Disclaimer: I'm too tired to write a witty disclaimer right now, so I'll just say I don't own them.

Author's Note: This chapter is looong, even by my standards. 10000 words, but I really wanted to get them off Dxun by the end of the chapter. And I did, so if you want to read this in one sitting, grab a snack and get comfortable. Also, I'm revealing Mira's unique lightsaber; I hope you think it's as creative as I did when first I thought it up.

Chapter 10: The Invaders

-4 hours later-

First light was just breaking through the jungle canopy as Silas and Brianna neared the perimeter checkpoint outside the Mandalorian base camp.

"All I am saying, Brianna, is that you should consider constructing a lightsaber," said Silas. "They are far more versatile than any vibroblade."

"I am well aware of a lightsaber's advantages," said Brianna, "but I do not need one. I know my blades well; they will be enough for me."

"Hm," said Silas, "very well. But should you change your mind…"

"You will be the first to know."

Silas' smile hid his mild displeasure. So, she has not as broken from her oath to Atris as completely as I thought. Why did I believe it would be so easy?

Ahead of them stood the three Mandalorians charged with guarding the checkpoint: one red-armored, two blue. Silas' smile became a genuine one for a few moments, then it faded when he noticed that red Mandalorian lacked a captain's rank insignia; this soldier was not Cavok.

Some days I wish they weren't so wed to their armor, thought Silas as he approached the Mandalorians. "I'm looking for a captain," he announced. "Goes by the name 'Cavok'.

"The captain's off rotation right now," said the red Mandalorian. "He's getting some rack time."

"For how long?" asked Silas.

"The next four hours," answered the Mandalorian.

"Perfect," said Silas, flatly.

"Are you the one he was talking about? The one boasting he could kill a zakkeg?"

Carver gave him a half-grin. "I would not call it 'boasting,' but a zakkeg did come up in our conversation."

"You're back quick. What? You give up already?"

"Actually, no," Silas replied. He pulled back the left side of his outer robe and held up the severed ear. "Do me a favor, and give this to Cavok when he returns to his post." He noted a shift in the Mandalorian's posture: a little straighter, a little taller, and not as relaxed. Silas' half-grin appeared; he was still as adept at surprising Mandalorians as ever.

"Sure," said the Mandalorian, taking the ear. "I'll make sure he gets this."

"You will not try and take the credit, will you?" Silas asked, half-jokingly/half-warningly.

"Ha!" said the Mandalorian. "Cavok'd never believe I took down a zakkeg." Silas merely smiled at him. "Oh, by the way," he continued, "Seeing as how you'll be here a few days, Mandalore's set up some sleeping arrangements for you and your crew."

"Sleeping arrangements?" repeated Silas. "How generous."

"It's not much really; just a store room with a few cots. But there are enough sheets for eight, if some of you don't mind sleeping on the floor or on the crates. If you're interested, the building is on the opposite side of the barracks."

"We do have adequate facilities on our ship."

"Which I'm guessing is nowhere near here. It's a good idea to limit your time in the jungle, especially at night. You may have walked out this night, but I wouldn't recommend pushing your luck."

Silas gave the Mandalorian another half-smile. "I do not believe in luck."

"Fate then. Look, this is just an offer. We don't get many friendly visitors on Dxun, so we can't always offer the best accommodations."

This one does not like to banter, apparently. "Understandable. Very well, then. Relay my thanks to Mandalore. I shall inform the rest of my crew." With a final nod, Silas headed past the checkpoint with Brianna following close behind. When they entered the camp, he slowed to allow her to walk beside him. "Think you'll be able to handle sleeping on a cot?" he asked with a full grin.

"Considering I've been sleeping on a mattress of layered sheets in the cargo hold for two months," Brianna answered, returning his grin, "it will be a pleasant change."

Silas chuckled to himself; Brianna's distrust of Kreia was so strong, she would rather sleep on the floor in a different room than in a bed located in the same room as the old ex-Jedi. Mira had laid claim to one of the beds in the port quarters for herself shortly after she joined them, though Silas wasn't sure if it was out of boldness, a lack of familiarity with Kreia, or if she and Jaq had made some sort of clandestine wager. He was about to ask Brianna of her opinion of their newest recruit when a mechanical outburst caught his ear.

"-dalorian meatbags! I must have short circuited to believe you were capable of performing the required tasks!"

HK, thought Silas with a bemused grin. Looking around, he found the rust-hued assassin droid over by the quartermaster's shop. Standing around him were two blue-armored Mandalorians; one of them was trying to re-attach HK's lower left leg, and the other looked like he was trying to find the droid's off switch. Unfortunately, no one can shut down HK-47 except HK-47. Silas looked over at Brianna and found that she was enjoying the scene as well. "It is always more humorous when he is yelling at someone else, is it not?" he asked her. Her widened smile affirmed his inquiry, and he gestured for her to follow.

"Exclamation: Stop, stop, stop, you useless fleshbag! If you want to attach my leg, at least ensure the auxiliary servos are properly aligned…No, that is not a gyro coupling. No, that is not one either! That is a hinge. Ugh, Mandalorians cannot possibly be this inept."

"Having a few problems, HK?" asked Silas, strolling up to the kiosk.

The assassin droid rotated to face him. "Irritated statement: Master, I greatly overestimated these Mandalorian meatbags' abilities to facilitate proper maintenance."

"This would be a lot easier if we didn't have to deal with all the noise," said the Mandalorian holding HK's detached leg. Silas recognized the voice. He was the one working on the satellite console, Zuka.

"Insult: As if you could complete these procedures without my instruction," said HK.

"It is not usually a good idea to bite the hand that is feeding you, HK," said Silas, crossing his arms, "especially while it is feeding you."

"Rebuttal: Master, these Mandalorians' skills are hardly laudable…Ow! Exercise more caution, meatbag, or I will use you for target practice!" The Mandalorian had forcefully reconnected the droid's leg; the intricate inner workings of the mechanical appendage slid unceremoniously into place. As an ironic reward, the Mandalorian had a pistol made by his own people aimed at his head.

"Stow it, HK," said Silas, half-warningly.

The assassin droid reacted almost instantly. "Resignation: Very well, Master," replied HK, lowering the weapon and sliding it back in the hidden compartment in his upper leg.

"You will have to forgive him," Silas told the Mandalorians, "He is a little touchy when it comes to 'meatbags' messing with his systems." The two Mandalorians looked back at him in a posture that screamed, No shit! "The only one of my crew he will let touch him is our Iridonian tech."

