Chapter 2 (Chapter 11)
The spectres of the Ghost sat in the cockpit, while Aang and Bando sat in the nosegun. The ship was flying at lightspeed to Lothal for the pickup.
"Hey guys, would you mind leaving. I'd like to talk to Bando." Hera said.
"Sure." They all replied, then left the area.
"Bando. Come sit up here." Hera said, reaching over and patting the co-pilot seat. Bando hesitantly went up and sat.
"If you have a bad history with Mandalorians, I'd like to help you through it." Hera told him softly.
"Who in all the galaxy doesn't have one? They're savage, selfish beasts. They only care about power, they only care about being feared, and they only care about survival. They'd dare join the Empire to survive; that shows just how flawed they are in their ways. Contradicting their way of life just to survive." Bando hastely replied.
"Would that make Sabine a traitor?" Hera asked.
"Why did she decide to join?"
"To save her family, because of something she built. She did it to right her wrong; she didn't do it just to save herself."
"I can still sense some Mandalorian-ness -xenophobia- in her. It's still not adding up."
"Well she was a Mandalorian for a big portion of her life. It's hard for me to say if some of her past still haunts her. But she is what she is: a Mandalorian rebel."
"You can only be one or the other; you can't be both. They're complete opposites. You can take the person out of the Mandalorian, but you can't take the Mandalorian out of the person. There will always be some savageness in her."
"And what about you? Do you think you're any better? You used to be a sith, and we still accepted you. We accepted Sabine the same way; you should too. Show her the same acceptance we showed you."
"You can only hope for that; I said I'd tolerate her; be thankful for that." Bando said, going back down to the nose gun and into the common room. Just then, Kanan entered the cockpit and sat next to Hera.
"The dark side still lingers inhim, and he's still a teenager. What a nightmare." Kanan said, sarcastically.
"He's going to be so ticked off when he knows we have a Mandalorian army on our side." Hera replied.
"Oh boy."
"Alright everyone, we're exiting hyperspace." Hera announced to everyone in the cockpit. As they exited hyperspace, they did not expect what they saw. Star destroyers blown apart; some broken. They didn't see any attack commensing from the outside; this took curiosity to a new level. Especially for Bando.
"Is the Empire really that vulnerable without me?" Bando asked himself. The Ghost flew directly past the disabled star destroyers without any fire.
"Aang, is your device on?" Hera asked, now getting a little concerned.
"Uh. N-no." Aang replied, trying to make sense of what he was seeing, everyone else doing the same.
The Ghost was flying down through the clouds, and what they saw next was even more unexpected. Imperials versus imperials. Stormtroopers were going at it from all over against each other. Intense firepower was flying everyone. Everyone aboard the Ghost was now completely baffled. What was going on amongst the Empire? Hera then quickly swerved the Ghost upwards into the clouds again.
"What in the name of the force was that?" Ezra asked.
"We don't have time for this right now. We need to get those supplies, then we can figure this out." Hera said as she continued piloting the Ghost above the clouds. Ezra stepped up and peered out the window to look through clouds to tell if they were near town. It was only a matter of moments before they were. Hera swerved down into town.
"It's deserted. Where is everyone?" Ezra asked as the ship landed.
"Alright everybody, be on guard." Hera said as the crew headed to the cargo bay. Ezra, Kanan, and Aang readied their lightsabers. Bando decided to stay behind.
"You know what Aang? You should stay with Bando." Kanan said.
"Ah! Good call." Aang agreed, putting his lightsaber back on his belt.
The ramp lowered and they all pointed their blasters forward and Ezra and Kanan poised their lightsabers.
"There's no one here." Kanan said, probing the area with the force.
"Alright, let's move." Hera said, moving forward.
"Hera, where are the supplies supposed to be?" Ezra asked. Hera waved her hand over to where they were coordinated. They found the crates in an alley, abandoned. The crew was getting suspicious.
"Here they are. Everyone get a crate and let's go." Hera said.
Everyone grabbed a crate, then turned to push it back to the Ghost. But a single, wounded Imperial was leaning against the wall on the edge of the alley. "What are you doing here?" He asked, panting heavily.
"What?" Ezra asked, confused.
"Lothal is now a warzone. Ever since you captured Bando Roscoe, the tables have turned. Someone else is pulling the strings now. He's personally arrested every citizen here, and he's wiped out nearly every Imperial from the original division sent here. He caused the revolt you may have seen on your way down." The Imp said.
