Chapter Text

Screaming. Screeching. Fighting. Explosions. Devastation. Death.

Ears: ringing. Vision: blurred. Smell: blood. Pain: everywhere.

Colours came into focus. Dull and dark grey corridors made of metal.

Chaos surrounded him. Blaster and bullet fire hailing around him. 

Blood dripped down below and onto the floor. Coming from his nose and mouth. 

"Watchdog! Watchdog!"

He heard his name being called, his codename, as someone grabbed him by the arm and hoisted him up to his feet.

"Get up, Boss!" The soldier, one of his, based on his armour, padded and reinforced with secondary adamantium coloured in dark blue and grey urban camo, same with the helmet he wore, and the weapon he held with his left hand, a M5A10 automatic assault rifle. "You have to get to him! We have to stop them now!" He cried out, slightly anxious.

Thoughts became coherent. His wounds healed up completely. He knew his mission, his objectives.

"Stop the Butcher of Realms." Watchdog said in a whisper, regaining his composure as he looked at the soldiers around him. A squad of battle-hardened warriors, the sigil of the multiversal army known as the Watchdogs emblazoned on their left shoulder while the one on their right marked them as part of the Starkiller contingent, specifically the Spartan Company. They were directly under his command, awaiting his orders so his face hardened as he regained himself. "Hold off the Sith and provide cover!" He ordered in a focused voice.

"Yes, Sir!” They responded vibrantly in unison.

The squad spread out the hallway of the battlecruiser that they'd stormed in, and the fight began again. They fire their guns, incendiary bullets piercing cleanly through their enemies’ slick silver armour while avoiding their blaster fire. 

Using the cover provided, Watchdog used the blades hidden in his gauntlets to carve a path through the ship's corridors, towards the bridge. He reached the massive door leading to it, guarded by two Dark Jedi, dressed in grey garbs with a black chest piece, hood and a cover over their mouth and nose. 

“Ah, The Mercenary finally found his way.” One of them quipped as he powered up his crimson lightsaber. 

“Our master will reward us greatly for killing you.” The other said arrogantly as he ignited his double-bladed red lightsaber.

Watchdog gritted his teeth. “Both of you just made the biggest mistake of your lives.” He unsheathed his blades from beneath his hands. “Because you can’t kill me!”

They lunged at each other. The Dark Jedi struck at the same time and he blocked them both with his blades.

Adamantine. Metalul zeilor. Indestructibil. (Metal of the gods. Indestructible) He thought as he pushed them off hard.

Thrown off-balance, they staggered back. Watchdog lunged and pierced one's chest, the blade going straight through, lifting him in the air before slamming his lifeless body into the ground. 

The other cried out vengefulyl as he swung his lightsaber down on him. He dodged, the blade going past him as he thrust his right blade through his skull, crushing it against the wall behind.

With the Dark Jedi guarding the bridge dead, he went to open the doors.

Suddenly, a call came over his SMI. “[Watchdog, this is Hunter 1-1. A team of Jedi Knights has boarded the ship. They are on their way to the bridge. Should we stop them? Over.]” His soldier asked uneasily.

“[Negative, they are on our side.]" The Mercenary said to them, certain. "[Pull back. We don’t know if the other ships will attack and I don’t want to risk it. We’ll RV at Delta Sierra Semper. Hold there until further notice. Over.]” He ordered quickly.

“[Roger that, Sir!]" He replied. "[Hunter Squads are pulling back. RV at Delta Sierra Semper. Out.]”

The Jedi sent their team. Figures. Even if he had accepted contracts from them before, he was still independent and with the way they operated, very few people knew they were real, let alone how to contact them. At least they were the good Jedi.

For a moment the thought crossed his mind, Knights working with The Last Knight from a dead kingdom... Poetic 

But only for a moment. 

With one heave, he used his massive strength to pry open the doors. Beyond he saw his target, staring out the viewport and guarded by six Dark Jedi. The black cape hung loosely off his shoulders and reached down to his feet and the hood covered his head, he turned, hands clasped behind his back and he saw the red and black Mandalorian mask that covered his face.

“Revan.” The Mercenary said through gritted teeth, his muscles tensed as he steeled himself for a fight.

“Georgian Dynamo.” The tone of the Dark Lord's voice was chilling to the bone with an air of familiarity for him, but The Last Knight was unwavering.

“Makarov’s playing you for a fool. He’ll make Malak betray you and you’ll end up with nothing.” He tried to convince him of the fact. “I know who you are. Who you really are! You are me as I am you!”

“No. I am a better version of you.” An irritated Revan ignited his dark crimson lightsaber, spinning it twice in his right hand, before shifting into a fighting stance.

The six Dark Jedi around him did the same.

“Stay out of this. Go and stop the Jedi!” The Dark Lord ordered them with a menacing tone.

“As you wish, Lord Revan.” One of them did a quick bow before they left the bridge.

Revan shifted in his fighting stance, bringing the lightsaber to his face, the tip facing Dynamo, glaring at The Mercenary through his visor.

The Final Knight struck first, using his blades to slash at the Dark Lord, who blocked the strikes as best he could, but he slowly became overwhelmed by Dynamo’s superior strength, agility and speed. He sent a Force Wave that knocked him slightly back, before summoning a lightning storm that brought him to one knee. The Mercenary clenched his fists and the Triforce on the back of his hand began to glow, as Revan took wide strides towards him. He used the Force to begin lifting him off the floor and choke him, but Dynamo held his breath to better combat the sensation. 

Ignoring the growing pain around his neck as much as he could and actually managed to uppercut the Dark Lord, hitting his mask and breaking parts of it as he stumbled back. It broke the hold he had on him which dropped the Last Knight to the ground crouched and prepared for the next move

Looking at what he saw, it was like staring in a twisted mirror. The same scar Dynamo had across his right eye, Revan had in the exact same place. But his eyes were yellowed to an almost diseased extent instead of pure royal blue and his skin was of a sickly greyish colour.

Both could hear the shouts outside the door leading to the bridge. The Jedi Knight Strike Team was getting closer.

"It seems our little reunion must come to an end." The Dark Lord spoke, somewhat displeased. "I have other guests that need my attention." 

And The Mercenary could almost see the twisted smile Revan had under his mask.

"Not if I can stop you!" He retorted, defiant as he stood to his feet and dropped into a balanced stance.

Then both attacked and the battle began anew, but before any of them could gain an advantage a massive explosion shook the entire ship, bringing both to their knees.

A tear in space opened above the Dark Lord and another fighter dropped right on top of him, smashing his boot against his head, sending him to the ground and causing him to lose grip on his lightsaber.

And The Mercenary recognized him immediately, his jet black hair and bread, the insanity gleaming in his dark blue eyes with a long scar that ran oblique on his face, between his eyes. He had a similar black jacket to his own, same with the white undershirt, except he had a grey stripe running up his neck and they were roughly the same age.

"Makarov!" Dynamo screamed out furiously as he looked at the new fighter.

"Ah, my dear Georgian." The one and only Butcher of Realms gave a twisted smile at both of them. "The only one missing is Revan's apprentice, Malak, and this would be a proper reunion. But alas, things don't always go as planned." 

"Traitor! You and Malak will pay!" The Dark Lord seethed with hate as he called his lightsaber using the Force and stood up to face him, igniting its red blade.

"Ah, always so quick to anger." The bearer of The Harbinger of DOOM shook his head displeased. "That's one of the faults of the dark side."

"You will pay! You and all of the Sith!" Revan screamed out as he lunged violently for The Butcher now, coming down with a powerful slash of his lightsaber.

Yet Makarov's blades were nearly as indestructible as Dynamo's, making him able to deflect every attack that Revan brought forth. Not only that, but he was able to endure the Force powers that Revan used, even his very life being drained didn't affect him.

In fact, he seemed to be relishing in the carnage of the combat. The Gauntlets of Eden that he's wearing began to glow with an unholy light as if reacting to the Dark Lord's Force and The Mercenary's Triforce. And the Final Knight realized quickly what this meant as he'd seen it before and if he didn't stop it, it was not the entire galaxy that was doomed, it was this entire multiverse.

"Makarov! Revan! Stop!" He shouted as he threw himself between them.

Somehow, he managed to separate them for a moment when another, smaller explosion, was heard and the doors to the bridge opened with four young Jedi Knights rushing through, heading right for the three of them.

"Well, that's my cue to leave!" The Butcher of Realms mock saluted all of them as a rift opened behind him and he stepped back through it with a chilling nonchalance to it all.

"No!" An outraged Mercenary tried to get to him but he only grabbed air. "Damn it!" He muttered under his breath. 

Which was quickly taken away as a dark red blade appeared in front of him and he glanced behind him, stunned, as Revan set his boot on his back and pushed him to the ground. He caught himself with his arms, but he could feel the trickle of blood running from his mouth and dripping down onto the ground. What he could also feel was his body healing the otherwise deadly wound and as he did he looked up.

The Dark Lord was now fighting one of the Jedi Knights, a young woman wielding a double-bladed yellow lightsaber. And she was holding her own, for now at least. The other Knights were holding back the remaining Dark Jedi. 

Some triumphed, some fell. As they did, a third explosion shuddered the whole ship.  

The Mercenary could feel it in his core, the gnawing anger, the burning endless fury. The one and only demon worse than demons, The DOOM Slayer itself, wanted to come out. 

And he let it out as his royal blue eyes were filled with blood-red rage and aura of the same colour emanating from him. Like an uncaged beast, he lunged at Revan as he held up the young Jedi mid-air with the Force, the Triforce glowing brightly, as he aimed a massive strike but the Dark Lord snapped his gaze to him and lifted his hand to use the Force in an attempt to stop him.

But there was a sudden violent chain reaction between the powers wielded by the two adversaries and a massive explosion occurred with a blinding flash and a massive shockwave sent everyone to the ground reeling.

Revan struggled to get to his feet, but his wounds were too grave and his knees buckled, leaving him panting and wheezing from the effort.

Dynamo didn't fare much better, but he had the advantage of accelerated healing and unwavering will and determination. His body should've been broken, he should've died. Once again, he's thankful that his bones were bonded with the divine Adamantine, even with the pain that that fact brought to him. He gathered his strength and through sheer force of will, he began to get back up.

The Jedi were much more fortunate as the blast only left them slightly shaken. The young knight who held her own against the Dark Lord was the first to push herself off the ground. She took a few cautious strides towards Revan before yet another shockwave rocked the ship.

"Bastila, grab him and let's get out of here!" One of the knights called to her with an alert look. 

"Malak's ship has started a full bombardment! We have to go!" Another mentioned with urgency after glancing to the outside of the viewport.

"You filthy Jedi are not taking me anywhere," the Dark Lord said bitterly between ragged breaths. "If I am to perish-" The lightning began to crackle around him. "-then I am taking you with me!" 

He threw his hands up and bolts of lightning shot from his fingers, aiming for the young Jedi. She threw her hands up in a futile attempt to defend herself, already knowing that nothing could stop the Force Storm. 

But the lightning never struck. 

The Last Knight reacted faster than it, placing himself as a human shield, taking the full force of the storm. Every muscle fibre in his being contracted, his skin and blood boiled and even burned away, but, in that instant, he somehow saw inside Revan's mind. Five separate planets. Five distinct maps. One Forge for the army of the Sith. 

In less than a second, it stopped. The Dark Lord's lifeless body slumped to the ground after putting all of his being into his last stand. 

The Mercenary remained conscious for a moment longer. Enough to see the shocked expression of the young Jedi he had just saved, blood-red misted royal blue eyes looking into silver-grey before his mind became blank and it all faded to black.

Chapter Text

Hours turned into days. Days into weeks. It became a blur. The last thing he remembered clearly was the pain. Pain like he'd felt when divine metal was bonded to his skeleton. Saving someone, taking the brunt of an attack, but when? 

No. It didn’t matter now.

Only the present was important. 

What do you feel? The Last Knight asked himself in his sleeping meditation. Environment: quacking. On a ship. Under attack. Muscles: healed. Pain: only the normal… chronic one. Formă: maximă. (Form: maximum)

His eyes shot open and he inhaled deeply through his nose as another quake shuddered everything around him. He sat up from the bed he was laying in, a barracks, when the door opened with a hydraulic hiss as a soldier, clad in the yellow and red garb Republic Armor, rushed in. 

He looked about in his late thirties, with blonde hair neatly combed atop his head and a scar across his right cheek that showed he had plenty of combat experience. 

“We’ve been ambushed by a Sith battle fleet! The Endar Spire is under attack! Hurry up - we don’t have much time!” He kept his voice as even as possible, but the desperation seeped its way through.

That was the name of the ship he was on, yet now he barely remembered going on it. It was at the edge of his memories. Slightly disoriented, Dynamo asked. “The Endar Spire?”

“Did you fall out of your bunk and hit your bed?” He looked at him in disbelief. “The Endar Spire is the ship we’re stationed on - this ship! You probably don’t even know who I am, do you?”

The Mercenary shook his head, the man's scent was familiar yet he didn't have a name to associate it.

“I’m Trask Ulgo, an ensign with the Republic Fleet." He introduced himself with a serious voice. "I’m your bunkmate here on the Endar Spire. We work opposite shifts, I guess that’s why you haven’t seen me before." He shrugged, but there's still urgency in his tone. "Now hurry up, we have to find Bastila! We have to make sure she makes it off this ship alive!”

The name jogged his memory, but he had no face for it. “Wait, who’s Bastila?”

Trask gave him a quizzical look. “Bastila’s the commanding officer on the Endar Spire. Well, not an officer really. But she’s the one in charge of the mission. One of our primary duties is to guarantee her survival in the event of an attack!" He tried to make Dynamo catch up as quickly as he could. "You swore an oath just like everyone else on this mission! Now it’s time to make good on that oath! I’ve heard what everyone’s saying about you: you’re one of the best soldiers the galaxy’s ever seen, you have seen worlds that no one's ever dreamed of. People with skills and abilities are hard to find, it’s no wonder the Republic hired you for this mission. But now’s the time to prove yourself! I know you’re a mercenary, but Bastila needs all the troops at her side during this attack!” He spoke firmly.

Dynamo nodded, determination burning within him as began to regain his bearings, the personas coming back in full. “Right! Let’s go then!”

“So hurry up and grab your gear!” He pointed to the corner of the room where his equipment was.

The Final Knight quickly threw on his signature jet black jacket and brown backpack. After that, he adjusted the straps of his right grey gauntlet with a launcher for various grenades and a grappling hook and his left khaki gauntlet, which had the Smart Mission Interface (SMI), a collapsible vibranium bow, and a second grappling hook then he quickly checked the hidden blades of both. With everything in order, he looked to Trask with a firm nod.

“Ready! Get the door open! Time to teach these Sith a lesson!” He cracked his fists together, focused, The Soldier and Assassin persona showing themselves.

“Roger that!” He quickly punched the codes in and the door opened before them. “You’d better take the lead! You’re the one with more experience!”

“Very well!” The Mercenary departed first, his black nanofibertech boots barely making a noise as he ran down the metal passageways of the ship. “Stay behind me and cover me when needed!” He ordered him.

“Copy!” He prepared his two blaster pistols with a slight snicker.

A distress call came over Trask’s communicator and Dynamo’s SMI. “[This is Carth Onasi - the Sith are threatening to overrun our position!]" He relayed, his voice on edge. "[We can’t hold out long against their firepower! All hands to the bridge!]”

“That was Carth, one of the Republic’s best pilots!" Trask remarked disquieted, gripping more tightly on his blasters. "He’s seen more combat than the rest of the Endar Spire put together. If he says things are bad, you better believe it. We have to get to the bridge to help defend Bastila!” He looked at him apprehensively.

“Then let’s move out!” Dynamo ordered sternly and undaunted by the situation, keeping his eyes peeled for any Sith. His senses quickly picked them up and he already knew how to pick them off.

Turning a corner they found one Republic Soldier trying to fend off two Sith. They made short work of him before they turned their attention to The Mercenary. He didn’t waste any time as they began to fire their blaster rifles. He nimbly dodged the hot plasma and grabbed both of them by their heads and crushed them onto the metallic floor, bending it.

“These Sith must be the advance boarding party!” Trask mentioned warily as he ran up next to him.

“Well then, why not spoil it!” Dynamo stated with confidence as he led the way towards the Bridge.

They fought their way through several skirmishes, regretfully all the Republic Soldiers they encountered fell at the blasts of the Sith. But The Mercenary swiftly avenged their deaths, with Trask drawing their fire and his hand-to-hand combat they were able to make short work of them.

Another door, another corridor, that brought them one step closer to the Bridge. They stumbled upon a battle between a Jedi Knight and a Dark Jedi.

The Mercenary went to join, but Trask stopped him, barely, by placing himself in front. “It’s a Dark Jedi!" He exclaimed, alarmed, glancing over his shoulder and back. "This fight is too much for us, we better stay back. All we’d do is get in the way!”

Their lightsabers clashed, sending bright sparks of energy everywhere as they deflected their attacks countered one another.

“No! I can help her!” The Final Knight broke free from his hold and sprinted towards the conflict.

Yet, even with all his speed, he’s unable to reach them as two small explosions went off, making him take a few steps back as he shielded his face with a hand and gritted his teeth.

Using the small distraction, the Dark Jedi retaliated, landing a straight left kick to the female Jedi. She’s able to recover quickly and she spun in place, slashing her opponent with the lightsaber and defeating him.

But the small victory was short-lived as yet another explosion went off and took her out.

“That was one of the Jedi accompanying Bastila. Damn, we could’ve used her help!” Trask cursed under his breath.

“If you’d have let me intervene...!” The Mercenary shot him a cold glare but stopped himself, the unending rage stirred within but he kept it contained. “Forget it, we have to move on!” He said as a pair of Sith moved down the corridor.

Trask began to open fire, shooting one once in the head and once in the chest. The Last Knight clasped the other by his main hand, knocking the sword out of it, before landing a swift blow with his elbow, crushing his helmet and face in.

Both now faced the door to the Bridge. With no other way to open it, The Mercenary used his Adamantine blades before he pried open the doors with his gloved hands, while Trask began blasting the Sith inside to cover him.  

“Bastila’s not here on the bridge.” He said, unsettled and in between spurts of blaster fire. “They must’ve retreated to the escape pods! We better head that way too! The Sith want Bastila alive, but once she’s off the ship nothing is stopping them from blasting the Endar Spire into galactic dust!”

“Then we’d better move! I’ll draw their fire! Take them out as best you can!” Dynamo charged in, already toppling over two of the many Sith soldiers.

“On it!” He said as he took down his own pair of Sith.

Together, they cleared out the bridge and left through another set of doors. Trask took the lead, going to the set of doors in front.

“There’s something behind here.” The door opened in front of him and he looked at the figure beyond. “Damn, another Dark Jedi!” He exclaimed, startled by the sight.

The Dark Jedi was bald with a jet black goatee and dark yellow eyes, he was adorned in a long black robe overlaid with a black silver plate and gauntlets. He ignited his crimson double-bladed lightsaber and took slow, menacing strides towards his new prey.

Trask looked over his shoulder at The Mercenary, who’s already getting ready for a fight as he bared his teeth, showing his unnaturally sharper canines, like the unchained predator he was and held within. “I’ll try to hold him off, you got to go to the escape pods! Go!” He pleaded with him as he readied his sword.

“What!? No, I’m not leaving you alone!” The Last Knight went after him, but before he could reach them, several explosions went off, shutting the entrance and jamming it.

With no alternatives left, Dynamo took the only door that was able to open. The one leading to the starboard section.

After taking a few steps in his ears picked up the echo of Trask’s cries, even if they were dulled by the blazing alarms around him. As he made his way through, he got a call. “[This is Carth Onasi on your personal communicator. I’m tracking your position through the Endar Spire’s life support systems. Bastila’s escape pod is away, you’re the last surviving crew member of the Endar Spire! I can’t wait for you much longer, you have to get to the escape pods! But be careful. There’re Sith patrols down the corridor.]”

“[Roger that. Out.]” Dynamo replied, keeping his senses keen, The Splinter Cell persona asserting itself.

He quickly spotted the patrol. Taking a quick whiff of the air, he counted their numbers. Two here, six in the room beyond. Taking advantage of the general ruckus around them, he made short work of the two, killing both at the same time with his blades without them even knowing he was there.

Before he could step inside the next room, Carth contacted him again. “[Be careful! There’s a whole squad of Sith Troopers on the other side of that door! You need to find a way to thin their numbers!]”

“[Right, I got this.]” He replied calmly, yet coldly.

The Mercenary accessed the nearby computer terminal and hacked the power conduit of the next room with his SMI, causing it to overload and let off a massive electrical discharge that fried the entire squad.

With no more opposition remaining, he finally made it to the escape pods.

“You made it just in time!” Carth exclaimed relieved as Dynamo rushed in. “There’s only one active escape pod left. Come on, we can hide out on the planet below!”

"Right!" The Mercenary followed him. “You were the pilot here?”

“I’m a soldier with the Republic, unlike you," Carth replied swiftly. "We’re the last two crew members left on the Endar Spire.” He explained as quickly as he could. “Now let’s go, there’ll be time for questions later!”

He nodded and both crammed themselves into the pod.

“Damn, the belt isn’t working!” Carth cursed under his breath.

“Take my seat! I can survive the crash!” Dynamo unbuckled himself and went to switch places.

Carth opens his mouth to protest, but The Mercenary cut him off. “Don’t argue with me! Just do it!” He ordered sternly, with the authority of a Supreme Commander.

The soldier hesitantly buckled himself, while The Final Knight braced as best he could for the crash landing.

The pod quickly activated and disconnected, rocketing down to the surface below, as the Endar Spire exploded into bits behind it. It came crashing in the middle of the capital city, the force impact making it all fade to black even for him.

Chapter Text

Darkness was all he saw. The numbness was all he felt. Noise flooded through his ears and he slowly opened his eyes. The lights blinded him for a few moments before his eyes adjusted. He tried to lift himself, but a sharp pain shot through every muscle in his body, compounding the one he already felt. He cringed and shut his eyes against it when a voice broke through, distant yet familiar, same with the scent. The soldier from the Endar Spire, Carth.

“Whoa, hold on. Don’t try to get up yet. You were smashed up pretty bad when we crashed here on Taris.” His voice was quiet and even, but he couldn't help but notice the hint of apprehension in it. Must've been a horrible sight, The Mercenary certain that the Republic soldier was shocked that he lived, let alone without breaking any bones.

Being a demonic mutant sometimes had perks.

The Last Knight felt himself being pushed back down and he didn’t resist, he needed the sleeping meditation, otherwise, he would lose control of the demon worse than demons.

“Don’t worry, we should be safe here in this apartment." He spoke and sensed him shifting back in his place, a seat most likely. "I gave you something to help you sleep. Just get some rest and let the kolto packs do their job, though I can see that you already heal pretty quickly.”

The voice faded out and once again, he let the darkness take him, even if whatever the man gave him wouldn't have put him to sleep. Not a demon like him. So he emptied his mind to meditate.

*****

A dream? No. A vision? A memory?

He laid on the ground, holding himself up with his arms, as the blood dripped down from him. He looked up, a young female Jedi with a yellow double-bladed lightsaber, fighting what he assumed was the Dark Lord of the Sith, clad in an all-black robe and a broken Mandalorian mask. She couldn’t hold out for much longer. He needed to do something. He had to intervene.

The vision faded out as quickly as it came.

*****

After the vision he saw during his long sleeping meditation, The Mercenary's eyes finally opened. He didn't receive such visions during his meditation usually… though it was much better than the nightmares that plagued his sleep. He lifted himself off the bed, taking in his surroundings. An apartment, dark and a bit run down, with walls of metal.

“Good to see you up, instead of thrashing around in your sleep. You must have been having one hell of a nightmare.” Carth greeted him from his spot. He had dark hair that had been combed neatly and that partly hung down over his forehead. His face was scruffy and he had the look of someone who had seen a lot, though he was probably only in his late thirties. He wore a weathered tan jacket and dark pants. 

"Nightmares are worse… this was nothing…" The Final Knight rubbed his face with one hand, running it through his short messy black hair with a sigh. 

“I was wondering if you were ever going to wake up.” He remarked half-joking. “I’m Carth, one of the Republic soldiers from the Endar Spire. I was with you on the escape pods, remember? You switched places so that I would be protected.”

He nodded. “Right, I remember that part." He spoke as if it was nothing. "Georgian Dynamo, The Mercenary." He took a quick look around, partly surprised though his expression barely showed it. "How did we get here?”

“Well, you've been slipping in and out of consciousness for a couple of days now, so I imagine you're pretty confused about things." Carth went on to explain. "Try not to worry. We're safe… at least for the moment. We're in an abandoned apartment on the planet of Taris. You were banged up pretty bad when our escape pod crashed, but thanks to your actions I wasn't seriously hurt. I was able to drag you away from our crash site in all the confusion, and I stumbled onto this abandoned apartment. By the time the Sith arrived on the scene we were long gone.”

The Mercenary listened, keeping his royal blue gaze on him, taking in what he said. He figured that the slips in consciousness were how the man perceived his sleeping meditation. Also, the man must be fairly physically fit for being able to drag him. “Then I suppose I owe you one.” Dynamo looked at the floor for a second, before lifting his eyes to Carth. “Thank you.”

“You don't have to thank me." He shook his head as he looked at the Last Knight. "I've never abandoned anyone on a mission, and I'm not about to start now. Besides, you already saved mine so I guess we’re even.”

“Fair enough.” He nodded, already assessing that the man was a good, even exemplary soldier. It reminded him of his own, the best of them especially. 

“Listen, I'm going to need your help," Carth said fidgety with a glance away then back, seemingly unsure. "Taris is under Sith control. Their fleet is orbiting the planet, they've declared martial law and they've imposed a planet-wide quarantine. But I've been in worse spots. I saw on your service records that you understand a remarkable number of alien languages, not to mention the reputation that you carry. That's pretty rare, even for a mercenary, but it should come in handy while we're stranded in a foreign world. There's no way the Republic will be able to get anyone through the Sith blockade to help us. If we're going to find Bastila and get off this planet, we can't rely on anybody but ourselves.”

He kept his brow furrowed as he listened to Carth. He may be wary of me… not much of a surprise. That name again made his ears perk up. “Bastila?” Dynamo’s gaze snapped to him. “She's the one from the Endar Spire, right?” He asked, though his instinct told him that it was much more than that.

“That smack to your head did more damage than I thought." Carth rubbed the back of his head as he muttered, before explaining. "Bastila's a Jedi. She was with the strike team that killed Darth Revan, Malak's Sith master. Bastila is the key to the whole Republic war effort. The Sith must have found out she was on the Endar Spire and set an ambush for us in this system. I believe Bastila was on one of the escape pods that crashed down here on Taris. For the sake of the Republic war effort, we have to try and find her.”

The Mercenary nodded in understanding. This was well suited to his skill set, finding a High-Value Individual, H.V.I., behind enemy lines and escaping. Just another mission. “Very well then. Any idea where we should start looking for Bastila?” His mind began to work.

“While you were out I did some scouting around." He informed. "There are reports of a couple of escape pods crashing down into the Undercity. That's probably a good place to start. But the Undercity is a dangerous place. We don't want to go in there unprepared. It won't do Bastila any good if we go and get ourselves killed.” Carth said as he got up and prepared to leave.

“I still have my gear, so that should be a good start.” The Final Knight went to secure his gauntlets on his forearms. “The sooner we start looking for Bastila the sooner we find her.” He threw on his backpack. “Let's go!”

“Lead the way, Georgian.” Carth grabbed his signature blasters.

The Mercenary stopped in place and turned to the Republic soldier with a calm and cold expression, the perpetual rage burning deep in his royal blue eyes. "Call me Dynamo." He requested simply.

Carth was frozen in place for a moment, not sure how to react, though he did nod. "Alright then, Dynamo." Part of him wondered why that was the case, though he figured it was personal. Which made him think that he had personal reasons for some of his actions.

Soon after, both exited the apartment stepping out into the complex. The apartments were distributed circularly, with their hideout being on the upper-left side of the complex. Before they could even take two steps they ran into a Sith patrol just outside their apartment. The dark-skinned man in the grey uniform of the Sith was flanked by two sleek silver-coloured patrol droids and in their way stood two Duros, blue-skinned aliens with red eyes.

“Okay you alien scum, everybody get up against the wall!” The Sith barked his orders, threatening the innocents with his Blaster Rifle. “This is a raid!”

“There was a patrol here just yesterday, and they found nothing! Why do you Sith keep bothering us?” One of the Duros exclaimed outraged.

Without warning, the Sith Soldier gunned him down in cold blood.

“That's how we Sith deal with smart-mouth aliens!" He spat on the corpse. "Now the rest of you get up against the wall before I lose my temper again!” He waved his rifle again.

Witnessing this, The Mercenary's blood began to boil as the predator within snarled. He rushed down on one of the patrol droids, ripping off both its arms. Seeing him attack, the Republic pilot pulled out his pistols and blasted the other into oblivion.

“What's this? Humans hiding out with aliens? They're Republic fugitives!” The Sith exclaimed, barely registering that he’s the only one left standing.

He tried to shoot, aiming at Carth, but The Last Knight diverted the rifle with his left hand, making him fire into the floor, and plunged his blade through his throat with cold and calm fury.

With the conflict over, the surviving Duros walked up to both of them. “Poor Ixgil. He should never have talked back to that Sith.” He looked down, sorrowful at his fallen compatriot. “Thankfully you were here to step in and help us, human." He lifted his gaze at Dynamo and Carth. "This isn't the first time the Sith have come in here to cause trouble for us, but hopefully it will be the last.” 

The Mercenary took a deep breath as he sheathed his blades. “Don’t worry about it.” He nodded with a glance before advising. “Now you should get rid of these bodies, just in case.”

“Good idea. I will move them so it looks like they were killed elsewhere.” The Duros nodded. “That should throw the Sith off the track. With any luck, they won't be bothering us again for a while.”

The Last Knight bid him farewell and they walked further down the ring of the complex. 

“Do you know if all of these are occupied?” He asked Carth as he walked past the apartment next door, his keen senses cataloguing the scents on instinct. 

“No, some are unoccupied, but I don’t remember exactly which ones.” The Republic pilot shrugged, not thinking much of it.

"Alright." He nodded as his pace slowed, his gaze slightly turning to the door, though discreetly as he listened beyond.

"What are you doing?" Carth asked with a confused raised eyebrow. 

"Listening." The Mercenary replied simply.

A woman was beyond the door, human, talking to someone. 'Look, I can't go out of my apartment even! That pig, Holdan has put a bounty on me after he couldn't keep his hands to himself!' Her voice was laced with outrage, but he could tell that it was a mask to hide the fear. 'He got a scar from my vibroblade for that… no, I am not going out… I'll… I'll try and hide as much as I can… by some miracle… maybe you can make the bounty go away… Though it is more likely for someone to want to cash it in…'

And with that, he'd heard enough as he faced forward once more and began to walk, Carth following after with a dumbfounded expression. "Do you have some crazy hearing powers?"

"Enhanced senses." He replied simply. "I am not human. Far from it."

The Republic pilot was silent at that, unsure what to make of The Mercenary's words. "Alright then… what did you hear?"

"A woman was assaulted and defended herself," Dynamo informed with a glance, calm, though the rage brimmed within. "The culprit put out a bounty on her head. He is still in the Lower City. Since we are heading there, I figure that we can take care of this bounty."

Carth listened to his words, a slight surprise crossing his expression before it became doubtful which made him ask. “Did you really mean that?”

“Yes. Why not help her?” The Last Knight asked rhetorically. “We’re heading to the Lower City anyway, so why not help someone along the way? Might even get something useful out of it.”

“Hm, I guess that makes sense,” Carth said quietly as he closed the subject.

They stepped on the streets of Taris where the sun beamed down from above, reflecting off the glassy skyscrapers. A few lines of grey clouds marked the sky. Humans and Sith patrols walked the streets, along with a few protocol and cleaning droids. They walked forward towards the cantina, glancing at a Republic Escape Pod swarmed by salvage droids to their right. The Final Knight led the way inside a store, further down and to the right. The sign read 'Kebla Yurts Equipment Emporium'.

“I presume you have some credits on you, Dynamo.” Carth mentioned as he followed. “Because I have next to nothing.”

“Don’t worry, Carth.” He assured him. “I have enough.” And he did, thanks to his status as The Mercenary.

"Hello there." The woman greeted cheerfully. "I haven't seen you in my shop before... allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kebla Yurt. Welcome to the Equipment Emporium. Are you looking to buy some supplies? My shop's the largest one in all of Upper Taris. Best selection on the planet. Whatever you need, I've got." She said enthusiastically, but then quickly added with much less. "Well, mostly."

"Mostly?" Carth raised an eyebrow in question. "What do you mean by that?"

"The Sith confiscated all my heavy weapons." The shopkeeper explained. "And they impounded all my ships and swoop bikes. But I've still got a really nice selection if you're interested." 

“I want to ask you some questions,” The Mercenary said, placing a hand on the counter, the persona of The Watchdog showing itself.

“Anything I can do to help a potential customer out." She clapped her hands together expectantly as she asked. "What do you want to know?”

The Last Knight leaned down on the counter, almost whispering. “Do you know anything about those escape pods that crashed here on Taris?”

Kebla lowered her voice as well. “I heard a couple of pods crashed down in the Undercity. I bet the crash sites have already been stripped clean by the Sith though – unless the swoop gangs or Davik's men got there first.”

“Swoop gangs? What can you tell me about them?” His interest to learn what he could was peaked.

She shook her head a little as she explained. “I don't have anything good to say about the swoop gangs: zooming around on their swoop bikes, terrorizing the Lower City like a bunch of animals! Things weren't so bad when the Hidden Beks were running the show, but ever since the rise of the Black Vulkar gang the Lower City has been nothing short of a war zone! The Sith haven't even bothered trying to maintain order down there, and I heard a rumour that Davik's own people are having problems with the Black Vulkars now.”

“What do you know about Davik?” He asked about the man he's heard of several times already, a clear picture forming in his mind.

“Oh, Davik's a legitimate businessman, if you get my drift: smuggling, slaving, extortion. Uh-huh. They say he's a member of the Exchange – you know, the big intergalactic criminal organization.” She said with a hint of caution.

“Hmm. I've heard of the Exchange. Bad organization to cross. If anyone has blockade-breaking ships, however, it's them.” The Republic pilot mentioned with caution.

“Good to know.” Dynamo nodded as he looked from Carth back to the shopkeeper.

“I have to pay him a protection fee every month, but it's reasonable." She said with a resigned tone. "And I get most of my inventory through Davik and his suppliers – I'm just smart enough not to ask where it came from, you understand?”

“Yes, I get the picture.” The Final Knight nodded. “Let’s see what you've got for sale.”

She handed over a datapad, containing the full selection of what she had available. “Because of the Sith quarantine I haven't been able to stock any new inventory, but I've still got some nice items you might be interested in.”

Looking over the inventory, one item stood out. A permacrete detonator for 50 credits. Quite reasonable considering its explosive capabilities.

“I’ll take the detonator.” He handed over the credits and she gave him the detonator.

“Pleasure doing business with you!” She said with a bright smile as the acquisition was made.

“And with that, we should get going.” The Final Knight glanced briefly at Carth.

“Good day then. Remember to come back to my shop if you ever need any supplies.” She bid them farewell as they left her shop.

The two then began to walk down the short pathway to the cantina, with The Mercenary noticing that partner was lost in his thoughts. "Something on your mind, Carth?"

“Oh, not really, Dynamo.” He seemingly snapped from his reverie, glancing to The Final Knight who picked up the scent of the subtle lie, yet kept quiet.

"Alright then." He conceded with a nod before stating amiably. "If we are to collaborate, I'd like to know some more about you, Carth.”

“Me?" Carth looked at him surprised and chose to humour The Mercenary. "Well, I've been a star-pilot for the Republic for years. I've seen more than my share of wars… I fought in the Mandalorian Wars before all this started." Carth's voice began to rise with every word. "But with all that, I've never experienced anything like the slaughter these Sith animals can unleash. Not even the Mandalorians were that senseless. My homeworld was one of the first planets to fall to Malak's fleet. The Sith bombed it into submission, and there wasn't a damn thing our Republic forces could do to stop them!”

The Last Knight stopped as he looked at his companion, seeing the hate and anger in him, a hint of sympathy in his otherwise cold royal blue eyes. “I'm sorry, Carth." He said sincerely but in his usual hardened tone, though it was honest, calm and slow. "I understand how painful it must be."

His gaze snapped to him as he snarled. “How can you? You haven’t been through what I’ve been!” He almost shouted in his face.

The Mercenary was undeterred, maintaining his calm yet cold demeanour. “No, but I have been through something similar. I too have lost many of those who were dear to me. I understand that you blame yourself, but what happened wasn’t your fault.” He placed a consoling hand on his shoulder, his eyes with hints of understanding and compassion as he added mentally. Unlike me.

“It shouldn't be my fault.” Carth continued in a desolate tone. “I did everything I could… I followed my orders and did my duty. That shouldn't mean I failed them! I didn't!” He looked at the Final Knight as if searching, wanting validation from him.

He finished his thought for him. “But you feel like you did." He gave a long and rather heavy sigh. " I'm sorry, Carth, I didn't mean to upset you.”

He calmed down with a small wave of his hand. “I know. Don't worry about it. I just… must not be making much sense.”

“No, I understand.” Dynamo looked straight at him with that same understanding and firmness.

“You probably mean well with your questions. I'm just not accustomed to talking about my past very much. At all, actually." He said, reserved. "I'm more used to taking action… keeping my mind focused on the business at hand. So let's just do that." He suggested, patting one of his blasters. "If you have more questions, ask them later.”

The Mercenary was internally surprised that they shared some similarities, though both were soldiers, veterans, so he figured that it was a given. “As you wish.” He nodded simply as they started walking again.

Both stopped in front of the cantina, a Sith soldier stood guard beside it, but he ignored them and they entered.

The jazzy music blared, a few Pazaak players cast them an uninterested glance. They moved past and entered the central hub. The Mercenary took a quick whiff of the air and he catalogued the scents. Sweat, ale, a Hutt and a few Sith. The Sith scent led him to a group of them, though they didn't have their uniforms on. One of them, a woman, noticed The Mercenary, especially noting the dark and rage full air around him, a fact that sparked her curiosity since he didn't look like a Force user. 

“Hi there – I haven't seen you around before." She walked over to the Last Knight specifically, all friendly, ignoring the Republic soldier next to him who took a step back, watching carefully. "Of course they don't give us Sith officers from the military base much time off…” 

“You're from the military base?” Dynamo asked with veiled curiosity as he leaned on the wall to his side, arms folded, making use of The Watchdog persona to get information with relative ease. “You don't look like one of the Sith.”

She shrugged jovially, eyeing the strange man. “I'm off duty right now, so I'm not in uniform. My name is Sarna – junior officer first class with the Sith occupation force.”

“An honour to meet you, Sarna. The name is Dynamo.” He seemingly softened his expression, though it was a mere ploy.

She looked up at him with that same curiosity, though she caught a glimpse of the rage within those royal blue eyes, rage bigger than a Sith Lord's. “I'm actually a little surprised you're talking to me at all... most of the people here on Taris can't stand us Sith. It can make this job pretty lonely.”

“You're just doing your job, right?” He tilted his head slightly to the side, playing the part, though he sensed the fear that crept up within her, the subtle scent of metallic sweat. “I don't hold that against you.” He said amiably that with a small shrug.

“That's true, but people don't appreciate what we've done for them." She said with resentment, hiding her apprehension using it as she folded her arms and glanced away. "We could have slapped a curfew on this whole planet, but we didn't. You know, it's like everyone on this backwater planet is in a permanent bad mood. Don't they know we have to make the best of things?” She asked with incredulous rhetoric.

“You've got a pretty positive attitude.” Dynamo forced a small nod of agreement, even if her words stirred his rage and hate, the white of his eyes remained clear.

“Exactly!” She perked up, her eyes looking back to him. “It's all about attitude. I didn't ask to be assigned to this backwater planet, but I try to make the best of it. It's pretty easy to get depressed on an assignment like this, but we do what we can to keep our spirits up.”

“It must be tough, being stationed in a hostile world.” The Mercenary tilted his head down, looking at her.

“That's true." She nodded with a smile, a mix of weariness and wonder in her eyes. "It's nice to meet someone who understands what I'm going through. It's good to talk about this stuff – It gets pretty lonely up at the military base." As she said that a ping went off and she groaned in annoyance as she prepared to leave. "I have to get going soon – I've got a shift at the military base." Before she did she turned to the Final Knight with a proposal. "But some of us junior Sith officers are having a party tonight to blow off some steam. I'd really like to see you again." She said a bit bashfully. "Why don't you drop by the party? We’re in the Upper City North Apartments.”

“Sounds good. My friend and I will be there.” He nodded, an opportunity had presented itself.

“Don't be late." The Sith warned playfully. "We're starting right after the end of our shifts. Most of us won't even be going back to the base to lock up our uniforms. I look forward to seeing you there.” Sarna gave him one last smile before leaving, but she was subconsciously trembling subtly.

She waved him goodbye before catching up with the groups of Sith and leaving the cantina with them. Shortly after, Dynamo and Carth did as well.

“And that is our ticket to the Lower City,” The Mercenary commented matter-of-factly.

“How can you be so sure?” Carth asked with a glance, surprised and suspicious.

“Do you think they’d allow normal citizens like ourselves into the Lower City?” He asked sarcastically, though it was well-meaning towards the Republic pilot.

“Fair point.” Carth nodded in agreement.

They walked down towards the north side of the city. As they did, The Mercenary kept his hearing tuned, picking up information as they went. The Lower City was overwhelmed by swoop gangs and the Sith didn't really care about it. Instead, they were sending salvage teams to the Undercity, where several Republic escape pods had crashed. Unsurprisingly, most of the people didn't enjoy the Sith presence on their planet, though some sought out the silver lining, seeing as the local cantinas were packed. 

On the right of the walkway they were on, the Last Knight noticed a Medical Facility. He still had four doses of regeneration serum in case the Republic pilot with him, or any innocent they came across was injured, but he would rather save them for emergencies 

“A few medical supplies won’t hurt, right?” He asked Carth as he led the way towards it.

“No, not at all." He shook his head a little, before urging him with a small motion of his hand. "Lead on.” 

They entered and were immediately greeted by a friendly dark-skinned man with a bushy grey moustache who stood behind a desk to the south wall. The facility was full of various equipment and had a very clean and sterile feel to it, benevolent even.

“I see from your appearance that you are an off-worlder." The man noted as they walked in, keeping his tone calm, with a sort of gruff softness, though intimidated by The Mercenary's appearance and feel. "Still, you are welcome here. I'll not have it said that Zelka Forn refused to help somebody just because they weren't a citizen of Taris. Do you require healing or medical supplies? I can treat almost any injury or ailment right here at the medical facility, except the rakghoul disease, of course.”

