Note: For the Prince's name, I picked the Latin word 'vito' - one of the less common definitions is 'to avoid, shun'. Interestingly, Dooku comes from 'doku', a Japanese word meaning 'poison'. How very pointed. . .

Hunter slipped between a stack of crates and a shelf, then ducked beneath the arm of a tall, thin statue of a hooded man and looked down the next narrow aisle. When he didn't see any kyber crystal or spirit urns, he moved on. The Prince had told Quinlan everything he knew, which wasn't much, then slipped into a half-aware state. Vito was still panicking, or maybe just affected by the Jedi's mind probe, and had occasionally repeated his own words over the past couple of minutes.

"Four matching spirit urns," the Prince mumbled shakily, his voice clearly audible to Hunter through the vault. "And the dark kyber. That's – that's all Dooku wants. That's all, I swear."

Hunter wished he would shut up. He caught sight of a small turquoise statue – a featureless man kneeling in front of a robed figure, and paused to glower at it before continuing to search through the shelves.

What had Quinlan been thinking, using the Dark Side like that? This wasn't Malachor, he didn't have to use the dark in order to use the Force. Not only that, but he'd kept pressuring Vito even after the Prince had agreed to tell him everything. The weird, bitter smile that crossed Quinlan's face at Vito's pleading alarmed Hunter even more than the yellow that had been flickering in his eyes.

"Hunter?" called Tech, from somewhere to his right. "I have located the urns."

"Coming." The sergeant made his way over to Tech, who gestured at a set of tall, black urns. They were all sealed, about a meter in height, and had been painted all over with hieroglyphs in dark red and a strange, tarnished gold.

"How are we gonna put tracers on those?" Hunter asked, studying the perfectly polished surfaces. "Should we . . . open them?"

"I would hesitate to do that."

"Yeah, me too. Hang on, let's check –" Hunter pushed lightly at one of the urns to test its weight, then tilted it back.

"Ah." Tech crouched to observe the base more closely. "There is an indentation here which I can use to place a beacon. It may not be very secure, though."

"It's better than nothing."

They were on the second urn when Crosshair and Wrecker joined them, the sniper once again holding his helmet under one arm.

"We found the kyber crystal," he said. "It's on the other side of the room."

"Yeah," Wrecker added, for once not sounding excited. "And it's huge. I didn't know crystals could get that tall."

"How tall?" Hunter shifted to the third spirit urn.

"Uhhh – tall as me?"

"That's . . ." Hunter raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Bigger than I expected. You think we can tag it?"

"Not easily. Not while keeping the tracking beacon hidden." Crosshair chewed contemplatively at his toothpick for a few seconds, then added, "Though there's a piece broken off the top. We might be able to do something with that."

"Broken off the top?" Tech asked. "That is unusual."

Wrecker shrugged. "Maybe they shoved it through the door and the top corner hit the stone or something."

"Doesn't matter," said Hunter, standing the fourth urn upright again. "As long as we can get a tracer on it before Vito's men come in to get it."

They maneuvered around a long, open coffin. It held a small golden skeleton – small enough that it had to be a dwarf humanoid, or a child – and four obsidian daggers, which pinned the coffin's occupant in place. The ribs on either side of each blade were broken, and shards of white bone gleamed through.

Crosshair shot it a wary look. "Karking Sith."

"Yeah. . ." muttered Hunter.

"I hate those guys." Wrecker was avoiding looking at anything around him. "Least we get to blow this stuff up, though."

"Yes," Tech said. "I normally would hesitate to destroy a room full of historical artifacts, but in this case I feel not the slightest hesitation."

Hunter wondered how the destruction of so many Dark Side artifacts would affect Quinlan. The Jedi said he'd be fine, but after everything Hunter had seen, he figured the only way that Quinlan could be around all this dark energy without getting sick was if he was actually using it. . . which, he was sure, was not a Jedi's definition of fine. It certainly hadn't been Quinlan's definition of fine, at least not before Trayus – and Aantonaii.

Once again, Hunter found himself thinking back to the tower room and Zenaya's smile as she attacked Hunter – then Quinlan had dragged the lightning against himself instead and somehow shattered the chains around his wrists. The lightning had caught Quinlan right in the chest, but he'd hardly even seemed to notice. Hunter clearly remembered the wild gold light in the Jedi's eyes, and how, for just a moment, it was like something else had replaced him.

