The other Talons had joined Zar and Luke. None of them looked thrilled. "Vader's coming back?" Dendro demanded, all four fists clenched. "We didn't even know he was here before."

"He was here a little while ago pressing Locus for quicker results," Nailah informed him. She wasn't in the mood to try and trade barbs with him. "But he left soon after."

A guilty look entered Luke's eyes. "He's coming back for me," he muttered. "He must know I'm here."

"Whatever the reason," Spar interrupted, "we need to destroy what the Empire is after now. Someone, get Dynas, we need his help."

A soldier nodded and ran off to get the Yucari. "You sure this Imp can get you past Slave Town?" asked Natron, his arms folded.

"Credit where it's due," replied Tor. "Brogan may be overly ambitious, but he's crafty and resourceful too. With some luck, he and his subordinates should be able to pull it off."

There were heavy footsteps and Dynas arrived. "You've found what the Empire seeks?!" he huffed. "Where is it?! I'll assemble my best men and—"

"Dynas," said Nailah loudly. "Calm down. Luke and the bounty hunters believe it's in the mountains near Slave Town."

Dynas stiffened and his expression became guarded. "Are they certain?"

They all looked at the Yucari suspiciously. "Alright, Dynas," said Spar sternly. "Spill. What's up there?"

Dynas stared back at Spar's unblinking eyes. "I cannot say."

Natron slammed a fist on the table. "Dynas," he snarled. "We have already lost many Rebels defending your people. If the key to ending all of this is up on those mountains, then that's where we need to go, and we need to be prepared for what's up there. So talk."

The Yucari shifted uncomfortably. "Our…our last resort is up there. A relic from what you call the Clone Wars." They all continued to stare intently at him and he sighed. "A ship, the same as the foul one that Moff Locus uses."

"A Venator?!" gasped Kashvi. "Then how come the Imps haven't found it?!"

"It crashed here many years ago, and since then, the jungle on top has covered it in plants and trees. The Jedi Knight onboard attempted to try and retake it from the Clones who had turned on him and his apprentice, but they lost control during the struggle, and crashed here. The Jedi and his apprentice told us how to operate and repair it before they died from their wounds. Yuca hasn't had many offworld visitors until the Empire came, so repairs were difficult. We're still not certain if it can fly, but it can serve as a fortress. We had to abandon it though once the Empire arrived, we couldn't afford to lead them to it."

"Well," grunted Zar, "hopefully we don't have to go anywhere near it. Try and get your people into position at Slave Town, and once we give the Imps the slip, we'll meet you there. The sooner we destroy this weapon, the better."

Locus sipped his glass of wine in silence in his office aboard the Revenant. Brogan and Anax had been out of contact for some time now. He was willing to give them a little longer, he didn't want to interrupt during a crucial moment…but it had better be soon. Even his patience had its limits. They had to deliver the weapon to the Emperor…and Skywalker to Vader.

At that last thought, Locus's eyes darted to a drawer. He checked the cameras to make sure no one was coming. Hesitantly, he pulled it out, and opened a secret compartment. He took a sharp breath. He knew this could cost him dearly if anyone ever discovered this, but…but he couldn't bring himself to part with it. He couldn't. Locus sighed heavily, covered his eyes with one hand, and took out a picture with the other. After a few moments, and with a massive effort, he lifted the hand from his eyes.

Much like the other picture, his wife and several Clones were with him during a celebration. But unlike the other one…several Jedi were there with them, celebrating the news that his wife was pregnant. A laughing Locus had one arm around Quinlan Vos's shoulder, and they both had a drink in their hands, clanking them together in a toast. Master Yoda was there too; he and a few other Jedi, such as Luminara Unduli, Kit Fisto, Aayla Secura, and Plo Koon, had politely declined a drink, but still looked happy for them…admittedly it was hard to tell with Plo due to his mask, but he had sounded joyful at least. Anakin was there too, along with his master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and his own apprentice, Ahsoka Tano. Obi-Wan looked exasperated at being forced to have a drink, but also happy at the news. Anakin and Ahsoka were overjoyed for Locus, but also amused at Obi-Wan's reaction.

