11

Kalth may as well have been a stranger.

His long black hair had been cut, far shorter than she'd ever seen it. The baby fat around his face was gone, replaced with long, stern lines. His features had sharpened – cheekbones and jawline and chin. No longer the soft features of an adolescent, but the rigid features of a man.

He's grown, too. While he'd always been tall, Kalth had never been able to pack on muscle. He'd been thin as a reed last time she'd seen him, but now, his shoulders and torso were corded with muscle. Not bulky like Wrecker, but lean and powerful.

And his eyes. They'd been so wide and blue when last she'd seen him. As dark as the ocean under a storm.

Now they were cold. Two chips of ice.

Dangerous.

Saedii stared at him, not daring to move. The man standing before her was a stranger to her – a shadow of her former best friend. When she looked at him, there were no traces of the smiling, happy boy she'd left behind on Coruscant. The one who'd helped her learn how to braid her hair and stayed up far too late, trading whispered stories of old Jedi.

"Kalth?" His name was a whisper on her lips. A soft breath.

That cruel smile of his widened – a mockery of his former warm, open grin. "Hesitating, little Jedi? Don't you want to kill me?"

A rush of emotions piled in her throat. Shock. Horror. Confusion.

But most of all...relief.

Her friend was alive.

"I thought you were dead," she said.

Cleaving down his face, a thin slice from the tip of her lightsaber wept blood, drawing it down his cheeks. Collecting around the wide, full expanse of his mouth. "You can fix that. Go on. I know you want to."

But she didn't want to. How could she? This was her friend – the one and only person that she'd spent the entirety of her life with.

"Everyone said you'd died. In the temple, on Coruscant," Saedii said quietly. Her lightsabers had begun to shake – only slightly. Kalth hedged away as they drifted ever closer towards his throat.

"I did." Kalth's smile dropped. Suddenly, he wasn't a sixteen-year old boy kneeling before her, but a hardened warrior. An Inquisitor. "Kalth Apperion was killed on Coruscant. I have been reborn under the black banner of the Inquisitors. Rechristened by the Empire."

Saedii shook her head. Rebelling against the thought.

"I am the Seventh Brother."

"You would have rather died then join the Inquisitors," Saedii said. Pleaded, almost.

Kalth appraised her. "Lord Vader saw potential in me. He spared my life and gave me a new purpose."

Darth Vader.

The mysterious Sith lord.

It had been months since Saedii had heard any mention of him. Darth Vader was elusive. An enigma. No matter how deeply engrained Rex and Padme's spies were, none of them had been able to gather a single shred of information on this new Sith.

Yet Kalth knew him. Had been groomed by him.

Saedii's thoughts were out of order. She tried to picture her friend standing before a Sith lord. Pledging himself to his dark cause.

"You're a Jedi," Saedii insisted.

"Not anymore." His voice was so deep now. Haunting and cruel and cold. "Now, I hunt them."

Something cold danced down Saedii's spine as she remembered what he'd said, only moments before.

The four Jedi I've killed would argue otherwise.

"No. Kalth, you wouldn't –"

"I am the Seventh Brother, and I do as my Master commands," he said dutifully.

"The Jedi are our family." Saedii looked at him. Really looked, to see if there was any glimmer of the boy she'd once known. "You are my family."

But those icy eyes regarded her with murderous intent. "You mean nothing to me."

The words were like a blade to the chest. So sharp and piercing. Breaking a part of her that she thought had healed.

She swallowed, and urged, "Whatever Darth Vader has done to you, I can help. You don't have to do this anymore."

"I don't kill Jedi because I have to. I do it because I want to."

Slowly, Kalth began to rise to his feet. Saedii mirrored his movements, hesitating. Torn on whether or not she should attack or run. Because he was her friend, and even though he was looking at her like she was another prize to be won, the thought of killing him was too much to bear.

Voice low, Kalth proclaimed, "I willingly chose to take up the mantle of the Inquisitors. To serve Lord Vader and the Empire. It is my destiny to save the galaxy by uprooting the last of the Jedi Order and destroying them, one by one. Starting with you."

"No." Saedii gave the smallest shake of her head. "Whatever Vader had made you do, it's not too late."

"Are you sure about that?" Something like amusement was quickly filling those icy blue eyes of his.

Saedii watched his hand as it went to his face, wiping at the line of blood blossoming between his eyes. When he wiped it away, he left a red swath across the plane of his forehead and chin. So dark and insidious against the chalky paleness of his skin.

"You haven't asked me about the children yet."

It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over Saedii's head. Very slowly, she asked, "What children?"

