Chapter 20

Family or Duty

"I look ridiculous." Leo said as the others waited outside the bathroom for Leo to come out, The two Knights, Ahsoka and Sugi were waiting in the apartments interior for Leo to get dressed "Your robes smell worse then a rancor's droppings from whatever you fell in after you took them off, it was best I could do on short notice" Sugi said. She was sitting on the bed having run out of contacts to get information out of. Anakin was leaned up against the wall with Ahsoka next to him, Obi-Wan beside Sugi. The sound of Leo sighing as he came out of the bathroom in dry clothes was a sight to behold, he was wearing a ugly brownish reddish poncho over his shoulders, a tan vest and pale blue shirt under that with with dark blue almost gray pants, but the icing on his fashion cake was a flat wide brimmed hat"Pffft-" Ahsoka held in a laugh as Leo came out "I look Cad Bane's Junior sidekick, little hat?" Leo said tossing off the hat to Sugi.

She caught while the jedi held in their laughter "Wouldn't be a shocker if Bane was looking for him, you know they sailed together in Starks crew."

"What?" Ahsoka asked, something that Leo had already knew "Oh yeah all of Starks crew went onto be big names after the war." Sugi said as she threw the hat back to Leo.

"Cad Bane, Aurra Sing, Jango feet wasn't there after the fifth Quoitle but he was always close to Stark, Hondo Ohnaka his quartermaster became a pirate as you know." Sugi said, recalling the first time she met the Jedi. The others all eyed Leo at the unusual coincidences of people "You'd be surprised how many people joined Stark and would want him dead, and anyone related to him which brings me to this." Sugi said taking out her holodevice and turning it on to reveal a small building with a red x painted on it.

"That's where he's hiding?" Anakin asked, guessing.

Sugi gave a shrug "Our best bet from what my sources gathered."

"It can't be that simple." Leo said, putting on the hat to aid the disguise, "Never said it was, if we're lucky no one else has been there." Sugi said reaching into her belt and pulling out a blaster pistol, a DE-10, without the scope "Won't look like much of a hunter without one."

Leo took it grudgingly "I hate blasters." He said putting it into the holster hiding his lightsaber on his other side under his poncho.

"Well here on Nar Shaddaa there more valuable then credits, now are we going to just keep talking or are we going after this guy?" Sugi asked. Eventually the four seekers had left Sugi's apartment and made their way down to the lower city, the streets were dark as night there with the only lights coming from street lamps that lined the roads. The sky itself was blocked out by the higher levels built on top of them one after the other, trash littered the sidewalks and some kind of fungus was growing from the streets giving the place a terrible smell from the pollen.

Ahsoka plugged her nose, her togruta senses burning, she then thought of a quick snip "Smells worse then you Rusty." She said to Leo who didn't smile or even chuckle.

The cold shoulder she'd been giving him was being returned "There it is." Obi-Wan said pointing to the building with the red x "Why would anyone put a giant red x on a building, its obvious?" Anakin pointed out.

"Ah but that's the brilliance, who would hide in such an obvious place?" Sugi reminded him walking toward it.

There were no lights on from inside and more then all the windows were boarded up, "Doens't look like anyone's home?" Obi-Wan added.

"No, I sense something inside…. fear." Ahsoka said, Leo walked in first ahead of everyone "What is he doing?" Sugi asked before the others followed them.

Leo walked inside and ran up the first flight of stairs he saw the others trailing after him, Leo made it to the top floor when he saw a door partially open. Hurrying toward it he reached for the door opening it-

WHAM

Leo fell back onto the floor holding his forehead, the hat had been knocked clean off and when he looked up he saw Elli, his sister, holding a blaster pistol pointed right at him "Leo?" She gasped. Elli Stark was dressed in a white long sleeved shirt with a black hooded vest and grey scarf. Brown pants were around her legs and she was wearing dark black mud covered boots.

"Y-yeah…. good hit." Leo said getting up wobbling a bit "Drop it!" Ahsoka shouted turning on her lightsaber, Elli and Leo looked down the hallway to see the Jedi and bounty hunter at the ready lightsaber and blasters drawn.

Elli dropped the blaster pistol hands up "Jedi." She said horrified, she looked down at Leo "You brought Jedi?"

"They insisted." He said getting to his feet "Elli what's all that noise?" Someone said in the back, that's when the brown haired Iaclyn popped his head out. When he saw all the Jedi and Sugi "Ok, we're going to die, good job sis."

"I take it, these are the children, Starks children?" Sugi asked lowering her blaster "Iaclyn, Elli these are my friends."

Iaclyn shot Leo a look that could kill "Yeah well there Jedi like you 'Big Brother'." He said making quotes with his fingers, Iaclyn was wearing a gray poncho over what looked like his fine clothes from Raxus that were now getting torn and dirty from being on the run.

