Hey, guys!
Doing my next update a little earlier than normal as Labor Day is coming up here in the states and I'm moving soon so it'll be until next month for the next chapter.
Couple things to address: 1) This chapter is going to throw a major curveball. Hoping it works out well but if the first part of the story was a bit slow in terms of plot, this is going to accelerate it majorly.
2) Mailbag time!
Mando-23- I do actually have a plan for the Bad Batch. It won't be until much later but I found a way to include them haha.
Western Witch- Thank you! You are incredibly kind :) the reveal is sooner than you think.
Sw-0608- I'm so glad you've enjoyed it! I have to admit, the concept sort of just 'came' to me as it has probably not been done before. Many people don't like the way Luke was portrayed in the sequels which is understandable and this was my way of creating a 'what if' scenario. Honestly, the clones are some of my favorite characters to write and they feature more prominently as time goes on.
Upstart Psycho- Thank you! I hope it continues to live up to expectations!
TragicFiction- Many thanks! :)
AllegroGiocosco- I always love your reviews immensely, my friend. You always notice the little things ;)
xXxjfreed21xXX- Love your username! Thank you! Updates will be many and frequent!
Guest- I have no trouble admitting that I cried a little when I wrote the liberation scenes with the clones and Jedi. That was a proud moment. And one I wish had happened in the prequels/CW series in a happier outcome. Thank you for your continued support.
dragonagegirl- your enthusiasm is incredibly infectious haha but also incredibly sweet and I love that you've liked this story so much. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
UnOriginal2Tall- I can always count on an amusing moment from you lol. That dance off is going to be epic.
JumpinJackFlash24- The slowburns usually end up that way. But thank you for your patience and giving the story a chance. I hope you continue to read.
As a final note, I have noticed some unkind reviews which happens. As opposed to getting angry I'll say what is standard protocol in these situations: if you don't like the story, don't read and don't comment. This story isn't for everyone but have the common curtesy not to be a dick. Or if you do have criticism, just make it constructive, even if negative.
"Even the very wise cannot see all ends."- Gandalf the Grey, Fellowship of the Ring
Chapter 15. The New Prophecy
The liberation of the clone troopers brought immense elation and happiness within the Jedi Temple. But as Commander Cody had pointed out, the war was still going on. Any highs achieved were bound to come with lows.
And danger still lurked around every corner of the galaxy. Obi-Wan Kenobi found this out the hard way.
Requested by Master Yoda and Master Mundi to one of the holo message rooms, curiosity abounded.
"You summoned me, Masters?" he said as he walked through the door.
Neither said anything, each one looking quite grim before Yoda pressed the button to play back a recorded message.
The image of a Duchess Satine Kryze came into view, clearly in distress.
"This is a message for Obi-Wan Kenobi. I've lost Mandalore. The people have been massacred and the Death Watch has taken my place as the ruling power with the support of the syndicates and crime families across the galaxy. He says if you do not come to Mandalore….he will kill me."
An ominous black cloaked figure stepped forward and threw off his hood.
"That's right, Kenobi," snarled the red and black tattooed face of Darth Maul. "Your friend is at my mercy and unless you want to see her head mounted on a pike, you will come and face me….alone."
The image shifted back to Satine, eyes practically screaming 'help'.
"Obi-Wan. I need you."
The message ended leaving a momentary, melancholic silence.
"Your thoughts on this, Master Kenobi?" Yoda asked.
"Satine has been at odds with Death Watch for years, but has managed to keep them at bay," he replied, rubbing his bearded chin. "But if Maul has become their leader then that makes the situation much more dangerous….and complicated."
"Is Death Watch still aligned with the Separatists?" Mundi asked.
"According to a report by Padawan Tano, they are no longer in league with Dooku. This apparent take over seems to have been orchestrated by an alliance between them and Maul alone."
"If a Sith Lord has taken control of Mandalore we must act swiftly. But without Separaitst involvement I fear that some in the Senate might be hesitant to send in military intervention," Mundi said.
"Then we give in to his demand," Obi-Wan stated firmly. "I'll go alone and see what he wants."
But Master Yoda shook his head.
"No. Tried that once, you did and almost killed, you were. Action we must take, but you cannot go alone."
"He wants me," Obi-Wan argued back in a rare moment of defiance. "And we cannot leave her to suffer on Mandalore."
