[Episode III, pt. 2] The Swift Retribution Against the Forgotten Sons

  Scauth scrambled around in a frenzied panic. The sound of blaster fire and general meyhem poured from the coorridor leading to the hangar, and it grew closer with each second that passed. Up in the observation deck, a warrior in Gryskan armour activated the blast-door controls, and the two doors slowly grinded towards each other. Commotion started to break out in the observation deck.

  The commotion through the observation deck window quickly stopped, and two Mandalorians stood at the door controls. The blast-doors let out one final creaking groan as they stopped moving, and just as they stopped moving, the sounds of battle in the hallway ceased, giving way to an eerie calm. But the calm did not last...

  Four figures rushed their way into the room, with all the momentum of a freight-ship trying to cut a few parsecs off of a delivery run. A strandcast rushed at the nearest enemy, a Mandalorian, who leapt into the air with a short burst from their jetpack. As the Mandalorian did this, a dark blade ignited from a metal object in his hand, and the Mandalorian plunged forwards.

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  Hayk took everything in as quickly as the situation presented itself before him. He saw a figure walking towards a shuttle, dressed in dark armour and a red cape, holding some kind of sceptre. It seemed like the other Scauth were guarding his escape. This must've been the Prince his group was pursuing. But there was a wall of other warriors between him and his target. There was very little time. Hayk adopted a fighting style where he focused on moving forwards, blocking attacks, then pushing his enemies to the ground, or into their fellow guards to disrupt them. He passively took in everything else happening in the room, but kept his focus on the Gryskan walking towards the grey shuttle.

  In the corners of his eyes, he pieced together that Lara was taking out the Scauth on the catwalk above them with her blaster, Cadus the Jedi, who had shaved before the battle, was making quick work of a strand as another Gryskan warrior in red armour ran towards him, and an unfamiliar Mandalorian in grey armour was facing off with a strand encased in a large mechanical body.

  Some of the guards were shouting towards the Prince and a figure with a large round, silver helmet and tattered robes. This figure held a strange weapon with circular blades in one hand, and held an ornate sword towards the Prince in the other. Hayk pressed a button on his helmet, which began to record the dialogue. He couldn't understand what was being said, but he thought it may be good to translate it later.

  'Zhra'ad Kur!', the robed figure shouted, gesturing towards the Prince. Hayk had heard "Zhra'ad" used in reference to the Princes during other battles on Ra'un, and he figured this may have been a name. The Prince shot the figure a glare as he approached, then took the sword that was being held out to him, as he tossed his sceptre to the side.

  Cadus had defeated the Gryskan warrior, and dashed towards the Prince, slashing as he got close. The Prince held up the golden sword, and as if it took no effort, waved the sword through the blue blade of the Jedi's laser-sword. The lightsaber sputtered and the blade died, and the Prince knocked Cadus back with the hilt of the sword.

  'Cortosis!?,' the Jedi exclaimed with a shocked expression. 'Be careful, Hayk!'

  Hayk was still pushing his way through his enemies, and with the Jedi being taken off-guard and generally defenseless at this point, Zhra-ad Kur turned back towards the shuttle. Hayk managed to grab hold of his enemy's weapon, and push him into a guard that was duelling Lara, knocking both Scauth to the ground in a heap. There was now no one between him and the Prince, but there wasn't any time. If he got onto that shuttle, the Prince would just find another shadow from which to rebuild the hoard. Hayk activated his jetpack, and it roared to life.

  Despite the danger, Hayk slashed at the ship's engine, causing an explosion. His disoriented almost everyone in the room, but Hayk landed gracefully, face to face with the Gryskan heretic Prince. The shuttle tilted to one side with the sudden loss of thrust, and it became evident that the only way out for the Prince now was to go through Hayk.

  Hayk breathed deep, aware that his weapon may prove to be fully useless against his enemy. He waited for the Prince to make the first move... then, as the Prince swung in a blur of motion, Hayk stepped to the side and deactivated the blade of his weapon. This threw the Prince slightly off-balance.

  As the Prince swung his sword past him, Hayk reignited his weapon, and slashed with a smooth downwards motion.

  The sword fell to the ground.

  Defeated, the Prince winced with pain, but accepted that he had lost. To the Scauth's surprise, Hayk pulled out a small kit from his back, and began wrapping the injured arm.

  'You won't be dying by my hand today, Prince,' Hayk muttered, '...the Council may find a better use for you while you are alive.'

  Hayk took some time to glance around the room. It actually seemed that a number of the Scauth were able to be taken prisoner. The robed figure with the silver helmet was still rolling around disoriented, but was trying to get to his feet. It was at this time that Hayk realized that one of the Prince's guards, a Gryskan with a fancier lightning-sword than the other guards, must have managed to sneak out of the room during the battle.

  Hayk looked up to the observation deck, where Charaz and another Mandalorian stood watching. Charaz nodded, and Hayk nodded back. Hayk wasn't sure how the other groups had done in preventing the Princes' escape, but the ship portion of The Great Temple was still rooted to the ground, which seemed promising. Hayk and the others kept a close eye on their Scauth prisoners and waited for reinforcements to arrive.

  It seemed like the War of Ra'un was drawing to a close.