"Statement: The Iridonian has proved he is qualified to repair machines, Master. I wouldn't trust the rest of them to refill my plasma tank."

"I rebuilt you, HK, and you do not even trust me with repairs."

"Warning: Master, must I again bring up that electronic horror you installed into my system just three days after my reactivation?"

Silas' hand went to his face. "For the last time, HK, I didn't know. The Rodian did not tell me it was a pacifism program."

"Exclamation: E-e-exactly! You didn't know what the program was, and yet you still chose to install it. Therefore, your privileges have been revoked."

Thankfully, his hand was still covering his mouth when the smirk appeared after hearing the word "privileges" coming from the droid. "You are never going to let me live that down are you?"

"Answer: No." The droid slid off the crate and onto his feet. "Statement: Now, I must excuse myself, Master. I have to relay the details of my mission to the Mandalorian meatbag, Xarga."

Before HK got too far, Silas stopped him. "Not quite yet, HK." Silas turned to the Mandalorian. "Were you expecting any compensation?"

"Not really," said Zuka, "the droid brought back the phase-pulse converter, so I offered to help fix him as thanks."

HK emitted a soft buzz, but to Silas' trained ears, it sounded more like a scoff. His gaze drifted to the other Mandalorian. "What about you?"

"That's alright," said the other Mandalorian, sounding somewhat pleased with himself. "I've got it taken care of."

"And you are?" asked Silas.

"I'm Kex," replied the quartermaster. "This is my shop."

"Really?" said Silas. "Perhaps, I will come back later; we may be able to exchange a few things." Kex nodded once, and Silas gestured for Brianna and HK to follow. Once they were out of range of the two Mandalorians, Silas turned to his droid. "So how did your other mission go, HK?"

HK was silent for a couple of seconds. "Hesitant answer: Err…I managed to make it fun after all, Master."

A cautious smile appeared on Silas' face. "Well good. What was the mission?"

"Answer: I was to locate a missing Mandalorian scout by the name of Kumus and retrieve any intact equipment from his remains."

Silas raised his eyebrow. "Remains? Was he dead?"

"Answer: He was presumed as such, Master."

It was then that Brianna jumped into the conversation. "I assume then you did not find him dead."

HK stared at the space between the two organics. "Hesitant answer: No…but I quickly calculated that his death was imminent."

"So he is dead now?" asked Silas, pointing at the ground.

HK turned his head towards Silas. "Affirmation: Yes, Master; he is dead now."

"What was it that killed him?" asked Brianna.

"Hesitant far as I know,…an explosion. A magnificent explosion that vaporized the top third of the plateau he was standing on. I was in awe, Master."

Silas' smile dwindled by half. "What caused the explosion?" he asked, enunciating each word.

"Answer: Thorium charges, Master. The Mandalorian had primed too many explosives, and when they all went off, he was blasted into the jungle. Even if he had managed to survive such a spectacular detonation, the odds of him surviving the subsequent flight and fall are infinitesimally small."

"Did the explosion cause your injuries?" asked Silas.

"Negative: Oh, no, Master. The explosion agitated some of the local wildlife. My efforts to fend them off caused the damage."

He gave the droid a hard stare. "HK, you will tell Xarga that you were unable to locate Kumus, but judging from the amount of damage done at the site, it was highly likely that he died when he accidentally set off his charges. Beyond that, you will say nothing more. Do you understand?"

If droids could hang their shoulders, HK would have done so. "Weary affirmation: Yes, Master."

"Good." He pointed over his shoulder, directing the droid to move on. Silas and Brianna started walking as well. Looking over, he saw Brianna wearing a slightly confused expression on her face.

"So he-," she began.

"Yes," he replied.

"And he just-"

"Very likely."

"But why did-"

"I do not…want…to know why."

Brianna let out a weary sigh. "You probably should have left him on the ship."

Silas gave her a wry grin. "Where would be the fun in that?"

It took only a couple of minutes for the two to find the barracks and the store room behind it. The only way in was a pair of large doors, making the storage building look like a short hangar. The sliding doors didn't open easily or quietly. The makeshift barracks were spartan, to say the least. The cots were merely long boxes covered by extremely thin mattresses.

"Mandalorian hospitality," said Silas, scanning the dimly lit interior. "Tired yet?" he asked Brianna.

"Not really," she replied. "But this is an opportunity we shouldn't waste."

"True," he said, closing his eyes and letting fatigue wash over him. "We may not get another five hours for a while." He gestured for Brianna to proceed first. "After you."

-6 hours later-

Jaq's first order of business as he entered the Mandalorian camp was to see if his gambler's luck was still as strong as rancor breath. Scanning the area, he located Kex and smiled; the Mandalorian was sitting on a supply crate. His right boot was missing, and the foot was bandaged. That seemed to be the most obvious injury, but the fact that he wasn't putting any weight on it suggested it might be more severe than it looked. As Jaq started towards Kex, he looked over his shoulder and saw that Kelborn was still behind him, pulling the infiltrators' cargo hauler behind him. He probably wanted to know how the battle went, too. Kex's helmeted face was unreadable to the approaching pair, but Jaq could easily detect the quartermaster's emotions. Curious though, the Mandalorian seemed almost pleased with himself. Could he have actually.. Jaq thought. ..Nah. The Mandalorian didn't have the look of a victor, so what was he so cheery about?

Kex caught sight of them as they approached. "So, you made it back alive." Jaq smiled at him; Kelborn was wearing a grin as well, though it was hidden by his helmet. "Good. Is my equipment still intact?"

"Everything still works find, Kex," said Kelborn.

"Well that's a first," said Kex. "I didn't think you could go a whole mission without breaking something."

"Kex…, said Kelborn with a sigh.

"Speaking of breaking," said Jaq, still wearing his grin, "what happened to your foot?"

"I admit," said Kex, "that I may have underestimated your little friend-"

"She floored you," said Jaq, "didn't she?"

"It was a good battle," said Kex.

"He means quick," Kelborn told Jaq. Kex gave them a hard stare, and Jaq wondered if he was mouthing something under his helmet.

"So, I guess that means you owe me some credits," said Jaq.

"Actually," Kex replied, "we're even."

"Oh yeah?" asked Jaq. "How do you figure that?"

"I helped fix your boss' droid."

Jaq's expression hardened. I hate that droid. "You're not trying to pull one over on me are you?"

"I could go find your boss; have him verify the details." The smugness was practically rolling off the quartermaster. "In fact, he seemed a little dissatisfied with my lack of proper compensation. I'm sure I could persuade him to-"

"All right, all right. Shut up; I get it," said Jaq, running a hand over his face. I really hate that droid.

