Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Season 1 Episode 20
Year is 22 BBY

A GALAXY AT WAR
Chapter Four

"It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness."

It was to be a difficult mission; liberating the innocents of Ryloth. In the last couple of moons since she reconstructed her lightsaber, Zenovia had not left Coruscant. She had remained within the Jedi Temple undergoing various assessments from Master Kenobi. The passing weeks had brought forth many new relations for Zenovia, she met Master Skywalker's apprentice and it seemed that Ahsoka Tano and her teacher were a pair of wildly unpredictable Jedi. She could not imagine herself speaking with Master Kenobi as they did with each other. Even Skywalker's banter with his mentor astounded her. She often kept quiet when they were around to avoid picking up on their lack of following protocol. Ahsoka was nice to her, always inviting and friendly.

In the new moon, the Techno Union had taken hold of Ryloth and invaded the Twi'lek's home world. The Senate had launched a three-stage plan to recover Ryloth and relieve the hostages. The Grand Army of the Republic was under the command of Admiral Yularen, Generals Windu, Kenobi, and Skywalker, their two Padawan Commanders, and their various clone troopers. When members of the 7th Sky Corps on board they addressed her as 'Commander Royce' and she tried to look dignified as she walked alongside Commander Cody and her teacher.

They were a part of the ground assault division and had to wait for Yularen and Skywalker to break through the planetary blockage to begin landing. It seemed that their allies were having more difficulty than anticipated in that regard. Zenovia was silent as she observed the two generals on the bridge. They discussed each step of their respective plans while traveling through hyperspace.

"Ahsoka, this is Obi-Wan. May we begin our landing?" Her master asked over the communications table.

"Yes, Master. You're cleared for the ground assault."

"I won't even ask where the rest of Anakin's fleet is or why he's in an escape pod," Kenobi replied tiredly.

"That's probably for the best," Ahsoka said signing off.

"Alright, that's our cue," Obi-Wan said, he turned to leave and noticed his lagging student. "Come along, Zenovia, you aren't taking behind this time."

She nodded and followed closely behind. She had been looking over the map of their area, trying to commit all of its details to memory. The last time when Obi-Wan left for a mission it involved a terrible airborne virus that had surprised him, Skywalker, Ahsoka, and Senator Padme Amidala on her home planet of Naboo. Recovery had been slow for Ahsoka and Zenovia had been assigned to keep her company in between her meetings with Kenobi. It was the hope of their two masters that their Padawans would form a bond like theirs.

They walked down to the hangers where the landing gunships waited. The Ghost Company would be coming along to aid the Jedi.

"First trick will be getting our troops on the ground," Kenobi stated a bit grimly.

"If you take the city of Nabat first, then we'll have our landing zone." Mace Windu responded as he watched them board the ship.

"Well, it's time to meet the natives," Obi-Wan answered. The doors slid shut as they took off to descend the planet's atmosphere. Zenovia felt her nerves returning, a lump had formed in her throat and she tried not to make it worse by thinking about anything bad. It's just your first live combat mission, nothing to worry about, Master Kenobi is right here...

Their small fleet of Acclamator-class assault ships neared the surface of Ryloth. A series of beeps and light pulses flashed overhead signaling the gunships were set. The hanger doors parted and their pilots began the flight path. There were many squadrons of low-altitude assault transporters. This was the first time she had set foot on one, the first time she was to engage in military affairs, the first time she might see casualties of war.

"We need to remember why we're here. We came to aid the Twi'leks not destroy their home. Cody?"

"That means we will be taking it back the hard way." The Commander explained. "Minimal destruction with blasters and droid poppers only. No rockets or detonators. Check your aim. Keep an eye out for the locals. Am I understood?"

"Sir, yes, sir!" The troopers confirmed.

"If we're here to free the tail-heads, the least they can do is get out of our way." One of the higher-up clones spoke from the opposite end of the ship.

He had short black hair and a mustache. Zenovia was taken aback by his sigh, the natives were trapped against their will, and it wasn't like they wanted this situation. She remembered his name was Boil, and the other orange-marked clone beside him was Waxer. They were considered to be the two best soldiers in the Ghost Company. Waxer had opted to shave his head and facial air. Zenovia remained silent and did not speak out against his arrogant comment.

"How are you feeling?" Kenobi asked her.

