Author's Note: Phew, that took some doing! Managed to get things sorted out, so I'm on top of everything... for the time being. Anywho, hope y'all enjoy this one!


-Chapter 59: Admiral's Orders-

Location: Aliston Nor

"A long journey is better spent in the company of others... provided the company is wholesome."

Coruscant, the Jedi Temple...

The Wraith had not been seen for one month. And in that time, the Jedi Council had had time to gather themselves and assess their current situation, namely how the war was progressing.

There were some changes that needed to be made.

The entire council sat in session, no one missing. Some were present via hologram, others attending in person, but no one was missing this meeting. The session was well underway, but the issue had now changed as the Jedi discussed how they were to best answer the threat of The Wraith.

"In our earliest encounters with The Wraith, we underestimated him. We assumed he would be similar to the likes of Grievous and Durge, but he was not. We assumed he would act according to the pre-established 'rules' of war, but he did not. He exceeded every understanding of him and because of our presuppositions, our minds simply could not comprehend him." Obi-Wan stated. "He was born and bred for one purpose: to destroy us however necessary."

"Agreed. None of us could've anticipated how quickly and easily he could overpower us. But now we understand he was trained to understand us and also trained in skills meant to overwhelm us and subdue us." Mace continued, the grim-faced Jedi Master having given much thought to their deadly foe. "To that end, we also know that Wraith is still just a man. Meaning he has exploitable weaknesses as long as we think our way around him instead of simply engaging him head on. We've learned to never try and match him strength for strength, he must be out-thought instead."

"Indeed. But, further still, I think it would be wise for us to exercise our use of the Force against him on a far more regular basis." Ki-Adi suggested. "We as Jedi hold ourselves back in the face of battle lest we grow consumed by battle-passion and power and we fall to the Dark Side. But against The Wraith, it becomes an issue of survival. So many of our Order have already fallen to him, relying on the conventional tactics used to overcome other opponents."

"But in doing so, we tread a dangerous line," Shaak countered, "there is a fine balance that needs to be maintained while a Jedi is in combat. Should we lean too heavily to either side, we may fall altogether."

"Have faith in the Force, we must." Master Yoda said, drawing all of their attention. "Rely on the Force we must to survive The Wraith. Rely on it also to sustain us and resist the Dark Side's pull, we must."

"Then it is settled. This mandate must be made known throughout the Order." Mace determined. "When next we meet The Wraith, we do not hold back."

"I will let Anakin know," Obi-Wan volunteered, "he is currently heading to Aliston Nor to deal with the issue of the Separatist communication we intercepted."

"Yes. Perhaps we might learn something more about who it is that commands these Subjugator cruisers." Plo Koon mused.


Elsewhere, aboard the Dominance...

After their combined workout, Wraith had gone to change into a proper set of clothes while Sereva redressed and went to meet with Scipio about an upcoming assignment. Soon after, the super-soldier was dressed in his typical combat pants and shirt, along with a spare pair of his metal boots. He was out all of his other armor and tech, though, something that really irked him.

Arriving for the briefing, Wraith joined Sereva and Scipio around the holotable.

"Admiral, Doctor. What's on the go?" He wondered, crossing his arms and ready for... something. Honestly, after a whole month in a bacta tank, Wraith was eager to participate in anything.

"Something simple. A basic escort mission." Scipio announced.

"Alright. Who am I escorting?" Wraith asked.

"Me." Sereva revealed, moving so she was next to him. Wraith cocked his head and glanced at her curiously.

"You? Where to?"

"As you know, the Dominance and the other Subjugators are being positioned throughout the Outer Rim in order to keep them from being observed by Republic agents." Sereva explained, pulling up a map of their positon on the table. "However, I am slated to partake in a meeting regarding their future on the planet of Raxus. Unfortunately, I can't tell you much more, Wraith. For secrecy's sake." She added. The super-soldier nodded, fully aware and fully onboard with military protocols. "Either way, I need you to accompany me to Raxus, just in case someone tries to intercept us." Sereva continued, highlighting the world in question on the holotable.

"By 'someone', you're referring to the Republic." Wraith inferred, realizing that this would likely be a very low-key and non-violent mission.

"Correct." Sereva affirmed with a nod.

"Right. Well, let's get going. I've got no armor to speak of, so I guess I'm good to go." Wraith mused. He turned to leave when Scipio stopped him.

"Just a moment!" The Pau'an called. "Do you really think I've been idle these past four weeks? Oh no! Quite the opposite!" He declared. "I've managed to 'science' my way around the weaponry these Titans are using and have developed proper countermeasures for you in the form of some fresh armour and tools." Wraith took that information well and got ready to recieve his new armament... or so he thought...

"Alright, where are they?"

"Um... still in development?" Scipio sheepisly replied with a partial shrug. Wraith sighed and facepalmed.

"Doc..." He growled.

"Look, they're almost finished. This assignment is minimal and shouldn't be too strenuous. You should be able to survive without armor." Scipio said, trying to abate any ill-feelings Wraith might have for him right now. "But that doesn't mean I have nothing for you..." He added, almost teasingly. Reaching under the table, Scipio retrieved for him his gunbelt, now missing two holsters since his slugthrowers had been taken. Wraith accepted it and looked at the portions where the other holsters used to hang with a sense of longing.

"I'm getting those back from that Huttspawn." He grumbled, strapping it on.

"I'm sure you will." Scipio agreed, producing a shiny new helmet next. Wraith took it and gave it a once over, examining the panel lines and smooth surface.

"Looks slimmer," he commented, "a little more streamlined."

"Good eye." His doctor complimented. "That was the intention. I've removed a lot of the bulk the previous model possessed, but that also required scaling down the tech within. Trust me, that was not easy." He explained as Wraith slipped it on.

"Anything else?" The super-soldier asked as panels locked in and his optics came online, displaying an updated HUD and targeting system.

"Two, actually." Scipio replied as he handed Wraith a pair of strap-on gauntlets. "Can't have you going out there completely unprotected."

"Very nice." Wraith mused as he examined their shiny plating. "Are these made from cortosis?" He wondered as he tightened them around his forearms. They fit perfectly.

"Better. Songsteel." Scipio said with a grin. "They're as tough as cortosis and will block pretty much everything. The bonus being that they lack the weaknesses of phrik." He explained. Wraith knew the material well and nodded in understanding. Then Scipio hefted what looked like a rectangular briefcase onto the holotable.

"What in the universe is that?" Wraith asked.

"A special little something. Call it a 'just in case' measure." Scipio informed him, sliding the case over to Wraith. "When you need it, grab the two grips along the top edge. Not the handle." He instructed. Wraith gave him a suspicious glance.

"You're being awful cryptic, Doc." He noted.

"Well, I do like my surprises." Scipio replied, folding his hands in front of him and offering a reassuring smile.

"You'll pardon my frankness, but after being ambushed so many times, I don't." Wraith remarked as he picked up the briefcase and made for the door. "Let's get going, Admiral."


Later that day...

Sereva's Sheathipede-class shuttle exited hyperspace, the second of three jumps they'd made so far. Part of her travel plan involved throwing off any Republic scans by jumping to several different systems en route to Raxus, confusing the enemy with unpredictable patterns.

"This is not how I would've done things." Wraith muttered, sitting behind the controls. Sereva sat next to him, reading a datapad.

"What would you do differently?" She asked.

