The Jedi King II: War for the Rim

by Blitzkrieger

The Militia have made their move plunging the Galaxy in a new war, with the Rebels caught in the middle. After Ahkilleon chose stayed in Militia and the New Jedi, he enters an arena of politics, light and dark. Facing either his past he left behind or going forward to seize a future as prophecy fortold to become the Jedi King, but nothing is ever certain and no one can be trusted.

51. A Mother's Love

Chapter 51

A Mother's Love

"...Ezra…"

"...Ezra…"

"...Ezra …Wake up…."

Ezra jolted up right from the floor of the hanger, Hera, Zeb and Chopper standing over him, Ezra looked around to see Kanan leaning on the table, reaching to cup his head. "What happened?" Hera asked. The rebels were gathered around Ezra on Atollon; it had been less than a day since the transmission from Ahkilleon and the Militia about seeking Chopper's aid while taking care of the traitorous Caliban.

"I… I suddenly felt Ahkilleon was in danger, he was there but then nothing…" Ezra grumbled as he started to get up, "Take it easy, this isn't the first time your force powers were out of whack kid." Zeb said to him.

"I'm fine." Ezra muttered "It's Ahkilleon I'm worried about, Kanan?" Ezra asked "I felt it too, a seizing amount of dread then… I can't feel him anymore."
"Do you think something could have happened with that freak Caliban?" Zeb asked aloud.

"Well maybe we can get an answer soon, there's another Militia shipment of supplies coming in this afternoon." Hera said.

Ezra rubbed his forehead, "Right, right, it's probably nothing."
"I don't think so, we should check with our special friend." Kanan said, meaning Bendu, the mysterious celestial hidden in the dunes of Atollon, "Kanan I'm fine honest, we should continue with the briefing."

Hera put her hand on his shoulder concerned "The rendezvous and supply run aren't for another few days, Ezra, but we need to make sure you and Kanan are ready."
Reluctantly Ezra sighed and nodded, "Fine, we'll go see Bendu." Ezra said before he and Kanan left the hanger heading toward one of their land speeders.

Soon the two jedi were off riding through the desert, Ezra was silent the whole way out to Bendu's Grove, slipping into the small gorge they got out looking for Bendu, "I don't know why he needs to hide out here, when he can just stay at the base, Kanna?" Ezra asked.

"I think it'd be hard to explain to Sato how a three story tall hairy rock monster just appeared?" Kanan asked him.

They heard shifting rocks from behind them and turned to see Bendu, "Perhaps you could assist me with some grooming, my friends?" Bendu asked them.

"Sorry, no offense meant." Kanan said to Bendu who snickered, stroking his massive orange mane "None taken, you felt the disturbance in the force no doubt."
Ezra nodded "We did, it has something to do with Ahkilleon doesn't it."

Bendu closed his eyes, and felt out with the force, he was silent for a long time. When Bendu opened his blind eyes he had a somber look on his face. "What is it?" Ezra asked "What happened."
"That… which you already know, Ezra Bridger." Bendu said to him, Ezra shook his head "No, no, no, he's just trapped or somewhere we don't know?" Ezra asked frantically.

"Ezra?" Kanan asked, "Ezra talk to me, you've got a stronger connection to Ahkilleon, Bendu what happened." Bendu frowned and looked away "A fate which happens to all who seek the path of war. Your'e friend has passed from this physical world as we know it."

Kanan gaped "Ahkilleon is… dead."

"No, no it's not true!" Ezra shouted up at Bendu, the two jedi were distracted by the Revenant, Ahkilleon's stealth warship flying overhead. Ezra ran to the speeder "Ezra wait." Kanan followed, leaping in just before Ezra could drive off, Bendu watched them get a neutral expression on his face.

Ezra and Kanna drove back into the base to see the Revenant had landed, B5 droids unloading supplies among them, the Lt. Breacher, he and the tigers, what was left of them were standing in front of Hera. They'd given something to Hera as Ezra and Kanan ran up behind to see her turn around, Hera had her eyes closed and in her hands she held Ahkilleon's helmet, the orange painted helm with its finned antennas was cracked. Looking at Lt. Breacher the mutton chopped man removed his beret and took out two things, each of Ahkilleon's lightsabers. Something he'd never be without, "Lord Asimov and the Militia wanted to express their sincerest condolences, Commander Tano he… was slain aboard the Cabal II by Caliban, he went after him alone, as was his way."
"His way… his way was to stay with us but you… you damn Militia, you did this!" Ezra shouted walking toward him. Breacher didn't budge, Zeb caught Ezra holding him back "Where's his body?" Hera asked.

"In the battle, the bridge window was broken, the bodies are yet to be recovered." Breacher said as he squeezed his beret firmly in a fist.

"Recovered, recovered he should have never gone with you, he… he… oh stars." Ezra pushed off Zeb and grabbed at his heart, "We should have been there, I should have been there we."
"Ezra, there was nothing you could do." Hera said, handing the helmet over to Zeb and trying to console him. "No- no, oh what are we going to tell Sabine?" Ezra started to hyperventilate before Kanan came up and grabbed him, Ezra tried to push off but Kanan held him before Ezra started to weep, the flood gates open running down his cheeks as he screamed into Kanan's shirt.

Breacher shut his eyes and turned to board the Revenant.

AJARA

Shatterpoint, Stardeck

Lord Asimov stood their arms folded, looking out the window at the wreckage of the Free Company, the smoking holes of the Subjugator Cabal II under Militia control once again. A series of Holograms were standing behind Lord Asimov, General Freeman, Admiral Trench, General Gererra, Kleeve, Kalani and Consul Kushi, Senator Voe Atell, the head of the Militia Union. "Why was Commander Tano alone when he faced Caliban?" Fives asked.

