Temple Island; Ahch-To
Jarik POV...
Since reviving Elita One yesterday, things have been different around the island. So far we've been looking to try and find a place for her to stay on the island, where she actually has room to move around and do things without obstructions or destroying things. Since all of the structures on the island are fragile enough already I don't want to bring her into the Jedi village or the temple, and I'm sure the caretakers would readily agree on that. So we all decided on letting her hang around in the saddle, or near the landing area next to the Knight Hawk. Right now I was with her up in the saddle to discuss some things while Mara was helping in feeding Zenna.
"I have to ask, with your galaxy being controlled by this Empire, how bad are things exactly?" she questions.
"Not good," I answer with a sigh. "The Empire rules with a cruel iron fist, and very few people actually live properly. The good thing is that a rebellion continues to grow in strength as time goes on."
"That is good," she agrees with a nod. "Your situation though feels very similar to my experience with the Decepticons. All they care for is power, and they will go through anyone or anything to get it."
"Yeah, that does sound a lot like Palpatine," I remark in agreement.
"I know this may be a bit odd, but could I be of any help in fighting this Empire?" she asks, sitting down on the ground near where I'm standing.
I look at her in surprise. "What? Don't you want to get back to Cybertron as quickly as possible?"
"I do," she admits.
"So why would you want to help us instead?" I ask.
"Because it is the right thing to do," she says. "My sparkmate, Optimus Prime, has always said that freedom is the right of all sentient beings. Many Autobots and myself believe in that wholeheartedly."
"Optimus Prime..." I murmur thoughtfully. "He's the leader of the Autobots right?"
"Yes... how do you know that?" she asks with a furrowed brow.
"One of my ancestor's Satele Shan, wrote a journal that spoke much about Cybertronians," I explain. "Do you know about an Autobot named Bumblebee?"
"Bumblebee?' she asks for confirmation, and I nod my head. Elita frowns for a few moments before shaking her head. "No, I'm not familiar with anyone named Bumblebee. Who is he?"
My face contorts to worry and uneasiness as I explain. "Well, he was a friend of Satele over 3,000 years ago. She said that he's the surrogate son of Optimus."
She blinks her optics for a few moments in complete bafflement, looking astonished.
"A... a surrogate, son?" she whispers. "What have I missed...?"
"Are you alright?" I ask her with concern.
"Optimus and I had discussed the possibility of taking a young bot under our wing once..." she says quietly. "Even after I'm gone he still went along with the idea."
"I'm sorry you've missed all of that then," I tell her apologetically. "I can't imagine what it must feel like after having raised Mara."
"There's no need for you to apologize," she says in reply. "Who is your sparkmate?"
"Sparkmate?" I ask in confusion.
"Oh... your soulmate? The one you are married with?" she corrects sheepishly. I blink in realization before my gaze falls glumly.
"Oh... right. It was Ahsoka," I reply, and she falters at my response, her gaze becoming worried.
"Was?" she notices hesitantly.
I nod my head sadly, sending a brief glance to her Padawan braid, which still hangs from my belt. "Yeah. Almost a year ago we went to a planet called Malachor, searching for a way to defeat the Sith and the Empire. Darth Vader, the Emperor's apprentice, tracked us down and confronted her in a duel. She sacrificed herself so that we could get away."
"I'm so sorry for your loss," she replies sadly.
"Thanks, I reply quietly with a nod, before looking up at her questioningly. "So do you have any ideas of how you'll return to Cybertron?"
"I'd need a ship to do so, one capable of crossing galaxies," she explains, raising up her arm. "However, I do still have the coordinates..."
Elita suddenly falters in typing on her gauntlet, her optics widening in horror. "Son of a glitch!"
"What is it?" I ask.
"My navigation files are corrupted!" she exclaims in a mixture of anger and despair. "I have no coordinates of Cybertron or anywhere else recorded!"
"How is that possible?"
"Being trapped in stasis for so long must have scrapped up the files," she theorizes, slamming a fist against the dirt.
"So you have no way of getting back home?" I deduce grimly.
"Oh I can still find the planet with a ship," she replies, leaning back against a boulder with an irritated glare. "But that will take so long, and it's not like there's a ship capable of doing that just lying around."
"But there's a chance?" I ask her.
"A slim one, but there is a chance," she admits begrudgingly.
"Then I don't see why I can't help make it happen," I state firmly.
"Are you sure you wish to help me with this? It will be very difficult," she points out.
