Strange Surroundings

by PaladinDelta

To Jake Matthews, conflict was no stranger. Only now he finds himself in a galactic wide war dwarfing anything the Earth has witnessed before in it's history. He now must fight for not only his country, but for his planet too. He'll come across new friends and enemies as the fate of his world will hang in the balance as both sides battle it out for dominance of the galaxy.

25. Rescue

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Parjar sat at the controls of her ship fidgeting with her utility gauntlet, tweaking with the controls connecting the commlink and the other hidden 'surprises' built into it. On the outside, the blue swirl of hyperspace dominated the view from within the cockpit of the Silent Hunter, on the way to rescue a soldier in need. She also double checked to make sure the newer Mark II tranquiliser saberdarts were loaded into the concealed launcher resting beneath the flamethrower.

"Shouldn't be long now until we reach Ord Kanto." Rarok reported in the co pilot seat.

"I hope this hunt is worth the wrath we'll get from Itera. She's isn't pleased you've taken too long to settle this little quest you've occupied yourself with." Ka'ake said gruffly, standing between the pilot chairs.

"Hey, I didn't force your shebs to come along, Ka'ake. You could've stayed back on base and loitered around in boredom, or chewing up some helpless recruit." Parjar told him, shrugging off the worry.

"You didn't offer much choice calling in favours."

"Ah stop moaning like a whiney adiik, Cadera. I'm giving you the chance to go against stronger, tougher and more intelligent prey than those brainless beskar'ad." She gave a light, friendly punch to Rarok's shoulder. His response as usual when it came to jokes and teasing was a barely visible grin.

"Bah! The war the Republic are waging with the Separatists isn't bringing anything in the way of glorious challenges worthy of any true Mandalorian participation." Ka'ake sneered at the conflicting governments.

"Hear that, Cadera? Our old trainer is never short of motivation for the younger generation." Parjar said sarcastically leaning back into her seat, flaring at the remark from the Togorian.

"Who sounds like an adolescent youngling now, Vizla?" He chastised her.

Rolling her eyes at the rebuke, Parjar pulled out from the holster strapped to her thigh the blaster belonging to the soldier they were out to recover. She was examining the slugthrower which held remarkable resemblance to the WESTAR 35 blaster pistol used by her people when a trail of foul smelling smoke rolled over her chair. "Ka'ake, put that out now."

"This is my first cigarra of the day." Ka'ake said unapologetically, taking in a drag of the mild narcotic.

"My ship, my rules." She said firmly, waving away the cigarra smoke from her face. "If you want to smoke that osik then you go move your shebs outside in the vacuum. I don't want my ship smelling like some run down cantina on Tatooine."

"It won't be good for your lungs in the long run, Trainer. The tabac will rot your lungs slowing your combat effectiveness and stamina." Rarok pointed out with facts.

"It would seem those I have trained are more nursemaid than warrior." Ra'ake gave a low growl, tapping out the cigarra's tip.

"What kind of blaster is that?" Rarok inquired.

"It's not a blaster." Parjar said. "This belongs to the guy we're saving, and it shoots projectiles." She unclipped the munition feed, showing the younger Mandalorian the bronze coloured slugs resting within.

"A slugthrower?" Rarok said mildly amused. "A primitive choice of weapon." But she saw he took a liking to the weapon's craftsmanship.

"One that is effective against the Jetii, if handled correctly." Ra'ake said taking the muniton clip from her hand.

"So they say." She shrugged.

"Would your auretii friend mind if I were to borrow it on this hunt?" Parjar saw a savage glint in the yellow, feline eyes of her former Trainer and mentor.

"I have a feeling he would." She took the clip back from the Togoria, shoving it back into the slugthrower pistol.

"Pity." Ra'ake sighed, slumping in the seat behind her.

Despite his overly aggressive nature and some minor flaws, Parjar had a great deal of respect and gratitude for the tetchy Togorian. Ka'ake Tenau was one of the fiercest and toughest Mandalorians she had ever met. His family lineage to Clan Tenau stretched all the way back to the days of the Old Republic, a millennia old heritage Ka'ake upheld with great pride. His red and white armour styled in a ghostly echo to that of the ancient Neo Crusaders, was apparently representing his fascination with their long dead ancestors. The seasoned, battle hardened warrior was a veteran of the Civil War that brought ruin to the ideals of the True Mandalorians, and the death of her parents at the Battle of Galidraan. For that he never forgave the Jedi. The years following after, Ka'ake grew to harbour hatred for the Force wielding mystics.

Parjar was aware Ka'ake's sharp temperament and love for cigarras and booze was down to the loss of his family in the Great Clan Wars at the hands of the Death Watch. She never pried much about the near extinction of the Tenau clan that day, but knew it as the driving force behind his brutal and harsh training methods. He expected the very best from his pupils, pushing their resolve and survival instincts to maximum. That particular period of time in her life undergoing the verd'goten was grueling, straining and would've been considered quite cruel to an outsider's perspective. Parjar, however, knew without those hard lessons and skills taught to her under his harshly grit tutelage, she wouldn't be the capable warrior and bounty hunter she was today. Besides, she grew to like him and was one of the first people who came to mind when looking for assistance on this 'job'.

"That slugthrower is just a mere sidearm, meaning it has limited range. You'd have to get up close and personal with a Jedi for a more effective result. A move I wouldn't recommend unless you're confident of out matching a Jetii in close quarter combat. Or an early and pointless death." Rarok remarked.

"Forever the analyst aren't you, Cadera?" Parjar said.

"Only looking for the best strategies to take on a formidable foe."

"Jedi are not worthy sport." She heard Ka'ake grumble behind her. Ignoring his comment, Parjar knew the youngest of the group was correct in his assessment.

She had known Rarok since they were younglings, with her being the elder by five years. Both their fathers and her uncle had been good friends which forged a strong bondship between Clan Vizla and Clan Cadera. They had both trained on their respective homeworlds of Rishi and Ordo, with Parjar herself teaching him a few moves and lessons early on. Rarok's father had brought him along to Kamino after being called by Jango Fett to help train the clones for the Republic's new Grand Army. There he learned not only the ways of the Mandalorian people but of other cultures by fellow bounty hunters from a different range of backgrounds who answered Fett's call.

Resourceful and level headed for a warrior of his age, Parjar didn't need trouble coaxing him to join her with his deeply held beliefs of honour and duty, in particular to family and friends. She was aware Bane expected her to fail on this little challenge he inveigle her to try, tempting the Mandalorian spirit within to try a tricky and impossible task passed off by others as crazy. For him to have a rival out the way at the cost of a datachip was nothing compared to removing a thorn in his side. Even with his ruthless but efficient ways of getting the job done, Parjar knew Bane was anything but a fool to take on Jedi, rouge or not, all by himself and would seek out help.

"Speaking of Jedi, what did those Council members say earlier before our departure?" Rarok inquired about her meeting with the higher ups of the Jedi Order.

A flippant grin formed on Parjar's lips, remembering the surprised and confused looks on the Jedi Councilors faces after contacting them on the personal holocomm unit dropped by the Corporal. They were clearly expecting for the foreign soldier to be the one calling. Unsurprisingly, she received a barrage of hostile questioning over her presence and demanded the whereabouts of the man who owned the comm. The Jedi present Parjar recognised from holo images and stories told by the GAR clone troopers and from other bounty hunters, who crossed paths with them previously. Jedi Masters, Mace Windu and Obi Wan Kenobi were present, along with Grandmaster Yoda himself.

Parjar kept her introductions brief and gave her credentials as someone often hired by the Republic military. As extra credibility of her claims she named Arc trooper Lieutenant CT-5555, or Fives as he was better none to his brethren, as someone who can vouch for her. After verification of her service was backed up by the clone, they reduced their hostilities but remained suspicious, requesting where Corporal Matthews was being held. Parjar told them what she knew then sent the intel from the datachip regarding the rogue Jedi encampment. Seeing the others were proven correct about Kenobi's more diplomatic and calmer attitude, he was the first to thank her for the information regarding the soldier's location. This was followed by Windu's evaluation proven correct too by his broadly given order for her to leave it to them to handle the situation.

"Nothing much. I couldn't understand it all with the transmission breaking up." She said, allowing herself a wide humoured smile at the deadly serious face of General Windu glaring at her at the sudden 'connection problem' over his demand of keeping out of the operation.

"It's surprising the connection lasted that long with those pompous fools." Parjar could hear the silent laughter behind Ka'ake's words.

"I've only ever come across one who was tolerable to be around for more than five minutes."

"Coming out of hyperspace." Rarok announced. The alternative dimension that was hyperspace was replaced by the image of a dusty brown planet orbited by two moons, one of which momentarily took up half the viewscreen. "Scans aren't picking up any other ships in the system."

"Good. This should make our getaway a lot more smoother." Parjar said, taking up the controls.

"Shame. It'll make things less entertaining." Ka'ake complained.

Giving a short chuckle at her mentor's brooding she steered the Silent Hunter toward Ord Kanto. Parjar had very scarce knowledge about the planet these rogue Jedi had set up shop. Information she gathered in regard to Ord Kanto wasn't helpful. The planet held no significant value for any of the governments with a foothold in this sector of the galaxy. The HoloNet passed it off as a former colony world whose former inhabitants left due to constant harassment by pirates. What it didn't tell of was a B'omarr monastery that had been built on the majority rocky hill terrain of the planet.

Judging by the star system's remoteness of this sector of space, Parjar thought of it as a very good spot for a smuggler hideout to conceal hidden goods. Or for religious sects to go about questionable activities. The Silent Hunter's descent to Ordo Kanto's atmosphere hadn't been met by any opposition or any signs of detection from the current locals residing planetside. The coordinates to the old monastery were projecting out from her holomap, along with the location she planned on landing the Aggressor class assault fighter to avoid alerting the Jedi to their presence.

Keeping the ship low to mask their approach, Parjar flew down into the barren, dry rock canyons making up a great portion of the eastern continent. The holomap projected the monastery they were quickly coming up on. It was said the B'omarr monks prefered to keep their places of worship in isolated spots made difficult for outsiders to reach by speeder or foot. This one was no different being perched on a giant rock pillar split off from the mainland. It got her curious on how Bane was able obtain the full layout of the Jedi's base, and a small amount of begrudging respect on his ingenuity.

"Do you know where you're going?" Ka'ake questioned.

"To the cliffs here." Parjar uploaded the holo image to a larger projection. "We'll land the Silent Hunter atop but further back the cliff face's view. Then we proceed on foot there on out."

