Chapter 2

In the Shadows

MALASTARE

Northern Mountain Range

Master Tholme and Leo crawled over the mist-covered ridge to scan Kungs fortress, the Gran had chosen his hiding spot well. High in the mountains in an ancient Dug Ruin, the earth had been sculpted around the rocks to make a natural barrier. Inside the citadel was a massive pyramid structure that the bandits were using as their base of operations. It had been retrofitted with a series of pipes and cables around its windows and doorways to send signals and other amenities. A communication tower had been set up at the top of the pyramid's peak around the palace. Speeders and cargo were stacked to one side and to the other cages holding Malastarian animals that had been captured and worse, Tholme looked out through his binoculars to see the largest pin of all was filled with people, gran, humans and other refugees all piled together like cattle. In different key spots around the ruins were four modern towers the bandits had set up to watch over the fortress, each of them mounted with blaster turrets giving them a distinct advantage. Carved on one side of the mountain valley walls was a great Zillo beast that the bandits were using as target practice.

"What is it, Master Tholme?" Lotor asked, having gone with him on his scouting mission, "Slaves." He said handing Lotor the binoculars.

Lotor asked, "Slaves, how did the Jedi Council not know about this?" He asked in disbelief.

"As you said, they've been a bit preoccupied." Leo said as he took the binoculars starting to look at the palace "And there's the big man himself I see, geez what he do to the messenger eat him." Tholme said looking at the towering Gran 'warlord' Kung,

"That's the biggest Gran I've ever seen?" Lotor whispered.

Tholme looked at Kung barking orders at his men, a couple of gran, another black sun falleen, even a wookie. Lotor scanned the area to look at the slave pens when he noticed something about them "Master, Sir Rock the prisoners?" Lotor asked.

"Yes, we'll get them out." Tholme said looking at their main gate, a gap in the rocks that had the speeders filled with stolen loot and people coming in and out of.

"No, not that, look at them they're aren't any Dugs?" He noticed.

Tholme looked back and sure enough none of Prisoners were Dugs, the native species of Malastare. "One would think they would be the easiest to acquire?" Tholme said, but then out of the corner of his eye he saw a small blinking blue light behind the corner of the pyramid "Come, that's our inside woman." Leo said, seeing the light.

"Inside woman?" Lotor asked.

Later the two jedi had made it down from their spot to a small gap in the mountain pass, where someone walked out to meet them. It was Aayla. She was still dressed in her slave outfit but had taken off the mask to show her face, at the sight of her outfit Lotor avoided his gaze blushing "What you find out?" Leo asked her.

"That the next time you need someone dressed up in a fishnet, it's you." Aayla said Master Tholme gave her his dark gray robe, she put it on as Tholme handed her her lightsaber.

"It was for the sake of the mission, no warlord would look twice at a twi'lek slave girl as a suspecting spy?" Tholme pointed out.

Aayla scoffed rightly upset at such a degrading assignment "Believe me, they loved to look twice."

"It was the only way to get you inside, we knew his base was close and wouldn't have asked you if this wasn't serious, now we know it is." Leo said to her as Aayla glanced at him "You saw the prisoners?" She asked.

Leo nodded "We did, but they don't have a large enough ship to take all of them, why so many?"

"They take the prisoner from the refugee camp outside Pixelito, the Malastarian Council has barred the city gates and it makes it easy for Kungs men to sneak into the camp and steal people, while the Malastarian Council does nothing." Aayla explained.

"How'd you find that out?" Leo asked her, "Because he told me." She said pointing over to some rocks as someone walked out of the mist. The person was shrouded tall, broad shoulder and bootless, Leo looked down to see a pair of scaled clawed feet standing in the mountain gravel, they wore a pair of dark navy trousers that were rolled up after the ankles, a blaster belt with two pistols were around their waist, and a knife sticking out of the back the shroud they wore was a dark burgundy poncho that had been pushed over to they saw the claws were open showing he wasn't reaching for weapons, a white shirt with a quilted orange vest over it had a harness strapped on where they could see a long blaster rifle slung over their back hidden under the poncho but as they pulled their hood back Leo's face lit up like the sun, the lizard was a trandoshan.

