Private In the Dark of the Night

[Ki'an Vizsla]

The couple had been quick to mobilise after the kidnapping, swiftly contacting the Silver Jedi Concord, namely Cas Tynen who was known to Ki'an. It would be invaluable to have a Jedi on their side in such a situation as neither Mandalorian was equipped to deal with a foe such as a Sith Lord and they hoped Cas could help find answers as to why the kidnapping had happened in the first place given that he likely had a better insight into the situation as a Force user.

It wasn't quite as happy of a reunion as it should've been. The usually cheerful Mandalorian had been uncharacteristically quiet for a majority of the journey and and his wife was even more so as she managed to steal what little sleep she could, propped back against one of the passenger seats. The last few days had been draining for the pair who had been worried sick but they were ready for the battle that may lie ahead - especially Lilliana who had less control on her emotions.

"I've never even heard of this Sith Lord. I can't imagine what I've possibly done to anger him. Unless... it was someone else in my family that he's trying to punish. I have several cousins but we don't talk much since we've all grown up and moved on with our lives. It's a possibility but I doubt it." He pondered, still not considering Lily was involved. She had only been a Mandalorian for 10 years and did far less to irk people than he did. "Worrying will get you nowhere. Let's just work with what we know until we can find out more." A voice from behind said as she stretched some life back into her tired limbs.

"Yeah." He agreed before falling silent again, instead containing the ruminating to his thoughts. Had he been more confident in his own abilities then he would've likely been less nervous about the ordeal but he knew he wasn't the strongest fighter and one of the only comforts was that they were accompanied by a Jedi Knight. "Thanks again for doing this, Cas. Do the Jedi know you're here?" Lily asked as she was unfamiliar with the Jedi and their operations.

As they neared the coordinates the tracker sent them to, the time for worrying was over. They needed to remain focused and unhindered by emotions if they were to succeed. "<It's going to be ok.>" She offered some words of hope in Mando'a. It wasn't her native language but it was his. Ki'an nodded in agreement. "<I hope so.>" He replied, a look of concern on his face, though it was soon concealed as he replaced his helmet once they were close to docking.

Cadere Darth Insatious

 

[Cadere]

The atmosphere was cold, void of any form of positivity. Normally this would bother Cas but like Ki'an, he too was uncharacteristically quiet. Remaining focused on piloting, gazing blankly at the stars outside of the viewport, the Jedi Knight kept his fury buried within. His cheeks were warm with rage, but instead of feeling like a fire - the Jedi's anger was cold and focused. While he was aware it wasn't the Jedi way, the Sith Lord Insatious had a unique way of bringing out the worst in Cas.

Insatious had had a deep effect on the young Jedi Knight - killing all of his allies on Dorin, taking more lives and physically scarring Cas on Voss, and now his latest in a long line of ways to screw with Cas was when the Sith Lord dared to put his family in danger on Kiffu. There was no one he hated more in this galaxy than Darth Insatious, and now that he'd stooped so low that he's resorted to kidnapping children... it didn't take much convincing for Cas to help Ki'an and Lilliana. Insatious would die today, he'd make sure of it.

"I've ran into him a few times. He's not like your regular Sith, there's something... wrong about him... broken. Piece of kriff has zero morals, there's no line he won't cross.. but I didn't need to tell you that." he said coldly, continuing to stare blankly out of the viewport "I don't know what he wants with you but... once he sets his sights on you, the bastard'll never stop coming after you. There's nothing he won't do until he gets what he wants." tightening his grip around the flight wheel and gritting his teeth. Flashing back to the attack on his family, feeling the fury boil inside him like a storm.

Regaining his composure, Cas' grip loosened and he let out a deep exhale. "No, they don't." the Kiffar answered Lilliana coming off somewhat aggressive. Pausing, he realised how he sounded and back tracked "... and you're welcome." he said softly. This was their kids, they had more at stake than he did and... they came to him for help, the young Jedi knew he needed to keep his composure.

The two then began speaking Mando'a which Cas quickly filtered out, being unable to understand the language and all. Their conversation concluded as they neared Insatious' vessel, Cas tapped away at the cockpit's console before pulling down a throttle just above him "This ship has an experimental cloaking device, right?" whether they answered or not, Cas continued "Better hope it works." before fully cloaking the ship. Conveniantly, the docking bay doors slid open and a few starfighters exited the vessel as they got closer, allowing Cas to slip in undetected.

Docking the ship, Cas made sure to hide his signature within the Force. Him and Insatious had had enough encounters where the Dark Lord would be able to sense his presence miles away. Standing up out of the pilot's seat he faced the Mandalorian couple and rested his forearm on the top of the seat "What's the plan?" Cas asked, allowing the parents to take reign of this mission. Seeing as, well, it was their children in danger.

Darth Insatious Ki'an Vizsla

 

[Darth Insatious]

Entering the zBroodica-class Star Destroyer under the cloak of stealth, the small trio quickly found the hanger bustling with life and in so, doing work on other ships in the hanger. The Dar'mandas were nowhere in sight and for Cas' case, no Death Troopers either. Due to their clever use of the experimental cloaking device, they were completely invisible to anyone who didn't walk directly by or into the parked ship.

However, they did have one problem, having an invisible ship is one thing, opening the ship's ramp or door, was another as the inside wasn't invisible. Another thing was the noise the ship would make to those who were near, putting the trio in an incredibly difficult position of getting out of the hanger. Luckily for them, if they timed it correctly, they could sneak out, when a patrol returned from space, taking much of the focus, as ship engineers and maintenance got to work on refilling and checking for damage, not to mention the patrol consisted of 3 fighters, which caused quite to noise in the hanger.

With that said, there were still patrols of two, walking by them every so often as well as ship personnel walking by. Then there was the surveillance camera on the multiple blast doors leading deeper into the Destroyer.

To say that this would be an easy rescue mission, would be an incredible understatement. Liliana looked to Cas, fighting against showing her worry; "you said, you've met this Sith Lord before. What do you suggest we do?" Asked Ki'an's wife as their situation looked rather grim. A part of her almost wanted to give up, seeing the journey in front of them as impossible, however, she quickly shakes the feelings away. With harden resolve, she's ready to go through fire and ice to get her children back, no matter the cost.

Ki'an Vizsla Cadere

 

[Ki'an Vizsla]

It was a small comfort to know the Jedi had met the Sith before and was familiar with his behaviour. However, the knowledge he had was far from comforting. Ki'an's brow furrowed into a frown and he shared a knowing look with Lilliana for a moment before asking no one in particular. "How are they ever going to be safe from him, if that's the case? We can't shelter them their whole lives. They're Mandalorians." He thought aloud. Lily pondered for a few moments before replying. "We could ask the Concord to help protect them. They're more equipped to deal with Sith." She suggested. "Yeah..." He replied thoughtfully before continuing. "I suppose it depends why he wants the kids in the first place. If it's a personal vendetta then it's not really the Jedi's problem, unless..." He trailed off.

"Unless what?" Lilliana prompted. "Unless they're Force sensitive." He finished, turning his head to meet visors. "What?" Lily chuckled nervously. "All three of them? Surely for the chance for all of them to be Force sensitive there would need to be a hereditary component, right?" She asked. Ki'an shrugged in response. "Your parents could've been Force sensitive and you didn't know it." He replied, causing her to fall silent. To her knowledge, her Father had not been Force sensitive but her Mother could've been so it wasn't an improbable belief. "I guess we'll find out." She sighed.

