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.

106. Down but not out

Five. THOUSAND. Reviews.

Five fucking Thousand. That is just an unreal number that I wanted to achieve one day but to actually see it happen is almost surreal, if not still unreal.

Like wow, it's one of those "Huh, you guys must really like this story" type of reaction but more like I'm smiling and kinda have a tear in my eye and it's why I sometimes wish you could hear my voice so can feel how much this accomplishment means to me, to Jeb, to Bullet.

First of all, ZabuzasGirl, it is YOU who shall be getting the special shoutout on this story as you were number 5000. You were the one who helped cross this astonishing threshold and milestone so bless you milady and thank you for having enjoyed my story for this long. Thanks to all who have been with this story up to this point, it's honestly been a great blessing to deliver this story and I hope you guys stay with us until the end.

Rate Read and Review and as Always Have Nice Day.

Avengers Infinite Wars Chapter 106: Down but not out.

"Devastation."

Across the galaxy, this newsflash was being projected to practically every corner to every faction.

"Ultron has struck once more. Invading Naboo, Mandalore and Raxus Secundus; key worlds of the systems of governments of the known galaxy, he brought about destruction and devastation on a mass scale."

Flashes of the three battles were displayed including the many troopers, force users and Avengers all in the thick of the fight.

"However, these were diversions orchestrated by Ultron, spreading the forces of the Republic, Separatists and many other fighting forces thin while he attacked and succeeded in obtaining Kamino and Cato Neimoidia."

The last of the videos displayed the Republic in full retreat from Kamino whilst Separatist ships showed fleeting footage of the destruction of Cato Neimoidia just as the ship recording the devastation was blown up.

"Both the Republic and Separatist Alliance have suffered heavy blows from this event. No one knows the fuller ramifications. Short term, however, is devastating as their respective armies have been severely crippled, morale has plummeted and fear now grips the hearts of all across the galaxy."

"Talks of the Ceasefire has escalated, if not a guarantee. Means of peace waver while conflicts between the parties possibly fracture. But now, all that remains is this: what shall be done in response to this overwhelming nightmare of defeat?"

"He has a way with words." Obi-Wan Kenobi airily said, a somber expression as he along with over a hundred Jedi were crowded in one of the larger rooms of the Jedi Temple, some either listening to the holo-net news with the rest all in deep discussion/arguments with each other.

"Wartime speakers have a way to really draw in listeners." Says Steve Rogers, standing next to the bearded Jedi, his face equally as grim as his friends. "Practically a craft onto their own to boost propaganda, among other facts."

"Speaking from experience?" Nat rhetorically asked, seeing Steve give her a silent stare with a humorless smirk.

"Where's Anakin?" Sam abruptly spoke up, looking around the room. He saw that the entire Jedi council was in attendance as well as other high-ranking and high-profile Jedi Knights and masters like Aayla, Vos, T'ra Saa, Tholme, K'Kruhk and all but the Hero with No Fear was absent in all this.

"I… am not sure." Kenobi admitted, frowning in thought. "I saw him an hour ago but he didn't say where he was going."

"Have you asked Ahsoka?" Steve inquired with Obi-Wan shaking his head.

"She is none the wiser, same as we are." Plo Koon chimed in, arms crossed and head tilted down. Though his face was obscured by his goggles and respirator, Plo's brows were furrowed and his posture was rigid. "What I am concerned about is how much of the footage has been replayed to the masses."

"At least they aren't showing what happened to 99 again." Aayla Secura stated, shaking her head and grimacing at the memory.

"The people couldn't stomach it. One which is truly hard to forget." Kit Fisto said, his expression void of his usual easygoing smile.

"It's worse for the troopers." Rhodey darkly said. "Jesus, I've never seen them so angry."

"They have good reason." Natasha murmured.

"Let's hope they don't do anything too reckless." Obi-Wan said with a dreaded sigh. "One can only keep them contained for so long."

"Yeah, well, they're not alone." Sam stated. "As much as the galaxy is shitting their pants right now, I betcha there are as many people who want to tear Ultron a new one."

"I'd rather not stomach the thought of the galaxy killing itself to take out Ultron." Plo muttered.

"Yeah, pretty sure that's our job." Natasha said.

"Revenge is not the Jedi way." Aayla said with a stern look.

"That's what we're here for." Rhodey countered. "And besides, Uh-vengers. It's in the name, the brand. We will make this right."

"Just don't kill yourselves while you're at it." Kit Fisto said with a shake of his head. "You're not just allies to the Jedi anymore, you're our friends."

"Right back at ya."

Elsewhere at the temple, an assortment of Padawans were speaking with their fellow students, the gathering of young Jedi being headed by Ahsoka Tano and Barriss Offee.

"The Masters are telling us Kamino fell."

"So it really happened?"

"What are we supposed to do?"

"I'm scared."

"Force me." The Togruta Padawan whispered, a frown marring her features. "I don't know how we're supposed to do this."

"It was your idea." Barriss said with a look at her girlfriend that made Ahsoka wince.

"I know, I know, it's just Master Skywalker said I should try this and-"

"Master Anakin suggested this?" Offee said in surprise.

"No, no," Ahsoka shook her head. "I was the one that brought it up and he just patted my back and said go for it before walking off."

"And where is he now?"

"Anywhere but here, obviously." Ahsoka deadpanned at her lover who looked apologetic, making the Togruta sigh. "Sorry, Barriss."

"It's ok, my love." The Mirialan softly whispered. "No need to point out why we're all like this right now."

"So…" Ahsoka looked at Barriss then at the assembled Padawans. "How should we do this?"

Barriss gazed at all her fellow proteges, giving Tano a look of assurance before moving to address the Padawans.

"Everyone," She spoke aloud, using the Force to amplify her voice to get their attention. "Look, I know that words can only assuage so much of your concerns and fears but we need to remain calm."

"Remain calm?" One of the Padawans parroted in disbelief. "Ultron took Kamino."

"The clones lost their home!"

"What if Ultron is coming for us next?"

"He is coming, for all of us." Ahsoka said as though it were obvious and immediately cringed at her words, slapping her hand over her forehead.

The reaction was rather quick but they were silenced by another Jedi Padawan who stepped up to stand next to the pair being joined by another.

Mak Lotor and Kass Tod.

"Look, Ahsoka and Barriss are not wrong here." The former said, the human gesturing his hands in a downward manner to try to keep everyone from overreacting. "We already know this given Ultron attacked Coruscant before."

"We need to keep a cool head and remember our training and duty." Kass, the Zabrak female Padawan tacked on. "But let us also not forget our obligation to the men that have served by our Order from the onset of this war."

"It's a great loss. I can't argue on that." Says Mak Lotor. "Which is why our duty is to be by the side of the Clones-"

"And support them." Ahsoka quickly chimed in, shooting the secret Jedi couple an appreciative smile. "And keep them from doing anything reckless or crazy."

"And how are we supposed to do that?" A random Padawan asked.

"We just need to be strong for them. Show we do care for them." Barriss patiently said.

"Easy for you to say." The same Jedi said with a scoff.

"It's not as hard as you think." Ahsoka said with a frown. "Look, everyone, we have a great many responsibilities that we must adhere to right now. We must be ready for anything. If our Masters tell us to run, we run, they tell us we're going into battle, that's what we must do. The galaxy, whether it knows it or not, is looking to us, the Avengers and our boys to keep them safe from Ultron. I know that's not the most encouraging thing but we must do this. We all have a part to play and we just need to let the Force guide us. It's not gonna be easy-"

"But we must stand strong." Barriss added in resolutely. "For each other. For our masters and fellow proteges. Our Jedi. Our Order. Our troops. And the people of this galaxy."

Sometime later, the meetings in the Jedi Order had dispersed and all went their separate ways, be it in groups or by themselves.

Even though Ultron had won and the galaxy was paralyzed with fear, work still needed to be done.

And emotional seemed to be the first subject that needed to be tackled.

Arriving back at the HQ of the Avengers on Coruscant, Steve, Thor, Clint, Rhodey and Nat found Tony sitting at the large, circular table in the spacious living room, alcoholic drink on one side and little Mara Jade seated on the other.

The little redhead toddler gazed upon the billionaire with curiosity as the man appeared to be rambling.

"-And then I swooped in, tank missile and bam problem solved." Tony semi-drunkenly said, making exaggerated whooshing and explosion noises in an attempt to entertain the young child.

Mara simply looked over at the liquor beside her and held out her hand. There was a tugging with the Force as it got closer. Just as it came to her grasp-

"That is not for you." Tony pries the one bottle away from the curious tyke. He looks over to the child's mother, having heard the door to the HQ open. "Where's her orange juice and not the screwdriver you made for yourself?"

"You're drinking it right now." Nat deadpanned, walking over to her daughter who let out a happy sound, reaching up for her mother.

"I am?" Tony looked at the bottle of liquor and released a small "ah". "So I am."

"We can see that." Rhodey said with a sigh, patting his shoulder and sitting next to the inventor. "You sure as hell aren't in the best state of mind."

"Are any of you?" Tony darkly retorted, swirling around the contents of his cup in his hand.

"I believe the answer should be quite obvious, Stark." Thor grimly said, setting Mjolnir down on the table and grabbing the bottle out from Tony's hand and drank it all in one swig.

"I was still working on that." Tony childishly muttered. "So… what's the news saying? We're screwed? We're fucked? Oops, sorry kid."

Mara only tilted her head at Iron Man's words while Black Widow was halfway between annoyed and exasperated amusement.

"The same." Romanoff said, gently stroking the top of Mara's head. "Kamino was a failure. The loss of the Republic's biggest asset."

"No, I lost the biggest Republic asset." Stark groused out, downing his drink and slamming the cup down. "This is all-"

"Tony." Steve's voice was soft but there was a sharpness to it that prevented Stark from finishing his sentence. "We've been over this. Ultron was our responsibility to beat and we all failed. This is on all of us."

