CHAPTER 11 OLD WOUNDS

Atin was standing in the command tent looking over a scan when he felt the earth shake for a minute then stop.

"The hell was that an earthquake?" Atin asked as he looked at one of his men who looked up and shook his head.

"Sir we are getting a report that the enemy base has been destroyed." A mandalorian said as he walked into the command tent

"What section?" Atin asked

"The whole thing sir." The mandalarain replied "The entire base is just smoke, and ashes have a look for yourself." He said as Atin walked out of the tent and saw a massive mushroom cloud over the tree top.

"By Mand'alor he did it." Atin said under his breath

"Sir we have two droid speeders in bound." One of the mandalorains said with his hand up to the radio in his helmet. "Sir they say it is Night Angel and a republic trooper."

"Let them in, I want to speak to him immediately." Atin ordered as two men ran out to get Azoth.

After a few minutes Azoth along with Fordo walked into the command center.

"I will give you credit you took that facility down in no time at all." Atin said then looked over at Fordo "And looks like you found a friend along the way."

"I am very strict on time management." Azoth said with a chuckle "But yes, pulled this guy out of an interrogation chamber." He explained as he took of his helmet followed by Fordo

"By Mand'alore, Fett?" Atin asked getting a shocked look from Fordo

"No sir, but I was cloned from Jango Fett if that is who you are referring too." Fordo explained

"Right of course." Atin replied shaking his head "Any way our deal still stands your jedi friend is safe and patched up, you are going to leave us in peace and not report us to the republic?" Atin asked looking more at Fordo than Azoth.

"Yes, I am a man of my word," Azoth said then looked over to Fordo. "We never saw any Mandalorains on this mission I hit the facility and found you then brought you back to a cave where we waited for retrieval."

"Yes sir, I fully understand." Fordo said with a nod.

"Good to hear it." Atin said walking up to Azoth shaking his hand "You did us a great service, if you are in a pinch and need a hand drop me a wave and I will see what I can do." He said handing him a communicator. He then turned to Fordo shook his hand and said "I fought alongside Jango for years he was the greatest warrior I know, do him proud and fight with honor always."

"Yes sir." Fordo said with pride.

"Fordo go and see how Master Kira is doing I still need to discuss a few things with Atin here." Azoth said as Fordo turned around and was escorted out of the tent.

Once he was gone Atin looked at Azoth suspiciously "Now what do you want to discuss that you didn't want your subordinate to hear?"

"Well this one is off the books." Azoth said getting Atin to raise an eyebrow "You see I am looking for a ship."

"Well you have to be a bit more specific there are a lot of ships in the verse." Atin chuckled "But I get where this is going this ship doesn't operate within the republic so you want some help finding them in uncontrolled, wild or hutt space, what is the name of the ship?"

"Sorry classified." Azoth said as Atin got a confused look on his face "I can't give you the name of the ship because they won't be going into any ports they will stick to plants with the low if no populations at all so as you said the wild space. However this is who I'm looking for." Azoth said holding up a small holo projector and an image of marines and helljumpers appears then a few images of naval personal. "If you see them do not engage tell them you are friends of the Night Angel, then contact me." he says as holds up the communicator he had just given him.

"Right well if we run into them I'll give you a call." Atin said as one of his man called out. "Sir we have a republic fleet entering the system." At this Azoth threw on his helmet and got on the radio.

"Master Yugan come in Night Angel come in. This is Master Kenobi is anybody reading me, any Republic forces please respond" came Kenobi's voice over the radio.

"Yes Kenobi this is Night Angel I read you loud and clear, the enemy base here has been eliminated and we would very much like to return ship side." Azoth replied

"Very well we will send a drop ship to come pick you up." Kenobi replied

"Negative this area is to rocky and too much tree cover I will give you a location of a clearing where you can pick us up at." Azoth replied

"Very well we will see you shortly." Kenobi said as the transmission cut out.

"Well hopefully I'll be hearing from you about my people." Azoth said turning to Atin.

