"Jett!" Kadira barked into her comms, ducking her head instinctively as bolts whizzed by her, fired from above. Ducking wasn't going to save her hide if the sharpshooters stopped long enough to aim for a weak point in her armor, but instinct was instinct. "Where in haran is my cover fire?!" Kadira snapped, jerking off two shots into the rafters more in hopes of getting lucky than actually expecting to hit anything.

The fight to the armory was proving to be just as difficult as the team had expected, and was now made more challenging than their entry by the fact that the troopers' reinforcements had finally arrived. The halls behind them were being flooded with backup, and Kadira was extremely tired of feeling blasterbolts slam into her backplate. It had already cost her more than a few solid shots, and she couldn't afford to keep missing. Despite all the banter to the contrary, stormtroopers could be incredibly lethal when necessary, and if they managed to calm down and regroup, Kadira's whole team would be in trouble.

::Working on it!:: Jett's voice growled in reply and Kadira shut off her comms as she finally was forced to give ground, ducking into cover in order to avoid a new slew of fire aimed at her.

Kadira took the moment's respite to look at her HUD display informing her of the crew's position, letting out a low growl that she was glad the others couldn't hear as she took in Jett's position. He was nowhere near where he should have been, which explained why she was getting pummeled with fire.

Kadira switched her comms back on in an instant, ducking around the corner to fire off a few rounds as she took control of the situation.

"Black, move up in the formation and take Jett's place. Jett, drop back and cover Jay and Zarah, keep them from getting hit," there only the slightest hint of her frustration in her voice as she snapped off the order.

::Kad-:: Jett started to protest, but Kadira cut him off.

"Jett, you're too far back to keep up suppressing fire over me, which is why I'm getting my shebs kicked from those troopers in the rafters. So quit arguing and take your shab'la orders," Kadira snapped, her tone that of a commander and not a friend.

::Affirmative,:: Jett's voice was cold and businesslike this time around, but Kadira chose to ignore it. She would have plenty of time later to second-guess and kick herself for letting the rift between her and Jett grow deeper, but now was definitely not that time.

::In position, Sal, covering your six,:: Black's voice came over the comm as if Kadira's and Jett's argument had never happened, though Kadira was well aware that the team had heard every word. Right now she couldn't afford to care what they thought of the confrontation. She couldn't lose control of this team, or of Jett.

"Moving back into position," Kadira confirmed. "Everyone keep moving forward as quickly as you can."


Jett dropped back into Black's previous position as the man vacated it, gritting his teeth hard to keep from opening a private channel to Kadira and saying something he might regret later. Especially since he couldn't even pinpoint the cause of his anger towards her. Instead he swung his heavier rifle down from his shoulder, beginning to lay down suppressing fire in hopes of covering the only two of the group who lacked the heavy beskar'gam that the others wore. As frustrated as he was, Jett had to admit that Kadira's strategy was working well so far. Fire had been concentrated on her and Vhetin as they charged the front, the snipers in the rafter were kept busy by the rear guard, and Jay and Zarah were taking shots at the ground troopers who were unable to land any blows thanks to the armored men between them and their attackers.

Jett stumbled back a few steps as a bolt clipped his shoulder pad, throwing him off-balance for a moment. He recovered quickly and returned fire, gritting his teeth against the throbbing in his now bruised arm. He was definitely going to feel that one tomorrow. As well as the strategy worked, being a human shield was still less fun than the holovids made it seem.

Another bolt took him full in the chest and Jett cursed as he was thrown back, leaving him scrambling to regain his footing to no avail. He crashed into the wall, barely keeping himself upright as the trooper who had struck him switched weapons and charged forward brandishing a vibroblade. Stupid and reckless, but in this case quite possibly effective. Jett felt a surge of admiration for the trooper's ability to improvise, apparently realizing that his blaster was doing little good against the Mando armor. That was the problem with weapons intended to shoot fast instead of accurate. You couldn't hit osik.

