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"To be a healer of wounds, be it through civilian means or through the Force, is not an easy path to follow. To truly care for another being requires exceptional patience and compassion, as well as the emotional and mental preparation one must face when their efforts are not enough to save a life. Even for those who are not Force-sensitive, in the few moments we share with our patients we are connected through the Force. Such losses on battlefields are truly painful to endure, moreso when it's a civilian unfortunate enough to be caught up in a battle they wished to avoid."

"Are we not then to rejoice that they have rejoined the Force?"

"What kind of Jedi would celebrate needless death?"

~ Jedi Seer Sabla-Mandibu, Jedi Padawan Chen Isild

No forest on any planet Garrett had ever set foot on, had ever been as silent as the one he was now in.

To say that he wasn't aware of the battle taking place dozens of miles away would be untrue. Though the surrounding forest prevented him from seeing the air battle, and it was too far to capture any sounds, the Alderaanian Jedi could still feel the conflict and loss of life happening- the stirring of the Force as chaos erupted so far away. A part of him was grateful that he was so far away as to not be immersed in such chaos, but the rest of him wished he could be there to help. And as much as he didn't like to admit it, it would have brought him out of the growing sense of dread that built with every quiet step he took.

The opposite could be said of Roc'nir; every few minutes the Trianii sinth would pause and glance longingly back in the direction of Navio City, yet each time it seemed to bolster his resolve to move forward, such that he had put himself on-point. The felinoid didn't have to say anything- Garrett was almost certain he dead set on ensuring the Imperial Remnant and Sith wouldn't get away with whatever crimes they were committing. He had been a steadfast ally and combatant so far, and even his partially-damaged cyber-leg prompted no complaint. Even as they slowed to a stop to monitor the way ahead, he remained grimly silent.

"There is an unnaturalness in the air," Roc'nir murmured, "much like the temple on Kunik. Ancient and dreadful."

"The aura of shadow is so thick, I'm not surprised those less-sensitive to the Force can feel it," Simetra agreed. "The forest here... there is a malice within the trees themselves. Carefully, now- I feel an opening a distance away."

The relative silence returned, but the tension lingered within Garrett. There was next to nothing in terms of sound to mask their approach, as their boots crunched through twigs and leaves, and their legs rustled through the overgrown weeds and grasses. Not even the assurance that this silence meant there were no battle hydras about could calm his nerves. Another few hundred meters, and suddenly Roc'nir lifted his paw.

"Anything?" the human murmured quietly- yet even a whisper felt too loud among them.

"Ahead," the Trianii whispered back, his scattergun braced against his shoulder as he peered into the dimly-lit trees beyond. "I see the dim glow of artificial light. There are also voices; too far to make out, but they are there. And closer still, the hum of a generator."

"Focus, Garrett," Simetra whispered as she crept next to him silently, Jedi weapon in hand. "Our friends in the city are strong, but they are counting on us. Now tell me what you feel."

The human nodded, leaning against a massive tree and losing himself to the current of the Force around him. Every breath of the wind above, the creaking of the trunks and branches around him, seemed to amplify. The footsteps of the Antarian Rangers nearby slowed to a stop as they noticed him going into a standing trance. Distantly, he heard Roc'nir ask if everything was alright, though the answer Simetra gave him seemed to dim into silence as Garrett pressed his senses onward.

Beneath the aura of darkness ahead, he could feel the presence of life beyond it. They were not smaller forms of life, something Garrett had suspected- the terrain had become unruly in some place, bare in others, as if the forest's fauna had avoided the territory entirely. Like a light hidden beneath dark sheets, the outline of the life ahead became more pronounced, the dialogue becoming sharper. Moments later, despite being perhaps a little less than half a mile away, he could hear it as clearly as if he were standing in their presence.

There was indeed a generator, its hum and occasional clicking now easy to discern from the few noises emanating from the forest; and while he could not see what it was powering, he could sense the figures standing nearby on a shelf of rock, beneath a massive shape the human was almost certain was a starship. Shadow obscured his vision briefly as it tried to quell his sight- but knowing he needed to see what was ahead, Garrett pushed the veil back, determined to stand against the darkness. After seconds of intense concentration, the image sharpened and reveal itself to the Jedi.

A red-haired, sharp-faced human in black armor and robes stood among moving troops, both Trianii and human. The sight confused Garrett momentarily; while the dark-armored fellow was clearly a Sith (likely the one Locke had once described to the Jedi), it was not immediately clear who the black-armored troops were, nor why there were rogue Trianii Rangers aiding them in moving massive cargo units. But then the Sith spoke, his voice haughty and commanding.

"Step it up, scum, we're behind schedule! The last two shuttles will not take off until you get that hydra onboard!"

It was all Garrett needed to hear and see, though his stomach lurched horribly as his vision lessened; in the brief moment that it took him to pull back into his natural senses, the crimson-haired Sith stiffened slightly, standing up straighter as he seemed to notice something was amiss. His yellow eyes flashed dangerously as his head snapped in Garrett's direction, just as the human gasped and shuddered.

"I saw them," he breathed, his shoulders tense from the moment. "One of the Sith Knights Locke told us about, a bunch of black-armored soldiers, and a few Trianii Rangers."

"Traitors!" Roc'nir hissed angrily. "They must be the deserters that allied themselves with Ai'Rah. You saw her profile when I gave you the report; was she among them?"

"Didn't look like it," Garrett replied, his brow furrowed. "And there were only a few of them, the rest might have already gotten off-planet. Nevermind that now, I think that Sith suspects something- we'll have to move fast."

"This would be faster were you to allow your men aid us, or if you used your abilities!" one of the Trianii growled as her hot gaze was leveled at Yuda.

"Only beasts like you are fit for this menial labor!" Yuda spat back, his yellow gaze narrowed at the felinoid soldiers. "If I have to share the ship with you fleabags then I expect you to earn your place on the ship!"

The Trianii female looked as if she were ready to lash out, but another grabbed her shoulder firmly. "Easy, cadet- we're losing time arguing with him, it is no use. And it's ill-advised to backtalk to one with his abilities. Anger him enough and he may well cut us down."

"I see at least one of you knows your place," Yuda scoffed, folding his arms as the pair of Trianii walked away and resumed working. He did not care for being left behind to oversee the primitive warriors while his allies were engaged in a battle he rightly should have been a part of. To be stuck overseeing the labor was beneath him, and he had spared no moment in reminding everyone around him of that fact.

"Sir, we're already running behind without antagonizing the Trianii," one of the Dark Acolytes said. "If you'll just let us--"

But it took little more than Yuda drawing his weapon and pointing it at the Acolyte to silence him. "You will remain at the ready as I ordered," the human growled. "Or do I need to remind you of your place?"

"No sir," the soldier said quietly, stepping back from the irate Sith Knight.

It was of little consequence what the hairballs thought of him, Yuda decided; there were only three crates left, and soon enough they'd be loaded, at which point they'd all be off-planet and away from the primitives. But he'd be damned if he lowered himself or any human to doing the work of aliens which should rightfully be their slaves. Were it not for the fact that he needed their labor and that Thresher expected all of them accompany him to the rest of the fleet, the human would have slaughtered all of them and be done with it. Already their lagging had caused his patience to wear so thin that he'd imagined a shift in the Force nearby, though he dismissed it as an effect of being so near to Sith ruins- still, knowing that Jedi were likely getting closer by the minute, the Sith Knight did not much care for lingering any longer.

He watched as the final stasis cage was floated through the forest, his irritation calming as he took it as indication that they were nearly done- or so he thought, as the cargo hoversled suddenly shorted out, sputtering and running into the ground as the Trianii started yowling in surprise. His brow furrowed as he stepped forward, the irritation returning.

"What the hell is going on!?" he snapped.

"It just died on me!" the Trianii said defensively, holding his paws up as Yuda approached, his lightsaber ignited.

"If you sabotaged this cart, I will personally skin you and make you into a--"

"Sir!" one of the Acolytes shouted to get his attention. The black-armored stooped and peeled something off the side of the hoversled. Yuda frowned and peered into his palm, eyes falling on a small, disc-like device, no larger than a credit chit.

"Assessment?"

"It's an EMP-coin," the soldier identified it. "A low-cost but effective anti-system neutralizer. Someone is out there."

"Then start looking!" Yuda snapped, the revelation that they were not alone agitating him- he hadn't been imagining a shift in the Force, after all. "Anybody not working the cargo-sleds, fan out and be ready to engage! And you," he added, jabbing a finger to the Trianii, "get this piece of shit up and running again!"

But it didn't take more than a few more seconds for all hell to break loose.

It started with a barely-audible yet out-of-place beeping sound at the other end of the clearing, near where the generator was working tirelessly to keep the jamming unit powered. Yuda turned just in time to see the entire thing become engulfed in a deafening explosion, throwing several nearby screaming Acolytes into the air. In a handful of moments the lighting vanished and plunged the area into darkness, the mobile floodlights now deprived of a power-source and the breach in the canopy above providing only minimal amounts of light to work with. Even with the sharp change in vision, Yuda could barely make out the shadows moving through the trees, moments before they opened fire. The Acolytes were not totally caught off guard, although they were spread out enough that they didn't have a proper base of fire to work with. With the Acolytes on the back foot and being forced to fire in multiple directions with little effect, the Sith Knight felt incredibly exposed.

It was this fear that sharpened his senses enough that he felt rather than heard the approaching Jedi from behind, whipping around and slashing at head level; his blade was caught upon a silver shaft of light, wielded by a heavily-tattooed Dathomiri woman in sleeveless Jedi robes. She twisted the blade and swung his weapon out of the way, stepping forward and weaving with her lightsaber in a guard position, without so much as a challenge issued. Forced to backpedal away he jabbed and cut at her, his blade finding no mark as her agile movements and forward guard intercepted his attack. With her footwork fast enough to overtake his retreat she was able to step into his effective range, ducking another slash and elbowing him in the gut and transitioning into a kneeling defensive stance as he staggered back with a groan.