Hunter frowned. If that happened again, and that – something else – replaced Quinlan entirely . . .

Tech had told him about cases where Force-users were completely consumed by using the Dark Side, until they couldn't even recognize friend from foe.

As Hunter walked past a row of leering masks, he decided that the next time he saw Quinlan's eyes turn gold, he was going to stun him – probably at least two times, in case he was able to brush off the effects of the first one. . .

Ahead of him, Crosshair stepped aside, gesturing into a wide alcove. "There."

Hunter entered the alcove and stopped short, raising an eyebrow at the size of the deep red crystal that stood in front of him. The huge central crystal grew upright from the base and was surrounded by a series of smaller crystals. At the highest point, which was a few centimeters taller than Wrecker, he could just see where a small segment of the top had been broken off. The multi-faceted structure glowed unnaturally beneath the vault lights – almost like the red glow of the crystal came from inside, or resulted from the kyber sucking in all the light. There were no reflections.

"It will have to suffice," Tech said. "I am not seeing anywhere else to hide a tracking beacon."

Wrecker boosted him up, and Tech knelt on the upper surface to plant the small device.

"There," he said, and jumped off. "It is not well-concealed, though."

"It'll have to do," Hunter told him. "Hopefully, Dooku won't think about checking any of the artifacts. Any sign of Bane yet?"

"Not identifiably," Tech answered, consulting his datapad. "Though there are several life signs outside the Prince's door."

"Okay. Let's head back."

When they reached the corner of the room where they'd left Quinlan with the Prince, they found Vito sitting, finally quiet as he slumped back against the shelves. The Jedi was occupied in dragging the silver chest up through the hole in the floor.

"Hey," Wrecker said. "How'd we forget about that?"

"No idea," muttered Quinlan, without looking up. "Not like we had anything else to think about or anything."

His movements were jerky as he replaced the cut piece of the floor and stood. "The guards are finally starting to figure out we're not around. I'm surprised it's taking them this long to move in."

"They have not even entered the Prince's room yet," Tech agreed. "I wonder when they'll load the shuttle."

"I don't know, but hopefully it's soon." Turning away from the others, Quinlan leaned forward against the nearest shelf and pressed a hand briefly to his head.

Hunter slid a hand down to his pistol and switched it to stun, just in case.

"You okay?" Wrecker asked.

Instead of brushing him off, the Jedi turned to look at him. "There's something about to happen – something's wrong, and I can't pinpoint it."

"How reassuring," said Crosshair, shooting a suspicious look at the Prince.

"Yeah . . ." Quinlan followed his gaze, then shook his head once. "It has nothing to do with Vito. Did you guys finish with the artifacts?"

"Yeah," said Hunter. "Tech planted tracking beacons under each of the urns, and on top of the crystal."

"On top?" Quinlan asked. "Isn't that a little obvious?"

"It was the only place we had a chance of it remaining hidden," Tech told him. "A small segment of the crystal had been broken from the top, which provided –" He paused, tilting his head at the Jedi. "What is it?"

Quinlan had gone very still. "How big is the piece that's missing?"

"Perhaps two centimeters long, and one wide."

The Jedi swore in an unfamiliar language. "Where is it?" he demanded. Then, without waiting for an answer, he rushed off.

"Crosshair, stay with the Prince!" ordered Hunter, running after him with Wrecker close on his heels.

By the time they caught up, Quinlan had reached the crystal and was staring up at it with a weird look in his eyes. "It's – similar," he said.

"What?" Wrecker sent a wary look at the kyber.

Quinlan jumped, landing lightly on top of the crystal, and studied the break. "It's too similar not to be," he said sharply, hovering one hand over the broken segment. "We need to destroy this. Now."

"Destroy it?" Hunter asked, confused. "But what about tracing Sidious? The guards –"

"Forget Sidious!" snapped the Jedi, then grimaced a little shamefacedly. "No . . . you're right. I should make sure first."

After a moment's hesitation, he pulled off his gloves and tossed them aside.

"What are you –" Hunter took a step forward as the Jedi knelt. "No, Quinlan, wait –!"

Closing his eyes, the Jedi pressed both hands to the top of the crystal. A few seconds passed – then his face drained of color. Without making a sound, he leaned forward heavily, collapsed, and fell off the crystal.

