After a few days, Jacen finally came to the front of Tukson's Book Trade.

He caught his reflection in the glass and took the time to marvel at his new look.

Coco had promised to work on a new version of his tunic, and he delivered on that promise. His new tunic was made of a blue-black fabric that looked elegant and had a more moderate look to it. To add to the style, he used dark brown leather for the sash, which complemented the tunic perfectly.

He had revamped his entire outfit, and now he looked more polished and professional. He had replaced his old tunic with this new one, and it was a significant improvement. He wore a dark gray vest with a collar that went up to the middle of his neck, which added a touch of sophistication to his outfit.

The sleeves of his tunic were long and came down to his wrists, where they met a pair of dark gray vambraces. Coco had modified one of the vambraces to match what he had when he wore a wrist comlink for communication and other uses. The vambrace was not only practical, but it added a futuristic touch to his outfit.

To complete his look, he wore matching pants that were made of the same fabric and color as his tunic. The pants were perfectly tailored to fit him, and they disappeared into a pair of dark gray soft boots. The boots were comfortable to wear and fit him like a glove.

Coco had also added a personal touch to his outfit. He had insisted on using a sigil to identify himself, a rising raptor fashioned in the old style of the Jedi symbol, which now rested on his belt buckle. The sigil not only made him easily recognizable, but it also gave him a unique identity.

He was curious about how many other sigils he'd seen throughout his time in Remnant and hoped that would be something he'd learn.

All in all, Coco did an excellent job at helping him select a proper wardrobe.

At least now, he appeared less like a street thug.

Turning his attention to the shop entrance, he felt an echo of his first meeting with Tukson and how Jacen had thwarted a theft that would have been dangerous if the books had fallen into the White Fang's hands.

With a nod, Jacen entered the shop with Skipper trailing beside him.

No sooner did he enter than he met the all too familiar form of Dusky Jones.

She was still wearing the same hat through which her rabbit ears were visible, a tan button-up shirt with matching shorts cut to meet the middle of her thighs, complete with a leather jacket and the strap over her shoulder, which held holsters for her boomerang weapons.

"Ah, Dusky, still as beautiful as ever I see," Jacen said, adding a touch of flattery in his voice.

"Noice, try, Jedi," she said in her usual accented voice.

"I'm not as easy to seduce as yer lil' blonde friend."

Jacen sighed slightly disappointedly, "Can't blame me for trying," he shrugged.

Skipper was brave enough to get closer to Dusky, who only looked slightly curious.

"I see ya brought Tinny," she said thoughtfully.

"Where I go, he goes," Jacen said, but he stopped when Dusky showed him a narrow-eyed glare.

"I take it you alre'y know this ain't a memory lane trip," she said with a severe tone, then motioned for him to follow her.

He followed her into a dead-end hallway lined with bookshelves, but Jacen sensed it wasn't truly a dead end.

Sure enough, Dusky pulled on a specific book, and the shelf, or rather, a door leading to a downward spiral staircase, opened.

He could practically hear Skipper lamenting the prospect of going down, "Don't whine, Skipper," he admonished.

Jacen felt a twinge of concern as he and Dusky made their way down the stairs, sensing that Dusky's mind was filled with unease and uncertainty.

"For the record," she said, not turning toward him.

"I argued against bringing you in."

Jacen felt this had something to do with Tukson's operation in Vale.

He suddenly remembered the time when Ozpin had taken him beneath Beacon and revealed their purpose of fighting against Salem. Ozpin had also explained the importance of finding a suitable candidate who could carry the other half of Amber's Fall Maiden power, thus preventing the attackers from obtaining the rest of her power.

"There's more that you're not telling me," he said pointedly.

Dusky turned her head and gave a hard look, "We'll let you know when it's time," she said, then strode ahead towards an open passage. The passage led to an underground living area with several rooms that had all the necessary amenities like beds, shelves, a small kitchen and a mini-refrigerator.

They weren't exactly luxurious, but they were undoubtedly suited for keeping families comfortable while Tukson found new homes for them well out of the White Fang's reach.

He remembered the three Faunus children who tried to get into Tukson's meeting room to observe him, "Tukson must have found homes for them and their families, too," he said aloud.

Dusky paused briefly, and Jacen could sense a deep sadness emanating from her. "They have been safely relocated. Hopefully, their new life will be better than the one they had before," she replied. She then opened a door that led to an office space with a simple desk in the center. Tukson was sitting there with his fingers steepled.

"It's good to see you again, Jacen," he said with a slight smile.

Jacen knew he was trying to be pleasant, but Tukson seemed nervous; even his aura pulsated with pure anxiety over something.

"Much as I like meeting with an old acquaintance, I have the impression that there's a reason you wanted me here," Jacen said as he sat in a chair across from Tukson's desk while Dusky sat in the chair beside him while Skipper parked himself in the middle.

Tukson sighed deeply, "I wouldn't have reached out to you if this wasn't important," he said.

"However, recent events require your unique talents."

Suspicion crept into Jacen's voice when he spoke, "Recent events?"

Tukson nodded to Dusky, and he turned in her direction for a response.

"You remember when you and your blonde friend saw me leaving the bar you were at?" She asked.

Jacen nodded but waited for Dusky to explain.

"When I left, two members of the White Fang tried to ambush me," she said.

"What?!" Jacen asked in disbelief.

Dusky showed him the facsimile of a flattered grin, "I appreciate your concern, Jedi," she said, giving him a slight pat on the shoulder.

"But I 'aven't gott'n too soft that I'd lose to the likes of those kinda thugs the Fang has lately."

Her expression changed to a look of utter seriousness.

"However, the fact it was the Fang means."

"The White Fang is operating somewhere in Vale," Jacen finished.

Suddenly, Jacen understood where Tukson's anxiety originated from, and that Dusky was not on board with the idea of bringing in someone she didn't fully trust into a cause she knew wasn't to be taken lightly.

"As you know, the purpose of my network is to get people, mostly former members of or supporters of the White Fang who don't agree with their new line of thinking and relocate them to locations outside the White Fang's reach," Tukson explained.

"Ever since Ghira Belladonna stepped down and Kin Onyurio took his place, the ideology of the Fang has gone the wrong direction," his voice held the weight of regret as he looked at something on his desk.

Jacen remembered hearing that Ghira, the former leader of the Fang, was a well-rounded and charismatic leader who had strong moral values. He likened Ghira's leadership style to certain senators in the Galactic Senate, such as the trustworthy and morally upright Bail Organa of Alderaan. The thought of the late Padme Amidala of Naboo also crossed his mind, and it hit him hard.

Jacen had occasionally seen Padme in the Senate Rotunda, where she was an active voice of reason. On rare occasions when he fought alongside Anakin Skywalker, he noticed how Anakin and Padme always had each other's backs.

For all the council's talk of no attachments, while he knew his relationship with Daro and Maru brushed against that, he felt something deeper between Anakin and Padme.

He had taken a big risk by being on Naboo when he learned about Padme's death. The funeral was equally sad and beautiful. All of Theed was mourning the loss of a beloved voice of reason. Anakin had been lost in the purge on Coruscant, and now Padme was gone too.

That said, Jacen had more respect for Ghira than for his successor.

"What about this Kin Onyurio?" He asked with a hint of anger in his voice.

Tukson's eyes narrowed, "If Ghira was a good spokesman and charismatic leader, Kin is more so, but with the zeal that you'd probably find in a cult leader," he said.

Jacen grimaced at the description; he'd heard rumors that Kin had a way of speaking that would bring members of the White Fang under his authority.

He figured it was similar to how Palpatine gathered supporters by appealing to their wants and desires.

Given how the new direction for the Fang was geared toward aggressive actions against humans that either utilized Faunus laborers or even attacked humans that didn't have a hand in such activities.

It was no wonder Blake broke away as their activity got more violent.

However, something bothered him about the White Fang being here, especially if they discovered Blake was here.

"How'd the White Fang even find a place to move their activity where Vale couldn't detect them?" Jacen asked.

"As I know you've been attending your classes at Beacon, let me give you a bit of history that they don't teach," Tukson answered; then, with a nod in Dusky's direction, she'd sent him something to his scroll.

When he looked at it, he saw photos depicting a forlorn black fortress surrounded by mountains with the red emblem of the White Fang on the main gates.

"What is this?" Jacen asked.

Tukson began to recount the history of the imposing structure that loomed before them, known as the Black Citadel. He explained that long ago, it served as an ancient fortress nestled among the mountains, designed to hold prisoners of all kinds. The Citadel had been used to incarcerate a wide variety of individuals, ranging from murderers and insurrectionists to prisoners of war and war criminals who had committed heinous acts during the war.

As Jacen listened to Tukson's description, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as he realized the implications of what the Citadel once represented. The structure reminded him of Citadel Station on Lola Sayu, which had also been used by the Jedi to hold other Jedi who had lost their way. However, the station had fallen into the hands of Count Dooku, who had used it to extract information about critical hyperlanes that could lead to the heart of either the Republic or Separatist territories.

Ashoka Tano, Anakin's togruta Padawan who'd earned the nickname Snips, mentioned the ordeal which resulted in the death of Jedi Master Evan Pell and the loss of ARC Trooper Echo.

Though compared with what Ashoka had endured with the Citadel defenses, Jacen didn't find it as imposing, given the description Tukson used to describe the Black Citadel, plus the presence of the White Fang who'd been practically consumed by hatred, the fortress was going to be difficult in a different way.

During his travels with his master and Maru, a Jedi Sentinel of a rare class, Jacen had come to learn about the workings of the Force - both the Light and the Dark. He had learned that the Dark Side of the Force, which was fueled by negative emotions such as hatred and violence, was a powerful force that could easily corrupt even the strongest of Jedi warriors. Jacen knew that it was important for Jedi to be vigilant and to guard against the lure of the Dark Side, lest they be consumed by its power. As a result, he knew that this fortress was undoubtedly steeped in these negative emotions.

"This means that it'll only be a matter of time before the White Fang discovers you and your operation," Jacen said thoughtfully.

"If that happens, we don't think we'll be able to relocate our operations in time," Dusky said.

"Given the Fang's latest atrocities, they'll have Tukson or anyone close to him brutally killed to make an example of."

"Worse yet," Tukson said.

"Dusky already has evidence that the Fang that has taken up residence in the Black Citadel has been imprisoning Faunus that refuse to join them or people we'd try to relocate," he added.

Throughout Tukson's explanation, Jacen had been quietly seething with a growing anger. It was a simmering rage that threatened to boil over at any moment, and it was clear that he was struggling to keep it under control. His fists were clenched tightly at his sides, and his jaw was so tight that his teeth were almost grinding together audibly. Despite his best efforts to remain calm, there was no mistaking the intense frustration and resentment that were etched onto his face.

The members of the Fang were carrying out acts of terrorism, believing that they were justified by Onyurio's propaganda. However, they were now detaining members of the very species they were formed to represent, without any consequences.

"You think it could be a trap?" Jacen asked.

Dusky snapped her fingers in affirmation, "Exactly," she said.

Jacen held the image of the fortress on his scroll and then motioned toward Skipper, "Call up a 3D-generated map of the fortress and its surroundings," he said.

In response, Skipper initiated a scan of the images, and then he activated his holo-projector to display an entirely generated version of the fortress with the surrounding area.

As he gazed at the fortress, he noticed that the main gate was the only accessible entrance, as it opened into a narrow passageway that cut through the rugged mountains. However, the surrounding terrain on the other sides of the fortress was even more perilous, with the mountain walls offering barely any foothold for scaling. It was clear that approaching the fortress from any direction other than the main gate would pose a great challenge, even for the most skilled climbers.

Jacen observed that there were old gun turrets on three of the front towers, which could be used for point defense. However, there was a bigger gun mounted on another tower that seemed capable of firing larger blasts. Additionally, Jacen noticed the mountains that surrounded the area on all sides.

"That cannon can double as a powerful defense or, if the situation calls for it, the tool for its destruction," Jacen said thoughtfully.

"If a massive riot threatened to break out, the person who manned the cannon would fire at specific points on the mountains to trigger avalanches," Tukson said.

"In this way, it ensures that those within end up dying," he added with noticeable distress.

Jacen recalled a story from the time of the Old Republic on a world known as Doane. An old prison was carved underneath the royal palace, which was also rigged to self-destruct, ensuring that the crushing weight of the prison buried the prisoners or whoever attempted to rescue them as it fell upon them.

If the White Fang members that occupied this place were competent, they'd use the tower to bring the entire thing crashing down on them.

Therefore, if any attempts were to be made to rescue whoever was held up in it, the kriffing tower needed to be destroyed along with the other cannons before they could fire off a shot.

If only he had a squadron of clone troopers or even Commander Shade with the Phantoms who could breach defended structures successfully.

Dusky undoubtedly had that level of experience, and Skipper was no stranger to missions of this sort.

However, that left him with very little to work with evenly.

He considered getting in touch with Rowan, considering he was a brigade worth of fighting power, too, but he didn't want to draw others into this situation.

"How many members do they have?" Jacen asked.

Dusky studied the map closely in consideration, "I counted maybe ten, but there could be more," she said.

Jacen had to close his eyes momentarily as he drew strength and concentration from the Force.

If needed, Jacen would fight with the fury of a Nexu if it meant getting innocent people out of there.

Gradually, Jacen felt centered and focused, as he typically did when drawing up a plan before a battle during the Clone Wars.

"Who else will we be working with?" Jacen asked.

Tuskon thought about it for a moment, "Including yourself, Dusky, and Skipper, you'll also be working with four others who are part of our network," he said.

Seven against ten, Jacen thought.

While there was a slim chance, it was a chance nonetheless, and of course, the Fang weren't the only ones he was concerned about.

There were sure to be Grimm close to the fortress due to the amount of negative feelings nearby.

The real mystery was why would the White Fang have such a small number of their members occupying this structure.

Well, no time to be timid, he thought.

