Seth Halo: A'ight, what have you figured out? :D

I'm so sorry that it's been four months since our last update. I swear to you I didn't do it on purpose, I've just been very uninspired - despite the fact that I love this story. I'll try to update more regularly, and I promise to get the next one out asap. Again, I aplogize, and I'm sorry for not doing the responses to the reviews, but I'm running on short time here. Again, I apologize.

The next morning, Anakin decided to take a little stroll through the compound with the cover story of 'needing fresh air'. Not that Anakin really cared at all about fresh air, but he wanted to observe without being watched, and he couldn't do that when he was on the tour. It was easy to spot the entrances to where they kept the slaves, as they were heavily guarded with a minimum of ten sentries. Not too bad, and quite easy to overtake, but considering there were five entrances to one mine that meant fifty guards would come after you – assuming there were no more inside, which he didn't assume in the least. Still easy... if he had been sent with two Jedi instead of a normal Corellian who had no link to the Force, and one who didn't want to use what little connection he had. Skandar could really be a pain at times. Finishing up his little walk around where he was allowed, he headed back to his quarters.

As he headed back, he happened to glace over to where a private was leading a group of ten prisoners and their guards. He watched them for a moment, looking at each face to see if he recognized anyone, anyone who he would have to get out of there. When he did recognize them, his eyes went wide with shock, then narrowed in fury. Padmé's nieces. Nieces that – once upon a time – he had wanted to call his own family – thanking the Force that he had never married her, as that obviously wouldn't have turned out well. Apparently there were no age limits of those who were chosen to go to the mines, as he knew Ryoo and Pooja were only about ten and eight respectively. But where was the rest of the Naberrie family? Were they slaves here too?

Tearing his eyes away from the group, he proceeded to go back to his quarters, finding Skandar and Paris waiting for him with Nahdonnis Praji. "Well, are we ready to start the tour?" he asked, wishing he had a moment to tell his comrades what he had found about what may have happened to the Naberrie family.

"Of course, Adren." Paris replied, using Anakin's fake name as she grabbed her cap to put on her head. "Did you enjoy your walk?"

"Yes, I did, very... invigorating." Anakin replied, the shift in his eyes alerting her that he had found something outside of the walk which he found had lifted his desire to continue on this mission. Private Praji nodded curtly to the group, and led the way out as Skandar settled next to Anakin.

"Why don't you do that mental link between you and I? It could be useful." the Corellian suggested.

"I prefer to keep as many people out of my head as possible." Anakin replied. "And I'm not in the custom of changing that."

"That's not the real reason, what is it?" Skandar asked. "Are you afraid of what I'll find in there?"
Anakin shook his head. "You couldn't find anything if you wanted to." he quipped. "Look, I just don't want you there, do you mind not pressing the matter?"

Skandar nodded as they approached the first hut of the colony, Private Praji leading them in. "This is the mess hall, so to speak, where the Clones get their food. They eat in shifts normally, so as to make sure that the slaves are watched at all times..." he explained each facet of the compound, leading them from the various huts outside that were chosen for outside activities before he led them into the caves.

It seemed that the compound was split into two different sectors, one for the slaves, and one for the men who worked as guards. The men who worked for the Empire were allowed the use of the buildings outside – the mess hall, the bunkhouse, and the recreational area – while the slaves were restricted to the insides of the caves. Apparently once you entered, you didn't leave unless by the strict order of Commander Lavonne. Praji said it was to keep them from escaping, as the tunnels provided a labyrinth, impossible to leave unless you knew each tunnel very well.

There was a small ward, where they could house fifty sick slaves at a time, which was manned by various droids and medical personnel. The three members of the Alliance fought to keep their composure as they watched the slaves writhe about on the beds in agony. "When they get too sick, we simply terminate them." Praji said cooly, ignorant of the internal pain that Anakin and his companions were feeling. "They can't work, and they'll only occupy a bed, so it's the easiest way."

"How do you...terminate them?" Paris ventured to ask, her medical brain wishing she could assist in some manner to ease the suffering of the slaves.

"We're supposed to simply shoot them, but Commander Lavonne has made an edict that it's more humane to give them a lethal injection." Private Praji replied.

"Commander Lavonne comes from a different system, Private Praji." Skandar said. "He's used to a different way of going about things."

