Chapter 34

The Art of Winging it

'Vokara Che…very interesting woman,' Naruto thought as he watched her from across the room.

Che was a Twi'lek female, roughly the same age as Obi-Wan, maybe a decade older. She carried herself with grace and authority, denoting an incredible inner strength. Tall and regal, with lush, leaf-green skin, and garbed in the robes of a Jedi header, she began to study him with a blunt, unhidden interest the moment he entered her small tent-turned-laboratory.

She and Obi-Wan obviously knew each other, and he knew by their interactions that they were definitely friends. The revered Jedi Master had explained to him that Master Che was perhaps one of the most experienced and talented healers in the Jedi Order, and for a long time was considered the senior healer of the old Jedi Temple's Halls of Healing on Coruscant during the entirety of the clone wars.

She was one of the few senior Jedi that Shaak Ti was able to escape with during the massacre of the Jedi temple, but not before they gathered six terrified Padawan learners and eighteen younglings. They had escaped through the underground catacombs far below the temple mere moments before Darth Vader and the Empire's troops could reach them.

Obi-Wan introduced the two, and quick greetings were made before the Negotiator informed the Chief Healer as to why they were there. She had done all of the research anyway, but she seemed to want Obi-Wan to understand that she was a healer first and foremost, while the role of scientist came a distant second.

She also looked tired, having heavy dark circles and bags under her eyes. Several empty cups of caff on her main desk was also an obvious indicator that this woman had been pushing herself beyond normal humanoid limits. Naruto guessed that she hadn't slept in at least a few days. If what he heard was correct, she was one of a tiny number of healers who survived the massacre. Out of the three hundred odd Jedi present only a half dozen of those were healers.

"We can come back later, Master Che," Obi-Wan said hesitantly, worry for his colleague evident, "It's a bit evident to us that you require rest."

"There is too much to do at the moment, Master Kenobi," the Twi'lek healer replied with a wave of her hand, "Sleep is for the dead, and there are plenty among the living who require my help."

Obi-Wan frowned, but said nothing else. Naruto saw the same staunch determination and lack of fear in her that he saw in many of the more seasoned Jedi, coupled alongside their over-the-top work ethic, demonstrated in their willingness to work themselves into the ground. He was already planning three perfectly applicable scenarios to force her into a sleeping trance, but decided to lay off the potential assault for now.

"What have you been able to find, Master Che, about the relationship between the Force and chakra?" Naruto asked with respect in his tone. He had a feeling that if he tried to speak to her in his usual blunt and irritable manor she would either snap at him…or in the worst case scenario…pull out her lightsaber and try to lop his head off.

She sighed as she studied Naruto closely, "My findings, while somewhat lacking at the moment, given the level of technology we have to work with, tell me that both the Force and the chakra circulatory system are two completely different entities. This chakra circulatory system is unlike anything I have ever seen before; it's so miniscule that I wouldn't be able to find it unless I knew what I was looking for."

"Is there a resemblance, or maybe a link between the Force and this system?" Obi-Wan asked.

"No, there isn't," Vokara replied after a moment of silence and a sigh, "I have gone through all of the data, cross-referenced it with all of the information at my disposal, and I have found nothing quite like it before. It is completely separate from the Force, in some ways it is the complete opposite, an interior energy source originating from the body; the complete opposite of the Force in almost every plausible way."

Both Naruto and Obi-Wan went into deep thought over this discovery, each of them mulling over the information they had just been given. Finally Obi-Wan spoke up, "Have you checked the blood work of the Jedi here to see if they have this chakra network?"

"I have. The results are inconclusive given the number of subjects, but I do have some theories," Che explained, waiting for both Naruto and Obi-Wan to lean forward in interest before she continued, "Out of the two hundred and sixty three Jedi I have tested only one in every twenty have a usable chakra circulatory system, of these subjects all of them are either human or classed as humanoid. I have found no evidence of this system inside any reptilian, amphibian, or insectoid sentient being."

This was indeed information to mull over. Chakra was definitely something that was completely different from the Force, something none of them had ever heard of before, and yet it carried with it the potential for power which could match the abilities of Force users. Obi-Wan mulled over this information for several moments with his arms folded and his eyes closed.

Upon being unable to ascertain anymore from the current level of information he had on hand, he opened his eyes and queried the healer, "What of Naruto - have you checked his blood for a midi-chlorian count?"

"I have," the healer replied with a nod, "His midi-chlorian count is normal - two, maybe three thousand, not nearly strong enough for him to have any remarkable ability to utilise the Force. He has very little ability or talent in it whatsoever."

Obi-wan thought this through, before turning to Naruto with a small smile, "Disappointed?"

Naruto shrugged, "Not really, I'm already super powered enough without the ability to hurl someone through a wall or crush their windpipe with a flexing of my hand."

"Good to know," Obi-Wan responded with an amused smirk, "Considering your inability to remain still for long, you would make a lousy Jedi, anyway."

"Yeah, that's true enough," Naruto replied with a laugh before turning his attention back to Vokara, "Although, I do have one experiment I would like to put through to you, Healer Che."

The Twi'lek healer paid attention to the man's statement, leaning forward slightly to give Naruto her undivided attention, "Go on."

"I have this special phase I can go into, called Sage Mode. I have heard from a few Jedi friends of mine that it increases my ability with the Force. I would like to test it, if I may," Naruto suggested.

"It can be done. Give me a moment so that I can set something up," she replied as she rose to her feet, and made her way to the side of the tent, "I may need some help setting up this machinery."

After a moment of turning on a few computers and picking up a blood-sampler from her desk, the Jedi healer returned, looking at Naruto critically for a moment, "You may begin."

Naruto nodded, took a deep breath and concentrated his chakra, bringing him into Sage Mode. The two masters watched as his eyelids turned red, and when he opened his eyes again they were golden in colour with bar shaped pupils. Obi-Wan and Vokara could already feel the very air around them become heavy.

No words were spoken as the healer stepped forward, pressing the sampler against Naruto's exposed arm and taking the necessary blood she needed for the test. She nodded to him, a silent assurance that he could end the technique, which Naruto did with a deep breath. She shared a look with Obi-wan, before moving to the small data-pad she had switched on, placing the blood sample into the slot.

She studied the information, and her eyes widened slightly in surprise, "It can't be."

"Master Che?" Obi-wan inquired.

"His midi-chlorian levels, they've risen," the healer mumbled as she turned to face the two, "It's over ten thousand."

"Ten thousand?" Obi-Wan asked in evident surprise, "That's about the same level as your average fully trained Jedi knight isn't it?"

"Indeed it is."

