Chapter Fifteen
"I'm really beginning to hate this damn planet!" Killian growled angrily as he leaned heavily against the tree where he was trying to regain his breath, his knife sticking out of the ground in front of him. He and his squad had been on the planet for more than two weeks now, and it seemed that they were fighting for their lives from wild beasts or other squads bent on their destruction from the moment they landed.
"Agreed," Alexander replied with a sneer; like the rest of the squad, Alexander was dirty and tired from constantly having to be on guard and unable to properly wash themselves as the first time they had tried had resulted in being attacked by some kind of tentacled nightmare that lived in the river where they had attempted to bathe.
"This makes the third time we've been attacked in as many days," Dani said softly; she was leaning next to Killian in apparent exhaustion after the battle they had just won against the squad that attacked them, "You'd think they would have learned by now to keep away from us."
"Fools cannot be taught," Alexander sneered back as he lowered himself to the ground to sit in front of Dani and Killian, "All they understand is how to fight and how to die."
Before anyone could reply, Aola suddenly dropped to the ground from the tree she'd been scouting in, causing the group to jump slightly,
"I climbed as high as I could," Aola said tensely, "I could see no enemies nearby. So it looks like we're safe for now."
"For now," Killian drawled, "That seems to be the motto since we landed on this hellscape,"
"It can't be much longer," Ben replied as he strode to where the rest of his group was resting; like Aola, he had gone scouting following the battle to ensure the enemy was properly gone rather than risk another ambush.
"Does anyone even know how long we've been here?" Dani asked softly, "Ben's right. We HAVE to be nearly done with this by now!"
"It's hard to keep track of the days," Killian replied, "They could be coming for us tomorrow, or it could be weeks,"
"I don't know how much longer I can do this," Dani said as she ran her hand through her dirty hair, "It's been nothing but one fight after another since we were dropped here!"
"Such is the life of a Mandalorian," Alexander replied wearily, "We fight; that is how we live, and that is how we die."
"Come, let's get out of here before they decide to come back and try again," Killian growled as he slowly rose to his feet, helping Dani do the same, "We need to get to high ground. I saw game not far from here yesterday that we should be able to hunt for dinner."
Tired, dirty, and wanting this test to just end, Killian and the rest of his squad slowly began to limp into the woods, hoping for once that no one would attack that night and they could just rest.
XXXX
The Jedi stared blankly at the viewing screen before her as the holographic image of a planet hovered in front of her; though she appeared emotionless, inside, she was reeling with disgust at what was being asked of her.
Tired of the interminable amount of losses that the Republic had received the last few years at the hands of the Mandalorians and the Sith Empire, the Chancellor had ordered a secret mission to hopefully alter the balance of the war in the Republic's favor and that was why Jedi Knight Satele Shan was here.
She had been ordered to take a small squad of Republic soldiers and go to the planet Corvus where young Mandalorians were sent to perform their "Verd'goten" (or Rite of Passage in the common tongue), this year was different, however, as the son, nephew, and niece of the Mandalore was supposed to be one of those performing the Verd'goten.
After slipping through the blockade, Satele was to capture the Mandalore's family and return with them to Coruscant; the hope was that with his family in Republic custody, Mandalore the Avenger, as he had been calling himself, would switch sides and the Republic would have the warrior race on their side against the Sith Empire.
Satele had tried arguing with the Council against this course of action, kidnapping children and forcing their families to ally with their kidnappers or risk seeing them harmed, screamed of the Dark Side, and in Satele's eyes, made the Republic no better than the Sith.
Yet, Satele's arguments had all been for naught, and she now found herself aboard a ship with two other Jedi and twenty Republic commandos as they prepared to follow the orders given to them by the Chancellor and the Jedi Council.
"I can't believe that we're actually doing this," Satele said wearily to the two Jedi who were standing across from her and likewise watching the holographic projection; to her left stood a tall male Bothan, named Jedi Master Tols Sheen; to Satele's right stood another master, this one a Togruta female named Acana Ve.
"I understand your hesitation in this, young Satele," Master Sheen said softly, "I like it no better than you do,"
"Then why do it at all?!" Satele retorted,
"Because it is the only way to guarantee that the Mandalorians abandon the Sith and ally with us," Master Ve replied wearily at having to go through this argument with the young knight yet again.
Satele stared silently at the two masters for a moment as she tried to collect her thoughts; they were mirror images of one another to Satele's eyes, and she found herself studying them yet again as her thoughts raced.
