Orbit over Hijarna - Aboard the Providence-class Dreadnought Taung Legacy

On one of the catwalks that overlooked the main hanger, Galen found Ahsoka, watching as Mandalorian warriors milled about, working on their fighters and practicing at armed and unarmed combat. Across hanger, the two kinds of Mandalorian fighters were nestled in neat formation, each painted with the colors of their clans. They looked quite similar, the Fang-class and Gauntlet-class fighters and he absentmindedly wondered what the difference was between them. "They're impressive craft, aren't they?" he asked mildly as he stepped up beside the Togruta woman.

She nodded. "They are. The Fangs are great multi-roll fighters with thick enough armor to take hits from a turbolaser battery and the Gauntlets are often used as assault shuttles as well as fighters."

"I was just wondering about the difference between the two;" he chuckled, "other than their size, obviously."

They were silent for a moment before Ahsoka asked, "You were his apprentice after he became Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, right?"

Slowly, as the memories of the many tortures and trials he faced during his tenure as Vader's secret Sith Apprentice filled his mind, he nodded. "Yes, I was. I was his secret weapon against any remaining Jedi. I was to rise up against the Emperor with him and we would rule the galaxy, just as the Rule of Two decreed - only he never actually intended to do that. It was all a ruse to gather all of the Emperor's political enemies in one place where they could be confronted, tried and executed. When that failed, I was brought back from the very brink of death to be his Jedi hunter again. Only my memories returned."

Ahsoka nodded. "It is a wholly different experience I had training under him."

"You were Vader's apprentice?" asked Galen, but then he remembered that Darth Vader was once the powerful Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker.

She was smiling fondly and, to Galen's surprise, there were tears rolling down her face. "I was, yes, before he was pulled to dark side - before he betrayed everything that he knew and cared about. I can't help but wonder why, you know? What was so important that or terrible that he was so driven away from what he knew was right?"

Galen shook his head. He had no idea. "Vader never told me anything about his former life. All he said was that he was the destroyer of the Jedi Order and that he had killed their greatest champion Anakin Skywalker."

They were silence again, yet another long pause to punctuate their conversation. With sigh, Galen said, "I never realized - Anakin Skywalker and I have had lives that were totally opposite. He started as a Jedi - a great Jedi by all accounts. But something drove him to the dark side, never to return. Whereas I began my life as a Sith and, with the guiding hand of the force and the assistance of Juno Eclipse and Rahm Kota, I was brought to the light side, also never to return."

Eyeing him carefully, Ahsoka asked in a low, cautious voice, "Are you so sure about either of those assertions, Galen?"

Frowning, Galen asked, "What do you mean?"

"You say that he fell to the dark side, never to return and that you were guided to the light side, never to return. But how can you be so sure?"

Galen was about to answer but then paused, carefully considering her words. After a long moment, he said, "I suppose I can't be absolutely sure - but I've been to the World Between Worlds and seen the atrocities committed by Darth Vader side by side with the great works of heroism and self-sacrifice by Anakin Skywalker. It truly is as though they were two different beings altogether. Can one fall so far and rise up from it again?"

Ahsoka's eyes were truly kind and sincere and even almost apologetic as she said, "You have killed Jedi and slaughtered your enemies as well. As a Sith Shadow Hand, you slaughter both rebel and Imperial forces alike with impunity and yet, here you are - a Jedi Knight and I would even say a great Jedi Knight. Do you truly believe that his sins are any greater than your own? He may have committed more of them but are they truly greater?"

Galen didn't answer. The questions were making them uncomfortable, which he realized was a good thing. Ahsoka placed a small, strong hand on his arm. "It is the Jedi who believes them self utterly impervious to pull of the dark side that falls the hardest and the deepest into it. That is the lesson of Anakin Skywalker. Please don't forget it."

Smiling, Galen nodded his ascent. "It seems that I still have so much to learn, Master Ahsoka."

She removed her hand and shook her head. "I'm no master, Starkiller. I'm not even a Jedi."

Galen eyed her. "And why not, Ahsoka? Why aren't you a Jedi? You certainly aren't a Dark Jedi or a Sith and you were once a Jedi. Why not return to the Order, not that it is no more."

She leaned against the rail and shook her head. "What does it matter whether I am a Jedi or simply a force user and lightsaber wielder who is here to help? Why do I need the label?"

Galen cocked an eyebrow at her. "I take it that you and the Jedi Order had a rather difficult parting of ways?"

"They tried me for sabotage, treason and murder;" she said bluntly. "But I don't hold it against them, considering the evidence. In fact, when it was all sorted out, they decided to put me through the trials. But after that, I just couldn't. I didn't trust them and I didn't trust me - except my master. He begged me to stay but I just-" and she shook her head.

