Two more Mandos had been led to the altar, and the drumbeats and screaming were only growing louder. Those who remained had grown wise to the routine of slaughter and now drew back to the rear of the cage whenever the guards returned. Those who tried to fight back usually found themselves being dragged out next.

Vhetin was still frantically trying to call out for help over his HUD systems, but they were just as unresponsive as ever. He tried to ignore the sounds of screaming Mandalorians and roaring Taung from outside. Every fiber in his body told him that he should get up and fight, and that letting his vode be led out to die violated every tenet he had been raised to follow.

But fighting was suicide, and it would only save the others temporarily. The Rangers imprisoned with him had seen that as well. Many were trading quiet farewells with each other, or sitting in silence as they prayed to whatever higher power they favored.

Lee was to his right, carving his name into the cave wall with a sharpened stone. He'd mentioned something about wanting to leave some kind of mark. Vhetin was glad he'd found what little legacy he could leave behind. But now the man slumped back against the wall and tossed the rock aside. Over his shoulder he had scrawled the words HYPERION LEE WAS HERE.

Vhetin nodded to the graffiti. "Classy. A fitting epitaph."

Lee snorted. "Time will tell. Are you always this cheery?"

"Only when I'm about to be pointlessly murdered."

Lee shook his head. "Five years with the Rangers. I've been with them for five years and survived every raider ambush, hunting patrol, and jungle slog the organization could throw at me. I've survived echo snakes, kalo wolves… hell, I was even nipped at by a Jai'galaar and made it out alive."

A sad look came into his eyes. "Doesn't feel right for it to end like this."

"It won't," Vhetin said, voice tense. "It can't. I won't let it."

"Well if you get us out of here in one piece, remind me to bat my eyelashes at you and sigh, My hero."

They sat in silence for a time as the Taung outside finished their feast, preparing to take another victim. Vhetin tried running his comm message through an orbiting satellite relay, but quickly found that without Void in range his helmet systems weren't powerful enough to reach that far. They were still cut off.

"So…" Lee said. His voice was slow and hesitant. "In the event that I make it out, but you don't…"

"Big assumption there," Vhetin said, a scowl on his face. "I don't die easy."

"You know what I mean. If one of us makes it out, but the other doesn't… do you have anything you want to say?"

Vhetin clenched his teeth. "Not yet. You first."

"Fair enough. If I don't make it… I want you to find my mom. Yurinthe Lee. She lives in Norg Bral, in the north."

"Bralor territory," Vhetin said. "I know some people."

"Good. Tell her that I'm sorry I never got along well with Uryci – she's my sister – and that I never liked her fried nuna legs. Tell her that… that I died like a warrior should, and that I'll be watching over them. And tell her that I still haven't forgiven her for saddling me with a stupid name like Hyperion. And tell Haven down at Aurek that he still owes me twenty credits, whether I'm dead or not."

He hesitated. "And tell Tamai… tell Tamai she was the best vod a guy could ask for."

Vhetin nodded, having recorded the entire confession on his helmet's audio receptors. "Got it. They'll be told. You have my word."

"Good. Now your turn."

He hesitated, his chest constricting uncomfortably. He didn't want to think about this, but he knew Lee was right; they needed to start making preparations for the worst.

"I guess… tell Rame and Mia Omotao that I'm thankful for everything they've given me. That I couldn't ask for better friends, or… or better buir'e. And tell Brianna Bellan that… that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything, but I'm grateful for the time we spent together."

He took a deep, shaky breath. "Tell Janada Bralor that I'll still keep my promise to show up for her weekly poker games whether I'm dead or not. And tell Jay that… that I'm so proud of her. That she's been the best friend I've ever had, and a better partner than a cold old shabuir like me could ever deserve. Tell her that she's more than ready to make it on her own, and…"

He trailed off, not trusting himself to say more. But Lee nodded, understanding anyway. He frowned for a moment before he murmured, "And… anything for Tamai?"

