Author's Note: Today's chapter is special, simply because it's for the wonderful Spartan1203's birthday! This lovely man is responsible for chippng in ideas, well as the creation of the super-soldier Reaper! A long time supporter, this story wouldn't be the same without him. If you think that's cool, you wanna meet him? Feel free to join our Discord server! Just follow this little invite link… discord. gg/e3rMUgm9BQ

On that note, do enjoy the following!


-Chapter 143: A Separatist No More-

Location: Orinda

"The simple gesture changes the oldest mindset."

"Oh look at her Cai… she has your eyes." Hirani cooed. The baby Twi'lek certainly looked more like her mother, but Cai was not complaining. Tann was beautiful, perfect. His daughter was everything to him, his loving family coming together so intimately. He had never been happier…

With an effort that could only be described as superhuman, he shoved the rubble aside and cradled his wife in his arms. Her skin was cold, lifeless, her body limp in his arms. He knew the truth but dared not speak it. Hot tears streamed down his eyes, yet remained colder than the burning wreckage around them. Cai held his wife close, sobbing uncontrollably. "Hirani… Hirani!" He wailed…

"Banshee!" He growled after her, struggling to find his voice. "Banshee!" He shouted, his voice filled with a mix of rage and desperation as the beeping accelerated in tempo. "BANSHEE!" He roared, before his voice was silenced by the din of a deafening explosion from a thermal imploder…

With a gasp, he came to, eyes snapping open only to be blinded by piercing sunlight from above. Struggling to acclimatize to his surroundings, readouts quickly spilled across his rebooted optical HUD, revealing the catastrophic extent of his situation.

REBOOT IN EMERGENCY MODE COMPLETE

PERFORMING STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS…

CONNECTION TO C-MODULE 2: LOST

MOTOR FUNCTIONS: OFFLINE

C-MODULE 1: ACTIVE, FUNCTIONS LIMITED TO 67% CAPACITY

ATTEMPTING SUBSYSTEM REBOOT…

REBOOT UNSUCCESSFUL

None of that was good news. His vision surrounded by grass, Reaper knew there was only one reason for his state of existence. Somehow he had survived Banshee's thermal imploder, a testament to the immense durability behind his skeletal reconstruction. He could swear he felt his body out there, somewhere. Phantom limb syndrome was kicking in hard, no thanks to the exposed neck cables lying dormant on the ground. With only a head to work with, he had few options apart from remaining stationary, wallowing in this pitiful state of existence.

His mind drifted back to the last memory on file, the moment Banshee turned on him… betrayed him… Given how he was still here, on Orinda, she had lied her way off the planet. The Confederacy was not coming for him, they had left him for dead. His dedication to them meant nothing, there had been no retrival teams, not even an attempt to secure him. Reaper's entire purpose felt worthless, he felt useless, a synthetic tear slipping from his cybernetic eye as he reflected on his shortcoming..

"H-Hirani…" he whispered hoarsely, "I'm sorry…"


The 332nd Star Corps had taken up position on Orinda in an effort to push back the fledgling Confederate forces and their failing grip on the planet. Victory was quite close and all they needed was one good push to finish the job. As such, Aayla Secura had been busy. She had not been anywhere near Coruscant to hear of Ahsoka's state nor the travesty committed on Olanet. She had felt the fiery ripple in the Force and the surge of Dark Side energy, but lacked the understanding to comprehend its meaning or purpose. Instead, she dedicated herself entirely to her mission.

Commander Gould stepped forward with a report. "General, the droid forces have withdrawn to a hardpoint, between a rock outcrop and the edge of a forest."

"Sounds like ambush material however you approach it." The Twi'lek Jedi mused, crossing her arms as she studied the holomap before her.

"Traps and defences are quite likely throughout the forest. We may have to take the long road around it. Unless we can somehow clear a path right through those trees." Gould concurred.

"But the droids will know we are coming and will be better prepared." Aayla noted with a sigh. "You are right, Commander. It seems we will have to take the long way around."

"It'll cost more time and resources, but it will ensure our forces will remain at peak numbers." Gould stated and Aayla nodded.

