Terra glared angrily up at the Republic soldiers from where she knelt, her hands bound tightly behind her back; a few days prior, she had led a squad of Mandalorians in search of the hidden base for these same troops, and now she was their prisoner. Terra should have known it was a trap; the tracks that she had found and followed were far too easy to locate, but she had simply shrugged it off as incompetent on the part of the soldiers that the Republic had fighting for them. Many of these 'soldiers' weren't true warriors, after all; just men and women drafted from their homes and forced to fight for a corrupt government that cared very little if those same men and women lived or died.
All the same, though, Terra had stupidly walked right into the Republic's net and been left as the sole survivor, forced to watch as men and women who she had known for years were dishonorably stripped of their armor before being thrown into a mass grave for the carrion of this world to pick apart later. Terra had been the only one spared, for what reason, she had no idea, but, like her fallen brothers and sisters, the Republic had stripped her of her armor before binding her arms behind her back, leaving her in just a simple pair of breeches and sleeveless white shirt. As she stared at the pair, Terra felt her hatred continuing to rise; the Republic scorned and sneered at her people, yet the armor they gave to their troops was almost a mirror copy of the armor that Mandalorians used. Almost. There were slight differences between the armor of her people and the ones that these dogs wore, but there was also a striking similarity that made Terra disgusted every time she saw one of them.
There was no individuality in their armor, as there was on Mandalore; instead, all Republic troops wore the same white armor with orange highlights and trim that wound itself throughout the outfit. Their helmets were the most similar, snow-white with a T-shaped covering on the face that was similar to what was on a true Mandalorian helm; however, the Republic had apparently added a small cover above the T-shaped cover. A needless aesthetic that served no purpose that Terra could think of besides showing that they were Republic and not Mandalorian.
Painted on both shoulders of their armor was the hated symbol of the Republic, supposedly a symbol of hope to remind every trooper of what they fought for and that they would one day win; but to Terra, it was just a symbol of scorn and weakness. The corruption of the Republic had grown worse over the centuries, and now, the Republic was but a shadow of itself: weak and ineffectual and run by a senate filled with weaklings more interested in their purse than their people. Yet, the Republic still had the arrogance to claim that its strength was absolute and that they would crush Mandalore and the Sith Empire; Terra looked forward to the day when that claim was finally shown as the lie that all of Mandalore knew it to be. One day, Coruscant, the capital of the rotten and diseased growth that the Republic had become, would burn. The galaxy would forever remember that it had been Mandalore who had finally reminded the Republic of its place in the galaxy.
As she continued to glare at the pair of Republic soldiers who had been tasked with guarding her, Terra felt a small amount of satisfaction, as well as scorn, well up in her as she saw them shift nervously. Even though she was bound and weaponless, these two Republic dogs were afraid of her. That fact made her almost laugh at how pathetic they were. No wonder the Republic was losing this war; their soldiers were not even worthy of the title.
The sudden snap of a broken branch from behind her alerted Terra that someone was approaching, but she kept her gaze firmly locked on the two soldiers before her, reveling in their discomfort, even as her wrists ached from the leather cord digging into her skin.
"Can you give us a minute?" A deep voice from behind Terra asked, suddenly, "I'd like to have a word with our prisoner before the battle begins."
"You can try, sir," the soldier on the right replied in a high voice, making Terra realize that the owner was a woman, "But I doubt you'll get anything from her. All she's done so far is glare at us."
"Well, I'll just have to try harder, won't I?" The voice chuckled back; with a nod, the two troops turned and walked away as a man came around Terra and took their place before her. The man's face was familiar to her, and for a moment, Terra stared at him as she tried to remember where she had seen him; a moment later, the memory of the battle of Bomodon came back to her, and her eyes widened in alarm.
"Jedi…" Terra hissed, causing the man to raise an eyebrow at her, no doubt sensing Terra's hatred for him.
Turning away from her, the Jedi raised his hand and willed a nearby camp chair to rise into the air and float toward him; once it had been lowered to the ground, the man squatted down upon it and continued to stare at Terra for another moment.
"Well, I guess introductions are in order, aren't they?" The Jedi smiled, "My name is Talon Oaksmith, and as you've already guessed, I'm a knight of the Jedi order. And you. If I'm not mistaken, are Terra Farr of Clan Farr. Is that correct?"
Terra said nothing, just continued to glare angrily at the Jedi, causing him to sigh wearily for a moment.
