SW: Death of the Light

Hanabi shifted nervously as the shuttle descended towards the planetary surface. Seated around her were seven other Inquisitors. Counting herself and the Grand Inquisitor himself there were nine of them in total. She'd never had so many of the Empire's Dark Jedi in one place during a mission before, granted that all of them were members of the Inquisitorius was no surprise. It was by far the largest organization of Force users in the galaxy. In many ways, it had replaced the Jedi Order and it served man of the same purposes: policing the Empire's space, eliminating threats to the Emperor and his order, training Force users in the Dark side. It was only the final part of the Inquisitorius' mission that differed: the conversion or elimination of Jedi.
It was on such a mission that they were embarked now. They, along with a company of Storm Commandos led by Aira-ty were seeking out a supposed Jedi enclave that was located within a mining and processing plant. The only information that they had was that there were Jedi here. No information on how many or if they had supporters. Hanabi was glad that Aira-ty was here with them. The tough no nonsense Commandant of the Storm Commandos was a welcome addition to any mission. She looked towards the front of the cabin where the Grand Inquisitor stood with his eyes closed in concentration. He and Aira-ty didn't get to see each other enough, and when they did they fought. Hanabi hoped that they would find a way to express themselves that didn't involve being at each others throats constantly.
As the turbulence from the atmospheric entry died away, she stood and joined her Master at the fore of the cabin.
“Do you sense anything?”
He opened his eyes, looking troubled. “No, nothing.”
She frowned. “No one is down there?”
“No, I sense nothing.” he said, looking at her with an annoyed frown. “Someone is down there, and they are hiding.”
Hanabi swallowed. “They're waiting for us?”
The Grand Inquisitor nodded, smiling dangerously. “It would appear we're expected.” he turned to address the other Inquisitors. “Be ready, they will be.”

Aira-ty was down the ramp with Jesp and the rest of the platoon as soon as the shuttle touched down, her helmet's sensors sweeping the landing zone for threats as her men set up their perimeter. At the rear of the shuttle, two ramps dropped and a pair of walkers strode down to join the commandos. One of the reasons Aira-ty had selected the Kappa-class shuttles for her Storm Commandos instead of one of the more ubiquitous Larty derivatives was because unlike the gunships which typically carried a platoon or walkers, the Kappas could carry a platoon and walkers. Every company in the Storm Commandos had eight such walkers, four AT-RTs and four AT-PTs. There was one of each disembarking from the shuttle now.
The AT-RT's big advantage was its speed and advanced electronics. It had no armor to speak of, and with a repeating blaster and grenade launcher as its only armament it couldn't take on heavy opposition. However it gave the Storm Commandos an effective scout platform and that was the important part. By contrast, the heavier AT-PT carried twin blaster cannons and a mortar launcher. It was still no tank-killer, but it could take on infantry and light armor with relative confidence and added a significant boost in firepower to her platoons' ability to engage the enemy.
She looked up as another shuttle flew overhead en route to its designated landing zone. The four shuttles were landing at opposing ends of the facility and were going to sweep inwards while the Grand Inquisitor's shuttle landed at the central landing pad and checked the interior. In theory they'd all meet up in the center of the facility somewhere. Aira-ty had seen enough combat to know that theory was lovely until people started shooting.
“The other platoons report no issues at their sites.” Jesp reported, coming to join her. “No contacts yet.”
Aira-ty was still scanning their surroundings as she nodded.
“Right, watch yourself, something feels off.”
Jesp followed her gaze. “We'll make sure—“
His words were cut short by the screaming report of a missile that sailed from the rocky overlook surrounding the facility. The missile sailed downwards and struck the shuttle, the unshielded craft burst in a fiery explosion, sending Aira-ty and Jesp flying.
Aira-ty landed in a roll and came to her feet with her pistols drawn, firing wildly as the firefight leapt to life all around her.
“Ambush!” came someone's unneeded yell over the com.
Aira-ty gritted her teeth as she took cover, watching as the AT-PT came around the blasted wreckage of the shuttle and opened fire on the rocks where the missile had originated from, a mortar round firing from its roof and blasting the rocks to pieces. If someone had still been there, they were dead now. She smiled grimly. These bastards wanted a fight? Fine, they had a fight!

