Justice
Laura leaped out of bed and started throwing her clothes back on. Carmilla grumbled as she pulled herself up as well. She pulled her leather pants on, walking over to a desk with only a bra covering her upper half. She lifted the Force collar and clicked it back in place around her neck. The pilot glanced over at Laura, who paused to stare at her.
"What?"
The Jedi shook her head defensively. "Nothing. I'm just- I'm surprised you went straight for the collar."
Carmilla rolled her eyes before walking back over toward the bed and picking up her black v-neck t-shirt. "They already don't trust me. I don't need to give them a reason to hunt me down."
Laura scoffed as she tightened her robe around her and tucked her lightsaber into her belt. "It'd give them reason to get off their asses though..."
"Easy, tiger. We've got other issues," Carmilla replied as she swung her vest on and slipped her blasters into her holsters. "Let's go save our doctor and the idiot bodyguard."
They exited the ship and began running. The sky was a dark grey and it was drizzling lightly as their feet slammed into the forming puddles on the pavement.
People eyed them curiously as they brushed past.
*Beep Beep*
"Laf! We're coming!" Laura yelled through the comlink.
"Perry's in trouble!"
"What?!"
"She just called me before the line went dead!"
"What happened?!" Laura asked through heavy breathing. Carmilla looked over at her with confusion.
"She said some soldiers were dragging her through the Senate Courtyard! You have to help her!"
"Laf, I can't be two places at once!"
"But it's Perry!"
"You're in danger too!"
"What's going on?" Carmilla barked.
"Perry's been kidnapped or something," Laura answered hurriedly.
"What the hell?" the brunette replied as they continued racing forward.
"I have to go to quarantine, Laf. If Darth Mailwil gets his hands on that cure, we're screwed!"
"But a Senator is in danger! You can't ignore that!" the redhead argued.
"I have to think about what's best as a whole. I'm sorry, Laf."
"Where's Perry?" Carmilla asked firmly.
Laura looked over at her suspiciously. "The Senate Courtyard."
"Go to quarantine. I've got Curly Sue," she said before starting to turn away. The Jedi reached out and grabbed her wrist; pulling the pilot back forcefully. Carmilla turned and locked onto her with a piercing stare.
"You can't just go alone!" Laura yelled; her voice revealing how frazzled she was.
"Go stop Willy boy. I can't do anything against him with this collar on anyway. I've got a better chance with the Senator. I don't mind breaking a few laws to get her back," she smirked.
"But-"
"Do you not trust me?" Carmilla pushed. They were in a time sensitive situation.
"Of course I trust you!"
"Then go!" the brunette yelled before stepping backwards and waving her onwards.
Laura frowned as she watched her step away. "Be careful," she whispered. The pilot gave a swift nod before twirling around and running off. The blonde took a deep breath before sprinting toward quarantine.
She reached up and pressed the button on the comlink. "I'm coming, Laf. Carm is headed for Perry."
Carmilla came to a stop before the entrance of the Senate Sector. She remained hidden behind a scaffold as she took in the gate and it's surroundings. After assessing that there were only two soldiers guarding the gate, she decided to make a more direct approach.
So she walked right up to them.
"Stop, citizen. This is a private area. If you don't have business here, please turn around and be on your way," one of the soldiers stated.
The pilot took a deep breath to try and even out her breathing from running. "Hey, guys. I have business with Senator Perry." She ran a hand through her disheveled, and now damp, hair.
The two soldiers looked at each other before back at her. "We were not informed of this appointment."
"Well it was kinda a last minute thing. She can be kinda forgetful too. It's no big deal," she tried to brush it off as she stepped closer. The guards straightened their posture at her approach.
"If we don't receive notice, we can't let you pass."
Carmilla groaned. "You guards really are a pain in the ass with those rules," she mumbled under her breath, remembering her previous encounters with security. She then put on a hopeful smile. "Can I please go through?" she asked innocently.
"We recommend you contact Senator Perry and request her assistance in this matter."
She rolled her eyes. "That's too much effort. You guys could have made this easy too," she said before swiftly punching one guard in the gut and spinning to sweep the other guard off her feet with a kick. The pilot then pulled out one of her blasters, flipped it and smacked the first guard in the head with the butt of the gun. Then, she turned to see the second guard begin to sit up. Carmilla squatted to wrap her arm around the guard's neck and put her in a sleeper hold.