It was in this momentary pause that she spoke, her voice as cool and smooth as her expression. "Yield, Sith Knight Yuda. We will give you only one chance to surrender."

The human glared back at her, recognizing her tattoos as that of a Dathomiri's. "Typical- the Force witch knows nothing of the Sith and asks one to surrender." He spat at her feet, depressing a switch at the end of his hilt- another blade of crimson light slid from the other end, revealing the true nature of his Sith weapon. Without another word he charged back into battle, the dual-bladed weapon crashing against the Jedi's defenses in rapid succession; though her defenses held firm as she met his assault confidently, unfazed by the exotic lightsaber.

Even as he slashed and stabbed at the Jedi, focusing most of his attention on trying to best her in the duel, he did not remain ignorant of their dire circumstances. A brief glance to his side was all it took for him to notice half his Acolytes injured or dead, and most of his Trianii allies had already withdrawn into the ship; the few that remained were forced to keep their heads down from the hail of blasterfire coming from the treeline. Were that not enough, a second Jedi had stepped out from the shadows and provided an approaching distraction with an olive-green lightsaber in hand, deflecting Imperial firepower with expert finesse.

The brief distraction was all that was needed for his focus to slip- the tattooed Jedi sensed an opening, ducking one of his crimson blades and jabbing the point of her weapon into his right shoulder. The pain brought a snarl of fury as he backpedaled, the injury finally sending his rage boiling over the edge as he retaliated, kicking the female Jedi in the gut. With the gap widen and the Jedi staggering back from the blow, Yuda drew in breath until his lungs were near to bursting, channeling the dark side into his throat, pouring his fury and hatred into his focus as he issued a tremendous roar.

It was no mere vocalization, no challenge to his foes- in fact the sound of it was brutal enough that the firefight seemed to pause for a few moments, both sides bracing themselves against the aural onslaught. The very air around him seemed to distort as his scream rent through the air; the ground and the surrounding forest shook violently and the Dathomiri Jedi was thrown through the air and into a tree with enough force for her body to strip the bark away. She slumped against the trunk with a pained groan, her weapon tumbling away from her and leaving her wide open just as his scream faded, leaving a chilling echo in its wake. Now unarmed and stunned, the Jedi could do nothing but watch as Yuda leapt the twenty feet separating them, his Sith weapon thrusting forward for the kill as he landed.

Before the tip found its mark, an olive-green light intercepted the attack and deflected it away, throwing Yuda off balance. He looked up just in time to see a glaring face looking down at him, before the defender's fist eclipsed his view and smashed into his jaw, sending the Sith Knight rolling several meters away. With a gasping curse Yuda struggled back to his feet, blindly thrusting his hand out in a desperate attempt to knock the second Jedi away. His blurred vision cleared up in time to see the raven-haired Jedi soaring through the air in a graceful backflip, landing solidly.

Yet it was more than enough space for Yuda to get clear, his back to the ship's ramp as the Trianii and Acolytes strained to push the final stasis cage into the shuttle's hold. Knowing there was little time left the Sith Knight channeled the Force into a push again, this time propelling the heavy load into the hold along with several yowling Trianii. "Take off!" Yuda shouted into his headset, his head still throbbing as the pilot responded.

"Sir, we've several Acolytes still out--"

"Forget them, take off now!" he snarled, and without any further argument, the shuttle's systems came to life

"Get back here!" the raven-haired Jedi shouted, his voice barely audible over the roaring engines as he lunged toward the shuttle. He managed to spring onto the extended ramp just as the ship started to ascend, slashing at Yuda before he could get inside. The two duelists crossed blades, the Jedi grabbing the Sith Knight's long hilt to keep it in place.

"Too late, scum," Yuda spat, glaring at the Jedi. "Better luck next time!"

Whatever the Jedi had been anticipating, it was not for Yuda to rear back slightly and slam his forehead into his nose, stunning the Jedi long enough for him to slash at his chest, his tunic burning as a shallow cut sliced through the fabric. With a strangled yell the Jedi fell off the ramp, landing into the brush some twenty feet below the vessel.

Sneering with satisfaction the Sith Knight deactivated his weapon, stepping back as the ramp began to slide back into the vessel. Once he'd withdrawn into the hold he brought a finger to his headset.

"Open a channel to the Grim Return- tell them the last pieces of cargo have been secured."

"Garrett!" Simetra cried out, her normally calm exterior breaking away as she witnessed the Sith Knight slash her partner across the chest. Cold fear washed over her as she watched him stagger back, tumbling off the ramp and down twenty feet into a patch of thick brush. The sound of snapping branches and rustling leaves preceded a dull thump as he finally hit the ground, his inert form barely visible behind the bushes.

Trying desperately not to lose control of her emotions, she sprinted towards her lover, ducking beneath the brush and wading through the bushes, fearing the worst as her eyes finally found his body, his mouth and nose red with blood. The moment she saw the raven-haired Jedi stirring with a pained groan, the fear released her and she exhaled a loud sigh, dropping to her knees next to her injured partner.

"Ugh... Syrra was right, that does burn really bad," the Alderaanian breathed thickly, clutching at the long but shallow cut along his torso.

"I thought I'd lost you," Simetra shuddered, her eyes burning.

"I saw it coming," Garrett assured her with a weak smile, causing her to smile back as she wiped her face. "I was just a little slow. Besides, I wasn't the only one- he nearly got you. Guess he wasn't as lame as Locke said he was."

"Knight Simetra!" a voice called out. Roc'nir was approaching the pair with his shotgun stowed away, looking concerned. "Is Knight Garrett alive?"

"He is," the Dathomiri sighed, nodding.

"Thank Ekibo," the Trianii commander remarked, looking relieved. "Too many have died to the Sith's war beasts, I was not looking forward to either of you joining them."

"More will have died today," Simetra remarked quietly, as she began to tend to Garrett's wound. "This planet's settlement is under attack, and all to conceal the Circle acquiring these beasts. We've failed."

"Perhaps, but there are ways to rectify the situation," Roc'nir said encouragingly.

Before she could ask him what he meant, her eyes fell upon the Antarian Rangers approaching them. Between the circle of well-armed operatives were a pair of unhelmeted Acolytes between them, on their knees with their hands above their heads, looking cowed and unwilling to fight.

Roc'nir regarded the Acolytes with cold fury, cracking his knuckles as he growled. "Give me five minutes, along with the right to conduct an interrogation the Trianii way- and I swear to you, they will talk."

For the first time since she had started using the Force to heal other people, Syrra found herself struggling immensely. It was not merely the fact that the injured she was tending to were in worse shape than any she'd had to administer to, save for Keris and members of the Black Tomb pack; nor was it the twinge of fear in the back of her mind for working in what was effectively a war-zone. More than anything it was the grief that she was employing her Jedi healing abilities towards her own people, adults and children alike, that were stifling her powers. More than once in the last hour she'd had to force herself to tear her gaze away from the shrouded bodies at the other end of the hall, a quarter of whom had been cubs. Every loss beneath her paws had stung horribly, such that by now she felt numb from the sadness.

It didn't help that her relatively quiet surroundings unnerved her, compared to the cacophony beyond the ziggurat's walls. Those still among the living either wept quietly or stared distantly in silence, the grief and pain of their experiences keeping them subdued. Yet behind that pain she could also feel the growing sense of resolve behind each of them. The dozen or so Trianii Rangers patrolling the lobby, coming in and out from the airfield, maintained their stoic attitude, bodies tense and ready to react should they be required to fight at a moment's notice.

Unnerved by the silence as she was, she found it comforting to know the Trianii were not nearly ready to give up; it was that determination and glimmer of hope within them that was preventing the anger simmering beneath it all from welling up and consuming her. A paw touched her shoulder and she looked up, into the eyes of her student and current aide; Mica's blue eyes were sad, but full of understanding, a smile on her muzzle. She was not alone.

The Trianii Jedi nodded and swallowed, taking a deep breath and refocusing as Mica knelt next to her; Syrra's current patient had taken a blaster shot to her chest, which still needed mending. "She's almost stabilized," she said quietly. "How are the others you were tending to?"

"One has left us," Mica said with equal gentleness, "but the cubs are in better shape. They're being led into the shelter." Her paws joined with Syrra's and the Trianii immediately felt a large burden lift from her, as the Kanj'Isha poured her energy into the effort. They worked in tandem, in silence, as the wound receded and was replaced with new flesh, the rib beneath now hidden. As they drew away, Mica sighed. "There aren't many more left."

"There will be, soon," Syrra said huskily. "Kajex... he--" She stopped short, swallowing. For a brief moment, some ten minutes prior, she had felt her mate's pain and injuries through their Force bond. He was not dead, but nor was he in any condition to fight for the moment, she knew. Chatter on the comm had informed her there were new injured on their way; new Sith contacts had plowed through firing lines in a frenzied effort to establish landing zones, and Kajex and his group would be among them returning. The situation had worsened; for some reason Locke, Talrik, Rook and Miles would be taken out of the fight, at least for the moment.

But Kajex was still alive. That was something. "... He's gonna be alright," she finally finished firmly.

"Syrra, we've got a new contact incoming!" Pakka warned- her cousin was still injured, but had taken commendable control of the situation by himself. "Sentinel-class is making a beeline for the airfield!"

The Trianii swore, getting to her feet as her heart started to race. "Dammit... alright, everybody still here, move the wounded deeper into the compound; get to the armory, and arm any healthy civilians! Mica, I need you to stay with them and tend to the wounded!"

"Yes ma'am," the wolf answered without question. "Keep safe out there!"