"I'm lost here, you two," Naruto mumbled with a slight frown.

"We're talking about the number of midi-chlorians in your blood stream," Obi-Wan informed him, "You see, midi-chlorians are microscopic organisms, much like the symbiotic bacteria found in every living being. Everyone has them to some degree or another, and the more a person has in their body, the stronger their connection with the Force can potentially become. Most people would have an average count of two to three thousand, however Jedi and Sith would have them in far greater numbers. The minimum for training would be seven thousand, and the average count for a fully-trained Jedi is ten thousand."

"Perhaps when he goes into this Sage Mode state, it increases the number of midi-chlorians in his system, acting as…an accelerant of some kind, maybe?" Master Che considered in deep thought, watching the screen of her data-pad, noting that as the seconds ticked by, the number of midi-chlorians in the sample began to fall, "When he goes into this Sage Mode his midi-chlorian count explodes, and then once he deactivates the technique the numbers decline again. This is fascinating."

"Exactly what does Sage Mode do, Naruto?" Obi-Wan asked thoughtfully.

"While in the state, I gain a dramatic increase in my speed, strength, stamina, reflexes and durability. My Jutsu become more powerful, I can harness the natural energy around me into an extension of my body which allows the range of my attacks to increase, and finally, I gain a sixth sense where I can sense the chakra around me to a certain range," Naruto counted this off, remembering faintly the lessons he received from the Toad sages on the subject. He looked on as the two Jedi listened intently, the gears in their heads turning as they processed the information he was supplying.

"I think we should put this to the test," Che said, tiredness from before replaced with an insatiable curiosity. "Naruto, can you activate this Sage Mode again please?"

Naruto shrugged and did so, regaining his toad-like features from before. The Jedi healer looked around, before looking at her data-pad and placing it on the table. "I want you to close your eyes and concentrate on this data-pad. Imagine the data-pad floating into the air. Don't allow your mind to wander from that image."

Naruto pictured the data-pad in his mind, pictured the table it was sitting on, keeping the image firmly in place. He then imagined it rising from the surface, slowly but surely until it was floating a couple of feet above the fold-out piece of furniture. He kept that image in his mind, hearing nothing but silence in the room.

"Well?"

The two Jedi watched in a stunned silence as the data-pad rose from the desk, shaky and with little control, but it did slowly rise from the surface of the table. Master Che took a step forward, and caught the small machine in her slender hand before looking back to Naruto with an appraising look. "Very good, Naruto! This proves my hypothesis about your Sage Mode – somehow, you're borrowing midi-chlorians from everything around you. In essence, the natural energy you are able to draw into your body is, in fact, the Living Force."

"I did it, then?" Naruto asked somewhat excitedly as he opened his eyes, the facial signs of his elevated trance vanishing as he released his hold on the technique.

"Yes, you did," Che said with a smile, "Well done, but don't let it go to your head. A youngling can do that as well."

"Way to kill the vibe," Naruto murmured in a deadpan.

She ignored his remark as she began entering notes into her data-pad, no longer looking at Naruto or Obi-Wan as she worked, "This is fascinating, very fascinating, and something that needs to be looked into further and with more detail. There are other more pressing matters to tend to at the moment, but when I get some free time I will definitely be looking further into this."

"I take it that's our cue to leave?" Naruto asked Obi-Wan, who did a very un-Jedi like shrug.

"Pretty much; Master Che can be rather abrupt," he replied before offering the healer a brief bow, "Thank you for your time, Master Che."

"Mm-hmm," she responded as she picked up her data-pad and began typing in commands, processing all of the new information in her head as she catalogued what they had just seen, "You are a very interesting young man, Naruto Uzumaki, and your abilities are quite unique. I will need to investigate into this further, but not now."

The Jedi and Shinobi bowed their heads, which the healer responded to in kind, before turning to leave the tent. Once outside in the open air, Naruto stretched and took a deep breath, releasing it with a contented sigh, "Good to be out of there."

Obi-Wan raised a brow in his direction, "She can be a little whimsical and abrupt, but I didn't think Master Che made you that uncomfortable."

"Oh no, it's not her; she's nice enough," Naruto replied, clasping his hands behind his head as he walked, "It's just that me and hospitals don't mix, is all."

"I see," Obi-Wan allowed.

There was a companionable silence between them for a long moment before Naruto intervened, looking around at the activity which was going on all morning, "I'm guessing the Conclave is just about over, huh?"

"More or less," Obi-Wan nodded, looking around in time to see that the tents and equipment were already starting to be taken down and stored away, "It's time we scatter for a while. We've been here for too long and in too great a number to continue unnoticed. The Wookiees have been more than generous in keeping this meeting a secret, but we will not allow them to take the Empire's wrath again. Not for us."

Naruto nodded in agreement. The Wookiees had suffered greatly since they let their disagreement with the Empire be known, harbouring Jedi fugitives and being targeted by both the Imperial Army and Navy as a result. From what he had read, the insurrection had wrought a heavy price to the proud people: tens of thousands died in the carnage and ten times that many were enslaved by the Empire's legalised slave traders in the aftermath.

"A delegation is setting up a meeting with the ARC Troopers to discuss our proposed alliance…" Obi-Wan informed, "…and the council has agreed with your assertion that the Jedi should split into small groups of three or four rather than going it alone. There may not be safety in large numbers, but there is safety in a small group."

"Good to hear…" Naruto nodded, as he raised a dubious eyebrow to the Jedi Master, "…but you're still going to go it alone aren't you?"

Obi-Wan chuckled, "I find it quite worrisome that you know me so well already."

"Why go it alone?"

"Best that's kept secret," Obi-Wan responded, "With time I'll tell you, but just know for now that it is something important."

"The silent guardian," Naruto murmured before looking up to the sky, mostly hidden by the canopy, "Don't become a hermit. You're too young for it."

Obi-Wan chuckled again, "I'll be sure to venture from my cave every once in a while. What are you going to do?"

Naruto wasn't caught off guard by the question, "Travel for now, do what good we can and try and help the Jedi along the way. It's too early to make any moves, so keep moving and don't draw attention."

Obi-Wan sighed, "The new way of the Jedi."

"Only for now," Naruto replied, placing a hand on his new friend's shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze, "Your time to rise again will come, just like your time to walk into the sunlight and breathe free air will. For now, patience is what is needed."

Obi-Wan blinked, and then flashed him a wry smile, "You've been around us Jedi for far too long."

Naruto laughed, "No kidding. Do you have the information I requested as well?"

