Second Chances

by Callista Gseran

Rebellion Era. As a young woman, Callista runs afoul of a Mandalorian by the name of Giarc Ordo. Little did she know that this one event would change her life forever. Co-written with user XanQenadius.

10. Chapter 9

The air was damp and cold as the sentry stood watch. Suddenly, that calm was disturbed by a screeching alarm, that could mean only one thing...intruders. He raced around the corner, followed closely by his four associates, who all leveled their weapons at the tall man they found there.

Xan smiled coldly and ignited his lightsaber. This was going to be tougher than he thought. As one, they all pulled the trigger on their stun guns, the stun rays wreathing him in a blue haze. Xan knew he was in trouble but he didn't intend on being an easy target before the stun wave hit him. He saw a ledge a 10 feet up and used the Force to jump up and onto the ledge. He ran in the general direction of his attackers.

The lead sentry raised his weapon again, cranking the power setting to full before he aimed and fired once more. Bright blue light shot upwards in expanding rings, once again surrounding him. Xan felt his intentions before the sentry let the stun bolt go. Xan tucked and rolled behind a stack of crates, and used the Force to push the sentry off the ledge. And continued on his way.

The sentries ran after him, one tripping a remote on his wrist. It beeped, and he grinned, knowing what awaited the Jedi deeper in the complex. Xan did quick mental calculations and he didn't like the answer he got....3 behind him and an entire complex on alert. Xan knew he had no choice but to continue to fight back.

The three sentries pounded after him, their weapons ready. Up ahead they knew, and entire squad of Mandalorian mercenaries awaited him. It was only a matter of time before he ran into their midst. Xan saw it and swore. 'Mando'ade?What in the name of the 9 Sith hells is going on here?' he asked himself.

Xan knew he was wearing armor but something told him these one's were more likely Dar'manda and not to be trusted. The Mandalorians saw him, and raised their weapons. They had never trusted Jetii and they weren't about to start now. A couple came around behind Xan, cutting off his escape as they fired explosive shells at him.

"Su'cuy, Dar'Manda!" Xan yelled, and the explosion knocked him off the ledge and into unconsciousness. They approached him cautiously still, and picked up him unconscious form, lifting it bodily between them. Though it bothered them to be doing such menial tasks, their employer was paying very well. One of them bent down, and locked heavy binders around Xan's wrists. They had been specially designed to limit the access to the parts of the brain that allowed control of the Force.

Lilly stabbed the blade a bit deeper and looks to Callista. 'Take the other data card too.' "It's time to get moving now." Nodding, Callista palmed the second one, and rose, her hand drifting to her hidden saber as Lilly pulled Faqua to his feet.

"All right, all right...you've made your damn point, Jedi, now back off with the blade." he said once they were away from public eyes. Lilly looked at him angrily. "Who said I was a Jedi and if I take this blade away, your going to run... keep walking.."

"I think you got more to worry about than just me now," he said and activated a button on the cuff of his shirt and within seconds the area was surrounded by mercenaries in Mando armor. Lilly's Kin'tya was gone and the Force she had been hiding suddenly fills her again. Lilly stood there a bit too calmly and looked at mercenaries in Mando armor. "I bet not one of you is worthy to wear that armor."

Callista cursed softly, and stepped away from Lilly and Faqua, giving herself some room to maneuver. Her saber stayed hidden for a moment as she assessed the situation. These men in Mando armor didn't feel right somehow.... She felt them shift angrily. Some of them raised weapons, and she felt one lunge for her from behind.

She felt his armored form slam into her back, and she stumbled, trying to break his hold as he bore her to the ground. Though he had her arms pinned, she relaxed, and was able to loosen his hold enough to drive her elbow into the soft flesh of his hip where the beskar'gam did not protect him. He groaned, and seized her wrist, cranking it down into a wrist lock as he released the bearhug. Gasping, Callista dropped, trying to escape the pain as she hooked his foot and pulled her wrist free of his grip.

Then she rolled to her feet again, facing him in a ready posture. He snarled. "You think you can defeat me, hut'uun? You have no beskar'gam to protect you as we do..." She snarled right back, "You of all people should know to never underestimate a dalyc, Dar'manda..." And she came at him again, slamming into him as she dug her fingers under the edge of his buy'ce, forcing it off.

He looked stunned as his buy'ce was forced off and then took a moment. "Very well, dalyc.....you've seen my face; therefore we are yours now." he said. "State your terms." Callista looked at him for a long moment before glancing at Lilly. "We are looking for information... and this piece of osik," she gestured to Faqua, "led us here..."

"What do you need to know?" the dar'manda asked. Lilly looked to Callista and spoke. "Everything you have on Rebel bases, codes. As well as anything you have about the Yavin system, the bases there and the World Devastator..."

The dar'manda just laughed. "We know nothing about that we only got hired to keep this compound operational and to capture intruders...We didn't take on a hunt." Callista nodded. She had sensed this when she had been fighting him. "Could you take us there and get us inside?"

The dar'manda shrugged. "Fine, though I wouldn't try messing with who else is there...the guy is someone you want to avoid..." Lilly heard this and raised an eyebrow slightly. "We'll keep that in mind... now can you please take us inside.?" Lilly had a feeling she was going to be slicing just to get any more information.

Callista nodded. "Gedet'ye... please lead on." She could feel that he was tense and suspicious still. But she also felt a dawning respect for her - that she had unmasked him. He hadn't expected that. Lilly hid her Force presence again and waited to be led on by the Dar'manda. She kept in the mind the warning they had given and reached within herself to feel the Force... in case anything went wrong.

They had returned to the Blade later that night, having been unable to get close to the complex. Callista was frustrated, and she ate quietly, aching to get back out and look for Xan. It nagged at her that he hadn't contacted either of them. She was worried. She waited for a couple of hours, until she was sure Lilly was asleep, and then she donned her beskar'gam, stowing her saber. The ship was so quiet, she could hear it creak in the strong breeze as she crept down to the hatch and let herself out, resetting the security system as she did so.

Escaping the Blade and Lilly's watching eye was the easy part the hard part was going to find a way into the complex itself without attracting undue attention. She was glad that the Mando'ade had many provisions for dealing with this type of thing. So in her buy'ce she was going over the additions Giarc had made to the beskar'gam. Once she became familiar with each thing and where it was located, she started to venture further out and a while later arrived outside the complex.

Silently, she crept closer to the complex. The Dar'manda had since left, returning to their duties. She wondered briefly what would happen if she ran into them a second time. Finally, she crept up to the corner of a building, and paused as she heard voices ahead. Flattening herself against the building's outer wall, she engaged the stealth field, and peeked around the corner.

She saw a figure dressed in black talking with a being on the other end of a holo but she couldn't make out what was being said. So she spotted a pile of crates nearby to the figure and made her way there slowly. Once she arrived he saw the figure was a male human around Xan's size dressed in black robes and vest and a purple tunic. "You promised me that no one would fine our operation here and yet We caught the Jedi interloper and now our commandos were attacked by Mando'ade....if it's one thing I do not like is lies..." the man growled.

Crouching, she peeked over the top of the crate, and her eyes widened behind her buy'ce as she heard this. They had captured a Jedi...And they knew of the attack on the Dar'manda....This was not good. She shifted a little, careful to be quiet as she listened some more.

"Calm yourself, Naxhan...." a silky smooth voice purred from the other end of the holo, and as Callista looked her shock was palpable. Because on the other end of the holo was none other the Prince Xizor himself. Vigo and head of Black Sun, the criminal organization so powerful and bloodthirsty it made a Hutt gangster's excesses quite tame in comparison. "....you brought the Jedi to me and soon you will find those Mando'ade. Events like this have been budgeted for." Xizor said.

'Fierfek...' she thought, and ducked, feeling as he was looking straight at her place of concealment. If Xizor got ahold of either her or Lilly, it would not end well. Now she was more determined than ever to get Xan out of that place. "Well remember, Xizor...you still don't own me." the one named Naxhan said coldly, so coldly in fact that Callista's spine seemed to freeze.

"You said you needed a powerful man beside you to take on Vader and you have found him. But if I see anything else I dislike, I will not hesitate in killing you, oh grand head of a worthless organization." he spat. "And you will see to it that you do not harm that Jedi of mine in your dungeons on Yavin. I want his blood for myself!" he drawled and shone a cold teeth baring smile only some of the teeth were exactly like Xan's....fangs. Callista blinked and looked closely at his eyes....and they were red.

She gasped then, her heart stopping for an instant. Had he felt her too? Peeking over the crate again, she watched him closely now, her pulse pounding in her ears, as her hand slid up to grasp the handle of her beskad where it was slung across her back. Naxhan stopped and it seemed like he was searching for something before he turned back to the holo. "Well it seems I must clean up your messes then Xizor but It will only be this time....next time your head will make an excellent trophy...and I'll find a use for your blood as well." he laughed again.

She swore softly under her breath, and stood up, backing towards the surrounding buildings as she closed down even tighter. His presence made her skin crawl. Her fingers curled around the handle of her beskad, its weight comforting. Xizor said with that oily voice just as coldly, "Just do what you need to do Dark Jedi...and your prize will not be harmed. just finish the job."

As the holo ended the figure began walking over to where she was hiding. Carefully and methodically he grabbed a lightsaber from his belt and called out. "I can feel your fear so much that I can smell it, Jedi...come out and face me." She gasped as if she had been kicked, and let out a slow breath, trying to control her fear. Slowly, she blinked inside her buy'ce, and the stealth field flickered and died.