It seemed Cas was risking a lot for them by aiding them without the knowledge of the Jedi: something the Mandalorians would not take lightly. They knew they would be in his service for a long time to come. "We really appreciate your help. Let us know if there's anything we can do for you in future." He offered Cas as a sign of gratitude.

Once they were safely inside the hangar, Ki'an peered out of the window to try and make sense of their surroundings. "Uh... I'll let you know." He replied, having not come up with a plan. The Mandalorian observed the movements of those below to see if there was any pattern to it. He looked at Cas when Lily asked him a question before returning his gaze to the hangar, not wanting to put all the pressure on Cas. "If we time it right, we can make it out undetected... Maybe." He informed the pair.

"There's a patrol that goes by every few minutes." He started, pointing towards two men walking past. "If we leave just after they pass then we have a few minutes and time that with fighters entering the hangar then we have enough cover to escape." He looked at the pair for approval before adding. "Oh and I have EMPs which can temporarily disable cameras" He informed Cas since Lily would be familiar with the equipment he carried, holding out a small handful of the devices. "Let's do it." Lily nodded.

As if on cue, there was a low rumble at the sound of fighters entering the hangar. The Mandalorians shared a knowing nod before Lily walked to the door in preparation of leaving. Ki'an watched out the window as the two soldiers passed again before calling to Lily to signal it was okay to go ahead and then joining her. No one looked in their direction as the ramp extended onto the floor below and quickly they traversed the hangar, using crates for cover to avoid being spotted before settling behind a crate near the blast doors.

"Now what?" Lily whispered. "Wait here and stay hidden no matter what. We're no good to the kids if they capture both of us." He told her and she nodded understandingly. With a small EMP charge in his hand, he peered above the crate and threw it precisely in the direction of the camera where it attached itself and overloaded the electronic.

With the coast clear for a few moments, he rose from behind their hiding place and hurried to the door, trying to maintain quiet footsteps. Once at the door, he placed a scramble key on the lock and waited impatiently as it tried to crack the code. They would need luck on their side if they were going to make it through this.

Cadere Darth Insatious

 

[Cadere]

Cas cast a glance at Lilliana, who sought advice on how to handle Insatious, meeting her gaze with a less than hopeful look. "I-- I suggest you avoid encountering him at all cost. Oh, and his experimental soldiers too... they're bad news." Cas advised as he subconsciously placed his palm over the cheek scar he received from an encounter. It wasn't good advice but what else could he say regarding a literal Force vampire. Judging by Ki'an's response, he didn't seem to have any idea what to do going forward - that was fine for the Kiffar, he did his best work when improvising.

However, Ki'an managed to come up with a plan of action and the Jedi Knight nodded along and listened intently as the Mandalorian explained. Once ready to go, he followed closely after the couple and hid behind a crate that was near to the one they were at. As Ki'an and Lilliana conversed, the Jedi Knight kept an eye on any potential threats in the meantime, "You're benching your wife?" Cas whispered, genuinley surprised but he could understand the concern the Mandalorian held. When the EMP went off, it was their queue to skedaddle, following close behind Ki'an Cas vaulted over the crate he hid behind and made his way over to the door and waited as the scramble key tried to crack the code.

For a moment he contemplated tearing off the security panel with the Force or slicing through it with his lightsaber, but before he could come to a decision the door miraculously opened. "Nice timing, I almost destroyed the panel." Cas whispered before heading further inside the ship. This was difficult, Cas wouldn't be able to sense any nearby presences due to having temporarily cutting himself off from the Force in order to keep his own signature hidden and not compromise the mission. "We should probably find a security room, maybe we can find where your kids are there. Y'know, camera and all that."

Now they just had to find the security room. Cas hated having to be sneaky. So much. But he kept reminding himself how high the stakes were, that children were involved and so, this knowledge kept him tamed for the most part. After what felt like forever sneaking around the ship's corridors and avoiding any guards at all cost, the Jedi and Mandalorian had made it to what hopefully was the security room.

Scanning the wall, Cas came across another security panel on the wall. Contemplating cutting through it with his lightsaber, he glanced at Ki'an "That key scrambler wasn't a one and done, right?" if this was indeed the case, Cas would use his lightsaber to slice through the security panel and swing the doors open. What would meet the two on the other side was two guards stationed in security, because of course they were, Cas cast a knowing glance at Ki'am before darting in to attack as quickly as possible. Halting the guards from alerting their presence.

Darth Insatious Ki'an Vizsla

 

[Darth Insatious]

To the trio's great luck, they were not seen by anyone in the hanger as they made their way for the cluster of crates. Liliana couldn't believe her own ears, "Honey... you can't be serious, I'm coming with you!" Whispered Lily stubbornly. She would not have it that they ran off finding their kids, while she played bench warmer in an Imperial Star Destroyer. As such, she started to follow the boys, but out of the corner of her eyes, saw a returning patrol heading their way, forcing her to return to the crates.

Getting back into cover the same time that the boys left the hanger, no one was discovered. That was also when Lily realized that someone had to stay back, to make sure nothing would surprise them when they had the kids and was fleeing. Ki'an would hear over comm in Mando'a, <"for the record, I don't like staying behind"> before cutting off.

The two security worker was caught completely unaware of the trio, making it easy for Cas to apprehending the two men from doing anything. As they said with hands up beside their head, the two men looked at each other and then back at Cas and Ki'an. "Please don't kill us" begged the first one. The second didn't show much of any resisting or desire to fight a Jedi and Mandalorian.

The two security workers just went along with what they were told as they valued their life more than their work. When either Cas or Ki'an, or both scanned the many screens on the panel. Unluckily for the duo, the security cameras only covered a small section of the Star Destroyer and all of the areas that were shown was of little importance for them. One of the cameras showed one of the maintenance rooms. Another room was a long but thin sleeping quarter for some of the ship crews and then, of course, all the many, many hallways running all over the Star Destroyer.

The only thing that might be of interest was a turbolift, though a label under the screen, wrote; "Engine room".

Back in the hanger, Lily was kneeling by the crates, keeping a lookout, hoping her husband and the Jedi were able to find her babies. As she kept watch over the hanger, she started to notice something strange when she actually pained attention to the people in the hanger. Everyone had a very robotic movement to them, enough to fool a quicken glance, but not enough to hide from an attentive eye.

That's when the alarm clocks went off in her head and with a flash tried to call her husband and Cas Tynen. "It's a trap! Get back now!" attempted Lilliana to warn the duo, but nothing went through to Ki'an or Cas. When only static returned to Lily she only managed to turn around when she stood face to face with two Death Troopers knocking her out with some kind of sleeping dart.

If Cas or Ki'an tried to get into contact with Lily, they only received white noise from her end.

Ki'an Vizsla Cadere

 

[Ki'an Vizsla]

"I wouldn't call it benching." Ki'an whispered in response to Cas, his gaze scanning the room for anything amiss but returning to Lily when she spoke to him. He sighed. He should've known she'd be stubborn and they didn't have time to argue about it now, nor did he want anything straining their relationship more than it had been in the last few days since the kidnapping so he said nothing more.

The Mandalorian nodded in agreement with the proposed suggestion and slipped a blaster into his hand in preparation. Lily's voice on the comms drew a twinge of sadness from her husband. ::<Think of it as an alternative plan.>:: He replied in Mando'a. She was a capable warrior but they needed to cover all ground and his instincts were to protect her. She seemed safest where she was.