"We will keep our eyes and ears open for anything." Atin replied as Azoth headed out to medical tent and had Fordo help him carry the litter that had Kira on it out to the clearing at the edge of the forest they were hiding in.

Azoth looked up and sees three dropships coming in he walks out with Kira on the litter as Fordo holding the other side and HK holding security then sends up a flare and the dropships veer over to them and land. The side doors open and squad of clone troopers jump out of each and Obi-wan and Anakin step off the center drop ship.

"What is the situation Night Angle?" Obi-wan asked

"Just need pick up." Azoth replied

"But we got a report there was a weapon here that destroyed a capital ship in one shot." Anakin replied

"There was I destroyed it and the facility it was housed in." Azoth explained

"That must have been the massive crater we saw when coming in." Obi-wan replied rubbing his chin

"I can give you a full debrief on ship right now she needs medical attention I did best I could with equipment I stole from their labs but she needs a real doctor." Azoth said trying to cover for how well she was doing with only field level care.

"Right," Obi-wan said and turned to the drop ship "Load up!"

Everyone loaded back up and they took off to the ship where Kira was brought to the medical wing on her flagship and Azoth and Fordo went with Obi-wan and Anakin.

"So what happened." Obi-wan asked

"I'll write up a full report when I return to our ships, but cliff notes we got shot down hid in a cave patched up Kira best I could put HK on security, snuck into their facility saved this guy" Azoth explained pointing at Fordo "And set some det packs on the weapons power source and got the hell out of there."

"What was the power source if it could have made that much of an explosion?" Anakin asked to Obi-wan.

"It was a Kyber Crystal sir." Fordo answered

"Are you sure?" Obi-wan asked

"It was a massive one sir." Fordo replied

"Yes a large crystal, I'm sorry but what is a Kyber crystal?" Azoth asked

"It is a powerful crystal we use in our lightsabers but to use it the way they were is unheard of." Obi-wan said "We must inform the council about this."

"Well I'll beheading over to my fleet and my report will be sent to you as soon as I can get it out." Azoth replied

"Your orders are to return to Coruscant for a debriefing of this mission and bring Master Kira to the hospital in the jedi temple." Obi wan said

"Yes sir, and as for Fordo I would like him transferred from where ever he was to my unit." Azoth said

"Very well I will get him transferred." Obi-wan said

"Thank you sir." Azoth replied with a nod and turned to leave followed by Fordo.

"Sir why did you have me transferred with out that chip I…" Fordo began

"I don't care about that chip from what I saw out there you don't need it to do your job and you do it well, if they knew about it they may take you way and you are of more value on the front." Azoth explained as they walked into the hanger bay.

"Yes sir." Fordo said as he followed him onto a drop ship and they went to their flagship.

Once on the ship Azoth walked up to the medical wing and walked up to Kira who was laying in a hospital bed.

"How is the patient doing today." Azoth asked in a teasing voice as he took off his helmet.

"Actually, a lot better now the pain killers have kicked in." Kira said

"I'm sure," Azoth chuckled "We have new orders to head back to Coruscant get you to their hospital and I need to give them a report."

"You going to tell them about the mandalorians?" Kira asked

"No they are more interested in the weapon I found." Azoth replied

"Yeah I heard you talking about a kyber crystal, but I was so messed up down there I can't really remember." Kira said

"Yeah but it will be in the report, you should rest." Azoth said as he got up to leave.

"Wait." Kira said grabbing his arm making him turn around "Tell me more about you, we have a decent amount of time before we get to Coruscant, I want to hear what happened after you left the academy you said you ran into that girl two other times after that."

"It was shortly after I became an ODST." Azoth replied


(FLASHBACK)

It had been three years since Kylar ran away from the academy and enlisted. The comandante tried to argue to have him put back in the academy but Kylar was legally a ward of the state and could enlist if he so chose. After his first combat tour he was promoted to corporal and applied to the ODST's he was made a team leader of a five man recon team. He was now in a battle ship high above the planet that held the academy, waiting on orders, the rest of the company had been sent down to assist with evacuation, his team was waiting to be launched to areas that went dark.

