"Do not see every enemy as an enemy. See them instead as an ally, whether they know it or not." - Kreia
-000-
Zyon poked his head out of the entrance to Davik Kang's vault. Below them were a few of the monsters that he had seen earlier in the rest of the ruined skyscraper. In the middle of them were the eviscerated remains of two mercenaries that he had no clue where they had come from.
The other oddity that Zyon could see was a monster even bigger than the normal rakghouls. Ayllis had mentioned something called a nekghoul, likely what that thing was.
He crouched back into the tunnel, turning to face Ahsoka. No chance of us sneaking past them, and I doubt they'll leave us here alone. I sense that they're aware of our presence.
Ahsoka frowned, and then nodded. Her mouth curled into a slight smile. "Guns blazing?"
Zyon smiled back. "You know me so well."
With that, Zyon returned to the opening. Gripping his lightsaber in one hand, he launched himself out with a shout. Rolling to his feet, he ignited the lightsaber. The violet blade hummed to life and cleaved the first rakghoul in two.
Ahsoka hit the ground next to him, lifting one of the rakghouls into the air where it was shot by Syr's blasterfire. She drew her vibroblade and twirled it, carving through the rotted flesh of another rakghoul.
One charged at Zyon, swiping at him with its sharp, poisoned claws. Zyon tracked the course of both the claw and the rakghoul itself, the Force projecting their trajectories into his mind's eye. Zyon ducked in and sidestepped, flicking his lightsaber up to cleave the rakghoul's entire hand off at the wrist. A quick flick of the wrist brought the lightsaber through the rakghoul's neck, and the pale fleshy head fell to the floor.
Suddenly Zyon's senses flared with imminent danger. Just as he whirled to face it, he was thrown off his feet by a massive blast of Force energy. He slammed into a wall which was once the ceiling of Davik Kang's penthouse. Who could have hit him? It hadn't been Ahsoka, he hadn't sensed it coming from her, and he hadn't sensed any Force sensitivity coming from Ayllis.
That left only one option, and as he looked towards it he saw Ahsoka stagger, having thrown up a mental shield against the nekghoul's telekinetic attack.
"Now even monsters can use your crazy floaty powers?" Hondo yelled as he fired off a burst of blaster fire at the remaining rakghouls, cutting them down and leaving the nekghoul to stand alone.
Realizing this, the nekghoul changed tactics. Throwing Hondo, Syr, and Ayllis with the Force, it removed their long range attacks and forced Ahsoka and Zyon to get in close, where the nekghoul would be able to use its longer reach to its advantage.
But it also seemed to know that Zyon's lightsaber could do some serious damage. Reaching a hand behind it, it tore panels from the walls and threw them at the two former Jedi.
The penthouse groaned as the supports keeping it suspended above the toxic sea began to buckle from the nekghoul tearing them away. The floor shuddered as Zyon cut through a particularly large girder thrown his way when he heard Ahsoka yelp.
The nekghoul had gotten in close while she had been distracted by avoiding the debris thrown at it. It grabbed her by the throat and lifted the togruta off her feet.
Ahsoka kicked out and stabbed her vibroblade into the nekghoul's side. It dropped her as it roared in pain, allowing Ahsoka to roll out of harm's way. She made it to Zyon's side and a plan passed between the mental link they had.
Yelling for the others to join them, Zyon and Ahsoka grabbed the debris that littered the floor of the penthouse, including the stuff the nekghoul had ripped out and flung at them. Combining their strength, Zyon and Ahsoka threw the debris at the nekghoul, which was charging after Hondo, Syr, and Ayllis.
Girders impaled the creature, halting it in its tracks. Panels smacked into it, some shattering, others staying intact. The force behind the strikes brought the nekghoul down to its knees.
Zyon turned to the others. "Grab the goods and run!"
They grabbed the bags filled with Davik Kang's treasure and took off running for the escape as the penthouse began to tilt. Metal groaned as it twisted and warped and there was the ping of rivets shooting out of their places.
Hondo and Syr made it to the chasm. Ahsoka and Zyon, not having time to levitate them across, launched a Force push that sent the two flying up and out over the toxic waste pit. Hondo landed and rolled to his feet, laughing and yelling out that he wanted to do it again.
Ahsoka and Zyon each picked up the bags they had filled and leaped, augmenting their jumps with the Force. They each landed softly on the other side, unlike the hard tumble that Syr had taken into some debris.
