Return to Tython
by AJ Marks
Part 3
Lexxa made her way along the path, places she had been before when she was a padawan under Master Orgus Din. Of course back then the Flesh Raiders had been helped by a former pupil of Din’s and this time she only hoped it was a Sith Lord not something else even more dangerous. Reports seemed to indicate one Sith Lord.
She left Kira in charge of the defenses knowing her lover and Doc could handle any attack without her. Kira had been a bit miffed, but mostly due to missing any action than anything else.
Now approaching the Flesh Raider village Lexxa took note on its changes. Instead of a scattered arrangement of villages like she recalled, there were now a few larger buildings and what she thought looked like a large training field cleared away. The guards appeared better organized and, she paused stretching out with her feelings, thought she noticed a few were stronger in the Force this time.
She wouldn’t be caught unaware again after her last encounter with some Force sensitive Flesh Raiders. It came as a shock last time. Slipping though the guards they obviously had not expected someone to infiltrate their village again, or the person in command didn’t think someone would. She noticed a couple of Flesh Raiders on the training field, working on sparring techniques as a human exited one of the buildings and headed towards a group nearby.
From the way he was dress he looked Sith, and now she could feel his power. Not the strongest she had felt, but enough to cause havoc and probably no quite a Sith Lord, but not an apprentice either.
She heard a few grunts from the Flesh Raiders but was unable to make out what they said with their backs to her. However she could hear his reply.
“So, they called in reinforcements from the Jedi after the padawans,” the Sith said. “It was something which I expected after the two padawans were killed. We’re close to achieving my goal.”
That got Lexxa’s attention. The man had a goal, and was informing his troops that he anticipated this move. She had the feeling he was not expecting someone like her to show up. She could move in and try to take him out now, but that would mean fighting a lot of Flesh Raiders as well and with no real knowledge of how powerful the Sith was she didn’t wish to try.
“Continue our progress for now, we’ll launch another attack on the village which I shall watch personally,” he said, before turning and heading back into the building.
Lexxa had a feeling he wanted to see who he was up against.
Deciding she had enough information she made her way back out of the camp. She looked over their weapons to see what they might be up against. A few blasters, vibroswords and such but nothing they couldn’t handle.
On the way back she wondered if he would panic upon seeing who was there. She was not the typical Jedi, and neither was Kira, and the rest of her group was just as fiercesome. Rusk was a tactical and weapons expert, Doc could handle his own in any environment and Scourge could handle himself as he had for over 300 years.
On the way back she thought about the entire situation for a while. If anyone understood the Sith best it was Scourge, and she figured his knowledge would be helpful this time.
“You find anything?” Kira’s voice said as she walked towards Lexxa who entered the village now.
“Yeah, and its not that good,” Lexxa replied to her seeing Doc come up along with Ranna.
“You’ve returned, I’m glad,” Ranna said.
“Hey, old Doc had no worries,” Doc said to her flashing her his usual grin.
“So you found out the truth?” Kira asked as Jela joined them as well.
“I know it’s a Sith, has to be from the invasion,” Lexxa replied turning to Jela. “They are preparing for another attack.”
“Then we shall prepare,” Jela said, moving off to reinforce his guards around the village.
“You sure?” Ranna asked, not so much a question but wanting to make sure.
“Heard him say he wanted to watch the Jedi reinforcements, which also means he’s watching the village if he got word of our arrival,” Lexxa said watching as Ranna looked around at the cliffs and such which would allow a perfect vantage point to spy on the village.
“Another fight, let them come,” Kira said.
“Yeah, such fun,” Doc said.
Lexxa ignored them for the moment activating the communicator waiting for a second until Master Satele appeared.
“Report Master Lexxa,” Satele said.
“It’s as we feared, a Sith is leading them, training them,” Lexxa said. “I felt a couple of Force sensitive Flesh Raiders.”
“Yes, it’s not surprising now, but that was a shock,” Satele said as they both recalled when Lexxa was a padawan.
“They are going to be attacking again, and this Sith either assumed more Jedi would arrive, or he was putting up a mask to the Flesh Raiders,” Lexxa said. “He also has a plan of some sort.”
“Being Sith who knows how crazy it is,” Kira said as Doc agreed.
“Any clues?” Satele asked.
“Not really, but I would like Scourge to come down and help, his knowledge might be invaluable,” Lexxa stated.
“Oh, he’ll love that,” Doc said.
“And I know Rusk and HK would love to help defend the village,” Lexxa said.
“HK, you’d have to restrain him from rushing the Flesh Raider village with glee,” Kira said as Doc gave a small chuckle and even Lexxa grinned at that.
“You trust Scourge with this?” Satele asked.
“I do,” Lexxa replied. “Rusk will keep a close eye on him, actually I’d be more concerned with HK.”
“Oh?” Satele replied.
“A droid which has a love for action and nothing else,” Lexxa replied.
“Assassin droid,” Satele said with understanding. “They can get a bit quirky.”
“Yeah, that describes him,” Doc said.
“Anything else?” Satele asked.
“No, just have to prepare for an attack,” Lexxa said. “This Sith wanted to watch us in action, probably gage how much of a threat we are to him.”
“Very well, I’ll inform the Jedi here of Scourge’s arrival, and show him respect,” Satele said.
“Thanks,” Lexxa said as the communications ended and she then hailed the ship.
