The crowd screamed, and guests recoiled, some tripping over bodies in their panic. "I wanted to do this clean!" Collan shouted. "I wanted to do it quietly, but you animals pushed me too far!" He spun, facing the crowd, his dagger dripping. "Why should I care about my status? Why should I care what you think of me? Me!" He threw his head back, his laugh echoing. "I will be a god!"
Jaden felt the Force scream, a piercing alarm that shook his bones. He ignited his green lightsaber, its hum filling the air. Anakin's blue saber flared beside him, and Zule and Aubrie ignited theirs, purple and blue blades glowing. The crowd backed away, their faces pale, but Collan laughed louder, completely unfazed. "I'm done playing games!" Collan shouted, his laughter unhinged, as Jaden, Anakin, Zule, and Aubrie rushed him.
*Bzzzzzt*
Suddenly the speakers flared to life in the atrium. "Jaden! Stay away from him!" Velea's voice screamed through the room's speakers, frantic and shrill. "He has an artifact that lets him stop—" Her words cut off as Collan's hand twitched.
The room became silent as everything came to a standstill. Guests stood mid-scream, their faces locked in terror. Anakin's saber halted mid-swing, Zule's charge stopped, Aubrie's blade hung in the air, and Jaden's sprint froze, his eyes wide. Collan moved, while everyone remained still he alone moved, still carrying the dagger in his hand. He approached Jaden with a twisted smile on his face, and raised the dagger. He plunged it into Jaden's throat, the blade sinking deep. Blood poured, and Collan yanked the Holocron from Jaden's frozen hand, clutching it tightly. He stepped back, feeling the Fermata Cage pulse, its power fluctuating. Time resumed with a shudder.
"Time."
Jaden gasped, blood gushing from his throat, and collapsed, the Holocron gone. Everyone felt a wave of nausea pass over them as time returned to normal; the Jedi in the room could sense something was wrong, though it was Aubrie who first saw Jaden clutching at the dagger in his neck. "JADEN!!!" She screamed, a cold terror grasping her heart as she saw the man she loved in mortal danger. She dropped her lightsaber and dove to the ground putting his her on her thighs as she tried to assess the damage. Zule quickly joined her after trying to comfort Jaden and staunch the bleeding anyway she could.
Anakin felt his anger grow as he saw Jaden on the floor with Collans dagger in his throat, he then looked up and saw the man with a manic expression in his face as he held a Holocron like it was his lover. Anakin roared and charged him, his lightsaber held high as he aimed for an overhead strike. However before he could even bring his saber down, Collan disappeared from where he was standing.
He was now behind Anakin. "So predictable," he said before firing a blaster into his back. Anakin yelled out in pain before he fell to the ground, Sabe screamed as she rushed towards him, but was stopped when Collan fired at her. Luckily for her he missed, but it made her fall onto the ground. Collan walked towards her slowly with his blaster raised, he wouldn't miss this time.
However before he could fire, Padmè stepped in front of Sabe. "I won't let you kill her," she said coldly.
Collan looked at her for a moment before simply laughing. "I do not care about a lowly handmaiden..." he said as he lowered his blaster pistol. "You however..." he said as he raised it again.
"You will come with me, I have plans for you... come with me and I won't kill your handmaiden," he said with a disgusting smile etched into his face.
Padmè stood there for a moment thinking of the offer. "Padmè you can't!" Sabe said as she gripped the hem of her dress. "Leave me, you can't let him take you!" She begged.
"I'll go with you," Padmè said as let him grab her by the arm.
Collan chuckled as he lead her out of the room he took one more look at Jaden as blood filled his throat and he slowly twitched. He kept his blaster on Padmè's back as they left the room and he led her to the hanger bay.
A cold terror seized Aubries heart as she sat there cradling Jaden, her hands trembling as they pressed against the wound. Blood coated her fingers, warm and slick, pooling on her thighs, staining her gown red. "Jaden, no, please!" she said, her voice breaking, panic overwhelming her as his eyes fluttered, his breaths shallow.
Zule knelt beside her, her arm steadying Jaden's shoulder. "What do we do?" she asked urgently. "Aubrie, he's bleeding out! Tell me what to do!"
Aubrie didn't answer, her eyes fixed on Jaden, his face pale, blood bubbling from his lips. Her hands shook, unable to move, her mind frozen with fear. Zule grabbed her shoulder and slapped her cheek. "Snap out of it!" Zule shouted. "He's dying, Aubrie! What do we do? We need to act now!"
Aubrie blinked, the slap pulling her back. "Yes... you're right, yes," she said, forcing herself to breathe. She composed herself, her healer's training kicking in. "We need to remove the dagger. If we don't, he'll choke on his own blood. I'll heal him once it's out."
Zule nodded, her face grim. "Can you do it?" she asked.
"No," Aubrie said a little more composed now. "You pull it, Zule. I'll start healing the second it's out."
