Previously, on Guardians: Lost Stars...

"Ahsoka Tano… I fought by her side from the Battle of Christophsis to the Siege of Mandalore, and a friend of hers is a friend of mine."

"How is Commander Tano?" Rex asked.

"Uh, well, in need of help," Ezra answered. "We all are. Look, we're trying to fight the Empire, but we're outnumbered, overmatched, and taking a beating. We could use your help."

"Well, I'm not sure I'm much help to anyone these days," Rex chuckled

"Where's the kid?" Ordo asked F.

"In his makeshift workshop," She answered, "Still working on that droid."

"Where… where am I…?" The droid said, though the voice was slightly distorted.

"You're on a planet called Qiilura," Tails answered. "You were stranded here with us, so I started repairs on you."

"I… thank you for your assistance…" The droid said.

"You're welcome. I'm Tails," Tails said.

The droid nodded. "I am Imperial training droid prototype ten - designated Proxy."

A figure went out of sight just before another speeder bike flew from the tree line and away from the makeshift homestead. "We were being watched! Tell the clone!" Durge leapt onto his bike and burst after the other figure.

The Weequay quickly drew a blaster and shot the bounty hunter dead-on twice. Both bolts did nothing before Durge grabbed the Weequay's blaster hand and lifted him up off the ground by it, followed by squeezing and crushing all the bones in the hand, forcing a piercing scream from the man. "You're coming with me."

"Okay, you don't trust these clones, but they haven't done anything."

Kanan sighed. "You don't understand, they're dangerous. They could-"

"They could what? Rex doesn't seem bad at all! Ahsoka said to trust him.

"It was at the end… the end of the war. Our fellow soldiers, the clones, the ones we Jedi fought side-by-side with suddenly turned and betrayed us.

"Then they came for me…

Rex's voice startled them both. "I didn't betray my Jedi." The two Jedi turned around to face the old Clone Trooper, who was leaning against the left side of the doorway. "Wolffe, Gregor and I all removed our control chips." Rex gestured to a small, straight scare on the right side of his temple. "We all have a choice."

"Why were you watching us?" Ordo demanded.

"Th-There's a bounty! Th-The Empire put a bounty on them!" The Weequay exclaimed, pointing at Sam and Cosmo. The entire group looked at them immediately. "A-And him, the J-Jedi!" He then pointed at Quinlan.

"A bounty puck," Ordo said before activating it, lighting up a hologram with three Imperial wanted posters, each depicting either Sam, Cosmo or Quinlan. "Dank ferrick…"

"That's a lot of zeroes…" Tails commented.

"The Empire wants the kids, and they want them bad," Quinlan said.

"On Dantooine, that guy mentioned Cosmo and I were the source of a 'disturbance'," Sam said.

Ordo looked back down at the Weequay. "Are you here alone?"

"N-No! There's a whole group of us, just past the village down the valley!" The Weequay answered.

"We go into the village to scope things out and plan a way to take them all out fast enough to keep them from sending out a signal."

"Kid, if you go in there, you'll be caught," Durge said.

"True enough, but the Empire is looking for Nova and Quinlan Vos," Sam said before taking off his helmet, his Nova Corps uniform blinking out of existence, "Not Sam Alexander and an inconspicuous village girl." Sam jabs a thumb towards F.

"I'm sorry?" F asked.

"He's right," Quinlan said. "Of all of us, you two have the best bet to blend in, so long as you both ditch the masks."

"It's better than turning tail and running." Durge remarked.

"It's a risky play, Sam… but it's worth a shot," Ordo sighed.

"So… you're in?" Sam asked.

"So I am," F answered

Guardians: Lost Stars

Chapter 8: Complications

Sam waited outside the team's building, dressed in an entirely new outfit. He wore a brown leather jacket over a black long sleeve v-neck shirt, dark and dirty pants with a blaster holster wrapped at his waist, and his tennis shoes. As he waited for F to emerge from the compound, Ordo came up behind and stood next to him. "Are you feeling alright?" The clone asked.

"Just antsy. I don't know how to feel about leaving my helmet behind," Sam replied.

