Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Wookie Way

The island was misty that night as we approached the tree line, our haggard group tired from a day sprinting through the trees to evade sight. "Chewbacca, Kida, and I will go out to inspect the crash site," Ahsoka announced quietly as she surveyed the beach. "You two stay here and signal us if you see anything."

The youngling boys nodded as they climbed into the trees to keep watch, the rest of us splitting off to race into the crash site. We had only just crawled into the wreckage when the Force flashed a warning just before the flash of search lights swept over the waterfront.

"Get back," I whispered to my companions, all of us pressing our backs into the shadows of the warped walls. "It's a patrol." I crept out after the light swept over the wreckage, peering through the torn metal walling to watch the hovercraft stop at the tree line. I ducked back when a Trandoshan leapt off, setting up a hunting position overlooking the wreckage. "Stay low," I whispered. "There's a sniper above the boys in the trees."

Ahsoka nodded to me, following Chewbacca as we snuck through the wreckage, wary of areas that opened towards the Trandoshan's hunting post. "What are we looking for?" she asked the Wookie as he looked around the decimated room, pulling pieces from the walls.

He garbled a response before roaming the room again. I smirked, glancing out the wreckage to make sure we couldn't be heard. No movement on the tree line yet. I hoped the younglings would handle the sniper before Chewbacca wrapped up here.

"Are you still feeling optimistic about making a transmitter out of this junk?' Ahsoka asked, watching the Wookie collect an armful of salvage.

I smiled gently, leaning against the warped doorway. "He seems to be quite the black-thumb," I observed, earning a confirming garble. "I wouldn't doubt him just yet." My nerves spiked with a whisper from the Force, the light of the moon spilling over Chewbacca's fur. "Hey, watch yourself," I whispered, shifting the Wookie from the light and into the next room. "Sniper, remember?"

He gurgled back an apology in his native tongue, flicking on a light as he dragged more pieces from the circuitry.

"We better get going," Ahsoka sighed as Chewbacca wrapped up. We edged our way back through the ship, skirting carefully across the areas that opened towards the sniper. No shots were fired, though, making my nerves spike even more.

We reached the end, Ahsoka looking out over the tree line. "It looks clear," she whispered. "I don't see any sniper."

Chewbacca let out a small whimper of worry beside me, making me frown at the padawan. "Ahsoka, you're a great leader and you've done great so far. But trust me. It's not safe."

She watched me for a moment before nodding slowly, turning to where the moon danced over the sand before us. She took a piece of metal from the wreckage beside us, tossing it into the sand. It rang out sharply as it was struck with a bolt, followed quickly by an angry snarl.

"She's right," Ahsoka conceded, "Stay down!"

I closed my eyes, though, relying on my training rather than the Force. There were no more shots being fired. "Nope," I muttered before sprinting out from out cover, my boots kicking up sand behind me as I sprinted to the treeline. Ahead, the figure of a Trandoshan fell from the trees, followed by the younglings, to slam into the ground. "Chewbacca, come on!" I called over my shoulder, knowing a Wookie could take a Trandoshan far easier than I could.

The Wookie followed immediately, Ahsoka on his heels. Ahead, the Trandoshan threw both of the younglings to the ground, drawing a wickedly curved knife. "I'll gut you, whelp," he snarled at Jinx, raising his dagger.

Chewbacca rushed past me with the speed only a Wookie could manage, his firm grasp wrapping around the Trandoshan's wrist. The hunter let out a terrible cry when Chewbacca squeezed harder, the knife clattering from his claws. The Wookie dealt a brutal knee to the hunter's chest before wrapping his fingers around his scaly neck.

"Wait," Jinx cried, "We should take him prisoner."

"Fine," Ahsoka allowed. "Chewbacca, let's take him." The Wookie let go after glancing between us, turning the Trandoshan in his grasp to bind his wrists with a twist of vines he pulled from a nearby tree.

"Welcome," I greeted with a sneer at the Trandoshan as I passed him, following Jinx into the forest.

The moon was still high in the sky when we got back to the cave, Jinx checking the Trandoshan's bindings for the thousandth time as he sat our prisoner down.

"A Wookie ties good knots," I assured the Twi'lek with a teasing smile. "You don't have to worry."

"How's it looking, Chewbacca," Ahsoka asked after the Wookie gave me a cheeky grin from where he sat working on his transmitter. "Will it work?"

The machine beeped and buzzed, the dish shifting slightly as it attempted to forge a connection. "Well, something's working," O-mer grinned.

The transmitter sparked and failed, Chewbacca letting out a frustrated growl. Our hopeful smiles faded.

"We've got a prisoner," Jinx interjected, "We should be using him to our advantage while we have a chance."

"I thought the prisoner was the backup plan," Ahsoka asked, frowning at him.

Jinx only shrugged. "It's clear enough we cannot rely on that device." Chewbacca grunted angrily, Jinx raising his hands defensively. "No offense! But we just can't sit here any longer."