Obi-Wan reached into the folds of his robe and pulled out a small datapad, "It took some doing, but I was able to find what you were looking for. It seems a little too hot, considering what you said a few moments ago."

"Eh, I only said that the Jedishould lay low. Me and mine are technically no longer Jedi and the men Rex is recruiting are still considered rogue Clone Troopers."

"True. If you can pull this off, it'll bring a good amount of manpower into the fray, and a lot of them would be more than happy to work with us, but from what my source says, a good amount of these prisoners are Confederate troops and officers, and then there's the fact that one of the last still-active Confederate armadas is going to hit this planet with everything they've got-"

"Right into an Imperial ambush," Naruto finished as he scanned the screen. "At least three Superiority fleets will be lying in wait for them. Why is there even a Confederate armada coming to this planet? Seems a little extreme for a handful of officers, doesn't it?"

"Not just a couple of officers. They're also coming for a battalion's worth of flesh and blood soldiers and the real bait," Obi-Wan took the data-pad from Naruto, pushed a few buttons then gave it back. On the screen were two profiles side by side: pictures of a Neimoidion and a Muun, "This is Director Ruk Sull, acting head of Confederate Intelligence, and this is Admiral Nath Swell, one of the last decent Sep military strategists that hasn't been killed or imprisoned…yet."

"So that's why they're coming here," Naruto frowned before looking up at the Jedi Master, "They've got to know it's a trap."

"The Commander of that fleet knows it's a trap, but he's willing to spring it for these men. That's how desperate they are," The Negotiator explained as Naruto handed him the datapad, "Sull still has considerable espionage and spying networks under his command, and most of the fleet coming was under Swell's command. They're loyal to him, to a fault."

Jabba the Hutt never really embraced the title of gangster; he felt such a title greatly diminished his personal stature and reputation. The Hutt considered himself to be more of…an entrepreneur who was very good at his business. He was the undisputed master of his domain, his holdings making him one of the most powerful underworld crime lords in the galaxy.

However, no matter how powerful he might be, he knew he was no match against the pale blue-hued holographic image flickering right in the middle of the dark chamber of his palace. The man before him controlled everything outside of his domain, and to be honest, if he wanted too, he could control everything, period.

"I am in need of your vast network of elite bounty hunters, mercenaries, information brokers and spies who operate from the Outer Rim," the Emperor spoke the words with authority, his black hood enshrouding his withered, decrepit features from the crime lord, "I am searching for a single man, all information you require will be sent to you. We believe he is currently in hiding in the Outer Rim Territories. You may use any means at your disposal, but I want him alive."

In the entirety of the galaxy, only one man could summon and deliver a direct order to Jabba Desilijic Tiure, leader of the Clan of Desirabilia, the most notorious and powerful Hutt clan in the galaxy.

The large Hutt grumbled, reaching over to grab a Bortha-slug to eat as he considered his options, however few they were. This man/Emperor/Sith Lord, or whatever he called himself now, had the power to wipe him and his entire cartel off the face of the galaxy. His protocol droid, standing to the side of his throne, translated for him as he spoke, "Why should I risk my operatives when you have the entirety of the Imperial military at your disposal?"

The head of the holographic image rose slightly, showing eyes which glowed through even the hazy image answering in a dark, threatening tone, "Because I told you to."

Jabba mulled these words over in his mind, his eyes lazily moving to his right. His gaze rested upon the form of Bib Fortuna, his Twi'lek chief aide, and two bounty hunters whom he considered the most elite in his employ, including the former Jedi turned assassin Aurra Sing. Turning his gaze to his left, he gazed upon another half dozen of his most prized mercenaries, including a young Mandalorian who showed plenty of promise, Boba Fett.

"This man," the Hutt spoke up after a moment of silence. "Who is he... and might I ask why you want him so badly?"

"No," was the Emperor's reply. It was cold, dark and utterly final. Jabba the Hutt was a master of strategy and negotiation. He knew how to play all of the angles, read his opponents and gain the best possible business outcome. The Hutt clans had operated for millennia, surviving through each Sith and Jedi war since their ancestors emerged from their ancient and lost home worlds thousands upon thousands of years ago. He was sure that his people would survive this resurgent Sith regime as well, but only if they didn't become enemies of the Empire and of this man.

"I will place a high level bounty on his head at once," he told the Emperor with great respect, however begrudging it was.

"Good, good," the Emperor nodded, raising his head enough for the shadows to recede and show his withered, scarred features to the Hutt. "Make this your main priority, Jabba. I want this man found without delay. It would be a shame if an Armada of Star Destroyers turned the surface of your home worlds into nothing but shattered glass."

"Yes," the Hutt replied grimly, "It would be a true shame."

The Emperor did not reply, for his image had already flickered and faded from the darkened audience chamber, leaving the crime lord alone with his aides and chief bounty hunters. As always the Emperor liked to remind him and those like him of his immense power, but there was more to it than that…and Jabba, ever patient, could see it.

He laughed loudly, full body quivering and tail wagging from side to side, "This man, whoever he is, has him worried – maybe even a bit frightened. He must be powerful indeed to achieve this."

"Mighty Jabba," Fortuna spoke up, leaning in to speak to his superior, "Are we truly going to hunt for this man?"

"I have no interest in giving Palpatine an excuse to raze my domains to glass. Send word to every information broker and bounty hunter worth his salt to begin searching for this human. Leave no stone unturned and no lead unchecked," Jabba ordered with a grunt, "Even if all of the Hutt clans united; they would not be a match for the might of the Imperial war machine. For now we must be patient, and wait. The Sith will dig their own graves in time, as they have always done."

The Hutt had been misleading to the Emperor, if only slightly. He knew something of the man Palpatine was searching for, mainly that he had fought Darth Vader at least twice and lived both times. This told Jabba that the man was either very skilled, very lucky, or both. Considering the rumours going around within the underworld, and the Emperor's apparent worry, Jabba found himself inclined to believe that this Naruto Uzumaki individual was a man of near-unmatchable skill…and luck probably had very little to do with his survival. He would have to operate very carefully in order to track the man down.

After a few moments of pondering the situation, he turned his head to his youngest agent, "You have faced him yourself, young Fett."

"Yes," was the young Mandalorian's reply.

"What did you make of him?"

"He is skilled - very skilled, and quite powerful," Fett answered after a moment's thought, "He had received training in a warrior culture since his youth, and his skills and reflexes have been honed by years of experience and training. He is the first opponent I fought against whom I knew I couldn't defeat…and I've taken down a few Jedi, myself."

The Hutt laughed heartily, "Now that is interesting. I find myself fascinated by this human. All of you will take to the hunt. Use your contacts and skills to find this man and bring him to me, alive and not permanently damaged."