Zyon turned to see Ayllis standing at the edge as the penthouse shifted and tilted more. She was looking in between them and the entrance to Davik Kang's vault. Ahsoka yelled over to her. "You'll never make it back in time! Jump!"
Zyon could feel Ayllis' turmoil. She didn't trust the four outsiders who offered her a way off the planet and he could feel the desire in her to reach the treasure and scavenge as much of it as she could. But he also could feel that she knew she would die if she stayed behind.
Ayllis took a couple steps towards the vault, causing Ahsoka to cry out in alarm. But in one fluid motion, Ayllis pivoted on one foot and ran up the steep incline to the gap. She jumped, a leap of faith placing her life in the hands of Zyon and Ahsoka.
The two grabbed the red-haired scavenger with the Force as she leaped, but her foot slipped as the angle of the floor of the penthouse steepened even further. They pulled, dragging the flailing woman against gravity until her arms fell right into their hands.
"Got you!" Ahsoka yelled as the penthouse broke off fully and plunged down into the sickly green pit.
-0-
Ahsoka sighed as her and Zyon's speeder glided to a halt outside their ship. It had been a long day and Ahsoka looked forward to nothing more than a shower to get rid of all the grime from traversing the dilapidated ruins and a nice long nap to refresh herself.
Still despite her exhaustion, she smiled as she lugged the duffel bag up the loading ramp. They had found Davik Kang's treasure and, while they hadn't retrieved everything the ancient crime lord had once owned, they had scored a sizable haul. Sizable enough to keep them in business for quite a while.
Syr had already departed, Ayllis tagging along with him. Ahsoka smiled, remembering how the scavenger's face lit up upon seeing the freighter, knowing that she was finally leaving Taris for good. Free from the rakghouls. Free from the bounds of gravity at last.
In the last transmission Syr had sent before going into hyperspace, he had informed them that Ayllis and him were off to Kessel. The wily Nikto had contacts everywhere, including one in the administration of the spice mines that dotted the cursed heap of rock. With any luck, Ayllis' brother would still be there.
In the meantime, Ahsoka, Zyon, and Hondo sat in the common area of his freighter, planning their next move. "We have a sizeable haul," Ahsoka said, gesturing to the bags lying secured in the smuggler's compartment of the cargo bay. "But the treasure itself gets us nowhere."
Zyon nodded. "Hard to buy anything with aurodium. We need a broker to transform it all into credits."
"Fear not my soon to be rich friends!" Hondo smiled widely. "Old Hondo knows the best in the business for handling lost treasures."
"Please tell me we're not dealing with a Hutt." Ahsoka groaned, a statement with which Zyon's expression clearly indicated agreement.
"Have no fear, Ahsoka," Hondo said, placing a hand on his chest in mock hurt. "Do you really think your old friend Hondo would sell you out after we've accomplished so much?"
"Yes," was Zyon's reply, one which Ahsoka found herself smirking and shaking her head at. "Now who is your dealer?"
"He's a Muun, Brar Sib. He set up shop in Sundari on Mandalore a year or two ago. Since Mandalore declared itself neutral in the Clone Wars, all sorts of independent traders come and go looking to deal their wares with someone not affiliated with either the Republic or Separatists. All transactions are confidential, and he has very reasonable prices."
"Sounds like our man," Zyon said.
He turned to Ahsoka, who merely shrugged. "I don't have any better recommendations. What's the situation on Mandalore though?" The latest information she had was from Master Kenobi's report that Maul had overthrown Duchess Satine Kryze's government. But then Maul had disappeared, and his Shadow Collective had fought Mandalorian rebels ever since, turning the streets of Sundari into a warzone.
"As contentious as ever," Hondo responded. "Skirmishes rage every now and then, but as long as we keep our heads down we should avoid any unwanted attention."
"I might be a liability though if I come along," Ahsoka said. "I've been to Mandalore before and encountered Death Watch once. They might recognize me and blow our cover."
"That does pose a problem," Zyon said, stroking his chin in thought. "You could stay on the ship if you wanted, to make sure that nobody takes it or strands us in Sundari."
Hondo shook his head. "More likely to be recognized there. The longer you wait in one place, the more likely someone is to notice you, even inside a ship. They'll detect you and investigate a lifesign for sure. Besides, if something does go down on the way, two Jedi are better than one."
