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Enjoy chapter 3!

There was the clamor of Imperial chatter rising and falling as the patrol transport drove by, lights shining in the windows of the condemned building before moving on.

"We can't stay here forever," Sabine whispered. "The only reason they're not searching the city building by building is because most of the troops are still occupied with Empire Day."

"I know, I'm thinking," Kanan murmured. "We can't go out there half-cocked. Not with that Inquisitor after us."

He could practically feel her gaze boring a hole in the side of his head. "Yeah, who exactly was that guy again? You say 'Inquisitor' as if I'm supposed to know what that means."

Kanan kept his expression neutral. "They're Force-sensitive Jedi hunters."

"Yeah, I got that much from the daiima. Which, how exactly was it able to transform like that? And what are they doing here? There's no reason for them to suspect you're Force sensitive!"

Despite the circumstances, Kanan couldn't help the sadness that rose up in him. He reflexively smacked the side of his thigh twice in quick succession. "He's a kid," he said quietly. "Daiima don't settle into their permanent form until they and their jemma reach a certain point of maturity. As for why they're here… Given their age, they're probably just a trainee. The Inquisitorious wouldn't have sent them here alone if they knew who I was."

Another transport drove by, silence stretching between them as they waited for it to pass. And even then, Sabine didn't respond immediately. Kanan imagined she was trying to phrase her statement as diplomatically as possible. "You've encountered Inquisitors before?"

"Yes," he said simply. Kanan closed his eyes, making sure his signature was still hidden. Child or not, Kanan didn't like his chances against the Inquisitor without Nara.

"But you defeated them." She phrased it like a statement, but it was obviously also a question.

"Some of them," he said, glancing at her with a slight warning. That was not a period of his life he liked to think about, let alone talk about.

Sabine got the message and backed off. He knew she liked to be in the know, but they had made it very clear when she joined the crew: he and Nara's past was for no one but them.

[We'll be at the city's edge in fifteen.]

Kanan sighed. "We need to get moving. Nara says they're close."

Sabine nodded, putting on her helmet. "What should we do if we run into him again?"

"You will get out of there as fast as you can," Kanan said sternly. "Inquisitors and their daiima are trained to be ruthless killers first and foremost."

"And what about you?" she asked with a slight annoyed whine in her voice.

"I'll hold him off as long as possible. If he really is a trainee, I should be able to at least keep him occupied until the Ghost arrives."

Sabine scoffed as they crawled towards one of the exits. "Ever think you'd be outed to the Empire like this?"

Kanan pressed his lips together, not bothering to respond. He was still kicking himself for literally getting trapped in a corner. He had underestimated the Inquisitor. His ability to track a single signature through a populated city was impressive for one so young. Somberly, he pondered what kind of brute training the child had had to go through to become so skilled so young.

The Inquisitors weren't just former Jedi anymore. Kanan and Nara always knew that this was a possibility: that the Empire wouldn't just kill newborn Force sensitive children, but take them and induct them into the Inquisitorious. Now the first wave of kidnapped children were becoming active. Children who should have grown up in the light of the Jedi Temple were now twisted into ruthless tools for the Emperor's cause.

It filled Kanan with rage. It was bad enough that they had scooped up surviving Jedi and Padawans and tortured them into corruption, but now they were doing the same to children who knew literally nothing else.

[Kanan…] Nara said softly.

[Maybe we should have done more.]

[There was nothing we could have done. Not after what he did to us.]

She was right, of course. Chances were he and Nara would have been swept up by the Inquisitorious too. Or just killed. Still, it didn't make him feel like any less of a coward.

Sabine scanned through the door for any heat signatures before opening it and quietly slipping out. Kanan followed close behind her, casting away thoughts of the past. There was no use wallowing. They could only move forward.

The main square was in ruins. From what Thirteen had been able to overhear, the insurgents had somehow rigged the new TIE to explode. While there were no civilian casualties, several stormtroopers were being treated in the Imperial Complex. Thirteen was walking around the edges of the square when his master's droid found him. It beeped curious at him, noting that he did not have the insurgents with him. Thirteen had to keep himself from grimacing. "No," he said quietly. "And there is… something else."

