"Why don't we ever get sent to nice planets?" 8-Ball complained as he chucked another droid-popper over the barricade at the encroaching battle droids, "The 501st get to deploy to Felucia and Naboo. Us? We get sent to barren, backwater wastelands without so much as a patch of moss for scenery. And they call us 'Lady Luck's Battalion'? Nothing lucky about this."

"You're still alive, aren't ya?" Roulette chuckled as he dragged a B1 over the wall and drove his vibroknife into the clanker's chest plate, "You don't consider that lucky?"

"Not if I have to put up with you every day."

"That's enough of that," House admonished, firing into a group of B2s that had gotten a little too close for comfort, "We still have the lowest casualty rating of the entire Grand Army and the only battalion with zero fatalities. I'd call that pretty damned lucky, so let's not say or do anything that would cause her to choose a different squad, aye?"

"Yes, sir!" Roulette and 8-Ball said in unison.

Just then, Casino's voice piped through the comms. "Sir," he reported from his sniper's nest, "we've got commando droids coming in from the north."

"Kriff!" House shouted, "Don't let them reach the barrier!"

"I'll handle them," Naira asserted as she came sprinting from behind the troops, "Give me a lift, House!"

House instantly spun around, lacing his fingers together as he braced his back against the wall. "I got you, Commander," he said, "Alley-oop!"

Naira ran at full speed towards him, sliding one foot into his interlocked hands while the clone used his strength and Naira's momentum to sling her into the air like a catapult. Naira flew over the barrier wall, flipping and turning in mid-air to ensure she'd hit the ground on her feet. She landed in the middle of the eight commando droids, ignited her twin guard shotos, and pirouetted on one foot, cutting down seven of them at once. The eighth managed to evade the Jedi's blades and swiveled behind her, raising its rifle with intent to club the Togruta in the back of the head.

"Not on my watch," Casino whispered as he lined his shot perfectly and nailed the clanker right between the optics.

Naira turned and ducked just as the droid's head exploded into sparks. She smiled and looked in the direction the bolt had come from, giving a cheeky half-salute to the hidden trooper. "Thanks, Cas," she said before turning her attention to another group of tinnies.

She reached through the Force and pulled the front line of droids back, crashing them into the back lines, and slowing the enemy's advancement. A moment later, Surill came barreling through the droid ranks like a battering ram, trampling the clankers underfoot until he reached his Padawan's side.

"Glad you could join us, Master," Naira laughed as she guarded the Shistavanen's back.

"Couldn't let you and the boys have all the fun," Surill responded, lifting several droids with the Force before slamming them back into the ground, "now, could I?"

"Fair," Naira smirked mischievously, "but let's see if you can still dance, old man."

The two Jedi moved in tandem with each other, taking out enemy combatants like a choreographed waltz. It was mesmerizing even as Naira switched one of her blades out for the pistol on her boot. Without ever once falling out of step with her master, the young woman fought with the blaster as naturally as with the sabers, blocking bolts in time with firing them before seamlessly switching back to two blades. She and Surill continued to push the droid lines back as their clone troopers provided suppressing fire. They were turning the tide of the battle! That was until Naira felt something small and metal hit her foot causing her to look down.

"Frag!" she shouted as she jumped back as far as she could, "Master! Watch out!"

The device exploded seconds later. Naira had just enough time to hear someone scream her name in terror as she was caught mid-jump by the force of the blast and slammed into the barricade wall. The wind was knocked out of her as she blacked out.

Naira slowly regained consciousness accompanied by a steady ringing in her head. Someone was talking very loudly near her face as she was being gently pulled to her feet.

"Raadii," House's voice sounded muted as he called out to her, "Speak to me, Commander…don't give up on me now."

Her vision cleared enough to see him, his bucket removed, as he held her up. He had a grip on her right arm as it draped across his shoulders while his free arm was around her waist for extra support as he guided her back into the encampment.

"Is she alright?" another worried voice asked.

Naira looked in the direction of the sound and could just barely make out Casino standing nearby. How the hell had he gotten down here from his nest so quickly? Naira was certain she hadn't been knocked out that long.

"She's breathing," she heard House say, "but I can't get her to—"

"I'm okay, House," Naira coughed as the haze finally lifted, "just a little dazed…are we in the clear?"

