Avengers: Infinite Wars

by free man writer

The Clone Wars are in full swing with the galaxy divided. The Jedi lead the clone army against the infinite droid army of the Separatists. Yet a wild card enters the fray. The Avengers. From there, newer, more sinister and deadlier threats emerge and The Galaxy, no, the universe, shall never be the same again. Co-written by Jebest4781 and BulletStormX. Now in Season 4.

90. Onderon Incursion

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I know that we reached a milestone recently with the 2 millions views on this story but hit another one like this is just mind bending. When this story began, I couldn't fathom reaching such an accomplishment but thanks to you guys, and above all else, the collaborative effort between myself with Jebest4781 and BulletStormX, we got here.

From all of us to you guys, we thank you.

And also can't believe this. The ninetieth chapter I've ever put out for a story. Only ten chapters away now from the solid 100. That's just insane to even grasp.

Unreal.

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Avengers Infinite Wars Chapter 90: Onderon Incursion

It felt like hours since the Republic forces met with some of the resistance fighters in the nighttime hours. Them traveling by foot to whatever outpost the rebels were based at. By the time they reached their destination, daybreak seeped across the land.

In that time traveling, Steela Gerrera had been silently observing the newcomers.

Her eyes first trailed over the ones called the Avengers and she couldn't help the surreal feeling wash over her when she met some of them.

Over the past year now, other than the ongoings of the war that plagued the galaxy, the exploits of a small group of extraordinary beings shot up in interest across the stars. Tales to astonish, as they say, of amazing abilities, skills and powers unseen by all where any force that came before them was toppled in an instant.

Then Ultron and blah, blah, blah, you know the rest.

Regardless, she had seen the powers of Ant-Man and the Wasp along with the web swinging and wall(tree) climbing abilities of Spider-man.

She then took a bit of time to look at the Jedi that had come and… quite frankly, she was slightly underwhelmed. These two girls were teenagers, her age really and they were the ones sent to help them? Either they were really as exceptional as the stories have said or someone was blowing smoke up her backside.

Yet the ones who held her attention the longest were the clones.

They called themselves Advanced Recon Commandos and given by their armor, equipment and synchronized movements, it was clear for her to recognize the skills these men possessed. Though she was only now beginning to understand the concept of battle and war, she was intelligent enough to realize that it would be these men who may prove to be the most beneficial to her little rebel group.

'Hopefully, things can change so we can get better reinforcements than just these people.' Thought Steela as they drew near the base's entrance.

A few Rupings flew in and landed nearby. One of them landed on top of the entrance to the secret camp with a rider on top.

Entering the opened base, the Republic forces saw how lacking everything was.

"Well, this is… pleasant." Scott awkwardly said though Hope held no such reservation.

"You really aren't doing so well, are you?" She asked Steela, the Onderon native jutting her chin up before she sighed, shaking her head.

"Yeah, things could be better. We're scraping by but we know it's not enough."

"That's why we have Domino Squad with us." Ahsoka assured Steela, a confident grin in place. "They're the best squad in the entire army."

"Well, I wouldn't call us that." Fives bashfully said.

"They're not exactly what we'd call shinnies, but we can work with them." Hevy commented, taking a moment to gauge the Onderonian rebel fighters who in turn, looked at the lot of them with curiosity and wariness.

"At least we'll get the experience to teach conscripts." Echo stated, observing the camp, specifically the creatures that were being attended to.

The Ruping that perched on the entrance flew down and landed before the new arrivals. Its rider dismounted and approached them.

"Saw." Steela said with a small smile. "Everything alright here?"

"Holding down the fort, Sis." Saw greeted, matching her smile until he turned to the newcomers. "Whoa~ Jedi, Clones and Avengers. All coming here to help us out. Can't thank you all enough for coming here."

"Our responsibility as protectors of this galaxy does not end with just one government." Barriss softly said. "You needed assistance and we are here to help."

"Just doing our job." Wasp plainly said, seeing Saw gain a wide grin.

"I've seen you guys on the holo-net so many times now. Wonder how you'll do in person."

"Hopefully we'll live up to those expectations."

"Is it true one of you guys can grow to the size of a building?" Steela abruptly asked, an excited gleam in her eyes.

Scott Lang bashfully looked away. "Yeah, uh, that was me and I knocked myself out for a week after."

"I don't think going for that tactic will help us in this instance." Ahsoka said good-naturedly, laughing at Lang's expression.

Saw looked emboldened, grin growing in size, punching his hand into his palm. "We're looking forward to taking the fight to Rash's forces."

"Yes. All in good time." Barriss patiently said.

"Saw. Saw Gerrera." He introduced himself.

"He fashions himself as our leader." Said Steela, soon punching his arm out of humor. "Though no one elected him."

The Avengers, Clones and Jedi introduced themselves properly a moment later.

"So, what's our plan then?" Saw eagerly asked, Hope Van Dyne raising her hand at that.

"For the time being, we're in charge and we have a lot to teach you." Wasp pointed out. "You're gonna be learning a lot from Domino squad and we expect you to take in every word they say. They're not the best of the 501st for nothing."

"We wouldn't say that."

"An exaggeration."

"Putting too much on us with that statement, Hope."

"You kidding? She's right."

"Don't stroke your ego too much, Hevy." Echo flatly said.

"First thing's first." Hope stepped forward. "We gotta know what we're dealing with here if we're to help you properly."

Steela nodded at this, gesturing towards a set of ruins within the camp. "We understand. If you will follow us."

Being led to the central part of the base, the Republic forces were soon met with the assembled rebels with a holo-table in the center.

"Despite the Separatists not having their presence on Onderon, their forces still remain with the droids. They have strength with numbers. It's been the reason why we've been pushed back all this time." Steela explained to the new arrivals.

"Among other things." Saw said offhandedly.

"At least we're here to show you how to target and destroy them more effectively." Cutup stated.

"Saw, you said something about others." Ahsoka brought up, Steela's brother nodding at this. "Were there other natives who support the new King? Or are they something else? What can you tell us about 'em?"

Saw frowned in thought, recalling the day the previous King was deposed by the current ruler Rash. "They arrived when Rash took over. A means of showing his strength. Don't know how he got 'em, but either Rash stumbled upon some finances or has a backer supplying these people."

"Mercenaries? A foreign army?" Scott listed off, only earning some shrugs in response "Would've liked to know of this beforehand, but we'll be sure to figure things out as we go."

"Putting a pin on that for now, let's stick with what we know." Hope said. "You're all here to learn how to better yourselves in a fight and in a battle. That includes knowing how to coordinate an attack and how to throw a punch."

"I'm pretty certain we know how to throw a punch." Saw cockily said, arms crossed.

Wasp only raised an eyebrow at that. "Do ya now? Well, we'll be testing that theory pretty soon."

Seeing as nothing else was to be discussed, Fives stepped forward to address the Onderonian rebels.