"Wouldn't their scanners pick us up?" Rarok pointed out.

"They would if we go any higher." She said, keeping the ship hugging to the ground. "South of the monastery is covered in rocky mountainous formations and caverns so scanners are rendered close to useless out here due to the thick layers of rock. The only way they can be sure at detecting us if I fly us high up in the skies."

"It has me thinking if the B'omarr monks built this place with that intention of defence against trespassers. It is also the monastery's weakness against invaders." Ka'ake stated, assessing the idea.

"A weakness we'll be exploiting." Parjar said, glancing over at the holomap's distance to her dropzone.

After a further two hundred metres the canyon was coming to an end. Pulling hard on the controls, Parjar brought the Silent Hunter up the canyon face, much to disgruntlement of the other two due to the lack of warning. Laughing off their complaints she kept the ship steady, flying low over the canyon edge and back on to more stable ground. Much like the rest of the planet they had come across the general surface was just as lifeless and unappealing. The whole planet was comparable to Tatooine, only instead of troublesome sand it was laden with rock and dust.

Up ahead, Parjar saw their stop amidst the natural ground ups of rugged, small and large mountain ranges. Slowing the Silent Hunter's engines down their approach over her designated drop off point, she steered the ship to a steady halt hovering above the invisible marker. Setting the bigger than average fighter down, a cloud of reddish/brown dust encompassed the ship blocking out the landscape for a brief few seconds before leaving behind specs of dirt over the view screen.

"Wouldn't they have noticed that?" Rarok said, standing up from the co-pilot chair.

"Doubtful." Parjar claimed, scooping up her helmet from resting against the controls. "Those stone pillars likely shielded us." She nodded over to their cover.

"Not a very subtle landing." Ka'ake commented, putting on his uniquely forged helmet.

"Like you could've done better." Parjar snorted in response.

Her weapons and other attachments in check she pulled on her own helmet, receiving the welcoming assistance of electrical readings from her HUD. All fitted out for their risk filled and skill testing challenge ahead, Parjar followed the duo out of the ship. Yanking down the lever to the ship's doors, the beaming yellow light of the Ord Kanto's sun reflected off Rarok's dark green and yellow Supercommando armour as they departed from the Silent Hunter.

Assessing each armament of her fellow vod, Parjar realised for the first time the stark contrast in blaster choices between Ka'ake and Rarok. The Togorian's choice in firearms consisted of a heavy blaster output. Ka'ake carried a heavy repeater and a powerful heavy blaster pistol resting in his holster, both made by the reliable Czerka Arms corporation of which many of Mandalorians took some preference to equip themselves with.

Missing however, was the mighty beskad she remembered seeing brandished several times in her early days under his training methods to strike fear into the recruits. The sabre's more gruesome feature, besides its deadly blade, was that of three skulls decorated around the hilt. The tales and rumours of who those heads once belonged to differ with no one really knowing where they came from, other than Ka'ake himself who remained vague on the topic.

Rarok's loadout was more in the lines with that seen more with a common soldier with a couple hidden armaments. His primary weapon was a custom made GALAAR-15 blaster carbine, a new gun in its very early stages of introduction into warfare. The holsters strapped to the youngest of the small team held two DC-15c pistols commonly used by officers and clone troopers of the Republic's Army. It was often a competition Parjar would have with Rarok over who was quicker on the draw and in possession of the better sidearms.

"What a dirt ball." Ka'ake sneered at the surroundings.

"We're not here for the scenery. The quicker we grab the aruetii, the quicker we get out of here and hope Itera doesn't decorate home base with our hides."

"You can be certain yours will be in her personal trophy collection." Rarok quipped.

Certain nothing was around to report back on their presence and exact location in the skies above or close by, Parjar led the way over to the bumpy cliff edge. The naturally formed rocks poking upwards shielding her ship provided them all with good cover to scout out the base. She crouched behind a small boulder safely away from the cliff end, flicking her helmet installed rangefinder over the macrobinocular view plates in her visor.

The monastery as expected was in an obscure setting built upon a massive, lone pillar separated from the Ord Kanto's surface. The entire pillar was surrounded by a very deep canyon that even her viewplates and rangefinder couldn't estimate the sheer drop. The only visible connection to the mainland was a hoverbridge locking on to the entrance way of the monastery. The main building was hexagonal in design possessing large disked shaped roofs and a dome tip covering the top. Smaller similar fashioned buildings were peppered across the courtyard as well as newly constructed huts. The outer exterior had a wall that encircled the entire monastery with only one gap at the front used for as an entrance.

Surveying the back she noticed two very large durasteel doors lower down the pillar, just beneath the monastery itself. Parjar took note of the supposed hidden hangar bay, and their planned escape point.

"I thought you said this place was housing Jedi?" Ka'ake questioned looking through his own pair of macrobinoculars.

"It is."

"Then why are there Separatist battle droids stationed here?" Parjar scanned the courtyard, finding there were indeed a great number of battle droids occupying it.

"I count two platoons of B1 models and four squads of B2s super battle droids in total. And those are only the ones on the outside." Rarok reported the droids strength.

"Five guard posts. Four of which are monitoring the front entrance and the sides of the walls. Only one at the back." Parjar said, focusing on the singled out post manned by a single B1 droid.

"Could be our best point of entry. I don't see any security cams or mines." Ka'ake suggested.

"They don't suspect an attack from the rear of the monastery. But how would we get across? Our jetpacks may alert the droid." Rarok pointed out the first hurdle.

"See there by the hangar doors?" Parjar indicated over to the lower part of the pillar. "There's a platform stretching out. If we get ourselves lower down and fly over quick enough, no one up top will notice us."

"You forget the noise they make."

"You and I know these droids well enough, Cadera, how dimwitted they are. They'll probably mistake it for wind." She passed off his worry.

"Hold up, there's a ship incoming." Ka'ake told them. Parjar switched her view to the front of the monastery. Her rangefinder picked up a Sheathipede-class transport shuttle bearing the markings of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. "You sure this place is still under Jetii control?"

The shuttle flew straight for the monastery unchallenged, turning around once it had hovered over the centre of the courtyard. The ship landed neatly down as a trio of robed beings emerged from the building, waiting patiently for the new arrivals to greet them. The door to the shuttle opened up revealing two commando droids and a silver coloured A4 laboratory droid. The two parties conversed briefly then led away by the robed figures inside the monastery.

"That answer your question?" She responded to his inquiry.

"Jedi working with the clankers?. Something else is going on here." Rarok stated exactly what she was thinking also.

"So it would seem." Ka'ake said with a low growl.

"This makes things more interesting. However, our target is the auretii soldier, not the Jedi's business dealings." Parjar said, flicking the rangefinder back upwards.

"Are they not one of the same?"

"Come on, let's get going." Parjar ushered the squad back and further down the cliff.

Between traversing down the uneven ground, where anyone without proper footwear would've been prone to many falls, and doing their best to keep concealed for the time being, made Parjar wish to go for the easy option of using her jetpack. Stealth was not her most favoured way of getting the job done but in this instance, keeping out of sight was key for things to go relatively smoothly. Although it was inevitable something was bound not to go wrong.

Rocks often tumbled down from the loose and cracked up surface of the hill. A moment of worry panged her over being caught, but all signs so far pointed to the inhabitants remaining oblivious of their less than stealthy advance. Arriving at the spot she selected as the fly off point to the monastery, Parjar gave one last check with her rangefinder for lookouts near the platform.

"Ready?" Rarok asked, preparing to jump.

"Yep. Just remember not to look down." Parjar grinned behind her helmet, taking a glance over the wide nothingness between where they were now and where they were going next.

"Shame Dxun doesn't possess such a vast chasm. This would be a perfect training ground." Shaking her head at Ka'ake sadistic sounding admiration of the mass bottomless pit, Parjar triggered the jetpack thrusters and flew over the gaping maw of the chasm.

Rarok and Ka'ake took up her flanks as the distance closed in. An unhelpful thought came to her mind if the jetpack was to suddenly fail, or the droids above were to open fire. The resulting drop if they were to hit wouldn't be a very satisfying death. Blanking the thought out from her mind she concentrated solely on getting to the platform. Parjar heard jetpack thruster fuel burning through the flight, hoping it was only she who could hear it except for the other two Mandalorians flanking her.

To her luck the wide berth was fast closing to just mere metres to the platform. The unappealing sheer drop was no longer beneath her, replaced by more welcoming solid ground. Once Parjar touched down on the metal railing floor of the platform she turned off her jetpack. Gladly she saw Rarok and Ka'ake repeat her actions without a hitch.

"Rarok, you take point." She unclasped her holsters and drew out her WESTAR 35 pistols, nodding over to the door on the other end of the platform.

Rarok drew out his blaster carbine and went over to the door with Parjar and Ka'ake close behind. Going to punch the button the door instead opened by itself, with one bewildered B1 droid stepping out then stopping at their presence.

"Hey, you're not supposed to be here!" It said in alarm. A snarl came from Ka'ake's mouth as he reached out at the frightened droid and lobbed it off the platform.

"Pathetic." He sneered as it screamed on its long fall to the bottom of the chasm.

"We need to keep moving." Parjar said firmly.

The inconvenience literally being thrown out the way she ordered Rarok to take point again. Entering into the premises they walked up the flight of stairs keeping on guard. Reaching the top she saw Rarok signal them stop, checking the corridors were clear of hostiles. With a quick nod he confirmed they were empty then proceeded on. Parjar looked around for cameras or passing patrols, hearing only distant footsteps coming from the opposite direction they took.

"Security appears to be woeful lax." Ka'ake commented on the lack of security so far.

"They didn't expect to be infiltrated this far out from civilisation." Parjar said in agreement.

"Goes to show how simple minded these fools are."

"Wait." Rarok said, halting them from going further.

Parjar hid behind a column sticking out from the wall, seeing the other two do the same as the stomping of heavy footsteps came down the corridor. Four B2 super battle droids stomped on by going down the way they came, unaware of the hidden trio taking cover within only a few feet from themselves. Luckily and to her relief, Parjar watched them blindly walk pass without incident. She waited until they turned the corner before popping out of cover, mirroring the two leaving their own source of cover.

"You're sure you studied that map I gave you correctly, Cadera?"

"I did. But I couldn't account for what we'll be up against with that missing from your intel." Rarok said. Parjar couldn't tell if he was being curt with her or plainly stating fact.

"Let's just keep moving and improvise on the way." Ka'ake said, urging them forward.

