Chakta Sai Kae (Rayna)

Her blade retracted into its hilt and became idle in her hand, the other slipped beneath the guards armor and past her shirt, there was a scar. For so long she'd known it was there, but never did she know what it meant.

"I surrender." She reiterated.

The Darkside, once again, had determined her actions and brought her to fight her own apprentice, correction: former apprentice. She had observed herself in that fight with Jehkran, she was most effective when with the light, but the light did not want to fight. The dark did though, despite the fact it couldn't win. Was she being selfish then? Simply turning to the light to save her skin.

"You win." She confirmed.

The moment finally was fully understood. All of it was too fast for the fiesty Padawan to swallow, but he managed. Jehkran had prepared his body for every endeavour imagined, yet halt had been ignored in his resigment. Overdosed in combat, his passion flapped in the past for a moment. Adrenaline pumped throughout his being as the sizzling spark came to a swooping end at the press of his hilt's buttom.

She surrendered, but the troubles were far from over.

In spite of the conclusion, his mind had still continued to motion as if in the heat of battle. The bout had played a catalyst for his mind to zoom into his surroundings. On such wasted grounds there was no place for stability. Soon he would be in more trouble than the battle confronted him with.

Rayna and he would have to leave...soon.

"Shut up. We gotta go"

Tell me to shut up... She thought to herself. She wanted some sympathy but... should he give it to her? He probably would not.

She stood up and looked around their surroundings for an exit. Before one could be sighted Jehkran had found one suitable. It was unfamiliar to her, she had only studied the areas of the map she expected to be in, and the unforseen feud with Jehkran had caused them to deviate far from the expected.

Jehkran turned a corner, she followed. Dread crept around inside her as the prospect of fighting again came to mind. Once they got to safety deadly words instead of lightsabers would be used. He had every right to be angry, but still he didn't understand. Maybe she should depart before he could notice. She could get her act together somewhere and... Fantasies. He would find her, Jibuu would find her, there were a number of bounty hunters who would likely be coming after her, the both of them.

Jehkran lead her down a flight of stairs. Do you know where you are going? She couldn't muster the courage to say it outloud, instead she only hinted at her doubt through the Force.

Jehkran felt her.

He always did.

Yet, now he didn't like it as much. At some point he could only look upon her with a despicable gaze. In his mine he wonder exactly how to react, but he could only muster the wrong ways of dealing. Discretion had suddenly become hard, and everything mushed into a pot of stew. Confusion peddle with his brain as his feet came to a halt. Still his back stay a chisel stone to her face.

Silence consumed the hallways as his eyes peered forth, deep into the darkness that he head lead for them. Certainly he knew where he was going, but far too many times he had been doubted. Erratic notions splurge his being, and a conclusion lead his hilt to spark to life. The sizzling muse murmur in his ears as he spread his arms out in a stance. A quickened step twisted his being about and his fury showed itself.

In the pits of his iris laid a disgust as he sought out Rayna through the lit corridor. Steps lay under his feet, however, only the fire of the seven rings of hell kept his soles company. A frown distorted his face as his saber raised up to near it. The braid that he had been told to grow, the bond that he had shared for his master was gone in a flick of his wrist.

It toppled to the surface in a splash of hair. Strands of a gray white sprinkled the canvas as the symbol was destroyed. No longer did the bond remain. Too many times had bond decimated his senses, and all he could do to replace it was anger. Frustration riddled his brain and there was little to answer to come. Not a word could be spoken, only action taken, so without heed he turned quickly about.

The lightsaber no longer claimed the burning life, and latched onto his belt as he stepped through. There was only a few more steps to go to escape. Before he had watched a crowd of guardsman rummage from the way they walked, so the exit would only be a few twist and turns away.

"Freeze!" A guard ordered as he hurriedly stepped out in front of the two, in seconds more guards appeared behind him, weapons drawn.

Rayna did as told, Jehkran seemed hesitant. She welled the Force power inside her, wishing that this minor annoyance would disappear. There were bigger issues before her than coping with overzealous guards. Her desire manifested through the Force and whisked them away, out of their path. Far from incapacitated, the guards scurried to their feet to insist she and Jehkran stand down, but the moment was all they needed.