Zule gripped the dagger's hilt, her prosthetic hand getting a firm grip on it. "On three," she said. "One, two, three!" She yanked the blade free, blood spurting from the wound. Aubrie pressed her hands over Jaden's throat, closing her eyes, and reached out with the Force. A faint glow spread from her palms, knitting torn flesh and sealing blood vessels. The wound was deep, and Aubrie's strength faltered—she wasn't as strong in the Force as Jaden. Sweat beaded on her forehead, her breath grew ragged, and her arms trembled. She pushed harder, pouring everything into the healing, but exhaustion clawed at her. Her vision blurred, and she swayed, nearly collapsing, but the glow held, and Jaden's bleeding slowed, then stopped.
Jaden coughed, a wet, choking sound, and opened his eyes. Aubrie gasped, tears streaming down her face, and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Don't ever scare me like that again!" she said, her voice muffled against his shoulder. Zule joined the hug. "Never again, you hear me?" she said.
Jaden coughed again, struggling to sit up, his throat raw. "I'm... okay," he said, his voice hoarse. His gaze shifted to Anakin, who lay nearby, struggling to move, a blaster burn on his back. Sabe knelt beside him, crying, her hands clutching his. Jaden pushed himself up, wincing, and staggered to Anakin's side. He knelt, placed his hands over the wound, and channeled the Force again. A soft light spread, sealing the burn, easing Anakin's pain. Anakin's breathing steadied, and he sat up, grimacing.
Sabe threw her arms around Jaden, tears in her eyes. "Thank you," she said, her voice breaking. She turned to Anakin, hugging him tightly, her face buried in his chest. "Don't you dare leave me," she whispered. Anakin hugged her back but then pushed her away slightly as the room was still full of people.
Jaden stood, but his legs buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, exhausted. "What the hell was that?" Anakin said, his voice rough, helping Jaden sit up. "How did Collan do that? One second he was there, the next he's behind me, shooting."
Zule frowned. "It was like he moved faster than we could see," she said. "I didn't even sense him move."
Aubrie shook her head, her hands still bloodied. "It wasn't just speed," she said. "The Force felt... wrong, like it twisted when he moved."
Anakin clenched his fists. "He's got some kind of trick," he said.
Jaden, leaning against Zule, caught his breath, his mind racing. He'd heard Velea's warning through the speakers—Collan could stop time. It clicked, the pieces falling into place. 'That's how he attacked Padmé at the pre-trial,' Jaden thought to himself. "No one saw him because he stopped time. He's got an artifact, something powerful enough to do it."
Zule's eyes widened. "An artifact?" she said. "Like what?"
"I don't know," Jaden said, his voice grim. "But it's why he just kicked our asses."
Before they could say more, the ship's alarms blared, red lights flashing overhead. A robotic voice echoed through the room. "Alert: Engine core critical. Evacuate the ship immediately. All personnel, proceed to escape pods."
Jaden's eyes narrowed, and he pushed himself to his feet, anger surging. "Collan," he said, his voice hard. "He's doing this. He's trying to escape with Padmé and the Holocron."
___________________________
Velea scanned the terminal's options, her heart racing. She found an intercom link to the One of a Kind room. "Got it!" she said, hacking the access code, her kit bypassing the security in seconds. She activated the intercom and shouted, "Jaden, stay away from him! He can stop time!" Before she could finish, the camera feed showed Collan stabbing Jaden in the throat, blood gushing as he collapsed.
Velea gasped, her hand flying to her mouth, tears filling her eyes. "No," she whispered, her voice breaking. The door exploded inward, crates flying, and three K9 droids marched in, their red eyes locking onto Velea and Vaylin. "Intruders," they said in unison, raising their blasters, surrounding them as Velea clutched her terminal, frozen in horror.
Vaylin moved back until she bumped into Velea. "What do we do!" She said with fear in her voice. They were surrounded with no way out, they were going to die. Velea's eyes stayed glued to the terminal's screen, where Jaden had collapsed, blood pouring from his throat. Her heart shattered, and tears streamed down her face. She thought he was dead, and in that moment, she didn't care if the K9 droids killed her too. She was ready to join him. "Velea!" Vaylin shouted, grabbing her arm, pulling her back to reality.
The three K9 droids raised their blasters, ready to fire. "Intruders," they said, their voices cold and mechanical. Before they could shoot, several metal spheres rolled into the room and exploded in bursts of electricity. The droids sparked and collapsed, their circuits fried. Vaylin threw herself over Velea, shielding her, and Velea was blown forward, hitting the ground hard, pain flaring in her broken ribs. A few seconds passed, and footsteps echoed. A figure in Mandalorian armor walked in, her blaster rifle raised, her helmet glinting under the dim lights.
Vaylin scrambled up, panic in her voice, and grabbed Velea's blaster pistol from her belt. She aimed at the Mandalorian, but the warrior shot the weapon out of her hand, the bolt sizzling. "Calm down," the Mandalorian said, stepping over the droid wreckage. "I'm not here for you."
"What do you want?" Vaylin asked, her voice stuttering with fear.
