Chapter 48

Through Imperial Eyes

PHOENIX HOME

Many Years Ago

Ahkilleon was sitting in the mess hall looking at datapads, reading up on previous battles, the youngling had his white and blue hair cut short, wearing simple travel clothing of blue and grey, Ahsoka sat across from him looking her son over, as he read the datapad "So, how did Admiral Yuralen defeat Trench at the Battle of Malastare Narrows."

He looked up at her, "He didn't, a jedi strike team did, or Grandpa Trench says they sabotaged his fleet?"

"Good answer, maybe not what Trench says, but do you know why it's important to know this?"
Ahkilleon shrugged "Jedi fix everything?"

"If only." Ahsoka smiled as she leaned on her elbow, over the table "It's important to know when you need help, Admiral Yuralen was just an officer at the time. But when facing a greater threat allies are what count." Ahsoka said.

Ahkilleon looked at his datapad, "And this Admiral, he's part of the Empire now, right?"
Ahsoka sighed, "Sadly yes, but Yuralen was always a pragmatist being a military man just made sense to him."
"But the way talk about him, how could someone like Admiral Yuralen be one of the bad guys?" Ahkilleon asked.

"The galaxy isn't black and white Ahkilleon, we all have choices to make and not everyone will agree with them."

RAXUS

TEMPLE ASIMOV

The Revenant flew down to the surface of Raxus, past the Militia fleet and to the mountain top estate that once belonged to the Bonteri House, now fitted with walls, guns and extended buildings to resemble Bastion Temple on Arcadia, the ship touched down on one of the tree landing pads before Ahkilleon walked down the ramp, he was dressed in his armor and was followed by Turok, Breacher and his astro droid Beetoo. "I swear that Sato needs to get laid, he's tighter than a tactical droid." Breacher said behind Ahkilleon.

"Acting like us making a deal with those other Mando's was somehow offensive is beyond me." Breacher added.

"Commander Sato's opinion carries as much weight as a bag of hot air." Turok said, "But Captain Syndulla, Jarrus, those two are the ones we need to worry about."

Ahkilleon looked at them, "It may be best if we let their tempers cool before we come back to Atollon, has Lord Asimov said anything since he woke up?"

"Well, the bacta tank shattered and the army just about rioted when they heard he was awake." Turok told him, they looked out at the base of the small mountain that Temple Asimov stood on, the Vanguard had built a small base at the foot of the hill and among the ships were a handful of Kom'rk-class fighter/transports on the edge of them, with the Mandalorians from the Children of the Watch or the Tribe, that Ahkilleon had recruited without the knowledge of Phoenix Squadron or the Specter's.

Ahkilleon turned from the ledge of the platform and headed into the temple, "Don't wait up." Ahkilleon said as he entered the Temple, it was eerily silent, he headed to the medical wing to expect to find his Master in a bed but all he found was the remnants of the broken Bacta tank, the shattered glass being cleaned up buy a droid, he headed to the main hall but saw it was empty, heading to the courtyard he saw someone sitting in it, dressed only in a baggy yellow robe. Ahkilleon headed out of the garden and as he got closer he recognized the broad shoulders and large frame, "Master."
"... Ahkilleon." Lord Asimov said.

He rose, the yellow robe draped around his shoulders, he turned and saw his Master was only wearing the robe, a pair of mesh shorts and the bandages around his still healing wounds, "Should you moving Master?"
"I am well, padawan, General Sigma has given me a report of your progress and of our setbacks." Lord Asimov said as he walked toward his padawan, "I've recruited a sect of Mandalorians to our cause." Ahkilleon said.

"So I've noticed." Asimov said as he looked out across the balcony at the ships.

Ahkilleon's eyes widened hearing that, "Master I… it's my fault you were injured I-" "Dared to strike at the Empire, there was risk but great reward the return of the Great Holocron to our Order, healing the rift between the Vanguard and the Maverick fleets, saving Sleheyron from the Hutt's and the Empire, the challenges came and you rose to meet them as you always have. Commander."
Swallowing the emotion, Ahkilleon couldn't fight back the smile. "Things have changed since my fall, and with it so must we." Lord Asimov said as he walked with his padawan, hand on his shoulder more to lean on him than to be a source of assurance, "Your rebel friends have proved me wrong it would seem."
"Master?" Ahkilleon asked.

"I thought they would make you weak, I thought they would pull you back to their way of thinking. But I see from your actions these past weeks, you've shown yourself a true Jedi of the Militia."

Ahkilleon watched Lord Asimov take a seat on a stone bench in the garden, "Master, all that I am, you have made me." Ahkilleon replied standing hands behind his back.

"And there is still much to make, this spy… we must find them, we must end them." Asimov curled his hands together thinking, "Yes, but what about the Vanguards' weakened state? A battalion of Mandalorians is one thing, but we need more."

"Indeed, the Empire has made no short list of enemies, and I'm certain there are rebel groups who aren't as satisfied with the rebellion." Asimov said to him.

Ahkilleon gave his Master a puzzled look "But you just said the rebels proved you wrong."
"The Specter's have proven themselves, but people like Sato and those he reports to lack the passion needed for this fight, I saw that you reunited the Gererra siblings, I have followed Saw's exploits for sometime-" "He knows about Jabiim."
"Ah." Saw said as he sat up folding his arms, "Yes, how did he take it?"

Ahkilleon shook his head, "Nolan was his friend, Master."

"The events on Jabiim were regrettable, but you remember what I told you?" Lord Asimov asked him, Ahkilleon nodded "As soldiers, we fight for a peace we may never see."

Lord Asimov nodded "And in my recovery I have learned that the price will be high, but the Militia cannot do this alone, Saw may be overzealous but he has connections. I have sent for him to come to Raxus, he will be here within the hour. His niece is here is she not?"
Ahkilleon nodded, "I signaled her to join us after Krownrest, she'll be happy to see her uncle."
"Good, and what of the Vos-Ventress twins, young Jay and Rulf?" Asimov asked him.

Ahkilleon went pale, "Rulf… Rulf is dead, Jay hasn't spoken to me since it happened."
Asimov frowned as he sat on the bench, "Yes, that's right I'm sorry." Asimov said, rubbing his forehead, "I remember what it was like to have friends in my youth, before I became Asimov, before the Militia was the beginning and end of everything I did. There was one time when Zatt and I tried to pull a scam of printing fake imperial credits, hehe Ganodi bet them all on herself to win a pod race it… was happier times." Lord Asimov said as he touched the scars on his face.

Ahkilleon thought about it, "Master, what about your old friends, Zatt, Ganodi, Byph, there were others right?"
The yellow robed Master nodded "... yes Gungi, last reports sighted him on Kashyyyk and Saw has been known to work in that sector, and then Katooni, what of her?"
"Zatt said she was, what, a Pirate Captain?" Ahkilleon asked, "A pirate Queen actually, but reports of her are far and few between." Asimov said as he leaned forward sitting down, "Friends are a gift Ahkilleon, but they can hold you back from your destiny."

Ahkilleon glanced at him, "I received your message from Nareua Stormblade, you seek Obi-Wan Kenobi, you believe he's fit to be the Jedi King than you?"
There was a long pause, wind blew leaves between them "Yes."
Asimov sighed, "If Kenobi was still alive, he'd have come here, he'd made his presence known. But this doubt of yours, in yourself you have no need for it. A King must not doubt himself."
"I'm no King." "Not yet." Lord Asimov said to him "Master, I can't rule anyone."

