Echo: *crawls from the depths of Pain itself* My fingers are KILLING me!
Resist: Mine as well *bends them back into place*
Arthur: Jeez, can you guys make an even longer chapter?
Echo: *gives Arthur the death glare* Oh heck no! Not without going to Hell and back….speaking of which….I forgot my car keys down there. Brb! *dragged down by a mass of hands poking out of the ground*
Resist: Well, while Echo does that, We don't own Star Wars and hope you all like this chapter.
(Hangar of the Akul)
Oni unusually walked about with a sense of uneasiness. She felt a strong current flowing from the Force on Delphon: good and bad. In a paradox, she felt confident enough to sport a different look. Her hair was pulled up into a tight ponytail, the ends of which barely brushed her shoulders. Normally she was too closed off to allow anyone, save for Green, to see more than ¾ of her face due to her side bangs.
"Master Kao" came Green's voice, "like the new look, and the squad is ready for your command" he said, giving her a salute. Green led her to the gunship where the squad of six other clones waited for them. When the others saw the two approaching, they straightened up and saluted, waiting for their General's command.
"I assume you all know the plan," she said with her usual, military voice, "If you don't, it's on you to get caught up! We have a Jedi situation on our hands, meaning your lives are at a great risk. You follow my orders exactly and you might have a chance. Understood?"
At once all the clones answered her with the confidence of an army, "Sir, Yes Sir!" they said. Among the six was Sgt. Smoke and Dustin, who was going on his first mission. The clones all turned and boarded the gunship with Master Kao and the ship took off for the surface. While most of the clones huddled in the front of the passenger compartment, Oni and Green stood in the back.
The Jedi Master had put on her glistening armor once more. She stood for a few moments, adjusting the forearm plating. Green noticed this out of the corner of his visor and tilted his head. "Changing our style, are we?" he teased lightly. The woman sighed and tugged on a couple straps here and there. "Not really," said Oni, looking straight ahead as she pulled on her usual Jedi robe.
Green frowned underneath her helmet and moved to stand in front of her. Due to his superior height, he had to title his head and bend down slightly to see her face at a better level. "It was a joke," he whispered, lightly forcing her face to look up at him with a finger. Her eyes searched his and narrowed.
"I-" she started but was quickly cut off by the sounds of footsteps and the calling of her rank. Green, who had been blocking the other clones' view of her thankfully, stepped aside to reveal a clone painted with shamrock green animal markings. "You think the kid will listen?" he asked, grabbing a hold of the handle above him.
Kao huffed and shook her head, "He never listens, corporal." Green turned to his brother and gestured towards the Jedi Master. "That's why we brought her, Latch." Oni gave a smirk before a burst of turbulence caused her to bump into the marshal. He pushed her back up and waited for her to grab onto a support bar before letting go of her.
"Sir," spoke the ace pilot, Kickback, "We are approaching the surface." Oni nodded to this and pushed a button on a control panel. The lights in the gunship went out for a couple of seconds before a red glow flickered on. "Kickback," the marshal commander called out, "Status."
"All good up here commander. Touching down in 10" came back the pilot's reply. He didn't mind flying the gunship, but prefered the comforts of his V-19 fighter. He was General Kao's most trusted pilot; she contacted him whenever an important mission came up.
Green nodded and turned to his men, "Alright, shinies! We're switching to night vision to avoid detection. We have no idea how Arthur will react, so stealth is our best bet."
"Sir, Yes Sir!" came a unison answer from the clones that were in the gunship. They all immediately touched the sides of their helmets to bring up their night vision as the marshal commander ordered.
(Planet surface with Aloke and the crew)
Arthur awoke from his makeshift bed a ways from where Aloke and the ARCs were camped. He decided in the middle fo the night to make some space between him and the ARCs, who he thought would be angry with him for selling Republic blasters during his years before becoming a Jedi. He didn't think the ARCs would play a joke on him after he fell asleep, but he wasn't taking any chances. After he thought everyone was asleep, he made some distance between himself and the others.
Arthur cursed inwardly as today was one of the hottest days he could remember for Delphon. He decided to not wear his clone armor and just went with his jet black, short sleeve, skin tight shirt and jet black pants trying to get comfortable in the scorching heat. Before walking back, he grabbed the necklace he made with his mother's ring and put it around his neck.
