Fate: Final Hours of a Jedi Master

[Cortana Jade]

It had just a day into their investigation, and still things were as wcattered as they were when they started...but what gave them hope? The fact that they made progress. The Togruta Jedi Master stood silently in front of the observation window that gave view to the room the held the captives they reacued. She looked down with her facial features being lit only by the shimmering glow cast by the window itself.

Not too long ago she sent for Connor, with minimal success it was crucial they continued on with the objective. With her mind not in the right state and her abilities seemingly fueled by her subtle confusion, she longed to return home and meditate. She had been surpressing her thoughts and the pain she felt from the wound she sustained during her voyage to release the slaves. While not serious, it did weaken her and she wouldn't be able to heal herself without rest....which she hadn't had in some time.

It wasnt her well being that mattered to her however. There wasn't enough medical supplies to help all of these people...let alone get to her. This ship wasn't built to service so many, they needed to return. She clutched her side for a moment, as turning her figure released pain...that young woman was on her mind...she wanted to ask some questions...but then there was this datapad she found on the pirates body from onboard. She was sure it held something valuable but she wanted Connor around for that.

Now she waited, with the echoes of her visions replaying in a loop subtly when she thought about it. On an assignment...she wouldn't allow herself to combat her unknown fears.

[member="Connor Harrison"] | [member="Nemene"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor necked the remainder of the Blue Milk from his bottle in the canteen and moved on to heed Sochi’s call for him in the observation and interrogation chambers. He stifled a yawn as he walked and soon made it around to where his fellow Jedi Master waited.

He walked through the room, the far end nothing but a window looking through to the captives being treated after the ordeal. Sochi stood still looking through to them

He stood beside her for a moment, just watching. A small frown crossed his face at her unusual Force aura – certainly wasn’t herself of recent days, and wasn’t carrying the usual confidence and poise she so flawlessly had.

"You should let me take over this investigation, Sochi. You need to rest."

[member="Sochi Ru"] | [member="Nemene"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Connor Harrison"] [member="Sochi Ru"]

She sat crumpled in the corner of the room, her arms wrapped around her slender form, her hair set upon her shoulders still tainted with that bright crimson.

Her face was hidden, faded behind length of gray, silver, and red hair. She tried to hide as best as she could, the smirk upon her face would have been too much of a give away. It would be time soon, it would be time. She knew it. She could sense it. Her eyes shifted, looking at her palms. Within the center of each hand lay a black spot, each spreading slowly like spiderwebs.

Nemene's lips thinned, bright orange gazing through strands of hair.

She could see the Jedi. She could see them both. Soon they would come, soon she would come. Her lips turned up into a smirk again, her hands grasping something from underneath her clothing.

It was a tiny piece of metal, a small blade made of scrap. With a slight flick of her wrist Nemene grasped the metal and drove it into the skin of her wrist. One deep carve and blood began to flow, a steady pool streaming onto the floor beneath her. A screech, and one of the other slaves began to call for help.

 

[Cortana Jade]

For a moment that seemed to last forever, Connor stood there beside her, in silence. She already knew what he was going to say, she hoped he would spit it out. Perhaps he felt the same way about her, if he hadn't already sensed it. She looked over at him when he began to speak. Rest? And what did she know about such a thing? Last time she was ever out of service was when Hion the Herglic became corrupt and attacked her in her Padawan days. Then was she forced to recover.

But...one thing she couldn't deny was Connors budding wisdom, and they both knew that she was of no good to any one there if she wasn't at her best. Perhaps it was time to pass over the command.

"Perhaps your right. I leave you in charge Connnor." she said forming a relieved smile, she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"However...I called you down to show you something." she said pulling the battered datapad from under her robes. "I found this on the person of one of the slavers...." and with that her attention was drawn to the screams from below. She looked at Connor and then took off towards the pleas for help.

[member="Nemene"] | [member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

With a thin smile, knowing he’d won this time, Connor leaned in as Sochi pulled the datapad from his robe and turned his head to look – but snapped it up to the window looking down onto the slaves. The screams went right through him.

