Arthur: Welcome to another awesome chapter of…

Resist: *interrupting* Arthur's Love Life written by ResistTheEmpire and Darth Echo.

Echo: Sorry Arthur, but I agree with Resist. By the way, how is the poll looking?

Green: *counts up current votes* It is still pretty close and anyone's game. I'm pondering over a third option for you Arthur. If we are going to wreck your love life, you can never be too careful. The more options the more confused you'll be.

*Chuckles are heard throughout the room*

Resist: Now that the daily 'torment Arthur's love life jokes" are over *coughs to prepare for announcer voice*. Our young intrepid Younglings, who are secretly dating, start their next mission as undercover agents for the Jedi Council and the Republic. After a messy, but successful first mission, they set off to infiltrate the gang of their next criminal, Spar, also known as Mandalore the Resurrector. We join our Youngling couple as they are about to leave the Temple to start their journey….

Oni paused to take a deep breath in and out. The words about to escape her lips were slowly tearing her apart inside. Feeling calm washing over her, Kao glanced at the Youngling and gave a smile. It showed regret, joy, and fear. "Arthur, on Hoth, I discovered something that must remain between you and me. You're the only person I trust to keep this a secret," she said, waiting for acknowledgement. Arthur had already agreed to keep this between them, but she was so anxious that she needed to hear it one more time.

Arthur very slightly nodded his head, "I understand master" he said very quietly, loud enough for only his former master to hear. Oni sighed and let the robe hand loosely, her tense, white knuckles disappearing. "When Green went into the operating room…"

Meela stopped abruptly and stood tall and straight. Slowly, she turned around and gazed at the master and apprentice speaking. Many questions filled her head and she huffed. The thought that Arthur might reveal their secret disturbed her. Would Master Kao tell the Council? Was she going to be kicked out of the Jedi Order? Surely the woman was too kind to do such a thing, yet she always abided by the rules and would never let such a thing slide. Making a note of that, the gray-skinned Togruta locked her gaze upon the floor and continued her march back to the dorms.

Arthur was wide eyed and had to cover his mouth from blurting out something that he had just promised to keep quiet, "Do any of his men know? They would be devastated" mumbled Arthur, seeing Meela looking towards them, but then he saw her walk away out of the corner of his eye.

"I couldn't bare to tell them," Oni breathed out, also noticing the Togruta, "And I won't tell Green either. I fear he may never be able to focus in battle knowing this could happen should the GAR find out after his operation."

Arthur gave her a small smile, "Maybe the GAR won't find out? Plus, I'll be your Padawan again soon too" he said, trying to give her some comfort. Oni nodded, "The GAR is too focused on other matters to really look into it. And yes, you have shown a lot of promise in the past ten months. I am proud of you, Arthur." Arthur gave a small smile, before seeing Meela walking towards them from down the hall, "I think our time is up" he said, nodding with his head toward Meela. Kao's eyes widened a bit, "Are the two of you taking off now?"

The Jedi Master's face read calm, but on the inside, she was anxious, for Arthur was the only one she could trust and confide in with her knowledge. Arthur tried to read her emotions, but as usual he couldn't, and wondered why he still tried, since she was a master at hiding what she didn't want to be found. "The quicker we move on this guy the better. Master Kenobi isn't one to prolong things either. Besides, Green needs you more" he smiled at her.

Kao grinned, trying to keep her emotions in check. "If you're up for seeing him, he's at the clone medical facility next to the GAR barracks. I think he'd want to talk to you after not seeing you for so long."

Arthur gave her a quick nod, and then bowed taking his leave and walking over to Meela. Arthur noticed that she looked as though something was bothering her, "What's wrong?" he asked, wanting to help her as much as he could. "I came back because I wanted to walk with you," Meela said with a forced smile.

"Meela, what's on your mind?" he asked, walking at a slow pace. He wanted to take his master's advice and talk to her about their future, but wasn't sure if he should bring it up now. "Did you tell her?" the Togruta whispered in her native language, even though she knew Arthur couldn't speak nor understand it. But she really didn't want Oni to overhear her. Unbeknownst to Meela, Kao did speak Togruti and smiled upon hearing the Youngling's question before disappearing.

Arthur gave her a questioning look and shook his head playfully, "You are going to have to teach me Togruti so I can talk to you in your native language, but until then, try saying that again" he smiled at her.

