The children instinctively gathered around the only remaining ship.
BOOM! Another tremor shook the area.
One of the children stumbled and fell to the floor. Lying prone, he slowly lifted his head—only to catch a glimpse of a massive, earth-toned tail flickering past the outer shield of the hangar entrance.
For a moment, he doubted his own eyes and froze.
But his daze was abruptly broken when a black ship suddenly crashed into the hangar—it was trailing fire, as if it had taken a direct hit.
Entering from below, the vessel smashed uncontrollably into the ceiling, then bounced off like a ball, crashing to the floor under the pull of the ship's artificial gravity.
Fortunately, all the children were on the opposite side and remained unharmed.
The ship's doors burst open. A pale-skinned Pau'an in black armor stepped out, looking disheveled. His sharp teeth, amber sclera, and crimson irises struck terror into everyone he looked at. Hot on his heels was the Fifth Brother, helmeted and grim. Usually brash and unruly, the Imperial Inquisitor now seemed surprisingly subdued in the Pau'an's presence—though the arrogance in his eyes could not be fully concealed.
The two men immediately spotted the group of children huddled next to the Traveler.
"Gideon, why are the specimens all at the hangar?" the Pau'an said through his comms.
A startled voice responded, "Watch them closely. I'm on my way! Nothing else matters—the priority subject is heading your way. Stop him at all costs!"
The Pau'an's expression turned sour as he immediately ended the transmission. That man had the nerve to order me around?
Only two people in the galaxy had that right: the Sith Lord clad entirely in armor—terrifying beyond reason—and the endlessly mysterious Sith Emperor.
"Reinforcements are en route. That worm can't hold on much longer—but neither can this cruiser. We'll need a ship to get out of here, my lord," the Fifth Brother said respectfully.
The Pau'an, known as the High Inquisitor, cast a cold gaze across the hangar. His eyes settled on the Traveler—the only functioning ship left.
He didn't care about the experiment. He had only come because the Emperor had issued the order—an order no one could refuse.
If this cruiser was destroyed due to their incompetence, it would have nothing to do with him. He had fulfilled his duty—barely surviving the ordeal in open space to get here.
So the Fifth Brother was right. The priority now was not to sit and die with these children, but to secure a vessel and make a show of resistance.
He had his eyes on the Traveler.
Under the High Inquisitor's lead, the two strode toward the ship, exuding a powerful, suffocating presence. The children near the Traveler began to panic. They didn't know who these two strangers were, but the dark side radiating from them triggered an overwhelming fear.
Meanwhile, Amir had discovered a weakness in the combat droids: their joints and the circular control units on their heads were extremely fragile. By deflecting blaster bolts to these areas, he could disable or destroy them with precision.
Once again, he sent blaster bolts ricocheting into the knees of two approaching droids, forcing the towering machines to collapse. From five or six meters away, Amir hurled his lightsaber. Guided by the Force, it spun cleanly through the droids' heads before arcing smoothly back into his hand.
Just moments earlier, he'd heard a loud crash from up ahead. He didn't know what had fallen—a damaged starfighter or structural debris?
But the port was right ahead. If all went well, the children should already be there.
Mona, following behind him, was lugging two blaster rifles. She finally dropped one to the ground—it was simply too heavy. She had thought carrying extra firepower would be safer, but her strength had given out.
Holding the remaining rifle—nearly a third of her height—she clumsily tried to aim it.
"We're almost there, Mona. Hang in there," Amir encouraged her. He was exhausted too. They had fought their way through nearly twenty combat droids.
Passing through the last corridor, Amir saw the open bulkhead and the spacious hangar ahead—he knew they had reached the port. Mona picked up her pace as well.
As they approached, Amir suddenly spotted a black ship crashed in one corner of the hangar. That alone didn't faze him—but the insignia on the hull did.
Imperial Inquisitors!
That emblem—it was the unmistakable symbol of Fortress Inquisitorius!
Amir slowed his steps, controlling his breathing. The string of battles had taken a toll.
"Mona, hold Millicent. If you get the chance, run straight for the ship," Amir said, lowering the unconscious Millicent from his shoulder and passing her to Mona.
He could already feel the dark side emanating from the hangar ahead.
Mona didn't question him. She tucked the blaster under her left arm and extended her right to support Millicent's limp form.
Clutching his lightsaber tightly, Amir stepped forward.
The moment he crossed the bulkhead, he saw two figures in black armor. In front of them was his beloved Traveler, surrounded by terrified children.
Despite everything, seeing the children safe brought him relief. He had feared the worst—that they would be intercepted en route.
Sensing something, the two Inquisitors turned toward him.
Amir recognized them. One was the Fifth Brother, with whom he'd crossed sabers before. But the other was a Pau'an—one who radiated a much stronger dark side presence than the Fifth Brother. A presence that felt palpably dangerous.
The High Inquisitor.
Amir hadn't expected him to be here.
Tulio had warned him that someone would be dispatched to deal with Boris. Amir had assumed it would be an Inquisitor—but not the High Inquisitor himself.
Amir had fought the Fifth and Seventh Sisters before. After his recent training, he was confident he could escape them. But the High Inquisitor? He knew nothing about him.
This Pau'an had once been a Guardian of the Jedi Temple, wielding a lightsaber pike and protecting its sacred artifacts. Unlike most Jedi, his role had always been focused on combat. His training had revolved around it.
He had been stronger than most Jedi even back then—and now, corrupted by the dark side, his power had likely grown even more formidable.
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🌌 Star Wars: Relics of the Past
📢 The Force Calls! 📢
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