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Another One

"Welcome to Seelos," Gregor said, gesturing at the planet before them. "A desert world where we can live peacefully free of any sort of Imperial interactions indefinitely."

"What will we eat and drink?" Damian asked.

"Water to drink, it rains every third day here, most times," Gregor said. "Sometimes it goes a bit longer."

"You know a lot about this place," Damian said.

"I had some down time after the order went out," Gregor said. "Anyway, the desert is home to massive worms called Joopas that we can eat. Won't taste great, but it's edible."

"I can't live here," Damian said. "I'm a smuggler. I'll find someplace to do my job off world."

"Damian, we need to hide, not put a bounty on our heads," Ahsoka said.

"Then hide," Damian said. "I'm a smuggler. I've been a smuggler my entire life. So I'm going to continue being a smuggler."

"I...I can't go with you," Ahsoka said.

"It's fine," Damian said. "I know enough to train alone. Thank you for all of your help."

"Once the shuttle's refueled, we'll take it to the surface, then you can have it," Rex said. "We'll find something to live in once we're there."

"I'm going with Damian," Barriss said. "This sort of life, it doesn't suit me either. Ahsoka, we could use you. Someone needs to keep us from being swayed by the Dark Side."

Ahsoka stared at the ground in silence.

"I...I can't," Ahsoka said. "I'm not a criminal."

"You don't have to be," Damian said. "We'll find a safe place for a base that isn't this planet and me and Barriss will run jobs for money while you keep the base up."

"I suppose that could work," Ahsoka said thoughtfully. "Alright. Let's go to Alderaan."

"That's a core world," Damian said.

"Yes," Ahsoka nodded. "But it's a core world where three Jedi could easily be hidden by Senator Organa, a supporter of the Jedi order and personal friend of several Jedi."

"I see," Damian nodded. "Alright. Let's go then."

They nodded just as Gregor ran over.

"What's up?" Damian asked.

"The ship's refueled but now we have another problem," Gregor said.

"What?" Ahsoka asked.

"There are imperial shuttles inbound, lots of them," Gregor said.

"Alright," Damian nodded. "Looks like this fuel depot is about to get very lively."

"It's going to explode," Barriss said. "One stray shot and this entire station turns into a fireball in space. And that's not a good thing."

"Oh please," Damian snorted. "Zero G fire is beautiful."

"And deadlier than normal," Barriss said.

"Fair enough," Damian said. Maybe we should let them find that out."

"We will," Gregor said. "But they need a reason to land first."

"Right," Damian said, drawing his lightsaber. "I'll get them to land. You start setting explosives."

Gregor nodded, sprinting away as Damian extended his lightsaber blades, staring at the shuttles. As he did, he felt a familiar cold sensation filling him, but much less so than with the Sith Stalker.

"Barriss, Ahsoka, there's a Dark Side user here," Damian said.

"I sense him," Ahsoka said. "He's new to it. But that doesn't mean he isn't dangerous."

"I know," Damian said.

The first shuttle landed and opened and stormtroopers rushed out, kneeling or standing and all aiming at them. Damian snorted, waving a hand and sending them all spinning out into the vacuum of space. The next two shuttles landed with the last hovering and when these two shuttles opened, a Pantoran female was led out of one and put on her knees, a blaster pressed to her head. Her face was swollen and bruised but even still, Ahsoka and Barriss instantly recognized her.

"Riyo Chuchi," Barriss snarled.

"Friend of yours?" Damian asked.

"Yes," Ahsoka said. "She's one of our best friends."

"Well in that case, we'll have to relieve them of her."

He ripped the blaster away from the stormtrooper, smashing it into its former owner's head then pulling Riyo to them, catching her and passing her to Ahsoka. As he did, the stormtroopers from the second shuttle opened fire. Damian began to block and reflect the blasts, several stormtroopers dropping before Rex, and Wolffe arrived as well, opening fire on the stormtroopers. Within seconds, the troopers were forced to retreat into their shuttles for cover and Damian reflected shots into the shuttles' engines, disabling them.

"The last one has the Force Sensitive," Damian said.

As it landed, Cut arrived, holding a blaster of his own.

"Gregor's almost done," Cut said. "What's left?"

"A Force Sensitive," Damian said.

Finally, the last shuttle opened and a human with jet black hair and a red lightsaber walked out of it wearing black stormtrooper armor without the helmet.

"Here goes," Damian said. "Get ready!"

He charged, the others keeping the stormtroopers ready. And when he reached the man, the man ducked under his slash and slammed a fist into his gut, hurling him backward into Ahsoka and Barriss. He coughed, groaning and pushing himself to his feet, staring at the man, whose previously unimpressive aura now glowed cherry red in Damian's eyes. Damian swallowed hard, standing and separating his lightsabers.

"Everyone get on the shuttle, now!" Damian said.

"How bad?" Barriss asked.

"Bad," Damian said.

Wolffe, Cut, and Rex all retreated to the shuttle, taking Riyo with them, and Damian charged the man, fighting him. Within seconds, the man slammed his foot into Damian's gut, hurling him away again.

"Damian-" Barriss began but he shoved her.

"Get to the shuttle Barriss!" Damian growled. "He's a Sith Stalker, stronger than the last, and I didn't even kill that one."

Barriss turned, running to the shuttle with Ahsoka and Damian backed up toward it. The Sith Stalker charged, Damian fending him off as best he could, but it was difficult. Finally, the Sith Stalker slammed a knee into Damian's groin then flipped, kicking him down into the ground. Damian rolled out of the way of a lightsaber blade and the Sith Stalker smirked, raising it again just in time for Cut to crash into the Sith Stalker from behind. As he did, Barriss and Ahsoka pulled Damian to the shuttle and it took off.

"What about him!?" Damian snapped.

"Cut made his choice," Rex said. "It was you or him. And you're more valuable."

"He has children!" Damian said.

"He left them under your care," Rex said.

"We're clear!" Wolffe shouted.

"Goodbye Cut Lawquane," Rex said, pressing the switch.

Damian looked out the window as the depot exploded. At first, the artificial atmosphere held the fire, turning it into a perfectly spherical fireball with flames raging around inside. But then, the atmosphere faded and a wave of almost liquid white flames shot outward several hundred meters before fading, leaving a sphere of blue flames. Then, they faded as well, leaving nothing behind.

"Why?" Damian asked. "Why me? And why is the Empire sending so many Sith Stalkers when the first one could have done the job just fine?"

"Because the first didn't do the job," Ahsoka said. "It doesn't matter now. That one's gone. We'll probably see the first again, and we'll undoubtedly meet more. For now, let's just find someplace safe to live."

"We'll set down in the middle of nowhere," Rex said as they entered Seelos's atmosphere. "Then the shuttle's all yours."

Ahsoka nodded and Wolffe landed the shuttle and the three surviving clones met them in the back.

"Take care Rex," Ahsoka said.

"And you Commander Tano," Rex said. "Damian, take good care of her. And those kids."

Damian nodded and Rex and the others left the ship. Ahsoka went to the bridge, taking off, and Damian went to his bed, lying down and staring at the ceiling. Why was he getting so worked up? He was alive. That was what mattered. Right? That was what always mattered before. So what changed?


Read and review. God this is taking forever. It'll get to the actual Rebels timeline soon. I hope.