Part I

Chapter XX

Control

Maul strikes first, swinging his saber furiously for Mace. The Dark Jedi blocks the incoming attack, deflecting Maul's saber off to the side. The Jedi juts his red, gleaming blade for Maul. The Sith angles his body sideways clearing the searing edge by inches. Given the open opportunity, Maul drives his shoulder into Mace's face sending the Jedi backpedaling.

"I'll kill you!" Maul spits with uncontrollable rage. He brings his lightsaber overhead for a devastating chop that'll sever the Dark Jedi's head.

Mace Windu hits the Sith with a Force pulse.

Losing balance, Maul stumbles back. His feet shift across broken pieces of plaster and bodies of fallen rebels who were cut down by the invading Stormtroopers.

The atrium of which he called home for a week, the people who he held close to his heart lie dead at his feet and it's all because this damn Jedi and his army of genocidal clones.

Mace Windu recovers from the Sith's attack bringing his beady, yellow eyes on the Dathomirian. "You think your hatred will save you?" Mocks the Jedi. "It won't be enough, traitor."

"It'll be enough to silence you!" Maul charges for the Jedi tightening the grip on his lightsaber. Windu doesn't flitch a muscles, remaining rigid as a wall anticipating the Sith's hate filled attack. A slight smirk comes across his face.

Maul slams his saber into Windu's. The Jedi slides back while Maul continues to bash upon his defenses.

Windu maintains a solid façade, holding his lightsaber with a single hand while defending against Maul's relentless strikes.

Erupting around them, explosives, screams and laser fire fill the atrium. Rebel fighters run franticly to escape the carnage. The Stormtroopers continues to unload merciless upon them. They spare no one, not even the children.

Maul senses the dreadfulness all around him. A voided pit now filled with rage being directed against the Jedi.

Dodging clear of Maul's slashes, Windu effortlessly jumps over the railing of the foyer and lands onto the disabled escalator. The gleam in his eye temps Maul to follow.

This ends now! Maul declares inwardly.

He leaps onto the escalator and continues dueling the Jedi. He struggles to keep his eyes from wandering. In his peripheral, he sees countless of corpses laying out across the floor. Even on the escalator there are a string of civilians who were shot by the clone troopers while trying to escape. This only fuels the rage already present in Maul.

"These people did nothing to you!" Maul shouts to Windu while still swaying, chopping and slashing at the Jedi desperately trying to strike him down.

"They opposed us," Windu replies calmly. "They brought this upon themselves."

Gritting his teeth, Maul unleashes a powerful Force wave into Windu. The Jedi goes flying off the escalator, legs flaring wildly. At the last possible second, before impacting the floor, Windu executes a midair summersault regaining his composure. He lands lightly on his feet then brings his gaze back to Maul.

Maul rushes down the escalators and goes for the Dark Jedi again. Windu sails to the side going on the offensive this time. Maul brings his lightsaber to his left blocking the Jedi's attack. Taking a giant step back, Maul puts distance between him and his adversary. Now's not the time to let his anger get to him, even after what the Jedi has done. If he wants to survive this encounter, he'll have to center himself.

Remember what you're fighting for. He reminds himself.

Windu approaches with a dark stare in his eye, Maul loosens grip on his saber and relaxes his shoulders. The Jedi's attacks come hard and heavy against Maul's saber. The Sith crisscrosses his feet stepping back against the Jedi.

Going in a circle in the middle of the foyer, the two spar relentlessly. Their lightsabers crackle and pop on contact with each other. Mace doesn't let up unleashing a variety of saber slashes at Maul's sides tempting the Sith to keep pace.

Maul takes a quick step back, gauging himself against the skilled Jedi. His heart thumps loud in his ear and the blood coursing through his veins carries the much needed adrenalin he'll need to stay in the fight.

"I can sense you're apprehension, Sith," Windu says scowling the word 'Sith' as it slips from his mouth. "You're outmatched, surrender now and I may allow what's left of your pathetic Mandalorians to live."

"We both know that's a lie you bastard!" Maul declines. He stiffens his stance readying to fight again. "You should know by now that Mandalorians don't surrender, and neither will I!"

Mace huffs a laugh shaking his head, "than this atrium will be your final resting place, Maul."

Maul couldn't prevent that crawling feeling from invading his body. Not because he is scared but the fact that he remembers the man Mace used to be many years ago—a good, honorable man. Starring in the Jedi's eyes now is like looking at another person altogether. Whatever horrors Yoda forced the Jedi to do has molded him into nothing more than a vengeful husk pumped with rage.

"I hate the man you've become Mace," Maul says apologetically. "But if this is how we part ways… then so be it."

For a moment the dark shroud surrounding Windu lifts, but that death stare quickly returns across the Jedi's face.