The route Parjar and her younger companion had planned was at the most partly uneventful and going all according to plan. The only real problem they crossed was a door opening beside her, showing another battle droid caught by surprise by their unexpected appearance. Her worry was swiftly taken care of by one of Ka'ake's large hands ripping off the head of the unfortunate droid and the kicking of its decapitated body back into the small enclosed room.

Parjar pulled out her holomap and was pleased their first stop in the monastery was only a couple of corridors away. Arriving, she and Ka'ake checked the coast was clear outside the room in question. Rarok took up position by the doorway awaiting her command, pulling out a bunch of small spherical objects from his pouches. Parjar stood on the opposite side of the doorway with her blasters at the ready. Punching the door's entry button she saw him react straightaway by rolling the 'droid popper' EMP grenades into the room, to unsuspecting inhabitants inside.

The buzz of the electromagnetic grenades going off brought a satisfying repetitive clanging from several slumping machines dropping to the floor. Parjar entered the room first with blasters pointed at the ready for any who may have dodged the pulse from the grenades. Rarok's good aim, however, gave her easement for all droids inside were laying inert, making their infiltration still unknown to everyone else in the monastery.

"Sure is handy you brought those along." Parjar said, indicating to the droid poppers.

"Everywhere I go in the galaxy, I can guarantee they'll be droids shooting at you. Can't seem to escape them." Rarok stated, picking up one of the useful grenades.

"Tenau keep watch. Let's see which one these will be most useful for what we're looking for." She directed back to the mission at hand.

The terminals she scoured through didn't offer anything in the way of help. All Parjar found in her search was power readings and reports of repairs to the lower levels where malfunctions to electronic equipment were more reoccurring.

"Interesting." Rarok said curiously.

"What have you got?" Parjar asked, turning to him.

"This one appears to cover security between here and four levels up." He explained as she walked over joining him. "It controls cameras in the hallways and the doors on these same floors. Plus, I think I can even tweak into their comms."

"Are you sure you want to stay here alone?" She asked, not fond of leaving anyone alone in a place run by Jedi.

"From this console I can direct you down the correct route and warn you of any droid patrols heading your way. I can also listen in on their communications for any useful information that can work to our advantage."

"How do you know if the soldier is even on this level?" Ka'ake spoke up.

Parjar watched the holoscreen on the console flick through different images from the security cameras. Empty and occupied hallways, storage rooms and the hangar bay were shown across the feeds. It wasn't until the image of two MagnaGuards standing guard over a door that her attention was gained.

"There." Parjar kept the camera feed on the MagnaGuard. "That's where the Corporal must be locked up."

"Camera Zero One One is three levels above us." Rarok told her. "There's a turbolift down the end of the next turning outside this control centre. I can hide your approach by shutting off a few cameras from the watchers up top and keep the other turbolifts inoperable for a limited time."

"How much is limited?"

"Ten minutes. Maybe twelve if we're lucky." He said glancing at her briefly then went back to the console.

"Haar'chak." She cursed at the small time window.

"That's plenty of time if we go now." Ka'ake's suggested.

"Alright. Tenau, let's get moving. Cadera, keep your eyes on the security feeds. Last thing I want is for droidekas to be rolling up on our shebs." Parjar gave her instructions to the duo.

"Wait." Rarok called to her just as she was stepping out, producing a handful of disc items. "These are reverse-polarity pulse charges. Attach them outside the door and a few metres down the corridor on your way out. That should give these beskar'ad a nasty little shock."

"Won't these fry your sensors too when they go off?" She asked, taking the charges off his hand.

"Only if I'm caught within its discharge radius. If I do get caught it'll only take a few minutes for them to come back online."

"Very well." Parjar turned to Ka'ake and handed a few of the buzz filled traps over to him. "Watch yourself, Cadera."

"Kih'parjai." He said without any concern of being left alone against the threats still lingering outside.

Parjar placed the RRP charges on each side of the door frame as they left Rarok, hoping the young warrior's traps would work out if trouble stumbled his way. Up ahead she saw Ka'ake attach the other charges on to the mixed ferrocrete and natural rocky walls where Rarok suggested to put the anti droid devices. Setting up his perimetre she led Ka'ake down the corridors, taking the given directions to the turbolift.

They continued to encounter no real resistance as of yet, to Parjar's relief however, she knew once they went higher up things will get a lot tougher to evade trouble. If they could avoid the droids, and hopefully any Jedi, longer enough then surprise would be their very helpful ally in going up against the MagnaGuard. Pajar hadn't had the privilege so far of coming up against the melee favoured droids. They were said to be one of the Separatists' most intelligent and deadliest machine creations in their army. From what she knew about the IG-100 MagnaGuard series they were primarily used as bodyguards for VIPs and were known to give Jedi a hard time in combat.

This reinforced her belief the Corporal must've been the very thing they kept secure in that room.

"How's things looking, Cadera?" Parjar inquired over their comm, moving faster as the turbolift came into sight.

"All clear here. I've shut off camera feeds Zero Zero Eight through Zero One One, so your approach is hidden for now from main security. I've also disabled the other turbolift, so any droids you'll cross are those already garrisoned there." Rarok reported.

"Did you see any Jetii?" Ka'ake asked him as they entered into the lift.

"No, just groups of droids. I going to try hack into the comm and find out their whereabouts." He replied.

"Good. Keep us posted." She said ending the line. As the turbolift started ascending up, she heard Ka'ake grumbling and found the Togorian shifting uncomfortably. "What's wrong with you?"

"All this sneaking around is tedious, and quite frankly boring." He plainly stated gruffly.

"Going in guns blazing with just three people against a mess of battle droids and Jedi wouldn't have been a wise move."

"It would've been more entertaining and glorious, instead of dwelling below like a bunch of scurrying mynocks."

"And a sure way of receiving nothing but a pointless and meaningless death." Parjar told him.

"You care for my well being, Vizla?" Ka'ake quizzed her with a ghost of grin masked by her face plate.

"No. I just don't want to end up carrying your corpse back, Tenau. Your carcass will stink up my ship." Booming laughter came as a response to her quip. It was not often she heard genuine laughter from Ka'ake that wasn't done in mockery.

The jocular mood ceased as the turbolift stopped. Parjar's mind focused purely on their purpose for being here. Walking out the lift the same mundane decor walls like the ones below greeted them. Neither, thankfully, were any droids. Part of her felt sympathetic to Ka'ake's eagerness for a battle. Truth be told she even began to feel this rescue was turning dull due to the lack of a good fight. Parjar couldn't remember the last time she was an op or a job having to wait so long to let loose some blaster bolts. Stealth however, was the major factor this time around for the best chance of success. Besides it would prove subtlety can be a Mandalorian trait when need be.

Peeking past the first corner of the new level hallway, she saw a trio of B1 battle droids walking down the other end with their backs to her.

"Take the corridor to your left." Rarok's voice came through the comm.

"I thought you disabled the cameras?" Parjar replied.

"Only their access to the main security hub. I can still see what's going on your end. Head down the corridor to your left."

"You know if we clear the droids out now, we won't have any obstacles on our way back." Ka'ake said but Parjar was well aware what he was hinting at.

"That will waste time and alert their clanker buddies up top." Parjar told her former mentor.

"I wasn't exaggerating on the time scale. I advise keeping your blasters in check until you deal with those MagnaGuards." Rarok recommended.

Parjar was beginning to worry if they didn't find something or someone to shoot soon, Ka'ake will fire at the first droid or person that inadvertently crosses their path. Going in the direction suggested by Rarok, she hurried the speed of their encroachment to the holding cell she assumed the Corporal was being held. Ka'ake assumption of the poor security details was proven correct once more, especially for defending an apparent high value prisoner.

It was coming to the conclusion the Jedi running the repurposed monastery were so sure of no one coming to break the prisoner out, believing nobody other than their new 'friends' knew of their hidden base they put a woefully small protection detail in charge of their detainee. Parjar felt almost offended by the complacency of the captors. She caught in the corner of her visor one of the camera set up on the ceiling ahead. There was temptation to wave at the camera.

"Parjar, I've managed to tap into their comm. You may want to hear this." Rarok's voice came over their own again.

"Patch it through." She said stopping at the end of the hallway, inclining her head for Ka'ake to keep lookout.

"-he additional hands have helped immeasurably in getting the base up and running." A new voice came through her comm link.

"Glad to hear it. How goes the interrogation efforts of the Forceless soldier?" Another voice followed, replying with a question involving their target. Parjar had a strange gut feeling over this one like she should've recognised this one.

"The abomination spills nothing but vulgar slurs and petty insults." A harsh, deep voice replied with vigorous hatred emphasised on the word 'abomination'.

"A pity. No matter, his forlorn defiance will soon shatter. I trust you have now been acquainted with Ar Nine Vee."

"Indeed, Dooku. A most impressive droid to say the least."

"Dooku?!" Parjar muttered aloud. Now it made sense why she was feeling ill at ease over the man's voice before.

"What is it?" Ka'ake asked but she ignored him, listening to the rest of the conversation.

"Ar Nine, do you have everything required to pick up where the others had less success?" Dooku's voice spoke again, questioning the droid she suspected was the lab droid they saw during their recon.

"Yes, my Lord. I have the cybernetic implants and hallucinogenic narcotics ready and waiting to interrogate the subject." The droid's amplified, weak speech answered.

"Excellent."

"What exactly do you plan on doing to him?" An eager sounding feminine voice entered the conversation.

"The more primitive interrogation techniques deployed by the current company as expected yielded no results, only increased resistance." Parjar could picture the faces of resentment over the droid's condescending tone. "With my cybernetic implants I shall attach these devices into his temples, gaining control of his state of mind through two settings; electricity and heat. Any answer that is unsatisfactory I shall apply one of these settings, either generating a shock or increasing the heat levels to burn through his nervous system. If this fails I shall apply the narcotics, which will make the soldier experience hallucinations of his deepest, darkest fears, all the while remaining conscious and focused on those fears. This I guarantee will get the answers you seek."

"Impressive. Most impressive." Parjar felt appalled and sick to her stomach at the barbaric lengths these people were going to commit in their efforts to make the Corporal crack. Without question this applied method of treatment would drive the soldier's insanity to pure, unfathomable madness.

"Is something wrong, Master?" A concerned male voice questioned somebody.

"I sense something is amiss. I feel a disturbance in the Force." There was a brief pause before the man spoke again. "Contact the detention level. Get them on the comm, now!"