"I realize that we're enemies, but even enemies can show respect to one another, can we not? It's not like I'm asking you for military secrets, after all."
"You'll get nothing from me, Jedi," Terra growled, "And whatever trick you've got planned to get me to talk won't work. I will never willingly betray my people, not while there's a breath in my body. You might as well just kill me now."
To her surprise, Talon smiled at that as he crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her,
"You're definitely Killian's mother. I can see the same fire in you that burns so strongly in him."
Panic shot through Terra at that, and she immediately tried to lunge forward to attack the Jedi before her, only for her body to suddenly freeze in place so that only her head was still free to move; looking at the Jedi, Terra could see him arch a brow at her, and knew that he was the one who had caused her sudden bout of paralysis.
"What do you want with my son!" Terra demanded, using every ounce of strength within her as she tried to force her body to move, all to no avail.
"The first time I encountered your son was on Bomodon," Talon replied softly, "I had been sent there to aid the Republic troops and repel your people from taking the planet as a staging point for further invasions. To be honest, I was actually trying to kill him the first time we met." Talon chuckled at that, causing Terra to stare hatefully at him as he continued, "But then I sensed the power sleeping within him…. It was like standing amid a storm, watching the formation of a hurricane, fierce and powerful beyond words, just waiting to be unleashed and destroy everything in its path… Your son has the potential to be one of the most powerful force users in centuries, and if given the proper guidance, he could use that power for good, to bring light and peace to a galaxy at war. Or he could use it to bring unimaginable destruction and death instead… That's why the council has sent me here. To see if I can help Killian achieve the former rather than the latter."
Unseen by Terra, her pink skin paled considerably at the Jedi's words as understanding hit her like a Krayt Dragon. This Jedi had been tasked by the high council of his order to bring her son back to Coruscant and brainwash him into becoming one of their number—willingly giving up his heritage and vowing to serve the same corrupt Republic that she and her people were fighting against!
"No!" Terra snarled, fighting against the Jedi's hold on her with everything she had, "No, you will not have him! Killian is a Mandalorian, not a filthy Jedi!"
Talon shook his head wearily at that before taking a deep breath as Terra's anger washed over him and left him untouched.
"Killian's days amongst your people are at an end, I'm afraid, Mrs. Farr," Talon replied softly, "I simply cannot allow someone so powerful in the ways of the Force to remain with people who, instead of teaching him to control his baser instincts, and curb his rage, would rather encourage it. If left alone and untrained, Killian's power could one day cause untold destruction not just to the Republic but to the entire galaxy as well. It is for that reason he will be taken back to Coruscant and trained properly in how to use his abilities. I know this decision will not sit well with you; it will undoubtedly cause you and your family untold pain, and I am sorry for that, Mrs. Farr. But Killian's power is too great to be let run wild; he needs to be taught how to control it, before the Sith discover his potential and take him for themselves."
"You will not have my son! I'll kill you!" Terra raged, spittle flying from her mouth in her anger, "I'll kill your entire kriffing order! I'll burn Coruscant to the ground before I let you turn him into one of your brainwashed cult members!
"Brainwashed cult members?" Talon said in surprise before chuckling, as though Terra's words were the funniest thing he'd heard, "My dear lady, Jedi are not 'brainwashed' nor are we a 'cult,' as you so eloquently put it. If anything, those titles lay with the Sith, who choose to serve a madman calling himself 'emperor.' The Jedi serve the Force as a whole, not a single individual's whims."
"You're the Republic's dogs!" Terra countered, "Serving a corrupt and decadent government! They point their finger and say attack, and you filthy Jedi do as you're told, all so you can get a pat on the head and a 'good boy' by your masters!"
Talon grimaced at that, and Terra reveled in the look of annoyance that crossed the Jedi's face as the truth of her words seemed to hit him, even if he refused to admit it.
"But it matters not," Terra continued, "You'll never get into the base. Every effort has been made to ensure that the base is impenetrable! You'll be blown out of the sky before you ever get close to it!"
"That may, in fact, have been the case," Talon nodded, "But thanks to the spy we have inside your base, we now know the landing codes. And thanks to your fallen Mandalorians, we now have the armor we need to make us look no different than the hundreds of your people currently inside. While the Republic troops attack the base from the outside and keep those within distracted, my fellow Jedi and I will simply stroll in and achieve our goal before anyone even knows we're there."