"I need a squad on me!" she barked, drawing her lightsaber and jogging to the entrance as no fewer than a dozen healthy Trianii Rangers quickly followed.

She knew time was going to be limited; with the city's power grid disabled and the outlying sensors crippled, only the airbase's auxiliary systems were capable of giving them limited warning of incoming threats. The moment she stepped out into the daylight, her eyes caught sight of the landing craft swerving and rotating on the spot as one of the hatches opened and ejected a large cube- an active stasis cage crashed into one of the few remaining tents still standing, just as two dozen figures dropped to the ground with it.

Time seemed to freeze for a moment as Syrra laid eyes on two of the unmasked figures. The first was a violet-skinned Twi'lek female, her form wrapped in black Sith armor and her lekku wrapped in ebony leather, a lightsaber in her hand. Next to her, drawing her attention far more, was a short but physically strong Trianii female dressed in black, sleeveless Ranger fatigues, her pelt a deep ebony and her eyes a piercing violet shade. Their eyes met for only a fraction of a moment, yet Syrra knew immediately who she was staring at.

The moment passed and she felt herself sprinting towards the new contacts, her sapphire blade springing from its hilt and engaging the first three closest soldiers. Black-armored with featureless masks, she felt no fear in them as they drew vibroweapons and attacked, while the rest of them sprinted past her and into the firing line of Trianii Rangers. Syrra was immediately astounded by the power of their strikes, her steadfast defenses put to the test within the first opening slashes.

But they neither Jedi nor Sith. A year of training with a Jedi Sentinel and battling the Empire, to say nothing of her lifetime of Trianii Ranger combat training, could not be matched by three unskilled sword-arms. They matched her strength, not her agility, and soon found themselves pressured by her quick strikes. Two of them struck as one and she slid between them, her sapphire blade rending their armor in nearly simultaneous, imperceptible slashes that left their bodies crumpled on the ground. The last soldier thrust wildly and she sidestepped, twisting and shattering the trooper's helmet with a blow from her songsteel paw.

A flash of insight struck her and she reacted, bringing her blade up just in time- violent arcs of lightning had erupted from the Twi'lek's palms, barely intercepted by the Trianii Sentinel's Jedi weapon. The torrent of electricity was enough that random arcs zapped along her prosthetic, the metal smoking slightly though it suffered no real damage. After a few moments the stream stopped and Syrra staggered back, holding her blade up in a defensive position.

Snaire giggled, nodding in approval. "Excellent reflexes, Jedi. Your master certainly wasn't a slouch, this might very well prove entertaining."

"I was told the daughter of Matriarch Bast had been trained well as a Jedi," the black-furred Trianii said quietly. "I was not being lied to, it seems."

"Ai'Rah," Syrra growled, the simmering rage beneath her other competing emotions growing hot enough to leave them all behind. "Matriarch Ja'Murah thought you'd be on-planet, but to be working with the Sith?!"

"I do not deny it," the Trianii commander acknowledged, regarding the Jedi seriously.

"Why?!" she snarled. "Why are you attacking our people?!"

"They are not my people, not anymore," Ai'Rah responded with a hard glare, taking a moment to glance at the pitched battle between the Dark Acolytes and Trianii Rangers, now spread out through the airfield in melee or ranged combat. "Not as long as the Matriarchs continue to assert their supposedly divine authority over the Trianii people. If the Trianii Rangers have truly decided to buy into their ancient, unseen gods, then I will solemnly side with those who would help me remove them from power- and aid me in building my strength in the Force." She stepped forward, drawing a lightsaber from her hip and igniting it, a violet blade springing from the end. "And I will gladly cut down those who stand in my way."

It took all of Syrra's willpower to not give in to hatred and anger, to not charge at the traitor; nevertheless, she raised her saber into a ready position, her eyes glinting with a blue flame as she glared at Ai'Rah. "I'm going to give you one chance to surrender, Sinth Ai'Rah. I am a Jedi Knight, with more far more experience and training- your odds of victory are slim. Surrender now and I promise I'll argue for leniency on your behalf."

"I told you she'd try to convert you," Snaire scoffed. "You have demonstrated your power already, Commander- now you must demonstrate your loyalty. Kill her."

Ai'Rah complied without a word, lunging forward with an abrupt agility that the Jedi was nevertheless prepared to counter. The sound of clashing lightsabers rang through the air as the two Trianii met, moving with a speed and fluidity that almost looked out-of-place in the rugged combat zone, their energy blades spinning and cutting through the air. It was, to Syrra, a complete melding of her self and the Force; intense focus guiding her actions as her rapid assault was directed against Ai'Rah. Yet the ebony feline did not waver physically; despite her inexperience with the Force, it was clear her skill in close combat was enough for her to keep up, defending and counter-attacking expertly. No matter how fast the Jedi struck, the traitor was able to deflect it with comparable speed; Syrra's Ataru found itself matched by well-trained Trianii swordsmanship.

The first cadence ended with Syrra stepping away quickly and warily, switching to a defensive stance. Ai'Rah was truly strong in the Force, even if only on a subconscious level, and despite looking impressed by Syrra's fighting skill she made use of the lull to press the attack. Her swings were wild, yet powerful; simple, yet relentless; each blow caused Syrra's arms to tingle from the shock, though her defenses held firm. She started backing up, inwardly trying to hold out long enough for the untrained Force-sensitive to wear own stamina away. As the seconds wore on, she could feel each blow starting to lessen, could hear Ai'Rah's breath becoming labored. She mistepped and stumbled, her swing going wide and leaving her open- in that moment of vulnerability, Syrra move to strike.

She was a second too late.

So occupied as she was with the opening, she almost didn't hear the crashing sound behind her, nor feel the presence of a massive lifeform looming above. Before she could stab Ai'Rah's arm she felt a giant mass strike her from behind and lift her through the air. She let out a wild yelp as the sudden attack sent her barreling through a stack of thankfully empty cargo containers, barely able to make out the image of a horrifying beast as she came to a stop. The tang of blood spread across her tongue as she groaned and got to her feet unsteadily, completely disarmed.

There was no time to dwell on what was going on, however- Ai'Rah had sprinted in to take advantage of the vulnerability, followed by the crashing sound of a battle-hydra beside her. Eyes wide with fear, Syrra moved less guided by the Force and more by instinct as she ducked Ai'Rah's first slash, then rolled past her to avoid the snapping jaws of one of the hydra's two heads. She rolled back to her feet, transitioning into a lunging leap over the venomous stinger at the end of its tail; and yet the attack was not over, even as Syrra put some distance between them. She watched as Ai'Rah held up a paw, the hydra fixed in place obediently as it hissed and growled at Syrra. The traitor pointed at the Jedi and the hydra followed without question, screeching and charging violently alongside the Sith-aligned Trianii.

Even so, Syrra was not without support- at the same moment several shots rang out from behind, as a small squad of Trianii Rangers peppered the beast with firepower, though it seemed to do little more than enrage the beast. It gave Syrra enough time to spot and summon a discarded vibrosword into her paw, just in time to intercept Ai'Rah's lightsaber as the duel continued. Despite having a superior defense, however, it quickly became apparent that Ai'Rah possessed the advantage; between her relentless assault and the hydra lunging and snapping at Syrra to keep her from counter-attacking, the Jedi was forced silently admit that the traitor had an exceptional amount of control over her warbeast.

One of the beast's heads dipped low and snapped at her ankle, stumbling her- the opening was enough for Ai'Rah to slash hard, ripping the vibrosword out of Syrra's grip and out of reach. The backswing returned, only to fail to hit its mark as the Jedi reached out with her songsteel paw and closed around the energy blade, letting her pull it out of the way and leaving Ai'Rah's face open- Syrra's left paw formed a fist, intent on crashing into the traitor's nose.

It never came. A cold, piercing pain hit the Jedi square in the gut, her eyes widening as all the air seemed to leave her body. She looked down, groaning through grit teeth at the sight of a short tail-blade lodged in her abdomen. When her grip on the traitor's lightsaber did not slacken, she spun and drew away the blade, planting a powerful kick into Syrra's wounded stomach. An explosion of hot pain coursed through the Jedi, now reduced to wide-eyed, desperate gasping as she lay curled in the dirt. Even as she struggled to get back up, she knew the outlook was grim; half-expecting Ai'Rah to finish the job mercilessly, Syrra instead found herself pulled onto her knees by her hair, a knee pressed hard into her back and forcing her throat to be exposed. Her defense came reflexively, her songsteel paw catching the blade just in time to prevent it from lopping her head off.

The ebon-furred Trianii growled into her ear, trying to force the energy blade through her neck. "You were stronger than I gave you credit for. You truly were your father's daughter. Now stop struggling, so I can send you to meet him, just like all the other deluded Trianii believe."

"Not... finished yet," Syrra gasped, angling the blade away enough that she was able to grab Ai'Rah's wrist with her other paw- but it seemed whatever augmentation the dark-armored troops had undergone, Ai'Rah had also become a part of, as her strength did not easily yield. It did not seem to be a struggle for the traitor, in any event, as the hydra once again lumbered around them.

"These beasts are capable of quick disembowelment," Ai'Rah warned her, as it bent forward and eyed the vulnerable Jedi maliciously. "You either let me take your head, quick and painless... or I let the beast devour you while you are still alive." And as Syrra watched the beast's tongue lash out, tasting the air between them, she knew it was no bluff. Injured, emotionally compromised, and caught between a lightsaber and a hungry monster, the only thing Syrra seemed to have left was a few seconds of life. A cry rang through the air and for a fearful moment Syrra wondered if the beast had struck, forcing the scream from her reflexively.