The Togruta sat up from her cot and looked around for the Padawan. Not seeing him or sensing his presence in the camp, Aloke got up and started walking around the men, careful as to not wake them. She looked about and noticed a very faint trail of footprints left in the soil. Rolling her eyes and huffing, the Jedi Knight started off in that direction. As she continued on, a lurking darkness became more and more potent.
Arthur made his way to a nearby stream and washed up, and prepared to get ready to head back to the camp. He hoped no one was up yet, but with his luck he was pretty sure half the camp was up. He pulled out his necklace with his mother's ring and twirled it around in his hands for a little, before making to stand up.
Far off in the brush, Aloke was knelt down, analyzing his movements. Her natural markings allowed her to blend in, and her ability to connect with the living Force masked her Force signature from the Padawan. With a scrutinizing gaze, she watched him walk about. However, her heightened sense of hearing picked up the whirr of a gunship out in the distance behind her. Turning around, the Togruta spotted Oni's gunship making its landing near a tree line about a mile out.
Arthur continued to meddle at the stream when he felt something pulling at him, "Trying to find those Republic blasters?" he asked over his shoulder without looking back. He could feel it was Aloke. The Togruta emerged from the brush and walked up to the stream with a tranquil look. "No, I was trying to find a lost Padawan," she stopped and looked at Arthur, "I see that you haven't found him yet either."
"No, I haven't," he then made eye contact with the Jedi Knight, "You wouldn't happen to know what he looks like?" he asked, carrying on their conversation. Aloke sighed, "A lot like someone we both know. He went missing awhile ago, and everyone's been searching for him since. This Padawan...he has nightmares in his sleep about the things he's done and closes himself off from the world."
Arthur looked away and subconsciously started to toy with the necklace around his neck, "I think that he feels if he lets anyone get too close to him, that they will turn up like the last people he let in his heart" he said, slightly in a monotone voice.
Aloke slightly smiled before looking down at the stream. "Oh, there he is," she said in a chipper voice, "I found him." The Togruta pointed at Arthur's reflection in the water before looking up to gauge his reaction.
Arthur smiled, not being able to resist to look at his reflection in the stream, "What do you see? Honestly" replied Arthur.
Tano smirked and shrugged, placing a hand on the young man's left shoulder. "I see a Jedi Knight with true potential. He has cunning and skill, but he's too scared to use them; he just needs to learn. I also see a Padawan who is just like his Master: bold, sometimes arrogant, but brave and dedicated." The woman stopped and stepped up to the stream once more, taking a look at herself. "I used to think it was nothing but a reflection," she sighed, "Now I see."
Arthur looked at his reflection, studying it for a while, "I see a scared boy, who is running from his past, and will always keep running. I see a flawed and broken man too scared to let anyone get too close, including the person who means more to him than anything" he said very calmly, still looking at himself in the stream.
"They are the same person, Arthur," the Togruta smiled.
"I still don't get how you and Oni see this 'greatness' inside me. All I see is shattered pieces," he said, chucking a small rock at his reflection, making some small ripples. Tano beamed at this, "You see that? When something hard hits your reflection...like that...it ripples. But it will always come back to you. Right now, you just have to learn to dodge the rocks thrown at you instead of absorbing them."
"Yeah" he said, taking a small pause before resuming, "Just that simple" he said, tossing another pebble in his reflection, which became distorted before it reformed.
"It's not," Aloke said firmly, "And that's the point: you have to have the patience to learn and stop doubting yourself whenever something goes wrong. I'm not your Master, so I cannot teach you. Frankly, patience isn't exactly my best department, so Kao is your best bet. She is, after all, in line to be the next Grand Master."
"You mean like Yoda?" Arthur said, not as enthusiastic as he wished it came out when he said it. Sure he was proud that Kao was going to get to become Grand Master, but then his future with The Order would be up in the air, would they allow him to have another master after Kao, or would it be a sign for him to walk away?
"Yes," Aloke chuckled, but her smile soon faded, "And though I do not get along with Oni, she does deserve it. I think she'd appreciate it if her Padawan was a bit more patient than he has been so far. Being the leader of the Jedi doesn't exactly come with all the time in the world."
Arthur, still looking in his reflection, gave a faint sigh, that he hopped Aloke didn't hear. He was too busy thinking about what would happen to him if Oni made Grand Master. He started off listening to what she said before, but it slowly drifted to what was his future was going to be like without Master Kao.
"Why am I sensing such negativity from you, young one?" the Togruta asked, "Are you not happy for your Master?"