Jett raised his rifle, aiming at the trooper as the man rushed forward. Jett's breathing slowed as his finger tightened on the trigger… and stayed still, frozen. In that instant, Jett found he couldn't tighten his finger any further, even as he watched the trooper charge with every intent of taking him down. He thought he heard Kadira shout something, though all he managed was a dim recognition that it was being shouted at him and not one of the others, since it seemed to contain his name. And yet his finger remained still, despite the instinct that screamed at him to pull it, to save his neck from the trooper that seemed to be moving in slow motion. His own breathing felt extremely loud in his own ears, echoing despite the fact he wore no helmet to cause the noise to bounce around.

He was going to die, he realized with sudden clarity as his finger relaxed on the trigger. He was going to die, cut down by one of his own, his brothers, because he couldn't pull the bloody trigger when he needed to the most.

A shot rang out, shattering the state he was in. Time came rushing back in at full speed as the trooper charging him was slammed aside by a bright flash of light, crumpling forward. Jett caught him out of instinct, staring into the black visor blankly. He could hear the trooper's labored breathing for a second before it hitched, faded, and then didn't resume. Still Jett didn't move, holding the dead trooper up as if entranced. He was jerked back to reality a second time when Black's heavy form crashed into him, throwing him into the wall and behind cover none-too-gently. Shots ricocheted off the walls, informing Jett just how well-timed Black's tackle had been. Jett slowly became aware of the shouting coming through his comms and he was suddenly unable to bear it. He dug the device out of his ear and threw it aside, gasping for breath as he leaned his head back against the wall. Blasterbolts continued to streak by, but none of them made impact as the team had taken cover.

Jett's awareness expanded to Black, who had a firm grip on his arm and was saying something. Jett focused on him, trying to make out his words, to get his brain to comprehend what had just occurred.

"What… How did that happen?" Jett managed finally, gesturing to the dead trooper he could still see behind Black. "Did I…?"

"No, di'kut!" Black snarled, though Jett knew it wasn't anger that drove his tone but fear and concern. "If Jay hadn't taken that shot you'd be face down on the shabla floor with a blade in your chest, you dikut'la shabuir! The haran were you doing, standing there?! You forget how to fire your fierfekking gun-"

Black stopped short, ducking his head as he listened to his comm. Jett was left out of the conversation, courtesy of him tossing the comm aside. Black nodded once, sharply, and Jett could only assume he'd turned off his vocoder while conversing with the team.

"We need to get our shebs moving, or we'll lose our window," Black growled finally, holding out a gloved hand to Jett. "We'll sort out what in haran that stunt back there was later. Let's get out of this osik'la hole before someone else pulls a dik'ut stunt like that."

Jett grasped the man's hand without anything more than a sharp nod of thanks, knowing that would have to be enough for now. Black simply grunted in response before handing Jett his comm back.


::Kad, your boy out here is falling to pieces,:: Black's voice came over the comm on a private channel, causing Kadira's eyes to flick down on her HUD for a brief moment.

"I saw, Black," Kadira confirmed. "We can't afford to fall apart right now. Pull him in closer to Zarah, she can cover his back and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

She wanted to ask how he was or better yet go charging back and see for herself, but she knew she couldn't afford either. They were close to the armory, and for now that had to remain the priority. She could check on Jett after they got out of here in one piece.

Kadira switched comm channels, opening up a private one to Zarah.

"Zarah, I need you to cover Jett," she ordered, knowing the arms' dealer would be able to switch roles without issue. It was more dangerous since she was without any sort of armor, but Kadira knew the Mirilian wouldn't balk at the role. Any other time, she wouldn't have asked, but Zarah understood the situation and answered immediately.

::Affirmative,:: Zarah's response was sharp and calm, something Kadira was grateful for.

Kadira switched back to the main comm channel. "Zarah is covering Jett. Black, return to your earlier position. Move, and move fast. We're out of time here."

She received affirmative counts from everyone, including a rather shaken sounding Jett. Kadira once more regretted not being able to cover him personally, but shoved the feeling aside. She could feel guilty later, when she wasn't waiting for a lucky shot to hit a weak spot in her now lighter armor.