"Concerned, and nervous." She spoke truthfully, trying to keep her voice quiet and even so as not to be overheard. Which was not possible in the confirmed space.

"Trust yourself and when we begin our landing do not hesitate." He instructed. "Be prepared for anything, I expect we'll come under fire soon enough."

Not more than a minute later their approach entered the range of the droid armed forces. Blasts erupted all around them as the Republic ships were targeted. She could not clear from the slits in the ship doors but it wasn't looking good. Suddenly, Master Windu appeared over their communications hologram.

"We can't risk landing the larger transports until you take out those guns," Windu reported as the heavy artillery fire continued outside.

"Pull back. We'll take care of it." Obi-Wan ordered. Zenovia's stomach lurked realizing the task before them. Their ship continued flying in evasive maneuvers.

"Who's up for a challenge?" Kenobi called out. "We're not getting any reinforcements until those guns are out of commission." He finished relaying the change of plans to the troopers.

"Here we go again." Waxer complained from behind.

Still, she paid them no mind externally. Explosions sounded nearby as others were shot down, falling from the sky. Through the gaps in the doors, she could see trails of smoke and flashes of red. Feeling the ship slow down she anticipated their arrival on the surface. Just like we practiced, follow Master Kenobi, just follow him and it'll be fine.

Their ship touched down and the dismal landscape greeted them. As soon as the doors parted they took off running. Keeping up with Kenobi, Zenovia focused on her breathing. The brown and nearly barren trees provided some cover as they headed toward the city. Far off in the distance, she could see large rocks protruding high above.

Soon enough they were noticed by droids on a defensive wall elevated ahead of them. Blaster fire broke out between the two sides as the Republic forces weaved in and out of trees for shelter. Master Kenobi unleashed his lightsaber to deflect blasts and she followed suit. He moved so swiftly in his refined movements. Zenovia felt overwhelmed by the scene around them. She tried to think of how to be helpful but she had never assaulted anything before and stayed near Kenobi and the other clones, reflecting red shots to the wall. A couple of clones fell out in the open and Zenovia was horrified. Oh, they're dead, they're dead, they are dead! They were just alive on the ship and now... she felt panic rising and desperately attempted to quell it. She kept her purple blade out in front and concentrated as best as she could manage on preserving their remaining men.

"That bunker's gonna be a problem, General," Cody spoke up.

"Leave the bunker to us. Bring in your troopers on my signal." Kenobi instructed. He turned to the two other marked clones. "You two wanted action. Follow me." He commanded and motioned for his apprentice too.

"You heard him, Waxer!"

The four of them pressed forward near the left side of the target wall. Taking shelter behind large boulders she copied her master in stowing her lightsaber. Zenovia reflected on how Kenobi was so fluid in his movements, hardly moving more than his wrist and elbow in the endeavor. Her efforts were overly labored and taxing. Being this close to the enemy made her already growing anxiety run rampant.

"Let's take them out. Now!"

One of the clones moved to throw a droid popper and she watched as it fell too short of its mark. She dreaded the thought of having to move closer to the line of fire.

"We've gotta get closer to the wall!" The trooper cried out.

"Try again. I'll give you some help. Zenovia, cover us."

Her breath caught in her throat. Nearly fumbling to grab her hilt she ignited the purple blade to stand over her master the soldier. No blaster fire came their way, thankfully they had not been spotted earlier. Using the Force, Master Kenobi moved the droid popper up and over the makeshift ramparts. The ball imploded releasing a wave of disarming electricity. They repeated the action on the remaining side. With both towers taken down, the Ghost Company advanced over the terrain.

Climbing over the wall was easy by comparison. The Jedi used their Force abilities while the clones made use of rappelling cables. At the top, there was a brief period of calmness as they planned their next move. Glancing around she noticed the wreckage of the Twi'leks village. Most of the perimeter was severely damaged beyond the ability of repair. They would have to reconstruct it all again later.

"Are we moving on to the guns?" Commander Cody asked the General.

"We need to know what the droids have in store for us." He replied arms crossed in front. "Send your best men to scout ahead." He stood looking beyond them towards a rising cloud of smoke. She fell in step behind the two of them as Waxer and Boil were given further instruction. A few small parties were sent out to search for where the proton cannons were. Zenovia remained beside her master as they set up a campsite to communicate with Windu.