"You're willing to help fight against the Empire, so consider this a small repayment," I tell her.
Elita gives me a contemplating look before nodding with her own version of sigh. "Alright then."
"Wonderful," I say with a grin.
I'm about to say more, but I falter upon sensing someone approaching. Narrowing my gaze for a moment, I then widen my eyes in alarm upon sensing Hiccup and Astrid approaching in the distance, with Toothless and Stormfly. Elita takes notice of my expression with a frown of concern.
"What's wrong?" she asks.
"You know those Vikings from Berk we mentioned earlier?" I remind her. "One of them is coming, so I think you should probably transform."
"Right now?" she asks with a bewildered expression.
"Yeah, right now," I tell her urgently. "I'd rather we break your presence to them slowly, if we have to at all."
"Very well," she says in agreement.
Leaning forwards, her body begins to fold back up into her vehicle form, pieces of metal sliding and shifting in perfect harmony to form her car mode, where she remains still. Not much long afterwards, the two friends and their dragons both soar out of the cloudy sky and come in for a landing several feet away. I walk up to greet them as Hiccup and Astrid dismount from Toothless and Stormfly.
"Hey Jarik!" Hiccup greets.
"Hiccup, Astrid," I reply with a nod, crossing my arms. "What are you two doing out here?"
"Just thought we'd come by and visit," he says casually.
Toothless comes up to me with a happy, toothless, smile on his face, and I scratch his neck in amusement before looking back up at them.
"More like Hiccup wants to keep searching for more dragon species," Astrid chimes in.
"Hey, I know there's more out there! Besides, you have to admit life is a little boring right now," he retorts.
"That's true," she does admit with a nod.
"So, you're still going at it huh?" I remark.
"I just have to keep going. I know there has got to be more dragon species out there!" he states firmly.
"I'm sure there are," I say with a nod.
Imperial Prison; Naraka
3rd person POV...
A pair of stormtroopers were patrolling along the walkways outside of the prison, stationed in the deep misty crater. On the landing platform an AT-DP walker also patrols, ready to shoot down any unauthorized ships that attempted to make an approach. One of the stormtroopers suddenly screams in alarm and fear before being yanked off the edge. The other whips around in fearful confusion, not seeing anybody there.
"Hey!"
The trooper whips around at the sound of a voice, only to be met with a series of quick punches and kicks, before being thrown off the edge himself. He screams in terror as he falls to his doom far below. Ezra grins in satisfaction as Zeb and Sabine pull themselves up onto the walkway, the former rushing over towards him.
"This was a pretty good plan. You've been on a roll," Zeb remarks.
Hey! I'm just getting started, buddy," Ezra replies confidently. "Now come on. Let's move."
Glancing back to see an Imperial scanning light approaching quickly, the trio rush away towards the prison entrance. Sabine and Zeb hide next to the door, while Ezra hangs off of the balcony. Once it passes, he pulls himself back up and pulls out his comlink.
"Okay Chopper. Jump," he says. When Chopper beeps a reluctant protest, an irritated expression crosses his face. "No rocket. It's too loud. Now jump!"
Chopper grumbles, but he eventually jumps off the side of the cliff ledge far above. He lets out a startled cry as he falls down towards the Imperial scanning beam, and Ezra quickly reaches out to catch him with the Force. Chopper floats in midair for a few moments, hovering just above the beam, before falling again once the beam moves away. Zeb dashes forwards and catches him as he cries out, setting him back on the ground.
"Chop, get this door open. Hurry," Ezra says.
Chopper rolls by with angry beeps, and Zeb glares at him irritably as he goes. "You're welcome!"
Chopper quickly opens the door, and the group all quickly rush into the prison. They stop at a few corridors and wait as stormtrooper patrols move by, and then continue onwards. Eventually they come to the correct prison cell, and Ezra turns around to face them.
"6609," he notes. "This is it. Sabine, you're up."
Sabine moves forwards and begins slicing into the control pad, yet she can't help but let out an annoyed sigh.
"I still can't believe we're here to break this guy out of prison," she says unenthusiastically.
"Trust me, we need the information he has," Ezra replies.
"You heard the boss. Open the door," Zeb teases with a grin.
"Don't encourage him," she retorts in exasperation. "Besides, why can't we just get this stuff from Rylla and Hayden?"
"Because what we need to know is something that they don't focus on," he explains. "It is a big galaxy after all, and, he is in here because of us."