Aurra Sing's eyes glowed, "My usual fee, I presume?"

"Triple your usual fee, my dear…and that goes for the rest of you as well if you can bring him in alive, no disintegration."

"What about any companions?" Boosk, another of his elite agents enquired, "I doubt he travels alone."

"He doesn't," Fett replied, eyeing the Trandoshan critically for a long moment, "He was travelling with a Twi'lek Jedi the last time I crossed paths with him. The two of them seemed to be…rather close."

"A Jedi…hmm, that will make things a little more difficult," Dannik Jerriko, an Anzati assassin added wryly, "Especially one who has survived Order Sixty-Six for so long. Only the most powerful and tenacious of the Jedi Order were able to survive the purge, after all."

"Jedi are indeed tenacious, but rest assured Jerriko, that they are not invincible," Jabba informed as he relaxed into his throne, reaching over to grab another squirming bortha-slug and placing it into his mouth with a satisfying crunch, "Jedi can be smart, tactical, and as scheming as the best of them, but they are also predictable once one has dealt with them for long enough. I would rather deal with Jedi than Sith; at least Jedi attempt negotiation with reason and intellect rather than mindless violence and intimidation."

"I will never trust Jedi," Boba stated simply. His confrontation with Naruto so many months ago had quelled his hatred for them, but he would still never trust them, and if enough credits were placed on the table he would join the hunt for one, such as now. It was just business, after all.

"Because one of them killed your father, you now wish to eradicate all of them?" Jabba asked with a bout of deep laughter, "A true cycle of cause and effect, hatred breeding violence. Listen to me boy, and listen well. In my long life, I have learned to remove rage, pride, and ego from my business dealing, as they do nothing but get in the way of profits. Remember this, always, young Fett: Business is never personal."

Aayla Secura was never one for nostalgia. When she was still a Padawan, Master Tholme would chide her for worrying too much about the past, and about fretting over things one could not change. The wizened old master had always tried to teach the former Jedi to look to the present, and leave the past behind her like it was meant to be. One cannot change the past; one could only learn from it.

Still, looking out the view-screen of her former master's solar barge, taking in the form of the rogue Star Destroyer, still painted bone white with traces of gold and royal red, reminded her of a time when the Republic was still there. In those days, the thought of a galactic empire seemed almost ludicrous! Nobody would have believed that such a thing would come to be…and yet here she was with her former brethren – fighting and dying for an institution they believed in with all their hearts and souls.

It was a reminder of more stable, more certain times.

It was a reminder of just how beaten they actually were, even before Order Sixty-Six was enacted, and probably even before the Clone Wars officially began.

The Refuge stood out in the starry darkness of space, a spear-shaped silhouette in the backdrop of countless twinkling lights, a fortress against the void of darkness and nothingness which would kill any naturally born creature, and from now on it would be their fortress, their place of safety. As the small flotilla of freighters, fighters and gunships exited hyperspace at the meeting point, Aayla supped that such was probably the opinion of each and every Jedi who looked upon this Star Destroyer.

"You seem deep in thought, Aayla."

Her former teacher's words caught her ever so slightly by surprise and she looked over to see Tholme looking back from the pilot's chair, a knowing smile on his features, "How many times do I need to tell you? One cannot change the past; one can only learn from it."

Aayla shook her head slightly, "I apologise, Master Tholme."

The wizened old man chuckled, "I haven't been your master for some time, Aayla."

Ahead of them was the form of Master Yoda's small vessel, a Delta 7 Aethersprite he had commandeered before coming to Kashyyyk. It led the small pack of ragtag vessels towards the huge form of the Star Destroyer, and the confirmation to land blared through the flotilla's comlinks on the secure frequency they had all been given, as well as their place of berth on the main hangar deck and the order in which they would enter.

Yoda's little fighter was the first to break through the deflector shields protecting the main hangar from vacuum, followed by those Jedi who had escaped with fighter-sized craft. Some were Delta 7's like the Grand Master, while others were newer Eta-2 Interceptors, while still others piloted ARC-170'S, V-19 Torrents, and even a couple of newer V-wings.

Once the all-clear was discretely given, the next wave of vessels entered the main hangar, mainly small freighters and gunships like the one Aayla was currently on. The third wave, which consisted of two one-hundred-and-fifteen-meter-long Consular-classCruisers, would not be entering the hangar, as there simply was not enough room, but instead would dock on the exterior docking bays of the carrier, unloading their passengers of younglings and their caretakers.

The second their ship entered the hangar, Aayla was reminded of just how thorough and precise Clone commanders could be. Starships were being landed in position in the centre of the hangar, guided by select clone troopers armed with nothing more than lamps as they guided the individual ships to their designated places of berth. Within moments of entering the landing bay, their small freighter was gently guided to its place and touched down with the minimum of trouble.

Tholme deactivated the engines as Aayla undid her crash webbing and got to her feet, turning around to see T'ra Saa and Ahsoka doing the same. The small group of four moved through the corridor between the cockpit and the main body of the ship, meeting with the handful of passengers they had ferried here, mainly a small group of younglings and their chaperone, before moving together to the ramp way.

The scene outside was a scene of crowded chaos. Jedi of all ranks, ages and races were milling about as they disembarked from their ships. The younglings and Padawans under a certain age were being protected by a ring of Jedi Knights, whose eyes darting left and right warily in search for even the slightest potential threat or hint of betrayal. About a dozen clones were standing to the side, lacking their main rifles but armed with combat knives and hold-out blasters, all holstered to their utility belts. Aayla could feel the same rigid attention from them that she did in her fellow Jedi: an overall atmosphere of paranoia and mistrust in which the tension was so thick that it could be cut with a knife.

It was not the most promising start she had ever seen.

She noticed Yoda walking away from the main group, leaning heavily on his gimmer stick as he was flanked by Masters Shaak Ti and Obi-Wan Kenobi, the now official second and third in command of the reshuffled Jedi High Council. Walking out to meet them was an older clone whose black hair was streaked with silver. He was dressed in old, chipped ARC armour and was equipped with a modified blaster pistol at his thigh. It didn't take the former Jedi long to figure out that this one was Alpha, the impromptu commander of this ragtag band of rogue turncoat clones.

Words were exchanged between the three Jedi and the elder ARC Trooper, before he led the three highest ranking survivors away from the main group, no doubt to a small meeting chamber so they could hash out the particulars of this new partnership. Aayla supposed she should have been worried, but she wasn't. Obi-Wan and Alpha were old war buddies who had known each other since just after the Clone Wars started. Shaak Ti also knew the elder trooper, though apparently nowhere near as well.