Suddenly, he was inspired, "You think they'd expect more White Fang members bringing in a prisoner?" Jacen asked.

Dusky raised an eyebrow, "What are ya plannin' Jedi?" She asked.

"Dusky and the rest will be Faunus, so they should be able to disguise themselves as White Fang members and then escort me and Skipper to the prison," he answered.

"Once inside, we'll split into two teams; myself, Dusky, and Skipper will search for anyone to break out while the other team focuses on taking out the defenses."

"How do you propose four people try taking out four gun towers?" She asked.

"There's bound to be a central power core somewhere if we can take that out, we cripple their ability to use the turrets, and if they have communications, they won't be able to send an alert," Jacen explained.

He motioned for Skipper to highlight the area where a vast concentration of energy was emanating.

Dusky's eyes turned thoughtful as she observed it, "It's insane, but it might work," she said, glancing suspiciously at him.

"I'm not letting you out of my sight, Jedi," she said in warning.

"Remember what I said about the dusk of that day will be your last?"

Jacen nodded, "I'm not trying to betray anyone here," he said.

"You think I'm taking your word to heart?" She asked harshly.

"If I even think you're going to jeopardize us, dusk will fall upon you."

Jacen didn't flinch, "You kill me when I've given you no reason for suspicion, and the entire operation goes straight through the gates of hell," he said pointedly.

Dusky held his stare momentarily, but eventually, she had to concede to his point.

She might not like it, but she trusted Tukson's judgment.

"We'll get ready in an hour," she said before turning toward the door.

"I don't like having to go through an operation where I have to wonder if the people I'm working with are more dangerous than the people we're up against," Jacen said when Dusky had left the room.

"Forgive her mistrust," Tukson said with exhaustion.

"She's done many horrible things before she left the White Fang, and she's determined to redeem herself."

After a moment, Jacen turned to leave, but he noticed the file folder on Tukson's desk with the name Nightingale on it.

"Another member of your circle?" Jacen asked.

Tukson nodded, "They've been one of our best information gatherers in addition to being a medic," he said.

For a moment, Jacen noticed the way Tukson said the word "medic".

Surely it couldn't be who I think… he thought.

With a shake of his head, he turned to go up the stairs.

By the time everyone gathered, Dusky's ire had risen so high in her throat that she could taste it.

Tukson might trust this Jedi, and the information Nightingale supplied indicated that he was a capable warrior, but Dusky couldn't trust him completely.

Especially after that demonstration of his mystical Force powers.

What Dusky had gotten from Jacen when she'd run into him and that blonde girl Yang at the bar was that Jacen was willing to defend against injustice or prejudice, given that he'd yanked the drunk bastard tossing slurs toward her from across the bar.

He also had a firm moral compass that prevented him from senseless killing, even if the drunk man was hurling racial slurs at her.

However, she knew the White Fang would take advantage of that weakness.

However, what made her angrier still was the fact that she'd ended up having to wear a uniform she'd long hoped she'd never have to wear again.

Her companions thought along the same lines.

She glanced at the two cat-like faunus twins, Fēng and Tang, and Yin, the female chameleon Faunus who reminded her of little Ilia Amitola. Ilia had lost her family in a mining accident, which occurred under the Schnee Dust Company's supervision. Finally, she observed the fourth member, who wore a large cross-like weapon over her back.

"Who let you in?" Dusky asked with noticeable disbelief.

The girl turned to her, and Dusky noticed her mask as being practically a human skull in the fashion of the masks that were standard within the Fang lately.

"Tukson informed me of what was taking place," she said.

She looked about as old as Jacen, but she spoke as though she knew what she was doing.

As if on cue, she saw Jacen stepping into view along with that fancy droid thing of his.

The girl with the cross gasped in surprise, and Dusky felt her heart stop for a beat when she heard her call his name, "Jacen?" She asked.

Jacen looked at her with some confusion, "I'm sorry, I don't think we've met," then Jacen seemed to stop when he noticed her weapon, and she'd showed her face to him.

"Rouge?" He asked in surprise; even that droid seemed surprised by this.

"Our intrepid Jedi Knight has finally come," she said, practically hugging him.

Yin sneered, "You know him?" She asked, her skin having changed from pale peach to a bright red, signifying suspicion.

Rouge nodded, "He's the leader of my team at Beacon, and he's also the one I told Tukson about," she said.

Dusky practically felt her jaw drop, "You're Nightingale?" She asked.

Jacen didn't seem nearly as surprised, likely because of some Jedi hocus-pocus that gave him insight.

"So, you've done this for a while?" Jacen asked.

"It's how I've been able to hone my skills in on-site medical care," Rouge answered.

"Besides, I want to be able to do something that saves lives."

Great, now she had to deal with two students from Beacon who'd be more of a risk.

"You've been giving us information about new meeting locations," Fēng and Tang said in unison, both sisters' ears twitching.

Dusky cleared her throat to get everyone focused.

"As I've explained, we're going into the mountain area where the Fang is held up in the Black Citadel," she said with authority.

"While I have misgivings, the young Jedi may be vital to our success."

Yin looked at Jacen with disbelief, "How could this so-called Jedi be any help?" She asked.

"If you don't believe what I gave to Tukson regarding Jacen's capabilities, let his actions speak for themselves," Rouge said steadily.

"Come on, Dust Bunny," Jacen said with a note of humor.

"I'll do what I can to make sure whoever the Fang has imprisoned in that hell hole gets out."

Dusky grimaced at how Jacen just used the same nickname as that drunk blonde girl he was sweet on, and she even blushed slightly when she heard Rouge suppressing a laugh, as did the others.

Still, she supposed that a bit of humor might raise morale before this mission's beginning.

In silence, they all boarded a stolen canvas truck with the current symbol of the White Fang on it.

As promised, she wasn't going to let Jacen out of her sight, and she got into the back of the truck with Rouge, Yin, and even that damn droid as they made their way out past the city.

Jacen could hardly contain himself; here she was, Rouge Nightshade, his teammate and one of the most morally grounded people he'd ever met.

Then again, he'd sensed a flicker of recognition when he'd said Tukson's name.

Though her usage of the word Nightingale seemed like a dead giveaway.

Looking at her without her iconic hat, she seemed different.

"How come the White Fang wear masks that look more like what the Grimm have?" Jacen asked.

"Humanity chose to make slaves of us, so we decided to make ourselves into monsters," Dusky replied dryly.

"More of Kin Onyurio's twisted ideology?" Jacen guessed.

"Kin made a lot of changes that, at the time, made sense, but it only made things worse for the Faunus as we weren't being respected; we were being feared," Dusky answered.

Jacen turned to Rouge next, "How'd you know Tukson?" He asked.

"Back when Ghira was still the leader of the White Fang, Tukson was one of my mentors back when I was a little girl in Mistral," she said.

Jacen raised an eyebrow, "I noticed your name doesn't quite fit what's standard for Mistralians," he said thoughtfully.

"If my nonconformity as a Faunus wasn't enough, I'm also not considered a true Mistralian due to having ancestry in Fiskare, where I was born," she said.

Jacen couldn't help but wince inwardly; much like Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren, Rouge had been born in a part of Mistral that was absorbed into their culture. As a result, those born into Mistral proper regarded people descended from Fiskare and Psarudakis as not being pure Mistralians.

"Was he part of why you wanted to become a doctor?" Jacen asked.

"Despite the circumstances?"

Rouge nodded, "Tukson was always an active reader, and he always used his knowledge to help others," she said.

"I'd always had a keen interest in the medical field, and I wanted to be able to help those who need it," she added, then motioned to the compartment in her weapon.

"Right now, I'm hoping to use my study of blood to determine a person's physiology and how to give them the treatment they need."

Jacen was curious why she didn't search for something similar in Atlas. However, he realized that Atlas was the Schnee Dust Company's headquarters, and the Faunus were viewed as nothing but intelligent animals to be used as beasts of burden or slaves.

While the standard argument for Faunus that work with the Company is that they're better off than others, the Faunus that work with the company tended to be given the more high-risk jobs, which often ended badly.

"That and," Rouge paused, and Jacen felt a surge of horror as she recalled something in her past.

"I want to be able to slay the Grimm who took my brother away," her voice was trembling with noticeable anger, and Jacen even noticed her eyes were glowing their eerie blood-red color, which often happened whenever she got into this kind of mood or when she was about to turn on her semblance.

"Incidentally," Dusky's voice cut in.

"How will we make it look like we captured you?"

Jacen gave a nervous cough, "Well, essentially, you have to beat the crap out of me," he said reluctantly.

Rouge looked at him with concern, "Does it have to be that extreme?" She asked.

"You want to make it convincing?" Jacen asked.

"Pretty sure they'd get suspicious if they saw a group of their members bringing a virtual undamaged human prisoner."

"He's not wrong," Dusky said, and there was no mistaking the kind of grim satisfaction Dusky would take from such a task.

Rouge blew out her breath, "I have something in mind," she said as she used her flask, which kept her discreet collection of blood to smear it across her mouth, giving her a more monstrous appearance.

Jacen recalled the sight of her mouth covered in Grimm ooze, the blood amplifying the horror.

"I'm rather glad you don't drink from the source," Jacen said.

Rouge hissed and bared her fangs, but quickly laughed when Jacen looked surprised.

Yin had the same level of misgiving as Dusky; her complexion had gone red with noticeable anger, "You think this is a game?" She asked harshly, only for Dusky to be the one to hold her back.

"Tukson wouldn't have even considered it if he had any doubts," she said, trying to reason with Yin.

"What happens when he jeopardizes us?" Yin asked, only to cringe and turn blue when she caught Rouge aiming an arctic glare at her.

"Jacen isn't like any other human," she said pointedly.

"He's loyal, and he won't abandon those he considers friends."

Jacen took a fraction of gratitude that Rouge had defended his honor.

"Nevertheless, I'm keeping a close eye on him," Dusky said, appeasing her associate.

Dusky turned toward Jacen, "Have you done something like this durin' your Clone War?" She asked.

Jacen replied, "I have participated in a similar rescue mission in the past, but I was not present when Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker led a daring operation to free Jedi Master Evan Pell, who had crucial information from Citadel Prison."

Dusky's ears twitched a little as she asked Jacen, "So, do the Jedi have a facility like the Black Citadel?"

Jacen clarified, "The Jedi Order built it to detain Jedi and Padawans who have strayed from the path."

"My master has shared some spine-chilling rumors with me about that place, and I have heard that things only got worse during the Clone Wars," Dusky said.

After a moment had passed, Jacen looked from Rouge to everyone else present, "So we have a medic, a soldier, and I'm guessing, you're a stealth fighter," he said, motioning toward Yin.

"Stealth and infiltration," she replied.

Jacen turned his head toward the front where the twins were driving, "What about them?" He asked.

"Both are master hackers and demolitions experts," Dusky answered.

A pair of hackers plus Skipper that'll focus on the power core, Jacen thought.

"In that case, Skipper will tag along with Fēng and Tang; meanwhile, myself, Rouge, Yin, and Dusky go into the prison to find anyone who's inside," he said thoughtfully.

Dusky seemed to ponder that, "I don't suppose Tinny has a way to communicate other than that beeping noise he makes," she turned in Skipper's direction, noticing that he'd swiveled his head so his photoreceptor was aimed at her, giving a sulky tone.

"Oh, come on, Skipper," Jacen chided.

Yin seemed to have more misgivings, "But the robot is going to be visible for everyone to see," she said pointedly.

Jacen showed a slight grin, "What robot?" He asked, nodding his head in Skipper's direction.

When everyone turned, they gasped when they saw the spot where Skipper had been was empty.

"What the?!" Dusky asked, then actually jumped when she heard Skipper's tones.

"During my time with Phantom Squadron, we utilized practical cloaking technology," Jacen clarified.

"Among Skipper's other upgrades is a cloaking device."

Dusky's ears lifted in surprise, "You mean you have technology to render something invisible?" She asked.

"Though it uses a lot of power, so at best, Skipper should be able to hold the cloak for about an hour on a full charge," he said.

"We should have the power core down long before that," Yin said thoughtfully, then added, "Provided everything goes according to plan."

Jacen showed a wry grin, "Just convince them that you're scary White Fang members who brought a human spy in for questioning and that Rouge ripped out the throat of the other person I was with," he said.

Rouge seemed appalled by the prospect, but given that she'd already applied her "makeup" it was probably best to work with this crazy plan.

"Sorry for what I'm about to do," Dusky said, cracking her knuckles.

Jacen didn't flinch even as Dusky delivered what might well have been the most brutal beating he'd received.

While aura dampened the worst of it, it still left him bruised.

"You know," Jacen winced slightly.

"I get the feeling you enjoyed that."

Dusky shrugged, "You said to make it look convincing," she said pointedly.

Despite Rouge's repulsion, she was committed to the mission and would see it through.

Jacen looked out over the horizon to see mountains rising on all sides.

"We're entering the pass," Fēng and Tang said in unison.

Jacen extended his perception through the Force to determine the distance from their current location to the fortress. As his consciousness penetrated the vicinity of the stronghold, he was taken aback by the intensity of the malevolent presence that pervaded the area. Jacen was already aware that the fortress was steeped in the Dark Side, but the sensation of it coursing through his being was overwhelming.

The fortress emanated a powerful aura of anger, hatred, pain, and fear as if it were a living entity that thrived on these negative emotions. The very air around the fortress was thick with this malignant energy, and Jacen felt as though he were suffocating in its grip.

As Jacen continued to scan the area with his Force sensitivity, he realized that Grimm creatures surrounded the fortress, which would make it almost impossible to escape or rescue anyone from within. He sensed the presence of various Grimm monsters, including beowolves, Ursas, and Griffons. Unlike the younger Grimm, who were often impulsive, these creatures seemed to be much older and more experienced, as if they were waiting for something.

Jacen couldn't fathom what could be the reason behind their presence, but he knew that the Grimm posed a significant obstacle to their mission.

