Woman without a Country

Ludmilla walked back into the Khoonda station to meet with the Administrator and see if Vrook had actually done anything. The Ebon Hawk had returned, and the team had completed their mission successfully. The entire crew had gathered at the station, to help plan for the defense of Dantooine and the settlers.
"Welcome back," smiled the Administrator. "Master Vrook has explained that his 'rescue' has somewhat complicated the situation. I can't say I anticipated that, but I'm sure that with two Jedi to help us, we'll be able to win this battle."
Master Vrook frowned, and Ludmilla knew he was choking back an outraged declaration that Ludmilla was no longer a Jedi. Ludmilla held back a smile, and nodded to Administrator Adare.
"But I do thank you for finding him, regardless," said the Administrator warmly, and Ludmilla smiled at her in return, pointedly not looking at Master Vrook to see his reaction. "I have no idea how the mercenaries became so organized," she said in confusion. "It's as if their new leader turned them into battle hardened veterans overnight."
"Azkul is new?" Ludmilla asked. "When did he get here?"
"A few months ago," Vrook answered. "He's been spending money like water. He's most likely working with the Exchange."
"He is not working with the Exchange," said Goto sharply. "His actions are not authorized by any Exchange overseers in this sector."
"What is that?" demanded Vrook.
"An Exchange overseer," said Ludmilla dryly. "Don't worry, he's on the side of the Republic. You'd like him, actually. He tried to lock me up, too."
Goto glared at her. "And I daily regret my failure to succeed."
"Moving on," grinned Ludmilla, "does anyone know how Azkul got here?"
"Actually, I do," said the Administrator. "He had been a Republic officer before being discharged from Harbinger as a result of his injuries."
"The Harbinger," Ludmilla repeated, and suddenly remembered that Azkul was missing an eye. The other eye-socket was nothing more than a white shell. "Well, that changes things."
"Wait, wasn't the Harbinger that ship that the Sith Lord – " said Atton. "Oh, bantha poodoo."
"Sith?" said Vrook in surprise. "Are you serious?"
Ludmilla nodded. "I guess I'll have to take this seriously," she smiled. "What are your defenses like, Administrator?"
"Against the Sith? I have no idea," she confessed. "Our militia is meant for peace-keeping, they aren't prepared for a full-scale battle."
"Don't worry about that," Ludmilla smiled. "We have a few friends who can help stiffen their backbones."
The Mandalore grinned. "Let me go make sure everyone has their armor in good condition. I should have known there was a reason they hitched a ride back with us instead of just going straight to Dxun." He left to go check on the Mandalorians he had picked up on Nar Shadaa.
The Administrator looked confused, but went on. "We also have some perimeter turrets but we've never gotten them online. I'm sure that alone could make a significant difference."
"On it, General." Bao-Dur turned and left the station to go see to the station's shields and defenses.
"Why did he call you general?" asked one of the settlers that had been in the room, listening to their discussion.
Ludmilla turned. "General Ludmilla Sîvoš of the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic Army." She smiled again, knowing that it gave them confidence.
"General Sîvoš? I fought under you at Taris!" One of the other settlers stepped forward, and Ludmilla shook his hand in welcome. "I thought you were dead, General! I never expected to see you again." He grinned at her. "And I didn't recognize you without all that mud on your face. Compared to that fight, this should be a piece of cake!" The settler turned to the Administrator. "Are you recruiting, ma'am? I'll gladly sign up to fight under General Sîvoš again, and so will some of my other mates." The former soldier grinned at Ludmilla, "A lot of the Third retired here after the last battle."
Ludmilla couldn't help it and smiled at Master Vrook. "You know what they say. Every action has consequences, no matter how small or insignificant they seem. Welcome aboard." She clapped the former soldier on the back. "If the militia can't outfit all of you, I probably have some spare weapons on my ship." She looked at the Administrator again, while the buzz from the assembled settlers settled down now that they realized that there was a chance that they would all survive.
"We've also placed some mines on the two main approaches to the station, but our demolitions expert – well, he isn't."
"Oooh, mines," grinned Mira. "That's me, boss. I'll go check it out." Mira picked up her tools and left the station. "Tell my boys I'll be right back."
The Administrator just stared at Ludmilla. "Is this going to keep happening?"
Ludmilla laughed. "Probably. What else do you have for me? I still have crew left."
"Well, some of the men were injured, but our medical droid broke down. We also have a few defense droids, but no one here knows how to fix them."