Meela sighed and spun around to face him, rather close. "Did. You. Tell. Her?!" she "whispered", glaring at him. Arthur took a few steps back in response. Meela could be intimidating when she wanted to, "No I didn't. She already knew" he said, mumbling the last part. Meela raised a brow. "What do you mean 'she already knew'?"

Arthur had started to walk again causing Meela to walk with him, while scratched the back of his head, "Well we were talking about the last mission, and she just sort of brought it up. I didn't even mention it at all. Don't worry though Bookworm, she won't tell on us" he said with as much certainty he could muster, while whispering. Meela frowned, "She's a member of the Jedi Council! She's obliged to tell on us! What reason would she have for not saying anything?"

Arthur stopped, and lightly grabbed her arm, stopping her as well. He then took glance in both directions, "Do not tell anyone what I am about to tell you, not even Master Kao, cause I don't know if what she would do to me. Anyway, she won't tell because she and Commander Green are together" he said, looking everywhere but at Meela.

The Togruta's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "Like...married together?" she asked in a hushed and shocked voice. Arthur shook his head, "No, but close" he answered with a slight smile. Meela cocked a brow, "Engaged at least? It's been, like, three years. Jeez, Green, get your game together." Arthur nodded his head in response and started to walk again, "Do you feel better now?"

"Uh," the young woman dragged on, "Yes and no. The fact that a Council member has gotten away with breaking the rules somewhat comforts me and scares me at the same time. Ki-Adi Mundi is allowed to marry only because his species' low population rate, but unless the one trillion Talravinians in the galaxy start going extinct, I don't think Oni Kao has an excuse." The Togruta sighed, "And what excuse would we have?"

"We wouldn't" Arthur said, not wanting to lie to her at all, "But that wouldn't stop me from trying in the least" he said, showing he was committed to their relationship for the long haul. Meela nodded, "Okay, starting to feel slightly better. So why did Oni look so upset then if she approves Jedi relationships?"

"That's classified, I took an oath to that" he said, putting his right hand up. His fellow Youngling stopped him with her arm, "Arthur, I'm going to find out. No offense, but you're not very good at keeping secrets." She smirked and put her hands on her hips, trying to look as intimidating as always.

Arthur glance around for Master Kao, and when he didn't find her, he continued, "Something happened during Green's operation that could compromise his position in the GAR," he said, giving her a look that implied something else, "If you know what I mean."

Meela's eyes widened and she glanced over at where Master Kao had once been. "Oh," she muttered, "But...oh no. Is she okay? I mean, now I understand why she's so upset!"

"I honestly don't know, she always tries to hide her emotions, even from me," he then looked Meela in her eyes. Her blue eyes followed his green ones. They were as blue as Mia's, if not more. Arthur seemed to noticed that they sparkled a lot as well, and he was mesmerised by them. Meela laughed, "Let's wait until we're not in such a vulnerable area, Arthur." With that, she stepped away from him, a smile playing on her lips. "Your Master hides her emotions for a reason," she said teasingly.

Arthur narrowed his eyes at her, "Whatever. I just wish she wouldn't hide them from me as much as she does" he admitted to her. The Togruta nodded, "Hope my future master tells me everything that I need to know. I still wonder who it's going to be with the war going on." Arthur frowned at her mentioning her future master. Sure he was extremely proud, but their relationship would take a hit when they both set off for their respective masters.

"Ha," Meela chuckled, "Would be funny if I got Oni's cousin or something. Then we might see each other more often." She glanced at Arthur, hopeful. Arthur gave her a smile and a chuckle to what she said, but he still didn't look forward to asking her about their relationship when they both made Padawan. After smiling towards her, his frown from earlier came back.

"What's wrong?" the Togruta inquired calmly as a fellow Jedi walked past them. Arthur looked at her and didn't focus on anything else, "What happens to 'us' when we become padawans?" he asked her. Meela smirked, "Instead of being a Youngling couple, we'll be a Padawan couple. Kinda simple, Arthur." Arthur frowned even more, "No it's not simple. What happens when we are both galaxies apart for an extended period of time?" Arthur asked her seriously, he wanted to resolve this now, and not have what happened to him and Mia to happen to Meela and himself.

