Beyond - Legends New Story -- Battle Scars II (Jedi Knight Ta'tan'ia, Admiral Daala, Jaina Solo)

Authoress’s notes: The following story is from Jedi Ta'tan'ia's point-of-view, and takes place concurrently with Battle Scars. It is also a pseudo sequel to Jedi Submissive Ta'tan'ia II. This story takes place about two-and-half years after Natasi Daala is removed from power as Chief of State of the Galactic Alliance. I have taken a few liberties with the end of FOTJ. Please read and enjoy all of my stories, and please leave me feedback, public or via email. – ahandcuffgirl(at)yahoo(dot)com

Battle Scars II: Ta’tan’ia

Lieutenant Ta’tan’ia awoke nearly twenty minutes before the alarms on her wrist chrono and comlink went off. She had slept less than five hours, which was about average for her these days. Ta’tan’ia sat up, and slipped her feet into her clear plastex slides with fifteen centimeter heels, and strutted to her compact ‘fresher.

The combined Galactic Alliance-Confederation-Hapan-Imperial fleets were gearing up for a major engagement with the last major Sith-Imperial-Mandalorian fleet. Hopefully, the GACHI fleets could destroy the SIMs, and put an end to this terrible war.

A few minutes later Ta’tan’ia came out of the fresher. Besides her clear plastex heels, beskar wrist chrono and comlink, she was wearing a black tank top with the Galactic Alliance Naval Emblem over her left breast, and a pair of matching short shorts. Her beskar collar was around her neck, and her beskar chastity belt was underneath her short shorts.

Ta’tan’ia didn’t even notice her beskar collar anymore. She only noticed her wrist chrono on her left wrist, and comlink on her right wrist when she was using them. She had been wearing all of them for nearly three years, and would be wearing them for the rest of her life. They had long since become a part of her.

Ta’tan’ia quickly switched out her plastex heels for her black gym shoes with fifteen centimeter wedge heels. Then she grabbed her datapad and headphones, and headed for the officer’s gym. As she walked through the ship's corridors, she began tapping commands into her wrist comlink. While she was working out, it would play the audio version of the reports that had come in overnight through her headphones. The reports would also be displayed on her datapad.

Once Ta’tan’ia arrived at the gym, she put on her headphones, and started listening to the reports so she could brief Admiral Daala. There were a few other Chimaera officers already there. Several nodded or waved at her. Ta’tan’ia returned their greetings, and began stretching. None of them paid any special attention to her collar, chrono, comlink, or chastity belt. They had seen her in them plenty of times before. Ta’tan’ia did her warm up, and began her morning workout. All of the machines had stands for her datapad, so she could read the reports while she worked out.

Since she had gotten up early, Ta’tan’ia did an extra ten minutes of aerobics before she stopped. Once she finished, she got her datapad, went back to her cabin, where she took a quick sanisteam, then got dressed for duty.

Lieutenant Ta’tan’ia took a moment to check herself out in her mirror. She was wearing a crisp Galactic Alliance Naval Command duty uniform. It was black, with Galactic Alliance Blue accents. A matching nerfhide harness was wrapped her head and the base of her lekku, with the GA Naval Emblem on the front. Glossy black knee boots with chunky ten centimeter heels were on her feet. The heels were one of the few non-regulation items that Admiral Daala allowed her to wear.

Underneath her uniform Ta’tan’ia was wearing an armored black bodysuit. Under that she was wearing another non-regulation item Admiral Daala allowed her to wear; her beskar chastity belt. Ta’tan’ia’s collar, chrono, and comlink were partially visible under the collar and sleeves of her uniform tunic.

A standard-issue GA Naval blaster pistol was in the holster on her left hip. Her lightsaber—the final non-regulation item Admiral Daala allowed her—was horizontal across the back of her belt.

Unlike most of the other Jedi—who were still alive—Ta’tan’ia hadn’t fought any Sith directly. In the opening weeks of the war Admiral Bwua’tu and Grand Master Skywalker had decided that all senior flag officers should have a Jedi bodyguard. Admiral Daala had requested Ta’tan’ia, and she had accepted. She had been at her side ever since, and hadn’t fought any Sith. Considering the number of Jedi that hadn’t survived duels with Sith or the war in general, Ta’tan’ia might have considered herself lucky.