Yoda narrowed his eyes ever so slightly at the uncharacteristic, impassioned plea.
"Beware your feelings, Obi-Wan. Mean well, you do. But a trap Maul is setting. Unwise it is, to spring it. Go to the Senate we shall, and we will find the support we need."
"I agree. Though Mandalore is a neutral system the presence of a Sith Lord is likely to grant us an exception. I will see to it that two divisions are raised as quickly as possible," Mundi concurred.
The tone of finality indicated the meeting was over but that did not stop the pang of guilt and longing flashing through Obi-Wan's heart. A stickler by the book Jedi, there were times one had to bypass bureaucracy and cumbersome decision making. This was one of those times.
Closing his eyes and rubbing his beard, the Great Negotiator did not deny the feelings he still carried for Satine but it went beyond that. It was simply the right thing to do.
He would need to borrow a stowaway ship.
Anakin is going to love this
One of Luke's favorite aspects of living at the Jedi Temple was sharing meals with his father and Ahsoka.
"Gotta love a meal that isn't Republic rations," Ahsoka commented as she chewed down roasted meat.
"One of the few things the clones don't get to enjoy even with their newfound citizenship. Though they certainly like alcohol," Anakin added with a snicker.
"What do you mean?"
Luke couldn't help but join in the fun as he dipped his bread in a special sauce.
"Echo and Fives sang at a Karaoke bar the other night. Dogma wanted them court martialed but Rex merely put them on latrine duty."
Ahsoka choked on her goblet, throwing fits of laughter while Anakin used the Force to clear her throat.
"Sounds like the 501st alright. Finest soldiers in the galaxy, always causing trouble off duty."
"I wonder who they get that from?" Luke wondered rhetorically.
"Hey, just because I taught them a few curse words in Huttese doesn't mean they take after me."
"I dunno," Ahsoka said. "Commander Cody and the 212th are pretty much Obi-Wan to a 't'. By the book and on schedule."
"Speaking of, where is he?" Anakin said, peering around the large cafeteria where many Jedi were also having lunch. "He was supposed to meet us here."
"Probably in a meeting or something," the padawan said with a shrug.
It was true that Obi-Wan normally joined them for meal times, though his work on the Council sometimes interfered with that routine.
"Ah, will you look at that. He showed up after all."
Anakin gestured towards their familiar friend entering the room and heading straight towards them. However, Luke could sense right away something was off. The normally patient, methodical Jedi Master appeared to be on edge and moved with a sense of urgency.
"Join us, Master. There's some pretty good grub today though I'm not quite sure what it is."
"Anakin, I need to borrow a ship."
The abrupt request took everyone for a surprise.
"Umm, sure?" his former padawan said, unsure of where this was going. "Any particular reason?"
"I can't reveal much, just that I need the Council to remain unaware of my whereabouts for now."
Anakin eyed Obi-Wan carefully.
"Are you feeling okay?"
"Just help me, will you Anakin?"
"Sure, sure. No questions asked. Come on, let's go."
The two senior Jedi left the mess hall without delay leaving Luke and Ahsoka to look at each other, eyebrows raised.
"What was that all about?" Ahsoka asked, completely bewildered.
Luke pressed his lips into a thin line. The ghosts of his father, Obi-Wan, and Yoda had given him much of their memories and information about the past. But they couldn't possibly remember every little detail that occurred to them exactly. He racked his brains for a particular event that happened at this point in the Clone Wars but came up empty.
"I don't know," he finally answered. "But we'll find out one way or another."
Obi-Wan Kenobi grunted as he adjusted the armor he'd stolen from a Mandalorian warrior, noting it didn't quite fit in some places and aggravated a muscle he'd pulled in his lower back.
"That's the last time I borrow a ship from Anakin," he muttered to himself. The ride had been so bumpy and rough (the piece of junk practically fell apart as it landed) a trip to the Jedi Medical Center was in order when he got back. Assuming he made it back but he'd survived the Clone Wars this long for a reason.
Moving silently and inconspicuously, Obi-Wan made his way into the Sundari, capital of Mandalore and quickly found the maximum security prison he knew Satine would be housed in. A monstrous complex shaped like an 'X' with multiple wards and levels. But with a few quick questions, he'd found the block she was in and headed in that direction, searching every cell.
