Chapter 12

The Revenant

SERENNO

Southeastern Hemisphere, the Mistlands

In the days since taking the capital, Ahkilleon and Lord Asimov had trained as they did now, red and blue sabers crashing against the great yellow saber of his Lordships, "So you and Commander Sigma, along with Terro and Ventus broke into Count Dooku's old palace, to find something that was already taken, without me."

Lord Asimov blocked Ahkilleons lightsaber but answered his question "It was your first battle, real battle, I wanted you to rest."

"Rest, right, you didn't know anything about the imperial counter attack?" Ahkilleon asked him as Asimov slashed at his legs, Ahkilleon flipped over, striking from overhead, Asimov parried it.

"No." Asimov replied "But we were lucky you were there,of course Admiral Zygote did tell me about your little lie to get a platoon of droids over there, he's considered unimportant to bring you up on forging orders." Lord Asimov replied. Ahkilleon smirked, his helmet lay over by some crates the Militia had set up a forward base in the Mistalands high up on a plateau a sea of fog surrounding them and the hilly terrain around them rushing water poured out around them and the low climate created the thick fog that gave the area its name.

Ahkilleon walked around him "Does that mean more relief for the Serennoians."

"It does, Admiral Zygote fought in the Mon Cala Civil War, but supported Lee Char when the Quarren and Mon Cala united against the Separatists, he wanted an end to the democracy." Lord Asimov said.

"What's he think about a Jedi King, then?" Ahkilleon asked.

"As long as the Empire is defeated, now he doesn't care." Asimov and him resumed their training and the duel continued it's conversation.

Ahkilleon parried and thrusted before he asked "So, this Valley of the Jedi, you think thats what was in the book, what is it a map?"

"No, a trail, you remember the empty seat in the Council?" Asimov asked him as they spared.

"Yes." Ahkilleon grunted catching both of Asimov's two attacks.

Asimov broke the attack and stepped back "Master Qu Rahn, the last of the Wayseekers."

Ahkilleon lowered his guard "Wayseekers, my mom told me about them, I studied them for a bit, I didn't know there were any left during the old Republic?"

"As I said, Qu Rahn was the last, before the old Order Council stopped the practice of lightsaber colors meaning Guardians, Consulars, or even Sentinels." he said holding up his own golden saber, the color of the Sentinel class "The Order was more, diverse in its practices one the New Jedi hope to revive." Asimov sheathed the blade signaling the training was over and Ahkilleon hesitated not lowering his guard. Asimov turned around "You would be wise to study the forgotten classes of Our Order, from what you tell me though your blood brother Ezra, walks the path of a Consular and a guardian given his talent for communing with the force, but his Master Kanan Jarrus is a clear Guardian."

Ahkilleon looked away squeezing his lightsabers tightly "Forgive me Ahkilleon, I know you think of them often."

"How… oh right, jedi senses." Ahkilleon said, turning off his lightsabers, "So Qu Rahn, why was he the last of the Wayseekers?"

"For the same reason why I left the order with your father, the Council sought too much control over the Wayseekers who wanted independence from the bureaucracy and politics of the Order, it was no surprise that Qu Rahn left his Council seat vacant." Asimov said as they walked back into the camp, small Militia Frigates had landed with strobe lights scanning the mists.

Ahkilleon followed him hands behind his back, "Then why make him a Council member?"

"A wise captain surrounds themselves with those who challenge their ideas, speak from the other side and allow for questions, so that the chosen course is set for the good of all. That is what the old Council failed, they were all of the same mind, an echo chamber of agreement and confirmation bias. But his departure from Arcadia means if the Empire finds him, we could not only lose the location of the valley of the Jedi but-" "The location of Arcadia, the New Jedi, the Militia itself." Ahkilleon finished his sentence. Asimov stopped just a stone's throw away from Commander Sigma and a brigade of regulars with droids, among them two new units Ahkileon didn't recognize. The first were a series of very tall droids similar to B2 battle droids but with thicker legs and arms, they had visor optics with mounted turrets on their shoulders, all of them painted with dark blue and white camouflage paint "What models are those?" Ahkilleon asked.

"Ohma-D'un super battle droids, specially modified for swamp warfare with low visibility like we have in the mistlands." Lord Asimov said before they passed by another detachment of troops, they weren't regulars, they were all dressed in Militia armor over civilian clothes.

"Conscripts?" Ahkilleon asked.

Lord Asimov stopped "Some, others are volunteers, we need to replenish our ranks." Lord Asimov said.

"So as long as they choose to be here, what about the imperial troops we've captured?" Ahkilleon asked him.

"Put to work clearing the city of rubble, building the new things, better to use them for labor then execute them." Asimov replied. They approached another part of the camp, a row of bodies covered in tarps and sheets, bodies of killed stormtroopers.

Ahkilleon looked them over "That sniper again?"

Lord Asimov nodded "Yes, the men are calling him Hawkeye, he's been taking out our officers and disappearing into the wilds and Lt. Breacher is out right now with his squad to try and clip his wings."

