Alright everyone, here's the 12th chapter. Hope you all like it. Shout out to LuciusWalker, my co-writer who helped me.

(Elementia - Landing Platform)

Outside the Village Hidden in the Leaves, a large Consular-class cruiser was waiting on one of the newly built landing platforms that were recently constructed. With this ship having come across the galaxy straight out of Coruscant, this ship awaited the people for an important mission.

Standing on the opened ramp door was Grand Master Yoda, who waited patiently as he watched the rescue team that was organized by the Sannin Jiraiya say their goodbyes, as not everyone was permitted to join, and only a few were given the chance to be part of this crucial mission.

Down below, Jiraiya stood there and watched from the sidelines. The people he was looking for were those with tracking abilities, and it didn't take long for him to receive a list of volunteers.

Those ready to come with the Sannin were Shino Aburame, Kiba Inuzuka, and Hinata Hyūga, all three who were chosen for their excellent teamwork and tracking skills. Followed by the class's only Chunin was Shikamaru Nara, who, despite usually being a slacker, had volunteered first to rescue the teammate who made the whole retrieval mission a success.

Kakashi Hatake was the second to volunteer, serving as their backup and as their secondary leader.

"Please be careful, you three," Kurenai said, hugging her students one last time. "This is your first mission to the outer-world, so watch out for what's out there."

"Ow, watch the arm, sensei! Don't worry, Kurenai-Sensei. We'll be alright." Kiba grinned as he winced, rubbing his aching arm. "Akamaru and I will find Naruto back in no time. Ain't that right, boy?"

"Bark!" Akamaru replied, who was cheerfully laying on his master's head.

Kiba smirked. "Yeah."

"Don't be overconfident, you pup!"

The sound of that voice made both the boy and pup yelp as they turned to see his mother and sister approach them with their own pack of companions.

"Don't get cocky out there just because you got a presentation on what's out there, you hear me?" Tsume Inuzuka, Matriarch of the Inuzuka Clan and mother of Kiba, said to her son. "I did not raise my pup to be a fool!"

"No! No, Mom, sorry." Kiba backed down and made a half-assed excuse. "I was just saying-"

"Just don't, little brother," Hana sighed. "It's not like she doesn't have a point. Every one of our normal missions here can go sideways, but at least we're familiar with how things work here. That's why you especially need to stay alert at all times for this mission."

"I'd listen to your family if I were you, Kiba," Shino agreed.

"Ugh, not you too, Shino," Kiba groaned.

"We're not here for sightseeing, Kiba," Shino reminded him. "Not only is it our first time off planet, but it's to rescue our kidnapped comrade."

"Yeah...right," Kiba grunted as he looked down, feeling ashamed again as he remembered how it happened, and how he wasn't able to be of any help.

Tsume eased her stern attitude as she saw his posture slump downwards. "Pup, don't blame yourself for what happened. It was a surprise attack, and we all let our guards down. Besides, sulking about the past isn't going to change it."

"I know, I know," Kiba sighed as he looked up at the orange sky, thinking about his past interactions with the blond. "I just feel really stupid now that I think about it. You know, back then how I treated him like crap."

"It's not just you, Kiba. We're all guilty of such a crime," Shino added. "We shunned him due to his constant failures and his mischievous ways, but we should've known to look underneath the underneath."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's obvious if we look a bit closely. Naruto had been dealt a bad hand from the very beginning: no parents, living all alone, and being shunned by the village," Shino stated the obvious. "And yet, despite his academic failures, he persisted on becoming a Shinobi, choosing to get back up every time he failed the test. Besides, not once did he ever show signs of running away or growing hostile to others. Instead, time after time again, he has shown nothing but loyalty to the village."

"How so?"

"If you haven't figured it out yet, Kiba, allow me to rewind the clock," Shino said, pushing up his sunglasses. "Naruto's been serving our village before he even received his headband, such as the time he found the intel about our village's security detail with Iruka-sensei. Then there's the day he received the headband, which he did so by making Shadow Clones to fight Mizuki-sensei after he betrayed us. And if we're talking after he received his headband, it would be when he fought off Gaara while we were under attack during the Chunin Exams."

Kiba realized that he had a point. Time and time again, Naruto has worked hard to help keep their home safe, despite the fact that he got little to no thanks in return. The canine-tamer couldn't help but feel another twinge of guilt at this realization.

"If I had to put my trust into someone to watch my back, Naruto would be amongst the few at the top of my list," Shino declared. "He might be a loudmouth at times, but he's a loyal one- somebody you can rely on as a comrade and as a friend. And that's enough reason for me to try my hardest to bring him back home.

Hearing Shino's admiration towards the Uzumaki brought a smile to the Genjutsu Matriarch's face, as well as the two Inuzuka women, who were no strangers to the young boy.

"You know, both of us know someone else who can agree on that statement. Like Hinata."

The bug-user turned to the small group that surrounded the bluenette Hyuga, who looked more determined than anyone else to succeed in this rescue mission. Tenten, Neji, Lee, and Gai-sensei were talking to her, wishing her luck and boosting her confidence. Tenten in particular was being extra supportive and comforting, as she had always done every time she came to visit the Hyuga compound to train with Neji and to also hang out with Hinata.

