Executor, Seventh Fleet - Lothal Sector
3rd person POV…
While not a part of the Seventh Fleet commanded by Grand Admiral Thrawn, the personal flagship of Darth Vader himself, the Executor, currently resided with Thrawn's fleet. As a much larger and more powerful vessel, the Executor is rarely seen by any enemies of the Empire, but if it is seen then those rebels don't remain free of its presence for too much longer. Although Thrawn reasons that the presence of such a vessel was not necessary for his success, Vader still insisted on it. He doesn't want to take any chances when it comes to Jarik Shan.
The dark lord of the Sith watches the stars from the bridge, pondering to himself, before turning around and making his way down the walkway. There's an unspoken sense of relief amongst all the officers present as he exits the bridge in favor of the command center, glad at not needing to worry which of them would eventually become the next victim to Vader's displeasure. Having the doors to the command center shut for privacy, Vader stands at the holotable and waits for it to come along, two figures soon revealing themselves in a blue glow.
"Lord Vader," Thrawn greets politely.
"What is it, Grand Admiral?" Vader questions.
"I have come across some information that gains my interest, and could at some point reveal clues to what the Jedi may be doing at this time," he explains.
"It relates to Kestis," Second Sister adds quietly, bitterness in her voice.
Vader looks at the Second Sister for a few long moments, the sound of his breathing making her squirm uncomfortably, before he continues the conversation.
"The Jedi you failed to defeat, Inquisitor," he says with a growl. "But what of it?"
Second Sister withholds reminding him that he failed to capture Kestis and Cere as well, fearing what he would do if she insulted him. If not for what the Emperor has done to her for not capturing Mara Jade, her punishment from Vader as a result of failing to defeat Kestis would be the most painful thing she's ever experienced through. There's a reason while the Inquisitorius feared him, and now that she's the only one left, she would always be on the receiving end of his anger.
"Do you believe it possible that this Jedi and his crew may perhaps be in communication from Jarik Shan?" Thrawn suggests.
Underneath his helmet, Vader frowns.
"Possible, but unlikely. Many Jedi were scattered across the galaxy, separated completely when their Order was exterminated," he states.
"I would give it some thought however. According to the Grand Inquisitor, Kanan Jarrus was previously the apprentice of Depa Bilaba, which could only mean his birth name is Caleb Dume. And according to Imperial records of the Jedi, Dume held a relationship with Cal Kestis, most likely as good friends," Thrawn explains, to the others curiosity. "And the Jedi holocron taken by Kestis was said to contain information on Force sensitive children in the galaxy, correct?"
"Indeed," Vader confirms, sending another glare Second Sister's way before refocusing. "So, based on this knowledge you believe they are in contact with the Lothal rebels?"
"It would make sense. Kestis holds the key to rebuilding the Jedi Order, something that Shan would be greatly interested in, and also holds a past connection to Kanan Jarrus," Thrawn says, nodding his head.
"Perhaps. If the young Jedi reveals himself, then we shall act. And this time..." he trails off.
Underneath her helmet, Second Sister widens her eyes and begins clawing at her throat as Vader uses the Force to choke her. Thrawn glances over in surprise and unease, but otherwise doesn't react.
"...you would be wise to not hesitate, Inquisitor," he warns.
Vader releases his grip, and the Second Sister falls to her knees and starts coughing for air. Thrawn looks down at her, but returns his attention to Vader when he speaks once more.
"However, it is clear that Kestis has withheld himself from rebuilding his Order, whatever his reasons," he states. "As such, our priority remains to hunt down and destroy this growing Rebellion, and Jarik Shan. This is the Emperor's command."
"As you wish, Lord Vader," Thrawn says, inclining his head in confirmation.
Geonosis - Outer Rim Territories
Boil POV…
Coming out of hyperspace, I stare out the viewport with a grimace as I lay eyes on the red desert planet of Geonosis, surrounded by its rings of asteroids. Oh how I hate this place, what with all the damage and chaos that the bugs caused during the war. Lost a lot of good men trying to take them down, and I went through things I wish I could forget. The undead bugs included.
"The construction modules and debris we saw last time, it's all gone," Hera says uneasily.
I frown upon realizing she's right, and share a grim look with Rex.
"Just like Saw said," he tells me.
"Well, I'm picking up a power source on the surface right where Command said it would be, but I can't raise Saw on any channel. There's only static," Sabine reports, analyzing a screen.
"Geonosians live underground. It's possible Saw and his people can't hear our transmission," Kanan suggests.
"Let's get down there and find out," Ezra says.
Hera flies the Ghost down into Geonosis's atmosphere, and we soon become enveloped in a vicious sandstorm that completely obscures our vision. The ship shakes violently as a result of the storm battering the side of the Ghost, and Hera struggles to maintain stable control. Even with the spotlights shining out from the ship, it was still nearly impossible to see anything outside of the viewport or on the scanners.
"Hang on. This storm is wreaking havoc on my scopes," Hera says anxiously, gritting her teeth. "Chopper, stabilizers!"
Chopper beeps in confirmation and plugs himself into the astromech socket, while Rex and I hold onto the seats near the back in order to stay standing.
"How's it feel to be back, ya old geezers?" Zeb asks me and Rex.
"Honestly? I was hoping I'd never have to come back to this dust ball," Rex scoffs.
"Oh I'll second that. Jarik's a lucky kriffer to avoid this," I add, rolling my eyes.
Thankfully, it doesn't take too long for us to set down on the ground, the shaking of the ship stopping. However my mood isn't too content due to the fact that I'm now back on this miserable dustball of a planet.
"I had to set her down, but we're in the neighborhood," Hera tells us.
