The rest of their 'backup,' such as they were, pulled up in their speeder just in time to see Luke's latest feat. "That young human is something else," Dynas noted, as he helped unload an irate R2 off.

Chewbacca gave the Yucari a set of exasperated growls, which Han completely agreed with.

"Compared to what we've pulled off the last few days," Luke said he rejoined them, "that was nothing.

Han shook his head. "One of these days," he noted, "your crazy stunts are going to backfire on you."

The kid shrugged. "Hey, it worked, didn't it?"

Before he could fire back a witty reply, someone's comm beeped. A moment later there was a hologram of a Bith in Kashvi's hands. "Ooni!" she exclaimed. "I thought you were still in the infirmary?"

"Bah," the Bith replied airily, "I can rest once I know my best student is lightyears away from this place. Besides, who else would you trust to bring your B-Wing planetside?"

Han exchanged a wry smile with Luke and Chewie as Kashvi's face lit up. "Oonumao Soreido," she told him sternly, "it better look like it just came off the assembly line when you get here."

"As if that were beyond my capabilities. We'll meet you where those new walkers can't put a ship on our ships; sending you the coordinates."

Kashvi locked eyes with them before Ooni's hologram even faded. "Go on," Nailah laughed. "As if we could keep you from your pride and joy. Can't wait to see you send the Imps' new toys to the scrapyard."

"Which reminds me," Luke spoke up, "any updates from the scouts?"

Han frowned. "No, they've still got a squad up on the mountain, and we still don't have the manpower to spare to get rid of them." He waved a hand at their current band. "This is all we're getting for the slaves' daring rescue."

"Well," Kashvi spoke up, grim determination in her eyes, "I'll see if I can take care of that problem once my ship arrives."

Anvil listened to the report grimly. More Rebel ships planetside and currently out of range. But then he glanced at the IASDs in the compound—bigger and nastier than the droids that inspired them—and his doubts subsided somewhat. They may have reminded him too much of the Separatist clankers, but they were well worth it.

"Sir, the Rebels are coming, along with their fighters!"

Sure enough, the Rebels were charging them on the ground with stolen speeders and ITTs, and several fighters including a B-Wing were inbound on the horizon. As they quickly came within range, he kept his eyes straight ahead as the IASDs opened fire. They managed to vaporize one bomber, but unfortunately missed the rest. They shot past him overhead, and a flurry of lasers and bombs later, several IASDs were blown to pieces. Much to his chagrin, the speeders were able to get past the ruined walkers, and headed straight for the central compound. He'd have preferred a less elaborate way of capturing Skywalker, but orders were orders.

"Block the gate," he ordered. "Keep a few IASDs on standby for their air support, send the rest after them. And once they're in range, spring the trap—"

More explosions sounded and he looked up in time to see smoke from the mountain. "What's going on up there?!"

"Nothing to worry about, Commander," a voice replied on his comm. "They tried blasting us out of here, but we just took down one of their fighters—"

The remaining Rebel ships shot back down from the mountain, the B-Wing in the lead. It swerved gracefully to avoid the incoming IASD fire, and destroyed two more of them before flying off again. Anvil felt grudging admiration for whoever was flying that thing; they flew better than most of the pilots that came out of Skystrike Academy.

"I take it they're still giving you trouble down there too," the voice continued. "Still, we'd appreciate some assistance."

Before he could reply, an officer came over and gave him an update. Anvil smiled grimly. "Not to worry. Moff Locus is on his way."

Locus growled impatiently. "Is it finished yet?!"

He felt something clank against his suit and the holographic flight display on the visor went from white to red. "It is now, Moff Locus," said the Imperial technician on his comm. "You are cleared for takeoff."

"Understood. Black Squadron?"

"Ready for launch, sir," replied the squad leader.

The hangar doors opened, showing the continuing chaos in the Capital. Once Skywalker had been captured, he would help bring this conflict to a decisive end. "Acknowledged. And all of you," Locus added, as he activated his suit's engines, "take the motto of the Locus Family to heart: duty before self."

Then he and his squad of TIE Interceptors took off out of the hangar and into the sky.