While Ta’tan’ia was ready to fight a Sith, she wasn’t eager. It wasn’t because she was afraid though, it was simply because her duty was to protect and assist Admiral Daala. If a Sith got close enough to her for Ta’tan’ia to fight them, then things had already gone very wrong.

Several months ago, Admiral Daala had given Ta’tan’ia a field promotion to Ensign. Last month she had been promoted again, to Lieutenant. Ta’tan’ia took one last look at herself, then marched out of her cabin, picking up her datapad on the way. She often worked longer hours as Admiral Daala’s aide than she had as her Jedi liaison. It didn’t bother Ta’tan’ia one bit; the Sith had to be defeated.

Four minutes later, Ta’tan’ia was standing just outside the hatchway to Admiral Daala’s quarters, with her datapad in one hand, and a hot cup of caf in the other. Ta’tan’ia’s own cabin was just across the corridor, but she had had to go prepare the Admiral’s caf. The datapad had the summary of the reports that had come in overnight from the fleet. Ta’tan’ia had already reviewed the reports while she had gotten in her morning exercise.

While she was waiting, she scanned them again. Less than a minute later, the hatchway door opened and Admiral Daala’s YVH bodyguard droid, emerged, followed by the Admiral herself.

“Good morning, Admiral Daala,” Ta’tan’ia said cheerfully as she presented her the datapad and caf.

“Good morning, Lieutenant,” Admiral Daala replied as she took first the datapad, then the caf. She immediately headed towards the bridge, with Ta’tan’ia following a step behind her, and to her left. Bee-Dee, the YVH droid, was a meter or so in front of them.

“What’s new?” Admiral Daala asked after she had taken a swallow of her caf. She was reading the datapad as they walked.

“An Eta-5 on board the Twilight Hornet accidently fired a pair of concussion missiles while it was in the hanger, killing four crewmembers and injuring seven, two critically,” Ta’tan’ia informed her of the most important incident that had happened overnight. “There was also a power overload on the Dantooine that killed a crewmember, and injured another.”

Admiral Daala muttered a curse under her breath. “Does General Solo know about the missile launch?”

“Yes Ma’am,” Ta’tan’ia answered promptly. “She arrived on the Twilight Hornet nearly two hours ago to personally access the situation.”

“Good,” Admiral Daala replied with a nod. “We can’t afford to lose people over careless mistakes.”

A few minutes later, they arrived on the bridge. Captain Turrls greeted Admiral Daala, and nodded towards Ta’tan’ia.

“All ships report no enemy contacts from any of our probes, Admiral,” he updated her.

“Good,” Admiral Daala responded with a nod.

Ta’tan’ia and Admiral Daala spent the next several minutes on the bridge discussing their status with Captain Turrls. When his second officer arrived for her shift, Admiral Daala and Ta’tan’ia moved to the Admiral’s fleet command center, which was just aft of the bridge.

“Captain Turrls, once you’ve briefed Lieutenant Commander Lejok, join Lieutenant Ta’tan’ia and I in my command center,” she instructed him.

“Yes Ma’am,” Captain Turrls responded promptly.

Several other members of Admiral Daala’s staff were already in the command center. They greeted Admiral Daala upon her arrival. She ordered them to carry on, and the group immediately went to work planning their part of the upcoming battle. A few minutes later, Captain Turrls joined them. A couple of hours later, General Solo did as well.

The group ate lunch in the command center. Several hours later, Admiral Daala decided they had done enough for today. Several members of her staff headed for the officer’s mess, while Admiral Daala and Ta’tan’ia went on an impromptu inspection tour of the ship, like they often did.

Several days later . . .

Today was the day. The GACHI fleet was in place, ready to destroy the last major SIM fleet. Ta’tan’ia had been up since oh-four-hundred assisting Admiral Daala in getting her fleet ready. Admiral Daala hadn’t been up quite that long, but that didn’t bother Ta’tan’ia. Not only was Admiral Daala several decades older than she was, she didn’t have the Force to keep her energized. Ta’tan’ia also knew that the Admiral had a lot more responsibility on her than she did. If she needed to catch a couple of extra hours of sleep, that was just fine by her.