"Yeah," House confirmed, completely ignoring protocol, "The clankers are all down, and we got the north ray shield online; we shouldn't have any more surprises like that. Can you stand?"

Naira tested her weight on her own strength, keeping a hand on House's shoulder for balance. "Yes," she said, only slightly wobbly on her feet, "Yeah, I think so."

"The commander's good, General," House said as Surill was walking up to them.

"Have her taken to medical," Surill ordered, his breath ragged, "just to be safe. Then meet me at the battle map, House."

"Yes, sir. Casino, escort the commander to Quads."

Casino nodded as he took Naira from him and guided her towards the medical tent. "Poetic justice," he joked, though Naira could hear the worry in his voice, "This time, I get to be your nurse."

Naira winced from laughing. "Oh, shut up," she chuckled weakly, "nerf-herder."

Casino only grinned childishly as he helped her onto the examination table and awaited Quads' diagnosis.

It had been a little over three weeks since the incident on Fondor, with the 77th actually receiving praise for their efforts despite Senator Rodd demanding recompense for the destroyed factory. Since it was easily proven to have been demolished by an active Separatist occupation of the planet, Fondor's senator relented rather than have his own loyalty to the Republic come under scrutiny. This bolstered the battalion's reputation as being blessed with all manner of luck in their missions, but they always remained humble. They knew that despite their above-average streak of good fortune, their success in the field was due to their skills, determination, and leadership, not "luck." It was fun to play along with the joke, though.

"No concussion, Commander," Quads said after his examination, "You've got some light bruising from hitting the wall, so you'll be a little sore in the morning. There's some smoke-inhalation but nothing too serious, and you managed to avoid taking shrapnel or getting burned despite being at the epicenter of the blast."

"Just more of our fabled luck, right?" Naira asked in jest, making the doctor chuckle.

"Sounds legitimate to me. All joking aside, though, I'd say you're fit to return to duty."

"Thanks, Quads," Naira said as she hopped off the table.

"Well, that wasn't so hard," Casino laughed, offering Naira a water canteen, "this nursing thing's a breeze."

"Oh, please," the Jedi rolled her eyes playfully, taking a drink, "my patient was far more difficult than yours."

"What? Nah! I've definitely missed my calling."

"Your calling is to be a constant pain in the ass, which you greatly excel at."

"Ouch…I mean, you're not wrong, but still: ouch!"

They shared a laugh as the made their way towards the tent serving as the war room.

Naira had been very careful these past several weeks suppressing her feelings for Casino as her master had instructed. It was far more difficult than Surill had made it seem. She often found herself in solitary meditation when not engaged directly in battle tactics or out on the battlefield, but it did very little to quiet her mind. Surill hadn't called her out in recent days, but she was certain she was just one slip-up away from getting Casino redeployed. With that worry ever-present in her thoughts, Naira began reciting a personal mantra in her native Togruti as an effort to quell her personal feelings anytime she was around him. That was a lot. She still very much enjoyed Casino's company, but she had to be careful to not allow those distractions to manifest. It wasn't fair to him, really. Military regulations aside, Casino wasn't bound by Jedi dogma like Naira was and shouldn't be expected to save himself for her. He's probably not interested, anyway, she rationalized, even if we weren't hindered by regulations and doctrines.

"Taman küz, shaanti, roukh jaane do," she whispered softly to herself as she fell several steps behind Casino.

"You okay, Commander?" the clone asked with concern, "Need me to slow down?"

Naira shook her head and smiled as she caught up to him. "No, I'm fine," she assured him.

"Yeah? You were talking to yourself again…anything you wanna talk about?"

"Just running tactical through my head," she lied smoothly, "Those attack patterns were too familiar to be coincidence."

Casino made that "hmm" sound in the back of his throat indicating that he hadn't actually believed her but also that he wasn't going to pry any deeper. He didn't really have a reason to disbelieve her, but Naira had come to realize pretty quickly that her soldiers, after all this time, could read her like a book. They may not know specifics, but they always knew when something was wrong.

The two of them joined Surill and the rest of the squad surrounding the holomap of Horuz. House was going over the aftermath of the battle, getting and giving reassurances that the northern base was fully covered by ray shielding before moving on to the next point of business. Surill was observing to House's left, and Naira couldn't help but notice something off about him. His breathing seemed heavy to the point he was practically snarling through his muzzle, his lips quivering over his partially-exposed teeth. No one else seemed to take notice, so Naira held her peace while House debriefed the team.

