Chapter 13

Afishee Ita clutched his rifle close to his body and formed a rigid position on the crate he had been seated on, prepared to raise and fire it instantaneously as he heard clanking against the metal of the ship. He, being overzealously cautious as always, had been assigned to guard duty on the ship while landed on unexplored world; however even he hadn't expected to confront anything particular threatening or worrisome to arise over the course of the night. Now, it seemed some power in the universe was intent to stir his mostly uneventful night.

Jedi Commando came walking slowly into Ita's view. Fortunately for the Jedi-Clone, Ita was far from trigger happy, and was all too familiar with the intimidating figure his commander could cast down even without armor. Ita lowered his blaster and nodded, "Sir."

"Ita," Jedi replied as he stopped by his comrade's side, "I'm glad to see you're taking this seriously."

"With all due respect sir," Ita managed a sly grin, "No one else would."

"I guess you're right," Jedi let out a chuckle. He paused for a moment of silence before motioning to the crew quarters, "You can get some shut eye if you want. We'll all probably need some."

"It's alright," Ita shrugged, "It wouldn't be the first sleepless night I've had."

"Alright," Jedi pulled up a crate and sat on it next to Ita, "Two pairs of eyes are better than one."

"I'll take the company but I can't say I expected it."

"Neither did I," Jedi muttered then shrugged, "but hey, I couldn't sleep, went to do some target practice in the cargo hold, but Jason and Deliah were…engaged in there…so I just took my insomnia wandered here."

"Force-induced nightmares?" Ita guessed. Jedi looked at Ita incredulously, "Is it that obvious?"

"Why?"

"Jason guessed the same thing last night before we deployed," Jedi chuckled, "I guess I can't complain, it's good to know the squad melded enough to read minds without the Force."

"You're a Jedi-Clone, sir, and we've been fighting long enough together to know when one of us isn't right."

"I wouldn't have it any other way mate," Jedi thought pensively for a moment then admitted considerately, "I can't imagine fighting with anyone other than you Mando'ade idiots."

"As much as I've moved around, I can't either." Ita replied sincerely. Almost on cue he began to inspect his commander, searching for any sign of fatigue or mental lapses. If Jedi seemed anything less than one-hundred percent fit to lead then an uncontrollable variable emerged which Ita was none too keen to confront in a world of a million uncontrollable variables between life or death. Of course, he longed to come up without any conclusive evidence of failing; he would loathe serving under anyone other than Jedi. However now it seemed as if the squad of Mandalorian Rebels that he came to trust like family could catastrophically break apart.

Fortunately for Ita, his initial reaction proved utterly false. Even after nearly two full years of being in constant contact, Ita had never known his commander to sleep well, Jedi never did as long as he had demons to conquer. In addition, Ita never knew Jedi to turn away from an ally, and the life at risk was much more to him than just an ally.

"Did I pass your psyche eval?" Jedi mockingly inquired. Ita would definitely be the one to question the mental integrity of a commander if he felt a mission was at risk. It was something Jedi has longed for in his squad with a slicer. After all, Jason's fervent passion, regardless of their focus, and Sami's compassionate nature, and Jedi courageous zeal never really left much room for logic and Ita's caution had found itself a welcome home in Prudii Squad.

"Well if you can joke about it I'd say you're either completely fierfeking crazy or perfectly fine," Ita deduced then shrugged, "Take your pick."

"I like fierfeking crazy."

"I can't condone this sir."

"I just go with what feels right."

"So being crazy?"

"If I have to be," Jedi leaned back and crossed his arms as he seemed to ponder something. He experienced an unending wave of calamities in his battles against the forces of evil and he hadn't really had to betray his honor before. Of course, it had been tested, and Jedi had done a few unsavory acts, he had never gone as far to corrupt his soul. However, something within Jedi, perhaps a premonition from the Force, perturbed him enough to believe he could have landed on Tython a hero, and leave it a villain. Now, with the woman he loved stuck on a wild planet with a crazed maniac who could kill them all without a hint of remorse, Jedi wasn't entirely sure if he could keep himself from murdering his nemesis when he before had been merciful. After all, Davik Kyram wouldn't extend the same pleasantries that had been bestowed upon him.

