AN: Good day everyone! I apologize for the long wait, there have been some developments regarding my co-writer which I shall elaborate on in the foot note. But here you have it, the next Chapter of The Legend Reborn! Please, enjoy.
Mandalore - Kyrimorut
Skirata gave Rex a weary look, "What can we do for you son?"
Rex took a deep breath, beginning to wonder if this was a good idea. "A friend of mine, she's in trouble," he began. "I've been monitoring imperial comm traffic for the last few weeks, they mentioned something about going after a Jedi on Thabeska."
Skirata stood still, his expression flashed contemptuous for the briefest moment, so he wasn't sure if anyone had noticed it. Rex cleared his throat before continuing.
"I served with her, we escaped Order 66 together." Rex explained, hoping to justify his request.
"So why didn't you stay with her?" Skirata asked, crossing his arms.
"She said there were places she had to go where I couldn't. Things she needed to find out on her own." Rex said with a somber tone.
Everyone stayed quiet except for Zeego, "You said she's on Thabeska?" The former smuggler asked.
Rex nodded, "That's right."
Zeego smiled at the soldier, "I'll help you bring her back."
Fi put a hand on Zeego's shoulder, "I'm coming too."
Skirata glared at Fi, "Like hell you are!"
"He brought Dar and Niner home, it's the least we can do." Fi argued.
"We finally have everyone home and you want to get up and leave already?! I don't think so. I meant what I said after we lost Etain. You boys are done fighting. This isn't your war anymore. Not to mention it will be a cold day in Mandalorian Hell before I let another Jedi step foot in here and put us all at risk!"
"Fi, your father is right. This Jedi could be important to my allies, so I know where I stand, but you've done enough. I can handle this." Zeego commented.
"Buir, it's my decision." Fi ignored the Neimodian's comment. "Zeego brought my brothers home. If this is important to him, we should return the favor."
Before Skirata could say anything more, Niner, Atin, and Darman stepped over. Drawn to the argument like a hungry mynock to an exposed power coupling.
"What's all the fuss?" Darman asked.
"Your brother wants to go off and save some shabla Jedi!" Skirata said before storming off, muttering to himself as he descended into the homestead.
"What is he going on about, Fi?" Niner asked.
The clone nodded at Rex, "Apparently the Empire has gotten wind of our latest arrival's old battle buddy, and he wants us to go rescue her. Zeego says it's something his people are interested in, so I'm gonna tag along. Returning the favor for helping us bring you home."
Darman stared at Fi blankly, taking a breath before Niner spoke up, "Well if you're going, then so am I.
Fi blinked in surprise, "You are…?"
"I'm with you too," Atin added. "We just got the gang back together. You think I'm gonna let you split us up now?" He chuckled, "Besides, someone has to be there to watch your shebs."
Fi smiled at the two of them, nodding in response before they all looked expectantly at Darman – who clearly wanted to stay out of this one.
"Fierfek, if I say I'm in will the three of you stop staring at me like that?" He asked with blatant hesitation in his voice."
The others stayed silent, instead they simply pulled Darman into an embrace and started muttering in Mandalorian before moving inside the armory. Jaing pulled Rex aside, apologizing for Skirata and promising to explain everything.
Aboard the Star Forge – Communication Center
Barriss Offee waited anxiously to see if her holocall will be answered on the other end of the transmission. She already tried hailing Revan but he either didn't noticed or was too busy to answer her. That left only one option if she wanted to succeed in this time sensitive mission.
After about 7 more seconds, a hologram of HK-47 appeared before her. Revan's creation tilted its metallic head as if in contemplation when he saw who was on the other end.
"Query: Why are you contacting me, Mirialan?"
"Because something big has happened and I can't get ahold of your Master," Barriss replied. "So, if we want to take advantage of this irreplaceable opportunity, I am going to need your help."
"Statement: Some elaboration is required."
Barriss took a deep breath and explained the content of her visions to the droid; giving especial emphasis to the fact that if Revan wanted to remake the Jedi Order in this time-period, having the secret database of current Force-sensitive children would make his job remarkably easier. HK didn't seem to disagree.
"Query: So, what do you propose?" He demanded.
"Well, we can't miss this window of opportunity so with everyone else busy on Mandalore or Dathomir I am the only one close enough to Coruscant to get this done," Barriss acknowledged. "However, I simply lack the piloting skills necessary to get past their blockade. So, I am going to need a distraction and a big one at that."
