Chapter Fifty-Four: Master Piell

"Ah," Bendu's voice boomed as I emerged from the tunnels with a triumphant grin. "I sensed your success. Come, let us see it." He gestured with his giant hand, the Force responding to him easily. My saber hilt lifted easily from my outstretched palm to float before him, igniting in a brilliant white color. Bendu hummed in response to my kyber's gentle singing. "Your crystal is whole once again."

"It is." I stood calmly as he lowered my saber back to my hand.

"And the krykna?" he asked, referring to the spiders.

"I'd thought they were there...but when I looked, they never were." I shrugged. "I guess they had no reason to fear me this time."

Bendu's massive face crinkled slightly in a smile. "You have learned much since separating yourself from the war. What will you do with this knowledge?"

I breathed slowly through my nose. "I'm going home. I'll get back to work...and maybe...one day when I'm ready...I'll rejoin the war-if it's my path."

Bendu's eyebrow rose in question. "Rejoin the war?" He sighed lowly. "I hoped you were above all that."

"Above it? How can I be above it when the people I love are directly affected by it?"

The giant creature shook his head. "When you exist in the Bendu...the war of these petty beings are nothing to you. There is only the Force."

"No," I whispered, looking down at the saber in my hand. "If the Sith exist for power and the Jedi for peace...what do we exist for?"

"The will of the Force."

I glanced sideways with a small shake of my head. "I don't believe that. I listen to the will of the Force, yes. But I was gifted with the ability to guide that will. And if we value balance, should we not work to protect it?"

Bendu straightened his back slightly in distaste at what my words implied, making him tower over me. But I'd gotten used to talking to creatures that were far bigger than me over the years-I wasn't about to back down now.

"You have watched empires rise and fall," I commented gently, the reality of his inactivity hitting me at once. "Anyone who was ever close to you, if they ever existed at all, is long gone. Tell me, Bendu," I prodded. "What would that cave have shown you, were you working to find your balance?"

Bendu's deep gaze settled on me darkly, the Force shifting around him. Creatures such as Bendu, I'd come to find out, were a tedious bunch to deal with. Like the Father at the Citadel, He existed within a higher knowledge of the Force-able to wield it in a way I would never understand in my short life. Well...short compared to him, at least.

Thunderclouds rolled in the distance, making my hair stand on edge, my gaze flickering to it nervously. That was Bendu's doing.

"War is prodded by the desire for power. Yours is no different." He ignored my question, but I let it slide. I preferred not to be murdered by the storm Bendu was rolling in than know his past.

"Maybe not. But if we have the power to help people, shouldn't we?"

Bendu chuckled darkly. "We? The Force will do as it wills. Who am I to interfere?" I scowled. We were going in circles. "Even those that strive to do good, as you do, young follower of the Bendu, may be led down the path of darkness."

"I've beaten that before."

"And will you again?"

I ground my teeth. "Of course." Bendu hummed at me, but said no more. I sighed slowly, looking sideways at the cave I had emerged from. Did I have a place in this war? I wanted to protect those I loved...but was that interfering with the balance? "What should I do?"

"Ah, that is not a question for me, is it?" I quirked my eyebrow at the creature. "That is an answer for you to find. Within the Force."

I nodded, kneeling slowly, placing my saber before me. Settling across from Bendu, I closed my eyes, meditating with him. "I feel...conflict."

"Yes. The war rages on outside of my quiet domain."

"Anger. Loss. Suffering. Fear." I turned my head, eyes still closed, as I heard a familiar voice.

"Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." It was Master Yoda. I turned my thoughts away from the Jedi, trying to focus on what I should do. Where my place is.

"I smell...alcohol. And perfume. It's my club."

"Ah, and the Force shows where you must go."

I opened my eyes, raising my brows. "It...just wants me to go back to being a bounty hunter?"

"I didn't say that, though that may be the will of the Force. But for now, you know where your path will lead you."

"What do I do when I get there?"

"What do you usually do?"

I shrugged on the ground. "Run my club I guess? Party? Find odd jobs as a hunter."

Bendu hummed, leaning back on his haunches. "Go. Live. The Force will guide you. Just remember to listen to it, young descendant of the Sith."

I stood slowly, glancing over his form. "You look tired."

"I have not been woken from my slumber this often in some time," he teased gently, offering a low chuckle that echoed across the quiet planet.

I glanced down at my lightsaber, taking it up and clipping it to my belt. After a moment of thought, I met Bendu's gray gaze. "I think...you can rest now."

He gave me a gentle smile. "I believe I can, as well. But you, Kida Fett, Descendant of the Sith, Daughter of Jango, Bounty Hunter, and follower of the Bendu...will you rest?"