"Ahhhh a Mando'ade Jedi......it seems Qenadius likes keeping the deck stacked in his favor. too bad he won't get the chance to twist your mind more, hut'uun!" he swore knowing that it was an insult. She snarled at him, drawing her beskad, her lightsaber already in her other hand. "You should be careful about who you call hut'uun, Dar'jetii....." Slowly, she began to circle him, like a panther waiting to strike.

Naxhan merely smiled and ignited his orange blade, casting an eerie gloom about the place. "You are a nuisance, but one soon disposed with....then Qenadius' failure will be complete and I'll have yet more Jedi blood to feed upon." with that he lashes out not with his saber but with a fork of Force lightning. She ducked, throwing up her lightsaber to block it. She had dealt with this before. The blade deflected most of it, and the rest dissipated against her beskar'gam. She smirked a little behind her buy'ce, but once again reached into the Force, releasing her fear.

"Impressive, girl; but not yet complete. You still have to strike me down if you can." Before the last words were spoken, he lashed out three powerful cuts towards Callista's head, torso and legs, then he snaps out a perfect roundhouse kick to the temple, leaving her woozy. She whipped her arm down to block the strikes to her torso and legs, but left her head wide open. Her vision swam a little as his foot smashed into her buy'ce, and she stumbled. Regaining her feet, she dropped and spun, hooking his ankles as she drove her glowing blade towards his face.

With little effort he flipped away from Callista's blade and lashed out with a Force push so violent that when she struck the wall the imprint of her beskar'gam was clear to be seen. She collapsed to the ground, gasping from having the wind forced from her lungs. Reaching into the Force again, she seized his knee and -twisted-, hearing it snap cleanly in the still air of the alley. Unsteadily, she climbed to her feet again, her grip on her saber firm, her beskad safely in its scabbard once more.

Naxhan yelled at the pain and fell, but he stopped and allowed himself to heal. she had forgotten the Dark Jedi pulled knowledge from both sides of the force as he just shown and as soon as he stood on his healed knee she realized she was in a world of trouble. She muttered a curse, and circled him, wanting to end it as quickly as possible. She knew she was outmatched. She shoved him with the Force, slamming him into the adjacent building hard enough to stun him, and she drove her lightsaber towards his neck, surprised when she got past his guard.

He laughed when she got in his guard and placed a hand on her shoulder plate and used Force lightning to bring her to her knees. "Foolish Jedi......You think that heroism will win the day when the reality hits you in the end." He began to sweep his blade up to the sky looking for the coup de grace blow, cleaving her head from her body. She lifted her head then, and drove her saber into his leg, driving it upwards towards his belly. Her hands shook so much from the lighting that she almost lost her grip.

He screamed from the shock of the saber cutting his leg off and barely got out of the way before he was split in two. However, he was still launching a Force lightning attack, and when he lost his balance he hit containers of concentrated Tibanna gas fluid that were lining the outer walls of the compound. The area he hit suddenly exploded into a huge fireball.

Callista dropped, covering her head. She should have known that there would be a fail-safe. Agonizingly, she crawled away from his fallen body, stowing her saber again as she did so. It seemed like hours had passed until she was finally clear of the inferno, and she collapsed, gasping, to the permacrete a few blocks away.

She collapsed into unconsciousness for a few moments and when she awoke she found herself surrounded by men in the familiar uniforms of CorSec and every one of them had a blaster trained on her. She swore softly, knowing it was not wise to mess with CorSec. Sitting up slowly, she cradled her head, regarding the group by way of the HUD inside her buy'ce. She could feel that they meant business. "Me'copaani...? (What do you want?)" she asked weakly in Mando'a.

"You. " one CorSec officer said and another elaborated. "You are hereby arrested for false identity papers and second degree arson. However, since you are not Corellian you will be escorted back to your ship and then will leave Corellia immediately." She looked up at him, glad her buy'ce hid her surprise. Her voice was thick with a Mando accent. "False identity papers? I don't understand....my papers are in order..."

The first one merely shrugged and released the safety on his blaster. "Your papers are false understand, Mando scum?" the second one worked his way behind Callista and began securing binders on her. She merely stared him down, not daring to say another word and dig herself in deeper. She flinched as the other clicked the binders as tight as they would go. Only her beskar'gam kept them from biting into her wrists painfully.

She was forcefully pushed into the back of an armored transport and was just as quickly and roughly taken back to the spaceport. As the CorSec transport made its way back to the spaceport, she pondered just how they had tracked her, when Black Sun eluded capture. 'Just my luck!' she thought a little bitterly, dreading now what would happen when Lilly found out.

The transport stopped at the edge of the spaceport and the officers went and drag Callista from the cell in the back ."Right you....!" one officer said using an old Corellian word. "We find you on Corellia again you will be killed, is that clear?" She nodded, wordlessly and shook him off angrily. "Yes, Officer.."

Lilly was standing at the ramp dressed in her own armor... so Callista could not see the slight smile as well as anger on her face. She waited for Callista to walk up the ramp. Callista turned to glare at the transport one more time, before she turned back to Lilly. She swallowed, knowing she was in for it now....She could feel the other woman's anger clearly.

"Where were you, Cal'ika?"

Callista shuffled her feet nervously. "I was....scouting......." She looked away at Lilly's raised eyebrow. After several seconds of silence she turned back, a little defensively. "I was trying to rescue, Jaj'tich, ok?" Her voice was choked, and she turned away, her shoulders shaking.

"Where is he?"

"With....Black Sun..." She angrily pushed past Lilly and entered the Blade, where she leaned heavily against the bulkhead. It was only then that Lilly saw the carbon-scoring across her beskar'gam.

"What in 9 sith hells happened to you... are you hurt... and if so where?" Lilly's worry was clear now and all the anger had disappeared.

"I'm fine....I think....Xizor has a Dar'jetii on retainer....as near as I can tell...that's how they got Jaj'tich..." She looked away again. "I fought him, and there was this huge explosion - Tibanna gas I think....then CorSec showed up...."

"Hmm, well first off what the hell where you thinking, second I told you not to go anywhere without and why the hell did you even try to go up against a Dark Jedi are you mad!" Callista cringed. "I...." she stopped. "I wasn't thinking..."

"Clearly, what part of 'don't go anywhere without me' didn't you understand! Cal'ika, you are like family to me and the last thing I need to find out is that you have been killed. Now, did you learn where they are keeping Xan?" She flinched. "Elek, I did.... I heard the Dar'jetii say that he's in some dungeon on Yavin....." She couldn't meet Lilly's gaze. She had screwed up, and she knew it.

"Get yourself cleaned up and healed; we're leaving now." She walked off to start the pre-flight. Callista looked after her, stunned. She had expected a lot worse reaction....Slowly climbed to her feet, and began pulling off her beskar'gam. She hissed in pain as she pulled off her buy'ce. Putting her hand to her temple, her fingers came away slick with blood. Sighing, she sat down again, and worked on healing her injuries. Most of them were relatively minor. The head wound took a bit longer. Finally, she stood up again, and slowly made her way to the cockpit...and Lilly.

They were already in hyperspace and Lilly had a frown. "I swear Cal'ika, you ever do that again and you will wish you were fighting Darth Vader!" Callista flinched. "Ni ceta, Lill'ika...." Wordlessly, she slid into the now-empty co-pilot's chair. "I won't do it again..." She gently rubbed at her temple and hissed softly. It was still tender. She tried to wave off Lilly's concern. "I'll be fine.."

"It's not your wounds that worry me... it's you lack of listening... you keep it up and you will end up dead, Cal'ika... I did not make it 350 years old just so I can hear myself talk. Think about how Xan would feel if you had died..." That stopped her for a moment, and she pondered that. She was quiet for a long time. "I know....I won't do it again." She went quiet again, thinking.

"Good, we'll be at Naboo in half an hour... did you over hear anything else that would tell us where Xan is? We're going to need all the info you got."

Callista shook her head. "Not really, just that they've got him locked up good and tight....and that Dark Jedi..he was Coruscanii....his name was Naxhan, I think..." she looked over at Lilly.

Lilly heard the name and her eyes went hard and her frown deepened. "You are very... VERY lucky to be alive, Cal'ika. Xan and myself have run into him many times. He is not one you toy with. Be glad you are here with me right now... I would have liked to see that Koruun myself one more time. Maybe we will get to see him... if he lived through the blast..."

Callista nodded quietly. "I'm not sure if he survived, but I somehow feel that he did...I'm not sure how..." She shrugged. "I'm worried for Jaj'tich, Lill'ika.." She admitted finally, her voice almost a whisper. "As am I.... as am I." They drop out of hyperspace and Naboo's blue green hue fills the viewport. Lilly clicked over to a private channel. "Docking, this is the Star Blade requesting to land."

"Star Blade proceed to Alpha sector 110 and wait for escort, over."

"Understood" She frowned and piloted over to the Alpha sector 110 and waited.

"Landing Zone 22 aurek....stand by for ground troop escort."

"Understood." She landed smoothly and her face spoke volumes of how unhappy she was with how this was progressing. Callista looked over at Lilly. "I think this has to do with me....though how it got leaked back here, I have no idea..."

Lilly eyes got hard and she went to the back of the ship and changed into her Jedi robes and took the contacts out while she waited. "This is what happens Cal'ika when you don't listen to your Masters." They were landed and Lilly wasn't happy about waiting. They hear a knock on the hatch, and open up to see a full patrol of Alliance officers in police mode. Callista was also back in her robes now, and she stood next to Lilly, ready now to accept whatever punishment they deemed appropriate.

Lilly's eyes went hard... this was not how a Jedi should be treated and it showed not only her eyes but how she held herself. 'Is this really needed?'

