Hey, guys! Bet you didn't expect so hear from me so early on Monday, June 25, 2018. Well, I finished up my orientation around 5:00 pm, and got home, where I was then able to begin the next chapter. So, my orientation went well, as I'm going to start it nice and slow until I get acclimated to the college environment, and then pick up with one more class after a couple of semesters. Anyway, a whole lot happened on the last chapter of the story. A band of Morgolag-Hai and Uruk-Hai were killed, along with Beru and Owen Lars, Tireel and his surviving Dark Elves now know who Luke Skywalker is, and who he might become if Sauron doesn't act to kill or capture him, and the Shadow Alliance/Hutt force is ready to attack Jabba's Palace in order to keep Jabba from allying with the Cult of the Dark Ainur. Man, I have a bad feeling for our heroes, as I know that there will be a lot of close calls, and an unexpected twist that will leave you guys begging for more after this chapter's done. Oh, one more thing. AS of last night, just before I published the last chapter, I finished Middle-Earth: Shadow of War: The Blade of Galadriel, and my heart went out to Talion for the horrific fate that he suffered due to selfishness and mad ambition. I only hope that Eltariel can one day fully atone for the betrayal that she committed. Soon enough, I'll get to The Desolation of Mordor DLC, which I bet will be a blast, no pun intended (actually, pun intended). Well, I'd better get to writing, as I've already surpassed twenty thousand words in this story in just eight days, and that's pretty impressive.
(June 26, 2018 addendum.) Hey, guys. How are you doing on this cool-ish afternoon? I'm doing well, as I had a hearty lunch, and then mowed my parents' lawn, which freed up my day to write a lot for this chapter. Fair warning, the next chapter or two will be really dark, and feature many heart wrenching and disturbing surprises that Squasher and I managed to come up with. Oh, and, I've decided that, after I finish my Warhammer 40k omnibus, I'll read Star Wars: Canto Bright, and see if I can integrate it into my head canon, and maybe even into this story as well. One more thing, I've just ordered the first two seasons of RWBY, and the reference book, Galaxies: An Empire Remembered, and I can't wait to get them and watch and read them. Well, on with the story.
(10:22 Addnedum.) Good evening, guys. Sorry for the second addendum in this story, but I have news for you that can't afford to risk being forgotten. I might have to be working several more hours over the weekends at my movie theater, which might put a crick in my plans, as I might have to work until at least midnight, which will, for obvious reasons, conflict with my free time, and, more importantly, may force me to quit my job if the hours become unreasonable. I'll keep you posted as I learn more. Well, I'd better get back to writing. May the Force and Iluvatar be with me.
Fifteen Minutes Later
3.0 Kilometers From Jabba's Palace
Onboard the Second Chance
"Ahsoka and the others are almost here. We can begin our assault, whenever you're strike force is ready, Lady Kryze." Tau said to the Nite Owls leader, who, from her Kom'rk-class Troop Transport, merely smirked in amusement over Tau's romantic set of priorities.
"Aww. Waiting for the woman who warms your bed at night, Tau?" Bo-Katan faux endearingly said, which made both her ship's crew and Ventis laugh hysterically over Tau's stammering awkwardness over the Leader of Clan Kryze knowing how intimate Tau and Ahsoka had become.
Tau, in an incredulous manner, stated, "Oh, come on! What, Jak and Ulra told you of what we did, didn't you?"
After seeing Bo-Katan nod her head in confirmation of Tau's suspicions, he made a mental note to tease them over their lack of premarital celibacy. He then took in enough soothing breaths to collectively say, "You know that old saying, 'A secret's no good if half the galaxy knows'? Well, if anyone finds out how involved we are, they'll intensify their hunt for us even further, making it harder to gain ground in a war on so many fronts."
"Don't worry, Tau, they only told people that they trust implicitly. And, besides, it's not like the Shadow Alliance knew how crazy you two were for each other back on Lah'mu, so they'll have to make an educated guess eventually." Bo-Katan said to reassure Tau, before she turned serious, and said, "Tell the Hutts that we'll commence the attack at once, and to land right behind us, as we'll need to hit them hard and fast so that they can't regroup."
"All right. Iluvatar willing, Jabba won't have given into their extortion efforts, or we might have to kill him, and we can't afford the Hutt clans as enemies right now." Tau said in both a hope and a prayer as Bo-Katan nodded her head in agreement before ending the communication, allowing Tau to glare at Ventis before he finally stopped laughing at Tau's humiliation.