Wrecker lunged and barely managed to catch the unconscious Jedi in time. "Hey, Quinlan!" he exclaimed, hoisting him in both arms and giving him a rough shake. "Hunter, what's wrong with him?"

"I – I don't know." Recovering from his surprise, Hunter pressed two fingers against Quinlan's throat.

"Is he okay?" Wrecker asked.

"He's got a pulse, and he's breathing. . ." Hunter trailed off uncertainly. The color of Quinlan's face was completely wrong, the bright yellow of his tattoos standing out worse than ever; and, unlike when he'd been trapped in those psychometric visions, he was still and silent. But if it wasn't a vision that had caught him off-guard, then what was it?

"Let's get back to the others," Hunter said. "Tech might have some ideas."

When they reached the back of the room, Crosshair caught sight of them first. His eyes widened briefly; then he straightened, glanced from the unconscious Jedi to Hunter, raised an eyebrow, and removed his toothpick long enough to drawl, "What happened this time?"

"I think he was trying to read the kyber crystal," Hunter said, and shot a look at the Prince, who was sneering at him. "He only touched it for a moment before collapsing. Any idea why, Tech?"

"Ah –" Tech studied Quinlan through narrowed eyes. "It is not exhaustion from overuse of the Force?"

Hunter shook his head. "He's hardly used it . . . not like with Dverik. And – I don't know, there was something weird about how he passed out."

"That is very indefinite," complained Tech.

Hunter only shrugged, not really sure how to describe his impression.

"Well . . ." Tech hummed. "It is most likely not a vision – so far, he has been conscious for those."

"Yeah. So what is it?"

"I do not know. Medically speaking, he seems fine."

"Fine?" Wrecker shook the Jedi again, to no avail. "Well, he's not waking up! Isn't being unconscious a problem?"

"Technically, a sleeping person –" Tech caught Hunter's look and fell silent, pushing his goggles further up his nose as he reconsidered his words. "It is not necessarily a problem, Wrecker. My scanners indicate that his vitals are within perfectly acceptable parameters."

"Huh . . . okay." Wrecker set Quinlan down, propping him against a crate. "So we just wait for him to wake up, then?"

"He'd better wake up soon," Crosshair said. "There can't be much time left before the artifacts get brought to the shuttle."

"We'll stay hidden," Hunter said. "We might have a problem, though. Quinlan initially said we had to destroy the kyber crystal."

"Destroy it?" Crosshair frowned. "What about tracking down Sidious? If the guards know we're here, none of those artifacts will make it to Dooku."

"I know. I asked him. The reason he touched it in the first place was to 'make sure' . . ."

"Make sure about what?" Tech asked.

"No idea." Hunter gestured uncertainly. "I figure we should leave it so we don't alert the whole place."

"Yeah." Wrecker folded his arms. "We couldn't get rid of it yet, anyway. It'll take most of the explosives we have set to destroy something like that."

"Hey. Vito." Crosshair looked down at the Prince. "You have any idea why he wanted that kyber crystal destroyed?"

Now that Quinlan was unconscious, the Prince had gone back to his previous state of calm arrogance. "No," he said coolly. "And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."

"Yeah? I've heard that one before," Crosshair replied.

"Don't bother," Hunter told him. "We have to leave the crystal either way."

"The Marauder is on standby," Tech reported. Tech glanced up. "As soon as the shuttle is gone, I will pilot it to the hangar bay and we can leave."

"Good."

Wrecker sat down next to Quinlan and leaned back, closing his eyes. "Let me know when there's something to do."

Keeping half his attention on the Prince and on Quinlan, Hunter drew his knife and started going through his habitual drills. Flip, spin, catch blade, reverse, catch hilt. Rotate forehand, backhand . . .

Only a minute or so had passed when Tech said, "There are now twelve men outside the Prince's room."

The Prince chuckled suddenly and fixed his dark eyes on Quinlan. Hunter gave him a wary look, but Vito didn't say anything.

"One moment –" Tech lifted a hand to his helmet. "Hunter, Cad Bane just ordered the guards to load the shuttle."

"Finally!" Wrecker was on in his feet in an instant.

"Yes. Finally." Vito sat upright, eyes gleaming. "My men will discover you."

"We expected that," Hunter said.

Vito ignored him, still smiling to himself. He looked more than a little unhinged as he added, "And you will pay for your insolence."

