After what was, for Ken, quite a long night, everyone gathered in the large main hall of the cave the next morning. Since there was no stage, everyone had to sit on the floor so that Iasa could shout over them during her speech. Ken sat next to Shesprer, right in the middle of the gathering. Duke sat down in front of him. Cuyaes was not present. He had set out on Iasa's orders to scout the surrounding area to see whether enemy troops had already been moved. And before them on the stage stood Iasa, next to her Ornan, still in chains, and two warriors. Whatever the reason, she had to be guarded. Ornan was tied up and disarmed, unlike her.

At least she had just succeeded in the mammoth task of calming the angry warriors after revealing to them that Ornan would now work with them. As expected, no one liked it. Shesprer also had to be stopped by Ken from attacking him straight away. But now everyone was at least willing to listen to the plan.

"And now we're finally getting to our plan," Iasa announced. "Thanks to Mereel…" You could clearly hear that she loathed him. She explained step by step the plan that the five of them worked out last night.

"I just can't believe it," Shesprer whispered to him indignantly. "How could we seriously cooperate with him?"

"The Force told me," Ken said. "It showed me that it was the right path. I know he won't betray us."

"Still, what he did cannot be made undone. Force or not, he was involved in the deaths of our friends."

Ken looked at Shesprer sternly. What he just said here was more than unworthy of a Jedi. "What he did doesn't matter now. It can no longer be changed. We have to put an end to it now and make the best of it in the future."

Shesprer bowed his head and looked sadly at the ground. "Alright," he murmured, crestfallen. "but I can't just forget Master Hysha. The memories of him are the only thing I have left of him."

Ken touched his shoulder comfortingly. "I can assure you that Hysha will always be with you. His spirit and his will will give you strength."

Shesprer looked him in the face again. "And how do you know that?"

Ken had to smile a little. That's what he liked about Shesprer. He didn't just accept things, but questioned them. It showed that he was an intelligent and determined Padawan. Another sign that he would soon become a great Jedi.

"I spoke to his spirit," he told him dryly.

The surprise in Shesprer's eyes was obvious. "How did you do that?"

"I don't know that exactly myself. But now I have learned of another secret of the Force that needs to be revealed."

"I want to do that, too."

Ken looked at Shesprer in disbelief. Sometimes his ambition became too much.

"I just want to reassure him that I'm fine and that I haven't lost the will to continue yet."

"Believe me, when the time comes, he will know. Don't put pressure on yourself."

Duke turned to them with a hiss. "Quiet now!" he warned them.

Ken decided he was right. The philosophical lessons could wait. It was now important to get the plan, especially for Shesprer.

"Once we obtain the codes, a small squad consisting of Mereel, Duke and Ken will set out an hour in advance, enter the base and disable its defense network. Once we're there, we'll attack and quickly take the base. That's our plan. Does anyone have questions?"

A short silence filled the room. One of the warriors then stood up. "I think I speak for everyone here when I say that I don't think this collaboration is a good idea!"

"Believe it or not, I don't either," Iasa replied. "But if what he says is true, then it is our best option at the moment and we have to use it. We should therefore briefly put our personal feelings aside."

That surprised Ken that she thought that way now. Of course she would never admit he was right, but he was still a little proud.

"And if it's not true?", another warrior interjected. "What if it's a trap? Then we are all doomed."

This reminded Ken of his decision on Sernpidal. At that time he also thought he was making the best decision and in the end they ended up here. He understood their concerns, but this time he was completely convinced that he was doing the right thing.

"You're welcome not to believe me," Ornan shouted back. "But then, for better or for worse, you will experience your blue miracle when you are suddenly exposed to the hail of fire from the guns. Then in your final moments you will wish you had trusted me before you were torn apart."

"Shut up!" The warrior picked up a stone from the ground and threw it at Ornan. Ken touched his forehead. Once again it was up to him to clarify this situation. As the stone was thrown, Ken reached out in the Force and froze it in mid-air before it reached Ornan's head. Silence fell again and all eyes turned to him. "That's enough!" he shouted across the hall.

"Don't interfere!" countered the warrior. "You don't understand anyway!"

Ken raised his eyebrows. "You have no idea." He stepped forward to Iasa. Now, he knew, he would have to use all his diplomatic skills to convince them.

He repeated broadly the same arguments that he had already used with Iasa. After the usual discussions, everyone finally gave in and accepted it. Ken was relieved that he had finally calmed them down and now hoped that it would stay that way.

"Now go!" he ordered. "Get ready. We leave in an hour."

"Iasa!" came suddenly from further behind. Ken turned around and saw Cuyaes coming back. "We have to do it quickly. I was able to locate some scouting troops in the area."

….

