Coming Out of the Dark, Chapter 2 The Battle of the Endar Spire

Trask was frantic. He had been on the bridge when the Sith attacked. They came out of nowhere and the Endar Spire was out-gunned five-to-one. He was very grateful when a Jedi pushed him out of the way of an exploding console, but was sincerely shocked when he ordered, “Ensign, go to your quarters and bring your bunkmate to the escape pods. It is vital that she be brought to safety.” The young Jedi’s tone brooked no opposition.

This was the same Jedi who had been rude to the young woman the night before. Trask knew this because at breakfast it had been a topic of the ship’s rumor mill. Several of the people who were witnesses to the scene had laughed at the sight of the six-foot beauty who had dealt with the “vertically challenged” Jedi’s haughty manner with her imperious elegance and a wicked humor in her eyes.

Trask stood stunned for a moment. `Why would a scout, even one with all of the abilities they say she possesses, be so important?’ Coming out of his stupor, he snapped to attention, “Aye sir!” and ran as fast as he could. Although he was a trained soldier, deep in his heart, a deep place where he couldn’t go during a battle, he longed to know that the woman he so admired was with the other civilian personnel at the escape pods.

Gia was startled out of yet another nightmare when the ship lurched after a powerful explosion. Confusion and terror coursed through her veins when she was jolted awake. She bolted upright as a man burst into the room. He was tall with white-blond hair cut in a basic crew-cut. She didn’t remember meeting him before, and was slightly embarrassed that he was seeing her in sleeping attire. The embarrassment fled when the sounds of an explosion rocked the ship. Right away she went to her footlocker. On her way she tripped and hit her head hard against the wall.

Immediately, her mind clouded. She knew wherever she was a battle was in full force. Unfortunately, whenever physical stress or a nightmare grabbed a hold of her, all of her memories became mixed together like a scattered deck of pazaak cards. Closing her eyes, she focused on her unexpected companion. He felt vaguely familiar to her. Thanks to her empathic abilities, she could sense underneath his adrenaline and heightened instincts that he was deeply concerned for her. Gia-Sade pulled herself together and focused on what was happening now. The Republic ship she was on was under attack, and the enemy was probably on their way to board.

Right now she had to get ready to fight whatever enemy was attacking them at the moment. Answers would come in time. As she was getting her weapons, the young ensign was informing her of the situation. “We’ve been ambushed by a Sith battle fleet! The Endar Spire is under attack! Hurry up - we don’t have much time,” he exclaimed, trying to urge her on.

Now, Gia remembered what she was doing there, and who the enemy was, but not the man’s name. So she asked cautiously, “Who are you?” as politely as she could under the extreme circumstances. Perhaps the gentleman’s name would help her put her thoughts in the proper order.

The young ensign was quick with his answer, much to his dazed and underdressed companion’s relief. “I’m Trask Ulgo, ensign with the Republic Fleet. I’m your bunkmate here on the Endar Spire. We work opposite shifts. I guess that’s why you haven’t seen me before.” Trask was rather dazed himself.

Tonight his beautiful roommate wore a long white silk night gown that tied around her neck, and had a split up her perfect right leg. With her shimmering dark hair down past her collar bone, she looked as if she could’ve been a bride on her wedding night. Pulling his head out of his fanciful thoughts, he remembered his duty.

Shaking her head in confusion, she silently cursed the head injury that made her short-term memory a mess. But the admiration she sensed coming from the man confirmed to her that he was the same Ensign Ulgo who had admired her this entire time. She still wasn’t sure where she was! Thoughtfully, she bit her bottom lip for a moment and asked, “Is the Endar Spire the ship we’re on, or the ship we’re protecting?”

A wave of disbelief and exasperation hit her from the young man as he snapped, “How hard did you hit your head against that wall? The Endar Spire is the ship we’re stationed on - this ship. You probably don’t even know who I am now, do you?” The adrenaline made his voice harsher than he intended.