"Move," the Mandalorian said, pushing toward the console. Vaylin stepped aside, but Velea stayed put, her eyes back on the screen. She saw Aubrie kneel beside Jaden, her hands glowing as she healed him. Jaden sat up, alive, and relief flooded Velea, her tears turning to a shaky smile, her chest loosening for the first time in minutes. The Mandalorian shoved her aside, and Velea hit the ground, pain shooting through her ribs. She got up, shouting, "What are you doing?"
The Mandalorian ignored her and started typing on the console. Velea rushed to stop her, but the Mandalorian stepped back, grabbed her arm, and threw her across the room. Velea slammed into the wall, grunting, and tried again, but Vaylin held her back. "Stop it!" Vaylin said, pulling Velea away from the armored warrior.
"What the hell are you doing?" Velea shouted, her mind clearing as the shock of Jaden's survival settled. She remembered reading the incident report of the attack on Jaden and Padmè outside the temple, it was Mandalorian who had attacked Jaden when he first arrived on Coruscant. "You're the Mandalorian Collan Eislo hired to kill Jaden, aren't you?" she said, her voice dripping with venom.
The Mandalorian turned, her helmet facing Velea. "I don't work for that slime anymore," she said, her voice growling through the modulator. "He's a disease, one I let fester for my people's sake, but I learned too late that letting him live would doom them."
"What are you talking about?" Velea asked, stepping closer despite the pain in her ribs.
"Collan is a threat," the Mandalorian said. "One I plan to purge. I've launched all the escape pods, and now I'm causing a feedback loop in the plasma nacelles. The engine will go critical soon, and the ship will explode, taking Collan with it."
"You'll kill thousands of innocent people!" Vaylin cried out, her hands shaking as she stood beside Velea.
The Mandalorian chuckled, a low, bitter sound. "This ship is full of businessmen, politicians, and mercenaries. No one here is innocent. I'm doing the galaxy a favor." She finished setting the feedback loop, pulled out a blaster, and shot the console. Sparks flew, and the screen went dark, circuits melting into slag.
"Stay or escape, I don't care," the Mandalorian said, walking out, her boots clanging on the metal floor.
Velea lunged after her, but Vaylin held her back, gripping her arm tightly. "Are you crazy?" Vaylin said, fear still etched into her boice. Velea glared as the Mandalorian disappeared down the corridor, then ran to the console. It sparked, completely fried, its wires a tangled mess. Vaylin leaned over, her breath uneven. "Can you fix it?" she asked hopefully.
Velea tried, yanking out wires and checking connections, but the damage was too severe. She slammed her fist against it, cursing loudly. "It's gone," she said, her voice shaking with frustration. "There's nothing left to work with."
"What are we going to do?" Vaylin asked, her voice rising in panic, her hands clutching her vibroblade.
Velea didn't know. She stood still, her mind racing, trying to find a solution, her ribs throbbing with every breath. The ship's alarms blared, red lights flashing overhead, cutting through her thoughts. A robotic voice echoed through the corridors. "Alert: Engine core critical. Evacuate the ship immediately." The words sent a chill down her spine, and made her panic more.
Vaylin kept asking, her voice frantic. "What do we do? How do we get out? Velea, say something!" she said, grabbing Velea's arm, shaking her.
"Shut up!" Velea shouted, turning on her. "I can't think with you yelling!" Vaylin fell silent, stepping back, and Velea paced, her hands pressed to her head, trying to block out the alarms.
The blaring continued, and Velea's panic surged. Eventually she screamed, bashing her forehead against the wall, blood trickling down her face from the gash. Vaylin gasped as Velea stumbled, wobbling, her eyes unfocused for a moment. Then Velea giggled, shaking her head, blood dripping onto her chin. "That's better," she said, her voice oddly calm. She pulled out her datapad, opened the ship's blueprints, and scrolled to the engine schematics, her finger tracing the plasma nacelles and coolant systems. She muttered. "No, that won't work, too much pressure in the conduits," she said, laughing softly. "But if I reroute the coolant through the secondary relays... no, too slow. Wait, the auxiliary plasma vents!" She corrected herself, her eyes darting, and laughed again, muttering, "Stupid, Velea, think!" Vaylin watched, her face pale, as Velea's muttering made her seem half-mad.
"YES!" Velea shouted, rushing to the terminal. She tore off the panel beneath it, exposing a mess of wires and circuits. She yanked out her broken communicator, and spliced it into the terminal's data bus. Her fingers moved fast, rewiring the power cell to bypass the fried relays, using a microfilament shunt to boost the signal. She rerouted the antenna's gain through an auxiliary pathway, her hands steady despite the blood on her face. The communicator flickered, then hummed to life, its signal strong.
She tapped it, shouting, "Jaden, are you there?"
"Velea!" Jaden's voice crackled through, relief flooding his words. "Are you okay?"
"Me?" Velea shouted. "What about you? Are you okay? Tell me everything's okay!"
"I'm fine," Jaden said. "Collan took Padmé and is trying to escape. I'm going after them now."