Rex moves over to the monitors and analyzes the information we have on the previous operation, and I stand behind him to check it out as well.
"According to Command, Gerrera's recon team entered a structure two klicks north of our current position," Rex informs us.
"Hang on a second; is that what I think it is?" I ask, looking closer at the data before sighing in defeat. "Of course it is."
"Is it bad?" he asks.
"I don't know about now, but I don't like it either. That's the Progate Temple," I inform him.
Rex widens his eyes in surprise before nodding in understanding, his expression grim. Cody told him all about that disgusting bug hole, and needless to say he doesn't envy me for fighting a bunch of zombies.
"Well, maybe they took shelter there," Ezra suggests.
"It's possible. Sabine, what about the power source you detected?" Kanan asks.
"Different location, and close. But thanks to the storm, I can't get a precise reading about where or what it is.
"Keep working on it. Until we know more about that power source, we'll split up into two groups. Rex, Boil, Kanan, Ezra and Chopper, go check out the coordinates of Saw's last transmission," Hera orders.
"What about me?" Zeb asks.
"You're staying here with us, in case the Empire comes along," she tells him.
Zeb chuckles eagerly, bashing his knuckles together.
"So I can bust some buckets," he says, grinning.
Getting all of our gear together, Rex, Ezra and I all got out our helmets—a scout trooper helmet in Ezra's case—and put them on to protect ourselves from the sandstorm and have better visibility, while Kanan went without one due to being blind. We exit the Ghost and head out into the storm with our flashlights, hunching against the sandstorm as we make our way forward. I grit my teeth in annoyance and discomfort as grains of sand force their way into my armor from the brutal storm. Chopper doesn't take long to beep out a few protests.
"Well, I can't see anything either," Ezra retorts.
I could just barely see the shape and general outline of the temple directly ahead through the sandstorm, my flashlight providing enough visibility to do so.
"The temple's up ahead, and probably an entrance to the underground passages," Rex states.
"Great. This'll be so much fun," I scoff sarcastically.
We soon make our way through the archway and enter the temple, sighing in relief once we're out of the sandstorm. As much as I dislike being back in this kriffing bugs nest, but it is preferable to being stuck in the middle of a sandstorm. No wonder General Skywalker hated sand… yeah, him.
"Saw? Saw Gerrera?" Rex calls out.
"Anyone here? Saw?" Ezra calls out.
Despite the calls there's no response at all, leaving us in silence. I grip my blaster a bit tighter in discomfort, unpleasant memories coming up from the last time I was here to search for a missing person. We were a squad full of well trained soldiers, and despite emerging as statistically victorious, it didn't end too well. I still get nightmares.
"Spread out and see if you can find the entrance to the underground," Rex decides.
"Right. To the underground," I say dryly, walking around.
"I can't believe it. Did the bugs build this?" Ezra asks, taking off his helmet and looking up at a few statues.
"Oh, yes. They're more clever than you would think, and creative," Rex confirms with a nod.
"That doesn't mean they aren't dangerous as well," I add, looking around. "The bugs are vicious, and very resourceful in this environment. It took a lot of effort to secure even the smallest sectors in the war."
"Huh. Well that sounds fun," Ezra remarks sarcastically.
"So, Rex, Boil, how did you come to know Saw Gerrera?" Kanan asks us.
"I wasn't a part of the mission to Onderon, but Rex here can tell you all about him," I say, patting him on the shoulder.
"Oh yeah, we go way back," Rex nods in response. "I trained him and his sister, Steela, during the Clone War. They were part of a plan to help localized militias fight for themselves against the Separatists. She didn't make it. But he carried on and even started his own rebel cell after the Empire took over."
Kanan frowns thoughtfully, and we press on.
"Hey, I think I found something. Looks like some kind of passage down there," Ezra calls out.
We make our way over to him and look down into the tunnel, and I grimace uncomfortably once more at the familiar and daunting sight of the catacomb entrance.
"This is definitely the entrance to the tunnels," I confirm, frowning as I recall my memory of it. "Looks like it was deliberately sealed though."
"Well, not sealed enough. This must be where Saw's team went in," Rex adds.
"Chopper's still not picking up signals of any kind," Kanan informs us. "Let's go take a look."
Shaking off my unpleasant memories from the war, I follow after the others as we make our way down into the cave, Chopper rolling beside us. Rex glances at me in concern and I shake my head in response, letting him know I'm fine. Disturbing or not, I'm not about to let wartime PTSD prevent me from completing our mission here, even if this place does suck. Even so, I still can't help the tension and paranoia of a bug popping out of nowhere and charging at us with vile screams.
"So what do they look like? The Geonosians?" Ezra asks us.
"Ugly," I state bluntly.
"Hah, isn't that the truth," Rex laughs in amusement, before becoming thoughtful. "Well, they kind of look like battle droids to be honest. Ugly battle droids that smell."
As we make our way down deeper into the catacombs, the only light coming from Chopper and our flashlights, I take the lead with my greater familiarity of these passageways. However when I take us to an intersection in the tunnels, I frown at the sight of seeing a few more tunnels being blocked.
"Hmm. Looks like all these side passages have been blocked off," I state.
"Yeah. Deliberately. Just like above," Rex adds.
"Why would they do that?" Ezra asks.
I don't have a certain answer, but I can't imagine it was for a good reason.
"The air is still down here," Rex observes. "The sealed passages must be blocking the airflow."
"Certainly limits our options for going forward," Kanan says.
Ezra moves over to the side and then picks up something from one of the tunnels going down further.
"Here! I found a helmet," he tells us.
We head over to him and take a look at the helmet, Rex taking it from Ezra. He analyzes the helmet for a few moments with a concerned hum, looking up at us.