After rallying herself, she sighed and said, "And now, it really doesn't even matter, does it?"

Galen was inclined to agree at first but then it struck him. Of course it mattered. Looking down at her, he said, "I think it does matter. I think that it matters to you for one. It would make you a part something again. It would place you back in your family, if you will. Not only that, it would encourage the rest of use Jedi to know that you, the apprentice of one of the greatest heroes of the Republic, is acknowledging that and standing with us. I also think it matters for reasons that I just can't articulate. I think that it matters to the force that you take a side. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

She studied him for a moment before nodding slowly. "I do but I'm not sure how I would even do it."

Galen smiled. "We have a Jedi Master on board right now. Perhaps seeking his wisdom would help."

"Perhaps I will."

"Meditate on it;" said Galen, his voice almost cheerful.

Just then, his comlink went off. Frowning, he answered it. "This is General Starkiller."

Ahsoka chuckled and shook her head as a voice replied, "General Starkiller? Honestly, Galen, why are you still using your Sith call-sign? You aren't a Sith anymore;" asked Juno.

Galen was blushing slightly. "I don't know. I mean, that's what people call me, isn't it? Bedsides, it kinda has a ring to it?"

Ahsoka burst into laughter, as did Juno on the other end of his comlink. "Well Rahm wants you to report to the briefing room where we can discuss our next move. If you see Fulcrum, he would like her there too - at your convenience then, General Starkiller."

Still blushing slight, Galen hmphed and said, "Well you heard her. The general wants to see us."

"After you, General Starkiller;" said Ahsoka, giving a mock salute and motioning him forward.

Aboard the Imperial-Class Star Destroyer Predator

Admiral Pryce waited as the connection was finally made. A holographic image of what many in the Imperial hierarchy considered a nightmare figure. Blue skin and glowing red eyes topped with blue-black hair all dressed in an Imperial Grand Admiral's brilliant white uniform, Grand Admiral Thrawn was an imposing figure. "Ah, Admiral Pryce - how may I assist my protege?"

"I am afraid I have come upon a bit of a quandary, Grand Admiral?" she admitted.

Thrawn could tell it absolutely galled her to ask. Pryce was a proud woman who wished to redeem herself for the loss of Lothol. In her mind, this call for help was probably setting her back several steps in doing so. "We are on the trail of Rahm Kota and an Alliance task force. After driving them from orbit of Ralltiir, we know the general direction they headed and managed to narrow down their destination options to a fairly short list."

Thrawn gave a small smile. "So this is your chance at redemption. Tell me, what do you know of your enemies, Admiral?"

"They are made up of the Lothol cell plus Rahm Kota and his militia and a large force of Mandalorian warriors as well. We engaged over Ralltiir but they fled. Where they went, we aren't completely sure."

Thrawn stroked his chin before asking, "And? What else do we know? Remember that the devil is in the details, Admiral?"

Clasping her hands behind her, Pryce began to pace, reciting everything that she could think of about the members of the Specters, about General Rahm Kota and about the Mandalorians. When she had finished, Grand Admiral Thrawn said, "Very good; you have the information. Now, taking the narrowed down list of possibilities, where do you think that they went."

Pryce pulled up the map again, showing the galaxy and then zooming in to look at the area they could have bone. "Well;" she said, stroking her chin, "there are still several places they could go. There's Mindor, Hijarna, Bogden, Shalam, Myrkr and Phateem."

Thrawn chuckled and said, "Several of those you can rule out as well. Mindor has a large Imperial garrison and is too close to a main hyperspace lane. Myrkr has an odd little creature with the ability to block the force somehow so any Jedi wouldn't go there if they knew about it. It would be plausible I suppose, as would Phanteem but I think we both know that it isn't they place they went to."

Pryce frowned and considered her information again. "I'm sorry, Admiral but why wouldn't they-"

"Take a moment to consider, Admiral;" said Thrawn patiently. "What did they get from their attack on the Inquisitors headquarters? What information did they pull?"

Pryce's frown only deepened. "None, Sir, but they were trying to get to the main computer. My associate, Lord Vader's primary Dark Jedi hunter, think that they were looking for a list of Jedi who were still at large."

Thrawn chuckled. "Ah, yes; it's an interesting theory to be sure. However, I don't think that is the case at all. Take into consideration Galen Marek, the former and original Starkiller and apprentice to Darth Vader. He is the template for those dark stalker clones, is he not?"

Pryce nodded. "That's true, he is."

"I would assume that he is aware that he was cloned, especially after the scuffle on Coruscant and over Ralltiir, right?"