"With that mind, here is my plan: I read in the terminal's records that Revan commanded the Star Forge facilities to begin construction of iconic Separatist warships in case we ever needed to launch an attack on short notice while taking attention off ourselves or the Jedi in general," The Mirialan began. "Let me take some of that new fleet manned by our mass-produced droids to engage the blockade. During the chaos, I will slip past the blockade on one of our cloaking ships. With any luck, the battle above will draw Vader's attention away from my mission for long enough and once I recover the valuable holocron I will return to Tython on my cloaked vessel."
Hk-47 was quiet for a long moment, probably calculating her odds of success. Then, he fixed his photoreceptors on her.
"Affirmative: I will send the approval codes to give you permission to commandeer that fleet. Statement: The Ebon Hawk left on a brief mission, but I will make my way to Coruscant at the earliest opportunity."
Barriss nodded. "I appreciate the support."
"Clarification: I calculate that by the time I manage to arrive, your mission will be over one way or another, so I won't be there to support you; I will be there to silence you should you get captured."
Barriss swallowed hard at that, the enormity of this solo mission starting to sink in. Still, she hardened her gaze right back at HK. "I won't fail."
"Order: See that you don't.
Onderon's Orbit – The Perilous
Darth Vader stared down at the planet Onderon from the bridge of his Star Destroyer, the Perilous, his cybernetic hands curl in a fist. This was not how it was supposed to go. When he heard the report that Jedi Battlemaster Cin Drallig was spotted on Onderon, he had fully intended to hunt him down immediately after reaching the system. Instead, he was informed by Grand Vizier, Mas Amedda, that the Emperor commanded him to await further instructions before landing.
"That was nearly a rotation ago," Vader thought with impatience of a denied predator; silently vowing that if the Jedi escaped he would find a way to express his profound disappointment with Mass Amedda.
He was snapped out of his frustrated thoughts when Captain Luitt addressed him in a slightly unnerved tone. "My Lord, the Emperor wishes to communicate with you."
"Finally," He thought. "Patch it through my quarters. I will receive the transmission there,"
"Right away, my Lord," The Captain replied but Vader was already in motion.
Arriving at his chambers, Vader pressed the bottom and kneeled before the hologram. "What is thy bidding, my Master?"
"Lord Vader, a joint operation between members of the Inquisitorious and the Imperial Security Bureau has revealed a most enlightening piece of information," The Emperor stated. "It appears Cin Drallig allowed himself to be spotted on Onderon to distract us from the real fight."
"And where would that be, Master?"
"The world of Salient,"
Vader frowned behind his mask as the implications sink in. "The acquisition of that world's resources is instrumental for the next phase of construction of the Death Star," Vader noted. "Could he have…?
"No," Darth Sidious said confidently. "The Battlemaster is just supporting the Onderonian rebel cell that travelled to Salient to help the locals slow down their impending apocalypse. Moff Tarkin is already leading the battle against their fleet."
"Then with your permission, Master, I will head out immediately to Salient."
"No, you won't." The Emperor declared.
Vader bristled in anger but managed to stop himself from interrupting his master. In the end, the Emperor stared down at his apprentice. "Do not worry, old friend. I may be reassigning you, but you will still get the thrill of the hunt you crave for there was a sighting of another Jedi survivor. And the capture of that Jedi is very high on my list of priorities."
Vader was almost placated and then his Master finished that sentence. "You want me to capture this Jedi alive?" He asked slowly, his mechanical breath chilling the room.
"Correct and I cannot stress that enough," The Dark Lord proclaimed.
Lord Vader took a moment to compose before asking the obvious question. He was mildly surprised at the answer.
"Jocasta Nu," Vader repeated in distaste. "All due respect, Master, shouldn't I focus Cin Drallig? He is one of the last high-ranking Jedi left and his skills pose a greater danger to the Empire."
"On the short term, perhaps," The Emperor acknowledged. "However, Jocasta Nu is likely the only survivor aside from Master Yoda with enough experience to rebuild the Jedi Order in hiding. Her security clearance in the Temple Archives was second only to the Grand Master, she personally trained several Padawans in her long life and she watched over the most valuable and irreplaceable objects kept by the Jedi Order," The Sith Master explained. "Make no mistake, she is one of the biggest threats among the Jedi survivors."
Vader tilted his head as his interest increased somewhat. "That's why I must not kill her yet, then?"
Darth Sidious nodded. "Imperial efforts to locate her secret vault have proven…unsuccessful," The Emperor said, clearly displeased. "I know you would prefer to kill her on the spot, my old friend, but I will have her secrets before her life is snuffed out. Am I clear?"