“Rusk here,” she heard Rusk say, very professional.
“Rusk, I think we’ll need you down here,” Lexxa said.
“All of us ma’am?”
“Yes, you, Lord Scourge and HK, if you get here fast enough you can help reinforce the village in an attack,” Lexxa said.
“Excited answer: I will be right there master,” she heard HK say knowing he would be excited.
“And me?” as Scourge appeared in the communicator.
“I’d like for you to help figure out what this Sith’s goal is, you understand them better than anyone here. I’m just hoping it’s not some far reaching, universe wide plot like the Emperor,” Lexxa said.
“Very well, I shall be there,” Scourge said.
“We’ll leave right away,” Rusk said.
“Good,” Lexxa said as the communications ended. Scourge for all of his Sith training still harbored a respect for all life the biggest redeeming quality he had. She knew he had done a lot of things ass the Emperor’s Hand and never asked, but he also had an insight to how the Sith worked.
“We’ll have to see how the defenses are coming,” Doc said, as they headed out to find Jela.
*****
Lexxa watched as the speeder slowed to a stop allowing the passengers out. Rusk, Scourge and HK all stepped out and looked around at the village before making their way over to where she stood. She noticed a few people looking on, staring at the group knowing that most had probably never seen a Sith pureblood before.
“Reporting as ordered,” Rusk said maintaining his professional attitude, something which would help in the defense of the village.
“Good, no troubles?” she asked, looking at HK.
“No ma’am,” Rusk stated as Jela made his way over along with Ranna, who appeared apprehensive of Scourge.
“Rusk, you and HK work with Jela on the defense of the village, I’m counting on you two, use T7 as well,” Lexxa said.
“Explanation: the target meatbags won’t know what hit them master,” HK said.
“I have no doubts in your abilities,” Lexxa said, as Rusk and HK walked off with Jela to talk about the defense of the village.
“Will they be able to provide a defense?” Ranna asked.
“HK can remain on duty all the time, and is hoping for some action,” Lexxa said before turning to Scourge. “The Sith here is left over from the invasion attempt, that much I’m almost certain about.”
“Revan, it was a battle, you think another Sith had other plans?” Scourge asked.
“I don’t know,” Lexxa replied as Kira made her way over.
“Everything appears ready,” Kira said.
“Good, I assume Rusk and HK are helping?” Lexxa asked.
“Rusk, he’s in his element, HK wants to shoot something,” Kira said.
“He’s always impatient for the hunt,” Scourge said.
Before Lexxa could reply T7 chirped loudly.
“Attention: We have incoming targets,” HK said out loud.
“The attack,” Kira said as they all moved forward to the defenses of the village. Even before she arrived the sound of blaster fire rang out as HK engaged the raiders.
“Never a dull moment with you,” Kira said, as Lexxa retrieved her lightsabers, and ignited the blades, the unique gold color came to life even as Scourge readied himself.
“Go on, I’ll stay here and protect the Matriarch,” Lexxa said, not wanting to engage just yet. She wanted to hold on showing her power to the enemy.
Scourge seemed to understand as Kira left to engage as well.
“Should I engage as well?” Scourge asked.
“I’d like to keep you a bit of a secret,” Lexxa said.
“A Sith pureblood, a secret?”
“Well, you fight he’ll know for sure, you could be some sort of observer or who knows,” Lexxa said.
“And you are hiding your power,” Scourge said.
“Yeah, no need for him to know, he might do something rash,” Lexxa said. “If he thinks we’re normal Jedi he’ll continue his plan.”
“A bold strategy,” Scourge replied.
Lexa knew the strategy was far from perfect, but it was the only thing she had at the moment and she wanted to know what the plan was. Looking around she tried to figure out where he might be observing from but saw nothing at the moment.
She turned her attention back to the fight going on in front of her, seeing HK firing at will and had a feeling if he could smile he would be smiling. She watched as the attack seemed a bit light, even as Kira blocked a few blaster shots and engaged a Flesh Raider. Taking the moment to watch the graceful form attacking she realized Kira had grown in her abilities.
“They appear to be retreating,” Scourge said.
Lexxa noticed it as well. They backed off in their attacks and were now in full retreat as the guards and her group relaxed a bit. T7 indicated they were retreating and Lexxa put away her lightsabers waiting as the guards gathered themselves together before Kira and Jela headed over to her position.
“One of their larger raids,” Jela said to her.
“This Sith wants to test how good we are,” Lexxa said.
“In which he learned real quick, there are no padawans here,” Scourge said. “We should move cautiously.”
“Observation: their attack was well coordinated, but they were not trained well,” HK said.
“I have to agree,” Rusk said. “Whoever is training them isn’t doing a great job, more like enough to get them to do what he wants.”
“A mistake a Sith Lord wouldn’t make,” Scourge said.
“But someone stronger than an apprentice? Maybe someone trying to gain some influence with a Sith Lord?” Lexxa asked mulling it over in her mind.
“That would be logical, especially if he has a Sith Lord in mind,” Scourge said.
“I can have the station monitor for any transmissions from the Flesh Raider village,” Rusk said.
“Do it,” Lexxa said. She wanted the information and in that would know how to handle the situation better. She also knew the attacks couldn’t continue despite the fact they lost no one this time. They would not be here forever to defend the village.
End part 3