Author's Note: It's my birthday today, so I couldn't not post something. I'm still in the process of moving and the big haul is on Monday. So I'll work on that while y'all read this!


-Chapter 122: The Secret Prisoner of Ando Prime-

Location: Ando Prime

"The last place you look tends to be the most fruitful."

As dawn broke, Master Yoda sat alone in a meditation chamber. The room was dimly lit, save only for the natural light creeping in through the blinded windows. The diminutive Grand Master basked in the quiet, letting his thoughts mingle with the Force as he sought wisdom and guidance. His thoughts were on the apprentice of Skywalker; Padawan Tano. The Force had offered him a glimpse of something happening within the very walls of the Temple after darkness fell. He was fully aware that there was someone else staying in her room, someone who had slept over last night... If you could even call it that.

Yoda concluded 'sleep' might be too charitable a word, given what they did last night.

Previous visions had informed him of their love and how it was the key to both their destinies. He chose to keep it a secret, but an act as brazen as this certainly pushed everything Ahsoka stood for as a Jedi. If word of this ever got out, possibly through her own fault, Yoda could not guarantee he would be able to defend her...


Elsewhere in the Temple...

The rising sun bathed Galactic City in a golden glow, the sky slowly shifting through a myriad of pinks and oranges as Coruscant's star rose ever higher in the sky. Sunlight illuminated the colossal Jedi Temple, filling its rooms with warmth as another day began. It was one of those calm and quiet mornings where everything seemed to be right in the universe. Golden sunlight streamed through the narrow windows, filling the room with a sense of tranquility and peace. There was no corner of the spacious room that went untouched by the early-morning light, the entire room was bathed in it as were its rather disheveled contents. Discarded clothes lay scattered across the floor, the dark shirt, pieces of armor and combat pants standing in stark contrast to the brown tunic, boots and gray leggings. What stood out in even starker contrast were the two bodies in bed, one pale-skinned while the other was orange.

Ahsoka awoke only when warming rays of sunlight crossed her sleeping body, stirring her from slumber. Piece by piece, memories of last night filled her mind and made her smile as she looked down upon the sleeping Dynnal still cradled in her arms. There'd been no further disturbances after her visitation and his nightmare, both of them sleeping away the rest of the night in total peace. Running her hands through his hair, Ahsoka gently massaged his scalp in a tender and loving manner, absolutely thrilled to have him back in her arms. She'd missed this closeness, missed being able to hold him and love him. There was something therapeutic about this, probably something related to the science of hormones and relationships and brain functions... but words never compared to the heat of the moment.

As she kissed the top of his head, Dynnal awoke with a gentle groan, managing to look up at his sweetheart through heavily-mussed auburn locks of hair. Her smile grew as his emerald eyes came into view, Dynnal also smiling as he looked up at her.

"Hey." He sleepily greeted.

"Hey." Ahsoka softly replied. Ever so slowly, Dynnal shifted his position until he was eye-level with her. They said nothing further, content with holding each other close and enjoying the tranquility of the morning. Ahsoka shimmied forward and pressed her head under his chin, Dynnal closing his eyes and humming in contented pleasure as he slowly rubbed her back, so happy to be with his lover again. They simply rested, holding one another in their arms. After some fantastic love-making the night before, they were content to enjoy the slow, intimate peace that came with the morning. It was like another afterglow for them. Ahsoka was not in any hurry, she could afford to spend a few extra minutes in bed. There was nothing scheduled this morning, nothing that included her that is.

She lazily traced the crisscrossing scars on his chest, listening to his heartbeat and feeling the rise and fall of his body in time with his slow and steady breathing. She loved being close with him, especially without clothes. She loved the warmth of his body, she loved the attention he bestowed upon her. The young Togruta couldn't imagine her life without him now and was so very thankful the Force had enabled them to come back together again.

"What's this one from?" She quietly asked after a time, tracing a rather deep line that ran at an angle from his shoulder across his right pectoral.

"That Ardennian member of the Titans." He softly told her, remembering Takodana. "He found a weakness in the armor seams and exploited it." It must've hurt. Ahsoka could only imagine the blood dripping from it. Trailing across his shoulder, her touch settled on a short, vertical scar near his neck, the edge of her nail grazed the raised portion of healed skin as she followed the line.

"And this one?" She asked.

"A Clone commando managed to get under his armor with a vibroblade." Dynnal answered, reaching up to hold her hand. He rolled onto his back and pulled Ahsoka with him. Shifting her weight, the Togruta settled fully atop him before drawing her finger down a trio of red scars raked across his chest. They didn't break the skin, but were fresher than all the others.

"And these?" She asked with a knowing smile. His free hand curled around the back of her head, holding her in place.

"Are from last night." Dynnal remarked with a smile of his own. Ahsoka giggled as he kissed her forehead, knowing full-well she had given them to him. Her eyes caught his and they gazed lovingly at one another before she kissed him softly. It wasn't passionate and involving tongues like the ones shared last night in the throes of passion, nor was it light and feathery like those bestowed during their foreplay. It was just soft, gentle, intimate kissing. A simple testament of their love.

They broke apart and Ahsoka tucked her head into the nape of his neck, renewing their cuddling. She basked in his warm body, letting out a hum of her own as she cozied up to him and closed her eyes, more than ready to fall back asleep in this position. She enjoyed the feeling of his strong arms wound around her, battleworn hands stroking her back with slow, lazy sweeps. Neither of them wanted to move, neither of them wanted to end this. For the first time in what felt like ages, they felt peaceful and content. Both of them were more than willing to go back to sleep in this position...

Then came the knock on Ahsoka's door, followed by a familiar voice calling her name,

"Ahsoka?"

The teens bolted upright as they recognized the name, wide awake as fear filled them. "Anakin!" Ahsoka exclaimed in a hushed tone.

"Oh kriff!" Dynnal exclaimed, equally hushed as they scrambled to react. Ahsoka quickly composed herself and responded.

"Yes Master?"

"Need you up, we have a meeting that's come up." Her master responded from the other side.

"Okay!" She quickly affirmed, throwing off the covers and reaching for her discarded clothes.

"Kriff me... how am I supposed to get out of here?" Dynnal wondered as he also reached for his clothes. "Force, I've gotta get that Wraith armor out of here too." He realized.

"I'll help you come up with something," Ahsoka responded as she hurriedly got dressed, "for now, stay here and don't leave. I'll come back once I've figured out which exit is the most empty."

"Got it." Dynnal agreed. Then he paused, his pants and briefs half on, as a question came to him. "What if someone comes in while you're gone?"

"No one should." Ahsoka replied. "But..." the possibility still existed and they'd both be in a mountain of trouble if he was found here, "I dunno... act casual?" She suggested, tugging her gloves on.

"Not exactly a confidence-inducing move." Dynnal remarked as he adjusted his belt.

"Look, it's not normal practice for Jedi to enter one another's rooms unless directed by the owner. You should be just fine. Just... keep your Force-signature small so no one notices." Ahsoka said as she clipped her belt and sash together. "I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise." She promised as she made for the door once her clothes were all straightened out and her lightsabers hung from her belt.

"I'll hold you to that." Dynnal said as he pulled his shirt on.


Later...

The Temple war room was sparsely packed, consisting of just Mace Windu, Obi-Wan, Anakin, Ahsoka and Corsair... who looked like he hadn't slept a wink the previous night. Ahsoka knew the feeling, her minimal hours of shuteye slowly catching up to her. But the information at hand was of great importance to the war effort and, as leading commanders, the Jedi needed to hear it.

"We've received word of several incursions into our Mid-rim territories by the Subjugator first seen over Ord Mantell. Investigation of Separatist comms chatter designates it the Devastation." Mace revealed. "This could be the rumblings of a bigger and possibly imminent invasion plan."

