Chapter: 41 (Shattered Part: II)

"To sacrifice everything for an unknown outcome is the true testament of heroism."

Trapped on Felucia! Having lost their base, Jedi Master Savil and her surviving clones have been forced to flee into the jungle. While they await aid from space, Jedi Master Mattias has another issue on his hands. One of the Republic Venators has been bombed and he now finds himself face to face with a Mandalorian warrior. As Mattias prepares to do battle, he recalls the ancient feud between Mandalorians and the Jedi Order.

Mandalorian. The very word could have some cowering in fear and others bracing for a firefight. With iconic, T-shaped visors and nearly impenetrable sets of armor, these ferocious warriors remained icons for thousands of years. Even the Jedi Temple possessed a mural of one in its Archives. The stone etching depicted a bold Mandalorian wearing an elongated helm. His swaying cape commanded authority as he raised what appeared to be a lightsaber of all things.

Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi had always been a scholar at heart. Binary-brained Cereans were known for their extraordinary intellects and were often sought out for wisdom. Surely any Cerean's apprentice would consider themselves to be incredibly fortunate. Mundi stroked his dark brown beard and peered down at the boy beside him. His Padawan's eyes teemed with curiosity over the ancient mural.

Mundi smiled softly and asked, "Something catch your eye, Destin?"

Young Destin Mattias cautiously advanced towards the artifact. The Mandalorian depiction was entrancing and he found himself lost in its dreadful visage. "Is that...a lightsaber, master?"

Mundi nodded. "It is, my apprentice. But not like any you've ever seen. That is the Darksaber, once created by Tarre Vizsla. He was the first Mandalorian to be inducted into our Order. When he passed, that saber was held here in his honor. But in time, war would follow and members of House Vizsla stole it. They claimed it was for unity, but history tells us that only destruction followed.

"The Jedi-Mandalorian War," Mattias recalled.

"That is correct, young one." Mundi said. "Any legacy Tarre built had been defaced by those who insisted on fanning the flames of conflict. While Mandalore and its ways remained in disarray, history will also show you that the Jedi prevailed."

"Score one for us," Mattias quipped.

"I suppose so," Mundi humored the boy with a nod.

Mattias noticed the Cerean's somber expression and stepped closer to him. "What's wrong, master?"

Mundi pondered for a moment before answering. "What truly determines when a war is over?" he asked. "Is it a thousand years worth of distractions, or do we just lie to ourselves." Mattias raised a brow while Mundi glared at the mural. "Sometimes I wonder where the Darksaber is today and what kind of havoc someone could be wreaking with it. Make no mistake, Padawan Mattias. I fear our conflict with the Mandalorians is far from over."

Mattias donned the bravado that was expected of a young student. "Well," he declared. "If the Jedi Order beat them once, they can beat them again. I'll just have to train harder so I'm ready for when that day comes."

PRESENT DAY

As the Republic Venator burned around them, Jedi Master Destin Mattias stared up at the Mandalorian warrior. The encroaching flames reflected across his expressionless, T-shaped visor. "General?" Commander Frost spoke up from the terminal.

"I said get behind me!" Mattias scolded and raised his lightsaber. He raised it in front of his face and kept an eye on the motionless Mandalorian. The very mural he'd witnessed as a child was now a living, breathing entity looming before him. Just as his master had warned, the Mandalorians were far from finished with their conflict against the Jedi. Now Republic lives were lost and survivors were counting on Mattias. When he became a Jedi Guardian, Mattias took an oath to protect his Republic and root out all evils. If it meant engaging in an ongoing conflict thousands of years in the making...so be it.

"The download isn't finished yet," Frost urged. "I need more time!"

Mattias sighed. "I'll get you that time. Just be ready to run. The whole ship's collapsing."

Mattias slowly approached the rafter as the Mandalorian moved with him. They stared each other down while sizing each other up. The proud hum of Mattias' blade was louder than any crackling flame as he closed in. This is for Shang, his staff, and every innocent a Mandalorian has killed, Mattias thought. He noticed the Mandalorian reaching for his belt and prepared to deflect a shot. His stomach dropped when he saw him snag a detonator instead of a blaster.

Mattias' sensed the area around him and realized the potential trap. The saboteur had placed several explosives within the wreckage in an effort to draw him in. Thinking quickly, Mattias propelled himself to the rafters just as the piles exploded behind him. The blast had him stumbling, but he safely landed across from his enemy. "Bombs," he huffed. "Surprise attacks? I thought Mandalorians were warriors of honor!" Mattias struck a nerve as the warrior's helmet ominously turned. He fearlessly flourished his saber and steadied it for combat. "You like targeting admirals and unsuspecting flight crews? Face me, you coward! I hit back!"

The Mandalorian stepped towards him and gradually picked up speed. That's it, Mattias thought and glanced at Frost. Keep following me. He continued to draw him away from the others and prepared for battle. The Mandalorian unholstered a blaster rifle and took aim. He fired several yellow lasers while advancing. Mattias blocked the first set and his foe quickened the firing rate. The bright bolts sparked against Mattias' green blade until the Mandalorian was in striking distance. Mattias swung to sever his weapon, but the foe spun and kicked him back. Three hasty shots from a wrist-mounted blaster had Mattias back on the defensive. Rather than continue the fight on the rafters, the Mandalorian ignited his jetpack and hovered beside them. He fired at Mattias while continuing to chase him.

"Come on, come on!" Frost grunted as the terminal finished its download. A final chime had him sighing in relief as he recovered a datadisc.

"Everyone is spacebound, commander." Rip reported. "Only our gunship remains."

Frost handed the datadisc to him and readied his rifle. "Get this aboard the gunship," the commander ordered. "If we're not back by the time the hangar destabilizes, leave without us."

Rip was considered a wild card among his brethren, but even he was concerned about Frost's orders. "Where are you going?"

"To help the general!" Frost hollered. "Doubles, you're with me!"

"Seriously?" Rip scoffed while watching his friend run off. "He gets action while I'm the...disc boy?"

Mattias shuffled across the rafters and leapt to the lower hangar. The Mandalorian's laserfire was relentless and left a trail of smoking holes behind him. His jetpack roared like a savage beast closing in for the kill until Mattias turned to engage. The Jedi kicked off of the wall and swung towards his target. His foe spiraled away and narrowly avoided potential dismemberment. As Mattias' boots slid across the scorched panels, he prepared for another attack. The Mandalorian aimed his vambrace again, only didn't fire a laser this time. Instead, the screech of a primed flamethrower echoed through his device. Fire spewed from his vambrace as Mattias flipped for cover. He'd grown so accustomed to evasive acrobatics, that he'd forgotten about the damage they could do to his back.

Mattias' spinal cybernetic strained and he stumbled into a wall. As he tried to recover, the Mandalorian closed in from overhead. He readied his fiery weapon as a series of blue, rapid-fire lasers swarmed his position. Doubles sprayed multiple rounds from his rotating laser cannon while Frost tried to get a better angle. "Keep'em pinned!" the commander ordered while Doubles nodded.

Rushing to get out of the clones' line of fire, the Mandalorian aimed his flamethrower at the ground. He used the rest of its gauge to create a ring of fire around him and Mattias before dropping down. By the time Mattias looked up, he saw the Mandalorian rising up like a demon among the flames. Mustering his courage, he reignited his lightsaber and assumed a defensive stance.

"Bad back, old man?" the Mandalorian taunted. His gritty voice was obscured behind thick layers of beskar iron.

"Old?" Mattias groaned and forced his chest forward. He was desperate for his cybernetic to realign in time while giving off the illusion that he was fine. "I'm in my prime, tough guy. How about we end this war right here and now?"

"It's only just begun," he replied and launched a whipcord from his vambrace.

With a swift slash of his saber, Mattias neutralized the cord's lethal hook and wrapped the rest of it around his forearm. He pulled the Mandalorian in for a strike, but the foe caught his weapon hand. Mattias tried to dip the lightsaber towards his enemy, but the Mandalorian's grip was too strong. The blade only managed to graze his breastplate before Mattias took an elbow to the face. The Mandalorian capitalized on his daze and fired his blaster.

Dizzy but desperate to survive, Mattias blocked the incoming shot and retaliated with a Force-push. The Mandalorian recovered with a burst from his jetpack and suddenly leaned forward. Mattias' eyes widened when he noticed the pointed projectile locked atop the device. "Seriously?" Mattias griped as the Mandalorian fired his jetpack-mounted missile.