"Oh great."

He moved over with Sochi to the coded door into the observation cell and hit the keypad to open the door with a soft hiss. Connor pushed a blue button above the keypad and spoke.

"Medics to holding cell 2 and 3, right now, we got a bleeder."

Standing in the door frame, Connor gently placed a hand on Sochi’s back as she moved past to go down into the call.

"Want me to deal with this mess?"


[member="Sochi Ru"] | [member=Nemene]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

Blood pooled on the floor, it caused women to scream, men to wretch in disgust, and children to simply stand firm in terror.

Had she not been within her act Nemene would have laughed at them. She heard the stampeding cries of the medics, she heard the door slide open and their medical kits getting ripped apart. Her head was lashed back, her eyes revealed to the world, bright orange staring up directly into the eyes of [member="Sochi Ru"] as the medics grasped her arms and quickly went to work.

She remembered. She remembered only a short few weeks ago when Jenna had found her. That spunky little girl on Kashyyyk that had lost everything. Nemene had been in such bad shape then, and now? Now Jenna was naught but a sniveling rat and Nemene was about to kill a Jedi Master.

The Force was kind.

They sealed her wounds, spraying it with bacta.

The point had been made thought, and through the black veil of her vision the medics lightly grasped her. They put her on a stretcher, lifting her gently and pulling her up into the air. Quickly they headed for the medical bay.

As she passed Nemene mouthed something to the Togruta, empty words that made no sound. “Find me.”

 

[Cortana Jade]

"Uhm..no don't worry." she said studdering in response to Connor. They would both together then move down to the scene. One didn't need the Force to feel the emotions running rampant here.

She pushed through the crowd, almost putting strength behind it because the bodies were stiff...they woudln't budge without a reason. There was an anxious feeling in her stomach. It grew as she got closer and closer to the center of the commotion. She wasn't sure if Connor was still behind her, but she knew he wasn't far.

To herself she thought..."Just what in the Force..."

Findingnherself there amongst the terror her eyes shown emotion of surprise. But she reverted back to tranquility because even she couldn't allow herself to show shock. It was as if the cracks in her form began to appear to the crowd.

She examined the girl when her head whipped back...and those eyes...it wasn't natural...the Togruta's eyes squinted as she began to ponder. She remained there while they took her away. Something was off...she slowly brought up her right hand and began to rub her chin with her index finger and thumb.

"Find me.."

She followed the trail of the medics...

"Connor...we have to get these people back to Voss. We won't be able to provide the necessary care for them on this ship. Please..." she said nodding and walking after them slowly.

This...girl...

[member="Nemene"] | [member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

He stood back and watched Sochi move through to the injured girl; obviously a cry for help, a distressed and broken individual. Something was off however in Connor’s mind, but Sochi was probably that flicker in the Force that didn’t feel as if it was at peace.

Moving to let the medics through, Connor looked back at Sochi as she came out, more perplexed than usual and began walking with her to the medbay. It was only when she spoke did they stop, her body moving in front of his.

"No, Sochi, I..."

She was already moving away. Maybe the best thing he could do was leave her alone to snap out of this, and see to the girl. He frowned slightly and moved forward a step. He could follow, but it seemed she didn’t really want him around, despite his good intention.

"I’ll let the bridge know we want to head back to Voss."

Unsure of if she heard him, Connor backed away and called for the turbolift, chewing the inside of his lips as he continued to worry about what was wrong.

[member="Sochi Ru"] | [member=Nemene]

 

[Aela Talith]

It was in the medical bay that Nemene came to again, having briefly passed out due to blood loss.

Even Sith Lords weren't immune to such trivialities, and with her active suppression of the healing abilities she was so famed for there was danger of what she had done. It didn't matter however, because when she opened her eyes she saw exactly who she was hoping to see.

There, trailing after the medics, hanging back, was [member="Sochi Ru"].

Nemene could have sang in that moment. Here in the medical bay, where there was no one to help her, no one to save or protect her. It was almost too perfect. Her arms turned, her palms flattening on the bed, her head swiveled to the side, hiding from the people that could see her. Slowly, a trickle of the force began to flow through her.

