The Forsaken Ones

Hard Truths

The weak orange and reddish tones that tinged the worn out sky marked the sunset of the world in eternal twilight. Two shadows moved fast among the ruins, blending with the darkness of the deserted alleys, leaving prints on the barren surface covered in ashes.

Kisai's wounded arm throbbed, thin lines of blood drained down it and soaked his shirt as the skin opened up again. Despite that, he didn't let go of the lightsaber. Instead, he gripped it more tightly, as if that sole action would protect them from the danger haunting. He felt sick. Of everything.

All in a sudden, there were shadows where they weren't supposed to be. And they moved, just as fast as they did.

"They do not seek to attack us. They are searching for our ship," Lyanna realized.

It made sense. Without the ship, there was no mean of escape. They would be trapped there, forever. It would be their doom. Kisai was sure that he was going to become insane if he were stuck in such a place.

"We know where it's landed. They don't. That's why they follow us," he added.

In the hurry, the ruins looked like a giant maze. After many twists and turns their eyes saw the distant silhouette of a vessel in the decreasing light. Both of them felt as if the air had been kicked out of their lungs, but they ran even faster. It was their only chance at escaping.

They could not fail.

Electric bolts danced at their feet. Lyanna fell to the ground when she tried to avoid one. The holocron flew out of her tunic and rolled in the soil. Her arms covered in ashes, still in the dirt, she pushed Kisai out of the way of a lethal shot aimed at them.

The purple light came to a halt mid air from reaching its target—or Lyanna's head—and floated in the air for a few seconds. The female Jedi didn't even had to move a finger to redirect the mortal blast to a large group of men, with so much force that it detonated a small explosion when in contact with the oily debris.

She stood up, wielding her weapon with grace.

Bolts rained on her, but sans a few minor abrasions, she deflected almost all of them.

In the middle of the fight, Kisai took possession of the artifact his Master had carried. The dark force it irradiated made his good arm feel heavy; and his mind, numb. But he wasn't going to let it go. If Lyanna had found it, it was important. That was everything he needed to know.

He didn't have to wait for Lyanna's orders. The Jedi Knight knew what he had to do. They worked together so many times in the past that their synergy was close to perfection.

If he managed to start the engine and fly the vessel—and of course he knew how to do it—Lyanna could board the ship and they would be gone forever in no time. It was easy, in theory; but easy things always came with a price.

A dreadful pain shot through him when he pulled down the lever of the ship, as if ten thousand needles pinned every inch of his body. The holocron touched the ground again.

From the ground, the world seemed bigger, and twisted. An unbearable weight pressed on his chest; the distant howling of beasts was the symphony of death and decay that escorted them all through the fading light. It welcomed the darkness. The night. The new time.

Baaz Kenzari stood before him, holding up a sparking spear with both hands; ready for the next strike. Kisai, despite his blurry vision, saw those same sparks on his fingertips.

"You aren't getting out of here. Your people abandoned us. We already had forgot, but The Ones helped us remember. And now, we will never forgive," the gleam in the young man's eyes was lunatic. He was out of his mind. "You won't tell your people about The Ones or their plan; you won't ruin their mission. I won't let you."