"I'm glad we're in agreement. But you know, after spending just five minutes with the thing, I wanted to rip its head off." A half-smile appeared on Jaq's face. "Where's the off switch on it?"

"There is no off switch," Jaq replied. "I've looked."

"How do you put up with it?"

"Distance. And lots of closed doors."

"I'd hate to break this up," interjected Kelborn, "but Mandalore's expecting a report on our mission." He laid the heavy repeater on a nearby supply crate. "Kex, this is yours again. Keep it primed." He pulled the hauler around him. "As are these. See if you can find anything useful in this pile." Kex seemed to perk up at the prospect of having more equipment to work on and barter. They saluted each other, and Kelborn and Jaq started deeper into the camp. "You coming with me to see Mandalore?" he asked Jaq.

"Nah, I gotta find Silas," said Jaq. "He'll want to hear my version."

"Are you going to tell him everything?" asked Kelborn.

"There are a couple of things I might omit. Are you?"

"Mandalore's only interested in mission-specific details. I doubt he'll want to hear about a walk in the woods."

Jaq smiled, half-relieved. "Well then, Kelborn, it was a pleasure working with you." He extended his hand.

"Likewise," said Kelborn, copying the motion and giving his ally a firm handshake. "It was a good hunt."

As Kelborn walked away, Jaq remembered one other detail. "Don't forget to tell him about the button," he said, referring to the permacrete detonator they set off on their way back.

"How could I forget?" replied Kelborn. "I never thought those damn bomas would stop coming," he added quietly.

Jaq heard the Mandalorian mumbling something, smirked, then started heading deeper into the camp. I think I just made a friend.

"It would certainly seem like it."

Jaq was startled slightly by the deep voice coming from behind him. Turning quickly, he came face-to-face with Silas Carver. Staring into the amber-stained eyes of the black-robed man and coming down from a small burst of adrenaline, Jaq felt old instincts trying to kick back in again. For about a second and a half, he actually had to resist the urge to kneel. What the hell was that about? I haven't done anything like that since..

"Jaq," said Silas with a faint smile. "You look like you just swallowed a live gizka."

Jaq took one more deep breath to calm himself. "How did you sneak up on me like that?"

"I have been practicing," answered Silas, "and you were not paying attention."

"Oh."

Silas' brows furrowed slightly at his pilot's clipped response. "So tell me: how did you spend the last few days?"

Jaq gave Silas a wide half-grin. "I've kept myself busy. Picked up a few new tricks, added to my body count. And I learned a few things about the guy who tried to shoot us down."

Silas' stance straightened, and his arms crossed. "I am all ears."

As Jaq relayed the various details of the assault on the infiltrators' camps, he found himself distracted by what he almost did. He hadn't knelt or shown anyone that much respect for a long time; he thought he had purged that part of him from his system. That didn't mean he didn't think Silas deserve respect, but still…kneeling? Granted, their dynamic had changed somewhat ever since Silas had started training him, and Jaq had pledged to follow him "to Hell and back." Even so, Jaq was still surprised at how easily he seemed to have fallen into the role of an apprentice; despite his seemingly dismissive attitude towards receiving advice or criticism from Silas, he really had taken everything the man told him to heart. So, does he own me like he owns Visas? Will he want me to start calling him "Lord" or "Master" soon? Can I even do that? The idea of being openly subservient didn't really sit well with him.

"Jaq!" Silas pulled him out of his thoughts. Jaq didn't realized he'd stopped talking. "You are distracted. Something wrong?"

Nah; I don't need to bow to him; just gotta stay on his good side. Besides, if I do it once, he might actually enjoy it and want me to do it more often. I better end this conversation before I say something I'm going to regret. "No, I'm fine. Just a little worn out from the trip. These Mandalorians think any patch of dirt that's even remotely flat is a good place to sleep."

Unfortunately, Jaq underestimated Silas' ability to read him. That was a good try, Jaq, thought Silas. He kept his face neutral to avoid being read himself. Well improvised. But why bother? I thought we were beyond this. Out of respect, he decided not to probe his student's mind for the truth. I should call you on it, but I will not..this time. "Well then; why don't you take the next few hours and get some rest. The Mandalorians have provided us with an impromptu barracks." He pointed over his shoulder. "That way."

Jaq tried to exaggerate his fatigue a little. "That's the best idea I've heard in 30 hours." He gave Silas a two-fingered salute as he walked past, and Silas gave him a slight nod in return.

Carver continued to watch the once-Scoundrel heading into the distance, and his eyes narrowed slightly. This better not become a habit again, Jaq. You know what I can do when I want the truth.

Several minutes later, Silas was heading past the perimeter checkpoint when he ran into Bao-Dur and a blue-armored Mandalorian Silas recognized from his height to be Davrel. He came with the Mandalorian. Hm.

"General," said Bao-Dur. "Where are you headed?"

"I am heading back to the Hawk," Silas answered. "I see Kreia did not come with you."

"Nope, she stayed behind. Actually, she offered to give Mira a few lightsaber lessons."

Silas' eyebrow spiked at hearing the comment. "Kreia? Volunteered lessons? For Mira? Are you certain?"

Bao-Dur smiled. "I believe her exact words were, 'If another child is going to start swinging a lightsaber, she should at least learn the proper basics.'

That did sound like Kreia, though Silas still had trouble believing it. He looked over at Davrel. "And I assume you will be looking for Brianna." The Mandalorian nodded. "The last time I saw her, she was headed off to the Battle Circle with Kelborn. If you are lucky, you might be able to catch the end of the fight." He turned back to Bao-Dur. "The Mandalorian you are looking for goes by the name Zuka. You may have to do some searching to find him."

"Right," said Bao-Dur.

Silas could tell the Iridonian was a little uneasy about setting foot in the Mandalorian camp. As he walked past Bao-Dur, Carver stopped him for a second. "Thank you for doing this, my friend," he said quietly, then headed down the jungle trail.

Moving at his own pace, Silas was able to navigate the overgrown jungle path and reach the Ebon Hawk in about half the time it took him to navigate the trail the first time. As soon as the ship entered his view, he began scrutinizing it. Even from a distance, it was easy to tell the ship in his possession was far from a luxury yacht, but at least it wasn't smoking like it was the last time he saw her. Carver squinted when he saw movement on top of the ship and smiled; T3 was making repairs to the dorsal turret. The little droid always liked to make himself useful, and like the ship Silas found him with, T3 was well-worn and reliable, if not a little temperamental and unpredictable. The utility droid noticed his approach and whistled a greeting; Silas returned it with a nod. As he neared the boarding ramp, it descended, revealing Mira looking back at him.

