—•—

I re-did Chapter One of this story when I published this chapter to a much stronger 'T.' You might want to re-read it if you have the desire. The antagonist gets hit less (thanks to Norik956) but is more debauched. You have had your warning if you go back to Chapter One.

—•—

The Rescue of Luminara Unduli

Chapter Two
An Acquisition Made

—•—

From Chapter One:

So, Aila and Arya gently carried the woman to the encampment of the family while Alina was doing the same with Precious. As they did so, in their kindness, they, unbeknownst to them, took in an evil that would kill them all.

Or die trying.

—•—

I

In the meantime, Lux Bonteri, husband to Ahsoka Tano, Jedi Knight, and the father of these (and several other) girls, and newly appointed Vice-Admiral to the Fleet of the Alliance to Restore Democracy, was on Tatooine. If there was one planet he hated in this universe, it was this one. The only redeeming quality of the planet was, amazingly, Jabba the Hutt, who, on top of doing him a favor, was, at least, the only one on this planet who didn't want him dead if he or she or they knew who he was. And considering Jabba was the leader of a posse of bounty hunters, that was a big help. Of course, he couldn't account for these bounty hunters when they were away from the Palace of Jabba. That was what he would have to look out for.

He was looking down at this boots, his barely visible boots. 'How in Creation could this happen?' he thought. He could barely feel the wind wisping in his face; but from just above his ankles to the ground was a veritable sandstorm. It was like looking at a real sandstorm from high above. But, wouldn't you know, his boots were getting filled with sand as he stood. Wicked. The freaking sand was blowing through the clasps, through the zipper, through the seal, all the way into his boots. The longer he stayed like this, the more his boots got filled. Walking was just as interesting since when he stepped down, the sand would violently beat against his boots so that they were becoming scarred.

He looked over to his human partner. He was a good man from Mandalore that had complemented the crew of the Ghost since that cursed Pau'an had attacked his family. It was said that Sabine and he had become close, even though, at times, he was doing missions with the Ghost in his own ship, a Firespray 31. He, at least, didn't seem to mind the sand. Must be a Mandalorian thing. Able to put up with anything.

He was a good man, not too young to be reckless but not too old to make physical mistakes. He could get down and dirty, as the scar across his cheek attested to, like the best of them, but his closely cropped blond hair said he preferred to keep himself tidy and clean. His jaw was firm, but what most impressed the Admiral was his eyes. Eyes that were steady under any circumstances, any calamity. Eyes that never left their target until victory was had. He, the Admiral, was one like that, never taking his eyes from his target until it was defeated, or, unavoidably, destroyed. He learned that when he was young, fighting for the freedom of Onderon against the stooge, King Rash. Leonidas, for that was the name of the Mandalorian with him, seemed to have learned that much, much younger, however.

Leonidas was suited in Mandorian armor. It was a tough armor—tough enough to withstand a lightsaber. He was glad that Ahsoka or Mina didn't have to face these people, unless they were bounty hunters. But such a one had never bothered them. 'Thank the One Above' that at least Sabine and Leonidas were on his and Ahsoka's side.

"Evaluation, Mando-One." he asked to the Mandolorian. They were both surreptitiously scoping out a drab building about 100 meters distant.

"A very squat building but very cavernous inside. There is lots of space in there. Room to fight but hiding may be difficult."

"Mm, understood. Very good. Have Supermodel and Squawman topside while Mando-One infiltrates beforehand. What do you think?" The crew needed new code names since the old ones had been linked to them already.

"Agreed. With Airbear driving cover and Junior spotting. I suggest having Gummybear stand guard outside to help with anyone who follows outside."

"Good idea," was the response. Then suddenly, they both started laughing. They were not loud laughs. They were the laughs only a warrior would make, full, but silent. Years in close proximity to enemies had fostered that in both men. "How in the galaxy did he get that?" the Admiral rejoined after a while.

"Well, Skipper, he was the one who chose it."