"Unless there is some middle path we are not seeing…" She murmured, trailing off into her thoughts.

"All due respect, General, but I don't think that's likely." Gould remarked. Their discussion was halted when another Clone arrived on the scene.

"General Secura, we've picked up a faint Separatist signal coming from behind our lines." He urgently explained. Aayla tilted her head in mild confusion.

"How far behind?" She queried.

"Triangulation puts it at ground we covered two days ago." The Clone announced. Now it was Gould's turn to appear confused.

"That's odd…" He trailed off.

"But not unlikely." Aayla continued, clueing in to the possibility of an ambush. "Faint, you say? I will investigate it. Commander, send scouts in advance and have them plot our course for us." She ordered, making to leave the staging area.


Later…

Despite the purpose behind her journey, Aayla was hard-pressed to complain about it. The sun was bright, the sky was blue, the air was pleasantly warm, if only she had come to Orinda for recreational purposes. Perhaps she could come back one day after the war was over to enjoy this tranquial place. The Force was rich here, alive and thriving within the unspoiled natural environment.

Checking the datapad in her hand, she noted the signal was growing closer. Glancing up and squinting, the Twi'lek could see nothing for miles around. Surely if this had been a droid squad on an ambush mission, there would be some telltale sign of their presence by now. Something about this seemed very odd…

Wiping some sweat from her brow, Aayla continued on, sliding the datapad back into her belt as she took hold of her lightsaber in exchange. If there was some hidden enemy here she could not see, she wanted to be ready the moment its presence was made known. She adjusted her pace, from a casual stroll to a determined, careful sidestep. She reached out into the Force, scanning her surroundings for threats unseen. There was a forest to her right and left, a comfortable grassy middle ground spreading out before her. Aayla began to make use of her combat skills, searching the ground with her eyes for signs of an enemy.

The grass had been disrtubred in places, dirt kicked up by heavy impacts. Bits and pieces of metal lay scattered here and there. Something had unfolded, but what exactly remained to be seen. Then she found the crater, an entire inch of earth churned up and blackened by an explosion of some kind.

It was then that she found the boot.

Black and metallic, the design was not simplistic like a Jedi's nor did it match those of Clone armor. It was bigger. Much bigger.

Her brow furrowing in curiosity, Aayla kept walking as she came across larger pieces of metal, bits and components from some larger object that had been chipped off, by combat or other means she did not know. Quickening her pace, she followed the debris trail, new shapes like wires and cables coming across her path. And then…

"Tae ji beera!" She gasped, reverting to her native Ryl out of surprise.

There on the ground lay a head. A small portion of it was covered in skin, while the rest was made of a blackened metal, forged in the image of a skull. It's eyes were red, shaped like the kind of cybernetic optics people often received to replace missing eyes. For the first time in a very long time, Aayla froze, shocked and unable to determine what to do next.

Finally collecting her wits, the Jedi knelt beside it, gently prodding the head with the Force and turning it over. Finally face to face with the being, she recoiled when it blinked, further surprised by its state of sentience. What in the universe was this thing?

"What… are you waiting for…?" It raised in a partially synthesized voice. Aayla blinked, taken aback.

"I don't understand." She finally replied.

"Aren't you… going to kill me?" The head asked.

"Why would I do that?" Aayla questioned, cocking her head.

"I… I just assumed…" The head responded, trailing off. Seeing as it was capable of proper speech and seemingly incapable of hurting her, Aayla relaxed her guard… but only a little.

"It is never a good idea to make assumptions." She told him. Analyzing his features and his voice, something about it struck a chord within her, giving her pause as Aayla studied his barely-there face. "Something about you seems… familiar." She mused.

"We have met before, but you have not seen my face." He replied, causing her to stare curiously. "If I had a body, perhaps my appearance would jog your memory." He offered.

"I have seen parts of it. Back that way." Aayla said, gesturing over her shoulder. "It is like a minefield. Were you shot at?" Her questioned went unanswered as Reaper quickly engaged what little brain functions he had left to perform a proximity scan.

