There was supposed to be a lesson first thing in the morning – some training session meant to show him how to control the mystic powers of the universe (that for some reason had decided Raey really needed to see into the head of the most dangerous killer in the galaxy) – but when LN and Raey arrived at the Jedi temple, they realized the plan had changed overnight.
"We got a message back from the Resistance leaders," explained Ar'tak, the stand-in for Leia at their pre-arranged meeting site. "She is busy talking everything through with them, so I'm supposed to just run you through some basic fighting trials in the meantime."
Raey glanced at the little bundle of dull metal blades under Ar'tak's arm. "Is LN going to be joining us too, then?"
"That's why I've got three training blades," replied Ar'tak with a grin. His hand flashed suddenly, tossing one of the weapons to LN, but she caught it so effortlessly and unflinchingly it almost looked planned. "Nice reflexes! Your turn, Raey."
Even with the warning, Raey felt downright clumsy compared to LN. He caught the training sword by the hilt and then gave it an experimental heft, trying to get used to the weight.
"I'm really more used to a longer, heavier weapon," he commented critically. "Even weight on both ends-"
Ar'tak wasn't going to let him finish. "You're learning a new one. Discipline is important in every aspect of life, and trying to master something wholly unfamiliar is a good way to test your discipline."
"That-"
"Enough talk! Come on, both of you, let me see some combat stances."
None of them looked even remotely similar. LN whipped her blade out to the side, her elbows bent and feet planted firmly in the grass, her left hand held out for balance. Raey twisted to the side, both hands clenched around the hilt of the training sword and raised over his shoulder, prepared to make the kind of powerful strike his blunt staff would require. Ar'tak eyed them both from his low crouch, his own blade held horizontally in front of him in a solid two-handed grip.
"That's different," he commented to LN. "Is that stance what they actually teach you in stormtrooper school?"
LN almost smiled. "Try coming at me."
Ar'tak grinned, and Raey stiffened as the apprentice's usually mild expression suddenly took on a very different look. His eyes turned hostile, his smile sinister, and a forked black tongue flicked out from between his sharp teeth. In that surprised moment, Ar'tak lunged.
Raey jerked backwards, away from LN. The former stormtrooper's blade slashed past his face even as he moved, her entire body turning fast and powerfully to get her weapon in-between her and Ar'tak.
The fight that followed was nothing like the fights Raey had witnessed on Jakku. There was no posturing, no threatening and comparing firepower, no opportunity for one party or the other to drop their valuables and back out without injury. When the two clashed, they did not end it in one or two blows and back away to let the other regret their choice. LN and Ar'tak fought like maddened desert hounds. Like it was life-or-death.
Ar'tak moved like the wind. He ducked and slid against the ground, brushing the grass, to leap at LN from behind, then whirled away again as if he was weightless. LN was steady and unmovable, turning on her toes then digging in to block a blow, moving to one side or another to dodge and counterattack before digging in again. They instantly slipped into their own roles, the Jedi apprentice on the offensive and LN presenting him with a strong defense.
For several moments, Raey couldn't imagine either one gaining an advantage over the other, but that quickly ended. Ar'tak's training blade slipped under LN's defence and hit her thigh, then the Jedi flipped into the air and caught her wrist beneath his foot. For one beautiful moment that Raey instantly knew he needed to remember forever, the apprentice balanced steadily in the air, perched on LN's unwavering wrist and arm like the second man in a traveling strongman act... then LN buckled. She lurched forward, her balance broken, and Ar'tak hopped forward, flipping off her back and sending her face-first into the ground.
It was over as suddenly as it had begun. Ar'tak smiled cheerfully, expression back to normal, and turned towards LN to offer her a hand up.
"That was great!" he admitted enthusiastically. "I expected a really... well, you know what people say. Stormtroopers aren't exactly known for being the galaxy's top warriors."