"Turok?" Leo gasped with a smile, "Looking good Jedi." The trandoshan said.

"Turok Skell!" Leo said walking up to him, Trandoshan approached him and Leo clapped his hand into Turoks claw "You son of a bitch." Leo said as they smiled.

Lotor was confused and looked at Aayla "He knows one of them?"

"Turok Skell was a prisoner in the citadel, after Leo helped free him the trandoshan swore a life debt to Leo." Aayla explained.

Leo looked over his shoulder "And he paid it over more times then I can count, what are you doing here?" He asked the trandoshan smiling.

"Working, bounty huntings not what it has been ever since Krayt's Claw started stealing all the good marks for themselves." Turok explained.

Leo looked surprised "Boba Fett's gang?" Leo asked.

"The same, he's only gotten bolder with his new look." Turok grumbled.

Tholme looked at the trandoshan with skepticism "You're helping Kung enslave innocent people?" He asked getting back to the subject at hand.

"I never touched anyone old timer, Kung hired me on as one of his personal bodyguards, I thought he was just running a smuggling ring, but when you smuggle people when they don't want it, can't do that but his partners can." Turok said to Leo at the last part "What do you mean?" Leo asked.

Aayla answered "He has partners off-world who're sending him the mercenaries and weapons he needs, a mysterious criminal syndicate calling themselves the Shadow Collective, came out of nowhere one day, Hutts, Black Sun even the Pikes are working with them." Turok said to them.

"The Shadow Collective, hmmm troubling criminal syndicates working on a Galatic scale?" Tholme said leaning on his cane, "When I caught this one snooping around I figured you jedi could use a hand." Turok said.

"And let us turn a blind eye to your actions?" Tholme asked Turok, the lizard smiled his fangs at the Master sheepishly. Leo looked back at Tholme who wasn't too pleased to see Leo being so chummy with the trandoshan but he looked back at Turok.

The trandoshan stuck his thumb claws into his belt "The way I see it bunch of Jedi, here, bunch of Bunch Of bad guys down there with blasters, and secretly shady organization with an army of mercenaries behind him, you need all the help you can get, when your all wanted by the Republic." Turok said before Tholme took out her lightsaber holding up to his neck, Turok didn't even flinch.

"Oh please, spare me the Jedi threats I'm offering to help you." Turok said Leo reached for Tholme's arm pushing it down.

"If we want to get those people out of there, all of them, we need more of a man on the inside, someone close to Kung." Leo argued looking back at Tholme "no offense Aayla." Leo said over to her as she folded her robes over her revealing attire.

She just scoffed "You can have him, how are the younglings?" Aayla asked.

"Fine, they've nearly doubled in size." Leo said trying to smooth things over.

Tholme narrowed his glare at Turok "We should discuss it with the others." Tholme said back, Leo gave him a thankful knod "Of course, but Turok comes with us."

"Miss me that much?" Turok asked Leo, "So you don't double cross us." Leo said back to him with a smile, the trandoshan only chuckled "I missed you too Jedai."

OUTSKIRTS

Meanwhile, both Master Reus and Tylenol were speaking to a hologram of the Jedi Council, Windu, Plo Koon and Master Yoda. The two jedi were standing in the same spot where the dug cavaliers had chased the three escaped padawans, before Maris defended themselves saving Dray's life. "We followed the padawans trail but it stopped here. We think they found a speeder and took off into these nearby woods but don't sense their hiding in there." Master Reus reported.

The three Jedi Masters looked at one another "Do you suspect they are trying to join the renegades, these Black Knights?" Plo asked Reus.

"... I do, I sense a powerful presence of force users on this planet, but no darkness?" She said.

"Be cautious Master Reus, despite his age Leo Rock is strong in the dark side of the force, he was trained by Count Dooku to harness such power." Master Windu said.

"The Count was my lightsaber instructor Masters, I'll know his tricks." Reus said as Tyzen looked around at their surroundings, sensing something before focusing back on the Council members.

Master Yoda squeezed his cane "Find these lost padawans we must, it is dangerous for them to be out of the Temple this long."