Just behind the troop escort standing there was the Queen herself and she didn't look too happy to see either Lilly or Callista. Callista glanced at Lilly fleetingly, and stepped forward, bowing to the Queen. She could feel the other woman's eyes boring into her, and she focused elsewhere. Lilly saw this and she bowed and under her breath, "Ariith (damnit)." She then rose and walked down. "Your highness... is this really needed?"

The Queen said enough on her face for anyone to read her displeasure but said, "General Bel Iblis deemed it to be needed....you really did it this time, and now you have to listen to command on this one...I did as much as I could." Lilly frowned and nodded her head. "As you wish your highness and thank-you for trying..." Callista flinched when the Queen mentioned him, and paled slightly.

They were led to a huge conference hall where at the end of the hall sat a panel of Alliance leaders. Bail Organa, General Bel Iblis, a newcomer to the Alliance in Commander Ackbar ,and the leader of the Rebel Alliance herself, Mon Mothma. Lilly bowed to them and stood there calmly and under her breath is heard once more, "Ariith..." Callista bowed as well, and folded her hands into the sleeves of her robe, hiding her nervously twisting fingers.

Bel Iblis was the first one to speak. "So General Tenshine, once again it seems you can't stay out of trouble. and as a result, Black sun got away with a key piece of intel stolen from the Empire." He frowned as he said it. Bel Iblis was no fan of Jedi.

"I am sorry Bel Iblis, we were able to get some info and it is on the Star Blade, beyond that I am sorry. General Qenadius has been captured though.."

Mon Mothma spoke up. "We know...we had a man inside there, Lilly....he got killed in that raid you attempted to pull off." she said sadly.

"Mon Mothma I didn't ask for the raid... Xan's Padawan was the one to do that. If I had of known it would have never happened." She glared at Callista... "it was a lesson she needed to learn."

Ackbar spoke up this time. "We know that as well...again our contacts secured by Master Xan paid off. But a question Lieutenant, if you will?"

Callista looked over at him. "Yes, sir...." she asked him quietly. She was very subdued.

"Since when does a half-trained apprentice with no previous experience in Intelligence decide to make a judgment call as you did?" Callista opened her mouth and closed it again. She had no answer for him. "I...don't, sir....I acted with out thinking or consulting with General Tenshine...." She stopped then, and had to take some deep breaths to calm herself.

Lilly stood there remembering times when she in in Callista's place... it was a hard lesson to learn but one that was needed. This job was very demanding. Callista knew she had screwed up, and people had died as a result. She was willing to deal with whatever punishment they felt was appropriate. It couldn't be any worse than what she was doing to herself inside, could it..?

Bel Iblis speaks up again. "As a result of your actions and lack of judgment, you 2 are hereby grounded for the next mission and hereby placed under house arrest." Lilly's eyes narrowed. "Are you mad! General Qenadius is out there... and you want me to stay here!" Callista looked sideways at her. Lilly's words echoed her own feelings, but she knew the Alliance had their reasons.

"General Qenadius isn't being abandoned General Tenshine, but we can't have you 2 fouling this mission for us...we have the stolen plans to worry about as well." he said just as intensely.

"Belek tiu! (F*** off)" With that said, Lilly turned around and walked out looking quite pissed off. People gave her a wider berth as she walked down the halls to the front doors. Callista bowed quickly and hurried after the older woman. "Lill'ika, Pare! (Wait!)"

Lilly stopped in the hallway looking like a enraged krayt dragon."What Cal'ika!" Callista drew up short. "I....I wanted to apologize....." She ground the toes of her boot into the floor, and looked up at Lilly. It hurt her to see Lilly hurting so much, and she was hurting too.

"It's accepted... come on and follow me; don't be slow." For the first time, Lilly was wearing short capped sleeve shirt, her cloak was off and as she turned, Callista saw a Krayt dragon on her right arm as Lilly started to walk. Callista lengthened her stride a little to keep up with Lilly, and to get a better look at the tattoo. It was beautiful....and vicious at the same time. It looked so real ...

Lilly saw this and smiled. "Xan gave that to me... when I was his padawan." Callista made a face. "Did it hurt...? It's beautiful....but deadly too..."

"A little, but the pain let's us know were still alive. I was a Jedi so I accepted the pain, dealt with it and let it go. Thank-you, I love it very much. It means a lot to me... it's part of me in many ways. It means something in my tribe too."

Callista nodded quietly. I saw Jaj'tich's once....but didn't get a proper look at it then..."

"His.... it's a bat-hawk." A smile broke out on her face. "The one on his left arm is a Coruscanii protection spell... the one my left is my name, in Nubian." She showed Callista her left arm: Lilly Tenshine Callista nodded again."Why Nubian, if you are Coruscanii..?"

"I am Coruscanii because of my father... my mother was Nubian..." Callista nodded. That did explain a few things. "Where are we going...?" she asked hesitantly. She still felt raw, both from Lilly's dressing down, and from that of the Alliance.

"We're going to the Farm..." She nodded again, silent in contemplation. Lilly's anger was very clear to her through the Force, and part of her wondered if there was another punishment waiting. She had really screwed up, and wouldn't be surprised if there had been.

Lilly walked and soon they were at the Farm and she walked in the door and punched a wall in anger before standing there breathing in and out slowly. Callista followed her inside, and leaned heavily against the wall. She knew apologizing again was pointless, but she did so anyway. She felt horrible. "Ni ceta, Lill'ika..." she said quietly, as she felt Lilly's gaze burn into hers. She didn't dare look away.

"You should feel the way you... but not now... I need you focused and ready. For now I want you to come with me." She walked outside and headed towards a large domed building. Nodding, Callista pushed off the wall and followed Lilly outside again. "What's this...?" Xan had never shown her this when she had been here before.

"This is were you'll be serving your punishment..." They walk inside and it's a complete training area, but it was a little dusty, dirty and in need of cleaning. "You are going to dust ever square inch of this place, clean it and put things back....without using the Force." Callista couldn't hold back a groan. She could both hear and feel the seriousness in the older woman's words. She slumped a little. "Elek, Lill'ika...." She could see that there was a lot to do here.

"You are to start now.... I will check on you in four hours... I expect to see most of it done." Callista nodded mutely and bowed, before turning in search of cleaning supplies. 'This is going to take forever...' she thought.

Lilly turned to leave. "The cleaning supplies are in the closet to your left." In front of the closet there was a mound of training supplies. The door then closed behind Lilly. Callista let out a groan as Lilly left, followed by a muffled curse as she started to move the training equipment away from the closet access. It was heavy and before long, she was sweating. Finally, she got it moved and was able to get into the closet itself. Cleaning rags and a mop became her new companions as she began to make slow progress. It took her a while to find where everything belonged, but she worked methodically, cleaning each thing before she put it where it belonged. Then all that remained was the cleaning.

Lilly walked in and nodded. "Looking much better...." She could see the sweat and tiredness on her face. "You can take a break, it's time for supper." Nodding, Callista put up the piece of equipment in her arms, and reached up to wipe her forehead, leaving a dark dusty streak across her already smudged face. Silently, she followed Lilly back into the house.

"Get yourself cleaned, supper will be ready soon." The smell of meat cooking drifted in the air. Callista's face brightened a little. "Elek, Lill'ika..." She turned towards the stairs, and her room. Several minutes later, she reappeared in clean clothes, her face scrubbed.

The table was set, there was a bowl of stew and some nerf meat on a plate with some spuds and blue milk. Callista looked to Lilly and sat down slowly, tiredly. She chewed on her lip for a moment. "After I'm done in the training room, is there anything else you want me to do, Lill'ika?"

Lilly looked at her. "We'll see... right now it's dinner time. I will choose when you are done in the training room." Lilly started to eat the bat- hawk chowder that had been made. Nodding, Callista turned her attention to her own meal. It was warm and filling. Soon, she couldn't eat anymore, and sat back, wiping her mouth on her napkin. "Vor'e, Lill'ika..." She felt better now, and her energy had returned.

"Your welcome... now back to work with you." Lilly stood up and started to clean up the supper dishes and store the leftover food. She nodded and rose, turning back to the training room. Some of the equipment was unusual to her - she had no idea what it was for. Slowly, she scrubbed away the accumulated grime.

Lilly was soon finished her dishes and she sat down on the floor and allowed herself to slip into a deep meditation. The training room was quiet now, except for Callista's breathing as she worked. Finally she reached the far wall. The hardwood floor gleamed, and the dust was gone. Even the windows had been scrubbed and the moonlight shone through, reflecting off the polished floor to throw strange patterns on the ceiling.

Lilly walked in and nodded. "Hmm very impressive, hasn't looked this good in awhile...mind you it use to be a barn."

Callista raised an eyebrow. 'You're serious....."

"Yes I am. We use to have nerfs in here when I was younger.... much younger." A smile broke out on her face. Callista grinned a little, and stood, gathering the mop. After putting it away, she turned to Lilly again. "Nerfs, me'ven...?" She sounded amused. "What now. Lill'ika..?"

"They're a native animal here on Naboo, and what's funny is I was once your age a very long time ago." Callista grinned. "What is it about the Coruscanii that make them so long-lived, anyway?" She was intrigued.

Lilly's eyes got a sullen look in them and she frowned deeply. "It's a side effect of the Sith... they were trying to extend their life and they used the Coruscanii as their test subjects. My mother and father were on Coruscant visiting the tribe, and they were both captured and tested on. I was born that way because of my father's genes. Our eyes reflect not only our hardships, but the crimes the Sith did to our people..."

