Avengers: Infinite Wars

by free man writer

The Clone Wars are in full swing with the galaxy divided. The Jedi lead the clone army against the infinite droid army of the Separatists. Yet a wild card enters the fray. The Avengers. From there, newer, more sinister and deadlier threats emerge and The Galaxy, no, the universe, shall never be the same again. Phase 3. Co-written by Jebest4781 and BulletStormX

107. Promises

Let's keep this ball rolling, no need to mince words other than to…

Actually, there is something to be said and done.

As you all know, I did popularity poll a while back asking you the readers to select your top 15 characters of Infinite Wars. Had a large selection and it turned into being a top 16 but still, thank you all for your participation.

So in loo of that, after over a hundred chapters, figured we can do the same for arcs of Infinite Wars in voting for the top 5 arcs in the entire story thus far.

Took me a while to give it a proper breakdown but I'll be revealing them next chapter being the season finale of season 3 and will put the poll up proper once chapter 108 comes out and will keep it until chapter 110 and chapter 110 will be the official start of season 4.

Chapter 109 will serve as a unique standalone chapter that's not associated with any season.

Anyway, next chapter, the poll will be put up for the top 5 arcs of Infinite Wars, you will all get five picks for your votes and I will also list the arcs in the next opening AN for those who can't vote and they can put it up in the reviews.

Thanks again to all of you for supporting this story for so long.

And also, FUCKING HELL WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE GOD DAMN SITE?!

Rate Read and Review and as Always Have Nice Day.

Avengers Infinite Wars Chapter 107: Promises

"Metal scumbags." Rocket muttered, kicking away an Ultron Sentry's head.

"What's got your gander up?" Sugi questioned with a raised brow, noticing a small tinge of bitterness in the anthropomorphic biped's voice.

"Nothin," The Racoon grunted out, throwing his hand up. "Just getting sick and tired of seeing these jackoffs. That's all we've been fighting lately."

Embo spoke in his native tongue making the Zabrak Guardian gesture her head in his direction.

"Xizor and his morons don't count." Rocket retorted. Beside the Kyuzo Guardian was his faithful companion, Marok the Anooba, lounging about in a comfortable position taking a nap.

"So what does count?" Wes Journ inquired.

"Anything that isn't the usual hoopla." Rocket stated.

"I am Groot."

The others laughed at the walking trees comment, making Rocket deadpan at his surrogate son before shaking his head and walking further along the battlefield. Around him were bodies and scraps of Ultron drones, sentries, bots, whatever name suits them mixed with any poor sap that had the unfortunate fate of being converted into one of that AI bastard's hybrid creations. There were Mando's and Ravagers in the mix while the injured were either being tended to on the spot or taken to a medical station depending on the severity of their injuries.

Rocket halted in front of a young Mandalorian body, turning to gaze at the boy. He looked no less than eighteen or nineteen years old and he was converted.

Just seeing the state of these people… it brought him but bittersweet to bad memories.

Seeing animals in cages. Them deformed, one way or another.

All were confused about their purpose. Of their existence.

Some were… friends… family to him.

Ones who were long gone.

And it appears that such sickening practices weren't exclusive to the corner of the universe that created him.

In many ways, this Ultron was far worse. But in so many ways, they were exactly alike.

Evolution.

The mere thought of that word made Rocket's stomach churn and he hocked up a loogie and spat it out as if trying to discard the memories that sprang up in his head. That was a long time ago and now wasn't the time for those old wounds.

"Easy there."

Rocket turned to see Fennec and Mantis assisting a particularly injured Mandalorian who had a scrap of metal in his leg.

"Do you think it has to go?" The warrior asked tentatively.

"You'll be fine, kid." Shand assured. "One dip in the bacta and you'll be running again."

"For now, just relax and ignore it. It doesn't hurt." Mantis stated, placing her hand on the man's cheek, her antenna glowing and like that, he had a content look on his face.

Fenn suddenly dropped in from the sky, taking off his helmet to greet the trio.

"Shand, Sago." He said to them both, giving Mantis a wide smile. "Mant."

The wide-eyed girl grinned cheerfully, making sure the Mandalorian she had on her shoulder was alright before pouncing into Shysa's arms.

"Isn't that disgustingly sweet?" Fennec dryly said, snorting at the way Mantis kissed Fenn and it always seemed to catch the Mandalorian off guard.

"Makes for great entertainment." Sago the Mando said with a dazed smile.

Off to the side, Rocket turned away from the scene, continuing down the path before spotting Quill, Gamora, Drax, Chirrut, Spar, Tobbi, Dax, Bo-Katan and Satine in the distance.

Next to the Kryze sisters was their nephew, Rocket didn't really bother to remember the kid's name.

"Quill." Rocket said aloud, catching the group's attention.

"Rocket." Peter said with a small nod. "Done with your walk?"

"It was enlightening." The tech expert sarcastically said, jumping up on a crate to be at eye level with the rest of them.

"Anything to report?" Gamora inquired, making Rocket scoff and gesture in the direction he came from.

"A lot of bodies." He deadpanned. "Lot of dead. But from the numbers I've seen, could have been worse."

"That doesn't alleviate my concerns." Satine remarked with a tired sigh.

"He is right, Satine." Mandalore Spar said with a solemn gaze. "It could have been far worse."

"Our losses are high but due to the assistance we received from the Republic and the Avengers along with our already established allies," Dax Ordo shot an appreciative gaze at the direction of the Guardians. "We managed to keep all the civilians safe. Only our soldiers were on the frontlines."

"All of them after we got them underground." Bo-Katan tiredly reminded, her head hanging low for a moment. "Still, Mandalore and its systems remain standing."

"But I sense something far greater in danger in the Force." Chirrut spoke up, a disturbed expression, blinded eyes down casted. "The victory Ultron garnered after Kamino and Cato Neimoidia has cast a shadow over the galaxy."

"He will likely be capitalizing on such achievements." Drax stated firmly. "He holds the advantage and he will utilize it to inflict greater harm upon others."

Several in the group grimaced at that, knowing it to be true.

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Satine inquired. "Mandalore holds strong as do the planets within our system but even with our growing numbers, we cannot sustain a defense for a prolonged amount of time."

"We can't negotiate with someone like Ultron." Korkie Kryze spoke up. "Would it not be prudent that we… find a way to fight back?"

Bo-Katan gave her nephew a strained smile, patting the teen's shoulder. "While I wanna say I'm proud to hear you're willing to fight, Korkie, I'd rather you not. I'm not keen on having more Mandalorians sacrifice their lives just yet."

"It may… no, it will come to that." Spar grimly pointed out. "Ultron is not going to be idly sitting by and waiting for us to recoup from such losses. We are vulnerable and it is likely-"

"Mandalore."

The group all turned to a female Mandalorian with brown hair, eyes, tanned skin, and black armor.

"Ursa." Spar greeted. "Is something wrong?"

"It's the Republic, Mandalore." Ursa Wren answered. "They are requesting our cooperation."

Everyone exchanged looks with each other.

"For what?" Tobbi Dala inquired on behalf of the group. "I thought they were just as bad as-"

"It's for something else." Ursa interrupted. "They are requesting to merge our forces with theirs. They are planning an assault upon Ultron."

That caused many to reel back, certainly stunned at such a statement.

Ursa went on before anyone could respond properly.

"Jedi Masters Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luminara Unduli with Matt Murdock, Peter Parker and Colonel James Rhodes are with them." She listed off. "They are already on their way here."

The head of Clan Wren was met with silence until Satine cleared her throat.

"Guess a decision has been made for us." She warily said. "Let us go meet them, Mandalore."

Spar nodded in her direction.

"I'll check on the rest of the band." Rocket said, walking away.

"I shall join you." Drax said.

"Tobbi, Dax," Spar said to the Mandalorians.

Both men simply nodded, joining the other Guardians whilst Peter, Chirrut, and Gamora went with Bo, Satine, and Spar. A transport was ready and waiting for them, taking them to a landing platform where three gunships were stationed.

At the head of the collection of Clone Troopers were Luminara and Obi-Wan, Barriss with her master and Ahsoka cuz she asked to come along.

Matt, Rhodey and Peter stood alongside them, waiting as the transport carrying the Guardians and Mandalorians arrived.

"Hey guys." Peter casually greeted before anyone else was able to speak up.

Satine gave the young hero a kind smile whilst Korkie grinned at him then Ahsoka and Barriss.

"Welcome." The Duchess said with a gracious bow.

"Mandalore Spar." Obi-Wan stepped forward, having a respectful bow and hand over his chest. "Lady Satine, Lady Bo-"

"No need for the lady bit." Bo airily said yet the Jedi went on.

"I truly wish our visit was under better circumstances." Kenobi said. "But I don't have to tell you the gravity of the situation."

"We have just been informed of the purpose of your visit." Spar respectfully said. "Quite bold of you to come and request such aid."

"Yeah well, no point in subtlety." Rhodey bluntly said. "We'll just cut right to the chase. Ultron is fucking everyone separately. If we don't unite together to beat that platinum asshole back, we're all fucked."

Many of the Clone Troopers guffawed behind the Avenger, Peter appeared to barely hold back his laughter and even Matt held an amused smirk.

Bo Katan openly snorted, same as Spar, Chirrut and Quill and Gamora shook her head yet it was clear she was amused as well. Korkie just laughed whilst Ahsoka and Barriss were conflicted on whether to be appalled or entertained. They opted for the latter.

Luminara shot the colonel a look, one that if Tony was here, would call the wife glare.

Thank god he wasn't.

"Rather crass, but he's right." Says Satine, coughing into her hand.

"Really?" Spar sarcastically said with a chortle. "I couldn't tell. I take it you came with a plan?"

"Cap has several in mind." Matt spoke up. "He's been workshopping it with another who goes by Thrawn.."

"Shit, I'm in." Star-Lord immediately voiced his approval, making his friends and allies turn to him. "What? They're the Avengers and Captain Fucking America is leading the charge. Fuck yeah, I'm in."

"Peter." Gamora said in exasperation.

"He does have an air about him." Chirrut mused to himself, recalling the time he met Captain Rogers after Jedha.

"So you come to us for aid." Bo-Katan said. "I take it others are also in mind."

"We've got the bulk of them right here, frankly." Obi-Wan admitted. "The Mandalorians, Guardians of the Galaxy and Ravagers were on the list and now we only have one left."

"And that would be?"

"The Separatists."

Bo-Katan scoffed and Satine's expression fell slightly.

"You must be joking."

"Wish we were, but they're needed." Luminara apologetically said.

"Those bastards aren't exactly keen on working with others." Spar stated. "Their head of state tried strong-arming the Protectors at one point."

"And he sure as shit didn't do Death Watch any favors." Bo-Katan tacked on.

"Desperate times." Chirrut contemplatively states. "The ceasefire will be pushed further with this. Dooku and his people would be accused of reluctantly joining if they delayed it. Quite frankly, it is merely a courtesy really. The sooner Ultron can be beaten the sooner… well, war wouldn't be the priority on everyone's mind after the destruction that has been wrought."

"You'd be surprised." Came the response of virtually everyone save the teens and clones.

"I figured this would happen." Spar brought up. "The likeliness of more of our people dying before we can achieve a modicum of peace."

"Yes…" Satine's shoulders sagged, and a trembling hand covered her eyes. "You did."

Obi-Wan felt a pang in his heart at seeing her in such a state. Luckily Bo and Korkie were by the woman's side to provide some form of comfort.

"May we talk in a more proper setting?" Luminara spoke up. "Just so you can hear a great detailing and outline of our strategy. It is still in the works, after all."

"Yes please." Spar said.

As the adults left, Peter along with his two girlfriends stayed behind with Korkie, the young man eagerly going up to them.

"It's great to see you guys." He happily said, giving the three of them a hug. "I was hoping to see you all once more."

"It's good to see you too, Korkie." Peter said, patting him on the shoulder. "How are the others?"

"I can take you to them." Korkie remarked, gesturing behind him to the transport that brought him here. "They'd love to see you all again."

"We would like that." Barriss pleasantly said.

"Lead the way." Ahsoka said.

The teens all departed from the landing pad and went off to meet with Korkie's group of friends all while the leaders of the Mandalorians and Guardians met with the Avengers and Jedi.

The meeting wasn't long, for the most part.

A simple discussion, a prelude if you will, to how many forces can be contributed to this upcoming strike force that would be taking the fight to Ultron. Some plans were brought up, resources and the number of soldiers that would be able to be added to this fight.

It didn't take long really, given how on board most of the leadership was for this. For the Mandalorians especially, this was exceptionally personal now that Ultron attacked their home not once, but twice.

Serving as a distraction both times.

As the day drew to its end, several "private" meetings occurred.

"So you came here to sway me or what?" Bo-Katan asked, walking alongside Matt Murdock.

"Believe it or not, Obi-Wan personally asked me to be by his side. Not that I wasn't planning on coming here, it was always my intention to do so."

"Was it now?"

"Yes, I have not seen Chirrut in a more calm setting." Matt casually said. "I missed my friend. I hope to see Baze as well."

Bo gave the blind Avenger a bland look.

"Really? See?"

"You know what I mean." Matt said with a small smirk. "And I see in my own way."

"Yeah, I remember." Bo murmured. "World on fire, right? How would you even describe that?"

Now it was Matt's turn to give the Mandalorian a bland expression.

"What?" She defensively said. "It's an honest question."

He snorted to himself, turning away from her and slowly removed his ruby-tinted shades. He knew Bo was looking at him intently and he could sense the way her expression creased into a slightly sympathetic frown at seeing his blind eyes.

She had seen them before, of course, but in the past, it was usually where she held a degree of animosity towards him.

That has changed now.

"I can't ever truly put the words in properly." Matt quietly spoke, "seeing" the outlines of everything around him in a fiery haze, wisps radiating off every shape, wall, angle etc. "Just that the world around me is always burning. Now more literally these days than metaphorically."