"There are a lot more elder Grimm in the area," Jacen said.

Dusky and Yin looked through the window of their canvas cover as though keeping an eye out for the Grimm.

"Wow, with so many Grimm lurking around, one would expect the White Fang to steer clear of that area," Jacen remarked, his mind lost in thought.

Dusky clicked her tongue in confusion and asked, "But how did they even manage to establish their operations there?" Her question hung in the air, begging for an answer.

Perhaps that was something they could find out, too.

As Jacen continued to stretch out with the Force, he reflected on his words that the fortress might be a trap, as indeed it undoubtedly might be, but now inexplicably, he felt it might be one set for him.

Shaking off what might be nameless fears, he prepared himself to get into character as they came upon the ominous fortress.

Rouge could practically smell the untold years of decay and death from the old fortress like a billowing cloud.

What was worse was she had to play the part of the worst example of the Faunus, meaning a human-hating zealot who'd just brutally killed someone.

The whole affair made her sick that the White Fang, once a morally grounded group advocating for equality between humans and the Faunus, was now waging a war against humanity for what it saw as injustice.

She was no stranger to human ridicule; even though she'd received her share of human cruelty ranging from extortion to physical abuse, she knew that not every human was that cruel, just as she knew not all faunus were entirely good.

Gray and Jacen were good examples of humans with a solid moral compass.

Even Yang and Ruby had taken her appearance in stride.

Then, of course, Weiss Schnee represented the more prevalent issues from people who lived in Atlas, who only saw the Faunus as more intelligent domesticated animals to be used like a horse, ox, or donkey.

She didn't exactly come from big money, though she and her family lived well enough within Fiskare.

Her older brother, Bram, was studying to practice law and earned a job as a solicitor, accepting what might be the most significant career boost ever.

Unfortunately, Bram had been spirited away by something once believed only to be an old Fiskare myth.

She never actually saw the thing entirely, but it definitely bore the telltale signs of a Grimm, unlike anything she'd ever seen or read about. Still, she could never forget those burning red eyes it possessed.

Since then, while she was studying in the medical field, she also wanted to become a huntress, if only to find and destroy the monster that took her brother along with any other monsters that claimed the lives of families.

While she had faith in Jacen's capabilities and had even seen him in action, she didn't think she could bear it if he got killed while doing something so selfless.

Many of her previous relationships, some romantic or platonic, tended to end badly whenever they found out she often subsisted on blood.

One of her friends who became close to Lucy had been one of the few people who knew her secret, and despite being human, she didn't hold her in contempt for what she needed to do for survival.

Jacen was the second person to find out and not be repulsed.

She hoped that the Force he believed in would protect him from harm. However, his fellow Jedi also trusted the Force, and they failed to see the treachery of the Sith until it was too late. Whatever the power of the Force was, she prayed it would guide him on the right path.

Dusky had even swore to either abandon him or kill him if she felt he was betraying them, and that was something she could never allow.

Even as they approached the main gate with the horror-inducing symbol the White Fang used on long banners that nearly met the ground on both sides of the gate, she was quick to slip into her role following Dusky's example.

"No, let me go!" Jacen struggled as he played the part of the terrified prisoner.

Dusky, using a noticeably different tone of voice, smacked Jacen across the face.

"Shut up, human scum!" She shouted.

Rouge was careful not to wince at the performance.

A female deer, Faunus, wearing the White Fang's standing guard uniform, appraised the situation.

"What brings you here, my fellow brethren?" She asked with a voice that Rouge recognized as zeal mixed with barely contained contempt.

"We caught this human out in the mountains spying on us," Dusky answered.

Picking up on her cue, Rouge stepped forward, letting the guard look at the bloody mess over her mouth, "His companion wasn't so lucky," she said with a grin that showed her canines, and her eyes turned red.

"She's a monster, you're all monsters!" Jacen screamed only for the deer Faunus to punch him in the gut, making him double over.

"You humans made monsters of us; this is simply payback," she uttered with clear venom.

The guard nodded for the second gatekeeper to open the gate, "Gin Sasoriza will want to know what this human scum was planning to do, provided he survives his interrogation," both she and the second gatekeeper laughed nastily.

Rouge didn't recognize the name, but from the subtle shift in Dusky's scent, indicating near horror, it was likely that she personally knew who he was.

Dusky thought she'd heard wrong, but from how the gatekeepers were laughing, she was sure.

Gin Sasoriza, of all the horrible minds that came into the White Fang, Gin was one of the most sadistic, enough for Kin Onyurio himself to give him a position as one of the Fang's captains as well as its deadly inquisitor.

There was a rumor that Gin had been tortured regularly by humans, and now, in his twisted fashion, he's simply repaying humanity through his brutal and barbaric torture methods.

She'd seen the unfortunate bodies that barely looked human after Gin had his…fun.

Though his favorite method involved the use of his semblance, which enabled him to increase the venom in his scorpion tail, making it change from a minor sedative to a venom described as being strong enough to make the victim feel like their organs were being melted from the inside.

If he was here and recognized her at all, this entire operation was going straight to hell.

She risked a glance at Jacen to see if he was legitimately worried, and she could see a look on his face she couldn't decipher.

If the Force is indeed made up of all life forms, what exactly did a place like this feel like to someone like Jacen?

Perhaps he was sensing whatever horrors this forsaken place held.

As she led the group through the main yard leading to the part of the fortress where the prison cells were located, she took in the number of White Fang members that occupied the grounds.

All of them had a steely look in their eyes as though the negative energies possessed them, which this place seemed to pulsate with; perhaps they were, Dusky thought.

She'd had similar eyes, too, before they'd been opened following the Red Dusk Massacre, but she knew deep in her gut that only death would free this group.

She moved her eyes at the three gun turrets on the main wall, then the bigger cannon in the center of the more prominent tower.

As the building got closer, she realized that it was just the opening; sudden realization dawned on her as she noticed lights from the mountain.

"The fortress isn't just the walls and turrets," Jacen whispered.

"It's carved inside the mountain itself," Dusky whispered back.

If Jacen felt apprehension about what he sensed outside, he almost felt like a frightened padawan about what was inside the mountain.

The walled area was just a facade, and Jacen had a better understanding of what the purpose of the giant cannon was.

However, he kept his fear at bay while still pretending to play the part of the intimidated prisoner.

He could sense something from Dusky he never thought she had: fear.

He had the distinct impression that this Gin Sasoriza would be a very unpleasant encounter.

As he and his armed escort let him through the door, the feeling of evil he'd been sensing only a fraction of from outside suddenly hit him with full force.

The Dark Side was mighty inside the mountain as though it had once been the lair of a Dark Lord of the Sith or perhaps Salem herself.

While he didn't sense anything that marked it as a dark side creation, it was saturated through the actions committed here.

He could hear the agonized distant cries of pain and madness; even the air seemed to be filled with pure hatred.

Jacen had learned through his journeys with Maru that one didn't need to embrace the dark side in an area, but he needed to know that it was there.

He was led down a hallway carved through the rock of the mountain where torches flickered, offering illumination as they continued forward to a large room with a desk where sat a slender, androgynous creature with black hair that met in the back in a long braid with his eyes barely open as he wore clothing that reminded Jacen of some of the styles of clothing Mistral typically had with the White Fang's symbol attached to a leather sash that went around his waist.

Jacen noticed the unsettling slight grin the creature sitting at the desk showed them, and Jacen sensed a wave of sadistic pleasure as he sensed this man's mind.

Even more unsettling was the scorpion tail, which flicked back and forth with a wicked stinger at the end.

"Welcome, dearest comrades," he spoke almost serpentinely.

"You do our cause such honor through your service," he said.

This must be Gin Sasoriza, Jacen thought, and he noticed Dusky, along with the others, were lowering their heads while Dusky roughly shoved him to the ground.

Jacen looked up only to see that Gin had closed the distance between him and the desk.

He's fast, Jacen thought.

"Hm, so you thought you could spy on us with impunity?" He asked, showing only a slightly curious look.

Jacen kept his eye on the treacherous tail, sensing its horrific use.

"Oh, it's so rude not to look your host in the eye," Gin said, opening his eyes slightly, showing eerie yellow eyes, and his grin became a contemptuous sneer.

Without warning, Gin delivered a series of swift but decisive punches to his face, and then Jacen looked up to see Gin's wicked stinger was mere inches from his eye.

"If you look at me with defiance again, I'll remove both of your eyes from your head," Gin grinned evilly when some of Jacen's blood splashed onto his face, and he licked it.

"Take this scum below; I want to take my time with this one," Gin said with that serpentine voice.

Dusky, Rouge, and Yin stepped forward to place binders on Jacen's wrists, with Dusky jamming her weapon into Jacen's back.

"Move, human scum!" She said as she motioned Jacen toward a passageway leading into the bulk of the prison.

Before disappearing, he saw Fēng and Tang discussing working to maintain the power core.

Gin gave his approval and told them where it was.

Hopefully, he didn't notice the treads Skipper left behind as he followed the twins.

"He's even worse than I remember," Dusky said from behind him.

"I take it you knew him?" Jacen asked.

All that came from Dusky was an affirmative sound, "He's as much a monster now as he was then," she said.

Jacen could also sense Rouge's growing anger, "This entire place should have been destroyed rather than simply abandoned," she said with contempt.

As the group descended further, they eventually arrived at a massive cavernous space that contained numerous tiers of prison cells. The cells extended upwards and downwards, vanishing into the darkness below. The prison's interior was designed in a spiral pattern, leading down to the lower levels, which were shrouded in pitch blackness due to the lack of lighting.

The levels they were on were lit up, but the light produced was a dim yellow, similar to the street lights Jacen had seen in Coruscant's level 1313 district. This created an eerie effect as if the shadows were alive and menacing. Jacen realized that the terror of the Black Citadel came not only from its spiritual implications, but also from the way it broke people mentally.

Jacen could sense the faint echoes of those who had been held here through the Force. It was as if madness and despair had replaced the very air within this horrifying place. He even sensed that some prisoners who were held here even killed themselves just to escape the prolonged suffering.

Jacen was being led down to a lower level when he suddenly felt a strong sensation emanating from a room they had passed several levels above. Jacen's body trembled as an agonizing pain surged through him as if every fiber of his being was being consumed by it. It was as if the universe itself was crying out in agony, and he couldn't help but feel every bit of it.

He concluded that what they'd passed was one of the Black Citadel's torture chambers in which it's victims were brutally tortured until they gave up valuable information, or until they died.

"Rouge is right," Jacen said.

"This mountain should be torn down so it's no longer a festering wound seeping darkness."

Yin came close to whisper to him, "We didn't exactly bring that much ordnance," she said.

Jacen could have told her they wouldn't need such a thing.

He'd heard about how some Jedi could call upon the Force to cause an entire structure to collapse, though he agreed that it might be wiser to do that from the outside rather than be inside as the whole mountain collapsed around him.

"Do you sense anything here?" Rouge asked.

Jacen took a deep breath and reached out with the Force to sense any life forms.

For a large structure, he wondered why there weren't more White Fang members within.

He sensed about fifteen or so at most, including the sadistic scorpion who acted as a warden.

He shifted his focus toward the cells above and below, then stopped when he felt fear in one of the darker levels.

"There's four down in the lower levels," Jacen said, feeling like ice was forming in his chest.

Rouge whistled, using her echolocation to confirm the location.

Dusky continued to walk them down into the lower levels, where the light from the torches above became fainter until it felt like Jacen was walking straight through the maw of a black hole.

Jacen used a gesture to unlock the binders, allowing him to reach his lightsaber. He had kept the weapon hidden in a pocket in his vest, which Coco had added to keep it concealed and ready to use whenever he needed it.

Looking around and reaching out to ensure there were no guards nearby, he activated his lightsaber, which filled the dark chamber with its violet light.

It looked as unsettling in light as it was in the darkness.

Some of the cells still reeked of old rot and decay, and one still had a skeleton hanging by a rusted chain.

The sense of life that he felt was getting stronger, and he made a military gesture to hold back.

Dusky recognized the gesture and compelled the others to follow her lead.

"What is it?" Dusky asked.

"If they are prisoners here, seeing three uniformed members of the White Fang might add to their growing panic," Jacen whispered.

"What do you plan to do?" Yin asked suspiciously.

Jacen let out his breath calmly, "I'll speak with them first, let them know that we're not with the Fang and we're getting get them out," he said, then looked at Rouge.

"I don't know what they've had to endure, but if they're injured Rouge, they'll need medical attention."

He saw Rouge nod, and then Jacen went down until he came to a locked cell where he could hear terrified breathing from within.

"Whose there!?" An angry male voice asked.

Jacen answered calmly, "I'm Jacen Horne. Is anyone else there with you?" He asked.

He moved closer, then used the Force to unlock the cell door, and he saw three figures within.

The man who'd undoubtedly yelled just a moment ago stood in a protective position, with short orange hair and a bit of stubble on his chin, dressed in a leather tunic with his arms exposed, revealing well-developed muscles, he also wore a pair of jeans tucked into well-worn boots.

Behind him was a female fox, Faunus, with her ears tucked downward along the top of her long red hair, with a look of panic in her eyes, wearing a bright red kimono.

The third person was also a female fox Faunus, maybe a year younger than the other, but with a fox tail instead of ears, wearing something more akin to what he'd seen from martial artists in Mistral or, rather, something similar to what Ren wore.

Jacen could sense their panic, and he reached through the Force to distribute calmness and a feeling of trust to ease them.

The man eventually came close to studying Jacen, and he sighed in relief, "I'm Terra Briar," he introduced himself, then indicated the others.

"This is my wife Akane," he said, gesturing to the one with the fox ears, then motioned to the other.

"That's my sister-in-law Akairo."

Jacen lowered his lightsaber and nodded to each in turn, but he seemed puzzled.

There were only three in this cell, yet, Jacen could sense a fourth life somewhere.

"Is there anyone else here?" Jacen asked.