"Jaden, wait!" Velea said urgently. "You heard the announcement, right? The ship's going to blow, but I have a plan. I can stop it, but I need you, Jaden. I can't do it alone, and only you have the same knowledge and skill with engines."
"Get Scout to do it," Jaden said. "She's—"
"A splicing genius, decent at tech, but she can't do this," Velea interrupted. "We need to be in sync, or it won't work!"
Jaden stood staring down the corridor where Collan had fled with Padmé. Velea's voice came through an open channel, and everyone—Anakin, Aubrie, Zule, Sabe—heard her plea. Jaden's anger burned, fresh from Collan's attack, the scar on his throat still raw. Collan had nearly killed him, caused countless deaths, and now held Padmé and the Holocron. Jaden stepped forward, his lightsaber in hand, but Aubrie and Zule grabbed his arms, stopping him.
"Jaden, everyone on this ship will die if you don't help Velea," Aubrie said pleadingly.
"I can't let him get away!" Jaden shouted, his voice shaking with rage. "He's too dangerous to be left alive!"
Aubrie cupped his face, her hands gentle. "Jaden, you have to choose right now," she said. "Revenge or the lives of everyone on this ship."
Jaden's fists clenched, his heart torn. Collan's crimes were numerous and letting him escape made him angry, but the thought of losing Velea, Aubrie, Zule, and countless others weighed heavier. He exhaled, his resolve hardening, and tapped his comm. "Velea, where do I need to go?" he asked, his voice calm.
"Engine room," Velea said. "I'll meet you there."
"Alright," Jaden said, nodding firmly.
Anakin stepped forward, picking up a mercenary's blaster. "Don't worry," he said. "I'll go after Eislo. He won't get away with Padmé."
"Thanks, Anakin," Jaden said, gratitude in his voice. "Be careful."
Anakin checked the blaster, a grim smile forming. "I will," he said. "I don't need to get close this time."
Jaden turned to Aubrie and Zule, his eyes serious. "Lead everyone here to the escape pods," he said. "Get them out safely."
Aubrie hesitated, her hand lingering on his arm. "I don't want to leave you," she said. Zule nodded. "Me neither," she added.
"You said it yourself, Aubrie," Jaden said as he touched her face. "These people need you. Go."
Aubrie's eyes glistened, but she nodded. Jaden kissed her gently, then kissed Zule, both of them melting into him. "Contact Scout," he said. "Get her down here to help with the evacuation." He turned and ran toward the engine room.
He ran through the shaking corridors, the ship's alarms blaring, red lights flashing overhead. He stumbled as the floor lurched, nearly falling, but caught himself on a wall. He reached the turbolift and scanned his Level 5 pass, the doors hissing open. He stepped inside and pressed the button for main engineering. The lift started moving, but halfway down, it jolted and stopped. Jaden cursed loudly, slamming his fist against the panel. A robotic voice repeated, "Warning: Turbolift hydraulic subsystem failure. Emergency lockdown engaged." The warning looped, the voice stuttering as the lift crept downward, then sputtered out, lights flickering.
Jaden pried open the control panel, wires sparking, and hesitated for a moment. He triggered the emergency drop, and the lift plummeted. The force slammed him upward, his back hitting the ceiling hard, pain shooting through him. He cursed again, reaching out with the Force, and flipped the override switch. The lift screeched to a stop, and Jaden crashed to the floor, grunting in pain. He got up, wincing, and forced the doors open with his hands, stepping into main engineering.
The engine room was empty, a ghost town of abandoned stations. The engine core roared, a deep, unstable hum, and plasma fires burned across consoles and pipes, small explosions popping. Jaden looked at the core, its glow pulsing erratically, warning lights flashing red.
"Jaden!" Velea said, crawling out of a vent across the room.
"Velea!" Jaden said, running to her. He hugged her tightly, then kissed her, their lips meeting passionately despite the minor explosions around them. Sparks flew from a nearby console, but they held each other, lost in the moment, until a voice interrupted.
"Guys, the ship?!" Vaylin said, climbing out of the vent behind Velea.
Velea pulled away, giggling. "Sorry," she said, her cheeks flushed.
Jaden smiled, his heart lifting at seeing Velea alive. He touched her arm and said, "What's the plan?"
Velea nodded, her face serious. "Below main engineering is the engine core," she said. "We bypass the plasma regulators by rerouting the control systems through auxiliary conduits in the engineering bay. This lets us open internal venting channels not normally accessible in active status. Then we initiate a synchronous magnetic suppression loop in the plasma modulation chamber, using two synced magnetic field emitters placed at either end of the chamber. We need to sync them both within seconds of each other, or it won't work. The emitters will create a stabilizing force to collapse the feedback loop and allow the plasma to drain harmlessly into the radiation catch tanks."
Jaden understood immediately and said, "We'll need to prime the engine for a reset and purge the fuel before we start, or the loop won't hold."
Velea smirked and said, "You're not just a pretty face, are you?" She kissed him again, and said, "Let's get to work."