Talon watched as horror spread across Terra's face, rendering her for a moment speechless as his words slammed into her like physical blows.
"And when Killian learns that we have his mother in our custody, I'm willing to bet that he will quickly surrender without much fuss. After all, a boy would never risk his mother getting hurt if he can avoid it."
"You unbelievable bastard…" Terra breathed in shock before her rage returned tenfold, and she began to shriek threats and curses at Talon, making him shake his head wearily at the level of vitriol. Slowly rising to his feet, Talon felt several pops emanate from his body, and released a pleased sigh as Terra continued to scream and threaten him; seeing no point in any further words, Talon stepped past the kneeling Twi'lek to the two soldiers who were standing a respectful distance behind her, giving Talon and the woman the space that the Jedi had requested.
"I want her under constant guard until we return with her son," Talon said, causing both troops to snap to attention, "If our mission is to succeed, we need her alive and unspoiled. Under no circumstances is she to be left unsupervised, not even for a moment. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir!" Both soldiers replied at once before stepping past Talon and back to the still cursing Terra; as they each grabbed the woman under her arms, Talon let his power over her drop, allowing her to freely move again. Instantly, Terra began to put up a terrific fight as she continued to scream and curse at the Jedi, making it difficult for the two troopers to drag her away. Finally, deciding that enough was enough, one of the troopers released their hold on the spitting woman and raised their rifle at Terra before firing a blast of energy at her, stunning her and causing her to drop to the ground in an instant. Their job was now far easier; once again, the troopers grabbed Terra under her arms and dragged her away while Talon watched sadly.
Truthfully, Talon could understand Terra's hatred of him; many felt the same way about the Jedi, that they were simply the Senate's attack dogs, sent to various planets in order to keep the status quo. To some degree, Talon could well enough agree with that assessment; there were many things about the Jedi order that Talon found distasteful, many decisions that the council had made recently, and even before the war began, that he felt were wrong or were counter-productive to what the Jedi were supposed to be.
However, the fact remained that it was the Jedi who kept the darkness at bay; they were the ones responsible for ensuring that the Force was used for good and those who would use it for evil were stopped. Honestly, Talon hated the decision that he was being forced to make, he knew that Killian would never willingly submit to the council, and they would do all in their power to break him of that stubbornness in order to mold him into what they believed a Jedi should be. But Talon also knew that Killian Farr was, by far, one of the most powerful Force-sensitives that he had ever encountered and that the boy would one day be a powerful wielder of the Force.
Whether he would use that power for good or ill was still in flux. Still, if Talon could retrieve him before the Sith did, he could bring an age of peace to the Republic and the galaxy not seen in centuries. Peace like that was worth any price, as far as Talon was concerned, even if it meant he would never sleep peacefully again due to the guilt of tearing a mother from her son. Undoubtedly, he would hate himself until the day he joined the Force. But if that boy could bring peace and freedom to the galaxy, then it was a price that Talon would willingly pay.
Turning back to the camp and quickly making his way to the command tent, Talon cast his eye on the troops who were preparing for the upcoming battle; several Jedi knights were already dressed in the Mandalorian armor that would allow them access to the Imperial base. Master Durango had not been pleased when Talon had told the diminutive Jedi that Talon would be taking half a dozen Jedi knights with him as part of his mission to recover Killian Farr; the Lannik had almost denied Talon's request, but once Talon told the Master that the order came directly from the High Council, Master Durango had been forced to back down, with a snarl of fury.
The battle would take place tomorrow. Master Durango was planning to throw everything he had at the Imperial base, which included the Witches of Dathomir, who were all too eager to make the Imperial invaders pay for daring to set foot on Dathomir. That meant that Talon and his strike force would have to attempt entry into the base tonight and find Killian or Aola Farr before Master Durango began his assault at dawn. Those few short hours would undoubtedly be the longest of Talon's life as he scoured the base for his target's whereabouts while at the same time trying to avoid discovery from Darth Striga or the other Sith inside the base. Six Jedi and a few Republic troopers would be no match against the interminable number of warriors inside the Imperial base, should Talon or his group be discovered.
XXXX
Aola stared at her brother with narrowed eyes, watching as he stumbled for a moment before regaining his footing as he entered the dining facility from his shift on guard duty; if she didn't know better, Aola would swear that Killian was drunk! But that was impossible. Killian was far too disciplined to even consider drinking on duty; yet, as she watched him stumble again, nearly tripping over his own feet, Aola couldn't come to any other conclusion for her brother's behavior. For four days now, Killian had kept his distance from her and the rest of Killer Frost, refusing to join them for meals or to hang out when they were off duty; something had happened during Killian's last training match with Darth Striga, Aola was sure of it!
