57

Cere was the picture of calm. A stone weathering the storm of battle around her, serene and placid. Gentle eyes watched the massive form of Krell as he glared up at her.

Around them, the Batch were getting to their feet. They were injured – all of them. And still, they came straight to Saedii's and Omega's sides. Falling in around them as they held up their blasters in a defensive position.

Krell bared his teeth as he got to his feet, chest heaving.

"So ready to die are you, Master Junda?" he demanded.

But Cere didn't look afraid. "I do not fear you, Krell. Nor any fate that may await me here."

"We'll see about that." Red light burst across his face as he engaged his double-bladed lightsaber with excessive force. At his other side, the ragged stump of his hand oozed dark blood.

As her attention remained on Krell, Cere turned ever so slightly behind her. Towards Hunter and the rest. "Go."

Hunter hesitated only a moment before nodding.

The ground was spinning under Saedii's hands as he came to her side. "No," she tried to shout, but it came out only as a breath as he picked her up, grimacing at the pain in his leg.

Around them, the rest of the Batch swam in and out of focus. Kalth's unconscious form was in Wrecker's arms, his lightsaber clipped to his belt. Blood was speckled across Wrecker's chest plate.

The night sky swam in and out of focus as they ran. Saedii clung tight to Hunter's neck, hissing at the pain in her side. In her neck. Desperately, her attention went over his shoulder, to the figures of Cere and Krell as they began to circle each other.

"Don't," Saedii begged. Trying to make Hunter understand. They couldn't leave Cere by herself.

"Sorry, kid." Hunter didn't stop.

Blasters echoed from somewhere behind her. Everything faded in and out for a moment as Hunter quickly dove onto the ground, avoiding fire. In the brief circle of her gaze, Crosshair leaned down the scope of his gun and fired, felling three Stormtroopers in quick succession.

Hunter held Saedii close to his chest. His armor, too, was painted with blood. Though after a moment, Saedii realized it was her blood – not his. "Tech, what's the most direct path to the ship?"

"West," Tech responded. His voice was tight with pain. "We will need to hurry. Something large just emerged into Teth's airspace."

"Another Venator?"

"No. The mass is much larger."

Warning whispered across Saedii's skin. She sucked in a breath – then winced at the pain in her throat.

"Hang on, kid. We're almost there," Hunter promised her.

Sharp snaps and buzzing filled the air then. The familiar hum of ether and energy. Lightsabers, Saedii knew.

Her head felt like it weighed a million pounds as she turned back in the direction they'd just come. Towards Cere and Krell.

It was a vicious battle. The two were evenly matched as they traded blow after blow, neither willing to back down. Blood leaked from the stump of Krell's left hand and he hacked at her with only one blade, moving with expert precision despite the wound.

Cere was a half-step slower. Not nearly as strong. And yet, she held him off with a fierce sort of determination.

The blaster fire died around them. Hunter grunted as he stood, Saedii in his arms. At his side, Omega kept her plasma bow drawn as they ran.

The stars were warping and spinning above her. Even Hunter's helmet, which was only inches away, felt out of focus. Saedii rested her head against his shoulder, breath catching in the painful cage of her chest.

She couldn't black out. Not now.

Sound swelled around her, growing louder before snuffing out entirely. She blinked heavily as it felt like Hunter's armor began to spin, shutting her eyes against the dizziness in her head. It felt like her skull was going to explode.

"Stormtroopers on our nine!" Echo called a moment before blaster fire echoed in the darkness.

Saedii forced her eyes open. Everything was out of focus again – too bright and too dark, all at once. The faint figures of Echo, Crosshair, and Omega detached themselves from the group as they exchanged fire, covering Tech, Hunter and Wrecker as they filed onto the rope bridge to one of the flight decks.

Something flared in the Force. Pain.

As Hunter emerged on the other side of the bridge, Saedii turned. Adrenaline focused her gaze for a moment, just in time to see Cere stumble in the yard behind them. Blood soaked into her robes, leaking from a wound in her shoulder.

"No." Saedii tried to scream. To tell Cere to run.

Cere couldn't have heard her, but she turned anyways. Locking eyes with Saedii. The look within them was content. Resigned. She gave Saedii a little smile as if to say It's alright, little one.

"Cut the bridge!" Hunter ordered.

Cere, Saedii mouthed, but her voice didn't work. Only her lips moved.

Crosshair and Echo both sliced through the rope bridge behind them, cutting off the Stormtroopers on the other side from following. Two on the bridge screamed as they were dropped down into the inky abyss – all the way down to the rocky terrain hundreds of feet below.

