A groan escaped Cooper's lips as he regained his senses. He slowly clambered to his feet and brushed away any stray leaves still clinging to him. Welp…that's the last time I let Tay drive. The boy's eyes widened as he took in the form of his friend. Tay's sprawled form lay a good distance away from the speeder wreckage. Cooper immediately rushed towards the Umbaran. "Tay!" he shouted, jostling the general's shoulder. "Tay! Wake up!"

The general remained motionless. Cooper persisted in his shaking. C'mon, Tay. You have to wake up. The boy clutched his head as the headache from earlier returned with a vengeance, breaking his concentration. As bad as the pain was before, this time it felt as if someone or something was scraping nails along his skull. Nonetheless, Cooper took a deep breath, mentally taking the pain and shoving in the darkest corner of his mind. I've got bigger things to worry about than a headache.

Sekel's eyes fluttered open. Cooper let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. That was too close. "Are you okay?" the clone asked.

Tay sat up with a groan, brushing the dust off his tunic. "I think I'll be all right," he shakily replied as he climbed to his feet. "Let's just get to the ship."

Cooper nodded his head in reply and strolled over to the bike's wreckage. As he hastily retrieved his weapons and the satchel Tay had been carrying, the teen tried to avert his eyes from the smoldering remains of Third Brother's ship. Can't say for certain if he's dead or not. Best not to find out. He quickly checked the satchel's contents. Okay. Sonic grenades, commlinks, and a boatload of other stuff I don't recognize. Still, if Tay's carrying it, it must be important to him. Cooper slung the satchel over his shoulder, holstered his blaster and hatchet, and began the short walk back to the ship.

The eerie groaning of durasteel made Cooper pause in his tracks. He slowly turned around, eyes widening as he took in the unexpected sight. The starfighter wreckage now levitated, ash and scrap metal floating in midair as the Force took hold of it. Third Brother stood underneath the wreckage, his breathing ragged as he lifted the starfighter. The debris crashed back to the ground. Third Brother marched forward, his blood-red saber ignited.

"How is this demagolka not dead yet?!" Cooper shouted, his voice wavering with disbelief.

"Don't know," Tay remarked, turning on his heels. "Not staying around to find out!" With that, the general began to sprint towards the ship. Cooper followed suit. The ship had never felt so far away before than it did now. With every step, the clone's heart pounded faster and faster. His eyes spotted Lyra on the boarding ramp.

"Hurry!" she hollered, her desperate tone motivating Cooper to run faster. "C'mon!" Cooper's lungs begged for air as he finally reached the boarding ramp.

The creaks of durasteel caused Cooper to snap his head towards the sound. The twisted scrapheap that once was the clone's speeder bike now levitated, courtesy of Third Brother's Force abilities. The Dark Jedi used the wreckage as a jagged missile, hurtling it towards the only target in range…Tay.

"Tay!" Cooper hollered, pointing towards the incoming debris. "Behind you!"

Tay looked back in time to see the speeder hurtling towards him. He quickly sidestepped the attack. Third Brother let out an irritated growl as he gripped more debris with the Force. Sharp wires and jagged bits of metal surged towards the fugitives, forcing Cooper and Lyra to duck to avoid the worst of the maelstrom. Tay ducked and dodged the shrapnel with a grace Cooper had only seen in Commander Thornton.

Unfortunately for Sekel, however, he could only keep up the acrobatics for so long without calling on the Force himself. Cooper knew Tay wouldn't dare use the Force here, as it would only paint another target on his back. This decision, however, left the former Jedi more vulnerable to fatigue. The fatigue, in turn, left Tay vulnerable to a shard of debris which dug into his back. The Umbaran collapsed, crying out and gritting his teeth painfully.

Cooper's eyes widened as he spotted Third Brother stalk his way towards Sekel. The young clone's mind flashed back to his own first encounter with the Dark Jedi on Teth, how he himself would have fallen into Third Brother's clutches so easily had the teen's friends not helped him. If Third Brother finds out Tay's secret…no. It's me he after. I need to be the one to face him.

The freighter began to rise, the distance giving Cooper only one chance to decide what to do. He took a deep breath, heart pounding in his chest as he mentally prepared himself for a fight. He turned to Lyra. "Tell Silas to hold on!" he shouted over the roar of the engines.

"Why?" Lyra spoke up. "What are you doing?"