"Yeah, but did you make the bastard cuz you're a paranoid manchild with too much time and money on his hands?" Tony venomously snapped back.

"We already had enough finger-pointing on whose fault this is to begin and end with." Natasha said.

Tony was about to make another retort when Steve placed his hand on his shoulder.

"This is what Ultron wants." Rogers stressed out, looking at Stark dead in the eye. "Right now, we need to hold strong-"

"Hold strong?" Tony barked out angrily. "Hold strong?! How can we-"

The sudden yell caused Mara Jade to squirm and the overall negative atmosphere she was sensing made her cry, instantly quashing the billionaire's rage, a guilty look replacing it.

"Ah geez, I'm sorry, Nat."

"It's ok." She sympathetically said, gently rocking her child back and forth, placing her lips on Mara's forehead, hoping to calm her down.

"Let's not try to upset the little lady any further, huh Stark?" Clint wryly said, Tony slumping in his seat in response.

He went for another sip of his cup but remembered it being empty and when he also recalled Thor drinking the entire bottle, he gave the God an unamused look.

"You're not the only one who needs a drink right about now." Thor refuted.

"What we need," Steve spoke up, giving the group that was the founding members of the Avengers a fierce gaze. "Is to not allow Ultron to win."

"Hasn't he?"

"The battle." Rogers stated. "He's won this battle but he will not win the war. We beat him once and we'll do it again."

"And just how are we supposed to do that?" Stark countered. "Vision's trick didn't work this time."

"We'll figure out a way," Steve held firm despite Tony's miserable gaze. "Like we did last time. Together."

The billionaire, genius philanthropist silently stared back at the super soldier before releasing a sigh of "defeat".

"God, the giddy optimism just doesn't fail, does it?" Iron Man dryly remarked.

"Hasn't done so yet." Captain Rogers wryly said.

"So, we got a plan in mind?" Barton spoke up. "Or are we going for a Hail Mary?"

"First, let's get the team back together." Thor declared, getting a nod from Steve. "We fight this united or we fall."

Elsewhere on Coruscant, over at the residency of Riyo Chuchi, the Pantoran Senator was practically smothering her boyfriend with frantic, almost desperate, yet also relieved love.

Both were in bed, not much in clothing between them with the covers over the pair.

Chuchi was on top of the speedster, breathing heavily, resting her head above his chest, clinging to him.

"I feared the worst when I heard about Kamino." Chiyo muttered, tilting her head up to pepper his cheek with kisses. "When it fell…"

She shuddered, snuggling into him.

Pietro hummed, rubbing the small of her back.

"Still distracted?"

"...Yeah." He mutters. "My mind keeps drifting back to… you know."

"What's gonna happen now?" Riyo murmured, adjusting herself to be at eye level with her lover who looked at her with a tired gaze.

"We can't let Ultron have this victory." The Speedster stated. "Knowing Cap, he's probably already thinking about how we're gonna be fighting back."

"But can you?" Chuchi whispered nervously. "Should you even?"

"We must, Riyo." Pietro firmly said, placing a hand on her cheek. "We can't give up hope. Ultron once said to me and my sister about breaking the Avengers from the inside. If we lose the will to fight, then we're broken and the rest of the galaxy is done for."

The Pantoran winced at his words, gripping her lover tightly. "...I'm scared."

Quicksilver's heart ached at the sound her voice was, trying to comfort her yet he couldn't find the words to do so, only admitting quietly, "I'm scared too."

All the while, another couple was walking through one of the planet's districts, the pair having their arms linked.

Bucky and Celeste saw the locals going around. Despite the control and order being seen publicly, the pair could see they were doing their best to suppress the panic. Yet it seemed to be hanging on a thread.

"It's grown considerably since I last saw this place." Celeste murmured, taking in the city planet in all its "glory".

Though it was grand to look at, noticeable damage, rubble and ongoing construction was clear as day to see.

And that was just one facet of the effects of Ultron's war on the galaxy.

Refugees from multiple corners of the galaxy had been streaming into the planet after the escalation of the war, Ultron having targeted many locations that didn't have the strongest of defenses against his army.

"This was worse than the Mandalorian War." Morne quietly said, seeing and sensing the state of the mood shared by the civilians of the Republic. From afar, they watched a convoy being escorted in by half a dozen LAAT gunships where more refugees arrived.

Around them, red armored clone troopers with other Coruscant security forces were in constant action, suppressing criminals while assisting other citizens in any way they could. Yet it seemed the civilians were more inclined to see how they could assist the clones instead, refusing any help and instead offering it to them, be it small trinkets of food and water, a polish-up on their armor free of charge, a place where they can take a break for themselves.

Some of the braver souls openly asked where they could go to volunteer and join the GAR, a few being teens clearly below the legal age to do so.

"I'd say that's an exaggeration, but… given the circumstances…" Bucky saw a mother trying to soothe her crying child, a Clone Trooper with his armor having Spider-Man patterns approaching them to try to assist them.

"I had hoped that I would one day return to this galaxy in more peaceful times but when the others here reached out to us and told us of what was happening…" Morne closed her eyes, lip trembling as she shook her head. "Once again, I find myself plunged into war. It's as though my life can't exist without it."

Bucky felt an ache in his chest, one that was his own and another… that strangely… he didn't know how to describe it but why did it feel like it had to do with Celeste.

He shook his head, disregarding this thought, instead focusing on his lover.

"For decades, all I knew was conflict." He mutters. "Skirmish after skirmish, mission after mission. One assassination to the other. Ones which I had no say in the matter. Now without that leash around my neck, I can breathe easily. I thought my life revolving around war was over. At last, I could use all those skills for real good in this universe. Yet its phantom pull is still there, dragging us into another one."

"Universal nature, really." Celeste's tone was tired and frustrated. "Some cycle that doesn't seem to end."

She looked over at a pair of Clone troopers idly talking to each other, the former Jedi Shadow picking up on the exhaustion both men conveyed.

Wordlessly, she conjured a small portal in front of her hand and from it pulled out some water and a decent pair of MREs that she went over to hand to them.

"Here boys, you look like you can use something proper to eat."

One of the clones saw the lightsaber clipped to her waist and was about to salute her when she prevented him from doing so.

"I'm an Avenger, boys." She kindly said. "No need for that."

Saying their brief "thanks", the troopers parted ways from the couple.

She watched them walk away with a forlorn gaze. "I know that it may feel odd to say this but… I know how they feel. What it's like to lose a home. I mean, I know not on the scale they just experienced-"

"It's alright." Bucky assured. "I think we're one of the few that actually get it better than most."

"So then what should we do?"

The Winter Soldier shrugged at that, feeling the answer to be simple.

"Get back at Ultron and tear him a new one."

Celeste shook her head in amusement. "That's not necessarily the Jedi way."

"But the Avengers and the Masters of the Mystic Arts aren't exactly Jedi now, are they?"

She snorts a little. "You got me there."

Back at the Jedi Temple Hangar bay, one jade Amazon was walking through the area with a despondent gaze. She had been wandering for some time and had found herself, not necessarily paying attention to where she was going, which is why she was here now.

In her aimless wandering, her focus was primarily on the clones. Seeing whatever she could past their helmets which hid their distraught of what just occurred not so long ago. She was still getting used to the idea of being on a city planet filled to the brim with literal thousands of alien species but after her first real outing in this galaxy as an Avenger, she was hard-pressed to look at anyone other than the clones.

And every time she passed by a clone, nothing but guilt and disappointment with herself came over her.

She knows that she only just got to this galaxy but this monumental failure of horrific proportions weighed heavily on her soul. Jen actually felt especially horrible at the fact that she allowed her emotions on what that metal bastard did to her cousin than what really mattered at the time.

And that was getting that AI piece of shit off Kamino.

What a "spectacular" debut.

Distracted as she was, she didn't notice the coming collision until it was too late. A Clone with orange accented armor was looking down at a datapad with a grim gaze and walked right into Jen, the pair bumping into each other, nearly tumbling from the impact.

She-Hulk slightly flailed her arms but was quick to recover, seeing the Clone about to fall and threw her arm out to grab his chest piece and keep him from tumbling over.

The clone gave her a grateful look, "Apologies, ma'am."

"No, no, that was my fault." Jen stated. "My mind was… miles away."

The clone had a look of understanding, holding up his datapad. "So is everyone else's right now."

"You got that right." Was her remark, the clone giving her a scrutinizing gaze.

"You're Jennifer Walters, right? One of the new Avengers that came from Earth?"

"I go by Jen, but yes." The lawyer looked at the clone's armor. She recalled everything she could about the person as best as her memory was able to. The distinct coloring and equipment on his armor coupled with the distinct scar over his left eye made her mind flash back to him always by the side of the Jedi known as Obi-Wan Kenobi. "You're um… you're Commander Cody, right?"

The identified Clone nodded. "I am. Impressive that you remembered my face, Ma'am."

"No need for that formality, Cody." Walters said with a friendly smile. "You can just call me Jen. And I'm a lawyer. I have to be able to learn faces and all. Even with Clones."

"Useful trait. Though I haven't heard the best of descriptions about lawyers." Cody apologetically said.

She-Hulk snorted, patting the Commander on the shoulder. "Believe you me, Commander, Lawyers like Matt and I are the exception, not the norm. We hope to change that in the future."

Cody smirked at that. "Then I wish you luck Ma- Jen."

"Thanks. We'll need it."

With a small nod, the Commander turned to leave when She-Hulk felt compelled to speak again.

"I'm sorry." She blurted out.

Cody stopped in his stride, looking back at the Jade woman with a confused look.

"Pardon?"

"I'm sorry… about your home." She lamely added.

The commander composes himself, giving her a nod. "I appreciate it, Jen."

"No, no, it's not that it's," She-Hulk had a look of self-loathing. "We failed. That was your home and we allowed that metal bastard to take it from you. The Avengers faced Ultron before, with only nine members when they did and they beat him back. There were more than two dozen of us and we couldn't even slow him down."