Breaking both their concentration, the plaster and pieces of tile come crashing down between them. The ceiling to the foyer is cracking apart due to the large explosion that took a chunk out of the third level. The weaken pillars holding the crumbling foyer up collapse under the stress. Large slabs come crashing down.

Acting fast, Maul dashes clear of the falling debris crashing around him. A wall of thick white dust has congregated in the air decreasing visibility drastically. With his saber still active, Maul feels through the Force to get a feel of where Windu has gone. He can feel the Dark Jedi's presence almost like an unbearable heatwave.

He cancels out any other noises thundering around the atrium until his senses spike of intimate danger. Slicing through the dust cloud, a large piece of the collapsed atrium fills Maul's vision. Before his mind could react, the huge chunk of re-enforced cement slams into Maul knocking the Sith off his feet.

The heavy slab pins the Sith's legs to the floor, an immense pain shoots up his leg, radiating into his thigh. His lightsaber knocked away and out of sight, getting lost in the cloud of dust. Try as he might, Maul struggles to free himself from the slab. Pain signals stab at his brain clouding his senses and making the Force out of his reach.

Twisting his torso on his side, Maul's gaze falls upon Mace, Standing a few feet away. The dust cloud parts ways revealing the Jedi's crimson saber blade. He stands like a statue among a floor littered with corpses of Mandalorians at his feet. The Jedi beams his eyes into Maul's before approaching, a permanent scowl across Windu's face.

Maul senses the hatred foaming out the Jedi, he knows without a doubt that this may be the end. But it can't be. Not after coming this far. Even if things seem hopeless, Maul knows that it's his job to be that hope—that glimmer of light within the void. If he dies… then all else will follow.

The Jedi continues towards him, walking briskly with his saber buzzing, acting as a timer to Maul's soon-to-be death.

Maul's survival instincts kick in. With all his will power, he fights through the pain trying to lift the slab off top him and free himself. "Uuuuhhhhh!" Maul grunts feeling his biceps strain to their tearing point, and still the slab refuses to budge.

Mace walks up on top the lumping debris adding more weight down on Maul. The Sith lets out a weak sigh at the time his arms give out. The heavy load crushes back down on his body, he dreads feeling and even hearing something snap. Heaving his breaths, Maul stares at Windu standing on top him. "It's a shame the great and powerful Sith will die pinned beneath my feet."

"It's an… even greater shame… that the Jedi sent to kill me… is you," Maul grunts painfully through breaths.

Windu raises a brow, maintaining a menacing presence. His caramel brown face reflects the deep glow of his active blade, buzzing loudly in Maul's ears despite the countless other unsettling noises emitting all around him.

"You were my friend, Mace. This… thing that Yoda has turned you into is not the same man I knew those years ago. Back when the… Jedi Order was… a force of good, not fear and corruption!"

That gleaming death stare settles up across the Jedi's face. Windu's eyes dart away as if searching deep within himself of who he was before… before all this.

Maul manages to slow his rapid fire mind down enough to cancel the pain gripping his body. Slowly but surely, the Force snakes back into his body, a rejuvenating feeling in the least. "You can stop all of this Mace," Maul continues playing off the indifference hindering The Jedi. "No longer do you have to follow Yoda's bidding. You can join me… help… overthrow him—assist in guiding the Jedi Order out of his madness!"

He watches the Jedi with pleading eyes. Mace's eyes return to him, a stoic demeanor haunts over him. "The only corruption I senses is right before me, Sith."

An empty void elapses Maul's body. Nothing he said got through to the Jedi.

It's too late, the Dark Side has claimed him…

Mace raises the tip end of his saber, hovering inches from Maul's face. The Sith's wide, yellow eyes cross staring at the tip end glowing a hot white.

"Yoda gives his regards," Windu utters in a monotone.

Mace drives his saber down. At the last possible second, Maul reaches out with the Force focusing his attention to the lightsaber, preventing it from touching his skin only centimeters s away.

The Jedi's wielding arm trembles, struggling to bring his saber down to end the Sith for good. A look of distress forms on Mace's once stone cold face. He soon lets out a howling grunt before a wet, fleshing snap cracks into the air. Mace throws his head back letting out a scream at the top of his lungs. His forearm had snapped under Maul's concentrated Force grip like a twig, leaving the Jedi's arm dangling awkwardly in the opposite direction. His lightsaber falls out his grasp quickly deactivating as it hit the floor near Maul's head.

Dazed with his head spinning, Savage Oppresses wakes to a horror show displayed out before his cloudy eyes. Blinking the tears away, Savage's eyes widen at the heaps of dead Mandalorians clumped around him. He can't prevent a startled yelp from escaping his mouth as he scoots across the floor away from the bodies. His back hits hard against the wall forcing a startled rush of air to escape his lungs.