Praji nodded, leaving the ward and leading them to the place they wanted: the tunnels themselves. Anakin braced himself as best he could, using the Force to calm himself as best he could before he entered the tunnels, knowing that it would probably be one of the most painful things he would have to experience. He could almost hear Ozara's voice in his head, calming him as they were introduced to the guards at the entrance of the tunnel.

Already he could feel the despair settle on him from the various slaves inside, the utter hopelessness that comes with being a slave. It was torture, and he hadn't even stepped foot into the caverns. "You okay Adren?" Paris asked him, noting the pinched expression on his face.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Gale. Don't mind me." he replied. "Shall we go in?"

Praji left them with the guard there, Sargent Ysen, to complete the tour on his end. "Alright, so first we have the bunk rooms for the slaves," Ysen said, showing them a long room, beds hovering in sets of five in four long rows. "Each of these can house roughly a hundred slaves—"

"How many slaves are in the compound?" Anakin asked, unable to help himself.

"We have about five-hundred already, and that number is growing daily." Ysen replied. "They come from various parts of the galaxy, with various crimes. We have entire families here, although they are all separated based on group."

"Groups?" Skandar repeated.

"Women, men, and children." Ysen explained. "Women are in entrance one, men are in entrance two, and children are entrance three. Each group is separated by the cave walls, as there are three separate mining tunnels. When one accidentally hits the other, that part is immediately partitioned off to avoid anyone going from one tunnel to the other."

Skandar, Paris, and Anakin exchanged a glance as he continued to talk, allowing him to lead them to the various outer parts of the tunnels. Besides the bunk-caves, there was a room that he called the 'mess hall for the delinquents', a large room with no tables or chairs, where he explained that the slaves took their grub and sat down on the ground during their meals. A stark contrast to what the trio knew most of them were used to – as Tristan, Mon Mothma, Valorum – and those like them would be used to a lifestyle of preference. A style of life where they were treated like people, not dogs.

Again, the group continued on, wishing the tour were already over, and that there was a way to stop the Empire now. If this was what Kacia had planned this early in her rule, they shuddered to think of what she would do later on. Would she convince an entire society to accept this? The entire Galaxy?

The next portion of their tour was what they came to see, and they were not disappointed to find lines of slaves all tethered to their work in pairs. Apparently they had begun in the male section of the tunnels, as every face which turned toward the entering trio were male. "How far down these tunnels do you want to go?" Ysen asked the group.

Skandar and Anakin turned to one another, then looked at Paris. She gave a nod. "How far are you willing to take us?" Skandar asked. Ysen smiled, leading them down the maze of corridors.

"I will kill Kacia Flure if I ever get the chance." Anakin growled once they were safe inside their quarters. "How dare they treat members of the Old Republic like that? Chained to the walls like animals just so she will get the most powerful weapon in the galaxy! It's disgusting!"

"Calm down, Anakin, blowing up won' t help anyone." Skandar replied. "Remember, our orders are to get in, scope the landscape, get out with Peregrine, Valorum and Mon Mothma. No more... although I heartily agree with your sentiment."

"Children... those little boys and girls..." Anakin continued to rant quietly. "Some of them were as young as Killian!" His mind inadvertently flashed to little Luke and Leia, chained to the wall like he'd seen the other children, and his anger flared. "Her own nieces! Padmé's nieces chained like animals to the wall, forced to do work they were never raised to do!"

Skandar and Paris let him vent, knowing it would be wiser to allow him to continue than to try to stop him. It would be safer for the mission. "At least we found our targets." Paris murmured. "Do you remember where they kept Senator Peregrine?"

"Like a map." Skandar answered. "Valorum wasn't there, though, and that worries me."

"It's possible we just didn't recognize him." Paris replied.

"And Mon Mothma!" Anakin exclaimed, still ranting to himself. "What did she ever to do Kacia? Can you imagine what would have happened had we not left the Republic when we did? Kacia would have sent us all here, or killed us. Oh, and Praji! That kid complaining about how it was not what was ordered to give them lethal injection when they were sick! I could have killed him!"

"Anakin, I think you need to calm down at this point." Paris countered. "We need your mind apt and thinking, not ranting and raving about how you're going to kill everyone."

Anakin leveled his gaze on her, sitting down on the chaise. "That plan of yours isn't going to work, those tunnels are far too deep and way too complex. We could get in, but not out, and certainly not with five people with us."

"Five?" Skandar repeated. "Who are the other two?"