"Wear a cloak and hide your face the best you can," Zyon offered. "That's all I can come up with."
"It'll have to do," Ahsoka responded with a shrug. "Take us in."
-0-
About a standard Coruscant day later, Sundari traffic control picked up the signature of an unknown incoming ship. Kom'rk-class starfighters scrambled and intercepted the ship, which they identified to be a old, battered Corellian light stock freighter.
"Incoming Corellian freighter, this is Sundari Spaceport," the controller said. "You're not on our schedule for arrivals. Maintain your course and state your intentions."
An eccentric alien voice responded over the comm, causing the controller to groan in frustration. Yet more filthy offworlders and aliens coming in to sully Sundari's streets. "Greetings Sundari control! We are an independent venture from the Outer Rim looking to sell our merchandise in the Merchant District near the docks."
At least they didn't want to enter the city itself. Most offworlders remained near the docks doing who knew what. Their business didn't bother the controller, as long as they stayed out of Sundari itself. "Very well, transmitting clearance to Landing Bay L-17. Stand by for inspection once you land."
"Understood," the alien said, his voice ever so chipper. "On course for L-17. We welcome your inspection party. We have nothing to hide!"
Miles above the ground, the occupants of the freighter breathed a sigh of relief as the starfighters veered off from their intercept positions. Hondo turned to his two partners. "Think you'll be able to handle the inspection crew with your Jedi magic?"
"Shouldn't be a problem," Ahsoka said with a smirk on her face.
The minutes ticked by as Zyon maneuvered the freighter through the traffic of Sundari spaceport, finally touching down in Bay L-17 to find two armed Port Authority officials waiting for them.
Hondo led the way down the loading ramp, his usual smile and cheery demeanor on his face. "Hello my friends, what can I do for you?"
One of the officials, who looked little more than a thug, scoffed. "Just stand by while we inspect your ship for any… contraband."
"You think I'm a smuggler!" Hondo yelled, indignation filling his voice. "I resent such an accusation! Is this how you treat every merchant that comes to your planet?"
While Hondo distracted the officials, Ahsoka, hidden out of sight of them, delved into the Force, feeling their minds through it and searching for the critical point in their brains. "You have found nothing wrong on the ship."
One of the officials said to his partner. "We've found nothing out of place on the ship."
"They can go about their business."
"You can go about your business," the other official said to Hondo. With that, the two left the landing bay.
A minute passed and when nobody else entered, Ahsoka and Zyon emerged from hiding. "Good work, my dear. I wish I had the power to do that. Think of all the favorable deals I could make!" Hondo laughed with a smile.
Ahsoka shook her head with a groan. "Jedi Pirate Hondo is probably the last thing this galaxy needs."
"Come on," Zyon said, his face hardening a bit. "We got a drop to make and I don't want to stay here for longer than we have to."
"Agreed," Ahsoka said, pulling the hood of her cloak up over her head. "You know where we're headed, Hondo. Lead the way."
Hondo led them through twisting streets, filled with venders, aliens, and people from offworld trading goods in the Merchant District. They weren't in Sundari itself, which would aid in getting their business accomplished without incident, but even here the signs of the Mandalorian Civil War were visible. Carbon scoring peppered the walls where blaster bolts had impacted. Some buildings were bombed out or burned down.
The residents just went on about their business as usual, not letting the political conflict interfere with their profits. But to someone in tune with the Force, there was a nervous edge to everyone around. Something was brewing, something that the group of three didn't want to still be around when it broke loose.
Hondo led them down a sidestreet, leaving the noise, hustle, and bustle behind them. A plain, innocuous door greeted them. Hondo knocked and a camera activated from the corner of the doorframe, speaking in some language that neither Ahsoka nor Zyon recognized. Hondo answered in the same tongue, and after a retort that felt almost antagonistic towards the Weequay pirate, the door unlocked and slid open to allow them entry.
Zyon voiced the concern both he and Ahsoka were feeling. "Hondo, what was that about?"
"Security, my friend. Ever since Brar cut ties with the Banking Clan, he has been fearful of reprisals and we showed up unannounced."
"That won't be a problem, will it?" Ahsoka asked.
"Not at all," Hondo replied. "We must simply surrender our weapons upon entry." At Zyon's defiant look, Hondo placated. "But as you both know, a Jedi is never unarmed. And just let me do the talking."
