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(3.14) Siege of Origin (Part Three)
Siege of Origin (Part Three)
Lejár Az Idő Kerület
Eredet
The battle for Origin was not a forgone conclusion with the death of the Queen of Eredet. The death was only a turning point in the war. Rose had thought that by killing their leader, the spirit of the defenders would have been broken and thus causing them to become easier to defeat in the long run. She had seen within a Force vision, that this place was the point of her destiny and that she could find her sword here. Using the Force she was able to see the people of this world and the events of the up coming battle. She knew that the battle had to be won by sunrise or else she would loss. The sun had to raise over her victory. She felt the energies of the world and knew that her own darker side would become a valuable ally to her and her minions during the attack. Everything had been just as she had foreseen it and in that moment, she felt her destiny at hand. That was before HE showed up, ruining her plans and even possible denying her of her destiny. Rose would not allow him to steel the sword from her this time. “Its MY sword, MY destiny to control the sword!” she yelled at him as she attempted to attack him.
This had become an epic battle between light and dark. Urias knew that Rose had to be stopped at all costs and he knew that she would come here. He followed his heart and allowed the Force to guide him to this unknown, uncharted world. He had wished they had traveled faster or were some how able to save the woman that Rose had just killed. He watched helplessly, as they made their approach, as Rose murdered who could only have been the leader of this world. He hated himself for not being able to stop her and now he was going to make her pay for that death as well. He trusted in the force and understood that it was not for him to save the woman, but that did little to change his frustration. They were simply too far away to do anything about it. So now he stood at the threshold of his own destiny. He felt in every part of his being, that destiny was to stop Rose and save everyone else from her darkness. However, getting here was no easy task for him. He needed the help of his former team if he was to achieve his destiny.
His team had been called the Phoenix when they used to work for the Jedi Order. They had earned this name because of the troubled past that most of the members had endured before they joined the team. During the hight of their careers, they were some of the most gifted Jedi within the Order. With the occasional help from three of questionable pirates, they had became one of the best Hunter teams in the Order's History. They were trusted with the mission of hunting down some of the most dangerous force using criminals in the galaxy. However it was only when they returned from a hyperspace accident did they finally fall from the path. Many had thought it was due to the actions of the newest member of their group. A gifted young force user by the name of Rose Sheridan. One member of the team had gone missing without a trace. Another member had left the order to start her own life. The team had been ordered out to hunt down the pirate and slaver named Joff, who had work side by side with them for years. His death took its toll on the other pirates as they left the team. Then during a final act of betrayal, Rose and her dark apprentice murdered a number of the team members. Rose and Urias clashed a number of times before the events of this day. Each time they clashed, Rose escaped him, escaped justice. Now, out of the ashes of its own past, did the Phoenix raises once more. It rose above Origin spreading its mighty wings as its members battled evil.
The storm over head raged on with its mixture of lighting flashing illuminating the sky while thunder clashed. As if the world its self was a part of this epic battle the storm raged on. Urias spun while bringing his double bladed lightsaber around his back. Tucking his head to give him more room to maneuver his lightsaber, he looked over his shoulder to see Rose already in the middle of her attack. The sound of his lightsaber clashing against her kick told him that he had succeeded in blocking her attack while his back was to her. He continued his spin just as he had planned out for this attack. Just as he reached a point to strike, he leaped up a bit as he brought his saber back around and swung on her. With a downward swing, he cut through her arm and leg in one motion.
Rose was both a quick opponent and a clever one. She knew how to handle damages dealt to her in combat. It was a trait that he had taught her a long time ago when she was his padawan. She leaped backwards and flipped over her head using her remaining arm as a spring to further the distance between them. Just as before, her wounds healed as she landed back on her feet just in time to watch he line up for his next attack. "Tell me why are we doing this, Urias. You know that I can't die!" She said dodging his next attack while attempting to land an attack on him. Hitting him was hard enough normally, but she knew he had boosted his abilities which made it nearly impossible for her to hit him. Had it been easier to kill him, this battle would have never happened. He would have been dead along time ago. As much as he knew her, she knew his former Master well enough to kill him today. She had access to powers he never dreamed possible. 'Dark side?! HA wait Urias till you see who my new dark Masters are now!' she thought laughing to herself.
