Chancellor Palpatine sat behind his desk in his private office within the Senate Building, his hands folded on the polished surface. The room was quiet, the only sound the faint hum of the city beyond the large window behind him. A holoprojector on the desk flickered to life, casting a blue glow across the office. The image of Count Dooku appeared, standing tall in his dark robes, his beard neatly trimmed. Dooku bowed slightly and spoke. "My Lord, I report that our forces are advancing as planned. The Separatist fleet has secured key systems in the Outer Rim, and we are preparing to push into the Mid Rim."
Palpatine leaned forward and nodded. "Continue the war effort, Darth Tyrannus. Press our advantage in the Mid Rim. The Republic must remain stretched thin, unable to focus on internal threats. Deploy General Grievous to lead the assault on Kashyyyk. Its strategic position and resources will draw significant Republic forces."
Dooku inclined his head. "It will be done. Our droid armies are mobilizing, and Grievous is eager to engage. The Republic will struggle to counter our coordinated strikes." He paused and straightened, his eyes narrowing. "There is another matter. Jaden has become a concern. His actions against Collan Eislo's network are drawing attention, many of the Trade Federation are worried, Eislo has many business ties to them both official and unofficial. He raided a black-market outpost in the undercity, leaving no survivors; quite a few expensive products were stolen and their owners wish for him to be killed. Should I send Asajj Ventress to eliminate him?"
Palpatine raised a hand, stopping Dooku. He leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepling. "No, Dooku. Do not send Ventress. I have set Jaden on a path to his own destruction. His rage and grief drive him, blinding him to reason. He seeks Collan Eislo, and in doing so, he will unravel himself. We need only watch and guide his descent."
Dooku tilted his head, his brow furrowing. "Jaden's skills are considerable. He wields the Force with precision, and his raids show determination. If he continues to target Eislo's operations, he may disrupt our plans indirectly."
Palpatine's lips curved slightly. "Jaden's pursuit of Eislo serves our purpose. Eislo has outlived his usefulness. His reckless actions, such as the attack on the Jedi Temple and his threats against Aratech, have drawn too much scrutiny. Let Jaden dismantle Eislo's network. It will weaken the Republic's underworld allies while keeping Jaden distracted from our larger designs."
Dooku nodded slowly. "I understand. But what of Jaden's potential? If his anger turns him toward the dark side, could he not be molded into a tool for us?"
Palpatine stood and walked to the window, clasping his hands behind his back. "Jaden's anger is potent, but his loyalty to the Jedi, however strained, lingers. He is not yet ready to serve us. For now, let him chase Eislo. If he survives, we will revisit his potential. Until then, focus on the Mid Rim. The war must escalate to keep the republic
divided."
Dooku bowed. "As you command, My Lord. I will deploy our forces to Kashyyyk and intensify attacks on Mid Rim systems. The Republic will be forced to spread its defenses thin."
Palpatine turned back to the holoprojector. "Ensure the Jedi are drawn into prolonged engagements. Their resources must be depleted. Send word to your commanders to target supply lines in the Abrion sector. Disrupt their ability to reinforce their fleets."
Dooku raised a hand, gesturing as he spoke. "The Abrion sector is heavily guarded, but our new droid starfighters can overwhelm their patrols. I will instruct Admiral Trench to lead the operation. His tactics have proven effective in similar campaigns."
Palpatine returned to his desk and sat down. "Good. Trench's ruthlessness will serve us well. Inform him that failure will not be tolerated. The Republic must feel the pressure mounting on all fronts."
Dooku's hologram flickered slightly. "There is one other concern Master. Eislo's possession of a Holocron. They may send Jedi to investigate its origins."
Palpatine tapped a finger on the desk. "The Holocron is a minor issue. The Jedi will waste time chasing shadows, as they always do. If they pursue it, I will ensure their efforts are misdirected."
Dooku nodded. "Very well. I will monitor the Jedi's movements and ensure our operations remain concealed. Should Jaden become a direct threat, I will act, with or without Ventress."
Palpatine's eyes narrowed. "Do not act without my approval, Darth Tyranus. Jaden is a pawn in a larger game. His anger fuels him, but it also isolates him. The Jedi will not trust him if he continues down this path, and that serves us well. Let him carve his own ruin."
Dooku bowed deeply. "I understand, My Lord. I will focus on the war and leave Jaden to you. The Mid Rim will fall under our control soon."