If Jedi Commando executed Davik Kyram coldly then the entire universe would appear to favor Jedi. It would be one less Imperial capable of slaughtering scores of freedom fighters without breaking a sweat, the end of a dangerous nemesis, and probably would prolong the life expectancy of anyone in Prudii Squad. Yet Jedi would have his selfish motivations as well. If Davik was eliminated, then Jedi would have Sami's heart as well and the prospect of having a beautiful woman falling for him, and him alone was even enough to tempt the normally selfless Jedi Commando.

However, Jedi wasn't Davik. The two rivals, one Rebel, one Imperial, one heroic, the other devious, only shared Mandalorian heritage, which the latter polluted with Imperial tyranny. Jedi knew, he'd do a lot of things across the galaxy, but he could never do something for a wicked purpose. When he fought his way through an Imperial compound, leaving corpses in his wake, he failed to derive even the slightest pleasure in his achievement, he didn't want to kill, but he had to if he was to save lives. Saving lives, not ending lives, was Jedi goals. Davik's was the opposite. However, Jedi still had to wonder, if some unknown forces prevailed, could Jedi betray his morality?

"Care to share anything?" Ita jerked Jedi back to reality. Jedi shrugged nonchalantly.

"Not really," he replied, "It's just something doesn't feel right."

"We're on a forgotten planet with crazed natives and Imperials trying to kill us along with the Force swirling around everything, I don't think anything feels right."

"I guess it just feels like…" Jedi paused mid-sentence. A chill crept up his spine as he recognized how he would finish his sentence. He felt disturbed like this once before in his lifetime: during Order 66. When everything he believed in was betrayed and destroyed, when he was forced to kill his own brothers, his own blood. Jedi was never one to get particularly nervous and usually stared danger down with an unflinching courage, but to relive the betrayal of Order 66 would be nothing short of devastating. There was a reason that the only thing his current squad didn't know much of him was Order 66.

Jedi finally broke his silence after a long pause and coldly muttered, "…like Order 66."

"Oh…" It was all Ita could come out with. Jedi never, absolutely never, mentioned Order 66 and when that was brought up, Ita could be sure that something bad was destine to follow. Finally he shrugged.

"I guess we just have to be careful then."

"Wise move."

"Sir," Ita interjected, "Speaking of wisdom."

"Ita, I'm not that wise, I'm just a charming personality."

"Well it has to do with charming personalities."

"Then you've come to the right person."

"Well, are we going to kill Kyram this time? After all the osik he's subjected us to in the name of the Empire."

"Ita as much as I'd love to put two in his head," Jedi admitted. It was rather ironic Ita had inquired about what Jedi had so recently pondered. Jedi continued, "Unless its in battle its murder and then I'm no better than he is."

"Well, there is the whole never committing genocide thing and only killing people you have to instead of the ones you don't like."

"Killing him would be killing someone I don't like mate."

"I guess. It just seems, well, rather illogical, to spare the life of someone we know will try to kill us."

"I don't need to hear how stupid it is. I know that already."

"So why do you do it, besides the fact we're the good guys."

"Simple," Jedi stated, "when they fail an unforgiving master marks them as bastard. The bastards have more to fight than the bureaucrats. They'll take your hand when you offer it, forgiveness is a new concept for them.

"If you were older I'd call you a wise man," Ita chuckled then shrugged, "ah well, working with someone named Jedi Commando never gets boring."

"I aim to please."

"Apparently," Ita stood up and stretched himself out then announced, "Sir, it'll be morning soon, you better get ready if you want us to get off this rock."

"I probably should," Jedi stood up and shuffled on his feet for a moment. Ita just looked over his commander, Jedi still seemed bothered by present circumstances.

"Sir," Ita addressed Jedi, "We'll bring her back, trust me."

"If we don't all come back, you're fired."

Notes:

Mando'ade-Mandalorian

Osik-Crap

I still believe I might be the one to win an award for posting at the most sporadic times on this site -_-

Well that's that, I apologize since the last few chapters have been filler/auxiliary chapters recently, but don't worry I expect someone to get shot at next chapter ;)