"Haar'chak! Rarok you there?" She called to him,

"I am but I'm gonna have my hands full soon. Two of the charges have gone off already. I will do what I can to stall them but you need to hurry." He replied back. "You only need to follow the corridor you're at now until you reach the cross junction. I suggest splitting up and flanking the MagnaGuards."

"Finally!" Ka'ake cheered at the prospect of getting to shoot something at last .

"Hold your ground, Cadera. This will only take a moment." Parjar assured him, charging down the corridor with no concern over being caught by the battle droids.

It took next to no time for her and Ka'ake to reach the cross section. The droid patrol they had encountered appeared from the right side of the junction. Six in total appeared then stopped. Parjar's finger was already squeezing down the trigger of her WESTAR blasters before they could some much as utter a peep, or fired first. Each blaster pistol fired a flurry of red plasma bolts into the droid squad, hitting two in their metallic chests and clipping another's skinny arm and torso. More dense plasma bolts flew by alongside her own, knocking down the other three with ease.

An exhilarated animated roar came from Ka'ake over the easy kill.

"You take the right, I'll go left." Parjar instructed, splitting off from the now contented Togorian.

The blaster fire would've been picked up by the guards, so Parjar knew the surprise element wouldn't be on her side. Already the echoing sound of ricochetting fire could only mean Ka'ake had engaged the MagnaGuards or more their less challenging comrades. Parjar stopped and hugged the corner of their last stop for cover, popping her head out to see the commotion. Instead however, she found the droid bodyguards facing the opposite direction to herself, awaiting for the threat where the blaster fire was coming from. Their electrostaffs were active and buzzing with amber electricity.

Their ignorance to her presence gave her an opportunity to capitalise on. Parjar took out a thermal detonator, pressing on the red button of the grenade then hurriedly rolled it along the floor. The grenade stopped perfectly between the MagnaGuards. The one who stood behind the first saw the thermo detonator dropped his gaze down at the little ball of death. It spun round in an effort to avoid the explosion but it was already too late. The explosion ripped through each droid, causing the ceiling above to collapse crushing the guard droid at the front under a heavy chunk of masonry.

Parjar smiled at the result, loving the result and the explosive impact that tore into the machines. Her smile and small victory was short lived by the sudden resurrection of the MagnaGuard who tried getting out of the way of the detonator. The droid stood up purposely, not caring of its cape burning still, left arm reduced to a mere stump and its body covered in scorch marks and showering sparks.

"Tough little kriffer aren't you?" Parjar said, feeling a slight level of respect to its durability.

It responded in garbled chirping and activating its electrostaff with its good arm. The machine charged at her with a limp step, undaunted by the shots she fired. Each blast from Parjar hit the MagnaGuard, only the droid still relentlessly kept coming. She pointed her blasters at the machine's head and went to fire but it swung at her, successfully knocking one of her pistols from her hand. The next strike aimed for her own head which she ducked swiftly away from. The next swing came so quickly it hit right into her stomach before she got her own back. Unfortunately the crackling electrical tip was the part of the staff that connected, sending the painful voltage coursing through her armour, giving her a nasty dose of the staff's power.

Instinctively, Parjar clutched a hand over her stomach from the impact, reeling over the solid connection of the blow and shock. The MagnaGuard didn't allow her time to recover and was already lifting his staff high intending to bury the next strike into her face. She avoided it in close timing, managing to catch a glimpse of the yellow bolts running all over the staff top through her visor. Parjar countered by sending a hard, anger filled kick into the MagnaGuard's chest. The kick hit hard enough to make the droid stumble back a few steps, allowing her the chance to raise the blaster she still had grip of and fired two shots into the machine's torso then aimed for its knees.

The blasts separated the already weakened knee joint made the droid collapse to the floor. It didn't however, go down like a rock and took a swipe at her legs, bringing her down with it. Parjar winced, letting out a groan from the inhospitable impact of her back hitting the ground. A hand clutched on to her ankle then pulled further up her body. Sitting up she found the mostly dismembered MagnaGuard dragging its battered and burnt body on her with its only good, cold duranium hand.

Having enough of the droid delaying her mission she raised her blaster up and aimed to shoot right between its emotionless, photoreceptor eyes. To her dismay the fatal shot to end the droid was deflected by its slapping the gun from her grasp. Its action caught her off guard and Parjar paid the price as it latched the good hand around her neck.

The solid vice like grip tightened as the Magnaguard leveled its ugly head over hers, staring directly on to her visor as if it was locking its scarlett, dead eyes on to her own. Parjar threw punch after punch into the side of its mangled face, caving it in with enhanced help from her crush gauntlets but no matter how many she smacked into the droid, it didn't deter the MagnaGuard from cutting off her air supply.

The environment around her became a blur. The only thing that her gaze centred on was the murderous droid intently choking at her throat. It seemed the MagnaGuard's fervent goal was to throttle Parjar's life away. Nothing else mattered other than to end her life. Parjar struggled to reach for her utility gauntlet. Bringing her arms together was difficult with the lump of killer metal laying on top of her body. The gauntlet inched closer to her fingers as the suffocation was getting dangerously worse.

Parjar felt her fingers itching over a button willing all her strength to press on it to free her from death's literal grip. Just as she was pressing on the button the sound of low pitched blaster fire rang in her ears, followed by the welcoming sudden loose clenching grip of the MagnaGuard's hand around her neck. The red eyes flickered of her would be killer faded into a black, a sign of its deactivation by forceful means. Chucking the now dead machine off her, Parjar coughed violently as oxygen flowed back into her airway and lungs.

She stood up rubbing her throat from the droid's stranglehold. Giving the offending deceased droid an angered glare she turned to her saviour lowering his repeater now the MagnaGuards had been taken care of.

"I had..this..under control..Tenau." She said between coughs.

"Which part? Blowing the place apart or getting your hide handed to you by that scrap pile?" Ka'ake taunted her, indicating to the rubble clearing he climbed through and the MagnaGuards.

"Like you could've done a better job." She snorted feeling her neck becoming less painful.

"You should've waited."

"What, for you to finish gunning for every droid in the area?." Parjar shot back. Waving him off no longer interested in a duel of accusations she straightened herself up, moving over to the cell door. "Come on, the aruetii is in here."

The sense of Ka'ake pointing his weapon at the ready for any more was all the readiness she needed as Parjar opened the door. Inside the dim lit room her instinct proved correct with, thankfully, no one but the Corporal residing inside. The outlander soldier faced them with a bruised and cut face, reflecting the brutal treatment he'd endured under the Jedi's 'hospitality'.

"Oh, so you're the ones responsible for that racket outside?" He said dryly. The soldier eyed her for a second as she removed her helmet, scrutinising her under his hazy gaze before a look of realisation dawned on his busted face. "I recognise you. You're that manda what's its woman from the bar."

"How are you holding up, soldier?" Parjar asked, walking inside. She climbed up the few steps keeping him hovering above the restraint pod, deactivating the energy binds holding up his arms to the ceiling.

"You know just hanging about. Waiting for those wonderful people upstairs to pay another visit." The Corporal said grinning at the poor joke of his current circumstance.

"Well don't worry. We're here to get your sorry shebs out of here."

"Great. Who sent you to break me out?"

"Her misplaced honour and ego after getting wounded by a wretched brigand." Ka'ake quipped from the doorway.

Ignoring his ill humoured remark, Parjar turned off the last shackles holding his legs up. The soldier became completely free from the restraints and lowered down with her assistance. Parjar noted the lack of the padded armour and clothing from the upper part of his body. It was the likelihood his captors shedded and confiscated his weapons and armour to inflict maximum punishment in their torture. A sharp intake of breath and groans of suppressed agony came from the Corporal as she helped bring him down from the pod.

"You alright?" Parjar asked, knowing it was probably a very dumb thing to ask. "What did they do to you?"

"A few kicks, punches, slaps, you name it. Even received a bit of shock treatment and a close encounter with a laser sword. I felt very spoiled with all this attention they gave me." Despite the pain he was going through and what he endured, Parjar couldn't help but smile at his sarcastic wit in defiance of his wounds.

"Ha!" Ka'ake laughed. "You went all through that abuse and are grinning like a dik'ut? You're either very tough or very mad."

"I'd say it's a bit of both." The Corporal said wincing.

"Can you walk?" She quizzed, not likely his current condition.

"Just give us a second for the blood to flow back into my legs."

"We don't have the time. We must go now." Ka'ake stated about the looming threat of the Jedi.

"Cadera, we have the prisoner. We're making our way back to you." Parjar contacted Rarok over the comm link installed into her gauntlet.

"You best pick up the pace. I've got droids bearing down on my position and the Jedi are overriding the controls." He reported with blaster fire raging in the background.

"Hang in there, we'll only be a minute."

"Doubtful if your friend here can barely take two steps." Ka'ake said, nodding at the soldier.

"Don't worry me. You lead, I follow." The Corporal said standing up straight with an arm holding against his ribs.

"Tenau, take point. I'll watch after the Corporal." She ordered.

"Jake. My name's Jake, remember?" He said turning to her. "Parjar, correct?"

"Impressed you can remember my name." Parjar said putting her helmet back on, her voice now amplified.

"I've got a good memory."

"Enough of the chatter, let's go." Ka'ake firmly instructed, walking off from the doorway.

"Hey." Parjar budged him, taking out his slugthrower pistol from within her calf armour. "Think this will do any good?"

"We'll have to wait and see. Cheers." Jake thanked her and took the offered sidearm.

Pulling his arm over her shoulder she supported the soldier out from the cell and followed closely behind the impatiently waiting Ka'ake. They passed by the destroyed Magnaguards taking the same route back to the turbolift. The speed getting there was predictably hampered by the injured Corporal doing his best to keep up to the same hurried pace. It concerned Parjar the delay would put Rarok in danger of being overwhelmed. She could see Jake was doing his utmost best to block out and ignore the pain and discomfort, however, the repressed moans and grunts gave away it was becoming increasingly hard to do.

They passed a number of open rooms on the way back when she felt Jake stop at one move his arm off her shoulder.

"Why are we stopping?" Ka'ake gruffly demanded.

"Grabbing my gear, hang about." Jake said, walking slowly into a room filled with cargo boxes resting on top of tables. Parjar watched as he went over to one table in particular. It rested on its surface the soldier's armoured padding and bulkier clothing.

"Shall I just knock him out cold and carry him?" Ka'ake growled with exasperation.

"Try it, mate!" Jake yelled out from the storage room.