"Avoid making short hops following the hyperspace lanes." Wraith replied. "It's better to take time and avoid all the popular lanes in order to follow a straight, cotinuous line. They can't stop you so long as you're in hyperspace."

"That would be logical. But I'm under orders from Count Dooku to follow this method. Everyone attending this meeting is." Sereva responded, stowing her datapad for a moment. "Count Dooku wants this meeting to be absolutely secure."

"Any idea what it's about?" Wraith inquired.

"Something about the command of these Subjugators." She answered. "I don't know for sure." Wraith nodded. This kind of stuff was beyond him, anyway. The lull was suddenly broken when the pilot droid reported,

"Admiral, we have a vessel coming out of hyperspace." Both Sereva and Wraith looked up, Sereva out of confusion and Wraith out of concern. Leaving his seat, the super-soldier leaned over the droid to double-check the instrument readings.

"Are we slated to meet anyone?" He asked over his shoulder. Sereva shook her head.

"No..." She slowly replied, trying to piece together what might be happening.

"Then I think we have a problem." Wraith grimly stated, looking ahead through the viewports.

Suddenly bursting out of hyperspace, the large, triangular shape of a Venator-class cruiser soon filled their view. "The Republic..." Wraith growled in realization. His mind was already busy calculating possible outcomes of this encounter... and he didn't like many of them. Thinking quickly, Wraith knew they needed to leave. "Droid, punch in those next coordinates and get us out of here!" He commanded. The droid started to rebuff him.

"Sir, doing so will breach the orders I've been instructed to follow-"

"And I'm giving you new ones! Input those coordinates and jump to hyperspace! Now!" Wraith demanded in a much louder voice. As the one responsible for Sereva's safekeeping, Wraith was ready to do whatever was necessary in order to maintain the safety of the Fleet Admiral. The droid did as told and started to power up the engines again. Just then, a steady beeping filled the shuttle, Wraith knowing exactly what it meant.

"They're locking on to us!" The Twi'lek exclaimed.

"Engage thrusters! We're harder to hit if we're moving." Wraith instructed the droid.

"I can't fly the ship and input such complex coordinates at the same time!" The droid responded, feeling quite frazzled.

"Then shove over and let me fly!" The super-soldier grabbed the droid and forcibly switched him to the opposite seat, then slid behind the controls himself. "Admiral, I advise you strap in." Sereva did as asked as Wraith began to guide the shuttle away from the Republic cruiser. They needed to get out of the range of their guns. From there, they could jump to hyperspace without any further interference.

But there would be another problem they might face. Should the cruiser follow them, they could easily be tracked despite making numerous jumps. There was no way they could go straight to Raxus without having the Republic follow them. As Wraith came to this grim understanding, he realized he would have to make a detour and delay the Admiral's travel plans... how exactly he had yet to determine.

Veering hard to starboard, the craft shuddered as turbolaser rounds streaked past outside, several of them grazing the ship's shields. While they might hold for a shot or two, the shields did not have the kind of power to repulse a full barrage from the cruiser's turbolaser batteries.

It was the hope of everyone that the shots would miss so the shields wouldn't be tested.

Wraith had logged much time as a pilot in both simulators and in his own craft. He knew what to do in these situations, it was just a matter of the ship responding to his wishes. These controls weren't nearly as responsive as his shuttle's, so he had to really fight with them to get the ship to do as he wanted.

Wraith growled as he jerked the ship hard to port, attempting to throw off the aim of the Republic gunners. "They're not making this easy..." He rumbled, pushing the controls forward as he nosed the Sheathipede down. This craft did have the benefit of speed. Hopefully Wraith could use that to avoid the slow moving cruiser. Arcing low under the belly of the gigantic ship, Wraith tried to make the graceless craft perform as fluidly as possible.

"We're almost ready to jump to hyperspace." The droid stated.

"Good! The sooner the better!" Sereva replied, relieved by the notion they'd soon be out of here.

But a sharp, jarring rattle from behind shook both the ship and its occupants, which was quickly followed by the deafening sound of shearing metal and the cacophony of multiple alarms.

"They took out the engines!" Wraith growled, reading the many warnings displayed before him.

"Can you reboot?" Sereva wondered.

"It's hard-damage, they're completely useless! The best I can manage is a controlled crash!" The super-soldier replied, gripping the controls tightly as the craft turned into a nosedive. Intense g-forces pushed all of them back in their seats as the shuttle started to plummet. "Hang on to something!" Wraith called as he fought to take control of the situation, something that seemed virtually impossible. Sereva braced herself against the seat in front of her.

"I don't wanna die!" The droid beside him shrieked. Wraith ignored his cries as the nose of the shuttle grew red and warm, and orange glow filling the cockpit as they broke the atmosphere of the planet. Wraith reefed back on the controls as he attempted to force the craft into a stable, level position. It was slow going, a lack of engines hindering the craft's movement by a lot.

They pierced the cloudy atmosphere of the planet and found a jungle rushing up to meet them. Wraith growled loudly as he pulled the controls back to their maximum, but there was no way the shuttle would obey him now.

"Brace for impact!" He shouted over the blaring alarms. The droid let out a high-pitched screech just as the shuttle started to plot through the jungle canopy. Leaves and branches snapped as the grinding, tearing sound of shearing metal indicated the shuttle was not faring well. The crashed a few more seconds before a sudden jolt caused Wraith and Sereva to lurch violently in their seats as the shuttle hit the ground. Sliding for a few more seconds, the shuttle halted with another lurch. The occupants groaned as everything suddenly fell still, a few red lights blinking and scattered alarms still beeping. Shaking off the impact, Wraith was the first to gather his senses. Looking out the cracked transparisteel viewport and seeing only brush and leaves, he figured the ship wouldn't be moving anytime soon. "Admiral? Are you well?" He wondered, shifting gears to the safety of his allies.

"Yeah... I think so." Sereva groaned, rubbing her head before undoing her restraints. With his most important ally in the clear, Wraith checked the droid slumped over the front console.

"The droid's offline. Must've taken a hit during the crash." He reported.

"Too bad." Sereva remarked as she came alongside him and bent over the console. "What systems are working?"

"Looks like comms, maybe... possibly the transponder as well." Wraith replied, testing a few switches. "Can't guarantee they'll work, though."

"We need to get out of here. Is there some way we could make them work?" Sereva wondered. Wraith double-checked every reading before him and, after a moment of technical consideration, came up with a solution.

"Let me try re-routing the communications through my helmet comms." He replied, popping open the console's panel to access the electronics within. Shutting down his helmet, Wraith slid his headpiece off and pulled loose some wires connecting the shuttle's electronics together and plugged them into some ports on his headpiece. Throwing his helmet on and powering everything back up, Wraith adjusted his comms until he had access to the new frequency. "This is shuttle one-four-oh-oh-five-two containing high-priority passenger, requesting immediate rescue evac! I repeat, this is shuttle one-four-oh-oh-five-two, priority distress call! We've crash-landed on Aliston Nor and need immediate assistance. If there are any Separatist ships receiving this, please respond!" He called. Pausing for a moment, all he got was empty airwaves. He wasn't sure if he would get an immediate response, but had to wonder if he would ever get a response. "Alright, I've done what I can." He stated, popping the wires out. "I've saved the frequency to my helm, I'll hear any incoming calls... if we get any."

"It's a start." Sereva replied, straightening up. "Let's get outside, see where we are." She suggested, Wraith undoing his restraints and making to follow.