"Seems we've really got our work cut out for us," the clone commander said, "What was supposed to be a covert infiltration of this Separatist stronghold has been rendered impossible by our enemy clearly having prior knowledge to our arrival. Our only chance at retrieving the intel is a full-frontal assault on the facility utilizing siege tactics."

"House," Naira interrupted softly, "do you really think Toorick isn't already prepared for that as well?"

House sighed and shook his head. "No," he admitted, "I don't, which is why we're going to implement a tactical protocol we've never tried outside the Kamino training simulators: Wager 666."

This caused all troopers present to begin speaking over each other, mostly in protest against this idea. House made no attempt to bring the arguing to a halt, standing by calmly and waiting for the cacophony to die down on its own. Naira watched the men carefully as they voiced their opinions before Surill finally intervened.

"Gentlemen," he said, raising his hand for silence, though he remained seated, "all of this is academic at best. It will take time that we don't really have to plan and implement this maneuver—especially since I've never heard of it, and I'm betting that neither has Naira."

"Then the chances of Toorick knowing it and having a counterattack ready are also reduced," House responded unapologetically before adding as an afterthought: "Sir."

"Except we have no evidence this is Toorick's doing," Surill contradicted, ignoring the slip, "How would they have gotten here before us to plan all this? Even a warning via holocomm transmission would have been time-delayed from our last deployment."

"All due respect, Master," Naira spoke up, predictably siding with House, "but they've been openly dogging us since Fondor, probably longer if their claim about Ord Mantell is to be believed. Their own tactics are easy enough for us to recognize by now."

"Even if they're not here physically," Monte once again caught everyone by surprise, "Toorick's influence is all-too obvious everywhere we go now that we know what to look for. Best not to leave anything to chance."

Surill shook his head but said nothing more. Now Naira knew something was wrong, but it would have to wait to be addressed.

"Right then," House continued, "for the benefit of our commanding officers, Wager 666 is an incredibly aggressive tac-maneuver where we, in the simplest terms, put every possible plan into motion at once, covering all means of escape, retaliation, and reinforcement for the enemy. It will require all companies working in tandem, with the end goal being a full siege of their base." He highlighted several points on the map, enlarging each one as he laid out the plan. "Captain Spades and Lieutenant Deuce will lead Aces-High Company in the frontal assault on the base, serving primarily as a distraction. This will allow Rook and Bishop to deploy Checkmate Company at these four breaching points. While that's going on, Bluffcatch Company will deploy in two groups led by Dealer at the northern chokepoint and Blind at the east. This will cut off their main supply routes, leaving this lesser-used one through the southern mountains as their only means of escape or aid. This path is mission-critical because, as you can see here, it connects to an easy-to-miss canyon pass that leads to our base. We can use it to our advantage. Commander Raadii and myself will lead the Flush through here and plant charges throughout the causeway to collapse the canyon, cutting them off completely and allowing the other companies to take full control of the base. Aggressive, but it has the least amount of risk involved."

Surill studied the map intently as House spoke. "Very well," he said, "I may not agree that Toorick's behind it, but it is a sound plan given the circumstances. I shall also accompany you and Naira."

Surill rose to his feet, but as he did so, he howled in pain, grabbing at his side and collapsing to one knee.

"Master!" Naira panicked as she rushed over to him. It didn't take long for her to notice the blood soaking through his tunic. "My gods," she gasped, "you're hurt!"

"It's…it's nothing, Naira," Surill strained, "just a flesh wound…"

"Like hell it is," House said signaling to the medical tent, "Quads!"

The medic rushed over to the group, motioning for everyone to give him some space as he looked over the Shistavanen's injury. He activated a display on the T-visor of his helmet and did a thorough scan of the Jedi's form. With a sigh of annoyed disappointment, he produced a stim from his pack and jabbed it into Surill's leg with no concern for the general's comfort.

"That will stop the bleeding," Quads said, instructing his triage team to assist Surill back to the medical tent, "but I've got to remove that clanker shrapnel before it gets infected. Why the kriff didn't you say something sooner? This is the kind of reckless bravado I expect from our shinies, General, not you."

"Just get the damn thing out," Surill growled, "so we can get on with the mission."

