ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜱᴇᴠᴇɴ

ᴀɴ ᴏʟᴅ ꜰᴀᴄᴇ

《☆》

Within the depths of the Galaxy was a darkness growing; an illness which had not been wiped out. The last remaining followers of an evil power which had been defeated. The Empire. Despite the Rebellion's greatest efforts, it's tyrannous cloud still loomed above systems, still grasping onto systems with a tight fist. While the core worlds celebrated their liberty, the outer rim still faced the same oppression which they endured during the war.

In one of those systems, drifting above the lone planet of Mygeeto was a triad of cruisers, owned by the remnants of the Empire. They all bore an oppressive order as they drifted above the planet's orbit.

Within the central cruiser were many guards, even a squad of highly trained security guards; as the threat they had planned to capture was of high alert and importance. Said threats, had been captured and retained by their forces, who now were held captive in the main bridge of the cruiser.

"I told you, we know nothing." The female captive spat out, struggling against the handcuffs that were tightened around her wrists. Her Beskar amor scraped against the shackles as she glared through her vizor, back at the Imperials.

The Imperial hummed before glancing towards his guards who shot another taser at the pair, making a surge of electricity shock through them. The male warrior grunted from the pain as they endured their relentless questioning. "I'll ask you again, where is the New Republic's base of operations?" He questioned again.

The female Mandalorian clad in blue and white armor, painted to emulate an owl; crawled onto her knees. "I'll tell you again. We know nothing. We don't associate with them." She answered back.

"I'll remind you that I have four guards watching that child of yours. Failure to satisfy me will result in its execution." He threatened, making the male Mandalorian tense up. "..And the loss of the Jedi's blood which you brats are obsessing after..." The female Mandalorian countered.

The Male Mandalorian, who went by the name of Din Djarin slowly turned his head to look at his companion; throwing her a disapproving gaze from behind his vizor. They yet again, have found themselves in a compromising position due to the child and they yet again are powerless due to their worry of his well being. The two Mandalorians would have easily broken free if the child was not in a cell hidden in the depths of the cruiser, surrounded by four guards with blasters aimed at his head.

Bo-Katan knew that her companion would not like her toying with the child's life; but she knew the Imperials well. She knew that with their numbers declining, they were running out of resources.

After a moment of silence the two Mandalorian's were pulled to their feet by the surrounding troopers. Another storm trooper, draped with metallic armor who held a metallic sword draped in red energy; stared them down. Bo-Katan eyed the trooper with an interested eye, clocking their weak points. Although they appeared to be a stronger and better skilled trooper; they were still a storm trooper and therefore had weak points.

The Imperial officer eyed them before unhooking his radio device from his belt. "Kill it." He spoke into the radio, making Din gasp as he stepped forward, only to be shoved backwards by the swordsman. "Stay back, scum."

The officer stood, awaiting the confirmation from the other end. The man began to frown, as small beads of sweat began to form above his thin and strictly brushed eyebrows. "Troopers, is it done?" He spoke into the device, before lowing his hands again.

He received no response. "Troopers..." He repeated, as his frown began to grow. The troopers within the room began to falter in confusion, loosening their grips over their weapons while the two Mandalorians slowly shared a look. The officer sucked in a deep breath as he tried his best to maintain his authority. Though both warriors could see through his facade and knew that he was fearful.

The officer cleared his throat, "Sir.." A technician sat at a computer called out, making the man march towards the inferior Imperial. Din Djarin cocked his head to the side and caught sight of the corner of the screen, displaying the camera footage of different areas of the ship. The Imperial honed in onto a camera, showing an empty detention cell. The Imperial changed to another camera, which looked down onto a narrow corridor with many troopers scattered across the floor.

Din Djarin looked away from the screen and smiled to himself. He did not know how Grogu escaped, but he was at least glad that he was out of a prison cell; and by the looks of it, he had help. The officer raised his communicator to his mouth again, "All squads, high alert. The detention level is down, we are under attack, shoot to kill." He spoke, repeating the orders. 