Arthur stood up and put his hands up in mock surrender, "No! I am happy for her, but what would happen to me afterwards? Not to sound rude, but I'd probably end up being the first ever padawan to have a third master, or maybe they will just brush me aside."
Tano scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You do know that Grand Masters are still allowed to take on Padawans, right? I mean, Oni herself was Yoda's apprentice after Kit Fisto and so on. You'd still be her apprentice, but she may not have as much time to devote to you as she does right now, so I suggest you take advantage of it. I'm sure Green is before they part."
"Like I'd want to be cooped up in a room with old people for the rest of my Padawan days" replied Arthur, visualizing a scene with him, Oni and all the other Council members in a circle discussing one issue after the other. "I'd rather do this, besides we are actually pretty close to where Mia and I hid the blasters, what a coincidence" he said in a way that sounded like he planned it.
"Let's grab them before dawn breaks," the Togruta said, resisting the urge to check for Oni's arrival. They had already been talking for awhile and surely the Jedi Master and her marshal were close enough that if they didn't leave now, Arthur would be apprehended before they could get the weapons.
Arthur led Aloke to a big hillside that wasn't too far from where they were and went about a quarter of the way up and then stopped at what seemed like normal ground. Arthur then just using the force, since he could do that now, removed a square piece of the ground from it's spot and inside was a dug out hole, where four crates of blasters sat.
"Just where we left them" he said, setting the piece of ground down gently, since he would have to cover the hole back up.
"How much in credits?" Aloke asked with a raised brow, "Four crates isn't exactly cheap." Arthur gave her a raised eyebrow of his own, "You don't want to know" he stated, "If you didn't beat me before, you'd beat me for much all this is" he said, with a slight smile.
Tano laughed, "Let's just say you got the shipment at a discount. These are unmarked, right? Cause if they aren't, John is going to rip your face off."
Arthur's facial expressions said it all, he had fear written on his face, "Um…..sure" he said, making to turn away from her as quick as possible and to start moving the crates. Aloke sighed in annoyance and shook her head. Placing her hands on her hips, she called down to him. "Arthur, why would you buy marked weapons?! Those are traceable!" She paused and thought for a moment. "Like, I don't know how I'm going to convince the ARCs to not kill you."
"First off, I didn't buy, marked weapons, I borrowed, them. Secondly, it's not my problem if someone else gets caught with them, no one saw me or Mia take them, so it would be my word, plus Mia's against someone else's word. Besides you guys could have came for them if you really wanted to. I didn't plan on burying tons and tons of credits in the ground" he said, yelling back up to her as he getting the crates out of the hole, one by one.
"Still," Aloke called out, "Smuggling 101, you never buy marked weapons."
Arthur pushed a crate out of the hole in the hill and popped his head out from behind it and looked at Aloke with a wide grin, "You think I actually bought marked weapons?" he asked, showing a hurt face.
Tano couldn't hold back a smirk. "Yep, just like Alpha."
Arthur even made a bigger smirk if that was possible, "You could open a crate and check if you'd like to, or are you afraid your fingerprints would brand you a criminal in the eyes of the Republic for the rest of your Jedi Knight years?" he asked her, trying his best to hold back a laugh.
"It's tempting, but," she paused to laugh, "I'll have to decline your offer. We don't have much time before Oni comes looking for you." She made sure to not give away that the human Jedi was already hunting him down with a squad. But, she knew that the ARCs would soon join the search and track them down by midday.
"Well…..here…..is the last….one" grunted Arthur pushing the last crate out of the hole, "If Oni finds us, I won't have to worry about living long enough to see her become a Grand Master" said Arthur hitting a button on each of the four crates, allowing them to hover just a bit off the ground, since they were now out of the immensely dug hole in the hill.
"Count me in on that, too," Aloke sighed and aided Arthur in guiding the crates a bit aways, "So I guess we just fill in the hole and head to wherever we're going from here?" She stopped to look off in the distance. The sun was rising now, and cast a pink glow over the horizon. They only had a few hours now to finish their little mission. The Togruta could sense John's concern and knew that the ARCs were on their trail now.
"Just got to replace the ground the best we can, I don't plan on coming back to this place for a while" he said, now pushing the crates down the hill, "So what are we going to do about Oni? Can't exactly save Mia when I'm grounded for the rest of my life if she catches me."
"Ha," Aloke scoffed, "Well, is there any chance that she or Green would help you? Do they know of your affections towards Mia?"