They walked into a dimly lit room, a perfect place to be ambushed, but neither Ahsoka nor Zyon's senses indicated a trap of any kind. A guard materialized out of the darkness, holding out a hand. Ahsoka, Hondo, and Zyon all unholstered blasters and vibroblades. Ahsoka noticed that Zyon didn't hand over his lightsaber, but said nothing. The guard scanned each of their bags, and when he was satisfied, spoke into a comlink.
On the other side, a door opened into a brighter room, and they entered to find a tall skinny Muun sitting behind an opulent desk. "Hondo Ohnaka," he said, his voice sounding like gravel crunching underfoot. "To what do I owe the pleasure of doing business with you?"
"We recently came into possession of some ancient relics and treasures," Hondo explained, gesturing to the sacks they brought with them.
"And you wish to exchange them to me for credits in return?" Brar finished with a nod. "I'm sure we can come to an agreement. Let's see the merchandise."
They opened their bags under the watchful eyes of Brar's bodyguards, and then placed them before him to examine. Brar reached in and pulled out the aurodium ingots and statuettes. "By the Force, these must be thousands of years old!" Brar exclaimed, glancing over at them with a questioning eye. "Where did you discover these?
"It is a long story, my friend," Hondo said. "Have you ever heard of Davik Kang?"
As Hondo told the story of how Ahsoka and Zyon had come to him for help with their plan and then the stories of the adventures made along the way to find the treasure, Brar listened while he inspected the contents of the duffel bags. When all was said and done, Brar gave the Muun equivalent of a whistle.
"What you have brought me… is worth millions of credits. You're sure that this is all that will ever be found?" Brar asked.
Zyon answered, crossing his arms over his chest. "Unless you have an environmental suit and a death wish, yes."
"A shame," Brar's shoulders slumped in disappointment. "I would very much have liked to have seen what else was in Kang's treasure vault. But it is of no matter."
Ahsoka shrugged. "So what's your offer?"
Brar leaned forward, his hands folded before him on his desk. "The aurodium ingots you have brought me, I can immediately convert into credits for you. They're worth approximately five million Republic credits."
Ahsoka's eyes widened as she whistled. "That's… a lot."
Hondo laughed at her expression. "I doubt you ever saw that much money with the Jedi. This is why you should've been a pirate!"
"Yeah yeah, very funny Hondo," she rolled her eyes and grumbled.
Brar's face had adopted a questioning look. He asked Ahsoka. "You are Jedi?"
"Once, not anymore," Ahsoka responded. "And I'd rather not talk about that subject."
"Very well," Brar said, leaning back in his seat.
Zyon changed the topic, eying the artwork that had swiped from Kang's vault before the rakghouls showed up. "What about all of that?"
"Pieces like this," Brar picked up an old marble statuette of a Twi'lek dancer, examining it, "vary in price depending on how much collectors will buy them for. Because of that, I can't pay you immediately for them."
"So they go on auction and you pay us what the buyer pays for them?" Zyon asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow.
"Yes," Brar answered. "I take a 15% cut of every auction transaction and transfer the remainder into your accounts. Standard procedure."
Zyon leaned forward, placing his hands on the edge of the desk. His voice was low. "How do I know you'll pay up."
"You have my word," the Muun answered calmly. "Financial transactions among my people are held in an almost sacred respect. Think of it this way, if I was, hypothetically, to refuse to pay you what you are owed, then you would speak out. My reputation would be tarnished, and my status as a Muun of integrity would disappear."
Hondo placed a placating hand on Zyon's shoulder, pulling him back gently. "I've known Brar for a while, and I have never known him to be a dishonest business partner. I may be a backstabbing, treacherous pirate, but Brar has gained my respect."
Brar gestured to Ahsoka, who was leaning casually against a wall by now. "Plus I do not wish to make enemies with an ex-Jedi. I have nothing to hide."
Ahsoka closed her eyes, letting the Force flow around her, and she touched the Muun's mind, searching for any hint of dishonesty or treachery. She smiled. "He's telling the truth."
"Good," Brar said, typing into a datapad. "Now let me just transfer the correct amount of credits into your chosen account and our business here shall be concluded."
As he did so, Ahsoka let her conscious wander to their surroundings, then to the Merchant District nearby. Her smile turned into a frown. The place had fallen silent of the bustling lifeforms going to and fro. Instead, she felt death and could almost hear blaster bolts.