I returned the smile. "Maybe one day, my friend." I meant it. I considered him a friend...I had to, after all he had done for me. "And that's far too many titles for one person," I joked.

Bendu hummed as he turned away, glancing over his shoulder. "Very well. Goodbye Kida Fett, Slave to No One." He looked away before curling back into his rest, blending in with the rest of the coral-like scenery perfectly. I smiled at his choice of title for me.

I knew he meant more that just freeing myself from slavery. He meant breaking free of Bane. Breaking free of expectations of the Jedi. Even breaking free of my own expectations. And in the end...I was even willing to try and guide the will of the Force, rather than bow to it. And Bendu knew that, even if he didn't ever point it out directly. I really was a slave no longer.

In the end, going back to my club was exactly what I needed to do. I hadn't been back on Coruscant long before Windu had shown up on my doorstep.

My eyes slid across the stone that glowed in the light of the lava below. The howling of the anoobas was almost painful now. They were close. I tapped Ahsoka's elbow, nodding in the direction our pursuers would come from.

We all crouched in waiting, watching as a pack of five anoobas raced by, following the scents of Anakin and Obi-wan. Above us, five commandos on STAPs zoomed by as well. We waited a few moments longer before Piell stepped out of hiding, scanning the area. He gestured silently for us to follow before taking off in a run after the pack of anoobas.

We weren't far down the path before a spider droid lunged up over the ledge, taking down two of the rescued clones. They were at the back, making us all turn in horror. Piell acted first, racing forward to slice through two of the droid's legs, tearing it to the ground. More began to emerge as Piell sliced through its mainframe, my lightsaber igniting before me.

It was weird. I hadn't been wielding it long...but it felt almost natural to resort to it. My kyber hummed happily as I pulled it from my belt and held it beside me, energy hot near my skin.

"Keep going!" Piell yelled back at me. "Ahsoka and I will take care of the droids. Fett, follow Obi-wan!"

I nodded, the group glancing at me before I turned and led them faster down the path. I heard Ahsoka's lightsabers ignite, joining Piell in the battle against the spider droids. The rolling plains of snow that we raced across were covered in a thick fog, smothering my lungs. I puffed them out tiredly, following the sound of gunfire.

We lunged suddenly to the sides as a commando on a STAP raced over us. The clones opened fire immediately as I raced forward after the Jedi, lightsaber igniting beside me. My kyber sang powerfully in my grip as I raced after a STAP. Another came at us on our flank, its fire blasting the stones around us.

"Go!" I yelled to Rex, the captain rushing past me after the droid now attacking Anakin ahead. I skidded to a stop, deflecting the shots of the oncoming STAP away from the clones. Ahead, Rex shot down the STAP attacking his commander, Anakin crouching with a determined expression as it crashed behind him.

I turned, sensing Fives aiming at the droid attacking me. The ARC trooper was always reliable, hitting his mark and sending the commando careening on his speeder. I lunged sideways, wall running up the rock formations and leaping sideways in the air. My blade sliced through the middle of the commando and speeder, sending both scattering in pieces.

I landed deftly, feeling my Force abilities weaving together with the skills Jango taught me. They were becoming more in sync the more I used them.

And the more I used them, the more I realized that physically moving things with the Force was far harder for me than using it to improve my own abilities. Move a bit faster. Jump a bit higher.

I was also noticing that my senses were becoming more attuned. Not only to keep me focused in battle, but to emotions around me...as well as some hints towards things that haven't yet happened.

Such as Fives taking down the STAP.

"Anakin!" I yelled, the Force prodding me to look past the crouching Jedi. He turned before the anooba barreled into him, throwing him to the ground. I rushed forward as his lightsaber tumbled away, the anooba's incredibly jaws trying to clamp down on the Jedi's throat.

I stabbed forward with my lightsaber, shoving my armored shoulder into the creature's side to push it off of Anakin. It let out a terrible screech of pain that made me feel a bit bad-only because of Embo's loving pet, of course.

"Thanks," Anakin panted as I offered him a hand up. He grabbed his lightsaber as he stood, dusting off his tunic. He glanced up quickly before shoving me to the side, thrusting out his metal hand. Skywalker's connection to the Force was almost smothering when I was in his presence. It flowed through him in a similar way I sensed it flow through my kyber crystal. He launched an anooba that was lunging for my neck backwards and into the lava.

"Consider the debt repaid," I chuckled back. The Jedi leapt away to attack another droid, my own lightsaber rising again to slice through the belly of a lunging anooba. I was about to move to join Rex when a chill fell over me, my muscles freezing me in place. I wasn't sure what it was, but I could feel that something terrible had happened.

