear not another Mandolorian,” Kish grumbled and quickly but gently eased her Master to the floor. She reached for her lightsaber but Scion attempted to stay her hand.

“Wait, Kish - no,” Scion rasped, fingers snagging on her tunic sleeve, “We have no quarrel with him.”

Now he is speaking nonsense, Kish thought to herself, and pulled her tunic free. Springing to her feet she ignited her weapon and pointed it at the approaching warrior.

“Kish.”

She soon found herself staring down the barrel of his blaster rifle but no shot came, “Easy there girl, I ain’t your enemy anymore,” He said.

“Kish!”

Anger and pain was blossoming and taking root in Kish and she knew it. A nasty and dangerous combination for a Jedi, “And you expect me to believe that?! Should we ask your associate we met on Tatooine?” Kish bellowed her voice unaturally loud.

“I have no problem fighting someone else's war, but what the Sith are planning to do with that cargo I cannot stand behind,” The Mandolorian growled his blaster steady and trained right at her forehead, “Even Mercs like me have morals.”

“KISH! He speaks the truth,” Scion yelled trying desperately to draw her away from the path she was approaching.

She didn’t dare take her eyes of the Mandolorian, “How do you know?” She matched his tone.

“Because we haven’t finished living out my premonition yet,” Scion explained his features twisted in a grimace of agony.

It was a hit to the stomach she hadn’t been braced for and her lightsaber lowered to aim at the ground. So he had known far more than he had let on, “You knew this was going to happen?” Her voice wavered.

“Every moment of it,” Scion replied, “I am sorry Kish but if I would have told you, you wouldn’t have gone along with what had to happen. I saw every possible outcome back on Tatooine and this is the only one where you and the cargo get off this planet alive.”

“What is so damned impor-” Kish started but Scion cut her off. Even in his wounded state he was still her Master.

“Kish I need you to listen to me there is no time to bicker,” He said as he struggled to get to his feet. Kish helped him an emotional storm raging inside of her, “You must take the ship and go. We will hold off Callous or he will pursue you and he is a better pilot. Once you return to the Jedi order with the ship, find the Grand Master and tell him that I wish for Sol Vandirk to complete your training”

“But Master Sol was excommunicated years ago, I don’t understand,” She moaned, tears again flowing.

“You will in time, my young Padawan,” With that Scion embraced her warmly than held her at arms length, “Now go and may the force be with you.”

More than a little broken inside Kish resigned, “May the Force be with you Master,” She uttered.

The Mandolorian stepped up and handed a nozzled canister to the Jedi Master, “Here stick it in the wound and squeeze the plunger, the foam will seal the wound for a while,” He then turned to Kish, “If we kill him I will personally bring your Master back to the temple.”

Kish offered him a nod of gratitude, surprised that she felt truth emanating from the Mandolorian. Even still she hated the whole situation and didn’t trust the warrior, but she had no choice but to try and scrape some solace from his statement.

Kish lowered her head and hustled for the ships ramp. The door to the hangar began to part in the middle and she looked back. Like a living shadow, Callous stood in the opening, lightsaber out, chest heaving, his face stuck in a snarl of rage. Scion and the Mandolorian side by side moved to intercept him. The first sounds of battle reached her ears as she moved through the ship heading for the cabin. She passed the infamous “cargo” which she vowed to see opened once she got off world. She would see what was worth her Masters very life, that is if she didn’t jettison it from the hold first.

Her hands flew as fast as they could over the controls and soon enough she was heading for the atmosphere. The moment she was at a safe distance she dialed in the coordinates for Yavin IV. A sudden urge to fly back down and aid her Master came over her but she ignored it through gritted teeth and jumped to Hyperspace. Translucent blues streaked in front of the view port as she left the current dimension and into one that bent the very fabric of time and space.

With each second that passed the pain grew. She had left her master, her very father figure, and a part of her self on that forsaken rock. A scar on her soul was fast developing as she stood up from the seat and went to go see her vow completed.

The cargo was a line of tarped over rectangular crates that came to her waist and ran as long as the hold itself. The tarp was already partly dislodged thanks to the Mandolorian. Kish grabbed a fistful of tarp and violently yanked it aside.

In that moment as Kish stared down at what she had uncovered, she understood. It all made perfect sense now. Her Master had been right, if she would have known that such stakes where on the line she would have acted brashly and endangered the mission. For this was worth any sacrifice, and her Masters sacrifice no longer seemed foolish but utterly selfless. She would heed his words and see that his selflessness was not in vain.

There, stacked like so main containers were stasis pods, and within each a youngling slept peacefully.