"The ones in the temple." His smile stretched wide – stark white against the blood on his lips. "The ones I was supposed to protect."

Her stomach began to churn at the terrible glint in his eye. The terrible spark of cruelty. It was an emotion she hadn't thought her friend capable of feeling.

In a cool tone, Kalth said, "I slaughtered them. Every single one. Even the babes, still in their cradles."

Nausea bit at the back of Saedii's throat. Her grip tightened around her lightsabers as the blood rushed from her face, and for a dangerous moment, she thought she might faint.

It wasn't possible.

He couldn't have...

"It was easy," Kalth went on. "They were so trusting. Most didn't even have a lightsaber yet, and those that did could barely hold it upright."

Tears pricked at Saedii's eyes as she thought of the younglings. Of the dozen or so children, so small and tiny, waddling around the temple in their little Jedi robes. She thought of how she and Kalth used to visit them in their lessons, sitting in a corner with Madam Jocasta as Master Yoda taught them the ways of the Force. How eager and innocent those children had been.

How could he have done such a thing?

Noticing the doubt in Saedii's gaze, Kalth gave a harsh chuckle. "It was an easy choice: me or them. Lord Vader used their blood to baptize me into the Inquisitor's ranks."

A horrible image came to her then: of Kalth, speckled with blood, surrounded with little bodies at the top of the youngling tower, kneeling. Blood pooling at his feet as a dark, shadowy figure stood above him and placed a hand on his brow.

"Still think I'm worth saving?" Kalth asked in a mocking tone.

Icy cold rage blanketed Saedii's skin, burrowing down into her bones. She'd never felt such anger before. Such hatred.

"The galaxy would be better off without me, don't you think?" He tipped his head back, exposing his throat. Baiting her. "Go on. Kill me. I dare you."

She wanted to. Never before had she felt such a terrible, vengeful need to take a life.

But there was a small voice in her mind that urged caution.

He wants you to kill him, it whispered.

Saedii's head turned to the side. Appraising. "Why do you want me to kill you, Kalth?"

Fear sparked in his eyes – true, bone-crushing fear. Ever so slightly, he flinched, as if anticipating a blow. "I don't know what you –"

"I can feel your fear." Her eyes traced the nervous lines in his face. The muscles that worked in his throat. "But it's not me you're afraid of."

Kalth was very still. So still he didn't even seem to be breathing.

Ever so slowly, Saedii lowered her lightsabers. Just enough that she could look into his white face. "You're afraid of him, aren't you? Darth Vader?"

He gave a shudder. "My master is powerful and merciless to his enemies. He is an asset to the Empire –"

"He's controlling you. Using fear to keep you loyal."

"I give my loyalty freely –"

"No, you don't." Her lips thinned. "The boy I knew was proud and made people earn his trust. He wouldn't have knelt for anyone, especially not a Sith."

"You know nothing about me!" he snarled.

"I know you. That's how I know that you want me to kill you so that you don't face Darth Vader's wrath. Because the only alternative here is becoming my prisoner."

Kalth adjusted his weight, taking a half step back. For a moment, a bemused smile took over his features. "And you think you could get me to talk?" he demanded.

"I could," she said lightly, "because I know all your weaknesses."

She was angry enough that the threat landed as she'd intended. That arrogant smile dropped from his face.

Very slowly, Kalth raised his hands again. Going very still.

A slow hum shook the air around them. Under their feet, the ground vibrated and dirt began to skitter across their feet, kicked up in the sudden gusts of wind that blanketed down between the trees, which swung wildly overhead.

She looked up, spotting a transport ship moving through the darkened sky, in the direction of Echo and Omega.

From her comms, Echo's anxious voice ordered, "Saedii, time to go!"

She beckoned in the direction of the cliffs. "Here's what you're going to do –"

Kalth moved like lightning, slipped beneath Saedii's reaching arms to come up behind her. She spun, catching sight of a flash of red a moment before she felt the hot bite of a lightsaber across her shoulder.

She pushed out with the Force, shoving him back. Dirt billowed up around his feet as he slid through the ground, coming to a stop several feet away. In his hand, he had his lightsaber. Somehow, he'd pulled it to him without her noticing.

"Did you really think," Kalth began slowly, his previous wicked grin coming to take place on his face, "that you'd gotten the better of me? I had you right where I wanted you the entire time, little Jedi."

Saedii's eyes narrowed. Blood welled down her back, soaking into her robes. Never dropping eye contact, she slid into a crouch. Ready for round two.

But from her comms, Hunter ordered, "Echo, we're sixty seconds out from your location. Be ready to go. Troopers are coming in hot."

"Saedii, let's go!" Echo insisted again.