"Hunter!" Omega warned a moment before the ground erupted at their feet.

Saedii's body pitched through open space. Colliding with the flight deck with enough force that her vision snuffed, making everything go dark.

When she came to a moment later, her head was swimming. Pain lancing down her neck. Everything spun around her, unfocused, and a thin ringing filled her ears.

Hunter was sprawled beside her, shaking his head. The ground beside them smoked, indented with the blast. Short-range canons, a part of Saedii's mind recognized dimly. If that shot had hit them, they would have vaporized on the spot.

Dizziness pressed on her head as Saedii tried to lift it. Groaning, she let it fall back to the ground, squinting against the colors that bled in front of her.

Pain flared again in the Force – sharper this time. Dread filled Saedii's stomach as she looked over Hunter's struggling form, back towards Cere and Krell.

She stopped breathing.

Cere was frozen in an attack position, lightsaber held above her head. Even from this distance, Saedii could read the surprise on her face. The slight pinch of pain.

Imbedded in her chest was Krell's lightsaber.

He bared his teeth at her as he drove the blade deeper, pushing until it erupted out of her back with a wash of blood. Triumph filled his expression and he leaned forward to whisper something in Cere's ear.

"No!" Saedii's voice was a mere croak. It scraped raw against the back of her throat, tasting of blood.

Get up. Saedii had to get up.

If she could just get over there, maybe Cere could still be saved. Kalth had survived nearly being gutted. Cere had survived blaster rounds to the chest. She could survive this, if only Saedii could reach her –

Hands were on her then, lifting her up again. Hunter stumbled, head shaking. At his elbow, Omega looked disoriented as Echo placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her towards the ramp behind them.

"Cere," Saedii gasped, trying to push herself free.

Too late.

As Krell yanked his lightsaber out from Cere's chest, a flash of peace filled the Force. A soft light. Even half-conscious, Saedii knew what it was.

Cere's soul.

She was gone.

The fight went out of Saedii as she felt Cere's soul fade into the Force with a burst of warm light. Blackness pressed in. Saedii didn't fight it.

Darkness cradled her. Promising oblivion. There was no death here – no pain, no guilt. It was the escape she so desperately needed.

Except...

Awareness hung on by a string. Sounds swelled – the stomp of boots on the exit ramp, the roar of the thrusters, deep breaths beneath her ear. Hunter's voiced demanded, "Tech, get us in the air!"

Something was wrong. Something was coming.

There was a warning in the Force – something that stirred her from the darkness she craved. That forced her back into her body, which was placed in Hunter's bunk.

Pain made her wince. Nearly brought her back under.

But the Force flared. Coercing her awake.

Danger.

"Hunter." His figure was only just visible above her. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get her vision to right. Her head felt heavy, rolling uncomfortable as she tried to lift it off the pillow that cradled her head.

Couldn't he sense it? The danger? Something was coming – something terrible. Destruction and death given physical form.

They needed to leave.

"Wrecker, rear shields up!" Hunter was crouched over her, eyes on the rest of their squad as the ship shuddered with lift off. At his side, still looking dazed, Omega blinked and shook her head.

Kalth's still form on the medical bed jerked. His closed eyes twitched and his lips parted, like he was trying to speak. He gave a little convulsion.

He sensed it too.

The Marauder bounced in turbulence, banking to avoid incoming fire. Below them, the rear guns fired at any would-be pursuit, and there was a bone-shaking explosion somewhere close by.

Tech and Echo were shouting at each other, barking out directions. Trying to avoid the ships that swarmed from the front.

Hunter leaned low over Saedii and Omega as the ship gave a violent jerk. An alarm bellowed as the ship shivered with impact, and the emergency lights flashed overhead.

From the front, Echo bellowed, "We lost an engine!"

"Hunter," Omega squeaked.

Hunter's eyes were panicked, but his voice was calm as he said, "We've got three more. We can survive without an engine."

They could, but that wasn't the real danger. The true danger was waiting somewhere far above them. Bearing down.

It was getting closer.

"It's coming." Saedii forced her heavy eyes open, shoving feebly at Hunter's hands as she tried to sit.

He stilled her. "Don't move. We're getting you out –"

"It's coming."

Despite the broken hitch of her voice, her words must have registered. His blurry face swam above her, alarmed. "What's coming?"

Darkness fell over the cockpit – a darkness that stretched all the way to the back. Consuming the bunks. That claw of warning raked down Saedii's spine, making her go rigid.

It was here.

"Hunter!"