“Medical facility? Like a hospital, right?” Dynamo asked amiably with a glance around.

Zelka answered a bit hesitantly. "A hospital of sorts, though my resources are quite limited since the Sith quarantined the planet. I provide basic medical services to all citizens and visitors to Taris. I have extensive medical training, and even with the lack of resources I can treat most injuries or ailments right here at the centre - except for the rakghoul disease, of course." He added the last part with veiled resentment, though if it was at himself of others, it was unclear. 

“Rakghoul disease?" He's repeated that twice now, a fact that made his ears perk up. "What’s that?” Dynamo looked at Zelka with a hint of curiosity in his eyes, as well as a hidden willingness to help. 

“The terrible affliction has plagued Taris for many generations." He explained in a grim voice. "It is spread by the rakghouls, horrible monsters that live in the Undercity below Taris' great skyscrapers. Prolonged exposure to the Undercity breeds the disease and those infected will eventually mutate into rakghouls themselves, becoming mindless beasts that feed on the flesh of others.”

“Is there no cure?” He asked, knowing that there had to be a way, even if there wasn't he would make one.  

He shook his head dejected. “There is no antidote for the disease, though I heard the Republic scientists at the military base here on Taris were close to perfecting a cure. Then the Sith arrived." Spite entered his tone as he spoke lowly. "They overran the military base and now they refuse to allow anyone access to the laboratories inside. The Sith are keeping the serum for the patrols they send into the Undercity." He looked at his hands, clutching them into fists as he continued. "If I could just get my hands on a sample of that serum the rakghoul disease could be wiped from the face of Taris forever. But I don't see how that's going to happen.” With those last words, he hung his head in seeming defeat.

The demonic mutant shifted in place as he folded his arms, casting a silent glance to Carth who remained silent, letting The Mercenary take the lead seeing that he seemed to be a natural leader. “Maybe I could find a way to get my hands on that serum for you.” He offered as he looked back at Zelka.

He looked straight at him, somewhat pensive and sceptical. “I don't see how anyone could get their hands on the serum. The military base is crawling with Sith guards. Breaking in there would be a suicide mission." He paused and glanced away as he mused. "I suppose the Sith patrols in the Undercity might have a sample of the serum on them if they hadn't already used it because of a rakghoul infection. But I doubt a patrol would just hand the serum over. And nobody's stupid enough to attack one of the Sith patrols, even in the Undercity.”

“Don't worry, Zelka. We have certain ways.” The Mercenary replied with underlying confidence, arms folded.

“Please don't say that!” Panic entered his voice, though his soft tone didn’t rise. “If the Sith hear you they might think I'm suggesting you start stacking their patrols. They could shut me down! I only mentioned the serum because you asked.” He continued in a slightly desolate tone as he looked away. “I don't actually expect anyone to get me the serum. Now, is there anything else I can do for you?” He asked, eyes back on the two.

For a moment, The Mercenary was silent before asking calmly and amiably. “Do you know anything about the Republic escape pods that crashed in the Undercity?”

The man paused, shifting with controlled nervousness behind the desk. “Republic escape pods? Uh... no... why would you ask me that? I don't know. Those pods crashed in the Undercity, I'm not involved in any way!” He tried to remain as calm as possible, to not elicit any suspicion.

But the Final Knight picked it up immediately, metallic sweat beading down Zelka’s neck, his hairs standing on end. He was afraid, so he kept his voice calm. “You seem awfully defensive about this.”

“I'm not defensive!” He grew more agitated by the second. “I just don't like being accused of knowing something about those Republic pods. This is as bad as an interrogation by the Sith!” He accused both of them, offended.

The Mercenary raised his hands a bit, trying to get him to calm down. “Don't worry, I'm not with the Sith. I won't betray your secret if you tell me.” He looked him straight in the eyes, attempting to get him to trust him.

“Well, you don't look like you're with the Sith. I guess… I guess I can tell you my secret." He turned rather secretive. "Or rather, I can show you.”

Zelka walked to a door labelled ‘Lab Personnel Only’. Tapping in the code, it opened, revealing the room beyond. Tanks of kolto lined the walls, at the very end of the room, stood two more, with people inside. Looking at them, The Mercenary recognized them from the Endar Spire. He walked closer to them, entranced.

“Since the space battle overhead, people have been secretly bringing in these Republic soldiers who crash-landed on the planet,” Zelka explained evenly. “I had to take them in. What choice did I have?" He asked them, not expecting an answer while looking at the fallen soldiers. "Their injuries are terrible, most won't survive. But at least I can make their last days more comfortable. And at least here they are hidden away from the Sith.”

The mutant demon hybrid placed a hand on the glass of one of the tanks, staring at the unresponsive face of the soldier inside, his dog tags burning cold, as he remembered their names, their faces, their stories. He would always remember them, for that was his curse. To never forget. 

“Well, for that you have my thanks.” Carth addressed Zelka with gratitude. “It's good to know that at least some of these men ended up in compassionate hands."

“I hate to imagine what the Sith would do if they discovered these soldiers here. But since their initial questioning, the Sith have not returned, so it may be that my fears are unfounded,” He said, slightly optimistic.

The Mercenary let his hand back down and turned them, looking at Zelka, feeling empowered. “Don’t worry about the Sith. If they ever give you any trouble, don’t be scared to call for help, because I’ll come running. Isn't there anything I can do to help them?”

“Thank you for your kind offer, but I'm afraid there is nothing more anyone can do for these soldiers." Zelka shook his head regretfully before sighing and walking out of the room. "Now, if you'll excuse me I should return to the front in case anyone comes in needing medical attention.”

With that, Zelka returned to the front of his facility while Dynamo and Carth took their leave, the Republic soldier having some new opinions on The Mercenary, which he kept to himself. He would see if the man would be true to his word as the legends spoke.

“Psst. You there! Wait a minute.” A voice called to them just before they exited. “I need to talk to you about the rakghoul serum. I've got an offer for you you might want to hear.” Gurney, a young slimy dark-skinned man with short black hair, Zelka’s assistant, offered in a hushed whisper as he stepped up to them.

The Final Knight furrowed his brow, his voice lower and colder somehow, he shook his head once firmly. “I’m not interested.” 

“Oh, don't be an idiot." The man said dismissively, seemingly not intimidated by his demeanour. "Just listen to me for one minute and you won't be sorry. Davik Kang wants the cure, and you'd be smart to give it to him.”

“Davik Kang? Who's that?” Although disgusted by the offer, he couldn't pass up an opportunity to learn more about this Davik character.

He looked at The Mercenary dumbfounded. “Oh, come on – everybody knows who Davik Kang is! He's the big boss around here. Gambling, smuggling, extortion – he's got a piece of all the action on Taris.”

“Why do you care who gets the cure?” His eyes narrowed as he towered over the man.

He began to explain, all giddy seemingly, shaking, though it could also be due to The Mercenary's mere presence. “Look, Zelka can't afford to pay me much. If you sell the serum to Davik, I can probably get a nice finder's fee for directing you to him.”

“What if I tell Zelka you're helping Davik get the cure?” The mutant demon hybrid lowered his voice to a grave tone.

He chuckled at the threat, though it had a nervous undertone. “Hmph. I'll just deny it. Who's Zelka going to believe – me, or some off-world stranger? Now, be smart about this. You'll get a better deal selling to Davik.”

He folded his arms over his chest and stared him down. “I think I'd rather give the serum to Zelka. He'll use it to help people.”

“Helping people is all well and good, but you have to help yourself first, right?” Gurney tried to persuade him with a slimy tone. “I'm telling you Davik will pay big credits for the cure. More than Zelka could ever afford.”

“And then only the rich could afford the cure,” Carth commented with an irritated huff. “Just let the poor suffer, right?”

“Hey, heh, who said anything about fair?" Gurney chuckled disinterestedly with a dismissive look to the Republic pilot before glancing back to The Mercenary. "If you find the rakghoul serum, just take it to Zax in the Lower City bounty office. He works for Davik. He'll pay you what that cure is really worth!”

“Right...” Dynamo muttered in his beard, wholly unconvinced. “Thank you, but not at all.” He waved him off and both of them left the facility.

“Remember – if you get your hands on that rakghoul serum take it to Zax in the Lower City bounty office. He works for Davik, and he'll make it worth your while,” He called to them with a slimy snicker.

The Last Knight grunted in annoyance with a roll of his eyes as they walked towards the north side.

"Same opinion, huh?" Carth asked with a glance.

"Yeah." He replied simply as they walked at a quickened step, for they had a party to attend to.

As they did, the demonic mutant's keen ears picked up on an altercation between an old merchant and two bounty hunters, a dark-skinned man with a buzzcut and an aqualish man, one wearing light combat armour, the other a dark blue vest with a tan shirt, brown pants and black boots. They were off to the side and those that did see seemed to ignore it or merely step as fast as they could away.

The Aqualish were a species of odd-looking humanoids, with two or four eyes, large tusks that stick out from where a human nose would be, and their tusks took up a big portion of their face in a somewhat strange fashion. They also had hands with either three or five fingers, either had or didn't have hair on their hands and/or jaws, but generally had bald heads.

“Davik says you missed your last payment.” The human bounty hunter said impatiently, tapping his foot as he kept his arms folded.

“Davik doesn't like you missing payments!” The Aqualish threatened the innocent man with a snarl.

The merchant attempted to reason with them, terror on his expression as he reached for whatever money he could find. “Here – I've got fifty credits! A down payment. That should buy me some time, right?”

“Sorry, you're out of time.” The hunter took a few steps, cornering him as he leaned forwards, slow and menacing. “Now it's all or nothing. Davik can't have people not paying his debts!”

“But I don't have that much!” He raised his hands in panic as he backed away and hit the wall, asking desperately. “How can I give you credits I don't have?”

“That's too bad.” The Aqualish hunter smiled menacingly as he toyed with his vibroblade, twirling it in his hand. “Davik's going to want to make an example of you! You're coming with us.” He reached to grab him.

“No – help! Somebody help! They're going to kill me!” The merchant cried out in fear as he noticed Dynamo and Carth passing by.

The Republic pilot whispered to him, aggravated. “I know we have to be careful about drawing attention to ourselves but are we just going to let them drag this guy off?”

Silently, The Mercenary nodded in his direction when the bounty hunters noticed the pair.

“Hold on a second. Looks like we got ourselves a witness here!” The man stopped, peeved, with a hand gripping the merchant.

“Davik doesn't like witnesses.” The Aqualish pulled out his blaster pistol, slow and with clear intent.

“Leave him alone or you'll have to deal with me...!” The Final Knight cracked his knuckles and gritted his teeth, using his massive stature to tower over the two now frail-looking bounty hunters, letting his eyes flash red for a moment.

“Guess we have to teach you to mind your own business!” One of them said confidently before he saw the red in the white of his eyes and the both flinched, unable to move.

Time slowed to a stop as Dynamo grabbed both by the head with lightning-quick speed and banged their heads together, knocking them out cold, before leaving their bodies to fall limply on the ground.

“Thank you – I owe you my life!” The merchant walked up to them relieved, though still shaking, whether from being threatened or from The Mercenary, it was unclear. “Those bounty hunters were going to take me away and kill me! My wife warned me not to take a loan from Davik. Now I can't pay him back. It's not good to owe a crime lord money. He'll just keep sending more bounty hunters after me until I'm dead!”

“Maybe I can help you.” The demonic mutant offered calmly, noting that the man feared him too.

“You already helped me by saving me from those bounty hunters." The merchant replied gleefully, though with an undertone of apprehension. "So unless you have a spare 100 credits to give me so I can pay off Davik, there's nothing else you can do.”

The Mercenary reached into his backpack “ Here are 100 credits.” He offered the man who's now staring up at him with a shocked expression. “Take them.” He encouraged simply, his expression neutral. “You need them more than I.”

“You're giving me 100 credits?” He looked at him befuddled, quickly becoming overjoyed. “Just like that? I... I don't know what to say! Thank you! Thank you!”

“You're giving him a hundred credits?” Carth eyed Dynamo with an uncertain look for a moment. “Generous.” He quipped under his breath.

“Now I can pay off Davik. You've saved my life! Thank you! I better take these credits to him right away!” The merchant stormed off euphoric.

“It’s the little things that count,” The demonic mutant commented, content with his decision even if he remained hardened.

The Republic pilot didn't reply, yet he couldn't help but wonder, though he kept his thoughts to himself.

He noticed his expression. "Is this a good time to ask you some more questions?"

"I guess I did say you could ask me questions later, didn't I?" Carth remarked somewhat reluctantly with a glance away and back, raising an eyebrow as he asked. "Is this really necessary?"

"Well, if we are to work together then we should know the other better." He clarified amiably and calmly. "And you can ask as well."

"Oh. Well, if it's an interrogation you wanted, why didn't you say so?" Carth jested with a small snicker.

"Excellent," Dynamo said, all sarcastic, playing into it as his expression became less hardened for a moment. "Soon all your secrets will be mine."

"All my secrets are purely of the mundane variety, unfortunately." The Republic pilot went along with it with that same snicker. "Nothing worth extracting, though you're welcome to try." His tone changed to a more serious one. "Let me ask you something first, though. I've been going through the battle aboard the Endar Spire over and over in my head since we crashed. Some things just don't add up for me. Maybe you could tell me what happened… from your perspective."

"I don't know what I could add." The Final Knight replied in all honesty, now serious,  the shift occurring almost frighteningly fast. "Like you said when we first met: Bastila didn't have time to use her powers."

"True." He slowly nodded, though he still had a musing expression. "Bastila is as powerful as they say… she's the one who defeated Darth Revan, after all. Hmm." He paused in thought with a hum. "I guess that no Jedi ability, no matter how powerful, makes up for being completely surprised and outmatched. We didn't choose that battle, anyway. It got forced on us. Hell, I'm just surprised that any of us are alive to talk about it." He glanced at the demonic mutant. "Come to think of it, it's more than a little surprising that you happen to be here, isn't it? Just what is your position with the Republic fleet, anyway?"

"I don't have a position per se," Dynamo replied, explaining. "I am The Mercenary and me and my Watchdogs have worked with the Republic for quite some time now. They contracted me for my skills, knowledge and connections." 

"Well, that makes sense." He eyed him, somewhat suspicious. "Still… it seems a bit strange that someone who was a last-minute addition to the crew roster is one of the survivors."

"I'm fairly hard to kill. You'd rather I wasn't?" The Last Knight asked incredulously with a raise of his eyebrow, though he remained calm as he understood where the Republic pilot might be coming from. 

"Don't be ridiculous." Carth rushed to say with a swift shake of his head. "You've more than proved yourself since the crash… we wouldn't have made it this far without you. But still…" He trailed off unsure and unable to put it into words.

"What, are you implying I had something to do with the crash?" Dynamo asked to figure him out. 

"No. Well… maybe." He replied uncertainly, before adding. "Don't get me wrong, it just seems odd that someone Bastila's party specifically requested to transfer aboard happened to survive."

That bit surprised him though his expression barely showed it. He clearly remembered receiving the contract for it from the Jedi, but he didn't know it was from her specifically. "Why would Bastila request my transfer? We haven't even met before." 

"The Jedi requested numerous things when they came aboard… hell, they practically took over the ship, as far as I could tell," Carth recalled, letting the walking keep him focused. "Considering your connection to Bastila, and the Jedi… whether you know it or not… Your presence here seems a little convenient. I'm probably wrong and this is probably nothing, I know. I learned a long time ago not to take things at face value, however. And I hate surprises."

The Last Knight could sense that there was something deeper, a sort of trauma that caused him to have doubts about anyone. Though he was well used to being doubted, to be feared, he was already resigned to it. "I'm telling you, Carth, I had nothing to do with the crash." He spoke in a calm and honest way. 

"I expect you're right." He replied lowly yet sincerely, admitting. "I've got no real reason to suspect you of anything. Still… it's better to be safe than sorry, right?" He asked rhetorically. 

The Mercenary looked at the Republic pilot with a small raise of his eyebrow. "You do know we're on the same side, right?"

Carth gave a long sigh. "Look… it has nothing to do with you, personally. I don't trust anyone, and I have my reasons." He explained briefly. "And, no, I'm not going to discuss them. So can we just keep our mind on more important things?" 

"Alright, let's do that." He agreed before adding in thought with a furrow of his brow. Deşi s-ar putea să vreau să descopăr de ce... (However, I might want to learn why.)

"Alright, alright." He nodded with a sigh and glance. "You're pretty tenacious, you know that? We'll talk about it… but later. Right now I just want to get going."

The pair entered the north side of the Upper City. Straight in front of them were the apartments, where the Sith party was being held. Hopefully, they won't be late. As they approached the door an Ithorian called to them through the taunts and aggressions of a young boy and girl from off to the side, all others around ignoring them.

His long flat head arched upwards with two beady eyes extended in a hammerhead formation on each side of his face. “Please, humans – I am injured and in need of assistance," He called out through two separate mouths on either side of his neck that gave off an odd hollow quality to his desperate voice. "These human children keep hitting and kicking me. I cannot reason with them, but if I fight back I could be arrested.” 

“Get out of here you goggle-eyed freak! You're too ugly for the Upper City!” The boy exclaimed with glee as he punched the Ithorian as hard as his small stature would all.

“Yeah – go back where you came from! We don't want your kind up here!” The girl joined him and she delivered a kick to the alien in the same way the boy did.

“Unh! Please – human! Help me! Maybe these offspring of your species will listen to you.” the Ithorian pleaded with the demonic mutant as he saw the imposing mountain of a man approach, his hardened expression darkened dangerously already.

“Leave him alone, right now or you’ll answer to me!” He growled as he towered over the bullies with his athletic arms folded.

The two kids saw his shadow and they turned, white as if they saw a Sith Lord, shivering instantly. “Ahh!! Run for it!” The boy bully screamed frightened and both ran away under the scrutinising glare of The Mercenary. But, glares of the same manner were cast towards the demon in human flesh, even frightened. 

He let out a huff from his nostrils before looking at the Ithorian, lingering irritation in his royal blue eyes, though Carth beside him had an approving expression of how he had acted in that situation, keeping quiet with his arms folded.

“Thank you, human.” He looked at The Mercenary thankfully, subtly holding his side, where most hits had connected. “I was returning from a visit with a work associate when those child humans attacked me and chased me through the streets.”

Immediately, The Final Knight noticed his demeanour. “You look hurt.” He reached into his brown backpack with intent, searching for a moment. “Here, I can offer you medpac.” He held the small white pack out to him.

The Ithorian gawked at him, though intimidated “You are too kind, human.” He accepted it, amazed by the gesture. “I thank you for your generosity. Most of your kind here on Taris care little for aliens like myself. Once more, thank you for saving me from those human children. I must take leave of you now. My lifemate will be wondering where I am.”

While Dynamo and Carth entered the apartments, the Ithorian took his leave. They looked the same as the southern variants and had a similar layout. A maintenance droid rolled about, with a pair of kids running down and two women were engaged in a small conversation on the side near a window, talking about the decay of Taris under Sith occupation, the gang war in the Lower City and the crashes in the Undercity. He still remembered where Sarna said the party would be and he could hear the music, so they went straight to her apartment. The doors opened and they stepped into a lively party, the scent of ale clear in his nostrils.

Sarna immediately saw the Last Knight and she greeted him with a wide smile. “Hey, you made it! I was beginning to wonder if you were going to show!" She enthusiastically led both inside, a bottle in one hand. "The party's in full swing – come on in. You have to try this Tarisian ale” She shoved an entire bottle into his hands. “– it's fantastic! We should have conquered this planet ages ago!”

“Careful, Sarna. That wine's got quite the kick. A couple more bottles and we'll all be passed out on the floor!” One of the Sith warned her from where he sat rather lazily, a glass of ale in hand, swirling it around before swinging the whole thing down.

“Who cares?” Sarna waved him off playfully. “We're not on duty tomorrow – let's live a little! Come on – drink up!”

They all downed more than a couple of shots and within a few minutes, all of the party-goers were on the floor, sleeping off the effect of the powerful drink.

“Lightweights…” The Mercenary mumbled dully as he set the bottle aside before he began to search their belongings. Quickly, he found exactly what he’s looking for, Sith Armor.

“This one’s yours.” He handed it to Carth.

He looked at him with a raise of his eyebrow as he took the outfit rather unsurely as he asked, “But what about you?”

“Then let’s go find another Sith Armor.” The demonic mutant said as he stood up and walked out while he put the armour in his pack.

“But how? Where?” Carth looked at him confused, though he did follow after. 

“Right there.” Dynamo motioned towards a nearby apartment. The door was open and a Sith Soldier was standing guard at the entrance. “Follow my lead.” He walked slowly towards them, senses tuned to listen.

“Just move along. There's nothing to see here.” The hostile soldier said to the passers-by, a harsh glare under his silver helmet, holding his blaster rifle tightly.

The Mercenary's senses reached inside the room, picking up on the voices and scents of two beings in there.

“Where did you hide those Sith uniforms?” The Sith commander's outraged shouts were heard from inside the room, ruffling sounds quickly followed. “Did you sell them to the Tarisian underground? Start talking – I want answers!” A slam was heard followed by the pleas of his helpless victim.

“Please – I'm only a visitor to Taris, trapped here by your quarantine. I know nothing about the Tarisian underground or your missing Sith uniforms!” The aqualish man tried to plead for his life, desperation and fear in his echoey voice.

The Last Knight eyed the guard in silence, though the rage began to boil within as he listened, glancing at his companion. 

“I know all about Sith interrogations. This isn't going to end well.” Carth whispered to Dynamo, infuriated as well.

“I'm getting sick of your lies, you alien scum!" The voice of the Sith commander rang out from the inside. "We got your ugly mug on a security tape from the base!” A slam into the metallic wall echoed loudly. “Start talking before I splatter your slimy brains all over this room!”

“Uh-oh. I think the commander's losing his temper.” The trooper muttered as he looked behind his shoulder inside the room. “I'm glad I'm out here – it took me an hour to clean the bloodstains from my uniform after the last interrogation.”

Something inside the demonic mutant snapped as his eyes flashed red for a moment and he began walking closer, his figure even more imposing as his expression darkened. Carth was right next to him, a hand resting on his blaster pistol, ready to snap at them.

“Hey, what do you two think you are doing!” The trooper's gaze snapped to them, grip tightening as he slowly raised his rifle.

“What we have to do...!” The Mercenary gritted his teeth, baring them, unnaturally sharp canines in view as he cracked his fists.

The commander let go of the alien, his body slumping against the wall as he took short, panicked breaths while the Sith headed towards the pair. “What was that? Did I hear you right? 'Have' to do? How can you stop us?" He mocked them, before going on the offensive. "Time to teach these civilians the penalty for defying the Sith!” He pulled out his pistol and aimed at the Last Knight, opening fire. 

Yet, The Mercenary had already grabbed the trooper in front of him and kneed him in the gut, crushing his chest, before he threw him over the second trooper. He barely dodged his fallen companion's body when he received two blaster bolts, one to the head and the other to the chest, courtesy of the Republic pilot. 

The commander was the last one standing, firing his Blaster Pistol in Carth’s direction, but he rolled out of the way, mostly thanks to his vast experience, while The Mercenary grabbed his firing arm and broke it with no hesitation or even emotion almost. He screamed in pain as the arm crumpled at his side before he was quickly silenced as the mutant demon hybrid wrung his neck in one swift motion.

"I think we're clear," Carth said with a sigh of relief as he holstered his pistols with a glance around.

The Mercenary nodded to him. "Keep watch at the entrance." He requested before entering the apartment, slowly walking over to the one inside, hands raised to show that he was amiable. "Are you alright?” He calmly asked the alien the Sith were interrogating, offering a helping hand.

He visibly hesitated, still shaking from the encounter and intimidated by the man. “Yes, thank you, human." He accepted it, though with reluctance, and got back on his feet. "The Sith would have killed me… of that I am certain. I don't know who you are, but it is clear you are no friend of the Sith. Among my people, there is a saying: the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Like you, I hate the Sith. That is why I stole those Sith uniforms for the Hidden Beks.” 

Dynamo knew the saying, being very familiar with it, especially his Soldier side. This could provide them with useful information so he asked him. “The Hidden Beks? Who are they?” 

The aqualish lowered his tone as he informed him. “In the Lower City, there are some who do not bow to the conquerors. Swoop gangs like the Hidden Beks are gathering resources to one day strike against the Sith oppressors." He clenched a fist at the end to show determination before advising. "If you wish to strike another blow against the Sith you would be wise to journey to the Lower City and speak with Gadon Thek, the leader of the Hidden Beks.”

“What are the Hidden Beks planning?” The Mercenary folded his arms. He wanted to know if they could involve themselves with these Beks and alliance could prove useful between them.  

“You would have to ask Gadon Thek to know the answer to that question." He informed with a small sigh. "They approached me, and my only role was to obtain the Sith uniforms for them.” 

The Last Knight nodded before motioning towards the exit. “Go on, get out of here before another patrol comes through.”

The Aqualish nodded slowly and muttered. “Yes… I have no desire to be here. Goodbye, and thank you once again.” He gave a passing nod to Carth and ran off.

Meanwhile, the Republic soldier had gained hold of another Sith Armor from a hidden footlocker. "Here, found one for you!" He said as he walked over to The Mercenary handing it.

He nodded and took it. "Thank you, Carth." He then began unpacking it with determination brimming in his royal blue eyes. "Now let's suit up."

"Couldn't agree more." He said with a small motivated smirk.

It didn't take long for them to change into the Sith armour and to pack their normal clothes. When they emerged from the apartment complex they did as a Sith patrol, heading to the Lower City.

They heard running footsteps coming from behind before either of them could turn, a man stumbled into them and crashed on the floor. The man, who had short black hair and dull grey unassuming garments, looked up at them and immediately began to panic.

"Oh, man, oh man! Y-you're Sith!" He spoke quickly and breathlessly as he backed himself into a corner with a petrified expression. 

With calm motions, The Mercenary took off his helmet, same with the Republic pilot beside him. "Easy. We're not Sith." He raised a hand amiably to show that he had no ill intent.

Before he could say anything else, the man's expression was filled with dread, especially seeing his bright red scar and general roughness. "Oh, no! You're one of Davik's men! Please… please don't hurt me!" He begged, sweat beading down his neck and brow as he nearly hyperventilated. "You don't have to kill me – I'll have Davik's money if he... if he just gives me a little more time! Please, I don't want to die!" He patted himself with shortened breaths, searching for anything before he held out his hands, pleading. "Here – I've got 50 credits on me. That's all I've got. It's yours – just don't tell Davik where I'm hiding, okay? I'm begging you."

"Calm down." Dynamo urged with a raised hand, speaking in a less hardened tone. "Don't worry – we are not going to hurt you."

"You mean you're not going to kill me?" He stared in disbelief, his breathing beginning to calm. "But… I thought you were one of Davik's bounty hunters."

"Maybe I could help you with your problem with Davik." The Mercenary said as he offered a helping hand.

"I don't think anyone can help me." The man said in a discouraged tone as he took it somewhat shakily and stood to his feet. "I owe Davik money, and I was late with the payment. So he went to Zax in the bounty office and put a price on my head! I've been hiding here ever since, but sooner or later someone will find me. Unless I somehow come up with another 200 credits I'm a dead man."

Dynamo listened to the man, once more, the name of this Davik came up. It seemed that he is the one that controls Taris on behalf of the Exchange, yet to him, he was nothing more than a petty loan shark. If matters lined up properly, he might take care of him. Until then, he would do whatever he could to stem the damage inflicted on the innocent citizens of Taris. Small steps that lead to big outcomes.

"Here – I've got 200 credits you can have." He offered them after reaching back into his brown backpack. 

He stared at him in amazement, mouth slightly agape before shaking himself out of his stupor. "You'd give 200 credits to a stranger just to help them out?!" He looked at the credits in his palm, before gazing up at the Final Knight, ecstatic though some lingering apprehension regarding the man remained. "I… I don't believe it! Thank you!"

"Wow, that was sure generous of you," Carth commented to himself with his arms folded, unsure what to make of it. "I just hope we don't end up needing those credits later on."

The man pocketed them with a wide smile of sheer relief. "Now I can pay off Davik! Oh, thank you – you've saved my life! I better go give this to Davik right away!" He stormed off in a hurry, disappearing down the halls.

"As I said, Carth." The mutant demon hybrid spoke as the pair put their helmets back on. "I have more than enough on me." He assured as he began to head towards the outside, the Republic pilot nodding once slowly as the pair left the apartments behind.

Walking down the street to the elevator, The Mercenary noticed the fearful glances the people cast them, the way they avoided their path. Even those who were less sober avoided a confrontation with them. No living being should live under such oppression. But he couldn't worry about them now and he was feared already, he was used to it. He had a search and rescue to complete anyway. Focus on your duty. You don't matter.

He glanced briefly at the Republic pilot and even with the Sith helmet on, his senses could tell that he wanted to get something off his chest, heartbeat and scent. If they were to work together, he needed to know him better. Both did.

"Carth." Dynamo began in a calm, amiable tone as they strode. "Before we get there, I want to discuss something with you.”

“You do?" Carth looked at him before he shrugged. "Fair enough. What do you want to discuss?”

“We didn't finish our conversation last time.” He said, gauging his reaction. 

Carth sighed with a glance away at the streets then back. ”I knew you wouldn't understand where I was coming from. Let me try to explain. You've got more skills than an elite commando and you've saved my butt more than once already. Between that and your facility with languages, I'm lucky you're here." He admitted before his tone shifted into a rather hostile and distrustful one, which also carried a sort of finality. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop watching you or being wary. I'm just not built that way. Period.”

“Not built that way?" Dynamo asked with a raise of his eyebrow, keeping his composure. "That sounds like an excuse.”

“Maybe so." Carth narrowed his eyes under his helmet, his tone low and rather cold. "But I've been betrayed before by people I… well, it won't happen again, that's all.”

“So you want some guarantee that I won't betray you?” Dynamo asked, beginning to figure him out.

“I don't know that you'll betray me." He said bitterly. "But there are no guarantees… not for you, not for me. You don't have to take it personally.”

“But I do take it personally," Dynamo replied, becoming slightly irritated by his demeanour, yet he kept his calm, cold, calculated exterior. "If we are to work together then I need to know that you trust me.” 

“Well, that's too bad, then, because it's not going to change." He grew increasingly annoyed,  his teeth gritting for a moment. "Why is whether or not I trust you or anyone so damned important to you? Why… why do you even care? We don't have time for this, so can we please just… drop it. For now? Can we pick it up later if you really must, I… want to get underway.”

Dynamo sighed as he gave a brief conceding nod, deciding to speak to him later when he calmed down. “Alright then, as you wish.”

Silence fell between them as they passed a raving old man that shouted about a plague and an evil that swept the planet. He made references to invaders and considering the comments of the small crowd of humans around, the old preacher wasn't talking about the Sith.

The demonic mutant rolled his eyes in annoyance at his disgustingly racist and even xenophobic message before they arrived at the elevator to the Lower City where a single Sith Guard stood watch.

“Another patrol heading down to the Lower City, eh?" He looked at them disinterested, warning them though rather uncaring. "Good luck... I've heard it's pretty rough down there. There's a big swoop gang war going on, you know. You better watch yourself: those gangs will take a shot at anyone – even us! It's too bad we don't have the manpower to just sweep those slums clean.” He said to them as he unlocked the elevator. 

The Mercenary nodded in silence to him as he and Carth entered. The doors slid closed and the elevator started its descent.

Chapter Text

The elevator doors slid open and Dynamo and Carth stepped out in their normal outfits now, having changed back during the descent. The shine, light and glow of the Upper City were replaced with the dull metallic grey of the Lower City's walls and the artificial lights that lit up its corridors. Even the air felt heavier and everything was darker, bleaker. They barely took a few steps inside before they witnessed a confrontation between the Lower City gangs, the Hidden Beks and the Black Vulkars. There were three from each group, having a standoff, The Mercenary and the Republic pilot observing from a distance.

“Beks are nothing but bantha fodder!” One of the thugs taunted with a sneer. “The Vulkar are strongest!” He declared before raising his shock stick and charging at the others.

The fight began between the rivals, the Vulkar enforcer picked one up easily, jerking the vibroblade out of the Bek's hands and running him through with his own blade, causing him to spit out blood as his eyes rolled over and his head slumped. 

One of the Bek's was in a sword lock with a Vulkar. He led the lock to the side before he broke it and swung at the Vulkar's head, but was hit with the body of his fallen comrade. The Vulkar smiled as he plunged his blade through both.

The last Bek standing tried to dodge the swipe of his opponent's shock stick, but he was too slow. His muscles seized up and he fell on his knees before the Vulkar enforcer lifted him over his head and slammed him over his knee, pulverizing his spine and leaving the broken body on the blood-splattered metal walkway.

One of the Vulkar thugs glanced to the side and spotted Dynamo and Carth in the distance. “More strangers!” he shouted aggressively with a malicious smile and all of them started attacking.

The Mercenary blocked a Vulkar’s shock stick with his gloved hands before Carth shot him down as he was held in place. The enforcer of the group attempted to tackle him, but Dynamo was way too heavy and much stronger, so he used his own momentum against him and threw him into the wall, cracking it audibly. The third attempted to snap a few blaster bolts at his head but didn't get a chance as the Republic pilot took him out readily and with precision.

After the encounter, the two nodded to each other before they went forward, inside the Lower City Apartments East. The lights were murkier and the shine the walls once had washed away after dozens of years of neglect. They began looking through the apartments. Most of them were occupied by two of three Black Vulkars and mostly thugs and enforcers that shot first and asked questions later, but they were easily and readily dealt with by The Final Knight and the Republic pilot. 

Matters however were different when they entered the apartment to the southeast, as they stumbled upon a green-skinned Twi'lek man hiding inside.

The Twi'lek were a species of brightly coloured humanoids with tentacles on their head, which are used for communication and cognitive functions. If they wanted, they could communicate in secret using only the subtle movements of the tentacles on their head.

He was crouched in the middle, looking over a datapad when he heard the door slide open and he glanced over his shoulder. "Hey – you can't come in here!" He said outraged with a frown, hiding his fear as best he could, though The Mercenary could sense it. "This is a private apartment!"

"Seems more abandoned than anything," Dynamo replied calmly, instinct telling him that the man was hiding something. "What are you doing in here?"

"None of your business." The alien shook his head as he stood up, eyes looking between the pair. "Just turn around and go back the way you came, if you know what's good for you." He tried his best to appear threatening, but his voice was now cracking.

The Mercenary quickly looked him over and he could tell that he was terrified, for his life most likely. "Look, if you need help, we can offer it." He said calmly. "Since it is clear that you don't live here. You are hiding from someone."

The Twi'lek was silent, surprised that this human figured him out. He took a deep breath before he spoke. "I… I guess I could tell you." He relaxed a bit but remained on edge, especially since The Last Knight was intimidating, to say the least, despite his apparent calmness. "You'll probably find out on your own eventually, anyway. Zax is giving his bounties away like candy, or so I hear. My name's Matrik – I used to work for the Exchange, but all the violence and killing started to get to me. I knew what I was doing was wrong, so I turned state's evidence." He explained.

Dynamo folded his arms as he listened, rubbing his beard for a moment. This man was trying to turn his life around, despite his past. "Maybe there's some way I could help you out of this mess."

Matrik gave a long sigh, resigned and rather distressed. "I don't think there's much anyone could do." He glanced to the floor, a fist clenching as he continued through gritted teeth. "And I'm getting sick of running. I've decided to make my stand right here."

The Mercenary knew that this is merely one option that he had and it wasn't even the best one. If he wanted to disappear, there were better ways to do it rather than stand and wait for them to come. "Maybe you could fake your own death?" He suggested. 

"I've already thought of that." He replied. "I even came up with a plan of how to do it. But I can't pull it off while I'm holed up in here." He paused for a moment with a sigh before explaining. “The trick is getting Davik to buy it when there's no corpse found at the scene, if it looks like I died in a massive explosion, he won't be suspicious when my corpse never turns up.” He placed a hand on his chin as he thought out loud. “If I had an accomplice go back and tell Davik that they were the one who set off the explosion to eliminate me, I think I'd be home free.” He snapped his fingers then looked to the pair. “I have some demolition experience from my own days in the Exchange so I could set it all up. But I'd need to get my hands on a permacrete detonator."

The name of the device needed set off a lightbulb as the two exchanged a glance, with Carth nodding in silent agreement. So, the demonic mutant searched through his backpack as he glanced from his companion to Matrik. "I have a permacrete detonator right here." He pulled it out and handed it to him. "Go on… take it."

He was stunned for a moment before he took it and looked it over. "Let me see… yes, this should do the trick.” A rather excited grin spread on his expression. “There won't be anything left of this apartment but some scorching on the walls after I set this bad boy off!" He walked to the middle of the room and quickly set the detonator up before standing and turning to them with urgency. "Okay, the timer's set! Now let's get out of here before it blows!"

Swiftly, all three exited it and before they could even turn around a massive explosion shuddered the entire area. The apartment now laid in ruins, large cracks stretching on the walls on the side and the ceiling in the back had given out and completely collapsed. 

"That was quite the blast!" Matrik looked amazed at what used to be his hideout. "Don't go back in there… the whole roof might cave in on your head." He turned to Dynamo and Carth, feeling liberated. "Look, I'm not a man for long goodbyes but I want to say 'thanks'. If it wasn't for you I'd be a dead man. But now I won't have to worry about any more bounty hunters coming after me." he extended his hand to him. "So good luck, and goodbye. Now that I'm 'dead' I can't be seen wandering the streets."

The Mercenary took it and shook it firmly. "Very well, Matrik. Stay safe."

After Matrik shook the Republic Pilot’s hand as well, they parted ways, with the Twi’lek disappearing through the darkened streets and Dynamo and Carth entering Javyar's Cantina. They stepped through at the east end of the Pazaak room.

It had the same look as the Upper City Cantina, but the lights were fainter and the odour of ale and sweat was more pungent, even without a keen scent of smell like the demonic mutant's. 

As they reached the threshold of the west exit to the Pazaak room, they stopped when they saw a man at a table by himself, tending to a rather unique looking blaster pistol. He was a bounty hunter most likely, dressed in a blue and white coat, hiding a layer of bulky armour underneath. His face was pretty obscured by a pair of goggles and a hat that came down over his ears. He stood up to leave when he was stopped by three Black Vulkars, a Rodian and two Twi'leks.

The Rodians were a race of short, reptilian humanoids with big, round eyes, a snout-like mouth, two antennae on their heads which are shaped somewhat like saucers and lean bodies with long, thin fingers.

"Go away." The man said dully.

"Hey, you not talk like that.” The Rodian furrowed his brow for a moment as he tried to be somewhat friendly, speaking in broken basic. “We just want say hi to big, bad bounty hunter Calo Nord!" 

"Nah, this can't be Calo Nord." One of the Twi'leks brushed him off as he folded his arms with a dismissive wave of his hand. "He's supposed to be tough. This guy's nothing but a runt!"

Calo Nord looked between them from under his goggles and began to count. "One."

"One?" The Rodian Vulkar looked at him confused, glancing at his partners. "What that mean? You be funny, tough guy?"

"You know who we are, Calo?" The other gang member took a threatening step towards the bounty hunter pointing to himself. "We're members of the Black Vulkar gang! You don't want to be getting funny with us, tough guy."

"Two." He continued, seemingly bored.

"Me no understand." The Rodian looked to the bounty hunter then at his thug companions stupefied. "One? Two? Why he count? He trying to count how many of us is against him?

"It's three against one, Calo." The Twi'lek said incessantly. "What do you think about those odds? Well? You have something more to say?"

He subtly reached under his coat as he simply said. "Three."

With surprising speed, Calo Nord threw a grenade, resulting in a blinding flash during which several blaster shots were heard. When they could see again, the three Black Vulkars dropped dead on the floor, and Calo Nord started to walk to the exit.

The Last Knight watched him with his eyes as he walked by and towards the exit, taking note of his scent. He had a feeling that they would meet him again.

They headed off the central hub of the cantina to the north and the music room. Ears keen, he picked up the casual conversations of the various patrons. Apparently, a big swoop bike race was coming up and the Vulkars were the favourites to win. At the same time, they were getting more and more violent, something they'd witnessed firsthand. More importantly, this Davik character had a new spaceship that was the fastest on the planet and a Mandalorian mercenary to work for him.

Inside the music room, a trio of Bith musicians accompanied two Twi'lek dancers performing on a stage at the back of the room.

The Bith were a peaceful humanoid-ish species with huge heads, large bony hands, big eyes without eyelids and pale to yellowish skin or green on rare occasions. Most of them had an inclination towards the musical arts.

Their audience consisted of two Black Vulkars seated to the right of the entrance, neither of whom seemed willing to talk and a human male standing to the left, one who had the subtle scent of the woman that complained about having a bounty on her head. Which led him to suspect that this was the culprit, Holdan.

With a subtle frown which he then masked, the demonic mutant walked up next to him. "You got a moment." He demanded of him in a low cold tone.

He looked next to him nonchalantly, though he flinched at his appearance. "Huh? What? Oh... sorry. I didn't see you there. My attention was kind of focused on the Twi'lek dancers. Look at them waggle those head-tails! I don't normally go for these alien girls, but I've had some bad experiences with my own species lately. Maybe it's time for a change, you know what I mean?"

"I see." The Mercenary nodded along, folding his arms. "And you are?"

"My name's Holdan. Maybe you've heard of me – I work for Davik Kang." He said with a prideful side grin.

"You work for Davik?" He turned his head fully to face him, speaking in the same low, now rather unimpressed tone.

"I'm one of his top couriers." He puffed his chest and pointed to himself with that same smirk. "Davik's always sending me off-planet to deliver and bring back packages. He knows he can trust me to follow my orders to the letter. Plus, I used to be an intergalactic customs agent so I know all the tricks they use to catch smugglers. That gives me the edge I need on my courier runs." He snickered as he boasted.

"You're pretty open about what you do." He remarked, though that was good for The Mercenary, it made his duty easier.

"It's not like it's some big secret." Holdan shrugged relaxed, though he seemed to be subconsciously shivering slightly in The Final Knight's presence. "It's kind of hard for Davik to keep a low profile when he belongs to a big intergalactic crime syndicate like the Exchange."

"Do you think Davik could get off Taris?" He asked in an attempt to get something useful out of him before getting to the other important matter.

"Davik's ship is the fastest one in the entire quadrant, but even the Ebon Hawk can't get off Taris until the quarantine is lifted." He replied neutrally with a small shrug. "The Sith fleet has the planet surrounded. Any ship leaving orbit without the proper access codes will be disintegrated by the Sith auto-targeting laser cannons – and those codes are locked safely away in the military base. Davik's pretty upset about it. His smuggling operation isn't making any money, but even with his underworld connections he can't get his hands on those codes."

