Chapter 12
Dangerous Debt
A Call to Arms
OBA DIAH
Pyke Dungeons
After the Pykes found out about their attempted double cross, Ahsoka and The Martez Sisters locked them up in a Prison cell in the Pykes dungeon. The dungeons were different from the ones Leo, Anakin and Obi-Wan had gone into. The walls all had the neon greenish carvings in the walls. The gates holding back the prisoners in their cells were all ray shielded like nearly every prison, only this was a prison run by criminals.
"I never figured when I took my ship out for the first time I'd wind up in a place like this" Trace said, sitting on the floor turning toward the other two.
"Hey, you dumped the spice" Rafa said sarcastically.
Ahsoka frowned "We wouldn't be here if you hadn't taken the job with the Pykes" she told the older Martez sister.
"Fact, it she hadn't dumped the spice we'd finish the job, and we're already gone" Rafa said standing up.
"Fact If you had listen to us instead of being stubborn we couldn't gave the spice to people who needed it and you still would've still gotten a fair pay" Ahsoka said getting In Rafa's face.
"You're starting to sound like jedi" Rafa said, pushing past Ahsoka, walking over to sit next to Trace on the prison cell bench.
"And what if I was?" Ahsoka said standing tall.
"Don't kid around" Trace said it a low voice. "You didn't tell her did you?" Rafa asked
"Tell me what?" Ahsoka asked
"About why Trace and I keep our distance from the Jedi or any top siders for that matter" Rafa said, she sat down next to her sister and put her arm around her "A couple of years ago there was a prison break on the surface of Coruscant where you two live. Some gangster named Ziro. Then came the jedi. We watched like so many others as they chased Zirl and his gang down the portal leaping from speeder to speeder as they went. Finally some red-eyed alien protecting Ziro blasted the engine of the ascending cargo transport. The ship went spiraling out of control. The Jedi went into action,tried to gain control of a population platform right in the path of the ship,but the Jedi steered clear of that right into the portal right on the other side of that wall was our home.
"Mom and Dad saw it coming." Trace said "They got Rafa and I out. But they weren't so Lucky"
"The Jedi didn't even capture Ziro" Rafa added "The 'Distraction' of the ship helped him get away. Afterward, The jedi came back and one of them came right over to me. I'll never forget it she was beautiful, dark robes contrasting against her light green skin. Penetrating looked at me and you know what she said? She said 'I had to make a choice but not to worry the force will be with you. That's it then she took off and Trace and I were left without a home,without parents. Just left there to find our way through their system. I've spent every day since building a life for the two of us. You don't know what it's like to struggle to take care of someone you love." What was the worst part was Ahsoka knew the day they were talking about. Anakin, Ahsoka and Leo had thwarted the attempt on the senator's life by Cad Bane the red eyed alien. But Leo had chased after him, he almost caught Bane but he tossed Senator Amidalla off the speeder before escaping. Ahsoka had never thought about what happened after, but she knew which Jedi they were talking about, Master Luminara Unduli.
Ahsoka looked away and put her hands on the bar, she was almost touching the ray shield. The feeling of getting shocked by it may be less painful than the pain she felt in her own heart "… I wish that was true."
"What was that?" Rafa asked.
Ahsoka looked back "I didn't have a mother or father like you, but I had my brothers and sisters, they raised me as best they could and there was… someone more." She said "Someone I love so much, I had to leave him behind."
"If you did love him, you wouldn't have come anywhere near us." Rafa said. Ahsoka turned around her anger reaching a boiling point, but she looked away, not letting it take control. "I'm so sorry about your parents."
Just then one of the Pyke guards unlocked the cell and approached the three young ladies. There were two of them one holding a blaster the other a stun baton
"Martel Come with us" The Guard ordered raising his blaster at them, Ahsoka jumped in front of the sisters.
At the same time the two sisters asked "Which one?" At the same time.
"Rafa." The Guard said.
"Don't touch them if your going to take anyone, take me." Ahsoka snapped, "Yeah, she's right. Take her instead.." Rafa said before the Pyke guard smacked Ahsoka with his stun baton shocking her to the ground. They pushed Trace aside and grabbed Rafa dragging her kicking and screaming
"Would you… Trace, if I die, you get the family business!" Rafa shouted back at her sister as they dragged her away.
"But I don't want the family business!" Trace shouted.
Rafa pulled away from the guards "Well, it's yours anyway!" Rafa called back.
"But you're not gonna die! I'll figure something out!" Trace yelled, helping Ahsoka.
"Figure it out quickly!" Rafa yelled.
The two watched Rafa get taken away helpless to do anything about it, "Say goodbye, you won't be seeing her anytime soon." A voice said across the cell, sitting in the other cell across from them was another prisoner. They couldn't see him through the cell walls, only a pair of cuffed boots poked out from behind the wall as the stranger sat there "Pykes will get their spice one way or another."
"And who are you?" Trace asked the stranger.
"Nobody of consequence." The stranger said tapping his boots while he sat there "I've tried to escape this place six times, always wind up back in the cell."
"Six times, why are you still alive?" Ahsoka asked the stranger.
The boots stopped moving "I'm, important to their work, I helped design the algorithm for their spice trade makes the drug more potent."
"Your a drug dealer." Ahsoka hissed.
The stranger snickered from behind view "Drug dealer, inventor, card player and I pretty good hacker, I once hacked an entire security system of droids before the Crimson Dawn captured me."
"Crimson Dawn?" Ahsoka asked "New crime syndicate, very nasty." Trace said.
"So why are you prisoner to the Pykes?" Ahsoka asked the stranger his boots tapping on one another.
Chuckling "Because sometimes they need the right touch on their system, I don't want to work for them but I also don't want to die, unlike you ladies." The hacker said.
Rafa was forced all the way down the hallways into a narrow hallway where she was strapped to a metal slab clamps on her legs and wrists "Hey, uh, if you want to know the truth, uh, pain really doesn't help me focus." She said as a torture droid walked around her four Pyke guards waiting. The torture droid held up a stun clamp each time the two clamps touched it zapped with electrical surge. "Talking? Now, talking is always a good thing." She whimpered.
"Look, now that I think about it, I think the people on Kessel scammed us." Rafa said before they stuck her with the torture device shocking her thousands of volts of energy making her scream.
QUARZITE
Undersurface
Leo was face down on the back of the Kage Warriors mounted Milodons were non-sentient, centipede-like insects native to the caves of the planet Quarzite, where they were used as mounts by the indigenous Kage. They could also be found on Hissrich and other worlds with suberterain inhabitants. The Milodons were large, swift-footed centipede-like non-sentient insects, milodons had a pair of glowing eyes on either side of their heads. Carnivorous creatures, they had 24 legs that moved at high speeds and could keep pace with subtrams, in addition to four sharp mandibles with pincers, as well as feelers. The Milodons found on Quarzite had mottled purple and brown carapaces with yellow eyes, while those on Hissrich had a green carapace with light green eyes. A rug was placed under the saddle that had three Kage warriors on them each as they burrowed through the tunnels away from the trams.
Leo looked up to see a light and the worms came out into a massive underground valley flowing with underground rivers into quartered off fields with blue glowing plants in the water. The worms came to a stop at the front of the field where they dragged Leo off. He saw the worms burrow off into a large cave that had been carved out and piles of glowing green hay fed to them in a barn. Across the fields Leo could see crystal cobbled paths that lit up under the Kage's feet.