Their base was set up in what remained of a domed structure. The remaining clones positioned themselves in lookout spots and tended to the wounded. She assisted in setting up the portable hologram devices. Her master was finishing the communications signal location as she fidgeted over her gear. Her grey leather belt was holding her robes together. The white fabric was dusted brown in a few places. Her emergency rations were in her belt pocket along with her Hush-98 comlink, A99 aqua breather, image caster, holomap, and lightsaber.

"You know," Master Kenobi spoke up, startling her from her actions. "when I was an apprentice I used to tug on my Padawan braid whenever I was nervous." He said. Zenovia glanced down at her braid, he had weaved it after she finished designing her songsteel blade. She had been overcome with relief as all Initiates who were not selected by a Knight or Master by the time they reached thirteen standard years would be sent off to a branch of the Service Corps. Zenovia had been well past that age and never knew why the Council of Reassignment had not been active with her.

She recalled the day when she had gone to the Temple's chapel for meditation. It was tradition for the future Padawan to do so and commune with the Force. Afterward, she reported to the High Council with Master Kenobi as her new teacher and she made a vow to uphold service to the Order, the Force, the Republic, and her master. It was then that Obi-Wan placed a bead in the signature Pantoran burgundy shade at the top of her hair. This surprised her as apprentices commonly wore a yellow band at the top if they were chosen before the age of thirteen and a red band at the bottom once they had surpassed sixteen years of age relative to their species. Kenobi had declared that after speaking with many of the Temple's instructors they deemed her studies acceptable to be awarded full course completion. She was to begin studying independently under her master's guidance in whatever areas he saw fit.

"Sometimes I still have the urge too," Kenobi added with a small smile.

She tried to smile in kind, his effort to comfort her was not in vain but Zenovia felt too aware of their warzone surroundings. Reaching up to stroke the strand of hair she reflected on the colors of bands or beads meanings, red was to show piloting skills, blue for mechanical knowledge, black meant covert operations, green demonstrated studying consular subjects like the living force or precognitive visions, white displayed an apprentice learning healing, purple signaled diplomacy, and yellow highlighted their understanding of the lightsaber, other weapons, or combat in general. Master Kenobi had planned for his new Padawan to earn a yellow and green bead or band. Right now, her braid was unadorned aside from the Pantoran bead which doubled as showing her age status and the dangling chain of diamond trapezoids behind her ear. It was fastened into the roots of her hair next to the braid base. In addition to the yellow and green beads, Kenobi instructed her to choose an additional subject to study. Zenovia had selected healing and in the few moons since the ceremony, she had advanced well in the process of attaining a pair of white and green bands. The combat training was still a rough beginning.

"What have you noticed thus far?" Her masted asked, prompting an unavoidable response.

"Wat Tambor's droids are very effective in preparing for our every move." She replied. The two of them moved to stand underneath a partially ruined dome building. The troopers were returning with intel.

"Some things in war can be predicted, such as our change of assault plan to incorporate the large guns." Obi-Wan detailed. "That doesn't mean they will successfully predict everything we do and the same applies to us."

"We've found the guns." Commander Cody revealed to them as they stood around a large holomap. "They are in the large courtyard here and here." He continued pointing to various places on the map. Mace Windu's blue form appeared to hear the discovery. "But there's a complication. They've taken the locals hostage and are using them as shields."

"The Twi'lek prisoners will make this difficult but not impossible." Master Kenobi said, stroking his beard. "I still have a good plan for taking out those guns." He added looking hopeful.

"Getting the villagers out of harm's way is our priority. I have faith in you, General Kenobi." Master Windu spoke over the hologram.

"Cody, we'll go in with everything we have. Clear those hostages." He ordered and at once the clone trooper turned away. Cody took to sending out small teams of scouts. Zenovia felt more uneasy but couldn't pinpoint why.

Some of the troopers set out on their missions. With the Commander and General, she pressed forwards deeper into Nabat. Trekking through the wreckage the Ghost Company continued into the rocky city. Mostly everything that was still standing was a dull brown shade leading Zenovia to wonder how it all looked before it was attacked. How did they decorate, what colors were used, and did they feature any particular shapes? She mulled over the Twi'lek culture, of which she knew only a little. Unfortunately, most of their notability in the galaxy came from being a common species in the slave trade.

"The men set, Cody? What is it?" Obi-Wan inquired.

"Waxer and Boil are not responding. They never returned from scouting." Cody said grimly.

"That isn't like them." the General responded. "They may have run into trouble."