Terra stiffened for a moment; then, reluctantly, he moved aside, gesturing to his wife.

Jacen noticed that Akane was protectively holding her belly, and from that angle, Jacen suddenly understood what he'd sensed.

Akane was pregnant, about eight or nine months, from how big she was, Jacen guessed.

"Rouge," Jacen called out, then motioned for them to calm down.

"I have friends here."

When he looked out to see Rouge coming in to answer his call, he motioned that she should probably remove the scary mask and clean up her mouth.

Following his lead, she tossed the mask down the hole and then placed her hand on a flowing spring to wipe off the blood on her face.

Satisfied, Jacen turned his attention toward Terra and his family.

"My friend is a medic," he said, trying to keep them calm.

When Rouge came into view, Terra adopted his former protective stance, "You stay away from her!" he growled.

Rouge let out a long breath, then recited a poem that Akane seemed to recognize, "You're Nightingale, the one that works with Tukson," she said.

That seemed enough to make Terra less suspicious and let Rouge examine Akane's stomach with a few medical tools in her weapon.

"You're taking an awful risk by coming here," Terra told Jacen and Rouge.

Jacen hardly heard him; a sickening feeling was creeping into the pit of his stomach at the situation.

"What did they plan to do with you?" Jacen asked, his voice noticeably lower.

"It's part of a new program Kin Onyurio instated," Akane said disgustingly.

"To increase their numbers, they bring children into their ranks and to those that try to leave," she barely finished as she hugged her belly with Terra holding her.

Rouge looked at Jacen with alarm and concern, "She's about a day or so from giving birth," she said.

"I've done several on-site first aid, but I've never dealt with anything like this before."

She continued her examinations of the others before putting her tools away.

"You mean you've never encountered this kind of situation before?" Jacen asked.

Rouge shook her head, "It never even occurred to me what the White Fang has been doing."

Jacen clenched his lightsaber, trying not to lash out irrationally.

If they screwed this up, Terra would be killed, and Akane's baby would be taken from her.

He called upon the Force to clear his mind of fear and anger, then replaced it with a calm sense of duty.

"Akane, can you stand up?" Jacen asked.

Akane struggled to get up, her belly heavy and cumbersome. She let out a deep breath, her face contorted with effort. Terra and Akairo rushed to her aid, supporting her as she stumbled to her feet. Despite their assistance, the weight of her belly made it difficult for her to stand upright.

Rouge looked from Akane to Jacen with concern, "Are we going to try moving her?" She asked.

"We'll have to, but we need someone that can also fight while they support Akane," Jacen said.

He noticed Akairo's hand went up, "I have training in several forms of Mistralian martial arts," she said.

Jacen looked at Terra, who replied, "I'm better when I have an axe in my hands," he said.

They'd need to arm themselves and trade-off if they needed to fight.

His eye then caught Rouge's weapon, "Those stakes your weapon fires, can they also doubt as handheld weapons?" He asked.

Rouge nodded, "I designed them to have versatility where they could be fired from my weapon to being wielded by hand," she said as she unloaded two of those stakes from her weapon.

"It's not an axe, but it should work," Jacen said as the stakes were handed to them.

Once Terra and Akairo were armed, Jacen held his lightsaber to provide light.

He'd barely made it to the top when he saw the image of a White Fang sentry about to sound an alert; however, in the blink of an eye, Jacen, propelled by the Force, closed the distance and then methodically cut off the sentry's head.

At the lightsaber's mid-power input, it would take several hits from the blade before one's aura depleted and they lost a limb or head.

Full power input would take a single powerful strike to cut through the aura of a less trained individual, but someone like Rowan would take more before their aura even showed signs of weakening.

Jacen had fought against living combatants during the war on the rare occasions that the Separatists weren't coming at him with their combat droids.

Whenever he cut one of those down, he didn't feel pleasure or relish in their deaths as every life is part of the Force, and the war wasn't exactly known for simple resolutions.

Even diplomacy or attempting to reason with the living combatants didn't work, especially when they were just as devoted to their cause as he was.

As the Fang members' head rolled into the darkness below, he knew it would be a waste of breath even to consider talking sense into them.

He turned to see that Dusky was eyeing him with curiosity, "We don't have time to waste; we need to leave; if any more, try sounding an alarm," he almost hesitated when he said, "Shoot to kill."

He knew that Rouge found the notion appalling, but given that they had to protect a family, one of which was heavily pregnant, they couldn't afford to take chances.

They'd just made it up to the mid-level when a loud explosion could be heard from somewhere.

"What was that?" Terra asked.

"If I had to guess, Fēng and Tang just took out the power for the turrets," Jacen answered.

The footsteps from the hallway resounded, and Jacen held his lightsaber at the ready.

Dusky and Yin came beside him with their weapons ready, while Rouge formed alongside Akairo, determined to protect Akane.

In time, about five members charged forward with guns raised and fired.

Jacen dove into the defensive form of Soresu to deflect the oncoming bullets. At the same time, Dusky and Yin bolstered his efforts, with Dusky firing her shotgun, significantly weakening their aura till Jacen swiftly decapitated them in a precise sweep.

"Let's go," Jacen shouted and led the way through the hallway.

"That takes care of the turrets," Fēng said to Tang.

Both sisters turned their eyes on the whistling form of Jacen's robot companion, who'd surprisingly proved to be helpful.

Fēng and Tang were familiar with binary code, making it easier to understand what Skipper was saying.

"The turrets and power have been shut down, but there's a power supply on an independent generator that was supplying power to something else," Skipper's tone said.

"What is the power being supplied for?" Fēng and Tang asked in unison.

Fēng took notice of Skipper's almost frustrated tone, "There's too much interference for me to get a proper scan, but we need to make sure that this horrible place can never be used again," Skipper said through a series of tones.

"We didn't pack enough explosives to perform the task," Fēng and Tang answered in unison.

In response, Skipper activated that holographic projector of his, which brought up a map of the Black Citadel and their current position.

Fēng watched as areas that marked weak points in the mountain would trigger a chain reaction that would destroy the citadel if the explosives they had were correctly positioned.

"We need to make sure we're not nearby when the mountain finally comes down," Fēng said pointedly.

"Lead us well, little droid," Tang added, then watched as Skipper began leading them to the areas to plant the explosives.

Dusky was still surprised as they continued through the hallway.

At first, she thought Jacen was simply too moral to kill another living person, but the way he'd moved to kill that sentry, he wasn't being sadistic or ruthless about it.

Jacen concluded that the only way to free these misguided Faunus was through death.

Though, Gin was going to make things much worse.

If only she had her boomerangs rather than the shotgun with a bayonet attached.

Just when they finally reached the main yard, Gin stood with what remained of his forces, and the homicidal grin on his face left little room for doubt.

"Well, this is a surprise," he said in that serpentine voice he always favored.

"You were a legend within the White Fang, Bloody Dusk," the tone carrying a level of euphoria.

She gritted her teeth, "Killing an entire family with children is hardly what I want to be remembered for," she barked.

Gin waved in dismissal, "They would simply have continued to subject our kind to abuse or worse," he said with his eyes opened slightly, showing an eerie green shade.

"The sins of the parents are conferred to their children."

"Now that I know you're a full-blown traitor and deserter, I simply can't afford to let you leave," he motioned toward his remaining forces to charge at them, only for Jacen to use his power to hurl them backward, then quickly remove their heads and severed the gun arm of the deer Faunus that was aimed in the direction of Akane.

"You won't lay a finger on them!" Jacen swore as he held his lightsaber at the ready.

Dusky started to berate herself for so quickly dismissing Rouge's Nightingale information about Jacen's capabilities; now that she was seeing him in action, she understood why Tukson had placed such trust in him.

Her attention then went to the wounded deer Faunus, clawing toward Gin.

"H-help me," she practically whimpered.

Gin glared at the deer Faunus while Dusky's stomach dropped; she knew what was coming, but she still wasn't prepared.

In one swift motion, Gin's tail struck Faunus in the neck, causing her to scream in agony and vomit a dark red stream of blood.

In that instant, she saw Jacen's face stricken with horror at what he saw.

"Failure," Gin stated as he cruelly kicked the deer Faunus off to the side, where she finally died, though with a broken look on her face.

"You kriffing schutta spawned bastard," Jacen swore, not even bothering to hide his contempt.

"You're going to pay for that!"

Gin showed Jacen that same infuriating grin of his.

Even though Dusky had already witnessed Jacen's lightsaber skills, Dusky appeared cautious about something specific.

Why was Gin so calm even after seeing what Jacen could do?

"Great causes require sacrifice; when something doesn't fulfill our goal, it needs to be removed," Gin said.

In a split second, Jacen dashed toward Gin, lightsaber coming in for the kill.

However, Gin quickly withdrew a wicked-looking two-forked sword, which made contact with Jacen's lightsaber, and, much to Dusky's surprise, the violet blade retreated into its hilt.

Jacen was also taken aback, and Dusky had to pull Jacen back before Gin's tail struck him.

Gin laughed scornfully, "We've recently acquired new weaponry and armor from the Schnee Dust Company; who knew it would be effective at countering that fancy lightsaber of yours, Jedi," he said.

Jacen didn't know what was more surprising, that Gin was using a weapon that caused his lightsaber to deactivate on contact or that Gin identified him as a Jedi.

In the past, whenever Jacen's lightsaber made contact with one's weapon, it didn't cut through the weapon due to the wielder's aura protecting the weapon and the wielder, but to have this capability in the hands of the White Fang.

"Where did you get that?" Jacen asked, a mixture of anger and surprise in his voice.

Throughout the galaxy, there exists only a select few materials that could counter a lightsaber, but Jacen recognized that only one single material has the ability to counteract a lightsaber in the manner in which it had, and that is cortosis. This mineral is exceedingly rare and has the unique property of absorbing heat. Interestingly, even a Jedi's lightsaber can be countered by this unique ore, rendering the unsuspecting Jedi powerless and defenseless. In such a situation, the Jedi would be left open to attack, potentially leading to disastrous consequences.

"I already said we acquired this from the Schnee Dust Company. Imagine the irony that their weapons are now ours," Gin said, flicking his tail.

"They turn the Faunus into their tools to work and die in their mines; now the White Fang will repay every grievance the SDC has committed," he grinned sadistically, then gave his sword a strong pull.

Now Jacen was facing Gin with not one blade but two, and he had to account for Gin's tail.

"I've been looking forward to this opportunity," he said as he got into a fighting stance.

"Oi, Jedi," Dusky's voice rang out.

Jacen turned to see Dusky tossing a sword from a fallen White Fang soldier, which Jacen called to his hand with the Force.

Between Dusky throwing the sword and Jacen catching it, Gin had closed the distance and brought his blades crashing down on Jacen.

Jacen used the metal blade to counter Gin's cortosis blades and struck with his lightsaber, but Gin skillfully dodged the blade and landed crouched on the ground.

Of all Jacen's opponents, Gin had a combination of skill and experience.

The Gen'dai bounty hunter Durge, General Grievous, and Cad Bane were formidable opponents even though they weren't attuned to the Force. Even Jacen's training in Teräs Käsi gave him an understanding of how the martial art was created to counteract a Jedi. Jacen was certain Gin counted among the former category.

Moreover, as a Faunus, Jacen knew Gin had other qualities that Gin undoubtedly made use of.

The tail was the most apparent advantage, and Jacen nearly got struck with it a few times as the fight continued.

The sound of Gin's blades clashing with Jacen's own alongside his lightsaber rang throughout the grounds of the Citadel courtyard.

Meanwhile, Jacen was transitioning between forms, but Gin had yet to present an opening, causing Jacen to draw upon the Force merely to ensure Gin couldn't make a fatal injury.

In short order, one of Gin's swords caught Jacen on the shoulder and the other across the chest.

Even with aura, Jacen felt the hard strike of the two blades. Jacen managed to break away and saw Gin lunge toward him. In that instant, Jacen, who'd been buying time for this, hurled his hand forward, sending a wave of Force energy at Gin, causing him to shoot backward like a bullet from a rifle slugthrower.

Gin crashed into a far wall and fell on all fours, but he slowly got back up, that sadistic grin still on his face.

"I'm impressed. However," Gin pulled out a device as soon as he got close for Jacen to hear him.

"Let's see how well you fight when you have other people to protect besides yourself."

Jacen tried to cut through the device with his lightsaber, but Gin brought his cortosis blade to guard, and Jacen swore as that blade slammed him backward.

Jacen froze midstride upon hearing a familiar sound.

He turned toward a wide archway where he saw not the old Atlesian Knight robots but eight battle droids, none of them being the skinny, useless B-1 models.

Well, at least two were B-1 models, but those weren't the primary concern.

The group consisted of six menacing droids, with four of them bearing the unmistakable design of BX-series droid commandos. Their sleek bodies and deadly weapons exuded a sense of power and authority. The other two droids were the infamous IG-100 series Magnaguards, with their imposing stature and electrified staffs that made them a force to be reckoned with.

"Bring the great Bloody Dusk to her knees, bring the woman and return her to her cell, and kill the rest," Gin's voice barked.

"Roger, Roger," one of the Commando droids said. Then, readying their blasters, they moved in to catch Dusky and her group in the crossfire while the Magnaguards went after Dusky and Akane.

"You cowardly sleemo!" Jacen said, his anger boiling over with this new development.

"You can't fight me and save your friends simultaneously, Jedi; either they'll break or you will," Gin said, readying his weapons.

"Your only choice is to surrender unless you want to watch them die."

Dusky only had seconds before those metal robots rushed at them and fired their weapons.

She was familiar with the type of robotics Atlas was known for, and the only other thing she'd seen that wasn't from Atlas was Jacen's droid Skipper.

These things were unlike anything she'd ever seen. The short black ones moved as quickly as if they were humans, and their weapons fired red beams of pure energy of the sort she only saw from Jacen's lightsaber.