"Shh," the brunette cooed as the guard passed out. She dropped the soldier to the ground, looked around quickly before smacking the button for the gate and running inside.
The guards in front of quarantine were dead. Lightsaber wounds marred their bodies. Laura frowned as she sprinted through the entrance. It didn't take long for her to hear the clashing of weapons. The quarantine was basically a giant junkyard. Piles of debris filled the area. People had made homes from their scavenging of the area.
She hurried toward the sound of fighting before spotting LaFontaine on the ground nursing a wound on their side.
"Laf!" she yelled as she fell to her knees beside the doctor. "Are you okay?"
The redhead hissed. "I'm fine. Can't move much right now, but hopefully you'll deal with that douchebag quickly," they answered nodding toward Darth Mailwil swinging his saber brutally at Kirsch's vibroblade. He was getting overpowered.
Laura rose to her feet and ran over. "Hey! How about we make this a little more fair?" she challenged. The two men turned to stare at her, but Darth Mailwil looked back at Kirsch, who was now distracted. He Force Pushed him back ten feet, slamming him into the sturdy wall of the quarantine zone. He fell limp to the ground.
The Dark Jedi turned back to Laura with a sly smile. "Where's my dear sister?"
The blonde unleashed her blue lightsaber. "She wasn't in the mood for a family reunion."
"Hm, doubtful," he said in amusement as he twirled his weapon with finesse.
Laura frowned before lunging toward him. Their blades sparked together. The hiss of the lasers hitting each other taking over their ears. She was forcing him backwards with each parry, but the more he stepped back, the more he began to laugh. It only made her angrier.
"You're so serious!" he exclaimed through more laughter. She swung harder at him, even surprising him with a quick side swipe; but he dodged the attack just in time. His eyes went wide; clearly impressed.
"My sister must be having a field day with you!" he commented with a grin.
"What is that supposed to mean?" she threw back in irritation.
"There's a certain fire in you that I'm sure has her going wild. She always had a weak spot for girls with a backbone," he stated before jumping toward her and forcing her back with his attacks this time.
Laura's teeth gritted together as she braced against his strength. She Force Pushed him back, but he managed to land on his feet; skidding to a stop as his arms stretched out to his sides to find balance.
"What is your mother planning with having Belmonde in the Senate?" the Jedi questioned, taking a moment to catch her breath.
He smirked. It made her skin crawl. It reminded her of Carmilla's signature smirk, but his was twisted. It was demented and sinister.
"So Kitty ran into Mattie, huh? I wonder if Mother was informed of that little rendezvous..." he began. "No matter. Mattie is just making sure nothing gets too destructive too soon. With that old crow leading the Senate, she has quite the job to do," he humored. His eyes suddenly grew dark. "If Kitty saw Mattie, did she have the privilege of seeing Old Vordie?"
Laura's brows furrowed, but she remained silent.
"Oh come on, blondie. Now you wanna stay quiet? Tell me. Did she freeze up? Did she runaway with her tail between her legs?" he asked with a dark grin.
"Enough!" Laura yelled as she rushed to attack again. They clashed their weapons together again and again. Each felt the power of the other and grunted against each other's attacks. Then, the blonde tripped over a rusted piece of a speeder after stepping backwards from one of Mailwil's strike. Her back slammed into the ground, and the Dark Jedi lifted a large piece of junk into the air with the Force and dropped it onto Laura. She groaned, trying to wriggle out from underneath it. It covered the majority of her body; trapping her limbs beneath it.
"Now that you have a moment to calm down," he drawled as he sheathed his lightsaber. "I was trying to have a conversation with you," he added in frustration. He crouched down beside her, leaning down toward her slightly.
"What was her face like when she saw him?"
Laura continued to try and desperately get free.
"Did she look angry? Scared?"
The Jedi gritted her teeth as she grunted against the heavy metal.
"See, that's why she always had a hard time. She always made everything so personal. She could never let anything go. Always too emotional," he amused with the shake of his head. He stared down at Laura. She was still struggling. "Did she tell you he was our slave master?"