"What do you know; she was right," said Mira. Silas gave her a raised eyebrow. "Kreia," she continued. "She said you'd show up right about now."

"Did she?" Silas asked, walking up the ramp. "Well, where is Kreia?"

"How would I know?" Mira asked as Silas walked past her. He stopped and gave her a backwards glance.

"What do you mean?"

Mira caught the surprise in his voice. "You were expecting her to be here?"

Silas turned to face her. "Bao-Dur said she had remained behind to give you lightsaber instructions. When did she leave?"

"She left with Bao-Dur; said you'd give me some pointers when you showed up."

Carver was silent for several seconds, then he closed his eyes and growled softly. Inwardly however, his ire flared. Kreia had slipped away again. "Visas has not yet returned, has she?" he asked in a cool, calm tone.

"Nope," replied Mira. "Sorry."

Carver growled again. With Visas still gone, there would be no way to find Kreia until she was ready to be found. He let out a long, calming sigh; there was nothing he could do about Kreia at this moment. "Very well," he said, finally opening his eyes. "Go retrieve your lightsaber, Mira. I shall give you your first lesson in one-on-one combat."

"All right," said Mira cautiously. She watched him turn and walk away, but kept him in her sight as long as possible as she had turned around herself. While she didn't know Silas as well as the others did, she had spent enough time reading people for her to pick up their more subtle cues. Mira hadn't missed Silas' burst of anger, and for a minute, she considered him a real danger. Even as she saw him calm down, she remained somewhat nervous; it was rare for someone to switch emotions so quickly and easily. A part of her wanted to wait a while, a good while, before crossing blades with Silas, but the look on his face said Silas was ready now. With a short hum, she hoped he could keep his cool long enough to actually teach her something.

Silas was thinking the same thing as he stood, cross-armed, in the middle of the clearing. His anger had diminished to mild frustration, but the causes of his frustration were still very prevalent in his mind. Visas was missing, Kreia was gone, Jaq was actively hiding things from him again, Brianna was still clinging to her past, and HK…HK was proving to be as big a threat to this mission as he was an asset. Silas pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head slowly. Having to deal with so many personalities; he felt like he really was a General again, only this time the group he was commanding was not wholly committed to a singular goal.

"Credit for your thoughts?" came Mira's voice from behind him.

Silas looked back at her for a moment. "Progress seems to have slowed," he said, turning around and fixing his gaze straight at her brown eyes. "I guess I was expecting more definitive results."

Mira barely had a clue as to what Silas was talking about, but it was enough for her to respond. "Maybe you just need to give it more time. Most stuff doesn't happen overnight, y'know."

"Hm," said Silas with a half-grin. "Perhaps." His expression became more serious. "Right; time to get started. Let me see the lightsaber you have constructed."

Mira smiled and reached for her weapon. The first thing Silas noticed was the hilt's shape.

"A curved hilt," he said. "What inspired that?"

"Take a closer look," Mira replied, handing Silas the lightsaber.

The hilt was over 1.5 times larger and longer than necessary, even for a curved blade. The base of the hilt was flattened out and contoured, and judging by the difficulty carver had gripping it, it was designed for Mira's hand. As he moved up the hilt, Silas noticed something he couldn't figure out: a second aperture. It was slightly smaller than the one above it and inset several centimeters. "Does this weapon emit two blades?"

"Nope," said Mira with a grin. She took a step to the side. "Squeeze your index and middle fingers."

Silas gave her a raised eyebrow, held the weapon out, and flexed his fingers. For a moment, he thought he was aiming a…a burst of plasma shot out from the second aperture, taking Silas completely by surprise. "You integrated a blaster with your lightsaber?"

"Not quite. More like wound it around the lightsaber. Bao-Dur and I spent most of last night taking apart a Republic pistol and molding and forming the pieces around the original hilt."

"I can see why it took so long to do, but why?"

Mira scoffed. "I'm the best shot in this whole group. No way I'm going to let myself get rusty."

Silas smiled. "I should have seen that answer coming. And to activate the lightsaber?"

"There's a switch by your thumb."

Silas found the switch and flicked it; an orange blade sprang from the main aperture. "I do not recall having an orange crystal."

"We found a damaged lightsaber in one of the wrecks we searched. The focusing crystal was intact, so we decided to permanently borrow it."

"Hm. Well, normally I would prefer to give you the basics on a standard lightsaber," said Silas, handing Mira her weapon and stepping back several meters, "but unfortunately, we are pressed for time, so you will learn the basics as we go." Silas slung his right arm out to his side and activated the pressure switches between his fingers, activating the cradle's catapult and firing lightsaber into his hand; with a flick of his wrist, the crimson blade erupted from the hilt. Silas swung his blade back, holding it in a two-handed grip over his left shoulder. "Now Mira, the combat form I am going to teach you is Makashi, a style best suited for dueling against others using lightsabers. Now, mirror my stance." He stepped forward with his right foot and held his right arm almost parallel with the leg with the blade in line with his arm. His left arm was bent slightly and held just out of view. "You will understand why I hold my left arm like this in later lessons."

Without a reply, Mira slid into the stance.

"Good," said Silas. "Now, the style of Makashi I am going to teach you will play to your strengths. Instead of powering through an opponent's defenses, you are going to learn to work around them." He paused. "Hold up your saber." Mira brought her blade parallel to the ground, and Silas took several steps forward, stopping centimeters from the tip of Mira's saber. "Try and keep your opponents this far from you until you are ready to attack. Your blade is an extension of your arm; use your opponent's momentum to swat away and redirect their attacks." Silas took several steps backward. "At this distance, a thrust will to be your preferred attack. When you see your opening, step in and strike."

"So you're saying I should poke the guy to death?" asked Mira

Silas smiled and held his blade horizontal. "The thrust is only an opening attack of a series of fluid movements, but it can prove essential. The right opening move can put your opponent on the defensive for the duration of the fight." He held up his blade. "Now come at me with the intent to kill."

Silas parried another one of Mira's attacks, sending her stumbling to his left. As he returned to a ready position again, his comlink went off.

"Silas, come in." It was Jaq.

"Go ahead, Jaq," Silas replied.

"Kelborn just told me Mandalore wants to see us. You might to get back here."

"Right. I will be there soon." Before he severed the link, he thought of something. "You have not seen or heard from Kreia, have you?"

"Nope." He almost sounded relieved.

"Fine. I'm on my way." Silas pocketed the comlink.