"The assault had… complications." Lord Asimov said, Atell scoffed "Complications, the entire Free Company wiped out, the traitor dead with who knows how many of our own loyal soldiers." Atell snapped at him.

Asimov kept his back turned "A saboteur's body was found in the wreckage of Tuuk's flagship, one of Cabal's men." Kleeve said to her.

"But do we know for certain that Caliban didn't leak the whereabouts of Arcadia, or all our secrets to the Empire?" Steela stated.

"The logs of the ships were wiped prior to our boarding, we may never know. Which is why the Arcadia home guard must remain on high alert, and the Cabal II sent back to our secret shipyards to be repaired, and duplicated for more ships." Lord Asimov said to them turning around "Now, if we are quite done, I must search for the dead… they deserve to be buried at home." Lord Asimov said, his voice quivering.

There was a long pause, "Has Turok Skell been told?" Asimov asked.

"Yes, click-click he left Raxus shortly click-click after… we don't know where." Trench clicked out sitting down leaning on his cane, head bowed.

"And what of Caliban's body?" Fives asked, "We are still searching for it, we believe it along with… my padawan's body was sucked into the atmosphere of Ajara, we may never find it." Asimov said fists trembling in rage.

"Let us know when it's recovered Lord Asimov, as for you, you have my condolences for your loss, Padawan Tano was a fine apprentice and a good soldier, even to the end." Consul Kushi said, trying to stop an argument from breaking out.

Fives nodded "In the meantime, General Kleeve, with the loss of the Free Company I'm commissioning the One Eyed Devil fleet to take charge of the remaining forces on Saleucami, we'll need to hold out the southern flank against the Empire. Admiral Trench's hold on the old Hutt territories is facing new Imperial probes, this war is long from over."

The transmission was cut, all except for Kleeve and Kalani who were still in close range and Asimov sighed, the doors opened with Sigma walking in "I'll assist you in searching for their bodies."
"No." Asimov said, turning around looking back out the window, "You and your men have done their part, the Vanguard will take care of their own." Lord Asimov said.

Kleeve looked over to Sigma, and then back at Asimov's back with a nod and polite half bow "As you wish." Kleeve and Kalani's holograms vanished.

"Anything?" Asimov asked clone watched as the One Eyed Devil's fleet cleared the debris field and made the jump to hyperspace, "Nothing yet my lord, Caliban and the kid's body were probably sucked into Ajara's atmosphere." he said walking up to stand beside him, Asmiov said nothing at first, "Keep looking."
Sigma sighed "You did what you had to do, you saw his face, he was putting it together or he would have eventually."
"I tried Sigma, I tried to make him see. Lasting change only comes when those of us with power, seize it." Asimov held his hand out and crushed it into a fist, "We will, do you remember what you told me when you found me sick, starving and fighting for scraps."

Asimov nodded "That we would make the Empire pay."
"Right, and we're so close now, the prophecy of the Jedi King may be hogwash for all I care. But we need someone to lead us now more than ever, General Freeman may keep us together for now. But with Caliban gone, how long do you think the other Warlords will wait, Trench, Gererra, even Kleeve; none of them will trust us after this." Sigma said.

Asimov folded his arms, nodding, "I know, give it five more hours than we make for Raxus."

Sigma nodded "For what it's worth, I'll miss the kid too."

SALECUMI

Militia Fortress Town

General Kleeve and Kalani's fleet had arrived over Salecumi and were already descending down to the planet in a transport escorted by armed guard. The new factories that had been built into the planet's larger rocky barrens were already pumping out droids and war machines at a staggering rate. The large fortress town that had been built since the last time the Vanguard or anyone had been there had tripled in size, metal ground had spread out into bustling streets with regulars, pilots, scouts and droids walking them barracks had propped up like apartment buildings and traders from other parts of the galaxy had set up their own ships and carts outside the large metal walls as B2 droids with saw blades cut away trees for an ever expanding town. The Golden circle of the Free company was lowered and a Militia flag raised with the one eyed devil fleet's emblem under it.

Kleeve landed with Kalani following him out of a transport, a series of containers following with B5 droids already waiting for them. A B5 tactical droid with a box like head and officers pauldron on its chassis saluted "Welcome General, I have been programmed to follow your orders along with all former Free Company detachments." The tactical droid said.

The one eyed Devaronian scanned the base, "Have the rest of your units aid with the wounded, that's all."
The droid noticed one of the carts with a long cargo box being pushed by the former Hutt slave Bug, coming off the ship, the man was whistling a jizz tune "Shall I have my additional units assist in moving this cargo."
"No, no, this is my personal effects, I only trust my personal bodyguard Bug to handle them." Kleeve said as Bug passed by them whistling, he gave a mocking salute to the droids and followed Kalani and Kleeve into the large tower at the center of the base. Kleeve and Kalani walked toward a large turbo lift and entered it, Bug still whistling, acting casual. When the lift arrived at the central command hub all the droids stood at attention "At ease." Kalani ordered and the droid went back to work. "Durd and Tuuk only used droids I see." Kleeve said.

"The new B5 units are far more effective than the B2 and B3's General, even more effective than Militia Regulars." Kalani agreed, "Meesa doesn't know about dat, Kalani." Bug chimed in with his heavy huttese accent.

The three of them entered into a smaller elevator having to cram to fit in the extra baggage before they arrived at the private quarters of Mar Tuuk, a bright oil painting of the now dead neimoidian cyborg over a metal fireplace, long dining room table and a fine bed with a view of the growing citadel and Salecuami's lush landscape. "Kalani." Kleeve asked.

The doors paused for a moment, his orange optics flickering, "No surveillance devices detected."