"Who is it?" Kanan asked.
"A demon. No imperial has seen anything like him before. He wears a cloak to hide his identity, but he has the power of legends. Pray you never encounter him. It will be your final battle." The officer said. He looked down, then up at them. "If you survive, you will need this." He handed them a chip.
"Why are you helping us?" Ezra asked.
"In time, you will know." The officer replied, staring deep into Ezra's eyes.
The crew huddled to briefly discuss their thoughts.
"This seems very convincing. The guy is wounded; he's definitely fought with the Empire." Sabine said.
"And what else can we do?" Kanan asked.
"I wasn't having any negative thoughts." Hera said.
"Maybe we could salvage some of the betrayed Imperials and, I don't know, they could join us?" Ezra suggested.
"Not a bad idea. Not really good, but not terrible." Kanan said.
"Well we better make a decision fast. We apparently don't want this new leader on our tails." Hera said.
"Ok well, after some careful considerations, we've decided-" Ezra stopped short at the sight he saw when he turned around. The officer had bled out, collapsed, and died on the spot.
"Woah." Zeb exclaimed quietly.
"He was involved in the revolt." Hera said. "Well, we shouldn't wait here to get caught."
"Agreed." Kanan agreed.
The crew pushed the crates all the way onboard the Ghost, then before Hera got to the cockpit, Ezra spoke up. "Wait, Hera." He called, "I think we should check things out."
"Out there?" Hera asked, reluctance radiating from her downward expression.
"Yeah. I need to know how serious this is." Ezra said.
Hera knew how much Ezra cared for Lothal, but she knew that he knew very well how much she cared for everyone's safety, so she was inclined to say, "Ezra. It's too dangerous out there."
"Oh come on, what's the worst that could happen? There are only stormtroopers out there." Ezra pointed out. Hera gave this a quick thought, then agreed hesitantly.
"Bando! Aang!" Hera called out. Seconds later, they were present.
"We're going out there. You guys want a say in this?" Hera asked.
"I'll stay behind on this one. If anything was to happen to you guys, we'll need one Jedi alive." Aang said.
"There are only stormtroopers out there, Aang." Hera replied.
"As far as we saw." Ezra added.
"Okay. Bando?"
"Some of my troops are out there. I too need to know what's really going on." Bando replied, a slight hint of aggravation in his tone.
"Guys." Kanan said before getting everyone's attention. "I just got an idea."
Red lasers filled the gray, cloudy skies; dead bodies continued to populate the dark grassy grounds. Two teams of stormtroopers, Imperial officers and commanders, were firing at each other. Each side was constantly getting refueled with reinforcements and some thought the battle seemed like it was never going to end.
"This is the last of our reinforcements, let's make them count!" An officer shouted over the blaster fire. And just then, everything froze as they heard a loud crack-boom. Just then, Bando was flown into the air, towards the civil war. He landed in between the line, forming a small crater in the ground. Everyone stood at alert at his presence.
"M-My Lord. How did you escape the rebels?" An officer Bando was familiar with asked.
"It was simple. They were weak; but, not dead." Bando proclaimed. "Now. What is GOING ON HERE?!" He shouted with fake fury, but it seemed real enough to the Imperials.
"A new division of Imperials arrived, and they're bent on destroying us for failing on keeping you from the rebels." The officer replied.
"Well, I would request a meeting with your new leader. But first..." Then the Ghost crew jumped down to the ground from above and landed next to Bando. Bando turned to his officer and said, "We'll wipe out this new faction. Phoenix Squadron will help if there's any hope of your survival." The officer was speechless.
"Um. Y-yes... sir."
"Well then, as you were." Then the Ghost crew readied their weapons and charged forward at the new Imperials.
The blaster fire began again. Bando stood back with his Imperials and deflected the shots that went his way. Ezra and Zeb started running through and knocking out troopers with their weapons. Aang suddenly felt a rush of adrenaline and rushed forward, slicing troopers' bodies, Sabine started throwing detonators in places where no other rebel was. They were seemingly winning, but it only was beginning.
Everyone heard the prominent 'whir' of TIE Fighters and the Ghost crew were suddenly fired down upon. The Jedi and Bando used their lightsabers to deflect the TIE fire and their blasters to occupy the stormtroopers.