Vader bowed before the hologram of the Emperor. "It will be done, my Master."
"Good, then return to Coruscant. The last time Nu was spotted was several kilometers from the Temple district. The stormtroopers lost sight of her but I am sure we can make an educated guess as to which ruin she will be visiting," Sidious said with a malicious smile. "The Inquisitors are already searching the area for her, but I want you to lead the effort to capture her. Oh, and make sure to interrogate the Inquisitors if they manage to capture her first. We wouldn't want them to get treacherous ideas regarding the Jedi artifacts now, would we?"
"As you wish," Vader said before the transmission ended.
The Sith Lord stood up and mentally prepared himself to chase his prey.
Aboard the Ebon Hawk – Thabeska
Zeego dropped the Ebon Hawk into low orbit. Thabeska was a small outer rim world, he wasn't surprised to find it free of an Imperial presence. The planet was sparsely populated much like Dantooine, it gave him a nostalgic reminder of the planet he once called home as he saw the rolling hills and pastures, before witnessing a cloud of dust blast across the landscape as the wind picked up.
He dropped the ship even lower until it was a few meters above the surface, gliding slowly before calling back into the main hold of the ship.
"This is as close as I can get us. Comm me when you're ready for a pickup."
There was a moment of silence before Niner answered him.
"Copy that, just stay close," he ordered. The former sergeant smiled at his brothers as he pulled his helmet over his head. The new mandalorian armor Kal had given him was much less cumbersome than the bulky imperial armor he had grown used to in the last few months.
The grizzled veteran chuckled to himself, in the short time since he and Darman had been rescued from Coruscant, he had readily jumped at the opportunity to return a favor to their neimoidian escort. He thought it was rather ironic that he had gone from hunting jedi with the Empire to rescuing one with his brothers. He could feel that Darman was thinking the same thing, but there was one difference between their thoughts.
Darman was willing to give up every surviving Jedi he ever saw to the Empire if it meant that Palpatine would stay away from Kyrimorut forever. As much as he understood why, that worried Niner. He patted his brother on the shoulder who was staring woefully into his helmet.
"Dar, you good?" he asked sincerely.
Darman smiled at him, "I'm good, Sarge."
"You don't have to call me sarge anymore, Dar'ika."
Fi chuckled from the other end of the room, "Republic, Empire, or free men. You'll always be sarge, Niner. Even when we're all old and gray and you can barely keep up with the rest of us."
Atin stood up as he popped a fresh powercell into his DC-17.
"Can we cut the chatter and get this show on the road? I'd like to get home at some point."
The others nodded before following Atin's example and readied their blasters. Niner hit the console and the exit ramp dropped in front of them. He took a deep breath.
"Omega Squad," he began. "Fall out." The four-man team moved in perfect synchronization. Something that was to be expected after fighting together as long as they had. Dropping out of the ship, they hit the ground hard, somersaulting to shift their momentum. The Ebon Hawk broke off and returned to orbit.
They dove into the tall grass. Each laid perfectly still while Fi surveyed the area with his DC's sniper attachment.
"Thermal is showing clear," Fi stated.
"Darman, take point."
His acknowledgement light flashed green on everyone's HUD. The group entered a low crouch as Darman took the lead, weapons lowered. As low risk as this operation was, it didn't change how they operated. One small slip-up could change everything, and they each knew that. Fortunately, while each soldier could operate fine on their own, when brought together they meshed into a single person, acting as one.
"The navpoint is three clicks dead ahead of us. At this rate, we should be there by sundown." Niner announced, glancing at his tac-pad.
The hike to the estate was a calm one. That set Darman on edge. After close to an hour of slow movement and careful analyzation of their surroundings, the team began to pick up their pace, relying more on their radar scans than Fi's thermal scope.
"So, what's the deal with this jedi?" Fi asked. "I mean, why are we going after her when there are probably dozens of others we could be looking for?"
"This one was Skywalker's Padawan. Rex has a personal investment in it." Niner answered.
"Still, something doesn't add up." Atin added, "I feel like there's something we're not being told."
"One thing I liked about the Republic," Fi retorted. "Just point and shoot; no gray area osik."
Darman scoffed, "Maybe not while you were there. Things definitely went downhill once you got out, vod'ika."
"We may not know all of the details, but it doesn't change anything," Niner interjected. "Mandalore asked us to do this, and we owe Zeego for getting us off Coruscant."
The squad went quiet for a moment, the silence was broken when their radar started flashing red on their HUD's. Each of them began frantically looking around, while Fi smacked his helmet before finally glancing in the sky.