But what could have happened remained a mystery to her, as Killian refused to speak of it, the few times he actually deigned to talk to her. He had returned after the training match looking pale, horrified, and smelling of puke, and Aola had immediately pounced on her brother, demanding he tell her what was wrong; only to stare in shock as Killian flinched away from her as though her presence was physically painful.
Since then, Killian seemed to do everything in his power to stay as far away from Aola and the rest of their friends as he could, and though they didn't say it, Aola could see that the distance was hurting the others just as much as it was her. Aola had tried to storm Darth Striga's tent and demand answers as to what she had done to Aola's brother, only for the Sith's guards to inform her every time that Darth Striga was busy and not to be interrupted; the third time, she'd been told that Aola had nearly drawn her blaster, and it had only been Dani's calming hand on her shoulder that had saved Aola from making such a stupid mistake.
"Hey guys, check that out," Aola said softly, causing her friends to end their conversation and turn to her. Nodding her head in Killian's direction, the others turned to see what she was indicating.
"What's wrong with him?" Dani asked, staring with worried eyes as the group watched Killian lean against the far wall for a moment as though he could barely stand.
"He looks drunk," Ben added in surprise, "But that's not possible. Killian knows the penalty for being drunk on duty. That Sith bitch would whip the flesh from his back if she knew!"
"I think you're right, Ben," Alexander said softly, "Let's get him out of here before someone else notices…"
"Agreed," Aola said at once as she and the others rose to their feet. "It's time we talked with my brother."
Quickly making their way over to Killian, Aola's nose immediately detected the faint smell of alcohol coming off her him, and her eyes widened in shock; it was true, Killian was actually drunk on duty!
"Ben, grab him and get him out of here," Aola growled quietly, "Before anyone else sees him."
Storming forward as nonchalantly as he could, Ben grabbed Killian's arm tight, making Killian cry out for a moment before Alexander grabbed his other arm; as quick as they could, Ben and Alexander began to drag Killian out of the dining hall while Dani and Aola followed behind, watching with a careful eye for anyone else who might have noticed. Thankfully, due to how hard Darth Striga had been pushing the base to be ready for battle at a moments notice, most of the hall seemed more concerned with eating their meal and retiring to their bunk for a few blessed hours; a few cast a momentary gaze at the group, but a quick glare from Dani or Aola was enough to make them focus on their food, again.
When they had finally managed to get the barely coherent Killian out of the hall, Aola began to lead the group to a nearby building that was often used as an armory, but that she knew would be unguarded due to it not having any munitions in it at the moment; once the group was safely inside, Aola slammed the door closed behind them and locked it as Ben and Alexander threw Killian to the floor.
"What's the big idea dragging me out of there?" Killian slurred as he rose to a sitting position, making the group stare hard at him. "I was still hungry…"
"Here's what's going to happen, Killian," Aola growled, "You're going to tell us what's going on with you. And I mean right kriffing now. Or I'm gonna let Ben beat it out of you, your choice."
Ben began to crack his knuckles at her words as he looked down at Killian, who swallowed nervously for a moment before dropping his head to his chest.
"Nothing's wrong with me…" Killian slurred, making Aola snarl angrily,
"Don't you dare lie to me, little brother! For the last four days, you've been avoiding us like the plague! And now, you're drunk on duty! What if someone had caught you? You know the penalty for this! They would have whipped the flesh from your back! Something happened between you and that Sith, and I want to know what it was. Now!"
As Aola finished her rant, Killian mumbled something too softly for her to hear, nearly falling backward in his drunken state and placing his right hand on the ground behind him to keep him sitting up.
"What?" Aola demanded, "I didn't catch that."
"I said you're not my sister…" Killian slurred, making Aola stumble back as though he had physically slapped her.
"How dare you!" Dani snarled, taking a step forward, "I can't believe you would actually say something so hurtful!"
"Agreed," Alexander hissed angrily, "Aola has only ever defended you as if you were natural blood siblings, and you say something like that! You should be ashamed of yourself, cousin."
"It's the truth, though…" Killian whispered so softly that the group almost missed it. "My true family are monsters... just like I'll one day become…"
"What the kriff are you talking about?" Alexander demanded, "What did that Sith do to you?"
