Bat Squadron: The Rise Of Darth TS

Chapter 25

1ABY
Utapau

Bat drops down a wall and tumbles down the side before he eventually smacks into the ground. He groans as he slowly stands up to his feet, grabbing his side. He grunts and groans as he continues limping around.

​"Bat." A mysterious voice calls to him.

He quickly turns around, grabbing his lightsaber off of his belt. He looks ahead toward a dark cave. He squints as he tries to see in without getting closer.

​"Wh-who's there?" He asks.

​"Bat. Come." The voice calls again.

​"Who are you?" Bat asks as he takes another step forward.

​"Your friend." The voice responds.

​"M-my friend?" Bat asks.

​"Come." The voice calls once more.

​"In the cave?" Bat asks.

He waits. No response.

​"What's in there?" He asks.

​"Only what you bring." The voice tells him.

Bat takes a few more steps forward, nearing the mouth of the cave and he ignites the purple blade of the lightsaber. He waves it around, trying to shine a path in front of him. The pitch black cave swallowed up the light with its darkness. Bat takes a few more steps, now entering the dark cave. He looks down at his feet and he could barely see him. A cold air filled the cave, causing Bat to shiver.

​"Wh-wh-who are you?" Bat asks.

He waited but still heard nothing. He just felt the cave get colder and colder.

​"I'm not alone...am I?" Bat asks.

Still no response. He was looking around. He felt the presence of someone in there with him. He knew it was dark. It wasn't the origin of the voice.

​"Bat." A darker and deeper voice calls out behind him.

Bat turns as he hears a scream and watches another purple lightsaber blade emerge from the darkness and lunge toward him.

​"Ian!" Bat screams as he ignites blocks his attack.

TS lets out a blood curdling scream as he slashes toward Bat repeatedly, with heavy attacks. Bat struggles to block the attacks as he's slowly pushed back. He grunts before he leaps back and deactivates his lightsaber, hiding in the darkness.

​"You can't hide forever brother!" TS screams and slashes the cave wall.

Bat's footsteps echoed around the empty cave as he was panting in his attempt to flee.

​"Why did you bring me here?" Bat asks as he looks around frantically.

​"Lord TS!" A trooper's voice echoes from TS's communicator.

​"Yes?" TS asks as he responds, deactivating his saber.

​"The rebel forces have deployed a few bombers in an attempt to stop our walkers! They've wiped out the forces attempting to flank and taken out a few of our main force. We've shot down most of them though. The bombers look like they're falling apart anyways. It won't be long before we take them down sir!" The trooper informs him.

​"Good. Good. Destroy those rebels and begin your main assault on the base. Push them back. Don't stop." TS orders the trooper.

​"Sir yes sir!" The trooper responds.

TS scowls under his helmet as he slowly continues to creep deeper and deeper into the cave.

​"You can only hide for so long. Didn't you learn that when Thrawn attacked? When he took your precious base? When he destroyed your fleet?" TS scoffs.

Bat takes a quiet but deep breath as he tried to calm himself down and keep from lashing out and giving away his position.

​"You were always the weaker brother. The more mentally unstable. I've of course already told you this haven't I? You know this, don't you?" TS taunts as he slowly walks deeper and deeper into the cave, dragging his lightsaber blade on the ground.

​He's right. Bat thought to himself.

​"Why do you continue to run and hide? When has that ever worked? It only delays the inevitable. You knew this day would come, you just didn't want to accept that." TS says coldly.

​No. No. He can't be right. Bat continues to think to himself.

​"You can't protect them forever, my brother. Your friends, your family...they are all going to die." TS taunts once more.

​No. No. Nonono. Don't listen to him. That's not true. Bat tries to remind himself.

​"...Fernanda." TS says smirking.

Bat perks up and listens more closely this time.
​"Rosalyn. Your loving wife and daughter who you care so deeply about, don't you?" TS asks and awaits a response but only receives silence.

Bat's grip tightens on his lightsaber as he can now barely see TS walk into view, weakly illuminated by the glow of his purple blade dragging behind him.

​"You can't protect them. You can't. They're going to die too. Everyone you care about is going to die. You couldn't protect your squad during the clone war. You couldn't protect K9. You couldn't protect Sixpac, or Redwolf, or Firestarter." TS tells him coldly, listing off the names of squad mates and brothers he was close with during the war so many years ago.

Bat scowls but continues to hold himself back.

​"You couldn't protect Slash...You couldn't protect me! You couldn't even protect...your own sons!" TS screams in anger.

Bat lunges forward in anger, igniting the lightsaber blade and slashes toward TS. He slashes him against the thigh before he quickly responds by pulling his blade up and clashing blades with Bat. Bat grunts as he and TS push each other back and forth.

​"I knew you'd break at some point. You always do. You're so predictable." TS tells him.

​"I'll kill you!" Bat screams before kicking TS in the knee and hitting him in the side of his helmet with his lightsaber blade, cracking his lens.

TS screams before he force pushes Bat backwards, into the wall, cracking it. Bat drops, grabbing his side after deactivating the lightsaber and runs deeper into cave.

​"That's what I thought! Just keep running! Run like you always do! And while you run, everything you care about will be destroyed! By me! Darth TS! You remember that name Bat! Remember that name! Let it haunt you at night!" TS screams after Bat.

Bat pauses in the middle of his run and glances back. He could dimly see TS's purple blade. He grits his teeth and tightens his grip on the lightsaber hilt. He lets out a slow sigh and continues to flee into the cave.