"Yes sir;" said Pryce, smiling tightly as it was beginning to dawn on her. "And if he knew that such a force of dark Jedi existed, they could annihilate the rebel leaders. Therefore, he and whatever Jedi he has currently gathered to him are keeping the focus of the Lord Vader's dark Jedi off the rebellion at large."

Thrawn nodded approvingly. "Very good, Admiral Pryce. I believe that is exactly what they are doing. Now the question is, what are we going to do about it?"

Pryce was baffled. "I'm not sure I understand, Admiral. The Emperor ordered that we hunt down and destroy the Jedi. Why would that change?"

Thrawn shrugged infinitesimally. "It most likely wouldn't. The Emperor, for all of his own brilliance and forethought, is likely far too terrified to have you stop, considering the fact that Starkiller nearly killed both Lord Vader and him once. Even so, I think it would behoove you to send a report to Lord Vader. That way, if there is a change, he may notify you of it. In the mean time, is there anything else, Admiral?"

"No, sir. Thank you for your insight and your continued lessons, Admiral."

Thrawn inclined his head. "All to serve the Emperor, of course, Admiral Pryce. Good hunting."

As the image faded, the shadowy figure stepped out of the shadows. Stalker Prime was frowning. "I don't see how that helped us."

Pryce smiled and spread her hans slightly. "Oh but it did, my friend. The rebels are expecting us to follow and engage them and they will go to the least populated system they can that is on a major hyperspace lain leading from the core all the way to the Outer Rim Territories. Therefore, it's safe to assume they are going to Hijarna."

She sat down in her command chair, crossed her legs and tapped in a couple commands on the chair arm. The map zoomed in and focused on a small system. "From there, I'm will to bet they head around the expansion regions, leading us on a wild chase."

The dark Jedi clone scowled even more deeply. "And where will it end?"

"Wherever we successfully kill them all, of course;" said Pryce. "We cannot afford to rush these things or else we will make a fatal mistake. I know that Lord Vader most likely never gave you much time for leisure, Prime, but Grand Admiral Thrawn taught me to find a way to relax and give my mind something aside from the rigors of a commander to work on or to simply shut it down and rest. May I suggest you do the same thing."

Stalker Prime's scowl disappeared and he seemed to contemplate that. Finally, he asked, "And how do you go about this, Admiral?"

"I go to command simulators and go through some of the pre-set battle simulators they have there. Sometimes, I play holo-chess or go for a swim in the recreational area's pool."

That seemed to catch the dark sider off guard. "There is a pool on this Star Destroyer? How in blazes did that happen?"

Pryce laughed. "I requested it. Let's go get changed and we can go for a swim on our way to Hijarna. It's quite relaxing."

Grabbing her comlink, she activated it as she left the command room. "Captain, have all ships set course for Hijarna and make sure that everyone is ready for battle when we drop out of hyperspace. The rebels will certainly be ready for us. In the mean time, barring any emergencies, I wish to not be disturbed."

Stalker Prime followed her, feeling just mildly uncomfortable with the whole situation. He had never known anything besides training in the ways of the dark side. The idea of focusing on other things was rather alien to him.

Orbit over Hijarna - Aboard the Providence-class Dreadnought Taung Legacy

Ezra and Sabine went back and forth, training with their lightsabers. Both of them were superb fighters but Ezra did have the advantage with the force and couldn't help but use it in bursts to outmaneuver her. After one such burst which resulted in Sabine being disarmed, she gave a growl of disgust and said, "Blast it, Ezra, no force powers! I'm just trying to stay in good shape and good practice for kriff's sake!"

She tackled him to the ground and they began to roll around, Sabine growling and Ezra chuckling slightly. Both of their lightsabers were now discarded now as they both grappled for dominance. Ezra, though a superb lightsaber duelist, was not as good at unarmed combat yet and soon enough, inevitable happened. Sabine had Ezra's arm and shoulder locked up. "Do you give up?" she demanded.

"Ow;" muttered Ezra, "yes, I give."

Sabine let him go and they sat side by side, regaining their breath. Ezra shook his arm out and used the force to call both lightsabers to him. Handing the darksaber back to Sabine, he said, "You're getting really good with this thing, Sabine. I'm impressed."

She tried to scowl at him, even though she was glad to hear it. "I'd bet I'd be better if you'd stop using the force to your advantage."

Suddenly serious, Ezra put a hand on her shoulder and said, "Sabine, we're combating Dark Jedi. If you have to fight one, they aren't really going to be concerned about the fact that you aren't a Jedi. My use of the force on you is an attempt to help you handle it better and get used to it. It very well could save your life."