Master Sheen was a credit to his race, tall and muscular with black fur that shone like the sky at midnight, save for the few strands of gray that wound through his fur; the only color that could be seen from the aged Jedi, besides his gray hairs, was the brilliant violet eyes that glowed with strength and wisdom.
Master Ve was the complete opposite of her counterpart; she was tall but lithe, and where Master Sheen's image displayed strength, Master Ve's belied speed and maneuverability as she was known to try and outlast her opponents in a fight rather than try and beat them into submission.
"I don't understand how the council can be okay with this," Satele said at last, "We are talking about kidnapping children! The more realistic outcome of this is that Mandalore declares a blood feud with the Republic and fights even harder!"
"We have our orders," Master Ve said simply as if that solved everything,
"But this is wrong!" Satele retorted, "This whole situation reeks of the Dark Side!"
"Enough!" Master Ve growled, "You forget yourself, Knight Shan!"
Satele had to bite her lip to keep from retorting and getting into even more trouble as Master Ve glared at her,
"We are doing what we must to ensure the survival of the Jedi and the Republic! However, if the Sith win, the Dark Side will consume the entire galaxy! No cost is too great to stop that from happening! I would have thought you understood that, considering what happened to your master."
Satele felt sorrow rip through her as she remembered her master's death at the hands of a Sith so many years ago, and the memories left her momentarily unable to speak,
"That's enough!" Master Sheen growled at Master Ve, who looked suitably abashed, "I do not like this any more than you, Knight Shan, but it is what the Council has ordered, and we must obey. Now, go and prepare the landing party. We will join you momentarily."
Satele offered a quick bow before turning on her heel and storming out; every fiber of her being was screaming out that something was wrong, that they should not be doing this, and yet she could not disobey her masters, so gritting her teeth, she stormed out to the hanger to do as she was told.
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Killian groaned happily as he bit into the meat of his dinner; Ben and Alexander had returned a few hours earlier with what looked like some kind of alien-deer, which the squad had quickly cleaned and cooked over the roaring fire that Aola had prepared.
"Feels good to have food in my belly for once," Dani said with a sigh, "It's a nice change of pace,"
"Agreed," Killian replied happily, "All we've had so far is nuts and berries. Feels good to have some meat again."
"Let's have a story!" Aola cried suddenly, making the group jump slightly,
"Seriously?" Killian asked, "You want a story now?"
"We need something to take our minds off how miserable we all are!" Aola replied with a grin at her brother; Killian shook his head as a smile spread over his face.
Killian's stories were legendary all across Mandalore. It was due to this that Killian had received the nickname "The Bard," as all who heard the stories and tales from Killian's home world found one that they loved above all the rest, not surprising considering that Killian knew thousands of different stories, thanks to his eidetic memory.
To Killian's surprise, Aola had even begun releasing some of his stories via data packs into the wider galaxy until soon, Killian discovered that "The Bard" was one of the most beloved writers of not only Mandalore but also the Republic, something that he found hilarious considering that he was planning on fighting against them one day.
His 'Disney' stories were particularly loved by the Republic, as were the 'Shakespeare and the tale of Frodo and the Fellowship' stories that Aola had released, and the Chancellor had offered a sizable payment to "The Bard" if he should deign to appear in public and let the Republic know who he or she was. When Killian had heard that, he had laughed himself silly at the irony that the Chancellor enjoyed reading stories that came from an enemy.
"Come on, Bard," Alexander said with a sardonic grin, "Your stories belong to Mandalore, now. So, you might as well do your job and tell us one,"
"I really hate that nickname," Killian said with a slight grin of his own as he got himself comfortable and thought about what type of story to tell.
"Okay, so what are you in the mood for?" Killian asked as he laid down against a tree, "Fantasy? Horror? Adventure?"
"I'd like to hear another adventure one," Ben said quickly, "That Treasure Island one you told us before we left Mandalore was pretty good."
"Adventure, huh?" Killian said softly, "Okay, I can do that, just let me think for a minute…."
The squad quickly took their places around the fire as they eagerly waited for Killian to decide on what story he would pick; over the years, they had heard hundreds of stories from Killian, and yet they never seemed to tire of them just as Killian never seemed to run out of new ones to tell.
"Okay, I got one," Killian said at last as a smile came across his face, "This one is called Eragon,"
"Eragon?" Aola said with a frown, "What's it about?"
"If you shut up and listen, you'll find out, won't you?" Killian replied, laughing as Aola stuck her tongue out at him while the rest of the squad chuckled at the sibling's antics.
