CHAPTER NINETEEN
--Ossus--
"Is this all the Jedi have to offer?" laughed Lord Xaros as he stood atop a fallen pillar, watching with glee as the Jedi fell to his Sith Sabers and their barbaric Marked One allies. "How sad. After all these years, I'd been hoping for a challenge."
"Lord Xaros!" One of his Sabers, a Keshiri female, came rushing up to him, red lightsaber in hand. "An opening has been made in the temple. Lady Xiana is moving us to attack those inside."
Xaros' grin became a scowl. "Xiana may lead her flock wherever she likes, but you go where I tell you. Understood?"
"But, my lord, everyone is going into the temple. Including all the Jedi. Would we not be of better use there?"
"Oh, no doubt." Xaros took a perusing look around what appeared to be a garden of sorts. Whatever plants had been here had already been taken care of by the first wave of Sith... but there still stood a few statues of renowned Jedi. They were a massive insult to his eyes.
"But first... I think some redecorating is in order."
* * *
Toah's journey to find Anakin had been ended almost as soon as it had begun, and he owed it all to some man in black waving around a crossguard lightsaber.
As he narrowly dodged the Sith's attacks, countering them with some of his own, he spotted Anakin, Jaina, and a red-haired girl rushing up to join him. Before he could say anything to them, his assailant pushed him down with the Force and sprinted past him, fleeing from the other three Jedi.
"Well, that was a letdown," Toah muttered as he got back up. "I was hoping for some real action."
"He's headed for the Council Chambers," Jaina said. "He must be crazy if he thinks he can take them all on his own."
"Even so, we have to move quickly," Anakin said. Before he could head off, Toah grabbed him by the shoulder.
"Wait, Anakin. I need to ask something of you."
"There's no time. We have to--"
"Anakin. We're fighting a hopeless battle."
At this, the younger man caught Toah's gaze, blue eyes meeting brown ones. "Don't say that," Anakin said sternly. "We can win this."
"No, we can't," Toah returned just as strongly. "We're outnumbered. Jedi are falling left and right. For every Sith we bring down, they bring down ten of us. There is no victory in this, Anakin. Not for us."
Anakin opened his mouth to protest but Toah cut him off again.
"Listen to me: I want you to find as many Jedi as you can and get off of Ossus. Go to the Ileenium system -- I've gathered a resistance force on D'Qar. Tell them what happened here and warn them of the Sith."
Anakin frowned. "What about you?"
"I'll stay here and hold my ground." He stared firmly into Anakin's eyes. "The future of the Jedi depends on you, Anakin. Just like it did on your namesake. Don't let the Order down."
Anakin looked from Toah to Jaina, pondering over his request. He then conceded with a sigh. "All right. We'll try to find as many Jedi as we can. I think there's a ship in the hangar that can hold up to a dozen."
Toah nodded. "Then there isn't time to lose."
"Right." Anakin turned back to Jaina... and frowned, realizing she was alone. "Where's Natia?"
Jaina sighed. "Gone after that Sith, no doubt."
"I'll go after her," Toah said, walking past the two Solos. "May the Force be with you both."
"And with you," Anakin said before taking off with Jaina.
* * *
Donhran Remker sighed through his nose as he closed the eyes of Master Kelbis Narik, the Rodian's body joining those of several others in the medical ward.
He collapsed onto the floor, clutching his stump of an arm -- a "gift" he owed a Nagai Sith. He watched as Master Cilghal and her Nothoiin assistant rushed back and forth caring for the injured and the dying. He winced as he heard a Bith Jedi let out a blood-curdling scream.
"Master Ahar!" Cilghal rushed over to his side, immediately applying her healing abilities to his ailing form. "Calm yourself. It's all right. It's going to be all right."
Ahar simply continued to scream. Remker could not take anymore and got back to his feet. Walking across the ward, he surveyed those all laying in pain:
Zaylii minus her wings. Zin Jato sans his left arm. Lexa and Serra with their arms in slings. Lowbacca with several patches of fur missing. The list simply grew the further Remker went down and the Zabrak had to stop, sighing again as he sat on the edge of a Padawan's bed, the young boy undisturbed from his rest.
The future was not looking bright. It would appear he was going to witness yet another Jedi Purge, just as he had as a youngling six decades ago. And this time, he doubt he was going to survive.
"Novah, fetch me a cover," he heard Cilghal said forlornly. "We've lost another one."
