The Last Sith, Pt. 6

Welcome to Part 6 of my (so far) only foray into Star Wars fanfiction.

The disclaimers yet again:  Mara McCuniff is a a copyrighted character of Traci Briery.   Star Wars, Jedi, Sith, Yavin, Dantooine, Coruscant, Yoda, Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Mace Windu, et al, are copyrighted characters and terms owned by George Lucas, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century Fox.  I ain't gettin' no money from this, folks.

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Master Orn on his own

Orn turned off the communicator and bit his bottom lip a second or two before releasing it.

"Well, their timing couldn’t be better, could it?" said Jeel. "But the Council has spoken."

"You two go to Dagin as ordered," said Orn. "I will remain here."

"What?" said Jeel and Mara one after the other. Then only Jeel spoke. "Master Orn, orders are orders. The Sith are massing on Dagin; the war has begun."

"I made a promise to protect this world and its people, and I must honour that promise," said Orn. "We have identified the Sith lord who threatens them. I cannot abandon them now and break that promise."

"But you’d be disobeying a direct order from the Council," said Jeel. "And you of all people-"

"I am prepared to accept any punishment the Council chooses for me," said Orn. Mara stepped forward.

"Master, my place is with you," she said. "I am your padawan learner. If you stay, so must I."

"Your place is on Dagin, as the Council commands."

"So is yours, Orn!" said Jeel.

"I will not debate this," said Orn. "I must follow this path alone."

"But Master-!"

"Mara, to stay with me, you would be disobeying both the Council’s orders and mine," said Orn. "Because I am ordering you to go with Master Jeel. I… Leave us now. Master Jeel, I must speak with you alone."

She opened her mouth to speak, then swallowed and looked away as she left the room quickly.

"Orn, this isn’t like you at all," said Jeel. "Is there something else about Omen you haven’t told us?"

"Time is a luxury neither of us have to go over old stories," said Orn. "I must do what I need to do. I must uncover Omen and destroy the evil that he’s become."

"I’m not arguing with the validity of that goal," said Jeel, "But if the Sith are massing on Dagin, how do we know Omen and his minions haven’t been given the same orders we have?"

"If that turns out to be true, I will join you as swiftly as possible," said Orn. "But I sense that this will not happen. He is here, still. He is waiting. Waiting for me, I’m certain."

"All the better reason to leave, then," said Jeel. "Safety in numbers, protection of the Order…"

"This debate will go on forever and never be resolved, Master Jeel," said Orn. "And it is not you who should be punished as well as I. Go, and take Mara with you to fight the Sith."

"I suppose I must, then," said Jeel.

"Jeel…"

"Yes?"

Orn leaned closer to him. He put a hand on Jeel’s shoulder and kept his voice as low as he could without being a whisper. "I have a favour to ask of you," he said. "Take care of her."

"Mara? Er, yes, of course, it’s no favour at all."

"Thank you," said Orn. "Please continue teaching her the ways of the Force. Impart your wisdom to her. Keep her on the path of the Jedi."

"Of course," said Jeel. "Orn, you… sound like you’re not expecting to see her again."

"Do I? That was not my intention," he said. "It is only that we’ve not been apart for… 15 years now, I think. And this is no mere mission; this is a war. She’s never fought in a war. She’s never seen.. what war is."

"I’ll look after her as if she was my own padawan," said Jeel. "I promise."

"Thank you, my friend," said Orn, patting Jeel once on his shoulder before letting go. "I… care very much for her. She is not simply an apprentice to me, but also… a daughter."

"I understand," said Jeel.

"And I trust you will not repeat what was said between us."

"No, of course not."

"You’d both better be off to Dagin," said Orn. "The Force willing, we will meet again under more peaceful circumstances."

"Force willing." Jeel left the room, but Orn did not follow. He heard muted voices outside, and then Mara appeared in the doorway.

"Master?" she said.