But the yell persisted, drawing the Trianii Sentinel's eyes upward as a green-robed, red-haired figure descended seemingly from the heavens themselves, bearing an emerald blade in one paw and a sapphire blade in the other. The hydra didn't even have the opportunity to react to the sound as Keris fell between both its heads, piercing both skulls simultaneously; it's lightsaber-resistent scales proved to be no match for a heavy-handed downward stab, boths head slamming to the ground as the vixen landed, the earth beneath her hindpaws cracking and sinking in. The hissing ceased in an instant, the beast going completely limp as Keris pulled the blades free and assumed a Jar'Kai lightsaber stance, glaring at Ai'Rah.

"Back away from her, Sinth," Keris told her firmly. "You can still fix this if you surrender now."

"I've made my choice, whelp," Ai'Rah grunted, still trying to decapitate Syrra.

"You're choosing poorly," the fox warned her. "I used to run with these assholes, I know what they're like. Several of them tried to kill me and one of them tried to rape me; and that was while I was still a member of their Circle. Take it from someone who has turned away from the dark side- this is not a path that will get you what you want. And even if it does, it's gonna exact a hell of a cost. For your own sake, give up now."

"Ah, Keris," a voice said from behind the Trianii pair, interrupting the discussion- Snaire had sauntered to them with an expression of calm amusement. "I was wondering when I'd get to see you again. Thresher seemed to think he'd finished you off a few months ago- pity we didn't have a chance to speak back on Observer V."

"I wouldn't have had much to say, beyond telling you to go to hell," Keris returned, eyeing the Twi'lek distrustfully. "You probably would've tried to bring me back into the fold if you hadn't been focused on trying to fry me with your Sith abilities. I guess you figured Ai'Rah here would make a better replacement."

"She has the potential to be quite powerful," Snaire acknowledged, putting a hand on the feline's shoulder- the two Trianii continued to struggle with the lightsaber, the crackling of the weapon against Syrra's cybernetic paw flaring up in volume every so often. "As did you," she continued, sighing as she drew her lightsaber. "But I'm told your lover is quite devoted to his new sibling and the way of the Jedi, and you've never been one to abandon him. And as I can't very well have you trying to scare away prospective allies, you understand that I have little issue with killing you, too."

"I don't think my fiancee would let you," Keris smirked, nodding past Snaire.

Both she and Ai'Rah turned on the spot as the white wolf sprinted towards them with lightsaber pike in hand, leaping into the air with a snarl and aiming a killing blow at the unprepared Twi'lek. Even as she ignited her blade and raised it to defend herself, however, the Jedi Guardian disappeared. A brief moment of confusion was all Keris would allow them as she turned off Syrra's lightsaber and thrust her paw out, sending both Snaire and Ai'Rah flying through the air with a telekinetic blast. Each woman shrieked as they crashed into the debris littering the airfield.

"Made ya look, bitches!" she chirped happily. "How many times are you morons gonna fall for that!?" She didn't wait for an answer, rushing to Syrra and helping the injured Trianii back up to her feet. "You alright, love?" she asked, nuzzling the feline.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Syrra lied, inwardly feeling exhausted from the emotional overload and aches of battle. The injury to her stomach was actually the least of her problems, she silently admitted. "I can still fight," she assured the vixen, taking her lightsaber back and standing back up on unsteady feet.

Keris shook her head, cupping the Trianii's face and peering into her eyes sadly. "I know what it's like to act tough, I've been doing it for three years. I know you're hurting. I just need you to be strong for me- for all of us- long enough to deal with these cunts. Focus, and do what a Jedi should do, even if they don't deserve it. I'll be here for you, during and after."

It was the vixen's touch and words, mixed with the gentle aura of genuine compassion, which reached the feline. The bond between them was enough to soothe Syrra's pain, a warmth flickering in her chest and her stamina returning to her with a rush. No matter how bad things were, she at least did not have to meet it by herself- her packmates, even while busy fighting their own battles, were not going to let her face this evil alone. With a firm nod and deep breath she turned and activated her weapon, ready to step back into the fight just as Snaire and Ai'Rah picked themselves out of the toppled tents.

Had it been only minutes earlier and without Keris to pull her back from the darkness, Syrra was certain her emotions would have compelled her to rush into battle; now with the vixen at her side, she waited as the Sith pair got back to their feet and stood her ground as they charged. Snaire lashed out first, a stream of flames erupting from her off-hand. The response was immediate, Keris tearing off her shoulder-cape and tossing it towards the assault, the weak fabric catching aflame and soaring towards Snaire as a crumpled ball of fire that the Twi'lek side-stepped. Ai'Rah did not stop, rushing and beginning her attack against the vixen just as Snaire caught up. Blades of light crossed in rapid succession as the vixen engaged with Ai'Rah, while Syrra defended against Snaire. Their styles could not be more different: the vixen's poise, grace and footwork; the Trianii's agility, ferocity and precision; the traitor's power, rage and improvised bladework; and Snaire's weak dueling skill melded with Sith cleverness.

The first time she and Keris had fought at each other's sides had been on Ekibo, against poorly-trained Trianii bodyguards. But while Syrra had been expecting the duo to be a larger threat than her older sister and her cadets, it did not take long for her to realize their Sith opponents were sorely outmatched. Ai'Rah was certainly a trained soldier and swordswoman, but lacked the discipline of a Force-trained mind; a fact Keris exploited by feinting and unbalancing the traitor with abrupt kinetic bursts. Snaire possessed the opposite problem; her powerful Force-techniques were not enough to overwhelm the Jedi pair, not with her sub-par dueling skills, which could not weather the storm of Syrra's acrobatic assault nor Keris' precise jabs and cuts.

She ducked a slash from Ai'Rah and struck, cutting a shallow wound through the traitor's thigh that caused her to snarl in pain and anger. Snaire attempted to follow up, blasting a storm from her fingertips, but Keris leaped in, taking the brunt of the attack with a cry- the torrent was not enough to subdue her, as the vixen staggered forward and stabbed, penetrating through the tendrils of high energy and into the Twi'lek's shoulder. Syrra would have lunged in and subdued the both of them, had Keris not dropped to one knee immediately afterward and prompted her to rush to the vixen Jedi's side.

Almost immediately she regretted it; though the two Jedi would have been open at any other point, the battle between the Trianii Rangers and the new Sith soldiers appeared to have ended with the Rangers victorious, and what few survivors remained were advancing around the Sith pair, compelling them to cut the duel short in favor of running. "Forget the Jedi trash, we're alone here," Snaire growled, clutching her wound. "Get to the shuttle, Initiate!" Ai'Rah looked ready to argue for a moment, the glare she was giving Syrra nothing short of lethal, but with an annoyed hiss she followed, deflecting a blaster bolt and cutting down one of the Rangers in their way.

"Fuck, they're makin' a break for it!" Keris growled, staggering to her feet with Syrra's help. The two started to make chase just as one of the Sentinel-class shuttles swung around low near the Sith, but it was Syrra who forced them to break off as it rotated on the spot and brought its cannons to bear at the two of them, grabbing her best friend by the arm and yanking her out of the way just as a barrage of cannon-fire tore a gash through the ground where they'd been running.

"Forget them!" Syrra yelped as it continued its attack, the ship's cannons lighting up again and pursuing them as the Sith pair leapt into an open hatch in the side. "Just run!" The pair raced through the ruined airfield, leaping over bodies, ducking behind cargo crates and sprinting through torn-apart tents as the barrage continued. The explosions were enough to cause her ears to ring, the kickup of dust making it difficult to see clearly, but she knew the Force was guiding the both of them to safety, and trusted to it even as they reached one of the walls.

They slid to a halt as space ran out, the both of them ready to leap over the wall. It was Keris who stopped her, however, just as a ripple in the Force hit the both of them and caused them to turn. They both watched as the shuttle rocked to its left, arcs of electricity coursing from its right side. For a moment, Syrra thought that Snaire had launched another torrent of Sith lightning against the vessel for some reason; that notion vanished as she witnessed a sphere of golden lightning fly out of seemingly nowhere and slamming against the shuttle, causing it break off its attack and fly away, a black burn and small storm of electrical currents lingering throughout its starboard side.

Syrra stared as it retreated, glancing at the vixen in confusion. "... What was all that about?" she asked.

Keris looked just as confused, ready to shrug before she brightened and smiled. "I'll bet it was one of them," she answered, pointing towards the northern entrance of the airfield.

Syrra followed the vixen's direction, eyes widening as she saw Kajex leaning against Locke, looking injured, tired, but happy as his thoughts reached her mind.

"Hey kitten... I'm back."

"So that, I take it, was the 'sentinel problem' Lady Snaire was referring to," Ai'Rah muttered. "At least now I know why the Matriarch's brat was a tough fighter."

"Indeed, that bastard mutt is proving to be a major thorn in our hides with his Force abilities," Thresher hissed, gazing out in the direction of the Trianii airfield. "Will our shields hold, pilot?"

"Yes, my lord- weapon systems are offline, but the shield generator is still intact," came the answer.

The shark nodded. "Good enough, we still have blasters to bear from the cannon tripods. Get to the last evac zone, and inform the Grim Return that we will be bringing injured." He glanced at Snaire and Ai'Rah as the two were tended by a medical officer. "You're lucky I decided to follow up on the both of you, Snaire- I had a feeling you'd deviate from the plan."

"It was me, my lord," Ai'Rah said quietly, keeping her gaze down. "I wanted the opportunity to prove my commitment to your cause. Executing the Jedi Syrra felt like the best way to do that."

"Admirable though your offer was, I have need of your services, as well as Snaire's," Thresher said sternly, folding his arms and glaring at the Trianii. "We'd have found other ways to ascertain your level of commitment, way that would not have risked our resources. I made it very clear you were to control the warbeast while circling the airfield, not engage the Trianii."

"Easy, Thresher," Snaire cut in with a smile. "Give her some credit- she did remarkably well. Had the traitor bitch Keris not interrupted, the Trianii runt would be dead now. I didn't even have to intervene, Ai'Rah here controlled her beast expertly while she was dueling."