SCANNING FOR COMPONENT SIGNALS…

SCAN COMPLETE. POSSIBLE SIGNAL ORIGIN SITES: 5. The news from his HUD sparked a fresh hope within him. Such readings suggested more parts of his body were active somewhere, capable of being stitched back together…

"Can you, take me to them?" He begged her.

"I'm afraid there is not much left." Aayla replied.

"I am detecting the presence of several larger components nearby." He persisted. "I can reconnect to them… but I cannot do it alone." It suddenly occurred to him that he might be asking too much of her. She was a Jedi, she had other responsibilities. And if she so pleased, she could merely take his head with her as a trophy or in some other symbolic type of imprisonment. "If it is… too much trouble, I will understand."

"If you think it will work. Then it is worth a try." Aayla relented, sheathing her saber as she picked up his head by the metal side. "Tell me where to go and I will do my best to bring you there." Accessing his scans, Reaper pinpointed the closest ping relayed to him by ambient telemetry markers installed throughout his body.

"Back the way you came, less than a click I think." Aayla started walking, holding his head out in front of her to offer him the best view possible. The signal grew more prominent with each step, leading them back across the grassy ground as Reaper's internal memory storage quickly began piecing together the events of his destruction. Clearly Banshee's thermal imploder had merely blown him to pieces instead of killing him, likely thanks to the vacuum detonating with more concussive force than explosive. But he had to wonder just how many pieces needed to be found and how many had survived.

In silence, they found the first piece. It was a collar and a shoulder connected to part of an arm. "Well, that's a first step." Aayla mused, kneeling beside the blackened mechanical parts. Reaper's internal computers were already establishing uplinks, bringing reconstruction protocols back online.

"Please, bring me close to the neck." He asked and she did so. Turning him around so they could meet face to face. With little choice, Reaper took in every one of Aayla's beautiful features as his neck cables began to connect with the opened collar. Bits and pieces of nanomachines quickly reconnected the components, pulling his body back together and his head out of Aayla's hands. Everything came together fluidly, his HUD quickly registering the restored connection.

CONNECTION ESTABLISHED. MOTOR SYSTEMS 16% COMPLETE. A new feeling filled his synthetic nerves and Reaper rolled his existing shoulder. It still needed a body and he managed to turn his head down to examine what was missing. "One step closer." Aayla mused with a smile. Reaper looked up, his optical HUD highlighting a fresh component not too far away.

"There's another piece, directly behind you. Again, less than a click." He stated.

"Wait here, I will retrieve it." The Twi'lek offered, believing she knew what to look for now. She turned to go and Reaper watched the blue of her back vanish into the woods… doing his best to not stare at her shapely behind.

His systems continued to recalibrate, new subsystems revealed to him as his damaged state was further analyzed. His body needed to be completely rebuilt and, hopefully, there would be enough parts on hand to do so. He had to wonder what might not have survived Banshee's attack…

Aayla soon returned, carrying a large component piece that appeared to be part of his torso. a quick scan filled in the rest of the details for him. "Oh good, my organs." Aayla offered the piece in her hands a funny look of mixed surprise and disgust.

"Is… that what this is…" She slowly replied, analyzing the part she held.

"They're on the inside, they should be fine." Reaper replied. Scampering over, Aayla quickly left the piece by his side, wringing out her hands and shaking off the gross feeling as the part of his torso quickly pulled itself together, more nanomachines ensuring the connection was as tight and unbreakable as it should've been. Aayla allowed her eyes to study his mechanized form, every piece and apart an indication that he was a broad-shouldered and barrel-chested man… at least, he had been at one point.

"Good news, my lungs still work." Reaper remarked. "As does my heart."

"You are truly the oddest individual I've ever met." Aayla suddenly said aloud, kneeling beside him. "I would've taken you for a droid, but you act so… organic."

"My looks are certainly the most deceiving of them all." Reaper intoned. Accessing a program, he quickly unlocked the special nanite storage located in the spine of his neck. At once, millions of microscopic machines spread across his neck and face, changing their color from grey to that of a more human skintone. As a result, the mechanized skull was covered up and replaced with more human features. "Ta da." He mused melodramatically. Aayla could not resist a smile.

"Deceptive indeed." She mused, a hand reaching out to brush against his cheek. "How interesting… I know it is not flesh, but it certainly feels like it."