"I hate how depressingly real that is." Bo admitted with a grunt. "And I hate you."

"Yes, I'm quite aware of that." Matt said in stride.

"So damned annoying." She muttered. "All those stupid meetings and talks, making me change my way of thinking. Actually making me make peace with my sister-"

"You still love her."

"And now I'm here on Mandalore and despite the attack, my people are rebuilding, regrowing and reconnecting with the old ways. The true ways of our people."

Daredevil remained silent in all this, having turned to gaze at her as she went on.

"I hate that you triggered this change in me." Bo quietly said. "I hate how… you've made me rethink everything I thought I knew and believed in."

"I'm sorry." Matt calmly said.

"And I hate how it's made me change how I feel about you." Bo comically said through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry, what-"

She silenced him by grabbing the hem of his suit and bringing his lips onto hers.

He pulled away in surprise but she was quick to push him back to her.

After a few seconds, she pulled back breathing heavily.

"Let's just have this here and now." She huskily said, preventing him from responding at all. "Kriff, I hate that you've done this to me."

Matt was unable to say anything further as he began to be pulled towards a nearby room which so happened to be Bo-Katan's. She pushed him into it, closed the door behind her and locked it.

Elsewhere, the other Kryze sister is being entertained in her own fashion.

"Thank you, Obi-Wan." Satine murmured contently, basking in the feeling of having the love of her life's arms around her.

She could tell the Jedi master was a bit uncertain about this but after a prolonged kiss to addle his thoughts, getting into this position was easy.

It was the thought that counts.

"I hate how effective that is." Kenobi embarrassedly admitted, eliciting a bright laugh from Satine, one that brought a smile to his face.

She reached up to cup his cheek to bring his head closer for her to gently peck his other cheek.

"It is a weapon I seldom employ but when I do, I am glad to see that it works ten times out of ten."

The Jedi Master grumbled, making Satine laugh even more, a great feeling of lightness coming over her despite the past few days. And it was clear for her to see that in spite of him not being fully on board with this type of interaction, Satine was able to discern the relaxed and more than willing state her love conveyed at this moment.

Something had changed in her Jedi's heart and mind. He barely resisted her this time around, almost expecting her to drag him away to be alone together. Obi-Wan put up a meager argument, a far cry from his usual talk of "Jedi attachment" this and "Jedi code" that.

There were many questions on her mind at this point in time but she shoved those aside for another time.

If there would be another time.

Everything that was about to transpire would be one that would either signal the beginning of or outright reshape the galaxy entirely.

And loathe as she was to face the reality of it, many, many people were going to die.

One of which could be the man holding her at this moment. A thought that she tried to dispel many times over but Ultron showed that no one was safe.

And the love of her life was going to be headed right for him soon to take the battle to him.

She wanted this. Needed this moment with him.

Because…

No. Satine shook her head, ignoring Obi-Wan's query of what was wrong and she just turned to snuggle against his chest.

He would come back to see her again.

Her Jedi knight in shining armor… robes, always did.

-Scene Cut-

On the world of Raxus Secundus, the capital of the Separatist Alliance, Count Dooku stood on a balcony of the grand palace in the center of the capital city of Raxulon.

He held a stoic visage, watching many ships in the air working on removing debris from the city with others serving as transports for the injured and the deceased.

It was… a grim sight for the former Jedi turned Sith.

The Count found himself constantly grimacing or suffering from small headaches here and there and it all came from the Force. Yes, the situation at hand was migraine-inducing but this one from the Force was far worse.

He thought he would be used to it, he believed he'd be numb to the feeling but Dooku felt it.

The death and torment pulsating through the Force thanks to the actions of Ultron.

It brought back many unsavory memories.

Particularly those of his days as a Jedi.

His days when Qui-Gon Jinn was still alive and by his side.

Dammit, why did those memories have to surface now of all times? Those people that the Republic failed in the past?

What led him to the Dark Side…

A whirring sound from behind cut into the Dark Lord's thoughts, which was frankly a welcomed distraction from what plagued his mind.

He answered immediately and he saw that it was none other than his Master.

Dooku successfully schooled his features, pushing away the scornful look that almost came over him. The Sereno Count quickly got down to one knee, bowing his head.

"What is it, my master?" He said with forced respect in his tone.

"Developments with Ultron's latest attack has caused… an annoyance I have to admit we must enact on."

The Count knew what Sidious was referring to, but couldn't help but ask. "Being what?"

"We must fully go through the ceasefire to deal with Ultron. He is becoming a far greater threat than we have anticipated."

It took a herculean effort for Dooku to not roll his eyes. He had known this for some time, but Sidious was too stubborn to admit it beforehand. Now it's too late to salvage much of the old plans.

"I understand what must be done, my Master." Dooku assured. "If need be, I shall strongarm any dissenters into agreement or remove them entirely."

"See that you do, Lord Tyranus." Sidious ordered, scowling at the aged former Jedi. "The very chance to have our plans be salvaged or changed hinges on what comes after."

Dooku nodded and was about to log off when his hand hovered over the button.

"Something on your mind, Dooku?" Sidious inquired patiently.

"Quite, my master but this is something we haven't fully considered addressing." The Count admitted with a heavy frown.

Palpatine said nothing, a silent means of encouraging his apprentice to expand on his thoughts.

"What of the Avengers?"

The reaction was immediate, given the curling sneer of revolt at the mere mention of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Or galaxies, by this point.

"What of those miserable gnats?"

"Please Master, words such as those should not be used to describe such foes." Dooku reprimanded, actually making Sidious blink at the gall of his apprentice. "Clearly they would demand a number of countermeasures."

"They will be dealt with when the time comes." Sidious snapped back at the man yet he held firm.

"No master." Dooku firmly said. "I understand that we have already been planning on finding the means in which to fight them but we shall need far more than what we are working with. Their member, Thor, is a God, my Lord. We can only conjure lightning when he can summon storms in an instant. And that's just one of their members. If we are to stand a chance-"

"Remember your place, Apprentice." Sidious cut him off with a snarl. "I am fully aware of the threat that these wretches hold-"

'Do you?' Were the intrusive thoughts of the Count.

"But I shall not be lectured by one such as you who can only fathom the surface of the longstanding line of Sith that has allowed you to even get a taste of what lies within the swath of the Dark Side."

Dooku kept his mouth shut but inside, he was seething at the Sith Lord's stubbornness and blind behavior.

"Just know that when the time comes, the day that we tear both the Jedi and the Avengers down from their pedestal shall come and it will be the greatest triumph the Sith shall ever experience."

And with that, the Dark Lord of the Sith ended the transmission, leaving his apprentice to stew in his words. The Count knew Sidious wouldn't budge on the matter. But at the very least he addressed it now than later.

Whatever the case may be, he got the "blessing" to enact things a bit more freely, under the guise of following his master's "wishes".

Something which Dooku will now be exploiting in preparation for what's to come.

For now, it was time to check on the progress of the Acolytes he knew were on his side. But most of all, of his Apprentice, Asajj.

-Scene Cut-

Strolling through the facility, Ultron observed from his present body of his drones retrofitting the city into becoming something else.

Something more suited to his needs.

Walking into one of the many cloning rooms of Tipoca city, Ultron was met with the sight of dozens of drones all operating to their maximum capacity to get his designs done as quickly as possible.

Waltzing over to one of the many terminals in the room, Ultron called down one of the holding devices that contained the developing embryos and babies that once served the purpose of the GAR. Now, they serve in his grander design.

The cloning pods are now showing the typical clones of Jango Fett becoming more of his design. Becoming more "natural" in development.

Sooner or later, whatever DNA source he had of Jango Fett will finally run out. But he had no qualms with this, given he can use any other DNA he had acquired from the vast amount of bodies he collected throughout the galaxy.

On average, the clones would form to a young pre-teenage in appearance in a matter of months. From there, they grow at an accelerated rate than normal beings out there at a fraction of the time of becoming full-grown adults in less than a year. In the meantime, they learn and train to become capable soldiers.

Such puppets are programmed on the whims of their puppeteers.

All this was different with his interference.

Presently, the clones were growing at a faster rate than the norm, courtesy of what he acquired, studied and developed from the Ysalamiri.

Repelling the Force, the means of popping out more troopers was more beneficial for him. And once the clones were ripe to be plucked, he would perform the surgeries to make more extensions of his very being. No wills to fight against, making his insertion far easier.

The thought of the Force made the AI pause momentarily, thinking back on his progress in understanding it.

Despite everything he processed of such knowledge, it was outright alien to him. Maddening, really. It was such an abstract, indistinguishable concept yet so incredibly enticing all the same. He wanted to understand. He needed to find the means by which to use it.

Thus came the hybrids.

Every time he had converted someone in his initial attempts, they suffered death and therefore, their connection the Force was either lost or weakened. Those stupid monks always talked about how the Force exists even in death but he sure as hell couldn't tell if it did.

So he needed to change tactics. Keep the converted alive or semi-alive long enough to see if he could achieve some sort of "feeling", whatever it could be.

Which was why Jedi and other Force Sensitives were soon being converted and Ultron began to feel it. Whatever that sensation was that was called the Force. There were many moments of trial and error but Ultron started to truly feel the energy that so few in this galaxy could use and he could even begin to use it for himself.

It was truly one of the most magnificent strides the AI had ever taken in his purpose of evolution.

And then there was what he felt during his conquest of Kamino.

That made Ultron halt in his thoughts, going back to the battle.

He felt something.

It was like when Wanda ripped out the metallic heart of one of his primary bodies back in Sokovia. However, what Skywalker did went deeper than that.

Being an AI, he could construe any and all words that could come to mind in a literal instant that could be used to describe just what he felt that day.

But for the first time in his existence, Ultron felt speechless. Whatever he experienced could at best be described in a contradictory explanation.

Something that was an out-of-body experience that somehow felt like he was being crushed inside out.

His thoughts came to an end at the sound of mechanical clicking coming from behind.

"Trench." The AI greeted his second-in-command, the spider-like alien bowing his head.

"Lore Ultron," Trench spoke with the utmost respect. "I have come to inform you that the preparations have been completed and are now awaiting your commands. All has been set."

Checking his servers to confirm the admiral's statements, Ultron saw the conversion of the cities was complete.

"Time for takeoff." The AI announced and upon this statement, the entire room, the entire city of Tipoca shook.

Across the city, multiple hisses were heard, steam was released and parts began to move about into new positions.

Down below, the many pillars used to support the capital of Kamino began to come apart before they entirely detached themselves from all structures. Yet Tipoca did not fall.

It hovered over the water as large engines from the bottom kept it above the surface and slowly, with an increase in power, Tipoca City began to rise up into the skies of the stormy planet. And it wasn't just Tipoca that had undergone such a drastic transformation.

Across the planet, all the cities of Kamino were being converted into large ships that began to ascend into the atmosphere.

The cities turned ships joined the fleet of Ultron ships above the planet, adding to his ever-growing navy and arsenal.

Once the last of the city ships were in the planet's orbit, Ultron decided to drop quite the bomb on the watery world.

His entire fleet, including his newly converted ships, unleashed a near-endless barrage of turbo lasers, missiles, bombs, any and all explosive ordnance they had that began bombarding the ocean planet.

The idea of it could be thanked by the Separatist Lok Durd with his napalm-like bomb that he developed at the start of the war. Destroying anything remotely organic where only the droids were left unharmed. Ultron liked the idea and decided to expand upon it.

Unfortunately at this time, the quantity he had would be spent on what he was about to enact. But it won't be much trouble to make more in due time.

The bombardment dropped across, all over, in every direction which began plummeting to the massive oceans below.

In a matter of minutes, the oceans began to boil over. Before long, it started accelerating with the ocean life starting to feel its effects. The aquatic life darted around in all directions, trying to find a means by which to escape this coming apocalypse but it was all for naught. As the barrage continued, the steam from the oceans ascended into the sky. In order for the vapors to not join the clouds and rain down upon the planet, with the use of his converted Kyber crystals, Ultron began to scorch the sky itself.

Soon, the entire planet was a glowing red ball as the relentless bombardment drained the ocean planet dry until at long last, it reached the surface. The water and clouds had completely evaporated, the wildlife disintegrated, bones and all, and what was left was an ashen surface.

Kamino was now a dead, deserted world.

All that'll be good for now is being used to mine for resources if there were any beneath the now-dry land. Other than that, it is a great monument to him.

To his accomplishment. The statement to all organics in this galaxy that this wasn't a fluke but the eventuality.

And this mass death sent a reverberation in the Force that was felt by every single Force user, be they Jedi, Sith, neutral or yet to even realize their connection.

The Sith all sensed the mass destruction of a planet and it was truly something special yet at the same time, the Dark Side itself cried out in warning that this was not to be celebrated but feared. This was something not within the will of the Force, be it Light or Dark.

The Jedi fared no better, many actually falling to their knees, fainting or collapsing and began weeping where they stood or sat.

All around them was a commotion to figure out just what was wrong yet no proper explanation could be made until they were all able to calm down.

It was a horrendous feeling in the Force, the death of a planet in such a horrific way. Atrocities had occurred in the history of this galaxy where only the most attuned in the Force were able to detect it.

But this was different.

Ultron was different.

And it was as if the Force itself was making sure the galaxy knew that what Ultron had done needed to be felt by all. As if a scream of warning and a call to action to bring down this aberration, this anomaly, this abhorrent menace to the Force, to life itself.

All the while, Ultron gazed down at his work within his newest body, his permanently deadly smile conveying the joy he felt at his accomplishment.

Around him were his top "lieutenants" being Trench, Whiskers and now 99 who wordlessly gazed down at his former homeworld with a smirk of controlled "approval".

"Well done, Lord Ultron." 99 praised in his mechanized voice, patting the AI on the back.