"They sure do love their ominous names, don't they?" Anakin dryly mused.

"It is imperative we see to its immediate destruction. It has made short work of our scouting fleets thanks to that superlaser it possesses."

"Then we had better do what we can to shore up our defences." Obi-Wan determined.

"Yeah, we should rig up some blockades along the trade routes leading to Coruscant, especially since the Separatists now have easy access to them." Anakin suggested.

"I'll forward the idea to the Chancellor and Commander Thrawn." Mace replied.

"Been thinking about how to fight these things too, got a couple ideas I wouldn't mind sharing during a meeting." Anakin added.

"Then you may join me when I got to his office later today." Mace stated. He then shifted to the mercenary. "Corsair, have the Titans any progress for us?" Corsair shrugged.

"We're still sortin' out those new supah-soldiahs that cropped up on Orron. We'll get 'em, jus' give us a moment." He said. "An' I dropped by ta say I'm gonna be gone fo' a few days on personal business. Ya need anythin' from tha Titans, contact Theris." He told them.

"Where are you going?" Anakin queried.

"Like ah said, 's personal business." Corsair repeated with a frown.

"Someone's grumpy. Get up on the wrong side of the bed?" Anakin cheekily wondered with a smirk.

"Sod off, ya brat." Corsair snarled, clearly not in the mood.

"Enough." Mace commanded. "Take your leave as you need to, Corsair. Just let us know when you're back." He stated, the Titan huffing in response. "As for the rest of us, be prepared to leave should the Separatists make for a larger invasion of the Mid Rim." His statement concluded, the Jedi filed out one by one save for Ahsoka who casually approached Corsair, rather curious about his sullen and sulky demeanor as it differed so greatly from his normally cocky and self-assured attitude. Something in the Force had prodded her to talk to him, why she doubted she'd ever find out, but since he and her had more professional interactions than most of the other Jedi, made he'd open up to her.

"You look like hell." She bluntly said, noting his red eyes lined by black bags. "I mean, more than usual."

"Thanks fo' noticin'." Corsair scoffed. Then his expression seemed to soften as he watched the last of the Jedi leave. "Got a moment?" He asked. Ahsoka nodded. "I need yor help. 'S about Wraith." Corsair said.

"What about him?" Ahsoka pried, crossing her arms.

"I gotta find 'im. If I don't do somethin' soon, I might lose 'im forevah." Corsair responded with a sigh. Ahsoka's expression quickly became one of befuddlement, his words extremely confusing.

"Lose him...? What are talking about? And why would you of all people care about what happens to Wraith?" She demanded.

"'Cause I'm tha kriffin' reason 'e's Wraith." The Titan revealed. Further confused, Ahsoka pressed for more answered.

"You... You're... wait, what?! How are you the reason he's Wraith?"

"'S a long story." Corsair said. Checking the room to make sure they really were alone, and testing her senses to make sure no one was listening in, Ahsoka leaned in.

"I think I've got time." Corsair exhaled and turned around, stretching his arms by knitting his hands behind his head as he strode over to a wall seat and dropped down onto it.

"Long a' tha short is, I was married once. To a Jedi who abandoned tha Order. Tha Council didn't like that too much an' saw to it they captured 'er an' 'ad 'er imprisoned fer 'goin' rogue'." He explained, using air quotes. "We had a son an' she didn't want tha Jedi gettin' their hands on 'im. So I hid 'im, thought I was handin' 'im off to some decent persons... turns out, they was Seppies lookin' fo' Project Sunstorm candidates." He told her, revealing the truth behind his rather questionable past.

Ahsoka stood stunned for a moment, processing everything he'd told her. "Now, I jus' found out that Wraith's my son. I ran a sample a' 'is blood... an' it traced back ta me. I... I gotta find 'im, 'Soka. An' I know outta everybody yor tha one who cares 'bout 'is wellbein' most. Don't know why, but yor my ticket ta findin' 'im." Corsair concluded. For a split second, Ahsoka believed him wholeheartedly. But then she remembered every time Corsair had been a step ahead of her, knowing everything she'd kept secret about her relationship with Wraith and the arsenal of information he had to blackmail her with. Maybe this was just a sob story to try and get her to cooperate, maybe he knew Wraith... er, Dynnal had been in her room since last night. Putting that together, as well as Corsair's notorious reputation for being a real sleemo, Ahsoka grew suspect of him and his request.

The thing was, she knew where Dynnal was, not Wraith. An easy fallback if he proved false. But something prodded her to ask a question to officially confirm his identity and to validate Corsair's story.

"W-What was your son's name?" She hesitantly wondered.

The single word Corsair answered with left her shocked beyond response, considering she thought she was the only person in the galaxy who knew it.

"Dynnal." The Titan leader remembered fondly addressing his newborn son by that name for the first time and was nearly brought to tears by the memory. That had been almost twenty years ago now, the thought of him having missed watching his boy grow up was heartbreaking. Then again, if he was Wraith, maybe he could've prevented this from happening to him. He turned to see Ahsoka staring wide-eyed and slack-jawed at him. "What?"

"I... I-I think I can do more than just help." Ahsoka replied once she found her tongue.


Striding through the halls side by side, Corsair and Ahsoka made for her room, the Togruta glancing left and right to make sure no one was watching them with suspicion. She was also trying to keep pace with Corsair, who was walking nearly at the pace of a jog, a look of determined hope on his face. The fact that he was actually going to speak with his son, who he thought was dead, seemed too good to be true. But knowing Ahsoka, she had more than one secret up her sleeve, this one proving especially beneficial for him.

"I can't believe 'e's 'ere, in tha bloody Jedi Temple! Where there's dozens a' Jedi who'd luv ta take 'im down-... No. No kriffin' way I'm lettin' any one a' 'em take my son! Not again! Not while I'm still breathin'!" He muttered, clenching his fists in determination. It didn't take long for them to arrive at Ahsoka's quarters and Corsair would've barged right in if not for Ahsoka stopping him.

"Woah woah woah! Do you want him to shoot you?! I'm going in first." She stated, barring his way.

"Wha... fine." He relented. But Ahsoka wasn't done yet.

"One more thing; if you try to pull a fast one, I won't hesitate to use this." She promised with a frown, holding the hilt of her lightsaber. Corsair returned her glare with an equally steady gaze.

"'Soka... 'e's my son. I'd nevah-"

"That doesn't mean anything to me... yet." The Togruta coldly said, levelling a finger at him. "Try anything... and we're all in trouble." She cautioned, using the Force to let Dynnal know she was here. The door to her quarters slid open, Dynnal off to one side fully-clothed with his equipment belt and cracked gauntlets clipped into place.

"Hey, everything clear?" He greeted. Then he laid eyes on Corsair behind her and drew his pistols in the blink of an eye. "What the hell is he doing here?!" He demanded, quickly fixing his aim on the Titan.

"Dynnal, hold on!" Ahsoka urged, quickly moving herself and Corsair into the room before sealing the door. "Corsair has something to tell you." She said, stepping to the side to let the mercenary say his piece (and to also get out of the way of Dynnal's aim). Corsair remained silent for a moment as he studied the face beneath the helmet, the face he'd never truly seen even after Wraith's capture and imprisonment by the Republic. His green eyes reminded him so much of Meline, and his auburn hair he could remember as being so prominent the day he was born. There was no doubt about it. The mercenary stood in stunned awe for a moment as he looked upon his grown son.

"Dynnal... 's you... ain't it boyo?" He wondered in a quiet, reflective voice.

"I just learned my name a couple hours ago. You tell me." Dynnal shot back.

"The Force told me." Ahsoka chimed in, speaking to Corsair. "I had a vision and I heard that name repeated over and over again. It's his, it has to be."