Blushing furiously at this stranger’s irritation with her, and her own inept mind, Gia-Sade replied, “I’m sorry, but I suffered a head injury during the Mandalorian Wars. In stressful situations, or if I get a bump on the head like just now, my short-term memory gets cloudy.” She was unable to meet Trask’s eyes. The last thing he needed was a walking liability slowing him down during a battle with the Sith. But right now she was all he had, so she tied up her hair in a tight knot and continued to arm herself for battle.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you. I didn’t know,” Trask quickly apologized and was genuinely contrite. But he had to get the young woman moving. The Jedi had made it very clear that he was to get this woman off the ship alive. He just didn’t have time to be gentle with her. “Now hurry up. We have to find Bastila! We have to make sure she makes it off the ship alive! Don‘t worry. I‘ll be behind you every step of the way. We‘ll make it through this together,” he assured her.

“If you would please turn around, Ensign Ulgo, I’ll change,” Gia-Sade said in a less uncertain tone. As he did so, she asked, “Would you please remind me who Bastila is?” She changed into her undergarments and pulled on her skin-tight armor. Normally, she would be mortified that she was in a state of undress with anyone in the same room, but an attack by the Sith had literally, and figuratively, stripped her of her modesty. Right now she was carefully listening to every word coming out of Trask’s mouth.

“Bastila’s the commanding officer on the Endar Spire. Well, not an officer really, but she’s the one in charge of this mission. One of our primary duties is to guarantee her survival in the event of an enemy attack! You swore an oath just like everyone on this mission. Now it’s time to make good on that oath!” Trask explained, hoping that she remembered her oath and her apprehension wouldn’t be strong enough for her to try and run.

“Don’t worry, ensign,” Gia hastily assured him. “I might be a little hazy on the details, but I remember swearing that oath. I’ve served the Republic for years, and I’m not about to quit now,” she said with a determination Trask could clearly hear in her voice.

“I heard what everyone’s saying about you: you’ve explored the farthest reaches of the galaxy. You’ve visited planets I’ve never even heard of. People with your skills and abilities are hard to find. It’s no wonder the Republic recruited you for this mission. But now’s the time to prove yourself. I know you’re a scout and not a soldier, but Bastila needs all troops at her side during this attack,” Trask said with the awe he‘d always felt in her presence. He wanted his words to give her encouragement to risk her life for someone she hadn’t even seen.

Gia had just finished slipping her dagger, with the same crest and sapphire as in her cuff, into her stealth belt. Her pack of credits and melee upgrades, along with two sets of blaster upgrades, her small crystal collection, and a pazaak deck was safely on her left hip. Her black boots with three inch heels were on and her double-blade was ready. She knew time was up. She was slightly astonished that she had acquired such a reputation on the ship, mostly because she had barely spoken to anyone outside of ship’s business. But there was no time to think of that now. Now was the time to fight for the Republic.

“Ensign, I’m ready,” she said in a business-like manner. “Let’s go help Bastila.”

Trask turned around and was stunned by the eyes he had only imagined up until now. At first, he’d been so distracted by the attack to notice. Then he had his back to her while she changed. He was surprised at how accurate the scuttlebutt was about them. They were indeed the color of a cloudless noonday sky, with the warmth of a thousand suns exuding from them.

If that wasn’t enough, she was wearing armor unlike any he had seen before, and it left little to the imagination. Her every line and curve was caressed in skin-tight, shiny, black armor plating. But perhaps the biggest shock he had was the weapon she was carrying: a double-bladed Echani ritual brand. `Where could a scout have learned how to handle such a complex weapon?’ he asked himself.

He realized she was waiting for orders, so he snapped back to himself. “Come on, we have to hurry. The Sith might already be boarding the ship to try and capture Bastila. Are you sure you have everything? You need to be completely suited up so we can get out of here,” Trask asked, double checking his own weapons.

“I have everything. I’m ready to move out. Oh, and my name is Gia-Sade in case you didn’t know,” she informed him.

“No blaster, that’s odd. Here Gia-Sade. I have an extra one. You may need it. Blades are good for close combat, but we‘re out-numbered and out-gunned a least five-to-one. You‘ll need this to fight at a distance,” Trask said, handing her his spare.

“I only fight with blades. I barely know how to use a blaster. It will be much safer for both of us if I don’t take it,” she said, biting her lower lip again in embarrassment.