And for a moment, Locus was free. This wasn't like flying a normal ship; more like, he was the ship. He could feel the suit shudder and swerve as he flew through the air, more intensely than he could before in any other starfighter, and he felt like his insides were weightless. It was a strange sensation, vulnerable yet unrestrained, frightening and exhilarating all at the same time.

Then as he approached Slave Town, he saw the Rebel ships, and he returned to reality. Duty before self. The way of the Locus Family. A perfect match for the Empire.

He fired at an A-Wing, clipping its engine, and sending it plummeting to the surface and a fiery grave. The rest of its squad scattered. "Take them," he ordered, and locked onto a B-wing. "This one is mine."

But as he fired more lasers, the B-wing swooped and rolled, even closing its S-foils to become a smaller target. As they flew towards the set of trees in the center of the town, Locus grit his teeth, determined to turn this ship into slag—

Then the B-wing's engines cut out and it shot towards him. Locus swerved to dodge it, and put all power into his engines, flying through a set of massive branches as laser bolts scraped the edge of his suit's wings.

He shakily wiped sweat off his forehead. He remembered seeing Jedi pilots like Plo Koon pulling off such maneuvers in the war. Whoever this pilot was, they clearly weren't a Jedi like Plo or the others, otherwise Locus wasn't so sure if he could have survived. Still, they were good. Very good.

"Moff Locus!" said Anvil's voice on the comm. "Skywalker's team has breached Slave Town, we're trying to—wait, the mutants are here too, they're climbing up the wall!"

Locus sped toward the wall, ignoring the Rebel ships as he made his way to the bigger threat. If the mutants infected enough of the troops, they were finished. As the wall grew bigger, his display showed Anvil trying to put down a particularly large mutant. He put all power into the engines and charged at the mutant like an angry mudhorn.

It barely looked up in time to see Locus slam it off the wall, its limbs flailing like a discarded doll. Locus pulled up hard on the controls, swerved around, and saw more mutants claw up the wall. Targeting the top first, he opened fire, sending the ones closest to the edge plummeting to their deaths. And then he fired a set of missiles, incinerating those close enough to the blasts, and knocking off the rest to the ground, where the AT-STs were waiting to perforate them.

Satisfied there were no more in view for now, he hovered towards Anvil. "Commander, what's the situation?"

"Thanks to you," Anvil answered, relief in his voice, "the mutants have been repelled for the moment. As for Skywalker, he should be walking headfirst into the trap right about…now."

A live feed uploaded to his display. Skywalker's team pulled their stolen vehicles up to the central compound by the trees. As they climbed out, the doors opened, and a squad of Imperial sentry droids marched out. One of them, wielding the Empire's latest grenade launcher, fired a set of detonators that stuck to the Rebels' vehicles. They scrambled for cover as their crafts exploded. The rest opened fire with their normal blasters, mowing down several of the Rebels.

"And don't worry," Anvil continued, "if they come across Skywalker, they've been programmed to stun or capture him alive only."

A feeling that Locus hadn't dared entertain since losing the Voidbreaker returned to him. Hope. Hope that they could salvage this operation after all. He descended into Slave Town where the rest of the soldiers were. "You heard him. The rest of mutants are being purged by Lord Vader as we speak, just as with the Jedi of old. The Rebel Fleet is fighting a losing battle against our blockade. And Skywalker is within our grasp at last. If we deliver him, Vader has ensured me the Emperor's eternal favor. Help me bring him to the Emperor, and I promise you just as grand a reward. Now come! Show these fools why the galaxy trembles at the name EMPIRE!" Locus roared, and the rest of his troops bellowed in anticipation.

A surly mood had gripped the bar. Terro doubted that apart from Hyerox, nobody was actively rooting for a side to win, but they still weren't happy with the Empire gaining the advantage. And with Vader and Locus on the scene, he wasn't sure how the Rebels were going to get off Yuca, unless it was either in a coffin or binders.

His comm beeped. Terro took it out and growled, "I'm not done yet, Actylus."

"I hate it when you call me that!" snapped the Aleena on the other end.

Terro hissed, his tongue darting out from between his teeth. "Fine. I'm not done yet, Scur."

"I don't care, get back to the Eternity Ember, now! The Imps keep asking questions, and it's only a matter of time before they wise up—what is it, Ryto?!"

