Chapter Two

"I can't read this." Ahsoka said, looking through the book. "All of the letters are unfamiliar."

"Oh. I forgot. It's in my native language. Get something to record this." Janko said, taking back the Marx book. Ahsoka left the cockpit and went to find a datapad. A few moments later, Ahsoka returned with a datapad. Janko opened the book to the first page.

"Are you ready?" Janko asked. Ahsoka fiddled with the datapad before nodding. Then, Janko began to read out of the Communist Manifesto. Ahsoka recorded the words as Janko spoke. Going through the book took time, but they finished just before arriving to Mandalore. Ahsoka learned a lot about Janko's political views and found herself agreeing with many of its ideals. At last, the Falcon jumped out of hyperspace. The yellow world of Mandalore loomed ahead as Ahsoka headed for the domed city of Sundari. After a brief conversation with air traffic control, the Millenium Falcon landed in the hangar. There were signs of fighting around the area, which intrigued Ahsoka.

"Janko, do you know how to use a sword?" Ahsoka asked.

"More or less."

Ahsoka unclipped her shoto and gave it to Janko.

"There might be fighting involved, so you need a way to defend yourself." She said. Growing more serious, she added.

"Don't lose it. I trust you with my life."

Janko nodded and tucked the shoto in his jacket. He and Ahsoka walked out of the hangar, where Bo Katan and several of her associates waited.

"Thank you for coming on such a short notice." Bo Katan said. "We did not want the Jedi Council or the Republic to interfere, so we were left to contact you."

"You are taking a huge risk. I might not be able to defeat Maul." Ahsoka said.

"We know. I hope our gamble pays off. Two days ago, Prime Minister Almec was murdered by Maul and now Mandalore is left without a leader. Until Maul is dead, no one will be able to take power." The Mandalorian woman said. "Who's your friend there? He's hot."

Ahsoka giggled while Janko shifted around nervously.

"I'm Janko Šerić." He said before Ahsoka could answer. "I'm her companion."

"In what way?" Bo said suggestively.

"Nothing romantic in anyway." Ahsoka said a little quickly. "We are just friends."

"Besides, we've only know each other for less than a week." Janko added.

"You are still hot though." Bo replied, eying the man hungrily. "We should hook up sometime."

"The delusions of a dreamer. We have to partake in some pest control first before I can consider having my way with you." Janko said.

"The sarcasm of a soldier." Bo said, slightly impressed. "I haven't heard such words since my late sister's boy toy visited a few weeks ago."

"It's either develop a sense of humor or go mad." Janko replied. "I'd rather not go mad."

"We'd be mad if we allow Maul to kill any more people." Ahsoka said, wanting to get going. "Let's go before he does."

"Right. Maul was last seen recently near the police station not far from here." Bo said, getting serious. "Take a speeder. It'll get you there easier."

"Thanks." Ahsoka said. She and Janko stepped into one and flew off. As they approached the police station, Janko felt the increasing coldness of the Dark Side of the Force. When they arrived, there were lightsaber marks and dead bodies everywhere. Ahsoka felt one of the bodies for heat. It was warm.

"He's here." Ahsoka stated, unclipping her lightsaber from her belt. "Stay here. You are no match for Maul."

"And you are?" Janko asked, extremely worried.

"I'm more qualified to duel with a lightsaber than you." Ahsoka said.

"Fair enough."

Ahsoka went inside the ruined police station. Janko hung back a safe distance as he also went inside. Silence hung in the air like a thick fog. Ahsoka entered the main control room, Janko peeking from the corridor.

"So… The Mandalorians finally found someone to kill me. A pathetic 17 year old failed Jedi Padawan." A voice said softly. "Getting rid of you will be easy."

Ahsoka only smirked. Overconfidence was still a large part of Maul's persona. The Zabrak male stepped out of the shadows, his lightsaber and the Darksaber in hand.

"Let's dance, then." Ahsoka said calmly, activating her lightsaber. Maul activated his weapons and the pair began a vicious duel. The former Padawan immediately began giving ground, letting the Force guide her lightsaber as she led Maul outside. Janko, seeing the duel moving to him, left the building and crouched behind a crate on the platform. A minute passed when the duel finally came out in the open. Janko then noticed members of Death Watch were approaching the platform. Ahsoka, despite holding off Maul's attacks for a minute and a half, did not have Anakin's or Obi-wan's skill with a ligtsaber and she knew it. One mistake later, Ahsoka found both of her arms severed at the elbows, eliciting a gasp. Maul then kicked her onto the speeder.

"Well, well, well. You thought you could defeat me." Maul growled. By now, the Mandalorians had landed on the platform and surrounded the three Force-sensitives.

"This is what happens if you try to cross me." Maul sneered at the Mandalorians. "You will get disarmed before I grant you a quick death."

'I trust you with my life.'