"If you think I'm leaving those two girls here, you are mistaken. Those girls come back with us when we leave." Anakin answered.

Skandar sighed. "Anakin, that would be impossible, those girls can't come with us they'll draw too much attention!"

"They're coming with, this isn't up for negotiation." Anakin replied.

"Firstly, stop stealing Ozara's lines; secondly, we could maybe swing the three we came for, working it out somehow in the shipments we're pretending to be carrying back – but two extras? Have you lost your mind?" Skandar shouted.

Anakin's steely eyes glared at the man, standing up. "Those girls are coming with us, and if you won't help me get them out I'll do it myself." he said.

"Anakin, please be reasonable—"

"I'm going to meditate, call me when you two figure out how we're getting them out." Anakin interrupted, stalking off to his room for some privacy. Paris and Skandar sat in the silence of his wake for a few minutes, too embroiled in their own thoughts to speak to each other.

"He's such a hothead." Skandar growled to himself. "I don't know what Ozara sees in him?"

Paris chuckled, looking toward the door. "She sees his potential. When he harnesses that fury, that passion, he's a force to be reckoned with." she said, looking back at Skandar. "Although I never truly realized just how much she tempers him until now. She really calms him down, doesn't she?"

"She's an amazing woman." Skandar replied. "She gets in his head and is the voice of reason, telling him how idiotic he is. Apparently she's the reason why he only brushed the Dark Side."

"Well, I'll give her credit, I don't think I'd be able to handle him in the same way... If at all." Paris stated, sighing. "Well, it would probably be best to side with Anakin and help him get the Naberrie girls out, otherwise I'm afraid we might have dynamite on our hands."

"I'm all too painfully aware of just how volatile our 'peaceful' member of the party is." Skandar's tone dripped with sarcasm. "But you're right, on our side is better than working solo."

"Well at least it's not you working... Solo." Paris jested, a smirk teasing her lips. Skandar chuckled, nodding.

"Very clever." he replied. "Back to work, though, we still haven't figured out how we're going to get inside the tunnels—"

"Already figured out." Anakin's voice suddenly said, stepping toward the door. "This is completely unethical, and against every rule the Jedi have... but there is a reason I was assigned to this mission other than my appearance. I don't know why I didn't think of it before, it's so simple!"

"Well, that was fast." Paris commented, looking over at Skandar. "What happened to meditation?"

"I said I figured out how we'd do it." Anakin said slowly, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

Skandar crossed his arms over his chest. "Alright, how are you planning on getting in and out?"

Anakin's face changed, a smile spreading over his features. "Three words: Jedi Mind Trick."

"What?" Paris exclaimed. "It's unethical!"

"They are the enemy." Anakin stated. "And when we are at war, we adhere to a different set of rules."

"Are you insane?" Skandar joined Paris in her incredulity. "We'll get caught much faster if you use it, everyone knows what a Jedi Mind Trick looks like!"

A knock on the door interrupted the small group and they all silenced quickly, their eyes turned toward the doors. Paris was the one who finally got up to answer it, sliding it open to reveal Commander Lavonne. Skandar and Anakin stood, giving a salute to the man. "None of that, I know who you are." Lavonne said simply. "And while I'm not surprised, I must say that you have a remarkable resemblance to the real Harre and Gale. Although now that I see you and am not lying to myself, I can see the differences."

"I don't know what you mea—"

"Do you not, Anakin Skywalker?" Lavonne cut Anakin off. "You're not a very good liar, you wear your heart on your sleeve far too easily. You would think the Alliance would send someone who was a little less passionate, as you have too much to keep your head on straight."

Anakin and Skandar exchanged a look. "And what do you plan on doing with us, now that you know who we are." Skandar asked, wondering how they might get out of this situation alive.

"Well, I should turn you over to my officers, have you imprisoned and shipped to Coruscant for sentencing, where Anakin Skywalker will – no doubt – get death, and you will probably just be shipped back to me." Lavonne said. "But, I'm not."

"What?" all three chorused.

"I may be an Imperial Officer, but I don't agree with the Empress' methods entirely. I am far too engrained in the old ways to turn now, and so I'll try to help you do what you need to do." he replied. "You see, my son was just executed for being a sympathizer with your cause. Kacia has won no love from me. I don't like you Alliance members, you are the reason why we are at war in the first place. If the Jedi had seen that Palpatine was out for the destruction of the Republic, sooner, then we wouldn't be here, now. That, and you have torn families apart when it comes to their ties, causing the deaths of thousands who have sided with you..." he paused. "But Kacia's rule, I hate more. She is greedy, and believes she is all-powerful, she doesn't care about those who are below her."