The Mercenary turned fully on Holdan and took a step towards him, towering a whole head over. With annoyance in his voice, he spoke coldly. "Now… you're the guy who put the bounty on Dia's head, right?" 

He seemed unfazed as he let out a small chuckle, though he seemed to be subconsciously trembling subtly. "You're here about that? I guess Zax must have mentioned me to you at the bounty office. Fair enough – I don't care who takes her out, just so long as the job gets done. I can't let her get away with what she did – that wench tried to cut me with her vibroblade!"

He tilted his head to the side. "Now, why would she do that?"

"Because she's crazy!" He threw his arms up in frustration, pacing as he explained with resentment. "She started screaming that I was making advances, and the next thing I know she's coming at me with a knife."

"Yeah, right. Sounds to me like she was defending herself." Carth commented crossly as he looked at Holdan with an air of suspicion.

"I admit I was drunk." He shrugged indifferently at the fact. "Maybe I got a little fresh. But it was no big deal. She didn't have to cut me!" He exclaimed with an insulted huff. 

"Sounds like maybe you got what you deserved." Dynamo's eyes narrowed as he stared down at the man.

His eyes snapped to The Mercenary as he pointed. "Hey – you weren't there. She totally overreacted!" He glared at him, fuming. 

"Right." He looked down at Holdan, right in his eyes, letting his endless rage show for a moment. "I want the bounty on Dia's head removed."

He flinched and stood petrified, after what seemed to be an eternity, he spoke in a quiet and frightened tone."Okay, you win; Dia can live. I'll go tell Zax right now that the bounty is off the table."

The mutant demon hybrid followed Holdan with his eyes, watching him walk into the Bounty Office.

Satisfied, they went back out, past the taproom and bar, off the central hub of the cantina to the west. As they did, two Rodians walked out of it, their beady eyes set on a young blue-skinned Twi'lek girl who sat at the counter.

"I told you to leave me alone – so give me some space, Bug-eye!" She turned to them in a snappish way. "Your breath smells like bantha poodoo!" 

"Little girl should not be in bar." One of the Rodians threatened her, taking a step towards her, fists clenched with a sneer. "This no place for little girl. If little girl smart, she run away home now."

"Who you calling a little girl, Chuba-face?" She threw another insult at them with a smirk.

"Little girl needs lesson in manners!" The other said with a snarl, punching a fist in his palm.

She raised a finger, tilting her head down and closing her eyes a moment. "Just a sec, boys." She looked up and to the side. "Zaalbar... a little help here?" She called to a nearby brown-furred Wookiee. "I need you to rip the legs off some insects."

The Wookie looked up from his full plate of various meats. "Mission – I'm busy. They just brought my food!" He complained in a growl which only she understood. 

"Quit complaining... you can finish eating later." She argued with a slight roll of her eyes before beckoning him. "Besides, you need the exercise so get over here."  

Slightly disappointed, the Wookiee walked over to his companion. Seeing him, the Rodians immediately began backing away with looks of fright grafted on their faces.

"We no want trouble with Wookiee. Our problem with you, little girl!" One of them exclaimed with a look of annoyed anger. 

"You got a problem with me, then you got a problem with Big Z." She pointed to the Wookie next to her, sure of herself. "So unless you want to take on my furry friend, I suggest you greenies hop on out of here."

The Rodians took a few steps back before turning and walking away. "Little girl lucky she has big friend." One of them grumbled.

From a distance, The Mercenary and the Republic pilot had observed discreetly. They exchanged a glance with Carth turning away, Dynamo following shortly after when a voice called to him, rather catching him by surprise, even if his expression didn't show.

"Say, I don't recognize you and I know pretty much everyone in the Lower City.” Mission said rather friendly as she walked up to the two, placing her hands on her hips with a small smirk, seemingly not intimidated by The Final Knight. “You must be new down here. I guess that makes me and big Z your official welcoming committee!" She said in an upbeat way. She had the look of a street rat, wearing a dark grey vest and slim black pants and boots. Black straps adorned her long blue lekku. 

He nodded amiably. "Georgian Dynamo, The Mercenary." Before he motioned to his companion with a hand.

"I'm Carth Onasi." The Republic pilot gave a nod as well before remarking. "It's quite surprising to meet a Twi'lek who speaks Basic."

"It's not that strange." Mission said with a light shrug. "Most aliens speak Basic, they just prefer to use their own language. But I grew up here on Taris so I just sort of got used to speaking the native tongue."

"You showed a lot of guts dealing with those Vulkars, kid." Carth complimented her, folding his arms. "You got a name?"

"My name's Mission Vao and this big Wookiee is my best friend, Zaalbar. I'd offer to give you a tour, but the streets down here aren't safe. But if there's anything else you need…" She trailed off, but still looked at them expectantly and with a small, friendly smile.

"How do a Wookiee and a Twi'lek street urchin end up as best friends?" Dynamo asked amiably as he looked at the odd pairing in front of him.

"We just kind of fell in together." She glanced with a content smile at Zaalbar for a second. "It ain't easy on your own here in the Lower City- everyone's always looking to push you around."

"So we noticed," Carth said with a brief nod. "Still, you seem like an odd pair."

"When I met up with Zaalbar it seemed like a good match. I knew we could look out for each other." She said, reminiscent for a moment, glancing up briefly at Zaalbar. "With my street smarts and his muscle, we make a great team."

The demonic mutant nodded again, folding his arms as well, though he looked much more intimidating than his companion. "If you have the time, think you can give us some information?" He asked amiably. 

"Well, you came to the right person!" Mission said with a rather confident smile as she placed a hand on her chest. "If you want info on Lower Taris I'm the one to talk to! Davik, the Lower City gangs... I've even got the scoop on that bounty hunter Calo Nord!"

"Calo Nord?" The Mercenary raised an eyebrow, that was the bounty hunter from before. "What do you have on him?"

"Calo Nord's one of the most famous bounty hunters in the galaxy." She informed them rather readily, trusting even. "He's killed more people than the Iridian Plague! I've seen him kill people just for trying to talk to him! He hangs around Zax's bounty office, but I don't think he's looking for work there. All the postings there are small-time – way beneath a bounty hunter of his calibre. I figure Calo's been hired by Davik to do a special job for the Exchange. I'd wager a thousand credits that as soon as the quarantine ends, he'll be getting off this rock."

He nodded once, listening with a hand on his chin. "Anything on Davik?"

"Davik's part of the intergalactic crime syndicate, but I guess everyone knows that." Mission explained with a light shrug on the last part. But I hear he's got a new ship for his smuggling operations – the Ebon Hawk. I don't know much about space travel, but I hear that ship's fast enough to break the Sith blockade. Of course, this is all just second-hand rumour."

"Where would he keep it? Do you know?" Carth asked, sensing an opportunity much like his companion.

"If Davik does have a ship, he's got it locked up in his estate." Mission told the two with a glance. "Nobody gets in there, except the people working for Davik and the Exchange."

The Last Knight nodded, taking the information in and moving on to the next subject on which they needed information. "Alright. What can you tell me about the Lower City gangs?"

"There are only two gangs worth worrying about here in the Lower City: the Black Vulkars and the Hidden Beks." She told the both of them, her tone slightly hostile when saying the name of the first gang before it once more became friendly with the second one. "Sometimes Zaalbar and I hang out at the Bek base. The Beks are led by Gadon Thek – he's a good guy. Lost his sight in a swoop bike accident a few years ago, but even blind he's a great leader." Disdain entered her voice as she continued. "Not like that traitor Brejik! Before he took over the Vulkars he was a Hidden Bek. Gadon considered that ungrateful space slug his adopted son."

The situation was becoming clearer for The Mercenary, though he still needed some details. "Why did Brejik leave the Hidden Beks?"

"When Gadon went blind everyone figured he'd step down and appoint Brejik in his place." She replied with clear resentment. "But Gadon figured Brejik wasn't ready yet. He wanted him to wait a few years. But Brejik was too impatient. He left to join the Vulkars, and ever since he's been waging a war to wipe Gadon and his Beks from the face of Taris! The gang war in the Lower City is totally the Vulkar's fault. They're the ones killing everything that moves out on the street. It's like they've gone insane."

And now he knew some more important information about the two. He nodded before glancing to Carth, seeing that he too was ready to leave. "Alright. Thank you, Mission. We'll be going now." Dynamo said with a small nod to both her and the Wookiee.

"You're going?" She asked before shrugging. "Yeah, this dive is pretty boring. No action around here." She glanced at her partner, motioning with a hand. "Come on, Big Z, let's go."

"But I haven't finished eating!" Zaalbar complained with a low growl.

She scoffed before asking in mock irritation. "Can't you think about something besides your stomach for five minutes?" She smiled a bit as she urged. "Come on – we'll go see if there's anything good to eat at the Bek base."

Mission waved them goodbye before she and Zaalbar left the cantina.

With a brief, yet mutual nod, Dynamo and Carth headed to the last stop in the cantina. The Bounty Office. Some bounty hunters inside were talking about Calo Nord, a twinge of anxiety in their voice as the man apparently had the reputation of the best in the system, and how the prices of the bounties had apparently gone up since the Sith occupation. As they walked up to him the Hutt in charge greeted them.The Hutts were a race of huge slug-like beings with enormous mouths and big eyes, although their eyes often seem small in relation to their huge bodies. They also possessed a long tail, which allowed them to slither to wherever they wish to go, as well as two arms which gave them a somewhat ability to manipulate their environment.

The Hutts had once controlled an enormous space empire and were ruthless in their pursuit of more power. Their hunger for more power is as great as their hunger for food, which, considering some Hutts got too large to move around, is considerable.

"I've not seen you here before, human." The Hutt spoke with keen interest, eyeing The Mercenary as he calmly approached with the Republic pilot beside him. "You are new to the bounty office, yes? My name is Zax – I'm the one in charge here. Are you looking for work? There are many bounties available here; legal and otherwise. But they all pay quite well. Or are you here for information? Everyone knows I'm one of Davik's best agents... I'm the Hutt with all the answers."

The Final Knight folded his arms, his appearance and line of work going to his advantage, his Mercenary persona in full display. "Tell me about the bounties." He spoke in a gruff tone, cold and calm.

Two large fingers were shown to the side as Zax spoke in the usual throaty voice of a Hutt. "There are two government contracts. One's an assassin named Selven, the other is Bendak Starkiller. He's a famous death-match duelist. Between them, they've killed hundreds of people."

"I can't see anything wrong with getting rid of people like that – as long as we don't end up on the list of their victims," Carth mentioned with a glance and brief nod.

"Don't worry. We won't." The demonic mutant assured him out of the corner of his eye, arms folded.

"But not all the bounties are dangerous." Zax continued in the same sly tone."Davik's got some special contracts. One's for a girl named Dia – she attacked Holdan, one of Davik's men. Another's for a man named Largo who owes Davik money."

"Okay, I don't know about Davik's special contracts," Carth commented lowly and warily. "Justice is one thing, but doing a crime lord's dirty work is something else."

Zax didn't hear what the Republic pilot said, his attention focused on The Mercenary before him as the man could prove to be a valuable asset. "And then there's Matrik. He used to work for Davik, then he betrayed the Exchange and now Davik wants him dead. I heard Largo paid Davik his money, so that bounty's off and Holdan pulled the bounty on Dia so that one's off the table too. I'll put all the information on the remaining ones in your datapad."

The gears in his mind worked, the three contracts for Davik were already done, he'd taken care of Holdan, he'd given the money needed to Largo and Matrik was off the grid. So, he could already collect the credits, at least for Matrik's. "I've already dealt with Matrik. I want to collect on that bounty."

Zax eyed him for a moment, rubbing his large chin with a slimy hand. "I believe you, human." He grinned a bit. "I've heard reports of a rather large explosion, and some of my people saw you buying the permacrete detonator. It's good Matrik's dead but maybe you went overboard, human. Next time use a blaster, not a bomb!" He exclaimed for a moment, scolding. "Bombs are messy." He sighed, reaching for the credits. "But at least the job is done. Here – 300 credits. That's the price for all bounties."

The Last Knight was silent as he stepped closer, his expression unchanging. "What about 400?" He negotiated with certainty. "I had to handle dangerous explosives." 

Zax let out a laugh as if enjoying himself. "You're brave, human, to bargain with a Hutt. But I like you. Okay, 400 it is!"

With the credits in tow, they left the Bounty Office and the Cantina. On the road to the apartments, they stumbled across a meeting of sorts between three people.

"You guys are behind with your payments." One of them, clearly Davik's agent based on his gear, said with an unpleasant tone. "What, do you think just ‘cause you're in some gang you don't have to give Davik his cut?" 

"I don't see Davik doing anything for his share." One of them retorted bitterly. "We do all the work. Davik claims he's part of the Exchange, so let's see him prove it."

"Yeah, let's see the big crime lord come and get his money from the Black Vulkars!" The other backed him up.

"Ah, so you want to play this the hard way?" He looked at them with an amused smirk. "Haha. OK." He put his fingers together and whistled sharply. 

A robust man with scars on his face and a heavy repeating blaster came up next to Davik's agent, glaring at the two.

The Vulkars immediately lost their steam backing down and seemingly shrinking. "Oh, hey… Canderous. We didn't know you were working for Davik now."

"Yeah, we were just goofin' around here." The other tried to say jokingly with a nervous chuckle. "We don't want no trouble with a Mandalorian. Here's Davik's cut."

The credits exchanged hands.

"I knew you boys would see reason." Satisfied, he stashed them safely. "Now get out of here." He said with a snarl.

"Too bad." The Mandalorian said rather dully as he watched them run away. "I was looking forward to cracking some heads."

"Maybe next time, Canderous." Davik's man said in a slimy tone. "I better get this over to Davik. I'll call you if anyone else gets behind on their payments."

The agent left as well, but Canderous lingered for a while longer. Long enough for him to notice Dynamo and Carth walking past. He made eye contact with the other mercenary for a second, as he stopped near him, something compelling the Mandalorian to speak his mind, perhaps the fact that the man had a look of a grizzled warrior, much like a Mandalorian.

"Those Vulkars are dumber than a Coruscant granite slug!" Canderous commented dissatisfied with a slight snarl. "They actually think being in that pathetic little gang of theirs makes them important. Gadon keeps his hidden Beks in line, but Brejik's getting dreams of grandeur. If Davik's smart, he'll slap that young punk back down."

"I see what you mean." The demonic mutant said rather simply, not seeing another reason to say anything else to the Mandalorian. 

"Anyway, I don't have time to stick around here. Davik's got me working on a special assignment." He left following the agent's trail.

The Mercenary watched him for a second, knowing this isn't the last time they'll cross paths with Canderous. With that encounter over, they entered to explore the western apartments. The moment they stepped in, they saw Calo Nord in front of them. In front of him were two Rodians.

"You seem to be taking great interest in our progress." One of them said crossly, arms folded. "Do you need something, little man?"

"Quiet, Luugro! That's Calo Nord, the infamous bounty hunter!" The other tried to warn him with a glare.

"There's a bounty in your little green heads. I'm here to collect." Calo said in a monotone voice, patting his side beneath which his blaster laid.

"The only way you'll collect that bounty is over our cold, dead bodies!" One of them exclaimed infuriated, reaching for his weapon.

"That's the plan." He snickered for a moment then drew two blasters and quickly gunned down the two Rodians. He turned and walked past Dynamo and Carth, without taking them into consideration, out of the complex.

These apartments were the same as all of the ones before. A few Vulkar patrols which didn't pose much of a challenge inhabiting some of them. They moved through, quickly looting the abandoned apartments until they came across one that was locked. The Mercenary quickly picked the lock and the doors slid open.

On the other side, a woman reached for her blaster. "Stop right there, or I'll give you a blaster bolt right between the eyes! Now, what are you doing here?"

Selven. Dynamo thought, opting to be direct this time. "We're here to collect the bounty on your head, Selven." He slid one foot back, bending his knees slightly, like a coil ready to spring.

Her eyes narrowed incredulously. "You're a fool if you think you can collect the price on my head! Now you'll see why I'm the most dangerous assassin on Taris!" 

She aimed her blaster and fired, but the Final Knight dodged and leapt at her. She pulled out a sword, just in time to block his blade, barely. She was shocked by the amount of strength put in just one hit. Using his other blade, The Mercenary sliced completely through her sword. Selven staggered back and stared at the broken blade, eyes wide in shock. 

And that was her last expression as the blade ran through her neck and the life seeped out of her. The mutant demon hybrid slowly lowered her body to the floor and closed her eyes before getting up on his feet. He turned and left, with Carth following in his wake, casting him a curious glance.

Back out in the streets, they took Mission's advice and headed over to the Hidden Bek Base. As they approached the doors the lookout there stopped them. 

"Hey, you can't just walk in here!" She exclaimed distrustfully. "This is the Hidden Bek base. How do I know you're not a Vulkar spy sent to kill Gadon Thek?"

"We need Gadon's help." Dynamo kept his voice low and calm, yet commanding. "We were told to speak to him."

"A lot of people want to go inside and speak to Gadon." She said with a rather heavy voice. "He's a hero of the common folk. But the days of the Hidden Beks' open-door policy are gone. Between the Sith conquest and the Vulkar gang war, Gadon has more enemies than he used to. We're being careful about who we let in now." She said warily.

"Maybe I could be an ally against all those enemies." Dynamo offered, folding his arms. "One with very particular skills." 

"Well, we do need all the help we can get." She admitted with a look at them, though intimidating they did seem like people who could get the job done effectively. "And you don't look like you're with the Vulkars or the Sith. Besides, it's not like you can do anything to harm Gadon in the heart of his own base. Not with Zaerdra watching his back."

"So you're going to let me in?" He asked, somewhat surprised.

"Go in and speak to Gadon if you want." She told the both of them with a glance between. "Just remember to be on your best behaviour… the Hidden Beks are watching you." She ended with a stern warning.

They entered the base and The Mercenary took notice of the surroundings as they reached the heart of the building. The gang members were engaged in various leisurely activities, some of the various species sat huddled around a Pazaak table, others around a dejarik board and yet another were watching holos of swoop bike races. 

What he also noticed was the way they carried themselves, like warring soldiers, a fact confirmed by the high-grade munitions he'd smelled stockpiled in one of the rooms that they'd just passed. 

Standing behind the desk in the northwest corner to the right of a security door in the north wall he saw what he assumed to be Gadon Thek, a human male and leader of the Hidden Beks. He was bald with dark skin wearing a brown jumpsuit with metallic armour plating. His eyes were glazed over and his gaze always seemed to be fixed at some unknown point in the distance. He's guarded by a Twi'lek female standing to the left of the desk, presumably Zaerdra. 

"Hold it right there – who are you and what is your business with Gadon?" She challenged Dynamo and Carth as they approached.

Carth stopped, but the Final Knight didn't, only slowing his pace, his expression undaunted yet amiable.

"Calm down, Zaerdra." The leader ordered in a deep, strong voice, glancing at her with a raise of his hand. "Nobody is going to try anything here in the middle of our own base. It would be a suicide mission."

"You're too trusting, Gadon. Brejik and his Vulkars want you dead." She retorted restlessly, looking warily at The Mercenary especially. "Anyone we don't know is a potential threat, and it's my job to make sure you're safe!"

"Do you want us to start attacking strangers on sight, Zaerdra – like the Vulkars do?" His voice rose with every word. "I will never let it come to that! Now step aside and let them pass." He commanded. 

"As you wish." Her piercing gaze turned to the two as they stopped in front of the desk, her tone low and threatening. "You can speak to Gadon if you want, but I've got my eye on you! You try anything and you'll be vaporized before you can say 'Vulkar spy'!"

The mutant demon hybrid kept his gaze on her as she spoke, unflinching, then he turned to Gadon when she finished.

"You'll have to forgive Zaerdra." He began apologetically. "Ever since Brejik and the Vulkars began this war against us, she's been a little over-zealous in her security duties. The problems with the Sith haven't helped things. Zaerdra seems to forget that I know how to look after myself! Now I believe we have not formally introduced ourselves. My name is Gadon Thek, leader of the Hidden Bek gang." He said, extending a hand to shake.

"Georgian Dynamo, The Mercenary." He shook it firmly, careful to temper his strength and not crush the man's hand. "With me is Carth Onasi, a Republic soldier. I've been told you have problems with the Sith." He added the last part rather matter-of-factly.  

"A foreign army invades Taris, declares martial law and locks down all travel to and from the planet? You damn well bet I have a problem with that!" He declared aggravated, folding his arms with a huff. "If the Sith ever moved in down here all the swoop gangs would unite against them." He stated daringly with a furrow of his brow. "We'd use hit and run guerrilla tactics to pick them off… their casualties would be enormous!"

"Don't fool yourself," Carth warned him knowingly. "The Sith would never commit to that kind of operation. They'd… they'd probably do something much more grand and deadly."

Gadon gave a brief nod to the Republic pilot before continuing. "Well so far the Sith have stayed out of the Lower City and our strength is wasted on this stupid gang war!" He muttered bitterly. "I tried to explain this to Brejik, but he and his Vulkars won't listen." He explained frustratedly. 

"What happened with the Vulkars?" Dynamo asked, seeing as this was a prime opportunity to get a first-hand account and more useful info as well as a clearer picture.

The Hidden Bek leader gave a long sigh before he recalled with a rather heavy voice. "When I lost my sight in the swoop bike accident everyone assumed I would step down as leader of the Hidden Beks and let Brejik – my most trusted follower – take over. But with my ocular implants, I can still see well enough to lead this gang, and I knew Brejik wasn't ready to take over yet. Unfortunately, Brejik didn't agree with me. In a rage, he left to join our arch-rivals, the Black Vulkars. A lot of the younger gang members followed him, and soon he and his followers had taken control of the Black Vulkar gang."

The Final Knight listened with a hand on his chin. "But why start a gang war with the Beks?"

"Brejik is a proud man," Gadon replied and recalled. "My decision was a public humiliation for him. Maybe if I had stepped down this gang war could have been avoided." He added rather remorsefully. 

"Don't fool yourself, Gadon," Zaerdra commented bitterly with a slight narrow of her eyes. "Brejik wants to control the Lower City gangs. If you'd stepped down, he'd have led the Beks against the Vulkars. He wanted this war, one way or another." 

He sighed, resigned. "I know you're right, Zaerdra. Brejik won't rest until I am dead and the Beks are no more, but it's hard to accept the truth of his betrayal."

The demonic mutant interjected with urgency in his tone. "Look, we need a way off this planet. Is there any?"

"Not while the Sith quarantine is in place." Gadon shook his head, muttering in an annoyed tone. "Even the fastest smugglers' ships can't break the blockade of the fleet surrounding the planet without the proper launch codes. Any ship leaving the Taris atmosphere without the proper codes would be instantly disintegrated by blaster cannons fired by the Sith fleet's automated targeting systems."

"Alright." The Mercenary gave a brief nod. "Now, do you have any information on those Republic escape pods that crashed in the Undercity?"

"The escape pods? You know, I heard the Sith have been asking around the Upper City about them as well… but you don't look like you're with the Sith." Gadon sized Dynamo up as he rubbed his chin, noting his gruff and intimidating appearance, one that struck fear and apprehension in one, yet… it didn't have the air of a Sith, based on how he spoke and acted.

"They might be spies, Gadon! They might be working for the Sith!" Zaerdra raised her voice, almost ready to attack them.

"Calm down, Zaerdra." He raised a firm hand, looking right at her. "If the Sith thought we knew anything useful they'd have a battalion of troops kicking down our door." His blind gaze turned back to The Mercenary and the Republic pilot. "No, I think this offworlder has his own agenda."

"Don't worry… I'm not working for the Sith. Quite the opposite actually." The Mercenary assured, arms folded over his chest.

Gadon nodded, believing him somewhat, as he had heard whisperings of the man. "I suppose I could tell you what I know. It's not like it could do any harm to me or my gang… but it might cause problems for the Vulkars, and that's okay in my book." He muttered to himself before addressing the two. "The Vulkars stripped those pods clean within hours after they landed. It's too bad we didn't get there first, considering what my spies reported the Vulkars found. A female Republic officer named Bastila survived the crash. We Beks don't believe in intergalactic slavery, but the Vulkars aren't so picky. They took her prisoner."

Hearing that, his blood began to boil, the rage stirring within, more than it should have for whatever reason, but he kept calm and cold on the outside. "Where is she now? Is there a way to get to her?" He asked with a furrow of his brow. 

"Normally the Vulkars would take a captured slave and sell them for a nice profit to Davik or an off-world slaver." He informed him. "But a Republic officer is no ordinary catch."

"They still think Bastila is just a Republic officer," Carth whispered subtly to Dynamo, so low that only his keen ears could have heard it. "That could work to our advantage. Maybe she'll even figure out a way to escape from the Vulkar base on her own." 

Gadon continued, having no clue what the Republic pilot communicated. "She's too valuable to leave with the Vulkar scum at the base. Brejik's probably got your Republic friend hidden away somewhere safe until the big swoop race. You'll never find her."

Dynamo thought about it for a second, rubbing his beard. Normally, he'd say that isn't true and that he could find anyone, but in order to find her he needed to know her scent, but he didn't know it, nor did he have any chance of finding any of her possessions, so he needed Gadon. "There has to be some way we can get to her."

"I'm afraid your friend has become a pawn in Brejik's game to take over the Lower City," Gadon warned gravely. "He's offered her up as the Vulkar's share of the prize in the annual swoop gang race. By putting up such a valuable prize Brejik hopes to win the loyalty of some of the smaller gangs. Their numbers will allow him to finally destroy me and my followers."

"So how do you propose we go about rescuing Bastila, then?" Carth asked with a glance. "We can't fight all the gangs." 

He sighed for a moment before informing them. "The only hope you have of rescuing Bastila is to somehow win the big season opener of the swoop race."

Dynamo looked straight at the Hidden Bek leader, a cold and piercingly determined gaze. "Gadon – can you provide support on this?"

"I might be able to help you with this if you'd be willing to help us." He offered with underlying trust for them, despite having a slight apprehension regarding The Mercenary. "We all have something to gain here – and much to lose." 

He didn't hesitate for a moment. "What do you need?"

"The swoop race is for the Lower City gangs only." Gadon relayed a potential plan with a mix of caution and certainty. "I could sponsor you as a rider for the Hidden Beks this year. If you win the race, you'll win your friend's freedom. But first, you have to do something for me." He pointed out before informing. "My mechanics have developed an accelerator for a swoop engine. A bike with the accelerator installed can beat any other swoop out there! But the Vulkars stole the prototype from us. They plan to use it to guarantee a victory in this year's swoop race. I need you to break into their base and steal it back."

The Mercenary gave a nod as he listened, the gears in his mind turning. "How can I get inside the Vulkar base?" He asked, The Splinter Cell side of him making plans. 

"Getting into the Vulkar base won't be easy – the front doors are locked tight," Gadon warned him before informing with a slight side grin. "But I know someone who might be able to get you in the back way – Mission Vao."

"Mission?" Zaerdra eyed him surprised. "Gadon, you can't be serious! She's just a kid – how is she supposed to help them with this?"

"Mission's explored every step of every back alley in the Lower City." He argued calmly and knowingly. "Plus she knows the Undercity sewers better than anyone. If anyone can get inside the Vulkar base, it's her."

"Where can I find Mission?" The Final Knight asked, seeing as they had met her already, his previous hunch about the young Twi'lek girl being proven right.

"She and her Wookiee friend Zaalbar are always looking to stir up a little excitement." He explained then informed. "They like to go exploring in the Undercity, despite the dangers. Your best bet is to look for her there. But you'll need some way past the Sith guard post at the elevator."

"We've got some Sith uniforms to disguise ourselves," Dynamo said, pointing to his backpack. 

"A simple disguise might have worked on the Upper City guard, but the security down here is much tougher." He informed them seriously. "You'll need the proper papers to get past him. Luckily my gang ambushed one of the Sith patrols headed down to the Undercity. They never made it, and their security papers fell into my hands. Since we're working together now I suppose I could give them to you in exchange for your uniforms." A mischievous look crossed his expression. "With the security papers, you won't need a disguise anyway."

"Alright, I'll trade the uniforms for the papers." The demonic mutant nodded after glancing at Carth for his approval as well, both knowing that whatever he's planning to do with the uniforms will be damaging to the Sith. From their packs, they got the uniforms and put them on the desk in front

"Good choice." Gadon smiled as a Bek brought over the papers after he motioned with a hand. "Thanks for the uniforms. You won't need them with these security papers anyway." 

The Final Knight took the papers with a nod, putting them in his backpack. "We'll be back when we get the prototype accelerator."

"I suggest you hurry. The swoop race is coming up, and we want you to have time to practice before the race." Gadon urged the both of them.

The Mercenary nodded as he turned and left the base, Carth right beside him.

Walking down the darkened street to the next elevator down, The Mercenary noticed the Republic pilot's somewhat tensed demeanour.

"Carth, do you have a moment?" He asked amiably and calmly. 

"Oh? You want to argue some more, is that it?" Carth snapped at him with a glare.

"No, I don't want to argue with you." Dynamo shook his head once, undeterred.

He calmed down with a long sigh, glancing away somewhat apologetic but still reluctant. "And I don't really want to argue with you, either. You seem… sincere enough, I guess. I just don't trust easily, and for good reasons… which are my own."

"But we need to be able to trust each other if we are to work together as a proper team." He argued calmly and knowingly, speaking from experience. In all fairness, he knew that he was being hypocritical in a way, as he himself didn't trust anyone to confide in them, but he would deal with the fact at a later time.

"Ahhh, damn it." He groaned, frustrated. "I suppose I won't get any rest until I talk, will I? Do you want to know why I don't trust anyone? Fine, here goes." He paused to take a deep breath, thankful for the walking as it kept him focused. "Five years ago the Jedi had just finished the war with the Mandalorians. Revan and Malak were heroes. I was damn proud to have served in their fleet. It was completely unexpected when they turned on us, invading the Republic while we were still weak. Nobody knew what to think, least of all me. Our heroes had become brutal, conquering Sith… and we were all but helpless before them. Think about it… if you can't even trust the best of the Jedi, who can you trust?"

"You can still trust yourself." He said with sympathy and understanding. "Your instincts, your feelings, your rationality, your way of thinking. But still… that must have been hard to take."

"I… it wasn't even that." The Republic pilot continued heavily. "There were others: good, solid men. Trusted men who turned on us, as well, and joined their cause." Anger and hatred seeped into every word he spat. "Malak and Revan and the Sith deserve to die for what they've done… but the ones who fled the Republic and joined them are even worse. The dark side has nothing to do with why they joined the Sith." His voice rose menacingly as he looked to The Mercenary. "They deserve no mercy!"

"I'm on your side, Carth." Dynamo looked at him calmly and honestly. 

He let out a long sigh with a small slow nod. "I know. I… should apologize to you. I've become so accustomed to expecting the worst in others, and you've done nothing to deserve that. It's just…" He tried to find the right words, but couldn't and he shook his head frustrated. "Never mind. Let's just continue with what we were doing. I'd rather not talk about it."

The Mercenary remained silent and nodded as they continued on their way.

They could see the lone guard stand watch on the side with his blaster rifle. Three turrets were stationed on the left and right side each. As they walked towards him, the Sith held out a hand to stop them, resting the other on the hilt of his blaster rifle, placing himself between them and the elevator.

"Hold on there, civilian!" The guard exclaimed with hostility in his static tone due to his helmet. "Only those with official Sith business are allowed into the Undercity. Unless you've got the proper security papers you better just turn around and go back the way you came."

The demonic mutant stepped forward, papers in hand to show them. "I've got our security papers right here."

Roughly, rhe Sith grabbed them and looked them over, casting them a glance through his visor every now and then. "Let me see… hmmm, these look to be in order. Okay, you can go down if you want." He handed them back, less hostile and more amiable. "Can't say I envy you, though. The Undercity is crawling with mutants. Rakghouls, they call 'em. If you see anything moving down there, shoot first and ask questions later." He advised and unlocked the elevator door for the two as The Mercenary nodded.

The doors slid open and allowed the two before they closed, beginning their descent to the Undercity.

Chapter Text

The doors to the elevator opened and they stepped out. Just at a glance and a whiff, The Mercenary could feel the darkness, the hopelessness of this place. No sunlight shined through, gravel and dirt covered the ground, moss growing through. The air was damp and still, the smell indescribable.

Before they could take another step, two men dressed in rags stopped them. They did their damndest to look intimidating, but they seemed like ants compared to The mutant demon hybrid. 

"You there! Up-worlders! Anyone using this elevator has to pay the toll!" One said, pointing at them, trying to sound threatening.

"Yeah, this is our elevator!" The other joined him vindictively, even if his voice shook with every word at the aura The Mercenary had. "If you use it, you've got to give us something!"

"I don't believe this planet!" Carth stared at them befuddled before glancing at Dynamo with a brief shake of his head. "Even the beggars are trying to shake us down."

"Five credits!" One of them demanded as powerfully as his frail frame allowed. "That's what it costs to use our elevator! Five credits!"

"Right, who are you for me to give you money?" The demonic mutant lowered his voice and narrowed his eyes, folding his athletic arms.

One of the beggars clenched his fists as he spoke wearily in a lower tone. "We are the Outcasts, banished and reviled by those who dwell above!"

Slowly, the threatening façade began to give way to the desperation in them as the other spoke with helplessness. "Here in the filth and darkness, we claw out a wretched existence, scavenging and begging just to survive long enough to see another wretched day."

"This is our village. We live here in the Undercity." The first beggar's voice rose again, but it was far from threatening as he pointed to The Mercenary. "You have to pay us five credits for using our elevator."

"And why should we do that?" He asked with a low growl, his oversized canines in view for a long moment. 

Seeing the teeth, clearly predatory, both took a few steps back as one pleaded miserably. "We are not fools... we know all who come from the up-world are rich! Please, is five credits so much to ask?" He held his hands out and bowed his head.

"Please, have pity on us." The other was close to falling on his knees as he mirrored. "We have nothing. All we ask is a few credits to make our lives easier."

The Last Knight looked at the two desperate and rather pitiful men in front of him. They weren't like the beggars he usually had to deal with. They really needed any help they could get. Besides, five credits weren't much at all. "Normally I wouldn't do this, but…" He reached into his backpack as he muttered. "Ah, to Hell with it. Here're five credits." He held them out to the two.

The beggars took them, eyes gleaming with lust and joy as they looked between each other. "Credits, my brother! We have credits!" One exclaimed thrilled. "Now we can buy food and medicine!"

"Hush or the others will hear us! They'll want our credits! We have to hide them!" The other said with paranoia in his voice.

"Hey!" A young woman shouted at the two beggars with irritation. "Go on, you two! Get out of here!" She exclaimed at the two as they ran away, cradling their precious credits before she turned apologetically to Dynamo and Carth. "I'm sorry about that... those two beggars give everyone in the village a bad name! We aren't all like that, you know. Most of us are good people."

"I'm sure you are, miss," The Republic pilot said with an amiable nod. "It's just too bad your little welcoming committee is there to give people a bad first impression. The name's Carth."

"At least it can only go up from there." The demonic mutant said with dry humour, yet no smile crossed his hardened expression. He then pointed to himself. "Georgian Dynamo, The Mercenary. Who are you?"

"My name is Shaleena... you're from the up-world, aren't you?" She asked with innocent curiosity, even if she was intimidated by his appearance, preferring to look towards the other more as he seemed more… human. "I've... I've never seen it. I was born here in the Undercity. Is it as nice as they say up there?"

"Yes, the surface is a beautiful place once you have the eyes to see it." The Last Knight said, lifting his gaze for a moment before looking back at her.

"I've never been to the surface, but sometimes I think I can see it in my dreams." She said longingly as she mused. "The sun, the sky, the stars... it all sounds so... so... so wonderful. Gendar, the leader of our village, tells me I should spend more time trying to improve things down here and less time dreaming about something I can never have. Maybe he's right. You probably think I'm a fool, having dreams of a place I've never even seen. But when I was little, Rukil used to tell me stories of what it was like up there."

The Mercenary listened as he folded his arms, finding quite a few bits of useful information in what she'd said. "He's a storyteller? This Rukil?"

"Rukil's the oldest man in the village." She explained with a slight smile. "The kids call him Rukil Wrinkle-Skin, but he's a kind man. He used to tell me the greatest stories when I was a little girl. I still like to listen to his tales about the Promised Land, even though I know they're just legends. But it helps to make the Undercity seem less... less dark, somehow."

"Every story and legend has a seed of truth." Dynamo rubbed his beard, speaking knowingly. "What is the story of The Promised Land?"

She paused in thought before answering with a slight lift of her shoulders. "It's... it's just that, a story to make little children smile. Rukil believes in it, though. Sometimes I can almost believe it myself, but then I look around and I see the ugly truth." She sighed, resigned. "I guess we have to make the best of what we have though. If you really want to learn more about the promised land you should speak to Rukil."

The mutant demon hybrid nodded, making a mental note. Maybe he could provide some relief to the people here. "Where can I find Gendar?" 

"He'll be somewhere in the village." She said, pointing in the general direction of the small encampment. "I couldn't say where for sure. He's always busy, doing whatever he can to make the lives of the other villagers easier."

"And this Rukil?" He asked as a follow-up. 

"He's wandering around somewhere on the south side of the village. He doesn't move too far... it's hard on his bones." She explained before remarking in slight disbelief. "He's over 100 years old! The children laugh at him and people think he's crazy because of his stories about the Promised Land, but he's really just a kind old man."

"Have any other up-worlders come through here recently?" The Republic pilot asked this time.

"There were quite a few people from the surface marching through the village, but none of them bothered to talk to me." She answered with a glance between them, silently and subtly glad that he was talking now. "Gendar might know more about them."

"This village, can you tell us about it," Carth asked once, seeing as she seemed more relaxed talking to him rather than the demonic mutant.

"Well, I was born here for starters." She began, a bit melancholic. "My parents were Outcasts, banished to the Undercity for some crime or other... they never really liked to talk about it. Everyone here is an Outcast... or the descendant of one. It's tough down here, but we survive. I guess it's easier for me since I've never known anything different. Some of the people have given up all hope; they've become bitter and depressed. But most of us are good people... despite what our ancestors may have done. Gendar could probably tell you more. Or maybe Rukil. You could talk to them if you want."

"Alright, thank you for your time," Dynamo said with a small nod before glancing to the Republic pilot who gave a slight nod as well. "We should be going now."

"Oh... okay." She said with slight disappointment. "Well, if you ever need anything, or if you just feel like talking, come back and see me." She said, hopeful, though she herself was unsure how sincere she was, at least regarding The Mercenary. "I hardly ever get a chance to speak to someone from the up-world."

The Last Knight nodded, though he sensed her apprehension and he didn't blame her in the slightest. Both began to explore the village. The atmosphere was extremely depressing, most of the people lamenting their punishment, predicament, the disease...  From where they were walking he could see a man in the distance to the southeast, standing outside a tent, looking over the others. He was a dark-skinned man with a goatee and had the demeanour of a leader. With a mutual nod, they began to walk towards him. As they approached, he stepped up to meet them.

"Greetings, up-worlders. We rarely see your kind here in the Undercity. I find it strange that so many of you have come down from the surface recently." His tone was gruff yet very calming and gentle as he held out a hand to them.

Carth shook it with a small grin as he commented. "No offence, but I can see why people normally avoid this place." 

"Why have you come into this dark and sunless place?" Gendar asked intrigued and willing after shaking the firm hand of The Mercenary as well, looking between the two. "Is there something you need of me or my village? I will help you, however, I can."

"Some information would be useful," Dynamo said with an amiable nod. "Why do you have to live here in the Undercity?"

"We are the Outcasts – shunned from the surface for our crimes and banished here to the Undercity." He explained in a low yet soothing voice. "We banded together to form this village so that we might survive in this hostile environment." He extended a calm hand, pointing to the settlement around then at himself. "I am Gendar, the leader of this village: as my father was, and as was his father before him. Many of us have been here for generations, our ancestors cast down long ago." He explained downcast yet accepting. "There is no return to the surface for us or our descendants. But somehow we manage to survive amidst the filth and roaming bands of deadly rakghouls."

"You must be quite resilient then if you manage in such strenuous conditions." The Last Knight remarked with a hint of respect, folding his arms. 

"Life down here can be difficult," Gendar said with a brief nod. "It can break the spirit... Many in the village have become bitter and hopeless. Especially those newly cast down. But life goes on, and we must try to make the best of what we have. And maybe someday we will find a better life… Ha!" He chuckled at his words with a bittersweet quality to them. "Listen to me. I'm starting to sound like Rukil."

"Rukil? The resident storyteller?" He asked.

"Yes, in a manner of speaking." The leader nodded with a slight smile at The Mercenary's words, though the subconscious apprehension remained, one that can be sensed with keen enough senses. "And the oldest man in the village. He is a kind soul, but I am afraid he is growing weary of this world. He dreams of escaping, of finding a better world. If you wish to speak to him you can probably find him wandering about the village. As I said, a kind man – though he does cling to his illusions."

"We've heard of rakghouls that live down here." The demonic mutant said, rubbing his beard as he wanted to learn more about this subject. "What can you tell us about them?"

"The rakghouls are monsters, hideous mutations who feast on the flesh of our villagers," Gendar explained wearily, the hint of a cold metallic scent coming from him. "Their diseased jaws can infect those they attack, transforming the victim into one of those abominations. We know of no cure for the disease, and for the good of the village we must banish any who become infected, lest they transform and turn on us."

"Good to know." The Mercenary remarked with a glance to his companion before looking back to the leader. "We are also looking for a Twi'lek named Mission Vao. We were told that she frequently passes through here."

The leader nodded. "Yes, I have seen this Twi'lek many times, though I have never spoken to her. She and her Wookiee companion often pass through our village on their way to explore the sewers." He pointed in the general direction where the entrance was located, far in the distance.

"How can we get to the sewers?" The Final Knight asked.

"There are two entrances into the sewers from the Undercity: one to the north-east of our village, the other to the south-east." He lifted two fingers before he warned them in a grave tone. "But the sewers are dangerous, up-worlders. If you dare to travel those dark tunnels you would be wise to go heavily armed unless you wish to become a meal for the rakghouls and other foul creatures."

"We can handle ourselves." He assured while the Republic pilot nodded beside him with a pat of his holster. "You said something about other up-worlders who came by here recently?" He asked, wanting to know who they might be.

"Our village has seen many visitors from the surface recently: armoured troops, swoop gang members, mercenaries," Gendar said, wary and distrustful, cautious. "They come to search our sunless world. They are even searching the sewers."

That meant Davik's goons and the Sith, which wasn't good in the slightest. They had expended enough time already. "Thank you for your help." Dynamo nodded. "We should be going now."