Sugi's jaw dropped "Big brother?" She asked looking at Leo then at the other kids seeing the resemblance.

The eldest of the three slapped his forehead "Iaclyn." He grumbled following Iaclyn into their hiding spot. The room was spacious but had four beds, with one heating lamp on them and bags around the room. Other than that everything was covered in dust and broken glass.

"What was she not supposed to know, the way how everyone on this garbage planet is trying to kill us?" Iaclyn snapped.

"We're here to rescue you and your parents young man." Obi-Wan said stepping forward drawing back his hood "Great job so far." Iaclyn said sarcastically walking back into their hideout.

Ahsoka crossed her arms at him when she sheathed her lightsaber "You could be a little more grateful punk?"

"Oh yeah, I'm grateful for sure." Iaclyn said falling back on one of the mattresses on the floor "Grateful to have my entire life uprooted because turns out my older brother who is a Jedi, isn't even a turncoat to the Jedi he's a spy and had our family dragged correction my family dragged into this war, yeah real grateful." Iaclyn said turning over on the mattress.

Leo didn't say a word at his brothers harsh words, while the others came in "Hold on just a second." Sugi said, rubbing her forehead looking at Leo.

"You are son of Iaco Stark, the big deal he made for the Stark Hyperspace War was handing you off to the jedi?" Sugi asked.

"YES!" Everyone in the room shouted at Sugi, who was abruptly taken back at the volume of the response "Oh and the millions of credits as compensation my dad got." Iaclyn said.

Leo tensed up hearing the past brought up again, he could never escape it here it seemed "We can talk about the past later, where are mom and dad?" Leo asked Elli.

"Dad has been leading the bounty hunters off our trail since we got here, mom went out for food a while ago." Elli answered.

Suddenly the Jedi and Sugi heard a blaster being primed "And she brought home takeout."

The Jedi sprung lightsabers ready at the door to see a fully armored bounty hunter walk in holding a heavy blaster carbine, they were dressed in dark yellow combat armor with gray stripes running across the chest. A jet pack was attached and the helmet had two bug eyes lenses with a breathing apparatus in front, two blaster pistols were at their hips with a flamethrower attached to their bracer as they walked in, "Mom?" Leo asked, seeing the hunter.

"Napoleon?" she said, dropping the blaster rifle.

"Napoleon?" Sugi asked "Don't ask." Ahsoka whispered to her.

Leo's mom took off her helmet, her long chestnut brown hair had been done up in a bun when she ran up to Leo and flung her arms around him "We thought the Jedi would kill you when you went back to them?" she said hugging him, even through the hard armor and weapons Leo felt the warmth of his mothers love.

"Excuse me, Jedi right here?" Anakin said as she broke the hug "Well, you can't blame me, mother worries." she said, touching her son's cheek.

She looked at each of the Jedi eyeing Ahsoka with some interest before looking to Leo, "Introductions?" She asked.

"Riiiiiight." Leo said realizing he'd gotten caught up in the moment, "This is Sugi, a friend." Sugi make a nod and Arriss and the others.

"Mother, Elli, Iaclyn these are my friends Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker's padawan Ahsoka Tano." Leo said as Anakin and Ahsoka stepped forward.

Anakin gave a wink and a smile while Ahsoka said "We're here to help you Lady Stark."

"Do I look like much of a lady girl?" she asked gesturing to all the weapons and armor, before turning to Obi-Wan "And it is my esteemed honor to introduce you'll to my teacher, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Obi-Wan gave a formal nod "At your service."

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, you don't remember me do you?" Leo's Mom asked him to pick up her helmet.

"Beg pardon?" Obi-Wan asked, Arris shrugged it off as she slid the helmet under her arm "It's in the past, so what's your plan for getting us out of here?" She asked.

"First we find Stark, then we get you back to our ship and then it's on to the Republic." Anakin said, stepping forward with the plan "Is it that easy Mom?" Elli asked. Leo and Elli's mother grew quiet "Well, if we can find your father without drawing all those hunters here and whatever else has been chasing us?"

"Else?" Ahsoka asked "We aren't sure what it is, but when a group of bounty hunters were after us they were all shot in the back of the head and then whatever shot them started shooting at us." Arris explained taking out a holodevice. A recording showed of bounty hunters being shot down followed by a deep gurgling noise.

Leo held up his hand "Wait, rewind." He said.

She did and the recording was replaced, the Jedi listened intently at the gurgling noise, it wasn't a gurgle it was a mechanical langue "Commando Droids."

"What?" Iaclyn asked, shooting up.