The Kage pushed Leo along the crystal road between the fields, he could spy stone huts lined with crystals and at the back of the valley was a giant crystal, but it wasn't a crystal. It was a castle made of crystals and stone, The base was all stone packed in with concrete, the walls were painted dark blue with crystals on the roof stacked on top of one another with five levels and two towers on each side with three levels each. Leo looked to his left to see a set of cages built into some caves inside he could see the Sun Guard, stripped of their weapons left to rot. Bowls of maggots rice and dirty water
Leo looked around at the Kage walking around the village tending to their fields, some were fishing in the river the women all had on kimonos with their hair held up in buns of one, to four in some cases. Leo was pushed through the gates of the castle and heard the sounds of training. The Kage warriors were all doing a unison of kicks and punches. Each time they made a move they resounded with a firm "UHO!"
The further in they went, Leo looked to see two of them training with sticks, fighting blindfolded. Others ran up training walls "Impressive, no wonder you've been giving the Belugans so much trouble." Leo said behind the leader.
"Silence." He said, his voice muffled by his mask.
"You know I fought three Kage assassins on Rendili, they didn't survive the encounter." Leo replied, the Kage leader turned around and drew his vibro knife, it came alive with electricity and he put it up to his neck "How many people are going to put a blade to my neck?" Leo asked out loud.
"I said be quiet." The leader said putting the blade away, they pushed Leo along inside the castle, the floors were thick matts with paper walls. Despite the pinkish glow of the crystals no light came in and instead there were a series of dim candles. Leo was thrown to the floor and he let out a moan "Just give me the Sun Guard." Leo said.
The Leader turned around pulling off his mask and hood, he had golden eyes like many of the Kage. With gray skin darkened around the eyes with powder. A snake-like tattoo was in the middle of his forehead and his black hair had a hint of white in it tied in a top knot with bangs on his side and a trimmed mustache above his lip. "What?" The leader asked.
Leo turned his legs around sitting across from him hands behind his back "You've been capturing Sun Guard Legionnaires, I've come to collect them."
"Collect them, so the Jedi work for the Belugans now?" He asked, holding up Leo's lightsaber.
He turned the blade on looking at the purple blade "I fought a woman carrying a similar weapon, hers were red and she carried two?"
"Bald, pale…" Leo looked at the Kage leader "-Er, has a look like she wants to cut your liver out and feed it to you?" Leo asked him. The other Kage Warriors looked at one another as the leader pointed at him "You… uh…"
Leo rolled his eyes "I am Krismo Sodi, leader of the Kage here for years I have-" "Excuse me?" Leo interrupted "Look I understand, you hate the Belugans, rightly so for they're tyrannical rule and they hired a mercenary army to fight you, I'm here to take the mercenaries away so just give me the Sun Guard prisoners and we'll be on our way."
"What?" Krismo asked, he took his knife out again and held it under Leo's jaw "What tricks are playing, Jedi?"
Leo looked at the knife and then at Krismo "No tricks, I give you my word the Sun Guard will leave Quarzite with me, then you can get back to fighting the Belugans."
"You think that will solve anything, Outa Blank will just hire another army, not all of us can be as lucky as you to run away from our home, we have to fight to protect it." Krismo said. Taking a deep breath, Leo pressed his lips together "What would a jedi know of protecting home."
Rolling his eyes "This is exhausting." "Wha-" Before Krismo could finish his word Leo leapt swung Krismo legs out from under him, rolling over Leo jumped to his feet. Summoning his lightsaber he cut the bonds around his hands and swung his lightsaber at the first Kage daggers. He kicked the first one away before he dodged two more from behind. Krismo jumped into the fray both daggers at the ready they slashed cut and stabbed at Leo but he dodged deflected and parried before he swung his lightsaber stopping just short of Krismo's face and all five of the Kage warriors blades stopping short of Leo's vital areas.
The doors to the dojo burst open and three women came in "Krismo!" The Kage and Leo looked at the lead woman, a girl with blonde hair tied up in a bun behind her head and two short braids. She wore Kage warrior robes like the men showing she was a warrior. "Pluma, leave, I'm handling it."
"Clearly, why the hell are you fighting a jedi?" She asked.
"He's working for the Sun Guard, for our enemy." Krismo snapped.
Leo rolled his eyes "Who's in charge here?" Leo asked.
"I am." Both Krismo and Pluma said at the same time, Leo turned off his lightsaber "Well then, can we just talk then?" Leo asked as he held his hands up to show he didn't want to fight anymore. Pluma held her hand up to wave the other warriors away but Krismo kept his blades up "I have no quarrel with you or your people, but I need the Sun Guard I made them an offer they can't refuse but they need all their men back, so I'm do the same for you." Leo said
The young woman named Pluma gave him a curious look "And what is that exactly?" She asked.
Leo shrugged, "I'm going to kill Otua Blank."
OBA DIAH
Dungeons
Back in their cells, Ahsoka and Trace were worrying their heads off about Rafa, the younger Martel sister was gripping the bars of her cell. Ahsoka sat on the floor behind him "You know, Rafa is telling the truth." Trace said back to Ahsoka "Since that day, it's really been us versus everyone else, until you showed up."
Ahsoka leaned back on her seat "So, why'd you bother with me?" She asked.
"It's something my mother would've done she always believed in helping others this life I have, it's not how I was raised." Trace confessed back to Ahsoka. "It's how it is"
Ahsoka remembered on how Anakin, Obi-Wan and Leo were on Felucia helping those farmers even though it was small compared to the rest of the war. That was one of the best days of her life, her Master was so brave and confident inspiring really. The first time Obi-Wan started to mentor Leo, Sugi and her bounty hunters, even that one in the metal suit. She and Leo even met Hondo for the first time, she'd rather be his prisoner than the Pykes at this moment.
She was snapped back to reality when the cell door opened and the guards throwing Rafa's motionless body into the cell " What did you do to her? Answer me!" Trace screamed at the guards.
"Don't make them mad, Trace." Ahsoka warned.
But Trace couldn't hold back her anger, look at what they had done to her sister her only family "How about they don't make me mad and tell me what they did to my sister!" The guards smashed the butt of their pistols into the girl, the other hitting Ahsoka with his stun baton before they grabbed Trace.
"Let her go!" Ahsoka yelled before they hit her again.
"Make sure Rafa's okay!" Trace called back at Ahsoka as they closed the cell.
Ahsoka watched helplessly, as the thugs dragged to the same fate as Rafa "Trace!" Ahsoka shouted.
The stranger let out a groan "Will you all stop shouting, I'm trying to sleep." The stranger snapped.
"Hey, I may have a way out of here want in?" She asked him. The strangers boots turned at her like a sock puppet "What part of tried to escape six times do you not understand, these Pykes are part of the Shadow Collective."
"Shadow what?" Ahsoka asked.
The stranger let out a long sigh "Some secret alliance between crime syndicates, they took over the underworld somehow, I don't know how but all I plan to do is wait until they move me somewhere else." The boots said.
Soon Trace was being pushed into the interrogation room where they tortured Rafa "Where is the spice?" The interrogator droid asked.
"Okay, look. I'll tell you where the spice is, I just didn't want my friends to hear me tell you." Rafa said before she backed up, the interrogator droid held up his stun baton to zap her. Trace stomped her foot on the nearest guard and grabbed him, throwing him into the droid, shocking him and knocking the droid over. This sent the droid back into another one. She grabbed the guards blaster shooting one of the Pyke guards before she ran back the way they came shooting at the guards as she fled back to Ahsoka and Rafa.
Alarms began to go off across the dungeon to Trace's escape, Ahsoka who was tending to Rafa, when she heard the alarms she stood up. Looking around to make sure nobody even Rafa, was still knocked out cold.
"Okay, I'm gonna get one shot at this." Ahsoka said she held her hand up near the lock controls and focused, focus, focus on the locking mechanism just like Anakin taught her. The wiring would be plugged into the lower button, don't focus on the cords focus on the mechanism of the button and she heard the door control go green. The gate swung open and she turned back to Rafa shaking her awake "Rafa."
