Chapter 21: Friendenemy

"Normally, I'd explain," Calhava told the Jedi. "But I don't think we have time."

"Perhaps when things settle down," Rodrigo offered. He turned to the thugs and waved his lightsaber to get their attention. "Gentlebeings, I appreciate that you might have business with this Separatist but that will have to wait. He is under arrest by the Jedi Order. Please leave this prisoner to me."

The thugs were primarily Twi'lek but a few Gamorreans and Humans stood out. The last was a labor droid with a strange cranium. Suddenly Rodrigo's heart clenched. There was a tremor in the force. It felt like a looming threat was reaching for him. His eyes darted around and he checked the Separatist, who held his blaster ready for the thugs. The rest of his companions were the same, they ignored Rodrigo. So why do I feel like something is wrong. He knew the feeling was centered on the droid but he refused to believe a droid was that dangerous.

The lead thug carried a large vibrolance, a hacking blade on the end of a staff. The leader looked around at his companions, "Well boys let's all just go home. Berggia will understand."

They laughed and Rodrigo took his lightsaber in both hands.

"I wanna see how I measure up," the Twi'lek thug nodded towards the Jedi.

His thugs charged with a roar. Rodrigo centered himself before he lunged at the leader. Impressively, the thug dropped to the ground and rolled away from his attack. The rest of the thugs ignored them as they fired on the Separatists. Calhava and Kote dropped to the ground for cover and fired back. Afshan rolled away and looked for a chance to fight. Opia tried to drag Tro on the ship while he laughed manically and readied his blaster cannon. Opia dropped her force pike and grabbed the Yuzzem with both hands, trying to pull him away from the battle. Against his massive size, her efforts were wasted.

A Gamorrean charged Rodrigo; he sliced through its ax handle and chest. Another thug shot at him. He reflected it back at the thug who screamed. The lancer rolled to his feet and smiled. He thrust twice, forcing Rodrigo to dodge and duck. The Jedi slashed at his weapon but the Twi'lek spun it, slashing down. Rodrigo sidestepped and beheaded him.

In the moments Rodrigo had focused on the leader, the superior training of the troopers had shone through. Calhava and Kote slaughtered the thugs with little effort. The giant furred creature finished them off with a blast from his cannon, still laughing. For a moment Rodrigo reassessed his plan but dismissed his concerns. The droid remained deathly still, watching.

He turned to the Separatists, "I'm going to assume nothing has changed. You're not going to come along quietly."

Calhava stood up, the already scorched and scratched armor he wore now finely dusted. He shook his head and motioned for his companion to rise as well. The Mandalorian stood up but never took his eyes off Rodrigo.

"What if I let your friends go?" Rodrigo offered. "I won't pursue them and I won't harm them unless we meet on another battlefield."

"I made a deal with a Jedi before and he broke it without a second thought."

Rodrigo could sense the truth of it and winced, "I'm not that Jedi. My word is good and I swear to you. If you come with me, I won't take your friends."

Calhava hesitated, "Then it's up to my friends."

"What-no!" Opia shook her head. "No, we won't leave you."

"No," Afshan moved protectively in front of Calhava with her weapons ready.

"Never." Kote aimed down his rifle.

Tro laughed, "I'm not drunk."

"Never!" Maylaine screamed through the radio. "Ready to take off when you are."

"You have our answer," Calhava replied. For a second everything he wished he had flashed through his mind. Destroyer droids, energy shields, and heavier weapons but he swept those thoughts aside. He centered his mind and scanned the battlefield.

"Too bad," Rodrigo resigned himself to it.

Instead of lunging he darted forward, dodging both troopers' fire. The Kaleesh female very nearly impaled him on her forcepike but he evaded at the last second. He slashed at her spear but she withdrew it at the same time as she slashed with her vibroblade. He leaned back, the blade's edge nearly cutting off his nose before he thrust at her. She rolled aside.

"Circle around him," Calhava shouted as he moved to the right. "Shot carefully and don't fight him alone. Work together!"

Rodrigo was forced back as both troopers focused on him, forcing him to deflect their fire. Just as he found a rhythm to their barrage the Kaleesh raced in and attacked with quick thrusts. It forced him to divide his attention between the blasters and her forcepike. He realized he couldn't keep it up. He darted away, racing behind the Maka's landing gear and then he moved behind the boarding elevator.

"Kote! Tro!" He heard their leader yell. Suddenly he saw an explosion in his mind's eye and darted out from behind the cover. Immediately afterward two blue flashes erupted behind him. Rodrigo charged Calhava, hoping to eliminate them one by one.

"No!" Afshan screamed as she raced from the other side of the ship, obviously following his path. The Jedi deflected one blast and then another as he closed on the Separatist. Calhava backed away slowly, until Rodrigo got close enough to attack. Calhava threw himself aside as the lightsaber grazed his shoulder plate. Rodrigo tried to follow but the Mandalorian nearly shot him in the back. He rolled towards Kote and sliced through his blaster rifle. Unfortunately, that brought him closer to the Ufshan, who assaulted him with blade and spearpoint. Then the Mandalorian drew a pistol and began shooting at him again.

