Chapter 24 Resolution
The repair ship landed gently on the high platform on the palaces west side. It was dark and the landing zone had been illuminated by spotlights. An alarm sounded and the palace guard rushed out to their positions. Lionette and Adda were watching from above looking out of the observation deck window. The huge cargo bay door slowly swung down as the emergency doors slid open on either side. The first to leave the ship was Pep who was escorting Cry baby. They had decided to keep her away from Lyda so she was to be taken to one of the lower levels as soon as possible. Then came Kang,Baltis and Bronski, they were all armed and ready for whatever happened. Matt, Tarin and Mykala were in charge of the actual transport of Lyda’s still unconscious body. Lyda was strapped down to a grav table to be taken immediately to a holding cell. Once outside the ship one of Lionette’s doctors rushed out to check her condition.
Adda suddenly grabbed Lionette’s arm and turned to her looking as if she had just been struck by lightening.”She’ awake ! Kill her ! Lyda is awake !” Adda yelled in a way Lionette had never heard her before. Lionette slammed her hand down on the loud speaker button. “This is Lionette Ty, Kill her now, Kill Lyda Starkiller ! She screamed into the microphone.
Mykala heard Lionette’s voice and grabbed her light saber. Tarin began to flip backwards to get into position. Matt unslung his rifle and took aim. It was already too late.
Adda realized what had been happening this whole time far too late. Lyda knew she would have to be sedated to not be a threat so she had gone into a trance that focused her Dark side energy. In essence she had been charging her batteries way past there normal limit and was even more dangerous now then she was before.
Lyda rolled off the table and shot a wave of Dark force at Mykala knocking her backwards and off her feet. Matt opened fire but Lyda was able to create a wall of energy that simply absorbed every shot. Lyda now locked eyes with Tarin, the one that caught her with a stun dart. Lyda squeezed her hand shut hard cutting off Tarin’s wind pipe from across the platform. Tarin grabbed her neck and collapsed.
Baltis swung around leveling his rifle at Lyda’s head only to see the grav table fly up and smash into him with the force of a truck. Knocking him out cold.
Bronski pulled a small devise from his pocket and pushed the only button on it. He had put an explosive collar on Lyda’s neck. The explosion threw Matt back hard since he was so close. Bronski saw Tarin release her throat and begin to breath again. Bronski ran to where Lyda had been standing before the blast. “Get back, Get back.” He yelled to the the palace guard as they bravely began to move in. Buck saw Lyda’s body start to move. He began firing at her as he charged. Lyda lifted up to her feet as if she was a puppet on her strings and turned towards him. She didn’t have a scratch on her. She made a punching motion at him sending an energy pulse hitting him square in the stomach sending him tumbling head over heels into the guard rail and over the side. The palace guard opened fire on her. She was able to throw up a force wall in time. They continued firing as she pushed the wall closer and closer driving them back. Matt saw she was going to push them all over the side of the platform. He was behind her and switched his rifle to full auto and squeezed the trigger. One of the first shots hit her leg causing her to stop her attack on the palace guard.
Lyda put up a smaller wall to protect her from their shots so she could focus her attention on Matt. He saw her take a step closer to him. He was empty. So with no more ammo he threw his rifle at her and waited. She made the same closed fist motion she used on Tarin. Matt screamed as he felt his right forearm shatter from the inside. The Palace guard continued to fire with no effect. Lyda hadn’t finished with Matt. She closed her fist again and he felt his left arm crush under some invisible force. He let out another scream of pain only to see Kang leap in front of him landing with a heavy thud. The next attack was blocked by Kang using his light saber staff. Lyda screamed in frustration and gave a mighty push towards the palace guard driving all of them back and over the side.
Tarin ran to the side of the platform were Bronski went over. She looked down to see his motionless body tangled in an antenna array thirty feet below.
“I’ll kill you bitch.” Tarin fired everything she had on both wrist guards at Lyda. The area was filled with explosions and debris from each lethal devise as it hit the force wall Lyda was protecting herself with. Once again Lyda appeared from the smoke and flames unharmed. Tarin was now defenseless. Lyda leaped into the air and landed in front of Tarin. Tarin looked into Lyda’s eyes once again. They were blood red. She was pushing herself so hard the veins had burst filling them with blood. Tarin new she had a split second to act. Lyda would gloat once more before she acted. In that split second Tarin jumped over the side stealing Lyda’s victory from her.
