Savage-Time Chapter 23 (Patreon)

Jinx

Jinx’s felt a tingling in his body as the Dark currents of the Force passed through him, Darth Maul had taught him well, and unlike Kalifa Jinx didn’t hesitate in exercising the freedom granted to them by the Sith. From simple things like carrying mundane objects to just lazing about as he used the Force to hold a datapad in front of his face, Jinx knew that any Jedi master that saw him using the Force for such trivial things would have given him at least a month-long punishment for it.

Jinx breathed in the arid air of Boz Pity and wondered if the air of his homeworld would be similar to this, he would make sure to ask for permission once this mission was over perhaps, he would have to carry out another mission on the planet since it was in the Republic’s hands, but it would be worth it.

He touched the holstered blaster on his hip and then found some comfort in the touch of the vibroblade that he carried on his back, Jinx also had some explosives packed away for any potential surprises. Jinx hated the trandoshans that had kept him trapped in that jungle but he could admit to himself in his mind that their strategies to hunt younglings hadn’t been all that bad. If the Jedi approached, he could just do as they did and while Jinx doubted the efficacy of his plans because of their crudeness, he was sure they would be a great distraction and enough to escape.

The clanking of the droids as they disembarked made him focus back on the situation. With little effort Jinx called the comm that the commander droid carried to his hand and turned it on.

“Linwodo” the tactical droid’s eyes flashed as he was addressed “Tell me how far we are from our objective”

“Your battle group is approximately 4 Klicks away from the objective but as it is mobile that could change, I have moved a force of vulture droids closer to the atmosphere to support you, however, I have calculated that this move will only work once”

“Only once?” Kalifa sounded worried but that was to be expected as fear was what dominated her.

“That will be more than enough” Jinx cut the connection as he worried about it being intercepted, Maul had not told them about the enemy’s capabilities or their equipment so it was a good precaution “We have to start moving they have the advantage of vehicles on their side and we don’t”

“They also have to move more things than us and I don’t think that even these advanced droids can keep our pace”

Her concerns were put to rest when the droid itself reassured her worries “We were made with the purpose of moving behind enemy lines and our armor is superior to other models, the terrain conditions will not hamper us in any way.”

“Well you heard it, Let’s go” Maul was perhaps being overly cautious as the mission didn’t look as hard as he described it to be but a darker part of his mind reminded him that he thought the same of the Jedi’s security when Jinx was about to make his lightsaber and that had ended up with him fearing for his life and being hunted by bipedal lizards.

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The terrain of the world worked well for them, as the Force granted both him and Kalifa greater mobility making it easy to pass through places that his prey would not, and the droids Maul had given him had also some great specs given the way they followed behind them.

Jinx finally managed to see the people they were looking for from his place atop a plateau; though there were far more beings than what he thought, at least several hundred of them, Jinx was confident that with the help of the droids they would be able to do this easily. He knew that there had to be something more to the mission for Maul to express caution and the stirring in the Force agreed with him but no matter how much he thought about it Jinx couldn’t see the danger.

He drew upon the Force, on the Dark Side, and the worry that until now had been so prevalent in his mind disappeared, Jinx had been freed of his doubts. Jinx saw that among the group there were some children moving around carrying supplies and helping the wounded, a sinister smile formed on his face at the thought of liberating them from their lives.

Kalifa gasped behind him but when Jinx looked at her with his now yellow eyes but she said nothing, the droids quickly started encircling the people below their position, they hid among the rocks and dark crevices of the earth prepared to attack. Jinx put his helmet on at last and drew his blaster.

Once he started shooting it would start.

Beside him, Kalifa drew her blade and after shooting him another strange look drew upon the Dark Side, Jinx scoffed beneath his helmet as he noted the way the Force flowed around her, Kalifa did not empower herself to her maximum and to his senses it felt as if she was reluctant.

Perhaps she lacked the mentality needed for a Sith or maybe she was just reserving her strength in case of an emergency, either way, it looked as if she was afraid to commit to this course of action. A dark whisper assaulted his mind telling him that perhaps it would be for the best if Kalifa fell in this battle, it would certainly be better for Jinx if Maul focused solely on training him.

As he was contemplating it another whisper passed through his mind, this time a warning, of the possible consequences of his actions, yes, maybe he was being too hasty in this, and with how resourceful Kalifa was there was the possibility of her surviving the attempt.