"If you intend to talk me into letting you stay-"

"No, Master," she said. "I will do as you command and go with Master Jeel. But…I just wanted you to know that I will return here to complete my training. No matter how long this war lasts. That is my promise to you."

"I know you will," he said. "Now go. Both of you. May the Force be with you."

"With all of us," said Jeel.

* * *

Jeel was pleased with the sound of his engines. It had been a while since they had been running this smoothly when in hyperspace, and he told Mara so. She responded only with a whispered "Thank you," then was silent afterwards. He left the pilot seat to pull out some food and drink, which he offered to her. She held up her hand and shook her head quickly.

"You’ve hardly said a word since we left," he said. "If the sadness I’m sensing now comes from you, that’s not good."

"Sadness?" she said, then sat up straighter in her seat. "I didn’t think what I felt was being perceived that way. I’m just… confused by Master Orn’s decision, that’s all. I’ve never seen him do anything so… rebellious. I suppose I don’t really know what I feel."

"And that, too, isn’t good," said Jeel. "I don’t mean to sound like Orn, but if we’re going into combat, your mind needs to be clear and focused. No unresolved feelings to cloud your concentration."

"Yes, Master Jeel," she said. "Of course you’re right. He has made his decision, and we have our orders."

"Just Jeel is fine," he said.

"Hm? Oh, but it wouldn’t be appropriate to-"

"War is a great equaliser," he said. "Out on the field, we’ll all be fighting as peers for the same cause. Besides, I’m not your master."

"I.. only meant to show respect, as Master Orn taught me," she said. "But if you wish that I call you simply Jeel, I will."

"Not ‘Simply Jeel,’" he said. "Jeel."

"Yes, that’s what I-" she said, then sighed and allowed a smile to creep onto her face. "Oh," she said. "Finally I’m starting to catch your jokes."

"That’s all right," he said. "I know you’ve had years of training not to."

Before she could reply, a red light on Jeel’s console began flashing, accompanied by a high-pitched, but quiet, beeping. "Ah, looks like we’re coming out of hyperspace," he said. "Better get strapped in."

Mara busied herself with the restraints on her chair as the streaks of light representing stars and planets began to grow shorrter, until all indications of faster-than-light travel ceased. Outside of the cockpit window, a green planet began to grow larger as they neared. Also visible in the distance were flashes of red, blue and green light coming from many vessels engaged in combat outside of Dagin’s atmosphere.

"Oh, dear," said Jeel. "The war has begun. Mara, see those controls to your right? Those are for my gun. Pull it out and prepare to defend us while I try to land."

"Your ship is armed? But it’s so small!"

"Only one gun," said Jeel. "I bought the ship used from a smuggler and never removed it, which is just as well, because we need it now! Hang on!" Both were pushed to the side as Jeel went hard to port to avoid a collision with a one-man Sith fighter. That ship was already in hot pursuiit of another Jedi’s, but Jeel’s ship was quickly spotted and chased by several ships.

"Is the gun powered?" he asked.

"I don’t see any indication," said Mara. "No lights, no give to the controls. Is this normal?"

"I’m not sure, I’ve never used it before," said Jeel, executing a rapid series of turns and rolls that left them both relying on the Force to keep their food in their bellies. Mara began undoing her chair’s restraints.

"That’s not a good idea," said Jeel. "You could get thrown all over the ship!"

"Where’s the access panel to your weapons?" she asked, ignoring his warning. A sudden braking, then turn, to avoid a collision left her holding the back of the chair in a deathgrip. "I’m all right!" she said. "Where’s the access-?"

"Behind you, about midway back, to my left!" said Jeel. I think, he thought. Mara began opening every panel that could be opened, barely glancing at the lights and buttons and switches within each, until the Force guided her to the correct one. It was not midway back, but in the rear of the ship and close to the floor. She flipped several switches and turned a knob until a click was heard, and lights of every colour turned on. Mara shut the panel quickly and raced towards the cockpit, only to be thrown hard to the cabin floor as Jeel piloted the ship into a sharp climb. Once the g-forces stabilised enough for her to stand, she ran back to the seat and dismissed the restraints to grab the gun controls once more. There was a give to the control now, and a targeting screen had been switched on on her side of the console.