"I'm not leaving Tay!" Cooper argued. With that, he hopped off the boarding ramp, trying his best to ignore Lyra's pleads to get back on the ship. Anger flared in his eyes as he rushed towards the fray.

"Hey!" Cooper hollered, gripping his hatchet. "Asshole!"

Third Brother craned his neck, letting out an amused chuckle as he turned to face the clone. "Is this a rescue attempt?"

Cooper's limbs trembled with the frequency of a tree in a hurricane. He had hoped he would never find himself facing Third Brother head on again, especially after what happened back on Teth. I've got no choice now. I'm not running. Not when my friend's life is on the line. Cooper put on the bravest face he could muster. "Leave my friends alone!"

Third Brother dragged his lightsaber along the ground, the crimson blade carving into the dirt. "Now there's the soldier buried underneath all that weakness," Third Brother spoke up, a hint of amusement in his tone. "I was beginning to wonder where that soldier went. After all, I only see flashes of him from time to time, right before you run away like a frightened tooka kit!"

The comment stung, only because Cooper knew it to be partially true. Almost every encounter with Third Brother so far had resulted in the boy and his allies retreating to fight another day. Playing Third Brother's game is the only chance I have if I want to help Tay get away. He gripped his hatchet tighter, brushing off the Dark Jedi's mockery. "You want a fight?" Cooper taunted, letting his arms flop to his sides. "Here's your chance."

Third Brother rushed forward, lightsaber aimed to stab his adversary. Cooper quickly rolled out of the way, before reaching for his carbine. An invisible grip stopped him from grasping the blaster, beginning to pull him towards his opponent. I remember that trick. Let's see how he likes being tricked, for a change. Cooper let the Force pull him towards Third Brother. The boy saw the chance and took it, swinging his hatchet towards his enemy. The Dark Jedi hastily sidestepped the attack, sparks flying as the clone's blade scraped the killer's helmet. Third Brother swayed slightly and reached up to feel the scratch in his helmet, a sign that the counterattack had caught him off guard.

"Oh, okay," the Jedi hunter piped up, his confidence unwavering. "So, you've picked up some new tricks. Good. That's going to make this so much more entertaining…for me. You, on the other hand, are going to find the next few minutes a lot less amusing."

The Dark Jedi charged forward again. His lightsaber spun with finesse that Cooper had only seen while watching Harlow spar with her weapon. He craned his neck to the side. The sight of Tay limping his way up to the freighter elevated the clone's heart with hope. Okay. Tay's out of danger. No sense staying around here. He ducked underneath Third Brother's swing, taking the chance to run for the ship.

The whirl of his enemy's lightsaber forced Cooper to duck to avoid being hit. He turned just in time to catch a backhand to the face. The attack sent him flying away from his escape route. Cooper quickly regained his footing and cast a glance towards Lyra.

"Shoot him!" Cooper shouted, narrowly avoiding his adversary's blade. Third Brother continued to advance, forcing the teen to duck to avoid another strike. As Cooper readied himself for another assault, he could easily spot Lyra on the loading ramp. The woman's hands trembled as she took aim at the Dark Jedi. Cooper briefly turned his head towards his friend. "Take the shot!" The boy's eyes bulged as he noticed the lack of blaster fire from his ally. What the hell is she waiting for?!

The split second of hesitation, however, was all Third Brother needed to strike back. Cooper gasped as the Force pulled him towards his adversary, the Dark Jedi's hand curling around Cooper's throat. "Well, how about it?" Third Brother mocked. "For all that bravado, I can see you've learned practically nothing since the first time we fought. Directly attacking a Force-Sensitive opponent head on? Seriously?"

Cooper's mind raced as he fought tooth and nail to free himself from his adversary's grip. I've got to break free, but how? What else do I have that can hurt him? A light bulb went off in the boy's head. He reached into the satchel with one hand, fingers grasping around a sonic detonator. Cooper had only dealt with explosives and detonators in a few rare training scenarios, and even then, those exercises had been strictly monitored. He still remembered some things, though, namely that some charges could be remote detonated from a safe distance. Maybe I can put this tactic to good use.

The clone swung his hatchet towards Third Brother's head. As anticipated, the Jedi hunter intercepted the attack, grabbing Cooper's hand and twisting it in the opposite direction. Cooper gritted his teeth through the pain, letting the hatchet clatter to the ground. Third Brother laughed, focused entirely on the boy's sudden attack and the thrill of having Cooper at the Dark Jedi's mercy.