The older sister shot up shouting "I don't know where the spice is!"
"Hey. Hey. It's all right." She looked to see Ahsoka calming her down.
Catching her breath Rafa looked around the cell "Where's Trace?"
"They took her, but listen, we have to go. Now!" Ahsoka said getting up and heading to the door.
When Rafa saw it was open she looked flabbergasted "How'd you do that?"
"It wasn't me, I think there was a power outage, and the energy field turned off." Ahsoka lied walking out.
Rafa took it without doubt "About time we caught a break, let's go get Trace."
"Good luck ladies, you'll need it." The stranger said behind the cell, Ahsoka looked back at the boots catching a glimpse of the stranger from the cell, they had on black faded green pants, and were wearing some sort of cape or blanket over their face, but she saw them smile at her before she ran off.
The two ran down the dungeon hallways past the empty cells, in another corridor Trace was running from the guards before she came to a corner and bumped into a Pyke guard. He was twice her size and hitting him made her fall to the ground dropping her blaster. The Pyke grabbed her slamming her against a cell holding a weequay and an ithorian "Hey, let us out!" The Weequay yelled.
Fumbling with the door controls, Rafa hit the opening mechanism, the Ithorian grabbed the Pyke guard by the neck yelling at him before reinforcements arrived. The guards opened fire on them and the Ithorian chucked the pyke guard into the others before the weequay attacked the incoming guards giving Trace enough time to escape.
Trace ran across the the dungeon floor not looking back before she came around a crossroads in the dungeon cells running right into Ahsoka and Rafa "Ah!" Trace jumped seeing the two
"Are you crazy? I could have shot you!" Trace said, squeezing the blaster pistol in her hand.
"You gotta be kidding me. We came to rescue you!" Rafa argued.
Trace shook her head "No, I was on my way to break you two out!" When more Pyke guards came running after them.
Rafa immediately took charge "This way!"
"No, this way!" Trace snapped.
"Tiebreaker, come on!" Ahsoka said pulling them down the third corridor, Ahsoka, Trace and Rafa sprinted to the sounds of pyke blaster fire. Running outside the dungeon onto a balcony with fuel crates near the entrance where a walkway of the shipyard with walkways and towers attached to them. They took cover behind some crates and Trace fired randomly hitting one of the fuel containers making it explode in a rainbow of colors and derby.
They took their chance again running across one of the walkways of the shipyard running over the walkways. Rafa ran on ahead even as the walkway started to separate into a gap to far to jump.
"Trace, it's too late!" Ahsoka warned as Trace backed up to get a running start "i'll take my chances." Trace ran at full speed jumping but she would be just short. On instinct Ahsoka used the force to propel Trace to make the jump just barely "Ah!"
Rafa dropped down to grab Trace as she grabbed onto the ledge before she pulled her sister up "Uh, Trace! Careful!"
"You see that? Come on, Ahsoka!" Trace called back over the gap.
"If you can't make it, Ahsoka, we'll be back for you!" Rafa said starting to run off but her sister grabbed Trace "Let's get outta here. She won't make it."
Trace couldn't move her feet even if she wanted to "We can't just leave her!" While they argue Ahsoka focused on her feet using the force to propel her over the gap and two sisters landing behind them. Trace and Rafa dropped down to the ledge "Wait, where'd she go?" Trace asked looking into the abyss beneath them.
"She didn't make it. That's terrible." Rafa said not that remorseful at that.
"Ahsoka!" Trace shouted down.
Ahsoka cleared her throat "I'm here."
The Martez's spun around "How'd you do that?"
"I'm more athletic than I look." Ahsoka said lying again but it was more of a half truth considering her physical talents.
Rafa looked at Ahsoka funny "That's not normal."
But Ahsoka stopped her from questioning her "We don't have time to discuss this. Let's go!" She said before Rafa ran on ahead, she ran to the nearest staircase seeing a Pyke guard working a control tower elevator lift. Sneaking up behind the pyke guard to grab his stun baton. The pyke guard turned at the last second before she could attack. Seconds later Ahsoka and Trace came rushing down to see Rafa grappling with Pyke. They ran to help her wrestling the guard to the ground as the lift he was on started to go up, they swung the guard around onto the side with his head heading straight for the edge of the walkway and SQUISH.
The three girls fell to the bottom of the shipyard and looked to see a large gate exiting out into a the large town that surrounded the Pyke fortress "Finally, There's our way out." Rafa said, running to it as Trace helped him up.
TATOOINE
Tusken Camp
Up on the canyon ridges, the Tuskens watched Jinx, Aayla, Quinlan and Turok depart to go find the missing Petro, they'd taken both the speeders while the rest of the Black Knights remained behind. As usual Sian had resumed her duties of training the younglings this time over seeing their saber techniques. They were training in Form IV going through the motions "One, two, three, four, one two three four." Sian said over and over watching them switch from guard to strike, to guard and parrying.
The Tuskens had gathered a distance away to watch the handful of jedi younglings training and between them Master Hett, shaman and leader of the Tuskens stood beside the elder masters Tholme and the Dark Woman. "A padawan, I could see how you'd need more Masters, Tholme." Hett said under his mask looking at the younglings.
"They are coming of age, they will focus on tutoring soon." The Dark Woman said, looking at Katooni with some interest.
"But you already had enough Knights for the younglings to train before coming to find us, why now?" Hett asked.
Tholme tapped his cane walking across the rocks the other two Masters following "Rock insisted they have proper Masters, young Jinx Vao is already apprenticed to Quinlan as you know."
"The twi'lek is far more skilled than he appears, have you considered letting him take the trials?" Hett suggested behind his mas.
"He's to young." Tholme replied, the Dark Woman just chuckled, "Ha, back in our day we could say any cut in a fight was the trial of flesh."
Tholme snickered, "In our day our hair was darker and we knew who our foes were."
"What about this Petro your former apprentices are looking for Tholme, from what you told me about the younglings he's very fond of Rock?"
"They all are, younglings always fawn over the younger knights they can relate to the youth.' Tholme said, stopping by some rocks and taking a seat. Hett and the Dark Woman sat next to him "So why hasn't Leo taken him as his padawan?" Hett asked.
Tholme grew silent looking back at the younglings "He insists they have proper Masters, Leo may be a knight but he's only seventeen."
"Perhaps having a padawan will make him grow up faster?" The Dark Woman suggested.
"Forcing a padawan on him is… something we could do, but should we?" Hett said to her.
The Dark Woman let her lip curl up "The Council sent you to me when you first arrived at the Temple, and you were already a young man but they did love to send me their problematic jedi."
"Only because you gave me the guidance to fight my demons, instead of letting me be consumed by them, these younglings have had the most unorthodox upbringing in our Orders history, kidnapped after the Crucible, tortured, now following exiles perhaps we should give them something more traditional than just us randomly assigning padawans to masters like the High Council does."
"We still need to come up with a name for our Council so we don't get confused right?" The Dark Woman pointed out then sighed "But I agree with you Hett, perhaps we have a padawan tournament?"
Tholme raised his cane to his chin "Not a bad idea, there hasn't been one in over three years, but I've noticed only a few of the padawans here are exceptionally skilled in combat, Maris, Dray, Petro and Katooni are all skilled, the others talented in different ways?"
"How so?" Hett asked.
"Gungi may be a wookiee, but he is a compassionate boy, often speaking openly when he has something to say. Byph may be timid but I see him pouring over holos in his free time, the other boy Zatt is brilliant with technology he's practically reamped the Star Lark on his own with Turok who has told me that Ganodi is by far the best pilot among them." Tholme said.