"As you wish, up-worlders," Gendar replied with a brief nod of his own, letting out a breath he didn't know he held. "Should you have need of anything else, come speak to me. I represent the entire village and I will do my best to help you however I can."

With one last nod, they headed towards the gate protecting the village exit, but they were quickly stopped by an old man in rags who seemed to be raving.

"You – you come from the world above!" He pointed to The Mercenary, joyous in his tired eyes. "Is this the time of destiny, then? Is this a portent of the salvation of my people? Or merely another false sign to mislead us from the path? Are you the herald of prophecy? The beacon to guide us through the darkness? Or are you merely another harbinger of shattered dreams and unfulfilled promises?" He paced around both as he pondered the questions.

"Be careful... this one might be crazy enough to be dangerous," Carth warned him lowly as he eyed the raving elder warily while he paced around the two.

"I don't feel anything off about him." The Last Knight whispered in reply, though his royal blue eyes tracked the old man. "He may be crazy but he's harmless. Maybe he can even help us."

"Speak to me, up-worlder!" The old man demanded of The Mercenary, getting in his face and glaring up at his looming figure. "Tell me what fate you unleash upon us – salvation or damnation! Speak, up-worlder – I beg you!"

The demonic mutant lifted two hands calmly and amiably. "Take a breath. One thing at a time." He let them down, unsure of how to really approach this. "First, I have a question. What do you want with me?" 

The old man stared at him intently. "A question. You are uncertain. Bewildered. Perplexed." He mused out loud in a rather unhinged manner. "Understandable, I suppose. Even after a hundred years of life I myself still become confused at times. Perhaps I can make things more clear. Some things, at least. My name is Rukil, the oldest Outcast here in the village. Rukil Wrinkle-Skin, the children call me sometimes."

"Georgian Dynamo. The Mercenary." He said, still calm and amiable. "What do you want from me, Rukil?"

"Once I was honoured for my wisdom, but over time the villagers fell away from the true path. Eventually, there was only a single apprentice who followed me – and now she is gone, too." He spoke mournfully. 

"The true path?" The Last Knight raised an eyebrow, a hand on his chin, his instinct telling him that there was more here and it could prove useful. "What does that mean?"

"No, no, no." Rukil shook his head, mumbling to himself with glazed eyes of slight dementia. "Not yet. I must be wary. Careful." He cast a doubtful glance at The Mercenary. "You may be a false saviour. Dare I share my secrets with you? No... not until you prove yourself."

"How do I prove myself?" He asked, hearing his mumblings with his keen ears, well used to that from past experiences even with his reputation. Or… because of his reputation. 

"My apprentice is... lost." He hesitated at the word as he explained. "I sent her out into the Undercity to find... well, I cannot tell you. Not yet. Sadly, my apprentice has not returned. Please, up-worlder – will you help an old man? Will you seek out my apprentice in the Undercity? Her name is Malya. I must know of her fate, whatever it may be. I must know what she... found."

"Very well. I will help you with this, Rukil." The mutant demon hybrid nodded slowly, not sensing any deceit from him.

He warned in a tone that carried an air of mystery. "Finding her may be difficult; Malya could be anywhere in the Undercity... but if you find her I will know you to be our true saviour! Only then can I reveal my secret knowledge to you." 

The two exchanged a glance, Carth admittedly confused at the whole thing, though Dynamo sensed that there was something more here. "Very well then," The Mercenary said with a glance back at the old man. "We'll be back if we find out anything."

"I wish you luck, up-worlder," Rukil called to him as the two left. "Come speak with me again once you have discovered the fate of my apprentice."

Taking another quick look around and sniffing, The Mercenary noticed a dark-skinned human female standing to the left of a gate to a pen at the southwest end of the village. The village healer and a quarantine zone, most likely, based on the scents beyond that gate. 

"There are people in there." The Last Knight muttered. "Infected."

"Locking them away in a cage like animals…!" Carth snarled lowly taking a step towards the pen before the firm hand of The Mercenary stopped him.

"There isn't anything we can do for them for now." He said amiably, though with underlying determination. "Unless we find the serum."

The Republic pilot gave a heavy sigh. "Yeah… you're right. We need to hurry then."

Turning to walk towards the exit, the Mercenary nodded silently, with Carth following close behind.

The main gate to the village, leading out into the rest of the Undercity, was at the northeast end. As they walked to it, the demonic mutant could see a man with dark red hair and goatee and a woman standing to its right. As they approached it became clear that a crisis was in progress. In the distance, beyond the gate, a man struggled to reach the safety of the village, pursued by a white humanoid creature, its skin seemingly glistening, that had an erratic way of running, but it was fast nonetheless. The infamous rakghoul.

"Hurry, Hendar, hurry! I can hear it coming!" The woman shouted beyond the gate, desperately.

The guard near the gate watched helplessly, shaking his head a bit. "He'll never make it. He's doomed." He spoke in resignation, grunting in frustration. "Argh! I told him he was a fool to leave the village."

She cast him a cold glare of denial. "He WILL make it!" She emphasized before looking back to the outside, shouting. "Run, Hendar! Run!"

"Open the gate! Quickly! There isn't much time!" Hendar shouted breathlessly as he dashed, a look of horror grafted on his face.

The guard tensed in place, shaking and unable to move. "Ugh... I... I can't... the rakghouls are too close!"

She looked at him with tears beading in her eyes. "The mutants will kill him if you don't open the gate!" She pleaded.

"And if I open the gate they will kill us all!" He retorted fearfully, bottom lip quivering.

"No! You can't do this!" Tears began to roll down her dirtied cheeks. "It isn't fair!" She cried out frantically before noticing Dynamo and Carth approaching. In pure desperation she ran in front of them, hands together, pleading as she cried. "Please, make him open the gate. Hendar will die if he doesn't!" She looked up at The Mercenary, tears now rolling down her face.

"I can't open the gate... not while the rakghouls are so near." The guard said again with an adamant shake of his head.

The Final Knight grunted from the back of his throat and stared at the guard. "Get that gate open. I'll deal with the rakghoul." He commanded firmly as he walked to the gate.

"I'll cover you from behind then," Carth said as he grabbed his signature blaster pistol in his hand.

"You would risk your life for a stranger?" The guard looked them over, shocked as he gave an involuntary chuckle. "Heh. You are brave, up-worlders. I will open the gate for you, but you've got to be quick." He directed as he grabbed the handle firmly. "In a few seconds, I must close and lock it again."

The Mercenary nodded and dropped into a balanced stance, ready to sprint as the Republic soldier took careful aim. "Now!" He shouted to the gate guard.

With a grunt, he pushed down, the slightly rusted groaning as the gate slid to the side. Hendar passed through the threshold just as the Final Knight leapt on the chasing rakghoul, barrelling shoulder first into it while the Republic pilot kept aim if any other rakghouls were present. It thrashed in the beyond-steel grip of his hand, managing to scratch his arm and face, but he rammed his blade through its head and it went limp.

The demonic mutant took a breath, letting his wounds heal for a few seconds before standing up and turning.

"Hey, you okay? The thing seemed to get you pretty good." Carth asked with concern as they regrouped

"I'm fine, Carth," Dynamo assured, his wounds fully healed even if some blood remained. "No need to worry for me."

"If you say so…" He muttered with a small sigh, unconvinced yet he followed. 

Both crossed the threshold back into the village to the guard pushed up on the handle, the gate closing behind them as The Mercenary wiped the last drops of blood off his face.

The man they'd just saved pulled away from an embrace with the woman, but kept his arms around her as he turned to them with nothing but gratefulness and appreciation. "I can't thank you enough for saving me, up-worlders. If I had anything but these rags on my back it would be yours. But we have nothing."

"Don't worry about it. We just did what had to be done." The Final Knight assured with a slight raise of his hand.

"I still have you, Hendar." She said to him lovingly. "That's all I need. Let's go back to the village."

Together, they walked back, as the guard approached the two. "Thank you for saving Hendar. You are braver than I, up-worlders. Maybe we Outcasts have lived too long in selfish fear. Perhaps we can learn a lesson from your brave actions. Hmph. But enough of my ramblings... is there something you need, up-worlders?"

Dynamo and Carth exchanged a glance before he spoke. "I just need you to operate the gates. Thank you for the offer."

With the gate area secured, it opened once more, letting the explore the rest of the area. After barely a few minutes of walking the dust-filled surface passed when someone came running towards them. The young Twi'lek girl they had met in Javyar's Cantina, Mission.

"Please, you have to help me!" She called out frantically. "Nobody else is going to help me. Even the Beks won't help me. But I can't just leave him there – he's my friend! You'll help me, won't you?" She pleaded with them.

"Slow down, Mission," Dynamo said calmly. "What's wrong."

"It's Zaalbar. He's in trouble - big trouble!" She exclaimed, still distressed. "We have to help him. If we don't they'll sell him into slavery!"

He gave a nod, keeping his tone calm, yet he was still hardened as always. "Alright, take a deep breath and tell us what happened." 

She did her best to regain her composure, breathing in and out as she wiped her eyes with a hand. "Me... me and Zaalbar were just wandering around here in the Undercity. You know, looking for stuff we could find, just kind of exploring. We do it all the time."

"I guess with a Wookiee at your side you've got to figure you can handle the odd rakghoul attack," Carth commented with his arms folded, keeping an eye on their surroundings. 

"Only this time they were waiting for us." She continued resentfully, face scrunching up in anger. "Gamorrean slave hunters. We didn't even have a chance to run. Big Z threw himself at them, and he roared for me to run!" She paused and hesitated for a moment, shame welling up in her. "I... I took off; I figured Zaalbar would be right behind me." Remorse entered her voice as she spoke. "But there were too many of them – he couldn't get away. They're going to sell him to a slaver – I just know it!"

"Do you know where they took him?" The Final Knight asked readily.

She shook her head a little, holding her arms. "I don't know for sure, but those Gamorreans like to hang out in the sewers. The stink reminds them of home, I guess. That's probably where they took Big Z."

"Alright. We'll help you get Zaalbar back." The Mercenary gave a nod, yet he added. "After that, you have to help us get inside the Black Vulkar base."

She nodded without hesitation, silently and slightly relieved. "It's a deal – as soon as we get Big Z back, I'll show you a way into that Vulkar base! Now, come on – We have to find Zaalbar before they sell him to slavers – or worse!"

"Do you know where he's being kept?" Carth asked.

"The Gamorreans make their camps in the sewers." She informed them. "I bet that's where we'll find Zaalbar – and that's where I'll show you the secret entrance into the Vulkar compound."

"Right. Let's do this." Dynamo took the lead again.

Together, they headed southeast of the Village Gate. In the distance, they saw a Sith patrol leader patrolling, a few soldiers were conversing with each other somewhat wearily as they kept an eye around. The leader noticed them, motioning with a hand for the squad to round up and they approached them.

"You there! Civilians!" The leader, wearing a red variant of the Sith Armor called to them. "This is a restricted area! What are you doing down here?"

Carth and Mission exchanged a glance behind Dynamo, who stepped up with the papers in hand. "Look... we have got all the proper security papers." He spoke calmly and with certainty, The Soldier persona showing a little in the steel of his tone.

"Security papers?" He asked, confused for a moment as he looked through them before it hit him. "Oh... you're one of those trackers the Commander sent down, right? They should have given you an armed escort – it's nasty down here! We've already lost one patrol... we figure the rakghouls got them." He said somewhat dully and more irritated than concerned for the loss of life. "We've had so many encounters with those things we've actually run out of rakghoul serum. Plus we've had several skirmishes with looters from those Lower City swoop gangs. I'm telling you, we should just stay in the Upper City where we're in control!" He complained with a snarl under his helmet as he handed back the papers.

"You said you lost one patrol already?" The mutant demon hybrid asked as he put the papers back in his backpack, intrigued as this might present an opportunity.

"Oh, is that why you're down here? Search and rescue?" He asked, surprised as he rested a hand on his blaster rifle. "I didn't think they would send anyone." He motioned over his shoulder. "They were in the southern section of the Undercity when we lost contact. I would have gone to investigate, but my orders are to search for those crashed escape pods... even if it means leaving another patrol to die."

Dynamo nodded, silently hating the way they operated. "Right, we should be going now."

"Yeah, sure... the Commander won't be too happy if you come back empty, right? Same thing goes for us." He called to his men with a glance and motion of his hand. "Come on patrol, let's get back to it. The sooner we get this search done the sooner we can get out of this mutant-infested hole. Move out!"

They parted ways, with Mission breathing out a sigh of relief after the whole thing, silently impressed by how The Mercenary handled them, as was Carth. The three walked further southwest of the Village Gate after encountering the Sith patrol and the Last Knight immediately sensed and spotted several rakghouls and a rakghoul fiend at the bottom of a slope.

"Tangos at 12 o'clock." He said calmly and coldly with a glance to the two. There was far from a need to let it out.

"What at the what now?" Mission asked with confusion, though she drew her vibroblade.

"Enemy ahead." Carth clarified as he grabbed his blasters. 

"Pick your targets." The mutant demon hybrid took a few steps as his blades extended. "Weapons free."

He picked a target, the fiend, and ran at them, leaping through the air before landing right on top of it. The Republic pilot backed him up, blasting the rakghoul to his left with several bolts to the head and chest. Mission did the same as she ran her signature Vibroblade through the one on his right. Another came in front, claws out and jaws snapping and Dynamo rammed both blades through it, slamming it into the ground dead.

He looked at Carth and Mission as they all holstered their weapons and they all nodded at each other. They walked to the bottom of the slope and to the right The Mercenary found the corpse of a Sith Soldier. Part of the missing patrol most likely.

Crouching next to the body, he grabbed his satchel before searching through it. As he did he listened to the conversation going on behind him. 

"Hey, Carth." Mission began with curiosity in her eyes and a slight smirk on her face. "You're a pilot for the Republic, right? You've been all over the galaxy I bet, right? So tell me, how would you rate Taris compared to other worlds you've seen?"

"I'll be honest, Mission. Taris would rate pretty low." Carth said sincerely, eyes watching the perimeter before looking at her. "The prejudice, the rich spoiling themselves while the poor are crushed beneath them – not a pretty picture." 

"Yeah, but that's only since the Sith occupation. Before that…" She countered but she trailed off for a moment before giving a small shrug. "Well, I guess it wasn't all that different, really." She hummed in thought, contemplating. "Hmm… maybe Taris ain't as great as I thought, you know?"

"Trust me, Mission. There are a lot of worlds better than Taris. There are worse, too." He said knowingly. "But Taris is no place for a kid to live on her own – even a kid who's got a Wookiee to look out for her."

"Hey, I ain't no kid!" She raised her voice with her hands on her hips in annoyance. "And I look out for Zaalbar as much as he looks out for me. Big Z's my friend, not my babysitter! Geez, I come to ask you a question and you give me a lecture!" She scoffed and pouted, crossing her arms.

"Don't you snap at me, missy!" Carth raised his tone as well, furrowing his brow in irritation. "You want a lecture? How's this: only bratty little children fly off the handle because of a simple comment."

Dynamo paused from his search and looked over his shoulder at both with displeasure. "Settle down right now – both of you!" He said in a commanding tone, The Soldier persona showing itself. 

"I don't have to listen to you, Carth!" She spat before glancing at The Mercenary. "You ain't my father – though you're sure old enough to be! So keep your lectures inside your withered old head, 'cause I don't need 'em!"

Carth crossed his arms with a shake of his head. "And I sure as hell don't need this. Let's just drop it and get back to what we were doing."

The Final Knight shook his head with an exasperated sigh before he stumbled across a massive find. He pulled it out and looked at the vial containing the precious greenish, bubbling liquid. The rakghoul serum. Unused and intact. He lightly wrapped his fingers around it and stored it safely in his backpack as he got up and turned to them.

"Are you two done?" He asked with a glance between them. 

Mission opened her mouth as if to speak but Carth did first. "Yes, we are." He said succinctly. 

Dynamo cast another glance, his expression unreadable though he gave a grunt from the back of his throat at the whole thing before taking the lead the two following behind yet keeping more distance from one another. 

They began to travel to the northwest then west of the village gate, in the distance, a trio of mercenaries led by a familiar figure from outside the west Lower City apartments walked towards them from the opposite direction. 

Both groups stopped and one of the mercenaries reached for his weapon. 

"Don't... don't move! I'm... I'm not afraid to use this blaster if I have to!" He threatened in a shaky voice. 

"Settle down, kid," Canderous said dully with a glance. "We've already lost enough men to those damn rakghouls! The last thing we need now is more casualties from a needless firefight." He looked at the group of three, gaze lingering on The Mercenary especially with intrigue. "Hm... by the looks of you I'd say you're down here for the same reason we are: to salvage something from those downed Republic space pods. Let me give you some advice: forget about it. Do yourself a favour and just head back the way you came."

"Why? What happened down here?" The Last Knight said in a calm and cold tone, unflinching by the Mandalorian's demeanour.

"This isn't a good place to stand around chatting." He advised glancing around with an alert glare. "The Undercity is crawling with rakghouls. I've already lost half a dozen men to those monsters."

"Canderous, I heard something!" Another mercenary called frightfully, hand already gripping the handle tightly. "Over there, in the shadows! Sounded like a rakghoul!"

The Mandalorian grinned, blood boiling with anticipation and excitement as he hefted his heavy repeating blaster. "Looks like we've got company! Get those blasters ready, boys!" He ordered his men with a wild grin.

Several rakghouls came running from the west and immediately overwhelmed one of the mercenaries. He tried to fire desperately, but all shots missed due to his sheer terror. The rakghouls tore his armour off and began ripping into his flesh and bones. His strangled screams echoed off as his life was torn from him. 

Canderous led the charge as he fired his signature heavy repeating blaster, shredding one of the rakghouls with a laugh. At the same time, the Final Knight ran past as he rammed two rakghouls at the same time, crushing both into the ground. Carth and the mercenaries blasted two more into oblivion as The Mercenary grabbed the last one and threw him into the dirt, just to have Mission come and deal the killing blow.

"Damn!" Canderous cursed under his breath. "I told Davik this salvage mission was a bad idea! His men aren't trained for this kind of thing, and I can't babysit them all! Okay, boys…" He called to his men sternly. "We're getting out of here before I lose anyone else. I can't carry all this salvage back by myself!" He glanced at Dynamo and the two with him, advising. "You'd be smart to get out of here as well. "Even if you can handle the rakghouls I doubt there's anything worth finding anymore."

"What do you mean?" The Mercenary asked with a raise of his eyebrow. 

"Davik sent me down here with this motley crew to scavenge whatever we could from the Republic escape pods that crashed during the recent battle overhead," Canderous stated with slight annoyance. "But the Lower City gangs got here first. Anything worthwhile in those Republic pods is probably in their hands now. Davik won't like that."

"What do you know about those gangs?" He asked as he didn't want to pass up the opportunity to learn some more from the Mandalorian. 

He glanced around again, slightly on edge. "This isn't really the place to have these kinds of conversations. But I guess I could spare a couple of seconds for you – after all, you did help us out with those rakghouls." He admitted with some respect for the man before explaining with some annoyance. "The Lower City is overrun with gangs, but the two most important ones are the Hidden Beks and the Black Vulkars. Used to be the Beks were the big dog and kept the others in line. But lately, the Black Vulkars are moving in on Bek turf and challenging them for control. The Vulkars are even starting to defy Davik! Take these escape pods, for example. Everyone knew Davik would want the first crack at them, but I know for a fact those damn Vulkars have already sent their own salvage party down here." He turned to his men. "Come on boys... let's move out!"

The remaining two mercenaries followed Canderous' lead out of the Undercity in order to head back to the upper levels at a rapid pace.

Meanwhile, the three journeyed further north, fending off the rakghouls encountered along the way as best they could. The Mercenary willingly took the brunt of every attack, as he could get infected and survive with no repercussions, his body fighting back the infection with relative ease. After putting down a few more rakghouls, he saw and sensed what most of them were gathered around. The corpse of a female outcast, a few weeks old based on the scent and mangled appearance. He took a knee and examined it, but not after muttering lowly in his beard, reverently. "Odihnește-te în pace." With a small sigh, he looked through her belongings as his two companions kept an eye out.

"Uh, hey Carth." Mission began with reluctance in her tone as she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Can I... can I talk to you for a second?" 

"Are you ready to have a civil chat?" He asked with a low and cold glare. "Or is this going to be another childish tantrum?"

"Tantrum? I'm trying to apologize, you nerf-herder!" She snapped at him before she realized it and stopped herself with a slight stammer. "Uh... I mean... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get mad at you. It's just that I'm sick of everyone treating me like I'm a helpless kid."

"Yeah, I know." He nodded in understanding. "And I'm sorry about what I said, too. I'm just a little on edge lately. Not surprising considering all we've been through. But I shouldn't take it out on you." He said remorsefully.

"It's about time you two made up," Dynamo commented with a glance over his shoulder, pausing briefly before continuing his search for anything of use.

Carth nodded with a slight grin to him before looking at the young Twi'lek, assuring. "Mission, you have to know that we don't think you're helpless. Look where we are, look at what we're doing. You're not just along for the ride. We need you." 

She paused and blinked in surprise. "You really mean it, don't you?" She asked tentatively as her eyes began gleaming with joy. "Nobody's ever said anything like that to me before, not even Big Z. He might think it, but he's not really one for words, you know." A slight smile spread on her lips but it was genuine. "Thanks, Carth."

"Ah, it's no big deal." He said with a modest raise of his hand. "I know how it is. Sometimes you just need to hear a few words of encouragement." He smirked with a rather teasing glance. "Kids are like that."

"Kids are like that?? Listen you…" She snapped at him with an irritated glare but quickly cut herself off, stopping with a smirk of her own, nodding slowly. "Oh, I get it. Okay, you got me." She admitted with hands on her hips. "You're pretty funny, Carth. For an old guy. Come on, you geezer - let's get back to what we were doing."

In the meantime, The Mercenary had found what he was looking for. Her journal. He quickly flicked through the pages to make sure. The journal detailed the search for the Promised Land carried out by Rukil's Apprentice. Most of the entries were mundane, however, the last entry was quite interesting:

I have uncovered evidence that others have been seeking out the fabled land, and that their treks have led them into the sewers. I have decided that I must go there as well.

Canalele? Hm, pe acolo trecem și noi. Să fim cu ochii în patru. (Sewers? We will pass through there as well. Let us keep our eyes open.) He thought as he got on his feet. "Alright, let's be on our way." He said as he turned to his companions, both nodding and following in his wake.

They were travelling back towards the northeast of the Village Gate when they spotted the crash site of a Republic escape pod. With a mutual nod, they approached it and as they did, they came across a Black Vulkar Scavenger looking through the smoking debris and trying to find a way to open the pod.

The man swiftly got to his feet and turned to them in a panic, immediately going for The demonic mutant. He masterfully dodged and caught his arms with incredible speed before throwing him over his shoulder. The Scavenger landed with a crack and shout of pain, eyes opening wide in horror as the beast of a man grabbed his neck and held him down. 

“If you want to live, speak." The Final Knight snarled, showing his canines in a predatory fashion, his two companions covering him. "Now!” 

“Yeah - sure! Whatever you say!” He exclaimed shakily and nodded several times, sweat beading down his face, the stench of fear on him.

“Who do you work for?” The Mercenary demanded with a grit of his teeth.

“I work for Brejik, head of the Black Vulkar gang…!" He replied immediately and truthfully. "He told us to kill anyone who came snooping around…!” He gulped, still terrified.

“Were there any survivors at the crash site?” He applied more pressure for a second.

The scavenger nodded after his eyes widened in that brief second. “There was one survivor - a female Republic officer, Bastila or something like that. Brejik took her back at the Black Vulkar base as his prisoner. Look, that's all I know, I swear…!" He pleaded fearfully. "Please, just let me go and I promise you’ll never see me again…!”

Nu minte. (Not lying) His senses told him while his brow was furrowed in deathly silence. “Fine. Get out of here!” He hoisted the scavenger to his feet and threw him aside. 

The man stumbled in the dirt, looking back for a moment at The Mercenary like he was a demon in the flesh, which wasn't far from the truth. With terror having a firm grip on his heart and mind he bolted away as fast as his legs could carry him. The party continued to explore the crash site when Mission and Dynamo stopped before Carth did the same, though he was unsure why they did.

"What? What's wrong?" The Republic pilot asked them, an edge in his tone as he kept a grip on one of his pistols.

"This whole place is littered with mines." The young Twi'lek looked at the patch of ground in front of them. "One is on the left and three are on the right." She pointed them out.

"I see them. Good job spotting them, Mission." The Last Knight gave a short reassuring nod before asking. "Can you disarm them?"

"Don't worry. Try not to blow your hands off." She said with a bit of a confident smirk as she walked up to the first mine and began disarming it.

"Carth, cover us." He said to him as he went to disarm the others.

"You got it." He turned and watched the area behind them.

It was a short while until all the mines were disarmed and the way to the escape pod was clear. The Mercenary approached in the lead, followed by the two who watched the flanks and their back. 

Suddenly, a Republic soldier stumbled out from the back of the pod, right in front of them. "H... help me! Please!" He pleaded to them, holding his bloodied side. "I can... I can feel it inside my skin! Something is growing... like some kind of hideous disease!"

The mutant demon hybrid could easily deduce what this meant, so he didn't waste time as he took the shot out of his backpack. "Here, this serum will cure you." He assured calmly before injecting him with it.

Almost instantly, the soldier could feel its effects as a wave of relief washed over him, looking up at The Mercenary. "Th... thank you." He said gratefully. "Those things – they attacked as soon as we came out the doors." He recalled horrified. "They... they killed the others. It was... it was horrible."

"Calm down," Dynamo spoke evenly, placing a firm hand on his shoulder, assuring. "You're okay now. But I need information. I'm looking for Bastila."

"Bastila? She wasn't in this pod." He shook his head, placing a hand on it as he remembered. "We were tracking her pod just before we hit the planet's surface. It went down somewhere to the west. We lost the signal when our own pod crashed. Maybe…" He trailed off before perking up in a panic. "Wait – what was that? Did you hear that? I thought I heard something."

The Final Knight had heard them but they were far in the distance. "Calm down. You're fine now." He repeated evenly once more. "You're safe with us."

But it had little to no effect as the paranoia and fear began to take over the Republic soldier. "Over there... I heard something." He pointed in a general direction with widened eyes. "I know I did! There it is again! It's those monsters! They're coming back! Run for your lives!" He shouted in between shortened breaths before he ran away by himself, heading towards the village gate.

The three could do nothing but watch as the soldier ran right into the claws of four rakghouls who wasted no time in tearing him apart as he screamed in agony.

"Damn it." Dynamo cursed under his breath with a grit of his teeth. What a waste, he should have held the guy in place but he didn't. 

"You did all you could." Mission placed a consoling hand on his shoulder, stopping his train of dark thoughts. "It's not your fault."

The Mercenary gave nothing but a grunt in reply as he pulled out his vibranium bow from his left gauntlet and set four arrows. He aimed masterfully and let them loose, all hitting their mark, piercing cleanly through the skin, muscle and bone of the rakghouls, killing them instantly.

"No… I could have done more. I could always have done more..." He finally said in response, showing a glimpse of the burden that he bore. "Let's get into the sewers." He then added succinctly and moved on.

The two followed, exchanging a somewhat weary yet curious glance, there was more to The Mercenary than the hardened and rough façade. They headed to the entrance northwest of the village gate, with the demonic mutant slashing open the gate and sliding it open. With a mutual nod, they descended the ladder to the lower sewers one by one.

Chapter Text

The Mercenary was the first to descend, sliding down the ladder swiftly and easily. His nanofibertech boots hit the ground, bending his knees and he crouched, a gloved hand on the ground as he scanned with his keen senses. The air was damp and musty, with an indescribably awful smell. The walls were made of metal but had become more and more dark green over the years of neglect and there was a massive hydraulic door in front which was closed. Beyond it, the somehow even more horrible scent of the Gamorreans and the already known one of the rakghouls. Somewhere deeper, where there was a larger concentration, where the Gamorrean compound was most likely, the scent of a Wookiee, Zaalbar. The area around the ladder, safe.

"Area clear!" He called up with a glance, The Soldier persona along with The Splinter Cell taking effect.

Shortly after, the Republic pilot and the young Twi'lek came sliding down one after the other, joining his side.

"Damn," Carth muttered with a grimace as held up his collar over his nose, his sense of smell slowly adjusting. "You weren't kidding with the smell, did you?" 

"Eh, you'll get used to it." Mission waved a hand nonchalantly with a shrug.

"Come on," Dynamo said as he stood straight and began to walk. "We have a friend to find."

"You might want to watch your step." She suggested with a slight smirk.

"I know." He said calmly as he approached slowly and carefully disabled the mine blocking the path. "Thank you for the warning anyway." He looked back at her with a nod as he stood up and stored the recovered mine.

Moving forward, the doors before them slid open and they were greeted by a Sith Patrol. The two tensed slightly, the Republic pilot especially, yet The Mercenary remained calm, cold and calculated.

“You there! Civilian!” The captain called nervously as he approached, drenched in the stench of fear. “This is a restricted area! What are you doing down here?”

“Look.” Dynamo remained calm as he reached into his backpack with smooth motions. “I’ve got all the security papers.” He held them out.

“Papers!" He exclaimed, a hint of paranoia in his tone as he batted his hand away. "Don’t wave those in my face - anyone can forge papers! Call me crazy, but I’m suspicious of anyone wandering around these sewers, even if I have these papers!" His grip tightened on his blaster rifle, taking a step back and aiming at him. "Unless you want me to take you in for questioning you better tell me what you are doing down here!”

Dynamo could sense both of his allies tensing, yet he himself remained the same unflinching calm and cold. “These papers aren’t forged." He stated firmly, a ferocious look in his royal blue eyes. "We are down here on official Sith business.”

The Sith captain was taken aback by the ferocity, he was like one of his superiors… only much much worse. “Okay, okay. You’ve got your papers, I get it." He was still anxious as he set his rifle down, but it paled in comparison with the fear felt of The Mercenary. "You can’t blame me for being a little on edge after getting stuck with an assignment like this! Wandering around these stinking sewers under constant attack from rakghouls… we’ve already run out of rakghoul serum! Plus I heard we lost one of our patrols in the Undercity.”

“Right, I am aware." Dynamo folded his arms and stared right at him through the Sith's visor. "Just follow your orders and keep looking.” 

“You don’t have to tell me what my orders are!" He said, annoyed slightly, but the fear won out. "I’m a patrol leader… I know what’s expected of me and my men!” The Sith glanced over his shoulder and motioned for the patrol to regroup before they headed out swiftly. 

Carth let out a sigh after they left, with the three moving out and further into the sewers. "That was close. I'd rather not have any more encounters like that."

"We will deal with them when need be," Dynamo assured with a glance before his sense went off and his stance shifted immediately into a balanced one.

"Uh oh, here we go…!" Mission said as she drew her vibroblade, the Republic pilot doing the same with his blasters.

The Mercenary watched as the door snapped open and a small group of rakghouls came rushing out. Blasters already out, Carth aimed and took one down with a shot to the head. A rakghoul leapt at the Last Knight, but he caught it, rolled on his back and threw it violently into the metallic wall, bending it. It fell and started to get up, but Mission dealt the killing blow, blade through its midsection. Another attacked her and she didn't have time to raise her blade, but before it could reach her, the Republic pilot put three blaster bolts in it and it dropped dead.  They exchanged a glance after the demonic mutant took down two consecutively, slicing his blade across one's throat and then horizontally right through the other's chest.

"Everyone alright?" Dynamo asked as he looked at both and they both replied with a nod.

They entered the tunnel running south from the northeast entrance from the Undercity and in the east wall of the was a sewer door, past which was an empty room with another sewer door at its east end. Beyond that was a room with three rakghouls and a rakghoul fiend. 

The Mercenary took charge and immediately ran into the fiend, ramming his shoulder into it, before sliding to a stop and letting it fly into the wall. Two leapt at him from behind, but he spun in place and sliced them clean in half with his blade. The last one got a vibroblade through his chest and a blaster bolt to the head.

With the room cleared, Dynamo turned his attention to the outcast corpse the rakghouls were feasting on. He crouched, his senses telling him that the corpse was much older than the other one. He looked through the pack and found a book. A worn journal.

He flipped through it with care, as to not have any of the pages rip or become damaged. It contained a record of the long and difficult search to find the Promised Land. It contained many half-completed maps and cryptic notes, all attempting to decipher whether the legend was true or simply a child's fable. By itself the journal did not contain enough information to solve the mystery, however, it was a now invaluable piece of the puzzle. He put it in a safe place in his backpack, before he stood up and turned to his companions with a nod. With The Mercenary in the lead, they exited and headed into the Gamorrean Compound that occupied most of the lower sewers, beginning to traverse through it. The Gamorreans were a race of bulky humanoid boars, though skinnier individuals exist as well despite it being a less desirable trait. Gamorreans were known for their strength and fierceness in battle, though they're also often seen as mindless brutes with primitive minds, largely due to the fact their physiology doesn't allow them to speak any language besides their own at a decent level. 

The Mercenary's Splinter Cell persona had asserted itself as he snuck through the hallways. Using their speed and manoeuvrability to their advantage, the three were able to make quick work of any gamorreans on the way until they came upon a corridor, guarded by a gamorrean patrol. The Final Knight took a quick whiff of the air and, through the stench of the sewage and the gamorreans, he felt it, Zaalbar's scent. They were close, very. He raised a hand, telling Carth and Mission to stay where they were. With the aid of his nanofibertech gloves and boots, he climbed on the wall and waited for the patrol in the shadows. The Gamorrean walked right below him and he dove on his head, running his Adamantine blade into him and slamming his head over his knee with a thud as he landed noiselessly, lowering the massive corpse with minimal noise. The Republic pilot and the young Twi'lek came after and secured the area, watching carefully as The demonic mutant stood up and looked around. There was a sewer door in the east wall of the tunnel along the east boundary of the Gamorrean Compound, beyond which was a room that was mined. Dynamo walked inside, quickly disarming and recovering the mine.

In the room, there was another outcast corpse and he took a knee next to it. Another satchel was on the heavily decayed body and the last Promised Land Journal. He took it carefully, as the journal seemed to be prepared to crumble at the slightest touch. With great caution, he flicked through it to make sure and his royal blue eyes widened for a moment.

Deci, e pe bune. Tărâmul Promis chiar există. Trebuie să le duc la Rukil când mai trec prin Undercity. (So it iss for real. The Promised Land does exist. I have to take them to Rukil when I pass through the Undercity again.) He thought with a brief satisfied look, placing it safely with the other two in his backpack. He exited and motioned to Carth and Mission to join him which they did with a nod. All three now stood in front of the last door.

The mutant demon hybrid took a moment and sniffed, cataloguing the scents. "Four gamorreans beyond." He said to them, lifting four fingers. "Ready?" He asked, clenching his fist and letting it down.

"Ready," Carth replied with a certain nod, pulling out his blaster pistols.

Mission nodded with determination as she gripped her vibroblade.

The doors slid open and The Mercenary was the first one through at blazing speed yet deathly calm. He leapt at the Gamorrean Chief, his blade slashing his face, before he jumped, his blade embedding itself in the chief's head. The three remaining ones brought down their axes on him at the same time. He swiftly put his hands up to have his blades stop them before he threw them all off with a furious shout ripped from the back of his throat that made his eyes flash red and made them all stagger back from the ferocity. Taking advantage of this, Carth blasted one of them, his bolts running through one's head and chest. Mission took on another, slashing her blade through his massive belly, before ramming it through him. The last one shook his head rather violently as he recovered, he raised his battle axe and swung it down on her, but The Last Knight moved faster and he caught it with his gloved hands. The gamorrean squeaked in shock when several bolts blasted through his brain and he fell dead on the floor. With a mutual nod and the fight over, they looked over the massive door in the room. It was different from the others they had encountered as noted by its older design.  

The young Twi'lek stepped closer and began to take a look at it thoughtfully. "Hmmm… look at this. This is one of those old-style manual locks. No computer codes or anything. The sewers are the only place you'll see one of these on Taris. You can't use conventional security spikes on these old locks, but don't worry." She informed them with a glance over her shoulder and shrug. "I've come across them before. I've rigged up a little device that should do the trick." She began working on the lock and it quickly opened, revealing who was inside.

Immediately, The Wookiee perked up from where he sat off to the side of the chamber, turning his head and letting out a growl of joy and relief. "You're a sight for sore eyes, Mission," He got up and rushed over to Mission, lifting her into a massive bear hug.

"I'm glad to see you too, Big Z!" She exclaimed relieved as she returned it before her hairy friend set her down. She looked up at him with a bright smile. "You didn't think I'd forget about you – Mission and Zaalbar, together forever!"

Zaalbar nodded with as close of a grin as he could muster. "Who's that with you?" He growled curiously as he noticed her company.

"These are my new friends, Big Z." She drew back and stood by his side as she motioned to Dynamo and Carth. "Without them, I never could have got you out."

The demonic mutant gave a nod, silently surprised that the young Twi'lek viewed him as a friend so quickly. Then he reminded himself that she was still a kid basically, even with all her skills, she wouldn't think the same once she saw what he held inside. "An honour to meet you, Zaalbar. I'm Georgian Dynamo. The Mercenary." He replied amiably, knowing the language of the Wookiees, Shyriiwook. "And don't mention it, I merely did what I had to."

"You know the language of my people?" Zaalbar replied with a surprised if not impressed growl. "That is rare among your species. You have saved me from a life of servitude and slavery." He stated with certainty in himself. "There is only one way I can ever repay such an act: I will swear a lifedebt to you."

"A lifedebt?" Mission looked at him with an eyebrow raised in concern. "Are you sure about that, Big Z? Think about it carefully. You better be sure about this."

"I am sure, Mission." He gave a confident roar and glance. "This is an issue of great importance to me. Because of our great physical strength, Wookiees are being used as slave labour on our own homeworld. They see us as brutes and animals to be exploited. Over the years slavers have taken many of my people; we must always be on guard against raids against our villages. When the Gamorreans captured me, I thought I was doomed to a life of servitude." He paused and looked back at The Mercenary, towering over despite the man's above average height. "I have been saved from such a fate, and the only way I can repay that is through a lifedebt."

"Big Z swearing a Wookiee lifedebt to you." Mission looked at the Final Knight with newfound admiration and respect. "Wow – this is major. Do you realize what this means?" She asked him somewhat cautiously.

"It is a loyalty vow, isn't it?" He deduced, rubbing his beard for a moment. "One of great significance to him and his people since it denotes he would be by my side until the bitter end, no matter where I go or what transpires"

Mission was silent for a moment, blinking that he knew or could at least tell what it meant. "Yes, that is exactly it."

"In the presence of you all, I swear my lifedebt. Forever after I will be by your side, Georgian Dynamo." Zaalbar roared powerfully. "May my vow be as strong as the roots of the great Wroshyr trees of Kashyyyk." 

He placed a clenched fist over his heart and did a quick yet deep respectful bow. "I'm honoured to accept your vow, Zaalbaar."

"I guess this means you're stuck with me too." Mission patted her friend as The Mercenary straightened, speaking with determination. "Wherever Big Z goes, I'm going. I almost lost him once – it's not going to happen again."

"I'm glad to have you onboard, Mission." He nodded in her direction.

Her eyes turned to The Mercenary. "So… I guess I still owe you one secret path into the Vulkar base. That was the deal, wasn't it? Don't worry, I know a backdoor into that scum den!" She said confidently with hands on her hips.

The mutant demon hybrid nodded. "Good, the sooner we get there the better."

"I better come with you – the Vulkars put up a force field to keep the sewer dwellers out. I'm one of the only non-Vulkars on Taris who can get you past it. I can't remember exactly how to get there, but I know it was somewhere here in the sewers." She thought about it for a second. "Over to the northeast, if I remember right. I just hope the Rancor monster isn't still there."

He rubbed his black beard for a moment. "Rancor? I've faced bigger threats." Dynamo stated matter-of-factly. "Much bigger."

"You did a good job mopping up those Gamorreans, but I don't think you want to take on a Rancor!" She looked at him in disbelief, despite his imposing figure, she didn't think he could go up against such a massive and brutal being "Those things are huge! Luckily Rancors aren't too bright. I was able to sneak past it before, so I'm sure we'll figure something out. That is unless you want to change your mind."

He shook his head. "That's not really an option now, is it?" He asked with rhetorical sarcasm. "Let's go."

She nodded. "Okay then, off we go. Like I said, somewhere to the northeast. Just look for the force shield and we'll know we're there."

With Zaalbar now at their side, rescued from the Gamorrean Compound, they exited it through its main entrance to the east and went north up the tunnel along its eastern boundary, then through the southeast sewer door in the room at its end. The Mercenary was in the lead once more, with the Twi’lek girl right at his side to show the way, the Wookiee like a protective Guardian in her shadow and the Republic pilot bringing up the rear. 

Mission scrunched up her face at the scent of… something less than pleasant. Even more so than the sewers around them and coming from behind her. She glanced over her shoulder at Zaalbar. "Hey, Big Z, we've got to do something about your breath." She said with a careful tone while waving a hand in his general direction. "I didn't want to say anything, but it's bad. Worse than usual, which is hard to believe." She paused in thought for a moment. "In fact, now that I think about it, your breath has been pretty rancid ever since we rescued you from those Gamorrean slavers. What did they feed you, buddy?" She asked with clear concern.

"They didn't," Zaalbar growled dejected with a raise of his shoulders. "I wasn't their guest, Mission. I was a prisoner. I don't think they cared much what happened to me."

Her eyes widened in shock but she had some light teasingness in her. "Oh, Zaalbar, that's terrible! I know how grouchy you get if you don't get your eight square meals a day. I'm amazed you didn't pass out from hunger."

"I did manage to take a chunk out of the arm of a guard that wandered too close to my cage." He growled with a raise of his shoulders, complaining. "But it tasted awful, so I spit it out."

Hearing that, Mission's face scrunched up in disgust and some surprise. "Ewww! No wonder your breath is so bad, Big Z. Gamorreans smell like bantha poo-doo! We'll have to pick you up a toothbrush to clean that stench out of your choppers."

"Wookiees do not brush their teeth, Mission!" He growled in incredulous aggravation, shaking his head. "It… it just isn't done! What humiliation will you use on me next? A comb?"

"Okay, relax. No toothbrush." She assured with an amiable raise of her hands before she scoffed with a slight eye roll, but it was well-meaning. "Sheesh. Just try to eat something else to cover up that smell, okay? Stay away from anything that's smart enough to lock you in a cage this time."

Zaalbar gave a throaty sigh as he conceded in somewhat defeat. "I'll take care of it as soon as I can, Mission. For now, let's stay focused on the task at hand."