Currently Ta’tan’ia was in the Admiral’s command center, along with Admiral Daala and most of the rest of her staff. Ta’tan’ia was compiling a final status report from every ship in the Second Fleet, which was Admiral Daala’s fleet. Admiral Daala had just received a holocom call from General Solo.

“Excellent, General,” Admiral Daala said to Jaina Solo’s hologram. “Admirals Bwua'tu, Darklighter, and Makin's, General Phennir's, Queen Mother Tenel Ka, and Moffs Garreter and Sarreti's fleets are ready as well. Master Durron and the Jedi are also prepared to strike. We will follow Moff Garreter's fleet, as we've planned."

“Yes Ma’am,” General Solo replied.

Before Admiral Daala could say anything else, Ta’tan’ia stepped into the holoemmitter field, and handed her a datapad with a final status report from her fleet. While Admiral Daala was scanning it, Ta’tan’ia glanced towards Jaina, and gave her a professional nod, while smiling cheerfully. General Solo nodded back, and flashed a slight smile. Her black body suit had a high, stiff collar. Ta’tan’ia knew General Solo wore it because she liked wearing collars, probably just as much as she did. She could also spot her durasteel wrist comlink under the hem of her right sleeve. Ta’tan’ia knew she had a matching chrono on her left wrist as well.

After a few moments, Admiral Daala handed the datapad back to Ta’tan’ia, and gave her a nod of approval. Ta’tan’ia obediently stepped out of the holoemmitter field, and returned to her duties. The attack was set to launch in—she paused to glance at her wrist chrono—twenty-eight minutes.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Ta’tan’ia felt the ship shudder from a direct turbolaser hit. She glanced at her ship’s readout, and didn’t see any damage worth mentioning to Admiral Daala. Captain Turrls, who was on the bridge, could handle the Chimaera’s defenses. Admiral Daala had seven ships in serious trouble at the moment, and another ten getting closer than they needed to be. Suddenly two of the later winked out of existence. Frakk!


“Admiral Daala, we’ve lost the Crimson Wave and the Srivver!” Ta’tan’ia announced loud enough to be heard, but not quite shouting.


Admiral Daala looked between those two sections of the holodisplay board. The enemy ships near them didn’t appear to be powerful enough to destroy them so fast. “What the frakk happened!?” she asked. “Shadow bombs?”



While Ta’tan’ia couldn’t be a hundred percent sure, that definitely seemed like the most likely explanation. There were a lot of Sith piloting starfighters with shadow bombs out there. “Yes Ma’am,” Ta’tan’ia answered with a nod. “And the Bonn Vikerty is critical.”


“Kriffing Garreter,” Admiral Daala muttered under her breath as she began moving ships in the holodisplay to assist the Vikerty. “Lieutenant Ta’tan’ia, contact General Solo and ask her to do something about those shadow bombs,” she ordered her.


“Yes Ma’am,” Ta’tan’ia replied obediently.


Before Ta’tan’ia could obey, Admiral Daala glanced at her comm display. “Never mind, that’s her,” she commented as she activated the comm.


A few moments later, Admiral Daala turned off the comm. “General Solo is going to personally see to the matter,” she informed her staff.


While Ta’tan’ia knew that General Solo was one of the top starfighter pilots in the galaxy, she was also a much better strategist than Colonel Barro, her second in command. Ta’tan’ia hoped her skills in the cockpit would make up for her being out of the flight ops center.


The Second Fleet was able to survive without General Solo coordinating its starfighter operations. Under Admiral Daala’s leadership, the Second Fleet systematically blasted the surrounding SIM ships to pieces. It certainly helped that the GACHI fleet outnumbered the SIM fleet nearly three-to-one. Even after the pounding Moff Garreter’s fleet took, the Galactic Alliance Second Fleet had a lot more ships in the area than the SIMs.


As Ta’tan’ia watched the holodisplay board, a Second Fleet Mon Calamari Star Cruiser and two Republic-class cruisers worked together to blast the entire command tower off a SIM Star Destroyer. At the same time, the Chimaera and one of her escorts—an old Mon Calamari MC90 Star Cruiser—were finishing off a SIM affiliated Bothan Assault Cruiser.


The rest of the battle was going almost as good—for the most part. Other than a few isolated pockets, the GACHI fleet was dominating the SIMs, who were beginning to try to separate themselves from the battle.