It seemed this mission was full of terrible happenings.

I turned easily, deflecting a final bolt at an oncoming STAP, Tarkin shooting it down as it passed. I walked past the Captain, glancing over to watch Cody and his troops destroy the last of the droids.

"So much for the hunting party," the commander said, glancing back at us. Rex moved up beside me as my lightsaber disengaged in my grip.

"There are more squads on their way," Tarkin announced, following me. "We should get moving."

The Force rippled with the chill of death. "Wait," I whispered, turning my head to look through the thick mist. "Ahsoka," I breathed, prodding the clones to follow my gaze to the silhouette of the Togruta, fallen Jedi Master over her shoulder.

The Jedi raced to join us as she approached, Anakin stepping forward to help her place Piell on the ground. His shoulder and neck were spattered with dark blood-an anooba bite, by the looks of it.

"He died honorably," Ahsoka stated sadly from where she kneeled beside him. It seemed there was no end to the losses we were facing on this mission. There weren't many of us left now.

"What about the information?" Anakin asked his downtrodden padawan.

"I have it," she muttered. "He told me just before he died."

I stepped back as the Jedi moved in, working to remove the Jedi's outer robe in order to wrap him in it. As they worked, I took the time to sit among the lava stones, dirty hands doing their best to wipe away the blood and grime on my face.

The clones that remained, which were only two of the rescued clones outside of Rex, Cody, Charger, and Fives, found rest near their commanders and worked to inventory their weaponry. I watched in silence as the Jedi performed their ceremony for their dead, a small frown slowly growing on my face.

"I always felt like that was messed up," Fives said from beside me, nearly making me jump out of my skin. So much for the Force. I was too caught up in my thoughts.

I cleared my throat uncomfortably. "What?" He nodded meaningfully towards the Jedi who were finishing wrapping their fallen brother. "You mean that they take the time to do rights for a Jedi, but not a clone?"

It was Fives' turn to be uncomfortable, shifting in his armor. He removed his helmet for the first time since Echo died, revealing a tired face and a glazed gaze. "We never get to...mourn our brothers on the field. Not to mention incinerate their bodies."

I shook my head, a small smile coming to my face. "You've got it wrong. The Mandalorians burned their dead, sure, but not in an incinerator. They put them on massive pyres while those that loved you in life celebrate having you for the time that they did. They drink and tell stories and dance and chant. It's the send-off warriors deserve." I glanced sideways at him as the other clones moves to join their commanders as they readied to move Piell's body. "Maybe one day we can all celebrate Echo together. Even if we can't have the pyre."

Fives swallowed thickly before nodding. "I'd like that," he said curtly, putting his helmet back on to join his brothers at the Jedi funeral. "Thank you."

I stayed back under the guise that I was keeping a lookout. But in reality, while it was tragic that Piell died, I also mourned the loss of all the other men that had died that day. We didn't stop for them due to the dire situation. But why could we waste time for a Jedi?

I watched from afar as Obi-wan and Anakin used the Force to lower Piell's body into the river of lava to burn away. Looking away to continue on as Piell's body was carried over the falls, my mind drifted to the pyre that burned on Mandalore...all those years ago.

There were still distant echoes of the battle happening outside the arena. Most droids had been redirected to defend the stations, the clones of my father-figure following them with their new Jedi leaders.

I pushed my way through the last remaining Geonosians that were fleeing, shoving their bug-like faces away from me with the butt of my blaster. I'd seen my mentor die in that arena and knowing Boba...my little brother had seen it too.

"Boba," I breathed, seeing him across the arena floor. He was crouched, still dressed in the blue clothes the Kaminoans provided for him. He was lifting his father's helmet to meet his forehead, grief rippling off of him in waves.

I finally made it to the terrified boy. He was filled with anger. Loss. Confusion. My fingers touched his shoulder, making him tense and whirl, drawing his father's blaster to aim at my nose. He froze when he saw my face, goggles and mask drawn away to reveal my devastated expression.

His brown gaze melted from hatred to grief, tears flowing freely as he pushed his face into my chest plate. I held him, holstering my own weapon to let my arms wrap around him. "We have to go," I whispered wetly into his tousled hair. He shook his head against me, but let me pull him up.

"I won't leave him," he cried.

"I would never ask that," I responded gently, touching my knuckles to his cheek. "Do you know where Slave I is?" He nodded again, wiping at his eyes. "I need you to get it. Bring it here. I'll bring him aboard."