"Sorry, sir, ain't that simple. You're gonna need surgery; means I have to put you under. Also, you're relieved of duty until further notice." Surill attempted to voice his disagreement, but Quads cut him off before he could even snarl. "Now, there'll be none of that," he said assertively, "Per protocol, when it comes to the battalion's health, I outrank everyone, including you. Now, lay down, and let my men do their job, or I'll let Domino administer the anesthetic."

Jedi and clone stared each other down. Quads never once wavered even as Surill bared his massive teeth through quivering jowls. It didn't take long to see whose resolve was stronger. The lupine man's yellow eyes softened as he let out a sigh of defeat and relented to the medical team. "A moment, Naira," he beckoned to his Padawan before being carried away, "I'm sorry I can't go with you, but—"

"The role of the Padawan is to protect the Master," Naira interrupted him, crossing her arms and looking away in disappointment, "It is both embarrassing and insulting that you would hide this from me like I'm some inexperience youngling that needs coddling."

The elder Jedi was stunned to silence, his ears drooping slightly from the chastising. Normally, such behavior would be met with a private reprimand from master to student, but in this case, Naira was well within her right to be upset. "It's not like that," Surill tried to explain, "I just didn't th—"

"Forget about it, Master," Naira sighed sadly, "just focus on healing. I'll make sure our mission is completed."

She turned away just as her master muttered "May the Force be with you." She didn't respond beyond a simple nod over her shoulder to assure Surill that he had been heard. The medics then hauled the Shistavanen to the triage tent, leaving Naira and the clone command squad at the war table waiting in awkward silence. The clones all turned to face the young woman expectantly as she leaned over the battle map in contemplation.

"Commander?" House addressed her cautiously.

"Prepare to move out," she ordered without looking at him, "Inform the company captains and their seconds of the plan and their roles; I want them ready to mobilize in two hours. Once Aces-High launches the artillery strike, the Flush will make our move. Toorick wants a fight? We'll give them one."

Naira was in full command mode now, her tactical mind taking over and silencing all other distractions around her. This focus and determination, though fueled by her disappointment, transferred to the troops, erasing the uncomfortable tension that had been there only moments before.

House slipped his bucket on and addressed the men. "Well, what are you waiting for? A kiss on the cheek?" he barked, "You have your orders; move out!"

There was a unified shout of acknowledgement as the troops donned their helmets and set about their duties. House moved to Naira's side and studied the map with her in silence. Everything needed to be timed precisely if they were going to pull this off; all other problems would have to wait.

Two hours later…

Naira felt the planet rumble beneath her feet long before the thunderous sound of Aces-High's attack reached her. Spades sent confirmation of the strike via comm to House who in turn passed it on to Naira. In response, the Togruta double-checked her gear, ensuring everything was secured in their proper places and mentally checking them off the list. Her sabers were always within easy reach resting on each hip, however, ever since Fonder, Naira had taken to carrying a few droid poppers on the back of her belt as well as Casino's DC-17 hand blaster on her boot. Satisfied that everything was in place, she gave the order for the Flush to proceed into the canyon pass.

Her comm chirped, and she answered to find Quads on the other end. "Got an update on the general, Commander," the medic said, "if you've got the time."

Naira nodded. "Proceed, Quads," she said, keeping an even, neutral tone.

"Surgery was a success. General Surill will make a full recovery, but he'll be out of the fight for at least a week, maybe more."

"Can't imagine he's too happy about that."

"Well, he doesn't have a choice. He would like to speak with you before you head out, though."

Naira didn't get a chance to agree or protest before Quads' image vanished, replaced by Surill's. The massive Shistavanen was still laid up in triage. His upper tunic had been discarded and his entire torso wrapped in gauze. It was difficult to see him like this, but Naira did her best to hide it from him.

"It's good to see you awake, Master," she said.

"For all the good it will do," Surill huffed, resting a hand on his injury, "Quads won't let me return to duty; will you be alright?"

"I have the best team watching my back."

Naira managed a reassuring smile as Surill gave a nod of approval. "I'll be standing by on comms," he informed her, "Contact me should anything go awry. The Force be with you, Naira."