As one, the team swung out of cover and began to move forward again at an increased rate. Seeming to realize that the team had regrouped, the troopers tried to push forward in hopes of stopping them, but pitted against a surprise tactic and the superior tech the Mandalorians had at their disposal, it wasn't much use. Each wave was repelled, if not with ease then at least with efficiency. It wasn't long before Kadira spotted the armory, thankfully woefully forgotten by the troopers in the initial chaos. If the facility had been fully staffed, or had even partially followed Imperial protocols, the Mandalorians would have just back themselves into a corner. Instead, Kadira was left grinning up at the disabled turrets as her team rushed by her, taking cover in order to secure their exit while Black rushed to the heavy doors.

"Your handiwork, I assume?" Kadira asked over her vocoder, settling in next to Jay and trading off with her fellow Corellian as they provided Black with enough cover to keep the troopers aiming at them, not the man placing the explosives.

"We figured we'd take out as much as we could. Though I wish I could say knocking out the armory turrets had been intentional, but it appears to have just been dumb luck," Jay admitted, snapping off a few shots before ducking back behind the built-in barricades in front of the armory.

Kadira chuckled. "Dumb luck has been my saving grace more than once," she confessed. "I've learned not to question it."

"It's about fierfekking time we got some," Jay agreed.

There was a lull in their conversation as both leaned out from cover, firing off more shots to keep the troopers from thinking too much about what Black was doing. Normally Kadira would have been impatient with the delay, but she was well aware that blowing an armory door like this one required a fair bit of firepower if Black's scans were anything to go off of. And since the last time she'd seen an armory wall blown apart it had been Jett placing the explosives and nearly getting them all killed, she didn't much feel like pestering the man.

::Breach charges secured, prep yourselves vode,:: Black called through comms. Vhetin and Thalia didn't hesitate, taking up positions on either side of the door in case there was a surprise waiting on the other side. Jett moved to crouch just to the side, facing the doors with his rifle on his shoulder, cheek pressed against the stock as he waited. Normally Vhetin would toss a charge in as soon as the doors blew, but they had decided against it, uncertain of the types of armaments the Imps might be carrying. Kadira didn't know of much that could be set off by a flashbang grenade, but with the way their luck had run she had decided that safer was better. Especially when a mistake could mean blowing them all up. A spectacular way to go, for sure, but not what Kadira was aiming for.

Kadira saw Jett take his place, noting the way the barrel of his rifle drifted back and forth. It wasn't a large motion, but Jett was a trained Commando and had proven to be a skilled sniper. The fact she could see his gun barrel drifting from a distance informed her just how shaken he was. Still she said nothing, simply giving Black a thumbs-up. If Jett was up for taking his position, she wasn't going to stop him. Especially since she could see Zarah carefully covering the clone's back.

::Charge is hot!:: Black warned, giving a quick countdown. Those of the team lacking armor covered their ears, while the rest simply waited, trusting their equipment to dampen the noise. As it was, Kadira simply heard a muffled boom, followed by a rush of smoke as the charges blew a hole in the door large enough for the team to scramble through. Kadira allowed herself a quick grin at the sight. Most charges wouldn't have even dented the reinforced door, but the charges Black had placed were yet another example of the many illegal items Kadira had come into contact with on her smuggling runs and picked up to be adapted for her own less-than-legal line of work. It was nice to see they actually worked.

"Alright, go, go!" Kadira called as Vhetin signaled the all-clear and Black fell back to the barricades to help Kadira lay down cover fire. The unarmored members of the team rushed through the newly made door to find their armor and weapons, grabbing extra ammunition and anything of use to the rest of the team. Vhetin took the task of running hooking up a detonation charge that would be activated from his HUD once the team had cleared the area. Much like scuttling a ship to keep the enemy from laying hands on it, Kadira mused. Except this time they were sinking the prison's own armory.


Erik waited silently in the shadows of his ship, having sat through the first wave of troopers to board his craft. Thankfully his ship had not been locked onto, meaning his escape was going to be that much easier and he would sustain less damage to his ship when fighting his way out. The large vessel had docked a temporary docking bay to his port, the design not meant to be used on hostile craft. First mistake.