Janko recalled the words that echoed inside his head and suddenly felt a wave of emotion crash over him as he realized Maul's next move. He realized how much more important Ahsoka was to him than he knew, and how many ways she was important to him. He can't let Ahsoka die. She trusted him with her life and he did the same. She was the first person he met in this new and strange place. She was his guide to the galaxy and his teacher in the ways of the Force and his student in the idea of communism. She was his comrade! Comrades stick together! Ahsoka was his everything. His past, his present, and his future. He knew what he must do.

As Maul raised the Darksaber to deliver the killing blow, Janko remembered the shoto hidden in his jacket.

"NOO!" He shouted as he lunged forward with the shoto in hand, activating it. Before anyone could react, Janko slashed across Maul's back, cutting deeply into the Zabrak's body. Maul screamed in pain before Janko swung the shoto to the right, beheading the former Sith Lord. The Darksaber and lightsaber deactivated as they and Maul's body hit the floor. The Mandalorians let out a collective sigh of relief. Bo Katan approached Janko and Ahsoka with a smile on her lips.

"Thank you Janko." She said. "You saved many lives."

Janko looked at Bo with distraught as Ahsoka passed out on the speeder.

"Someone get me a medic!"

-o0o-

Ahsoka finally came to, finding herself in a hospital. Janko was at her bedside, smiling weakly.

"You were right to trust me." Janko said. "You almost died."

Ahsoka put a hand to her throbbing head for a split second before withdrawing it in surprise. Both of her forearms are now prosthetics, just like her former master's right arm.

"Imagine my surprise when I found out that lost limbs can easily be replaced, unlike my homeworld." Janko said with a laugh. "Bo Katan and the rest of the Mandalorians were grateful of Maul's death, so they ordered a pair of prosthetic arms for you made out of some metal they call beskar or something like that."

Janko's last sentence took Ahsoka by surprise.

"Mandarlorian Iron." She murmured. "My new arms are made of Mandalorian Iron."

Janko tilted his head in confusion.

"Mandalorian iron is one of the very few lightsaber-resistant substances found in the galaxy." Ahsoka explained. "Lightsabers can't cut through substances like that. By the way, where are my lightsabers?"

"Look at your bedside table." Janko said. Ahsoka looked and saw her lightsaber and shoto were there.

"The Mandalorians have also made me their leader." Janko continued, almost as an afterthought.

"Really?" Ahsoka asked.

"Yeah. Maul took over after killing the last leader, so by me killing Maul, I am now the new leader of Mandalore." Janko said. "The thing is, I know almost nothing about Mandalore except that they can fly and fight. I do know how to lead. I've done it many times with my comrades back on Earth."

"I think you will do great. The only thing we need to work on is educating you about how the galaxy works, how to use the Force, and how to fight with a lightsaber." Ahsoka replied, sitting up. "Have the healers released me yet?"

"They have. They want you to take it easy for the next few days to recover and to get used to metal hands." Janko answered. "Bo Katan gave this to me as well."

Janko held up the hilt of the Darksaber. Ahsoka, getting up and clipping her lightsabers to her belt, gave a look that was a mix of surprise and pride.

"That's the Darksaber." Ahsoka said. "The Mandalorian leaders carried this for thousands of years."

Janko gave a grunt of interest before heading to the exit, Ahsoka in tow. Bo Katan was outside, waiting for the pair to come out.

"Thank you once again for destroying this menace." She said. "Your orders?"

Janko was silent for a bit, unsure of how to proceed.

"Yes." He said. "First, begin conscripting men between ages 18-40 and build up the army. With the Clone Wars going on outside the system, I do not want this planet virtually undefended. Second, I require you to distribute this book to the population. I have a copy on our ship."

Bo Katan nodded and followed Janko and Ahsoka to the Millenium Falcon. Ahsoka went inside and took out the datapad. Bo Katan also had a datapad in hand and the Communist Manifesto was copied over.

"Bo, before I can begin properly ruling Mandalore, I must gather information about the outside galaxy. I am leaving you in charge until I return." Janko said.

"Yes, sir." Bo said before leaving, blowing a kiss to Janko's direction. Ahsoka and Janko entered the Falcon's cockpit prepared for departure. After several minutes, the Falcon was off planet and preparing to jump into hyperspace.

"So where are we off to?" Janko asked.

"We are going to Takodana." Ashoka said. "This is a good planet to begin your training. It has not been affected by the war, its terrain is ideal for the type of training we will partake in, and the weather is temperate year round."

"An excellent choice." Janko remarked, looking back to how Yugoslavia was like. Ahsoka punched in the coordinates and the Falcon jumped into hyperspace.

-o0o-

Darth Sidious had been in a conversation with Count Dooku when he felt Maul's death in the Force. He stopped talking and smiled.

"Master?" Dooku said. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything is splendid, my apprentice." Sidious replied. "A small inconvenience has just been solved by itself."

"That's good to hear, Master." Dooku stated eloquently. "The 13th Battlegroup is on its way to strengthen our frontlines in the Outer Rim."

"Good." Sidious said. "Proceed as usual."

"Yes Master."

The hologram flickered out, leaving the Sith Master to reflect on previous events. Things were going according to plan.

TBC…