He dodged her attack easily as he withdrew a bit to consider his next action. Her healing was a huge problem that had to be overcome if she was to be defeated. She should have been dead many times over already if not for those damn artifacts. "Urias, serve me and you have my word. Fa and your son will be spared." He knew it was a lie. He caught her faint to the left and blocked her attack from the right. The fact that she didn't use weapons only made her attacks more fluid and faster than others he had fought before. He knew better than to rush in without planning out his attacks and recovers first.
The storm raged over head as the battle continued below. Urias and Rose had never been equally match in power, talent or skill. He had always had more pure talented than she did. His personal training gave him much higher abilities within his skills. And it was his heart and love for Falynn that opened up a source of power that Rose could never understand or match. Rose craved his powers and his skills above all other things except the Sword. 'She should be dead by now' he thought angrily at himself. 'Those damned artifacts....' and in that moment the lighting over head flashed in his eyes. He knew what he had to do to end this.
He side stepped her next attack as he deactivated the back side of his double bladed lightsaber and at the same time drawing his second lightsaber and activating it. With a lightsaber in each hand he was able to defend and attack at the same time. However for the moment, attacking was not his new plan. He ducked her side kick while measuring her up for his plan. He knew he needed timing to pull it off. Something he would have to wait for. He watched her carefully as she pulled back from her attack. Now it was a matter of waiting for the right moment. She moved in for another attack as he focused on dodging and defense. Still she was unable to land a hit on him and he could see her frustration growing. Time was on his side now, he waited for the right moment to carry out his attack. He had waited all this time for his destiny a few more moments would only ensure that he would succeed.
“Getting tired old man?” she taunted him as she started to notice that he has starting to give up attacks and focused more on defense. 'This is it, it will be over soon' she assured herself.
Like a snake waiting to strike, Urias let her have her attacks while he continued holding his defenses. Then in that moment, it happened without warning. He had not only won the moment, he had the advantage of position after she had attempted a complex attack on him. Slipping to the right while fainting to the left he tricked her. This gave him the opening he needed within her defenses to attack. With a powerful upward swing with both of his lightsabers, he removed both of her arms at the shoulders. He continued through his attack stepping even closer as he deactivated his lightsabers. Reaching his arm to either side of her while continuing to get even closer. He twirled his lightsabers in his hands as he brought them behind her back. He got so close to her that he could smell her perfume and feel her breath on his face. Their eyes were locked on each other as they came face to face.
Rose felt her arms being removed once more and almost laughed as she watched him get even closer. Somehow, he had made a horrible mistake in his attack and she knew it. It was over and she could see in his eyes, he didn't even realize it. "I have you now Urias!" She yelled as her reforming arms came crashing down towards his head. He was defenseless to stop her attacks and she knew there was nothing he could do about it but die! "YOUR A DEAD MA........." she yelled then her voice was cut as she heard and felt both lightsabers activating behind. Her eyes grew wide as she felt pain like never before. 'Somethings wrong!' She thought looking down at his blades extending from the center of her chest. She tried to move but the pain was simply too intense for her. 'No' she thought in disbelief.
The two beams of energy that were his lightsaber blades crossed in between them as they continued right in to his own chest and out the other side of him. "I told you, Dragging you to hell Rose!" He managed to get out through his own pain. It was clear in his eyes that he was in as much pain as she was. His arms held her in place while he just looked deep in to her eyes. She saw death in those eyes. Not just hers, but both of theirs. He had always taught her to have something worth fighting and living for. How could she have misunderstood the lesson so badly. That thing he held on to was worth dying for as well!
It was in that moment she remembered the dying words of Master Losh, 'Rage is your gift young Rose, and it fuels your power. But rage will be your death as well!' She looked in to Urias' eyes and saw the rage he held for her. Behind that rage she saw something else, he accepted this death. She tried to speak, but only gargled sounds came out. 'Please Urias' she begged in her eyes as she shook her head hoping that he would show mercy on her.
Peering deep in to her eyes and seeing her pleas for mercy, he only shook his head. She had to be stopped and he knew that this was the only way. “Our stories are finished!” he said pulling his arms to opposite sides with a mighty cry of victory. The blades passed each other as they moved sidewards on their path to the edges of the bodies as they cut through both bodies at the same time. As seen from over head, the light of his blades cut through the bodies easily as he looked up to the storm and scream out. Just as the blades finally left the bodies he let his grip go and the twin lightsabers flew away from both of them as their bodies fell apart. His body fell with his head looking up toward the storm above. His eyes affixed upward as his life left his body. There was a bit of a smile on his face as the final moments of Rose and Urias came to an end.