"Yes they know of Mia and how I feel about her, and I doubt they would want to help me. Kao would just scold me for going along with you and Green I don't really know if he would or not, plus Kao could probably extract any information she wanted from him if she tried hard enough. Though Smoke would probably help," answered Arthur.
"We are going to need more than two people to take down this gang if their reputation reigns true," said the Togruta, giving a half smile. "Oni is by no means heartless, even though I treat her as though she is. I'm sure due to her being captured and tortured, she and Green will understand. My ARCs might back us up, but they're very independent, so I can't guarantee anything."
"I think if we took a small group in and pass them off as part of our crew it wouldn't draw Enkado's attention too much, if he doesn't kill me first. Then have the others just outside in case we need to make a grab and go" suggested Arthur.
"I suggest we head back then," Aloke said and looked as though she was spacing out. In reality, she was speaking with John through the Force.
"We can do that. I just don't want to run into Oni, before we have a set plan, so it would be harder to take me off the mission," he said, thinking out loud.
Tano smiled, "Ready to hear another complication?" The woman rolled her eyes and shook her head before turning to Arthur.
"Do I want to know? Let me guess, the ARCs are gonna toss me into a ditch before I even see them coming?" he asked, slightly smirking as he did so.
Aloke looked up in thought and squinted her eyes, "Maybe." Returning to her normal look, she brushed off her shoulders. "No, John doesn't want me to go on the mission anymore."
"Doesn't want his commander, talking to an ex smuggler who stole Republic weapons?" he asked, hurting even himself as he said those words. Tano chuckled, "No, I think he's just jealous that he didn't come up with the plan himself. That and the fact that none of the men are going to support the plan." She thought for a moment, "Oh, and because he doesn't want me fighting a gang."
Laughing, she glanced at the Padawan, "He's just being overprotective." Her face contorted into a glare at the ground, "The last time we dealt with gang members didn't turn out to well, so he has good reason."
"I understand. Gangs are more unpredictable than those B1 droids, and gangs are sadly smarter than them too" Arthur said, trying to make light of the situation. Aloke nodded. "Do you want to leave the crates here or take them back to camp with us? If we do, the ARCs might not let us leave. Though, if we have a marshal commander on our side, they'd have to oblige."
Arthur pondered the question for a little as he walked, but decided to hope that Green would side with him on the situation, "We can take them in. Oni is going to kill me anyway, so why not just dig my grave, while I'm at it?"
"Good point," Aloke teased, though her tone sounded serious.
The pair came up to the camp, and immediately the ARC troopers' eyes went to the four crates they were pushing with them. Arthur saw the looks he was getting from most of the ARCs and immediately started to tense up a little.
Reysh stepped forward, but Aloke held up a hand and snapped in Togruti. John rested a hand on one of his blasters and gestured towards the crates. "We're taking those back," he declared, "They belong to the Republic. Those guns could have saved dozens of our brothers' lives."
Aloke repeated the command to John pushing a hand against his broad chestplate when he moved forwards. He, through his visor, glared down at her. Growling, he spoke back to her in her language, gesturing here and there towards Arthur and the crates. Tano gritted her teeth and said something, looking over her shoulder at the Padawan. Immediately, the ARCs relaxed slightly and started backing away.
Someone stepped up to Arthur and grabbed his shoulder roughly, turning him about. Aloke glanced over and narrowed her eyes, saying this in Togruti: "We have a way to rescue the girl."
Oni glared at Tano before her Padawan. "I cannot allow him to turn over Republic intel to rescue Mia," she said, seething, "There are other options." Green, who had been standing behind his superior officer, stepped forwards and removed his helmet. Giving Arthur an unapproving and disappointed look, he exhaled and lightly pulled Kao away from the boy. "Everyone just cool down," he said, mainly to Oni.
"Relax," he whispered to her in Huttese, her responding with: "He was harboring stolen weapons! We can't just let him continue." Green sighed and gently pushed her away once more, whispering words of encouragement towards communication and remaining calm.
The human Jedi Master eyed him, wondering why he wasn't screaming or yelling at Arthur. Not that she wanted him to, but it was still odd for him to not take on a "mentor" like role towards her apprentice.
"We can stand here and argue, and waste time, and eventually find another way, and by then Mia will probably be dead, and the gang will be long gone, unless…" Arthur was in deep thought, trying to figure out why they would have Mia in the first place, "they are after the blasters too, or just me, since I ruined all they built" he then eyed his master, who was looking at him with eyes of fire, "I have a plan to get us in and out, and a fail safe in case it goes bad and we need to do a quick grab and go" he said, not wavering from her glare.