The deadly rocket soared towards Mattias and locked on to his heat signature. Unable to escape the ring of fire in time, he had no choice but to call upon the Force. Mattias staggered back as he caught the missile in midair. It took an extreme amount of concentration to slow the projectile and absorb its momentum. The swelling pain in Mattias' back lessened as his cybernetic realigned. While he focused on the missile, the Mandalorian aimed his blaster. Before he could fire on the occupied Jedi, a spontaneous battle cry had him looking up.

Commander Frost sprung from the rafters, aimed for the ring of fire, and tackled the Mandalorian. Their armored bodies clamored as they tumbled against each other. The Mandalorian's blaster slid across the floor and bumped Mattias' heel. He gently set the missile down and rushed to reactivate his lightsaber. With his blaster set to stun, Frost aimed it at the saboteur's torso. He was about to fire when the Mandalorian kneed him in the chest and elbowed the weapon away. Frost's blaster clattered into the flames as the combatants resorted to hand-to-hand combat.

Mattias was almost to them when the Venator started to destabilize. It tilted leftward and everyone lost their footing. While Mattias recovered, he noticed the missile rolling towards the open flames and hurriedly caught it with the Force. Meanwhile, Frost threw a right hook towards the Mandalorian. His jab was swiftly blocked and his foe countered with a kick to the chest. Aching from both hits, Frost dared to punch at the Mandalorian's helmet. The clone's knuckles crunched amidst the tumultuous clang of beskar. Frost winced at his throbbing hand while the Mandalorian punched back. Striking Frost's plastoid helmet was enough to send him tumbling back.

"Clones," the Mandalorian growled in disgust. He derived great pleasure from kicking Frost while he was down. His hefty heel struck the commander's head and sent his helmet rolling off. "You're a disgrace to the man you're replicating. You don't deserve to even speak like him!" The Mandalorian went to stomp on Frost's neck, but the commander caught his foot and twisted.

The Mandalorian hissed as Frost snapped his ankle and said, "I might be a clone, but I'm still a man. The future's choices are mine to make and I will not be defined by my template. General, now!"

"What?" the Mandalorian blurted. He tried to peer over his shoulder, but Frost kept him pinned. Mattias emerged from behind and aimed the saboteur's blaster. He fired a laser into the Mandalorian's jetpack to cause an overcharge malfunction. "No!"

"Get clear!" Mattias warned Frost as the jetpack lit up with warning signals. The Mandalorian wriggled out of Frost's grip and hurriedly removed his jetpack. The untamed device rocketed out of control until it collided with the ceiling. Greater rumbles ensued as the Typhoon tilted forward. The sound of a gunship's engines caught everyone's attention as Donz flew over the fire. The ship's hatch opened and several clones shot at the Mandalorian.

"The whole Venator's going down!" Rip warned from the hold. "We gotta go!" Having already picked up Doubles, the two of them tossed fibercords into the ring of fire.

"Climb for it!" Doubles yelled. "Hurry!"

Frost recovered his helmet and beckoned Mattias over. "Come on, general!"

"Not yet," Mattias intoned and clenched his lightsaber. "I need to see this through." There was a dark look in his eyes as he trudged alongside the flames. As the master did so, he thought about the tainted legacy of Mandalorians. He felt the pain of uncertainty years of conflict had caused his master and countless others. Mattias considered how many Jedi and Republic personnel had died by their armored hands. If things truly had 'just begun' Mattias wanted to put an end to it. He felt the pain in his back surging across his entire body and leeching off his anguish. There was a dark pull that had him seething with fury towards the Mandalorian. The desire to kill in the name of justice seemed unstoppable. He hadn't been this enraged since he busted Republic staff mistreating immigrants on Coruscant. With a deepening scowl and furious step, Mattias pushed onward.

"No!" Frost warned and pulled him back. "Remember the mission!"

"I have to end this," Mattias growled. "I have to do this for the Jedi Order."

"Says who?" Frost contested. "The Order wanted you...wanted us to save General Savil and her forces. What happened to saving those aboard the Venator? This crusade for vengeance was never part of the plan. This place is coming down and we need to go!"

Mattias' hand trembled as he spotted the Mandalorian limping amidst the flames. I can get him, he told himself. I can make him pay. I know I can. When he looked to Frost, he heard his voice speaking calmer. It was as if Master Yelena was standing beside him. Mattias, he is beaten. Do not be hindered by personal desires. Free yourself and let go.

"Damn it," Mattias cursed upon making his decision. He deactivated his lightsaber and exhaled profusely. "Let's go," he told Frost as they rushed towards the fibercords. They quickly climbed while other clones kept the Mandalorian pinned.

Realizing the ship around him was lost and that he was cut off from escaping, the Mandalorian dove for his failed missile. He cradled the projectile in one arm and primed a thermal detonator with the other. He pressed the explosives together and held them close as the detonator beeped. "For Mandalore!" he yelled before the blast consumed him. The ensuing shockwave rippled upward and made Frost lose his grip. The clone slid off his cord until Mattias snagged his arm.

"Gotcha!" the Jedi grunted and heaved Frost into the gunship.

The explosion sent the gunship spiraling as Donz clutched its controls. "Hang on!" he warned and tried to level out. The Typhoon's infernal hangar was soon replaced by the void of space and Donz regained control. "We're clear!" Donz declared and maximized thrusters back to the Deliverance. The battle in space raged on as the survivors made their way to Taka's Venator.

"This is Skull Leader," one of the mysterious fighters called in. "We'll cover your return."

"Copy that," Donz replied. "Seeing as the Typhoon's toast, you're welcome to join us."

While the gunship's hatches were sealed, Mattias and the others could still hear Shang's Venator exploding behind them. What remained of the Typhoon plummeted towards Felucia like a metallic meteor shower. Relief overwhelmed the crew when they felt their gunship slow. Its engines quelled as they landed back in the Deliverance's hangar. Taka's personnel arrived to aid the survivors while Mattias disembarked. He and Frost watched as the mystifying Skull Squadron flew in to join them.

"Finally," Frost remarked. "We get to see who the rescuers in those cockpits are."

Skull Leader was the first to exit his craft. While those aboard the Deliverance lauded over his heroics, Mattias remained frozen. His brows furrowed and eyes narrowed on the armored pilot. "No," the Jedi uttered as he stared into Skull Leader's T-shaped visor. The sparking of a lightsaber garnered everyone's attention as Mattias sprung forward. "They're Mandalorians!" he accused. "It's a trap!"

Skull Squadron's pilots and Mattias' clones reached for their weapons. Blasters energized as both sides took aim and shouted for the other to yield. "Master Jedi," Skull Leader intoned. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Lower your weapons, Mando!" Doubles threatened.

"You lower yours!" A Mandalorian pilot retorted. She drew a rifle from her cockpit and trained it on Doubles. "Start spinning that cannon of yours and see what happens. I dare you."

"General Mattias," Frost considered. "Skull Squadron helped us."

"Put the pieces together, commander." Mattias asserted. "They were aboard the Typhoon, pretending to offer aid while one of their own sabotaged the vessel."

"One of our own?" Skull Leader scoffed. "Every one of my pilots is accounted for. Explain your accusation."

"We just battled a Mandalorian aboard the Typhoon," Mattias answered while never dropping his blade. "He's the reason Admiral Shang and so many others are-" Mattias shook off such pain and focused on Skull Leader. "Why should I believe a word you say?"

"Because we serve the Republic," Skull Leader said and reached for his helmet. Although he did so slowly, the clones still kept their blasters on him. He removed the bright blue helm and revealed his middle-aged visage. With piercing blue eyes and slicked back red hair, he remained determined to prove his innocence. "I am Fenn Rau of Concord Dawn. These pilots and I are some of the many Protectors of Mandalore." Mattias remained suspicious as Rau continued. "Relations between the Republic and Mandalore have always bordered on abysmal, but we sought to help change that. Your Republic struck a deal with the Protectors."

"Lies," Mattias growled.

"Yet you'll believe that the Republic hires mercenaries to train their clones?" Rau countered. They needed skilled pilots to pass on valuable knowledge and it wasn't long before our services were needed on the frontlines." Rau appeared troubled as he thought about the late admiral. "If Shang were here, he'd vouch for us." Rau hardened his resolve and cleared his throat. "Master Jedi, I'm willing to believe you that a Mandalorian was involved if you're willing to trust me that he wasn't from Skull Squadron."