I crossed my arms, leaning against the twisting trees that made up our hideaway. "I actually agree with the youngling," I announced. "As much as I think Chewbacca could get this to work with time, we don't have the means to keep a Trandoshan prisoner for long….If we're going to use him, we need to soon." I glanced at the snarling Trandoshan, giving him a scowl. "Or if we aren't going to use him, we need to kill him since we brought him back here."

"I….agree with Jinx, too," O-mer spoke up. "We have to act while we have an advantage."

"Okay," Ahsoka shrugged, playing the game. "Let's say we do it your way. What's the plan?"

"We can use the prisoner to trick the enemy into flying one of their pods down to us," Jinx explained. "Then we hijack the pod, fly up to their base, and take it by surprise."

My eyebrows raised. "A bold plan. One to rival your own, maybe?" I teased, glancing at my friend. She still didn't seem fully convinced.

"Ahsoka," O-mer spoke up again, "You and Kida got us to believe in ourselves again. And I believe Jinx's plan will work."

Jinx sighed behind his friend. "Look, do what you want, but O-mer and I are leaving with the prisoner in the morning."

I frowned at the youngling, watching the younglings move away to bed down. "I didn't mean to go against you," I said quietly. "Or divide the group."

Ahsoka only sighed genty, returning to Chewbacca's side. "Their hearts are in the right place," she said to the Wookie, giving me a nod. "You know I can't let them go alone."

Chewbacca responded worriedly, so I stepped in. "We won't be able to do this without you," I told him. "We need your help." The Wookie thought for a moment before finally agreeing, giving us a toothy grin.

"Who knows?" Ahsoka smiled, "Maybe our luck's just about to change." Chewbacca warbled in agreement, but I only frowned as I sat down, wary of the Trandoshan sitting in the corner.

"Don't jinx it," I whispered. "I'll take first watch." The others agreed, too weary to argue.

The island was bright in the morning sunlight, our Trandoshan prisoner even more disgruntled than he'd been the night before. This was it-our last chance. If we failed here, we'd likely all die.

"Alright," Ahsoka announced at the treel ine that opened to the wreckage. "We better get started."

"Right." Jinx stepped forward, looking at the Trandoshan. "Time to call your friends."

The Trandoshan clicked lowly in his throat. "I'm not helping you, whelp."

Ahsoka glanced at her fellow Jedi before smirking. "Chewbacca, we need him at eye-level please."

The Wookie obeyed, pushing our prisoner to his knees. I watched in awe as they encircled him, Jinx waving his hand in the air. I felt the Force move to his will with ease-an ease I envied when it came to these harder abilities.

"You will listen to me," Jinx said calmly, using the Force to guide the Trandoshan's will.

But our prisoner only chuckled. "No, I won't." Chewbacca gave him a hard hit to the side of his hard, reptilian head, making me snort in surprised laughter.

Jinx tried again, speaking slower as he ignored me. "You will listen to me."

This time, the Trandoshan's eyes looked glazed as he responded, "I will listen to you."

"You were our captive, but now you've escaped," Jinx coaxed.

"I was your captive," the Trandoshan droned, a smile splitting his face. "But now I've escaped." He hissed, his tongue sliding out over the peaks of his teeth.

"You need to call a speeder to pick you up," Jinx finished. My lips quirked at Ahsoka, seeing her watching the youngling like a proud teacher. The Jedi mind trick was something everyone had heard of, though I'd yet to see it myself. It was unnerving to me, and while I acknowledged its usefulness, I also questioned its morality. With the Jedi acting so adamantly against slavery, one would think they wouldn't force their will over another's mind. I pushed my personal moral issue away, because all things aside, this was the only way right now.

The Trandoshan didn't move as Jinx removed his bindings, hissing his words. "I need to call a speeder to pick me up." He tapped his wrist comm immediately, the mechanism beeping.

"Smug?" the Trandoshan on the other end asked, finally giving a name to our captive. "Where have you been?"

Our prisoner-Smug-recited his words carefully. "I need a speeder to pick me up."

We didn't have to wait long, our group hiding in the trees as our pawn stepped onto the beach. He was wearing a goofy grin, happy to play his part in our game. A hoverpod descended just outside the tree line, the pilot looking grumpily at our prisoner.

"Get in," he said, gesturing to his companion. "Let's go."

"Now!" Ahsoka called firmly from her place in the trees, the padawan leaping deftly onto the hoverpod. She used the bar to swing, hitting the pilot hard. He was a big creature, though, and hard to take down. It wasn't long until he had thrown her from the hoverpod, pinning her to the sand.

Jinx raced forward to take down our prisoner before the effects of the mind trick wore off. I knew Chewbacca would help Ahsoka, so I raced after O-mer to try and gain control of the whirling hoverpod. We both leapt aboard, stumbling as we spun in the air.

"Get control," I cried as he gripped the joysticks. "I'll disable the remote lock!" I dove below the paneling, using it and the wiring to pin myself in as O-mer tried to steady the pod. He had it in a moment, steadying us in the air.

"Want a lift?" I heard him ask our group as I rose from beneath the panelling.