The blast doors to the bridge locked, closing different mechanisms together meaning no one can get in or out. The officer stepped away from the computer and stepped around the bridge with his hands clasped behind his back. Bo-Katan and Din Djarin both shared a look, eager to know who had infiltrated the ship and whether they were allies or not.

A resentful glare filled the Imperial's eyes as he turned to face the two Mandalorian warriors. "Who is it? Who did you call? The New Republic? Bounty Hunters? More of your Mandalorian freaks?" He questioned, marching up to Bo-Katan with wide eyes. The woman did not respond, as she waited for his lunacy to consume him. A beep erupted from the computer beside them, "The Hanger Bay is down!" The technician announced, but the officer refused to take his eyes off the Mandalorian woman.

Another alert blared from the computer system. "The Armory is down.." He continued as the system continued to blare. The swordsman trooper paced around the room, swinging his sword in preparation while the troopers which guarded the room looked among each other, repositioning their grips on their weapons. "Escape pods are offline.." 

"Looks like you're trapped in here." Bo-Katan mused, feeling curiosity swell within her. She had no idea who could be responsible for the surrounding attacks; she had not been in contact with the Rebellion or New Republic for more than ten years. She knew Din was also not that interested in approaching them for help. Whoever was onboard the cruiser had found them and conducted an attack on their own terms. 

Although she was hopeful that the attackers would be allies, Bo-Katan knew she had to be prepared for a nightmare. It was what she was used to.

"The lifts are enabled..." The imperial trailed off, as a sudden realization fell upon the Imperials. They were approaching; leaving them with no possible escape. "Sir...the engines are failing.."

The Officer nodded towards the swordsman, who was quick to pin Djarin to the ground, wedging his blade upon the fabricated space on his neck between his plates of armor. The officer turned to Bo-Katan with frantic eyes as he pulled out a blaster and aimed it at her helmet. 

A distant thunder shook within the room, as sparks began to fly from systems and pipes began to collapse from the ceiling. Imperials in the room quietly stood, watching as the room began to deteriorate. The tension within the room was quickly interrupted by a faint tapping noise which came from the other side of the blast doors. The officer frowned as a gentle click resonated against the doors after every ten seconds. "Morse code?" The swordsman questioned. The Officer frowned as he listened carefully, each click sounding lighter or louder depending on where on the door was tapped.

His eyes widened, a breath was forced from his lungs as he came to a realization. "Get back, now!" He ordered, as the troopers near the door quickly ran across the bridge to where the rest of them stood by the windows and operation desks. The troopers lined up in front of the higher ranks and their captives, pointing their blasters towards the blast door.

After a couple of seconds the clicking stopped. The troopers shared a couple of glances among their group, before a thunderous storm ignited from in front of them, as the blast door caved in. The detonation lit up a fire around the doors, spreading cracks through the thick walls and throwing shrapnel through the bridge, knocking an Imperial down. 

The explosion shook the entire room and made the lights flicker as a thin smoke cloud loomed from the hole in the door. Panels collapsed from the walls as streams of electricity sparked through operative systems. The troopers tightened their postures and aimed at the hole in the wall, ready for the attackers to show themselves. 

But no one came. 

Bo-Katan watched with anticipation as the smoke began to dissipate; giving them a full view of the corridor ahead which had many bodies littered on the floor. Her eyes quickly diverted to the floor as a metallic ball was thrown through the hole. In a matter of seconds steams of smoke ruptured from the ball, filling the entrance with a thick smoke cloud.

The female Mandalorian watched with interest, gaging that whoever attacked worked better in stealth. The troopers raised their blasters, placing shaky fingers on top of their triggers as they tried to locate the threat. 

Not needing any order, they opened fire, firing blind shots into the thick cloud; hoping for once that their aim would be accurate. Many red blasts ricocheted into the dark cloud ahead of them. The Captain of the squad pointed at two troopers and then pointed towards the cloud. The two troopers shared a glance before they slowly stepped into the cloud with their blasters raised. The Officer watched with nervous eyes as the troopers were swallowed by the cloud, disappearing out of sight after a few seconds.