All the while, The Last Knight and the Republic pilot exchanged a glance, with Carth subtly smiling the whole time, even if he was attentive. Even the demonic mutant's expression seemed to soften for a moment, yet it hardened just as quickly as his attention was merely on the mission. Beyond the door, there was a short tunnel ending in another sewer door. With attentive eyes and keen senses, they saw that both doors were mined. Dynamo and Mission disarmed and recovered the mines and the way was cleared. They came across the energy shield that Mission was talking about. In front of the computer controlling it. 

The young Twi'lek took a few steps to it, looking it over with hands on her hips. "You won't be able to get that computer to lower the energy shield unless you know the proper codes." She glanced to the rest with a smirk as she reached into her pocket. "Lucky for you, I've got them. I picked them off the pocket of a Black Vulkar who had a little too much to drink in the cantina one night. Here, let me get that energy shield down for you." She got on the console and began inputting the codes. 

Before long the shield lowered before them, with The Mercenary giving a nod towards the young Twi'lek. "Thank you, Mission." Dynamo then stepped forward to take the lead, determination and hardness ever-present in his tone. "Let's go."

With the shield lowered, they went through, entering the Lower Sewers on the west side of the Upper Sewers, standing in a short tunnel with sewer doors at either end, beyond the west door were the lower sewers, while beyond the east door was an open chamber with water cascading into the middle of it and a walkway around its perimeter. One Gamorrean was fighting two rakghouls just to their right, while another was fighting a single rakghoul to the northeast.  The Mercenary held up a hand and the whole group stopped as they waited for the carnage to end. After a few long minutes, the cries of the rakghouls and the gamorreans stopped, as they had taken each other out, their mangled butchered They walked through the remains, past the dying moans of the gamorreans and into the tunnel. A sewer door awaited them at the east end of the tunnel, beyond which was another chamber with water cascading into the middle of it and a walkway around its perimeter. The walkway was mined to the southeast, just to their right and it was also patrolled by a malfunctioning droid. Yet that didn't last for long as the Republic soldier quickly took a shot with his blaster and it fell disabled, head split open and sparking as it fell. Looking around, there were sewer doors to exit the chamber to the southeast and northeast. 

"Hey, Big Z." Mission said carefully with a glance at him as the group walked through. "Don't take this the wrong way, but lately I've noticed you're starting to look a little bit scruffy."

"Scruffy?" Zaalbar gave a confused and nervous growl, raising an eyebrow somewhat incredulously. "What are you talking about? I hope you aren't suggesting I take a bath!"

She shook her head immediately. "No, I'm not suggesting a bath. I know how well that went over last time." She muttered before she leaned a little closer as if inspecting him. "But your hair's getting all tangled. And if you look close, you can see a few grey strands starting to poke through."

"You're making this up!" He accused her with a growl. "I groom every day! My hair is not tangled, and it's not going grey!"

Dynamo looked over his shoulder at the two of them, raising an eyebrow in somewhat curiosity. "Zaalbar looks fine to me." He gave a raise of his shoulders before turning his gaze and full attention back to watch for any oncoming threats.

"Don't worry, Big Z." Mission said with a confident smirk. "It's nothing I can't fix. A little trim, a splash of colouring and you'll be as good as new. Best-looking Wookiee on the planet. Maybe a nice suit…" She mused before she trailed off with that same smirk. 

Zaalbar paused in shock before he let out an angered roar. "You don't trim a Wookiee!" Every bellow became more intense than the next. "You don't colour a Wookiee! And you certainly don't dress a Wookiee!"

"I know Wookiees aren't into the whole clothing thing, but you could start a whole new trend!" She offered with a side smile. "You'd be on the cutting edge."

In complete offence, he roared in her face. "Rargh! Leave me alone!"

"Okay, okay." She scoffed, taken aback as she raised her hands in surrender. "Sheesh. Try to offer some constructive criticism and this is the thanks I get? Let's move on. You can just stay naked and scruffy for all I care."

The Wookiee gave a roll of his eyes but commented no more as the group continued in silence. The southeast door opened before them to a tunnel which took the group further into the upper sewers, towards the Rancor's chamber. The tunnel just beyond the southeast door was mined, so The Mercenary and the Twi’lek girl worked together to disable and recover them. The tunnel turned south and descended a ramp to a sewer door. As they approached it with The Mercenary in the lead, he sensed a severed arm lying on the floor to the right, holding a device, and a datapad on the floor next to it. 

"Quite the… comforting sight," Carth remarked somewhat wearily. 

Dynamo only grunted in reply as he crouched and picked it up. He examined it in his gloved hand and noted that it was a timed-release device for a strange substance. He brought it close to his nose and sniffed, feeling that a very pungent odour came from the liquid. He downloaded the datapad's info into his SMI and read through it. There were detailed plans the Hidden Beks had to get into the Black Vulkar base. Of note was the following.

We have synthesized a substance with an odour that resembles a favourite prey of rancors. If we place the bait properly, we can lure the Rancor into eating something lethal enough to kill it.

Mai bine decât să-mi folosesc lamele. Subtil. (Better than using my blades. Subtle.)  He gave a light hum in thought as he stood up. Cam la fel dobori un Titan… (Kind of like taking down a Titan…)

The sewer door opened on the northwest corner of a large chamber with a high ceiling. To the south was a corpse pile, the stench of decay on it and to the left was a monstrous Rancor, luckily facing away from them.

"What's the plan, big man?" Mission asked The Mercenary as she peeked inside carefully. 

"Those vials are an extremely potent synthesized odour." He explained in a whisper, voice hardened. "I can use it with some of the mines that we have recovered, those should cause a big enough explosion that it would tear the beast from the inside, killing it for certain."

"Wait!" Carth exclaimed though he kept his voice quiet as he asked incredulously. "You are going in there alone, are you insane!?"

"No. I have training in stealth operations." Dynamo replied matter-of-factly before ordering sternly. "Wait here."

The Mercenary went into the chamber, his nanofibertech boots barely making a sound as he sprinted to the corpse pile, all the while getting out the explosives needed. He crouched, peeking over the pile at the lumbering Rancor and ignoring the awful stench as he stashed a couple of mines, with their proximity sensors disabled, but connected to his SMI so that he could detonate them remotely. The timer on the release device was set to five seconds, figuring that should be more than enough for him to make it back to the party, which it was as he crossed the threshold back out with two seconds to spare. The four took cover and watched patiently yet eagerly, almost holding their breath. The device released the odour and it quickly filled the whole chamber, drawing the attention of the Rancor. The beast turned and sniffed the air, before walking with heavy steps to the corpse pile. It took a massive bite out of the whole thing, then raised its head to let the food run down its throat. Seeing this, The Mercenary pressed the command and the mines inside the Rancors stomach detonated with a deep rumbling echo. Though the thick skin didn't burst, the blood could be seen pooling beneath, at the same time it began to pour from its mouth as it stumbled a few steps back. With one last strangled roar, the Rancor collapsed on the floor with a small quake, blood gushing through its jaws and onto the ground.

"Well, I guess that's one way to get rid of a Rancor," Carth commented in an impressed tone, scratching the back of his head with his free hand.

"Good thing we recovered those mines, right?" Mission poked Dynamo lightly with her elbow with a smirk and a rather playful glance.

"You have to work with what you have." He said evenly, with the same coldness and calculated nature. "C'mon, there's no time to lose." He took the lead once again, sniffing once. "Two Vulkars beyond the door." He spoke with two fingers raised after taking note of the scents in the air. "Zaalbar, with me," He ordered them in succession. "Mission, double for him, Carth suppressing fire."

They nod one after another, with the Wookiee stepping up beside him, all of them with their weapons all the ready.

Beyond the east sewer door in the Rancor's chamber was a short tunnel leading to an elevator at its east end, flanked by a Vulkar guard on each side which had been alerted, yet they had no real cover or options but to face whatever was coming.

"Get ready!" He said, drawing on his Soldier persona as the door began to slide open before them. "Go!"

The Mercenary rushed in with the Wookiee right beside him and the young Twi'lek coming in behind them. The Vulkars were caught completely off-guard, letting out strangled shouts at the sighs. They scrambled to fire their rifles but couldn't aim properly as blaster fire coming from the Republic pilot kept them from being able to do so.  Dynamo swiftly disarmed one of the Vulkars before hitting him in the face with his elbow, breaking his nose and jaw, blooding his whole face and instantly knocking the alien out. Zaalbar picked up the other with a roar and flung him into a railing, breaking his back before the body fell limply to the metal floor with a thud. With the guards out of commission, the base elevator doors slid open and the party stepped in, holstering their weapons for now. The doors closed and the elevator began its ascent to the Vulkar base.

Chapter Text

The elevator from the Upper Sewers took them to the north end of a room in the northeast corner of the Black Vulkar base. A dull light filled the base, lighting the grey metal corridors. The Mercenary stepped out first, followed by the Republic pilot, the young Twi'lek and the Wookiee. He led the way, his Splinter Cell persona complimenting his titanium weave nanofibertech outfit of the same title, beyond the south standard door was the east end of a corridor that turned north around a corner to the west. All four stopped just at the bend, with him peeking around the corner. It was patrolled by a Vulkar patrol droid, so he glanced back and motioned with one hand for Zaalbar. The massive Wookiee rushed it from behind, tearing off one of its arms before crushing its head into a heap of scrap.

"Good job, Zaalbar," Dynamo said as he walked past with the rest of the party, glancing around and scanning with his keen senses.

The corridor they were in had three standard doors on each side. Beyond the middle door in the north wall was a room with supplies to the left, which they quickly looted and moved on. There were more supplies to the right of the entrance in the room beyond the left door which was in the north wall of the corridor, but this entrance was mined. That was not for long as the mines were recovered and the supplies looted.

"This place is pretty packed," Carth remarked with a slight snicker as he set his pack back in place. "Even compared to an army base."

"Yep." Mission nodded with a sly side smile as they regrouped. "What do you expect from the Vulkars? They are at war after all."

"All the better for us," Dynamo said with a glance between all. "We can use these against them. Now, let us continue."

Beyond the left door in the south wall, opposite the elevator, was another corridor to the south around the perimeter of the Rec Room, which turned west into the Armory and was patrolled by another Vulkar patrol droid. Once again, it didn't take long for the droid to be destroyed and for the group to continue exploring and looting the base. The control room was behind a security door in the south wall of the corridor leading west out of the Armory chamber, the scent telling The Mercenary that inside was a single Twi'lek male of the Black Vulkar. He raised a hand, telling the three with him to simply cover him as he positioned himself in front of it, his stance more akin to a runner than a fighter. The door hissed open, in moments they saw each other, the green-skinned Twi'lek male Black Vulkar who was inside had been sharpening his long sword at the desk, so he jumped over it, bringing it down, but The Last Knight caught it firmly with one gloved hand, the blade not even cutting through the nanofibertech. Panic spread on the Vulkar's face when the mountain of a demonic mutant move with unmatched speed and skill, disarming him with his other hand, before twisting his arm back.

The Twi'lek man screamed in pain as the mutant demon hybrid forced him to his knees with deathly calm, ability and power. "Ahhh! I surrender! I surrender!" He shouted desperately through gritted teeth. "Please, don't kill me. I'm not like these others. I'm not like Brejik and his new Vulkars!"

"If you're not a Vulkar, then what are you?" Dynamo asked, seething as he tightened his grip dangerously.

He breathed heavily through his nose and scrunched his teeth. "I'm a Vulkar, but I was here long before Brejik took over." He spoke with disdain and resentment. "I was a Vulkar back when it meant something. Back when we had honour. Then Brejik and his followers took over and turned our gang into a bunch of violent thugs and bloodthirsty punks. Now they treat all us original Vulkars like second class citizens." 

With an incredulous huff, HE PAUSED, his frustration and anger greater than the pain felt. "Take me, for example. I used to be one of the highest-ranking Vulkars in the gang. Now I'm stuck on guard duty here in the back, all thanks to Brejik!"

The Mercenary felt that he was being honest and his grip loosened a bit before asking. "If you hate Brejik so much, why don’t you leave the gang?"

with a dejected and resigned look, the Vulkar shook his head. "I've been trying to work up the courage to leave, but it's not that easy. Brejik's followers will try to hunt down anyone who leaves the Vulkar gang. He says he won't let traitors live."

Dynamo furrowed his brow before making a decision and let go of his grip as he stood, still watching the man carefully. 

The Twi'lek got up, rubbing his wrist with a mirthless chuckle. "Ha! Brejik and his followers are the real traitors. They turned on Gadon and now they slaughter the Beks in the streets… and anyone else they happen to run across."  "Brejik knows anyone with character will never willingly follow a leader like him, so he uses brutality and violence to stay in power."

Crossing his arms and rubbed his beard for a moment, the gears of the demonic mutant's mind turned. This was worth a shot. "Listen. I have a few more questions, after that, I'll consider letting you go."

"Yeah, sure." He nodded readily and honestly. "Whatever you want to know. It's not like I owe that scum lord Brejik anything."

The Mercenary eyed him for a second, almost scrutinising him while he pieced matters together in his head. "Where can I find the prototype swoop engine accelerator?"

"Right – that gadget Brejik stole from the Beks." He nodded after pausing to think about it. "He's got the accelerator in the basement garage." He informed truthfully. "The only way down is by using the security elevator in the back of the base. But the security elevator is protected by auto-targeting laser cannons. You'll be vaporized before you ever get near it unless you get your hands on a pass card."

Most likely not. Even if it would be extremely painful, he would survive… but his companions… "Where can I get a pass card?"

"If I had one myself, I'd give it to you." He said honestly with a slight raise of his shoulders. "But Brejik only gives them to his lieutenants. You'd have to get a pass card from one of them, but I doubt they'd just hand it over to you."

The Mercenary nodded, there was one option, but there should be more. "Is there some way to disable the security cannons?"

Frowning slightly, the Twi'lek man rubbed the back of his head. "I guess it might be possible to slice into the main computer bank near the front of the base and override the security system, but I sure wouldn't be able to do it."

"One more thing." The mutant demon hybrid said, rubbing his beard for a moment. "I'm looking for a prisoner here. A woman named Bastila."

"Yeah, right." The Vulkar gave a small sarcastic laugh with a slight smirk. "You think Brejik would leave a trophy like that in here with this scum? He's got her stashed away somewhere safe, I'd guess. Somewhere outside this base."

He paused as he subtly sniffed once… again, he said the truth. "Alright. I'm going to let you live. Go on, get out of here!" He motioned to the exit.

For a moment, he blinked, surprised yet incredibly grateful. "Thanks. Thanks a lot. And don't worry, I won't cause any trouble for you on the way out. In fact, I hope you take Brejik and his Vulkars down!"

The Mercenary watched him leave before letting out a bit of a sigh as he checked his SMI, doubling up the information he'd memorised. The four regrouped and they continued their infiltration. The Armory was the hub of the Black Vulkar base, with the Armoury itself being in the middle of this chamber and a Black Vulkar which patrolled clockwise around it. The door to the armoury was in its north wall, flanked by a Vulkar sentry droid on each side. 

Dynamo, who was leading the way, stopped at the threshold and looked over the chamber carefully. "The patrol is mine. You take the droids." He directed them with a glance back.

"You got it." The Republic pilot nodded, prepping his blaster pistols, the two others doing the same.

The Final Knight stepped out first, making his way crouched by the wall approaching the patrol from behind as it stepped in the direction of where the droids were. A tremendous Wookiee roar was heard and blaster fire rang out as the sound of metal clashed against metal filled the area along with his keen ears. The lone patrol began to sprint towards the commotion, but before he could even take one step, an Adamantine blade ran through him from front to back, The Mercenary straightening and sheathing it after, continuing silently and with a deathly calm. The demonic mutant turned the corner and found Carth, Mission and Zaalbar, with the two guard droids in bits and pieces at the armoury door. "All clear?" He asked with a look between them.

"All clear," Carth replied with a nod, holstering his pistols.

"The lock is open if you want to take a look." Mission pointed to the armoury with a smug look, though it had a certain innocence.

"Then, what are you waiting for?" The Mercenary asked rhetorically before he encouraged all of them. "Grab what you want and let's go." 

With rather vigorous nods, the group got an upgrade while Dynamo began hacking the main terminal located opposite the armoury against the north wall with his Strategic Mission Interface. He ran through the system, successfully overriding access and bringing up a command prompt. His fingers tapped and moved nimbly as he was granted access to the camera menu and brought up the one of the main barracks before overloading the power conduit, killing all but one of the Vulkars inside. Then he shut down the garage elevator security system. He went back to the root menu and accessed the base commands, opening all security doors and uploading the area schematics in his SMI.  After all that he logged out, letting out a small sigh as he let his hand at his side, knowing that the young Twi'lek had looked over his shoulder as he worked. Better said, under his shoulder due to the height difference. 

"Didn't know you could slice your way through a computer like that." She remarked, thoroughly impressed when she saw The Mercenary turn his calm and cold gaze to her.

"I had to learn in order to be effective in the field." The Final Knight said matter-of-factly with a small raise of his shoulders. "With time anyone can slice through a system like I did. You as well."

"You've got to teach me some of those tricks." She asked with an eager grin.

"Watch and learn," Dynamo nodded and advised calmly and slightly less cold. "That's how I did it at least. Next time we have to hack into something, keep an eye on how I do it."

"Can't wait!" She pumped her fist, an excited smile on her lips. "For now, let's get on with this thing!"

The Mercenary nodded and took the lead once more, this time correlating the scents to the schematics on his SMI for them to sweep the entire floor clear and coming upon the middle door in the south wall of the first corridor which opened onto a bar. A Vulkar bartender stood to the left, while a bouncer droid stood in each of the northwest and southwest corners. They were stunned by the sudden appearance of the four in the doorway but the surprise quickly turned to hostility as they drew their weapons. The Republic pilot was faster as he snapped a couple of blaster bolts into the droid, rendering it to nothing but scrap metal. The same could be said of the mutant demon hybrid as he leapt over the counter and hit the bartender right in the chest with his boots, sending him into the drinks behind, knocking him out cold as a couple of bottles broke on his head. They moved on swiftly and silently through a standard door at the south end of the bar opened onto the corridor around the southeast perimeter of the rec rooms, while one in the west wall opened into a dining area containing another bouncer droid identical to those found in the bar. But the droid didn't stand for long as the young Twi'lek sliced it clean in half with her improved signature Vibroblade. Dynamo nodded to her before he took note of one of the scents still present. There was a human in here, hiding and terrified. With noiseless steps and motions, he walked to the secluded table and booth in the corner of the room, crouching and looking under it.

The sight of him was horrific, the scar, the deep seething rage in those calm yet cold royal blue eyes and she screamed petrified as backed herself into the corner in desperation. "Please, don't hurt me – I just serve the food here, that's all! I'm not like these others – I'm not even a Black Vulkar…!" Her voice became nothing more than a quiet whimper. "Please don't kill me!"

That was one of the usual reactions he got, though it was more understandable in this situation. "Calm down, I will not hurt you." He said slowly and evenly, doing his best to seem less threatening, keeping his hands raised to show that he wasn't a threat to her. "You can come out now."

The woman moved further back with a small whimper, completely terrified as she saw the demon in human flesh before her. And the demonic mutant could sense the fact as he backed away with a small sigh, looking to the others with a somewhat apologetic expression.  

Mission saw the glance, frowning a little at the whole scene before she stepped up and crouched, glancing at the woman and extending a hand slowly to her. "It's alright, lady, we only want to help you, the big guy included." She assured her with a small smirk, though she was friendly. "What's your name?"

The woman blinked as she looked at the young Twi'lek girl, her breathing slowing down as she saw the blue-skinned hand covered by a  black fingerless glove offered. Though hesitant, she took it and slowly came out of her hiding spot. "My name is Ada." She stated quietly, averting her eyes from all of them as she held her arms protectively. "My father owed Davik some money, but he couldn't pay. Davik killed my father and sold me into slavery here at the Vulkar compound to pay off the debt."

Folding his arms, The Last Knight gave a small nod, keeping his tone calm, yet no warmth came to it. "Don't worry, ma'am... we just want to ask you a few questions." 

"But I don't know anything!" She protested anxiously, clutching her arms she seemed to shrink. "I'm just a prisoner here - a slave! The Vulkars don't tell me anything, they treat me like dirt, they beat me if I screw up their orders."

"You may know more than you think, miss," Carth said gently, offering. "Help us and we'll help you, okay?"

She paused, biting her lip before she relented with a heavy breath. "Well… alright." She looked around the group wearily. "I still don't know how much help I can be. But I sure hope you get rid of all the Vulkars." She paused for a moment before nearly spitting with disdain. "I hate them!"

Dynamo gave nothing but a nod before evenly asking. "Where can we find the prototype swoop engine accelerator?" 

She looked at him with eyes widened in somewhat confusion. "What? I… I've never heard of such a thing." She paused and thought it over based on the tidbits that she'd heard when serving the Vulkars. "I guess it might be in the garage on the lower level – that's where all the Vulkars go to work on their swoop bikes. But I've never been down there. The elevator is protected by a security system – only the Vulkars are allowed to go down there."

He nodded in thanks even if his expression was as hardened as ever. "We're looking for a prisoner. A woman named Bastila."

"Is she that Republic soldier?" She asked with a slight narrow of her eyes and she remembered. "I heard one of those Vulkar mention her, but she's not here. He said Brejik didn't trust his men around her. I guess she's too important to be a slave here in the kitchens, getting pawed and groped and kicked and spit on like me." She spat resentfully in a hateful tone. "Brejik must have taken her somewhere safe."

He once more nodded, committing to memory. That wasn't entirely good, at all almost. They needed a way to make Brejik place Bastila in the open if he wanted to have a chance of saving her. "If we let you go, can you find your way out of here?" He asked, looking at Ada.

She nodded as she spoke, less wearily now, even if the fear on her remained. "Now that you've killed the guards who were supposed to watch me I think I could find my way out of here." 

"Hurry, then – get out of here." Dynamo motioned towards the exit with a gloved hand.

"I… I'm free to go? You're not going to kill me?" She asked in disbelief and joy, glancing at him with wide eyes before looking around the group of four with a wide and grateful smile. "I… I don't know how I can ever repay you. Thank you! Thank you! I… I have to get out of here before any of the Vulkars see me."

With one last nod and smile, Ada ran out, back through the way cleared by the group of four while they moved on through the dining area's standard door in its south wall which opened onto the corridor around the southeast perimeter of the rec room. There was another door in its north wall which opened into a kitchen from which a Vulkar cook was just coming out. His head barely turned when he saw the giant hairy figure of the Wookie barrelling into him with such force that it knocked him out instantly.  With a nod from The Final Knight, they moved into the chamber from which the enemy had come out. There wasn't much useful inside so they went through a standard door in its west wall which opened onto the northeast corner of the Armory chamber, and another in its north wall which opened onto the first corridor along the north perimeter of the rec room, the right door in the south wall of this corridor. Continuing on and into the barracks, which were a large L-shaped room with two entrances, on the south side of the corridor exiting the Armory chamber to the west and its south entrance was a standard door to the right of the security door of the Control Room, just before the corridor turned north, its north entrance was another standard door around the corner to the north and west at the end of the corridor, opposite that to the pool in the north wall.

Everyone inside was dead, all but one Black Vulkar armed with a Blaster Pistol, who was taking cover behind one of the bunks, terrified. He heard the door open and he let out a shout as he rose from his spot, aiming a pistol at the group. Calmly and with a certain nonchalance, the demonic mutant simply launched a grappling hook from his right gauntlet, bringing him towards him and hitting the Vulkar with a devastating clothesline that left him on the cold floor motionless. With the entire floor cleared and looted, the four went to the Garage Elevator, which was easy to access since the security had been taken care of, taking them down and emerging in the northwest corner of the garage. 

It had the same dull grey walls and lighting as the rest of the base with a high ceiling. There were two swoop bikes in the central garage bay and a Vulkar patrol droid could be seen in the distance patrolling in front of the Loading Bay in the east wall. The Mercenary wasted no time in bringing forth his Collapsible Vibranium Bow from his left gauntlet and loosening an arrow right through its head, instantly disabling it. His keen senses picked up the scents coming from the west tunnel in the southwest corner, three of them as the garage head emerged, followed by two Vulkar guards. The group hadn't been spotted so they used this to their advantage, the Wookiee taking out his signature Bowcaster and aiming for the garage head as the Republic pilot did the same with his dual blaster pistols, the bolts hitting their target. The young Twi'lek unsheathed her sword, moving quickly and surprisingly stealthy to flank them, coming up behind one of his escorts and running them through her blade. At the same time, The Mercenary leapt over the metal railing and landed right on the other, blades going through the Vulkar's torso and side of his neck. They regrouped and went down the west tunnel in the southwest corner of the garage, moving swiftly and stealthy as they turned north around the corner. There were two standard doors in the east wall towards the end of the tunnel, and the garage head's office was behind the north door, based on the schematics downloaded in the SMI, exactly the one they needed. 

The door had no lock, so they easily got inside. The garage head's desk was against the north wall and there were some supplies in the southeast corner. With simple glances, the group looted the supplies as The Mercenary looked through the desk and found what he wanted. The Garage Head Key Card gave him access to most of the restricted areas in the Vulkar garage. They returned to the garage and went down the ramp to the tunnel in the south wall. The four positioned themselves on the sides of the door, their unofficial leader sniffing and cataloguing the scents. The Last Knight held up two fingers, signalling that inside were two Black Vulkars, one armed with a Blaster Pistol, the other armed with a Vibrosword. The hydraulic door slid open with a hiss and they rushed in not one moment later, completely taking them by surprise as Dynamo locked blades with the one with the Vibrosword, his slicing cleanly through it and into the alien's hand. The Vulkar shouted in pain as he held the wound from which blood poured out, taking steps back right into Zaalbar, who picked him up with sudden ferocity and banged his head on the ceiling with a crack before leaving the body to drop limply in a growing pool of crimson. Moving with dexterity and agility, Mission sliced cleanly through the main hand of the other Vulkar, making him drop his baster as he choked back a scream, Carth using the moment to take him down with a Blaster bolt to the head in that very instant. 

They moved on quickly to the tunnel beyond which was mined just before it reached a T-junction. Using their demolitions expertise, Dynamo, Mission and Zaalbar recovered them while Carth covered them and then they continued on their way. Turning left at the junction, they came across a standard door and then a security door in the north wall as two approached the east end of the tunnel. The first door opened on a room containing four Vulkar guards, two armed with Vulkar Shock Sticks and another two armed with Blaster Pistols. They each took their own target. A blaster duel for the Republic pilot, he was quick to take cover and used both of his, taking his adversary down with several precise shots to the head and chest. Moving with calm ferocity and relentlessness, Dynamo's blade sliced through the Vulkar's blaster before he tore into him across the chest and sent him to the ground in a heap of blood. Mission's new upgraded blade deflected the shock stick as it was swung, giving her an opening when her opponent staggered back so she swiped through his chest armour, dealing a fatal blow. With the strength of a tank, Zaalbar picked the last one up over his head, the Vulkar screaming in terror before he was slammed over the Wookiee's knee, silencing the alien's cries. He then rejoined the others as they gathered at the security doors to the engine lab.  

Dynamo sniffed and lifted a hand to show. "Four Vulkars beyond. Everyone set?" He asked as he looked over his shoulder at each.

They all nodded one after another with Mission remarking in a motivated tone. "Ready when you are!"

The Mercenary nodded, before using the key card and the doors slid open, but to their collective surprise, they did not come immediately under fire from those beyond. And they were a green-skinned Twi'lek male, who sat behind a desk, while one of his bodyguards, a Twi'lek female, stood to the left of him. Two more Vulkar bodyguards were behind them against the north wall.

The Twi'lek male looked at them crossly with a smirk, glancing at his bodyguard with a motion of his hand to the four. "Looks like we have visitors – lackeys conned by Gadon Thek into trying to steal Brejik's swoop engine accelerator, I bet!"

Mission blinked incredulously at the words before she snapped at him. "Brejik stole that engine from Gadon! It was never yours to begin with!"

Disdain crossed his expression as he held a hand on his chin, kicking his feet up with a shrug. "Well, I didn't go to all the trouble of acquiring this prototype just so you could steal it back for that old fool!"

"Would you like me to dispose of these Bek spies, Kandon?" The Twi'lek female asked him eagerly, running a finger up and down the hilt of her Vibrosword as she began to take steps around the table.

"No – hold on a second." He said firmly as he raised a hand to still her, before looking at the burly man with the dark rageful air to him, speaking in a mischievous tone. "I see you aren't wearing the Hidden Bek colours, so I'm guessing you aren't part of that feeble old man's gang. You must be a freelance mercenary."

A low growl rumbled in the back of his throat at that. "I'm not any mercenary. I am The Mercenary." He replied in a low and chilling tone.

"A mercenary is a mercenary, you still work for money." Kandon dismissed it and tried to goad him in a slimy tone. "Instead of stealing the prototype for the Beks, why don't you come work for us? The Black Vulkars could use someone like you." 

"You have no idea who and what I am." Dynamo shook his head once before tilting it down slightly, his tone lowering dangerously. "Forget it! I know all I need about you Black Vulkars!"

The Twi'lek frowned with a narrow of his eyes. "Be smart: Gadon Thek is old news!" He declared staunchly. "He's a blind fool in more ways than one! Brejik is a visionary – soon he'll control the entire Lower City! Don't shackle yourself to a losing team."

Dynamo bared his teeth for a moment, remaining staunch on his position. "I said forget it – I'm not going to betray Gadon!"

Kandon sighed with a frown of mock disappointment. "I can see there's not much chance of convincing you to come work for us after all." He made a motion with his hand before he stood up. "Most unfortunate." 

His Bodyguard began to unsheathe her Vibrosword almost giddy yet with calm motions as she asked eagerly. "Now can I kill them, Kandon?"

"Yes, darling." He smiled as he drew his own blade and shouted. "Kill them. Kill them all."

The four Vulkars moved to attack under Kandon's lead, yet The Mercenary was much faster when he vaulted over the desk and kicked the Twi'lek in the head, audibly cracking his skull. Keeping the momentum, he spun in place and hit his bodyguard with another heel kick to the side of her head, sending her to the ground comatose. The two Vulkars remaining fired their blasters, but their bolts missed their fast-moving target as Carth fired his own, making them take cover as best they could. Mission and Zaalbar took advantage of this, picking their targets and taking both of them down swiftly with their swords. They looked between them and they nodded to each other, the Wookiee giving a growl and the Twi'lek smiling confidently for a moment. The Mercenary went over to where their objective was, the swoop accelerator in the alcove in the northwest corner of the room with the area around it mined. Dynamo quickly disabled and recovered it, before picking up the accelerator and looking it over with intrigue. Though it was not overly large, the prototype swoop accelerator was heavier than he expected but still easy for him to carry with his enhanced strength. Then the group headed back to the elevator, taking it up to the previous floor and with nothing left for them inside, they left the Black Vulkar base via its main entrance to the Lower City.

Chapter Text

Back out in the Lower City, the group of four once again walked its streets with The Mercenary in the lead, past the apartments, past the cantina and the Hidden Bek base.

The young Twi'lek noticed this and looked to the demonic mutant, drawing his attention with confusion in her tone. "Um, Georgian? We just walked past the Bek base."

He glanced in her direction with an amiable look. "I know, but we have a few things to wrap up in the Undercity." He explained sincerely. "I made a few promises that I intend to keep..." He trailed off a little before requesting of her. "And call me Dynamo, please. It's a personal matter."

She was visibly surprised by his reason, a surprise somewhat shared by the others too and had nothing against it. "Oh, okay then." She said, a bit surprised by his words. "And alright." He added with a nod and grin. "Dynamo then!"

The Mercenary nodded gratefully before looking back forward and continuing to lead the way, the group entering the elevator down shortly after. It descended with the group inside it to the Undercity once again. 

As they waited to arrive, the Final Knight was staring intently towards the doors, occasionally glancing at the rest of the group to check on them and he noticed that the young Twi'lek girl seemed rather distant.

"Mission… Do you have a moment?" He asked with a slightly less hardened tone,  a hint of worry in his eyes.

She broke out of her reverie and looked at him with a small smile. "Yeah, what do you need?"

He folded his arms with an amiable look. "If we are to work together in the long term then we need to know each other better." He rubbed the back of his head. "So I want to know a little more about you, Mission. If you are comfortable sharing." He made sure to add the last part.

"Really?" She looked at him a bit unsure of herself but willing to share. "You want to know about me? Nobody's ever really been interested in me before. What did you want to know?"

The Mercenary figured that starting with the beginning would be good so he asked with curiosity in his eyes. "How did you and Zaalbar hook up?"

"Big Z's my family, you know? My parents… well, I guess they're dead." She said seemingly indifferent and with a light shrug before reminiscing. "It was just me on my own until the day I saw Zaalbar in the Lower City. I could tell right away he was in trouble. This was before the gang wars were out of hand, but even then the Vulkars were scum. A few of them were hassling Big Z, trying to pick a fight – but he wasn't looking for trouble."

"Who'd want to pick a fight with a Wookiee?" Dynamo raised an eyebrow, a bit amused by the mental image and the stupidity they had, but not smiling in the slightest.

She shrugged with a snicker. "Hey, nobody said the Vulkars were smart. But there were three of them, so maybe they figured they could handle him. I don't know." She waved it off before continuing, hands on her hips. "Anyway, I don't like Vulkars at the best of times. And when I saw them picking on this poor Wookiee – all alone on a strange planet, overwhelmed by the big city – I just lost it." She said rather matter-of-factly. "I screamed out 'Leave him alone, you core-slimes!' and charged right at them. One of them saw me coming and slapped me so hard he just about knocked me cold."

A hum of irritation came from the back of his throat at what he'd heard, his brow furrowing. "Hitting a kid, huh?" He asked lowly and rhetorically. "They are lucky I wasn't near…!"

She looked at him incredulously as she declared proudly and boldly. "Hey – don't treat me like I'm a little girl! I ain't no kid – I'm fourteen years old!" She smirked as she stated. "Those Vulkars didn't scare me. They're nothing but cowards. I knew how to deal with them. Of course, I never got the chance. I guess Zaalbar didn't like seeing me get smacked around. He let out this howl and yanked that Vulkar a meter off the ground and held him there by his throat."

Perhaps the mutant demon hybrid might have chuckled but his expression didn’t change even if he was interested in her story, especially since he asked with some curiosity. "What did the other two Vulkars do?" 

"The other two screamed and ran off." She recounted enthusiastically and with a small laugh at the fact before lifting her shoulders. "Can't say I blame them. The first time you see an angry Wookiee up close it isn't a pretty sight. I thought Zaalbar was going to rip that punk's arms off and beat him to death with his own fists. The Vulkar was so scared he fainted.” She chuckled a little before adding. “Or maybe Big Z's breath just knocked him out."

The Wookie heard the remark of course and he growled aggravated. "Mission!" 

"Sorry Zaalbar, but I keep telling you to brush those choppers once in a while. Why do you think I won't stand downwind when you're talking?" She quipped with a rather nonchalant shrug before she turned back to The Mercenary. "Anyway, I knew those Vulkars would be back with friends, so I grabbed Zaalbar and we took off. Ever since then we've been a team. We look out for each other, you know?"

The Last Knight nodded in understanding and a level of admiration along with respect. "How did Zaalbar end up on Taris?" He asked as he cast a quick glance at their Wookie friend.

Mission paused for a moment in thought before replying a bit unsure. "He was fleeing some kind of trouble back on Kashyyyk. That's all I know, really. Big Z doesn't like to talk about it. In case you didn't notice he's the strong, silent type.” She remarked with a bit of a smirk, looking between the two before raising her shoulders a little. “Doesn't matter much to me, though. I accept him for what he is, not what he was. Me and Zaalbar like to live in the present."

"That is a good principle to guide yourself by." Dynamo encouraged a little with a nod before an intriguing thought crossed his mind, one which made him ask. "How did you survive before you met Zaalbar?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" The Twi’lek girl narrowed her eyes up at him with a rather intense glare as she argued. "You think I can't take care of myself? I've got street smarts! Know how to get by on my own! In fact, I look out for Zaalbar more than he looks out for me, you know? Big Z's a little bit too gullible to make it alone on the mean streets of the Lower City."

“Alright, I’ll believe you.” He raised his hands a little, amiable, perhaps even with a hint of kindness, feeling the elevator around them beginning to come to a stop. "We should get back to the task at hand.” He suggested, keeping his hands at his sides now. “We're almost there."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right." She nodded, calming down before adding with a smirk. "Like I used to tell my brother, fast talk and slick words don't get the job done."

The demonic mutant perked up a little. "I didn't know you had a brother."

"My brother's a touchy subject, you know?" She said with a tone of caution. "It just so happens I don't really feel like talking about him right now. Nothing personal. Let's just get back to the business at hand, okay?"

Dynamo nodded in complete understanding. "Very well then."

The conversation stopped just as the elevator did, the doors sliding open and allowing them to step back out into the depressing atmosphere of the Undercity. This time, the beggar greeting community was absent, thankfully, so The Mercenary didn't waste any time going to the quarantine pen, having made a mental note to help those inside, especially now since he had the serum.

As they approached, the local healer spotted them and she could tell the intent in their step, especially in the terrifying mountain of a man.

“Wait, up-worlders.” She called to them as she rushed to stand in their way, a look of genuine concern on her features. “You can't go through this gate. There is too much danger and suffering beyond.” She urged them, glancing between the four. “For your own sake, turn back.”

“We only wish to aid them.” The Mercenary said calmly and honestly, noting the slight weariness she harboured.

The healer didn’t believe him, his capabilities to be precise, because she could tell he was being sincere from his eyes… those…. rage-filled royal blue eyes... “Sir, even with my medical training, there is nothing I can do to help the poor souls locked on the other side of this gate.”

“Why is that?” The Final Knight asked, not willing to believe that was the case, there was always an option.

She glanced between them with a look of resignation. “I'm only warning you for your own protection, up-worlder.” She went on to explain evenly yet with sadness to her tone. “The villagers infected with the rakghoul disease are quarantined beyond this gate. It's only a matter of time until they transform into horrible creatures that would destroy us all."

Hearing that, the Republic pilot was repulsed as he exclaimed. “So you just lock them away in a cage?”

The healer gave a long and heavy sigh as she did her best to explain. “For the sake of the village, we have to keep the infected ones locked away. And when they finally do transform into rakghouls we'll let them destroy each other.”

”Look, we have the serum, we can do something for them." The mutant demon hybrid argued, silently frustrated but he kept it out of his calm tone.

“Nothing can be done for the infected villagers." The healer retorted, having lost all hope. "Even the serum to counteract the rakghoul disease wouldn't be of any use, now. Nobody would be foolish enough to risk going into the pens to give them the cure: the infected ones could transform into rakghouls and attack them at any moment.”

That was certainly not an issue for The Mercenary. “I'm going through those gates to try and help the infected ones.” He stated with cold certainty and sincerity. 

“I can't stop you from going through the gates, up-worlder." She gave a long sigh and glanced away, still warning him. "But if the infected ones have already transformed into rakghouls you'll be walking into your grave.”

At that, he hummed from the back of his throat with a slight narrow of his eyes, his voice coldly honest. “I have many times… and I rose from it.”

The healer stepped away when The Mercenary walked past her, standing right in front of the sliding gate. He didn't even glance over his shoulder to the group as he ordered. "Stay outside. I'll go in there alone."

"But that's suicide!" Carth's jaw nearly dropped and he immediately objected. "Let us help you, Dynamo!" 

"Yeah!" Mission was quick to join him with a nod and a look of concern. "And Big Z can easily take out a rakghoul!"

Zaalbar growled in approval with the words, ready and willing to fulfil his lifedebt.

"It's not that I don't want your help. I don't want to risk you getting infected." The demonic mutant explained evenly as he glanced to them, an honest look in his rage and hate-filled eyes. "I have the serum, but still, the supply is limited until I can get it back to Zelka. It only has a few doses left, and I know that my body can resist and cure the infection, this is why I have to do this alone." 

The three were silent at the reasoning and couldn't help yet be appreciative of it in a way, but still, the young Twi'lek girl insisted. "But still, there has to be some way we can help you!"

Dynamo relented, but only by a little. "Fine, open the gate and close it as soon as I am through."

"What, so you can be locked in there alone with those things?" Carth argued, appalled and even irritated by the way he disregarded his own safety.

His patience was wearing thin, his voice low and chillingly calm. "Listen, they don't have time for this." He pointed to the pen behind him. "The sooner I get in there the sooner I can cure them."

"Guess there is no way of talking you out of this." Carth sighed resigned before nodding with determination. "Fine then."

The Last Knight gave a nod of his own before he turned and positioned himself at the closest point of entry as the rest of the group got ready to slide the gate open. At his signal, they did and he stepped through swiftly, the gate closing behind him not one second later.

He looked at the three outcasts in front of him and not one of them, a woman, jumped to her feet at the sight of him. "Please, help us!" She pleaded desperately. "We are infected with the rakghoul disease. At any moment we could…" A sharp pain shot through every fibre of her being as she clutched her head with her hands. "Unh! NO! This cannot be! Nooo!!" Her anguished cries echoed into the distance as all three transformed into rakghouls.

"Damn it…!" The Mercenary muttered as they all leapt on him at the same time.

He rolled to the side, immediately getting in his balanced stance, slightly offensive, and launched a devastating left cross to the one nearest to him, sending its head spinning with a snap and breaking its jaw. 

The second came at him from the side, but he ducked towards it and into it, letting it roll off his back and onto the ground hard before finishing it off with a stomp to the neck. The third was right in front of him and it lunged, claws pointed at him to rip him apart. He went right through even if the claws scratched his face, he healed right away and managed to grab it by its throat. Then using its own momentum against it, he crushed its skull into the gravel. The mutant demon hybrid breathed out as he straightened to his feet and looked in the pen, there were only two infected Outcasts left, male and female, standing in the southeast corner, and the serum had four doses remaining. They had a petrified look on them from the brutality he'd just displayed as they were backed against the wall holding one another.

"I won't harm you." Dynamo tried to assure them, keeping his gloved hands visible as he walked closer, his tone calm and only slightly warmer.

"Please... you have to help us….!" She begged him near tears and sounding broken in desperation  "We beg you…! We don't want to end up like the others…! Please help us…! We can't end up like them…!" 

"Don't worry – I'm here to help you." He assured with a small incline of his head as he stopped before them, already reaching into his backpack. 

"You... you will help us?" She stared up at him in disbelief, the two let go of each other as they began to stand, relief washing over their expressions. "Bless you, up-worlder! But... you must hurry!"

"It is only a matter of time until we are transformed into terrible creatures like those who attacked you when you first came into the pen." The other man pleaded desperately, yet with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "It was too late for them. Soon it will be too late for us and we will transform into those horrible rakghouls ourselves!"

With another nod, The Mercenary pulled out the syringe. "I have the serum to cure the rakghoul disease." 

"You... you have a cure?" She stared at him overjoyed. "Please, give it to me. Please. Quickly, before it's too late."