"You're going to find him, alright?" Tenten said as she embraced Hinata into a tight hug. "Just be careful out there, you never know what you're going to expect."

Hinata took these words to heart as she gave her goodbyes to her fellow kunoichi, before she turned to her cousin. He had a stoic expression on his face as usual, but there was a hint of kindness and compassion in his eyes. Of course there was some resistance about the heir of the clan going to space, but Lord Hiashi's final words prevailed. After all, this was no different than a mission, and if both the Republic and the Hokage approved of this mission, there wasn't much else they could say.

"Neji-"

"I have faith that you'll succeed in this mission, Lady Hinata," Neji expressed, before adding, "I wish you good luck."

"YOSH!" Gai spoke at the same time. "Bringing back Naruto is the most youthful act to do! Your Flames of Youth have reached levels when you volunteered as one of the first. Good luck, Lady Hinata!"

"Yes!" Lee joined in. "His Flames of Youth are not easily extinguished!"

Hinata managed to give the two a small assuring smile - something she'd been forcing herself to do the past few days. It was natural for her to be nervous, after all, since for one, it was going to be her first mission in outer space, something which none of them ever expected to be possible in their lifetime. Second, she might be finding the boy she liked in either bad shape or worse.

That second thought was clearly haunting her like a phantom, judging by the dark circles around her eyes.

"What a drag," Shikamaru sighed, as he was not a huge fan of these emotional gatherings before every mission. "Can't we just skip this and get on with it already?"

*YANK!*

Those words did not land well with a woman who happened to be standing near him. She pulled on his ear painfully, making him wince as he regretted his words. This woman was Yoshino Nara, Shikamaru's mother and whom he greatly respected and feared very much.

"What did you just say?" she demanded, clearly ticked off by her son's rudeness. "You wanted to just go off into Kami-knows-where without even properly saying bye to your mother? I did not raise a rude son, you hear me?"

Ino just facepalmed, while Choji just ate his chips.

"What a drag…." Shikamaru muttered.

"Just do what you mother tells you, kid." Another man stood alongside Yoshino, having the same pineapple haircut as his son. Shikamaru's father Shikaku Nara was present as well, who also wanted to watch his son embark on their historic mission to the place amongst the stars. He understood his son's pain very well, but he was not dumb enough to cross paths against his wife.

Once his ear was liberated, Shikamaru then got confronted by Ino who slapped him over his head.

"What was that for?"

"For being such a lame-ass," Ino huffed, crossing her arms. "You volunteered for this job in the first place, so you don't have the luxury to complain."

As much as he would like to say something back, the Nara knew what she said was true. Ever since the word was given of Naruto being confirmed alive and on a different planet, he took no hesitation to volunteer for it, as he felt it was his obligation to bring back the comrade who helped make his first mission as a Chunin a success.

Plus, as much as an energetic, moronic pain in the ass he was, he was still a colleague, a Hidden Leaf Shinobi, and a beloved friend. A friend that, when looking back, he had not given much appreciation for, especially for all the work he put in for the village.

Shikamaru sighed. "What a drag."

"Son." It was just one word, but it made Shikamaru stiffen up his body, his relaxed, slouched posture suddenly straightening itself out. He knew that when his father switched to this tone of voice, it was time to properly listen. "As much as I hate to tell you this, I-we feel that it needs to be done. Just...be prepared."

Shikamaru looked at his old man. "Prepared for what?"

"You know what I mean…" Shikaku replied somberly. "Be prepared for the possibility that Naruto might be in a horrible state or worse, judging from where he is located."

This gained the veteran shinobi some uncomfortable looks. Nobody wanted to mention the taboo topic, but Asuma thought it was best to rip off the bandage soon so that the impact could at least be softened.

"Whatever you see out there, don't blame yourself for what you'll find, Shikamaru."

The young Nara winced at this. His father's words hit close to home, since it was no secret that he blamed himself for his team's injuries during the rescue mission.

"Tracking team!"

Everyone turned to look at Kakashi in mild shock. It was often very rare for the albino to raise his voice, especially in such a serious tone. The masked man didn't even have his infamous book out, and he was actually on time today. The man's singular eye was narrowed into a glare as he wanted to make sure to make this wrong right.

"We're leaving now," Kakashi stated. "Get your gear and enter the ship." He walked up the stairs right towards the ship, bypassing the three onlookers who were watching from a distance from the crowd.

Those three were Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Shizune, who was holding onto Tonton. The two ladies took time to see off the Toad Summoner to his mission, with the Hokage giving him some short words.

"Find him, Jiraiya." Tsunade told him. "Find him, and bring him home. I can't-"

"I'll bring him back, don't you doubt it," Jiraiya cut her off with an unusual stern voice, before adding, "You just keep things running here. And watch out, with these new alliances the other villages are making, we'll need to be more cautious now."

"Lord Jiraiya!"