"Well, your master is stationed here on Coruscant," Meela started, "So hopefully whoever I get is stationed as well. Maybe Oni can help me get a master that is?" Arthur looked at her with hope in his eyes that that would happen, "I need to visit Green before we leave. He's in the hospital and I haven't seen him in a while. We could ask him to bring up the subject to her, or we could ask her ourselves before leaving" he said, giving her the option of what to do, but he did want to visit Green, even if she didn't want to bring up the subject to him.

"You two haven't seen each other in a while, it'll be good for both of you," Meela said, nodding, "And Oni's ears open widest to Green I'm sure." The young woman gave Arthur a warm smile and they both headed for an elevator. Perhaps a good train ride to the hospital will help them think of a plan for their little predicament.

(TIME SKIP)

The train ride to the hospital was coming to an end. Arthur sat and played with the ring that was connected to the necklace he wore. He felt that the necklace helped him stay in control with himself, and it also helped with bringing back the good memories he had of his parents, and also helped with suppressing the bad ones.

Meela, sitting next to Arthur, noticed this after sensing his emotions moving around. "Where'd you get that?" she continued, "I saw you playing with that during our last mission." Arthur stopped playing with the ring, and held it still between two fingers, allowing Meela to look, "It was my mother's ring and this…" he said gesturing toward the necklace, "was my father's."

The Togruta grinned, "Ah, family heirloom? They're beautiful." Arthur frowned slightly, "Not quite. They're reminders" he said, looking at the ring in his fingers. "Of what?" a small smile appeared on Meela's face, laced with concern. Arthur let out a soft sigh, "Of why I'm doing this," he said before pausing, "When I was nine, my parents were taken out to the street in front of our house and executed as a reminder to the whole town what happened if they stood and fought against the gang that runned the town" he said, not looking at Meela or the ring, he had closed his eyes, suppressing his emotions, though he couldn't suppress all of it.

His fellow Youngling wore a face of pure shock. "Oh, Arthur, I'm so sorry! Did you at least get to know your parents before they died? Oh, I can't imagine what that's like." Arthur nodded slightly, "I remember good times before they were taken from me. These," he said, gesturing toward the ring and necklace, "help me remember and help me deal with the pain"

"Did they know about your Force abilities?" the Togruta asked, placing a hand on Arthur's arm. She wanted to comfort him, with a past so distorted, he needed it. Glancing back at her partner in crime, Meela gave a warm and encouraging grin. Arthur looked in her direction, but didn't look at her face, he kept his gaze down, like he was looking at her feet, "I think they had an idea that I might have it. When I was little, they told me stories of the Jedi and Sith. I enjoyed their stories, and didn't realize the bigger meaning behind them till after I joined the Jedi" he said calmly.

"They'd be very proud of you, Arthur," Meela said, "Even though you've gone through ups and downs, you're still here and fighting for what they stood for. And I think that's all that matters right now, don't you think so?" Arthur sighed as the train came to a stop, "Yeah" he said, looking out the window, "Looks like our stop"

"What are you going to say to him?" Meela asked, looking out the window, "Are you going to tell him about...you know? Or does Oni want to keep it a secret from him, too?" Arthur nodded, still looking out the window, "I don't know what to say to him. I'm just gonna wing it and see what happens" he said, getting up from his seat, stretching out a hand to Meela.

She gladly took it and stood up, taking a deep breath. The young woman was not nervous, but knew she needed to be Arthur's rock in case this visit went south. With the knowledge Arthur has, trouble could spill.

Arthur made his way to the hospital and once in the lobby, made his way to the help desk and got the number of Green's room and headed in that direction. Arthur, with Meela right next to him, found the door to Green's room and took a deep breath before entering.

Immediately, the pungent smell of chemicals filled the air and the bright lights of the room blinded them. Green was snoring on his bed, the covers pulled up to his chest and two pillows underneath his head. A couple of take-out food boxes, empty of course, were sitting on the small table next to his bed. The food came from his and Oni's favorite restaurant, a signal that she had already been there to visit him before the Council meeting. The clone marshal stirred in his sleep at the sound of the two Younglings walking into the room but did not wake.

Arthur stopped and backpedaled slightly, having second thoughts, "Maybe another time?" he whispered to Meela. Arthur, agreeing with what Meela had said about him not good at keeping secrets when under pressure, started to get nervous about letting slip what Master Kao told him. But the Togruta grasped onto his arm, not too harshly, and pulled him closer to Green's bed. "Keep that secret locked up Arthur," she spoke quietly, "Green would benefit from seeing you if what Kao says is true."