Less than thirty minutes later, the Second Fleet received orders from Admiral Bwua’tu to pursue the retreating SIM fleet. Admiral Daala immediately began issuing orders to her fleet to form up and jump. Ta’tan’ia ensured that the order was issued to all Second Fleet ships, and routed to the starfighters. A minute or so later, the Chimaera and a half-dozen other GACHI ships entered hyperspace, accompanied by about three squadrons of friendly starfighters.


~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~


When the Chimaera exited hyperspace, they found a handful of GACHI ships engaging about a dozen SIM ships. The GACHI ships were part of the secondary ambush fleets that Admiral Bwua’tu had deployed in the SIMs’ likely paths of retreat. Since the GACHI ships hadn’t been in the main battle, they were fresh, and had their full compliments of starfighters.


They were in an uninhabited system designated Wolf Three-Five-Nine by an Imperial survey decades ago. It had a medium sized orange sun, and six planets, none of which had anything worth exploiting, other than cover for an ambush.


Admiral Daala immediately ordered her ships to engage the enemy. The order was somewhat unnecessary; the ships’ captains were already heading into the fight. Ta’tan’ia had expected nothing less.


As they closed with the SIM fleet, Ta’tan’ia reached out with the Force to sense if any Sith; or other Jedi were nearby. She felt five or six Sith, and seven friendly Jedi. She reassured her fellow Jedi through the Force.


Over the next couple of minutes about ten more SIM ships arrived in-system—along with a few Sith—immediately followed by several more GACHI ships—and General Solo. Since Admiral Daala was the highest ranking GACHI officer, she took command of the battle.


Suddenly Ta’tan’ia sensed danger from a pair of Sith. She quickly found a pair of X-wings heading straight for the Chimaera.


Ta’tan’ia immediately ordered the starboard side guns to target the X-wings. If the Sith were piloting them, then they would have shadow bombs.


A couple of moments later Ta’tan’ia felt imminent danger through the Force. She shouted a warning to everyone, and grabbed the edge of her display panel. A moment later the Chimaera bucked as a pair of shadow bombs exploded against the shields. Ta’tan’ia held her breath as she waited for the other pair to hit against the weakened shields, and do even more damage. Several seconds later she let out a sigh of relief. She could sense the immediate danger was passed.


Ta’tan’ia turned her attention back to the holodisplay board, and the Sith X-wings. She knew they would try to attack again.


General Solo and Rogue Leader—Syal Antilles— quickly locked onto the Sith starfighters. The four pilots made an extremely dangerous head-to-head pass, and somehow all survived. Ta’tan’ia glanced at the display and saw that the second Sith X-wing was badly damaged though. As the four snub fighter pilots turned to engage each other again, Rouge Nine—Jysella Horn—swept in and destroyed the trailing Sith.


The remaining Sith X-wing immediately broke off its attack on the Chimaera. Ta’tan’ia turned her attention to a Mandalorian Cruiser that was the closest enemy ship. The Chimaera and two of her escorts were more than handling the Mando Cruiser. It didn’t take them long to destroy it.


With General Jaina Solo leading the starfighter attack, and Admiral Daala commanding the capital ship fleet, the GACHI’s systemically decimated the SIM fleet. Only a few SIM capital ships manage to escape the destruction.


~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~


We did it! Ta’tan’ia thought to herself with satisfaction. The last major SIM fleet was gone. There was a feeling of exultation from the Chimaera, and the rest of the GACHI fleet nearby. Most of the Sith in-system had been killed in battle, although a few had escaped. All of the SIM ships were either destroyed or had surrendered. By the reports coming in from the rest of the GACHI fleet, the entire battle was a huge victory . . . A decisive victory. The Sith and their allies had finally been defeated.


The following night, on board the Chimaera II . . .


Ta’tan’ia was in Admiral Daala’s quarters, going over damage reports and repair assessments for her fleet. They were still technically on alert, but there was no enemy contact on the fleet’s sensors, or from the probes they had deployed. General Solo still had six squadrons of starfighters from the fleet spread out on patrol, and six more on standby for immediate take off.