The Toad Sage took his gear and started walking for the ship, leaving the Hokage and her assistant to themselves.

"Be cautious. Does he mean about Kumo and Iwa joining the-"

"Yes, Shizune, he's talking about that." Tsunade cut her off. "With now three major villages working with those Confederates, we'll need to make sure our village is on high alert." All this information she was given by Jiraiya was just recently, and no doubt this would raise the stakes. But that was just politics.

"You think they'll find Naruto?" Shizune asked nervously.

"They better…" Tsunade mumbled. "They better."

It was then that the cruiser ship began taking off in front of the many onlookers who still were fascinated by this mode of transportation.

.

They left for their mission: to find and rescue Naruto Uzumaki.

…

(Meanwhile, in the hospital)

A single ANBU guard stood outside the room, keeping an eye out on Sasuke Uchiha, who was still being detained. The guard made sure that he did nothing to Sakura, the only former classmate who hasn't casted him out yet.

The said pink-haired girl watched with Sasuke through the window as the massive cruiser ship took off. Having been briefed about the mission earlier today, she still decided to visit her former teammate from Team 7.

"Sasuke."

The raven-haired boy, who still laid on his bed, turned his head towards the pinkette.

"They're leaving," she spoke quietly. "They're finally going to rescue Naruto."

Sasuke did not respond at first, but a small smile made its way onto his lips.

"Good, good."

(Kessel Orbit)

Hovering above the orbit of the spice mining planet was the Slave I, which was hovering over the planet for almost a few hours, since the occupants of the ship were waiting for someone.

Waiting was what Jango was doing now, waiting and hoping that those who he asked for help would come to this part of the galaxy that many bounty hunters he knew would professionally avoid.

The job? Find and free the boy who was the descendant of his former mentor's clan. Having explained the history of the Uzumaki Clan and its notoriety in Mandalorian History, he saw it as an obligation to reverse his wrongdoings of putting the life of one of the last survivors of an infamous clan at risk in this hellhole.

For the first time in ages, Jango now had a meaningful goal to fulfill.

"Jango."

"What is it, Zam?"

"Nothing, really," she said, sitting down next to him quietly, since Boba was napping behind them. He was silent throughout the entire journey, and he had just recently fallen asleep.

"You came all the way from the cargo bay, so there's something on your mind," Jango noted. "Speak up."

Zam made a silent groan as she spoke. "Fine, you wanna hear it? How long are we going to stay up here? It's been almost three hours ever since we've arrived at this stupid planet."

Before Jango could answer, two ships suddenly jumped out of hyperspace. One of them was a Rogue-Class Porax-38 starfighter, which was followed by a SS-54 assault ship that entered second.

"What the-"

"Well that's just perfect timing," Jango stated as he started making contact with the first ship, the Xanadu Blood that only had room for one bounty hunter who used it rarely.

"Bane, you hear me?"

"I hear you, Jango. You bastard." That was Cad Bane speaking in his usual tone. "Don't even start about me coming late, I got other things I had to handle."

"I don't mind. You're getting paid anyhow," Jango replied before contacting the other ship. "Sugi?"

"This is the Halo, Sugi standing by," The female Zabrak responded. "With Embo and Aurra here. Sorry we're late."

"Only you three?" Jango asked, doing the math. "What about the Klatooinian bounty hunter?"

Aurra was the one responding with laughter. "Don't bother about that coward, Jango. Castas is someone with a lot of talk, but no backbone."

"So it's just the six of us. I can work with those odds," Bane interjected with his usual cynicism. "I hope you know where to start searching for the brat, Jango, 'cause this planet is filled with these spice mines."

"Yeah, I'm going to have to agree with Bane on this, Jango," Aurra joined in. "Any idea where to start? Because Kessel is a big planet, and don't forget who runs things around here."

"You're talking about the Royal Kessel Family, right?" Sugi said, being one of those bounty hunters who was fairly new to the line of work, but was all too familiar with this disgusting trade.

"Yes, they're the ones that have supreme authority here, ruling with an iron fist and with great influence," Jango nodded while pressing a few buttons. "All the major crime syndicates own some land here, including the Zygerrians. Don't worry, I know how to find the kid."

The last part in particular grabbed their attention, with Bane eventually speaking his thoughts.

"Hmm, something tells me that you've already found a lead. Mind enlightening us?"

"I've done some research on the Zygerrians we fought back on Tatooine. Turns out they weren't there by coincidence," Jango began to explain. "They were making a stop to buy some slaves from the local markets, and the one thing that stood out was that they managed to buy a male Lasat while they were there."

"How does that tell you where the kid is?"

"Lasats are fearsome warriors who mostly keep to themselves, so a single one would be very expensive," Jango replied to them. "I had a talk about one with the slave trader in that market just yesterday on Tatooine."

"I can guess you guys had convinced him to tell you who bought the Lasat?"

"Yup," Zam smirked, popping the "p." "Didn't take much to make him squeal, and it turns out he was stupid enough to keep a log of his clients."

"The one who bought the Lasat was a Zygerrian slaver who happens to own the largest spice mine on the planet, Darts D'Nar."