"Sent by Dooku to kill you." Leo explained, Iaclyn then suddenly smirked "Great, great that's just great now we're enemies of the Separatists!"

"Keep your voice down Iaclyn." Their mother said hushing their youngest son.

Iaclyn glared at his mother before crossing his arms and going over to pout in the corner "What is his problem?" Ahsoka asked.

"This has been hard on all of us Ahsoka was it?" Elli asked next to her, "That's right?" Ahsoka was taller than Elli and leaner too due to her rigorous jedi training. Elli nodded glad she got the name right "Mom, do you know where dad is?"

Arris slid her helmet back on "His last transmission was in the upper city, he went there to find a ship so we should probaly get topside to send him a signal that your brothers here."

"Here to make more problems for us!" Iaclyn snapped in the corner "Iaclyn enough." Arris snapped at him before she turned to Obi-Wan and Anakin.

"Listen here Jedi, whatever our past my family is the most important thing to me." She said reaching for Leo's hand taking it, then taking Elli's "You already took one child, he came back so don't make me loose others understood?" She asked.

Obi-Wan and Anakin smiled at each other then at her "Crystal clear ma'am." Anakin said.

"Then let's go."

The Starks, Jedi and Sugi made their way out of the apartment and toward the lift Obi-Wan was up front with Leo, Ahsoka and Arris on the left and right with Iaclyn and Elli in the middle. Anakin and Sugi in the back watching their flanks. The street was all but deserted toward the lift they were heading toward.

"Looks clear." Leo said holding his lightsaber under his poncho "That's what worries me." Obi-Wan said.

When they got onto the elevator everyone seemed to breath a sigh of relief "So far so good?" Anakin said to Sugi.

"Just wait, it'll end badly I bet." She said shouldering her blaster "What are you doing?" Anakin asked.

"We want to blend in right, not be noticed having our blasters out doesn't really say I don't have something worth a lot of credits so shoot at me?" Sugi pointed out to him.

Arris nodded under her armor "She has a point." She said bolstering her own weapon over her back.

"I've been meant to ask ?" Leo suddenly said as the elevator rose "Where did you get all of this- firepower?" He said looking at her armor.

"Haven' worn it in years, sure your father was the Captain but who do you think was the boarding party." Arris asked, banging on her armor's chest piece a few scratched and blaster burn marks here and there. By the time the elevator had reached the level they wanted, each of them filed out staying close together in a large crowd of Nar Shaddaa's colorful citizens.

Arriss pointed to a spot overlooking the rest of the city "Over here." She said holding her armors wrist piece which had many buttons and armaments.

"Are you callin dad?" Elli asked under her hood "I'm trying to."

"Give us some shade, if anyone starts looking at us Jedi we run." Arris said as the others crowded around her to try and hide the message. A hologram of static appeared before they heard the sounds of blaster fire, then they saw Iaco Stark bleeding from his forehead holding a blaster pistol "Hi honey, I may be a bit late for dinner?" Iaco said panting and shooting at someone, somewhere on Nar Shaddaa.

Leo looked over his shoulder at the hologram seeing his father, the Jedi looked at Leo wondering how he'd react. Leo's face was a mix of emotions yearning, painful even a bit angry "We'll eat on the road, some friends from out of town are here to get us to the core."

The hologram of Iaco fired off a few more rounds "Really who are they, we don't have a lot of friends honey?"

Leo turned around and stood over the hologram "Just tell us where you are and we'll come get you?"

Iaco looked at the hologram from his point of view "Leo…" he gasped "What you doing here, you shouldn't have come."

"Don't be mad at him daddy, I called him." Elli said poking her face into the feed "Rrrr stupid girl, who else is here?" Iaco asked.

"Some more Jedi and a friend, where are you Iaco?" Arris asked.

Iaco suddenly got up and ran an explosion in the background of the holofeed "Sending you the coordinates now, going to need a fast exit." He said before cutting the feed, a few seconds later the coordinates were received "Alright let's go." Leo's mother said before they all turned around to see a group of rodian bounty hunters standing across from them "Did I hear you all talking about Iaco Stark?" One of them asked.

Before the Jedi could speak Arriss drew her blaster pistol "No."

She shot the rodian dead between the eyes, the second the others saw their brother go down they drew their blasters "Thought you said run?" Anakin said, drawing his lightsaber.

"I did, but this lets them know we mean business." Arris said drawing her other pistol, Sugi raised her rifle and the other jedi drew their swords.

The street filled with the words and shouts of "Jedi… Jedi… Jedi."

"We're walking out of here to your ship Jedi." Arris said both Elli and Iaclyn cowering behind her in the middle of the circle the others had made. As they started to move the crowd of the street began to clear, anyone not holding a blaster ran indoors. Cantina vendors and store owners shut their windows and locked them with blast doors but even then the street still had a lot of angry armed thugs on it.