"All the more reason not to risk it until she's properly trained! We can replace the Dark Acolytes with more recruits, and as our projects move forward they will become less an issue; but I'll not have our more valuable assets be put at risk until they are ready!" Thresher shot back, before sighing in frustration. "But very well. I'll let this slide given that you've clearly impressed Snaire, and that's not easy to do. Let me be clear on one thing, though- no matter how effective a leader you were as a Trianii commander, I expect you to follow my commands in the future. Understood?"

"Yes, my lord," Ai'Rah answered clearly.

A series of pops prevented any further discussion, the metallic sound of slugthrower rounds smacking against the shuttle's reinforced hull prompting Thresher to divert his attention to the action outside. The shuttle was now hovering some one hundred feet above a street corner, where a knot of Imperial survivors were holding out against three advancing Trianii Ranger firing lines. "What's the situation with the LZ?"

"Close to being overrun," the pilot answered grimly. "Counting thirty of our own below, with at least three dozen contacts on all three streets."

Thresher said nothing, scanning the survivors quickly- he was certain in any situation he would have been able to spot his favored Acolyte among the crowd just by her lesser size, yet she was not among them. With a frown he brought a claw to his headset. "Patch me through to Acolyte Saph."

"On it, sir," the co-pilot said, as the ship hover above the survivors and the manned turrets on either side of the vessel thumped repeatedly, spewing explosive light into the streets below. After a few moments he responded. "Her comm is dead, I have no connection. She must have a faulty transmitter."

Thresher shook his head. "It's the same tech as the Novatroopers, there's no chance a faulty device could have passed inspection."

Snaire snickered. "Worried about the bunny, Thresh?"

"She was useful," the shark grunted.

"Don't worry, she's a tough bitch," the Twi'lek assured him, gesturing out of the vessel. "Look, she's even bold enough to go running around without her helmet."

The almost-alien sensation of elation seemed to be matched by fear, as the Karkarodon strode to her side of the vessel and leaned out. Sure enough, at the end of the street was Saph, jogging towards the survivors and stopping short as she caught sight of the Trianii Rangers having taken cover and firing positions behind damaged speeders and building wreckage, a blaster pistol in her paw. Though he kept his face neutral, the sight of the blue-furred Acolyte was more than satisfactory. That satisfaction faded as he saw several of the Trianii turn and spot her, diverting part of the their fire to the lone fighter, forcing her to take cover behind a shattered building column.

With a growl Thresher ducked back in. "Pilot, put us down directly below between the survivors and the northern firing line!"

"My lord, we'll be exposed to--"

"They're ill-equipped to damage a vessel like this," Ai'Rah cut in, grabbing a blaster rifle from one of the overhead weapon racks. "We'll be well-protected within."

Without any further argument the vessel began to descend, it's wings folding and its landing struts extending moments before touching down. The moment the vessel stopped shaking and the side hatches were fully opened and its ramps extended, Thresher was out, leaping from the vessel with lightsaber in hand as Ai'Rah and the hatch gunner returned fire on the Trianii position.

In moments the Rangers had picked their target, opening fire on Thresher and prompting him to slide a speeder between him and their slugs, growling as a stray round punctured the side of his midsection and exited the other end. The pain was trivial, the shark's rage and fear dulling the sensation to a weak throb as he focused on keeping their attention on him, calling upon the Force to throw speeders, garbage receptacles and bodies at the firing line. As he did so he mentally reached out to the Lepi, channeling a message between them.

"Do not let go of your fear, Acolyte; embrace it, and survive."

She'd heard it as clearly as if he'd been right next to her, speaking into her ear. She'd turned the corner towards the final evacuation zone only to find a veritable wall of Trianii Rangers blocking her path, ducking back into cover as they opened up on her position. It quickly became apparent they had no intention of letting her escape, incensed as they were by the attack on their settlement. All she could do was lean out and return fire, too fearful to leave her cover to make a break for it- not even scoring a hit on one of the Rangers and snuffing out his life was enough to dispel that fear.

Then she'd felt Thresher's presence in her mind, his command to embrace her fear. To say that she understood immediately would be untrue, but the moment he'd reached out to her she realized two things- first, that she would not be rescued if she didn't move out soon; and second, that Thresher was not going to leave until she was either onboard or dead. The longer she cowered behind the broken pillar, the more certain she would be captured and executed- she could either hide from her fears and seal her fate, or face it and defy death.

A shudder passed through her as she leaned behind her cover, panting as tears streaked down her face. She'd failed to kill her brother's murderer, as Thresher had told her she would; by deviating from her group she'd nearly been left behind, forced to sneak and avoid Ranger patrols and even barely avoiding one of the Amaran traitors on her way to the evac zone. Anger at her own foolishness built up in her, melding with the fear of her own impending death.

"I don't want to die," she thought inwardly, clinging to that feeling of self-preservation. With a deep breath, she submerged herself in that fear, letting it take her- and in the next moment, she had stepped out of cover.

It was suicide, she knew. Though unprepared for her break from cover, the three or four Trianii who had been taking shots at her were clearly ready to open up again, leading their target visually. A pang of alarm filled the Lepi and she stopped short, darting left just as they opened fire and pelted the space she'd nearly filled with slugs. Heart racing she charged them all, raising her blaster pistol and firing a wild shot in their direction. The group ducked, giving her another second to sprint, her legs burning from the exertion of forcing them to run directly into danger.

Another shot rang out, the round slamming against the rabbit's left shinplate and shattering the armor apart, tripping her up. With a yelp she threw herself forward and rolled ungracefully, managing to come back up with her blaster outstretched and returning fire with a single shot- the Trianii marksman fell to the ground, a blaster bolt having exploded against his side.

She was less than halfway to the shuttle now, a mere fifteen meters or so from the firing line, but the remaining three shooters were ready to fire again. So close to salvation yet so far, Saph found herself snarling, charging the three with a prolonged battle cry and firing wildly at them again. They hesitated, clearly expecting her to have stopped short and accepted her fate- whatever else they expected from the rather short lapine fighter, it was not a suicidal charge.

They fired, their shots missing their mark completely. That she was still alive renewed her energy, a burst of strength channeling into her legs as she sprinted faster, her pistol still spitting random bolts at the line.

Ten meters remained. Another series of cracks- a sharp pain lanced through the Lepi's left arm as a bullet lodged into her shoulder. The pain was trivial, almost nonexistent; if anything, it spurred her on.

Five meters left- and she leapt, vaulting over their cover.

Her paws had been outstretched before her, and almost in slow motion she watched as the closest Trianii's round struck her left palm and exited the other side, even as she wound up her right arm in mid-lunge. The pain of the injury seemed to return the passage of back to normal, just as her pistol smashed the Ranger's jaw dead on, a horrible crunch ringing out as it seemed to cave in slightly. With a grunt she landed right on top of him, the Ranger completely knocked out; but the danger lingered as the remaining two turned to open fire on her.

Without thinking she rolled, pulling the stunned Trianii's body up and using him to shield her from their shots. A cry tore through her as one of the rounds sunk into her midsection after penetrating through the unconscious feline's side. Eyes watering and injury burning, she raised her pistol and shot the closest Ranger in the neck, the feline gasping and gurgling as she held her throat and dropped to her knees. Her assault did not go unnoticed, as the rest of the firing line paused and turned to see the new scuffle. All eyes turned and laid upon the vulnerable, still-living Lepi, their gazes hot with hatred and anger, putting a cold chill of fear on her.

She knew she had only seconds left, if that. Within the first second, her eyes fell on a thermal detonator still clipped to the injured Ranger's belt, and in the next second her paw snatched it away. With a burst of strength and a pained, desperate scream as her injured midsection flared up with white-hot pain, Saph curled her legs under the Ranger on top of her and heaved, kicking his body out and throwing him into the air. The last Trianii Ranger's round struck him in mid-air, penetrating through and nearly catching Saph in the head as it shattered against the speeder she was laying in front of.

The closest Trianii grabbed her and hoisted her to her feet, a vibroblade in his hand ready to sink into her guts. She refused to give him that opportunity, balling her injured left fist and smashing it against his right temple. His grip loosened just enough for her to kick him away and knock over a few more Rangers, just as she triggered the explosive, tossed it at the group and vaulted over the barrier, staggering to get away.

A tremendous cacophony of sound filled the air and deafened her, an enormous burst of heat and pressure lifting her off the ground and propelling her into the air. Her senses seemed to go numb as she twirled aimlessly in the air like a lifeless rag doll, eyes blurring as she witnessed a massive explosion engulfing the Ranger firing line. A swooping sensation of falling followed, ending abruptly as she hit the ground hard and rolled several meters.

Pain coursed through every fiber of her body, reducing her to pained whimpers and a deep desire for her own life to end. Her left paw clenched and the resulting flare-up of pain made her squeak in anguish, the agony of her injury triggering every other ache and sore she felt. The light around her seemed to darken, and for a fearful moment she wondered whether her wish had been granted and she would be released from the torment of living.

A moment later, she felt herself being lifted up off the ground. Exhaustion and pain prevented her from turning her head to understand what was going on, though through the unfocused gaze beneath her heavy eyelids she could see the damage she had done- perhaps a dozen Trianii Rangers, dead in half a moment or less. Certainly very little time for them to linger in anguish, their lifeless, blackened bodies still smoldering from the deadly explosive.

Killing was not new to her. But to kill so many in such a short period of time unsettled her. A silent thought passed through her mind.

"How many more will I have to kill, before I kill the one I want?"

She felt herself being laid on a steel floor, just as a finned hand cupped her cheek. Her eyes focused just as a pale gray face looked down at her, a pair of deep, black eyes staring into her own. Thresher's answer was gentle as it filtered into her mind.

"As many as is needed, Acolyte. But no more for today. Release your fear, and rest- you have won another day to live."