Kleeve turned to Kalani, "Send it."
ATOLLON

Chopper Base

A cloud of gloom hung over the heads of the Specter's as they each dealt with the news in their own way, Zeb sat on his perch outside the base opening up cans of drink, listening to his music, hunched over a few empty cans of booze already downed as he helped himself to another. Chopper was with him and pretended to drink a can of motor oil "Look all I'm saying is we may not have gotten along, but the kid was tough you know…" Zeb said in a slurred speech "He had grit, and even I can respect- hic that." Zeb said as he chugged the drink.

Down in the base, Rex looked over a holographic map trying to fight his remorse by throwing himself in his work, he stood there scratching his beard before he felt his fists tremble and he slammed them into table, fighting back tears.

Not far from them Hera was with Commander Sato "The rendezvous mission near the Archeon nebula will be going as planned, Captain Syndulla are you listening?" Sato asked her.

Hera snapped her head away from a mourning Rex, "I am Commander, everyone is taking Ahkilleon's death a little hard."
Commander Sato turned to Rex and then to Kanan who was meditating a stone's throw away, Sato was silent and stiffened "Despite his many… many transgressions, I will allow your crew to mourn for a time. But the galaxy still turns even without one person." Sato said before he left Hera to her thoughts.

Kanan still sat near the fence, kneeling in meditation. Hera came up behind him, "Shouldn't you be with Ezra?" Hera asked him "He hasn't come out of his room since it happened."
"Ezra knows I'm here if he needs to talk to me, but this is something he has to come to terms on his own." Kanan said back to her, he turned around still kneeling and she sat down with him.

Hera sat down beside him, "Have you told her yet."
Kanan sighed, "No, I don't know how."

"Neither do I, losing friends is one thing but this. Her first love oh stars that just makes this worse." Hera said holding up the datapad, a transmission ready to be sent.

"Then we don't do it over a transmission." Kanan said as he pressed cancel, "We go, together."

KROWNEST

Outside the Wren Stronghold

The Ghost flew across the snow covered surface Krownest, the ship set down in the clearing big enough to fit the ship and a few Mandalorians who stood there, Sabine stood alongside her brother Tristan who was no longer sporting the Imperial Super commando Armor, now he wore traditional Mandalorian armor with his families colors of yellow and grey, he even had a bright purple and orange shoulder pauldron on his right. When the ramp lowered the rebels stood at the ramp, Sabine looked at her brother.

"Guys?" Sabine called out.

Hera let out a sigh and walked down followed by the others, Kanan's face was hidden by the mask he wore. "Hera, it's good to see you… wait what's wrong?" Sabine asked.

"Sabine we… there's something we need to tell you." Hera started to say.

"What is it?" Sabine asked looking at them, "Did… did something happen?"

"Yes…" Ezra said.

Sabine looked at everyone, Chopper, Zeb, Kanan, Hera, Ezra and even Rex. The only one not there was the person she'd most wanted to see "Where's Ahkilleon?"

"He… he's gone Sabine." Rex said turning away, hands on his hips, head hung low. Sabine dropped her helmet in the snow and stepped back, Hera stepped toward her "No… no… just no, that's not possible." Sabine said.

Hera tried to take hold of her "No, Hera. No." Sabine tried to push her away but Hera wasn't having any of it, she gently pushed past Sabine's swiping hands, "No, no… we… he… that stupid… arrogant… asshole." She shut her eyes, turning red, but no tears came, Sabine buried it as she stepped away.

"Sabine, it's okay to feel-" "You don't know how I feel Hera!" Sabine screamed at the green twi'lek, the rage masking the obvious pain everyone could see. The cold winds of Krownest blew around them, Tristan didn't say a word he stood there watching Sabine who was fighting back a tidal wave of emotions the only way a Mandalorian could, "None… of you." Sabine sucked down her tears and turned to her brother.

She gritted her teeth "Tirstan, let's go."

"Sabine." Ezra called out to her but Sabine had already picked up her helmet and dusting off the snow, ready to cut the sad reunion short when Chopper's antenna rose up and the droid began to speak in binary.

Sabine spun around eyes wide, "What?" Ezra asked Tristan, the only one not versed in binary, to look at the rebels and Sabine, "What did that droid say, Sabine?" "Shhh." Sabine hushed him.

"Are you certain Chopper?" Hera asked.

Chopper gave a positive beep "A fulcrum code, not just any old Republic one." Rex said as he got closer "Ones Ahsoka and General Skywalker used to use an older code but checked out."

"What's the message?" Ezra asked, kneeling in front of Chopper, the droid replied in binary, Ezra listened in "Those sound like coordinate numbers, 'If you want answers, and your lost toy is back, come now…. That's it?" Ezra asked as Chopper swiveled his head with a shrug and no answer.

Hera patted him on the back "Chopper, where is 'here'."

Chopper took a moment to calibrate the coordinates and replied "Qotile, where's Qotile?" Ezra asked.

"Outer rim, nobodies gone to Qotile in decades." Rex said scratching his beard, "What's so special about Qotile." Ezra asked.

Rex already knew "It's where the Stark Hyperspace War was fought, ancient history to most, Jedi versus pirates led by Ahkilleon's Grandfather, Iaco Stark."

Zeb scratched the back of his head "Why meet there?"

"Let's go find out." Hera said as she headed to the ship, she waited, turning to see if Sabine would join, Sabine nodded and followed up the ship she stopped halfway to look at her brother, "Do you want me to come with you?" he asked.

Sabine looked at him and then shook her head "I have to know."
QOTILE

The ghost dropped out of hyperspace, "Scanning for signs of ships." Hera said as she flew them toward the planet, Kanan sat behind her while Ezra sat in the gunner seat, Sabine assisting with copilot, Chopper plugged in and Rex looking at the radar "Nothing, no ships, I am reading a power signature along the northwestern shoreline of this land mass." he said pointing to the planet.