Palpatine leaned forward. "See that it does. The Republic must be brought to its knees before the next phase begins. Report to me when Kashyyyk is under siege."
Dooku's hologram flickered out, leaving the office in silence. Palpatine leaned back in his chair, his fingers drumming on the armrest. He considered Jaden, the young man consumed by grief and rage. In truth Palpatine went to the undercity in order to eliminate Jaden, to destroy the loose end he'd created years ago but when he arrived Palpatine had sensed the darkness within him, a spark waiting to ignite. In this he saw an opportunity; Collan was another loose end, by setting Jaden on him they would end up killing each other. It also dealt with the issue of Vaylin; while she was innocent of any association with Collan, Jaden did not know that. He was almost certain that Jaden would break into the republic prison and kill her.
He stood and walked to a hidden compartment in the wall, pressing a panel to reveal a small holocron. He activated it, and a faint red glow filled the room. He spoke softly to himself. "Jaden will either destroy himself or become the villain the republic believed him to be. Either way, he serves my purpose."
___________________________
In a dimly lit corridor of the Republic prison center on Coruscant, two guards leaned against the durasteel wall, their blaster rifles resting nearby. Torv, a human with a shaved head, tossed a worn credit chip between his hands. "I'm telling you, Jek, the new shift rotations are screwing us over. Twelve hours on, 6 days a week? I haven't slept properly in weeks. My eyes feel like they're gonna bleed."
Jek, a Rodian with a scarred antenna, adjusted his belt and shook his head. "You're always complaining, Torv. Last month, you bitched about the food. Now it's the shifts. You'd moan if they gave you a week's leave and a pile of credits."
Torv caught the chip and pointed at Jek. "The food's still garbage. Those ration bars taste like they were scraped off a starship's hull. And don't pretend you're fine with these shifts. I saw you nodding off during patrol yesterday."
Jek laughed and leaned closer. "Nodding off? I was resting my eyes. Big difference. You try staring at these gray walls all day without losing it. At least the pay's decent."
Torv snorted and tossed the chip again. "Decent? After taxes, I can barely afford a drink at the cantina. This job's a scam. We're glorified babysitters for scum who'll shank us the second we turn our backs." He crossed his arms, a look of annoyance crossing his face. They were silent for a moment before Torv then turned back to his friend. "What do you mean the food is fine. I'm telling you, Jek, the new ration bars taste worse than bantha dung. They're supposed to be 'improved nutrition,' but I'd rather eat a droid's power cell."
Jek, adjusted his helmet and snorted. "You're crazy, Torv. The new bars are fine. You just don't like change. The old ones were too chewy, stuck in my teeth for hours. These ones dissolve faster."
Torv caught the ration pack and shook his head. "Dissolve? That's the problem! They turn to mush before you can even bite them. I swear, the Republic's trying to save credits by feeding us flavored dust."
Jek crossed his arms and leaned closer. "You're whining over nothing. You'd eat anything if you were hungry enough. Remember that time on patrol when you scarfed down that expired protein paste? You didn't complain then."
Torv tossed the ration pack at Jek, who caught it. "That was different. I was starving. These bars are an insult to my taste buds. They don't even have texture anymore, just... sludge."
Jek tossed the pack back. "You're impossible. Next you'll say the caf in the mess hall is too weak. Oh, wait, you already did that last week."
Torb opened his mouth to say something but heard a faint metallic clank from around the corner. "What was that?" He grabbed his blaster rifle and walked toward the sound. He rounded the corner, out of Jek's sight.
Jek waited and called out. "Torv? You there?" Silence answered. He gripped his rifle tighter and moved toward the corner. He turned and saw Torv slumped on the floor, his helmet askew, unconscious. Jek raised his rifle and reached for his comm unit. "This is Jek, we've got—"
A voice cut him off. "I wouldn't do that."
Jek spun around, aiming his rifle. But Jaden lunged forward, grabbed the rifle barrel, and yanked it aside. The bolt scorched the wall. Jaden swung his fist, cracking it across Jek's jaw. Jek staggered, and Jaden twisted the rifle from his hands. He slammed the rifle's butt into Jek's forehead, dropping him. Jaden lowered Jek's body to the floor, avoiding noise.