"I guess that means we're done for today?" asked Mira.

"I am," Silas answered, "but you are not. Keep practicing your footwork and saber control. You need to tighten your stance a little ." As he turned to leave, he paused for a moment. "If Visas or Kreia show up, contact me."

"Right," she acknowledged.

Before he started down the jungle path, Silas glanced over his shoulder one more time and saw Mira had already resumed her training. A half-smile appeared; Silas had to admit Mira was a quick learner. Three hours into their first session, Mira was already beginning to exhibit a decent amount of control over her weapon; at one point, she rolled around his blade and came within centimeters of elbowing him in the face. Even though he had seen the move coming, he was impressed that she could make such an opening for herself. And there were dozens of times when she could have brought him down with that blaster she had attached to her lightsaber.

Mira's lightsaber, he mused. It was an interesting weapon, to be sure and certainly not what he expected her to build. And yet, as impressed as he was with the weapon, he couldn't help but feel there was something inherently wrong about it. A blaster and a lightsaber…together; the weapons just seemed too different to blend.

"Just like the doctrines of the Sith and the Jedi," a familiar aged voice echoed in his head.

Kreia!

"And yet, is that not what you are trying to do?" Kreia continued, "Blend together the power of the Sith and the loyalty of the Jedi? Is such a thing even possible?"

For a time, I thought it was possible. But today, I felt the loyalty starting to slip.

"His loyalty to you is not the problem; it is his loyalty to himself that he questions."

What do you mean?

"Your echo affected him as it affected the beasts. The Sith assassin, the killer, awakened last night, and for a time, he lost himself.

Brianna and Mira said they felt it as well.

"Yes; a common occurrence for those linked through the Force."

Silas was silent for a moment. He knew of his ability to easily create Force bonds with others. It had been a poorly-kept secret in the Dantooine academy. As a padawan, he either had friends or rivals; there weren't many students who were merely felt indifference towards him. But why was he affected so extremely?

"You drilled into his mind, remember? Such an act is bound to leave its scars, and as I said before, he is more susceptible to influence than he believes, especially from someone he respects..

Hmm. I wonder: is this something I could do at will?

"Perhaps. But I would use caution. Jaq may be loyal, but I doubt he would appreciate being used as a puppet."

Silas felt Kreia's consciousness slipping away. Wait Kreia, where are you? You did not return with the others.

"I should think I am old enough to go where I please without permission or escort."

Fine, but where are you?

"I am where I need to be."

That is not what I asked you.

"It is what you need to know. I will return when my task is complete."

With that, Kreia was gone. Silas growled then exhaled; Kreia's habit of vanishing without explanation was getting old and problematic. He smiled; he could practically hear Jaq saying, "Just like her." Wait..Jaq. His smile darkened slightly.

Silas found Jaq waiting for him outside the Mandalorian command center. "Do you know what this is about?" he asked Jaq.

"Possibly booking our flight," said Jaq.

"Hm." Silas walked past Jaq, who followed him into the building. Inside, they found Mandalore leaning over a holomap table alongside a red-armored Mandalorian. They were tracing a path through a section of the Dxun jungle. When Silas decided they had reached a stopping point, he spoke up. "Mandalore."

The silver-armored Mandalorian looked back at them, then turned to the Mandalorian beside him. "Take five, Kelborn." The red Mandalorian saluted his leader and began walking towards the exit, giving Jaq a slight nod as he past. "You and your group have made quite a reputation around here. Your Echani warrior cleared the Battle Circle, the Iridonian helped get our long-range scanner online, your…droid made itself useful, and your exploits were equally impressive."

"I assume that means we have proven our worth," said Silas, crossing his arms.

"Heh," said Mandalore. "I guess you'll be able to handle yourselves all right. So here's how it's going to work: I'm leaving for Iziz on two days, 0900 Dxun time. If you're here, I'll take you to Onderon. If you're not here, I'm leaving without you."

"Is this how you always uphold your end of a bargain?" asked Jaq.

"Is this how you always say thank you?" replied Mandalore. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm pretty busy. If you can't show up when you're supposed to, then there's no reason for me to wait." Jaq growled softly.

"We will be here Mandalore," replied Silas, "but we were hoping to leave a little sooner."

"Sorry, but my shuttle, my time line," said Mandalore, " and it's leaving in two days. Now, if you'll excuse me gentlemen, I have another recon op to put together." With that, he turned and headed into the next room.

Jaq balled his fists slightly and looked over at Silas; the man's face was totally unreadable, as always. He turned to leave and was taking his second step when a strong hand clamped softly down on his shoulder. He froze, staring straight ahead.

"Find Kreia..," came Silas' calm voice from behind him. "Quietly." The hand disappeared, and Jaq resumed walking, a small grin slid over his face; he was going to enjoy this mission.

-1 day later-

Silas hated the rain; especially when he was caught outside in it. And being in the middle of the jungle, there was no point in breaking into a full run; he was going to get soaked no matter how fast he went. Sure, he could have used the Force to bolster his speed, but he just didn't care enough, so he settled for an exaggerated stride. I hope whatever Bao-Dur has to tell me is worth this. Twenty minutes earlier, the Iridonian had contacted him, asking to see him at the Ebon Hawk. Silas would have waited longer to go back to the ship, but he detected something odd in the tech's voice, so Silas decided it was better to not put this off.

Forty rain-soaked minutes later, Silas finally trudged up the Ebon Hawk's loading ramp. The first thing he did was throw back his hood and shuck the outer layer of his black robe. Bao-Dur wasn't in the immediate vicinity, so he went into the starboard crew quarters to hang up the drenched robe. Once that was done, he headed into the garage. "Bao-Dur?"

"I'm in here, General," came the Iridonian's voice from the engine room. Curious, there was something off about it.

Walking into the engine room, Silas found Bao-Dur sitting on the floor, slowly spinning and scrutinizing the hydrospanner in his hand. "What happened, Bao-Dur?" he asked.

"I don't know," Bao-Dur replied, still staring at the tool. "It was…weird."

"Weird? How?"

"The hydrospanner…" Bao-Dur looked up at Silas. "It…rolled."

Carver felt a tightening in his chest at the Iridonian's answer; he didn't like where this was going. "It is round, Bao-Dur. It will do that."

"That's not what I meant."

I know. "All right," said Silas, leaning against the door frame, trying to appear as calm as possible. "Start from the beginning."

Bao-Dur looked back at the spanner. "I had just finished working on the engines, and I was putting away my tools when my shoulder hit the toolbox. It fell and the hydrospanner rolled under the fuel line. I got down on the floor to get it, but it was just out of reach. I remember feeling frustrated, trying to get a few centimeters closer when suddenly it just…rolled…into my hand."