Asimov scratched his chin, "Don't rule, lead as you did at Naboo, as you've done in my absence."
"No, it has to be Kenobi, he's the only one who could lead and unite us right now." Ahkilleon snapped back at him, "Kenobi is dead."

Shaking his head Ahkilleon paced the room "No, I don't believe that, the Empire never found him, or he's trapped on some distant planet, I've had Turok-" "I am well aware what Turok has been doing for you, but this idiocy of trying to find Kenobi, when it's your destiny to be King and not his.'
"DESTINY WAS WRONG!" Ahkilleon shouted so loud the birds fled the trees and silence took hold of the court.

Asimov glared at him, "Leave, we can discuss it more after Saw, for now, see to our new 'recruits' and afterwards I will call you when Gererra is here."
"Master, shouldn't I stay you may not be well as you think?" Lord Asimov stood and walked forward passing him "No, I am better than well I am alive." Asimov said, passing him.

Ahkilleon left the garden and Temple proper heading down into the war camp outside the Temple walls, the Vanguards rebuilding fleet welcomed him in, as he passed by tents of troops and makeshift barracks they saluted him and some called out "Hail Ahkilleon." a table of gambling troops toasted as he passed by, he found Breacher betting at dice with some of the men before he joined him, "Men are in high spirits?"
"Course they are, Lord Asimov is up and moving, you saved them at Sleheyron, and we finally got our reinforcements." Lt. Breacher said as they made their way to the Mandalorians who had joined them.

The Children of the Watch had started to unload their ships, keeping sentries at the perimeter outstretched, making a camp within a camp chief among them the blue armed Paz Vizla who had a heavy blaster cannon primed to a battery pack on his back, as Ahkilleon approached the guards held their weapons ready but didn't aim at them, "Paz, how is your clan settling in."
"We are to see this land you promised us, the armorer wishes to speak with you." Paz said to him behind his blue helmet.

Ahkilleon looked at Breacher, "Who am I to refuse her."
Eventually, Ahkilleon was brought aboard the largest Mandalorian ship to a large chamber where the Armorer stood around a large forge, with her metal tools on the walls she was crafting a mandalorian helmet with the T visor but no glass. Ahkilleon watched her pry the metal from the fire of the forge and then dip it into ice where steam rose from it, "You wear your armorer again, why did you not wear it at Clan Wren's Stronghold?" She asked.

Ahkilleon held up his helmet looking at the orange and white markings, "I've become something of a celebrity in this war, my armor is noticeable."

She turned to him her golden helmet hiding her face, she approached him and held out her hand, Ahkilleon handed her his helmet and she examined it before she lifted her metal tongs and hit the armor just hard enough to make the metal sing to her, unlike Beskar on Beskar it didn't make a high pitched chime rather a deep gong bellowed from it. "This armor is… adequate, the markings, they are similar to your own?"

"My mothers, Sabine actually painted it for me, her name was Ahsoka Tano." Ahkilleon said to the Armorer.

She returned the helmet "They who honor their parents, honor themselves. Clan Tano is a Jedi Clan?"
"Jedi don't have clans, not like yours, the code or the old code forbid strong attachments like families or children, my mother left the Order before I was even conceived."

The Armorer set down her tongs, "The promise you made, safety for our people in exchange for our blood."
"Not in those exact words, but if your warriors fight with us, we will give you land here on Raxus, or any world of your choosing, per our agreement." Ahkilleon said to her, the Armorer walked toward another table where lay Turok's beskar axe and the beskar shield with the imperial emblem, she picked up the shield and carried it over to the forges flames dropping it into it, letting it melt.

She stoked the fire so the forge ate the metal and chewed it out into melted beskar, "This shield was never Gar Saxons to give, Beskar belongs to Mandalore and Mandalore alone, so when I ask this, I do not ask it lightly. What if we ask for Mandalore as our land, would you break your promise to the rebels, to Clan Wren to give it to us?"
Ahkilleon saw she was testing him, it wasn't an easy one either, give up Mandalore to the Children would condemn the rebel and Wren alliance. But giving it to them, would secure the loyalty of the Watch, wouldn't it? "No." Ahkilleon replied.

The Armorer watched him with her black visor, "Mandalore is a people first, not a place as some apostates claim. Our people have fought over it for centuries forcing it's cities to remain in great domes to avoid the harsh environment beyond."

"This land, Raxus, is rich of life and game, we will select a provence we deem suitable, for now call on us, and we will answer." The Armor returned to her work melting the ax next, Ahkilleon nodded before he turned to go, "You were testing my honor, if I betrayed the Rebels, I could betray you?"
The Armorer didn't turn her back, "If you say so, jedi."
"Armorer, I've known Sabine for a long time, she's precious to me and I know her people hold honor just as close as I do her, but my Master always said, ask the dead if honor matters." Ahkilleon left the room and the ship.

Lt Breacher was waiting for him outside, and Paz let Ahkilleon leave the inner camp, "So, where to now?"
Ahkilleon stopped "Nowhere, Lord Asimov has given me the day off."
Lt. Breacher put his hands on his hips, "Well, that means there's only one thing to do, Commander." Breacher flung his arm around the young man, "Breacher?"
The mutton chopped separatist led Ahkilleon to the far end of the camp, where the ground had been flattened and stripped only to be dotted with the hexagon angled looking hangers, and Hawk fighters, a makeshift building had been assembled from scrapped ship haul parts, barracks, tanks and other pieces of metal with a sign that had a cracked stormtrooper helmet hanging from it, written in aubresh 'The Drunken Droid'

Breacher pushed two metal slabs made into batwing doors opening it, "Here's the man of the hour!" Breacher shouted.

Ahkilleon saw an entire cantina had been built inside the rickety place, a bar at the far back with metal tables made of barrels, crates, and whatever scrap they could put together to make furniture, it's occupants let out a loud hooray when they entered, Militia Regulars, Pilots, Droids and sentiments drinking swill. They all got up and nearly mobbed him, patting him on the back and a quarren shoved a mug of frothy wheat drink in his hand, and then they started to sing?

"FOR HE'S A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW, FOR HE'S A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW, FOR HE'S A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW, WHICH NOBODY CAN DENY!"

Ahkilleon was pushed down into a table made of a barrel and a circular piece of metal, he looked around as Breacher sat down lighting a cigar, Turok was already there dealing cards in a corner shaking his head, a B5 droid mixed drinks behind the bar "Breacher, what is this?"

"WHICH NOBODY CAN DENY, WHICH NOBODY CAN DENY! FOR HE'S A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW, FOR HE'S A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW."

Breacher smirked "Oh just a rumor the boys started, since the Mandalorians got there, and your little thing with that mando girl, the lads been talking, whole army maybe whole militia is that your alliance with them is of a… marital sort."

"You mean martial." Ahkilleon said as he saw a banner unrolled.

FOR HE'S A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW…." The banner rolled down and revealed his name written in big bold letters next to Congratulations, "WHICH NOBODY CAN DENY!"

Ahkilleon slapped his forehead as Turok let out a loud laugh as the men kept singing, "Talk, now." Ahkilleon said, throwing back the large tanker of beer.

Breacher snickered as he took a beer off an astro droids head, "Well… remember that little stunt of your on Concordia, to save your girl?"