Jaden knelt and searched Jek's belt, taking a keycard. He approached a delivery entrance, a reinforced door with a security scanner. He swiped the keycard, and the door opened. He stepped inside, closing it behind him. He touched a device on his belt, activating a signal jammer. The prison's cameras flickered, their feeds turning to static just for a moment. He looked at a ceiling vent, used the Force to pull the grate free, and caught it before it hit the ground. He leapt up, grabbed the vent's edge, and pulled himself inside, bur not before grabbing the vent and yanking it back up. When the cameras went back to normal it would look like nothing happened.
Jaden crawled through the ventilation shaft. He moved quietly, avoiding loose panels and sharp edges. Through a vent grate, he heard voices below. He stopped and peered through the slats. The warden, a broad-shouldered human in a pressed uniform, walked with a guard. The warden laughed. "Got a prisoner in Block E scheduled for an 'accident' tomorrow. Slipped in the shower, cracked his skull. Saves us the trouble of a trial." The guard nodded and chuckled. "Yeah, one less mouth to feed. Clean and simple."
Jaden's fists clenched, his stomach churning at their callousness. He forced himself to keep moving, his mission overriding his disgust. The shaft sloped downward, leading toward the prison's security hub. He reached another grate, checked the hallway below, and saw no guards. He used the Force to push the grate open and dropped down, landing softly.
Jaden moved along the hallway, pressing against the wall to avoid a rotating camera. He pulled a cloaking device from his belt and activated it, distorting the air around him to blur his outline. Two guards passed, discussing a gambling debt, unaware of his presence. He reached the security office door, a heavy panel with a digital lock. He took a splicing kit from his pouch, inserted a probe into the lock's port, and connected it to a datapad. He typed commands, overriding the encryption. The door slid open, and he stepped inside.
Four guards sat at consoles, watching camera feeds. Jaden raised a stun blaster and fired four shots in rapid succession. The first guard fell forward, hitting the console. The second slumped in his chair. The third reached for a comm but collapsed as the stun bolt hit. The fourth fell to the floor. Jaden moved to the main terminal, plugged his splicing kit into the port, and accessed the prisoner database. He searched for Vaylin's cell, scrolling through records. The screen showed her location: Cell 52, Block D, Level 4. He switched to the camera feed, seeing Vaylin strapped to a vertical bed. He entered a command to unlock her cell door, then disconnected the kit.
Jaden left the security office, reactivating his cloaking device. He moved through a corridor, ducking into a shadowed alcove as a camera swept past, unfortunately for him there were multiple security offices in this prison so despite the fact he'd stunned the pens watching the cameras the others would still see him. He heard two guards ahead, arguing about a recent prison fight. "Idiot broke his own hand punching a wall," one said. The other laughed. "Bet he thought it'd impress the others." Jaden waited until they turned a corner, then slipped forward. He reached a turbolift and entered, selecting Level 4.
The doors opened, and Jaden stepped into a hallway lined with cell doors. He moved low, avoiding another camera by timing its rotation, he didn't want to risk them seeing the shimmer his claocking field gave off. He passed a guard station, where a lone guard typed on a datapad, oblivious to his presence. Jaden reached the stairwell to Block D and descended. At the bottom, he heard footsteps and pressed against the wall. Two guards walked by, one complaining about the warden's new policies. "He's got us doing double checks on every cell. Like we don't have enough to do." The other grunted. "Keeps us busy, keeps us paid." Jaden waited until they passed, then moved into Block D's corridor.
Jaden approached Vaylin's cell, the door slightly ajar from his unlock command. His hand rested on his lightsaber, his fingers tightening around the hilt. Apprehension gripped him, a knot in his stomach. Memories of Vaylin flashed through his mind. She had been Padmé's assistant, always nearby, she was such a clumsy person but she always did her best and always offered to help Jaden with anything he needed. She had shared meals with him and Padmè and had spent a lot of time with them when preparing their defence. Had that innocent girl been a facade, hiding a ruthless Sith? He struggled to reconcile the friend he knew with the warrior who had nearly killed him on the Eternal Horizon. He didn't want to believe she was a killer, but the evidence was undeniable. He tightened his grip on the lightsaber and resolved to kill her for Velea's sake.