"Keep telling yourself that, Ezra," she scoffs in response.
Sabine opens the cell door without much effort, and the three all look inside. They're greeted by a surprised Ugnaught, who squeals while Zeb raises an eyebrow.
"Who's the pig?" he asks with a frown.
A gasp from the shadows gets their attention, and Hondo moves forwards.
"Purple guy, Mando girl, and Ezra Bridger. My, look how you have grown!" he says gleefully, and Ezra smiles at him as he exits the cell. "Ah, I knew you would not let your old partner, Hondo, rot away in this prison."
"Hondo, it's good to see you," Ezra says happily.
"Not really," Zeb deadpans.
"And what about my old Jedi friends? Haven't seem them in a while," Hondo muses hopefully.
A dark look crosses over Ezra's face briefly, but before he could answer Sabine quickly does it for him. "Talk about old friends later? You better have the intel you promised."
Hondo shrugs in confusion but nods. "Yes, we do."
"I'm sorry. 'We?'" Zeb demands, moving forwards in surprise.
"Yes. Me and my business associate, Terba. You wouldn't believe the secrets he knows," Hondo says, clicking his mouth suggestively.
"You're right. I wouldn't," he replies irritably.
Terba begins speaking in an annoyed tone while shaking his fist, and Honda glances back in surprise before offering and nervous, and sheepish smile.
"What fun! Now we're rescuing two people," Sabine says sarcastically.
"Hey, twice the fun," Ezra remarks. At that moment though a pair of stormtroopers peeked out around the corridor a few feet behind Ezra, getting Sabine's attention.
"Look out!" she exclaims
"Over here!" a trooper says.
Ezra whips around and immediately lets loose a shot from his blaster pistol, killing the first stormtrooper instantly. Sabine also pulls out her own blasters and begins firing as well. More stormtroopers begin to arrive and fire back in retaliation, prompting the rebels to all move for a swift retreat, Ezra and Sabine covering their backs. Turning down a corner, Ezra pulls out his comlink and then calls Hera.
"Spectre-6 to Ghost. Change of plans. We need a 44 scoop at the landing platform!" he states.
"On my way, Spectre-6," Hera replies, closing the transmission.
Next to the lift elevator, the group comes to a stop before turning around to fire back at the quickly approaching stormtroopers while waiting for the door to open. Once it does, they all pile in and begin their descend down towards the landing pad. Sabine then hands one of her blasters to Hondo, who takes it with some surprise.
"Here. Make yourself useful," she says.
"Oh! Mandalorian!" Hondo says gleefully, holding it up in excitement. "I can get a lot for this on the black market!"
"You will be giving it back," Sabine threatens, jabbing him in the chest.
Terba attempts to make a grab for Zeb's bo-rifle, but he holds it out of reach and growls angrily at the Ugnaught. Once the elevator door opens, Ezra and Sabine dash out and shoot down a pair of stormtroopers. Hondo then steps out as well and aims at a trooper they didn't notice, and casually shoots him down before he could fire.
"Oh! I'm keeping it!" he declares happily.
"No, you're not!" Sabine says irritably.
Ezra looks down the corridor with narrowed eyes, sensing that a lot of stormtroopers were soon going to be coming. With a fierce gaze, he gestures down the corridor and begins running.
"Come on! This way!" he shouts.
The rest of the group all follow after him, but at the end of the hall several stormtroopers all pop out and begin firing a barrage of blaster bolts at Ezra. He quickly evades and ducks away from the bolts, and then pulls out his newer green lightsaber. He jumps into the air with a flip and then lands on the ground, slicing through a stormtrooper. He shoots a couple more and uses the Force to blow another way, using his lightsaber to deflect blaster bolts.
"Is that really Ezra?" Hondo asks in amazement.
"Most of the time," Sabine replies begrudgingly.
"Wow, he's like a miniature Jarik!" he comments.
Sabine grimaces at the comparison, knowing Ezra wouldn't like that one bit, but continues on anyways. Meanwhile, Terba was arguing with hondo, the old pirate looking astonished.
"No, you cannot have a double share, you greedy little pig!" Hondo scolds him.
Terba pouts angrily before glancing back, seeing the large patrol of stormtroopers chasing them with blasters firing. Looking forwards again, he sees the door at the end of the corridor open, and widens his eyes excitedly. He squeals happily before sprinting forwards as fast as his little legs could carry him, shouting an insult at Hondo as he passes.