"I know this marking. It's from Saw's team," he informs us.
"That can't be good," I mutter.
"There's another," Ezra says, turning around and widening his eyes. "Oh, and more down there."
We all turn to look down the passageway, and I tense up anxiously upon seeing a large number of helmets all scattered around the dark tunnel. There was a vicious struggle here, I can tell. I grip my blaster tightly, my fears of there still being undead bugs around starting to feel more and more realistic.
"All from Saw's unit," Rex says grimly.
"But where are the people?" Ezra asks, bewildered.
"They must've been attacked," Kanan states.
"By who?" he questions.
"I so hope I'm not right," I mutter uneasily.
Rex glances at me in concern, but I ignore the look for now. Kanan stills with a frown on his face, something I take notice of. Before he could say anything I turn my gaze down the tunnel, searching for any sign of a bug hiding in the dark.
"There's something up ahead," he tells us.
I narrow my eyes, tense as could be as I try to spot any sign of the disturbance that Kanan is feeling. For a split second I thought I saw movement at the end of the tunnel, but before I could get a better look it disappeared.
"It's moving away," he continues.
"What is it?" Ezra asks.
"It's gone," Kanan sighs. "We should go too."
"Go? Kanan, why?" he asks, frowning. "We have to find Saw's rebels."
"Ezra, all we found are sealed up tunnels and some rebel gear," he reasons in reply. "There's something working against us. I'm not sure what, but we're out of our element and away from our team."
"Normally I would disagree, but I'm more willing to side with Kanan on this one," I interrupt.
"What? Why?" Ezra asks, baffled.
"Come on Boil, you sure? Where's all that fire you usually boast around?" Rex asks me.
"Rex, you never saw what those worm bugs could do, I have!" I remind him firmly. "Out of all of the battles I ever fought in the Clone War, these catacombs we're in right now were the absolute worse. Not even Umbara was as deadly as this."
I can tell Rex is surprised at my statement and conviction to retreat, but he and Ezra are still a bit determined.
"We'll just call for backup," Ezra suggests. "Chop, get Hera."
Chopper is silent for a moment before responding with disappointed beeps.
"We must be too deep. The signal can't reach her," Kanan says with a frown.
"Someone's down here, and I bet they know what happened. I say we go on," Ezra says. "Rex, it's up to you to make a decision."
Chopper beeps up again, and Ezra looks down at him with a smirk.
"Nope, you don't get a vote," he teases, much to the droid's annoyance.
"Well, if you want my opinion, I say we press on. I know Saw would do the same for me," Rex says, turning to look at me. "Besides, you have to remember that the bugs have been wiped out by the Empire. Whatever is here, can't be them. So none of the really bad kind will be around."
I let out a frustrated sigh, but concede his reasoning with a nod and grip my blaster tighter.
"Alright, fair enough," I mutter.
"Okay, we'll keep going. But there's times I hate being right, and I hope this isn't one of 'em," Kanan says uneasily.
With the decision made we press forward down the tunnel, passing by the rebel helmets left scattered along the passageway. We continue on in silence, but eventually we come across another stoppage in the catacombs, baffled.
"I don't understand. Where did the rebels go? It's just a dead end," Ezra says in exasperation.
"Do you have to call it that?" Kanan groans.
A sound then gets my attention, and I turn around with a deep frown as I hear footsteps marching closer. Something about the tunnels here is providing some light, so I can make out the shadows of several figures approaching from the tunnel we came from.
"We've got company boys," I warn the others.
"Are those Geonosians?" Ezra asks, looking down the tunnel.
"Not Geonosians," Rex replies in disagreement.
I narrow my eyes upon recognizing the appearance and sound of these droids, scowling in exasperation and irritation. I raise my blaster and aim down the tunnel, ready to blast these metal tin cans. I suppose I should be relieved it's battle droids and not undead Geonosians.
"Clankers," I state firmly.
The droids turn around the corner and come to a stop near the other end of the tunnel, the droid commander leading their group pointing his blaster at us.
"Halt. You will be eliminated," it declares.
Huh, not as polite as most of the droids I've come across. Then again Geonosis was never a very nice place, and the bugs seemed to build droids that we're meaner than most. I still remember both of my campaigns here: the first battle that started the Clone War when Waxer and I were still shinies, and the second battle where Commander Shan first joined this lifelong fight against the Sith's pawns.
"Battle droids?" Kanan asks, surprised.
"We can do this," Ezra says confidently.
He and Kanan pull out their lightsabers, and I smirk to myself, readying my blaster. My eagerness is subdued when a droideka rolls forward through the middle of the group of droids, the commander stepping aside to let it unfurl and stand up front, its shield providing ample cover for its team.
"Oh. Uh... Okay, we can probably do this," Ezra corrects himself uneasily.
"Nice," Kanan scoffs.
"You've got to be kidding me," I groan irritably.
Rex and I both fall back behind Kanan and Ezra so they can provide us all with a defense while we would be able to return fire without fear of being shot outright.
"Jedi! Open fire!" the droid commander declares.
The battle droids all begin to open fire, marching forwards in their same overwhelming strategy that they always use. Only this time the droideka is protecting them from getting shot. Kanan and Ezra swing their lightsabers around to deflect blaster fire while Rex and I return fire with our own blue bolts. I once again think about how easy it is to fall back into the familiar routine, how I can imagine that I'm still in the middle of the Clone War. Things were simpler back then… well, as simple as they could be. I let out an irritated growl as my shots fail to hit any battle droids, the droideka's shield blocking them.
"Blasted clanker," I scowl.
All of a sudden the battle is disrupted by an explosion from behind the squad of droids, destroying a few of them. While the droideka continues in our direction the rest of the droids turn around in a panic.