"Let's hope this isn't a trap," Aayla heard the caretaker of the younglings utter under her breathe.

"It's not," she replied, looking over at the small cluster of clones milling about at the other end of the hanger, "If it was, they could have hit us at Kashyyyk with the element of surprise on their side, and we wouldn't have been able to do a thing."

She was right; with these weapons and the know-how of the ARC Troopers and Commandos, they could have jumped into high orbit at Kashyyyk, found the enclave and performed an orbital bombardment which would have blasted their entire camp into craters of dust and nothing else, disappearing again before the Imperial taskforce could move to stop them, that was just how frighteningly precise and efficient clones of that profession were.

If clones of this strength and skill were on their side, then it was all the better for them. Clone Commandos and their predecessor ARC Troopers were considered to be some of the most well-trained and deadliest soldiers in the known galaxy. Their skills were regarded with reverence, awe and fear throughout what was now Imperial space, as well as throughout the Outer Rim.

The descendants of the infamous Mandalorian warriors, known as perhaps the only order who could fight the likes of the Jedi and the Sith on equal footing, not from the powers of the force but from their martial prowess, knowledge of weapons and their survival instincts to fight until death took them.

It would be a great asset to have such warriors on their side.

Aayla only hoped the meeting went as planned.

"Naruto?"

"Yes, Rex."

"I have a problem with this plan."

"The plan is perfect," Naruto said simply.

"Except for a few… glaring details. Would you like to know these details?"

"Eh, we have a few minutes."

"Your plan…and believe me I use the word plan very, veryloosely…" Rex began, looking over at the pilot from the co-pilots chair, "…your plan is to go into a warzone with no support other than this little freighter, pass by a full blown space battle between the Empire and one of the last and strongest remnants of the old Confederate navy, land on a planet which is nearly completely under Imperial control and rescue a number of slaves?"

"Your point is?" Naruto asked.

"This is not a plan."

"No?"

"It's suicide."

"That is your opinion."

"My professional opinion…and I would just like to once again state my strong feelings against this…mission."

"Once again Rex, my friend, your objections have been noted and filed."

Rex responded with a deadpan, "I would like to see a copy of my noted objection, please."

Naruto simply responded dismissively, though not without a glint of amusement in his eye, "Yeah, I'll get right on that."

"Even if your insane plan does work, and I emphasize the word insane, how will you convince Confederate prisoners to abandon their home planets and join with their former enemies?" Rex responded with annoyance. It seemed that the very idea was giving Rex a huge headache, because he was massaging his brow as he fell into his chair, "Let's face it: the Jedi and the Separatists aren't exactly buddies at the moment; they've been killing each other quite indiscriminately for three whole years."

Naruto opened his mouth to reply, closed it, took on a thoughtful expression, and then raised his hand to scratch the back of his head with a sheepish grin, "I'm still working on that part."

Rex blinked, twice, "You're about to undertake in an important military operation, and you haven't even planned out the most important goal?"

"I'm going to wing it," Naruto shrugged, noticing Rex's eyes widen in pure disbelief and just a hint of horror.

"You're going to…Naruto, man, you can't go into an important military and diplomatic mission with that type of mindset," Rex felt like he was about to collapse from the sheer amount of unwelcome information he was receiving, "You are undertaking a mission which could mean the survival or near annihilation of us as an entity and you're going to just…wing it?"

"Why not? It's worked well for me so far."

"That doesn't work for a combat mission, Naruto!" Rex nearly shouted.

"Arrival in ten seconds," Naruto chirped, reaching for the communicator and pushing the broadcast button to the rest of their group in the back. "Everyone strap in. We're about to enter the contested zone."

"We're going to die," Rex murmured in pure numb shock, "We're all, seriously, going to die."

"The comm's still on, Rex," Naruto rebuked with a frown.

"I know. I just wanted to get that into the open."

"Oh, would you stop with the defeatist attitude?" Naruto grumbled as he grabbed the hyperdrive lever and pulled it back, bringing the Will of Fireback into real-space with a slight shudder, "We are not going to WHOOAAH WE'RE GONNA DIE!"

Rex's own eyes starred at the scene with the same sudden fear in them, even as the blond-haired Captain pulled back hard on the control yoke to bring the freighter into a steep climb. Ahead of them and closing fast was a Confederate Cruiser, Providence-class, its armoured hull peppered with explosions as it slowly broke apart under a withering volley of weapons fire from an as-yet unidentified source. The scene completely overtook the view-screen and even Rex knew that they were perilously close.

Then the scene of destruction gave way to the starry darkness as the Will of Fire missed the dying warship by almost three meters. What welcomed them was a scene of carnage and destruction Rex had come to know as close quarter's space combat. Separatist capital ships and escorts were mingled with the blade shaped forms of Star Destroyers and their own pickets, blasting away at each other with salvos of weapons fire. Blue, green and crimson streaks lit up the deep abyss of space as hordes of starfighters and drones swarmed through each other, small explosions riddling the starscape from exploding ordinance and detonating fighters.

Once clear of the dying ship, Naruto once again pressed the key on the ships internal comlink, eyes wide and voice coming out as a surprised fast jumble of words, "Ladies and gentlemen, if you haven't strapped yourselves in yet, please do so right now. We are about to experience mild turbulence and…explode."

"I don't want to explode," Rex said simply.

"Neither do I," Naruto replied, taking his hands off the control yoke just long enough to crack his knuckles before grabbing the yoke once again, "Time for some extreme evasive manoeuvres, if you don't mind."

"Please do."

Naruto's first move was to bring the freighter into a sudden barrel roll, missing a small salvo of blaster fire as a duo of ARC-170's fell in behind them, laser cannons on the tips of their wings unleashing a continuous, merciless barrage upon the disc shaped form of their vessel. Naruto weaved right, and then another barrel roll, bringing them over another discharge of crimson laserfire as the two Imperial fighters doggedly gave chase.

"I need a few volunteers to man the gun turrets!"

"Well you have no shortage of that," Rex grinned as he tightened his own crash webbing, "There are a dozen Commandos back there climbing up the walls of your ready room, might be better to choose a few instead."

"Good point," Naruto grinned as he brought the freighter into a sudden spinning turn, narrowly missing yet another salvo, "Another two have caught on to us and are giving chase. We need to shake them off. Rex, use the comm. You know most of them back there. Choose two good gunners for me, would you?"

"With pleasure," Rex replied before hitting the receiver switcher on the internal comm., "We need people on the guns! Flask, Rep, that means you two! Shoot down anything that even gets close to us!"