"Agreed, the Doge told us how many of his people don't care for us Jedi as they use to, and some of the refugees have taken to banditry." Reus informed them.

"That's for another day, focus on these three escaped padawans and should you encounter Rock and his followers contact us at once." Windu ordered them, Reus nodded "Of course Masters, Reus and Xebec out." She shut off the holo communications device before she put it on her belt, she noticed Tyzen was giving her a confused look the young man was giving her.

"Tyzen something to say?" She asked.

The zabrak took a breath "We're hunting Jedi now?"

"We're not hunting them, we're looking to save the padawans." Reus corrected him, he shook his head "You know Maris, Lotor and Dray aren't the ones I'm talking about." He argued, holding out his hands.

"The Black Knights, that name ugh sounds like a holocartoon." Reus said rubbing her forehead "I know Rock was- is very popular among the younger jedi, but he chose to betray the Order, do you know the name Rhad Tarn?" Reus asked.

He gave a hesitant sigh "Yes. I know he was killed by Rock and what happened on Ruul caused the death of a dozen other jedi so the Council says?" He asked rhetorically, Reus faced him hand on her hip "You distrust the Council now Padawan?" Tyzen avoided her gaze, not answering her.

She took a step toward him "Tyzen?" She asked.

"No, I just wish they were more honest with us about what really happened between them and Rock?" Tyzen asked her.

"I was in the Grand Hall padawan, I heard him speak and I saw him fight, even as Jedi around the temple broke out into a combat, jedi versus jedi, the longer he's out there the more likely that fight will spread to every planet in the galaxy." Master Reus said taking a deep breath "The last Jedi Civil War nearly crippled the Republic, entire worlds were razed to the ground like Taris. I don't even want to think what this schism will do." Reus said as Tyzen stood there in silence. Master Reus took a breath before she looked at the speeder trail. "Come on, we need to find those padawans." She said she walked over to a pair of BARC speeder bikes, the two got on and took off toward the forest following the speeder trail the padawans had left behind.

Back in the old mine shaft the Black Knights had regrouped, and brought Turok along with them "Holy stars." Jinx said as he walked up to Turok "Holy Stars you ugly lizard." Jinx said as Turok greeted him.

"Still that snarky twi'lek." The trandoshan hissed.

"Glad to see you haven't changed." Jinx said inside the mine where the Rogue Shadow sat, Turok took one look at the ship seeing how dirty and in need of repairs it was "Oi what you do to her?" Turok asked Leo.

The young white haired man shrugged, "Hard to find a decent mechanic when you're on the run and have over a dozen people on board."

"You need to get a bigger ship?" Turok said.

Both Jinx and Leo sighed "We know."

Across from them Tholme stood with Sian and K'Kruhk who were watching Turok warily "A bounty hunter you say?" Sian asked in a whisper.

"Rock seems to trust him well enough, but he paid his life debt so he has no obligation not to turn on us." Tholme said still wary of Turoks intentions.

K'Kruhk scratched his beard thinking "K'Kruhk?" Sian asked, seeing he had something on his mind "We watch him, for now, if what you say is true about the prisoners I fear we may have stumbled onto something more than just simple banditry?"

Leo and Turok walked over to the Rogue Shadow, "Oof, what have you done to her." Turok said as he dragged his claws under the ship's belly.

"Being on the run, having three times the crew it's supposed to have can put a lot of strain on our girl." Leo explained sheepishly.

Turok looked back at him, "You need a bigger ship, I know some dealers who would-." "Don't you dare finish that sentence, I'm not selling the Shadow." Leo growled at the trandoshan.

Turok held up his claws in surrender "Just a thought, so…. you finally left all that jedi nonsense behind."

"I didn't really leave, I was forced out by the Council." Leo sighed, turning around and looking outside the mine cave at Malastare, Turok walked up next to him "I heard the public reports and read the bounty boards, tried to kill the Jedi Generals or some nonsense, want to tell me what really happened?" Turok asked him.

Leo glanced at him "... When we were undercover, or when I was in too deep on Onderon I saw the other side of the war, of the people who hated the Jedi for what they did." Leo started to explain "Then when I returned to the fold, it only became worse there was a temple bombing." Leo said.