Rose laid on the ground with her head to the side. Her breath labored as she fought for each new breath. She could see the lower part of her body right before her. Between her and her lower body she saw her broken ruby reckless in the shape of a rose, and her snake pendent. Both had been cut by his lightsabers and damaged. She watched helplessly as they slowly turned to a black mist and started to be blown away by the winds. Her breath slowed as they were drifting ever further away from her, till the last breath as slowly exhaled. Her eyes locked on her legs as if waiting for that moment that they would turn back to mist and reform on her. Rose Sheridan was dead, and just behind her, the body of Urias Chun laid cut in half as well. Within that moment a powerful surge of energy ripped outward from where they laid. The energy crossed Origin before anyone even realized it had started. Within moments, it was nearly half way across that galaxy. The balance had been restored and the corruption of Origin was over.
Falynn heard the saber impact something and realized that it wasn't her. She opened her eyes to see the blade had been stopped just above her head by some kind of stone like hammer. The minion right above her was looking at something next to him. She turned to see what it was and who was holding the hammer. She saw some strange looking man dressed like a local. She could tell he was a force user she didn't care who he was. She was just grateful that she was still alive. He was covered in dirt and little rocks as if he had sprung up out of the ground. She couldn't help but noticed the scare that nearly covered the right side of his face. He seemed very angry yet in complete control of himself and his anger. It was as if time was moving in slow motion for Falynn. The minion was clearly in a state of surprise that seemed to mirror her own.
She watched as the man with the scare brought forward another large hammer in his other hand. In a mighty swing from the other side of his body. He was clearly yelling something but she couldn't tell the words. The minion attempted to move from the attack but he had been caught flat footed and surprised. The large hammer landed soundly in the minion's side causing his body to literally lift off the ground. The impact of the hammer lifted the minion up off the ground and half flying and half rolling to the side. The man with the hammer lunged forward with both hammer raised and ready to continue the attack. Falynn didn't need an invitation to get back in to the fight. She kicked her feet up in the air, and then sprang herself up to her feet as she planted them, while using the force to whip her lightsaber back into her hand. She activated it just in time to deflect a pair of incoming blaster fire from the droids who had taken this time to start firing on them.
Falynn extended her protection to cover the man with hammers while he battled the minion. She called on the power of the Force to help increase her defense while she did everything she could to protect her protector as his battled with the minion continued. As the two continued to battle Falynn carefully plotted out her movements to keep her protector covered from the droids who were now closing on them. Her attention was on both the droids and what the tank was doing. 'Okay, how do I get through them to get the tank' she questioned herself. She watched as the tank opened fire on somewhere in the village. She could feel and hear the large turbo laser discharge and she noticed that it was firing on where Annie and her droids were located at.
She turned her head to see the man with the hammers deliver the killing blow on the minion. The minion just crumpled as the final hammer blows crushed his spin and ribs. A blaster hit to her upper arm drewing her attention back to her deflections. She yelled out, “We have to get the tank!” as she pointed at the tank as it fired its main gun down at the village once more. She reached out with the force and shoved a number of droids away. They fell like small toys blown with the winds as Falynn tried to walk forward. The fire was intense but not accurate enough to get through her deflections. Even though she was able to take a few down with her deflections there was just so many of them left.
The man with the hammers came up behind her and said something to her that she didn't understand. She looked over her shoulder once more and yelled over the storm and the blaster fire, “we have to take out the tank” as she pointed once more at the tank. Had she been a student of combat she might have realized that her deflections were making her a harder target as well as ensuring that she would get hit eventually. A blaster ripped in to her lower leg caused her to pause just long enough for a second hit to drive home in to her gut. She doubled over as she dropped to her knees as she succumb to the damage. She hit the ground hard with both hands and knees. She let out a moan of pain as she looked up expecting to see droids and blaster fire. However her view of them was blocked by a large rock wall right in front of her face.
She looked back of the man with hammers to see that he was making some motions with his hands arms and legs. She couldn't understand what he was doing but it seemed important. The look on his face was that of intense concentration as he moved his left hand forward while pulling his right hand back towards his torso. She heard the ground rumbling under her almost as if it was reacting to his actions. He bent his knees as he lowered his body while bringing his hands together. Once his closed fist were touching he extended his fingers downwards and upwards. It seemed like he was struggling to pull them apart. Falynn heard a loud sound as she rumbling became very intense. The blaster fire came to a stop as she heard explosions and popping sounds. She crawled to the side of the rock wall and peaked around it. She saw that the entire ridge line had ripped apart and droids were sliding down in to the trench. The tank also was fighting to remain upright as the trench became wider and wider.