They had been on the move for almost an hour now, walking through the overgrown paths of Tel IV, on the way to the middle of the cave of the dragon. Packing went unexpectedly quickly, but it took them a while to find a suitable route along which they could march with fifty men but still be as undetected as possible. They also had to find people to guard Ornan who could be trusted not to kill him straight away. Even if he was granted safe conduct, Iasa definitely didn't want to let him roam around alone.

Shesprer thought it was a shame that he wasn't assigned to it. After all, he still had a personal score to settle with Ornan. Of course Shesprer would never kill him, he didn't want to disappoint Ken. But it still wouldn't give him a pleasant time. And once they're done here, he'll repent no matter what. Shesprer vowed that. Anyway, he wondered why no Jedi had been assigned to this task. Of course, Ken had to lead the whole troop together with Iasa, that was clear. But why not him? He suspected it was because he was so young and they continued to underestimate him. But he was still a Jedi. He probably had more insight than any adult, especially any adult Mandalorian.

Doesn't matter. Now he at least had time to take a leisurely look at the nature here. Even though he wanted to avoid this place in the future once they left, he had to admit that the beautiful scenery here made it worth reconsidering. In the treetops he could watch the colorful birds sucking the juice from the red citrus fruits of the gigantic trees. He rarely caught a glimpse of the sky between the trees, where he saw the magnificent red and blue birds of prey circling. The worm-like Sliideptra with their countless holding threads hung from the branches and waited patiently for their prey. Every now and then a single terizin walked past along the side of the path, which were also used as riding animals. They reminded him a little of the Varactyls, Utapau's standard mounts. Once he saw a brown lizard climbing a tree. One of the warriors told him that although they were cute, they were extremely dangerous animals because they could spray a liquid that was similar to mercury. But the flora here was also breathtaking. The trees, which were permeated with minerals, glittered in the sunlight, and the huge, colorful mushrooms glittered in the darkness. The small blue bellflowers provided nectar for the local insects, such as the moonlight butterflies and the brightly colored fireflies.

Shesprer found all of this incredibly fascinating. He always regretted having sacrificed so much time for his training. He should have used his free time to search the archives and learn more about the galaxy. He now saw that it had so much more to offer than what he had seen so far. They continued walking for a while, during which Shesprer continued to marvel at his surroundings.

His fascination came to an abrupt end when Ken yelled for everyone to take cover. And then he felt it too. Like a raging storm, a wave came over him, signaling danger. And even before he saw a horde of Mandalorians attacking them from the undergrowth, laser volleys rained down on them. He barely managed to react and dodge the shots coming his way.

He had let his guard down. His focus was not on the spiritual environment, but on the material one. That almost cost him his life. But now he was awake, ready to fight back. Yes, he felt it. Now the chance to prove himself had finally come.

With strong will, Shesprer drew his lightsaber and the emerald green blade ignited. He jumped back again to avoid a shot, used the momentum to crouch, and then pushed himself off the ground five meters into the air with all his might. From above he saw Ken already twirling his blue blade to protect their allies and send their enemies to the afterlife. Shesprer deflected two more shots while jumping before landing precisely on a Mandalorian and driving his blade through his head. As he stood upright and stood on the body, his instincts again warned him of incoming shots. He immediately turned in their direction and twirled his lightsaber, sending them all back to their senders. However, he had to constantly take steps back in order not to lose his balance. But Shesprer knew he couldn't stay on the defensive for long if they wanted to win the fight. He ducked under the next volleys from two enemies and darted behind the nearest tree. As the volley stopped and the riflemen prepared for the next one, Shesprer took a quick look around the corner. They were only a few meters away. If he could provide a momentary distraction, he would do it. Then he looked at the ground and got an idea. It couldn't be more banal, but it was better than nothing. He tossed up the leaves that lay around the two of them and created a small whirlwind. That was enough of a distraction to rush towards them and end the first one with a clean cut across the chest. The second one was able to regain concentration quickly, but too slowly for Shesprer. The Padawan threw him through the air with a Force blast, jumped after him, past him to the side, and cut through his stomach. The warrior slammed into a tree and remained motionless at its roots, while Shesprer landed just a few meters away and prepared to attack the next one.

"Hey!" Ken called out to him, who was standing behind a tree. Shesprer quickly sought cover as the shelling began again. "Stay on defense!"

Shesprer was confused. Apparently Ken just saw his action. Then why should he stay on defense?

"I have everything under control!" Shesprer shouted back. "Don't worry about me!"

"Don't get cocky now! Let the others take over the attack! At least we're the only ones who can divert the fire!"

Shesprer sighed and then nodded, slightly annoyed. It was just frustrating for him. Now that his moment had finally come, Ken held him back again. He gripped his lightsaber tightly and rushed out from behind cover. Dozens of beams shot towards him and struck next to him. His face was already stained from the swirling dirt. He deflected more lasers and deflected three of them back into the chests of their senders.