Locus put the picture face down, so nobody who barged in could see it, and he buried his face in both hands. Yes, the Jedi at the end might have been…no, were traitors, but they were also his friends. He didn't believe they had been traitors from the beginning. Later on, yes, but during that moment at least, he felt that they were the guardians of peace and justice the stories had always built them up to be. Locus would have been dead several times over if not for them. He only wished that he could have prevented their betrayal, helped them see that turning against Palpatine was a mistake. But at least he could try and save Luke Skywalker for Anakin. He owed him that much.

The comm on his desk beeped and he answered it. "Moff Locus," said Anax's breathless voice. "They're rejoining the Rebels. We'll call back when they reach the site."

Locus got himself together. Duty called at last. "Very well. I'll be ready. And remember, Lieutenant, besides the weapon, Lord Vader wants Skywalker alive."

As the bounty hunters' ship, the Shyyyo Talon, darted through various canyons on their way to the rendezvous point under the last few rays of the sunset, Luke looked around the ship's cockpit, and he didn't bother to hide the wonder on his face. "I have to hand it to you," he admitted. "Even though we don't agree on everything, you picked a great ship, Zar."

"Thanks, kid," chuckled Zar. "I can hardly fault your amazement. Since it sounds like you work with Han a lot, you must be stuck with that flying junk pile, the Falcon—"

"Hey," Luke warned him. "The Falcon's gotten us through more than one crisis."

"And how many others has it gotten you into?"

Luke hesitated. "Not too many…as long as it's working properly."

"How often is that?"

He struggled to find the right answer. "…often enough. But at least it has twin quad lasers," he added, and he noted with satisfaction that Zar bristled at that.

"Still can't hold a candle to the Shyyyo Talon," bragged Bariq as he piloted the ship. He was so short his feet didn't even reach the ground in his chair. "Noctu worked us all to the bone before he would part with this beauty, but it was worth it."

"Not me or Tor," grunted Dendro, as he picked bits of his meal out of his teeth. "We hadn't met them yet at the time. So thank you for sparing us from that ordeal."

Luke tried being as casual as possible. "What is this Noctu like? It sounds like you're intimidated by him."

"Intimidated is an understatement," replied Tor with a shudder. "He served in the Clone Wars as a Colonel, he was part of a special strike force, but had to leave before it ended due to a leg injury. Despite that, he is not to be trifled with, I saw him quell a fight between one of his men and a Trandoshan with nothing but his dreaded glare."

In other words, a perfect ally for the Alliance. "If he's anything like you guys, I'm guessing he's not a fan of the Empire?"

"Nor the Rebel Alliance," yawned Ru, as he leaned back in his chair. "Sorry kid, he's content with the Empire and Rebels duking it out. You'd have better luck recruiting the Hutts."

Luke bitterly sank in his chair. "So what will you use the treasure for anyway?" he sulked. "Some upgrades to keep up with the Falcon?"

Zar glanced at him. "Touchy, aren't you? No, we got a lot of stuff that it can cover. Dendro has to take care of his entire family, Tor needs to help support the Brotherhood on his planet…it's not always about just us."

"Yeah, well you have a funny way of showing it," Luke shot back, and then got up and left the cockpit.

He heard the Talons muttering as the door closed, but he didn't care. It frustrated him when Han was like that before the Battle of Yavin, and it frustrated him now. Luke understood that they had gotten screwed over by the Rebels before, but how could anyone had seen firsthand what evils the Empire was capable of, and do nothing about it? Even if they didn't join the Alliance, they could still help the galaxy on their own, yet they were content with looting ancient temples and cities.

As he walked into the rec room, he saw SN and R2 playing holochess, but the protocol droid still had time to glance up and snark, "You look like you're in a good mood. Someone finally tell you how ludicrous your flight suit is?"

R2 bleeped irritably and proceeded to win the game with his next move. "What can I say?" replied SN as he waved a hand. "Zar's a flirt, Dendro has a temper, Tor's too nice for his own good…we all have our flaws, minuscule though mine may be. Well played, by the way." He glanced at Luke. "How much would it take for you to part with this fine astromech? A single droid can't support these brigands on his own forever."