"You mean like how Supermodel got her name?"

"No. I chose that for her."

"Did she have a choice?"

"No. But she didn't complain either."

"Must be a Mandolorian thing," then a pause while looking through some micro-binoculars, "Well, Mando-One, it looks good. At least," he paused, "at least you guys didn't name me 'The Old Man,'" he finished lowering the binoculars. They both smiled at that.

Then there was a quiet buzzing from Leonidas's comm-link. He answered it, "Mando-One here. Over."

"Mando-One, this is Home Base. Are you and The Old Man finished yet?" said the unmistakeable voice of Zeb.

The Admiral broke in before Leonidas could. "Skipper here. Almost finished," Admiral Bonteri replied. Leonidas handed the Admiral the comm link.

"Roger, sir. Umm, sorry, sir."

"That's all right. Airbear, can you give us a situation report?"

There was a short silence until Hera's clear and confident voice came over the comm link. "Skipper, Mando-One, this is Airbear. We just got a Boomer out of the blue. It's on the opposite side, out of line of sight. We got an AT-DP riding herd on a half dozen crunchies ten clicks northeast of Homebase but heading away. Over."

"Airbear, any blaster sponges with the Boomer?"

"Not on the scope, Skip."

"Affirmative. Any vibes by Squawman or Junior?"

There was a silence and then a funny sound coming over the comm link. The Admiral understood immediately. "Reign in the jollies, Airbear." The crew still needed to get used to the new codenames apparently.

Hera came back in laughingly, "Negative, Skip. All clear there."

"Roger, roger, Airbear." Admiral Bonteri turned to his partner. He looked interested so he gave the comm link back to Leonidas. He was worried about bounty hunters.

"Airbear, this is Mando-One. Any loose guns spotted by Supermodel?"

"All clear on that point, Mando-One. At least not in the open."

That really didn't calm Leonidas that much. He knew there were some damned good guns out there. They were probably listening in right now, getting every word. But the mission, for the good of the Jedi and the Rebellion, was too important to let some loose cannons get in the way. They were fighting for the credits in hand. Leonidas was fighting for those who never saw him, never knew him, but went to an elementary school a hundred years from now named after him. He knew how to deal with those loose guns. Admiral Bonteri was a genius with fleets and the events that change history for generations. Probably'd get a university named after him. The Battle of Maridun was galaxy changing, something the Empire probably wouldn't ever recover from. Admiral Bonteri did that. (If only he had been there, he could have put a lot of hurt on the Empire.) But Leonidas knew the down and the gritty. He knew what the Admiral didn't.

"Roger, Airbear. Over to Skipper." Leonidas handed the comm link to Admiral Bonteri.

"Nothing else, Airbear?"

"Not at the moment," was the response.

"Understood. Skipper," there was a pause as the Admiral looked to his partner, who responded with a small shake of the head, "And Mando-One out." Admiral Bonteri handed the comm link back to Leonidas. He then looked back over to the squat but spacious cantina where they would have to meet someone—someone unplanned. And if the Admiral knew this person, he knew she wouldn't like it. "Now we just have to convince Airbear and the crew."

"I'm sure it'll go all right. Rank does have its privilege." They both lightly laughed at Leonidas's quip.

"Let's get back to them," Lux said with a smile.

The Admiral then turned around. As he did so, he looked askance at the droid, an HK-51 Assassin Droid, Leonidas had with him. He didn't like droids, even cooking and cleaning droids, as it was (except for astromechs on good days and protocols only when he needed them), but especially droids with the firepower this one had. The droid, or 'canner' as Admiral Bonteri derisively called them, was veritably bristling with armaments—hidden or carried. "I don't like droids," he started, "Especially those packing. Canners like you killed too many of my friends."

The droid, if anything, was taken aback by that.

"Who would that be?" asked Leonidas with curiosity, but not a little stunned, like his droid, by the Admiral's vitriolic tone.