The droid landed on his shoulders and told him to proceed, its polite tone in contrast to its legs digging in through the fabric of his suit threateningly.

There was no use stalling. "One of the dissidents, the human man, is a Jedi."

Snapping its pincers, the droid practically hissed. If a Jedi was here, his master needed to be informed immediately.

His Asset whimpered and stepped back, but Thirteen managed to remain outwardly still. "Of course," he said. "In the meantime, I will continue to aid in the search."

The droid hissed again, and Thirteen's collar tingled in warning. A Jedi was well beyond the parameters of this mission. He was to report back to his TIE and wait for further instructions from his master.

A spike of panic shot through both Thirteen and his Asset. They both wanted to continue the search. Even if there had been no way to predict a Jedi would be here, this mission would almost certainly be deemed a failure. Which would only mean return to his Master's arms and her Asset's claws.

But there was no use arguing. The droid had all the power. "Very well," Thirteen said quietly. Ignoring the questioning looks of the Imperials patrolling the area of the wreckage, he walked back to the dome. It took all his self control to keep his breathing even. Showing his panic would only increase his chances of being recalled. Even his Asset had the good sense to act as casually as possible.

By the time he returned to Bay Twenty-Three, the parrot droid beeped and settled on the ground in front of him, projecting his master's visage.

Thirteen immediately knelt, his Asset following suit. "Master."

"I hear your mission has taken an… interesting turn of events."

He prayed his trembling wasn't too pronounced. "Yes, Master. One of the insurgents - a human male - has revealed himself to be strong with the Force."

"So you say."

"He is!" Thirteen insisted, looking up at the holo. "I-I sensed it, and no normal man could jump like - !"

A jolt of electricity was sent through his collar, causing Thirteen's muscles to tense. It hadn't hurt. It had just been a warning. He quickly looked back down, knowing he was acting insolent.

"Describe him to me," his master ordered, her voice still even

Thirteen took a moment to regain his composure. He could tell she was losing patience with him. "I'd say one point nine meters tall. Medium complexion. Dark long hair. And a…" He hesitated for just a moment. "... It looked to be a lightsaber scar along the right side of his face."

There was a stretch of silence. Thirteen hated that he couldn't sense his master's reaction, but he didn't dare look up to try and gauge her reaction.

Finally, she asked, "And what was his Asset?"

"I… I don't know. Even as I chased him through the city, I didn't see or sense his Asset. I'm assuming it's something small and weak. Easily hidden, as is typical for Jedi."

His master hummed thoughtfully, and Thirteen couldn't help but glance up for just a moment. She was frowning and looked almost… confused. "Whatever the case, remain vigilant but do not pursue. I am coming to assist in the hunt."

Thirteen's heart leapt to his throat. "Th-That's not necessary, Master," he said a little too quickly. "I can find and kill the Jedi on my own. I don't need - !"

The muscles in his neck tensed, and he only managed a gasp before the electricity shot through his body. He fell to the ground as all his muscles seized, and he could only let out choked grunts as his body jerked uncontrollably with hot pain.

When the pain faded, Thirteen let out strained pants as he forced his limbs to move. He blinked away tears as he managed to get back into a kneel even though his muscles were still twitching. His Asset was a hair's breadth away from his leg, her fear and worry sharp against his mind.

"Your freedom has made you insolent," his master snarled. "Perhaps you were not ready for this task. Stay in the Imperial Dome - confined to your TIE - until I arrive," she ordered. "After we deal with the Jedi and his co-conspirators, I will bring you back to the Inquisitorious.

Thirteen's throat closed up in fear. This meant he had failed. She would bring him back to Nur, and his training would begin all over again…

"Yes, Master," he managed to whisper.

The holo cut out, and for a few moments, Thirteen didn't dare move. But the droid settled on his shoulder and repeated her orders: get into the TIE.

He mutely nodded and stood, groaning as his muscles protested. He instinctively slipped a finger between his neck and the collar. Even if his Master's droid wasn't here, there was no way of removing it.