"Well, we can't risk someone recognizing it," Ordo said. "Besides, you'll have a Jedi with you and it's just recon, remember? I'm sure being left without your powers for a few hours won't be the end of the world." Orod then handed a DL-18 blaster pistol out to him. "But take this just in case. Never know when things could go wrong."

"Thanks," Sam said as he took the pistol and holstered it. "Speaking of which, what's taking her so long?" Sam questioned, crossing his arms. "It's been twenty minutes."

"F is… complicated. For some reason, she doesn't like being seen without her mask. She's uncomfortable when she doesn't have it on. Maybe it has to do with habit, hiding herself after Order 66. But whatever it is, I've learned not to question it after three months. "

"You're not the least bit curious?" Sam asked.

"Kid, I'll only be with these people until we find a way home for each of us. Answers to little things like that won't matter after that."

"Jeez, having friends wouldn't kill you, dude," Sam remarked.

"You'd be surprised," Ordo grimly replied.

"Dude, lighten up some."

"I'm ready," F said as she exited the compound. Ordo and Sam looked to see her change of outfits. She now wore a set of dirty brown robes over the same material she wore under her Jedi robes, as well as a knee-length faded blue skirt, black stockings and work boots. Tied on her face was a black cloth covering the lower half of her face instead of her normal metal mask. Her padawan braid that she had tied over her left shoulder was undone, letting all of her hair fall freely, with the locks on her left side dropping a little further than her right.

"Well, looks like the answer to that mystery is for another day," Sam muttered to Ordo.

"What are you two talking about?" F asked.

"Nothing, kid. You two should get going if you want to make it back by sundown," Ordo said.

"Of course," F nodded.

"You two can take the landspeeder. Once you get back tonight, we should have some food ready to go, so we can discuss our plan over dinner. Then tomorrow, we drive them off this planet."

"Sure thing, boss!" Sam replied as he went to a parked two-seat landspeeder. Its hull was muddy and dull, the only colors being the faded gray of its metal shell and the muddy stains splashed across it. "Not the cleanest thing in the world, but it'll do. I'm driving!" Sam hopped up into the driver's seat and activated the speeder, activating its anti-grav and lifting it a few feet off the ground.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" F asked neutrally, not indicating a tone of question or uncertainty.. "You are unfamiliar with the machinery in this galaxy."

"How hard could it be? Just like driving a car. I would think… I never did get my driver's license," Sam replied.

"What a ringing endorsement…" Ordo remarked.

"Hey, c'mon, have a little faith," Sam smiled. "It can't be that hard- WOAH!" Sam accidentally hit the accelerator and was shot forward, ramming the front of the speeder right into a tree and jolting him from his seat. Ordo just facepalmed while F let out a simple, quiet sigh. "You know what? F, you can drive."

"It seems today is going to be a long day," F remarked.

"Why are there six pedals on this thing if there are only four directions?"

Kanan was once again holed up in the Phantom, with a hologram of Hera projected before him. "Clones, huh?" Hera chuckled, "Ahsoka's always full of surprises."

"Well, don't get your hopes up," Kanan replied. "The great leader's not coming back with us."

"And you don't want him to," Hera stated. Kanan averted her gaze and looked to the side. "I understand your fears, but.. I also remember when the Jedi and clones fought side by side, they saved billions of lives! Including my own."

Kanan let out a sigh and rubbed his head, leaning back in the chair slightly. "I know."

"Then maybe that's a start," Hera smiled. "I gotta get back to repairs if we're ever gonna get out of this system. Signal when you're en route." The hologram of Hera then faded away, and Kanan took a breath before spinning his chair around, stepping up and leaving the Phantom, with many things running through his head. He was so distracted, he missed the Imperial Probe Droid entering the gunship behind him.

Ezra, Sabine and Quill all sat out on the walkway of the walker, watching as the orange hues in the sky gradually changed as the Seelos's sun set lower. "So, Peter, what planet are you from in your galaxy?" Sabine asked.

"Oh, I'm from a humble little rock called Earth. It's a nice little place, but I haven't been there in years," Quill answered.

"Why not?" Ezra asked.