Admiral Daala was still wearing her uniform boots, pants, and armored body suit, as well as her belt. Her blaster was still in her holster on her hip. Ta’tan’ia was wearing her ten centimeter chunky heeled boots, uniform pants, and armored body suit. She was also still wearing her beskar chastity belt, as well as her collar, chrono, and comlink. Her belt with her blaster and lightsaber was around her waist. Her uniform tunic was next to her, hanging over the back of the pouf couch. Bee-Dee, Admiral Daala’s YVH bodyguard droid, was in the corner to the right of the hatchway.


Neither Ta’tan’ia or Admiral Daala had slept since before the battle. They had only left the command center a little over an hour ago. Both of them were sitting on the pouf couch against the opposite bulkhead, facing the hatchway. An array of data cards and a portable computer terminal were on the caf table in front of them.


Admiral Daala’s fleet was down to nearly two-thirds strength for the immediate future. Another ten percent was damaged enough to be unable to continue hunting for the SIMs. They were on rear security and recovery operations at the original battle site, and elsewhere until there was room at a shipyard for them.


Suddenly Ta’tan’ia felt an imminent danger through the Force. As her hand reached her lightsaber, the hatchway burst open, and a pair of Sith leapt in, red lightsabers blazing.
The one on Ta’tan’ia’s right was a male Keshiri. The other one was a raven-haired human woman.


Ta’tan’ia pulled her lightsaber off her belt, and ignited it as she jumped to her feet and brought it to a guard position. Almost as soon as she did, Bee-Dee opened fire from the Sith’s right. Admiral Daala dropped to one knee as she reached for her own blaster on her hip.


The human Sith turned to block the blaster bolts from Bee-Dee. The Keshiri Sith sneered, and let loose a volley of Force lightening.


Ta’tan’ia realized a split-second too late that the lightning wasn’t aimed at her—it was aimed at Admiral Daala. The bolt hit her in her chest and slammed her into the front of the pouf couch. Ta’tan’ia instantly leapt in front of her, and caught the bolt on her lightsaber. Admiral Daala fell to the floor behind her, practically under her heels.


Ta’tan’ia could feel her skin tingling from the electricity. She held her position for a couple of heartbeats, then kicked the caf table up, and at the Sith. It got high enough to block the lightening. Ta’tan’ia leapt up behind the table towards the Sith, her right leg flexed for a kick, and her lightsaber ready to block or strike.


As she flew through the air, the Keshiri stopped the lightening, and Force-shoved the metal caf table back towards Ta’tan’ia. She slowed it with her outstretched foot, and at the same time, sliced it in half.



The table served to stop her momentum though. Ta’tan’ia dropped to floor, landing on one knee less than a meter in front of the Sith. She kept her lightsaber up, and blocked his blade just a decimeter from her face.


The Sith followed up with a boot to her stomach, which helped her to her feet, and back half a step. Ta’tan’ia immediately had to block a flurry of strikes and slashes at her mid-section as she backpedaled. She made sure to keep herself between her opponent and Admiral Daala. In her peripheral vision she could see the other Sith still fighting Bee-Dee.


Finally the Sith pulled his blade back a bit too far for his next strike. Ta’tan’ia drove her left foot into his right thigh, pushing him back and to one knee. He countered by swiping at her ankles with his lightsaber. Ta’tan’ia jumped clear and swung her own lightsaber at the Sith’s neck.


The Keshiri did a half-roll-half-flip backwards out of the way. As he came up, he swung his lightsaber in an upward vertical arc, trying to cut her in half. Ta’tan’ia leaned back in the nick of time, the tip of the blade missing her upper body by mere centimeters. She actually felt it hit her beskar chastity belt. As he brought his lightsaber down for another strike, Ta’tan’ia leaned to her left and slashed upwards with hers.



Her blade struck first. Ta’tan’ia sliced off his entire right arm, including part of his shoulder, and a sliver of his scalp. The Sith was still grasping his lightsaber in his left hand. Ta’tan’ia easily knocked it aside, then spun her lightsaber around vertically, and drove the tip straight down behind his collar bone, into his body, almost to the hilt.


Ta’tan’ia stared into his eyes as he dropped to his knees. A heartbeat later, she pulled her purple blade out through his chest, and let his body fall to the deck.


As his lifeless body fell, Ta’tan’ia glanced at Admiral Daala. She was alive, and semi-conscious. There was no way Ta’tan’ia could get her to safety with the other Sith in the room. All of this flashed through Ta’tan’ia’s mind in less than a second. She took a step towards the Sith, and leapt to attack.


