On Coruscant, Leia, Han, Chewbacca, and Tenel Ka, along with their 501st Legion protectors and the remnants of Pooja's Nubian bodyguards stood staring down the barrels of hundreds of Sith Blasters just outside the Millennium Falcon. 3PO, Lando, Pooja, and Aleera were already onboard the Falcon, Lando hesitating to make a move to try and start the ship's engines for fear that the Sith would fire sooner and murder his friends. Fenrir stood smiling darkly at the doomed, silently savoring the moment. He raised his right hand, the Sith Troops taking it as a signal to prepare to fire.
"Leia, you ever thought about going out this way?" Han asked, his pistol trained on a random Sith Trooper. Leia was about to answer when something happened. The two Dark Jedi flanking Fenrir were suddenly shot through the head by two separate blaster rounds, dropping them instantly startling the entire Sith force, including Fenrir.
"Giving up already, Solo?"
Han and Leia's eyes widened at the question. They whirled around and saw, standing atop the Falcon in full armor was…
"Boba Fett?" Leia asked. The Sith were still trying to make sense of what had happened and didn't noticed the Mandalorian. Fett immediately dropped down between husband and wife, his EE-3 Carbine raised against his right shoulder while he pressed a hand to the left side of his helmet.
"Mando'ad! OYA!" Fett yelled into the air. Almost instantly a hail of rockets rained down on the confused Sith, obliterating large pockets of them as dozens of Mandalorian Supercommandos dropped in from out of the sky via Jetpack and started slaughtering the, now even more confused, Sith. Fett even joined in, dropping a handful of Sith Troopers with his blaster before glancing over his shoulder at Han. (Translation: "Mandalorians! LET'S ROLL!")
"Are you leaving or do I have to shoot at you to make you move, Solo?" Fett asked as Han finally came out of his stunned stupor. He turned and saw the Slave I hovering overhead, Sintas at the controls using the repeater cannons to drive Fenrir back inside the senate building.
"Boba Fett! How-?" Leia asked as she deflected a few shots from the Sith.
"Just get out of here!" Fett ordered, glaring at her as Han and Chewy ducked inside the Falcon with the Naboo guards filing quickly behind. The 501sts were next followed by Fett himself then finally Leia and Tenel Ka. Once aboard, Leia turned and started running for the cockpit.
"Han get us out of here!" she yelled as the Falcon roared to life, hovering up and turning away from the Senate building. As it turned away, it turned towards the city, revealing a cloud of Mandalorian fighter craft engaging the Sith fighters and Bombers while Keldabe Battleships hammered the Sith Destroyers in orbit. Han, Lando, Chewy, and Leia were each stunned at the sight as they looked through the cockpit windows. Fett however was barking orders in Mando'a over his helmet comlink while observing tactical data streamed to a handheld holoprojector.
"Well this is a first." Han mumbled at the sight of the Mandalorians as the Falcon soared off into the sky, Slave I and a squadron of Mandalorian Fighters close behind. Fett then turned towards Leia.
"We've just disabled the Sith's Comm Jammers." Fett said as Leia took the hint and immediately ran to the back, leaving Han, Chewy, Lando, and Fett in the cockpit as she went to begin broadcasting emergency orders.
"How come your communications weren't affected?" Lando asked but Fett ignored him and resumed issuing commands over his comlink. The Falcon weaved past the buildings of Coruscant, the quad guns peppering away at the Sith fighters before finally climbing up past the skyscrapers with the Mandalorian fighters keeping close as they exited the atmosphere. In space, the Republic First Fleet was still holding the line and the Mandalorian Battleships were helping to push back the Sith forces. Fett then turned to the navicomputer and started punching in a set of coordinates.
"Solo, you receiving these coordinates?" Fett asked as Han checked the controls.
"Look at the moment I'm still not convinced that this isn't some wild hallucination I'm experiencing and that I could wake up any time now!" Han replied as Chewbacca roared his agreement.
"Oh this is one hell of a dream if it is!" Lando added as the Falcon flew past an exploding Sith Destroyer and turned towards the Lusankya as its turbolasers fended off an attack from two Sith Destroyers. The two Destroyers soon found themselves under fire from combined Republic and Mandalorian warships.