Ahkilleon looked at his helmet and he could still see the yellow eyes even if his reflection was green, "So, Hawkeye is all that's left?"

"All that's left to be a threat, while Hawkeye is alive, the Imperial prisoners are a threat they could riot at any moment if they think they can retake the planet, or kill someone important enough." Lord Asimov said.

Ahkilleon slipped his helmet on "So why not we give him a real target, me."

Lord Asimov glanced at him, "Lt. Breacher and his squad were last seen heading west into the Mistlands, they tracked Hawkeye to a small canyon there, happy hunting." Lord Asimov said to him before Ahkilleon gave a salute before he headed to the edge of the camp and found a Mustang speeder he revved up the engine and drove it into the mistalands. The main road was lit with thick lights along the street the mist clearer on a traveled road before passed by an outpost, he looked around the thick trees and mist before he heard something.

Turning his head to hear better he heard it, combat.

Revving up the engine he sped into the trees before it became to thick, leaping off he ran through the foggy lowlands up a steep trail of footprints and broken shrubs, till it rose into rockier ground. Ahkilleon moved up the rocks of the thick mist he saw bodies of regulars and stormtroopers there had been a skirmish here. The thick mist had forced both sides to lock into a melee, blood spilled from Militia hatchets and imperial knives. He heard stone falling down the rocks and he reached to tear his lightsabers from his chest but he saw Lt. Breacher with his helmet off, he had a Militia sniper rifle in one hand another hand signaling him. He pointed to his chest in two different spots under the shoulder, the same where Ahkilleons lightsabers were on his chest, then he closed his fist then opened it as if to signal a light going on, shaking his head Lt. Breacher pointed his index and middle finger at his eyes then up into the mist then drew a line across his neck.

'Lightsabers, no, light, seen by sniper, killed'

Ahkilleon nodded and slouched low crawling up to him, the sniper rifle that Breacher was holding had a modified scope. When he was close enough to whisper he asked "Where is he?" Ahkilleon asked.

"He's up there somewhere on the cliffside." Breacher said, staying low. Ahkilleon looked over the edge and only saw the tips of misty pines with thick bristle branches and an ocean of fog around them as they swayed in the wind.

"How can anyone shoot in this?" Ahkilleon asked.

Lt. Breacher loaded his sniper and kicked it's stand down, "Hawkeye's good, he ambushed me and my squad, with almost twenty stormtroopers before we drove them off, even when they attacked he was still picking us off." Lt. Breach said, Ahkilleon noticed a bright purple bruise on his forehead and he wasn't wearing his helmet. "Took a shot at me, my helmet flew off, I'd be dead if not for the armor."

Ahkilleon looked around the trees before he felt it, "Down!" He grabbed Breacher by the back of his armor and yanked him behind some rocks before a sniper rifle's crack rang out and a red laser bolt singed the area they used to be.

Panting, Lt Breacher snickered "Hmph, not bad Demon, so you came to take the glory for yourself, Captain." the way he mockingly said Captain sank in deep, but Ahkilleon ignored it.

"No, as long as Hawkeye's alive the prisoners could riot, this battle is over, Hawkeye doesn't know it yet." Ahkilleon said as he got into a crouch "I'll draw his fire, you take the shot, and the glory."

Ahkilleon got into a sprinting position "Ready- go!" he ran out of cover and he heard the sniper open fire snipping the dirt under his feet, behind him he heard Breacher shoot and Ahkilleon rushed behind a thick tree for cover. He looked out barely able to see Breacher in the mist, he held his finger to his com "Anything?"

Breacher was silent before he responded over the comlink in a whisper "I'm not sure, hold out your helmet around the tree, slowly, make them think you're peeking."

Ahkilleon whispered "Roger, roger."

He took his helmet off and picking up a stick at his feet he slowly poked the helmet out and heard the sniper crack before the helmet was blasted off the stick and skipped down the hillside. Another shot from Breacher. "Dammit, no good, I saw him move, he's repositioning." Breacher said running out from cover to Ahkilleon.

"Move, move." Ahkilleon said they hustled up the slope to the thicket of trees Ahkilleon felt the sense of danger, the Hawkeye had them in their sights, "Cover." He and Breacher went to cover behind a fallen log. The mist was so thick it was like smoke between the two of them face to face.

"Ideas?" Ahkilleon asked.

Lt. Breacher reached into his pocket and produced a small circle mirror he then clipped it to a stick and started to extend it above the log and look around when they heard the sniper rifle and the mirror was shattered, "Well, you got those lightsabers right?"

"Yeah?"

"And you can deflect shots right?" Lt. Breacher asked.

"Of course I can?" Ahkilleon asked back.

Lt. Breacher smiled "He's up the hill, I know that much, your lightsabers will make you a clear target, I can trace the shot back to him but he sees the lightsaber he may run?"

"And we lose him again, every day Hawkeye is a live, we lose more men." Ahkilleon said as he thought it over.

"And if he kills you, I avenge you, maybe get a promotion?" Lt. Breacher said scratching his mutton chips.

Ahkilleon smirked now, "How convenient for you if I die… no lightsabers, I can dodge and advance up the hill."