She only needed to see rock being destroyed as soon as one of the shots hit it to guess that these weapons were powerful, even more than what Atlas would typically boast.

In addition to her other responsibilities, she had to be vigilant and keep a close watch on the pair of towering, two-meter-tall grey droids. These robotic guards were each equipped with an unusual staff-like weapon that emitted a menacing purple electrical discharge from both ends.

Meanwhile, Jacen was still locked in his battle with Gin and wouldn't be able to assist them.

"What are we going to do?" A frightened Akane said.

Dusky saw her hugging her belly while Terra was trying to comfort her. This was one of Gin's methods of torture, to see how long it would be before someone broke mentally.

"Oi, clanker!" Dusky said, stomping and vanishing through one of her portal holes.

She appeared behind one of them and managed to wrench the rifle out of its hands before she aimed, then fired it in the robot's face, which dropped to the ground, and its glowing eyes winked out.

Dusky quickly dropped the second one, aiming its weapon at her, but she felt a burning sensation as a blast from the third robot's weapon caught her in the arm.

The fact that even though her aura was functioning, she could still feel the heat from the oncoming blasts indicated that it wouldn't be wise to let it shoot her a second time.

"Oi, Terra, ya eva' fired a gun before?" Dusky asked before tossing the rifle to Terra, who'd lost one of Rouge's stakes when a blast struck it, causing the dust inside it to ignite.

Only Terra throwing the stake at a far wall kept it from harming him or his wife. Dusky saw Terra catch the rifle at the last minute and then look at her uncertainly.

"Never something like this," Terra admitted but turned his attention to the incoming fourth robot trying to take the rifle.

"You'd be'er use it now, mate, or your wife 'ill become a widow and yer kid an orphan!" She said as the oncoming third robot approached her with a sword, which she blocked with her newly acquired rifle.

She gave it one of her customary grins moments before she withdrew her big knife.

"Let's dance ya bucket of bolts," she said, stomping her foot and appearing behind it where her knife clashed with the robot's sword.

While fighting her opponent, she heard the sound of one of the rifles, followed by a heavy metal clank.

Dusky turned to see that Terra had hit the robot he was fighting, which now lay motionless on the ground.

Meanwhile, the crackling of electric discharges drew her attention, and she did a backward leap just before one of the electric staves was about to jab her in the back.

Two of those two-meter robots that carried the electric staves had joined the fight to bolster the shorter black one.

She attempted to shoot them and was surprised to see the one closest to her twirling the staff, which absorbed the blasts from her weapon.

She barely had time to move before the staff came at her. That these robots were armed with a weapon that could absorb energy bolts from her weapon led Dusky to conclude that this particular type could also stop Jacen's lightsaber.

Jacen had mentioned fighting in a conflict known as the Clone Wars, but he never really explained what he and his Republic fought against.

Dusky was beginning to have more respect for Jacen if he'd been fighting against robots of this type.

The short black one with the sword was highly agile. Whenever she came at it, the robot either closed the distance in a microsecond or dodged one of her slashes.

Furthermore, while it was at a distance from her, she shot it in the chest, and it got right back up. That meant that this particular robot was built with tough metal. Only blasting it at close range would drop it onto the ground, but it kept Dusky from using her new rifle and relying on her knife to block the oncoming sword.

As for the two-meter tall ones, they proved to be just as deadly, moving with an agility and speed not often seen in robots.

One jab to the upper arm from the closest of the two was enough to make Dusky realize how much power the staff had, and she didn't want to know what might have happened if she didn't have her aura.

Yet when she tried moving her arm, it felt like it was numb, and there was a bruise already forming.

Could those things do enough damage to go through someone's aura?

"Hey!" Akairo shouted as she managed to get the drop on one of the two-meter-tall robots, running her stake through its chest; then she started wrenching its staff from its grasp and ran it through the robot's chest.

The result was the dust core inside the stake exploding while the staff remained intact, and Akairo was lightly scorched. That showed how durable her aura was.

She pulled it out as the droid fell motionless to the ground. Akairo gave the staff a flourish, and then she clashed with the other robot, both having equal levels of agility.

However, when one is trained to join the Menagerie Militia, they don't earn their place by being amateurs.

She redirected her attention back to her fight with the last of the black ones.

Rouge had her fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. Jacen was fighting that psychopath Gin, Dusky, and Akairo were fighting the droids.

She remembered what Jacen had said about how the Separatists he fought during the war used what was called battle droids, and these fit their description.

Rouge looked at the two skinny droids that reminded her of some insect.

"Hand over the girl," one of them said electronically.

"You want her?" Rouge said, cracking her knuckles as she prepared to use her semblance.

"Come and get her."

She reasoned that these two droids weren't nearly as dangerous as the ones Dusky and Akairo were fighting, but she didn't want to underestimate the power of their deadly weapons.

Part of her wanted to use Silver Crucifix to see what her bullets would do to these droids, but she decided to use her claws and semblance in this fight.

"You go first," the one on the right said, giving the one on its left a nudge.

"What? Why me?" The other droid said in what sounded close to astonishment.

"The other units are fighting that rabbit and fox over there," the first droid said, aiming its three-fingered hand toward where the fight was.

"Um, hey, lady, just give us the girl, and we might just let you walk away," the one close to her said, trying to sound convincing.

In that split second, Rouge activated her semblance, closing the distance, and ripped the droid's head off.

"Hey," the droid standing farther from Rouge said.

"All you had to do was surrender."

Rouge proceeded to stomp her foot onto the fallen droid's body, which left a sizable hole in the chest.

She lifted her foot, snatched the rifle, and brought it to bear against the other droid.

"Why don't you drop that weapon?" She said.

The droid backed up a bit, but then it brought up a device which it pressed; then it raised its weapon and fired a blast, which Rouge narrowly dodged, getting behind a low wall and returning fire whenever she could.

"You're going to wish you'd surrendered sooner, scum," the droid replied in a passable smug tone.

Rouge only had a second to move before the device the droid tossed began beeping, and then it exploded, sending her into the wall behind her.

"Next time, I won't miss," the droid said in that electronic voice.

As Rouge struggled to stand up, the deafening sound of the explosion still reverberated in her ears. Every muscle in her body ached as she tried to regain her balance. That droid had a type of grenade she'd never seen before, and from the damage it left after it exploded, her aura would have been shattered, and she'd have been incinerated.

She got back up quickly and started firing her weapon, not at the droid, but at a slab of rock that had come loose due to the previous blast. The droid was standing underneath it just as it prepared another grenade, but with Rouge's shot, it was crushed just before it could toss it.

However, the ominous beeping indicated it was armed and about to explode.

Drawing upon her semblance, she rushed out from the mouth of the corridor just as the grenade exploded, causing a collapse.

Rouge rode with the blast, landing instead unceremoniously on her face. She quickly raised her head to see the result of the explosion before the sound of blood-curdling screaming filled the courtyard.

Rouge turned to see that Jacen had finally managed to get through Gin's defenses and cut off both of his arms.

It felt like forever, but Jacen's patience was about to be rewarded. In the beginning, Gin had demonstrated sufficient skill, but as the fight continued, Gin became more aggressive, sacrificing strategic attacks with straightforward attacks intended to wear an opponent down. Gin was also probably hoping that the addition of the battle droids targeting Dusky and the others would distract him with feelings of concern.

Jacen was feeling a bit worried, but he trusted his team members, Dusky, Akairo, and Rouge, and this made him feel better. If he was still a Padawan, he might have acted impulsively, which could have resulted in harm to everyone. However, now that he was more experienced, he knew he needed to focus on the task at hand and have faith that his team members knew how to handle themselves and the situation with the help of the Force.

Jacen had been locked in a fierce duel with Gin for what felt like an eternity. Finally, he sensed a weakness in his opponent. Gin's movements were becoming increasingly sluggish and uncoordinated with each passing strike. Seizing the opportunity, Jacen allowed himself to be guided by the Force, bringing his lightsaber up in a sweeping arc. Instead of clashing against Gin's two cortosis blades, Jacen's weapon found its mark - Gin's wrists. The sudden strike caught Gin off guard, and he let out a cry of pain as his blades clattered to the ground.

He fell to the ground unceremoniously and screamed a blood-curdling scream. At least Jacen finally knocked that grin off Gin's face.

"You bastard!" Gin shouted, staring at the cauterized stumps where his hands used to be.

"I'll have your head for this!"

Despite Jacen's bruises and superficial wounds, he permitted himself a slight grin aimed at Gin.

"Try grabbing it without any hands," Jacen said.

Gin's once narrow eyes were now wide with a look of deep hatred, and Jacen had to concede madness.

"FORGET DUSK AND HER GROUP! I WANT THIS JEDI'S HEAD ON A SPIKE!" Gin roared at the droids still standing.

Off to the side, he heard the sound of the last remaining Magnaguard changed from fighting Akairo and moving toward Jacen.

To ensure that Gin wouldn't ambush him with his still intact tail, he used the Force to freeze Gin in place, then focused on the oncoming Magnaguard.

As he faced the Magnaguard, a wave of nostalgia flooded through him. These droids were notorious for their combat skills, having been trained by General Grievous himself, under the tutelage of Count Dooku. Despite their formidable reputation, he and his master often found themselves pitting their skills against these challenging opponents, turning it into a thrilling game of disassembling as many Magnaguards as possible.

"Alright, clanker, get ready to be number 95 on my list," he said, angling his lightsaber to guard.

Though the trick was not to damage the droid's head, the Magnaguard might have information regarding who gave them to White Fang, and if not, he was willing to bet the commando droid undoubtedly had that intel.

In any case, Jacen only needed one droid's head. This particular Magnaguard wasn't one he recognized, as most Magnaguards had a specific marking on them from battles they fought.

Nevertheless, the droid's form was just as nearly flawless as Jacen remembered. Though after fighting Gin, this Magnaguard was marginally easier due to his familiarity with how they fought, even though this wasn't a guarantee of success. Complacency could still lead to this droid striking the killing blow rather than Gin himself.

"Hey, Dust Bunny!" Jacen shouted at Dusky, who was still fighting against the last commando droid.

She stopped when she used her semblance to get further from the attacking droid, then turned to regard Jacen.

"What?!" She asked in a slightly winded but still annoyed voice.

"Make sure to rip off that commando droid's head," Jacen said as he blocked another strike from the Magnaguard he was facing.

Dusky looked from him to the droid and back, "Why'd ya need the bloody thing for anyway?" She asked.

"Those droids carry intelligence, and we might be able to find out where they came from," Jacen said, using the Force to push the Magnaguard back just enough for Jacen to find an opening and then strike the killing blow.

He was aiming to decapitate the droid, but the fatigue from his fight chose the worst time to dull his aim, and it ended up damaging the droid's head. Dank farrik, Jacen cursed to himself, then he set his sights on Gin.

His momentary fatigue was now being nullified by a rising anger building up. If this indicated the presence of a Separatist holdout here in the Unknown Regions, Jacen wanted to know who the leader was and stop them before the Empire discovered their operation.

"Let's see if I can get answers this way," Jacen said, his voice unusually cold.

Jacen raised his hand and curled his fingers into a clawing gesture, reminiscent of the same gesture he used on Rowan. Gin, who had lost his hands, instinctively registered the threat as if Jacen was choking him. Although Jacen did not apply enough pressure to cause asphyxiation, the gesture was enough to cause Gin considerable distress.

"Start telling me how you got the weapon and the droids," he said firmly.

"I'm not telling you a damn thing!" Gin hissed even as Jacen tightened his grip a bit.

"The Schnee Dust Company is even shadier than I thought if it's been producing battle droids without the knowledge of the Atlesian Council, but I doubt they came up with that idea themselves," Jacen said.

"Who is it?"

"You…aren't getting anything from me!" Gin struggled to say.

"Think it's a tight grip now? Let's see if we can go further," Jacen said as he tightened his grip, this time focusing on Gin's body as he tightened his grip.

Gin coughed and tried to get out of Jacen's Force grip, but it was futile. This monster had undoubtedly done similar things to others brought to this accursed prison. At this moment, considering there was an expecting mother mixed in with this, Jacen wasn't in the mood to be forgiving.

"Tell me," Jacen said as his grip tightened.

Now, Gin's bones were cracking, and Jacen knew he was close to breaking Gin's ribs and puncturing his lungs. Despite this, he did not care. Gin was one of the worst examples of what was wrong with the White Fang, and he reflected on what might have occurred to make Blake break away from them, which only made Jacen angry.

"That's enough," Dusky's voice said as she grabbed Jacen's arm.

At that moment, Jacen saw something he never expected to see in Dusky's face. It was one of concern, and she wore it as though she'd likely seen a similar scenario play out.

"Let'em go, mate," Dusky said with what Jacen thought might have been desperation.

"He doesn't get a pass after everything he's done!" Jacen said sharply.

"I'm not sayin' to let 'em go free; just don't go about it like that, or you'll turn into something worse than him," Dusky said imploringly.

Jacen eventually released his grip, letting Gin fall to the ground. Slowly, Jacen called upon the Force to calm himself. Dusky was correct; if Jacen had added more pressure, he'd have killed Gin.

It was one thing to kill an enemy when they stood against one trying to perform a noble task and another to torture the opponent to death, especially when they didn't have the means to defend themselves. To take the life of an unarmed opponent wasn't the Jedi way.

It wasn't to say that Gin was entirely defenseless, given that he still had his tail, that wicked stinger, and whatever his semblance was.

Nevertheless, Jacen had way too many instances where he nearly gave in to his dark impulses.

How many times would he encounter scenarios where he wouldn't be able to resist the Dark Side, and he gave into those dark impulses? Had the war's end left him more damaged than he'd thought?

He was so busy contemplating these questions when he heard Gin trying to get up.

"You Jedi scum!" Gin said as he prepared to gab either Dusky or Jacen with his nasty stinger.