Jinx looked at his friend and noticed that she seemed more confident now, Kalifa was looking at her reflection on the glass of her helmet and after noticing his stare she put it on signaling her readiness.

Jinx aimed and without hesitating shot one of the sentries around the group. Jinx had never killed anyone before, and he had never harmed another sentient being but when he saw the body of the man fall to the ground and remain there motionless, he couldn’t contain his feelings anymore.

Jinx laughed.

He was free! Free from judgment or morality. Free to chart a path of his own into the galaxy and most importantly free to vent out the rage that burned in his chest. The laser burning through the air and the screams of the people he was killing combined with his laugh made a symphony unlike any other.

Jinx drank the fear that was in the air, reveled in the death around him and as the feelings became too much so he abandoned his place behind them and jumped in between a group that was about to start a counter-attack. His first victim was a young human about his age, the boy’s face was caked in mud and he had determination in his face but once Jinx cut off his hands that look turned into fear, Jinx left him bleeding and in pain as he turned to another victim.

“Damn Clanker!” an old man screamed as he shot wildly at Jinx with a burst of speed Jinx crossed the distance between them and his vibroblade was buried in the old man’s heart.

More screams rose into the air as the droids and Kalifa advanced on the resistance group. Jinx admired the few among them whose rage gave them the courage to fight them even as the group was quickly decimated. He laughed as a group of children surrounded him with knives and Jinx kept laughing as he broke their necks with the force.

The haze of battle had taken over his mind but he wasn’t yet so far gone as to forget why he was here even as he yearned for a true opponent, Jinx went after those that tried to escape, he cut off the head of a mother who tried to protect her child and then crushed the child’s head with a kick. With the last of his strength, the young boy reached for his mother while his brain leaked out of his broken skull.

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Kalifa

Kalifa watched as Jinx slaughtered the people trying to escape, she was wary of the Twi’lek now. Jinx had become something else entirely unlike her he was giving himself freely to the Dark Side and while she could see the benefits Kalifa recognized the dangers of it too.

Already she had peered into his mind and taken some steps to control him but if he grew more powerful than her then it would all be over. Maul claimed that he needed them both, but the Dark Side warned her of the fickle nature of the Sith and history was on its side. The only restriction Maul had given them is that they never jeopardize the objectives of the Brotherhood of Darkness, Maul hadn’t said anything about fighting or even killing each other but he also didn’t say anything against it.

Kalifa listened to the dark whispers of the Force that were urging her to kill Jinx before his battle lust made him lose control, she listened but if Kalifa was to reach her ideal then she had to control her fear, she had to own it, and acting out of fear wasn’t the way to do it.

Kalifa augmented her speed with the Force as she moved, she ran through the group while she cut off their head, she was quick and efficient making no useless moves as she killed them.

Finally, it was done.

Jinx came up to her with a smile “That was easy”

He was right, it was far too easy. A warning flashed in her mind and with a telekinetic push to the ground, Kalifa launched herself backward just in time to avoid a laser blast. More came and they were forced to move behind a rock formation. A pair of LAAT had come to either reinforce or carry the wounded of the group and found them instead.

“You just had to open your mouth!” Kalifa screamed at Jinx who shot her an incredulous look.

“How is this my fault?”

“Shut up and help me” Kalifa growled at Jinx as she expanded her senses until she found a rock with enough size to damage the gunships and pulled on it, Jinx followed her lead, and together they raised it up slightly.

Kalifa felt frustrated, she felt angry, and she wanted to live! The potent mix of emotions granted her power and with it, the weight of the rock disappeared. Whoever was piloting the gunship realized the danger their impromptu projectile represented and soon it was under fire, but it wasn’t enough. With a scream that hurt her throat, Kalifa launched the rock.

She watched as it sailed through the air and hit the gunship on the right crushing the pilot and making it plummet, the other LAAT quickly turned around and left the scene.

Clones rushed out from the downed ship but they were quickly ambushed by the droids and killed, one of the droids came over and passed a comm to her, and the figure of the tactical droid Linwodo sprang from it “I have received the coordinates of another group that you must eliminate I recommend moving before clone forces move to your position”

Kalifa and Jinx shared a look and now she finally understood why Maul had warned them about the Republic forces, their mission wouldn’t be over until they hunted down all the scattered resistance groups in the area.

“This could get complicated” that was an understatement and Kalifa was tempted to punch Jinx for saying something so obvious.

