THE FALLEN BLADE: A Star Wars Fan Story

Part 6: Heir of Nihilus

"NOOOO!"

Deafened and disoriented by the explosion, Anzu managed to get his arms under him and look up at the source of the scream. At first he only saw black, red, and orange, but soon he was able to see the flaming wreckage around him. He finally saw who had shouted: Kozen, his ash-covered face leaning over a frail blue Twi'lek body.

The fallen boy stood up and walked over to his friends, passing the remains of the outpost's garage where they had tried to hide from the aerial assault. He knelt down next to Kozen, looking at Chai's eyes, their usual glimmer now replaced by an empty stare. Anzu then met Kozen's gaze which was red from crying. Anzu soon felt tears coming down his face and he hung his head, both boys mourning the loss of their kind classmate.

Suddenly, Anzu felt someone grab his collar and pull him up. He looked to see Sei standing over them, her eyes also red yet steady as she said, "We have to go, those Nihilus cultists have landed and will be here soon.

When she reached toward Kozen, he slapped her hand away and shouted, "We're not leaving Chai!" Sei quickly grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him close. She sternly whispered, "We can't do anything for her now, she's one with the Force." Kozen gritted his teeth, clenching and then relaxing his fists. He nodded, and then reached down and took Chai's lightsaber. Sei released her grip on his shirt, and, after placing a nearby blanket over their friend, the three Padawans started running towards the outpost's library.

Burnt books and broken shelves covered the library floor, the holodeck in the center smashed by a fallen shelf. The Padawans climbed over the ruined archives and made their way to the back of the room. There sat a large boulder, its smooth surface now scarred by streaks of ash. The three Padawans raised their hands and, quieting their minds, willed the rock to move. It soon complied, rotating to the left to reveal a hidden tunnel. The children entered and, moving the rock back, were enveloped by darkness.

They activated their lightsabers and began walking down in silence. Anzu broke it by asking, "Sei, do you know if KazNor and Ayphelda-"

"No," she quickly replied, "I didn't see them after the cultists fired on us. Their barrage burned the fields, everything outside is smoke."

Anzu frowned, wondering what had happened to their teachers. They had left the Hollow forest, both to get outside help and to avoid being trapped with the forest's Dark Side creatures. The Jedi Masters had dropped them off at the outpost, planning to retrieve KazNor's ship and pick them up after drawing away the cultists. Sadly, this plan had failed miserably, and now they would likely be captured or killed before the day ended.

His fears seemed to become reality when they heard the distance sound of rock scrapping against cement.

"Let's move!" hushed Sei, the three Padawans now running down the dark tunnel. They soon reached a wide cavern, its stone pillars still standing despite the recent destruction above. This was the Jedi's meditation chamber, where they would practice using the Force without distractions. Other than the pillars, the only other notable features were several rocks and boulders along the cavern walls.

Sei turned to her companions and said, "Hide behind the pillars and turn off your lightsabers. When they pass through the entrance, we strike." The two boys nodded and they all took their places: Anzu behind the pillar left of the entrance, Kozen behind the right, and Sei the center. The three Padawans turned off their blades, the room returning to total darkness.

Anzu gripped his lightsaber, feeling the etchings in the hilt. He mentally went through all of his training so far: practicing the lightsaber forms, deflecting and reflecting blaster fire, using psychic Force-push and -pull, and controlling his hunger. He placed his hand on his chest, easily finding the mark where the cultists had scarred him. Ever since he saw the lead cultist in vision, his hunger had grown stronger, gnawing away at him. Anzu shook his head, trying to keep his mind on the task at hand.