"Do we have weapons?" asked Jeel. Mara spotted a Sith vessel just skimming past over the top of the ship. She aimed (ignoring the targeting monitor) and squeezed off a shot that took out an engine nacelle. The ship was not destroyed immediately, but flew an erratic path away from them, only to meet another Sith ship in an unavoidable collision. Both ships blew up on impact.

"I think we do," said Mara, glancing at Jeel. "But it’s not a very powerful gun."

"I just need cover to get us planetside," he said. "Do you think it’ll be a problem?"

Mara hit another Sith ship on the first shot, this time damaging a portion of its underbelly. Damaged, but not fatally. She did not take the time to follow up with further attacks, but focused on the swarm of Sith vessels, tagging each with one, sometimes two, shots that gave them an incentive to avoid Jeel’s ship, which was the intended goal. The ship’s lone gun, as she’d stated, was not powerful enough to destroy any of the ships unless she managed to hit the perfect weak spot, wherever that might be.

From the moment she took hold of the controls, they became an extension of her body, an instrument of the Force, which guided her every shot. She never looked at the targeting monitor, relying solely on the Force to locate the enemy and to tell her exactly when to fire. She wielded the weapon as if in a trance, and yet only needed to fire once each time to hit her target. If Jeel had been concerned about her mind being focused on the battle, this was no longer the case.

A tight, but clear path through the swarm of ships presented itself to Jeel, and he punched through, finally reaching the outer atmosphere. He switched on his heat shields as Mara put aside the controls and hooked up the restraints again for her seat, then gripped the arm rests tight and closed her eyes. The ship shook as if to break up into thousands of pieces, but stayed intact. For a moment, the cockpit was filled with a blinding white light, until the atmosphere was breached, and they saw clouds, mountains, valleys, seas, green forests, and earth blackened by the ravages of war.

"Where do we go now?" asked Mara.

He pointed towards a forest just at the edge of a lake. "There." He pointed the ship in that direction and brought it to a clearing where other ships began coming into view. Jeel found an area large enough for his own ship and switched to hovermode to land vertically.

Jedi Master and padawan raced from the ship towards a small group of Jedi. When they reached the group, a Twi'lek woman was speaking to the others. She stopped as Jeel and Mara drew nearer, and the others turned their way.

"Welcome, Jedi," said the Twi'lek woman.

"Jeel Kumba, my master," he said. "And this is Mara, padawan to Master Orn Taga, who… will join us later."

"Master J’lanna!" said Mara suddenly.

"…Yes," she said, then turned back to the others. "The Sith are trying to take the ancient temple on the other side of the lake," she continued. "They are also trying to divide our forces, which we cannot allow to happen."

"Master J’lanna," said Jeel. "If I may, we just barely got through the screen of Sith ships surrounding the planet. Do we have enough ships of our own to break up that siege?"

"No," she said. "But we have summons out to other pilots. It’s only a matter of time before they get here. Master Kunn will be leading that leg of this war. Each of you, take a pod and go around the lake on the south side. We need to build up our forces behind the Sith army. May the Force be with you."

The mixed group of Jedi and padawan broke up quickly and raced to the ground pods that waited for them a few yards away. Mara followed Jeel to their vehicle, where he climbed into the pilot’s seat. She jumped into the gunner’s seat behind him just in time for the canopy to lower itself and click into place.

"That was Master J’lanna!" said Mara as Jeel took a moment to familiarise himself with the pod’s controls. "Head of the Jedi Council!" If she was leading the charge, the Jedi were sure to win today.

"Yes, it was," he said, and the ship lurched forward, gaining speed rapidly until it reached its top ground speed in less than 3 seconds.

"I had a vision about her," said Mara escitedly. "But I hadn’t seen her in person until just now. It’s because of the vision that I recognised her."