And to Cooper, that was the entire point.

The clone quickly activated the sonic charge and slipped it into Third Brother's trench coat. It's about damn time Third Brother learned the concept of personal space. The boy wrenched his hand free from the Dark Jedi's grasp, placing both his hands on the one around his throat. He jerked his opponent's grip to the side as hard as he could.

The audible crack which followed rewarded Cooper with a loosened grip on his throat and an agonized howl from Third Brother. The clone quickly recovered, activating a thermal detonator and lobbing it toward his adversary. A suggestion from the Force caught the grenade mid-air. Third Brother let out an annoyed growl, sending the second detonator hurtling back towards Cooper. The boy threw himself to the side as the grenade went off, smoke and shrapnel exploding outwards.

"Actually, I have learned something," Cooper shot back, reaching into the satchel. His fingers curled around the remote for the sonic detonator, and his lips curled into a sly smile. "Case in point…" He pressed the button.

Immediately, a shrill blast of white noise pierced the air, disrupting the concentration of both combatants. Cooper pressed his hands over his ears, taking the brief distraction as his cue to retrieve his hatchet and sprint towards the ship. He couldn't help but look back as he finally reached Lyra. Third Brother got the worst of the trauma, hands clumsily reaching for the detonator and throwing it to the ground. An enraged stomp from the Jedi hunter's foot destroyed the device. Cooper tried not to show his disgust at the sound of Third Brother's cracking bones as the Dark Jedi swiftly reset his dislocated hand.

Lyra swiftly backed onto the ship. Her hand hovered over the button to raise the ramp, only slamming down on the button once Cooper was safely aboard. She scrambled for her commlink. "Silas, everyone's aboard!" she shouted. "Take off!"

The sudden lurch of the ship answered Lyra's command. Cooper said nothing as he strolled past her towards the nearest viewport. As the ship climbed higher, Tamwith Bay grew smaller, until the town and the surrounding countryside faded from sight altogether. The sight of the stars as the ship entered deep space caused Cooper to let out a relieved sigh. Still can't believe we made it. Especially despite all that went down. Cooper's heart pounded against his rib cage, reminding him that he was still alive.

The rush of adrenaline did little, however, to soothe the blood boiling in the clone's veins. Stupid. Lyra had every chance to take the shot, and she chose not to. Why? Cooper heaved out a frustrated sigh as he strolled towards the lounge. I should check on Tay, make sure he's doing all right.

The sight of the Umbaran only added more fuel to Cooper's anger. Tay sat on the edge of the table, hands grasping the furniture as Lyra inspected his injury. A noticeable gash on Tay's upper back stood out from the paleness of his skin, courtesy of the injury he had received earlier. Cooper took a deep breath, allowing the waves of relief to briefly douse the fire in his heart. Tay's lucky it's just a surface wound…but still…it looks awful as hell.

Tay winced as Lyra gently dabbed a towel along the injury. "Dammit," he muttered. "I suppose it's a good thing I got my tetanus shots."

"Sorry," Lyra hastily apologized as he continued to clean the wound.

The Umbaran scoffed. "For what?" he asked, relaxing his posture. "We all made it out, and I'm certain some of my soldiers did as well. I'd say your plan was a success, for the most part."

"Yeah, great job, Lyra," Cooper added in, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he strolled over to Tay. "You did amazing."

Lyra turned to face the young clone, taken aback by Cooper's tone. "What's with the attitude?" she asked, raising a sharp eyebrow.

The boy tensed up as Tay gently grabbed Cooper's arm. "Cooper, please lay off," he gently spoke. "Lyra and Silas both tried their best to help my men and us. And you, you came to my aid without a second thought, just like any good soldier would."

Cooper's head ached at the words, his anger bubbling to the surface. He ripped his arm out of Tay's grasp. "No!" he shouted, causing everyone else in the room to flinch. He turned his sharp gaze back towards Lyra. "A good soldier follows orders. I don't know if you could hear me over the ship's noise, but I asked you to take the shot. You chose not to."

