I'd like to think I'm a prophet but I do not profit from this.

Chapter 4

Rakata Prime

In the days leading up to reaching the Star Forge, everybody was on edge. It seems everybody was either nervous, or preparing for the battle ahead. Carth continuously took apart his pistols, cleaned them and then reassembled them. Mission refused to play Pazaak and went to work practicing her stealth and creating security tunnelers. Zaalbar was creating plasma grenades instead of his usual fragmentation variety and began practicing his melee skills with The Sword of Bacca. Juhani and Jolee continuously sparred and in his spare time Jolee created med-kits and survival packs. T3 continued his usual routine of checking the Ebon Hawk and creating computer spikes. HK practiced his simulators and joined Carth from time to time while not hunting down any remaining gizka. Krysta meditated and sparred with Canderous while upgrading everybody's lightsaber. And Canderous? He made stims, dueled with Krysta and comforted his lover at 'night'.

Sighing at the end of another long 'day' Canderous settled into his bed tenderly. "I've fought in hundreds of battles but whenever I fight you I get my ass kicked."

"Yes, that seems to be a recurring theme whenever I face Mandalorians," teased Krysta.

"Har de har har. I oughta-"

But Canderous was interrupted by the Ebon Hawk lurching violently.

"We're approaching the Star Forge, but there's some sort of energy field drawing us to a nearby planet," yelled Carth from the cockpit.

The Hawk's usually white lights turned emergency red. Everybody secured the rapidly falling equipment as Krysta joined Carth at the controls. Try as they might, they could not will the ship away from the small planet. Canderous's ears popped as the Hawk struggled to maintain a steady atmosphere as it plummeted towards the strange world.

"Brace for impact!"

The Hawk came to a very sudden and violent stop. Canderous heard crunching sounds and the distinct sound of a hyperdrive overloading as he was thrown to the floor. The ship went momentarily dark, and then the white emergency lights blinked to life. Canderous stood up surprised he was unharmed. He somehow knew they would live, for all his cracks at Republic, Carth could fly a ship even if it was a trash can with wings.

It seemed agreed upon to meet outside, and when Canderous came off the ramp, he was surprised to find sand. Not Tatooine sand. Beach sand. White and small. Surveying the area, Canderous noted several downed ships no doubt brought down by the Star Forge's defenses. However, unlike the Hawk, these ships were crashed in the water, into mountains, and split in half.

Once everybody was outside, Mission remarked, "Nice landing Carth."

"We're lucky to be alive, but I don't know how we can get off this planet," replied Canderous.

"Rakata Prime," answered Krysta. "Ruled by the Rakatan tribes."

No sooner had she spoken these words, when three aliens with large heads with eyes jutting out to the sides attacked. The entire party cleaved through this scouting party with ease.

"Great, The One knows we're here already," Krysta grimaced.

"The One?" asked everybody in unison.

"He's the leader of one of the Rakatan Tribes on this planet. There are two such tribes. The One's group wants to wipe out the elders while the others want to unite."

"Eager Plea: Master, may we please just blast both meddlesome aliens?" begged HK.

"We need the help from at least one of the tribes to get into that temple in the distance," answered Krysta pointing to the temple.

"Shall we flip a coin? Or am I correct in assuming that last time you helped The One, but this time you want to help the elders?" inquired Canderous.

Krysta smirked at the fact that Canderous knew both sides of her. It is one thing for someone to predict current actions, but to know past decisions is something entirely different.

"Canderous and Zaalbar, you're with me. Carth, what parts do we need to get the Hawk up and running?"

"Uh," said Carth, running his hands through is hair. "I think we need stabilizers and some hyperdrive parts. It shouldn't be too hard with all these crashed ships."

"Good. Take Mission and T3, they'll help you find parts. That leaves HK, Jolee, and Juhani to guard the Ebon Hawk."

"Humph, I'm not your guard dog missy. Guard your own ship," shot Jolee.

"Threatening Statement: Keep talking like that to the master and you will be thrown to the wild rancor."

Krysta groaned, "HK, did you say rancor?"

"Clarifying Statement: Indeed master. My preliminary scans indicate several rancors on this planet. However, they do not seem native to this planet. Theory: Perhaps they were on one of the ships that crashed here."

"Even more reason to guard the Hawk you three," reasoned Krysta.

"Very well Krysta, we shall guard here, but be careful, I sense a disturbance," said Juhani.

Getting to the elders' camp was no easy task. The rancors they faced were dwarfs compared to the full grown rancor on Taris, but a rancor is still a rancor. Good thing we brought the wookie, thought Canderous. Indeed, Zaalbar had killed as many rancors as Canderous and Krysta combined. It seemed that he was intent on honoring his life-debt.