"So what happened here?" Ezra asked.

"Decades ago, years before my time even. The Stark Comercial Combine, a pirate band in everything but name, started to attack Republic shipments from the core to the outer rim. The Trade Federation was hit the most." Kanan explained "Wait, the ones who started the Clone Wars?" Ezra asked.

Kanan frowned, "So you have been studying."

"They weren't the only ones, but they were players." Rex said as they flew down past the gray skies, "Do we really have time for a history lesson?" Zeb asked.

Sabine was silent, as they flew down to the surface, passing over a graveyard of rusted over old Republic ships, "Those are Republic ships?" Ezra asked.

"No, Rendili volunteer forces, the Republic didn't have an army when the crisis happened." Rex explained "We didn't need one, we had jedi." Hera said, looking back to Kanan who remained silent.

The ship landed down in an opening amongst the rusted over starships on a gray beach, the night sky overhead the white sands were a mix of dark metal ore and rust, and there was no signs of fauna or vegetations, but Ezra squinted in the distance to see a large rusted over cruiser, broke in two, it had a large winged back with a hunched over haul cracked down the middle, a small light coming from inside. "What's that?" Ezra asked.

"Chopper scan." Hera told the droid, who beeped back "Two life signs, one droid?"

"Let's go, it's probably Turok, Beetoo and-" "Ezra wait." Kanan said getting out in front of him, "Look, I know we all want to get our hopes but- Sabine." Sabine was already passing Kanan heading toward the downed wreckage of the large cruiser.

As they got closer they passed by the skeletal remains of a handful of corpses, some wearing long faded blue uniforms with metal open faced helmets and backpacks, others dressed in mismatched clothing with old bandoliers picked clean of life. The ship was half sunken into the beach and as they got closer the light inside started to flicker. The rebels had their weapons in hand when they came around the opening in the haul to see General Kleeve sitting at a fire with his former slave turned soldier Bug.

"What are you doing here, Kleeve?" Ezra asked.

They heard clunking over the rusted metal to see Kalani emerging from the shadows, "About time you showed up, Specter's." Kleeve said as he stood stretching his neck.

When Kanan walked in, Kleeve turned to him "So, Kanan Jarrus, been going by that long?" Kleeve asked.

"What's he talking about?" Ezra asked, "Not important, why did you bring us here."
Kleeve turned, "Bug, show them."

Bug stood up grabbing a torch "Yas, General." he said in his thick hutteese accent. Kleeve sat down at the fire "You're not coming?" Rex asked skeptically.

"They'll be time to talk, despite us both being on different sides of the war Captain Rex, even if we honor the fallen."
Bug led the rebels up into the haul of the broken ship into a large chamber that used to be the hanger, it was elevated from the ancient ship and a series of rocks had broken through it, one with a semi flat surface to it laying on was a body covered in a white tarp. The rebels got closer and Bug held the torchlight over the corpse, to reveal the body was in fact, Ahkilleons. "Nooo." Ezra gasped, falling to his knees in front of the slab, Zeb reached to catch him as Hera shut her eyes, Rex looked away and Kanan stood there. Ahkilleon was looking eyes open up at the ceiling, the color drained from his once tan full face, his mouth slightly open, the nexu claw necklace around his neck. Stone. Cold. Dead.

Sabine reached to touch his face, her hand trembling, she moved to close his eyes but Bug took her wrist gently but firmly, "No sistah." he said "Malisha never close eyes, we do dat, so to look death in the eye. No fear, no ragrats." he said in a hushed tone as he looked over Ahkilleon's body.

Footsteps echoed in the back, Kleeve and Kalani had come in. "Thank you, General." Hera said.

"Don't thank us yet." Kleeve said as Kalani was carrying something, Kalani tossed out the remains of what looked like a purple, bandaged droid but when the rebels saw the cracked pieces of gold around the mangled cybernetic face.

"What is that?" Ezra asked.

Kleeve walked over to the husk of metal, dried flesh and wires "That was Caliban, we had hoped he'd survived due to his advanced cybernetic. But Tano gave him one hell of a thrashing." Kleeve said as he turned to them "I need what's inside his head, and Sabine Wren here is the only one to ever repair a damaged cybernetic brain like Trench's."
"Repair, he's dead?" Zeb stated if that wasn't obvious.

"Yes, but his cybernetic brain is still intact, like a droid we need access to his memory banks." Kleeve said as he spoke only to Sabine, she still had her back turned looking over Ahkilleon's body.

There was a heavy pause, "For what purpose?" Kanan asked.

"For the return of your friend's body." Kleeve said and suddenly Sabine drew her pistol at even the slightest mention of weather or not they couldn't take Ahkilleon's body, Kleeve didn't flinch because as soon as Sabine had drawn it, out of the rust covered hanger jumped two dozen black painted Militia B5 droid with horns welded onto their heads with red eyes. Ezra and Kanan drew their lightsabers, Rex his pistols, Zeb his bo-rifle, Hera had her pistol out too with Chopper hiding behind her.

Kleeve, unfazed by it all, replied "There's more at stake than just your friends' remains, the Militia, the future of the Galaxy even."

"Then tell us why?" Ezra asked.

"Boy, I am in no mood to discuss semantics." Kleeve grunted.

Suddenly all the droids, and the rebels' weapons powered down the droids falling onto the floor, "Now that we've all lost our toys to kill each other, we can talk." A new voice said from the shadows, walking in holding a strange disk like device with a purple light, was Turok Skell, very pissed off.