Rodrigo seized Afshan with the force and threw her into Kote, knocking both down. He lunged towards them, to strike both down, his lightsaber humming through the air. Then it stopped. All three of them blinked in surprised even as Rodrigo tried again, his lightsaber remaining stuck. He looked at the dark skinned woman, her arm outstretched, concentrating.

"Tro!" Calhava called before Rodrigo sensed imminent threat. He jumped aside as the giant smashed its gravhammer where he stood only a moment ago. The thump was audible and launched sand in the air. Rodrigo only had enough time to jump again, as the hammer nearly crushed him twice more. He knew a graze or brush would shatter his bones to pulp. He didn't attack the weapon because the weighted head would come loose and inertia would carry it into Rodrigo's body. The Jedi was amazed. The speed and strength required to swing the hammer so accurately was remarkable.

Rodrigo ducked a swing, deflected a blast from Calhava, and slashed the giant's leg. Tro stepped back in time to save it from dismemberment. The injury dropped him to his knees, wincing in pain. Rodrigo met the giant's eyes before he swung the final blow, the creature deserved that at least. He raised his lightsaber even as Tro's companions cried out in dismay.

"No!" A woman shrieked as Rodrigo felt the force coalesce around his throat. It squeezed and choked him, lifting him off the ground. He kept hold of his lightsaber but could do little else. His legs kicked desperately as he tried to free himself. Then the ground came rushing up at him. He crashed hard unable to even roll or prepare for it. He winced as he rolled onto his chest. He rolled aside to avoid the Mandalorian's blasts and then he rolled to his feet to deflect more from both troopers. Nearby, Opia dropped to her knees, the exertion too much for her.

Rodrigo dodged through their fire and seized the dark skinned woman with the force. He threw her into the Maka's elevator. She struck the wall and collapsed into a pile. He deflected both Trooper's fire back at them, the Mandalorian rolling aside, but Calhava took the blast in his chest. He winced and failed to rise.

The Mandalorian leveled his blaster again, this time kneeling. Rodrigo seized him with the force and threw him against the ship. Afshan raced at him. He dodged her attacks, kicked her in the stomach and kneed her in the face. He threw her aside and searched for any more threats. Rodrigo took a moment to catch his breath, wincing in disbelief. He never expected this much of a fight. He'd never been in a fight this hard.

The Kaleesh fought to regain her feet. With a sigh, Rodrigo knew what had to be done. They'll never stop, he realized. With his lightsaber low he advanced on the woman.

Then the robot blocked his path. The suddenness startled Rodrigo. He felt that same impending threat, the looming doom, but forced it aside again. He centered himself and focused his feelings. He extended his hand and the droid sidestepped before he thrust with the force. Battered swung high and low with his morningstars forcing Rodrigo back. Flashes of light followed his two slashes and a thrust which the droid avoided.

They circled and Rodrigo's fear began to seep past his control. He'd never seen a droid move like that. Of course he'd heard of assassin droids and he'd used training droids in the temple but this was different. It wasn't speed; the droid knew his attacks. He took hold of his lightsaber with both hands and raised it above his head.

Battered kicked him. The hit blasted the air from Rodrigo's lungs but the droid wasn't finished. Rodrigo found himself on the defensive as the droid alternated vicious blows and feints. It kept Rodrigo from determining what was a real attack, worth parrying, and what was a trick to draw him off balance. Worse, the droid was never still, moving to one side and another. Rodrigo lost control of his central line and was forced to readjust even as Battered struck at him.

Rodrigo gathered the force within him, focusing all of his power into a deadly slash. It sliced through both morningstars and left a glowing line on Battered's chest. The droid leaned back, keeping it from becoming fatal. Before the ruined clubs fell, Battered seized Rodrigo's wrist, of the hand that held his lightsaber. Servomotors revved up and Rodrigo could feel the cartilage in his wrist shattering. Even as he winced in pain, he tried to kick and punch. Battered blocked the punch with his free hand and twisted Rodrigo's wrist, throwing his kick off balance and driving him to his knees. With a crunch Rodrigo gasped as his wrist was broken.

He forced open his hand and with the force he pulled his lightsaber from one hand to the other. Then he swung it at Battered's arm. The droid yanked Rodrigo's own into the oncoming lightsaber.

Rodrigo screamed as his arm came loose. He stumbled, suddenly free of the droid's clutches. His mind could not make sense of that. His arm was full of searing agony but he was free. The world around him slowed to a crawl. The droid held something strange. It held an arm. He had seen worse horrors in war but this time it seemed so strange to him. He tried to focus his mind, to regain control of himself, but everything was so distant.

Clutching his chest, Calhava was hunched over but yelled, "Stop!"

Battered paused, his hands only inches from Rodrigo's throat.