But Krysta has style, thought the battered warrior as his Jedi companion leaped behind her latest rancor, and sliced it in two. Canderous always thought that the lightsabers were cheating in terms of melee fighting. Despite this, Canderous couldn't help admiring Krysta's blade. Two silver beams of energy that carved death and destruction. Definitely more elegant than Revan's boring single red saber, admired Canderous.

Panting and sweating, they reached the elders' enclave, only to find lightning barriers. "I guess that eliminates going around back," said Canderous.

"Indeed. I guess it's the front door then."

As they approached the front, a hologram of a Rakata greeted them. Canderous couldn't understand anything the goggle-eyed freak was saying, but Krysta did. Sighing at the fact that he was left out of another conversation, he waited until the hologram to shrank into nothingness.

"Weeelllllll?" drawled Canderous.

Punching him in the arm, Krysta replied, "We're allowed inside, and of course they want us to do something."

After stepping inside, Canderous noticed a small banner with an intriguing symbol on it. "Why have I seen this banner before?" asked Canderous.

Krysta turned and replied, "The Sith as we know them are not the original Sith, and neither are the Rakata. However, this is an image of the Star Forge and the Infinite Empire that the Rakatans created. Remember Tatooine? They glassed it. Anyways, Exar Kun used this banner because he idolizes the Infinite Empire as does Malak."

Canderous nodded, and moved on. After Krysta was done creating syllables that would tie Canderous's tongue in knots, she explained that they want their friends freed and the 'invisible warriors with iron heads' destroyed.

"Why do I have the feeling that they're talking about Mandalorian cowards and that The One won't let these prisoners go?" asked Canderous.

Zaalbar roared in agreement as Krysta nodded her head. "The Mandalorians are closer. We'll go there first. What do you think Canderous?"

Canderous sighed, "I'm not going to let Jagi's death impede me from defeating those that dishonor my people." And with that, they set off.

Finding the cowardly warriors was simple. The dead rancor, Rakatan, and gizka corpses near the side of the temple were a dead give away. As the gang approached them, the Mandalorians deactivated their stealth generator.

"We claim this temple and planet in the name of Mandalore!" shouted their leader.

"And I'm about to claim your head in the name of plain old killing," mocked Canderous as he stepped forward. "They're mine."

Canderous gritted his teeth, and leapt over the group and let go a plasma grenade while in mid-air. As he landed, the grenade exploded killing two, and sent the leader into the side of the temple. The man was bleeding badly as blood seeped out of his helmet.

"N'jurkad," Don't mess with me.

Canderous heaved the bloody man to his feet, only to smash his head on the side of the temple. Canderous paused only to rip off the man's helmet and continued the bludgeoning. He was about to crush the man's face completely when two hands wrapped around his neck. Looking down at the arms, he noticed that they were slender and feminine. It was not until then did he realize that Krysta had been shouting his name.

"Cyar'ika, Kaysh Taab'echaj'la!" Darling, he's dead!

Canderous let go of the corpse, and slowly sank to the ground. Catching his breath, Canderous brought his knees to his chest with Krysta still on his back.

"Thank you. For stopping me I mean. I don't know what I was doing. This whole Mandalorians being a bunch of cowards pisses me off," growled Canderous.

"Jorso'ran kando a tome," We shall bear its weight together, soothed the Jedi as she let go and sat next to him.

"Of course we will," muttered the warrior staring at his bloody hands.

The pair stood, and walked over to Zaalbar. The trio trekked in silence to The One's enclave. While they were allowed to peacefully enter, Canderous knew getting out would be more difficult.

The One stood in the center of a large circular room surrounded by cages filled with corpses and rancors. Canderous was on edge, knowing just by Krysta's body language that things were going poorly. He also noticed that there were no live prisoners.

Ah crap, thought Canderous as The One rushed over to a lever and pulled it, releasing rancors and summoning guards.

Krysta shook her head in disgust and turned to Canderous and Zaalbar. "Shall we?" she challenged.

Fighting rancors was no easy task. Fighting rancors, Rakatan guards and The One made things difficult. In the end, The One was surrounded with three blades pointing at his throat. Krysta spoke again to The One. Canderous figured that she was offering him freedom. They got their answer in the form of The One shrieking and clawing towards Krysta. He received two metal blades to his side and a silver saber end to his chest for his efforts.

"Di'kut," Idiot.

So here it is Chapter 4. Sorry for the delay but midterms kinda stink. Thanks for reading and any reviews! Constructive criticism / suggestion are welcome and i'll be sure to respond.