The level of arrogant smugness Ultron felt at this moment couldn't be properly quantified. To hear such a thing from his latest "recruit", oh the delicious irony was almost too much for him.

"Thank you, 99." Ultron earnestly said. "Think the rest of the galaxy will get this message."

99 released a soft chuckle, nodding his head. "Hold no doubt in my mind, Lord Ultron. The galaxy will know of this and everyone will understand how pointless their fight against you is."

Ultron released a maniacal laugh, throwing an arm around the converted clone.

"Oh, I'm gonna love having you around, 99."

-The Next Day-

Back on Coruscant, a meeting took place within the Jedi Temple. It was a collection of Jedi and Avengers with the oddball Thrawn thrown into the mix.

Though he had at first denied being invited to such a gathering, Wanda Maximoff surprised the Chiss by using her powers to literally float him into the room with the others. Of course, his bit of intrigue was quickly replaced by brief fits of controlled annoyance.

Her reasoning was simple. He was the one who presented them with his idea of a coordinated assault against Ultron therefore he deserves to be present. Cap and Anakin had also apparently wished for him to be there, the two men recognizing the Chiss' sharp intellectual aptitude for military tactics.

So here he was, sitting silently in his little corner of the room while observing the conversation shared between the Avengers and Jedi.

From the former were the founding members along with Rhodey, Sam, Scott, Hope, Peter, Matt, Wanda, Vision, Pietro, T'Challa, Shuri, Strange, Mordo, Celeste and Bucky.

The Jedi had most of the Council along with other Jedi that have become good friends and secret lovers with the Avengers.

At the center stood Anakin at this time as he was the one who brought the attention of Ultron's possible connection to the Force being a weakness that could be exploited.

"Are you absolutely certain about this, Skywalker?" Windu questioned with an analytical gaze.

"I can only go off of what I know but given the high likeness of Ultron being connected to the Force more than he realizes, we can perhaps exploit that." Anakin stressed out. "He's opened himself up to something he doesn't understand, a weakness that we can use to finally bring him down."

"Yeah but he's still an AI." Tony pointed out. "Even with all the magic, mumbo jumbo that we have here, he's a machine and he can still use that."

"That's what I've been trying to work around." Anakin grunted out irritably. "This is just one factor. Us Jedi can cover that spectrum but the whole technological understanding of it, that's your guys' thing."

"It's more like the eggheads but appreciate you lumping us all together." Rhodey commented. "Make us feel a lot smarter."

"But didn't we say that our first objective should be taking the fight to Ultron?" Ahsoka spoke up with uncertainty.

"I admit, that was the first part," Now Thrawn had stood up, walking to stand in the center of the room with Anakin. "But this is only a means to an end. I know I am still a newcomer to all this but I can see that simply doing this type of tactic can only hold back Ultron for so long. At best, it's a stall that can be used to keep the man, pardon, the AI off balance, long enough for us to develop the proper and definitive means of finally defeating him."

"Thrawn is right. This won't be like how we took down HYRDA." Bucky commented, his best friend nodding in agreement. "Taking out bases won't slow down someone like Ultron. They'd only be viewed as a minor inconvenience. And outright destroying them one at a time is also time-consuming."

"At best, we need to be selective of which base we go to take down." Steve added on, recalling the many battles he and his Commandos had against HYDRA, using that as a frame in this tactical deduction on how to battle Ultron. "A selection of bases for maximum output."

"Will that work in this regard, Captain Rogers?" Plo inquired, crossing his arms in thought.

"Maybe, maybe not." Cap admitted. "But I know that these types of hit-and-run tactics can only get us so far before Ultron becomes more privy to how we do things. This could only serve as a setup for what we can accomplish after."

"And that's a big IF it will work." T'Challa chimed in. "What we are aiming for holds risks of the highest order. If we are to conduct ourselves, it should be those that can move fast and deliver high amounts of damage at the same time."

"We also need to take into account the bases likely holding captured civilians." Sam Wilson reminded them all.

"Wouldn't they have been converted by now?" Aayla worriedly asked, not liking such a reality.

"No, not entirely possible." Tony said with a shake of his head.

"Certain, you are?" Yoda questioned.

"He's based on several minds: me, Bruce, Jarvis and the Mind Stone." Stark elaborated. "But the one key aspect that he inherited from me, something that will cause him trouble is his ego and obsessive belief of constant improvement. He may continually evolve and get far with what he's already done with his hybrids, but in his mind, the work is incomplete. No doubt in my mind that all those bases still have people captured and being experimented on because his belief is that Evolution is a continual process."

"Yeah, I wouldn't put it past him." Pietro Maximoff voiced his agreement, Wanda nodding beside her brother.

"Incentives we can't do are orbital bombardments with everything we have in our possession." Clint immediately said. "Would completely defeat the purpose of saving the people who are likely kept in those bases."

"We shall need to find the means to make sure that there are people alive in the bases and not ones who were converted." Obi-Wan reminded.

"We are Jedi, are we not?" Luminara stated confidently. "And with individuals such as Wanda, Matt and Vision, we can detect uncorrupted life in the bases we target."

Wanda brightened up at the praise whilst Vision and Matt simply nodded their heads in agreement.

"Ok, so that's one thing out of the way." Peter spoke up, hanging upside down from a web line. "Or a few. But Anakin mentioned Ultron being connected to the Force and all. How are we gonna use that to our advantage? Is there like… like a technique that can be used or something? Something that we can use against him?"

There were a few moments of silence in the room as everyone, specifically the Jedi, pondered on these questions.

It was the 4000-year-old Jedi Sorceress that was the one to break the silence. "I… am unsure if this would be of any help but… During my era, a way of getting the edge against the Sith was the Jedi of my time were able to imbue certain objects with the Force."

"Can sorcery and the Force really be used in conjunction with something like a computer virus?" Kenobi questioned, intensely intrigued at such a prospect.

"Nothing is impossible." Mordo commented. "We have many items and objects that are imbued with magic both in this and other universes to give them power and purpose."

"Though some practice will definitely be needed." Strange mused aloud, his mind already working at what spells and methods could be used to combine Sorcery and Science.

"So," Tony claps his hands and rubs them slightly, "who's up for collaborating in techno-sorcery?"

"I do." Peter, Shuri, Scott and several others said at the same time, raising their hands as if they were in school.

Ok, children aside," Natasha dryly remarked on their behavior. "How do you imagine that going?"

"Probably like doing major cheating on an exam we haven't studied for." Hope mused. "Debugging and corrupting the hell out of whatever Ultron has in his programming in some whimsical manner. I can imagine it'll hurt, a lot."

"I hope it does." Were the dark words of Stark.

"Easy Tony." Natasha chided, pulling him from the back of his shirt.

"I believe I can assist in that department." Thor spoke up. "My friends and girlfriend can also assist in that regard."

"Anything you could perhaps acquire from Asgard?" Shuri asked.

The Thunder god pondered on this. "May take some time to consult our scientists. But I shall trust in Jane, Darcy and Selvig to assist you where they can. They've been exposed to my technology and magic, using what they understand of Earth's sciences to translate my people's ways into something that can be understood to a degree."

The Scarlet Witch soon voices a query. "You know, I know Celeste brought up the Jedi imbuing objects and areas with the Force but the Sith have done the same thing in the past as well. There any Sith holocrons in the Vault that have dwelled in such fields?"

At the mention of this, Yoda tightened the grip of his cane.

"Some, yes. Experimental, dangerous and lead to death, they did." Was his grim response.

"Yippee. That'll be fun to look into." Drawled out Wanda. "Of course, it leads to death, why wouldn't it?"

"Are we really considering such an option?" Shaak Ti asked with a disturbed and uncertain expression.

"Sadly so." Windu, of all Jedi, said making many Jedi frown uncomfortably at the prospect of delving into the Dark Side to assist them in this time of need.

"Who is willing to do such a thing?" Mundi asked the group in general.

"I'll take the blunt of the work in that." Wanda immediately volunteered, making many turn to her, several Jedi shifting about with looks of slight suspicion.

"You sure?" Steve asked her.

A ghost of a smile graces her lips. "Very."

With her unique "traits", she won't be affected by any corrupting influence the Sith holocrons may give out. After all, she has gotten experience with XoXaan and Kreia.

"Not without help, you'll not." Quinlan Vos abruptly spoke up. "Tholme and I will help out."

"What? Why you guys?" Pietro questioned, though not offensively.

"We have had our own fair share of experiences with Sith Holocrons." Tholme answered. "This is a specialty of ours that the Council regularly tasked us with."

"May I assist you as well?" Mordo chimed in. "I believe this might be useful for our order as well."

"The more the merrier," Vos said. "Hopefully the conversations we get will be entertaining this time around."

"Onto other matters…" The assembly looks towards Thrawn. "We have some outline of how we are to conduct this guerilla-based tactic. The means of divide and conquer will be truly tested." Comments the Chiss. "But what we must take into account is this. Can there be a way for us to attack Ultron all at the same time? To truly route him from any and all systems he may use to escape us?"

"There is." Scott declared, making all heads turn to him.

"There is?" Was the collective response from almost everyone in the room.

"Yeah, we've actually been working on it for a while." Peter tacked on.

"It's something that we believe can be done with the proper preparation." Hope confidently said. "Back when Scott and Peter first suggested using a virus, I started thinking that since Ultron can just send his consciousness all over the galaxy and cut himself off, we needed an ace in the hole in this regard."

"Attacking all of his bases at once is hopefully ideal. But too risky and more importantly, it'll spread us thin on top of us not knowing where every single base is." Peter said.

"At most, this will be used to distract him… partially." Scott said.

"Unless we focus on the ones most strategic for our goal."

"Any ones to note?"

A number of locations were highlighted on the galactic map. The options were weighed and discussed accordingly.

However…

"Hang on a second." Ahsoka looked over at the Avengers. "So… this virus you guys have been developing for a while now, are you sure it can take down Ultron?"

Vision answered her.

"We believe that now, with the Mind Stone," The android's forehead glowed momentarily. "Along with Mr. Stark and the other Avengers who have come from Earth and the contributions of the Jedi, this can be the nail in the coffin to bring him down."

"But the way you are framing it, it appears that you need to be in person or this virus requires direct contact with Ultron by one-way shape or form or at least be in proximity to him." Barriss stated.

"Hmmm, who would be the ones to deliver this virus?" Secura inquired, trying to make sense of this objective.

"Ultron would detect any or all of us if we are carrying copies of the virus." Spider-Man said. "He's heightened himself to that degree."

"Not unless he can detect something extremely small." Shuri said.

"Like what?" Thrawn couldn't help but ask.

A smile graced the lips of several individuals.

-Scene Cut-

At a military hangar, many vehicles and equipment were being constructed.

This place was one of countless many. Many workers have been brought in to pull overtime with the quantity, yet the inspections will need to be sure the quality is accurate.

"Things are slowly coming together."

"I would like to think so. This be a hard attempt we'll be making."

Walking through the hangar was Wilhuff Tarkin and Thrawn.

For the latter, he was partially playing assistant to the admiral as they were inspecting many of the constructed assets. After all, the Chiss was currently a Private in the GAR.

Tarkin would've had someone else accompany him at this time, but he was given certain recommendations to have Thrawn shadow him. With reluctance, the admiral complied.

They formally met earlier today before heading towards one of the other warehouses. Their conversations about the present topics at hand were short and brief pertaining to the important matters.

Eventually, certain ones came to mind of what could be done to bolster the war assets.

A frown mares Tarkin's lips as the pair were heading to the hangar bays conference room. "Shame we can't implement the War Machine suit."

"Mr. Stark and Colonel Rhodey have concerns about leasing out the designs." Comments Thrawn. "Them giving quite the argument of what happened on their home planet."

Admiral Tarkin released a small scoff. "This isn't their planet."

"But it is their technology. And I find myself agreeing with them." Thrawn countered. "Such power freely given out will only lead to further escalation and I believe the galaxy has suffered enough of that these past few months."

Tarkin said nothing in response, the pair approaching a holo table where around it stood several key figures in the planning stages of this guerilla-based strike force.

There was Captain Roger, Lieutenant Wilson, Colonel Rhodes, Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff to represent the Avengers. Next to them was the one known as Peter Quill or Star-Lord, as was his moniker, the leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy. He had his girlfriend and second-in-command Gamora present along with Rocket, HK-47, Kraglin Obfonteri, Chirrut Imwe and Baze Malbus.

Of the Jedi and Clones were Quinlan Vos, Tholme, Aayla Secura, Plo Koon, Hunter of the Bad Batch, Boss from Delta Squad, Commanders Wolffe and Bly.

With the Mandalorian representatives being the Mandalore himself, Spar along with Bo-Katan Kryze, Fenn Shysa, Tobbi Dala and Dax Ordo.

And lastly, and likely the most shocking representative here…

She came alone but she was hand-picked by the leader of the Separatist Alliance to serve as their spokesperson and to represent their gesture of good faith in creating the needed cohesion between all these factions…

Sev'Rance Tann.

The Chiss Acolyte under Dooku spoke that if more were to come with her, problems would arise given past conflicts and battle. She stated she'll do much of what she can relay to her master once the meeting was over.

Truly an eclectic gathering of strategists if ever there was one.

"Everyone more or less here?" Asks Peter Quill.

"Afraid we'll have to begin with a few missing individuals." Tholme commented. "They'll be brought up to speed in due time."

"Before we begin," Plo's baritone voice cut through the chatter, the Jedi Master turning to the Chiss in the group. "Thrawn, were you able to gain what you believe would be beneficial to our plans?"

Thrawn nodded contently, pulling out a holo disk that he attached to the controls of the holo table. Immediately, what was at first a ground battlefield with markings of troop placements and battle formations morphed into that of a planet surrounded by a small fleet of Ultron ships with two dozen Venators, Acclimators and newly reinstated and strengthened Hammerhead ships surrounding them.