For a moment, Killian said nothing, just took deep shuddering breaths while the others watched in angry silence; after a moment, he slowly rose into a more comfortable seated position and raised shaky hands to his helmet before slowly pulling it off and placing it on the ground in front of him. The others stared in silent horror as they saw Killian's face for the first time in days; his skin was pale and clammy, while his eye was bloodshot with dark circles hanging beneath them
"This helmet is all I've ever wanted…" Killian whispered. "To be a Mandalorian has been my dream since I first learned of them. They were my only escape from the orphanage where I was raised and the abuse I suffered there… It was the happiest day of my life when I finally earned this helm. But now… Now, I don't even know if I'm worthy to call myself one anymore…"
"What kind of nonsense is that!" Alexander asked, affronted on his cousin's behalf, "You saved thousands of our people when the Republic tried to blow us up! You taught me what it was to have friends and comrades that will stand beside me no matter what, and you saved dozens of Mandalore's children when the accursed Jedi tried to kidnap us all! You have more than earned your place amongst us!"
"Yeah!" Dani and Ben chorused as one as Aola nodded in agreement.
Their words seemed to fall on deaf ears, however, as Killian looked up at them, making them all flinch at the dead look in the teenager's eye, as though someone had sucked out his very soul.
"And what if my parents were Sith?" Killian asked in a hollow voice, "What if I was one of those Sith that you all despise so much? Would you still want me? Or would Mandalore the Avenger banish me from the only home I've ever known?"
"Killian, what happened between you and Striga?" Aola asked softly, "No matter what it is, you must know that we would never see you any different…"
Killian stared up at Aola momentarily, worrying his lip in indecision as the others stared at him with various degrees of concern; finally, after several agonizing tense moments, his shoulders dropped, and his hands fell lifelessly to the ground at his side.
"You'll find out anyway…" Killian slurred, "And you'll hate me afterward… Just like everyone else… Darth Striga is my sister. My real sister."
Whatever the others had been expecting, it certainly wasn't that; as one, they all seemed to turn ghost white as the blood rushed from their faces. Dani and Aola's mouths both dropped open, almost comically, in shock; Alexander looked at his cousin as though he had never seen him before, while Ben simply stared at his friend in horror.
"That's not possible…" Aola whispered, "We both know why that's not possible, Killian!"
"Did she tell you this?" Alexander demanded, "And you just took her word for it? Are you an idiot? It's obvious that she's lying!"
"I felt the truth through the Force…" Killian whispered back in the same hollow voice as before. She wasn't lying. She told me that our father didn't want me to become a Sith, so he stole me away from our mother and somehow transported me beyond the Empire's reach—to Earth. That's why she was put in charge of this mission because our mother wants me back…"
"Well, she can go to hell, then!" Aola snarled, swiping her hand through the air, "You're not going! You are MY brother! Mine! And I won't give you up to anyone! I don't care if your father is the Sith Emperor himself!"
Killian's head slowly raised at her words, and Aola could see a small spark of life coming from his eyes. Unwilling to let this opportunity go, Aola lunged forward, dropping to her knees and taking Killian's hands in her own.
"It doesn't matter who your real parents are, Killian," Aola whispered softly. "You belong to Clan Farr. Mama and Papa are your parents, and I am your sister. Where we come from does not define who we are; it's who you choose to be that does."
"You don't understand…" Killian whispered back, his eyes widening in horror as he remembered what the Force had shown him, "Striga told me that our mother will never let me go! And the Force showed me a vision of what would happen if I went with them; it was horrible, Aola! I saw myself as the Sith emperor! I saw the Sith conquer the galaxy and leave billions either dead or in chains! I saw… I saw myself sitting on an entire mountain of dead bodies… And one of them… One of them was yours… Yours, Dani's, Ben's, Alexander's, Mom and Dad. I'm gonna end up getting you all killed!"
Killian's head suddenly rocked to the side as Aola slapped him hard across the face, a look of fury on her features even as tears welled up in her eyes; behind her, the others were staring at Killian with pity and horror in equal measure.
"Shut your mouth!" Aola snapped, "I don't want to ever hear you say something like that again! You could never do anything so horrific! You would never willingly hurt us; I know you wouldn't! Whatever you saw was a lie, no doubt brought on by that evil bitch's powers!"