When he then looked at the landslide behind him he saw a Mandalorian with red armor at the top. Yes, definitely, it had to be their leader. That brought a smile to Shesprer's face. If he managed to take him out, their enemies would be without coordination and the battle would be won quickly. Then Ken would also have to acknowledge that he is a fighter.

Little by little he worked his way up the slope. After a few steps, the commander spotted him and motioned for his men to fire at him. Shesprer stopped. Running up a slippery surface and blocking shots at the same time was too risky. He had to take them out first. He immersed himself in the Force, blocking a shot precisely and killing its shooter. Immediately afterwards he grabbed the other Mandalorian and dragged him down the slope. As he rolled towards him, Shesprer ran and cut him in half with his lightsaber. Immediately afterwards he stepped onto a small rock that lay in the landslide and used the solid ground to jump off it. The jump carried him all the way up and as he fell he attacked the commander with an overhead blow. But unlike Shesprer expected, he reacted quickly and drew a vibroblade to block Shesprer's attack. However, the Pau'an was not impressed and continued to attack. There was a short but heated exchange between the two. However, Shesprer soon discovered that he had underestimated the commander. He was significantly better than all the other Mandalorians he had fought so far, and was also stronger and faster. Soon the fight turned and Shesprer was on the defensive. The commander's blows became increasingly violent and the padawan had to back away if he didn't want to collapse under the pressure. But then the path stopped. He was standing on the edge of the abyss and if he didn't want to fall down, he had to hold his ground now. But Shesprer's quick glance behind him immediately punished him. When he turned his head back he saw the commander's iron foot racing towards him. Too late he was able to hold up his arms to protect himself and the kick hit him square in the chest. He staggered back, fell, and rolled all the way down the slope until he came to rest at the bottom of it. He felt no serious injuries, which was almost a miracle, but he had suffered noticeable bruises which now adorned his body. The taste of blood also told him that he had probably bitten his tongue.

He wondered how he could be so overwhelmed. He had only just regained his strength and was actually sure that he could take on anyone now.

Lying on his stomach, he raised his head and saw his lightsaber lying just a few meters in front of him. He struggled to get it back, because without it he wouldn't live here much longer. But the commander was already next to him. Before Shesprer could get up, the Mandalorian kicked him in the stomach again with all his might. Shesprer's arms couldn't hold him and he winced in pain. He groaned and his bloody spit spread across the floor. But the lightsaber was within reach. He tried to summon it to himself with the Force and reached out for it.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" the commander growled and kicked Shesprer's wrist with full power. Another cruel pain struck Shesprer and he heard the crunching sound of his wrist breaking. Shesprer cried out, tears streaming from his eyes. When he looked up, he saw in a blur how the commander was about to deliver the fatal blow.

Was that it now? Would he die now? He didn't really want to give up yet, but what could he do? He was too weak to retrieve his blade and could no longer move. The blade hissed towards him. But before it reached him, a blue rod lit up between them and blocked it. It was Ken. Shesprer wondered if it was his fate to always be saved. The Mandalorian drew back his blade to attack Ken, but even he was no match for the Jedi. Before he could even swing, Ken stabbed him in the neck with his lightsaber and the Mandalorian collapsed, dead.

But Ken wasn't given a break. Immediately afterwards a shot came from behind and hit Ken in the shoulder. The Jedi fell to the ground, holding the wound. His face contorted in pain and the lightsaber went out.

"Ken!" Shesprer shouted and immediately wanted to grab his blade to help him.

"Leave it!" Ken shouted, igniting his sword again. As if nothing had happened, Ken turned around, dispatched the Mandalorian and plunged back into the fight. After about ten minutes of Shesprer simply lying under cover, the fight was finally over and their enemies fled. One soldier reported thirteen casualties to Iasa. Shesprer looked around the corner and saw the battlefield. The whole ground was full of bullet holes and burnt leaves. Some trees were still burning a little, but were immediately extinguished to prevent a forest fire from breaking out. The corpses of mainly enemies, but also allies, lay everywhere and the first insects began to decompose them.

And in front of him, Ken came towards him.

"Come on! Get up!" he said sharply. "We have to move on before the next ones come! After all, you shouldn't cause more losses!"

Shesprer was shocked and a little outraged by this statement. Why was this his fault now? He had given Ken the opportunity to kill the commander in the first place. He also took out a few more enemies. But then he saw Ken's wound again. This was clearly his fault, even if it was hard to see. Perhaps his actions were the reason why many comrades died. In any case, Shesprer knew that Ken was now too angry with him to argue with him. He crouched, still holding his stomach in pain, to where his lightsaber lay, picked it up and walked after the group.