"Yeah," Vhetin said, voice raw. "But… what I have to say to her isn't for your ears."

"Ah. Loud and clear, vod."

The sound of angry shouting from outside signaled that it was time for another victim to be hauled away. Vhetin turned in time to see the two guards return, pointing at the cage and brandishing their spears. The nearest Mandos shrank away from the doors as the guards stalked into the enclosure and raked their glowing golden eyes over their remaining captives.

Vhetin racked his mind for some plan, recalling every tidbit of information he could remember from his briefings about the Heart Eaters. Tamai had managed to escape them – twice, since she wasn't in this cage with them.

"These things are savage," she had said, "but I still have a few tricks of my own. They're tough, but they're not invincible."

Vhetin had some tricks as well. Just because he was stuck behind bars didn't mean he was helpless. He still had his armor and his lightsaber. He just needed to lure the Heart Eaters away from the prison to keep them from attacking the other prisoners. Keep their attention focused solely on him.

"I know what I have to do," Vhetin said. He reached up and pulled off his gloves, setting them on the ground next to him.

"What? What are you doing?"

"Something stupid. Remember my messages to the others."

Lee narrowed his eyes. "I get the feeling I'm not going to like what happens next."

"Believe it or not," Vhetin said, rising to his feet, "it's going to hurt me worse than anyone else."

Then he strode straight for the Taung guards and punched the nearest one in its angular face. The creature recoiled with a grunt while the second stepped forward and leveled its spear at him. Vhetin advanced regardless, at least until the first guard recovered and grabbed him in a powerful immobilizing chokehold. He didn't try to resist even as they pulled him from the prison and hauled him out of the prison.

"What are you doing?" Lee shouted after him, gripping the bars of the cage. "You want to die?!"

Vhetin narrowed his eyes behind his helmet and thought, Not quite.

He reached up and grasped the Taung guard's arm with his bare hand. He closed his eyes for a moment, concentrating hard. Then his eyes flashed open again and pulsed with blue-white light as a roaring pain ripped through his skull. He distantly heard his guard roar in pain, echoing like it was reaching him from the other side of a long tunnel. Then his vision went black and the world around him vanished.

The next moment, visions began to race through his head. They burst through his mind, flashing by too fast to fully understand. He saw leaves rushing by his face as he threw himself through the treetops, spear in hand. Then he was leaping from the trees, pinning a screaming Mandalorian to the forest floor and ripping his helmet away. The vision blurred, then suddenly he was training with other Taung – his brothers and sisters – while the red-caped warrior known as Mandalore prowled up and down the training line.

"We have lived in isolation in these jungles for millennia," Mandalore said. "But soon the time will come when we travel out from these trees and claim what lies beyond. The strongest among you will tame the holy serpents and ride on to glory! For Mandalore!"

Vhetin's lips twisted to echo his vode. "For Mandalore!"

The vision dissolved and suddenly he was standing on the edge of a cliff overlooking the seemingly endless Werda Kurs, watching the Jai'galaar'e swoop along the canopy in the distance. They were circling over a specific area and had been for the past half-hour. Now the sun was setting on the horizon of the jungle; the perfect time for an ambush.

"A fresh kill," said the Taung at his shoulder. "The scouts report that the metal men have slain one of the river serpents. They suffered casualties, but remain true to their purpose."

Vhetin flexed his grip around the shaft of his spear, feeling the humid jungle breeze tug at the dreadlocks framing his mask. "Mandalore has given us our orders. We are to cut them off at the start of the canyon. The ambush will separate and demoralize them."

"We still do not know their true numbers," the other Taung said. "There may be more than we realize."

"That sounds suspiciously like cowardice."

"It is pragmatism. We are the descendants of the old Mandalores, true warriors to the core. But perhaps coexistence is the only lasting solution to this fight."

"You will obey the will of your father, Werd'cetara," Vhetin said with lips that weren't his own. "He has made his intentions clear. We will consume the strength of the metal men and with that power we will finally restore the holy serpents to life."