Callista sobered then. "Ni ceta....I didn't know..."

"It's all right, Cal'ika, it's in the past and we are better off. Worry not; now what did you learn from cleaning this place?"

"That a plan in important with whatever you do....if you don't know what to do to reach your goal, you have lost your way...." She bit her lip then, the anguish plain in her voice.

"Yes... now it's time to break house arrest." she smiled.

"But...what about General Bel Iblis...?"

"Screw him... you think I am going to sit here idly and wait to see if they can rescue Xan? Please... don't make me laugh - they won't be able to do it... They're being stupid keeping us here."

Callista nodded then. "I had a feeling you'd say that....What do we need? And if I recall, the Blade is still impounded..." Callista gave her a confused look. "Oh.. the rental Xan had when he went to Corellia? I think it's still down in your private hangar...."

"I thought so. A few minor changes and we can be on our way." Callista nodded in agreement, glad to be doing something again. Lilly's lesson had hit her hard, and she resolved to never leave like that again, without talking to either Lilly or Xan first.

"Ok good off we go we need to do this quickly..." Callista nodded and followed Lilly closely as they made their way to the hangar. She had kept a small bag on the ship, and was glad she had. "What do you need me to do?"

"Can you install this?" Lilly asked as she handed her a cloaking device.

"Uh, yeah...I think so..." She turned it over in her hands for a few moments. She keyed the hatch with the code Xan had given her. "I hope this works..." She briefly told Lilly about all that she had fixed before they had left Corellia that first time.

"As do I, I want Xan home..."

Nodding, Callista turned towards the engine room, ducking into the access. Muttering, she pushed her hair out of her face as she tinkered with the leads. "Come on...this fierfek thing had better work..." she muttered as she connected the final one. "Try it now!" she yelled to Lilly. Lilly tried it, and it sputtered then died. She frowned."Not yet.."

"Haar'chak (Damn it)!" Callista cursed and disconnected it, switching the leads around. She had had the leads' polarity reversed. Connecting them, she finally saw the energy telltale glow green. "How about now?"

Lilly powered it up then. "Its ok... get up here - we have tricky flying ahead of us.."

"Be there in a second..." And she slid from the engine access, bolting to the cockpit, where she slid into the copilot's chair. Once she made sure she was strapped in well, she nodded. "All set...."

"Hold on to your stomach..." Lilly took off, madly weaving around the sensors. The Force was fully felt in the cockpit.

Callista gulped. "Haar'chak, Lill'ika! You trying to make me lose my lunch?" She clamped her mouth shut then, forcing down the urge to vomit as she concentrated on her sensor board.

"If I hit one sensor we're both in a lot of osik..." They soon break free of Naboo's gravity well, and the is ship is already prepped for Yavin. Lilly punched the controls, and the ship leaped into hyperspace.

"I know, I know...." She sat back, and let out a slow breath, feeling her stomach settle. "Ok....so Yavin...." Callista sorted through her thoughts, trying to recall everything she knew about the compound there.

"It would be nice to know where in the Yavin system, Cal'ika.."

Callista shrugged. "I'm not completely sure on this, but I think he's on the fourth moon. It's the only one that makes sense. There are already old temples there that could be easily fortified..."

"Very true, we'll be there in 10 hours, I wish I had the Star Blade."

"So do I....ni ceta..." She looked away then, concentrating on her displays. Lilly set the controls on auto pilot and slipped into meditation.

Soon, Callista too felt her eyes drifting closed, and she fell into a fitful sleep. She kept seeing Xan in her dreams, and he seemed to be calling to her. She jerked awake as the hyperspace reversion alarm sounded, looking startled.

Lilly looked at her worried. "What did you see, jijtchi?"

" Jaj'tich...he was calling to me in the Force..."

"I felt it too... but it's weak..." They dropped out of hyperspace on the edge of the Yavin system.

Callista checked the cloaking device. It was still good. She gave Lilly a thumbs up. She reached out with the Force, her touch light as she tried to trace his presence. It was indeed weak. Opening her eyes, she looked over at Lilly and rattled off a set of coordinates. "That's as close as we go by ship. The rest will have to be on foot..."

"Good, that's fine. I grabbed our beskar'gam while you were cleaning, Cal'ika. I am getting Xan even if I have to revert back to some old bad bounty hunter habits..."

Callista shot her a sideways look. "What do you mean....?" she asked slowly.

"You'll see Cal'ika... it won't be pretty if people get in my way..."

Callista frowned, but didn't say anything. She rose from the copilot's chair, and walked back to the cargo area, where their beskar'gam was. "I'm not even going to ask..." she said quietly, as she quickly donned her beskar'gam. As she settled her buy'ce over her head, she turned to Lilly. "Ready when you are, Lill'ika...do we need to take anything with us?"

They had landed and Lilly walked out. Her armor, like Jada's was pitch black, she had the Mando'ade death skull on the right shoulder and a very large krayt dragon across the chest plate. On the left arm was Mando'a: "Death to the ones who choose to cower and not fight" is what it read. The paint was a pale silver red. She shook her head, her own HUD up and running and on a private comm channel, replied, "We have everything in our armor."

"Elek, Lill'ika.." Callista oriented herself via her HUD, and pointed off to the left. "It's that way..."

"Alright."Lilly took off in a very easy jog that looked like she was very used to the beskar'gam and she didn't break stride. Callista lengthened her stride some, but Lilly was moving at a pace that she could keep up with. As they moved off towards the complex, Callista took some slow breaths, feeling her apprehension dissipate before she closed down her presence in the Force as much as she dared.

Lilly was already muted in it and she turned her stealth on and starts to scale the wall quickly like a monkey climbs a tree... she was going to be a little crazy here but it would not be something they would expect. That was what she was counting on for getting in. Slowly, Callista followed her up, being careful to go the same way Lilly had. When she reached the top, she was slightly out of breath.

Lilly was on the ground waiting. She had not moved, she was using her HUD to scan around the area trying to figure out which way to go next. Callista dropped lightly beside her. "Anything, Lill'ika?" she asked over the private comm channel. She too began scanning, keeping an eye out for sentries. So far, there were none...and that was strange. "I don't like this," she muttered.

"Not yet... it's way too damn quiet; I don't like this."

Callista nodded. "I'm not getting anything either....what now?"

"Move slowly.." Lilly started stalking along the wall slowly, still keeping an eye on her HUD. Nodding, Callista fell in behind Lilly as she crept along the wall. It was still far too quiet.... Suddenly, Callista saw something out of the corner of her eye. Turning her head, the HUD tracked her movement, and she saw it again. "Lill'ika, there..." Lilly stopped and looked and a growl escaped her throat. She stood totally still like she wasn't alive; it was eerie.

There was the same man Callista had fought earlier, speaking to a bunch of Black Sun commandos.

"Lill'ika, it's him...!" her whisper was fierce, even over the private channel. Lilly was fighting her urge to attack; she forced herself into calmness making sure she still hid in the Force. She spoke in a low voice, "I know..."

"We expect that the Alliance has heard about our plans by now and is moving to strike. In that event I want you to be prepared to defend this base with your lives." Lilly started to move slowly closer. She wasn't going to attack, but she had a feeling he knew were Xan was. Callista followed a few steps behind her as they skulked across the compound towards the group.

"Also you may run up against two individuals calling themselves Jedi, kill them before they open fire." Lilly stopped and was still like stone again and she waited. Callista cursed under her breath. She stopped next to Lilly, and listened.

"If at all possible leave them to me and I'll deal with the scum, but your duty is clear. Defend this base, do not let the traitor escape and if you can't; die in the attempt."

Callista's face twisted as she heard him call Xan a traitor, but she forced her feeling down, trying to keep focused. Lilly kept all her emotions in check and waited... this man was going to lead her to Xan she knew it. Callista calmed, and nodded to Lilly. She would follow the other woman's lead. Memories of what had happened on Corellia reminded her of what happened when she disobeyed. Lilly waited, it wasn't hard for her... all she had was time.

Callista turned up the audio pickup on her buy'ce, trying to hear more of the conversation. They were conversing in low tones now. Lilly had good hearing from her years of bounty hunting and she stood there watching and waiting. It was several minutes before the officer walked off, and the men dispersed to patrol the perimeter.

Naxhan probed the force and he couldn't feel anything out of place yet but he knew the Jedi would come. He was looking forward to it. Lilly waited for him start walking, she muted the Force away deeper within herself waiting. Callista watched him carefully, and waited for Lilly to make her move. She was not about to screw up again and get herself killed.

Xizor walked out of the building and approached Naxhan. "Well now, this trap of your better work; otherwise I will have wasted a lot of credits for just a jaunt to this dump of a planet. And where is that scientist you promised me? I want these Devastators operational now - not 2 months from now!" Lilly heard this and she dared not reach out, not now - there was too much at stake and Xan was one of them; she couldn't risk his life. Callista watched the two men carefully, and began to record the conversation surreptitiously. The information could prove useful later.

"The scientist is a little hard to get a hold of right now, Xizor....after all your reports of a raid sound accurate. And if I know Tenshine.....she'll be here trying to kill me. So we deal with the threat now..." he patted Xizor on the cheek mockingly "....you don't have to ruffle you scales worrying about the Alliance. And once we kill Qenadius....Tenshine will crumble."

Lilly heard this and her eyes narrowed, like hell she would crumble and like hell she would turn to the dark side, she learned that lesson a very long time ago. Callista looked from the two men to Lilly, and tamped down hard on the urge to go at him. It would not end well, and she knew that.