Bringing his eyes upward, Savage spots the Dark Legion shuttle blasting its mounted minigun all across the atrium. Each laser blast casts a crimson flash through the chocking grey ash. All around him, bloodcurdling shrikes of Mandalorian civilians being gunned down sends an icy chill down his spine. Through the dense ash, the outline of Stormtroopers in their unmistakable cream white armored suits march around. Black blaster rifles in their grasps, checking the corpses making sure their dead.

Savage's heart lurches out his chest when one of the troopers looks in his direction. "Aye, we have a live one over here!"

The trooper takes aim at Savage.

Clearing the fog from his mind, Savage yanks his lightsaber from his hip and springs it to life, deflecting the laser bolt just in time. The trooper marches forward keeping a steady stream of fire on the Sith apprentice. Savage, still pressed on the floor, back against the wall, sways his saber countering the trooper's relentless shooting. Calling on the Force, he grasps hold of the clone trooper, locking his arms in place ceasing his laser fire.

"Hey—what—" The trooper squirms feebly in the Sith's hold, his legs locked in place. With a gleam of hatred, Savage flings the trooper away. The clone impacts a nearby column shattering his faceplate with sickly bone crushing sound of his face smashing into a thousand pieces. The trooper falls limp to the floor, a crimson trail of blood rivers out his cracked visor.

Gaining some composer, Savage gets to his feet. At that moment, three other troopers converge on him.

"It's the Sith Lord Windu warned about!" One of the troopers cries.

"Kill em'!" Another shouts.

Without mercy, the clone troopers open fire. Their heavy laser fire strokes against Savage's lightsaber causing his entire body to flitch back.

"Go! Flank the horned bastard!" A stream of other clones come at Savage from the left, forcing the Sith to back against the wall to his left.

"GAH!" Savage heaves out. A laser bolt gazes over his shoulder. He struggles to keep pace with the seven or so Stormtroopers pouring on a carpet of laser fire. Each blast is like a kick to the abdomen, sending Savage against a wall. His muscles flair, stinging with pain. Going down on one knee and gripping the hilt of his saber tightly with both hands, Savage grits his teeth hard knowing the troopers will prevail in their agenda to eliminate him.

Can't go down like this… I WON'T go down like this!

Digging the heel of his back foot to the floor, Savage inhales a deep breath holding it momentarily in his gut. Throughout his body, he feels a surge of Force energy building. He holds out on it just long enough until reaching the threshold. A devastating invisible wave expels from his body blowing the Stormtroopers off their feet and high into the air. Half of the troopers fly over the railing crashing down to the floor below. The rest fly across the foyer crashing hard into objects situated around what used to be the camping sight for the many civilians held up here.

With the trooper threat snuffed out, Savage sharpens his attention on what the hell actually happened. Cutting his train of thought, a howling scream from down below gains his attention. Peaking over the railing, Savage's eyes glide across dozens of dead Mandalorians among the ruins of the blasted atrium. At the center of it all, he sees his brother pinned down by a Jedi.

"Brother!" Savage blurts out. He vaults over the railing falling the ten feet to the atrium floor. Savage ignites his saber and runs at the staggering Jedi ready to swipe down on him.

The Human Jedi turns in Savage's direction, nursing a broken arm. The Jedi reaches out with his good arm flashing a flare of Force Lighting for Savage. The electricity cracks upon striking Savage's body. He goes flying into the opposite wall, smoke looming over his head. The Jedi Force jumps off the main floor and onto the second floor foyer.

"All forces on me!" The Jedi spits into his com link, cradling his dangling appendage. "Fall back!"

Maul watches the numerous clone troopers retreating back to the shuttle that kicked started this mayhem. The clones converge on Mace before retreating up the stairs to the idling shuttle. With a blast of its engines, the shuttle lifts off through the vast opening in the ceiling before zipping off.

Turning his head to the right, Maul sees Savage struggling back to his feet. His brother shakes the blow off him then centers his gaze on Maul. Savage's mouth drops open. "Brother!" He gathers himself out the rubble and runs to Maul's side. "Hold still brother." Savage clips his saber to his hip then tries to lift the debris off his brother. It only moves an inch but not enough for Maul to move his legs.

"Savage…" Maul slurs, his voice nearly lifeless coming out his mouth.

"Hold on brother, I will get you out of this," Savage reassures trying to lift the slab once more. Pushing off with his, knees he is unable to move the debris.

"Savage!" Maul says with more force.

Backing away from the debris, Savage out stretches his arm. Calling on the Force, he is able to lift the heavy slab a few inches in the air. A great relief comes over Maul, he lets out a sigh twisting his numb and damaged body out from under the floating menacing object.

Savage levitates the debris clear of his brother before allowing it to fall to the floor. He wipes a slick of sweat from his forehead than puts all his attention to Maul still lying on the floor.

"Are you able to move?" Savage asks knelling down to his brother's side.

Maul shakes his head, "my leg… I think it's broken."

Savage survey's Maul's leg. His pants leg had been torn by the jagged edges of the debris, a lengthy, bloody wound lies just beneath it.