Not enough that the Jedi would notice, at least not yet, but enough that slowly Nemene's wounds would begin to heal. The darkside would begin to run through her like a steady stream. The now hidden cuts on her wrists knitting back together and the bruises on her body quickly fading.

Soon, it would happen soon.

“Where...” She stumbled through her words, hopefully drawing the Jedi in. “Where am I?”

 

[Cortana Jade]

Ru stood near the back by the door while the medics did what they could to help the young woman. Ru being a competent healer herself noted the severity of such a wound, but for the medics to have helped her the amount of time they did seemed...almost unnatural. Something wasn't right.

She noted Connor's words...even though he hadn't finished she knew what he was to say. He worried, and for that she was thankful, but unnatural occurrences seemed to be occurring frequently around her, and she wondered if this girl...was more valuable than they would've thought...she had to get an answer. To give her sanity.

They others left the room, having stabilized her. She stood there looking upon what appeared to be innocence. She took a step forward.

"Shhh.." she said in a soothing swoosh of air that escaped through her lips. She took a couple of more steps closer.

"Your in one of our medical facilities onboard our ship. Try to stay still...you suffered an injury. One that you inflicted yourself...can you tell me why?"

[member="Nemene"] | [member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

The turbolift opened on the bridge, flanked by two Rangers on either side. Connor walked out, distantly, taking each step down to the main command deck slowly, lost in thought. He wasn’t happy with this – it didn’t feel right. A simple mission to take down slavers was turning sour, but he didn’t know why. Sochi was hiding something.

With the Commander and officers doing what they did, Connor did what he did and walked up to them, getting their attention simply by approaching.

”Sir.”

"Commander we need to make it back to Voss as quickly as you can please. We have wounded civilians on board we need to treat and help. Get us there as quickly as you can but make sure a frigate replaces us here – we don’t want to appear like we’re running away at the first sign of trouble."

The Commander nodded curtly.

”Right away.”

Connor returned the nod and moved away, looking out of the large viewport to the planet in the distance. He folded his arms and rubbed his chin with his finger and thumb, eyes set on nothing as he thought. Things were happening to quick, and too convenient. Out of all the ships, only one stayed behind to try to take down a frigate, and then…

He chewed over his thoughts. The fact that the natural aura of the Force wasn’t settling with him told him something wasn’t right, but Sochi was doing something beyond her duty as a Master. There was something personal about this.

Turning to the bridge, Connor knotted his brow and started to walk back to the turbolift, taking the stairs slowly as he turned.

"Commander ready your men, wait for my command. Amber stand-by."

He just didn’t FEEL right. He needed to take over the observations, because Sochi wasn’t in the right frame of mind and he didn’t like how she was drawn to the wounded so easily.

[member="Sochi Ru"] | [member="Nemene"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Connor Harrison"] [member="Sochi Ru"]

Slowly her wounds sealed, slowly her body recovered.

The Jedi came closer, and her hidden smile drew wider and wider. Her bright orange eyes began to peak through the folds of her stained hair, showing just barely. Then the Jedi Master was at her bedside, standing to close to Nemene that she could easily reach out and touch her. It was beautiful, delicious, all too easy.

Her lips came together, folding like a beautiful rose, then she clicked her tongue.

Tsk tsk tsk.

The noise passed her lips three times, and a drawling amusement touched her tone. Her hair shifted, revealing those beautiful bright suns staring up at the Togruta. They would seem so familiar, so close, a reminder of a meeting that was had only once before.

“Of course I can tell you why.”

She purred, her voice poison honey.

“Can you?”

Nemene moved like a viper. He strike was quick, beyond the pale shadows of the eye. A blink would have seen one miss it. Her hands reached out, one grasping for Sochi's throat, the other dashing towards the small cylinder that lay at her waist.