"I can't-"

"Boba," I said firmly, doing my best to keep my own face stoic. "If we stay, we die. We will grieve for him properly when we are safe. Do you understand? Can you do that?" He nodded, forcing his own tears down. "Good. Go."

The young boy ran off to get his father's ship, while I worked on collecting Jango's things. I put his blasters back in his holster, collecting each piece the Jedi had severed. By the time Boba arrived with the ship...the arena was all but deserted.

Boba wouldn't speak again until we'd made it to the desolate surface of Mandalore-a planet destroyed by years of war. Despite saying he hailed from Concord Dawn, I was never really sure about Jango's past. That was something he was proud of, really.

But I knew he lived the Mandalorian way.

So he deserved the Mandalorian end.

Boba sat silently with his father's helmet on the gangway of Slave I while I built a pyre with anything I could find. Finally, when it was time, the grieving boy helped me place his father's wrapped body on the pyre, his weapons and armor all stored away on the ship for when Boba was older-it's what Jango would have wanted.

I touched under Boba's chin, lifting his head as the sun began to slide over the flat horizon. With a steadying breath, I struck the flare against my leg, igniting the end in a blossom of red sparks. It ignited the pyre smoothly, smoke billowing up and drifting across the desolate planet.

Closing my eyes, I felt Boba's anger. His grief. His hopelessness.

With a long breath through my nose, I started to sing. "Motir ca'tra nau tracinya." I glanced sideways at the young Mandalorian boy, watching the tears stream silently down his cheeks. "Gra'tua cuun heet su dralshy'a." His jaw clenched, staring into the rising flames as they devoured his father. "Cuun hett su…."

We stood in silence as the pyre burned. I knew we would have to leave shortly, considering the Pacifist government of Mandalore now didn't much care for our kind. I let us stay for as long as we could, the tears slowly drying from Boba's face.

I put my hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. "We have to go."

He hesitated for only a moment, his still-young mind craving some type of support. He pushed into my hand just slightly, as if searching for more, before he suddenly pulled away. I watched silently as he boarded Slave I, his father's helmet tucked under his arm. He never looked back at the pyre.

It was at our next stop on the way to Kamino that Boba bolted, taking Slave I with him. I was left behind with the supplies from the goods run I'd made in my arms-ingredients I'd collected for my attempt Uj'alayi. Jango had always been the best at making it. It was Boba's favorite food.

I had never tried making it again after that.

The back of an armored hand grazed me forearm, but it didn't shock me. Letting my memories flow as we walked was like a meditation, connecting me to the Force. It let me….see things clearly. The presence that came with the touch was gentle and comforting. Warm, even.

"You alright?" Rex asked under his breath, his voice modulated through the helmet. "You've been pretty quiet since Piell died."

"I'm not apologizing for going against your orders, if that's what you're expecting." Even I was shocked by the bluntness of my words.

Rex barely missed a step, though, even letting out a low chuckle through his nose. "I wasn't. It's never been one of your stronger suits, anyways." Despite his snark, he earned a light-spirited eye roll from me. "But are you okay?"

I sighed slowly. "I was thinking about Jango and his pyre." That earned the attention of those present. The clones openly looked at me, but the others merely tilted their heads to listen better without being obvious.

"You made him a pyre?"

I nodded. "Like Mandalorians are supposed to have. We did it on the surface of Mandalore. It was all wrong, of course. There's supposed to be a big celebration and instead it was just two sad kids."

"I…" Rex paused for a second before lowering his voice to a whisper. "I understand."

My gaze flickered to him briefly, a sad, but grateful smile lifting my lips. "I know you do." We were in the back of the group, with only Fives behind us, so I dared to quickly grab his gloved hand, giving it a squeeze.

He didn't reciprocate, nervous over our current company, but I knew no one but Fives had seen us. And I could feel the small amount of anxiety my touch had eased away from Rex. I suppose as a soldier in a time of war, you learn to appreciate the little things. Then again, I wasn't much different in that way.

I glanced up as our group slowed, nearing a river of lava. "There's the extraction point," Kenobi announced, pointing ahead at a small island in the middle of the river. Cody and Anakin immediately moved forward, both securing lines across the lava.

Rex ran forward first, touching my arm a final time before beginning to crawl across the cable, Tarkin on the other. Fives and one of the rescued clones went next. I nodded to Ahsoka as she stepped up to crawl across, just as Rex was helping Tarkin up on the island.

"Incoming!" he yelled across the river, pointing behind me. We all turned to see squads of commandos on STAPs, led by none other than Sobeck. Maybe I should have risked capture just to kill the bastard before….

The droids rained fire down on us, my lightsaber igniting in my grasp to deflect whatever I could from the cable tethers. Anakin and Obi-wan took to the skies, finding their way onto STAPs of their own and commencing in a dogfight.