Kang had reached her and drove his staff into her shoulder. Lyda spun and screamed in pain. Kang pressed his attack hard determined not to give Lyda a chance to recover. As they sparred, Lyda able to use quick blasts of energy to deflect Kang’s blows. Lyda was moving back towards the edge of the platform. She was barely able to keep Kang’s constant assault at bey. Kang saw she was near the edge and gave one final thrust. Lyda jumped higher than Kang thought she was able. She twisted in midair and landed on the repair ship. She stood with her feet shoulder width apart and her fists pointed down.
“Watch me now Jedi !” Lyda yelled. She began to levitate the entire ship off the platform. He froze in amazement. He had never seen anyone levitate anything so big. Lyda moved the ship backwards to the edge. Kang looked up to see Ceecee and Venis trying to open the emergency escape hatch at the front of the cockpit. They were yelling and banging on the windows for help. The ship was moving closer to the edge. Soon it would go crashing over the rail into the valley below. With a mighty yell Kang threw his Light saber staff as hard as he could. It flew straight as an arrow and hit the cockpit window shattering it into a thousand pieces. The ship was at the edge about to go over. The last thing Kang saw before it went was Venis pushing Ceecee out of the window causing her to land on the platform with Venis still on board as it tumbled down into the valley.
Lyda jumped clear of the ship with ease and back onto the platform. Kang was in shock. In less than three minutes Venis, Tarin, and Bronski had been killed along with the entire Palace guard detail. Matt had both his arms broken and Mykala was laying unconscious on the ground. Kang realized he had lost his weapon and was defenseless against Lyda.
“You should have let these animals kill me when they had their chance Jedi.” Lyda said. She seemed renewed without any sign of fatigue at all. She walked slowly towards Kang.
“That was a good Fight Jedi, you actually hurt me.” she shrugged her shoulder where Kang had pierced it with his weapon.
“At least you’ll die with that satisfaction.” and with that Lyda shot her hands forward discharging two arcs of Dark energy. To both of their surprise the energy turned back past Lyda toward the palace. The both looked to see Adda Beddo the Force healer. She was drawing the energy back to her and into her own hands.
“She’s a Darkness Eater.” Kang said shocked. Adda was never the type to brag. Only a handful of Jedi are trained in this technique of combat. It is only known to the Healers and Inquisitors of the past. The technique gives the user the ability to use the attackers Dark energy to fuel their own powers.
Lyda turned. She was genuinely surprised by Adda and her ability.
“Well, well, well, we have a Darkness Eater here with us today. You’re going to give me trouble aren’t you.” Lyda turned away from Kang and started moving in her direction.
“Kang, go help Matt and Mykala, I’ll handle this.” Adda said. She dropped her stave and threw off her cloak to reveal her tall perfectly toned body. She had spent her life training for a day like this.
“I’ll say one thing for your type, you sure now how to piss off other women.”Lyda shot a huge burst of energy at Adda causing her to slide backwards as she caught it. Adda wasn’t expecting that much power. She wasn’t sure she would be able to stand many more attacks like that.
Kang ran over to Matt and helped him up. He was in a great amount of pain from having both arms crushed. He saw a stairway that lead down to the next level. He picked Matt up and carried him over to it being as gentile as he could. He had to take this opportunity to save Matt. Mykala would have to wait just a little longer.
Lyda shot another bolt of energy and another. Her power seemed unending. Adda was able to catch every blast so far but she was sure Lyda was toying with her. She was feeling out Adda’s limit as a Darkness Eater. Lyda wanted to finish this battle quickly with one large burst of energy but she had to keep up her reserves until she could get her light sabers back.
“Look out !” Pep said as she pulled Cry baby back. The repair ship had fallen from above and smashed into the level they were on. The crushed ship teetered on the edge upside down just moments from going over the side. The frame work on this level wasn’t meant to hold ships of that size so the whole platform would soon break off and fall down into the valley. Pep was able to pull Cry baby back in time. As the dust settled Pep saw something move inside. Someone was still trapped in the ship.