Mattias' nostrils flared as he stared Rau down. Seeing a living being beneath such an intimidating helm had a profound impact on him. With a heavy sigh, he deactivated his lightsaber and said, "All troops...stand down." Weapons dropped as Mattias cautiously approached Rau. "But if the saboteur wasn't one of your pilots, then who was he working for?" he asked.

Rau shook his head. "I'm not sure, but not all Mandalorians honor our ways. Some might even argue that to be true about the clone template himself."

"The diagnostic I recovered should include security footage," Frost added. "If we get this datadisc back to the Republic, it could get us the answers we seek."

"But that'll take far too long for him to trust me," Rau muttered and gestured to Mattias.

"How do you know I still don't?" the Jedi quipped.

"Because if the situation was reversed-" Rau huffed and put his helmet back on. "-I wouldn't trust you for a second. So we Mandalorians will prove our loyalty as we always have: through combat. While we've been squabbling, there's a Republic distress signal that needs answering."

"And a dreadnought still standing in our way," Mattias murmured. Several lasers from the Separatist warship bombarded the Deliverance and had everyone stumbling about.

"That's where we'll come in," Rau intoned. "My squadron and I will clear a path for you to get planetside. We'll rush the dreadnought while your admiral initiates a turbolaser barrage. That should buy you enough time to get through the blockade."

Mattias reluctantly agreed and called in to Taka. "New plan, admiral. We're going to rush the dreadnought. I'm patching you in to Skull Leader so he can further relay his plan." Mattias glared at Rau and sighed. "Don't make me regret this."

Rau's head snapped towards one of his pilots. She stopped aiming at Doubles and snapped her rifle back into storage. "Hex," Rau called. "You're with me on this one. We're going to bombard the bridge while the rest of Skull Squadron goes for the hull.

"Trigger finger's itching, Skull Leader," she replied. "Let's scrap those droids."

While Skull Squadron rushed back to their ships, Mattias boarded a refueled gunship. He found Frost with a new blaster waiting alongside Rip and Doubles. "Here's hoping this works," Mattias grumbled and clasped a handhold. The group felt their gunship lift up as Donz flew them out.

"LAAT-5 standing by," Donz called in. He flew straight towards the Separatist dreadnought and death-gripped the controls. "We're gonna need a paint job after this one."

"LAAT-5-" Rau responded. Donz looked around to see Skull Squadron flanking his gunship from all sides. "We've got you covered. As soon as we engage the enemy, divert all power to engines and dive for Felucia."

"Copy that," Donz replied. He couldn't help but imagine how fortunate clone pilots under Rau's tutelage must've been.

"Admiral Taka," Rau signaled. "Commence turbolaser bombardment...now!" A series of blue, high-powered lasers launched from the Deliverance. The explosive barrage weakened the dreadnought's shielding and had vulture droids scrambling.

"Here we go!" Hex shouted.

"Skull Squadron," Rau ordered. "Engage!" The Mandalorians clashed with incoming droid fighters betwixt a wild conflagration of lasers. Several stray shots struck the gunship's hull as Donz maximized engine power. He darted for the planet while the battle raged on above him. With the majority of Skull Squadron was locked in aerial combat, Rau and Hex rushed the bridge. Their fighters unleashed a powerful laser barrage which nearly penetrated the shielded viewport. "Good hits," Rau commented. "We'll need to make another pass."

"That's fine," Hex assured. "It means I can take more of these metalheads down along the way." She spun behind several vulture droids and dispatched them with her cannons. A warning symbol reflected against her visor and she craned her neck towards her dashboard. "Karabast. Got one on my tail."

"As do I," Rau called. It took a moment for them to formulate the same idea. "Bait and blast?"

"You know it," Hex chuckled while luring the fighter after her. "Come on, clanker," she urged the vulture droid. "You know you want to do it." In that instant, her pursuer launched an energy torpedo. "Aha!" With the projectile chasing after her, Hex banked leftward. Rau's pursuer also fired a torpedo and he followed Hex. The pilots soared towards the dreadnought's bridge at alarming speeds while simultaneously firing their lasers. Their shots combined with Taka's barrage and finally destroyed the shields.

"Wait for it," Rau insisted as they closed in. "Not yet."

"Now!" Hex yelled. Both pilots pulled up dangerously close to the bridge, but made it impossible for the torpedoes to follow. Instead, both of their pursuing projectiles crashed directly into the bridge.

"Well done!" Rau cheered as the dreadnought's spire exploded behind them.

"That's for Shang!" Hex asserted while blasting the remaining fighters.

"Skull Leader to Deliverance," Rau called in. "We're clear!"

The officers aboard Taka's command bridge cheered while she watched the dreadnought's destruction. The admiral simply bowed her head in respect as the Mandalorian fighters soared across her viewport.

As Donz's gunship pierced the Felucian atmosphere, Mattias took a moment to observe Frost. "Commander," the Jedi said. "I'm grateful to have you here. If you hadn't convinced me to leave, I would've been killed in that suicide blast."

"And you wouldn't have been there to pull me up when I lost my grip," Frost added. "Nothing without purpose, general."

Mattias sighed and gently smiled. "Nothing without purpose."

Colossal explosions rang out across Felucia's mucky plains as the Typhoon crashed. Tremendous clouds of smoke billowed from its scorched remains while TQ-12 observed the wreckage. The tactical droid turned towards those under its command and nodded. "The saboteur's mission was successful," he calculated. "What is our status on the base survivors?"

A camouflaged B1 unit observed the ongoing battle from probe footage on his datapad. "We have them on the run, sir," it said. "However, the trees are becoming too thick for our artillery to pursue."

TQ-12 twitched while forming a new strategy. "They seek to spread our forces thin. We will simply switch to a different type of pursuing class. BX-11..."

An athletically built, dark-plated commando droid stepped forward. The bright white markings on his head and chest distinguished him as a captain over the other elites. "My platoon is fully charged and ready to hunt," BX-11 spoke in a deep and deathly tone.

"Destroy the opposition, commando," TQ-12 instructed. "Leave none alive. Our scanners indicate the astromech in Republic possession is transmitting signals from a locator. Use it to your advantage and do not fail."

"Roger roger," BX-11 computed and transmitted the orders to his platoon. Within seconds, an entire horde of acrobatic commando droids was descending into the jungle. Their white photoreceptors glowed amidst the bioluminescent fungi as they dashed into the night.

Several miles from their position, the dark jungle was illuminated by exchanging laserfire. "They're coming from the left!" Sparx warned and fired from behind a tree.

"I'm coming!" Blazer assured. "Just hold on!" He set 85 down and shot back at the incoming B1's.

"I'm slowing you down," 85 groaned. He glanced at his decimated legs and slouched back against a log. "Just leave me."

"Stow it, shiny!" Blazer barked. "We are not leaving you behind and that's final! How are we looking on the right?"

Savil batted away incoming lasers while two clones provided backup. "We're holding!" she hollered. A laser shot one of the clones dead and forced Savil to make a call. "Fall back!" R3-T8 beeped at her side and frantically wheeled away.

Blazer aggressively hoisted 85 over his shoulders again. He handed the wounded clone his pistol and said, "Make every shot count, brother!" While Blazer followed Savil's lead, 85 fired at pursuing droids from his back. Sparx and the other clone were the last two to fall back as scarlet lasers rained upon them.

"Which way, general?" Sparx asked.

Savil hurriedly severed a mushroom with her saber and eyed a narrow passageway. The mossy cavern led just below Felucia's surface and would at least buy them some time. "In here!" she beckoned. "Hurry!" A stray wrist rocket blasted the ground beneath them and forced the group to disperse.

As the smoke cleared, Sparx realized one of his clone companions had been obliterated in the blast. "Chevs!" he wailed. "No!"

"He's gone, Sparx." Savil intoned. "Keep moving!"

Several odd gyrations echoed from the canopy and Blazer looked up from the smoke. "Oh no," he uttered as a platoon of commando droids arrived. They bounced and sprung from mushrooms while simultaneously shooting their blasters. Blazer spotted several caverns ahead, picked the nearest one, and threw himself in with 85 on his shoulders. Savil struggled to keep so many sporadic lasers at bay and fled into a different cave with Sparx.

"But what about the others?" Sparx worried while they ran.