I displayed the remote kill switch I'd ripped from the circuitry with a grin, which Ahsoka returned as they all climbed aboard. "While fiddling," I announced after tossing the kill switch into the sand, "I also found its homing beacon." I drew it up with a few clicks of the controls, bringing up the coordinates of the stronghold. "Let's get off this rock."

The Trandoshan fortress floated high above the clouds, looking over the tallest peaks of the island. Two hunters were standing guard on the platform O-mer guided us up to. Chewbacca let out a loud growl, calling attention to ourselves. Jinx was the first out, leaping to knee the first hunter in the chest.

I slid out at the next, swiping my foot across his jaw and sending him sprawling. Chewbacca followed me, scooping up my target and throwing him over the railing. "That works," I chuckled. I'd always liked Wookies. They were a loyal bunch, and incredibly stubborn, but when you were lucky enough to have one on your side, you already had the advantage.

The first, the one Jinx had kicked back, opened its scaled jaw wide, letting out a loud call of warning to his friends. "Here we go," the Twi'lek muttered, holding up his fists at Trandoshan hunters began to flood towards their friend's call.

The doors above us hissed open, revealing the leader with two guards at his sides. "Garnac," the Force whispered in my ear as I regarded the angry white-scaled lizard. He still wanted my armor, but he hated Ahsoka more.

"Kill them! Kill them!" he cried from above us. "I want their skins!" I remembered what the Force had let me hear the day Kalifa died. "You killed my son!" Ahsoka had caused Dar's death. That was reason for revenge, enough.

Two Trandoshans on our level opened fire, our group rushing to the next hovercraft docked on the pad. Chewbacce threw it over to expand our cover, our group pressing our backs to the bottom. I tapped Ahsoka's elbow when I spotted a Trandoshan making a run for another hoverpod.

"Hey," she said to Jinx, catching my hint. "Let's give him a lift." The two Jedi grit their teeth, the Force flowing around them as they lifted the hoverpod while the Trandoshan struggled to climb aboard. They threw the pod across the landing pad, the metal crunching as it tumbled towards the two Trandoshans firing at us.

We leapt into action when they were scattered. Garnac's guards had reached our level, O-mer raining hell on them with our stolen pod's turrets. We each engaged our own Trandoshan, my nerves aflame as I ducked beneath swiping claws and snapping teeth. I had little to fight with, my fists having little effect on the creature the more weary my muscles became.

And then I rolled to the side to dodge a blow, nearly tripping on a piece of debri. I smirked, wrenching the smoldering pole from the wreckage, happy with the sharp point it created. I brandished it before me like a spear, scowling at the Trandoshan.

It was time to try this again.

My attacker snarled, his reptilian throat clicking with frustration as I twirled around his attacks, letting the Force flow through me. I spun my make-shift spear, jabbing at the openings he offered when he tried to strike me.

It didn't take long for us both to be breathing heavily-me from exhaustion and him from the many bleeding holes I'd caused by poking him. He let out a bellow, his claws catching my spear and pushing us both backwards. I was shoved against the wall, the bar pressing against my throat dangerously, my toes barely touching the ground.

And then Garnac used a turret above to shoot down O-mer in our stolen pod. The smoking ship crashing along the landing pad, everyone leaping away from their miniature battles to avoid being crushed. My attacker leapt away, letting me slide to the ground, clutching my spear to my chest and coughing.

Even so, when we all looked up again through the smoke of the crash and the haziness of my lack of air, we were surrounded by guns. "A valiant effort, little younglings," Garnac announced from above us, leaning cockily over the railing. "Especially you, Togruta."

My bloodied attacker approached, wrenching my spear from my tired arms. His claws wrapped over my face painfully, making me cry out when he threw me back to the ground beside Ahsoka and Jinx.

"And you, Mando," Garnac continued, laughing as I glared up at him. "You really are quite resourceful. Though, I fail to see why you'd be honored with a beskar lightsaber. Or the armor, for that matter. You hardly seem to deserve it." My nose scrunched as I ground my teeth, watching him laugh again. "You will both be prized trophies in my collection," he said to Ahsoka and I, sneering.

I'd sooner throw myself off the side of their fortress than let me and my armor become a piece of his terrible display. And then a spark of hope alighted in me when Chewbacca garbled happilly at the sky. Tuning into his Force signature, I heard what his Wookie hearing could sense before my own.

Incoming engines.

I looked up as a ship lowered above us, my lips quirking into a smile. I knew that ship. It was the Halo-an SS-54 assault ship my good friend had altered for her bounty hunting profession. I recognized the tooka drawing on the nose as it lowered, Wookie leaping from the cargo hold to engage the Trandoshans around us.

I wanted to stick around to thank Sugi for arriving, despite the Wookies likely coming for Chewbacca and that she likely didn't even know I was here. I was grateful, nonetheless.

But now was the time for fighting.

I followed Chewbacca's example when I engaged my first Trandoshan. Sweeping under his swinging arms, I corralled him backwards towards the railing with quick and decisive jabs between his attacks. When he was close enough, I ducked his strike before leaping up, planting both feet on his chest.

He went over the side, screaming as he fell out of earshot.