"Ahsoka!" I cried, seeing Sobeck targeting her and Cody as the crossed the cables. I took a deep, steadying breath, trusting my body and the Force, and threw myself forward. My feet landed deftly on the cable Ahsoka was crawling on, my knees bending fluidly to match to wavering of the cord.

I turned in my balance, deflecting the incoming shots from Sobeck's speeder. As he drew closer, I started to worry that I'd just gotten myself killed by putting myself over lava. But I was saved by R2, who came sweeping in with a gust of exhaust he spewed from his ports, blinding Sobeck.

I ducked below his whirling STAP, watching as Fives shot out the engine and sent the Phindian crashing to the ground. Ahsoka made her way up onto the island, followed closely by myself. Panting heavily from the incredible amount of exertion over this mission, I bent over, hands on my knees.

The Force rippled, turning my head at the low growl from Sobeck. Tarkin fired a shot at the warden, confident rolling off him in waves. But Phindians were tougher than that. Sobeck took the shot with an angry growl before throwing himself into Tarkin. He lifted the captain in his claws digits, before slamming him back into the ground again.

"Captain!" Ahsoka yelled, the first one to come out of her shocked daze. She raced across the island as Sobeck lifted Tarkin above his head, meaning to throw him into the lava.

"If I can't have the information," the warden screamed, "It will die with you!"

Ahsoka reached them as the others reached me, jabbing her lightsaber through Sobeck's heart. He screamed, but fell, letting Tarkin walk away safely.

"My thanks, Padawan Tano," Tarkin gasped as he did his best to straighten his clothes. He sighed indignantly as he stepped past Anakin, Obi-wan, and I. "I see you've trained her well," he said to the former.

We all blinked for a moment before Obi-wan looked sideways at Anakin and I. "The rescue ship should be here by now," he declared.

Anakin chuckled sarcastically. "So should the rest of the Seperatist army." As they said it, Ahsoka stepping away from Sobeck's body, engines whirred through the mist. A Republic gunship emerged, blowing hot air over all of us. It was welcome.

As was the face of Jedi Master Plo Koon. "I believe you've worn out your welcome," he suggested, gesturing for us to board. Spider droids began to climb over the edges of our little island, weapons firing.

I drew my saber immediately, briefly feeling the surprise from the new additions to our group. Rushing the first droid, I ducked beneath its blasters and sliced up through its center, before turning to deflect fire back on another. The clones rushed to board as we were pushed backwards, Ahsoka and Obi-wan retreating onto the ship as well.

Anakin glanced at me over his shoulder, and I understood. I disengaged my saber and leapt aboard the gunship just before it began to rise in the air. I felt no fear from Anakin as he faced the droids alone before calmly leaping high into the air and flipping into the gunship.

"Let's go!" Ahsoka yelled into the cockpit, the doors sealing around us. I always hated this part most of travelling-being sealed inside with no way out and the vacuum of space on the other side. That's why I preferred navigating myself. Or at least having some damn windows.

"Admiral Coburn," Plo said into his wrist comm, "We have the survivors. Recall all fighters."

"Yes, General," came the reply. "Prepare to jump to lightspeed." I closed my eyes, hand resting gently over the over-head grips. I let myself find my balance again. I mourned for Echo. Maybe even for Piell. He was one of the first Jedi to not treat me as dangerous when meeting me. He even encouraged me to embrace my abilities more.

I guess I mourned a friendship that could have been.

The ship rocked gently beneath my feet, indicating we had landed in the hangar. "We're all ready, General," Koon spoke into the communicator. There was the brief feeling of weightlessness, like that queeziness you get in your stomach when you are free falling-we were in hyperspace now.

The gunship doors hissed open, our weary band practically falling into the hangar. We were met with medics and water-a jug of which I happily took. I was offered quarters of my own and supplies to wash my gear with. A part of me wanted to stay and spend time with Fives and Rex. But as I watched Rex put his arm around Fives' shoulder and lead him towards the mess hall, I decided against it.

Right now, they needed their brothers.

So with a last sad glance as the many faces around me that looked just like Echo….but nothing like him at all….I walked alone to my quarters to wait out the trip.

MANDO'A

Motir ca'tra nau tracinya. Gra'tua cuun heet su dralshy'a. Cuun hett su….

Those who stand before us light the night sky in flame. Our vengeance burns brighter still. Burns brighter still….

(SONG FOUND HERE

watch?v=l7f-HvIKYzs)

Uj'alayi - Mandalorian dessert (dense, sweet cake with nuts and fruit)