"It doesn't look too bad," Savage says. "Can you stand?"

"I'll try," Maul sighs reading to get up. He pushes himself up off the floor and attempts to stand when he feels the bone in his knee shift painfully causing the Sith to collapses to the floor.

Savage scrambles over to his side, "I got you."

Maul allows his brother to bring him standing, feeling every inch of his body aching after the battle with Windu. "We need to… leave this place," Maul says through slurred words. "It's not safe here… it's not safe here for anyone."

The dreadful feelings bombard Maul with no letting up. Even as the Dark Legion craft begin retreating out the devastated rebel camp, he can't help but feel little. He failed these people, he should have sensed this was going to happen but why didn't he? Was it because his emotions for these people disrupted his awareness? Made him soft in a way? Either way it goes, he should have foreseen this before it happened.

"Just hold on brother," Savage encourages. "We'll get through this."

Before soon, Maul feels his broken body beginning to move as Savage ushers them through the plums of dust and ash floating in the air.

Everywhere Maul looks he sees dead Mandalorians scatted on the floor. A piece of him breaks as he and Savage wander pass, just minutes ago they were addressing all of them—rallying them to fight the Empire. Now all that planning—all that talk about vengeance and retaking their world goes spiraling down the drain.

"We failed…" Maul mumbles mostly to himself, even though he's clear in ear shot of Savage. "Sidious was right… I killed these people."

The sky is blacken with smoke and the vaporized remnants of people, Jaster believes as he stares at the menacing sky. Out of breath, the older Mandalorian collapses on the hard ground, feeling his chest expand and fall back on his bony ribs. In the distant, he can hear the bombing of the Alderaanians assaulting his already battered planet. What more can they do to pulverize his people any further?

"Mereel…?" A small voice cracks from out his field of view. He already knows who it belongs to, but he doesn't bother turning his head in the girl's direction. "Jaster…" the girl calls again. This time, he can hear her approaching until her face comes starring down at him. "You okay?"

The older Mandalorian blinks his eyes slowly, then releases a hissing sigh. "The hell do you think?" He grumbles focusing on the darkness of his closed eyelids.

For a moment, Yanel doesn't say anything, but Jaster can feel her presences standing over him. "We have to get out the open," the young girl finally says. "We might have gotten out the mall but…"

"It doesn't matter," Jaster says cutting her off. "It won't matter where we go. They'll always be a step ahead of us." He opens his eyes and focuses them on Yanel, seeing the haunting look written across her face. "We can walk a thousand miles and the Jedi and their pets would be waiting for us."

"So that's it huh?" Yanel sighs planting herself on the ground next to Jaster in a cross-legged fashion. She allows her blaster rifle to rest across her lap, "you're just gonna lie here waiting to die?"

Jaster ponders her words for a second, before shaking his head dismissively. He's been at low points before in his life, but this… that massacre at the mall easily outdid even his worst days. Seeing Vizsla and Bo-Kata be blow out of existence… so many killed—so fast it was like one of those surreal dreams… only it wasn't just a fabrication.

"We need to stay strong," the youngling goes on, adding depth to her otherwise light voice. "I know it sounds clichéd, but we can't give up. Even if it means the Jedi would probably kill us all…"

"Like they just did," Jaster interjects.

Yanel shakes her head, possibly in denial of her own words, Jaster believes. They will die on this world, there's no if in any of that. But then it hits Jaster… a Mandalorian never quits—to anything or anyone. He of all people should know this better than anyone. Yet here he is, laying spread eagle on top the remains of his race—starring up a flaming sky chocked full of the bloods of millions. Millions of his own people, scattering through the wind.

They have to be avenged… they will be.

Balling his fist, Jaster strikes the ground hard. The sudden gesture causing Yanel to jerk a little but she doesn't leave the man's side.

"You're right," he grumbles. "Came this damn far anyway… why stop now." Even though he doesn't believe a damn word he just said, Jaster musters the will to get back up to his feet. He looks down to the ground, picking up his blaster rifle and slings it over his shoulder.

Nearby, resting against the wall of a ruined building, he sees the other three dozen or so Mandalorians that also survived the attack. Most of which are wounded and battered, but hopefully willing to continue the fight.

"How many injured?" He asks Yanel once she stands back up.

"Don't know… a lot?" She replies.

Jaster nods to her answer, approaching what's left of his forces. Starring at the numerous faces at his disposal, he can see the shellshock carved into their façades. It's a miracle that survived that mess at the mall, but the images of those fatefully minutes would always resonate over and over in their minds. Jaster knows this for a fact.

Among the broken group of soldiers, some not even full adults themselves, Jaster makes out Sheen. The teen boy's knees are tucked tightly close to his chest, head hung between his folded arms resting on his knee caps. Jaster recognizes the boy's dark hair.