"Who told you that?" Ahkilleon asked, "The Lasat, Zeb, he talks over cards." Breacher said as he sipped his beer, "Well I know the true story, you went there to save her, killed a bunch of imps too, but soldiers gossip worse when bored than my aunties over tea." Breacher said, whipping the foam from his mustache.

Ahkilleon looked at the marital sign and back to him, "Oh no."
"Oh yes, from humble rebel origins, he joined the fight against the Empire with the Militia. Son of Jedi, raised by generals and warlords from Coruscant to Lothal this young warlord could only fall for a warrior of his own caliber, A Princess of Mandalore."

Ahkilleon almost gagged on his beer before he coughed it out, "Sabine… a princess?"
Breacher shrugged as the men kept singing, "Yeah, she's a noble house isn't she?"
"Her parents are Counts, so that means she's a… I'm not sure, but I'm not marrying here." Ahkilleon said to him.

The Lt. shrugged and gave him a cockeyed look. "Well… maybe not yet, but oh I need to put a stop to this." Ahkilleon got up but Breacher pulled him down.

"Oh no you don't, the men need this." Breacher said as Turok finished his card game and joined them, "Your torturing the lad, Breacher."

Breacher shook his head, "No, the men need it. We barely survived Seleheyron, Naboo, and others, Lord Asimov is awake, the men think our champion is getting married, let's celebrate. We may never get a chance like this again boys." Breacher looked back to the droid manning the bar "Shot, another round."
The droid nodded and proceeded to fill three more glasses, the droid brought it over and Ahkilleon sat back down, "Fine…" Ahkilleon looked around the bar, he felt it in the force. Them soldiers were happy, they knew they'd lost friends, and he saw that in the pictures above the bar, holograms, drawings, printed photographs, but their was laughter, joy, even hope "Rulf would love this, to sing to a crowd like that."

"Yeah well, to Rulf." Turok said.

Breacher held his glass up "To Rulf."
Ahkilleon did the same "To Rul-" another glass hit theirs, Ahkilleon looked up to see Jay standing over him, "Jay." Ahkilleon said standing up.

"To Rufl." Jay said slamming a drink down, he dragged a stool over and sat down next to him, "And Gabi." Ahkilleon said, Jay chugged his beer down like it was nothing "I'm getting another." He said before he got back up to go to the bar.

Ahkilleon followed Jay to the bar, "Jay, Rulf, the Starweird if there was anything I could have done I would have but-" "But you just ran him through with your lightsaber."
"I-tried." Ahkilleon said gritting his teeth, he tried to place a hand on Rulfs shoulder, he swatted away, Ahkilleon noticed Rulf looked older, thick adolescent stubble checkered his jaw and upper lip.

Jay lowered his arm "I… I know you did Ahkilleon, we all knew we could die." Jay looked up at a picture on the wall, it was Jay, Rulf, Gabi, Urrde, Kraggen, Fatima, Yumi and Corto, and tacked onto it in the corner was a picture of Ahkilleon. "Just… we just had all these ideas, Gabi's speeder, Rulf's girl, his dream to sing in an opera house, Urrde's family… it's all so fucked."
Ahkilleon gently rested his hand on Jay's back, "My master would say it's war."
"But we say we don't send children into war, and… look at us." Jay said as he gestured to the two of them, "War doesn't care about age Jay, doesn't care about the good, the bad, innocent or guilty, anyone who preachers otherwise is a fool."
"Like your rebel friends." Jay grumbled as the droid bartender gave him another drink, "I… don't disagree, but the rebel are our allies, my friends, the same as you. The ideals may be different but our goal is the same."

Jay grunted, Ahkilleon felt his arm sensor beep, a signal that Lord Asimov would send when Saw Gererra had arrived, "I… have to go, we'll talk later, I promise." Ahkilleon turned to go and Jay watched him before turning back to his drink.

LATER

A Militia transport descended down to the Temple it have Maverick pegasi, a squad of Dragoons escorted it in and when it landed, Sawyer got out of her cockpit with her astro droid, just as Saw walked down the steps of the transport, "Jedi Temple huh, not that impressive." Saw said as he walked up with his niece.

"The one on Arcadia is way less gaudy, think winter fortress instead of mansion turned military outpost?" Sawyer said as they walked up the steps.

Saw glanced over the Vanguard fleet and it's forces at the base of the hill, then looked out across the woods "Bet there's some good rivers or lakes in those woods, how's about once we're done here we go fishing?" He asked.

Sawyer smiled, "I'd love that uncle."

The doors to the Temple opened and Saw entered, Lord Asimov was standing there, he wore his armor again the bone jaw around his plumed helmet tucked under his arm, his shaved head and heavy scared face revealed, the yellow sash around his waist and his armor painted with teal and purple markings, "General Gererra, Welcome to Raxus." Lord Asimov was standing by the window with General Sigma, Admiral Zygote, Ahkilleon, Ventus, his Padawan Kraggen and shown in a hologram of Beetoo was Hera of all people. "So you're the infamous Asimov?"
Sigma had his hand going to his pistol, but Asimov snickered "And your General Gererra's psychotic terrorist brother."

The onderonian survivor looked at Asimov's scared face "Well met." Asimov held his hand up.

"Hmm, and I thought Jedi didn't have a spine." Saw said as Hera folded her arms silent.

"I've followed your work Saw, you are unrelenting, unyielding and show great conviction, which is why I've invited you here to discuss a matter of great importance." Lord Asimov said as he gestured for Ahkilleon to pull up Beetoo the astro droid rolled up and projected an image of a world under siege.

Saw looked at it "Lothal, of all the backwaters in the Galaxy, the Empire and your Militia sure want it badly?"
"Lothal is where the Militia made its move, the Empire holds its resources in high value, as do we. But the Black Wolf Moon base has gone dark, they've been cut off from Lothal." Lord Asimov said to everyone.

Ahkilleon's eyes got wide, "Why wasn't I told?"
"There were other matters to deal with in Ahkilleon." Sigma told him, "So now, we must know if Bloodwolf is still in the fight, or if Lothal is lost." Lord Asimov said.

Saw folded his arms, "So why bring me here, I don't care about Lothal?"
"You care about hurting the Empire, so do we." Asimov said as he looked at the droid, Beetoo shifted and showed the Imperial Center, "I'm listening." Saw said.

Lord Asimov paced around the hologram, "Captain Syndulla." Thrawn said.

"Above Lothal sits the Seventh Fleet, it's Grand Admiral Thrawn, Governor Pryce, and from recent intercepted messages, ISB Colonel Wullf Yularen." Hera said as three holograms appeared of the three Imperials, blue skinned Thrawn, the bowl cut Governor Pryce and a man in a white uniform with black pants, grey hair, a mustache and slender build.

Ahkilleon knew the name and the face, just not the aged one, "Yularen was an Admiral in the clone wars, why demote him?"

"He stepped down from the Admiralty, he runs the ISB, his crimes against the Galaxy are uncountable, and we are going to kill him, Pryce and Thrawn all in one strike." Hera said.

Saw smiled, "Dead Imperials are always good."