"Yeah... it is." Corsair confirmed, the name closer to him than anyone would've guessed. "Dynnal... I'm... Yor..." He tried to say it, but held back, having a feeling that a forward approach would simply harden him to a point of firm disbelief. He needed to prove the connection between them. "I was there tha day you were born. Two months latah, yor mothah was taken from us an' I tried ta hide ya... but tha people I gave ya to were Seppies, who took ya fo' testin' undah Project Sunstorm." He recalled, telling Dynnal the truth he had just come to realize recently. Corsair paused and waited for his son's response... a bark of a laugh filling the room moments later.

"Oh, that's rich. Tell me another one." Dynnal scoffed.

"I'm being serious boyo. I'm yor fathah." Corsair pressed.

"You? My father? Yeah, right!" Dynnal retorted. "Why should I believe you, anyway?" He demanded. "You shot me! In the face! These are because of you!" He added, shifting his head so Corsair could clearly see the twin scars running down the left side of his face. "You and your gang almost killed me! More than once!"

"I know, an' I'm so sorry. I-I didn't know it was you. If I'd known I'd a' nevah taken tha bloody job in tha first place." Corsair earnestly apologized. Testing the Force, Dynnal could sense his sincerity. But he still didn't know if this was all an act or if it was real. He needed to know more, maybe Corsair knew some fact that would cement his story.

"Who is my mother?" He questioned.

"She used ta be a Jedi. Then she got caught lovin' me an' tha Council 'ad 'er exiled ta some enclave on an Agriworld. I busted 'er outta there, but they kept huntin' 'er. They found us an' took 'er away not long aftah." The mercenary answered. "Still, the time I spent wit' 'er was tha best year a' my life. 'S when you were born." He reminisced, remembering that year he spent with Meline, living a quiet and unassuming life. For a rough man like him, it was his idea of perfect.

"A Jedi..." Dynnal repeated, "Well, that would explain a few things." He mused, taking his hand off his gun and letting it levitate in place while he used the Force. Corsair glanced at the display and nodded, Dynnal gripping his pistol again as he turned to Ahsoka. "Yeh tiwalah hi'm?" He asked in Togruti. Ahsoka took a moment to switch back to her native tongue.

"Nehl seems ke be lehta ozinte u'mba this. Nu erzesek are no' dunga, at least ta ko mi sa tell." She replied.

"Mi nah tiwalah nehl. This e'... nah et nehl." Dynnal responded, his command of the language as decent as Wraith's albeit broken.

"Mi tean. Tiwalah mi, mi ne this e'strange too. But... si'guro that e'ko we need ke tean e pa'ri." Ahsoka suggested.

"Care ta fill me in?" Corsair wondered, Dynnal shooting him a brief scowl in response. Corsair ignored it and continued. "I mean, I recognize Togruti an' all, jus' can't speak a lick a' it. Not bad, boyo." He complimented, Dynnal's expression remaining passive. Corsair turned to Ahsoka, "Guess I should mention yor room reeks, 'Soka. Pretty shor' I know what tha two a' ya were up ta las' night." He chuckled. Ahsoka blushed madly and facepalmed, the blue stripes of her headtails darkening as her face flushed a blood orange shade.

"Not now, you sleemo." She growled under her breath.

"By tha way, I'm guessin' those are yor knickahs ovah there?" Corsair continued, tilting his head towards a pair of pink underwear by Ahsoka's bed. The Togruta followed his gaze, puzzled.

"What're you-... eep!" She squealed, suddenly realizing that, under her leggings, there wasn't a whole lot else.

She had forgotten to put them on in her hurry to get dressed.

"Best not walk ovah an air vent." Corsair teased with a smirk. Dynnal loosed an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes.

"Guess this jig is up." He muttered. Corsair looked to him with a glint in his eye and nodded. "Then allow me to freely say; leave my girlfriend alone." He commanded, Ahsoka smiling a little at his declaration. It was kinda nice to know she had a significant other who thought so highly over her. "Me k'ya ma. K'ya det ghu't." He told Ahsoka in Togruti, turning back to Corsair and speaking again in Basic. "Why didn't you try to find me? Why did you leave me in the hands of the Separatists?" He questioned.

"Because I was tryin' ta find yor mothah first. I did try ta find ya, honest!" Corsair answered. "I tried lookin' for ya latah aftah she came up a dead-end. When I learned a' Sunstorm's high body count, I gave up an' figahed you were dead." He explained. That seemed all too easy. To try and just give up? That didn't seem like something a driven parent would do, and Dynnal voiced such concerns. "Sometime's ya gotta know when ta pause an' lick yor wounds." Corsair said. "I figahed I'd find a new lead ta chase soonah or latah." It all seemed too perfect. Why should everything have to line up like this for Corsair? Dynnal would've preferred anybody to be his father. A politician, a smuggler, a merchant... why did it have to be the one mercenary he loathed? But then he remembered what the Maelibus told him last night, about how the identity of his father would be revealed to him when the time was right. Was this the right time?

"That could all be a lie. How do I know you're telling the truth?" He asked, still trying to find the cracks in Corsair's story.

"Dynnal... he knew your name. I never told it to him." Ahsoka revealed. Dynnal looked to her, stunned by that notion. "The things that seemingly can't be... usually are." She added. Corsair realized he had on more fact he could use to try and convince him.

"Yor... Dynnal Karn. My son." He stated. Dynnal raised an eyebrow, the name sparking a memory.

"Karn?" He repeated. "When Wraith was trying to learn your identity, he and Banshee tracked you to Thune. One of the names we found was Estobarr Marchellus Karn." He said. "Is... that you?" He wondered. Those all clicked for Corsair. Thune was his homeworld, 'Estobarr' was his birth name, Karn was his family surname.

"Yeah. Tha's me." He affirmed. Dynnal could not deny the alignment of the facts. But he didn't have to like it. He didn't want to believe Corsair's story... but Ahsoka was proving correct. The seemingly impossible could actually be the truth.

"There's only one way to validate this," he decided, slowly holstering one pistol as he sensed Corsair meant no harm... at least for now, "we need a second opinion. Someone to either confirm or deny what you're saying." He stated. Corsair nodded in agreement.

"Yor mothah would vouch fo' me." He offered.

"And where is she?" Dynnal asked, repeating his earlier question. The Titan shrugged.

"Dunno. Wish I did. Last I 'eard, she was in tha Citadel," he said, "then tha Seppies took it ovah and now..." another shrug, indicating his inability to complete his answer. Dynnal paused for a moment and considered the Citadel. Wraith had been there once, working closely with the Separatist Warden Osi Sobeck. He recalled him plugging into the prison's database, keeping a copy of-

"You spawn of the Sith...!" He gasped under his breath, quickly storing his other pistol as he opened up a broken panel on his gauntlet, retrieving a datachip with a few dents in it. He held it out to Corsair, "It's a little damaged, can you pull the data off it?" He wondered.

"Shor. Why?" The Titan wondered.

"It has the complete Citadel prisoner manifest, including transfer dates. Wraith kept a copy of the information when he was dealing with Even Piell." Dynnal revealed, much to Ahsoka and Corsair's surprise. "If you can pull the data off it, we might be able to find her."

"Bloody hell..." Corsair breathed as he took it from him, "so much hope... I bettah not be dreamin'." He mused.

"Okay... great. Now we just have to get you out of here." Ahsoka said, looking to Dynnal. Corsair believed he had an answer for that and reached into his vest.

"I always carry somethin' fo' just-in-case measuahs." He remarked, tossing Dynnal a perfectly functional cloaking device. Looking it over with a nod, Dynnal clipped it to his belt as he formed a plan.

"I'll stick close and follow you out." He said. "Just take a hallway that's empty."

"I can help you pick one." "Well... guess we have a plan now." "You'll... come back after you find your mother, right? I wanna know everything!" She asked, really curious and really wanting to know how this played out.