"Guys… it's not around us. It's above us." The others followed his gaze, behind them, the four mandalorians could see an imperial cruiser looming overhead. No fighters were pouring out of its hangar bays yet, so they took that as a good sign.
"Son of a hutt…" Darman commented. "I guess Rex was right. The imps are onto her.
Atin remained calm, "It's just a single light cruiser. We've been in worse situations."
"Cruiser or not – this will all be for nothing if we let them get to Ahsoka before we do," Darman interjected.
Niner nodded, "Darman is right, double time boys."
There was a simultaneous "sir, yes sir!" from his brothers before the three broke into a jog through the high grass.
The imperial cruiser had long since passed them, but Omega still moved as fast as they could without exhausting themselves. Yes, reaching Ahsoka was a priority, but an exhausted squad was about as useful as a starfighter that was out of fuel. It wasn't.
They were making good time, but the day was quickly coming to an end. Even through their armor's heating units, each mandalorian could sense the temperature dropping a few degrees as the time ticked by. The sounds of chirping insects began to fill landscape as the planet's sun started to drop behind the horizon. The wind died down. In the distance, they could hear the faint whirring of imperial TIE fighters. It slowly dwindled away.
Avoiding imperial patrols slowed their progress. The moon rose and the four of them could see the faint glow of an estate in the distance. To the east, they could see the spotlights of imperial gunships strafing the area. They were looking for something.
Niner had taken point as squad leader and slowed the group down as they began approaching the estate. He held his fist in the air. Omega stopped and dropped to a crouch.
"Fi, scan the area." Niner ordered. The acknowledgement light flashed green on his HUD.
"Clear for the next two-hundred meters. Thermal is showing five stormtroopers at this point." He placed a navpoint on their HUDs. Should we take them out, Sarge?"
"Negative, we aren't Delta. We do this quietly, longer we go unnoticed, the better. Follow me.
Niner started moving directly toward the imperial squad. Darman took a glance behind him at Atin, raising a brow. His gesture wasn't discernable beneath the helmet but Atin understood what his brother meant. He shrugged at Darman.
Once they were fifty meters out, they stopped again.
"Fi, scan again." Niner ordered, his voice a whisper, even in their helmet-to-helmet communicator.
"Contacts are still there, two more approaching from the left."
Darman sighed in his helmet, realizing his mic was open. The others ignored it.
Niner set his rifle down before relaying orders with a series of hand gestures. He could have issued them through their helmet synch. He chose not to rely on his suit when he didn't have to. Technology was an asset, but he shouldn't rely on it. Skirata taught him well.
Atin moved to the left, flanking around behind the approaching duo. Dar, Niner, and Fi stayed were they were getting low to the ground. In the distance they could see Atin flashing his helmet's floodlight.
"They're taking the bait," Fi observed. He hesitated for a second, "We're clear."
Niner flashed a green light across his squad's heads-up displays. Dar and Fi followed him. The continued forward another eighty meters before running into Atin again. He had distracted the stormtroopers by leaving a civilian flashlight in a small mammal's nest. The stormtroopers were fool enough to assume it was just an animal playing with something they didn't understand. These troops were clearly a product of Palpatine's decision to transition away from the clone army.
They stayed low to the ground for a moment. Silence. It wasn't going to be long before another patrol came. They had to find Ahsoka. They had to find her quickly.
Niner and the others reached the estate while the moon was still low. As far as they could tell, there was no imperial presence.
"Search for entry, or scale the building?" Fi asked with obvious excitement.
"Finding an entrance might take too long. We've already lost too much time avoiding troops," Darman interjected.
The former sergeant nodded, "Dar is right. We're going up." The four soldiers pulled out their ascension cables and mounted them on their rifles, taking aim at the small lip hanging off the roof of the estate. They secured the lines to their belts and began climbing. If the wind hadn't died down, it would've made for a much tougher climb.
Darman was the first to reach the top. Followed by Atin. Once Atin reached the top, he helped Fi up. Niner was last. He was always last, even during training on Kamino.
Once they were on the roof, Niner conducted a scan of the structure looking to see if there was some sort of access hatch to let them inside. If that wasn't an option, they would have to drop into the hangar. While that was the quickest option, it was doubtful they could do so undetected. It would be smarter of them to find an access hatch and with it, maybe some terminal that they could use to download the compound's schematics.
After the scan was complete, something struck Niner as odd. Yes, there was a rooftop access hatch, but why would a residential compound need something like that? Maybe for some sort of emergency exit in case they needed an aerial extraction. He made a mental note of it before signaling the rest of the squad to drop inside. They closed the hatch behind them, and instead of activating their floodlights, they switched their visors to night vision.