"Speak of Maris and Dray, where are they?" The Dark Woman asked.
The two padawans in question had left the Tusken camp behind and were exploring the canyon gorges alone "I don't see why we're still here, can't they just find that Petro kid and we can go, stars I hate all this Sand." Maris said as she jumped over a few rocks coming to a natural land bridge in the canyon walking over it. Dray looked down over the hundred foot drop and kept walking, a bit wobbly too.
"I read somewhere that Tatooine used to be an ocean world, these canyons are all that remain of the land masses that dotted it." Dray said.
"Really, cause I'd love a beach right now." Maris said as he caught up.
He smirked "Hmhmm, those frozen drinks with the umbrellas in them."
Maris made a soft humm behind her lips "Shaved ice with fruit flavoring, please stop." She begged.
Dray gave a chuckle "So you can laugh and here I thought that haircut was to hide that good face." Maris said as they walked on the other side of the canyon.
"What, what's wrong with my hair?" Dray asked, looking at combed over hair with curiosity while Maris laughed. Not far from them however, watching them through a sniper scope of his rocket launcher was the Bounty hunter Durge.
QUARZITE
Main Tram Line
Back in the undersurface of Quarzite, Leo had made his way to the tram and paced back and forth "Idiot, idiot, stupid damn idiot killing a Dictator, yeah Tholme and the others will love this…. Ugh I don't have time…." Leo stopped and took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts he reached for his comlink and started to try and link to the Rogue Shadow.
But all he got was static, "Big shock, on a planet underground and I can't reach my ship…." Leo thought for a few more moments before he sat down into a meditation position.
Taking in a few more deep breath Leo started to reach out into the force to the only person, he could possibly think to talk to about what he was about to do "K'Kruhk…."
Far above him, above the surface, clouds and atmosphere of Quarzite, the Whipid Jedi Master was sitting in meditation aboard the Rogue Shadow while Dogma and Fives played a two on one match against Trench in holochess. Each time the clones got ready to move a piece Trench shook his head, laughed or giggled making them reconsider their moves.
"K'Kruhk…"
The Whipid eyes opened under his straw hat and he looked around, wondering if the others had heard Leo.
"K'Kruhk…"
Getting up from his spot, he walked out of the Rogue Shadow commons and into Leo's room shutting the door "I hear, what is it?" He asked.
"Wow, I wasn't sure this would work I'm not sure how much time I have, I'm sorry I couldn't give you an explanation earlier, the Sun Guard has asked me to find a group of their men taken prisoner here on Kage before they even consider joining us."
"And you found them?" K'Kruhk asked Leo sitting down on Leo's bed as if he were looking right at Leo who was sitting by the tram rail towers.
"Yes, and no, the Kage are being oppressed by the planets ruler Otua Blank I gave them an ultimatum to let the prisoners go in exchange I'll do something for them" Leo said.
K'Kruhk set his hat down and thought for a few seconds "You try to solve everyone's problems Leo, and you'll never solve your own."
"Ugh, I know but this is something different, I promised I'd kill Otua Blank for them"
The whipid was speechless "Assassination, is not the way of the jedi."
"K'Kruhk I know, but I don't have the time or any idea on how to fight a civil war that's been raging for who knows how long between the Belugans and Kage."
"Then perhaps we should seek allies elsewhere?" K'Kruhk suggested, but down o the surface Leo shook his head.
"There's no time, there's no one else who would help us it has to be the Sun Guard, but this leader Blank, he's a Dictator, rules the planet with an iron fist would killing him free the Kage or would I be letting someone worse take his place in the power vaccum?" He asked.
K'Kruhk thought about it for a few moments. "I see your problem, you know what you need to do Rock, but it would forever stain your personal honor, how is this any different from what you did to Jabba the Hutt."
"Jabba was allied with the Shadow Collective, he's ruined countless lives for his criminal empire and uses influence he has in the Republic to not let the Jedi stop him, but here, there's nothing holding me back, nothing but my honor if I do this will I have any left?" Leo asked K'Kruhk
The jedi master took a deep breath, the connection they had was not so close they could see each other on the Rogue Shadow and on the undersurface of Quarzite. Leo looked at the Jedi Master intently under his mask, and K'Kruhk could see the question ripping Leo up inside "What is honor?"
K'Kruhk asked him "Know that this path you are walking down, is a thin and narrow one, any misstep and you will fall, you must show conviction if this is the choice take and if you fear regret or failure you've already lost, you must ask yourself is your personal honor and pride more important the great goods?"
Leo heard the tram coming and looked back at K'Kruhk "We'll find out."
The Belugan security forces were riding on a tram speeding toward Lord Otua Blanks stronghold. The tram rode down on the tracks as the Belugan Captain from the star elevator. Was walking through the tram when suddenly the conductors hit the breaks, the Captain nearly lost his footing when he was upright again. He stormed to the front of the train "What is the meaning of this.' He snapped out of his tentacle mouth.
The two drivers looked back "There's someone on the tram." The conductor said, the captain of the security forces looked out to see Leo standing on the tram, looking right at them.
OBA DIAH
Spice Town
Ahsoka, Rafa and Trace had fled toward the large town at the foot of the Pyke's palace, The buildings were all the same faded blueish green as the palace, but with more garbage and grime around them then the dungeons themselves. Speeders and spacers walked the streets, those armed enough walked alone, others huddled in the alleyways begging for scraps. The only thing standing between the three ladies and escape was a large gate and two guards at the entrance, hiding behind a fuel line they started to talk "All of this effort to kill us is crazy, you'd think these Pykes have never pulled a fast one or had a fast one pulled on them." Rafa said as they started to move further and further away from the palace, hiding behind a fuel line.
"This is what happens when you get into business with criminals." Ahsoka told Rafa.
"When you're trying to make a living, you don't really think of the possible torture or execution part of the deal." Trace threw in while they looked around to make sure nobody was following them.
"The Pykes aren't gonna let us get off this planet, their reputation is at stake." Ahsoka said to the Martez's
"Fine. Ahsoka, you seem resourceful youdisable the gates while Trace and I distract the guards." Rafa said coming up with a plan.
Ahsoka didn't argue with it "That must mean you think disabling the gate is the difficult part." She said as she got up and started to climb the tower.
"Looks like you two are getting along better." Trace said, smiling at Rafa.
"Yeah, well, looks can be deceiving. Come on." Rafa said, leading her sister toward the gate. Ahsoka climbed up the gate tower before she jumped in the room with four armed pykes who spun around to see her, they never stood a chance. Ahsoka unleashed a full flurry of jedi martial arts she'd learned since she was a youngling on them, breaking their masks, tossing them out of the gate tower before she heard firing down below. She looked down to see Rafa and Trace were in a shootout with the pyke guards at the gates "Looks like they're in trouble again." Ahsoka sighed as she opened it behind the pykes.
Getting down just close enough Ahsoka saw the pyke guards were behind cover shooting at the girls. Any longer and reinforcements would arrive and they'd get caught again. Which made sense for Ahsoka to give the Martez's handicap, she held her hand out and waved it at the Pyke guard behind cover where Rafa shot him as he fell forward. She did the same with the second pyke and Trace shot him.
"Nice shot." Rafa said to her sister.
Ahsoka landed in front of them after she jumped off the tower saying "Hey, come on."
The ladies ran into the large town mingling with it's people even as the Pyke alarms went off in the palace. The deeper they went the better, "I don't believe it. I think I see my ship!" Trace said pointing up to a landing pad where the Silver Angel sat. Trace ran up to scout ahead leaving Ahsoka and Rafa a few moments to talk.
"You might be cut out for this life, but I'm not sure about Trace." Ahsoka said to her.