"I heard, it was another jedi though right?" Turok asked him.

Nodding "Yes, she's going to be executed any day now…. during the investigation I went into Coruscant's lower city to return the bodies." Leo said as neither of them noticed both Lotor and Maris were easevedroping. "I saw what the people of the Republic thought of the jedi that day, and the true colors of the Council when they exiled Ah-... exiled her."

"Saw that on the feed too…. I'm sorry." Turok said.

Leo gave a thankful look to him "After that, I did my best to follow the code, follow the Council teachings until they asked me to do something I couldn't do anymore."

"Like?" Turok asked, but Leo sensed something "... Where are the younglings?" He asked.

Elsewhere in the mine, Dray was walking around exploring when he walked around a corner bumping into Zatt and Katooni, "Hey there, Dray right?" Zatt asked, seeing him, Dray backed up at the sight of them "What's wrong, loth cat got your tongue?" Zatt asked.

Fives sneered at him "Ha-ha, lay off Zatt." Katooni said.

"It is Dray right?" She asked him.

Dray nodded at him weekly "Y-yes."

Zatt held up his hand "Whoa, whoa, it's alright we're all Jedi here?" The mechanic said.

"Something on your mind?" Katooni asked him, sensing something was wrong.

"Just a little out of my element I guess?" Dray said up to the two men, "Yeah, feels weird cramped onto a stealth warship switching between the couch and the floor?" Zatt asked.

Dray shrugged scratching the back of his head "uh, yeah I thought you'd have a bigger ship?"

"It's not for lack of trying just lack of…. well finding one we don't have to buy because we're-" Katooni started to say "Squat broke." Zatt said.

Katooni gave a sarcastic chuckle "Yeah, we really need some money."

"But I thought the jedi were supposed to live without material wealth, do the Blak Knights not?" Dray asked them.

"Yeah well good deeds and jedi proverbs don't pay for things like-" "Food, fuel, repairs, etc." Katooni said as she got in front of Zatt, cutting him off now as payback.

Dray blinked at them a few times "Are things really that bad?" He asked.

"Enough about us, what are they saying about us in the Temple?" Zatt asked, throwing his arm around the boy's neck while walking with him.

The new padawan just shrugged "Well, not much but what we do hear is hard to tell versus truth and fiction."

"Such as?" Katooni asked.

"Well the Council made a statement saying Leo Rock had turned to the Dark Side, that he's a heretic and he's trying to split the jedi order." Dray told them.

Zatt and Katooni looked at one another "And us?" She asked.

"They said you- the younglings I mean, were all kidnapped by him when he escaped, that he has an ancient mind power called battle mediation that he uses to corrupt other jedi." Dray added.

"Wow, you feel corrupted yet Katooni?" Zatt asked her.

Katooni paused for a second "Kat?" Zatt asked.

"Well, Master Rock does certainly have a unique way of looking at the force, at least not how I've heard other Masters talk." Katooni suggested.

Dray's ears perked up at this "You call him 'Master' Rock?"

"I mean, he doesn't teach us anything, it's usually one of the others, Master Jeisel and K'Kruhk mostly." Katooni told him.

"Don't get your hopes up, though Petro's been eyeing that padawan spot for a long time." Zatt told him.

"Speaking off, we should show him Zatt, that thing Petro found." Katooni said, taking Drays hand and pulling him down the hallway to a surprise. Zatt and Katooni led Dray into another part of the mine where the other younglings were all gathered around a set of old tracks with a cart on them. Petro was putting some liquid on the wheels as Ganodi shook her head, the cart and the track were in part of a mine that had open stone and a cave that the tracks led in, their was a lever in front of the cart that kept the kart from rolling with a protective guard at the front "You guys are so stupid, this will never work." Ganodi said.

Petro rolled his eyes "Do I tell you how to fly Ganodi?" Petro asked her.

"No, but no one needs to tell you to do stupid stuff Petro." She snapped back, he just scoffed "It'll work, Byph and I did it yesterday."