"What was that?" Ezra asks incredulously.
"It wasn't the droids," Rex says.
"We've been outflanked!" the droid commander cries.
A few red blaster bolts come shooting out of the dust-filled tunnel, taking down the commander and several others. They try to rally and fight back their new assailant, but are quickly shot down. Ezra and Kanan move forward, the droideka's shield affected by the explosion, and quickly cut it down to bits. Soon enough the droids are all taken down and we relax at the threat being over, although still remain tense at the unknown party involved. Walking through the dust however are two familiar faces, filling us with relief.
"Saw, Lux," Rex identifies, moving forward.
Saw Gerrera and Lux Bonteri both step into clear view away from the cloud of dust, looking a bit batter, but also grinning. They both have blaster pistols in hand, although Lux puts his away quickly.
"Captain Rex," Saw greets. "So, you decided to come to Geonosis after all."
Rex takes off his helmet and walks forward to meet him, and I quickly follow suit and pull off my own helmet as well.
"Yeah. To rescue you," Rex says.
"Is that what's happening?" Saw asks, chuckling in response. Lux just shakes his head in amusement.
"It's good to see you alive, my friends," Rex says, he and Saw gripping each others arms like any good soldiers while he also nods to Lux. "I'm sure you both remember Boil, Kanan, and Ezra."
The three of us smile and nod to them while Chopper beeps out an indignant protest, gaining our attention.
"Oh, right, and Chopper," Rex adds.
"Heh, nice to see you again Boil," Saw says.
"You as well," I reply.
"It's good to see all of you again," Lux says with a nod. "I don't remember if I properly thanked you for rescuing me."
"No gratitude needed," Kanan says in response.
"Never got to greet you guys properly last time," Saw remarks, stepping forward with a grin. "So, you're Jedi."
"We do our best," Ezra replies with a smile.
"Never really thought I'd meet another Jedi after the war, much less two," Saw muses thoughtfully.
"The galaxy is full of surprises," Kanan says.
"Including what's happening here on Geonosis," Saw states, and Lux becomes a bit more grim.
"You've found something?" Rex asks, and he nods his head with a grin.
Ryloth - Outer Rim Territories
3rd person POV…
A lone cargo ship hovers in Ryloth's atmosphere, flying away from the planet and the small Imperial blockade of light-cruisers around it, preparing to jump to hyperspace.
The cargo ship had just made its last pickup from Ryloth, having also retrieved several shipments from Kashyyyk and Shili. It was now preparing to take its cargo to an Imperial station to be transferred and sorted out for a later use that is yet to be determined. The cargo consists of supplies and resources like treasure, but the main prize aboard the freighter were slaves; twi'lek and togruta females for service and pleasure, and wookiees for manual labor. Citizens of the Empire generally did not care for slaves, but the use of them was more to gain profits from groups like the Hutts, while the wookiees were used in Imperial factories. And this cargo ship was no different in its mission than the countless others that came before it.
Except this one wouldn't make it to its destination.
Inside the freighter, two stormtroopers patrolled through the hallways on their normal routine, passing by the emergency airlock. At that moment, the freighter is shaken as a loud thud is heard on the outer hull. The stormtroopers stumble for a second, looking at each other in confusion. The airlock door then slides open, and they only have a second to whirl around in surprise before they are shot down by two blaster bolts.
Cham Syndulla walks through the airlock and looks around with a scowl on his face, Numa and Gobi by his side. After a moment they both lower their blasters, a thoughtful expression on Cham's face.
"Can't believe we slipped aboard this easy," he remarks.
"Without alerting any Imperials too," Gobi adds.
"Yeah, my Dad is a genius," Mara Jade says, coming through after them.
"Seems so," Cham replies in agreement. "No wonder you managed to break through the defenses around the Empire's capital!"
"Well, when you're ramming a battlecruiser at full speed, there's only so much a blockade can do," Jarik shrugs, coming through right after.
"I see why Boil admires you," Numa remarks in amusement.
Jarik rolls his eyes, and Cham takes charge once again.
"Alright, now that we're here let's get to work on taking control of this ship," he states firmly. "We need to secure the bridge first, and then the slaves. Numa, you go to the bridge, and we'll take care of the slaves."
"Got it," Numa nods.
"You should accompany her Mara," Jarik adds.
"Sounds fun," she replies with a grin.
"If I'm right, then the Empire will have sentry droids to help guard their cargo. They're tough, so I'll go with you and Gobi," he tells Cham.
"Very well," Cham nods in agreement. "Let's get moving."
Mara POV…
"So, I've heard you have a history with Boil," I start off.
Right now, Numa and I were moving through the ship in the direction of the bridge. Securing it is important to make sure that we gain command of the cargo ship, and also prevent the Imperials from reporting our presence. Along the way, I tried to make some light conversation with my rebel companion. She certainly seems like a cool person based on what Boil has said about her.
"Oh yes, we certainly do," Numa replies, nodding her head with a small smile. "Back during the war, when I was only a child, Boil and Waxer helped save me and my village during the Separatist Invasion of Ryloth. I consider them as my brothers."
"I'm... sorry about what happened to Waxer," I tell her apologetically.
Numa comes to a halt in our walk, the smile dropping from her face as she lets out a sad sigh.
"Thank you. It isn't easy to think about at times," she admits sadly, before a wistful smile come. "But I know Waxer would not want me or Boil to worry ourselves with grief over his fate. It's important to cherish the memory of our loved ones."
I smile back at her, and we continue on our way once more.
"That's something my parents have talked about before. I think it's a good thing to do that," I reply.
"What is it like having Jarik Shan as your father?" Numa asks curiously.
"Well, it's certainly not boring," I remark in amusement. "It does have its ups and downs though."