Hanabi stopped as the sound of combat reached her ears. She exchanged nervous glances with her fellow Inquisitors before moving to where the Grand Inquisitor and High Inquisitor Jerec stood, listening to the distant fighting.
“What should we do?”
“Ready ourselves.” the Grand Inquisitor said as he drew his sheathed weapon. “We are not alone.”
That was when Hanabi felt them and realized the grim reality of their situation. They were surrounded. All around them, over a dozen lightsabers of varying color came alive in a hissing chorus.
“Die traitors.” one of the Jedi said.
“Inquisitors,” the Grand Inquisitor said grimly as he raised his amber blades. “Fight for your lives.”

Aira-ty dove behind an ore cart as the enemy's fire peppered it angrily.
“We're getting slaughtered!” Jesp shouted from besides her.
“What about the other platoons?” Aira-ty asked over the sounds of blasterfire.
“They're under heavy fire.” Jesp replied. “It's the same at the other landing zones.”
Aira-ty cursed. If she was judging the amount of fire correctly and her other platoons were under similarly heavy fire, then she'd brought a company of commandos to take on a regiment sized unit! She hoped that the Grand Inquisitor was having better luck with the damned Jedi!
She pointed to the open bay doors on the ore processing plant. “We need to get inside!” over the com she commanded. “Fall back to the processing plant and find cover!”
Her men didn't need to be told twice, leapfrogging as they bolted from cover to cover and sprinted across open ground when there was none. Aira-ty stepped out of her own cover and began taking shots at the attacking enemies, dropping them as they revealed themselves. The platoon's AT-RT had been destroyed in the opening volleys of the fight but the AT-PT was still standing and now it walked backwards towards the processing plant, the pilot covering his platoon's retreat with withering barrages of fire that raked the enemy positions as Aira-ty stood in its shadow. Then another missile screamed out from cover and struck the AT-PT, blowing its crew compartment apart and sending Aira-ty flying yet again.
This time however there was no graceful landing as she struck her head hard, her helmet cracking as she lost consciousness.

Hanabi hacked and slashed at her opponent as they danced around one another. She'd never before been in a combat with so many saber wielders. There were fifteen Jedi against the nine Inquisitors. Four of the former had fallen already to three of the latter and as Hanabi hacked her opponent down she turned to see yet another Inquisitor fall. Leaping over her comrade's body she struck down the killer, catching a brief glimpse of her Master and High Inquisitor Jerec standing side by side as they battled three opponents of their own. She had little thought to spare for her Master however as her focus turned to a fresh opponent and the deadly ballet of attack and parry began anew.
She wasn't sure when it finally ended, just that she was suddenly standing alone amidst a pile of corpses, panting heavily as she clutched her saber in her hand. She looked around at the carnage and saw that of the Inquisitors, only herself, the Grand Inquisitor and High Inquisitor Jerec remained standing. She licked her lips nervously, her body shaking with adrenaline. Then movement caught her eye and she turned to see a Jedi ducking down a conveyor shaft.
“Master!” she shouted as she rushed in pursuit.
She followed the Jedi through a winding maze of machinery before finally cornering the Jedi, a Devaronian, in an ore chute. He turned to face her, his face twisted in a snarl.
“Surrender.” she demanded. “You're beaten!”
The Devaronian shook his head, his horns jerking from side to side.
“Never.”
Hanabi's eyes narrowed, though her voice was pleading.
“You can't win.”
The Jedi almost seemed resigned as he replied.
“Nor can I give in.”
“Master?” came a plaintive voice from behind an ore pile.
Hanabi's eyes flicked towards the voice, her eyes widening as she spied three children of varying ages.
“You have children here?” she blurted in astonishment. Why hadn't the Jedi returned them to their families once the Order was destroyed? What had they hoped to gain by keeping them?
“That is not your concern.” the Jedi said guardedly.
“They shouldn't be here!” Hanabi shouted angrily, imagining what the Grand Inquisitor would do once he found them.
“Hanabi!”
At her Master's voice, she turned.
“Master, they have—!”