Cody frowned at this, now walking up to the green Amazon. "Ms. Walters, you should know that you can't place this blame solely on yourself. What happened was all our failure. Ultron was one step ahead of us and he got the drop on the entire galaxy. We can't stand around here and just allow our insecurities and failings to take hold of us."

"But I let my own selfishness get in the way." She-Hulk stressed out. "I was angry, wanted to beat Ultron into dust cuz of what he did to my cousin before he went missing. I should have held him or tried to keep him from doing more or just-"

"Jen." Cody cut her off. "It's alright. We understand, truly, we do. But right now, this kind of thought process will lead you nowhere but mistakes and further despair. Right now, I believe that we have to lean on each other for support and be ready for the time when we finally scrap that clanker to the scrap yard where he belongs."

Walters was silent for a few minutes before a coy, impressed smile wormed its way onto her face.

"You really have a way with words, Commander." She said, her demeanor taking a turn. "Where'd you learn to talk like that?"

Surprised by her shift in mood, Cody still found himself smirking all the same.

"Well, Ms. Walters, when General Kenobi is your commanding officer, you learn to pick up on a great deal of quirks and tricks, especially considering the fact that the man is quite the talker."

"I picked up on that when I met him." Jen remarked with a small hum. "Say, Commander, anything I can do to help you right now? Move some equipment around? Lift up a tank? Entertain the boys?"

"Lift a tank?" Cody repeated in amusement. "Wait, can you?"

"Are you really gonna question that after everything you've seen the Avengers do?" Jen cockily said, striking a pose and flexing one of her arms. "These guns aren't just for show, Commander. And you can look but to touch will cost you extra."

The saucy wink sent his way made the Commander reel back from her brazen flirt, feeling a bit uncomfortable with this new situation. It dispelled with how quickly Jennifer began to laugh at his face.

"You're not used to girls flirting with you, aren't ya?"

Cody looked away with an annoyed look. "I don't have time for such matters, Ms. Walters."

"Then you need to learn to have fun, Commander." Jen said with a roguish grin. "And knock it with the Miss title. I ain't that old yet."

"I know from my boys not to comment on age for women." Cody airily said, getting a laugh out of the Avenger.

"Come on." She then walked over to him, patting his shoulder as lightly as she could. "How bout you introduce me to the rest of your men proper and I can help out how I can. Better than walking around moping all day."

The Clone didn't have time to respond, watching the woman turn and walk in the direction he was initially going to. Having a feeling that she wasn't one to be so easily changed in mind once she set it on something, Cody jogged quickly to catch up to her and took charge of where they were going.

Back at the Avenger's HQ on Earth, similar discussions were underway.

"You did your best in a tough situation, Katy. We all did. Beating yourself up over it won't make you feel any better."

"Can't we?" Katy Chen moped about in a depressed state. "I don't think we did our best. I sure didn't. I could've done more… I should have done more."

Over to the side, Hank Pym sighed, seeing his employee's state as Shaun was doing his best to cheer her up.

He was brought up to speed not long ago when the others returned. It practically got him very nervous about what just occurred with Ultron taking two major planets rather simultaneously. During all this, Tony's rogue AI creation had hit several others to spread the forces thin until it was too late.

It was quite the strategic move. One which was successful at a drastic scale.

As a result, it made things much harder for Hank and the other eggheads to come up with a solution in taking Ultron out.

He, like the others on Earth prior to finally connecting the Infinity Gate to the Galaxy Far, Far Away, received notes and ideas from Scott and Peter about possible equations that could lead to a means of taking out Ultron.

While the initial idea was sound, there were many variables that needed to be taken into account. Primarily, the latest report being that of Vision's failure in trapping Ultron from body hopping as he did back here on Earth.

How the AI managed to repel the android in an unfamiliar manner.

So, in essence, to a degree, they were back to square one.

"Katy, come on, this was your first-ever battle in space. Our first ever battle." Shaun stressed out, giving her a pleading look.

"Shaun, come on, how can you say that when you're you?" Katy moaned a bit childishly but the pain in her eyes was evident to see.

"Being trained to be an assassin over fighting in a literal battlefield that's a full-scale war is a bit more intense than what I was used to." Shang-Chi countered with a strained smile.

Katy only dropped her head, releasing a groan before plopping down to the floor with a shudder.

Hank glanced over from his work, a saddened frown on his face as he saw her shaking and could hear her crying softly.

Shaun was immediately by her side, trying to help her sit up, pulling out a napkin he had in his pocket to wipe away her tears.

"Hey, hey, hey, Katy, come on." The wielder of the Ten Rings muttered, hefting her upper half up into a hug. "Easy, easy. I gotcha."

"So many people died." Katy wept, clinging onto Shaun. "I… I didn't want to see that."

"Whoa."

Shaun and Hank looked up to see Danny and Luke having entered the lab.

"Gentlemen?" Pym greeted cordially. "Is something wrong?"

"Well, we got a notification from Cap and Stark about meeting up at Coruscant but…" Cage left the statement unfinished, looking down at Katy who was still crying.

"Hey, Katy," Danny walked over to her and Shaun, kneeling in front of them. "Are you alright?"

The Iron Fist silently locked eyes with Shang-Chi, his friend shaking his head with a look of remorse. Shaun shook his head and Rand sighed.

"Do you want us to do anything?" Luke softly asked, now standing next to the trio.

Katy shuddered, hands over her face. "Just… make me forget what happened."

Hank sighed aloud, shaking his head, a forlorn and distant gaze in his eyes.

"If only it were that easy." Pym said with a slight rasp in his voice. He moved from his work station, walked over to the four Avengers and held a hand out for the distraught archer.

With some assistance from Shaun, Katy was lifted back up to her feet by Hank, the man gently placing both his hands on her shoulders.

"Katy," He said quietly. "I can't say I fully understand just what it is you're suffering through but I can say that allowing yourself to fall into that pit is a one-way ticket to regret and bitterness. Trust me on that, at least."

Katy's lower lip trembled with fresh tears ready to spill but she remained silent as her employer continued on.

"What you need to do right now is to have the people around you be your crutch to help you keep moving before you're able to run again."

She felt Shaun give her a small squeeze and that brought a small grateful smile from the former valet.

"It'll be a while for you to overcome your grief. You need to learn to let go. It may not be now. It may not be in the foreseeable future. All I can say is that holding onto it for so long will not be good for you."

Katy sniffled.

"You can relate with those who have experienced it." Danny chimed in.

"Meaning everyone else here." Luke deadpanned, making his friend wince.

"Talk to Mr. Wilson," Hank spoke up. "From what I've heard, he's quite the… well, he never called himself a therapist or psychiatrist. But he's a man who knows how to listen and gives sage advice."

"Besides," Shaun's expression brightened suddenly. "You still have a lot of kids to save and bring home to their families. Can't have you out of the team like that, can we? Clint would be proud."

At that, a true smile broke out from the master-archer-in-training and that in turn alleviated the men around her.

"Thanks you guys." She tearfully said. "You're the best."

Whereas one conversation was heartwarming, one was clearly the opposite.

"Echo…" Hevy slowly said, seeing his batchmate breathing heavily, arms in his head, seated in his bed in the barracks.

"I should've been there." The ARC Sorcerer to be said in pure self-loathing. "Our home. Our brothers. 99-"

"It wouldn't have changed-" Cutup spoke up only to be cut off.

"You wouldn't know!" Echo roared, getting up from his bed and right in the face of his brother who was completely unphased. There was only a sorrowful somberness returning the fierce and pained gaze of the Clone.

Echo of Domino Squad had returned to his home galaxy alongside many of his fellow clones from Kamar-Taj. Originally, they believed their intentions of reunions would be pleasant, in a sense, given the present conflicts. Where they would come back and stun their brothers of the progress some of them had made in the short time apart, learning about the higher mysteries of the universe. However, they received devastating news.

The attack of Ultron on three different systems.

All being a diversion for his true targets.

Cato Neimoidia and Kamino getting taken.

And worst of all…

99…

"Echo." Fives said in a low tone. "You being there wouldn't have made a difference."

"How can you say that?!" Echo jabbed a finger at the tattooed clone, sparks flying from his fingertips.

His batchmates all blinked at the small display of magic but remained stoic, waiting for Echo to calm down which he does.

To a degree at least.

He falls back down onto his bed, hiding his face in his hands as one stray tear falls from his eye.

"All of it?" Echo croaked. "He took it all?"

"Every single city." Hevy grimly answered. "Every single Clone that wasn't evacuated…"

"And how many were… converted?" The word was like acid in Echo's mouth.

"Assumptions are… drastic. Assuming… every last one."

"Give me a number!" Echo demanded.

"Seven to eight hundred million." Fives revealed, his voice barely a whisper.

The ashen look on the ARC trooper's face said it all. It was the same one Fives, Hevy, Cutup and every Clone that wasn't on Kamino had.

"Sev-Eight…" The number didn't seem to compute with Echo, Fives silently placing a hand on his brother's shoulder.

There was a hollow silence shared between Domino squad until their mystic brother stood to walk away.

"Oi, Where are you going?" Cutup called out to him.

"Unleashing some pent-up aggression." Echo said aloud, not looking back at them.

It wouldn't be until later his brothers learned he had basically demolished part of the training yard. Those who witnessed this would report him basically displaying much of what he and the others learned from their time in the other galaxy.

Of course, this would result in Echo being reprimanded for a number of reasons yet no punishment came. Just a verbal scolding to not do too much damage next time.

Despite this, Echo's own ethics and belief in duty made him clean the mess he made though not without assistance from the rest of the 501st.

Concurrently to all this, one of the newer members of the fiercest division in the GAR was on the hunt, or rather, she was searching for the lost Captain of the 501st.