"Aang!" Ezra called. "Let's try out that new trick we learned." Aang grinned. He and Ezra grabbed wrists, then spun each other around, taking care of any stormtroopers around them, then Aang used all his might to throw Ezra up into the air, and at that moment, he sliced through the middle of a TIE, making it crash down into the rogue group of Imperials.
Just as the scores were beginning to un-even out, the rogues stopped, then so did the other group. The newbies made a path for their new leader. He was just as the now-dead officer described to the Ghost crew. A cloak covered all except his arms. His face was covered with his hood; the cloak was dark, almost so dark that he was camouflaged into the sky. He stopped a few yards away from Bando.
"You're the traitor I've heard about that's been killing off all my men, I presume?" Bando asked. The cloak stood silent.
"You're the traitor that's joined with the rebellion to help kill off all my men, I presume?" The stranger asked. Bando turned his head slightly, confused. "To move things along: you know we're not so different, don't you?"
"Who are you?" Bando asked.
"You know who I am." He replied.
"How should I?" Bando asked, seriously. The stranger raised his head in curiosity. "I've never seen the likes of you."
The stranger stretched his arms out to the side, his hands glowing red. Suddenly, everything around Bando started decimating. He and the stranger were floating in a dark atmosphere. Sparks were flying out under them, as if they were above a volcano. The sparks disappeared as they descended down until they reached an underground lair, where they saw several cloaked people around a grave. The grave looked aged. It was covered in spider webs and was eroded. The cloaked people were speaking a native tongue which Bando recognized as an ancient sith language, but it was severely outdated. Then, their hands were glowing green, and so did the grave. Well, it was glowing from the inside. Then it all faded, and one of them spoke English. "Rise, ancient master of the sith. The time for your awakening has come. Rise, and take vengeance."
"What is this?" Bando asked.
"Your origin." The stranger answered.
"I'm a reincarnation of whoever is lying there?" Bando asked, pointing to the grave with his thumb.
"Oh no. But he, is what kept you alive." The stranger said.
"What are you talking about? And how do you know this?" Bando asked, now getting concerned.
Everything decimated again, and they were back in the present.
"I know because..." The stranger removed his cloak and revealed himself, "I am you." He was the spitting image of Bando, only less Imperial looking. He didn't have a cape, boots, or gloves. His outfit was similar to Bando's, only a little more sith/Jedi robe-like.
(See "Chapter 2 Picture" now.)
Bando knew he was telling the truth. His scanners in his helmet detected the same things observed in himself. The DNA was the same, the height, everything. He was, "A clone."
"Now you see it. Now, we get down to business." The Bando clone said, before he drew out his twin purple lightsabers. "Time to die, traitor."
"I couldn't agree with myself more." Bando replied, whipping out his lightsabers.
"This battle is between me and him! No one interfere!" The clone screeched, then the clones raised their lightsabers to their faces, the blades parallel with each other.
"For the Empire." The clone said.
"For my life." Bando said. They swung their lightsabers and struck blades a few times before accidentally falling off balance and stumbling away. Bando picked up his blaster, turned around and shot at his clone. The clone turned around and absorbed the shot with his hand. They charged at each other again and were caught in an extreme battle. As it was going on, Ezra closed his eyes and looked into the Bando clone. He didn't sense anything unusual about him, just a typical cold sith presence.
The battle went on for several moments, the same thing was playing over and over again. The clone was getting tired of it, so he decided to change things up a bit. He grabbed Bando and flew up into the sky with his boot jets. Meanwhile, back on the ground, the soldier battle raged on.
"And now there's that guy." Ezra mumbled.
The clones were flying around the area, punching, elbowing, and kicking each other. They were nearing some mountains when Bando managed to push the clone away and shoot a small missile into the mountain. Bando used the force to launch some crumbling boulders at the clone. The clone just ignited his lightsabers and cut the pieces that went his way. Bando then pulled his arm back, pulling any boulders that went behind him, back towards the clone, hitting his head and arms. The clone then flew towards Bando with his lightsabers pointing forward. He knew Bando would move out of the way with such an imposing move, so he also sneakily used the force to retaliate what Bando did, only Bando got hit fewer times.
The clone's hands started glowing again and several apparitions appeared, coming out of the clone's body. Bando started flying around trying to slice them all, to find them disappearing when he came near them. He looked around, and created a giant force-repulse, making all of them disappear. He looked around and didn't see the clone. Then it started raining.