Kleeve gapped "Skell, how-" "There's a tracker in the boy's armor, I put it there the same day he got it." Turok said as he put the device away and approached the slab with Ahkilleon on it. He was breathing hard out of his nose, the old lizard's claws balled into fists. "No more secrets Kleeve, no more lies, the truth. Who did this to my boy?"

"That's what we want to find out, Asimov says it was Caliban, I don't buy that." Kleeve said.

Ezra slapped his lightsaber, wanting it back on like it was a flashlight with loose batteries, "You think he lied, why?"

"The only witnesses are dead, with the exception of this one." Kalani had picked up a large rock and set it down next to the rebels and put Caliban's remains on it, "If the Generals plan to have the mandalorian girl hack the memory banks of the cyborg works, we will have our evidence, though I calculate a-" "Shut up, I'll do it." Sabine said turning away from Ahkilleon she headed over to the droid.

"Sabine, are you sure?" Hera asked.

Sabine said nothing, she took off her helmet and started to work, she tore off Caliban's head wrap and found a metal cranium, which she started to look around, "Knife." she said like a surgeon, before Turok handed her, it wasn't just any knife but the fractured remains of Ahkilleon's force blade, sharpened to a point. Sabine took it and wedged open Caliban's brain case. The ruptured smell of rotting brain leaked out making Zeb gag and the others wince.

Kanan looked back at Ahkilleon, and then to Ezra "Come on, there should be some driftwood we can find for a pyre."
"A pyre?" Ezra asked.

"Even if he wasn't the best jedi, Ahkilleon can still be laid to rest like one." Kanan said heading out, Ezra hesitated but reluctantly followed.

Sabine started to look through the wires and meat of Caliban's brain, her eyes watering from smell. "I need a holo device to route images from his memory bank." Bug approached her and gave him one of hers, "No." Kleeve said.

"None of ours, they could be compromised and worse Caliban will have safety protocols." he said to them.

"LIke booby traps?" Zeb asked them, "Potentially, most military memory banks wipe the system or.. well it was Caliban." Kleeve said, fading off.

Outside the ship the waves crashed into the wreckage of the ships, Ezra and Kanan gathered driftwood in silence, taking the bundles in their arms. Ezra looked at Kanan's back and then forward, then again "If you need to talk, I'm here." Kanan said.

"How can you be so calm about this, Ahkilleon is dead." Ezra said, dropping the bundle of wood in his arms.

Kanan slowly faced him, fixing his jaw "And I'll mourn him, but as Jedi life and death are not different things. His physical body is here, but his spirit, it's gone back to the force." Kanan told him.

"No, he's gone." Ezra said to Kanan, hands up in the air, "Ezra, the jedi path is about letting go of our attachments, not clinging to them so they turn into… I'm sorry, I know he was your friend."
"He was more than a friend, he was my brother. We should have been there." Ezra said grabbing the nexu fang out of his shirt and squeezing it so tight the claw cut the greene fabric of his gloves making his hand start to bleed "And then you'd be dead too, Ezra, and that isn't what Ahkilleon wouldn't want."
Back in the ancient ship, Sabine had plugged in a link from the holo device, one of Hera's to Caliban's cybernetic mind, Kleeve watched over her with Rex, Hera and Zeb watching Kleeve and Turok. The trandoshan was sitting beside Ahkilleon's body, sharpening the force blade knife Sabine had returned to him.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Zeb asked Sabine.

"No, not really, a cybernetic brain is different from a droids but similar." Sabine told him, "Not nearly as good." Kalani muttered.

Kleeve hushed him, "Why do you think it wasn't Caliban who killed Ahkilleon?" Hera asked him.

"Because like you Captain, I never trusted him." Kleeve said, glancing over at Ahkilleon, "Especially when he took Tano as his padawan, he genuinely seemed to care for his apprentice."
Sabine stopped her work "You think caring for someone is wrong?" Sabine asked.

"No, I think when you let emotions guide you in war, people die." Kleeve said as he paced over to the open hanger looking out into the distance of the beach, where the graveyard of ships had two jedi walking through it collecting driftwood. "The same emotions that led to my father's death here, at Iaco Starks request."

Zeb focused on that "He was a pirate?"

"Privateer, but yes, my father sold his services along with my uncles. Money sent back to my mother and aunts who ran the business at home, raising us too. When we heard all the pirates had died because Iaco had double crossed them, it had all been for nothing. I grew up knowing when I fought for something it would be for something I believed in." Kleeve clutched his hands into fists behind his back, "Like the Separatists?" Rex asked.

Kleeve turned around taking umbrage with his tone "You act as if you're so innocent, yes, I believed in the Separatist cause, I wanted my world and a thousand other worlds free from a government that never cared about us. I believed Dooku's speeches of freedom, and look where that got me, look at what following the Republic's 'democracy' got you?" Kleeve asked.

"Well I…" Rex trailed off "Don't know what to say, it's fine the enemy of the enemy is my friend Clone?" Kleeve asked rhetorically.

Sabine kept working when suddenly they heard a warbling sound from Caliban's corpse, the body twitched and fritzed before a hologram began to appear on the holo device, "Ezra, Kanan!" Hera shouted out of the open hangar "We got something!"

Both jedi dropped the wood and ran back to the ship, inside the hanger started to show a recording from a point of view, of someone fighting Ahkilleon, they saw the armored jed with his red and blue lightsabers hacking and slashing then turning off, than the hologram appeared again "I'll try to stabilize it." Sabine said as Ezra and Kanan ran in almost out of breath.

The hologram came back into focus with Caliban's point of view under Ahkilleon's blade Caliban was looking up at Ahkilleon holding the red lightsaber "I won't-zzzt-." Ahkilleon turned his lightsabers off, dropping them, he took his helmet off and tossed it away "This is wrong, all of you stand down." Ahkilleon almost shouted to everyone on screen.