"I doubt it," Tech told him.

"Yeah, we never do," said Crosshair, untruthfully. Hunter was pretty sure that all the fistfights and resultant injuries on Kamino were direct results of one or the other of the commandos being insolent.

"I have nearly two hundred men," the Prince said. "You cannot possibly fight that many, especially now that you lack the Jedi and his lightsaber."

"Yeah?" Hunter couldn't hold back a smirk as he leaned over, taking the lightsaber from Quinlan's belt and clipping it to his own. "We'll see about that."

Vito's eyebrows lifted as he glanced at the weapon, and for a moment he looked uncertain.

"Hunter." Tech looked up. "Eight lifeforms just entered the hall leading to the vault."

Hunter drew his pistol and stunned Vito.

Crosshair raised an eyebrow, smirking. "What, you didn't trust him to keep his mouth shut?"

Wrecker snickered.

The sergeant glanced at Quinlan, who was still motionless. "Okay, Bad Batch – we need them to get the artifacts out of the vault without knowing we're in here. Tech, you jamming their scanners?"

"Only in this room," Tech whispered back. "They will think it is clear."

"Okay. Everyone stay quiet."

A few seconds later, the metallic grinding of gears was followed by a shifting hiss as the clamps inside the door were released. Hunter felt a brush of warmer air on his face as the door swung open.

"Spirit urns are in section one," said a male Twi'lek's voice. "You two – get them loaded, and be careful. The last clumsy fool who broke an artifact –"

"We know," growled another voice. "Priceless Sith artifacts, ancient items, whatever. I still say there was no reason for Vito to kill him for a simple mistake."

"Watch it!" a woman hissed. "That kind of talk can get you –"

"Enough!" the Twi'lek ordered, and the voices subsided. "The kyber crystal is in section seven. Grab the loader and come with me."

Several muttered comments later, the sound of something heavy sliding along the floor was followed by the Twi'lek's voice. "Carefully, now – a little further – let it go." There was a heavy but somehow musical thud that Hunter felt in his teeth.

"Will this thing even fit through the door?" someone panted.

"With several centimeters to spare," the Twi'lek replied. "Just move slowly. Did you get the spirit urns?"

"All four," the woman said. "The other guys are securing them onboard."

"Good." A comm beeped, and the Twi'lek answered. "Yes? What do you mean, he's not answering? No. The vault's clear of life signs. Besides, he'd have heard us. Are you –"

The vault door swung heavily shut behind him, cutting off the rest of his words.

Hunter waited until Tech gave the all-clear, then straightened from his crouch. "Now it's just a matter of waiting for Bane to leave."

"Not quite," Tech said. "The guards outside the Prince's room are forming up. I believe they are about to –"

There was a loud explosion from the floor below, and the vault shook.

"– breach the door," finished Tech, as the Prince started to move again.

Hunter set his helmet aside and dropped to his stomach, pressing one ear against the floor. Several people were talking at once.

"Not here –"

"Those bounty hunters –"

"Ask Dengar!"

"Better contact Embo –"

" – they do that?"

"Looks like they cut out the ceiling!"

" – clear of life signs."

"Idiot! Doesn't mean anything if one of 'em has a jamming –"

"Don't go up through there, they're probably waiting!"

" – vault door."

"Get Cad Bane on comms!"

Hunter stood abruptly, signaling for the others to form up. "They're calling Bane," he told them. "Blast it! We need that shuttle to leave. Tech, can we fit the Marauder in the hangar with it there?"

"Possibly," said Tech, not sounding confident. "But we might not be able to get out without trouble."

Frowning, Hunter gave Wrecker a questioning look.

"Better not try it," Wrecker said. "I set all the explosives we had, and this vault won't contain the blast. Besides, we need that shuttle undamaged."

"Understood." Hunter considered for a couple of seconds, then caught Wrecker's gaze and pointed at Quinlan. "Keep him safe."

"Got it."

"Crosshair, do not let the Prince out of your sight. We need him alive. Tech, we won't survive a coordinated attack. You need to –" He paused, realizing that Tech already had his datapad wired back into the access panel.

"I will interfere in their operations wherever possible," said Tech. "Currently, I am cutting power to the Prince's room and sending feedback through all their transmitters."

Hunter nodded. "Any way you can seal the vault door from inside?"

"One moment."