The oversight gave Erik a boost of confidence as he slipped from the shadows and made his way back to the med bay as stealthily as he could afford. If they had been lazy in the docking procedure, it meant they were an overconfident bunch of shubuire. And if that was the case, his job was going to be that much simpler.

Erik silently dodged around one of the bulkhead doors and into the medbay, sweeping the room with his rifle before moving to check on the bay's single patient. Xander had yet to stir or rise out of his coma, and while Erik had almost no medical knowledge beyond basic combat procedures, he still knew that the man's prognosis couldn't be a good one. Still, Erik was relieved to see the man's vitals still held and that none of the boarders had made their way back this far yet. He had gambled correctly in assuming Katar was their priority then.

Erik grabbed a stash of supplies from a wall shelf nearby, sliding the syringes to the edge before pulling them forward to release the magnetic connection that kept the vials anchored to the shelf while in flight. He stashed the supplies in his flightsuit pocket, sliding two capped syringes into one of the straps of his gauntlets for easy access. He exited the bay as silently as he had entered, dropping to a low crouch and keeping his rifle raised to cover the hall as he sealed the bay behind him. The door slid shut with a near-silent hiss, followed by the even quieter sounds of the blast doors whispering shut as well. It was not the first time Erik was glad for the extra investment he'd made into the doors. The last thing he needed were the standard doors that might as well have been an alarm for all the noise the generated in closing. As it was, they did nothing to give away his location, leaving him free to take his ship back without fear of the enemy circling back behind him to take Xander. Those doors wouldn't open except with a direct order from him, and with reinforced beskar plating, the troopers wouldn't be able to slice through them. Of course that meant if Erik was killed in this little ambush of his that Xander was doomed as well, but it was a kinder fate than the Empire likely had planned for the Hunter if he was brought in.

Erik made one final sweep of the hall before dropping back into a crouch, making his way as quickly as he dared towards the entry port the other ship had docked to. He was running a risk, counting on the extra systems in the holding cells to keep the boarders occupied while he set up an ambush. He would prefer a more foolproof method, but currently none was available to him. He couldn't fight them all off at once, and there was no way he could block them from both Katar and Xander. But if Erik timed it just right, he could set an ambush for when the group retrieving Stazia returned. It was standard operating procedure to escort the main asset off-ship before trying to take any other compartment, meaning Erik had a window of time where they would all be in the same place at once. He couldn't storm them, as it would just bring more hostiles aboard his ship, but he could sure as haran make it too difficult for it to be worth their while to return for either the pilot or the wounded hunter.

Erik waited just around the last corner from the entry point, sliding his rangefinder down in order to scan the hall. He allowed himself a grim smile as his HUD updated with three targets. Two stood on either side of the entry point, while the third had his back to the very hall Erik had come down. Arrogant, indeed.

Erik kept his rangefinder down to monitor the three as he quietly slipped a small ball the size of his fist from one of his pockets, the flat bottom held in his palm as he plugged a small wire from the device into the port on his gauntlet designed for just such a purpose. The device took only a moment to connect before bringing up a command screen on Erik's gauntlet, allowing him to punch in a series of commands to the device. Each string of code caused a response, eliciting a small whirring sound from the piece that was barely audible over the sounds of the ship. When the task was accomplished, Erik carefully disconnected the wire from his gauntlet, rolling it back up and sliding it into the port on the piece. It retracted into the ball, locking into place with a quiet click. Erik then carefully placed the ball on the ground, flat side down. He punched in one last command to his gauntlet and the ball snapped into place on the metal floor, waiting for the signal that was now moved to Erik's HUD in his helmet.

Silently, Erik retreated down the hall to loop around to the other doorway, setting up an identical device there. He repeated the process once more, creating a distinct triangle if any of the troopers had been alert enough to notice the devices or the man placing them. None were.

Once all three were set, Erik rose and removed his pistol from his holster, opting for the shorter barrel and added maneuverability as he made his way through a back corridor towards the bridge. His ship wasn't large, but it had been built specifically to seem smaller than it actually was, allowing Erik to implement small back corridors and extra passages without making their existence obvious.