Xizor bit down his irritation at the dark Jedi and said, "And where is our pet Jedi.....still in your torturing device, Ash'ik?" Lilly wanted to reach out for Xan but doing so would blow everything and on the private comm channel. "Don't reach - keep it hidden. They find out about us and Xan is dead."

"I know..." Callista responded quietly, and she ground down on her feelings, closing off from the Force.

"He's in the Great Temple...under guard....I'm heading back there now. you just make sure the Rebels are dealt with Xizor. If you fail...I'll kill you and take you organization for my own." Naxhan smiled coldly and walked away. Lilly followed with ease and on quiet feet following the dark Jedi who was headed for Xan. Callista followed close behind her. "Lill'ika, do you want me to come with you, or follow Xizor...?" she asked quietly over the private comm.

As Lilly probed deeper she saw a group of soldiers on the outside of the compound wall, as she went down to investigate , she was trapped up and dragged to where these troops were. "Should've know you'd find a way here General....but you don't need to complicated our mission at the same time you know." A voice said.

Lilly glared through her helmet visor. "This is much of Jedi issue as it is yours! I know where Xan is... let me go right now!" Callista swore, and backpedalled, narrowly avoiding the soldiers who tried to grab her. Her stealth field was still active.

"Release the General ensign and allow her to come here." As Lilly approached she found her self staring at an old friend....Tiberius Hanson, Corporal of Alliance SWAT. "Maybe it is a Jedi issue as well but you know the plans come first...oh by the way tell Lieutenant Gseran that she makes as much noise as a bantha in heat, she might as well come here."

"Haar'chak..." Callista muttered, and carefully picked her way through the group to stand next to Lilly, deactivating her stealth field. She glared at him through her visor. Lilly saw Callista appear, and she sighed glad it was a old friend rather then someone else. "I know Tiberius, but Xan is just as important. You guys can go after the plans, Xan is in the grand temple; it's no where near the base. Yet they have traps set up to catch everyone. It's as dangerous as walking into a Krayt Dragon den to steal a Krayt Dragon Pearl."

"I know General...which is why this was only a scouting party the main group is with...."He paused and frowned "...General Bel Iblis, 2 klicks from the Great Temple." Callista swore colorfully under her breath and glanced at Lilly.

"You have got to be kidding me! He'll screw everything up and get Xan killed! He good for battle but not for sneak in and get out and save someone's shebs..." Callista didn't add what she was thinking... 'And if he catches us ....we are through...' She frowned.

"Which is why you're going there to explain this to him....we need Xan to lead this mission on the raid, General." the Corporal said. "I know this.... that is why I came here... I am not so narrow-minded and cranky as people like to think I am."

"Wait....me'ven?" Callista said confused as she unconsciously slipped back into Mando'a. "You'll need to clear it with him first...he's in command here, not you General."

"All right... well we better catch him before he goes and gets himself killed." Callista rolled hey eyes, glad that her buy'ce hid her reaction. "You've got to be kidding me...." she muttered to Lilly over the private comm.

She spoke back on the same channel. "I'm not.." Callista groaned. "He's going to kill me...."

A short while later the Jedi and the rebel scout team made it to Bel Iblis' command base. The corporal raced ahead, but Bel Iblis was storming down to meet the Jedi. "You two sithspawn better have a damn good reason why you disobeyed orders!" Lilly kept her helmet on and glared at him. "One: I am a better intel agent! Two: your men are going to walk into a trap and people are going to die and three! You couldn't get into the Great Temple and get to Xan before you were shot! There is a Dark Jedi guarding him."

Callista drew herself up, insulted. "Excuse me, General, But Master Tenshine is right.." She used Lilly's Jedi rank to drive her point home. "You have absolutely NO idea what you are dealing with here. And Xan is my Master, I cannot leave him like this. That Dark Jedi will cut you down before he even looks at you..."

Bel Iblis stopped and stared at the two Jedi before speaking again angrily. "Ok...then got any of the Jedi wisdom to share with us, Tenshine....how about you, Lieutenant Gseran?"

"I do... I know that if any of you storm either compound there is a trap waiting and all your men are going to end up dead! I also know that Xan is in the lowest part of the Grand Temple, being guarded by a Dark Jedi who is about as old as myself and Xan, meaning he will sense you and your men coming from a mile away. You'll be dead before you make it to Xan, then all your hard work and all your planning will be wasted."

"Well then you kriffing lead the rescue mission then....you both are going in to get Qenadius out."

"That is what I had planned all along... and long before you showed up and nearly got everyone killed... and don't think I won't mention this!" Callista couldn't help grinning a little behind her buy'ce. But she also knew that they were on thin ice with Bel Iblis.

"Fine take the squad ahead and tell them what you want done." Bel Iblis growled and walked away.

"I want no one until I have Xan with me.... you are all going to wait." Callista looked after him, incredulous. "He's just going to walk away? Why do I get the feeling this is too easy with him?"

"Then again... there is more... I want all troops who know about the Dark Jedi to come with me." The troops followed Lilly, who started heading for the Temple. Lilly motioned for them to wait as she see's two guards. "We need to be quiet and not leave a trail... do you have cloaking devices on you?"

"Affirmative General."

"Engage now." Lilly looked for Callista. "I'm right here...." and she tweaked her stealth field so it flickered slightly.

"Ok." She activated her own. "Walk quickly and watch for objects that will give you away... follow my lead." Lilly then took off on quiet feet and was soon inside the temple and looked to see if everyone made it. Callista was close behind her, and the other troops fanned out behind them, weapons drawn. "Looks like we got everyone."

"Good keep moving..." Lilly kept moving deeper and deeper, reading the Aurebesh on the walls to show her where Xan was being held. Every so often she would stop and motion for everyone else to do so. Guards would pass by, and she would wait until they were gone.

Callista stayed close to Lilly, making sure the Alliance troops were able to keep up. "I think we are close, but we need to go deep.." And she pointed down.

"I know, let's keep going." Lilly started to walk deeper and down into the temple always, on alert. Callista nodded, and kept a close eye on her HUD as they moved deeper into the underground portion of the Temple. Lilly's HUD was on full alert as she moved in deeper having an innate feeling that they were getting closer to Xan with each step they took.

Soon enough later, The Jedi arrive at the ancient armory and there was Naxhan laughing at Xan's condition....Xan looked horrible, his arms and legs held in restraints and there appeared to be bite marks on his arms and scratches and bruises covering his body.

Lilly hissed low in her helmet... what had been done was insult to Xan and she fought her urge to charge. On the private comm channel she said, "Fan out and don't move until I tell you to. We need to take him off guard if Xan has any chance of making it through."To Callista she said, "While I fight the Dark Jedi get Xan out of here, understood!" Callista nodded curtly. "Elek, Lill'ika.." She didn't sound happy about it, but she would do it.

Too late, Naxhan felt the prescience of the Jedi and ignited his lightsaber. "So.....it seems that your jadacjsha is still of value to you, Tenshine.....drop your cloak I can sense you." Lilly dropped her cloak and stood there calmly. "You lost your way to our people when you turned to the Dark Side and allowed it to consume you. I will not let you walk out of here alive, Naxhan."

He merely laughed. "Is that right? Well..." he walks over to a pain amplifier console. " This thing is turned on to 4...if I turn it to 10 he will die a most unpleasant death.....do you want to see?" he laughed again. Lilly fought her anger and focused on staying calm. "Let him go, Naxhan!"

"If you want him so bad, come and get him." He called out daring her to attack him. Lilly fought her anger, but her past was always against her. She drew her sabers and swung Naxhan's wrist and head. "Die!" Callista, her cloak still active, kept her emotions buried and edged around Lilly, creeping towards the device that imprisoned Xan.

Xan groaned out weakly, "Lilly, noooo....the dark side......." Lilly heard this and her focus snapped back and she stopped in mid-swing. She was breathing heavily and she glared at Naxhan. "You will not turn me."

Naxhan blocked the blows easily and kicked Lilly in the stomach, forcing her back. "So close and yet for far....you can't strike me down in your compassion, koruun.....only your hate will work with me." He lashed out at her with a bolt of Force lightning. Callista ducked in reflex, and began working on Xan's bindings. Finally, they clicked open, and he slid bonelessly to the floor. Gently, she lifted him, draping his arm over her armored shoulders. "Hang on, Jaj'tich, we'll get you out of here..." she murmured.

Lilly's saber came up and blocked the blow and she pulled out her other saber and let loose a Force push at Naxhan. Naxhan fell backwards and if not for his reflexes would've hit the floor hard. Instead, he let the momentum flip him over backwards and onto his feet. He saw Callista carrying Xan off and he jumped and kicked Lilly in the chest hard, knocking her down. At the same time, he launched a bolt of Force lightning at Callista, hurting her enough to drop Xan. He smiled as he watched her slump to the ground.

Lilly felt this and coughed holding her chest as she watched Callista get attacked, and she fights to get to her feet to save her. "Cal....ika....look...out!"

Callista convulsed as the bolt slammed into her, she had had no way to block it. She slumped, fighting her twitching muscles as she tried to stand. She lay there for a few moments, Xan's body sprawled across her as she reached to the Force for healing. Finally, she stopped shaking and rose to her feet again, gently lifting Xan again.

"No, Cal'ika.." Xan said weakly. "Defend yourself....and buy me time to heal."

"But, Jaj'tich....." She frowned, and drew her saber, keeping a close eye on Lilly. Lilly was on her feet once more, and she lashed out at Naxhan with a downward strike to the head and a side sweep at his waist trying to buy Xan time also.

