Everything had been put in place. With the final beats of her hearts she thought back on her life; no retreat, no surrender, no regrets. With a smile laced with tainted blood she spluttered and more blood heaved up her throat; she laughed as Kalon swam in and out of focus.

Five,

Four,

Slower now.

It drained away as she leant against the wall heaving, colder than normal until the final rattling breath caught in her lungs and expelled along with her soul.

Finally her hearts stopped. The beacon in her chest began to send the signal, slowly spanning across space, relaying one set of coordinates to four very important individuals.

***

Atyiru froze at her desk as the message came through her console, only to be assaulted with the physical loss from a galaxy away. Blood flowed from under her eye coverings, her hands trembled as she rose to look up the very close by coordinates.

***

Cethgus felt it first, felt her being extinguish itself like a puff of smoke. His sparring partner lashed out when he froze up only to be thrown through the wall with a bone crunching thump as they landed dead on the floor.

He did not look back, ordering his shuttle to be readied immediately for departure as his personal computer bleeped not five seconds later.

***

Kalon placed his drink down, the battle had been hard. He had brought her body back aboard the Nighthawk. Honoured her the only way he knew how, cleaning away the viscous half congealed blood from her body.
He had seen far worse, she was remarkably intact but knew that was no doubt her own affinity for healing well. The scans however, had not made for pleasant viewing, her insides were almost mush. They couldn't even pinpoint the actual cause of death.

The Mandalorian stewed as he returned home with her. Could he have moved faster? Gotten there sooner? His brain racked over all possibilities and all of them ended with the same outcome.

She died.

He at least had a clear conscious, everything that could have been done had been. He didn't dare leave her side, did not eat nor sleep.

Often he wondered why he had done what he did but for now he knew she would rest well as one of his own should.

***

It did not take long for them all to gather, Kalon and Cethgus exchanged glares neither happy with the presence of the other begrudgingly they tolerated each other and only just did the foremost manage to relinquish the casket.

Zakath, Kordath and Skar had swiftly been summoned by their Consul to attend none of them knew why until they laid eyes upon her laid out in her clothes as though it was just another day. Zakath was the first to scent it. Kordath just felt it an instinctual knowledge that came from being around death. Whatever tipped Skar off he kept to himself.

Timeros was the last to arrive, his cool demeanour made it feel like it was any other day for him. His hood pulled high obscuring his expression as the chatter and whispers died away.

“As was the last wishes of Priestess Nath Voth there are personal messages for each of you which are all waiting in your personal terminals. However, there was one for the ears of all present today.”

Nath sat in the holo message, it was old, recorded before she had undergone her change, her old uniform still immaculate and her hair shaved.

At first she did not speak or move she just seemed to stare into space, and then she leant forward and began.

“I never thought I would have anyone to record a message for, you are all there I hope… I have nothing of value to give, in truth I never needed shiny objects to horde… What I am entrusting to you is far more important, far more valuable in fact… My flesh and blood, you'll have forty eight hours to convene at the place I sent to you and you damned well better be there all of you. She will need all of you, she will continue my legacy and holds a part of all of you too.”

Nath's image paused and exhaled a puff of smoke from the cigarette she had lit before beginning the recording.

“The personal messages will hold more details on what I need from you, she should be ready soon…”

The message cut off abruptly and as she faded away the sound of breaking glass emanated from deeper into the dimmed room. Followed swiftly by a scream as the new life experienced their first touch of the Force.

Timeros seemed well prepared, a spare robe already in hand as he strode away to the noise. The group remained frozen in silence, Atyiru was the first to follow inspecting the large bundle of cloth Timeros carried back.

“She's got Kalon's and Cethgus’ eyes.” Timeros teased, allowing the adolescent to try and bare her own weight only to slump on his side, muscles weak from growing so rapidly. Atyiru bore some of the weight off him.

“What do we do with Nath?” She asked hesitation laced in her tone.

“There were no specific instructions, I'd assume cremation.”

“Let's deal with the living first then.” She spoke quietly guiding the young thing out to the nearest medbay she could think of.

Not canon. :P

Death of the Wolf...
By Lonewolf

I laid there on the ground of the battlefield, the wound deep into my right lung. The yellow lightsaber blade had found its mark through my armor, piercing through flesh and bone. I gasped for air as I looked up to the red sun as its rays showed through fire and smoke. How did it come to this, I asked myself. My left lung worked to do the work of two, my heart beating against my chest bone. I could feel my organs start craving for oxygen enriched blood, telling my brain to send them more but the body only had so much to give. Give… I have given all I have…

People would say that their life would flash before their eyes but no one really knew how it was until their own end was upon them. My life didn’t flash before my eyes, only the image of my wife and children. I could see them smiling at me as if standing over me. “Papa,” said my youngest, coming over to me. I turned my head to look at her. “Papa, get up, Papa. It’s time to come home.” So sweet and innocent she was.