Lyra's face remained as stoic as before. "I chose not to put you in any further danger than you already put yourself in.Running in there without a plan, putting yourself at risk…I may not be a soldier, but even I wouldn't have made such a reckless decision like that. I couldn't take the shot while you were packed in there with Third Brother. I didn't want to—"

"Didn't want to shoot me?" Cooper interrupted, his face briefly softening. "Lyra, I would've understood if for some reason you did shoot me by accident. It's…I know it sounds stupid, but putting my life on the line…it's what I was made for."

"I'm well aware of that, and that scares me more than anything," Lyra shot back defensively. "Have you been keeping count of the number of times we've gotten away by the skin of our teeth? Because I certainly have! You could've at least thought things through before rushing in there."

"Well, I'm sorry, but I'm not one to play it safe when there are lives on the line. I'm not like you. And I'm certainly not like him."

Lyra blinked, shaking her head in confusion. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Isn't it obvious? You think I'm going to end up like your son," Cooper replied, his cold gaze giving way to show the sorrow underneath. "Silas told me about what happened to Torvald, and—"

"Cooper!" Lyra snapped, sticking a trembling finger in the boy's direction. "I am warning you…you better choose your next words carefully."

"I get that you want to protect what's left of your family," Cooper spoke up, standing his ground against his friend's harsh tone. "I get that. But like it or not, I also have someone I consider family, and I have a duty to protect them. I can't just walk away from that, especially not now since we finally have a lead as to where she is."

Lyra inhaled sharply, clenching her jaw. She whipped her head towards Tay. "Is it true?" she asked, her anger simmering. "Do you finally know where Harlow is?"

Tay nodded his head. "Rhen Var," he elaborated, shifting slightly on the couch. "It's isolated, and it's where I can sense Harlow the most."

The Tethan raised a confused eyebrow. "You can sense her? What are you talking about?"

"Tay," Cooper piped up, shifting his gaze to Sekel. "Show her what you can do."

"Show me what?" Lyra stammered out, shaking her head in confusion. "What's going on with Tay?"

The Umbaran in question said nothing, instead raising his hand towards the table. Almost immediately, the strewn medical supplies began to hover and float higher into the air. Lyra's jaw dropped as she looked on. An excited shiver ran down Cooper's spine as Tay continued to levitate the medkit's contents. I am never going to get used to Tay pulling stunts like this.

Tay exhaled gently, allowing the Force to lower the objects back onto the table. Lyra rubbed her eyes, as if Tay's exhibit of his powers had been an illusion.

"A Jedi?" Lyra whispered, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You were a Jedi this whole time?"

Tay shrugged his shoulders, a lopsided grin on his face. "I prefer the term, 'Ex-Jedi,' but it's a good thing Third Brother didn't notice."

Cooper turned back towards the woman. "There was a reason he knew Harlow," the boy elaborated. "There was a reason he was able to sense that we were in trouble, back in that forest."

The concern never left Lyra's face as she turned her gaze to Tay. "Why didn't you say something?"

"Up until you mentioned my friend in the Order, I never saw the need to tell you," Tay replied, sitting up in the booth. "It only would've painted another target on my back."

"Tay knows Harlow just as much as I do, if not more so," Cooper added in. "If Third Brother had somehow found out about Tay's secret, then that bastard would've had a direct lead to Harlow, and he also would've had no qualms about killing us all then and there."

Lyra let out a stressful sigh. "Cooper, I'm not gonna lie and say you didn't do the right thing," she said, looking the boy directly in the eye. "But the way you did it is what caused me to worry. You acted on impulse, just like on Teth, and both times it nearly got you killed."

"And both times, we all got out alive," Cooper shot back.

"Well, what if the next time we don't?" Lyra asked, grabbing Cooper by the shoulders. "What if, Cooper? Have you ever considered that?"

Cooper hesitated to answer. Now that I think about it, she might have a small point. Cooper had always known that his journey to find Harlow would be a dangerous one. The probability of death had been one of the painful realities of being a soldier. I'm not a soldier anymore. I guess I'm still having a hard time accepting that.

"I don't know if we'll all come out alive," the boy reluctantly admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "I get that some of us could die seeing this through…but the same will be true if we sit by and do nothing." Cooper took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "I need some time to calm down," he said, turning on his heels to leave. "Let me know when we reach Rhen Var."

