STAR WARS: Fugitive

Chapter 36

Chapter 36

“Bring them all here, now!” demanded Subtyr, just above a growl in a low voice. Lower than normal, he knew, but it hurt to speak normal, even sitting down.

He knew that Cupera was aware of his current painful circumstance, but that was not the worst of his problems. Oblivia stood out of view of the recorder. He felt a sharp pain near his lungs that made him wince every time a thought of double crossing her even crossed his mind, which she easily inflicted with the Force. He served as her puppet, powerless to defend himself – only for the moment, he swore to himself – and his survival depended on how well he performed her bidding.

He grasped for the dark side of the Force and began drawing upon his pain for energy. He would never again drop his guard before Oblivia, provided he managed to survive this round. The catalyst would complicate his success, but the distraction from the catalyst was warranted. Though he had not seen Durus’ vision, he was able to sense it in the Force, she doesn’t see the vision. If Oblivia chose to let Subtyr live, he would see to it that she would suffer for her oversight, catalyst or no catalyst.

Cupera’s holo-image winced at what he said. “Why don’t I just end this, once and for all?” she responded.

Oblivia pressed more of her will into him with the Force. “They have survived this long, and have been a drain on powerful resources. The Force is with them. I must see them destroyed myself!”

“I’ll bring their bodies.”

“You can only control them if you let them live!”

Cupera nodded slowly as she grudgingly accepted what he said. Subtyr knew that most of the sentiment originated from Oblivia’s influence over him to manipulate circumstances the way she wanted, but he could also sense that Oblivia still failed to grasp the reality in the Force of how deadly the catalyst was destined to be, and how close to the truth her sentiment really was. That will be your undoing, he thought

A long pause followed, and Cupera glared into his eyes. Finally she said, “I understand. I will bring them at once, my lord.”

Then a smile broke onto her face, “Oh, and do tell Lady Oblivia…” the holo-image vanished at a gesture from Oblivia. She stepped forward and lifted Subtyr with the Force from where he sat. She chuckled as she wrapped her arms around him in an embrace, supporting his weight with the Force as he was unable to even lift his arms.

“You may have some redeeming value after all, lover boy,” she said softly. “Let me show you something I learned from a Jedi Master before I cut him down,” she whispered, and then kissed him. As she did, Subtyr felt pain slowly begin to leave his body. She used the Force to heal the damage she had inflicted. His limbs gradually gained enough strength for him to return the embrace.

Oblivia released him and, moving her arms in a circular pattern broke free of Subtyr’s arms and stepped back.

She grinned and said to him, “I’m feeding the chaos that’s about to ensue. The Force is strong with us! I’ll meet you in Durus’ hanger.”

She left him where he stood and disappeared into the corridor. Subtyr inhaled deeply, and then reached his arm out and a lightsaber hilt floated toward him gradually. Throughout his life as a Sith, he ran through every discipline of lightsaber combat that he could learn, but eventually gave himself over to combat without the use of a lightsaber. He still typically fought with a straight hilt, but his favorite was a curved hilt. He loved the curved hilt because not only did he take to it like a natural, but it also always changed the rules of fighting for his opponents who typically were mores used to straight hilts, giving him a double advantage, which he needed now more than ever in his life.

The hilt reached his hand, and he levitated it up to his eye level, and then back down gently into his grip. He resisted the urge to ignite it and stowed it on his belt, and then left to follow Oblivia.

There’s no way I’m making the same mistake twice, thought Bli as he stepped in Cupera’s path. “You’re not taking them,” snarled Bli, “They’re mine!”

Cupera chuckled casually, “Don’t make me destroy you.” She walked up to him. “I have a Lord of the Sith to please, and you heard what he wants, and that is how things will go.”

“I found them fair and square; I’m taking them in!”

“I don’t know you! Twizz, darling, do please check your new hand before he loses his?” Her arms began to sparkle with tiny strips of lightning traveling toward her fingertips.

Twizz stayed perfectly still and switched to their internal comm circuit inside his helmet. “Bli, she’s likely to kill you, so let this one go unless you’re completely committed.”

“No,” he replied, “I’m all in on this one, and I’ll stand up to her alone if I have to.”

“We don’t roll that way, Bli; we’re a team. Switching back to public circuit.”

Twizz stepped toward her and aimed his wrist-mounted flame thrower.

“I wouldn’t,” He said evenly. “You won’t get us both!”

“Mmm! A Challenge…”

“No!” came Kym’s voice as she leveled her sniper rifle toward Cupera’s face. “Step aside!”

“Go ahead,” said Cupera softly with a smile. “This will be my pleasure.”

Cupera’s arms both shot out, one toward Bli and one toward Kym. Bli stumbled backward bouncing off of a pillar. Cupera caught Kym’s rifle blast in the palm of her hand, and a flick of her wrist made Kym lose her balance and drop her aim. Another twist of her wrist and a finger twitch made Kym’s gear begin to whine in a rising pitch. Kym immediately grabbed for her harness buckles for her gear knowing it was set for overload. Before she could release the first buckle, her body lifted into the air and then shot through a damaged viewport. Her body exploded in a blinding flash just as she fell out of sight.

Twizz jumped into the air and fired his jetpack while unleashing a thin stream of flames at Cupera. She waved her arms diverting most of the flames. But she managed to catch Twizz in mid air in a Force grip. Jerking her arm to the side, his body flew in that direction as if on command.

Bli had quickly recovered and charged her firing his blaster. He took care not to aim directly at her so as to try to confuse her without killing himself. She lit her lightsaber and picked off his shots long enough to extend her free hand, lift him in the air, and hurl him straight back into the wall. Just before he collided, Bli flipped in mid-air and landed lightly on his feet.

Cupera stretched out with her feelings. He doesn’t use the Force… wait…. She turned toward Thera, standing calmly near the Chiss woman wearing her energy cuffs, with her eyes closed.

Lightning began to flicker down her arms as Cupera shot a glance toward Twizz who also stood unharmed with his weapons aimed at her. She could take Twizz, even with his weapons selected carefully to fight Force adepts, and probably also best this new guy, too. But now the damaged-goods girl had joined the fight. Strategy dictated that she hold off until she learned more about this new threat – …catalyst… …huh… – to assure her upper hand.

Cupera allowed the lightning to slowly fizzle out. She slowly but gracefully stowed her lightsaber and folded her arms, looking around with scrutinizing eyes, her expression more calm but calculating now. She extinguished and gracefully stowed her lightsaber.

“She is my gift, but I will allow you to be my escort.”

“We’ll just take you both, along with that Neimoidian, as captives,” replied Bli.

“Huh,” she snorted and rolled her eyes, “whatever makes you feel good about it.”