"Naw, he'll stay wit' me fo' a bit. Let tha 'Wraith-heat' die down." Corsair said, shattering her hopes. Ahsoka's gaze fell, her desire for her boyfriend to return promptly tempered by the Titan's decision.

"Oh..." She dejectedly mumbled. Dynnal sensed her immediate disappointment and stepped past Corsair, his hands landing on her shoulders.

"I think this is for the best, Ahsoka." He told her. "I need to spend some time underground. I'll come back in a while, look different, be different, just try and make sure no one can draw a connection between Wraith and me." He explained. Ahsoka's shoulders heaved in an understanding sigh as she looked up at him.

"Okay." She relented. "Just... don't be gone for too long, alright?" She pleaded. "I... I feel like I just got you back." Dynnal gently took her chin in hand.

"I know." He empathized, leaning down to give her a quick kiss. "I promise I'll be in touch. I love you." Ahsoka offered him a small smile.

"I love you too... Dynnal Karn." She replied, using what was undoubtedly his real name. He smiled back, warmed to know he had an identity other than 'Wraith'. And to hear Ahsoka use it made it seem all the better to him.

"Come on, boyo. Let's get a move on." Corsair urged, interrupting the moment. Rolling his eyes, Dynnal released Ahsoka and drew one of his pistols, holding it up for the mercenary to see.

"Know that this will be pressed into your back the whole time. No funny business." He threatened in a low voice. Corsair nodded as he took his words in stride, his gaze shifting to the Togruta in the room.

"Ain't that a way ta make friends." He remarked.

"If I were coming along, you'd be under the exact same threat." Ahsoka stated, crossing her arms. Just then, there was a sudden knocking on her door.

"Ahsoka?" She recognized the voice and gasped.

"Anakin!" She exclaimed in a hushed tone.

"Oh for kriff sakes!" Dynnal and Corsair simultaneously swore, sharing a brief glance of mild dismay as they finished. Ahsoka hurriedly came up with a plan.

"I'll distract him, get his back turned. You two leave while he's not looking." She instructed, quickly making for the door before motioning for the two of them to get out of sight. Dynnal triggered the cloaking device and disappeared from view as Corsair flattened himself against the wall, Ahsoka taking a deep breath before opening the door to reveal Anakin standing talk and waiting for her.

"Heeeeey Master. What's up?" She wondered with what she hoped was an unassuming smile, leaning against the door frame and crossing her arms, trying act casual.

"Just wanted to come talk, Snips. You and I need to get caught up on some things." Anakin replied, seemingly not suspecting of anything. "If you want, we can use your room-" He offered, making to enter. Ahsoka snapped up her arm along the doorframe, quickly turning her block into an excuse to stretch and yawn as a mildly confused Anakin turned to her.

"Ahhhhh, you know what? I'm a little bored of my room, a-and I could really stand to, uh... stretch my legs." She quickly responded. "Why don't we, uh, go for a walk? We can walk and talk, right?"

"Well, if that's what you want to do." Anakin agreed with a shrug.

"Great!" Ahsoka beamed, quickly moving to his other side so fast Anakin had no choice but to keep up with her. "So... what's on your mind?" The Togruta wondered as she started walking, forcing Anakin to keep pace with her.

"Slow down there, Ahsoka. This is serious." Anakin stated, grabbing her shoulder as a means of stopping her. "We need to plan for any upcoming deployments. They could be pretty dangerous now that the Outer Rim is predominantly under Separatist control." He said. Anakin kept talking, but Ahsoka's gaze was drawn to her door where Corsair was poking his head out. It occurred to her that her master had stopped talking and was slowly turning around to see what she was looking at.

"I-It's nothing, Master!" Ahsoka quickly exclaimed, grabbing his arm and jerking his attention back to her. "I just... thought I saw my friend Myri is all." Her excused seemed to work... barely. With a suspicious look in his eye, Anakin slowly continued, resuming his topic from before. Behind him, Corsair crept out into the hall, checking this way and that to make sure the coast was clear. Ahsoka made a little motion to hurry him along, something he fortunately recognized.

Unfortunately for her, Anakin also noted it and stared at her arm quizzically. "S-Sorry. My, uh... arm's a little... tingly. I-I think I slept wrong." She quickly excused, thanking the Force for all these sudden ideas.

"You okay?" Anakin asked, his expression denoting genuine concern as well as confusion as he crossed his arms. "Get enough sleep last night?" No, not really. Ahsoka admitted to herself, considering she was up late doing other things... up late doing someone.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little... antsy, I guess." She lied. Now, to send it home, make sure the matter's closed. She determined, knowing just what would put Anakin's mind at ease. Leaning forward, she lowered her voice, "It's, uh... that time of the month again. My hormones are going all... wonky." Anakin's expression softened and Ahsoka felt embarrassment radiate from him through the Force.

"Oh." He simply said, swallowing nervously while at a loss for words. "Sorry, I didn't know." He quietly apologized.

"It's okay. It's a girl thing, guys don't seem to find it interesting." Ahsoka replied.

"Just want to make sure you're fine." Anakin continued. Stealing a glance behind him, Ahsoka saw Corsair beating a hasty exit down the hall and she could sense Dynnal right behind him. So far, so good. It seemed their escape would be a success.

"Oh, I'm definitely fine, Master." She said, meaning it in more ways than one.


Corsair managed to leave the Temple without arousing any suspicion, the cloaked Dynnal slipping out undetected alongside him. They descended the long set of entry stairs, both of which were convinced were a few flights too many, arriving at the bottom and quickly disappearing into the nearest alley so Dynnal could rematerialize. As he came back into being, he shrugged off his shattered Wraith jacket and folded it right under his arm before tossing Corsair's cloaker back to him.

"Ya shor' ya don't need it anymor'?"

"I get the feeling you've got a plan." Dynnal mused as he began to comb his hair with his fingers, trying to get it to cover his tattoo. "Plus, if you're really my father, you'll want to ensure I avoid getting spotted." He added. At that, Corsair smirked.

"I jus' so happen ta 'ave a way outta here. But we gotta find us a spaceport." He said.

"Better not be a common one." Dynnal remarked as he followed Corsair out into the open.

"Oh, it ain't. Trust me." The Titan assured him. Doubtful, Dynnal followed him despite his desire not to, one hand never far from his holstered pistol while the other subtlety twitched, at the ready to deploy a blade if necessary.

Corsair led them through the back streets and alleys of Galactic City, where the down-and-out citizenry never batted an eye to their presence. It wasn't total squalor, as it was in the planet's lower levels, but it certainly wasn't the pristine utopian conditions politicians and wealthy elites lived in. Coruscant was a planet of polar opposites, Dynnal having seen as much during Wraith's undercover ventures. He could see the massive gap between the spectrums of society and part of him could just barely sympathize with Wraith's desire to do away with the Republic.

Eventually, he and Corsair arrived at a spaceport, not one of the personnel glancing their way as the Titan nonchalantly led the way into the facility, despite the brightly coloured sign on the exterior wall indicating this was for Republic Group members only - keep out. Dynnal kept nervously looking this way and that, suspecting an ambush at some point.

"I was lookin' ta find ya aftah my meetin' with tha Jedi, then 'Soka goes an' tells me she knows where ya are." Corsair explained. "Course yor in 'er room." He snickered, Dynnal motioning for him to hurry up and continue. "Well, I booked a ship, tha Stellah Envoy, so I wouldn't be usin' Titan stuff. They still wanna kill ya, ya know."

"Add them to the long list." Dynnal remarked with an eyeroll. "This better not be a public hiring." He added, glancing over his shoulder again.

"Do I look like an amateur?" Corsair wondered, feigning offence. "Ya remembah that one bar we tangled in?"

"Yeah. It was part of the, uh... Constituition? Wasn't it?" Dynnal wondered.