"What do you mean, 'the deal's off?'" Hondo exclaims incredulously.
"No! Terba, wait!" Ezra says in alarm.
"This is not good business!" Hondo shouts.
However Terba completely ignores them in favor of his own freedom, and runs outside with a gleeful squeal, arms spread victoriously. Unfortunately for him, he fails to notice the AT-DP walker in time, which immediately shoots a heavy laser blast at him. The massive red laser impacts against the ground at his feet, eliciting a squeal of pain from him as he's blown off the edge and into the foggy mist far below.
"No!" Ezra exclaims.
"Well, I guess the deal is off," Hondo remarks.
The scout walker then turns its attention towards the rest of the group, along with a squad of stormtroopers also stationed out there.
"Get down!" Ezra orders.
The group rushes for the pile of crates, and all retaliate with their own blaster fire in both directions against the Imperials.
"Karabast! We're cut off!" Zeb exclaims.
"We need to make a move, or we're never going to!" Sabine adds, tossing a grenade into the prison and at the squad of stormtroopers, just before Chopper closes the door.
"Don't worry, Sabine. I got us into this, I'll get us out," Ezra states fiercely.
Ezra takes a step forwards and glares at the walker, closing his eyes. Reaching out an arm, he calls upon the Force... and its darker side. A sliver of darkness begins swirling around him within the Force as he begins to dominate the walker pilot's mind. Making a gesture, he directs the pilot to do the same and begins turning him in the direction to face the stormtroopers. As the pilot aims his turret, one of the stormtroopers notices and looks up in alarm.
"What are you doing?!" he cries out.
Ezra then directs the pilot to open fire, blowing him to bits. The rest of the stormtroopers attempt to shoot back at the walker while shouting at him to stop, but because of the Force domination the pilot still continues to shoot. Ezra walks forwards with a deep frown on his face as he does so, and the rest look on in bewilderment and a small amount of wariness. Soon enough, the scout walker had blown up the last of the stormtroopers, before Ezra directs him to commit suicide off the landing pad. He reopens his eyes with a dark look as the rest of the group comes forwards.
"When did Kanan teach you that?" Sabine asks cautiously.
"He didn't," Ezra replies.
The prison entrance then explodes as the stormtroopers bust through, and they continue to chase after them as the rebels head further onto the landing pad.
"Get ready to jump!" he says.
"Jump? What does he mean, 'jump?'" Hondo asks in bewilderment. "Jump where?"
"Means our ride is here," Zeb states.
The Ghost then flies down towards the prison, and Hera directs the ship to fly underneath the landing platform. The group waits for just the right time before jumping off the edge of the walkway and on top of the Ghost, while the Imperials continue firing at their retreating forms.
*:*:*
Cruising away from the planet, Hera turns around in her seat as Zeb and Ezra both enter the cockpit, a question written across her face.
"Was that Imperial walker helping you?" she asks in confusion.
"Yeah. Ezra used his Jedi mind trick on the pilot," Zeb explains. "Pretty wizard, eh?"
"I did what I had to do," Ezra states.
Hera gives him a doubtful look, but before she could comment Hondo and Sabine suddenly walk in, the former taking off his cap in a salute.
"Ah, Captain Syndulla. I appreciate the rescue. And of course, I expect full payment even though Terba tried to betray us," he states with a grin.
"Wait. Who's Terba?" Hera asks in alarm.
"Hondo's former cellmate who almost botched the mission," Sabine explains. "He didn't make it."
"Ezra, did you know about this?" she demands.
"Not exactly. But Hondo and I had a deal," he replies irritably.
"Ezra, when it's your mission, you are responsible for all of the details," she states in disapproval, a frown on her face. In response, Ezra angrily gets up from his seat and storms away.
"I was responsible for what I knew. We went to get Hondo, and here he is!" he snaps. He pauses at the doorway for a moment, glancing at Hondo.
"I'm sorry about Terba," he says quietly, before leaving.
Hondo moves to take Ezra's seat behind Hera with a sigh.
"Ah, the fiery spirit of youth, eh?" he comments.
"It's not all bad," she replies in exasperation.
*:*:*
Ezra storms into his room with an angry expression, going on a rant to himself.
"I knew the details of the mission. Terba got himself killed. It's not my fault," he growls angrily, slamming his fist against the desk and knocking few things away.