All eyes went to Byph who said something in his own tongue "We did not almost die, the cart just didn't have enough weight to stay on both track lanes which is why I need another person?" Petro said, looking over at the three newcomers.

"Oh you brought the new guy, maybe he's brave enough?" Petro asked, looking at Byph, Gungi and Ganodi who just rolled their eyes.

Dray, confused, looked at Petro and asked "Brave enough for what?"

"Just say no, you'll live longer." Ganodi snickered.

"Petro found this old mine cart and track that goes through the mines to the other side of the ridge, said he and Byph rode it with no problem." Katooni said next to him, still holding Drays hand. Petro noticed it and his brow furrowed.

Byph made some quick remarks reminding them of how they almost died "The cart barely jumped off the track, so what do you say new guy or you scared too?" Petro asked him.

Dray looked over at the other younglings getting mixed looks at what he would do "Uh sure, why not."

"That's the spirit." Petro said he walked over to the cart and hoped in "Zatt, Gungi, Katooni, either of you want in on this we need one more?" Petro asked.

Gungi shook his head laughing at them, "If I die, who's going to fix the holofeed when it breaks?" Zatt replied.

"Katooni?" Petro asked, the tholothian answered by getting in with them "Alright, now hold on tight." Petro said as he held his hand up to the mine carts railing.

"Wait a second, aren't these gas mines poisonous?" Dray asked.

Petro glanced over his shoulder "These mines have been empty for decades, we're fine." Petro said as he used the force to flip the lever and let the cart go. The three jedi preteens all gripped the sides of the cart as they entered the cave and it started to speed up. At first there were a few cracks of light in the top of the mine's stone ceiling then the cart shot into a dead drop still on the tracks. Both Petro and Katooni screamed in excitement as they went left and right passing through beams of light that came in from holes in the mine. They went left, then right, up and took a sharp hard right turn going down another part of the mine's tracks then up another "This is insane!' Dray shouted.

"Yeah, isn't it great." Petro laughed.

As they flew down another track that started to rise next they passed through a swarm of mynocks that flapped in every direction.

The cart had started to slow at its climb before it reached the tip, stopping Dray let out a sigh of relief thinking it was over, but then Petro leaned forward and they went down into a spiral of the tracks going around and around before they went back into pitch darkness, then they saw a light. The cart burst out of the mine shaft and into Malestares open air before the mine hit the end of the track sending the three younglings flying out of the cart and onto the dirt at the edge of the woods. Petro and Katooni let out hysterical laughter as Dray sat up panting his brown hair had been messed up while Petro laughed sitting up "Byph owes me ten credits." Petro said as he helped Katooni up.

"With what money, we're broke, remember." Katooni said as Dray got up too "That was hehe…. so much fun hahahaha." Dray laughed.

Petro smirked "Good to hear New Guy"

"I have a name?" Dray said, his smile fading.

"I'm sure I'll forget it." Petro said back crossing his arms "Uh?" Dray said as Katooni got between them "Easy Petro, come on let's get back to the others." Katooni said as they heard a twig snap at the edge of the forest. The three younglings turned around to see that walking out of the woods was both Master Reus and her padawan Tyzen.

The jedi starred at them and the other jedi started back "Are they with you?" Petro asked.

"... Tyzen?" Dray said, recognizing the zabrak padawan.

"Dray, you're a long way from home." Tyzen said as Dray smiled walking up to him the older padawan smiled seeing him and Master Reus also had a soft look on her face, but both Petro and Katooni stayed put and kept their skeptical eyes on him. "Master Reus, are you two… are you here for the Black Knights too?" Dray asked.

Master Reus and Dray exchanged looks "Yes, we are, do you know where we can find them?"

"Don't say a word Dray, they're Sentinels they're going to arrest us." Petro said taking out his lightsaber, Katooni kept her hand on hers not taking it off her belt just yet.

Tyzen went for his lightsaber but Master Reus took a step hands up "Younglings, you've been deceived whatever Rock has told you, he's a dangerous threat to our Order you need to tell us where he and the other renegades are." Reus told them.