The comm disconnected as House and the rest of the Flush joined the Jedi at the entrance of the canyon pass. She and House led their formation with the other seven men fanned out behind them. The sounds of battle were oddly muted by the rock walls around them, giving off an almost eerie ambience. Naira knew she could trust the other companies to do their parts, so she allowed her mind to wander elsewhere. Specifically, she ran through the many possible scenarios of running into General Toorick and the importance of removing them completely from the battlefield, but she was also burdened with her master's arrogance.

As the Flush approached their destination, Naira gave the order to set the charges, though it was easy to see that her heart wasn't in it. House stood with her as the rest of the men set about their task.

"A credit for your thoughts, Naira?" he asked softly.

"Ah, I'm Naira today," the woman responded curtly, "not Commander or Raadii?"

House shrugged, unfazed by the snub. "Eh, I don't want to talk to my commanding officer right now," he said, his voice betraying the smile beneath his helmet, "I want to talk to my friend."

Naira bit her lip and looked away from him. "I'm sorry," she apologized, "you didn't deserve the attitude."

"Nah, it's fine."

"It's really not, House…but I appreciate it all the same. I'm just confused and frustrated with Master Surill's behavior of late."

"Yeah, he did you kind of dirty trying to hide that injury."

Naira sighed and nodded. "Kind of, yes," she concurred sadly, "I've been his apprentice for fourteen years; this is hardly the first time I'd failed to defend him, but I always learned from those failings. I have become stronger and more aware because of them, yet he has become distant, more like a stranger, ever since Toorick made themselves known. I can understand if the stress is getting to him, but—"

"With all due respect, Naira," House interrupted softly, "you shouldn't feel obligated to justify his behavior just because he's you teacher. He might have had good intentions, but what good is that if you can't trust him to be honest with even the slightest inconveniences?"

"I…hadn't even considered that."

"I wouldn't have expected you to since it's not something you do. Sure, you put on a brave face for our benefit, but you've never purposely hidden your feelings or opinions from us. You can't fathom your teacher doing that because he taught you better." When Naira raised her brow at him, darting her eyes in Casino's direction, House put a hand up decisively and added: "No, I stand by it. You haven't purposefully been dishonest, and we've noticed. That's why we are willing to follow you, not just obligated to. You should forgive your master, but don't make excuses for him when he messes up."

Naira sighed and shook her head, but she did not argue with him. House was the closest thing she had to a brother while also being her best friend. Top that with him mentoring her as a military officer, she trusted him more than anyone else, including Master Surill. She truly kept nothing from him, from her reservations against the war right down to her feelings for Casino. For that, she always took his advice and critique to heart.

"All charges are set, sir," Domino reported, "Once we get confirmation from the company captains, we can blow the mountain to hell and be back to Coruscant before Grobba closes the bar."

"Good thing she never does, then," 8-Ball sniped.

"Cut the chatter," House ordered, "Let's head back to base and wait for—"

He was cut off by the sound of Naira's lightsabers igniting and deflecting two blaster bolts that had been fired from somewhere behind them high in the canyon walls. No one had seen Naira move. She was a blur of motion, one moment standing in front of House and the next behind him as though the Jedi had simply phased through him like a ghost. Had she not reacted as swiftly, the canyon sniper would have tagged her friend dead center of his spine. Naira reached out through the Force, a surge of untapped strength coursing through her, and yanked the shooter from their nest, slamming them to the ground at her feet.

"Commando droid," she spat, plunging her blade into the machine's cranium before turning back to House, "House! The enemy knows we're—"

"Ambush!" Casino cried out just as thirty more BX droids leapt out from the canyon walls to engage the smaller group.

Blaster fire ignited the air as the droids forced the Flush into a defensive position, putting them at a crippling disadvantage. Regardless, the clones showed no sign of backing down. That was all well and good, but they weren't going to last long like this, not with the droids boxing them in.

"We're completely surrounded, Commander!" Domino shouted as he fired his rotary cannon at the enemy, "We should detonate the charges now before they start making for the base!"

"I will not condone such a needless sacrifice!" Naira declined, lifting the droids behind them and throwing them out of their way, "House! Tactical retreat!"

"Yes, sir!" House obeyed, "You heard her, men! Fall back! Find cover if you can!"