But Trask wouldn’t be dissuaded. “Can you fire a blaster at all?” he asked.

“I can, but I’ve never fired one at a sentient being before,” Gia replied. She knew that he was going to order her to take it. She truly didn’t want to use it. They killed too easily. In melee combat, if a wounded opponent wanted to surrender, they had a much better chance of surviving than with a ranged attack.

“Take it. That’s an order. You won‘t have the option of showing a Sith boarding patrol mercy,” Trask ordered in his best drill sergeant’s voice.

Gia-Sade grimaced, but took it anyway. “All right, I’m ready now,” she said, trying not to sound as annoyed as she felt.

“Okay, let’s move out. We should stick together. I can cover for you if things get to be too much for you. Because of the attack, this room is in lockdown, but don’t worry I’ve got the override codes. I’ll have us out in a moment,” Trask said in a confident manner.

Gia-Sade wished she had the same confidence her companion displayed. Despite her training and surviving the Mandalorian Wars, the truth was she despised killing and loathed combat. Even the fact that she would be defending her life against the Sith didn’t make it any easier for her to engage in battle. To her, when you ended another’s life a part of your own died with them.

It was during these times her father’s words came back to her, “If you do not defend yourself against an enemy’s attack, you hold your own life as worthless. If you hold your own life in such low regard, you cannot have respect for any other life.”

Just as she finished reminding herself of this, Trask had the door open. “Since you prefer blades, take the lead and I’ll cover for you. Don’t worry. I was the best marksman in my class at the Academy. You’re in good hands,” he told her. He was trying to reassure her, not only because she was a civilian, but because she so obviously had no desire to harm any living thing. He wondered if she had grown up in a human colony on Ithor or some other pacifist world.

Sensing that he also needed assurance that she was capable of doing this, Gia-Sade turned to him and said, “Don’t worry, Trask, I’m fully aware of what we must do and I am more than capable of doing it. I’ve trained in dozens of forms of melee combat since I was a child.”

“Are you Echani? Trask asked, thoroughly mystified by his beautiful companion.

“No, but my father insisted my brothers and I learn to defend ourselves in case there was ever a time we needed to,” she whispered in reply. The loss of her family still took a great toll on her.

They had been slowly making their way down the corridor when suddenly both of their personal communicators went off. On the small-imaged screen Gia-Sade saw the same handsome face she had seen last night in the mess hall; the man with such powerful emotions she could feel a tingling from him even now.

“This is Carth Onasi - the Sith are threatening to overrun our position! We can’t hold out long against their firepower! All hands to the bridge! They’re starting to board right now,” his voice conveyed the deadly situation that the crew was in. But Gia-Sade was momentarily enthralled by his authoritative, yet sensual voice.

Trask followed and decided to be honest about the situation. "Carth is one of the Republic’s best pilots! He’s seen more combat than the rest of the Endar Spire’s crew put together. If he says things are bad, you’d better believe it. We have to get to the bridge to help defend Bastila!” Trask said, hoping they would make it before it was too late.

Gia-Sade felt her insides tense up when they came to a locked door. She could feel a tremendous amount of hatred coming from one or more people behind it. The Sith had boarded the Endar Spire just as Carth Onasi had warned. She was just about to tell Trask this when he said, “That door’s locked and I don’t have the code to unlock it. I might be able to slice through it, but I’m not sure.” He hoped her skills with locks and machines were as good as the rumors said they were.

“Allow me,” Gia-Sade said, taking out a micro tool kit from the small pack on her hip.

A moment later, the door was open, just in time for them both to see a fellow crew member fall to two Sith advance guards. This caused Trask to shout in fury, “These Sith must be the advance boarding party. For the Republic!” Then he began firing. Gia-Sade took off and attacked the Sith who had a sword. It was over in a few minutes. With an attack of flurries and thrusts, the first Sith was down. His companion fell to Trask’s marksmanship.

Coming up to her with some medpacs, Trask said, “I’ve got a feeling that that won’t be our last battle with the Sith. It’s good we have these medpacs to heal our wounds. It might be a good idea to use one now before our next battle, Gia-Sade.” Trask was particularly worried because she had lost all of the color in her face, making her appear like a stone statue. Her graceful gait, that made it seem like she was floating on air, was gone. She was rigid now, like when she slept.