She asked all the boys and they could only giving her scant directions with some memory of where they last saw the bravest Clone Trooper in the galaxy.

Eventually, she found her target.

Deliah watched in silence as Rex took apart his pistols.

He had been at this for a while now, the Zeltron having lost track of how long he had been doing the repetitive exercise.

She held a sad frown at the Clone Captain, seeing how, despite his expression being stoic, there was a raging fire of pure, unadulterated anger mixed with heartbreaking grief in his eyes. Deliah didn't miss the few times Rex nearly broke his weapons due to how much force he applied to them.

Seeing him slam down his rebuilt pistol for what felt like the hundredth time today, Blue walked forward, reaching for him just as he was about to start the whole process over again.

"I think you've abused your pistols enough, Captain." Deliah gently said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"They've gone through a lot during the war." Rex responds, not looking away from his maintenance process. "They can deal with more."

Not being put off, Deliah sat adjacent to the Captain and placed her hands over his, preventing him from working any further.

"But you can't." She quietly said with a firm tone.

"I can." Rex stressed out, moving his hands away from her only for the pink-skinned woman to grab them.

"No, not like this, you can't."

Rex scoffed, pulling his hands out of hers, and stood to pace around, muttering to himself with his hands on his hips.

"Rex." Deliah said, standing up from the bench, and watching him walk around. "Rex, please."

"Please?" The Captain of the 501st sneered, not looking at her. "Please what?"

Deliah released a sigh, her face conveying sorrow at seeing the normally unbreakable Captain in such a state.

"I get it." She approached him, about to try to take his hand again. "You're distracting yourself with what happened. I would to if my home was taken and-"

"Why do you care?!" Rex suddenly rounded on her with a fearsome glare that would cower most anyone caught in it. "What do you even know?! How could you even begin to possibly understand anything that we're going through?! You're not a Clone, you're not one of us! You have no idea what it is like to have your life predetermined to such an outcome, no concept of the loss my brothers suffer through every single day! You're not a soldier! You're just a lost woman who just waltzed into the Grand Army, thinking you have a place here but you don't. You're a civilian and nothing more!"

The Clone was breathing heavily, eyes ablaze with emotions, the man feeling like he was about to explode again when he froze.

He saw Deliah having silent tears streaming down her cheeks and he felt something that could only be described as quite possibly one of the worst feelings he had ever had. It somehow rivaled what he and all Clones felt after leaving Kamino.

Rex saw hurt and pain in her eyes due to his words yet… not in the way of them hurting her by what he said. Rather, the pain came from sympathy and empathy, the Zeltron reaching forward to place a delicate hand on the Captain's cheek before the man had a chance to say anything else.

The Clone jolted slightly from the touch but didn't pull away, allowing Blue to step closer to him, placing her other hand on his chest.

"Oh Rex," Her voice was barely above a whisper. "I am truly sorry. I wish I could give you the words to lessen your pain but I can't."

It was at this point did Rex break out of his stupor and did the weight of everything he had just said to Deliah came crashing down upon him.

Now that feeling from before escalated and he felt horrible. "N-no, Deliah, I-"

He was silenced when she moved her hand from his cheek, placing her fingertips over his mouth, silencing him.

"You have nothing to apologize for." Deliah quietly assured, giving him a kind, tearful smile. "I know you didn't mean any of that."

Rex shook his head. "But I still shouldn't have-"

She gently shushed, placing both her hands on either side of his head now.

"I understand," Blue murmured, her right thumb gently moving back and forth to further soothe him. "What you just went through… what all of your brothers just experienced… that is a pain I cannot properly fathom. But the loss of someone you hold dear? That is something I understand. And the resentment and confusion that comes with it that causes you to lash out."

Rex didn't know how to verbally respond to this so instead, he slowly reached for her left hand and placed his hand over it. In return, Deliah lifted her hand, taking Rex's and bringing it to her lips for a chaste kiss.

This action stirred something within the Captain's chest, the Clone releasing a breath he didn't realize he had been holding.

Smiling lovingly now, she slowly pulled Rex into an embrace, stroking his head softly.

"It's ok, Rex." Blue whispered. "You can have me for this at least."

Rex was truly at a loss as to what to do as this entire experience was new to him. So he had to resort to instinct, what felt natural to him. His arms cautiously wrapped themselves awkwardly around her and despite their position, Deliah couldn't help but giggle at the trooper's inexperience.

Adjusting his arm placements, one was placed on her upper back whilst the other was a tad lower and Rex felt a tinge of heat in his face. But that was a reaction that was short-lived as Deliah leaned her wavy blue hair against his cheek.

The Clone Trooper felt a weight being lifted off his shoulder as he tightened his embrace with Deliah and he just… allowed this moment to flow through him.

Rex trembled slightly and he felt Deliah gently rub the back of his head, letting out a soothing hum.

Without having realized it until he felt it, Rex felt several silent tears streak down his face, the man actually pulling away from Blue, tapping his cheek to see his fingertips have some moisture on them.

Seeing this reaction, Deliah tilted her head, cupping the back of his hand.

"First time crying?" She softly asked and Rex slowly nodded as this was quite possibly the first time he had experienced something like this.

He sniffed slightly, wiping his tears dry only for Deliah to surprise him with a cloth she had… was it in her pocket? Regardless, she used the fabric to wipe his face and the corners of his eyes, giving him a warm smile that made his insides squirm.

"Why?" He abruptly asked, making Deliah blink.

"Hmmm?"

"Why do all this?" Rex questioned with uncertainty. "Why… why me?"

"What do you mean?"

"This," Rex emphasized, gesturing between himself and her. "All this that you've been doing since you joined the 501st."

A moment later, realization dawned on the Zeltron, the woman releasing a small "ah".

"Well," Deliah held a more aloof tone now, turning her gaze away from the trooper with a bit of a darker color tinging her pink cheeks. "Unfortunately or maybe it is fortunate… you fall into the category of being my type."

Rex raised a brow at that.

"Your… type?" He parroted, Blue nodding her head.

"Yes." She whimsically said with an overdramatic sigh, reaching up to stroke his cheek. "The brave, strong-willed, loyal men who can be quite rebellious in their own right when put into that situation. And exceptionally handsome."

Rex looked a bit thrown by such a description, giving her a bewildered and amused look.

"Handsome? You do know I share the same face with over a billion other men." He pointed out.

"Oh~ do you now?" Deliah put on a babyish tone, now pinching the Captain's cheek. "Well, I beg to differ. Strong jawline, unique hair, unique armor, a one-of-a-kind view and someone that many admire and respect. I don't think I've ever heard anything bad spoken about you by your men or General Skywalker and Commander Tano."

"They're," Rex actually looked away with a bashful gaze. "They're just over-exaggerating."

"I'll make that judgment for myself." Blue cheekily said, making Rex turn back to her with a jokingly strained smile.

"You enjoy doing this to me, don't you?" Rex deadpanned at her.

"It's one of the few things in life that never fails to bring me joy." The Zeltron cheerfully said, laughing at the Clone's expression, the man grumbling at her laughter.

"By order of your captain, you are to stop." He said in a low voice, which only served to increase Deliah's octave in laughing at him.

"I guess you're gonna have to chalk that one up to insubordination." She remarked.

Rex 'hmphed' with a small smile. "Guess I will."

Silence befell the pair with both gazing at one another for a few seconds until Deliah released a sigh.

"You know Rex," He slightly angled his head to convey that he was listening. "I may have only seen a handful of those films the Avengers brought over from Earth but I've seen enough to know that this would be the part where the man kisses the lady."

That made the Captain's eyes widen and he opened his mouth, about to rebuke or form some kind of comment but Deliah beat him to it.

"But you're still learning so I guess I'll have to be the one to do it."

Before he could respond, the Zeltron gently pulled his head down, mashing her lips against his own and the Captain's mind shut down.

He felt the buxom engineer press her entire body against his, releasing a satisfying moan, and wrapping her arms around him. The Clone's mind was going haywire for a good few seconds until he allowed a more primal instinct to take over and soon responded in kind.

This in turn caused a high-pitched squeal from Deliah making Rex pull away.

"Are you alright?" He worriedly asked. "I didn't hurt you-"

*Bop*

Delilah cut him off with a slight tap on his forehead, pouting with a flushed face.

"You bantha fodder, you're not supposed to stop." She whined and quickly pulled Rex back in for another kiss before he could even have a chance to respond.

The man still was in the process of getting used to this new feeling but responded more naturally this time with a bit of assistance of arm placement courtesy of Deliah. The sensual moan Blue released drove that primal feeling within Rex Wild.

They remained lip-locked for a good few moments until Deliah pulled away, her hands back on his cheeks again and her forehead leaning against his.

"Mmmm." She hummed, giving the Captain a seductive gaze that he averted his gaze from, his face heating up again. Deliah giggled at this reaction, finding it positively endearing, giving him another quick peck on the lips.

"Not bad, Captain Rex." She teased. "You seem to adapt quite well to any given scenario."

The Clone released a breathless sigh, tilting his head back to shake it as his mind was coming to grips with what just transpired.

"You… You're just," Rex chuckled lowly. "Well, that's one way to… cheer me up. I suppose."

"And that means I win the bet."

The Captain of the 501st blinked, looking at the Zeltron strangely. "Bet? What bet?"

"The one between myself and the rest of the men." Deliah plainly answered. "Some hoped that you would be the one to make a move and a few thought it would be the two of us but Hardcase and Domino squad agreed with me that I'd be first."

Hearing this, Rex frowned, giving Blue a scrutinizing look. "What brought this about?"

Deliah casually shrugged, resting her hands on his chest now.

"Well the boys apparently liked the idea of their brave Captain Rex having a lady friend around to help comfort him whenever you were stressed or overworked and…"

She left the statement hanging, making Rex actually grow upset.

"Deliah, I'm not gonna use you or-"

He was interrupted by Blue throwing her head back with a laugh.