Prying open the door at the rear of the craft, bright sunlight and hot, humid temperatures flooded the interior as the lush jungle around them was revealed. A trail had been torn in the underbrush, masses of dirt and mud kicked up by their ship during the crash. Smoke billowed from the engines above them, two clean holes shredding mechanics and machinery. Stepping out into the open, Wraith's scanners quickly started analyzing the geography and terrain.

"Where exactly did we jump to?" Wraith wondered.

"Aliston Nor." Sereva informed him, dropping down from the ship. "It's uninhabited now."

"'Now'?" Wraith repeated.

"Rumour has it the place was the homeworld of some Jedi 'builders'. But no one has been here in a really long time." Sereva clarified, wiping her brow. "Phew, it's warm out." She commented.

"This jungle climate is making things humid." Wraith observed, his sensors registering the temperature as well as the humidex readings. As he did, an incoming call flashed across his optics.

"Shuttle one-four-oh-oh-five-two, this is Emerald Falchion. We have recieved your distress single and are en route to your position." A battle droid called. Wraith breathed a sigh of relief. Someone had heard his message after all.

"Much obliged, Falchion." Wraith responded. "Be advised, there is a Venator-class Republic cruiser above us. Exercise extreme caution upon arrival."

"Understood, shuttle. Don't worry, we're not coming alone." The droid assured him before cutting the call. Wraith nodded in understanding before he turned to inform Sereva.

"We have a ship coming to get us. Looks like we won''t have to stick around here for much longer." He said. The Twi'lek brightened, a smile forming on her perfect features.

"Good! That's good news." She remarked, pleased by the update. "What should we do now?"

"A rescue ship isn't going to be able to land in this jungle," Wraith stated, turning around and climbing back into the shuttle, "we need to try to find some kind of open area where they can pick us up."

"In that case, we should take whatever supplies we can carry and start walking. No sense waiting around for the Republic to find this." Sereva replied, following him in. Wraith agreed and popped open a nearby storage locker.

"Load them into this pack. Focus on the essentials." He said, tossing the white backpack branded with a Separatist emblem to her. "And take the droid's E-Five." He suggested. Sereva agreed and collected the stubby blaster rifle from the offlined droid. Moving towards another compartment, the crimson Twi'lek fished out the shuttle's complete emergency ration kit as well as its only medical bag, containing enough resources to tend to immediate wounds over the span of a couple days. After that, she checked the droid over and found a couple of spare power cells to give her blaster some prolonged usage. Her personal blaster pistol was already good to go, but its power cells weren't big enough to charge a larger weapon like the E-5. Wraith grabbed the briefcase Scipio had given him and, ripping out some wires from the roof of the shuttle, tied it around him to form a strap he slung over his shoulder. He couldn't afford to carry the case himself as his hands were full with the only other weapon he'd taken on this trip: his disruptor rifle. Checking the charge of his weapon, Wraith then surveyed the rest of the shuttle before his gaze landed on the controls again. Eyeing the cracked screen of the nav computer, a sudden thought gave him pause.

"Hm..." Sereva turned to see his distracted look.

"What is it?"

"If the Republic were able to salvage the nav computer, they would have the coordinates for our meeting on Raxus. We can't let that intel fall into their hands." Wraith explained, thinking about ways to handle this issue. He turned to the Admiral. "You wouldn't happen to keep an explosive charge on you now, would you?" With a grin, Sereva set her pack down and reached into her coat, pulling out not one but two different devices.

"Detonite or concussive?" She wondered.


The shuttle exploded in a ball of fire, a black plume of thick smoke quickly rising from the wreck and filling the air. Standing at a distance, Wraith and Sereva watched it all unfold with mixed reactions.

"I did kind of like that ship." Sereva mused.

"Unfortunately, it held incriminating data that would endangered us all." Wraith remarked, shouldering his briefcase as Sereva adjusted the pack straps over her shoulders.

"Where to?" She asked, taking the E-5 in both hands.

"My scanners can analyze the terrain up to a couple kilometres away. We start walking and I'll let you know when some flat terrain comes up." Wraith replied, adjusting his optical feed while shouldering his rifle.

"Lead on, soldier." The Twi'lek remarked, allowing him to take the lead. Under other, more normal, circumstances, Sereva's rank of Admiral meant she would lead whatever group she was with.

But in this instance, Sereva preferred to follow the super-soldier's lead as his experience outranked everything else right now.

The two Separatists began their trek into the jungle of Allston Nor, the broad-leafed foliage growing thickly around them. It didn't take long before the sweltering heat of the jungle started to take its toll, and Sereva found herself constantly wiping her brow. Wraith himself didn't have such issues, grateful for the fact that Scipio hadn't changed the temperate control feature of his helm, but did take notice of the humidity. Beads of sweat formed along his exposed neck, soon dripping down and staining the collar of his shirt. Leading the way, Wraith did his best to part the trees to create a path for Sereva, but the terrain underfoot was merciless and unforgiving, full of knotted roots and dips that could easily result in a twisted ankle or worse.

Suffice to say, both Separatists were hoping to find a plateau and soon.

Trudging through the jungle, Sereva was starting to get lost in the hazy heat when Wraith suddenly stopped her with an outstretched arm. Jarred back to full alertness, Sereva looked about for a problem.

"What is it?" She asked. Wraith gestured down.

"There's a bit of a drop here. Let me find my way down first." He replied. Looking down, Sereva realized that there was indeed a small cliff of rocks, the jungle terrain continuing a few fleet below.

"Oh. Yeah, for sure." The Twi'lek meekly replied. She came to the morbid conclusion that had either of them not been paying attention, one of them would've likely suffered a nasty fall.

Thank the Force for Wraith's terrain mapping systems.

With his disruptor in one hand, Wraith eased himself down onto the first ledge. The rocks jutting out were narrow, barely providing enough of a surface for his boots to rest on. It was roughly a twelve-foot drop, meaning any slip could prove fatal. They would have to get this right the first time... or else. Wraith knew this and did his best to maintain control of his body. He hoped the hydraulic impact compensators in his boots would be enough should he slip and have to jump, but he couldn't guarantee that he'd land feet first. He'd have to just be careful...

Making a small hop to the next ledge, Wraith clung to the rocks as he navigated his way down. At points, only his toes were the only part of his foot resting on the rocks, making his descent a very perilous one.

But he was soon close enough to the bottom to make a short hop off the wall and on to solid ground. Turning around, Wraith called up to Sereva,

"Toss down your blaster!" Sereva did so, Wraith catching it. "You're smaller and lighter than I am, just take your time and you should do just fine." He explained.

"Okay!" Sereva called down as she lowers herself to the ground and slowly eased her way into the first ledge. "Oh boy..." She muttered, not at all thrilled about this. Exhaling to ease her nerves, Sereva tentatively set her foot down on the first ledge, applying her weight before lowering her other foot. "I can do this... I'm an Admiral, after all." The Twi'lek reassured herself. Searching out the next ledge with her foot, Sereva slowly crawled down the rock wall.

And then her foot slipped on the next ledge she was working towards. Losing her balance, grip and footing, Sereva toppled backwards and fell. "WRAITH!" She cried out, hoping the super-soldier would save her.

And he did.