"Darts, you say?" Aurra was heard chuckling over that name. "My oh my, Hondo would love hearing this, he's still got a debt to settle with those slavers after what happened to his guys in Mos Eisley."

"That's for those two to settle. Right now, we've got a different business." Jango then reactivated his ship, with the Slave I's engines roaring to life. "Follow me, I got the coordinates to the exact spice mine. Best case scenario, we can pose as buyers."

The three ships began descending downwards to Kessel, following the Mandalorian's lead.

(Ölüm)

"What the kriff?"

The first thing they noticed before they even landed their ships was the smoke. They landed on the planet with their guns ready in case a fight was breaking out, but it looked like they were too late.

The mine was abandoned, save for the birds that began feasting on the carrion of the dead slaves and their butchered oppressors. The air was rich with the scent of blood, spice, and smoke, and Jango was glad that he had just replaced the filters in his helmet.

Aurra was the first to walk closer to the scene, resting her hands on her hip as she watched the burning mine with a smug grin.

"Looks like the Zygerrians whipped their slaves one too many times," she laughed as she kicked aside a dead Pyke. "Gotta say, though, didn't expect this, but I'm not complaining."

*Sniff!* *Sniff!* *Sniff!*

The Anooba began sniffing the air as it picked up a strong scent that it started to follow, making Embo turn to the other bounty hunters.

"?" Embo warned them in his native tongue.

"Basic, please." Zam asked, being unable to understand him. "I don't speak Kyuzon."

"He's saying that Marrok (his Anooga's name) smells something strong," Sugi translated for Embo. "He's telling us it's close by."

"Let's check it out, then," Jango stated as they started following the four legged companion who began walking down the former mine.

…

The less paranoid of the group began putting away their blasters, seeing how everything in this god-forsaken mine was dead and rotting. Following the Anooga, the deeper they got, the more evidence of carnage they discovered.

Besides, evidence suggested that they didn't take prisoners, since a group of smelling, decomposing bodies of both Zygerrians and their former colleagues were placed into one particular spot underneath the broken wing of their fallen ships back up at the top.

Still frozen in the same, kneeling positions, their bodies had already begun to be consumed by the local flies that buzzed loudly as it devoured their rotting flesh.

"Wow…" Sugi was the first one to break the silence as they continued staring at the bodies.

"You got that right," Zam agreed, stopping briefly to spit at the ground. "Never seen a rotting corpse like that up close. So much vermin…"

The others did a better job of not being visibly affected by the carnage, either being used to such violence or having a stronger stomach.

Boba was doing a surprisingly good job at holding it in, turning away from the scene and just silently following his father.

Bane just stared at the battlefield with no emotion on his face, simply observing his surroundings as he left with the others. Unsurprisingly, Aurra held an amused look.

"Heh, looks like they finally got what they deserved," Aurra said with a wicked smile. "Well, time to do some digging."

"Aurra!"

"What?" the bald woman asked as she began patting the bodies down, swatting away the scattering flies. "We've got to start somewhere to gather intel, so why not from the dead?"

The flying bugs flew directly into the other two females, who began sputtering as they tried to shield their faces.

"Yeah, but not like that!"

"YUCK!"

Embo shielded his companion from the flies using his hat/shield, quietly shooing them away until they dispersed. Aurra managed to find a few ID cards, with one in particular making her snort.

"Say, Sugi, what's Embo's pet called again?"

"Uhm, Marrok, I think," Sugi answered as she swatted away some flies that got stuck on her horns. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, nothing. This Twi'lek apparently shared the same name," Aurra shrugged as she grabbed the dead slave's neck. "They got his code imprinted onto his neck. How charming."

She dropped the Twi'lek back onto the ground, his face splashing the pool of mud and spilled fuel.

"Looks like they've already looted the bodies," Zam pointed out, noticing how many of the bodies were stripped of most of their clothing, even their shoes.

"Can't blame them." Aurra shrugged, continuously looking around for more clues.

"Huh, well look who we have here./ What are you doing here besides them?"

Boba grunted as he held back another urge to vomit. Everywhere he looked there was someone rotting, with the smell being worse than the sight. It was a miracle that he managed to keep his stomach from turning up at this point.

Boba held his hand to his mouth as he stared at a dead Zygerrian, whose head was bashed in by a rock. Written on the nearby wall with his blood were these words:

Crush the slavers' will as we have crushed their skulls, because in Ölüm, we've tasted our oppressor's their souls!

"Boba."

The young boy turned his head around to see his father walking up to him, who also noticed the message written on the wall.

"I'm sorry, son," Jango said, kneeling down to his son's level. "Sorry you had to see this."

"It's okay," Boba answered after taking a deep breath. "Dad, can I ask you something?"

The bounty hunter nodded to his son. "Yes, what is it?"

"You said that the guy we're looking for is part Mandalorian, right?" Boba began. "That's why we're looking for him?"

"He's a descendant of one of the great Mandalorian Clans in our history, a legacy of one of our greatest allies. Why do you ask?"

