Episode IX The Legacy of the Sith

Battle Dawns

The rain fell heavily on the open glade of Kaller. It was still dark and would be another few hours before the sun would rise, although no one would see it beyond the portentous rain clouds. Multiple small mud huts were erected beside each other, each able to house two of Luke's students. Large raindrops drummed on the huts and ground, muffling any sound of approachers. Small rivers cut through the mud between the huts as the water rolled down their roofs and then down the gently angled slope of the glade.

Kylo Ren led his six followers, the Knights of Ren, to the sleeping Jedi Padawans. The rain continued to hide their heavy feet. "Start with those huts," Kylo Ren ordered. "They are the most advanced in the Force. Kill them while they sleep."

Gabo, Kiam, Tanut, and Jax entered into a separate hut each. The doorways flashed red with their lightsabers after Tanut and Jax had entered. A blue electric light and electric crackling came from the other two. Chilling screams arose from within and a young teenaged Iktotchi, his horns not full-grown, came running out of the hut Gabo had entered. He yelled to wake the others and lit his lightsaber. Gabo pursued him out of the hut but there was no need. Lura had shot the boy through the head, her blaster muzzle hot from the blast.

The rest of the huts emptied as the Jedi Padawans rushed out. Eight were left, aging from fifteen to twenty standard years. They looked in shock at the approaching masked fighters, their lightsabers quickly ignited to defend.

Lura fired into them. A Togruta girl fell under her fire, her body writhing in the mud as she gripped her midriff. Another Padawan effectively deflected Lura's blasts. Sakiah ran up to this Padawan, ignited her double blade baton and attacked. He blocked the first high blow but was not quick enough to parry the opposite blade of the baton which cut through his leg. He fell, and Sakiah slashed through his torso, without a thought that she had once been friends with that Padawan.

Jax, a lightsaber in one hand and a blaster in the other, ignited his jetpack and flew above the Padawans that were now assembling in one place to defend. He coolly fired down on them, hitting one and killing him. Then he dropped behind them and attacked with broad swings of his own deadly lightsaber. The other Knights of Ren closed in around them.

"We need to get out of here," one of the oldest students said—a Kyuzo. He took off his heavy disc helmet and threw it at Kylo Ren.

Kylo Ren was caught off guard as the helmet hit him in the face mask, knocking him back and creating a small dent. He staggered a moment, stunned.

"There, follow me!" the Kyuzo said as he ran toward the stunned Kylo Ren. The four other Padawans attempted to follow. They deflected Lura's and Jax's blaster fire, but one in the rear fell as Tanut readily sliced him through the back.

Jax fired up his jetpack again and flew over them to cut their escape off. The Kyuzo, having picked up his helmet as he passed Kylo Ren, threw it up at Jax. His aim was true, and the impact pounded Jax in the chest. He spiralled out of control to the wet ground. The helmet returned to the Kyuzo as he pulled it to him with the Force.

"We just need to get to the woods for cover!" the Kyuzo called out, but only a few of the remaining Padawans could hear him. Gabo had bludgeoned one of them into the ground, and Kiam finished another off with his electro-staff. Only one human female remained following the Kyuzo.

"We're almost to the woods, hurry!" He looked back to spur them on, observing the last Padawan shot through the back with multiple blaster shots from Lura. He looked in horror at the dead bodies of his friends scattered over the ground, the unknown attackers only a few yards away, and the dark leader approaching, wielding a red cross-barred lightsaber. He turned to run the short distance to the woods, but Kylo Ren was on him. His red lightsaber erupted out of his chest. The Kyuzo cried out and fell over onto the ground and sank in the mud.