T h e O u t e r R i m
When Jacen opened his eyes, he found he was inside a dark room. His heart skipped a beat and suddenly he was drowning again, drowning in the darkness. Panic rose like bile in his throat and his arms flailed around, looking for something to ground him.
A door slid open and light was let into the room. As his panic died down, Jacen realized he was in a cell, propped up against the far wall.
The man who kidnapped him stood in the doorway, and Jacen felt the panic coming back, along with the drowning sensation. He could see him more closely now, noting that the skin he thought had been grey was actually pale white, as if it hadn't seen sunlight in a million years.
"Who are you?" he forced bravery into his voice. "What do you want with me?"
"I know you've felt it," the man crouched in front of him and Jacen tried not to look away. The darkness washed over him again, bathing him in shadows. "The thing that's inside you. The thing that your mother would have hidden from you, what your uncles hide from you even now."
"How do you know my uncles?" Jacen's voice came out as a hoarse whisper despite his efforts.
"I know everything about you, Jacen Jarrus Syndulla, and I'd like you to get to know me."
Jacen shook his head. He didn't want to know this man, he didn't want to drown anymore. He needed to get out of here. He wanted to run, run back to the safety of Lira San and Zeb and Alexsandr.
"I know the darkness too," the man looked at him with his yellow eyes. "I've lived in it for the past seven years. I've been left behind and forgotten by everybody, but now I won't be a shadow anymore. The darkness is my friend. It knows me, and I know it."
Jacen met those terrifying eyes with his own. What would Zeb say now? Alexsandr? Even his mom? "That's a load of kriff nuggets if I ever saw one."
He only laughed, and so did the darkness.
*
C o r e l l ia
Tristan fired another shot. One minute till the virus was done, one more minute they had hold out. Next to him, Vyi was huddled against the terminal. He couldn't see his expression underneath the helmet but he seemed really small at that moment.
They'd need a miracle to get out of here. Troopers were bottling the exit, trapping them in this room. Ahsoka wouldn't be able to wait as their getaway forever. Tristan reached for his belt pouch and patted it, feeling the form of a grenade. Thanks, Sabine.
"Stay low," he warned Vyi before tossing the grenade over the terminal. It hit the ground and rolled towards the doorway before exploding, blasting Stormtroopers everywhere and, more importantly, away from the door.
Tristan stood up and fired off a few round, shooting the ones still on their feet. Vyi was still pressed against the terminal, unmoving.
Something clicked, and the terminal lights all died. The virus was complete. "Come on!" he hauled Vyi up and took off for the door. The kid followed after grabbing his code cylinder from the terminal. They raced passed fallen troopers out of the data room.
"To the watchtower," Tristan said, and Vyi nodded breathlessly. Nobody stopped them, there was no one around. They retraced their steps back to the lift before hurrying in.
The lift rumbled upwards almost too slowly, but finally the doors opened and the two ran out. The bright, blinding lights of a ship hit them, making Tristan blink after the darkness of the compound. Ahsoka and Sabine's ship was pulled up next to the watchtower, ramp extended.
Vyi jumped, landing on the ramp, and Tristan followed, boots clanking loudly. He looked back at the shipyard as the ramp shut behind them, hoping Sabine was alright.
"Good job," Ahsoka said from the pilot's seat. "Sabine's team should be on their way."
Tristan plopped down in the co pilot's seat. "Hope so." K'oyacyi, Sabine.
*
Sabine looked up from firing her shots as an Imperial shuttle descended in between her and her targets. The ramp was open and she heard Jai yell, "Lets go!"
"Ladies first," Ketsu told Sabine, who shook her head and jumped onto the ramp. Her blood sister followed, and the ship turned around so that Sabine was facing the Stormtroopers again.
She fired a few rounds, picking off a few of them. The shuttle was lifting into the air. They were clear.
Almost clear. A blast from a Stormtrooper found it's mark, hitting Ketsu's leg. The bounty hunter let out a grunt and dropped to her knee, and Sabine forced herself not to scream as she fired back, covering her blood sister.
She hauled Ketsu inside the shuttle as the ramp closed, shoving her WESTAR's back into their holsters. Her blood sister was leaning against the wall, breathing heavily.
"Ketsu!" Sabine dropped to her side.
"I'm fine," Ketsu let out a sharp breath. "Just a flesh wound."
"Are you guys okay back there?" Jai called.
"Ketsu!" Sabine's voice sounded hoarse, her breathing heavy. "We need to rejoin the others. T-the medbay!"
Jai didn't answer, but the ship's speed picked up.
"I'm fine, really," Ketsu let her head fall back onto the wall. "Bic cuyir shi a agol shupur. Honestly, Sabine."
Its just a flesh wound.
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After ✔️
Fanfiction"I can't wait to come home." Sabine Wren knows that Ezra Bridger is counting on her to bring him back. With the help of Ahsoka Tano, that's what she's going to do. But she'll need a crew for one last desperate attempt at bringing him home. Jacen Syn...