"That's bad memory on the part of the galaxy," LN muttered, and she got back up without acknowledging his hand. "If they knew the training we were put through, they'd be a lot slower to spread rumors."
"Well, either way, you're off to a good start. A little inflexible for lightsaber fighting, of course, but you're not using a lightsaber. You've got good reflexes, but unfortunately that won't do much against a Jedi or a Dark one."
"A Sith?" suggested Raey, but Ar'tak shrugged.
"Not necessarily. We don't study Sith lore here, but I think there is actually some technical difference between a Sith and a general follower of the Dark Side. That's a sidetrack for another time, though. Let's go, Raey."
That was all the warning Ar'tak gave. Raey barely got back into his stance before the apprentice was on top of him, and unfortunately their fight didn't last nearly as long as LN's had.
"You need to learn some basics," declared Ar'tak, Raey's practice sword in his left hand and one foot planted on Raey's chest. Raey scowled, pushed the alien's foot off him so he could get up.
"The enemies I've faced either had blasters or teeth. Neither of those usually end with extended sword fights."
"Then we have a long way to go." Ar'tak's tone was annoyingly chipper. "Let's start with stance. LN, you are free to join us if you want. I don't know what Master Leia intended you to do while we trained Raey, but practicing saber forms can't hurt, even if just for the exercise."
A new voice interrupted before either could reply.
"Actually, that will have to wait."
The three combatants looked to see one of the many non-Jedi inhabitants of the temple approaching, his face stern. He nodded greetings to Ar'tak, but directed his words to Raey and LN. "Master Leia has something she needs to discuss with you in the communication center."
.
"The Resistance has decided against making a rescue attempt."
LN felt Raey tense up beside her, but he maintained his silence for now. Leia continued,
"They were concerned when Commander Dameron went silent, but apparently your arrival here was enough to convince them whatever he was carrying escaped capture by the First Order."
There was something rising in Raey, but it hadn't reached boiling-point yet. LN decided to stall.
"He gave the coordinates to New Alderaan to Raey," she said, "but I do not see why it was so important. The Resistance obviously knows how to get in touch with you... why risk a clash with the First Order just to carry coordinates?"
Leia was quiet for a minute, thinking it through carefully before she replied, "There are only a few people in the Resistance who know where New Alderaan is, but I do not believe we were who they expected to find at the end of this road. They hoped to find Luke."
Raey let his silence crack.
"That's why they aren't going to do anything, isn't it." His tone was unusually cold. "Dameron didn't find the right secret planet, so it's not worth risking men to try and rescue him... isn't that it?"
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The Jedi master did not reply, but her silence was as bad as confirmation. LN could almost feel heat coming off Raey in his growing anger.
"Alright, then. If the Resistance isn't going to do anything, is New Alderaan? You're allies, after all, and he's one of their leaders. That's gotta mean something."
"We are not a military, Raey," replied Leia quietly. "Our fleet is limited to small ships that can slip in and out of the system unnoticed. The people who came here came to live in peace, not to fight a war."
"But you are a Jedi. You don't need an army or a fleet."
"I have more responsibilities then simply being a Jedi; in fact, Jedi comes low on my list of titles. I cannot abandon New Alderaan."
Raey looked to LN for support, but she had nothing for him. Worse then nothing.
"I told you back on the Domination," she said quietly, "but I think we have to give up on your friend. I don't know how close the two of you were, but risking everything on the impossible odds of resc-"
"How did you feel, leaving that other stormtrooper behind?"
She fell silent. Raey looked back at Leia.
"Every story I have ever heard painted the Rebels as the winners despite loss and failure, despite impossible odds. Because... because the Force was with you. Are those stories all lies?"
"... No."
"Then let me have one of those little ships of yours. I'll do it myself."
The silence became very deep. LN felt something happening, though she didn't know what. But it felt inevitable.
A scream echoed down to the communications center from the main level of the temple. They all moved as one, rushing for the stairs.