"So you would rather fight with us, not because of who we are or what we stand for, but because you hate Kacia?" Skandar asked for clarification.

Lavonne smiled. "Precisely." he said.

Anakin's eyebrow rose, exchanging a glance with his companions. "Will you help us then?"
The older man nodded. "I will assist you in getting out your targets, then I will ask you to leave the planet." he said.

"That was our plan anyway." Skandar said.

"But you were planning on attacking us afterward?" he asked. A round of nods followed in reply. "I will give you whatever information you need, all I ask is that you allow me to escape when your forces come to invade."

Skandar gave him a nod. "You have my word."

Lavonne took a seat, motioning to the others to do the same.

Night fell. Had it been any other planet, the sounds of animals would have filled the air. However, as it was a slave colony, there were no sounds of wildlife, as if the animals themselves knew that the compound was of a unsavory nature.

Guards patrolled the area, talking amongst themselves as they completed their circuit. As they passed the barracks, two shadows ran across the open ground, stooping low near the entrance of one of the caves. Anakin raised his hand and caused a distraction for the guards at the entrance, taking them away from their post to inspect the noise, which was far away enough that the two men could converse without being heard.

"Alright, so you find Mon Mothma and the Amidala girls," Skandar began. "And I'll get Valorum and Peregrine."
"I still think we should have brought Paris along." Anakin said.

"And possibly get her killed? You're not very skilled at this are you?" Skandar replied. "At the very least she can say that she knew nothing of this plot, and that we deceived her, meaning that she would be able to get back to headquarters without arousing suspicion."

Anakin shrugged. "Good point." he replied, looking over at the guards once more. "Well, you ready, Solo?"
"Never been more." Skandar replied, his eyes focused on the entrance of the cave. Anakin nodded using the Force to push a boulder over twenty-feet away from the entrances.

"What was that?" A clone asked his partner, blaster in hand he ran toward the noise, his partner keeping his eye on him as he examined it, giving Anakin and Skandar the opportunity to sneak in. The easy part was done, now for the more difficult.

Anakin moved through the dimly-lit corridors of the cavern, staying as silent as he could as he reached out with the Force to find his targets. He knew he'd have to be quick if he was going to get them out safely and still be able to meet Skandar outside before the Solo wound up being captured.

A guard was patrolling the corridors, and he quickly ducked into a crevice, allowing the natural darkness to shield him... the guard passed. Anakin let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. His desperation mounted – after all, he didn't know how many guards patrolled the inside at night, what's more he didn't know the medical situation of Mon Mothma. If she was badly injured, then they would have a serious problem trying to get out, even less of a chance getting into the other tunnel which held the girls.

Finally he was able to catch a glimmer of the mind of Mon Mothma, which he then followed, quickly finding the bunkroom that she was in. Reaching for the panel by the door, he once more looked both ways down the corridor, hoping against hope that no one was about to come. Concluding that he would not be seen, he opened the door and stepped inside.

Skandar had a bit harder of a time finding where Valorum and Tristan were kept, and had only reached the first door when the guard came by. Oh why had they split up? This was going to be difficult, and it wasn't as if he could change the mind of the guard with a wave of his hand. Looking around, he found where the obvious fresher was, and ducked inside, only hoping the Guard had no use for it at the moment.

Fate, however, had a different plan, and no sooner had entered it than the door opened once more, and he was forced to duck into one of the showers. The guard seemed oblivious, but he had to be sure he wouldn't be seen. Setting his blaster to 'stun', he stepped up behind the guard, shooting him from behind. The guard fell to the ground, his armor making a deafening crash which Skandar immediately worried had been heard outside.

To make sure, he stepped beside the entrance to the door and waited for a few moments, his heart thumping loudly in his chest. Getting an idea, he quickly walked over to the guard, stripping him of his armor and putting it on. When he took his helmet off, he was relieved to find it was Ysen, the guard he knew – or rather met earlier in the day. Putting the helmet on his own head, he pulled Ysen's body into the shower, stunning him once more to make sure that he would remain unconscious for a longer amount of time.

Stepping back out of the fresher, Skandar looked through the black eyes of the helmet. His comm crackled to life. "Ysen? Ysen are you there?"