Arthur sighed, and stepped closer to Green's bed, and cleared his throat to see if it would wake the marshal commander. He made sure not to be too close so that Green wouldn't kill him if he woke and was angry. Meela rolled her eyes impatiently and nudged Arthur, asking him to really wake up the commander. When he didn't, she muttered under her breath and gestured towards Green, threatening to wake him up herself.

"You two aren't good at being sneaky," the man suddenly said without opening his eyes, "ARCs are trained to wake up to anything, even someone walking in the door." Arthur smirked at the man's reply, "I'd still kick your butt, I had ARC training as well, if you recall" he said, remembering John giving him ARC training, but mostly he remembered the soreness afterward.

"Ha!" Green chuckled, opening his eyes and blinking from the light, "That's funny kid. Get cocky from a couple days of training...try ten years of it and come back all prideful, 'kay?" He looked around and spotted Meela, who looked somewhat distant. "Hey, kid. You were on the Gathering mission right? Get your master yet?"

The Togruta felt a little more comfortable and smiled, "Yes, sir, I was there. Unfortunately I haven't been assigned to a Master yet." The marshal nodded, "You'll both end up there soon, I'm sure." Arthur smiled slightly, "We'll see. All depends on if I return alive or in a body bag after this mission the Council is sending us on," he said, slightly laughing after he finished.

Green frowned, "What mission? General Kao said you'd be coming back to Coruscant after your last one. Who are you after this time?" Arthur looked away from Green, not wanting to see his reaction, "When we returned, the Council had someone that they wanted behind bars and we are going undercover to apprehend him. He goes by the name….Mandalore the Resurrector" Arthur said, slightly mumbling the last part.

The clone commander's face fell into masked rage. He took a deep breath and leaned back on his bed, his eyes gazing around the room. "They're sending you to capture a Jedi killer?" he inquired through gritted teeth. "He tried to kill Oni! And they're going to send two kids to apprehend him? What the fek is the Council thinking?"

"We aren't kids" Arthur defended, "Master Kenobi will be there with clone reinforcements, including Sgt. Smoke and some of his men," Arthur took a deep breath, "I need this to prove I can be a Padawan again. I don't like the idea of going undercover and joining a psycho's gang, but if that's what I need to do, then I have to" Arthur replied, wanting nothing more than to be by Master Kao's side again.

"I know," Green exhaled, "But after what that osik of a man almost did to General Kao, I wanted to be the one who pulls the trigger. I owe him that." Arthur's face turned into a frown, "You owe it to General Kao to get better" he retorted, "Meela and I got this, you need to get better. If something goes wrong, Obi-Wan is right behind us to pull a rescue" he reassured him.

"That's not very assuring," Green snorted, "And for the Oni thing, she looks worse than I do at the moment. Didn't think little ol' me getting beat up would shake her up this bad. Don't worry, kid, I already got the 'you need to get better' lecture from her a couple hours ago. I'll be fine, I've got one more surgery before I can start moving around again."

Arthur smiled, "Well rest up and may The Force be with you. I know you don't want to hear this, but if I don't make it, it's been a pleasure" Arthur said, giving him a salute, "Make sure to tell Oni the same" Arthur knew gangs were unpredictable and had an act at sniffing out undercovers, and knew anything could happen.

Green nodded crisply, "May the Force be with you, Arthur. Can't call you kid anymore, can I?" He sighed, "Now, go complete your mission and move up the ranks. I expect to see you on the battlefield when I get back." Arthur stood at attention, like a clone would, and gave a salute before turning to leave with Meela soon after. "Ready?" he asked her, putting a hand on her shoulder. She nodded before turning to the marshal. "Feel better, Commander," was all she said before turning to leave with her fellow Jedi Youngling.

Arthur followed Meela out of the room. Once he was out, he sighed, "That could have went worse. I still have all my limbs attached," he said, tapping his arms and moving his fingers around. The Togruta laughed and lightly punched his side, "And you don't have to go through ARC training for talking back, either." She smiled, but it soon faltered. "You don't think he suspects anything? He seemed pretty normal. Well, for Green."

Arthur shrugged his shoulders, "I'm not sure. Master Kao hasn't mentioned anything to anyone except to me of course, and what I told you, and I don't plan on telling anyone else, unless Master Kao is ok with it" he said, "That includes Green as well."