As he did so, however, he began sensing a dark presence. Not that of Maul, he could recognize what that particular Force signature was. No, this felt different. Extremely subtle but also extremely sinister. As though a dark cloud moved in slowly within the very fabric of the universe itself. Something was stirring.
He ignored that ominous sensation for now, choosing to focus his energies on finding Satine and getting her back to Coruscant. But when he reached the last cell on the left (A26 according to one of the other guards) he found it empty.
"What?" he whispered.
Too late, he'd been tricked as he felt multiple blaster pistols pressed against his helmet.
"Well, well. That was predictable. Lord Maul calculated your every move."
So much for a quick and easy escape
Obi-Wan wished he knew more Huttese swears.
The throne room of the Sundari Royal Palace looked the same as ever. Except for one crucial detail: the occupier of said throne.
"Ah, Kenobi," came the venom like hiss from the rogue Sith Lord. "How nice of you to join us at last."
Maul currently sat in the seat usually reserved for the ruler of Mandalore, symbolizing his absolute authority. To his right stood Savage Oppress now sporting a bionic arm but very much alive and menacing as before, Olmec, the former Prime Minister and presumed puppet ruler, to his left. About a dozen Mandalorian warriors flanked the room plus the two who currently led him in binders. But even as a prisoner he only cared about one person and that person currently sat at Maul's feet also in binders bowed in shameful submission.
Observing the scene, Obi-Wan already began devising a way out of this mess. There was little doubt Maul sought to kill him and Satine. He spotted his lightsaber attached to the belt of one of the Warriors to the left. He could break the binders quite easily but not without ensuring the safety of the Duchess. Patience would be required.
"Maul. I thought I recognized that stench when I entered the throne room," he replied with his usual wit.
One of the warriors kneed him in the gut in response, sucking all the air out of his lungs temporarily, gasping for breath. Oppress growled and moved to do further damage but the red Zabrakian raised a hand, preventing any further assault on his person.
"Your remarks will not do you much good here, Obi-Wan," he spat furiously. "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist rescuing your beloved duchess without the approval from the Jedi Council. And now I have you here in the palm of my hand."
Obi-Wan flicked his blue eyes for the briefest of moments onto Satine, who also caught his gaze. Fear was evident and she looked quite vulnerable in a mere green dress and black leggings at the complete mercy of a monster who could kill her in a single instant.
"Let her go, Maul," he stated as soon as he found the ability to speak once more. "Whatever quarrel you and I have can be settled, but leave her out of this."
"Oh, but I don't think that decision is yours to make, is it?" came the taunting reply. "No, after all if it weren't for your personal feelings towards this pacifist, there would hardly be a reason for you to show up."
Maul stood up from his throne and walked two steps forward.
"How I have waited for this moment," the soft spoken Sith said, yellow eyes bearing into Obi-Wan's very soul with black malice. "All those years ago on Naboo you took everything from me: my power, my master, my body. I somehow managed to survive, scraping by, clinging to existence by the virtue of one thing: my singular hatred of you."
He gave a nasty leer towards the Duchess.
"And now I can repay that favor in kind. The possibilities are endless. I could torture you and force her to watch. She'd hear your screams of agony while you begged for death."
Suddenly, he raised his hand and began choking Satine, cutting off most of the air from her windpipe and igniting his dark saber.
"Or I could gut your belle right here, right now just as I did your master. I'd then throw you in the darkest prison with nothing but the memory of your failure to save the one you loved the most."
Obi-Wan struggled against his captors as Satine's face turned an ominous shade of blue. In that moment there was nothing he despised more than Maul, hate and raw fury welling up within him against his code and better judgement. Worser still, the Sith knew it too.
"I can feel your anger, Kenobi. The feelings you have for this Duchess betray everything you stand for. And I would enjoy every second of it. Watching you lose control while being forced to watch your friend die. I'd do it now if I wanted to."
Maul's hand slackened and the Duchess dropped back to the ground gasping for breath, barely able to keep herself upright. The blade retracted into its handle.
"But alas, that is not why I have brought you here. Tempting it may be torture your psyche, there is another purpose. Something else."
Hardly daring to believe that Maul did not intend to kill him or Satine, Obi-Wan couldn't help but pose the question.
"And what is it that you want?"
"To talk. And for you to listen."
What game is he playing at?