"Yeah I'm here." Skandar replied in his best imitation of the guard.

"We need you to check outside as soon as possible, there seems to be some kind of problem." the voice replied.

"What kind of problem?" Skandar asked.

The voice was silent.

"Ysen to tower, what is it?" he asked again.

"Ysen can you give us your identification number?" the voice asked.

Skandar growled, they just had to ask the one thing he didn't know didn't they. "I can hardly see that as necessary." he replied, opening the door of the first bunkroom. "I'll be there when I can." With that, he switched off his comm, a feeling of urgency and dread settling deep within him. He entered the room and turned on the lights, pulling off his helmet immediately.

"By the Force what is it?!" A nearby man grumbled, looking at Skandar.

"My name is Skandar Solo, I'm looking for Chancellor Valorum and Senator Peregrine. I don't have much time, but I need to get them out." He told the room of them. "Where are they, do you know?"

He was stared at, most mouths hanging open with shock. He looked at each face, repeating his question once more. "They're in the third and seventh bunkrooms." A voice finally piped up. He looked over to see a young man, possibly twenty – his blue eyes inquisitive, yet full of pain. "Will you come back for us?"

Skandar nodded and gave him a determined smile. "Yes."

That seemed to make the young man happier, and he smiled in return, jumping off his bunk. "Valorum isn't well..." He began, looking at the older men who had gathered around Skandar. "And Peregrine is not in the best of health either."

"Then I will need help." Skandar said, looking at the older men.

"Take Ayren." The first man who had spoken to him said. "I was a senator who spoke against the Empress, to say the least I am not lover of hers. Ayren is strong and quick-witted. He should be able to help you."

"Thank you... Senator?"

"Dolben." the man replied, giving the young man a pat on the back. "Take care young one."

"I will." Ayren said.

Skandar nodded. "Good, we should move now. Already the Tower is suspecting that I am not Ysen, and we don't need a group of clones descending down upon us before we get out." he said, opening the door. "We will return with greater forces soon, I promise."

"May the Force be with you, even though you are not a Jedi." Dolben said.

"May the Force be with you." Skandar replied, leading the boy out and shutting the door on the other prisoners with a heavy heart.

"We should split up." Ayren said. "I'll get Valorum, he's bound to be more of an issue."

"Very well." Skandar said, quickly gleaning what information he could from the boy about where Peregrine was. Apparently he would have to go deeper. "If I don't come out within ten minutes after you've fetched Valorum, do not wait for me. Anakin, my friend, will be waiting outside, and he will be the only one to get out of here if I don't make it. He must."

Ayren nodded. "Very well, sir." he said, looking back down the corridor. "We might want to move."

"Definitely." Skandar replied, putting his helmet back on and heading back down the corridor, splitting ways when they reached the room which Ayren would go to, and heading toward the back. He could only hope that he would make it out alive.

Mon Mothma crouched behind Anakin as he approached the entryway to the cave again. It had been fairly simple for him to get her out, the only thing which took time being that of her saying goodbye to what friends she had made and telling them she would come back to free them. She really was quite the woman in his opinion, and one to be admired.

"You said you are planning on freeing the Naberrie children?" she asked him as he looked out the cave for his proper moment.

"Yes." He answered. "Once I leave you in Paris' hands, I'll head back for them."

Mon Mothma nodded solemnly. "You are aware that by taking two children, it will be hard not to take the others?" she said, her eyes fixed on him.

His hand and jaw clenched. "Yes, I know." he replied, remembering what it was like when he was a child and someone he knew had been freed from their slavery. "But I can't leave them."

"Allow me to go with you." Mon Mothma said after a moment of debate within herself.

"No." Anakin replied sternly. "Forgive me, Senator, but it is not safe. I have gotten you out, but it may be much harder getting them."

"No doubt it will, but if you think that I'm going to go back to headquarters and hear how idiotic you were from your wife, you are much mistaken." Mon Mothma replied hotly.

Anakin chuckled a bit. "I'm sorry." he insisted, looking once more at her. "I cannot allow it."

She smiled and shook her head. "Duty before else, hmm?" she queried. "Not much like the Anakin I used to know."

"I have changed much." Anakin replied. "I will not risk your freedom or your life."

"Very well." Mon Mothma sighed. "That seems to have not changed."

"What?"