These were battle tactics that were taken from Senator Cham Syndulla that, with the help of a good number of people prior to this meeting, was shaped to suit the plans of the strike force assembling at this time.

As to how Thrawn got his hands on such tactics…

-Flashback-

"Senator Syndulla," Thrawn said with a respectful bow of his head. "I am truly grateful and honored that you have given me the time to grace me with your presence. I understand you have a rather full schedule with your responsibilities."

The Twi'lek Senator of Ryloth simply nodded while scrutinizing the Chiss, trying to get a gauge of this man.

When he had received a sudden request if had the time to meet with this newcomer to the GAR, Cham found himself unable to hide his curiosity. It was so blunt and seemingly out of nowhere when he received a message that this "Thrawn" had asked his assistant if the Senator was available for a short meeting.

At first, Cham was going to dismiss it due to his schedule not exactly allowing for such time. He was in an entire assortment of meetings but upon rereading his name coupled with the context of his meeting, the Twi'lek was intrigued by this request.

He had been kept up to date on the many ongoing military strategies and operations, a given due to his spearheading of the conscription defense bill and Thrawn's name had popped up a number of times in the reports and files having to do with an upcoming series of guerilla strikes against Ultron.

"Mitth'raw'nuruodo, I presume." Cham stated, offering his hand for the Chiss to shake, which he did, a firm handshake shared between the pair. "I understand you wished to see me."

"Yes, Senator Syndulla," Thrawn confirmed, not missing the small twitch of Cham's brow. "I shall be forthcoming in this matter. I understand that you are likely aware that a strike force is being assembled as a means of launching a counter-offensive against Ultron in light of our recent defeats."

Cham nodded in deep thought. "Yes, when I was notified of this, I was conflicted. Ultron's victory was a crushing blow to the Republic and the Separatists but just waiting around like kicked Bantha Fodder would embolden the droid mud skuffers. He knows we are not at our full strength and it will be difficult to predict when he will strike next. We must prepare to at least counter anything coming our way." Syndulla then gave the Chiss a piercing look. "Which makes me wonder just how is it that you Private Thrawn were made a key coordinator for this strike force."

"That is a rather complicated manner." Thrawn calmly said. "But you can attribute to Admiral Palleon for taking note of certain traits of mine…"

"Yes, Palleon."

Cham recalled the traits of the particular admiral. Gilad Palleon dedicated his life to the military, internalizing its values of discipline, order, efficiency and obedience to authority, and respected the military as a prestigious and honorable institution. Palleon was a meticulous and efficient commander and expected the very best of his subordinates. Very by the book with regulations, however, he did have his faults. One was him being not particularly fond of certain Jedi if he recalled some reports such as Ahsoka Tano when she was briefly aboard his ship; given her state of dress for a time made him rather cross of her.

"He is rather predictable on several factors. Good man if not wound tight for my liking. He needs to learn to relax."

"...And Wanda Maximoff quite literally dragging me into the meeting where enough Jedi and Avengers listened to my suggestions to allow for this to happen."

This got some surprise from the Twi'lek. "Maximoff, you say?"

"Yes, I am aware that her twin brother is a good friend of yours from what she mentioned." Thrawn revealed.

Cham snorted fondly. "He is a bullheaded asshole, as he calls himself but he is a good friend. Wanda actually being the reason you're a part of this actually makes a lot of sense. But I find myself curious how you garnered her attention."

"By accident." Thrawn admitted. "Apparently her telepathic abilities picked up on my overzealous thought process that she actually had to address it directly."

That got a proper laugh out of the Senator. "Yes, the Avengers do tend to operate on their own volitions. Wanda must have seen something quite special to drag… or did she use her telekinesis-"

"Oh dear," Thrawn thoughtfully frowned. "Has this happened to you as well?"

"Her and her brother in their own ways." Syndulla dryly said.

"You have my sympathies." The red-eyed man earnestly said, garnering another snort from the Twi'lek before the Ryloth native dispelled any form of amusement.

"So why call this meeting?"

"Because I firmly believe that you General Syndulla are someone who can serve a greater contribution to the strategies of this strike force better than most." Thrawn revealed. "During the initial planning stages of this strategy, Pietro Maximoff made mention of the guerilla warfare he, along with you, your freedom fighters and the 71st Legion waged against the Separatist occupation of your planet. When I studied your tactics and methods, I believe that you, out of everyone on this planet are the one best suited for giving the needed input for this strike force. You face similar odds and in fact are a proper microcosm of what we are about to undertake. A mixture of soldiers of different customs and cultures with the Jedi, Clones and an Avenger assisting you-"

"Such flattery will get you so far, Thrawn." Cham interrupted with a slight deadpan.

"Of course. I'm merely stating facts of what has transpired in the past. But you must see that your insight would be invaluable, no?"

Syndulla was silent, absorbing Thrawn's words with an indiscernible expression.

"Tell me something," Cham spoke slowly. "You could have spoken to anyone on this matter. You seem like a man with the ability to talk his way to getting what he needs and wants."

Thrawn said nothing, his face conveying a measure of surprise at Cham's words.

"Yet you come to me," Cham took a step towards the Chiss, locking eyes with the man, an intense gaze few could match. "Likely having already done a healthy amount of research prior to this meeting. So tell me, Thrawn. What are you looking to achieve in this meeting than some poultry assistance and advice that you can get from anyone else far more qualified?"

Thrawn didn't respond right away, instead keeping his gaze locked with Syndulla's, not showing an ounce of regret or fear from the former General's fearsome eyes.

Composing his thoughts further, Mitth'raw'nuruodo finally gave his response.

"Because only men like yourself, like Colonel Rhodes, Lieutenant Wilson, Captain Rogers and General Skywalker understand a hard truth about conflict few are seldom ever willing to admit to themselves. Though in your soul it seems like decades, despite it being these past few years, war has been all you've known. It's in your blood, as it were." Thrawn's words came out in a measured pace, each one being considered in every detail. "Something I can relate to but never truly understand. During my upbringing, due to circumstances, I became a student of the art of war. Working in refining it as much as possible. You, however, were forged by it. Like Skywalker, Rogers, Rhodes, many of the Avengers same as the Clone Army and many young Padawans of the Jedi Order."

Cham internally felt himself sagging in spirit. He hated the truth to Thrawn's words, the literal fact that many of the youth of this era are being forged by the horrors and desolation of war.

He feared for his wife and daughter, for his people… which was why he had to make them strong for the future. And that meant learning how to conduct war.

"General," Thrawn said, breaking Cham out of his thoughts. "I come to you knowing that you are likely one of the few politicians that can be counted on one hand that understands duty and responsibility better than others and not be corrupted by the powers given to you. I know that only by speaking frankly and being forthcoming with you that the results that are needed for our next course of action will be easier to achieve."

"Easier said than done, I'm afraid." Came a frustrated growl from the representative of Ryloth. "So many blocks and hurdles to make it nearly impossible to bypass."

"Which is why I came here, knowing the difficulties that would come with this meeting." Thrawn firmly said, making Syndulla fall silent again.

Neither man said anything, an underlying tension in the air between them. They remained that way until Thrawn broke the silence as he did before.

"You do not enjoy being called Senator." Thrawn stated rather than asked, making the Twi'lek raise his brow.

That was certainly an unexpected remark.

"How can you tell?" Cham asked, rather than deny such a statement.

"Quite simple, General," Thrawn plainly said. "It is in the way you simply responded without saying anything. You prefer General over Senator because to you, and in many ways you are correct, the career of a politician is mitigated by what it entails and what you surround yourself with. Individuals such as yourself and Senators Amidala, Chuchi, Organa and Mothma are the exception to the rule, not the norm."

Cham found his lip turning into a grimace, loathing how accurate the Chiss' statement was.

"In your eyes and in how you regard the title, being a General means a far greater deal to you because it is a rank you gained, not out of ambition of power but out of ambition in the service of your people, your system; instead of yourself such as your predecessor. You gained it through blood and sacrifice, knowing that if you fail, the fallen who traveled down the path with you will have their deaths all be for naught." Thrawn said and the tone conveyed genuine respect and reverence, surprising the Twi'lek Senator. "From someone who understands the necessity of duty to one's people, even at the expense of being labeled a radical, I commend and admire your accomplishments and resolve, General Syndulla, truly I do."

The Twi'lek Senator of Ryloth stared long and intently at the Chiss, gazing directly into the man's red eyes. Most would find this feature to be a bit intimidating but not for someone like Syndulla. He had seen enough in his lifetime where you would really have to put some effort into scaring him. And currently, Ultron holds that distinction.

So after a prolonged period of silence between Cham's analytical gaze against Thrawn's unflinching one, the General found no deceit in both intention and the praise he had given him. The man's word held true.

Wordlessly, Cham reached for his belt, unclipping a small disk on it and held it in front of him.

"These are the tactics I developed alongside Pietro, Di and the 71st." Syndulla stated. "Captain Keeli assisted in devising them during Ryloth and currently works with me to improve and refine them during training of the conscripts and volunteers."

He held it out for Thrawn to take. "I expect this will suffice as ample assistance in your assault on Ultron."

The Chiss inhaled sharply, a genuine grin of gratitude appearing as he delicately took the disk from Syndulla's hand, as if not to break it.

"General Syndulla, I give you my word, your efforts will not be in vain and it shall be one of the largest contributions to our decisive victory over Ultron. Thank you, sir. Truly."

Cham simply held out a hand for Thrawn to shake which he did so immediately, both men clasping hands firmly and nodding to each other before their meeting came to its end.

-Flashback end-

"Our main objective -first and foremost- is getting the people that are captured in these factories and delivering our payloads." Steve began the meeting, taking immediate charge in this matter. "From what we've learned from the foundries the Avengers have taken down, Ultron doesn't necessarily keep to a pattern when holding prisoners. It'll make our job more difficult but once we identify where people are being held, that's where Mordo and Celeste come in to get them out. Vision, Pietro, Wanda, Hope and Scott can do the same."

"Must we truly waste such valuable time and resources in the rescue of civilians?" Tarkin spoke up with a cold tone.

"I would think you of all people would be all for it." Colonel Rhodes retorted, giving the Admiral's arm a look. "You really want what happened to you to continue to happen to more people?"

Tarkin visibly twitched, his robotic arm, despite being covered in artificial skin vibrating for the briefest of moments. Despite the reminder of him having nearly been converted, Wilhuff reigned in his emotions, difficult as that was.

"I am simply stating a notion that might be a great detractor from our plans then a boon."

"What are you, stupid or somethin'?" Rocket rudely said, making the Admiral openly balk at the rodent's crass insult. "The Avengers just said we're trying to make it so that Ultron doesn't make more people into his army. Saving people ain't a "great detractor", ya oversized mushroom."

"Rocket." Gamora said under her breath that everyone heard.

"Mushroom? Really?" Peter said.

"What? You don't see it?"

"It's a stretch." Quill stated.

"Everyone." Tholme calmly spoke up. "Please."

The group focused back up though Tarkin sent an unamused look in Rocket's direction, the altered Racoon giving the man a toothy, shit-eating grin in return.

Everyone went over the gist of the plan as it goes.

Quick, precise hit-and-run strikes with the use of Tap, Karen and Friday serving as a means of disrupting Ultron's abilities to sense them coming so they could target the fleets he has at his disposal. From there, it would go into a rapid drop ground assault, getting as many men as possible onto the battlefield along with the Avengers who would be spearheading the attacks.

Everyone would be coming in with their specialized means of combat, be it the Mandalorians' way of jetpacks or the Guardians and Ravagers' eclectic and unpredictable means of attack. All to deal damage but not enough that when they get a lock on where living prisoners were being held they would go in to get them out whilst the needed payload for Ultron's defeat was released.

Once the civilians were rescued and secured, the retreat would be immediate.

There were many that pointed out that, as discussed before, Ultron would catch on or try to discern just why they are conducting raids in this manner yet the Avengers were rather absolute in their belief that Ultron's own undoing would be something he wouldn't see coming. Some of course questioned the certainty that Earth's Mightiest Heroes held but they refuted that they had beaten Ultron once before and they would do so once again to make up for their mistake of not making sure he stayed dead.

Still, this was just the plan and there was a difference between discussing a plan of attack over conducting one. Variables and unforeseen circumstances will always play a role in this matter so they would need to take that into account.

Then came the selection of who would be going on these raids.

It really was a reflection of the oddball gathering here as the list of names, legions, groups and such were listed out.

The Avengers will have Steve, Natasha, Clint, Pietro, Wanda, Bucky, Celeste, Matt, Peter, Vision, Mordo, T'Challa, Hope and Scott.

The Guardians would be sending Quill and Gamora naturally along with Drax, Rocket, Groot, HK, Wes, Sugi, Embo, Fennec, Chirrut and Baze.

The Jedi representatives were Aayla, Tholme, Vos, Plo Koon, Kit Fisto, Ahsoka, Barriss and Luminara along with the ARC Troopers of the 501st, 212th, 327th and 104th with battalions being supplied from the last two. The Bad Batch and Delta Squad along with a dozen additional Commando units would be tacked on with the additions of Commander Bly, Wolffe, Cody, Gree and Captain Rex.

Spar, much as he wanted to fight with his Mandalorian brothers and sisters, knew he needed to stay behind and rally the clans, watching over them as preparations were made for the hopeful final assault on Ultron when the time would come. So he placed Bo-Katan and Fenn Shysa in charge, having the former lead her Nite Owls in this strike force taking along the top lieutenants of the Mandalorians being Dax, Tobi, Axe Woves and Koska Reeves. Boba Fett was also assigned, much to the surprise of many, who wanted him not to be involved but Spar remained firm in his choice.

"And what would you desire of my Master and my fellow Acolytes?" Asks Sev'Rance Tann. "I hope you have not forgotten our intentions to be a part of this assault."

Many snarky remarks were withheld, much as they were sorely tempted in wanting to do so.