Naxhan hissed as he blocks the blow and turns away cutting at Lilly's side with a blow of his own. "The Jedi Master is down with no one to help him cept a jadacjsha (street rat) and a weak apprentice.... If I can't turn you, Tenshine...I can kill you and turn the apprentice." Lilly blocked the blow, she was deep in the Force. She was relaxed and she swung her sabers again at his arms trying to cut them off.

Callista rose to her knees then, hovering in front of Xan protectively. "I an not weak..." she said softly. Naxhan laughed, "Prove it jijtchi....let's see if you can handle that fire," and with that he kicked Lilly's legs out from under her, dropping her to the floor. He jumped and flipped, and came down intending to cut Callista's head off.

Callista leaped in front of Xan, blocking him with her body as she brought her saber around, raking it along his side before she tumbled to the floor. Lilly felt this and cried out and fought the pain to accept it and tried to stand up to attack Naxhan with a wave of Force Fire.

Naxhan groaned at the flesh wound Callista made, and sensed the fire attack, ducking in time to watch the plasma comp screen melt due to its intense heat. Meanwhile Xan had fallen into a healing trance and was steadily gaining strength. Callista rolled, and came to her feet again facing him. "I won't go so easily this time," she growled.

"Perhaps not, my future apprentice....but you will learn the true nature of the Dark side," and with that he used a rarely known Sith technique called Affect Insanity on Callista. Lilly sensed this and was quickly taken down with another spin kick, this time to her head. She felt her head swim and she blindly reached out to put a Force shield around Callista's mind.

Callista moaned as her vision swam. Blindly, she swung at him, her blade meeting only air. She shook her head and blinked, feeling the Force shield Lilly had erected around her mind. "I think not..." and she rose to her feet again, her blade ready. She was still unsteady as he pressed against her mind, and she stumbled again, collapsing to her knees as she fought the attack.

Lilly reached into the Force ,and she heated her hands till they were super hot. She also forced into her hands a Force charged strike, aiming it towards Naxhan's jaw. Naxhan gasped and his head snapped back. Callista saw a burn mark on his face as he tumbled away.

At that moment, Xan opened his eyes, nearly fully healed and got to his feet. He knew where Naxhan kept his lightsaber, and he called it to him with the Force, pulling it from Naxhan's cloak. Lilly saw get Xan up and she aimed another punch to Naxhan's face.

Callista mumbled a curse, and slumped, cradling her head. It felt as if someone had beat her over the head with a giant sledge hammer.

Xan rose and said, "Well now Naxhan, 3 Jedi and one dark sider....it seems you're at even more of a disadvantage now." He sent a message to Callista and Lilly, 'Lilly get our friends and get clear, Callista find a comp and slice out everything...then get clear yourself.'

Lilly looked at Xan. 'I am staying with you Xan... I am not loosing you again.' She told the other soldiers, "Get out of here now!" Slowly, Callista climbed to her feet, pulling a slicer padd from the compartment on her left forearm. "I'll get right on that, as soon as my head stops spinning..." She reached into the Force, and drew it into herself, using it to block his attack. Finally, she moved over to the terminal and plugged in.

'Lilly not now....go!' Xan sent to her and then concentrated on Naxhan. "Time for your games to end Naxhan..." he ignited his lightsaber and it's green brilliance killed the gloom in the place. "Your battle is with me." Naxhan growled, "This time you WILL die, koruun!" and with that he launched himself into a whirlwind attack using the Force and launched himself after Xan.

Xan did likewise, and to Lilly and Callista it seemed that they were a blur. Lilly looked hurt, but even if she was a Jedi Master and his wife, she was still his Padawan. She nodded and waited for Callista to finish so she would have backup.

The security on the system was intense, and Callista was sweating when she finally cracked it. She didn't have time to go looking for the right files, so she just copied everything...they could sort it out later. Finally, she disconnected and stowed her gear. "Let's go.." she said quietly to Lilly.

Lilly nodded and turned to leave, looking at Xan one last time. 'May the Force guide you.' Xan felt her mind and responded, 'I'm only buying you guys enough time to get clear then I'm coming myself.'

'Alright.' Lilly was in a full out run, it was clear her beskar'gam didn't slow her at all. Callista was close on Lilly's heels, and looked back at Xan one final time before she too, disappeared. 'Be careful, Jaj'tich.' And then she was gone.

Xan continued to move as fast as Naxhan did with his cuts, thrusts and parries; but felt himself start to tire. So he avoided a few strikes by Naxhan, and force pushed him into a wall so hard it must've knocked Naxhan out. With his remaining strength, he used the Force to pull down a section of wall around Naxhan, trapping him for the time being. Xan ran out to join the others outside the temple.

Slowly, Callista followed after Lilly, and slumped a little as her head swam. She leaned heavily on the wall, waiting for the corridor to stop spinning. When it did, she started moving again. Naxhan's attack had hit her hard. As Xan ran clear of the great temple he saw Callista starting to sink to her knees.

He came up behind her and picked her up, "None of that now, jijtchi...heal yourself then we've got other issues." Callista nodded and rose unsteadily to her feet, reaching into the Force again. "Ni ceta, Jaj'tich..." Xan nodded and looked around. "Who is in charge of the operation here?" he barked. Lilly stood there. "You are now Xan... it was a old friend of ours..."

"Who Weshtiir?" he asked. "I've rather been out of the loop."

"Bel Iblis. The one who really isn't happy with me or your Padawan. I broke house arrest again." Xan sighed and frowned. "Again?.....just what we need....And making Garm unhappy is not good, you know that." Callista cringed behind her buy'ce, and felt her face heat. "I'm sorry, Jaj'tich....it was my fault....."

Lilly looked to Callista and frowned. "I am sorry Xan, but you were in danger; you know me..." Xan shook his head. "Well it doesn't matter now...it's done now we need to deal with Black Sun."

"Yes we do.. There's info we need and they won't leave it here, Xan."

Callista spoke up. "I do have the files I pulled from the system in there..." Xan pulled a scout commander aside and asked that he lead him to Bel Iblis. "Go over it and see what you can find, meanwhile I'll smooth over thing with Garm."

"I am coming with you, Xan." Callista frowned. "I'll get on that right away, Jaj'tich...." And she settled in an out of the way corner, removing her buy'ce as she set to work.

Xan walked off with the scout commander to find Bel Iblis leaving Lilly and Callista searching through the files. Lilly looked at her. "How much is there total?" Callista shook her head. "These's so much here, I don't even know where to start..."

"Hmmm you take all the files marked for deletion, and I will work on these Black Op ones unless you want to do it the other way around...." She nodded, "Alright...." She hooked Lilly's padd up to hers and dumped the files she had asked for. "There...now..." and she began working on her files. Lilly nodded and started to work on her own files slowly as she came across all sorts of access codes, and she was swearing every so often.

Callista frowned. Some of the files were just inventory... but some of them....."Lilly, look..." She tilted her own display so Lilly could see it. Lilly looked at Callista's screen. "What is it?"

"This file... I think it's the plans.. or part of them.... they were trying to purge the system..."

"Hmm not good keep looking we can't loose this info we need it. Xan soon arrives with Bel Iblis and Xan asks "Ok....what do we have here then?" Callista frowned a little. "Lilly, it's here....." She opened up another file, and there it was....

Lilly was cursing her files were riddled with holes, and she stops and looks over and looks to Xan*We found the files.

Bel Iblis nodded "Have they managed to build any modules yet...that is what I'm curious about."

"We haven't found out yet we're still looking."

Callista looked up. "It will take some time, general..." She looked at him briefly and returned to her work. Lilly also went back to her work cursing again.

Bel Iblis growled then said, "Well as fast as you can find it, we got word the Imps are on their way to Yavin."

Callista swore. "You picked a hell of a time to tell us ...sir." She was fast losing patience with the man, and looked to Xan for guidance. Lilly just cursed and dug deeper into her own files before looking up. "These Black Op files are shit...."

"Garm...give them time. They can only do so much."

Lilly started to look into the other files marked Op's and sighs. "Xan, theses files are riddled with error codes and alarms. I need the Star Blade."

"We can't run to Naboo and get the Star Blade, we need to stop them now. Do the best you 2 can." Xan said seriously. Callista nodded, and bit back a curse. These files were going to take forever. She sighed, and plugged the pad into her beskar'gam's dataport and pulled her buy'ce back on. She looked up at Xan. "Sorry, Jaj'tich, I need to concentrate."

Xan nodded and took Bell Iblis with him, he was planning the raid on the Black Sun base while Callista and Lilly worked on the files. Lilly was getting angry and she threw the data pad. It hit Xan's calf and she grabbed her head trying to calm herself.

"Lill'ika, look at this..." Callista had the information displayed on her HUD, but she handed the pad itself to Lilly. "I think this is what we need.." Lilly looked at it and nodded. "Xan!"

Xan walked over and waited. "What is it?" Callista handed him her own pad, so he could look at it. "I think this is it..."

Xan read out loud, "Modules have been built and delivered to clients, 2 Hutt lords, and 3 Vigos of Black Sun have received them....for what purpose isn't clear.....They are willing to sell the info and a few modules back to the Empire at an outrageous price...." he frowned. "One unit fully operational on planet for defense of base only." Callista paled, and swore colorfully.

"This is not good at all, Xan, we can't afford this."

"Well then what options do we have...we stop them now. That means the Alliance begins to show it's face to Palpatine."

Callista shrugged. "We can run, but we will have to face him eventually.."

"He's strong, there no telling what all they have now... it's dangerous..."

"He may be strong and dangerous but we are use to that. What is needed is to get more on this. Maybe break into the area where it is and steal what info we can and maybe find a way to disable it from within. That's dangerous but we stand a better chance of doing it that way."