A pair of voices bickered inaudibly over the comm, but it wasn't enough to completely distract Terro. One of the two eyed Gran's associates, a Terrelian Jango Jumper, had been watching Terro. He wore a helmet, but his head was still angled towards Terro…and he could feel the Terrelian eyeing what was under his cloak. The comm beeped again, and as Terro answered it, the Terrelian casually got up with an empty glass.

"You're in luck, Scalestalker," Scur muttered, as the Terrelian stood next to him, trying to get Ontho's attention while sneakily lifting his other hand towards Terro's possession. "One of our passengers isn't back yet. Until he is, have fun trying to find a decent target on this rock—"

Terro felt the thief sneak away the shotgun from under his cloak. He allowed him a few moments to enjoy the rest of his life, and then activated the device on his left wrist. Terro whirled around, flung out his hand, and the orbs launched out of the device. The orbs, along with three energized coils, and wrapped around the Terrelian. The Terrelian lit up like a Naboo light festival, and then collapsed face-first into someone's abandoned meal in a smoking heap. "I'm starting to doubt I will," Terro replied, as the orbs returned to his device.

Ontho glared at Terro. "Can you stop killing all of my customers? Trash detail is already going to charge overtime for this."

"Don't worry," Hyerox interrupted, without taking his eyes off the monitors, and he absentmindedly twirled a crystal in his claws. "I'll cover any expenses for the rest of this venture. Besides, I appreciate any weak links being ousted."

His tone was light, but the alien's eyes were burning as they examined the Moff onscreen. Not with hatred or resentment…Terro felt like he was watching a predator trying to decide if its newest prey was worth chasing or not.

Even the Gran noticed it. "Don't bother, sir," he warned as he walked over. "Locus is a zealot through and through. Not too long ago he painted Yuca with the contents of his rival Moff's head. He won't betray the Empire for all the credits in the galaxy, or even for a planet full of kyber crystals like yours," he added, as he raised a finger close to said crystal—

Hyerox's spare set of claws gripped the Gran's hand and wrenched it. The Gran bit back a shriek as he tried not to move. "Try that again," Hyerox snarled, "and I'll have my pets devour you one piece at a time!"

He let go and punted the Gran back into his comrades. The rest of the bar hurriedly went back to whatever they were doing, eager to avoid their employer's fury. Hyerox turned to Arkeem as if nothing had happened. "As for the Moff, I was unaware the Empire would enlist someone of his…stature."

Arkeem snorted as he shot down another TIE. "That's what happens when you allow a former Clone War veteran to let himself go. I heard Locus's condition wasn't like it was today after his injuries, but after his wife ran out on him—think she even took their kid too—he decided to see if he could outweigh a Hutt." He laughed. "What I wouldn't give to see your pets take a bite or two out of him."

Hyerox's eyes went back to Locus for a moment, but then he turned back to Arkeem. "If you are able, have some of your pilots aid Skywalker. I don't want to take any chances now that he's making his move. Ontho," he added to the bartender, who was hauling away the latest body, "let me know when the Clawdite completes his other job on Locus's ship."

Ontho gave a tired grunt as he dragged the corpse off. Then Hyerox raised his crystal. "My servants, hear me. Any of you who aren't at the Capital, go to Slave Town. I don't care how many of you have to die for it to happen, but Skywalker will get off this planet alive!"

Luke had heard horror stories about the Clone Wars, where Separatist battle droids pillaged any planets not aligned with the CIS, slaughtered entire settlements of innocent bystanders, and performed other atrocities too terrible to mention. Since Luke had spent so much time with the likes of C-3PO and R2-D2, it had been hard for him to imagine battle droids like that…but now he was getting a better idea with these droids.

The sentry droids lurched towards their hiding spots in the nearby abandoned buildings like bigger and uglier Stormtroopers, ceaselessly firing their blasters and some new explosive launchers at them. Han shifted next to him and fired through the long shattered window, blowing a decent sized hole in one droid's head, but the droid behind it simply flung it out of the way, only for it to be walked on by its fellow droids. "I always thought it'd all end for us on the Falcon," Han muttered. "Thanks for proving me wrong, kid."