Leo was next to Obi-Wan "They don't look intimidated."

"This is the smuggler's moon Master, here there are the hunters and we're the prey." Anakin said while they watched the eyes of some very hungry predators with their hands reaching for their blasters.

"They don't look like they'll wait much longer." Ahsoka said seeing the bounty hunters were all waiting for their chance, the first one to shoot would surely die by a jedi deflecting the shot but the second could have a chance to shoot the jedi who deflected it so they were all waiting for the right time to strike. "Leo, your battle meditation?" Obi-Wan asked

"What?" Iaclyn asked as Leo focused, closing his eyes he moved alongside the others without missing a step and reached into the force, sending out the message to these battle hardened bounty hunters, men of the void who went into the galaxy for danger and reward. Those who reached for their weapons started to reach for courage instead as fear and the chance of death washed over them. Leo's battle meditation seeped into everyone around them making the hunters and mercenaries back off. They took their hands away from their weapons and began to back away "It's working." Anakin said.

Smiling with his eyes closed Leo said "Well I don't really get to use it that much since we fought droids all the time." But it wasn't to last, the sound of a random blaster bolt flew out at the jedi, Anakin deflected it and fear turned into flight or fight. The coin of fate was tossed in the heads of the bounty hunters still in the street and the fight was. Blasters were torn out of their holsters and let fly with red hot lasers incoming from every direction, Leo's eyes shot open and he started to deflect them with Obi-Wan, Anakin and Ahsoka "Get to cover." Arris said shoving her kids over to Sugi who pulled Ellis hand behind a crate with Elli pulling Iaclyn behind it.

The jedi used their laser swords to draw fire and cut down many bounty hunters holding knives or swords to come at them.

Arris kicked off the ground with her jetpack and opened fire from above, she flew forward igniting her flamethrower showering a dozen hunters in flames to cut them a path "Move it." She shouted.

Sugi and the two Stark children ran out with the jedi covering, a gamorrean warrior with an axe cut off their path before Ahsoka jumped up and kicked him away "Hurry." She told them before they ran on ahead. A tholothian mercenary with a blaster pistol pointed at Sugi was about to kill her but Obi-Wan was there to cut him down followed by Anakin tackling the Rodians who started all with his lightsaber to cut them down.

"We're almost there." Sugi said back as they made their way to the landing pad.

Arris was still in the air using it to her advantage when someone got a lucky shot off hitting her jet pack and sending her in and out of control flight. "Mother!" Iaclyn screamed. Leo looked up to see her up clip herself from her jet pack and fall twenty feet from the air into the hard metal ground, a group of Bount hunters were near her and came out to finish the job when Leo appeared "NO!" He shouted.

Leo turned on the other end of his double bladed lightsaber and cut them all down in a hurricane of white hot laser sword fury. He knelt down taking her helmet off "Mother, mother." Leo said as it came off Anakin couldn't help but look to see him cradle her, the sudden memories of that night, the night on Tatooine when Anakin lost his own mother came rushing back to him. They had fought their way to the other side of the street where the landing pad was but more bounty hunters were pouring out of the buildings and onto the street "Get to the ship… now." Anakin told the others.

Anakin walked out ahead of Ahsoka and Obi-Wan, drawing back his hand Anakin held it up to the street and without warning, a great gust of power had taken hold behind Anakin and was pushing out from his hand. The force was starting to stop the bounty hunters like a forceful wind pushing them back. Signs, lamp posts and even bolted down tables were torn off and flung into the hunters. Those who weren't heavy enough or didn't have magnetic boots were blasted off the platform into the lower city and their deaths.

Behind Anakin Leo felt the air coming out of his mothers nose and mouth "She's alive, she's alive but barely we need to get her to the ship." Leo said picking her up heading for the Twilight.

"Master come on!" Ahsoka called out to Anakin who was about to destroy the entire street with his unleashed force blast. Relenting Anakn followed the others to the ship, boarding it quickly, "This is where I checkout." Sugi said out of nowhere.

"Will you be okay?" Ahsoka asked the ithorian, Sugi gave a wink "I'll be fine, take care of yourself Ahsoka and keep handsome close." she said as Anakin ran "Oh she will." he said speaking of himself.

Sugi rolled her eyes "No, not him I was talking about Leo."

Ahsoka's cheeks grew warm "W-what?"

Sugi looked over her shoulder seeing a bounty hunter on a speeder bike coming at them, acting without even looking Sugi shot the hunter off his bike making it crash onto the platform. Sugi walked over to the turning it over and got on "You got it bad girl, don't fight it." she said before she hit the speeder bikes engine and flew off "Ahsoka get on." Anakin shouted from inside the ship, turning on the rigger the twilight systems came on board. Anakin was in the pilot seat and to Ahsoka's surprise Elli was in the copilot seat.