Jaden pushed the cell door open and stepped inside. Vaylin sat slumped against the wall, her body broken. Her arms hung at unnatural angles, bones fractured in multiple places. Her legs were twisted, the skin torn and bruised. Scorch marks crisscrossed her arms and chest, while electric burns left blackened patches on her neck and hands. Her face was swollen, one eye sealed shut by a dark bruise, blood crusted around her cracked lips. Her breaths came in shallow gasps. As Jaden entered, she looked up and sobbed. "Please, leave me alone. I'm sorry. I'll confess. Just tell me what to say." Her body shook, and she curled into herself, tears streaming down her face. Though the blindfold she wore seemed to absorb most of the tears.
Jaden stopped, his hand still on the lightsaber. Her condition shocked him. Her arms showed multiple breaks, her legs barely held together, and the burns suggested brutal torture. Why would a Sith, skilled enough to nearly defeat him, allow this? She could have used the Force to escape. Yet she sat here, crying and broken. Was it a deception? Jaden moved around the cell, keeping his distance, watching her for any sign of trickery. Her sobbing intensified with each of his steps, her fear seeming to spikr. "Please, don't hurt me. I'll do anything. Stop, please."
Jaden activated a modulator on his belt, altering his voice to a deeper tone. "Vaylin, you're accused of being a Sith Lord."
Vaylin shook her head and cried harder. She spoke, her words spilling out in a frantic rush. "I'm not a Sith. I swear I can't use the Force. Please, believe me." Her body trembled, her tears falling as she rocked back and forth, her voice nearly incoherent.
Jaden stepped closer. "There's footage of you attacking Jaden on the Eternal Horizon with a lightsaber."
Vaylin's eyes widened, and she shook her head again. "That's wrong. It has to be wrong. Please, bring Jaden. He's my friend. He'll tell you the truth." Her hands clutched at the frame she was attacked to, her sobs growing even more manic.
Jaden probed her mind with the Force, searching for lies. He sensed only fear and pain, no deception. But it couldn't be true. She had wielded a lightsaber with great skill, forcing him into a fight that led to Velea's death in the reactor chamber. She had to be lying. Her actions had caused Velea's sacrifice. She deserved death. Jaden gripped his lightsaber tighter and ignited it, the purple blade humming to life.
Vaylin flinched at the sound and wailed. "What's that? Please, have mercy. Don't hurt me anymore." She tried to move away but all she could do was shake and rattle the frame she was locked to. "I didn't do anything. I swear, please."
Jaden stepped closer, raising the lightsaber. Her begging grew louder, her body shaking uncontrollably. He stood over her, the blade's glow illuminating her battered face. His hand trembled, torn between rage and doubt.
Eventually he shouted in frustration, and turned away and extinguished the lightsaber. He crouched against the wall, his head in his hands. He couldn't kill her. The thought stung, was he too weak to avenge Velea? Or did he, deep down, believe Vaylin was innocent? The conflict gnawed at him.
Jaden stood. He turned to Vaylin and spoke, his voice hard. "Where is Collan Eislo?"
Vaylin shook her head, her sobs choking her words. She spoke, her voice frantic. "I don't know. I swear I don't know where he is. Please, believe me."
Jaden cursed under his breath. He probed her mind again with the Force, sensing truth. This was a dead end. He turned to leave, there was nothing here for him, he needed to find another way to find Eislo. He glanced back at Vaylin, strapped against the frame. He couldn't leave her in this state, he may come to regret it but in his heart he couldn't leave her like this.
Jaden walked to her side and knelt, reaching for her arm. She flinched, pulling away with a whimper. "Don't worry." He spoke softly. He placed his hand on her arm, closing his eyes. He channeled the Force, letting its energy flow into her. He focused on her broken bones, mending the fractures in her arms and legs, the bones realigning under his touch. He guided the Force to heal the scorch marks and electric burns, restoring her skin to its natural state. Her bruises faded, and her swollen eye returned to normal. Vaylin sighed, her body relaxing as the pain vanished. Her eyes closed, and she passed out.
Jaden cursed again, frustration rising. He ignited his lightsaber and cut through the restraints on her wrists, the blade slicing cleanly through the metal cuffs. He extinguished the saber, clipped it to his belt, and lifted Vaylin's unconscious body, carrying her over his shoulder.
There was no way he was going to be able to get her out of here stealthily. 'I guess it's Plan B...'