Carmilla walked quickly through the entrance and tried to look as casual as possible. People walked by her, staring at her curiously. Her attire didn't really scream political figure or business woman. She didn't anticipate how busy the place was going to be either. What she did know was that she needed to get as far away from the entrance as possible before someone noticed the two incapacitated guards.
"Excuse me, could you point me in the direction of the courtyard?" she stopped a woman with a hand against the startled older woman's forearm. The woman only pointed in response. "Thanks."
As she approached the archway, she heard yelling behind her. Apparently some sort of commotion was occurring at the entrance. Someone found the sleeping guards. "Yikes," she whispered to herself as she slipped through the giant doors of the courtyard.
Carmilla looked around the large area suspiciously. It was as expected; a beautiful giant tree in the center of the room, which was placed directly in the middle of a fountain. Other foliage decorated the courtyard; elegant gardens lined the perimeter. The skylights came in handy today. Carmilla stared up through them at the grey sky, raindrops splattering on the glass.
But the unexpected thing about all of it was that it was desolate. No one was with her in this gorgeous room.
She slowly walked in further, her hands hovering over her blasters as she surveyed each corner of the courtyard. Perry was supposed to be here.
And then, her eyes landed on the ginger's body slumped on the ground. The pilot began to move toward her, but a voice froze her in her spot.
"I must say, I'm incredibly surprised to find you alone," his old sing-song voice danced through her ears. "I very much expected Miss Hollis to be with you. I didn't anticipate being this fortunate. Now I'm not forced to harm our young Jedi friend," he said in amusement.
Carmilla turned around to see a line of soldiers guarding the large doors of the courtyard. In front of them, stood Vordenburg.
"Cat got your tongue?" he asked in his lighthearted tone. She stared back evenly without making a sound. "Oh, come now. After all these years, is this anyway to greet an old friend?"
"I'm afraid you've got me at a disadvantage, Supreme Chancellor. We met only-"
"Oh, nonsense! You didn't think I'd recognize my dear Mircalla?" His words ran up her spine and caused her jaw to tremble. "You can imagine my surprise to see you traveling with a Jed!" he chuckled. "But you were always a resourceful girl."
"What do you want? To reclaim your property?" she spat back; venom seeping into her words. A fist clenched to her side as the other remained close to one of her blasters.
Vordenburg's brow lifted. "Property means nothing to me now." His demeanor instantly changed. Anger and hatred burned in his eyes. "Did you really think you could get away with it?"
She stared back bewildered for a moment. Then, her eyes began to widen.
"I want justice."
"Did she tell you he was our slave master?"
Laura froze. She looked up at him with wide honey eyes.
He began to grin. "I'm gonna take that as a 'no'." He chuckled. "She had full intention of killing him, ya know. Almost did too." He shrugged with a sigh. "Right place, wrong time, ya know?"
The blonde remained still, trying to piece everything together.
"That was her final test. Mother wanted her to give in to her passion and kill the one thing that continued to make her weak. Mircalla was older and more advanced with training than me at that point. And she remembered more of our servitude than I did." He sighed. "So Kitty went off to murder him and everyone that fucked up our childhood. It's quite heroic if you think about it," he commented with a slight smile. "But Old Vordie was called in for an emergency meeting, so he wasn't even there." He openly laughed at that. "All that slaughter and she didn't even get that final satisfaction. Real cock block."
"The Vordenburg Massacre?" she asked with great effort. The piece of junk metal was starting to take a toll on her chest.
"She's a living legend," he commented with a grin. "She went in there with no backup and just killed on sight. Except she fucked up. Not only did she not manage to kill the old bastard, she let the slaves go. Can you believe that? Because she recognized them from back in the day. She just had to go and get all fucking sentimental..."
Laura's mind replayed the vision she had of Carmilla. The deaths she saw were at the Vordenburg Estate. And the children at the end of the dream? "She didn't kill them?"
"Nope. But it's not like she really saved them either."
"You murdered everyone I loved," his voice trembled with rage. His eyes bore into Carmilla. "You're wondering how I know?" He didn't give her time to reply. "You let your old friends go free," Vordenburg answered lightly. "I found them and had a friendly conversation with them. I'm sure you remember the punishment room," he practically growled.