"Yep. Ya see, I've done a few jobs wit' 'em an' 'ave somethin' of a record wit' 'em. So I called up a favah or two and got a ship ta use." Corsair stated as he turned them into a door marked 'Docking Bay 94', the slab of durasteel sliding open to reveal a spacious room containing their transport. Before them was a light gray ship with blue markings running along its rounded shape. It was a pretty old ship, a YT-1300 Corellian light freighter, and Dynnal knew it.

"What a piece of junk!" He exclaimed in dismay.

"No it ain't!" Corsair retorted.

"Corsair, you do realize this model is nearly forty years old." Dynnal stated.

"Yeah. What of it?" Corsair responded with a shrug. "Some a' tha best ships are old."

"But we need a ship that can actually function." Dynnal deadpanned.

"Look boyo, it's old, that's fo' shor. But it's been jerryrigged ahnough times ta be a work a' art." Corsair described with a hand on his shoulder.

"Color me impressed if we can get it into space." Dynnal muttered. "There's a reason Corellia manufactures the YT Seventeen-Sixties now."

"Quit yor worryin'. I trust this ship wholeheahtedly." The Titan stated as he led the way to the boarding ramp.

"That's what has me worried." Dynnal dryly remarked as he boarded the ship along with Corsair.

The interior was revealed to be white with polished black floors, strangely clean and pristine for a ship in Corsair's line of work. Dynnal supposed the Constitution had a policy of excellence when it came to providing for their clients, something that seemed evident during Wraith's stay at the Elysium hotel. Corsair led him to a central sitting area where a small holotable stood, surrounded by white seats.

"'Ere, le's have a go at tha chip." Corsair said, holding out his hand. Dynnal passed it over and the mercenary sat down, quickly plugging the chip into one of the access ports in the holotable. Dynnal sat beside him as Corsair quickly did a status check, blue words and numbers flickering in front of them as the system's processes analyzed the damaged chip. Dynnal certainly hoped it was in working condition, but was worried about the fragile circuitry within. After a few moments of analysis, the data was revealed to be accessible. "Seems like nothin' mor' than surface damage, tha data's still good." Corsair stated triumphantly. Dynnal breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good. Now to start looking." He mused, quickly taking control of the data. "What's my mother's name?"

"Well, when we got married, she changed it ta Meline Karn, aftah me. But tha Jedi always called 'er by 'er maiden name: Meline Udia." Corsair answered, leaning back in his seat.

"Right, if not K then U." Dynnal surmised as he started searching, his fingers drilling information and parameters into the hardlight keyboard. The list before him cycled rapidly, quickly matching his requests as he hunted for a very specific line of data. His eyes darted back and forth as he read through the list of 'K' last names scrolling before him. It didn't take long for him to reach a conclusion. "Well, no Karn's. Moving on..." He mused, adjusting his search to find the names lower in the alphabet. Corsair leaned forward, nervously drumming his fingers against his thigh. One possibility was out. Now there was just one left... Dynnal found the 'U' list and started reading. "Let's see; Ucca, Ucag, Udac... here, Meline Udia-" He said.

"That's 'er!" Corsair exclaimed, suddenly coming alive as he heard his wife's name.

"Prisoner seven-seven-four-two-one, processed on yadda yadda yadda..." Dynnal rattled off, quickly browsing through her record. Suddenly, he found what they ere looking for. "Prisoner transferred Thirty-six Thirty ATC-"

"They bloody moved 'er? Where to?" Corsair asked. It was right at the start of the war, just after the Separatists claimed whole chunks of the Outer Rim. Dynnal quickly opened the transfer annotation.

"...it says to a facility on Ando Prime." He stated, puzzled by the reveal.

"Tha bloody hell's on Ando Prime?" Corsair wondered, echoing his confusion. Dynnal shrugged.

"I don't know. That's in Separatist space, never really been a Republic territory." He replied. The Separatists had moved Meline Karn... but why?

"Hang on," Corsair said suddenly, reaching into his vest and withdrawing a data card, "we had a bunch a' agents checkin' out Seppie movements, tryin' ta pinpoint you an' any othah supah-soldiahs." He explained, quickly plugging it into the spare port. A short list was promptly revealed to them both. "We built up a database a' Seppie activity... an' bingo! Just as I remembahed!" He declared, jabbing his finger at a single file. "Ando's on tha list!"

"I don't recall Wraith ever seeing this or being told about it." Dynnal

"Maybe they didn't want 'im ta know 'bout it." Corsair suggested, standing and making for the cockpit. Dynnal remained where he was, pondering the notion that the Separatists had known who he was all along and had purposefully moved his mother... but to what end? So that he would never find her? So that she could be used as leverage against him? Part of him wanted to think that was not the reason... the rest of him figured that was Wraith talking.

"Right..." He spoke quietly, trailing off. He would indulge his thoughts later, perhaps once the truth about his mother was revealed.

Dynnal joined Corsair in the cockpit as co-pilot, the Titan warming up Stellar Envoy's engines as he prepared for take off. A surprisingly smooth thrum filled the ship, Dynnal expecting more of a coughing cacaphony, as the ship began to lift off with Corsair guiding it up off the ground. Docking bay had no roof, making it easy to take off and maneuver Stellar Envoy into open air and eventually skywards thanks to a burst of power from the engines. Grey cityscape gave way to blue and sunny skies as Corsair deftly avoided the skylanes and flew higher into Coruscant's upper atmosphere. "Locking in the coordinates for Ando Prime." Dynnal stated as he quickly updated the nav computer.

"Right, I'll punch 'er once we're outta orbit." Corsair replied, easing the Stellar Envoy ever higher as the blue sky gave way to the blackness of space. They passed dozens of ships without a single one hailing them, Dynnal's worries slowly abating the longer the silence continued. That didn't rule out the possibility of an ambush, though, Dynnal partly wondering if Corsair planned a suicidal one-way trip. But the moment they were clear of the space lanes, Corsair nudged a throttle on the console forward and the stars elongated into streaks as Stellar Envoy shot forward into hyperspace, pilot and co-pilot pressed into their seats for a brief moment. "Dontcha jus' luv a ship with a lil' kick?" Corsair chuckled, quickly priming the systems for long-range travel.

"Just what kind of hyperdrive does this thing have?" Dynnal wondered.

"Technically a good ol' Type One. But this one's been rigged ta be a Point-Five!" Corsair explained. Dynnal's eyes widened.

"Now that's fast." He agreed. "My, erm... Wraith's old shuttle had a Type One hyperdrive and I thought that was quick. It was no Type Zero but it was close."

"Type Zero's real 'ard ta come by." Corsair remarked. The merc fell quiet for a moment, a question of his own in mind. "Speakin' a' you an' Wraith... jus' wonderin'..." he trailed off for a moment, pausing to choose his words. "You an' 'im are different, eh?"

"Uh... yeah. Real different." Dynnal muttered in response.

"How so?" Corsair pried. Hesitant to indulge a possible weakness that could be exploited, Dynnal chose to offer the Titan only the most general of answers.

"Well... I have his skills, his training, his memories, but I am not him."

"How so?" Corsair pressed.

"For starters, I don't feel like going on a pathological rampage through Republic space." Dynnal elaborated. "Nor do I have an undying urge to kill Clones." He added.

"Guess that'll set tha two a' ya apaht." Corsair snorted.

"I hope so..." Dynnal mumbled, his gaze drawn to the swirling lights of hyperspace. The cockpit grew quiet again. The tangible awkwardness between them was still very noticeable, even though Corsair had been making a real effort to bridge the gap between them and Dynnal's suspicions had lessened (but only somewhat). Considering the two of them had been at odds for so long, it was such an astonishing thing for them to suddenly be related. But Corsair was desperate to have his family back and was more than willing to keep trying, even if Dynnal was not.

