Last Stand
Notes: This is a bit of a stand alone thing. As of now, it isn’t based in Unsung Heroes but that may change. I’d like to thank the anon who gave me this idea!
Tarre Vizsla quietly turned his attention to the younglings behind him as explosions rocked the temple, the looks of fear and of fleeting hope. Of his own Padawan who stared up at him, seeking out the wisdom that only Tarre had.
“Hestia.” Tarre spoke in a gentle tone as he crouched down before the 11-year-old Echani girl, reaching out to gently cradle her face in his hands as she stared at him with calm brown eyes that reminded him of his own Master, but he could still see the fear. “I need you to be brave for me, okay?”.
Hestia nod as her small hands covered his own. “I will, Master. What’s going to happen?” Hestia responds as tears started to brim her eyes, causing the Jedi Master to wipe them away.
“I’m going to provide a distraction so you can get the others away.” Tarre responds as the Force hummed with the electricty of the upcoming battle, Tarre knew his time was near an end so he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “I am so proud of you, kiddo. Just find Ruuan, okay?”.
Hestia nod as she hugged him quickly and started to direct her clanmates away as the Jedi Master stood. “Buir?” Tarre froze as he heard Hestia speak in his native tongue, heavily accented but he still turned to look at her. “Ni....kar’taylir....darasuum. Ret’uryce mhi.”.
“Ret, ner ad.” Tarre says gently as he grabbed his darksaber from his belt as Knights Zerran and Halcyon joined him. He gave one last smile to the girl as she vanished with the younglings. “Are the charges set?”.
Zerran nod as he leaned against the pillar, bracing himself as another unrelated explosion hit. “Yeah, at all the key parts in the structure.” Zerran glanced at where Hestia had vanished with the younglings. “Five groups left. I assume we all have the same idea?”.
Tarre nod as flipped his weapon in his hands. “There’s strength in numbers and skills.” Tarre responds to the younger man while he noticed Halcyon’s smirk. “Nok, don’t you dare.”.
“Whatever, c’mon, we have a Sith Lord to distract!” With that, he took off with the wary Coruscanti streetrat and unimpressed Mandalorian chieftain chasing after him. Zerran handed the detonator over to Tarre without a word as the Coruscanti retrieved his duel-bladed lightsaber.
Tarre Vizsla groaned from his spot in the center on the chamber, on his knees and one hand as he vaguely sensed Halcyon fade away while he kept one arm wrapped around his torso, attempting to keep to hide the switch and allow Sion to lower his guard. “You failed.” The Sith stated as he approached the two survivors, reaching down with a cold and destroyed hand to wrap it around the Mnadalorians throat and pull him up. “Any last words, Jedi?”.
With that, Zerran began to let out a wheezing, slightly deranged laugh as they both sensed the same thing. The remaining groups had escaped, Hestia was safe and Zerran was once again on his feet, summoning Tarre’s darksaber to him.
“What is so amusing, Jedi?” Sion turned to look at the Sentinel who gave him a vicious, angry and very predatory smirk.
“We.....were...Revan’s infiltrators, moron. You....” Zerran -- no, Sid -- let out a very harsh laugh, indicating his darker nature as he activated the blade as Sion dropped Tarre and went to attack the other man. “F-Fell for it. W-w-we got you....Tarre! Now!”.
“O-Ogir....cuyir nayc kyr’am...o-o-ogir cuyir....te Force, shabuir.” Tarre growls out, ignoring the throb in his ribs as he revealed the switch which caused Sion to attempt to grab it for him, which allowed the Mandalorian to escape from his grasp and hit the button.
“You failed, we didn’t.”.
Tarre smiled viciously as he heard the explosions going off, watching as Sid darted away from Sion to join him, quickly picking him up and allowing the warrior to lean against him as the temple collapsed around and over them.
Live to fight another day, my friends. The war has only just begun.
It was reassurance, to Canderous, to Meetra, to Bastila, to Hestia, to everyone he ever loved. This was where he made his last stand, this was where he died to save the future.
This was where he became one with the Force. Tarre felt Sid relax, also accepting their fate as his blue eyes met Tarre’s dark green before they both looked at Sion with grins.
They had started out as rivals and enemies, now? Now, they died as allies and vode. They were more then a street rat and an exiled Mandalorian, they were Jedi.
Jedi who were sacrificing themselves to save dozens of others. This was their last stand.
You will be remembered.
Tarre didn’t know who the woman was, but he knew there was truth in those words as the two men embraced their fate.
Translations:
Ogir cuyir nayc kyr’am, ogir cuyir te Force, shabuir - “There is no death, there is the Force, asshole.”.
Buir? Ni kar’taylir darasuum. Ret’uurcye mhi. - “Papa? I love you. Maybe we’ll meet again.”.
Ret, ner ad - “Maybe, my child/daughter.”