"It… helps me cling to that which I've left behind." Reaper replied, his red optics quickly clouding over as the nanites took the shape of sclera, cornea, pupils and irises, reforming his steely eyes. "There's another piece, off to our left. I hope its an arm this time."

"How is it you know where these pieces are?" Aayla queried.

"My body consists of a mass of transmitters that alert me to its presence." Reaper replied simply. Taking the rather bewildering response in stride, Aayla pursed her lips and rose.

"Strange indeed." She muttered, walking off in pursuit of another component. Carrying herself with the same grace and prominence as she always did as a Jedi, Aayla found herself bemused by this impromptu quest. Of all the things she had done during this war, she never expected to be piecing together the body of a cyborg man. She still didn't know who he was, but a tremor in the Force every time she looked at him told her that they had met before.

The next piece was indeed an arm, but his right instead of his left. It was then she noticed the frayed armor components clinging to the limb, along with some existent portions of synthetic skin slightly visible beneath the shattered plating. Lifting it into her arms, she examined the length and width of the limb. It was truly massive, requiring two of hers together to scale properly. Thoroughly impressed, she hefted the piece over her shoulder and carried it back to Reaper, laying it down on the grass next to his side. To her amazement, several tethers show from the socket and pulled the arm within, multiple wires and cables connecting with the ball hinge and pulling them together with a click.

"My, you are certainly full of surprises." Aayla noted as Reaper began flexing his fingers, his arm beginning to move like a normal one again. The Twi'lek knelt beside him, watching his motions. "I know I have met you before." She said pointedly. "Through the Force, your presence is familiar to me. But I cannot put your face to anyone I've ever seen." Allowing his newly refurbished limb to lower, Reaper decided it was time for some truth.

"Orron Three. I helped you up and you knocked me down." He said simply. It took a solid thirty seconds of pure concentration before the memory came to Aayla.

"You are a super-soldier." She stated.

"I… I used to be." He replied slowly. "It's complicated." Aayla nodded simply.

"Well then, mister complicated-super-soldier, where is the next piece?" She asked politely. For the first time in a long time, Reaper smiled.

"A little further away. A click, maybe more, over there." He replied, pointing past her and slightly to the right.

"Here's hoping it's your legs." Aayla teased, standing up and strutting off in hot pursuit of them. Reaper watched her go as fresh skin regrew from his arm, across his shoulder, and connected to his neck, slowly reforming his true human appearance. He began peeling off the ruined armor still clinging to his forearm and hand, strips of scorched metal clattering on the ground as he surveyed the damage. His HUD quickly analyzed his repairing body.

STRUCTRUAL INTEGRITY AT 55%

MOTOR FUNCTIONS AT 47%

FURTHER PARTS REQUIRED

"Yeah, no kidding." He grumbled, staring down at his torso and his lack of legs. He also needed a left hand as well. Right now, he was more machine than man… then again, he always had been since submitting to Techno Union's special project.

Eventually, Aayla returned with a far more substantial piece; it was his hips, remarkably still in his bodysuit… or, rather, what was left of it. Attached was a portion of his left thigh, a good start if they could find the rest of his leg.

"I must confess, this is not how I envisioned this day would go." The Twi'lek remarked as she fitted the piece at the base of his torso. "Dragging back body parts is not something I normally indulge in." Reaper's spinal cord extended to reconnect with the stump jutting out of his hips, the entire assembly spinning around as it reformed into a proper skeletal position.

"I am grateful for your assistance." Reaper responded, shifting his hips from side to side as connections were re-established and more of his body came back online. "Why are you doing this?" He quietly inquired. "You know I am a super-soldier and yet you still help me." It took Aayla a moment to process his question.

"Before this war, we Jedi were peacekeepers. We travelled the galaxy in pursuit of finding those who needed aid and offering ourselves as help." She explained, kneeling beside him. "It feels like an eternity since that was our role. But I still believe that is our purpose; to help others. Irregardless of factions or beliefs." Her answer was unexpected and it soon became Reaper's turn to pause and process it all.