The Force aided her feet and she reached for her lightsaber, twirling the ignited blade, drawing the attention of the guards' eyes while she planted a swift kick into the sternum a guard. Her blade gracefully followed its master's movements, who was making short work of the foolish guards. Her mind was in synch with her training, her present combat skills showed this to be true. She felt no rage towards these men, it was easy for her to follow the light.

Was that why being a Jedi before she encountered the Sith was so easy? Had she had never felt rage, abuse or shame then? Perhaps not, she didn't know. This hardship she endured now, it was unlike anything she believed possible. Once when she accepted her mission to infiltrate the Sith she was young, so ignorant of the many things worse than death.

She cut her opponent at the legs, watching the blade cauterize the wound. He might walk again someday, but would he ever become a guard for scum like Jibuu again?

She resumed her drone-like state and continued the fight while her mind wandered. Jehkran was fighting beside her now, he was stressed, angry more likely. All because of her. She took him on as an apprentice, taught him the Force but failed to provide the bulwark that a master should have for their apprentice. She wasn't fit, she understood that now, it had been drilled into her head numerous times over the past few days. Initially she worried about him giving over to the Darkside, she never thought she would be the one in danger of that calamity, and in danger of dragging Jehkran with her. She observed his style for traces of repressed anger...

The butt of a blaster rifle hit her gut. Her mind had wandered to far from reality, she needed to be more observant of her surroundings. A year one lesson... She thought of her own life training. I can't even master a year one lesson. She leaped to her feet and out of the fray, gathered her bearings and jumped back in as a plethora of guards entered the fight. However, she couldn't resist drawing an eye back to Jehkran

Weight claimed Jehkran's shoulders as the words sweep into his ears. Defiance wrestled his boundaries, and before long the guards had been thrown into a battle that couldn't be won. Silence died in the sudden onslaught. Fright spread through the guards eyes, at least the one's seen. Some of Jibuu's henchmen carried a various of apparel.

None of it held a standard, and more customized than the official Imperial outfitting. Jibuu was a Hutt, not an Imperial Moff, and despite the courage that warped the Echani's heart there wasn't much necessary.

Doing the right thing was all that he needed to push him through any wicked foe.

Angst swarm Jehkran's being as he watched Rayna initiate the bout. The command strung the Force into the Padawan's grasp, turning it into a latch to rake in his lightsaber from his belt. A sudden twist whirl the hilt to it's commander, sending a warring rage through the air. Pain ensued at a stage unknown to the battered guardsmen. Inhuman faces growl at the prowler as he struck in smooth, and calculated swipes.

Decay remained below at the waist, a crimson charcoal burning at the ashes of skin. The upper region of the foe's body toppled to the floor as the remainder coil beside it. Demise would soon follow with adequate assistance, but Jehkran's mind was unconcerned. Pounds bundled against the floor in a creaking bang, shuttering the earth as the oncoming monsters dashed in Jehkran's direction. Disgust thrived in the Echani's jagged eyes as his heart formed for survival.

A spin turned his body about across the slimy flesh of the last guardsman. The monstrous figure fell into confusion as Jehkran vanished behind him, his lightsaber emit and ready for another drop. Momentary silence died in an immediate cry. Fear, pain and anguish painted an echoing clamor throughout the dead halls, leaving the colossal alien flailing to the floor.

Jehkran had won.

Before a word could interrupt the victor, his eyes were on the prize. A foot spread him forth, throwing him steadily down the pathway through the corridor.

"Move it."

The crack to her gut must have took more wind out of her than she thought. She panted as the sprint towards freedom renewed itself, no something else was amiss. She cleared her throat as she kept up and spit to the side. It was the effects of long term spice usage hitting her when she least needed it, it seemed as if her body was fighting within itself. When, if, they got out she had to do something about this.

A blaster bolt seared past her arm. No time for future resolutions, she had to devote her attention to getting out. They rounded a corner, facing but a window and doors heading perpendicular to their hallway. She estimated 150 meters between the corner they'd past and the end of the line. At most, three doors on either side of the corridor.