Bounding to the wall and launching himself off it, Wraith caught Sereva in his arms before she could hit the ground. Coming to a standstill, the Admiral breathed rapidly and erratically, her heart racing as adrenaline flooded her veins. Now being carried bridal-style, Sereva looked up at Wraith as he looked to her.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"I... I will be." She stammered, fighting to get her breathing under control. "Let's... Let's not do that again."

"I will try to find a more suitable method of descent next time." Wraith replied.

"My hero..." Sereva whispered as he set her on her feet. "Thank you."

"Anything for you, Admiral." Wraith replied. She was his mission, after all. He would willingly do whatever it took to keep her safe and hoped she knew that. As Sereva picked up the discarded E-5, following Wraith back into the jungle, the Twi'lek now looked at him with a newfound sense of respect... and desire.


Hours later...

"Oh thank the stars! A stream!" Sereva happily sighed. Having continued their trek through the jungle for another few hours, both Admiral and super-soldier were showing signs of the heat. Sweaty, tired and bogged down by the humidity, both of them were relieved to find something cold they could freshen up with.

"Let's break for a moment. We've got time." Wraith stated, joining Sereva as she knelt down beside the running current of water. Setting down her E-5 and shrugging off her pack, the Twi'lek scooped up some water with her hands and splashed it on her face. Stepping over and kneeling on the opposite side, Wraith pulled off his helmet, gloves and slung his case to the ground before scooping up some water himself and taking a quick drink. The stuff they had in their containers was fine, but natural water was a rare treat. Enjoying his drink, Wraith chose to strip off his shirt and let his skin breath for a bit as Sereva continued to refresh herself.

The Twi'lek rubbed the cool water into her skin, basking in the refreshing moment of hydration. But she paused long enough to watch Wraith as he splashed water on his face and wet his hair. Her gaze was drawn to the rest of his body and how his muscles rolled and flexed with every movement. It was like his skin had been stretched across forged durasteel, his body looking impossibly powerful and solid. Sereva felt warm again, but not from the humidity this time.

Wraith straightened up as Sereva wiped her brow again.

"All good?" He inquired, running a hand through his slightly damp hair.

"I'm still sweating like a Gamorrean in this heat." The Admiral replied.

"I advise you try to keep cool. Neither of us can afford to pass out or have a heat stroke. Not now." He replied, recalling his first aid training. Sereva agreed with a nod. "You may wish to remove some of your uniform. You need to let your skin breathe." He suggested. Sereva snickered as a sudden notion came to her mind. Looking up at the noise, Wraith gave her a confused glance. "What?"

"If I didn't know any better, solider, I'd say you wanted me to undress for you." She replied, giving him a teasing grin. Piecing together her thoughts, Wraith shook his head.

"That was... not my intention at all." He quickly clarified, aiming to keep things professional. Sereva chuckled at his moment of fluster.

"Still, you're right. Layers trap heat." The Twi'lek said, undoing the buttons of her jacket and slipped it off, revealing a grey tank top underneath that hugged her slim figure quite nicely. As she removed her jacket, Wraith put his helmet and shirt back on.

"Here, I'll take the pack for a while." He offered. Sereva passed it to him as Wraith stood, disruptor in hand and moved towards a clearing while Sereva continued to clean the sweat from her face and neck while enjoying the cool water for a moment longer. She finished up at the stream just in time for Wraith to ask,

"You said that 'Jedi builders' used to live here?" The Twi'lek stood, grabbing her pack with one hand and her jacket with the other.

"Yeah. Why?" She said, joining him. Then she saw what he saw and muttered, "Oh."

There in the valley, was a city.

Overgrown and full of plants, there was still no mistaking the towers and the circular buildings that stretched out in a very geometric and mathematical fashion. Clearly someone of skill and a sense of design had built this... a very long time ago.

"Are those... towers?" Sereva asked, finding the sight before her hard to believe.

"I think so." Wraith affirmed, his sensors analyzing the towering shapes and sending back calculated estimates concerning their size and design. "There's something about them. They seem old and ancient." He mused, something within him simply resonating as he took in the old city.

"When the report said 'builders', I thought maybe a temple or some huts. But not a whole city..." Sereva added. With their respective conclusions reached, Wraith shouldered his rifle again.

"Shall we check them out?" He proposed. Sereva shrugged, tying her jacket around her waist.

"Beats looking at more trees." She replied.


Wandering through the abandoned city, the two Separatists couldn't help but marvel at the impressive structural designs of each and every building. These places could've been constructed thousands of years ago, and yet they hadn't toppled or fallen into ruin.

Whoever had built these, they surely knew what they were doing.

"This place is very impressive." Sereva observed. "But I don't understand the markings on all of them. Are they ritualistic? We're they put their intentionally?" She wondered aloud.

"They appear to be a version of an ancient Jedi script." Wraith responded. "They bear many similarities to the characters in other, similar dialects, but this is a new language all on its own." His linguistic studies had afforded him the ability to understand the history and functionality of many languages, but there were only a few he had truly mastered. Most of them were official Separatist languages, such as Neimodian, Skakoverbal and Geonosian, but he also spoke trade languages like Huttese and understood more advanced and difficult languages like Shyriiwook and Togruti.

"The language of the builders..." Sereva mused. "Can you read it?" She asked, turning to Wraith.

"Unfortunately, no. But I do recognize the characters. While they're similar to old Jedi languages, they have unique extras that technically classify them as a whole new language." Wraith replied.

"What a fascinating find." Sereva remarked, continuing on. "I mean, who would've guessed that this would here in the middle of the jungle? We could be the first people here in thousands of years." She added.

"This kind of thing excites you...?" Wraith wondered, trailing off as something caught his eye.

"A little, yeah." Sereva replied, walking on. "I mean, you have to..." She trailed off as she realized Wraith was no longer by her side. Turning around, she saw the super-soldier paused and was now staring at a building off to the right.

"There's something strange about this one." He stated as Sereva jogged over.

"What's that?"

"Those markings we've seen on all of them? They're black, right?" He said. Sereva nodded. "Well, these ones are blue... and they're glowing." The Twi'lek followed his gaze and realized he was right. A rectangular passageway into the building, something all of them had, sported markings that glowed a bright blue like the colour of the sky. By comparison to all the other dark markings, something seemed special about this building.

"That's... curious." Sereva remarked, her instincts telling her to leave this place be. But Wraith thought differently.

"I'm gonna check it out." He stated, promptly making to enter the building. Sereva shook her head as she suddenly realized Wraith was not waiting for any input from her.

"You... You are?" She asked, watching him go. Wraith made no reply and, despite her misgivings, Sereva reluctantly followed after him. "Okay..." She worriedly muttered, gripping the E-5 tightly. Trotting into the darkened hall, the Twi'lek's gaze shifted back and forth from the ceiling to the walls, expecting a hidden trap to suddenly spring out and be the end of them both.

But upon exiting the hall and stepping into the larger room on the other side, nothing lashed out at them.

"What is this place?" Sereva wondered aloud as she spun on her heel to check out the entirety of the room. It was large and open, with a high-ceiling and flat, untouched walls.

"Whatever it is, it's old." Wraith replied. "There's a layer of dust everywhere." He added, noticing the obvious footprints he was leaving behind. Sereva returned to studying the floor plan while Wraith's gaze was on something else entirely.