"What are you-" "I know how to fly." Elli snapped "But what about your mother?" Ahsoka asked.

"Leo and Iaclyn are helping her in the back, I won't sit around and do nothing." Elli insisted "Ahsoka get on the rear gun." Anakin ordered as they took off. The entire level had poured out onto the platform shooting at the Twilight while it took to the sky. Their blasters bounced off the ship's shields while it flew away. In the back Leo had laid his mother down on the medical table giving her first aid "Legs broken." Leo said next to Iaclyn "Mom, mom, oh god mom." Iaclyn said over and over again as Leo stripped the armor off her leg.

Iaclyn puked seeing Arris's leg was mangled up under the armor, and part of the bone ready to break out of the skin "We have to reset the bone." Leo said grabbing his younger brother, "Iaclyn, listen to me." He snapped.

"Hold her here." He said, putting his brother over his mother's chest piece "Ready, 1-2-3." Leo reset the bone with a pop and their mother shot up with a scream, Iaclyn doing his best holding her down before she passed out again.

Letting out a sigh of relief Leo patted his brother on the shoulder "You did good-" "Get away from us!" Iaclyn screamed at him.

Backing off Iaclyn had tears in his eye "This is all your fault, your fault your fault why did you have to come back, we didn't you we didn't want you!" Iaclyn shouted at him. Leo could sense the anger in his brothers words, but also the fear of losing his mother and the rest of their family. So Leo turned away and walked out of the medical room shutting the door behind him. Leo came back out into the cockpit "Where's Iaco?" Leo asked seeing Twilight flying across the city.

"Coordinates are in the nav computer." Elli said back to him "We should be coming up on him now?"

The city all looked the same from their perspective till they saw a ball of fire shoot up int the air, and blaster fire lighting up the top of a building "Yep thats dad." Elli said.

"There, fly low." Leo said pointing to the top of a skyscraper, a dozen bounty hunters were chasing a man in a yellow coat shooting behind him.

"What are you going to do?" Obi-Wan asked him "I'm going to get him." Leo said tossing off the poncho and running to the back of the twilight. He pressed his hand on the back door control with the loading door opening, the wind whipped against his clothes and air. The twilight shook violently and Leo had to grab onto the safety rail about to fall off. "Leo get back in there it's too hot." Obi-Wan said from the doorway as Anakin was pulling up flying away.

Leo saw them flying away from the building, Iaco was surrounded by bounty hunters on all sides. "I won't leave him."

"You have to let go Leo." Obi-Wan called out, so that's what Leo did.

The young jedi let go of his grip on the safety rail falling out of the ship, Ahsoka came in just as he fell "Did he just… did he just do that?"

"Yes, yes he did." Obi-Wan said rolling his eyes "What, what happened?" Anakin asked as Leo fell down toward the city below "It seems Leo is following your example." The wind rushed past Leo's ears at the top of the building directly below, the bounty hunters below on the roof turned skyward but it was too late the lion had come. Leo landed on the top of the roof with the force cushioning his fall when he landed he turned on his double bladed lightsaber and looked up. A dozen bounty hunters between him and his father who was cut off in front and behind.

When the hunters saw Leo they raised their blasters "Kill'em." One shouted, holding up their blaster, Leo raised his lightsaber smiling "Who's first?"

The fire came in a wave of red hot lasers, Leo deflecting their fire moving closer and closer with each step he took before the first bounty hunter came at him. Leo cut him down before using the force to blast two more off the roof. Hurrying across the roof he slid over a large pip and kicked one of the hunters in the chest stabbing down on him. Leo used the force to grab another bounty hunter using him as a shield before he noticed something.

He couldn't smell any burnt flesh, tossing the shield away Leo grabbed the last group of bounty hunters and used the force to rip them apart instead of blood and guts coming out under their clothes it was wires and oil.

Leo dropped them and kicked one of their helmets off to expose a commando battle droids head with the lights going out. "Battle droids." Leo said seeing it.

"Whoo I forgot what a Jedi could do?"

Turning his head up Leo saw his father Iaco Stark walking out in his yellow coat, "Usually I'd be horrified to see a lightsaber but man am I glad to see you my boy." Iaco said reaching up to hug him but Leo held his hand "Wait, we're not out of this yet, why are these droids dressed as Bounty Hunters?" Leo asked, sensing something.

Iaco shrugged "Beats me, saw them kill a bunch of hunters and take their gear?"