Niner's visor made it a simple task to pick out the nearby terminal. He gave a silent order to Atin to get what he could from the terminal. Atin was their tech expert, he could make short work of whatever security measures they had in place, though he didn't expect there to be much any security system inside the compound. A minute ticked by on Niner's mission clock.
"Atin, what's taking so long?" He asked impatiently, a bit of sweat beginning to form on his brow. Something was off.
"Sorry, Niner. Just a lot of data," he answered.
"What did you find?" Fi cut in.
"Well for one, I got a layout of the compound. For another, I found a shipping manifest. Looks like the Fardi aren't the upstanding imperial traders they appear to be. They're smuggling food and other relief supplies."
Niner grunted, "That explains the compound's design. Copy that manifest to a data chip. I'm sure we could find a use for it."
"What are you thinking Sarge? Slip it to the Imps and give them something else to look for?" Dar asked.
"Unless that's what they're already here for. Worst case scenario, we have some new leverage." Atin commented.
"Either way, we need to move on. Where can we find Ahsoka?"
Atin stayed put, typing different commands into the terminal, "I have control of the security cameras. Looks like she's in her bedroom."
"Do you have a location?" Niner asked.
Atin nodded, "Camera says she's in the eastern dormitories, second floor."
"Then we're close. Good. Atin, take point. Darman, cover our flank. We do this quickly and quietly. Once we have the asset, we'll radio for extraction, then make our way back up to the roof." Niner explained, priming his rifle.
Acknowledgement lights flashed on his HUD, his squad moved into position and began methodically moving throughout the facility. They found no signs that the Imperials had entered the facility yet – or at least not this part of it.
As they entered a stairwell that lead down to the second floor, they were met with the bright flood lamps of three stormtroopers. The white armored soldiers had a moment of confusion as they saw the four mandalorians. The latter of the two groups opened fire immediately and the stormtroopers dropped to the ground. Niner cursed at himself under his breath for not scanning the stairwell first.
"Well, we're gonna be running low on time now. Atin, patch us into their comms," he ordered.
Atin stepped over to the fallen troopers and pulled the comm device from one of their helmets, interfacing the frequency with his own before opening the channel to the rest of his squad. It was quiet.
"They will know there is something wrong when these three fail to check in. We should hurry." Darman said, a bit of irritation in his tone.
"Form up and keep moving, if they catch onto us, we'll have to go loud. Darman, how much ordinance did you bring?" Niner questioned.
"Enough." Darman said flatly.
Niner didn't say anything in response, instead he simply fell into step with his brothers and continued toward his objective. The Imperial comm traffic was light, the more time that went by, the more questions he could hear being asked about Gamma patrol – the three he and his brothers had dispatched.
Once they reached the dormitories, they heard an imperial squad being ordered to go look for Gamma. Atin began examining the labels outside each dorm room. He stopped outside of the third door on their left.
"She's in here," He declared.
"Hack the door. Dar, Fi – stand guard." He ordered. After what happened to Etain, Niner expected it would be smart to keep Dar separated from Ahsoka. At least for now.
Atin set his rifle down to begin working on the access panel. Before he did anything, the door opened from the inside. Atin switched to the internal comm channel.
"You know, I'll never get used to how they do that," he commented.
Niner kept his external comm open, "Ahsoka Tano? Captain Rex sent us."
The young togruta nodded, "I know."
"How di- " Niner started to ask before Atin interrupted him.
"Jedi, vod. Remember?"
"I'm not a Jedi anymore," Ahsoka interjected. "Either way, Rex wouldn't have sent you without a reason; what is it?"
Darman stepped over, "Vode! We have stormies on their way. Can we get the aruetii out of here before we play twenty questions?"
The others nodded.
"Darman is right. Your questions will have to wait. If you knew we were coming, then you must know that right now the safest place for you is with us."
Ahsoka took a deep breath, the Force had showed her this moment for a reason. She took one last look around her dorm room before following her rescuers to whatever the Force had planned for her. She may have lost faith in the Jedi, but she would never turn her back on the Force.
AN: There you have it everyone! Once again, I apologize for the delay, my co-writer recently had a serious accident involving a rotweiler, and is unable to type or write until sometime Mid-may. I will continue to work as best I can on the story, but until he feels ready to return, things may be on hold. Will keep you all updated. Please keep Mard Geer in your thoughts while he recovers! Until next time.
-CaptainCakeless117