Petro snarled "I'm not telling you anything, Dray come on." Petro said as Dray looked back at the two younglings then back at Reus and Tyzen.

"Youngling Petro put down your lightsaber." Reus ordered him.

The young corellian held it up standing his ground "Make me." Petro said back defiantly.

Reus took a deep breath as she held out her hand, in an instant both Katooni and Petro's lightsabers flung out from their hands and toward Reus and Tyzen who caught them. Now disarmed the younglings backed up "Run." Petro shouted at Katooni both younglings fled back toward the mines making for the rocks "Petro, Katooni!" Dray called out and he looked back at Tyzen and Reus.

"Dray no-" Tyzen said just as Dray ran after the two other younglings sprinting up the rocks.

Tyzen and Reus followed them on their longer legs letting them gain on them with ease "Try not to hurt them Tyzen." Reus told her padawan.

"Yes Master." Reus replied as he jumped over the children with a strong force jump, he landed in front of the three runners arms outstretched, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, we aren't going to hurt you but you need to come back to Coruscant." Petro held out his hand and sent a wave of the force at Tyzen who leapt out of the way blast as the force cracked a large boulder behind him.

"We aren't going back." Petro yelled as he went left Katooni and Dray following him, when Reus cut them off "You are being led astray by a false prophet, Rock is a heretic to the Jedi and he tricked you into following him."

Petro held up his arms between Katooni and Dray, but Katooni pushed past him "He didn't trick us, we chose to go with him."

Master Reus shook his head "Foolish girl, you're too young to understand what's going on."

"Why is it that older generations always say that?"

Tyzen and Reus looked up at one of the taller rocks to see Leo was standing there, he had his mask in one hand and dropped down beside the two younglings and padawan. "You'll understand when you're older, the Masters can never tell it as is." Leo said as Reus drew her two green lightsabers, Tyzen unsheathed his blue one.

"Leo Rock, in the name of the Galactic Senate you are under arrest for crimes against the Republic and Jedi." Reus said, raising her lightsaber to him.

Turning to face her he looked Master Reus dead in the eye, he then looked back at Tyzen "You're Tyzen Xebec?" Leo asked.

"You know me?" Tyzen asked.

"I know of your former Master, Bolla Ropal." Leo said remembering the rodian jedi master, "He was tortured to death by the bounty hunter Cad Bane to protect the secrets of a Holocron."

Tyzen gripped his lightsaber "You brought his body back to the Temple."

"... I did, he was very brave and he died needlessly." Leo said, turning back to Reus.

"By order of the Jedi Council you will hand over your lightsaber and come with us to face their judgment." She ordered.

He shook his head "I can't do that Master Reus, I do not recognize the authority of the Jedi Council by invoking the right of denial."

"You gave up that right when you betrayed the Order, when you kidnapped these younglings." Reus said.

Leo didn't deny the accusation "No one here against their will, and these younglings are under my protection." Leo said holding his hand out toward them, he took a step to Master Reus, the green eyes of both jedi locked on to one another.

"Protection, they were protected in the Temple; it's the safest place for them to be." Tyzen said.

"With a council who will send them to some distant battlefield to die?" Leo asked them, shaking his head "No, go back to Coruscant tell the Council, I don't want to fight you but I will not let you let you use these children for your war." Leo said but Reus held her lightsaber tight. The wind blew past his stones around them whistling over the warm purple rocks, neither jedi moved from where they stood and Leo took his lightsaber in his hand "Petro, get Dray and Katooni back to the others I'll get your lightsabers." He told them.

"Stay put." Reus ordered again.

But Petro had already started to move, Katooni and Dray followed him, Leo turned on his lightsaber, the purple cross guard, the two basket guards folded out and let the two smaller blades emerge before the main blade revealed itself. "A new lightsaber, I heard yours was destroyed after you destroyed your old flagship but a cross guard hilt?" Reus asked him.

Leo reached up with his mask putting it on "To honor the halcyon days of our Order."

"Cut the poetry, your grandstanding won't fool us Rock." Tyzen said to him, Leo looked back from behind the mask.

It was impossible to see what his expression was behind the helms mask. "Fine then, when I reforged the hilt and turned it on it had… changed." Leo said to the two of them "The Code, the traditions, the Council it has to change too."