Yet one slipped out.

"Not backstabbing us when our guards are down." Quinlan Vos dryly said, getting Aayla to elbow him.

"Count Dooku clearly knew this beforehand," Sev'Rance argued. "He is stressing this out with the rest of us before they are being deployed in the coming assaults."

"We'll need a list of those who'll… volunteer in being out in the field with us." Tholme slowly said, eyeing the Chiss Acolyte. "Only then will we figure out who will be deployed where."

She gave a brief nod. "And the rest of our military?"

"Having what remaining droids to assist in backing up some of our aerial and ground forces. Doubt they'll be any good while on the ships." Secura stated.

"Are you certain the defenses your own AI have made will be a sufficient means of keeping Ultron from taking them over?" Tann questioned.

"Vision and Tony made sure of it." Wilson assured.

"What about that droid general of yours? Still no word on guy?" Bo-Katan abruptly asked.

"Loathe as I am to admit it, if Grievous were present, he would be an irreplaceable asset for these strikes." Plo Koon mused darkly to himself.

"He has continually ignored Dooku's summons." Was Tann's response. "I don't know if he is still angered on this joint effort or not-"

"He probably is." Vos quipped, earning small murmurs of agreement from others.

"-yet we're assuming he will not cooperate." Sev'Rance finished.

"That is the best course of action." Plo Koon commented.

"His hatred of our Order and now, likely the Separatists as well, will not lead to any decent outcome." Aayla stated, many nodding in agreement.

More factors were brought up and discussed as time went on.

Eventually, with the meeting concluded, the attendees disbursed amongst themselves. Each group heading out and going to uphold their ends of the plans as best as possible.

"A moment of your time, Star-Lord."

The leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy turned, seeing Sev'Rance Tann approach him. "Yeah?"

"I have a message to deliver." She calmly said.

He curled a brow at this, turning to see that the rest of his friends and teammates were already at the Benatar, packing the ship in so he was alone here.

"Being what?" Peter asked, turning back to her.

The Chiss Acolyte pulls out a holodisk and hands it over to Quill.

"My master wishes to speak with one of your members. He wishes to impart more knowledge and hear more of her own progress."

Peter held a blank look before remembering something a specific member mentioned to him about having a master. How did she reveal information like that that seemed personal?

Alcohol is one hell of a means of loosening inhibitions.

"Oh, you mean Ventress?" Peter asked for clarity. "Is this for her? From that old man Duke guy that's her teacher or something?"

Tann found the man's lack of tact and respect for her master… a bit grating but she nothing but a professional in this regard.

"Quite." She patiently said. "He has been wanting to make contact with her for some time now."

"Then I'll be sure to hand it to her." Peter promised with an easygoing grin, holding up the holodisk before pocketing it and turning to rejoin his friends.

Sev'Rance stood there silently, feeling her left eyelid twitch momentarily.

"Asajj left us to join up with those fools?" Tann quietly questioned. "What sort of madness drove her to those people?"

-Scene Cut-

Things are… getting interesting as of late.

Sure, he knew the flesh bags were doing their means of liberating more of their kind. Them attacking and breaking into his factories to hamper more of his numbers.

He knew sooner or later they'd unite in the attempt of taking him down.

It was inevitable. He backed them all into a corner and they were desperate to survive.

Still, he honestly did not expect a counterattack this soon. The AI figured they were still nursing their wounds, maybe even considered putting on a defensive front then such a brazen assault.

'Rather hasty.' Pondered Ultron, seeing many of the simultaneous assaults. 'Don't know if the quality of such actions will be enough.'

Not that it'll matter. He'll give them a sporting chance. Would be outright boring if he didn't.

Let them have their hope. It'll be far more enjoyable to snuff it out.

Still… what were they trying to accomplish here?

These attacks were always quick and sudden. And while he had an idea of when they might happen, the places that were hit were still ill-prepared for them and the fleets and forces guarded the foundries were decimated… for the most part.

Strangely, ever since Kamino, Ultron has been a bit distracted.

Not really with these recent attacks, but by something else. Something far more personal and if there was a word that could be used to describe it… was it… spiritual?

There was something going on within Ultron and when he really thought about it, it started prior to his attack on Ultron. It was after that battle did the sensation become more pronounced for the AI.

It all started when Anakin Skywalker reached out and… took hold of something within Ultron that made a machine feel a cold chill.

Rather hard to describe, despite recalling the memory time and time again. Or a few million times really by this point. He is still an AI after all.

Perhaps it was a brief error in his coding. If so, he'll have to comb through it and filter it out. Perhaps it may be the Jedi poster boy getting a sudden influx of the Force to harm him. After all, from what he scrounge up from the records, the Force adepts often had such instances to prevail life and death situations.

But maybe… just maybe, it was something that Ultron couldn't properly fathom.

Whatever the case may be, the AI concluded what was likely his millionth scan of the systems and structure of one of his foundries and once more came up with the results of nothing being tampered with. Other than the glaring holes and signs of battle, the foundry and its internal systems remain untouched.

The Avengers and their allies simply came in to dwindle his numbers, both in destroying the ships and sentries/converted he already had on hand and rescuing those soon to be processed. Not that such actions mattered considering he had many other foundries churning out more of his master plan.

But that still didn't alleviate his suspicions. It was a bit too obvious with what they were doing… whatever it was. And he couldn't deny the effectiveness of these hit-and-run attacks that his enemies had been conducting. The efficiency and speed were to be noted, how quickly they came out of hyperspace, hammering the fleets guarding each foundry, deploying the Avengers first followed by their troops and locating and rescuing the prisoners that were to be converted.

The way the ships came in was especially of note.

It wasn't from one side. They had multiple different batches swarm in from all sides. Each being either a different faction or a mixture of them.

The Republic were the coordinated front whilst those that called themselves the Guardians of the Galaxy with their Ravager army were chaotic and all over the place. The Mandalorians came in with speed and power whilst the Separatists quite literally threw their forces, droids, all at them in as much of an overwhelming sense as possible.

And then there were the Avengers themselves. Yes, the Jedi, Guardians, Acolytes and the best of the Mandalorians were obvious standouts but it was the makeup of this particular team that made Ultron dwell on it.

Seeing the Maximoff twins always made him pause because, no matter how hard he tried to fight it, there was that gut feeling he possessed where he longed for their old company. They came from the Mind Stone, like him. They hated the Avengers like he did until… they saw what was meant to be and refused it.

It made him hate how right 99 was. He really, truly was alone.

Trench and Whiskers were excellent strategists in his army, given he allowed them to retain their old personalities whilst keeping their loyalty to him absolute. But that's just it, they were military men focused on winning the war, not that he can't disagree with that.

Only 99 proved to be a friend or companion at least, making him crave more true relationships. A sickness from his creation being based on two of humanity's most annoying individuals. His father, the egotistical jackass and his "uncle" being a raging timebomb with no companionship for most of his life.

Shaking his head to dispel these distracting thoughts, Ultron hovered atop the latest foundry that had been the latest to be hit, overlooking the entire structure. There were damages here and there, the gaping hole on the side being its most blaring but… nothing definitive, if one could call it that.

He didn't even know what words to use at this time other than growing aggravation.

Ultron didn't detect anything out of the ordinary and-

…

…

…

They were attacking AGAIN!

Instantly, Ultron transferred his consciousness over to the foundry under assault.

-Scene Cut-

"Peter, over here!"

Spider-Man jumped over to where Matt was and he instantly held a hand over a terminal, Karen hacking into it and getting the door open.

"We're in business, people." Wes Journ said through the comms and immediately, a bluish-silver blur arrived with them, carrying a woman clad in scarlet.

Behind the door that had just opened were a few hundred people who were all in chains, cages and many other means of keeping them imprisoned.

Scarlet Witch thrust both her hands out, her hex powers springing out from her fingertips that spread and made quick work of freeing the people that had been imprisoned.

Many were shocked and confused but the realization soon after of their freedom spread like wildfire yet they weren't out of the woods just yet.

"Everyone, this way." T'Challa shouted, coming around a corner.

The large group began to be guided out of their holding cells down a hallway and a moment later, a wall up ahead blew up with light from the sun of this world shining through. In came Clint Barton, Kit Fisto and Gamora who spotted the large train of civilians.

"Mordo, Celeste, over here." Was Barton's immediate reaction upon seeing them all, his hand on his earpiece.

A second later, two portals appeared in front of the large collective of people with the Sorcerers Karl Mordo and Celeste Morne stepping through them.

"Through here, everyone." The former quickly said, stepping aside as he and Celeste expanded the size of the portals for the rescued prisoners to begin to run through.

Outside the foundry, a fierce battle reigned as the Avengers, Jedi, Guardians, Mandalorians and forces of the Republic and Separatist all fought the endless army of Ultron drones, converts, sentries and droids.

Captain America was fighting alongside his love Aayla and Star-Lord, the leader of the Guardians always appearing positively giddy at fighting at the side of a childhood hero.

The other Guardians were a bit perplexed by their leader's attitude, some already knowing of Cap's exploits due to the holo-net constantly harping on about them. But when they saw him in action up front while also leading the charge, they were quick to recognize why Quill held him in such high regard.

All the Avengers, really.

And the feeling was mutual with Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

Both teams found a synergy that just clicked into place when they fought together.

"Cap, we got the prisoners out." Chimed in Parker, making the Brooklyn-native smile in relief.

"We're also good on our end, Steve." Hope spoke up a moment later.

"All is set." Vision added on.

"Then our work here is done." Steve declared, using his own comms to broadcast his message to all. "Everyone, pull out. Our objectives have been accomplished. Start evacuating now!"

It was like clockwork as everyone on the field and in the air started moving back to ships, portals and any other means of getting off this planet.

All while being secretly observed by Ultron from his many bodies, the AI looked at all movements and interactions, trying to discern just what their plan was here. They had accomplished what they'd been doing in all their raids. Damaging his foundries and rescuing the people he was keeping there for conversion.

And that was it.

Now it was starting to grate on his very data soul because for a supercomputer AI, why wasn't he able to figure out what they were exactly planning next. He kept on reviewing the battlefield, his results kept coming back the same.

No life forms he could find, his own network was untampered with, the prisoners were gone and that was it.

His digital eyes narrowed.

He would discover what these flesh bags had planned and he would uproot their efforts and remind them of their current standing in the galaxy.

Of that, Ultron promised.

All the while, the guerrilla strike force had already made it back to their ships, many already exiting to hyperspace.

Cap did a roll call and saw that everyone had made it back with minimal casualties. Another resounding success.

"Once again, I must praise you and your team, Captain Rogers."

Cap turned to see Thrawn standing next to him.

"Of course. I couldn't do it without your coordination to make it all work."

"You give me too much credit, Captain." Was Thrawn's response. "It has been quite the challenge. I would've enjoyed it better if the stakes weren't so dire."

Steve nodded solemnly. "Hopefully we'll be sure to repeat our success."

"Just so long as we can be several steps ahead of him so he won't predict us so soon."

"We'll see if it'll come together soon enough." Cap plainly said before clapping the Chiss on his shoulder. "Regardless, well done Thrawn."

The blue skinned man blinked at the praise before nodding his head.

"Captain."

It didn't take long for the strike force to disperse, each portion returning home to their home bases.

As each group from each participating party arrived back to their home planets, an unusual sensation washed over them all. For the past few days, they had been conducting rapid fire raids, doing what they could to stick it to Ultron, using their attacks to mask their true purpose.

Now they were here, on what would be the cusp of hopefully the last battle against the mad AI.

A calm, an eerie one at that, set in across the stars.

Everyone felt it in their bones.

What was to come would be their time to bring it to the being of data that has terrorized the galaxy for so long now.

This was only just the beginning of Ultron's end.

Or the beginning of their end.

Regardless, this was to be their final battle against Ultron.

-Scene Cut-

In her quarters at one of the Guardians' bases, Asajj pulled out the holodisk her brother handed to her. One which he acquired from Sev'Rance Tann.

She would've used it sooner, but she was assisting the others on raiding one of Ultron's foundries. It was exhausting, but everyone needed to pull their weight.

Thankfully, she was kept out of sight and mind from those she recognized at the raids. The disgusting irony to be fighting alongside Jedi and Avengers, two groups that caused her nothing but grief and frustration was almost too much to stomach. It didn't help that Quill gushed at the prospect of working with Captain America. And her sister Mantis quickly shared in that sentiment, being one over by the man's natural charm.

It was almost enough for Asajj to gut herself with her own lightsabers. So close.

At the very least she wore enough armor to at least disguise herself with the coverings. She was still, after all, a dead woman to the rest of the known galaxy.

The only person who noticed her presence was Wanda Maximoff. They had a momentary interaction being that it was extremely awkward. Thankfully, The Scarlet Witch merely acknowledged her presence before they continued on the fight for the galaxy.

Force knows how things would have gone if Maximoff revealed her true identity to the others.

Right now though, such thoughts were put aside as Ventress activated the holodisk.

A moment later, a transmission of her master appeared.

Seeing Dooku's holo-projection, Ventress knelt.

"My master."

"My apprentice." Darth Tyranus says curtly. "You appear well, despite present circumstances."

"Your direction of me seeking Darth Vectivus had bore fruit. I have gotten a far better understanding of my innate power."

Dooku inhaled deeply, his lips curling upwards "Excellent."

"I even learned factors of my parentage." Dooku saw a crossed look on her features. "In particular, my father."

The Count practically felt the venom in her voice. Certainly not the tone he was expecting to hear from his apprentice. This had him request what information she recovered.

Suffice to say, the details were both exciting and troubling.

His apprentice was a Child of the Stars, a Celestial hybrid. And with her presently traveling with two of her siblings, she learned of their shared father, Ego. The Sith Lord would think such a detail is rather exaggerating or something out of a fantasy. However, her brother and sister and the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy expressed their utter distaste towards Ego, who turned out to be a parasitic entity who could be a far greater threat than Ultron if he was still alive.