Instead of striking either of them, the tail struck Gin himself in the neck. Now, that mad grin was back on his face as his venom began running through his body. To Jacen's perspective, it looked similar to the effects one would suffer if they consumed Synox, one of the galaxy's most lethal and subtle poisons used by the GenoHaradan.

Blood was pouring out from Gin's mouth, nose, and eyes as he was hemorrhaging, and then he finally fell to the ground and lay motionless. Jacen felt sickened by the act of suicide Gin had just performed. Wishing not to be facing the bloodied mess Gin had become, Jacen turned around to see that no more droids were standing.

"So, whatcha gonna do with this head?" Dusky asked, holding up the head of the commando droid.

"Just keep it in good condition, and I'll look it over when we get out of this kriffing place," he said, then just as he prepared to walk, the immense fatigue he'd been enduring finally made him fall to the ground supported on his hands and knees.

"Are you alright?" Terra asked as he helped Jacen to his feet.

"I've survived worse," he said tiredly.

In all his years, Terra had never seen someone fight with such skill. It felt like he was seeing something that had sprung from legends the Fiskare told, which were passed to him by his father.

The Fiskare were a proud people with their warriors having the strength of a storm, and despite all appearances, they were an organized people as well.

Terra came from a line of woodsmen who sold firewood during the brutal winter but also carved magnificent pieces from wood statues to Fiskare-crafted furniture ranging from tables, chairs, drawers, and even wardrobes.

Terra's father often said that the Fiskare heart and soul was captured in their artisan creations.

He'd never really had any prejudices against the Faunus. However, he held most people from Mistral in contempt, especially when they showed disdain for those born in Fiskare or Psarudakis, viewing them as not being pure Mistralian or, less poetically, as barbarians.

Still, despite his nonconformity, Terra found a few people who weren't as blinded by their prejudices to do business with him.

He'd even done work in Menagerie, back when the White Fang had the moral high ground, which is how he met his wife Akane, who'd moved from Mistral to Menagerie along with her sister, who served in the Menagerie Militia.

The two slowly began to fall in love, and they were married in Menagerie by Ghira Belladonna when he was still the White Fang's voice of reason.

After Ghira stepped down, Terra feared what would happen to his wife, whom he'd learned was pregnant with their first child.

Hoping to leave the area of Mistral, where they'd set up a home, to go to Menagerie, they packed their essentials. Terra feared what might happen now that Kin Onyurio had become the new leader and advocated for more violent action.

His fears were soon realized when members of the White Fang, now in their more violent colors, placed a bag over his face, and he tried to fight only to feel a sting on his neck; then he blacked out.

When he awoke, he found himself in a cell beside his now heavily pregnant wife and her sister, who looked like she'd taken a severe beating.

He looked up to see the sadistic scorpion Faunus, who told him that any Faunus that married a human was a traitor to the cause, but they'd take the child as soon as it was born.

Terra wasn't about to stand by to let that monster take his child or hurt his wife, but a fist to the gut brought him down.

Now, looking at the young man who had just daringly pulled off a rescue while coordinating and defending his life alongside the life of his family, he had a desire to shake his hand.

"I can't thank you enough for this young man," Terra said with sincerity as he shook his hand.

"Thank me when we get everyone else out of here," Jacen said.

Terra nodded, then turned toward the opening where he saw the medic that examined his wife running toward them, followed by two twin feline Faunus and some robot.

Inwardly, he hoped it wasn't a similar thing to those other ones that attacked earlier.

Jacen turned to address the newcomers, then looked at the robot.

"Where were you?" He asked.

Terra observed as the robot emitted a series of sounds that he couldn't understand, but it seemed that Jacen could.

"You set the charges like I said?" He asked.

The two twins responded in unison, "We were especially thorough with our work."

Terra didn't understand what they meant, but Jacen's tone became urgent as they ushered everyone to a waiting truck.

"Mrs. Briar, you come in first," Jacen said, offering a hand to Terra's wife.

He followed close behind and then waited for everyone to get in.

Once inside, Terra embraced his wife, who was hugging her belly with a sign of relief on her face.

Jacen waited until they had a fair distance from the fortress before he pressed a button on his right wrist vambrace.

Suddenly, a thunderous explosion could be heard, and Jacen watched as the mountain began to collapse, demolishing everything else in its death throes.

"Good riddance," Jacen said bitterly.

The entire fortress, which had stood as a festering wound, was now finally destroyed, and without it, the Fang wouldn't have a far-removed base of operations.

He looked at the lifeless commando droid head and wondered who had made it and given it to the White Fang. The B-1 series battle droids were the most recognizable of the Separatist Droid Army, and they were probably the cheapest droids to create, given how many there were.

The presence of the commando droids and Magnaguards here made Jacen wonder what other models the White Fang had from their mysterious benefactor.

He remembered how the greedy members of the Separatist leadership had ravaged entire planets for resources, even enslaved people for laborers.

Some Separatists served because they legitimately believed the Republic was hopelessly corrupt; however, with members like Nute Gunray, Wat Tambor, Pasal Argenti, San Hill, Poggal the Lesser, and the rest on the leadership side, the object was always to plunder worlds.

While the Separatists were said to have been destroyed, he wondered if some hadn't obeyed the order to shut down the droids under their command.

Of course, this didn't necessarily mean that this indicated a massive remnant of the droid army was operating here.

Still, the presence of droids here was concerning in another way. If the Empire didn't come to Remnant because of him, they'd certainly come here to eliminate any remaining Separatist holdouts and whoever was aligned with them.

If this particular Separatist was supplying the White Fang with combat droids, it could turn hazardous depending on what types of droids they had.

He wasn't prepared to see a new Separatist uprising occur in this world. It could lead Remnant into a period of war even more violent and devastating than the Great War.

Though he'd save that for another time, he had to breathe calm peace to his comrades and the people they'd helped rescue.

"We owe you our lives," Akane said, gently touching Jacen's shoulder.

"I can't ignore when innocent people are in a dangerous situation," Jacen said, looking at her while Rouge made her as comfortable as possible.

Akairo gave a respectful bow of her head, "You fight with the skill of many warriors and have protected the life of my niece or nephew."

Jacen smiled warmly and then turned toward Dusky, who was eyeing the droid's head.

"So, wha' exactly is that?" She asked.

"It's a BX-series droid commando," Jacen explained.

"During the war, these droids were designed for stealth missions and espionage."

One of Dusky's eyebrows drew up in question, "How many oth'r droids did you fight durin' your Clone War?"

Jacen took a moment to consider, "The commando droids weren't as widely seen as those B-1 series droids Rouge was fighting; the IG-100 series Magnaguards, the ones with the electrostaff, were programmed and trained to fight Jedi often they protected Separatist leaders like Count Dooku or General Grievous himself," he explained.

He could tell Dusky was getting overwhelmed, and she kept nursing her arm, which had gotten hit by the Magnaguard's electrostaff.

"It stings when you get hit with those," Jacen said, indicating Dusky's arm.

"I'll live, Jedi," She said in her customary tone.

How she said Jedi and Clanker reminded Jacen of how the clone troopers used to talk, though this thought filled Jacen with sadness. He'd admired the clones for how they looked out for each other and those they served under, yet it was those same troopers who'd killed his master and tried to kill him.

"Fēng, Tang, let me know when we're within civilization; I wanna get back in my clothes," she said insistently.

Jacen could hardly blame her for wanting to get out of those colors.

"What did you say about girls doing crazy things when they're in pain?" Jacen asked her.

Jacen saw her face soften a bit, "Obviously, with what I've done with the White Fang, I've gone through a lot of pain in self-reflection," she said.

"If we act with the same violence some humans show the Faunus, how does that make us any better?"

"An eye for an eye makes the world blind," Jacen said thoughtfully.

On the way, he and Rouge had to fight off oncoming Griffons, eager for an easy meal. Then, they made it to a small abandoned house on the edge of the forest overlooking Vale.

Everyone changed from their White Fang uniforms to their more comfortable clothing.

Jacen smiled to see Rouge in her standard look with her hat on her head.

Rouge treated everyone else who'd gotten hurt before she turned her attention to Jacen.

"You know, I don't think I've asked where you got that hat," he said, cupping his chin with his finger.

"It was my grandfather's hat, which he wore almost daily for good luck," she said.

Jacen saw Terra was supporting his wife and a sense that something else would happen washed over him like a wave.

Sure enough, as Akane rubbed her belly, she clutched it and nearly collapsed, with Terra catching her.

"What's wrong, my love?" Terra asked in concern.

Through labored breathing, Akane answered, "The baby, it's coming."

Jacen's senses were going into screaming overload.

"Rouge, we have to help her," Jacen said insistently, only for Rouge to look uncertain.

"Jacen, I've never done anything like this before," she said.

"Come on, you must have read about it," Jacen continued.

"Reading about it is different than actually doing it," she said.

Jacen clasped her hands, looking her in the eye, "You've always said you wanted to preserve life; this is an opportunity to bring life into the world rather than death," he said.

Rouge paused momentarily, then looked at Jacen, "Do you know any Jedi abilities that can soothe the pain during childbirth?" She asked.

Jacen had conducted an in-depth study into rituals and meditations the Jedi used to call upon the Force to heal or provide comfort in times of pain.

"I do," he answered.

He saw Rouge take a deep breath, then she took her jacket and hat off, rolled up her sleeves, then began to take charge.

"Jacen, you'll act as my support," Rouge said.

When she saw Jacen nod, she turned toward Yin, "Go into the truck and find towels; if we don't have any, find substitutes," she said.

She saw Yin hesitate momentarily, and then she ran to the truck.

She turned to Fēng and Tang, "I need you both to go in that house and set up a comfortable space for Akane to lie down," she said, pointing toward the house.

With a nod, they both entered the house, turning on a pair of lights.

Rouge then turned toward Terra and Akairo, who supported Akane, "Mr. Briar, Akairo, I want you both to provide whatever support she needs," she said.

Terra nodded in understanding, and then he glanced at his wife, "Hold on a bit longer, my love," he said reassuringly.

Her glance then fell on Dusky and Skipper, "We need a bucket with hot water for the towels," she said.

Dusky looked from her to Skipper, then back, "Might make more sense if I get the bucket while Tinny keeps the water warm," she said.

Rouge seemed puzzled until Skipper whipped out something that reminded Rouge of a torch.

"Good boy, Skipper, you can keep the water warm," she said, getting an affirmative series of tones as he trailed toward the house while Dusky went to the truck to get a bucket.

She still felt unsure, but Jacen placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and she eventually went inside.

Jacen used the Force to make additional room in the spot Fēng and Tang set up for Akane to lie down on.

Skipper used his torch to ensure the water in the bucket Dusky brought out.

Terra and Akairo had Akane lay down on the mattress that was laid out.

Jacen adopted a cross-legged position at Akane's head as Rouge began to run Akane through the deep breathing exercises necessary during childbirth.

While she did that, Jacen closed his eyes and reached out through the Force to get a feel for Akane's physical and mental state.

As the moment arrived, he could sense the agony she was going through while entering into labor, and her thoughts were consumed with the worry of whether she was capable of delivering her child.

He could even sense the confusion and panic in the young, barely conscious mind of the infant as events occurred.

Jacen reached deeper into the Force to clear his mind of everything but the crucial lessons he'd learned in easing pain.

"I'm one with the Force, and the Force is with me," Jacen said in a trance, repeating the mantra of the Guardians of the Whills on Jedha.

As he continued, he eventually felt Akane's pain lessening as her contractions took hold.

He could also sense Rouge's determination to help Akane with her delivery.

He sensed that the end was close as Akane gave a final push.

Suddenly, Jacen felt a profound joy and a sense of accomplishment.

He could hear the newborn baby's crying, and when he opened his eyes, Rouge was whipping down a healthy new baby with a patch of reddish-orange hair complete with a pair of fox ears.

"It…it's a girl," Rouge's voice was filled with emotion, and he could sense that she was filled with incredible pride.

Jacen could also feel pride in Akane and Terra, who both had tears of joy in their eyes.

Jacen, too, was so moved by the warmth of the environment that he found himself shedding tears.

Rouge handed Akane her new daughter and her heart overflowed with joy.

"Our first child, Terra," Akane said through tears as she held her daughter close.

"S-she's beautiful, dearest," Terra's voice held pride as he gently touched his daughter's head.

"You did great, sis," Akairo said as she looked upon her niece.

"What name should we give her?" Terra asked.

Jacen looked at the young baby as she opened her eyes, which held a distinct vermilion tone.

Then, as if the Force had inspired him, he answered, "Vermilion," he said.

For that instant, all eyes fell on him, and then he saw Terra and Akane nod in agreement.

"Little Mili," Akane said, using the nickname her daughter would have.

During this moment, Jacen had a brief glimpse, perhaps into his past, which was still a blur.

He wondered, whoever his mother and father were if they felt the same way when he was born.

He'd never even asked how he'd come to the Temple.

Perhaps it was through the will of the Force that he came to know people like his master, Daro Kilaeon, or his friend Maru Thorne.

While their deaths still hurt, he thanked the Force for the time he'd spent with them.

Now, Jacen breathed a silent prayer to the Force that Terra and his family would never have to undergo such a horrific ordeal like what they'd just escaped.

He noticed that young Vermilion was observing him and reached out, giggling.

Showing a warm smile, he let Vermilion take hold of his finger, "Looks like she's going to be a strong one, Mr. Briar," he chirped.

"You're going to be a wonderful young lady, kid," Jacen said, making Vermilion giggle.

As he helped everyone get from the house to the truck, he felt that Dusky's impression of him had improved considerably.

As the last person entered the truck, he turned his head around as though searching for something.

For a reason he couldn't explain, he felt as though something had an eye on him.

He'd thought it might be a cloaked probe droid; after encountering the Magnaguards, commando droids, and those skinny B-1 droids, he wasn't prepared to dismiss the possibility.

However, what he felt resonated with something alive rather than the feeling of metal and circuitry.

Yet he couldn't make out anything; his attention fell upon a nearby branch.