"You-" she started off harshly, but Green shoved her slightly and glared at her. Oni glanced up at him briefly with the same look, them communicating either through their bond or the sheer power of their frowns. The marshal slowly let go of her and she looked back at Arthur. "You have thirty seconds to change my mind, young one. Even then, if we make it out of this, you and Green are going to have a serious talk about following protocol." The clone didn't seem too happy about being dragged into the warning, but still turned to look at Arthur.
On the other side of the group, Aloke and John were communicating as well, wondering what to make of the bickering trio. The ARC commander still did not want his significant other to face the gang despite her insisting upon it. The other clones either settled around the campfire or began walking around the campsite with Green's men in unofficial perimeter patrols.
"Look, I understand that taking these weapons was wrong, but you have to understand that I was doing whatever I had to do to survive to the next day, whether it meant taking weapons from the Republic or stealing whatever from the Separatists. I didn't know I had the Force back then, and I'm trying to amount to something greater…..I just need you to trust me on this and none of you are going to because I stole Republic weapons. If you aren't going to help, then I'll rescue Mia on my own," and with that, Arthur made to grab a crate and was getting ready to go on his own.
Oni used the Force to grab the crate and she, in a fit of unwarranted rage, threw the object across the campsite and into a small tree. The crate splintered open and the weapons poured out onto the ground in a flurry of metal clanking metal. Every clone turned their heads towards the woman and froze with wide eyes. She was huffing with adrenaline and glared at Arthur. "You are not taking those weapons," she said through gritted teeth. Green for a moment thought that she would break her jaw or a couple teeth. He glanced back at the broken crate and then back at the Master.
Aloke seemed rather calm yet sighed, looking at the ground. She knew that the weapons were stolen and was starting to see Oni's point. Sure, Arthur didn't know before, but now, with the Republic scrounging for supplies and men dying due to it, it would be wrong to turn over the weapons.
Oni closed her eyes for a moment and tried to calm herself. She only opened them when Green placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to soothe her.
"Don't risk a thousand lives," she paused, "Just to save one. Do you know who used to say that?"
"No and I don't care," replied Arthur, full of rage and anger, all directed at one person, his master. He was thinking on his feet, and did something that he would regret later, but it was too late to take it back. With reflexes that was quick like Dooku's lightning, he had his lightsaber out and ignited and was looking directly at Oni, "Can't you think past the weapons? You let one decision that I made years ago, stand in the way of life or death for the one person I care most for? And don't even think you wouldn't be doing the same for Green!" he shouted, pointing his lightsaber at her face.
Green drew his DC-15 blaster, but General Kao forced his arms down and pushed him away. She summoned both her blades and prepared for an attack. "No," she started, "I am not basing my decision on what you did in your past; that no longer matters anymore. I am basing my decision on the fact that you are willing to risk the lives of dozens of clones to save one person, and that is wrong. I understand that you would do anything to rescue Mia, but she would never allow you to do what you are planning. Think about it."
Aloke, who was preparing to draw her blade and break up the conflict, withdrew her hand and listened to the Master.
Green growled, but didn't raise his blaster again. "Kid, you're being selfish. Don't accuse your Master of wrong doings or place the blame on her when you've been caught red handed. If it meant saving my brothers, I would rather have Oni leave me to die: no question. Oni would want the same. General Tano and John would want the same." He paused. "Mia...would want the same."
Arthur turned his hardened gaze toward Green, "Caught? Those blasters were hidden away for years, and you only see them now, because Aloke and I dug them out and brought them to your feet," he paused, and slid his hand through his short, jet black hair, and took a deep breath before unclipping his braid and dropping it to the ground, "You want the crates? then take them, I don't need them," he said, anger still clear and unmistakable in his voice, "I'll save her myself, I don't need any of you. You don't want me to risk thousands to save one, then I will go alone" and with that he started to walk out, leaving the crates where he brought them in.
The Jedi Master was about to say something, but all of a sudden, she paused and stared wide-eyed at Arthur. Green frowned and looked back and forth between the two, confusion written on his face.