"Damn't man I hate just sitting and waiting" Leprechaun moaned as they sat in the pod bay

"Yeah same you know I would rather be down there fighting those split chin bastards." Azoth replied "But we are recon we have to wait till something needs to be checked out."

"Yeah they only put us on recon to get rid of us." Leprechaun replied "Highest casualty rate and they don't have to take us on main drops."

"Yeah but we are proving they can't get rid of that easily." Azoth shot back "We have been on five drops with no casualties to our team and completed all our missions, we are the night angels we are immortal."

"Brother, I love ya man but where did you get that call sign from?" Leprachaun asked

"From the helljumper that saved me when I was kid." Azoth said

"Yeah sure you met the legendry Major Thorne as a kid. He hasn't been seen since Arcadia fell." Leprachaun shot back.

"Night Angel team leader report to the bridge." A voice came over the PA system.

"Well looks like this is it guys." Azoth said as he stood up and headed out to the bridge.

As he was walking up to the bridge he thought to himself 'Why am I being called up to the bridge normally they just brief us on the way down.' After his thought ended he was at the door to the bridge, and he entered.

"Corporal Azoth reporting as ordered." He announced as the captain stepped away from the holographic tactical map.

"Yes Corporal come with me." the captain said as he walked to the captains quarters. Once the doors were closed the captain spoke. "Alright I need your team to head planet side to the Muramasa military academy." At hearing the name Azoth physically tensed. "You alright corporal?"

"Yes sir, I was a cadet there before I enlisted." Azoth said "Just… bad memories sir."

"What, flunked out?" the captain asked

"No top of the class but got into a fight with another arrogant prick of a cadet, and realized it wasn't where I belonged." Azoth explained

"Well that explains why your team works so well." The captain said as a few things started to make sense to him. "But I don't care about the past right now, it's my daughter she is a cadet down there and it has gone dark."

"And you want my team to look for her." Azoth said finishing the captains thoughts.

"Yes it went dark over two hours ago, I can send you down to investigate but…" the captain began

"But if you tell my team to look for your daughter it may look like you are using UNSC assets for personal use." Azoth finished

"Yes you see my predicament, I love my daughter." The captain said as he handed a picture of a girl maybe a year younger than him with short red hair and freckles smiling in a cadet uniform. "Her name is Iris, you know the layout of the academy please find her or at least tell me her fate, so I may have some closure."

"I can't promise anything sir, but my team will do our best to find out what happened to her" Azoth said as he walked out of the captains' quarters and headed to the pod bay.

"So we got a mission?" Leprechaun asked as he walked into the pod bay

"Yeah we have to recon the Muramasa academy." Azoth replied

"Alright finally, we can get into the action." Leprechaun said

"There is more isn't there?" Kage asked as he got up and grabbed his sniper rifle. "Or else the Captain would have just briefed us on the way down."

"Yes he wants us to look for his daughter" Azoth said pulling out the picture he had been given showing it to them. "And he doesn't want it to seem like he is using military assets for personal use by sending us is why he called me up there."

"Whatever as long as I can kill me some covies." Leprechaun said as he put on his helmet and got into his pod.

"Alright get to your pods." Azoth called out as everyone began to move out "One last thing please only call by my call sign down there I used to be a cadet down there before I enlisted and I don't want anybody to know who I am."

"Oh what break a bitches heart and bailed?" Leprechaun laughed

'Other way around.' Azoth sighed to himself "Alright, abandon all hope." He called out as he stepped into his pod.

"Ye who enter here." The team called back

"For here must all distrust be left." Azoth called out

"All cowardice be dead." The team replied

"For we shall fall from the heavens." Azoth said

"And deliver hell upon the land." The team responded

"Now let us make our way to the doleful city, for we are already dead." Azoth ended their prayer as their pods released and they headed toward the planet.

