At last they reached the furnace and Chiru laid eyes on the group of about a dozen Ugnaught slaves forced to operate it. She stood under a walkway with the Master Chief as they watched the slaves in silence. Due to her heightened senses, the Pantoran could sense their emotions in the Force and her breath caught in her throat at what she felt. She felt the hunger they felt, and she had to convince herself that the burning metal pressing against her skin and the chain around her ankle were nothing more than a fidget of her imagination. Her powers in the Force were a curse sometimes, and she began to understand her master's opposition to her serving on the front lines.
"Still think we shouldn't have killed him?" the Mandalorian asked, referring to the Gossam supervisor.
Whether he was mocking her or not Chiru Aturo couldn't tell, but his question was seemingly enough to pull her out of her thoughts, although she was getting increasingly annoyed by the Mandalorian and his disrespect towards her. However, he did make a good point. As a Jedi Knight she would never be glad for a being's death, and she scolded herself for even considering what he said, but after seeing how the Gossam treated his fellow sentient beings she began to wonder if she should really feel bad for not helping him.
"We have to help them," she replied, ignoring his comment and her own dark thoughts, for which she would be severely scolded by her master if he were here.
"Not yet. We still don't know how we're getting them out of here." The Master Chief then activated his helmet's comlink and said, "Viper Two and Three, this is Phoenix Two. Have you secured a transport yet?"
On the delivery platforms stood a Sheathipede-class Type B shuttle guarded by two battle droids. They were destroyed simultaneously by two blue blaster bolts, one from each flank of the landing platform, and they hit the duracrete floor as two commandos emerged from concealed positions behind crates of dedlanite ingots.
"Yes, sir. We'll be in your location in no time."
"Good. Make it fast."
The Master Chief ended the call and turned his attention back to the slaves, and the Jedi Knight next to him. The Mandalorian glanced at the map in his HUD, which showed a friendly signal next to him and multiple enemy signatures. The foundry itself consisted of an enormous crucible where the refined dedlanite was melted down, all around of which were Ugnaughts operating the device using a complicated set of gears and levers.
The Mandalorian turned to the Jedi Knight and ordered, "Let's go. We need to find a better position."
They moved through the shadows with an unusual synchrony for two people who had only known each other for a few hours. The Master Chief led the way, moving from cover to cover to remain unseen.
As she sensed the suffering of the Ugnaughts once more, Chiru felt a sense of inadequacy. The duty of a Jedi Knight was to protect the innocent, not watch as they suffered. Guided by what the Force was telling her and not what the Mandalorian was, the Jedi Knight moved out of the shadows and dashed towards the nearest battle droid. Her crossguard lightsaber sprung to life and the blue blade sliced through the battle droid from behind in a single diagonal cut.
"A Jedi?!" one of the battle droids on the second floor of the building shouted in disbelief.
"Blast her!" another one ordered.
Before they had a chance to open fire on the Pantoran they were destroyed by Cale and Verk, who emerged from their hiding spots as they started sweeping the catwalks over the furnace. Back on the ground the Ugnaughts kept their heads down as the battle droids fired indiscriminately at the Jedi, and one by one she cut them down in a blur of blue light. A red blaster bolt fired at her was deflected harmlessly before she destroyed the battle droid who fired it. Within seconds the fight was over as the Pantoran called on the Force to lift the last two remaining battle droids in the air, then smashed them against a nearby wall.
The Ugnaughts grunted in celebration as the Jedi Knight and the two commandos approached them, the former with a smile on her face as she started cutting the chains binding them to their stations while the commandos removed the shock collars. The Ugnaughts cheered for their liberator as they gathered around her and she spoke in a soothing voice as they thanked her for freeing them.
A single shot was heard from behind the Jedi Knight and the commandos immediately turned to its source and raised their weapons, as did the Jedi Knight. In front of them stood the Master Chief, a blaster pistol in his right hand. The Pantoran and the clones followed the direction of the smoking barrel and found another battle droid standing at the door with a hole in its torso. The battle droid collapsed to the ground, and the Mandalorian turned his head and glared at the Jedi as he holstered his weapon.
"What were you thinking?" he asked, infuriated by her actions as he strode towards her.
Her courage left her and a shiver ran down her spine as she heard his voice through his helmet's speakers. Her gaze focused on the fangs on his helmet as he came closer to her, and the clones behind her instinctively stood at attention.
"I-"
"I told you to stay behind me. What were you thinking? That you were going to become a hero? Heroes get killed!"
Before she could even try to defend her actions, the Mandalorian turned his attention to the two commandos standing behind her. Despite being the best of the best the GAR had to offer the two of them stood perfectly still, the memory of their training sergeant reprimanding them on Kamino resurfacing as the Master Chief did the same. "And you two, why did you open fire without orders?"
"Sir, the General was in-" Verk began, before the Mandalorian cut him off.
"She isn't a General, trooper," the Master Chief shot back, furious at his men. His stoicism was lost as he gave his men and the Jedi a dressing down, all the while the Ugnaughts exchanged nervous glances between themselves, fearful of the Mandalorian.