"The window!" She called, hoping it would determine Jehkran to use it as his exit, after all he was leading her. Or, he might choose a door simply because he'd become so skeptic of her. She had to take the lead, she was convinced. She received the Force into her body, she sped up with eyes on the window that she believed was their safety and passed her former apprentice.

The Force lead her, bursting the window outwards as she dove through the narrow hole. Instinct lead her eyes to close the moment her body exited the palace, she opened them to an unpleasant surprise. To begin with, she was two stories above ground than she earlier believed, she was prepared for one. In addition to the unexpectedly prolonged plummet, the guards were out in full force circling the building in skiffs and speeders.

Focus. she reminded herself. Let the Force guide you.

An eye swung back, watching as his ex-Master took the hasty route. A sudden burst threw his body out the window, but he wasted no time in his response. Along his face traced a frown as his head swung from side-to-side in disappointment. The shame that rode from her actions detail for imminent danger. Only seconds ago the two had confronted, and not even in the abscence of her hatred did she regard her behavior.

A mirror was in need.

Yet, the young Padawan had been known beyond his Jedi arts to withhold judgment. There was no point in condemning anyone, and no one was beyond redemption, while more importantly he was not perfect. A smooth step set him back, peering out the window at the falling figure.

Spots riddle the ground, faint in their appearance, but not foreign. A squad of henchmen had been well-prepared for the incoming assail, and he certainly would need to follow suite if Rayna was to survive. All the foolishness had long gone to his head, but a clear thought finally eliminated the stupidity.

He would take the door.

"I'll meet you at the bottom," he whispered out the broken window, before a dash to the door. A lift was close by, and hopefully he would reach them before they could hurt her.

A strong gust of wind manifested and pushed Rayna closer to a skiff, she clenched a railing tightly as she passed it by. Within seconds of doing so she realized she was foolish to have thought she might stop her decent merely by grabbing a rail. It changed her rotation by a number of degrees and although she spun wildly out of control, it had at least slowed her down. At last the plummet ended as she crashed front first on a speeder intent on catching her.

There was no time to recoup, especially as she sensed Jehkran had not followed her. She quickly put her feet beneath her and glared at the guards driving. Her heel spider-webbed the windshield which caused enough commotion to distract the men. She leaped into the air, looking for some refuge from the growing number of men out to get her. Even if Jehkran had joined her they wouldn't be able to combat all the guards and win. With her lightsaber drawn once again, she landed on the speeder of another pair of surprised guards, all the while she called for her friend who occupied the Halve Maen through the Force. She leaped again to the next moving vehicle hoping to draw the growing fire power that was following her movements.

Come on, Jehkran. She thought forcefully. Where are you?

"Move."

The rough edge of Jehkran's voice pierced through his sly demeanor, tearing at the command. A rampage of unseen forces splashed like a wave across the flood of foes. The source remained invisible, yet ever so strong in the gust that composed a flying disarray. Discord insued in puzzled eyes, and confused forces as their bodies flung from their grounded stance to the skyline. An array of dismay splurge through the crowd as the robed guardian step calmly from the exit.

In the ochestra of the Force, a pathway had been casted for the hooded Echani to waltz from his dwellings. Darkness litter behind him, and frail bodies rattle the grounds he walked on. Death had not crept it's way on the field, but the injuries were numerous. Surprise had ensured no policy against such unseen strikes.

Jehkran had gained the upper hand, even with his palms motionless at his sides. Even the anxious lightsaber hilt didn't rumble with interest. The seemingly inevitable bout had been pressed to a heed at the sudden pull of the Force's arsenal. A mind engulf in the incredible traits remained still as he stood, eyes catching the grounds of battle.

Red bolts of fire burned into the metal exteriors of the speeders she jumped to causing more damage to the guards' vehicles than to their collective enemy. Finally the inevitable collision between two skiffs erupted, creating a momentum strong enough to create a chain reaction down the line of vehicles, eventually disrupting her rhythm and causing her to fall. The thud cast the breath from her lungs forcefully out, though she thanked fate that the fall was much less catastrophic than the plummet from the window was. In seconds she was back on her feet, struggling to run under an aching diaphragm for her life.