"Uhhh..." Was all he replied to Cas's question, suggesting the answer to be the more undesirable one. Though it seemed the Jedi had a trick up his sleeve so they weren't any more hindered. Once the door opened, he immediately raised his blaster ahead and it was soon pointed at one of the surrendering guards. He drew the second blaster to aim at the other guard to allow Cas the freedom to look over the camera feed uninhibited.

The sudden warning from the shrill voice over comms made his heart race and he immediately activated the comms from his own end. ::Lily? What's happening?:: He asked but to no avail. ::Lily?!:: He asked again more urgently but was met with static. Rather carelessly, his attention was removed from the security guards and turned to his vambrace where he pressed a few buttons to activate the tracker in his wife's armour.

The information was projected above in a small hologrammatic form, detailing the distance and direction. "Cas, I have to find her..." He turned his gaze to his companion, his voice strained. He backed away to the entrance, not waiting for approval or to see if Cas would follow, before rushing in the direction given by the tracker.

Upon hearing footsteps, he quickly pressed himself against a doorway and waited for the troops to pass before continuing. As he neared the supposed location, he slowed down to be more cautious and altered the sensitivity of the sound sensors in his helmet in case he could overhear any information.

Cadere Darth Insatious

 

[Cadere]

Before doing any slicing and dicing, the guards surrendered and begged for their lives. Sensing no deception Cas lowered his lightsaber, it was rare to encounter individuals who valued survival more than loyalty - it was a refreshing change of pace. With the lowering of his blade as implication he wouldn't harm them, Cas wandered over to the screens and scanned the security feed.

This wasn't the right area of the ship, no footage showed or indicated where any of Ki'an's kids were. Frustrated, he slammed his fist onto the table. Turning his head to look over his shoulder, Cas locked eyes with the guards before throwing his thumb over his shoulder, indicating for them to leave "If you rat us out, my Mandalorian friend here won't be as merciful as I am." it was an empty threat due to Ki'an's status as a softy. Unsurprisingly, things got worse, they always did with the Sith Lord involved.

Cas listened to the static emanating from Ki'an's comm and watched as both husband and father tried to make sense of what was happening. Something was wrong, the sudden shift in the Force made it evident as Cas felt a chilling sensation wash over him like a tsunami. The Kiffar glanced toward the screens hesitantly, returning his gaze to Ki'an Cas nodded at the Mandalorian's statement, wordlessly affirming him that he'd have his back. Alongside Ki'an, Cas hid out of sight of the approaching footsteps before following him outside of the security room.

As they neared Lillian's location, Cas felt another wave of darkness hit him. The wound in the Force that was Insatious' Death Squad, and it was nearing. Cas quickly threw his arm out to his side and slapped it against the front of Ki'an's torso, forcing his back against the wall before following suit himself. Speaking was too risky right now, quickly, Cas created a mental link between the two of them and quickly projected his thoughts into Ki'an's mind "There isn't time to explain what's about to happen. Stay here, don't move until I signal you. In here." he informed Ki'an tapping at his forehead with his index finger. Just around the corner was the entrance to the hangar, the Kiffar would need to end things quickly and keep the Death Squad occupied enough for Ki'an to get Lilliana.

Inhaling deeply, Cas quietly unclipped his lightsaber from his belt and then darted around the corner and into the hangar bay. The Jedi Knight had milliseconds to analyse the situation, there were two clad in their red armor, one holding an unconscious Lilliana over its shoulder. Cas threw his right arm out and with it, came a powerful telekinetic push knocking the trooper off of its feet and releasing Lilliana from its grip. Channelling the Force through him like a battery, Cas enhanced his speed and when close enough he jumped and threw his leg to the side, clocking the confused trooper in the face before reaching out and grabbing Lilliana before she could fall.

Landing in a roll and stopping in a crouch, Cas gently placed her on the ground "Ki'an. Now." he projected to the Mandalorian. Finally igniting his lightsaber, the Jedi leapt into action and began attacking the Death Squad members. He didn't have much of a plan following this point, except for keeping these troopers away from Lilliana long enough for Ki'an to swoop in.

Darth Insatious Ki'an Vizsla

 

[Darth Insatious]

Cas was quick to action, showing no doubt in his training as a Jedi. With that said, he wasn't facing normal Imperial grunts that had no experience with the force, but fully trained and Sith Alchemical created super soldiers. As the Jedi Knight threw his right arm out, sending a powerful telekinetic push at the two Death Troopers, they could feel the force just as well as he could.

Dropping the unconscious body of Lilliana right into the path of Cas' force push, sending the girl flying further away in the hanger. The one that hadn't carried anything, was the first to react and block the Jedi Knight's lightsaber with his Electrostaff countering and keeping up with the Jedi Knight's speed and ferocity. The other Death Trooper launched himself at Cas with Electrobaton putting the Jedi Knight in an intense battle with both Troopers as they could deliver just as ruthless attacks as Cas was able to.

Because Lilliana had been hit by Cas' force push by mistake, she was flung all the way over to the other end of the hanger. Luckily she wore her armour, causing her at worse, to maybe get a few bruises that she would feel at the morrow. If Ki'an followed Cas back into the hanger, he would be met with a fight of his own as the Dar'manda group revealed itself from the fiery explosion of the ship they arrived in.

Blasting into the air, they proceeded to rain fire down upon him, though they did keep from using rockets and other types of explosion after blowing up the ship.

To make things worse for the two, a blast door slid open, revealing four more Death Troopers, all armed with Electrostaff, Electrohammer or Electrobatons. One of them grabbed Lilliana and just simply left the hanger through the door it came from, while the three other Death Troopers all charged Cas.

Cas would be met with even more opposition as he was faced with a fighting style of a pack mentality as the Death Troopers are highly trained in pack fighting. The troopers fought with absolute precision utilizing heavily on fighting as a unit, showing an almost unnatural knowledge of each other's movements. The Jedi Knight had very little room to counter-attack as the ruthless attacks never stopped, coming at him from all angles.

If Ki'an had time to check his tracker on his wife, the Mandalorian would find Lilliana being carried deeper into the ship, heading for what might be the bridge or something close by the bridge.

Ki'an Vizsla Cadere

 

[Ki'an Vizsla]

The sudden launching into the wall caught him by surprise but he didn't make a noise, first allowing himself to assess the situation to deem it safe to do so. He was aware Cas had an insight that he did not so he followed the other's lead and waited for him to speak first, though he did not expect it to be in the capacity in which he did. Having never experienced it before, Ki'an was taken aback by having someone else's thoughts in his mind so he gave a delayed nod in response after comprehending the situation.

He was restless, itching to get involved, but he was not reckless and the Knight who accompanied him had earned a wealth of trust from the Mandalorian based on their previous encounter and he hoped the feeling was mutual. It wasn't the first time he had been in a situation where there was a danger to his life and others, such as a common occurrence, but never had he experienced a situation with such a personal risk to his entire family and it was putting a great stress on him.

With both weapons already in hand, he emerged from the cover on Cas' signal with both weapons trained ahead, searching for any targets he might cross. He moved in the direction towards Lilliana across the hangar while Cas took the brunt of the battle but his path was blocked by the Dar'manda who had assaulted him in his own home in the prior days. He retreated a few steps to gain some distance from them. At such close proximity and with few evasive measures to employ, the fight was not in his favour.