"If it makes ya feel any bettah boyo, I'll do my best ta make shor' everyone knows you ain't Wraith." He promised. "Ya need anythin', jus' lemme know." Dynnal grunted.

"Kinda strange to hear you offer that." He still hadn't accepted Corsair as his father and the young man doubted he ever would.

"Guess I'm tryin' ta make up fo' not bein' yor dad fer so long." Corsair explained. Dynnal simply nodded.

"Let's find my mother first," he stated, "then I'll think about considering your offer."


Later...

Ando Prime was a world of snow and ice, the third planet in the eponymous Ando System located in the Mid Rim's Lambda Sector. Ando Prime had a storied history as a home for the ancient Dai Bendu Order and was the location of a powerful Force Nexus. These days, however, it was best known for being a mining world from which the Separatists pulled tonnes of metal ores to build their battle droids and for being the home of several major Podracing events.

None of which interested Dynnal or Corsair. They were here for one purpose and one purpose only.

Blending in with the arriving traffic, Dynnal now thankful that they were using a known model of freighter, they descended down through Ando's atmosphere until the clouds parted and they arrived on the planet below. The Stellar Envoy flew smoothly through the crisp air, Corsair proving himself a very capable pilot, and pulled out of the skylanes leading to the mining communities.

"Now ta find where tha bloody hell they're keepin' Meline." He mused, priming the ship's sensor array. "Prolly gonna be away from civilization, eh?" He wondered of Dynnal.

"More than likely. They could be using a bunker or an abandoned mine... tough to say, though." His son agreed, quickly forming a plan. "Start scanning for buildings with a high power usage." He suggested.

"Why?"

"If they're holding a Force sensitive prisoner then they'd likely be using a Force-restricting cell of some sort. And I know for a fact those take a lot to power." Dynnal explained. Corsair grinned at the logic.

"Good thinkin'." Adjusting the built-in scanners, Corsair shifted the ship's trajectory to take them by the Andobi Mountains, a popular mountain range that ran around Ando and would be the perfect place to hide something. "Watch tha scannahs while I do a few runs." He instructed, Dynnal adjusting the instrument panel before him. The snowy landscape zipped by underneath them as Stellar Envoy powered through the air, sometimes narrowly grazing the rising terrain as Corsair put the ship through the motions. At times Dynnal called for caution only for the merc to chuckle and urge him to live a little, earning an eyeroll in response. He would prefer if Corsair tried to not make a scene that would draw unnecessary attention. What they needed now was stealth and precision, not eager theatrics.

Their search carried on, the mountains of Ando seemingly devoid of mining operations... as well as life of any form. As Corsair crisscrossed the terrain, Dynnal reached out with the Force on a whim. If his mother was a Jedi than maybe, just maybe, he could sense something or perhaps find a hole in the Force where a null field was at work. What he discovered was the power of a Force Nexus, an incredible swelling within his senses that sent of rush of pure energy rippling through him. He exhaled, rather wowed by what he felt. He reached out again, wanting to feel the surge again... but he was interrupted by a beep from the sensors. He opened his eyes, not realizing he'd closed them, and checked.

"Got something." He announced. "Scans show a small bunker, bearing one-zero-seven point two-eight. Sensors are showing a lot of power being drawn to it."

"Sounds like what we want." Corsair said, quickly veering the ship in the proper direction. It wasn't long before they found their target. Nestled between the mountains, sticking out like a sore thumb, was a boxy dark gray construct that was very easy to see compared to the bright white snow around it. Lowering the output of Stellar Envoy's engines, Corsair guided the craft to an easy and straightforward landing on a ridge overlooking the bunker. He killed the engines entirely and got ready to move. "Alright, le's get a move on." He determined, standing up.

"Hold on, we should plan first. No sense rushing in without a strategy." Dynnal cautioned, rising alongside him. Pausing for a moment, Corsair agreed. His son did have the advantage of Separatist tactics and planning mentality.

"How d'ya wanna play this?" He asked.

"If they're treating it like a prison, we'll have to look out for additional defences apart from droids. Wall turrets, electro-grids, reinforced access security, that kind of stuff." Dynnal explained, Wraith's memories providing him with a healthy databank of how Confederate operations worked.

"What if it ain't? What if it's jus' a military base?" Corsair inquired.

"Then we'll have a whole mess of droids to work through." Dynnal replied with a shrug. Corsair grinned and popped open a wall panel behind him, pulling out a concealed A280 blaster rifle.

"That I ain't worried 'bout." He remarked with a grin.

Father and son left the ship and quickly took up positions along the ridge, studying their target. The base appeared to be nothing more than a box built into the ground, yet a pair of guarding battle droids informed them of an active presence. Using a pair of electrobinoculars, Dynnal quickly assessed the terrain. Part of him wished he still had Wraith's helmet as the sensor suite in the optics would've come in real handy right now. For now, though, he'd make due with average equipment and concluded that the droids were the only guards on the outside.

Inside would likely be a much different story.

They scaled down the ridge, using snow-covered rocks for cover as the approached the entrance. Having an idea, Corsair motioned for Dynnal to follow his lead and stepped out into the open.

"Oi! Where can a guy get a decent drink 'round 'ere?" He called to the droids. The bewildered B1's took a moment to process his question.

"Drink? Uh..." One trailed off, it's lagging central processor eventually realizing that something was wrong. "Hey, wait a minute! You're not authorized to be-" Its statement went unfinished as Dynnal burst out from behind Corsair, blasting both droids with a single shot from his dual pistols and felling them instantly. A nice and clean no-muss-no-fuss maneuver.

"The old 'distract then shoot' routine." Dynnal mused as he stood.

"As classic as they come." Corsair agreed. "So, how's it feel ta be shootin' droids instead a' Clones?" He questioned as he approached the door security.

"Good." Dynnal replied, eyeing his weapons. "Damn good. Like I could stand to do it some more." He decided, finally feeling like he was breaking out of Wraith's shell and able to be his own person now.

"Oh, we'll getcha a chance, boyo." Corsair promised with a grin as he hotwired the door controls. There was no astromech access port, meaning no complications, and the seasoned mercenary got the door open without delay only to reveal another pair of battle droids on the other side.

"What the-?! Who are you two?" One demanded.

"Maybe they're delivering?" The other theorized.

"Yeah. We're delivering death." Dynnal remarked as he and Corsair vaped one apiece. The droids offlined and hit the ground as the two humans charged inside, jogging down the durasteel corridor with weapons at the ready. Only a single droid stood between them and another durasteel door and Corsair quickly blasted it... but not before it toggled a switch which triggered the alarms.

"We're in the sithspit now." Dynnal grimly mused as the hall glowed red.

"Think ya can get tha door open?" Corsair wondered. Dynnal eyed a small panel off to one side, one that was not hard wired with an access port and possessed a holographic interface.

"Passcode protected. Not a problem, I know every general key code in their army." He declared, stowing his pistols. Just then, a wall retracted to disgorge a company of armed battle droids.

"Pop 'er in, I'll hold 'em off." Corsair directed as he fired on the advancing droids, who swiftly counter attacked. Knowing their time was limited, Dynnal triggered the keypad and entered in 5162. It flashed red, indicating an unaccepted code. Raising a brow he tried another one, 3630. The panel flashed red again, then revealed a simple message that made Dynnal's eyes widen.

"Alpha level clearance?!" That was reserved for the likes of Dooku and members of the Separatist Council. Why would this place be under such lock and key...

Unless only Dooku was supposed to know about it.

"Kriff it!" He rumbled, drawing his blaster and destroying the panel with a pair of shots. The resulting feedback loop short circuited the door and prompted it to open.

"Nicely done, boyo." Corsair complimented as he backed through the entrance, downing another two droids.

"Eh, you know, it was one of those 'double tap' systems." Dynnal remarked as he blasted another two with his drawn pistols. "We need to move. If Meline is here, then they might have something unsavoury planned in case of intruders." He urged.