No, he dared not listen to Maul. Whatever the true motive it would either end in him and Satine dying or rotting in a cell. He was sure of that.
"What incentive do I have? It's no secret you've tried to kill me at least half a dozen times in the last few months."
"Yes, I thought we might hit that little snag," the Sith replied. "Which is why I am prepared to offer you a deal. In a gesture of good faith, I will set your beloved free."
Obi-Wan remained skeptical but then again he was not in a position to bargain or even fight his way out. If it meant Satine had a chance of making out of this alive, he'd take it.
"She gets on the nearest ship back to Republic lines. If that promise is kept, I'll hear you out."
In reality, he had no intention of doing anything of the sort. It was a means to buy time and find the moment for which to make a proper escape. Maul probably knew that too.
I just have to keep him talking for a little while
The Zabrakian however kept up appearances of the deal being met. With a simple flick of the wrist, Satine's binders fell to the floor.
"Take her to the landing platform and send her back to Coruscant," he ordered.
Two of the Mandalorian enforcers nodded and began escorting her out.
"Obi," she whispered to him as she passed him by.
"It's alright, Satine. I'll be fine. Just get as far away from here as possible."
When the Duchess had officially vacated the throne room, a loud silence seemed to permeate throughout. Maul gave him a curious stare as though contemplating how to best approach the subject without awkwardness.
"So...can I let my mind wander or do you have anything to say?"
"Don't be hasty, Kenobi. There is much to discuss," Maul said sitting back down on his throne.
"It's no secret we're adversaries. Why would you spare my life in exchange for a simple conversation?"
"Because the enemy of my enemy is my friend, as the old saying goes. And though my loathing of you and the Jedi knows no bounds there is a greater enemy that stands in our way. Something far more sinister."
Obi-Wan did not like the way Maul said the word our as though they were suddenly on the same side. It reeked of either deception or desperation, possibly both. Clearly there was more at work.
"And who is this enemy you speak of?"
There was no mistaking it now. The Sith Lord's face lost all trace of maliciousness replaced by utter contempt and fear.
"Sidious."
That was a name familiar to Obi-Wan but it had only been mentioned once before.
"What if I told you that this war is a lie? And that it was all being controlled by one man. That we are all tools for greater powers?"
"I've heard that line before," the Jedi casually dismissed. "And I have no more reason to believe it now than I did then."
"Don't be a fool Kenobi, you're not like the others that sit idly by on that Concil," came Maul's harsh response. "And so is Dooku...he cannot see the end...what is to come...he is merely a placeholder. But...he is not wrong."
Obi-Wan frowned. How could Maul possibly know what happened on Geonosis?
"Wrong about what?"
"The Republic as it stands is broken and corrupt. It is dying as we speak."
"While democracy is imperfect, the basic function of that democracy still stands. To preserve it against Dooku's Separatist atrocities is what I fight for. That is our cause."
Maul began laughing sardonically as though nothing in the world could be more ridiculous.
"Your cause? Your cause is built on the same lie fed to the Separatists which in turn is funded and perpetuated by that lie. The Republic is already an old relic, rotten and useless, just as the Jedi are."
"You're not making a very good case for why I should listen," Obi-Wan replied, beginning to lose patience.
"Then maybe you should listen to this: the Old Republic is failing, soon to die, and the Jedi along with it. In its place will rise a new order, one so great and terrible the galaxy will be crushed underneath its foot, mere slaves to its power."
The Great Negotiator had faced off against Maul many times but never had he witnessed him so distressed. Even vulnerable dare he say. Were the Zabrakian not a dark side user he'd be half inclined to believe it.
"And if what you say is true, how have you come to know it?"
Maul sat up from his throne, speech again becoming frantic and fragmented interspersed with short breaths.
"I have seen...visions...shadows...glimpses of the future...there was a plan. A plan I was only privy to in part but….now...it has accelerated in motion...there is little time."
"What plan?"
"The plan you've been ignorant of from the beginning!" Maul shouted frantically. "The dark side grows ever stronger, surely you can feel it…"
Obi-Wan couldn't fib or play dumb. He had felt the creeping darkness since his arrival on Mandalore. That it was unrelated to Maul suddenly frightened him. The fear, the sheer dread in his voice was so tangible it gave the Jedi Master pause.
"And this plan. You'll share with me freely?"