"A good vision, I hope," said Jeel. The woods were sparse on the south side of the lake, allowing for more Jedi pods to spread out and maneuver back and forth as they raced their way to battlle. Mara took a moment to look around and take in the terrain, zooming by rapidly as it was, and this, too, was becoming much more familiar to her. She knew this place; she had seen it before, and from the viewpoint of being in a ground speeder, as now.

My first vision, she thought. It really was sent from the Force. It wasn’t a dream!

As they rounded the last curve of the south side, the ancient temple Master J’lanna had spoken of loomed into view. The forest had hidden it from those on the other side of the lake. It was a massive stone structure whose shape and markings were vaguely reminiscent of the Jedi Council’s current seat of power on Coruscant. The majesty of the former place of reverance was quickly being marred by the battle that raged before them. What appeared to be a lopsided battle in favour of the Sith was waged on the grounds, on the steps, within the walls of the temple. Why the Sith wanted this place was not hers to question; her only concern now was to follow J’lanna’s orders and to protect it.

"I’m going to bring us to the rear of the temple!" Jeel shouted over the din of the engine and the battle outside. "It’ll give us a chance to land and- Hang on!" he cried as a Sith warrior appeared from nowhere in front of their speeder. Jeel swerved, allowing the warrior to pivot and slice off the front of the speeder with one flawless stroke of his lightsaber. Sparks, smoke, and fire filled the cockpit, and Mara struggled to unlatch the canopy. Jeel kept his hands on the controls to make their inevitable crash as painless as possible.

"We have to eject!" he shouted. "Get the windshield up!"

"I know!" she said, then gave up using conventional methods to pry open the canopy. She ignited her lightsaber and made short work of the canopy, which flew up and away from the speeder, leaving them exposed to the air and in theory able to escape from the doomed vehicle. Mara leapt from her seat first, where she flew high and far at first, then hit the ground in a tight roll before stopping herself and standing battle-ready in case any Sith were nearby. She glimpsed Jeel escaping just at the moment of impact. The explosion made it impossible to tell if he got away unscathed, so she did not hesitate to use the Force to race to the crash site at greatest speed. She blew past the path of debris to reach Jeel, who was alive, but stunned and still struggling to get up.

"Master Jeel!" she said. "Are you injured? Can you stand?"

"Be with you in a minute," he groaned. She reached out a hand to assist, but almost lost it as a red flash of light came down between them. She pulled back and brought up her own blade the next instant, just quickly enough to deflect the Sith’s next blow. The element of surprise gone, the dark warrior was met full-on with the padawan’s battle prowess. Strike after strike she blocked, taking in the Sith’s measure, unconcerned if it was an apprentice or a full Sith Master she faced. All that mattered was protecting Jeel until he was at full strength once more.

It did not take long for the Sith to realise that he was outmatched. Drawing on more of the dark side by increasing his hatred and rage at this repulsive Jedi creature did not improve his chances enough to win. He had already slaughtered 3 others, yet this one was attuned to the living Force in ways he had not yet encountered. She seemed barely conscious of his presence, and yet avoided every blow, every sweep, every thrust of his blade. He barely managed to touch a small button on his belt that activated a silent summons.

Mara was pleased that her goal was being met, which was to force this foul thing away from Jeel. He had managed to call on extra reserves of strength to climb to his feet, but both of them knew he was not at full combat readiness. Surviving a crash was one thing, but fighting a war right afterwards was another. There was no luxury of time to recover, though, for he was set upon by a Sith responding to his comrade’s summons. Jeel ignited his lightsaber just in time to block the attack, and the battle was joined.

Mara could see three more dark warriors coming their way. The time for mercy had ended. She pressed her attack hard on her foe, first slicing into his black cloak, then severing his sword arm, and then his midsection before the fiend had time to scream. The other three were now close enough to strike. Feeling no fear in spite of the abysmal odds, Mara used the Force to search for and find the lightsaber of their vanguished comrade. She deflected a blow from the first one, then spun away and held out her hand. The other lightsaber flew into her hand, and in an instant she became a flurry of green and red light. The three warriors moved to surround her, attacking sometimes one at a time, sometimes all at once, always being thwarted by the deadly ballet of movement she had become.