"Oh perfect." Bando muttered. Just then, he sensed himself behind himself and swung himself around, force-pushing the clone away. Bando flew towards him speedily. He delivered a hard punch to the clone. Then the clone's hands started glowing again, and he disappeared. Bando recovered and straightened himself up. Panting, he looked around for the clone. He didn't want to give the chance of a surprise attack by staying in the same place, so he flew over to the broken mountain for a steady foundation. All of a sudden, the clone came from nowhere and punched Bando so hard, using the force to assist him, that Bando was flown off the mountain. He fell down, hitting some rocks on the way down. He started recovering and slowly started getting up. The clone flew down fast, stopped his boot jets and landed, using Bando's head to break his fall.
"You're so obtuse to your abilities. You're no match for me." The clone said, circling around Bando and stabbing through his shoulder. "If you hadn't been so naive, you wouldn't be a subject to so much of... this." The clone gestured to all of Bando. "Join the Empire again, and become more. Be a force-god."
Just then, Bando swiped his arm around, using the force to trip the clone. The clone's lightsaber unignited and its owner quickly got back up and saw Bando trying to get up. He ran up to kick him down, just to have Bando hold it in place, disabling the clone's moving. The storm advanced as lightning started hitting, and the thunder sounding. Bando looked up, fury emitting everywhere. Screaming, he used all the strenght he could muster to throw the clone into the mountain wall. He pulled up a small missile from his other arm and shot it into the clone. When the smoke cleared, he saw the clone on the ground, unconscious, but not dead. Bando was confused, scared, and furious. He knew he couldn't kill him with a lightsaber. His armor was too strong for that. Bando limped away, trying to fly off. Due to the fall, his boot jets barely worked. Bando just made it off the ground, then he steadily flew off to the Ghost crew.
Bando noticed his chest was bleeding. He held his hand there and compressed, keeping from letting too much blood leak out. He arrived back to the scene to find the Ghost flying above ground with all the rogue Imperials dead on the ground and his guys boarding the Ghost.
'What?' Bando thought as he started flying faster into the cargo bay. He stumbled, but landed on his back on the crates the Ghost crew salvaged earlier. Kanan sensed Bando's feelings and felt a little cold, then he sensed his condition. "Bando!" He called, all the Imperials suddenly seeing Bando. "Are you alright?"
"No! Not currently! I'm bleeding and severely wounded!" Bando answered harshly, getting up to fly himself to the medbay.
"Hey, let one of us help you." Kanan insisted.
"No. I know how to manage." Bando said, slowly calming down, to Kanan's relief.
Bando sat down in the medbay and grabbed the bandages. He locked the doors for his precedure.
Kanan sat down in the co-pilot's seat of the Ghost. "Where's Bando?" Hera asked.
"He's okay. So he says." Kanan replied.
" 'Is he injured?' is what I meant." Hera tried.
"Well, he's, kinda, bleeding out; he's taking care of himself. Says he knows how to manage it." Kanan answered.
"People are always lying when they say that, you know that right?" Hera asked.
"Yeah, but being a former Imperial, I bet he knows how to take care of himself." Kanan said.
"I don't. Take over." Hera said, getting up from the pilot's seat. Kanan scooched over and took control.
Hera tried opening the medbay, but it wouldn't open.
"Bando! You in there?" Hera asked loudly.
"Yes." Bando replied, annoyed.
"Please open the door." Hera insisted.
"You're not ready for this." Bando said.
"For what?" Hera asked.
"There are things about me I'd prefer you didn't know just yet." Bando said.
"Poor guy." Hera whispered.
- Time skip-
Bando exited the medbay. He had a bandage wrapped over his wound and under his robe. He leaned on the wall as he limped around. He just stopped and leaned on the wall, and started thinking.
'How do I learn of my abilities like he did? He's so much more advanced than me. Obtuse? Obtuse. Just how much power do I wield? As much as he does, perhaps. Whatever the case may be, I beat him. And if I can beat him then, I can do it again. And I can take anything that comes our way.'
Systems rebooting.
Testee unconscious.
Activating healing process.
"GRRGH!" The Bando clone shot upwards, swiping his hand around, throwing rocks forward. Then he realized no one was there. He grimaced under the helmet, 'Phoenix Squadron. I'm coming for you.'