The two jedi moved toward the black knight who held his lightsaber up to them in a defensive stance "And I'm going to show you." Leo said as he spun around and hit Reus with a blast of force lighting while jumping at Tyzen to engage him. The attack was swift and sudden, Leo's lightsaber hit against Tyzens blue one in strike after strike the two laser swords clashing around the purple rocks with echoes of the laser on laser. The lighting had sent Reus nearly off her feet if she hadn't used her dual green lightsabers to block the lighting with an x guard.

Tyzen was having his own trouble, he was being pushed down hill against Leo, his lightsaber moving almost too fast to see. Tyzen planted his feet and struck back his lightsaber getting caught on the crossugards ports, Tyzen glanced up and saw Leo's other hand open hitting him with a force push, Tyzen tumbled back falling down the ridges rocky terrain "Tyzen!" Reus said through a leaping strike down on Leo. He dodged and met her, switching over to a reverse grip, Master Reus had him on the defensive while he parried and dodged the Masters strikes.

"The dark side won't help you win this fight, Rock, no matter what tricks you use." She said, referring to his lighting.

Leo jumped up onto one of the taller rocks pointing his lightsaber at her "No tricks, only skill."

Reus jumped up on one of the rocks, Tyzen took one behind Leo "Overconfidence, just like a Sith." Tyzen said.

His face still hidden by his mask, his leather gloves whining on his hilt showed the frustration "... why is it whenever someone challenges the Jedi Way, you call us Sith, traitor, heretic?" Leo asked him.

"I am your brother, stop this, leave… or I'll make you leave." Leo said, offering them a chance to retreat again.

"That's not happening." Reus said.

Leo exhaled in disappointment "So be it."

The two jedi jumped at him and Leo didn't move; he let them get close, Tyzen swinging at his feet, Reus going for his torso. At the last second Leo jumped kicking Tyzen in the jaw while blocking both of Reu's lightsabers. The padawan fell down again before Reus and Leo met again this time, Leo wasn't falling back. He blocked her first attack then pushed back she retreated spinning her sabers before she came at him again. She stabbed with her right and swung with her left, Leo parried her stab dodging her left strike, she followed up with a force push against Leo, he was almost taken off his feet before he dug his lightsaber into the ground carving it up, that's when he sensed Tyzen behind him. His lightsaber almost took his head off before Leo countered and slashed across Tyzens arm, cutting him deep.

The padawan fought against the pain and switched lightsabers arms to fight on. Tyzen used form four against Leo, his lightsaber and Tyzens body were coming in from every direction. Using the terrain to his advantage Tyzen jumped up and around Malastare's rocks as Leo watched him, the aggression the speed, Tyzen's was putting everything into each attack. That's when Leo grabbed onto his lightsaber with both hands switching to Vapaad.

Reus who had caught up saw Leo switch forms "Tyzen, fall back!" She yelled.

"I can take him." Tyzen said coming at Leo's blind spot, but Leo's Vapaad took the padawans' frustration and aggression and before he knew it Tyzen saw Leo's purple blade coming right at his face.

"TYZEN!" Reus shouted.

Tyzen was frozen, Leo's lightsaber was right up next to his face, the heat from the laser sword starting to make the young zabrak sweat. Reus had stopped just in time to see Leo hold his attack that would have been fatal. Seeing him hesitate, Tyzen swung up and Leo backflipped away, now facing down both of them in front. The three paused for a few moments, Tyzen gave his Master a stunned but focused look at what had just happened "I think that's enough?"

Reus and Tyzen turned around to see Sian, Jinx and K'Kruhk standing behind them, Tyzen and his Master went back to back "Masters Sian, Master K'Kruhk, I didn't want to belive you betrayed the Republic and the Jedi." Reus said.

"We haven't betrayed anyone, it's the Jedi who betray themselves Master Reus, lower your lightsaber." Master K'Kruhk said to her pointing a green one at her own.

Reus looked at Tyzen and then at how they were outnumbered two to one, holding out her arms she turned them off "We'll be back." She said.