The human Sith used the Force to push Bee-Dee into her as she landed. Ta’tan’ia slammed into the droid, and the Sith used her momentary distraction to stab at her head. As Ta’tan’ia twisted away, the tip of the red blade pierced her right eye a few centimeters.


Ta’tan’ia gasped in pain as she fell to the deck, clutching her eye socket. Her lightsaber rolled out of her hand, and came to a stop against the bulkhead.


Ta’tan’ia lay on the deck, only the agony in her eye socket keeping her conscious. She was vaguely aware of the Sith fighting with Bee-Dee above her. After several long, torturous seconds, she raised her head, and reached out for her lightsaber with the Force. She couldn’t see anything out of her right eye.


As her lightsaber reached her hand, the upper half of Bee-Dee’s chest up to his head hit the deck next to her. Ta’tan’ia rolled over and brought her lightsaber to her side to block the Sith’s strike. Ta’tan’ia immediately tried to kick her legs out from under her, but the human jumped clear. As she landed, she stomped Ta’tan’ia’s wrist with all of her strength.


Fortunately for Ta’tan’ia, the Sith’s right boot landed directly on her beskar comlink. She grunted in pain as her ankle rolled off it. A split second later the Sith swung her lightsaber for Ta’tan’ia’s head.


Ta’tan’ia managed to block the strike as she rolled away, and rose to a crouch. Ta’tan’ia stabbed at her as she jumped back and to her feet. She did her best to ignore the fiery pain in her right eye. The human Sith closed the distance, and attacked again.


The Sith let loose a flurry of short, sharp strikes. Ta’tan’ia quickly realized she was a far superior fighter than the Keshiri. Her strikes were faster, harder, and tightly controlled. It certainly didn’t help that she couldn’t see out of her right eye. Ta’tan’ia continued to backpedal as she struggled to block her opponent’s red-bladed lightsaber. The human did seem to be favoring her right ankle a bit. Ta’tan’ia wasn’t sure what she could do about it though, she was busy trying to survive the next few seconds.


Suddenly the Sith grunted as a blaster bolt hit her in the stomach.


Admiral Daala!


Ta’tan’ia took advantage and made her own attack. As she took a half-step forward, Admiral Daala fired again.


This time the Sith deflected the blaster bolt—directly into Ta’tan’ia’s chest. In spite of her armored bodysuit, it felt like she had been hit with a sonic hammer. Ta’tan’ia gasped as the air rushed out of her lungs.


In a split-second the Sith spun her lightsaber in a circle, and Ta’tan’ia felt white-hot pain at her wrist. She looked down in shock to see her right hand falling to the deck. Her comlink was still on what was left of her wrist. Somehow she was still holding her own lightsaber in her left hand. Before she could do anything with it, another blaster bolt hit the Sith in her hip. She grunted and tried to block the next bolt.


Ta’tan’ia flicked her lightsaber and sliced off her opponent’s right arm just below the elbow. As her blade continued on its path, the tip cut through her midsection as well.


The Sith screamed in fury as she brought her left hand up, and released a bolt of Force lightening into both Ta’tan’ia and Admiral Daala.


Ta’tan’ia flew into the wall with an oomph, and fell onto the pouf couch. Her muscles spasmed as the Sith intensified the discharge. She saw Admiral Daala writhing in pain a meter or so away.


After several long seconds—which seemed like an eternity to Ta’tan’ia—the Sith stopped the Force lightening, and took several slow, deep breaths. She was obviously exhausted. Ta’tan’ia wasn’t in any condition to do anything about it at the moment.


The Sith took another deep breath, then slowly squatted down, and reached for her lightsaber on the deck at her feet.


As she was pulling it out of her own amputated hand, Ta’tan’ia reached out with the Force, and ignited the lightsaber. She was rewarded with a scream of pain as the blade went through the Sith’s left shin. The human fell back onto the deck, clutching her leg with her left hand.


Ta’tan’ia summoned the Force, and sat halfway up. She picked her lightsaber up, and lunged at the Sith. The human grabbed her own lightsaber and tried to block, but was a heartbeat too late.


The point of Ta’tan’ia’s blade drove through her knee, then her chest. She landed halfway on top of her, then rolled off as she dragged her lightsaber out through her ribcage.


