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Star Wars: The Old Republic: The Mandalorian Wars
Chapter 18

The soft sound of night came in to Avner through the open window. A small breath escaped him as he rubbed his eyes. The others were sleeping, spread out through this building. He could sense a few below, on guard just in case. But Avner was awake, alone in a small room with his hood down and data-pads spread out around him.

Not even three hours ago, he'd managed to grab a transmission the Republic had intercepted from Mandalore to another group. Where it was going and for whom it was meant, Avner didn't know. He'd spent the last few hours doing nothing but decoding the transmission. Thanks to now having a basic understanding of the mandalorian language, he'd been able to get enough information from it to know Mandalore had sent a group to Telos to bring him a woman who lived there… or to kill her. Avner wasn't too certain about the details of it.

He shook his head, jarring himself from sleep. While he did have a long day tomorrow, he needed to get as much of this done as he could before helping the others. Or going off to this meeting Arkoh Adasca had planned. The problem was, Avner needed to know why Mandalore wanted this woman. To do so would mean either he or Alek would have to Telos which would then place them in the same situation that had happened on Suurja.

With what had happened in the weeks following Taris, Avner was even more uneasy about splitting up the group again. Given Taris and Serroco was bad enough but before even Serroco had happened Onderon had been attacked by those Mandalorians stationed on Dxun no doubt. Around the same time or just a little after Jebble had also fallen to the Mandalorians. Everywhere Avner looked the Republic was fighting losing battles. Now Nouane was under attack, perhaps by now it would have fallen as well.

Mandalore had pushed his forces forward at an alarming rate. The Republic was scrambling to try and keep some territory. Soon enough there would be a push and pull battle. But from what Avner had seen and felt through the force and could predict through what he'd seen of the battles so far, the Republic had several chances to win at the battles to come. All of them hinged on the who was the commander on either side. Cassus Fett and Mandalore the Ultimate were the two largest threats to the Republic. From what Avner had seen Cassus was a cold and calculating commander who had no problems with brutality. Avner didn't know much else rather than the man was able to over take much of the Republic systems that he'd been at with moderate ease.

There were very few admirals in the Republic who could match either Mandalore or Cassus… he actually doubted anyone could match Cassus given the battles the man had led. Mandalore on the other hand, that was a different story. It bugged Avner to no end that this new Mandalore was so different from the ones he'd read of in the histories. The man was breaking many traditions of the Mandalorian people, but at the same time was able to inspire all under him to follow without question… well nearly without question. The charisma this showed though, was troubling. Very troubling because it meant that no matter the command given his people would remain loyal to him which would explain Serroco.

Avner sighed and rubbed his eyes again. He was thinking too much on this right now. It wasn't his place to figure out every little detail such as how to defeat them. He was just one man, one Jedi who was more likely to be stripped of his lightsaber and force ability than to actually be able to help the Republic at this point. This was likely especially given the fact that Alek has just returned from Dantooine just before nightfall, with the Jedi who either had wanted to join or those who had listened to Alek and come along with them.

A knock sounded on the door, drawing Avner from his thoughts. He sensed it was just Alek on the other side. "Enter," Avner called.

Alek slipped into the room and the door closed behind him. "Aren't we planning on leaving this city soon?" he asked as he cast an eye over the mess here.

"Yes," Avner stated, "I'll have it picked up before we leave." He straightened in his seat. "Why are you still up?" he asked.

"I kept thinking about what this Arkoh Adasca sent us," he confessed as he moved some of the data-pads from the other seat in the room. "It doesn't seem real that those slugs could even exist in the first place. I don't want you going there alone, Avner."

Avner frowned. "I agree that Arkoh and his discovery are troubling especially the visions some in the group have had, but we can't just ignore the fact that he invited us."

"Invited you, you mean?" Both of Alek's eyebrows rose at this.

"There's a problem with that." Avner held out the data-pad for his friend to look at.

"Mandalore's after some random woman?" he asked. "I don't get it, who is she and why would he want her?"

"I don't know. I managed to get some information on her, but not much." Avner folded his fingers together and looked across the dark room at Alek. "Sera is a farmer on Telos IV which in and of itself wouldn't make her target. It's her connection to the Jedi that might be why Mandalore wants her."

"How is she connected to the Jedi?"

"Master Vrook Lamar gave her an identity here in the Republic. I managed to trace her back twenty-nine years, but before that there is nothing on her whatsoever. It's as if she just appeared out of nowhere. Odder still was that it was Master Marcus who requested she get an identity made."

"How far did you hack to get this information?" Malak asked, looking rather worried.