Sabine nodded slowly before stepping back and saying, "Okay, again but this time, teach me how to handle them better."

For another hour, they trained and Ezra showed her ways to use her equipment and her wit to compensate for her lack of forcefulness. When they both gasped and collapsed in exhaustion, they several dozen Mandalorian warriors watching. They all began to cheer in Mandoa and smack their armored fists against their chests. One of them came up and bowed, saying something in the language of the Mand'ade. When Sabine blushed and replied firmly in what Ezra was certain was a negative, her frowned. The young warrior seemed to take whatever it was with good grace, shrugging and saying something else before walking away. "What did he say?"

"Nothing;" she said in annoyance. "I've been dealing with it since I became Mandalore. Every now and again, one of the young men, and even some of the older men, come and ask me to marry them. It's a Mandalorian thing. Marriage usually doesn't have a whole lot to do with affection - not at first at any rate. It's more to ensure the continuation of strong bloodlines and the like."

Ezra seemed to scowl just a little. "Really? Just like that? 'Hey, marry me, Mandalore and we'll make strong little psycho warriors together'. That's bizarre."

Sabine looked at him and, when he wouldn't meet her eye, started to chuckle. "It's just a Mandalorian thing, Ezra. No need to get feisty about it. Besides, when the time comes for me to pick a husband, I have a whole huge plan for it."

The young Jedi frowned and looked like he was trying to hide his dismay. "You do?"

"Sure;" she said, trying to keep her smile from becoming to ridiculous. "I'm going to have a huge tournament with a point system. It'll have blaster shooting competitions, armed and unarmed combat and, of course, they'll be judged on their looks too."

"Um... their looks?" said Ezra, unconsciously looking down at himself, increasing Sabine's amusement.

"Oh of course. I don't want to have ugly kids now, do I? So winning a fight will equal, say, ten points and being in really good shape will equal five points. Having nice eyes will be another five and so on. Oh, and if they have bad breath, that's automatically negative twenty points."

Ezra immediately checked his breath and Sabine burst into laughter. She had to sit down and hold her sides while Ezra's face turned bright red in embarrassment. Muttering something about going to hit the showers, he turned to walk away. "Wait, Ezra come on;" said Sabine, still laughing hysterically. "Come on, I was only teasing a little. No need to be all salty."

He humphed a little and went into the refresher. When she followed him, he said, "Um... isn't this the male's refresher, Sabine?"

"There's no such thing;" said Sabine as she began to unbuckle her armored plating. "in Mandalorian culture, we don't differentiate between male and female. This refresher is actually for clan chieftains and myself, actually."

"Oh;" said Ezra, still blushing, "I should probably leave then."

"Nah, you're fine;" said Sabine as she unbuckled her weapons and utility belt and hung it on a hook. "You're an officer in the Alliance military and that's close enough."

"So there's no privacy between males and females in your culture?" he asked uncomfortably.

"Well of course, there is some. We still are biologically different than you males;" chuckled Sabine before she paused and said, "You should probably get undressed if you're going to shower."

Very reluctantly, Ezra sat down on a bench and worked his boots off. Sabine pointed to a row of appliances. "Toss your clothes in one of those. They'll be washed and dried by the time we're done so you don't have to put dirty clothes on."

Her nodded and pulled off his socks and his outer jacket as well. "So..." he said hesitantly, trying to distract himself from the fact that Sabine was now removing her under-armor body glove. "...explain how the whole warrior culture of Mandalorians works. I'm a little confused."

His back was to her now as he pulled his own shirt off. Looking down at himself, he scowled slightly. He was pretty skinny - probably not near as buff as a warrior who walked around in Mandalorian armor all day. Sabine replied, "We believe that battle is the great equalizer. Mandalorians, both men and women, are equal in battle and equal in death. Our social rolls aren't very diverse either. Neither of us really does all of the cooking and the cleaning and whatnot. If you make a mess, you clean it up. No one cleans up after you. It's as simple as that. When it comes to kids, if you see the child make a mess, you clean it up until they are old enough to clean up after themselves."

"Who educates the children?" asked Ezra before bracing himself and pulling down his trousers, leaving him in nothing but a pair of tight athletic undershorts.

"Hmmm..." came a voice behind him.

Looking over his shoulder, he found Sabine considering him and blushed even more. She was in only a compression bra and her own undershorts. "Anyhow," she said, "we both do. They say that back when the clans were a real power in the galaxy, one of them would go to fight or hunt or work while the other would stay back with the child. For the most part, it depended on who had the skills to do said work. A weapons maker would go to the shop while his partner would stay with the kid until they came of age. If they were both skilled workers at different locations, they would take turns. Family is important in Mandalorian culture and marriage is forever. There was a time the infidelity was met with exile or death, too."