But there was no cover to fall back to as the droids rained hell upon the clones and their Jedi commander. Unfortunately, retreating back towards the base was their only hope of survival. This proved easier said than done as for each droid they struck down, three more would take their place. Naira didn't understand how this could have happened, nor did she have the luxury of time to contemplate it. She needed a way to get the boys and herself out of this mess alive. As she continued to fight back against the clankers, Naira expanded her senses in the Force. She subconsciously reached out to the men, hoping to tip the battle in their favor. She had never tried anything like this before nor ever seen it in use, but she had heard stories about Jedi capable of inspiring others through the art of Battle Meditation. It couldn't be that difficult, right? At the very least, she was desperate enough to try. However, she was not prepared for what happened next.

They were still fighting on the back foot as the droids continued to advance on them. Naira lifted several of the machines and held them up in the air so the men could pick them off easier. With a shout of effort, she thrust her hands forward and sent the non-functional robots crashing back into their own reinforcements. She felt a sudden pulse of energy in the Force unlike anything she'd ever felt before. Simultaneously, the entire Flush let out an emboldening war cry and ran headlong into the ranks of BX's cutting them down and pushing them back despite the overwhelming odds. That was not what shocked Naira, however. The pulsation she had felt briefly altered her vision, revealing veins of ethereal light reaching out from within herself and tethering to each individual clone, but it didn't stop at the Flush. Hundreds of strands spider-webbed out in the directions each company of the 77th was currently deployed, each one pumping in time with Naira's own heartbeat. The strongest threads were bound to the Flush, and she could see the energy flowing from her to them and back again almost like they were feeding into each other. This wasn't Battle Meditation. Naira had no idea what it was other than it was working. She dug deeper and fueled the fire now raging in all of them until the droids were nothing more than piles of sparking slag.

As the dust settled and the adrenaline subsided, the clones regarded each other with a mix of triumph and confusion.

"What the hell was that?" Black Jack asked, breathing heavily from fatigue, "I can't be the only one that felt that."

"Oh, thank the stars," Roulette said, equally breathless, "I thought I was losing my mind for a moment."

"I don't know what it was," Casino said, glancing in Naira's direction, "but I think I know where it came from."

Naira didn't notice when all eyes fell on her. She was deep in thought, trying to make heads or tails of the situation. How did she do that? What did she even do? And why did she feel like they hadn't actually won this skirmish? She was startled back to focus as House laid his hand on her shoulder.

"Naira?" he whispered, quickly pulling his hand back, "Sorry; didn't mean to scare you. Are you alright? What was that just now?"

"I…" Naira hesitated, "I don't know…I was just thinking about how I was going to get us all out alive when this rush of energy came over me. Just raw determination. I don't know how, but it altered your own emotions. I…I didn't mean to…"

She was suddenly fearful. She believed that what she had done, however unintentional, was equivalent to shifting someone's mind against their will. Naira hated when the Force was used like that, and it made her sick to her stomach that she had effectively been made to do this without any control over it.

"Whoa, hey, it's okay," House assured her gently, "We're all still of our own minds and no worse for wear beyond some mild exhaustion. We can figure out the details later, but for now, take comfort in the victory. We won, thanks to you."

"I appreciate the reassurance," Naira spoke sincerely, but she found it difficult to face her friend, "but I'm not certain it's over yet."

"How do you mean?"

"I'm not sure. There's a lingering sense of dread in the back of my mind, but I used so much in the last push that I can't focus on it. We should get back to base quickly and detonate the charges. Whatever this is could be kilometers away or hot on our heels, and I don't want to gamble our lives on it."

"Good idea," House agreed, signaling to the others to move out before addressing Naira's lingering guilt, "Hey, you know we all trust you, right?"

"I know," Naira assured, finally looking up at him, "it's just—"

"Then you know we've always got your back. You can count—" Motion in his peripheral caught his attention. Without warning, his palm struck Naira center mass in the chest, knocking her down just as House shouted: "Look out!"

A massive projectile came flying out of nowhere. It was a kriffing harpoon! Naira watched in sheer horror as the durasteel spike pierced House straight through the chest, pinning him to the rock wall behind him. Someone screamed. It took a solid ten seconds for Naira to recognize her own voice as she faced where the harpoon had come from. Standing a little over thirty meters away was a slender, agile-looking being standing atop a pile of dead BX droids. Their gender and species were obscured by layers of flowing robes and a grey, ornate mask. It was General Toorick. They had a harpoon rifle unlike any conventional weapon Naira had ever seen, but that was the furthest concern in her mind. The sharp pang in her chest sent her charging at the figure, her sabers poised to plunge into the bastard's heart.