"Be me guest." Parjar outstretched her arm to the storage room, laughing silently at the exchange. With a huff Ka'ake stood alongside her, waiting for Jake to emerge out. Admittedly it frustrated her too at his stalling but the wait wasn't long and he came out looking more like the first time she met him.

"You think that pathetic armour will stop incoming fire?" Ka'ake sneered at his extra padding, clearly not impressed with the protection Jake covered himself with.

"Better than a tshirt and my own skin. I'm not Wolverine you know." Jake said referencing a creature Parjar guessed was an animal native to his homeworld.

"The turbolift is only a few corridors down this way." Parjar pointed down the next turning. "I have a vod down below holding off the droids blocking our escape. We need to help him right now, or we can all kiss our chances of getting out of here goodbye."

"Okay, okay. Let's go help him out then." Jake said waving his own pistol for them to continue.

"You need my help walking?" She quizzed him.

"No, no. You need your guns ready for when we bumped into those robots." He waved her off.

"Very well. Keep up or I'll take Tenau up on his offer." Parjar thinly threatened him.

The warning appeared to have worked with the turbolift in their sights soon after. Parjar was sympathetic, and may have felt a little guilty in making an injured man push his limits over the pain racking through his body, but time was of the essence. The bluff of using Ka'ake to carry him out unconscious was more meant as encouragement than a true threat being carried out.

Ka'ake called the lift but to her curiosity she found the arrows by the turbolift button had it being summoned down, not up. She signalled the other two to back away and prepare for a possible encounter with more droids or, stars forbid, a Jedi. Readying to fire on whatever came out, Parjar pointed her blasters toward the lift door hoping for it to reveal more of the pesky B1 battle droids instead of their Force wielding, Jedi superiors. It was something she had trouble formulating in her head for Jedi didn't lead battle droids in the war plaguing across the galaxy.

Well the non crazy ones didn't, Parjar thought to herself.

Each second she subconsciously counted for the lift to appear. The arrows lit up together showing it's arrival and setting off the dinging noise. The door slid open producing a squad strength sized amount of B1s.

"Hey look it's the intruders!" One of the lead droids moronically exclaimed.

"You idiot, open fir-" The other standing next to him didn't finish its sentence. The barrage of fire, both energy and solid projectile, ended their nusicances.

"Ladies first." Jake said, earning laughter from Ka'ake over the remark.

"Get in." She ordered, glaring at the jesting pair. The fallen droids bodies were stepped over and kicked out the way. Spotting one the droids E-5 blaster rifles laying on the bolt riddled body beneath her feet, Parjar picked the weapon up and passed it to Jake. "Here. You'll find this will come in handy more than your peashooter."

"Thanks. Really wish I had my SA80 right now." The Corporal said with a sharp intake of breath, placing his slugthrower pistol in his own leg holster.

"That rifle you have has more power than you think. These useless beskar'ad make them look bad." Parjar assured him, watching the soldier examining over the standard issued weapon of the Droid Army with a sceptical eye.

The short trip took less than a minute for the turbolift to open up to the unmistakable sound of battle raging ahead. Parjar stepped out first leading the way to relieve Rarok of the menace keeping him pinned. A good number of battle droids were on the ground from the charges they had set, short circuited by the pulse overwhelming and shutting down their power units. A good number of droids remained, blasting away at the security room where a bundle of their fallen brethren was blocking the door.

Parjar immediately fired on the attacking droids, unleashing bolt after bolt indiscriminately at them all. Ka'ake and Jake were close behind blasting off with heavier rounds, clipping several alongside her own concentrated shots. The combined fire from the droids' flank thinned their number advantage down rapidly until only a handful were left. Those remaining soon joined the other machines laying motionless on the ground.

"You still with us, Cadera?" Parjar called out.

"Took you long enough. Was beginning to wonder if you were planning to leave me as a distraction." Rarok appeared out the door, shoving the droid mechanical corpses out from the door frame. "I see you've recovered the aruteii verd."

"With a few knocks and bruises on the way."

"What's the situation with the hangar bay? Is it clear?." Ka'ake questioned over their exit point.

"Most of the droids you see here were guarding the hangar. So opposition between here and the ship should be minimal."

"Wunderbar." Jake grimaced. "Perhaps going now would be better than waiting around for those crazy arse fucks to catch up."

"Then walk faster. You're the one holding us up." Ka'ake angrily complained.

"Why don't I batter the shit out of you. Then we'll see how quick you are to move after."

Even with his helmet covering his face she could sense the burning fury in Ka'ake's eyes boring down at the Corporal. The lofty Togorian squared up to the soldier, showing the dominating height difference between the two. A threatening growl came from Ka'ake but what would've intimated most into backing down from his domineering form, Parjar didn't see Jake so much as flinch.

"Hey!" She stood in between the two, giving the pair a punch to the chest. "If you two want to tear into each other's hides, that's fine, but we have a ship to steal and a planet to hightail off. So keep your poodoo together long enough until we get off this rock, got it?" Neither said anything, to her or to each other. Instead the silent agreement came in the shape of them turning from each others glares. "Rarok, take point. Ka'ake watch our six. And Corporal, I don't care what pain you're in, if you don't move it we will leave you behind for those Jedi to pick you apart and give what's left to the lab womp rats."

"Yes, Ma'am." Jake said, posturing his back up to full height. Parjar knew her words were harsh and uncaring, not far off the brutal threats Ka'ake used to offer recruits if their work was not up to standard. However, for everyone to get out of this forsaken monastery they needed a speedy exit.

The tension lowering the objective of getting to the hangar bay was the only thing she now concentrate fully on, without worrying over a fight happening among themselves as well as dealing with the external threat of the droids. As Rarok had correctly reported their next encounter with the droid garrison would be the last checkpoint. Rushing into the hangar bay, Parjar found their numbers were few with the majority remaining maintenance droids and a handful of B1 models and one B2 super battle droid.

Housed on the landing pad was a T-6 shuttle predominantly, from Parjar experience, used by those of the Jedi Order. She raised one blaster and fired a bolt at a modified grey B1 tasked with maintenance. The shot blew off its elongated head leaving the rest of its body to run around in a frenzy. Parjar moved to a stack of storage boxes for cover, avoiding the trail blaze of angry red bolts following after her. Poking her head from cover she caught sight of the B2 battle droid leading its smaller compatriots in their typical full frontal advance tactic.

She spotted Rarok and Corporal Jake taking cover behind a tool bench, exchanging fire with the inconvenient machines blocking their passage to the ship. Ka'ake was the remaining one who was still out in the open, roaring as he let the droids face the full wrath of his repeater. Bolts skimmed over and clipped his armour at his suicidal approach to dealing with the battle droids.

"Tenau, get to cover!" Parjar barked, leaning over the boxes again and dropped two of the droids. Thankfully the Togorian did as he was ordered, getting behind the tool rack hanging close to Rarok and Jake's position.

"Any ideas about getting them open?" The Corporal called out, implying over to the closed hangar bay doors.

"There's a control panel over there." Rarok shouted over the blaster fire, pointed over in her direction. "It should contain the access controls."

"Alright, give me covering fire then haul over to ship." After giving another glimpse past the boxes she thought the first part of her order wasn't needed with the droid's strength reduced to the more formidable B2 and a single B1.

Parjar laid her eyes on the control panel in question then bolted out of cover. Her exposure was met with the renewed interest of the Super battle droid shooting its dual wrist mounted laser cannons her way. She gave a few stray bolts back in kind. Reaching the panel she suddenly felt a searing hot sensation bury into her right shoulder. The loud ping of her armour absorbing most of the impacted shot rang in her ear, yet some managed to connect into the unprotected body glove, scorching through and burning the skin tissue and muscle of her shoulder.

Parjar clenched her teeth and released a small muffled groan at the fiery sting from the inflicted wound. Ignoring the throbbing sensation she twisted around to meet the super battle droid to reap revenge on its lucky glance. It remained the only machine still standing and cared little of his disadvantage. The joint firepower of her WESTARs and the others' own guns brought the irritable droid down. The droids finally defeated, she walked over to the control panel, running a hand across the wound inwardly cursing herself for not being fast enough. She felt bitter irony at warning Jake over his slacking and yet she wasn't quick enough to dodge the energy bolt.

The opening for the hangar bay wasn't difficult to find with the holoscreen of the computer terminal highlighting the controls of each command key. Tapping on the button releasing the hatches off the massive doors a pleased grin tugged her lips at being able to finally leave this place. The large open space of the hangar echoed the loud groaning of the durasteel doors retracting apart, sheathing into the walls and of the pressurised locks decoupling generating a dull pitched hissing noise.

"We're good to go!" Parjar said triumphantly at unlocking their last physical barrier from the monastery.

One by one she saw each of them head for the shuttle. Daylight beamed inside illuminating the dark interior and the wreckage of droids with natural sunlight. Parjar jumped aboard as the triple engines of the shuttle warmed up, sealing the vessel's primary point of entry as the ship started to hover off the ground. She rushed up the steps to find Ka'ake and Jake sitting in the back passenger seats and Rarok taking up a co-pilot chair, assuming command of the ship's twinned joystick columns.

"Who says you're flying, Cadera?" She entwined her stern questioning with amusement.

"I'm not the one with an injured shoulder from catching flak off a clanker." Rarok said in a neutral tone as she sat down on the other co-pilot seat.

"Fine. But fly full circle around the monastery and drop me off at my ship. I'm not leaving her on this dust bowl." She allowed the youngster to take command of flying them out.

Receiving only an acknowledged nod as a reply their take off gained attention in the way of the new incoming red wave of lasers uselessly at the shuttle. Each bolt either pinged off or was effortlessly soaked up by the ship's ray shields. Parjar ignored the minor annoyance and anxiously observed Rarok's pilot skills. At first he slowly drew the ship out with careful precision due to the lack of a clear opening. The chasm, while vast, didn't possess enough of a wide space for the ship to safely pick up speed, coupled with the cliff face being too steep for a secure climb of altitude.

Rarok steered the shuttle starboard bringing it upwards of the pillar and to the main site of the monastery. The engine block rotated simultaneously with the cockpit to its 90 degree vertical stance as it entered more into flight mode. Parjar gazed out the side viewport and noticed the swarm of droids emerge out on the courtyard. They all opened up vainly at their escape. This time she gave the machines a mocking farewell salute. The delightfulness of pulling this off without a hitch came to an abrupt standstill. The smug grin plastering her face behind her visor evaporated when a loud thud hit the forward viewscreen.