"The rebels on Onderon for one—especially for one" he replied sadly. "Later, troopers from the GAR whom I did some missions to re-supply friends of the Republic with. Good men. Killed by the likes of you," he finished bitterly, glaring at HK. He started to walk away.

HK responded to this as a droid would, unemotionally. "Admiral, do you mean the likes of the B1 Battle Droids of the C.I.S?" The Admiral turned back and nodded. "But those clone troopers"―there was a short pause―"Didn't they kill off the Jedi?"

Admiral Bonteri was stumped. HK had a point, he had to admit. He had come to love the Jedi in the short time he knew them. Good people, fighting the hard fight for little or no reward—except to maybe become One with the Force. He relented in his attitude a little. "Touché, HK," was his only response, "Touché." His human companion, Leonidas, smiled at the small ground the Admiral gave in his feelings towards his own droid companion, HK. "Well in your case, HK," the Admiral took up the conversation, "I'll make an exception."

HK bowed slightly at the compliment with a "Thank you."

"HK," said the Admiral, "Just don't shoot anyone. We don't want to attract too much attention." When saying that, the Admiral and Leonidas noticed that if a droid could look disappointed, with head slightly bowed and shoulders slightly drooped, it was HK right then. They both smiled at that and the three together went on to the Ghost to talk over their plans. After giving a last look back at their objective, they went back to where the Ghost was parked.

Along the way, Leonidas wanted to know a little more about his companion. After all, it wasn't everyday you met an Admiral, in command of fleets of ships. But all he could think of was something simple, something from the past. But, you understand, Leonidas was a Mandalorian—and such as he were they.

"Skipper, you knew the Clone Warriors?"

"Affirmative. They were damned good men deviously corrupted by an evil man for a moment of complete genocide. They knew not what they did. Even though they killed my father in The Clone Wars, I did not harbor hatred for them after a time before Order 66. I actually felt sorry for them much later."

"They were good men?"

"Yes. I liked being around them for the steadfastness they had; for one reason.

"Aye," responded Leonidas, "That is how we are."

"I noticed that—especially in you, Leonidas." They both smiled at each other.

Then Leonidas had a curiosity bubble up. He smiled when he asked, as if he knew what the answer would be—if but just to hear it. "If I may, wasn't there another reason?"

"There certainly was. I had my work cut out for me keeping them away from Ahsoka—off the battlefield, of course. They were 110% battle ready anywhere near it"

"Of course, of course," Leonidas responded. "It seems I've heard the name 'Ahsoka' before." He had.

"She's my wife, my woman. Although your gal Sabine likes to call her The—," he looked around to make sure no one was around and said slightly more quiet, "'The Jedi Baby Machine.'"

"I've never heard that," said Leonidas sardonically. The Admiral looked unbelieving at Leonidas. "How many do you have?" Leonidas asked simply, not knowing what such a question involved.

Lux stopped almost mid-stride. He couldn't walk and count the number of his children at the same time. He started talking to himself, counting on, to his companion's compete surprise, two hands. "Let's see, . . . Zeri, . . . Mina . . . Aila . . . Arya . . . there's Amini, then Alina, or is it Alina then Amini? . . . Then there's Almas . . . Precious . . . Akila . . ." And on and on. In fact, he had to do it twice. Then suddenly, "Nine. We have nine girls." They resumed their walk back to the Ghost.

Leonidas was shocked, not just at how many, but . . .

"Nine?!" "All girls?!" He was a little taken aback.

"Yeah. Nine. All girls." There was a pause, then some teasing sort of laugh from Leonidas. The Admiral responded, "I know, I know," then another pause in the conversation, "We are going to have another pretty soon I think."

"Another? We?" Leonidas was a little taken aback. "Isn't she the one having it?" Leonidas asked simply.

Lux smiled at his partner. "Certainly, Mando-One. I help to, how shall I say? I help to lay the keel and . . ."

"And she can launch the ship herself well enough?" chided Leonidas.