Carmilla flinched at the thought. Countless times of torture flashed through her mind.
"They eventually gave you up," he answered carelessly. "Pretty foolish for a murderer to leave witnesses."
The pilot's brows furrowed.
"Don't worry. I killed them when they told me everything I needed."
Her chest tightened and her knees went weak. She tried to save them. All these years, she believed she had. But she was wrong. Regardless of her intentions, their deaths were still on her hands.
"Vordie's been looking for Kitty for a long time," Mailwil chuckled before letting out a sigh. He then lifted a brow as his sinister smirk took over once again. "And I can't help but wonder what she's up to right now..."
Suddenly, Laura's body grew even more tense below the debris. "What do you know?" she growled through gritted teeth. She began to see Kirsch rising to his feet in the distance.
"When one sins, others tend to want retribution."
"I don't have time for your riddles!" she yelled as emotions coursed through her veins.
"You needn't worry. Senator Perry will not be harmed," he answered with his smirk ever present.
And then, something inside Laura seemed to erupt. In an instant, the piece of junk trapping her to the ground was flung about thirty feet away. Her body surged with strength and as she turned and ignited her lightsaber toward Darth Mailwil. He had already made a run for it. Kirsch was suddenly at her side with his vibroblade unsheathed.
"Should we go after him?" he breathed out.
"No," she answered with energy causing tremors throughout her body. She turned to see Laf sitting up against debris, holding their side. "He didn't get the cure. Get Laf to safety," she instructed before beginning to sprint out of the quarantine zone.
Her mind was racing as her body sprinted toward the Senate Sector. Carmilla was the one responsible for killing everyone at the Vordenburg Estate. She did it as revenge for being his slave. A part of Laura understood the pilot's reasoning. After being treated horribly, wouldn't anyone want vengeance? Justice?
But to kill so many people without hesitation?
Laura's heartbeat was out of control for too many reasons. The rain was falling harder now.
But Carmilla didn't kill those children. She tried to save them.
Surely that was a redeeming factor.
The Jedi stopped as she noticed a commotion in front of the Senate Sector's gate. Police and soldiers blocked it off as citizens crowded around to see what had occurred. She needed to get inside. She didn't have time for questioning. Her eyes surveyed the area for another way in. Then, she noticed the scaffold leading up to the roof of the sector. Without a second thought, she swiftly approached it. She climbed it with ease despite blinking away the raindrops falling onto her face. She watched her footing when she reached the top. The surface was wet and she already found herself slipping with every step she took.
Pausing and closing her eyes, she tried to reach out with the bond. Then, she felt a certain pull in a particular direction.
"Drop the guns, dear," he ordered with a nod toward her blasters. Carmilla clenched her jaw before slowly gripping onto the weapons. She needed to do this now. It was the only chance she had. She had to go out fighting despite knowing she was outnumbered. But her stance gave her away. Her body tensed and the placement of her feet signaled her approaching offensive move. A soldier fired his rifle, hitting the pilot in the thigh and bringing her to her knees with a cry in pain.
The blasters fell out of her hands and just out of reach.
Vordenburg tsked. "That wasn't the brightest decision..."
Her hands clutched at her thigh as she slumped over. She glanced up at the man from her past and felt a hopeless fire burning in her chest.
His eyes gazed at Carmilla with wonder. "You really haven't changed much, have you?" he said as he continued to look over her facial features. "It's been a long time since we've seen each other, Mircalla," the old man said. "I've been looking for you for awhile now."
Carmilla stared back defiantly despite the pain. Her breathing was heavy.
"Don't you have anything to say? No begging? No pleading?" he asked as the soldiers behind him remained ready to fire.
She glared, refusing to utter a word.
"After everything you did, you're not even going to ask for forgiveness?" the Supreme Chancellor questioned in astonishment.
The pilot made no response.
"Well, I was supposed to hand you over, but due to everything we've been through together, I feel like you're my responsibility now." He lifted his own blaster with fire in his eyes. "Goodbye, Mircalla."
