So here's the next chapter...along with two more chapters! I was on a writing spree today! :D

I'm still willing to accept some ideas for future plot points. I have some things planned out already; for example, I want them to go back to Coruscant and the Jedi Temple, and I want them to have a run in with Obi-Wan as well. I'd planned these things since the beginning. I have a few more (which are surprises) but I'm open to more ideas. Don't be shy!

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy these next three chapters!


On Florrum

The ride back to Florrum was silent.

Katooni didn't speak, and Hondo didn't want to press her. She had been one of the more timid younglings out of the group he had encountered, and he knew she wouldn't speak if pressed too much; she would say something in her own time.

But there was her behaviour surrounding her arrival, and the situation itself. The hug she had given him had surprised the pirate; when they last parted they had left on good terms, but Hondo didn't expect her to be that happy to see him. None of the other Jedi ever were whenever they were reunited.

At least, Kenobi and Skywalker never were, even when they meet in situations where they're on the same side.

Then there was her arrival itself. Hondo had learnt his lesson from before that younglings didn't travel alone; they always had an older Jedi escort with them. Katooni had been alone with no one but a droid accompanying her. That in itself was strange.

There was also the fact that she was holding her arm in pain.

The pirate looked down at the young Jedi, noticing her Padawan braid. Padawans sometimes travelled without an older Jedi; Ahsoka had done so when escorting the younglings. But she was older and experienced – Katooni wasn't, meaning she should still have at least her Master with her.

Something had happened, and although Hondo wanted to find out what, he knew that whatever it was, it hadn't been good.

The ship landed on Florrum, and the pirates disembarked. Katooni stayed close to Hondo with R3 by her side, and trotted to keep up with the pirate whenever she fell a few steps behind. The base had been rebuilt, looking as it had done when she was last there. There were many pirates dotted around the place; they looked up and watched her pass before getting back to their jobs.

Katooni kept her gaze averted to the ground to avoid the eyes of the pirates. Hondo turned and looked down at her, and seeing how hesitant she was, he patted her shoulder.

"Come, come," he told her. "Let's have a droid look at that arm of yours."

"Arm?" Katooni questioned.

"Yes, the one you're holding in pain."

She looked down at where she was self-consciously holding her left arm, the one she had hurt during her escape from the Clone Troopers. Blinking in surprise, she realized she had forgotten all about it, and remembering the injury made her aware of just how much it hurt.

"Oh," she said, trying to mask her pain. "That arm."

Hondo didn't know what to say to this, so instead led her inside without another word. They passed the main room where most of the pirates were drinking, and continued down a long hall until they reached the medical bay.

A medical droid was stood lifelessly in the corner, and Hondo switched it on under the chin as he and Katooni entered the room. The droid stumbled to life, trying to get its bearings in the few seconds that followed.

"What can I do for you?" he asked when he finally spotted Hondo.

"I have a youngling here who's hurt her arm," said Hondo, gesturing to the space where he thought Katooni was stood, but looking down he realized she wasn't there, and turned to find her stood behind him. "Ah! There you are, little Jedi!"

He picked her up under her arms and placed her on the table in the centre of the room, and the droid walked over to her.

"May I see?" he asked, and Katooni held out her arm. "Hmm... There does not seem to be any external damage. How did you hurt it?"

"I leapt into a fighter and landed on it awkwardly," she explained.

Hondo raised what would be his eyebrow if he were a Human, wondering why she had leapt into a fighter in such a way. The droid continued to examine Katooni's arm, bending it to see how she reacted. Bending her elbow didn't hurt, but bending her wrist did, and the droid nodded after deciding the problem.

"She has bruised a bone in her wrist," the droid reported to Hondo. "It is nothing serious, but I suggest dressing it and making her rest it for a few cycles. If it is not healed by that time, consult me again."

"Yes, very well, thank you," said Hondo, dismissing the droid with a wave of his hand before switching it off again.

He then walked over to a series of draws and opened one up, taking out a roll of bandages. The pirate walked back over to Katooni, beginning to unwrap the bandage from its roll.

"I didn't know you had a medical bay here," Katooni asked, wanting to make conversation but not knowing what else to say.

"Being a pirate is an occupational hazard," said Hondo, taking the girl's hand gently in his own before beginning wrap the bandage around her wrist. "We need to treat each other somehow."

"Oh," said Katooni, and then after a second thought, added, "Thank you."

"For what?" Hondo asked with surprise.