Jeel’s strength was returning even as his own fight raged on. He believed his attacker to be an apprentice rather than a Sith Master. His years of experience had taught him that it was the Masters’ way to send their minions into battle, only taking up arms themselves when left with no choice. If this war was to be won, the Jedi had to flush out the true orchestrators and end the conflict once and for all.

His opponent was well-trained. Even at full strength, Jeel did not think he could make this fight end quickly. The Sith’s face was covered, so he could not determine if he faced a male or a female, which in the end mattered little, for this small, but quick and aggressive warrior was using all of its dark powers to good effect.

The warriors three attempted a 3-pronged sweep designed to sever Mara’s legs no matter where she moved them, but she leaped clear of the attack and vaulted over the one who had been facing her. Too late, he realised her blades were positioned perfectly to sever his head like scissors as she passed over. His headless body dropped silently, but the two remaining apprentices wasted no time rushing at Mara to avenge his death. She landed, spun around and met their attacks one after the other, her twin blades flashing. One of the Sith leaned in just too close to her after his last stroke, allowing her to execute a sidekick to his groin and send him flipping away. She was free to meet the third one-on-one for a few seconds: just long enough to send pieces of him flying through the air. She spun around to face the last Sith apprentice, who had recovered from her kick. They faced each other, unmoving and silent. The Sith snarled and growled, yet Mara remained expressionless and waited for his next move. Then his eyes went wide as he caught sight of his comrade’s grisly dismemberment; he glanced over at the decapitated body of the other. Looking down and to his right, he then saw the head that went with it, sitting upright on the ground, seeming to stare at him.  Finally he looked back at the Jedi scum facing him, and reverted to the first feeling that had pushed him to the dark side: fear. Fear overwhelmed his anger and his spite and washed over his whole being.

He switched off his lightsaber… and ran. Ran as though he was the last Sith facing legions of Jedi in pursuit. In truth, only one pursued him, but this one would surely destroy him.

"Mara!" a voice called from behind them both. The Sith did not stop running, but his pursuer did. Mara stopped abruptly and whirled around. Off in the distance, she saw Jeel waving to her, so she raced to his side without a glance back at the cowardly Sith.

"Master Jeel!" she said as soon as she was there. "Are you all right?"

"I was going to ask you the same," he said, glancing at the fallen dark apprentice lying dead on the ground. Jeel had removed its head wrap and confirmed his suspicions, that he had been facing a woman. She appeared to be quite young, practically still just a girl. He had allowed himself a moment of sadness and pity that the dark side had claimed one so young and filled her with its evil. Now he had to put that moment aside.

"We need to get to the temple," he said. "On foot, it looks like. No more racing off on your own; we’re going to stick together."

"Of course, Master Jeel," she said. "I mean… Jeel. I’m sorry, I was… caught up in the moment. You’ve recovered, then?"

"The Force: it’s a good thing, isn’t it?" he said with a wink. "Come on, let’s go," and the two of them ran the length of the battlefield to meet their fellow Jedi in defence of the temple.

The situation was not in their favour. It was clear the Sith had been better at hiding their numbers than previously believed. Their army was vast compared to the Jedi who had arrived in response to the Council’s summons. Although none were prepared to give up hope, they also knew that defeat could not be ruled out. Along the way, more and more fallen Jedi littered the ground. Mara had never seen so much death in one place. Nor had she been the cause of so much as today, but it was necessary. They were Sith; they were servants of evil, of the dark side. They had to be destroyed. She was serving the light side to do so.

"That way!" said Jeel, and pointed to the main steps leading to the temple. The battle appeared to be concentrated there. The air was filled with the deafening hum and crackle of blades clashing over and over, the screams of those being cut down, the gasps and moans of the ones who lay dying, Jedi and Sith alike. Mara looked up to see several ships flying overhead, but could not tell which side the pilots were on.