The three of them had settled into the TIE. The droid sat on the dash, and his Asset settled by the emergency light as per usual. Thirteen sat behind the pilot's seat and closed his eyes to meditate. Anything to distract him from the fact that he had failed.

"You are worth nothing unless we deem you to be of use. If you cannot serve the Empire, then you will serve me."

His body wouldn't stop trembling. His Asset's fear was just as keen as his own and they fed into one another. They knew what this meant for both of them. Days of cramped darkness as their tether was stretched to its limit, bouts of torturous training that made them both feel wretched no matter how well they performed…

They couldn't go back. He didn't think they'd survive. They would be forced to work for the Empire - or his master - with their sense of selves completely scrapped out until there was nothing left but husks.

There was a soft buzz. It was becoming familiar now. He couldn't put a name to what it was… but he knew that following it would lead him to the Jedi.

He clenched his fists as he made a decision. It was rash. It would almost certainly lead to being disciplined, but he honestly could not imagine anything worse than what was certainly in store for them as things stood. And if he managed to succeed - fulfill his purpose as a Jedi hunter - the Grand Inquisitor might keep his master from punishing them too badly.

Opening his eyes, he saw his Asset gazing back at him from her corner. Her fear was swelling, but he could also sense her resolve. She would follow him to the bitter end.

So under the guise of obedience, Thirteen laid down on his back just like always, closing his eyes to feign sleep. Instead, he focused on the Force and very gently reached out towards the droid. The droid was perceptive, but it couldn't sense the Force like his master could. He felt out the droid's power core, and with a small sigh, he clenched his fist against his stomach.

There was the distinct popping of electronics short circuiting and the low whine of the droid powering down. Thirteen opened his eyes, relief flooding him as he saw that the red eye had dimmed. He slowly sat up, still cautious that the droid was just pretending and testing him. His neck was stiff in anticipation of some sort of retribution.

But it never came.

Thirteen grinned. "Serves you right, you piece of junk," he snarled. He knocked it off the console as he sat in the pilot's seat and powered up the TIE. He knew the codes for this ship would read as being from the Inquisitorious and thus had the authority to take off and fly whenever he wished.

Before he took off, he closed his eyes and focused on the buzz in the back of his mind. Faint as it was, he could feel the tiny thread that spooled from it. Thirteen grinned. It would be easy to follow. Whoever this Jedi was, he was doing a miserable job of blocking his signature.

His Asset came out from her corner, turning into a large yeomet and leaning her front paws on the dash to watch as the TIE took off. At that moment, they both realized this was the first time they had truly been alone together. Thirteen could sense that she wanted to reach out to him, mentally and physically. He kept his gaze fixed on the viewport, pointedly ignoring her hesitant prods against his mind. He had to focus on the task at hand. They had to succeed in this crazy endeavor if they wanted to keep themselves from the hands of his master…

The thread led him out of the city and over the vast plains to the west. He knew they had to act fast. If he could sense the Jedi, it was likely that the Jedi could sense him as well. Thirteen had to make sure he found him before the Jedi and his cohort left Lothal.

His Asset was now sitting on the top of the dash in the form of an irid, her plumage tight against her body as she looked out through the viewport. Then her head cocked slightly. [I see the ship.]

Thirteen squinted, even knowing he wouldn't be able to see it yet. But this was good. He was going in the right direction. It was only a moment later that a soft beeping on his console indicated a ship nearby. With no ports or settlements in that direction, it had to be them. Gritting his teeth, Thirteen pushed the engines harder, careful to avoid the rock formations that jutted out of the plain's surface.

Then he could see it. It was a freighter of some sort, still on the ground. He couldn't help but smirk. Even if it had been in the air, the TIE could easily outrun a ship that bulky. If it hadn't even taken off, it didn't stand a chance.

But he knew he couldn't just destroy the ship. He would disable it and then deal with the dissidents personally one by one. He had to see the Jedi face-to-face, watch the light drain from him with his own eyes. He needed solid proof that he was fulfilling his function, that way the Inquisitorious would know that he disobeyed his master's orders for good reason.