"If she doesn't wanna be involved with the jobs I do, she can say so." Rafa replied, squeezing her blaster pistol.
"Do you think she'd say no to you?" Ahsoka asked her in full skepticism "You're her sister she'd never think you don't have her best interests at heart."
Rafa turned her focus on Ahsoka, with a higher intensity "What do you want? What's in this for you?" Rafa snapped at her. Just as she did a gotal man smelling of Booz walked up to the two women.
"Hey, got any credits? I need something to eat." He begged holding out his hand.
Rafa snarled at the bum "Do I look like I have credits?"
"Well, if you didn't, I wouldn't be asking." The gotal belched before Rafa pushed him out of her way.
"We're busy right now. Get out of here." She snapped, Ahsoka pulled Rafa away "Come on. Let's go." Rafa hissed at Ahsoka leaving the Gotal to curse them out.
As they walked on Rafa resumed her questions "You never answered my question?"
Ahsoka figured she'd have to explain sooner or later "In my life, when you find people who need your help, you help them, no matter what, I guess it's just who I am."
Rafa turned away to focus on Trace ahead "I knew someone who used to talk like you."
"Yeah, Trace told me I'm just trying to do what's best." Ahsoka said to her, Rafa cocked a brow at Ahsoka "Then why not do that with your brothers and sisters you left?" Rafa asked.
Ahsoka squeezed her hands into a fist "They didn't trust me when I needed them to."
Trace then came running back to Ahsoka "There she is, the Angel is parked on one of the landing platforms." Trace said pointing up to the ship perched above them. "All we have to do is find a way up there." She said eyes burning with hope and optimism.
Rafa let out a long groan "Forget about your ship, let's take the first thing we can find and get off this rock."
"No! I just finished putting the Silver Angel together." Trace snapped back.
"And if you're smart, you'd wanna live to build another instead of dying to get the one you've got." Rafa argued over her.
"If we leave my ship behind, you're buying me a new one." Trace hissed at Rafa who walked on ahead "As long as I'm alive to fund one, I'm good." Rafa replied, but before the three could even find a way of Oba Diah they heard a very loud drunken voice shout.
"THERE THEY ARE!"
The flipped around to see the gotal bum Rafa had pushed away had found a group of Pyke on patrol, holding a hologram with the three wanted fugitives "Run." Ahsoka said as they ran off again with the Pykes in tow.
TATOOINE
After hours of riding in the Speeders, Jinx, Aayla, Turok and Quinlan had pulled up to a small homestead in the middle of the dune sea. There was a single house standing over the surface moisture vaporators dotting the skyline. As they got out of their speeders Aayla spied two graves not far from the house. "This place… there's great sadness here."
"But also life." Quinlan said seeing a set of footprints.
Turok walked up to the moisture vaporator and looked it over, "Evaporators are working too." His ears twitched then and popping out from behind the doorway to the homestead house was a man with a cycle rifle. He had dark hair a trimmed beard wearing simple farmer robes.
"What do you want?" He asked aiming his rifle at Turok.
Jinx looked close at him to recognize the man from the Cantina Owen Lars. The jedi and Turok raised their hands "Easy friend, we want no trouble." Turok said.
"You coming to my farm with blasters doesn't seem all friendly?" Owen said, cocking the rifle.
The jedi kept their cool and so did Turok, all four of them could easily take Owen out with their skill "Please, we're looking for someone a lost child we know to be here." Aayla said
Owen raised the rifle at Aayla "And if he is here?" Owen asked "No offense you don't look like his parents, so if you're a slaver you best be on your way."
"Ugh, now that hurt." Turok grumbled, shaking his head "easy." Quinlan whispered.
"We're not slavers farmer, but we are the closest thing the boy has to family." Quinlan said, Owen pointed the rifle at Quinlan, now slowly lowering it when he saw the lightsaber.
He locked eyes with Quinlan "What are Jedi doing out this far?"
"Looking for our last padawan, why else?" Jinx asked him.
Owen thought it over for a few moments "I saw you in Anchorhead miss." He said to Aayla "You fought with those Hutt's mercenaries, word got around that the Jedi are at war with the Hutts, that they burnt Jabba's palace down. That true?"
"News travels fast here." Jinx whispered to Turok, thinking about how Leo had burnt Jabba's palace to the ground.
Quinlan lowered his arms "Not exactly."
The farmer sighed "Make a lot people happy if it was, here I thought the Jedi hadn't forgotten about us, you better get inside before anyone sees you." Owen said looking around the desert where nobody could be seen.
Jinx shrugged "Who-" "These eyes are everywhere, even if you can't see them." Owen said waving them in.
The jedi and Turok walked into Owens homestead where they walked down the stone carved floors into the rest of the home. Beside the above ground house was a sunken part of the house with a large moisture vaporator, dozens of different rooms filled with farming equipment. And finally a small room in the back where a young woman with blonde hair tied up in two buns wearing a gray robe and brown gown stood "Owen who are these people?" She asked when she saw the farmer walk up to her and hug her.
He hugged her with one arm and kissed her on the cheek. "It's okay Beru, they're Jedi, they came for the boy." Owen said, looking back at them.
"He's in here." Owen told them.
Quinlan and Aayla walked into the room where they saw the long lost Petro on a bed under a blanket with a cold washcloth over his head, his lightsaber was laying next to his bed and so where his clothes he had bandages wrapped around his forehead with a patch of blood on the side. "He took a nasty hit over the head in all that chaos in Anchorhead, would have been trampled if I hadn't grabbed him when I did." Owen said.
Aayla knelt down over Petro and put her hand on his forehead closing her eyes "He needs proper medical attention, we need to get him back on our ship." Aayla told Quinlan.
"Alright, take him to the speeder." Quinlan said back to Turok, who walked in and Turok picked up the unconscious Petro gently carrying him out. Quinlan and Aayla turned to the Lars's "Thank you for taking care of him, we're sorry if it's caused you any trouble." Aayla said.
Quinlan reached into his belt and pulled out a purse of unmarked credits "For your troubles." Owen took it hesitantly eyes widening seeing how many credits were in there, enough to buy a ship almost.
Owen's wife tugged at his sleeve "W-wait." OWen said just as they started to leave.
Setting down his rifle he walked up to Quilan and Aayla "Keep the credits." He said holding up the purse to Quinlan "Trust me we don't need them." Quinlan said.
OWen shook his head "It's not that, my wife and I we… we've been trying to have a child for sometime, and- and-, look just leave the boy here, take whatever you want, being a jedi is no life for a child we know." Owen said.
"He could live here, grow up to be normal." Owen said
"Are you serious?" Jinx asked him, Beru said nothing as Owen fumbled with the credits in his hand "I'm sorry, but Petro's training has already begun. If we leave him here his talent with the force could wither and fade, or without anyone to teach him he could fall to the dark side." Aayla said as Owen looked at the ground.
He squeezed the purse raising his head. "You can't just take children like they aren't people." He hissed "Owen." Beru said "No, look what they did to Shmi's boy, took him away and took away his soul made him one of them- what happen to his mother and then dad-" Owen was fuming mad "You can't just take the boy I won't-" Owen reached for his rifle dropping the credits.
Quinlan held up his hand stopping Owen dead in his tracks, he held up his other hand at Beru the two farmers stood their still eyes hazy under Quinlan spell "What is he-" "No, watch." Jinx said, smirking.
"You're going to forget us, you're going to forget Petro, it's all a bad dream." Quinlan said as he started to erase their memories of the jedi "You won the credits in a card game, they're yours." Quinlan added before he added "Jinx, get ready to catch the wife."
Jinx nodded "On it."