"Aye…" he nudges the boy getting his attention. The expression on Sheen's face is weary, which would be expected after all they've been through. "You hurt?"

Sheen holds Jaster's stare with semi closed eyes before shaking his head, no. "I'm good, I think."

"Good would be enough," Jaster says. "Grab whatever gear you have left and meet me back here," Jaster points into the ruined interior of the building. He guesses it was a caf café at one point.

Without further words, the youngling obeys Jaster's orders. It takes Jaster back a moment, seeing how fast the boy—young man, had sobered up. Much of that Mandalorian spirt raging through him.

"What about the others?" Yanel asks standing at Jaster side. She gestures to the remaining Mandalorian fighters sitting on the crumbling street curb. Moaning and gorging in pain, bleeding from wounds hidden under their shirts. Most of them are just civilians, never have they thought they'll see a day of combat in their life. But this invasion is the mother of all warfare.

They aren't civies anymore… Jaster recollects.

Nursing their wounds, the young doctor, Tanya flows between the fighters checking on each of their statuses. She along with another scrawny young man, Jaco his name was? Jaster was terrible with names but remembered faces. Now he wishes he can rid his mind of the ones killed in the mall and focus on surviving this purge. Or die avenging Bo-Kata and the rest of his people.

Jaster moves along the line of wounded fighters until he reaches Tanya. He gets the woman's attention by grabbing her shoulder. Slightly shuddering under his grip, Tanya's eyes magnify on Jaster until finally settling.

"How are they?" He asks, "can any of them still fight?"

"You mean can any of them stand?" The scrawny other doctor paraphrases. "I don't think they can even spit on their own."

Jaster looks to one of the soldiers nearby. Starring eyed wide at the sky like he was doing early. At first he thought the blonde haired man is dead, until he notices the shallow raise and fall of his torso.

"Many of them suffered head traumas," Tanya tells Jaster while attending to a dazed fighter with a forever look in his watery, red eyes. "Broken bones, bleeding wounds…" Tanya shakes her head, "and those are just minor—"

—From inside the blasted out café, a painful scream reverberates loudly out into the open. It's enough to make Jaster nearly jump out of his skin. Jaco springs towards the direction of the screams, having to jump over the bodies of injured Mandalorians sitting and lying about on the floor. The screams are erupting from a badly injured fighter, sitting at a table situated inside the café. Even from across the café, Jaster can see the Mandalorian squirming madly against Jaco as the skinny doctor tries to subdue him to stay quiet.

"I need help!" Jaco cries out over the fighter's ear splintering screaming.

Jaster rushes over to help quiet the fighter down—his big ass mouth might bring the Empire right back on them, if they haven't already tracked them from the mall.

Once Jaster is close enough to the injured Mandalorian, he sees the full extent of the damage he suffered. One of his legs had been blow completely off, how the hell he ended up walking out the mall, Jaster can only imagine.

"You need to stay still man!" Jaco says struggling to keep the man still in his chair. "You'll go into shock—you need to stay calm!"

"GET OFF ME!" The fighter shouts again, along with some other inaudible words. A clear indication that he's falling into shock. After losing that much damn blood, he'll be dead soon if Jaster doesn't do something first—and fast.

Two more able body fighters converge on the fighter, assisting Jaco in keeping the man still. Even with their combine strength, the man continues to thrash in their grasps, until falling out his chair and landing on the floor. He lets out another ear-ripping shrike that'll sure alert every damn thing from miles on out of their position.

And Jaster can't allow that. One life vs dozens…

Screw it!

Unslinging his rifle, Jaster weaves pass Jaco and the other two fighters and bashes the butt end of his weapon into the screaming man's face. It takes a god four more hits until the man falls silent for good.

"The hell did you…" Jaco gasps stunned on the brutal display. The other rebels just stare at the now dead Mandalorian on the ground then at Jaster.

"You killed him," one of them gasps in a low voice.

Jaster just glared at the three for a moment before shouldering his rifle. "You see that?" Jaster nods to the man he just killed cut off leg. "It's infected, I could even smell it from outside. He was going to die anyway." Jaster bit his tongue reverting his gaze to Jaco who still holds that frightening stare in his eyes. "I did him a favor," Jaster concludes the discussion there, walking towards a nearby table where he snatches the dinning cloth off. He uses it to cover the man's body not daring to look at his handy work as he does.

Turning around, Jaster faces the three Mandalorians staring back at him. "We still got a war to fight," Jaster speaks lowly among the groaning of injured around them. "Our forces may be out of action… but that doesn't mean others aren't."

He begins to walk off, passing between the three. He pauses midway before facing them again, "gather your gear… and find whoever is still able to hold a blaster and meet me at the bar counter."

Jaster doesn't linger for a response, putting his back to the three.