Chewbacca roared at him and took out even more droids with his bowcaster. "Well unless you got an army of Wookiees hiding in the bushes outside," Han replied sarcastically, "we're all going to be Bantha fodder—"

An explosion interrupted him. Some of the droids had blown a hole in the building next to them, and began to march in. Dynas charged out, impaled one on his horn, and flung it into the others, scattering them like discarded toys. But there were still too many of them; one of the still standing droids caught Dynas in the shoulder with a lucky blast, and the Yucari stumbled backwards. Nailah and some of the other Rebels got out to help them, but the droids kept marching and blasting. There was no way out for them.

Ignoring Han's protests, Luke leapt out of the window, lightsaber in hand, and cleaved the nearest droid in half. All of the other droids ignored Nailah and the others, and opened fire with stun blasts. Luke ran, cleaving a stun blast with one slash, and decapitating a droid with another. The sequence kept repeating itself, until he came to a droid with only an explosive launcher. It tried to grab him with its free hand, but Luke swiped it clean off, bisected it, and then cut off its other arm. The launcher spun through the air, until Luke caught it, turned around to see more approaching droids, and fired. That one shot incinerated a trio of droids, and sent a few close to them flying back.

And it still wasn't enough. More droids continued to march forward, their pitiless red eyes locked onto them. "Retreat!" Luke ordered. "Fall back into one of the other buildings!"

They followed his orders, but as they all ran to a building farther away from the compound, several of their comrades got gunned down. Any who hadn't died straight away were crushed underfoot by the droids, who only had eyes for the fleeing Rebels. But Luke kept blocking their shots, holding them off for his friends, until the last one made it through the door, and he followed them in.

"Call Spar," grunted Dynas, as he sat against a wall. "We'll never get out of here alive without more backup, let alone free the slaves."

"Already tried," said Nailah, her expression heavy. "They've still got their hands full. We have nobody else left to call in."

"Has anyone tried calling the Talons?" Luke asked.

Most of the room stared at him in disbelief. "I'm pretty sure Zar and the others made their stance clear," Nailah began.

"Well, have you got any other ideas?"

Nailah shook her head, too tired to argue. "I doubt Zar will change his mind," said Han, as he ran an exasperated hand through his hair, "but I still got his ship's comm channel. Have Kashvi ask him, I don't want any of us here distracted with those tin cans knocking on the front door."

Luke clapped him on the back. "And you said you couldn't work miracles!"

Han rolled his eyes. "It'll take more than that to convince Zar to help us."

Ru and Bariq's glares never left the Momong even after coming back aboard with their new teammate. The monkey was too busy scarfing down a plate of Ooglata eggs to care. "Wonder how he wound up in this stinkhole anyway?" Dendro mused, as he tossed the Momong a scrap of meat. Unlike Ru and Bariq, the Besalisk seemed to be warming up to him, and guffawed as the monkey caught it.

Bariq muttered under his breath and stormed off to his room. Ru sat down at the table and fixed the yellow furball with his best death glare. "Who knows? But if he tries anything on this ship, I know how he'll be leaving it."

Zar shook his head and fit some new power cells into his arm. "If I didn't know any better, Ru, I'd say you had a vendetta against all wildlife in the galaxy."

Ru began to make a retort, but broke off as the monkey skittered over to him, and offered the irritable Drabatan his food. Ru's eyes narrowed onto the Momong's yellow ones, neither blinking for a few moments, before he suspiciously accepted it. "Just so you know," Ru continued, as he turned to look at Zar. "It'll take more than one peace offering before I drop the idea of dropping him into the nearest Sarlacc Pit. By the way, what are we going to call your pet? Fuzzball?"

Zar did his best not to laugh, but it was close. "His name is Scam."

"Odd choice. Why—?"

Dendro burst out laughing and banged all four fists on the table. Ru's whirled around and his jaw dropped. Scam had snuck his kukri right off his back without the Drabatan being any the wiser. He flew off the table like a golden comet and whizzed past SN, who was still studying their haul. "That's my blade!" Ru roared, and tore after him. "Give it back before I turn you into my next hat!"