She said nothing to him, though the fear of death slipped away into nothingness. The knowledge that she was now safe was enough for her to comply with his order. A sharp jab in her neck caused her to hiss in pain; yet within moments, a sensation of relief washed over her, pain receding into peace and calmness as her mind slowed and her eyes closed.

Another day to live. Another day to try again.

"That's all of them, my lord!" the pilot called out, as the last Dark Acolyte staggered into the hold and the hatch slid shut behind him- the sound of slugthrower rounds beating against the hull did not stop, futile as they were.

"Then lift off- our work here is done," Thresher called back, handing the injector back to one of the Acolytes and watching as Saph quickly drifted into a deep slumber. The shark's claws hovered above her midsection, and after a brief moment of concentration a small metal slug slid out of her injury before floating into his palm and being discarded on a nearby tray. It quickly fell off the tray as the vessel shook and pitched to the side, speeding into the skies above.

"Fond of her, aren't we?" an amused voice said next to him. Snaire was watching closely as he tended to the Acolyte. He did not respond immediately, continuing to focus his efforts on healing. The wound reacted to his manipulations through the Force, slowly closing over with renewed flesh and sinew. Despite the physical trauma, the rabbit had held out well, mitigating the damage enough that it was only barely a threat to her life. Stabilizing her was not beyond his abilities, not even after years of Sith training. In minutes, it had nearly completely healed, leaving only a red stain as he sat back on his knees with a sigh.

"You don't do that often anymore," Snaire said quietly, her voice barely masked beneath the roar of the ship's engines. "Probably takes a lot of effort."

The shark scoffed. "It's a simple cantr--"

"Bullshit," Snaire cut him off quickly. "Healing through the Force is no simple cantrip. I felt what you were doi--"

"If you want to continue having a tongue to talk with," Thresher growled, "you will shut the fuck up."

Snaire frowned at him, her arms folded, but before long she decided this was only an idle threat. "How long?"

"The effect is permanent," the shark said stiffly, getting back to this feet.

"Then that means you used--"

"Mind your tongue!" the shark hissed.

The Twi-lek sighed but shrugged, looking away. "Fine."

Ai'Rah looked between the two, confused. "Is there a problem, my lord?"

Thresher regarded the Trianii critically for a few moments before shrugging. "To use the Force to heal is not a simple feat. Sith typically don't use them- we're often above the need to rely on such things, powerful as we are." He paused, staring back down at the Lepi. "It is enough to say that my knowledge is extensive- not everything I learned came from Sith teaching."

Snaire snorted. "She must be something special to bring out something like that in you," she suggested pointedly.

"Perhaps," Thresher conceded, staring at the slumbering rabbit. "But then again, unlike you, I haven't forgotten where I come from."

On the other side of Navio City another feat of healing was taking place; though one far more impressive and concerning a victim far more injured. It was the third such patient she was tending to, this time a Trianii cub who had taken a blaster bolt to the stomach and had slipped closer to the threshold of death. She had arrived while Syrra had been busy battling the Sith on the airfield, with Mica desperately trying to keep her stabilized. To her credit, the unskilled Padawan had done an impressive job keeping the cub alive so long- yet her fate seemed certain, the tired she-wolf merely prolonging the inevitable long enough for the cub's grieving parents to say their tearful goodbyes to their only child, praying for Ekibo to deliver her to the peace of the afterlife.

That changed when Kajex returned to them. Too injured and exhausted to keep fighting, he had gladly turned his lightsabers over to Syrra without needing to be asked, knowing she would likely need them in order to help injured civilians. There had been two others just as wounded as the cub, now stabilized due to the wolf's hidden healing crystals in each Jedi weapon. Now the cub's midsection was repaired, the gore of her ruptured intestines healed and hidden beneath new flesh and fur, the child's breathing calm yet strong, as she drifted off into a deep slumber.

The cub's parents froze, fearful as her eyes closed- yet Syrra managed to give them an exhausted smile, nodding. "<She's alright. After a terrible injury like that, it's natural for her to be tired after healing. She is out of danger now.>"

The mother lunged at her, embracing her tightly as she joyfully wept. "<May the gods' favor shine on you eternally, Jedi Syrra! Dark as this day has been, you and the Matriarch have been shining lights for your deeds.>"

Syrra hugged back gently, her arms heavy and tired. "<I only did my duty as a healer. Were it not for my mate and his Jedi tutelage, I would have lacked what I needed to save your cub. I'm glad we could help you,>" she offered sincerely as she gestured to the wolf nearby, the Sentinel having been sat up against the wall. He nodded and smiled.

"<Thank you for taking the battle to these invaders,>" the father said huskily, wiping his eyes. "<Your courage will never be forgotten.>"

"<It wouldn't have been enough without your people's bravery,>" Kajex replied. "<The Trianii Rangers fought well today. I just wish more lives could have been spared.>"

"<They're pulling away!>" a voice shouted clearly from the entrance. Locke was leaning out the gate, his eyes fixed on the overhead Star Destroyer as it flew away, visible even from Syrra's position within the lobby. The sounds of distant turbolaser explosions had disappeared, leaving an eerie silence outdoors that only the wind could break. Within the lobby, however, were shouts of relief and joy at the news; couples and friends embraced each other tightly as they realized the worst part of the day had come to an end.

"'Bout fucking time those Imperial bastards left," So'Rah growled, watching from a viewport at the other side of the lobby as the ship disappeared over the buildings. "Now at least we can get some help down here- these folks could use more healing hands."

"Master Moarn won't leave us down here alone," his twin assured him gently. "I'm sure he'll be here soon, along with Tegrim and... well, actually Zephyr will probably want to stay in the ship..." she conceded with a sigh.

"Thank the Force," Mica said, shuddering. "I didn't think we were going to make it out of this alive."

"Who says we all have?" a voice snapped behind her. Both Syrra and Mica turned to see Rexxis, his arms folded and his tail swishing erratically as he bore an expression of worry and anger on his feature. "We're not all accounted for, Mica- now that those Imperial bastards are gone, we should go looking for Kentoh!"

So'Rah approached him, holding his paws up. "Rex, calm dow--"

"Fuck that!" Rex barked, causing the younger wolf to cringe and flatten his ears nervously. "I should have never let him go alone, now he could be out there and in danger!"

"Rex, listen to your brother," Kajex said, getting back up to his feet with a groan. "I agree that we should go look for him, but there are also a lot of people here who need our help too."

"There are others here who can help them!" the red-furred alpha growled dismissively. "Master Moarn will be here soon with more Jedi, they can handle things here! Anywhere not in here is still a potential danger zone!"

"Yes, but you're not equipped or trained enough to go out braving those dangers," the Sentinel said, frowning. "Leave it to the uninjured and trained to go look for them. I'll have Talrik and Rook head out for him once they're back--"

"I'm not going to wait for your say-so, Kajex!" Rexxis snarled. "If you gave a damn about my brother you'd be out there with me looking for him- he could be dead for all we know!!!"

"I give just as much a damn about Kentoh as you do!" Kajex snarled back, a flash of anger in his eyes.

An awkward silence overtook the lobby as everyone stared at the pair of glaring wolves, no one daring to break it as they waited for the next words to be uttered. Even the injured and grieving had turned their attention fearfully to the pair of tense canines, fearful that a fight would break out between them. Before long, the Sentinel relaxed visibly and let out a tense sigh. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped like that. But you need to be calm, Rex, and you need to focus. We're not going to help anybody by giving in to fear- that's the only thing preventing you from recognizing he's still alive."

"Easy, both of you," Syrra said quietly, looking worried and tired. "I... I get that you're both stressed. I'm feeling it pretty bad too. I want to just curl up and let my emotions take over for an hour. But there are still people here who need help- a shouting match between all of us isn't going to help anybody."

Rexxis glared at the Sentinel a few moments longer before backing down, swayed by the Trianii's words. He breathed in deeply, letting it out slowly with a shudder as he closed his eyes and focused. Within a few moments his ears flattened in shame, swallowing and nodding. "Yes... he's alive." He opened his eyes again, fixing him with a hard stare. "That could still change if there are any more Imperials out there, abandoned by their masters. We can't wait long."

"You don't need to," Locke told from the entrance. Both wolves turned, watching as the Guardian grinned and guided a dirt-covered Kanj'Isha towards them; his robes were burned in a few places but he looked in perfect health otherwise, a lightly bandaged Trianii cub clinging to him as her eyes scanned the room.

"Kentoh!" Sa'Rah exclaimed, running and embracing her surrogate brother tightly as the tired but happy-looking wolf hugged back. "We were worried about you, pup!"

"I know, I could feel you guys getting antsy," he admitted sheepishly. "But I couldn't just leave this cub behind either." As if to reinforce the point, the cub leaned in and nuzzled him affectionately, drawing a chuckle out from him. "I think her name is N... Nai'ir?" The cub smiled and nodded, reaching out and booping his nose with her paw.

"We'll take her, noble Jedi," one of the Trianii Rangers offered, holding her arms out and taking the cub from his arms. "One of the adults in the back told us to keep an eye out for their cub, and I'm pretty sure Nai'ir was her name. I'll make sure she's returned to her folks."

So'Rah chuckled, his arms folded as he regarded the younger wolf proudly. "Look at you... first mission as a Padawan and you're already a hero. That's so like you, pup."

Kentoh looked ready to respond, stopping short as Rexxis approached him. The younger brother swallowed, clearing his throat. "H-hey Rex... sorry I took a while, I just--"

But he was cut short by the older wolf grabbing him and pulling him into a tight hug, a sad whine pouring from his chest as he squeezed tight. "You little brat... don't you ever make me worry like that again."