She ground her teeth. There wasn't time for another fight. If she didn't hurry, they'd be cut off from an escape.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to stay?" Kalth demanded. "My master will be arriving soon. He's eager to meet you."

"Saedii!" Echo sounded frantic now.

Feeling unsettled, Saedii turned and ran.

In the trees above her, the branches had begun to swing madly as another transport ship flew past. Around her, the Force flooded with anxiety from up ahead – Echo's and Omega's – as the distant sound of a fire fight echoed in the night air.

The sounds of the blaster fire grew louder as she drew closer to the cliffs. She could hear the distinct, echoing boom that told her it was canon fire she was hearing – the sounds of two ships locked in an aerial battle. Some part of her had a feeling that the Marauder was one of them.

The trees blurred past her as she ran. Both lightsabers were in hand, engaged and ready to face whatever dangers were waiting for her up ahead. The thinner, quicker pops of blaster fire suddenly broke out above the canons, coming from somewhere ahead of her.

Not good. If a force of troopers had made it to the cliffs, then Echo and Omega would be pinned without cover. And what about Tech? Hadn't Echo said he was following behind? Had they already caught up to him?

The blaster fire grew louder. Voices were calling to each other, barking orders. Clone voices.

Finally, Saedii broke free from the trees, coming to a halt as she took in the scene.

A contingent of Clones were fanned out along the cliff, firing at a lone hover-scooter perched at the edge. Ducked behind it, Tech and Echo were doing their best to return fire while Omega cowered at their sides. Behind them, in the open air, was the Marauder. It made frantic swoops towards the edge, door open, while also actively trying to avoid the swarms of TIE fighters that were trying to blast it out of the sky.

Crosshair was hanging out the door, trying to lay down some cover for Echo, Tech, and Omega. But with all the evasive moves that Hunter had to put the Marauder through, he wasn't nearly as deadly as usual.

Saedii jumped forward, swiping her lightsabers through the Clones closest to her. Guilt flooded her stomach at the screams they let out, as they dropped dead at her feet, but this was no time to second-guess. If she didn't act now, the team would be in serious trouble.

"Jedi!" one of the Clones screamed a moment before she beheaded him.

Half of the Clones turned their attention to her. She ducked their shots, deflecting the few that were on target as she shouted to Echo, "Get on the ship! I'll draw their fire!"

If Echo was unhappy about this plan, he didn't say so. There was no point – the rest of the Clones were quickly turning their attention towards Saedii as she began to cut her way through their comrades. This window was as good as any that they'd get.

Saedii was a flow of movement, swinging both blades around in a deadly arc. Blood splattered against her face, splashing the ground at her feet. Out of the corner of her eye, the Marauder dipped down, hovering long enough for Echo to toss Omega through to Crosshair, who pulled her onboard.

Bright sparks danced in front of her as she deflected another shot, followed a moment later by the agonized yelped of a trooper as she directed it his way. She ran ahead, sliding below blasters, lightsabers a flash of blue around her. Saedii was faster than they were – far faster. And with her lightsabers, these Clones didn't stand a chance.

The Marauder gave off an echoing boom as it returned fire to the TIE fighters – a long, continuous stream of shots that was keeping the aerial threat at bay as Echo and Crosshair heaved Tech between them, pulling him towards the ship.

Above them, in the faint, hazy reaches of the atmosphere, Saedii heard the tell-tale sound of a ship emerging from hyperspace. The shadow of what appeared to be a dreadnaught covered the two pale moons like a dark, terrible cloud.

Time to go.

Pulling on the Force, Saedii shoved it towards the remaining Clones, taking them off their feet. They all landed back towards the trees. Far enough away that she had space to make a run for it.

She turned towards the Maurader. Took a few running steps.

And then yelped as a body crashed into hers.

Saedii landed hard on the ground, sliding through the dirt, pressed down by weight of the body behind her. They came to a stop right at the edge and Saedii was greeted with the dizzying sight of the several hundred feet of open space, mere inches to her left.

Above her, a ragged voice demanded, "Where do you think you're going?"

Kalth.

"Saedii!" Echo called as, from above, a whole new swarm of X-Wings burst from the cloud coverage, heading in their direction.

"Plan 74!" Saedii shouted. Moving on instinct, Saedii's legs swung up, wrapping around Kalth's shoulders and, with a twist, yanking him off her in a perfectly executed hold. One that Hunter had taught her.

Kalth flopped onto the ground beside her, rolling into a crouch.

Scrambling to her feet, Saedii ran along the cliff's edge just as the Marauder took flight beside her.