The four foes took a stance that half surrounded him, allowing them the advantage of different angles. With three weapons trained on him and only two of his own, it was not looking good and they knew it. "You have one chance to surrender." One of them informed him so Ki'an slowly moved his blasters back to their holsters as a signal of compliance but once the weapons were secured, he shot up into the air and sprayed fire on the three below. They would be partially protected by their armour but they wouldn't want to stand in the way of the direct blaze for long.

Acting quickly, he fired a tranquiliser dart towards one of the Mandalorians scrambling away from the blaze and a few moments later he hit the floor with a thud. A further two joined him in the air, with one attempting to send a kick in his direction though it was quickly evaded. A blaster bolt pinged off his thigh from below as the remaining Dar'manda provided support from below, though it would prove difficult for him given the close proximity of all those fighting.

He knew he was outnumbered and outmatched and fighting other Mandalorians was not a scenario he was equipped for. Knowing their weapons helped but it also meant they knew his and with Cas preoccupied he was on his own. It didn't fill him with much confidence but he remained steadfast and fired a few shots off towards his adversaries who were as near-impervious to blaster bolts as he was. Still, one managed to find its way in the gap between the armour plates, causing the injured Mandalorian to descend to the ground.

The remaining foe tackled his opponent, forcing him roughly to the ground where the two briefly struggled for control before Ki'an was pinned under the other with a blade to his throat. "What did I ever do you or this Sith?!" He asked, tone dripping with emotion. With a lack of struggle against the other, he seemingly relented and made no attempt to counter as the blaster was kicked from his hand by the standing Mandalorian.

Cadere Darth Insatious

 

[Cadere]

Cas quickly noticed the brief display of intelligence from one of the troopers, as it dropped Lilliana in Cas' path during the release of his telekinetic push. Reacting instantenously, the Jedi Knight threw his free arm out and quickly coiled the Force around the Mandalorian, telekinetically grabbing her and slowing the speed of her trajectory down - hopefully ensuring minor injuries.

With his attention temporarily focused on securing Lilliana's safety, it allowed one of the Death Squad to land a blow on his shoulder with an electrobaton. Growling in discomfort, Cas reacted angrily by sending a hard left hook across the Death trooper's face - cracking and chipping at its organic armor thanks to the casing of his cybernetic arm. Regaining his composure, he gripped the hilt of his lightsaber with both hands and resumed his engagement with the two abominations.

The sound of blast doors opening quickly caught the Jedi Knight's attention, causing him to assess the situation quickly and gauge the other Death Squad troopers entering the hangar. Great he thought to himself, quickly redirecting an attack from the electrostaff and using the trooper's momentum to pull it forward and in front of Cas where he quickly bisected it and forced the injury quicker with a drop kick, transitioning into a backflip in order to land on his feet.

Then came the others, now he had five of these freaks to deal with. Cas was so engrossed in the fight, he didn't even know if Ki'an managed to get to his wife - he could only hope. The fight was beginning to grow difficult, these Death troopers fought with gross precision and in perfect unison which forced Cas on the defense. Something he hated with a passion. For every six or seven hits he blocked or was hit with, Cas was only able to return one or two attacks, beginning to grow overwhelmed and with the amount of injuries piling up - things were beginning to look dire for Cas.

However, the Jedi Knight refused to back down, it wasn't over until he was dead or unconscious. Cas fought harder and harder, not allowing the troopers to surround him. In order to get some breathing room, Cas quickly backflipped further away and once he landed, threw his right arm out and with the Force summoned one of the crates in the hangar toward him. The massive crait hit two of the troopers on its way over to Cas and once it continued on its way over to him, the Kiffar flung himself into the air narrowly avoiding being hit himself. With two out temporarily, Cas was able to focus on the remaining three - fighting with an intensity which only allowed for offensive attacks. The Jedi Knight swung his lightsaber ferociously, attempting to hammer away at the three Death troopers' defences.

Unfortunately, Cas' tunnel vision was also his downfall - failing to realise that the two other Death troopers had gotten back up, allowed for them to sneak behind him and strike him in his back with their electroweaponry. The initial shock sent him to his knees and forced him to drop his lightsaber, it was all over from there. The five members of Death Squad then relentlessly beat upon Cas, either shocking him with the electrostaffs and batons or using their own bodies to stomp on the Jedi Knight.

Pain flared and surged throughout Cas' entire nervous system as he cried out in pain from the savage beating. With his vision growing hazy and his last strength, the Jedi Knight used all of the electricity conducted and stored in his FF-CAR1. Extending his arm forward, he held it out and aimed his metallic fingers at whatever member of the Death Squad was in front of him before unleashing all of the electricity stored in his arm at the creatures. Seconds after that, everything went black...

Darth Insatious Ki'an Vizsla

 

[Darth Insatious]

It was not a fair fight and both parties knew it as the Dar'mandas quickly and with certainty overpowered Ki'an and pinned him to the ground. With the larger of being of the dar'mandas held an iron grip and locked to the flor, he also kept his vibroknife by Ki'an's throat. The leader of the group holstered his blasters and motioned for Ki'an to be pulled up on his feed. "Didn't ask or got paid to ask questions" said the leader with a shrug, as this was just another job. The leader then removed Ki'an's helmet and gave it to one of the others from the group and then proceeded to give the poor man a beating of his life without the chance of getting back at the leader.

With a split lower lip and eyebrow, multiple purple bruises and maybe a cracked rib or two, though without scanning it would be hard to tell other than the pain was flowing freely through Ki'an's entire body and face. While his nose luckily didn't break, the beating did cause blood to slither out. Forcing Ki'an to stand uprise to face his beater, the leader of the Dar'manda group pointed a threatening index finger at him staring at him with a cold faceless helmet. "I told you, you only had one chance" repeated the leader and proceeded to beat Ki'an senseless until he fell unconscious.

Cas on the other hand was a-whole-nother situation, though nothing the Death Troopers couldn't handle as they worked best in numbers. What the Jedi Knight would notice though after landing a successfully left hook at one of the Troopers, was that black blood started to trickle down the symbiotic helmet, almost as if the armour itself were the skin of the troopers, on top of being armour.

When he used one of the trooper's momentum to pull it forward and in front of Cas where he attempted to do a quick bisection, his lightsaber was blocked by one of the other Death Trooper's electrostaff, stopping the Jedi Knight from wounded the first one. It was obvious that these monstrous beings worked like a pack of wolves, feeding off of each other's actions to get the jump or cover for each other in unnatural coordination.

Suffice to say, the moment the Jedi Knight was overwhelmed it was over as he felt electricity in high voltage was sent through him.

For how long they were out, was unknown, but enough time did pass for them to wake up in cells, somewhere else on the ship. However, they were not in the same cell as they would notice the moment they both woke up. When Cas woke up, he would find himself in a cell, surprisingly without being able to call upon the force. In fact, he was not able to sense the force at all and would feel his very core connection to the force suppressed entirely. In the cell, he was a normal as any other people not gifted with the kiss of force sensitivity.

The Jedi Knight would feel extremely sore and in pain as a day hasn't even gone by yet.

The cell itself was made out of strong durasteel with a laser forcefield for a door. The cell wasn't too big, but large enough to field two prisoners if needed. A single alcove with nothing but smooth mental to lay on along with a toilet in the corner. If he went to the force field door, he would see normal Imperial prison guards patrolling every so often by. However, he's unable to see much further down both sides of the hallway.

Ki'an woke up in a cell, like Cas', neighbouring the Jedi Knight. Ki'an would also wake up with a whirlwind of hurt from his beating like Cas was. The Mandalorian's gear, as well as weapons, were also confiscated.