"Your stubbornness." she answered, looking at the entrance. "Our magnum opus."

Anakin stiffened, looking back at the door. Walking toward the entrance, he knew they would never be able to get out of the cave without a minimal fight. Six guards now stood before it, and there was no way he'd be able to distract them all. Suddenly he could hear blaster fire, and all but one guard left his post.

Skandar.

"Come on." Anakin whispered to Mon Mothma, rushing forward, and knocking the remaining guard senseless before he caught an eye of the fight which seemed to have ensued. He could clearly see his father-in-law, surrounded by guards, with Skandar crouched beside him with his hands on his head.

Taking Mon Mothma, he ducked behind the boulder which he and Skandar had hidden behind before, trying to figure out what he was going to do. Unknown to him, of course, this same boulder was where Ayren and Valorum were hiding. He started, reaching for his saber before he knew what he was doing.

"No, don't do that!" Ayren said. "Solo, he sent me out here with Valorum. You're Master Skywalker, aren't you?"

Anakin nodded, looking over Valorum. "He doesn't look well."

"He isn't." Ayren replied. "He's been getting worse, but no one was willing to inform the Guards, or else he'd be killed."

"Good reason." Anakin replied, peering over the boulder as Mon Mothma went closer to the former chancellor, speaking to him softly. Skandar was standing now, along with Tristan, and Anakin got an idea. "Hey, you!" he said to Ayren, pulling him to his side and pointing over to the buildings. "You see that building over there, with the lights on only in two windows?"
"Yes."

"I need you to run over there and tell Paris, that's her name, to start our ship." he said. "Afterwards, run to Lavonne and tell him we're about to leave—"

"I'm sorry, what were you going to tell me, I think I missed it?" Paris' voice came out from his other side. Anakin looked at her in shock.

"I thought I told you to stay at the bunkhouse."

"Who said I would listen?" Paris asked in turn. "You'll be grateful I did, too." At her words, two girls came out in the moonlight, the Naberrie girls. Anakin visibly relaxed, a smile on his face.

"Thank you." he said.

"Don't mention it." Paris replied, looking over the boulder to Skandar. "You want me to start the ship."

"Yes. And take Mon Mothma and Valorum with you... I'll try to get Skandar and Tristan out of here." Anakin replied.

"By force?" Paris asked.

Anakin looked at her and sighed. "Is there any other way at this point?" he inquired just as Skandar and Tristan were handcuffed, and beginning to be led somewhere else. "Where will they take them first?"

"Lavonne." Ayren supplied.

"Then help Paris get Valorum onto our ship." Anakin ordered, his lightsaber now in hand. "I'll take care of the other two. Go!" With that, he left the small group, following Skandar, Tristan, and their escort from a safe distance behind. They were too close to the other bunkhouses, if he exposed himself here none of them would get out alive.

Ozara paced the deck of the Intrepid, the feeling of something bad about to happen filling her entire being. She hated this, the worry that something was going to happen to Anakin and her father. She really should have left it all alone, and not gone to Bail to tell him that she thought that they should move ahead of schedule due to a bad feeling.

"If you keep doing that, you're bound to not help the baby." Obi-Wan said as he entered the deck. Ozara quickly sat down, sighing heavily.

"Dare I even ask how you knew I was pregnant again?" she inquired.

Obi-Wan shrugged. "You are showing signs?" he supplied. "Besides, you forget, I'm not only force-sensitive, I'm your brother-in-law. If there is anything I know it's how you Peregrine girls work."

Ozara chuckled. "I'm worried about him." she said.

"I know." Obi-Wan replied, sitting down next to her. "You haven't been this far apart since the Alliance was formed. What's more you're now carrying another of his children – which, I'm surprised you're even on this mission being pregnant."

"I had to go myself."

"Yesenia could have gone."

"Yesenia was on the last mission, she doesn't need this stuff happening to her again." Ozara replied. "Besides... I'm too impatient. I hate the idea of sitting back and waiting for news, hoping that it's good news."

"Hence why you convinced Senator Organa to do a strike when it wasn't really called for at the moment." Obi-Wan stated. "You should have stayed on Ergon, this is bound to be bad for you."

"I'll be fine, Obi-Wan." Ozara replied, standing up again. "I'll stay out of the fighting."

Obi-Wan sighed, running a hand over his face. "He's going to kill me, you know... for letting you come." he said.