“Wait here.” Pep told Cry baby and she jumped onto the wreckage and climbed inside.
“Where are you? It’s Pep ! I can help you but you have to make a noise.”
“Here !” it was Granic he had never left the ship when it landed. He was trying to pull Venis loose from the wreckage but a rod had gone through her leg and into the floor. She was not going anywhere without a cutting torch or loosing her leg. “What are you going to do ?” Pep asked Granic.
“Don’t leave me, I don’t want to die !” Venis cried. She begged grabbing Pep’s blouse.
The ship groaned and slid backward.
“No ! Please don’t leave me here !” Venis pleaded.
Granic looked at Pep. “We have to leave her, there’s no time left, this ship is going to fall off this platform any second.
Pep looked around frantically for something they could use to free Venis.
There was a loud bang and screeching sound as the ship began to slide. Venis screamed and wouldn’t let go of Pep’s blouse.
“Take it off !” Granic was leaving but reached out to Pep. She wriggled out of her blouse.
All Pep could hear as they jumped to safety was Venis’s cries as the ship tumbled over the edge.
It hit a few more smaller platforms and landed upside down and exploded.
Granic pulled Pep away from the edge of what remained of the platform.
“I let her go” Pep said. “I just let her go.”
“We had no choice Pep. If we stayed we would be down there with her.” Granic said firmly. He didn’t like it any more than she did but there was no choice.
“Where’s Cry baby?” Granic asked. They both looked around but she had disappeared.
“Damn it, we have to find her.” Granic said.
Pep stood there not sure what to do. She couldn’t get Venis’s cries for help out of her mind.
The last thing Venis had seen was Pep pulling off her blouse so she could escape and leave her behind to die.
“Pep snap out of it ! We have to keep going!” Granic yelled.
Pep turned away from the edge and looked at Granic. Then it hit her. “The light sabers ! Cry baby has them ! We have to stop her !”
Pep remembered before they left Cry baby had asked for a blanket to wrap around her shoulders because she was cold. It was Cry baby all along. She wasn’t traumatized, she was in on it. When they captured Lyda, Cry baby must have picked up the light sabers and hid them on the ship. She must have retrieved them and when no one was looking and hid them under her blanket.
“What?” Granic asked.
“Come on we have to hurry, Cry baby has been in on it from the beginning.”
Kang was helping Matt down to the next platform when he saw the repair ship tumble over the edge. Cry baby ran past him and up to the next level. A few seconds later Granic and Pep ran up too the bottom of the stairway.
“Did she come by here?” Granic yelled breathing heavy.
“Who?” Kang said.
“Cry baby !” Granic replied with a sense of urgency.
“She’s been in on it from the start.” Pep added.
“Damn it ! She just ran past me.” Kang said angrily.
“I’ll help Matt, you to go stop her.” Pep said as she took Matt from Kang.
Without any delay both Reptus ran up the stairs after Cry baby.
Mykala opened her eyes and felt a sharp pain in her left arm. She looked down to see it was broken and the bone was almost sticking out from under the skin. She rolled over to see Adda and Lyda battling it out. No one else was around. The palace guard, Bronski, and the rest were gone. Lyda had most likely killed them all. Most of the guard rail and the repair ship were gone. Mykala got up on her knees and quickly slid her auxiliary belt up and strapped her broken arm tightly to her chest. She saw her chance and went for it . She was behind Lyda out of her peripheral vision. She began to get close so she could attack her from behind.
“Mistress look out behind you !” it was Cry baby. She had come running up from below on the stairs. She was warning Lyda about Mykala.
Mykala couldn’t believe it. Why was she warning her ?
There was a loud gun shot and Mykala watched as Cry baby was thrown into the air flipping over completely as the massive round struck her in the back and passed through her chest in a shower of blood and bone. She hit the platform hard and crumpled like a wet towel. Granic had shot her in the back with his huge hand gun. The two light sabers clattered out from under Cry baby’s blanket when she hit and skidded to a stop about thirty feet away from Lyda.