"We'll be showing you the ropes on how the 501st wreck the clankers. But first, we'll need volunteers to carry supplies from our entry point a half-klick west."

"Shouldn't be a problem." The older brother of the Gerrera siblings declared, Steela rolling her eyes at him.

"Good." Fives approved. "Come on, we'll show you a few tricks while we prepare.

With the meeting more or less over now, the people disbursed.

Throughout most of the discussion, Peter surveyed the crowd and was able to spot a familiar face. It took a moment to realize who it was, due to the change of attire from "noble" clothing to that of a resistance fighter. With the opportunity now present, a reunion was in order.

"Lux." Peter said, throwing his arms out. "Good to see ya buddy."

The son of Mina Bonteri stepped forward with a chuckle upon seeing the Earth teen. And flanking him were the padawans he got to know back on Raxus.

"Likewise, Peter." Lux said with a wide smile. "Ahsoka, Barriss, I am happy that you are both here as well."

"Hey Lux." Ahsoka greeted friendly, Barriss silently nodding at him with a small smile. "We're glad to see you're alright."

"And I am eternally grateful for you three for coming here in Onderon's time of need." Bonteri graciously said.

"Ah, come on, dude, what are friends for?" Peter remarked, lightly clapping Lux's shoulder. "We're here for ya, man."

"You know each other?" Came Steela's voice, the Onderonian coming over to them.

"We met not too long ago on Raxus." Lux explained. "They actually came with Aunt Padme from Naboo and Peter here helped my mother and I and all of the Separatists with a means of keeping Ultron back from taking over our droids and systems."

Steela blinked at that, mouth parting slightly.

"You guys did all that?" She asked in slight disbelief.

"He's over-exaggerating." Peter waved off. "But yeah, it's true, he was a helpless puppy and he needed our help."

Lux rolled his eyes good-naturedly at the webhead when Ahsoka stepped forward.

"It was a surprise to hear you decided to come here. I would have thought you'd be with your mother right now."

"My mother is busy enough as is with the upcoming ceasefire. I felt the need to step up and do my part. Even if it's up close and personal where the action is."

Steela walked beside them. "Your voice is strong, like hers."

"Yeah, well, just so ya know, you gave your mom a heart attack, most likely and she's probably gonna have one every night until you're back." Parker wryly said, seeing Lux visibly cringe at this.

"I'm not gonna enjoy the reunion, aren't I?"

"No, I do believe you will be met with a proper scolding." Barriss said, a mixture of amused sympathy which only grew with Bonteri's audible groan.

"A verbal lashing of a lifetime." Peter says out of sympathy. "Got plenty of that from my Aunt May."

Lux only hung his head in a comedically dramatic way, making the teens around him laugh.

Ahsoka then opted to switch topics to a more serious matter. "When this world is liberated, what then? Will Onderon join either side?"

Lux Bonteri held a small contemplative frown as he mulled it over.

"Even if we do take back Onderon, the fate of this planet may remain unanswered. I'm not fighting for the Republic or the Separatists. I'm not representing my mother. I'm here as a concerned citizen of my home planet."

"But you do know what's going on with the rest of the galaxy, right?" Peter rhetorically asked. "This isn't something that's gonna be ignored."

"I am well aware of that." Lux firmly said. "But that is something more in the field of my mothers' expertise. My purpose right now is to help Onderon's people about all else."

"Well, what matters now is, we need each other's help." Ahsoka calmly said.

Still walking, something popped in Peter's head.

"Oh, and before I forget, your mother left you a message."

"...And what would that be?"

*THWACK*

Lux practically recoiled from the hit.

"Di-Did you just smack me across the head?"

"It was the context of the message." Peter elaborated. "And it went like this."

He pressed on the spider emblem on his chest and a voice recording of Lux's mother was heard by all present.

"-An't thank you enough for this. And when you do see my son, tell him I'm worried as I am proud for taking action for the sake of our people. And smack him for good measure for making his mother worry so much."

Lux only hung his head, though a smile could be seen as his friends laughed around him.

"Excuse me, I need to prepare a long-winded apology for my mother." He sheepishly said, walking away from them.

"Lay it on thick, bud," Peter called out to him. "Really make yourself look bad."

Bonteri only nodded in a resigned fashion as he kept going, hearing the others laugh.

"Lux holds a lot of respect for you guys." Said Steela, soon walking away from the Republic teens. "Let's hope that respect is well founded."

Once everyone was situated and ready, training began for the Onderon rebels.

They all stood around at first until Fives took charge.

"Attention!" He said aloud, startling the Onderonians. He let out a tsk, shaking his head at this. "When you hear that, understand that you are to stand straight and upright and await further instructions. What you all need to understand is that everything you thought you knew, everything you assumed to understand about warfare needs to be thrown out the window, here and now."

Echo then stepped forward. "You're not rookies but you're not professionals either. Far from it. You've all only just begun to get a taste of real combat and it will only escalate from there on."

Now Cutup spoke. "You may not know it but right now, there is a talent and skill you each possess that we will bring out during your training."

"We won't sugarcoat it either." Hevy said. "Our Captain Rex taught us that training is the start but experience is where you truly develop. We'll give you the tools and teaching needed but what comes after will be all on you. You must be ready for the real war to come because it will not be pretty."

Once that was stated, Scott and Hope took center stage, pulling out tiny items, setting them down and stepping back. A moment later, several AAT tanks grew to full size, making the Onderon natives jump back in shock.

It was amusing to say the least, seeing such reactions to their tech.

The ARC troopers themselves smirked at the faces of the rebels before resuming their training.

Their first lesson was to take out the tank with the EMP grenades that would short-circuit and disable any Separatist tank.

Cutup and Echo made a quick display, each going once before teaming up and showing the tag-team attack.

Then it was the turn of the Onderonians.

Everyone was paired off into duos to get the dummy bombs into the two hatches. Though there were a lot of stumbles, hiccups and mistakes, a majority grasped it quick enough or at least manageable in the eyes of the ARC troopers. All but the two had things rather difficult on their turns were Lux and Saw; mostly due to them butting heads.

"Sorry about that." Came Lux's apology.

"You're a terrible soldier, Bonteri." Was Saw's aggressive response.

It was quick to see Lux and Saw had the beginnings of a rivalry going on.

Didn't help with Saw criticizing Lux for not being a fighter as he's more suited as a politician, which doesn't work well on the battlefield. Lux's retorts of words being louder than actions didn't exactly mesh with Saw, given politics have failed them.

Hevy was quick to cut in between the bickering pair, not letting either get away from a proper scolding. Lux wilted a bit from the beratement, whilst Saw tried to put up a stoic front, failing towards the end.

At least Steela is able to mediate between them, stating that they'll need to be exceptional with words and actions. There will indeed be time for both.