"We have to trust they made it, lieutenant." Savil huffed. She felt an odd sensation in the Force and swayed her lightsaber around the corner. Her heart sank when the blue blade illuminated a pair of frightened Felucians. The stubby reptilians hugged each other in alarm as Savil withdrew her weapon. She held it close to illuminate her face and whispered, "We mean you no harm." The gyrating sounds of incoming commando droids forced Savil to push the Felcucians downward. She, Sparx, and the Felucians hid in a rocky trench as the footsteps loudened. Savil deactivated her lightsaber and urged the scared Felucians to quiet down. While one of them obliged, the other proved to be antsier.

"No!" he blurted. "Who are you and how-"

Savil pulled the reptilian close and tensed up. She pressed her palm to his scaly lips and whispered, "Shhh." Several commando droids stepped into view and scoured the cavern for evidence. One of them recovered the Felucians' basket of cave mushrooms and furiously overturned it. Sweat soaked Savil's black bob as she heard the droids directly overhead. She contemplated how quickly she could release the Felucian and activate her lightsaber if need be. Sparx kept his finger nestled on his blaster's trigger until the droids departed.

Savil breathed a sigh of relief and released the frantic Felucian. "Our mushrooms!" he blurted and forced Savil to cover his mouth again. The Felucian wriggled free and hobbled about. "What are Separatist droids doing this far out? I thought the Republic had a base!"

"Keyword had," Savil muttered. "We've called for aid, but we need to find a way out of these caves." She turned to Sparx. "Lieutenant, did you happen to see R3?" She hung her head when he shook his. "R3's signal is the only way Mattias can find us."

The other Felucian advanced to speak up. "We know how to get out of the caves," she said.

Savil bit her lip as she formulated a plan. "Alright," the Jedi responded. "Lieutenant Sparx, protect these Felucians and find the way out. I'm going to recover R3 and the others."

"General," Sparx fretted. "Are you sure about this?"

"When I say I'm getting us home-" Savil replied. "I mean all of us. Now go." Sparx hesitantly obliged and followed the Felucians while she delved into the shadows.

Blazer stumbled through the dark cave and flipped his spotlight on. Doing so nearly made him drop 85 as he lost his footing. The two tumbled forward and struck the nearby wall with a thud. "Sergeant," 85 groaned. "Why...are you doing this?"

"Because no brother gets left beh-"

"Don't give me that!" 85 snapped. "Look at me, Sarge. Look at my legs. If I couldn't feel them before, can you possibly imagine the effects by now? I'll likely never walk again."

"Don't talk like that, soldier," Blazer scolded.

"Why?" 85 blurted. "Cause you're afraid of the truth? At least I can admit to it, Sarge. So when I say leave me, it's because I know there's isn't a future without suffering. I was bred to fight and die for this Republic. To do neither would be a curse."

"85," Blazer intoned. "There isn't a future without suffering because there isn't a life without suffering. I don't have all the answers, but I'll be damned before I abandon you to fate. I'm getting you out of here so you can make a name for yourself." Blazer angrily hauled 85 back over his shoulders. "That's your problem CT-9185. You still think of yourself as a number on some list."

"Is that not what I am? What we are?" 85 asked.

Blazer sighed while carrying him. "You're not wrong, trooper," he said. "But it doesn't mean we can't choose to be greater. Believe it or not, I met a Jedi who's afraid of being just a number too."

"I never said I was afraid, Sarge." 85 replied.

"I wasn't talking about you," Blazer admitted. Several chimes echoed from around the passageway. "Wait...was that who I think it was?"

"It sounded like R3," 85 whispered from over his shoulder.

Blazer quickened his pace and ignored any strain from carrying 85. They rounded the tunnel to find R3 rattling against the furthest wall. Blazer shined a light on the astromech and watched his head frantically swivel. "Easy, domehead." Blazer assured. "It's just us."

Since 85 rested atop Blazer's shoulders, he served as literal eyes in the back of his head. "Sarge!" he warned after seeing droid photoreceptors lurking from above.

Blazer spun and swayed his light across the wall. Several commando droids were poised to attack while their captain had R3 at blasterpoint. They set a trap, Blazer thought in disbelief. The clankers actually set a trap.

Blazer's first instinct was to shoot the captain's blaster. BX-11 sprung away from the shot while R3 wheeled towards the clones. The rest of the commando droids opened fire as Blazer dove for cover. 85 rolled off of his back and scavenged BX-11's fallen blaster. He joined Blazer behind a rock as the commandos closed in. Scorching red and blue lasers lit up the cavern from all angles. Blazer downed a commando and hauled 85 onto R3.

"Get him outta here!" he told the astromech. "I got these clankers!"

"Sarge, no!" 85 pleaded as R3 wheeled him away.

"Hold on to that droid and don't worry about me!" Blazer shouted back. "I'll be right behind you," he muttered to himself and kept firing. He twirled his DC-17 like a valiant gunslinger and unloaded several lasers into another droid. One of the commandos shot at his arm and sent him stumbling. Blazer noticed a droid pursuing R3 and took aim. "Oh no you don't!" He shot the droid in the back, but it managed to blast the astromech's body.

"R3!" 85 gasped as he started to short-circuit. Sparks flared from R3's blaster hole, but the little droid refused to yield. He shifted his wheels into overdrive and proceeded onward.

Blazer spun to engage more commando droids as the rest of the platoon ran in. "Come on!" he roared. "I'll blast every last one of you!" While he boldly faced the group, he didn't realize that one of the commandos was bouncing up from behind him. It took aim at his head as a robed being intervened.

Jedi Master Savil forced the droid's blaster upward. She then sliced across its torso and Force-pushed the remnants into other commandos. Savil furiously plunged her saber into a droid, threw it into another, and then called it back with the Force. As the spinning blade returned, it severed multiple droid appendages and added to the rising scrap pile.

"Can't leave you alone for a second, can I?" Savil teased and went back to back with Blazer. The remaining commando droids kept them surrounded, but didn't attack. Blazer used the opportunity to score a free headshot on one while their captain leapt forward. BX-11 unsheathed a vibrosword from his back and every commando droid did so in unison. A daunting silence filled the cavern after the simultaneous clink of flourished blades.

"Attack," BX-11 ordered and the entire unit charged.

Blazer ducked under Savil's wild swing as she engaged the closest droids. He fired on who he could and recovered one of the downed commando's blasters. Though he wasn't the best dual-wielder, he sprayed lasers where he could while Savil dueled on. The Jedi kicked a commando in the head and backflipped over the rest. Their vibroswords whistled as they cut through the empty air. Savil noticed Blazer getting overwhelmed and Force-pushed his enemies away. When she landed, one of the droids slashed across her bicep and she snarled in response. Giving in to the anger from her wound, Savil turned and decapitated her assailant.

R3's motor functions were giving out and one of his wheels destabilized. His photoreceptor strobed while smoke sizzled from his blaster hole. The brave little astromech used his last amount of power to haul 85 out of the cavern. Once the moonlight struck their skin, so too did R3 strike the ground. 85 collapsed beside the astromech and examined his dwindling systems. "R3?" he lamented. "R3!" The astromech's head turned towards him as if seeking comfort. With a final chime, R3 powered down and left 85 to grieve beside him.

In the distance, Donz made a shocking discovery aboard the gunship. "General Mattias," he hollered. "We've got a situation. I've lost the R3 unit's signal."

Mattias' eyes widened after receiving such grievous news. He could feel the weight of the clones' gazes looking to him for guidance. Frost's comment would solidify that necessity. "Sir?" the commander asked. "What are your orders?"

"Proceed to the waypoint's last known location," Mattias commanded. "I understand what the lost signal could mean, but we have to try. We can't give in. Not now."

"85!" Sparx shouted and slid down the upper ridge. The Felucian pair trailed behind him as he knelt beside his fellow clone. "There you are, brother."

"General Savil," 85 uttered while clutching R3's body. "Sergeant Blazer...They're still in there." Sparx could hear saber swings and blasterfire echoing from within the cave. "You need to go back and get them. Just leave me."

"We haven't come this far to let any sacrifice be in vain," Sparx asserted. "With R3 down, we need to find another way to contact the Republic."

"Can you reboot him?" 85 inquired.

Sparx flipped R3 over and mourned over his fried circuits. He thought on his own words and whispered, "No sacrifice in vain."

"What?" 85 asked.

"Take the rocket boosters off R3's legs," Sparx ordered. "Just trust me." While 85 did so, Sparx unclipped R3's fuel injector and manually sprayed the terrain. "If someone is coming, we need to show them where we are. R3 can still help us."