The closer Laura got, the more she felt a heaviness in her chest. It was painful. It was an emptiness that started to devour her. Hopelessness filled her senses, and the blonde chased those feelings in an attempt to find Carmilla.
Then, she was standing above clear glass windows. This particular room had skylights. As she crouched down to get a better look; the rain pooling on the glass making it difficult to see through, she realized it was the courtyard. She brushed her hand over the wet window to move the water out of her way. Below her stood Vordenburg with soldiers protectively behind him. They all were holding out their weapons. Then she saw what they were aiming at.
Carmilla was on her knees.
The blonde's heart beat harder in her chest than she had ever experienced before. He was going to kill her. Carmilla was going to die.
That foreign feeling of hopelessness was losing its strength now. There was something else coming through the bond...
Acceptance.
"Goodbye, Mircalla." The harsh bitterness of his voice spread through her.
This was it. This was her final punishment. She slowly closed her eyes. The pilot thought back to certain moments in her life.
Being young and innocent, and teaching Pazaak to Will after stealing food from Vordenburg's kitchen...
Running off to party with Mattie when Mother thought she was meditating...
Meeting Ell...
Breaking free from Mother...
Meeting Laura...
Her mind stayed with images of the Jedi.
The Dantooine sun shining down on her silky blonde hair and hitting her honey eyes; golden flecks within them reflecting back at her...
Her smile blinding her more than any sun would ever be capable of...
Laura...
And then the sound of shattering glass took over.
Carmilla's dark eyes shot open. The soldiers were dead on the ground. Glass from the skylight was scattered around them. But what took Carmilla's breath away was the image of Laura, wet from the rain, with her blue lightsaber, staring down at Vordenburg's lifeless body.
"Laura..." she breathed out.
The Jedi continued to look at the old man's body with furrowed brows and shallow breaths. She sheathed her lightsaber. "What-" she whispered and then began to shake her head as she took a step backwards. "What did I-" her voice rising into a panic.
Carmilla immediately went to stand to go to her, but her leg buckled beneath her when the wound on her thigh reminded her of its existence. She hissed, but kept her attention on the blonde.
Laura started to reach out her hand toward Vordenburg as tears filled her eyes. "What did I do?" she whimpered.
"Laura," Carmilla said firmly. The woman looked up at her with wide, vulnerable eyes. A tear fell down her cheek. "We gotta get you out of here."
"But I-" she answered weakly as she looked back down at the Supreme Chancellor.
The pilot groaned loudly from her pain as she managed to rise to her feet. "You can't do anything about it now," she said sadly. "But I'm not letting you go down for this, so we need to go."
"Carm," she said with her voice cracking.
"Come on. Before people start looking for whoever messed with the guards at the gate."
Laura forced a hard swallow before hurrying over to the brunette and helping her walk. They slipped through the courtyard doors, which had been locked from the inside due to Vordenburg. Soldiers and citizens were swarming the area. Things were chaotic enough for them to go unnoticed. Carmilla kept trying to push calming vibes through the bond. She felt the tension in Laura's body. She needed her to stay calm until they were somewhere safe.
Laura's mind wasn't present. Her body moved on autopilot. Flashes of the past few minutes kept replaying in her head. Her blue blade slicing into unsuspecting victims. The soldiers going down without seeing her coming. Vordenburg's eyes locked with her before she cut right through him. She didn't hesitate. It was all reflex.
The entire trip toward the courtyard, she was trying to wrap her thoughts around everything she had learned about Carmilla. The pilot murdered everyone in Vordenburg's family. Laura had seen it herself through the vision. It was brutal and heartless. It was cruel and unnecessary.
But he had owned Carmilla. He had tortured her. And the people she killed did nothing to stop that.
She also saved the slaves he still had. She didn't ruthlessly kill them.
Laura's heart was torn. This woman she had begun to give herself to was constantly testing her. Her morals were being questioned incessantly. How could she let herself fall for someone that killed without thinking?
But after seeing Carmilla about to die, hesitating to stop it wasn't an option. Instinct brought her to where she was now. Her heart brought her to this moment.
"Laura."
Her name knocked her out of her thoughts. They had somehow made it back to the Lustig without the Jedi noticing. She was sitting on the edge of Carmilla's bed as the pilot bent down slightly and rested her hands on the blonde's shoulders.