"And your onboard with this Hera, this is out of character for you?" Ahkilleon said to her, she frowned "Escalation is the last thing I want, but with both Militia and Rebels working in tandem, it would take three key players off the board, for good. And we have a mole on the inside, Rebel intelligence believe he's in danger of being discovered. So Rex, Ezra and Kanan are staging a rescue, Ezra's already been inserted to Lothal, he'll fake a capture so that the others can move into rescue our agent. Fulcrum." shesaid as the hologram played out the Star Destroyer Chimera, Thrawn's flagship receiving the shuttle, Ahkilleon's eyes got wide hearing his mothers agent name, but he knew that it was just a name for multiple rebel spies and agents.

"We will board the vessel, kill the targets and for good measure a bomb so everyone on Lothal sees the ship go down." Asimov said to them.

Saw looked over the plan, "How many on the strike team?"

"Myself and my padawan."
Saw chuckled, "Just you two, against an entire Chimera, I don't think so. I've fought the Seventh Fleet, they're not like any Imperial legion, they're fanatically loyal to Thrawn."

Ahkilleon started to see similarities between this plan, and the one Hera's father had staged above Ryloth, but far bigger and more dangerous, Ahkilleon kept his mouth shut as Asimov replied, "If you doubt our strategy please?"
Saw looked it over, "Boarding the ship is good, but getting the bomb aboard and enough time to get away, you should use a bigger ship, loaded with battle droids, they're expendable anyway."

"Not to us." Sigma said to him, Saw , I thought clones loved to bust clankers?"

Sigma didn't take the bait, "General Sigma is right, our droids are our comrades and not expendable."
"But the leader of the Vanguard and his apprentice are, this is all so generous but what do you want in return, and what do I get?"

There was a pause "Gentlemen, if I may?" Hera asked, Asimov nodded "Speak."
"Killing Thrawn, Pryce and Yuralen would send a powerful message, but the Empire would replace them as surely as they've already replaced others. When capturing them would be better, one for each of us, Saw, Phoenix Squadron and the Militia, it'd cement our alliance." Hera said to the War Council.

At first nobody spoke "I agree, Pryce would be a political prisoner, Thrawn would have key information to the Imperial war machine and Yuralen would have invaluable intel, we could maybe even turn him."
"Turn him, the only turning he needs to do is to a firing squad." Saw snapped.

"Yuralen fought for the Republic, with the Jedi, that surely had to mean something to him, Master?" Ahkilleon turned to Lord Asimov who would have the final say.

Asimov paced hands behind his back "We will capture the targets, not kill, one for each of us. To be determined after we have them in custody."

Hera smiled at Ahkilleon for his support, Saw scratched his beard before rubbing his bald head "Fine, now what do you all want from me for this gracious gift?" Saw asked skeptical.

"That will be asked for, once we have your prize." Asimov said.

Saw held his hand out "Alright, but I'm coming with you to make sure you don't screw it up." Saw said as he turned to leave, not taking no for an answer.

"Dismissed." Lord Asimov declared and everyone started to leave, Ahkilleon lingered by Hera's holographic form, she could see something was bothering him. When she saw Asimov was out of the room, she turned her holographic head to him "This is a good plan, capturing those three will do… it could change the war."

Ahkilleon was silent, "Ahkilleon?"
"Am I a coward Hera?" Ahkilleon asked.

Her green eyes went wide "You're… many things Ahkilleon, but I don't think anyone can call you a coward. Kanan would say killing the targets is the coward's way, it's too easy, but capturing them, putting them on trial would be the wise way."
"I doubt we'll put them on trial, interrogation, prisoner exchange, aaahh this is why I hate politics." Ahkilleon grumbled pacing the room.

Hera frowned "You didn't seem to hate it when you threatened the Hutts."

He froze.

"So you heard what I said to them?" Ahkilleon asked her, she was hesitant to answer "Not in so many words, but the message. You threatened to kill their entire world, their entire race, why?"

Ahkilleon turned to her, his face grim "Do you really think the Galaxy wouldn't be better off without the Hutts?" Ahkilleon asked.

"I know they wouldn't, your father tried the same thing in his Crusade, but all it did was create a power vacuum, chaos for years. The Hutt's are thugs and gangsters, but wiping them out, genocide is never the answer." she told him, Ahkilleon sighed "I know."
"Then why offer- threaten it?" She asked.

Ahkilleon met her gaze, "The Hutt's are thugs like I said, thugs only understand one language, savagery and in the law of the jungle the most savage animal is king."

PHOENIX HOME

Many Years Ago

Ahkilleon waited outside the docking bay doors, he was sitting on the floor legs pressed against his chest arms wrapped around his knees, as he heard exhaust and the clamping of metal, he watched the door warily, fearful of what may come through "What is the meaning of this?" Ahkilleon stumbled to his feet hearing Commander Sato's voice, the boy stood up and looked at the taller imperious man, Sato's eyes like a hawk on a mouse "What are you doing here Mr. Tano."
"I… I'm waiting for my mom, she's supposed to be back, right?" Ahkilleon asked Sato.

"This is unacceptable, you are past curfew, return to your quarters at once Mr. Tano." Sato snapped at him, Ahkilleon held his hands up 'But- but- my mom, is she-" "I said go." Sato snapped at him, Ahkilleon hunched over cowering before he headed past Sato around the corner just as he heard the docking bay doors open.

Ahkilleon poked his head out from behind the corner to peak out and see wounded rebels coming in, all of them bloodied and beaten, some missing limbs, two carrying a stretcher with a sheet over it, Ahkilleon's heart sanks seeing a lekku poking out from it, "It's bad Commander." his mother's voice, Ahsoka was letting a large man lean on her shoulder as she helped him into the ship, she was covered in grime and stains of blood "The ISB Set a trap for the cell, this is all that remains of Stone Squadron."
"The ISB are getting closer, we should abandon this sector for a different one." Sato said as Ahsoka sighed looking at all the wounded and dead, "I agree, we- Ahkilleon." Ahsoka saw her son looking at the graphic scene.

Sato spun around "I told you to return to your quarters!" Sato snapped, Ahkilleon bolted from the corner and ran for his room, Ahsoka following him all the way till she arrived she walked in to see his bed empty, and Ahkilleon hiding under his desk.

Ahsoka knelt down, "Sato hates me."
"No he doesn't hate you, he's just not use to having a kid aboard a warship, not like Admiral Yuralen and my Master with me and your dad." Ahsoka explained.

"Was he ever like that, the Admiral?" Ahkilleon asked.

Ahsoka moved from a kneeling position to sitting down, "No, but I rarely had time to goof off and wait for my Master, I was usually with him on missions."
"Why can't I come with you on missions like your master, I could help?" Ahkilleon asked her.

Ahsoka shook her head "No, I need you here, safe." Ahsoka said to him "But what if you need me mom?" her son asked.

"Don't worry, nothing is ever going to happen to me Ahkilleon."

HYPERSPACE

Stolen Imperial Shuttle

Eventually after a short hop from Raxus to Atollon, Lord Asimov, Saw and Ahkilleon sat in the back of the shuttle with Rex and Kanan up front in their stollen Stormtrooper armor, Kanan switched of his comlink where they heard binary from their droid Chopper "You're where?"
"Grand Admiral Thrawn's Star Destroyer, good we're on schedule for once?" Kanan said sarcastically as Chopper grunted, "They transferred Ezra there after he got captured."
"Well, that really changes the plan." Rex said "Our clearance codes are for the light cruiser, not Thrawn's Star Destroyer. Chop, you've got to get us those clearance codes." Kanan said to the droid who grunted in reply that they'd be on it.

