Another day in the dream world or the bacca tank revisited. "Walk with me then, both of you." Raven gestures to the Hunters to approach and take the sabers. Medenna and Octavia hesitated to part with their sabers but handed them over. Octavia moved Medenna to her outer side so that she was the one closer to Raven. "You still haven't answered what you want with either Medenna or myself?" Octavia watched were the Hunters placed her saber as well as Medenna's "Why, to talk, to walk a bit. To deliver you to others who like to talk to Jedi." Raven gestures to the alley. "Move," Octavia places her hand on Medenna's shoulder and gives it a gentle squeeze. "After you, you seem to know where we are going." Octavia turns toward the alley followed by Medenna. "If you wish to talk to Jedi, why not speak to the new council?" Octavia asked. Raven walked beside them, the Hunters and mercs falling in behind. The alley is dark and covers them. Raven chuckled. "Ah the Council. I doubt they would allow me to speak to them. The Alliance is very untrusting of my motives." Octavia crossed her arms in front of her. "You give very little reason to be trusted. After all wasn't it the Emperor that destroyed the other Jedi?" her voice was calm and even. "Just what are your motives?" Medenna asked. "Sins of the Father? I didn't think you would judge someone so unfairly." Octavia bowed her head slightly. "I do not judge, I only state what could be possible truth from a certain point of view." "Why, to help people. I've always helped people." Raven paused. "Don't mince words Octavia. 'From a certain point of view' often means one is lying." Raven studied Octavia. "Sometimes one must be harsh to be kind. I excel at that." "I have no reason to lie to you. I do not even know you." Octavia replied. Researching her memory and remembered Roc talking about rebel that were returned in a state of carbon freeze "You will. I love to talk to people." Raven's voice seemed so sure of her words. The group left the alley at the spaceport and started across the landing field. "And, what do you wish to talk about?" Octavia asked. "Jedi. Yavin … Yavin Security. Your training, your past your future..." Octavia smiled slightly. "I am afraid that will be a very short conversation. Yavin is new to me; I am still learning the forests. As for training, still achieving it." Octavia places her hands behind her back "As for my past that isn't very interesting." The group passes the outer line of ships assembled on the field, passing through the shadows of other larger ship silhouetted against the starry sky. Raven glances back. "I'm certain you will think of something. I can be quite persuasive." "WOW look at the size of that ship!" Medenna exclaimed Raven chuckled and some of the mercs grin at Medenna. "I am sure you can be, but I'm afraid you won't like the answers." Octavia states calmly. They approach the ship steadily; Raven tilts her face up to the breeze. Outside the ship dark shapes appear in the shadows. Octavia stopped and glanced around warily carefully. Raven glances at the two Jedi. "Now or never. Will you try to escape?" Raven stops a few paces ahead. The Hunters stop a few behind. "You know what I want. If you will not give it you will not enjoy your journey." Octavia glances at Medenna who nods. "We will not betray the Alliance any more than we will betray the Jedi." They both turn and use the force to pull their sabers to them. "WE will die JEDI." Medenna yells. "Everyone breaks in the end Octavia. Me, you, Medenna. Death will not free you." Raven's saber ignites and she steps back into a fighting stance, sabers ignite all around and blasters the sound of the blasters hummed as they were thumbed to full power. //Show them how its done daughter// Palpatine's voice spoke inside Raven's head. "Not every breaks, and not everyone has a price." Octavia states turning using the force to throw some of the Hunters backward Raven grinned. //Yes Father. As you wish// "EVERYONE breaks. In the end." Raven slashes high at Octavia. Medenna stood back to back with Octavia guarding her as Octavia parried Raven's attack. "You mistake me for someone else." Octavia replied Raven slides past, parrying and slashing another four hunters moved in also. The mercs move back to give the fighters room Medenna using the force to keep some of the mercs back as she gives Raven and Octavia room to fight. Two Hunters engage Medenna; three hang back and watch Raven solo Octavia. Octavia focused on Raven keeping her center and letting the Force flow through her. She knew Medenna was engaged with the hungers keeping them between her and Octavia. The lightsabers clashed and hissed, sparks flew. Raven tangled her blade with Octavia's and pushed with tk. "Surrender!" Octavia stumbled but quickly regained her footing. "I do not believe so your highness, with all do respect." Raven spun kicked at Octavia while she was still off balance, her boot landed to Octavia's stomach. Raven's blade spun