As they approached the academy they saw the obstacle course below them. "Kage shift to the north there is a hill overlooking the academy good for over watch, everyone else keep it tight and follow me in." Azoth called over the radio as Kages pod veered off to the north, and their pods hit in the middle of the obstacle course. As soon as they landed they came under fire as their pods opened. Azoth quickly moved from his pod as a needle from a needler hit his seat and he got behind the climbing wall and swung around the wall returning fire hitting a grunt in the head with his suppressed SMG and Comrade opens up with his SAW killing the rest of the grunts who were focused on him. The team met up at the closest building where the grunts had fired from.

"Alright this was only a small sweeper team if there are more around they more than likely already know we are here." Azoth replied

"Yeah so keep your head on a swivel for any more of those bastards, hopefully they are arrogant and think they can take us on their own and won't call in for reinforcements." Azoth said as the team nodded "Alright we will start in the barracks and work our way across to the armory." He said as they headed toward the barracks.

They made a swipe through the barracks only to find dead bodies. They then moved on to the instructor quarters and the commandant's office. As they approached the office they found the door was barricaded and as Azoth moved around the barricade to check the office a burst from an assault rifle nearly took of his head.

"CEASE FIRE!" Azoth commanded

"What? Who is that?" came a male voice

"ODST's." Azoth called out.

"Oh thank god." The voice said as Azoth's team entered, and they found four cadets and one person in an instructor's uniform in the room only one of the cadets had a rifle and was familiar to him. Azoth took another scan of the area and saw the four cadets walking up to them from behind cover while the instructor was in the corner holding his legs in shock, and then he saw the blonde and his heart sank but also relief as he saw her. "report." He demanded

"Cadet Benson sir, covies hit us just before lights out." Benson replied "I was getting some last-minute practice at the rifle range when they hit, that is why I have a rifle. But I only have half a mag left. We had no chance the MPs did what they could, but they were no match for the covies. I had been side stepping them all night and found these guys hold up in here and decided to stay and see if I could get a signal out." He said pointing at a radio. "But the damn thing is busted or something."

"And him?" Azoth asked pointing at the instructor.

"Just a coward who went straight from the academy to instructor's aid to avoid the front." Benson said with venom as Azoth walked over to him and shook his shoulder and took every ounce of self-control he had not to shoot the man, it was Derek.

"Alright we are here to get you out, but we are also looking for someone." Azoth said holding up a picture "Cadet Iris Da'loon."

"Present" came a small weak voice as he looked over and saw the girl step up further into the light and he got a better look at her "Why are you looking for me?"

"Your father sent us down to look for survivors and asked us to keep an eye out for you." Azoth replied as the girls eyes lit up.

"My father is here?" Iris asked excitedly

"Yes he is in orbit right now and we need to look for any other survivors and get to the armory and re-arm." Azoth said.

"Alright let's get moving." Benson says as Azoth slaps Derek out of his stupor and picks him up and drags him over to Benson.

"You are in charge of him." Azoth said and Benson was about to protest "That is an order cadet."

"Yes sir." Benson said in an agitated tone as he put Derek behind him and began to lead the way. As they walked out of the office they cleared out more of the academy and only found dead bodies.

"Night Angel we have a phantom inbound it is landing in the court yard." Kage reported over the radio

"Roger tango." Azoth replied "Alright we have covies in bound look sharp, the armory is just across the court they just landed in." he said as his team checks their weapons "Kage see if you can take out any of them remember threat priority."

"Alright cadets you stay behind cover me and my team will deal with them." Azoth said as his team moved to vantage points around the covies. "Alright wait to fire till we find the elite commander." He said as the saw a squad of grunts and a pair of jackals. "Come on where are you, you split chin bastard." Just then he heard the crackle of an energy sword coming to life and he jumped out of the way as it cut through the pillar he was standing behind, and the elite let out a battle cry as the grunts and jackals opened fire on the team.

Azoth rolled out into the courtyard as the elite chased him and it's head exploded. "Nice shot Kage." He called over his mike then swung back around and began to engage the remaining grunts that hadn't been killed by his team. Once the last one was dead the team converged on him.