"...Nothing, I just want to prepare myself for when I meet him," Boba said in response. "I want to know what kind of person he is."

"Jango! Boba!"

Running up to them, Aurra showed an ID card to the Mandalorian bounty hunter. "You won't believe who was among the dead."

Jango took a look at the card and read it.

"Vatik D'Nar."

"Yep, Darts D'Nar's cousin." Aurra told him. "Meaning this is one of his mines."

"And you're sure he was among those corpses?"

"His face was a bit bashed in, but it's him," Bane confirmed. "Are you sure you want to continue looking for the boy? If he even thinks you're a part of this, he's going to be out for blood."

"Bane's got a point, Jango. Are you that one kid's worth all this trouble?" Zam asked. "It's just a-"

"We-"

"We're going to find him, end of story." Boba suddenly spoke up. "If my dad says we're doing it, we're doing it."

The bounty hunters looked at the young boy, before they turned back to his father, who nodded.

"Boba's right. We've come this far, and I'm not going to back out at this point," Jango said, walking past them. "If you want to leave, that's fine. Just know that this is important to me, and if you pull out now, you won't get your cut."

The three bounty hunters looked at each other, knowing fully well that he wasn't going to back out at this point.

"Jango, we found something on the radar. Follow these coordinates."

The group began making their way back up once they heard Sugi's voice over the comms, wondering what it was.

…

SNIFF! SNIFF! SNIFF!

The Anooba Marrok was sniffing around as he and the other two were standing in the middle of a road, where a large part of graves were made. There was also a foot trail that looked like it was slowly disappearing with the mud.

It was then that the others had arrived and saw Embo and Sugi standing by something that was blocking their view.

"What you got?" Bane asked.

"See for yourself," Sugi said, nodding to Embo as they both stepped aside. Cad Bane marched towards what they were looking at, and he squinted at the sight of an old, graying man facing a grave. None of them were the religious type, but they all knew that he was chanting some sort of prayer for the fallen. A slugthrower rifle laid right next to him as he continued praying.

"Who's this, a survivor?" Bane asked them. "What's he doing?"

"I don't know, honestly," Sugi shrugged, turning her head back to the human man. "Also, it's pretty obvious that he's praying. I'm not familiar with this ritual, though, but I don't think he noticed us yet."

"Allahu Akbar…"

The old man said silently as he raised his body upwards, before going back down onto his knees.

"Allahu Akbar…"

"How long has he been doing this?" Bane asked with his arms crossed. "I don't like to wait."

"Don't know, we've just arrived here." Sugi said, giving the Duros an eye glare. "Just be patient."

The old man raised his head back up, and held his right wise finger up and turned his head to both sides.

"Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh….assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh."

"Whoever he is, the old man's probably got information we need to know," Aurra told them. "I hope this guy can speak Basic, otherwise this is going to get confusing."

"I can understand you, ma'am."

The bounty hunters turned their heads to the praying man, who stood back up and turned towards them.

"For what you call Basic, on my planet it is called English," the old man said in his thick Arabic accent as he nodded at them. "My name's Yasser, what can I do for you?"

The bounty hunters took a moment before Sugi reached her hand out first.

"Yasser, my name's Sugi," she said, before introducing the others. "These are Embo, Zam, Aurra, Cad Bane, Jango and his son, Boba-"

"Enough with the introductions," Cad Bane interrupted, growling at the old man. "What are you doing here?"

Yasser didn't answer as he reached for his rifle.

Aurra was about to reach for her gun, but got stopped by Jango. The old man slung the Kalashnikov rifle over his arm and walked past them.

"Follow me, I'll show you." He continued to walk to his destination, and the bounty hunters followed the old man, who seemed to not be affected by the amount of corpses he was passing by.

"Old man, what happened here?" Sugi asked first. The obvious dumb question was asked, yet the old man politely answered.

"An uprising happened here. A bloody one. Half of the bodies you see here on the upper floors are those who died in the fighting or were shot down by the guards."

"And down below?"

"Those who died of starvation, exhaustion, and just couldn't make it upwards." Yasser answered somberly. "Even when the mine was liberated, people still kept on dying."

The numerous corpses around them spoke for itself. The ones without blaster wounds often looked malnourished, slender to the bone, or looked as sick as a dog.

"If this half died, what happened to the other one?" Aurra asked.

"They all fled to the forest with everything else they could salvage from this place," Yasser answered. "Food, water, equipment, weapons, explosives, medical supplies. Everything's gone, except for the bodies."

"Then why didn't you leave?" Bane asked. "What made you decide to stay here?"

Yasser stopped, just as the others followed, as they noticed that they stood right in front of freshly made grave sites.

He pointed out. "For this. Those two graves."

The two poorly made gravestones read two names

Emir Halim

Ahmed Halim

Sugi asked. "Are those-"

"My son and grandson' their graves." Yasser answered, before kneeling down and kissing the names on the stones twice. "They both were murdered in the last stages of the uprising."

The atmosphere grew even grimmer upon hearing this, making the others feel a tad bit uncomfortable.