"Use me?" Deliah said through her laughter. "Rex, sweetie, I don't have to think twice about the idea of you ever "using" me for pleasure."

"Then what-"

"I think they just wanted you to have someone more intimate and personal to be with." Deliah quietly said, letting out a sad sigh. "I had hoped that maybe… we could've had a moment to ourselves soon after that last date you took me on but after what Ultron did…" Her lip trembled at the thought and she shook her head. "No, I wanted, needed to do this now. To have this with you."

"Deliah," Rex whispered. "I don't want you to be forcing yourself into this."

Deliah snorted slightly, giving the Captain a wry look. "Rex, come now, I know you've met my friend Dani. You should know by now what kind of people Zeltron are. We see someone that catches our fancy and we pursue them, ready to throw ourselves at our person of interest."

"Yeah, learning that right about now." Rex said in a low voice, causing Deliah to giggle at his words and despite what was on his mind, he found himself smiling at her.

"Deliah," He softly said, making her look into his eyes as he gently placed his hands over hers. "Thank you."

The Zeltron hummed aloud, leaning up to place a more chaste kiss for a few moments before pulling back.

"And thank you, Rex." She affectionately said. "I think I'm starting to find my place in this galaxy a lot easier now."

"And I… I-I-I… Urgh." Rex released a groan that caused Deliah to giggle. "You are insufferable."

"Better get used to it, Captain." She teased, a mischievous glint in her eyes mixed with a sensual smile that made that primal feeling in the Clone Trooper stir once more. "Because I am gonna enjoy every second I get with you alone."

Rex only grunted, smiling all the same. He didn't say anything yet the look in his eyes conveyed enough with Deliah beaming happily at him, leaning her forehead against his.

Elsewhere…

In the new barracks of the Bad Batch, some of its members were consoling Omega.

She was more or less in the same state when they left Kamino. She had exhausted herself from crying, having her fall asleep as an eventual result. But after waking up, she was very quiet and out of focus.

Wrecker stayed by her side the entire time, having given her Lula to hold onto which she did while leaning her small frame on her older brother's lap.

Though she no longer cried aloud, occasional silent tears streamed down her cheeks, her eyes almost never blinking in all that time.

"She needs to get some rest, Hunter." Tech quietly said out of earshot. "I can make something for her."

"Would that even work?" Crosshairs asked, his usual aloof and snark all but gone at this point. The sniper had his eyes on the young girl, a conflicted expression in his eyes, watching as Wrecker placed a hand on her shoulder and she in turn grabbed it and pulled it around her and hugged the hand close to her.

Hunter was silent, keeping an emotionless exterior yet the eyes gave way to the conflict within.

He was truly at a loss right now.

On the one hand, his emotional rage was all but demanding that they get any and every type of weapon of mass destruction and bring the fireworks to Ultron. But on the other hand, his pragmatic side mixed with sympathetic emotions reigned him in, basically reminding him that he had a duty to his batchmates, the GAR and now, Omega.

"Just keep an eye on her." Hunter softly said. "We'll take turns."

"Going somewhere?" Crosshairs asked, his face-painted leader nodding.

"Gonna meet up with some of the other Commanders and Captains. Maybe talk to the Jedi. See what our next move is."

"Is that wise, Hunter?" Tech inquired.

"Is there any move that's gonna be wise, right now?" Hunter rhetorically asked.

He was met with silence and he walked away.

-Scene Cut-

Welp, it's official. Everything has been thrown into the crapper.

Many years of planning were utterly ruined.

So much so, Sheev Palpatine, Dark Lord of the Sith, a man who should be feared across the galaxy for his power and influence, opened up the most expensive wine in his private stores and chugged the whole bottle. All before bashing the empty container against the wall of his office.

Ultron greatly outsmarted him and the rest on the great Dejarik board of the galaxy. Practically flipped the table and scattered the pieces everywhere.

It'll take Force knows how long to recover from this. Working from scratch with the shambles and scraps laid before him of what was Darth Bane's intended goal from over a thousand years ago.

All that work, all that effort… likely, if not already, completely gone.

So much planning, so many plots, meticulous details, all thrown out into the endless void.

With the loss of Kamino, the GAR will now have to officially recruit citizens. While the CIS had never bothered doing this with their droids, they would all but adopt the idea from the Republic to administer their own open registration for the army. Cato Neimoidia was a financial blow to all and they were feeling it.

What's next? The Banking Clan being destroyed and sending the galaxy into true financial ruin? The downfall of the Hutt Cartels? A planet-eating monster coming in to finish the job?

What made these thoughts worse for Sidious was, after seeing and hearing everything that had come to pass since the start of the war and the arrival of the Avengers, these ideas could now be considered actual possibilities.

The madness of it all.

But the Sith Lord's thoughts returned to the more demanding issue on his mind.

Kamino has been lost.

And with it, all productions of Clone Troopers for the Republic.

It'll be a while to find another set of mass-producing cloning facilities. Time and credits they just don't have to spare.

Depending on the duration of the Ultron conflict, the Clones will be outnumbered by the drafted, thus negating Order 66 in its entirety. In turn, the Jedi's fall would never happen as intended. At least, not as he once hoped.

Force, how tempting was it right now to just initiate said Order and let those Jedi scum have it.

In his mind, be it wishful thinking, that would at least deal with one obstacle for the Sith Lord. Problem is, Palpatine knows that he and the rest of the galaxy still have a need for the Jedi, loathe as he was to admit it. Made him sick to even say that in his mind, really.

To him, they were now a necessary good to take out a bigger evil.

Still hated to fathom such an idea.

He loved being able to so easily manipulate those pious fools for years at this point, learning their secrets all while cackling under the veneer of a gentleman politician that "wanted what was best for the galaxy".

That tune has changed now.

Sheev literally seethed in anger. It took a herculean effort for him to not unleash his full, bottling wrath.

Any previous means of salvaging the Grand Sith Plan is tossed aside as Palpatine will now have to focus more on his Chancellor duties so he won't appear contradicting to the Republic. The same will no doubt occur for Dooku as he'll be greatly rallying the Separatists.

They actually had to do their jobs as the leaders of their respective governments and actually lead them. Not like they weren't doing so already but this time, one could say it was "for real" and not the mummers act they had been putting on for so long.

All in the efforts to bring down Ultron.

KRA-KROOOOM

The brief crack of thunder over Coruscant broke Sidious out of his thoughts and he immediately felt an even greater rage take over.

Ultron wasn't the only ire of his anger and hatred.

No. Ooooh NO.

His eyes, shifting into a sickly yellow, turned their gaze towards a building that was now more pronounced than ever. The home to those who were the genesis of all that plagued the Sith Lord at this time.

What was once a simple, meaningless structure in the endless cityscape of Coruscant now stood as a Beacon in the commotion of the planet.

It took a while for the public to learn of where the Avengers took residency on this planet.

Now, there was a gaudy, emblazoned large "A" on the building to let everyone know just where they operated out of.

He heard them mentioning that they had the same thing back on Earth.

So they were as egotistical there as they were here.

The sight utterly mocked him. Like a big middle finger right at his face. Worse than those pathetic, Jedi weaklings.

And what's more, a genuine challenge to him and his power.

He knew it and they knew it.

But if they thought for a second that they could just disrupt everything he had been planning, then Earth's Mightiest Heroes were in for a rude awakening.

Once Ultron was dealt with, the Avengers' reckoning would come.

Darth Sidious would make sure of it.

Whilst the Sith Lord seethed to himself, a woman from his home planet was in the kitchen of her apartment, a solemn silence in her work as she prepared something to eat for herself and her husband.

She released a shaky breath, trying to cool her nerves as she nearly slipped up on cutting the needed ingredients and almost sliced her hand open.

With everything happening now, Padme needed something to distract herself. Personally cooking sometimes worked.

An old recipe that her mother always cooked should do the trick.

Just thinking of her family and the fact that they were alive and well after the attack on Naboo made her pause and look up, thanking the Force, her planet's deities, and whatever other higher powers were out there for keeping her family safe.

The sound of thunder was rather poetic after that prayer.

"Come on Thor, can ya keep it down?" The amused voice of her husband from another room emanated, making Padme laugh to herself.

Anakin had cooked last time, so now it was her turn.

Of course, she would love to cook with him, but right now she'd rather do it by herself for a number of reasons.

She just… needed this.

Frankly, she figured everyone in the galaxy needed something to distract themselves, as briefly as they could at this moment.

While this was happening, in a different part of the Amidala/Skywalker residence, Anakin was working on his craft in the Force.

Not in a meditative sense, but through learning from the past.

His mind kept drifting back to what occurred on Kamino. How the GAR was greatly decimated by Ultron. Him essentially curb-stomping them.

It was not a good feeling but Anakin's mind wasn't on that right now. What the Jedi Knight had zeroed in on was what he managed to do to Ultron, brief as it was on Kamino.

There was something off about him. Far more than the norm.

During their fight and what led up to it, Anakin felt something. Something alien to him when trying to reach out. He meant to reach elsewhere to get some upper-handed instance against Ultron. Instead, he snagged Ultron's attention in an unusual manner.

What happened was… what it was…

Anakin grunted to himself, racking his mind to try and comprehend what it was that he did to Ultron.

That was… he was…

'What was that?!' Anakin shouted in his mind, feeling the Force expunge itself around him in frustration.

He inadvertently cracked the floor around him, quite audibly too.

"Ani?" His wife's voice called out to him in the kitchen. "What was that?"

"N-Nothing, Paddy." He affectionately replied, cringing at the damage he had caused, actually bewildered by how that had even happened. "Just another thunderstorm. You know how Thor is… sorta."

The lack of response meant that his wife bought it, making the man sigh in relief before taking a proper look at the cracked floors and wincing at it.

"How in the hell did I do that?" Anakin murmured to himself, actually kneeling down and trailing his fingers over the damage.