"We know." Jinx said as he held up his hand "The younglings lightsabers." When she reclined her lightsabers she tossed the two that belonged to Katooni and Petro up to him, which he caught. Leo turned his lightsaber off and let them pass as he removed his helmet, Tyzen glaring at him the whole time he stopped for a brief moment as if to say something but he quickly followed his master down the hillside back to the forest.

When they were out of sight, Leo looked back at the Black Knights "She's right, more will come, maybe a Council member or a whole battalion of Republic troopers?" Sian suggested behind Leo as he turned around to rejoin them.

"Then we need to move fast, it'll be night soon and we need to finish our plan to take out Kung tomorrow morning." Leo said.

"Aayla has gone back to his fortress, she said if she was gone too long they'd get suspicious" K'Kruhk said.

Leo nodded "Does she at least have a comlink?" He asked.

"Yes." Jinx added.

"Good, then with Turok and her working together we should have no problem getting inside." Leo said as he looked over at Turok who had been standing silently in the corner.

KUNG'S FORTRESS

Aayla had returned just in time to hide her robe and lightsaber behind some loose stone, still dressed in her ridiculous revealing dancer outfit she added an extra layer of dirt onto the rock to make it look like it hadn't moved in centuries. Reclipping the gold chain mask over her face she poked her head around before she noticed an open crate of bottles. Walking toward it she reached in and pulled two out before she started to make her way back to the pyramid. As she approached the steps the two guards didn't think much of her passing by; they even got a good look too as she passed both guards snickering.

When she reached the top she heard raised voices as she entered the grand hall at the top "You need to get this moved along, the longer we wait the more curious the Jedi will be." A rough voice said as Aayla came in, she kept her eyes down like a 'good' servant would.

Kneeling over a drink station she poured the bottles into some saucers before she rose with them on a tray. "Ah there's that slave girl, have to kill those guards who couldn't find you." Kung said she served him a tray of drink while Kung spoke to whoever it was Aayla heard him talking to.

"We had an arrangement Kung, my men would look the other way when you took people from the refugee camps and had our small raids on the lesser tribes but now the Jedi are here, and worse they're fighting each other." The voice said. Aayla turned to hand him a drink and kneeled glancing up under her tiara to see that the one Kung was speaking to was none other than the Doge himself, the leader of the Dug Council; Nahka Urus. The Dug seized the saucer and sipped it

Aayla gapped under her veil before she quickly turned away, while the Doge kept speaking "This will ruin us if the Jedi discover me, Malastare could lose its contract with the Republic if we're discovered you need to ship these people off world or… or… dispose of them."

"Dispose of them." Kung said, getting from his chair, raising his axe.

The Doge backed up "That's over half a million credits in those pins, and you think I'm going to lose all that chattel because some magicians scare you?" Kung barked and the three eyed Gran spat down at the dirt.

"More wine- the bottle." He snapped at Aayla, brought him up the bottle he took it and sipped it "I've got the jedi problem taken care of."

"You mean you killed-" "No not yet, but I've brought in some specialists to do it for us." Kung said as Aayla knelt at Kungs throne eyes on the floor, putting on a performance to pretend to be nothing but a routine slave girl "Get in here you 'specialists'!" Kung snapped.

Three individuals appeared from a holomonitor, all of them were dressed in the bright crimson and black beskar armor of the Mandalorians, with yellow visors and spiked helmets. Aayla and everyone else in the grand hall looked in awe of their black and red patterned armor, armed to the teeth with blasters, knives, flamethrowers and rocket packs. "M-Mandalorians." The Doge gasped droppings from his saucer. Aayla in shock too looked at their fearsome armor, the red and black, the patterns of sith decorating their armor.

"They'll handle the jedi." Kung said as he grabbed Aayla and pushed her down the steps she rolled to the ground with a thud "Get the Doge more wine, soon we'll put this Jedi mess all behind us…. and in the ground, heheheh HAHAHAHAHA." The warlord laughed as his men joined in and the Doge, the doge looked terrified even as Aayla refilled his cup even as Kung spilled it the red incho resembling the blood that would be spilt soon.