"Rex..." Kentoh whined back, smiling fondly. "Really, I was fine, I just..." He trailed off, sighing. "Okay, I'm not going to pretend I wasn't in danger. But I had things handled. I didn't go looking for trouble, and I did my best to stay out of it like you wanted, using Kajex's teachings to stay out of sight."

"Are you hurt?" Rex asked, tracing a finger over a charred hole in the Padawan's robes.

"I'm fine," Kentoh assured him. "Just some soldier managed to steal my training lightsaber, and she tried killing me with it." He chuckled. "Gave me a couple of good thwacks before she realized it wasn't going to butcher me, and I was able to subdue her in the end. After that, it was mostly just staying hidden from these... 'Dark Acolytes,' they called themselves. I, uh..." He hesitated again, holding up the Sith weapon he'd taken. "I had to kill one of them with a borrowed lightsaber."

Kajex frowned. "Lightsaber? You fought a Sith and lived?"

"I don't think so, no. That first one that attacked me? She gave up after I stunned her, and she had a red-bladed lightsaber on her," Kentoh informed him, scratching his head. "Which is strange because I don't remember any of the other Acolytes were carrying anything except blasters and vibroweapons. I don't think she was Force-sensitive, either. Anyway, between a blaster and a lightsaber I know how to work a blade better, so the next Acolyte I came across who saw me, I was able to take down. After that, I figured it'd be better to wait until the coast was clear. That's more or less why I took my time getting back here."

Rexxis stared at him while he spoke, his brow furrowed in concern. After a while he sighed and nodded. "Good job, pup. Granted, I wish you hadn't gone off on your own, but... you did good today, little brother." He took a deep breath and turned to Kajex. "And Kajex... I'm sorry. You were right to tell me to be calm. It's just... this whole day..."

"It's fine, Rex," the Sentinel told him. "Like I said, I'm sorry for snapping, too. It's been a hell of a day for all involved parties."

"Nobody blames either you for feeling stressed," Syrra told them both. "We're all feeling it, after this attack- and for you guys, especially after seeing the new pack."

Kentoh blinked, looking between everyone. "New pack?"

With the majority of the Trianii Ranger's surface pyorn and only punctino dead after the battle, and Pakka the highest ranking officer in charge, the restriction against non-Trianii being admitted into the ziggurat had been lifted. Syrra guessed that even if the higher-ranking officers hadn't been slain in the opening minutes of the battle, they would have rescinded the restriction to allow Master Moarn's Jedi and Baarok Pharmaceutical's healers entry into the Ranger base; particularly as the total of injured remaining was still over a thousand, the number growing every time patrolling Rangers brought another few civilians in.

Part of her ached to be among her people, saving as many lives as she can; yet a larger part wanted to be in the company of her pack, especially after the numerous close shaves they'd all had. Silent though they were as they continued to lend aid throughout the lobby, the fact that they had all survived yet another harrowing mission calmed the Trianii Jedi enough that she was finally able to take the time to tend to Kajex's injuries, while he tended to hers. Ai'Rah's tail-blade had left a considerable wound, but a combination of Jedi focus and bacta injections had rendered it low-priority compared to every else; and despite the fact that the front of her robes were now stained with her own blood, the wound had closed enough that Kajex was easily able to finish healing it with his own small yet growing skill.

It was a small but personal moment between them, a few moments of staring at each other and silently expressing joy that neither of them had fallen in battle. The loop of positive emotion and compassion aided in their efforts to heal, such that it wasn't long before all sense of exhaustion seemed to erase in the wolf's presence. But the moment could not last forever- when Matriarch Ja'Murah finally arrived with Master Moarn, Knight Tay and Olraa (whose healers were now aiding the accompanying Jedi with triage), they both recognized that it was time to get back to work.

"Jedi Syrra," Ja'Murah sighed in relief, striding forward and embracing her close. "It's good to see you alive."

"And you," Syrra replied sincerely. "How are things at the market vault?"

"I've sent several Jedi to the location already," Master Moarn informed her, placing a claw on her shoulder and squeezing gently in lieu of a greeting. "They are being taken care of as we speak. I apologize deeply for not sending aid to the surface sooner, Syrra, but even with Captain Olraa's aid it was far too risky to send our shuttles down."

"We were swarmed up there," Tay followed up, looking tired. "We didn't lose any pilots today, but they threw everything they had in their hangars at us- the Trianii Rangers lost plenty of theirs in the sky. Excellent pilots, but... there's only so much you can do against a full compliment of Imperial starfighters and gunboats."

"I'm sure every one of you fought as hard as you could," Ja'Murah insisted. "We cannot linger overmuch on what we've lost- we must focus on saving what we have left, and discuss why this even happened in the first place."

"Excuse me, Matriarch," a Trianii Ranger said, motioning for her and everyone to follow her, leading them deeper into the complex. "It's just this way to the cells, if you'll follow me please." Moarn nodded and gestured to them to follow, then waved towards Rexxis and Kentoh, coaxing them to come along. The pair nodded and fell in step behind Kajex and Syrra as they were guided through the ziggurat.

"We were finally able to get in touch with Knights Garrett and Simetra," Master Moarn informed all of them. "Garrett is injured but expected to recover, and we've sent a shuttle to pick up their team. They reported a run-in with one of the Circle of Syn's Sith Knights, Yuda, yet they were unable to stop him in time. Apparently he was leading a squad of these 'Dark Acolytes' and a few Trianii Rangers gone AWOL, likely those Ai'Rah convinced to follow her."

"I fought her," Syrra said coolly, a cold anger simmering within. "I still can't believe she'd go so far as to join the Sith. It's going to get her killed."

"You tried to reach out to her," Kajex said gently. "It might not be the end for her, if she remembers that."

"I'm not sure I'm inclined to give her a second chance," Syrra admitted. "Not after the damage she helped inflict today. Imagine if they decided to drop more than one of those monstrosities into the city- just knowing she could have more is hard to stomach."

"I'm afraid it gets even worse than that," Moarn said heavily as they were led into a room with a series of dimly-lit cells. He did not speak as they were guided towards the largest cell at the end.

Beside her, Syrra picked up a small, sad whine coming from Kajex, his eyes sad as they fell on the newly-rescued Kanj'Isha. Five of the ten were still asleep, and two were leaning against the wall, looking groggy and terrified. The other three looked up, cringing at the sight of well-armed Trianii and Jedi; the sight of it was nearly heartbreaking to Syrra, to say nothing of the fear and pain they were exuding.

Kentoh's eyes widened. "This is what you meant by the 'new pack?' You found more of us?"

Kajex shook his head. "We didn't find anything, pup. The Sith did. My guess is that they knew they would find battle hydras here along with more Kanj'Isha slaves. I fought Knight Thresher and he had the chance to kill me, but I think he wanted to release these wolves just to get at me- at all of us," he amended himself.

"They preyed on your compassion," Ja'Murah said sadly. "How cruel of them, to trade the freedom of your people so they might do more evil through the galaxy."

"That's not the worst of it," Moarn cut in with a sigh. "Simetra led her team into some nearby ruins. She confirmed that this was where the battle hydras were collected from. They left nothing behind, but noticed that there were power couplings embedded in the walls deeper in the complex, spaced out evenly enough for stasis pods not unlike the ones the Black Tomb pack were sealed within. By her estimation, and from the information gathered by the few prisoners Sinth Roc'nir was able to take... there had to have been at least twenty pods in total."

Rexxis' eyes widened. "They might have more of our people?!"

"That son of a bitch," Kajex growled, looking livid. "It's bad enough they attacked a peaceful Trianii settlement, but now they're back to taking Kanj'Isha slaves again!"

"I know it's bad," Moarn acknowledged gently, putting his claws on their shoulders. "But if nothing else, take solace in knowing that you've given a few more wolves their freedom today." He paused, looking at the cell. "Well... at least as much as they can be trusted with for now. They're out of danger, and they clearly don't look like their going to hurt anymore people."

A moment of silence followed in which the sole conscious female among the prisoners ceased her cowering, hesitantly getting to her feet and cautiously approaching the transparisteel viewport. Kajex stepped forward, putting a paw on the window, his golden eyes full of pain as the female, who looked about as old as he was, placed her paw opposite his, looking slightly hopeful. Syrra could feel the pain and sadness radiating off him, borne out of concern for his species.

She waited a while before breaking the silence. "... What's going to happen to them?" she asked. "Are they going to be kept here until they can be treated?"

"I have no intention of keeping them imprisoned," Ja'Murah said resolutely.

"M-matriarch?" one of the guards said, bewildered. "But they nearly attacked and--"

"I'm aware of that," Ja'Murah said, nodding. "And yet it's clear these poor souls are just as much victims of the Sith as our people were today. I have no wish to see these beings remain imprisoned. As this settlement, and by extension this planet and its beings, are under my oversight, it falls on me to decide their fate." She paused, sighing. "By our religious edicts, in fact, it could strongly be argued that Pouma V rightfully belongs to the Kanj'Isha. But as I'm certain off-planet matriarchs would argue the issue, it would likely be better if they were removed, if only temporarily. And besides, it's clear that only the Jedi and New Republic can help them at this point."

"Thank you, Matriarch Ja'Murah," Kentoh said, looking relieved.

"You needn't thank me, Padawan Kentoh," the Matriarch replied, smiling. "It is the people of this settlement who are indebted, to you and your friends."

"You need rest."

"I can keep helping!" Syrra insisted, frowning up at Master Moarn. "These people aren't going to stop suffering just because you think I need a nap!"

Night had fallen, and the normally well-lit city was cast in darkness, its power grid still ablaze on the other side of the settlement. The whole of the city's survivors were hidden away in the underground emergency vaults, or camped out along the ruined airfield. Tents had been reestablished, and the squadron of Trianii patrol ships that had returned from the fight had their floodlights enabled, keeping the field lit. On the far eastern side of the field, one of Baarok Pharmaceutical's corvettes, Ekibo's Light, had landed and was ferrying in injured or dispersing its cargo. In the middle of the airfield, the Gold Rush remained perched- the only difference was that now a few small tents had been built beneath it, constructed when Kajex had given the Trianii permission to take shelter beneath its sturdy hull. It was here Master Moarn had ordered Syrra to take a break.