Despite himself, Luke chuckled. "Sorry, but he's not for sale. The two have us gone through a lot together, and besides, if he left, 3PO wouldn't have anyone else who could put up with him."

"Oh, come now," scoffed SN. "No protocol droid can be that bad."

R2 beeped in reply. SN cocked his head as best he could. "Oh? I'll have to take your word for it then."

The intercom buzzed, and Zar's voice said, "We're coming up on the rendezvous now, prepare for landing."

A few minutes later, they landed, and Luke walked out. He went to the front to take one last good look at the ship. Despite his current feelings about the crew, he still meant what he said, this ship was amazing. It looked like a Mandalorian version of an X-Wing, with four heavy duty cannons along the main part of the ship. The ship's wings had a feathered pattern painted on, and along the cockpit, was the image of what looked like a horned bird with red eyes.

"It's a beautiful ship," said a familiar voice, "but I think you're a much more welcome sight."

Kashvi had walked ahead of the other Rebels coming out of the jungle and embraced him tightly with a huge smile. "Likewise," he grinned after she let him breathe again. "Good to see you're still here. I would have hated to have missed round two with you."

"As much as I hate to keep this brief," said Nailah as she joined them, "duty calls. But we're all glad to see you're still in one piece, Luke."

"We're fine too, thanks. How are you?"

Zar and the others had walked out of the ship. They had put on more gear and weaponry this time; Zaram had a jetpack with a missile, Dendro wore a helmet with a visor, and SN had a smaller Umbaran pistol with him, to name a few. None looked as unnerving as Nailah's snarl though, as she marched up to Zar, and grabbed him by the collar. "I should kill you right now for ditching us," she began.

"Oh, shut up!" snapped Zar, and shoved her off, a pistol already in his hand. The Rebels all drew their weapons, including Luke, his blue lightsaber ignited and ready to be used. But the Talons were just as quick on the draw, and they brandished their own weapons at them.

"Nailah," Zar growled, "I could have gunned you and several others down before your hero there even drew his lightsaber. But you know what? I won't." As if to prove it, he holstered his weapon. "You can thank Luke for that, incidentally. Believe it or not, despite him inheriting some of your fanatical tendencies, the kid's grown on me. He's got his heart in the right place, even if his head needs some work. But we've all gone through more than we bargained for on this Force-forsaken planet, so I am not in the mood for that revolting Rebel muck of yours. Let's just get this thing done once and for all, and after that, we never have to see each other again. Alright? Alright." He crossed his arms in front of him and waited for Nailah's answer.

For a few moments, the other Talons and Rebels just stared at each other, waiting for the other side to make the first move. Nailah still glared at Zar, the distrust clear on her face, but Luke had had enough. "Everyone," he said loudly, "lower your weapons. We've got a job to do. Like Zar said, the sooner we get it done, the sooner we don't have to worry about them anymore."

"But Luke—!"

"That's an order, Captain!"

She stared back at him in shock, but holstered her blaster, and the rest of the Rebels lowered their own weapons. The Talons did the same, and thankfully, they didn't make any smart comments. "Well, Zar," said a familiar roguish voice, "you're lucky my friend was here. Nailah's been ranting about what she wanted to do to you ever since I made it to base."

Han walked out from behind the trees and made a show of holstering his blaster. Chewbacca was right behind him, his bowcaster still in hand, and he gave a few loud growls. "Good to see you again, Han," grinned Luke, and he clapped Han's hand. "After these guys, I think you're the only scoundrel I can handle."

As the other Rebels grouped around Nailah to go over the plan, Chewie had marched right over to Zar. He towered over the Mandalorian, and Luke could sense Zar's weariness. He raised a hand in greeting. "Hey, Chewie."

Chewie growled his reply. "Oh, come on," Zar complained. "You know my Shyriiwook was never that good."

The Wookiee gave him a glare. Zar threw up his hands and muttered Chewie's words under his breath. "Hope this is right…you're asking about the ship…wait, the ship's name and paintjob!"

Chewie nodded. "Everything's as you left it," said Bariq as he stepped up to the Wookiee. "We still call it the Shyyyo Talon and just gave it a new coat of paint before we took up this job."