In the center of the room, there stood a tall, thin pedestal. It's base was surrounded by rocks of varying sizes, as though they had been broken apart and placed there for a specific purpose. As Wraith approached the pedestal, he realized there was something on top, casually laying out in the open, left unsecured and unprotected. It was a small, thin, diamond-shaped sliver of stone. But it was not like any stone Wraith had ever seen before. It glowed blue, as though it were imbued with a power of somekind, much like the markings on the outside of the building. Its edges were smooth and cleanly carven, but part of it was rougher and less pristine. Wraith presumed it must've been removed from something larger... but what? Picking it up with two fingers, Wraith suddenly felt a gentle, pulsating heat within his hand and heard a soft hum, like part of a distant song. As he lifted up the piece, it's glow faded significantly, revealing itself to be made of a translucent crystalline substance. His scanners deduced all mathematical and geometric aspects of the fragment as Sereva stepped up to his side.

"What is that?" She asked, squinting a little as she tried to see if there was anything carved into the shard.

"It appears to be a stone of somekind." Wraith responded, turning it over in his hand.

"What do you think it belonged to?" Sereva inquired, looking to him.

"I do not know." Wraith thoughtfully stated as he pondered this most curious find. Surely this piece held some sort of significance to the builders of Aliston Nor. Wraith came to the realization that this building must be a shrine of some sort, one dedicated to the housing of this shard. But its story, purpose and significance remained unknown to him. Shrugging, Wraith slipped the fragment into the pocket of his pants. "Who knows? It might be worth something one day." He mused.


Sereva took the lead for a moment, leading them towards the edge of the city. With Wraith not far behind, Sereva came to the realization that the super-soldier would have an excellent view of all of her from this angle. Recalling Scipio's suggestion to get his attention, Sereva gave a sly smirk and put a bit of a sway in her step, ensuring her hips moved in a very eye-catching manner. She was certain that her actions would attract Wraith's attention and she was right.

Lagging a few feet behind her, Wraith couldn't help but notice as Sereva's movements suddenly changed. It confused him, Wraith noting that it was totally contrary to her usual all-business manner. But it was a rather eye-catching move, he had to admit...

What're you doing? Voice suddenly asked him. Momentarily startled by the voice in his head, Wraith shrugged off his surprise and quietly answered,

"I'm attempting to discern why the Admiral is acting this way."

Seems like she's trying to distract you... or seduce you. Voice observed.

"Seduce me?" Wraith repeated, trying to figure out the reason behind such a move.

You still care about Ahsoka? The answer seemed obvious.

"Well, yeah."

Then eyes on the prize. Not her. Ahsoka. Voice commanded. Despite its irritating nature, Wraith was willing to give this one to it.

"Easy." With his determination renewed, Wraith's gaze returned to the back of Sereva's head.

Having made it to the outskirts of the settlement, Sereva and Wraith were expecting another trek through the jungle. Instead, they found a cliff leading down to a grassy plain, which they paused to examine standing side by side. Dotted with what appeared to be ruined stone structures, it seemed like an ideal location for a pickup.

"Well, at least we can slide down this cliff instead of climbing down." Sereva remarked, sliding the E-5 over her shoulder. "You won't have to rescue me this time." Wraith agreed and they managed to brace themselves as they slid down the cliffside and stepped onto the grassy ground. "A nice change from the jungle, wouldn't you say?"

"The environment hasn't affected the temperature though." Wraith observed, his sensors indicating as much.

"Yeah, you're right." Sereva mused, raising one hand above her eyes to shield them from the sun as she looked up at the partly-cloudy sky. "Hopefully we'll be picked up soon." She muttered, already feeling hot just thinking about the heat.

"We should. Unless the Republic anticipated the arrival of Emerald Falchion's fleet and brought back-up." Wraith said, starting to question their situation. Multiple battle situations and potential outcomes flooded his mind, causing him to grow lost in his thoughts. He started thinking about what else he could do to keep Sereva safe should the Republic try to reach them first and beat the Emerald Falchion planetside. "If the Falchion can't reach us in time, I suggest we do our best to evade the Republic by using the foliage to our advantage. As long as we're just out of reach they won't be-" cutting himself off, Wraith had turned back to Sereva to find the Admiral removing her tank top, revealing a tight black sports-bra underneath. "What are you doing?" He wondered.

"Taking your advice from earlier." Sereva replied. It was a half-truth because she was mostly following Scipio's suggestion, but grounded her decision in his own words, making her decision to strip down a little further seem like his idea and not hers. Despite his apparent indifference and glances of disapproval, Sereva could still sense that, beneath those scarlet optics, his eyes had taken a moment to appraise the swaths of crimson skin she'd revealed to him.

"I did not advise you to remove all that. You still have to maintain some level of decency, Admiral." Wraith corrected her, maintaining and admirable level of calm and control. The average man would've been drooling over Sereva by now. But not Wraith.

"You think this indecent?" She wondered. "But who would see?"

"I would. And as your subordinate, I don't think that's very... proper." Wraith replied.

"But as your superior, is it not me who dictates what is and what isn't proper?" The Twi'lek responded, trying to poke some holes in his logic in order to wear him down. Everynow and then she had to take the direct approach with people whenever she couldn't ease them into her plans.

"Perhaps. But under circumstances such as these, there are certain... shall we say, social ques, that still need to be observed. Especially between military personnel-"

"Is that one of ours?" Sereva interrupted, pointing up at a black shape forming in front of the clouds. Wraith followed her gaze, his long-range sensors quickly performing a sweep of the inbound shape. While the sun and clouds might be able to hide its appearance, it could not hide from his scanners... much like the telltale whine that gave it away.

"No... it's a Republic model!" Wraith exclaimed, recognizing the sound of an LAAT dropship's engines instantly. "Behind those rocks! Hurry!" He ordered, Sereva quickly throwing her tank top and jacket back on before following him behind the debris. Crouching low, the two Separatists did their best to stay completely hidden from view as the gunship drew closer, the engine's whine growing louder and louder until Wraith could hear the craft touching down not far away from them. "Sithspit. Did they see us?" Wraith growled under his breath. Shutting down his optics, Wraith poked his head around the corner of the slab of the rock and watched as, not one, but two gunships dropped off Anakin, Ahsoka, Rex and the 501st. "Damn." Wraith rumbled as he quickly got to work planning his and Sereva's escape. Switching his optics back on, Wraith slipped the weapons case Scipio had given him off his shoulder along with his disruptor and the pack with their supplies.

"Give me the E-Eleven." He commanded. Sereva did so, Wraith checking the energy cell and charged up the weapon. Then he passed the Twi'lek his disruptor. "Alright, crash course. There's a ten second cool down between each shot, so pick your targets carefully. Aim for the ones at the back of the group, try to pick them off one by one." He instructed. Sereva seemed quite baffled by his sudden barrage of instructions.

"Wait, what?"

"This switch right here will allow you to overclock the primary powercell, you can fire ten to twenty shots in rapid succession. But there will be an immediate thirty second cool down right after, so save that option for when you need it most." Wraith continued, spitting out information as quickly as possible.

"Wraith what are you doing?" Sereva finally managed to ask.

"I'm going to draw their fire, keep their attention on me. It's you they're after." The super-soldier responded, picking up the E-5 and starting to move. "Stay hidden until I've got their attention. Fire at anyone who gets too close." With that, Wraith started crawling towards another cluster of stone slabs. A near perfect ring of the collapsed pieces of cut stones gave Wraith a good few meters of cover to use. Sereva deduced his intentions to be space-making ones. He wanted it to look like he was alone here and she wasn't around. The Republic was likely here to capture her in order to obtain information of some kind, something Wraith was determined to not let happen.