"My sincere apologies about earlier, sir." Aurra said to the man, surprising the others. "We didn't know."

"All is forgiven, you weren't aware of it." Yasser said, turning back to the bounty hunters. "Now, I can guess you all came here for a reason, am I correct?"

Jango went on straight away. "We're looking for someone."

"Who precisely?" Yasser asked. "Your chances are that this person is either dead here, or is somewhere in the forest with the others."

"At least let me tell you his name." Jango began. "Kid has blond hair, blue eyes, and name's Naruto-"

"Jango, chances are that Uzumaki kid might be dead." Zam began, being the skeptic here. "Let's-"

"Uzumaki, you say?" Yasser said to the Mandalorian. "You mean Naruto Uzumaki?"

"Yes, that's him." Jango commented. "You know what happened to him? He isn't dead, is he?"

"No, no, on the contrary, he's alive." Yasser confirmed to him. "He was wounded from the fight, that I know, but he walked out here alive with the other leaders of the uprising."

"What do you mean, other leaders?" Sugi suggested. "Was he part of the whole uprising?"

"Apparently, he blew up the whole control room, igniting the whole fight." Yasser pointed at the general direction of where the mud trail led. "They went that way."

"Are you sure?"

"Well, there's only one way to find out." Sugi suggested by turning to her partner. "Embo, Marrok?"

Embo nodded and turned to his mammal companion, who began following the trial, sniffing and tracking down tracks of their intended target.

SNIFF! SNIFF! SNIFF!

…

*WOOF!*

"Marrok's got something!"

The Annooka then began going down the trail, following the scent of their target.

Kessel Forest

The Kessel Forest was the only thing left that was beautiful on the god-forsaken planet. If one were to venture deep within the jungle, they would find uncountable amounts of trees, with their million roots extending around the area like veins.

The air rich with clean oxygen, it was undoubtedly a beautiful sight to be seen.

"TIMBER!"

A man's voice pierced the peaceful silence as a tree began to fall to the ground.

BANG!

The tree didn't take long before it made contact with the ground. Within seconds, it was surrounded by a few dozen men with self-made hatchets and pickaxes.

"Alright, let's get to work!" Nathan ordered his men. "Chop it up and take it back to camp."

The group quickly did as they were told, chopping up and hacking off parts of the tree they had just brought down, leaving nothing behind.

"Back to camp!"

The loggers walked their way back to camp, grunting and sweating from the weight of their bounty. The ones that weren't carrying pieces of wood were covering their backs, armed with rifles both blasters and slugthrowers.

…

After a long walk, Nathan and his logging crew were close by to the camp.

"Halt!"

Coming from behind the trees was a young Zabrak male, who was holding his blaster at them.

"Calm down, it's just us," Nathan replied, pointing back at his crew.

The zabrak stood down. "Alright, move on." He watched as they walked past him. "My watch is almost over, tell them to send someone else."

"Will do." Nathan waved the guard off as they went on down the footpath.

…

"Nathan's group returned!"

Everyone turned towards the entrance of their camp to greet Nathan and his logging crew. Nathan and his crew waved back as they admired the amount of progress made on their camp.

Their camp, which appeared to be more of a small village, was filled with a few wooden huts and tents made of logs and branches. There were numerous dug out shelters, creating tunnels that led to who-knew-where all over the jungle. Some were used to shelter their numbers, while others were used to stash their supplies, such as food, water, and weapons.

Outside of those shelters, some of the children were seen playing, with the armed guards keeping an eye out for them. Those that weren't keeping an eye out for their own were readying their weapons or were cleaning. Many of these volunteers were mothers of some of their children, who wanted to do more than simply watch fearfully for their kin.

"Nathan, you've arrived. Good." Ibrahim came out of one of the many tents, having just gotten out of a short meeting. "We've got space in the back, let's go."

"Lead the way," the Canadian smiled as he and the others followed the Libyan towards the open space. As they did so, they happened to walk by an open makeshift field hospital.

In that field hospital laid Naruto on a blanket, his left eye covered in bandages like the rest of his forehead, his left arm, and his chest. Miraculously, he seemed to be getting better already, but he was still in no shape to fight just yet he was able to move his arm and was told he'll be able to remove those bandages around that part at least.

The blond looked to his left, where he saw another patient laying there, sleeping peacefully as his head was being tended by Idel, who changed his bandages. This one looked like he was struck on the head with a whip, and this wound didn't cauterize fast enough.

The two were just one of many patients, with the mixture of the injured, sick, and the dying being jam packed like rotting sardines in a wooden can, all who were unable to move. The worst cases were simply left to die, or were simply put down.

"He's gone."

Naruto slowly turned to the left to see Idel closing another one of their fallen's eyes. He assumed that he died from his internal wounds, which they were too powerless to treat in their condition.

"Take him away, we need the space."

Two volunteers quickly pulled the body up by the sheet underneath, using the makeshift stretcher to quickly dump the body towards a nearby grave site the others dug up.

"It's the sixth person in three days, kid. Are you really that numb to seeing death like that?"