"She should tell him," Meela said, biting her lip, "Before it's too late. It might soften the blow coming from her." The young woman folded her arms across her chest and pondered in thought. "If I knew something like that, I'd think I would tell you so you're not caught unprepared." Arthur raised an eyebrow, but his face showed that he was grateful, "Uhhhh, thanks" he stumbled a bit, imaging himself and Meela in this predicament rather than Green and Master Kao.

"Oh," Meela realized what she had just said and began to blush, "I….I mean, well yeah I would tell you. Green and Oni never keep anything from each other, so why should we?" The Togruta's montrals turned a deeper shade and she pretended to cough, embarrassment flowing through her.

The two of them had reached their ship as they talked and Arthur, after seeing if anyone was nearby, pulled her in close, "You don't have to be embarrassed you know? I'd be lying if I said I've never thought about things like this involving us" he said, drawing circles on her back. Meela smirked at this and took a second look just in case someone was there. "What?" the girl started with a raised brow, "You getting stabbed and having me keep something important from you?" She snickered, "If you get back on the battlefield before the war is over, I'm sure we can arrange that." Meela rested her hands on Arthur's chest and looked into his eyes.

Arthur chuckled at what she said, "You're funny" he mumbled, before placing his forehead on hers, keeping his eyes focused on hers, "But you know what I mean" he mumbled, but loud enough for her to hear. "I know," Meela nodded lightly, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, "I've thought about these things, too. With a war going on, you always have to consider outcomes like this. I'm just upset that this had to happen to your Master and Commander Green."

"Yeah, I feel bad for them too" he said, keeping his eyes locked on hers, he loved having her in his arms and this close to him. He cherished these times, because he didn't know if this would be their last or if this would last forever. The Togruta exhaled in a controlled manner. She opened her eyes and blinked a few times. "How are you going to deal with Spar? He almost killed Green...and Master Kao." Meela wondered if Arthur would react the same way he had with Bartu when he almost killed him those many months ago. "I," Arthur paused, dragging out the word, thinking of the same thing, Meela just had, "I don't know really. I mostly play things by ear, especially with gangs and the like, because they are very unpredictable and usually throw a wrench into the most perfectly laid out plans when you least expect them to" Arthur answered, speaking from experience.

Giving a half smile, Meela sighed somewhat relieved. "I'll be there when we catch him, but maybe this will be an opportunity for you to show the Council that you have changed by bringing Spar in peacefully? Though, from what I've heard about this Mandalore the Resurrector, not much peace will be coming from his side of the fight." The Togruta couldn't resist a small chuckle at this. "Who knows? Maybe this will be the mission that gets you back with your Master. Hopefully, because without Green at her side, she really needs you."

Arthur couldn't resist any longer and closed the small gap between their lips, giving her a passionate kiss, though it was short. After breaking away, he looked her in her sparkling blue eyes, "I'm gonna need you there, when we get him and hopefully this mission gets you your own master as well" he mumbled, his heart beating faster.

Meela cupped Arthur's cheek and smiled brightly. "Your Master is very close with Kit Fisto," the Togruta laughed, "Maybe I'll get him. One can only hope." Arthur dropped his hands to her hips and pulled her closer to him, putting his head in the crook of her neck, and giving a slight chuckle, "Hopefully someone on Coursant," he said, "After being this close, I couldn't handle you being galaxies away" Arthur said, though it was slightly muffled.

"And I couldn't bare being far away from you," Meela said, wrapping her arms around Arthur's neck, pulling him in for a tight embrace. She nuzzled his cheek, "This war will be over soon and we'll be able to see each other more often." Arthur smiled slightly remember the last time he had his hands on her hips. To see Meela's reaction, he started to lightly draw circles again above her hips, "Whoever it is, I will support you the best I can" he said sincerely.

"That's all I ask for," Meela said, chuckling. She pulled away from Arthur slightly and pulled him in for a kiss. "But let me ask you one thing." It only took a second for him to return the kiss, still drawing circles above her hips, "And what is that mi'lady?" he asked, pulling away, but only slightly.

"It seemed like we came together during the Bartu mission," she paused, "But is that where your affection for me truly started? Or was I oblivious for a longer period of time?" The Togruta smirked as she waited for a response.