The rebels watched Asimov enter the recording towering over Ahkilleon.

Ahkilleon turned to Asimov, "This is not the Jedi way -zzzt-, he must-zzzt-stand trial."

"You would defend him, after he tried to kill you, Sabine, and all of us?" Sigma's voice asked off recording, the image flickered but held in focus.

"No, I'd see him brought before a court, his crimes laid bare for all to judge. If we can't give justice to ourselves, then what are we fighting for?" Ahkilleon asked, arms outstretched, "I know you are not the monster he says you are Master, that everyone says you are. Petro was a Jedi and you are two, deep down I know you know this is wrong." Ahkilleon begged him. Everyone watched the recording of Asimov who stood silent.

"I was wrong." Lord Asimov said.

"What?" Sigma asked, "Just say the word, my Lord and I'll do it." Sigma said blaster pointed at Caliban who sat kneeling. Everyone saw the relief on Ahkilleon's face, "No Sigma, it was too much to ask Ahkilleon to do it, we all know if you want something done right."

They saw Asimov raise his deactivated lightsaber "You do it yourself." Ahkilleon saw a flash of yellow, and looked down to see Lord Asimov had turned his great saber on the long yellow laser sword sticking out the hilt and right into Caliban's chest.

"No" Ahkilleon dropped to his knees over Caliban, Asimov turned off his lightsaber letting Caliban fall to the floor dead, "We were supposed to take him alive." Ahkilleon protested.

"He resisted." Sigma said, "He was beaten." Ahkilleon snapped, before Caliban with his dying breath raised his severed arm up toward Asimov, his voice box crackling out one final gasp of life "tt-tr-tra-tra-tra-... traitor-r-r-" Ahkilleon looked back to Lord Asimov and a horrible feeling ran over him, the juggernaut towered over him "Master?"

"I was wrong, wrong to assume you could be the Jedi King. But if you want something done right, you need to do it yourself." Asimov stepped back as Ahkilleon was frozen on his knees

Ahkilleon looked to his lightsaber but the flew off the floor not towards him but to Asmov, and with one thrust of his hand Ahkilleon was sent off the floor with Caliban through the reinforced glass of the bridge, out into space. The image of Asimov, Sigma and other Militia shrinking into the distance as Caliban's vision floated and the rebels watched as Ahkilleon's face went white he gasped for air in the vacuum of space his tongue boiling as he body froze from the cold gasping for air and then image going dead.

"Traitor…" Turok growled, "TRAITOR!" He slammed his metal fist onto the stone slab next to Ahkilleons head.

Then silence, Kleeve let out a sigh "It's as I feared, Asimov is making his move."

"His move?" Ezra asked.

"Caliban was just the start, with Caliban gone. There's no one to check Asimov's power. He won't just be satisfied as Warlord of the Jedi, and if Ahkilleon wasn't going to be a good dog to follow orders as a padawan, he wouldn't be a Jedi King. Asimov will make a play for the leadership of the Militia, how is the question." Kleeve said starting to pace already and started to think "Not if I take his head." Turok growled.

Sabine stood up and said, "Get in line." She said, grabbing her helmet, "I'll fly." Ezra said "Ezra no, revenge is not the Jedi way."

"Maybe being a jedi is wrong!" Ezra snapped his emotions at a boiling point, Kleeve held up his pistol and opened fire into the air.

With all eyes on him, Kleeve holstered his gun "Good I have your attention. For starters I don't like any of you. Didn't care much for the Tano boy either. But right now the last thing we need is to go running into the lion's den. Asimov is not only a powerful force wielder, he's in command of the strongest fleet. The Vanguard are the best fighters in the Militia, he also has his personal army of War Jedi, lastly despite all that armor and gravitas he's a capable commander so he'd have thought of someone finding out."

Kleeve looked at Caliban's remains, "He'll try to refute, and if he was able to make a fake recording of Caliban as a traitor, he likely has the technology to refute our proof."

"What are you suggesting, General?" Kalani asked.

"We make recordings, we send one to each of the other Warlords, Gererra, Trench, the Jedi Council even and hand deliver one to General Freeman himself. Then we can confront Asimov from a position of strength." Kleeve explained showing his own strategist mindset.

Turok spat "And plunged the Militia into Civil War with it."

The devaronian gave a reluctant nod, "Asimov and Sigma won't go quietly, but if the rest of the Vanguard learns their Champion is dead, they could turn?"

"That's one big if." Zeb muttered, "Sabine, make the recordings." Hera ordered.

"You're onboard with this?" Sabine asked Hera "No, maybe, look if we know this than that makes us a threat to Asimov. If he even suspects something chances are he'll raise Atollon to the ground."

Kalani nodded "The statistics of that happening are high."
Sabine took one look at Ahkilleon's body and than headed back to the rock Caliban was on, she started to replay the gruesome recording on the datapad, and started to record it but as soon as she did, Caliban's corpses eyes glowed red, and they heard a pop followed by a hiss. "What the-" "GET BACK!" Turok tackled Sabine away from Caliban's body as the hiss filled around Caliban's body and a spark from one of the wires made Caliban's dried out robes and flesh burst into flames.

"No!" Kleever ran for Caliban's body throwing off his blue Militia coat he tried to douse the flames that started to burn so bright it was blinding, Kleeve's own coat caught fire and Kalani had to pull him away "Thermite General, it is useless."

Kleeve was let go and fell to his news over the charred remains of Caliban, he scooped up a handful of ashes "Damn it all, that was our only proof."

Everyone was silent, as their plans had died just as soon as it had been born. Turok looked back at Ahkilleon and shut his eyes "Not… our only proof."

"What?" Kleeve asked.