"Ventis, I know that I have it coming for making love with Ahsoka too soon, but can you can it until we drive back their Archon, because, if it's who I think it is, we'll need all of our focus for the battle ahead?" Tau imploringly said to his apprentice, who only nodded in agreement, while Celebion shook his head in amusement over his surrogate son's embarrassment and the man who was like a brother to him over their dynamics and bickering.
The Dúnedain Ranger then nodded his head in agreement, and, once he got up in order to ready his vibro-sword and blaster rifle for the imminent battle to come, said, "He's right, Ventis. Maleketi was the genetically engineered son of the first of the Morgolag-Hai, and he's the most powerful and dangerous among them. We barely managed to survive him on Arda during the Battle Under the Lonely Mountain. It's going to take all of us to even have a chance against him, and that's if his sick lover of a Dark Elf is there with him."
"Wait, that perversion of life has a lover?!" Ventis horrifically said, before he asked, "How sick can anyone be if they want to be his partner, given how messed up he is as a dark creation?!" Ventis then remembered just who was listening, and apologetically, said to his Jedi master, "Uh… No offense, Tau."
"None taken." Tau understandably said before he continued Celebion's briefing, saying, "His lover is a female Morgolag-Hai that is… basically a siphon that feeds off of the life force of others. Not to mention how she dresses in such minimalistic outfits, that the first time that I saw her, I nearly had a nosebleed at her lack of decency."
"She's that disturbed?" Ventis disturbingly said, shocked that Sauron would create such a vile servant.
"She's a seductress that has no qualms, what so ever, and killing her would be a justice to all Elves everywhere." Celebion repulsively said, before he turned to head to the docking ramp, and said to Ventis and Tau, "Are you guys coming to your post, or will I have to drag you two along and slap you senseless until you are fit to return to duty?"
Ventis and Tau ardently shook their heads in order to put their thoughts back in order, and hurried along to their post before the battle commenced.
Five Minutes Later
Just Outside Jabba's Palace
The Seven Kom'rk-class Troop Transports, followed by Second Chance and the mismatch of Starfighters and two flagships of the Hutt Kajidics, made quick work out of the outer defenses of the diverse species of guards that protected the doors to Jabba's palace, and the three hundred and fifty-man mercenary army, fifty Mandalorians, and four Force-Sensitives made their way out of their ships.
Once their forward position was secure, Tau, Butch, Akku, Celebion, and Ventis met up with Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, and Jarael in order to transfer Luke and Amber to the Second Chance, with the medic staying behind with Arnine and Nagme in order to keep their precious passengers safe from harm. They then rendezvoused with Bo-Katan in order to lead the assault on Jabba's remaining forces, along with the thirty Morgolag-Hai that were still in the palace.
The Mandalorian clan leader was with her men, giving them orders to lead the Hutts' mercenaries against their enemies. Once her men saluted her and went to their assigned positions, she turned to face Obi-Wan, and said, "It's been a long time, Kenobi."
"Yes, it has, Lady Kryze." Obi-Wan cordially said to the former Death Watch member, and said, "I see that you have allied with Tau and his Shadow Alliance."
"We'll have time for witty banter after we liberate this cesspool from the Morgolag-Hai. Let's get to work. Just try not to slow us down with your old age, Kenobi." Bo-Katan stoically said before she went to the front of the small army, with Tau and his friends in close pursuit.
Once the seven fighters were at the front of the army, Tau raised both his brother's purple lightsaber, and his white lightsaber from the One Sith, and the Mandalorian Starfighters launched their missiles at the front door of the palace, making them explode upon contact. He then bellowed to the army behind him, "CHARGE!"
With that simple order, all hell broke loose, and the armies quickly made their way into the palace, killing anyone who was foolish enough to get in their way with minimal casualties. Once they were successfully inside, the army split up into eight groups in order to take complete control of the palace, and to flush out any resistance that they might encounter later on.
Tau, sensing Maleketi in the same room as Jabba, the latter of which was in extreme agony, which made Tau fear that the Archon was torturing or killing him. He also sensed that the Dark Elf Priestess was there as well, which filled his heart with dread over the prospect of facing off against that parasite again.
Ahsoka, sensing Tau's fear, comfortingly placed a hand on his shoulder, and lovingly said, "Don't worry, luv. Between all of us, we've got this."