"Well, partner, that's one way to put it. Yes. She has a midwife kind of to whack it . . ."

"With a champagne bottle?"

"No, no. Of course not. Just a whack to the bottom to get the engines started. You know what I mean?"

"I guess so."

The older man paused a bit to let everything sink in for Leonidas. "Well, the way you and Supermodel are going, I think you'll find out soon enough."

"I guess so."

"Well, I know so."

"You do?"

"Sure. But don't worry, Mando-One. You'll still be needed—pay the orthodontist's bills, tutors, stuff like that."

"I guess I have a lot to look forward to."

"You sure do. And, you know what, it's all happiness, even the hard times."

"Sure. But with Supermodel, I don't think I'll need the orthodontist." His partner had a questioning look. They had gotten pretty far away from the cantina so Leonidas felt it safe to relax a little. "My gal Sabine has the best teeth I've ever seen on a girl." They both laughed a little.

"Well, that's one thing being married to a Togruta girl from Shili. There are some interesting outcomes when it comes to teeth." They both laughed.

"Your wife isn't Human?" Leonidas asked with a small hint of surprise.

"No, no. But that didn't stop us from having, what? ten kids."

"Well. I just assumed . . . ."

"That she was Human? Nah. Ahsoka has a unique specialness that goes far beyond hair or montrals. There is something inside that tells me I'm the luckiest man in the universe."

"Well, she certainly has a baby inside her, if that's what you mean."

The Admiral just lightly smiled. "No, Leonidas, there's a lot more. I've loved her since I first saw her and I would most likely be dead without her."

Leonidas was impressed with his Skipper, able to look past to see the inside of a person, no matter how they looked on the outside. Perhaps that's what made him special, an excellent leader. "Yeah," he came out of his contemplations, "That's how I feel about Sabine."

"Well then, Leonidas, I certainly believe we're two of the luckiest men alive." They smiled at the thoughts of their women, but before they knew it, they had arrived at the Ghost. Hera had some choice words for them.

"What took you two so long?" Hera asked as they entered, keeping the droid HK outside the ramp. Even though Lux Bonteri was an Admiral, he knew to defer to Hera for this mission, especially where the Ghost was concerned. Kanan, Zeb, and Ezra looked very proud of her. Sabine became a little too busy looking after her man.

"Well," that very person responded as Sabine helped him with taking off some equipment, "I made the mistake of asking Skipper how many children he had."

"Quite understandable," replied Hera.

"I would say so," added Kanan, "Probably had to count twice."

"He did," replied Leonidas. The crew all smiled at the interchange. They were really proud of the family they had, all, umm, eighteen, soon to be nineteen, if not more, of them. Quite a big family.

"Well, let's get down to business," the Admiral brought everyone back to reality. "You all know what we need, and who from," he said with a chopping gesture with his right hand. There were worried nods all around. "It's imperative."

"It certainly is," added Hera, "especially for the Jedi still out there."

The Admiral admired Hera for her love for the Jedi that never wavered, a lot like as his own. "Then the plan is this," the Admiral said as all were listening intently, "Leonidas will infiltrate the cantina beforehand while Kanan and Sabine get ready on the roof of the place. It's only one story so you should be able to hear just about anything that happens where we are. Kanan, you have great hearing and Sabine you do too with your helmet. Zeb will be outside to help with decamping in case we're followed out or for assistance inside. Hera, for a possible quick evac we need your help above in the Phantom with Ezra spotting for us and telling us what's going on around us. We're too close to the situation Ezra, so you can really help us there." Admiral Bonteri wanted Ezra to feel he was important.

There was some silent thinking for a long time about what the Admiral said. Finally, Kanan spoke up, stating the feelings of all, "Well, it sounds good on the surface. But there's always the unexpected."

"Yes, there always is," Admiral Bonteri consented, "but the most important thing is that we meet that unexpected with all the force we can. We can surprise the unexpected with even more of the unexpected," he said while looking towards Kanan, Sabine, and Zeb.

