Knights and Lovers

Chapter 1
***Endar Spire, Command Deck***

“Carth Onasi, yes? I trust the preparations are well underway,” Bastila Shan spoke, surveying the bridge of the vessel. There were six crewmen sitting at their seats monitoring their systems, and several more pacing the room or passing through on their rounds of the vessel, and yet, the most imposing of all of them was the man at her side, the Republic War Hero Carth Onasi.


“Yes, that’s me. The vessel is well underway; we should be at the rendezvous point with the fleet in just a few hours.” Bastila discreetly peered over at the man, her curiosity peaked. He was a veteran of the Mandalorian Wars as well as a war hero in the Jedi Civil War. If it was not for her battle meditation, he might be in charge of the mission. “So tell me, Bastila, I’ve heard that this ‘Battle Meditation’ of yours is supposed to win this war for us. You’ve been vital to the war effort so far, but I have to admit that I have my doubts.”


“I…admit that I am not certain, but-“Bastila was interrupted by a shout from one of the Republic officers near the front of the ship. The ship was being pulled out of hyperspace!


A moment later the ship shook violently from the forced deceleration. Bastila found her footing lost and she would have gone sprawling to the floor if Carth had not grabbed her shoulder, rooting her in place. His own footing was sure and true, as if his visage was rooted by his experience.


Both Jedi and Pilot alike couldn’t help but pause and stare out the viewport as a Sith capital ship, the Leviathan, flew directly towards them, launching fighters.


“Bastila.” Carth interrupted the silence, his solemn eyes intent and set to purpose, “get to the escape pod bay.”


“Now? I need to meditate or the ship will be lost!”


“Shush and go! The ship is already lost!” as if to accentuate his point, the ship shuddered as laser fire from the passing fighters stuck the hull. Soon the capital ship will be in range he thought to himself calmly.


“Don’t you shush me, Carth On-“ But once again, the Jedi Knight was interrupted as Carth grabbed her by the shoulders.


“You can use your battle meditation from the Escape Pod Bay, I’m not asking you to sit idle, damn it!” his emotions rose, “You need to get there and use your powers to save as many people on the vessel as possible, then when the time comes, you’ll be the first escape pod to escape. “ When she began to speak again, Carth shoved her towards the bridge doors. “Go! The Republic can’t lose your powers, Bastila! Do what you have to do to survive this!” Finally, Bastila reletented and ran past republic soldiers on her way to the Escape pod bay. With her out of the way, Carth began to give orders to the soldiers.
“Ensign, get me access to the intercom.”

***Endar Spire, Crew Quarters***

Rivain woke with a start, groaning as a loud ‘boom’ sounded throughout the room. Was it his shift already? But then the entire room erupted and shook violently as if from an earthquake. There aren’t earthquakes in space, get up! Rivain vaulted off his bunk, blinking the drowsiness from his eyes before walking over to the ship’s viewport. A grey planet was circling underneath. Nareen? Rivain turned his eyes back towards his bunk, but it was vacant. She must have snuck out so no one would see her. Rivain smirked, but his expression soon changed when he glanced out the ship’s viewport.


A Sith fighter flew within a few feat of the Endar spire and she ship shook once again, red streaks of laser fire began lighting up the corners of the viewport. We are under attack!


Suddenly, the door into the crew quarters burst open, and Rivain’s bunkmate and friend, Ensign Trask Ulgo burst into the room, firing a few shots of his blaster pistol down the corridor for good measure before hitting the console and sealing the door. After a tense breath, he turned and looked at the scout standing behind him slack-jawed. “Why are you standing around stark naked?! I promise that won’t impress the Sith boarding party! Get your gear, we have to get to the bridge and find Bastila!”


Rivain couldn’t help but mutter about the absurdity of the situation as he pulled on his leather pants and synthleather energy-ablative jacket. Then it all came rushing back to him. His recruitment by the republic, the Galactic Civil War, the Sith attack, and…he’d been with a Jedi last night! That was something to tell the friends back on Nar-


“Hurry up, I hear troopers moving our way!” Trask sounded indignant as Rivain hopped towards the ensign, pulling on his boots and drawing a blaster pistol from its holster.


“Damn it Trask, I’m moving as quickly as I can, let’s go!” Rivain called back as he opened the crew door and ran right past the ensign into the corridor.


He promptly scrambled back into the room as two Sith troopers opened fire with their blaster rifles. “Any chance we could just stay in here?!” Rivain remarked towards Trask.


The soldier finally lost his dour demeanor and grinned, “Let’s show these Sith how the Republic deals with Boarding Parties.” Rivain nodded and the two spun back into the corridor, blaster pistols firing.


Moments later, a transmission came across the Ships Intercom system, “This is Carth Onasi- the Sith are threatening to overrun our position! We can’t hold out long against their firepower! All hands to the bridge!”


***Endar Spire, Escape Pod Bay***

Bastila struggled to focus, to find her center, but she couldn’t stop thinking about her other mission, and the man she was supposed to watch. If the heat of battle caused his memories to resurface…but no, she pushed those thoughts aside. She sat strapped in to her escape pod, safe for the moment, but soon even the walls of the ship faded from her consciousness as she reached out with the force…


***Endar Spire, Command Deck***

“What do you see, Rivain?” Trask whispered as the scout looked into the corridor.


“At least Six Sith troopers, heading our way. Damn, that’s way too many for a firefight,” Rivain responded quietly.


“Use this, maybe we can even the odds,” Trask passed over a frag grenade, and the two readied for combat.