"I'm not sure if they're more interested in fighting the droids or each other." Hope idly said, shaking her head at what transpired.

"Give it time. They'll learn." Barriss assured.

"We'll just need to keep our eye out on the quick learners. In this fight, time ain't on our side." Fives declared.

Elsewhere on Onderon, at the capital city Iziz, several probe droids were sent out with a directive. Sensors picked up an unscheduled ship that entered the atmosphere in sector S11 and failed to register. They needed to search the area to see if the rebels may be operating in that area.

Time went on at the rebel base before it was time for the locals to learn how to deal with the Droidekas.

While these roller droids are very problematic with their shields, with nothing less than a cannon taking them down, there are two weaknesses to them. Each will be needed to be learned for the rebels to exploit them. First off, the Droidekas are blind from behind. The second pertained with the shields dealing with high velocity and kinetic attacks, however slow or stationary objects can bypass them.

Thus the training exercise is rolling more dummy bombs at the staged enemy.

Once again, many were having difficulties with the right throw and power behind them.

Saw was the first to go and he got his ball to bounce right off. Lux, however, got the throw perfect on his first try.

Steela ended up having results down in the middle. This ended up getting Lux to come in and show her some pointers, much to Saw's annoyance.

It was at this point, Barriss was approached by the male Gerrera sibling.

Saw put on his best idea of a charming smile as he mosied up to the Padawan. "Hey, Commander, how about helping me practice?"

Oblivious to his intentions, Barriss simply smiled and nodded. "Sure. I'd be happy to."

Some time passes with more training occurring for the rebels. Some more progression occurs, yet results waver with each particular local.

At this time, the young Avenger was conversing with his two girlfriends, Barriss having joined them after showing Saw how to utilize a droid popper.

"Onderon, huh?" Peter mused aloud, petting the chin of the flying beast given to him by the rebels. "Trying to remember this but I'm sure we did. Did we ever read up on it at one point where we were in the archives?"

Ahsoka pondered, racking her mind with everything she could think of.

"Maybe. Just a lot we researched and everything muddles."

"This was a planet that Exar Kun once came to before he fell to the Dark Side." Barriss recalled, eliciting surprise from her lovers.

"Wait, really?" Her boyfriend said in shock. "That Sith came here?"

The Mirialan Padawan frowned now, reaching further into her memory to see what else she could remember in their studies.

"This planet… I don't remember right now but it holds a dark history. One that has greatly affected the course of the galaxy on numerous occasions. Exar Kun's fall was one of them."

"That feels a lot more important than it should be." Peter muttered. "How exactly did he fall?"

"Well, don't forget Peter, Exar Kun's fall to the dark side didn't happen overnight. From what was shown to us in Jedi Master Gnost Dural's collection, Kun's fall was gradual. Onderon was one of many steps that led him down that path."

"Or maybe it's most important." Ahsoka mused in thought. "That collection of his had a few things missing, privy to Knights and Masters only. Vision couldn't even help, saying the knowledge was removed in a few spots. Like around Onderon."

"So we're gonna need to investigate this on our own time." Peter remarked. "After this whole conflict with their King and all."

"Probably, if we don't forget, that is." Barriss said briefly.

"Might be something why we need Onderon to side with the Republic, or at the very least go back into being neutral."

"Don't think they can afford to be neutral." Ahsoka dryly said. "It's either go with either of the two governments or alone and be easy pickings for Ultron."

"Not much of a choice." Peter muttered. "But then again, stubbornness is a universal concept."

"You got that right."

While the trio-couple continued conversing, all while observing the training of the rebels, unbeknownst to them, they were spotted by one of the probe droids.

"Rebels found in sector S29."

Back with the trainers, those of Domino Squad and the two Avengers were doing what they can in instructing the Onderonians.

"They're learning." Fives commented, keenly observing several rebels going through the exercises they had assigned to them. It was a simple set of maneuvers wherein a squadron of three to four men would always be advancing, be it under fire, infiltration or going through an area with no combat though with the likelihood of there being conflict just right around the corner.

The whole point was for the rear to always be on the lookout, whilst the lead was to direct the squad to their next destination.

"It's really happening now." Cutup quietly said, clenching his fists tightly. "Feels like we're being replaced."

Echo scoffed. "No, we're not. This is a conscription bill meant to supplement our numbers, remember? We're gonna be there to make sure all who join up are up to our standards. It was in the print."

"If it wasn't headed up by Cham Syndulla, I sure as hell wouldn't have agreed to it." Hevy bitterly muttered. "You all know how some people look at us."

"Deliah likes us." Fives reminded.

"Deliah is just one woman," Hevy retorted. "A damn fine one-"

"Hevy." Echo, Fives and Cutup said at the same time.

"I know, for the Captain, we made the pact," Hevy quickly said, holding his hands up in surrender. "But Blue is just one person who we got lucky with and she slotted right in with the boys. The rest of the galaxy isn't like that."

"That doesn't matter," Fives said with a shake of his head. "What matters is our duty to the Republic and now, the galaxy. We can't let ourselves fall into these thoughts."

"Besides, the Republic once had an army of people who joined up willingly." Echo pointed out though Cutup rolled his eyes at that.

"Yeah, like a thousand years ago. Maybe even more. We're the first army the Republic has gotten in a thousand years. I know the Jedi preach humility and our ARC training has told us to never get ahead of ourselves but how can new people who have been born into this keep up with us?"

"They're not meant to." Echo countered. "Some, maybe, will reach our level. But we have to do what we can so that they have a semblance of skill so that they can survive long enough that they get to go home."

Hevy had a melancholic expression appear on his face, a sullen look that threw his brothers off.

"And us? What's "home" for us?"

"Would say something cheesy to lighten the mood, but can't really think of something appropriate." Cutup said with a weary sigh.

"Home could be anywhere that we can be accepted or someplace we feel comfortable in." Fives said, a look of longing before becoming a grimace. "And the only place that comes to mind is Kamino."

"Don't wanna call that downpour home much as it is." Hevy somberly stated. "Where else aside from there?"

Silence drawled and surrounded the clones with no response given.

"Let's just drop this for now." Echo quietly said, the rest of his batch brothers all murmuring in agreement. "We got a job to do here."

It was time for target practice.

Gathering the rebels, they had them all in order, each sporting a different rifle.

"So, you guys know what to do here, right?" Scott jokingly asked, Saw rolling his eyes good-naturedly.

Instead of traditional targets, there were battle droid heads.

The rebels learned a headshot is the only decisive way to disable a droid. They don't need arms, legs or even their bodies to pass intel to central command.

Amongst the first was Steela. Instead of being close to many of the others, she pulled back a good distance away than intended, given she preferred to use a sniper rifle of all things.

A blaster bolt struck one of the droid heads, knocking it off the rocky perch. And then another and another followed.

"Impressive. Most impressive." Ahsoka praised, nodding her head at her consistency.