Inwardly, Silas was letting loose a long stream of curses. Fate and the Force seemed to be conspiring against him as of late. "Which hand?" he asked calmly.

"Does it matter?" Bao-Dur asked, looking up at him.

"Not really, but which one?"

"My real one."

"Hm."

"What was that? I mean was it the Force or something else or…?

Silas really didn't want to answer that question, not now. "It is possible. The Force binds all things, works though all things. It is by no stretch of the imagination that someone who is not trained in the Force could have a brief encounter with it."

"So you think it was just a one-time thing? I mean you haven't picked up any Force readings from me, have you?"

"It had not occurred to be to check, honestly." A flat lie. "But, if you like, I could test you now."

"Alright," said Bao-Dur with a nod.

"Bring your hydrospanner and come with me." Silas lead the Iridonian to the garage. "This is the place where you feel the most relaxed, right."

"Usually."

"Good. Now, sit down and get comfortable." Carver watched Bao-Dur lie back and prop himself against the wall. He rubbed the right side of his forehead absentmindedly and knelt down beside the Iridonian; he really wished he didn't have to do this now. "Alright; now close your eyes and concentrate on the moment you saw the hydrospanner move," he said, placing his hand against the side of Bao-Dur's head, his palm over his temple and his fingers between his head spikes. "Recall as much of it as you can; your feelings, your emotions, the various smells of the engine room, the sounds of the circulating fluids and gases; everything."

"I have it."

"Now concentrate harder." Carver could feel the touch of the Force within Bao-Dur; whether or not Bao-Dur could detect it himself Silas couldn't tell. "Picture the scene in your mind; make it as clear as possible." He was going to hate himself for doing this, but there was no going back now. "Do you see it? Can you feel it?"

"Yes," Bao-Dur said, almost breathlessly.

"Good. Enjoy it." Carver closed his eyes and slowly counted down from five in his head. As soon as he hit zero, Malvolis sent a powerful Force pulse unto the Iridonian's mind. Bao-Dur's body went rigid, his eyes snapped open for a few seconds, closed again, then his body went slack, sliding forward under its own weight. Carver caught the limp body and eased it to the floor. He immediately checked for vital signs; Bao-Dur was still alive; alive but unconscious. He propped the body back up against the wall and into what he hoped looked like a comfortable position. "I am sorry, old friend," he said placing the hydrospanner back in the tech's real hand. "But you are just not ready yet." He placed his hand on the Iridonian's forehead. "When you wake up, you will remember nothing of this. It will be like a dream, and you will not pursue it any further."

Carver got up and headed towards the starboard crew quarters; he had to leave immediately. Not because Bao-Dur might wake up at any moment, but because his stomach was threatening to turn on him if he remained any longer. He grabbed his still-dripping outer robe, slid it on, and without another look back, headed out into the rain. So much for loyalty..

-6 hours later-

What's this? thought Jaq, peering around a durasteel wall. It was only a hunch that had lead him to this part of the Mandalorian camp, but as usual, his gut feeling was right. In the distance he could make out a group of Mandalorians, including the silver-armored Mandalore, running preflight on the G-Wing shuttle in the small hangar. But Mandalore wasn't concerned with the shuttle at the moment; he was having a chat…with Kreia. Can't hear what they're saying from here, better get in closer. He activated the Eriadu Stealth Unit around his waist, shrouding himself in cloaking field, and carefully moved in for a closer look.

"…at Malachor V. And I remember how many Jedi died to stop us there."

Sounds like the old bat said something Mandalore didn't like hearing, thought Jaq.

"And no matter how many dead orbit that planet, the Mandalorians still live," continued Mandalore. "Clan Ordo still lives." He pointed to one of the Mandalorians behind him. "See Kex there; he was serving as muscle for the Hutts on Nar Shaddaa. Kelborn was a scout for Duros on frontier worlds. I brought them here; gave then a purpose. The galaxy will be ours again, I promise you. That is the future."

Not likely bucket head.

"Ah, the future," said Kreia. "It is constantly in motion, Mandalore. And even for one such as myself, it is difficult to see. Perhaps there will be no new age, no new Mandalorian crusade. Perhaps your people fought their last battle at Malachor V and have been dying ever since, a quiet death that will last centuries. And perhaps all that remains will be what I see before me: a man, wounded by a Jedi, encased in a Mandalorian shell, haunted by the thought of being the last of the Mandalorians."

"You've got some guts talking to me like that," said Mandalore. "You think your age or your Jedi whelp can keep you safe from me?"

"No, Mandalore, you are wrong. I hope that it is you who keeps him safe. You are loyal, and you have served many masters, even after they have abandoned you. Do you wonder where he wanders now, Mandalore? Why he gave you your orders, then abandoned you at the edge of the galaxy?"

What the hell is she talking about? thought Jaq.

"How do you know that?" asked Mandalore.

"I know many things," answered Kreia, "and I can answer the question that burns within your shell, Mandalore. But there is a price: you must keep the one I travel with safe. He is important to me, more important than anything. Show the same loyalty you have shown in the past. If there is a Mandalorian crusade, let it be for something that will carry your people's memory into the future, so when there are no more Mandalorians, at least their honor will remain. Silas has walked your same path, and I ask that when the end comes, that you remember that kinship, even if it seems there is nothing else left."

Damn, thought Jaq. I almost forgot how good she was. He saw Kreia turn around and take a step forward, but surprisingly, she stopped and turned back. Jaq used the opportunity to back away several meters. A couple of seconds later, she turned again and started heading in his direction. Jaq went motionless, not wanting to betray his location as Kreia walked past. When she was within a couple of meters of him, he thought he saw her turn her head slightly in his direction. Had she seen him? If so, she didn't acknowledge him further. Not that he expected her to; she rarely ever did. He looked back to see Mandalore headed towards him as well. Again he froze.

Fortunately, he managed to go unnoticed by the Mandalorian as he walked past. When Mandalore headed around the corner, Jaq got up and followed, still cloaked. He rounded the corner, and was beginning to feel safe…a burst of electricity surged up his left leg. Jaq shouted in pain and buckled as his leg gave out. The charge reached his stealth unit and shorted it out, dropping the cloaking field and revealing him to anyone who might be looking. Lying on his back, Jaq felt his leg go numb and cursed. He managed to roll over and get his good leg under him, and he was about to pull himself to his feet when he looked up. There was a Mandalorian Disintegrator aimed point-blank at his head.