"Mara, stay close to me!" Jeel cried, and she was snapped out of her thoughts to speed up and keep pace with him. The Jedi were outnumbered here, which allowed several Sith at a time to face any one warrior of light. Jeel and Mara already faced two opponents each, and it wouldn’t be long before more could join them. Mara still had her second weapon and used it to good effect, destroying her opponents whoever they might be. What saved her in the end was the overconfidence of the Sith, for they knew they were winning, and believed those Jedi remaining were easy pickings. Perhaps they believed their sheer numbers would strike fear into the hearts of those Jedi weak with the light side, perhaps causing them to join the dark side. Perhaps…

The Sith who met Mara and Jeel in combat, then, were unprepared for their sheer determination to defend the Order, to defend their fellow warriors… to survive. But skilled as they were, especially this female with unprecedented battle prowess, their mastery of the Force was not infinite. They would be destroyed. All of the Jedi here would be destroyed if they could not get away, and now.

"Fall back!" someone shouted. Others took up the same call for retreat, but not all Jedi could do so. Many were trapped and were destroyed by the increasingly victorious Sith that cut them down as they ran. A high-pitched rumble from behind alerted them that a ship was landing, and as many Jedi as were able to made a run for it. The ship was a small transport, and it did not entirely land, but hovered a few feet from the ground. The boarding ramp lowered, and two Jedi leaped to the ground, lightsabers drawn, and kept watch for pursuing Sith as their comrades jumped inside one by one. Jeel and Mara were near the last to make it inside. Jeel found a seat and strapped himself in, but Mara went to a porthole and continued watching the battle from inside.

The two guardian Jedi were delayed by a brief scuffle with three Sith, until they were able to break away and leap inside just as dozens of dark lords neared the ship. There was a blast of air and dirt that temporarily blinded the pursuers as the ship lifted off.

"There are so many others still out there!" said Mara, still watching the battle. She looked around and saw that Master J’lanna had also made it onboard. "We’ll be picking them up, too, yes?"

"We have three ships in pursuit!" shouted the pilot from the cockpit. J’lanna ignored Mara’s question and pushed her way through the crowded vessel to the front.

"Mara, sit down!" said Jeel over the roar of the accelerating engines.

"We can’t just leave them there!" she said. "There are so many! Look, Master Jeel!"

"Everyone, hang on!" shouted J’lanna from the cockpit, and just as she finished, the ship made a sharp climb that threw Mara away from the porthole and into Jeel’s lap.

"Good girl," he said into her ear, "But I meant sit in an empty seat."

"How could we be leaving them?" said Mara, fighting the G-forces to pull herself into the only empty seat remaining.

"I saw another ship on its way," said another Jedi. All on board needed to brace themselves as the ship made several rapid and sharp turns to evade enemy fire. They were not yet out of the atmoshpere and could still hear the blaster fire just missing the ship.

"I see our pilot is an Iktotchi," said an older Jedi, perhaps a Master. "The Force will surely guide us to safety now."

"Did you say there were other ships on the way?" Mara asked the other Jedi. "This isn’t the only ship we have?"

"Mara, calm yourself," said Jeel, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We’re filled to capacity and are being chased ourselves. We can’t do any more for the ones we had to leave behind."

"It’s not right," she said, to Jeel now more than to everyone. "I should’ve stayed and waited for another ship."

"No giving in to regret on my watch," said Jeel. "We’re not yet out of danger as it is."

As if to illustrate his point, the ship made another sharp climb, and the change in gravity indicated that they had cleared the atmosphere of Dagin. An instant later the artificial gravity switched on, keeping everyone firmly in their seats and not floating above them.

"I see another of our ships has picked up survivors," said a female Jedi who had been looking out the porthole. Suddently there was a bright flash visible from aft starboard. Those on that side turned to get a better view, and some of them turned back to their comrades with fallen expressions. There was no need to explain what was the source of the light, for everyone on board felt a disturbance in the Force. They felt surprise, and pain, and then… silence. Another victory for the Sith.