She shook her head. “Save yours. I have my own and I’m not wounded, but thank you for your kindness, Trask,” she stammered from the adrenaline running through her. She felt sick, but willed herself not be ill. It happened to her all through the Mandalorian Wars when she had killed in battle, and she had known it would happen again - just not so soon. She pulled herself together, quickly locking her grief in the deepest corners of her heart.

Right now she had a duty to keep the oath she swore to defend the Republic. She could never, and would never, believe that killing was the answer. But as she felt men and woman around her giving their lives to protect others, she knew without a moment’s hesitation that she would join them if the Force willed it.

Trask finished injecting himself with the healing kolto, and they continued toward the bridge. Around the next corner, a bloody fire fight between Republic officers and a Sith boarding patrol was reaching its end. The Sith were winning. Gia-Sade was shocked when a Sith officer threw a grenade that not only killed the few remaining Republic officers, but one of his own as well.

Tossing Trask’s spare blaster back to him, she said, “Keep me covered. I’m going in!” This Sith patrol had little regard for tactics and, with their sole intent on slaughtering everyone on board, was making their shots reckless and unfocused.

Taking off at a full run, she charged at the group of Sith, determined to stop their advance of savage slaughter. Taking the two with swords head on, she quickly disposed of the wounded one to her right and dodged a blow from the second with a powerful kick to his right side. She quickly took the unstable Sith out, and was relieved to see Trask’s shooting had taken care of the rest.

Trask had never seen anyone handle blades like that in his life! Even the instructors in the academy hadn’t moved with such speed and grace. Gia-Sade’s technique was flawless. She out-moved every attack and struck back quickly and efficiently. Not one move was wasted. It was as if she knew what the enemy was going to do before they did.

He was in awe. “Where did you learn to fight like that? You’ve done things I’ve never seen before, and I had an Echani melee instructor at the Academy. It was like you were born with that double-blade in your hand,” Trask stammered, still unable to believe what he’d just seen.

“I’ve studied for years. I was a melee dueling champion as a young girl growing up. Where I come from, learning the proper use of melee weapons is considered a valuable discipline. I learned from my father and brothers. We don‘t have time to go into it now. We’re nearly to the bridge,” she replied.

The feeling of death was getting stronger by the moment. She knew that there would be few survivors in this battle. Even if the Sith managed to take Bastila prisoner, they would end this by obliterating the Endar Spire with their own soldiers on board. Never in her life had Gia-Sade encountered so ruthless an enemy. Even the Mandalorians stopped before wiping out their own men.

When the next door opened, they were face-to-face with a battle between a Jedi and a dark Jedi. Gia-Sade began to move, but was stopped by Trask’s firm grip on her arm. “It’s a dark Jedi. This fight is too much for us - we’d better stay back. All we’d do is get in the way,” he shouted above the clashing lightsabers.

Gia-Sade wanted to object. She knew rationally she had no business trying to fight any Force user, but something compelled her to try. It was as if this faint voice in her head was giving her instructions to do so, but she remembered her head injury and decided it was a combination of that and her empathic abilities. Just as the dark Jedi had been defeated, the hull plating behind the light Jedi woman blew up - killing her instantly.

Gia-Sade felt a huge hole open up inside of herself and bit her lip in order not to cry out from the pain. It was like feeling her family killed again, only a thousand times more painful. `What is happening to me? Death never affected me this strongly before,’ she thought.

Trask went to the woman and checked her pulse. He punched the scarred wall that had killed her. “That was one of the Jedi accompanying Bastila. We could have used her help,” he said, his voice full of rage.

“Trask, there are two more Sith!” Gia-Sade yelled. She charged for the one with the blade, while Trask took his own out. Together they made short work of the two lesser-skilled Sith.

Finally, they were at the bridge door. Before Trask opened it, he said, “The bridge is just beyond here. There isn’t that much room on the bridge, and it’s suicide to use a blaster in close quarters. Should I stay back and cover you, or do you want me in?”