Avner winced at this. "Too far," he muttered. "For one I had to hack into the naval systems to get that," – he gestured to the data-pad – "then into Republic records. I'll state now if I'm ever caught I'll be in major trouble from the Republic and even deeper trouble from the Order."

"Then I really hope you don't get caught." Alek turned his attention back to the data-pad and frowned. "Wait, this is supposed to happen around the time you're supposed to meet with Arkoh Adasca."

"I know," Avner sighed and shook his head. "There in lies the problem. I can't go help her and to the meeting. Alek, could you head to Telos and make certain that nothing happens to her?" he asked.

At this Alek let out a short snort of laughter. "That sounds like too much sneaking around for my liking. I don't like diplomacy much either, but if it's a choice I'd take Arkoh's meeting over going to Telos. Besides, isn't Telos you're homeworld?"

Avner looked away from Alek. "It's the world I was found on, yes," he confirmed. "But before the Jedi found me there was no record that I had even been born. Which most likely means I was born beyond Republic controlled space."

"Which just means you can connect with this woman," Alek said with a grin. "You both appeared out of thin air!"

Avner couldn't help it, he laughed. "I guess we did at that. At least it will make for an interesting conversation topic," he joked. "On a more serious matter, if you're going to be going to the meeting, you need to know we've nothing to batter with if that is what Arkoh is after."

"I know."

"And, Alek, I sense there is more behind that meeting than we know. We can't be the only ones he invited and neither can the Republic."

Alek frowned at this. "You really think that he would invite Mandalore? He lives in a Republic controlled system."

"Which is relatively close to the front, a front that is moving all too quickly. Arkoh has more in mind than I care to think on right now. Just be prepared for anything that happens."

"So the two of us are going to be gone this time around," Alek started. "I take it we're leaving Darious and Kreia in charge then?"

"And Arren you mean," Avner stated with a look at his friend. "You really shouldn't keep calling her Kreia, Alek, she's not as bad as it seems."

"Right," Alek laughed, "and I should just forget all the arguments you two used to have."

Avner smiled at this. "I suppose not and I guess she doesn't care what you call her as long as it's nothing too disrespectful."

"Like old hag?"

"Alek!" Avner gave him a stern look. "Master Kae has sided with us on the matter of the war. I appreciate the fact she agrees with us."

"Fine, fine, but it doesn't make her any less of an old hag." Alek stood and stretched. "You should leave as soon as possible. Knowing you, you'll want to scout out every possible angle the mandies can take in their attack of this woman."

Avner nodded. "That's not the reason I need to leave tonight," he started as he stood. "I should go before most of the others awaken. With how large the group is, some might want to come with me."

"I'd agree with them. You're a good fighter and all, Avner, but with how large the group's gotten you need to be more careful."

Avner held up his hand to stop Alek from continuing on like this. "I can't walk around Telos as the Revanchist Leader, Alek. I'd draw too much attention and we'd never gain the information this mandalorian will have. I'm going as a knight of the Order to draw less attention. I can pretend to be heading for the academy on Telos if need be."

A small scowl appeared on Alek's features. "You mean Atris' academy."

"Yeah, unless there's another temple I don't know about."

"Just don't be seen by her, Avner, you know she'll try to drag you back to the council for punishment in defying them."

"I know. And I've no actual intentions of heading for the temple." Avner started out of the room with Alek following him. In tones barely more than a whisper he said, "I'm going to tell them to have Ferroh act as an advisor."

It didn't take the two of them long to find Darious then Master Kae and tell them what was going on. Darious was the most outspoken against it all, not liking the idea of the group splitting up again. It was Arren who calmed him down enough to let Avner go. By that point it was nearly sunrise.

A shadow crossed Avner's vision. He stopped just outside of the shuttle and glanced around. The darkness of the hours before pre-dawn was impossible to see through. He couldn't sense any danger either. He shrugged and boarded the shuttle. It was probably just an animal.

Before too long the stars of hyperspace were surrounding Avner. It was going to a long trip to Telos, but at least he had –

"So you are stealing one of the shuttles. What are you some Order spy?"

Avner jumped as a low hum of a lightsaber filled the cockpit. He turned and was met by a silver blade pointed at his neck. His eyes traced the blade to a long hilt normally seen with double-bladed 'sabers. At last his eyes locked onto the young woman who held the 'saber.

"I'm not stealing anything nor am I a spy," Avner stated in calm tones as he looked in her light blue eyes. Her dirty-blond hair was messy and appeared almost brown. The fact he didn't recognize her meant she was new to the group.