"Downs? What do you mean?" she asks.
"Just whenever we get into..." I start to say, opening the next door of the hallway mid-sentence, the bridge very close now. "...annoying situations."
With the door opened we move to step forward before coming to a halt, startled. Four stormtroopers stand in the hallway in front of us, looking over in surprise and alarm as well. I grumble irritably to myself at the comment I made, and the irony behind it.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" a stormtrooper demands.
Seriously? Why even ask that?
Without wasting a second, Numa and I instantly rush forward into action. She lifts her blaster and shoots the first stormtrooper before ramming into a second, knocking them both to the ground. Another stormtrooper lifts his blaster to shoot her but I dash right up to him, whipping out my blue lightsaber and slicing the weapon apart. He yelps in surprise and fear before I thrust a hand out to shove him against the wall, knocking him unconscious. the fourth trooper, to his credit, doesn't back down and tries to tackle me, but I quickly vault over his back and kick my foot out, hitting him in the back so that his head hits the wall to knock him out as well. Looking over, I see Numa finish off her trooper with a final kick to the head, looking over at me.
"Shall we go?" she asks.
"Yeah, lets," I say in agreement.
We make our way up to the next door and then open it, although I deactivate my lightsaber beforehand. Entering the small bridge we see two naval pilots sitting in chairs off front while an Imperial officer stands behind them, hands behind his back and clearly in charge.
"Prepare the jump to hyperspace in..." he starts to say.
"No time at all?" Numa interrupts.
The officer whirls around in surprise, but Numa shoots him down before he could get his own blaster out while I use the Force to knock both pilots heads against each other, letting them fall out of their chairs on opposite sides unconscious.
"Well that was fun," I comment lightly.
"It was indeed," she replies.
Jarik POV…
I can honestly say I wasn't expecting to participate in the rescue of any slaves today, but the prospect of this mission came up and I had nothing else to do really. So I got into contact with Cham Syndulla, who reported that a group of slaves were scheduled to be taken, and Mara and I came out to help. Because of how much of a small time job this is, and the fact that word of my presence here will definitely not be getting out, things will be just fine.
"I must say, when I first caught word of your stunt on Coruscant, I didn't believe it," Cham remarks.
"What can I say, I surprised everyone," I shrug in response.
"What motivated you to plan such an assault?" Gobi asks me.
I let out a sigh, opening another doorway.
"Mara had been captured by the Emperor. I was desperate, and was willing to do anything to get her back," I explain.
"I understand how you feel. Ever since my daughter was a little girl, I worried greatly over her safety," Cham replies. "Your actions however inspired many of us to resist the Empire. What you did was proof that even they are not invincible. For that you have my thanks."
"Well, you're welcome then," I reply with a small shrug.
We then turn around a corner and find ourselves face to face with several stormtroopers, who look over in surprise. Without hesitation Cham and Gobi opened fire on the stormtroopers with their blasters, taking them out. I raise an eyebrow at their quick effectiveness but shrug it off with an amused scoff, and we continue on our way forward. I then come to a stop as I hear the sound of hydraulics moving with a deep growl, and I quickly shove the two aside.
A heavy metal fist comes slamming down where we just were, the large sentry droid turning to look at us with glaring red optics. I whip out my lightsaber and deflect a shot it fires from its other arm, dashing forwards to cut it off and then slice my blade clean through its neck. A few more droids quickly arrive however, one pushing its destroyed companion aside and swinging out a fist, punching my lightsaber from my grip.
"Kriff!" I curse irritably.
It then follows up with another fast punch that I'm unable to avoid it in time, and it sends me into the wall with a painful thud. cham and Gobi open fire on one of the sentry droids, a heavy barrage of bolts halting it in its tracks and forcing it down with a groan of metal and sparks. Another droid moves forward and delivers its own punches, disarming Cham of his blaster and hitting Gobi to the floor.
Scowling, I push myself back up and jump away from the next attack by my droid, reaching for my second lightsaber. However it quickly responds to my movement and once again hits the saber out of my grip before punching me in the face. I cry out in pain as I stumble back, already feeling the bruise forming, and the droid lunges forward once more. However, I'm ready this time. The sentry droid punches out with its left fist, but I raise my own metal arm and quickly catch it, pushing back against it. The droid hums and groans in surprise as my prosthetic overpowers its own strength, and with a grunt I push it back and then thrust my right hand out, blasting it with the Force. I call my lightsabers back to my hands and ignite them, spinning around to throw the blades so that they impale the droid's chest, pinning it to the wall.
I look over and see Cham and Gobi struggling with their droid, not having their weapons in a reasonable position. Cham had jumped onto its back and had his arms around its neck, struggling to shove and slam its head against the wall while Gobi challenged it from the floor, shoving its arm to force it back as well. The other droid they first shot, however, is slowly rising, although shakily.
Narrowing my eyes I dash forward and bring my left arm back to deliver a devastating punch against its helm, my metal alloy proving greater than its own as I break through its processor. Cham and Gobi are finally thrown off of the sentry droid but I jump right at it with a flourish, using my prosthetic once more to punch it against the wall. I raise my right arm and call my lightsaber back over with the Force, but the droid quickly responds by lifting its foot and kicking me in the chest, knocking me off balance and causing my sabers to fly past me and to harmlessly hit the wall.
The droid advances with a growl as I stumble back, but a flurry of blaster fire against its chest and helm causes it to sputter and collapse with a groan, sparks shooting out of the impact points. I look over to see Cham with his blaster out, the barrel smoking lightly. With an exhausted sigh I collect my lightsabers with the Force, placing them on my belt while Cham helps the older and tired Gobi to his feet.