"I'm going to give you to the count of three to tell me what the Hell you were doing spying on me," said a half-angry Mandalore. "1…"

Some of Jaq's leg muscles were still twitching from the electrical discharge. "I wasn't spying on you," he said through gritted teeth.

"That's not what I asked. 2…"

"Okay, okay! I was spying on the old woman, alright?"

Mandalore didn't lower his weapon. "Why?"

"Didn't matter."

"Huh. I see." Mandalore turned to leave. "You pull a stunt like that again, I won't give you another three seconds. Got it?"

Jaq growled. "Yeah."

"Good," said the Mandalorian. He started walking away. "By the way, your leg'll be dead for about half and hour. I suggest you sit tight until the numbness wears off."

After a few seconds, Jaq pulled himself up against the nearby wall and took out his comlink. "Silas, you copy?"

"Go ahead Jaq."

"I found her; she was talking to the Mandalore."

"Where is she now?"

"Don't know. I think she knew I was watching 'em. Probably told Mandalore. He hit me with something, and my leg went numb. I think he's headed in your direction."

"Fine. What were they talking about?"

Silas Carver was sitting on one of the cots staring at the opposite side of the room, hands clasped and elbows on his knees, when the shadow of Mandalore appeared on the floor.

"You've got a lot of nerve letting your little kath hound sniff around my base like that," said the Mandalorian. "He's lucky he's not dead."

Carver continued staring at the wall in front of him. "What were you doing with her?" he asked in a calm, quiet tone.

"That's not your business. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kick you back into the jungle."

"Because you have to honor our bargain."

"I don't have to do a damn thing."

Malvolis slowly turned his head to look at the armored man. "You will honor our deal, Mandalore, or I will bring Clan Ordo that much closer to extinction."

"You try anything," said Mandalore, his fingers twitching near the butt of his assault rifle hanging at his side, "and I'll kill you without a second thought."

A dark grin spreading over his face, Malvolis chucked softly. "Empty threats from a broken man."

Mandalore took a step forward. "What did you say?"

There was a faint explosion in the distance. Mandalore whipped around in the direction the sound had some from. Several seconds later, a gold-armored Mandalorian came running up.

"Mandalore! We have intruders," said the warrior. "Stealth targets have breached the perimeter! We've begun our counterattack."

Before Mandalore could respond, he heard the snap-hiss of a lightsaber. Turning he saw Carver standing and heading towards him. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Our common enemy is assaulting your base," replied Carver, walking past the silver Mandalorian. "We must deal with the invaders before we can continue this."

Watching the man who had just insulted him now walking away into a battle to defend his camp, Mandalore was speechless, until the other Mandalorian spoke up.

"Sir?"

Mandalore shook his head to clear it. "Right. Set up ambush sites near the comms center and the hangar, and what ever you do, don't let them near the armory!"

"Yes, sir!" said the Mandalorian with a salute. He turned and ran off.

Mandalore unclipped his assault rifle and started in the direction Carver had been heading in.

Silas was observing the battle near the main gate. The open field was full of combatants: Mandalorians, staff-wielding assassins, and scattered across the area, Carver easily spotted two lightsabers: one green, one orange. Kreia was battling against a quartet of assassins, and despite her age, she was faring pretty well. Mira was back-to-back-to with a red-armored Mandalorian. For a moment, they appeared to be surrounded, but the Mandalorian dropped to the ground, and Mira sent out a radial Force blast that send the group of assassins flying backwards. Two blue Mandalorians came charging in, beating down half the rising invaders while Mira and the red Mandalorian took care of the rest.

Brianna and HK must be engaged deeper in the camp, Carver thought. I doubt they would willingly miss this fight. A shimmering disturbance to his right caught attention. Glancing over, he spotted the silhouette of a stealthed assassin hugging the wall, trying to slip past him. Amateur. Carver took several steps forward, letting the Sith get behind him, but keeping him in view. As expected, the assassin came up directly behind him. He lifted his staff and prepared to attack. As the rod swung back, Carver activated his lightsaber, threw his arm over his shoulder and intercepted the blow. Instead of breaking the lock, the Sith pushed forward, trying to twist the lightsaber into Carver's back. "So unwise," said Malvolis, activating his second blade. He thrust the silver lightsaber over his shoulder and buried it into the assassin's faceplate. Malvolis deactivated both blades, and the Sith dropped to the ground. Instead of keeping the blades out, he reset the catapults for later.

"What kind of game are you playing, Carver?" came Mandalore's voice from behind him.

Carver turned to give him a backwards glance. "I do not have time for games, Mandalore."

"I'm usually good at reading people," said Mandalore, coming up to stand beside him. "But you…" He raised his rifle and fired a couple of shots at a distracted Sith, dropping him. That got the attention of at least ten others, who starting charging them.

"I pride myself on being a mystery," said Carver, stepping forward. He held up his hand, and lightning sprang from his fingers. The arcs connected with three of the assassins, who stopped dead in their tracks. Maintaining his Force lightning, Malvolis lifted the three men in the air and slammed them into the wall. The rest he sent flying back with two sweeps of his hands and an intense Force blast.

Mandalore took the opportunity to charge forward into the group of recovering Sith, using the rifle as a cudgel. He slammed the butt of the gun into the face of one assassin, then rammed the barrel into another one's neck.

Carver activated his red blade and charged himself. The first Sith he met tried to bring his rod down on his neck, but Carver knocked the staff away. Without pause, the Sith swung the other end around to hit him in the head, but Carver intercepted that attack as well. Twice more the Sith tried to get through Carver's defenses; their duel attracting the attention of another assassin. Carver swung his blade up and caught the first assassin's staff again, rotated his blade forward, and pulled it and his opponent's staff down. The other end came up, but before the Sith could launch an attack, Carver grabbed the rod, broke contact with his blade, and cleaved the assassin's head off.

In order to stop the second Sith's attack, Carver had to activate his second saber. With his first swing, Carver batted away the swinging rod; with his second, he powered forward, ignoring the swift blow to his side, and buried his red blade into the Sith's neck.