As Cooper made his way toward the cargo bay, he tried his best to shut his friend's words out of his head. I barely escaped that time. Third Brother's growing more determined the longer this drags on. Cooper couldn't bear the thought of himself or one of his new friends dying by the Dark Jedi's blade. In the back of his mind, however, something told him that would be the outcome unless he improved his skills. This guy's always found a way to keep me on my toes. How am I going to be able to fight him?

The cargo bay doors slid open, allowing Cooper to step inside. He set his backpack and jacket down in the nearest corner, only taking his hatchet and carbine. The boy sighed in contentment as he looked around the cargo bay's spacious interior. The open space would allow Cooper to practice his skills without risk of running into anything or hurting anyone. He gripped his hatchet tightly. This might be the best weapon to start out with. After all, Cooper had only gone through so much training in hand-to-hand combat. None of the training had involved melee weapons, however, and none of it had involved fighting Force-Sensitive threats.

The hatchet blade sliced through the air. Satisfied with his initial swipe, Cooper readied himself and swung again. The hum of the vibroweapon did little to distract him. If he concentrated hard enough, he could almost imagine himself swinging the blade toward Third Brother's neck. Cooper could imagine himself emerging victorious over the Jedi hunter, finally putting an end to the chaos Third Brother had caused.

Like an exhale in a winter storm, however, the fantasy dissipated and left Cooper at the mercy of the harsh truth. He's always one step ahead of us somehow, and he's Force-sensitive. How am I supposed to compete with that?

Cooper shook the thought from his mind and swung his axe downward again. He leaned over and filled his lungs with much needed air. I can't stop. Not when the people I care about are in danger. The more he thought about it, the more he pondered whether he was actually going anywhere with the practice session. Nevertheless, Cooper took a deep breath and prepared to run through the drill again. Third Brother's not going to care if I'm ready to face him. I can't give up. I won't.

As the boy swung the hatchet around, however, he found his thoughts drifting back to his argument with Lyra. She's a naïve fool if she thinks I can afford to slow down for a single second. After all, the clone had no idea how Third Brother was tracking him now, or when the Dark Jedi would strike next. All Cooper did know was that he couldn't stop now. Not when the Jedi hunter was constantly hot on his heels, and not when the boy finally had a lead to locating Harlow. I get that she wants us safe, and I get that she doesn't want to lose someone else after Torvald, but neither do I.

Cooper knew what it was like to have a plan blow up in his face. His mind flashed back to a training exercise on Kamino. The boy and his fellow cadets had been tasked with navigating an obstacle course. The mission, as Sawyer had put it, had been simple: move quickly through the course and reach Sawyer at the top, all while avoiding stun shots from some older cadets who had "volunteered" to shoot at the younger ones. Cooper had dodged his way through most of the obstacles, but Jackal had taken a paralyzing stun bolt to the leg.

The rogue clone could still remember it all. The tone of Jackal's voice as he panicked and cried out for help. The beating in Cooper's chest as he jogged back over to his vod's side. He could still feel the gears turning in his head as he had thought about the most efficient way to get both himself and Jackal through the course. In the end, however, a stun bolt to Cooper's back had sent him toppling to the mats below, making his choice for him. We can't hesitate, not like she did with Third Brother on Raxus. If we do that, we're dead. The boy shook the thoughts away and swung the weapon downward once more.

The last thing Cooper had expected was for a pale hand to grasp the hatchet's handle.

Next thing the boy knew, the weapon and the hand grabbing it slammed into Cooper's head. The young clone let out a pained yelp as he fell, the hatchet slipping from his grasp. Cooper rubbed his forehead, casting a heated glare up at his unexpected attacker.

"If you're going to fight a Dark Jedi, young man," Sekel spoke, his stoic voice reminding Cooper too much of Sawyer, "then it will not help to swing that blade at empty air."

Cooper let out an irritated groan. Focused as he had been on the practice session, the clone hadn't noticed Tay enter the cargo bay. Does this guy have nothing better to do than spy and eavesdrop on all of us? "How long have you been standing there?" Cooper scowled as he climbed to his feet.

Tay's eyes narrowed to slits. "Long enough to know that if you really had been fighting Third Brother, your head would be severed from your shoulders at this point. I mean, if you wanted someone to give you the same challenge that psychopath will give, you only needed to ask."