85 caught on and aimed the boosters towards the clusters of fuselage. "How are we gonna start the boosters?" he asked.

"Blast!" Sparx cursed. "R3's powered down. There has to be another way to ignite the flames."

"Pardon me," one of the Felucians said. "Would my bunga-torch help?" She held up a cylindrical tool and Sparx graciously accepted. The lieutenant hurriedly activated the torch and watched its flames spread across the fuel puddles. He dragged 85 to a safe distance as a sudden whirring sounded from the clouds. The familiar shape of Republic gunship had Sparx leaping to his feet. He and 85 shouted like madmen while waving to get the gunship's attention. Exhaustion overwhelmed them as the gunship followed the flames and landed beside the ridge. Its hatch opened to permit Mattias and his clones to disembark. With clone aid arriving, the Felucian duo fled further into the jungle to warn their village.

"By the Force," Mattias gasped. "Are you all that's left?"

"General Savil's in the caves," Sparx panted. "Sergeant Blazer too."

Mattias glared at the darkened tunnel and said, "Frost...get everyone onboard."

A commando droid pinned Blazer to the wall and pressed its blade to his neck. The clone grunted profusely while trying to break free of its grip. Meanwhile, the rest of the sword-swinging droids backed Savil into a corner. Her arm still stung from where she'd been struck, but she carried that pain into her next attack. While the droids didn't have enough skill to duel a Jedi Master, they used agility and numbers to their advantage. Savil had to keep Force-pushing the surrounding droids while parrying those closest to her. While the fighting continued, BX-11 took his time. He let his vibrosword sway at his side as he paced on the battle's fringes. His pale photoreceptors searched for an opening and analyzed Savil's dueling pattern. The commando droid captain steadily dipped his sword and prepared to lunge.

Blazer haplessly fired his pistol in the air as his assailant tried to slash his neck. Savil noticed his predicament and managed to cut his attacker while striking another droid. The hit gave Blazer enough room to slide his arm free and shoot the droid in the chest. Blazer caught his breath just as BX-11 advanced. A distinct, gut-wrenching growl had the clone frozen in place. The world around him slowed as he glimpsed BX-11 driving his blade into Savil's abdomen. She hunched forward as the vibrosword dug into her torso. Shock and pain flashed in her widened eyes as her breaths shortened. Just when the droid thought his kill was confirmed, Savil's brows furrowed. With a mighty roar, she Force-pushed BX-11 away.

Savil clenched her stinging, bloodied abdomen as other commandos closed in. "General!" Blazer wailed and ran over. He was almost to her when two droids jumped him. He furiously blasted one in the chest while another slashed across his helmet. The impact sent Blazer tumbling and his destroyed helmet rolled beside him.

No wound was too great for Savil as she continued to fend off the droids. She combined sporadic Force-pushes with violent saber jabs to ravage her foes. While she did so, BX-11 lurked in the shadows to find another opening. Savil was ready for him this time and spun to parry the captain's blade. While she blocked his attack, another commando cut across her back. Her tunic tore as the vibrosword left a stinging gash. Further enraged, Savil decapitated her inflicter and returned to BX-11. The commando captain ducked under her saber and landed a hit against her hip. Every time she tried to move in on him, other commando droids blocked her attacks. The maneuvers only continued to anger Savil as she massacred any droid in her path. Blood dampened her robes as she drove her blade into a commando's chest.

Blazer recovered from his daze and took aim at BX-11. He was about to shoot the captain when another commando kicked him across the face. Blazer fell back from the blow and peered up at his assailant. The commando raised its vibrosword to strike until a green blade sliced it on the diagonal. Blazer wasn't sure if he was hallucinating or if the Jedi he'd met on Kamino really was standing before him. "You," he uttered.

"Get back!" Mattias warned and leapt to help Savil. BX-11 was about to land another sneak attack when Mattias intervened. His lightsaber pulsed against the droid's vibrosword until he kicked him away.

"Took you long enough," Savil coughed and hobbled to his side. Ever the fighter, she flourished her blade and the duo rushed BX-11. Two remaining commandos flanked the captain's sides and swung their blades. While Savil engaged the first, Mattias rolled to take the second. BX-11 swerved to trap Mattias while he was occupied and slashed him across the arm. Mattias howled with pain but managed to finish his attack on the commando. Savil fought through her wounds to duel her opponent. With a savage spin, the Jedi severed its forearms and chopped across its face. Her foe fel as she spotted BX-11 dueling Mattias.

Mattias still ached from his fight with the Mandalorian and the captain used it against him. BX-11 kneed Mattias in the gut and forced him to the ground. He then steadied his vibrosword for a killing blow until Savill stabbed him in the back. With an animalistic screech, Savil dug her lightsaber into BX-11 until the hilt was scraping components. She then withdrew the blade and lopped his head off for good measure. The momentum of her final swing sent her collapsing as Mattias crawled to her side.

"Hold on," he said. "I'm going to get you out of here." Mattias' wound burned from where BX-11 had cut him, but he still managed to scoop Savil into his arms. Blazer covered their escape as a line of B1 battle droids advanced through the caves. The trio exited to find LAAT-5 taking fire from droids on an adjacent ridge.

"We're compromised and taking too much heat!" Donz warned. "It's now or never!"

The sudden thunder of Skull Squadron overhead was a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. "Anti-aircraft artillery is everywhere," Fenn Rau called in. "We can give you a strafing run but you've got to move!"

"You heard Skull Leader!" Mattias shouted. "Let's go!"

LAAT-5's hatch opened as Mattias, Savil, and Blazer boarded. Skull Squadron was able to strafe the terrain with a laser barrage but it wasn't long before artillery had targeted them. "We'll all aboard!" Frost shouted to Donz. "Go! Go! Go!"

Donz sealed the hatches and rocketed the gunship upward. Its hull rumbled as laserfire exploded in the surrounding clouds. TQ-12 watched them escape as Skull Squadron formed up around them. "Most statistically improbable," he calculated. "Nevertheless, Felucia now belongs to the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Count Dooku will be most pleased."

The spaceflight back to the Deliverance was eerily quiet. The overhanging red lights made the extent of Savil's bloody wounds even harder to distinguish. "Damn Seps," Blazer growled. "Kriffing Seps!" He belligerently kicked one of the sealed hatches. "We'll come back and scrap every last one of them! I swear!"

"Easy, soldier." Frost placated. "Take a breath."

"Easy?" Blazer scoffed. "Thanks for the rescue and all but you weren't exactly there. You know who wants to 'take a breath?' All of our brothers who were killed! And-"

"Quiet," Mattias ordered. "All of you." He dropped to the floor and held Savil close. She looked as though she was trying to speak. "Don't move so much," he intoned. He noticed how deep the vibrosword punctures and gashes ran. "I need a medkit. Hurry!"

"No," Savil coughed. A sliver of blood trickled from her lips as she clutched his hand. "Nothing...in that little box can fix these wounds."

"Then we'll just get you to the medbay," Mattias assured and tried to put pressure on her wound. "Pilot, can't we go any faster?"

"Mattias," Savil whispered. Her trembling hand gripped his and removed it from the wound. "Thank you for coming." She forced herself to keep her eyes open and looked to the clones. Blazer, Sparx, and 85 watched on as she asked, "Take care of these boys, will ya?"

Mattias forced a smile and held her close. "You're gonna do that yourself," he affirmed.

She gently shook her head. "Mattias..." she uttered. "Let me...let me find Surk. He needs me. Let me be with him." Her grip on his hand loosened as she whispered, "I'm...gonna miss you, Mattias." Savil exhaled and her head slumped against his chest. Mattias' eyes widened as he realized she'd become one with the Force.

"S-Savil," he choked. His brows furrowed and a pair of tears fled his closing eyes. He cradled her body while the clones gathered around. 85 bowed his head from the corner while Frost, Sparx, Rip, and Doubles removed their helmets. Despite Blazer's twitching scowl, even he couldn't stop a single tear from escaping his eye.

Rapunzel's airspeeder glided into a bustling, Coruscant skylane. The sun was setting over the city and drivers' headlights were already blinding. "We're running low on visibility here," Rapunzel said. "See anything yet?"

Elsa glanced from the passenger window and observed the streets of CoCo Town. "Nothing over here," she replied. "Anna could be anywhere by now." The Padawan's heart sank when her comlink beeped. She nervously answered and heard Yelena's voice.