My oldest looked at my wife, “Mom, what is wrong with Daddy?”

She laughed, “Nothing, sweetheart. He is just on his way to join us.”

“Yes,” the oldest exclaimed. “I have missed Daddy.”

I couldn’t help but smile, a tear falling from my right eye. It gathered dirt and blood as it ran down my cheek. I reached out my hand, stroking the hair of the youngest before turning back to my wife and oldest. “I have missed you all so much.”

My wife came over, kneeling down next to me. “It’s okay, Wolf, it’s okay. The pain will stop. Come, come with us and be at peace.” She took my other hand. “We have missed you.”

Turning my head, I looked passed my wife at the battlefield. Blades swung, bodies fell, blood and flesh covered the ground. So much war and fighting. I looked back at my wife who smiled. “We are waiting,” she said as she slowly faded.

I turned to my daughter as she faded as well then my youngest. “No,” I yelled. “No! No!” I reached out, as if to grab my youngest but I grabbed only the air. “No!” I gathered what connection I had with the Force, a roughly, razor’s edge with both the light and dark side. I summoned it to give me the strength I needed to stand. I took my lightsaber up, the custom handle of a wolf. I rolled to my front, to my knees and finally to a standing position.

The dark Jedi that held the yellow blade that had pierced me stood in amazement that I was even still alive. He had seen me talking to someone but no one was there. He brought his lightsaber up, clenching it in both hands. “Enough of this,” he hissed, coming towards me, ready to strike.

I flipped the switch to my lightsaber, a silver blade coming from the mouth of the wolf at its end. My left arm seemed useless. Only one arm, I thought to myself. I took a step back and parried the incoming yellow blade. I brought own blade up, connecting again to the dark Jedi’s, knocking it away. A step forward, a blow, a step back, a dodge. The Force seemed to work its magic, offering a musical dance in the duel. Side side, swing, block, back side. The dark Jedi was clearly calling upon the dark side of the Force, anger overtaking him because I should have already been dead.

Finally the opening came that I was waiting for. The dark Jedi lunged and I quickly side stepped, my blade connecting with his, sending him off balance and wide. I spun myself, the silver connecting to his back, slicing into his own armor and into the spin. He fell, his legs no longer functioning. My chest was heavy now, gasping for breath with only a single working lung. I walked over, kicking his black handled saber from his grip, the yellow blade spinning away before deactivating.

I knelt down next to him, my knee over his right arm, pinning it. I continued to breath hard. I looked down at him and shook my head. “I’m sorry,” I said. His looked at me, eyes wide as I brought my blade down across the back of his neck, removing head from shoulders. His head stayed on the place, not moving. A twitch of his arm, asking the brain for commands but found none.

Gasping another for air I stood up, walking only a few paces away from the dead man before falling to my knees again. I looked once more over the battlefield. The smell of smoke and death filled my lungs. I turned off my saber, clipping it to my belt where it had been my companion for nearly three decades. My wife and daughters stood before me again.

“Come, Daddy,” the youngest said again, coming over and pulling at my arm. The oldest came over and took my other. I felt my soul leave my body, turning to see my head was bowed and my body was dead. I walked, able to hold those that had been taken from me. I reached my wife, kissing her.

She smiled, “Welcome home.”

I smiled again, holding my daughters in each arm and my wife before me. “Yes… I am home…”

------------------------

Fiction By:
Neophyte Lonewolf (Gray Jedi) / Battle Team Tyrant Sword of House Qel-Droma of Clan Arcona [GMRG: I] [SA: III] [INQ: I]
CFx11 / SoL
{SA: DMPH - DPE - DPV}

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MqELkI8eAV9TPy1Py3rFFz7yhgEoo0XxMGQbZKvKJoI/edit?usp=sharing

Enjoy!

K’tana lay on her back in the clearing of the Felurigade. She watched as a flock of birds flew overhead and listened to the trees as leafy whispers washed over the beasts. The blue-green foliage rustled softly around her and a gentle growling snore could be heard from a few feet away. The Twi’lek looked over at the giant sleeping creature and smiled affectionately at the rancor’s twitching feet.

Laying on the eight foot tall rancor and watching her Mistress with golden eyes was Liera. The tiny Monkey-Lizard gibbered quietly when K’tana’s green-eyed gaze fell on her and the small semi-sentient animal conveyed her contentment with a gentle snapping of her beak,. The Mystic nodded in agreement and stretched her arms over her head with a groan and a squeal.

K’tana realized that something was wrong as she inhaled. The air tasted acrid and she gagged on the bilious flavor that worked its way down her throat. She rolled onto her stomach then onto all fours as she heaved and gasped, fighting for air. Both of her pets shot to their feet, approaching to see what ailed their mistress, but she paid them no heed. Instead, the Twi’lek watched the grass beneath her disintegrate and flow, as if it had turned to liquid beneath her hands.