'This is gonna be hard to cover up… outside of putting a rug over it.' The Jedi thought with a dry look before shaking his head to refocus on his earlier thoughts.

It was then that Anakin felt a Force Signature he was growing accustomed to since bringing it back with him from Tython.

Seeking advice, he decided to look for guidance from an unusual source.

Using the Force, he opened a compartment in the wall revealing Darth Marr's Holocron. The unusual looking device floated out from its resting place and settled into Anakin's hands, the Jedi channeling the Force into the storage device.

He let it fall to the ground, the Holocron stopping an inch above the floor as it opened up. It didn't take long for a tall, imposing and broad figure garbed in intimidating armor and a mask to appear.

"Darth Marr." Anakin said with a small bow.

"Ah, Skywalker." The Sith Lord greeted respectfully, taking a moment to gauge the Jedi. "You appear troubled." Marr states.

"Troubled is simplifying what I'm feeling right now." Anakin admitted, shaking his head and resting his hands on his hips.

Marr was silent for a moment. The holocrons guardian shifted slightly to focus on Vader's lightsaber. "I doubt it's on seeking further advice of cleansing that lightsaber."

Skywalker briefly looked down at the saber and scoffed, waving his hand off. "It's not."

"Then what is it?"

"Kamino has fallen."

"...Interesting. Wondered how long it would last. Apparently, their time has finally come."

Anakin narrowed his eyes at the Sith Lord. "How could you have possibly known they would fall? And how could you even say that?"

"As you grow older, you tend to look at history a whole lot more." Said the guardian. "Like any government, order, or empire, planets and systems rise and fall. It is inevitable. Like a continuous cycle."

The Jedi Knight held his hands up, a flash of annoyance across his face. "Marr, I appreciate the lesson, I do, but I'm not here for history. What I need is guidance. This is beyond important. Life itself in the galaxy is threatened."

"Ultron, I assume, yes?" The Sith spirit saw Anakin nod. "What is the extent of his actions?"

"He's the one that took Kamino." Anakin answered emphatically. "Everyone on that planet that didn't make it out got killed and converted into his army."

Marr was silent as he processed this information.

"Tell me everything."

Anakin was quick to recount all that occurred, Ultron's attack and victory, how he went about doing it and the recent upgrades the AI has made to his arsenal.

And when Skywalker brought up the use of altered and transformed Kyber Crystals did Darth Marr really get his interest piqued.

"And you're telling me that Ultron had accomplished all of this with the use of… altered Kyber crystals?"

"Yes. How he converts organic matter and how he felt so powerful to the point that I could feel him in the Force itself when I couldn't before."

This had the Holocron guardian ponder. "Fascinating. I have never considered such a possibility yet here we are."

"I get that but what does it mean, Marr?" Anakin asked with a hint of stress. "That was unlike anything I had ever felt in the Force before."

"I can imagine. Kyber crystals, as you know, are more than just rocks. They do more than just power a lightsaber. They are a source of energy and that energy is directly linked to the Force. From what you've described, Ultron has been tinkering with something that is connected to the literal life of the universe." Marr took a moment to further gather his thoughts. "Perhaps… and this is truly something one could say is a revolutionary step in the way of understanding how the Force operates, Ultron made a breakthrough without even knowing about it. Through such connections of a unique hive mind, I believe he inadvertently obtained ties with the Force."

This was a disturbing thought but one that made Anakin consider this to be a reality if it wasn't already. The more thought he gave it, the more likely this to be the case. "Given the use of the dead and a lot of forcibly converted as his puppets, yes he probably would. More so when controlling Force adepts."

Marr nodded. "Clearly. But this is something else entirely. Ultron has imbued himself with pure Kyber, corrupting it but it still is Kyber all the same. Something that holds a powerful presence in the Force be it from the largest cavern of it to the tiniest grain. Can you describe to me again just what is was you felt when you reached out to Ultron? Speak it out loud, slow and take every moment to consider your words. The answer you seek can come to you in that fashion."

Anakin nodded and frowned in thought.

"Ok… so when I reached out to Ultron… there was a concentration that I did… there was… was it a signature? Yeah… yes, yes it was. So when I did do that… I felt like I grabbed… something inside Ultron. Not his body, no, not in a physical way, more like the spiri…tual… wait… no… did I… was that…?"

A look of incredulity appeared on his face as the probability set in of just what it could be that he had snagged onto.

"Was that… Ultron's soul?!"

Darth Marr crossed his arms in thought and tilted his head to the side, the visor on his mask directed at Anakin.

"A possibility? No, perhaps a certainty." The Ancient Dark Lord commented.

"But he's a droid, an AI, a machine." Anakin listed off. "How can-"

Anakin was cut off by the sound of beeping from an astromech, one who has faithfully served by his side for years now. One whom he actually risked his life to save on numerous occasions as he had for him.

"Really now, R2, it is a simple dinner." Came the ditzy and neurotic response of C-3P0. "No need for extravagance."

The Jedi turned his head in their direction and held a more contemplative frown, one that held a small deal of conflict now that he reflected on his statement. He heard the two continue to bicker, a small feeling of nostalgia washing over him.

"Though our time together has been brief, Skywalker, from everything you've shown and told me, I have come to accept that the impossibility is no longer shackled to just matters revolving around the Force." Marr commented.

"That's rather quick of you." Anakin noted.

"When you have been granted understanding beyond the mortal plane, things get put into perspective." The Sith Lord countered. "So yes, there is a likely chance, if not an absolute guarantee that what you had "grabbed hold of" was none other than Ultron's soul or spirit. Granted to him by his creation and his pursuit of evolution, as you told me."

The brown-haired Jedi ran his hand through said hair with a conflicted and bewildered expression. Such a thing was so alien to him but what else could that have been?

"Guess I'll have to talk to the others about this." Anakin resolutely said with Marr nodding in agreement.

"Now, what else is on your mind, young Skywalker?"

The Jedi was about to dismiss him when he paused midway through opening his mouth and quickly placed his hand on his chin.

"Yeah, there is one other thing." He said, quickly elaborating on another phenomenon that occurred during Kamino's fall.

How during the battle, there was a strange sensation, phrasing it like he along with the men of the 501st received a sort of moral boost and strength to fight on with greater vindication.

"Were you aware that you're capable of Battle Meditation?" Was Marr's immediate query, making Anakin frown.

He had long since heard of this technique, reading up on it at the start of the war. This was a Force ability that considerably boosted the morale, stamina, and overall battle prowess of an individual's allies while simultaneously reducing the opposition's combat effectiveness by eroding their will to fight.

"I… wouldn't exactly know. Would it even work on droids?"

"Given you've fought in your present war has been primarily droids, probably understandable to doubt that you would have such a thing." Murr says. "Perhaps a passive trait while on the front lines with your men and comrades, persevering on battle upon battle. Fuller results would be noticed if you're against organic oppositions."

"Maybe. But this feels… different." Skywalker refuted. "I mean it's called Battle Meditation. Don't I need to be stationary to achieve something like that? And I'd rather not sit on my ass in one place while my men are on the frontlines."

"Perhaps you have taken on a different branch of such a skill, one more fit to your character." Marr countered. "A natural evolution that befits the user of the ability."

"But I've never been inclined to Battle Meditation." Anakin stated in confusion. "Isn't that an ability one has to be born with?"

Marr shook his head. "Far from it. It is an ability that one can be born with but also developed. What you have experienced is likely an inadvertent evolution triggered through high pressures of stress and concentration which makes sense given the context of where you were."

"But I've been in stressful situations that require concentration all the time." Anakin argued with a slight deadpan. "Still in a war after all."

"The Force works in mysterious ways."

"Yeah, I know." Skywalker's dryly said.

"So perhaps now was the time for such a development for you." Says Marr. "Skills are discovered quite often at the most unpredictable of times. Some are old to others while new to the rest. However, it all can open several doors to possibilities."

"I don't think I'll have the luxury of developing this type of skill."

"But you already have, you are without realizing it." Marr countered. "This ability, this sensation came about during battle. That is likely the only way to develop this new skill."

"Trial by fire." Anakin murmured to himself.

"In a manner. Since you discovered this new power, a new name should be given to it. Meditation is not one that fits your style. I believe Battle Focus would suffice for this new branch of your arsenal."

Anakin snorted. "Battle Focus? Obi-Wan is gonna have a field day."

"Anakin?"

The Jedi and Sith Spirit turned to see a bewildered Padme with two plates in her hands of cooked Naboo cuisine.

"Oh, Paddy." Anakin apologetically said. "Sorry, got carried away."

"Clearly." She said in bemusement. "And… this is-"

"Darth Marr, Lady Skywalker." The Sith Lord said with a respectful bow. "And while it is a pleasure to meet you, I do believe this is where I exit. I do not wish for your culinary efforts to be in vain."

And with that, Marr dissipated and retreated into the Holocron.

Anakin Force pulled the device into his hand, turning to give his wife a sheepish look.

"I'll explain."

"Over dinner." She said, making her husband laugh as the pair went to the dining table.

"Yeah… we'll have a lot to talk about."

-Scene Cut-

He stood alone in a darkened room, only illuminated by the map of the galaxy on display from the holo-table.

Datapads were sprawled about and many data chits and disks were around them. Everything he could get his hands on about Ultron among many other subjects of any relation or possible connective subjects.

"Pattern…" Mitth'raw'nuruodo muttered to himself, changing the angle of the galaxy map, multiple red dots appearing to signify Ultron's forces. "There is always a pattern, unseen, unnoticed, blatantly there but misunderstood."

A moment later, he picked up a datapad with a recording on it. Red within red eyes bored into the video footage Ultron had broadcasted to the galaxy. Of him taking Kamino. How he rubbed salt into the wound by forcefully converting the "beloved" clone 99 after conversing with him.

The conversation was quite informative.

'Something to archive in the mind palace.' He thought to himself.