Starring at the blazing fire in the intense darkness of night doesn't bring peace to Maul's mind. Hours have gone by since the Jedi ambushed their sanctuary. Even now that Maul and his brother are well away from the carnage, his mind is still trapped in that atrium. A piece of him died there, a large piece. Those people were everything to him, even if they hadn't thought the same about him and his alien appearance in the mix. They had no idea how much he cared for them… how much he wanted to help them fight the Empire. They had potential, the numbers, but now all of that seems so meaningless.

"How could I be so naïve?" Maul says, mostly to himself. But his voice resonated across the fire to his brother.

"What do you mean?" Savage recalls, adding more paperback books to the small raging fire. It's a futile attempt to keep the two warm against the Mandalorian chill of night. The stench of the dead cancels the pleasantness of the otherwise crisp breeze.

Maul doesn't answer right away, finding his thoughts jumbling all over the place. Even the Force feels distant to him for the moment, almost like it has abandoned him to face whatever may lie ahead unguided.

"How foolish of me… thinking that I can swift the change of Windu's actions," Maul finally says. He brings his gaze away from his broken leg, now in a makeshift brace of wooden splints Savage had slung together. "Windu… along with many other Jedi fates are sealed. Yoda has claimed their souls and has crafted them into nothing more than tools of destruction."

"They embody the ways of the Dark Side, brother," Savage says shifting the books in the fire with a metal rod he had discovered laying around here. "Persuading such an entity is pointless."

Maul doesn't take offense to what his brother is saying. It is stupid, negotiating with the forces of the Dark Side. All too well does he know this, with his numerous communications with Sidious. The man was unyielding—nothing seems to drive him but to have control and power at any cost. Maul hates being associated with such a lustful sentient, he wonders if the Jedi threat is ever dealt with, will Sidious rise to fill the vacuum. It has always sat in the back of his mind, but for now, the Master Sith Lord is a means to an end. Like their partnership has remained for years.

"Savage," Maul begins to speak adjusting his seating position against a wall. "We may not make off this world alive…" his words gets Savages attention. The flame of the fire intensifies his brother's harden gaze. "But I just want you to know…"

"Don't speak like that," Savage interrupts with a low rumble of his voice. "This isn't the end brother. It's not even the end for the Mandalorians." Savage flings the metal rod away hearing the repercussion of the sharp ping as it bouncing in the surrounding darkness. "Even if Commander Vizsla and Kryze were killed by the Jedi, that doesn't constrain their will to defeat the Empire." Savage stand to his feet unclipping his lightsaber. "We are Sith, the very last of the Sith Order and the last chance this galaxy has in defeating the Jedi. And if we still have breath in our lungs… then we'll continue to fight till the last Jedi is defeated."

Maul manages to sliver a smile and even a small chuckle. His actions draw confusion from Savage, judging by the overarching eyebrows and bewildered look on his face.

"Is something funny, brother?" Savage questions with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

Maul suppresses more laughter from escaping his lips. "You… you didn't let me finish, Savage." Maul says, he allows his feelings to drift into that dark area in the back of his mind. An area where he has managed to quell the Dark Side for as long as he can remember. Being a Force Weaver, it is imperative that he remains balance. Balance has always been key—but there are those times, like this one, where things can be swayed sporadically.

Calling on the calluses energies of the Dark Side, Maul maniples himself to have control: narrowing his thoughts and canceling any emotional stress he may have felt. In a way, he has to morph himself into the belief of the Jedi—no connections, no mercy. yet unlike the Jedi, who can spew lighting from their tingertips, master the ancient martial arts of the Sith Order and call on the powers of the Dark Side to aid them—one thing they lacked in all of that… is control.

No longer feeling the pressuring pain of his broken leg, Maul manages to stand upright looking his brother in the eye. The flame of the fire seems to intensity as he does.

"You didn't let me finish…" Maul says again, in a dark tone. "We're going to kill Mace Windu."

The objective is simple, well in Jaster's mind it is. But everything's easier said than done. In the cover of darkness, Jaster leads a small team of able body fighters well away from their campground and into the ruins of their beloved world. The pop-flash of the Alderaanian bombers are well away from their location, but not too far that Jaster can hear the shirking roar of their ion propulsion engine tearing through the sky. Canceling all that out, Jaster has to remain sharp. He knows he isn't the only one on edge. His trusted two, Yanel and Sheen are along with him, as well as Jaco and the two other fighters from earlier. Jaco was unwilling to go along on the reconnaissance at first; that was until Jaster pulled his 'charm' on the skittish doctor.

Twelve of them, or so, Jaster brought along. It shocks him as to how quick that one half-ass sneak attack knocked the wind out their sails, even him. But none of that mess matters now, they're back in the fight, right when the Empire thinks their dead.

Jaster didn't know at first, but he took a hit back at the mall. A piece of shrapnel from a thermal detonator had seared his left knee, leaving him with a painful limp. Tanay had discovered it right before the recon team was leaving out. She advised him to stay behind, but Jaster couldn't just sit around while the kids had all the fun.