Saw scoffed "This operation is off to a great start."

"Patience, Ezra and Chop will come through… or blow the ship up before we get there." Kanan muttered the last part.

"Sending that runt in there, I wouldn't hold your hopes up." Saw said as he paced in the back of the ship, Lord Asimov sat stoically, arms crossed across from Ahkilleon who sat hunched over holding his helmet in his hands.

"Ezra's tougher than he looks, Saw." Kanan chidded.

Ahkilleon was still silent, "Ahkilleon, you're distant, what's wrong?" Asimov asked.

Ahkilleon rubbed his helmet's orange paint, "Yuralen fought with my mother, she told me stories about him, his bravery, his intellect, but his honor too… how could he join the Empire?
Rex looked back at him, "A lot of the old guard did, few clones before they were decommissioned. Yuralen was a military man his whole life, he-" "He's a traitor, to the Republic, to the Galaxy." Saw snapped.

"That may be, but we need him and the others alive." Kanan said back to him, "Kanan is right Saw, with the intel we could get from all three of them the Rebellion would have it's pick of targets."
Saw paced back and forth with anticipation, scoffing at them "I need you here Ahkilleon, when the time comes, you must do what is necessary."
"I will Master." Akilleon said as they flew through hyperspace. "Meditate with me, open your mind and we will prepare for the coming battle, as War Jedi."

Ahkilleon nodded he sat up straight with his Master, the two of them sat there Ahkilleon set his helmet to his side. Lord Asimov placed his hands on his lap "Recite to me the Jedi Code, the code our brothers lived by, the code they died for, the code the Empire killed them for."

"There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force." Ahkilleon said it and Kanan listened in.

"And now Recite the Sith Code, the Empires Code, the Cowards code." Lord Asimov ordered with a heavy tone in his voice

Ahkilleon took a deep breath, in and out "Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken." he clenched his metal fist tight at the last word, the two of them began to link in the force, their power started to pass through the two of them, of two minds, two bodies, joining for one purpose.

"Yes, now tell me our code, the true code of warriors of the force." Lord Asimov said fervently.

Ahkilleon had his eyes shut "Passion without Peace, is emptiness. Strength without Knowledge, is useless. Power without Serenity, is chaos. Victory without Harmony is defeat. Life without death is a lie."

The humm of the hyperdrive roared under Ahkilleons feet, the ships engines beating along with his own heart as Asimov spoke, "We are War Jedi Ahkilleon, we were created for the sole purpose of fighting of ending this war, where the Jedi of old failed, we will succeed." Asimov said as Ahkilleon shed his doubt, his fear, his mercy, there was just Ahkilleon and Asimov in the ship, and soon the ship melted away and they were alone in the stars.

"We're here." Kanan's voice broke the meditation.

Ahkilleon gasped "What?"
"You two were standing there for the whole ride, besides Ezra, Chopper and Kallus are in need of a pickup, so we got in a hurry, that Lt. Lyste is onto them." Kanan said as he went into the cockpit "Hey, gramps, you want to fill me in?" Kanan asked. Ahkilleon had remembered the name Lyste, the same Imperial officer who had been at the Militia raid, who was with Leia she had argued for his life, and he was on the ship hunting Ezra.

Ahkilleon looked out with Asimov and Saw at the massive fleet surrounding Lothal, "Lot of ships." Rex said as the jedi came into the cockpit, they could see in the distance of Black Wolf Moon ships fighting far from the fleet, Lothal was still in the fight.

"How many?" Kanan asked "Don't worry about it, just transmit the codes. Fast." Rex drove the ship to a large Star Destroyer with the black chimera decal on the bottom, Kanan started to transmit the codes and a few seconds later the imperial ship started to transmit back.

"Shuttle TY992, you are cleared to land." the radio said as the ship flew toward the hangar, "Apprentice." Asimov said, Ahkilleon nodded and picked up his helmet.

Rex and Kanan got up "Comfortable?" Kanan asked Rex when he saw the old soldier fumbling with his armor, "I thought I lost a little weight." Rex said.

Meanwhile in the hanger, Ezra, Kallus and Chopper, who had spent the past few hours avoiding detection, saw the shuttle come in. "There's our ride." Ezra said as they came to a window in an upper level of the hangar "And there's Governor Pryce." Kallus said as Pryce approached with two stormtroopers, as the bay door to the shuttle, the bowl haircut with a stern glare in her eyes approached the shuttle, Rex and Kanan came out in their stolen stormtrooper armor.
"Troopers, stand down and remove your helmets." Pryce snapped at them, "I'm placing you under arrest." she ordered Kanan and Rex, behind them Saw primed his chain gun, "Is that Pryce? Maybe the force is with us?" Saw said while Ahkilleon put his helmet on and unclipped his lightsabers.
"There must be some kind of mistake, sir. I'm sure we can-" Kanan said waving his hand but before he could finish his sentence both of the stormtroopers behind heads snapped backwards necks broken falling to the ground, Pryce spun around in shock "What did you do?" Rex asked Kanan "That wasn't me-" "No." Pryce was suddenly lifted up from the floor and she flew towards Kanan and Rex "Whoa, whoa-" Rex shouted before Pryce's face flew right into the massive palm of Lord Asimov.

He squeezed her skull like it was a fruit, Pryce tried to scream but his palm was firmly wrapped around her mouth, she swung her legs kicking at him but it was like she was kicking a boulder, before Asimov through her back at the ship so hard her forehead slammed into the cockpit with a loud clang knocking her out, "One down, two to go." Asimov grunted, taking out his lightsaber.

"Hold the hanger, and more importantly stay out of our way." Asimov said turning on his yellow greatsaber, Ahkilleon followed him as alarms started to blare, Ahkilleon followed him and turned on his red and blue one after another. Lt Lyste ran into the hangar with a squad of stormtroopers "Open fire." Lyste said Asimov and Ahkilleon deflected the shots and charged the stormtroopers "Kill any who get past me." Asimov ordered Ahkilleon and the two War Jedi broke on them like a tidal wave of death hacking off limbs and heads, Lyste watched his own blaster hand get severed, he cried out in pain before Asimov flung him with the force behind him, landing at Ahkilleon's feet.

Lyste held his left hand stump in shock the wound cauterized from the saber, Ahkilleon raised his lightsaber but stopped when he saw the fear in Lyste's eyes, "No- no please." Lyste said, Ahkilleon could feel the force feeding him Lyste's fear, the mustached man was in pure terror, "Kill him, he's the enemy." Asimov said.

"Ahkilleon no!" Ezra came running out with Chopper, Kallus followed but froze the second Lyste saw him, "Kallus help me!" Lyste shouted, reaching for his blaster that had fallen from one of the stormtroopers. He never made it as Asimov drove his lightsaber down into Lyste's back, and pulled it out "Either you're here or you're not Ahkilleon." Asimov barked at him before he headed into the hallway, Ahkilleon looked down at Lyste, his eyes glassed over the smell of smoked meat burning in his nose. Akilleon looked back at Ezra who was stunned at the brutality, "I'm sorry Ezra… it's them or us, I choose us." Ahkilleon said as he headed after his master.

Ezra watched Ahkilleon follow Asimov and turn the corner to hear screaming and fighting "Chopper, seal the doors." Kanan ordered, the droid sealed the first door and then the other doors all slammed shut.