Tau, taking strength in his lover's confidence, took in many breaths of dry air, and said, "Thank you, Ahsoka." He then turned to face Bo-Katan, and concernedly asked, "You sure that you want to face off against Maleketi and his goons again? They'll be out for blood when they see us, especially after how many of their brothers and sisters that we killed back on Arda."
At that word of warning, Bo-Katan looked at Tau with an offended glance, and confidently said, "Tau, I'm a Mandalorian, and one of the best in this time. I know that we can handle the rest of these Dark Elves, especially since we've got Ventis, Kenobi, Tano, and Butch here with us."
"All right, but don't say that I didn't warn you." Tau forebodingly said as the seven leaders began their trek through the maze that was Jabba's palace, and found fifteen Morgolag-Hai protecting their Archon and Dark Priestess.
The Archon was extending his hand against the Desilijic crime lord and Jabba was gurgling uncontrollably in agony, and his son, the young Huttlet Rotta, screamed in terror for the pain that his father was experiencing, and the unconscious form of the former clone trooper that Tau recognized as the bounty hunter Jaing, a former squad mate of Jane Mallory during his time with the Empire before deserting. Tau could sense that the Archon was finishing invading and tearing apart the crime lord's mind, which made him think that whatever deal that they had tried to negotiate had failed.
Maleketi, sensing the intruders, then stopped his near-complete invasion of Jabba's mind, and turned to face the intruders, leaving a comatose and drooling Jabba alone with his screaming son until Maleketi used the Force to put the whiny Huttlet to sleep. The sight of the leader of the Morgolag-Hai was truly a terrifying marvel of dark armor that covered his entire body, and had a death mask that covered the creation's face from any prying eyes.
The Dark Priestess, on the other hand, had embraced her feminine body, and had such a skimpy uniform on that showed off most of her cleavage, and barely covered her lower regions. The near-bareness of the demented woman made everyone groan in disgust and turn their eyes away from the priestess, which made her pout that none of the men would want to be with her before she drained their life force, and then, after she had her fun with them, put them out of their misery.
Before the fifteen Mogolag-Hai could attack, Maleketi calmly said, "Halt." The fifteen Dark Elves then refrained from attacking, and the Dark Elf said to Tau, "So, we meet again, Tau Palpatine. It's been quite a long time since our last battle on Arda. You've done well for yourself since then. My master witnessed your little victory against the Empire on Lah'mu, and was quite impressed with your organization's cunning and resourcefulness. It's a shame that you're so set on opposing the true lord of the universe. We could have done so many terrible things together."
"You mean like turn good and noble people into Nazgûl, like the Knight of Umbar tried to do to Viridian and Jane, and enslaving the universe into Sauron's personal wasteland, just like what happened to Mordor? No thank you. I'd rather die fighting for freedom and justice than life a life of lies!" Tau disgustingly said, infuriated that Maleketi kept trying to convert Tau to Sauron's ranks when he had everything that he could ever want with his loved ones.
"What's a lie in embracing the animalistic side of a person's nature, luv?" The Priestess seductively said to Tau, still trying to get his essence in order to increase both her own power, and the Dark Lord Sauron's power. She then, extending her influence through the Force, enticingly said to the Jedi Knight, "Why don't you just drop this silly charade of playing hero, and join me in a sea of eternal bliss?"
Ahsoka, incensed that this abomination of an Elf would dare try to proposition the man that she loved with all of her heart, hatefully shouted to the Morgolag-Hai, "Go mess with your archon! Or, better yet, go to Chaos, you bitch!"
"Well, well, well, what have we here?" The Priestess curiously said before she put the pieces together, and disappointingly said, "Tau, you would choose this washout of a Padawan over such a creation of beauty like myself? Whatever did I do to you to deserve such a rejection?"
"Uh… serving Sauron, draining the life force of your prisoners, and, oh, yes, trying to kill me and my friends, just for starters!?" Tau spitefully said, offended beyond belief that the combination of Saruon's dark arts and Yuuzhan Vong biotechnology would dare offend his one true love.
Seeing that the two leaders were close to breaking, and tired of talking instead of fighting, Bo-Katan then said to the Archon and High Priestess, "Why don't you two drop the civilized act, knife-ears, and show everyone just what barbarians you really are? We don't have time to listen to you guys act like the next Dooku and a hooker."
That insult set the Archon and Priestess over the edge, and the former roared out, "Do not put me in the same category as that disgrace of a Sith Lord!" He then shouted to all of his servants, "KILL THEM ALL! But leave Tau to me!"