As the night grew darker, the only sound was Killian's voice as he began his story, followed later by peals of laughter from his listeners, none noticing as a dark ship flew over their camp and silently lowered to the ground a short way away.
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"According to the scanners, there are half a dozen camps all within ten miles of each other," The Republic soldier said as he looked down at his screen while the three Jedi watched him,
"There's no way to determine which of the camps holds our target, is there?" Master Ve asked,
"Negative, master Jedi," the soldier replied, "We'll have to check each one individually,"
"No need," Master Sheen replied as he pointed at the screen, "They're there."
"How can you be sure?" Satele asked as she looked at where the Bothan was pointing,
"Because the force is all but screaming at me that that is where we should go. I'm surprised you can't hear it."
Master Ve and Satele shared a look before they both closed their eyes and spread out their senses to locate what Master Sheen was talking about; almost instantly, Satele was rocked by a wave of power stronger than anything she had ever sensed.
"How did I not sense this before?!" Master Ve gasped as she opened her eyes, "It's unlike anything I've ever felt before!"
"Agreed," Master Sheen said grimly, "If I had to guess, I would say that there is a Sith on this planet, and if that is the case, then we need to be prepared for a fight."
The three Jedi shared a dark look before Master Sheen turned to the soldier who had been watching them nervously,
"Captain, you will take ten men and discreetly search the remaining camps, just in case I'm wrong. You must not be seen, is that clear?"
"Perfectly clear, Master Jedi," the Republic soldier replied as he snapped to attention and saluted smartly.
"The three of us," Master Sheen said, turning back to his two companions, "Will take the remaining soldiers and investigate the source of the power that we're all feeling; if our targets are there, then we will need to be quick, understood?"
"Yes, Master," came the shared reply from Ve and Satele, making the Bothan nod quickly,
"Good, let's be on our way; it is unwise to linger here for longer than necessary."
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Aww, Saphira sounds so cute!" Aola squealed happily, making everyone laugh softly; Killian had just gotten to the part of the story where the dragon egg hatched and was feeling more relaxed than he had in weeks when he suddenly felt something.
Careful to appear as though he was thinking, Killian spread his awareness out to try and locate what it was he was sensing when suddenly he felt it; there were three force-wielders on the planet, and they were quickly closing on the squad's position.
As Killian struggled not to show his feelings, he spread his awareness further and was horrified to discover that the three force wielders were not alone; there were ten others with them, and they seemed to have discovered that Killian could sense them as they quickened their pace.
"Put out the campfire!" Killian cried softly as he jumped to his feet,
"What's wrong?" Alexander demanded as he, too, jumped to his feet and began helping his cousin kick dirt on the fire.
"I don't know!" Killian lied, "But I heard something, and it's getting closer!"
Dani, Aola, and Ben shot to their feet at Killian's words, and the squad took a defensive position as they strained to hear what it was that had made Killian so alarmed.
"Take cover! Now!" Killian cried as he dove under a nearby bush; a moment later, he was joined by Aola and Dani while Ben and Alexander climbed up the tree that Killian had been resting against.
A moment later, Killian's eyes widened in shock at what he was seeing; a group of Republic commandos walked into the clearing that had just moments ago been the squads camp; a second later, three beings wearing brown robes entered the clearing, and Killian felt the blood run from his face.
"Jedi…." Killian whispered, watching as his companions paled instantly,
"What are we going to do?" Dani whispered back, "We can't win against these odds!"
"Stay still and keep quiet!" Killian hissed, "Maybe they'll leave, and when they do, we run for it!"
"Campfire is still warm," a commando said as he held his hand over it, "We must have just missed them,"
"Spread out and find them, then," the Togruta Jedi snapped back, "They can't have gone far!"
"Yes, sir!" The commandos replied, hoisting their rifles and walking into the trees, one almost stepping on Killian as he passed.
Killian held his breath as he watched the Jedi, particularly a Bothan, who was scratching his chin and looking around the clearing with narrowed eyes,
"Please go away…." Killian thought desperately as the Jedi cast his eyes on Killian's hiding place.
Killian suddenly felt as though the wind blew across his mind, and the Bothan's eyes grew wide as he reached for his lightsaber,
"Shit!" Killian cursed as he grabbed Aola's shoulder and hauled her to her feet, "RUN!"
Instantly, Killian, Dani, and Aola exploded from their hiding place and ran as fast as they could into the forest; behind them, they heard shouts, but Killian refused to look back to see what was happening.