Kallus ran up to Kanan and Rex, "What the blazes are you doing?"
"Going for the jugular imp be lucky I don't cut yours." Saw said, "You're compromised Kallus, but we're going to take Pryce, Thrawn and Yuralen all in one swipe." Kanan said as Rex dragged Pryce up into the ship.

Kallus gaped "You're mad, they'll never make it off this ship, and even if we do the fleet will stop us with tractor beams."
"Not if we have hostages." Saw pointed out as the doors to the hanger from above and below started to hear loud banging, "Better get ready, we may have company soon."

In the hallways, Ahkilleon followed Lord Asimov who after so long in recovery had unleashed his fury, with one hand he used his lightsaber to cleave men in two, and with the other force powers of darker means destroyed any who came close. Stormtroopers arms and legs twisted off into blood spraying wounds, one stormtrooper felt his arms shoved to the side shooting a man in the back, Ahkilleon covered Lord Asimov's flank and the screams filled the ship. One stormtrooper tried to slam a blast door down on Asimov, drew back one hand and the air rippled around an open palm like he was holding a smoking cannonball nobody could see. He blasted a force push so powerful it ripped it open the door flung the remains of the metal into one officer who lost his head. Other stormtroopers were slammed into the white lights of the wall metal shattering bones under the armor.

"Kill them, KILL THEM ALL!" Asimov shouted charging through the hallway like a mad man, blood sprayed on his armor, his yellow saber an instrument of carnage and death, Ahkilleon did his best to keep up, part of him could hear his friends telling him to stop, but there was another voice, telling him go, keep fighting, focus on the mission, kill as many as you can, win.

All through the ship alarms sprayed, Thrawn and Colonel Yuralen the veteran of the clone war moved through the ship, "Any reports from the surface, is this a Militia counter attack?"

"No Colonel, best you wait in my quarters you will be safer there." Thrawn told him arms at his side as his men rushed past them.

Yuralen heard a loud explosion down the hallway, "I may be only a Colonel, Grand Admiral but I won't run from terrorists."

"Then may I suggest we arm ourselves, before heading to the bridge I believe I know no what the spies objective really was." Thrawn said heading to his quarters, they entered the training room to open up Thrawn's personal arsenal "Kill me maybe, but to capture you Colonel. If you were taken who knows what secrets the rebels would learn." Thrawn grabbed one of his shock staffs and a blaster pistol, Thrawn took one rifle too and they headed out, more stormtroopers came up behind him "I would die rather than talk." Yuralen said.

Grand Admiral Thrawn primed his blaster "Then let us make sure they do not take you, men to the bridge where we can plan a counter attack."

Down in the hallways Asimov grabbed one imperial officer by the neck, "Thrawn, Yuralen, where are they?" Asimov asked him.

The imperial officer gagged "I- I don't know-AAAH." Asimov ran him through without asking again.

"Master!" Ahkilleons shouted in objection to the ruthlessness, "NO!" Asimov thundered, "Bury whatever thoughts you have, whatever hesitant feelings, they are not innocent, no one here is innocent." Asimov told him.

Ahkilleon wanted to object but he saw something behind Asimov, his Lordship turned around to see, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Colonel Yuralen and their guard of stormtroopers, "Run Admiral, we'll hold them." One Stormtrooper with Thrawn's sigil on his shoulder pauldron.

"Jedi?" Yuralen gasped seeing them, Asimov broke off from Ahkilleon moving at monstrous speed leaping off the floor he almost flew into Thrawn's guards, a juggernaut of metal and laser power, "Run Colonel, now." Thrawn grabbed Yuralen pulling him around the corner, as Asimov slaughtered his men.

"Apprentice, stop them, DO NOT HOLD BACK!" Asimov shouted as more Stormtroopers poured into the hallways, Ahkilleon followed, memories of Jabiim started to rush through his mind, but this was a capture mission, not kill, but these weren't a running father and his son, this was Grand Admiral Thrawn, Colonel Wullf Yuralen, he wouldn't fail this time. He would not.

Ahead of the jedi, Thrawn and Yuralen headed to an elevator door, "All forces to my position now, secure the hanger, all ships surrounded the Chimera, and prepare for enemy attack."

"Do you think a Militia fleet is on its way, Admiral?" Yuralen asked him.

Thrawn started to summon the elevator, "Unless they have another way to cover their retreat, Colonel, it is the only way."
More fighting was heard down the hallway when Ahkilleon came around the corner panting, holding both lightsabers, Thrawn turned to face him, "Go Colonel, either he's mine or I'm his." Thrawn said, holding up his shock staff.

"Neither of you are leaving here." Ahkilleon held up his lightsabers, "I'm only going to give you one chance to surrender, one." Ahkilleon said.

"You must know me better than Commander Tano?" Thrawn said walking toward him, the staff held in a guard position, "Tano?" Yuralen gasped hearing a familiar name.

Ahkilleon squeezed his lightsabers, "That was it." Ahkilleon said as he held up both hands, remembering his Masters words, do not hold back, Thrawn realized in that split second what Ahkilleon was about to do "Run Colo-" Ahkilleon unleashed a blast of force lighting down the hallway the lightning tearing at the wall and lights, it hit Thrawn and then electrocuted Yuralen both of them falling to their hands and knees, Yuralen stifled a scream and fell to the floor thrashing, Thrawn to Ahkilleons astonishment started to get up fighting through the lighting, he held up his staff to draw the lightning toward him and away from Yuralen. "R-Run Colonel-" Thrawn managed to groan. Ahkilleon's jaw almost dropped at Thrawn's sheer will to fighting through the pain, he was only a few feet from Ahkilleon when Asimov loomed up behind Ahkilleon and another storm of force lighting blasted out knocking Thrawn off his feet and into the elevator wall, he hit the floor with a hard thud but still conscious. Asimov briskly walked up to him and stomped Thrawn in the face, knocking him out.

"Grab the Colonel." Asimov told Ahkilleon who reached behind his back to pull out some manciles, handcuffing Thrawn, Asimov tore off a beam of metal from the wall and snaked it around Thrawn, grabbing the chiss by his hair he started to drag him while Ahkilleon through Yuralen over his shoulder.

Ahkilleon held up his comlink "Specter Seven to Specter One and Six, we have what we came for; prepare for evac."
"Well you better hurry, we got company." Ezra said the rebels, Kallus and Saw, had moved a dozen crates of imperial stock around the shuttle to make some sort of barricade. "About time." Saw said as he primed the rotating blaster cannon, his battery on his back charged when the blast doors opened and the battle began.

Back with the jedi and their prisoners, "Master, the hanger is under attack."

"Then we take the express route." Asimov said as he started to cut around the floor to make a hole, starting to cut through the ships haul into the floor.

Back in the hanger, a small battle was being waged, Thrawn's forces were storming into the hanger, "This was your plan?" Ezra snapped at Kanan and Rex, "No this was Asimov's plan, and I'm starting to think it was a bad idea." Kanan's attention was snapped away when he saw the blast doors of the ship starting to close, "Oh that's just great, cover me." Kanan ran to the other side of the hanger, he ran past the ship and flung his arms out to hold the doors back, the metal groaned and grinded against itself trying to hold the blast doors open. The stormtroopers and crew began to move into the hanger, starting to fill the hanger, Saw kept firing his rotating blaster cannon mowing them down, when one got a lucky shot on his battery pack.

