"How about you wait by the door and cover me from outside?" Amir still didn't want to drag her into danger and made a final attempt to suggest it—but when he turned and saw her expression, he knew it was a pointless question.
Veronica parked her speeder, her left arm already deploying twin gun barrels.
"These rebels you mentioned—are they fighting the Empire?" she asked, turning to face Amir.
Amir hesitated. Should he tell her? Given how much she hated the Empire because of her parents, and how stubborn she could be, he had no doubt that Veronica would seriously consider joining the Rebellion.
"Yes," Amir answered honestly. He knew how dangerous war was—but lying was pointless.
Veronica didn't reply. Instead, she carefully scanned the surroundings of Research Facility 34 in the industrial zone. The front entrance was locked, but she quickly spotted a large hole in the wall—just big enough for someone to squeeze through.
Amir peered into the room and saw a stormtrooper lying on the ground. No doubt—Huck and his team had entered through there.
Cautiously, Amir stepped through the opening. He first released his spider drone to scout ahead, then drew his blaster pistol.
Soon, the drone transmitted a full holographic map of the facility.
"Wow… I didn't think it would be this big. It's connected to the lower levels too—three floors total," Veronica remarked.
With the map confirmed, the two of them headed deeper in.
"Looks like this floor's already cleared," Amir noted as they stepped over the corpses of stormtroopers.
This level looked like a normal pharmaceutical research lab—but the number of troopers stationed here clearly said otherwise. No ordinary lab had its own private garrison.
Carefully stepping past the bodies, they made their way toward the stairwell leading down. Amir could already hear the sound of blaster fire below.
"All the kids have been moved to the bottom-level detention block, Huck. What now?" asked a man wearing cyber-goggles.
The path to the lowest level was heavily guarded by stormtroopers.
"Reinforcements could arrive any minute. We've gotta act fast," added a sharply dressed Twi'lek.
Huck gripped his blaster tightly, his mind racing. The Empire had hidden twice the number of troops they expected. Now they were pinned down—unable to advance.
Only two options remained.
The first: force their way through the blockade. But that would be costly. Even though every member of their team was battle-hardened, they'd be sitting ducks in front of that wall of blaster fire.
The second: call in the extraction ship waiting outside, abort the mission, and abandon the imprisoned children—then leave the planet.
Huck raised his eyes, meeting the steady, unflinching gazes of his comrades. Then, without a word, he raised his blaster. The others silently followed suit.
The sound of blasters echoed from ahead, but Amir suddenly stopped.
"You go help them—I've got some company to deal with," he told Veronica.
She turned to see the black-armored figure approaching behind them and shivered.
"Be careful," she said before bolting toward the stairs leading to the third floor.
Amir turned around to face the approaching Imperial Inquisitor. For the first time, he drew the lightsaber with no visible switch.
"Well, well… I didn't expect to run into you again. So, you are part of the resistance," said the Seventh Sister, her voice laced with cruelty. "This time, you won't escape. You'll pay for what you did!"
She flexed her newly-installed mechanical right hand and spun her circular double-bladed lightsaber.
Weng— The saber ignited—but she wasn't alone. A new sound hummed from behind.
A tall figure in a black, inverted-triangle-shaped helmet emerged: the Fifth Brother, the same Inquisitor who had once battled Ahsoka.
Now Amir was flanked from both sides. He calmly focused, letting the Force flow through him, feeling its currents gather around his blade.
Weng— His own lightsaber ignited with a cool blue glow. The switch was hidden inside the hilt—only someone attuned to the Force could activate it.
"I heard during the war, some Jedi modified their sabers this way—to prevent them from being used if they fell," said the Fifth Brother. "So… who was your master?"
"Master?" Amir thought bitterly, What master? I have no idea how to use this thing! I don't know a single lightsaber form!
No one could see the panic in his heart. But his use of the Force had already made both Inquisitors advance cautiously.
"Because of you, I lost my hand. I'll make you pay—double!" the Seventh Sister snarled. She charged, her spinning lightsaber cutting through the air like a buzzsaw.
Amir raised his blade in a defensive stance, eyes locked on her movements. She's using a mechanical arm now… that's my opening.
As he blocked her strike, the Fifth Brother moved in from behind, slashing with lightning speed.
Knowing he couldn't handle both at once, Amir deflected the Seventh Sister's attack and rolled aside, barely dodging the ambush.
He narrowed his focus on her right hand, sensing something.
The Fifth Brother pressed forward, his double-bladed saber sweeping back and forth in a relentless assault. Amir struggled to parry. Each blow pushed him closer to the wall. Meanwhile, the Seventh Sister lurked like a serpent—waiting for the moment to strike.
Finally, as Amir barely blocked another of the Fifth Brother's heavy blows, the Seventh Sister lunged again—her red blade slicing straight for his arm.
"Why are you all so obsessed with chopping off hands?!" Amir's eyes flashed coldly as he discreetly pressed a hidden button on his wrist bracer.
Unnoticed, his spider drone had crawled to the ceiling. At that moment, it fired a blast of high-voltage current straight at the Fifth Brother's head.
The armored Inquisitor staggered. His custom gear absorbed most of the shock—he didn't drop his saber—but his posture faltered.
Not that Amir was aiming for him.
The Seventh Sister rushed in, blade raised. Amir stayed calm.
He lifted his left hand and made a small, focused gesture.
Suddenly, her mechanical right fingers snapped open—her spinning saber flew from her grip.
Weng—cli—
Her right hand… fell to the ground.
Again.
.
.
.
📢 A Galaxy Far, Far Away Just Got Closer! 📢
Star Wars: Relics of the Past now has 30 chapters ahead available exclusively on Patreon! ✨🚀
Step into a saga of ancient secrets, Jedi legacies, and galactic conflict—early access is ready for all true fans of the Force. 🌌⚔️
🔗 Join here: www.patreon.com/c/MrMagnus👤 Patreon name: SrMagnus
Thank you for your support. And remember... the Force will be with you, always. 🌠