With that, all hell broke loose, as the Shadow Alliance faced off against their numerically superior foes, with Ahsoka and Bo-Katan facing off against the Dark Priestess and three of her escorts, and Maleketi and Tau faced off against each other once again.
With a speed that no one could visually comprehend, the two opponents trade blows against each other with their four respective blades, and neither opponent could land a blow on the other through the flurry of attacks.
"You just keep improving your meager quiver of talents, Tau." Maleketi said in the form of reluctant praise.
"Bold talk, coming from an early prototype such as yourself." Tau rebutted.
"Oh, how I've missed this witty banter with a worthy opponent. Too bad that it must come to an end now." Maleketi wistfully said as he launched himself at Tau while sending a barrage of Force Lightning at the Jedi.
Tau, knowing that he couldn't dodge in time, unleashed a Force Repulse to deflect the lightning, and then blocked the Dark Elf's attack with his two yorik coral blades.
"What did you do to Jaing?" Tau said, wondering just what the man was doing with a vile crime lord when the Morgolag-Hai came here to negotiate a deal.
"The Stormtrooper was here to learn the landscape of the place for when he would eventually try to kill Jabba, so we put him to sleep and offered him to the Hutt as a peace offering." The Archon explained, infuriating Tau with how casually he talked about trading someone's life for power.
"Then that's one more thing that you have to answer for when I beat you." Tau rebutted, earning a sneer from the Archon.
This may take a while. I just hope that Ahsoka and the others can hold their own for now. Tau worriedly thought to himself, knowing that contacting Ahsoka at this critical time would more than likely result in her death.
Ahsoka and Bo-Katan were struggling against the Dark Priestess and her three bodyguards, and were being steadily pushed to where Jabba was drooling, and the two women shared a look of understanding on what they had to do next.
"Well, glad to see that your boy-toys can dance. But, I wonder how they can fight, because all that I've seen are some fancy acrobatics that any circus troop can do." Bo-Katan derisively said to the Dark Priestess, which did not offend her, but ticked off her three escorts, who charged right at the two ladies.
Ahsoka, using the Force, and remembering the schematics of the palace to know that the three Morgolag-Hai were heading right for Jabba's trapdoor, used the Force to pull the lever. The resulting activation caused two of the Dark Elves to fall into the pit below, where three starved nexu awaited their new prey. While the other assailant was distracted, Bo-Katan used the chance to fire both of her blasters at him, and gunned him down into the pit for the nexu to feast upon.
"Well, it's so hard to find good help, these days." The Dark Priestess stoically said before she unleashed the heavily concentrated blast of Force Lightning that she had been preparing at Bo-Katan.
Ahsoka, acting purely on instinct, jumped in front of Bo-Katan in order to shield her comrade of the blast, while simultaneously shielding herself from the agony that it would inevitably inflict on her.
"AIGHHH!" Ahsoka screeched out with the top of her lungs as, within seconds, her shield broke under the strain, and she was hit by the bulk of the Force Lightning, which left much of her body covered in scars and burns that made her cringe from the indescribable pain.
Tau, seeing what his lover had just done in an incredible act of self-sacrifice, shouted at the top of his lungs, "AHSOKA!" He then felt a black rage seep over him, and he attacked Maleketi with a renewed fury as he struggled to reach his love in time to save her life.
"You are a disgrace to all Jedi everywhere, especially your brother and his master. What would they think of you if they saw what you were becoming?" Maleketi said, seeing glimpses of Tau's mind and his brother's memories, in order to push the young Jedi Knight closer to the Dark Side, where he might be willing to join the Cult of the Dark Ainur.
However, instead of enraging the Jedi, he remembered how Ben and Edaan went through similar instances in the heat of battle before finding the calm that they needed to gain the edge on their respective enemies.
Knowing what he had to do in order to save Ahsoka, he resolutely said to the Dark Archon, "They'd be proud that I'm living up their example, you piece of bantha fodder."
Realizing that his tactic failed, and despising being compared to an animal's droppings, Malekerti snarled as he charged at Tau, and found himself being sliced in the shoulder by a well-placed lightsaber slash, which rendered his right arm useless for the duration of the battle as he dropped one of his blades.
He then began to reconsider his options, and, seeing that his men had been reduced to six under the combined might of Celebion, Akku, Ventis, Butch, and Obi-Wan, and how his men were being decimated by the Hutts and Mandalorians' combined might, telepathically called to his forces to prepare to retreat away from the palace.