"Just never had a reason. When I was a kid, my mom died of cancer, then I was taken by a group of pirates called the Ravagers into the wider galaxy. Even once I was on my own, I didn't ever feel a need to go home. I mean, no one was waiting for me," Quill answered.

"Well… what about your Dad?" Sabine asked.

"I never knew the guy. He was never around. It was just me and Mom, and then it was… just me."

"Sounds about right for me, too," Ezra said. "Both of my parents publicly spoke out against the Empire. They're gone now. I've been on my own for eight years."

"I'm sorry, kid," Quill replied.

"It's fine. I've survived this long without them. The most I can do is just… keep on doing it, I guess."

The three of them turned around when the door to the walker's interior slid open and Rex stepped out with them. "I've assembled a list of potential bases and clearance codes, and a few protocols the Imperials still use. Should be of some use," The clone said.

"Thanks, Rex," Ezra replied.

"They're on our main computer. You're gonna need-"

"Data tapes?" Sabine interrupted. "I got this." The mandalorian girl then brushed by Rex and entered the walker. Rex then took Sabine's spot between Quill and Ezra.

"You were both brave today. You jumped right in there to help."

"It's what we do," Quill said. "Besides, it's not the first time I've fought a giant space worm."

"You got a team that's got your back too," Ezra added. "Like us."

"You lead your own team?" Rex asked.

"It's more of a nuclear family in a way, but… yeah. For two years now," Quill answered.

"Well, you definitely took charge," Rex remarked as he leaned against the railing. "A great Jedi once told me that the best leaders lead by example. And I think you two do that well."

"Thanks," Ezra replied with a small smile. "I learned from a great Jedi too: Kanan." Ezra nodded his head towards his master, who was leaning against the railing just at the corner of the walker, definitely within earshot.

"Mmm… Y'know, I don't think he likes me," Rex suggested. "Or ever will. Can't say I blame him. The war left its scars on all of us."

"Won't you reconsider joining us?" Ezra asked.

"Y'know… I've outserved my purpose for that kind of fighting, I'm afraid. After the war, I questioned the point of the whole thing. All those men died… and for what?" Rex questioned.

"If I had to take a guess… for what they thought was the right cause," Quill replied. Kanan glanced over his shoulder at this response, then looked forward again, the words weighing on him. Then Sabine stormed out of the walker with a datapad at the same time Wolffe climbed up onto the platform.

"The clones gave us up!" Sabine exclaimed. "They warned the Empire that we're here!"

"Wait, what?!" Ezra reacted. "That can't be right!"

"You're mistaken, we would never do that," Rex responded.

"Oh, I found the binary transmission to the Empire! And there are messages from Ahsoka sent to Rex, and he never answered her!"

"What?!" Rex replied before snatching the datapad from Sabine's hands and scrolling through it. "I never received any messages from Commander Tano!" Wolffe turned away from the others, starting to head for the ladder, but Quill grabbed his arm.

"Oh no you don't," Quill shook his head.

Kanan came stomping down the steps. "I knew it! I told you, they can't be trusted!"

"Kanan, wait!" Ezra stopped his master from going any further, then turned back to Rex. "is this true?" Rex then thought a moment, and wheeled onto his fellow clone.

"Wolffe," he said sternly, "What did you do?"

"I… I contacted the Empire," Wolffe answered. "If they found out we were helping Jedi, they'd wipe us out!"

"Sabine, go warn Hera," Kanan ordered the Mando girl. "Tell her to scan for incoming ships!" Sabine then ran off for the Phantom.

"I wanted to protect you guys!" Wolffe exclaimed. "Protect our squad!"

Rex gripped his fellow soldier by the shoulders, shaking him. "The war is over. We are free men! We can't live under the fear of the Empire for the rest of our lives, Wolffe! That's not freedom!"

"You're right, they're not our enemy… I'm sorry…" Wolffe apologized while looking to the side regretfully. Kanan's angered gaze, however, was unaffected by the apology and remorse.