Then he felt it: a heavy blow against his collarbone. Spinning on his heel, he came face-to-face with a third Sith. His rage flared, and his left hand shot out. With a blast of the Force, Malvolis sent the assassin flying against the wall. As the Sith recovered, Malvolis hurled both his sabers; they buried themselves into the wall just centimeters from the sides of the assassin. Malvolis was in the Sith's face within a second, his left forearm wedged against the Sith's chest. "Let's see who you are." With his right hand, he ripped off the assassin's mask and stared into the man's brown eyes; they were full of terror. Malvolis smiled and latched onto the man's face with his right hand; the assassin's eyes visible through the spaces between his fingers. Concentrating, Malvolis unleashed his attack. Tendrils of red energy snaked from his arm, over his hand, down his fingers, and jumped onto the Sith's face. The man screamed in pain, though much of it was muffled by Malvolis' palm over his mouth. The first thing Malvolis felt was relief; the pain in his shoulder vanished followed soon by the ache in his side. The screams of the man in his grip changed in pitch several times as he entered new levels of suffering, and Malvolis was reveling every second of it. Even when his injuries were fully healed, he continued his assault; he didn't know how long he was taking nor did he care. The entire battlefield had shrunk down to just him and the dying man in front of him; nothing else mattered. The Sith's screams soon became a collection of gurgling noises then a breathless exhale. After one final slam against the wall, Malvolis let the Sith go and watched the body crumple to the ground. He turned around and saw Mandalore watching him in the middle of a pile of dead assassins.

"Done yet?" asked the Mandalorian. "There's still a few more to go."

Malvolis nodded, turned, and pulled out his sabers from the wall. Then he and Mandalore ran to the next area of combat.

It took nearly an hour for the Mandalorians to finally repulse the attack and send the scattered survivors retreating into the jungle. The final phase of the battle took place when Silas, his allies, and the Mandalorians encircled the main force of Sith near the Battle Circle. The noose tightened around the infiltrators with every assassin felled. There were a few who managed to slip past, but Mandalore was already dispatching teams to hunt them down. Silas and his crew were assisting in gathering the dead bodies onto cargo loaders; they would be taken far from the camp and left for the predators. All over the camp, everyone was recounting their own experience in battle and comparing scores. The average count for the Mandalorians was around eight each, except for Mandalore, who took down over a dozen. It was HK, though, who came out on top with a total of sixteen kills and seven assists. "Droid efficiency" he boasted, though once again, his plasma tank was empty.

Carver avoided the celebratory banter, preferring not to discuss his experience of battle. To anyone who asked him about his body count, he replied, "I was too busy fighting to keep track." It took him a few minutes to locate Jaq; with his leg numb, his student had been unable to engage the enemy for most of the first half of the battle, but from what he had heard from the Mandalorians, when he finally entered the fray, he more than made up for the time he missed. Carver couldn't help but smile; perhaps his efforts were paying off after all.

"Hey, Carver!" came a Mandalorian voice.

Silas turned around and spotted Mandalore heading towards him. He was flanked by Brianna, Mira, HK, and several other Mandalorians. "Mandalore," said Silas, returning the greeting.

"You and your crew fought well today."

"As did you and yours." Then he noticed it. "Where is Kreia?"

"She said she was going back to the Hawk to wait for Visas to return," said Brianna. "And she said you could trust her to be there when you return from Onderon."

"Yeah, right," retorted Jaq.

"While we're on the subject of Onderon," said Mandalore. "I realize I said I wouldn't be leaving until tomorrow, but since they decided to attack us first, there's no need for the recon missions. So if you're ready to leave now, we can."

"Are you sure you do not need to be here until things die down a little more?"

"What's left to die down? My men know what to do."

"Well then, if you are sure." Silas turned to Jaq. "Why don't you, HK, and Mira join one of the Mandalorian hunting parties; find out where these Sith came from."

"You want me to go on another nature walk?" asked Mira. "I could barely stand the first one."

"Come on; this one'll be fun," said Jaq, slinging his arm around. "You'll have me with you."

"I say again," said Mira, pushing Jaq's arm off with her finger, "Why am I going bushwhacking again?"

Silas grinned. "Would you prefer staying on the Hawk to watch Kreia and make sure she does not slip away again?"

"On second thought," said Mira, "I think I will take that walk."

"Good. And when you are not busy, you two can practice your saber work. And HK," said Silas, turning to the rust-colored droid, "I expect you to be on your best behavior."

"Resignation: Very well, Master; I understand. I shall obey the Mandalorian meatbags. Bemused addendum: To the best of my abilities."

"You are going to have fun," Silas told Jaq. "Brianna, care to join us down to the planet?"

The white-haired woman smiled and nodded.

"Well then," said Mandalore. "If you two are ready; we'll head out."

Several minutes later, the roar of the G-Wing shuttle's engines echoed throughout the Mandalorian camp, and the curved, black ship shot into the atmosphere.

The Iziz Spaceport was abnormally quiet for a major off-world transportation hub; as such, there were plenty of places to land.

"You better do most of the talking," said Mandalore, powering down the G-Wing's systems. "The Onderonians still get a little nervous when they see Mandalorians."

"I can't imagine why," said Brianna with a small smirk.

Mandalore lowered the loading ramp, and the trio exited the craft. As they left the hangar, the port authority holding a datapad approached them. "Can I have your names and ship ID?" he asked.

"Is that really necessary?" asked Silas.

"I'm afraid so," said the Onderonian. "Ever since General Vaklu set up that blockade in orbit, the queen has ordered that all ships that have been allowed to land must be recorded, searched, and their crew's names documented. Then there's a fee to rent a hangar in the spaceport."

"Right, because space is at a premium right now, is it not?" he asked, gesturing around at the half-empty spaceport.

"I'm sorry for the inconveniences, sir, but those are the regulations."

"How much is the fee to rent the hangar?"

"100 credits."

"How about I offer you 400 credits," said Silas, crossing his arms, "and you forget about our names and registration."

The Onderonian perked up and smiled. "Well then, welcome to Onderon, Mr. Antilles."

Silas waited for the port authority to finish forging their names and vehicle registration. He was then handed a small card.

"This is your Starport Visa. Keep a tight hold on it; it's the only way you can get back into the spaceport."

Taking the visa, Silas gave the man a smile, then he realized he was waiting for his bribe. "I already paid you," said Carver with a wave of his hand.

"You already paid me," repeated the port authority. "Enjoy your visit to Iziz, Mr. Antilles."

The trio left the man standing there in a cloudy daze. They crossed the starport checkpoint without any trouble and headed into the city. Little did they know that a civil war was about to erupt, and the trio was going to be caught in the middle of the two opposing factions.

to be continued..

Author's End Note: I am going to skip the events in the Merchant Quarter because I want to get the story going. I'll flashback to the important parts, but I want to move on.

One more thing: I know I could have written much on the actual Sith assault, but describing all the various ways Silas cut through the waves of weak enemies was getting kind of repetitive and boring. I promise to write more when the enemies get more cunning.