"Padawan," the master said. "You haven't been answering your holocom."

"Sorry about that," Elsa cautiously replied. "Anna and I have just been catching up."

"I thought you said you wouldn't take so long? It's night and you're still at the temple?"

Elsa bit her lip while Rapunzel raised a brow. "Um...yes. I'll get to the senate as soon as-"

"Elsa," Yelena interrupted. "Are those airspeeders I hear? Where are you?"

The Padawan purposefully smacked her comlink and ran her palm across the speaker. "I'm getting...some...interference," Elsa fibbed. "My...comlink...is...mal...functioning!"

"Padawan," Yelena scolded as Elsa hung up.

"That'll be a conversation later," Elsa sighed. "Anna, I hope you appreciate this."

"Do I need to take you back to the temple?" Rapunzel worried. "There's already enough of a situation with Anna. I don't need another Padawan fiasco on my hands."

"No," Elsa blurted. "Please don't go back. Anna's my sister and I'd never forgive myself if she went missing again." Rapunzel reluctantly kept driving as they searched the streets.

Hans maximized his airspeeder's thrusters and cut off several vehicles. Anna death-gripped her seatbelt while the Ortolan child whimpered from the backseat. "It's okay, sweetie." Anna assured. "Just relax, Dum-" She didn't feel comfortable calling him Dumbo based on Hans' crude remark. "Jumbo," she said instead. Jumbo's trunk swayed with each of Hans' sharp turns.

The Jedi Knight glanced at his holomap guidance system as they neared the Mydral Apartment complex. "This is it," Hans proclaimed and brought the speeder to an immediate halt. He wiped the sweat from his brow and observed the quiet, dark street before him. "Second floor. Room: 207," he recalled. "Stay with the kid."

"What?" Anna snapped. "I thought you wanted my help!"

"I did," Hans replied. "We don't know what we're up against and you don't have a lightsaber. So stay with our witness and keep him safe. I'm gonna get Timia so we can rush out of here." Anna groaned frustratedly and crossed her arms in the passenger seat. "Thanks, sweetheart," Hans told her and winked. "It's like you said...I can do this."

He ran down the sidewalk and left Anna sulking. "I was talking about myself when I said that," the Padawan grumbled.

Hans barged into the apartment entrance and immediately shoved a man to the floor. "Move!" Hans growled. "Jedi business."

"Damn lunatic!" the citizen hollered while shaking a fist.

Hans scurried up the stairs and swiftly reached the second floor. The hallway was grimly silent as Hans slowed his pace. He unclipped his lightsaber and caressed the activation switch. His eyes skimmed over the the passing room numbers as he mumbled, "205...206...20-" Hans approached Room: 207 and discovered its access panel had been tampered with. The locking mechanism flickered as Hans bypassed it with the Force.

Hans stepped into the dark, quiet apartment and looked around. The vacuous kitchen and living room setup remained furnished as if no one had touched them. "Timia?" Hans whispered and leaned into her study. The vacant room had his heart pounding until he heard a sudden shuffling. Hans' head snapped towards the sound. He inched closer to Timia's bedroom and quickly opened the door. As the entryway slid, Hans leapt in and stood ready. His firm demeanor softened at the sight of Timia's body on the carpet. "Oh no," he uttered and knelt by her side. "Timia?"

The Mon Calamari's head fell back as Hans held her up. He felt something dampening his hand and noticed a dreadful puddle of green blood. Hans scolded himself for arriving too late, but suddenly heard a crash in her refresher. Instinctually, Hans ignited his lightsaber and pointed it towards the door. "Oh kriff," he panicked while clutching the green blade. "Jedi Order," he announced. "Come out with your hands up." There was no response and Hans chose to advance. With a deep breath, he opened the refresher door and charged in. He swayed his blade across the tiles and discovered shards of shattered glass. A frigid breeze blew against his face as he noticed the broken window beside him. Hans stuck his head out and noticed the durasteel fire escape leading down to the street. "Not good," he huffed and leapt out the window.

Jumbo twiddled his thumbs before worriedly signing to Anna. "I'm sorry," she replied. "I don't understand you, but if you're scared...it's okay. I'm here to look after you." A repetitive rumble caught Anna's attention as she noticed an airspeeder park across from them. It was a sleek, shiny black model with completely tinted windows. Anna tensed up as she recalled Timia's words from the scrambled transmission. "Black speeder," she said and slowly leaned towards the backseat. "Jumbo," she whispered and unbuckled him. "I need you to-" She covered her face with her hands. "-hide." Jumbo tilted his head with curiosity while Anna repeated the gesture. He read her lips and ducked behind the seat. Anna carefully exited the speeder and crouched beside it.

Hans descended from the fire escape and found several footprints embedded in the alley's muck. He followed them out into the streets and noticed a tall, hunched pedestrian leaving the scene. "Hey!" Hans called. "You there! Stop!" The figure sped up along the sidewalk and kept a bulky briefcase near. Its form-fitting overcoat further defined its broad shoulders and wide back. The stranger only stopped when Hans reactivated his lightsaber. "In the name of the Jedi Order, hold it right there!" Hans exclaimed. His proclamation had bystanders gasping while the stranger raised his head. Neatly-trimmed, reddish-brown fur swayed in the wind. A pair of large, pointed ears seemed like devilish horns atop his head. As the man turned towards the black speeder, Hans noted the bony spurs on his angular chin. His yellow eyes and feline nose made him all the more distinguishable as a Zygerrian.

There's a species you don't see around the Core Worlds, Hans thought. "Zygerrian," he demanded. "I am ordering you to step away from the vehicle." The Zygerrian couldn't care less what Hans had to say as he unbuckled his briefcase. "Hey!" Hans shouted. "I'm talking to y-" In that instant, the Zygerrian popped open his case and aimed the concealed blaster within. "Holy!" was all Hans could utter as a spray of fully-automatic lasers came zipping towards him. The Zygerrian was both nonchalant and relentless while continuing to shoot at Hans. His CR-2 heavy blaster unloaded charges at a rate that Hans couldn't keep up with. The Jedi deflected several lasers into nearby streetlights and businesses. Civilians screamed at the sound of laserfire and fled down the street. The Zygerrian expertly knew when his gun would overheat and timed a thermal detonator in between shots to cover the cooling time.

Hans watched the detonator roll beneath a nearby vehicle and immediately ran. The explosion was strong enough to flip the airspeeder over and smash nearby benches. The assassin unleashed another spray of lasers as Hans sprinted into the nearest window. He crashed through and landed beside a frightened Twi'lek family. "Get down!" he yelled to them as the Zygerrian riddled their home with laserfire. The Twi'leks screamed as green lasers shredded their drapes and decimated their lounge. A family member clasped their revered Kalikori and safeguarded it with her body. Hans tried standing up, but his foe just unleashed another barrage. The Zygerrian bared his fangs and kept up a steady rate of fire.

"So how do you know Hans?" Elsa asked.

Rapunzel sighed and bit her lip. "Our masters were close and often teamed up on assignments. I had the pleasure of working alongside Hans when we were Padawans," she explained with a roll of her eyes.

"Was he always so...pompous?" Elsa asked and Rapunzel nodded.

"Oh yeah," she confirmed. "And he's only gotten worse." The sudden ring of sirens caught their attention as they observed a line of speeding police cruisers. Elsa and Rapunzel were astonished at the amount of cruisers still rounding the corner. "By the Force," Rapunzeel gasped. "Think it's Anna?"

"Only one way to find out," Elsa answered as they followed the police.

In desperation, Hans used the Force to pick up the Twi'lek's couch and fling it out the window. The cushioned projectile was enough to make his foe roll for cover and bought Hans time. He emerged from the scorched household and left the family scolding him in Twi'leki. "Alright, cat." Hans jeered while scouring the street. "Where'd you go?"

Suddenly, a different weapon fired and had Hans spinning. He almost thought his attacker was a ghost with how disturbingly pale he was. With lanky limbs and an icy white stare, the second assassin was unmistakably Umbaran. He emerged from the black speeder and opened fire. While Hans deflected the Umbaran's scarlet blasts, the Zygerrian emerged from the opposite side to overwhelm him. Both assassins fired away as Hans frantically tried to block their shots. The Zygerrian's CR-2 seemed unstoppable and a laser scorched Hans' arm. With his form compromised, Hans was forced take cover behind the exploded speeder.