Blaster shots were flying all around the fortress, the Wookies still aboard Sugi's shuttle laying down cover fire. They took out Garnac's turrets, leaving him snarling on the balcony above us.

I lunged for my makeshift spear again, the Trandoshan I had injured with it before now holding a gun towards me. "Not this time," he growled, pulling the trigger.

The Force took over as I fell into survival-mode, relying entirely on my instincts. The bolt whizzed past my cheek as I shifted my head sideways to dodge the shot. He fired again, but my confidence was rising with each shot he took. I dodged them all, sweeping my staff back and forth as I lunged between the shots. When I was close enough, I swung with my metal spear, knocking the weapon from his claws.

Still, he wasn't really any less dangerous.

We continued sparring as the Wookies joined our battle, the Trandoshan finally throwing me backwards. I tumbled, clutching the spear between my tired fingers. He went to grab his blaster again, aiming at Chewbacca's back as he fought with another hunter.

"No!" I cried, leaping to my feet and sliding my fingers on the spear to shift my grip. Silently pleading with the Force to make this work, I threw the metal bar like a javelin.

The Force listened, the sharp point going through the Trandoshan's back. He let out a gargling cry before falling forward onto his face, lifeless. One of the Wookies-who looked like chief-saw what I did, giving me a nod and a garble of thanks.

"Can you get me up there?" I heard Ahsoka ask a Wookie, making me look up to see Garnac retreating into his trophy room-the one I'd seen in my vision.

"No," I said firmly, approaching as I ignored the fighting around me. Ahsoka raised her brows at me, and went to argue, but I held up my hand. "He has my lightsaber," I explained. "And he questioned my right to my armor."

My words were firm, but pleading. Finally, she nodded, stepping back to allow the Wookie to kneel before me, his furry hands cupped for me to step into. "He'll do a lot of the work, but you'll need to use the Force, too," Ahsoka guided as I readied myself to run into the Wookie's throw. "Do you want my help?" I glanced at her, but finally shook my head. I had an pride thing. I knew that. It wasn't even just the Mandalorian culture I'd partially adapted. It was the freed slave in me. The Sith descendant. The bounty hunter.

Maybe it's just who I was.

"Be careful," the padawan advised before I rushed forward, planting my foot in the hands of the Wookie. As I leapt, he pushed up with incredible strength, sending me flying through the air. I felt a bit of help from Ahsoka at my back, feeling her through the Force. I hadn't asked for it, but I appreciated it nonetheless.

I landed deftly this time, using the Force to control my fall and find my feet. I entered the trophy room quickly, but stopped when I was met with darkness and silence. He was waiting for me, somewhere in the horrific displays.

I swallowed thickly, my eyes scanning over the heads of Garnac's prey-Gungans, Bith, Gran. Sentient beings. People.

It was hard to sense Garnac in the room. Partially because he was Trandoshan, and partially because the room was swirling with the Dark side. Death tended to do that.

My gaze landed on the makeshift throne I'd seen Garnac sitting on in my vision, decorated with the hide of a Wampa. Slowly, I made my way across the room, passed the unlit firepit and behind the throne. I pounced around it, ready for a fight, but found nothing.

The low sound of clicking made my ears prick up. The Force whispered and I listened, ducking down to roll backwards beneath Garnac's legs as he leapt down towards me. He was swinging wildly with an axe. He was strong, and fast for his size, but I was faster. And I used that to my advantage.

Leaping between his endless displays, I finally tapped into my last bit of adrenaline, knowing my time was short before it wore off and officially sapped me of energy. I managed to dodge off of his thrown, landing a hard kick to his nose. He flew back, the axe flinging from his grasp to clatter into some other display. I pushed out with my hands, desperate for the Force to listen. Thankfully, it did, shoving him backwards again.

We paced carefully on either side of the throne, watching each other carefully. I tried pushing him with the Force again, but he dug his claws into the floor, resisting with an angry screech before lunging forward at me. He threw me backwards hard, his claws scraping against my beskar.

I pushed against him, kicking him away. And then he drew my saber from his belt, the blade igniting. "You don't want to do that," I growled lowly, lifting my hands into a ready position.

Garnac snarled, swinging the blade wildly. I ducked below it, spinning in the air to connect my heel with his hand. The beskar hilt flew from his grasp, disengaging as it landed in the unlit fire pit, ashes spraying into the air.

We grappled for a moment, before his scaley hands wrapped around my neck, cutting off my airflow. I struggled, wedging my foot between us a shoving him off. I landed back on my feet, crouching slightly as I panted for breath, my energy beginning to wane.

From across the room, my back to the throne, I watched Garnac lunge for my fallen saber. I instinctually lifted my hand, the fingers soft in the air as I pushed it forward gently. The Trandoshan flew backwards over the firepit, past my discarded hilt. I leapt onto the firepit, scooping up my saber and clutching it in my fist.

"Stay down," I growled. "You are beaten."

"Your group murdered my son," he yelled from the ground. "You all need to pay for what you did."

"You hunt people," I responded, snarling. "Your son died because of what you did, not us."