Up ahead, Sheen leads the group through a network of destroyed buildings. They have been moving for hours, hoping to come across Overlord's location. They had received Overlord's location during the brief transmission back at the mall. The only issue would be avoiding the large imperial FOB that sits right smack in the middle of the area. Yet with the briefing Jaster held back at the ruined café, he advised that the recon group take a route well away from the base.

Most of the mission is in silence, and with good intentions. The silence is reassuring and haunting all at the same time. Jaster can't really place a finger on it, but there is something shrouding them. He was never a firm believer with the spirits of Mandalorian folklore, but he is beginning to feel a little less skeptical.

"It's clear all along," Sheen says from the top of the line.

"Keep your head on a swivel," Jaster cautions to everyone. "Don't assume nothing's around."

Heeding his warning, the squad continue to move. Their trek takes them out of the ruins of homes and business to a vastly spacious area. Jaster quickly notes that they have stumbled across a thoroughfare leading into an open air quadrangle that connects four major buildings in its vicinity. Mandalore has… had many of these courtyards spread across her landscape. Jaster is surprise to see that this one doesn't look the least bit damaged from the bombing.

"Which way from here?" One of the fighters asks.

Taking a look at the holographic map generating out a palm size device in Jaster hand, he dictates the correct location, "South." He gestures with a wave in that direction. Of course, it has to be the longest way across the open courtyard.

Figures… Jaster ponders with the roll of his eyes.

Jaster doesn't like it in the least, though it's the only way to Overlord's location.

"Stay low, move fast and don't stop," is all Jaster can instruct. He clicks the hologram off and pockets the device. "That courtyard could be a possible ambush site, be ready for anything."

"Then why can't we just find another way around?" Jaco protests. "If it's the deathtrap you presume…"

Jaster steps up to the slightly short man, "we can't go anywhere southeast since that's where the Imperials are cooped up last time I checked. As far as any of us know… this entire area is hot with Imperial activity and the more we stand here and blow hot air at each other—we're wasting time."

Jaster doesn't give Jaco a chance to reply, "come on we're moving—"

—A suddenly red beam zips right over Jaster's shoulder. Behind him, he sees Jaco, staring at him with eyes larger than anything Jaster has ever seen. Through the man's chest, Jaster can see the darkness of night right behind him. It isn't soon until Jaco' head explodes into a mass of red matter following another blaster shot.

"GET DOWN!" Sheen shouts out to everyone. The squad scramble for a nearby destroyed hover bus hoping to avoid the sudden cracks of blaster fire.

Jaster limps for his life, seeing the flashing red beam of blaster bolts missing him by margins. He collapses to the ground behind the bus along with the other fighters who all look to have kept their heads.

"What the heck was that!?" Yanel asks in a panic tone.

Jaster rolls over near the cover edge of the bus getting a little glimpse of the courtyard where a sudden purplish flash sends him reeling his head back behind cover. The laser bolt chips the pavement where his head once was.

He glances over at Yanel, "scout sniper…" he gravels.

"How many?" Sheen asks trying to get a glimpse of the courtyard himself.

Jaster shakes his head, "don't know, could be one, two… a dozen…"

"That's not helping!" Yanel exclaims.

"Look, we can't stay here forever. That trooper could be radioing our location back to HQ… we gotta move now!"

"And go where?" A fighter asks incredulously. "We can't move an inch without getting our heads blasted off!"

The sniper cracks off another round, this one flying high over the top of the bus. Then another round splinters off, right in the same spot. It then comes to Jaster's realization that the sniper was shooting up Jaco's corpses. Another round strikes the young doctor's body, sending it jerking up from the impact.

"That cock sucker son of a bitch!" Jaster curses through grit teeth.

His anger boiling over, Jaster unloads a few round from his blaster in the direction of the sniper. His rounds blast off into the cover of darkness hoping that one of his rounds hits that bastard in the face. Evidently, the sniper answers back. The enemy's rounds strike dangerously close near Jaster but he continues to unlet on his weapon. That is until he begins to feel someone tugging him back around the bus.

"Calm down Mereel!" It's Sheen, the young boy yanking at the fabric of his mucked drench tunic. The older man simmers down, finding himself catching his breath like he just ran a marathon. His eyes fall on Yanel and the other young fighters starring back at him with worrisome looks.

Get a grip soldier…get a grip, Jaster mantras to himself.

Taking his emotions out the equation, Jaster puts his full attention to his unit. "Alright," he begins calmly, "as far as we know… there's only one sniper. We can flank 'round him but we're gonna need to lie down suppressive fire."

"I'll flank em'," Yanel volunteers right on the spot.

A sudden empty pit builds in Jaster's stomach, though he masks the emotion from resonating on his face. Jaster opens his mouth to object…

"You can't go," she says before he could peep a word. "Not with that bummed leg of yours."