"I'm going to get us off of Coruscant. We can't be here right now. Just rest," she said gently. Her eyes showed the worry and care that Laura could feel through the bond. All the Jedi could do was nod weakly. When Carmilla left the room, Laura laid down on the bed, curling up into a ball and slamming her eyes closed. Her brows furrowed as she tried to wish the events from the last hour away.
Laura was unaware of how much time had passed as she laid on the bed. Carmilla eventually reappeared by her side, the bed dipping slightly as the brunette stared down at her worriedly.
"Hey." The Jedi didn't respond. "I managed to fix the toilet. I know you were always complaining about the high pitch squeal that happened every time it flushed," she said lightheartedly. Laura didn't react. "I also fixed the shower drain, so it's not flooding anymore. You were right. I really should clean my hair out of there more. I pulled out an entire Wookiee from that pipe. It was terrifying," she explained with a chuckle. Laura's eyes remained distant.
Carmilla took a deep breath before rising to her feet. She then held out her hand. "Come on." The blonde frowned. "Trust me," she pushed. Laura didn't react right away, but then she slowly sat up and took the pilot's hand. She let Carmilla pull her out of the ship, watching the brunette limp from behind.
When they exited the ramp, the Jedi's eyes widened. They were on Dantooine. They were by the cliff near the Jedi Enclave. Her cliff. Carmilla dropped her hand in favor of letting the blonde take in her surroundings on her own. She followed her, keeping a small distance, as Laura took her usual spot on the cliff. The pilot watched her close her eyes as the setting sun beat down on them. The wind swept through her loose tendrils. Carmilla's heart ached at the sight. She wasn't as carefree as the last time she saw her on this cliff. Her spirit was broken. She was lost. Carmilla could feel that.
"Thank you," Laura whispered without opening her eyes. The pilot didn't answer. Silence fell between them as they stared off the cliff at the roaming animals below.
"You should have let him kill me," Carmilla finally said with more vulnerability than she intended.
The Jedi turned to her with furrowed brows. "How can you say that?" The brunette looked at her in surprise. She didn't expect to get this much of a rise out of her. "You would have rather me let you die?"
"My life isn't worth this," she tried to explain gently. She felt anger begin to boil through the bond.
"And what gives you the right to decide that?" Laura answered passionately. "Did you ever think that maybe I couldn't stand to see you die? That I think your life is worth it?" She paused before continuing. "I killed the Supreme Chancellor because he was a horrible man to someone I care too much about. I killed someone that basically ran the galaxy. I did that for you. I threw away all my teachings and lessons of patience and understanding, and I killed him. I killed him because the thought of something happening to you tore me up inside. So don't say your life isn't worth it, Carmilla! Don't act like you aren't worth anything because to me you're worth everything!"
Tears were running down Laura's face as her honey eyes stared back with fury. Carmilla's heart pounded in her chest. She was speechless. She was so wonderfully overwhelmed that her entire being felt paralyzed.
Laura sniffed and turned back to look off of the cliff. "Your sister is going to be running the Senate now. Your mother has full control." She gave a bitter chuckle. "We're all screwed."
Carmilla felt a protectiveness suddenly flood through her. Her back straightened and her shoulders squared. "We'll stop her."
The Jedi laughed. "How?"
"She wants me. Maybe that's our secret weapon."
Laura shook her head as she stared at the herd of kath hounds below. "That seems foolish."
"Maybe it is," Carmilla said with a shrug as she stepped beside her. "But we're gonna fix this. Together." The blonde turned her head to lock eyes with her. Her watery eyes searched Carmilla's dark eyes.
"How long do you think we have before the Council realizes we're here?" she asked softly.
"Probably less than what we think."
Laura nodded slowly before stepping into Carmilla's side and resting her head against her shoulder. Her eyes drifted off of the cliff again as her arms wrapped around the pilot's torso. "Then can we just stay here for a little while longer?" she asked so weakly that Carmilla felt her heart crack slightly.
The brunette's arms wrapped around Laura tightly. Her cheek resting against Laura's forehead. "Sure thing, princess. Sure thing."