She didn't need to look back to know that the blaster fire had not ceased to chase her, she could nearly feel the heat from each bolt that passed behind her. Apparently Jehkran had been caught up in something more important than lending her a hand, he probably walked through those hallways and staircases admiring the art Jibuu had stolen. Or more grimly, perhaps he was held up with more guards, perhaps they had stopped him and taken him captive... or worse.

She cast aside her thoughts concerning Jehkran's whereabouts and concluded that something needed be done about the chasing speeders. A skiff coated her in its shadow, presenting a novel opportunity. If she could cause it to crash, it might put this whole chase into a standstill. Leaping on instinct, she cut the neck of the driver in the speeder chasing her and landed on the back, burning her leg on the rear engine's heat. The second guard that had moments ago been firing at her couldn't scramble fast enough to save himself, he too joined his friend without his head. She took the wheel and stole control away from the speeder, steering it to hover as high above the ground as it could go. Unfortunately this summit was not high enough to reach the skiff.

A two person air speeder trailed her, it's second man's incessant and inaccurate firing had failed to grasp her attention so far, now it gave her another idea. She would hijack the air speeder and take it to the skiff, but it was so small she was unsure if she could do so without falling. Confidence She reminded herself. The powerful sensation was not present in her duel with Jehkran, it cost her the victory although he justly won. She brushed her regrets aside and decelerated, the seond man, for all his past failed shots, was taking aim. She met the blaster bolt with her blade hoping to disable the pilot, but failed miserably. She leaped again with tired legs, wrapping her left arm around the neck of the pilot and thrusting her hard soled boot into the cranium of the gunner. Her left hand held her blade, dangerously stuck between the console and the guards abdomen with but inches of air between machine and man. She needed the machine and rotated her wrist, severing the top of the pilot from the bottom. The lifeless torso of the pilot casually fell from her arm. Her right hand had guaranteed her passage on the hijacked air speeder, with the newly freed left she yanked the legs by their black encrusted entrails and took control of the air speeder with a mental note of thanks the planet was barren of tall trees. Now to the skiff.

She jerked the air speeder with the professionalism of the elderly in the streets of Coruscant during rush hour, the lurch in the vehicle cause the moaning gunner to flop over to her side, the mask's cold gaze staring at her scowled and determined face. Heads and blasters poking over the edge of the skiff shifted from starboard to port as she soared beneath the hull, turning upward into a vertical climb. The air speeder rocked as its own hull skidded against that of the skiff, uppercutting the unfortunate guard peering over the edge.

To the remaining men, the air speeder appeared without its pilot as it twirled in the air like a rocket short of fuel. While they looked skyward, Rayna pulled herself to the deck with strength of the Force and continued the massacre of guardsmen. The captain barked orders from the small durasteel hut that contained the skiff's controls and the guards advanced against her.

How many men staffed the skiff? She wondered as a staff collided with her shoulder. However many that wanted to die serving the wretched Hutt. She concluded but quickly acknowledged she was approaching the pitfall of the Darkside. Focus

The Force created a burst of power before her, knocking overboard many who stood in her path. She moved quickly though her legs protested and advanced on the command hut. The door fell to the superiority of the lightsaber, as did the captain. She needed only a seconds to steer the skiff towards the palace and only minutes to defend the controls until the skiff collided with the stone palace creating a veil of carnage in which she would escape.

She glanced through the transparisteel window and realized she had no indication of Jehkran's leaving the Palace. She wondered if he might be don below on the ground. Serves him right, he should have followed my lead.

Most of the guards had capitulated now, they instead resorted to escaping once the new course became apparent. She observed the roof of the palace, it was curved in most places and only towers protruded from each corner. It would definitely be a climb of epic proportions, she wished again she studied the map more thoroughly. The wait for the skiff to turn and accelerate towards Jibuu's house of filth gave her a moment to collect her breath. But as the skiff drew nearer to the walls, she broke into a sprint, running in a half circle to give her enough distance to make the jump. The Force joined her blood as it fueled her legs pounding against the durasteel deck. She was going to make this, she was going to escape the clutch of Jibuu's servants and flee the planet leaving the ill planned attack to memory. It all depended on this...