"Xizor has a full squadron and it's too well defended.....we need a raid." Xan said before all their attention was interrupted by the comm transceiver ."Imps are in system and are preparing for assault. Estimated time of arrival at Yavin 4....one hour." Callista swore. "Jaj'tich...what do you need from me..?"

"We need to get the hell out of here first... I do not feel like dealing with more imps..." "They be here soon regardless....I think we either need to deal with Xizor or we deal with the Imps.....thoughts?"

"Xizor, I say."

"What about him? I'd think he would be off-planet by now.."

"Maybe, but there is a chance he is still here."

"He maybe...but still this is an important base....even if he isn't here we can't allow Black Sun to maintain a foothold here." Xan said. Lilly looked to Xan and nodded. "I agree Xan, I say we blow up the base, get rid of all trace it was here. Last thing we need is for other people getting their hands on stuff they're not supposed to." Callista nodded in agreement. "We have what we came for; the computer's no use to anyone else now anyway..."

"Fine then...but destroying the base is not what I had in mind.......the Alliance can always use it.....Still get ready; once everything is in place we move in." Callista quirked an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean, Jaj'tich..?" Lilly looked at Xan, confused and frowned, wondering what Xan was thinking about.

"I mean, we got about 2000 Black Sun commandos ahead of us....this is going to be quite a battle." Callista looked at him. "Two thousand...? What did you have in mind...?"

"What do you think." Xan said looking at her with a raised eyebrow, and he could see Lilly blanch at it. "You know what we need to do...use your mind, jijtchi."

She sighed, knowing very well what the eyebrow signified. She thought a moment, and then spoke. "Well, we need Xizor...right? And the base itself is fine... we have the information we came for....so we need to get past those commandos." She paused. "You're right... it won't be easy, especially since some of the Dar'manda have seen us.." She frowned.

"Good....so prepare yourselves, this will get interesting." And with that, Xan walked off with Bel Iblis to prepare the assault. Lilly sighed as she thought and shook her head, looking after Xan as he walked off with Bal Iblis. Callista sighed and turned back to Lilly, her face pink with embarrassment as she did so. "Alright...I guess we need to get ready then..." And she pulled her buy'ce over her head, running a quick systems and inventory check as she did so.

Lilly just nodded and put her own buy'ce on her head. "I'll be right back... I need to get something from the rental."

"Sure, Lill'ika. I'm not going anywhere..." Callista nodded and continued running through the systems check, still unfamiliar with some of the hardware her beskar'gam had.

Lilly ran off and a short while later returned and nodded. "Ok I am ready to go here. I couldn't leave something on the rental. It cost way to much money." Callista frowned, but when Lilly didn't elaborate, she rose as well. "Let's get going then...and no crazy flying...Gedet'ye.."

"I can't promise no crazy flying, Cal'ika... it's my nature just know there is a high chance of it happening."

"Who said we were flying, Callista?" Xan said walking back with more troopers. She frowned again.

"Sorry, Jaj'tich.."

"What's the plan, Xan?"

"There's more of them than us, Jaj'tich..."

"But there are three Jedi.." Lilly interjected.

"...and we worry about removing the problem Xizor presents." Xan continued, as if he hadn't been interrupted. "Oh Xan, I have a feeling this is going to be fun.." Lilly said. "Fun is not what I'd call it...but we need Xizor and we need this base." Xan replied, frowning.

"I always see fights as fun, Xan... you should know this..." Callista rolled her eyes. "Can we continue, please..?"

"We destroy the generators and then look for Xizor's back door." Xan said.

"Hmm, we need to do that in teams..." Lilly mused. "Yeah Lilly you go for the back door and stall Xizor.... Cal'ika and I will worry about the generators."

"All right, Xamesh. I'll see you later." Callista nodded and pulled her buy'ce on again. "Alright, Jaj'tich...what do we need..?"

Xan shrugged. "Just our sabers and our wits, jijtchi. The troops and can help out Lilly." She grinned a little behind her buy'ce, and tossed a casual salute in Bel Iblis' direction. "General.." Then she turned to follow Xan towards the compound. Lilly nodded to Xamesh, glared at Bel Iblis and motioned the troops to follow her to the back door to stall Xizor.

Xan ignited his lightsaber and the green brilliance lit the area where they were standing. "Be ready to run and use your saber to deflect blaster fire, jijtchi....I'm cutting into the wall."

"Elek, Jaj'tich..." she reached into the Force, spreading her awareness around them as she drew her saber. Xan approached the wall and thrust his blade into it and began to cut out a opening for them to use. Soon enough later, that section of wall fell away and Xan climbed through barking out to Callista in Coruscanii, "Vhajj!" (Go!)

She dove through the hole, and rolled to her feet her saber ready. She could faintly sense several people off to the left. "There are several people that way, Jaj'tich... " Xan nodded and brought his saber up to deflect another bolt. "I'll deal with them, you worry 'bout that damn turret. It's blocks the passageway to the generators."

Callista nodded, and charged up the corridor, her blade spinning as she deflected blaster bolts into the walls. The turret gunner was firing at her directly now, and she ducked. Reaching into the Force, she yanked much as she had in the caves on Tattooine. She grinned under her buy'ce as the turret groaned and seized up.

Lilly and the troops reached the back door and she cut a large opening in it with her saber, allowing the troops to file through. "Be alert and be aware..." Lilly looks around cautiously. "Come out, come out wherever you are!"

Xan had his hands full with these commandos. He killed the first one with a diagonal slash from the right shoulder to the left hip, then reversed his blade and thrust it through the throat of a second. Xan's eyes darkened with battle instinct and he knew he wasn't done killing for the day. He called out to Callista after he beheaded a third commando "How is it going, jijtchi?"

She grunted, and leaped away from the turret housing as the gunner slumped. "Almost there....." Her words were cut off as another commando opened up on them with his blaster carbine, and she turned her attention to him. She crouched, blocking the crimson bolts with her lightsaber. One of them rebounded, and caught the man in the throat. He went down gurgling, and then lay still as she moved on.

Meanwhile, Lilly came face to face with Xizor and a good looking female human. "Well if it isn't the wife of Qenadius," Xizor purred and his pheromones were activated to lull Lilly into a false state of security. "I see you've come to foil my plans....too bad. I could've sold the plans back to the Rebellion and this would only be a slight misunderstanding." Lilly smelled this and her nose winkled. "Did anyone ever tell you that you stink? Also I highly doubt that, Xizor; you never supported us, not once; you would rather see us dead." She was still alert and on guard and looked very pissed off.

Xizor's demeanor changed as did his tone of voice. "Dead and out of my way.....The Empire is good for business and Jedi are just a bunch of nuisances. Guri....concussives!" And with that the seeming human looking woman's spine opened to reveal concussive grenade launchers and shot 2 grenades at Lilly, giving them the opportunity to get clear and into the ship they had secreted away. Lilly tried to use the Force just shove them back at the launcher in hopes of saving the troops.

It was too late to get Xizor now, but Lilly could minimize the destruction the grenades posed. Xan had taught her the art of Force shielding well, and now there was no other choice but to use it. Lilly swore and used the Force shield to help protect the troops. The blast was strong enough to knock her and the troops off their feet. It seemed to Lilly like a strikeball bat hit her square in the chest and she coughed up a little blood. The blast took down a good section of building and sealed the path to Xizor's ship. Lilly knew it was too late and began looking at the troops; none were dead but they were hurt as well by the blast.

Callista ducked again, dancing out of the way of yet another barrage of blaster bolts. They slammed into the wall on either side of her, and she swore. She reached into the Force, touching Xan briefly as she worked at reconstructing what she had done to the remote on the Blade what seemed like ages ago. Her glowing blade spun, still deflecting bolts until the shield was up around the offending weapon. The man clutched his weapon and fired again, cursing and dropping it as it exploded in his hands.

Xan ran back after dealing with the commandos flanking them and while blocking more bolts he told Callista, "Get ready to run as soon as I overload the turret." She nodded curtly, and reached out with the Force again. "Sure you don't want me to...?" Xan started to channel the Force strongly and then lifted his hand and let loose a bolt of Force lightning to overload the power generator of the gun turret. As it began to glow, Xan said with effort, "Run!"

Cursing, she ducked around the turret and ran full tilt down the corridor. The air was charged with electricity now, and it made her skin tingle under the beskar'gam. The turret exploded with a deafening boom and Xan ran with a burst of Force speed into the corridor seconds before the wall came down, sealing the path out the way they came in "Well two down." Xan said grimly. Callista leaned against the wall for a moment. "Well, that was....interesting....what now, Jaj'tich?"

"The generators....we need to cut off power to the machines. Then the troops can mop up." Xan said

"Which way...?"

"Follow me," Xan replied and headed off in the direction of the generators. She nodded and pushed off of the wall, jogging to catch up with him. It wasn't hard to keep up with him now, even in full beskar'gam. She was finally starting to feel as if it were part of her.

Soon later they reached the generators and Xan was surprised to see the section unmanned. "Well this should be fairly easy, you got timed grenades in your beskar'gam, jijtchi?" Callista nodded, and flicked through her inventory before reaching into her belt and lobbing two deactivated grenades at him. "Here you are, special delivery..." She grinned, knowing he could hear it in her voice.

Xan set the timers for two minutes. "Plenty of time to get clear....get ready to run again....back door time." She nodded again, and as soon as he had set the detonators, she took off. Counting in her head, she skidded around corners, until they could see the entrance ahead. "Almost there..." Xan followed, to find the way out covered by rubble left from the explosion that safeguarded Xizor's escape and he swore.