As she spoke and pleaded, Dynamo inserted the syringe right into her carotid artery, yet with a hint of uncanny care, doing the same for the man soon after. 

"Yes... I feel it working!" She was ecstatic after the fact, placing a hand to where it had entered and felt its healing effects almost instantly. "I feel the disease burning away! It... it is like a miracle! I am cured! Thank you, up-worlder!"

The demonic mutant nodded silently, content with what he had done. He didn't waste any more time as he turned to leave the pen, the two following after him as his three companions opened the gate for them.

Outside, the man looked at The Mercenary, a wide smile and an admiring look on his expression. "We should go now, up-worlder. We're anxious to return to the village and see our families again." He bowed to him, deeply. "Thank you once again for everything you have done." Before the two turned to leave to rejoin their little community. 

He merely raised a hand in acknowledgement and farewell, not thinking much of his actions.

"You amaze me." The healer said to the imposing mountain of a demonic mutant with honesty, having carefully observed everything. "I always thought the surface dwellers couldn't care less about us Outcasts. But you risked everything to help those infected villagers!" She remarked with absolute surprise and even disbelief. "I wish I had some type of reward to give you, but we Outcasts have nothing. All I can offer is the gratitude of the entire village."

"Then that is all I need. Farewell." He said succinctly with a nod before turning to leave on his next objective, the old man to whom he had to bring the three journals.

The group followed, exchanging a few curious glances behind him, though in silent agreement if not admiration for his actions and words.

"Rukil." The Final Knight called amiably as he walked up to the old man before folding his arms. "I have returned."

"Greetings once more, up-worlder." He began with a delighted yet tired smile due to his age. "Do you bring news of my apprentice? Have you discovered her fate, and proved yourself to be a true saviour of my people?" He asked eagerly in a rather quick succession.

Dynamo gave a long sigh, a hint of compassion in his royal blue eyes as he reached into his backpack. "Your apprentice is dead, Rukil." He said lowly as he held out her journal with careful motions. "I have her journal." 

"It is as I feared, then," Rukil said gravely as he reached out and took the weathered book from his hands. "She joins the list of those who have given their lives in the service of our cause. But though I am saddened by this news, there is yet hope." His face lit up somewhat as he stared up from it in his hands to the mutant demon before him, yet unknowing of his true nature. "By finding my apprentice you have proved yourself worthy, up-worlder. You are to be the beacon on our path to salvation. You will guide us to the Promised Land!" He stated with certainty.

"Guide you?" He asked with a raise of his eyebrow as he folded his arms. "But even I don’t know where this Promised Land is."

"You are marked, up-worlder – even my dim old eyes can see the mantle of destiny that cloaks you." He said mysteriously as he looked at him with almost glazed over eyes, yet also knowing in some manner. "Perhaps old Rukil knows you better than you know yourself. I am old – I have lived a hundred years in the Undercity, cast down into the darkness. I know the legends and history of our people – and now you must learn it, too."

The mutant demon hybrid sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. "Very well – tell me the history of your people."

His face lit up with excitement as he dressed his voice and began the retelling in a lower tone, evoking each word with passion. "The great city of Taris covers the entire surface of this planet. There is no land to grow food. Kelp harvests and the creatures of the sea are our only food source. A century ago rising levels of toxic pollution poisoned the oceans and famine swept the planet. The rich hoarded food for their own use and the poor were left to starve and die."

"From what I've seen of Taris, it doesn't look like much has changed,” Carth commented from the side, disgruntled with his arms folded. “Except for the Upper City, people here are just as bad off as the poor in your little history." 

Rukil continued after giving a small nod and glance to the Republic pilot. "But the poor rose against this tyranny and civil war engulfed the planet. Millions died in the fighting and huge sections of Taris were destroyed or abandoned. The rebellion was crushed in the end, thousands were taken prisoner. The jails could not hold them all, and so the practice of banishing all prisoners to the Undercity was born."

"That is how you came to be down here," Dynamo stated with a nod, internally sighing at the story yet committing it to his perfect memory.

With another incline of acknowledgement, the old man continued in that same low and gruff tone. "Many brave men and women were banished here to the Undercity for their part in the rebellion. People like my father and grandfather were cast down, along with their families."

"What did you expect?" Mission asked rhetorically with a rather irritated huff. "If they could get away with it the Tarisian nobles would stuff their own mothers down here to make more room in the Upper City."

Rukil sighed, knowing well that the young Twi’lek girl was right, but his aged eyes still looked to The Mercenary. "Now we live a dark existence beneath the streets of Taris, a life devoid of all hope but one: the Promised Land." That hope could be seen on his wrinkled expression as he looked up at the demonic mutant, right into those rage-filled royal blue eyes, a shade that brought him hope surprisingly. "And you will be the one to show us the way to get there."

The Last Knight tilted his head to the side with a sigh as he asked for more information. "How can I lead you to this Promised Land when even I don't know what it is?" In truth, he did want to aid them, but even his intel had gaps that needed to be filled.

He nodded and explained in an enigmatic tone, as well as motioning with his hands. "Legends tell of a self-sufficient colony founded just before the famine and lost during the civil war; a paradise beneath the Undercity where droid servants tend to every need. For many years I searched for the Promised Land, just as my grandfather and father did before me. When I became old and grey my apprentice continued the search on my behalf."

"Sounds like a myth to me," Carth said in a distrustful tone and furrow of his brow. "Something to give the people here some false hope to cling to so they don't go mad with despair."

"I have collected many clues hinting at its location; the journal of my apprentice provides yet more information." Rukil countered with a glance before his head and voice dropped. "But still there are too many pieces missing from this puzzle. But I know my father and grandfather each had journals where they recorded their own discoveries. Perhaps with their journals, I could, at last, uncover its hidden location."

That set of lightbulbs in his head as a thoughtful expression crossed him. "Are you talking about these missing journals?" He pulled the other two from his backpack and held them out to Rukil, just as careful as before.

He stared at them and blinked in pure disbelief, his mouth agape as he slowly and reverently reached out to take them in his aged hands. "Can it be true? Is it possible that at long last the dream of my father and grandfather before him will be fulfilled? I... I can hardly bear to look." But he opened them and looked through the pages with carefully slow motions, a wide grin beginning to form on his lips. 

"Hmmm... yes. Yes! Of course! Now I understand – it all makes sense! Now I see why the Promised Land has been so hard to find! It is so obvious!" He exclaimed, nodding throughout before looking up at The Mercenary. "You have done a great thing, up-worlder – a selfless act that will bring great joy to all the people of this village! I must take this to Gendar right away!"

At that, The Mercenary was silent, yet in denial of his actions. They weren't selfless, the journals were simply along their route. If anything, it was selfish because of the gratification he felt, even that one, fleeting.

Saying nothing more, Rukil closed them and with all three journals in hand, he walked enthusiastically and as fast as his old bones would carry him to the leader of their settlement. 

The leader could see him walking over to him, all happy and even giddy. "Rukil? What do you want now?" Gendar asked în his smooth low tone, but with a hint of either impatience or annoyance. "Have you more fables of a hidden paradise just waiting for us to find it?"

"You may not think these are fables after you see what I have brought you, Gendar!" The old man countered and handed them over. "Look at these journals!"

While not overly keep on doing so, he did oblige and what he saw în those aged pages left him with his lips parted and eyes wide. "What... no. It can't be!" He said in disbelief as he looked from them to him. "Are these real, Rukil? Is this information accurate?"

"I swear to you everything in these journals is true, Gendar." He nodded with an excited tone, yet was honest. "The Promised Land – I told you I would find it!"

"The entrance is far from here, Rukil." He said thinking with a hand scratching his chin. "It will take us weeks to get there... perhaps even months. And we will have to cross many rakghoul-infested areas."

"I do not deny the journey will be hard, Gendar." He replied în understanding yet still urged with conviction. "But surely it is better than the miserable life we have here!" 

"Wise words, Rukil." He nodded slowly and with a smile before musing. "Our supplies are high right now – we could leave by nightfall! I will tell the others to prepare for the journey."

As the leader left to prepare the settlement for the exodus, Rukil returned to Dynamo and the group, beaming. "Thank you once again, up-worlders. I will say a final goodbye, for where we are going I fear you cannot come. The journey to the Promised Land is long and arduous."

"Goodbye, Rukil – and good luck to you all." He simply nodded and bid them all with a respectful salute.

"We must part ways here, up-worlders." He stared up at him with old eyes, yet full of newfound life. "I sense your destiny is yet to be chosen, but the destiny of my people is at the end of the long journey ahead of us."

The old man left to join the other Outcasts as they prepared to leave in a mass exodus towards the beacon of hope which The Mercenary provided them: The Promised Land. And with nothing left for them to do, the group left the Undercity with the direction of the Hidden Bek base.

Once again, the group found themselves waiting in the elevator, this time going up. The young Twi’lek was a bit restless, anxious even, eyes going over to the demonic mutant as she shifted in place for a moment, as if contemplating something.

“Hey, um…” She started somewhat nervously as she asked. “Dynamo, can I talk to you for a bit?” 

His calm yet deeply rage-filled royal blue eyes roamed to her and he nodded as he assured. “Anytime.” His tone was calm, even slightly less cold. “What is it?”

She seemed to hesitate for a moment, despite her usual confidence and even trust in him, she now felt somewhat intimidated. "I… I was a little snappish when we last talked. I'm sorry about that." Mission spoke apologetically in a lower tone and with a glance away. "I get a little touchy when it comes to Griff. It's kind of embarrassing telling people about him."

"It's alright, Mission, I can understand that it is a more sensitive subject." He said honestly and calmly with a small nod before raising a bit of an eyebrow. "Embarrassing? Why is that?"

"It's complicated." She sighed heavily with a glance back and away again. "Griff wasn't the most popular guy, he had his faults. But I still loved him, you know?" She raised her shoulders for a moment, looking back fully, looking for understanding and validation even. 

"Sometimes people don't understand. I never knew my parents, my brother always looked out for me. He's the one who brought me to Taris. I was just a kid, only five. But I remember the trip – if you could call it that." She recalled, adding the last bit with a wry grin and pausing before continuing. "We were stuffed inside a packing crate in a star freighter's cargo hold with just enough food and water to make the trip. Not exactly first class, you know?"

Dynamo listened silently, arms folded as always yet he did understand her sentiment towards her brother, himself valuing family deeply. At her final rhetorical question, perhaps he would have chuckled, but that was his old, non-scarred self. "You were stowaways?" He asked, figuring that was the case.

"I don't know the whole story – I was pretty young. But my brother owed a lot of money. Might even have been a few arrest warrants out for him, I don't know." She said trying to remember as best she could, as well as trusting him with her story. "The only way to get off the planet was to smuggle ourselves out." She paused before trying to clarify. "I mean, I don't want to make it sound like we were criminals…" Her voice trailed off as she thought about it. "Well, maybe my brother was. See, this is why I don't like to talk about it. It makes Griff sound worse than he really was. My brother had his problems, but he always looked out for me."

"He's family." The Last Knight nodded in understanding, his tone as calm yet slight cold as ever. "You have to stick by your family. No matter what."

She perked up at his words, smiling gladly as she saw that he knew where she was coming from. "Yeah – that's what I'm trying to say! Without my brother, I don't know where I'd be. He gambled. And drank. And he was always borrowing money for his latest get rich quick scheme. But he had a good heart, you know? He taught me how to survive. He showed me how to slice into a computer's security system; how to get inside a locked building without the entrance codes, and how to spot a wealthy mark for a quick shell game."

Those first three things weren't that good, at all in fact, though he figured that they stemmed from their general difficult situation. Even with that, The Mercenary could see that he did in fact give her some handy skills to survive in the harsh environment of Taris, a place where the more traditional education would have left one lacking. "Pretty handy skills to have, Mission," He said with a nod. "Especially considering where we are."

"Yeah, Griff did right by me." She said smiling with a nod but it quickly faded as the longing crept in her. "I really miss him since he left. I keep hoping he'll come back someday. He promised me he would."

That was somewhat saddening to hear, yet also intriguing as to what reason he could have had and so he asked. "Why did he leave?"

Resentment entered her tone as it lowered with a scowl. "He fell in with a bad crowd. It's all Lena's fault." She almost spat in disdain, her tone rising. "She's the one who took him from me! Just batted those long lashes at him and off he went!"

That was a rather curious development, though his instinct told him that there was more to this and that perhaps the young Twi'lek girl had it wrong. He hoped that was the case but expected otherwise. "Who is this Lena?" He asked rather carefully.

"I don't want to talk about Griff and Lena – just the thought of that space tramp makes my blood boil!" She shook her head and even waved her hand in a clear negative, all worked up now. "Subject's closed as far as I'm concerned! If I'm going to be any help to you I can't be worrying about my brother running off with some intergalactic skank!"

Dynamo nodded, a small sigh escaping him at the whole situation which she described, though he did want to get to the bottom of it, if at all possible. "As you wish." We're the last words heard as the elevator stopped and the doors slid open, The Mercenary taking the lead once more as he and the group emerged back into the Lower City. 

Chapter Text

The leader of the Hidden Bek's was looking over various datapads of information when he heard the distant sound of the hydraulic main door opening over the general movement of the base. While he did expect it to only be another one of his Beks, he did hope it was The Mercenary and his group bringing the swoop accelerator. And that hope was not in vain as the mutant demon hybrid came into view, followed by the Republic pilot, the young Twi'lek and her large Wookiee friend, the sight of the two latter bringing a small soft smile to his lips.

"You have returned." The leader greeted them all with a respectful nod before his glazed eyes looked at The Last Knight. "Do you have the prototype swoop engine accelerator with you?" He asked rather eagerly. 

"I have the accelerator right here," Dynamo gave a single nod as he pulled it out of his backpack and placed it on the desk in front of him with smooth and careful motions. 

"I was beginning to wonder if you would make it." He somewhat admitted as he motioned for a Bek mechanic to quickly come over while he informed the demonic mutant in front of him in a serious tone. "The race is tomorrow, and my mechanics need time to install the prototype into the swoop engine of our bike." 

"Alright, I lived up to my end of the deal." Dynamo watched the Bek quickly come and take the accelerator before rushing off for, calm and cold royal blue eyes turning to Gadon. "Now for your part."

He raised a hand amiably, speaking firmly as he assured honestly. "Don't worry, I'm a man of my word. I promised you could ride in the swoop race under the Hidden Bek banner, and I'm still going to let you do that." He paused before smirking with a rather mischievous look. "And I'm even going to go one better – I'm going to let you ride the swoop bike with the prototype accelerator installed on it. Without it, you won't stand a chance."

Zaerdra's eyes widened in shock and they snapped to him incredulously. "Gadon! You can't be serious!" She argued with a harsh yet still respectful tone, distrustful of The Mercenary's skills. "We need one of our best riders on that bike! We can't let some rookie take the prototype engine into the race!"

Perhaps the Final Knight would have smirked, but he didn't, merely folding his arms. "Don't worry Gadon," He assured in a certain and daring tone, yet ever calm. "I've been in races like this before, just not with swoop bikes. I'll win that race."

Gadon smiled, somewhat impressed by his words but he had to admit with a sigh. "I have to be honest with you – there's a reason I'm letting you take the prototype engine. The accelerator isn't stable; there's a good chance it could explode during the race. I can't ask one of my own riders to take the risk – they'll be running unmodified swoops in the race. You'll be the only one using the prototype. If you complete the track before the accelerator overheats then you'll win for the Beks. If you die, then one of my other riders could still come through for me."

Him dying, that wasn't a possibility. He had tried and failed. He couldn't die, not while he had a duty to fulfil… an eternal duty.  "Sounds like you've got all your bases covered," The mutant demon hybrid remarked with an inkling of admiration for the man, a hand on his chin.

The leader snickered a little with a tilt of his head. "You don't get to be the leader of a swoop gang if you don't know how to work all the angles."

He nodded in acknowledgement, such a fact applied with him as well as a Supreme Commander of the Watchdogs. "Either way, I'm ready for the race." The Mercenary stated with determination burning in his rage filled royal blue eyes. 

"You can stay here tonight." Gadon offered after giving a nod. "The mechanics need time to install the accelerator on the engine, so you won't be able to practice your riding." He said with slight disappointment over the fact but kept his optimism as he motioned to Dynamo with a side grin. "But I've got good instincts, and you have the look of a racer about you. Just try to relax and in the morning we'll take you to the swoop track."

With another wave, the Bek leader had another member come to take The Mercenary to his chambers. The Last Knight gave a nod to the man yet raised a hand signaling to wait for a moment as he turned to his companions. 

"Don't worry," Carth said with a nod of confidence as well as trust to a certain extent. "We'll wait for you at the hideout. You go and get Bastila back!"

"You can do it! Just don't die out there." Mission quipped with a smirk as she looked up at him, backed up by a rumble of approval from Zaalbar. 

"That's the plan." Dynamo nodded with a glance to all before giving a two finger salute. "See you on the other side. Stay safe!"

With their goodbyes said, they parted ways and The Mercenary followed the Bek deeper into the base, reaching the quarters section. He stopped at one of the doors to the single rooms and slid the security card to open it.

"This is where you'll be staying." He said as stepped to the side to allow the demonic mutant in. "Better rest up! Tomorrow's a big day and we're all counting on you!" With that, he waved as the door closed with a soft hiss.

The Final Knight simply gave a nod before his gaze roamed around the room. It was rather simple, with dull metallic walls, a simple neon light, a desk and chair along with a neatly made bed which he would not use. He could not use… else he would be unable to awaken from the nightmares which plagued his mind. So he merely sat down in the middle of the room, rather restless as he placed his hands on his knees and closed his eyes, emptying his mind with a deep breath, focusing his senses outward and inward to meditate. The one way to control the uncaged beast, the unchained predator, the demon worse than demons. 

The DOOM Slayer.

Tei Slaven ben kar en tuk…!  He chanted in the language of the Slayer, Argenta. Kar en tuk Hust en Vitar…! Kar en tuk du tei exunt…!

(The Slayer will rip and tear. Rip and tear Hell and Heaven. Rip and tear until death.)

That was when he felt it. Something inside his mind. A Darkness that wanted to grow and take over. He always had the endless rage, hate and pain. The DOOM Slayer. But this… this was different. It wasn't just rage, it was hatred and malice. 

Let me out. The Darkness beckoned him, it's voice terrifyingly familiar as it brought a chill to the void where his soul lay. You know you want to. I can feel it in you. We can become one! We can be unstoppable! It offered. We can be free!

Neer! Man nanra pertir vul! (No! I won't let you.) The red rage filled the white of his eyes as The DOOM Slayer side boomed ferociously in his whole mind. Man'e ke man'e! Noy tor ershil ke noy ershil! En vul ershil richi urnul rin noy! (I am what I am! We all are what we are! And you are not a part of me!)

The Darkness retreated and he could no longer feel its presence, freeing its grip on his mind as the demon worse than demons receded as well.

All too quickly afterwards, the night became morning, as a knock was heard at his door. The Mercenary simply rose and turned as it opened, giving a nod that he was ready and motioning silently that he needed nothing more or else, no food, nothing.

The Bek was admittedly a bit stunned and shook slightly, intimidated before he got his bearings and motioned for the Last Knight to follow him to the swoop racing pits, where only racers and mechanics were allowed to go.

The Season Opener was the biggest race of the planetary cycle on Taris. The first race of the standard year, it kicked off the rest of the races around the galaxy. Hundreds of racers competed and competition could be fierce, something the mutant demon hybrid was used to. Bets had already started in the cantinas throughout the upper and lower city.

The rules were simple, the racers all ran their heats throughout the day, the racer with the fastest time at the end of the day wins. The track was one long straight line, with obstacles set up along the way that got progressively more difficult as it neared the finish. 

The stands were packed with people, mostly from the Lower City, as the Upper City residents preferred to watch on the holonet. Flags waved in the air representing various planets throughout the Outer Rim. 

Dynamo arrived at the swoop platform, taking in the sights and scents. Then an Ithorian, the Bek mechanic he figured, approached him rather friendly, though clearly slightly frightened and unable to believe that this was a mere rookie.

"So you're the one who's going to ride this swoop bike, eh?" The mechanic sized him up with a quick glance but avoided the eyes, trying to be as calm and friendly as possible. "Don't worry – I've been working on the accelerator and stability won't be a problem." He said with confidence, which quickly dropped when he added. "I hope." Before a brief pause after which he informed. "Gadon mentioned that you've never done this before. Normally a rider can run as many heats as they want, but I don't know how long the prototype accelerator on your swoop will hold up. No more than four or five races, I'd guess. So make your runs count."

The demonic mutant  listened with his arms crossed, voice even yet cold as always after he gave a nod. "I won't need more than two at most," He said matter-of-factly before asking. "Anything else?"

"Gadon's put his trust in you…" The Ithorian replied and even admitted. "We need to win this race or Brejik's Vulkars will get a whole bunch of new recruits. If that happens we're finished." He ended with clear fear in his tone.

"I won't let you down." The Final Knight stated with determination burning in his rage and hate filled eyes.

"Sounds like you're ready." The mechanic was emboldened by his conviction before direction with his hand. "Go talk to the race announcer over by the counter. He'll give you the time to beat and get you out on the course. I'll be waiting for you here, after the run, so I can make any tweaks or repairs to your swoop in case you want to go out for another heat. Good luck. And don't worry about the prototype overheating and exploding while you're out on the track. That 'probably' won't happen."

With those final words of encouragement, the mechanic left to tend to the swoop bikes. The Second Hellwalker was now looking over the swoop platform, taking note of those present within his senses. 

The Ithorian mechanic who had begun his work, the Black Vulkars, two of them gossiping and casting him glances, riders, by a swoop bike. The Race Announcer behind a counter and before the sealed west door, looking over the datapads in front of him. The Hidden Beks conversing with hints of nervousness in their tone, two of them, riders as well, by another swoop bike. But what caught his attention was a woman caged and guarded, royal blue eyes narrowing at the sight as he felt the beast stir within.

She was dressed in a rather skimpy outfit, leaving very little to the imagination, something which irritated him for some reason. He focused on the neural disruptor she had placed around her forehead, keeping her in an entranced stance. Her wavy brown hair was tied up in two buns and she also had a shock collar around her neck. 

The gears of his mind turned and he concluded that there's only one reason she was restrained in such a way, she was the one they were looking for, Bastila. 

With sleight of hand, he lifted his left hand and began to type quickly and nimbly on the SMI on his left gauntlet, setting the device to hack into both and began the process of disabling them. He furrowed his brow a little as the encryption was extremely complex, but he estimated that by the end of the day, he'll have it disabled. With that out of the way, The Mercenary walked towards the race announcer, a Duros, standing behind a counter in the centre of the swoop platform.

"Hey Redros, look at this: fresh meat on the track." One of the Vulkar riders pointed to Dynamo as he passed undaunted. "Well don't get your hopes up, rookie… no first-year rider has ever won the swoop racing season opener."

"Gadon must be getting desperate if he's grabbing first-timers off the street," Redros remarked with a confident smirk and nudge with his elbow before taunting with confidence. "When we Vulkars win this year, it'll be over for you Hidden Beks!"

The Final Knight ignored them completely, choosing to let his actions speak for themselves when he stopped and placed a hand on the dest, catching the announcer's attention. 

"You're here to race, right?" He asked with a knowing smirk before getting to the task at hand. "What's your name?" 

The demonic mutant thought about it for a moment as it had been some time since he had made use of his racing persona. It was time to awaken it. "You can call me... The Most Wanted."

"Okay, let's see who your sponsor is…" He nodded, not thinking much of it as he flicked through the datapad before smiling. "Ah, you're riding for the Hidden Beks I see. Always liked them… I hope they can show these Vulkars a thing or two. But I digress." After a few more taps, he glanced back to The Mercenary. "Okay, you're registered now. Good luck, and try not to get yourself killed. We've only lost one rider today and we want to keep it that way. Whenever you're ready you can hit the track."

The Final Knight nodded, though he thought it best to gauge the competition, at least a little bit. "What's the time to beat?"

"Well, Redros has the best time so far: 38'43"." He answered in a rather unimpressed tone and a shrug. "Good, but not the best I've ever seen. I don't know if it will stand up."

"Right." Dynamo nodded, figured that he'll see how it all compares based on how the first round goes. "I want to race one of my heats."

He nodded with a pleased grin. "Okay, let's get you out on the track."

The swoop bike was already waiting for him at the starting line by the time he got there. He didn't bother to change his Splinter Cell outfit, they had nothing to compare to it, nothing even came close. He put on the glasses that belonged to his Soldier outfit to shield his eyes from the tremendous winds as he got inside the cockpit, settling himself swiftly, and grabbed the handles tightly, hands opening and closing methodically. 

His eyes flickered above him where the start lights were. He breathed in and out deeply and strongly. One straight line.  

The engine started rumbling, the jets quickly heating up as he revved the engine a few times, almost snickering at the familiar feel, heartbeat accelerating a little with excitement.

Drag race. His mind associated to make it easier to approach. 

He gripped tighter on the gear shift with his hand, leaning and blending into the bike. 

I am The Most Wanted .

The red light switched on. Get ready.

Yellow. Set.

Green. GO!

He switched it in gear and accelerated, just moments after the light switched on. A near perfect start.

The bike flew over the course, the winds rushing through his hair and stinging his eyes yet he ignored the pain of it completely, hitting most if not all of the boost pads and dodging all of the obstacles. The moment he felt the engine demanded it, based on the distinct sound, he switched gears over and over until he could no more. At near top speed, he crossed the finish line and the bike slowed down to a stop with the spectators roaring around him.

The Mercenary straightened and ruffled his hair as he got off the bike, raising a hand to the spectators before he looked at the time.

The chronometer read 25'03".

The race didn't feel bad, considering how far ahead he was from second place, it was the best race of the day, yet thinking back on it, he'd caught on to some mistakes which cost him precious split seconds. "Se putea și mai bine…" (Could have been better.)

Without wasting any more time, The mutant demon hybrid headed back to the Swoop Platform, where he was greeted with the cheers from Hidden Beks, pilots along with the pit crew, and the frowns from the Black Vulkars looking at him with venom from a distance.

"You did it – you got the top time!" His mechanic walked up to him, almost jumping with joyful disbelief and amazement. "You just beat racers who've been doing this for twenty years! This is amazing! Someone who's never ridden a swoop before today comes in here and…" He paused suddenly as he and all the Beks witnessed it in real time. "Wait a minute. I don't believe this – look at the board!"

The Final Knight glanced over as well, seeing how his time had just dropped to second place, as a Vulkar rider had an incredible time of 24'88".

"One of the Vulkars just beat your time!" The mechanic exclaimed alarmed, before saying knowingly as he looked to the Vulkars celebrating in the distance. "Who… ah, it was Redros. I should have known." He seemed to snarl a little before turning to The Mercenary and assuring. "That's okay, the day ain't over yet and the accelerator's still holding together. You just have to get out there again and show them how it's done." He declared trusting of him now that he saw his sheer skill.

With those last words of encouragement, Dynamo patiently waited in meditation for the round of heats to be over and for his turn to come up. When it did he went to the announcer's table once more, glancing briefly at the SMI's progress with the restraints.  

The white on black numbers informed 48,79%.

His mind estimated that by the time the next round was over and all the races were done, it would reach 100% which meant he had to win the next round, no matter the cost. He had to end it then and there.

Once again he found himself on the track, ignoring the roaring spectators. It was just him and his bike, his Mustang as he had nicknamed it.

Cei trei "C" pe care i-am învățat de la Geo. (The three Cs that I learned from Geo)

Thoughts of his sister-in-arms filled him, deep down, they were the same person, the same swimmers.

So he would act accordingly as he mounted the bike. Calm.

He gripped the gears and acceleration. Cold.

He set himself in place. Calculated .

Red.

Yellow.

Green.

Within .08 seconds he's off to the races.

Despite the blazing speed, his mind was more than capable to process and react accordingly, even slightly faster than before, as if his already increased perception was even keener now. Hit the pad, move left to the next, hit that one and dodge the obstacle, thread the needle the two. Shift gears as the engine roars, can't shift anymore so just accelerate. Speed, maximum after hitting three pads in quick succession. Finish now break and slow down to a stop.

The demonic mutant finally let himself breathe, taking in a deep, filling one as he dismounted and ruffled his hair as his keen ears could hear how the crowd cheered, the sheer volume. He hoped that it was because he'd beaten the time yet expected that it was because he didn't. He could barely bring himself to look at the time, but he found the courage.

The clock read 22'14".

Satisfied by the results even if his expression showed little of the fact, The Mercenary walked back to the swoop platform. In the back of his mind, he was already steeling himself for a fight, especially when the SMI showed 82,65% progress. 

Everyone cheered upon his return, safe for the Vulkars, who now looked at him with bloodlust. The mechanic ran up to him ecstatic, giving him several pats on the back and the Beks swarmed him all celebrating the victory, even trying to lift him up on their arms before The Second Hellwalker calmed them down a little. He didn't want them to break themselves trying to lift his over 200kg body.

“You did it! You did it!" The Ithorian celebrated amazed by his incredible feats. "In twenty years I've never seen anybody handle a swoop like that before! Nobody's going to beat that time – nobody!" He laughed in a booming echoey way as he had to admit. "I guess Gadon knew what he was doing when he picked you to ride for us. Now the only thing is to wait for the time to become official and go collect your prize.”

At the end of the day, The Mercenary's time still stood strong, a good two whole seconds ahead from the second place Vulkar racer, Redros, despite his numerous attempts. 

The celebration was to be held on the swoop platform, with it being transmitted by the holonet for all to see. The Race Announcer dressed his tone as he looked at the crowd of officials from the two factions.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the winner of this year's swoop race!" The announcer exclaimed with a wide smile as the festivities began. "Put your hands together and show your appreciation for one of the most daring riders this swoop track has ever seen!" His hand pointed to the champion. "The Most Wanted!"

Dynamo bowed graciously before he waved a hand as the crowd cheered his name, except the Vulkars of course. Subtly, he glanced at his SMI, showing 95.46%, as he was much more focused on that than the celebration.

The announcer continued delighted by the results if he had to admit. "Through your skill and courage, you have proven yourself the premier swoop rider on Taris, and brought great glory to the Hidden Bek gang! Now, here to present the champion's prize: Brejik, leader of the Black Vulkars." He then motioned to a young dark-skinned man with curly dark hair and wearing the colours of the Vulkars whom approached, flanked by two others of his own.

Brejik raised his hands, catching the crowd's attention before he announced in a sparky and spiteful tone. "People – hear me! Before I present the so-called champion of the Beks with their prize there is something you must know: the winning rider cheated!" He pointed to him with resentment burning in his eyes.

Now that irritated The Mercenary gravely. "You're a damn liar, Brejik…!" He growled at him, taking a step towards as he showed a glimpse of his predatory canines before again glancing briefly at his SMI.

98,99%.

"Your swoop bike was using a prototype accelerator – clearly an unfair advantage!" Brejik accused seething, fists clenched at his sides as well as reaching for his blaster and getting nods of assent from the Vulkars around. "Because of this Hidden Bek treachery, I'm withdrawing the Vulkar's share of the victory prize!"

Dynamo's blood boiled, the demon snarling inside as his eyes quickly scanned around seeing that the Vulkars were getting ready for a battle and so was he. 

"You can't do this, Brejik!" A stupefied Race Announcer tried to explain. "You know the rules: nobody's allowed to withdraw a victory prize after the race. It goes against all our most sacred traditions!"

100%.

"You old fool!" The Vulkar leader spat with pride and a glare as he got in his face. "Your traditions are nothing to me – I am the wave of the future! If I want to withdraw the prize and sell this woman on the slave market myself, nobody can stop me!"

"I might have something to say about that, Brejik!" A female voice called, surprisingly calm yet irritation seeped through as well as strength. 

Everyone present paused at that, the Final Knight might have smirked but gave no reaction as he knew a metaphorical Hell was about to break loose.

Freed from the restraints, Bastila used the Force to pull the cage guard against the bars, breaking herself out, and quickly took the guard's Vibro Double-Blade after it had landed on the floor with a clatter.

"What? Impossible!" The leader of the Vulkars exclaimed in shock and anger taking a few steps back as he got out his blaster and motioned for the others.  "You were restrained by a neural disruptor! How could you have possibly summoned the will to free yourself?"

"You underestimate the strength of a Jedi's mind, Brejik!" She stated rather pridefully as she spun the blade masterfully in just one hand, the irritation clear. "– a mistake you won't live to regret!"

"Vulkars – to me!" He called to them fuming erratically. "Kill this woman! Kill the swoop rider! Kill them all!"

A bloodbath was far from something which The Second Hellwalker wanted, his powerful and commanding voice echoing to the others. "Get out! We'll cover you!"

Dynamo extended his Adamantine lined blades and began fighting with Brejik and his guards, while Bastila battled with the two Vulkar riders allowing the Beks and the announcer time to flee to the west end and out of the swoop platform.

With a growl of anger yet deathly calm, The Mercenary slashed the Vulkar leader across the chest, right through his energy shield, drawing blood and making him stagger back in shock at the fact, clutching the wound. 

The other two both jumped in to protect their leader, bringing down their swords with shouts of fury, but he blocked them with his right gauntlet, sharp edged clanging off the highly durable material. He pushed them off with his far superior strength before he used his other hand's blade to strike horizontally right through their midsection, causing both to collapse on the ground in pools of blood.

Brejik recovered somewhat, yet the blood stained his uniform, even with that he was able to fire his blaster right into Dynamo's face as the mutant demon hybrid had turned to face him. He smirked as he saw him stumble back and fully expected him to fall over dead but that was far from what occurred.

A look of horror became etched on his paled expression despite his dark skin as the Final Knight came down on him like an unchained predator, bleeding heavily from his right eye socket, the eye missing as it smoked, but with a blood-red left eye and fury unseen by Brejik ever before or even imagined. 

There was no fighting this demon worse than demons as he pounded the Vulkar leader repeatedly well after he had lied still. Barely able to restrain himself, the demonic mutant stooped and rose from the unrecognisable figure as he managed to contain the rage with gritted teeth and great effort. A fact that unsettled him because he had mastered control over it, something happened to make him more volatile. 

The blood still rolled down his face and he placed a hand over it to stem the flow, but mostly to hide the terrible wound as it slowly began to heal. Healing burns always took more time, and blaster fire took the most, though it was still fast compared to normal people. With his other hand, he reached into Brejik's satchel and pulled out a double-bladed lightsaber, Bastila's based on the distinct scent. It was strangely familiar in a way and he looked up at her, intrigued as she spun, graceful yet precise in her swing as she took down the last of the Vulkars.

The Mercenary got to his feet and walked over to her, lightsaber in hand and still holding the other one over his right eye while she muttered after discarding the Vibro Double-Blade.

"Well, maybe those bloody Vulkars will think twice next time before trying to keep a Jedi prisoner!" She said boldly as she looked over the defeated Vulkars, not seeing the mangled corpse of the leader as it was obscured by the announcer's table. 

"And as for you, if you think you can collect me as a prize…" She began to turn to him, aggravated, but she stopped shocked when she saw just who the swoop champion was. "Wait… I don't believe this! You're… you're one of the soldiers with the Republic fleet, aren't you? Yes, I'm sure of it, you're that Mercenary. How did you end up racing for these swoop gangs?" She asked with a raise of her eyebrow, rather incredulously and even confused, perhaps intrigued as well. 

The Final Knight noted the nuance but left it as it was, she had questions and he would answer them in time… most of them. "It's a long story, but I will tell once we get out of here and to a more safe location." He replied amiably yet with a hint of tiredness.

"Are you hurt?" She noticed the blood that streamed from his right eye, which was hidden beneath his hand. "Let me see." She reached out to him rather tentatively.

"I'm fine." He assured her with a colder tone, taking a step back.

"No, you're not." She frowned as she stubbornly grabbed his hand and pulled it off roughly. "I can-" She cut off at the sight, breathless with her mouth slightly agape.

A long red scar ran down over his right eye, which was surrounded by blood the skin around it was healed but the smell of burned flesh could still be felt somewhat. He opened it and blinked a few times, readjusting it to the light before both of his royal blue eyes looked at her shocked expression and pulled himself from her grasp.

 "Just for the record." He said in a low, almost regretful voice as he a few steps away and wiped off the remaining blood. "The scar was there before."

It took the Jedi a few moments to collect herself, glancing away with her hands on her hips. The man, if one could call him that with all the anger and hate she felt in him, was clearly a warrior, but she wondered why there seemed to be remorse in him. 

Her silver eyes wandered and eventually caught a glimpse of the mangled corpse of the leader of the Black Vulkars, a horrible sight yet to some part of her, it was well deserved. 

In her mind, she put it together because she had glimpsed it, the anger in him, that was The Mercenary's power and the most terrifying part, she could feel that it was endless. 

"Well, we don't have time to stand around and chat right now." Bastila stated resolutely, glancing at him. "We have to get out of here before the Sith show up to sort out this mess. Is there somewhere safe we can go?"

The mutant demon hybrid nodded as he went to gather her Jedi robes, calm and cold as always. "Yes, Carth and I found an apartment and we're using it as a hideout. We were already working on a plan to get off Taris."

The Jedi Sentinel perked up at his words, especially the name he'd used. "Carth Onasi is alive? Finally, some good news!" She almost exclaimed with relief but kept it well in check as she mused out loud, yet her eyes didn't seem to leave The Mercenary as he searched through. "Carth is one of the Republic's best soldiers, he's proved himself a hero a dozen times over! And he sent you here to save me? Maybe I misjudged you." She sized him up, curious, considering as she slowly walked closer. 

"Carth wouldn't have sent you if he wasn't confident in your… abilities." She caught herself seemingly and stopped in place, but still spoke calmly if not a bit stiffly. "Forgive me – despite my Jedi training, I still tend to act a bit rashly sometimes. Please, take me to Carth right away. Between the three of us, I'm sure we can figure out some way to get off this planet before the Sith realize we're here."

"My thoughts exactly." Dynamo nodded shortly as he stood and turned to her, neatly folded yellow Jedi Sentinel robes in hand. "Before we go, you should get changed." He said matter-of-factly, offering them.

Bastila blinked twice at him, was he being kind underneath that hardened cold demeanour. But underneath she could only see rage and hate… no, there was something more. "What!? I can't do it here!" She almost snapped at him incredulously at the ridiculous suggestion.

The Last Knight was completely unflinching as he glanced around, even scanning with his senses, once more noting that they seemed a tad keener than before. They were the only ones in the immediate area, but still, just for her peace of mind, he set off a small EMP from his SMI to fry any potential cameras. "We're the only ones here and I've just fried any cameras around." He said as he left her outfit in her arms and turned away, crossing his arms. "But you should still hurry." 

She looked at him doing a double-take, opening her lips to retort before she clasped it shut rather irritated and quickly got changed. "Alright, lead the way." She walked up next to him, hands on her hips as she seemed to huff. 

Dynamo nodded, silent even if he noted her seeming irritation, but as he walked the darkness crept back in his mind and now, a scene unfolded before his mind's eye, his motions becoming autopilot, mere instinct as they left behind the swoop platform.

Chapter Text

He laid on the ground, holding himself up with his arms as the blood dripped down from him. 

Again.

Through ragged breaths, he looked up to see a young female Jedi with a yellow double-bladed lightsaber, now able to recognize her as Bastila, fighting the Dark Lord Revan, clad in his all-black robe and with his Mandalorian mask cracked. He could see how she couldn’t hold out for much longer. Soon enough, Revan knocked her back and as she lunged back at him, he held her mid-air with his hand outstretched. 

He needed to do something. He had to intervene. 

With a shout inhuman even demonic rage ripped from the back of his throat and all of his might, he lunged at Revan. The forces wielded by the two clashed and a massive explosion sent everyone to the ground.

He looked up again as his vision came into focus. Bastila had recovered and was now walking towards Revan, who was on his knees, with calculated careful steps.

Lightning crackled around Revan and he knew what was coming.

Then it faded back into darkness.

*****

The doors to the hideout slid open to allow The Mercenary to step in with the Jedi Sentinel at his side, a sight that brought relief to the group, who had seen it all on the holonet before the fed was cut off some time during Brejik's accusatory speech.

The Republic pilot was the first to approach them with a small smile, yet a respectful demeanour towards both as he saluted. "Bastila – thank the Force you're alive!" A small sigh of relief escaped him as he gave a grateful glance to the mutant demon hybrid.

"It's good to see you too, Carth," Bastila replied with a nod and acknowledgement of her hand before looking at the two others that approached. "Who are your friends?" 

With a confident smirk yet open and friendly demeanour, the young Twi'lek girl gave a small wave. "Mission Vao, at your service, Jedi lady." She pointed to the Wookiee next to her, shifting in place for a moment. "And this is Zaalbar, my best friend." He growled in greeting.

The Jedi Sentinel gave a short nod. "Ah yes, Dynamo has already told me on the way here what has transpired to bring you together." Her tone seemed somewhat cold, even if it was calm and friendly it was guarded, comparably less so than the one to whom her silver eyes slid to for a moment. "I must thank you both for your admirable efforts."

"It's nothing." The young Twi'lek waved it off with a shrug, though she did innocently enjoy the praise before motioning to The Mercenary. "It's thanks to the big boy here."

Bastila nodded with a small smile as her attention was now on the mutant demon hybrid. "Indeed, not to mention that your performance in the race was impressive, and the fight after as well,"

The Final Knight acknowledged in silence with a simple nod, something which only intrigued the Sentinel as she didn't really expect him to react that way. 

"Finally, things are looking up," Carth said after all the introductions were made, hands on his belt and more optimism in his tone. "Now we just need to figure out a way to get off this planet."

His words gave her pause. "You mean you don't have a plan to get off Taris yet?" She asked with a perplexed look before almost demanding, yet she kept her tone from rising. "What have you been doing all this time?"

"Finding out where you were." Dynamo explained evenly, the calm nature of a true Jedi on him yet a wrath beyond any Sith Lord could hope to match. "That was our first priority."

And that inner fact about him intrigued her, but she wouldn't show as she simply nodded. "I see. Now that I'm back in charge of this mission, perhaps we can start doing things properly." Bastila said with intent and a somewhat berating tone, glancing at The Mercenary out of the corner of her eyes. "Hopefully our escape from Taris will go more smoothly than when you 'rescued' me from Brejik."

The Republic pilot sighed a little before speaking assertively. "I know you're new at this, Bastila, but a leader doesn't berate her troops just because things aren't going as planned," He advised calmly and knowingly. "Don't let your ego get in the way of the real issues here."

"That hardly strikes me as an appropriate way of addressing your commander, Carth." She snapped at him with an irritated huff and hands on her hips, boasting in a way as well. "I am a member of the Jedi Order and this is my mission. Don't forget that! My Battle Meditation ability has helped the Republic many times in this war, and it will serve us well here I am sure."

