Chapter 54

Two of a Kind

DANTOOINE

THE FIELDS OF BANIR

Dantooine, was a planet in the Dantooine system, in the Raioballo sector of the Outer Rim Territories' northern New Territories region. Dantooine was affiliated with both the Galactic Republic and, later, the Galactic Empire. A terrestrial planet within the Raioballo sector of the Outer Rim Territories, near the Sinsang and Angor systems, Dantooine was the fourth planet in-orbit around its star, Dina. Dantooine, itself, was orbited by two moons, the larger of which shone a light purple luminescence, while the lesser of the two gave a greenish radiance. Two hyperspace lanes ran near-to Dantooine: the long, winding Veragi Trade Route, and the smaller Myto's Arrow, a rather backwater route from Dantooine to Jaemus—though which provided travelers with a faster trip. Nevertheless, despite having a close proximity to both lanes, Dantooine was considered somewhat inaccessible. Most of the planetary surface topography and geography of Dantooine consisted of grassy plains and low, rolling hillocks and mounds dotted with blba trees, as well as forested hills containing creeks, rivers, and large freshwater lakes. Much of Dantooine's weather away from the colder poles was rather uneventful, remaining steadily temperate, mild and semi-dry throughout much of its 378–local day year. In springtime, the rainy season in spring, which brought torrential downpours that turned the fertile soil into mud and tinged the brown grass with a shade of lavender. Dantooine also had damp, dense forests with thorny undergrowth and an endless canopy, where sap farms were grown. Dantooine was rich in wildlife. The foliage from the plains blba trees sustained large herbivores, such as the piket. Native predators included the stalker lizard, the graul, and the kath hound, though the latter had become rare in the wild after many were captured as guard animals and pets. Fabool, a balloon-like creature, were sometimes punctured by blba tree thorns and eaten by carnivorous snails.

The Rebel fleet stood in orbit, the flotilla of many different ships had split it's larger capital ships on guard over Dantooine and it's cargo haulers, freighters that landed and were already starting to establish base, a dozen Corvettes and four hammerhead ships had landed to offload cargo, supplies and building materials, a less than a dozen structures had been set up with the base surrounded by the larger ships in a ring of steel. The Ghost with other smaller freighters and fighters were deeper in around the makeshift base, the long grasses of the planes of Dantooine crushed under weight. From the tree line overlooking the budding Rebel base a trio of eyes watched, "This is bad, boss, that's not just some random ship that's a whole army." A voice cracked.

The Phantom II descended from the sky to seek out it's birth and landed alongside it, Hera smiled seeing that Kanan's mission had been a success as he and Rex departed from the vessel. "That was quite a speech." Kanan said, approaching Hera from the shuttle.

"It was, wasn't it." Hera said smiling, "Kanan I wish you could see it." Hera said as she looked out across the sea of rebel cells all finally meeting for the first time, hands being shook. Hugs from comrades reunited at long last, and even barrels of drink being opened, to toast the occasion among the toasters Zeb had a large mug of ale in his hand with a large group of wookiee freedom fighters.

Kanan smiled at her, "I can feel it all the same."

"Kanan!"

Ezra came running out of the crowd of rebels "It's amazing…" He panted, "There are rebels from all over the galaxy here, Nar Shaddaa, Garel, ithoria, worlds I've never even heard of." Ezra gasped as he caught his breath.

"And more are coming every hour, this base probably won't even be able to hold all of them." Hera said as she folded her arms over her chest. She looked out at a single hill where a large tent had been erected, there Mon Mothma stood at a holotable shaking hands with the various rebel leaders of which were many, some were young, others old and bearded with wrinkles.

Rex smiled, "Seeing a lot of Old Republic gear, glad to see the Empire couldn't scrap all of it." he said seeing a few Rebel soldiers with old Republic GAR rifles, some even had scraps of clone armor.

"Where's junior?" Rex asked.

"Inside, helping with repairs." Hera said.

"Everything go alright?" Kanan asked, Hera frowned "Mostly, he's still worried about the Militia." Hera said.

Inside the Ghost, Ahkilleon was working on the ships engines with Chopper, "I know what I'm doing." Ahkilleon said as Chopper beeped and squealed at him with annoyance, "You do know Chopper doesn't like it when anyone but him or Hera work on the ship right?" Sabine asked from her hologram on the floor. Ahkilleon slid out from the hole in the wall he was under.

"And I don't care, Sabine, now if Beetoo was here we'd have this mess he calls an upgraded engine." Ahkilleon said.

Sabine was sitting backwards in a chair leaning on it as Chopper beeped a threat, "You do and I'll rewire you into a drink serving unit." Ahkilleon pointed his wrench at Chopper making Sabine snicker.

"I saw the speech, it was pretty amazing." Sabine said, "Ahkilleon darkened and turned to seal the hole "If you say so."

Cocking her brow, "Doesn't the Militia have its own senate, or parliament?" she asked.

"The Union, but it's more a assembly of officers. Consul Kushi has no real power, other than to interpret the General and Warlords commands into action." Ahkilleon said as he sealed it.

He tried to change the subject "How are things in Mandalore?"

"Busy, trying to recruit other clans, gathering resources, like the old days. You know the Rebellion could really use someone with your insight now Ahkilleon, you've got real combat experience in large scale campaigns. From what hera told me about other cells, they're mostly guerilla fighters, saboteurs and spies. Few soldiers?" She asked him to set his splicer down, turning to lean on the wall speaking to her.