It swooped down low, nearly brushing the trees far below as it evaded the rush of jets at its back. Distant echoes of canon-fire filled the valley as it began to pick off the pursuing jets, one-by-one.

Saedii ran, following the edge of the cliff. Plan 74 meant that Tech would swoop back once he had some space and pick her up at another location. All she had to do until then was stay alive and stay in sight of the ship.

Darkness roiled behind her, announcing she had company. She turned as she felt it shift against her back, catching the swing of Kalth blade as it whistled towards her unprotected back.

With gritted teeth, she pushed him off, using the Force to put distance between them. The path before her narrowed, edging along a large jut of rock. The path looked like it was a foot-wide, if it was even that. And below it was nothing but empty air.

She had no choice.

Her feet moved quickly but surely as she charged ahead. At her back, the rock scraped against her as she slid along the path, moving as quickly as she dared. Pebbled dislodged under her feet, tumbling over the edge to her right and disappearing into the emptiness.

A memory came to her then: of a thin, six-inch wide beam, held over a pit of foam. Of Master Plo watching from the side, giving gentle orders.

"Find your balance, little Saedii. Trust your body. It will not fail you."

A sure, steadying feeling took root in her stomach as she continued on. As the path grew narrower and narrower and the rock pushed her even close to the edge. Master Plo had trained her for situations like this. She knew what to do. She had to trust that she would stay sure-footed. That she wouldn't fall.

She ran a little faster, trusting herself more. Below, she heard the distant sounds of the Marauder as it fought for freedom. Just a little further, and they would come for her.

Crunching footsteps behind her gave away Kalth's pursuit. She turned in the darkness, seeing the faint outline of him in the red glow of his lightsaber. In the blood-hued light, his eyes looked like bottomless black pits.

He swung for her head, sending sparks dancing down on her shoulders as she ducked, lightsabers colliding with the rock face. Saedii's stomach clenched as she cartwheeled backwards, balancing for a moment on her hand before righting herself.

Once she gained her feet, Kalth was there again, lightsaber heading for her side. She met him blade-to-blade, careful of her feet as he tried to push her towards the edge.

"Aren't you curious, Jedi? Don't you want to learn about the new Sith lord?" Kalth taunted, pushing against her.

Saedii twisted their blades, slanting his away. Then, she flipped backwards, feet light. Staying centered as she came to a crouch a few feet away.

He charged after her, swinging down towards her head. She batted away his advance, parrying every thrust. Moving backwards with sure, practiced steps. Kalth seemed every bit as comfortable as she did this close to the edge, pressing forward aggressively.

His blades swept towards her feet. She jumped over them easily, spinning to catch his next charge, which she slammed up against the rocks in an attempt to break his grip.

"He'll be here soon." Kalth kicked out at her gut, just missing as she jumped away.

In her retreat, her foot slipped at the edge. Saedii swung up a lightsaber, impaling it into the rock as her body nearly tumbled off into the open space. For a terrible heartbeat, the was nothing but empty air below her feet.

Kalth tried to take advantage, attacking. Her other lightsaber came up to meet his, batting it away as she regained her footing. Once she was back on solid ground, she pulled out her lightsaber from the rock, using it in tandem with the other to block the furious advance of Kalth before her.

"Don't you want to meet him?" Kalth said, charging, swinging. "He'll be thrilled to know you've survived. Another Jedi to test and challenge us...or join us."

Saedii held out a hand, shoving them apart with the Force. Her voice was brittle as she hissed, "I'd rather die."

A slow, evil smile spread the length of his face. "That can be arranged, too."

She braced herself for his next charge.

But at that moment, one of the X-Wings swung towards them, canons lowering into position. Saedii's mouth dropped in alarm as she saw the sure-tell glow deep in the barrel. As she felt the Force shift around her.

A brief flash of fear took over Kalth's face. "No!" he screamed a moment before the X-Wing fired.

Blasts of cannon fire burrowed into the rocks around them. Chunks of rock dislodged from the cliffs around them, tumbling down to crash into the valley. Heat and light exploded all around her, blinding her.

Saedii turned and ran, trying to get away. To escape. If she could just make it to the end of the path –

The rockface beside her exploded.

She grunted as rocks crashed into her, taking her right off the path. Dragging her down into the open air.

Her head bounced off the cliffs, sending lights flashing behind her eyes. Rough rock scraped beneath her fingers as she tried to slow her fall. One of her lightsabers flared to life, burying itself into the rock. Slowing her slide until another rock slammed into her shoulder and yanked it free.

The darkness spun around her. She held her arms out, trying to reach for something – anything that could slow her down.