Her eyes snapped open and she looked over at Zyon, who was looking at her. They had each felt it. Zyon turned to Hondo and Brar. "We need to get back to the ship now."
-0-
Captain Gar Saxon stood in the street, flanked by his Mandalorian Super Commandos. The raid had gone near perfectly. A resistance safehouse in the Merchant Quarter had been discovered and cleared with minimal casualties, and intel had been discovered that brought him ever so much closer to finding the elusive Bo-Katan Kryze and her karking Nite Owls. The fools inside the safehouse had put up pitiful resistance to his attack, and it made every bone in Saxon's body seethe with anger that these cowards had hounded the Shadow Collective for as long as they had. Saxon longed for the day that he would be able to chase Kryze to ground and kill her himself. It would be a good fight, Kryze was a worthy adversary, and Lord Maul had promised that Saxon would be the one to which that honor would fall.
Until that day when he'd squeeze the life from Kryze's body, Gar Saxon would continue to do what he must, which today meant processing these pathetic excuses for Mandalorians and locking them up in Sundari prison.
His helmet picked up movement in his peripheral vision and he turned to find three armed offworlders coming out of a back alley. Smugglers supplying Kryze's resistance movement, perhaps?
He and several other warriors immediately trained their weapons on the offworlders. "Halt!" Saxon yelled, walking towards them, blaster held at rest across his chest, ready to point and fire at a moment's notice. "Let's see some identification."
Two of the offworlders looked at each other, the small female wearing a hooded cloak, and a dark-skinned human male. The male stepped forward and Saxon saw his hand wave slightly before him. "You don't need to see our identification," the male said in a calm, steady voice.
Saxon frowned, his mind feeling strained, as if something was trying to force its way in. "I don't… no…" Saxon grit out through his teeth as he shook off the pressure from his mind. He snapped his rifle around, muzzle pointing directly into the human's face. "Place your hands above your heads now. All of you!"
The cloaked female sighed and said softly. "Oh well, worth a try."
She thrust her hands forward and Saxon found himself and the other warriors flying backwards away from the offworlders. Blasterfire erupted from the other warriors, accompanied by a snap-hiss. Saxon came to his knees, seeing the human male deflecting blasterfire with a violet lightsaber while his companions fired off blasters as they retreated.
A Jedi, huh? Saxon thought to himself. About time I had a good fight.
He toggled his comlink as he got to his feet, engaging his jetpack as the Jedi turned and fled after his companions. "Inform Lord Maul that we've encountered a Jedi in the Merchant Quarter. I'm in pursuit. … No, I do not yet need assistance. I will defeat the Jedi myself."
-0-
From high above the Merchant Quarter, another warrior watched the chaos unfold. Lady Bo-Katan Kryze, former member of Death Watch and trusted Lieutenant to its leader Pre Vizsla, had led a resistance movement for months against the usurper Maul, waiting for the aid that Jedi Master Kenobi had promised from the Republic. Aid that had yet to arrive.
Such as it was, the sight of a violet lightsaber was a surprise to Bo-Katan. A lightsaber being used with that amount of skill surely meant Jedi. Perhaps one had been sent to do reconnaissance on Sundari and report back?
But the Jedi's companion… Bo-Katan recognized her from somewhere. With the cloak long since discarded, Bo-Katan was able to identify her as togruta… but those montrals, she recognized those. It was the Jedi that had infiltrated Death Watch posing as that Bonteri kid's betrothed. The togrutan Jedi was a competent fighter, she had proved that much on Carlac. She would have been a worthy adversary for a Mandalorian such as Bo-Katan, but as of now, she and the other Jedi were the only chance Bo-Katan had of getting aid for Mandalore and freeing them from Maul's grasp.
Signalling her two fellow Nite Owls, a male warrior named Deak Ordo and the female warrior Ursa Wren, Bo-Katan would stay in recon mode for now. She had a feeling this was about to get interesting.
-0-
By now, their cover had been well and truly blown and all Ahsoka could do was run as fast as she could. So far, all that was after them was a squad of Mandalorian warriors, but she knew that reinforcements would be quickly arriving. And once news that a Jedi had been spotted reached Maul… well, Ahsoka just hoped that they could reach Zyon's freighter before he arrived.