For the Jedi Knight this was too much, and his every word made her blood boil in her veins. She tried her best to remain calm as a Jedi should do, but instead she clenched her fists in rage. She wasn't going to apologize for doing the right thing, whether she had a plan or not. She was a Knight of the Jedi Order and she expected to be treated as such, not as a youngling who didn't know better. Why should she even care about what a Mandalorian thought of her? What did he know about doing the right thing? He was a mercenary, the worst the galaxy had to offer. Scum like him were barely worth the time of the Jedi.
Before she could tell him those things herself, an alarm shrieked through the foundry. A large door on her right opened, and from it emerged rows upon rows of battle droids. They immediately opened fire on the organics inside, and all of them reacted differently. The commandos and the Mandalorian drew their weapons in a flash and fired back at the battle droids while the Ugnaughts scrambled for cover. The Jedi Knight reached for her lightsaber, but just as she was about to activate it she felt someone hold her from her arm and pull her back. She glanced to her side as the Mandalorian pulled her behind a crate, then he took cover next to her.
As blaster bolts zipped above their heads the Mandalorian said, "Leave it to a Jedi to screw things up."
He then emerged from cover and fired repeatedly at the battle droids. His aim was true, and most of his shots found their targets before he had to take cover again.
"Viper Two, we need that evac now!" Cale shouted as he tossed a grenade at the battle droids. An EMP pulse emerged from it and four battle droids fell to the floor, their circuits fried by the device.
"On our way!" Andur replied. Over the sounds of blaster fire the commandos could hear the shuttle fly overhead and land behind them. A few seconds later the door behind them swung open. Hoc dashed inside the building and stood in full view of the battle droids as he held his DC-17m in a similar fashion to how one would hold a Z-6. The power pack clip in the side of his blaster was absent, and instead he had connected the weapon to a cable leading to his backpack, inside of which he had multiple power packs connected together as an improvised, unauthorized modification to his standard-issue blaster.
"Eat laser, clankers!"
As Hoc opened fire on the battle droids in front of him, the Mandalorian ordered Cale and Verk to escort the Ugnaughts to the shuttle. Both of them waved at the former slaves to follow them, and the porcine humanoids squealed as the clones led them towards freedom and aboard the shuttle's passenger hold. The Master Chief and the Jedi Knight stood up to follow them as they heard a grunt coming from the area between the two opposing forces. The Pantoran turned to see a young Ugnaught cowering in fear inside a crate of ingots as he had been caught in the crossfire between Hoc and the battle droids.
Aturo turned back to look at the Master Chief, and the look in her eyes told him everything he needed to know.
"Fine," he muttered through gritted teeth as he changed the power packs of his own blasters. Heartless as she may think he is, he doesn't leave anyone behind. "Now!"
The Pantoran ran towards the helpless Ugnaught and her blue lightsaber activated once more. The Mandalorian was by her side and he opened fire at the battle droids with his WESTAR-35 pistols. Soon they reached the trapped Ugnaught and the Master Chief lifted the lid off the crate with one hand as he kept firing at the battle droids with the other one. The Jedi Knight helped the Uglett out of the crate and held him close to her chest with her left hand and her right hand held her activated lightsaber. The Mandalorian, meanwhile, was firing repeatedly at the enemy, the green bolts of his weapon joining those of Hoc's blaster as they struck the incoming battle droids.
Credit it to a miracle of the Force or immense luck, but the three of them were unharmed as they reached Hoc, behind whom stood the Uglett's mother. Aturo lowered the young Ugnaught to the ground and he scrambled towards his mother. The two embraced, then ran to board the shuttle which was to take them to their freedom.
As a battle droid prepared to throw a detonator at them it was hit by a blue blaster bolt. The explosive flew through the air and struck the roof of the foundry. The weakened structure could no longer support the weight of the large crucible it held and the enormous container broke free of its mountings. Liquid metal poured from the falling crucible, immediately melting the battle droids it landed upon. But as if it had a conscience of its own, the wave of molten dedlanite now shifted towards the Pantoran and the Mandalorian, splashing violently against the ground as it approached them.
Karel instinctively turned and fired the repulsor in his gauntlet towards Hoc and Aturo. The clone and the Jedi were sent flying through the door and towards the shuttle. As they got up the Mandalorian turned to face the incoming wave of molten metal. It loomed in front of him and reflected on his dark visor as he believed he might finally join his ancestors in death, but fate had other plans for him.
Calling on the Force, Aturo let it guide her actions as the Master Chief looked away from her. She reached out towards him, and the Mandalorian was pulled violently towards her and out of the building. The door sealed shut just after he crossed the threshold. The wave of molten dedlanite struck the door as the Mandalorian crashed against the Jedi Knight, and they both fell hard on the duracrete floor as the door to the facility melted down in an instant.
Aturo groaned in pain as the Master Chief got up, taking a knee next to her as she sat up.
"Are you hurt?" he asked her with an even voice.
She rubbed her neck, then after a moment she looked at him and said, "I'm fine."