Jacen noticed that a crow had perched itself on the branch and seemed to be observing him.

For a moment, Jacen's gaze went to the truck as Dusky called him over.

When he returned his gaze to the spot, the crow was no longer on the branch.

One of its feathers fell to the ground in its departure.

"Oi, you coming?" Dusky's voice shouted, and he leaped into the back of the truck as it drove off.

Rouge could feel her heart pounding as the truck returned to Vale proper.

She was apprehensive about the first time she'd ever performed a delivery. Still, looking at how happy Terra and Akane were at being able to hold their daughter, she felt a deep feeling of accomplishment.

Yet, she knew she owed that much to Jacen, who had faith in her capabilities, even using his metaphysical abilities to soothe Akane's pain as she went through childbirth.

She looked over where Jacen had fallen asleep on Dusky's shoulder, who was likewise resting her eyes.

Jacen was the kindest person she'd ever met, and it was through him that she gained a new level of experience in a medical procedure that, up until now, she'd never performed.

This, more than anything, made her admiration for him turn into love, one she'd never experienced from her former lovers, whether male or female.

Her heart still raced in her chest, and she looked at Jacen's sleeping form.

She felt compelled to kiss him, but she immediately banished the thought.

It wasn't right for her to take advantage of this situation, especially when she knew he had feelings for Yang, though the thought made her jealous.

Yang wasn't necessarily a bad person; she had just adopted an unhealthy lifestyle as a way of coping with her issues. This was a common reaction for people who had experienced trauma and were struggling to deal with the aftermath in a healthy way.

Of course, she also knew it was simply Jacen's selfless nature to help someone, especially when the individual in question needed the support.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts, letting her jealousy get in the way of her goal to help Jacen not let the horrors he'd witnessed during the Clone Wars sink him into that dark hole.

However, the memory of those horrifying droids the Fang were using made her wonder if there might be a connection.

Regardless, Rouge would give her own life if it meant she could prevent Jacen from falling to the dark side.

As Yang swore to fight the empire if they tried coming for Jacen, she made a silent vow that she'd fight to protect who she loved, even if it were likely infatuation or one-sided love.

In his office in the tower of Beacon, Ozpin stood looking out at the campus below and the expanse of the city beyond.

He'd felt a shifting current as something interesting was about to unfold with his newest ally.

Granted, he couldn't exactly see what Jacen had done, as with most things under his watch.

Of course, that was why he needed eyes in the sky.

The sound of flourishing feathers filled the room, but Ozpin didn't turn when he spoke, "I take it you watched our young Jedi warrior?" He asked.

A gruff male voice answered from behind, "You know, Oz, when you said you let a kid into our circle, I thought you might have gone insane."

Ozpin finally turned to regard the speaker, a middle-aged man with iron-gray hair in disarray wearing a long-sleeved Gray shirt he had unbuttoned where his neck and chest met, around his neck, he wore a sideways cross symbol. Of course, while he looked like a vagabond, Ozpin knew just how skilled Qrow Branwen was.

"I wouldn't have even breathed a word of it if I wasn't sure, Qrow," Ozpin said as he made his way toward his desk, sat down, and steepled his fingers.

"What exactly did you witness?" Ozpin asked.

Qrow gave a dry laugh, "For one thing, we're never gonna have to hear about the Black Citadel ever again," he said.

"Seems the kid opted to have the entire thing blown to hell where it belongs."

Ozpin raised an eyebrow, "You have more to say on this?" He asked.

Qrow blew out a sigh then reached for his flask, "I'll give him this. I've seen huntsmen in training pull off some incredible feats, Summer being one of them, but this kid fought with a lot of experience behind him," he said taking a drink from his flask.

"As I said, young Jacen's experience in the Clone Wars has shaped him into a skilled warrior," Ozpin said.

"Oh yes, James would love to draft him into the Atlesian Military," Qrow said sardonically.

Ozpin rubbed his temples at Qrow's inference, James Ironwood would either consider Jacen a valuable asset or a significant threat due to his extraordinary abilities.

"Though, the kid showed that he's not just a war dog like James," Qrow said almost thoughtfully.

Ozpin turned his gaze on Qrow for an explanation.

"I don't know exactly what this so-called Force power he and his Jedi brethren use, but he seemed to use it to help a soon-to-be mother, Faunus," he added with a bit of appreciation.

Ozpin's eyes widened with surprise, "That power of his is even more impressive than I'd suspected."

However, Ozpin couldn't suppress a grimace.

He knew the White Fang had fallen off the beaten path since Ghira stepped down, but hearing that the Fang had taken up residence in the Black Citadel, they'd kidnapped a family with one of them soon to be a mother.

Even after his long, long life, things still sickened him.

Ozpin noticed that Qrow now had a visible scowl on his face.

"So that was the kid who made sure Firecracker got home after she went on a party binge," he said, taking another drink from his flask.

"I take that to mean you appreciate what he's done for her?" Ozpin inquired.

"I don't know, Oz, how should I feel when I hear Ruby use words like kriff or schutta?" Qrow asked pointedly.

Ozpin placed his hand over his eyes. Apparently, Jacen also had a foul mouth.

"Sure, I'd like to meet the kid, if only to see how close he is to firecracker," Qrow added.

"If you promise not to kill him, Qrow," Ozpin said, trying to defuse the situation.

Qrow shrugged, "Don't think on it too much, Oz. I'd hate any boy that was getting too close to my niece," he said.

"Either of them," he added.

Qrow's eyes narrowed as he tossed the torso of something metal, which had the appearance of a robot, but Ozpin quickly identified it as being a kind of droid like what Jacen's astromech unit was.

"I've seen Atlas's assortment of robotics Oz, but I've never even seen anything like this," he said.

From how damaged it was, Ozpin guessed Jacen must have used his lightsaber to dismantle it, "What is this?" He asked.

"Before our Jedi cut it in two, it was wielding some kind of staff weapon with crackling energy flowing off both ends, and despite its appearance, the thing moved as though it were a human about two meters tall," Qrow answered.

"If those weren't weird enough, the kid even fought against robots that looked like some kind of insect," opening his scroll, Qrow pulled up the video of the fight he witnessed. Ozpin examined the footage intently.

"These look exactly like the kind of droids that Jacen mentioned he'd fought during the Clone Wars," Ozpin said thoughtfully.

Ozpin recognized these as various battle droids used by the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars

from the images he saw from Jacen's droid Skipper.

"This was what caught my attention too," Qrow said, enhancing the footage of Jacen locked in battle with a scorpion Faunus.

Ozpin tensed when he saw Jacen's lightsaber contact his opponent's weapon, and the violet blade retracted back into its hilt.

"A weapon that can counter a lightsaber," Ozpin said.

"The biggest question is, who gave these to the White Fang?" Qrow asked pointedly.

That was a question Ozpin didn't have an answer for. If the White Fang had an assortment of droids and weapons that could counter Jacen's lightsaber, that would have devastating consequences.

This wasn't the first time Ozpin heard reports of strange new technology being discovered, all of which was before Jacen had arrived.

Ozpin's eyes narrowed as he looked at Qrow, "Do you feel that there's a connection between this and what you've already been looking into?" Ozpin asked.

"I didn't have time to investigate the Black Citadel to see if there was anything else there before it came crashing down, so I don't have anything solid yet," Qrow answered, then his tone became severe.

"However, She is beginning to stir Oz."

Ozpin held his hands tight till his knuckles turned white, Salem.

It was always traced to her and after such a long period of peace.

"What exactly have you discovered?" Ozpin asked.

"Enough to know that James's little ships he's so proud of aren't gonna scare them away," Qrow said pointedly.

Ozpin sighed as he asked, "What about Raven?"

Qrow scoffed, "Forget it, Oz; Raven ain't gonna come in with her sword ready to fight anything you point out."

Ozpin knew all too well why Raven had left, and it wasn't solely because of how Summer was lost.

Now, Ozpin had brought Jacen into his inner circle.

Inwardly, he wondered what Jacen's reaction would be when he learned the truth as Raven had, given that Jacen had barely survived a war that the Sith manipulated. Ozpin could only guess that Jacen would mishandle it.

However, it was too late to take it back.

"What about Amber?" Qrow cut into Ozpin's thoughts.

"She's still stable, but we have to find someone who's not only skilled enough but will also willingly accept the rest of The Fall Maiden's power," Ozpin said.

"What of the Spring Maiden?" Ozpin asked.

"I've been trying to ask Leon, but he keeps dodging the question as though he's not entirely sure," Qrow answered.

Ozpin let out a sigh; Leonardo Lionheart had been made headmaster at Haven at Ozpin's insistence; while he knew some pressures came with that responsibility, the purpose was also to guard the relic underneath Haven.

Losing the Spring Maiden would be extremely bad if she were attacked by the same one who attacked Amber.

"I'll keep my eyes open and let you know what else I find," Qrow said.

Ozpin nodded, "Perhaps also make sure to keep an eye on young Jacen," he said, earning an unmistakable sound from Qrow.

"Oh, trust me, Oz, I plan on keeping a very close eye on him," he said with enough emphasis on "very" to get the point across.

Ozpin closed his eyes for a second, and when he opened them, Qrow was gone, with the only thing there being a single black feather.

Qrow was using the gift he'd given him long ago, though Raven's departure from his group lessened his external surveillance.

While Ozpin could occasionally sense when things occurred, he couldn't pinpoint the precise details.

From what Jacen had explained about the Jedi and their gifts through the Force, the Jedi and, consequently, the Sith could sense things from a considerable distance.

However, these droids' appearance could be used to Ozpin's advantage.

He'd ask Jacen to look into the matter to see whether there was a connection.

"I've made more mistakes than any man, woman, or child," Ozpin said as he reflected on his own words.

Only he knew the full depth of that statement, as did She.

Even after all these years, he still had feelings for Her, plus the fear he felt if all four relics were brought together.

He looked up at the shattered moon, an eternal reminder of the fierce battle between the God of Light and the God of Darkness after Salem's actions in disrupting the unfortunate cycle of death had plunged the world into the depths of darkness.

"Look upon our work and despair," Ozpin said with philosophical melancholy.

He sipped his mug and contacted Leon regarding the Spring Maiden.

Tukson could only marvel at what Jacen had helped to accomplish.

From Dusky's account, both he and Rouge played an incredible role.

He knew that Rouge had always possessed the moral insight of a medical professional, and now she had just accomplished a delivery that saw a new life enter the world.

"I'll have them sent to Menagerie," he said.

"Ghira will have them under his protection."

Jacen looked from the happily assembled family before turning his attention toward Tukson.

"I hope to the Force that Terra and his family find some form of peace," he said, immediately showing Tukson a severe look.

"You have to relocate your operation as soon as possible."

Tukson noted a sense of urgency in his voice, "I'm aware of the situation which keeps us moving," he started to say, then stopped when Jacen showed him the unfamiliar head of a robot.

"What is that?" He asked.

"You remember when I talked about fighting during the Clone Wars?" Jacen asked.

Tukson's eyes widened, "Was this something your Republic fought against?" He asked.

"The Republic and the Jedi used our clone troopers while the Separatists, the force that opposed it, utilized an army of battle droids," he answered, pointing at the head.

"That particular model is known as a BX-series droid commando, droids built specifically for stealth, assassination, and espionage," he added.

Tukson's eyes widened further, "You mean the White Fang had this with them?" He asked.

"They had four of those, plus two IG-100 series Magnaguards and two B-1 Battle droids," Jacen said, showing Tukson a hologram of the individual examples of the droids Jacen mentioned.

"How did the White Fang get these? I know I haven't heard anything about Separatists or this Republic waging a battle here," Tukson said thoughtfully.

"That's the part that concerns me," Jacen said, looking over his shoulder, perhaps to make sure he and Tukson weren't within range of the new family who'd fallen asleep in one of Tukson's safe rooms.

"I wasn't able to find out how, but one of the members there, Gin Sasoriza, identified me as a Jedi," Jacen explained.

"He also had weapons impregnated with cortosis, one of the few materials used to counter a Jedi's lightsaber."

Gin was there?! Tukson felt sweat running down his back.

"Could these, Separatists as you call them, have struck a deal with the White Fang?" He asked.

Jacen gave a wry grin, "When the war ended, the droid army was supposed to have been completely deactivated, but that didn't necessarily mean that all of them followed that order," he said.

"That, or Count Dooku had a contingency out in the Unknown Regions, and this faction is one not even the other Separatist leaders were aware of."

"That raises another question: what exactly happened during the Clone Wars you fought in?" Tukson asked.

"I know you said some things are better left unsaid, but given this discovery, I feel an explanation is overdue."

He expected Jacen to try to dissuade him from digging in further, but Jacen motioned for Rouge, Dusky, and Skipper to come beside him.

"I've told Rouge, albeit indirectly, but I invite you to hear what I've truly experienced during the war, and," Jacen paused as though hesitant to finish his sentence.

"The real story about what happened to the Republic and the Jedi."

Tukson suddenly felt an old but familiar sense of eagerness, like when he was only a boy growing up in Menagerie, ready to learn something new about the world.

Now, after Jacen's revelation about the Jedi, the Force, a Republic, Separatists, and the Clone Wars, Tukson felt he would learn something from a person who wasn't even from Remnant.

Jacen was like something Tukson had read about in old stories or mythology about a battle between two gods and the existence of magic.

"Then, I'm sure this will be an enlightening topic," Tukson said as he led them to his office.

As he did with Yang, Jacen told them everything with help from Skipper's holo recordings.

The journey he took while serving as a Padawan under Daro, the Battle of Geonosis, which led to the outbreak of the Clone Wars, the several missions he and his master took throughout the war, whether in combat or providing humanitarian aid with the more morally grounded of senators, his encounters with Asajj Ventress, Durge, General Grievous, and even Count Dooku himself.