Ahsoka knew of Maul through reputation only, and what she had learned of him from Master Kenobi was enough that her hairs would be standing on end. If togruta had hair that is! The former Sith apprentice had killed Obi-Wan's old master and carved a path of destruction through the Outer Rim seeking to draw Obi-Wan out into battle. A confrontation that Obi-Wan had only survived with some timely and unexpected help from Asajj Ventress.
Ahsoka took point as she ran through the deserted streets of the Merchant Quarter, the spaceport slowly drawing closer. Hondo followed her, firing off a few shots at their pursuers every now and then, but the jetpacks the Mandos had gave them unrivaled agility in the air. Hondo was lucky if he scored a hit, and the beskar probably meant he wouldn't even take the Mando out of the fight. Zyon brought up the rear, deflecting a couple blaster bolts or redirecting missiles, then cutting and running to catch back up. He managed to redirect one blaster bolt into the jetpack of one of their pursuers, sending the warrior veering off course, but there were still a good half-dozen coming.
As Ahsoka neared the spaceport, the two guards at the entrance nearest their ship raised blasters and yelled for her to halt. She smiled to herself as she did so, but raised her hand to catch both guards in the invisible net of the Force. They cried out in shock and panic fired at her, but their wild shots never came close. With a simple push, both guards impacted the ferrocrete wall behind them and fell limply to the ground, unconscious, but alive.
Hondo caught up to her, and Ahsoka pulled out both her blaster and vibroblade. "Get the ship up and running, then fly over and pick us up. We'll hold them off out here." Hondo nodded an affirmative and dashed into the spaceport to fire up the engines and make the freighter ready for an immediate departure.
Zyon skidded to a half beside her with a grin. "We seem to attract trouble everywhere we go, don't we?"
"Story of my life," Ahsoka quipped as their pursuers came in close. Years of action in the Clone Wars had led Ahsoka to evaluate the tactical merits of every location she found herself in, and it was now that tactical appraisal that caused her to make a stand outside the spaceport itself. The plaza Ahsoka and Zyon stood in offered a lot of space for movement. Sure, their opponents would be able to utilize their jetpacks, but those could be negated to a degree by the Force.
If Maul did show up, the last place Ahsoka wanted to be in was a narrow hallway with little room to maneuver.
Their pursuers broke over the nearest rooftop and came to a halt, hovering above ground on their jetpacks. One of them descended to land before Ahsoka and Zyon. It was the leader from back near Brar's place. He pointed at Zyon and drew a beskad from a holster on his back. "You! Jedi! I challenge you, one warrior to another."
Zyon said nothing, but activated his lightsaber and assumed a fighting position. Through their bond, Ahsoka heard him say to remain out of the fight for now. Better for them to think there was only one Jedi. The other Mandalorians hovering overhead did nothing but keep their blasters aimed and ready, preventing either Ahsoka or Zyon from fleeing the area.
Zyon charged the warrior, who adopted a defensive stance and blocked Zyon's strikes with impressive skill, parrying some strikes and nearly scoring a hit on Zyon, who fell back to reset and analyze the Mandalorian's style. The warrior charged, delivering a flurry of swift strikes that Zyon deflected with ease.
Zyon managed to slip under the warrior's defense and rolled past him, scoring a hit on the warrior's right leg. To his surprise, the Mandalorian just laughed at the blackened mark on his red armor. "It'll take more than that to defeat a Mando'ade."
Zyon grit his teeth and unleashed a hail of heavy blows against the warrior. Ahsoka took her attention off the others circling them, instead meditating, helping to keep Zyon centered and in control of his emotions, lest the heat of battle get him carried away and down the dark path again.
Zyon landed a kick on the warrior's torso, knocking him back. The warrior held back momentarily before speaking. "You fight well Jedi. You have earned a warrior's death, I promise you that."
Zyon laughed in response. "Good thing I don't intend on dying today."
"We shall see," the warrior ignited his jetpack and threw a concussion grenade that exploded close to Zyon's face. He managed to throw up a shield quickly, but not quick enough to avoid getting knocked backwards onto the ground.
The warrior flew towards the stunned Zyon, beskad held straight to skewer him. Ahsoka leaped into action, grabbing the Mandalorian with the Force and pulling him off course. Whipping her vibroblade around, she slashed at the warrior, who deflected her attack and backed off, rising into the air slightly to back out of range. "Two Jedi, huh? I relish a challenge."
"You'll find I'm full of surprises," Ahsoka said, leaping up with the Force aiming with her vibroblade towards the warrior's jetpack in an attempt to repeat her move against the Death Watch leader back on Carlac.