___________________________
Padmé stood in the stalled turbolift, the silence around her broken only by the rising sound of footsteps approaching from the corridor outside. Her heart began to race. She turned quickly, her eyes scanning the cramped interior for an escape. Her gaze landed on a narrow maintenance hatch in the ceiling. She stepped onto her toes, reached upward, and pressed her palms flat against the cold panel. It gave slightly under pressure. With both hands, she pushed it open, wincing at the soft metallic creak that followed. Her shoulders strained as she pulled herself up through the narrow opening. The metal scraped against her arms and ribs, but she forced herself higher, until her boots cleared the lip of the hatch. As soon as she was inside the shaft, she reached down and tugged the panel shut behind her.
A second later, the turbolift doors slid open beneath her.
She held her breath, her body pressed flat against the ceiling of the elevator. Her limbs were stiff and tense, every muscle in her body drawn tight. She heard the footsteps stop just outside the lift. There was a pause. Then someone stepped forward onto the lift's floor. A voice muttered something indistinct. After another moment of silence, The lift suddenly jerked, then began to rise.
Padmé cursed under her breath, her voice little more than a whisper. The lift was moving away from the deck she needed. Relief and frustration tangled inside her. She hadn't been discovered, but now she had lost her direct route to the hanger. She rested her forehead against the cold durasteel elevator. Her breathing was shallow, her lungs still catching up from the sudden strain. She needed another plan.
Escaping through the hangar was still possible. If she could reach a shuttle and avoid detection, she might have a chance. But even if she made it out, the Oberon had interceptors and likely afvanced weapons systems. It was unlikely she could outrun them. She bit her lip and closed her eyes for a moment, thinking. If she reached the communications deck instead, she could activate the ship's emergency transponder. That would broadcast the Oberon's location to every Republic ship in range. With enough time, help would come.
She steadied her breathing, then looked down as the turbolift slowed. She opened the hatch again and lowered herself carefully into the lift. Her boots touched the floor with a soft thud. Her legs felt heavy and sore, but she ignored the pain. She moved to the control terminal and tapped the interface. A display lit up, showing a detailed schematic of the ship. She scanned the map until her eyes found the communications deck. It was on Level Eight.
Padmé pressed the button for that deck and waited as the lift began to descend.
When the doors opened, she stepped out and immediately moved to the wall. She kept her body low and her steps quiet as she advanced. She approached a structural beam and crouched behind it just as two mercenaries walked past, deep in conversation.
"The shield generator's still down. Engineering rerouted some power, but it won't last another cycle."
Their voices faded as they walked away.
Padmé continued moving. She avoided stepping into the center of the hallway, where the overhead cameras were most likely to catch movement. A small red light blinked above one junction. It was a surveillance camera, slowly sweeping from left to right. She crouched beneath it and waited, counting the seconds between its rotations. When it turned away, she slipped past it in one smooth motion, hugging the far wall. The quiet mechanical screach of servos reached her ears next. She tensed, then moved to a recessed alcove and pressed her back against the wall. A moment later, three B1 battle droids walked by. One of them paused mid-step. Its head turned slightly, the sensors glowing faintly.
She held her breath. Her fingers curled tightly around the edge of the wall.
The droid shifted its head again.
"Probably just the wind," it said, and resumed walking.
Padmé waited another few seconds. When she was certain the patrol had passed, she continued forward. She crept along the corridor until she saw the communications deck in the distance. Her heart sank when she realized what waited for her. Ten battle droids stood in front of the entrance, spaced out and fully alert. Each one had its blaster raised and ready. There was no way she could approach directly.
She turned and backtracked. Her boots moved quietly against the floor, but her mind raced with tension. She remembered passing a maintenance hatch earlier. She stopped when she reached it, knelt down, and pried the cover open. She climbed into the tunnel and pulled the hatch shut behind her. The shaft was barely wide enough for her to crawl. Her knees scraped against the metal, and her palms burned as she dragged herself forward. The air smelled like machine oil and recycled coolant. It clung to the inside of her nose.
As she crawled, she heard voices ahead.
She slowed, adjusting her weight carefully. The light from a vent illuminated the shaft. She reached the grate and looked down through the slats. Below her in a chamber, Collan Eislo stood with his arms crossed over his chest. He had his usual smug expression on his face; he was standing in front of a hologram, one that seemed the be in pain.
Collan Eislo stood in a chamber below, his arms crossed, laughing loudly. "You fought hard, Satele Shan, but no one can resist the artifact's power. It's nearly erased you from the Holocron. Soon, I'll have all its data, with or without your resistance."