"These days I wouldn't call Jedi 'peacekeepers'. More like soldiers…" He mused. Hearing his words, Aayla looked away. How far had the Jedi fallen for this to be the view of others.

"We did what we thought was right. Perhaps we did not think it through entirely." She murmured, standing up. "I recall seeing a boot not far away, let me go and retrieve it." She started walking and Reaper sat up some, using his newly-acquired butt to do so. He hoped he hadn't offended her in some way, his curiosity about the Jedi growing along with his infatuation with the Twi'lek. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I found a knee joint too." Aayla called out and Cai could see her holding up one of his feet and a ninety-degree joint.

"Sounds like I can rebuild one of my legs… for the most part, at least." He replied. Continuing with his re-activation programs, fresh nanites emerged from his ribcage and quickly filled out his chest and abdomen, flawlessly recreating his muscular physique. It made contact with the surviving portions of his hips and knit them all back together, creating a perfect replica of what his body used to look like. As Aayla drew closer, his HUD analyzed the components in her grip and revealed the purpose of each. "That's my left knee and my left boot." He told her and Aayla dutifully placed both parts beneath his left thigh. Cables shot out and pulled them all together at their joints, nanomachines quickly reconstructing their connections and rebuilding his leg in a matter of seconds.

"My my, you certainly do appear more whole than you did at first." Aayla observed, her gaze roaming across his chiseled chest. "More deception?" She queried playfully.

"If it is, it certainly looks good." Reaper retorted not-so-subtlety.

"As most deceptions do." Aayla quipped. "Your name, as a super-soldier… what was it?" She then asked. Reaper offered a sigh in response.

"I do not think it applies to me any more." He told her in a dejected tone. "I was betrayed by my colleagues and left for dead. It is in that state that you found me… my own purgatory." Sensing his emotions, which surprised her given his machine-like qualities, Aayla believed there was far more to him than he was willing to let on.

"If you are not a super-soldier any more, than what am I to call you?" She asked simply. Turning to her, Reaper offered the only name that seemed suitable to him… a name he had resigned to documents and records until this moment.

"My given name is Cai. Cai Kilvaari." Aayla smiled.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mister Kilvaari." The Twi'lek greeted, offering him a hand. Cai took it, noting she offered her non-dominant hand, to make up for his lack of a left hand. A thoughtful gesture for sure.

"If I had another leg, I would stand in your presence." He told her.

"Cheeky." Aayla retorted. "Let me see if I can find it."

"I've got a reading half a click that way." Cai proffered, pointing towards the woods. Aayla moved to investigate, Cai curling up his leg and using it to push off the ground. He stumbled and fell moments later, his gyroscopic systems not yet fully calibrated. With a grumbling sigh, he resigned himself to remaining seated, ensuring his leg was completely recalibrated as the joints stitched themselves back together. "So close, yet so far." He mumbled. With nothing else to do, he took stock of his current status. Precious little of his armor had survived, weaponry included, and most of his basic offensive systems were virtually non-existent after the blast. Not even the equipment in his belt had lived past the encounter. All he had left were his basic skills and, possibly, the kindness of a Jedi Knight.

"It appears your wish has been granted, Mister Kilvaari." Aayla mused, striding out of the words with his leg in both hands. "The Force has shown you favor today."

"Well, I guess today's just my lucky day." Cai remarked as the Twi'lek dropped to her knees and pressed his limb up against the proper socket. His body took over, pulling itself together with the same versatile nanotechnology that had pieced the rest of himself back to normal. His HUD registered the change immediately.

STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY AT 89%

MOTOR FUNCTIONS AT 95%

SYSTEM RECONNECTION ESTABLISHED. 4230005/8659400 DATA MODULES PROCESSED.

Pushing himself onto two reliable feet, Cai finally was able to stand, revealing his true impressive stature to tower well over Aayla, the Twi'lek's head only at chest-height by comparison. "All I need is a hand and you will have truly saved me, master Jedi."

"Applause is hardly what we need right now." Aayla teased, unable to resist the opportunity as both chuckled. Her laugh alone reminded Cai so much of Hirani, her presence was almost too painful to bear… like his wife had been reincarnated.