"Well, like always, it's a risk," said Hera, taking in the concerns of her family, "But it will be worth it if we succeed," Hera ended as she looked worriedly to Kanan. She didn't want to lose him so soon after, well, after declaring their love for each other.

The Admiral knew the feeling. He dealt with it almost every day. "Don't worry Hera, I'll bring him back for you."

"It's not the mission now, Terry, but later I am worried about." There was a long silence. Then Sabine piped up like she always does so well in these situations.

"Well, we won't get this done talking about it," she said while putting on her Mandalorian helmet, "Let's roll."

"Yeah," said Ezra, "I so want to give that Pau'an some payback." The crew had been told of the attack by the Pau'an. They were shocked but relieved that the big family was now safe, even though they had lost two protectors, Barriss and Mina, who went out to the fight and their father was away. Kanan, however, looked worried about Ezra's remark. He knew he had feelings for Lux and Ahsoka's next oldest, Aila. The Admiral also looked worried about the boy. He knew what such feelings, if left unchecked, could lead to. He decided to leave the teaching to Ezra's master.

"Ezra, as hokey as this sounds, that is not the Jedi way. Do not let your feelings for Aila overrule your senses. That is the path to the darkside. There is one, and only one, goal to this mission. Don't you forget it." Kanan said these last few phrases more loudly and more slowly, verbally pointing out each word.

Ezra and the entire ship was very quiet for a few moments. Then, they could see Ezra straighten his posture, and seemed to be more confident in his attitude. "Yes, Master. I will," Ezra said looking Kanan fully into his eyes. Kanan smiled at that.

"Ezra," said Lux, "I know how you feel. I had the fortune to know Ahsoka when I felt my worst after my mother was killed. You have Kanan and Aila. If it helps, think of Aila as I think of my wife Ahsoka at these times. 'What would she want me to do? What would she be proud of that I did?' Then you will know what to do."

"Yes, Admiral, I understand now. Thank you." He was thinking of not only Kanan and of his girlfriend Aila, but another little girl from the family. Little Precious. Could he look at her again knowing he had done wrong? After his promise to her? Never. He knew very well what to do and would trust to the Force that he would do the right things to the end of the mission.

Soon, after a pause and silent prayer by the Admiral, the team made ready to start the operation.

Hera warned Kanan alone before he could leave. "Kanan, be careful," she began quietly, putting her hand on his arm. She came closer to him and put her hands on his chest while he wrapped an arm around her thin waist. The others found something else to do or look at. "Someone might know you there." She looked straight into his eyes. "And whatever happens, please don't show your saber. There are too many hungry bounty hunters here."

Kana replied softly, "I'll be careful, but I will do what I need to do. The last thing I'll do is to worry you too much. You can count on that. I won't do anything stupid." The looked at each other and then Kanan reached his head down to give Hera a soft, small kiss. There was silence for short time.

Then suddenly, Sabine's voice broke the silence, "Well, Leonidas, do you think we can separate the lovebirds long enough to get this job done?" Everyone, who had returned laughed at the two holding each other.

"I'm a little more concerned about after we do this job. Hint. Hint," her boyfriend replied. More laughter resounded in the ship.

"Lovebirds?" "Us?" Hera and Kanan retorted, one after the other. Then looking at the two Mandalorians, "Well, maybe so. But look who's talking." The two who were the recipients of Kanan's joke blushed a little and looked down.

"Well, well," said Zeb, "If love was a weapon, we would end this Empire hands down nothing flat." Everyone smiled.

"Aye but it is," responded the Admiral, "It is an asset on our side, something the Sith can't even conceive of. It will be there for us in the right place at the right time. Ahsoka has a feeling that will happen. We just have to trust in love."

There was silence a while and then, without anyone saying anything, all in the Ghost headed out to their destination while Hera and Ezra went through the ship to the Phantom. The walk back to the cantina for Admiral Bonteri and Leonidas, who left first, was long and lonely—lonely since they had to play as if they didn't know each other, arriving at different times. Sabine and Kanan left the Ghost a little later together.

