Author's Note: thank you all for being patient with me, I know it's been a while since I've updated. This coming month it may be difficult to get chapters up regularly *points at avatar* but I'll TRY to get at least one up a week.

Also, happy early Easter!

Chapter 8

Clang. Clang. Clang. Ahsoka looked up from the data pad with a sigh. Han was sitting across the room from her, slouched in his seat, arms crossed, and legs swinging back and hitting the bottom of seat in a constant maddening rhythm.

"Han, please, can't you sit quietly?" Ahsoka begged. She was stuck babysitting the little terror while Trip met with Bo Katan. All the other soldiers were seeing to the weapons, or catching some much needed rest. This left Ahsoka and Han alone, and neither was very happy with the other.

"I'm 4, what do think?" he demanded. Ahsoka sighed, and laid aside the datapad, giving up on the idea of reading it.

"Anything you'd like to do? We could play a game?"

"I'm 4, not a baby."

"I'm 16, and I like games just fine thank you very much," Ahsoka said, trying hard not to sound cross. Han shrugged.

"If you want to play a game, go play, and leave me alone." He kicked the seat with renewed vigor.

"Tell me, what did the bench ever do to you?" Ahsoka asked.

"I'm not mad at the bench, I'm mad at you, but I can't kick you." He gave the seat another hard kick. Ahsoka rolled her eyes. He was worse then the younglings at the temple.

Well, I'm going to get some target practice," she said, and she stood up, stretching her arms over her head. Han perked up like she'd hoped he would.

"Can I come? My Dad let's me practice all the time," he said eagerly.

"Is that true?" Ahsoka asked.

"Yeah! He says I'm real handy with a blaster! I wouldn't have come if I wasn't."

"You are one weird 4 year old," Ahsoka remarked. "Alright, let's go then."

Han happily followed Ahsoka out to the shooting range.

"The people are starving," Bo Katan said, skipping over the usual pleasantries. "If your people don't get here for us to strike in the next few days, I'm afraid it may be too late."

"We're working as fast as we can," Trip assured her.

"I hope that's true," Bo Katan said. "My sister gave her life to protect this world, I'm not going to let it fall to a bunch of no good hypocrites. I will give my own life to see Mandalore free once more."

"You may need to," Trip said solemnly. "This will not be an easy battle. The capitol is not the ideal battle site, so many civilians are close by it will be difficult to avoid spilling innocent blood. The people aren't sure who to follow now that the duchess is gone, that's why they are looking to Almek. We need to know exactly who is going to assume power once this is over." Bo Katan nodded her understanding, but said nothing. Trip got tired of waiting, and asked her directly, "will you?"

Bo Katan turned her back on him and stared at a tapestry that hung on the wall. The old cities of Mandalore were the ideal hiding place for the resistance. No one dared to enter them anymore, not since the capitol's construction, but the ruling monarch would always see that one city remained readily prepared incase of an emergency evacuation. It was here that that they were hiding, waiting for their chance to strike.

"My sister was always the main politician in the family," Bo Katan explained. "She was destined to lead Mandalore into the era of peace so many desired. I've always been a hot head, I couldn't last through a lesson on politics, let alone live, eat, and breath politics. Satine managed it somehow though. She succeeded where I failed." Bo Katan turned back to Trip. "I will rule Mandalore," she said. "I will become duchess, but only until I feel Corky can take it. He will be a better ruler then I."

"I think that is a wise decision," Trip said. Before anything else could be said, alarms began blaring.

"Someone is headed our way," Bo Katan said, and she ran out, trip on her heels. "Are we expecting friends?"

"No, not for another couple hours," Trip answered, a pit forming in his stomach. He reached for his comlink and tried to contact Ahsoka. He hoped she had Han Solo somewhere safe.

Ahsoka watched Han fire away at the target, impressed. She had never thought a 4 year old could display such calm, and focus, and accuracy, but there it was. The target was covered in holes across the room, and Han appeared dead set on obliterating the bull's eye. Then the alarms went off. Ahsoka looked around, making sure they weren't actually in a threat of attack in the shooting range that minute, then she called Han over.

"Come on, something's wrong," she said. Han followed Ahsoka out of the room. Ahsoka hoped they could get to a safe room before anything started happening. She looked down at the young Solo boy. Nothing could happen to him. She wouldn't let it.

TBC