"You sure, my bets he's got an E-17d rifle, the laser is faster, no guarantee your armor will take the blast." Lt. Breacher said.

Ahkilleon got read and loosened up, "Didn't now you cared."

Breacher released his sniper rifles heat and got read on the other side of the tree, "Three-two-one-Go." Breacher said before Ahkilleon ran out of cover and up the hill, he sensed the incoming shot and heard the blast before he saw the red laser speeding to him, he went left and Breacher peaked out of cover. Another one and he went right, Ahkilleon got behind a rock and saw Breacher lining up the scope, he rounded around the boulder and climbed up the slope past the trees another bolt coming toward his face, Ahkilleon rolled and then heard the crack of another shot, a green bolt flying up over his head and into the mist followed by lout pining noise of it hitting something, in a split second Ahkilleon heard the rustle of stones and branches of someone running away not caring about the noise he made.

Ahkilleon ran up the rocks and following the sound of wheezing up to a large broken oak tree it's stump reaching up high with broken wood and the rest of the tree long since gone, foot prints led around the stump where he saw an E-17d blaster rifle with notches scratched up its barrel down to its butt, the grip was wrapped up in leather, showing it had seen years of combat. Ahkilleon looked on to see propped up against a tree an Imperial scout trooper his armor dirty and scared painted with mudd and green paint to better camouflage themselves, he had a poncho on with a hood down the helmet was off to the side and the one underneath it, wasn't a man, but a woman with blonde hair, freckled skin and deep black eye she looked right at him, "Demon… thought that was… you" She wheezed. "Hawkeye." Ahkilleon replied.

"Was aiming for the city, not the neimoidian girl… got lucky." but she wasn't looking at him. She was holding something at first glance Ahkilleon thought it was a weapon but it was a holodevice showing a picture. It was the same woman, she was dressed in white with a veil over her head next to a man with dark brown skin in a black suit, tears in both of their eyes in the background a dozen imperials in dress uniforms. A wedding photo, Hawkeye's wedding holo, her wheezing last breaths became more strained and finally, silence.

Footsteps.

Ahkilleon turned to see Lt. Breacher he was panting from the run up the hill, then he smirked under his mutton chops "Got the bastard."

"No." Ahkilleon corrected.

"What?" Breacher asked to pick up Hawkeye's rifle as a trophy, then he saw it "Well I'll be, well hard to tell the difference in all that armor." He drew his hatchet and walked up to her "I'll mount her head on her own rifle outside the city-" Ahkilleon held his arm up between Lt. Breacher and the dead woman.

Glancing at him confused, Ahkilleon took his helmet off "Take the rifle, but leave her body we'll give it a burial back at the capital."

"What, but the Imps-" "Will see that we respect our enemy, desecrate her remains and we make her more than a martyr then she already is." Ahkilleon said as he knelt down and lifted up the arm holding the holocube, he shut it off and laid her arms against her lap hands tight around the holodevice. "You get the credit for killing her Lt. just like you wanted."

Lt. Breacher exhaled out his nose "Thanks… Captain."

CARANNIA

Former Imperial Center, now Militia Vanguard Command

The fires from the battle had been put out, and the Imperial Center was now flying the Militia azure over it and banners hung from it, the walls around it had Militia Gunships were landed in the yard with Spider Tanks lined in a row. When one of them landed Lord Asimov walked out with Sigma, Ahkilleon and Breacher a coffin behind them, The pancho of Hawkeye laid across it instead of a flag. Breacher had her rifle over his back and two droids came to collect the casket. Commander Sigma spoke "Take this to the graveyard with the rest of the imps bodies, and make sure the prisoners see it."

The droids both said "Roger, roger."

As it was taken away, "Lt. Breacher well done in eliminating Hawkeye, a prolonged guerilla war is the last thing we need." Lord Asimov said.

"Thank you my Lord… Captain Tano should also get some credit, my lord." Breacher said, straining to sound grateful .

Ahkilleon hid a smirk helmet under his arm, "Your comments are noted Lt. Now go rest up, Captain Tano come with me we have an update on these new Inquisitors."

Lt. Breacher saluted before he walked off and Ahkilleon followed Lord Asimov into the Imperial center, the wear and tear of the battle that had led to it's fall was still fresh on the walls but it was was cleaned up and lights were working. Militia personal and droids walked the hallways getting out of the way for Lord Asimov, Sigma and Ahkilleon they entered into the former imperial command center now being operated by the Militia, in the room Turok sat in the corner smoking his pipe alone. "With Serenno secure we can now fortify our position and that leaves us breathing room, and a moment for you." Lord Asimov said.

"What?" Ahkilleon asked.

The holotable at the center of the room turned on and the holograms of Master K'Kruhk, Saa and Emsa appeared. Next to them were Admiral Trench, General Kleeve and the leader of the Militia General Fives Freemen when his hologram took form the entire room took note and stood at attention for him, "Militia Invictus." Lord Asimov said, saluting with the rest of them.