"Your talents might win us a few battles, but that doesn't make you a good leader!" The pilot argued but kept his cool and not without respect. "A good leader would at least listen to the advice of those who have seen more combat than she ever will!"

"Carth is right," The Last Knight stated rather suddenly, glancing briefly at the Jedi, catching her with her lips slightly parted to retort but she kept quiet at the authority which his presence demanded, though it seemed.. benevolent. "Now, both of you settle down right now…!" He looked at the two of them with his arms crossed, his tone not rising but lowering. "This isn't helping our mission in the slightest."

"Yes… You're right, of course." She looked at him for a second with a mix of wonder and annoyance before setting her eyes on the Republic pilot. "I apologize, Carth." Her voice was calmer and colder yet honest, doing her best to contain her emotions. "This has been a difficult time for me. Of course, I'm happy to listen to your advice. What do you suggest we do?"

"First off we can't get hung up on who's in charge." He said firmly with one finger held up before lowering it. "We all need to work together if we want to get off this rock. The answer's out there, we just have to find it."

"Well said, Carth, and the sooner we start looking the better." She nodded before muttering. "I've already been a prisoner of the Vulkars and I don't plan on being captured by the Sith."

"Don't worry," The demonic mutant said with determination and conviction burning in his royal blue eyes. "I'll make sure that won't happen." The gears of his mind turning he addressed them with the authority of a Supreme Commander, his Soldier persona. "We will need help to get off Taris. So far the cantinas have proved useful in gathering information, so we can check there again as soon as possible. But until we need to go out once more, rest up."

"Sounds like a plan to me." The Republic pilot nodded with a slight grin, rather impressed, before turning to join the young Twi'lek and her large Wookiee friend in a game of Pazaak. 

Before anyone else could say anything more The Mercenary walked off rather abruptly, going to his side of the room, separating himself from the others in a way.

The Jedi Sentinel noticed this, following his movements with her stern steel grey eyes, he took his backpack and left it next to the bed. She'd expected him to then sit but he kept pacing with slow and calculated steps with a deeply thoughtful expression, even troubled beneath his hardness.

So she approached him, asking quietly yet sincerely concerned. "Dynamo, is… is something wrong? You seem as if something is troubling you."

The Last Knight paused with his arms folded, glancing at her in silence at first. He shouldn't bother her with his issues, there was no need to burden her, yet he found himself answering lowly. "Something weird happened when we first met, right as we were leaving the swoop platform. Like a vision."

She tilted her head to the side with intrigue as she asked. "A vision? A vision of what?" 

"Of you... fighting Revan. It felt like... I was there." He replied as he rubbed the back of his head for a moment, trying to work it out in his mind as he didn't remember being there, even with his perfect memory. Or at least didn't think he was ever there, he was on the Watchdogs Flagship at the time.

"This is… strange." She thought out loud as she offered. "Such visions are often a sign of Force sensitivity."

"Force sensitivity?" He asked with a raise of his eyebrow. "Like a sixth sense of something?"

"I… I'm not sure." She admitted as she shook her head. "It may be that you have some connection to the Force. It would not be unheard of. When we first met, your natural talents may have fed off my own Force abilities. It is possible that in the excitement of the battle's aftermath the Force allowed you to witness one of my more intense memories."

That would have been an option for him, if one didn't take into consideration what he was. He had no connection to the Force and his 'natural talent' was The DOOM Slayer, the demon worse than demons. If anything, he had a connection to the Dark Side. "That wasn't the first time I had a vision of that." He informed, his brow furrowed. 

"The Force is complicated; even I with all my training cannot fully understand it yet." She explained what she could,  her tone calm even enigmatic. "This is a matter best left to the wise Masters of the Jedi Council. Once we escape Taris we can seek the guidance of the Council, if you wish. They will understand the significance of your vision… if there is any. However, I think it would be best if we all stayed focused on the task at hand right now." She suggested rather sternly, glancing back to him after looking away for a moment. "We can't afford any distraction; we need to find a way off Taris."

The Jedi Council, it had been a while since The Mercenary had any contact with them, months at least. It was pleasant to collaborate with them, even if he didn't agree with everything they had the same admirable goal and a mutual respect. 

Dynamo gave a nod, letting his hands at his sides. "You're right, we'd better move." He turned and grabbed his backpack, swinging it on as he thought of the team that should go out, the decision quickly made. "Carth, you coming?" He called to him.

The Republic pilot got to his feet quickly, all prepped and ready to go. "Sign me up." He nodded with a pat of his holsters.

"You guys go ahead and find a ship. Me and Big Z will take care of our little hideout!" Mission assured the group of three, a growl of assurance coming from her Wookiee friend. 

"Thank you, Mission, Zaalbar!" The Final Knight nodded to each, before turning back to the exit and motioning for the other two. "Let's go!"

They left the Hideout and once again emerged in the South Apartments, beginning to head towards the exit. On their way there, a green Twi'lek male approached them, clear intent in his steps and eyes locked onto The Mercenary as all three slowed to a stop and subtly tensed. 

"You there – human." The Twi'lek called as he placed a hand over his holster at his side as he inquired. "You are the rider who won the Great Swoop Race in the Lower City, yes?" 

After a moment of silence, Dynamo gave a nod, cautious yet calm. "That's right. What about it?" 

"I have a message from Canderous Ordo." His voice was stern and serious. "He says to meet him in the cantina." 

The name caught his attention and he folded his arms. "Canderous." His tone was ever calm and cold as he towered a whole head over the Twi'lek. "The Mandalorian that works for Davik."

"Yes, that's the one." He nodded, keeping the shake from his tone but The Mercenary caught the scent. "Given his connections, you can see why it would be wise to attend this meeting. Canderous didn't say why he wanted to meet you, only that he had an offer you couldn't refuse. I presume you can see why it would be foolish to ignore his request."

Oh, Dynamo knew that phrasing, even so, it was a prime opportunity and he wouldn't pass it up. "Thanks for the message." He gave a simple nod. "We'll go meet him in the cantina."

"A wise choice, human." He said with a nod of his own, a bit relieved for himself. "I would advise you not to wait too long. Mandalorians are known for many things, but patience is not one of them."

With his eyes, he tracked him as he turned and left as fast as he could, hearing his two companions take a step. 

"It's a trap." The Republic pilot remarked lowly, arms folded as he leaned towards the demonic mutant hybrid.

He could only nod to that and reply. "Probably."

"I say we avoid this…" Bastila offered with a careful glance to him. "It is best not to associate with such mercenaries."

The Mercenary rubbed his beard for a moment, noting that she didn't say all mercenaries before posing the question. "Do we have another option at this time?"

At that, both were silent as there wasn't any real one, so Dynamo continued, assuring. "We'll be cautious." He took the lead once more with an assertive and benevolent tone. "Let's move."

The two followed after him, yet the Jedi Sentinel cast him a mixed glance, one that he felt.

Keen ears tuned, the mutant demon hybrid focused on the apartment that was coming up, the one belonging to the woman he'd heard when he first awoke here, Dia. And he seemed to have a perfect synchronisation once more as he could hear her talking to someone on the holophone.

"Wait… did you just say that?!" She exclaimed in shock and awe. "But how?! I can't believe he would call it off just like that! A large scarred man… alright... Thank you for letting me know! I hope to find him, somehow pay him back for saving me. Thanks again… I will see you soon."

Pay him back. The Mercenary didn't need anything, whatever he needed, he could get on his own. Besides, this wasn't something that had to be rewarded, he only did what was right.

Once more, he could feel those silver grey eyes on him, as if she heard as well and wondered if he was the one. For a moment, he wanted to turn and remark that there are many large scarred men, but that would only give it away so he preferred to keep his silence. In that silence, the group of three exited the south apartments out into the bustling streets of the Upper City once more, with speeders zooming above and around. Instead of heading right to the cantina in front, The Final Knight opted for a quick detour to the Medical Facility, since he had the serum to drop off.

And on the way there, the Republic pilot was intrigued by something, so he spoke his mind with a glance to the Jedi Sentinel. "Bastila, I was wondering something. How did those Vulkars manage to capture a famous Jedi like you?" He asked with curiosity but respectful nonetheless. "Were you knocked out when your escape pod crashed?"

"No, I was conscious." She shook her head once and explained with a somewhat condescending tone. "But my Force powers were exhausted from using my Battle Meditation in the battle for the Endar Spire. Without my help, you might never have gotten off the ship alive." 

"Fair enough." He shrugged with a nod before he narrowed his eyes for a moment with some doubts coming up. "But I've seen you Jedi in action. There's no way those thugs would have stood a chance against your lightsaber."  

The Jedi Sentinel hesitated before she replied. "My lightsaber was… misplaced. I couldn't find it after the crash. I looked everywhere in that pod. The Vulkars came and overwhelmed me even as I was searching for my weapon."

Carth blinked at what he'd just heard. "Wait a minute, let me get this straight." He said in disbelief as an amused grin creeped on the corners of his lips. "You lost your lightsaber?" And he couldn't contain himself and burst into a brief bout of laughter. "I mean, isn't that a violation of some kind of Jedi code or something?"

The Mercenary let out a long sigh at the whole thing and glanced over his shoulder at him. "Leave her alone, Carth, she's been through enough."

"This is no laughing matter!" Bastila snapped at the Republic pilot in annoyance, silently grateful that the mutant demon hybrid was on her side seemingly. "During the crash, my lightsaber must have… it must have fallen from my belt and rolled under my seat! The Vulkars probably found it there when they searched the wreckage." She explained in an exasperated tone.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't get mad. I'm sorry." Carth rushed to apologize with an amiable raise of his hands. "It's just funny to think of a legendary Jedi losing her lightsaber. Take my advice: this is one detail you might want to keep out of the history texts."

"I hardly consider myself a legend, Carth." The Jedi Sentinel replied rather humbly over the fact before giving a nod. "Though I will consider your advice when I relate these events to the Jedi Council. There is no need for them to know every detail of what transpired."

With that small reconciliation between them, the group continued on their way as silence set in between them before they arrived at the Medical facility. 

Upon entering and having the hydraulic door close behind them with a hiss, Zelka greeted them with open arms 

"Welcome back." The medic said with a warm smile as he looked at all three. "Are you in need of healing or medical supplies? I can treat you right here at the centre for almost any condition, except the rakghoul disease, of course."

The Last Knight gave a simple nod in greeting as he walked straight to his desk, his hand already reaching inside his backpack. "I have the serum to cure the Rakghoul disease."

The Republic pilot hung back in the meantime with a rather satisfied grin, especially when he'd glimpsed the assistant, Gurney, watching in disbelief and even horror from the side, while the Jedi Sentinel observed and even judged in silence, piecing together what the man and the, unknown to her, demonic mutant did.

Hearing those words made the medic's eyes widen like saucers. "You have the serum?" He asked in disbelief before exclaiming in the same manner. "Impossible! How did you get this?" He stopped himself, remembering the nature coming from The Mercenary before him. "No, wait… I don't really want to know." He paused and looked to him before asking somewhat carefully, even a little weary and hesitant in tone. "Can… can I see it? The serum, I mean? I need to see if there is enough for me to analyze it so I can start producing it in mass quantities."

Dynamo simply nodded in affirmative, his left gloved hand curled against the syringe which held the one remaining dose of serum before his fingers opened and he drew back. "Here you go."

With extreme care, Zelka took it and rushed with fast steps to his equipment in order to check it. "Hmmm… let me see…"

As he waited, the mutant demon hybrid glanced briefly at his two companions, the Republic pilot still having that look of approval while the Jedi was stone-faced, yet there was curiosity in her eyes… as well as caution.

"Yes, this is it!" The medic's voice echoed with relieved excitement. "A cure for the rakghoul disease! With this sample, I can make enough serum for everyone!" He declared with a wide and even wild grin as he turned to the Final Knight. "The people of Taris owe you a debt they can never repay." 

He quickly went over and ravaged around, managing to procure two medpacs and some seven hundred credits, placing them on the desk before him. "Please, take this small reward. It isn't much, but it's all I can afford: a few credits and two spare medpacs."

Dynamo raised his hand for him to stop, knowing that they had gathered plenty of supplies already by looting around. "Keep your reward, Zelka. You need it more than I do." He assured, his tone ever calm and cold.

"You truly have a noble and generous spirit, but you deserve something for your effort." He said in tempered amazement and enthusiasm. "Tell you what, I'll give you a discount whenever you shop at my store. It's the least I can do."

"That will do more than well." The Mercenary nodded, internally satisfied. "Stay safe, Zelka!" He bid him farewell as he turned and went to leave, though he lingered for a moment for the other two to join him.

"You as well! Good luck on your quest!" He called to the whole group as they left the facility.

As they crossed the threshold back out, the Jedi glanced up at the Final Knight. "That was very kind of you, Dynamo," Bastila said in a quieter and even softer voice, genuinely impressed. "I'm glad we were able to bring some relief to the suffering of these people."

There was something, be it her tone or the way she said it, but he actually smiled internally. "Me as well." The demonic mutant admitted, yet his expression was unchanging for now.

They continued into the Cantina and it was packed as usual, especially because there wasn't much to do with the blockade going on. They glanced about the cantina, looking for the Mandalorian mercenary they were supposed to meet and were met by the usual condescending glances or looks of indifference by the many rich nobles or offspring of such.

"So, where is our Mandalorian friend?" The Republic pilot asked as they walked just beyond the Pazaak room.

"There," The Final Knight said as he motioned with his head to the man in the corner of the room.

He had grey hair with a military buzz cut and a large scar running vertically along the left side of his face and wore a black short sleeve shirt with leather holster straps for his blaster pistols. His tan cargo pants and brown boots had a worn look to them which separated him from the rest of the patrons.

"How can you be sure?" Carth asked with a raise of his eyebrow, intrigued if not suspicious. 

"The brand on his neck." Dynamo replied simply and certain of the fact. "It's from the Ordo tribe."  

"Know your enemy, am I right?" He asked rhetorically with a small laugh to ease his own tension. 

A tension which the Jedi could feel so she suggested. "Carth, perhaps it would be best if you kept a low profile and an eye open," 

"You read my mind," The Republic pilot said with a swift nod. "I'm going to get a drink." He muttered before casually strolling over to the bar, still attentive of his surroundings. 

The Mercenary gave him a nod as he left before glancing at Bastila and asking. "Think it's a trap?

"I don't believe so." She shook her head once, speaking honestly. "That was more for Carth's sake than anyone else." 

The demonic mutant could only agree to that with a brief bow of his head before beginning to make his way over. "Then, let's do this." 

The two Knights of different natures made a beeline for the Mandalorian's table, taking a seat across. Seeing this, he slid a couple of glasses towards them and nodded to the half-empty bottle of Tarisian ale on the table. 

"Help yourself." The Mandalorian said in his usual gruff tone before motioning to himself and stating "My name's Canderous Ordo. I saw you in the swoop race. Very impressive. You seem like you know how to get results and that’s just the kind of person I'm looking for."

Dynamo did indeed possess a unique set of skills which allowed him to operate quite efficiently and gain the results which he desired, but that didn't mean he was going to outright accept the proposal, even after knowing the details of it.

"What do you need?" The Mercenary asked, pouring himself a glass of ale after he made sure it was clean with his sense of smell. He glanced at the Jedi Sentinel and offered to pour but she shook her head amiably and gently pushed the glass away.

The Final Knight gave a small nod and placed the bottle down as he glanced to the other man when he spoke.

"I work for Davik Kang and the Exchange; the hours aren't great, but they promised me a fortune to work for them and I have nothing better to do." Canderous said matter-of-factly and with a light shrug before continuing. "Mandalorian mercs like me are in high demand." He paused with a slight sneer and aggravation in his tone. "But lately, Davik hasn't been paying me what he promised." He picked up the glass, a somewhat devious side grin on his expression. "I don't like getting cheated, so I figure it's time for me to break the Sith quarantine and get off this backwater planet." And took a sip.

"Why are you telling us this?" The demonic mutant tilted his head slightly to the side, studying the man. His stone-faced demeanour and the scar on the left side of his face made him an intimidating person to have a face to face conversation with. In other words, they were on equal footing… if one disregarded the demon worse than demons within.

"I've got a plan to escape Taris, but I can't do it alone." He stated with intent, putting the glass down and leaning towards them with his elbow on the table "I need someone I know can get the job done to help me. That's where you come in." He pointed to The Mercenary specifically. "I saw you win that swoop race, and I started thinking: anyone crazy enough to race like that is probably crazy enough to break into the Sith military base. I need someone to steal the Sith launch codes from the base. Without those codes, any ship leaving the atmosphere will be disintegrated by the Sith fleet's automated defence guns."

"What's in this for us?" Dynamo asked in his usual calm and cold tone, taking a sip of his glass as he sat, leaning back in the seat even yet intrigued by the offer. 

The Mandalorian rested his hand on the table as he informed them. "Here's the deal: you bring me those launch codes and I can provide the vehicle to get off the planet – Davik's flagship, the Ebon Hawk!"  

That wasn't a bad trade off and he cast a quick glance to the Jedi to get her feedback as well. But she merely observed, cautious yet she was intrigued as well. "How do we get inside the military base?" The demonic mutant asked, gloved hand rested on the table around the glass still.

"Getting in won't be easy: the Sith base is protected by an encrypted security system." The Mandalorian admitted as he informed them, but he still had a deviously determined look in his eyes. "It would take a top-of-the-line astromech droid to slice through it. Lucky for you I know just the place to get a droid like that. Davik was having one custom built by Janice Nall." He leaned back and folded his arms, smirking as he assured. "Just tell her Canderous sent you and she'll sell you the droid. Then you can use it to get the launch codes from the Sith base."

"Won't Davik get mad if we take his droid?" He asked with a raise of his eyebrow, trying to see the angle that he was playing. 

"Davik paid for the droid, but I'm the guy he put in charge of this mission. He won't care how I come up with those codes." Canderous said with a cold grin, taking another sip.

The Final Knight tilted his head to the side with a narrow of his eyes as the gears of his mind turned and he asked. "Did he pay the full price or do I have to pay for it?" 

"Hell if I know." He shrugged indifferently before smirking. "Word of advice. Have a few extra credits. A few extra thousands."

"Do you have the credits?" The Mercenary tilted his head slightly down. 

The Mandalorian shook his head. "No. But you're smart, you'll figure something out." He said with a half-smile before admitting, eyes boring into the rage filled royal blue of the other. "Normally I'd do this myself, but everyone knows who I work for. If I broke into the Sith base, they'd send an army down on Davik's estate to get those codes back. That's why I need you."

The mutant demon hybrid was silent and unflinching as he thought it over, anticipating every outcome, from the best to the worst and rather quickly came to a decision. "Alright, Canderous – you've got a deal."

"I don't sense any deception from him, which is surprising. This may be exactly what we need." Bastila advised him in a voice barely above a whisper, still cautious of the other mercenary.

"I'm going to wait in Javyar's cantina," Canderous told them after nodding with a satisfied grin. "You come find me when you've got those launch codes and I'll make sure we both get off this rock." He stated as he got up, finished the glass in one swing and headed out, leaving the two Knights sitting in silence for a moment. 

The Republic pilot joined them barely a few minutes later. "How are we going to get a few thousand credits in such a short time?" Carth asked exasperated. 

The Jedi was admittedly at a loss but The Mercenary spoke before she did, his gaze set on the sign reading Duel Arena. "I'll fight for it." He downed the whole glass he'd poured himself before he got up and started towards it. "Not like we have much choice."

Chapter Text

"Fight for it!?" The Jedi Sentinel almost shouted incredulously at the suggestion, thinking it ridiculous to say the least. "We don't have the time available to us to waste it uselessly on fighting!"

The Mercenary turned his cold yet calm gaze to her, unflinching as he spoke firmly. "Fighting that can get us the necessary amount of credits faster than anything else at the moment."

At the whole scene, The Republic pilot sighed yet had to speak up. "I must admit, I am with Dynamo on this one."

She cast both an incredulous glance and argued. "But we don't even have a week or more for you to spend in that arena." Her steely silver grey eyes locked onto The demonic mutant. "Not to mention the fact that you would go in there alone."

"Who said I needed a week?" He asked rhetorically before stating matter-of-factly and with no pride. "Give me a day or two, based on the number of duelists." He paused with a long exhale through his nose as he assured. "And I will be fine… not my first duels and certainly not the last ones."

The Jedi Sentinel was silently frustrated at that, stepping closer, right in his personal space and opening her mouth to speak. "I am-" She was cut off when the Last Knight raised a hand and looked at her, right in her eyes.

"I know well what you are and because of that I should be the one doing this." His voice was chilling and calm, yet there was a nuance of concern to it. "We can't risk you for the sake of quick credits. No one knows what I am."

Frankly she was surprised by the reasoning. It seemed more personal and it was also admirable how he was willing to put himself in harm's way to help others, despite him being filled with emotions that lead to the Dark Side. 

And she was silent, unable to retort to that as she followed after the mutant demon hybrid and the Republic pilot into the south side of the Upper City Cantina where the lobby for the duel ring was along with the duel organizer and several spectators watching on the Arena Monitors. 

"I can't believe we couldn't get arena tickets for this match!" One of the nearby spectators huffed in annoyance. "Now we'll have to watch the duel on the viewscreen."

"Who cares?" Another shrugged with indifference. "It's Duncan and Gerlon fighting. It's not like we're going to miss anything good."

"Shh!" He shushed and pointed to the display. "They're about to start, so quit complaining and just watch the viewscreen!"

The group of three that had just entered exchanged a glance before observing, wanting to see just what The Mercenary was about to get himself into.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I draw your attention to the duelling ring." The announcer's voice boomed excitedly over the arena. "Here, two combatants will battle for your viewing and gambling enjoyment. Now, I hope all your bets are down because we're ready to roll! In this corner, I give you... Gerlon Two-Fingers!" 

The duelist, a man with a weathered look about him, raised his blaster pistol in the air to salute the crowd. 

"And over here, looking to climb the ranks yet again is the ever-persistent Deadeye Duncan!" The other, a much older duelist, did the same yet with more enthusiasm seemingly.

As they drew, the old duelist's fingers slipped and dropped his blaster, giving the other a wide open shot and plenty of time to gun him down, a fact which he did as Deadeye Duncan fell to the ground defeated. 

"And, to nobody's great surprise, Deadeye is down again." The announcer called soon after, somehow keeping his excitement. "Don't worry, folks – he's just unconscious. As usual. Our medics will have him up and about in a bit. Well, that was quick, wasn't it? So I give you the winner... Gerlon Two-Fingers!" He exclaimed as the winner raised his blaster in the air to salute, a rather dissatisfied expression on him, even if it was subtle.

"If all are like this then there shouldn't be any issues." The Jedi Sentinel remarked with her arms folded and a smirk after watching it all.

The Mercenary raised an eyebrow and turned to her, arms folded as well as he asked rhetorically. "You really think all are that unskilled."

She paused for a moment and conceded. "Frankly no…"

"Exactly." He stated before she could add anything else, muttering in his beard. "Time to enroll." As he looked to the duel organizer at the back of the lobby by the south wall, a Hutt of course, counting the credits he had just made.

He glanced back at his companions. "Head back to the hideout while I climb the ranks." The Last Knight directed. "Since they will most likely transmit the matches on the holonet you'll be able to keep tabs on me."

"Sounds like a plan." Carth gave a ready nod. "We'll meet with you in the cantina once it's all over." He gave a two finger salute, respectful. "Good luck, Dynamo." 

With Bastila adding sincerely. "And may the Force be with you." Before both of them left. 

The demonic mutant trailed them with his eyes before going to the Hutt in charge of the duels.

"I'm sorry, human – the betting window's closed." The large being spoke as he saw The Mercenary step towards him with intent, finding himself complaining. "No more fights right now. People are sick of seeing the same duelists all the time. It's bad for business."

He paused in thought as he examined the seeming human male more closely, an idea coming to him based on his rugged appearance. "Unless... My name's Ajuur. I organize all the duels here. We need a new face in the duelling game, human. Maybe you want to step into the duel ring? It can be a highly profitable venture."

Exactly what he wanted, so the demonic mutant nodded. "I might be interested – what's in it for me?"

"I can arrange for you to fight in the duel ring." The Hutt offered in a slimy tone. "If you win, you get the standard contract: 10% of all wagers. And don't worry, nobody dies in the duel ring anymore. Deathmatches are illegal now. Most fighters in the duel ring use vibroblades or stun sticks because the ring's pretty small, but a few of the duelists use blasters. Use whichever you prefer."

Vibroblades and blasters and nobody ever died. That didn't sound entirely right to him and his eyes narrowed. "Really, is that truly so? Those are quite deadly."

"The duel ring has energy suppressor fields to make sure nobody dies. Weapons are limited so they hurt but don't kill. And we've got a medic droid in case of serious injuries." The Hutt explained, not really caring about the fact, only being forced to follow the law, before posing the all too important question. "Are you interested?"

The Last Knight didn't hesitate with the reply, that was why he was there after all. "Sign me up."

"Good – new blood for the ring!" He said with a satisfied side grin. "But you need a nickname, like Ice or Deadeye or Twitch. Good nicknames make people bet more." He paused and examined the demonic mutant again with his large slitted eyes. "Hmmm... what's a good name for you? You're an off-worlder. You're new here, people won't recognize you, you have a threatening look about you and seem to know a thing or two about combat…" A light bulb went off in his head and he snapped his fat fingers. "I know! From now on in the duel ring, you'll be the Assassin."

"The Assassin it shall be." Dynamo nodded, as that was the first title which he held. It was the foundation for everything that came after. Even if he held that title for mere days. "The Assassin is a perfect name for you." He continued excitedly. "You've got no past, no history. You're like a shadow among them... it makes you seem like you have some big, dark secret. People like that and it makes them bet more."

That wasn't far from the truth as that was what he was in a way. A shadow in service of the light, hiding his dark past from everyone, never letting anyone get too close. Not even those which he viewed as his brothers-in-arms. Plus, using his first title could also throw off those which knew him as The Mercenary, so that was even better.

"You ready for a duel now?" The Hutt asked the Final Knight eagerly. "You want to step into the ring right away? I'll set you up with Deadeye Duncan to start."

That was in fact something that he wanted, to finish it up quickly. "I'm ready for a duel." Dynamo replied firmly with a quick nod.

"Yes! You fight and people bet and I make money!" He summarized his business with a brief hearty laugh. "It's all good. Only one rule – nobody dies. Your opponent goes down, you don't finish them off. Deathmatches are illegal now. You're new at this, so I'll start you off easy. You get to fight Deadeye Duncan. Are you ready to go into the ring now?"

Once more, The Mercenary nodded. "Let's do this."

Surprisingly or not, they moved very fast, taking him to the quarters of the fighters then preparing him for the upcoming battle. In his short while there, the mutant demon hybrid was able to glimpse the other combatants which fought regularly.

The Final Knight didn't choose any weapon, nothing they had could even come close to his Adamantine blades, yet at the same time he couldn't use them so he would have to rely on his extensive and mastery of the mixed martial arts on his home planet, Terra Prime. At least they didn't insist on taking any of his equipment away, probably because of his general aura and the rage deep in his eyes. Not long after he walked through the darkened corridor before the blinding lights shone upon the circular arena in which he had entered. The crowd cheered at the simple sight of the newcomer and he glared at his opponent right across from him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, draw your eyes to the centre ring!" The announcer's voice boomed again, filled with anticipation. "We have a very special presentation in store for you. You've seen him lose night after night after night. But this time, he's after fresh meat. In this corner, I give you Deadeye Duncan!"

The old duelist raised his vibrosword in the air when his name was called, eager to battle the newcomer yet he had no idea what he was up against.

"And in the other corner, a relative newcomer to the Taris duelling scene. Emerging from the shadows with no history, no past and no name…" He announced mysteriously, the anticipation building in the crowd. "The Assassin!"

The Mercenary raised a hand and saluted the crowd before the ferocious shout of "Kar en tuk!" Left the back of his throat and reverberated in the arena

The bell run and the battle began as Duncan charged at Dynamo with a loud scream, more a shriek than a battle cry, raising his sword in the air.

The Final Knight could see the attack coming from miles away, not to mention the ridiculous amount of flaws. He easily sidestepped and raised his knee the moment the old duelist brought down his sword, making him run straight into it. All breath left Duncan as his sword flew from his hands and he collapsed on his back clutching his stomach, rolling on the floor in pain and fighting to catch his breath as the mutant demon hybrid hit him right in the diaphragm. 

"It's over! The fight is over! The Assassin has won!" The announcer declared, but his excitement dimmed as he continued. "But really, are any of us surprised? Deadeye losing isn't news. You have to do better than that to impress us, Assassin!"

Said Assassin figured that would be the case considering the lack of skill in his opponent. He simply turned on his heel and left the arena as the medics rushed out to help the old duelist. His destination was a clear one and that was Ajuur, in order to collect his winnings. 

The Hutt seemed to smile somewhat, in a slimy way of course as he approached. "Good fight, good fight." He nodded a few times. "People began to like you, Assassin. They bet a little more than usual when you fight. It makes me happy... and rich. But I always pay my debts. You won, so you get paid. Ten percent of the purse – that was the deal. Here're your credits." He snapped his fingers and a case was brought over by one of his assistants who handed over Dynamo pay, a measly 100 credits for now. "You come to see me when you're ready to fight again." The organiser assured with a smirk that stretched the folds on his face.

The Final Knight checked his SMI for a moment, seeing that not even two hours had passed. "I already am," He replied simply, not winded in the slightest, not even warmed up as a matter of fact. 

The Hutt nodded, pleased by the response and what he thought was hidden enthusiasm. "You are eager for battle, I like that. You fought well last time. People like you, Assassin. They bet lots on your last fight. They'll bet more on your next fight. You handled Duncan pretty well." He said, rubbing what looked like his chin. "I think you're ready to fight Gerlon Two-Fingers. Just remember – Gerlon uses blasters in the ring sometimes. You ready to step into the arena?"

He simply nodded. "Let's do this." 

Once again it wasn't long until he found himself in the duel arena, with the crowd cheering their favourites. On the other side was his opponent. A younger man this time, with short black hair and wearing light combat armour. The keen eyes of the demonic mutant immediately noticed the odd way three of his fingers stood, seemingly paralyzed. He only used his thumb and pointer fingers to grip his blaster pistol.

Soon enough the announcer made the introductions. "Ladies and gentlemen, draw your eyes to the centre ring!" The enthusiastic and catching voice echoed as always. "We have a very special presentation in store for you. In this corner, one of the greats; a man so tough even a disfiguring injury couldn't end his career. I give you Gerlon Two-Fingers!"

The duelist saluted the crowd as they cheered his name, much more when compared to Duncan.

The announcer continued after. "And in the other corner, a relative newcomer to the Taris duelling scene. Emerging from the shadows with no history, no past and no name... the Assassin!"

The Mercenary raised a hand in salute shouting again "Kar en tuk!" as they cheered, with less gusto.

Then the battle began and Gerlon immediately fired at Dynamo, who dodged easily by rolling to the side. He kept firing, but couldn't quite aim right, or the Final Knight was too fast for him as he closed the gap between them. 

Two-Fingers ditched the blaster for a vibrosword, but before he could do anything a left cross to the face rattled his brain. 

He couldn't recover as the mutant demon hybrid hit him again across the face and then finished him with a kick to the chin that sent the duelist on his back, unconscious and with old around his nose and mouth. 

"It's over! The fight is over!" The announcer called as the crowd cheers reached a new height, pleasantly surprised by the show. "The Assassin has won! Gerlon losing to a rookie: is this a sign that his injuries have finally caught up with him? Or is the Assassin for real? Only time will tell!"

The Mercenary didn't linger or revel in any of it as he had a clear mission and goal, simply leaving and meeting again with Ajuur to collect his winnings.

"Good fight, good fight." The Hutt nodded at the demonic mutant before him. "People are starting to like you more, Assassin. They bet somewhat more than usual when you fight. It makes me happy... and rich. But I always pay my debts. You won, so you get paid. Ten percent of the purse – that was the deal. Here are your credits." 

And the assistant came over again and handed over double the amount than last time. 

"You want to set up another fight, right?" Ajuurn asked in a rather slimy tone, eyeing him as he pocketed the credits. "The ring is in your blood now, like a virus. You need to hear the cheers of the crowd; you need the rush of battle… you need to fight again. I think you're ready to go against Ice, human." He thought out loud. "She's tough, but so are you. There'll be lots of action in the fight… a huge purse! You ready?"

That couldn't be further from the truth as the Final Knight didn't enjoy it in the slightest, the whole thing made the demon worse than demons stirr and growl. But he held it back as the others depended on him. "Let's do this." Once more, simple and to the point.

Again he found himself in the arena in a short while. On the other side was his opponent, a woman, barely in her thirties, with bright blonde hair tied back in a bun and wielding a double-bladed vibroblade. She seemed cold and unflinching, but so was he, even more so than her. They called him a rookie, but his experience said otherwise. 

Lasă-i să creadă. Eu o să le iau banii. (Let them believe. I'll just take their money.) He thought to himself as he shook his arms, feeling his muscles, his enormous strength. All warmed up and ready by this point.

"Ladies and gentlemen, draw your eyes to the centre ring! We have a very special presentation in store for you:" The announcer called everyone's attention. "Over in this corner, a woman with steel in her bones and ice water in her veins. She's cold and quick as death itself. You know her, you love her... Ice!"

She remained motionless at the cheers of the crowd, more enthusiastic than they had been for Two-Fingers, only staring intensely at Dynamo with a chilling gaze to which he was unflinching. 

"And in the other corner, a rising star taking that first step into the big leagues... I give you the Assassin!"

With a fist risen in the air, it tore from the back of his throat. "Kar en tuk!" He saluted the crowd and it roared with more excitement than last time.

The bell rang and another fight began under the eager eyes of the spectators. 

Ice grabbed her blade with both hands and started circling The Mercenary slowly and methodically. He did the same as he dropped his balanced stance, bending his knees and raising his hands in guard, fists not fully clenched. She looked him over for a second and snickered, the idiot had no weapons. 

This will be easier than she thought.

She swung her blade down but the Final Knight caught it with one hand and broke the blade with the other before he spun swiftly, hitting her with a backhand that sent her to the ground. 

The duelist woman rolled and picked herself up, shaking off the dizziness and switching the end of the blade to the undamaged one, silently shocked by how easily her double-bladed Vibroblade was broken.

Dynamo waited, letting her get ready for an attack, biding his time. She gritted her teeth angrily and thrust the blade in him, but he jumped over it. She stared in shock for a moment at his boot coming right at her face and then it all faded to black.

"It's over!" The announcer exclaimed ecstatically as The Mercenary rose over her unconscious body. "The fight is over! The Assassin has won! Ice is knocked out cold! Looks like we have a rising star in the Assassin, folks: but how high can this star soar? You'll just have to watch and see!"

Once more, he didn't remain to enjoy it, leaving as the crowd cheered his name and the medics rushed to Ice who bled from her temple, unconscious, going to take his money.

"Good fight, good fight." He nodded pleased a short while after the mutant demon hybrid came.  "People like you more, Assassin. They bet a lot when you fight. It makes me happy... and rich. But I always pay my debts. You won, so you get paid. Ten percent of the purse – that was the deal. Here are your credits." 

Just like before, the assistant came and handed them over to him. This time the cash was better as Ajuur gave Dynamo 300 credits as compensation.

"You've got a real talent for this game, Assassin." The Hutt said with a few impressed nods as the Final Knight placed the credits to safety. "I think it's time you fought Marl. He's getting up there in years, but he's still very, very good. He used to be the duel champion."

Old yet experienced, not to be underestimated, yet still only a man. A man against the Bearer of The DOOM Slayer. He kept it simple. "Let's do it."

It wasn't long until The Mercenary stepped in the arena for the fourth time in twelve hours. On the other end was his adversary, an older looking man, if you judge by his receding light grey hair and wrinkles, but just looking at his physique and demeanour he knew that was all that was the only thing which betrayed his age.

"Ladies and gentlemen, draw your eyes to the centre ring!" The announcer called enthusiastically to the audience. "We have a very special presentation in store for you: He's a legend in the sport, a twenty-year veteran who still knows how to show the young kids a trick or two. Let's have a big hand for... Marl!"

The crowd roared with excitement after hearing his name with the duelist saluting respectfully. 

Shortly after he continued. "But there's always some young gun coming up to knock the veterans off... and we've got one of the best right here! I give you, the Assassin!"

A few centuries of living wasn't young, but the Last Knight let them believe that as the beastly roar left him. "Kar en tuk!" He saluted the crowd and the pitch of the cheers reached new heights.

The bell rang and another fight began. 

They circled around, sizing each other up, both in masterful stances, balanced. Neither wanted to make the first strike. Yet thanks to his vastly superior experience, Dynamo noticed a slight flaw in Marl's stance. With the way he was holding his double-bladed sword, he was leaving his left leg open. He smirked internally almost before he feinted an attack and the old duelist went to slice his arm, but the demonic mutant pulled back and quickly swiped the feet from under him, before he slammed his massive fist into his ribcage while Marl was still in the air, knocking all breath from his lungs and burying him into the ground. 

"It's over! The fight is over!" The announcer exclaimed, sharing the crowd's excitement and awe as the old duelist was gasping for air, his ribcage cracked most likely. "The Assassin has won! Marl is down, and questions abound! Is this the end for the long-time vet? Is it time for Marl to hang up his spurs? And what of the Assassin? Twitch is waiting in the wings... do you dare take a shot at the champion himself? Will the wild-eyed wonder finally be unseated?"

The Mercenary knew they would learn the answer to that question in mere hours, going back to collect his winnings. 

"Good fight, good fight. People like you even more, Assassin." The Hutt wagged his rounded finger to him after he came. "They bet a lot more when you fight. It makes me happy... and rich. But I always pay my debts. You won, so you get paid. Ten percent of the purse – that was the deal. Here are your credits."

Just as he finished speaking, the mutant demon hybrid was handed a decent 400 credits from the assistant who came by quickly before being dismissed with a wave and leaving.

"You're getting quite the reputation, Assassin. Everyone's excited, they all want to bet on your next match." He pointed to himself and shrugged with a disturbing smile, or that was just the shape of his mouth. "I'm excited, too… more bets means more credits for me! You've beaten almost everyone, human." He said impressed, but wanting more. "I think you ready to fight Twitch. Twitch might be crazy, but he's the best in the game. If you beat him, you'll be the new champion."

He didn't care for the title, he only cared about getting the money to secure a way off this planet. Living up to his namesake in a way. "Let's do this."

The duel for the title of champion. Barely twelve hours after the first match, his ascent through the ranks had been inhuman. Which was a fair assessment as none could stand against a Hellwalker. Dynamo stepped into the ring, his opponent already waiting on the opposite side. A rodian with dual Heavy Blaster Pistols. He could see why he was called Twitch, his trigger fingers were itching and one of his eyes was literally twitching.

"Ladies and gentlemen, draw your eyes to the centre ring!" The announcer called once more.  "We have a very special presentation in store for you: Hold onto your seats and stay back from the edges of the ring! He's wild, he's unpredictable, he's borderline psychotic... and he's the best damn duelist in the game today. Give it up for Twitch!"

The rodian grinned at his nickname, fiddling in place while the crowd cheered with a deafening rumble.

"But Twitch's opponent plans to take the champion down! Battle after battle we've watched this young phenom skyrocketing rise through the ranks... In this corner, the challenger for the title of Taris Dueling Champion – the Assassin!"

"Kar en tuk!" Dynamo saluted the crowd and the arena shook from their cheers, the volume beyond that of the ones for Twitch.

The bell barely rang and the rodian duelist had already drawn his blasters, beginning to fire at the Last Knight in rapid bursts. The Mercenary barely had enough time to dodge, but the few breaks in between the burst gave him enough to close the gap, instinct and perception enhanced, moving swiftly and fluidly. Twitch kept firing and actually landed several hits on him, but the demonic mutant tanked them with grunts from the back of his throat that conveyed his anger and came down on him. Now enraged, he landed a devastating left cross on the rodian's face, followed immediately by a right hook then a spinning heel kick to the side of the head that sent him flying. He landed a few meters away, limply sliding and moving as the blaster pistols clattered audibly as well. The crowd was silent as they stared at the unconscious body of the now former champion.

"It's over!" The announcer's awed voice filled the arena as the mutant demon hybrid straightened to his feet victorious and the spectators erupted with cheers. "The fight is over! The Assassin has won! Twitch's reign of terror is over! Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new champion – the Assassin!"

Yet he was already gone by the time they'd called him, meeting with Ajuur in private as to avoid any incidents outside.

"Congratulations, Assassin…!" The hutt greeted him cheerfully as soon as he had entered his spacious office. "You're the new duel champion…! Twitch had a good run, but you took him down! Here's the purse for beating Twitch." 

He snapped his fat fingers and an assistant rushed over once again, handing over a briefcase that held a solid 500 credits before Ajuur informed in a rather disappointed manner. "The bad news is that I don't have anyone left who wants to fight you – you're too good for your own good. Nobody wants to go into the ring with you. The only one left who'll fight you is Bendak Starkiller, but he's retired. Too bad. People would pay a fortune to see you fight Bendak."

So there was one more fish to fry. Or Mandalorian actually. He'd fought against them before and they were no joke, but not even their Beskar'gam, Mandalorian iron armor, could stand against his divine Adamantine lined blades. 

And there was a Mandalorian in the cantina earlier who wore a Beskar'gam of a distinct yellow color, characteristic of the field marshals and with the signature T-shaped visor, the scent of whom was in the Pazaak Room of all places.

The way some avoided him and how others wanted his autoprints, coupled with the name, confirmed to The Mercenary that this was the duelist for whom he searched for. Bendak Starkiller. 

The Mandalorian perked up at the sight of the burly and frankly dangerous looking mountain of a man approaching him. "Leave me alone… I'm not giving out any autoprints to my fans today." The Mandalorian said, bored and irritable as he waved him off with a hand.

"Yet I am not a fan." The Last Knight replied as he sat down across from the man, a firm and cold glare set on him. "I can be something else. Perhaps something that you seek."

At that, Bendak grinned under his helmet. He could see the rage this… demon in human flesh held in his eyes, the pure bloodlust, it terrified and made him excited at the same time. "I saw you in the ring against Twitch. You've got enough talent to make me consider coming out of retirement for one last deathmatch – unless you're afraid to face me." He added with a sly grin beneath his visor, a fisted hand under his chin as he eagerly waited for a reply. 

And there was the opportunity which the demonic mutant had been waiting for. He didn't smile or show excitement, this was merely part of the mission and he nodded. "Name the time and place."

"Finally – fresh meat!" The Mandalorian looked at him with a mad yet obscured grin. "Ajuur will set it all up so I'll go talk to him. It will take some time to arrange, so no point sticking around until then." He stood up as he informed, words dripping with eagerness from his lips. "Come back tomorrow when it's time for you to die!"