Satele knelt on the floor, her holographic form flickering. "I rest well knowing you're just another man trapped in the cycle of power. Soon, you'll be struck down like all who came before you."
Collan's face twisted, his hands clenching into fists. He stepped toward Satele. "You think you can judge me? I've outmanoeuvred the Republic, the Jedi, everyone. I'm not some petty warlord. I'm building an empire, and no one, not you, not the Republic, will stop me."
Padmé's body was tense. Every instinct in her screamed to do something. She wanted to help Satele. But she knew that if she acted now, she would lose any chance of getting the signal out. She forced herself to look away. Her breath caught in her throat as she resumed crawling forward, dragging her aching limbs down the narrow shaft. Each movement scraped her knees and palms. The shaft sloped downward and curved slightly to the left. Eventually, the tight crawlspace widened enough for her to shift position. A faint blue glow pulsed ahead. She reached a vent cover and peered through the slats.
Beneath her was the communications room.
She examined the space quickly. Two officers were stationed at a console near the far wall. Their backs were turned, eyes fixed on the displays. Rows of terminals lined the room, and she spotted the transponder controls at the central hub. There were no guards inside, and the ceiling panel she was looking through fed directly into the room.
No door. No keypad. No need to find another path.
Padmé took a breath to steady herself. Then she gripped the edges of the vent, shifted her weight, and pushed the grate loose. It popped off with a soft click, and she moved it to the side. She lowered her body through the opening, using her arms to control the drop, and landed in a crouch behind one of the larger data consoles.
She didn't move at first. Her ears strained to pick up any reaction from the crew. But they didn't seem to notice her entry. Their causal conversations seemingly masking her presence.
Still keeping low, she moved across the floor, keeping the console between herself and the technicians. Her boots made the faintest tap against the deck, but she adjusted her weight with each step to minimize the sound. She reached the emergency broadcast station and slid into position behind the panel. Her fingers hovered over the interface. She scanned the controls quickly and found the transponder activation protocol buried two menus deep. Lucky an SOS didn't need any security clearance and could've activated by anyone on the ship. The system stuttered for a moment before as blinking light turned green. The emergency beacon began to transmit.
She wasn't finished though.
Padmé pulled up the activity log. She knew Collan's techs would notice the signal within minutes if she didn't bury it. She found a maintenance subroutine scheduled for diagnostics and redirected the signal through it, masking the transmission as routine output. The change wouldn't hold forever, but it might buy her enough time.
She looked over her shoulder. The two officers were still working and talking about something stupid.
Without making a sound, Padmé slid out from the station and moved toward the nearest service ladder at the back of the room. The hardest part was over. Padmè moved quickly through the corridors now. Her shoulders ached, and sweat clung to her neck, but she pushed forward. The hangar was close. She passed a storage room where two engineers were repairing a damaged circuit. Sparks jumped from their tools, lighting their faces in flashes. She paused until they turned away, then continued down the final corridor.
The hangar stretched out in front of her. She froze, ducking behind a supply crate as the sound of engines filled the air. A dark shuttle had just landed. Its ramp descended slowly, and six robed figures stepped out in formation. Each of them reached down to rest a hand near the hilt of a cylindrical object clipped to their belts.
Padmé narrowed her eyes. She knew that shape. They were lightsabers.
Her stomach twisted. If Collan was working with Sith, then things were worse than she had imagined. But she had no time to think about that now.
She moved around the edge of the hangar. A small freighter sat near the wall, its ramp down and the lights on inside. She ran to it and climbed aboard. The hold was empty. She entered the cockpit and slid into the pilot's chair. Her fingers danced across the controls, waking the ship. The console lit up, and the engines began to hum. She leaned forward, ready to lift off—
A hand gripped her shoulder from behind.
Her body tensed in a jolt of fear. Before she could even turn, she was yanked backward with terrifying strength. She slammed into the deck. Pain exploded along her spine, and the breath was knocked from her lungs.
She tried to scramble away, but she was no longer in control of her own body. Her limbs kicked, but something invisible dragged her backward across the floor. Her heart pounded in her chest. Her vision blurred with panic. She reached out, trying to grab hold of anything, but her fingers only scraped against the cold metal. She twisted her neck and saw the figure standing at the edge of the ramp. He was tall, wearing a dark robe that covered most of his face. One arm was raised and extended fully toward her, his hand clenched into a fist.