Mykala ran towards the weapons as fast as she could but just as she reached the spot Lyda reached out her hands and both weapons leapt from the ground and into her hands.
Mykala stopped dead in her tracks. Lyda looked at Adda and then at Mykala and laughed. She twirled her weapons around like she always did before a fight. “One for each of you.” she laughed.
Mykala crouched low in her combat stance while Adda reached out and caused her combat stave to fly into her hands. Both women knew it would soon be over now that Lyda had her light sabers. Mykala looked at Adda and smiled. Adda thought she knew what Mykala had in mind.
“Are you really going to try this again Lyda? If you kill me I’ll just come back again and again. You might be better than me but you still can’t beat me.” Mykala was trying to draw Lyda’s attention.
“Last time your dead boyfriend tricked me. This time I’ll just cut off your arms and legs and watch you flop around. Then I’m going to stick you in a bag.” Lyda meant every word she was saying to Mykala.
“After that I’ll just pull you out once and a while and play with you anyway I want to. I never had a doll as a child but you’ll do once I cut you to pieces.” Lyda said squinting at Mykala.
“But you’ll have to wait a bit, I have to kill this healer before I can deal with you. Now don’t you go anywhere Mykala, this shouldn’t take long.” Lyda turned in a flash and charged screaming directly at Adda. The ferocity of Lyda’s attack threw Adda off guard for an instant. When they clashed it put Adda immediately on the defensive. Lyda screamed and slashed at Adda with such force she was barely able to keep up her defense. Mykala ran after Lyda but was stopped when Lyda turned from Adda and began to attack Mykala. She had fallen for Lyda’s trick and closed with Lyda before she was ready. Mykala was doing everything she could just to keep from being hit. Lyda was taunting her as they fought.
“I’m going to have your leg now.”she would yell and then press her attacks towards her leg. Then she would threaten Mykala’s arm and attack that area. She was toying with her, she was drawing in Adda.
Adda got careless in her attempt to save Mykala. Lyda ducked Adda’s swing and spun around stabbing Adda through the stomach.
Adda fell back with a look of disbelief on her face.
“Heal that !” Lyda yelled.
Adda dropped to her knees and fell over on her side.
At once she turned again to Mykala with a renewed fury. “It ends today Mykala. Today I will have my dolly.” Lyda struck Mykala in her good arm causing her to drop her light saber.
Mykala looked in horror as Lyda stood with her light sabers raised over her head.
“Let’s start with your arms dolly!” Lyda gloated.
“Not today Lyda Starkiller.” a light saber flashed catching both of Lyda’s weapons and knocking her off balance.
“You !” Lyda said.
It was Lionette. She had finally been able to reach the platform to help.
Lionette screamed and attacked the shocked Lyda for all she was worth. Her Feloid reflexes gave her the slight advantage she needed to keep up with Lyda’s counter attacks. Lyda was becoming angry at Lionette’s ability to dodge her double attacks. Lionette’s combat reflexes were quicker than human muscles could keep up with. Mykala ran and grabbed her light saber and began her attacks from behind being careful not to get in Lionette’s way. The three women fought feverishly. Lyda spun suddenly and kicked Mykala in the jaw knocking her down freeing Lyda to press Lionette closer and closer to the edge. They were standing next to Ceecee who was still knocked out from being pushed out of the repair ship by Venis just before it went over the side.
Lionette suddenly slipped on some oil and fell on her back hard. It was over. Lyda stopped her attack and stomped her foot on Lionette’s right arm pinning to the ground.
“Now you die like the rest Princess. You’re sister will be pleased.”
Lyda was suddenly pulled back causing her foot to come off of Lionette’s arm. It was Ceecee, she had been faking it the whole time. She had grabbed Lyda’s leg and pulled her back. Lionette and Lyda just looked at her as she hung onto Lyda’s leg. That was as far as her plan went. Ceecee hung on with her eyes closed waiting to be struck dead when Mykala came leaping through the air hitting Lyda full force in the stomach and tackled her causing both to go head over heels over the side of the platform and into the valley below.