"What about Ben and Alexander?!" Aola asked as they ran, desperate to escape their pursuers,
"I'm sure they're fine!" Dani replied, "No doubt, our sudden egress will have our new friends chasing us and ignoring them!"
"Just don't stop!" Killian snarled, "We're no match for Jedi!"
Suddenly, the Bothan Jedi landed in front of them, making the group abruptly stop and stare in fear,
"Children, we mean you no harm," the Bothan said softly, "So would you consider ceasing your running? I'm far too old to be spending the night chasing you."
Killian stepped forward and took a protective stance in front of Dani and Aola while the Bothan watched with interest,
"Stay the hell away from us, Jedi!" Killian snarled, spitting the term 'Jedi' with venom and making the Bothan raise an eyebrow.
"You have great power in you, young one," the Bothan said simply, "You hide it well, but I can sense it,"
"Killian, what's he talking about?" Aola asked, but Killian wasn't listening; he was instead desperately looking for a way to get them out of here.
"There is no escape," a second voice said behind them, making the teens turn quickly to see the other two Jedi had managed to catch up, "Just make this easier on yourself and give up,
"Killian…" Aola whispered in a scared voice.
"There's no need to be afraid, child," the youngest of the Jedi said soothingly, and Killian felt whatever blood was in his face flee in that instant. Standing before him was Satele Shan, one of the greatest Jedi of the Old Republic. Rather than be amazed, Killian felt horrified as he realized he was COMPLETELY outmatched, "We're not going to hurt you. We simply wish for you to come with us, is all."
"We're going nowhere with you!" Killian snapped as the group took a step back,
"You speak as if you have a choice, Killian Farr," the Togruta Jedi sneered, making Killian pale.
"You know my name?" Killian said in a soft voice,
"When hunting a target, it helps to know who they are, would you agree?" the Togruta replied with a slight grin that made Killian's heart race.
"Target…" Killian whispered,
"The Chancellor has requested the honor of your presence," The Bothan Jedi said, "You, your sister, and your cousin are to come with us back to Coruscant. Please do so without a fight, I do not wish to harm you, but I will if necessary."
"They came to kidnap us!" Killian thought in horror as his mind raced, looking for some way to escape; suddenly, screams and sounds of blaster fire began to sound from the clearing, making the group turn to see what was happening.
"What is happening?!" The Togruta Jedi yelled into the commlink on her wrist as she stared toward the clearing,
"Sir," a voice replied quickly, "We are under attack!"
"How many?!"
"Unknown, sir! They just appeared after your party chased the children into the woods! They took down three of us before we knew they were there!"
"Retreat back to the ship immediately! We have what we came for."
The Togruta Jedi turned back to the teenagers with a slight smile on her face as she clicked off her commlink,
"Now, Killian, I presume that the pink Twi'lek behind you is your sister, Aola Farr?"
Killian moved closer to Aola rather than answer, and the Togruta smiled at his confirmation,
"Very good, then that just leaves your cousin, Alexander, the son of the Mandalore. So, where is he?"
"Go to hell!" Killian snarled back, making the Togruta's smile turn into a sneer,
"Insolent child! It matters not if you tell us, we will find him all the same!"
"You have the power to save everyone…." The dark voice whispered in Killian's ear, he had not heard the voice in more than a year, and it made him shiver slightly.
"If I use the force, everyone will know what I am!" Killian thought desperately,
"And if you do not, you will find yourself and your family the unwilling guests of the Republic."
Killian gritted his teeth as the truth of the voice's words hammered against him; he was outmatched with no way to escape except one.
"Aola, Dani, close your eyes," Killian whispered softly,
"What?"
"Why? What's going on?"
"Just do it!" Killian said quickly, making both of them snap their eyes shut instantly; once he was sure they both had their eyes closed, Killian turned back to face the Jedi, who were staring at him with interest.
"Whatever you're planning won't work," The Togruta sneered as she took a step forward,
"Only one way to find out," Killian replied, closing his eyes and bringing his arms across his chest as he pulled the force into him and compressed it as tight as he could while the three Jedi watched with shocked expressions.
"Impossible…." The Bothan said in shock as he felt the boy in front of him compressing the force tighter and tighter.
Satele Shan's eye's widened in horror as she realized what Killian was doing, and she took a step forward,
"STOP!" Satele yelled as Killian's eyes snapped open, and he shot his arms out; instantly, an explosion of power shot out in front of him, blowing the three Jedi off of their feet; the Togruta slammed into a nearby tree, while the other two were thrown hard to the ground.