He sighs in frustration before sensing something behind him. Turning around, he sees the Imperial cadet mask which the Sith holocron is hiding underneath, and as usual it is glowing red from its power. He picks up the helmet and flips it around, carefully pulling the holocron out from within. He gazes intently into the blood red holocron, a fierce glare on his face.
"They never would have succeeded without me. Don't they know that?" he questions.
"Your anger gives you strength, gives you focus. You can see things clearly your friends cannot," the Lord of Betrayal hisses. "Now, what else do you desire?"
"They can't see," he says thoughtfully. "If they can't see, I must become stronger, more powerful. I will never let my friends get hurt again."
Imperial Star Destroyer; Classified Location
3rd person POV...
Arihnda Pryce, the Governor of Lothal and the surrounding star systems within her territory, marches confidently into the office of Grand Moff Tarkin. Ever since her secret exploits on Batonn, she's become much more ruthless in her style of leading, especially now that she holds such a position of power. Tarkin greets her with his usual calm, but steely demeanor of cold professionalism.
"Governor Pryce. How are things proceeding on Lothal?" he questions.
"Lothal is secure, Moff Tarkin," she reports. "But I am here about the recent rebel attack at the prison on Naraka, which I believe is only the beginning of a larger rebel threat."
"I am inclined to agree," he replies with a nod. "Although Lord Vader has dealt with the insurgency's Jedi leadership, these rebels have proven particularly stubborn. Especially with Jarik Shan is still at large, despite his disappearance this past year."
"I understand Moff Tarkin," she says.
"So, how do you intend to solve this problem?" he asks.
"I want the Seventh Fleet," she states.
Tarkin frowns thoughtfully. "I see. And what of Admiral Konstantine and his fleet?"
"Huh. Admiral Konstantine is more politician than soldier," she scoffs, leaning forwards with a serious gaze. "I need someone who sees a bigger picture."
"Very well. You shall have the Seventh Fleet," Tarkin says with a nod.
"Thank you, Moff Tarkin," she says with a grin, pleased with herself.
Temple Island; Ahch-To
Jarik POV...
Mara quickly comes in for a landing near us up in the Saddle, dismounting Zenna and jogging over. Zenna squawks happily at the sight of Toothless and Stormfly, and the three dragons all begin to engage in playful activity, rolling around in the grass. We smile at the sight before Mara greets them.
"Hey guys! Didn't know you were coming today," she remarks.
"Yeah, bit of a surprise visit," Hiccup admits.
"Hiccup here, has been flying around in search of new dragons," Astrid says, punching his arm.
"Really?" she asks with interest.
"Really," he confirms, rubbing his arm for a moment, sending a glare at Astrid. "There's gotta be more dragons out there somewhere."
"Most likely," Mara agrees, eyeing him with a thoughtful gaze. "So you finally decided to change your looks huh?"
I shake my head with a chuckle, crossing my arms in amusement as Hiccup glances down as his current attire with a frown. He's now wearing a red shirt underneath a brown leather tunic with a pattern engraved in it.
"Yeah. Why do you ask?" he asks.
"No reason. It's just good to see you finally out of that green shirt and vest," she remarks.
"Well it was cute," Astrid adds with a grin.
"Also true," she replies with a nod, smirking.
"And it was getting small," Hiccup mutters, while the girls giggle in amusement.
"Don't let it get to you Hiccup. Girls tend to be like that," I remark casually.
"Is that right," he replies dully.
"Like what dad?" Mara asks pointedly.
"Like, well that," I reply, gesturing at them in general. "All giggly and teasing us guys whenever you find the opportunity. Not to mention you can also be a menace at times."
"Oh really?" Mara questions with a raised eyebrow, crossing her arms.
"Trust me, I endured plenty of crap from Ahsoka..." I retort, faltering at the end before waving a hand dismissively.
"You're about to endure more crap if you keep it up," Astrid threatens, a hand on her hip as she shares a glance with Mara.
I just keep staring at them dryly, unimpressed. "Uh huh. I'm sure."
"Yeah I'll stay out of your way, no offense Jarik," Hiccup says, sidling away, and I just roll my eyes.
"You'll be fine, nobody is gonna hurt you," I tell him.
"Yet," Mara adds dangerously.
"No you won't," I state firmly, seeing through their bluff easily.
"Ok you're right, we wouldn't," she finally admits sheepishly.
"Go figure," I reply sarcastically.
"So, what's with the strange machine thing over there?" Hiccup asks, gesturing towards Elita.