"Thank you, Master Secura." He offered in a quiet, friendly tone. "I'm… sure its in your best interest if we part ways." He added sullenly. Aayla cocked her head and crossed her arms.

"Why would you think that?" She questioned. "Do you even have a way off world?" Searching for an answer left Cai stumped but it wasn't long until his HUD accessed a program that transmitted a unique emergency beacon across a exclusive comms channel. His family. They would come for him.

"Actually, I do." He replied cryptically.

"Than I will help you accomplish that part of your task. My men will not need me for some time." Aayla stated, and given her tone there was clearly no room for argument. Cai shrugged, welcome in her presence as much as it was difficult to handle.

"In that case… I need to find my hand." He determined, quickly cueing up his scanners.

"I doubt there are many in the galaxy who could claim they've said that." Aayla teased as she followed his lead.

"Pretty sure I'm one of a kind… I don't know many men who are really just droids on the inside." Cai replied. His words were short and nothing about his tone indicated it, but deep down, Aayla could feel something shift in him.

"The way you say that… You sound… displeased by the results." She observed. Cai was hesitant to reply, his own thoughts clouded as he was still reeling from disillusionment.

"Everything I did, I did in the name of a cause I thought I believed in. A cause that, I thought, supported me." He said at length. "I see now that is not the case."

"I am sorry you were hurt this way. I wish there was more I could do for you." Aayla offered.

"You have already given me a great gift, Master Sec-"

"Aayla." She cut him off. "Please, call me Aayla." Her simple act of camaraderie, offered for purely platonic reasons, made him feel a thousand times better already.

"Only if you call me Cai." He responded. Aayla nodded in acceptance and stopped suddenly when her foot nudged something. Cai stopped as well and peered down, only to get an eyeful of Aayla's cleavage. "O-Oh, there you are!" He stammered, looking past her sizeable bust and stooped down, collecting his hand and attaching it to his wrist. The same reconstructive process kicked in automatically as fresh nanites restored his dermal layer and completed his appearance. Shredded remains of a glove still clung to the back of his hand, evidence of the ferocity of the explosion that had consumed him in an effort to kill him.

"Well, you are certainly looking nice and whole again." Aayla commented.

"It looks that way, doesn't it?" Cai quietly replied, checking over his reattached hand.

"Let me guess; you don't feel that way."

"You are… very astute, Aayla."

"My Master taught me many things when it came to reading others." She explained. "I will not pry any further, Cai, but know that I do not judge you in any capacity." Moving on, she pointed towards the open field of grass. "There is a clearing two clicks onwards. Perhaps your transport could meet you there."

"Yeah, that'd be best." Cai agreed. Together they started walking, emerging from the wooded lands out into the grassy hills. It was an odd pairing, a beautiful, voluptuous Twi'lek Jedi and a massive, shirtless, musclebound man walking in step with one another as they crossed the picturesque landscapes of Orinda. Fortunately they were alone, for questions certainly would've been raised concerning their companionship.


Despite their pace, the ground was far more broad than first imagined, and their efforts lasted longer than planned. Cai broke the silence after several minutes, "Forgive me if it sounds rude, but… you seem to dress differently from other Jedi." While phrased politely, it was hardly the first time Aayla had heard this same question. Her low-cut tank top and form-fitting leggings were certainly uncommon amongst the Jedi. Not even other Twi'leks, such as Padawan Myri Lachiec, wore such attire. Some had wrongfully accused her in the past of flaunting her appearance, attempting to come off more like a slut instead of like a Jedi. But Aayla had her own reasons…

"My people have been conditioned over generations to prefer wearing far less. As a Jedi there are certain standards that must be met." She told him. "I preferred to take a more comfortable middle path." that answer would've suited Cai just fine and he nodded, given his own in-depth understanding of the Twi'lek species. But Aayla continued, "Most people would think of Twi'leks as being nothing more than servants or brothel girls. I choose to appear the way I do to prove there is no shame in being a Twi'lek. That there is no shame in being myself."

"You refuse conformity." Cai surmised.