The alarm in Tech's voice made Hunter's head jerk up. Whatever he saw waiting for them in the front windshield drew him forward, away from Saedii and Omega. To the cockpit. Behind them, Wrecker charged forward too, a look of shock and horror on his blood-stained face.

Pain split down Saedii's side. Up her neck. What was Tech waiting for? They needed to get away. Needed to leave. She could feel the Force filling with heat around her, charged with some immense power that was slowing building into an unstoppable crescendo.

They didn't want to be around when it broke.

Crosshair's low voice hissed, "What the hell is that?"

Breath caught in Saedii's chest as she rolled onto the floor. The warning was screaming in her head now – so loud that it felt like it was echoing around in the recesses of her skull. Driving her forward.

They had to leave now. Now!

"Saedii," Omega protested, trying to guide Saedii back into bed.

Saedii shoved her off and swayed, off balance. The floor felt unsteady beneath her. She faltered a step.

Omega was there, shouldering some of Saedii's weight as she nearly fell. Sweating, Saedii whispered, "It's here."

"What's here?"

The air suddenly felt like it was vibrating. Something massive was moving close by. Hunter and the rest had fallen silent in the cockpit, gazes locked on a massive white figure in the windshield.

With Omega's help, Saedii stumbled towards the cockpit.

An infinite white hull filled the windshield. It was the size of a small planet, nearly equal to the smallest moon that hovered around Teth's gravity field. Panic sharpened Saedii's gaze enough that she could see the detailing on the side – the millions of panels welded together. The grooves and ridges that played along the side, as uneven as mountainous terrain.

Printed on the side in black letters were the words Death Star I.

A long barrel had erupted from its belly. Wide enough that three Marauders could have flown down, wing-to-wing, and still not come close to scraping the sides. White searing light glowed deep in the barrel, and that air suddenly felt heavy. Hunter and Omega's hair began to stand on end as the burning scent of ether filled the cockpit.

"Go," Saedii gasped. Knowing what was coming. She could sense it. "Go!"

Too late.

With an earsplitting boom, the gun fired.

It collided into Teth's side like a meteor, sending up a plume of ash and heat on the planet's surface. It mushroomed into the lower atmosphere, growing as the gun continued firing – one long continuous burst of heat and energy and power.

The Force shivered, flooding with pain. Panic. The last desperate cries of those that died in the onslaught – plants and birds and animals and people. So, so many people.

It swarmed Saedii's senses, nearly taking her off her feet. Clogging her throat. Making her sway beneath the sheer loss of life.

She felt each one. Felt the release of the billions of lifeforms that were incinerated in an instant – turned to a pile of ash that was quickly growing. Her mouth parted on a scream but no sound came out. The screaming was only in her head – an echo of terror and agony that was rippling among the Force.

Death.

So, so much death.

Ships fled the atmosphere. X-wings, transport vessels, cargo ships – hundreds of them shooting off into the stars, desperate to get away.

Cracks began to form along Teth's surface. Bright orange and glowing with melted ore, the planet literally fractured before them. Those splinters grew, reaching fingers across the globe. Burrowing across the oceans to the east and the distant deserts to the far south. Consuming everything.

Then, with one last shuttering boom, the planet exploded.

Heat and chunks of earth exploded out, racing faster than light. More than a dozen ships were caught in the backlash, exploding in tiny bursts of light that were nearly lost among the rippling rings of fire.

Saedii had tried to warn them. She'd tried.

"Get us into hyperspace!" Hunter shouted – the first time Saedii had ever heard him raise his voice.

Looking slightly dazed, Tech lunged for the hyperspace drive. Shoving it on.

The ship shuttered. Readying for the jump. It rocked as the first wave of heat hit them, nearly knocking them off course.

Then, with a low hum, the Marauder shot forward.

A loud ringing was filling Saedii's ears. At her side, Omega's mouth was moving. Tears were running down her face, level with Saedii's, and beneath Saedii's arm, her shoulders shook. She was crying.

The boys were stunned. Staring straight out the front windshield. Frozen.

The floor tilted beneath her. The warning in Saedii's head – the flood of death and pain and heat – suddenly vanished, leaving her feeling very empty and cold. That pain in the back of her head sharpened, drawing at her. Sinking claws into her conscious and yanking.

Her knees buckled.

Omega wasn't strong enough to hold her. She stumbled beneath Saedii's dead weight, falling.

Several pairs of hands grabbed for them. One cradled Saedii's head before it could collide into the metal floor. A very faint voice called for her.

But this time, there was nothing more to keep her awake. No warnings to head. Nothing to fight for.

This time, when the blackness beckoned, Saedii let it consume her.