Ahead of Oni was her Padawan, walking away. But that's not what she was seeing. The image of her former Padawan took his place, though the Togruta stopped and turned to look at Oni. "You let me go," Kulani's voice rang in Kao's head, "And now you're letting him walk away, too." Then the figure turned around and faded away. Oni, so shocked with what she had just witnessed, gasped as her eyes rolled back and her legs gave out. Luckily for her, Green dropped his blaster and caught her in time.
Aloke and John rushed over, soon followed by Smoke and Vy. Green knelt down on the ground and shifted the Jedi Master so that her head was resting against his shoulder.
Arthur heard the gasp, but he had his mind set on getting Mia back that he kept walking, though he walked slower, debating on turning around, but decided against it, thinking it would cause less second guessing of his decision on his part. He hoped she was ok, but continued to walk in the other direction.
Aloke watched him go, a gloom look on her face. Quickly, she checked Oni's Force signature and then patted Green to let him know that she was going to be okay...for now. Vy turned to her and rested a hand on the marshal's other shoulder for encouragement, "What are we going to do about the boy?"
Tano's eyes narrowed and a fire glowed about them. "Follow him." She stood up and began slowly marching in the direction the Padawan was going before she stopped. "Fek no," John stated, shaking his head, "We are not going to help him, not now." Aloke smiled, "Who said anything about helping him?"
"Are we apprehending him?" asked Smoke cautiously, though he didn't take his concerned eyes off Kao. Tano's smirk grew and she nodded. John immediately stood up and cracked his knuckles, "Fek, yeah." The Togruta rolled her eyes in annoyance and stepped in his path, harshly shoving him backwards….though in vain due to his superior size and strength. "Alright, Jango," she pushed again, "That's enough. You're staying here to watch over Master Kao."
John grunted in dismay and backed off, Vy standing up to pat him on the shoulder blades while shaking his head. Smoke picked up his blaster and hesitantly moved forward to join the party. He and Arthur were close friends, and to have it come to this was not what he wanted. He hoped the boy found the girl alive, he would hate to see what he would do if she wasn't.
Aloke nodded to him and then looked around at the group. The other clones cautiously moved closer, but looked as though they didn't know what to say or do.
Reysh snorted and walked over, "I'll kick some butt for you, Alpha." Vy stepped around John and stood next to the younger ARC, giving Aloke a nod in loyalty.
Green sighed and gently laid Oni down on the grass. Picking up his blaster and putting his helmet back on, he said: "I'm in, but we're bringing back Arthur and Mia." Tano thought about his terms for a moment before giving a half smile. "If she's still alive, commander," she confirmed. The woman looked as Green's men rounded up and glanced at the marshal for guidance.
"Dustin, Latch," Green said, "Stay here and help the ARC keep an eye on the general."
(Arthur in the Woods)
Arthur ran through the woods, trying to lose the clones that were assembling to search for him. All he wanted was to rescue Mia, to bring her back. He was confused as why they would capture her, but thinking it through, Enkado probably is after the crates of blasters, more than likely, he thought, or he is after Arthur, hope not but if he is then oh well, better me than Mia, he continued to think to himself.
He ran through puddles, didn't run in a straight line and would double back every once in awhile to see if he was being followed by anyone, then after sitting for a couple minutes, would start off in another direction. He did his best to try and mask his force signature, but knew it was only a matter of time before he either heard Oni or Aloke in his head, trying to coax him into giving up, since they all turned against him because of his past actions.
He then remembered what Oni said in their fight, what did she mean by 'his past didn't matter anymore'? Had it mattered to her, or did the sentence mean nothing at all? He quickly shook his head and decided to think about these things later, when he wasn't being chased by people he once called friends.
Arthur, what are you doing? You'll be expelled for insubordination!
Arthur after hearing Aloke in his head, grabbed his head with his hands, "Get out of my head!" he yelled, wishing he hadn't since he probably alerted every clone to where he was.
Smoke was silently moving through the woods when he heard a yell, that sounded exactly like Arthur. He immediately sprinted in that direction hoping to be the first one there and talk to his friend. He remembered when Arthur first joined and how things didn't go so well for him, but he took a liking to the kid. Now the kid was in deep trouble, and he wanted to help.
But he wasn't the only one who heard. Aloke, with her sensitive hearing, pinpointed his general direction and signaled for the group to move that way. Green exhaled through his nose as his blood began to boil. If Oni didn't get the chance to yell at him for disobeying orders, he would make sure he got to. The marshal ran alongside the Togruta, marching through the bushes and around trees.