“Your call, ensign. My blades have a cortosis weave, so they’ll be fine if we run into more dark Jedi,” she said. She wanted him to know that she respected him as her superior officer.

“You’re better at using blades than I am. I’ll cover you. Just make sure you don‘t get hit by a blaster bolt. The Sith don’t care how many die, as long as we go down with them,” Trask decided.

The door opened and two Sith came charging. Gia-Sade kicked one back and Trask took him out, while the other fell to her blades. A console blew up, killing another Sith and the captain of the Spire. Trask took a moment to look at his companion. Her naturally pale skin had become ashen. Her pale pink lips were now white as snow, and her once warm eyes were cold and lifeless. Trask immediately thought she might be bleeding internally. Panicked by the thought of losing her now that they were so close to getting off the dying ship, Trask injected a medpac into her arm.

“Trask, I’m not hurt. Why did you waste a medpac on me?” Gia-Sade asked, annoyed by the young man’s presumptuousness.

“You must have been bleeding somewhere! You look like a ghost, you’re so pale,” Trask insisted. During the last hour of going through a battle that most soldiers only dreaded, his attraction had deepened into a fierce protectiveness. This beautiful, skilled, compassionate woman was more than he could have ever imagined.

“I just hate killing. I feel the other person dying. Look, don’t worry about me. Is Bastila here? I’ve never seen her before,” she asked, desperate to do her duty and get off this ship.

Trask took the hint and returned to business. “Bastila’s not here on the bridge. They must have retreated to the escape pods! We better head that way too. The Sith want Bastila alive, but once she’s off the ship there’s nothing stopping them from blasting the Endar Spire into galactic dust. I don’t want you here when they do, Gia-Sade,” he whispered. He longed to touch her face, or to make her smile, but he knew it wouldn’t be possible. There was nothing he could do or say to show her how much he cared for her in so little time.

Gia-Sade could feel that Trask had no desire to escape to Taris’ surface. In fact, he felt so strongly about it that it worried her. `Surely he doesn’t believe death is better than Taris’ she thought. She knew of the planet’s reputation for intolerance and for being a criminal base for the Exchange, but they had to land somewhere or die. Suddenly she felt something so corrupted, so full of hate and wanton lust for blood, that she nearly passed out. Whoever was behind that door was no ordinary Sith, like the ones they had fought previously.

From the beginning of this battle, Trask knew that he would not set foot on Taris. Not only would it mean his own death sentence, but possibly the entire destruction of the mission as well. He saw the locked door and knew that his destiny lay at the other end. He knew his death was fast approaching. His only regret was that he hadn’t asked the lovely Gia-Sade to have dinner one night. Then she might have become a good friend, or something more, instead of a nightly fantasy.

“There’s something behind here. Another dark Jedi! I’ll try to hold him off. You get to the escape pods. Go!” he ordered, shoving her away with all of his strength. Then he charged at his foe, thinking, `You’re safe Gia-Sade. Whatever their reasons for your being here, I know you’ve been one of the brightest parts of my life. I only wish I could have had the chance to tell you. From the moment I laid my eyes on you, you have had my complete loyalty. At least I die in peace. I’ve done my duty, and I’ve protected you, which is all I wanted out of this nightmare. Thanks to you, I’ll never set foot on that accursed planet again.’

Gia screamed Trask’s name and then felt him no more. `Why had he done it? It was such a sacrifice. We could have managed that Sith together,’ she thought. Trask Ulgo was an honorable man whose sacrifice she would never, ever forget. Tears and songs of mourning would have to wait. Her duty must still be done. She got back on her feet and focused on the peace she had felt from him as he was struck down. She would not let his sacrifice be in vain. Grabbing her double-blade, she made her way to the starboard section of the Spire where the escape pods were.

Suddenly her communicator chirped. Relief flooded through her that someone else had survived this horrific battle. Looking at the screen, her heart leaped when she saw Carth Onasi’s face. At least she wouldn’t have to mourn for his tortured soul as well.