"Anyone hit?" Azoth asked

"All good brother." Leprechaun reports

"Good let's move I'm sure they have radioed in that we are here and will be sending reinforcements." Azoth said

"Speaking of, we have two bogies in bound they must have called in before we took them out. ETA five mikes" Kage called over the radio.

"Roger." Azoth replied over the radio "Alright let's move!" Azoth yelled out as he began to run to the armory followed by his team and cadets. They quickly reached the armory where Leprachaun blew open the door with some C4 before Azoth could even give the order.

"Alright grab ammo, weapons, and armor if there is any but focus on things that go boom. That is priority." Azoth called out as the cadets ran in and began to grab rifles and magazines and what little armor there was in there.

"Hey Night Angel can I take this?" Leprechaun asked lifting up a rocket launcher.

"It got ammo?" Azoth asked and the answer was just Leprechaun patting a stack of rockets. "Fine have some of the cadets carry extra ammo for you, we may need that if we want to get out of here in one piece."

"You got it boss, did I ever say how much I love you." Leprechaun replied

"No and please don't." Azoth shot back

"I was talking to the SPNKR." Leprechaun shot back "Hey you two grab these rockets." He yelled at Iris and the fourth cadet that had 'Nelson' written on his name tape.

"Yes sir." They both said as they grabbed what they could and threw them on their backs

"We all set?" Azoth asked looking around seeing everyone had a weapon but Derek.

"Sir he won't take a weapon." Benson replied

"Then don't give him one he would be a liability rather than an asset if we gave him one." Azoth said as Derek just kept his head down still in shock from the whole thing. They began to move out of the armory and saw the phantoms pass over the academy and drop off the reinforcements two building over.

"Captain Da'loon, this is Night Angel." Azoth called over the radio.

"This is Da'loon good to hear from you Night Angel report." Da'loon came over the radio he was trying to keep calm but Azoth could hear the anxiety in his voice.

"Yes sir we investigated the academy and found five survivors instructor Jackson, cadets Benson, Nelson, Linden, and Da'loon. We have incoming phantoms and need evac time now."

"Roger that there is a clearing to the south of the academy can you make it there I have rerouted some pelicans to evac you ETA ten mikes" Da'loon responded the relief in his voice very evident.

"Roger that." Azoth said as he looked back at his team and cadets "Evac is in ten in the southern training field."

"Ten minutes we won't last two." Derek protested and began to panic as he grabbed a rifle "We should hold here and wait for reinforcements. I'm an officer you need to listen to me." at this Azoth walked up to him grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the wall causing him to drop the rifle.

"We are the reinforcements." Azoth spat "We are a recon and search team we get in and get out and if we aren't at that evac zone in ten then they leave without us. Best case scenario after that we link up with another unit and get off with them. But I promise you there won't be this many of us that get to them and I swear you will never make it off this planet, if you make us miss this bird. As for you being an officer no one here respects you enough to follow any order you give, and you try to pull that shit with anyone on my team they will shoot you." At this Derek slumped in defeat.

"Benson if he so much as looks at another weapon shoot him." Azoth said to the cadet who only nodded in response. "Alright let's move." He calls out to the rest of the team and they all head out they make their way through the buildings towards the training field. They come around a corner and see the field, but it isn't empty there is a an AA wraith sitting in it with a squad of grunts and a pair of elites.

"The fuck did that come from." Azoth curses "Kage why is there an AA wraith sitting on my LZ?"

"Fuck they must have dropped it off after I picked up from over watch." Kage replies over the radio

"Damn't we have to take that thing out, or else it will tear our evac birds to shreds." Azoth said.

"We should be fine we have that rocket launcher, right?" Chelsea asks

"No it would take multiple hits from the front to take it down we need to have it show us it's ass." Azoth said looking around there was a building to the left and a small hill to the right. "Alright Comrade you and I will go to the right and cover behind that hill Leprechaun you will take that SPNKR over to that building and pound him right in the ass."