"For helping me," she replied. "You didn't have any profit to gain in letting me into your ship and bringing me here. But you did."

"Yes, well, I have to keep up a good reputation with the Jedi," the pirate replied. "I may need their help again one day. Picking up lost younglings is an easy way to stay in their good books. But as payment, how about telling Uncle Hondo what happened?"

Katooni looked away, unsure how to reply...but she guessed that she did owe Hondo, so sighed.

"Our Clone Troopers turned on us."

Hondo paused what he was doing and looked at her with genuine shock.

"They turned on you?" he repeated. "But I thought those Clones are bred to be loyal soldiers?"

"They are," Katooni explained, as Hondo continued wrapping again. "But for some reason, they turned on us. Petro and I were on Salucami with our Masters when it happened. My Master, Stass Allie, was on patrol; she was just coming back in with two Troopers when they suddenly pulled back and fired, killing her. Petro's Master, J'oopi Shé, was next. He was shot down by the Troopers around him."

"So you two ran?"

"Yes, at first," said Katooni. "We were able to crush some of them by using the Force to bring down heavy rocks on their heads. Then we ran back to the starfighters to escape, but a Clone started shooting at us. Petro...Petro leapt at him in order to let me escape. He...he didn't..."

She screwed her eyes shut to prevent the tears from falling; she didn't want to cry in front of Hondo, of all people. The pirate was silent as he continued to wrap her wrist in a bandage, and when he was done, stepped back to admire his work.

"There. That should heal up nicely, so long as you don't play with your laser sword," he told her.

Katooni nodded and went to jump down, but Hondo beat her to it and plucked her off the table in the same manner he had picked her up; he placed her back on the floor.

"What do I do now?" she asked.

"You're welcome to stay here, small one," said Hondo, in the same tone of voice he had used back when he'd asked her a similar question all those months ago. "For as long as it takes for this mess of yours to...clear itself up."

Katooni opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted when Gwarm, Hondo's second in command, came running and skidded to a halt outside the door.

"Hondo! You better come take a look at this!" he reported. "It's all over the HoloNet!"

"What is?" asked the Captain. "What's happened?"

"The Jedi rebelled against the Republic! They've all been killed!"

Katooni gasped and gripped Hondo's sleeve. She couldn't believe the words she'd just heard, and closed her eyes hoping that when she opened them again, things would be back to normal.

The Jedi wouldn't rebel... They couldn't have been killed...

But remembering what had happened to Petro and their Masters, she knew it to be true.

Hondo's eyes narrowed before pushing past Gwarm, heading for the main room of his base. Katooni hurried to catch up, and Gwarm followed suit. They all walked in silence until they reached the main room; Hondo's pirates were gathered around a large screen, and Hondo pushed his way through with Katooni clutching his sleeve tightly so she didn't lose him.

When they reached the front, both looked up at the screen. It showed the Senate, and in the centre, the Chancellor was stood wearing a dark cloak which covered his face – a face which had been scarred.

Katooni instantly felt the darkness surrounding him, and partly hid behind Hondo out of fear. She knew only a Sith could have that amount of darkness surrounding him, and began to shake at the thought of the Chancellor – the man they had been serving for so long – being the Sith Lord they were after all along.

"The Jedi hoped to release their destructive power against the Republic by assassinating the head of government and usurping control of the Clone Army," Palpatine was saying. "But the aims of the would-be tyrants were valiantly opposed by our loyal Clone Troopers, who contained the insurrection within the Jedi Temple and quelled the uprisings on thousands of worlds. The remaining Jedi will be hunted down and defeated!"

His words were met with applause. Katooni couldn't believe what she was hearing; she refused to believe that the Jedi would do such a thing.

"Lies..." she whispered.

"The attempt on my life has left me scarred, and deformed," Palpatine continued. "But I assure you, my resolve has never been stronger!"

He was met with more applause. Katooni retreated further behind Hondo, who found himself placing an arm around her shoulders.

"The war is over," Palpatine announced. "The Separatists have been defeated, and the Jedi rebellion has been foiled. We stand on the threshold of a new beginning. In order to ensure our security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic EMPIRE!"

There was a thunderous applause. Katooni took in deep breaths, unable to believe any of this was happening. The war was over. The Republic was no more. The Jedi Order was no more. All the Jedi were dead.

And she was the only Jedi still alive.


I found Palpatine's extended speech on Wookiepedia, which I decided to use for the story.

Please review!