As he approached, he could see the engines of the freighter begin to glow as it powered up. "Too late," he snarled, firing his plasma cannons. The successive bolts hit the ground before dotting the freighter's engines and dorsal. By the flash of white, Thirteen saw that the freighter had shields and were currently holding steady. This ship had definitely been modified for combat.

He quickly turned the TIE around to make another pass. No shield could last forever. If he kept up the barrage on one section, they would eventually fail. Biting his lip in concentration, he focused his fire on the aft. All he needed was one shot to break through…

In a large spray of sparks and smoke, one of the freighter's engines sputtered and darkened as it failed.

"Yes!" Thirteen exclaimed in victory.

[No wait, turn...!]

A spray of bolts suddenly barraged his TIE, two finding their mark on the left wing. The fighter jolted violently, and the console began screaming and flashing red as the TIE rolled uncontrollably through the air. Then there was a sudden jerk as the ship crashed into the ground.

The world continued to spin as Thirteen moaned and blinked rapidly, trying to reorient himself. There were a few aches and pains - particularly when he inhaled - but he barely registered them beyond a footnote in the back of his mind. He looked around and saw his Asset still in irid form shaking her head and ruffling her feathers. They were okay. They just needed to get their bearings.

Undoing the straps, he pulled the emergency lever to open the hatch before shoving it open with a thrust of his hand. He climbed out and knelt at the edge, looking around for the direction of the freighter.

A wave of vertigo and nausea suddenly hit him, his leg slipping before he tumbled down the side of the TIE into the crater below. "No…" he moaned, trying to force himself up. He wasn't even hurt. He couldn't let something as trivial as dizziness keep him from finishing what needs to be done.

He felt a slight nudge against his arm, and he blinked to see his Asset in nexu form as she tried to help him up. Gritting his teeth against the nausea, he twisted a hand into her fur and used her head as leverage to get to his feet. Panting with exertion, he forced himself to stand straight as he grabbed his saber and looked over in the distance where his target lay. He could do this. He's fought tougher opponents in worse condition. There was no excuse for failure.

Knowing that running would end up with his face planted firmly in the ground, he started to walk. He wasn't that far, and there was no way they would be able to repair the damage to their engines that quickly. He mentally prepared himself for this fight, trying to keep his focus and push the irritating swaying of his vision forced down.

He was approaching the freighter from the port aft side, well outside the range of the guns. To Thirteen's surprise, they didn't stay hidden in their ship like cowards. Instead, the ramp of the ship was lowered and the Mandalorian and the Jedi ran out and began shooting. Most of the shots went wide, but the few that got close were easy batted away.

The world blurred and tilted for a moment before righting itself again. He had to finish this.

With a soft snarl, his Asset bounded ahead of him, leaping from side to side to avoid the bolts. Thirteen shoved a hand forward to stagger the two of them. The Mandalorian fell backward from the push, but the Jedi just grit his teeth and kept his balance before he took a shot at Thirteen's Asset. She had no choice but to jump backward out of harm's way, transforming into a smaller creature to hide in the grasses.

For Thirteen, it had been enough of a distraction. He surged forward and leaped into the air, his lightsaber pulled back to slash down at the Jedi…

… only for something large to barrel into him from the side.

Thirteen cried out as he hit the ground hard, pain exploding through his chest and knocking the air out of him. He gasped for breath as his limbs shook, his vision nothing but a blur of grey and pale blue. He had to get up. He had to fight.

Something entered his field of vision, large and snarling into his face. Thirteen could only continue to gasp for air as terror filled him. This creature was enormous. And through the Force, he could sense that their emotions were just as strong and powerful as the Jedi's.

This was the Jedi's Asset? That was impossible. There was no way an Asset this large could have even physically hidden from him the night before, let alone in the Force.

As air began to enter his lungs, Thirteen started to crawl back away from the giant lupine beast. Where was his lightsaber? If he could just manage to pierce this Asset's chest, then…!

There was the tinny sound of a blaster, and everything went black.

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