"My hero once again..." Sereva mused.


"Fan out men, we've gotta find whoever was in that shuttle." Anakin ordered. "Sensors showed two targets in this area. Spread out and stay within visual range." The blue-painted Clones made to obey, slowly starting to carefully investigate the ruins.

"Master, was this shuttle related to the communication we intercepted earlier?" His apprentice inquired, in something of a perky mood today.

"We're pretty sure it is, Ahsoka." Anakin replied. "We've got to find them and figure out what this meeting is all about."

"Any idea what's it in relation to?" Ahsoka wondered.

"We're pretty sure it has to do with the Subjugators we're trying to find." Anakin added. Before either Jedi could continue, a distant Clone lieutenant signalled that he had found something.

"General! Got a thermal ripple!" He announced. A sudden blaster shot to the head promptly killed him, putting everyone on edge.

"Man down!" Another Clone cried before he too was killed. Drawing his pistols, Rex glanced left and right, head on a swivel.

"Anyone see the shooter? There could be droids around!" He wondered. The Jedi ignited their lightsabers and tested the area with their Force-senses. They could confirm not one but two more people in the area.

"Check left!" Anakin suggested. The Clones did so, only for two more to be shot from behind in the head.

"They're right!" Ahsoka cried, launching herself into the midst of the Clones, Anakin right behind her. "Wait, Master," Ahsoka paused, testing what she was detecting, "do you feel... warm?"

"I do feel heat..." Anakin observed in a low voice, having a sneaking suspicion he knew who was here. As if on cue, Wraith lept out from behind the rock he was using for cover and blitzed the Republic force with a barrage from his E-5. Landing on the ground and raising himself to full height, Wraith let his foes drink in his return.

"Republic!" He roared. "As you can see, I am the furthest thing from dead!" He declared, spreading out his arms. "I am alive and I'm very hungry for revenge..." He added with a menacing growl.

"Open fire!" Rex shouted, the Clones immediately barraging Wraith with a storm of blue blaster fire. The super-soldier rolled out of the way and started moving at lightning speed, firing at Clones as he went. Dashing right up to the nearest Clone, Wraith emptied three rounds into his gut before executing a rising knee strike that hit the Clone in the chin and put him on his back. The next nearest Clone started firing, his rounds striking Wraith's songsteel gauntlets as the super-soldier charged him. Putting the Clone in a pseudo-headlock, Wraith pointed the E-5 up under his chin and fired, the visor flashing red as the Clone went limp in his hold. Dropping the body, Wraith turned and executed a roundhouse kick that sent another Clone spinning. Dropping his weapon, Wraith grabbed his head and promptly twisting it, snapping his neck.

"You all fight because you have to. I fight because I want to!" Wraith roared, opening fire on the rest of the Clones as they backed up. "War is hell... and I'm the devil!" Despite his sinister words, the Clones were resilient and determined to stop him.

"Aim for the chest! He's unarmored!" Rex cried, pulling the triggers of his pistols as fast as he could. Finding himself under a fresh barrage of fire, Wraith backed off, shielding himself with his gauntlets. But without full armor, Wraith felt every stinging impact as multiple blaster rounds struck his torso and limbs. Growling in pain, the super-soldier darted towards the nearest stone slab to his left and jumped behind it. The hail of blue blaster bolts followed him, chipping away at the block. Looking to his left, Wraith saw Sereva still behind their original stone block. Spying the weapons case near her, Wraith knew he needed something more than an E-5.

"Admiral!" He shouted, retracting his mask, "Toss me the case!"

"I can't! It's too heavy, and I'll risk exposing myself!" The Twi'lek countered, feeling less than comfortable with potentially revealing her position. Her deep red skin stuck out like a sore thumb in this environment and she was very keen on upholding some self-preservation strategies. A shower of granite particles dusted Wraith's head and shoulders, the block slowly being reduced by the repeated fire.

"I'm getting blown to pieces here and will die if you don't hand me that case and whatever's in it!" He shouted. With a sigh, Sereva grabbed the case and heaved it, sliding it across the ground towards Wraith, just within his reach. He snatched it to him, a single bolt stinging his exposed biscep. Pulling it behind his cover, Wraith searched it over before remembering Scipio's words: when you need it, grab the two grips and not the handle. Wraith did so, hoping for some sort of unlock system to be present there.

He was surprised when a mechanical humming came from the case and several pieces of metal unfolded from around the grips and latched onto his hands.

"What the-?!" He exclaimed, lifting his captured hands up. The case came with them, only to suddenly begin pulling apart as it started to transform. No longer looking like a weapons case, the metal components forced Wraith's arms apart as the body of the case split in two and wrapped around him. Part of it lifted up and over his head, coming to rest on his back as the pieces shifted to fit the contours of his body, becoming like a suit of armor around him. Built-in mechanical fixtures pulled the pieces together, interlocking connections as the new suit sealed around his body. A kind of battery pack came to life with an electronic hum from behind, glowing blue as his new suit became powered. The pieces along his arms expanded and then flattened, moving in a row as they also fit the contours of his limbs. Wraith came to the conclusion that Scipio had not included any new weapons but an emergency suit of armor instead.

By the end of the sequence, Wraith was now wearing a suit of armor around his upper body. His arms and torso were completely encased in solid metal, all of it made from the case. It wasn't quite what he was used to, but it fit the bill all the same. Wraith gave himself a quick once-over, checking out his fully-armored hands and the slick new design of his fresh appearance. Closing up his mouthguard to complete his full-metal look, there was only one word on his mind. "Awesome."

Leaping over the rock, Wraith faced off with the surprised Clone army, clenching his fists as he sized up his soon-to-be victims. "Okay, let's work up a sweat." Surging forward, Wraith took every blaster shot in stride, his armor absorbing it nicely. The first Clone to fall took two hits across the face and a chop to the neck before Wraith unholstered a pistol and shot the Clone in the chin. Moving on, he pistol-whipped another Clone before firing twice, nailing him in the chest before executing a high-kick that caught the Clone on the chin, knocking him back. Driving another one back with a pair of roundhouse kicks, another had his armor cracked as Wraith delivered a windmill punch to his armored torso. The Clones fell away to reveal the signature blue Mandalorian Jaig eyes of a certain captain's helmet. "Ah, Rex. My favourite punching bag." Wraith rumbled, cracking his knuckles.

"Not today, Bucket-head!" The Clone captain remarked, ready for a fight. He fired quickly, but Wraith was quicker. The super-soldier barreled into him and struck hard and fast with a right cross, then a left cross and followed up with a blow to Rex's side, the crunch of ribs echoing in the wake of his powerful punch.

"Yes, today. And every day!" Wraith retorted as he delivered an incredible headbutt that shattered Rex's helmet, a series of large cracks appearing across the front of his helm. The staggered Clone stumbled away as Wraith advanced upon him. "Even without my regular armor, I'm stronger," he swiftly delivered two uppercuts followed by a powerful right cross, "tougher," another jab, a roundhouse punch, another headbutt, "better than you!" He bellowed, accenting his word with a powerful uppercut that stunned the Clone. Grabbing Rex by his chest armor and leg, Wraith hoisted him up only to drop down and execute a lumbar check, driving his knees into the Clone's back. Rex was sent tumbling as Wraith jumped to his feet, feeling amped up and ready to take on whatever else the Republic wanted to throw at him.