Crosshair looked at Hunter, a little spooked. "We're locking ourselves in here?" he demanded. "With a bunch of explosives?"

"No. We're locking everyone else out, then cutting our way into the hangar – or down into the Prince's room again. At least we'll have more mobility."

"The vault door cannot be sealed," said Tech. "It is mechanical, not electronic, and only requires the correct combination to be opened."

Hunter knelt, pressing a hand on the floor. There were a lot of different vibrations, and he couldn't pinpoint how many were coming from the hangar as opposed to outside the vault door or below him. "What's the situation?"

"There are ten guards in the Prince's room, eight in the hangar, and twenty-five in the hallway." Tech paused. "We may need to thin their numbers a bit. I cannot redirect them."

"Crosshair." Hunter tossed him the lightsaber. "Cut us a way out of here."

"Understood."

Snagging a few stun grenades from Tech's pack, Hunter ran through the vault to the main door. As he reached it, the gears were clicking and the clamps had just released. He waited until the door had swung open a few centimeters, then threw the first grenade.

As it went off, confusion broke out on the other side of the door. Hunter jerked it open a little more, hurled the second and third, then drew his knife and pistol. "Next time it's going to be a thermal!" he yelled, and hoped the bluff worked. "Don't come any closer!"

"Eight down," Tech reported. "They are withdrawing momentarily. Hunter, you do not have a thermal."

Hunter rolled his eyes. After slamming the vault door and watching the locks shift back into place, he grabbed the nearest shelf unit and tipped it over into the door. That would gain a little time, anyway.

Crosshair drove the lightsaber into the wall again and started cutting the second half of the circle. He could definitely see the appeal of having one of these on hand – it took a fair amount of strength, but the blade sheared smoothly through the thick duracrete.

"Aw, man," said Wrecker enviously. "That's so awesome. Can I finish, Cross? C'mon, can I?"

"Oh, grow up, Wrecker," Crosshair retorted, but he could hear several voices on the other side of the wall. Withdrawing the weapon, he handed it over – he'd do a better job at covering than Wrecker would, anyway.

Crosshair lifted his rifle to his shoulder. The Prince shifted again, fully conscious now, but at least he was keeping his mouth shut. Quinlan still hadn't moved.

"Almost – there!" Wrecker deactivated the lightsaber, then kicked the thick circle of duracrete.

As it fell outward with a crash, Crosshair's finger tightened on the trigger, but there was no one on the other side . . . which probably meant they were guarding the shuttle. "Tech?"

"Five life signs, in front of the shuttle," said Tech.

Crosshair leaned out the hole long enough to fling a reflector at the adjacent wall, then ducked back as laserfire spattered against the edge of the hole. "None of these guys can aim," he said, and stepped back to line up his shot.

"What are you doing?" demanded the Prince.

"What's it look like I'm doing?" Crosshair narrowed his eyes at the reflector. The instant he caught a glimpse of movement, he took the shot.

"Hm," Tech said dryly. "Four life signs, behind the shuttle."

Crosshair hauled the Prince upright, then untied his hands. At Vito's surprised look, he sneered. "You're coming with me," he said, retying his hands in front of him. "And I don't have time to help you keep your balance."

Prince Vito glowered, and Crosshair shoved him over to the hole in the wall.

"Hunter, we need to leave," reported Tech. "There are now forty life signs outside the vault door. The guards in the hangar just left."

"Got it," said Hunter, running over. He grabbed the lightsaber and hung it on his belt again. "Everyone, into the hangar. We can take the hall leading out."

Crosshair climbed out into the hangar, then hoisted Vito after him. "Stand still if you know what's good for you," he warned, covering the entrance to the hall.

Hunter joined him, pistol drawn as he knelt and pressed a hand to the floor. "They're making another attempt on the vault."

"Figures." Because he had the time, Crosshair threw another reflector to the floor halfway between himself and the shuttle, then a third against the shuttle nose, which pointed towards the hall.

Tech was looking at his datapad as he climbed out of the vault. "There are multiple lifesigns in the hall, but some –" His voice caught as he tripped over his own feet, and Crosshair smirked.

"– of them are leaving," Tech finished with dignity.

"Some?" Vito chuckled. "Even if half of them leave, you'll never make it out alive."

"Shut up, or I'll make you shut up," said Crosshair, as the floor shook again.