Still holding her wounded gut, she watched as the tank slide backwards down in to the trench. She could hear it rolling and smashing its way down to the bottom. The man with the hammer started to grunt and groan more. She looked back at him to see him pushing his hands together once more. It seemed like he was having more problems this time. She looked to see what was happening. She saw the large trench closing and crushing the droids and tank within it. There were a few pillars of smoke coming up from the trench as it now grew smaller and smaller. She felt more pain in her gut as she tried to move. Her gut wound was deep and fatal. She tried to call upon the Force to heal her, but she could not gain enough strength to do so. She rolled over with her back to the rock wall and looked up to the storm over heard.
She felt light headed as she slowly closed her eyes. 'just need to keep moving' she thought, 'get up Fa' she tried to command but the wounds at sapped her strength and will. She felt relieved that her mission had been successful. The command tank was gone and the droids would no longer be a factor to the others. Her strength faded rapidly as she could feel darkness closing in on her mind. In that moment she felt a powerful wave of light wash over her. She smiled as her eyes started to close, “Urias” she said softly as her hand dropped to her side and her lightsaber slipped from it.
Annie was in a world of hurt and she already knew it. The battle for the bridges had turned brutal once the battle between Rose and Urias was joined. Annie still held the bridge with a excellent field of fire down the road from her ruble mound. As the droids tried to cross the road to reach the river, she was able to cut them down while they attempted to cross the river. One of her puppies had been taken down by the droids and she was all out of ion grenades. Ogon D and his two destroyers were making good progress at getting to her, but they were being slowed down by the larger numbers of droids still puring in to the area. Ogon D's team was still on the far side of the block, which gave them a better droid killing zone of the road. But it didn't do anything to help Annie disengage to help Falynn.
Annie checked her area once more and noticed a small group of droids attempting to work their way pass her position between some buildings. She reached in to her back pack and pulled up one of her remaining fragmentation grenades. She carefully readied the device and lined up the shot. Many think that tossing a grenade was something that one just did. But it actually takes a bit of aiming and planning for maximum affect. Once she had a clear shot she pulled back and tossed the device over the burned out building and right in the middle of the droids. She smiled as she saw the blast which was felt and heard for blocks. The small shower of droid parts told her that the blast was a kill shot. Still smiling she turned back to the road and cut down two droids attempting to cross the kill zone. “Wow, these droids are stupid. Where did Rose buy them. At Rent-a-droid?” she commented to her remaining puppy while they together took down another three droids.
It was in that moment that Annie heard the massive explosion that cause a near by damaged building to come crashing down. She looked over to see that the blast was over by where her beloved droids were. “Get down!” she popped up and yelled as another shot landed nearly on top of them. It was too late for them, Annie saw a shower of derbies fall from the black cloud that signaled where the hit was. “No!” she cried in disbelief. Her puppy lunged at her and pulled her in to cover just as a set of incoming blaster fire ripped the mound up. Annie commanded the dog droid to let her up. By the time she was to her feet the blaster fire had stopped. She looked around to see the droids falling over. She knew that the control tank was gone. She leaped from the mound and rush over to where her droids were.
As she rushed forward to them she saw her two destroyers had been blasted to pieces. She slid in next to the badly damaged Ogon-D Droid, “Oh D, Systems check” she commanded with tears in her eyes, already knowing that he didn't have long to survive. He was bleeding charge and his core had been badly damaged.
He turned his head slightly showing more damage to the body and head of the droid, “Well, there are some things a man just can't run away from.” he said softly as his voice modulator started to fail.
She looked down as a tear started to run down her check. Even in that moment she couldn't understand why she programmed that line in to him. It was the last thing Steven had told her before going off to confront Rose. She remembered watching him leave the Adder in the dead of night and he was dead by morning. “Please don't leave me again” she begged as the lights his eyes started to fade. “Please Steven” she begged bending over holding the droid in her arms. She couldn't help it, she couldn't deal with his loss once more. All this time she still loved and missed him so much. She knew that she could never have him to herself. He and Aral had always been lovers and fighters. Annie was just the little geeky computer girl that he saw as his little sister. And once more, she was forced to be without him. “Steven.....” she cried softly.