A flash of silver caught below her. The Force showed her what her eyes couldn't see: a massive shape of metal, hurtling through air. A hand reaching out towards her. Desperate, she reached for it.

Fingers wrapped around her forearm, yanking her sideways. She crashed into a solid body covered in armor, taking both of them to the ground. Behind her, the body flexed on top of her, covering her. Keeping her head low as several rocks bounced in after them.

"We've got her!" someone called behind her.

When Saedii looked up, she came face-to-face with calm, warm eyes. One half of a darkened face covered by a black tattoo.

"Hunter," she breathed.

"Hold on," he told her as the wind rushed in through the door on their left.

Below them, the cliffs were quickly disappearing. Growing smaller. In the dark, swirling mass, Saedii could just make out the forms of rocks tumbling down the side, and a single body falling with it.

Kalth.

She opened her mouth – to do what, even she didn't know – when there was a flare of red as he dug his lightsaber deep into the rock. Stopping his descent mere feet from the tops of the first trees.

Kalth's cool blue eyes looked up in their direction as the door swung closed.

Below them, the Marauder shook as it approaching the upper atmosphere. Saedii caught a glimpse of Crosshair and Omega strapped into the launch seats, and Tech's trapped down on the med bed behind them. She and Hunter slid across the floor as, in the cockpit, Echo yanked the controls.

"Brace yourselves! We're coming out hot!" Echo shouted.

There was no time to strap in. Hunter's arms tightened around her. Saedii ducked her head low under his shoulder as he held tightly to the closest braces in the wall.

The ship lurched violently around them. Hunter grunted above her as he held them in place, arms straining with every heave of the ship. Saedii held tightly to him, trying to keep herself small as they swung around.

The Marauder pitched nearly vertical. A sharp intake of breath escaped Hunter's clenched teeth as he pulled them closer towards the ground, shoulders shaking as Saedii nearly slipped free from his hold.

An explosion sounded from the back of the ship, followed by Wrecker's voice shouting, "They're gaining on us!"

"Almost clear!" Echo's voice was eerily calm.

Omega let out a whimper as they began to bounce again – this time more violently than the last. Holding as tight as she could to Hunter, Saedii ducked her head and closed her eyes.

There was a low whirl as the engines fought against gravity. As the hyperspace converter kicked on.

Then, with a violent shiver, the Maurader slipped into hyperspace.

Saedii's body settled on the ground. Above her, Hunter slowly lowered his arms, pushing himself up so that Saedii could sit. She shook her head, shaking out tiny little pebbles and dust.

"You alright?" Hunter rumbled.

"Think so." She gave him a small smile. "Thanks for catching me."

His lips twitched. Slowly, he got to his feet, holding out a hand to help her up.

Omega and Crosshair unbuckled as Saedii got to her feet. Hunter had an unreadable expression on his face as he watched her clip her lightsabers onto her belt. His eyes narrowed in on the thin slice along her bicep, still leaking blood, and the back of her robes.

"You alright?" he asked her.

She rubbed at her shoulder, grimacing as her hand came back coated in red. "I've been better, but I've got all my limbs, at least. That's an improvement from last time."

Hunter's shrewd eyes went over her good arm, as if assessing the damage for himself.

"That was some damn good dueling, kid." Echo emerged from the cockpit, looking impressed. "We couldn't have made it out without you."

"Technically, we could have. Though our chances of survival would have decreased to seven percent." Tech's voice was tight. Some of the color had leeched from his face, leaving him too pale.

Crosshair walked over to his side and shoved him down, none too gently. "Lie down. The pain meds haven't kicked in yet."

Tech gave a wan laugh. "I am aware."

Wrecker shuffled down from the gunner's mount. He was laughing as he put a meaty hand on Tech's shoulder and boasted, "Ha! I'd like to see the faces of those Imperials that let us slip through!"

Tech flinched, jaw tightening.

Pissed, Crosshair swatted Wrecker's hand away, hissing, "Watch it, you idiot!"

Hunter was still watching her. Saedii held his gaze, waiting. Sure she was about to receive another lecture.

She'd disobeyed orders.

Nearly gotten Omega killed.

Ran off on her own.

Faced off against an Inquisitor.

Everything that Hunter had expected her not to do. Everything that she knew better than to do. If she ever deserved a lecture, now was the time.

But to her surprise, Hunter reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder, giving it an affectionate squeeze. His expression warmed as he said, "Great job, kid. Glad to have you back."

"Hell yeah!" Wrecker bellowed, charging forward to scoop both Saedii and Hunter up into a bone-crushing hug. "The Bad Batch is back!"

Saedii smiled. Because for the first time in nine months, everything finally felt like it was back to normal.