A silence fell upon the room, filling many with fear or anticipation. Then all of a sudden, a mixture of red blasts darted around from within the cloud, the lasers just about visible from outside the smoke. All blasters held the same colour laser, making it harder to determine if there was a threat or not. After a couple of moments the blasts stopped, and the silence returned.

The Officer frowned as he tried to navigate the thick cloud from his position. The troopers also lowered their blasters as they began to analyze the current situation. Not even a second had passed before a faint scraping could be heard from within the cloud, making the troopers raise their blasters. From within the cloud, rolled out an empty helmet. What was once a clean white stormtrooper helmet, now had multiple blaster burns seared onto its surface, with a couple of blood stains smeared within its texture. 

The Imperials had taken the warning and decided to ignore it. They will not surrender. In response, the Captain pointed forwards, ordering the first line of troopers to attack. They stepped towards the cloud and opened fire. Some ran inside, while others stalked the outside in hopes to find the threats.

Red blasts seared from within the cloud and punctured through the thick helmets of the surrounding troopers, knocking them down one by one. The attacks were quick and relentless, with little to no hesitation. Din Djarin watched from the ground as the laser battle continued within the cloud, while blasts shot out and pinned down unsuspecting troopers.

The Officer noticed how the cloud began to thin, just enough for them to see the troopers if they squinted hard enough. The Commander held up his hand, seizing all fire and pausing the conflict. A break in the fight allowed the Imperials time to pin point the attackers as the cloud began to thin. 

Bodies began to come into view as the cloud retreated. The evidence was clear that the attackers were huddled closer towards the door, giving the troopers an advantage. The Captain moved his fingers about, making all of the troopers, including the Commander to fan out and prepare to open fire onto the small position.

Without any hesitation, the troopers opened fire upon the tighter space. The blasts penetrated the cloud and disappeared into the darkness. Many blasts ricocheted against the walls and even disappeared into nothing. Bo-Katan watched with a small frown as she noticed that no blasts came from the cloud, while the troopers bombarded the cloud. The speculation that the attackers had been defeated began to fill her mind.

The Commander held another hand up, seizing all fire once he took notice of the lack of any retaliation. 

A single trooper nodded towards his superior and walked into the thinning cloud, slowly disappearing into the darkness. No blasts were released, making the Imperials share a couple of glances, as the Officer gave the two Mandalorians a smug smirk. The surrounding troopers lowered their blasters ever so slightly, relaxing.

A thud could be heard from within the cloud before a body was suddenly thrown out from the cloud, as the trooper was flung into an operations table. His landing on the tightly angled table snapped his posture into an unnatural position, making his body collapse downwards onto the ground. 

The troopers quickly turned to look at their deceased comrade who was killed without a singular blast. The Swordsman eyed the Imperial Officer who gazed from the cloud to the trooper. He narrowed his eyes as he inspected the long distance which had been traveled. A sick feeling began to crawl through his throat and claw at his stomach. But he doubted his suspicion. 

All blasters were raised and aimed towards the disappearing cloud, as troopers sucked in deep breaths and superiors began to sweat. A faint figure began to appear within the cloud, standing alone with the corpses surrounding their feet. No face could be seen as a hood covered their head. The smoke which drifted within the room distorted the onlooker's perception of the figure, making them appear as a ghost.

From within the darkness, a loud noise rumbled across the floor as two purple lights appeared from ahead of them. The two streaks of light illuminated the darkness, telling everyone that they were facing a single attacker. A lone person who had the fire power of many. 

"Jedi! Open Fire!" The Commander ordered, raising their own blaster. The hooded figure was quick to dodge the blasts, twirling the two purple lightsabers around into specific angles to repel their blasts. A trooper was pulled into the cloud and knocked down, before the figure stepped away and twisted beneath another troopers firing range. 

Din Djarin sat up and watched with wide eyes as the dark figure stepped closer and closer into the light, dodging blasts and slicing their blade across the trooper's armor. The swordsman quickly stepped away from Djarin and stood in front of the Imperial officer, ready to defend his superior.