Leonidas went in first, to infiltrate the cantina while Sabine and Kanan neared their spots to climb to the roof. The Admiral went to the front of the cantina. He wasn't nervous or afraid―years of war had cured him of that. He was just keen to, as he said, 'the unexpected.' Unfortunately for him and the team, the unexpected was waiting for the right time. It would let him do what he needed to do, and then . . . .

When, after checking everyone was in position, and with a code phrase of warning, Admiral Bonteri entered the cantina:

"Helm's alee."

As he entered, he could see why there was space in the center. Around the open center, there were tables ringing the sides of the cantina. Off to the right was a band of musicians. Not of the Bith race as would be common, but a band of mixed species that seemed to get along well with each other. There was an area for dancing and while he imagined there would usually be drunken dancing in this at night, at the moment, in the daytime, there was an interesting troupe of dancing girls; one-third Human, one-third Twi'lek, and one-third Togruta. They were each doing their own dance, showing the special eccentricities of each race. He resisted the urge to tell the Shili girls, for the sake of his wife, to rethink their lives—but he had a more important mission now. He then started to make a circular route around the perimeter of the dancing floor, close the the tables. He made a show of looking at the dancers, but he knew that it was just a matter of time before the person he was looking for would call him out. It happened soon enough.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't lover boy," said a raspy, yet sultry voice as he was walking around the perimeter of the dancers, "You and your goo-goo eyes ruined a great team, me and that silly Padawan."

"Hello, Asajj," returned the Admiral, looking towards her sitting at the far seat at a table. The person he was seeking had found him out. "How's the hunting?" he asked, turning to her.

"Pretty good, and it just got better with you showing up," Asajj Ventress said with a small shot glass millimeters away from her smirking lips.

"Well," returned Admiral Bonteri, "I have something better than the bounty on me," he said while sitting on the outside chair of the table, close to the dancing girls. He could feel the breeze of air disturbed by some of the Togruta girls twirling on the floor close by. They seemed to have an attraction to him.

"It better be, considering the price on your head," said Asajj.

"It is," he replied. He then decided to change the subject, just for a moment, perhaps to cool the assassin down. "You know, you and me, Asajj, have more in common than you might think."

"What in this forsaken galaxy could we have in common?"

"Well, for one, we were changed forever by the same man. Dooku tried to kill you; and Dooku killed my mother. I could only hold her as she took her last, few breaths," he ended sadly.

"I see," was all Asajj could reply deep in thought.

"He killed my mother, my father with his stupid war, and almost me as well, Asajj." His talkmate was very quiet. She seemed to relent a little in her harshness. "But I was saved by a woman you saved Asajj."

"I never saved nobody," she replied, "If I did, it was a mistake."

"Aye, but you did, Asajj. You saved Ahsoka, and, if my feelings and the feelings of my wife are correct, you saved the Jedi Order for the future."

"Pfft. The Jedi Order. They are the cause of this Empire. Although, I do have to say, with the Empire, me and my kind are, umm, how shall I say?—making a killing taking in the likes of you," she finished sardonically.

"Yes, Asajj, but tonight, I feel you won't."

"What makes you say so?"

"Well, Asajj, the way you're talking you surprise me that you haven't yet."

"That's because I'm more interested in the money you're talking about. You don't know. I might just get your money and the bounty on you on top of that. It's worth the try."

"Aye, but you won't."

"What makes you say so?"

"You are still packing the reds, Asajj, but you haven't become a Sith. All the power in the universe, Asajj, but you still don't want it. That is something no Sith would do. I should know."

Asajj Ventress smirked at the Admiral. "Well, enough driveling. What do you want?" Admiral Bonteri leaned in closer to his opposite. The noise of the cantina drowned out the talk, except for a sudden outburst from the white lady, coincidentally just as the music and dancing stopped so it was heard throughout the cantina.