Hiding behind a rubbled building Lotus looked down at her two lightsabers. Lotus had never seen anything like it before. She knew that Rose was a powerful Sith, but she never dreamed that Aral was one as well. Even despite all she knew about lightsaber combat, and all her skills, Aral was still driving them further back from the village. She looked across the street to see a badly beaten Orchid hiding as well. Nothing either of them could do to get the upper hand on Aral. Lotus knew it was only a matter of time before Orchid's powers would give out on them and there would be nothing to stop Aral from killing them both.
She couldn't lie to herself, if she fled the chances of Aral chasing her were limited. Lotus knew that Aral wanted Orchid dead and that could be her ticket out of this defeat. But her heart begged her not to leave her lover behind. 'There has to be a way to defeat her' she thought to herself. She remembered her combat with the Jedi Master named Visst. She recalled how he used a simple rock to knock her out. She peaked around the corner to see Aral walking toward their direction almost taking her sweet time. “taunting us, you bitch!” she spit at Aral. The sounds of combat were getting closer to them. 'Either Rose's plan had worked and reinforcements are coming or the locals have rallied and we are about to get over ran' she thought to herself.
She bent down and picked up a rock and whistled at Orchid. She held up the stone and motioned it at her own head. Then she pointed the stone at Aral with a nodding motion of her head. Orchid watched to see what Lotus was doing and then smiled as she understood what Lotus was communicating. She nodded her understanding of the plan and grinned. Lotus turned to get a fix on Aral. “All we need is a chance to escape and we are gone” she said with confidence. She saw that Aral was near a rubble pile and knew that it was now or never. She yelled out, “NOW!” As she leaped from cover and called on the force. She managed to hurl a stone at Aral as did Orchid.
Aral spun at the attack and dodged one while she sliced the second one with her lightsaber. Her attack had failed, “shit!” Lotus half said, half thought as she watched Aral reach out with both her arms and the force. Before either of the two dark siders could do anything to stop it, they were lifted off the ground as they choked for air. Lotus tried again with her rock attack but missed horrible. She simply couldn't focus as her lungs fought for air. She saw a speeder bike racing up from the town. Her smile faded as she realized he was being chased by villagers on the back of animals. The battle had shifted against them. “I refuse to die like this” she struggled to say as Aral held her off the ground while choking the life from her.
In that moment, all three dark siders felt a loss in their connection to the dark side. Aral could no longer maintain the force grip power and both Orchid and Lotus fell the the ground. Orchid and Lotus both coughed as they were once more able to breath. Each of them felt a painful suffering come over them as if they were splashed with some kind of acid. Aral let out a pain scream as she fell to her hands and knees. Lotus could tell that Orchid was in pain too but seemingly not as much as Aral. She fought to get back to her feet as she looked over to the see the speeder bike. She whistled loudly for his attention.
She knew that not one of the minions would save Orchid, but she was a different story. He looked over at her and changed his direction. She turned to see Aral seemingly fight some kind of weight upon her. Orchid struggled as well to get back to her feet but she was too weak to get up. Lotus was in intense pain as well, but she couldn't understand why it was affecting Aral more than her and Orchid. “I don't have time for this” she said as the speeder came up to her. He offered her his hand and she took it. Instead of getting up on the bike she leaped up and knocked him off it. Then she leaped up on to the bike taking his place. She gunned the motor before he could reach his feet once more. She only slowed down enough to help Orchid to get on the bike behind her. With Orchid holding on tightly, Lotus gunned the engine once more and they took off away from the village.
As Lotus gunned the engine she expected the minion to open fire on them at anytime. The shots never came though. She looked behind to see him fighting for his life against a group of locals. Beyond him, she watched Aral struggling to her feet. “Next time, we will get her, Orchid.” Lotus said still suffering the effects of what had just happened to all three of them. “Next time Aral will die” she added.
Orchid nodded, “But first we need to get out of here. Survive a fight another day.”
Lotus nodded, “Rose?”
“I think she's dead.” Orchid said sadly, “But we're not. Head for the ship. We are getting off this world!”
On that Lotus and Orchid escaped the final battle for Origin. There army crushed and beaten, their leader dead and the promise of power through the sword, a myth. In the distance, Aral watched the pair escaping. There was nothing she could do to stop them. “There will be another time Orchid. I promise it” Aral said coldly as she fought to regain her balance. The world was eating away at her powers and her strength. She knew that she had to get off this world as well or it might be the end of her. She turned and walked away as she heard the dying cries from a minion being killed by the villagers. “This battle is over.”
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