"Yes...yes. That is why I lured you here after all."
"It seems to me that your information is vague. And why tell me about it in the first place?"
Maul shook his head as if something were buzzing around it.
"Not everything has been revealed to me...no, not yet. But there is enough I have foreseen that we must act without delay. As for my reasons for divulging such information, let's just say we stand to mutually benefit."
"And what of you? You're a Sith. Do you not stand to benefit?"
Again, the rogue dark sider gave a humorless chuckle.
"I am no longer naive enough to call myself a Sith. The Republic, while inefficient and weak, is still preferable to the regime that would take its place. The Jedi, archaic and blind, by extension would also survive. As for me, I will do as I please. Roam the stars, establish myself and take what may come. That is ultimate freedom."
Obi-Wan did not like the idea of Maul running around to do as he pleased even one bit. He figured by now that Satine might be on a ship back to the Republic, but there was no way to be sure.
Keep him talking for just a bit longer. Then you can get out of here
"We must destroy Darth Sidious, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Only then can you save your precious Jedi Order and prevent the galaxy from being trampled by the most powerful being in existence."
Temptation from the devil. The red headed Jedi Master learned to resist such evil long ago. Especially from the same person who'd murdered Qui-Gon. But something seemed different about Maul this time around. Quiet, confident killer. Furious, vengeful beast. All traits the former Sith embodied at one point or another. But now? A fearful, frightened animal with a warning sign.
"Alright let's say I believe you, I'm not sure there's much we could do. For the Prophecy states only the Chosen One may bring balance back to the Force."
Maul rolled his eyes.
"Yes, yes I'm well aware of your little prophecy. Which is why I agree in part. We will need the help of the Chosen One in ridding ourselves of the Sith."
"If you think I'm difficult to convince, I'm not sure Anakin will be that much more receptive."
"No, he is not the one of whom I speak."
This was the first time in the conversation Obi-Wan found himself genuinely surprised. And more than a bit uneasy.
"Anakin is the Chosen One," he reasserted. "It is the will of the Force and the Prophecy."
"Prophecies do not have wills," Maul snapped. "Only the Force. And it has brought a new opportunity, a new hope...a last hope."
"What do you mean?"
By now, Obi-Wan had temporarily forgotten his escape plan. Maul was clearly trying to tell him something and commanded full attention.
"There is a new Prophecy, one I managed to discern from the Force in the visions presented to me. I think you will be interested in hearing it."
Without waiting for the Jedi's approval he cleared his throat and began reciting.
"In the coming dusk
The hour is late
A menace lurks
A hero to change fate
The fallen star
One fated to betray
Until a rising hope
Seeks a soul to save
Sun sets
In twilight one must die
A sacrifice
The other destined to survive"
Maul's soft spoken voice almost made it sound like beautiful poetry but that's not what concerned the Jedi Master at the moment. Far from stalling he now felt compelled to ask genuine questions.
"Who is this hero the Prophecy speaks of?"
"He is already known to you, though only for a short time," Maul replied, pacing back and forth. "He won victory on Dantooine...and injured my brother."
A growl came from Savage Oppress and he menacingly flexed his bionic arm. But otherwise he stayed put.
"Luke," Obi-Wan breathed out.
"Yes, this powerful being is the savior of the galaxy. He and Skywalker are connected, though how I do not know. As I stated earlier, we will need to enlist his help if we are to have any chance at defeating Sidious."
But Obi-Wan's thoughts diverged to another point, one with ramifications that made him feel sick to his stomach.
"Tell me...if Luke is the true Chosen One….what does that make Anakin?"
Maul looked as though he'd hoped that question wouldn't be asked. The red head could sense the hesitation in the forthcoming answer.
"He is the betrayer."
Obi-Wan felt himself go numb.
"You lie."
"I am afraid not. He has long been groomed for his role...as my master's new apprentice."
"He wouldn't...he would never."
Maul ceased his pacing and lost much of his taciturn front he'd used up to this point.
"Do not deny the truth!" he shouted. "You trained him, you know the darkness, the fear, the hatred that resides within Skywalker. While the menace creates a new order from the ashes of the Republic, the betrayer will join him and in the process eliminate the Order he once swore to serve. He is destined to destroy everything you care about and pledge his allegiance to my old master."