Which happened to take the form of Anakin Skywalker.

The Jedi Knight rushed him with lightsaber drawn. Wraith squared his hips and raised his fists, Anakin's blade striking his forearms. The Jedi was completely on the offensive, Wraith backstepping and blocking repeated blows with his new armor. The specific design of the pneumatic actuators in his limbs enabled Wraith to move quite quickly and fluidly despite the bulky nature of his new suit. He was able to match Anakin blow for blow without much effort.

The Jedi's blue blade came crashing into Wraith's crossed arms, sparks erupting from the clash as both opponents sought to overcome the other. "Did you miss me?" Wraith cheekily wondered.

"What do you think?" Anakin growled in retort.

"Aw, not even a little?" Wraith teased. Anakin went on the immediate offensive, striking and slashing as quickly as he could while Wraith ducked and dodged and partied his way through the fight. All the while, he carefully observed Anakin's fast and aggressive style, something that seemed to be Force-enhanced. The Jedi certainly had toughened up since the last time they fought, Wraith noted, proving that each future encounter with Anakin would likely be more interesting than the last. Pushing Anakin's blade up, Wraith backflipped away just as the Jedi started slashing again and reached behind him for his firesaber. Wraith grasped the back of his belt,

And felt nothing.

He suddenly realized that Scipio had given him a totally new gunbelt, one that didn't include Tyth. "Aw hell..." He grumbled, realizing this fight would be a bit more protracted than he first thought. But just as he was mentally calculating how to counterattack, he was interrupted by a shout.

"Wraith! A little help?!" Sereva cried, the heavy, thunderous sound of his disruptor being discharged following right behind. Swiveling around, Wraith saw the Admiral was firing on advancing Clones, disintegrating them one at a time. Small clouds of dust from deceased Clones already wafted through the air, but the living kept advancing and would soon overwhelm her.

"Gonna have to take a rain check on our dance, Skywalker!" Wraith remarked as he sprinted back behind the rocks to retrieve the E-5. Anakin paused as he suddenly regarded the new Twi'lek, who had been hidden until now. Ahsoka joined him.

"Who... Who is that?" She wondered, quite confounded.

"I don't know. I didn't realize the Separatists employed anyone other than battle droids." Anakin remarked. "But a Twi'lek, especially a Lethan... this is new."

"Yeah... real new..." Ahsoka absentmindedly mused, suddenly starting to question why such an apparently attractive woman would be travelling with Wraith...

Quickly coming to Sereva's aid, Wraith blasted the nearest Clone while simultaneously dropkicking another, buying the Admiral some space. Sereva promptly killed the closest Clone to her with another shot from the disruptor, turning him to ash.

"This thing is lethal!" She stated, handing his weapon over to him now that some sufficient space had been cleared.

"It's outlawed in most systems and is considered illegal within Republic space." Wraith nonchalantly responded, sheathing it across his back.

"Huh..." was all Sereva could manage as she took back the much more feasible E-5. Wraith sized up the Clone force coming after them and made a quick decision.

"We need to move, get away from this."

"Think you can find us a spot?"

"Think you can keep up?" Sereva knelt and drew a knife from her boot.

"You lead and I'll follow." She told him, handling her knife in one hand and the E-5 in the other. Wraith gave a quick nod before drawing his pistols and leading the charge away from the Clones, both soldier and Admiral firing away at the Republic forces as they made their getaway.

"After them!" Anakin shouted as he, Ahsoka and the remaining, uninjured, Clones gave chase. Several of the 501st were jetpack Clones, and Anakin ordered them to fly ahead and cutoff the fleeing Sepratists. The whoosh of the air-fuel turbines caught Wraith's attention and he watched as the jet troopers landed just a short distance in front of him and Sereva. The Twi'lek did too and had her doubts for a moment.

"Should we go around?" She called.

"No. We push through!" Wraith determined, breaking into a much faster run. "Stay behind me and let me handle them." He ordered.

"Like hell I will!" Sereva replied, charging the troopers alongside him. "This is my fight too! I'm not some helpless Twi'lek!" She added with a bit of a growl.

"Then prove it to me!" Wraith retorted, leaping forward and striking the closest Clone with a lunge kick. Sereva was quick to get in on the action as well, putting up a screen of fire from her E-5 before she got in close and went to work with her knife, shoving it deep between the sections of white armour. She proved to be a fast and aggressive fighter, the skills she'd demonstrated for Wraith earlier that day now fully on display as she exercised her prowess in both ranged and melee combat.

"For an Admiral, you surprise me with your proficiency!" Wraith remarked as he drove his elbow through a Clone's helmet.

"I'm not just a pretty face with a big brain!" Sereva replied as she slit the throat of another. Together they made quick work of the jet troopers and soon were back to sprinting across the plain, the 501st still in hot pursuit.


"Note to self: that Twi'lek is good." Anakin mused, having witnessed th entire display before he could intervene.

"Are we sure she's not some kind of commando?" Ahsoka wondered from beside him.

"Look at her jacket, Snips. It's got the markings of a fleet Admiral." Her master replied, highlighting the obvious silver markings that decorated the Twi'lek's shoulders and cuffs.

"So we have a Twi'lek Admiral who can fight for herself... weird." The Padawan murmured with a furrowed brow.

"You're telling me." Anakin agreed.


With Sereva just a few feet in front of him, Wraith positioned himself in such a way that any incoming shots would strike him and not her. This emergency armour was untested, and therefore unknown to him as far as its limits and durability went. But for the time being, as long as it could take a hit and hold together, Wraith would rely on it. As he did, pistols in hand and seeking any advanced enemies to strike, his comms crackled with an incoming communication.

"High priority shuttle, this is Emerald Falchion. We've dispatched a shuttle that is set to land approximately two klicks south of your current position. We'll need you to hurry before the Republic has the opportunity to end all of us." Said a battle droid. This was good and Wraith figured Sereva would want to know.

"Flachion has a shuttle making landfall about two klicks ahead!" Relayed the super-soldier. The Twi'lek Admiral looked ahead, as if trying to find where their salvation might come from. Instead, she saw only a distant cliff, much like the one they'd slid down earlier. This entire plain must be surrounded by cliffs, much like a bowl.

"That's up another cliffside! How are we supposed to get up there?!" She wondered, the concentrated fire of the Clones now her primary concern.

"We'll find a way! Just keep moving!" Such worries would be dealt with when the time came. At the moment, they just needed to reach the foot of the cliff in one piece. They drew closer and Wraith spied another arrangement of chiseled stones, this one looking much like part of a high frame that had collapsed long ago, and Wraith immediately saw its potential and planned what he was going to do. The stone was wide and tall, a very thick piece by comparison to the other scattered debris. If it were to fall at just the right time at just the right moment, it could become an insurmountable barricade the Clones would be forced to go around, buying him and Sereva enough time to scale the cliff and vanish into the jungle. By the time the Republic could follow, they would be gone. "Admiral, you happen to have another charge on you?" He wondered. Sereva reached into her jacket and fished one out, tossing it to him.

"Here! My last one!" Snatching it out of the air, Wraith diverted course and headed for the stone. He had used the detonite charge to take care of the shuttle. This concussive one should be enough to topple some stones. Wedging the device between stones, Wraith twisted the timer ever so slightly.