Steela puffed her chest out with a bit of pride. She was always a good shot with her sniper rifle. Helped out a lot when hunting game out in the wilderness.

"Fixed targets are one thing. Let's see how you do with a moving target." Barriss said, turning to the droid heads.

Using the Force, Barriss and Ahsoka levitated the remaining droid heads and began moving them about. Immediately Steela pulled up her weapon, looked through the scope and fired upon them. After getting hit several times over, the force users merely let go of the droid heads.

"Nice job." Peter said with a thumbs up.

"Possible sharpshooter here." Echo said approvingly, smirking at the preening expression of the Gerrera sister.

"So who's next?" Hevy spoke up.

Spider-man was about to make a comment when his senses flared.

"Guys!" He said aloud in alarm. "We've got incoming!"

Whereas the resistance fighters were confused about what Peter was referring to, the Republic fighters immediately got on edge.

Confused with what was happening, Steela raised her rifle and looked into the scope, seeing something moving in the foliage.

"Wait, what is that?"

"Droids!" Fives yelled out, pulling out his blaster pistols.

In an instant, the Jedi, Avengers and Clones jumped into action.

"Training time is over, people!" Hevy yelled, grabbing his rotator cannon and unloading a hail of lasers on the droids marching forward.

Cutup and Echo ran forward, a shrunken down Ant-man and Wasp flying in between them as they charged at the incoming droids.

Spider-man, Ahsoka and Barriss also jumped into action, the Padawans whipping out their lightsabers.

The rebels couldn't help but marvel at the immediate response by these individuals, momentarily awestruck with how the first wave of droids was eradicated in a near instant.

Saw Gerrera shook his head, snapping himself out of his stupor, and looking at the others.

"Come on guys, this is our fight too!" He yelled out, rallying the rebels to get in on the action.

Following the instructions of the ARC troopers to the best of their abilities, the Onderon natives split off into small squads with those they work best with. Getting into positions behind crates and makeshift huts, they began firing back at the oncoming droids who were firing back.

Over with Barriss, she had opted for the utilization of Form I in this instance as she was dealing with a dozen regular and super battle droids.

Long arching swings to cut through the metal foes whilst deflecting blaster bolts sent her way.

After slicing through another Super Battle Droid, the Mirialan Padawan halted in her movements when she caught something or rather someone out from the dense jungle.

It was a gray humanoid of some kind wielding a blaster rifle that she had never seen before. And it was pointing it right at her.

Eyes widening, Barriss jumped into the air, spinning about as the humanoid fired at her.

And what came from the gun weren't the usual blaster bolts but what looked like energized fireballs if that made sense.

Landing on the ground, she quickly swung her lightsaber and was glad to see that she was able to deflect these shots but when she blocked one, she found her arms actually trembling from the impact.

"Barriss!" Came the voice of Ahsoka, the Togruta Padawan rushing to the aid of her girlfriend.

Jumping in front of her, Ahsoka swung her lightsaber about, deflecting the shots sent her way, gritting her teeth.

"What the? What's with these guys?" Ahsoka slashed at an energy bolt, sending it back to the one who shot it, striking the chest. "Wait… what even are they?"

"Not droids." Fives shouted from his end, now moving to engage with these strange new humanoids. Getting in close to one, he quickly used the back of his fist to smack aside the rifle this new species held, elbowing it in the gut followed by a quick hip toss with a bolt to its head to finish it off.

He heard the sound of multiple blaster bolts impacting bodies, turning to see Echo and Cutup covering his blind spot from being attacked by more of these unusual new humanoids.

Nodding his head at them, he resumed the small skirmish, firing at the new enemies.

Ant-man and Wasp had also engaged in these foes, their small stature and enhanced strength being too much for these strange adversaries.

That was until they heard something… feral coming from the jungle.

The foliage and trees shifted about with the ground also rumbling from something big stomping on the ground.

And it was headed right for them.

"What in God's name is that?" Spider-man blurted out, having been in the air briefly from a jumping web swing.

"What did you see, Peter?" Hope asked, turning back to normal size, delivering a kick to the neck of the armored humanoids.

Peter didn't get the chance to answer as what he saw came charging in at full speed.

The entire camp froze up, momentarily stunned by what they saw.

A gargantuan beast that looked like a gigantified gorilla burst out from the trees with an ear-ringing bellow, standing upright whilst beating its chest. The front hands had four fingers while its back feet had three toes. What looked like armor plating and even cybernetics were seen all over its body with a helmet that covered its face and eyepieces that glowed.

It was an intimidating sight… and it wasn't alone.

From behind it ran in over a dozen bizarre monstrosities that put everyone on edge.

These beasts had leathery black and yellow skin with four clawed arms, the two appeared to have six and these ran on their hind legs. Unique to these two latter were pairs of pointed protrusions that spread out from their heads. There appeared to be no visible eyes, and their mouths are equipped with two rows of razor-sharp teeth.

"Whoa, whoa, WHOA!" Scott exclaimed, hastily shrinking at the last possible second after nearly getting mauled by one of the beastly creatures that were drooling slightly, both with mucus and blood decorating its teeth.

"Fall back." Ahsoka shouted, letting out a small cry of surprise at one of the four-armed monsters that jumped at her.

"ARGH!" Screamed out one of the rebels, having been tackled down by the leathery-skinned beasts and it began literally clawing him to death.

"Doland!" Saw yelled in horror, rushing to him only for him to get backhanded away by the beast mauling his comrade.

"Kill it, kill it!" Hevy shouted, turning his rotator cannon onto this new nightmare, riddling it with blaster bolts.

The bolts made the creature jolt about violently yet it seemed to refuse to die, taking a step toward the ARC trooper.

It was killed only by Barriss' intervention, the Mirialan Jedi jumping at full speed and using her lightsaber to cleave its head straight off.

Hevy released a breath he didn't realize he was holding, shooting the Jedi an appreciative look beneath his helmet.

"Thanks Commander." He earnestly said, Barriss managing a quick smile and nod in his direction before going on to the next threat.

The rest of Domino had teamed up now, managing to take down two of these multi-armed creatures that were now tearing through the Rebels.

Several more of them had been killed with even more injured.

The large gorilla beast had crushed one under its large arms and charged to take on Ant-man who had grown to full size, assisting an injured Onderonian to her feet when he heard the gorilla-like creature coming right for him.

Seizing up briefly, he turned to the rebel he just helped up, muttering apologetically and shoved her into the arms of another Onderonian before facing the oversized gorilla.

Making a quick adjustment to his suit systems, he held up his left thumb and pressed down on the control button to his suit.

Growing twice the size of the charging beast, Ant-Man had the satisfaction of seeing it actually screech to a halt as it drew closer to him. With one powerful haymaker, there was a sickening crunch heard by all in the camp with the gorilla-esques head whipping around, arms flailing before collapsing onto the ground, unmoving and dead.