In the next room, Namaree jumped free of the ship’s turbolift on the way to the Command Deck. First Rivain, and now this mess!


The young Jedi ran along the corridor towards the Bridge until she skidded to a stop, seeing a republic soldier being choked to death by an invisible grip. A Sith Acolyte in silver armor turned toward her and drew his lightsaber.

HHHhhisssssss!

A crimson blade came into existence. “I am pleased to find more Jedi aboard this vessel, it is about time I had a true test of my power. Come, little Jedi, no one can save you now.”


“I don’t need saving,” Namaree growled and took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. She’d never faced a dark Jedi before, but she wasn’t about to lose her life to this one.


HHHhhhisss! Her own blue lightsaber flashed on and in an instant the two were locked in duel. At first the Sith simply toyed with her, deflecting her attacks, but soon he went on the offensive with an overhead strike that struck with such strength as to leave her arms numb and aching, he kept swinging in wide, heavy arcs, instantly forcing her into the defensive.


It was all she could do to block his attacks, every time she thought she saw an opening; he came in for another strike, marching her into the corner of the room. In the back of her mind she noted the sound of a grenade going off in the next room followed by blaster fire.
The Sith swung once more, but Namaree was ready this time and used all of her strength to deflect the attack, locking the two in a saber lock, but she continued to lose ground and felt the Sith’s greater strength pushing both blades towards her head until she could almost feel the heat coming from the weapons. To her left, the door opened and she heard Rivain’s voice shout her name, then another soldier grab him and hold him back from the fight, shouting, “This fight is too much for us!”


Yet Namaree wasn’t so confident, the Sith was distracted only for long enough for her to break free of the saber lock and fall back, once again forced to deflect his heavy attacks. She knew she couldn’t hold out for much longer…


Namaree. Steady yourself, even as you do, he tires. Bastila’s voice, suddenly Namaree felt a surge of confidence and energy as the Knight’s battle meditation took effect. With uncanny speed, she spun under his next attack, lowering her blades angle of deflection to catch his hand instead. She felt a flury of excitement as the blade sliced through lightsaber, flesh, and bone. The acolyte fell to his knees right before she thust her blade into his heart, ending his life forever.

She was safe.

For a moment she smiled and turned, seeing Rivain push free of Trask’s hold and begin walking towards her. But then the power conduit blew and she stood there for what felt like years, looking down at her body, scorched from electrical shock, burning, burning…but then she felt nothing…and no…she was on the ground…her last sight was of Rivain, running towards her and shouting.


By the force, first he takes me, then I die clearing his path… For a moment, she felt something, though, an echo in the force, and echo of a memory…and the past… Something dark, barely contained.


Her vision filled with darkness for the last time.


***Endar Spire, Escape pods***

Bastila shuddered and tears came unbidden to her eyes, another Jedi lost to this war, but she knew she couldn’t stop now, had to refocus- but then the hatch to her escape pod was shut, and she saw a glimpse of Carth Onasi shouting , “Go, Bastila! I’ll find you, I promise!” The next thing she knew, she was falling towards the Planet of Taris.


Carth turned and accessed the ship computer. Two republic ID signatures still showed life signs, moving his way…no…one now. Carth sighed as Ensign Trask’s lifesigns faded, but there was no time to mourn, and he accessed the intercom once more.


“This is Carth Onasi, hailing you on your personl communicator, you are the last living crewmember of the endar Spire. Bastila’s escape pod is away, but I can’t wait much longer. You need to get here, fast!” Carth shut off the intercom and began surveying the path in front of the crewman.


***Endar Spire Corridor***

Rivain felt nothing as he shot down another Sith trooper. He kept seeing Namaree’s face, her smile right before…he shuddered, but then there was Trask, jumping into a room to face another dark Jedi. His hand reached down to his vest pocket and felt the contents. He didn’t know why he’d grabbed it, but somehow he felt he needed too…


A symbol of our conquest, A dark voice confided.

A token to remember those who we have lost, another voice suggested.


Either way, Rivain somehow felt more confident with the blue lightsaber tucked away into his vest. Rounding a corner, Carth’s voice came back on over the intercom.
“Hold up, I’m detecting a whole host of Sith Soldiers in the next room, you could use security spikes on the computer or repair parts to-“ but Rivain was no longer listening, he knew just what to do as he saw the combat droid across the room. Within seconds, he’d activated the droid and its shields, and even thumbed in a tactical ration to improve the droid’s accuracy.


Almost immediately, the droid began walking for the door to attack the Sith. Rivain pulled out his last Frag grenade as the door opened and chunked it into the middle of the surprised group of Five sith soldiers before ducking behind the blast door and letting the droid finish off the soldiers. Amidst the firing, Rivain thought quietly to himself. I’ve never worked on a droid before in my life….how did I…?


He had little time for further contemplation as he moved into the room, running to the other side and only pausing for a moment to grab a custom vibroblade from one of the soldiers in red armor, as he opened the door, a veteran of countless battles turned towards him, blasters at the ready.


“What’s the situation Carth?!” Rivain called to him, running towards the nearest escape pod and strapping himself in, followed quickly by the pilot.


Carth began to speak, but his words were quickly interrupted as the escape pod fired away from the ship, the Endar Spire breaking apart and exploding behind them.


“Damn it!” Carth shouted as the escape pod began shaking violently upon entry. “The port stabilizers are damaged; this is going to be rough!”


Within the span of only a few minutes the Escape pod fell through upper orbit and crashed, Rivain’s support belts came loose and his head smashed against one of the bulkheads.


The world erupted into blackness.


END Chapter 1