Vendaxa- Saturday night

[notconflicted]

As promised, the Mynock got Sia and Astraal to Vendaxa, and on the plus side, this planet didn't have Sith. On the other hand, the ship's engines were fried so they were pretty stranded if things got bad, and all the local flora seemed to want to kill them. Getting the two women to their rendezvous point with Astraal's brother meant constantly being on alert for something jumping out from the trees to attack. Astraal didn't have a weapon, and even though it was killing her not to do so, Sia didn't dare use her lightsaber in case they hadn't figured out who she was yet.

"Somebody want to explain why we're here?" Syn asked, firing off another blaster bolt into what was probably a monster.

"My parents' ship crashed here when I was very small. Only my… twin brother and I survived," Astraal said. "There were no creatures here then. He and I thought it would be safe to meet here if we were ever in danger."

"And where were you supposed to go when it gets too dangerous here?" Cade asked, just in time for some giant, clawed dragon to come hurtling out of the jungle at them. He kept talking as he fired on it. "Your brother's a no-show, lady. Not sure what good another missionary's gonna do us anyway…"

"Unless we fed him to this thing!" Syn agreed.

Sia looked over just in time to see the creature advancing on Astraal, and she yelled for her-

Before she could act, another Twi'lek, a male with a lightsaber ignited, literally swooped in and grabbed her out of the way. "Brother!" Astraal cried happily. "Master Sazen!"

Sure enough, Jedi Master Wolf Sazen was already attacking the thing with his lightsaber, and Astraal's brother started helping as soon as she was safely away. Once that was started, it wasn't long before the thing was dead, and things had settled.

Sia allowed herself a moment of relief. Things between the Jedi and Imperial Knights were... not the best, currently, but she also she knew she could trust them. So, her situation still wasn't the best, but it was rapidly improving.

Astraal immediately ran to hug her brother. "Shado! I am so glad to see you!"

"And I, you, Astraal," he said. "Though I wonder at the company you keep these days."

"It seems our business together is complete," Sia said, turning towards the Mynock crew. "Unfortunately, neither the Jedi nor I have the credits to pay you. I would feel awful about that, except I'm reasonably certain you know I'm actually the princess Marasiah Fel and that you were planning to collect the bounty on me. On the remote possibility I'm wrong, I will arrange for a generous payment to be paid into whatever account you wish, once the Jedi, Astraal and I am clear of Vendaxa. And you."

"Whatever, Princess," Cade said, turning away. "Syn, Blue, let's cut our losses and go."

"What?" Syn said. "Cade, you're not just going to let them rip us off like that, are you?"

Master Sazen startled. "Cade?"

"That's right, Cade. Problem?" Cade said.

Master Sazen was silent for all of about half a second before saying, "No. Come, Princess, we'd best-"

Before he could get the sentence out, there was a boom of explosion, along with a fireball that went up from a clearing in the jungle.

Once the initial surprise faded, Deliah couldn't seem to keep the smugness out of her voice. "Was that your ride, hon?" she asked Sia. "Shame. Looks like you might be needing a ride back on the Mynock after all."

"The price just doubled, Princess," Syn added.

Sia hated this day.

But there was a more pressing issue, because there was that familiar presence again. "I felt-"

"Yes, nearby. A Sith," said Sazen. "And getting closer."

"What's he talking about?" Syn asked. "I don't feel anything."

The Jedi had their lightsabers ignited as Darth Talon came bouncing out of nowhere towards them with her own weapon, along with several wolf-sized creatures with teeth that seemed to make up a third of their body.

"Astraal, Princess, get away!" Shado yelled.

Sia made a beeline for Astraal. She herself could handle these things, her companion could not, and the Sith was undoubtedly driving the creatures on. Of course, they also didn't have anywhere else to go, since their ship was gone. Unless they stole the Mynock, it would be back into the jungle with no help until things possibly settled down, and there was absolutely zero chance Sia would do that and leave everyone here while she escaped.

Besides, she could see as she pushed Astraal from the fray that things weren't going well. The Mynock crew was dealing with the creatures just fine, but the Jedi were taking on Darth Talon and that still didn't seem to be a fair matchup.

Talon was coolly knocking them around, and had an arc of Force lightning trained on him. "You are the one. The empty-sleeved Jedi Sazen. Darth Nihl marked you. He took your arm. I will take your life!"

Sia already had her lightsaber pulled free and ran back towards him, catching the lightning on her blade and putting herself between the Sith and the Jedi. Which, honestly felt a little like a metaphor for her life. "I will not allow you to kill another who has risen in my defense! I felt you kill Elke Vetter. That was enough."

Talon ceased the lightning, and cocked her head at Sia like she thought she was just adorable. "I feel the Force surge through you, Princess. Vetter was… your Master! But you are not a Knight. Merely a student."

She flicked a hand out at her, Force pushing Sia backwards. "Do what you do best, Princess. Run."

"Cade!" Sazen called. "Take the princess and Astraal away on your ship! Get her away!"

"Sounds like a plan to me," Deliah said.

"No!" Sia protested, putting as much authority into her voice as she could possibly muster. "My place is here."

"Ossus," Cade muttered. "It's just like Ossus…"

"Cade!" Deliah said, grabbing him by the shoulder to shake him out of whatever was happening with him. "C'mon, snap out of it! This isn't our fight! Like you said, cut our losses! Let's go!"

Instead, Cade pulled his blaster again and said, "Kark it!" firing on the Sith.

"He's gone insane," Deliah said, staring. "We've gone insane!"

"Yeah," Syn said, lifting his own blaster, "but it's a good insane."

It was a valiant effort, but Talon dodged the bolts easily and Force-pulled their weapons to her.

"We are so dead," Syn said.

"No," Cade said, and lifted his hands. A moment later, a large piece of the ship that had exploded came flying towards Talon, knocking her away. And then, Cade called his blaster back to his hand.

"Let's get to the Mynock," he said. "Figure you're coming too, Princess- seeing the Jedi's ship got blown up and all."

Sia could only stare. She'd known a version of this person for going on six years and what the kriff did she just see?


[NFB, NFI! Taken from Legacy #5. God I love this series.]