Parjar snapped her head to the front of the ship, taken back momentarily by the figure latching onto the transparisteel glass. The figure was a pale skinned Rattataki woman, glaring at them all with a maddening toothy smile.

"That fucking mental bald headed bitch." Jake gave a string of curses Parjar wasn't familiar with.

"Shake off the mad di'kut, Cadera!" Ka'ake exclaimed, raising his repeater to the viewscreen. Parjar felt the ship sway in an attempt to tossle the unwelcome passenger off.

The Rattataki didn't waiver as she drew out a lightsaber, igniting the sapphire plasma blade from its hilt. The crazy Jedi swirled her blade down and jabbed the searing hot blade through the transparisteel glass multiple times. Parjar dived out of the chair just in time for the lightsaber piercing straight through the viewscreen, stabbing right into the seat she sat seconds before. Knowing the use of her blasters would cause more problems in the restricted space of the cockpit for an effective counter, she instead aimed her utility gauntlet at the offending Jedi and shot the sabre darts from the concealed launcher built within.

The Jedi leaned out the way of the darts zooming past her, momentarily catching the force wielder off balance. The distraction gave Parjar the perfect chance to lunge forward at the gap created by the Rattataki Jedi, bringing her gauntlet up again and set off another one of her 'tools'. The years of training and naturally sharp reflexes saved the Jedi from the burst of the orange inferno blazing forth from Parjar's wrist mounted flamethrower.

The breath of flame singed a part of the Rattataki's skirt as she spun around to the port side viewscreen. Parjar grew concerned by the brisk maneuvering of their adversary now had the Jedi staring dauntly down at Rarok in a mirrored stance. The lightsaber drew high above her head and slammed down into the cockpit with an infuriated cry. Parjar felt her heart thump in her chest as the blue tinted plasma blade penetrated the glass in one stroke. The saber didn't go anywhere near the young Mandalorian, to her eternal gratitude to the manda, but alarmingly sliced into the centre of the flight controls.

Sparks rained out from the spot the saber had struck through, causing dials and various displays to flicker off and die. Parjar looked back to the Jedi, seeing a taunting smirk on the pale complexioned, tattooed face of the Rattataki.

"Happy landings." The Jedi saluted her. Parjar gritted her teeth in rage as the near human woman leapt off the ship.

"Shavit!" Rarok swore as he fought with the shuttle to keep airborne.

"Pull up!" She frantically ordered.

"I'm trying!" He barked back. Despite his best efforts in regaining control the shuttle started banking hard to one side swerving back over to the monastery.

Parjar hopped back into her co pilot chair and tried using the additional joysticks to break from their doomed course. This too came about as futile from diverting the ship. The Jedi must've hit some major components linking the steering grips to the main hub, as no amount of pulling she or Rarok did to steady the ship away from taking a plunge into the fast increasing descent to the monastery grounds worked.

"Brace for impact!"

"Christ above." Jake complained, pulling the straps over his shoulders. Parjar copied his action along with Rarok and Ka'ake too prepping for the oncoming violent landing.

The shuttle plummeted sideward spinning out of control into a slow twirl. The landscape outside changed back and forth into a dizzy switch of the main structure of the monastery, the dry plains and the gaping dark abyss of the chasm. Parjar's heart sank at the thought of crashing into the untold depths of the chasm's darkened pit. That fear was averted by the screeching over the shuttle underbelly scraping over the outer defence walls of the monastery. Small chunks of stone pelted through the broken viewscreen from the collision, knocking and bouncing off her armour.

The shuttle tore through the courtyard, swatting away droids and anyone unfortunate enough to stand in its destructive path. The crash landing roughly shook her physically in her seat, rattling her body from the impact. Eventually the wrecked vessel grinded to a halt, giving relieved closure for Parjar the shuttle landed on more 'safer' grounds, as she best described the ship inadvertently carrying them back to the occupied place of religious solitude.

Sparks and electricity discharged out from the flight equipment right in front of her. The buzzing and crackling from different instruments put to bed any inclination the shuttle would be flying anytime soon. Parjar gave a moan undoing the straps, exhaling with mixed emotion. They survived the crash but that left them in a dangerous predicament of being surrounded by the horde of battle droids and Jedi with no clear path escape.

"I swear on the blood of my ancestors, Cadera, I'll never board another ship piloted by you again." Ka'ake groaned, unclasping the chair restraints.

"Be glad you're you have the chance of being able to board another ship in future." Rarok countered with wincing as he too pulled up the straps.

"Fucking hell." A more pain laced voice murmured behind her chair.

"Are you still alive and kicking, Corporal?" Parjar asked of their freed prisoner.

"Alive, but I don't know about kicking." Jake answered. Turning to see the condition of the soldier she saw he was no worse for wears like her.

"Mandalorians!" An amphilied enhanced voice sounded outside the ship. She stopped fidgeting in her chair, focused on hearing the person calling out to them. "I believe you are in possession of a very dangerous near human prisoner!"

"Oh trust it to be that old cun-arghh." The Corporal clutched at his ribs, exhaling at his injury.

"Who is that?. What near human is he talking about?" Parjar questioned him in confusion.

"It's just an insult they give me. One of dozens I can assure you. That old tosser is the one the rest of the fanatics refer to as The Master." He explained holding his side with a grimace.

"Come on out. I promise you I intend no ill will upon you!" The Jedi continued calling out to them, trying to convince their departure out from the crashed ship.

"After pulling this verd out from the brig right under his nose? The Jedi are nothing but masters of deception and lies." Ka'ake sneered at the offer.

"It's not like we have much of a choice. They can overwhelm us in a matter of minutes if we stay inside this rust bucket." Rarok pointed out their current standing.

"Cadera is right. We can't hold up here. If the worst comes about, I rather we fight out there than hiding inside this death trap." Parjar said getting up from the broken co-pilot chair. She didn't need the power of the Force to sense the displeasure, the humiliation denting their pride of submitting to the requests of a foe holding all the cards in his favour.

She was the first to wait by the door, pleased at finding it still in operational order. Ka'ake kept his repeater at the ready followed after with Rarok assisting the Corporal out from the passenger seat. Tapping the door's button she climbed out from the shuttle, to the gathered audience of seven Jedi and a company's worth of droids ranging in different battle models. Scanning each Jedi with a careful and scrutinising eye, Parjar saw these 'fanatics' as the Corporal called them were a mix of different races. A wink and a gleaming smile from the Rattakai caught her notice, the same woman who ruined their chances of getting off Ord Kanto.

The others consisted of three humans, a Pantoran, a Rodian and a young Mikkian girl who was likely a Padawan belonging to one of the Jedi Knights. In the centre of the line of Jedi stood a man who hid his face behind a brown hood, showing only his grey beard and the lower part of his face that remained visible. It wasn't difficult to figure out this was the old man Jake mentioned and the one yelling at them to come out.

"I am pleased you have cooperated and avoided unnecessary bloodshed." A grateful grin formed on the old man's face.

"Think we had a choice?" Parjar asked in a neutral tone.

"No, but all the same this could've ended in a rather execrable manner." He said, inclining his head at the appearance of the other members of her team. "I must admit I'm very much impressed with how you were able to infiltrate our base undetected for so long, and better yet, grab your intended prize. I'm curious however, how you knew not only to locate us, sneak past our security and know the exact location of the Corporal, here." The Jedi Master gestured to the man in question. "It was if you knew the layout of the monastery beforehand."

"What can I say? Your security detail is worse than a bunch of Jawas guarding a junkyard and nowadays, hiring true reliable and trustworthy help is very hard to come by." She freely mocked their consistent incompetence in protecting and covering their tracks. "Especially when the contract doesn't receive its full promised bounty."

"Ah, I see. A mutual acquaintance?" The Master chuckled coldly, catching instantly on the person responsible as he took two steps forward. "It appears the reputation of bounty hunters is very much justified afterall. A pity."

"Lesson learned, never break a contract with a bounty hunter."

"So tell me, bounty hunter. Why did you come for this man? A being with the capability of bringing the demise to our way of life and untold suffering on a vast galactic scale? Did Bane send you? The Jedi Council? The appeal of venal credits? None can comprehend the consequences of allowing this man to freely roam the galaxy." The Master inquisitively asked, pacing up and down a few steps at a time.

Parjar turned to face the Corporal. "You plan on destroying the galaxy?" The reply from the outlander soldier was a roll of the eyes. "Yeah, I don't buy that either." She said then turned back to the Jedi Master. "Listen here old man. Me and my brothers are leaving this place, and the Corporal is coming with us. I heard what you plan on doing with him. No one deserves to face being put under that kind of monstrous treatment. It was to my understanding torture and murder were not the Jedi way."

"Mandalorian, you're a smart woman. Your skills are remarkable, tremendous even. A testament to your peoples astute warrior nature." He unexpectedly started complimenting her.

"I had a good teacher." Parjar smiled, earning a humoured scoff from the Togorian standing beside her.

"But now this finishes." He firmly stated. "Surrender, and you my word as a Jedi you'll have free passage to leave Ord Kanto and enough credits for this little misunderstanding to be forgotten about as if it never occured."

"And the Corporal?" Rarok spoke up.

"He can't go. He must be contained." The Master said with grim declaration.

"You guys should take the offer." Jake said to her shock.

"Excuse me?" Parjar exclaimed.

"I appreciate the help, really I do. But you lot barely know me. Don't risk your lives over a stranger you met once in a bar."

"Ha, I rather die alongside a stranger than committing the grave dishonour of surrendering to a Jedi." Ka'ake scowled at the idea of submission to a group he despised greatly.

"Your choice, Mandos. We haven't got all day." The Rattataki taunted.

A brief internal battle tugged at Parjar's mind. The bounty hunter part of her indulged at the high offer of credits. Had this been any other mercenary the deal would've been struck without a second thought. The Mandalorian part of her was what separated the pure greed from most bounty hunters. The honourable thing to do was to not allow these people who were so vehement, so driven in their belief of the Corporal was some kind of parlous being they resorted to ruthless forms of interrogation for information unknown to her.

It boiled down to what she believed was the best choice for the lives of her vod and her own. Jake was correct in that they scarcely knew each other. Why risk the lives of men she knew for most of life, trained with and under for a soldier from a primitive far off world? Parjar knew the option she was going to take, one of which will likely haunt her in future.

"As generous as that offer sounds, I must decline. I'm not a fool, Jedi. We know where your base is, who you are and who you hold of significant value. There's no way you'll let us leave this system alive. I'll take our chances here and now, instead of a bolt to the back." She told him of the definite outcome of taking the madman's deal.