Then he stepped forward, and without hesitation, he drove his fist into her face. Her head snapped back. A burst of pain engulfed her vision, and her awareness unraveled in an instant.
Everything faded into darkness.
___________________________
*ALARM*
*Alert, Alert: Security breach Level 4*
*Security breach Level 4*
"Shit!" Jaden hissed as he deflect numerous blaster bolts back at their senders. He'd tripped the alarm almost immediately after he'd left level 4 with Vaylin in tow. Apparently he hadn't accounted for her having a security tag on her ankle; something which he was kicking himself for not realising. Though luckily he'd had the foresight to plan for this eventuality. Touching his wrist terminal multiple explosions across the prison started to erupt, shaking the entire place.
Guards who were previously firing at Jaden stopped and looked around, concerned if there was a larger attack about to unfold. Jaden took advantage of this and threw his hand forward unleashing a wave of force that knocked them off their feet. He then jumped over them and yanked his hand back pulling a door wide open. As he passed through he got a warning from the force and managed to block the blaster bolts from a turret that was station in the corner he just rounded.
He wasn't too far from the exit now he just had to keep it up. Little did Jaden know that things were going to get a lot more serious. As soon as the alert sounded reinforcements from republic security were on their way and in only a few minutes they'd be storming through the doors.
"Shit, shit, shit," Jaden hissed again as he sprinted down the corridor, Vaylin still slung over his shoulder like a sack of explosives. Behind him, the sound of boots was getting louder, shouts echoing off the walls. He turned a corner and almost ran face first into another squad of guards. He didn't hesitate. He threw his arm out and sent a Force push that slammed into them like a battering ram, knocking half of them into the walls and the others into each other. He didn't stick around to check if they were still breathing.
He just kept running.
Smoke was leaking from some of the overhead panels, and he had to duck low as another explosion went off somewhere deep in the facility, shaking the ground beneath his feet. Debris fell from the ceiling, but he powered through, using the Force to shield himself and Vaylin from a falling vent cover that missed them by inches.
He could feel the exit nearby. He just had to push a little further.
Another door slid open ahead and three more guards rushed through. Jaden skidded to a stop and then jumped up, kicking off the wall and flipping over them. While in the air he flicked his saber out, slicing through the barrel of one of their rifles before landing hard on the other side. He spun around and hit the panel with his elbow, slamming the door shut between them and stabbing his lightsaber into destroying the lock.
With this he allowed himself a second to breathe.
At least until he heard more footsteps behind him.
"Of course there's more," he muttered, already moving again. He turned a corner, his legs burning now, and saw light pouring from ahead. He was near the exterior wall. But the corridor ended in a massive window, reinforced transparisteel lining the entire wall.
He didn't care.
Jaden ran full speed at it, channelling the Force into his legs, and leapt shoulder-first through the window letting out a blast of force at the same time. It shattered instantly, glass exploding around him as he flew out into the open air. Wind roared in his ears as the prison dropped away beneath him, and he twisted mid-fall to protect Vaylin from the worst of the air resistance.
They were falling fast.
He reached for his wrist terminal and hit the beacon.
For a second, nothing happened.
Then a shape broke through the clouds above; the sleek silhouette of his ship diving at full speed, its engines howling. The hangar bay opened mid-descent, lights flashing as it adjusted to his trajectory.
"Come on..." he muttered, watching as the ship lined up beneath him.
He adjusted his body, angling himself just enough as he dropped lower and lower. Then the Force surged around him, and he pulled himself slightly toward the open hangar with a quick burst. The edge of the platform rushed up to meet him. And then they were inside. He slammed hard into the deck, grunting as the impact rattled through his bones. Vaylin slid from his shoulder and rolled across the hangar floor, still unconscious.
He lay there for a second, catching his breath.
The hangar doors sealed shut behind them, and the ship pulled up fast, leaving the prison far below.
Jaden groaned and sat up. The ship's autopilot chirped. "Beep Boop boop beep!"
Jaden looked at Vaylin, then at the ceiling. "Yeah. Let's get the hell out of here SD8."
(AN: So as you can see stuff is occurring and soon we will have a lot of people joining the hunt for Collan Eislo. Most of all Jaden who has gotten lucky that Padmè is such a main character and has some of that plot armour. Anyway next chapter we are going to see our boy chasing after his nemesis and having an overdue discussion with Vaylin. I hope you enjoyed the chapter.)
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