As the clone rubbed his sore head, he reached into his pocket, hoping the cool metal of his compass would bring him some comfort. His fingers only found an empty pocket where the compass had once been. Cooper's eyes flared, his face going red as he turned to face Tay. Sitting snugly in the Umbaran's hand was Cooper's compass.

Just who does he think he is?! "That compass isn't yours," he said, stomping back towards the Umbaran. "Give it back!"

The unexpected blast from the Force knocked Cooper to the floor once more. This time, the clone shot to his feet immediately, an irritated growl escaping his lips.

Tay stood still, his calm eyes a sign that he would not be moved so easily by his friend's anger. "You want it back?" he challenged, tossing the hatchet within the young clone's reach. "Take it from me."

Cooper shook his head in confusion as he picked up the vibroweapon. "You want me to fight you?"

"I want to help you," Sekel corrected, reaching into his satchel. A cylindrical object appeared in the general's hand, and Cooper's jaw dropped. The lightsaber soared to life with radiant emerald light. Cooper looked on in awe at the blade.

"There are a few basic rules to fighting a Dark Jedi or a Sith," Tay began, gripping the saber tightly. "For instance…"

The Umbaran rushed the clone suddenly, lightsaber poised to strike. Sparks flew as the blade collided with the vibrohatchet. Cooper had never truly known whether his axe was resistant to lightsabers before, but now, he couldn't be more grateful for making the discovery. Sekel continued to batter away at the axe, each fluid strike stronger than the last. One last attack broke the grip the boy had on the weapon, sending the axe skidding across the floor. Cooper instinctively reached for his blaster, only to turn back and find himself facing the end of Sekel's lightsaber. The heat from the blade warmed his skin, causing the boy to sweat more than he had before.

"Rule number one," Sekel spoke again, lowering the weapon. "Never let them get too close. Close-quarters fighting is where most Jedi excel in terms of combat, and the same can be said for the Sith. Third Brother and others like him will get up close and personal. Don't give them the chance to do so. Now, again."

Taking the chance, Cooper immediately rushed forward. Tay easily sidestepped the clone's heavy swing, following up with a Force push which sent Cooper flying backwards. Cooper quickly sprung to his feet and reached for his carbine, quickly making sure the weapon was on stun. He aimed at Sekel and fired, the stun shots dissipating on contact with Tay's blade. The former Jedi effortlessly blocked shot after shot, before quickly closing the distance. Cooper rolled out of the way, taking the opportunity to swing his hatchet towards his opponent. A suggestion from the Force kept the blade from touching Tay's neck.

Cooper glared daggers at his adversary, snatching the compass from Tay's hand. "Give up."

Tay scoffed in response. "Maybe you should give up," he suggested, pointing down with his finger. Cooper's eyes widened as he spotted the hilt of Tay's deactivated lightsaber, the emitter pointed towards Cooper's stomach.

"Rule number two," Tay said, backing away from the clone. "Don't rely too much on what you already know. Use one move too much, and your opponent will find a way to adapt to it. Don't go for standard attacks when unorthodox strategies will work better, and don't ever go for the most obvious method of attack. Third Brother will expect that, and you will lose."

"Okay," Cooper drawled out, scratching his head in confusion. "What do you mean by unorthodox?"

"Thermal detonators, cluster mines, traditional slug weapons, hit-and-run tactics. You were engineered with a sharp mind, Cooper. Outsmart your opponents. Keep catching them off guard any way you can. Eventually they'll slip up and give you the chance to go in for the kill."

The more Cooper dwelled on Tay's words, the more they seemed to make sense. He thought back to his desperate plan to escape Third Brother back on Raxus. This could work. If I can take Third Brother by surprise, I might be able to hurt him…but I don't know if I can defeat him.

Cooper shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know if I can fight him," he started, lowering his gaze to the floor. "The last couple of times I fought him, he kept forcing me to back away, just to avoid getting hit. Then, when I try to strike back, he uses the Force to keep me on the defensive."

"So, you don't get a chance to control how the fight goes," Tay guessed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No," Cooper admitted, letting out a defeated sigh. "I just…maybe he's right when he says I'm weak."

"Or maybe he's a liar," Sekel piped up, placing a hand on the boy's back. "You are many things, my friend. You're a former cadet, a friend to a Jedi, and a kind boy who wants to help the people he cares about. You're also young and reckless and in need of more training. But you are certainly not weak. If you have the heart to want to save Harlow from Third Brother, then I will do what I can to help you face him."