"You were leaving Cathar at night and sneaking aboard this shuttle. That proves you're a spy!" her eyes flashed a little determination.

"What? That proves I'm going somewhere," Avner laughed, "and doesn't prove I'm a spy or not."

"So you are a spy!" Her eyes narrowed with mistrust.

"Why would a spy be heading for Telos?" he countered.

"There's a temple there," she pointed out.

Avner sighed, but didn't move much. The heat of her blade was a warning that it still hovered close to his neck, closer than comfort. "You know, I always imagined it would be a member of the High Council who held a blade to my neck. Not a young knight," he mused. "And that it would be on the day that they dragged me from 'my instance on war' and banished me to edges of known space." All the while he said this he kept his voice light as if he were joking even though he really wasn't.

A frown appeared on her face. "Who are you?"

"Shouldn't you have asked that before drawing your lightsaber?" Avner asked with a small smile. "If you must know I am just a member of the Revanchists, nothing more or less. And I'm going to Telos because of a war related matter, it's what we do."

"How do I know that's the truth?"

Avner laughed again. He didn't know why but this entire situation felt ironic. "You're new to the group, am I right?"

"Yes," she admitted, "Alek just brought me and a few others in from Dantooine."

"Then there's your answer. Being new, you really shouldn't try jumping to conclusions so quickly. I am a Revanchist," as the group was now being called by the media, "and I am leaving so early so that the entire group doesn't leap on me for doing so, if you really must know."

"Why would they?" she demanded.

"That, young knight, is for you to figure out." Avner looked at the lightsaber. "Not that I mind having a lightsaber resting so close to my neck, but I'd rather not join the Force just yet."

She lowered the 'saber but didn't sheath it. "If I find you're lying," she started but let the threat hang. The blade went back into the 'saber with a soft sound. "So, why are we going to Telos?" She took the co-pilot's seat.

"We?" Both of Avner's eyebrows rose at this.

"I'm coming with you now unless you're planning on disobey the Revanchist and heading back to Cathar. I am right in assuming this mission was given to you by our leader, correct?"

Avner opened his mouth ready to tell the girl off.

"Correct. So I'm suck with you."

Again Avner was about to say something when the comm. went off. He let out a low breath. There is no emotion; there is peace, the opening phrase helped to calm him enough he could answer, "Yes?"

"There's a new recruit missing," Darious' voice came over the comm. "She's not with Alek, I just called him and he said he checked over the entire shuttle but she wasn't there."

"Does this recruit have light brown hair and blue eyes, is female and has a double-bladed lightsaber?" Avner asked, eying the girl out of the corner of his eye.

"Yes!" Darious exclaimed then stopped. "She's with you, isn't she?"

"Unfortunately."

"Are you going to head back?" Darious asked. "You did say that the more who came with you, the more likely it was you would attract attention."

Avner looked at the girl to see she was eyeing him closely now. Her eyes were sharp with suspicion. "I think one more won't hurt too much, Darious." He paused. "Keep comm. silence until further notice. Too much over them will alert the council that we've split up again." Or the Mandalorians. "Over and out." With that he cut the transmission.

"So you have the ear of one of the highest ranked in the group," the girl said at last. "I guess you're either a really good spy or as you said a member of the group."

Avner smiled at the girl. "I would never betray any of the Jedi on Cather or Alek," who wasn't on Cathar right then as it was. "What's your name?"

"You didn't give yours," she pointed out.

"True, but I don't mind being called 'hey, you.' I've a feeling you don't want to be call 'girl' or 'kid' or 'young Knight,'" he pointed out.

She frowned and glared at him. For several long moments she didn't speak until at last, "I'm Meetra Surik. And I'll just call you, geezer."

"Geezer! Hey, I'm not that much older than you."

Meetra smirked a little at this. "Then, if you don't want to be called Geezer, what's your name?"

Avner sighed. "You are a present one, aren't you?" He shook his head. "Call me what you will. I don't mind it." Much, he added to himself. In all honesty he doubted he was more than ten years older than this girl.

The silence stretched between them. Avner focused mainly on looking out at hyperspace. If not for the girl he would've been sleeping right then. But that was sort of not an option given she might put her 'saber though his heart while he slept. Well, he was assuming this because of the way she'd greeted him.

"So," Meetra broke the silence after a time, "why did you join up with the Revanchist Leader?"

Avner looked at her with one eyebrow raise. The question stuck him in such away that he couldn't find away to answer her. No one had ever asked him that before. Granted everyone he'd spoken with in the group knew him as the leader with or without his hood up, granted most didn't see him without his hood up.

"Something wrong?" Meetra asked.