Arthur immediately took off in the first direction that came to his head. He continued to sprint, not daring to stop at the moment. As he sprinted, he took short looks behind him, to see if he was being followed, and just like how he met Obi-Wan on Delphon for the first time, he bumped into someone and fell to the immediately panicked and had fear frozen on his face, as he began to backpedal because of who was in front of him. In front of him stood Aloke, the one person he didn't want to run into. With fear written all over his body, he took out his lightsaber handle and held in his grasp, that was visibly shaking.
Tano said nothing as she used the Force to summon his blade. Grasping it, she flickered her gaze from the weapon to the Padawan. "I'll hold onto this until we reach the gang's compound," she said. Green, seething, turned to her sharply. "Sir?" he started, "Aren't we apprehending the boy and taking him back to the Akul? General Kao's orders-"
"Are no longer relevant," Aloke interrupted, staring at Arthur the whole time, "We are rescuing the girl and then arresting the gang leader for interrogation. Afterwards, we will arrest Padawan Perry on terms of insubordination and bring him before the Jedi Council."
Green huffed in irritation, but nodded his head in compliance. "Sir, yes, sir," he said and then motioned for Arthur to stand up. "Alright, kid," he said more calmly, "Where's the compound?"
Arthur got up and took some more steps backward, "I-I-It's in t-t-those m-m-mountains" he said pointing to some mountains that weren't too far from where they were, "Bartu said there are a maze of pathways through them, and finding Enkado won't be easy," he said, calming down slightly, but was still on his guard of the Jedi Knight and the Marshal Commander.
Just then Smoke appeared through the woods and noticed he wasn't the first to meet Arthur, "Kid, you alright?" he asked, genuinely concerned for him.
"I-I'm good" Arthur said, looking in Smoke's direction.
Green slightly glared at his brother and then gestured towards Arthur. "Keep an eye on the kid," he said, "If he tries to run, stun him. I don't like it, but General Kao's orders still stand." The marshal gave Aloke a glance before spinning on his heels and walking rather quickly towards the destination.
Reysh and Vy emerged from behind a bush and immediately drew their weapons upon Arthur, walking towards him slowly. Aloke held up a hand to stop them, and Smoke pointed his DC-15A at Vy. Not wavering at all, the lieutenant kept his weapon on Perry, while Reysh backed him up by targeting Smoke. "Stand down!" Tano ordered at all three with a firm glare.
Smoke, slowly lowered his weapon, while keep an eye on each of the ARCs in case they pulled anything funny. Arthur felt bad for Smoke, who was risking his life to protect the boy who stole weapons for his own selfish needs, while they were needed for clones like Smoke and his brothers. Arthur's eyes wandered around till they laid sight on Tano, but as she looked at him, he quickly looked down in fear, which was still present in him.
"Vy," Aloke warned, though her command fell upon deaf ears. "We're taking in the Padawan," Vy spat towards Smoke, "For disobedience. Both General Kao and Alpha have a warrant for his arrest. It would be foolhardy for us not to go through with it. Sorry, Aloke, but we must follow the GAR's rules of engagement."
Tano sighed and closed her eyes. Green, who had stopped walking when the ARCs arrived, spun about and raised his blaster slightly, though not yet sure which person to aim for. Turning on stun mode, he scoffed at the stand off and landed his eyes upon Arthur.
In all of Arthur's years as a smuggler, he was never so afraid in his life. Sure this wasn't the first time he was in a sticky situation, since they actually happened more often than he cared to admit, but this was the first time he was completely afraid of what was going to happen to him and Smoke, since he seemed like the only clone in the entire Army of the Republic that wasn't out to get him.
Aloke, feeling as though she were trapped in a corner, lowered her hands and looked to Vy. "Has Sharpeye located the coordinates of the compound?" she asked calmly. The ARC lieutenant nodded firmly and said: "Yes, sir. Eagle Squadron is en route for a bombing campaign." Tano nodded to this and glanced at Arthur.
Arthur moved toward Aloke, drawing the attention of all the clones, "You can't bomb that base, you said we were going to rescue her!" he was practically screaming as he walked toward her, though she showed no signs of backing down, or getting into any type of confrontation with the Padawan. Green and Smoke were the first there to hold Arthur back.
Vy and Reysh moved to tackle him to the ground. "Sir, we've been given orders by the GAR to bomb the compound at 0419," Vy said as he and Reysh forced Arthur to the ground and handcuffed him with Force-resistant binders. Aloke looked away for a moment, knowing she had to obey the Chancellor's demands.