"Those rust buckets can certainly give someone a run for their credits," Cham remarks.
"Yeah, no kidding," I scoff in reply, rubbing the bruise on my face with a grimace.
"At least we prevailed, thanks to you," Gobi says with a small smile.
"Indeed," Cham nods in agreement. "Now lets go free our people."
We resume our path down the corridor, coming to a door which would open up to the large expansive chamber of the cargo bay. Using the door controls, I effortlessly by pass the security code and open it up to reveal the room carrying all of the slaves.
We rush inside and don't think about the surroundings at first glance, taking out any stormtroopers that we can see. A few of them are armed with electrostaffs or riot control batons, and I focus on them while Cham and Gobi deal with the usual ranged infantry. Slaves are all lined up on the ground with restraints on, watching the conflict in surprise and fear. I disregard them for the moment and jump at one trooper, ripping the electrostaff from his grip and kicking him down. Using the staff, I quickly focus on and take out the other five troopers with the melee weapons, parrying their startled blows and shocking them in retaliation. Clearly they're trained to deal with disobedient captives, and not someone who can actually fight with it. Soon enough they're all lying still on the ground while the other two shoot down the last troopers, clearing the room.
Scanning the room for any more enemies, I drop the staff upon finding none and survey the room, getting a better look at the captured slaves. The majority of them are twi'lek women, which is not surprising at all, but I do notice a few togrutas as well. What surprises me a bit more is that a row of about ten wookiees along with them. All of the slaves begin murmuring to each other in surprise and wonder as they look at us, many of the focus directed toward me.
"Do not worry my friends, for no longer need you fear the horrors of slavery. You are now free!" Cham declares joyously.
Progate Temple Catacombs - Geonosis
Boil POV…
"A shield generator?" Rex asks, surprised.
"Separatist model. About as old as you boys," Saw remarks, looking at the two of us.
Rex and I share a look with each other as we consider the revelation of a shield generator. Based on what was described it's likely that it could be a remnant of the second battle of Geonosis, probably one of the shields used to protect their droid factory in the first wave of the assault.
"Someone's kept the shield operational, maintaining it after all these years," Lux tells us. "That's what makes this situation so strange."
"Battle droids?" Ezra suggests.
"These old clankers?" I scoff, kicking a droid's head. "Not on your life kid. Technology's way too sophisticated for these rust buckets."
"And by the look of 'em, someone's been repairing them too," Rex adds in agreement.
"Well, we were following something. That's how we wound up in this trap," Ezra comments, frowning.
Saw has a suspicious frown on his face, his expression a bit hard.
"It was a bug. Had to be! He got my unit using the same tactics!" Saw states fiercely, before sighing sadly. "We were the only survivors."
"Yeah, the more I hear, the more I don't like this," Kanan says, frowning. "We should go back and report to Hera."
"Back? No. Wait. You can't. That bug is the key to finding out what's going on here!" Saw protests angrily.
"Saw, it might be a good idea to fall back and regroup. Even with a full squad of soldiers on our side, we weren't ready for what's down here," Lux reasons.
"Come on Bonteri, use your head. Don't you understand what's at stake?" Saw retorts, getting worked up. "We know the Empire wiped out the entire population of this planet. We need to find out why. The Empire is hiding something, something important, and that bug… knows what it is."
I share a glance with Rex, thinking about his arguments. They are fairly reasonable, and it would be a shame to come all this way just for nothing, especially if whatever we're dealing with is so important.
"He's right. I say we help Saw," Ezra says in support.
"Hmm. I second that," Rex adds.
"As long as there are no undead bugs walking around," I comment, giving our new companions a look. "There aren't right?"
"Undead?" Lux asks, bewildered. "What do you mean?"
"I'll take that as a yes," I say with a relieved sigh, and Rex nudges my shoulder with a smug grin. "I think pressing forward is a good call, especially since we have an idea of the enemies we're facing down here."
I gesture to the droids for emphasis, and the others nod in agreement. Lux and Kanan are a bit more reserved, but they accept our reasoning as well.
"Okay. We can stay and search for the bug, but we have to warn Hera about the droids first," Kanan says firmly, leaving no room for argument.
"I can help you with that," Saw concedes in agreement. "This way."
He and Lux start walking down the tunnel they came from while the rest of us follow after them. I'm once again a bit confused about why these tunnels seem bright than they were the last time, although I'm not complaining. I suppose we had to go a much deeper route before in order to rescue Luminara, compared to where we are right now.
"Bonteri's been able to map a fair amount of these tunnels," Saw comments.
"We've had time here to do so," Lux adds. "There's an opening up ahead which will help you contact Hera."
The light is definitely becoming more apparent now, and it isn't artificial. We soon find ourselves at an opening, and come across a massive circular chasm with sunlight streaming down the hole quite clearly.
"There's a breeze," Kanan notices.
"Whoa. Watch your step, Master Jedi," Saw chuckles, gesturing in front of us. "It's a long way down."
"Whoa," Ezra says in surprise and awe.
I look around the deep shaft, seeing that it goes all the way up to the surface, while the bottom isn't visible through the darkness below. Several bridges cross the hole at various levels, although the space in front of us doesn't have a bridge.
"We tracked the bug to this shaft. But it severed the bridge, so we've never been able to get across," Saw explains.
"How far down does it go?" Ezra asks.
"Down? I don't know," Saw admits.
"It goes all the way up to the surface though, that's why you can feel the air; which means-" Lux starts to say.
"We can contact our ship," Kanan realizes.
"Exactly," Saw says with a smile. "Better warn your friends quickly. There are droids up there which will come out when the storm dies out. And by the look of things, the sky seems to be gaining visiblility."
Kanan nods in grim understanding while the rest of us share concerned looks with each other.