Naruto said nothing as he just looked around, looking for those that were still alive and well, whatever that meant.

He saw Tayuya sitting by herself next to a weapon dugout. She brandished the same rifle she used on the slavers. Having gained herself quite a reputation, she was both respected and feared by her fellow kind. Only a select few would come near her, let alone speak in her presence.

He saw a small tent that was settled for those that were less wounded. The unofficial Catholic priest Joseph Ibarra tended and helped those who had been scarred in body and mind, providing his kindness in words and deeds and prayer. It didn't take him long to start his own small, but close congregation, consisting of both humans and nonhumans.

He turned to the sound of laughter (honey to their ears) to see the large Wookie Chewbacca working with the weaponry alongside Jimmy, who was seen explaining Earth's weaponry. Their smiles and laughter was enough to spread to his lips, which began to curl up involuntarily.

That magical moment ended when he shifted his sights to the other parts of the camp.

He saw Rida, who was back at work crafting coffins for the dead to lay to rest. Truth be told, it wasn't an important task, and only served to burn precious resources and energy, but nobody had the heart to stop them. Mugabo and another were helping him, gently putting the bodies in the coffin before closing it shut.

The graveyard, which had once been a small, beautiful grass field, was now filled with dozens of holes, with half already being filled up with dirt. His heart died a little more when he saw the pile of a hundred men awaiting their turn nearby, which included Levi.

He needed a break.

"Hey."

Naruto's head turned upwards, and was greeted to the sight of Sabine's lovely face. Her smile summoned his own, and suddenly, he didn't feel as terrible as she planted a kiss on his lips.

"How are you feeling?" she asked. "Doing better?"

A smile crossed his face. "Now that you are here, yeah."

"Charmer," Sabine chuckled as she began stroking his hair. "But seriously, are you feeling better now? I've been worried about you."

Giving her a pained smile, he shrugged. "My back hurts like hell, but nothing serious."

"You want me to give you a massage? I've got soft hands, you know?" Sabine grinned, her hands already exploring his upper body.

Her gloved fingers trailing over his bandages, Naruto recoiled at the touch, and her hands shot away quickly, afraid of accidentally reopening his wounds. It was easy to forget that despite his carefree attitude and his charming smile, he took the heaviest blow for all of them. Without him, they wouldn't be here in this humid forest, free at last.

"Are you offering to be my personal nurse?" Naruto grinned, making her chuckle lightly at that idea. "'Cause I'm totally open to that idea-"

"In your dreams, loverboy," Sabine scoffed, failing miserably to hide a blush.

"Am I interrupting your little moment?"

The two whipped their heads towards the intruder. Zeb just stood there, his arms crossed while his large jaws did its best to hold back a grin.

"Because your little act is getting a lot of eyeballing while you're doing it," Zeb told them. "Let me tell you that."

"Just wanna let you know that you're getting quite an audience," Zeb told them. He waved behind him, and they realized that a lot of people were indeed staring at them. Some immediately turned their heads away, resuming their work while pretending to not have seen anything. Others were just giving them smirks or looks of encouragement.

"Haha, funny," Sabine huffed, stepping away from Naruto, before asking, "Seriously, though, what is it?"

"It's Hera." Zeb's face lost all its mirth as his scowl returned. "She called in a meeting, now."

Their headquarters was a large tent/cabin. Highly fortified with wooden walls, there was no room for anyone to peek inside, making them safe from potential snipers. Inside the headquarters was a large makeshift table. Hera and Tarik - the ones who summoned the meeting - sat alongside the other lieutenants and camp leaders.

"Alright, everyone. It's been a few weeks since the breakout, and, to be blunt, we're running out of time."

This caused everyone to murmur nervously, although nobody tried to deny it.

"Well, at least he's honest," Kurama huffed in amusement.

"We're running low on supplies. Food, water, medicine, you name it," Hera continued for Tarik. "We've got about one week left of supplies if we ration it, and that's if things go well."

"So what are you proposing we do?" Ibrahim asked. "It's like you said: we're running out of time, and those search parties aren't helping."

"That's why we decided that we need to fight," Adrik stated, his face full of somber determination. "We decided that since we're running out of time and resources, we need to go on the offensive now."

"N-Now?" a few of them exclaimed. "But that's suicide!"

"Not if we do this right," Adrik said as he turned towards the table. There was a crudely drawn map made of leaves, clothing, and whatever pieces of paper they were able to find. Their scouts risked their necks to have this made, making this perhaps one of the most valuable objects they had. "Our camp is positioned right here, with the other camps not that far away from us."

He then pointed to a position on the other side of the map.

"Over here is the Yaruba Royal Palace of Kessel. Obviously, this is where the royal family lives, and it's not that far away. On foot, we can get there in a half a day if we walk, and we have the advantage of the lush greenery to keep us hidden."

"Wait, are you suggesting we attack the palace today?" Jimmy asked, mortified.

"Exactly," Adrik replied without a beat. "We've been planning this assault for a while, and right now, we're running out of time."