"Do you have a plan?" Ezra asked, "Well, it's not a good one. In fact, it's bat shit crazy but you'll like it. Follow me."

The rebels and militia followed Turok out to a janky old ship parked behind the dreadnought, "How didn't we pick this up on our scans?" Rex asked.

"I've got my secrets Rex you got yours." Turok said as he opened up the ship and the ramp lowered with two bodies rolling down hogtied hands behind their back, to reveal the Vos-Ventress twins.

Kleeve gawked "You're mad or desperate."

"We both are, because this is the only way we get not only our proof, but we get Ahkilleon back too." Turok explained.

The rebels looked at Turok like he really was insane, "But Corto is just a healer, he can't raise the dead?" Ezra said as Turok untied the gag around Corto's mask "That's what I've been trying to say, look I want Ahkilleon back too but that's not how force healing works." Corto coughed out.

Yumi tried to bite off Turok's fingers when he untied her and then cut her bindings after her brother "When our mom finds out about this she'll" "Why do you think I kidnapped you two in the first place, you freaking hooligans." Turok growled as they heard a soundwave break from the upper atmosphere.

"What was that?" Zeb asked.

Kleeve slapped his face "We're all doomed."

"Thaaaaat's mom." Corto said as his sister helped him up, the rebels and Militia looked to the sky to see soaring down from the clouds at top speed, was a purple and white Lancer-Class assault ship with heavy weaponry and a bird decal on the front, "That's the Banshee- Oh shit that's the Banshee." Corto snapped as the ship opened fire on them. Everyone scattered and Turok's ship was blown to smithereens before the Banshee whirled around and someone leapt out.

Suddenly landing in the sand yellow lightsaber drawn, Asajj Ventress, former Sith Assassin and apprentice of Count Dooku appeared, her white hair and braids blowing in the sea air, her white eyes burning with rage. "TUROK!" She screamed as she saw the trandoshan getting up, while the Banshee flew overhead.

"Mom, mom we're okay." Corto said as he got between her and Turok, even though the trandoshan had kidnapped him. Asajj used the force to move her son out of the way, Turok got up "Didn't have time to explain Asajj, need you-" "Shut up." Asajj held her hand out and force lighting exploded out of her hand and blasted Turok in the chest sending the trandoshan flying.

Turok hit the sand with a heavy crash before he got up coughing, "You touched my kids, now you die." Asajj growled as she raised her lightsaber, Turok held up his mechanical clawed fist and the lighting that had been absorbed by his body suddenly released out of his metal fist and back into Asajj as a electronic pulse, deactivating her lightsaber and knocking her off her feet.

Asajj backflipped onto her feet landing "I don't need a lightsaber to kill you."
"Too bad I need you alive." Turok said drawing his rifle and taking aim."

"WHOA WHOA TIME OUT!" A loud voice shouted, when a man with long greying dreadlocks appeared wearing a baggy Jedi robe, he had a trimmed goatee also greying once black with a white stripe across his nose like Yumi and Corto, "Who's this guy?" Zeb asked.

Kanan gapped "Ezra, does he have locks, and a yellow tattoo over his nose?"
"Um yeah, and a lightsaber?" Ezra explained

"I don't believe it, it really is Master Vos." Kanan said as got up, the rebels watched as the legendary or infamous Quinlan Vos held his hands up between his wife and Turok, "How about we all just calm down." Quinlan said as he looked between Turok and Asajj, he noticed General Kleeve and Kalani, "Kleeve, what the hell man?"
Kleeve dusted off some sand of his uniform, "Don't look at me Quinlan, this is all Turoks mad idea."
"You two know each other?" Rex asked Kleeve and Quinlan, "We play cards, that's besides the point, Turok, talk, now." Quinaln said.

Asajj picked up her lightsaber and tried to get it working again "Dear, let me turn this overgrown lizard into boots."
"Asajj my love, as much as I'd like to see that happen-" Quinlan spun his head to Turok, "and Turok I cannot stress how much I am considering letting my wife do that, I'd like an explanation."

Turok put his gun away "In short." Turok spat into the sand, some blood in his spit "Asimov killed the lad, my lad, and he framed Caliban. He'll be after Freeman's spot next, and he'll take his whole New Jedi with him."

"What, that's insane, Asimov wouldn't do that." Yumi snapped, "It's true, we saw the recording." Ezra interrupted.

"Are you a Jedi Knight boy?" Asajj asked him, "I am- well no not yet but-" "But nothing, the adults are talking." Asajj said as she walked menacingly. She faced off against Turok with Quinlan, "Give me one reason I shouldn't kill you where you stand Turok?" Asajj asked him.

Turok bore his fangs "Because like it or not, we're back to square one when we started this Militia, we need each other."
"Why would we need you, my family is safe and I have my ship?" Asajj grunted as Turok looked at Yumi and Corto, "For now, but what happens when Asimov takes over, you think he won't eventually call himself Darth, how long till he launches his own purge?" Turok asked.

"Asimov wouldn't do that, he needs the Jedi." Kleeve said seeing a fault in the plan, Turok gritted his fangs "Didn't want to do this…" Turok reached into his coat "No, slowly." Asajj ordered.

Slowly Turok pulled out a small blue needle attached to a vial, innocent looking enough "What is that?" Quinlan asked.

"Blue Shadow Virus, last batch, liquid form." Turok said as he tossed it to Asajj who caught it, she looked to her kids and saw a pair of pin prick sized red marks on their arms, "No." Asajj rushed to her kids' sides to "Mom, what is it?" Yumi asked.

Asajj turned her hand into a claw and grabbed Turok by the throat with the force "You sick bastard, you poisoned my children?"

Gagging feet dangling "Antidote- ack I know- where- ack." Turok gasped out.