"Now… sleep." Quinlan said, both Owen and Beru fell forward where Quinlan and Jinx caught them.
"Still need to show me that trick." Jinx said as he laid Beru down gently on the ground "I will Jinx, but now let's get those two into their bed, we'll meet you at the speeder." Quinlan said.
Later, Aayla and Turok had laid Jinx down in the back of the speeder as Quinlan and Jinx returned from inside the homestead. "They should be out for an hour before they wake up, let's hurry back."
"Hold on, none of us are going to talk about how you mind wiped them?" Turok asked the jedi.
Quinlan just got in the speeder like nothing was wrong "It's an old jedi trick."
"No, not that, don't you see why people distrust Jedi?" Turok said back to him "Don't you realize most people in the galaxy are afraid of jedi more than they are of Trandoshans?" He said pointing a claw at himself.
"You'd rather we left Petro here, he could maybe never have woken up then?" Aayla asked him.
Turok paced around the speeder toward the seat "Maybe, or maybe he would and he'd wake up here on a farm with a mom and dad instead of a bunch of masters telling him to go fight for them?" Turok said as he got in the driver's seat of the the speeder "Be a normal kid for once?"
"Are you talking about Petro, or Leo?" Aayla asked him.
Turok bared his fangs, he looked at Jinx "Haven't these kids suffered enough?" He growled at Aayla "… yes, but if are to keep them from suffering anymore they need to be ready Turok." Aayla said as she sat down next to him in the speeder.
He squeezed the speeder wheel "I didn't expect you to become so fond of these 'kids'?" Aayla said putting her hand on his arm to try and calm him down "Just make sure we keep them safe now." Turok said before they started their speeders driving off back to the Tusken village.
QUARZITE
Otua Blank's Stronghold
The tram Leo had stopped pulled its way up to the great stronghold of Lord Otua Blank, the Dictator of Quarzite. The stronghold was made up of five metal towers nestled in a large pink and purple crystal mineral deposit as big as Separatist command ship sphere. The outside of Lord Otua Blank's palace had Belugan soldiers waiting on the tram unaware that every Belugans in the tram were dead. The tram came to a stop and Leo walked out. When the Belugan security forces saw him they raised their blaster at him.
"You there halt." Leo held up one hand and all the soldiers in front of him grabbed their necks suffocating behind their helmets. They fell to the ground as he walked past them. Five more soldiers ran up "Open fire!" One shouted.
Leo took out his purple crossguard lightsaber deflection the incoming shots with one hand walking forward he took out three with the redirected lasers before he cut the other two down with one swing walking toward the palace gates alarms sounded and spotlights appeared on him and the gates of the palace burst open. A whole battalion of Sun Guard legionaries appeared running out with their double bladed pykes surrounding Leo in a circle of spears pointed at him, each of them actiavted a ray shield wall around him. Behind them were other Legionnaires holding blaster rifles pointed out from behind the Pyke men.
Leo looked around when the ring of Legionnaires opened and walking toward him in his silver armor was the Supreme Sun Guardian Ra'Gun Bree. His helmet was on and he only carried his pyke to spread others "I had a feeling you'd do something like this, you jedi always have a soft spot for the brave noble rebels." Ra'Gun said.
"You're half right, the Kage have agreed to free your men if I kill Otua Blank and the Sun Guard leaves Quarzite." Leo said he and Ra'Gun started to circle one another. The Sun Guardian had his lower spear pointed at the ground resting on his arm.
"And you think we'll help you kill our employer?" Ra'Gun asked him.
Leo kept walking in the circle "I'm not asking you to help me, just asking you to get out of my way I don't want to fight you." Leo offered.
"You're more of a fool than I thought looks like we're collecting that bounty after all." Ra'Gun said, spinning his staff around before taking a fighting stance, the pyke pointed at Leo.
Leo held up his lightsaber taking a narrow stance, "If you do kill me, take me to the jedi they'll find out about Blanks war with the Kage, they'll come after you next you know this."
Ra'Gun's face was hidden behind his silver visor "Maybe, but when we collect I'm sure the Republic won't be to hard on giving us a few pardons." With that Ra'Gun rushed Leo with his pyke spinning it behind his back he lunged at Leo. Who stepped to the side and swung his lightsaber at the spear to try and break it. But Ra'Gun moved faster, to doge than Leo expected despite wearing so much armor. Leo stepped back reevaluating his plan of attack. Ra'Gun speed was greater this time, he sliced the bladed edge of his pyke at Leo cutting one of the harnesses on his tunic. Leo tried to parry him but the second Leo's lightsaber touched the pyke's edge Leo's lightsaber started to short circuit and went dead.
"What?" Leo gasped.
Ra'Gun spun his staff around and stabbed the other bladed end, into the metal of the courtyard, it surged with an electrical current absorbing Leo's lightsaber "Cortosis blades." Ra'Gun said "The same as our armor." He said pounding a fist on his chest plate "Thyrsus is filled with it, it may not be as strong as a Mandalorians beskar but for lightsabers, the ions penetrate the magnetic field and the safety circuits deactivate them until the safety resets like a modern thermal fuse, your lightsaber won't be able to reactive." Ra'Gun said.
"You think I need a lightsaber to fight?" Leo asked putting it on his belt and holding up his fists to fight hand to spear.
Ra'Gun chuckled "I won't lower myself to fight an unarmed opponent, give him a pyke."
Leo saw one of the Legionnaires throw him a Pyke and he caught it, Leo held it up at Ra'Gun who nodded "Now we can kill each other properly."
Leo and Ra'Gun charged one another and the spear on spear battle began, their dual bladed ends collided sending sparks against that shield wall. Leo using his double bladed lightsaber training to use as he tried to hack and slash at Ra'Gun. But he was more skilled with the pyke for sure, showing it off he batted away Leo's attack before he launched a volley of thrusts that Leo had to dodge every one before they took his head off. He planted the end of his pyke in the ground catching Ra'Guns in a lock. But Ra'Gun countered using the other end of the slash, cutting Leo across the chest. Fighting the pain off, Leo jumped in the air flipping over Ra'Gun and slashing the back of Ra'Gun's armor leaving a long scratch.
Running around Ra'Gun swung the spear like a windmill with one hand chasing after Leo who ran back at him he slid to try and take out Ra'Gun's feet. The Sun Guardian lept over his attack and drove the end of his spear at Leo's head. Rolling out of the way at the last second Leo raised the spear to block the next attack but Ra'Gun's attack was too fierce, it knocked the spear from Leo's hand and he rolled back as Ra'Gun snickered under his mask.
"You jedi have been lacking in training, fighting too many droids I see." Ra'Gun taunted.
Leo checked his lightsaber feeling it was still too hot he stood up ready to fight again, Ra'Gun walked over to the double bladed spear and kicked it back to Leo. "I thought you were supposed to be the greatest warrior in the jedi, guess that was just a lie?" He teased me.
Leo didn't want to kill Ra'Gun he needed him and his men, "Show me what impressed so many people?" Ra'Gun said, attacking Leo again.
He let him come at him, Leo waited for him without moving he raised the spear when he saw Ra'Gun swing blocking it he used both hands to flip the spear and hold it behind his back catching Ra'Gun's overhead attack. Leo forced the attack back and stabbed he spear into the ground to launch himself up and kick Ra'Gun in the chest. Attacking him with a reinvigorated fury. The fight had picked up it's pace now, Ra'Gun and Leo were going back and forth in attack and defense. Whenever it looked like one would gain the upper hand the other would counter and break the combination. The Sun Guard all watched behind their visors and even on top of his palace Otua Blank had come out to see the Sun Guard protecting him.