All of the other soldiers repeated it and Fives saluted back, "Well done in taking Serenno Lord Asimov, with the northern reaches open to us, but your previous report of Count Dooku's secrets has us worried."

"Yes, we believe that this new Inquisitorius under Jerec is after the legendary Valley of the Jedi, and will use the information in Dooku's journal to find our missing Jedi Master, Qu Rahn." Lord Asimov said.

General Kleeve cleared his throat, "I beg your pardon Lord Asimov, but dismissing the fact you lost one of your Jedi who knows the location of the Militia Homeworld being bad enough, what does the Valley of the Jedi have to do with us, and what even is it?"

"Glad you asked General Kleeve, for it may be one of the most pivotal moments in history." Lord Asimov said, "A thousand years ago at the end of the New Sith Wars, the Army of Light faced off against the Brotherhood of Darkness on Ruusan seven fierce battles were fought there, the armies of the Sith and the Jedi laid waste to Ruusan before a final last ditch effort by the current Brotherhood laid waste to both armies, that final and fiercest battle on Ruusan is where the Valley is, a monument to the thousands of Jedi and Sith who died there, what we jedi call a force Nexus."

There was a long pause "And pray tell, what does a Force Nexus do?"

"A Force Nexus, General Kleeve or Vergence if you like is an area in the galaxy where the force is incredibly strong there created by great and terrible events to form wells of power and energy." Master K'Kruhk said.

Kleeve looked unamused as his cybernetic oculus focused on the Jedi, "Why is this Inquisitor Jerec after it?"

"Jerec, when he was a Jedi, was obsessed with it; that type of raw untapped power in the wrong hands could lead to disaster." Master Saa said.

"But-how?" Kleeve asked, arms crossed annoyed "I agree with Kleeve, what do we need to fear?" General Freeman asked, scratching his beard.

There was a long silence, Ahkilleon was curious as well until he started to realize it "We know of only so many Force Nexus's, there are two known to us one is on Lothal safely protected by Lord Bloodwolfs forces." Lord Asimov said.

"And the second click-click-click?" Admiral Trench asked.

"Coruscant, the Imperial Palace, formerly the Jedi Temple on Coruscant." Lord Asimov stated plainly disgust when he said the Imperial Palace was palpable.

Fives hummed "I'm beginning to understand, whoever holds these locations holds the power over the Nexus yes?" He asked.

"We believe so, the balance of the force is always changing General, if the Empire specifically Jerec, gets ahold of the Valley, he will have command of that power and tip the balance of the force in the Empire's favor." Master K'Kruhk said.

"You're not serious considering this General?" Kleeve asked Fives, a long pause "I am, jedi wouldn't lie about this, we'll put a notice out to all Militia fleets to be on the lookout for Master Qu Rahn, if he's seen we'll find him." Fives said.

Master K'Kruhk cleared his throat, "That is easier said than done, even during our time in the Order, Master Rahn was a Wayseeker, he would hide even from Jedi, and surviving the purge is no small feat either, he will become invisible to anyone who seeks him out, and if we look for him the Empire will surely take note."

"Isn't the Empire already looking for him?" Kleeve asked them.

"Indeed, which is why I suggest a smaller task force to find him, Militia and New Jedi." Master Taa said, looking to the edge of the room "Turok Skell."

The trandoshan walked forward emptying out his spike and stepping on it with his scaley feet, "Here Master Jedi."

"You are the obvious choice for this mission, your skills as a bounty hunter and double agent helped us find Qu Rahn when he was in hiding from the Empire, and you shall again." Taa said, General Kleeve sneered, "I want one of my own on this as well, if Qu Rahn isn't found and brought back into the fold all of Arcadia is threatened."

General Freeman clapped his hands, "Then we're in agreement, Agent Skell assembles a strike team, and set out for Lotho Minor, the Forgelord will be waiting with Kleeve's agent to outfit you with our latest ship."

"Generals, Masters, Admiral, I'd like Captain Tano on this with me as well as pick my own team." Turok said, smiling.

There was a long pause and Freeman nodded "Done, if it's alright with Lord Asimov?"

"... We will discuss it." Lord Asimov said, folding his arms across his chest.

"Then discuss it quickly, Militia Invictus." The General said before he cut the transmission.

Lord Asimov turned to Turok, "What makes you think I'm going to let you take my apprentice?"

"Because your apprentice, like me, spent a lifetime hiding from the Empire, I know how to recognize lost jedi, how to track'em, he knows how to sense them, and with how you've secured the planet, do you really need him here?" Turok explained.

Commander Sigma cleared his throat, "With respect to Lord Skell and you my Lord, the last few Imperial remnants here won't become much more of a threat when they learn Hawkeye is gone."

Lord Asimov's face was hidden behind his helmet, so no one but Ahkilleon could sense what he was thinking, and even then it was hard to tell, "This mission could take a long time, he would have to be back before the next campaign."

"And my additional team, I'll need skilled soldiers for a crew and some of your jedi." Turok said, Commander Sigma felt Asimov look at him and smirked.