"Alright, we're clear. If you're going to make the jump to hyperspace, you should do it now." Fett said as he sat down, disabling the holoprojector.
"Punch it!" Han said as Chewy pushed the throttle forward, sending the Falcon into hyperspace, the Slave I following after it while the Mandalorian fighters turned and rejoined the fight. On the Falcon, Fett, Han, Lando, and Chewy emerged from the cockpit and into the main hold were Leia and the rest of the survivors were waiting. Han, Chewbacca, and Lando immediately drew guns on Fett.
"Alright, what's going on?" Han asked as Fett removed his helmet, showing that he wasn't the least bit perturbed by the fact that there were three guns trained on him. Leia however was shooting the three scornful looks.
"Put those guns down. Boba Fett just saved our lives back there! I think we owe him some consideration here." Leia said as Lando and Chewbacca hesitantly put their guns away but Han didn't budge.
"I want to know why he said no Mandalorian alliance one second and then the next thing he's pulling our butts out of the fire." Han said as Fett calmly sat down on one of the seats in the hold.
"To put it simply, I'm honoring my end of the bargain." Boba said as he leaned back slightly in his seat.
"You mean…Mandalore is joining the Republic?" Leia asked, surprised, earning a nod from Boba.
"That's right." He replied.
"But…one minute you're saying that we were trying to kill your daughter, saying no deal to an alliance in the process, and then the next you're saving our lives and saying you want to join us after all. Forgive me but I'm a little confused." Leia said as Boba shrugged.
"I'll give you a full explanation…after I receive word from my forces currently rescuing your Jedi friends at Yavin." Fett said, checking his helmet for dents, startling those present.
"What?"
On Yavin…
Juno looked up towards the sky where her eyes widened in disbelief as she saw a Keldabe Battleship looming overhead. She then saw a swarm of modified M22-T Krayt Gunships with fewer weapons and two large retractable panels on either side of their hulls exposing a large hollowed out area meant for infantry or small vehicles. Inside these opened areas were numerous Mandalorian Supercommandos. The gunships were heading straight towards them and immediately opened fire on the Sith forces, obliterating the two Sith walkers and even taking out one of the Dark Jedi along with numerous Sith infantry. One gunship landed between the Sith line and the five heroes. As most of the Mandalorian soldiers piled out towards the Sith, one of them exited towards Kento and the others. The soldier was wearing deep blue armor with black lining and three black stripes over the left "eye" of the visor and carrying a WESTAR-M5 Rifle but didn't raise it towards them. They stood staring at each other for a moment before finally…
"Well? Are you coming or not, Jetii?" The Mandalorian asked with a familiar feminine voice in a thick Concord Dawn accent. Kento's eyes lit up immediately.
"Ailyn?" He exclaimed as the Mandalorian removed her helmet, revealing the smirking face of Boba Fett's daughter underneath.
"You've passed the eyesight test but we can't waste our time talking, we're getting the lot of you di'kuts out of here! Come on!" Ailyn said, putting her helmet back on and motioning for them to follow. Kento quickly put away his lightsaber and moved to help PROXY carry the wounded Juno onto the gunship. X2 had wasted no time in grabbing one of the fallen Sith Trooper's blaster rifles and opening fire on the Sith from the gunship as it took to the sky, the side panels closing as soon as they got high enough above the tree line. Kento and PROXY carefully set Juno down on a medical stretcher before Kento turned towards Ailyn who was holding onto one of the handles overhead. PROXY in the meantime began applying a bacta patch to Juno's side.
"Ailyn, what are you doing here? Where did you come from?" Kento asked, still trying to process what was going on.
"My father changed his mind. He found enough evidence to prove what you jetii said about what happened to me was true. Turns out he'd had one of his men following us since Nar Shaddaa, keeping tabs on me and making sure I stayed alive. When he learned he had been double-crossed by the Sith, he scrambled as many ships as he could here and to Coruscant." Ailyn explained quickly.
"Coruscant? The Sith are attacking there too?" Maris asked, shocked.