Erik grimaced as he hauled himself up and over one of the support struts that was bolted to the floor, the entire piece coming up just past his waist. Unfortunately for him, the design had required the passages to be tight and hard to maneuver, meaning he sometime had to dodge obstacles like the one he was dealing with now. Not to mention he rarely had a use for them, meaning they were covered in grime and dust. He was grateful for the sealed state of his suit. The worst thing now would be to sneeze and give away his position. Erik dropped down on the other side of the barrier as quietly as he could manage, shifting his grip on his pistol so he could hold it with his left hand as he cautiously worked one of the syringes he had slid into his gauntlet out, removing the cap and gripping it in his hand as he approached the exit to the corridor. It was covered with metal plating that had been designed to fit perfectly with the other scrap panels near the bridge of his ship, meaning there was no reason for anyone to be paying that exact panel any particular attention. Still, Erik was careful to use his rangefinder to check for enemy contacts. There was one trooper stationed in the hall about a foot away from Erik's exit point. He had expected someone to have been placed to guard the bridge, and he hadn't been disappointed. He was, however, incredibly lucky that the trooper was standing so close.

Erik waited patiently, propping his shoulder against one of the vertical support struts as he continuously cycled through the video feeds of the three devices he hand planted. Thus far none of them were showing a return of contacts, but Erik was patient nonetheless. It was only a matter of time. Five minutes later he was less sure. By the time ten had passed, Erik was grumbling inside the safety of his helmet. Not wanting to wait too much longer, Erik brought up a command display in his HUD, tapping into the controls for the holding cells. What he saw made him roll his eyes in dismay. What should have only slowed the stormtrooper slicer down had apparently brought the idiot to a standstill, as the logs showed numerous attempts to crack what Erik considered only mediocre coding. Erik quickly keyed in a series of commands with his HUD, setting the cells to open on the next attempt, no matter how botched that attempt might be.

Any other time, Erik would have taken advantage of the ineptitude of the troopers, but caution and years of experience held him back. He needed fewer numbers in the heart of his ship before he could hope to break away. A shootout now would just bring more troops to his ship, condemning not only himself but Xander as well. If he had to give up Katar in order to save the other hunter, it was a sacrifice he was willing to make.

A flash of green on his HUD drew him from his thoughts, signaling that the holding cells had been breached. Mumbling some insults at the ineptitude of troopers under his breath, Erik pushed off of the support strut, taking position back at the panel that would grant him access to the bridge. Less than a minute later one of the devices he had planted flashed in his HUD, alerting him that the boarding party had just passed its position. A moment later, the second and third devices confirmed the readings of the first. Erik didn't wait, activating a command in his HUD. An instant later the three devices he had planted began wailing alarms and flashing absurdly bright lights. Added to the distraction, they began firing as they retracted their magnetic locks, sliding around and spitting out blasterfire in all directions.

Erik could hear the shouts from the entry point even as he slammed his bodyweight into the paneling, sending it crashing outward into the unsuspecting trooper in the hall. The man crashed into the bulkheads but managed to twist sideways even as Erik drove the syringe downwards towards the weak point in the trooper's armor, directly at the neck. But the unexpected twist caught Erik by surprise, tossing his arm to the side and allowing the trooper to grip Erik's arm and slam it against the metal bulkheads. Erik shouted in pain even as his hand loosened. The trooper saw his opportunity and slammed his armored weight back into the attacking Mandalorian, forcing Erik to defend against the unbalanced and yet still efficient attack. Erik slammed his helmeted head forward into the trooper's, sending the man stumbling a step. Still, the trooper gripped Erik's hand that held the syringe, simultaneously twisting his own body so that Erik was unable to use the pistol gripped in his other hand. The trooper then focused his energy on the syringe, slamming Erik's fist into the bulkheads again and eliciting anther shout of pain as the trooper slammed his bodyweight into the maneuver, crushing Erik's fist between the trooper's armor and the metal bulkheads of the ship. Sharp pain shot through Erik's hand as the bones shattered under the force, forcing Erik to drop the syringe from his now-useless grip.