in her hand and came forward to crash against Octavia's. Octavia flipped over and landed on one knee to face Raven bringing her saber up to block. Raven's saber flashed in from the side, battering at Octavia's defenses. Octavia blocked and tk'd a hunter into Raven's path giving Octavia time to rise. Raven hurriedly draws her blade back before the hunter gets carved in two and throws him out of her way. "That was good. Very nice." Octavia prepared to meet Raven again. She watched as Raven blew her hair out of her face and circled Octavia, blade between them. "How far along is your training Octavia?" Medenna rolled away from one of the hunters slicing at his feet. Octavia stood keeping her saber up. "Far enough to know my path." "If you knew your path you would not need Medenna to keep you on it my dear." Raven lunges in a feint, spins and brings her blade in a fast arc through where Octavia's chest should be. Octavia rolled out of the way at the last minute. She could feel exhaustion trying to claim her. "The Jedi keep each other safe and on their course. It's the way." "You don't look very safe. Raven steps past to run her saber through Medenna's back while Octavia is out of position. : "NO!" Octavia screamed, as she seemed to remember another scream from another time another place. "MEDENNA!" Raven pulls her blade out slowly and steps back. Raven smiles. "I told you. I am a woman of my word." Octavia watched in horror as Medenna falls to the ground. She fights the rising anger and pain, trying to control her breathing. "If you came along quietly, Medenna would not be harmed." Ravens saber spins in a blinding circle of light and around in her hand casually. "You have such lovely anger in you Octavia. Life is unfair is it not." "She would not to have been forced to betray the Alliance anymore than any Jedi would." Octavia kept her saber ready. "So, do you kill me next?" "Medenna was a child. She knew nothing. You did. That is the difference." Raven watched her carefully. "And as I said, death will not free you." "She was wiser then either you or I. For a child she knew much." Octavia smiled. "Death is not the end I've learned that much." "Yes she did. And now you've lost her. Another one. You lose your family easily Octavia." Raven's saber twirls, cutting patterns of light in their retinas as it dances. She smiles slightly. Octavia looked over at Medenna then back to Raven. "Perhaps." the pain in her voice is clear. "Embrace your pain Octavia. Your anger. You're hurt. I can save her." Raven's saber comes to her side, blazing in the night casting shadows on her serious face. Octavia embraces her pain then lets it pass through her as her father had taught her so many years ago. "Medenna is safe from you and the Empire. If it is her destiny to die, then she will be one the Force. I will not give into the dark." Raven shakes her head. "Like water off a rooftop.... She is dying. Stay with her then. Through the end, and then it will be you and I and no others." Raven waves the Hunters away from Medenna and waits. Octavia stares at Raven then walks over to Medenna. She lowers her blade and kneels next to her. "I am the cause of this forgive me." She could feel the weakness, the darkness, and the very ebb of Medenna's life slipping away. She never wanted to feel death again. Moving the hair out of Medenna's face she looked down into the girls eyes. Octavia remembered her father, her grandmother and her grandfather's ghost. 'Death is a part of life Octavia, ' her grandmothers' words come back to her. 'Do not run from it, do not fear it.' "You ... are not to blame. We stand for ... light ... do not forget that." Medenna gives a slight smile. Octavia lets a tear roll down her cheek "The Force is with you young one. I wish we had more time." Octavia was overcome with grief, but knew she couldn't give into it. The enemy was still close. Octavia roses to feet after Medenna dies and she turns to face to face Raven. "I believe you wanted something from me." Raven just watched her. Octavia ignites her saber and walks closer to Raven. "I will not turn I will not dishonor her or my grandfather with that cowardly action." Raven's still lit saber stayed loosely at her side. "Even if I let you kill me?" Octavia took a step forward her own saber rising. Yes, she wanted to kill this woman, wanted her to pay for taking the life of Medenna. Octavia shook her head. "That.... That would be an act of revenge and one I will not take." Raven smiles slowly. "If you change your mind, I will be here." Raven's saber comes up and waits for Octavia. Octavia stood there weighing her decision, would she strike out in anger? Slowly Octavia disengaged her saber and knelt on the ground waiting. "Then you have a long wait your highness." Raven took Octavia's saber and gestures to the Hunters. They picked up Octavia and drugged her inside the ship. Octavia was barely aware that they put her into a cell.
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