Goto bounced impatiently. "Foolish woman, why didn't you mention this earlier? Where are these droids located?"
"I can take care of the wounded men," Mical offered.
Ludmilla nodded to Mical, and the Administrator sent one of the militia to show Goto where the broken droids were located, and T3 buzzed along after them.
Unnoticed, Kreia led Atton and Visas out of the room.
"I guess that's everyone on my side," Ludmilla said cheerily.
"While you bolster Khoonda's defenses, I will go to the mercenary camp and do what I can to delay their attack," said Master Vrook. "Keep in mind that if Captain Zherron and Administrator Adare are killed, the settlers will lose their spirit."
"The Administrator will be under guard here when the attack starts," said Zherron. "So the mercenaries will have to get through all our defenses and me to get to her."
Ludmilla nodded. "Understood. Is there a workbench here? I need to fix something on my lightsaber."
"Of course, follow me." Zherron led her away, and Master Vrook left the station, pausing only briefly to say goodbye to the Administrator.
"Your duty is simple, seer. Guard the boy. Let nothing disturb him."
Visas nodded grimly.
"Now, boy, are you ready?" Kreia asked.
Atton nodded nervously.
"Focus," she said sharply. "This is no simple combat now. You must sense the entire battle as it unfolds. You must open yourself to it," she urged. She could feel Atton trying to relax, to let himself be wrapped in the Force that he didn't completely trust. Kreia sighed in frustration, trying to think of how to help him sense the wholeness of the Force without losing his mind. "It is not a simple thread anymore, boy. You must pick up all the pieces and control them all." Suddenly she smiled. "Like a song, boy. Like the music of the crystal, or those battle songs that she likes to sing. You are not part of the battle, and yet you will be. You will be the most important part of it."
Visas, with her Force sight, could see it working, and made a small noise of surprise.
"Well done, boy. Very well done indeed," smiled Kreia, and rose slowly. "Guard him, seer. Guard him with your life." Kreia swept out of the small room, and stopped. There was a Mandalorian standing there, one of the Mandalore's lieutenants. "What are you doing?"
"The Mandalore commanded me to guard this room."
Kreia smiled. "Very well. If a dar'Jetii shows up, let the seer handle it. Everything else will be no match for you."
The Mandalorian nodded, and Kreia continued on her way. She found Ludmilla just outside the station, finishing a rousing speech to the militia, the newly recruited soldiers, and the Mandalorians who were helping to defend Dantooine.
"We are fighting here for the future, for the children that will grow up on this world! We stand here so that they will be safe! We draw our weapons so that we can go home tonight to the ones we love! Together, we fight! For Dantooine!"
They all cheered wildly, buoyed by her masterful confidence and stirring words.
"They're here!" shouted one of the outposts, and a series of explosions and anguished screams showed that Mira had not wasted her time with the mines.
Ludmilla started shouting orders, sending her command in orderly squads to defend the various points of the station's perimeter. The turrets whirred to life, and started shooting down the attackers.
"What? I thought you said those turrets were disabled!" Azkul shouted to one of his mercenaries. "It's that damn Jedi! She's to blame!"
There were many more mercenaries than she had expected, and Azkul sacrificed them freely to get across the bridges to the station. He also had a complement of battle droids, but they malfunctioned and ended up broken down on the bridges, cutting off half his force until the mercenaries ended up toppling the battle droids over the side into the water so that they could get past.
"Where did they all come from?" Canderous shouted as she commanded the defenders to fall back into the station, but Ludmilla could only shake her head. She didn't know, and it bothered her.
"General! They've got a gunship!"
The turrets weren't strong or fast enough to deal with the gunship, but the station's shields held.
Ludmilla snarled as the gunship swept away and prepared for another strafing run. She hadn't drawn her lightsaber yet, and took a running jump, bouncing on the walls until she was standing on the top of the station. "Come out and fight!" she shouted in challenge.
The gunship swerved, and instead of firing, the door opened and the pilot stepped out. He was a Human, but his face was partially covered with a Sith mask, and all she could see were evil yellow eyes and long black hair. The Sith drew his lightsaber, a fiery red blade, and leapt from the gunship, careless of where it would crash once he left.
With a defiant shout, Ludmilla jumped, drawing her lightsaber at the same time, and they met in mid-air, their blades clashing. She had upgraded her lightsaber again, with the crystal that she had found in the kinrath cave. Her blade once again glowed brilliant silver, with just a hint of blue in the center.