Killian felt a wave of exhaustion rush through him that almost sent him to his knees; only Aola and Dani's sudden grip on his shoulders kept him from collapsing; gritting his teeth, Killian grabbed hold of the girl's hands and charged into the forest, dragging them behind him.
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Alexander was pissed, that was the only way to describe what he was feeling; he and Ben had been hiding in the tree when the Republic commandos had entered the clearing and, realizing that the odds were against them, had wisely decided to remain quiet.
That decision was sorely tested when he saw the three Jedi enter the clearing a moment later and order the troopers to fan out and find "Them." A moment later, Alexander watched fearfully as Killian, Dani, and Aola jumped from their hiding place and ran into the forest. The Jedi followed a moment later, leaving only three troopers in the empty clearing.
"Should we follow?" One of the commandos asked,
"Nah, let the Jedi handle it," his companion replied as he pulled off his helmet, "Shouldn't be too hard for them to catch a group of teenagers."
Hearing that the Jedi were hunting his family filled Alexander with rage such as he had never known; before Killian and third squad, Alexander had never had any 'real' friends, everyone was too afraid of his father to want association with Alexander, and though he would never say it, it had made him indescribably happy when Killian had offered his hand in friendship.
Without uttering a word, Alexander jumped from the limb of the tree that he had been standing on, landing a second later on top of the commando who had been standing beneath him, sending the two to the ground hard.
Uttering a cry of rage, Alexander buried his knife in the commando's neck before ripping it free a second later and throwing it end-over-end until, at last, it buried itself in the chest of another trooper, who looked down at it for a second before promptly collapsing to the ground.
"YOU BASTARD!" The final commando roared as he raised his rifle to fire; before he could, however, Ben dropped to the ground behind him and promptly grabbed the trooper's head, snapping the neck with an audible "Crack."
Both boys stared silently at each other for a moment, the only sound being the commando whose throat Alexander had cut, gurgling as he desperately clung to life. Without saying a word, Alexander walked over to the commando, who still had Alexander's knife embedded in his chest, and violently ripped it out before turning back to Ben.
"We need to find the others before the Jedi do. Come on!"
"What do you think the Jedi want with them?" Ben asked as he bent down and picked up a pair of fallen rifles before tossing one to Alexander,
"Doesn't matter, as long as we find them first!"
Before they could take a step, the clearing was suddenly filled with soldiers who had returned from their sweep; as they took in the sight before them, they were momentarily left too shocked to respond.
Their shock only lasted a moment before the soldiers were all raising their rifles,
"Drop your weapons and get down on your knees!" One trooper snarled, "Do it now!"
"Kiss my ass!" Ben retorted as he fired the rifle before diving behind the nearby tree for cover, while Alexander dove behind a nearby rock; instantly, the clearing lit up as the troopers opened fire on Alexander and Ben, who tried to return fire while at the same time avoiding getting shot.
"We don't have time for this!" Ben shouted as he rose to fire, "We need to find the others before the Jedi do!"
Suddenly, the troopers stopped shooting, causing Ben and Alexander to cautiously poke their heads up, only to discover, to their surprise, that the soldiers were gone, leaving only the three bodies from earlier.
"Where did they go?" Ben asked as he slowly stepped out from behind the tree, "Why did they fall back?"
"I have no idea," Alexander said as he stepped next to Ben, "But I don't like it. So come on, let's go find the others."
Before either could move, however, a blast of energy hit the pair, throwing them from their feet to the ground hard, where they lay groaning for a moment before rising shakily to their feet.
"What the hell was that?!" Ben asked as he helped a groaning Alexander to his feet,
"No idea," Alexander said in a pained voice, "Probably one of those damned Jedi! Come on! The others might be in danger!"
The two raced into the woods without another word, hoping they weren't too late.
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Satele groaned in pain as she slowly raised herself into a sitting position; across from her, Masters Ve and Sheen were doing likewise,
"That boy can use the force…." Master Sheen said in a pained voice, "And he is incredibly powerful with it as well."
"A Mandalorian who can use the force?" Master Ve sneered, "This is a disaster! He must be captured before the Sith discover him!"
"Agreed," Sheen replied grimly, "After them!"
The two Jedi masters instantly took off into the trees, leaving Satele alone as her thoughts raced with the implications; the nephew of the Mandalore had the potential to be an incredibly powerful force wielder, and yet the order had failed to discover him, how was such a thing possible? Not only that, but the boy seemed to already have had some training with his abilities if what he just did was anything to judge by.