He rubbed his hands together, "I swore an oath Sabine, to the Militia."
"But you were born into the rebellion that has to mean something?" Sabine asked.

"Yeah, I never had a choice like you and the other Specters. It was always expected. And look what happened when I questioned it?" Ahkilleon asked her.

Sabine straightened her hair, "That's fair, but is the Militia any better now that you know they hid the rebel delegations, what Asimov did to you, what he's going to do?"
"You're right Sabine, the Militia isn't perfect. It never has been but neither is the rebellion. How many of these so-called rebels aren't terrorists?" he asked.

"How many of your Warlords aren't War Criminals?" she posed to him, "I learned a lot at the Imperial Academy about the Separatist movement, how it claimed to be about freedom and independence but it was backed by the Banking Clan, Techno Union, Trade Federation. Corporations that were out of control and propped up their own government. They did a lot of bad things in Ahkilleon."
He nodded and sighed, "I hate that you know history just as much as I do." he smiled "But your right, Durd, Tuuk, even Trench made mistakes but now though Sabine…. Now I just don't know anymore."
"I do, you belong with the Rebellion Ahkilleon, with us, with me" She said as she reached out but forgot she was just a hologram no bigger than his boot sitting their, he heard footsteps from her side of the hologram "I have to go, think on what said, okay?"

Ahkilleon gave her a truthful nod, "I Will."

They cut the transmission and Ahkilleon packed up the tools, he left Chopper to complete the rest of the repairs, he looked out at the docking ramp to see the rebel base being built. The sounds of people talking, of toasting and cheers. But he turned away he looked at the nearby railing and started to do pull ups stretching his back and arms to get the thoughts out of his head.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Eight.

Nine.

Ten.

Eleven.

Twelve.

He did it again and again until he felt someones eyes on him, he dropped when he saw Hera, "Ship should be good to fly now, Chopper insisted on doing the rest himself." he went back up ignoring her.
"Doesn't matter how much you exercise, a pilot flying a hundred meters away can take you out with one shot." Hera said from the ship entrance

Ahkilleon, kept going "And when that pilot gets shot down…." he huffed "What will they do when fight at close quarters." Hera was leaning against the wall, "We need to talk." he dropped down with a thud.

"Why does everyone keep wanting to talk, you have you Rebel… Alliance, go talk to them?" Ahkilleon saida s he was about to go back up for more.

"Mon Mothma told me you were short with her, and Ezra told me what you two talked about, how you blame her and the Republic for the loss of your parents." Ahkilleon slowly lowered himself as she walked around so they would speak face to face, "What about it?"
Hera gave him a hard look hands on her hips, he turned to leave and climbed up the ramp she followed him to the second level "Senator Mon Mothma has dedicated her life to stopping Empire, same as you-" "No, not the same." Ahkilleon snapped turning back "While you and I were on the run for our lives, our very existence was a threat. She was on Coruscant, in some penthouse eating three gourmet meals a day, wearing those fine silks on her way to the Senate…. Leave it alone."

Hera followed him, "I can't, like it or not you and I have that in common."
"Have what in common?" Ahkilleon asked as he went into the kitchen and started to pull out something to eat, trying to avoid her.

"I lost my parents to the Empire too, my mother, my sister you saw how it consumed my father." Hera explained walking around the counter, Ahkilleon grimaced "It's not the same." He turned around and she followed "It's exactly the same."
Ahkilleon slammed his metal left mechano arm down into the metal counter, "Nothing is the same!" Ahkilleon yelled.

She saw the flash of yellow in his eyes, he exhaled and they were green again "The Empire killed my father, Vader killed my mother. But it was the War the Republic fought that took them both." Ahkilleon said.

"The war… the Clone Wars, Ahkilleon, I lost my sister when the Separatists invaded." Hera told him, he nodded "I know, and you have my sympathy. You have my respect, but Mothma and her kind don't."
Hera frowned "Like it or not, I am their kind. I believe in this rebellion, I believe that Mothma cares about the rights of the people."

He nodded, head hung "Oh yeah, she really cared. All while the Republic bled dry for the Clone Wars, sent Jedi after Jedi to die with the clones. And the people…" he glared up at her "The People watched, where were all these people when the Separatists declared their independence, where were they when Rex's brainwashed brothers marched into the Jedi Temple. Where was Mon Mothma when the Empire annexed your world, Ezras, Zebs, Sabines…" he shut up "The Empire must be destroyed, annihilated, ripped apart root and stem. But what after Hera, what comes after the Empire is gone?
"First we have to win?" Hera told him to reach for his hand to try and comfort him, it was clear that this had been weighing on Ahkilleon's mind since the speech. But he pulled away, "We will win, the Empire has over extended itself, they can afford to fight a war on two fronts their entire economy rests on the ability to hold and exploit worlds. As your rebellion rises it's more important than ever the Militia doesn't fall, or be led by Asimov." Ahkilleon said pacing away before he froze, he looked back "You didn't come here to talk to me…. Where is she?"
Ahkilleon followed Hera out of the cockpit, he had thrown on a poncho and a hood over his face with this many people on Dantooine and this many ships it was important that Ahkilleon Tano stay dead, concerning the larger galaxy.