"Considering she's going to stay on the ship, I think she'll be fine. Besides, you know that although his wife's safety is his main concern, he's going to be quite pleased to see her – and quite happy to hear she's not going anywhere for the next year." Qui-Gon's voice filtered through. "The fleet is about to pull out of hyperspace."

Ozara nodded, walking into the cabin of the ship. "Everything okay here, Kayden?"

"It depends on what you mean by 'okay'." the boy replied. "I'm not happy with you leaving, if that's what you mean."

"I know you're not." Ozara replied. "But I needed to come."

"Need and want are two different things." Kayden retorted, his eyes fixed ahead of him as the ship pulled out of hyperspace, the mass in front of them becoming clear. He turned on the Ships comms. "Intrepid to Stellar Envoy, can you read me?"

"Hear you, you mean?" Ahsoka's voice came over. "Loud and clear. What is it?"

"I'm going to land in a relatively unpopulated part of the planet, probably outside of the slave colony by quite a bit." his eyes gave Ozara a look which told her not to contradict him. He really was quite mature for his age.

"Roger that." Soka's voice replied. "Believe me, I completely understand. Something about a young woman on your ship who was completely and totally idiotic in coming."

"Ahsoka, be very careful of what you say." Ozara growled.

"Or what, Missus Skywalker?" Ahsoka retorted. Ozara sighed, no one was happy she was on this mission. Not one.

"Thank you for your comment, Master Tano – Intrepid out." Kayden replied, turning of the comm. "You are aware my brother is going to kill me."

Ozara sighed, looking over at Kayden. "He will do nothing of the kind."

"That's what you think." Kayden replied, looking at the planet. "Desolate looking isn't it?"

"A little, yeah." Ozara agreed as the ship entered the atmosphere of the planet.

Getting to their ship was going to be harder than anticipated, Paris had finally decided. Apparently they had gotten tipped off as to their purpose here, and their ship was now surrounded by twenty guards, all looking as if they would blast anyone who approached the ship to oblivion. It was somewhat menacing.

"How are we going to get on?" Ayren inquired.

"I don't know." Paris answered, wishing she wasn't alone in this.

"Can we form a distraction of some kind?" Mon Mothma suggested.

Paris bit her lip, looking at each guard. "I have a feeling that these boys are prepared for any distraction, and have probably been given orders to ignore them." she said. "Whoever tipped them off knows who we are."

"Or they just know what's going on." Ayren replied, looking down at Valorum. "The Chancellor is looking much worse."

"He's much sicker than I thought." Paris stated. "If he doesn't get medical attention soon, he's going to die."

"Do you know the illness?" Mon Mothma asked.

Paris shook her head. "No idea." she said, looking at the ship. "Alright, we need to get onto the ship... somehow."

"That's very comforting." Mon Mothma quipped, looking behind them. "Paris..."

The young Corellian turned, the sight of six clones filling her view. "Gale Lund. You are to come with us." the leader said, his blaster pointed in her direction.

"And if I don't?" Paris replied. A saber ignited, and Anakin slashed the six guards apart, his hand reaching and pushing some from the ramp backward, blocking their blaster hits.

"Move, Paris!" he shouted, knowing that he had probably brought more attention to them than he truly wanted. They would have to fight their way out now, that was if their ship wasn't disabled. Paris did as ordered, moving her charges away from the spinning Jedi, her eyes landing on Skandar – as she just realized he was there.

"Well done." she snapped. "How in the Galaxy did you wind up tipping them off?"
"I made a mistake." Skandar replied, blasting a clone from hitting Anakin. "We need to get to the ship."

"Glad you realized that." Paris retorted, blasting another clone. "This is going to be difficult."

"Ayren, get Valorum and the girls as close to the ship as you can, but in a safe place. Paris and I are going to try to get it started, if it doesn't start, then leave as quickly as you can." Skandar ordered.

"Chancellor Valorum isn't well." Paris said. "Getting him out may prove more complicated than we originally intended."

"We can't leave without him!" Skandar shouted, blasting a clone who snuck up on them.

"I can walk." Valorum said, standing up and leaning heavily on Ayren. "Do what you can, Solo."

Skandar swallowed and nodded. "Yes, sir." he said, looking over at Paris.

"Solo!" Anakin shouted, bringing their attention to the fact that he had killed the clones, and was currently guarding the ship. "Get onboard."