 

[Cortana Jade]

She peaked over the girl, without even having to result to the force there was an ominous cloud filling the room. She examined even closer, this time paying attention ti detail rather than just peering, and waiting for a response to her question. Then slowly her eyes grew bigger, peering right back at her were those familiar eyes that she saw soo long ago.

To herself, she thought "No....Couldn't be.." she slowly moved back, going to stand up straight, and her breathing became heavy. She felt the fool...having been manipulated this entire time.

Just when she started to gasp, she felt the tightest grip around her throat. Her initial reaction was to wrap her left hand around the wrist of the attacker. No one would here the silent scuffle between them. Sounds couldn't be heard from the Togruta. She began to pull backwards trying to break the grip and pull her off the bed. But she saw the girls other hand reach towards her waist.

Her lightsaber. No...Ru had to react quickly as she was limited in movement and losing air. She yanked back, slapping the womans hand away with her free hand. Then she gripped the woman's hand with both if her own, and flipped over the opposite side of the table, rolling over the girl and making them both fall off the bed.

She hit the ground with a grunt, and her abdominal wound began to vibrate in pain. She gripped her side tightly, and began to pull herself up.

"I've been a fool this entire time..."

[member="Nemene"] | [member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Watching the lights flicker by over the L.E.D screen on the turbolift, Connor mulled over the thoughts in his head. It was probably nothing after all, but Sochi had wanted his help, and so if he felt she wasn't of sound mind to observe and arrange passage for the slaves and mount an operation to wipe the slavers out themselves, then he would do it.

Finally the lift came to a soft stop, lower decks. The door pulled open gently and Connor stepped through.

As he walked, he stopped by another observation window, this time with a handful of the mercenaries who had been captured. He just wanted to see what they were like, how they read, what they were feeling.

Too much confidence for average mercenaries, and too full of disregard for their surroundings.

He shook his head at their stubbornness as he began to walk on through the rooms and out to the medbay.


[member="Sochi Ru"] | [member="Nemene"]

 

[Aela Talith]

“Such a fool.” Nemene said as she came down onto the woman.

It would have been wrong to say that she fell, instead she pounced. Like a jungle cat from a tree branch Nemene jumped onto the woman. Her hands sparked with dread red lightning, waves of black bouncing through the sparks. She reached out towards the Togruta, a spike of Sith Lightning jumping towards the woman to stun her.

A cackle escaped her throat.

This was too good, too fun, too easy. The Jedi would die, she would die for what she had done so long along. Her cackle resounded within the med bay, her hands reaching to touch Sochi even as the lightning poured forth from them.

“It's okay.” Nemene said through her witch like laugh. “You're not the only one.”

 

[Cortana Jade]

She reached for her lightsaber, but when she hit the ground it unclipped from her belt. Though there wouldn't have been any time for her to react with how quick her opponent had recovered and launched herself at the Jedi. Taking deep breath Ru fell backwards onto the table when the woman jumped at her, for a split second she felt the surges of dark energy running through her body. Almost simultaneously she shouted out, through the Force. A bellow in the Force that was high in pitch, displaying her sudden pain and desperation to survive.

She kicked the woman in the stomach area, hoping to drive her back into the wall behind her. In doing so she used that momentum to flip backwards over the table, landing in a crouched position. She began searching for her Lightsaber on the floor but she couldn't find it. It was hard to focus, her gaze having been dizzy for the moment.

She saw the light from beside her. Forcing herself to stand straight up she launched random objects at the girl from the other side of the room. Then she quickly made her way towards the door. Punching the panel on the wall and peeping out into the hallway. Her leg was in pain and her wounds from earlier had reopened. She felt herself growing weak physically. And she had no confidence to boost her will to get through it all.

[member="Nemene"] | [member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Stopping in his tracks, Connor felt it; a violent burst of Force energy that was a sickening clash of Light and Dark.

His stomach sank. In the seconds that passed, he knew he had been wrong and failed as a Master and friend. Sochi was in danger, and he had left her alone.

Body suddenly light with fear and heavy with panic, Connor broke into a run across the narrowing metal hallways towards the medbay, and heard the confrontation before he saw it down the corridor as the bay door opened and a streak of Force lightning cracked out from it, and Sochi’s wounded frame came into view.