"Someone grab Quinlan," Wrecker called. "They're trying to come in, Hunter. I'm going to put something else in front of the door."

"Okay." The sergeant grabbed Quinlan under the shoulders and pulled him out, and Crosshair narrowed his eyes. The Jedi was still very pale, almost like he was frightened even though he was unconscious. . . Weird.

"Tech," said Hunter, looping his arms around Quinlan's chest to keep him upright. "Can we risk giving him a stim shot?"

Tech glanced at his datapad. "No. All his life signs indicate he should be awake. In fact, his heartrate and brain activity are elevated."

"Elevated?" Hunter tilted his head. "But doesn't that mean –"

"Uncertain." Tech paused. "It is possible that he is aware, but unable to make any movements."

Crosshair shifted uncomfortably at the very idea and turned his focus back to the hallway.

"You should surrender," Vito said, suddenly calm again. Crosshair was tired of his changing moods. "If you do, I will allow you to live."

Crosshair got an arm around his neck and clapped a hand over his mouth. "Thought I told you to shut up."

"Okay!" said Wrecker, climbing out of the vault. "Now what?"

"Now," drawled a guttural voice. "You all are gonna drop your weapons and do like I say."

Careful not to move his weapon, Crosshair turned his head towards the open hangar doorway and the lone figure that stood there, his long coat flapping in the breeze.

"Cad Bane?" Hunter said.

"Mm-hmm." The Duros looked at each of the commandos. "Here's the deal: you turn over the Jedi and the Prince, and you four can be on your way."

"No," said Hunter.

"No?" Bane chewed thoughtfully at his toothpick. "Doesn't seem like much sense, carrying two high-value targets . . ."

"We're getting out with both of them," said Hunter stubbornly, and dropped to one knee to lower Quinlan to the floor.

Bane adjusted his hat. "Guess we'll see about that."

The Prince struggled, and Crosshair shoved him to one side to free up his hands.

"Bane," said Vito haughtily. "What took you so long?"

"Had to tie up some loose ends." The Duros rested both hands on his guns. "And sadly, it looks like you're one of 'em."

"What?" The Prince stared at him, face slack with shock. "You're – Dooku told me you were trustworthy! That you never turn on your employers!"

"Yeeaah," he drawled. "He was right. Problem is, Count Dooku's my employer, not you, Prince. Sorry 'bout the misunderstanding."

There was a pause, and then Bane gestured, one hand shifting to his other pistol. "If the rest of you boys would just step aside, I'd appreciate it."

For an instant, nobody moved. Then Wrecker grabbed the dumbfounded Serennian and dragged him back, stepping in front of him. Tech and Hunter fired, but Cad Bane was already diving forward. The Duros tumbled across the floor and came up behind the shuttle, and Crosshair sent a few shots to keep him pinned, each of his lasers skimming the ship just above and beside where Bane had taken cover.

"Plan Ten!" shouted Hunter.

"INCOMING!" Wrecker hoisted the duracrete circle from the floor and hurled it at the wall behind the bounty hunter's location just as Bane's hat appeared over the top of the shuttle.

"Aw, fierfek," Bane grumbled.

Just before the duracrete shattered against the wall, there was the sound of jet thrusters firing, and Cad Bane streaked through the air into the hall.

"Call the Marauder," Hunter ordered, then jerked his head at the Prince. "Looks like we really are your only hope of making it out of here alive. Stay close."

"Hunter," said Tech. "I cannot contact the Marauder."

"What?"

"There is something jamming the Marauder itself!"

There was a crash from inside the vault.

"We need to get back to the landing pad!" Hunter ordered. "Take the hall!"

Wrecker and Tech ran forward, and Crosshair had taken two steps when something slammed into his shoulders from behind and hurled him to the ground, knocking the wind out of him.

He rolled onto his back, instinctively bringing his rifle across his chest, and was just in time to see Hunter somersault to his feet. Behind Hunter, a Kyuzo warrior was just picking up his wide, metal-brimmed hat. Dengar leaped out of the vault, only to be met by a nasty uppercut from Tech.

"Oh, goody," muttered Crosshair, getting up. "Looks like the gang's all here."

Wrecker slammed into Embo like a tram, throwing him into the wall five meters away, and Hunter whipped out his knife and engaged two guards.