Saw didn't waste any time he flung the pack and gun off him into the growing crowd of stormtroopers who didn't have time to escape it's blast, blood and limbs flying everywhere, Ezra looked in horror as blood stained the floors and walls, the screams of pain and last gasps before death. "We have to go, we're being over run." Saw snapped.

"Not without junior." Rex snapped.

"It's now or never Rex." Kanan yelled back as the metal doors started to press closer and closer to closing. One stormtrooper stopped his shooting when he felt sparks falling from overhead, he looked up to see a piece of the hanger ceiling come off in a circle followed by Lord Asimov and Ahkilleon with Thrawn and Yuralen on their shoulders, Asimov flung out his hand and the mass of stormtroopers went flying like an invisible cannon ball had obliterated them. "Get our prisoners to the ship, leave this to me." Asimov dropped Thrawn and Ahkilleon started to drag Yuralen and Thrawn to the ship.

"Took you long enough." Saw said as they began to fall back, Asimov stepped forward his armor getting pelted with blaster fire, he clipped his lightsaber to his belt taking the incoming fire before he drew back his hands made all the stormtroopers blasters go flying out of their hands and out the hanger over Kanan's head, "What?" Kanan gasped.

Asimov cracked his knuckles, "Make this interesting for me." Asimov ran into the crowd of stormtroopers with nothing but his fists, and the sheer number of stormtroopers made them think their numbers had advantage, but Asimov was like a tank among speeder bikes, only faster and full of rage. Asimov smashed the first stormtrooper into the ground cracking the helmet, another he tore out their juggler with his bare hands, he proceed to pick one stormtrooper up and smash him into three others, kicking in one's kee, the stormtroopers pilled onto him as the rebels loaded up the prisoners, "Master!" Ahkilleon called out seeing Lord Asimov buried in the stormtroopers before they exploded out with the force and Asimov was, was laughing? Rex ran into the cockpit pulling Ahkilleon with him "Come on junior."

"YES, COME HAHAHAHA YOU WANT TO KILL JEDI HERE IS ONE JEDI YOU WILL NEVER KILL, YOU WILL NEVER KILL ME!" Asimov shouted, a battle rage engulfing him as he drew his lightsaber no longer holding back, even at the sight of the yellow lightsabers Thrawn's men fought on, with knives, fists and anything they could find.

Kallus watched his fellow imperials being butchered, clutching his blaster tightly he herd Ezra call his name "Kallus, come on." Kallus turned to see Pryce starting to wake up, "Release the Governor!" Kallus raised his blaster at Ezra, sensed she Pryce woke up and just in time for Ezra to dodge, Pryce looked around and saw Thrawn and Yuralen, "Imperial Bitch!" Saw drew his fist back to strike her down but Pryce dodged him taking his arm she kicked his leg out from under him and knocked him down, she wrestled his pistol from him and opened fire on Ezra who dodged, Ahkilleon heard the shooting from the cockpit and got up. "Governor quickly!" Pryce shouted before Pryce saw Thrawn and Yuralen on the floor.

In a split second she grabbed Thrawn and pulled him out as the ship started to take off, Kallus shot at the rebels and Asimov saw him, "Treachery." Asimov moved toward Kallus with his lightsaber, Pryce noticed him coming, "Kallus!" Pryce leapt for him pushing him down Asimov turned just as Pryce twirled with her blaster only for a stun ring to hit her in the back, knocked out again. Kallus panting looked up at Asimov, his blaster set to stun.

"There's been a change of plans now that I've rescued Thrawn and Pryce from Fulcrum. I can do more good here." Kallus said as he looked at Asimov and the rebels, "We need to go now, I can't hold it!" Kanan shouted trying to hold the metal door.

Asimov looked at Kallus, then at Yuralen "And him?" Asimov asked, Kallus looked at Yuralen and fixed his jaw, "As much as I respect him, it will seal my cover. Take Thrawn and Pryce and they'll die before giving you anything, but if I'm here in the room I can report on their plans more than ever."

"Liar." Saw barked as he turned the blaster cannon on him, Asimov held his hand up and Saw drew his pistol on Kallus, "Kallus is right, I know Thrawn and if Sabine's reports on Pryce are any indicator, these two are fanatics." Asimov tore the blaster from his hand with the force "We have a deal, take them." Asimov stated.

Saw gapped "You traitorous sack of- urk." Asimov curled his fingers into a claw and choked Saw till he fell to his knees, "Take them Kallus, before I change my mind." Lord Asimov released his grip on Saw and then boarded the ship, Ahkilleon did so too as Saw watched Kallus drag the two away "I won't forget this." Saw growled as he boarded and sat down. The Lambda class shuttle took off out of the hangar and toward open space. Blaster fire erupted from the surrounding ships as Ahkilleon took the pilot seat and started to evade them.

"Any ideas for how we're suppose to evade the seventh fleet?" Ezra asked as they held on while they evaded fire.

Ahkilleon smirked "I'm no Hera, but I know a few tricks." Ahkilleon said as he swirled the shuttle into a spiral and plugged in the hyperdrive before they made the jump.

Back aboard the Chimera, Pryce and Thrawn were starting to come to, Kallus kneeling ovr them "Governor, Grand Admiral are you alright?" Kallus asked.

"Agent Kallus, I suppose we have you to thank for our rescue… What about the Colonel?" Thrawn asked.

Kallus helped the two of them up, "Regrettably I was unable to reach my old mentor in time."

"And the spy?" Pryce asked, Kallus held up a code cylinder and looked over at the corpse of Lt. Lyste, the man lay there the shock still on his lifeless face "Lyste's code cylinder confirms our suspicions. He used it to override security, release the prisoner, and contact the rebels, I have my own proof of Lyste's treachery and he paid with it for his life." Kallus said as Thrawn dusted himself off.

He turned to look around the burning hanger, "Thank you for your brave actions, Agent Kallus."
Governor Pyrce nodded "Well done." she said "The Empire will make a note of your service, Agent Kallus, but with the capture of Colonel Yuralen these rebels will have access to senstive data beyond comprehension. We must move quickly." Thrawn said.

He scratched his chin, "Come with me Kallus, we must begin our plan of rescue for the Colonel Yuraeln

HYPERSPACE

Rebel Lambda Shuttle

The shuttle flew down to Raxus, toward Temple Asimov, coming to a rest on the landing pad, the shaking of the landing gear woke Colonel Yuralen, his vision was fuzzy, fading into view he started to come to "What… where…" looked around the shuttle, he was handcuffed behind his back and on the floor, his ankles cuffed too, "Quiet." Saw kicked him, as he sat guard over him Yuralen blinked a few times as he recognized the bald onderonian man, "Gererra, I should have known."
"Known that one day, I'd get the drop on you." Saw said as he grabbed Yuralen by his white hair and pulled him up to his knees, "And now you're mine, all your secrets, all your sins."

"That's yet to be decided." Lord Asimov's metal boot came down from the cockpit, and Yuralen looked to see the rebels standing around him, "No, we had a deal." Saw said as he picked Yuralen up forcing him to his feet, the Colonel was forced to waddle with his ankles shackled.

The ramp lowered and Lord Asimov didn't even turn to face him, "I have altered the deal, we only captured one of them, the Militia takes precedence over you and your partisans, Gererra."