"Woo!" Ant-Man threw out several victory punches. "How'd ya like that? You hear that Adrian? This one's for you."

"Very funny Scott." Hope's voice came in through the comms. "Now focus up, please."

"Yes, dear." Scott sheepishly responded, quickly lifting his foot up to squash another one of the multi-armed enemies.

Spider-man was engaged with one of the six-armed creatures, the beast swinging its limbs about savagely with every swing being an attempt at Peters' life.

The young Avenger had ducked and dodged for the most part and every time he blocked one of its swings, the New Yorker found himself surprised at the strength behind its strikes.

"What is with this thing?" He asked aloud, punching away one of its hands, firing a web line that encases one of its clawed hands.

He quickly repeated the action, webbing up the six hands of the creature, followed by its mouth and once that was done, finished it off with a spinning kick, his heel connecting with the neck of the beast.

It let out a choked gasp, keeling over a moment later.

In the midst of all this, Steela watched from atop a hut, seeing the aggressive creatures being picked off one by one but the damage they were causing was still too much. Thinking quickly, she spotted the litany of native Onderon creatures that restlessly moved about in their pens. Raising her sniper rifle, she fired the latch that kept them all inside and let them loose on their enemies.

The rampaging beasts were what they needed to capitalize on the distraction, quickly taking out the remaining foes.

Some of the saddled beasts were killed by the multi-armed creatures but thankfully, they were taken out after a few moments.

"Jesus Christ." Were Scott's words upon the small skirmish ending. "Where in the hell did those bastards come from?"

"From the capital, more than likely." Saw Gerrera spoke up, nursing an injured leg. "Geez, these freaks nearly tore into me."

"Here." Barriss was quick to go to him and begin applying her Force Healing abilities, Saw releasing a relieved sigh.

"Thank you, Commander." He said appreciatively.

Steela came down from her perch with a distraught look.

"They killed so many of us. This happened under our watch."

"You weren't prepared." Said Lux Bonteri, wincing slightly, placing a hand on his hip. Pulling it back, he saw that he was bleeding, not having realized one of those leather-skinned monsters got a good swipe at him.

He grunted slightly, sitting down on a nearby crate, holding his injury tightly.

"Lux." Steela said in concern, going over to him with Peter joining them.

"Hang on, buddy, I got you." Spider-man said, making Bonteri move his hand out of the way.

Flinching a bit at what he saw, Peter pulled back a rectangular cartridge from his belt and slapped it over Lux's injury.

He let out a sharp gasp of pain until it faded, letting out a breath of relief. Looking down at his scratches, he saw that they were now covered with blue webbing, something he hadn't seen yet.

"What is this?" He questioned, trailing his hand over the web patch.

"Bacta webbing." Peter revealed, turning to Domino squad, Scott, Hope and Ahsoka utilizing bacta web cartridges of their own on the injured.

Lux gave the webhead an appreciative smile before turning to Steela who was sullen and downtrodden.

"Are you alright?" Bonteri asked and she shook her head.

"No, I'm not." She said, voice strained. "We just got attacked and were nearly wiped out. If it wasn't for you guys being here, we would all have been killed."

"Can't take all the credit." Ahsoka tried to assuage her. "That quick thinking with your animals helped us win outright. We could have lost a lot more if it weren't for you."

"Still though…"

They weren't able to discuss it much further as Hevy walked by them going over to one of the dead humanoids. "Let's see who these guys are."

Turning over its body, the dead humanoid had the facial appearance of insect-like mandibles and jaws, an arthropodal exoskeleton, and four fingers on each hand. The blood leaking from its open injuries was yellow.

"Who are these guys?" Cutup asked, kneeling down on the other side of it, grabbing hold of the discarded weapon. "Get a load of this thing."

"They're one of the people Rash has." Saw answered, glaring down at the dead humanoid.

"I don't recognize their species." Barriss muttered, healing another injured Rebel.

"Or these other guys, for that matter." Ahsoka said, crouching in front of one of the creatures with four arms.

"Jeez, look at those chompers." Scott made a squeamish face. "They look like they can eat through metal."

"And what about that big bastard ya killed?" Echo thumbed to. "I sure as hell never saw them on any data listing I've read through."

"So where do they come from, then?" Peter asked in general. "You're saying no one here knows what these things are?"

"We've been thinkin' about that since we first saw them." Saw said, glaring down at one of the razor-toothed enemies, kicking one of its many arms. "There's a lot of rumors of freakier and unknown species and things that supposedly come from the unknown regions of the galaxy."

'The Unknown Regions?' Peter thought to himself.

"Your guess is as good as ours." Said Fives. "Whatever the case may be, we can't stay here any longer."

Echo nodded in assent. "This place is compromised. We don't know how long it'll be before reinforcements come over when these guys don't contact back to base."

"What about our dead?" Steela somberly asked.

Echo shook his head, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I know you won't like this but we'll have to leave them."

"What?!" Saw exclaimed angrily. "Why would we do that?"

"We don't have time and we can use that to our tactical advantage." Hevy argued though he himself appeared to dislike what he was saying. "When the report of them not being here doesn't come back, they'll want to find out what happened to them. When they find this camp, yes, their forces will be dead but the bodies of our fallen will also make them believe, at the very least, your rebel cell was taken out with them. Or at least a good portion. You'll have some anonymity back."

The older Gerrera looked ready to vehemently argue against this but the logic set in, making him slump in defeat."

Hevy patted Saw on the back sympathetically.

"Look, I don't like this as much as you do. Believe me. But we have to be smart about this."

"It's not pretty but this is what happens in war." Ahsoka said with a sad frown. "We have to do what we can for the fallen and keep on living to win in the end."

"When things die down, we can come back here and give them proper burials." Came Barriss' suggestion. "Don't know when, but we can do what we can then."

Saw closed his eyes, teeth clenched tightly when he felt another hand on his arm. He opened his eyes to see the pained and understanding face of his sister, sharing the grief he was experiencing.

"For Onderon." She quietly murmured.

Saw steeled himself, nodding though the pain remained in his eyes. "For Onderon."

It wasn't long before everyone began to move, gathering everything for their abrupt move.

Wasn't the first time on such a thing, but this one was critical for their mission.

For they were now gonna move into the heart of the enemy territory.

-Scene Cut-

From one of the many balconies of the palace of Iziz, Sanjay Rash, the new King of Onderon, oversaw his city with a critical glance.

Up here, he could see his citizens living within the city walls. Them conducting whatever happenings for the day.

Amongst them were the various battle droids conducting patrols. And they weren't alone, given the assistance of otherworldly forces.

He let out a "tsk" of annoyance and disdain upon seeing these particular species.

As much as Rash would love to have them off his planet, they were necessary to hold his rule as he doesn't have Count Dooku's backing.