During the brief silence, the Zygerrian made several tactical symbols to his partner. The Umbaran acknowledged with a nod and aimed his pistol. His DL-18's slow, powerful shots kept Hans pinned while the Zygerrian closed in. The scowling feline leapt beside Hans and took aim. He was about to fire when one of his ears twitched leftward. A set of boots came sprinting over and Anna threw herself on top of the Zygerrian. His CR-2 destroyed the duractrete beneath them as Anna punched at his head. The weapon overheated again and left him hindered.

Infuriated, the Zygerrian snatched Anna with his clawed hands and flung her against the hood of a speeder. She rushed her recovery when she heard the pumping of a shotgun. The Zygerrian had already holstered is CR-2 and grabbed the shotgun from his back in a single motion. "Oh kriff!" Anna cursed and rolled away. Several close range, explosive pellets decimated the hood where she would've been. Anna couldn't even catch her breath as another shotgun blast obliterated the windows beside her. Who the hell are these guys? Anna thought. While the Zygerrian was distracted with her, Hans leapt in to assist. He raised his saber to deflect, but was thrown off balance by a shotgun blast. You idiot, Anna scolded within. Those aren't lasers!

Anna picked up a dented piece of debris and flung it at the Zygerrian's head. The assassin dodged it, and fired back while simultaneously reaching for his CR-2. His grin was toothy and demonic as he sprayed more lasers across the street. Just as Anna ducked down, she took fire from the opposite sidewalk. Contrary to his partner's brutish tactics, the Umbaran had stealthily made his way around. I really wish I had a lightsaber right about now, Anna griped to herself as a laser zoomed overhead.

Hans closed in on the Zygerrian and jabbed his lightsaber. Realizing any deflected shots at that range would hit himself, the Zygerrian holstered his blaster and put up his fists. Hans lacked any sympathy for the unarmed Zygerrian and went for another swing. The assassin dodged his attack and snagged his wrists. With a furious snarl, he dug his claws into Hans' arms until he was forced to drop the lightsaber. From the moment that hilt struck the ground, the Zygerrian's knuckles met Hans' face.

The hefty punch motivated Hans to fight back...only to take two jabs to the torso. The Zygerrian moved like a martial arts master. He expertly dodged any of Hans' futile attacks and countered with double the ferocity. This assassin was no stranger to crushing his enemies, but there was undoubtedly a seething hatred for Jedi boiling within. Hans groaned as the Zygerrian kneed him in the gut and snatched him by the robes. "Jedi filth," he snarled before headbutting and slamming him against the roof of an airspeeder.

Anna crawled beneath one of the parked vehicles as the Umbaran whispered, "Come out and play."

Anna waited until the Umbaran's booted feet were right beside her. She positioned herself properly and kicked at one of his ankles. The Umbaran collapsed as Anna emerged from hiding. He took aim just as she Force-pushed him into a nearby wall. The Umbaran's short, wavy locks fell over his eyes as he laughed. "So...you're a Jedi too? Where's your lightsaber?"

Anna ignored the jeer and went for his fallen pistol. As she did so, the Umbaran threw up a flash grenade. Its detonation was as deafening as it was blinding and left Anna stumbling. She winced in pain as the Umbaran recovered his blaster. Anna managed to dive for cover as several lasers scorched the duracrete. As she stayed low, her eyes lit up at the sight of Hans' lightsaber. The golden glint of its Haysian smelted hilt twinkled from beneath a speeder and Anna reached for it. With a daring grin and stern gaze, Anna ignited Steadfast. She hadn't held a lightsaber in weeks, but its hum was reinvigorating. She'd tried get used to Hans' unique grip as she emerged from cover.

The Umbaran kept his pistol trained on her, but didn't fire. "You were saying?" Anna quipped.

"You're not the only one who's full of surprises," the Umbaran assured. He holstered his blaster as Anna charged forward. Before she could strike, he prepared to fend her off with a stun baton. The very sight and sound of electricity had broken Anna's returning Ataru form. Her momentum faltered and she found herself hesitant to swing. The Umbaran seemed as confused as she was and looked to his baton. Electrical currents pulsed through the weapon and had Anna shuddering. He hadn't even touched her, yet the sight of a static charge had her immobilized.

Anna's heart raced as her mind seemed to split in two. No, she panicked within. Dooku's lightning flashed across her mind's eye and experienced that daily agony all over again. His commanding words transitioned to Metora cackling alongside her slavers. Her stun baton's sting appeared as intense as Force lightning. She saw herself quivering in a cage as electricity buzzed around her. No...

"NO!" Anna screamed and dropped the lightsaber. Capitalizing on her fear, the Umbaran jabbed the stun baton at Anna and she fell back in alarm. He smirked at her fearful response and jabbed it again like a torch to a creature. Anna's breaths hastened as her fight-or-flight response took over. It was as if her body was on autopilot as she turned and fled for her life.

"Run, little Jedi! Run!" the Umbaran heckled and didn't bother giving chase. His insidious grin dropped as the multi-colored hue of police sirens flooded the street. "Damn it," he hissed. "We gotta move!"

"Just a second," the Zygerrian growled. "Almost finished."

"Now!" the Umbaran haplessly asserted.

His vicious counterpart was still pummeling Hans against the speeder roof. The Jedi was barely conscious as the Zygerrian pulled him up by the hair. He clasped a tuft of Hans' auburn locks and snarled, "This is for my people."

A cruiser's spotlight shined down on them and a police droid announced, "Release the Jedi! Put your hands up!" The Zygerrian scowled and delivered a final punch across Hans' face. The bruised knight collapsed over the vehicle while the Zygerrian opened fire on police. "Take evasive action!" the droid warned before being lit up with green lasers.

Lieutenant Tan Divo emerged from a cruiser alongside his partner droid GU-13. From the moment they arrived, they were immediately pinned by incoming fire. "This is Divo!" he called in. "Responding to shots fired in CoCo Town! All units converge of Mydral Apartments! I have eyes on two suspects and we need immediate backup!" He withdrew his police blaster and blindly fired back.

Both the Zygerrian and Umbaran flung thermal detonators at the incoming police cruisers. The ensuing blasts shook the entire street and had nearby windows exploding. While the upper city police droids were numerous, they weren't as equipped for fierce firefights as underworld officers were. The assassins scrapped multiple droids while making their way back to their speeder.

While he couldn't hear the battle, the Ortolan child still saw the explosions outside. He felt every vibration shake the vehicle he'd been left in and nervously unbuckled his seatbelt. Frightened, he reached for the door handle.

The assassins got back in their speeder as lasers skimmed their doors. "You just had to engage, didn't you?" the Umbaran griped from the driver's seat. "I knew I should've killed that Mon Calamari myself."

"Shut up," the Zygerrian growled. "We won't be seeing that Jedi skug again."

The Umbaran started to fly them out when another speeder crashed into them. It kept their vehicle pinned while its passengers emerged. The assassins glanced up through the tinted windshield to see a yellow and blue lightsaber ignite. Rapunzel slashed through the glass while Elsa served as her backup. The knight raised her yellow blade to the killers and said, "Hold it right there!"

That was all she was able to say before the Zygerrian fired his CR-2 through the dashboard. A storm of laserfire spewed towards the Jedi and forced them back. As Elsa fumbled, the Umbaran snuck his stun baton through the window and prodded her foot. His strike sent a powerful, electrical current surging through Elsa's body.

"No!" Rapunzel gasped and Force-pushed the Padawan to safety.

The Umbaran put their battered speeder in reverse and tried to shake the remaining Jedi off. Rapunzel kept herself balanced as the Zygerrian climbed up to fight her. While the speeder was still hovering at ground level, Elsa came to her senses and sat up. She fought through her stinging pains and called to her companion. "Rapunzel!" she yelled and threw her lightsaber.

Rapunzel noticed Elsa's arcetron hilt twirling towards her and frontflipped to grab it. She activated the saber in midair, landed atop the speeder's roof, and assumed a dual-wielding stance. As the ship ascended, Rapunzel's long, blonde tresses glowed between her blue and yellow blades. The Zygerrian opened fire and Rapunzel spun both sabers like vibrant pinwheels. She deflected his storm of lasers and he hurriedly switched to his shotgun. Rapunzel bisected the weapon with one blade and would've cut him down with the other had she not lost her balance. The Umbaran shifted the controls in an effort to fling her off. Rapunzel stumbled into a ferocious kick that sent her rolling. She nearly fell off the speeder as the Zygerrian closed in. Rather then attack her, the assassin simply smirked. Rapunzel's brows furrowed when she noticed his ears pivot towards a sound. She suddenly realized what type of trap the assassins had set.