As the Nothoiin went over to cover up the now-deceased Ahar, the door to the war opened and Jaina Solo came rushing in. Cilghal saw her and walked over.
"What do you need, Jaina? Are you injured?"
"No," the female Solo said. "Anakin and I are taking as many Jedi as we can to leave Ossus so we can warn the Alliance."
The Mon Calamari shook her head. "I'm afraid you'll have to look elsewhere. None of these Jedi are anywhere near well enough to leave."
"Master, they aren't going to get any better by staying here. The Sith are pressing their assault and will be here any minute."
Cilghal opened her mouth to protest but Remker cut her off. "She's right, Cilghal. We have to leave, or else we'll all die."
The healer frowned at him, although he could tell she knew arguing was futile. Turning back to Jaina, she said, "How do you plan on getting us off Ossus?"
"Anakin's working on that bit. Right now, we need to get everyone to the hangar."
"The medbeds are mobile, but I don't know if we have enough people to push them."
"We do," Remker said, getting to his feet along with Zaylii, Lowbacca, and other patients still able to walk. "All we need now is time."
"The faster we move, the more we have," Jaina said, already getting behind a patient's bed to push it. "Let's go."
* * *
"Natia! Stop!"
Toah's calls fell upon deaf ears as Natia Dorn charged towards Kylo Ren, who was locked in a duel with Masters Sadoon and Taana Di. The dark warrior saw her coming and pushed her back with a mere gesture before continuing his fight with the two masters.
For all his show previously, Ren was clearly overwhelmed by the combined strength of his opponents. Sadoon was able to deal a blow to his shoulder, causing the Knight of Ren to step back. The Kel Dor Grand Master then pointed his saber at Ren.
"Yield, Sith. There shall be no victory for you here today."
Ren said nothing, clutching the wound in his arm while still holding his lightsaber. Behind him, Natia was back on her feet, her eyes burning with hatred.
"Just end him now and be done with it!" she snarled. "He's nothing more than a monster!"
"Natia, calm yourself!" Taana implored. "You must not give in to the dark side!"
"This animal deserves nothing but death! You're dooming us all by keeping him alive!"
"As I see it, nothing is stopping you from killing me," Ren said to Natia, keeping his back turned to her. "I am injured and your masters are too far away to intercept you. All you need to do is take a few steps."
Natia remained rooted in place, hot tears stinging her eyes as she held her green lightsaber before her. Taana stared at her apprentice with pleading eyes.
"Natia... don't do it."
"Perhaps what she needs is some motivation." Kylo Ren suddenly raised his hand and seized Taana with the Force. Before the Togruta Jedi had time to react, he then pulled her towards him, at the same time raising his saber, and the unstable red blade went straight into Taana's abdomen. Natia's anguished cries echoed through the chamber as her master's lifeless form slid off the saber and collapsed to the floor.
Natia exploded in rage, screaming as she lunged at Ren. Their blades met, causing red and green flashes to dance around the room. As they fought, Master Sadoon rushed over to the fallen Taana, cradling her body in his arms.
It was upon this scene that Toah walked in, having finally caught up to the much quicker Natia. He came to a full stop, his eyes darting between the dying Taana Di and the raging Natia Dorn. His mind raced over which action to take next.
As usual, fate chose for him.
He heard the familiar screech before the TIE fighters unleashed their wrath upon the Jedi Temple. Chunks of stone started to rain down. Neither Ren nor Natia took notice, too absorbed in their duel. Toah rushed over to Sadoon, pushing a falling slab of rock away with the Force before it could crushed the Grand Master.
"Come on," Toah said. "Let's get you two to safety."
Sadoon shook his head. "It's too late for that now. We've done everything we could. The future of the Jedi now rests in the hands of others, as it had once mine."
Toah scowled. "Stop moping and come with me."
"Toah." Sadoon met his gaze and Toah could feel the Kel Dor's eyes on him even from behind his concealing goggles. "This is my destiny. I know it to be so. Yours lies with the future of our order. I know that to be so as well. Please, Toah... do it for me. Do it for all of us."
Toah opened his mouth to protest but was cut off by another strafing run from the TIEs. A good sized piece of the ceiling fell down, narrowly missing Kylo and Natia. Realizing there was no time to argue, Toah gave a silent nod to Sadoon before rushing over to stop Natia.
A slab of stone fell from above and made contact with his head, preventing him from doing that.
Whatever his destiny was, fate really didn't want him to have it.
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