"Then I am sorry, friend." The Master turned his back to her, giving a short signaling nod to his Jedi followers. A chorus of snap hisses from and mechanical clicking of droids cocking their blasters sounded across the courtyard.

Parjar's visor picked out each of them, Jedi and droid alike, preparing for the fight of her and her vod's lives. She wasn't blind to the heavy odds stacked against them in terms of numbers and firepower, even the power of the Force, but she wasn't going down without bringing a good amount to the pits of the Void with her. She turned her head from side to side. Ka'ake was already raising his heavy repeater high and tracking targets. Rarok was doing the same, and Jake was unclasping the holster and drew out his slugthrower pistol. Energy and solid slugs were an interesting combo to bear down on an enemy.

A tense silence filled the void of the courtyard with either side waiting for the inescapable battle to commence. For one side it looked as if this was going to be a one sided affair, whilst the other saw the opposition as the face of death itself. The word pleak came to Parjar's mind.

Fingers squeezed on the triggers, metal and flesh, hands grasping a tightened hold on lightsabers ready to bring about certain victory for one side.

"Look!" The Mikkian youngling shouted, pointing up into the sky to the front of the monastery.

Parjar arched a brow at the young Jedi's surprised action. For a second she thought it as a juvenile move to catch them off guard. The choppy sound of repulsorlift turbines hummed in the distance, growing closer and closer. Shock from the Jedi's faces became evident the youngster had not been tricking her. Staring up to where the Mikkian was pointing to, the Ord Kanto sun lit up the craft those repulsorlift engines originated from.

Ten LAAT/i dropships marked in the Grand Army of the Republic's colours were flying down to the monastery. In the far distance higher into the rusty brown skies were a pair of Venator class cruisers stationed in low orbit. Death would have to make his rounds another time.

The leading LAAT/i unleashed their laser cannons at the mass of droids bunched together, peppering the machines with green energy bolts and long beams blasting out from the ball turrets. Droves fell from the opening burst. The battle droids reorganized quickly and opened fire on the dropships, remaining exposed out in the open. Parjar at least saw intelligence from the Jedi as they took cover, deflecting away the laser fire out of harm's way.

A knock to her shoulder brought Parjar out from her stunned observation.

"Come on, we can't let the Republic steal all the glory." Ka'ake said with new vigor. He backed his words with a roar, blasting away at the droids busy with the new threat.

Parjar smiled at the turn of the tide, taking up her former mentor's words and opened fire on a B1 droid close by. She only caught for the briefest of seconds Rarok and Jake doing the same. Three dropships hovered over the courtyard clearing a perimetre for their payload of clone troopers to depart. The emergence of white and purple plastoid armoured troops gained the new focus of the defenders as the rivaled armies clashed.

Parjar set off her jetpack and gained height over a group of droids, hitting two in the chest and another in the arm carrying its E-5 rifle. A few blasts of red whistled by her, missing wide of the mark as she flew atop a newly erected hut. The hut gave Parjar an unexpected clear view of the battlefield. Explosions rang across the courtyard, dealing death or destruction depending on who set off the detonator. Four LAAT/i dropships were circling around the monastery providing covering fire from a higher altitude. The last three landed in a blockade formation on the hoverbridge, preventing any of the fanatic Jedi or droids from escaping.

Interestingly to Parjar's curiosity those same Jedi were backing away from the fight, choosing to remain to the rear of their droid support. Over by the dropships cutting off the bridge, two people lead the charge of the clones jumping from their transports. She instantly recognised the men as Jedi Masters Obi Wan Kenobi and Mace Windu.

Things were really going to start turning in their favour. A DSD1 spider droid started taking shots at her position, ignoring the raging battle around it. Parjar jumped off the hut before it blew out the roof and returned fire. The thick armour of the droid held up providing better protection against her WESTAR pistols compared to its allies. To her luck she had assistance in the way of Rarok jumping on the heavy duty droid and firing into the top of the machine's head with his stronger calibre carbine.

"Cadera, where's the Corporal?!" She shouted over to him.

"See for yourself!" He gestured to another part of the battlefield. To her pleasant surprise she found Jake and Ka'ake fighting side by side gaining a sizable tally of droid kills.

"Fall back to the shuttle!" Parjar picked up the Master's voice. "I shall hold off Kenobi and Windu!"

"What, no! We won't leave you, Master!" One of the human Jedi exclaimed, deflecting away several bolts.

"You won't be. Secure our departure. I shall join you shortly." He instructed the 'bad' Jedi. All were reluctant to follow his command but did as he said, rushing over to the Separatist shuttle that somehow stayed unscathed during the fight.

"Cadera, the ship!." Parjar pointed over to the shuttle.

Dodging the laser bolts she led him to the escape ship. Grounding the fanatics would be a sweet piece of irony and a great act of revenge, Parjar thought as she aimed everything she had at the fleeing Jedi. Rarok copied her actions gaining the awareness of the Pantoran and the Rodian. The two acted as defenders, twirling their lightsabers to turn away their shots. Rarok continued his suppressive fire and pulled out another thermo detonator, chucking the grenade over to the shuttle.

To Parjar's disappointment another one of the fanatics captured the detonator in mid air with the Force and flung it back. The incoming grenade sailed through the air and back over to Rarok. The both of them dived out of the way from the resulting explosion charing the ground they had just stood. The Rattataki Jedi and another human called on the Force again, picking up a hefty piece of debris from their crash and threw it at one of the dropships flying around the monastery.

Parjar watched on as the weaponised masonry hurled to the LAAT/i and smashed into the troop compartment splitting the gunship in two, sending the poor troopers onboard down into the chasm. Jumping up she resumed her assault on the fanatics with Rarok, joined by a squad of clone troopers. Running up to the back of the defending Jedi came a red haired human woman and the Mikkian girl, sheathing their sabers then sent a huge unseen push their way. Parjar felt herself being lifted off her feet and thrown several metres backward with Rarok and the clones.

The unforgiving surface of the courtyard greeted her fall as she rolled half a dozen times. When she stopped, Parjar hurried back up only to find the fanatics all boarding the Separatist shuttle and preparing to lift off.

"Master Kenobi, Master Windu. It's good to see you again. A great shame it had to be within such a volatile environment." The Master greeted the Jedi Masters as if they were in more friendlier surroundings. Parjar was beginning to believe this man was truly crazy.

"Stand down and make this easier on yourself, Master." Windu ordered using the moniker of the Jedi Master's nickname. Parjar surveyed the battlefield and found to her astonishment the conflict was over, except for a few distant firefights from another part of the monastery.

"Stand down? Well you see, Mace I can't do that. Not when the plague you brought to our sacred Temple is still at large and threatens the very fabric of the universe we hold so dear."

"Plague? What the blazes are you talking about?" Kenobi questioned the confusing statement.

"The Earth soldier." The old man pointed over to Jake. "He carries with him the means to wipe the Living Force from the face of the galaxy."

"Oh go fuck yourself!." The Corporal shouted angrily at the Jedi Master.

"Kidnapping? Holding innocents hostage? This is not the way we do things." Kenobi's words received chilling laughter from the hooded counterpart.

"Innocent you say? How many innocents will perish when his people enter into the galactic community? How could you freely allow this Death Walker to wander the very sanctuary of the Force? The Jedi are supposed to be the keepers of the peace! The Earthers will shatter that very peace we're fighting to preserve, if we do nothing to contain them. This soldier is a vanguard of the Forceless barbarians and they must be eliminated!" The zealotry that laced each word of the Master's conviction sent an unwelcoming chill down Parjar's spine. The hood may have blocked his face but there was no question the old man's eyes were burning with madness.

"You have lost your way. Put down your lightsaber and come with us. We will help bring you back to the Light." Windu said cooly.

"No, Mace. I haven't fallen to the abyss of the Dark Side you fear so much. My eyes have been opened. You may not see it but my actions will save trillions of lives and safeguard the future generation of the Jedi Order."

"Your actions would condemn a civilisation out of misplaced fear. Where did you get the impression the Jedi would decide the fate on who thrives or falters?."

"The day this war started." The Master said bluntly. "Master Kenobi, I have no quarrel or wish for misfortunate to be bestowed upon you, Master Windu or anyone of the Order or the Republic. For I only think it," He said lowering the hood off his head, unveiling his face to the visibly astonished audience. "Fair for you to see my true self."

"Kreet?" Parjar saw the look of shock morph on Kenobi's and Windu's faces. Clearly they weren't expecting to see one of their own lead this crazy movement.

"You have betrayed everything the Jedi Order has stood for, Kreet. End this madness now before it is too late for you." Windu warned the Jedi Master. By the tone of his voice, it was a clear indication it was his last chance to surrender on his own free will.

"No. If you refuse to see what is so blatantly in front of your eyes then you leave me no choice but to do this alone." The engines of the Separatist shuttle coming to life and lifting off caught the attention of almost all the Republic forces, unaware of the pair of grenades dropping from the Kreet's belt. Parjar turned back to the confronting Jedi to see white smoke billowing out from the grenades.

The smoke blanketed the courtyard blinding everyone in its radius temporarily. Stray shots from the clones not affected aimed for the ship. The incoming fire didn't bother those aboard as the shuttle's door opened and the ramp lowered in mid air. She watched Kreet jump out the smoke cover at inhuman heights impossibly done by normal human standards, unless equipped with a jetpack or with the help of the Force.

The elder Jedi landed perfectly on to the ramp without imbalance and disappeared into the belly of the vessel. The LAAT/i gunships in flight tried to intercept the escapees to no avail with the shuttle applying all power to the engines. The ship headed skyward putting a great deal of distance away from their now captured base, leaving behind the droids and whoever was left to the mercy of the Republic military.

"Commander, have the men secure the area. I want this monastery under complete lockdown." Windu ordered, placing his deactivated lightsaber on to his belt.

"Yes, sir!" The clone officer obeyed, relaying his superior's commands to the rest of the clone troopers.

Parjar put her blasters safeties on and shoved them into her holsters, supremely glad this mission was over and what she had set out to do was accomplished. The person she came to Ord Kanto for, traversed Nar Shaddaa's grimy, crime riddled streets and parlayed with her rival for was now resting against a barrier, being checked over by a medic.

"Say what you want about this job of yours, it never lacked a dull moment." She heard Rarok say coming up beside her.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Parjar grinned at her younger vod.