Ki'an Vizsla Cadere

 

[Ki'an Vizsla]

Momentarily, his gaze fell on the Jedi Knight who fought ferociously to hold his ground against seemingly insurmountable enemies. Cas gained some respect because of his actions, though it was levelled with a healthy amount of sensibleness as Ki'an saw no reason to continue to fight a lost battle when one could try to save their own life rather than die through stubbornness - especially when it became apparent that you were going to lose.

Unfortunately, submitting did not prove to be a particularly beneficial outcome for himself as the group leader still took it upon himself to prove his superiority over the other Mandalorian. Ki'an made no attempt to struggle against the person restraining him initially as he was forced to his feet but once his helmet was removed he became noticeably uncomfortable and tried to pull free from the grasp of the other Mandalorian since he had a pretty good guess of what was to come.

Sure enough, the Dar'manda attacked his former ally, leaving him no opportunity to even defend himself, let alone retaliate. With a few grunts in pain as the blows connected with him, he fell to his knees before long but was soon forced back to his feet to get reprimanded by the leader of the group. Still, Ki'an did not show fear and remained steadfast in the face of adversity. He did not show an inclination towards anger either but seemed emotionless about the situation from his expression, though he was feeling upset and betrayed despite not showing it.

The following attack was enough to render him unconscious so after a few more moments his legs gave way beneath him and he was held up only by the man who restrained him...

...He awoke with a groan, head pounding from the attack still and he immediately became aware of the fact he had been stripped of his protective shell, leaving him feeling exposed. It was second nature to be in armour so being out of it made him feel like nothing more than a civilian.

It took a few more moments to realise he was alone so with a short grunt he pushed himself into a sitting position before rising to his feet. The extent of his aches and sores became more apparent once on his feet and he grimaced at the discomfort of the strain it placed on his body.

"Cas?" He called out to the Jedi in the hopes he was nearby, given that he hadn't seen to fare so well in his own fight. Upon confirmation that the Knight was nearby, Ki'an approached the wall separating them and addressed him after a moment's hesitation. "I'm sorry I got you into this." He apologised plainly, though he was unsure what comfort words could be now they were being held prisoner.

The Mandalorian sat back down and watched pensively as a guard passed. He wondered if he had made the right decision by coming here because now he was of no help to anyone and even worse he had implicated a friend in the matter. In such a short amount of time, his life had shattered in front of him and he faced an uncertain future.

Cadere Darth Insatious

 

[Cadere]

A stream of incomprehensible images flashed across the Kiffar's mindscape - only taking a few seconds for Cas to realise he was having either a dream or a vision. Hopefully the former. As the images began to become more clear for him, the Jedi Knight saw images of a masked figure clad in black. Then the figure, brandishing a crimson lightsaber slaughtered and cut through unseen figures. However, the last image that caused intense fear within Cas was the masked figure kneeling in front of Darth Insatious - before they unmasked themselves to reveal none other than... Cas...

Cas' eyes shot wide open and he sat up with intense speed before hissing in pain once the sudden movement triggered extreme pain. Clutching at his sides, he let out a pained grown. What he just saw... the shaken Kiffar couldn't help but wonder... no, hope, that whatever he saw in that dream was a cruel trick played on him by his mind or an outside source - and not, in fact a vision of events to come. Serving Insatious? What could possibly provoke Cas into doing that... he wondered to himself.

Letting out another pained grunt, Cas struggled to swivel his legs over the bench he was placed on before trying to stand up on his own. To no avail, Cas quickly fell back and was forced to stabilise himself on a nearby wall with his free arm. "Kark it..." he muttered, coughing slightly from what was likely a serious injury to his rib or lung. Then he noticed something peculiar... and worrisome - his connection to the Force, that familiar feeling of what it felt like to be a living conductor for the Force's energy was gone. He felt nothing. "I... I can't feel you..." Cas whispered while approaching the front of his cell, placing his gloved palm over the surface of the force field that caged him like an animal, sliding his hand down it slowly. He quickly deduced that this was some kind of Force-sensitive cell.

Ki'an's voice came through the other side of the wall, although he stayed silent and remained in place. Too remorseful to speak to the Mandalorian after botching this mission. Ki'an, however, apologised to Cas for getting him involved in all of this which finally prompted the Jedi Knight to speak up. Approaching the wall where he believed Ki'an was located on the other side of, body still sore, Cas' arm remained cradled around his torso while he pressed one side of his face as well as his gloved hand against the wall. "No. This is all my fault... if I hadn't just... reacted like I always do, we wouldn't be in this situation right now. I-- the thought of losing another life to that bastard... I couldn't...." he stopped himself momentarily, giving himself a moment to regain his composure.

"I'm sorry, Ki'an. I'm going to make this right, I'm going to find us a way outta here somehow and we're going to find your kids and your wife. Even if it's the last thing I do." Cas wasn't sure if he made this promise to Ki'an or to himself. The vendetta the Jedi Knight had against the Sith Lord ran deep, he'd caused so much damage and trauma to Cas as well as to others and the thought of Insatious receiving no comeuppance made his blood boil. If the Kiffar could just do one thing this day, it was save the lives of these innocent people and rob the Sith Lord of... whatever his plans were.

Darth Insatious Ki'an Vizsla

 

[Darth Insatious]

Apart from the patrolling prison guards with random interval, making it difficult to suspect when the next patrol would pass, no much happened. Without the knowledge of time, meant that minutes felt like hours and hours felt like days almost. The prison guards just ignored them, though not for lack of trying from many of the other prisoners in many of the other cells.

Half an hour went by, or was it an hour? It was difficult to know. However, an Imperial officer passed first Ki'an's cell, looking the shellless Mandalorian over in his new home and then tapped away on a datapad. Then he went to Cas' cell, gave the Caged Jedi Knight a look over as well, before writing down something on the datapad, before continuing to the next cell.

A sudden voice filled Cas and Ki'an's cells from a small ceiling-speaker. "Welcome. As the newest addition to our fine hotel, I like to involve you in our little daily tradition. You see, I like to get to know my guest on a more personal level than the often superficial one you get when meeting in person. So. Every day around noon, right after our fine cooks have made you dinner, I will send a truly shocking experience through your bodies for a few minutes" explained the voice from the speaker.

What came next was Ki'an and Cas feeling their entire bodies cry out in an excruciatingly high amount of pain. While Cas might be in an existential crisis for not being able to feel the Force flow through him, but the sheer volume of prisoners screaming in pain from getting the same voltage sent through their pain almost merged with Cas' and Ki'an's screams.

The pain disappeared almost a fast as it arrived, with the voice speaking up again. "I thank you for your corporation and participation in our wonderful little tradition. See you after dinner" greeted the announcer goodbye, leaving the prisoners to themselves the rest of the day... or was it night?

Moaning and crying filled the prison from other inmates, having been in their cells much longer and clearly at their breaking point... or maybe they had already been broken.

When dinner finally arrived, it came in the shape of two prison guards, one armed with a shock baton and another with a long staff with a metal neck snatcher at the end of it for optimal control of the prisoner. Standing in front of Ki'an's cell, the energy shield was powered down and the two guards came at the Mandalorian fast and hard, both being absolutely massive in size for guards, in case they had to overpower a prisoner.