"Err, no – yes," he corrected himself. "No one has ever asked me that before. The question just seems a little odd to hear."

"Really, because I asked another Jedi that earlier and he gave a straight answer right away? I figured everyone had their reason for following the Revanchist."

"What's yours then?" Avner asked.

Meetra blinked. "Fine, I'll tell you, but then you'd better answer as well." She waited until Avner at least nodded before she began, "Master Kavar is really the reason I joined."

"You know he apposes the idea of this group, right?"

"I know," Meetra was looking at the controls before her, eyes a little closed. "But since I was a youngling, Master Kavar has been there. In some sense he's the one who found me when I was just a little girl and brought me to the Order. He even trained me for a time." Her eyes shown a little at the thought of this, pushing aside the sorrow she'd shown moments before. "I always assumed if it came down to war Kavar would be the one leading us into battle. He never hesitated, never."

"You almost sound like you revere him," Avner stated. How in Galactic Republic had this girl managed to be trained by Kavar? Avner had been trying for years to get the master to train him in lightsaber forms and never came close to it.

"I don't," Meetra snapped. "He was just my mentor for many years. He used to tell me about the last war. I guess that and the fact he did help some in the earliest skirmishes and all of those people dying on the rim are the reasons I joined. I want to help save lives not watch as they're taken. Alek said we could make the difference even if the council doesn't want to act.

"If the Revanchist and his group manage to get into the war all the way, I want to be apart of it! Even if my being there doesn't make much of a difference, at least I tried to help all of those who are in need."

Avner looked away from her. He'd never thought on what was going through the younger members' minds. All this time he'd been focused completely on getting what was needed to enter the war even if he had to do it all alone. But Meetra was just as driven to fight in this war as he was.

"You're turn. Why did you join up with the Revanchist?"

For several long moments Avner hesitated before he confessed, "I didn't. It's rather hard to join up with yourself after all."

"Wait, what?"

Avner laughed at her reaction. It was understandable. "I can't really prove I'm him without Alek or someone else around, but I am the one who started the movement nearly three years ago… sort of." He paused. "Granted, it wasn't much of a movement until just under a year ago when more started to join us."

"So that's why," she started in an almost owed voice, "that's why you didn't give me your name."

"To state I really have a name would be a lie," Avner explained to her. "When I first joined the Order the masters did give me one, but it's never really been important to have a name for me. Besides as long as the message is clear and gets through I don't care what the media calls me."

"But why are you, the leader of the group, heading alone to Telos?" she demanded. "Shouldn't you have sent someone? I mean you're the leader."

"I've never really seen myself as the leader or not. They follow me, yes, and they insist on calling me Master when I am a knight, but I still try to pull my own weight in the group. Heading to Telos is just another part of what should be done."

"Why?"

"You ask a lot of questions," Avner said with amusement.

Meetra flushed a little at this.

"If you must know, I managed to decode a transmission that Mandalore had sent to a small group near Telos. The odd thing about it was, the transmission seems to have been kept from the majority of the Mandalorian force. So I am going to see if I can figure out why Mandalore wants the woman mentioned in the transmission."

"O-oh," she blinked, seeming taken aback by this. "Do you know where she lives on Telos?"

"I've a general location and will confirm it on landing," he told her. "Or we will."

"Have you ever been to Telos before… Master?" she asked.

Avner closed his eyes. "You could say I have. It is the planet the Jedi found me on as a child."

x – Twenty-nine years ago – x

Avner, before he'd been known as such, crouched at the edge of the grimy street. He was small even for a two-year old. His plain, gray colored clothes were tattered. His small hand rested on the wall and he watched the shop across from him. The enticing scent of freshly made food wafted from the shop to him. His stomach churned with hunger.

He couldn't remember the last time he's stomach hadn't been churning with hunger. The last thing he remembered was running after someone, trying to get them before his memory blanked out. When he'd come too, he'd been all alone in the plains. It'd taken him a few hours to reach this city and to follow his nose to this shop.

He narrowed his eyes. All right, it was now or never. He darted out from his hiding place and raced towards the shop. He stopped just outside and peered in through the door. There were tall people inside, all of them stuffing their faces.

Avner licked his lips. It all smelled so yummy. He crawled into the space and moved until he was under where most of the droids were coming from. He reached for the first piece of food he saw. Before he could touch it, a shout rang through space in an odd language.

His hand was swatted away from the plate. Fear leapt through his heart. It pulsed through him as a big alien turned on him. Avner scampered under the alien's legs and bolted for the door.

Several people were on their feet now. Avner forced himself to go faster and faster until he was running like he'd never run before in all his short hours of memory. He burst out into the street, stumbled a little before he took off once more.