Arthur gulped, "To be honest," he started, pausing to find his words, which was harder than he thought, "I had eyes for Mia since I was eleven, but after everything that went on, you were the main person that kept me from giving up. You were my best friend, but I really noticed you, when" he paused again, fumbling with words, "...when I got back from training with Master Secura late at night, and you caught me in the morning" he said shakily, hoping his answer didn't get him stabbed with a lightsaber. He was on the virge of flinching, waiting for her reaction.

"Well, just so you know," Meela made sure he was looking in her eyes before she continued, "I noticed my feelings for you when we sparred. I had my eye on you before that, but, that was the day I realized how I felt about you." Arthur tilted his head, and gave her a nice, long and passionate kiss on her neck, before bringing his head back to look her in the eyes, "And how do you feel about me?" he asked her with a smile.

"Hmm," Meela narrowed her eyes and pretended to look apathetic, "I'll have to think on that for awhile." She chuckled and looked back at Arthur. Arthur raised a brow at her, "Really cause I know how I feel about you" he said, "I l-love you" he stumbled slightly, though he wished he hadn't stumbled on the most important word in that sentence.

Meela's eyes widened momentarily before she began to blush once more. *cough, que Han and Leia theme* The Togruta looked Arthur's face up and down before a genuine smile played on her lips. "You do?" she asked timidly, feeling a rush of emotions. Arthur looked Meela entirely up and down, "I-I do" he said, still stumbling on his words, all because of the person that was mere inches away from him.

The young woman smiled and pulled Arthur in for a kiss. Moving away after a few moments, she whispered back in his ear, "I love you, too, Arthur Perry." Arthur closed the distance again, pulling her in with his hands around her hips, not thinking of anything else. He began to draw circles again, but as he did so, his hands went slightly under the shirt Meela was wearing, causing him to flinch a little.

Meela didn't react at all and merely smiled at him. "C'mon, let's go find that di'kut and make your Master proud." Arthur stopped drawing the circles, but he didn't move his hands from under her shirt, "Do we have to?" he whispered, sounding disappointed. The Togruta sighed, "Unfortunately," she said, "We should get to work as soon as possible. Green doesn't have too much time left in that hospital. Spar should be brought to justice before then." She looked at Arthur expectantly.

Arthur slowly moved his hands, liking the feel of her skin, "Alright, you know sometimes you're too smart for your own good" he said, giving her a fake pouting face. Meela narrowed her eyes at him, "Mhmm, oh, I know, trust me." She pulled Arthur into the ship, eager to get back to work considering they may be promoted for this. And she knew how much this meant to Arthur.

Arthur went into his room and got dressed in his bounty hunter armour and then headed for the cockpit, starting up the ship, hitting the coordinates for Bespin. Once in outer space, Arthur pulls a lever and they go into hyperspace. Arthur lets out a breath and relaxes in his seat.

Meela joined him moments later. "So, GAR Intelligence, according to Oni, reported Spar on Bespin? That's not an obvious hideout," she said with sarcasm, "Might as well hide from a Jedi in the Senate Building." The Togruta sat down in the co-pilots chair and got comfortable herself.

"Yeah, who's dumb enough to do that, unless you can afford to" Arthur joked back to her. Arthur stared off into hyperspace, still remembering what he did to Bartu after he and Tano had found him. Hopefully he had learned enough self control to better handle himself this time around.

"Agreed," Meela continued, "He must have powerful allies. Do you know the whole story with him, cause I have his profile on my datapad." She pulled out the device from a pouch slung across her armored shoulder. "No wonder Green hates him so much."

"Why is that?" he asked, still staring at the view of hyperspace.

"Alright, here we go," Meela sighed, reading the profile, "Spar, formerly known as Alpha-02, an Alpha-class ARC trooper, was an aberrant clone who defected from the Republic after escaping Kamino. He was the first clone to desert the GAR and became a bounty hunter-obviously. After the death of Jango Fett, he went to Mandalore and formed the Mandalorian Protectors. With the Protectors and his hate for the Jedi Order, he joined the Confederacy of Independent Systems. After Duchess Satine Kryze was killed last year, he proclaimed himself Mandalore the Resurrector." Meela stopped and rolled her eyes, "Okay, I think we get the picture...bad guy who needs a nice knuckle sandwich, a pair of shackles, and a comfy, rock hard cold cell to make things right."