Vaylin stopped them before they moved. She said, "I believe in you, but just in case, I want to talk to someone before we die. Can I borrow a communicator?"
Jaden handed her his communicator and smiled. He said, "Don't worry, Vaylin. Also It's good to see you again." He and Velea left, heading to the main engine room, then descended a ladder into the chamber outside the core room, carrying the emitters.
Vaylin held the communicator and contacted Palpatine. She said, "Chancellor, it's me." Her voice was sad, and she continued, "I miss you... and... I'm sorry I didn't live up to your expectations."
Palpatine replied with three words: "Awaken, Daughter, Tenebra."
Vaylin's face changed, her eyes hardening. She dropped the communicator and crushed it under her boot. She reached into her boots, pulled out two hidden lightsabers, and gripped them tightly, her posture shifting.
Meanwhile Jaden and Velea worked in the chamber, setting up the magnetic field emitters, the engine core roaring louder, small explosions bursting around them, pipes hissing plasma. Velea shouted, "Jaden!"
"What?" Jaden shouted back, securing his emitter.
"I'm having fun!" Velea shouted, grinning.
"What?!" Jaden said, confused. "In a situation like this?"
"I'm with you, I'm about to save an entire ship of people, after just completing a partially successful heist," Velea said, giggling. "I've never felt so alive before!"
"Do you think we'll have these kinds of adventures in the Unknown Regions?" she asked, adjusting her emitter.
"Hopefully ones with less danger," Jaden replied, making her laugh.
"Jaden, I love you!" Velea shouted, her smile huge.
Jaden opened his mouth to reply, but a pipe exploded near him, forcing him to duck. "We need to get these done now!" he shouted, avoiding the sparks.
"I've almost set mine up!" Velea replied, tweaking the emitter's controls.
"Me too, let me know when you're ready!" Jaden shouted, checking his device.
However before they could continue Vaylin dropped into the chamber, landing loudly. Velea saw this and frowned, she shouted, "Vaylin, go back up! It's not safe down here!"
Jaden saw this as well and shouted, "Get out of here, Vaylin!" But she didn't respond and kept walking toward him.
Jaden felt a warning through the Force one almost as bad as what he had gotten with Collan. He noticed Vaylin's eyes were no longer blue but yellow, glowing with malice. He stood straight, stepping back from the emitter. "Vaylin?" he said cautiously.
"You thought you killed me?" Vaylin said, a sickly smile spreading across her face. "You thought throwing me down that chasm ended me?"
"No..." Jaden said, as he came to a sickening realisation. "It can't be... it can't be you!"
"You don't know the power of the dark side," Vaylin said, her voice dripping with venom.
"I hope you're ready, Jaden," she said, igniting both red lightsabers with a snap-hiss. "I won't be playing around this time."
Jaden ignited his green lightsaber, and braced for her attack. Vaylin was one of the sweetest most innocent people he had ever met, how could she also be a Sith Lord that had been hunting him down for months. "Vaylin! This can't be you," he said, his mind refusing to accept the reality of what he saw.
*BOOM*
A large explosion tore through the corridor beside them sending Jaden rocking. It was at this moment that Vaylin chose to strike, she screamed and jumped forward with both lightsabers outstretched as she sliced them inwards, intent on bisecting him. Jaden flipped backwards on one hand before leaning back and avoiding the subsequent swipe that Vaylin tried to deliver. She thrust her lightsaber forward and Jaden parried it off to the side, but her next one was already aiming for his neck and he had to duck.
Vaylin pushed him back more and more with fast and powerful strikes—much more so than she had in the black market in the undercity. Jaden parried and avoided them the best he could, but it seemed her skill with a lightsaber far outstretched his own—even more than he thought. "What's wrong Jaden!" Vaylin screamed as she slashed his lightsaber away with one blade and attacked with another forced Jaden to jump backwards onto a higher platform, she followed, jumping into a somersault that ended in a kick that she delivered right into Jadens chest sending him crashing back into the wall.
Meanwhile Velea stood helplessly down by the core, unable to enact her plan and unable to help Jaden. "Scout? Aubrie? Zule? We need you! Jadens being attacked by Vaylin! We need help! Come in!" She screamed desperately as more explosions racked the engine core.
"Velea! *Bzzzzzt* come *Bzzzzzzt* help." Velea heard through the comms, though she couldn't make out who was talking. Velea figured that the radiation build up from the excess plasma was having an effect on communications. She could only hope that whoever had heard her understood they needed help and come quickly. Velea winced as she saw Vaylin kick Jaden from the upper platform where he then landed roughly below and only barely avoided her landing and impaling him with both lightsabers.
'Jaden please be okay!' She pleaded internally. Reluctantly she turned her attention back to the plan; she had to otherwise they would all be dead. Without Jaden Plan A was shot, she had to figure out a Plan B and try to do something on her own. With a heavy heart she knelt down and got to work and tried to ignore the ache in her heart at Jaden being on the edge of life and death just behind her.