"I embrace it, in a roundabout way. If others see my species as little more than bodies for sale, then I will prove to them and all others that one such 'body' can be so much more than their limited minds allow." Aayla elaborated. Cai nodded again. Aayla had no idea that his knowledge of her people was far deeper than anyone would suspect.

Hirani had been a slave when he first met her. Over the course of their relationship, he learned much about her and her people. Hirani's own state was indicative of a Twi'lek's outlook on life. The things she was used to doing as a slave, it shocked him. But she approached it with indifference, she had grown numb to it over the years as millions of other girls no doubt had. It was an eye-opening experience and Cai had never forgotten the lessons that followed.

"Your nobility is to be commended. I don't know of anyone else who would go to the lengths you have." He commented.

"It is… personal for me." Aayla quietly replied. Memories from her time, drugged and enslaved, within her uncle's harem briefly flashed through her mind.

The low, distant thrum of engines quickly drew their attention skyward. Cai's signal appeared to have worked and the Twi'lek shielded her eyes from the sun for a better look at the incoming transport. Aayla half-expected it to be of Separatist make and design, but was surprised to find it was a model she did not recognize. It seemed old, pre-dating the models used commonly throughout the galaxy. Now she was curious just who he had summoned…

He started jogging and she followed closely behind as the transport made landfall, promptly unleashing six armed soldiers. Their attire was unique, like heavily mechanized exo-suits atop armor plating. Obvious pistons and hydraulics were evident across their limbs, their faces obscured by helmets, and powerful old-model blaster rifles in their grips. They formed orderly defensive lines on either side of the dropship's entrance, allowing two others to emerge. They were clad in armor far more ornate, almost ceremonial in appearance. Smooth, streamlined, intricate, their presence was so prominent that Aayla stopped and stared.

They were both men, one of them older with silver hair and beard while the younger had tanned skin and dark hair, both of them sharing the same shade of steely grey eyes. They raced over to Cai. "Hey bro, we got your message." The younger told him, quickly hooking an arm around his shoulders.

"Thanks, Kol." Cai replied, his gaze then shifting to the elder of the two. "Thank you, father." He offered softly. His father, Jayce, nodded in acceptance.

"Kol, take him inside." He tasked, the two brothers quickly hauling each other into the ship as the troopers followed suit with a simple nod from Jayce. Then he locked eyes with Aayla. "It would appear I have you to thank for my son's recovery. You have my gratitude, Master Jedi."

"I did not realize Cai's family had such assets." Aayla slowly responded, still impressive with the potent presence his family exuded.

"We Kilvaari's go back generations." Jayce answered simply. "My family has had much time to collect and prepare."

"Prepare for what exactly?"

"Any eventuality." The answer was neutral, leaning to neither side in Aayla's mind. She wasn't sure if it should relax her or worry her. "You needn't worry about us, Mistress Secura. The Kilvaari family has pledged a thousand generations to the protection and safeguarding of the galaxy." Jayce promised, as if reading her mind. Taking it in stride, she moved on,

"Will Cai be alright?"

"Knowing what my boy has been through… I have no doubt his recovery will be a swift one. Even now he looks better than I expected." Jayce commented. Through wizened eyes, he studied the Twi'lek, "You are concerned about him." He noted poignantly.

"I have been witness to his prior state. I just hope he recovers fully." She evenly replied.

"I am sure you will meet again. Given the times, the time for the Kilvaari's to act may come sooner than expected." Jayce promised. Then he turned to leave. "May the Force be with you, Mistress Secura."

"And also with you, Mister Kilvaari." Aayla responded, standing still and watching him board as the dropship took flight once again. Ascending into the heavens, she watched for as long as she could, questioning where its point of origin was…

Within the confines of the hold, Jayce sat across from Cai as Kol gave him a once-over with the on board medical scanner. "What's his status?"

"Vitals are fine, propbably just needs a little downtime." Kol reported. "We'll find a Seppie planet and drop you off there-"

"No. No Separatists." Cai quickly interrupted. "I… I think it's time for me to come home." He continued, looking to his father.

"Are you sure?" He inquired. Pausing, the certainty of his decision had never been stronger.

Reaper was dead and gone. But Cai Kilvaari was alive and well.

"Yes. I'm sure." He responded positively. "If you'll have me."