A debate storm erupted, with questions being flung from all sides. Some were even exclaiming that the plan was doomed, and that they needed more time, while others argued for the assault.

"Quiet!"

It was Tarik who called for order. Everyone stopped yelling at once to look at him, with some rushing to his side as he clutched at his chest.

Tarik let out a few nasty coughs, before he continued weakly.

"I- I understand all of you may have doubts and concerns about this plan. Believe me, I do too. But these past few days have pushed us into a corner." Tarik took a moment to gratefully accept a canteen of water. Wiping his lips with his sleeve, he continued. "We're running out of supplies, and the search parties are closing in. We need to strike now while we still have some semblance of the element of surprise. If we wait any longer, they'll either turn to drastic measures to flush us out, or they'll simply abandon this planet."

"Wait, so you're saying that they're all still here?" one of them asked skeptically. "Shouldn't they have left by now?"

"Our scouts are reporting an abundance of ships at the palace," Hera answered the man's question. "Their theory is that they're doing some last minute evacuations and trading before they leave. This is why we need to strike now while the durasteel's still hot."

This seemed to sway some of the skeptics, who were beginning to understand the full urgency of the situation. Sure, it didn't take away the risks, but the benefits were well worth it.

"If it makes you feel better, we can at least go out with a bang, giving them one last payback even if it means we die earlier than planned," Tarik added with a smirk.

"Pure revenge isn't the goal, but yeah, that too," Adrik nodded. "By the looks of it, the palace has enough ships to bring us all out of here with some room to spare. Again, this may be our only shot of escape, so whatever we do now, we decide now."

"Decide?"

"We're voting for this. Urgent or not, this is still a democracy. So, what will it be?" Tarik asked the group. "This is potentially a suicide mission, but if we fail to act now, we could be slowly hunted down or left marooned on this planet. So again, what will it be?"

Silence fell upon the group. They murmured and whispered amongst themselves, but they were all hesitant on making the final decision that would decide their fates.

"Did the other camps already discuss this?"

Everyone turned their gazes to the newcomers. It was Naruto, who stood in the doorway with the help of Sabine and Zeb by his side.

"Are the other camps notified about this plan?" Naruto asked again. "And if so, what was their reply?"

Adrik glanced at Tarik and Hera, who both nodded at him.

"They were all hesitant, but agreed to join us for this final assault. They're waiting to see which one of us will come and which one of us will stay behind."

"If they've already decided to attack," Ibrahim noted, blowing out some smoke as he twiddled his cigarette, "then it's more of a reason to join in. They'll need all the manpower we can offer."

Less than five hundred volunteers. Most were ill-equipped, many still untrained, and all they had was hope and vague intel of the fortress they were about to attack.

They were in the endgame, and they were still in deep shit.

"Boss!" A guard barreled through the door, panting. "We got a situation!"

"Zygerrians?" Tarik tensed.

"No, something else," the Zabrak guard said. "We got unexpected company."

"Like what?"

"Bounty Hunters."

Chaos reigned as the once peaceful camp was sent into a pandemonium. People ran in all directions. Some scrambled for the underground shelters. Mothers ran with their children and went into their housings. And some armed themselves as they went to their battle stations.

A large Anooba had made its way to the camp, sniffed around, before it howled into the air. They aimed their weapons, but before they could shoot, it bowed low at them in submission, making them hesitate to fire.

Unsure what to do, many of the volunteers speculated their options and thoughts.

"The hell is this thing?" one of the volunteers demanded, holding his blaster. "How did it get here?"

"It's an Anooba, but why is it here? Last I checked, they're not native to this planet!"

"Should I shoot it?"

"No. Let's await further instructions until we do so."

"Get the others out!"

Rida, Zeb, and Sabine were the first to leave the HQ, pulling out their blasters as they inspected their surroundings. Naruto left next with the other leaders. Hera walked out, spotted the animal, and cursed.

"Kriff, it's an Anooba," the green Twi'lek hissed, recognizing the animal. "It means he must be here."

"Who?" Adrik asks, pulling his pistol at the beast. "Who, Hera?"

"A famous bounty hunter, Embo. He has an Anooba like that one," Hera explained to him. "The fact that it's not traveling with a pack means that it came here solo for a reason."

The Anooba growled as he slowly backed away. The group who had their weapons trained on it cautiously moved closer. Tayuya stared it down from the front, while Chewbacca moved to try to ambush it from behind.

"Your move, mutt," Tayuya growled back, her finger coiled around the trigger like a snake ready to strike. .

PSSSSSHT!

"What's that sound?"

Before anybody could move, something landed right in the middle of the standoff. Landing from the air was Jango Fett, his blaster pistols in his hands, with one aimed directly at Tayuya's head.

"I wouldn't do that," Jango warned her. "Embo really likes his partner, and so do I."

"And what if I do?" Tayuya spat back.

"You die."

*Click*

Jango didn't even flinch as a blaster was cocked to fire. His eyes moved to the left to see a familiar face aiming a blaster at his neck.

"Your move, Mandalorian." Naruto Uzumaki glared.