Then a series of blaster shots were heard, followed by Sabine calling, "Kanan!" Kanan and Quill both looked back towards the Phantom, and while Kanan used the Force to leap atop the walker, Quill pressed a switch on an earpiece he had, forming a metal mask over his face, and used his boosters to fly up. Kanan saw Sabine crouched on the side of the ship, and sprinted around to be met with the large glass eyes of an Imperial probe. He dove down just before the droid fired a shot that hit one of the Phantom's engines, causing a small explosion that sent bits of debris flying. The probe dropped down to ground level in front of Gregor and Zeb, who were trying to make sure the Joopa's corpse was secure.

"Look out!" Gregor cried.

"Probes? I hate probes!" Zeb exclaimed. The two of them dodged out of the way as the probe fired at them, then it bolted for the open desert. Kanan dropped down and Quill flew around, both of them taking shots at the droid, all of them just missing the mark.

"Dammit! I swear, Rocket messes with these things when I'm not looking!" Quill cursed, looking at his guns.

Rex and Wolffe looked over the top railing as the droid seemed like it was going to get away. "Rex!" Ezra called. The two turned to see Ezra holding one of their DC-15A blaster rifles. "You gotta make this right." Ezra tossed the rifle to Rex, who quickly turned and aimed the weapon, trying to line up the shot at the probe droid that was growing ever farther away. He took a breath, focused on lining up the shot, held his breath…

He fired. One shot, but that's all that was needed. The single shot connected dead-on, blasting through the Probe Droid's shell and out the other side. The droid stopped dead and shrieked before exploding into a flaming wreckage of metal and shrapnel. "Yes!" Ezra cheered.

"Nice shot," Sabine complimented. Kanan looked up at the clone back atop the walker, and Rex smiled a little, but then Kanan just holstered his pistol and went to inspect the droid, making Rex's smile falter.

After a few minutes, the sun was below the horizon, and the entire group gathered around the obliterated probe droid. "How long has this thing been watching us?" Quill asked.

"Long enough," Kanan replied. He then turned to Sabine. "How's the Phantom?"

"The engine took a direct hit. We're not going anywhere until I can fix it," Sabine said.

"Wait, so you mean we're stranded?" Zeb asked.

"Yep," Rex added, "And the Empire's on its way."

Tails and Cosmo were in the lab, sitting next to one another as the fox worked on repairs for Proxy, who still sat on a table, propped up against a wall as his remaining limbs were being pieced together. "You know, you don't have to rebuild me top to bottom. I was never quite a finished droid as it were," Proxy assured the young inventor.

"Are you sure?" Tails asked as he took off his goggles. "I could give you a whole new plating and everything."

"It is not necessary. So long as I am functioning at optimal capacity, additional upgrades will not be required."

Cosmo looked up at the droid. "So, you said you were an Imperial droid. What was your purpose?"

"I was simply a training droid off the assembly line when I was first created. However, I was reprogrammed, rebuilt and reassigned to serve the Dark Lord's secret apprentice. At least, I was in my galaxy. I suppose I have to reconsider everything I know for this new universe."

"But… you're not bad anymore, right?" Tails asked.

"If you mean am I still loyal to the Empire, then no, I am not. In the last records in my memory banks, we were gathered on Hoth for a set up meeting between rebel sympathizers. Our mission was to gather them together in one place to be captured. However, upon Lord Vader's arrival, he betrayed us. I defended my master to the bitter end. Or so I had thought. Now, I do not know if he even lives, though I highly doubt it. My loyalties to the Empire and Darth Vader will have died with him," Proxy told as he looked down, a slow metallic whine coming from his voice box as he did.

"Oh…" Tails muttered.

"I'm so sorry, Proxy…" Cosmo comforted him, even patting the droid's metal right hand with one of her own. This seemed to catch Proxy off guard a little. "O-Oh, I'm sorry, does that make you uncomfortable?"

"You… confuse me a bit," Proxy admitted.

"What do you mean?" Tails asked.

"Well, an obvious answer would be neither of you are of a species found in my galaxy, but that's not quite my meaning. You two in particular are showing compassion in a way few, if any, ever direct towards droids."

"Well, why wouldn't we show compassion?" Cosmo asked. "You're a person just like the rest of us, whether you're flesh or metal."

"That's an inclusive point of view, one many do not share. No one ever thinks about what a droid thinks or feels, or if we even can do such things. We are simply man-made machinations to make life go smoother."