Then, as they ran up the steps, Leia staggered. She slowed, leaning against the wall. LN glanced back, but did not stop. Raey kept his eyes fixed forward, his whole body leaning into his sprint.
At the top of the stairs stood Ar'tak, his blue lightsaber ignited and shining off the stone with a pale glow. He stood facing away from them into the temple's central chamber, the underground courtyard. Men and women in white robes clung to the edges of the chamber, fleeing into halls or pressing their backs into the wall as if they could fade out of view through the stone.
Two black figures stood at the entrance of the hall to the outside. Their long cloaks left streaks of red across the floor - blood. LN recognized the one, stance wide, the end of his halberd planted on the ground with a posture of self-assured arrogance. The other was crouched, impatiently dragging a thick sword shaped like a cleaver across the stones as if the grating sound would attract more prey.
Their weapons were already dripping. Behind them, in the hall, LN saw at least two still bodies, darkened by shadow and blood.
The sound of another lightsaber igniting broke into the heavy atmosphere. Another white-robe, up on the balcony, threw his cloak to the side and raised his blue saber threateningly. The chamber was beginning to empty as those unarmed slipped past their Jedi allies into the rooms and halls beyond.
The black acolytes let them go. The man with the cleaver-sword eyed the other apprentice on the balcony, twitching back and forth as if he could barely hold himself back. The halberd-wielder hefted his weapon and pointed it at Ar'tak, and LN could guess his expression even from across the room.
Smug, and hateful. Told you I'd come to kill you.
"They didn't leave the planet," hissed Ar'tak between his clenched teeth, keeping his eyes fixed on the acolytes. "They doubtless wanted to try to finish their mission before reporting back, but if they fail here and escape, they will attempt to get a message off. We need to find that ship."
"How?" asked Raey.
Ar'tak let out a breath, crouching slightly as he locked distant eyes with the acolyte. "I don't know."
He lunged forward, leaping across the chamber at the same moment the two black acolytes leapt into action. Raey didn't miss a beat; he grabbed LN's arm and tugged her forward, running along the edge of the room towards the exit as Leia's apprentices met the acolytes of Ren in the center.
Blue lightsabers sizzled off black metal, but did not cut through. The black acolytes whirled their heavy weapons through the air, meeting and returning the attacks of the Jedi apprentices almost as quickly as they were given. The weight of the weapons slowed their swings, but they dodged and blocked attacks with the same uncanny speed and precision as Leia's apprentices.
LN could not tear her eyes off the fight. She realized now that Ar'tak had been limiting himself in their battle in the courtyard – within moments of the battle beginning, both sides began playing with the laws of reality as she understood them. They pushed one another back without touching each other, redirected attacks with a wave of their hands, leapt over one another and came down with a blast of concussive force that blew dust up into the air all over the chamber. The cleaver-wielding acolyte threw his opponent across the room and into a hall with such force, cracks appeared in the stone.
Then Raey yanked LN backwards, and they were in the hallway to the exit. LN forced herself to turn away and picked up her pace, racing with him past the several dead white-robes lying across the floor.
"They might come after us," she said between running-breaths. Raey, like before, kept his eyes fixed forward.
"Ar'tak told us to find the ship." His tone was determined, but LN didn't see what he hoped to accomplish... or even how he meant to accomplish it.
"They could have landed anywhere in the jungle," she protested, and then squinted as they ran out into the sunlight. Raey didn't even slow, but ran straight to the stairs that led down the mountain.
"This is our chance, LN!" he called over his shoulder to her. "We have to get that ship."
It suddenly clicked. It was an absurd idea, an impossible one that would never work, but LN knew what Raey was thinking with that set look. And, somehow, she almost approved.
I should have brought my blaster, she thought, then quickened her pace to catch up with Raey.