Jaden spun around Vaylins flipping his lightsaber behind him and deflecting her blade before be brought to back and slashed it diagonally, Vaylin avoided it, but Jaden moved into a pivot and delivered a force enhanced sidekick right to her waist which sent her crashing into the control panel. She growled and jumped off throwing a lightsaber at him, one he deflected though it caught him off hard when she through her hand forward sending a powerful wave at him which sent him flying backwards and skidding off the ground; before he could crash into anything he was stopped and then dragged back towards Vaylin who was also holding her second lightsaber with the force and dragging Jaden into it.
Jaden tried hard to break her hold over him but it was difficult, she was powerful and much better trained than he was. Channeling as much power as he could he forced it outwards repelling her back though it only made her skid back slightly and her second lightsaber promptly flew into her hand. "You are weak," she said before spitting on the ground. She then lunged forward slashing both lightsabers down. Jaden held his own green lightsaber horizontally clashing with her. Spark flew from their blades as both pushed against each other. "Vaylin... please stop, we're all going to die if we don't fix the engine," Jaden pleaded.
"Then I will have fulfilled my masters will," Vaylin replied with a manic smile on her face before she pushed her lightsabers up opening him up she then spun and kicked him sending him tumbling back before she reversed her lightsabers grip and stabbed at him.
"AHHHHH!" Jaden yelled as two lightsabers impaled him in the stomach. Vaylin drew them out before going to end it, but Jaden managed to throw himself back only to be caught in the force as Vaylin started to choke him. Jaden felt his airways restrict and a slow crushing force surround his neck, he looked down at Vaylins face, the once blue eyes and innocent smile had turned into something he didn't even recognise. The weeks he'd spent in Padmè's apartment, the weeks he'd spent with her, she had even comforted him when he'd discovered the void brand.
It was all a lie.
Jaden found his anger growing even more, pushing against its cages. Ever since Jaden had removed the void brand he had experienced joy, lust, passion, a whole range of emotions. Right now he was feeling true anger, anger that wasn't dulled by the void brand, anger that wouldn't melt away within a few hours.
Gripping onto the force that flowed through him like a lake, he stopped it moving until it stood still. He let the anger fuel him, he let the power flood his body. Jadens eyes soon flashed yellow and he started to roar as he pushed back against Vaylin who struggled a lot more until finally he broke out of her grip and slammed her back into the core. Using the pain he felt from his wounds he jumped forward at a speed he'd never felt before and stabbed at Vaylin. She flipped out of the way, but Jaden followed. He reached out with the force dragged her back across the ground; she quickly broke out of it and slashed at him with a single lightsaber.
Jaden roared as he swiped his own to the left with such power it almost disarmed her, she used the momentum to try and slide him from shoulder to waist with her other lightsaber, but Jaden stepped inside her guard and shoulder checked her before grabbing her neck and letting a force wave emit from it, which sent Vaylin flying back into the wall.
She yelled out in pain and looked at Jaden murderously. "The darkside is not your ally, it will not save you," she hissed. She then leaped forward screaming as she slashed down, Jaden deflected both blades and began slashing at her again and again pushing her backwards, she tried to slip to his right but he pivoted to her left and kicked her knee before smashing his hilt in her face then aiming to behead her. She blocked his lightsaber with a cross guard, one he pushed against, till the point she was on her knees.
"You were my friend..." Jaden hissed.
He then slashed down at her with an overhead strike.
Again
And again
And again.
"You traitor!!!" He screamed as he broke her guard and went to kill her only to be shot with a torrent of lightning from her which sent him skidding backwards as he grunted in pain.
"DIE!" Vaylin screamed as she sent as much power through her hands as she could, to the point where her hands were starting to blacken.
Jaden grimaced in pain however his eyes opened and he glared back at Vaylin before he started actively using Tutaminis to absorb the lightning into his body before he raised his hands and shot it back. Vaylin caught off guard was pushed back but soon got her footing and managed not to be overwhelmed. The area around them started to break apart and burn as their clash of power started to grow.
Velea could only watch helplessly as it happened, though her mind was still occupied with trying to save the ship. "Come on! Come on! Think!" She said before she tried to link both devices so she could control them only for it to fail. She then rushed over to the control panel and try to fix the automatic setting that would allow them to vent plasma, but like she thought that option had been taken away by that damn Mandolorian. She had somehow tied all the admin controls into that one maintenance panel and then destroyed it. "Kriff!!!" She shouted as she hit the control panel. Velea then looked up at the engine core, there was only one option left.
"Velea!" She heard someone shout from behind her. Velea turned to see Aubrie and Zule rush towards her. Before they could even get a word in Velea quickly grabbed them. "You need to help Jaden! He's lost himself! He needs you!" She said quickly and in a panic.
"What about the engine!" Zule shouted over the sound explosions.
"Don't worry... I know what I have to do," Velea said to them. Both Aubrie and Zule nodded at her, they trusted Velea knew what she was doing. However before they could leave to help Jaden she grabbed both their arms. "Look after him... he needs you more than he'll ever admit." She said to them with a small smile on her face.