“This is Carth Onasi. I’m tracking your position through the Endar Spire’s life support systems. Bastila’s escape pod is away. You’re the last remaining crew member on the Endar Spire. I can’t wait for you much longer. You have to get to the escape pods, but be careful. There’s a Sith patrol just down the corridor. If you have a stealth belt, use it.” His voice was haggard with stress, and he was naturally impatient to get off the ship, now that the Sith were ready to obliterate it.

“Aye, sir!” Gia-Sade responded. She was deeply pained and shocked that over two hundred men and women had been ruthlessly slaughtered in just a few hours. The cracks she felt within herself ached from the staggering loss of life. It confused and terrified her. She had never in her life experienced such desolation. The Mandalorian Wars had been nothing compared to this. What worried her, though, was that she couldn’t figure out if it was the change in the enemy, or the change in herself, that was causing this pain.

Activating her belt, she easily slipped past the first patrol, but immediately sensed two more behind the door she had to go through. Charging at the one on her left first because he had a rifle, she swung and slashed at his right arm. Dropping his gun, the Sith swung at her as she struck. The first Sith fell and she whirled around to attack the Sith coming from behind her. She caught him first, but before she could strike again, she heard him inject a poison into his bloodstream. Apparently this was a “come back with the Jedi woman or not at all” scenario. She shook her head, disgusted with the Sith ideology, and picked up her beeping communicator.

It was Carth Onasi again. “Be careful. There’s a whole squad of Sith on the other side of that door. You need to find a way to thin their numbers. You could reprogram the damaged assault droid to help you if you have enough repair parts. Or you could use computer spikes to slice into the terminal and use the Endar Spire’s security systems against the Sith. There should be a strong box in the room where you can find what you need.” His voice was more urgent now as the explosions got more and more frequent and stronger. She didn’t have much time.

“I’ll reprogram the droid, sir. It won’t take a minute,” Gia-Sade assured him.

Opening the storage box she found in the room, she took out the computer spikes and mechanical parts, and put them in her pack. She had a feeling she’d need those in the future. Putting on her stealth belt, she went to the droid and fixed him using only two of the parts she found, and rerouted the power to optimize his weapon accuracy and shielding. Then she hid behind a bulkhead and sent him on his way. Within minutes, there were no more Sith to worry about. She went in. On one of the bodies she found two prototype vibroblades. She took them, knowing that Taris could be a hostile world.

Suddenly the doors to the escape pod section opened, revealing Carth Onasi. He was even better-looking up close. “You’ve made it just in time. There’s only one active escape pod left. Come on. We can hide out on the planet below,” he ordered, knowing in a matter of moments the Sith would finish off the Endar Spire.

Suddenly the ship lurched, hurdling Gia-Sade into a wall again. She regained her footing, but her vision was blurry. “Who are you?” she asked.

“I’m a soldier with the Republic, like you. We’re the last remaining crew members left on the Endar Spire. Bastila’s escape pod is already gone, so there’s no reason to stick around here and get blown up by the Sith. Now, come on. There’ll be time for questions later.”

She knew an order when she heard one. She also knew escape pods were built for one and she’d have to leave her double-blade behind. Dropping it where she stood, she took the two vibroblades and went to the escape pod.

“I’ll get in first so I can fly this thing. You’ll have to sit on my lap, OK,” Carth said in a clipped tone. Although he had read most of her service record last night, he had no intention of trusting her.

Gia-Sade nodded, but she kept her hesitation to herself. On her home-world, physical contact between men and women was restricted to family members or betrothed and married couples. After he got in, he slid as far back in the flight seat as he could, sparing her a mere few inches. `Thank the Force I’m thin,’ she thought. She slid in gracefully and gingerly sat on Carth’s lap. From the emotions she sensed from him, he was just as uncomfortable as she was with the physical contact.

“Sir, thank you for waiting for me,” she said softly, spent from her ordeal and Trask’s death.

“Don’t thank me yet, soldier. We’re not down on the planet yet. Hold on. Here we go!” he shouted above the noise of the starting engine.

It was a rough descent, made rougher when a Sith fighter hit one of the thrusters. Gia-Sade saw stars. As she blacked out, she hoped to the Force that they would survive. She had to keep the promise she made to herself to help this man she now owed her life to.