He was going so fast he didn't notice another boy until it was too late. Pain shot through Avner as he bulled headlong into the other child. The two of them hit the ground and rolled several feet.

"Justin!" a girl shouted.

Avner was torn from the boy by another person who was too small to be grown. He cried out struggling against their hold.

A girl raced over to the sandy haired boy Avner must have hit. "Are you okay?" she asked, kneeling next to him.

"Y-yeah," the boy was sitting up, his voice unsteady and hand on his head. "I'm fine." He blinked and looked at Avner. "Zeel, it's fine, let him go." The language was familiar to Avner but he didn't know from where. Somehow he could understand them where he hadn't the man in the shop.

The moment Zeel released Avner he made to bolt again. Justin caught him this time.

"Slow down. We're not going to hurt you."

Avner screamed as he struggled against this boy's hold.

"We can help you," Justin continued, "just calm down! You must be hungry."

Avner stopped struggling at once. Food?

"You are, right? If you calm down, we'll take you to our hide out. There's plenty to eat there."

"Food?" he looked over his shoulder at Justin, right into the boy's light brown eyes.

"Yep, food!" Justin grinned at him.

"Promise?" Avner blinked up at Justin.

"Yep, promise!" Justin's grin widened a little and eyes seemed to sparkle with kindness.

"Justin, we're on a run we need food too," another boy voiced. This one had small horns poking through tufts of black hair. He was obliviously not human but his skin was light tan and eyes a bright green.

"We'll head back and get another group to head out with you, Zeel. This boy needs our help."

The girl smiled kindly at Avner. "I can take him, Justin. You two can get the food."

"All right, thanks, Sasha." Justin released Avner. "Go with her, she'll get you something to eat."

Avner nodded and took Sasha's offered hand. She couldn't be more than twelve or so by her height. So much older than he was and so much taller too.

"How old are you?" she asked as they started to walk.

Avner looked at his fingers before he held up two to her.

"You're very fast for a being only two. Where are your parents? Close to here?" She looked around as if expecting for his parents to appear out of nowhere.

"P-parents?" The word felt unfamiliar on his dry tongue. "What that?"

Her eyes softened as she looked down at him. "So you're an orphan like us." She placed her hand on his head. "Don't worry, we'll figure something out for you."

She led him through the city until they reached a rather run down looking area. There was building here that had been closed down. It didn't look very good either.

"This is home," Sasha told him as she led him to the alleyway. "And this is how you get in. She moved into through a small entrance that looked big enough for an adult to squeeze through if they were very thin. Avner followed her in.

The area that greeted him was wide and open. There were clothes everywhere and kids ranging from just around Sasha's age to a little older than Avner was. But none looked his age at all.

"All those of six and over stay with us," Sasha told him as he followed her further into the space. "Those younger go to the orphanage where they can get a family. There are too many of us for all of us to go. Justin made this place for us," she explained. She turned to him. "We'll get you feed then take you to the orphanage."

"No!" Avner raced away from her and hid behind a small pile near the door. He'd just found these people, they were nice. He didn't want to leave, no not one bit.

"You're too young, you need a nice home," Sasha followed him.

Avner squeezed into a small space. "Am not," he protested, "can help!" He glared at her through the darkness of the small space.

"I'll talk to Justin about it," she said in a low voice. "If you can help us then you can stay."

"I can run," Avner told her as he moved out of the hiding place. Somehow he knew she meant what she said. "I can run really, really fast."

She giggled. "I know, I saw." Her smile returned. "All right, you can stay. What's your name?"

He blinked at her. "N-name?" like Justin or Sash? He assumed, but he couldn't remember ever having a name, ever. "No name," he whispered. "Mean I can't stay?" he asked as he looked up at her.

"No name?" Sasha stared at him with her mouth a little open. "Hmm, well then we'll have to find you one that fits."

"He runs fast and is small." Zeel had just squeezed in through the entrance holding food in his arms.

"I take it he's staying, Sasha?" Justin asked as he came in also holding food.

Avner stared at the food, he'd never seen so much in who memory of life!

"He wants to," Sasha told Justin.

Justin turned to Avner. "Hmm, then what do you think of Little Runner for his size and speed?"

Little Runner? He looked up Justin. "Little Runner, my name?" he asked with wide eyes.

"If you like it," Justin said with a smile.

"Yeah!" Little Runner exclaimed.

(Author's Note: This is the end of re-post. I hope you guys enjoy the story. More to come and I am sorry for not having a new chapter right away for you guys. One will be coming!)