"What now....cut our way through?" Xan shrugged. "Too much to cut through......ideas?"

"I wouldn't advise blowing it either; that could bring the whole complex down on us.....and we don't have a lot of time..." She checked her chrono. "Sixty seconds..."

Xan then saw something. "Take a look at that wall.....if we cut through it we can escape but it will bring this place down anyway." She looked past him, and scanned the wall with the infrared sensors in her buy'ce. "If we cut...here, here..and here..." she pointed, "We should be able to get through before it collapses on top of us.."

"Let's go then." Xan began cutting in the places Callista suggested. She nodded, and drove her saber into the second spot she had identified, making a quick but careful diagonal cut before she completed the last one. "Ok....that should do it..." She pushed with the Force, shoving the chunk of permacrete free. It fell and shattered to powder outside the gaping hole as she moved through quickly.

Xan ran after her, but not fast enough. The blast concussion sent him flying into Callista and threw them 20 meters clear of the building. She gasped in surprise, and tried to roll as Xan's body slammed into her from behind. She groaned as she felt both of them slam into something solid, and she slid to the ground, climbing carefully to her feet as her head swam.

Xan groaned and got to his feet and laughed a little uneasily. "Well that's that then."

"Remind me to never let you near any explosives...." she chuckled and groaned again as her ribs tweaked. "I think I cracked a couple of ribs....I should be ok till we get back to the Blade.."

Xan nodded then frowned. "Damn....Lilly....."

"Oh no.... where are they...?"

"I don't know....and I can't feel her right now." "Fierfek.....where do we even start..."

"I don't know....I guess we wait and see..." Xan said and tried feeling hopeful. Callista sighed, and idly scratched under the edge of her buy'ce. Activating her infrared scanners, she scanned the area outside the complex. "I think they got clear... there's a large group just off to our west....back near the Alliance staging area..."

Xan nodded. "We'd better go check it out." She nodded and fell in beside him, being careful not to jar her ribs too much. The beskar'gam helped hold them in place...for now. Xan started to head towards where Callista pointed, and hoped that Lilly was alive and well with the troops. Since he couldn't feel he had to swallow his doubt.

Lilly knelt over a trooper and focused on healing him, sending calming waves through the area. She was angry she had been blind sided, but her focus was getting the troops on their feet. "Lilly....thank the Force! I couldn't feel you and I thought you were dead..." he ran up and kissed her passionately.

Lilly winced and coughed up more blood after Xan had kissed her, she then wiped her mouth and hugged Cal'ika. She looked like she had been through hell and back. Callista blushed, and looked away for a moment. Pulling her buy'ce off, she joined them, wincing when Lilly's hug made her ribs strain.

Xan frowned. "You both need to heal now...sit down and do so." Xan said kindly. He was injured as well but didn't show it.

Callista shook her head. "Can't sit....standing will do...." She gently took Lilly's arm and held her, as she reached into herself. Taking slow breaths was agony, and coughing only made it worse. Slowly, her breathing settled as she relaxed and let the Force work.

Lilly felt this and she also fell into the Force. She had a few cracked ribs as well, and some strain to her body from the blast. Slowly, Callista opened her eyes and looked meaningfully at Xan, touching him in the Force. 'You're hurt too, Jaj'tich...' her voice whispered in his mind. Lilly looked at Xan and frowned. "She's right... Cal'ika you heal Xamesh, I'll deal with the troops."

"It is minor," Xan lied. He had a punctured lung and possibly a major concussion.

"Jaj'tich, don't lie to me.." Her voice was pained. Lilly shook her head and went back to healing the troops. They were still needed and she set about her task.

"I'll be fine....see to the troops first." Xan said, his voice slurred. "Jaj'tich, nayc." Callista said firmly.

"Xamesh! Do not be so stubborn, let Cal'ika heal you.. I can deal with the troops..." Lilly said sharply. Before Xan had a chance to answer he dropped to the ground in a dead faint.

"Fierfek...." Lilly had worked through almost all of them, their wounds were all minor and it didn't require much healing on her part, which meant Callista was free to heal Xan. She then saw Xan drop and she swore running to his side and reaching into the Force and out to him. "Xamesh!" Callista rushed to catch him before he hit the ground, cradling his head.

Lilly looked to Callista frowning, and she swore again. "Ariith, Xamesh! Why didn't you take to the healing, stubborn old fart." She sighed. "I'll need your help, Cal'ika." Lilly closed her eyes and started to focus healing waves into Xan's chest and she was muttering something in Coruscanii to fast to be picked up clearly.

Callista muttered a curse, and pulled her buy'ce off, dropping it beside her as she reached for the Force again. It flooded into her like water. Slowly, she reached out to Lilly, and then to Xan, offering her strength to Lilly's efforts as she too began to heal him. Lilly felt this and she slipped into a deep healing trance, focusing her healing on Xan while drawing from Callista as she offered her support. Gently, Callista continued to cradle his head and let the healing energy from herself to Xan. Slowly, she felt the hot pain in his head ease beneath her hands as the swelling slowly lessened.

Bel Iblis came upon the troops and Lilly and Callista's attempts to heal Xan and he walked over to them. "Damn you Xan; you act so stupid at times." he said to Xan and then asked, "How bad is it?" Lilly was too deep into a trance working on his lung to answer, her focus was on Xan and helping him. The Force swirled around the three and Lilly was still speaking to fast in Coruscanii to be understood. Callista glanced over at Lilly, and frowned up at him, annoyed. "It could have been a lot worse, General..." She was angry with him, and it crept into her voice. "He has a severe concussion and a punctured lung....which are slowly healing..."

Bel Iblis nodded. "Do what you can to save him......We've been through a lot and I'd hate to lose a friend." Bel Iblis walked away shortly after. Callista muttered under her breath as he turned away, and turned her attention back to the task before her. Lilly had started to try and pull more of the Force into her... she was nearing her strength limit as she healed Xan but she was trying to help him and her being weakened a few days was better then him still being wounded. Callista frowned again, feeling Lilly straining. As she focused again, she reached out to Lilly and offered her strength again. She knew it wasn't much but she would help in whatever way she could.

Lilly felt this again and started to draw on it and draw more deeply on the Force, she was still lost in her healing trance. Finally, Xan began to stir but was still unresponsive. Cautiously, Callista opened herself to the Force even more. She was still hesitant after the events of the last few weeks, and it frightened her a little. She didn't want to go down that dark path again. Shoving that thought aside firmly, she focused again. Her drifting thoughts would not do Xan any good.

Lilly spoke to her through the Force. 'Relax Cal'ika, I need your focus on healing Xamesh I can't do this alone.' Lilly was totally open to the Force now as she focused on healing Xan. She was solely focused on that one task and would be until he woke up. Callista sighed mentally. 'Elek, Lill'ika.' And again she reached for the Force, feeling it pour into her and then into Lilly and Xan. Lilly nodded slightly and used Callista's strength to pour into the healing of Xan. She reached out in the Force. 'Xamesh....can you hear me?'

Xan croaked a single word: "bacta...." Lilly heard this and looked to Callista. "They have the Blade here right?"

"Yes...we should get him into the bacta tank...."

"All right to the Blade then." Lilly stood and reached into the Force, lifting Xan and walking behind him with ease to the Blade. She was scared. They reached the medical area, and she lifted Xan up and removes his shirt leaving his pants on. She put the breathing mask over his face, and lowered him into the tank with the Force before she started it up and sat back on the bed sighing.

Callista dropped heavily onto the other bed in the room, efficiently stripping off her beskar'gam as she did so. As soon as she was finished, she lay back and closed her eyes. Lilly curled up on the bed across from the tank and fell into a deep sleep, listening to the beeps of the medical area. It would a few days before Xan would be out of the tank.

Callista woke slowly...stiffly. As she sat up and stretched, she saw that Lilly was still sleeping. Quietly, she gathered her beskar'gam and stowed it before she wandered to the galley. Lilly soon walked in, looking like hell as she grabbed something she rarely drank. It was a cup of caf and she downed it in a few gulps as she headed to the cockpit.

"Lill'ika.....are you sure you want that...?" Callista trailed after her, and offered her a mug filled with hot soup.

"Yeah, I'm sure..." She drank the caf and took the mug of soup and drank that too. "Thanks, Cal'ika." Lilly started pre-flight. Callista slid into the seat next to hers, running her fingers through her hair. "You sure you're alright to fly? You look like hell. I can fly...you need to rest..."

"I am...." She looked to Callista and frowned, she wasn't trusting to let people fly her ship but she was tired and she nodded. "All right..." She stood up and went back to the medical area and laid down to sleep. Callista sighed and slid over into the empty seat, finishing the preflight before she fired up the thrusters.

She drafted a quick message to Bel Iblis and sent it via her buy'ce's HUD. General, Xan is doing better. We are heading back to Mandalore for rest. Hope that the rest of the campaign here goes well. Regards, Lt. Gseran.

Gently, Callista lifted off and entered the coordinates for Mandalore into the navicomputer as she broke free of Yavin's gravity well. A few seconds later, a jump route popped onto the screen and she pulled the hyperdrive control lever. The stars smeared, and she leaned back in her chair to rest.

---

Author's Notes:

Wow... that was a long one. It just didn't feel right to break it in the middle. So, what's next for Callista and Xan...?

Dar'manda - No longer Mandalorian

hut'uun - coward

beskar'gam - Mandalorian armor

koruun - Coruscanii word meaning 'traitor' or 'outsider'

nayc - no