LOTHO MINOR

The Ring, Militia Shipyards

In the months following the Militia's declaration of war against the Empire many worlds that were once assumed nothing important had become centers of activity and Militia presence, Lotho Minor home to the Junkers and the galaxies dumping ground for forgotten ships, trash and anything consider useless had found a new purpose as the Militia primary shipyards. The Militia had created a space station around the planet in a giant iron ring of durasteel and docks where Militia dreadnoughts were being forged, at least more than half the ships were close to being finished and others were forming the skeleton of the ship as droids worked tirelessly to reforge the scrap metal into parts for the warmachine.

A militia transport dropped out of hyperspace to the space station it flew toward the Ring and one of its many hangars, a thousand turbolasers on the top and bottom trained their sights on the ship before they received the friendly codes allowing them to pass. Ahkilleon sat in the passenger seat next to Turok and behind him was none other than Lt Breacher a who "Why did you pick them?" Ahkilleon whispered.

"You'd prefer I pick Commander Sigma?" Turok said as Ahkilleon gave him a puzzled look.

"I'd take him over muttonchops over there, and then them we can do this ourselves Turok" Ahkilleon looked behind at the other seats, at the rest of their 'Strike Team' Ahkilleon asked looking back at the cadets, Rulf and Jay, sitting across from them were the siblings Corto and Yumi, sitting in the back behind them was Master Tai Uzuma.

"Militia soldiers will stand, out, now a mother like Tai and her husband Breacher, their four or should I say five children traveling with their trandoshan escort, in the middle of a war, that won't stand out to anyone." Turok said as rolling through the hallways was the astro droid R5-B2 aka Beetoo. "And the droid, well, astro droids make great pets." Turok said as the droid beeped at them.

Unconvinced "But the only ones who could remotely pass for their children are Corto, Jay and maybe Yumi. Rulf's hair is red and I'm a hybrid."

"Don't worry, most aliens think humans look the same and imperial adoption paperwork is easy to forge." Turok said.

The transport landed in the hangar of the Ring and Ahkilleon got up, "What about that HWK ship you had, what happened to it?" Ahkilleon asked.

"It's too old, we need something new, something the Imps won't recognize, something that can get in and out of a situation if it goes sour." Turok said getting up they walked to the exit and Turok kicked Sigma's leg to wake him up and he yawned before he got up and followed them out into the hangar.

When they walked out Ahkilleon saw the Ring was crewed by droids or junkers, among the droids were B5 battle droids with faces drawn on them, they parted in two rows and a man walked through them. He was big and broad with muscle wearing a long sleeved red tunic that matched his burgundy hair slicked back with grease, he had light skin and dark black eyes with a thick mustache and goatee. He wore an apron with a tool belt around his waist, both hands were covered in long thick leather gloves that went up his forearms. The only skin shown were massive biceps and triceps like a blacksmith. He smiled "Turok you old lizard, about time you showed up." he said.

Ahkilleon cocked a brow as the two men embraced, when Ahkilleon thought of someone with the title of the Lord of the Forge or the Forgelord he expected someone more regal, this Jaybo Hood looked like he was a village blacksmith or small town mechanic rolled into one the only Lordly thing about him was a gold necklace he wore with a pendant around it. "My Lord." Breacher said with a salute, Ahkilleon gave a salute too before Jaybo looked him up and down, closer he saw that Lord Hood had thick stubble around his jawline "Hmm, he's bigger than I thought, what do they feed you Jedi at Bastion?" Lord Hood said feeling Ahkilleons arm, it was thick and muscular but nowhere near as big as Hoods.

He walked around "Come on, she's been waiting for a pilot to take her out."

"She?" Ahkilleo masked as they followed.

"My latest masterpiece, a one of a kind, ready for her debut." Lord Hood said holding up a gloved finger before they followed him into the Ring. They walked into a hallway toward a train rail system with a car on it, getting in the car jetted off the tram "We based this station off the Ringo Vinda orbital gravitational dock, the Junkers built in less than a month, these buggers are as best mechanics and engineers in the galaxy." Jaybo said as they drove by glass windows showing the junkers and droids hard at work building starships and tanks from reforged metal.

Ahkilleon watched them, "But what about an Imperial attack, looks like a prime target?" Ahkilleon asked.

"No imps yet, even if they did get past the Ring, the Junker army is massive, they'd never take the planet it be suicide." Lord Hood said as they road on, "By the way, how did my Spider Tanks do on Serenno?"

Breacher spoke up "Worked like a dream, Imps never knew what hit'em."

Jaybo smiled "New they would, here we are."

The tram suddenly stopped and Lord Hood hopped off, they followed him down the halls past more workers till they came to another hanger, inside there was a ship covered by a massive blue tarp, "Whats with the tarp?" Turok asked.