"I see you didn't listen to our request of letting us handle this without your help." They looked to the dry witted voice's owner of Jedi Master and General Obi Wan Kenobi walking over with Jedi Master Mace Windu in tow.

"You have our apologies, our comm was suffering from a malfunction." Parjar grinned at the less than believable excuse.

"Your actions were reckless. We could've handled this situation by ourselves without your interference." Windu sternly chastised her.

"With all due respect, Master Jedi, but I don't take orders from you. I had my own reasons, that I won't be disclosing to your interests, for breaking the Corporal out from the clutches of your maniac buddies." Parjar countered.

"Yes, what has happened with Kreet and those Jedi following his twisted ideology is a disturbing development to say the least." Kenobi said sound a little shocked by the admission of their fellow Jedi. "But the Corporal seems to be in one piece on a large part thanks to you."

"The aruetii is tough and resilient. He fights well for someone trying to hide the true extent of his injuries." Rarok commented on Jake. Parjar glanced over to the man in question chatting to a clone medic.

"We will get him back to the Jedi Temple for full medical treatment. In the meantime, we need to clear out any remaining droid forces and find out more on what Kreet has been getting up to."

"You do that. We'll bid our farewells to Corporal Matthews and see ourselves off this dung heap of a planet." Parjar told the Jedi, motioning her head for Rarok to follow her.

"Actually, if it isn't a bother we would welcome a report from each of you. It will contribute invaluable help into the goings on what Kreet had been doing here." The bearded Jedi requested.

A frustrated sigh left her mouth as she stopped at the optional demand. She wanted to tell them to stuff it, return to her ship and get back to more important business dealings. Doing so would be satisfying but cause issues in future work prospects with the GAR. "Fine. Afterwards

"Thank you."

"You know Itera will more than likely use our skins for her next big game hunt if we delay our rendezvous any longer." Rarok said with concern over their next order of business.

Parjar heartily chuckled at his worry. It was indeed unwise to keep her waiting having faced her fury on many occasions for a variety of reasons.

"You're probably right. Though I doubt she'll use us for rancor or Krayt bait once she knows what went down on Ord Kanto."

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Grassland. The never ending fields of fern green grassland with the odd stretch of trees or mud mounds were the only thing Vox had seen through his macrobinoculars for the past four days. There was a great war pitting two sides of the galaxy against each, untold lives at stake and battle honours to be won against the Separatist Alliance's droid armies. Yet the Grand Army of the Republic had not relieved the 212th of a system that showed no signs of another Seppie invasion coming in the near future.

It frustrated and bored Vox to no end to be kept away from the frontlines. His brothers were fighting and dying against the Separatist threat and here he was stuck searching for, well he wasn't quite sure what exactly. Bizarre anomalies and strange energy readings were being picked up all over Bakura and no one had the slightest clue what was the cause behind them. Wheeled tracks were found on several locations across the planet. One of which included a farm they had visited yesterday with a less than pleased farmer waking up to find his crops had been flattened by a contraption possessing the same wheel marks.

Vox exhaled a long breath. It was one of many he breathed out to the growing annoyance of his brothers assigned to this exasperating search.

"If I hear another sigh coming from you again, Vox, I'll stick you to latrine digging on our next deployment." Lieutenant CT-3875, or better known by the clones as Nova, threatened.

"Can't help it, sir. How long do we have to keep to this pointless wild gundark chase?" Vox quizzed scanning over the same empty point.

"Until we find the cause behind those mysterious tracks."

"Look on the bright side. We can enjoy the nice view of Bakura's untampered fields." The other clone, Zesh, with them said nonchalantly.

What I wouldn't give to have a crack at the clankers right about now, Vox wondered to himself. They had been perched on a ridge overlooking a valley for nearly an hour now, observing the largely peaceful terrain for anything hinting at out of the ordinary. Stories circulated from their friends in the 501st Legion of some strange uniformed soldier appearing out of nowhere when the anomalies and unknown energy readings had first appeared.

The conclusion from command was the assumption someone or something else may likely show up again. So far this hadn't come in fruition, baring the tracks. More time past and again nothing was out there. Besides the harmless wildlife nothing of note came into view of his lenses. Vox stifled another sigh in the Lieutenant's company in fear he was stuck to the more undignified job he threatened to assign him to if he did so.

"Doesn't look like we'll be finding out here. Will move to our next des-"

"Lieutenant, look!" Zesh called out, turning from his own pair of macrobinoculars to the officer.

"What have you got, Zesh?" Nova asked moving closer to the trooper's observation perch.

"Sector four, sir. Over by the treeline." Vox brought his twinned scopes back up to his face to see where Zesh was pointing to.

For a second he didn't find anything but a couple avian creatures running away from something when the glint from the sun's rays reflected off a metallic surface caught his eye. A very strange droid emerged from the treeline. It had a large, flat square shape with six wheels attached to as many pole appendages extending out from the main body, and a long pole like neck at the front standing vertical with a rectangular 'head' resting on top of it.

"Come on. Let's catch up with it before it disappears." Nova commanded. Parked close by were the three BARC speeder bikes they used for their travels they rushed over to.

Vox turned on the ignition and followed the Lieutenant's lead, driving next in line with Zesh's speeder in loosely arrow formation. The sound of the bikes engines disturbed a few birds from their nests as they made a beeline for the odd machine's location. He heard over his comm the Lieutenant report their findings to Commander Cody and of their plan of action to intercept it. The race wasn't long as they had put their foot down on the pedal. It seemed the Commander was eager for them to capture it as quickly as possible.

Lieutenant Nova slowed his speeder bike down at a cautious distance from the droid. Vox did the same and saw Zesh also follow suit. Coming to a complete stop they all disembarked off their speeders just under ten yards from the slow moving droid looking thing. Up close he saw the machine was bigger and resembled a vehicle more than a droid due to its size. At full height it had to be at least 7 foot tall, five feet in diameter and nine foot in length. It's white coating wasn't far off the main colour of their phase II armour plating with only its wheels different to the rest of its in pitch black.

"Hey droid, hold it right there." Lieutenant Nova challenged the machine but it completely ignored him. Vox clasped hold of his DC15s and rested a finger on the trigger for vigilance in case things got heated.

The speed the droid was driving at was relatively slow as if it didn't have care or rush to be someplace else. Vox shared a glance with Zesh who too kept his finger hovering over the blaster's trigger. He turned then to the Lieutenant who stared back at them with a shrug. Their officer swung back round to the machine and jogged over to the front and faced it, raising a hand to prevent it from going any further.

"Stop where you are!" Nova instructed it again to which this time it did comply with his demand.

"Lieutenant, check out the wheels." Zesh gestured his blaster to the droid's six wheels.

"Why?"

"The treads look kinda like those tracks we've been finding." Vox looked at the machine's wheels in question. On the opposite side of the machine he saw the Lieutenant kneeled down next to Zesh, comparing a holo image of the tracks that had been popping up all over the planet to its form of transportation.

Judging by the traces of mud and dirt smudged on the zig zagged wheel pattern this indeed the origin of those mysterious imprints. The droid grew Vox's interest as he studied it now he was up close. He had fought against many of the different models the Seppies had produced and thrown into the theater of war, of all strengths and sizes but never had he encountered a machine like this. It had parts and instruments he couldn't make heads or tails of fitted all across its boxy frame. There were no visible signs of weapon emplacements and no markings showing whether or was a new Separatist creation. The wide frames of the wheels indicated its design to travel on high ground and multi terrain.

"Yep. This is it alright." Nova confirmed their suspicions.

Vox then heard a whirring noise coming from the front of the droid. Looking over he saw the droid's rectangular 'head' twist around staring at him and the other troopers with its one lense like eye.

"Creepy looking isn't it?" Zesh commented.

"Listen up droid. What are you and where do you come from?" The Lieutenant walked back to its front. Vox felt unnerved by its eye locking and fixed down at their officer as it gave no reply.

"I don't think it can talk, sir." Vox said with the knowledge he was stating the obvious.

"But it understands. Why else would it have stopped and is now following our every move." He replied.

"Uh, how are we supposed to detain it?" Zesh raised a good question. "I mean, this thing is too big to stick at the back of the speeders."

"I'll call the Commander and see about getting us some heavier transport. Don't do anything to damage it or all our necks will be on the line."

Whilst he stayed quiet pondering over the question a flickering green light started flashing in the corner of his eye, on a wedged shaped compartment built above its frontal arm appendage.

"Lieutenant!." Vox raised his blaster at the part blinking the light. The two other clones also raised their weapons at the ready at his alarmed call. To his surprise the compartment lowered a small hatch and extended out a hand held device for one of them to take.

"A comm link?" Zesh asked aloud in shock at the offered object.

"Never seen a comm link that looked like that." Nova said with mistrust.

"Perhaps it is how the droid communicates?" Vox speculated. The black hand sized device had a long wire running from the supposed comm to the machine's compartment and, if he wasn't mistaken, two blocky buttons on the side.

"Hello?." A very human sounding voice came from the device.

"Wait, what. Where did that come from?." Zesh quizzed physically startled by the out of the blue voice. Vox glanced over to his brother looking around for where it could've possibly come from.

"Calm down, Zesh. It obviously came from the droid, you laserbrain. Who else would be out here?."" He told the bewildered trooper.

"That sounded too human to have been this overgrown clanker."

"Hello?" The voice came again more clearer and blaring out of the device. "Can you hear me?"

"Sir, doesn't that sound like a woman's voice?" Vox inquired.

"It's not uncommon for droids to have a feminine personality matrix installed. However, Zesh is right. I don't think it's this thing that's talking to us." His superior said reaching for the device where the voice was coming from.

"Sir, you think that wise? What if it's a detonator?" Zesh asked weary of the Lieutenant's actions.

"I doubt it, Private." Nova said unhooking it off the mini extended arm. "How many detonators have you seen with a speaker on it?"

"Hope you know what you're doing, sir." Ignoring his brother's concern, Vox watched Nova working out how to operate the communication device.

The Lieutenant clicked on the side buttons pushing on the bottom one first, receiving a burst of static and white noise from the speaker. Pressing on the top one instead the static disappeared and a silence took its place. He seemed to work out the speaker doubled as a microphone.

"Hello, who is this? Identify yourselves." Nova inquired neutrally to the person on the other end. Vox prayed to the Force, General Kenobi worshipped hoping this wouldn't turn out badly.

"This is Dana Rimando, I'm a representative of the United Nations Diplomatic Coalition. To whom am I speaking?"

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