The young jedi saw Stark picked up one of the droid heads still flashing its headlights "What's it doing?" Iaco asked Leo the droid, when Leo caught it he could hear the droid transmitting something in the droid and say "Oh no." Leo gasped.

"What is it son?" Iaco asked,

He hesitated to answer, hearing him call him that "This droid was sending out a signal, coordinates in long range channels."

"To who?" Iaco asked "The Separatists fleet."

Iaco chuckled "Well on top of every bounty hunter on the planet we have the Separatist fleet heading our way, any chance you got Dooku leading the fleet?"

"Knowing my luck, that's probably who it is." Leo said, dropping the droid as the twilight flying down to hover level with the building "Come on, time go moms hurt." Leo said walking to the ship. They jumped onboard before Anakin took them away from the ship. Iaco ran into the medical room where he saw Iaclyn and Arris on the bed. "Dad!" Iaclyn rushed up to his father who hugged him quickly "It's okay son, it's okay." He said pushing back to him and walking over to check on his wife.

"You always did jump into a fight head first." Iaco said, brushing his wife's cheek.

The happy reunion was cut short when once again the Twilight was rocked by sudden cannon fire "Leo, get up here!" Anakin shouted.

Moments later Leo was on the bridge "Oh that's not good." Obi-Wan said, the Twilight much like Iaco had been, was totally surrounded by bounty hunter ships and smuggler freighters looking to collect. Before they could open fire Sugi's ship the Halo, an SS-54 assault ship appeared shooting a hole in the surrounding ships for them to break through. Sugi let out a hollering laugh as she flew out giving them a window "That makes it two favors Jedi Hahahah!"

Anakin broke off the moment they opened fire and the chase began. The Twilight bobbed and weaved around the tight corners of Nar Shaddaa's towering skyscrapers, those not in a buckled seat having a hard time staying upright "Anakin, Master is now the best time to tell you I found those commando droids?" Leo asked when Iaco came in.

"Does it matter?" Obi-Wan asked "Um kind of, they sent a signal to the separatist fleet sounded like they'd be here soon."

"This day couldn't get any worse?" Anakin sighed

Iaco got a twinkle in his eye "I've got an idea." Stumbling over to the communications system he pushed Obi-Wan out of the seat "Dad what are you doing" Elli asked.

"Trust me." Iaco said as he hacked into the public broadcasting system from behind the ship's controls "Is this on?" Iaco said into the ship's microphone, his words echoing across the city and possibly the planet "Attention all you low life scum and villains on Nar Shaddaa, this is Iaco Stark yes that Iaco Stark." He added.

"Are you insane, you'll bring every hunter down on us?" Anakin asked.

"That's his idea." Leo said as Iaco continued while Anakin tried to dodge and evade the ever growing number of bounty hunter ships chasing them.

"If you look up you'll see a G9 Rigger Class trying to escape a bunch of greedy bounty hunters who want to collect on my head?" Iaco stated "So if you're feeling luck and want to make a few millions credits- COME AND GET MEEEEEEEE!" He shouted into the microphone.

Iaco spun around in his chair "Take us up now Jedi."

"We'll be sitting ducks up there?" Elli pointed out "No he's onto something." Anakin said pulling the twilight up into the clouds. In the gunners chair Ahsoka was doing here best to cover them from the rear gun and to her shock it looked like all of Nar Shaddaa had heard Iaco's message because it looked like over a thousand small gunships, freighters and patrol crafts were coming out of the city after them. The twilight went through layers of clouds, red hot cannon fire trailing behind them as they broke into the upper atmosphere and open space.

"Almost there." Elli said when the odds stacked even more against them an Separatist fleet dropped out of hyperspace with frigates pouring out vulture droids cutting off their escape "Oh come on, really?" Elli groaned.

"Good thing we brought back up?" Anakin said when the Nar Shaddaa bounty hunters and smugglers came roaring up behind them. The Separatist fleet and the Nar Shaddaa mob crashed into each other like two tidal waves of metal and laser, the dogfighting went wild as vulture droids and assault ships tangled in the air, the cannon fire of the Separatists frigates not sure which ship to shoot at with all the different variants to choose from.

Anakin pulled a hard right in an opening between the separatist fleets, "Get us out of here."

"Jumping to hyperspace in three two one-" Anakin hit the hyperspace drive to engage but nothing happened.

When nothing happened Leo looked at Anakin "I swear we fixed it?" He said dropping to the under dashboard opening it up "Elli take over." Leo told his sister who did so but Iaco jumped into the pilot seat "This fight won't last forever, smugglers and bounty hunters don't do anything for free." Iaco reminded them.

Anakin looked through the ship's interior and the hyper core drive "I don't understand everything working, we just don't have enough power?" Anakin said as he looked for anything to reroute the ships power.