Werd shook his head, the T-visor of his rough-hewn mask turned to the forest floor. "I am yet conflicted."

"Then be conflicted," Vhetin hissed. "So long as you obey. Oya, vod."

Then he leaped into the trees and the vision blended away into blackness.

He was shoved away as the Taung guard fell forward onto his hands and knees, clutching his head. Vhetin collapsed as well as the world suddenly came rushing back, the light pouring from his eyes blinking out. He sucked in a breath, ignoring the pounding in his temples, then threw himself to his feet and drew the lightsaber from his belt. The blue-white energy blade burst from the hilt with a snap-hiss that drew all eyes to him just as he'd planned.

The second guard had leaped forward to attack when his companion had fell. Vhetin slashed sideways with all his considerable speed and strength. The energy blade hissed as it carved through the Taung's neck, severing its head from its shoulders. The body collapsed forward into the dirt, to the outraged roar of the crowd that surrounded him.

Another Taung charged him, spear held high. Vhetin brought his saber up and carved the wooden spear in two before plunging the blade into the creature's chest. It stiffened, then fell with a smoking, cauterized hole in its chest. Barely a moment passed before another fell to his blade with a smoking burn stretching across his chest and abdomen.

Vhetin pivoted, slashing at yet another figure that was charging at him. His blade descended toward the attacking Taung. But before the blow could land, he heard another distinctive snap-hiss and a second blue-white bar of plasma erupted from the air. His attack was brought to a jarring halt as the second lightsaber clashed against his blade. He saw a flash of a tattered red cape before he was shoved away.

He regained his balance and spun back to see Mandalore standing before him with a familiar-looking lightsaber pike clutched in his taloned hands. The grizzled, battle-scarred Taung raised the blue-white blade to his eyes, staring at it with something akin to awe.

"It has been many years," Mandalore growled, "since my people have seen a weapon such as this. The legends of the Jettiise do not do it justice."

He stared at Vhetin and aimed the blade at his chest. "What manner of metal man carries the weapon of our ancient enemy?"

Vhetin grasped his traditional lightsaber in both hands, breathing hard. "The kind of metal man that won't let you kill more of his brothers."

They began circling each other slowly. Mandalore spun the weapon between his hands with the speed and grace of a seasoned swordsman, testing the weight of his newfound weapon. His golden eyes flashed. "Your heart will give me great power, outsider. It will be a day long remembered by my clan."

"You'll have to fight for it."

"I would have it no other way."

Mandalore strode forward and brought his blade down, sending a shower of sparks raining to the jungle floor. Vhetin shoved the blade to the side and pivoted, throwing his full weight behind a horizontal slash that ricocheted off his opponent's blade. Mandalore spun the pike and caught Vhetin in the arm with the blunt end. Vhetin's gauntlet caught the majority of the blow with a metallic clang.

He shrugged off the attack and darted forward, lashing out with a punch that caught the Taung in the jaw and sent him staggering away. Mandalore fell back, one hand clapped over his pointed chin.

A shocked gasp rang through the onlookers. But Mandalore only straightened with a dark chuckle, wiping blue-black blood from the corner of his mouth. He turned back to Vhetin and raised the pike again.

"It has been a long time," Mandalore said, "since a warrior has landed a blow against me."

"I'll do more than that, you monster."

Vhetin charged again, lashing out with attacks that would have carved a normal opponent into pieces. He threw all his animosity, all his rage and fear, into the deadly dance of sabers. Sparks flew through the darkness, the sharp electric clash of lightsaber blades echoing through the dark forest.

Thunder clapped overhead and the dark clouds above finally began to let down a thick, warm rain. The ground beneath their feet began to slowly churn into thick brown mud, making their footing treacherous. Vhetin switched on his helmet's environmental controls, his helmet sending a quick pulse of electricity along the surface of his visor to burn away the clinging raindrops.