"Inta tha teeth a' tha storm, then!" Corsair declared as they both broke into a run. A turbolift awaited them at the end of the hall, the duo boarding it and selecting the only option: down. The trip was a short one and the doors slid open mere moments later to reveal a hallway that ran in two different directions.

"'Course there's a decision ta make." Corsair grumbled, turning to Dynnal. "Alright boyo, whaddya say?" His son considered their options for a moment, pondering which way they should go...

Then he felt it. Something reaching out to him in the Force, drawing him in him, directing him towards something... something to the right. It was a familiar feeling, Wraith had felt its draw once before. He had to investigate it. Would it lead to an identical discovery?

"We'll split up. Go left, I'll take right. Keep comms open and active." He decided. Corsair nodded.

"Got it." They synced up their commlinks and took off in opposing directions, Dynnal letting his senses direct him and followed the sensation like a trail. His pistols in hand and at the ready, he carefully checked corners and cleared the little nooks and crannies prevalent throughout the hall. The sensation eventually led him to a small storage room, but Dynnal knew that whatever was calling to him was on the opposite side of the back wall.

"No problem." Holstering his weapons, he reached behind him and withdrew Tyth, taking the hilt in hand and pressing the ignition switch...

Only for his firesaber to not ignite.

Expecting a burst of flame, the simple metallic clicking caused Dynnal to look his weapon over and toggle the switch a few more times, only for nothing to happen. "What the hell?!" He exclaimed, mashing the switch a few more times in confusion. But Tyth refused to activate, confusing Dynnal to no end. "I... don't get it." He muttered, returning the firesaber to his belt. He didn't have time for this anyway. "Whatever. A good Force push should do the job." He decided. He was still coming to grips with his abilities but figured some telekinetic power should be enough to tear open the wall.

But before he could do that, a shadowy corner of the room stirred.

Dynnal saw something shudder out of the corner of his eye and whirled about, pistol instantly in hand. A pair of crates obscured the corner, but he could've sworn he saw the darkness move. Narrowing his eyes, he gripped his weapon with both hands, adjusting his aim so he could get a clear shot if something lunged at him.

But nothing lunged. Instead, a small black bat hopped up onto the crates.

Shaking his head in bewilderment, Dynnal watched in fascination as the little creature preened itself before locking eyes with him, offering a little head tilt as though it were studying him. Dynnal quickly realized that unlike most creatures, this bat had pitch black eyes with red pupils and eyed him with an almost knowing stare. "What... What are you doing here?" Dynnal wondered aloud, lowering his weapon as he took note of the creature's passivity. "Bats aren't native to Ando Prime..." The bat shuffled forward, getting closer to him. Then it took flight, circling Dynnal until it paused by the wall he intended to destroy, letting out a few clicks and squeaks in an effort to communicate. Dynnal's sharp mind couldn't help but a draw a connection. "You want to see what's on the other side too, eh?" He mused, thinking the bat might actually be affirming his course of action. The bat squeaked again before dropping down to the floor and scurrying over to Dynnal's feet. "Okay, okay. Best stay back, little buddy." He encouraged, holstering his weapon and reaching out with his hand.

He called upon the Force and focused on the wall, envisioning his grip encircling the durasteel from all sides. Closing his hand, the groaning of metal filled the room as the wall bent and buckled under telekinetic pressure, bending outward as Dynnal started to pull. The creaking and groaning of strained metal reached its crescendo when the force overpowered the resistance and the wall was torn away, falling to the ground in two pieces. Behind it, a wall of stone was revealed, obviously part of the mountain. "Shoddy engineering." Dynnal scoffed as he approached the rock, the bat taking flight and hovering close by him. He felt out the new obstacle before him. "Solid rock... no, wait-" he murmured, pressing his hands against the surface, "it feels... thin. Maybe even cold? Is that a draft?" He wondered, now pressing his face against the rather cool surface. Maybe this could be broken, enough proper force should crack the stone and weaken the wall enough for him to break through. He pressed his hands firmly against the stone and pushed, tapping into the Force to surround his hands and give him extra strength. It wasn't long before cracks started to form, quickly webbing across the face of the rock until the wall gave way and collapsed... rather easily, Dynnal had to admit.

But then he saw the reason why it gave way.

The other side of the wall held an antechamber, the walls thin and marked with strange and ancient symbols. But in the centre of the chamber stood a small, square altar where something was glowing white. The bat flew past him and began to circle the chamber as Dynnal cautiously stepped inside. Something about this experience felt familiar, and as he approached the altar he soon found out why.

For there, sitting on the flat stone surface, was a small, thin, diamond-shaped sliver of stone.

It was a translucent white, the glow that emanated from it seemed rather inviting. Dynnal approached and picked it up with two fingers, feeling gentle, pulsating heat within his hand and heard a soft hum through the Force, like part of a distant song. He examined it for a moment, finding it identical to the red and blue shards Wraith had already collected. What were these things? Were they of importance to the Dai Bendu Order? Were they symbolic? Powerful? Connected to the Force? He didn't know and Dynnal stood there for a moment, simply taking in the light in his hand.

Across from him, the bat watched on.


On the other side of the facility, Corsair blasted droid after droid, the increased security indicating to him that he was nearing the true purpose of this bunker.

"Come on ya clankahs!" He shouted, gunning down two droids as three more approached him. "Where's my wife!"

"Blast him! Don't let him reach the prisoner!" A B1 carelessly ordered, giving away the truth. Corsair felt a renewed sense of hope at his words and pressed on, the driven man unstoppable in his quest. One by one the droids were reduced to scrap, a trail of offline chassis following Corsair as he made his way towards the back of the hall where a reinforced door loomed to his left. Slinging his weapon over his shoulder, Corsair quickly ripped open the access panel and started messing with the wires.

"Come on, dammit, come on!" He growled, working to try and hotwire the system. If his wife was behind this door then he sure as hell was going to either open it or break it down... and he wasn't picky about either of those options.

A spark of electricity prompted the maglocks to disengage, the sound of power failing echoing in the hall. Dampening field offline. A mechanical voice cautioned, causing Corsair to grin. Picking himself up, the mercenary took aim with his rifle and blasted the other access panel, shorting out the final barrier keeping the door sealed. The pneumatic system promptly kicked in and pulled open the durasteel slabs to reveal a dimly lit cell on the other side. But through the gloom, Corsair could make out a few prominent features of the sole occupant within.

Her bright red hair was long and dirty, the skin of her arms was pale and her limbs looked to be frail and thin from malnutrition. Corsair took a few steps into the cell, prompting the prisoner to raise her head. Her expression was haggard and worn, green eyes dim and surrounded by heavy black bags. Her face was thin and her skin pale, her lips cracked and dry... but it was her. Her eyes widened a little as hope, something she had not felt for nearly two decades, filled her entirely.

"C-Cory...?" She wondered in a weak voice. Corsair recognized her voice in a heartbeat and it nearly brought him to tears, dropping his rifle.

"Meline?" He wondered in reply. Meline rose to her knees as Corsair advanced, suddenly rushing forward and dropping down to hold Meline a long-overdue embrace.

Husband and wife had finally been reunited.

Tears flowed freely from the hardened mercenary as he held his wife, Meline also shedding tears of joy as she was reunited with her husband after almost twenty years of separation. To be held in her husband's arms again, a lonely thought that seemed more and more impossible each day she spent in a cell, was truly a dream come true. She clutched his arms, memories of a bygone life seemingly renewed now that they had been reunited. Meline managed to pulled her head back and took in Corsair's face. She could see the grey streaks in his hair, his scars now old and faded, the goatee was new but she kind of liked it. Something about the salt-and-pepper styling made him look more distinguished than like a lowlife.

"You got old." She teasingly noted.