"Sir," Green started, looking at his HUD, "We have exactly two hours to get into the compound, find the girl, and clear the blast radius."
Arthur looked at Aloke with tear stained eyes, "Please," he begged, while trying to squirm out of Vy and Reysh's hold, "Let me have a chance. That's all I want" he said, still squirming and trying to break free.
"I'm sorry, Arthur," Aloke said, "But I can't let you go without betraying the Republic. We'll grab Mia and get her to safety, I promise. But you're staying behind." She looked at the boy in gloom, feeling guilty. Turning to Green, she sighed, "Call for a gunship to take him back to the Akul. I'll let Oni have the honors of taking him back to Coruscant."
"Then what was the point of letting me sneak aboard?" he cried, "I'll face my sentence and take all the blame for everything that happened; sneaking aboard your ship, the weapons, disobeying orders, all of it, just let me come with you," he pleaded, hoping to see Mia one last time before he was arrested by the GAR.
"Arthur, your connection to the Dark Side makes you a liability in this situation," Aloke started, though it came out as a snap, "I understand that you want to see Mia safe. I promise to you that we will get her out of there so you two can talk. But, I cannot allow you to come on this mission. Do I make myself clear?" She glanced at Vy and said something using ARC hand signals, ones that were modified for her team alone. Green looked between Tano and Perry and cautiously approached Arthur. He took his helmet off and gave him a sympathetic frown.
"Kid, think about it," he said, "If you dodge this, then you'll be put on trial for a court martial. That means you'll be sent to prison and won't be able to see Mia. What do you think your Master would say about all of this? She wants to see you become a Jedi Knight, not expelled in your first year of training." Green smiled, "We'll get her out and bring her back to the Akul, I promise. I'll make sure that you see her before any sort of punishment is laid out."
Arthur looked down at his feet, staring intently at them, as if mulling it over, "I'm sorry" he mumbled, before he looked back up to Green with glassy eyes. The marshal gave a crisp nod before slipping on his bucket and stepping away. He motioned for Reysh and Vy to keep a hold of him and raised his wrist up to speak.
"Gunship 217, this is Marshal Commander Green," he paused, "We need a SWAT team to escort a prisoner back to the Akul."
Moments later, a clone pilot responded. "Sir, yes, sir. Team Rancor is gunning up and on their way, over." Green sighed, "Copy that. Green, out."
Smoke looked back at Arthur and gave him a salute, "Hang tight kid, it's gonna be a bumpy ride" he said. He then placed a hand on his shoulder, "I'll see you on the other side" he said before going off to join the others. The gunship then appeared in the sky and the SWAT troopers came to escort Arthur to the Akul.
After a good amount of time was used to weave through the maze of pathways on the mountain, the group finally made it to the compound and took cover at a nearby ridge. The compound was a decent size for being up in the mountains. Using their (binoculars) they were able to get a better idea of what they were up against.
Being up in the mountains actually worked in the groups favor. The gang was limited on where they could put up their buildings, that were mostly just huge tents. The one actual building, was right in the middle of the compound, which they figured was Enkado's base of operations within the compound. They figured Mia was in that one, or the huge tent that also had more armed guards around it than the others by several men.
"Ahh, the kid is going to hate us even more if we don't get her out of there in one piece" said Sgt. Smoke, looking through microbinoculars scanning the compound for a way in. Green nodded and sighed, "Yeah, we're in for a fekking fight."
Smoke continued to look through the microbinoculars, "I don't see another way in, just burst through and go in and take it by storm. Gonna be risky, but we are short on time. We just need to grab the girl and get out, and there can't be too many places she can be" he said, giving the microbinoculars to Aloke.
Arthur: Aaaaannnnddd, you guys wrote a bigger chapter. I thought you said no?
Echo: *emerges from a grave as the sky turns red and fire rains down from the Heavens* I found my car keys! What did I miss?
Resist: Not much, only our readers reading a bunch pages of Star Wars.
Echo: *jaw drops* Glad I wasn't there to see their eyes bleeding. *Looks at a reader* OH GAWD!
Resist: *puts hands in front of Echo's eyes* Well, review and let us know what you think, after your guys' eyes stop bleeding of course.
*Green and Oni walk in*
Kao: *looks at everyone in the room, then back at Echo and Resist* I don't even want to know. *walks out*
Green: *shrugs* See y'all next time!