The Grand Inquisitor froze as he watched the Jedi's saber bisect Hanabi from her right hip to her left armpit, taking her arm off at the shoulder. Her eyes met his for a brief moment, registering surprise rather than fear or pain and then she toppled in pieces to the floor in a heap. His gaze turned to the Jedi standing with his blade raised as red hot fury bubbled up from within him and he reignited his sabers, stepping forwards with murderous intent in his blazing eyes. In a string of strikes and counter-strikes, he fought the Jedi around the room before cleaving him from head to groin and letting the two halves of the dead Devaronian drop to the ground. Extinguishing and sheathing his sabers, he dropped to his knees and picked up Hanabi's torso, clutching it to his breast.
After a moment, Hanabi's body faded, leaving the Grand Inquisitor clutching nothing but tattered and burnt clothing. Closing his eyes for a moment, he knelt there as he marshaled his emotions and took a deep breath and stood, turning towards the cowering children. There was moisture in his eyes though no tears fell upon his hardened features as he turned from them and began walking back the way he'd come.
“Um...excuse me?” came a plaintive voice.
He stopped and looked over his shoulder at the children one last time.
“Do not speak, lest I remember you are here. Remain hidden until we have gone and then flee.”
“Why?” whimpered one of the children.
The Grand Inquisitor mused for a moment, wondering what the question really meant as he gave the only answer he cared about before he walked away and left the children to whatever fate the Force had in mind for them.
“Because it is what she would have wanted.”