Not one to take a Jawa's word, Chewie glanced up at the ship for a little bit, before giving his roar of approval. "Surprised Chewie's so lenient," Han commented, as he and Luke joined the Talons. "I may be the forgiving type, but I thought he'd still hold what happened on the Shili job against you."

"Excuse me, Solo?" replied Zar incredulously. "We would have been home-free if you hadn't decided to play Sabacc."

Han looked almost as outraged as he did in his arguments with Leia. "Oh yeah, your Flirtfulness?! Who was the one who had the violent Togruta's sister begging him to marry her in front of said Togruta?!"

"In case you forgot, we needed her to pull that job off in the first place! What we didn't need, was for you to be gambling all of our credits, and getting caught with Sabacc cards up your sleeve on top of it!"

Dendro and Chewie stepped in and forced them back before they could argue anymore. "Get rich first," grunted Dendro, "argue later."

Han and Zar still grumbled testily at each other as they followed the Rebels into the jungle. "Do I want to know what that was all about?" Luke asked Chewie as they walked.

Chewie shook his head grimly.

Brogan did his best to appear normal, but he was still sweating like he was on Mustafar anyway. Hopefully the others pinned it on the heat. Through the droid, they watched as the Rebels gathered next to a group of captured ITTs. "We'll attack the site to create a diversion," the Twi'lek, Nailah, told the others, as they studied a hologram. "Commander Skywalker will lead the Talons to the hidden entrance…but don't you dare leave him behind for the Imps, Zaram."

"That thought hadn't crossed my mind yet," he replied, "but that's actually not a bad idea, thank you for bringing it—"

Then his gaze shifted towards where the droid was and he froze. "Droid!" Zaram shouted, and shot it before it could even attempt to dodge.

Tazah swore as the feed went dead. "Everybody move! Call in another droid, but until then, we stay on their tails!"

They all piled into the speeders and took off. Brogan held on as best he could; their driver was a lunatic, barely avoiding the trees and other obstacles as they sped toward the Rebels' direction. He had no idea how much time had passed, he was too concerned with not flying out, when suddenly, Tazah exclaimed, "Moff Locus! Our droid was discovered and shot down, and we're currently pursuing the Rebels! How should we proceed?"

In the medical chamber to the side of the foyer outside his office, Locus groaned as the device in the ceiling pried him out of the hoverchair. He gingerly felt the modules and other life support equipment in his back; it was these that helped keep him going, but he had to be hooked up in the chair or his tank suit, he could only survive a limited time when not attached to them. The device then moved him to the tank suit and lowered him into it. The modules and the suit linked together automatically, and Locus sighed in relief.

Then the chamber's comm went off. He activated it before he allowed the medical droids to re-equip his heavier prosthetic arms. A hologram of Commander Anvil appeared, and he said, "Moff Locus, our forces are in pursuit of the Talons. Shall I patch you through to Sergeant Gunda?"

Locus nodded, and a hologram displaying an audio feed appeared next to Anvil. "Sergeant Gunda," he grunted. "This is Moff Locus."

"Moff Locus!" exclaimed Tazah's tense voice. "Our droid was discovered and shot down, and we're currently pursuing the Rebels! How should we proceed?"

He was about to answer when a live camera feed appeared. It was from a new droid that had been called in by the squad; it showed the Talons, along with several other Rebels, as they lifted a small mound of foliage off to reveal a pair of speeders. Locus briefly weighed his options, then decided to take a calculated risk. "Sergeant, listen carefully to me. Continue your pursuit. Be aware, the Talons are not with your quarry, it seems they have slipped away in the confusion. When possible, send Brogan and Anax back to us, I may have need of them. But if the rest of you break off from the other Rebels, they might contact the Talons, and tell them that something is wrong. Keep me informed of what happens. And remember; nobody is to make a move unless I say otherwise."

There was a pause, and then Tazah replied, "As you wish, Moff Locus."

Locus turned to Anvil and said, "Prepare my shuttle, and assemble a team of our finest troops. With any luck we'll be dining on Coruscant before the week is over."

Zar had never met a more irritating Twi'lek before in his life. "I thought you despised us," he grunted as they all got into the speeders. "Why tag along with your Togruta protégé? Your blood pressure not high enough yet?"

