Chapter 4 - Betrayal and Desperate Flight
The group cautiously made their way through the complex and down into the depths of the vaults where they hoped to find the ancient sith holocron. On more than one occasion, it came down to the wire to avoid detection, but the Force must have been with them as they finally reached the main vault chamber. Doors lined the walls on both sides and a large computer terminal in the center of the room obviously served as an inventory tracking databank. The smuggler was nervous, but he knew his craft well and managed to narrow the search down to four potential vaults. The only option was to start at the first and work their way forward, hoping they would not trip the alarm system in the process. Number one ...nothing. Number two... nothing. The third time was a charm ..but unfortunately also a curse - alarms began to sound and the team knew it was just a matter of time now before they would have to fight.
That time came sooner than any of them expected as they emerged from the vault to find four Jedi waiting just outside the main doors. "Excellent work ...Sith. We'll be taking that now, if you don't mind." the Knight among them spoke. The padawans behind him smiled with smug satisfaction. "Take it ...if you're able." responded Valek with a growl and a second later lightsabers flashed to life almost in unison on both sides. The battle was on, Force lightning crackling through the room, lightsabers clashing, energy bolts screaming by, as each Sith engaged the Jedi and those wielding blasters tried to find good position to fire against their foes. The Sith proved to be the more experienced fighters, focusing their energies first on destroying the Jedi Knight. In the end the onslaught was too much for him to handle and he fell to a blaster shot in the heart. One by one the padawans also fell to their opponents and yet all of the team remained alive. Indeed the Force was with them.
Mere seconds after the battle was over and the group was moving to leave, the security forces of the Hutt and Gringet himself on a hoverplatform emerged from the main doors. Surveying the scene, the Hutt was absolutely furious and was nearly prepared to order their deaths right then and there. However, quick thinking from the Sith permitted them the chance to escape. "I felt a disturbance in the Force..." said Ali, who had shown herself to be a Force sensitive in the arena. "We came down here to try and stop the theives, and succeeded. Behold ...the Jedi are all dead." she waved around and smiled with a slight bow. Gringet looked upon her darkly, but then slowly nodded and gave way - apparently accepting the excuse. The group was allowed to pass and soon were moving quickly to leave the compound before the items they carried were discovered as missing, not in the belongings of the dead Jedi.
Several of the group took the air speeder they had acquired and loaded it into the hanger of the Transport, while the rest went to gather the other equipment and make their way to the ship. When the three stragglers arrived, they found their way to the landing platform blocked by four Exchange security guards, a menacing battle droid, and Zan T'liee ..their distinguished Sith contact. "If you'll be good enough to hand the holocron over ..we can handle this without causing a scene." he said casually. Already somewhat weakened from the fight with the Jedi, the three outside the ship had hoped to pass without conflict. Vivianna and Ali glanced to Valek, who reached into his cloak. "Here ...take it ...we just want to leave." he said and laid the object to the floor. Before they could take even a step though, Zan chuckled. "A nice try Acolyte ..but I see through your trick." Valek sighed beneath a wry smile, "It was worth an attempt..." he said in reply as the false holocron on the floor faded away. "Winner take all then..." replied Zan and ignited his saber.
The battle started out well in favor of the team, Valek and Ali charged to face the Exchange security, igniting their lightsabers as they both sent shockwaves of the Force from outstretched palms to knock down the gunmen. Behind them Vivianna strode defiantly, the rage in her sending her Force abilities to the peak as she released a torrent of Force lightning upon the battle droid. Such was the power it ripped the machine apart while sending it flying off the edge of the platform into the darkness of the city below. The sound of the battle commencing outside alerted those on the ship, trying to figure out why they could not get the systems going for liftoff. While the smuggler worked like mad trying to fix the problem, the two bounty hunters ran to the base of the ships gangway and prepared to join the fight.
A moment later, Zan lept into the fight and almost instantly cut down Vivianna with a quick slash to her torso. The Sith female fell, but yet appeared to live - drawing in ragged breath ...evident that the pain of the cut gave her to unconciousness. Kekku and Ray'chish began systematically firing at each of the gunman - one down ..then the next. It was not long before only one of the men remained, the others having fallen to their expert marksmanship. Having seen his comrades fall though, the last security agent attempted to make it to cover, giving him just a few extra seconds of life to take a shot at one of the Sith battling his master.
Valek and Ali quickly moved to double-team the older and more experienced Sith, very apparent it would take both their combined skill to hope to beat him. Zan attacked with confidence, but faultered a mere moment, permitting Ali to slip past his defenses and use the Force to grip his throat. As he stood choking, eyes wide with rage and now a glimmer of fear, Valek used this chance to unleash a wave of Force lightning upon him. It seemed for a moment they would destroy him easily, but suddenly the final living gunman fired at Ali, catching her in the shoulder with a bolt that would interrupt her concentration and in turn release Zan from her grip. A moment later, that gunman was down with a shot to the chest, but the damage was already done.
Released from the grip of the Force, Zan lept into a dervish of action, his lightsaber moving to attack and parry nearly faster than either of the younger Sith could keep up with. Ali's anger began to turn to fear as a strike slipped past her defenses, cutting deep into her shoulder with a fierce pain. As Zan's attention switched to Valek, she used the opportunity to leave the fight and attempt to flee. She made it several feet toward the platform bridge before Zan noticed her departure and after a quick series of attacks against Valek, lifted his free hand to send a tremendous blast of Force lightning into her back. "Arrrrhhh --- ahhhhhhh!!" she cried out as the tandems of dark energy danced across her entire body and then the force of it's release cast her from the platform. Her eyes were wide, mouth locked in a silent scream as she twisted beneath the energy, falling into the darkness and to her demise.
It was down to Zan and Valek now, the Zabrak contemplating whether or not he stood any chance of surviving the conflict. The Force whispered deep within him to call upon all his rage, you may fall he felt - but at least hurt him, make it a victory that will cost him dearly. The Zabrak growled deep within his throat with redoubled efforts and fury in his gaze, sending the older Sith backpeddling with surprise. The crimson blades clashed over and over, neither of the warriors prepared to give way more than a few steps. A moment later Zan managed to connect with a blow to Valek's left arm, giving him a flicker of misplaced overconfidence that would be his undoing. The Zabrak seized his opportunity, permitting his guard to slightly drop in order to catch his foe off balance as Zan moved with zeal to take the bait. Valek whirled into the space just aside where he knew Zan's saber would fall, slashing his saber up in an arc that would cut cleanly across his opponents chest. Despite this wound, Zan continued to fight, though slowed and distracted just enough to permit Ray'chish to take him with a carefully aimed shot to the man's head. The expert shot sent a blaster bolt forth that ripped through Zan's skull. Dead in an instant, his body slumped to the platform like a ragdoll.
Valek quickly moved to where Vivianna lay, snatching up her backpack of equipment. He looked down upon her for but a moment, then finished her off with a sweeping arc of his lightsaber. She had done well, but her weakness could only be rewarded with death. Running to the ship, he made it within just behind the bounty hunters and just as blaster fire behind them began to ring out in the dark. The ship lurched into the air, it's main guns firing down into the platform sending up huge explosions of flame and smoke amidst the bodies torn to pieces by the rapid fire of energy bolts. "We made it!" called the smuggler with a wild grin. "Not yet.... three fighters incoming.." grunted back Ray'chish as he and Kekku moved to their positions in the cockpit, strapping in. "We're going to have to fight."