Toorick wasn't prepared for the Togruta's attack, having barely enough time to switch from their harpoon gun to the double-bladed vibrosword on their back. They narrowly avoided losing their head as Naira brought her blades down at an angle. She put all her strength into it, pushing down against Toorick's weapon and forcing them to a knee.

"Impressive," Toorick's modulated voice strained, "I knew you could fight, but you exceed my expectations. You really are fond of these…clones, aren't you, Naira?"

Naira hated the eerie way Toorick said her name, and the way the word "clones" was spoken as though Toorick were trying to spit out a piece of vile meat didn't endear her to them much either. She kicked them in the chest, sending them back several paces and forcing them off balance before she charged them again. She refused to allow them to regain any ground. However, Toorick was ready for her this time and used their sword to vault forward, meeting the Jedi halfway. Their blades clashed in fury and determination, neither combatant giving an inch or opening to take advantage of. Toorick fought with the grace of a dancer and tenacity of a soldier, and while Naira was able to match them step for step, they could see her strength fading. Toorick soon found an opening and seized upon it. They ducked low and kicked at Naira's feet, knocking her off balance and dropping her to a kneel. As they rose, Toorick spun and struck at Naira's right hand with the back blade of their sword. Naira's saber was dislodged from her hand, leaving only her off-handed blade to defend with. Toorick then brought their weapon down on Naira's head for a killing blow, but the Togruta managed to catch the blade mere seconds before it could land. Although she shook with fatigue, Naira held her ground, glaring defiantly at the being before her.

"You have fought honorably, Naira Raadii," Toorick said in a disturbingly sincere tone, "but it is over for you and the 77th. I cannot allow you to continue thwarting CIS operations. I promise your death will be quick and painless…as well as your men's."

Naira's eyes went wide with genuine fear as Toorick pressed their sword down, trying to break through her guard. She was so tired, but she continued to fight back, knowing that any moment, Toorick would prevail. The general bore down on her again, forcing the young Jedi to brace herself with her free hand as Toorick raised their sword one last time.

The masked general suddenly stumbled back as they soaked blaster shots from the clone soldiers that had come to their commander's aid. The boys' bolts tore through the fabric robes revealing reinforced plasteel armor beneath. The onslaught wouldn't bring Toorick down, but it gave Naira time to deliver one last attack of her own. She poured every last ounce of strength she had into the Force and directed it at Toorick, sending the general flying into the canyon wall. The impact broke the shale and limestone, collapsing half the wall on top of Toorick.

Struggling against the pain and exhaustion, Naira holstered all her weapons as she and her soldiers made their way back to House. Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach when she laid eyes on him. He was firmly pinned to the canyon wall by the harpoon, his body hunched over the barb. The Jedi broke into a sprint, running past the rest of the men and hoping beyond hope that her friend was still alive. She knelt beside him and carefully removed his helmet. She went to check for a pulse, pulling back in alarm when the clone took a sudden, sharp gasp for air.

"House?" Naira said shakily, on the brink of tears.

House coughed violently as he lifted his head up. "Hey, Commander," he said with a sad smile, his voice strained, "I'm sorry; I don't think I'm gonna make it to the celebration party this time."

"Nonsense," Naira contradicted, waving Black Jack over, "Don't…don't talk like that. We'll get you back to Quads, and you'll be fine. Won't he, Jack?"

Black Jack was the squad's field surgeon, and a damned good one, but his reaction was less than optimistic. He managed to remove House's chest plate to get a better look at the wound, but all he could do was sigh and shake his head as he faced Naira.

"It punctured his heart, Commander," he informed her, "he'll die the moment we try to move him. It's a miracle he's even breathing right now. I'm sorry…there's…nothing we can do."

He walked away to inform the rest of the squad. Silence fell between Naira and House, neither one knowing what to say. After a moment, Domino walked up. He didn't say anything at first, but House gave him a knowing look."

"You have your orders, Captain?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," Domino nodded, his voice perfectly void of emotion yet harboring hesitation, "We are to get Commander Raadii clear while you complete the mission. 'Dead Man's Hand Protocol'…sir."

"What?!" Naira protested, her voice becoming frantic, "No! Belay that order, and help me get him out of here!"