"Get out of the way." said Leo.

He knelt down and looked at the hyperdrive core "What are you going to do?" Anakin asked.

"Trust me." Leo said closing his eyes, he held out his hand and placed them on the core taking a deep breath Anakin and Obi-Wan watched in awe as out of Leo's hands came force lighting, it wasn't crackling or quick like Count Dookus instead it was calm and steady feeding into the ships batteries filling it with life. Leo focused harder and Elli started to see the ships fuel and systems fill to the brim "We've got full power." Elli said.

"Make the jump!" Anakin barked as Leo fell back out of breath panting, the Twilight jumping into hyperspace toward Coruscant.

CORUSCANT

Grand Public Spaceport

The Twilight had landed in a public space port instead of the Jedi Temple, the twilight had found a spot between two large passenger liners that were emptying out their human cargo and taking on luggage for the next voyage. It was a sunset on Coruscant, the clouds were turning orange and yellow with the city's silver towers catching the sun just right. Arris was up and moving leaning on Elli and Iaclyn as they came off the ship. Anakin and Obi-Wan were standing across Leo who was sitting on the back of the ship "Leo, how did you do that?"

"Force lighting has only ever been used by the Sith?" Obi-Wan asked him.

Leo shook his head "When I was training under Count Dooku, he taught me only anger could summon such power but that moment, all of us in danger I wasn't angry, I wasn't afraid… I can't explain it but I was able to summon the force in the way we needed?" Leo said holding his hand aloft and making lighting dance across his finger tips.

"I don't think force lighting itself is evil, but how do we use it Master?" Leo said up to Obi-Wan "Indeed." Obi-Wan said with Ahsoka coming over to join them after speaking with the dockmaster.

"I've taken care of the landing fee, so what now?" Ahsoka asked looking to Leo.

"Now?" Iaco said walking up to them "Now I say thank you." Iaco said to the jedi and to Leo who got up.

"Master Jedi, you helped save my family today I won't forget that." Iaco said, holding his hand out to Obi-Wan and Anakin who both shook it. Then he offered his hand to Ahsoka "You were the one covering our arses on the guns, well done if I had gunners like you when I was a pirate I'd be a lot richer." He said as he looked to Leo.

Leo and Iaco crossed eyes "I was wondering if I could speak to my son alone?" Iaco asked.

The young knight looked to his fellow Jedi "I'll be fine."

Iaco gestured to Leo to walk over to the rest of the Stark family "Come, family's waiting." Leo followed Iaco over to them.

Arris had her armor off wearing a body glove over torso with some of the armor on her legs still there except for a fresh cast where she'd broken it. "What will you do now?" Leo asked.

"I've still got some contacts in the commerce guild here, I'll be fine setting up shop here and may purchase some mid rim assets." Iaco said putting his hand on Arris' shoulder "We still have some of our fortune, but that doesn't mean anything compared to what it would have cost to lose you all." Iaco said, taking Elli's hand.

Iaco looked at their sister with a warm smile under his mustache "Ask him."

"Ask me what?" Leo asked Elli who smiled "Leo we discussed it, and we want you to come live with us once we have a place to call home, live with us a family?" Elli asked him.

Leos eyes got wide hearing such an offer "You're a knight now, you don't have to stay in the temple son." Iaco said smiling warmly, but Leo wasn't smiling he looked down at the ground

"Leo." Elli said, seeing him think it over "You saved us, let us return the favor by giving you the home you never had a family you deserve."

"Almost got us killed more like it." Iaclyn grumbled behind them "Iaclyn stop it, your brother and his fellow Jedi risked everything to save us." Arris snapped at him.

"He's not my brother!" Iaclyn yelled again, his outburst drawing the attention of the Jedi across from them "Why are you all so quick to embrace him, he's the whole reason we lost everything on Raxus, all our friends, our money, our life GONE because of him!" Iaclyn said loudly pointing accusingly at Leo who looked increasingly hurt.

Iaco suddenly grabbed Iaclyn by the scruff of his shirt "Enough boy, show your brother some respect." Iaco yelled "Why, I'm your son, I'm the one who's been here the whole time and you ignore me the second he walks in like some prince returned from the dead?"

"You don't know what you're talking about?" Iaco insisted shaking Iaclyn "Don't I, our fortune all our money was made because you sold him to the Jedi, why would you want a son you sold for money?" Iaclyn said crossing a line, Leo watched their father raised his hand to strike the younger son before Leo grabbed Iaco's wrist

"Enough." Leo said firmly.

Iaco let go of Iaclyn and Leo tossed his fathers hand away "Iaclyn, brother…." Leo said, waiting to see if Iaclyn would reject him again "I'm sorry for what I did to you, I never meant to hurt you or anyone in our family." Leo explained "I've learned about our heritage, I know you gave me to Count Dooku and the Jedi father." Leo said up to Iaco.