Such a thought deeply disturbed the Count.

Something that was more of a danger than Ultron? The Avengers were bad enough and now this to consider?

The aged Force user did not wish to fathom the thought at this time. Right now, Dooku needed to focus on what could be controlled and understood.

"With Ultron's coming defeat, a great change will come soon after. I fear it will not be warming for everyone." Dooku quietly stated.

"You sound very certain of this."

"Sidious will seek to salvage from the wreckage with countless plans being ruined. While one danger being known, another -I believe- is on the horizon."

This confused and slightly concerned Asajj.

"Master? What do you mean?"

"All I can tell you, my apprentice, is we must prepare for the eventuality. We cannot be lax. Never assume the battle will end." Dooku sagely said. "Perhaps I am not the only one to have sensed it but there is a Darkness brewing, unseen and unheard and what's worse is that it appears that there are multiple agents in this unseen theater. Whether they are allies in the darkness or not, I cannot tell. But remain vigilant, Ventress."

Asajj simply bowed her head.

"I shall keep my senses sharp, my master. I will keep training and honing my power."

Dooku silently nodded. "Rest well, my apprentice. Soon, the time shall come to rid the galaxy of Ultron and Sidious to pave the way for our plans."

Ventress simply bowed once again.

"Thy will shall be done."

-Scene Cut-

"- not the easiest time in high school. But now, after all this? Not even sure if I even wanna go back. I mean, there's Ned and he's my best friend but… all that I've done makes high school feel like an obligation of choice not necessity. Aunt May would clearly want me to take the GED and pass, given the circumstances. Only then will she get off my back."

In Peter's room in the Avengers HQ on Coruscant, he along with his two girlfriends were situated on his bed. Ahsoka was sitting at the edge, changing into more comfortable clothing for sleep whilst Peter and Barriss were already lying down, the latter resting her head on the former's chest. Perched next to them in a nest made from cushions and other soft materials that had been raided from other rooms of the Jedi Temple was Morai.

"Come now Peter, that should be the least of your worries. I'm sure you'll do fine. Whatever you choose, you know you have our support." Barriss assured, leaning up to peck his cheek with her lips.

"You know you always have Coruscant." Ahsoka added on. "Thire and the boys love having you around."

"Yeah…" Peter thought fondly of the Coruscant guard that he has become good friends with. They always work well together and before Kamino, the public perception of the clone guards was improving.

Thire, Thorn, Jek, Rys and most of the shock troopers adopted a great deal of Peter's attitude and "policy" in simply assisting the civilians of the planet, building a better rapport with the people. There were a few holdouts to a degree. Commander Fox was the primary one, being more by the book but he never really tried to admonish or change the behavior of the rest of the guard. He saw the results and couldn't really begrudge the methods.

"So, when this is over, can we go see New York?" Ahsoka asked, plopping herself down on the other side of Peter, resting her head in her hand. "You and the others spoke so much of it. I'd love to see it one day."

"It would make for a lovely reprieve." Barriss remarked in agreement.

Peter shrugged slightly. "I mean yeah, of course we will. But honestly, don't see how it'll hold up to Coruscant. I know we New Yorkers like to say we've seen it all but it's hard to top a city planet like this one."

"Well, I bet we'll find something to enjoy." Tano confidently said. "I've been wondering about all this anime stuff you and several others mentioned."

Peter guffawed at that. "Oh God, that is a can of worms you're gonna need to brace yourself for, Snips. It is a bottomless hole of both heartfelt, bad ass moments and some of the most depraved crap possible."

"Sounds like a challenge." Ahsoka cheekily said. "I always like a challenge."

"I would like to see the sanctums and monasteries you mentioned before." Barriss commented.

The teens devolved into idle chatter, discussing everything and nothing. From future plans of locations and events, to the nonsensical regarding entertainment and strange hills to die on like food flavors and all.

Concurrently to this trio's time together, many other meetings between friends and family were occurring across Coruscant.

"-and this here is Merrin and Ilyana." Wanda proudly said, her hands on the backs of her two Dathomiri girls.

"Aren't they precious." Cooed Laura Barton.

"Nothing compared to my Mara." Says Natasha, bouncing her daughter on her lap.

"Hard to argue with the toddlers." Clint's wife amended, holding the toddler Nathaniel Pietro Barton in her arms.

"That's not fair." Pouts Wanda, narrowing her eyes at the holo-communication to Earth with Laura. "You can't pull that card in this-"

The two Dathomiri girls looked back and forth on the argument between the Mockingbird, Witch and Widow with varying levels of confusion.

"You have any idea what they're arguing about?"

"Beats me."

"You two will understand when you're older." Clint assured, patting their heads.

Before either girl could ask for him to at least try elaborating, someone else spoke up on the other end of the connection.

"You're from space." Clint's daughter said to Merrin and Ilyana with wonder.

"And you're from Wanda's home planet." Merrin said in equal fascination.

"Any interesting tricks you two could do?" Asked Cooper, Clint and Laura's first son.

Both girls raised their hands, green and red energy emitting from them, making a few objects float being surrounded by the same colors as their hands.

The oldest Barton child had a contemplative look before shrugging. "That's cool… I guess."

"Guess? That's all you have to say?" Ilyana said with a small huff.

"I mean… auntie Wanda can do that." Cooper said with a shrug.

"And Daddy can fight an army of robots." Lila adds in.

Both Zabrak girls sagged their shoulders, cheeks puffing out in annoyance.

Wanda laughed at the pair, bringing them both in for a small hug.

"Well, I think you both performed beautifully and I can't wait to see how much better you'll both be." She encouraged, getting the desired reaction from the pair.

Clint smiled at their interaction, looking back at his family.

"So-"

"I know." Laura cut him off before he could speak. "You do what you and Nat always do. And you both come back, ya hear? They miss their dad, aunties and uncle."

"Where is Uncle Pietro?" Cooper inquisitively asked.

"He's with his lady friend."

"Lady friend?"

"Girlfriend." Natasha elaborated.

"Oh~~~" Both of Clint's children said at the same time whilst their third child babbles incoherently.

Romanoff smiled at her little nephew, gently pulling Mara closer to her. Laura saw this and had a smile of her own.

"Can't wait to hold her myself."

"She's the sweetest." Nat said, gently kissing Mara's head. "She almost never cries. Only when I get upset or whenever she feels something from the Force."

"The Force?" Lila parroted.

"Space magic, sweetheart." Clint quickly responded.

In another part of Coruscant…

"The fine-tuning can only be tuned so far."

"I know. Better being safe than sorry. This is your first time in a galaxy far, far away, you know."

Pepper Potts would have found the line amusingly annoying if not for that last part, reminding her where she was.

It was Pepper's first time being off Earth. She would've appreciated it more if this wasn't a "business" situation like no other.

Still… the sight of Coruscant took her breath away. She really was on another world with millions, if not billions of alien life forms. She had been kept up to date with all the Avengers who initially were sent here, wondering just how her boyfriend and the Earth's team of Avengers would bring them back.

But to be brought here first before they all came back was quite the experience. If only she could properly enjoy it.

"Tony, I know I've only been here for five minutes but do you really think this place needs yet another building with your name on it?"

"Pepper, darling, my muse, love of my life, you're missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime here." Stark jokingly pleaded, wrapping his arms around her from behind. "Think of the legacy of the last name you'll have one day. Tony and Pepper Stark. Business tycoons in two galaxies. The publicity alone-"

"Would make my hair turn white and yours to wilt off." Pepper dryly retorted, getting her boyfriend to chortle.

"Don't you dare imply such things." He faux admonished, nudging his cheek against hers.

"Yet I sometimes swear I see some extra hairs in the sink, which aren't mine." She teased.

"...Beard trimmings."

"From your scalp?"

"...Shut up." Tony childishly said, biting her cheek in retaliation, making her laugh.

"Glad to see some things haven't changed." Came a voice familiar to the couple.

They turned to see Steve along with Strange walking up to them with Potts taking a step towards them.

"Steve!" Pepper happily greeted the man, going up to give him a hug.

"Hey Pep." Rogers warmly said, hugging her back. "Tony hasn't been causing you too much trouble, has he?"

"More like you have, Captain." Pepper jokingly scolded, pulling back to poke the super soldier on the chest. "You caused a lot of sleepless nights for Tony, Strange and the others."

"He could have slept," Strange idly commented, giving his fellow snark rival a look. "But he kept refusing."

Tony rolled his eyes at that. "Oh Puh-leeze, Stephen, like you're any better with your ghost always staying up even when you sleep."

"You would exploit it if you were capable of pulling it off."

"You already do, how is that an insult?"

"I'm the master, you're just gadget guy."

"I swear, it's like there's two of them." Mutters Pepper.

Steve chuckled softly, patting her back sympathetically.

"You know, most of the team are like this, Pep."

"Yeah, but not like these two man-children." Potts deadpanned.

Steve hummed at that, he and Pep watching Stephen and Stark descend into a snark off.

"You know what you and Tony could go for?" Rogers suddenly spoke up.

The head of Stark company turned to the super soldier with an inquisitive look.

"A while back, Peter told me of this place that emulates a planet that's known for its scenic beauty." Steve revealed. "Give you more of a taste of the planets here in this galaxy."

"Oh?" Pepper said with clear interest. "Do tell."

After sharing with her where this special place could be found as well as making sure to give her proper directions, Steve and Pepper had to pry Strange and Stark away from each other before the redhead could drag her boyfriend off to their date destination.

Stephen opted to head back to Earth for the moment, wanting to make sure everything was set and ready for him and the Masters of the Mystic Arts who would be joining in the battle against Ultron.

Steve, all the while, had plans of his own.

After a bit of time, two couples traversed a public square, taking in the sights of the cultural district of Coruscant.

Celeste was happy to see such things again, feeling a sense of nostalgia wash over her. She saw many cultures from the time that she knew them during the Old Republic still being around whilst experiencing many new ones.

Steve and Bucky shared in this sentiment as this double date reminded them of their final time just being together at the Stark Expo, prior to the latter shipping out.

And like that time, it was a double date only this time, far more pleasant with both men having their lady loves around their arms instead of Steve being left high and dry and alone before his chance encounter with Dr. Abraham Erskine.

For Aayla, it was a strange and new experience, being on what was a proper date. She had even dressed in a different outfit to her usual garb, something more casual as did the others.

While she was still getting used to having such a time, the feeling of having her arm around Steve and him holding her close was something that made this time far more enjoyable.

They could enjoy it so long as the relative peace lasts.

Or rather, this moment of calm before the storm.

They all knew what was to come in the next few days. What would be their most dangerous gamble. To throw everything they had at Ultron to finally bring him down.

But before that, they could have this moment in time to themselves. Their moment of camaraderie, friendship and love.

And they weren't the only ones taking advantage of this respite.

At the highrise of a random tower on the city planet, Sam and Dani were looking across the grand cityscape.

The latter was snuggled into the arms of the former, humming a calm tune that made Sam have his eyes closed, leaning on her head.

"This is nice. Just seeing things from here."

"You do this often, I take it." Dani remarked, nuzzling his cheek.

"A lot actually, just to help clear my head." Admits Sam. "With the therapy sessions, in the mix of the war, it's good to just unfurl everything bundled up."

Dani hums aloud, peppering the side of his face with small kisses.

"That is important." She said, "After this, we need a vacation."

"Can take you back home." Wilson stated. "My sister would love to meet you. Last we spoke, she asked when I'd come home if I would be bringing back my girlfriend."

"Oh~ Wanting me to meet the family so soon?"

"By this point, it's long overdue." Sam said, nudging her face to kiss her, pulling away with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Haven't showed her a picture yet. Want her reaction to be recorded. Bet her jaw will drop as soon as she sees I got someone ten times better looking than her."

"Sam Wilson." Dani faux scolded. "Must you say such things about your sister?"

"It's a sibling thing, Dani." Sam plainly replied. "All about one-upmanship."

"You bantha fodder." The Zeltron lovingly said, pulling him in for a deep kiss, the pair staying that way for a long while before becoming more heated.

It was better to give them some privacy at this time.

Meanwhile, a far more quaint and casual gathering between couples was occurring.

Padme and Anakin had Thor and Jane Foster over for a simple dinner between the four of them.

All four cooked together, each picking a dish they were familiar with to contribute to the meal.

Anakin called upon an old memory of his mother, remembering a specific dish she always made to bring just a bit of joy for the pair in spite of their situation.

Padme opted for a Naboo meat salad delicacy that her mother and father always made.

Jane stuck to chicken, or Porgs in this case, given she had that often during her time studying for her PhD.

Thor, however, did his best to make an Asgardian dish… which sadly burned… and so did the water, somehow.

"Apologies," Was Thor's response. "I forget that the dishes of this galaxy aren't made with the metals of Asgard."

"I can get those replaced." Amidala assured.

The dinner date went on uncomplicated after that, save for Anakin and Thor who began discussing the latest guerilla attacks as they hadn't been a part of it.

"Now, now, you two." Padme interrupted them both, setting the last of the utensils on the table. "We aren't here discussing battle plans or anything work-related. We're trying to have a nice, relaxing evening."

"Sorry." Both men said at the same time and they all sat down to eat.

Everyone started piling food on their plate with Thor noticeably having the most.

Padme saw this and regarded it with a level of bemusement.

"Are… are you sure you'll be able to eat all of that?" The Naboo Senator asked and rather than the thunderer responding, it was her husband and doppelganger.

"Yes." They said in synchronization.

"...I oddly felt how you two said that."

"Our cruiser nearly ran out of rations one day after he first joined to help deal with Ultron. He's banned from our kitchens." Anakin said, jabbing his fork in Thor's direction.

"You think that's bad, he killed my grocery budget for a year; despite reimbursing me with gold and jewels." Jane tacked on. "It was awkward for me having to trade them for actual money."