Another trooper was hauled across the room, before their body was smashed against the wall. A wall of blasts were fired upon the figure, making the two lightsabers move at a faster rate, as the shots were retaliated back upon the attacker.

The cloud had disappeared, exposing the truth of the situation to all witnesses. A Jedi was among them, which posed as a larger threat than the New Republic. The Imperial Officer gulped as he watched the Jedi twist past two troopers and plunge one of their swords deep into the abdomen of one trooper before using the other sword to slice the back of the other nearby trooper.

Bo-Katan narrowed her eyes as she watched the Jedi move. Their movements were quick and precise; but held little to no remorse. A trait which was somewhat untraditional for a Jedi. The warrior watched as the cloaked figure extended an arm, lifting one trooper into the air and pulling them forward, using them as a shield as the other troopers opened fire, blasting holes through their own comrade.

The Jedi pushed the trooper away, throwing his body on top of the previous attackers. The female Mandalorian observed the Jedi and how they moved with their two purple lightsaber blades. Bo-Katan frowned as a strange feeling began to swarm her. She knew it could not be possible, but something did not add up. There was a chance.

The last standing trooper was flipped over and slammed into the floor before two lightsaber blades were stabbed through his abdomen. The Jedi removed their blades and twisted them around, positioning one into a reverse grip in front of them and the other pointing forwards, ready for their next attack.

The Jedi slowly raised their head, their eyes appearing above the lightsaber in front of them. The Imperials looked upon a young woman, who's tired eyes were filled with heartbreak and vengeance. The eyes which were once filled with life and hope, were now dried out into irises of despair. The woman's steel eyes bore into the Imperial's skull, as her stoic face glared back. The Imperial Officer looked back at the Jedi, his blaster shaking in his trembling hand as he eyed the woman who supposedly escaped Darth Vader twice.

The Imperial officer gently looked away and gazed out of the window, away from the bridge towards the rest of the cruiser. He noticed how the tip of the cruiser began to penetrate the atmosphere of Mygeeto, causing layers of the ship's structure to peel off as it was swarmed with flames. The once endless and dark canvas that they were surrounded by, was now replaced with a growling light as they delved deeper into the planet's atmosphere. The cruiser began to shake from the woman's earlier damage, making him eye the collapsing ceiling from above him. 

He took in a deep breath and stepped away from the Mandalorians, looking upon his next victory. "A Jedi..." He smiled, as he stowed his blaster. "...What a lovely surprise---" The Imperial was not given the chance to finish his sentence before he was dragged across the room as a lightsaber was thrusted into his chest. The man gulped and choked as he quickly processed the attack which flashed across his eyes. 

The Imperial collapsed to his knees and looked up at the Jedi who had squatted down in front of him, still holding the the lightsaber in his chest. Her eyes held no sorrow as she looked at his fading eyes, while blood pooled out from his mouth. "Believe me, the pleasure is all mine." She mumbled before withdrawing her blade and standing up, making him fall onto all fours.

The Jedi looked down at the Imperial like he was dirt. The Officer, who was one of many responsible for the attack on Scarif, looked up at her with pleading eyes, while hers held no emotion. Without a second's thought, she swung her blade down, cutting a clean stroke through his neck. She watched his body collapse below her, his head rolling away. The woman quickly put her foot on top of his head to stop it from rolling, before she raised her gaze to meet the helmet of the trooper who was stood on the opposite side of the room to her. 

Her eyes flicked up and down his armor, inspecting how they favored a sword over a blaster. The swordsman held his sword with both hands before the outer rim of the blade glowed red, its energy pulsing in a chaotic dance. With no hesitance, the swordsman charged towards the Jedi, who stepped to the side and swung her blades up his armored back, tripping him forwards. 

The trooper groaned before turning around to face the Jedi again, who twirled her lightsabers around with nonchalance. The swordsman stepped into a ready stance, making the Jedi's tired eyes flicker ever so slightly as she too stepped into a ready position with both lightsabers by her side. 

The swordsman swung his sword from his side, which the Jedi quickly caught with both of