He followed her through the maze of ships and tents not to Mon Mothma's tent, but to a corellian vessel with a round build and cup shaped cockpit in the center, it was guarded by two heavily armed and armored Rebel troopers wearing all black with red slit visors, with brown body gloves under their black armor. "Who-" "Special Forces Marines, not even I knew they existed until today." Hera said as they walked up the ship ramp, the Corellian freighter didn't appear like mutch from the outside but inside it was overhauled with advanced technology all over the ship, from listening devices, to radars, weapon benches, everything a rebel force would want.

"Senator, I brought him." Ahkilleon followed Hera into a large open room with a handful of people, one of them being Mon Mothma, a tall slender white haired man in brown traveling clothes with a shoulder pauldron and blaster at his hip, the corellian bravery stripes on his pants made Ahkilleon know who the ship belonged to. Beside him stood a man with white hair, a beard and long beige coat with an officer matching him with a beige uniform and white undershirt. Captain Vander stood with Mothma, and a hologram of a familiar face, Senator Bail Organa who stood beside another hologram of a Calamari in white with a red carapace shell "Everyone this is Commander Ahkilleon Tano of the Militia, I presume you've heard of him." Senator Mon Mothma said.

Ahkilleon felt each one of their gazes on him, "In lew of our Rebellions other leaders being unable to join us, allow me to introduce those you don't know Commander." Mothma said as she gestured to the Calamari, "Admiral Gial Ackbar." She said introducing the calamari, "General Dodonna and General Draven, Senator in exile Garm Bel Ilbis and you already know Senator Organa."

"It gladdens me to know you are alive Ahkilleon your mo-" "What do you want?" Ahkilleon asked.

"I'd watch that math if I were you." Captain Vander said still in his flight suit, "What was your name again Duncan." Captain Vander was about to snap "I don't care, talk." Ahkilleon said arms over his chest.

The man with the white beard stepped forward "The situation in the Outer Rim is escalating by the day, reports of Militia droid fleets attacking Imperial ships non military are growing in number, when Senator Mon Mothma told us about a Militia officer, albeit one KIA we had to ask."
"Then you're mistaken, Militia only attack Military targets, worlds and locations with strategic value." Ahkilleon said to General Dodonna.

Organa cleared his throat, "I'm afraid it's no mistake, Commander Tano."

A hologram appeared from the ceiling showing Militia frigates attacking a civilian transport, and another and another, "Still think your Militia is on the side of the angel's boy?" Vander asked, Ahkilleon shot him with a side eye then focused on Mon Mothma, "What do you want?"

Mon Mothma turned to Hera to speak, "Please don't be upset, but I've told Senator Mon Mothma that the Militia is facing a coup, the danger Asimov poses is too big to ignore."
"And despite our respect for the Jedi, new or old, such a force against the Galaxy would accumulate into a war unlike the galaxy has seen since the Great Galactic War."

"Only this time it's the Jedi on the attack and the Empire comes from the core?" Ahkilleon asked, smirking at the irony.

Garm snickered, his smile hidden under a thick bushy mustache, "Captain Syndulla has told us that you plan to counter this coup, and against my colleagues advice I wish to be of assistance." Mon Mothma said, holding a hand up, "Assistance?" Ahkilleon asked.

She nodded, "Despite the disappearance of our delegations the Militia is the largest military force to oppose the Empire in its history, your forces have driven Imperial fleets out of sectors, occupied entire worlds-" "Liberated." Ahkilleon corrected.

"Of course, Commander Syndulla has told me you aren't one to mince words. So I- we will be blunt." Mon Mothma said simply "We wish to invite the Militia to join this Rebellion, to restore the Republic, one that cares not just for the Core Worlds but for the Outer Rim you and your comrades have so vigorously fought for." Mon Mothma said.

There was a long silence

Ahkilleon glanced at Hera, "You asked what comes next, this."
"I don't have the authority to accept." Ahkilleon replied "We know that, we wish for you to carry this offer of alliance to General Freeman, to the Gene- Warlords, who command the fleets. We'd even be willing to discuss amnesty and pardons-" "Pardons?" Ahkilleon asked.

"For Kleeve, and Trench, your Warlord War Criminals." Garm said with a sneer.

Ahkilleon glanced at him, the man had his hand on his blaster just in case, typical Corellian. "Funny, because it's those exact Warlords you need on your side. General Asimov hates the core, hates what your… The Republic cost him and the Jedi."

"And you." Admiral Ackbard said "Were his Padawan, where does that leave you?" the veteran asked.

Ahkilleon glanced at the fish, "Have your terms drawn up, give them to Commander Syndulla and I'll make sure they get to the right Warlords, but don't hold your breath. On one condition."

"Thought you said you didn't have any authority?" Vander asked, "This isn't for the Militia, this is for me."
"Speak then." Mon Mothma said. "I need a ship, something to carry me to the far side of the planet."

Ahkilleon held the datapad the Rebel High Command had given him, and was walking with Hera out of the ship following Captain Vander, "Why do you need a ship?" she asked.

"Don't worry, I won't leave the planet. Or the system." Ahkilleon said as he scrolled through the datapad outlining the Rebel offer of alliance,

"We could just take the Ghost?" Hera asked him, "I'm not asking you to come, Green Falcon."
"Green Falcon?" Vander asked stopping, Hera scoffed "He has nicknames for people." "The ships of Idaho?" Ahkilleon asked Captain Vander, "My name is Vander, Captain Vander." he grumbled following him to the ships, they passed by the Y-Wings of Gold Squadron, multi colored A wings, they passed them all to a scrap yard of sorts where the rebel fleet had off loaded a bakers dozens worth of old starfighters that mechanics and droids were scrapping for parts.