"For show, drum roll please!" Lord Hood shouted before a row of B1 droids appeared with drums and drumsticks starting to pummel the drums in a rising roll, the tarp lifted up and before them revealed a ship big as a freighter but sleek and unlike any design to compare it to another series. It had four large wings sticking out diagonally two up and two down at the front of the main body aht extended back with two large engines. The wings were acute and at the tips curved down or up to the upper and lower ones, underneath each wing at the mid section were gun ports, but Ahkilleon spotted additional turrets at the top, beneath the bridge at the front and on its' belly, the main body of the ship was rounded like a birds but it didn't have a point at the nose like the Hawk fighters, it was rounded with the glass of the cockpit on top and a lower section for the nose gunner, the haul extended back over the engines and a ramp was at it's belly to load in cargo and people.

"I give to you, the very first Militia special forces light corvette, a one of a kind warship." Turok said walking up to it he pointed to the guns "Four laser cannons one for each wing, and three additional turrets for support, armed with photon torpedoes to break shields and courtesy of you Turok, I added in a composite beam laser she's a blockade buster too.."

Ahkilleon snapped out of his trance "Composite beam laser, like the blade wings?"

"Hmm knows his stuff, yep Agent Skell sent me the schematics. We've already shipped our own version of the B-wings to Admiral Trench's fleet." Jaybo said as he continued to go through the ship "She's got brand new shields, engines, and a class 0.5 hyperdrive."

"Whoa…" Ahkilleon said looking up at the ship, "I think he's in love with it Rulf." Jay said the cadets had been silenced, and elbowed one another. The two of them were snickering as both Yumi and Corto remained quiet behind Master Uzuma in their cloaks. "Looks like a giant fat dragonfly?" Yumi murmured.

Lord Hood smiled "She can be piloted by one of course, takes a three man team for the guns, two more for co pilot and navigator for a crew of six, but she can hold up two dozen passengers in the hold, got living quarters, a kitchen and dining room for longtime missions."

Ahkilleon blinked then when the design was drastically different as it looked he started to remember, he saw the open interior and walked in to see the lower haul was a large open room with ladders and an elevator for an astro droid, even though he could see the other rooms on the upper side, he saw the doors to the quarters "... it's The Ghost." Ahkilleon said walking up to it, he looked more at it.

"You based this ship design on the Ghost?" Ahkilleon said coming out looking at Lord Hood.

"The what?" Lord Hood asked. Turok cleared his throat and pointed to his arm, "Ooooh, that work of art, Turok sent me scans of that modified VCX-100 light freighter, stars above I'm in love with whoever modified it." Ahkilleon pressed his hands over his chest as if he were about to profess his love before he held out the ship's keycodes "Who's the pilot."

"I am." Ahkilleon said hands up, "Over my dead body." a new voice said.

The men all looked to the doorway to see dressed in all black flight leathers Black Dragoon Ahkilleon had seen at the Militia Union sitting next to General Kleeve, her bomber jacket had a thick white fur collar, a leather belt with both a revolver and a cutlass sheathed in it with a duffle bag over there shoulder, the Dragoon approached their rocket boots clicking on the floor as they approached. They stood at even height with Ahkilleon and looked him up and down, "I'm the pilot, why else would I be here."

"Because General Kleeve sent you, Dragoon Gerrera." Turok said, taking the keycodes.

"Gerrera?" Ahkilleon asked.

The Dragoon lifted up their helmet to reveal a young woman about his age, she had mixed light brown skin with full lips dark brown eyes, and curly brown hair tied up in two puffs, she had a button nose and despite any features Ahkilleon would deem cute she had a nasty glare aimed right at him like the guns of a dragoon interceptor. "Everyone, this is Airwoman First Class Sawyer Gerrera, of the Devil Fleet."

"The Ace of the One-Eyed-Devil Fleet, and the pilot of this monstrosity." She said as she held her hands out waiting for the keycode.

"Excuse me, I've been flying since before I could walk, I'm the pilot." Ahkilleon said, holding out his hand.

Sigma just rolled his eyes, at the bickering brats "I was flying before I was even born out of my mothers snatch."

"Then you'd be a passenger flygirl." Ahkilleon said getting closer grabbing his lightsabers on his chest

"I was kicking to tell her where to fly, bitch." she had her hand on her cutlass.

Corto snickered along with Yumi, "Sawyer, you look good." Jay said as he walked up poking his beret covered head between them, "Jay, Rulf, Corto, Yumi, you guys are keeping some…. Strange company these days."

"He's not so bad once you get to know'em, bit of a temper so you know watch out." Corto said as he greeted her, the teens all familiar with one another except Ahkilleon, he was the stranger here.

Tai walked over to Turok, "Skell if we are going to do this, then maybe we keep the number smaller, send back Rulf and Corto, Yumi has her fathers tracking talents and I don't know this Rulf boy."

"Hey, I can help out." Rulf said with a shrug.

Corto was silent, waiting for Turok to speak, "Can't, no guarantee when we find Qu Rahn he's not injured, two healers are better then one, and none of the other cadets have logged as much gunner time as Rulf, he'll be on our rear cannon." Turok said.

"I'll give out other assignments later, for now get our story straight, Master Uzuma is playing all of your mother, Breacher is your new daddy. Captain Tano and I are smugglers getting all of you out of the war, and the droid is ours."