Ezra chuckled. "Sounds interesting."

"Yup. Alright, I'm getting into the shower now. Would you mind tossing my clothes into one of the units, please?"

"Sure;" said Ezra.

He tossed his into one and hers into the other before, once again, bracing himself and dropping his last garment, tossing it into the washer with his clothing. Then he steeled his nerves and walked as casually as possible into the shower and hit the activator for the warm water, setting the temperature for comfort. In the wall were dispensers for generic and unscented cleanser for both body and hair. They bathed in silence until Sabine caused him to jump by asking, "Tell me something, Ezra, what are you looking for in a wife?"

Ezra's mind felt like it was shorting out like a faulty droid motivator. "Uh... a wife? I, um, I never even thought about it. In this situation, with the Empire and the rebellion and all of that, the thought never even entered my mind. I dunno, I guess I'd want someone who I knew I could count on at all times. They'd have to be tough - not just physically, but emotionally. I guess... I don't know."

Sabine chuckled and said, "Ezra, you just described, like, everyone we know."

He chuckled and said, "I guess it would have to be someone who gets me, then. Someone who I've been through the fire with, down to the deepest levels of fear and to the highest heights of joy with. I - I don't know. I'm not really good with words."

"Well congratulations, Ezra Bridger;" said Sabine, "you're a lot more like a Mandalorian than you think."

Feeling himself blooming with just a little pride, Ezra couldn't help but mock-groan. "Oh great! Now you're comparing me to one of your psycho warriors! Now I know I'm in trouble."

"Hey!" said Sabine, unable to keep from laughing at him. "It was a compliment, you nerf!"

A huge globule of soap smacked him right in the head and Ezra spun around to look at her but immediately spun back around so that his back was too her. Gulping, he said, "Sorry..."

Sabine just laughed more and said, "Ezra, if you haven't noticed, cohabitation is something we Mandalorians are used to. I've been looking at you this whole time."

Ezra gulped and immediately began to rinse. "Yeah, well it's something that I'm not really used to;" he said through a trembling, hoarse voice.

Another globule of the soap smacked right into the back of his head and he growled, turning around and glaring at her. Sabine stood under her shower stream, earnestly gathering soap for another throw and grinning at him. Ezra tried not to look at her dripping, naked body. He tried really, really hard. To say the least, it didn't work. Sabine's armor hid a lot. It didn't hide slim yet well toned figure. It did hide the shape of her toned calves and thighs. It managed to hide that her rear end was extremely well shaped and that she had the most adorable little navel. It certainly hid exactly how perky her breasts were and Ezra's eyes caught on them. His mouth actually fell open and he had to close it with a snap. Just in time, he tore his eyes upward as she flung another handful of the soap. This time, he was ready. Using the force, he stopped the soap and began to gather it into a ball. As Sabine tried to gather more from the dispenser, he used the force to steal that as well until she stopped. The ball of soap that he had formed was roughly the size of a shock ball now - between twenty-four and twenty-five centimeters in diameter. With the most evil grin, Ezra looked at Sabine and crossed his arms. "Any last words before I pelt you with this?"

Sabine did the last thing he expected - putting their recent practice to good use, she charge him, tackling him against the shower wall, right between two soap dispensers. The soap ball hit the floor with a plop. As Ezra pushed back the both slipped in the soap. With a "Woah!" they both fell hard on the floor. Ezra landed on his back and the air whooshed out of his lungs. Sabine was on top of him. "Ezra, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine;" he wheezed. "You're knee is in a really bad spot right now though."

And just like that, Sabine realized exactly how compromising their situation looked. Blushing she tried to jump up but kept slipping due tot he soap. Ezra climbed to his feet, bent over with his back to the wall and still wheezing. Clearing her throat, Sabine said, "Thanks for doing my laundry. I'll, uh, I'll catch you later, Ezra."

Ezra just gave her a thumbs up and tried to catch his breath before going back under the water stream and getting all of the soap off. Try as he might, he couldn't keep his mind from going back to what Sabine had looked like and felt like. Groaning, he set the water to cold for the rest of his rinse, which helped a little, and then he got out and dried off. His clothes were ready as promised and he got dressed. Just as he came out of the refresher, his comlink chimed. "This is Commander Bridger;" he said. "It's General Kota, boy;" said the gruff old man. "Get up here to briefing room - NOW! The Imperials just dropped out of hyperspace."

"Right away, sir;" said Ezra and he took off running, the mild ache from falling and the memory of the shower completely forgotten.