"Shit," Naruto swore quietly under his breath and he brought the freighter into a steep dive, "Now we have another three coming in, looks like V-wings."

"So we do," Rex agreed as he himself surveyed the sensors, eyes narrowing, "Another six fighters are coming in from ahead, and a frigate sized vessel as well. It's confirmed as a Munificent-class."

"Separatist, right?"

"Yeah."

"Full speed ahead," Naruto called as he brought the throttle forward to its maximum speed, a sudden lurch pushed both pilot and co-pilot into their bucket seats, "This has to be timed right. If we can pass them, then they'll clash with the Imperials behind us."

"If that Frigate's cannons don't destroy us first," Rex growled, already hearing the telltale sounds of blaster turret fire from behind him, and confirming that his two chosen gunners had made it to their stations and were even now laying down covering fire against the enemy craft behind them. Alarm claxons blared, bringing a new threat to the former Republic Commanders notice, "We got incoming."

It came from below, a Venator-class Star Destroyer seemed to pierce their view screen, followed mere moments later by a Providence-class Cruiser, both capital ships were side by side, moving in the same direction and pounding each other with point blank heavy turbolaser fire. The Star Destroyer was winning the engagement, yet taking considerable damage itself.

Naruto grinned and gunned the engines. The Will of Fire plunged headlong towards the incoming duelling cruisers, the near squadron's worth of Imperial fighters and bombers following them like a pack of rabid dogs, streams of weapons fire flashed from the ventral and dorsal gun turrets, stopping their pursuers from getting a direct lock on them.

One of the red blips blinked out, followed by a whoop of delight from the internal comm, "Oh yeah got one!"

"Shit now I have to get one too!"

"It seems that Flask got himself a kill."

Naruto didn't respond to Rex's remark. He narrowed his eyes, waiting for a handful of heartbeats as the imposing form of the duelling cruisers came closer and closer with almost explosive speed. He licked his lips then pulled hard on the control yoke, bringing the freighter into a steep climb and levelling it off against the ventral hull of the Providence Cruiser, path right across the kill zone to the ventral axis of the Star Destroyer, "This is going to be rough. Rex, divert all non-essential power to the shields!"

"Already done," the former commander replied, hands dancing across the control panel on his side of the console. The lights of the cockpit flickered for a few seconds before shutting down entirely, "It's done, even with that much power the shields will only be able to take two direct hits from a main Turbolaser battery."

"Well, if there was ever a time to put your faith into my fluky-ass piloting skills, I'd guess it would be right now," Naruto grinned sombrely as he once again gunned the engines, bringing his freighter back to its full speed, the six Imperial craft directly behind them and closing fast, "Hang on to your lunch!"

"Good thing I never had lunch," Rex ground out, feeling bile rise up in his throat as he realised that this ship was never supposed to go so fast, not in its original design specs anyway, "Looks like at least some of our pursuers have some sense. Two of them are banking away."

"That leaves four," Naruto growled, looking down at the sensor displays to see another red blip blink out, "Scratch that, now there's only three."

The comm. crackled, followed by a victory howl, "Now we're even!"

"Shut your hole!"

Naruto exploded in a bout of laughter, "I like these guys."

Rex however, shook his head in bemusement, "Gifted gunners, racked up more kills than anyone in the 103rd Division, but they received more complaints and near court martial's than anyone else in that Division as well."

"Now, I really like these guys!" Naruto grinned in reply.

"I knew you would," Rex responded with a wry smile, "That's why I asked them to volunteer."

By now, lances of crimson and green energy nearly blinded their vision. They had passed by the Separatist Cruiser and dove headlong into the firing line, no-man's land, death land, whatever it was called didn't matter. This was the space between two duelling capital ships, a place where you either had to be suicidal or crazy to survive. Rex knew that Naruto wasn't suicidal, not with someone like Aayla waiting for him, so that left crazy.

The Will of Fire ducked and weaved, shields blazing from a dozen near-misses and ricochets as she passed by the main salvo of both capital ships. Rex watched as Naruto brought the ship into a series of flawless manoeuvres, ducking, weaving and rising above the blasts of Turbolaser fire as the small ship crossed the land between within a few moments. The pursuing fighters were not so lucky, all three destroyed within moments of them entering the killing field.

The Will of Fire passed by the armoured hull of the Star Destroyer, too low for the main weapon batteries not currently engaged to get a bead on them. They passed by, engines still gunned to maximum speed to get out of the cruiser's range as quickly as possible. Naruto grit his teeth, rocketing his small vessel past the capital ships' forms and into open space once again.

The planet's form could now be seen in the distance, a small orb separated by a sea of battle between the two rival armadas; a horde of capital ships, escorts and fighters exchanging fire, flying the colours of both the new Galactic Empire and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. It was a grim reminder that while the Clone Wars were officially over, the truth was another matter.

"The two fighters from before are back," Rex informed his boss with a sombre expression, "And they've brought friends."

Naruto allowed himself a glance to the sensors to see that not only had the two craft returned but they had brought another eight ARC-170 starfighters into the fray, "That is bad, isn't it?"

"It is," Rex agreed, "This means that we will have no choice but to run the gauntlet with that Frigate and her pickets. If nothing else, it'll take most of those Imperial bastards off our tail to deal with them."

Naruto looked at the small speck which signified the Frigate, closing in, and with a sudden grin he once again gunned his engines, bringing his freighter straight towards the incoming flotilla with all due haste, "Alright then, let's gun it!"

It barely took a few moments for Naruto to see the half dozen fighters coming towards him as Droid Tri-Fighters, elite fighters of the Confederacy and more than capable to facing the Imperials hunting them down. Naruto waited until their guns began blazing before pulling the trigger, releasing several missiles of chaff from the Will of Fire's aft. The missiles exploded just as the Tri-Fighters came within range, their mission completed as they scrambled the drones' systems, no longer seeing the freighter and instead homing in on the pursuing Imperial fighters as the primary targets. The Tri-Fighters blurred past, engaging the enemy instead of them.

The Will of Fire continued on, firing another trio of chaff missiles as she flew past the Star Frigate, once again blurring its systems and recognising the incoming Imperial fighters as the primary threat. Her main weapon batteries opened up, not on the freighter but on those few fighters which passed through the picket vessel's meagre fighter screen. Naruto brought his ship into a barrel roll up and over the Frigate, passing right by the escort and leaving her to deal with the small swarm of Imperial fighters.

"Those are some impressive chaff weapons you've brought," Rex remarked.