“We better move, I have no doubt that the clones have already reported that there are Force users on the separatist side, and I don’t want to be here when the Jedi generals arrive”

Kalifa felt as if she was back in the jungle being hunted and just like that time she cloaked herself in darkness to push away the fear that was growing in her mind.

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Quinlan Vos

There were few moments in life where one can be at peace when immersed in war or at least that is what the council said when they ordered him back to Coruscant, but Quinlan had the ability to find peace even in the midst of battle through humor and by enjoying himself in a fight.

More than once he had been called out by his fellow masters for the latter and once he had even been presented to the council by the temple guards where he explained that there was a difference between enjoying a good fight and enjoying the suffering of the defeated.

As he stared at the drink in his hand Quinlan decided that perhaps the altitude of the Jedi temple had messed with the council’s head as he saw no reason to retreat from the war not when the galaxy needed them and not when the planets they protected called for aid.

“You should stop drinking; it dulls the senses, and you never know when a fight can start” the gruff tone of Rahm Kota called out from behind Quinlan.

“I’m sure that such is the case for you, but drinking puts me in a different mood” Quinlan waggled his eyebrows and enjoyed the blank look that Kota gave him.

“Then you better look for such company elsewhere” the dry response from Kota made him laugh but the smile on Quinlan’s face dropped when he felt a disturbance in the force.

Death, there was death close by and not the peaceful kind or the slow one of the battlefield.

“A massacre…” Kota said out loud.

As they tried to find the source of the disturbance a clone trooper ran toward them, Quinlan looked at Kota who grunted but nodded at the silent request of the Kiffar Jedi master. Quinlan didn’t understand why Kota didn’t trust the clones or why he felt the need to be so harsh to them but at least he was respectful of Quinlan’s wishes and didn’t say anything bad in front of them.

“General! There was an urgent communication from one of the transports that were helping with the evacuation, they were wiped out by separatist forces and they brought down one of the gunships that was there to help, they said that the sepies had enemy Jedi!”

“Sith!” Kota barked out to the trooper

“They’re not Jedi, they are Sith be sure to remember that trooper” Rahm Kota sneered at the poor clone who had done nothing to deserve his contempt.

“Thank you, trooper go to tell Faie to prepare three speeders for us and if Falon arrives tell him what you told us”

“Yes Sir!” the clone saluted and left to carry out his orders with much enthusiasm making Quinlan smile.

Quinlan looked at Kota as he thought about what to say but for Jedi, there was an even better way to speak, one that needed no words. Quinlan reached out with the Force towards Kota who after some gentle probing opened up his mind. They meditated together sharing what they felt and thought passing along words at a speed that no organic could match with their mouths.

With a sigh, Kota cut the connection between them and nodded “You’ve made your point, I will be more respectful. The clones fight and die for the Republic and even if I don’t appreciate what they represent or what they are it’s a disservice to the ideals I hold dear to treat the sacrifices they make with such contempt”

Quinlan smiled at Kota’s words he was also smiling because there were few among the vaunted halls of the Jedi who could say that they convinced Rahm Kota to change his mind.

“The Sith’s presence here is worrying but perhaps we should have expected it, there is a great droid factory on the planet that they can’t afford to lose,” Quinlan says before he puts down his drink “Following them won’t be a problem”

“I should hope so or else your reputation as a great hunter for the Jedi Order would fall” Falon Grey comments as he bows to the Jedi masters drawing out a laugh from Kota.

“Falon, I hope you return to us with good news” Quinlan really wasn’t hoping for much, but after so much fighting he at least wanted to hear about something positive.

“I do, we have located the primary base of the separatist and according to our intel the place also serves as a backup factory, that is why the CIS could still move such large numbers of droids even after we destroyed the secondary factories on the western hemisphere”

Those were great news if they marshaled their strength and had a half-decent plan then the long days of fighting on the arid planet would be over but…

“We will have to do that after we come back from hunting the Sith” Kota looked as frustrated as Quinlan felt and there was no doubt in his mind that the old man was already thinking of a way to at least send a token force to harass the sepies.

“I always envied Kenobi for being the first Jedi to kill a Sith after a thousand years, but soon that won’t be the case. I hope you can keep up with me because I move fast”

“You youngsters believe that speed is everything” Kota grumbled at Quinlan for his declaration.

“Maybe so master but I remember you being as impatient as master Vos when I was younger” Falon sure was fearless, Quinlan thought as he watched the knight sling an arm over his old master.

“We’re wasting time!” Kota barked out as he moved in the direction where the speeders would be.