Garnac screeched, lunging forward as he drew a knife from his belt. I dodged backwards, balancing on the edge of the firepit. My saber ignited in my grasp, swinging deftly through the air.

Garnac's body slumped onto the firepit, his reptilian head rolling to the floor.

Slowly, I let out the breath I'd been holding, disengaging the white blade. Hooking the hilt to my belt, I slowly stepped down from the firepit, rummaging through the supplies beside Garnac's throne. Finding Ahsoka's sabers and the remainder of my missing gear I grinned tiredly, turning to rejoin the others, the sound of fighting now gone.

"Kida?" Sugi voice in her accented tone as I climbed aboard with the tired Jedi and Wookies.

I cast her a smile beneath all the dirt and sweat, seeing Seripa in the copilot seat beside her. As the Jedi spoke with our furry rescuers, I moved into the cockpit, sitting behind my fellow bounty hunters. Seripa gave me a wide grin in greeting while firing up the hyperspace engine while Sugi guided us from the moon's atmosphere.

"You smell," she commented, crinkling her nose.

"I've been being hunted for days on an island with no fresher," I scowled, crossing my arms. "How do you expect me to smell?"

"I wouldn't expect you to smell at all," she answered with a shrug. "It's not like you to even get caught. Losing your edge from all the war?" She was teasing, giving me a wink.

I rolled my eyes, settling back against the wall. "Hiring for rescue missions now?" I returned, equally as teasing. "Is business slow?"

The Zabrak gave me an amused look, but didn't respond as she set the coordinates for Coruscant. "How'd you end up with so many Jedi?" she asked after the stars began to streak past the viewport.

I chuckled. "I only came here with Ahsoka," I clarified. "I was on a mission with her when we were captured. "The other two were already here. There was actually a third," I sighed lowly, sad, but understanding of how these things often went. "But we lost her."

"How old?"

"No idea." That was a dark thought. "She was a youngling, though. So….just a kid." I glanced sideways at the wall panels, my thumbs rolling over Ahsoka's sabers I still held in my hands.

Sugi was quiet for a moment before sighing. "I'm glad to see you're alright. We got worried when Rouva sent out a message asking after you."

"She did that?" I laughed. But, that amusement sobered when I remembered Rouva saying how much it hurt to be someone who loved me.

Sugi nodded, unaware of my internal emotional battle. "We were all starting to get worried you wouldn't be coming back."

"Not Embo," Seripas finally added, his voice small without his suit of armor. "He never doubted you'd make it back somehow."

"Well," I chuckled, "Thanks to you two." I stood slowly, feeling the ship shifting under my feet as we travelled through hyperspace. I left them alone, feeling their mild discomfort. They still respected me, but I knew deep down that they were wary of my involvement with the Republic. Even though I'd never turn on them, I was still creating allies in places they rarely dared to.

That could be dangerous for everyone, considering with power came greater risks.

Entering the cargo bay, I was met with the sheer joy of the passengers. Chewbacca was being welcomed by his tribe, the group loud with excitement. Ahsoka was talking with them easily, her translating skills far better than she gave herself credit for.

"You alright?" I asked the younglings as I approached. They were both sitting quietly, their eyes on the ground.

O-mer looked up first, Jinx still in a daze. "It's just hard to believe….it's finally over."

I gave them both a small smile, squeezing O-mer's shoulder gently. "Chins up, boys. You'll be back at the Jedi Temple before you know it."

"We'll be home," O-mer whispered wistfully.

Jinx seemed more worried than excited. "How much has changed? How have we changed."

"It's war," I answered lightly with a shrug. "A lot changes quickly. But you're Jedi. I don't doubt you'll catch up quickly." They both smiled as I walked on, tapping Ahsoka's shoulder to earn her attention. I offered up her sabers in my palms when she turned.

"My lightsabers," she exclaimed, taking them happily. "I was scared I'd have to forge new ones."

I frowned, despite being glad to return them to her. "I wasn't aware kyber crystals worked like that."

Ahsoka sighed. "They're not really meant to, but they can. A Jedi can focus their energy through many crystals, though losing the one that first called to you could mean it's more difficult to find another."

I hummed in thought, but said nothing else. I wondered if that would work for me. It felt like my kyber and I were connected on a plane the Jedi didn't fully embrace. It spoke to me, in a way. Sang its feelings through the Force. The Jedi I spoke to never mentioned their blades doing that.

Maybe that was because they often suppressed intense emotions.

"The leader?" Ahsoka asked softly under the happy roars of the Wookies.

I shook my head, tucking my thumbs into my belt awkwardly. "Dead. Pulled a knife on me."

The Togruta's brow quirked, but I was surprised to find it was in amusement. "As if you didn't want to kill him anyways." She was joking about me wanting to murder someone. A Jedi.

"You know," I commented, sobering her chuckles, "You continue to surprise me."

"How so?" Ahsoka seemed a bit suspicious now. Ah, much like her master. Again.

I shrugged, giving an easy smile to calm her nerves. "You impressed me with how you led these younglings," I admitted, gesturing to the boys who were still coming to terms with their newfound freedom. "Even how you led me. I don't let many people take the lead in situations where people could die. Take that as a compliment."