This droid, no, this AI, as the Avengers have called him, is far more sentient, human, organic, so to speak than most would describe him to be.

A machine that craves companionship in desolation.

Such a fascinating development. It would make for an effective drama if not for the fact that this was real and the machine wished to wipe out all of life and replace it with his form of "evolution".

Thrawn can't deny that a conversation with Ultron would be enlightening as it would be fascinating but he also knows the caveat would be death and conversion. And he rather enjoyed living, thank you very much.

Before he was able to further his analysis of Ultron's attacks, the door to the room abruptly opened and in came a surprising figure.

Thrawn certainly wasn't expecting the Avenger that was called the Scarlet Witch to suddenly appear in such a manner yet here she was. Looking a bit overwhelmed and confused until her eyes landed on him.

"Sorry for barging in like this." Wanda said with a sheepish smile. "It's just that…"

Thrawn raised a brow. "Just what, Ms. Maximoff?"

"I-" She gave him a peculiar look. "How'd you know my name?"

The Chiss gave her a small look of amusement. "Come now, Ms. Maximoff, the names of you and your team of heroes are known on the lips of all in this galaxy by this point."

The Scarlet Witch knew that she couldn't fault him for that. "Yeah, well, it's still a bit strange. Just call me Wanda. You don't need to have such formality with me."

"Very well, Wanda." Thrawn said with a slight incline of his head. "Thrawn will suffice for me as well. Now, if I may ask, what caused you to come in here so suddenly?"

"Oh, uh," Wanda appeared a bit embarrassed on that, not looking him in the eyes. "Ya see, I don't normally reveal this but I can read minds."

Thrawn's red eyes actually widened considerably at this reveal.

"And when I walked by the door to this room, I sometimes can pick up on people's thoughts passively when I'm not really concentrating all that much. And I heard like… I dunno, a lecture or something going on in here. A whole storm of thought and it was coming from you."

"That's… quite informative." Thrawn mused aloud. "I had no idea that I could cause such a… storm, was it?"

"Again, I'm sorry for just reading your mind like that-"

"Worry not, Wanda." Thrawn calmly interrupted. "Perhaps it is I who should be apologizing for having such loud thoughts. Though do appreciate being informed from you personally. Apologizing, even."

"They weren't loud." Wanda remarked. "Just a lot. I just heard a lot about strategies and stuff."

The Avenger then turned to the galactic map on display.

"Is that what you're doing here?"

"You would be correct on this matter." Thrawn confirmed. "I have been studying and analyzing the attacks and patterns of Ultron for some time now. A means of hopefully predicting his next steps."

Wanda then saw the rest of the room, seeing how many devices he had on hand and blinked.

"You've been keeping yourself busy." Wanda murmured. "Though, this seems a bit excessive."

"I disagree, Lady Maximoff," Thrawn found the look she directed at him rather amusing. "I have come to learn that you must look at every alternative angle and perspective to truly get into the mind of an enemy, especially one so overwhelming as this one. To defeat an enemy, you must know them. Not in terms of just their battle tactics, but their history… Philosophy… Art…"

Wanda made a face at that last part. "Good luck finding such means with him. I don't think art is on Ultron's manifesto."

"Clearly. Ultron's method derives from taking tactics from all walks of life. Plucking out things he deemed unnecessary while keeping the rest for his goals upon his refinements. Playing multiple Dejarik games among several others at the same time."

"Dejarik? Is that this galaxy's version of chess or something?" Wanda inquired.

Thrawn gazed at her inquisitively. "Chess?"

"Oh, you don't know that, right." Wanda muttered apologetically. "It's a board game based on strategy on Earth."

The Chiss hummed at the idea of perhaps learning to play this Chess. And that the word were so similar in sound to his species.

Perhaps a cosmic coincidence.

"I would like to be introduced to it once this all comes to an end." Thrawn commented. "Until then…"

Scarlet Witch's face fell, her eyes having spotted one of the datapads that were currently playing a recording of the destruction Ultron had wrought. This one was on Jabiim, his first victory over the galaxy.

Thrawn saw her telekinetically bring that datapad she was looking at into her hands, seeing the way she gripped it tightly once taking hold of it in her hands.

"Wanda," He spoke up, making her turn to him. "I do not wish to come across as rude but I have heard rumors that you were among some of the original Avengers who battled Ultron on your homeworld."

She nodded. "Yeah, over a year ago in Sokovia."

"Tell me, how was it that you were able to defeat him?"

"A number of factors, really." Wanda airily said.

"Spare no detail." The blue-skinned humanoid said resolutely.

"Would've thought you'd read up on them." Maximoff noted.

"Reading is one thing, hearing it from another perspective is another. And I believe that isn't really in any of the datapads I have on hand. Only the vague details."

Wanda thought back to the last time the Avengers had battled Ultron on Earth.

"To begin with, we had to destroy many of his drones while thwarting his attempt to drop Sokovia from orbit." She saw the look of bewildered intrigue from the Chiss. "He tried to turn my home city into a meteor."

"...unconventional." Was all Thrawn said.

Wanda snorted. "That's one way of calling an extinction plan. Moving on, at one point, Thor, Tony and Vision unleashed a lot of power onto Ultron once Vision had cut off his connection with his drones and ability to hide in our version of the holo-net. I destroyed his main body by ripping out his metallic heart when he tried to sway me one last time. Vision took out the last of the drones, which had the last shred of Ultron's consciousness he managed to squeeze right in."

Thrawn rubbed his chin in all this. "And yet he survived."

"Thanks to Hydra."

"And they are?"

"Story for another time. Ask Steve, he's more suited to give you all the details."

The Chiss nods, filing that for later. "So do you believe Vision to be crucial in the endeavor of stopping Ultron?"

"I did, at first." Wanda said with a strained expression. "But after what he told us about what happened on Kamino… I really don't know."

"Our adversary had learned from his failure."

"You're making it sound like we haven't." Wanda said with narrow eyes.

"I wouldn't say that." Thrawn placatingly said. "I am aware of the other AI in place that has acted as a barrier against Ultron from him being able to further gain access to the systems of the Republic and Separatists. But that is not enough."

The Avenger grumbled to herself before her expression fell.

"I just… I never would have thought he'd come back. And do so much damage."

"With his latest conquest, he most certainly has. Morale has been crippled and strength at such a level will deter all in pursuing him."

"All but us." Maximoff declared, eyes flickering red briefly.

"But can your Avengers alone defeat such a foe?"

"We did it last time."

"This isn't like last time."

"I know!" Wanda snapped, wincing a moment later. "I'm sorry, that was-"

"Understandable." Thrawn was now apologetic. "Forgive me. I pressed too hard, that was unbecoming of me."

There was a beat of awkward silence, or rather, it was awkward for Wanda so she coughed into her hand, turning back to the galactic map.

"So," She expectantly said, seeing him blink. "You must have been cooped up in here reviewing everything Ultron has been doing. Have you come up with something?"

Thrawn turned back to the map and hummed to himself.

"There are several strategies that can be devised, all of which are ones involving high risk. But they will mean nothing so long as Ultron's greatest asset remains within his grasp."

That piqued Wanda's interest. "And what is this "asset" you envision?"

"Time."

"Time?" She repeated, a bit thrown by such a thing.

"Yes, Lady Maximoff, Time."

"You know I told you not to call me Lady."

"-Time has been a luxury that Ultron has used to his advantage for the past year, building strength, unseen by all and unnoticed by even those who once bested him." Thrawn went on, ignoring her comment "And we, at this point, are giving him all the time he needs to continue enacting his plans while the power he holds compounds and grows. The more we simply sit around, recovering and allowing fear and loss to consume us, the more time goes to Ultron, to him perfecting his plans and his own vision for the future. His future. One where we are all dead and converted. Perhaps, and this is only a theory, the best way to for us to undermine Ultron is to have him underestimate us."

"Huh?" That one threw Wanda for a loop. "But Ultron isn't underestimating us… is he?"

"He's not underestimating your team, Wanda." Thrawn emphasized. "Of that, you can be certain. No, he is underestimating the galaxy itself. Ultron understands something that either hasn't been acknowledged or ignored. Though he fights with an army at his beck and call, he fights alone. He understands that attacking the many factions involved in this galaxy will keep them all separate. An enemy that's disorganized and not united is an enemy that Ultron will defeat."

"But he's beaten the Republic and Separatist at the same time on Jabiim."

"And in what state were both of these armies? They had just suffered a catastrophic attack and though Ultron gained no proper ground, he still showed the galaxy that the warring sides are weak. Even with the assistance of the Avengers, absolute victory in the Jabiim system was achieved. Now a more important question. Answer me this, which is bigger: five or one?"

The Scarlet Avenger really fought the urge to peer into Thrawn's mind for the answer. She felt like there was a trick to this answer. However, she decided to play along. "I'd rather say five. But that's not where you're getting at."

Thrawn shot her a please smile. "No, Ms. Maximoff-"

"Wanda

"You would be correct in this matter." He held up his right hand, all digits outstretched. "Five different armies, disjointed, disorganized, each with their own brand of conducting war. The Republic, Mandalorians, Separatists, these… Guardians and Ravagers I've been hearing as of late and any other force out there. All acting on their own. However, one army all unified with a single purpose is stronger than anything imaginable."

"And he's been hitting us individually every single time he's attacked." Wanda quietly said. "Attacking places where he knows victory is absolute."

"Indeed, Wanda." Thrawn stated.

Before either could continue, a beeping came from Wanda's pocket and the Avenger went in to pull out her ID card.

"Steve is calling for a meeting."

Thrawn gestured his hand. "Don't let me hold-"

He blinked at her grabbing his wrist and pulling him out of the room.

"What are you doing?"

"You're coming with me." She stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the universe.

-Scene Cut-

Within a large meeting room in the Jedi temple, the entirety of the Avengers, the Jedi Council, and many high-ranking Jedi officials along with their Padawans, Clone Commanders and Captains had all gathered. Even a number of Republic officials were thrown into the mix.