"Oh that?" I ask. "That's just a vehicle I picked up. We're hoping to refurbish it into something the Rebellion can use."
Astrid raises an eyebrow at it. "Pink? Really?"
"Take what we can get," Mara shrugs.
"Couldn't you repaint it or something?" she suggests. "Doesn't look that great to me."
I stifle a laugh upon sensing Elita's exasperation and annoyance growing. "Probably not a good idea."
"Wouldn't a different color help it to not stand out as much?" Hiccup offers analytically.
"Maybe, but it is a little bit complicated... and hard to explain," I tell him.
Me and Mara share a glance, debating silently through our eyes whether we should tell them about the truth or not. I also glance back at Elita, sensing her to see if she has any concerns about the subject. She doesn't know I'm doing that of course, but her feelings on the possible reveal are still there to read.
"Well..." I start to say.
Chopper Base; Atollon
3rd person POV...
The crew of the Ghost were all gathered at the holotable, along with Boil, Rex, and Commander Sato. They were listening as Hondo rambled on about the price he wanted for giving intel. Rex glances at Boil, who just shakes his head with a sigh.
"So, so, so, how much do you insist on paying me for this intel?" Hondo asks with a grin.
"Being rescued from that Imperial prison wasn't payment enough?" Hera asks incredulously. "What do you want?"
"Ah, what good is a pirate without a ship?" he remarks, before a greedy gleam flits through his eyes. "You know, the Ghost is a very nice ship. I could probably-"
"Forget it," the spectres all say, various levels of annoyance on their faces.
Hondo chuckles in response. "I'm kidding, of course. But I do need a ship," he admits. "Nothing too fancy. Just something with a roomy cargo hold, hyperdrive, shields, weapons. I am a wanted man, after all. Very popular."
While he was talking, Hera glanced over to Ezra, who shook his head in exasperation. Commander Sato was standing nearby with an irritated expression on his face, before he steps forwards.
"If your information is as good as you claim, then we have a deal," he states.
I give to you the planet Yarma. And hidden in its cloudy heavens, Reklam Station," he declares with a grin, displaying a holographic image of the station. "A secret Imperial salvage yard where thousands of Republic starfighters are being dismantled for scrap. My former friend Terba worked on the line there before he was arrested for trying to escape."
"Y-wings? Kinda old," Hera observes doubtfully, turning to look at the two Clone War veterans. "Can they fly?"
"Those bombers may be old, but they were solid in combat operations," Rex states.
"They're quick, heavily armed, and they can take a punch," Boil adds in support. "Commander Tano once used them to disable an entire Separatist fleet."
"Speaking of which, where are my old Jedi friends? I'm just aching to see them!" Hondo says with a laugh. "They never stayed away from a fight!"
Everyone falters to share uneasy glances with each other, and Boil lets out a troubled sigh. "Hondo... a lot has happened since you were captured."
"Surely not much," he replies in amusement.
"We'll discuss it later," Rex sighs grimly.
Hondo blinks for a moment, noticing the tension and shrugs in confusion, deciding to drop the subject for now. There's silence for a few moments, and Ezra stares at the ground with a frown on his face, remembering what happened on Malachor. Breaking the silence Hera speaks up again, having looked at the bombers with a critical eye.
"If we could steal a squadron's worth-" she starts.
"They would be key to building a strike fleet," Commander Sato finishes. "One capable of our next objective, the destruction of the Empire's factory on Lothal."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go get 'em," Ezra says eagerly, bashing his fists together.
"Not so fast," Hera interrupts firmly, placing a hand on Ezra's shoulder. "We need to scout it first. Confirm Hondo's intel and recon its defenses."
"You still do not trust Hondo, given our history together?" Hondo exclaims with mock horror. "You wound me to the quick, madam!"
"Ezra Bridger, I trusted you with the last mission, and your success has not gone unnoticed," Sato says. "You will lead this mission as Lieutenant Commander."
"Lieutenant? A promotion?" he asks with a smile.
"You earned it, kid," Rex says with a chuckle.
"Make sure to live up to the title will ya?" boil adds with a grin.
"Way to go!" Sabine congratulates.
"Well done, young Jedi," Zeb adds.
The two of them start heading off along with Commander Sato, and Hera approaches Ezra with a smile. "Congratulations, Ezra. Kanan will be proud of you."
"Yeah? Well, he has a funny way of showing it, considering he's never around," he replies bitterly.