Ahsoka laughed now, the tension completely gone from her shoulders. "I will. Thank you, Kida. I realized while we were out here...alone….that I had nothing but the teachings from my Master and those around me. Even though I had to rely on myself for Jedi business, I'm glad I had you there to support me when I started to doubt myself."

"Happy to help," I smiled easily now, feeling the bond that was forming between us through the Force. It danced with shards of color like stained glass, melting us together at the edges. I'd already seen that happen around Rex, Fives, and Padme. Even a bit with Anakin, Obi-wan, and the other clones. But it was the first time I'd felt it with Ahsoka.

And despite the wait for the bond to start, it felt strong. She trusted me now, and I her. I felt who she was, beneath every facade and belief she ever held. It would take a lot to shake that trust now.

The ship shuddered beneath us, our heads lifting as if we could see anything from the cargo bay. We had come out of hyperspace. We would be entering Coruscant's atmosphere any moment and would be at the Jedi Temple in minutes. It was finally over.

Ahsoka let out a slow breath through her nose, her eyes shutting. She was breathing in the potent Coruscant air, filled with exhaust and the warm metal. Of course, this was pleasant compared to the horrible stench of some of the lower levels. Some of those sectors reeked of either garbage, or death, or both.

I felt Halo descend through the atmosphere, the pressure of the cabin shifting slowly to adjust us. It wasn't long before the ship thumped against the landing platform, the doors hissing open to let in the golden light of the setting sun. The roar of the engines dimmed as Sugi turned them off to refuel, Seripas walking back from the cockpit to prep the ship.

He cast me a smile and a wave, hopping off first to begin refueling. I knew the feeling after completing a job. You got paid, you resupplied, and you left. If you could manage, it was best to not resupply at the same place you completed a job.

The less time you were near a client, the better.

"Thank you, again," I called into the cockpit where Sugi was flicking the dials across the control panels. "I'll send you a message later. Drop by the club if you're staying in the area."

"Just might," she sang back in her accented voice, casting me a wink.

I couldn't wipe the genuine smile off my face as I hopped off the ship and onto the landing platform of the Jedi Temple. It felt good to be free again. And Ka'ra, was I excited to get in the fresher.

Sugi had apparently called ahead with the news of who she was transporting, since O-mer and Jinx had been greeted by younglings from their old class. The Wookie who looked like a chief was standing beside Chewbacca outside the ship, giving me a growl in greeting.

I returned it with a nod, smiling when he garbled at me in Shyriiwook. "Please," I responded respectfully, now knowing he was a chief by how he held himself when he spoke. "I should be thanking you for rescuing us. It's an honor to have a Wookie Chieftain coming to my aid." I cut my eyes to Chewbacca with a crooked grin. "Even if I wasn't the aim of your rescue," I added with a teasing wink.

The Wookies chortled before the chief stepped forward, his furry hand gripping my shoulder firmly. He pulled me close, pressing his forehead against mine. I froze for a moment before slowly shutting my eyes, letting the Wookie breathe there for a moment before pulling away. That was an important gesture to his culture. One of trust. Gratitude. Respect.

The chief garbled at me.

"Chieftain Tarfful," I tried out the name in my mouth, smiling when he cheered me on with a trill of his tongue. "I'm honored to fight with you. I'm Kida Fett." Chewbacca let out a roar of recognition for the name, commenting on my skills. To which Tarfful gave a gentle chastise for the young Wookie's interest in the underworld. I chuckled, glancing sideways as Ahsoka stole Chewbacca away while Sugi joined us. Behind me, two familiar signatures approached.

I turned to see Jedi Masters Mace Windu and Yoda walking towards us, their eyes flickering between me and the dirty Jedi. "Miss Fett," Windu greeted as he stopped before us. "We're glad to see both you and Ahsoka safe. And with lost younglings, too."

"Younglings you stopped looking for." I had meant my words to sound accusatory, but instead, they were just sad.

"Made the galaxy dangerous, this war has," Yoda hummed with a sorrowful look, his fingers curling over his wooden cane.

"Danger even our younglings cannot escape," Windu completed for his friend, giving me a hard look.

Still, I nodded slowly. "I understand why," I allowed. "I just wish-"

"Very different, things once were," Yoda interrupted me, shuffling closer. "Beautiful, peace is. Allow many things to blossom, it does. Art. Knowledge. Mindfulness. Safer, it is for our younglings, then."

I hummed lowly, but let it drop. I understood how resources worked. The Jedi, being part of the war, were stretched thin. If younglings went missing, they could only divert resources for so long before they had to return to the war effort.

But then again, that brought up the issue of if the the Jedi should be involved in the war at all. Even though Ahsoka was only a few years younger than me, it was still true that she was a child. Kalifa was even younger and she was already dead. Hunted like an animal.

I tuned the Jedi out as they began discussing compensation and fueling with Sugi, my eyes lifting to see Anakin and Plo Koon approaching from the hangar. A smile couldn't be kept from my lips when I saw the desperately hopeful look on Skywalker's face.