Leo took a deep breath "And I thank you for it."

"I appreciate the offer to live with you here on Coruscant, but my true home, my true family." Leo said, turning around looking at Obi-Wan, Anakin and Ahsoka "Is with the Jedi."

Leo returned his gaze to his family, Arris was starting to weep but held it back "So, that is your choice?" Iaco asked. "It is, the Jedi way forbids me from having such emotional attachments to all you, so I'm afraid this is... goodbye forever." At that Arris started crying, she forced herself to her feet and started to limp off with Iaclyn helping her. Iaco sighed, closing his eyes shaking his head, and not saying a word he too slowly turned to leave. Only Elli remained "Please don't be mad at them Leo." Elli said watching them go.

"Despite what you said, our father is very proud of you and so is mother, so am I." Elli said walking up to him and taking his hand "I don't pretend to understand you Jedi, but if this is goodby forever I do hope you don't forget us big brother." She said smiling up at him.

Elli had a tear roll down her cheek giving over the smile, Leo shook his head "Never." Elli reached around and hugged him tight, the last embrace from his family before she went to join the others, and Leo returned to the Jedi waiting to take him back to the temple.

Later, as evening shrouded over the capital, Leo had changed out of the bounty hunters disguise back into his green robes and gloves, he was outside on the wall of the training grounds watching the city. Speeders flew back and forth across the skyways, the lights of Coruscant giving luminous aura to the world. Up on the wall his legs were crossed and he leaned over hands interlocked, thinking "You okay?" Turning his shoulder Leo saw it was Ahsoka.

"Am I that obvious?" Leo asked as she sat next to him, "What you said about the jedi being your true family, did you mean it?" She asked.

Looking back over the city Leo leaned back putting one hand on his arched knee the other sitting under it "I think so?" He said.

"You think or you do?" She asked him leaning her head in a bit

"I do." Leo said looking at her "Anakin told me what you did, with the force lighting how did you do that?" She asked.

"I'm still not sure, maybe it was because I was so emotionally drawn to saving everyone that the force granted me the power to do it?" Leo replied "I'm unsure if it was emotion or still some dark side energy in me, but it saved our lives so that's all that matters to me." He told her as the view took hold of them both.

"I guess so, but Leo… before you were knighted you were about to say something to me, about not regretting kissing me?" Ahsoka asked, recalling their time on Serenity when he was so close to her that night, much like he was now.

Leo knew what she was talking about and didn't answer "What was it?" She asked.

"I was going to say I…" Leo looked at her then mouth ajar before he closed it "I… I care for you Ahsoka, more than a Jedi should." Leo confessed.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

Leo shook his head "I mean just that, my feelings for you are stronger than I can bear sometimes it's more than just friendship." Leo said looking away.

Ahsoka shrugged at it "I mean you and I have been close since we met right, we've always had each other's back?"

"Same way Anakin and Obi-Wan do?" Ahsoka compared but that didn't seem to ease Leo's mind "right?" She asked.

"No." Leo replied looking at her, he took her hand "You make me feel better then I am, you see the best in me and make me want to see it too, Ahsoka I want to tell you that I-" "Padawan Tano, Sir Rock?" Before Leo could speak the two of them looked back to see Master Plo standing in the training yard.

Ahsoka got up quickly "Master Plo, what is it?" She asked.

Leo got up to following her into the yard "Your efforts to aid your family have not gone unnoticed nor our actions noted by Master Kenobi and Skywalker, Leo." The Kel Dor said, eyeing Leo as he approached him "Padawan Tano, it's late you should be in bed?" Plo Koon said dismissing her. Ahsoka looked at Leo then at Koon before she bowed leaving them alone.

"What do you want?" Leo asked Plo Koon.

Plo Koon waited till Ahsoka was gone "The Council has decreed you'll see come with me to Kamino there you will take command of your own Clone Battalion, then then the two of us are off to Rendili the civil war has escalated to bring the larger conflict to them." Plo Koon said walking with Leo following him.

Leo nodded "It'll be good to fight alongside Jace Dallin again?"

"Jace Dallin is the one we're fighting against."

"What?" Leo asked stopping "Jace Dallin is in command of the Separatists forces he led them to victory over the loyalists its him we're we'll be fighting against." Leo stopped as Plo Koon turned around "And Rock, remember you and Padawan Tano are Jedi and if she is to be a Jedi Knight you should respect her wish to be one as well, do not let your emotions cloud your judgment and effect hers." Plo Koon said turning back around "Now come, we must get to Kamino your troops are waiting."

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