Child of Balance

Return to Lothal

    Ania hit one of the decks and rolled. In an instant, she was back on her feet. Several Trandoshan hunters whirled on her, blasters firing. She whipped her shoto up, blocking the blasts. Ania stretched a hand towards the hunters and their blasters flew out of their grips, crunching into scrap metal.

    Ezra appeared beside her, using her saber with ease. "I'm honestly impressed that I haven't forgotten," he called over his shoulder.

    "So am I."

    They broke into a sprint towards a few more hunters. The Trandoshans grabbed onto the deck guns, aiming them at Sabine and Kit, who were fighting on the level below. Ezra pushed a hand towards the gunners, forcing them away. Ania leaped and sliced her shoto through the guns.

    The Trandoshans hissed, brining up their blasters. Ezra deflected as she swung her white blade through the blaster barrels. Ezra sprinted forward and planted a kick in one of their chests. The Trandoshan screamed as he flipped over the deck railing and plummeted into the ocean below. Ania grabbed onto the second one and sent him flailing behind the first.

    "The trophy room is on the level above us," Ezra said, pointing.

    "Let's go, then." They backed towards the railing, then leaped up to the next level. It was devoid of Trandoshans. Ania glanced back down, where Sabine and Kit were holding their own against the hunters. Kit suddenly pulled himself onto one of the Trandoshan's backs. He used his weight to fling the hunter to the ground and quickly stunned him.

"He knows what he's doing," Ezra said, sounding vaguely surprised.

"He said he was trained by the best," she replied with a shrug. "Let's go."

They stepped inside the trophy room, lightsabers ready. Ania paused, a sense of dread creeping into her stomach. Taxidermied people of all kinds lined the walls. She resisted the urge to gag. "Ania," Ezra whispered. She glanced to where he was pointing.

There was a glass case sitting on a table. A clear gel like liquid filled the case. Inside of it was the head of Grand Admiral Thrawn. Ania swallowed hard, seeing his red eyes staring emptily out of the case.

"That's wrong on so many levels," she whispered back.

"That is my most prized kill!" A Trandoshan hissed, stepping out of his hiding spot.

"It was one of your last," Ania growled back. She readied her saber. Ezra moved closer to her, falling into position.

"Foolish Jedi!" The Trandoshan pressed a button on the seat next to him. A compartment slid open, revealing two lightsabers and three blasters. The Trandoshan grabbed one of the blasters and Ezra's lightsaber, igniting it. "A Togruta Jedi tried to stop this Hunt before but she failed! The same will be said of you!"

    He lunged at Ania. She blocked his blow and dodged as Ezra slammed his lightsaber against the Trandoshan's. The chief hissed, retaliating quickly. Ania's comm began beeping. She switched it on, ducking beneath another attack.

    "Get ready!" Ahsoka shouted. "We're inbound."

    Her eyes widened as she pressed the Trandoshan back. Who's we? The ship shuddered beneath them as a blast from outside made contact. The Trandoshan was caught of balance. Ezra's saber fell from his grip. He pulled it into his hand and tossed Ania hers.

    She snatched it out of the air, reversing it in her grip as the hunter struggled to his feet. "We need him alive for the New Republic," she shouted to Ezra. He nodded and charged at the chief.