There was nothing more anyone onboard could do but hope their pilot could get them into hyperspace. And this he did, after a last series of turns and rolls that finally managed to shake their pursuers. Mara did not bother to look up and see the stars begin to streak by the portholes.

All in the cabin were silent, until J’lanna emerged from the cockpit and took a moment to look at the faces of the other Jedi and to gather her thoughts. "This has been a dark day for the Jedi," she said. "We have lost this battle to the Sith. We have… lost many brothers and sisters of the Order. But we must not give in to despair. We must not give in to grief. And we absolutely must not give in to hatred of the Sith. If they cannot destroy us, they will try to turn us. All of us, especially those padawan who fought today, will be tempted to avenge our fallen comrades. To give in to righteous anger. We cannot do this, for the Sith will surely win the war in that instant.

"This war has only just begun," she continued. "The Sith have begun it; we will end it, and by following the will of the Force. Order will prevail against Chaos."

"My master, what is our next plan?" asked a Rodian.

"We’re headed for Coruscant now," said J’lanna. "The Council will convene and analyse today’s battle and plan our next strategy."

"My master, is it true that the Sith are also gathering on Yavin and Dantooine?" asked another.

"We are still confirming that information," said J’lanna. "The Sith surprised us today with their numbers. That will not happen again."

J’lanna continued offering support and comfort to the Jedi and padawan, but Mara had stopped listening, preferring to be lost in her own thoughts. There was a great struggle to heed her earlier warnings not to give in to grief, or to anger or hatred. And yet the sight of so many dead and wounded – of comrades sliced in half or worse, cut to many pieces by sadistic Sith. She had seen hands severed in one stroke, yet still gripping a lightsaber, and the head of a fallen Jedi had rolled along the ground behind Jeel at one point. The triumphant cry of his Sith murderer now echoed in her mind. And the screams…

"It’s not easy," she heard somone say beside her. She had been so engrossed in her thoughts that she had not recognised Jeel’s voice.

"Sorry?" she said, startled. "Did you speak just now?"

"Yes," he said. "I said it’s not easy. Master J’lanna is right. If you dwell on all those feelings that war brings, they can overwhelm you. I can help you, if you’ll let me."

"Help me... not dwell on them?"

"If you’ll let me."

"Um…" she said, considering his offer. "Yes," she said. "Yes, thank you, Mas—I mean, Jeel."

He nodded, and in reply, did little more than touch one of her temples gently with his fingertips. In a few seconds, Mara felt as though all conflicting thoughts and feelings were leaving her, then being replaced by a great sense of calm. She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to clear. She had no idea how much time had passed when she opened her eyes again, but discovered that she had been unconsciously leaning towards the source of her calm, which was Jeel. She quickly straightened up and kept her gaze on nothing and no one in particular. But Jeel leaned closer and whispered into her ear.

"Did that help?" he asked.

"Yes," she whispered. "Yes, it helped very much. Thank you."

"A variation on a Jedi mind trick," he said. "Not that my intention was to ‘trick’ you, of course. It can’t be done unless the recipient is willing."

"Again I give humble thanks, Master Jeel," said Mara, bowing her head slightly. "Um… would it be all right if we contacted Master Orn soon? To let him know what’s happened today?"

"We’ll find out when we reach Coruscant," said Jeel. "The Council might decide to forbid personal communications. Too much danger of them being intercepted by the Sith."

"Oh," said Mara. "You’re right. I hadn’t thought of that. I hope that we can contact him, though. If he hears about our defeat, he’s sure to wonder about us. I want him to know that we survived."

"So do I," said Jeel. "But for now we have to be patient and wait for the Council’s approval."

"I will be patient, Master Jeel," said Mara. "And I’m sure Master Orn will understand the situation as you do."

Jeel said nothing.  Mara tried to sense his feelings, but sleep overcame her unexpectedly, and she slept for the remainder of the journey.

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