"Ohohoh, how exciting." The Lord said clapping his sausage fingers, the fat Belugan had two of his own guards with him wearing red capes. Beside him stood a young kage slave boy in a loin cloth and golden collar the rest of his slender body exposed "Slave bring me wine." He snapped.
The slave boy did so handing Otua Blank a goblet to drink from "Yes, yes, kill the assassin!" Blank cheered as if he were watching a gladiatorial match.
Down in the courtyard Leo focused on Ra'Gun they smashed their spear staffs against one another "The Sun Guard doesn't need to be this, you don't need to be mercenaries selling your skills to the highest bidder." Leo said, breaking the lock.
Ra'Gun attacked him with a whirlwind of wings and stabs "You think we're the villains in this jedi story, we aren't doing this because it's good or evil, we're doing it to survive, the Republic took our home I kill you, I get my men home."
"And the men in the kage's grip, you'll let them die?" Leo asked, deflecting his attacks.
Right on cue the Kage Warriors had started to make their way through the tram tunnels, the stronghold staying a good distance away to witness the melee. Both Krismo and Pluma were mounted on their milidons.
Ra'Gun didn't respond, he just kept fighting "Even if you kill me, Sidious controls the Republic he'll find you, he'll slaughter you before you even see Thyrsus when he finds out you survived." Leo replied as he pushed Ra'Gun back and came at him with side to side attacks. The Sun Guardian blocked his advances "KILL HIM HAHAHA." Otua Blank laughed.
"What am I paying you for your Sun Guard?" Blank yelled, Ra'Gun yelled, advancing on Leo.
Leo met him head on "It's why he's trying to kill me." Leo said defending himself, he could feel Ra'Gun tiring himself out and his breath was getting more strained. The cortosis armor started to take its toll while Leo wore light clothes and leather.
He blocked Ra'Gun's next three strikes before he countered him kicking his helmet off, making Ra'Gun bleed from his lip. "Graaah!" Ra'Gun charged Leo before Leo leapt out of the way slashing the edge of his spear at Ra'Gun's leg making him fall to one knee Leo walked around and did the same to his other leg making the Sun Guardian kneel. Leo kicked his weapon out of his hand and held the blade to his neck like he had to Leo when they first met "We're brothers in the same cause Ra'Gun Bree, used by Sidious but we can take it back, we can take everything he took from us BACK!"
"WHAAAAT, Sun Guard kill him, what are you waiting for!" Otua Blank shouted from the top of his tower.
But none of the Sun Guard moved, this was a duel or honor, "Sun Guard of Thyrsus, I am Leo Rock of the Jedi I call on you to join me in my crusade against the sickness that's taken the Galaxy, against the corrupt and honorless."
Ra'Gun groaned in disgust "Just get it over with and kill me."
Leo tossed the pyke away and offered Ra'Gun his hand "You fought well and honorably Ra'Gun Bree, I need men like you at my side."
"You expect us to fight for you, a jedi even the Republic calls a traitor?"
"I expect you to fight with me as a man of honor, not a jedi." Leo said his hand still outstretched.
Ra'Gun Bree looked at his men, then at Otua Blank still shouting for his men to kill Leo, slowly Ra'Gun reached up and took Leo's hand who helped him to his feet. Leaning on Leo until he could stand on his own, Ra'Gun looked up at Otua Blank "Sun Guard."
The Legionnaires all deactivated their ray shields and stood at attention for him, he gave Leo one last look "Burn this place to the ground!" Otua Blank dropped his goblet as the Sun Guard turned on him, "Guards- Guards!" Otua Blank said as the Sun Guard turned on the surrounding Belugans opening fire on them with their blasters or skewering them with their pykes. The Kage Warriors let out their own battle cry's their mounts scurrying across the tram and running toward the palace. Leo looked at Ra'Gun giving him a thankful knod before he headed toward the stronghold gates ripping them off with the force to finish what he'd started. The Kage and Sun Guard flooded in behind him taking out the Belugan soldiers who tried to stop them. The interior of the stronghold became more and more opulent as Leo went deeper. The metal floors were adorned with gold and silver. The crystals outside had all been carved into illustrious statues of Otua Blank.
There were banners of the Belugan dictator everywhere showing his image, Leo went to two guided doors where Belugan guards opened fire on him. Leo grabbed them with the force and split them like blocks of wood out of his way before he broke the door down with a force push into a throne room. Two dozen Belugan soldiers had gathered in a firing line "Fire." A captain without a helmet shouted. Leo jumped into the air grabbing his lightsaber, finally recharged Leo turned on the purple blade and landed in the middle of them unleashing hell.
The purple lightsaber cleaved a bloody path of Belugan limbs and severed bodies as Otua Blank sat in his throne. He got up as he saw the Kage and the Sun Guard come in after Leo joined the battle. Krismo and Pluma saw Otua run for a back door "Jedi, he's escaping!" Krismo shouted.
Leo jumped out of the crowd letting the others deal with it as he chased after Blank, the fat lord huffing and puffing as he ran down an empty hallway. He looked back to see Leo behind him, lightsaber in hand walking steadily, limping on the fat pig of a Belugan scurried into another room where a foul stench was coming from. Leo followed before he stopped in horror at what he saw. The stench from the room wasn't just foul it was rotten, inside the room Blank was holding a bloodied knife and around the room were dozens of dead and mutated Kage. He could barely tell the men from the women they're corpses had been carved up with various bloodied tools hanging on the walls across from them. Knives, cleavers, clubs, scissors and saws, there were some bodies so small Leo wasn't even sure they were children or not "What…. What have you done." Leo gasped seeing the corpses.
"F-f-f-filthy Kage, they deserved to die- it's- it's my right." Blank said holding the knife "To Murderer and torture…" Leo asked his anger to rise, he held his hand up and tore the knife out of Otua's fat hands and then grabbed his neck, choking him with the force.
Otua grabbed his neck as Leo held up his lightsaber pointed at him, Blank felt his body dragged toward it he tried to plant his feet but Leo only pulled him closer the tip of his lightsaber inches from the Belugans face. "No-no, I'll pay you whatever you want, credits, women, men whatever you-no-no no mercy, mercy, mercy."
"No…" Leo snarled "No more mercy for tyrants." Leo said just when Blank felt his forehead kissed by the end of Leo's lightsaber, and Leo pushed forward, slowly. Otua screamed in agony as the lightsaber burned into his skin, through his skull and into his brain where the screams echoed across the palace in shrieks of pain before going silent.
Back in the throne room the Kage and finshed off the Belugan guards toppling the statues and paintings of Otua Blank. Coming in with help from his men Ra'Gun approached Krismo and Pluma. "Sun Guardian." Krismo said.
"Prince Krismo." Ra'Gun said standing on his own "Can I trust you'll honor your word and return my men to the space port?"
Krismo looked at Pluma who pulled her mask down and nodded at him "We will, if you honor your word to leave."
"By the Sun I swear it, after my men finish sacking the fortress we still need credits." Ra'Gun said, Krismo was about to object when a wave of gasps all saying "Jedi… jedi… jedi." came out of the Kage. Turning to the door Leo had chased Otua into they saw Leo walkout out holding the severed head of Lord Otua Blank high over his head in one hand ligthsaber in the other the Kage gasps started to turn into chants "Jedi, jedi, jedi, jedi JEDI JEDI JEDI JEDI JEDI JEDI JEDI JEDI JEDI JEDI JEDI!" Leo tossed the head at Krismo and Pluma's feet. The Kage leaders looked down at the head and then at Leo giving him a nod of gratitude all while the other Kage chanted Jedi over and over.