Vhetin and Mandalore were evenly matched; both possessed physical attributes superior to humans. Vhetin's Kiffar physiology gave him enhanced speed and reflexes, while Mandalore held superior strength and his thick Taung hide seemed naturally resistant to the blade of a lightsaber.

But Vhetin was at a disadvantage. He had rarely found himself fighting against his own weaponry, and the lightsaber pike gave Mandalore both power and reach. The elder Taung slammed Vhetin's lightsaber aside before thrusting forward with the pike with a blow meant to kill. Vhetin hopped back, the blade only grazing his chest plate, and began to circle his opponent again while he caught his breath.

Kriff it all, he thought. I never thought I'd see the day I'd prefer to fight a Sith.

As the duel outside continued, Lee spun back to the stone monolith in the center of the prison. He knelt in front of the bound Taung once more and said, "Hey. Eyes up, ugly."

Werd'cetara's eyes indeed snapped up. The Taung regarded him coldly, but made no move to attack.

Lee nodded to his restraints and switched to speaking in Mando'a. "If I get you out of those, will you promise not to eat us?"

Werd let out a short, rough sigh. "I have lost my taste for human flesh. There is no honor in consuming helpless prisoners. Better to consume those slain in battle, their blood fresh upon the ground."

"Right…" Lee murmured. "That's not much better."

He gestured to the restraints again. "If I let you out, will you help us escape?"

"There is no escape from my people," Werd rumbled. "Even if you and your siblings managed to flee the camp, my clan would hunt you wherever you went."

Lee gritted his teeth before ejecting his gauntlet blade. "We'll just have to see about that, ugly."

With a single motion, he reached out and sliced through the thorny vines that bound Werd to the pillar. At once, the young Taung collapsed forward, falling onto all fours. The other prisoners shrank away from him, shooting Lee glares or demanding what the kriff he thought he was doing. But Lee just stared at Werd and sheathed his blade.

"Too many of my people have been killed by yours," he said. "If you really want to stop this… will you help us?"

Werd held a hand to his chest in an attempt to staunch his bleeding wounds. But he looked up to Lee with a quizzical tilt to his head. "You metal men are… far from what I expected."

"We get that a lot."

Werd suddenly burst into action, rising to his feet and grabbing Lee by the throat. The tall alien hoisted the man into the air and pinned him to the cold stone wall, then cocked his head to one side curiously. Behind him, the other prisoners shrank away; some frantically searched for weapons while others simply pressed themselves against the opposite wall and hoped the freed Taung warrior would not turn its rage against them.

"Why assist me now?" Werd growled as Lee choked and sputtered. "I could kill you as easily as I could save you. My brothers hold no esteem for your people. Why do you believe I will?"

"B-because," Lee gasped, wrestling with the large, taloned hand wrapped around his throat. "Whether you like it or not… we're brothers. We're all Mandos. And if even one of you can see that… maybe the rest can too."

Lee met Werd's blazing gold gaze and choked out, "Vode an."

Werd's lips twitched and he snorted, obviously thinking hard. He glanced outside, to the flashing lights of the duel still being fought in the clearing. He growled, deep in the back of his throat, then said, "My father is a great warrior who has carried my people through many seasons in this dark and dangerous land. He is worthy of his title, and worthy of the devotion my people show him."

He turned back to Lee and narrowed his eyes. "But in this matter, he is wrong."

He let his prisoner go and Lee collapsed to the ground, rubbing his throat and coughing. Werd took a single step back, the beads in his long dreadlocks clicking as he reached down and held out a large, clawed hand.

"Until we either escape or die," the Heart-Eater rumbled, "you may consider me an ally. For all that it is worth."

Lee stared at the alien's hand. Part of him screamed that this was the worst in a long list of bad ideas. But they had no choice; even if Vhetin miraculously won the duel outside, he would not survive the onslaught of Kar'ta-Epar'e that surrounded him. Neither would the rest of the prisoners. The duel was a stalling action, meant to distract their captors until someone rose up to save them.