The Umbaran flew higher as the Zygerrian suddenly dropped. Rapunzel's eyes widened at the sight of an incoming billboard. Given her position at the back end of the speeder, she had no choice but to jump off. The hovering billboard zipped by as Rapunzel plummeted back to the streets. She drove her lightsabers into a wall to slow her descent and dropped into a crowd of frightened bystanders. She was quickly approached by the red-armored clones of the Coruscant Guard. While the troopers kept civilians back, their commander approached Rapunzel.

"Are you alright, ma'am?" Commander Fox asked.

Rapunzel caught her breath while watching the assassins' speeder escape into an underworld portal. "I'm fine," she sighed. "Contact the underworld police," she ordered. "Tell them to put out an APB on two suspects. I can provide all details, but there may be wounded in CoCo Town. As a Jedi Healer, that is where I am needed most."

The entire block encompassing Mydral Apartments had been locked down. Officers and forensics droids were scouring the area while Elsa approached Hans. Lieutenant Divo and GU-13 were helping him sit up until medical units arrived. "Hans," Elsa uttered. "What happened here?"

The knight could hardly see straight through swollen eyes and a battered face. "Seriously?" he mumbled. "What does it look like happened?"

Elsa sneered at his comment, but pitied him given his injuries. "Where is Anna?" she asked.

"Told her...to wait in the speeder," Hans murmured. "Told her...but she didn't listen to-" Hans' head fell forward as he passed out from his injuries.

Rapunzel arrived just in time alongside several clones. She rushed over to Hans and clutched his shoulders. "Someone help me get him on his side!" she shouted. "Hans? Stay with me. We need an ambulance over here!"

Elsa trekked across the ravaged street and searched for Hans' speeder. "Anna!" she called into the darkness. As she approached a temple-issue speeder, she noticed several news outlets already rushing over to cover the story.

A woman snuck under the barricade and ran up to Elsa. "Master Jedi!" she called. She didn't waste a moment to get a recorder in Elsa's face while her camera droid filmed. "Belle O'Har with the Coruscant Rose. Can you give me something...anything on the men who attacked CoCo Town tonight?"

Elsa stuttered as the camera droid hovered closer to her face. The eager brunette's bright, hazel eyes widened with anticipation. "Well," Elsa gulped. "I-"

"Ma'am," a police droid called. "You cannot be back here."

Belle hurriedly asked more questions as the droid closed in. "Where are they now? Why were the Jedi unable to stop them? Are the people of Coruscant safe? Master Jedi!"

"This way please," the police droid said and escorted Belle away. Elsa was left pondering those exact questions herself.

She approached Hans' speeder and was shocked to find the door to its backseat open. While the vehicle was abandoned, Elsa figured Anna would've been in the passenger seat. She continued her search across the street until she heard sniffling down an alleyway. Elsa followed the echo until she noticed a familiar pair of boots tucked between a pair of trashcans. "Anna?" she worried. The youngest Dellian hugged herself tight and buried her face between her knees. She was too ashamed to look at Elsa as she knelt beside her. "Hey," Elsa spoke softly.

"I failed, sis." Anna replied. "I ran away." She raised her head but continued to avert her eyes. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she clenched her fists. "They got away, didn't they?"

"Let's not worry about that now-"

"Tell me!" Anna yelled.

"Yes," Elsa confirmed and Anna hung her head.

"Hans," she fretted. "Is he...de-"

"No," Elsa quickly replied. "They're prepping an ambulance for him now."

"An ambulance," Anna reiterated. "All of this pain, Elsa. I don't understand. I was just trying to do the right thing. Trying to make a difference. Why do the killers get to win? Why do the kidnappers get to move on? Why!" Anna snapped. Elsa embraced her in the darkness of the alley as she cried into her chest.

The eldest Dellian sniffled and held Anna close. "I don't know why, Anna. I can't explain all of these horrible events, but I have to believe that justice will be served. If I don't...I won't have any hope to trust in."

A shadow shifted from the sidewalk as Elsa heard a familiar voice. "Well, at least you told the truth about one thing." Yelena said.

Elsa's embrace on Anna loosened and she bowed respectfully. "Master Yelena," she said. "I can explain."

"Don't bother," Yelena huffed frustratedly. "Your face and this story are all over the news. You should be popular in the senate when you see Veritaz tomorrow."

"But Anna is-"

"That wasn't a suggestion," Yelena asserted. Her tone shifted from an impatient mentor to that of a scolding parent. "I was wrong to grant you so much leniency, Elsa. Your emotions are out of control and you cannot be trusted to make decisions. You will return to your training and appointed senatorial duties effective immediately. Master Mattias will see to his Padawan when he returns, for she is not your responsibility. Do I make myself clear?"

Elsa bit back any defensiveness as Yelena stared her down. Rain lightly fell upon them as Elsa surrendered. "Yes...master," she relented. A twinge of resentment stirred within Elsa and she remorsefully looked to Anna.

"Just go," her little sister murmured. As Elsa reluctantly left with Yelena, Rapunzel approached and tended to Anna.

A hidden safehouse resided within the furthest reaches of Coruscant's underworld. Located deep beneath the surface level and obscured by scrap heaps, it'd take a while for any authorities to locate those within. The Zygerrian was in the middle of repairing their airspeeder when the Umbaran called him over.

"Jobun!" he beckoned. "We have a briefing."

Jobun snorted, set his tools down, and joined the Umbaran at a desk. An unseen hologram flickered before them and the assassins nodded to it. "Hey boss," the Umbaran greeted.

"Nel...Jobun," the hologram said. The person's voice was intentionally distorted through the holocom. "Care to turn on the Holonews?"

Nel bit his lip and activated their dusty datascreen. "Chaos in CoCo Town tonight," a reporter said. "This is Belle O'har with the latest on a developing situation. What you're seeing is aerial footage of the street where two men opened fire on Coruscanti civilians and members of the Jedi Order. While the Jedi were unable to stop them, the suspects have been identified as a Zygerrian and Umbaran male. Both perpetrators are considered armed and extremely dangerous. Twenty-eight-year-old Timia Lok was also found murdered in her apartment. This attack comes shortly after an accident at Dex's Diner and hostage situation on a Jrade District train. At least the Jedi there were successful. All of these incidents keep Coruscanti citizens asking the same questions. Are we safe and can the Jedi...let alone the Republic...guarantee it?"

"So much coverage," the hologram sighed. "You told me you'd be in and out."

"We would've been," Nel assured. "If Jobun here hadn't opened fire. He can't control his hatred for the Jedi. It's a Zygerrian weakness-"

"I don't want to hear excuses!" the hologram screeched. "Do you not realize how much is at stake here? The police are already looking into Herv Bobak's death. After tonight, it's only a matter of time before they realize it wasn't an accident. And nowthe Jedi are involved."

"We dealt with the Jedi," Jobun boasted. "They weren't so tough."

"Do not underestimate the Order's assets, Zygerrian," the boss said. "Slip up and there will be consequences. Thousands of credits are fattening your pockets because you are the best. Act like it, damn it!" The boss' voice calmed down. "You know what my master will do to me if this operation is exposed. That suffering will makes it way to both of you unless you get it together."

Nel huffed. "What are your orders, boss?"

"Lay low for now. While you did make a scene, nothing has been revealed. Let the authorities run circles searching for you but standby for further orders. I need you ready for when the target's ship lands on Coruscant. Prepare to stage another accident. There can be no mistakes. No unbridled shootouts. She...must...die."

Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading this week's installment of "The Frozen Force." There is A LOT to unpack here but this mystery is just starting to unravel! Failure is never final as darkness descends over Coruscant. There are other forces at work with sinister, unknown intentions! As season 2 continues, get ready to rise from the ashes of defeat and claim redemption. The darkest night lingers before the brightest dawn. Those who seek justice shall clash to bring evildoers to light. With "The Frozen Force," the fight always goes on and we'll see you next Frozen Force Friday!

How deep do you think this conspiracy goes and what do you think is going on? Where do all the pieces fit?

I hope you enjoyed and thank you for all of your reviews and support. Your commentary is always appreciated and I'd love to hear your thoughts on (Shattered- Part: II)!

Long Live Imagination!

~Michael