If Ki'an did nothing, he would feel the collar like metal snap around his throat and neck and then get pushed up against the wall, held there while the third guard placed Ki'an's minimal amount of soup in a bowl. Once the two guards holding Ki'an felt it was secure enough to leave, they let him free of the neck snatcher and powered up the force field again. However, if Ki'an felt like acting brave, he would get introduced to the prison's correction program and electrocuted by a stun baton until he gave in.

Once the three guards stood in front of Cas' cell, the Jedi Knight would have gotten the chance to see in the cell, opposite from him, what waited for him. Just like with Ki'an, Cas would feel the neck snatcher get snapped around his neck and violently forced up against the metal wall and held there by the two guards who just waited for the kid to try and act tough.

As with Ki'an, once they felt it was safe to leave, they unsnapped the metal collar from Cas and left the cell and then powered up the force field again. After half an hour, the speaker came to life again. "Ahh, dinner, such an important part of a healthy diet," said the voice, as if they had a pleasant conversation. What followed was the excruciating pain of electricity voltage getting sent through every prisoner's body for a good few seconds, causing a few to throw back up their dinner or pass out.

Breakfast wasn't much better, though no shock was delivered to the cells, though the same rough handling of every prisoner when breakfast was served did happen.

Spending a night in their cells and morning, a couple of prisoners was carried out after have died from injuries, while others were just taken out and didn't return again, leaving empty cells.

Around noon, or what would have been noon, if Cas and Ki'an knew what the time was at the moment, they both were visited by two guards, four combined. One carried handcuffs while the other one the same staff with a neck snatcher at the end. Against their will again, both men were put on handcuffs and lead out of their cells by a metal collar with a long handle, giving the guards distance and control over Cas and Ki'an.

When they left their cells, they could finally get a better view of the area. The prison consisted of two long corridors, meeting in the middle, reaching from end to end sixty or so feet from end to end. There were also as many empty cells as there were occupied ones.

Ki'an and Cas were being led out of the prison and through fairly standard Star Destroyer hallways until they arrived at a large blast door, to which they were led inside. Once inside, Ki'an and Cas were in a very large room with Death Troopers standing in rows unmoving in the opposite corner and two other individuals standing in the middle of the large room.

The first one was of a tall man, mid fifty in appearance and the other one was Lilliana in chains, held from moving by two other Death Troopers. Cas would be able to instantly recognize the appearance of Insatious without his mask. The moment Lilliana saw her husband she started to struggle again, violently, screaming for Ki'an. "let me go you monster!" Cried out the female Mandalorian with all her might, yet it was of no use due to the two Death Troopers holding her locked in place.

A wide smile spread on Insatious' lips. "Ah, welcome my friends. Howe I've looked forward to finally meeting you, Ki'an Vizsla" expressed the Sith Lord quite joyfully as he crossed the distance to stand in front of Ki'an, towering over the Mandalorian. "Don't listen to a WORD he's going to tell you, it's all lies and deceit!" Warned Lilliana, again trying to break free of her jailer's iron grip on her.

Looking Ki'an over a bit more, "though, I am a bit disappointed" he added before looking to Cas. "Ah, Cassalius Tynen, how's your father?" Asked Insatious with an innocently smile, though his eyes showed his sadistic side, knowing full well how the question would affect the Jedi Knight.

Ki'an Vizsla Cadere

 

[Ki'an Vizsla]

It should have been a small comfort to have a familiar voice nearby but Ki'an could help but feel responsible for bringing the Jedi into the situation. Though it seemed Cas shared similar sentiments as he turned the tables and apologised in response so Ki'an tried to ease his companion's conscience.

"Anything could've happened. It's not your fault." He attempted to absolve Cas of any blame he was projecting onto himself. "I appreciate it but don't work yourself up over it. We'll do what we can.. If we can." He told him before falling silent, in thought. With little distraction other than the company of those in neighbouring cells, it was easy to ruminate on the situation and how powerless they were to do anything about it.

With a sigh, he lay back down tenderly and stared at the ceiling. Part of him wanted to talk to Cas to provide a distraction from their situation but he couldn't find the words - his thoughts preoccupied with the events that led up to the conclusion they found themselves in. He still couldn't piece together why they were being targeted by a Sith Lord in the first place and pondering on the matter provided no results. It seemed so random for such a targeted attack but no one would go to such lengths for no reason.

His gaze clocked onto movement outside the cell and followed the Imperial who stood outside for a few moments, suggesting something would soon happen, so he pushed himself into a sitting position and watched the corridor for any further movement. The voice over the speaker came as a surprise and seemed to be mocking of the situation but the mention of a shocking experience sent a chill down his spine and moments later he was hunched over as he cried out in pain from the feeling of electricity coursing through him.

With a groan, he dropped back into a lying position and rolled onto his uninjured side, facing away from the hallway, feeling dejected. He made no attempt to initiate conversation with Cas but would respond if spoken to first. For a while, he lay unmoving, given that there was nothing else to do. He considered the possibility of rescue. He hadn't told anyone where he was going but his family would notice if he was missing and he hoped the Concord would notice one of their Jedi missing too. Still, with no one informed of their intentions, the chances of being found seemed slim.

The first time they were given food, he didn't know what to expect. Upon hearing the sound of the energy shield deactivating, he turned his head to see the guards and quickly got to his feet before being violently pushed against the wall. He made no attempt to resist, knowing that it would be futile. Once the guards left, he inspected the food they had been given but pushed it aside but didn't return to his previous position and instead remained standing, growing agitated.

"They're going to shock us again, aren't they?" He asked as he neared the wall separating him from Cas with nervousness evident in his tone. With the information they had been given earlier, there was no reason to believe every mealtime wouldn't result in a shock. He paced the cell, restless at the thought of being shocked again. As they moved further from mealtime, his nerves began to ease since it seemed they were unlikely to get shocked. However, his suspicions were confirmed in the form of another electric shock, sending spikes of pain throughout his body and causing him to fall to his knees.

The second shock took longer to recover from so for a moment he resided to sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. After a few minutes, he got back to his feet and resumed his position in the alcove of the cell where he remained for hours until the following day, though he didn't get much sleep due to the stress of the situation.

When the guards returned, he knew what to expect so rose to his feet to meet them and didn't resist as they entered the cell in the same manner. Again, he became agitated at the thought of receiving an electric shock and again time diminished the nerves until it seemed unlikely they would get shocked. He lamented at the prospect of spending an indefinite amount of time in their circumstances which seemed sure to make every day a painful and anxious one.

When the guards came for a third time, they were equipped differently, suggesting they were here to remove him from the cell. In some ways, it was a relief to get the opportunity to get out of the cell but it was also worrying to consider why. Still, he made no attempts to evade, knowing it would be unwise to do so, and was led out of the cell. He tried to share a look with Cas but didn't say anything or convey any emotions in his expression other than that of hopelessness.

Once in the room they were led to, he became uncomfortable at the sight of his wife but still didn't struggle. Instead, his gaze shifted to the Sith Lord with a look of confusion and sorrow. He did not show fear as the Sith approached, though he felt it but had been taught to suppress it throughout his life. However, he was not so gifted at controlling all his emotions.

"What do you want from us?!" He asked Insatious with a sudden passion. The lack of knowledge had been paining him for days as he sifted through every reason why his family would be targeted. Now that he was faced with the culprit, he hoped he would be enlightened as to why he was being held prisoner by someone he had never met.