But Obi-Wan would not hear of it. He could not conceive of any situation or scenario where his best friend, his brother, would commit such acts. To consider any possibility...was unthinkable.
"That is not true!"
"ENOUGH!"
Maul's rage broke and now the Mandalorian warriors had reawoken like enchanted gargoyles designed to obey their master's call. Savage too, had stepped forward, double bladed lightsaber ready to activate.
"I have wasted enough time on you Kenobi! The choice is yours. Join me and together we can destroy the Sith and save the galaxy from their empire in the making…"
He ignited the dark saber, it's inky black blade humming ominously.
"...or die."
Multiple blasters were cocked and a stream of red lit up the room. Staring into the face of certain death, Obi-Wan supposed there was little he could do, no cards left to play. To join them would be a betrayal of his oath to the Republic and the Order he loved so dearly. And to Anakin, his dearest friend. On the other hand dying didn't seem like a desirable prospect either. Even if he broke from his binders and snagged his lightsaber the odds of surviving were almost nonexistent.
I suppose my luck was going to run out eventually. Satine, I'm sorry I never got to tell you how I really feel
But before anything else could be said or done, before any lightsaber could be swung, a blaster fired or any command given there was an explosion so massive it temporarily deafened everyone present. Shards of glass flew everywhere, smoke and fire engulfed the room and the shockwave sent Obi-Wan to the floor.
When he regained his senses, he looked up to see a fair skinned young woman with short red hair dressed in blue Mandalorian armor standing over him.
"Are you here to help or hurt me?" he coughed with a joke.
"I am Bo-Katan, leader of the opposition against the rule of Almec and Maul. Now get your ass up so we can get out of here."
He didn't need telling twice. By now, the Mandalorian factions were engaged in a full scale battle while Maul and Savage also came back to themselves. Obi-Wan took the opportunity to summon back his lightsaber, breaking his binders with ease.
"Don't let them get away!" Maul screeched. "Capture the Duchess! Kill the others!"
"Well that's our cue."
Bo-Katan's group of warriors covered their escape and managed to exit the throne room in the nick of time.
Satine Kryze despised violence and the scene in front of her was a prime example of why she had worked so hard to liberate Mandalore from the Old Ways, to bring about peace and not senseless clannish violence. It had been shattered to pieces in a matter of weeks. And now her people suffered as a result.
But if any good had come of it, she and her beloved sister were now on the same side once more. At least for now.
"Duchess, you must leave this place!" one the Night Owls told her while shooting down one of Gar Saxon's men. "We cannot hold them off forever."
Obi-Wan had been right not to trust Maul's so-called deal. He must have refused whatever he'd been offered. Only fifty yards away from the landing platform her escorts suddenly attempted to kill her. But Bo had arrived in time preventing such a grisly fate. Yet, she resisted departure.
Three random explosions lit the air and another red clad warrior tried to use a flamethrower to attack them. Luckily, the arm shields held up and their enemy shot out of the air.
"Duchess, you must hurry!"
"I will not leave without Obi-Wan!" she said back over the noise, taking care to hide herself as much as possible between her three guards. Not for the first time, the temptation to have a weapon of her own entered her mind.
"Then you'll be killed and all of this will be for nothing!"
Bo-Katan finally arrived with the Jedi Master, the latter having quickly mastered using a jetpack.
"Sister...you brought him back. Thank you."
"Thank me by getting on that ship!"
Obi-Wan wasted no time in grabbing Satine and running towards the edge of the landing platform where a small craft already awaited.
"Tell the Republic what has happened here," Katan told them while providing covering fire.
"That would likely lead to a Republic invasion of Mandalore," Obi-Wan warned.
"Yes, but Maul will die. And Mandalore will have its rightful ruler."
She looked affectionately towards Satine one last time.
"Thank you, sister."
"Go!"
As Obi-Wan took off, he couldn't help but look back at the terrible carnage unleashed by the day's events. The duchess appeared equally as traumatized, tears forming in her eyes. But that was not the only thing that troubled him.
What am I going to tell the Council? Better yet, what am I going to say to Anakin? To Luke?
As Maul's Prophecy haunted him, Satine suddenly reached under the cockpit and began holding his hand.
He did not let go.
All right, be honest. Was that enough of a curveball? Too much? XD
Next update will be after Labor Day as promised!
~The Wasp