"And then there was one." The Priestess sadistically said as she prepared to finish off the former Padawan, but was stopped by Bo-Katan, who charged right in front of her, and, after getting a few good blows in her in order to keep her off-balance, the Mandalorian pulled out a sonic grenade, and armed it to go off in five seconds.
Smirking underneath her helmet, she said to her adversary, "Hope those pointy ears of yours work well." Quickly soundproofing her helmet, she felt herself being blown to where Ahsoka was lying, and she saw the Dark Elf gripping her ears as blood seeped out of them while she screamed in terrible pain.
Bo-Katan then contacted the Second Chance through her helmet's comlink, and urgently said into it, "Jarael, we need an emergency pickup yesterday! Ahsoka was hit by a lot of Force Lightning, and needs immediate medical attention!"
"All right! Hurry and bring her back to the ship! I'll have my equipment ready for her by the time that you get back." Jarael obediently said.
She then gingerly picked up the Togruta, and, after noticing Tau running up to the two women, who then said, "Go! I'll cover you!"
"No. You need to stay here and finish leading the battle here. Don't worry, your girlfriend's in good hands. I'll keep her safe." Bo-Katan firmly, cut compassionately said, making Tau look down, as he knew that the Mandalorian was right.
"Fine. But, if she dies on your watch, I'll make your life a living hell!" Tau threatened, which the woman took in stride, and rushed out to where the Second Chance was based.
Tau, knowing that he still had an Archon and Dark Priestess to destroy for the good of the galaxy, and his own personal justice for what they did to Ahsoka, turned to face them, only to find that Maleketi had slung his lover over his good shoulder, and menacingly threatened, "Next time we meet, I'll eviscerate you all for what you did to my beloved!"
"Funny, that's exactly what I was going to say to you for what your twisted lover did to my beloved, Archon!" Tau tensely said, his calmness hiding the nearly uncontrollable rage that he felt for the two leaders of the Morgolag-Hai.
At the threat that Tau had just delivered, Maleketi said to Tau, "There may be a dark future for you yet, Tau Palpatine." He then telepathically ordered his six remaining Dark Elves to unleash a flash of Force Lightning in order to blind their foes, allowing the blinding flash to cover their escape.
Once the strike team's eyesight came back, the five men looked around to see that their enemies had fled the main hall.
Before anyone could do anything else, Jaing caught their attention by groaning as he quickly regained consciousness, and said, "Gods, I hate being useless in battle."
Celebion then ran to the bounty hunter, and checked his vitals, which were strong, and said to Tau and the others, "I'll take Jaing to the ship. You guys go after the Archon. Do not let them escape!"
The three Jedi sensed that they were hearing to the hangar bay. Knowing that their Hutt and Mandalorian forces wouldn't stand a chance against the remaining Morgolag-Hai, they rushed to follow the Dark Elves, and saw them cutting a blaze through the diverse groups of mercenaries in the hangar to their Yuuzhan Vong-like shuttle.
Tau, knowing that they couldn't stop them from escaping without getting the remaining of their forces butchered, urgently said into his comlink, "All forces, this is Tau Palpatine. Stand down, and let the Dark Elves pass to their ship. We've won the battle, there's no need to make this a massacre for our forces."
Unfortunately for the bulk of their one hundred and eighty-five Hutt mercenaries and thirty Mandalorians that still lived, eight Weequay and Gamorreans disobeyed the order, and quickly paid the price for their disobedience by getting disintegrated by the twelve still-walking Morgolag-Hai.
"Idiots." Akku muttered at the eight Hutt guards that disregarded their warning, and said to Tau, "I hope that we can get better soldiers from these Hutts than these reckless mercenaries."
"Yeah, me too." Tau said in agreement as he saw the Dark Elves' transport fly out of the shuttle, and quickly fled into the desert in order to escape their enemies.
He then contacted the Second Chance, and worriedly said into it, "Jarael, do you have Ahsoka?"
"Affirmative, Tau. She'll pull through, but, for safety reasons, I'd prefer if she took at least twelve hours in a bacta tank, which Vedo has onboard the Golden Opportunity."