"Sergeant, use the high-powered transmitter to see if you can reach Waxer and Boil."

"Yes, sir!"

"Let's get the rest of the men moving. The other will catch up." Kenobi commanded. He turned to her and added that he wanted Zenovia to stay close to him.

Following the Ghost Company's movements, she walked on, albeit that uneasy feeling had returned in greater strength. The clones had fanned out in their procession each one searching the area on approach. They moved somewhat slowly, cautious in their steps. Everything seemed almost too still. It was quiet out, only the collective sounds of boots on dirt. Looking down at her feet Zenovia noticed the dust wobbled. A distant rumbling washed over her in a wave. Glancing up urgently she sensed they were in immediate danger.

"Master, something's coming!" She warned. Some of the clones paused and looked around more fervently. The waves of rumbling became more powerful and soon she heard it. Within seconds they were overrun by these nasty-looking roaches with legs. They ran fast on two legs with claws and bloated bulbous bodies.

The troopers broke out into a counter-attack, firing at the beasts was seemingly useless as no blasts were stopping them. A couple of clones shouted for them to target the eyes. Waiting for her master to give a command Zenovia watched anxiously as the clones fell back to a more secure area. Kenobi leaped into action igniting his blue lightsaber and moved to keep the beasts at bay. She tailed close behind and held one hand out to use the Force. She pushed one creature away from a clone who had stumbled over the uneven ground. He scrambled to his feet and regained his gun before passing the Jedi. Her lightsaber hand was trembling at the notion of needing to kill the beasts to progress.

Suddenly all of the creatures halted in their attack. They become docile and entranced, realizing the cause to turn to see Master Kenobi with both arms outstretched using the Force to control them.

"Zenovia, get up on the ledge." He instructed her. Not understanding his meaning at first she was about to ask him when she spotted a rocky protrusion above an arch. Kenobi continued to walk backward carefully, drawing the full attention of the creatures as he led them into a chokepoint. Doing as told she jumped up onto the remains of a building before springing up onto the intended ledge. From here she could see the company of clones and her master.

"Incredible." One of the rookies commented, and he was quickly scolded by Cody. The General led the beasts into the trap which also cornered himself. Realizing his intentions Zenovia awaited his next move.

"Shoot the bridge!"

A volley of blaster shots fired into the rocky bridge causing it to break and collapse below. The jarring noise threw the beasts out of their trance and Zenovia's eyes locked onto Obi-Wan as he dodged them. He rolled over the ground to avoid a charge. Running on top of one creature he looked up at his Padawan and she reached out her hands to boost him in a force-aided jump over the rubble and squirming threat. With a finishing flourish, her master flipped gracefully in the air before landing. She returned to the surface less fashionably.

"Good job there, my apprentice." He complimented her as she stepped beside him.

"Thank you," she said shyly, "good plan to use the landscape."

"Ah, yes, it's so refreshing to have a Padawan with a reflective eye."

The Jedi were always taught to be mindful of their surroundings. Though, despite those teachings, she doubted her ability to come up with an idea like that. Zenovia was caught up in what Master Kenobi meant exactly when they all froze at the sound of a drain cover rattling. The General was quick to light his blade but she hesitated. The troopers took up their guns to target the uncovered drain.

"Don't shoot," Kenobi ordered, with a hand pulling Cody's gun down. Their missing scout duo had returned to them.

"Waxer, Boil, where have you two slackers been?" Cody questioned.

"Sir, there is an explanation."

"We got sidetracked." Waxer informed sheepishly.

Out of the drain tunnel, a young Twi'lek child appeared. She climbed out and looked at all the clones. Zenovia could sense her apprehension and fear. The little girl clung to Boil's hand and tried to hide behind his body. The child saw Zenovia and maybe it was due to their similarly colored blueish skin but the Twi'lek brightened at seeing her. Though they were different species and the Padawan had no lekku and the small girl had a more blue-green complexion she seemed to know Zenovia was safe.

"I think I see what sidetracked you." Master Kenobi said, softening the encounter his hands fell from his waist. He knelt before the girl and offered out a hand. "Hello, little one." He greeted her. She flinched away from him. She looked afraid and glanced up at Boil and Waxer first before approaching. Sadly, Zenovia imagined she must have been lost out here for quite some time given her starving physique. Remembering her rations she pulled one from her utility belt and offered it to the child. The food was not terrible, it wasn't great either. It was a flakey substance that would take years before going stale. The girl snatched the food stick and hungrily scarfed it down.