Leaving the balcony, Sanjay went back to sit down on Onderon's throne. Once getting comfortable, he reached for the plate of fruit beside him when his messenger appeared.

"Yes? What is it?" He demands.

The messenger bowed apologetically. "My lord, you have been summoned."

"Summoned? By whom?" Rash took a bite of his fruit when the messenger responded.

"Your benefactor."

The king of Onderon choked a little, clearing his throat from the surprised bit of information.

Clearing his throat, he nodded at his messenger, standing up to smoothen out his robes and appearance. "I see. Thank you for informing me."

Getting up from his seat, he left the throne room and continued to munch on the fruit. By the time he was finished eating, he reached the designated meeting room where he'd now converse with the man who gave him the throne of Onderon.

"King Rash." Spoke a dark voice from the shadowed part of the room. "I see you are doing well since our alliance came to fruition."

Though intimidated slightly, Sanjay managed out a sinister grin, a pleased expression on his face.

"Your forces proved to be as capable and devastating as you said." He nearly boasted, tossing the fruit's remains into a nearby fire. "Any rebellion that came up was crushed in an instant. Whatever rebel forces remain fled into the jungles of Onderon."

"The jungles of Onderon, you say?"

Rash faltered at the change in tone from his benefactor. "My Lord?"

"I hope that you aren't a foolish King ignorant of the history of your world, Sanjay." The shadowed man stated. "Lest you forget about the culture that stemmed beyond the walls of this city."

Any concern from the king melted away, scoffing at what his benefactor was insinuating.

"Oh please, the beasts today pale in comparison to back then." He said dismissively.

There was an annoyed grunt by another in the shadows with Rash seeing the other shake his head at his words.

"They can still be taught and used by the rebels."

Stepping out of the shadows were two Zabrak males, one Sanjay's height while the other was a head taller than them both. They made for an intimidating appearance for any who caught sight of them.

Rash gulped slightly, faltering a bit at both their intense, acidic-yellow eyes that bore into him. "Very well, Lord Maul, what do you suggest?"

The former Sith Lord began pacing about in the room, letting out a contemplative hum.

"What do you think, brother?" Maul inquired, not turning to his brother.

"Taking them out as soon as possible is one viable option."

Maul nodded at this. "A simple idea, Savage, but one that works nonetheless. However, the question that should be asked is how should they be eliminated." His gaze shifted over to Rash. "Not to mention how soon."

The King simply scoffed, dismissing such thoughts. "Wouldn't matter. With your forces, these rebels will be decimated. They don't have the manpower and weaponry to properly combat against them."

Maul shook his head. "Never underestimate desperation, your majesty. That is where your enemy can be at their most dangerous."

"What can they possibly do?" Rash irritably asked.

"What indeed." The Zabrak said with a gleam in his eye before changing topics. "Have you made any progress with what you are looking for?"

It was Savage who answered first. "Hardly any. We've narrowed the location, yet its exact coordinates still elude us."

"The tomb of Freedon Nadd was sealed away in a location by one of my ancestors centuries ago." Said Rash with a shake of his head. "I've given you everything I know, but even my knowledge is limited. The older scrolls have been lost, destroyed or hidden. My lineage has done everything in its power to bury any means of locating Nadd's tomb."

"And yet, statues of him remain." Maul idly reminded.

"Onderon does not shy away from its history." Sanjay declared with his chest puffed out. "Why else do you think I allied with you? You promised us power in return for our support."

"So short-sighted." The former Darth chided. "I have learned that power for the sake of gaining it is foolish as it is self-destructive. My time under the Rule of Two showed me that much. They wish to eradicate the Jedi and rule and what then? Is that all that there is to be once you've attained such a thing? No. What that result will give you is a time bomb that will eventually blow up in one's face and all that millennia of planning undone in a few short years. You'd merely be too comfortable in your power, become too lax and despite all your planning -when you least expect it- you'd lose everything."

Sanjay bit his lip, feeling pressure now beginning to seep out from the red-faced Zabrak. "Then what should be done, exactly?"

"Be better than such predecessors."

-Scene Cut-

Up on the rooftop of Onderon's palace, Ramsis Dendup, former King of Onderon walked in the confined space of his prison.

Ever since he was deposed and placed under house arrest, this was the only place he could be remotely free. Being confined within his own room for hours at a time and doing nothing would drive him mad.

Overseeing his time up here were a few battle droids. A means to be sure he wouldn't do anything rash. Not that he could do that, given his old age and physique.

The King could do nothing but allow his thoughts to run rampant, the fear and worry of what his power-hungry cousin was currently doing to his people. The suffering they must be enduring.

"You appeared troubled, your royal highness."

Dendup came to a slow stop, turning over to see who was visiting him. It was a red-skinned Zabrak with black tattoos if he could guess correctly.

"And who might you be?" He calmly asked, locking eyes with the newcomer who bowed slightly.

"Lord Maul, if you would." The yellow-eyed Zabrak introduced himself. "And you are the one we helped to overthrow. Such a pity. A strong spirit hidden beneath a feeble appearance. What could have been."

Aged eyes narrowed when hearing this.

"I see. Are you here to gloat?" His voice was sharp and angry.

Maul shook his head. "Nothing of the sort, Dendup. I merely wish to talk."

"Of what?" Dendup asked, close to sneering at the Zabrak.

Maul walked a little, his gaze not meeting the old monarch.

"I find it hilarious the Republic often left this planet alone, despite the fact its ruling family are the descendants of a Sith Lord. and not just any, for that matter. This one played a hand in shaping galactic history for centuries."

The former ruler of Onderon tightened his fists, soon coming to a realization of what his visitor was implying. Such an action wasn't unnoticed by Maul.

"There is nothing to be ashamed of, Dendup." He mockingly said. "You should be honored of having such a heritage."

"Such flattery will not work on me." The former king said with a bite to his tone. "I will not allow such ideas flourish once more."

Maul silently raised a brow at this with the former king remembering his current predicament.

With a withered sigh, Dendup gazed intently at Maul. "Why are you here?"

"Information." He plainly responded.

"And what would that be?"

"The tomb of Freedon Nadd. Your cousin, Sanjay Rash, could not provide me with the information I desire. Thus I needed to get to you." Maul's tone remained respectful in spite of the glare Dendup was giving him.

"He is not of the main line. He wouldn't obtain such knowledge unless I properly abdicated or he came into the line. I have no children and grandchildren to call my own after these past several years. Thus my line ends with me."

Maul hummed to himself, a contemplative look for Dendup to see. "Yes, the fault is my own for such an oversight. One that will be corrected here."

"You mean to kill me, here and now." Came the statement, not a question.

The Sith scoffed at this, shaking his head. "No. Not now. You may prove some use to me if Rash becomes problematic."

Dendup was unable to restrain himself. "If he becomes problematic? Don't you mean when? You seem like an intelligent man, Maul. I do believe you are well aware of whom it is you are dealing with on the throne."