Once more, hopefully for the last time, they sped off to their destination. They had to leave R2 with the Rebels, it would have been too difficult to sneak him into Slave Town. Zar only wished Nailah had stayed behind with them as well. "I'm here to make sure the job gets done at last," she growled. "And to shoot you if you betray us one more time."

He just waved a hand in reply. As long as he got off this planet as fast as possible with a hoard of treasure, he didn't care. "Getting soft, Zar?" asked Han, without taking his eyes from his piloting. "You'd have shot off a dozen insults back at her by now."

Zar leaned back in his seat. "We've been on this putrid mudball for too long. This treasure has been more trouble than it may be worth."

"Well, I hope the Shyyyo Talon is still as half as good as the Falcon is, otherwise you'll never get past the blockade."

Bariq swelled indignantly at that. "At least our hyperdrive hasn't failed on us yet! Unlike the Falcon when we tried escaping from Shili!"

Han's grip on the controls tightened and he spared a brief furious glance back. Zar subtly bumped fists with the Jawa. "Don't you dare blame the Falcon for that! It was that bad power coil that con artist sold to me at Mos Eisley and you know it!"

Nailah's comm went off and she answered it. "So what's the plan with getting into Slave Town?" asked Luke's voice. "How tight is the security there?"

She heaved a massive sigh. "Tight. You'll see when we get there, the defenses were already pretty good thanks the Yucaris' handiwork, and only got more difficult once the Imps added to it."

They made it through the rest of the trip in silence. Many of the others had nodded off, but Zar couldn't sleep. He was afraid he'd see the deaths of his parents and Jedi friends, the loss of his whole world, and that dark evil mask all over again. Thankfully, pricks of light started to flicker on and off through the foliage, and he knew that they had arrived. "Alright, crooks and Rebels," Han said in a half yawn, and the speeders came to a halt. "Welcome to what I can only assume is our one way paradise, Slave Town."

Ironically, Zar felt like paradise would have been a fitting description for this place. Much like Kashyyyk, a few massive trees had sprung up in the middle of a clearing, with many wooden structures built on its branches and in the canopy, and with an equal amount of stone buildings around its roots. All of them shone with lights, giving the place an exotic beautiful look. Unfortunately, the Empire had built their own compounds and structures there too, blemishing the otherwise pleasing scenery. Another metal wall encircled Slave Town all the way up until the mountains, where a smaller base had been set up at the foot of the mountains. Imperial patrol transports flew like smaller uglier Republic gunships across the edge of the wall, eager to blast any Rebel or would be escapee into paste, with AT-STs prowling around on the ground.

"Brogan's accomplice should be coming out in an hour or two," Zar noted. "Any ideas to make sure she doesn't try and walk us right into a waiting firing squad?"

"You could try wooing her," Han snarked. "Just make sure she doesn't confess her undying love for you in front of the Imps."

Zar was about to snark back when his helmet's comm went off. It was Brogan, and he had left a single message: "Locus knows."

He shook his head. Out of all the Imperials they ran into over the years, this Locus was shaping up to be one of the worst. Not wanting to tip off any unseen eyes, he spoke in Sy Bisti to his group. "Pass this on, but be discreet, the Empire may still be on to us."

Dendro and the others looked dispirited, but did as he asked. As soon as Bariq let Han know, Zar told him out loud, "I think the best way in is if we pose as Imperials and slaves. What do you think?"

Thankfully Han knew this was no time to trade banter. "Good idea. Believe it or not, that's how Luke, Chewie, and I were able to rescue her Worshipfulness from the Death Star."

Zar and Bariq glanced at each other. They had never heard Han talk about a woman like that. "Is she beautiful?" Bariq inquired. "If so, does she need a pilot?"

Han pulled a face. "Well, yeah…she's pretty. But no, whether she likes or not, she's already got one: me." Then his expression lightened up. "And Luke, he's gotten pretty good as a pilot. Anyway, let's go over the plan with the others."

Vader loomed over his Commander. "I want the entire garrison and Locus's own forces ready to move at a moment's notice. See to it personally, Commander. The Emperor has made it clear that anyone who fails to contain an outbreak should it occur, will suffer his displeasure."