Cooper's lips parted into a grateful smile. "Thanks."

"Are you ready to try again?" Sekel asked, activating his lightsaber in preparation.

The clone nodded his head, clutching his hatchet and mentally preparing himself for another spar.

Lyra pursed her lips as she checked the navicomputer's readings. Halfway there. I should check on Silas and the others. Lyra glanced over the controls one more time before turning to leave the cockpit.

The echo of rock music travelled throughout the ship's halls. Lyra's lips curled into a smile as she strode towards the lounge. She recognized the song instantly. It was one of many songs Silas would play whenever he was in a good mood. It was the song he had played that night when the two of them first kissed in Lyra's speeder. The upbeat melody brightened so many gloomy nights that Lyra had trouble remembering them all now.

The song did little, however, to distract her from the words Cooper had spoken to her moments before. More I think about it, it feels like Cooper just…doesn't care what happens to him. Lyra could only watch back on Raxus as Cooper rushed back into danger without a second thought. She had seen that same rash nature before.

The first time she had seen such behavior in someone else, she had just started dating Silas. She could still smell the garlic and fragrance of the restaurant they had gone to for dinner that night. She could still hear herself and Silas laugh at the jokes they told each other to pass the time.

She could also recall the harsh smell of the alcohol on Silas' father's breath, the first and only time she met Silas' parents. The way her stomach turned as the old man, in his drunken state, stared at her with eyes that only desired one thing. It hadn't taken much after that for Silas to snap, to lunge at his father and pin the older man against the wall. Silas' mother, for her part, had been too high on spice to notice the fray.

The second time Lyra had seen someone act with such recklessness, the culprit had been her own son. Lyra had gotten up earlier than usual that morning, in time to hear the unexpected knock on her door. She still had trouble deciding which had been worse: the sight of her teenage son in handcuffs, or the disappointed tone of the clone officer explaining how he had found Torvald trespassing in a warehouse.

Now, Lyra found herself seeing that same pattern all over again. The longer this search for Harlow drags on, the more impatient Cooper's going to get. It was safe to say that Lyra had come to care for the young clone. She wouldn't have scolded Cooper the way she did otherwise. If Cooper's rash behavior continued, then Lyra knew it would only be a matter of time before the consequences of said behavior caught up to him. There's a good chance we may not come back from this if we don't find her soon.

A smile lit up Silas' face as he spotted Lyra. "Hey," he greeted. "I take it the ship's running okay?"

"Purring like a kitten," Lyra replied, her lips curling into a brief smile.

"How's your side?" Silas asked, his voice laden with concern.

"It's getting better," Lyra bitterly answered, strolling over to turn done the stereo. Silas isn't going to want to drop this. Can't say I blame him. After all, she could recall a similar feeling overcoming her back on Teth, back when Silas hobbled up the freighter's ramp with a wounded leg.

Her husband's hand on her shoulder jolted her out of her thoughts. "Something wrong?"

"I…" Lyra stammered, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. "The kid and I had a falling out, that's all."

"Then why is it still bothering you?" Silas asked, his brow furrowing. "And please don't lie and tell me it isn't."

Lyra let out a frustrated sigh and turned to face her husband. "Did you tell Cooper about our son?"

"He had a right to know," Silas humbly responded. "We've known him for a couple weeks now. We've all been through hell together. I figured he had a right to know about Torvald. Why do you ask?"

"Cooper brought it up while we were arguing," she responded, averting her gaze as she thought back to the words the clone had said. "I think…I think that the longer this drags out, the sooner one of us might end up the way Torvald did. You know…dead, buried…gone without a goodbye." She stubbornly held her tears back and swallowed the lump in her throat. "I don't want that to happen to either of us, or to Cooper or Tay."

Silas nodded his head in understanding. "Lyra," he started, tenderly placing his hands on her shoulders. "I know you're scared. But it's like I said, we've passed unbeatable odds before. With the kid and this Umbaran helping us, I'm sure we can do it again."

Lyra pulled away from Silas' touch. "You keep saying that, and it might be true right now," she interrupted. "But, sooner or later, there's a chance it might not be true anymore. The more I think about it, the more I get the sense that Cooper's placing this mission above everything else. It's like…it's like he's growing obsessed with seeing this through."