"I most certainly do." Maul plainly said. "Which is why I came here knowing this would be the most likely outcome. Brother, if you would please."

Dendup then felt a presence behind him, the elderly man turning in time to see Savage Oppress standing over him. The younger Zabrak brother grabbed Dendup by the back of his neck and forced the man to his knees.

The former king struggled in vain as Maul approached him with a sinister smirk in place.

Raising a hand to the man's head, the last thing Dendup saw was the malicious eyes of the former Dark Lord of the Sith. "Now, this may hurt, only if you don't open up."

-Scene Cut-

With the recent attack in their jungle encampment, the rebels had to take the fight to the capital. They needed to move their operations there now where and when the enemies least expected it instead of relocating elsewhere in the environment. Before they realize it, the resistance fighters would fade in with the rest of the population.

But in order to properly move everything that's necessary from the jungle base into the capital city would be a little problematic.

Granted all of the supplies and gear can be shrunk down, courtesy of Scott and Hope. What was truly needed was their approach to getting through the checkpoint at Iziz's gates.

That's when Lux and Scott came up with an idea.

Coming in with several Dalgo-drawn hover-wagons, many of the resistance fighters hid underneath many layers of collected hides and furs of animals. A means to hide from the scans from the battle droids.

With some wordplay and working through the guarding battle droids' lack of common sense, sneaking in worked perfectly.

As many have known, these battle droids are dumber than intended. Even with their recent reprogramming.

"Not a bad start. But now the hard work begins." Barriss said, now inside the city of Iziz.

"What should be our first step?" Saw asked, turning to their new allies.

Scott was the one to give the orders. "We need to spread out. Some of us will need to find a good place to hunker down for our time here. Rest of you, start finding recruits and map out the city. Those will need to be done carefully."

Hope couldn't help but smirk at her boyfriend's take-charge attitude.

"What? Some of this was basic for a former thief with me. Everything else is just typical of what we're doing here."

"I wasn't sayin' nothing, Scotty." She remarked, reaching over to pat his cheek.

"What about the other supplies?" Steela asked.

"We'll provide what we can." Peter said. "Can map out a few places here that we can use to keep us all fed and whatever else we need, I can grab or Scott and Hope can shrink down and bring back."

"Alright then, who wants to do what?" Ahsoka asked, looking at everyone expectantly.

"I can get these wagons somewhere so we may unload everyone." Lux offered.

"I'll help with that." Said Cutup.

"Count me in." Steela stated, bumping her shoulder with Lux's.

"I'll help set up the base." Barriss said. "I can finish healing up the rest of us once settled."

"Well go with you, Commander." Echo spoke up. "Need a place to keep our armor secure and start getting our own lay of the land."

"Saw and I will walk around for a bit." Ahsoka said, gesturing to herself and the Gerrera brother. "Get a feel of the people and see if we can pick up on any chatter that could be useful."

"Then we should map out the whole city." Hope said, placing her hands on Scott and Peter's shoulders. "If we're gonna be here to help, we need to first know where everything will be."

"This is our city, we can help you with that." Steela offered.

"We'll use both." Scott assured. "And besides, who knows if there've been any changes you guys are likely unaware of by now. This'll be more for ourselves really so we know what we're dealing with."

Steela nodded at this, feeling a hand on her shoulder and looking to see Lux. He gave her a supportive squeeze of her shoulder, something she appreciated.

"Good luck everyone." She said. "Keep your heads down be safe."

"We'll meet back by nightfall." Ahsoka said and they all dispersed a moment later.

Finding an empty alleyway with low visibility, the Avengers had their suits form up and were soon moving atop the rooftops of the city.

Peter jumped around for the most part, figuring his web swinging would attract attention, only zip lining from place to place for faster mobility.

Ant-man and Wasp shrank down, the former managing to call upon an Onderon ant to assist him in getting around with his flying girlfriend.

From on high, the three Avengers observed the civilians below all with the presence of the forces under the rule of King Sanjay.

The droids were one thing, but these other aliens were another.

"They're all over the place." Scott commented, seeing another squadron of those humanoids with the insectoid faces.

"Where'd this King Rash guy even get them?" Spider-man questioned. "Feels like an army he got outta nowhere."

"He may have help from an outside source or a benefactor of some kind." Hope surmised, eyes narrowing at some abuse of power going on down below.

One of those insectoid-faced humanoids was harassing a couple at their booth, demanding more food when they said they needed to keep some for potential customers.

Quickly zipping down, she stung the humanoid's backside, making him yelp and with a flying headbutt, made the unidentified alien species flip about in the air and land on his face.

She returned to her teammates, both of whom she could feel amusement coming from them.

"Really Hope?" Said her boyfriend though she knew he didn't mean it.

"I couldn't help it." She said with a shrug, making Peter laugh. "Come on, let's keep going."

The boys nodded and they resumed their reconnaissance of the city.

They passed by many more streets until Peter saw something they hadn't seen before.

"Huh, those are new." Was his first comment, making the shrinking heroes turn to him.

"What is?" Hope asked.

"Them." Parker pointed down to a small group of new unidentified aliens. "Haven't seen them… yet…"

One of the aliens then turned around and the webhead was hit with a severe sense of Deja vu.

"Whoa, hold up," Peter suddenly stopped, landing on a roof and causing the two small shrunken heroes to pause next to him. "Hope, Scott, you seeing this?"

"What's up, Pete?" The latter asked.

"Some of these guys with the clankers, don't they look familiar?"

The two size-changing Avengers looked towards Peter's line of sight, spotting a small grouping of the same kind of alien.

"Can't say that I do."

"If we were closer, I might find some resemblance."

"Come on." Peter said, jumping down a small opening between two buildings, Ant-man and Wasp zipping after him.

Hiding behind a stack of crates, Peter peaked around it, hearing Scott and Hope return to normal size.

"Do ya see 'em?" He silently asked, the pair nodding.

"Yeah," Scott briefly squinted. "Yeah, now that ya mention it-"

"Why do I feel like we've seen those guys before?" Hope finished for her boyfriend as she too intently analyzed this new alien species.

They appeared to be a reptilian race with cybernetic implants. They wielded rifles that were far different than what the Avengers grew used to while being in this galaxy.

Around them was a wide berth of fear by the natives with these unidentified aliens speaking in a language no one could identify.

Placing a hand on his spider emblem, Peter spoke to his suit AI. "Karen?"

"Yes Peter." Was her immediate response.

"Do those look familiar to you by any chance?" He asked, pointing directly at the new aliens.

"Scanning… Peter…" Karen's voice had an odd sense of surprised fear. "These… these are the Chitauri. The aliens that first invaded New York in 2012 and the Avengers fought against."