"Comman—" Domino tried to reason with her.

"We're not leaving without him," Naira cut him off sharply, "He'll die…he will die! Help me…my order supersedes House's."

"Naira," House was weakening, "this isn't my order; it's the general's. His word is final."

That hit Naira like a slap in the face. She looked helplessly at the rest of her squad, knowing they had already accepted the inevitable. House waived his brothers away so he could speak privately with Naira. As they departed, House reached up and snapped the chain off is neck and placed the ID tags in Naira's hand. The Jedi clenched her fist around the tags, shaking her head in denial.

"No," she whispered, grabbing his hand, "I can't…I can't do this. Please…don't ask me to leave…"

"You can't stay, Naira…" House sighed, "the squad needs you."

"They need you, too! We all do. How am I supposed to lead them without you?"

House just smiled softly. "The same way you already do," he said, as Naira hung her head, "no, look at me, Naira. You'll lead with that same love and compassion you show for all of us…that doesn't change just because…I'm not there. These men would follow you to the end of the galaxy. Why else would we call you our Lady Luck?" He gave Naira a moment to let those words sink in before adding: "I'm going to die one way or another, but…I'm not…going out alone…I promise."

He chuckled as he revealed the active dead man's switch in his hand, much to Naira's deep sadness. She then noticed that he had been pinned right next to one of the primed demo charges. The tears burned as they began streaming down her cheeks. "Please, no," she tried one last time, "not like this…"

"Get her out of here, Dom," he said, looking past the grieving Jedi.

Naira still had a firm grip on his hand when Domino started pulling her away. The world played around her in slow motion as House's hand slipped from hers. She reached back for him, screaming and begging for him not to go as the rest of the squad said their goodbyes. She called upon the Force to pull him out of there, but for the first time in her life, it did not bend to her will…and House fell further and further away until Naira could no longer see him…

General Toorick picked themselves up out of the rubble, impressed yet furious that the Jedi Naira Raadii had bested them in combat. All it took was threatening clones of all things. They made a mental note of this as they made their way back, hoping to finish Raadii for good. To their dismay, the Jedi was long gone. The clone, however…the clone had been left behind, still pinned to the wall by Toorick's harpoon. They were surprised to see the soldier still clinging to life.

"Seems I've underestimated your team again, Commander," Toorick said with genuine respect, "I must commend you for saving your Jedi friend, a wasted effort though it was. I'll find her again; I always do."

"If all I did…" House countered, his breath coming in short gasps, "was…kept her safe from you…for just one more day…then I'll have done…my duty…the effort wasn't wasted."

"Then take comfort knowing you die with honor," Toorick raised their weapon above their head, "Any last words, clone?"

"A few, actually," House smirked, activating his comms for the whole battalion to hear, "General Toorick…I welcome you to the 77th…crown jewel of our Lady Luck…where the chips are stacked high…the bandits are one-armed…and no matter what you hold in your hand…the house always wins."

As he ended his speech, he tossed the dead man's switch at Toorick, reveling in the surprise and fear the general suddenly showed as they noticed the charges along the canyon walls rapidly flashing green. Toorick tried to flee the scene, but the mines at the only two egress points of the pass detonated first, initiating the collapse…

Domino had gotten Naira all the way behind the barrier wall of the base camp when the explosions went off. The entire battalion took cover as dirt, rock, and other debris rained on them, but the moment the dust cleared, Naira was back on her feet. Domino tried to hold her back, but she broke free of him and ran towards the now-collapsed canyon pass. She began digging frantically at the rubble. The Force refused to yield to her, constraining her to pull under her own physical strength. She felt intense fatigue, but she did everything in her power to ignore it, even as she collapsed in exhaustion. The light that had been tethered between her and House died, leaving Naira feeling hollow and empty. "Commander," Domino said softly behind her, "…Naira, stop…he's gone."

Naira felt a hand on her shoulder, causing her to leap up and turn on the man trying to comfort her. "You left him!" she shouted angrily as she slammed her fists into Domino's chest plate, "You all left him! How could you?"

Domino didn't try to stop her. He stood still and let Naira hit him until she could no longer muster the strength to swing. Then…he hugged her. She cried into his shoulder as the rest of the Flush gathered around. They removed their buckets and knelt in a circle around their commanders, mourning in silent solidarity.