"I don't blame him completely," Silas defended. "We've got a Jedi hunter on our asses, and that guy's sole motivation is killing Harlow before we find her. I get why the kid is scared, and why he wants to save his friend, but you've got a point otherwise."

"Cooper didn't even listen to me," Lyra ranted, inhaling sharply to keep her anger in check. "He didn't even think about rushing in there. He didn't care about what happened to him."

Silas nodded his head in understanding. He idly walked over to the bar, taking a glass and pouring himself a drink. Lyra watched as Silas raised his glass to his lips. The man's eyes continued to stare upwards, a sign that Silas was lost in his thoughts as much as the drink.

"I remember being like that," Silas spoke up, letting out a small chuckle. "Guess I got it from my daddy."

"All you got from your daddy was PTSD, if I remember correctly," Lyra pointed out, leaning over the bar.

"True, but I also taught myself something all those years ago," Silas replied, locking eyes with his wife. "That night Torvald hurt you, do you remember that?"

"I try not to." Try as she did, however, Lyra could do little to shake the memory from her mind. Torvald had snuck in through the back door that night, Lyra recalled. She could still smell the tingly scent of spice on her son when she confronted him about his whereabouts. Torvald had always been anxious, but when he was high on spice, that anxiety turned into outright paranoia. He would jump at the slightest sound, and would react violently to the gentlest touch. Lyra had learned this firsthand when she had tapped Torvald's shoulder to get his attention that night.

The woman glanced down at her wrist, tracing her fingers over a faint scar. Even now, she still couldn't tell which had been more painful: the sting of Torvald's switchblade slicing through Lyra's arm, or the tears in her son's eyes once he realized who he had just attacked.

As painful as all of that had been, however, nothing could compare to watching her husband's reaction to the ordeal. Silas had moved with a speed Lyra had never seen before, pinning Torvald up against the fridge and tearing the knife from his son's grasp. All the while, Torvald had begged and cried, apologizing profusely for his mistake. Had Lyra not grabbed ahold of her husband's raised fist, Silas likely would have punched his own son out cold. Just as Silas' own father had done to him.

That was the only time in Torvald's life where he admitted he had an addiction. It was also the only time he voluntarily tried to seek help for it.

"It was like my brain was on autopilot," Silas continued, swallowing the lump in his throat. "Like I had been possessed by the ghost of my old man. But I knew that if I took the time to think things through then, Torvald might have done a lot worse to you. Lyra, I think you're seeing Cooper's recklessness as a sign that he doesn't care. I don't know about you, but I think he does care. He just has a different way of showing it."

The more Lyra thought about it, the more she began to understand what her husband was talking about. With Tay keeping his identity as a former Jedi under wraps, it made sense now why Cooper would rush in to save him. Maybe Cooper gave us all a fighting chance, doing what he did. Only question is, how much time will this chance buy us? Lyra had to admit that Third Brother was good at hunting fugitives. She had seen it in the myriad of ways the Dark Jedi had attacked the group, the resources and power at his disposal. Third Brother showed a relentlessness that rivaled Cooper's own determination. Sooner or later, that bastard's going to run out of patience hunting us. I can't imagine what'll happen once that happens.

The chirp of her navicomputer beacon snapped Lyra back to reality. "We're approaching Rhen Var," she informed her husband. "Grab Tay and Cooper. I'll get the ship ready to land."

The trip back to the cockpit, short as it was, still gave Lyra plenty of time to think. We know this is where Harlow's hiding. That doesn't mean we'll know what to expect. As the ship exited hyperspace, Lyra struggled to steady her trembling limbs. It was one thing for her hands to shake as they did on Rhen Var. It was another thing completely for her whole body to tremble. The last time Lyra's whole body had trembled had been the morning Torvald had died. The slicer had been on her feet, her mind racing with anxiety and uncertainty. She had been uncertain where Torvald had been, or if he was all right.

Now that same uncertainty threatened to take hold of Lyra again. She and Silas had made their choice to help Cooper on his journey, and just beyond the ship's viewport lay the culmination of the group's efforts. There was no certainty in what would await them on Rhen Var's surface, no certainty in what would happen once Cooper and Harlow reunited. No certainty in whether the struggle would make the group inseparable, or whether it would tear them apart.

Lyra was certain of one thing, however. For better or worse, everyone aboard the ship had crossed the point of no return.