"She brought us here through the tunnels. Knows her way around them pretty well, sir." Waxer revealed. That must be how she's managed to survive this long on her own, we have to save the rest of them... hopefully, her family is still alive.

Unexpectedly the General started speaking in the native Twi'lek language which made the girl bubble up a smile. They exchanged a few short phrases that Zenovia did not understand. She was not aware her master spoke any languages outside of Galactic Basic. A newfound sense of curiosity sprouted as she pondered how many languages he might speak and his knowledge of the galaxy's extensive cultures. She imagined what Master Kenobi was like way back when he was apprenticed to Master Qui-Gon Jinn, what their missions involved - it would have been amazing to see Master Kenobi when he was just a Padawan, she thought. So calm and collected her teacher was.

"The girl can lead us through the tunnel to the prisoners." The General informed the gathered company. "Cody, we're going to need a diversion." He detailed rising from the ground. The two of them started to formulate a course of action. Zenovia wanted to listen in full but the girl reached for her hand and she let her hold it. She smiled down at her and mirrored her master by kneeling. She held both of the Twi'lek's hands as the girl spoke in her native tongue. Trying not to upset her, Zenovia nodded and continued smiling. Hearing the plan it was decided that they would split into two teams, one led by the General and the other by Cody. She followed behind her master as they entered the tunnels with the girl leading them.

As they reached the other side they slowed down to quiet their movements. Avoiding setting off any droid sensors or altering them in any way was crucial to the Twi'lek's rescue. She held her breath in the dark corridor, listening intently for anything above them. Carefully her master led his team through the surface hatch where they entered a holding cell area. Many cages were being scrubbed by droids.

Their team was the smaller one, just the two Jedi with Waxer and Boil, plus the girl. Kenobi cut down the droids while holding the child, she seemed to like the color of his lightsaber. Zenovia kept out of sight alongside them.

"We'll take care of this. You two keep her here." Obi-Wan instructed the clones.

Together they bounded up the stairs leading to the courtyard. The sunlight made her squint as her eyes adjusted to the absent darkness. In the middle of the clearing in a pit was a large group of Twi'leks bound in chains. Various droids surrounded them and beyond that were the proton cannons. At the same time, Cody's men were moving into positions to cause a distraction. He motioned for Zenovia to follow his advance.

They dashed out of their cover and ducked behind a statue near the pit. Right on cue, Cody's men began their barrage to draw the droids' attention away. Brandishing their lightsabers the two Jedi slashed through the remaining battle droids before cutting the shackles of all the prisoners. The bonds were easy to break as they quickly removed all the bindings. The sounds of battle raged on setting her heartbeat into a race. There are so many Twi'leks and clones to protect.

Once they were all unbound Master Kenobi spoke more in their language, something she guessed meant "follow me" and he turned to run back to the cell tunnel. Standing outside the cell entrance Waxer and Boil joined them as the little girl found a family member. Zenovia looked over to where Cody was to see an armored assault tank turning to their location.

"Alright Zenovia, let's see how much your lightsaber training has paid off."

She soured at the thought of an examination right here and now. They sprinted toward the proton cannons to disable them. Waxer and Boil followed suit and aimed at the droids that were recovering from Cody's ruse. In a daring feat Master, Kenobi entered one of the cannons to control it and directed it to fire at the other cannons. Zenovia felt a sense of admiration for his method of thinking. The two clones kept loading the cannons as she deflected incoming blaster fire.

Obi-Wan aimed at the stacks of proton ammo near the cannons and one blast sent two up in a blaze. The other cannons moved to target the Republic forces. She shuddered at the sight of facing down two cannons capable of destroying spacecraft. One shot near them would incinerate them all. Fortunately, Kenobi was already firing at the two remaining targets and successfully caused a chain reaction by hitting one which fired off course into the next one.

Just as the two clones and Kenobi moved to sabotage their cannon the droid tank was shooting at them. Zenovia panicked, her lightsaber was too small to deflect heavy fire. She dodged out of the way and Force pushed Waxer and Boil away from the explosion. A pang of dread struck her as they rolled on the ground. Kenobi was flung from the blast as she tried to slow his fall but was too late. He landed hard on his side but started to get up.