Vander whistled at a ugnot "No not that one, here." Vander gestured to a long narrow nosed fighter with long thick wings, that had two engines on each side with two cockpits one that belonged to the original ship and the other in the back with a rear gunner turret "A Z-95." Ahkilleon said seeing the model, the ship had faded red paint and a shark mouth drawn on the front of it with mean eyes, Vander smirked as the ship was missing a few pieces of the hull and stars knew what else.

"At least it's not a Y-Wing." Ahkilleon said passing by Vander who glowered at the comment, Hera followed him onto the ship and they bumped shoulders both going for the cockpit, "What are you doing, Hera?" He glanced at her confused.

"I told you, I'm coming with you and I'm flying so you don't try to go off somewhere crazy." Hera said firmly, the two locked eyes in a battle of wills, finally Ahkilleon relented "Fine, I'll give you the coordinates, should still be there."
Hera wanted to ask what was 'still there' but she got in the cockpit, the Z-95' engines roared to life and it started to take off, Hera saw Ahkilleon type in the coordinates, "Hmm, that's closer than we think, we could have taken a speeder, why a ship?"
"To piss off Vander, guys a prick." Ahkilleon said as he read through the Rebels offer to the Militia.

"He's also a decorated pilot, I think that warrants some respect." Hera told him, Ahkilleon didn't reply taking the reprimand on the chin, Hera flew over the tall jungle trees of Banir, over fields of purple flowers and tall grasses mixed together in a hue of earthy tones, the ground began to shift to rocky hills with fat blba trees that roots stretched and tangled through the rocks. Hera just shook her head and flew on. They passed over some fields and saw an old farmhouse, from the air it didn't look like much. "Hope the farmers don't mind us here, the last thing we want is to bring them trouble, our patrols haven't found any for hundreds of miles, just empty barns and houses."
Ahkilleon glanced at it, "How about not declaring a whole rebellion over their heads." he said as neither of them noticed the house was abandoned.

RAXUS

Temple Asimov

Lord Asimov stood in the former Bonteri Estate garden, he wore his armor and had Commander Sigma and Admiral Zygote behind him, his Lordship looking at a new statue recently erected "So finally the rebels made their move, that should give us some breathing room." Lord Asimov said, "We should act now, why the other Warlords are away, we can secure Raxus in two days." Admiral Zygote said.

"And then what, we leave both Kleeve and Gererra enough to unite?" Sigma asked the Admiral, "Our fleet can hold it's own against both of theirs combined, Trench has secured the former Hutt territories, and with more War Jedi coming to Raxus every day, you think I haven't accounted for that." Lord Asimov was silent as the two men spoke.

Sigma glared at him, "Tough talk for a man who stays safe in his ship while the infantry does all the fighting."

"Enough, we have to stay the course. The next Union meeting grows closer, no doubt the main focus will be to seek out the Rebellion. They are prime allies or so the General told me." Lord Aismov said, "We dealt with their last two delegations easily enough, we shoulds deal with them." Sigma said.

"No, not yet. We must secure our center first." Lord Asimov said his back to them still,

Zygote clamped his metal claw, the quarren cyborg grumbling "Maybe I'm just getting old my Lord, but wouldn't it be more prudent to condemn this Rebelion, it's just one Republic Senator wanting to feel important again, if the Militia is to grow we can't let go of why we founded it in the first place."
"On the contrary?" Sigma asked "Better to embrace this rebellion. What better way to honor the late memory of Commander Tano, he vouched for them. It would help sell it better to the other Warlords?"

Lord Asimov heard both of them, "... Indeed, though it would have been better for Ahkilleon to embrace what needed to be done. It will suffice for our efforts, go tell the Vanguard we will stand with the Rebellion if they call, let that rumor spread till the meeting." Lord Asimov said as he turned from the statue, walking into the garden were a set of familiar faces, the former members of the padawan pack, Ganodi and Zatt, Byph.

DANTOOINE

Not far from the Rebel Base

"So what are we looking for?" Hera asked, Ahkilleon was peeking out the window at the hillocks of blba trees and rocks, till he spotted one hill that was more oddly shaped than the others, overgrown in roots and tree branches, grass covering a series of strange rock formations that were rounded with jagged tips of, rust? "There." Ahkilleon said as Hera saw the strange rock formation, but it wasn't just rocks it was some structure to it, drum shaped with four large thick pylon's over it, cracked and decaying. All of it overgrown with nature. Hera circled around it to see an opening in one of them "Is that… a jedi temple?" Hera asked.

Ahkilleon looked back "Enclave actually."

The Z-95 descended from the sky into the ancient landing pad, critters and birds scattered as the ships landed, Hera took off her helmet and gawked as she opened the cockpit, "Kanan and Ezra aren't going to believe this."
"Kanan probably already knows, this place was abandoned by the Jedi seven hundred years ago, nothing here to scavenge." Ahkilleon said as he got out,

Hera scrunched up her face hearing that, "Oh sorry, forgot we couldn't survive with the great benefits of being part of the Militia."

Sliding off the ship and looking around, Ahkilleon replied "That's not what I meant, my dad used this place to hide when he left the Order with some other Jedi. Always wanted to see it but my mom said it was too dangerous, that the Empire watched all the known jedi ruins."