"Droid?" Sawyer asked rolling up to them from behind some crates was the blue and yellow astro droid "Beetoo?" Sawyer said, she walked up to the droid and rubbed the droid's head like he was a dog "I put a requisition in for you to transfer to the Devils fleet?"

"I superseded it, one of the strange things about that was it was called the Ghost, yeah, it needed an astro droid to keep it flying for some reason, so I requisitioned Beetoo." Lord Hood said, Sawyer's death glare turned on the Forgelord.

She stood up "With respect my Lord, R5-B2 is a Dragoon, he should be reassigned to a proper squadron, I'm sure you have plenty of other astro droids, ones who haven't been through so much." she said, patting the droid's head, showing she did have a soft spot under all that black. And Ahkilleon remembered she was part of the Neo Iron League, General Kleeve's faction that was pro veteran both organic and droid.

Jaybo shook his head "Nope, besides Nemo owed me a lot from our last pazaak game, Beetoo offered to square off any debts." Jaybo said.

"And I hope it's worth the cost." "Is someone new just going to keep popping up as we all finish each others sentences?" Jay asked as he heard footsteps following the voice. Coming down a set of stairs that led up to an observation room was another person, a Skakoan, a rather large one. Skakoans were a sentient species native to the planet Skako. In order to survive off of their homeworld, they were required to wear pressure suits to simulate its unique atmosphere and pressure, which were vastly different from the galactic standard. This one's pressure suit was outfitted with pants stitched into thick boots, the breathing apparatus he wore was made of a dark bronzinum that clashed with his pale blue skin and tinted goggles, he adjusted his suits breathing apparatus and translator as he walked down holding a suitcase. The quilted fabric around the suit was a dark teal and he was armed with a single blaster, "Everyone this is Doctor Xür Roque, a representative from the Merchant Alliance, as well as your treasury representative."

The Doctor stepped off and held the suitcase with both hands, "Treasury?" Sawyer asked.

"Should we run into any financial issues, such as bribes, docking fees, information brokering etc." Doctor Roque said, adjusting his translator so the pitch landed on a deep baritone.

Everyone just looked at him "But you're also a 'medical' doctor?" Sigma asked.

"When it suits me." the 'Doctor' said.

Behind them Corto leaned next to Jay, "Fifty credits he's a mad scientist."

"No, war criminal, has to be and make it a hundred." Jau muttered.

Dr. Roque turned to Turok, "Lord Skell, a pleasure as always."

"Xür, this isn't a spy mission, it's search and recovery." Turok explained to him, "And a Jedi matter." Tai said speaking up unhappy with the amount of politics getting pushed into it.

Dr. Roque glanced at her adjusting his suit's breathing apparatus "If the Jedi are to be part of our Militia, and hold seats in the Union, you will suffer the Merchant Alliance's presence."

"The same for Neo Iron League, especially when you're putting my friends' lives in jeopardy on this mission." Sawyer said hand on her sword still.

"Hey, sunshine, you're not much older than us." Ahkilleon said arms crossed against his chest.

She glowered at him "At least I waited till I was the appropriate age of enlistment and didn't get my Master to pull strings for me." She hissed.

Ahkilleon grabbed his sabers again "Say when."

"Enough." Turok snapped before they could start a fight, "... oh arguing teenagers, and I'm the voice of reason, now I know Kanan felt…." He whispered under his breath "Fall in!" he shouted. The Cadets lined up with Sawyer and Ahkilleon did the same brushing elbows with her while the Jedi stood back under their cloaks, Turok snapped his fingers and Beetoo projected a hologram in front of them. It was of a man in the middle years of his life he had graying black hair that was starting to recede, a thick salt and pepper goatee wrapped around his lips and chin, his skin was a deep brown and he was wearing a baggy beige robe with brown pants his eyes dark brown. "Our mission is to find Jedi Master Qu Rahn, once a former Council Member of the New Jedi, before that he was a Jedi Wayseeker, now any of you know a jedi who survived the purge will know how to blend in, which is why we have the Vos kids here." Turok said as he whistled for them to come forward.

"No, just Yumi." Turok said halting Corto, Yumi walked up and stood up straight her bald head glinting off the lights above, "Padawan Yumi Vos Ventress here has a unique talent like her father, she can track things through the force so long as the person we're looking for touched it."

Jay held his hand up, "Uh sir, do we have something that Master Rahn touched?"

Turok cocked a brow as Lord Jaybo Hood walked up with a metal case and opened it, he pulled a jedi robe, "Qu Rahn left Bastion Temple quickly so we have a share of stuff to use, your up lass." Turok said.

Yumi took a deep breath muttering "... relax… relax." She said as she picked up the fabric and held it up to her nose, she shut her eyeliner eyes black from the makeup she used, even with her eyes closed her pupils outlined under it started to move quickly as if she was looking for something behind them. "I see a ship flying in hyperspace…. It's landing…. The planet is gray, cloudy… Imperial forces are occupying it."

"Well that's great." Lt Breacher sighed rolling his eyes.

"Look for structures, signs, what language, the species?"