"And yor as beautiful as tha day I lost ya." Corsair replied with a soft smile, stroking her cheek. Meline basked in his touch, offering a silent prayer of thanks to the Force.

"For so long, I thought I would never see you again. I thought the Jedi had taken everything from me." She said in a whisper. "But I never forgot." Meline showed her hand to Corsair, revealing her golden wedding ring. All these years she'd worn it, a reminder to herself and to anyone looking that she had a husband. A husband who loved her and was determined to find her. Corsair fondly remembered the day he slipped that ring onto her finger. The day they were married, the day he took her to be his wife. He pulled off the glove on his left hand.

"Neithah did I, baby." He replied, raising his hand to reveal his own golden band sitting on his ring finger. Their vows, their commitment to one another, had stood strong despite the ravages of life and Meline felt such a rush knowing her mercenary husband had never forgotten about her and what they shared. She leaned in and kissed him, savouring the touch of his lips after what felt like eons. Corsair kissed her back, hugging her close as he took full advantage of the opportunity to embrace his wife. Meline pulled away when she felt lightheaded, content to rest against Corsair. "We'll getcha outta 'ere and nurse ya back ta full health, don' worry." He promised. Meline very much liked that idea, but had one more question for her husband.

"How did you find me?"

"I had some help." Corsair answered. At that moment, Dynnal arrived at the entrance, pistols in hand.

"Corsair, did you-" He started to say, only to stop when he realized someone was in his arms. Meline's eyes lifted and widened as she gazed upon Dynnal.

"Dynnal?" She gasped. They say a mother always recognizes her child, and that proved true as Meline laid eyes on the face of the boy she'd only ever held in her arms some seventeen years ago. He may be taller, more muscular, definitely no longer an infant, but she knew her son when she saw him. "Oh, my little boy!" She cried, overjoyed to see her whole family had come. Her exclamation caused Dynnal to slowly enter, each step heavier than the last. The few flashes of memory he had of his mother seemed to cement the reality for him, but he still could not believe it.

"M-Mom?" He stammered.

"Yes! Yes it's me, sweetie." Meline promised as he sank to the ground beside her. She reached out to touch his face with a thin, pale hand, trailing it along his scars as she took in the sight of, not a boy, but a man. "My little boy... all grown up." She whispered in a wistful tone. Dynnal's watering eyes overflowed. There was no doubt about it. This was his mother.

"Mom!" He threw his arms around her, sobbing in earnest. There were no words to describe his overwhelming emotions: joy, relief, surprise, awe. Dynnal was a complete mess... but he didn't care. He had his mom back.

Light years away, on Coruscant, Ahsoka felt Dynnal's joy through their bond... and smiled.

Corsair wrapped an arm around his son as he pulled him and his wife together, the Karn family finally reunited after all these years. Meline looked to him, fresh tears running down her cheeks.

"Thank you, Cory." She whispered. "Thank you for keeping our son safe." Corsair's gaze fell. She was thanking him for something he did not accomplish and weighed heavily upon him.

"I... didn't exactly accomplish that." He quietly admitted, Meline cocking her head in curiosity. "I'll explain latah, 's a long story." He continued, knowing it was going to be a hard conversation. "Fer now, le's get outta 'ere." Dynnal pulled away and nodded, sniffling and wiping his eyes as Corsair picked up Meline in his arms. Dynnal collected the discarded A280 and quickly led the way into the hall, making sure there were no droids to get in their way. Corsair seemed to have annihilated most of the bunker's garrison, though, and Dynnal kept pace with the man who, based on Meline's reaction, was undoubtedly his father. It suddenly occurred to him that Corsair had ample opportunity to take him down today, in exchange for a few million credits. But he hadn't. "So... Ya trust me yet?" The Titan suddenly wondered. Dynnal looked to him and shrugged.

"Keep telling the truth, Corsair, and I'll have a definitive answer for you at some point." He replied, the mercenary offering a nod of understanding. "Although, you still have to make up for dropping a knee into my nads." He remarked, Corsair laughing heartily at his comment.


Elsewhere in the galaxy, on Raydonia...

The setting sun bathed the ruins in a golden glow, a pretty contrast to the harsh destruction that encompassed the entire settlement. The fire had died down, sizzling embers all that remained of the destroyed village. Reaper and Banshee tread carefully as they explored the devastation, neither of them suspecting a trap... nor were they expecting to find any hopeful signs either.

"His shuttle was untouched. The engines cool." Reaper commented. "Almost as though he abandoned it."

"Was this the result of a battle?" Banshee wondered aloud, examining the ruined town. "His firesaber is known for leaving damage like this behind." Reaper slowly shook his head, the logic didn't add up to him.

"I'm not sure." He admitted, his optical sensors constantly pinging the area for any sign of their missing comrade. The destruction around them was conclusive to some kind of major confrontation, but his sensors were still bringing back negative signs of any sentient life in the area. The two super-soldiers continued to walk, constantly on the lookout for a sign of the missing Wraith.

"What if he did not actually find Savage Opress? What if that was an excuse for him to rendezvous with someone... possibly as a means to defect?" Banshee suggested.

"No. Wraith is too loyal to the Separatists to defect." Reaper replied with a firm shake of his head.

"It's a possibility, though, and shouldn't be ruled out." Banshee retorted. "You never know with some people. Their thoughts can deviate and surprise even those who know them best."

"After what happened to him on Orron, he would NEVER side with the Republic." Reaper stated. He had carried the stabbed Wraith back himself, seen to it he was properly transferred to Scipio's care. After an injury like that, how could Wraith ever join the Republic? If anything, something like that would likely just inflame his hatred for them even further. It made no sense to Reaper that Wraith would want to join the Republic.

Banshee, however, kept her options open.

They arrived in what appeared to be the epicentre, an entirely building collapsed as small flames flickered here and there. What caught their attention was the discarded helmet, optics dim and mouthplate open. Banshee approached it and knelt, checking it over.

"Minimal signs of damage, just the odd scrape or dent. Nothing telltale." She reported. Reaper ran a chemical scan of the surrounding area.

"I'm detecting traces of hemoglobin in the terrain." He knew what that meant, but it was Banshee who voiced the truth.

"Blood." Reaper nodded in agreement. "Then he did fight someone."

"And he either escaped but was wounded... or was killed and his body taken." Her partner grimly surmised.

"If he escaped, then why didn't he return to his shuttle?" Banshee questioned.

"This all... I-I don't know. This... seems to defy logical conventions." Reaper stuttered, fumbling for an answer.

"In other words, we have a mystery on our hands." Banshee concluded, turning the helmet over.

"Maybe." Reaper replied, triggering his comms and putting in a call to Count Dooku. His transmission was connected moments later.

"Soldier, what have you to report?" The Sith inquired.

"We can confirm, sir, that The Wraith is missing in action... although 'missing' might be optimistic." Reaper gravely explained. The line went quiet for a moment before Dooku spoke,

"I see." He thoughtfully said, "We shall have to look further into this matter. Return with whatever evidence you can find... you and Banshee have work to do now that you will be taking his place as the foremost super-soldiers of the Separatist Alliance." He ordered. Reaper paused, stunned by Dooku's declaration.

"We... Understood, sir." He eventually affirmed, Dooku cutting the link.

"What did he say?" Banshee asked.

"We're taking Wraith's place as leading super-soldiers... and, as consequence, we're now at the top of the Republic's most-wanted list." Reaper rumbled. "He just painted some targets on our backs."


Author's Note: Once this move happens, I'm gonna be out of wifi until I can get it connected again. When that'll happen I have no idea, so expect a slowdown in updates and responses. But in the meanwhile, I got my old post back so I can write like there's no tomorrow! Yay!

RANDOM FOLLOWER SHOUTOUT: This one goes to 18Andrew, thanks for stopping by and we're glad to have you around!

Until next time!