Maybe, just maybe, Werd was that someone.

So he glanced up at the Taung standing over him, then reached out and shook his hand.

Jay didn't know how much time had passed since Norac Benz and his men had left them. She did know that the rain had started to fall in earnest now, and Hish'ka Che'daje hadn't stopped muttering to herself since being bound.

"Gonna kriffing kill that shabuir and string him from the trees by his gettse," she hissed, flexing her hands until the claws of her mechanical hand scratched at the dirt. "I'm gonna make him scream for the bitch that brought him screaming into this world, then I'm gonna cut his shabla tongue right out of his shabla mouth…"

Her sister finally hissed at her and growled, "Hish'ka! Shut up for a second!"

"No I'm not going to shut up!" the turbaned Cathar yowled back. "That man stabbed us in the back! I don't take kindly to betrayal, Akh'shi."

"I'm trying to think of a way to get us out of this—"

"There is no way out of this!" Hish'ka struggled against her restraints. "You know what this stuff is? Triple-wound durasteel whipcord. You can't cut through this like some cheap action vid. We're stuck here like a kriffing Life-Day dinner until some wolf pack comes to investigate."

"Shut up," Jay muttered, frowning.

"Don't even get me started on you, aruetii. If not for—"

"No, I'm serious. Shut up. I hear something."

Hish'ka instantly fell silent, sharp Cathar ears pricked. The sounds of the jungle had grown raucous around them after the sun had set, and the thunder rumbling overhead made it even more difficult to hear. But if Jay strained her senses just enough, she thought she could hear…

Both the Cathar sisters heard it, obviously far better than her. Their eyes stretched wide, and Ranger-Commander Akh'shi breathed out a quiet, "Oh no."

Jay could hear it clearer now; the telltale crackle and scraping of something moving through the underbrush. The crunch of fallen bark or twigs as it was pushed beneath the weight of something very large and very heavy. As the sound grew louder, she heard an all-too-familiar hiss over the air, like someone had depressurized her ship's cockpit.

"Stay absolutely still," Akh'shi snarled, "and whatever you do, don't make a noise."

Jay stiffened against the tree where they were bound and didn't say a word. Not a moment too soon, too; seconds later, the bushes shook and the massive triangular head of an echo snake emerged from the foliage. It raked its nonexistent gaze over the area, tongue flicking in the air as it let out a series of deep chirps that reverberated through the jungle. A few moments later, it slithered forward again.

Echolocation, she thought, resisting the urge to squeeze her eyes shut. Don't move. Please, for kriff's sake, don't move…

Jay could feel her heart pounding in her chest and silently prayed that it was quiet enough to escape the serpent's notice. As the creature continued to unfold from the jungle, she saw it was even larger than the beast they had fought before. That monster had killed three seasoned Mandalorian warriors before being brought down. She didn't want to guess how lethal this creature was.

It was easily the length of a starship, a roiling mass of shimmering scaly coils and tightly-bound muscle. Tiny studs of bone protruded along its spine and the large white scar stretching across its snout suggested it was very old and very tough.

The echo snake flicked its tongue through the air again, tail twitching as its massive curls tucked in against its own body. Then it lowered its head back to the ground and began to slither away into the jungle to their right.

That's right, she thought, terrified eyes unable to leave the grayish-white creature. Just keep going, you bastard. Nothing interesting here…

The massive scraping of the snake's body slithering through the underbrush drowned out all other noises around them, and Jay had eyes only for the massive coils that were passing by less than a meter away. But then its tail finally slipped beneath a fern and the creature was lost from sight. A few moments later, the loud slithering and shaking leaves that marked its passage also faded into the normal chorus of the nighttime jungle.

After waiting a few more moments in tense silence, Jay finally let out a sigh and relaxed back against the tree.

"I just want to point out," she breathed, "this jungle of yours sucks."