Naruto grinned, "Something the Jedi's R&D Division were planning on unleashing in the next major campaign. Their purpose was to break down the targeting of Separatist skirmish systems. When Sidious betrayed them the Jedi behind the techniques destroyed all evidence of the ability and sent the only copy to Master Yoda, who then passed it on to me to test it."

"It seems to have worked, then?" Rex asked.

Naruto's grin widened slightly, "Most definitely."

Rex managed a wry grin, but a sudden alarm claxon stopped any further thought, and with a frown, the former commander began strengthening the ships sensory systems. There was something happening on the surrounding upper atmosphere of the planet. It took just a little bit of tuning and increasing the range to realise what was happening.

"The Empire is winning," the former Commander growled with gritted teeth.

Naruto looked in his direction, confused, yet his own searching of the planet and its orbit showed him exactly what the sensors were showing Rex. Surrounding the planet were the unmistakable forms of at least eight Star Destroyers of the new and improved Imperial-class, currently duelling and winning with what looked like the vanguard of the Confederate armada, four Lucrehulk-class Battleships.

"They're too preoccupied with each other," Rex surmised as he watched the two sides pummel each other with volley after volley of weapons fire, "I think we might be able to sneak our way through."

"I agree," Naruto replied as he turned the control yoke, bringing the ship away from the fighting and towards the edge of the planet, "We'll break orbit on the night side and fly low to our target. Plot a trajectory towards the target area, then take over for me."

Rex looked at Naruto for a moment, before realisation dawned, "Oh right, you can't land."

Naruto gave Rex a dirty look, and gunned the throttle.

"There's another thing that's been bugging me."

"And that is?"

"How are we going to fit all of those prisoners and slaves into this little freighter?"

There was no answer, no answer at all, for the longest time there was silence.

"You really didn't think this through, did you?"

"Bite me."

In the entirety of the galaxy, from Coruscant to the very borders between the central galaxy and the Outer-rim territories there was one organisation which ruled the criminal underworld, just one. That organisation was known at least in passing to every sentient being in the Empire, an organisation which could go toe to toe with the great power of the Hutt criminal clans.

The name of this organisation was Black Sun, and he was the master.

Xizor Sizhran, a member of the great and powerful house bearing his family name, was the new leader of this vast and terrible organization. Some called him a Prince, but in truth he was a King. All of the Black Sun Criminal Syndicate was under his rule; all within obeyed his commands, from the very centre of the Core Worlds Region to the very fringes of the Outer Rim. All were within his reach - an empire which dwarfed all others.

Under his command was an army of bounty hunters, thugs, hit men and mercenaries which would match even those of the infamous and just as notorious Hutt crime lords. He commanded an unofficial army of tens of thousands, could call upon Great War Hosts of such soldiers for hire on a whim. Many world governments were afraid of him and the organisation he had brought back from potential ruin.

Many would consider him one of the most powerful beings in the galaxy, and he was. But he wasn't themost powerful being in the galaxy. That title belonged to the blue-hued holographic figure standing in the centre of his office. His loyal bodyguard, Guri, was by his side and yet under her protection he still felt vulnerable under this man's shrewd, unyielding gaze.

"I have need of the resources and manpower of your organisation, Prince Xizor: every elite bounty hunter, mercenary, spy, information broker and smuggler under your employ from the very depths of the deep core to the edges of the Outer-rim," Palpatine said simply, his holographic form flickering in the low light of his office, "There is a man I am currently looking for, one who must be brought to me, alive, at all costs."

The Falleen crime lord sat back in his chair, outwardly calm and inwardly focused, as he studied the hooded and cloaked form of the most powerful man in the galaxy, the Emperor of the newly formed Galactic Empire, Dantius Palpatine, "Tell me, why should I risk the lives of my most valuable agents to find this man when you have a near limitless army and navy at your disposal?"

"Jabba once asked the same question," Palpatine replied with a harsh, cold voice, a far cry from the grandfatherly figure which governed the Republic during its waning years, "And his answer is the same as yours, because I command it."

So he has also threatened even the likes of Jabba into this little hunt, but Xizor wasn't nearly as timid as that overgrown slug, "Black Sun has survived for almost millennia. We survived the Jedi, we survived the Republic. I do not think surviving you will be much of a stretch from what we have always done."

"You are currently on Sullust, in the underground of a private villa precisely fifteen kilometres away from the southern edges of the capital. I can have a Star Destroyer there within two minutes to turn that villa and all around it for ten kilometres into dust and rubble," Palpatine smiled a sickly smile upon seeing the Dark Princes widened eyes, "All it would take was my command and you would be dead. Black Sun is not as invincible as you believe it to be, dear Prince. I know almost all of your holdings' and fortresses' locations so do not test me any further, or you will turn out the same as your predecessor."

The crowned Prince of crime growled low in his throat before finally backing down and nodding his head, "You crossed the Jedi. You're even willing to threaten the likes of Jabba. Why should I expect any better?"

"Because you know of my power, and you know that appeasing me is your best chance of both you and your organisation's survival," the Emperor replied in a cold voice which sent chills up the Falleen royal's spine.

The crime lord grit his teeth so hard the cracking sound could be heard, before he bowed his head and uttered yet another guttural growl, "Very well. The resources of Black Sun are at your disposal, Emperor Palpatine."

"Very good," Sidious responded, "You have made a wise choice today, young leader of Black Sun."

His image flickered and faded, leaving the Falleen alone in his chamber with no one else but his personal bodyguard and proxy leader, "Guri, summon my Vigos and assemble every agent and mercenary which can be summoned."

The beautiful creature behind him nodded her head in agreement, whispering an affirmative before moving towards the exit; ready to begin with her task. The young Prince now saw what drove the likes of powerful beings like Jabba to bend over backwards for this man, his very presence was stifling and his threats were very real and very deadly. Xizor came out of this conversation with one important lesson: The likes of Palpatine were not to be underestimated.

"You heard, I take it?"

A low chuckle, nasally and slightly mechanical, was his answer, "Of course I did, it never ceases to amuse me how much of a grand manipulator that man is."

"You also know of his demands a well?"

"I do."

"Then there was a reason why I summoned you here in the first place," Xizor stated simply as he rose to his feet, "You are perhaps one of the most skilled and deadliest bounty hunters in the known galaxy. You have even fought Jedi Masters on equal footing during the Clone Wars and either won or escaped."

The figure he was addressing was an intimidating individual, dressed in a leather long-coat, light armour underneath, head shrouded slightly by a wide brimmed hat, red eyes peered out and tubes were connected to his cheeks. Armed with two pistols, one holstered while the other was twirling in the long fingers of his right hand. The Duros bounty hunter Cade Ban, one of the deadliest men in the known galaxy today, and he was under Xisor's command.