"Now let's not get ahead of ourselves, we're all on the same side." Ezra said as he tried to calm things down, the rebels exited the shuttle last and Yuralen turned to recognize the clone among them, "A clone… Captain Rex, is that you?" Yuralen gasped.

"It is Admiral, though now I hear you go by Colonel." Rex said seeing a man he once fought with, his prisoner, "What are you…" Yuralen looked at the clothes around him, he saw Kanan, Ezra, Asimov the massive Militia army below at the Temple's base, and Ahkilleon holding his helmet under his arm, the green eyes of his father, the white markings of his mother. Yuralen almost gasped "So it's true, Commander Tano did have a son."

Ahkilleon clutched his hand into a fist, "Padawan, take the prisoner into custody."

"No, no, we risked all this and I am leaving here with something." Saw snapped as Ahkilleon got closer to him, "You're leaving with your life, Saw, and whatever information we pry from Yuralen." Lord Asimov said as he had enough of it, he waved his hands and Vangaurd Militia led by Turok and Breacher came out from the Temple, leaving Saw outnumbered.

Saw gritted his teeth and let go of Yuralen, for Ahkilleon to take "I won't forget this, Asimov."
"No, best you don't, Padawan take him to a cell in the war camp." Lord Asimov told Ahkilleon, the boy nodded "Yes Master."

Yuralen stiffened, "I will have you know, I will resist you with my last breath." Colonel said defiantly, "At least that will make it interesting." Asimov said.

Ahkilleon walked Colonel Yuralen down the steps of Temple down into the war camp, meanwhile Saw stormed past Kanan and Rex, "I'll be in the shuttle till we leave." Saw grumbled. Ezra watched Ahkilleon lead Yuralen away with an escort of Militia "You feel that Kanan?" Ezra asked.

"I do, Ahkilleon is off balance, he's torn right now." Kanan said to him, "Torn about what?"

Kanan frowned, "On the shuttle ride in, Ahkilleon said he heard stories about Yurale from his mother, I could only imagine what it's like meeting him, as a prisoner."

Down below, Ahkilleon led Yuralen through the war camp to the jeering insults of the Vanguard Militia, men, women and droid hurling insults at Yuralen who stood tall even as he walked forward, at a steady pace "I had read reports of togruta believed to be your mother, they were always disapproved that that woman had a child with her."

Ahkilleon said nothing, "It was a shame one so young was exposed to war, she was only a few years younger than you if I recall." Yuralen said, Ahkilleon squeezed his gauntlet hand against his helmet.

The Militia vanguard continued to hurl insult upon insult on Yuralen, but the man was unfazed, "Do you really think this second Separatist movement will change anything, all you 'new' jedi are doing leading millions to their deaths?" Yuralen asked him.

Still he refused to speak, "There was a time when a battle had left me incapacitated, your mother sat with me for many hours waiting for me to wake up, a sweet child, I wonder what she'd think of her son now, reports say she died?" Yuralen asked, Ahkilleon felt his anger rise.

Ahkilleon fixed his jaw tightly as he held his other hand up pushing it against Yuralen's back to keep him moving, not a harsh push just pressing him forward. "When… Order 66 happened, many of his in the Republic Officer Corp were shocked, the Jedi had always been reckless, Skywalker chief among them, his students your mother and from the color of your eyes, your father…" Ahkilleon's anger started to reach a boiling point, "Ahsoka and Leo, not surprising the only two children on that ship, being such close friends it wasn't hard to imagine the two of them would eventually-" they were in sight of the warcamp's jail a metal building with battle droids outside, some windows with thick bars on them.

He led Yuralen in and to a single cell, he pushed Yuralen in and Turok pressed a button to release the bindings on Yuralen's ankles and wrists, the man rubbed his limbs and then faced Ahkilleon, "Still nothing to say, your mother was always quite the chatterbox with her Master, General Skywalker?" Yuralen asked.

Ahkilleon turned away and headed for the exit, "It's to be torture then, I thought the jedi believed in mercy?" Yuralen asked.

Kicking his heels Ahkilleon strode right up to the cell "Every breath you take since arriving here is mercy, Admiral!"

"So he can talk." Yuralen said pacing to the back of his cell and taking a seat on the ground, "Hmm you called me Admiral, I take it that means your mother told you some things about me?" Yuralen asked, he ran his fingers through his white hair.

"Only so much, I used to think the time of the Republic and the Jedi was this magical era of good and evil, where no matter how bad it was the Jedi Order and the Republic would win the day. A Republic, you betrayed, an Order you abandoned."

"I betrayed nothing, I abandoned no one. Despite what you may have been taught, the Republic peacefully transitioned to the Galactic Empire after your Jedi tried to assassinate the Supreme Chancellor and 'elected official'."

Ahkilleon gapped eyes full of anger "Peaceful, elected… the Emperor is a Sith Lord, he crushed every opposition against him, the Senate is a cesspool of yes men and you…" Ahkilleon shook his head "There was a time, you fought beside Jedi, you still can and save yourself from interrogation?" Ahkilleon asked.

Yuralen raised his head, "Are you trying to convince me to defect?"

"You fought for democracy once, you can again. The Militia Union isn't perfect but it has to be better than fighting for a tyrant." Ahkilleon said to him, Yuralen was silent.

"Admiral please, my mother did speak of you. As an officer and gentleman, a pragmatist, you owe nothing to the Empire." Ahkilleon tried to persuade him but Yuralen's gaze showed his answer before he even said it "No, I swore an oath maybe not to democracy but I am a soldier, I know what my duty means, even at the cost of my body. I will resist you."

Ahkilleon grabbed the bars and shut his eyes sensing Yuralen's resolve, "You'd give your life, for an Empire that wouldn't waste a second to kill you then see your secrets spilled?"

"You know nothing of the Empire, after the Clone Wars the galaxy was in chaos, the Empire brought peace, justice and order to the Galaxy." Yuralen hissed.

Ahkilleon let go of the bar, "Then my mother was wrong, you aren't the man I thought you were."
"And what am I, 'Commander' Tano?" Yuralen asked, teasing Ahkilleon's rank.

Ahkilleon met his eyes "I use to be terrified of the ISB, always lurking in the shadows thinking they'd kill me in my sleep for being jedi, nightmares of them taking my mother away, but now when I look at you Wullf Yuralen, you're nothing but a two bit, boot licking fascist." Ahkilleon turned Yuralen said nothing and the door closed. Moments passed and suddenly them windows that let in light started to seal, one by one till Yuralen was left alone in pitch dark blackness.

Suddenly he was hoisted from his feet by invisible ropes, he felt himself hovering arms stretched out like was about to be drawn and quartered, then metal footsteps, a dim light came on and Asimov appeared outside his cell, Yuralen was pulled to the bars and slammed into them, Asimov held up his hand fingers outstretched, "What was it you said, you'd resist me to your last breath?" Lord Asimov asked him.

"I… will tell-you-nothing." Yuralen growled, Lord Asimov cocked his head, he held his hand up level with Yuralen's forehead "You won't even have to speak, but you will scream for me." Yuralen started to twitch, grunt he could feel it, he could feel Lord Asimov's reach passing through his skin, his skull and into his very brain as the force twisted and perverted began to rip open Yuralen's mind and the screaming began.