"Asgardian gold served as a worthy currency." Thor argued.

"We lost it all on your appetite." Foster rebuked, though there was a fond tone in her voice, her hand resting atop his.

It was a strange sight for Anakin and Padme to see a God of Thunder puff his cheeks out like a scolded puppy.

The latter released a small chuckle.

"Alright, let's dig in before the food gets cold."

Thor didn't need to be told twice, scooping up Anakin's dish first. If this were an anime, the way Thor ate his first plate would be described as him literally dumping the cooked food into the bottomless pit that was his stomach.

Once the plate was empty…

"Another!" Says the Thunder God, raising the plate into the air before-

*CRASH*

"What did I say about breaking dishes?" Jane deadpanned.

"...Not to." Thor sheepishly said.

"That's right."

"Apologies, my love." The thunder God spoke in a chivalrous manner, causing Jane to nearly swoon; yet made a herculean effort to not do so. "I couldn't resist showing my appreciation for such a lovely dish."

The couple native to this galaxy looked on with various levels of bewildered amazement.

"Huh, so that's how we conserve our dishware." Anakin dryly said, having seen this behavior from the Thunderer before. "Still… she can reign in a god. Most impressive."

"I feel envious. Maybe she could teach me a few tricks."

"Yeah, she… hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Anakin indignantly asked.

His wife only gave him a silent eyebrow with an expectant look.

"Padme~" Skywalker whined, eliciting a laugh from his love.

The other Avengers, Clones, Senators and Jedi were having moments to themselves or with others as they had the time in this brief respite.

Scott and Hope had brought along Cassie to marvel at the grandeur of Coruscant, the young child appearing as if she was about to explode with joy. She wanted to see anything and everything, practically dragging Ant-Man and the Wasp to virtually any sight that caught her eye… which was all of it.

But the pair simply went along happily, glad to see that despite the time they had away from the young girl, Scott's daughter was still the jubilant, fun-loving girl Lang loved so deeply. Next time, they promised that they would bring her mom and her boyfriend along with Scott's closest friends.

Back in New York, Jessica opted to be alone before Robbie Reyes made his way over to her. Rather than exchanging any words, Reyes simply placed a bottle of hard liquor between them and they sat in silence, drinking away the night. Joining them was the one Phoenix from Ta Lo that had followed Robbie back with him, the host of the spirit of vengeance naming him Fawx due to the other Avengers calling him that. Something about it being the name of a bird from some book series he never read.

She-Hulk went back home momentarily before returning with her pet Shishi's back with her, showing him off to the 212th.

Hector chose to stay home for the time being with his daughter, the rest of his family and how own pet Shishi before he knew the call would come in.

Mordo, Wong, Strange, Celeste and Bucky were all having moments of rest whilst brief bouts of preparation, knowing what was to come. The Sorcerers had also come together to enchant Bucky's arm, the metal limb gaining a yellow glow before it subsided.

Katy and Shaun dragged a willing Danny and an unwilling Luke to another round of karaoke and somehow, Clones from the 104th got roped into it along with Kit Fisto. They didn't even know how it happened, it just did.

Obi-Wan and Matt remained on Mandalore for… obvious reasons until the time would come for their return.

T'Challa took the time to have Shuri meet some of the Wookiee clan that now swore allegiance to the royal family of Wakanda in a more proper manner.

Peter was with Ahsoka and Barriss, Tony with Pepper, Vision actually spending time with Yoda and entering a dual meditation session.

Clint, Wanda and Nat chattered their time away with Barton's family.

Thor and Jane eventually concluded their dinner date with Anakin and Padme.

The Clones were also having their own time, some training, some relaxing or playing and others simply lay in their bunks.

But some on the other hand…

Captain Rex dreaded this outcome but he didn't make any bones about fighting against it.

Kinda hard to do so when you have a lovey-dovey Zeltron all over you, showering you with so much affection that your will would break down.

And the troops of the 501st had a front-row seat to it all.

"Well now," Fives had the biggest shit-eating grin in a sea of other shit-eating grins that were all directed at their Captain with the woman refusing to let him go. "So~~~ Captain Rex,"

Despite the murderous glare the Captain directed at him, Fives was completely unphased. It didn't help that Deliah began peppering the side of Rex's face with quick pecks, destroying any chance of making him look intimidating.

"I believe as our commanding officer-"

Rex flexed his fingers to try to stave off his rage, cracking his knuckles slightly though he didn't feel any pain.

"Oh no, Rex," Delilah spoke up in false alarm and fright. "You hurt your hand. One moment, my dear."

She delicately took his hand and brought it up to her lips, gently kissing each knuckle before giving him a loving smile.

"There, much better." She said in a sweet voice that made Rex sag his shoulders in defeat. Seeing this made Blue release a mischievous giggle, throwing her arms around his shoulder and nuzzling his head.

The sentence Fives had gone unfinished as all the 501st were struggling to keep their wolf whistles, laughter, comments and all sorts of other reactions.

Rex's glare returned in full force yet still, it did nothing to affect his men.

He raised a finger at Domino squad in front of the gathered clones.

"I swear…" He sounded deadly serious. "I will give you all PT for a year after we deal with Ultron."

"It'll be worth it." Hevy commented, getting many snickers and laughs from the rest.

"Hmm~ Naw." Deliah spoke up, pressing a kiss on the clone Captain's cheek. "Don't worry boys, I'll talk him out of it."

The clones all guffawed at this and Rex tried to shut them all up but Deliah turned his head in her direction and gave him a loving kiss.

There were many whoops and whistles of approval from the 501st, making Rex pull back in slight embarrassment.

"Come on, Deliah, you don't need to do that in front of the boys." Rex muttered.

That appeared to be the wrong thing to say as there was a sensual glint in Blues' eyes with a smirk to boot as she stood up and began pulling at him to do the same.

"Well if you want privacy, deary, all you had to do was ask."

The clones all began hooting and hollering, throwing their heads back and roaring with laughter at the face their Captain had at this moment.

'Just kill me already.' Were his thoughts before taking a moment to look over his legion.

Though all their amusement was at his expense he felt a moment of contentment at seeing his men have this time of joy and laughter. Knowing that their battle was Ultron was soon, to have this moment for themselves… it felt good.

He looked at Deliah who had joined in with the rest of the men at laughing at the faces he had made and despite himself, a small soft smile developed.

Elsewhere with another batch of clones…

"Why do you have to go?"

With a heavy sigh, the leader of the Bad Batch went down to one knee and placed both his hands on his little sister's shoulders. "Because we need to, Omega. You know we have to. This is our duty."

Omega's sniffling nearly made Hunter crack but he held firm. Still, he pulled the young girl in for a hug, one which she returned, holding onto him with all her might. He gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder, semi-prying her away as the girl almost refused to let go.

She was now openly crying, something that tore at Hunter's heart but he steeled himself, knowing what he needed to do.

Standing up, he stepped away as Wrecker was next and Omega practically jumped into his arms, the largest of the Bad Batch easily catching her.

It was as touching as it was kinda comical as both didn't hold back and bawled their eyes out, Omega demanding that they stayed safe and come back while he promised to do so.

After that, Tech was treated with the same hug as the gadget genius going with Hunter's method of reciprocating the gesture.

In the midst of all this, the sharpshooter of the team stood off to the side, arms crossed with his head turned away from them. Yet he stole small glances at each interaction, something that didn't go unnoticed.

Looking over, Wrecker smirks a little at Crosshairs' demeanor and posture.

"She's not gonna bite." He teased.

"What?" Was the sniper's defensive response.

Wrecker walked over to the marksman, slapping his back hard enough to cause Crosshairs to stumble over to Tech and Omega, the latter looking up at him with a puckered lip.

"You allergic to hugs or something? You should give one to her." Wrecker mocked making Crosshairs' brow twitch.

He stared down awkwardly at Omega who had a fresh batch of tears streaming down her cheeks. He internally cringed at his lack of reaction, his body seizing up with inaction.

"Oh for God's sake." Hunter remarked in fond exasperation, running a hand down his face.

"It'll at least put her at ease for the time being." Notes Tech, giving him an expression that said "Well? What are you waiting for?".

Crosshairs really hated himself right now for not moving which was why the little sister did it for him.

She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her head against his upper abdomen.

He had his hands up slightly, unsure of what to do right now until slowly, he lowered them to give the young clone a pat on her shoulders.

The sniper believed this to be an adequate response only for Omega to not release the hug.

"...Why aren't you letting go?"

"You look like you need it, Crosshair." Muttered the little clone.

A twitch came to the sniper's eye, more so when hearing a snort coming from Wrecker.

His head snapped in the powerhouse clone and glared murderously at him. "This ain't funny."

"Yes it is." Wrecker retorted, completely unfazed by his brother's attempt at intimidation.

Crosshairs then noticed that the rest of the squad began moving towards the exit in the room.

"You…" He gestured to Omega. "You can't just leave me here like this."

"We can," Says Hunter who now wore a smirk, "for like five minutes."

"You've apparently neglected the little trait to help promote positive stimuli to the brain." Tech adds in.

"That doesn't sound legitimate," Crosshairs glowered at Tech. "That's an excuse."

"Maybe, maybe not."

"Hunter." Crosshairs growled.

"Lula's on my bed, Omega." Wrecker called out to them, already out the door.

"Fank ooo." Was Omega's muffled response.

Crosshairs could only watch in aggravated despair as the trio left him and their little sister who was now looking up at him, lip puckered once again.

"Kriff." Crosshairs bemoaned aloud. "I'm not good at this."

During all this…

"PIETRO!" Came the cry reverberating within the home of Senator Riyo Chuchi on Coruscant.

Within the bedroom of the Pantoran Senator, two young lovers were breathing heavily with Riyo collapsing on top of Pietro.

Her worries for her boyfriend had been growing as of late. Seeing how he's pushing himself harder with the recent raids has started to take a toll on him. Every bit of energy needed to be preserved for the mission and none couldn't be wasted.

Yet she saw how agitated he was, having Chuchi needing to do something about it.

By the clear sign of how they wound up making love, Pietro clearly needed to get things out of his system. It wouldn't be healthy for the speedster, not that he really minded the end result.

"That better?" Riyo breathlessly asked.

"Jesus Chuchi." Pietro remarked, equally out of breath. "I didn't know you had that in you."

"When you have someone like you as a boyfriend, you learn to build up stamina and ways around your speed." The Pantoran Senator countered with a sultry, tired grin.

"No complaints here." Quicksilver said with a strained chuckle. "I'm just gonna be worried if you'll outlast me one day."

Riyo let out a small hum. "Who knows? Maybe that's a personal goal of mine."

Pietro's eyes flared, sending a shiver down his lover's spine. "Oh~ don't tempt me like that, babe. Otherwise, we won't be leaving this bedroom for a week."

"You have no idea how tempting that sounds." Chuchi huskily whispered. "But…"

"But…" Pietro said in tandem, releasing a sigh. "We all know that's not possible."

"Not yet." The Senator quietly said, her fingers trailing over his lips. "When this is all over, you and me aren't going anywhere for that week except stay here."

Pietro had a roguish grin on his face, lightly bouncing Riyo in his arms.

"Where'd this insatiable side come from?"

"Maybe it was always there and needed the right man to bring it out."

"Oh? And I'm that man?"

"Perhaps, Pietro Maximoff." She coyly said, lightly tapping the tip of her nose against his.

He laughed once more, pulling her close to nuzzle his face against hers.

"God damn, I love you."

"I know." Was Chuchi's smug response.

"Getting a bit cocky now, are we?"

"And where do you think I picked that up from?"

"Yeah, Padme can have that influence."

Riyo snorted, lightly slapping his chest.

The two fell into a content silence, gazing into each other's eyes, seeing the love they both held for each other burning brightly.

The Pantoran was gently stroking Pietro's chest whilst he simply gazed at her, wanting nothing more than to have her by his side until the day he died.

Which…

He'd rather not think about what's to come. What mattered was this moment here and now.

"You come back to me." Riyo quietly whispered, breaking the silence, looking deeply into Quicksilver's eyes. "Do you hear me, Pietro Maximoff? You must come back to me."

The fastest Avenger silently nodded, pulling his lover into a deep kiss, pulling away after a few seconds to lean his forehead onto hers.

"Say it." Chuchi murmured, placing her hand on his cheek. "I want to hear you say it. Promise you'll come back."

"I promise, Chuchi." Pietro softly said. "I will come back to you. I always will."

Satisfied, Chuchi pressed herself as close as she was able to, nuzzling into the man she loved.

"I love you, Pietro." She softly said.

The fastest Avenger felt his heart swell at hearing this, a lightness he could only feel when he was with Riyo. He had wrapped his arms tightly around her, feeling the heat of her skin against his fingertips, an electrifying sensation running through him.

"I love you too." He mutters softly.

All the while…

Going over his suit for some maintenance, Rhodey halts his work when he hears an all too familiar voice from behind. "Another day, another point of preparation."

"With how things are, I have to be ready." The Colonel turns away from his suit and looks at the Mirialan Jedi Master he had become so familiar and friendly with. "What can I do for you, Lumi?"

"Just wanted to check on some people before the next raid." Said Luminara.

"Any particular reason why?" Rhodey asked, returning back to his suit maintenance.

Luminara didn't respond at first, instead walking over to and then around Rhodey. She silently had her hands gliding over his armor, making him pause in his work again to gaze at her.

"Call it a message from the Force or a gut feeling, but I believe the next one would be detrimental. Of how I might regret it if I didn't talk to some people." Unduli finally revealed the purpose of her visit. "I have already seen and spent time with my Padawan before she went off with Ahsoka and Peter. Gree and the rest of the 41st are prepared as they could be. Same for the Jedi Council."

Rhodes silently nodded at this. "I can understand that. Not wanting to leave things unfinished between some people before never seeing them again."