As the red warrior dodged her leap, the sky erupted in blasterfire.
Before the Mandalorian super commandos could even react, three of them were hit by pinpoint blaster fire from above. Three Mandalorians in blue armor dove in on jetpacks, firing away at the red Mandalorian warriors who now fired back.
Ahsoka heard the warrior who had dueled Ahsoka and Zyon yell into a comlink. "Kryze is here! All reinforcements to the spaceport!"
At the same time, her own comlink was filled with Hondo's voice. "The freighter is ready to go, Ahsoka."
She responded, yelling over the blasterfire as she pulled Zyon behind some cover. "Hondo, lift off and take the ship to the roof of the spaceport, then open the ramp! We'll jump on from there!"
Hondo gave an affirmative and Ahsoka turned to Zyon. "You ready to run?" She asked with a smirk.
"Absolutely," Zyon smirked back, shaking himself off and getting to his feet.
The two summoned the Force around them and ran out into the plaza, dodging stray blasterfire as they went. Reaching a row of low buildings, they leaped up onto the low roofs, then augmenting their leg strength with the Force, jumped high in the air onto the spaceport wall. The freighter rose up before them at the end of the wall, ramp lowering to allow entry.
The two ran towards it. But the Force screamed a warning, and mere seconds later the wall underneath them exploded.
-0-
Captain Saxon watched the Jedi run out of cover, but there was little he could do, pinned down by Kryze and her traitors. They had come out of nowhere, and now over half of Saxon's squad was down. The bitch needed to be taken care of soon, for she posed a thorn in their side, threatening to interfere in Lord Maul's carefully laid plans.
The Jedi leaped up an impossible distance onto the spaceport roof. He had heard of such feats, but seeing them in action was impressive. Jedi were worthy adversaries for any Mando'ade.
A freighter appeared at the end, shields holding against point-laser cannon fire from the defense towers. It descended out of range of their guns, ramp lowered. Saxon knew what they were planning to do.
"No you don't," he said as he lowered his head, launching the missile on his jetpack. He watched with satisfaction as it detonated beneath the Jedi, crumbling the wall below them and causing both to fall to the ground in a cascade of rubble.
As the dust cleared, he grinned in satisfaction. The male, the one with the lightsaber, had an arm pinned under a huge chunk of ferrocrete. The female alien was shaken, moving slowly as if she was trying to get her bearings.
Saxon ran towards them. His squad could handle Kryze long enough for Saxon to disarm and capture the Jedi. Reinforcements, including Lord Maul himself, were approaching and it was only a matter of time before Kryze would be either captured or destroyed by overwhelming fire.
Today was a good day. Saxon would present Maul with not only two Jedi, but either a captured or dead Kryze as well. He would win great honor from doing so, and maybe one day take over from that fool Almec.
However, his perfect vision suddenly disappeared in the flash of an explosion right in front of him.
-0-
Ahsoka fell onto her side, montrals ringing incessantly from the close range explosion. She had managed to throw up a Force shield to absorb the shockwaves from the blast, but it did nothing against the two story drop. How she hadn't been more seriously wounded was a miracle.
She saw the red Mandalorian charging towards her, but her head hurt to move. It was hopeless, she and Zyon had failed.
But miracles did happen.
The ground in front of the warrior exploded, and a Mandalorian female in blue armor landed before Ahsoka. Even in her dazed state, Ahsoka recognized her. The Mando female from Carlac! "You!"
The Mandalorian held out a hand, helping Ahsoka to her feet. "Luckily for you, Jedi, I am on your side."
Ahsoka turned, noticing that Zyon's lightsaber arm was crushed under a large chunk of ferrocrete. His face was pained, but he did not cry out.
A wave of darkness suddenly flowed over her. It was a feeling she had only felt when a dark sided Force user was near, like the Sith Assassin Ventress. But this darkness was even darker than Ventress, more… pure. She knew who it was. Maul.
The Mandalorian picked up Zyon's lightsaber as Hondo lowered the freighter down into the Plaza. They had to leave now. Ahsoka tried to lift the rubble off of Zyon, but Maul's presence smothered her, making it hard to touch the Force. She turned to the Mandalorian. "Help me move it."
"There's no time," the woman said as she ignited the purple blade. "Sorry kid."