The trooper stepped away, sensing the threat was gone as he heard Erik's pistol clatter to the floor, turning to face the Mandalorian as he reached for his sidearm, having lost his rifle in the struggle. Erik surged forward, the second syringe gripped in his fist. The trooper didn't have time to dodge as Erik jammed the syringe downwards into the trooper's unguarded neck, slamming down the plunger. The trooper struggled for a moment, lashing out at Erik who easily sidestepped the dying blow, cradling his shattered hand as the trooper stumbled, then fell forward. He didn't rise again. Erik gingerly stepped over the dead man to pick up his fallen pistol, grimacing as he replaced it in his holster. Not the cleanest kill he'd ever made, nor the fastest, but it had done the job. Blasterfire would have drawn more attention than he'd been willing to risk, since the three devices he'd planted only had so much power. His fight with the guard hadn't taken up more than a minute or two, meaning the troopers probably wouldn't have been able to rally from the unexpected attack yet.

Erik gripped his shattered hand in his good one as he limped back to the bridge as quickly as he was able, immediately activating the blast shield doors that sealed off the cabin from any unwanted visitors. They closed with a crash, as they had not been updated the same way the doors on the med bay had been. Erik checked his HUD, smiling as he saw the devastation his three small drones had wrought. The troopers were in disarray, though not enough to have allowed Katar to be shot or even injured by the look of it. Pity. Erik quickly moved to his controls, typing in a series of commands that made use of the various traps and settings he had gone around the ship to activate. The Med bay and the pilot's cockpit were the only two places unaffected, thanks to the seals he had activated on both entrances. Erik glanced at his HUD once more, wincing as he saw the troopers begin to pull together. They had ushered Stazia through the connection port between the two ships to keep their prize safe and were now regrouping for a second assault, managing to take out one of his drones even as he watched.

Erik's eyes narrowed as he waited for the perfect opportunity. It came when the second of his drones was taken out and the third began to power down its blasters, its power banks depleted. Three troopers rushed forward, and Erik smiled.

"Not on my ship, shabuire," he growled, punching the button.

The halls lit up with a brilliant flash of light as fuses overloaded and sparks flew, catching the troopers off-guard. It was as if the ship itself began attacking them, especially when a series of hoses burst free of their housings, splattering the halls with a flammable substance that immediately caught fire. Panic spread through the ranks of the troopers as they fought to push back. One slammed his fist into the recall command of the docking port, gesturing the others backwards as he did so. Erik's smile widened as he heard the distinctive snap-hiss of the docking locks releasing their hold on his ship. Not waiting for the port to fully release, Erik slammed his control stick forward, bringing his ship's powerful engines up to full speed in a matter of moments. The port bay ripped free with a violent shudder, taking a chunk of his hull and the interior of the hall with it. The troopers still on board were immediately jettisoned as half the interior of his ship was instantly depressurized. The only areas left unaffected were the bridge and the medical bay where Xander was safely housed. Erik didn't allow the attacking ship time to react, instead slamming his fist into the control panel to activate the jump to hyperspace his navicomputer had been making all along. The ship gave a violent shake before slamming forward, disappearing into hyperspace.

Erik let out a slow breath and leaned forward over his controls, hands shaking as the adrenaline wore off. He glanced up a moment later, taking in the state of his ship through his HUD. His eyes immediately jumped to the medical bay, reading the normal pressure status and air levels with relief. He was cut off from the injured bounty hunter within thanks to the depressurized status of the rest of his ship, but his play had paid off in the end. All he had to do now was get back to Madai'yaim with a gaping hole in the portside hull of his ship, all the while hoping he didn't run into any more hostile contacts on his way. If so, there was no way he could outrun anyone, not with the damage his ship had taken in his escape. Thanks to his position, he was going to have to duck around a number of other systems before heading home in hopes of keeping the other ship off his tail log enough that he could limp back. He just had to hope that his luck held.


A/N: Thanks again for being so patient with me, all. I was hoping to finish up the story with this chapter, but I've ended up writing about triple what I normally have in a chapter, so figured I would break it up a bit. Thanks for sticking with me thus far!