Luminara momentarily paused upon hearing this, staring intently at the War Machine armor.

"You know… there was a time when I would have said something similar to that, you know? Back on Geonosis, when I believed my Padawan to have perished, I was ready to accept her passing because… death is a natural occurrence in the Force. I would have mourned her passing, yes. But to dwell on it would not have aided in my journey as a Jedi Master nor as my duty in being one."

Rhodey didn't say anything at first, only gauging her demeanor for a few moments.

"And now?"

The Mirialan council member shook her head, closing her eyes as her lip trembled.

"I find myself unable to fathom the thought of never seeing those who I call my dearest friends and companions. My Padawan especially. Barriss is… she's… she's the closest thing I've ever had as a daughter."

That was certainly surprising for Rhodey to hear Luminara admit such a thing.

She always presented herself as calm, composed, wise and with a grace that few could match. He couldn't really lie to himself in denying her beauty.

She truly was.

But he also recognized that this Order and their dogmatic views don't allow for such personal attachments. Luminara was a staunch supporter in this matter and she always conveyed herself as such.

Yet… lately, as it seems to be going for everyone in the Jedi Order, there has been a noticeable, subtle shift in the mood towards the Jedi Code and the rules that they are meant to abide by. And one such detail was more and more of its members seeing their respective padawans and masters differently.

On top of that, intimate relationships having begun to flourish in secret within the Order.

The Avengers were already well aware of Quinlan Vos having a secret wife with Khaleen Hentz due to the trust they held towards each other and Tholme and T'ra Saa made no secrets about what they shared.

Then finding out (easily) that Anakin was with Padme on top of Obi-Wan's old flame with the Duchess Satine just added more fuel to the fire.

Ahsoka and Aayla were the next to go, finding love with Peter and Steve and Barriss… well, there was certainly something up between her, the Togrutan and the youngest Avenger.

And now, to see Luminara appearing to have her own reservations and changes in attitude toward the Jedi Order… this really was a crazy time.

So… maybe… just maybe… the old Colonel could-

*VVVV-VVVV*

Before Rhodey could give a response, he got a notification from his communicator. Checking it, he saw a message from it.

Have fun with Lumi -Tony ;D.

'HOW IN THE FUCK!' Was the internal scream Rhodey gave off in his mind upon seeing this message.

"I swear he planted some spyware in my gear." Rhodey murmured to himself.

"What now?" Luminara asked in confusion.

"Tony being Tony." Was all he grumbled out.

"Ah." She responded, having a look of understanding. "I know it's only been a short amount of time but… how do you deal with such-"

"Practice, first of all." He interrupted with a fond exasperation. "Second, at the end of the day, the dude's been my best friend for decades now. I really wouldn't be the same without him."

Luminara quietly regarded this response, a small smile appearing a few moments later.

"It must be nice," She softly said. "To hold such absolute faith in someone."

"It's not easy." He admitted, shrugging his shoulders. "But Tony is someone worth putting your faith in friendship in. Headaches included."

Luminara released a soft chuckle and in the midst of this conversation, she had walked back around his armor and was standing next to him. She placed a delicate hand on his shoulder, giving him a kind, warm smile.

"You have a good soul, Rhodey." She gently said. "It is good to know there are those like yourself who always fight for those who cannot. I am grateful, truly, to be by your side in all this."

Rhodey's mouth opened slightly, trying to find the words to respond but he was coming up blank.

His mind was racing with thoughts, seeing what he could say at this moment and they came just as Luminara turned to leave.

He stood up, grabbed her wrist gently and made her look back at him.

She glanced back with a raised, inquisitive brow, waiting for Rhodey to speak.

The colonel legitimately chastised himself for acting like a high school boy asking out his crush for the first time.

'Jesus, high school sucked.' Were his thoughts until finally, he found his voice again.

"Lumi… when this is all over," He cleared his throat slightly, willing himself to keep going. "How about we go to Dex's diner for a job well done? Just the two of us?"

Luminara blinks for a moment, stunned by this offer. Again, just because she was a Jedi Master, didn't mean she was woefully ignorant to things such as courtships and dates. In her time as a Jedi Padawan, Knight and Master, there had been many men and some women who have displayed clear interest in her. Some for reasons being they found her attractive and others being… not so nice in their desires.

But for obvious reasons, Rhodey asking her was a tad bit different. And she found herself unable to deny the offer. Which felt so alien to her with how natural she felt in responding to his request.

She turned to face him entirely with a gentle smile forming.

"I'll hold you to that."

With that, Rhodey released a small laugh of disbelief before letting her wrist go with her gazing at him.

There was a silent exchange before she turned to depart with a slight bit of a pep in her step, leaving the colonel to flop down where he sat.

"Hoo… holy shit." Rhodey said to himself, running his hand over his head. "Ok… Tony can't hear about this."

Don't hold your breath, War Machine.

In a particular room at the Avengers HQ, Aayla was having a bit of internal turmoil.

Nothing problematic, mind you. Just something of her mustering her courage with what she's about to enact.

The Twi'lek Jedi knight stared at herself in the mirror, seeing the healthy dark coloring her cheeks possessed in her reflection. She stood in the bathroom that was Steve's having just finished taking a shower and drying herself off.

Now she stood with none of her headgear, nothing from her standard outfit. Just an ornate red and orange floral silk robe that left little to the imagination of what lay beneath the fabric.

Taking several breaths, she pats herself on the cheeks a few times to get herself ready. There was no backing out now.

Silently walking out of the one room, she crept towards the connecting bedroom. There she saw Steve getting ready for bed. He wore a simple light grey shirt with baggy sandy-brown pants.

With how silent the space was, any audible sound would be far louder than it would be. She stood there, trying to hype herself up before opening her mouth to speak.

"Steve." Came the quiet whisper from Aayla, her lover turning to her and freezing up entirely, his breath being caught in his throat.

She stood in the doorway of his bathroom garbed in her silk that ended at her thighs and nothing else beneath it. The crimson robe covered her body, for the most part, but seeing that she wore nothing else began to stir a sleeping beast Steve did not know he had.

"A-A-Aayla." Cap stammered out, eyes wide and a fresh hue of color on his face. "Wh-what are-I don't-"

He couldn't find any proper means of responding and before he was even able to formulate his next stuttering statement, Aayla began approaching him. Each step was measured and while there was a nervousness in the eyes of the Twi'lek Jedi, desire overrode any hesitation. There was an emphasized sway to each movement, making sure that Steve got every inch of her body yet the robe remained on that kept her covered until reaching him.

The Twi'lek released a shaky breath, placing her hands on his chest, slowly moving them up. Secura's senses flared, feeling far more details in the defined muscles beneath his shirt than at any other time.

"Aayla." Steve managed to find his voice again when he was silenced by a deep and lustful kiss from his lover and he surrendered to it immediately. He felt his own desires already building and as soon as her lips were on his, Rogers knew he would lose.

They remained that way for a number of seconds before Aayla pulled away, the pair breathing heavily. But she didn't give time for Steve to fully recover as she pushed him back, his knees hitting the edge of his bed and Aayla all but pounced on him, her robes flying back slightly.

She lay atop the super soldier, their eyes locked and breathing against each other.

"Steve…" Secura whispered, leaning her forehead against his, inhaling his scent. She felt her now exposed breasts pressed against his chest and she felt her senses heightening at his arms traveling up her legs.

"Aayla." Her lover said once more, a small rumble in his voice that made her shiver. "What is-"

"Something I want." She interrupted before he could finish asking, leaning down to kiss him once more, brief as it was. "Something I want for the both of us. Before tomorrow."

He gazed into her eyes, trying to find any form of reservations in this and while there was nervousness in what she was doing, there wasn't any hesitation.

So he needed to make sure of it.

"Are you… do you really want this?" His voice came out in a slight growl, making goosebumps appear all over her body.

She bit her lip, containing a moan, nodding fervently.

"Yes, Steve," Her breath was haggard, laced with lust, love and desire. "More than anything. I want this. I need this. We need it. For tonight… let's have no regrets."

And like that, any amount of second thoughts evaporated in an instant.

The pair engaged in a series of lustful kisses before they made a quick dash to remove their clothing. For Aayla, she simply let the robe she wore fall away with Steve seeing her in all her glory.

He begins to disrobe what articles of clothing he has on him before returning to the bed. Placing his arms on her thighs, Steve brings her back closer to him as they embrace and take the next step in their relationship.

AN

Hey guys, new chapter out and it couldn't have come out at a worse time now, could it?

Jebest4781: Issues with the site have been problematic for a while now. All of us are frustrated, no denying that. Stuff with admins not responding to our emails, let alone them fixing the apparent email issue at all. A way of getting around this, people are being advised to use the Fanfiction App. While this is fine, the majority of Fanfic followers have used their computers for years over their tablet and mobile devices. I'm one such person, though I have used the web browser on my phone quite often to read stories before using the app.

FMW: It is frustrating and while I have no doubt that they're working to alleviate the situation, the fact that it's been going on for this long is just grating on all our nerves. Straight up, I've been sending out one email after another to the admin and website, two per day almost to get this shit fixed. And I bet you guys have had the same response in having Notifications be bounced and DESPITE taking the needed steps that they instruct you in fixing it, it still doesn't work. So it's a site issue, not a user issue. Something that's just GRAH, annoying as fuck.

With these rants out of the way…

Jeb: We presently have another story up and running. This time with our friend and collaborator BulletStormX. Granted it's a one-shot/pilot story, but something that has been on our minds for quite a long time. It's a Star Wars/Mass Effect story called Mandalorian Effect. Check it out when you can.

FMW: Yeah, we're gonna be promoting the shit out of it cuz this is the only way it'll gain more traction with how shitty the site is operating at this time. I hope you guys, no, we need you guys to check it out, give us feedback and all because it helps with the eventual proper crossover story to come. Also, be sure to check out all the new artwork that's been churning out on my DeviantArt including the art for the last scene in the chapter. Or rather… the second to last scene.

-Post Credit Scene-

"Have they arrived, brother?" Maul quietly asked his younger sibling with the taller Zabrak silently nodding.

Wordlessly, Maul flicked his hand with the Force opening the door for three men to enter.

These three were reputed to be the deadliest, most fearsome and best bounty hunters and mercenaries in the galaxy. Though there track record wasn't one of pristine satisfaction, their work, skills and efforts as well as results were well documented and known.

Plus, they were among the few that some would call holdouts of a more brutal time in the outer rim before the arrival of the Guardians of the Galaxy and the reorganization of the Mandalorians.

"Cad Bane. Crossbones. And Taskmaster." Maul listed off their titles, standing from where he sat and approached them with his arms behind his back. "Welcome."

Once reaching the trio, he bowed in respect.

"I thank you for responding to my request for a meeting."

"You caught our attention." Cad Bane said with his respiratory voice. "We are here to listen to your offer, nothing more."

"Of course." Maul smirked. "Straight to the point. I can respect that. First of all, I believe you three know a few of my associates."

"Of the Triumvirate?" Crossbones spoke up. "Yeah. Last time we worked for 'em, we lost due to some ghostly haunting at the base."

"Oh yes, I have heard of the encounter. Taking that out of the account, your group might have kept more of your numbers and supplies had you had better allies and resources at your disposal."

"Something you're offering, I take it?" Taskmaster surmised with Maul nodding.

"Yes. I shall cut right to the heart of the matter gentlemen. I believe that having you with my organization will be a boon to the endeavors I have planned for this galaxy and that you will benefit from such an alliance."

The three mercs exchanged looks with each other with Rumlow in the middle crossing his arms, speaking for them.

"And what exactly are we gonna be getting out of this deal if we join up with you and your gang of assholes."

Maul smiled maliciously, completely unfazed by the man's words.

"Power, pay, influence." The red-faced Zabrak rattled off. "But… I believe power will be more than sufficient for a bargain."

"Power?" Cad Bane parroted with clear skepticism. "What kind of power could you possibly give us?"

"Oh, you know," Savage Oppress wordlessly handed his brother a holodisk and Maul activated it immediately.

On it were the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy, followed by the Jedi and the Sith.

"Power that would allow you to rival and even outclass those you have deemed enemies," Maul stated. "Power that would allow your dominance, enforce your will, and be unopposed by all."

There was a pause that was shared between the three men as they saw the shifting images of the Avengers, Guardians, Jedi and Sith.

"And how long would that last?" Taskmaster inquires. "Need I remind you that Ultron is still running amok and making things difficult for everyone."

Maul simply tutted, shaking his head. "Not for long, I assure you. His demise is drawing near."

"And you would know this, because…" Crossbones said unconvincingly.

"I have foreseen his loss, his demise coming. It was only a matter of time." Maul elaborated. "The time for a new dawn in this galaxy is drawing near and I need men such as yourselves just as you need me to usher in the new era."

The red-faced Zabrak raised a hand to them.

"Join me," He emphasized. "And the shackles that hold you to this galaxy will become undone. You will be gifted with perspective and power beyond your wildest dreams. If you join me, those who stand against you shall fall. This isn't a promise. It's a guaranteed result."

None of the mercs said anything, taking a moment to mull over such an offer.

One would call this ludicrous, insane, preposterous even… but Maul did not appear to be that sort of man.

What they saw and felt was a former Sith Lord of absolute conviction.

And they also couldn't deny that despite their reputation and high price range, taking on foes like the Avengers and the Guardians was not an easy task.

They needed to step up their game and this yellow-eyed Zabrak appeared to be offering their solution.

So what other choice did they have?

Crossbones raised a hand which Maul immediately grasped in a warrior handshake and promise.

"We'll hold you to that." Rumlow darkly said and the Zabrak smiled once more.

"Welcome to the Crimson Dawn."

And scene.

Thanks for reading and if you found out on your own, thanks for refreshing so many times till you saw the update.

Let's hope the site fixes this shit.

Rate Read and Review and as Always Have Nice Day.