"Chopper, patch me through the Hera," he orders.
Chopper beeps in confirmation, and Kanan raises his comlink and presses the button to call her.
"Spectre-1 to Ghost. Do you copy?" he calls. "Spectre-2, come in."
"Spectre-1, I read you. Where have you been, Kanan? What's going on?" Hera asks frantically.
"We found Saw Gerrera, along with Lux Bonteri, but their team is gone," he reports.
"Gone?" she asks warily, surprised.
"Hera, listen to me. There are operational battle droids here," he says firmly. "Some patrol the surface. Better keep an eye out."
"Sabine and Zeb found a shield generator. They're out there extracting the deflector core," she reports.
"You have to warn them. Gerrera says once the storm dies down, the droids will be coming," he warns her.
Ryloth - Outer Rim Territories
Jarik POV…
With the mission on both ends turning out to be a success, Freeing slaves from the Empire is something I'm happy to do any day. The only negative is all of the intense gratitude that the freed slaves feel they so desperately need to give. And as luck would have it, I received the majority of it.
The drawbacks of galactic 'fame,' I guess.
The wookiees at least, while extremely vocal, didn't assault me with bear hugs and all that, only a couple did. They would hug me tightly in gratitude, lifting me clear off of the ground while crushing me with their strength, something I would be forced to endure for the several long seconds they would give it. To my immense satisfaction, Mara was cut off from her teasing when a wookiee also gave her a hug of gratitude. The sight of her held in the arms of a wookiee was quite amusing as she was much smaller compared to the friendly giants, and therefore looked a bit like a small toddler.
Wookiees overall were fine with their thankfulness, but the others... I got to be honest, quite annoying.
The average man in the galaxy, particularly among the 'scoundrel' types, would pay lots of money to be surrounded by a large number of beautiful twi'lek and togruta women who simply had an interest in them. And right now, nearly all of the slave women wanted to hug me, cuddle with me, dote on me, the list goes on and on. Not that I don't feel flattered by their gratitude, nor am I angry at them for feeling that way… it's just that they don't know any other way of expressing it other than by being intimate!
Sorry ladies, but I only have eyes for one woman in my life.
While I let the rest of the group handle the freeing of all of the slaves down in the cargo hold, I made my way up to the bridge in order to ensure everything went smoothly for us. Ensuring that any record of this incident wouldn't be reported was an easy process, one that I've done many times before. As I finish up and prepare to place it into motion I falter, frowning in concern as I recall past experiences with a certain Grand Admiral.
Thrawn was able to put some clues together about my strategy years ago by seeing how well everything was covered up in the Imperial database. No trail or record of events like this at all is actually a major clue to him, especially if the trail is hidden effortlessly.
Like how I can erase it.
Letting out an exhausted and bitter sigh I alter the data in order to offer some hints about our actions, being as general as I can to give the Empire some idea of what happened; enough so that they would brush it off as any common insurgents disrupting their shipments in order to rescue their people.
Once I'm done and have the data set I lean back in the chair, letting my mind wander for a little bit. It doesn't take long for me to remember my conversations with Fenn Rau on how to deal with Clan Ordo, and the suggestion he made. I want to dismiss it; it's dangerous and reckless, putting the Vikings in very unnecessary danger. They shouldn't be dealing with issues in the wider galaxy, just on their own planet since they aren't space travelers: they've barely even invented a way to print things yet. But there is some merit that I can reluctantly find in the idea.
Rau is correct in that Astrid is like Sabine due to her status as a warrior, and is therefore relatable to Mandalorians. And her and Hiccup's relationship with the dragons can show that generations of hate can be ended. And he is also correct in that the Empire likely won't be much of a concern for us while we're there, just the Mandalorians themselves, which means no Thrawn, no Vader, and no Sidious. But beyond that I still don't see much positives from the idea.
I suppose I can offer the suggestion the the Vikings themselves. There's still a few days to go before Rau, Kanan and I planned to try and convince Sabine to take up the dark saber, and then our dealings with the Mandalorians would begin. Mara and I could certainly use that time to visit Ahch-To for a short while before then.
Progate Temple Catacombs - Geonosis
Boil POV…
"All right, boys. I'm calling it. Get back to the surface before these battle droids or anything else wakes up," Hera tells us.
"Copy that, Hera," Kanan replies, ending the transmission.
"Now wait a minute. We're not going anywhere," Saw protests angrily.
"We need to go help our friends," Ezra tells him.
"There's a lot of danger we risk by staying, Saw," Lux tells him gently.
"There's always danger to be risked on a mission," he retorts, turning to us. "Want to help your friends? Then find out who's controlling those droids."
I frown in thought at the comment. I can't think of anyone around that would be repairing the droids and hanging out down here; certainly not Imperials. So who else could it be besides a bug? Yet they're supposedly wiped out…
"Ezra, far side of the chasm, directly across from us," Kanan suddenly says, and I notice how he's concentrating intently. "Do you see anything?"
We all turn to look across the chasm, seeing the tunnel on the other side that previously connected to us before the bridge was broken. I tense up anxiously upon hearing the sound of faint chittering and clacking, gripping my blaster tighter.
"Chopper, light it up," Ezra orders.
Chopper turns his dome and shines a bright light down the tunnel. I widen my eyes at the sight that we all see.
"There! Look!" he exclaims.
Down the tunnel is a single Geonosian bug, covering its eyes with a startled cry of protest in response to the bright light, chittering and clacking as it presses itself against the side of the wall to stay more obscured.
"I knew it!" Saw hisses triumphantly.
"Still ugly," Rex scoffs.
"Oh I hate those things," I add in agreement.
"What's it holding?" Ezra notices.