Crosshair took a shot at Dengar. Someone jumped on him from behind and grabbed his rifle, jerking it up under his chin and knocking his helmet off. Wrecker yanked the attacker off of him and threw the man across the room with Crosshair's rifle still in his grip.

Nice job, Wrecker, now my Firepuncher's out of reach.

Tech ducked away from the fight long enough to throw a stun grenade into the vault, then went back to exchanging blows with Dengar. Embo leaped high into the air and kicked Wrecker in the side of the head, knocking him sprawling.

While Hunter rushed at the Kyuzo, Crosshair glanced to his left. The Prince was pressed back against the wall – and Cad Bane . . . where had he gone? Biting down on a toothpick, Crosshair took a step towards the hall.

Embo threw Hunter over his shoulder, and Hunter hit the ground and twisted, locking his knees around the Kyuzo's ankles. They both went down in a heap. Two more men stumbled out of the vault, aiming for Vito. Crosshair shot them both.

A flicker of movement in the hall entrance caught his attention, and he fired at it just as Cad Bane shot at him. Crosshair's laser hit Bane in the arm, and Bane's laser deflected off the sniper's pauldron, yanking him sideways.

Crosshair was about to turn back when he froze. Cad Bane was facing him, left hand hovering over one of his second pistol.

"So that's how you want to play it," the Duros said, dropping into a slight crouch. "Let's see how good you are."

Crosshair hesitated, then turned slowly to face him. Bane was stalling for time, and the sniper had no intention of trying to outdraw him, even though he already had his pistol in hand. But his reflector was on the floor, just a couple meters to the right.

The sounds of fighting in the background faded slightly as he focused on Bane. The Duros' red eyes narrowed, and there was half a moment of utter stillness.

Crosshair twitched his hand sideways and fired, then dove to the right as the bounty hunter's pistol flashed twice. Both shots missed. When Crosshair rolled to his feet, Cad Bane's oversized hat was on the floor, a smoking hole through the crown.

Bane himself was nowhere to be seen.

Frowning in confusion – and disappointment – Crosshair turned back to the fight going on behind him. Dengar was gone. Tech was typing rapidly, probably trying to contact the Marauder.

Wrecker dropped an armful of guards and glanced around for more targets. Hunter and Embo were still going at it, neither really landing any blows on the other. If there wasn't such a risk of hitting Hunter, Crosshair would gladly have put an end to the sparring match with a couple of shots. Quinlan was still unconscious.

The sniper turned to look for Vito and froze. The Prince was lying on his back on the ground, hands still tied in front of him. Two shots, about three centimeters apart, had burned through his heart. Bane hadn't missed after all.

Crosshair stared, then turned to notify Hunter. At the same moment, Embo snapped a kick into Hunter's side, dodged a blow from Wrecker, and dove through the hole into the vault.

"Hunter," said Crosshair, as the sergeant doubled over. "Vito's dead."

Tech looked up sharply. "We have an incoming ship."

Hunter regained his balance and shook his head once, trying to clear his vision as he registered his teammates' reports. The Prince was dead –?

"Get ready to grab the ship," he ordered. "We'll take it back to the landing pad and –"

He trailed off as a sleek, black ship glided into the hangar bay. It pivoted smoothly and landed with very little sound.

Hunter had never seen anything like it. ". . . Tech?"

"It isn't coming up in any databanks," Tech replied.

Wrecker and Crosshair moved closer, and Hunter shifted uneasily when he realized that there was no one left in the vault. Either Bane had called them off, or they'd been scared off. . . but why?

The starfighter door opened silently, and a boarding ramp slid out. There was no sound from inside the ship, but suddenly a strange exhaustion settled over Hunter's mind. He lowered his weapons, fighting to stay on his feet.

A familiar figure appeared in the doorway, carrying something over her shoulders, and stumbled down the boarding ramp, movements stilted and jerky beneath the weight of the long, black-wrapped bundle. The lightsaber wound Hunter had burned into her chest was still there. Her face was drawn and blank, her black eyes nearly expressionless, and blood dripped slowly from her mouth and nose.

"Vythia?" Wrecker whispered.

"Hunter –" Crosshair said tautly. "You said you killed her."

"I did!" Hunter's hands were shaking, and he couldn't make himself move. "She was dead – I stabbed her through the heart!"

"But - Hunter . . ." Tech's face was pale. "Nautolans have two hearts."