Clarke was taken aback by the appearance of the holocron, the very same artefact that had first brought the Jedi and smuggler together on Hoth had almost been forgotten from all those months ago. She had once attempted to smuggle it onto the Jedi's ship in the hopes of finding a profiting market for it on Coruscant where she could then buy her way off the planet and into a new life. Instead it had been returned to the Jedi temple for safe keeping and Clarke had started a new journey with the Jedi and her crew. 

She had never forgotten the dark power contained within its deceivingly magnificent appearance, the ebbing and flowing patterns of light shifting as if to capture the minds of all that laid eyes upon it. 

Lexa had yet to respond to her brothers question, silently attempting to foresee how this would all end. 

'What are you planning Kaan? What is the point all this?'

She gestured to the various individuals within the room. If his fight was with her then why bother to involve so many seemingly unnecessary people. 

'As I said earlier, I want you to join me Lexa. Together we will be magnificent, and this,' he explained, carefully setting the holocron down on an empty surface, 'is the key to everything.'

He appeared annoyingly smug at his own self-proclaimed ingenious, almost giddy with anticipation of finally enacting his long-awaited plan. 

'Vorras Jahibakti, the Hutt leader that you're pathetic Republic spy somehow infiltrated, successfully delivered it to me, not for a low price I might add. As for these deplorable guests,' he continued, casting a scathing eye over the three smugglers, 'I thought this whole event might be more entertaining with their presence.'

Fresh disgust lurched through the Jedi at just how vile her brother had become. This was not the innocent boy that she had once known and loved. A boy that was fading fast from her memory. 

'Which finally brings me to your blonde associate,' he added, slowly turning to gaze at her curiously, as if she were some experiment that he was eager to solve. 'The connection between you is undeniable, but whether she will help or hinder my plans has yet to be seen. I have kept her alive on many an occasion, not that I receive any gratitude for it.'

A coil of hot anger began to burn within the Jedi's chest, an anger that disappointed her, but yet felt satisfying at the same time. She wanted nothing more than to draw her sabre and cut down this vile man, but she held her composure.

'You expect me to willingly use that holocron for whatever twisted idea you might have? You'll die before that happens.'

A smile twitched at Kaan's lips as he enjoyed the clear distaste that lingered in his sisters gaze. Wonderful, she would need that anger, the bitterness, it was all key to his success. 

'Incorrect,' he stated simply, as if correcting a child. 'They will die before that happens.'

Clarke's eyes widened and she looked over to her old friends, innocent people in this context who had done nothing to find themselves entangled in this mess. They seemed to be thinking a similar thing, wondering how their bad luck could bring them to this abhorrent nightmare. 

Kaan felt the sudden shift in the room and it only fed into his dark smile. The bold courage of the prisoners was slowly being clouded by doubt, a speck of fear here and there as the realisation of their dire fate settled over them.

It only served to heighten his feverish anticipation as he made his way towards the kneeling prisoners, looking down over them like a harbinger of doom. 

'Perhaps I will kill them whilst your friend watches. Make them beg for their lives without hope of their prayers being answered, with the knowledge that you will be helpless to save them. Their false beliefs in your power will be crushed along their lives.'

He strode slowly behind them, a moment of silence as he let the words begin to sow seeds of doubt within the weak minds of the humans. His path led him towards the blonde who fixed him with a fiery gaze, willing her hands to be free so that she could wipe the smug expression off his face. 

'Then, perhaps I will end your suffering whilst my sister looks on and in your final moments you will know that I have won.'

Clarke had heard enough of his vile words and threw her head forwards to spit at his feet. 

'Yours will be the only death today Kaan,' she growled, anger lacing her words even as she stood a prisoner before him, 'and rest assured, your name will be lost for an eternity, forever an example of how the Sith continue to fail time and time again.'

Kaan's smirk was rapidly twisting into a grimace with every second that passed, hardly believing this fools insolence as she continued to spout profanities against him. 

'You are nothing,' she finally concluded, practically spitting the words in disgust as she refused to shy away from his growing fury. 'Your weakness destines you for failure.'

The Sith Lord erupted with an almost animalistic sound, freeing his sabre in an instant as hot fury blazed in his eyes. 

'I will take great pleasure in your death! You won't live to regret your insolence.'

He thumbed the lightsabre to life, the hum of its existence a sound that blossomed terror in the hearts of many, but Clarke merely stared back in defiance. 

The Sith Lord paused when an identical sound resonated through the gleaming black surroundings almost instantaneously, not having to turn to see the faint flicker of light cast across the ground by the Jedi's green sabre. 

'Do not lay a hand on her,' Lexa warned, her tone threatening severe consequences if he dared to raise his sabre against the blonde. 

Kaan merely smiled and turned away from the prisoner, far more interested now in the Jedi's response. 

'Ah, you wish to make this encounter more...exciting,' he settled for, sinking into a defensive stance and bringing his sabre up to level at his sister. 'I hope for your sake that she's worth it.'