The bug lifts up its hand, something clenched tightly in its fist, and then presses a button with an apparent smirk of glee. I look around wildly, extremely tense as I expect a grenade to go off somewhere at any second, although to my confusion nothing happens.
"Kanan, we've got a problem," Hera suddenly calls in. "The droids have been activated!"
"That bug did it!" I realize, scowling.
"Sabine and Zeb are in trouble," she continues.
"Let's go!" Kanan exclaims.
"We're not leaving without that bug!" Saw interrupts, preventing him from running off.
"He's not as important as our friends," he argues.
"You'll never reach them in time. We capture the bug, we turn off the droids, we save your friends," he reasons.
"What do you think, Hera?" Kanan asks tensely, a deep frown on his face.
"It's a good plan. Get the bug," she tells us.
Saw nods in satisfaction, and Kanan sighs in reluctant defeat before ending the transmission, turning toward Ezra.
"Ezra, I'm sending you over there on three," he says.
Ezra nods in understanding and backs up a few steps, tensing up in a running stance as he readies himself for the jump.
"One. Two. Three!" Kanan says.
In a dash Ezra sprints forward to the edge of the platform and jumps as high as he could. At the same time Kanan uses the Force to push him further, and Ezra goes soaring across the wide chasm before landing on the other side, tumbling into a roll. The bug takes off down the tunnel with a clatter, and Ezra hastily gets to his feet to chase after him.
"Chopper, go with him," Kanan orders.
Chopper beeps and confirmation and then takes flight with his booster, flying across the chasm and then rolling after Ezra as fast as he could.
"Even with your help, I don't think any of us can jump that far," Lux points out with a frown.
"I've got a better idea," he replies.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Rex asks warily.
"For once, yes," Kanan sighs. "I need you to blast one of those bridges loose."
"I think I know what you have in mind," I comment.
Taking aim, the four of us all aim our blasters up above and focus on one of the nearby bridges, opening fire. We shoot out the support for it to either side, and it disconnects with a crumbling explosion, the bridge falling down towards us. Raising his arms, Kanan uses the Force to catch the bridge and then holds it over to us.
"Get across!" he tells us.
We jump onto the bridge and start making our way over to the other side while Kanan also moves it closer to the other tunnel as well. I stumble as the bridge begins to fragment, keeping my feet away from the crumbling edge, but Kanan keeps it mostly intact, and we soon jump off the other end to land safely on the platform.
"Well that was certainly an adventure," I remark with a scoff.
"What about Kanan?" Saw asks.
Kanan then lands directly in front of us, having jumped across himself, startling us for a second at his sudden appearance.
"Come on. We gotta get moving," he says firmly, taking off down the tunnel.
We glance at each other before I shrug in amusement and follow after him, the others right behind me.
"I always forget they can do that," Saw comments.
"Get used to it," Lux scoffs. "They always like to surprise you."
"Yeah, but he's no Skywalker," Rex adds.
"I heard that!" Kanan's voice calls out from ahead of us.
The others chuckle at his irritated retort while I glance away uneasily, my memory of the Jedi General tarnished bitterly by what I saw on that fateful night… the night where everything changed. I still haven't told my brothers about it, not even Rex, and neither has Jarik.
"Yeah… he's no Skywalker," I murmur to myself.
I shake off the painful memories and refocus on chasing down the bug. Through the darkness of the tunnels ahead of us, the distant echo of constant Geonosian chatter reaches our ears and I grumble irritably at the noise.
"This way!" Saw tells us.
He turns down another tunnel and we follow after him, flashlights out to provide better visibility. It doesn't take long before we find the bug in the tunnels, watching as it drops down on Chopper from above and scurries forward. I notice the remote sitting on the ground in front of it and quickly take aim with my blaster rifle, firing a single shot. A blue laser slams into the remote just before it could grab it, much to its surprise and alarm.
"Not so fast you bugger," I say triumphantly.
Saw moves forward, his own blaster pistol raised up with a hard expression on his face while Ezra drops down from a hole in the ceiling above us, making the bug jump in fright as he marches forward.
"It's over!" he declares.
The bug backs up against the wall, looking around at all of us with a nervous expression, chittering and clacking in its native language with fearful whimpers, its eyes wide.
"That's right. We got you," Saw hisses, marching forward dangerously. "And now you're gonna tell us what's been going on down here."
Saw grabs the bug and then shoves him against the wall with an arm to his throat, a hateful glare in his eyes while the bug squirms in fear. I falter in my stance and lower my blaster slightly, a bit surprised and unsure at this harsher side of Saw, and give the others concerned glances. The amount of anger he's displaying at the bug, which is now beaten, is much more than even I would be willing to give, and I have plenty of reason to hate the bugs myself.
"What were you building for the Empire?" the Partisan rebel demands angrily.
Lux looks on with worry and alarm, looking like he's about to step in himself to stop Saw from doing something terrible.
Saw is an extremist for a reason, and he's willing to use literally any means necessary to take down the Empire.
Jarik and Mara helping Cham's group to rescue slaves seems like a fun little side plot, and also gives a good cameo appearance for the twi'lek rebels as well. Characters like Saw Gerrera and Cham Syndulla I feel are underused in Star Wars media: there's so much that their stories could cover for a gritty, more harsh side of the war between common rebels and the Empire. It's certainly something that could definitely work. I enjoyed Saw's role in Rogue One; do kinda wish for more of that, since Rebels can only go so far with its dark themes.
Still, fun stuff. One more chapter and then we finally get into the long-awaited Mandalore Arc! You guys are great, and I never could have imagined this series growing so big when I first started. I'm not very good in expressing with words how awesome your support is, and reading the reviews you leave is always fun.