Cadere Darth Insatious

 

[Cadere]

Ki'an's attempt to absolve Cas of his guilt and responsiblity were moot, he still felt horrible for the situation he had uninentionally placed everyone in. With the arrival of the guard with the datapad, taking notes of Cas or... something else, the Jedi Knight simply glared at him. With the occurance of a disembodied voice reverberating through his cell, Cas listened with a scowl on his face "A truly shocking experience? Bit on the nose don't you think?" he said aloud.

However, before he could even react a surge of pain rushed through his body causing him to howl in pain, only to be drowned out by Ki'an's and the other prisoners cries. As Cas wondered how long the excruciating pain would last, it was soon, thankfully over and he dropped to his knees. Bent over and holding himself up with his arms, his hands turned into fists as he muttered to himself "Wait until I get out of here... I swear..." his sentence was left unsaid and Cas panted rapidly, trying to catch his breath.

Dinner, in name only, came and with it three "tough" guards. Cas watched what they did to Ki'an before they came to his own cell, stubbornly as soon as the force field shut down Cas tried to charge at the guard with the neck snatcher only for it to be wrapped around his throat and he was pinned against the wall. He attempted to struggle but halted once he felt the inward prongs knock the wind out of him, causing him to cough and gag. Growling in frustration, he glanced at the two guards currently pinning him "Three on one and you still think your tough? One of you stay in here with me, see what happens." the Jedi stated, attempting to goad them on.

Once they left, Cas glanced down and looked at the slop they called food on his plate - stubbornly throwing the plate against his cell wall. "Kark you and your food!" Cas yelled out into nothingness. Hearing Ki'an on the other side, Cas said nothing and simply braced for what was about to come. Not long after the torture method returned, and practically fried his nervous systems. His yells were drowned out again and once it was over, Cas fell to the ground and onto his back, he let out a weak groan as his breathing was wheezy.

From that point on, the Jedi Knight grew restless as he spent... however long they were in the cells for, pacing up and down his cell. Brainstorming any and all potential escape plans. The Jedi Knight barely slept, if at all, he was determined to get out of there. Cas also spent this time watching the guard patrols, memorising their routes and schedules - as well as enduring their regular dinner routines and what came afterward...

Eventually more guards arrived, one with handcuffs which forced Cas to deduce he was about to be taken somewhere. After being removed from his cell, he caught a glimpse of Ki'an armorless before returning his attention to his surroundings, memorising everything going on. Turning to the guards, his eyes narrowed at the long handle that seperated him and the guards. He smirked and tried to goad the guards "What's with the distance? Big, bad guards scared what we'd do if we were closer?" Cas was prepared for what came next, but talking smack was satisfying enough.

Arriving in a large room, Cas glanced around and took in his surroundings before looking straight ahead and seeing Lilliana and none other than Insatious. For now, he stayed silent and watched the interaction between the Sith Lord and two Mandalorians - following Ki'an's outburst, Cas also wondered what the sudden interest Insatious had in the man's family. His brown eyes glared at the Dark Lord once he addressed him, at the mention of his father Cas' face contorted into something wrathful. Making an odd sound with his throat, Cas proceeded to spit in the direction of Insatious' face. "How's your face?" he said smugly "What's with it anyway? You look a little younger. Been juicing on more Force-sensitives? Shame it didn't fix that ugly mug though, huh?" Cas was well aware of the dangerous game he was playing right now but at this point he didn't care.

Darth Insatious Ki'an Vizsla

 

[Darth Insatious]

Insatious instinctively closed his eyes when the Jedi Knight spit him in his face, which earned Cas a harsh gut-punching by the guard not controlling him. As Insatious got up on his feet, wiping the spit off of his face, ignoring the Jedi for now. However, Ki'an's question got the Sith Lord to focus on the Mandalorian as a smirk formed. "well, why don't we have your lovely wife tell you exactly why?" suggested Insatious, reaching out with the force, which took hold over Lilliana's body, lifting her into the air and floating over to them. The two Death Trooper's that held Lilliana at the beginning stood behind the now floating Lilliana, ready to take control over her.

"I won't tell him lies!" screamed Lilliana defiantly at the Dark Lord, staring daggers at the Sith. "See, that is where you're wrong, for deep down you know it's the truth. Either you tell your husband or I will simply feed on your children, right in front of you both" threatened the Dark Lord showing heartless cracks behind his pleasantries. Stubbornly daring the Sith Lord, Lilliana remained quiet, however when the sounds of crying entered the room from the far end, with two Imperial guards one carrying Arlen and the other carrying Aspen. Both kids were crying, but when they saw their Mom and Dad, that the crying really came through, calling for them, "Mama, dada!" they cried, trying to reach out to both their parents.

Sadly they were held back by their carrier from reaching Ki'an and Lilliana. The moment Lilliana saw her kids in duress and crying, her tough exterior cracked, now fearing for her children's life. If Ki'an attempted to fight the metal collar around his neck and the two guards, behind him, he would quickly receive a ruthless beating, even before his family.

Arlen, the oldest of the three children was brought in front of Insatious and between all parties in the little circle. Without remorse, the Dark Side of the Force expanded from his body as the huge room suddenly grew ten times smaller with tendril shadows slithering closer as Arlen's crying suddenly died out as light orbs started to forcefully be pulled from his little body. Not only that but Insatious himself changed as his eyes grew blood red and his otherwise normal fair skin turning to ashen grey.

"S-stop! I'll say it! I'll talk, I'll kriffing talk you monster! Please! Don't hurt my baby!" Screamed Lilliana, cracking from her brave and stubborn exterior, which caused Insatious to break away from draining Arlen. However, one thing Cas would have noticed since he knew the Sith Lord best and seen him in action, that Insatious actually had to force himself from not giving in to the very hunger itself that controlled the Sith Lord's life.

Nevertheless, Lilliana, with tearful eyes, blinked once and then looked to Ki'an heartbroken. "I'm his daughter... and that he has come to claim his blood back" explained Lilliana with closed shut eyes.

"Pro saarai nu sekleti derriphan xela," spoke Insatious in an eldritch sith voice as he returned to his youthful look, looking towards Lilliana. "No~ please... don't take me away" sobbed Lilliana never leaving her eyes from her husband as Insatious continue to speak the same words.

"Pro saarai nu sekleti derriphan xela," repeated Insatious in his eldritch sith voice for the third time and just to make it that much sicker, Insatious dropped his hold of Ki'an's wife with the force. Lilliana crawled over to Ki'an, throwing her arms around her captured love. Looking directly into his eyes, "I'm sorry my love" mouthed Lilliana with tears running down her cheeks. Like a machine that had been reset back to its default setting. Ki'an got to have a front-row watch of his wife's soul slowly be replaced by one that had been in a slumber for more than twenty years. Lilliana's duress and crushed state of mind had evaporated and he was looking at a completely different person.

Lilliana rose from her sitting position and left Ki'an and went over to Insatious unfazed by the whole situation in front of her

She didn't bat an eye to Cas, Ki'an or even her babies. It was as if all three things were unimportant, nonexistent. Kneeling down in front of Lord Insatious, Lilliana lowered her head submissively, "what is your bidding... father" she asked, awaiting her father's orders.

Meanwhile, Cas would actually start to sense and feel the Force call out to him, but unable to find a way to break through whatever held it at bay. Another thing, if Cas paid attention to his handcuffs, was that firstly, they were not like normal handcuffs for common criminals, but made for holding force users. Secondly, because he had struggled when the guards came to cuff him, the handcuffs themselves was just a tiny bit loose and not completely shut around his wrists and hands. None of his guards had noticed it and was just focused on keeping Cas pinned to the ground.