This got a cold sense of dread to quickly run up the three Avenger's spines.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, WHAT?!" Scott could barely restrain his yell but he did. Still, the feeling was shared by him with his girlfriend and friend who had their jaws dropped and Peter paled considerably.

"How are they here?" Hope whisper-shouted.

"Are they actually native to this galaxy?" Scott soon thought of something. "Wait, if they're here, then is Loki here too?!"

"Didn't Thor tell us he's dead?" Spider-man asked, mind still trying to recover from what he just heard.

"I can't believe this." Ant-Man muttered, slumping down to the ground when his eyes widened. "Oh shit, what if one of those Leviathans are here too?"

"I'd rather hope it ain't here, cuz that would clearly cause quite the panic." Hope muttered, sharing in her boyfriend's dread.

"What do we do? What do we do?" Peter panickily asked.

"Peter, Peter," Hope grabbed hold of his shoulders and kept him from moving about erratically. "Just calm down. We need to get back with the others and radio this in, pronto."

-Scene Cut-

Within Onderon's palace, Savage was undergoing some lessons from his brother within a training center they found.

Around him were other Force users in robes, observing them in silence as Maul continued to instruct his brother.

These were once Jedi, decades ago on a ship led by former Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth before they found themselves lost in the void outside the galaxy.

They were supposed to venture into the Unknown Regions, exploring everything those territories had to offer. However, not every plan can go as intended.

Their collective transport was caught in a storm, one that was severely harsh. The only way for them all to remotely make it out alive was to do a random hyperspace jump. It was successful, yet they were sent elsewhere than they could never have thought possible. Not to mention their emergency jump didn't leave things unscathed.

Soon, the residents of Outbound Flight meet someone beyond their comprehension, who saved them in their dire time of need.

Now, they serve a new master, who gave them a new purpose. The same one Savage's brother has yet to inform him of.

A purpose of "balance", as he says. Not of the Jedi but of the man Maul calls the strongest being in the Universe.

When he heard this, Savage was unable to suppress the cold shiver he experienced that made it feel like his blood was about to freeze over.

Someone who was the strongest being in the universe?

Not the galaxy, but the universe?

Savage couldn't even fathom such a topic yet it was presented to him. It was this being that gave Maul power far greater than the limitations of the Force. This being helped his brother tap into a far greater, truer form of the Force and that was what Maul called the Power Cosmic.

"Remember brother, to begin to understand this greater power, you must allow the shackles your mental faculties hold you in to become undone. Find the limit of your strength and use that to attain an immeasurable vitality where few could even come close to you."

Savage could only nod.

He still didn't fully understand just how it is he could achieve this greater level but if his brother could attain it, so could he.

In fact, despite the short amount of time he had spent with his brother, Savage could already begin to feel it. A shift in his body, his senses, all of it.

Everything was registered quicker, more easily and there was this subtle growth in his physical prowess. His brother always trained him either with other methods of testing his strength or directly combatting him.

Maul was just as much of a menace with a lightsaber as he was fabled to be years ago. Moreso, really with the level of intensity he gives off. And whenever Savage did fight his brother, it was over in a matter of seconds.

Every fight ended with Savage either on his back, flat on his face, pinned to the wall or in a myriad of other compromising positions.

But with Maul's training, Savage began to put up a greater challenge.

Mind you, his brother barely applied his own skill but bit by bit, Maul needed more seconds to defeat his brother with every spar that went on. Oppress was a quick study as his brother understood the means by which it was needed to educate him.

"The Dark Side is but a pond, unconnected to the endless ocean that-"

Maul froze, eyes glazing over as he slowly turned in the direction of the city.

Savage tilted his head at his brother's sudden silence.

"Maul?" He quietly said. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, yes, I… I sense something… no, someone."

"Who is it you sense, brother?"

"Jedi." Was Maul's quick response. "Two of them. One being stronger than the other." His features became curious. "And I feel… voids."

That was an odd description. "Voids?"

"Ones who appear absent in the Force." Maul crossed his arms, stroking his chin. "Voids in the Force… or rather, absent of what is perceived to be the Force."

Closing his eyes, Maul concentrated on these voids and they became clear as day to the former Sith Lords.

"Fascinating." Were the red-faced Zabraks words. "Interlopers, outsiders and foreigners to this galaxy. How very interesting."

"Not of this galaxy?" Savage said in surprise.

"Yes, yes," Maul focused on these signatures. "Two of them… have access to a power that I cannot identify. Strange… in my time away from this galaxy, I have encountered energies and powers of all sorts. These ones are… unusual. I can't identify them."

"And what of the Jedi?"

"One has a strong connection to the Power Cosmic, yet lacks the ability to tap into it. It appears this is a recent connection. The other Jedi… is on the periphery of it. Perhaps due to their proximity or even relationship to the one with the connection. Same with one of the voids." Maul scrunched his face a tad more. "A connection with the three. Curious. This other one of the voids… he is not of the Force yet it surrounds him like an intricate web. Most intriguing."

"What shall we do to them, brother?" Oppress inquired, seeing Maul in deep contemplation until coming to his answer.

"We shall simply observe and watch from afar." Maul answered. "If we are to rush in, unwanted attention shall be turned on us. When the time comes, they shall know of our presence and shall weep with what is inevitable to come."

Savage could only nod, being directed by his brother to resume his training while he went to meditate on this development.

Things were getting interesting for the former Dark Lord of the Sith.

AN

Well now, bet you guys weren't expecting yet another update so soon but we are in the final saga of Season 3 and we have so much to cover here and we're just waiting to get to it.

It's funny, the day of this chapter getting published, we had another one of our story discussions in terms of planning and ironing out the details of arcs to come. With us nearing the end of Season 3, we started looking at our outline for season 4… and dear god, I forgot just how insane we're gonna make it.

Like, I know I've said that Ultron is just the appetizer but when reviewing our season 4 outline again, we REALLY mean it when we call Ultron the opening act.

Still trying to wrap my mind around that.

Jebest4781: On other news, The Last of Us had wrapped up its first season and it was quite good on how it went overall. The latest stuff with Mandalorian and Bad Batch makes us very anticipated for the next episodes this coming Wednesday.

FMW: Yeah, at the very least, in terms of entertainment, the Star Wars end has been pretty damn good if we're being honest. Some great content for us to digest as the weeks go by. That Mythosaur reveal was wild. And my god, that emotional gut punch of an ending with the Bad Batch. Good shit, let me tell ya.

So, yeah, we're on a roll here with Onderon, the final saga of Season 3 continues and we continue to enjoy your speculations, reactions and guesses to what's to come, whether they're right or wrong. And in this instance, very wrong with what many of you expected, I bet.

Gurarararararara, Didn't see any suspect Maul being the one pulling the strings, did ya?

Though the words might be misplaced, the idea is what matters.

Just when they think they have all the answers, we change the question.

Rate Read and Review and as Always Have Nice Day.

And thank you again for 4000 reviews.