I moved through the forest with the Ganks and the Chev enforcer that was leading them. They were muscle, but they didn't move with military discipline. Apparently they hadn't heard of 'the wedge' but whatever. As long as they didn't rush ahead and spook our target, that's what mattered.

Our target. Cassus Fett. A voice in my head was telling me it was wrong to hunt – and kill – other Mandalorians, but the past was the past. All men had their own unique fates, their deaths eventual and unyielding. Cassus had been Mandalore's right hand man, went rogue, and was now on the run. I survived, regrouped and reconsolidated my wits about me, and decided to become a bounty hunter. Cassus just happened to be my first bounty. It was nothing personal, just two warriors doing what they thought was right.

I shook the doubts out of my head as I moved forward. The edge of the woodline – and a quarry – was in sight. The last rays of daylight evaporated as we came to a halt and concealed ourselves behind trees and forest shrubs. I used my helmet scanners to survey the quarry ahead. There were four hostiles, armed, concealed behind boulders. Behind them was the entrance to the supposed 'mining operation.' The mine entrance was at the bottom of a very high cliff. Gorman and his guys kept their weapons aimed dead ahead, but kept their fingers out of the trigger wells. This was recon, not wetwork. Not yet, at least. I called in to the other bounty hunters.

"We've found the quarry. There are four-"

Terran cut me off. "Is Cassus there?"

Haas was going to get his, but I stuffed the annoyance for the moment. "Negative."

"We'll be there in an hour. Sit tight Fett, see you soon." Palscho replied. I cut the line and continued spying on the scene ahead.

Something wasn't right. Why was there only four men here to stop us? They were already taking cover behind boulders, how had they known we were here? Where was Cassus, and why was the mine entrance illuminated? Were there more men inside? Questions abound, as I-

A shot rang out. I quickly looked to my left. A Gank was yelling and shooting at something on the ground. Some wild animal spooked him. Damn fool gave us away. Immediately, the hostiles behind the boulders began shooting. The Gank who had given us away took blaster bolts to the neck and shoulder and went down instantly. The rest of the Ganks opened fire.

I swore, irritated, and opened fire with my rifle. Wood and shrubs erupted as enemy fire ripped into the woods, while our fire simply smoked small dents in the giant boulders. This needed to end, fast. I got down underneath cover, where Gorman was reloading his rifle with a fresh blaster pack.

I had to yell to be heard over the blaster fire. "I'm going to flank left! Keep them pinned down!"

"You got it!"

I got up, and 'crouch ran' left, away from the main firefight. Blaster bolts whizzed by me as I dove for cover behind a fallen tree. I low crawled another 20m just to be safe, and sure that the hostiles didn't see me. I looked up, and saw their fire was directed on the Ganks. I had to act fast. I scanned the area ahead of me. The opening of the quarry was just at the edge of the woodline, with some boulders for cover. I could flank along the interior edge of the quarry and move in from there.

I slung my rifle and equipped my pistol, to be less encumbered when I moved. Ready, I stood up and bolted for the quarry, jumping over a fallen tree, over some roots, and skidded over pebbles to behind a boulder. Another check of the firefight revealed the Ganks had finally pinned the hostiles down with suppressive fire. I moved ahead to eliminate the closest guy.

I found him, a human, mid 20s, crouched behind a boulder, blaster fire ripping into the rock, and overhead. He looked up at the last minute, right before I fired a blaster bolt square into his forehead. His mates, seeing this, opened fire on me. I jumped to his boulder, taking cover adjacent to his corpse. I turned to look at the woodline, and gestured Gorman and the Ganks to move up. They began to leave the woodline, while keeping a steady stream of suppressive fire on the rocks.

Meanwhile I prepped a frag grenade, as enemy fire pinned my boulder. Still crouching behind cover, I tossed it over in their direction. I heard a yell, before the three retreated towards the mine entrance. I fired off a few bolts, just before the grenade exploded. One was knocked back, one got into the mines, and another had taken a bolt to his calf and was now pulling at the ground to try and get to the mine.

I got up and rushed to them, while the Ganks moved in. Gorman moved to the guy blown up by the grenade and began searching him. I checked the guy I shot in the calf, who was near-human. I kicked his weapon away, while one of the Gank trained his weapon on him. I stepped onto his lower back, pistol aimed at his spine. He groaned in pain.

"Just stop moving. You'll only hurt yourself more." I said to him. Gorman approached me.

"The other one is dead."

"Good. Call camp, get the rest of them over here."

Gorman began calling the other bounty hunters over the comm, while the troop of Ganks surrounded the mine entrance. I patted down my prisoner for any other weapons, before turning him over onto his back. His leg was fried, but he was otherwise alive. He looked up at me with surprise.

"You? But you're-"

"Just answer my questions." I said, kneeling down on top of him. I pressed a knee into his pelvis, while I lightly gripped his throat. Couldn't choke him out, had to allow him to speak.

"The hell do you want to know?"

"Where's Cassus?"

"Beats me, he left!"

It had gotten dark out. I activated my helmet's night vision and continued questioning him. "How convenient. What was he digging up?"

"Go look for yourself, traitor!" He exclaimed.

"What did you just say?!" I asked, aggravated. I gripped his throat a little tighter.

"You're fighting your own kind! Cassus…urgh…brought us together, gave us purpose! The Mandalorians will rise again!"

Immediately I knew what was happening here. I had seen other incidents on the holonet, heard tales from spacers who had ventured into the wrong corners of the galaxy. Pockets of surviving Mandalorians, banding together to live like the old days…instead becoming bandits, just raiding and pillaging on isolated worlds. Except these men weren't Mandalorians. They were just hired muscle, that were 'converted' by Cassus. Whether he had taught them the Mandalorian way or not, these men weren't true Mandalorians. They were just desperate hired guns looking for a leader. I shook my head.

"They'll rise one day, but not with pitiful scum like you." I said, before shooting his lights out. I stood up and turned to Gorman.

"They're on their way. Should we move in or hold off until the others get here?" Gorman asked.

"Standby. Guard the entrance, make sure no one goes in or out." I replied.