Hurrying to his side Zenovia's ears were ringing from the explosion and she lost focus on the incoming droids. She fell to her knees to help Kenobi regain his footing. Peering behind her shoulder she saw the little Twi'lek girl beside the two clones rousing them as the rest of the Twi'leks ran out from the escape route. What are they doing? We're trying to save them not bring them back into the fight!

The courtyard erupted into a fit of screams as the natives charged the droids. Cody's men were further off attacking from the other side. Her master slung an arm around her shoulders as she tried to hoist him up. But, they both froze when they looked up at the armored tank's barrel pointed directly at them.

"You lose, General Kenobi." The droid said flatly with mechanical laughter.

Fearing for his injuries Zenovia's thoughts whizzed over all the books she had read on Force healing. She had only tried it under the observations of the Temple's Jedi healers in practice scenarios but this was necessary. One hand was wrapped around Obi-Wan's side and as the droid stared them down from the tank's open hatch she was able to quiet her shaking mind and sense that it was only a minor injury. Thankfully, her master only had some bruising on his shoulder and ribcage. Breathing in and out while focusing on her heartbeat Zenovia pictured his skin tissue mending itself rapidly and clearing away the greenish marks. She dared not try and repair anything to his head if he had suffered a concussion or anything worse by being flung from the cannon.

His grip tightened on her as they heard the tank being fired up. She braced herself to try and stop the blast as it was released. She had never tried anything that big before but she couldn't let her master die. Zenovia nearly reached for her lightsaber, thinking that if she could throw it at the right angle and guide its path she could slice through the tank's barrel.

"Wait." He breathed to her.

The tank became overrun with Twi'leks shouting as they ripped through the command droid. They tore the limbs off as the two Jedi regained their footing. Relief flooded her at the sight of Mace Windu's ships arriving overhead. We did it, these people are no longer prisoners on their home planet.

"Let's go meet with Master Windu," Kenobi said. He walked a bit stiffly and Zenovia eyed him carefully, feeling the need to protest but trying to remain respectful.

"Master," she started, almost dropping the matter entirely. "shouldn't we go check with the infirmary first?" He turned to her and she dropped her gaze to the ground. "I mean, I don't know if I properly healed y-" She cut herself off as Obi-Wan placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Zenovia, you have exceeded my expectations." He spoke reassuringly. "We'll discuss it more on the ship in our debriefing, I sense you are becoming active in recognizing your fears." She felt embarrassed that he was overtly aware of her emotions. Her blue skin flushed a tinge of indigo. "I don't expect you to master your fears in the course of one outing, that can only happen with time."

She nodded her acknowledgment of his words. He motioned for her to walk beside him as they trekked to the field where Mace Windu's troops had landed. This part of the mission was over for Master Kenobi and her, now it was up to Windu to carry out the remaining liberation. Cody caught up to them as he and Obi-Wan spoke about their losses and wounded men. They had taken heavy losses in the beginning landing, of their six gunships, only two had made it to the forest. From there they lost eight more clones and six more were injured.

The walking tanks were deboarding the ships by the time they arrived at the ramp. Master Windu had a large host of all-terrain tactical enforcers. There were even more clones escorting the various pieces of equipment all around setting up a base of operations. The Master of the Order was a formidable person, Zenovia had spent weeks studying his holograms on swordsmanship. She stood quietly next to her teacher as the two older Jedi spoke.

"Great job getting rid of those cannons. Now we have a more difficult objective." Windu complimented. "We must take the capital and free this world."

"We've paved the way for your men to get through, once this is all over hopefully the Twi'lek will begin to recover from the horrors of the war."

"The cost of war can never truly be accounted for." Master Windu said as they looked out over Ryloth. Windu official relieved Kenobi of his duties following his completed objective. With the Ghost Company, the two Jedi led them back to the ship for departure. They passed the group of freed Twi'leks and the little girl was waving happily and kept calling out to the clones.

"Sir, what is that she keeps calling us?" Boil asked the General.

"'Nerra,' it means 'brother'". Obi-Wan translated.

The two clones looked back at the girl and Waxer waved. With Commander Cody, they boarded the ship to head for the Jixuan desert. It was the last part of the planet's southern hemisphere they did not control. Master Skywalker had secured the space around Ryloth leaving Master Windu to tackle the capital city of Lessu. They were close to freeing the Twi'lek's home, Zenovia hoped it would last when they were done.