"My door has always been open." Jayce promised. With the invitation concluded, the patriarch's thoughts wandered as he glanced out the viewport, Orinda's atmosphere now plainly visible, as well as the jet black ship distantly located in the space beyond…

"What is it, dad?" Kol queried, knowing the look in his father's eyes.

"That Jedi…" He said, trailing off, "She greatly reminds me of Hirani…"


Elsewhere in the galaxy, on Coruscant…

In an emergency meeting of the Jedi High Council, Commander Thrawn had been summoned for a briefing concerning the harsh discovery made in the Council's very chambers. The faint marring of blackened scorch marks still lined the floor beneath the Chiss' feet. Thrawn had his own information to impart, having collected a fairly extensive portfolio on the Iron Demon.

"Oh sing you choirs of stars, oh cry out you solar instruments. Speak to all of his mighty wrath and fearsome rage. Tell us of our doom while we might still care. Those who heed them not, beware. Look on his works you mighty and despair, for the reign of the Demon is near." He recited from his datapad. Glancing up, his scarlet gaze met those of the Councillors one by one. "As you can no doubt determine, the legend of the Iron Demon persists across time and cultures. Given that which you have encountered, this legend is very real."

"The question remains how to proceed from here. With so many variables to take into account, I fear no amount of discussion will ever draw a reasonable course of action." Stass continued.

"But we do know that the Iron Demon is one in the same as, or merely using, Dynnal Karn." Obi-Wan interjected. "To that end, we have a physical form that can be identified."

"Perhaps we must concentrate on finding the boy instead of the Demon." Saesee offered.

"Master Jedi," Thrawn spoke quietly, his calm demeanor swiftly drawing their attention, "there is a third conclusion I would like to draw."

"By all means, Commander." Mace intoned. Tapping his datapad, Thrawn quickly pulled up a side-headshot of Dynnal Karn, displayed on a holoprojector for all to see.

"I have been gifted access to recognition software and various confidential surveillance equipment, courtesy of the Republic's Intellgience Director; Armand Isard. Here is the young man in question, Dynnal Karn," The Jedi nodded, knowing his appearance well. Then, the image flickered, changing to a long-haired, dark-eyed version of him, also taken from the side, "this was taken from the courtroom in which The Wraith was tried."

The Council was left speechless.

As Thrawn displayed both images side by side, the resemblance was undeniable. Collectively, they leaned forward to study it, the images nigh-identical in terms of facial features, structure and shape. Silence continued as they strove to comprehend the evidence before them.

"They're the same." Mace noted with a grim frown.

"I can say with the highest assurance that Dynnal Karn is The Wraith." Thrawn promised.

"How could we have missed this…?" Ki-Adi wondered aloud, speaking what was on all of their minds. Had they really been so blinded by his ruse?

"Then… Corsair…" Obi-Wan trailed off.

"He's been lying to us." Shaak realized. "Not only did he withhold the fact that Dynnal is his son, but that he is also The Wraith."

"The Chancellor will no doubt want a word with him." Kit mused.

"No." Yoda cut in. Everyone immediately gave the Grandmaster heir undivided attention. "The calm before the storm, this has been. Only trouble, this will bring." He told them all. "Find Dynnal Karn, we must. Keep this quiet, we also must."

"You speak truthfully, Grandmaster," Thrawn agreed, "the uproar this would cause if made public knowledge has the potential be catastrophic."

"Then we will keep this within the confines of the Order. We will find him, bring him in and conduct this affair quietly. If the greater populace knew the Republic's greatest threat had been dwelling under their noses… there's no telling what damage could be caused in the fallout." Mace concurred. The Jedi sat silently for a moment, coming to terms with the gravity of this situation.

"Not even Corsair can know that we know." Obi-Wan determined. "For he will try and stop us." The Jedi agreed.

"Be careful how you proceed, Master Jedi," Thrawn quietly cautioned, "each action will have its own set of consequences, capable of leading to a more dire outcome than the last. With the Iron Demon and The Wraith intertwined, one small mistake is all that is necessary to send this galaxy tumbling into a chaotic abyss… from which there will be no return."