It was a miracle the Order hadn't thrown Anakin out for his blatant disregard for their aversion to attachments. The High Council always seemed like this terrible, foreboding thing. But maybe they were all bark and no bite.

Or afraid to lose their hold over the person they believed to be the Chosen One.

"Ahsoka!" Anakin yelled, his single word bubbling with happiness. His padawan turned from where she was talking to Chewbacca, immediately cutting off the conversation to smile at her master.

She hurried to Anakin's side, the older Jedi grabbing her shoulders like he was making sure she was really there. I wondered if he got dreams like I did-visions where you could see the people you loved and missed, but couldn't touch them.

Chewbacca let out a low gargle in greeting as he joined me on my other side, his kin talking to the Jedi now about Republic affairs on Kashyyyk. They wrapped up in a moment, the Halo refueled and ready to go, the bounty hunters paid. The Wookies each gave me a warbled farewell before boarding the craft, the Jedi beginning to walk back into the Temple.

I stood silently as Ahsoka followed dutifully behind her master. It made me smile. I knew it was a choice and an honor to be a padawan. But I also couldn't imagine acting dutiful right now. All I wanted was to change my clothes, pee in a real toilet, and wash off.

And eat something incredibly greasy and horrible for you.

Yoda stood beside me, a small grin gracing his face when he watched Ahsoka and Anakin walk away. "Is there a joke I'm missing?" I teased, surprising myself with the casual way I was addressing the Jedi Master.

Yoda surprised me with a small, rolling laugh. Maybe he wasn't as strict and scary as people made him out to be. "Unsure, I was, when putting them together," he admitted with another shake of laughter. "Unpredictable, young Skywalker can be."

"I know," I allowed with a gentle smile. "But he's a good teacher. Ahsoka learns well from him. And he from her."

Yoda hummed lowly, shaking his finger at me with a smile. "That, young Kida, the purpose of apprenticeship truly is. For padawan learner only, it is not."

"Well," I sighed, tiring of the small talk and wanting to head back to my club for a stiff drink and a wash. "It seems you made the right choice. They are a great pair."

"In training Ahsoka, Skywalker's challenge does not lie," Yoda said gently when I moved to walk away. Supressing my agitated sigh, I turned back to the small master, raising my brow. "In letting his apprentice go, does Skywalker's true test reside."

I let out a small huff of laughter. "Good luck." Maybe it wasn't nice to say. Maybe it even made Anakin look bad, but I kind of doubted it. Everyone knew he sucked at being detached. Even if people didn't know they were married, many at least knew he and Padme were close. A little too close.

Still, I didn't really care anymore. I'd been nice to Yoda and he to me, and while I would have appreciated the moment more any other day, this particular day was different. I was allowed to be rude. I'd been a prisoner on an island and hunted for sport. I hadn't eaten a lot, or cleaned myself, in days. My armor was bloodied where I had yet to formally treat some of my wounds.

I was going home, everyone else be damned.

I wasn't expecting Rouva to be teary-eyed when I slipped through the back door of the club. We were already open, the music softer since it was the beginning of the night. Still, it was louder than most people found pleasant unless a little inebriated.

Rouva had wrapped me in a happy embrace before snapping back to normal, shoving off me to lament over the dirt she got all over herself from touching me. I was quickly ushered to my room after that and commanded to wash up.

I washed, taking my time to let the hot water beat away the tensions in my back. My soap softly washed away the harsh stenches of the island, replacing it with sweet honey and almond. Careful of the wounds on my right forearm, I scrubbed the dirt and sweat from my hair and beneath my nails, getting every speck of the island off of me.

Satisfied with the skin I'd scrubbed pink, I threw on a big shirt and shorts, twisting the hair that was slowly getting longer and longer up into my towel. My mouth watered at the scent of food wafting in from my office. I knew Rouva would send food up for me.

Still, with that mouth-watering came the realization that my mouth tasted like I licked Jabba. I ducked back into the misty bathroom, scrubbing my teeth vigorously with the minty gel. Satisfied with the now harshly sharp taste of mint, I bent over the sink, rinsing my mouth.

When I came up, I had to suppress my yelp when I saw a blurred figure through the misty mirror. Whirling, I was met with a wide set of golden eyes.

"Rex," I whispered, setting my toothbrush down on the counter slowly. He was in civilian clothes, but not the ones I had leant him. Though….they still looked familiar. "Did you steal those from my closet?" I asked, half joking and half genuinely curious.

His brow arched, amused but ignoring me for now. That answered my question, anyways-he absolutely took them from my closet.

"Cyare," he whispered finally, his shining eyes still focused on me. "You came back."

I smiled gently. "I made a promise, didn't I?"

Rex's eyes widened only slightly when his breath caught, the clone realizing he had actually interacted with me that night somehow….through the Force. He rushed forward without another word, his arms crushing me against him. His nose tucked against the nape of my neck, breathing me in slowly.

I felt the tiniest drop of moisture fall from his cheek to my hair, but I didn't say anything about it, closing my eyes and doing my best to embrace him back. It wasn't easy, considering he seemed to have no intent on loosening his arms soon.