Arthur raised a brow at her, as he thought of something smart to say, "You know I had to sleep in one of those comfy, rock hard cold cells before" he said in a straight voice, waiting to see how she would reply.

Meela frowned at Arthur. "Mhmm, and how was it?" she asked rhetorically, "I think rotting in a sarlacc pit would suit Spar more, considering all of the Jedi and his fellow clones he murdered." She sighed and looked back at the datapad. "I'm starting to doubt whether or not we can capture this guy. It sounds like he has a mass of supporters and warriors to back him up. Mandalorians are not easy prey by any means."

Arthur grabbed one of Meela's shoulders and spun her to face him, then grabbed her other shoulder, "Hey, don't get cold feet on me now. We can handle this, just remember your training" he calmly said to her, trying to ease her uncertainness.

"I know, I know," Meela started, holding up her hands in mock surrender, "I'm just saying that we need to be very careful and precise with this mission. If something goes wrong, we have an entire Mandalorian clan after our shebs. And no one knows Spar more than Green, so we're at a disadvantage where our usual plan may not work. Last mission, there wasn't much of a threat to face considering the gang is nowhere big enough to take on the Republic. But the wrath of the Mandalorians is up in the air this time."

"Yeah I know the Republic's situation with Mandalore is tense, and it doesn't look like it will resolve itself anytime soon," Arthur agreed with her. Arthur also let go of her shoulders, letting her do what she wanted. The Togruta gave a somewhat thankful smile to that and leaned back into the co-pilot's chair. "So, how do you propose that we approach our dear friend Spar?" she inquired. Arthur leaned back in his chair too, but it didn't take him long to think of an idea, "Bars!" he said, with no hesitation, "Bars are where you can usually get information relatively easy, besides we need a way into his gang, so we can look for a possible easy target that is low on Spar's chain of command" Arthur said, giving Meela the plan that was inside his head seconds ago.

"Spar has two close followers," Meela said, "They'll be with him at all times I'm sure. So everyone else is a good target in my opinion. Especially if they're getting drunk in a bar; a lot easier to manipulate." Arthur nodded his head agreeing with her, "The trick is to find someone who is relatively new and doesn't have any strong relations with people who are higher up in the chain," Arthur said, having done these things before with Mia for Enkado's gang.

"Well, it would make sense for Spar to recruit from the Mandalorian clans," the Togruta said, "They could be more worried about honor than money, or the other way around. So, in that case, said "weaker" person could be persuaded both ways." Meela hoped what she was saying made sense. Obviously, she wasn't Mandalorian and didn't know much about their culture, but this mission was important and they needed to figure out a plan together.

"We need to find someone who was recently recruited and hasn't got a chance to form bonds with the higher ups, that way we might be able to persuade him or her to work for us, or if not, then get information. What would we do with that person if they refuse to cooperate? We can't tie him or her up, cause if they escape and report back to Spar, then our cover is blown," Arthur said, but more to himself, but it also involved Meela, so he wasn't too embarrassed when he realized he was thinking out loud.

Meela nodded in agreement. "Killing them isn't an option. Gah! I wish we had a Mandalorian on our side like your Master to help clear things up." She paused and looked at Arthur. "Wait, you know she's a Mando, right?" Arthur nodded his head, "I read it on the datapad, but she neglected to really tell me anything about her, probably because of our bumpy start at the beginning," he guessed, figuring it was a good reason why his former master never really opened up to him at first.

"Coming from a Mandalorian warrior and a Jedi Knight would cause some complications," Meela sighed, "It doesn't say this on her profile, but it's rumored that she belongs to one of the top named Mandalorian clans and that she has a militia guarding her back on Mandalore. If any of her clan members are in the Mandalorian Protectors, we might actually have an advantage." At her own words, the young woman brightened with hope.

Arthur gave a small smirk at seeing Meela perk with hope. "You probably know more about her than I do. Do you think I could contact her through the Force and ask her? If she knows, we can try to start an uprising inside the gang itself" Arthur said, putting the idea out there, since they needed a plan before entering into the gang blind and with no plan.

"Well," the Togruta pondered in thought, "You could ask her, but maybe she's kept it a secret for a reason. Mandalorians and Jedi don't exactly mix nowadays, especially with Spar stirring up trouble out there. What do you know about her Mandalorian heritage? I'll fill you in with what I know from my research at the Temple."