"Twelve second fuse." He muttered, performing some quick mental math. There was no remote detonation available for this explosive, only a timed option. He had to get everything right the first time, right down to the last millisecond. Any miscalculation and this ploy wouldn't work as well as he'd hoped. Pressing the toggle switched, Wraith sprinted back to Sereva's side at the foot of the cliff, the Twi'lek crouched to avoid incoming blaster fire.

"This better work!" She told him.

"It will." Was his confident response. His pistols blazed away as he fired shot after shot at the Clones to draw them in closer. "Admiral, start working your way up the cliff."

"I'll be exposed up there!"

"Trust me." Counting down the seconds, Wraith hoped his calculations proved correct. The Clones were getting nearer, the Jaig eyes on Rex's helm very discernible now. But the thunderous sound of an exploding concussive charge changed his doubts. The Clones all paused, looking for the source of the sound. A shadow fell across them as the pillar of stone started to topple. Wraith waved to them before they were separated by the giant stone slab slamming into the ground with tremendous force. Chuckling to himself, Wraith holstered his weapons, turned and quickly scaled the cliff right behind the scampering Sereva. At the top, they turned to watch some Clones, Rex included, try to help some of their brothers that were pinned under the slab. A fruitless effort, none could survive the injuries something that heavy would inflict. Crawling to his feet beside Sereva, the two Separatists looked on proudly as they realized they'd successfully escaped.

"Excellent work, Admiral." Wraith complimented, now that they had a moment. Sereva chuckled.

"You're not so bad yourself." She replied, her lekku tangling around each other behind her.

"I only did what I thought was right." Wraith said.

"But you did save my life." Sereva countered. Reaching up, she pressed the switch on the side of his helm that triggered the release of his mask. "And you're my hero because of it." She added in a low voice, arm slipping around the back of his head.


From her vantage point, attempting to rally the Clones, Ahsoka watched as the mysterious Lethan Twi'lek suddenly kissed Wraith full on the lips. At first, the young Togruta was surprised by the move. But as conflicting thoughts of sadness and confusion settled over her mind, they both gave way to a subtle anger... an emotion, although she didn't realize it immediately, wrought from jealousy.

If these two were a thing, then Wraith was just trying to make her a notch on his bedpost. Anakin was right. And so was Corsair.

Everything he'd ever said, ever done for her... was all a facade.

"Ahsoka! I have an idea!" Anakin called, pulling her back. "We have to stop them before we lose them!" Clenching her lightsabers quite tightly, Ahsoka furrowed her brow and joined Anakin in hot pursuit.


A surprised Wraith took hold of Sereva's arms and forced her away from him, the super-soldier stunned by her bold move.

"Admiral!" He exclaimed, acting on a sudden urge to wipe his mouth on the back of his hand. "All due respect, but what the hell?!" His clearly agitated tone threw off the Twi'lek, thinking he wouldn't mind.

"I thought-" She started to say.

"You thought-" Wraith started to interrupt. Suddenly, a blur of motion streaked past Wraith and knocked him off his feet, sending him sprawling several feet away from Sereva. Looking up from the ground, Wraith quickly determined that was no Clone. "Jedi." He growled, folding his mask back into place. "Get to cover, get out of sight! Go!" He ordered Sereva. Seeing they weren't out of the woods just yet, the Twi'lek obeyed as Wraith jumped to his feet, only to be struck from behind by another hypervelocity attacker. Bits and pieces of his armor flew in every direction and Wraith could feel the slow burn of a glowing lightsaber slash across his back as he lurched forward. Grunting as he recovered, another opponent slammed into him, two hits tearing apart the armor around his right side and shoulder. This one catapulted him through the air, Wraith sliding to a halt as his hands and feet dug into the ground. Clearly Anakin was amplifying his abilities through the Force, trying to completely overwhelm him. "Neat trick. But it won't help." Wraith growled out loud. He was met with another strike from behind, bits of armor flying off his back again. Raising his arms up so they covered his head, another strike carved deep into his left shoulder this time, shattering the emergency armor completely. Wraith held his ground as strike after strike rushed him again and again. Anakin was really starting to get to him with these rapid, unforseeable attacks and Wraith could feel his irritation growing. He knew he had to react, find an opening and capitalize on it.

And to do that he needed to focus.

Closing his eyes and calming himself, it were as if time slowed as Wraith poured all of his attention into his senses. Although the Jedi himself wasn't visible, Wraith knew there were telltale signs he could focus on. He held his breath, listening, waiting, planning. His body tensed, muscles growing taught as he planned his strike. Listening for the rush of wind and the telltale sound of footsteps along the ground, Wraith waited for a few more seconds before he snapped out his fist in a hard strike as soon as he felt a presence draw near enough, bursting from his defensive posture... but as he looked up, Wraith was horrified by his results.

The Jedi he struck was not Anakin, but Ahsoka. His fist crashing into the centre of her body, a look of pain written across her face as she was propelled backwards, eyes squeezed shut and teeth gritted, lightsabers sent flying from her hands. Speeding up, Wraith looked on aghast as Ahsoka crashed into the ground and immediately clutched her chest, groaning in pain as she struggled to breath.

"Ahsoka!" He cried, realizing his mistake. "Kriffing hell...!" Breaking into a run, he was by her side in an instant, retracting his mask as he knelt. "I am so, so sorry!" He apologized, examining her with a look of anxiety and concern. "Where does it hurt?" The Togruta shakily raised an arm and pointed to her chest.

"H-H-Here..." She sputtered, finding her voice despite the burning she felt. Wraith tenderly felt the sides of her rib cage, venturing nowhere near her chest, and gently prodded. One or two brought a yelp from Ahsoka and Wraith realized he had likely cracked her sternum... or shattered her ribcage altogether.

"This is my fault. I'm so sorry." He apologized again. "I wasn't thinking, I was just..." he trailed off, trying to find the words. He would never dream of hurting Ahsoka. Never! "I was just being me." He finally muttered. As he did, Anakin arrived on the scene.

"What've you done?!" He growled. "Are you happy now?"

"You wouldn't believe anything I told you." Wraith quietly said, still very mad at himself.

"Wraith!" Sereva called from the edge of the jungle. "The shuttle's here! Come on!" She urgently shouted. Wraith couldn't care less, he wanted to help Ahsoka. He wanted to fix his mistake. But he knew his help was unwanted and unwelcome, and his more corporate duties lay elsewhere and were far more pressing. With a sigh he stood.

"She has a cracked sternum, possibly internal bruising or maybe even a bone bruise." He told Anakin before jogging over to Sereva and disappearing into the jungle. Anakin knelt by his apprentice and summoned the Force to help dull her pain. Ahsoka's breathing was still coming in shallow, laboured pants as she struggled to recover. Convinced she would be okay, Anakin cast a glance over his shoulder at the retreating Wraith and Sereva.

"See what I mean, Snips?" He wondered, turning back to her. Ahsoka slowly nodded.

"Ye... Yeah. I... I do, master."


Arriving in the open plain, Wraith and Sereva watched as another Sheathipede shuttle descended, ready to pick them up.

"Well, all things considered, that detour could've been worse." Sereva remarked. Wraith said nothing, his mask closed again. "Thanks again for your help, Wraith."

"Just get on the damn shuttle." The super-soldier growled, clearly in a foul mood. He walked right past her, his footsteps heavy and reeking of malcontent. With a sigh, Sereva followed after him.

And today had been going so well...