Zyon's eyes snapped open and he and Ahsoka said in unison. "What are you-?"
Zyon's protest turned into a scream as the blue Mandalorian severed his crushed arm. "Let's go!" She yelled, picking up Zyon and flying over to the freighter. Ahsoka chased after, her own right arm feeling limp. Two other blue Mandalorians stood on the ramp, providing covering fire until everyone got on board.
Without any further delay, Hondo closed the ramp and rocketed the freighter into the sky.
-0-
Gar Saxon hung his head as Maul approached. He had failed. The Jedi and Kryze, both escaped on that freighter. Maul watched it climb away as he stepped off the hoversled.
"I'm sorry, Lord Maul," Saxon reported. "The Jedi and Kryze have all escaped."
"Yes," Maul responded, his voice a dry chuckle. "I can see that, Captain."
"We can still catch them, my Lord," Saxon proposed. "If we scramble fighters now we can intercept them and stop them before they get away for good!"
Maul's simple response shocked Saxon. "No."
"I… I'm sorry?"
"No," Maul repeated calmly. "Let them go."
"But my Lord if they are allowed to escape, the Republic will inevitably attack!"
"Your grasp of the obvious is admirable, Captain." Maul said in that same dry chuckle. "You are to be commended, Saxon. Tell me, do you know who one of those Jedi was?"
"No, my Lord," Saxon answered truthfully, unsure what was going through Maul's horned head.
"One of the Jedi was the apprentice to… Skywalker. She will return soon, with Skywalker and… Kenobi alongside her." Maul turned to face Saxon, and his red-yellow eyes burned with intensity. "My plan will come to fruition, and you will play a critical part. You will see to formulating plans for defense against the inevitable invasion. Do not fail me, Commander."
With that, Maul turned away from the stunned Gar Saxon, now Commander of Shadow Collective forces in Sundari.
-0-
"I need your help Jedi."
As soon as the Mandalorian removed her helmet, Ahsoka clocked her right in the face. "You shutta! What makes you think I would ever help you after what you pulled?"
The woman stood firm, facing the enraged togruta. "I did what needed to be done."
"Crippling him was mandatory?" Ahsoka's voice was at full pitch, and full of anger and rage.
"And if we had tried to save the arm, Maul would have arrived and killed us all." Ahsoka faltered, the cold reasoning of the woman's argument cracking through.
Hondo broke the silence. "We need to act now, Zyon's gone into shock. He won't last long."
Ahsoka turned to him. "We have a kolto tank on board."
The male Mandalorian spoke up, shaking his helmeted head. "No good. Kolto's great for healing lacerations and burns, but a full amputation? He's going to need bacta for that."
Ahsoka turned back to Hondo. "Put him in anyways, it'll help until we can reach a better equipped medbay."
The other female Mandalorian offered a suggestion. "Our HQ is fully equipped, plus has access to prosthetics."
"No use," the red-haired Mandalorian shook her head, her cheek starting to bruise from Ahsoka's punch. "The moment we re-enter Mandalorian space we'll get torn to shreds by their Gauntlets. It's a miracle we escaped at all."
There was one option that Ahsoka had left, and like it or not, it was the only chance she had at saving Zyon's life.
Ahsoka ran to the communications suite in the cockpit and keyed in a frequency that she had not used in ages. "This is Ahsoka Tano calling any nearby Republic ship. I need immediate medical help. Repeat, this is Ahsoka Tano…"
If the Force had a sense of humor, Ahsoka decided it had to be a cruel one. "Commander? Is that you?" It was the same voice she had heard from all over the Grand Army of the Republic, but despite the familiarity she recognized it instantly.
"Rex?"
-000-
So... this chapter kind of took a while to post, huh? I can't really offer anything but the hope that what I have written can make up for the extremely long delay it took for me to get this done. I am so sorry it took so long, but I hope you all enjoyed it.
Baumy - I'm still working on this story, it just takes me a while to post updates because I have another large writing project I've been working on and being a aerospace student in college limits the free time I have to actually write.
Jack Redhawke - So what I'm going for is that Zyon feels betrayed by the Jedi Code. The teachings of the Jedi didn't prepare him for what happened on Haruun Kal, and instead of trying to understand why he and Depa fell, the Council simply tried to recondition him with the Code. Nothing learned, just swept under the rug. I hope that explains it a bit.
sniperdude351 - Glad to hear you're loving it. I hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long!