"I'm okay," I assured him instead, slowly easing into his mind to soothe over the worries he'd had about me over the past week. "I'd have contacted you if I could."

He pulled away only slightly to examine my face. "They said you were taken by Trandoshans. Hunted for sport?"

I shrugged, trying to ease his worries. "It wasn't fun, but I made it, okay? It's over." I grabbed his hand firmly. "I'm back now."

His thumb slid over my knuckles rhythmically as he quirked a grin. "As weird and slightly terrifying as it was," he admitted with a small laugh, "I was glad that you could somehow contact me through the Force. It was jarring and….a lot to handle…. But it was so nice to know you were out there. Alive."

I smiled. "Next time I get kidnapped, I'll be sure to drop in again, then."

"I'm going to request that you don't do the whole kidnapping thing again," Rex laughed, his tensions finally easing as his arms loosened. "Though I'm not opposed to you letting me know you're okay when we can't talk."

I frowned slightly, tucking my head over his chin. "I wish you could do the same to me."

"Can't you just check in?"

I peered up at him, smiling slightly at how little he knew. Then again, I once knew next to nothing, too. I was just blessed with good teachers. "It doesn't always work like that. The Force doesn't always let me see what I want to."

"That's frustrating."

"Tell me about it." We were silent for a second while Rex's shoulders shook with amusement. Still, as much as I loved the safe feeling of his embrace, I couldn't ignore the ache in my stomach any longer. "Rex?" I asked, prodding him to look down at me. "Can we move to the office? I'm really hungry."

He nodded immediately, but didn't disconnect our hands as he led me back to the office and sat me in my chair. The captain paused, his gaze trailing over the shallow claw marks in my forearm. They weren't bleeding openly, but they certainly weren't minor scratches either, though.

Rex sighed through his nose. "Kida," he started, his voice sounding tired. As if he were talking to a cadet that couldn't put his rifle together right.

"I was getting to it," I interrupted, pulling my arm away. "It was wash, eat, wrap arm. We are on step two."

Rex rolled his eyes, getting up to fetch the medical kit he knew I had from when he'd used it. He brought it out easily, sitting on the desk before me with my arm in his lap. "You can eat with your left hand," he said easily when I pouted at him. He didn't look up again from tending my wound, so I gave up on my teasing and got to work at housing some of Rouva's authentic Twi'lek cooking. It was a stew that she substituted some Coruscant-available market meat for a Ryloth-native creature. Apparently the Ryloth version was way better.

I had yet to try it in my travels. Rouva's soup was awesome. I didn't want to ruin that. The only soup I'd eat that was a genuine Ryloth recipe would be one that Rouva made.

Rex finished with my arm quickly, but didn't stop there. I ignored him, horking down the second bowl of stew and starting in on the breads and fruit spreads. The captain moved to inspect the rest of my body, gently swiping disinfectant and spraying bacta-spray over any cuts he found. He even went so far as to gently stop my left hand in its work to wipe the split knuckles before returning it to my slice of bread with a small smile.

It was pure, and immediately elicited one from me.

The man was hesitant as he lifted my baggy shirt gently, aware of my stilling muscles. He was careful to keep me covered, his calloused fingers ghosting over my skin to find injuries. Bumps erupted across my skin, and I did my best to control my blush. Stuffing my face with more food helped distract me.

Deeming the rest of me suitable and healthy enough, he nodded to himself and putting away the med kit. The captain wasn't done yet, though, coming back to slowly work the towel from its twist, letting my wet hair fall to my shoulders. His fingers moved through it for only a moment, my eyes sliding closed under his kindness as I chewed my food slower now. Rex left for only a moment, apparently remembering the hairbrush I'd had in my room.

He returned with it, giving me a questioning look before working through my hair with the brush, untangling the knots slowly. He was incredibly patient, a small apology slipping from his lips when he'd pull a little too hard. It took a moment for him to figure it out, but he got it, the motion becoming practiced easily.

He was done as I wrapped up my meal, excited to find my hair parted correctly. I lifted my brow at him. "Perceptive, Captain," I teased gently when he finally settled against my desk before me, his gaze on me. He still didn't speak, though, his eyes intense. "What?" I smiled gently, giving him a look.

He shook his head slightly, but said nothing. Instead, he took my hand again, slowly taking me from my seat and into my bedroom. He motioned for me to lay down before he curled up behind me, wrapping his body around my own. His thumb brushed over my hand where he interlaced our fingers, his breath warm on the nape of my neck.

"This is nice," I whispered, my eyes sliding closed. He shifted slightly behind me, sitting up for only a moment to press his lips to my temple.

"Rest, Cyare," he said against my skin before curling back into me. "I'll be here when you wake up." He answered my unvoiced question, a smile gracing my lips.

I snuggled into the warmth of the clone by my side, letting myself drift towards sleep. "Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum," was the last thing I said before falling into peaceful darkness.

MANDO'A

Ka'ra- stars; ruling council of fallen kings

Cyare- beloved

Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum- I love you