"The clones weren't treated much differently," Ordo said as both he and Quinlan entered. "The very people we were made to protect didn't see us as living beings, merely as machines, disposable and fake."

"It seems despite our differing origins, many of us might have a few things in common, Commander," Proxy said.

"So, I couldn't help but overhear, but did you say Darth Vader?" Quinlan asked the droid.

"Indeed I did," Proxy nodded. "Why do you ask?"

"Because Vader is the one who found Sam, Cosmo and I on Dantooine. And he's put a hit on all three of us."

"Something I thought I'd ask," Ordo said, "Do you think you might be able to patch into the communication frequencies of this galaxy's Empire? You are an Imperial droid, right?"

"Indeed, despite my personal allegiances, I never had the opportunity to be disconnected from the Imperial network. It is feasible that my clearances could still be used here, though I cannot guarantee anything," Proxy replied. "However, I would need an ample power supply to broadcast a wide enough signal to reach the nearest Imperial receivers to bounce from."

"Well, we don't have that many power sources nearby," Quinlan said.

"We can use the charge packs in the speeders," Tails suggested.

"Sam and F just took the main speeder. If we need charge packs, the bikes will have to do," Ordo said.

"I'll give it a test to see if my communication unit is undamaged," Proxy said before blankly staring slightly downward as he attempted to send out or receive Imperial signals.

Ordo leaned towards Quinlan. "Think we can trust it?"

"I think it's worth a shot. If the Empire's off our backs, it makes getting you all home a little easier," The Jedi replied. "If the droid can make things easier, let it."

"Him," Cosmo corrected, getting both of the older men's attention. "He has a name. It's Proxy. Stop calling him an it."

"Sorry, kid, don't get so defensive," Quinlan put his hands up defensively.

"Oh dear…" Proxy muttered as he came back to them.

"What? What is it?" Tails asked.

"Where is Sam?"

"He and F went down to the village to scope out the pirates. Why? What's wrong?" Ordo asked again.

"I do believe they are walking into a trap."

F pulled the speeder to a stop just outside the village and climbed out. Sam hopped over his side of the speeder and rejoined her on the other side. "I'll, uh, follow your lead. I'm a little out of my element here."

"How so?" F asked evenly. If she was annoyed or bothered, Sam couldn't tell.

"Well… the Nova Corps wasn't quite like the Jedi. They weren't peacekeepers in the same sense. If conflict erupted, that's when they flew in. Especially the Black Novas. They were warriors, chosen to protect the galaxy."

"So they wouldn't try to peacefully stop conflict before it came to violence?" F questioned.

"Not from what I know. I haven't been a Nova that long, so I don't know everything. But when it came to politics, I don't think any soldiers were involved. Our leader, Queen Adora, tries to avoid political conflicts because we could become too involved in one planet and be unable to protect others. The Nova Corps was already stretched then as it was, and when Thanos came to Xandar… there weren't many protectors left to go around anyway."

F looked aside, furrowing her brow a little. "I suppose in a way, that puts you a step above the Jedi."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"When I spoke with Master Vos, it seemed there were more similarities between universes than I thought. The Jedi became so involved in politics, that it kept their attention from the bigger threat. And due to that, we lost the Clone War, and the order was destroyed."

"Well, politics or not, us Nova's are about as rare around the galaxy as you Jedi, so… I guess in the end it doesn't matter. I guess all that matters is you're here now, keeping that legacy up," Sam said.

"Hm…" F muttered.

"What is it?"

"Nothing, just… you surprise me. One moment you seem so carefree and naive, and another you have wisdom that could put some Jedi to shame. It's different from one so young."

"Y'know, you're not that much older than me, right?" Sam questioned.

F shook her head. "I'm eighteen standard years old. But the difference between us is that Jedi are trained nearly from birth to be calm, composed, mindful. Living in the Jedi Temple all our lives meant we were bred for our purpose."

"Is that really a way to live? I mean, helping people is the best thing ever, but you gotta live your own life too."

"We put ourselves on the line to ensure others could continue their lives. It was a necessary sacrifice," F said.