Ki'an Vizsla Cadere

 

[Ki'an Vizsla]

It didn't take a lot to break the spirit of the Mandalorian who was underwhelmingly skilled compared to many of his peers - a fact he regretfully was aware of. His armour was his strength and his protection so to be stripped from it left him feeling so vulnerable that he dare not challenge his captors in the way Cas did. The beskar shell allowed him to retain what little confidence he had in his abilities and its removal was devastating to his insecurity and played into feelings of powerlessness.

He watched with a look of shock as Cas spat in the direction of the Sith's face before it quickly turned into a look of concern as he was well aware of the consequences he would face. But there wasn't time to dwell on his fleeting concerns before Cas received his due punishment as he was addressed again by the stranger who had so ruthlessly taken so much from him and then taunted him after forcing him to endure days of the ordeal he had had.

The Mandalorian remained steadfast as the Sith used the Force to command control over Lilliana, though the situation made him deeply uncomfortable. She was fierce, much more so than him, but now he needed to follow her approach. "What is he talking about, Lily?" He asked in a tone rising with worry which quickly became panic at the mention of his children. "Please! They haven't done anything! Punish us, not them." He begged.

The limit of his ability to not be troublesome had been reached upon hearing his children call out for him and Lilliana so he struggled against the restraints, desperate to be free, and though he knew he couldn't will himself out of handcuffs, his emotions had gotten the better of him. Sure enough, he earned a vicious attack from the guards and with no way to defend himself, he was forced to take several brutal blows which left him hunched over, on his knees.

Ki'an looked up from the ground and watched with a look of dejected horror as the Sith approached his child. "Please..." He barely whispered as he caught his breath back after being winded in the attack. The taste of blood fresh in his mouth. He let his head drop back down to face the ground, not wanting to witness what was before him. Thankfully, it didn't take long for Lilliana to step in, at which point he raised his head to rest his gaze on her, no longer expressing confusion but simply downtrodden desperation.

At the point they were at, the revelation was not as shocking as it should have been given all other emotions had been trumped by sheer hopelessness. He expressed no confusion but a single phrase which indicated his hurting. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, their eyes meeting in a shared sad gaze before they were interrupted by the chanting of some unintelligible language.

"Lily?" He searcher her gaze for any indication of what was happening, confusion and panic once again rising. "What is he doing? What do you mean?" He asked in rapid succession. He was unable to reach out to her so instinctively began to struggle again and rose to his feet, with difficulty, when she did.

He watched, puzzled, as her demeanour changed and she approached the Sith who had gathered them here against their will. "No..." He spoke under his breath, eyes darting between Insatious and Lilliana as he pieced together the situation. He could almost feel his heart sink and before he knew it, he was back on his knees, his legs having given way.

In a matter of days, his entire world had come crashing down. First, with the loss of his children and now his wife had been stolen from him too. He felt a crushing feeling surrounding him as his heart began to race, initiating an intense panic which he was powerless to do anything against.

Cadere Darth Insatious

 

[Cadere]

Cas' efforts was quickly rewarded by a punch in his abdomen, knocking the wind out of him and forcing him to his knees. Letting out a few coughs, he inhaled deeply before raising his head to observe the exchange between Insatious, Lilliana and Ki'an - simultaneously thinking of some way to escape. His gaze periodically fell on Lilliana as she was the subject of this discussion, forcing him to wander what she could possibly tell Ki'an. Was she his secret lover? His pawn? A double agent? A sleeper agent? His mother? Daughter?

The sounds of innocent crying quickly caught his attention, forcing him to whip his head in the direction of crying. A pit instantly formed in his stomach once the Jedi Knight laid eyes on the Mandalorian couples children "Insatious... please." he uttered only to be kicked in the face by one of the guards as a not so subtle way to get him to stay quiet, forcing Cas to spit out his own blood. At the all too familiar sight of Insatious stealing another being's essence, their life force, he screamed "Don't do this!" struggling against both his binds and his captors "Stop!" but finally, following Lilliana's pleas the Dark Lord came to a stop. Only this time, Cas noticed something... usually Insatious seemed to be in control of his hunger, this was different. Making a mental note of this discovery, he continued to watch what was happening.

"I'm his daughter... and that he has come to claim his blood back"

Cas' mouth slightly hung agape, he was completely taken aback by this revelation and frankly, felt slightly nauseous. Someone as evil and immoral as Insatious... the thought of him being a father was sickening, as he knew that the Dark Lord had probably found some way to twist something as sacred as parenthood. His eyes drifted to Ki'an, he couldn't sense his emotions through the Force but he didn't want to imagine how the man was feeling right now. Cas could only gaze upon him with sympathy as he was no stranger to finding out someone you loved wasn't what you thought they were.

This must have been it then, Insatious' plan, his reasoning for kidnapping their children - he wanted Lilliana back too, for whatever reason. Some sick family reunion? No, it was more than that... but Cas couldn't figure out what exactly. The eerie, familiar sound of Insatious' chanting caused Cas to shiver, his words creeping into Cas' ears and invading his mind. The Kiffar was forced to clench his eyes shut and shake his head, in a futile attempt to rid himself of the invasive words Insatious spoke. Slowly opening his eyes once it was over, everything proceeded to happen so fast, Lilliana's aura had completely changed - the worried mother was gone and something cold had taken her place...

Suddenly, something caused the hairs on the back of his neck to rise. It was strange... like he could feel a small charge generating through his body but it was barely noticeable. Cas quickly recognised this as his feeling of the Force, his connection to it had returned! He glanced down to the cuffs wrapped around his wrists and quickly determined it was somehow blocking his connection to the Force. Jerking his arms slightly, the cuffs rattled around his wrist and a small smirk grew on his face - he could feel the Force slightly because the cuffs weren't on correctly.

This was it, their one shot. Cas would have to act quickly if they were to get out of here alive. Cas glanced to Insatious' hip, spotting his lightsabers there and then scanned the two guards either side of him as well as the third making sure he stayed in line. Looking down toward his cuffs once again the Kiffar, with the strength of his cybernetic arm, pulled his arms apart and thanks to the looseness of his cuffs managed to break the seal that kept his wrists together. Instantly, he felt the Force return to him and charge him like a battery - his brown eyes locked onto one of Insatious' lightsabers before he used the Force to telekinetically control it.

Forcing it from Insatious' hip, Cas' manipulated the lightsaber into travelling toward the guards' direction, activating its crimson blade mid-air. Making contact with the first guard's neck, it then homed in on the two guards besides Cas before decapitating them as well before swiftly finding itself in Cas' left hand. It all happened within a blink of an eye, it was impossible to react to. With his right arm, he threw it forward and with it sent a telekinetic wave at Darth Insatious - he knew he risked the children getting caught in it, but he banked on someone keeping them from harm and giving him enough time to lunge towards one of Ki'an's guards, gripping his shoulder to flip himself over the guard's head Cas landed on the other side of the confused guard before thrusting Insatious' lightsaber into the guard's side. Cas then quickly flipped the hilt into a reverse grip and plunged it backward into the second guard's abdomen. Rushing over to the front of Ki'an, Cas swung Insatious' lightsaber upward and in between Ki'an's wrists, severing the handcuffs. He said nothing to the Mandalorian but quickly rushed toward Insatious, with the hopes to buy Ki'an the time to do... something.

Darth Insatious Ki'an Vizsla