"Always," they both said at the same time. Veleas smile brightened and she let them go. "Go save our pain in the ass," she said. Zule and Aubrie both ignited their lightsabers and rushed into the fight.
When they left Velea slapped her cheeks "Okay girl, you can do this," she said to herself. Velea moved to the terminal once more and set up the manual activation sequence for the plasma exhaust override.
*Warning: Plasma Exhaust Override requires—*
"Yeah yeah, computer bitch I got it," Velea said as she turned the insufferable woman off; she'd been getting nothing but bad news from her lately. Velea started the sequence and watched as the chamber in front of her started flashing blue behind the transparisteel it lay behind. She then quickly moved over to a hatch that led into the inner chamber, her hand hovered over the button that opened the door.
She was shaking.
Velea laughed. "I guess... I don't want to... heh..." she said looking down at her shaking hand before tightening it and punching the button opening the door. The moment she did she was hit with an unbearable heat, she quickly got inside and shut the door behind her; immediately in front of her was another hatch that led from the threshold into the inner chamber actual. She pressed the other button and was hit with an even more intense heat.
As she walked inside the chamber she looked at the exposed core and couldn't help but smile. Behind the transparisteel a lot of the colours were muted. 'This is beautiful,' she thought to herself as she made her way to the plasma exhaust valve. She had to navigate over some very treacherous terrain as many live wires and open circuits were in the inner chamber. She quickly ducked as two rods started sparking electricity between them. While she was on her knees she felt her stomach turn and she threw up, she felt her stomach clench in pain but she pushed herself to keep moving and grabbed a cable and swung across a plasma junction to get to the valve.
"I made it..." she said a little deliriously, before putting her hands on the valve, her hand burned as soon as she made contact and she quickly drew it back, even with the stealth suit she could feel it on her hands. She looked at her hands and then at the core which was becoming increasingly unstable. She steeled herself and put her hands back on the valve. "AGHHH!!!" She screamed as her hands started to sizzle. She grit her teeth and turned the valve activating the manual sequence. She fell backwards on her ass after she was done and threw up once again, her gaze turned to the core where she saw the plasma being funnelled through in different directions.
It had worked.
Velea smiled as she pushed herself up and started making her way back to the hatch.
...
Jaden and Vaylin were still in a struggle, as Jaden who was now generating his own lightning clashed with Vaylins. The Sith Lord screamed as she channeled the frustration of Jaden overpowering her into more power. Jaden who was overwhelmed by anger, could still think rationally enough to know when he was about to be beaten. In a extremely dangerous manoeuvre Jaden increased the rate and intensity of the Tutaminis and sucked in everything Vaylin generated in only a few seconds only for him to release it back out in a shockwave that destroyed everything in a twenty metre radius and sent Vaylin through multiple walls.
Jaden then reached out and dragged Vaylin back with the force. The girls head was bleeding and she looked to be unconscious, but that didn't matter to Jaden who had his lightsaber ignited and ready to strike the Sith Lord down.
"Jaden wait!" He heard a voice say from behind him, but it didn't stop him. He continued to raise his lightsaber, however before he could raise it and kill his enemy a hand gripped his and stopped it, and another wrapped around him in what must've been an attack from behind. He dropped the lightsaber and caught it with his other hand, he then reversed the grip on his hand and through the person way from him before letting out a small shockwave to force whoever attacked him from the back. He then turned around and gripped both of them by their throats with the force.
"Jaden..." Aubrie croaked as she was being choked to death.
"It's us..." Zule said as her leg kicked out trying to find any footing.
"We are here for you..." Aubrie said, seemingly uncaring of what he was currently doing to them.
Those words seemed to break through to him—in his haze of anger—and his eyes flickered before he looked up. "Zule? Aubrie?" He said questioningly before he looked down at himself, realising what he was doing and letting them go. "I'm sorry I didn't—" he tried to say but was stopped when Aubrie and Zule hugged him tightly.
"It's okay Jaden, we're here," Aubrie said as she stroked his back. Jaden hugged them tightly, but their union was soon brought to an end by an alarm a different on this time.
*Plasma Ejection Underway*
Jaden looked at the core and saw the excess power being vented. "What happened? how did you fix it?" He asked as his gaze turned back to Aubrie and Zule.
"It wasn't us," Zule replied.
"Velea said she knew what to do and told us to focus on helping you," Aubrie added.
Jaden frowned "But she couldn't have done it on her own... not unless... No!" He shouted before rushing over to the core.
"Jaden is hats wrong!" Aubrie said as she followed him.
"Velea!!!" He shouted desperately hoping to see her somewhere.
"Jaden is what's happening!" Aubrie said again.
"VELEA!!!" He shouted again, as if his very scream could summon her. Yet she was not there.
*Knock*
*Knock*
"No... no no no," Jaden said as he put his hands to his head. He couldn't turn around, even though he knew the truth, even though he knew exactly what he would see when he turned around.