"Not in full force. The group attacking Coruscant are focused solely on assassinating the Chancellor and eradicating the Senate. My father went there with my mother to try and stop them, or at least, give the Republic forces some backup." Ailyn explained.
"So Fett knew the Sith's plans all along?" X2 asked, as both Kento and Maris looked surprised but Ailyn shrugged.
"I'm not sure. The Sith had set up a deal with him shortly after he contacted the Chancellor to arrange the deal. Turns out what you told me about my being the key to the alliance was true. I don't know how he learned about their plans but when he got the evidence that proved the Sith were double-crossing him, he decided to get even by honoring the original agreement with the Republic." Ailyn explained.
"So the Mandalorians have cast their lot in with the Jedi. That's quite an odd turn. You don't often hear of Mandalorians and Jedi working with each other." Maris said as Kento smirked.
"You forget whose been palling around with six Jedi for the past few days." Kento said as Ailyn smirked under her helmet.
"Yeah and after today, we're even, jetii!" Ailyn said as they felt the gunship start to slow down.
"Why are we stopping?" X2 asked into the cockpit.
"The dar'jetii resealed the hole in their defenses! They've got us boxed in!" the pilot, a Rodian Mandalorian judging by the shape of his armor, replied in basic.
"What about my dad's ship? The Bail Organa? What happened to it?" Kento asked. The pilot checked his instruments before replying.
"Really bad shape. Her shields are down and she's in no shape to land on!" the Pilot replied. Kento thought for a moment before closing his eyes and bowing his head quietly.
"Now's not the time to mourn!" Ailyn said as she moved to smack him but she was stopped by X2.
"Wait, he's meditating." X2 said.
"Now's not the time for that either!" Ailyn argued. In orbit, Galen's concentration had been broken since he sensed Juno's crash landing through the force. The Sith Destroyers had moved back in to seal the breach in their defenses, despite the support of several Keldabe Battleships, and were pounding the Bail Organa with everything they had.
"General! We can't take much more of this!" one of the bridge crew exclaimed but Galen remained stunned, staring out past the ships towards the surface. He then heard something, a familiar voice in the force.
"Mom is safe."
It was Kento's voice and with that, Galensnapped back to reality and, with renewed determination, turned to the officer.
"Set a collision course for the nearest enemy destroyer and abandon ship." Galen ordered as the officer looked at him for a moment, startled, but then saluted with a firm and prideful expression before carrying out Galen's orders. Galen however made his way to the holoprojector near the back of the bridge and opened a com channel to every ship in the area.
"All allied vessels this is General Marek! Clear the area around the Bail Organa, and if you see it coming your way then get out as fast as you can!" Galen ordered before he then turned and began running towards the hanger bay where Anakin's Shuttle still sat. As soon as he did, the Bail Organa started moving at full speed towards one of the Sith Destroyers. Back on the gunship, Kento dropped out of his meditation.
"We're about to have our exit." Kento said as Ailyn shook her head in disbelief.
"Haar'chak kote jetii mirshe besbe'trayce!" She mumbled. ("Damn mighty Jedi brain weapons")
"Elek, cuun mirshe besbe'trayce kote.Nayc vod?" X2 said with a smirk, earning a startled look from both Ailyn and the pilot. ("Yes, our brain weapons are mighty. No?"). Ailyn and the pilot said nothing, causing X2 to smile playfully. Maris was giving him a look that translated as "You shrewd showoff you." Before anyone else could say anything, the comlinks on each of the three Jedi crackled to life.
"This is General Kota to all evacuation transports. The second that hole opens up, you get through it ASAP! We won't get another chance at this so if you're not on a transport by that point, you're not getting out of here!" Rahm Kota said on the other end. Maris immediately pressed a button on her comlink.
"Rahm! Where are you?" Maris asked.
"On the topside platform with Master Korr! If you're planning on picking us up then you might want to hurry!" Rahm replied as Maris looked at Ailyn who groaned.
"Shabla'ni darasuum! Turn us around!" Ailyn yelled at the pilot who mumbled the same curse but complied anyway. Kento and Maris then turned to X2 for a translation. X2 merely turned to Ailyn.