He showed the day that he was given a standing ovation when he became a knight, even the few missions he and Maru had undertaken; he even showed the horrific battle of Taris, which saw the death of Master Kaiya and Maru.

By the time Jacen got to the part leading up to the discovery of Darth Sidious, the attempted assassination of Palpatine led by Master Windu, and the execution of order 66, Jacen's voice was still raw emotion.

He'd had to relive that event thousands of times, and it still felt fresh.

By the time Skipper shut off the recording, Tukson, Dusky, and Rouge were now looking at him with sympathy and newfound respect.

"To fight an entire war, only to find out everything was for nothing," Tukson's voice was filled with sadness.

"I see now why you chose not to speak of this."

"The Jedi had become so blinded by their position that they couldn't understand that their misguided stance on upholding the ideals of a Republic which had festered with corruption for over a thousand years had led them away from what they should have been," he said.

"Yes, even Dooku initially understood how deep it went while his former Padawan Qui-gon Jinn seemed to stand alone in his views on the Force and how the Jedi should be."

The sound of sobbing from beside him made him turn to see Rouge clasping her hands over her mouth with visible tears in her eyes.

"Jacen, I never imagined how much pain you'd suffered," she said.

He noticed too that Dusky had pulled out four glasses and sat a bottle of a brand of whiskey he immediately recognized, "Death Stalker Fire Whiskey," he said in surprise.

"Take it from someone else who was fighting for a cause that lost its meaning, mate," Dusky said as she poured the bottle.

"From what you said about that slippery snake Sidious, it practically matches what Kin Onyurio did when he assumed leadership of the White Fang."

Jacen raised an eyebrow, "What was his angle?" He asked.

Dusky let out a growl, "Unless we changed our approach, humans would never grow to respect us," she said.

"He also rationalized that humanity's crimes against the Faunus were too great for them ever to reach a compromise, and he advocated that any corporation that utilized Faunus laborers shouldn't just be protested, but attacked."

Jacen noticed that she was looking at something on Tukson's desk.

When Tukson showed it to him, his eyes widened; the photo had a much younger Dusky standing beside an even younger Blake.

"You knew Blake?" Jacen asked in surprise.

Dusky gave a short laugh, "Her father brought me into the White Fang when I was about 13; I practically grew up with her," she said with a tone of nostalgia.

Looking at the photo, Dusky and Blake seemed utterly innocent, with their better days not spent acting like militant war dogs.

He regarded the younger version of Ghira, who, as Jacen suspected, was equally strong yet had a gentleness to him.

His eye then fell upon a young boy with red hair, horns on his head, and a patch over his left eye.

"Who's this?" He asked.

He sensed Dusky's mood shift as she turned her attention toward the photo, "Adam Taurus," she said with melancholy.

"From what I remember, he'd had a very rough life before Ghira brought him into the White Fang," she said.

Jacen's eyes went from the young Adam to Dusky, "Were you two close?" He asked.

Dusky shook her head, "I'd say that distinction goes to Blake," her eyes seemed to trail off as though a distant thought had made itself visible.

"I can't begin to think what he's become now," Dusky said.

A cold shiver seemed to snake through Jacen's spine at the implication.

Adam must have done something or planned to do something so horrible that would make even Dusky's infamous Red Dusk Massacre seem tame in comparison, and that's why Blake finally broke from the White Fang.

Unlike Jacen, who was willing to open up and trust certain people with his secret, Blake purposely secluded herself out of fear of what others might think of her when they learned who she was.

"She's actually at Beacon now, on a team with Yang," Jacen said.

Tukson raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Ah, so Ghira's daughter is working toward becoming a huntress," he said thoughtfully.

Jacen practically felt his adulation drop as he added, "So is Weiss Schnee."

At that instant, the quiet that fell upon the room was so tense a pin could be heard dropping.

"The Schnee heiress herself at Beacon with Blake?" Dusky asked in a strained voice tinged with contempt.

The thought occurred to Jacen whether Weiss was even aware that the company was utilizing battle droids and cortosis weaponry. From his research on Jacques Schnee, the man was a tight-fisted businessman, and Jacen knew that such individuals often had projects the population was unaware of. If Jacques had cut a deal with a leader of a Separatist holdout, it would become one of the biggest scandals Remnant had ever witnessed.

Jacen nodded, "She's colder than the ice in Solitas, not to mention everything that justifies the claims the Faunus in the White Fang use about humans treating them like animals," he said, taking the glass from the desk and drinking from it only to immediately coughed the moment the whiskey went over his tongue going past his throat.

Dusky laughed, "I thought you'd have been used to something strong, Jedi," she said, sipping her glass.

"The name for this whiskey isn't unfounded," Jacen said after finally getting over his cough.

Strong stuff is an understatement, Jacen thought. It felt like he'd drank hot melted gold with a hint of cinnamon.

"You don't gulp it at once," Dusky chided.

"It has to be sipped sparingly, like a fine wine."

Jacen looked from Dusky to Rouge, "But Rouge doesn't drink wine," he said humorously, making Rouge blush.

"You jerk," Rouge gave him a light push, not intended to hurt but to tease him.

"Well, for what it's worth, let's enjoy what we have in the present," Jacen said, raising his glass.

Tukson returned the gesture, "Agreed, and may fortune smile upon your endeavors."

At once, all four joined their glasses in a toast.

Adam stared at what was left of the Black Citadel.

Although the loss was not significant, he tightly grasped Wilt and Blush in his hands, feeling his ire rising.

If Gin had arrived with a larger group of White Fang members and the advanced robotic equipment provided by their benefactor, they could have expanded their operation beyond just Mountain Glenn. However, preparations for the current operation in Mountain Glenn are still underway with the limited resources they have at hand.

He sighed theatrically, "I suppose this means our latest pest is as troublesome as we've heard," he said, his voice modular.

"He said that these so-called Jedi often meddled in things they had no business with," a muffled voice answered.

The Lieutenant held no shortage of contempt in his voice.

"An entire operation wasted all because of this Jedi scum," the Lieutenant said, only for Adam to hold up a hand.

"True, we might not have rid ourselves of the Jedi, but something else did come out of this," Adam said as he pressed a palm-sized device which, according to what the White Fang's secret supporter said, was a recording from one of the droids that had been destroyed.

When he activated it, he finally got a look at the so-called Jedi; he scowled as he observed him wielding that energy blade as though he believed he was winning a significant fight.

As Adam observed the Jedi, he was aware of the latter's exceptional capabilities. However, he couldn't help but think that the Jedi was still a mere human. Adam pondered how much longer the Jedi could survive if he were to utilize his semblance to absorb the energy from the Jedi's weapon and then unleash his ultimate move, Moonslicer, which had proven to be fatal to several of Adam's previous opponents.

Adam sneered as he saw Gin seemingly gain the upper hand over the Jedi, only to have his wrists struck by the Jedi's weapon.

He felt a burning rage rise as the familiar shape of Dusky Jones came into focus.

Traitor, he thought angrily.

First, Dusky had stepped away from their cause, and now even Blake had left.

He felt his anger rising with the memory of Blake cutting the connecting train car before vanishing in the fog.

Adam had no more patience for deserters or, in his view, cowards who ran away when the Fang was about to prepare for their most significant victory over humanity that marked them as nothing but pets or lowly animals.

"We know that underground operation that's been spiriting deserters from our ranks is here somewhere in Vale, and before our operation begins, we will deal with that problem permanently," he said with a slightly wicked grin.

The Lieutenant seemed to have something on his mind, "Can we trust this secret supporter Master Kin Onyurio has us working with?"

Adam scoffed, "Atlas will experience a hot summer when I trust someone like him," he said contemptuously.

The device in his hand emitted a sound that indicated a message incoming.

He pressed it, and the image now held a middle-aged man in a rather elegant robe that a nobleman might wear, standing with his arms crossed over his chest. His most astonishing feature was the cape he wore which merely gave him the additional appearance of a nobleman.

Adam couldn't see the man's face hidden under the hood of his fancy cape.

Adam didn't know the man's real name, he and High Master Onyurio knew him simply as Axis. Adam highly doubted that it was the man's real name.

"It seems that the rumors about a Jedi here weren't unfounded," Axis said in an accented voice tinged with slight annoyance.

"I thought you said those droids could rid us of that problem," Adam said pointedly.

Axis scoffed, "It would have if that psychopath had listened to my advice on how they should be used," he said.

"Those droids were among the most advanced that I could provide."

Adam ridiculed the idea of boasting about human technology being superior.

"At least make sure whatever is left of the droids is collected," Axis said.

"One of them is missing a head, and another is missing its upper torso," the Lieutenant said as he was getting the remains of the droids onto stretchers, which the other White Fang members were loading into the aircraft.

Adam wasn't sure, but he swore that Axis was smiling, "They must think that they can dig up information on where the droids came from; that problem will solve itself," he said in an oddly satisfied tone.

"What about those other units you're currently having produced?" Adam asked.

Axis grew serious as he answered, "There will be another shipment coming in later; I suggest you collect that with extreme prejudice," he said, and then the transmission cut off.

Adam felt his anger rising, to be working with a human, even one who had the kind of technology he had, made Adam feel sick.

How long would it be before Axis turned his droids on the White Fang? Surely Kin Onyurio was aware of that.

Both he and Adam heard the man saying that there were forces beyond their comprehension that would subjugate the Faunus in such a way as to make the Schnee Dust Company look like saints in comparison.

Furthermore, there was a slight satisfaction that Adam took as he considered the possibility that the White Fang could have an army of those droids. Who could stand against the White Fang after that?

If the man they were working with proved no longer useful, Adam was pleased to remove that problem when the time came.

For now, he'd be patient and bide his time. He was a driving force for revolution against oppression from humans.

He took a few steps toward the airship and then regarded a flower. It was purple and black, but what caught Adam's attention was that the flower reminded him of Blake's emblem.

With a single slash, Adam cut the flower and kept walking. Blake had abandoned them in their moment of triumph, and Adam already made up his mind about what he'd do to Blake when he saw her.

"Have you really become such a coward, my love?" Adam whispered so only he could hear.

Without another word, he and the Lieutenant boarded the aircraft which took off into the night.

"Yes… that problem will definitely solve itself," The man murmured as he stared out over the city of Atlas.

It was comical. A Duke of Serenno forced to lay low like some vagabond. That accursed Jedi Knight and that equally loathsome senator from Naboo. He shook his thoughts and breathed silently to refocus himself. Val Solha was a master of his emotions, not some petty child lashing out over the most minor of inconveniences.

If the rumors were to be believed… another Jedi was here in this backwater world. That could be a problem… but not a problem that he couldn't resolve.

It was by sheer luck and happenstance that Solha had escaped the planet Mokivj. Naturally, the efforts of the Jedi, Skywalker, rendered Mokivj incapable of supplying Count Dooku's invincible battle droids, but Solha had to credit his own resourcefulness.

Not everything was destroyed. And if the rumors back in Republic space were to be believed… he had just the thing needed to get his pound of flesh from witless fools like Palpatine.

He turned and glanced at the scroll on his desk and paused thoughtfully. These unique little devices certainly eclipsed standard datapads that both the Confederacy and the Republic used during the Clone Wars. They were certainly more efficient with data storage and didn't rely on countless data cards.

The faint smile turned into a scowl. Unfortunately, not everything survived the destruction of Mokivj. He couldn't find anything relating to the manufacturing of sublight drives. That little setback was devastating when coupled with the fact that this planet's inhabitants couldn't even breach the atmosphere.

The general had explained that the propellant the natives used seemed to lose its potency when leaving the atmosphere.

A bitter sigh left his lips as he recalled the days after the destruction at Mokivj. He wanted to rejoin the fight, but his injuries had been far too severe to allow him to rejoin the Separatist efforts.

By the time he was strong enough to travel, General Skywalker had slain Count Dooku aboard the Invisible Hand, and by the time Solha recovered what little he could, General Grievous had been slain on Utapau. From there, any contact with Separatist leadership had been silenced, and the battle droid productions had fallen silent.

He clenched his fists tightly. Serennian refugees had made their way into the depths of wild space and all of them had the same story: Serenno had been laid low by Coruscant.

What caught Solha's ear, though, was that the Republic had been reorganized into a full-fledged empire. That last part seemed the most far-fetched. Palpatine was a shrewd politician but capable of remaking the Republic? That was outlandish.

Then again, who could have expected Val Solha to have gone from a Duke of Serenno to a politician's lackey in some backwater world? Solha mentally chided himself; this wasn't a full backwater planet.

Not really. It had potential. Remnant needed to be guided along a certain path. Luckily, Solha knew which path it needed to go down. He had considered getting the droid armies that he had salvaged to occupy the planet, but that seemed more brutish and unrefined.

General Ironwood was a font of knowledge when it came to understanding the laws of each of the four nations, and mercifully the history of Remnant dating back to their so-called Great War proved instrumental in how he would cultivate this planet to his liking…

Solha frowned as he looked at a notification on his scroll. A grimace touched his face. The White Fang certainly wasn't making things easier. This… Onyurio was certainly encouraging senseless acts of violence from more extreme elements of the White Fang. He traced a thumb over his bottom lip and hummed thoughtfully. Perhaps the White Fang could have some use for their boorish tactics after all? If there was a Jedi here… then it stood to reason that the Jedi had a ship. A smile slowly spread across his face.

"Yes…" He murmured, "That would be a useful task for them."

A message blinked onto his scroll and the former Duke smiled faintly. Doctor Polendina was certainly revered for his work in robotics, and Solha had to concede that Polendina's mastery of robotics placed him on par with many of the engineers of the Techno Union. And academic conversation was something sorely lacking, if Solha had to admit it. Even that simpleton at the Schnee Dust Company failed to measure up to what Solha had learned from the good doctor.

He opened a desk drawer and looked down at a datapad. The fact that the SDC had been able to fully integrate his… additions to the Atlesian arms and armor? Well… he may have been a simpleton, but Jacques Schnee certainly did prove to have quite the imagination.

END