"Oh, you do, do you?!" This was loud enough to turn a few heads and be heard by the pair on the roof. It turned a Mandalorain's helmet in the cantina—make that two Mandalorian helmets inside the cantina.

"Asajj, please, keep it down." His partner was barely able to breathe. "Hear me out. If you agree, you'll find the credit vault where I said it is. If you cross me, you'll get nothing."

"How much are we talking about?" The Admiral flexed out eight fingers and a series of '0's with his thumb and forefinger.

"Add another zero." He did so.

After a while—"It's a deal. Although I don't know why. I must be a sucker. Your woman suckered me last time."

The Admiral was about to reach into his tunic. As he did so, Ventress was about to pull her weapons, but they were interrupted by a Human waitress.

"Hello there, handsome. I got drink for you, courtesy of the ladies across the way." Lux turned to see who the waitress was talking about. As he did so, Ventress acceded to the deal by passing to him what he bought time for. He could see three of the Togruta women dancers lifting their glasses to him and gesturing him over. He smiled and lifted his glass, not so much to accede to their request, but to not cause a disturbance. He then got up from his chair with his acquisition safely tucked away. As he did so, he passed the thin packet he had taken out of his tunic to Ventress. As the Admiral got up and turned away, coincidentally at the same time as another patron in Mandalorian armor did the same, Asajj opened the packet. In it, she found a key card for a bank tucked nicely in with a Republic pardon for all her crimes, honored in perpetuity by the signer, one E. Palpatine, Chancellor of the Republic. She looked up with surprise to see the Admiral about halfway between her and the dancer women from Shili, who were, fortuitously, next to the door. And then—

And then, all hell broke loose.

—•—

Thank you for reading this. Just a quick update. There was much more planned for this chapter but I wanted to get this in before May The Fourth.

First and foremost, I would like to thank Darksawr for letting me use his OC, 'Leonidas,' and for commenting on an earlier version of this chapter. Leonidas is in "The Mandalorian Rebel." It's a great story. Check it out. Starkiller just showed up.

I probably offended some people with the new codename for Kanan. I thought it would be pretty funny but also telling of his and Hera's relationship. I am, of course, expanding the dictionary definition of "squawman" as a Caucasian man married to an American Indian woman to the Star Wars galaxy to being married to a woman not of your planet or race. So, in essence, the Lux Bonteri here could also be considered a squawman. (History note, a movie by the same name from 1914 was the very first movie filmed in Hollywood.) The reason Sabine has her codename is because she is a dead-ringer for Eurasian supermodel, Anna Umemiya.

Speaking of Lux Bonteri, if you were to say he is too out of character here, I might not argue with you. He never was a joking kind of person in The Clone Wars series. (To think about it, there wasn't much humor in that series as it was—except for the jibes between Anakin and Obi-Wan. It might have been helped by a 'Trouble With Tribbles' sort of episode and not just funny looking aliens.) I had him a little out of character when talking about "laying the keel," ("Sure Mando-One, sure. We, umm, together, umm, well, I help to, umm, you know, umm, kind of, umm, lay the keel . . ., and umm, . . . .") but I think I have corrected that. He is an officer and almost 40 so I thought he should have been more confident in his speech. I hope I didn't seem too uncouth with this turn of talk. It was an actual incident I heard on the radio a while back and it's always stayed with me as very funny.

I'm also worried that some might think Lux is a ladies man and has a thing for Shili women. I can understand that, but he is totally dedicated to Ahsoka.

Again, thank you for reading this. My next update will be for 'A Love Story of Two' as I am further along with it.

Until then,

johnt

PS. The "crunchies" the AT-DP is riding herd over are Stromtroopers; i.e, from the sound they make when a walker steps on one of them. "Blaster sponges" are the smaller escort ships with a Star Destroyer (the "Boomer"). (From "Glossary of military slang - Wiktionary" and "Glossary of U.S. Navy slang - Wiktionary")