Skandar and Paris ran toward the ship and jumped on the ramp, quickly entering the cabin. Paris did the checks, yelling in frustration. "They've disabled the ship. There's no power!"

Anakin blocked the blaster hits which continued to come at him, his mind reeling. This had gone so horribly wrong so quickly he didn't even know what do. What made it worse was that their only ally on the planet – Lavonne – was dead. Apparently his trip to their quarters had sealed a fate for him which was soon carried out, and he had been shot by his subordinates when they were found missing.

Collateral damage was not something Anakin Skywalker approved of.

'Anakin...' Ozara's voice whispered in his mind, and his eyes widened.

'Ozara? How by the Force am I able to hear you?' he replied.

'You're alive!' she exclaimed a little loudly. 'Sorry...'

'You haven't answered my question.' Anakin returned to the situation.

He could feel her embarrassment and frustration. 'I'm on Begeren.'

'You're here?!' Anakin exclaimed, clumsily blocking another blast. 'Whose idea was that?!'

Silence came from her end, as she physically looked over at Kayden, whose face had a clear I-told-you-so look. 'Mine...' she finally answered.

Anakin swore in Huttese, his saber moving a bit more vicious than before. 'Ozara... I love you... but sometimes I wonder at how foolish you can be when you get upset.' he chastised. 'You should never have come'

'You have no idea how many of our friends have told me that. Kayden is currently giving me his signature look... I just...' Ozara paused. 'Hold on'

"What else am I supposed to do?" Anakin snarled aloud, getting a bit tired from all the movement.

"Anakin they've taken our fuel!" Skandar shouted. "We can't take off!"

'Ozara, please tell me you didn't come alone.' Anaking said through their link.

She giggled. 'I didn't.'

As if on cue, the group of clones in front of him were obliterated by a large blast which came from above. Looking up, Anakin spotted the Stellar Envoy – among other ships which he recognized. Fifteen lightsabers suddenly ignited, and began to cut through the troops who were beginning to file out of the many bunkhouses around the colony. Anakin smiled as he spotted Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, their lightsabers dancing in the moonlight.

'Have I told you I love you lately?' he asked his wife as he now joined the fray on the offense instead of defense.

She chuckled. 'Well... yes...'

Fifteen Jedi and a handful of pilots had easily subdued the small colony, and now all the slaves who had been kept in caves were allowed to see the light as the sun of the planet came up over the horizon. The members of the Empire were quickly locked up in the jails which they had built for their own prisoners, the officers joining what little of their men still lived.

In the morning, the Jedi went through the files of the planet, discovering just how many lives had been lost during the short time the colony had been established. Among them, the Naberrie family had come up, apparently they had been killed for trying to escape early on.

"The girls were sent to a school..." Ozara told Anakin as she looked through the file. "Apparently they were to be re-indoctrinated, but they were far too stubborn. A friend of the family got them out, but they were captured soon after, and the girls were sent here. Kacia has no love for the family, obviously."

"No she does not. I'm sure there'll be plenty of orphans before this is over..." he said, closing his own file. "What will happen to these two?"
Ozara smiled. "My parents are going to adopt them."

Anakin looked over in shock. "Nuh-uh!" he exclaimed.

Her eyes widened at his expression, her brows furrowing. "Are you—are you using Kayden's speech right now? Because if you are, I'll have you know, I don't appreciate the way he says things, forget hearing them out of your mouth." she said.

"Well then," Anakin replied, coming up behind his wife and hugging her. "I'll have to not do that in the future." He said, looking out the window. "You know, I'm still not happy with you."

"Yes, I'm aware." Ozara admitted, leaning back into him. "I'm sorry... but I kept seeing bad things happening to you."

Anakin sighed, kissing her temple. "I know, my love, but you have to accept that I am a soldier, I go into battle. One day I may not come back, but that is not up to you, and you have to accept that I will always be in danger." he said.

"That doesn't mean I have to like it." Ozara grumbled.

"I don't expect you to, but that is war." Anakin responded, his hands drifting down to her stomach. "And war is not somewhere that a mother and child belong."

Ozara's jaw dropped and she turned in his arms. "Obi-Wan or Qui-Gon?"

"Neither." Anakin replied. "I am well acquainted with your figure by now, and last night I felt a tendril with the Force." A large smile spread on his face. "I say it's a girl!"

She laughed, kissing him softly. "You always say it's a girl!"

So long, but I promise more soon.