Hera watched as Ahkilleon walked around looking at all the old ships, "Lot of my bedtime stories came out of this place, Zayne Carrick the Renegade Padawan, the Adventures of Meetra Surik, and…" Ahkilleon stopped when he saw a carving in the wall; the stone had been melted in the shape of something Hera had to look close at. It was a diamond shaped symbol with five points at the top the two on the side growing shorter bowing inward to the center that was shaped like a long slender hourglass, all connected and extended down into a slender cross with the middle section curved upward like a visor, on each side were two thick markings that went inward and then down like a helmet. "Revan, the Prodigal Knight." Ahkilleon walked to the strange marking and Hera came up behind him, "Those look like, lightsaber markings?
Ahkilleon dragged his fingers across the markings, "Ancient by the looks of it, I wonder if this was here when my dad was here, if he stood here?" Ahkilleon said.

"Of all the Jedi of the Old Republic, Revan was my favorite. It wasn't because it rebelled against the Council, or that he won the Mandalorian Wars, it was because no other Jedi did what he did in the history of the Galaxy, he fell to the Dark Side and came back." Ahkilleon said, taking his hand away "Sorry, I was just rambling."
Hera shook her head, "No it's fine, in fact I can't remember the last time you and I spoke like this and it wasn't an argument."
Ahkilleon took that to heart, backing away from the carving in the wall to meet her eyes "Kanan told me Jedi didn't choose places like this for no reason, do you think you can find a Jedi crystal like Ezra did?"
"The records my mother was able to give me, told of caves that had crystals. But they were strip mined hundreds of years ago." Ahkilleon said looking around the ruins, he picked up an old T-7 model droid head before he set it down. "Still you never know, you said it yourself you needed a lightsaber?"

Ahkilleon headed down to a lower ramp and walked down it, "I do, but I need my lightsabers. Loosing one was bad enough, but my blades are mine for a reason. I need to be better."
"Well, not to be rude but we were always a bit worried when we saw you carrying a red one?" Hera said following.

"It's just a color." Ahkilleon said, "Hera cocked her head at the top of the ramp looking down on it, "Kanan told you how they turn red, didn't he. The Bleeding?" Ahkilleon said.

Hera nodded "He put it mildly, but yes. You say you want to be better, blue and green are usually a signal to other people you're a jedi and not a…" "A sith?" Ahkilleon asked.

"I was going to say Redblade, but sure." They walked down the ramp and into a large ancient garden, a large petrified tree stump was at the center, but flowers had grown around it out it's cracks to show life had found a way.

Ahkilleon looked around at the rock, hands drifting over the flowers "My mothers were white, do you know why?"
"I never asked, I used to think it was color preference until Kanan told me of the meanings." Hera said, watching him.

Ahkilleon stopped over one flower that was yet to blume and didn't disturb it, "She fought an Inquisitor, defeated him and as she put it purified the crystals. No light, no dark, pure white." Ahkilleon said as he took his hand away.

"Why not do that to yours?" Hera asked him.

Ahkilleon crushed his mechano hand into a fist, "Because I am anything but pure, the Militia made me that way."

Ear holes perking up, Hera knew there was more to say but she couldn't hold it back "Ahkilleon, none of what happened was your fault. The militia were hypocrites forcing you into war." "They didn't force me, I volunteered all the War Jedi did."

"But they shouldn't have, they made an exception because of your blood. They used you, you have to see it." "Maybe I wanted to be used to Hera, did you ever think of that?" Ahkilleon leaned on the rock "Maybe for me, that's what I needed. I needed direction to show me what I was, to grow me into what I needed to be."
Hera flung up her hands "Oh for stars sake, your fifteen Ahkilleon. A teenager, who should never have been in those situations in the first place. Kanan and Ezra should never have let you go, I wouldn't have." "Why?" Ahkilleon asked.

"Because your mom was the closest thing I had to a sister since I lost mine!" Hera snapped at him, Ahkilleon felt his eyes widened at that, he had known that Hera had deep respect for his mom. But she'd never voiced it like that before, "I know it's because I lost so much of my family, my sister, my mother that I feel the need to take care of other people to be there for them. Because mine wasn't, she was taken from you, like Ezras, like Kanan's Master, Zebs people." Hera sighed as she rubbed her forehead.

Burying her head in her hands to rub her face, she raised her head to see Ahkilleon sitting next to her "Like yours."
"Maybe we aren't so different Hera." Ahkilleon agreed, "But I had time, time to process, time to grieve like them. You didn't." she said trying to reach for his shoulder he held his hand up, he didn't touch her, but was clear he didn't want to be touched or coddled "I chose not to." Ahkilleon said, Hera thought he was about to get up but he stayed put "Hera, what happened to all of us. Isn't right, everyone of your crew- our crew didn't deserve what happened the Empire is to blame, but so is the Republic-" "No." Hera said getting up "Hera, please I've listened to you all and your right. The Militia is wrong in a lot of things, they're hypocrites, their failures, they're not perfect I admit that." He confessed.

Hera paced away and looked back, "Then why stay loyal?"
"Because a man has to have a code." Ahkilleon said slowly getting up, "I don't agree with all things the Militia has done, but I do agree with what they could be. A nation of honor, justice, where if the sword rules it's tempered by wisdom. The Republic left Ezras world destitute, it abandoned Mandalore to the Crime Syndicates, it arrived too late to save Ryloth, I can't speak for Lasan, but I can speak for Kanan, my parents were children when the Republic sent them to war. Mon Mothma, Bail, Vander even that guy Garm they don't want a new future. They want the Republic because it's something they know, it's familiar, it's democracy but look at what democracy did when it left to rot?"