"Velea!" Aubrie/Zule shouted as they rushed over to the hatch that led to the inner chamber.
"Hold on Velea we will get you out!" Zule said.
"Jaden come here quickly, we need your help," Aubrie said.
"Jaden I can't get the door open," Zule added as she used her prosthetic hand to try and force it.
Jaden finally turned around, only to see Velea leaning against the transparisteel hatch that led to the inside of the engine core. He walked slowly towards the hatch ignoring Aubrie and Zule, even pushing them away as soon as he got there.
Velea was panting heavily looked at Jaden as he arrived and smiled.
"Hey," she said as she slowly pushed herself further up the glass.
"H-Hey," Jaden replied, his voice cracking as he spoke, tears threatening to pour down his face.
Velea coughed again her head bowing down letting Jaden see the numerous burns that were appearing across her skin. Tears started falling down his cheeks as he watched her.
When she looked up at him she smiled. "Don't give me that look... I much prefer it when you smile," she said in a low voice.
After a moment she spoke again. "Did I do it? Did I save the ship?" She asked.
"You did... even if it was foolish and reckless and downright idiotic," he said his voice full of emotion.
"Sounds just like my style," she said with a small laugh before coughing again.
"Jaden?!" Aubrie said as she grabbed his shoulder. "We should probably let her out now."
"Yeah, come on and help me!" Zule said as she continued to try and pry the door open she even got her lightsaber out, but the thickness of the hatch made it so burning through was a slow process.
"You girls..." Velea said looking at Aubrie and Zule. "You're truly greatest friends I-I could've e-ever hoped to have..." she said her voice stuttering slightly.
Aubrie frowned. "What do you mean? Why are you saying that? Jaden what does she mean?!"
"You... can't open... the hatch" Velea said her breathing starting to get even more ragged.
"Don't be a fool, we will open it, Jaden help me!!!" Zule said as she continued to try and open it.
"You understand... don't you?" Velea said looking at Jaden.
Tears started falling freely down his face. "I do..." he said quietly.
"I could open the hatch... I could heal you, it doesn't have to be like this," he added after.
"You might... heal me... but what about everyone else on the ship... what about you?" Velea asked rhetorically.
"Jaden... what does she mean?" Aubrie asked as she started to get a sinking feeling in her stomach.
Jaden wiped his face. "To stop the core from going critical, Velea had to trigger the plasma ejectors manually."
"The inner chamber is the most radioactive place on the ship, it's why the plates are so thick around it, but the moment she triggered the plasma ejectors the radiation inside would've spiked to at least a hundred times normal."
"A hundred... and fifty..." Velea corrected.
"The radiation will eventually normalise, but it won't until the plasma has been vented... if we open that hatch before then everyone on the ship will die..." he said though he had to force the words out of his throat.
"No..." Aubrie said as she covered her mouth with both hands, tears spilling from her eyes. "Velea... can't we—"
"There is... nothing you can.. do," Velea said cutting her off.
"If you girls... don't mind... I want... to have a moment... with Jaden," she wheezed.
"Of course..." Aubrie said, crying freely now, though before she left she put her hand on the glass. "I wish I could've known you better," she said.
Velea smiled at her.
Zule who tried to hold back the tears—that continued to fall freely—crouched down as well. "I owe my happiness to you... I hope to see you again," she said in a quiet voice that almost broke.
"The stars... guide us apart... but the force draws us together," Velea coughed. Zule couldn't handle it anymore and left fully giving into the tears and hugging Aubrie for support.
With them gone it was only Jaden and Velea. Jaden looked at her. "I can save you..." he said, his voice tight with emotion, his fists clenched, as if ready to rip the door off. "P-Please let me save you..." he said, his voice breaking.
Velea smiled softly at him. "Jaden... my life never began until I met you,"
"The last few months we spent together were the best of my life..."
"I thank the gods or the force or whoever is looking down on me for bringing us together... and I hope... I-I hope they'll bring us together again..." she said as tears started to fall down her cheeks.
"Velea... please... I can't..." Jaden said as he leaned his head against the hatch door directly opposite her own.
"I wish..."
"I wish..."
"We could've flown away together..."
"Into the forever..."
"And beautiful sky..."
...
...
"Velea?"
...
...
"Velea..."
...
...
"Please come back..."
___________________________
(AN: Alright guys that's the end of the Gala, of course it's not the end of the arc we still got that bitch Collan to deal with. Anyway let's address the elephant in the room, I'm sure a lot of you are gonna be upset about such a hot piece of ass dying, trust me I am too. I mean I developed her character, I have that father kind of connection. But she was always meant to die, from the moment she was introduced. Do you think Jaden would ever come back if he didn't have sufficient motivation to fight in the war? Velea has always been a plot motivation for Jaden to fight and train sadly. Her death has meaning and when Jaden finds out about Palpatine let's just say he's not going to be a happy camper. But anyway apart from that I hope you enjoyed the chapter.)
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