Something, a sound or a movement, warned LN to duck and she didn't hesitated. She dove forward, catching Raey at the knees, and knocked him with her to the ground. Something slashed through the air above her, then she heard metal clang off rock. She rolled over, wishing she had any weapon at all, and flung a handful of dirt and grass at the black figure looming just above them, hoping for a lucky hit to temporary blind the attacker.
Her stalling tactic barely registered. The acolyte flicked his fingers and the grass veered off sideways, falling limply back to the ground. The cleaver-sword hummed, quivering from the force with which it had been plunged into the stone pathway. The vibrations ceased when the acolyte's gloved hand snapped around the long handle, dragging it out of the cracked stone.
LN's breath caught in her throat, the situation finally sinking in. She stared up in horror at the no-longer-hooded man, the evil smile that stretched across his pale face. He bared gleaming teeth at her and lunged.
Zzzng!
She could feel the heat of the lightsaber radiating against her chest, but the blue blade didn't quite touch. Ar'tak grunted, then forced the acolyte's weapon up and away from her vulnerable body.
Where did he...?
"Run!" the apprentice roared, then barreled forward to force the acolyte back. LN scrambled to her feet, then realized Raey was no longer with her.
Where did he-?!
He had found a branch. Long, more-or-less straight, with little twigs still sticking out near the end. He ducked into the fight beneath a swing of the cleaver-sword (a blow aimed for Ar'tak) and jabbed his tree branch into the Acolyte of Ren's ribs.
Or tried to. The acolyte leapt sideways, avoiding the ambush, and the black blade flashed down, cracking into Raey's stick with enough force to send wooden shards spraying across the area like shrapnel. Raey staggered back, clutching fistfuls of splinters, and the acolyte whirled on him to return the attack.
Ar'tak hit first. LN saw him leap, recognized the maneuver. He landed on the hilt of the sword and forced it to the ground, but this time he was not satisfied with an embarrassing fall. He flipped over the acolyte's head and his lightsaber flashed vertically, and the smell of burning flesh hit LN's nostrils before the acolyte hit the ground.
Ar'tak landed in a roll, his lightsaber already turned off again. He whirled around to face them, but the fight was over.
Raey had fallen right into a sitting position from the impact of the acolyte's attack, his hands speckled with blood from the slivers of wood sticking out of them, but otherwise unhurt. He stared, unsettled, at the black acolyte lying face down on the ground before him, a long, sizzling slash following the man's spine from lower back to neck.
LN found her breath again.
Unless dark Jedi magic somehow resurrected him, that enemy was dead. She knew her mortal injuries, and the upper neck was fairly important as far as life-maintaining-functions were concerned in humanoids.
Ar'tak let out a huff of breath, his wicked-looking black tongue flitting out into the air again, but this time he just licked his lips and straightened, looking almost as unnerved as Raey.
"Don't do that again, Raey," he managed, but just barely. He sounded slightly faint. "Come on, let's find that ship."
Raey awkwardly got to his feet, slowed by the inability to push himself off the ground with his bloodied hands. "I'd say you owe me one for that distraction," he shot back at Ar'tak, then began picking splinters out of his skin. "What about the other... acolyte?"
"Marden is there to back up Thren, and both of them are more experienced then I am." Ar'tak offered LN a hand, and this time she took it. "They'll be fine, but we have to find that ship. Master Leia is worried that they might have left a third crew-member, a pilot, who could still take off if the acolytes fail to report back."
Raey and LN exchanged glances. It barely needed consideration.
"Then let's take it," she said. "If you future-Jedi can somehow find a single ship in a jungle."
Ar'tak didn't smile, but his grim look did lighten. "That, I think, is a job for Raey." He turned to fix the scavenger with his crystal-blue eyes. "You found the leader of the Knights without even trying. Do that again, but keep it on this planet. Look for the darkness."
"I don't-" began Raey, but the ground itself interrupted him. A shudder ran through the mountain.
"Master Leia. Don't worry about the rest, they will be fine." Ar'tak put his hand on Raey's shoulder. "Concentrate. Find the ship."