Hera frowned before turning away, "I'm going to wait by the ship, I'll be there when you want to go." Ahkilleon sighed as she walked off, he got up too and headed deeper into the ruins to explore.

Meanwhile, Hera came back up into the landing pad, "Lookie here boys, a lil rebel all alone, you see?" Hera looked up to see three men standing around the Z-95, one was a squad round faced little man with a flight cap on his head, holding a shock staff, dressed in mismatched clothing and missing an ear. There was a tall lanky one with a green cap on, a red hair he had freckles all over his face and shoulders wearing a pair of overalls covered in dirt, a bandolier across his chest with an old blaster in his hands, but the third was big as he was bald, almost as big as Zeb but fat and round with a slit nose and piercings on his ear, he wore a open vest with a blaster in hand, his pants to tight around his skinny legs and mismatched boots smiled a set of metal teeth with his tongue licking them "All for us."

RAXUS

Temple Asimov

Back on Raxus, Lord Asimov stood there with his childhood friends, Ganodi the rodian pilot was sitting on the bench, Byph hand his large muscular ithorian arms behind his back, Zatt stood there cybernetic arms crossed his implant adjusting to everything Lord Asimov had told them. "That is why I plan to do what I will my friends, I knew after I escaped the Inquisitors with Sigma. That the next time the Jedi would face the Galaxy we had to be ready. And now I need your help."

Zatt scratched his lekku, "That's… a lot Petro."
Asimov had his helmet off, tucked under his arm his one eyed and scared face shown so they could look at his face, "I know, but Caliban- Jinx would never have gone along with it, this new Rebellion claims to stand against the Empire. But they pawns in the corrupt Senate's game, The Emperor himself was once a Senator, they are like pegs in a wheel one on top after the other, now we can break that wheel."

"But overthrowing the Union, this is a coup Petro you don't see the irony." Ganodi said her suctioned up fingers in the air "That the last Council attempted and failed, how Mace Windu, Kit Fitso, Sassee Tin, and Agen Kolar tried and failed, they didn't have an army, a fleet?" Asimov asked.

Zatt grimaced fixing his jaw into a line "We don't know if it was a coup, the Emperor called it an assassination attempt, but we know that wasn't the Council way."
"And look what happened to them my brother, none of the old Council is alive, we only escaped because we followed Rock." Petro told them.

Wind rustled the trees in the silence that filled the garden, "Byph?" Zatt asked.

The ithorian was silent for a long time, he reached into his robe and pulled out a translator to put on his neck to speak, "I don't want to see Bastion Temple burn like in the holos we watched when we escaped with Master K'Kruhk. I don't want to see Jedi hunted anymore, we were able to rebuild what little lives we had on Arcadia. Maybe this Mon Mothma is better than all the other Senators, Petro, my brother." Byph said walking toward him "No one questions your love for the Jedi, you have protected it at every corner from any who would doubt us. But this goes to far, it gladdens me to know you came to us with this. Because you knew like Leo, he didn't want yes men so I must say no."

"Instead, let us return to Arcadia, speak to the Council about sending a delegation of Jedi to these Rebels like your padawan would have wanted." Byphs translator said, Ganodi nodded "Yes"
Zatt nodded in agreement, "With our combined strength, the Militia and this growing Rebel Alliance we will be able to defeat the Empire, I am for a new government unlike the Republic, but first we must stand together as we all always have, as one."
"Well said Byph." Zatt said to him, Petro was silent "Is that how you all feel?" Petro asked them.

Byph nodded, turning hands pressed together in firm resolve, "It is my brother, and I know Katooni would as well."
"I wish she was here, it would have been better if you all were here." Asimov said "We all do, I believe this very well could be the thing that brings her back to us-URK" "BYPH!" Zatt shouted seeing Lord Asimov's yellow lightsaber sticking out of the large hump of Byph's neck skewering the translator, Asimov pulled it out letting Byphs corpse call to the ground "So that you could have died together, for what it's worth I am sorry my friends." Asimov said before Zatt and Ganodi could draw their lightsabers.

DANTOOINE

Jedi Enclave

Ahkilleon had walked the Enclave grounds, he passed out of the courtyard and around the broken exterior to another part of the temple, slipping under a slick ramp that had been weathered by centuries of storms to form a small creek in the ruins water running deeper and deeper into the enclave. He ventured under the surface to the sublevel, the large below ground chamber's floors were clearer than the over grown surface. But roots had reached down far enough to block Ahkilleons path, he pushed through them with the force. Passing by cracked ancient walls, skeletal remains of beasts and even a few humanoids. He walked down deeper and deeper to the sound of trickling water. Before he found a lager room.

Walking in he saw it was a rounded room with multiple chairs, the council chamber for the Temple's Masters, Ahkilleon looked up to see a hole in the ceiling where vines and roots reached down with the drip of water, "Is anyone there?" Ahkilleon asked.

Waiting, expecting, maybe even hoping a lone jedi spirit would come and talk to him.

Setting his jaw, "Figured it was worth a shot." Ahkilleon said before he headed out, he noticed something. Ahkilleon entered into one of the smaller chambers, a dojo in fact, there were broken and decaying wooden swords and staffs broken or petrified. But in the room was a cot of some kind. There were two roll out matt and one old mattress stained and tattered, beside it a couple of buckets of foul smelling things, meat hooks on the walls, alongside stolen farm equipment, like howes, rakes and a sovel there were bones on the floor, someone had made camp here, then he looked closer at the bones, they weren't animal ones.