Arthur's face contorted trying to think about what Meela had asked him, "I don't know really anything. I heard the rumors, but that is it. I never asked her cause I was afraid of sparking another argument, and I was already on thin ice for most of the time I was with her" he asnswered her. Arthur had practiced contacting people through the Force with Master Secura during his time at the Temple, and had gotten pretty good at it. Still giving Meela is attention, he tried contacting his former master. Master Kao? He asked through the Force.

"Her father, Damian Shan," the Togruta began, "used to be the leader of the Shan clan on Mandalore. He was a bounty hunter and that's how he met Oni's mother, Rey Kao, who was expelled from the Jedi Order a few years back and taking on a couple odd jobs herself. Her mother and family on Talravin called her Oni Kao, but her Mando family named her Bo Shan. Apparently Oni was raised as Talravinian royalty on her mother's side and as a Mandalorian from her father."

"She used this to bring both peoples together during the Mando-Tal war when she was nineteen." Meela stopped to catch her breath, "After that, the Shan clan increased significantly in power, size, and wealth, making Oni an asset to the Jedi Council, which is probably why she was granted the title of Master and given a seat on the council. Damian was murdered a few months after the Clone Wars began and Oni inherited the role of leader over the Shan clan." Meela gave a small smile. "Quite the backstory, huh?"

Arthur's eyes were wide and he looked shocked, "Yeah, I'll say" was all he could muster. He then closed his eyes and tried his former master another time, Master? he asked again. "We are getting pretty close to Bespin, I hope Master Kao replies soon" he said, looking at the planet that was getting bigger as they approached it.

Suddenly a voice called back to him. Arthur? Aren't you on a mission right now? She replied. It was likely early in the morning back on Coruscant, as the Jedi Master sounded weak and exhausted. Arthur was startled but quickly gained control of himself again, Yes, but I need you help. Are any of the Shan clan with Mandalore the Resurrector? he asked back.

The tiredness in Oni's voice disappeared. What?! What do you mean members of the Shan clan? A mix of emotions flowed from her Force signature. No one in our clan would go to such lengths to...Wait. Yes, I do know of someone who would join Spar's cause, if you could even call it that. A sigh came from the Jedi Master. My father's former advisor, Jhia Pac. She's a clan jumper and is more in it for money than honor. I doubt she's loyal to Spar, though.

Thanks master, Arthur thanked her for this information, though there was something in his voice that held slight anger toward her, though he tried to hide it, he was sure Master Kao would probably sense it. And she did, but kept that hidden as well. Oni did not say goodbye to him in fear of provoking him and possibly compromising the mission. Arthur then looked at Meela, who was giving him a slight glare, "What?" he asked, though it was calm and collected, with no anger or anything harsh directed toward her.

"Why are you angry at her?" Meela asked, "She has her rights and reasons for not sharing that information with you, Arthur." Arthur didn't show any specific facial expression, but stayed calm and collected toward Meela, "I just feel every time we are about to turn the page and actually get to know each other, she always has something to hide or doesn't tell the whole story and bottles up her emotions inside her" he said venting to her, which felt good for him, though she may not agree with his reasoning.

"I can understand that," Meela nodded, "But you two haven't had the time to really tell each other anything. That and sometimes people have dark secrets that they can't share with anyone for their own personal reasons." Arthur nodded in understanding, "I'm going to talk to her after this mission," the young man said, before realizing that they were already landing on the planet's surface. Luckily they didn't have to walk far to a bar, for there was one in sight out of the ship's viewport.

Resist: Another one bites the dust.

Meela: You can say that about Bartu XD

Echo: Wow….just….wow

Resist: Meela, stick with Echo and I and we will teach you how to make puns properly

Oni: Speaking of jokes, how about the poll on Arthur's love life?

Arthur: HEY!

Resist: It is still neck and neck. Readers please review and let us know who you want, it is still up for grabs yet. Stick up for your favorite characters.

Green: Is there a "let him die alone a crazy cat lady" option? That one would probably win.

Arthur: That was cheesy Resist, and uncalled for Green.

Resist: While this argument goes on, please review and give us your vote. Until next time, may the force be with you

Meela: I think we forgot something important Resist and Echo

Echo: Right, Ladies and Gents, we don't own Star Wars or any of its characters