"It was necessary. But now that that structure is gone, don't you think that maybe some of those rules weren't for the better? Sure, the politics thing was a big part of why the Jedi failed, but don't you think maybe some of those rules were part of it too?" Sam suggested.

"While I follow your train of thought, I cannot agree. I followed those mandates my entire life, and it has never led me astray."

"Sure, you're fine. But how many other Jedi were there?"

F didn't look him in the eye. Deep down, she could feel Sam was right on some level. But that didn't keep her from feeling almost insulted, though she hid it well. "You sound like Master Vos."

"If he's saying the same stuff, shouldn't his words mean more than mine?" Sam asked.

"And this galaxy isn't mine. There were differences between my order and his."

"That didn't stop the Jedi from going out the same way," Sam replied. This earned a momentary glance from F before she looked back ahead and continued on, ending the conversation there. "Hablar de terco…" Sam followed F further into the village, where the villagers minded their own business, but did throw subtle looks theri way, cautious of the people they didn't recognize. But the dirtier, mundane outfits worked; they didn't think of the two as offworlders, merely strangers, possibly from another village. They looked like they belonged on Qiilura. "Guess the outfits work…"

"Just don't draw too much attention to yourself. If you can, avoid direct contact with the bounty hunters. We are simply here to observe and then leave," F told Sam.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Sam sighed. They walked a little further in, and Sam took in his surroundings. The village, much like the planet, seemed colorless. The buildings and the clothes were either brown, gray or white, all of which were still dirtied up with the dark mud and soil of the planet. The grass was almost a dark silver, no vibrancy in its appearance. It was as if everything was just… dull. The people seemed devoid of joy, their faces tired and souls heavy. "These people look miserable…"

"Qiilura is a harsh place to live. But some people don't have a choice," F said. "Especially with the threat of the pirates over their heads."

"Yeah, speaking of which, I'm noticing a lack of sleazy bandits. I've only seen villagers so far. If the pirates are occupying this town, where are they?" Sam questioned.

"You're… actually right," F agreed uneasily. "There's no bar, no armory. Where would they be but out in the open?"

"Could they be in their ship?" Sam suggested.

"Many, possibly, but not all of them. We don't know their numbers, but they would want at least a small group of them to watch the village."

"I've got a bad feeling about this…" Sam remarked.

F looked around, now sensing that something was off. She glanced around them, trying not to look too conspicuous doing so.

Then it hit her, and she had to move fast. "Sam, look out!" She quickly grabbed him and dove around a corner just before a series of blaster bolts shot by.

"Woah! Thanks for the save!" Sam thanked the young Jedi.

"We're not in the clear yet!" F replied as she got to her feet and peeked around the corner to see a large speeder rolling in from the other edge of town, with a massive blaster turret positioned at the back. A Quarren manned the gun while a Weequay drove the speeder up the street. All of the villagers rushed inside their houses, or even just the closest buildings, to escape the coming battle. "They were waiting for us to split off into town! This is a trap!"

"You don't say!" Sam remarked as he pulled out the DL-18 Ordo had given him. He saw a Nikto pirate round the corner across the street and fired at them, missing the shots themselves but forcing them to take cover. Meanwhile, F pulled a small comlink from her robes.

"Ordo, come in!"

"I read you! What's going on?!" The clone's voice answered.

"The bounty hunters were waiting for us! We're caught in an ambush!" F said, taking cover as more hunters aside from the speeder peeked from around corners.

"That's not your worst problem," Quinlan said from the other end.

"What could be worse?!" Sam remarked, barely dodging a blaster shot before firing at the hunter that did it, actually managing to nail his target dead on, dropping his attacker quickly. "We're stuck out here without my helmet or her lightsaber while we're being boxed in by a bunch of bounty hunters!"

Then F felt it. A disturbance, a growing fear, stirring from deep within her. It made her feel… "... Cold," she muttered.

"What?" Sam asked, not quite hearing her over the blaster fire.

"I feel a presence. It's so dark and so… cold."

"Wait, cold? Oh no…" Sam said. F quickly looked up, and Sam followed her gaze to see three Star Destroyers high in the sky, and in the middle was one Sam felt was familiar, and the full realization had dawned on him.

Darth Vader had found them.