Meanwhile, up above in the landing pad. Hera had been tied up, hands and legs forced to lay on the ground at the mercy of the three men, the short one with the electrostaff stabbed her making her fight the urge to yell behind her teeth "Aweee I want to hear her scream, scream green birdy, scream." The demented dwarf muttere through a broken set of teeth, lips caked in some rusty brown stuff, among his ragged clothes he had a rusty cleaver on his hip.

"Oi, we gotta figure out what to do with her boss, dem rebels will probably come looking for probably." the tall skinny one with red hair said his rifle was so old it had rust on it, but it was pointed at Hera. He spoke with a thick outer rim draw, slurring his words, he also had the strange brown stains around his lips so did their leader.

The big one, 'Boss' scratched his fat neck, "Yer right, Bink, but I bet de Empire got a bounty on this tailheads pretty face, add that with a reward for a runaway Senator and her hmph, little rebellion we'll be set for life." He squatted down, his knees pressing into his large gut, the folds of his fat mushing against them.

"But dis here ship only got two seats, and yous already said that Chibo and I gotta share, ain't no more room Boss?" The skinny one named Bink said.

Hera scowled at them, "If you three hadn't noticed, we have a fleet up there. You don't have a chance."
The short one stabbed her with his electrocuted baton and snapped, Hera stifled a scream "Shut up scug, we know they won't fire on one of their own, you see." The short one's voice was high pitched and sounded like nails on a chalkboard.

"Ship doesn't even have a hyperdrive… you should just run." Hera coughed out.

"It doesn't?" Bink asked, "Shut up, what does the tailhead know we haven't had anything to eat in six days, that's the hunger talking, you see?" Boss snapped, swatting the back of Binks head, knocking off his cap "Well for starters." Hera grunted sitting up straight, "I'm a pilot if you haven't noticed."

The other two goons looked at one another, "What if birdy is telling the truth, Boss?"

"Should just leave her, take the ship and move to the other side of the planet boss, ain't nobody left to steal from here?" Bink pointed out.

Hera focused in on the, "Well you're not bounty hunters, not with that gear, no ship either than mine, so I take it… raiders or bandits?"

"Birdy." the Boss said, and Hera was electrocuted again "I prefer the term, aggressive entrepreneurs." the Boss grumbled trying to sound fancy, "And as I never waste an opportunity, we'll be taking that ship to tell the Empire about this little rebel party here see. But waste not want not I always say." the boss reached behind his back and pulled out a long crooked knife pointing it at Hera, she could smell the dried iron from the old blood on it.

The short one smirked his tongue out, and the red headed one who picked up his hat started to bite his lip. "What do you say boys, take a bite out of some fun before we leave this dirt ball?" Hera looked into their eyes and saw a look that only the worst kind of people would have in them, a sick perverse desire that showed they were animals and not sentient. The leader grabbed hair with his bit meaty paws pulling her up by her flight suit. Hera leaned back from the knife as it poked at her flight suits white collar, stretching the fabric "Me next, me next, me next!" Chibo squirmed as he hopped up and down with perverse fever.

"Shuddup, y'all all get a turn after I'm done, you see." the big fat raider said licking his lips as he started to cut the fabric, he pushed the knife but it didn't move from the hairs breath from Hera's neck to cut anymore, the Boss gapped "What the-"

SHUNK-

The knife took a hard right turn right into the fat man's forearm still in his hand "GYAAHHH!" Boss wailed letting go of Hera, who watched as his two thugs backed up "Boss!" Chibo screamed "What you do, what you do!" Bink yelped holding his blaster up at Hera who was looking wide eyed before the color drained from her face, "Run, all of you run." She snapped, even after such a threat of what the three men would do to her.

The boss groaned, pulling the knife out his forearm "Green bitch, pay for that- you'll see." The Boss was red faced full of rage when Bink turned blaster aimed elsewhere, they followed them to see Ahkilleon appeared in the doorway to the inner enclave, "Get away from her, now" Ahkilleon snapped his metal hand outstretched.

"Slag it, who the hell are you?" The Boss snapped holding his bleeding forearm, "The last thing you ever see if you don't get out of here, now." Ahkilleon growled hand pointed at them.

"Boss, don't like this, boy got something in his eyes." Bink whispered behind him, "He ain't go no weapon, but I'd take that fancy mechano arm, you see." Boss growled as he grabbed Hair by her Lekku and held the knife to her neck, his blood dripping from his forearm.

Ahkilleon narrowed his eyes and in a low soft growl said "Last warning."

"No last warning! On yer knees boyo or I cut the bitch's throat, see if she got green blood too, among other things you see." the Boss growled, even wounded his mind was nothing but rot. Hera winced as he squeezed her Lekku and Ahkilleon, flicked his metal hand to the left where the knife flew from the Boss's hand right into Bink's shoulder making the redhead wheel and shoot his balster howling in pain as he fell to the ground. "What the hell!" the Boss shouted seeing the magic.