He banged into the droid as he raced after Scam. "Watch it, you meatheads!" he snapped. "Or else there's only going to be five of us splitting this motherlode!"

Zar got up and walked towards the cockpit. Even he could only put up with all of the insanity that took place on the Talon for so long. After he entered the cockpit, he made his way straight to the scanners…the results were surprising. The Empire not only had their hands full with Rebel ships up in orbit, but civilian ones as well, and Slave Town and the Capital were under attack. From what he could make out, those creatures had swarmed the Capital. He only hoped that the civilians stayed out of the crossfire there…and then his mind drifted to Slave Town. Zar sank morosely into a chair; he hoped for Luke, Han, and Chewie's sake that a miracle would come their way—

A button flashed. Zar frowned as he read the screen. The comm frequency was familiar, but he couldn't remember who it was. He activated the Talon's broadcast system, and said, "We're getting a call, boys. Doesn't seem Imperial, but if it is, we may have to make a quick exit."

Zar made sure his helmet was clean and intimidating, put it back on, and then pressed the button.

A hologram of an all too familiar Togruta in a cockpit appeared. "Zar, this is Kashvi. Luke and the others are trapped in Slave Town. We need your help!"

Even with the helmet on, Kashvi knew that the Mandalorian was staring at her with a less than positive expression. "Not for all the tibanna on Kril'Dor," Zar replied, his hand going for the controls.

"Wait!" she exclaimed. "We can pay you—!"

"You know we parted ways with a haul of priceless relics in tow, right?"

"Then you can leave here with even more credits!"

"Provided Vader doesn't mutilate us first."

Kashvi would have strangled him right there if he wasn't a hologram. She was going to get him to help even if she had to fly over and drag him out of whatever hole he was hiding in. Then an idea came to her and she tried a different approach "Some Mandalorian you are! You helped Luke so much, now you're just going to let him get dragged off to the Emperor?"

That got him; instead of checking his ship's controls, Zar paused, and began to drum his fingers against the armrest. After a moment, he said, "Look, I'd like to help, but I can't. You're up against the Empire. Your troops are scattered all across Yuca, your fleet has their hands full with the blockade, and those creatures from below are tearing apart everyone in their path. And best of all, Darth Vader is here. With what you got, there is no winning this fight. Tell you what, if you rendezvous with us, we could get you off this planet, no charge…" He made a resentful sound in his throat. "Your Twi'lek friend too, I guess—"

Kashvi stared at Zar's hologram incredulously. "Nailah would want to leave Luke even less than me! His father, Anakin, saved her and her village during the—"

Zar tilted his head. "Anakin?" he repeated. "Anakin…" He shook his head and began to flip on a few more switches and buttons. "Forget it, I'm sure he was brave and noble, but—"

Angry tears started to form in her eyes. "He was!" she shouted at him. "He was one of the bravest Jedi Knights in the war! You don't even measure up to his apprentice, let alone him!"

The bounty hunter had stopped, his hand hovering above the controls. Kashvi didn't know if she had wounded his pride, but she didn't care. "Anakin didn't just help Ryloth, he saved many of my fellow Torgutas from enslavement by the Separatists, and helped countless others during the war! Even though the Empire killed him and the other Jedi, he inspired others like Luke, Nailah, and myself to keep fighting, even if you won't! So go on, fly away and hide like a Thimiar in the dirt, or loot another temple! Seems like that's all you're good for!"

She waited for him to reply, to see if he had anything clever to say, so she could tear into him more. But as the silence stretched on, she sighed, and prepared to cut the transmission. "Where exactly are Luke and the others in Slave Town?"

Kasvhi blinked, sure that she had misheard him. "What?"

Zar had looked up from his controls and stared at her. "Where are they in Slave Town," he said in a strange tone. "Send me their coordinates. Can't make any promises for the rest of my team, but I'll be there."

She stared back at him incredulously. "Wait, you will? Why—?"

"The coordinates!" he repeated, in a voice so fierce that she nearly lost control of her ship. "Unless you want to be the one who let the Empire capture Luke Skywalker?"

An alarm sounded. More TIEs were on their way. Kashvi sent the coordinates. As Zar nodded and closed the transmission, she hoped that she wouldn't regret this.