Tau then breathed an audible sigh of relief, and said to Jarael, "See to it at once, because we can't afford to lose her now. And, Celebion is on his way to you with Jaing, so take a look at him. The rest of us will stay here and flush out any possible pockets of resistance. Then, allow Vedo, Azzim, and Decca to come to the palace so that we can figure out what to do with Jabba and Rotta."
"Understood. Tau, don't worry. She'll pull through. She's a tough fighter, and she's survived worse than this." Jarael gently said to her friend.
"Thank you, Jarael." Tau gratefully said before he deactivated the comlink, and he, along with his crew and Obi-Wan, began to coordinate the remaining forces under their command to fan out and sweep the palace for any survivors.
Ten Minutes Later
Several Mandalorians and the Jedi were holding the two Dark Elves that had managed to kill the three starved nexus that were living in the trapdoor for Jabba's personal amusement at gunpoint as they contacted Vedo, Azzim, and Decca over their pyrrhic victory.
[So, you mean to tell me that we failed to rescue Jabba, and all that we have to show for our efforts are two measly Morgolag-Hai that aren't even their leaders?!] Vedo angrily bellowed through the hologram.
"We were lucky to get that much, Honorable Vedo. These guys are bred for combat, and would sooner die than…" Tau was beginning to say before he felt a build-up of Force energy from the two Dark Elves, and he shouted to everyone, "EVERYONE, GET DOWN!"
Mere seconds after he said those words, the two Dark Elves unleashed a storm of Force Lighting to incinerate themselves, and, as they disintegrated, they screamed out, "Long live the Dark Lord Sauron!"
In a matter of seconds, the ashes of the two Dark Elves were blown away by the room, and everyone looked on in consternation over their loss of their only source of information on their failed deal with Jabba.
"Well, anyone got any other idea on how to learn what they were doing here?" Tau asked no one in particular.
Vedo then ordered to Tyer, [Search every inch of this place for information, survivors, and credits that could help us learn more on the Cult of Dark Ainur's goals here. Do not stop until every crevice in the palace is undone.]
The Morgukai bowed his head in acknowledgment over the orders, while Bo-Katan and Akku went to help with the search, while the Tau took the moment to excuse himself in order to recover from the battle, and to pray for Ahsoka's safe recovery.
Meanwhile, Within the Gorgoroth
The Archon Maleketi, as his arm was placed in a sling as the wound was healing, sat in his chair contemplatively as he thoughtfully said, "Hmm. Palpatine reacted to our meeting with Jabba almost too quickly. What does this dust planet have that he would come running screaming and shouting?" he asked.
The priestess looked at him, her red eyes simmering with unbridled fury as a doctor managed to stop the bleeding from her ears, and she hatefully said, "It must be whatever Tireel and I sensed when we entered this world. I will consult our lord on this development. Whatever it is, it must be valuable."
"Yes. Whatever, or, dare I speculate, whoever it is, must be extremely important. Consult the Dark Lord. See if he can probe the future. I will contact Tireel, and see if he's found the disturbance within the Force."
"At once, my love." The Dark Priestess loyally said to her breeding partner as she retired to her quarters, while Maleketi contacted Tireel, and the lower Dark Elf annoyingly said, "I take it that your mission failed worse than mine?"
"That slime of a Hutt was going to sell out our operations to both the Shadow Alliance and Galactic Empire, and paid the price for his duplicity." Maleketi said, before he caught something peculiar that Tireel had said, and asked, "What went wrong this time?"
"The Shadow Alliance sent a strike force to my location to rescue the son of Anakin Skywalker, and decimated our forces." Tireel explained, which made Maleketi realize that they just might survive the reprisal from the Dark Lord.
"You did well to survive the attack, brother. Stay at your location until we can pick you and your followers up, and we'll leave the system." The Archon said in the form of a commendation while he ordered the pilot to head to where their fellow Dark Elves were stuck at.
Well, that ends a gut-wrenching chapter of my growing story. And, I finished it in just three days. Sorry for rushing the chapter along, but I figured that, with the Mandalorians and Jedi there, the battle would go pretty quickly for the heroes. And, the idea to include Jaing in there was Squasher's. But, don't worry; I'll include him much more in the next chapter as everyone recovers. I also have a good reason for wounding Ahsoka, which will be explained in the next chapter or two. Enjoy this one, because it might be a while before I can publish another one, due to the increasing workload at my job. So, how are you doing on June 27, 2018? I'm doing well, as I didn't have to work, which freed up my day. Well, I'd better send this chapter to Squasher for approval to be published. Have a good day. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you all, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!