Ta’tan’ia laid on the deck for several seconds, then passed out.


~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~


The following afternoon . . .



Ta’tan’ia awoke in the Chimaera’s medical bay. The first thing she realized was that she could only see out of her left eye. She felt a bacta bandage wrapped around her head, and another one on her right arm. Then she heard a familiar voice nearby. She turned her head to her right, and found Admiral Daala on the bunk next to her, talking to General Solo, who was sitting in a hover chair next to her bunk. A holodisplay with the fleet’s status was in front of them.


“Admiral Daala,” Ta’tan’ia said in alarm, trying to sit up.


“I’m fine,” Admiral Daala replied weakly. “Lieutenant.”


“I’m sorry, Admiral,” she apologized.


“For what?” she replied with a forced smile. “Killing two Sith assassins?”


Suddenly a nurse was at Ta’tan’ia’s side, ordering her to lie down, and relax.


“For letting them get to you, Ma’am,” Ta’tan’ia told her as she obeyed the nurse. “I was supposed to be protecting you.”


Admiral Daala gave her another weak smile. “And you did, Lieutenant. I’m alive, and hopefully will be out of here soon.”


Ta’tan’ia still wasn’t convinced. “I shouldn’t have let them even touch you, Ma’am.”


“Six Sith infiltrated the ship,” General Solo interjected. “You defeated a Lord and a Saber, and kept Admiral Daala alive while in an enclosed room. I’d say you did pretty good.”


“Six Sith!?” Ta’tan’ia responded in surprise. Then she realized she had only killed two. “What happened to the other four?”


Ta’tan’ia felt a sense of satisfaction from General Solo. She glanced over and saw her eyebrow above her eye-patch raised, and a smug grin on her face.


“General Solo happened to them,” Admiral Daala stated with her own smile.


“Are you okay, General?” Ta’tan’ia asked in concern, aware that she was in a hover chair.


“I’m fine,” Jaina replied with a dismissive wave. “The doctors are just being overly cautious.”


Ta’tan’ia let out a sigh of relief. She was glad General Solo wasn’t seriously hurt. For one, Ta’tan’ia considered a close friend. Secondly, she was a very popular General—and Jedi Master—and it would be bad for fleet morale if she was on the sidelines.


“The SIMs tried to assassinate practically every major GACHI leader,” Jaina explained seriously. “Admiral Bwua’tu is in a bacta tank. General Phennir, Admiral Makin, and Moff Sarreti were killed. Masters Kam Solusar, Ramis, and Barratk’l, as well as sixteen other Jedi died as well. We managed to kill nearly seventy Sith though.”


Ta’tan’ia laid there in stunned silence. She couldn’t believe Masters Solusar and Ramis were dead. Then she glanced down at her right arm, wrapped in bandages where her hand used to be.


“Your prosthetic will be ready in a few hours,” General Solo informed her. “Your hand will be as good as new in a couple of days.”


“The doctors aren’t sure about your eye though,” Admiral Daala explained. “There is a lot of damage, and prosthetic eyes are in very short supply in the fleet.”


Ta’tan’ia glanced over to her beskar chrono on her left wrist. “I want my comlink put back on before they attach the prosthetic hand,” she told them. “And don’t worry about my eye. If a patch is good enough for my Commanding Officers, then a patch is good enough for me.”


“Are you sure about the patch?” General Solo asked from her hover chair.


Ta’tan’ia noticed that she didn’t ask about the comlink. Ta’tan’ia could also sense Admiral Daala’s approval of her decision, as well as General Solo’s. That wasn’t why she wanted her comlink back on though. Her six-centimeter-wide beskar comlink was as much of a part of her as her hand. She couldn’t imagine life without it. Besides, it made it easier for her to be cuffed. As for her eye, if Admiral Daala and General Solo could live with one eye, then she could too.


“Yes Ma’am,” Ta’tan’ia answered with a firm nod. “That’s where it belongs.”


“Good. I was already going to put your comlink back on you anyway,” Admiral Daala announced. “My Mad Mynocks game is on it.”


Ta’tan’ia wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that. She glanced at General Solo, who flashed her a small grin. Ta’tan’ia smiled back at her, then dropped her head onto the pillow, and stared up at the ceiling.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ THE END ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


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