"You'll get no argument from me," Hish'ka growled. "So back to the matter at hand: how are we getting out of here?"

"I'm open to suggestions, sister."

Jay fidgeted, trying to wriggle just enough that her bonds loosened the slightest bit. Unsurprisingly, they didn't budge. Hish'ka noticed her motions and narrowed her yellows eyes. "What's gotten into you? Are you sitting on a flame-stinger nest?"

Jay chewed her lip as she worked furiously to wiggle her arm further down her side. "Before we split up, Cin… he gave me one of his lightsabers. If I can reach it…"

"And you're waiting until now to try that?"

Jay rolled her eyes as she tried to reach her belt. Her fingertips just barely brushed the emitter of the weapon in question. "It's kind of hard to come up with a plan when you're off cursing in one corner and a kriffing echo snake is prowling around in the other. Just give me a minute."

She worked in silence for a few minutes, her arm growing sore from the straining. She shifted her shoulders, trying to reach as far as she could manage while her arms were bound at her sides. If she stretched as far as she could, she might just be able to—

"Might want to hurry up there, aruetii," Hish'ka suddenly hissed.

Jay clenched her teeth. "I'm trying as hard as I can. Just quiet down and—"

"No, like hurry up. Now."

Jay let out a huff and said, "What do you want me to do? My arms aren't made of kriffing—"

But Hish'ka wasn't looking at her. The Cathar's gaze was fixed at a point over her shoulder, eyes wide and afraid. Jay quickly looked in the direction the huntress was staring and her heart dropped into her stomach.

The echo snake was back, coiled up on itself and looking right at her. Its tongue flicked the air slowly, lazily, no doubt tasting their scent; there was no question it knew they were there now. It opened its tooth-studded maw and let out a high-pitched series of clicks, mapping their location with sound.

"Jay," Akh'shi murmured. "You need to hurry."

"Yeah," Jay said, fidgeting and stretching as far as her arm could allow. The very tips of her fingers brushed across the contoured hilt of the weapon. A little further and she'd be able to grasp the hilt. "Working as fast as I can."

Behind her, the echo snake began uncoiling and slithering toward them. Hish'ka hissed at the creature, a primal feline snarl of defiance. Her sister echoed the motion, clenching her razor-fingered mechanical hand into a tight fist. But the Cathar sisters' defiance did nothing to slow the giant snake's approach.

"Jay…"

"I'm trying!"

The echo snake began to pick up speed, knocking aside bushes and sapling trees as it slithered toward them. Its mouth stretched open, wide enough to swallow a human whole. Jay strained until she felt like her shoulder was about to pop from its socket. Her fingers finally wrapped around the hilt of the saber and—

A bright spotlight lit up the jungle around them. The echo snake and its would-be prey recoiled in surprise at the wash of blinding white light. A moment later, a world-shaking roar echoed through the trees and something huge burst through the foliage to tackle the serpent away and out of sight. The serpent screeched as it was dragged into the underbrush by a writhing mass of arms, legs, and dark armor plating. Then there were three quick blaster shots that painted the leaves with red light and the beast fell silent.

A heavy footstep shook leaves from the trees overhead and the spotlight returned. Jay grimaced against the flood of illumination and saw three large, snarling figures standing in front of them. They were massive, hunch-backed forms covered in angular armor plating and bristling with spines and sharp edges. Human-shaped shadows were resting on their backs, but one quickly dismounted and strode into the light.

Jay instantly let out a relieved breath and fell back against the tree behind her. "Holy kriff am I glad to see you."

"Captain Tervho," the Ranger-Commander said, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I thought we'd seen the last of you."

"You can thank Miss Vasser for proving you wrong," Vhonte Tervho replied. She gestured over her shoulder, where Tamai was also dismounting from the giant figure with the spotlight.

The other woman jogged forward and knelt in front of Jay, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You three okay?"

Jay nodded. "Just barely. Thanks for the quick save. You have a great sense of timing."