Lionette and Ceecee looked in disbelief at what had just happened. For a moment everything was quiet except for the wind. Ceecee stood up and looked over the edge. It was only then she realized the repair ship had been completely destroyed with Venis still in it. “No !” Ceecee fell on her hands and knees looking at the burning wreckage below. Lionette knelt next to her and hugged her. Kang and Granic had made it to the edge and looked at each other not sure of what had just happened.
“Mykala did it, she killed Lyda Starkiller.” Lionette looked up at the two Reptus standing behind her.
Neither of them could believe it. They both stood looking over the edge. Lionette helped Ceecee to her feet and away from the precipice.
Lionette spoke calmly into her comm-link. “Send out the rescue and medical teams, we have casualties.” with in seconds the battered platform was swarming with Feliod rescue workers. Lionette handed Ceecee off to Kang as she went about her duties over seeing the rescue efforts.
The next day Lionette went to the hospital to check on the survivors. Ceecee, Kang, and Granic had all been spared any serious injuries.
Matt had his broken bones set and placed in casts.
Tarin had fooled Lyda by jumping off the platform and firing a repelling line at the underside of the structure. She had unfortunately pulled her shoulder out of it’s socket in the process and had to have her arm immobilized.
Bronski to every ones amazement had suffered only a mild concussion and several broken ribs, he truly was indestructible.
Adda had been fortunate to say the least. Because the wound was cauterized from the heat of the light saber she didn’t bleed out and was able to be stabilized and taken to surgery in time. She will have to spend time in a bacta tank but she should make a full recovery.
Baltis had suffered a slightly fractured skull and it was unclear what the long term effects that would have on him.
Venis had died when the repair ship hit the valley floor and exploded. Granic and Pep were left unsure if there was anything else they could have done to save her life.
Cry baby’s body was recovered and is still in the hospital morgue in hopes someone may still be looking for her and claim it.
Lyda’s body was found smashed and broken and lifeless. There was no Dark Side mysticism that could save her now. The galaxy was finally rid of her.
Mykala stepped into her teacher, Tahl Jae Roe’s sleeping quarters. He woke up surprised to see her. When he turned on the lights he saw why she was there in the middle of the night. Mykala was battered and bloody from the fight and a little wobbly when she walked.
“It’s over Master, Lyda Starkiller is no more.” she made it to the foot of the bed and sat down exhausted.
“Was it bad ? How many did we loose ?” Tahl asked.
“ I think it was very bad, I was knocked out for the first part. When I awoke half of my friends were gone.” Mykala said with tears in her eyes.
“Rest here for a while, I’ll contact Lionette and find out what happened.” Tahl got up and went to the transmitter room.
Mykala sat on the end of the bed motionless. She looked at her arm and began to realize how much it hurt for the first time. She lay back on the bed and closed her eyes.
“Just for a minute, I’ll just rest here for a minute.”
Mykala awoke the next morning with cousin Haven sitting next to her stroking her hair.
“What’s the matter ?” Mykala began to sit up.
“Shhh.” Haven pushed her back gently. “ I have good news, all your friends survived the battle. Some had very close calls but they all survived.” Haven said smiling.
“That’s great.” Mykala laid back down and gave a sigh of relief.
“Apparently the only one killed was that smuggler you didn’t like, Vee something or other.” Haven said as she adjusted Mykala’s blanket.
Mykala fought back a tear. “No, I liked her.”
“Oh, I;m sorry from the way you spoke about her I didn’t think you liked her.” Haven said embarrassed.
“I don’t think she ever thought it either.” Mykala wiped her eye.
Lionette was able to tell the rest that Mykala had teleported once again and was safe at Tahl Jae Roe’s home. Everyone was glad to hear the news. A few days later they had a simple funeral ceremony for Venis Vey. She was buried at sea as was the custom of her people. The planet she was from was mostly oceans. They wanted to bury her there but her planet had been occupied by the Empire two years ago.
The next day they received a simple message from Tahl Jae Roe. Mykala had left with out telling anyone where she was going. The only thing she had left behind was her light saber.
If you have enjoyed these stories please check out my first all original book series at Amazon.com. The title is Beyond the Crystal Heaven.
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Last Updated (Tuesday, 10 September 2013 01:54)