The Trandoshan shook his head, holding her paws. "Syrra, I think I speak for everyone when I say that I am incredibly proud of the endurance, skill, and courage you have demonstrated today. You've worked all day helping these people with your Jedi healing arts, and it stands as a testament to your resolve and integrity. But with all that said, even the greatest of Jedi need to rest. There are other capable Jedi and civilian healers here to help the injured. You and your pack need to recuperate from your wounds and exhaustion."

"The old man's right, mate," Rook said firmly, her arms folded. She had returned from patrolling with Talrik and the Trianii Rangers, who were out looking for survivors throughout the city ruins. "You're a strong fighter, an' don't let nobody tell ya different, but you're gonna keel over if you don't take a breather soon. I know what it's like to want to help your people, I really do; and that's why they need ya fully rested, so you can do the best job you can for them."

"What about you?" Syrra asked.

"Talrik an' I are gonna do one more round with the Rangers, an' then we'll be back," the otter assured her. "As hard as today was, we both got the least of it- give us this one to do so we can pull our weight."

"Listen to your friend," Master Moarn agreed. "You can't pretend that this hasn't been wearing down on you. Get some sleep, at least for a few hours." He paused, glancing at Kajex- the wolf was leaning against a landing strut. "Wouldn't you agree?"

The wolf hesitated, then sighed. "For the most part. I'm not going to tell you to get some rest, Syrra. You and I both feel the same way- we want to help. So instead of telling you what to do, I'll just say that... you need to decide how best to help people, and if that means helping yourself first."

Syrra stared at him, knowing full well their pain was the same. Kajex wanted to help the Kanj'Isha, his people, because he knew they needed the help; Syrra wanted to do the same for the Trianii. And yet despite the differences in species, she was fully aware they'd do anything to help each other's people, work together to alleviate the suffering the Imperial Remnant had inflicted.

If only the both of them weren't so exhausted.

"Alright," she conceded. "I'll at least take a break. Dunno if I'll be able to sleep, but... at least let me know the moment you need me, alright?"

"We shall, though I expect we'll have everything taken care for the time being," Master Moarn assured her. For a moment he looked ready to leave, but paused at the last moment and touched her shoulder gently. "Don't worry, Syrra. The Sith will face justice in the end."

She managed a pained smile in response. "I hope so." With a weary nod she climbed up the ramp, Kajex following suit behind her.

The interior of the Gold Rush was quieter than it usually was. Locke and Keris had left with one of the Ranger patrols, the former having avoided any injury and the latter having insisted that Snaire's Sith lightning had only singed her nerves a little. The Black Tomb pack had settled in for the night, all of them exhausted; though Rex has assured Kajex they'd be up early the next morning to continue lending aid. Only Miles had stayed onboard, a cast around his right hand and bandaging around his head, though he looked alright otherwise. Before him, Revan had stepped out of his holocron, his masked visage not quite doing enough to hide the concern in his voice.

"How are you holding up, Syrra?" the holocron asked.

She slumped into the nearest chair at the card table, sinking into the cushioning with a sigh as Kajex disappeared around the hallway. "Barely holding things together," she admitted. "I don't... I don't understand why they did this. The Circle could have just hid everything, performed this operation quietly without inflicting damage. They could have extracted the battle hydras and Kanj'Isha without a fuss, with us none the wiser and too later to stop them; so why was there even a battle in the first place? Master Skywalker said this was a kind of shadow war, but that's the case then why is it that they're going all-out on my species? We've never interfered with the Sith in the past."

"My guess?" Miles interjected. "They wanted to hurt you. All of us. It'd explain why they released a bunch of Kanj'Isha into the warzone- they wanted to throw us off our game." He grunted irritably. "Leave it to the Sith to make everything personal."

"I'm inclined to agree with him," Revan acknowledged heavily. "The Mandalorians used such tactics to ensure the people they were conquering would fight with all they had. I'm not proud to admit it was a tactic I utilized as Supreme Commander of the Republic Military."

"They only used one ship for their assault," Miles continued. "Against the New Republic, it would be a trivial matter of sending a larger force to deal with it; but against a small settlement with an orbital defense force lacking capital ships, it'd be too much to handle. They knew the Republic wouldn't be asked for aid, and they knew that even if we were here they'd have enough to throw at us to make any losses incurred worth it, if only for the Sith to supplement their forces. In the end, this was a shadow strike, because we didn't see it coming and we barely saw them leaving with their prize. And in the end, I'd be very surprised if the New Republic actually does something about it- they didn't react much when it was Almania, and this is deeper in the Wild Space region than it was there."

Syrra sighed and nodded. "And probably they wanted a reason to test these 'Acolytes' of theirs," she said bitterly. "Not like we didn't have enough to worry about with Sith Knights and Sith Cults- now they're making Sith soldiers."

"Buck up, Syrra," the Miraluka encouraged softly, getting to his feet and leaning in rub her shoulder. "We'll get 'em next time, just like Master Moarn said. For now, he's right- you should get some rest and prepare for tomorrow."

"You heard that?"

"I saw it," he replied, shrugging. "Wasn't hard to see you were against the idea of a break. I'm not gonna lecture you, but I know you'll do the right thing. As for me, I'm gonna hit the hay and recover."

"How's it feeling?" she asked, nodding to his cast.

"Still numb, but it'll be better by tomorrow," he told her. "Till then, I'll keep an eye on things- so to speak," he added with a wan smile, before striding down the length of the lounge into the hallway.

"Sleep well," Syrra told him.

"You too."

For a few minutes after, she sat in silence, with only Revan keeping her company. At no point during this silence did he do more than stand with his arms folded, staring up at the Trianii Jedi. He did not press he for information, nor give her encouraging words; she guessed that he felt there was nothing he could say that could ease her inner pain, and so respectfully kept silent.

Nevertheless, she broke the silence first. "Revan..."

"Ma'am?"

"... Has this ever happened to you?"

The holocron gatekeeper stared at her a few moments, before shaking his head. "If it did, I don't remember. All I know of my past is having been born somewhere along the Outer Rim." He paused. "That said... my initial conquest was borne out of my compassion for others. I can sympathize with what you must be feeling. An honest, compassionate Jedi would not ignore these feelings. They would acknowledge them, and work against the evil that causes it. That is our burden to bear, when we become Jedi."

The Trianii stared at him. "And... what if I can't bear it? What if I'm not... enough, to stop the source of this destruction?"

"I'm not going to make up some candy-coated nonsense, lying to you so it will make you feel better- you deserve better than that, and you're strong enough to handle an honest, if uncertain, answer," Revan told her. "You are but one Jedi, pitted against what evil there is in every corner of our dimension. The fate of the universe doesn't hinge on you. I was once the most feared man in the entire galaxy, responsible for so much death and destruction; and later I was considered one of its greatest saviors, safeguarding lives and mending the Republic. But at no point did the fate of the galaxy ever hinge on me, either. That's not to say what you do, and how you do it, isn't of any significance. It doesn't make you any less a person, to be unable to sway things one way or the other. And it certainly doesn't make what you do all for nothing."

"But if I can't even address the issue directly... if I can't even fight it..."

"Think about who you're talking to, Syrra," Revan cut in gently. "When I left everything I knew behind- my life as a Jedi, my wife Bastila, and my son- I thought it was because I was the only one capable of putting an end to Vitiate, the Sith Emperor. And now I know that I died thousands of years ago, while he was slain by his family. And that's okay with me."

"You're not bitter?" Syrra asked.

"Not at all- because I still made a difference."

There was a pause as Syrra digested this, staring at the ancient Jedi Master's holographic projection sadly, trying to understand. He continued.

"It may not be your destiny to put an end to the Sith. It may end up that others will do it instead. It might be that we all die fighting against the Circle of Syn. Even as servants of the light, the possibility of us being extinguished has always existed; it happened only a few decades ago, and it wasn't the first time. But if our fight against the Circle should claim our lives, then it'll be our choice- and what any of us do today may still make a difference tomorrow."

The Trianii managed a smile. "You think so?"

She could hear Revan's smile in his words. "You're friends and lovers with a pair of former Sith, two former Imperial stormtroopers and a Mandalorian bounty hunter who once tried to kill your mate. You tell me. And bear in mind that this is not a struggle you'll have to face alone. It wasn't for me- and you're much closer with your friends than I was with mine."

"Thank you, Revan," the feline said quietly, looking down to the table with a sigh, the pain receding slightly.

The two said nothing as the silence lingered, the Trianii thinking about everything that had happened, and everything Revan had said. Before long, however, footsteps could be heard coming from the far hallway. Without having to look up Syrra knew that Kajex had returned, though she was so deep in her own thoughts she didn't consider where he might have been for the duration of her talk with the holocron.

The scent of mint hit her nose, causing it to tingle pleasantly. Curious, she finally drew herself out of her thoughts and looked up. Before her, Kajex stood with a pair of mugs, setting one to the seat next to her and the other before her.

Hot chocolate. Mint creamer.

In that one act of compassion alone, the dam broke; all at once, the pain she had be bearing all day and the grief of those she had failed to save, melded with the relief of those she did save and the fact that her family was still alive. Her tears came as easily as breathing, as she slid out of her chair and into her mate's arms, shaking with silent sobs. The wolf's quiet whine filtered into her ears as Kajex held her close, rubbing her back.

"It's okay, Syrra... we're here. All of us."

"Thank you," she breathed, clutching him tightly. Even if the drink wouldn't make such a bad day more bearable, she knew his love for her would.

Revan had been right. She was not alone.