Knowing she's right, Jaster can't pain seeing her running out towards that sniper. If she gets killed…

"I can't let you go out there," he blurbs out. "You're not quick enough."

The girl's stoic expression transpires into a genial smile, one that causes Jaster's stomach to knot.

"Well you never seen me run…"

Before Jaster could register, the young woman takes off. Three other fighters join up right after her.

Jaster, Sheen and four other fighters Jaster hasn't had the pleasure of getting their names before, step out of cover and start firing in the direction of the sniper. Their diversion works—drawing the shooter's attention.

The sniper's rounds skid across the metallic surface of the hoverbus forcing Jaster back behind its haul. For now, the sniper hadn't put a bead on Yanel and her squad. Jaster swings back out of cover and lets loose another flurry of rounds. He and his squad brighten up the night with laser fire, peppering the darken area of which the sniper has taken his position.

For a long moment, no return fire has erupted from the sniper. Jaster holds out his freehand to Sheen and the other four fighters to cease their fire.

Jaster's ears are left ringing in the break of blaster fire, following the quiet gust of chilly wind of the night. It's like the sniper disappeared, or maybe Yanel's team had taken him out. Or maybe—

— Penetrating the air, a crisp clear voice speaking through a megaphone stuns Jaster as well as his squad tucked in cover.

"Insurgent force!" An authoritarian voice speaks loudly, breaking the silence of the night. "This is Lieutenant Gossik of the Grand Imperial Army. We have captured your fellow combatants and will execute them where they stand unless you surrender yourselves immediately."

Jaster's blood runs cold. His mind flooding with imagery of those bastard stormtroopers having their hands all over Yanel…

"This is your final warning…" that imperial piece of crap yells out again. "Surrender now, or your friends will be eliminated!"

Jaster cranes his neck to Sheen, match eyes with the young man, even pass the strands of dark hair in his eyes. The expression on Sheen's face grim, the teenager nimbly shakes his head no.

I know kid… Jaster dreads internally.

Mandalorians never surrender—fight to the death! Or that was the idea… like Jaster thought before… 'everything's easy said than done'. If he surrenders now, the imp bastards would gun them all down anyway. This fight will be over and Kryze, Vizsla and everyone else that has died cause of these bastards will be in vain. He can't put that at stake… even if Yanel has a blaster pointed at her head. As much as that hurts him.

"If you think we're gonna surrender…" Jaster yells back. "You came to the wrong planet, buddy!"

A moment later the imp came back with, "then you're friends are dead… and so are you… buddy. Kill them all." The megaphone clicks off, and a void feels Jaster's gut. He closes his eyes tightly, until hearing the distant snaps of blaster fire splinter the air. The shots that ended the lives of the best fighters, better friends that Jaster has come to know.

I'm sorry.

Accepting the end, Jaster anticipates the first rounds of laser fire to rip him to shreds. Yet to his somewhat surprise, nothing happens. Reopening his eyes, Jaster looks to Sheen and the other fights huddled to his left. Then a long moment passes by with nothing happening—nothing but silence. Jaster, now nipping with anxiety that the Empire and toying with them, sticks his head out of cover. He peeps an eye and then his entire face across the courtyard seeing nothing in particular. No sounds from the imp bastard or anything.

The hell is happening?

"Look!" A fighter in Jaster's squad whispers intensely with a point to the courtyard.

Putting his attention back to the piazza, Jaster squints his eyes making out the figures of multiple people walking briskly their way.

Readying his blaster up, Jaster sets his finger on the trigger. "Get ready," Jaster tells his squad.

Without checking in their direction, Jaster can hear his team cycling their weapons for a fight. But before anyone can fire, Jaster notices that these aren't Stormtroopers… but… their own! Seven…eight or so Mandalorians, one of which dressed in a Mandalorian Guilds armored uniform.

A tremendous weight lifts off Jaster's shoulder. He gestures for Sheen and others to stand down. Seeing the other Mandalorian cross the courtyard in a haste. Jaster steps out from behind the hoverbus waiting till the group nears him. Among the group of Mandalorians, Jaster sees that Yanel and her team are with them. He fights the ecstatic relief from showing on his face, though he can't hold back a smile from tugging on his lips.

"Told'cha you didn't know how fast I could run," the young girl says with an irresistible smirk.

Jaster simply shakes his head cracking a small chuckle. "No, no I didn't," he replies.

"Jaster Mereel, I presume?" The Guildsman begins to say speaking from behind his encapsulated helmet. "I am Sergeant Tal Merrik, call sign Overlord."

Jaster's eyes widen at the name, they have discovered the other unit… or more like they found them. "Glad you're still alive."

"Likewise," Tal replies. "But we must clear this vicinity immediately before more Imperials arrive. Our base isn't far, regroup with your forces and stay on our six."

Jaster gives the Guildsman a nod, "roger that."