"Alright I love it when you talk dirty." Leprechaun chuckled as did the rest of the team, but the cadets didn't

"How can you make jokes at a moment like this?" Chelsea asked in a worried tone

"Simple we are ODST's and this is just a normal day for us and if we don't have some fun we just may go insane."

"Wait you're still sane?" Leprechaun asked.

"Shut it I'm trying to ease their nerves." Azoth said in a chuckling tone "Alright let's move, Doc you are in charge of the kids."

Azoth and Comrade move around to just behind the crest of the hill "In position." He calls over the radio.

"Same." Leprechaun replied back

"Alright we will draw their attention and you hit that bastard as soon as he shows you his ass." Azoth ordered.

"Roger" leprechaun responded.

Azoth lets out a breath and crawls up on to the top of the hill with Comrade and open fire on grunts and elites around the Wraith killing one elite and most of the grunts with Comrades machine gun fire. The wraith slowly turned toward them as Azoth radio crackled.

"Night Angel this is recovery team we are on approach to the LZ." The pelican pilot called out.

"Damn't break off we have an AA wraith on the LZ hold off till we clear it!" Azoth shouted into the radio, as the wraith began to fire into the air toward the pelicans. "Damn't Leprechaun take the shot!" as he gave the order two rockets fired from Leprechauns position impacting the exposed back of the wraith and the resulting explosion killed the remaining covenant.

Azoth and his team moved up and swept the area for any more hostiles to be sure they were all dead "Recovery team we are clear hope that bastard didn't clip you." Azoth said as the pelican came down and landed, and his team and survivors mounted up.

"Just a little singed but nothing we haven't survived before." The pilot called from the cockpit, as she lifted off and headed back to the ship.

Once on the ship the captain was standing in the hanger bay waiting for them as they got off.

"Daddy" Iris squealed as she ran off the pelican and jumped into his arms hugging him

"Thank god you're ok baby." Da'loon said in relief as he hugged her then looked at Azoth "Good job trooper I am in your debt." He said as professional as possible

"Not a problem sir it is what we are on ship to do." Azoth replied relieved the captain didn't use his name.

"Yes well get prepped for another jump they may be needing your help down there." Da'loon ordered as Azoth nodded and Da'loon turned to the cadets "alright follow me and we will find you all a place to recover after this whole ordeal." He said as he began to walk away followed by the cadets but one.

Once the rest of the cadets were out of ear shot "Azoth that is you isn't it." Benson said getting Azoth to freeze where he was with his back to Benson. "Only one person I know that uses Night Angel well for anything." He chuckled

"What do you want cadet?" Azoth said coldly.

"Why didn't you let us know who you were when you found us?" Benson asked only to get silence from the trooper. "It is because of here isn't it?" still silence "You know you shouldn't hav…" he began but was cut off.

"That was not where I belonged" Azoth shot back "It isn't who I am and the cadet you knew is long gone so forget about him already." He said as he walked off with his team.


(END FLASHBACK)

"After that I don't know what happened to the rest of them but Chelsea was stationed on the ship that brought me here and I met with her just before we went into cryo." Azoth said with a look of emptiness in his eyes as he finished his story.

"You still have feelings for her?" Kira asked

"No, we were near inseparable back when we were kids but now we are two completely different people and I hold none of the feeling I had for her anymore." Azoth said as he stood up from the chair next to her hospital bed. "I'll let you rest up and wake you when we reach Coruscant." He said as he walked to the door.

"Thank you for telling me about your past." Kira said "I know it must have been hard."

"The past is just that the past, nothing we can do to change it." Azoth sighed

"But it shapes and defines us in the present and it has really helped me understand you better." Kira said "But it still seems you are holding something back, that explains your darker self." At this Azoth visibly stiffens.

"That is a story that is truly better left in the past." Azoth says as he walks out of the room

END CHAPTER 11

A/N alright finally done with this ark. Like I said before I wanted to give a bit more back story into Azoth and everything I am hoping to wrap up this fic within the next few chapters. As always please review I want to know what you thought of his back story.