The tension that had held the room for so long was finally building to a crescendo and it was time for action.

'She is.'

Lexa wasted no time with further conversation and tightened her fist in a moment of concentration, radiating her power to eradicate the bonds holding the prisoners in place.

Within seconds a mass brawl had spread throughout the once silent room, the smugglers using their quick thinking to wrestle blasters from their captors with a flurry of well placed close quarter blows and were ready to defend themselves when the guards set about recapturing them. 

The Jedi paid these events little notice and instead focused on her brother, ignoring his gleeful expression as she sprang forwards to fight for her freedom. 

Sabres clashed together in a burning hum of green and red, Lexa's ferocious concentration met with Kaan's malicious sneer as they engaged each other in a deadly dance for victory. 

Clarke was ready the moment her shackles fell to the ground, instantly driving an elbow back into the closest guard, simultaneously ducking beneath reaching arms to wrench a blaster from the surprised guards grip. With two well aimed shots later she was free from them. 

That only left the multitude of enemies left surrounding the two duelling siblings trying to recapture the prisoners with minimal damage, lest face the wrath of their leader. 

Bodies continued to litter the floor as surprise gave the smugglers an advantage, at least for the time being. Clarke carefully made her way around the perimeter of the room, avoiding the ferocious battle that was taking place in its centre. 

'What a surprise to see you in the middle of this madness,' Octavia briefly called over, slamming her foot into the chest of the nearest guard, sending him stumbling back with a gurgle of pain before a blaster shot ended his misery. 

'What can I say, there's never a boring day,' Clarke returned, ducking her head as blaster fire continued to blaze around them. They worked their way across the room towards the blaster door which had been raised to allow more guards to pour in and aid their leader. 

'There are too many of them,' Bellamy growled, narrowly missing a stray blaster bolt as he peered down the corridor from which numerous enemy guards were approaching, the pounding of their booted feet making an ominous approach. 

Murphy glanced over his shoulder to where the two siblings were still embroiled within their deadly encounter. 

'Well I'm certainly not staying here,' he remarked, more willing to take his chances out there with the mortal guards than face a virtually inescapable death at the hands of a Sith. 

'I second that,' Octavia said, tightening her grip on the blaster as if to step into the corridor and take down anyone who stood in her way. 

As much as Clarke was awed by Octavia's fighting ability and unbeatable spirit, there was nothing heroic about dying needlessly. She took a deep breath and lunged forwards herself, weaving away from Murphy's outstretched arm as he tried to prevent the seemingly idiotic move. 

Ignoring the harsh cries of her friends, Clarke swiftly leapt towards the oncoming enemy in a strategy that prevented them from shooting due to her close proximity. The soldiers appeared as surprised as the three smugglers when the blonde dashed down the corridor, hardly prepared for the well placed punches and kicks that scattered the soldiers, using the force to deftly dodge clumsy blows from armoured bodies. 

With the majority of soldiers already strewn across the floor, Clarke heard a warning cry from behind her and glanced up to see the final two enemies charging forwards with vicious intent. Murphy raised his blaster but had no need to take the shot when Clarke herself raised an arm, fast as lightening, and sent the final two flying back through the air with a wave of power. 

They hit the wall with an audible thud and lay unmoving. The corridor was finally clear, for the moment at least. They would have to move quickly. 

The three smugglers picked their way through the bodies towards their old friend, incredulous shock passing over their faces as they approached her. 

'Clarke-'

'Yes, we've got a lot to catch up on,' the blonde interrupted, aware that there was no time to waste. 'Another time. Right now you need to make your way to our ship, the rest of the crew are there waiting. Be safe.'

Murphy didn't need telling twice and nodded in acknowledgement, setting off down the corridor in search of the airlock. Bellamy and Octavia, however, hesitated for a moment. 

'Come with us, it'll be safer,' Octavia suggested, the hum of clashing lightsabres still audible even at this distance. 

'Since when did I ever choose the easy option,' Clarke said brightly, glancing down the corridor uneasily as she silently willed her friends to leave. This was no place for them. 'Now go, the ship isn't far.'

Octavia begrudgingly recognised that there was no changing the mind of the stubborn blonde and followed Murphy, tugging a reluctant Bellamy behind her. He pulled free of her grip and looked back with a serious expression. 

'You have nothing to prove Clarke. You can't fight a Jedi's battle.'

'It's not just her battle to fight. Now go.'

Bellamy shook his head but understood that he could not influence this decision, turning away instead to follow his sister to safety. Or as safe as it could get.  

Clarke watched them go for a second before making her way back to the spacious deck where the two siblings where fighting, taking a deep breath as she collected her thoughts. 

It was time to end this once and for all. 

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Thank you for reading this chapter, I hope you enjoyed it! Leave a comment with your thoughts :)

(My exams finish next week so I will be upoading longer chapters soon, I wanted to keep uploading at least something when I have the time.)