"But she's my sister!" Killian whimpered piteously, "The same evil blood flows in my veins! And what happens when news of this reaches our uncle! If the Sith empire demand that I be returned to them, he'll have no choice but to comply! Mandalore is not strong enough to stand alone against both the Sith and the Republic!"
My father will never willingly give up a member of his family," Alexander retorted, his anger overcoming his horror at what he had discovered, "He might be a right bastard at times, but his loyalty to his family is absolute. And if he does acquiesce, then we'll just run!"
"What?" Killian slurred, shocked beyond words at what Alexander just said, sure that he'd misheard his cousin.
"You heard me," Alexander said stoically, "If my father does choose to dishonor himself by giving you up, then he will lose me as well. We are Killer Frost, one unbreakable fellowship and stand as one. Where one goes, so do we all."
"Yeah," Ben nodded, "You're one of my best friends, Killian… I'll follow you anywhere."
"That goes for me as well," Dani added, "I would rather stand together with you against the entire galaxy than with the entire galaxy against you all."
Their affirmation that they would stand with him, even against the Mandalore himself, was too much for Killian, and a steady stream of tears began to run down his cheeks as he ducked his head and tried not to throw up. Slowly reaching out, Aola pulled her brother into her arms and began to gently rub his back as his body shook with silent sobbing; a moment later, the alcohol finally won out, and Killian passed out in his sister's arms, his body going limp against her.
"No one can know about this," Aola said harshly, turning to her watching friends. "At least until we inform Mama and Papa, as well as Uncle Lec."
"Agreed," Alexander nodded, "This could prove to be a disaster! We very well might need to plan an escape, just in case my father is, indeed, forced to give Killian to the Empire."
"I have enough treasure to at least give us a few weeks head start if need be," Ben replied, "Not gonna lie, I've been using a lot of it on booze and whores lately, but I still have some leftover if it comes to it."
"Can we not talk about your sexual proclivities, please?" Dani asked with disgust, "I just ate."
"Oh, I forgot you're a prude when it comes to sex," Ben snarked, causing Dani to flip him off,
"Oh, fuck you… I'm not a prude, I just don't see the need to brag about everyone I decide to take to bed…"
"Enough," Alexander growled, "Both of you."
"Sorry," Dani and Ben both replied as one, causing Alexander to shake his head wearily,
"When this battle is over, we will combine our hoards and put them somewhere safe, just in case we need to make a quick getaway. Like I told Killian, I doubt it will come to that, but we should be ready, just in case."
"No wonder he was avoiding us…" Dani mumbled, "If I was forced to see what he saw, I'd avoid you all too…"
"It wasn't real!" Aola snarled, pulling Killian's limp form closer to her, "Killian would never harm me or any of us! It was that Sith bitch! She used her powers to make him see those things, I'm almost sure of it!"
"Either way, we should get him to his bunk before someone realizes what's wrong with him," Alexander quipped, "Ben, help me get him to his feet."
Gently pulling him out of Aola's arms, Ben and Alexander raised Killian to his feet and walked him out of the door as Aola watched, holding her brother's helmet in a death grip.
Once they were gone, Dani placed a gentle hand on Aola's shoulder,
"It'll be alright, Aola. Once we're back on Mandalore, away from Striga, Killian will be safe."
"I doubt that…" Aola growled, "My brother will never be safe as long as that bitch is still alive."
"So, what do you plan to do about it?" Dani asked softly,
"Any time now, the Republic will attack this base, and we'll soon be facing another battle. When that happens, the first chance I get, I'm gonna kill that filth!"
"What?" Dani asked in shock, "She's our commander! You can't just kill her!"
"She's a threat to my family," Aola snarled back, shrugging Dani's hand off, "And any threat to my family will die! Many die in battle. What's one more Sith to add to the body count?"
As Dani continued to stare at Aola in horror at what the pink Twi'lek had planned, the girl stormed out of the building, following after her other two friends and leaving Dani gaping behind.
XXXX
Author's Note:
I'm still working on the battle of Dathomir that I have planned, but seeing as it's been so long, I wanted to put something out for you all to enjoy and show you all that this story is still going. A lot of what I had planned for the next chapter, I ended up scrapping and putting on this one instead, like Killian telling everyone the truth about his heritage. I wrote this chapter in two days, so I won't complain if many of you feel like this one isn't up to par, but I hope the next chapter, which so far is measured at 14 pages, will meet your expectations.