There was no logical reason for Connor to stop and call for help – he was here, and he acted alone.

”Sochi, I’m here, get out!”

He ripped the lightsaber hilt from his side and ran towards his friend, the adrenalin pumping in his veins and the panic rising.

[member="Sochi Ru"] | [member=Nemene]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Sochi Ru"] | [member="Connor Harrison"]

She moved so lithely, so quickly.

Nemene was a blur.

Sochi was tired, injured, her wounds having opened up and Nemene having caught her by surprise. The former Queen of Rattatak in comparison was fresh, new. The wounds she had had were healed, the injuries she had given herself were fixed, and her entire being sang with anticipation and a lust for the blood of the Jedi Master.

She ducked and wove her way between the objects that Sochi through.

A few bits of metal scraped her as slicing into her skin as they flew on by. She grinned, blood entering her eyes. Her entire body vibrated, her hand pulled to the side. A small cylinder flew into her palm. Sochi's lightsaber, tossed to the side and rolled under the bed when the Jedi had scrambled so quickly away.

A snap and a hiss and the blade ignited.

A dark foreboding feeling would surround Nemene for a second, a wave of powerful black that would emanate from her and surround the ship. The Sith Lord let out a long lasting breath, time seemed to slow, and then in the blink of an eye she moved forward.

Past the bed. Past the objects that Sochi through. Past everything in her way.

Using the force to enhance herself, to push her very being against the limits of reality, Nemene dashed across the room.

She swept the blade of the lightsaber up half a second before reaching [member="Sochi Ru"], the piercing cry of the blade moving to impale the woman from behind.

 

[Cortana Jade]

The togruta looked back as her opposite hand gripped the edge of the door. She wanted to see her pursuer in tell, but was distracted by the voices she heard in the other direction. While the adrenaline rushed, and her body stood in pain, and barely mobile she would have to admit this to herself, she felt some sense of relief when she heard that it was Connor.

She had come to accept her fate, she was already dying and growing weaker not only physically but in the Force as well. There was that tangling feeling in the back of her head that rung over and over with increasing intensity. She heeded its call, but decided that she wouldn't even be able to prevent this from happening.

Just from hearing her name she whipped her head around to view Connor running in her direction. Her vision faded in and out but she recognized him. In that brief moment of distraction she felt a sharp and blazing object pierce her right from her back and through her lower chest. She could only look at Connor as life escaped her, and her breath literally stopped. She shivered from the cloak of death that overcame her.

Everything went silent, and she fell to the floor just in front of her.....

[member="Nemene"] | [member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Another part of Connor’s world came crashing down as the blue blade of a lightsaber erupted from Sochi’s abdomen. Cauterization instantly stemmed the blood flow, and it was clear the blade had destroyed a good section of her internal organs, and her body collapsed instantly over the blade.

Connor slowed to a stop in a feeling half-way between disbelief and shock. He’d left her alone, and now, something had happened and she had been killed by her own blade. They had been talking moments before, and she was alive, the Force emanating from her, and now, she was dead? This wasn’t right.

He gasped in a cold fear as his body took over, running forward again with no thought of his own safety, to call for help, or to arm himself – he would do that afterwards, after he had saved Sochi, then he would be able to make everything ok again.

Collapsing on his knees, sliding beside her lifeless body, Connor’s heart pounded inside his chest with panic; facing a dead body of a Master and friend, one hand went to cover the sickening hole from her chest, still warm under his palm that was shaking. The other hand went to cradle her.

However, the cloud of the Dark Side struck him as he fell beside Sochi, his face snapping around to see a carefree figure of a girl – the girl they helped to save, the girl Sochi tried to protect.

Without thinking, Connor didn’t get to cradle his fallen friend as he pushed up from the floor like a lunging beast letting out a roar; there was no grace or poise – just a face rigid with anger, and arms reaching to strike the girl and take her down to take her life in revenge for Sochi.

[member="Nemene"] | [member="Sochi Ru"]