Aira-ty woke with a grunt when a boot connected with her stomach.
“Wake up scum. You don't get to sleep.”
She looked up at her captor angrily, she was bound and gagged as he knelt over her.
“Do you know how many of my friends have died because of Imperial trash like you?” he asked angrily.
Aira-ty said nothing, her golden eyes glaring up at him defiantly.
“I should just kill you now!” he snarled, standing and delivering a kick to Aira-ty's face, jerking her head back violently.
“Hey!” his companion shouted. “Stop that! You don't want to be like her do you?”
“Shut up!” Aira-ty's tormenter shouted as he stomped on the side of Aira-ty's head. “She deserves to die! Murderous bi—AAAAAAAHHHHHH!”
Aira-ty opened her eyes and looked up to see her two guards screaming and clutching at their heads as they collapsed onto their knees and begged for their lives with their last breaths as they died in their own foaming vomit. She twisted and looked up to see the Grand Inquisitor standing over her.
“It still amazes me,” he remarked idly. “How foolishly reckless you can be.”
Aira-ty looked up at him pitiably, her face bruised and bloodied. Was he going to free her or just stand there mocking her?
“I came to correct your failure.” he said by way of reply.
Aira-ty glared at him. What was she supposed to do? The insurgents had been well equipped, entrenched, and ready. She'd had to buy time for her men!
The Grand Inquisitor sneered at her. “So you sacrificed yourself in order to save your men even though one of them betrayed you.” he snorted. “How quaint.”
Aira-ty looked at him in disbelief. A traitor? In her unit?
“I plucked that from the mind of one of the rebels.” the Grand Inquisitor provided idly.
Aira-ty's disbelief hardened into anger. She was going to kill someone, and it wouldn't be slow. They owed her for the lives of the men she'd lost here. She scowled up at the Grand Inquisitor. Was he going to free her or not? Did he enjoy seeing her all tied up like this?
He smirked at her as he knelt down and untied her bonds, pulling the gag from her mouth and helping her to her feet.
“I thought you were dealing with the Jedi.” she grumbled as she flexed her sore muscles.
“Taken care of.” he replied simply. “Though it was somewhat rushed, I had to come clean up your mess.”
She snorted as she wiped the blood from her face. “Sorry for spoiling your fun.”
“You're lucky your Captain saw fit to notify me of your plight.” the Grand Inquisitor remarked dryly.
Aira-ty paused, looking at him in surprise. Jesp had called the Grand Inquisitor? He hated the Grand Inquisitor with a passion and he'd called him to save Aira-ty. She owed him a thank you.
“That reminds me,” the Grand Inquisitor said snidely. “You're welcome Commandant.”
She glowered at him. “You're serving the Empire's interests, not mine.”
Something flickered in the Grand Inquisitor's eyes but it faded before Aira-ty could tell what it had been as he replied.
“The Empire is not interested in the life of a single commandant.”
Aira-ty snorted again. “Sorry my life isn't worth as much as yours.”
“Perhaps not for them.” the Grand Inquisitor said cryptically.
She rounded on him angrily. “Look, I can't read minds, if you want to say something, be a man and say it!”
They remained there for a moment eying one another and again Aira-ty thought she saw something strange in the Grand Inquisitor's gaze however the moment was shattered by a shout.
“Commandant!”
She turned to see Jesp and Jerec coming towards them. She was glad to see Jesp, she could do without Jerec though. He made her skin crawl.
“You alright ma'am?” Jesp asked.
“Fine,” she said curtly as she retrieved her helmet and joined him. “Thanks for sending help. Now let's go, we've got a traitor to find.”
Jesp's black helmet turned towards the Grand Inquisitor for a moment, dipping in a subtle nod before he hurried after the Commandant, leaving Jerec alone with the Grand Inquisitor.
“My Lord?”
“Let's go as well.” the Grand Inquisitor said calmly. “Our business here is concluded.”
“What about the traitor?”
“We'll deal with that before returning to Coruscant. It will take too long if we leave it to her.”
Jerec smiled, looking forwards to breaking the will of one of the famed Storm Commandos.
“She won't be pleased.”
“A traitor within her ranks is an embarrassment for her, but it is also a betrayal of the Empire and we cannot allow that to stand unpunished.”
As they walked, Jerec mused that there was a far more personal reason for the Grand Inquisitor's interest in the matter but he knew to keep his peace. Especially now that the Grand Inquisitor's favorite pet had died.

As what remained of the Storm Commando's company lifted from the planet's surface in the two surviving shuttles and headed back towards space and the waiting Gladiator-class star destroyer, something occurred to Aira-ty.
“Jesp,” she asked as she turned to her captain. “Where were the other Inquisitors?”
“Only the Grand Inquisitor and High Inquisitor survived their fight with the Jedi, Commandant.” he provided. “The rest were killed.”
Aira-ty's heart stopped as she looked at him in disbelief, the weight of his words hitting her like a hammer. Hanabi was dead? She recalled the look in the Grand Inquisitor's eyes, the fleeting emotion she'd not been able to make sense of and gasped as she realized what it had been. Grief.
“Call the Grand Inquisitor's shuttle,” she said urgently. “Right now!”
Jesp checked the shuttle's com panel and shook his head. “The Rapier reports that the Grand Inquisitor's shuttle entered hyperspace ten minutes ago.”
Aira-ty sagged against the bulkhead, covering her face with her hand. He hadn't deigned to tell her, and he hadn't even bothered to re-board the star destroyer. He'd just left. She clenched her eyes shut against the tears. They were tears she knew the Grand Inquisitor would never cry.
“Commandant?” Jesp asked worriedly. “Are you okay? Do you need a medic?”
Aira-ty shook her head, wiping her eyes. “No Jesp, I'm fine.” she sighed heavily as the lie settled in her heart.
She wondered bitterly how much of Kahan was left within the Grand Inquisitor now that the last trace of light in his life had died.