The Mandalorian nodded stiffly and got on his feet. He stood silently for a few moments, and Chiru looked up at him as he turned his gaze to look at the foundry. The dedlanite and the durasteel had mixed together and the Master Chief stared upon the two metals as they cooled down into a dark grey mass.
After a moment his gaze returned to the shuttle and he realized there was no space for them, so he ordered the commandos to take the slaves to safety. Cale and Hoc nodded at the Master Chief, then boarded the shuttle. The boarding door closed behind them and the shuttle lifted into the air as the Jedi got on her feet. The kilt-like accessory hanging from the Master Chief's belt flapped in the wind as the exhaust from the shuttle's engines was directed towards him, but he stood perfectly still as the transport took off. His gaze followed the starship as it gained altitude, then he opened a communications channel to one of the Republic cruisers in orbit.
"Redeemer, this is Phoenix Two. Send a transport to my location immediately."
"Copy, Phoenix Two. Evac is on its way," a clone replied.
The Mandalorian ended the transmission and raised his left gauntlet. A hologram projected from the device and the three Jedi Masters it depicted looked at the Master Chief, his visor betraying no emotions.
"Greetings," said Master Yoda with a smile as he stood in front of the two taller Jedi Masters. "Relieved we are, to see you are unharmed."
"Master Chief, have you completed your mission?" General Fisto asked the Mandalorian, aware of his recent tendency to skip introductions and making conversations as short as possible.
"Yes, General. We have the location of at least a dozen more Separatist installations," the Master Chief replied, then glanced behind himself to look at Chiru. "But she disobeyed my orders, compromised the mission and could have gotten us all killed. Not to mention she put civilians at risk."
The Pantoran looked utterly dejected as she stood a couple of meters behind the Mandalorian, hugging her sides as she looked down at her boots. Master Di furrowed his brow as he caught sight of his former Padawan, and concern began to grow in his mind as he sensed her disappointment in herself. With each passing second her feelings of inadequacy and shame grew as she realized she had all but ignored her master's instructions to work with the Mandalorian, not subvert his authority at the first chance she got. Master Di was as patient of a master as she could have hoped for, but to let him down in such a way in her first mission as a Jedi Knight was unforgivable. Fortunately none of the Ugnaughts were harmed, but she wasn't sure she'd be able to ever forgive herself if things had gone any different.
"I see," Master Fisto replied, clearly not expecting this new development.
Master Yoda hummed to himself and shook his head, then said, "Apologize for this, we do. Wrong, we were."
"The Council will decide on the next course of action regarding her duties to the army-"
"Wait," the Master Chief cut him off. He looked back at the Jedi Knight once more and sighed deeply. He wasn't sure why he did it, but he begrudgingly admitted he was being too harsh on her. There was something familiar about her, an innocence he himself had lost a long time ago.
Maybe it was because she reminded him of himself when he was a few years younger, but he swallowed his pride as he turned back to address the three Jedi Masters and spoke firmly. "She might have screwed up... but she also saved my life." Chiru looked dumbfounded at the Master Chief, and her master's focus turned back to the Mandalorian as he almost immediately added in a more serious tone. "But she's still not ready. She can stay, but I will keep command of the battalion and supervise her training. No regular Jedi would fit in my battalion but with the right training, and patience, she might just make it through."
Chiru watched as Master Yoda turned back to look at Master Fisto and Di, the latter of whom looked clearly reluctant to accept the Mandalorian's proposal, as it essentially meant giving him control over the actions of his former Padawan. After an exchange of looks between the three Masters they nodded at each other before Master Yoda looked behind the Master Chief and asked her, "Aturo. Agree with this, do you?"
The Pantoran's gaze met the Mandalorian's behind his visor, and finally Chiru could sense his emotions for a split second as she saw herself running through the same open field as before, but now she could see a small crack in the black stone of the wall in front of her. An odd sense of sympathy for the Mandalorian arose from her and she met Master Di's gaze.
"Yes, masters," she replied with a smile, then nodded to the three of them as Master Di visibly relaxed. He wasn't sure this was the right choice, but he had to trust his former apprentice.
"Decided it is then," said Master Yoda with a smile. "May the Force be with you."
The three Jedi nodded once more at the Mandalorian. He nodded back and ended the transmission just as a gunship appeared from the south side of the canyon, then dived down towards their location and hovered over the ground. The Mandalorian began walking towards the transport as its side door slid open.
"Get moving or I'm leaving you here, Jedi!" he called to the Pantoran from a distance. Unsure of how to feel about her new assignment, the young Jedi Knight ran towards the Master Chief and caught up to him. They both boarded the gunship, then held onto the handles hanging from the ceiling of the passenger bay as the vehicle took off once more.
Aturo's gaze met the horizontal section of the Mandalorian's gaze, her lilac hair waving freely in the air. The mercenary slowly turned his head to the side and massive explosions appeared throughout the complex. The Pantoran followed his gaze, then looked back at the Mandalorian once more. The Force was telling her many things at this moment, like voices talking over one another. Whether she had made the right decision or not, she couldn't tell. But the Force was her ally, and a wise ally it was.