"You've been well taught," she shouted to him as they struck at each other, ignoring the fact that they were falling to the ground.
"You're not the only Weapon Master in the galaxy, Exile," he snarled, and nearly broke through her guard with a swift strike, but she twisted away just in time.
Ludmilla couldn't place the voice – it was too transfigured by the mask, and she wasn't sure whether she even knew the man she was fighting or not. She used the Force to land carefully on the ground, with her lightsaber at the ready. Her opponent did the same, but landed less gracefully, and she launched herself at him before he could recover, forcing him to shift to a defensive form.
As she drove him back, she took a split second to see what had happened to the falling gunship, and smiled to see that Kreia was setting it down gently next to the Ebon Hawk, and that Bao-Dur was running to it with T3 following him, while the Mandalorians were providing covering fire and keeping the attackers from reclaiming their ship. The surviving militia had retreated to the station, bringing in the wounded. Satisfied, she focused again on the combat with the Sith.
He was good, but she was better. Her lightsaber sank beneath his guard, and she ripped open his chest, leaving a savage wound from hip to shoulder. He staggered back, but didn't fall. Instead he reached out his arm, and to her horror, drained the life of the nearest Mandalorian warrior. The wound closed, and she heard his evil laugh.
"You won't kill me that way, Exile."
"You bastard!" she roared, and attacked furiously. She had already noted that he was wearing heavy Sith battle armor under his robes. He didn't realize where he was being driven, and she hit him again with her lightsaber, cutting open one arm.
He laughed cruelly. "Don't you care about the lives of your men, Exile?" The Sith reached out again, but she was ready this time, and tossed her lightsaber to her other hand.
"There are more weapons than lightsabers, dar'Jetii," she snarled, and threw a savage punch that cracked his mask, and he staggered backwards. He fumbled, and fell over the precipice into the river below. "But the most important one is still the one between your ears." She watched for a second, and saw that he was being swept away by the swift moving water. He struggled to remove his armor, and she saw that he had already lost his lightsaber. She smiled to herself. He would probably survive and return to fight another day, after his Master's wrath had burned itself out for his miserable failure. At any rate, she was satisfied that he wouldn't be fighting her anymore today, as he was already at the end of the river.
His shocked scream as he went over the waterfall made her laugh out loud. She concentrated once more on the water below, and saw his lightsaber dangling on a rock in the churning white water below, and summoned it to her. She pocketed the lightsaber with a happy smile and turned back to the station.
The battle was mostly over. Azkul had been killed by the droids under Goto's control, and Bao-Dur in the gunship had made the overwhelming numbers of the attackers meaningless. The remaining mercenaries were easily dealt with, and the defenders cheered wildly as she approached.
She saw Vrook, watching her calmly without a frown for once, and laughed to herself that she had finally won a small sign of approval from the implacable Master. Captain Zherron ran up to her, shook her head, and started reporting to her as if she was his superior officer. She didn't cut him off, and instead let herself be swept away into the aftermath of the battle – repairing, restoring, rebuilding.
The Mandalore came up to her while she was standing with Vrook and Zherron, discussing plans for the future. "The old woman ordered me to tell you that she took Visas and Atton back to the ship, and the Republic spy went with them," he said in Mandalorian. "I'm pretty sure she's dodging Pickleface there."
Ludmilla forced herself not to laugh. "Thank you for telling me, Mandalore. Oh," she said gently, "I'm very sorry about what happened to your warrior."
Mandalore shook his head. "Don't be, she died well and bravely. We will sing for her tonight."
She put her hand on his shoulder. "I'll be there," she promised. "We all will."
The Administrator walked up to her, and held out her hands. "Thank you, thank you so much! You can be sure that Dantooine will always remember how the Jedi came to their defense again."
Ludmilla couldn't resist looking to see how Vrook reacted, and laughed lightly to see that he was rolling his eyes. "You're welcome, Administrator Adere. It was my honor to help."
"We are a humble community, and our resources are small, but please, take this," she held out a credit chit to Ludmilla. "Your efforts should not go unrewarded."
"Keep your credits for rebuilding," said Ludmilla. "If you want to show that you appreciate the help you were given, come to the Mandalorian camp tonight, and join them in honoring those who died saving you."
The Administrator smiled nervously at the thought of the former enemies of the Republic, but it was clear that these Mandalorians were different. "You are right. We … we will be there." She smiled politely at the Mandalore, "Thank you for your help. Thank you all."