"I assure you we have no intention of following through with your suggest-." "Shut up." On the top of the platform, Rahm and Jaden were pinned down by the fire of the Sith Troopers but the gunship was baring down on their position quickly.
"Looks like the jetii are getting overrun!" the pilot called out as Ailyn cocked her rifle.
"Open the side hatch!" Ailyn shouted as X2 raised his gun and Maris and Kento activated their lightsabers. The portside hatch on the side of the gunship then opened up, as the Gunship flew by overhead, Ailyn and X2 raining blaster fire down on the Sith Troopers below, felling most of them in a single volley before the gunship pulled up to make another pass. This gave Rahm and Jaden the opportunity to take out the remaining four troopers.
"It's about time they got here." Jaden said as the two Jedi Masters caught their breath.
"I concur. They're cutting it awful close." Rahm said as they saw the gunship start to come around to pick them up. As they got closer, Rahm sensed a sudden disturbance in the force and turned back towards the doors into the Praxium just in time to see a single Dark Jedi appear in the doorway only he could tell that this one was different. The Dark Jedi was armored from head to toe in a menacing suit similar to Vader's only not permanent. There was a lone horizontal slit for the eyes similar to the T shaped visor on Mandalorian helmets and a breathing attachment reminiscent of the one on an Ubese mercenary helmet. The arms were exposed save for a little bit of cloth around the upper arms and a pair of gloves with sharp blade-like fingertip covers. The chest was protected by a set of ribbed, flexible armor plates. A series of belts around the waist displayed several lightsabers, each of them Rahm recognized as having belonged to some of his fellow Jedi. Below the belts were another series of ribbed plates forming a girdle that protected the waist and crotch and a ragged, floor-length combat skirt covered most of the figure's legs. Beneath the plates and combat skirt, the wearer was clad in a skin-tight black bodysuit made of what appeared to be leather. Rahm could sense that the figure was strong in the force, very strong. The figure had two lightsabers clutched in its hand, both of them with red blades and held in reversed grips.
"Jaden!" Rahm said as Jaden turned towards the figure just as the gunship started its final approach.
"Master Kota!" Kento shouted as the starboard panel on the gunship opened during its approach. The armored figure stretched its left hand out towards the approaching gunship, causing it to start swaying erratically, causing Maris to lose her footing and fall out of the gunship, only to be saved at the last second by Ailyn with a grappling cable fired from her wrist launcher.
"NO!" Jaden shouted as he ran towards the Sith, his lightsabers raised, the Sith snapping it's head away from the gunship and towards the approaching Jedi Master. The sudden change in targets caused the Dark Jedi to release the gunship, allowing the pilot to regain control. Jaden's lightsabers clashed with the Dark Jedi's own, their blades pressed together.
"What's the matter? Can't do two things at-UMPH!" Jaden grunted as the Dark Jedi dealt a lightning fast knee to the stomach before quickly rearing back, and in one move, stabbed Jaden through the chest.
"JADEN!" Rahm exclaimed as Jaden tumbled to the floor, a stunned expression on his face as he became one with the Force. The three Jedi on the gunship were equally as stunned. Kento snarled and was about to leap out and join Kota but the elder Jedi predicted this and quickly turned to the gunship.
"GO! GET OUT OF HERE!" Rahm shouted to them.
"We're not leaving without you, General!" Kento shouted as Rahm snarled at him and used the force to shove the gunship slightly.
"THIS ISN'T UP FOR DEBATE, NOW GO!" Rahm ordered as X2 turned to the pilot.
"GET US OUT OF HERE!" X2 shouted. Kento was aghast at X2's order.
"No, WAIT!" Kento shouted but it was in vain as the doors to the gunship slammed shut, and the gunship took off but suddenly jerked to a halt as the Dark Jedi attempted to hold it back with the force. However it suddenly had to turn to cut down an airborne Sith Trooper corpse.
"Hey! You're not the only one up here, boy!" Rahm said, raising his lightsaber up with a determined expression. The Dark Jedi turned towards Rahm and twirled its twin lightsabers around menacingly as it started approaching him.
