Krysira's Destiny - Chapter 19
Krysira’s Destiny
Chapter Nineteen
Another hangar bay
Drayce
and Ori entered a secondary hangar bay with a single ship sitting in the middle
of it. Drayce led Ori up the ramp and onto the ship, the ramp closing behind
them.
Entering
the cockpit, Drayce sat in the pilot’s seat with Ori in another seat nearby and
began to power up the engines.
As
Drayce prepared to lift off, Ori looked out the viewport to see another Exoian
running into the hangar bay.
“Drayce,”
Ori said concerned.
“Hmmm?”
Drayce replied, nonchalantly, as he looked up and out of the viewport. He
rolled his eyes upward and sighed. “Easily handled once we leave the hangar
bay, my pet.”
Elkan
began to fire wildly at the ship.
“YOU
WILL PAY FOR VALLEN’S DEATH!” He shouted hoarsely.
The
blasts bounced harmlessly off of the ship, which began to rise slowly and
backwards towards the hangar bay doors that had opened.
Elkan
moved up slowly, as he continued to fire at the ship, unaware that his blaster
was running low on power.
Trip,
Krysira, Malcolm and Archer burst into the hangar bay to see Elkan firing at a
ship that was slowly backing out of the hangar bay.
Krysira
ran forward to stand next to a defeated looking Elkan, whose blaster was now
drained of power. She had one of her lightsabres in hand, but unlit, while her
other hand was raised, palm out towards the hangar bay doors. Drawing in the
Force, the pretty Jedi Knight attempted to close the doors. However, the doors
didn’t budge.
Ori
looked out of the viewport at the female Jedi curiously. “What is she doing?”
She questioned.
Drayce
glanced up out the viewport. He shrugged. “All for naught, my pet,” he told
her.
Krysira
frowned inwardly, puzzled at her failure to immediately close the hangar bay
doors to prevent Drayce’s escape. Then an idea came to her. She closed her
eyes.
/”Trip...I
need your help,”/ Krysira said through their bond.
/”Me?”/
Trip sounded surprised. /”What can I do to help you?”/
/”I
need to close the doors to stop the ship. I am not an engineer. I need you to
tell me which circuit to activate to close the doors.”/
/”How?
I can’t see the circuitry!”/
/”This
way.”/ Krysira projected a mental image of the circuitry into Trip’s mind.
Trip
was momentarily surprised at seeing what Krysira saw through the Force, but then
concentrated on the image. After a few moments, he replied: /”Krys, see that
column of seven squares. Move the fourth one to the left. That’ll close the
doors.”/
Under
Trip’s instructions, Krysira used the Force to manipulate the indicated relay.
Moments later, the doors closed.
Krysira
looked back over her shoulder at the handsome engineer. “Thank-you,” she said,
smiling softly.
Trip
grinned back at the lovely Jedi. “My pleasure,” he drawled out.
At
that moment, Caden, Trey, Qui-Gon,
Chelz and some warriors entered the hangar bay.
Drayce
was unaware that the doors that closed as he brought the ship around. Suddenly,
the ship rocked as it hit the closed hangar bay doors.
“I...DO
NOT...BELIEVE THIS!” Drayce shouted, as he pounded the control panel.
“What
are we going to do, my lord?” Ori asked, panic in her voice.
Drayce
looked at Ori and for the first time, he didn’t know what to say, as he stared
at her in silence.
Without
warning, the ship lurched and once again hit the hangar bay doors. A console
near Ori suddenly exploded and the petite Mesarian woman screamed, as she was
thrown out of her chair across the cockpit. Her body slammed into the wall and
fell into a heap on the floor. Drayce shut off the power and leapt out of his
chair to bend down next to Ori. He picked her up and checked on her.
Drayce
then realized that his lover was dead. “NO!” He bellowed.
“Krysira,”
Qui-Gon said, joining his companion.
Krysira
looked at him and nodded. The two Jedi headed towards the ship’s hatch.
Qui-Gon
looked over his shoulder. “Stay back! But be alert!” He ordered.
Trip
had started towards Krysira, but stopped upon hearing Qui-Gon’s order.
They
reached the hatch. Qui-Gon touched a button and the door opened, then the ramp
came down. Krysira walked up the ramp and into the ship. Qui-Gon followed with
his unlit lightsabre in hand.
Drayce
looked up at the Jedi, a smirk on his noble features. “Well, it appears that
you have won. Congratulations,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, then
to himself. “For now.”
“Come
with us peacefully. You have much to answer for,” Qui-Gon said in a tone that
brooked no argument.
“I
will tend to her,” Krysira said, referring to Ori.
“You
need not bother. She is dead.” He said nonchalantly, as he allowed her body to
drop to the floor as he stood up, backing away a step.
Krysira
moved to bend down next to Ori, checking for a pulse. She turned to look at
Qui-Gon, shaking her head, as she stood up.
When
Drayce emerged from the ship, the warriors that had come into the hangar bay
aimed their weapons at the former Exoian government official. The Jedi were
right behind him. Upon reaching the floor of the hangar bay, one of the
warriors took a hold of Drayce and roughly bound his hands behind his back.
At the same time,
Caden stepped forward, not seeing the Mesarian female. “Where is the little
traitor?” He demanded.
“She
is dead,” Krysira said softly.
Caden
sighed heavily. “Then she has paid the price,” the big Exoian said, with a
certain amount of satisfaction in his deep voice.
Elkan’s
fragile control over his emotions broke upon seeing the smug look on Drayce’s
face. The resistance leader made a mad dash towards Drayce.
Trip
took a step forward. “Elkan! No!” He shouted.
“He
must pay for what he has done!” Elkan managed to say.
Qui-Gon
stepped forward towards Elkan. “He will pay, Elkan,” the Jedi Master said, then
simply waving his hand slightly in Elkan’s direction, invoked the Jedi mind
control. “Stop. There is no need to interfere. Justice will be served.”
Elkan
slowed to a stop. “I will not interfere. Justice will be served.”
Trip
let out his breath, not knowing that he had been holding it. He was relieved
that Elkan didn’t do anything rash.
Under
heavy guard, Drayce was escorted out of the hangar bay. Caden walked into the
ship to collect Ori’s body.