"You know why I have summoned you?"

"I do," the strongest bounty hunter of his era replied, twirling his pistol in his right hand for a few more moments before expertly placing it into the empty holster on his left hip, "And my offer remains the same."

"You'll get double, no, triple your fee so long as you bring the target before me, in chains, alive," Xisor growled from his seat as he collapsed into it, "What you do along the way is your concern, so long as he is still breathing when presented to the Emperor."

The legendary Duros bounty hunter raised his wide brimmed hat, red eyes looking right at the young crime lord with a lack of emotion other than slight amusement, "Very well, meet my price and I will do the job."

"You have a deal."

"Land in that valley, you said. Plenty of cover, you said."

"Do you really think I could have seen this coming?" Naruto asked with a frown as he matched Rex's glare with equal intensity, "Despite my power I am not a Jedi, precognition isn't really part of my skill set."

"You usually don't need a skill set to know common sense, especially in this situation," Rex replied, dual blaster pistols in his hands as he trained his sights on one of the many enemies which surrounded their small strike team.

"When could I have learned this common sense you speak so highly off?"

"By checking the heat sensors on the ship when we landed, maybe?" Rex asked with a groan.

His unit of twelve ARC Troopers, one Jedi and one Shinobi were in a circle, a small ring of blaster rifles held against a surrounding force of Separatist soldiers dressed in combat fatigues and armed with regular weaponry, the clicks of nearly eighty blasters could be heard at once as the Neimoidian militia brought their firepower to the fore.

"I don't suppose you have a plan?" Rex asked.

"Working on it," Naruto replied, head leaning slightly to the side to stop himself from getting burned by Celeste's azure bladed lightsaber, "Can you please point that towards someone else?"

"If I point it anywhere else, I'd be impaling someone," the former Jedi Shadow replied with a frown as she took a short step away from Naruto, "Why the hell are there Neimoidian Home Legionnaires here? This is half way across the bloodygalaxy from the Purse Worlds!"

"The Neimoidians were one of the main races making up the Separatists, Lady Morne," Rex replied simply, eyes not leaving those of the small combat company surrounding them, "I'm guessing the fleet originally got into position to launch a small invasion force before the Empire snared their trap. That's most likely why they're here."

"Great. Surrounded by desperate soldiers in the middle of territory hostile to both of us," Naruto frowned as he pulled back the trigger on his blasters, preparing to fire at a moment's notice.

The sea of blasters parted slightly to show a single figure approaching, a Neimoidian wearing the same light armour, minus the headgear, armed with a blaster pistol which was holstered to his hip. The man was obviously an officer of this group, probably their commanding officer. He certainly held himself with an air of authority.

"Drop your weapons!" the officer yelled at them.

"You first," Naruto replied.

"You're outnumbered and outgunned!"

"We're both in the middle of hostile territory, and I do not think you're in much of a mood in taking war prisoners," Rex countered, turning slightly to face the commander. "Our choices are either fight or die, and I chose to fight."

"Typical Clone," the Commander sneered. "Though I suppose that's all you know isn't it, how to fight!?"

"There is a third option," Celeste replied; "Joining forces."

This brought a scoff from the commander, "Why would we join you, Jedi!?"

"Because we are both undermanned units in the middle of hostile territory," Naruto answered in place of his friend, "Our choices are either to kill each other, and believe me you'll lose a third of your forces and a lot of your ammunition blowing us away, or joining forces, in which case we both have a better chance of reaching our objectives. I'm guessing they're in roughly the same place aren't they?"

"What areyour objectives?" The commander asked. Naruto absently breathed a little easier. At least he was willing to talk.

"You want your commanders and we want to hold an audience with them," Rex replied in place of Naruto. The three of them seemed to really be in sync today, despite the bickering.

The commander blinked at the statements from the three higher-ranking members of the little band they had encountered, "Why do you want to meet with them?"

"To form an alliance," was Celeste's reply.

This drew a loud bark of laughter from the officer, and his men's fingers unconsciously tightened around their blasters. This was followed by the clones zoning in on the best targets in response, "You wish to meet with perhaps the two surviving highest ranking military figures in the Confederacy, why should we allow a bunch of clones and Jedi near them?"

"Because the Confederacy is on life support," Naruto replied in a voice which brokered no argument, lowering his pistols and walking out of the defensive formation, the clones around him watching him warily as he went, "Let's face it: the majority of your droid armies have been destroyed or deactivated, the mightiest of your fleets are floating derelict in space, salvage for every opportunist in the galaxy, whatever ships you can get back online are mostly crewed by either organics or by droids not directly controlled by your hub on Mustafar, you lost the majority of your forces in a day, and your numbers were halved yet again by remnants being crushed or surrendering. You're on your last legs, just like us."

"Just like you?"

"We're on our last legs, too," Naruto said with a mirthless smile, "The Jedi were hit hard, only a few hundred blades remain out of tens of thousands when Palpatine and the Republic turned on them. The clones that refused to take part in the massacre were butchered or forced to flee like these guys. This unit you see is made up of survivors and rogues with no respect for or loyalty to the Empire. We're the enemy of your enemy and as the ancient saying goes-"

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," the Neimoidian murmured with a disgusted grunt.

"Precisely."

He seemed to think for a moment, and then with a growl of agitation he turned on his heel and raised his hand. There was a moment of tense expectation before the commander spoke, "Stand down, perhaps we can come to an agreement after all."

Slowly, warily, the eighty odd blasters aimed at them were removed from the equation with a series of clicks, and with a raised fist from Rex, the dozen blasters held in response also relaxed. A long, drawn out hiss seemed to put an end to the stalemate as Celeste deactivated her lightsaber and clipped the weapon to her side. Naruto breathed a heavy sigh as he twirled his duel blaster pistols in his fingers before holstering them in a smooth motion.

"Perhaps we can," He nodded in response.

Author's Note: I'm late, I know, and I do apologise. It's just that I had writers block for a half dozen months, then when I finally got the chapter done and sent a week and a half ago both me and my beta-reader, who live halfway across the planet from each other, got sick and bedridden until recently. But all of that is in the past, and here is the long awaited next chapter to the tale.

I have also added a small teaser prologue to a new Naruto/Star Wars story I've had in my head for a few weeks to a month. It's called 'The Shadow of the Sun' and it's on my home page if you want to give it a look, but for now it's only a secondary responsibility, this and my Naruto story 'The Wanderer' are my primaries at the moment.

Give it a read though; I'd really appreciate some feedback from you guys.