Though her body protested anymore abuse, the Force diverted the pain from her mind. She took to the air with the roof of the place in sight, as she flew the earth shattering collision of bending metal and crumbling stone erupted beneath her. Oh ,the poor souls that might stand beneath the skiff, or worse in the palace...

A groan erupted from her mouth, her great leap turned into a twisting and failing arc. Cold steel constricted around her body encapsulating her and leaving her in the control of another. The Palace roof taunted her as she dangled by a thread of steel above it. Straining to turn her head and see what had happened, she saw the bounty hunter referred to as 'Dark Eyes' glaring down at her from the end of the line and an air speeder.

She would have spit in his direction had not her dangling body met with the great curved roof of the Palace with a thud. Dark Eyes barked at one of the masked droids in the pilot's seat as she tumbled along the tiled roof, her body taking more punishment from the jutting tiles than she ever believed possible. At last the speeder rose, taking her with it. She hung vertically, her head at the bottom, swimming, as blood rushed to her brain. Two hazy spots merged into one as another air speeder approached her dangling body, it was two of Dark Eyes' macabre droids. It stared at her with its lifeless receptors and at last ended her experience of the failed attack and now, failed escape.

---

He reached for his comm sitting idly at his side. Dark Eyes put it to his mouth and radioed in to Jibuu himself. "Jedi Rayna Eclipse... unconscious and captured. Retuning to secondary base. Over."

"Roger that, Xau Ghin." A voice said back. "We've got men standing by."

The world was in a jumble. Sounds of defeat echoed over the horizon, and Jehkran could do nothing. Helpless and depleted, he could feel his heart pump distraught through his veins. The few remnants of the frontier battalion dangled, and scrapped at the planet's floor. He had hit them...and hit them hard, but he was worthless in saving one among the many.

"Rayna..."

A whisper eased from his lips as he glanced about, his blade lifeless at his waist. There was no need to defend, no need to attack, no need for anything without her. Haste sped his mind as he retracted his comments, his acts, his fight, leaving him bare and horrid. Such acts were of the Dark Side, and the hate that lay in the pits of his heart was revealed in all it's disgust.

Along his face trickled a tear, but he restrained the emotion. There he stood a statue, a potent figure of void emotion. The barren grounds bore only one tear, barley a speck, left behind as he walked off toward the ship.

He would get Rayna back, if it was the last thing he did.

She groaned as she rolled over and came slowly to consciousness. The floor was cold stone, apparently the walls were as well, everything was damp. It was hardly a cell designed by Imperial architects, more like a cave with bars on it. She hated caves, the dark and wet atmosphere reminded her too much of her time spent deep within a mountain on Corellia. She stared at the bars, still failing to even sit up, and noticed the Gammorrean who repeatedly poked his head into her view.

He snorted something signifying to other unseen guards that she was awake. INstead of another Gammorrean as she'd hoped, one of dark-eyes droids eerily stepped into view and stared with lifeless eyes. Gammorreans she could handle, droids were another story.

At last she sat up against the wall, scooting to remove herself as far away from the droids vision as possible. She searched her body with her hands and the Force. She had a handful of injuries, her leg felt like it could be broken. She couldn't tell for sure though. Slowly she felt her head. The droid hit her with the butt of a blaster rifle. Her cheek bone was also likely broken; the pain prevented her from touching it hard enough to know for sure. She blinked, her vision was fine though, thankfully no permanent damage there. It was a hell of a beating, all for naught.

And what about Jehkran? She wanted to reach out to him through the Force, she could if she wanted to. But would he want her to? She would let him assume the worst and they would part ways here, to obligate him with her rescue would be selfish. In her heart she hoped he would not come, that he would not continue to burden himself with association to her. She put her hands over her face and closed her eyes. Silently she lamented the mess she had created.