The Inquisitor sheathed his lightsaber and ran after him.

Raia stepped back as she saw Sirejj coming. "We waited for you," she said as he neared the tunnels. "There are ships outside, and I think the intruders have begun firing."

"No time!" He waved for her to move quickly. He sensed the inquisitor hot on his trail. That was the least of his worries. If the Empire was beginning their assault, they might have already destroyed the ships they were to escape on. He tried his comm again as he ran, but there was still no signal.

The ground trembled again. Raia was shaking as she ran, memories from nine years ago hitting her like a tidal wave. The rubble of their home, Arno curled childlike under a piece of the wall, the ground melting from the heat of the turbolasers. It was happening again. This time there would be nothing left but Raia and her three companions. Kurra and her mother would be gone, and Raia would be the last of their line. The very last.

Sirejj felt her distress and almost pitied her. He had not been on Dathomir when the purge had taken place, but he had seen its aftermath. Atoa was soon to be the same.

Despite his size, the Inquisitor was quick. Sirejj was faster, but one wrong step would land him under the Inquisitor's blade. One they were out in the open the real sprint would take place, and that is where the Inquisitor would cover ground. He had to make up the distance here. He tried his comm again, cursing to himself.

The comm crackled to life, and Zee's voice filtered through between the static. "...Started---close?" She sounded angry and distracted, the few words that got through filled with impatience. "The shi--two....need--?"

"Zee! Come in!" The ground shook again and he nearly lost his footing. He pushed himself faster, with Raia only slightly ahead of him. "Can you hear me?!" They were getting closer now. The blackness of the caves faded ever so slightly as the light from above shone through the cracks.

"Where--you?!" There was a wave of static, and then she came in clearly. "Get your ass to the ship, now! I can practically see him up there, they're that close."

The Inquisitor was closing in on them, his breathing coming fast and heavy. He reached out a hand, and Raia went rigid, stopping in her tracks. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe. It was like a hand had closed over her throat and ankles. The cave ceiling trembled with impact from above, and a couple stones fell.

Sirejj halted in his tracks and looked up and as the stones that fell from above. He outstretched his hands and directed them towards the Inquisitor. Razor sharp stalactites the length of his arm snapped from the ceiling as Sirejj yanked them down and flung them towards their attacker with the Force. He brandished his staff again and leaped forward to engage the him, hoping that would be enough for him to release his hold.

"Get the Atoans on board!" He called over the comm. The line was left open.

"This is it?" Zee asked, incredulous. "That's all of them?"

The Inquisitor released Raia and redirected the stalactites toward Sirejj, reigniting his saber. "Which matters more to you?" he asked. "Your life, or theirs?"

Sirejj dodged some and struck the others out of the air with his staff. "Yes!" He replied to Zee then focused on the Inquisitor. "You're in no position to give me that ultimatum." The runes on his staff glowed for a moment and he struck the ground. The sound that was produced was deafening. It rang from the walls, seeming to grow louder the more it echoed against the crystals. The shrill sound was loud and painful, enough to disorient most attackers.

It worked, though the success was limited. The helmet seemed to dampen the sound for the Inquisitor. He recoiled even so, rapping at the side of his head with an open palm.

Raia took this opportunity to dart in and deliver an ear-ringing blow to the other side with her staff. The Inquisitor stumbled, disoriented, then straightened and sliced the staff in two with his saber. One half fell to the ground, and Raia's eyes widened in shock.

Sirejj took advantage of the distraction and attacked with a flurry of blows, mentally counting the time till the next quake. The ships from above were drawing nearer. He felt the coldness of the oncoming danger creep over him. They needed to leave now.

"Get to the surface!" He shouted, for a moment forgetting Raia couldn't understand him.

Raia got the gist; she backed up several steps and then bolted, her many hearts pounding. She looked back just once before she burst out of the tunnels to the surface. The woman staggered, blinded by the bright light, and shielded her eyes. She couldn't move, she couldn't see, and sound of energy projectiles striking her surroundings was deafening. Raia crouched there, overwhelmed, until a pair of firm hands grasped her by the arms and lifted her up. Someone shouted at her in Basic, and when she recoiled the voice became marginally more gentle. Squinting, Raia tried to make out the features but couldn't. A friend? It had to be. She let herself be guided away from the tunnel entrance.

"I'm one of those fellows you've got to kill to make him stop," the Inquisitor said. The vornskr-skull helmet was cracked on the right side, now: a piece had come away to reveal pale humanoid skin and snow-white hair.

"Now you begin to understand the Dathomiri." He took a step back and firmly planted his foot into the ground. A blast shook the ground again. As the ground quaked, Sirejj summoned all the power he could muster to send a powerful push towards the Inquisitor, hoping between the two his opponent would lose his footing.

He did. As he fell, throwing out his hands to brace himself and letting go of his saber, part of the roof gave way, narrowly missing Sirejj and obscuring his view of the Inquisitor. A pale face loomed out of the shadows for a moment, a body cringing against another body to shield it. Dark brown eyes met Sirejj's, wide with fear and grief.

"We're aboard," Zee's voice said from the comm. "They're too close, Sirejj; you have to go now."