OBA DIAH
Spice Town
In another system on another planet, Ahsoka and the Martez's were on the run again fleeing the Pyke security forces bumping into people left and right, one of them even recognizing Ahsoka under her hood and mask "Hey! The speeder. There!" Ahsoka shouted pointing at a speeder parked not far from them. The trio of runaways jumped into the speeder and tried to escape. But the pyke's opened fire the second they saw them in the speeder, one of them got lucky shooting out it's second engine. Making the speeder lose control and toss Rafa and Trace off.
Ahsoka tried to keep it steady but the speeder jumped a curb and spun into the air, she jumped at the last second to see Rafa and Trace get nabbed by the Pykes before she ran off into the town to escape.
Meanwhile, up on a building a mysterious pair of Mandalorians were watching Ahsoka run away "What do you think?" One of the Mandalorians asked.
"I'm not sure. It could be the Jedi I met on Carlac." The leader of the Mandalorians said.
"But if it is her, what is she doing here?" The other Mando woman asked. "Her presence could compromise our mission."
"Perhaps, but don't forget we have a common enemy, let's keep track of her she could be of use to us."
The Martez's weren't so lucky to have the interest of Mandalorians; instead Fife the same Pyke sentry who had uncovered their trick had come down from his palace to stand over them with his guards' blasters pointed at their heads. "You cost me thousands of credits and then you tried to cheat me."
"Did you honestly think you'd get away with fooling a Pyke?" Fife held up a hologram of Marg Krim who asked the Martez's.
Rafa gave a sheepish look of playfulness "Well, uh, I mean, we wouldn't have tried if we didn't think." Rafa said.
"Silence! Kill them. And let's move on." Fife hissed.
Rafa held her hands up asking "I thought you wanted to know where the spice was?"
"Your little friend is still in the city, when we find her, I'll torture her and find out everything we need to know." Marg said "Now, execute them and be done with it."
The Pyke's pointed their blasters at the two sisters who closed their eyes, Rafa seeing no way out prepared herself for the end "This is not the way I saw this job ending." But instead of hearing a blaster shot before oblivion they heard an engine. Trace looked up to see Ahsoka driving a hover pod straight at the pykes ramming into the sentires and knocking them over "Ahsoka!" Trace gasped jumping onto the pod. Rafa was about to jump on to when a pyke suddenly grabbed her. Spinning back around, Ahsoka opened fire with the pods weapon systems, shooting the guard and stopping in front of Rafa.
"We're clear. Let's go, Rafa." Ahsoka yelled at them "I've had enough of this planet." She said getting on board. Ahsoka took off toward the landing pad where the silver angel was before a group of pykes ran out with ion cannons shooting at them. The speeder took a face full of the ion cannon making all three girls jump out or be blown to bits.
The pyke guards surrounded them with blasters ready to finish the execution as Fife walked up smirking "I knew keeping them in the open would draw you out." He said they were prisoners again.
Soon they were thrown right back into the cell they'd escaped from, Rafa walked up to the now ray shielded wall saying "Listen. I think there's a way we can work this out. How about we do a job for the great Marg Krim?" She offered.
Fife scoffed at such an idea "You didn't get it right the first time, Martez, why would I waste any more time with you?"
"What? You planning on torturing us again?" Trace asked him.
"Until you give me my spice." Fife said walking away from the cells.
Once again at the mercy of the pykes, it looked hopeless. Ahsoka felt horrible she couldn't get her new friends out of this mess, sighing she said "Guys, I'm sorry."
"I know, I never should have taken this job." Rafa said as Ahsoka put a hand on her shoulder.
"We live and learn, Rafa." Ahsoka said wisely.
Trace shrugged "Yeah, but for how much longer?"
"Probably not long." The stranger said from across the cell still sitting where he was last.
"You got anything useful to say mystery man?" Trace asked.
"Yeah, don't trade in spice moron." The stranger said getting up.
Rafa groaned "Just who the hell are you anyway?" She asked.
The stranger stood up, dusting off his faded green trousers he walked out in front of the cell, he had a dark blue leather belt around his waist with an empty blaster holster on his left leg, his chest was covered in a brown poncho lined with red on the left sides, the poncho draped around his shoulders with wide brimmed metal hat that had a leather top and flaps around the buttom of the hats mask, a mustard colored mask covered his face with glowing eyes under the brim and a small tube sticking out the right side. Making him look mysterious. "Told you, I'm an inventor, a card player and a hacker but I've got a name ladies."
He reached up pulling off the mask and metal hat revealing dark red hair and brown eyes of a boy with light the same age as Trace "Names Jaybo Hood, at your service."
"Jaybo Hood?" Ahsoka asked knowing she'd heard that name before.
TATOOINE
Aboard the Star Lark Petro had woken up inside a bacta tank, the other younglings gathered around when they saw him wake up they all let out joyful news "Hey fish boy wakes wakes." Zatt said tapping the glass. Petro waved at them as Katooni said "We thought we lost you." She said. Outside the medical room Aayla smiled seeing Petro was going to be alright. That smile faded when she heard something going on outside. Walking out of the medical wing she walked down the ramp of the Star Lark to see shadows cast over the Tusken village and a providence class dreadnought overhead.
"The separatists, we're under attack!" She shouted.
"No, no, no, no we're not." Turok said beside her before she could draw her lightsaber.
Aayla looked closer to see the yellow marks of the Sun Guard on the sides of the Providence Dreadnought and frigates beside it.
"You mean…" "Yep, Leo found his army." Turok said seeing the Rogue Shadow descend toward them from the ship. The new council of Masters gathered as it landed and Leo walked out with Harch and K'Kruhk behind him, but as the clones left two new friends came out of the ship.
Ra'Gun Bree walked out and more surprisingly so did Pluma, her hood down so they could see her face "Masters." Leo greeted Tholme, Hett, Quinlan, Aayla, Sian, and the Dark Woman.
"Allow me to introduce Supreme Sun Guardian Ra'Gun Bree and Princess Pluma of the Kage, representatives of our army." Leo said.
Hett folded his arms "They'll need to get in line." The Tusken said, Leo saw him wave his hand to follow they walked toward the edge of the cliff and Leo looked down to see the canyon was filled with hundreds of Tusken tents Leo pulled off his mask and looked back at Hett "I don't understand where'd all these Tuskens come from?"
"What stake does the Kage have in this fight, my lady?" Tholme asked Pluma.
"A debt of honor to the one who freed our people, until that debt is settled we will follow Leo Rock, Master Jedi." She said looking at Leo.
"Word's spread of the War Leader who drove the Hutts from Tatooine, these are warriors from the different Tusken Clans who want to join the Great War Party to the stars, they want to fight for you." Hett said, as the Tuskens bellow had taken notice of Leo next to Hett. They raised their cycle rifles and war clubs starting to give their war cry's to show their eagerness to fight.
"Sun Guards, Kage Warriors and Tusken Raiders if that doesn't sound like an army I wouldn't want to fight, I don't know what it is." The Dark Woman said standing beside him, the Black Knights, the Sun Guard, Kage and Tuskens beside him Leo smiled. He looked up to see the Sun Guards Dreadnought has its hanger bays open and the Sun Guard had joined in the shouting with Kage warriors beside them cheering at the sight of the small army of Tuskens joining them "Then may the force be with us, we set course of Oba Diah the time has come to find this hacker and for the Pyke's to face justice." Leo took out his lightsaber and held it up over the Tuskens and beneath the war ships their shouts getting louder than before "To war."
Far from the cheering on another mountainous canyon ridge Durge was looking through a pair of binoculars, "Hhmm this is going to be a pain."
"Perhaps I can help with that." A voice said behind him.
Dropping the binoculars Durge drew both blaster pistols, armed his mounted flamethrower and Gatling guns, rocket launchers on his shoulder to see Volffe Karkko standing behind him "Hello there… partner."