Chibo rushed at Ahkilleon like a feral goblin swinging his shock staff, "Make you scream! Make you scream! Make you scream! Make you scream!" Chibo swung his staff at Ahkilleon but didn't get within three feet of him before Ahkilleon swung his open hand over at him, Chibo leapt into the air swinging the shock weapon at him but hovered in the air for only a moment before Ahkilleon twisted his wrist. Hera and the thugs watched Chibos stocky little body twist like a wet towel bones cracking and breaking ringing the blood out his body onto the ruins floor "Holy fuck!" Bink gasped in shock "I knew it was a bad idea to hide in a jedi hole, bad luck- bad luck." Bink with the knife still in his shoulder got to his feet to run.

Ahkilleon turned his hand on him, Boss raised his blaster and pointed at Ahkilleon. Bink was grabbed by an invisible lasso and pulled in front of Ahkilleon and run full of blaster marks from the Boss, who was meaning to hit the boy behind. Ahkilleon dropped Bink's smoking corpse to the ground and the knife flew from Bink's shoulder and into Ahkilleon's hand. Hera was astounded by the brutality Ahkilleon had used the force, did he even need a lightsaber when he could do things like that, like Asimov?

The Boss was shivering in sheer terror, mouth ajar sweating bullets "What…. What the hell are you?"

Ahkilleon didn't say a word, he had the knife in his hand now it was clear than to 'Boss' that his death wouldn't be as quick as the others. Pressing the barrel of his blaster to the side of Hera's head he tried one last gamble "I-I-I-I-I-I'll d-d-do do it, I swear to the-the St-st-st-stars." His voice was a trembling yell. "Bl-blow h-h-h-her bloody br-br-ains, you s-s-see!"

Ahkilleon hadn't moved, was he really fast enough, could he stop the man from pulling the trigger, they wouldn't need to find out. The fat man dropped Hera, "Just- just lemme go, I won't say a word about you rebels being here, you see?" he said backing up.

Still, Ahkilleon was silent.

"Ya already slagged my boys you see- lemme go." Boss said backing up his blaster hand trembling, "I ain't no threat, you see." he dropped the blaster hands up still backing away, fear was overwhelming the man so much Hera looked back to see a dark wet stain appear running down his trousers, he was pissing himself. "Just lemme go, you see." He repeated before he turned to run, Hera sighed relieved it was over before hearing a heavy thud.

She looked up to see Boss's body face down in the ground of the enclave pad, his own knife sticking out of his back, a pathetic wheeze like air being let out a balloon escaped the raider fat lips as blood ran down his back, before the knife flew from his back and into where it had been thrown, Ahkilleons hand he came up behind Hera, cutting her bond "Are you ok?"
Hera rubbed her wrists as he cut her legs free, he looked at her. And remembered what she had just been through. "Right, sorry."
"You killed all of them?" Hera asked him.

Ahkilleon didn't even break her gaze to look at the remains, "I did."

"You didn't have to-" "The hell I didn't, I heard them talking Hera, planning to sell out the rebel base, let alone what that fuck was going to do to you." Ahkilleon tossed the rusty blade over to the fat body across from them wanting nothing to do with the blade glad to be rid of it.

Hera got up on her own ignoring his hand to help her up, "He was beaten, the other one was wounded they-" She cut herself off looking at Ahkilleons face, his eyes were still on the blade, Hera looked at it to, and then she started to remember the way they acted, the way the others were skinny, the brown stains on their lips and blades. The words they used, "They said they hadn't eaten in days, said they wanted to bite…" Hera started to say, Hera turned to the Enclave "Show me."

"You don't want to see." Ahkilleon said "I need to." Hera said determined. Ahkilleon walked with Hera back down to the Sublevel to the raiders hideout, they saw the matts, the bed, the meathooks and stolen items scattered around the enclave floor, and then the bones. Not animal bones, humanoid, skulls, rib cages, femurs, "Why are some of them smaller than the others?" Hera asked but already knew the answer.

"The farmers." Ahkilleon said in an exhausted tone, "I thought the Empire was evil, but this… this is sick." Hera said.

Ahkilleon had had enough, "Let's go."

"No." Hera snapped, "We should at least bury them."

Without any resistance Ahkilleon nodded.

A few hours later, they had gathered up the remains as best they could, and outside the Temple in the patches of grass that weren't overgrown with roots, were a dozen or more freshly dug graves. Ahkilleon and Hera were both dirty and sweaty from the excursion, but they were done. Hera leaned on the shovel and Ahkilleon stood there over the mounds "Are you going to report this, there could be more?" Ahkilleon asked.

Hera was quiet, "I'll tell Vander, he and his men can be on the lookout. But not a word to Kanan or the others. I'd rather they never know about this."
Again, he consented with a silent nod.

"For what it's worth, even if you aren't officially part of the rebellion. I'm glad you were here." Hera said as she set the shovel down, "Not a part, but part time for now." Ahkilleon said as they headed back to the fighter.

RAXUS

Temple Asimov

Zatt fell down onto the garden floor, his cybernetic eye cracked, dead, Lord Asimov panting before turning off his lightsaber, Ganodi's body laid in two separate parts of the garden, Lord Asimov looked over their remains and sucked down the emotions. "I wish you were here." he said looking up at the new statue in the garden, "You would understand, I know you would have if I had explained it. They couldn't see like you could." He said, analyzing the features of the statue, he placed his hand down on its pedestal "They lack our vision, my apprentice." Asimov had his hand down on the base of the statue where on a pillow sat both of Ahkilleon's lightsabers at the foot of his own statue in a place of honor "We are two of a kind Ahkilleon, you and I."