Ezra then walks off, and Hera, Boil and Re watch him go with troubled looks on their faces. Hondo then takes the moment to make himself known again, and clears his throat to get their attention.
"Well, everyone seems to be happy!" he exclaims cheerfully. "So, where are the great and powerful Jarik, the fearsome Mara, and the beautiful Ahsoka?!"
"Beautiful?" Rex mutters with a raised eyebrow.
Hera glances at Boil with a look of concern, and the old clone trooper sighs sadly, taking a few steps forwards.
"Hondo... there was an incident, that occurred with them," he starts grimly.
"What kind of incident? What do you mean? Are they good?" Hondo asks in confusion. "I would hate if we have to break them out of prison too! I can't go back!"
"No, no it's not that," Boil quickly says, faltering again. "It's just... several months ago they went on a mission to Malachor with Ezra and Kanan, in hopes of figuring out a way to defeat the Sith."
"Ooooh! Malachor! What a nasty place!" he exclaims.
Boil grimaces for a moment, and then continues again. "Things were going fine, until Darth Vader himself showed up. Jarik, Mara, Kanan and Ezra all made it out alright."
"And, Ahsoka?" he asks with a frown.
Boil glances sadly at Rex, who closes his eyes with a sigh.
"She didn't make it," he reveals quietly.
"Sh- she's dea-?" Hondo stutters with wide eyes, gaping in complete shock and faltering mid sentence. "Ahsoka is... is dead?"
Rex, Boil and Hera all nod their heads in confirmation, leaving Hondo to stand there in complete bafflement for a few moments. Slowly, he reaches up and takes off his cap, appearing at a loss for words for once.
"I... Say I'm speechless, hehe..." he tries for a cheery laugh, but falters again. "I can't believe that Ahsoka of all people is... gone."
He raises his cap up to his chest with a sad look on his face, unsure of how to feel. "I... I'm sorry my friends."
*:*:*
Since being released from the care of the medical hall with her new disability, Shaak-Ti has resorted to different methods of getting around the base. She now uses a power chair in order to get around, which is a chair that hovers around. She also has a speeder bike specialized for her to use, where she can strap in her legs while seated on it in order to remain on without a fear of falling off. With these additions, Shaak-Ti has happily found herself capable of getting around the base without much assistance from others.
Sitting in meditation out on one of the ridges of the massive coral trees their base is stationed on, she delves into the Force to help calm her mind. While doing so, she suddenly senses an unseen presence reaching out to her, far out from the wilderness.
I see you... Shaak-Ti, Jedi Master...
"Who is this?" she whispers quietly, eyes still closed.
I see you... Just as I see the one that is filled with imbalance.
"Where are you?" she asks the presence.
Come to me...
The strange presence suddenly disappears and Shaak-Ti opens her eyes, exiting her meditation. She looks out into the wilderness with searching eyes, her brow furrowed. Who could this strange presence be? She can feel that they certainly are quite powerful, yet also elusive.
Looking down towards the ground level below her, she spots Kanan in meditation as well. She knows without a doubt that he felt the same presence in the Force that she did. While watching Hera come up to have a brief talk with him, she mulls over her options and decides to speak with him, so that they could perhaps get a little more clarity.
Sith Temple; Malachor
Third Brother POV...
I sneak down into the depths of the Sith Temple, back to where I had the duel with Jarik Shan. The ancient power that dwells there, its infinite might... that is precisely what my master is looking for. Better yet, there is no one to guard it like how Vader does with the other stone. Entering the chasm, I spot the swirling red matter along with the monolith in the center of this walkway in the cave, and smirk in satisfaction.
"Finally... It is mine at last," I state triumphantly.
I approach the monolith with a hand outstretched, feeling the power emanating from it. I close my eyes with a sigh, taking it all in. There's so much power... However just as I'm about to reach out and touch it, I sense someone behind me and whip around to face them. I pull out my lightsaber hilt and hold it in my hand readily, glaring down towards the edge of the chamber.
"Who's there?!" I demand fiercely.
They slowly step forwards and into the dim light provided by the cavern, and I widen my eyes in complete shock, faltering slightly. I shake my head with a growl, whipping out my two red lightsaber blades and point them forwards threateningly.
"You?!" I whisper furiously.
Two lightsaber blades snap to life. One silver, and one gold.
Things are getting strange... so much to talk about, and I'm not sure how to summarize it. Ah whatever, you all read the chapter! xD