"If you came here to try and instill fear in me, then know that I do not fear death so I certainly don't fear YOU!" Rahm said before charging towards the Dark Jedi, the two exchanging several lightning fast blows before shoving Rahm back with the force to the corner of the platform.
"You think I'm blind? I can see more than just you! I can see your future, and I see-…" Rahm said but froze as he saw a vision of the future of the Dark Jedi before him and what he saw made his eyes widen in shock and disbelief.
"No…it can't be! It's impossible! You can't possibly be HIM!" Rahm exclaimed as the Dark Jedi gave a snort.
"But I am." The Dark Jedi said with a mechanically filtered voice due to its helmet before leaping towards Rahm. Rahm seemed to suddenly relax, raising his blade in both hands in front of him and closing his eyes just as the Dark Jedi took a swing at him, only for his blade to cut through an empty set of clothes and armor. Rahm's body had completely disappeared.
In Orbit…
The Bail Organa careened towards a Sith Destroyer mere seconds away from impact, when Anakin's shuttle emerged from the ventral hanger and streaked into space just as the Destroyer collided with the Sith Destroyer, causing both vessels to explode in a ball of fire.
"This is it everyone! It's now or never!" Galen shouted as a swarm of transports from the surface, including the Mynock and several Mandalorian gunships made for the hole in the Sith fleet.
"Here they come, all fighters protect those transports!" Anakin Sr. ordered, with only one of his TIE Interceptor escorts left, flew into position to drive off the Sith Fighters attempting to intercept.
"Mando'ad, hukaatir te jetii!" A Mandalorian Commander ordered over the comms ("Mandalorians, defend the Jedi!"). Instantly multiple Crusader Corvettes flew in towards the breach and stopped, keeping the breach open as the transports flew past, followed by the single Keldabe Battleship that had gone into low orbit, the battleship's mass drivers discouraging the Sith's desperate attempts at resealing the hole.
"We're almost through everyone! Just a bit further!" K'Kruhk reassured from the Mynock as it flew among the transports.
"Mando'ad, bah cuun vode ti Manda'yaim!" The Mandalorian commander ordered as the Keldabe Battleships and the Crusader corvettes not holding the breach open started pouring on the fire, hitting the Sith Destroyers hard as the fighters joined up with the escaping transports. ("Mandalorians, to our brothers/sisters with Mandalore!")
"Jedi, you may want to follow us!" another Mandalorian instructed over the comms as a StarViper flew up alongside.
"Understood, all Jedi fighters, follow the Mandalorians!" Luke ordered as they cleared the Sith fleet, losing only three transports in the process. Suddenly the Mandalorian fighters and transports started jumping to hyperspace, the Jedi vessels following close behind, leaving the Mandalorian warships to continue the fighting. As soon as the last transport had disappeared, the Mandalorians outnumbered and outgunned, started turning and fleeing in all directions, their mission accomplished.
On the surface of Yavin, the armored Sith that had killed Jaden and Rahm stood staring up at the sky when a figure in black robes started approaching from within the now abandoned Praxium. The Sith turned and knelt before the dark figure who stopped before the warrior.
"The Jedi have escaped, my master. The Mandalorians will pay for their treachery." The warrior said with his filtered voice.
"The Mandalorian interference was not unforeseen. I expected Boba Fett to side with the Republic." Darth Akul said as the Sith remained kneeled before them.
"And what of…him?" the Sith asked.
"He still lives. It seems Darth Vandal's hatred was…not strong enough. However, something has come of her failure." Darth Akul said as the Sith watched his master pass by him towards the edge of the platform.
"I sensed it too. But will he join us? He still clings to the Jedi ways." The Sith said as Akul looked up towards the sky, a menacing grin of yellow stained serrated teeth forming on the Dark Lord's mouth.
"He will join us in time, and when he does, we will finally be able to destroy Skywalker, once and for all." Darth Akul said as the Sith rose to his feet.
"And the Sith will have their revenge." The Sith said as Darth Akul turned to him.
"You have done well, Lord Stalker. And now, we have one other matter to attend to before the day is out." Darth Akul said as the two Sith Lords turned and started to reenter the empty halls of the Jedi Praxium.
End Chapter 26.