"So I've been told. Is Cin with you?"

Jay shook her head. "No. We haven't seen him since…"

Tamai's gaze hardened, but she didn't say any more. She just gestured to the whipcord and said, "You have anything to cut this?"

"One of Cin's lightsabers. It's on my belt, but I can't reach it."

Tamai reached down and successfully unhooked the lightsaber from Jay's belt. She ignited the pale blue blade and severed the whipcord with a single well-placed slash. The whipcord fell away and Jay finally managed to stretch her arms free. She staggered away from the tree, rubbing her sore wrist. Tamai deactivated the saber and tossed it back.

"Let me guess." Tervho gestured to the whipcord. "Norac's handiwork?"

Hish'ka nodded and adjusted her turban. Once done, she clenched her mechanical fist so hard it shook. "I'm going to kill that bastard. I don't care what you or my sister say. I'm going to carve his face open with my bare hand."

Tervho sighed. "I should have known he would try something like this. Leave him to me."

"No, I'm going to—"

Tervho's voice left no room for discussion. "Leave him to me."

Jay straightened, finally having caught her breath, and said, "How did you even find us?"

"Lifespark One managed to pick up a distress beacon in this area. It matched the Ranger-Commander's signal."

Jay glanced at the Cathar, who shrugged and gestured to a small flashing orb hooked to her belt. "It's been running ever since the ambush. It was a long shot, but I had to try."

Hish'ka, meanwhile, folded her arms and glared at Tamai. "Who gave you authorization to send the Lifespark units into the field?"

"I authorized myself," Tamai replied, a defiant tilt to her chin. "We didn't have time to go through all the bureaucratic bullshit necessary. So I took them."

Jay glanced between the two. "Just what is this Lifespark you keep talking about?"

Tervho gestured to the three hulking figures behind her and called, "Cut the lights!"

The spotlights blinked out and Jay's eyes widened at the sight before her.

Three hulking Basilisk droids stood at the ready, their photoreceptors glowing crimson red in the darkness and their chassis shifting in an eerie mimicry of breath. They were standing on four compound legs that ended in wickedly-curved mechanical claws. Large, curved wings stretched out over the droid's shoulders and flexed as the machines moved. A long, segmented tail stretched out behind their bodies, ending in a sharp fin that Jay guessed was used as an aerodynamic rudder.

But unlike the deactivated droid she had seen in the jungle earlier, these units were in near-pristine condition: they were covered in polished black armor marked with all manner of warning signs and MandalMotors prototype designations, and the tangled mess of cannons that made up their "heads" tracked back and forth across the jungle searching for potential threats. As Jay watched, one of the droids tossed its bulky head and let out another deafening, synthesized roar that echoed through the jungle.

She recognized that roar; seemingly so long ago, during her first tour of Outpost Aurek. Something had tossed a MandalMotors engineer clear across a warehouse before Tervho had grabbed her arm and not-so-subtly told her to mind her own business.

"That…" Jay shook her head. "I thought Lee said it was impossible to reactivate them!"

"Officially," the Ranger-Commander said, "it is impossible. But unofficially…"

"Unofficially, we've been carting Basilisk carcasses out of the jungle for months now," Tamai said brusquely. "The red-suits that MandalMotors sent us have been beside themselves with glee trying to get them back into working order."

"Doesn't this violate…" Jay hesitated, grasping for words. "I don't know, hundreds of Imperial laws? Mandalorians aren't allowed to have Basilisks anymore!"

"That's why their existence is going to stay our secret," Captain Tervho said. "We don't have the firepower to take on an entire clan of Kar'ta Epar'e. But with the Lifespark units backing us up, we might just have a chance to get our friends back safe."

Tamai looked to Jay and raised a questioning eyebrow. "So what do you say? Are you up for a rescue mission?"

"With those things on our side?" Jay scoffed. "I'd be ready to take on a rancor!"

Author's Note: This is not a very good chapter. But the next one will be better. I promise.