As Satele rose shakily to her feet, she bit her lip in contemplation; Killian must be found and trained. The prospect of him falling to the dark side was too disastrous to comprehend; with that in mind, Satele took off after her companions.
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Killian didn't know how long he ran for; the only thought running through his mind was that as long as he kept running, then his sister and his friend would be safe, for if the Jedi caught them, they would all be taken away.
"Killian," Aola gasped, "You have to stop! We can't keep going!"
Still, Killian ran, too afraid of the consequences if he should stop,
"Killian!" Dani yelled, finally making Killian stop.
The three gasped for air for a moment before Aola turned to Killian with a stunned look on her face,
"How did you do that?!"
"Do what?" Killian lied, his hands on his knees as he gasped for air,
"Don't lie to me, Killian! I know what I saw!"
"You…you saw?" Killian asked in a weak voice, terrified of what she might now think of him.
"Yes, I saw!" Aola retorted angrily, "Why did you never tell me that you could use the force!"
Dani gasped at that and turned to Killian with a shocked expression as Killian turned pale,
"Aola…. I…. I didn't…." Killian began, trying to think of something to say to mollify her,
"No!" Aola growled, pointing a finger in his face, "No more lies! I want the truth! Now!"
In that moment, Killian's head dropped in despair, and he fell to his knees as he realized that he had lost everything; no doubt Aola or Dani would talk about what they had seen, and then he would be executed by his uncle, according to the laws of Mandalore; Killian only hoped it would be quick.
"Killian?" Aola said in a soft voice as she knelt down beside him and took his face in her hands, raising it so that he was looking into her eyes,
"No one was supposed to know," Killian said as tears ran down his face,
"Why?" Aola asked softly, "Did you think my opinion of you would change if you told me?"
"Or mine?" Dani asked as she knelt down next to Aola, "You are our friend, Killian, and nothing will ever change that."
"But what about the rest of Mandalore?!" Killian cried, "If Uncle Lec or anyone else discovers that I can use the force, they'll have me executed! Or sell me to the Sith Empire!"
Aola slapped Killian hard across the face at that, making the boy's hand go to his cheek in shock,
"Uncle Lec would never do that!" Aola retorted, "He would no doubt laud your ability as an asset to our people!"
"Yeah!" Dani said quickly, "A Mandalorian that can use the force? You would be a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield!"
"You don't hate me, then?" Killian asked in a small voice,
"Never," Aola replied as she wrapped her arms around him, "But I'm still pissed that you didn't tell me."
Killian let out a sob/laugh at that and quickly wrapped his arms around his sister as Dani joined in on the hug; a moment later, the sound of footsteps drew their attention, making the trio tense nervously before Ben and Alexander burst through the trees, much to the trio's delight.
"THERE you are!" Ben cried happily, "We thought the Jedi got you!"
"They almost did!" Dani replied as she clasped Ben's forearm in her own, "We just barely managed to lose them. What happened to you?"
"Damn Republic Commandos, that's what! Alexander and I had to fight our way out!"
"Alright, cousin?" Alexander asked as he helped Killian and Aola to their feet, watching with narrowed eyes as Killian wiped his wet eyes.
"Yeah," Killian replied, "Yeah, I'm good. We need to get out of here, though,"
"What are you talking about?" Alexander asked,
"The Jedi are after us," Killian replied, "You, me, and Aola! I don't know why but they've been sent to kidnap us!"
Alexander's eye's widened at that before narrowing in anger,
"It's because of who we are…."
"What do you mean?" Ben asked quickly,
"We are the family of the Mandalore," Alexander added, "No doubt they think that by taking us hostage, father will change sides and join the Republic."
"But Mandalore would never allow that!" Dani said seriously, "They would kill your father before allowing him to ally us with those who have killed so many of our people!"
"Exactly!" Alexander retorted, "And the Republic would kill us once that happens."
"We need to keep moving," Killian said thoughtfully, "No help will be coming until the Verd'goten is complete, and we have no idea how long that is!"
"Agreed," Alexander said thoughtfully, "We need to find the other squads,"
"Why?" Dani asked,
"Alone, we're vulnerable; the Jedi would have no trouble capturing us! But if we all group together, we might have a chance."
"He's right," Ben said after a moment of consideration, "We have no chance on our own. We need help if we're to survive."
"Let's get moving, then," Alexander said as a sudden noise drew their attention, "We need to keep ahead of our pursuers if we hope to have any chance of surviving this!"
Without another word, they ran into the trees as the sound of their pursuers grew louder behind them.
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