A sudden buzz was K'tana's only warning as thousands of insect rose from the grassy slime, skittering across her hands and up her arms. With a piercing shriek, the Mystic instinctively sent both May’riia and Liera running into the forest for safety. Liera leapt on the rancor as the massive monster rushed her to the treeline.

Her next instinct was not so helpful.

Both of the Twi’lek’s stomachs flipped and she was suddenly aware of a scuttling of tiny claws and fluttering wings. They jerked up from her guts and she retched a wave of horrid creatures into the green slime. They immediately began crawling up her arms and trying to get back in her mouth - apparently they had been content with their previous home and wanted to force their way back.

With a closed mouth wail K’tana pushed herself away from vitriol and scrambled to her feet, her hands frantically brushing the scattered insect away from her nose and mouth. She clawed at her face, tearing deep into the violet flesh on her cheeks. Red gouts of blood streamed down as she pulled bugs from the burrows in her flesh.

The Mystic forced herself to her feet, despite the burning bile and fluttering butterflies that remained in her system. The Mystic bolted to her feet and scarpered backwards, away from the ongoing eruption of insects that were gushing forth from the liquified grass. They moved with purpose, a pulsating cloud that buzzed angrily as it approached the horrified woman.

The Mystic took a step back and realized very abruptly that she was stuck. Looking down she saw that the formerly solid grass has lurched towards her and was now sticking to her boots and oozing its way up to her pants. With a quick twist of her head, she saw that there was no slime behind her, so she ripped off her footwear, struggling to keep her balance and not fall face first into the muck.

Once she managed to tear her feet from the slime and step back into safety, she became immediately enraged. Utterly bereft of rational thought, she raised a hand, filling the air between the monstrosities and herself with a burst of lightning. The swarm hesitated, individual insects bursting open at her furious assault, before the creatures retreated back towards the ooze from which they had gushed forth.

K’tana sighed in a moment of respite before a loud sloshing sound behind forced her from her peace. She spun around and watched as a massive tower of green sludge and the plague of ravenous insects rose up into a massive pillar before her.

The *thing* began to take a humanoid shape, arms outstretching from the center pillar and wrapping around the Twi’lek. Instead of the skittering of claws and the damp slime she felt a warm, solid structure embrace her. The insects whirled around the outside and took on the form of a black robe. The green goo turned pale, then a Human flesh tone. Blond hair fell from the top of the head.

As this being grew into the form of her Master with a semblance of accuracy, it seemed to be unaware of the appropriate face. Timeros’ chiseled cheekbones slipped down his face, one eye lay too far down and his lips moulded together in a pale-pink mush. It was as if the man had been made of wax and left too long in direct sunlight, melting his features into a mockery of what they had been.

K’tana screamed in horror and, unable to escape from the *thing’s* grasp, she began to convulse. Within moments she went from fighting it’s grasp to unconscious and limp in its slithering grip.

|-o-|

“My Lady Consul?”

“Have you found her?”

“We have. She wa-”

“Where is she? Is she injured? Is she alive? Did my dear brother leave her for dead somewhere? I swear, I’ll-”

“My lady, she’s fine. Relatively speaking.”

“Take me to her.”

“I’m afraid that’s impossible, Ma’am. She’s heavily sedated and is having a hallucinogenic toxin flushed from her system.”

“I’m sure she wouldn’t mind company.”

“My Lady, I’m afraid I must insist that you leave her be. When she isn’t in a chemically induced coma, she screams incoherently. The Medical Staff can do nothing to quiet her shrieks. It’s as though she’s gone completely deaf to reason as well as Force Empathy. Her system shock simply blocks it out.”

“What does she scream?”

“Well, for the parts we can understand…”

“Yes?”

“She’s screaming ‘Don’t let him touch me’ and ‘Get him off’. The visions should have subsided by now, but it seems something has affected her brain for an unprecedented long term. As of yet, we’re not sure if she’s going to recover.”

“Who did this to her?”

“We don’t know.”

Atyiru jerked back in shock.

“Find out. And keep a close eye on her. As soon as she’s lucid, no matter what time of day or night, come get me. I want to talk to her as soon as I can.”

“Yes, my lady.”

When the medical sergeant left the room, Atyiru went to her comms system and pressed a button.

“Yes, Lady Consul?”

“Send a message to Timeros. His apprentice is in critical condition and I would appreciate his presence. Immediately.”

“Yes, my lady.”

“Thank you.” she disconnected from the system and sat down on her bed. An arm from the side of the bed wrapped around her as she began to shake.

“Is she okay?” a male voice said from behind her. Atyiru turned around and buried her face in Marick’s chest.

“I don’t know, Marry. I don’t know.”