"Tell me, now." Asajj shouted, "Not- until- you- help."
Quinlan looked to his kids and then to Asajj and Turok, "Tell me!" Asajj shouted again, Turok didn't say a world he just dangled their until Asajj dropped him, "Help you do what?" Quinlan asked.

Turok rubbed his throat, "I've given my life to the two things in this galaxy…" He wheezed "That boy, and the Militia, I need your help to save both by saving the first."
"The boy is already dead, let him go." Asaj demanded "Never…. Not when I know you can bring him back."
"Bring him back?" Rex asked, Turok got up and nodded "I read the reports of the Batt- the Massacre of Dathomir, the Witches used something called the Chant of Resurrection. I know your culture is important to you Asajj and I know you know it."

Asajj's face was stone, "That's for spirits to reanimate dead bodies, and dark side magic, it won't work."
"Maybe not on sith, but Ahkilleon hasn't been dead for long, and a force wielder. I'll take that risk." Turok told her, "It's not you taking the risk, to do that we risk opening up the paths between life and death, it only worked on Dathomir because the souls of the dead night sisters were there. Here… who knows what we'd bring back."
Sabine heard that and ran forward "So it can work?"
"No." Asajj pulled away and went to her children, "Quinlin, if we go now we can get them back to Master Saa she can-" "I'll do it." Corto said as he broke away from his mom before they could board the Banshee, that Quinlan had landed not far from them

Corto walked toward Turok, "Or I'll try." "Corto Tholme Vos Ventress you get on this ship right now or Stars help me-" "I'M NOT GOING TO ABANDON MY FRIEND MOM!" Corto shouted looking back at his mom,

Yumi let out a loud groan "I'll help too, stupid idiot." she said as she passed under her moms arm, "You don't even know how." Asajj snapped.

"You taught us our culture, the chants, even that one." Corto replied.

"As a funeral right, not necromancy." Asajj snapped before Quinlan put his hand in his wifes, "Asajj, we have to try, not for the Tano boys sake but for our kids."

Asajj looked at her husband and then Turok, "When this fails, I expect my kid's antidote."

"I promise it." Turok replied.

Later, the rebels, Militia and New Jedi had gathered in the hanger of dead ship around Ahkilleon's body, they'd moved it to the center of the room where, where Yumi, Corto and Asajj had drawn a circle with night sister ruins around it, Ahkilleon's body was laid out on the floor, a piece of cloth over lower body. "Didn't we say night sister magic was a bad idea?" Ezra asked Kanan.

"Agreed, we shouldn't do this." Kanan said to Turok who turned to him, "It's either that or let the twins die."
"You'd kill them, two innocents just to maybe save Ahkilleon?" Kanan asked him.

Turok turned "I almost killed all of you for him, how have none of you learned there's no length I wouldn't go for that lad."
"And none I'd go either for my kids Turok." Asajj said "Now be silent, we have to start."
Asajj, Yumi and Corto sat down in the circle and started to chant in an ancient tongue that they hadn't heard since on Dathomir, when Kanan and Sabine were possessed by the spirits of the night sisters, "And you're okay with this, as a Jedi Master?" Hera asked Quinaln.

"I married this." Quinaln said as he held up a wedding band around his ring finger, "Dad." Yumi said as they began to chant louder, the shadows of the torches in Bug and Kleeve's hands went out and green fire lit up the circle around Ahkilleon's body, the runes starting to glow orange and the chanting grew louder.

Louder,

Louder.

The green smoke filled the ring around Ahkilleon's dead body, the chants growing louder still the wind of the ocean spilling into the hanger blowing at their clothes and faces.

"Rise." Asajj said.

"Rise." Yumi echoed.

"Rise." Corto replied.

Ahkilleon's body lifted off the floor the fabric bundling around him before it flew off and suddenly the green witch fire began to flicker, it changed to brilliant white filling the chamber with ethereal light. The ruins flying around Ahkilleons body turning into the white smoke, passing in and out of his body as if trying to pull his spirit back from a place beyond mortal comprehension and…

Nothing.

The white light evaporated, Ahkilleon's body floated back down and three users fell forward panting, beads of sweat rolling down their brow. Quinlan rushed to catch Yumi before she could topple over. Asajj coughed forcing herself to her feat before Corto puked onto the floor "I told you… it wouldn't work." She hissed.

Turok shut his eyes in defeat "Now the cure."

He removed the vial of Blue Shadow virus from his jacket, he broke the needle off it and downed the liquid vile in one gulp "It was water and blue food dye, there is no Blue Shadow Virus anymore."

"What!" Yumi shouted at him, "You lied?" Kleeve asked him.

Turok walked weakly toward the center of the ruin ring and knelt before Ahkilleons body, he pulled off his duster to cover the young mans scared body, "I told you, no lengths… but I didn't go far enough." Turok whispered. Kleeve started to walk out with Kalani and Bug following him.

"Leo…. Ahsoka…. I'm sorry… I failed you, you trusted me…" tears rolled down Turok's face, out of his one good eye. The rebels soberly knew there was no hope to bring him back, fists clenched tight. Ezra held onto the other Nexu fang, and held his own in the other hand before he looked to Kanan a sad expression of acceptance on his face, there was no death, only the force.

Hera turned and in a soft tone said "I'll get the Ghost ready to fly."

"I'll help." Zeb said about to follow with Chopper and Rex.

"You trusted me…" Turok wept as he drew his pistol, "And I failed." he growled, Sabine took one more look at Ahkilleon's body, her helmet still on and a single drop of water fell out from under the helmet, Turok pressed the barrel of his revolver to the side of his head just as the tear drop splashed on the floor and Ahkilleon shot up with a gasp "HOLY SHIT IT WORKED!" screamed Corto.