The Stormtrooper bowed and began to bark orders at the others. Vader stared out at his forces; they were all gathered around various tanks and Imperial walkers that they had brought to the Yuca Imperial Capital's military base, and they were double and triple checking to make sure that they were ready to obliterate anything that could be set loose from the hidden city. The sky was still pitch black, no thanks to the storm that threatened to come down at any moment now, so the base was lit up with as many lights as possible.

He suddenly sensed frustration and anxiety. Vader turned around to see Locus in his tank suit as he made his way to Vader, flanked by Anvil, Brogan, Anax, and a female Pantoran servant. "Security has been doubled at your compound, Moff Locus," the servant stammered. "We have also brought the items you requested to the Revenant, but we're having trouble finding space for some of the larger ones—"

"Incompetent!" Locus snarled at her. "I guess that's what I should have expected when I decided to hire non-humans as servants. Get back to the Revenant and make sure everything is on board before it takes off. Use the hangars if you have to, but the Emperor help me if I find one item left behind, or worse, missing!"

The Pantoran bowed and ran off so fast her hair bun came loose, and her long white hair flowed behind her like a ghost. A pair of troopers working on an Occupier tank nearby had watched the whole thing, but as soon as they saw Vader looking at them, they hurriedly got back to work on the tank. "Lord Vader," Locus greeted, and he and his subordinates saluted. "The Talons and Skywalker's Rebels are at the edge of Slave Town. To ensure they suspect nothing, I've had my forces engage the Rebels they attempted to have us blindly follow. They're attacking a different site, but I've had the more skilled troops disembark from there to rejoin us. When the Talons and Skywalker clear a way for us to our prize, we'll be ready."

Vader merely nodded. He wasn't going to let Locus feel content right now; content subordinates were a disaster waiting to happen. "I trust you've passed on my orders regarding Skywalker to the rest of your troops?"

"Of course, my Lord…"

Locus had trailed off and glanced at the troopers working on the tank, who were muttering something to each other. Vader ignored them; there were more pressing matters at hand. "I trust you've also passed on what will happen to them should they ignore my orders—"

A familiar name spoken by the troopers made him break off his threat. "Tena," muttered one trooper, as he checked the cannon on the tank's side. He was completely unaware that his leaders were listening to him. "That was her name. Real beauty from what I hear."

"Typical," whispered the other, a woman, who passed him a tool. "Wife ditches him, so the ugly worrt surrounds himself with other pretty things—"

Locus barged at them with surprising speed. He grabbed both troopers in his oversized arms and bashed them into the side of the tank. They fell to the ground, and tried to get back up, but Locus grabbed them by their heads. "Mock me, will you?!" shrieked Locus. "I'll teach you what happens when you dare ridicule me under your breath—!"

"Moff Locus!" shouted Anvil, as he rushed forward and tried to get his leader's attention. "Get a hold of yourself, now is not the time to—!"

Vader curled his hand into a grip and Locus started to choke for oxygen. "Locus!" he snarled. "Stand down!"

The Moff shakily glanced at Vader, and then released the troopers, who laid on the ground and moaned. Vader stopped using the Force and Locus began to breathe normally again. The Commander had rushed over to see what was happening and Vader turned his attention to him. "Commander, have these two troopers brought to our first wave. They will be the first to engage should the worst happen."

The Commander nodded and ordered his men to escort the two troops away. Brogan and Anax stared at Vader and Locus in horrified fascination, while Anvil checked to ensure his superior was recovering. Vader walked up to Locus and glared down at him. "Should you repeat an incident like this," he said softly, "when Skywalker is within my grasp, or the weapon within the Emperor's, your atrocities on Umbara will pale in comparison to the punishment I have in store for you. Don't test me again…Moff Locus."

Vader turned around and strode to his shuttle. Ordinarily, he would have welcomed the fury that boiled within him. It gave him strength, focus, and the will to do what was necessary to bring order to this unruly galaxy. But Luke was mere miles away…he couldn't afford to delve too deeply into his anger, and let it cloud his thoughts. Not now. He would not leave this planet without his son, and the Force help the fool who dared to deny Vader what was his.