She squeezed the fabric, "He's in some sort of city, old architecture but modern too, there are Ithorians, lots of them but not native, it's- "Takobo." Ahkilleon said, sensing the planet from his memories.

"He's on Takobo in Hammertown?" Ahkilleon asked.

Yumi's head snapped toward him with a sinister look in her eye "I was getting to that, jerk."

Ahkilleon looked around to see what he did wrong but no one said anything, "Alright, it's a start, we set course for Takobo." Turok said, snapping his fingers.

Everyone headed up the ramp of the new ship and climbed up the ladder or took the lift, the inside was like the ghost with the walkways over the cargo hold that was big enough to fit a fighter maybe two? The walkways were diagonal with a ladder in the center leading up to the top turret. On the floor of the cargo hold, there was a hatch for the lower turret. The second level showed the rooms on the side three on each side, two more than the Ghost. Ahkilleon watched as Yumi and Sawyer took a room together, Rulf and Jay roomed together, Turok took his own room near the bridge and so did Master Uzuma leaving the last room open to Ahkilleon and Breacher.

When they opened it, the room was small with two bunks one on top of the other one, "Top bunks mine." Breacher grunted, throwing a bag onto it. There was a desk in the corner with a chair and shelves with racks attached to them. Ahkilleon threw his stuff on the lower bunk, setting his helmet down till he walked out of the room to explore the rest of the ship. Between the three doors on each side there was a doorway leading to the sides of the ship, on the portside there was a large lounger area, a holotable with a large seating area was set up across from cabinets and an extra table next to a kitchen. The seats were cushioned with brown leather and made of a stainless metal, the table in the shape of a hexagon. He walked out and across the walkways to the starboard side there he came into dual use room one side a large armory with Militia weapons lining the walls from E-7 to rotary cannons, rocket launchers and crates of ammunition. The other side is a gym with racks of weights, a bench with a bar and plates beside a squat rack and pull up bar. Finally Ahkilleon made his way to the bridge it was bigger than the Ghost like the rest of the ship, the chairs were situated similar to the bridge of a Dreadnought, the Captain/Pilot chair was in the center on an elevated platform with the controls in front of them, there were two chairs in front and two behind him at the navigator controls and coms, the co pilot seat at the left or right with an extra chair, in a lower dip in the cockpit was the front gunner seat.

Ahkilleon rubbed his hand on the pilot's seat and sat down, "Go ahead." Turok said behind him.

"What?" Ahkilleon asked.

"Take us out." Turok said back to him, Ahkilleon sat down in the pilot's chair and turned on the ship, the hum of the engines coming alive and the controls coming online, Ahkilleon looked at the pilot controls and saw a name carved into the ship's controls Revenant.

Ahkilleon rubbed his thumb across it "Revenant, so that's your name." He said as he took off, he flipped the switches to get her to take off "Ring this is Revenant, heading out."

"Roger, Roger, Revenant, you are cleared for hyperspace jump Militia Invictus."

"Militia Invictus." Ahkilleon said as they made the jump to Takobo.

The void of hyperspace opened up and they were off, the spiraling blue vortex to their destination, Turok walked into the bridge and smiled. "How's she handle?" he asked.

"Smooth, little drag the jump but nothing I can't work on." Ahkilleon said holding the controls.

"Good, we need to talk." Turok sat down in one of the front seats and swiveled it back around, it was the same brown leather as the rest of the chairs, "About what?" Ahkilleon asked.

Turok pressed a few buttons to seal the door of the Bridge to give them some privacy, "Tai told me what you said to her, now I'm proud of you lad, you know that. Stars above it's like I'm fighting side by side with your father again the way I see him in you." Turok said leaning back in his chair looking at the ceiling he rubbed his claws over his eyes and sighed "Which is why I need to warn you."

Ahkilleon pulled away from the controls "Warn me about what?"

"I respect Lord Asimov, I respect that you chose him as your Master. Every man has to follow his own path. That's the way of the galaxy, but your path is leading you down a road I saw your father go, and I was too cowardly to stay and save him before it was too late."

"What path?" Ahkilleon asked.

Turok got up and snatched the dark iron saber of the dead inquisitor and turned it on, the red blade humming in the air before Turok turned it off, "I'm no jedi, I don't know the force like you do, or your mother, or Asimov or even Kanan, but I don't you making the same mistakes your father did, all those blood and death your see, don't let it consume you lad." Turok said, handing him back the lightsaber.

Ahkilleon took it "I thought you wanted me to join the Militia?"

"I wanted you to be safe." Turok said.

"I wanted you and all the Specters to be safe, it pains me to say it but sometimes I wish you had gone back with Ezra and Kanan, the way this war is growing, spreading like the last one with no end in sight. War Ahkilleon, war changes people, makes us monsters, makes us-" "Demons." Ahkilleon said, squeezing the lightsaber.

Turok walked to the exit, "Just… don't forget why you chose to follow this path, don't let the name Demon take over the man I know you can become, the King you will be one day." He opened the door and Ahkilleon looked down at the lightsaber "Turok-" He got up but he saw Turok was gone and he was alone on the bridge, heading into light or darkness, only the future could tell.