At the center of it all stood Anakin Skywalker, recounting the latest battle and loss before finally focusing on his latest revelation that he was certain was to be received with a mixed reception.

"Ultron having a soul?" Came one of the responses.

"Rather farfetched."

"Think you can push it out, Strange?" Tony asked with the Sorcerer deadpanning at the inventor.

"Sure Tony, let me just call Ultron up and ask. I'm sure he'd love to give it a try."

"Anakin, are you sure about this?" Obi-Wan asked, a frown on his face though not one that disregarded what his former pupil had said.

"No." Skywalker freely admitted. "But I'm not discounting the idea either. What that was on Kamino was unlike anything I have ever felt. And for the past year, we've seen a lot that can be considered impossible, no? Even outside of the Force entirely."

Many now turned to the Avengers who all blankly stared back at them.

"So, what? We're all a display case for you to gawk at now?" Stark dryly commented.

"Came about, perhaps it did." Yoda spoke up sagely. "To expect that which is unforeseen, we must. Skywalker, a place of beginning, you have?"

"Well," Anakin scratched his head. "I haven't gone that far, Master Yoda."

Vision adds his thoughts on the matter. "Perhaps with him having been touched by the Mind Stone for his creation, one may believe it was a starting point."

Many thoughtful expressions came about.

"The Infinity Stones are connected to the cosmic energies of the universe." Wong stated.

"And The Force is part of said energy." Aayla remarked.

"But, still how could this be possible?" Plo questioned, deep in thought. "He came from the Mind Stone but has not been in contact with it."

Anakin had to bring up some factors with what he had discussed with Marr previously. "The Kyber Crystals. Them being connections to the Force. Another point in furthering Ultron's tether. He's using thousands if not millions of them in his army."

"Despite his tampering, they are still Kyber." Fisto stated.

"So these crystals facilitated him getting a soul?" Danny Rand spoke up. "How would that work?"

"The Force flows through all Kyber Crystals, be they big or small." Luminara educated. "They are essential to the Jedi in crafting our Lightsabers as we rely upon our own connection to the Force, guiding us to the ingot that would serve as the power source behind our Lightsaber. The Force is always flowing through our Kyber crystals as it does all."

"And in it, connected to the living Force itself." Kenobi finished.

A pause came about in the chamber.

"So… what does that mean for us?" Captain Rex spoke aloud, breaking the silence. "How does that change things for us?"

"We're gonna have to either get creative or go into overkill to take Ultron out." Steve plainly stated.

"I'd rather not consider Overkill to be an option, Captain Rogers." Windu dryly said.

"Why not Overkill?" Spoke a voice eerily similar to that of the Jedi Master. "It's the only way to be sure that platinum bastard is dead and gone."

All eyes turned to two newcomers entering the chamber.

One was Maria Hill, the former SHIELD operative giving a small smile to the Avengers and the other…

Many Jedi and Clones' jaws dropped, eyes widened and for a moment, felt their souls exiting their bodies.

"Fury?" Steve Rogers said in stunned but pleasant surprise. "How'd you get here?"

"That gate of yours at Avengers Tower." He thumbed behind him and it didn't take long for the former Director of SHIELD to have his eyes land on the astonished and bewildered Mace Windu. "I'll be damned. And here I thought it was an exaggeration."

Before approaching his clone lookalike, Fury pulled out a ten-dollar bill and handed it to Rogers, confusing the Super Soldier.

"Sure has me beat." Was all Nick said, walking over to Mace who remained where he stood.

Everyone's attention was on the pair, both staring at each other with one trying to make sense of it whilst the other was fiddling around in his trench coat, pulling out a remote-looking device that opened up into two claws.

"What are you doing?" Windu asked in a low voice, jerking back at the blue light that appeared from the device.

Fury didn't respond, simply waving the device from head to toe on Mace until he heard several beeps and the blue light turned red.

"Sorry. Was curious if you were a Skrull."

"A Skrull?" Kenobi parroted, eyes going back and forth between the two.

"Not important."

"...Feels like it is."

Windu kept blinking to make sure this wasn't a dream.

"I've heard you look exactly like me and I like you…" He muttered. "But to actually, finally see it-"

"This universe does have a sense of humor, doesn't it?" Fury lightly inquired, a wry smirk in place.

During this conversation, Anakin, Tony and a few others were oddly looking towards the ceiling or out of the nearby windows.

"What are you guys doing?" Natasha asked.

"Trying to see if the universe was collapsing in on itself." Tony answered.

"I mean… there are two of them in the same room."

Romanoff only rolled her eyes, turning back to Fury and Windu and despite herself, even she questioned if the universe was indeed folding in on itself.

'Oh god, this is weird.' The redhead thought to herself.

"Alright," Fury spoke up. "Let's end this show and focus on the one that really matters."

"Are you sure?" Tony asked. "I've got this on record and this will sell like hotcakes back on Earth. I promise you."

"I know we've been talking about it all this time," Hope commented. "But seeing it now… I kinda wanna see how this plays out."

"Ditto." Came the response of a good chunk of the Avengers.

"They even have the same structure." Matt noted, inclining his ears in their direction.

All this chatter was interrupted by the sound of a cane hitting the ground. Everyone turned to Grandmaster Yoda, the Jedi regarding all of them in return.

"Distracted, we must not. Remember our duty, now."

That seemed to have the needed effect though comically, Windu actually opted to stand away from Fury for the time being, standing next to Yoda for the duration of this meeting.

"So… Ultron," Fury said, breaking the brief bit of silence, turning to the Avengers. "Any ideas on how he survived? I've been out of touch for a while."

"HYDRA likely having something to do with it." Steve responded. "We did fight a giant version of him at the base that brought us here."

"Guess I know what I'm doing when I get back home." Hill stated, more to herself than the others.

"And have you thought of a plan to take care of him?"

"We have several." Natasha revealed. "All of which are likely to get us all killed."

"Most plans involving war are likely to get people killed." Scott pointed out.

"Thanks Scott, so encouraging." Widow deadpanned.

"Excuse me everyone." Wanda now stood up and next to her was Thrawn. "I believe Thrawn here has an idea of what to do."

The people in the chamber were certainly surprised by the Chiss being in attendance save for a few like Steve and Ahsoka, the latter of whom waved at him in greeting.

Rather than be displeased by being put on the spot, Thrawn straightened his back, ready to speak, catching the look of encouragement from Wanda.

He briefly recounted everything he and Scarlet Witch had discussed in greater detail with all in the room going into a state of deep contemplation.

"So long as Ultron has Time, we are on the back foot." Thrawn finished. "We must act sooner than later."

"That will not be an easy thing to do." Anakin murmured. "Everyone is still reeling from Ultron's victory."

"What are our assets?" Nick Fury asked the entirety of those in attendance.

"Let's see." Peter Parker holds up his hand and touches each of his fingers. "We got the Jedi, the GAR, us Avengers."

"That's merely the Republic." Thrawn said with a shake of his head. "If we are to press an attack on Ultron, we must look to those he has attacked."

"Well, the Mandalorians are one." Matt brought up.

"Mandalorians. Sure they'll fall in and assist." One of the Jedi said dismissively.

"Oh, I do believe they will do just that." Kenobi firmly said. "In case you forgot, they were also assaulted by Ultron, their homeworld to be precise. Such a slight against their honor and people will not go unpunished."

"Then to that, we leave you and Murdock, Master Kenobi." Yoda said, both men nodding at this.

"We can get in touch with the Guardians and Ravagers." Vision said. "I believe, after that encounter the leader of the Guardians had with Captain Rogers, they will be far more receptive in assisting us on this matter."

"Get those Separatists of yours to tag along." Says Fury. "They're a part of this too."

"Will be a bit tough on their end." Anakin dryly said.

"Their droids may be a liability." Plo tacked on.

"Same with Dooku's Acolytes." Aayla grumbled.

"A necessary evil." Says Yoda.

"That's a shitty necessity." Hope darkly said.

There were various grumbles voicing their agreement.

"We have the motivation." Thrawn firmly states. "We have the armies at our disposal. We will need to be sure to actually use them."

"What we need more is proper guidance to make it all work." Obi-Wan said with certainty.

"And just how are we supposed to do that?" Ahsoka inquired.

"Work in progress." Stark stated, clapping his hands together. "Alright, so who's up for making peace in the galaxy where everyone hates each other?"

AN

And there we have it. Another one locked in and finished.

Took a break from it for the most part cuz we had other stuff to work on but once we got back on here, it was a breeze, more or less to go through.

We knew this wasn't gonna be a long one to begin with so it was relatively easy.

So, quick set of things.

Yes, tragic that we had 99 perish but that was the plan from the start. I kinda find it funny how many are just overwhelmed at how dark things are getting in this arc and I can only smile my black tooth, evil grin and revel in the despair my comrades and I bring about.

Ahsoka. While the show has gotten better, I'm still meh to it for the most part. Thrawn though, glad to see Lars hasn't missed a step in the slightest. We actually wrote this chapter concurrently with episode seven so some of the new lines Thrawn said helped in the scene we had with him.

Lots of interactions here but we knew we couldn't make it a misery fest the whole chapter. We are nearing the end of season 3 and it's damn time we bring it to an end already.

On a completely other note, the Live-Action One Piece came out and by FUCKING GOD THEY DID IT! THEY FUCKING DID IT! THEY BROKE THE LIVE-ACTION CURSE AND OF COURSE, IT'S WITH THE GREATEST MANGA OF ALL TIME.

THANK YOU ODA SENSEI, THANK YOU MATT OWENS, And I can't believe I'm about to say this without throwing up, thank you Netflix for actually giving us this show.

Fuck me, it feels so good to know that we got an amazing live-action anime and it's ONE PIECE.

THE ONE PIECE IS REAL!

Rate Read and Review and As Always Have Nice Day.