With that, he left, heading to where the duel organizer was, with The Mercenary lingering in the seat. If he were to be honest, he needed some quiet time, time to meditate. He thought of going back to the apartment where their hideout was, his thoughts going to the Republic pilot then, surprisingly or not, to the Jedi Sentinel followed by the young Twi'lek and their Wookiee friend. 

Sunt sigur că sunt bine fără mine… Nu vreau să le risc viața dacă pierd controlul… Nu vreau să-i terifiez cu ce am în mine…  

(I'm sure they are fine without me. I don't want to risk their lives if I lose control. I don't want to terrify them with what I have in me.) 

He sighed heavily as he stood up, the dogtags cold under his white shirt and black jacket as he walked outside into the darkened streets. 

Like the shadow that he was, the Last Knight made himself unseen, climbing higher and higher with uncanny ease and skill until reaching the very top of one of the skyscrapers. 

He sat himself perched in the shadow on his knees and the demonic mutant breathed deeply, eyes closing to meditate.

It's amusing how you care for them when they don't give a damn about you. The chillingly familiar darkness reared its beckoning voice. No message, no call, nothing. You're a means to an end to them as they are to you. Listen to what-

Angare! (Enough) The DOOM Slayer boomed in the whole of his mind, making the darkness recede as his demonic voice continued. Kri richi verbad rin tem cor astzer inthin man desten busru…! Rachtralge lu tei umbrater den vul wyno, invytron!

(Do not speak of them as such while I draw breath! Retreat to the darkness from where you came, invader!)

The hours passed as the sun began to graze the tops of the skyscrapers, casting a dim beam right across the closed eyes of the mutant demon hybrid.  And they opened as he straightened before taking a Leap of Faith off and landing with a metallic thud on the roof of another building, close to the cantina.

He took a rather nonchalant step off the roof and landed on the walkway before he began to walk towards the cantina, adjusting the collar of his jacket and straps of his gauntlets as he did.

Once inside, he didn't waste any time, even if quite a few recognized him as 'The Assassin' he pushed them out of the way uncaringly, going straight to Ajuur.

"I've heard the news, Assassin." The Hutt looked at him as the demonic mutant entered his office, curious and excited. "You and Bendak are planning a deathmatch. This is excellent news… people have bet a fortune on this fight! Not many people want to fight a deathmatch anymore. Some are scared, others think it's wrong to kill someone else for credits. I guess that’s why they're illegal now."

"Let's get on with the match!" Dynamo said, not caring about the Hutt's ethical discussion. He was The Mercenary, so he killed for money and resources almost every day.

"This fight is different than most, of course," Ajuur informed him with a sly side grin. "We'll turn off the energy suppressor, so weapons won't be limited – they can kill. Anything goes. So, you ready to fight this match now?"

The demonic mutant pulled on his gloves and clenched his fists with a nod. "I'm ready."

"Good. Excellent." He gave several nods with a wider grin, satisfied by the seeming eagerness showed. "High wagering means lots of credits for the winner of this match. Come see me after the fight to collect your credits... if you're still alive..." He added the last part as the mutant demon hybrid left.

Thirty six hours after he first stepped into the ring, the Final Knight found himself stepping inside for what will be the final duel for combatants He already knew he was going to win, he was nearly unkillable, Bendak wasn't even close. Now he just had to figure out how to kill him as Mandalorian armour was very reliable. Time to see how it fared against vibranium tipped arrows and Adamantine laced blades.

The announcer's voice boomed, barely covering the cheers of the spectators. "Ladies and gentlemen, come with me now on a journey to the savage days of years gone by... to a time when two combatants entered the arena, and only one came out alive. They're illegal, they're banned, they've been outlawed for nearly ten years – but we've got one for you tonight! A good, old-fashioned death match! In this corner, a living legend. A man whose very name would make his opponents shake in their boots… if any of them were still alive. Ha ha ha!" He laughed with excitement. "Out of retirement for one last battle: Bendak Starkiller!"

The Mandalorian stared at his opponent, already working out his strategy as he flexed his gauntleted hangs while the crowd cheered and roared in support.

"And who would be crazy enough to step into the ring with such a lethal legend? Who would be mad enough to face almost certain death merely for your enjoyment?" The announcer asked as he directed their attention to the challenger. "Ladies and gentlemen, feast your wondering eyes on… the Assassin!"

Like never before heard by them, the beastly roar was ripped from the back of his throat. "Kar en tuk!" Dynamo raised his left fist to the crowd around the arena, cheers echoing off the walls and creating a shudder in the entire room.

Then the announcer called out the last words before the beginning of the end. "And now, the moment we've all been waiting for… LET THE DEATHMATCH BEGIN!"

Bendak wasted no time as he threw a thermal detonator at The Mercenary but he swiftly dodged and charged at him. As the Mandalorian fired with one hand and got ready to throw another grenade with the other, the Final Knight brought forth his bow and leapt in the air just as he got ready to throw. The string was let loose and the arrow flew swiftly through the air, hitting the grenade in his hand, causing it to explode. The duelist cried out in pain as he clutched his hand to his side and saw the mutant demon hybrid coming at him like an unchained predator. He switched to his sword, ignoring the pain while, from beneath his hands, The Mercenary unsheathed his hidden blades. Bendak struck the moment the Last Knight was close enough, yet he not only parried the blow but actually cut the sword in half. The Mandalorian had no time to react as Dynamo's other blade sliced through his armour and cut his throat open, the blood spraying out. He gave a few gurgles, reaching to his neck to stem the flow, but it was of no use as his knees went limp and he collapsed at The Mercenary's feet, blood pooling around them.

The crowd cheered and chanted. "Kar en tuk! Kar en tuk! Kar en tuk!" As life left the duelist laying on the ground.

"Bendak is down!" The announcer called in shock and awe as much as the roaring spectators. "It's over! It's over! The fight is over! Bendak Starkiller is down! Bendak Starkiller is dead! All hail the Assassin, the greatest duelist to ever grace the rings of Taris!"

The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer took a few steps, leaving bloody footprints as he glanced around at the packed stands before raising his fist to the air.

"KAR EN TUK DU TEI EXUNT!!!" He shouted ferociously, part of his chant and warcry before he left and never looked back. He went straight to the office where the duel organizer waited for him.

"Bendak Starkiller's dead! I don't believe it!" Ajuur shook his head with a weird grin as the mutant demon hybrid entered, the door closing swiftly behind him. "Bendak never loses… that was an amazing duel! Best duel I've ever seen!"

"It takes a killer to fight a killer. Just give me my credits." Dynamo said matter-of-factly, done with being a gladiator. 

"You've done well, Assassin." The Hutt nodded, still smiling. "I'm pleased. Very pleased. Here are your credits. Plus, I'll give you Bendak's blaster pistol as a bonus as a sign of my appreciation."

And those very rewards were on Ajuur's desk and the Last Knight took them, fierce eyes not leaving his. "I think a little extra is in order. It was a special event after all. One that many saw for the only time in their lives." 

The Hutt gave a sly grin as he placed his fingers on his big chin. "Very well, Assassin. I like you, and this was a special fight." He agreed with a nod. "Biggest purse I've ever handled! I'll give you a little bonus this one time only. Everyone will be talking about you now, Assassin. They're all going to know you were the one who killed Bendak Starkiller. You're famous now."

The last words echoed in his mind, the demonic mutant knowing that he already was famous for almost the same thing. Killing. He was one of the best at it, but he never enjoyed a moment of it. It was all necessary and for the greater good. 

His efforts over the past 40 hours totalled at a hefty 2400 credits, which, added to what he already had, should put them in the green for a good while.

And so, he went back to the hideout, not wasting a moment longer as he could feel in his bones that the clock was ticking.

Chapter Text

The Mercenary had returned quickly to the hideout, making sure he wasn't tailed, the Assassin and Watchdog personas asserting themselves in the process as he remained inconspicuous to the untrained eye. That was despite the aura that was around him, or perhaps because of it.

Though he was surprised when the door to the hideout opened, to see the genuine smile of the young Twi'lek or just simple relief at the sight of him from the Jedi Sentinel and Republic pilot along with a growl of a similar tone from their Wookiee friend. The only reason why the Final Knight didn't receive any messages from them was caution, due to the fact that the Sith might have intercepted the signal, so it was better not to risk it in the slightest.

A decision with which The Soldier part of him, the Supreme Commander was in complete agreement of. He gave himself one hour to meditate and regain his calm, cold and calculated demeanour before he went out once more, this time for them to acquire the astromech needed to break into the Sith base. 

Carth and Bastila followed after him just like last time, with the Jedi having some curiosities regarding the demonic mutant. 

"Dynamo, do you have a moment?" She asked as she walked beside him but at a respectful distance. 

He glanced with an amiable nod. "Yes, go right ahead."

"I would like to know what happened after you crashed on Taris." She inquired genuinely. "I'm curious as to what you and Carth were doing before we all joined forces." 

"We were searching for you," Dynamo stated simply with a small raise of his shoulders. "That was our main priority at the time. So we did what we had to in order to achieve our objective."

"Yes, I realize that of course but surely there was more to it than a simple search." She nodded though there was a note of sarcasm in her voice, good natured. "I doubt there were flashing signs pointing you in my direction; yet somehow you found me. You also avoided detection by the Sith, discovered I was a Vulkar prisoner, gained sponsorship for the race, became the Taris swoop champion and recently became the duel champion as well." She enumerated, admittedly impressed to some extent. "That's quite a resume."

"It wasn't just me." The Mercenary shook his head, not willing to take all the credit. "I had a lot of help: Carth when he pulled me from the wreckage, not to mention he formulated most of the plan. Mission with her slicing expertise which made getting into the Vulkar base much easier. Zaalbar with his size, skill and loyalty." Each word had respect and gratitude towards the person being referred to, all of it genuine. "I admit that I couldn't have done it without them."

"Your modesty is admirable, Dynamo." She was impressed with his words, smiling slightly though she did counter. "But though others helped, you were the catalyst for these events."

"The field that I work in requires a lot of skills that vary from one another." He explained matter-of-factly, but didn't make mention of his status as a Supreme Commander of the Watchdogs as he didn't want to seem boasting. He would tell when the time was right, if she didn't know that already. "I just learned how to adapt and make the most of my situation. I've been doing that for most of my life so I doubt that it has anything to do with the Force."

"The Force is in all of us, though for most people it is a barely measurable whisper." She explained in a rather enigmatic tone. "But there are some individuals outside the Jedi Order that we considered 'Force Sensitive'. It is obvious to me that the Force has been working through you. There is no other explanation for your great success, though I am not certain what to make of this discovery. Perhaps if you weren't –well, if you were younger the Jedi might take you for training. But as it is…" She trailed off.

"What are you trying to say?" Dynamo asked with a slight narrow of his eyes and tilt of his head. She was right yet wrong at the same time from his point of view. 

"I'm sorry: I've overstepped my authority." She rushed to say. "I'm speaking of things that are best left to the Jedi Council. For now, let's just accept the fact that you are… gifted. Hopefully, between your abilities, my Jedi training and the skills of our companions, we can find a way off this planet."

Gifted was putting it very lightly. They hadn't seen the demon worse than demons within, merely glimpses at most. It wasn't just a gift, it was more of a curse, yet a necessary one. Much like his other abilities, double-edged swords which were his burdens to carry for eternity.

Carth caught up with her after she closed the subject, the Final Knight having walked a few steps ahead with a thoughtful expression. 

"Bastila, did you ever think about joining all the Jedi who were running off to follow Revan and Malak when they went to fight the Mandalorians?" The Republic pilot asked, more curious than anything.

"That was nearly five years ago." She replied, a bit surprised by the question. "I was still an apprentice, my Battle Meditation hadn't even manifested itself. Yet even then I had the wisdom to obey the will of the Council." She said with contempt. "Unlike Revan."

He gave a slow shrug. "I guess. Still, do you ever wonder if things could have been different?" He posed the question, some resentment of his own in his tone. "Would Revan and Malak still have been corrupted if the Council had supported them instead of dragging its feet?"

"Do not blame Revan's corruption on the Council!" She began to get irritated but tried to keep calm. "Your Republic saw only the threat of the Mandalorians, but the wisdom of the Masters saw beyond the immediate threat."

Dynamo knew what she was talking about. His best friend and his worst nightmare. The Butcher of Realms, Vladimir Makarov. Barely turning his head he asked, though part of him dreaded the answer. "What did they see, exactly?"

"There was something lurking out there, something that devoured Revan and Malak – and many other Jedi," Bastila replied, a bit apprehensive before questioning. "Had the Council sent us all into the unknown, how many more would have fallen?"

"So you're saying we should have done nothing?" Carth burst with anger and indignation. "Just let the Mandalorians conquer us unopposed? I mean, the Republic was under attack, and the Order abandoned us!" He accused with a sting in his voice.

"We did not abandon you!" She retorted, her tone rising as well. "But the Council were not about to throw lives away foolishly. In time, we would have aided you against the Mandalorians. But you couldn't wait. Revan and Malak offered a quicker answer, and the Republic chose to walk the easy path rather than the path of wisdom." She gestured around them as she continued. "Now we see the results all around us. You asked me if I think things could have been different? I know they could have! If Revan had only listened to the Council, millions of innocent people would still be alive."

'Yeah, right. And every single one of them would be speaking Mandalorian." Carth mumbled bitterly with a frown. "I think we're done here. Let's just get back to the task at hand."

And that they did in a somewhat tensioned silence, the Republic pilot walking slightly separate from the rest of the group but still following the lead of The Mercenary.

'Droids by Janice' was at the west end of the Upper City North after turning south at the T-junction the door labelled Droid Shop opened and they entered. Three incomplete droids were in bays in the south wall, while a female Twi'lek, stood in a kiosk in the west wall with two utility droids to the left.

"A customer? Come in, come in." She greeted them cheerily as all three entered. "Janice Nall at your service. Welcome to my droid and droid supply shop. Always good to see a new face – customers are hard to come by. A lot of the Taris citizens won't even come in here; they refuse to shop at a store owned by a Twi'lek."

A nice welcoming yet the words gave the Final Knight pause as he walked to the kiosk. "So they have something against you as a species." He stated matter-of-factly and with disdain at the fact. 

"They don't like aliens much here in Upper Taris." She said resentfully, though calm because she saw that he was opposed to those ideas. "They tolerate us Twi'leks, but they'd rather see us as dancers in the cantina than successful business owners."

"You'd think people would be a little more tolerant of others in this day and age," Carth commented before he sighed heavily and folded his arms. "I guess stupidity and ignorance will never go out of style."

"You'll see a few aliens around, but most of the non-humans stick to the Lower City. I've learned not to dwell on it. though. I try to stay focused on running my store." Janice said with a small shrug, resigned at the fact and regaining her positive attitude. "My selection is a bit limited right now – the Sith confiscated all my assault droids. But I've got a utility droid you might find interesting."

The Last Knight gave a nod, his arms crossed as he glanced to the two utility droids to the left side. He knew of them well, handy at making vehicle repairs and not too bad as a backup in a fight. Not to mention there was no better code breaker or security system slicer around. "I see two of them." He remarked as he glanced back at her.

She nodded and explained. "I've only got two droids left: a re-built T3-H8 unit for 50 credits and a top-of-the-line T3-M4 model with all the options. But he's not for sale."

But the last part was of no issue. "Canderous said you'd sell the T3-M4 droid to me." The Mercenary informed her.

"Oh, Canderous sent you!" She looked at him, slightly nervous now as she also took into consideration how he looked, clicking in her mind. "Well, why didn't you say so? Okay, the droid is ready. You can have it for 2000 credits." She said, preparing to accept the money.

Just as he expected and as such, the demonic mutant handed over the credits from the duel fights. "Here you go."

That gave her pause as she snickered before remarking, more to keep herself relaxed in his intimidating presence. "Wow... look at you, big spender! Okay, the T3-M4 unit is yours." She pointed to it with a side grin. "Pleasure doing business with you. A real pleasure."

The astromech powered up and rolled over to the group of three, with The Mercenary swiftly linking it to his SMI, then motioning for it to follow as the three exited the droid shop and headed towards the Sith Base which was a little ways beyond the Lower City elevator.

Sith fighters flew in the airspace overhead, weaving between the huge skyscrapers as the large intimidating structure loomed in the distance. The holographic signs of the large square building had been reprogrammed with the symbol of the Sith Empire. 

"I'll quickly go to the Lower City, cash in the bounty from Zax. We might need the extra credits, you never know." The demonic mutant informed the two of them on the way there before assertively directing with a glance to each. "Bastila, take T3 and wait for me just beyond the elevator, Carth, go back to the Hideout and tell Mission to get down here." 

"Since when are you in charge?" The Jedi Sentinel glared at him, her hands on her hips.

"Since this became an infiltration into an enemy base," Dynamo replied matter-of-factly and unflinchingly.

"Bastila, listen to him," Carth spoke up with a step in between them, looking at the Jedi. "He knows what he's doing."

Her intense silver grey eyes never left those rage filled royal blue orbs of his. A massive advantage of being a Sentinel was that she was almost entirely immune to fear, so she held none towards the mutant demon hybrid, for now at least. "So I'm just supposed to sit around doing nothing and wait for you to return?" She asked incredulously as her glare intensified.

"No." He shook his head once and explained with the usual calm coldness. "You'll be observing the Sith Base so that by the time Mission gets here we'll know how much activity is coming in and out of the base and plan accordingly." 

"Sounds like a plan to me," The Republic pilot remarked with a shrug and folded of his arms. "Take care." He gave a small wave as he left.

Bastila could only watch with a mixture of frustration and perhaps wonder as Dynamo said nothing more and went to take the elevator down to the Lower City.

It felt different this time around, the air was still somewhat heavy, with the cold lights, but it was much lighter than before. People were actually walking the streets and he couldn't smell the fear on them. 

The glances cast his way were mixed, partly awe, because he was vaguely recognised as the swoop and duel champion, mainly thanks to the rather distinct red scar over his right eye, yet most were frightened, because they had seen him fighting, even if they hadn't seen the demon inside him. Otherwise at a mere glimpse, they would have turned the other way and ran as fast as their legs would carry them. But he moved on quickly, blending in thanks to his Assassin training, his trail lost as he entered the cantina. 

Like a shadow hidden in plain sight, he walked into the bounty office, seemingly coming into view as he stopped before the Hutt in charge. 

"Back again, human?" Zax greeted, rather impatient. 'I hope you didn't come just to chat. Davik hired me to do business and make credits, not to make small talk."

"No need to worry as I don't do small talk." The demonic mutant assured sternly. "I've got a bounty I want to collect," 

He raised a thick eyebrow, rather pleasantly surprised. "A bounty? Well, human, that is what I'm here for." The Hutt spoke, a bit dull. "Which bounty are you here to collect on?"

"Bendak is dead." Dynamo informed simply. "I killed him in a death-match."

"So, you killed him in a death-match duel. Ironic, isn't it?" He chuckled at the rhetoric. "Bendak has a bounty on him for killing people in a duel, and you collect it by killing him in a death-match." He waved over for an assistant to come over and hand the reward. "Here – 300 credits. That's the price for all bounties."

"For how feared that Mandalorian was, I believe more compensation is in order." The Mercenary pushed with his arms folded.

"You're brave, human, to bargain with a Hutt. But I like you. Okay, 400 it is!" Zax snapped his rounded fingers to have the credits handed to him as he looked over the list on the holopad brought by another assistant. 

"Well, that was all the bounties for now." The Hutt remarked rather surprised but shrugged it off as he looked at the demonic mutant. "Maybe later I'll have some more, but with how this is going with the blockade and all, I don't know."

The Final Knight simply nodded before he turned and took his leave, wasting no time in getting back to the Upper City. He knew that it was likely that he would not meet Zax again, which is why he tried to get as many credits as possible out of him. He was The Mercenary after all.

As he approached the meeting point his senses picked up something. Mission had come before he arrived and she met up with Bastila, his keener senses could hear what they were talking about rather involuntarily. 

"Hey, Bastila. You ever just use the Force for fun?" The young Twi'lek asked with innocent curiosity, a smirk on her lips. "You know, a little jolt of the Force to trip some jerk who's ticking you off?"

"I would never use the Force for such petty and trivial revenge!" Bastila said, appalled by the suggestion, her hands on her hips as she rolled her eyes. "The mere thought of it is preposterous!"

"Ah, come on." She side grinned, not believing her in the slightest. "There's got to be times when you've thought about it. Don't be so stuck up – you can tell me."

"I am not stuck up." The Jedi argued, irritated and bothered by the notion. "I merely have the years of training to give me the wisdom and understanding to see how childish such an act would be."

"Childish?" Mission's eyebrows shot up incredulously. "Is that a crack about my age? You ain't much older than me, miss high and mighty! Just ‘cause you're some Jedi doesn't mean you can be a prissy little-"

She was cut off and suddenly found herself swept up by some force, ending up on the ground, looking at the sky just as the mutant demon hybrid had turned the corner.

"What the -?? Hey, that wasn't funny!" The young Twi'lek snapped as she got back on her feet.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Mission." Bastila feigned ignorance with a glance away and back. "Please do try to be less clumsy in the future."

The Mercenary was standing like an unfeeling mountain with his athletic arms folded, his gaze set on the Jedi Sentinel as he asked. "Are you done?" 

"Yes, I am done." She said walking past him and on the way to the Sith Base.

"You know, you could've used that on someone who actually deserved it." He suggested with a hint of disappointment in his tone.

She stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him. "What are you trying to imply?" She started to get irritated at him now.

"You know what I mean." He replied though he kept his calm and cold facade as he folded his arms. “Now, back to much more important matters. What did you observe?”

“Yes… you’re right about that.” She had to agree on that one as she relayed what she saw. “Their patrols are fairly strict but thanks to the Force, I’ve been able to sense a gap on the side of the base. Upon inspecting there is a locked and unused side door, probably reserved for emergencies."

"And we have just the right droid to break in." He nodded before he walked on and took the lead. "Now come on. We have Base to raid." 

The three followed after and they carefully maneuvered to the side and reached the infiltration point, which was locked by a code console so the Final Knight motioning for the astromech. "T3, get that door open."

The droid beeped and booped energetically as it rolled to the door and extended a little mechanical arm that plugged into the socket of the console, beginning to interface with it.

"Good job!" Dynamo quickly worked through his SMI, uploading the Hideout location to it. "Now, go to the location I've given you and wait for us there, alright?"

T3 beeped in approval and rode off.

"Let's try and do this as fast and clean as possible," The demonic mutant said to them. "No one needs to know who was here." 

"Good idea. Lead the way, master of infiltration." Bastila nodded with a hint of dripping sarcasm in her tone.

The Last Knight cast a long glance at her but was otherwise silent as he stepped in first, lowering his stance to crouched as he seemed to blend into the shadows thanks to his Splinter Cell training.

Going through the darkened metal corridor, the three stopped right at the threshold, with the mutant demon hybrid sniffing to map out the area while his eyes took in the look. The walls were of cyan hued metal, the doors rusted slightly though he hoped they were still operational. Either way, he had the ability to open them. A standard one was in its north and west walls each with the reception desk in the middle, a lone woman at that desk, a bored expression on her.

The Mercenary held one hand to the side, signaling for the other two to wait before he went in, circling around carefully to end up behind the woman. Without another word or hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her neck tightly and held her down. She tried to scream but had no air, soon, her vision became blurry as well then it all faded to black. He gave a light sigh as he hid her unconscious body before motioning for his companions when he stood up.

Both came and they regrouped, also noticing the unconscious receptionist, especially the fact that such a seemingly brutal man like the Last Knight left her alive.

The demonic mutant in question took a quick glance at the west door and a whiff of the air. He started towards it, motioning for Bastila and Mission to follow him as he could feel that there were four Sith troopers. One of the scents was different, the guy's not wearing armour he figured, a technician probably.

"There's four beyond the door," Dynamo said in a whisper holding up four fingers. "Split up and cover the sides, I'll take them down from above."

They nodded among one another and they quickly took up positions. He climbed on the wall, his nanofibertech gloves and boots allowing him a firm grip, and positioned himself right over the door. He looked at the two in succession and they both replied with another nod, signaling that they were all ready. He reached down and banged several times at the door after which it opened and a soldier's voice was heard.

"I told you only to bother us if it's something important! Otherwise-" He cut himself off, most likely when he looked inside. 

"What?" Another asked with an audible frown. 

"She's gone!" The first one shouted angrily as the sound of a blaster rifle being grabbed was heard.

"What!?" The second questioned with an even deeper frown.

Two Sith soldiers came running from the room and Dynamo jumped down on them, running his blades through both of the back of their heads. Behind him, he could hear the distinct hum of Bastila's lightsaber being swung, taking down the third soldier and the thud from Mission who'd just taken care of the technician.

He stood and nodded briefly at them, before walking to the technician and searching his remains. He found a datapad that seemed to be an activity log for the day after connecting his SMI and getting all the information from it. Of interest was the following entry:

The power conduit we installed in the elevator seems to have solved the shield outage problem on the droid. Finish tuning it today.

With the area cleared, The Mercenary went to the reception terminal in the middle of the reception area while the Jedi Sentinel and the young Twi'lek kept the area secured. He connected the SMI to it and the system loaded up before he sliced the system and overridden it. He looked through the camera system, seeing what he could do in each room. At the submenu for CAM-S02 Barracks (Secondary), he overloaded the power conduit, causing all inside to get electrocuted. The other submenu of note was CAM-S06 Elevator, showing the elevator chamber, guarded by an assault droid.

Bine de știut. (Good to know) He thought as he moved to the next.

Going back to the root menu, he accessed the system commands, taking the turrets offline and hacking the sentry droids target filtering. 

Shortly after and throughout the base, he could already hear the mayhem of baster fire and shouts as the droids kill the sith soldiers and each other. Finally, he uploaded the area schematics to the SMI and logged out. 

Just outside of their position, the fighting stopped and they went beyond the standard door in the north wall of the reception area. There was a corridor with the Medical room behind a door in the west wall and a Security Terminal behind one in the east wall.

Behind the door at the north end of the corridor were the cells, there they found the remains of two sentry droids. There were five wall panels on the south wall to the right of the entrance, opposite which were four cells lined against the northeast wall, the second from the right of which contained a familiar Duros.

"You there – human. Remember me?" He called to The Mercenary from his cell, incredibly relieved to see him. "You helped me once before when the Sith were trying to arrest me. Outside your apartment. Do you remember?"

The two glanced at the demonic mutant, figuring that this was one of the acquaintances of both him and the Republic pilot in their first encounter.

"Right. I remember you." He walked to him, looking over the cell which held the Duros before glancing to the Jedi Sentinel and young Twi'lek. "Cover me." He requested quickly as he got on his SMI.

"Will do." Mission nodded readily as her and Bastila took up positions. 

The prisoner was about to say something else, but the Last Knight raised a hand to have him keep quiet and allow him to focus. He looked through the energy frequencies emitted and quickly got a lock on the ones of the cell. With the push of a button, it deactivated and the Duros stepped out, visible relief on his expression.

"Thank you, human." He said gratefully with a long sigh of relief as he looked to the mutant demon hybrid. "I do not know what you are doing inside this military base, but I am grateful. Once again I owe you a debt I can never repay."

"Don't worry about it, just head to the entrance and take the service exit." Dynamo instructed calmly, glancing to and back. "It should be clear, but still be careful."

"You as well, human." He gave a nod. "If the Sith were to capture you, I doubt anyone else will come by to set you free."

"I am a Jedi, sir, so there is no need to worry." Bastila assured matter-of-factly, yet with calm determination. "I will watch over them."

The young Twi'lek was about to open her mouth to say something snarky in protest, but The Mercenary placed a hand on her shoulder with a calm expression that conveyed a simple phrase. 'Leave it.'

"Let's get going." He then said as he turned to move further into the base just after the Duros left.

They walked through a standard door in the east wall through a corridor leading to the Elevator. It turned south where they walked by a destroyed sentry droid. 

The corridor ended at a standard door at its south end, beyond which was the Elevator. There was also a standard door in its west wall, beyond which was a secondary barracks with a footlocker by its south wall and the remains of three Sith troopers.

"Man, those droids really did a number on them." The young Twi'lek quipped as she lingered in the doorway. 

"I admit it was a wise decision to turn their weapons against them." The Jedi Sentinel remarked with a seeming impressed smile as her silver eyes trailed his moving form.

"It meant less risk for the team." The Mercenary said rather indifferently with a glance over his shoulder. "So I did it. No need to sing praises about it." He muttered as he quickly looked through their belongings and found a Sith Base Passcard, just what they needed to use the elevator. 

"Let's move out." He stood and turned to head out, with the two following after him.

They entered the chamber with the demonic mutant in the lead, his blades already extending at his sides as the assault droid guarding the elevator reacted to their presence and thankfully the two turrets that were flanking them he door right behind them hissed closed and even locked tight. 

There were two turrets flanking their sides but they had been taken offline earlier. All they had to do was deal with the droid. The energy shield activated around the droid, but the Final Knight knew that it was useful only against blasters and they had the blades to cut through it. 

The droid fired its volley and The Mercenary weaved through the blasts even if some scraped him because of the sheer number, while Bastila deflected them with her lightsaber to cover herself and Mission's approach, yet it was much slower than Dynamo's. 

In two swift motions he slashed with his blades, cutting all of its blasters, before plunging both into it, lifting it over his head and splitting it in half with a crisp, even brutal shout. The droid deactivated the instant it was torn in half, its remains clanking on the metal ground.

He sheathed his blade as he directed. "You two stay out here, keep the exit clear in case we need to escape fast."

"Alright sounds-" Mission nodded and began but was cut off firmly.

"No, I sense a powerful presence down there, one of the Dark Side." Bastila warned, looking between the two of them before settling on Dynamo.

He folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. "And?" He asked simply as this wasn't new information. 

She blinked a little at his coldness before farrowing her brow in annoyance. "Don't you understand that out of all of us I am the best suited to deal with whatever is down there?"

"Trust me, I understand more than you perhaps expect…" He stated calmly. "But, like I said before, better to risk myself than either of you. Plus… as the saying goes, fight fire with fire. In this case, darkness with darkness."

The reason he gave was rather admirable, but she wasn't about to back down as she stubbornly argued. "I'm coming with you, and that is the end of it."

At that, he began to grow annoyed as well, yet his tone was ever even. "Are you seriously going to leave Mission out here on her own? You're a Jedi and I'm a demonic mutant, it would be stupid."

"Guys guys, calm down…!" Mission interjected before it could escalate further, almost chuckling at how it looked from the outside.

The Mercenary glanced at her and let his hands at his sides. "I am calm." He said simply before adding in thought. Nu m-ai văzut enervat. Nu vrei să mă vezi enervat. (You haven't seen me angry. You don't want to see me angry.)

On that one, the Jedi Sentinel could agree as she turned to the young Twi'lek. "Me as well, we are merely discussing matters."

Looks more like a bickering couple. She thought with a laugh on the inside before assuring. "Well, I need to work on unlocking that door anyway, so you two can head on down without a worry."

The mutant demon hybrid sighed as he mumbled in his beard. "Fine."

"Don't kill each other down there." She quipped with a smirk as the Jedi walked after him.

She glanced at the younger one and bit back. "Do try not to get yourself as well."

The two took the elevator down in silence as their expressions hardened with concentration shortly before the door opened at the south end of a short corridor. Wasting no time, the Final Knight walked out with the Jedi Knight right after, going beyond the standard door at its north end.

"Who dares to break my meditation?" A bald man with black robes and silver armour demanded fiery as he got up to his feet in the middle of the circular room and turned to confront them. "You will pay for interrupting my-" 

The Sith Governor stopped, his eyes narrowing at the pair as a malicious smile spread on his lips. "The Jedi who keeps escaping my clutches, what luck to see you before me! And you even got yourself a lapdog of top credits." He gave a mocking chuckle as he glanced at the demonic mutant, spitting in disdain. "Here I thought Jedi didn't have a need for mercenaries, much less that subhuman beast. It will be of no matter anyway when I'll have you begging for death at my feet and you delivered to Lord Malak himself!"

The derogatory words were nothing new for The Mercenary sadly, knowing that they were meant to rile him up but the calm, cold and calculated demeanour didn't waver. At the same time, Bastila frowned as she took a daring step towards him, unbuckling her lightsaber. "You Sith will be brought to judgement for all the blood you have spilt." She declared evenly yet with a dangerous edge to her voice.

"You are fools– this is a new age!" The Governor laughed as he unsheathed his Cortosis double-bladed sword with arrogant and bold motions. "The Sith shall be the ones passing judgement now! We are the new order of the galaxy! This meeting is a stroke of luck for me – my master will surely reward me with my lightsaber once I kill you!"

After taking a few slow and menacing steps towards them he broke into a dash enhanced by the Force, slashing at the Jedi Sentinel. Her lightsaber ignited not one moment too late, deflecting it with relative ease and making him take a step back.

That was the opening that the Final Knight needed to cut vertically with his blades in quick succession, catching the Sith by surprise as he barely had enough time to raise his swords to defend. Yet that proved useless as the divine metal went through the Cortosis, cutting up both ends and the handle, leaving him with only the remains of it. Even then, he tried to fight back, dashing to swipe at both simultaneously as he passed between them, but it was fruitless as the Jedi struck him through his midsection, followed by a stab in the back from The Mercenary. The pair knew from the beginning that the Governor stood no real chance against them, the fact proven true when the man was left kneeling before them, clutching his stomach to stem the blood flow.

Before Dynamo could end him with a ferocious shout, he raised a bloodied hand, barely enough power to raise his head to look at them as he pleaded with crimson flowing from his lips. "S-stop… s-s-stop…" 

The hidden blade was still coming down on him before the Jedi Sentinel grabbed his wrist firmly and he paused as she urged. "Don't. We can't end him like that."

He stared at her with intensity in his royal blue eyes, an almost red mist taking over the whites of his eyes for an unnoticeable moment. "He is an enemy of no use to us now." He stated through gritted teeth. "I can't let one like him live."

"Heh…" The Sith chuckled mockingly as he wiped his lips. "I knew it… lapdog of the Jedi… such great potential in you… yet you are complying to their weak mentality... not to kill the defenseless...!"

The Last Knight frowned, showing his predatory canines as he let his hand down and sheathed his blade. "You have no idea what lies in me… I might just show you… Something which you won't enjoy." His words were low, cold and honest.

But before he could go through with his darkened intentions, the yellow sabre was thrusted right through the Governor's chest, his eyes widening in shock and agony. 

"One who has the Force is never defenseless…!" She said as she pulled the sabre out and let the body slump on the cold metal floor.

"I could have gotten something out of him if you had let him live a while longer." Dynamo muttered with a displeased glare. 

"I merely spared him further suffering." She retorted as she turned to him before challenging while buckling her lightsaber in her belt. "Enlighten me then, Mercenary, because you were about to do much worse than what I just did…!"

In that regard, she was right, perhaps she even knew or had an idea. Either way, the conclusion was the same. "Perhaps it's better this way then… no one had to see it." Were his rather quiet words as he walked to the corpse and took a knee beside him. 

"It…" Left her lips quietly, her eyes watching Dynamo's form.

He muttered reverently in his beard. "Odihnește-te în pace…" (Rest in peace) and closed the Governor's eyes. 

She remained silent as he looked through his belongings and found a datapad containing the Taris Launch Codes, necessary to launch a ship from the planet's surface without being destroyed by the Sith autotargeting cannons.

With their objective accomplished, the pair left back up the elevator, where they reunited with the young Twi'lek who had gotten the door open some time before they came.

She jumped to her feet from where she sat and came closer, her smile fading at the sight of their more than serious expressions. "What happened down there?" She asked with a level of concern. 

The Jedi had opened her lips to speak but The Mercenary did first, his tone succinct and stern. "We got the codes. That is all." The Soldier side had spoken, leaving no room for retort as he led the way back out. "Let's move."

They encountered no resistance as they quickly exited the base the same way they came in, Dynamo putting his personas to good use, Splinter Cell, Assassin and Watchdog to blend into the crowds of the Upper City. Which was just as well, as he could feel how the Jedi and young Twi'lek especially tensed up every time they saw a Sith trooper or officer, but they never came for them.

The tension was palpable in the air and his fierce eyes saw the reason why, picking up on the subtle signals which the citizens would give to one another. Signals that were lost on the Imperial forces present in the plaza they were crossing hastily. A metaphorical Hell was about to break loose, he knew all too well what the real one was like.

"Mission, head back to the Hideout while Bastila and I meet up with the Mandalorian mercenary. Be careful." He was sure to add after another glance around, the sound of an oppressive speech filling his keen ears, coming from the broadcast on the loudspeakers, held by the officer in the middle of the Plaza who was surrounded by troops. 

She nodded with a more serious expression. "Right, you two as well." She quickly disappeared down the back alleys as the pair reached the elevator. 

At the same time, right as they had exited the plaza and without any clear warning a blaster shot rang out before a hole was burned through the forehead of the Sith Officer. Suddenly, more blaster shots rang out from behind stalls and store windows, peppering the area where the majority of the Imperials were.

The soldiers returned fire and chaos erupted across the Upper City as they descended to the lower levels.

"Seems like Tarisians do have some spine after all." He remarked in his beard as the doors slid open and they quickly walked out, the far echo of an explosion sounding out.

"You'd be surprised what people are capable of when they have to." She said with a glance while he adjusted his gloves.

"I already know." Was his rather simple reply as they crossed into the cantina. "I am not much different…"

The pair entered, with the demonic mutant motioning with his head that he had caught Canderous' scent. The Mandalorian mercenary was in the central hub just beyond the west exit of the Pazaak room, off to the side and they wasted no time in sitting down at his table.

"I figured you'd be back," He remarked with a side grin as the two took their seats in front of him. "Neither of us is getting off this planet unless we work together. Now, I know the Sith military base had a break-in quite recently and I know it was you." He pointed to the both of them before looking at the Last Knight. "I know you've got those departure codes I need. So what do you say? We join forces and I can get you inside Davik's base – and right to the Ebon Hawk. We can go right now."

They were already in deep with this, but it didn't hurt to remain cautious. His demeanour of the same three Cs, The Mercenary placed a hand on the table with a tilt of his head to the side. "Say we do team up, how are we going to get me inside Davik's estate?"

Now they were really getting somewhere, the other mercenary leaning on the table towards them as he informed them on his plan. "Davik's always looking to recruit new talent." His tone was slightly hushed, a rather excited side smile still on his expression. "I'll tell him how you won that swoop race and mention that you're interested in working for the Exchange. I'll say I brought you in so he could check you out. He'll have you stay at his estate for a couple of days while he runs some background checks on you – that's standard procedure."

Bastila folded her arms with doubt strewn across her face. "This is too risky." She stated bluntly as she glanced at the Final Knight. "We should find another way."

"You got another plan, sister?" Canderous asked her with a peeved frown. "Or are you just objecting 'cause you didn't think of it?"

Her brow furrowed at him as she spoke slowly. "No, I... don't have another plan. I would rather not place my life in your hands, however." She stated with the same sting in her voice.

"I can say the same about you." The Mandalorian shot back with a slight snarl. "That makes us even. Fortunately, we both want to get off this rock, right?" He asked rhetorically with a weird smile before he turned back to The Mercenary with more seriousness. "While Davik's checking you out, we steal the Ebon Hawk and escape Taris. Come on – I've got an air speeder nearby to take us to Davik's estate." He stood up after finishing the drink he had in front of him, urging. "The sooner we're off Taris the better...!"

The demonic mutant gave a brief nod before looking at the Jedi Sentinel. "It's our only real option so I have to do this." He said in a quiet, calm and honest way. "Once we get the Hawk, we'll double back and pick you all up. You have my word."

She was silent for a long moment before letting out a sigh. "Fine." She said lowly before warning in a stern voice. "Be careful, Dynamo." But her silver eyes betrayed her worry as they looked up into his.

"Don't worry. They can't kill me." Despite the words he did nod again with an unreadable look before leaving with the Mandalorian mercenary, bidding her. "Stay safe as well, Bastila."

Chapter Text

The grey cloudy sphere turned slowly in the black veil of space and with it the Sith armada. These ships were unlike anything the galaxy had seen before. Highly advanced and harbouring incredible firepower, they floated just above the atmosphere of Taris. Grand Admiral Karath looked out the viewport of his flagship and he couldn't help but notice the ships resembled the claws or pincers of some sort of massive insect.

His flagship, Leviathan, while constructed in a similar shape, was three times the size of the other vessels and more resembled the gaping maw of a giant beast. That beast glared down at the world below, ready to devour it. What an absurd thought. He mused, arms folded and a hand on his chin. He refocused his thoughts as the entrance to the bridge opened several hundred feet behind him. 

The room suddenly felt cold and the air seemed to go stale, like it required effort just to breathe. The sound of footsteps sounded off the hard floor behind him, gradually getting close. He turned slowly and dropped to one knee and bowed respectfully at the approaching figure.

"My Lord." He said with a calm even tone.

"Admiral Karath," Came a deep, raspy metallic voice. "The search for Bastila is taking too long. We cannot risk her escaping Taris. Destroy the entire planet." He ordered. 

Saul looked up to see a pale face with a jaw encased in metal glaring down at him. Dark yellow eyes seemed to pierce into his very being. The Dark Lord walked over to the viewport and gazed out with hands clasped behind his back. 

"Th… the entire planet, Lord Malak?" Saul felt a lump in his throat as he considered what the Sith Lord had just said. "But… there are billions of people on Taris! We'd be slaughtering countless innocent civilians. Not to mention our own men still on the surface."

"Your predecessor once made the mistake of questioning my orders, Admiral." The Dark Lord threatened in a cold tone, echoing off the glass viewport with a metallic twang. "Surely you are not so foolish as to make the same mistake? We wouldn't want you to see The Butcher, would we?" 

He shook his head, voice trembling a little. "Of… of course not, my Lord Malak. I will do as you command." Then somewhat regained his composure as he informed. "But it will take several hours to position our fleet."

"Then I suggest you begin immediately." Malak said as his eyes turned back to the outline of the planet, gleaming with lust and malice. "You are dismissed, Admiral."

"Yes, Lord Malak." The Admiral bowed before leaving. 

Malak glared at the planet below with cold dark grey eyes and he glimpsed his reflection in the glass. His pale skin, the veins visible just around the eyes, showing dark circles. That wretched metallic jaw, a memory from his old master. 

That memory flashed, a red lightsaber sticking through his jaw, separating it from his body. 

Then came the regret. 

Then the desire to return the favour. 

One emboldened by The Butcher of Realms, to betray his master from a distance. He thought back to the sight of his ship's cannons firing on Revan's own bridge, watching as the ship was engulfed in flames and was torn apart. It was still pleasing in its own way, but it left a missed opportunity nagging in the back of his mind. That was still a small price to pay for the power and command he had gained in return. Now, the entire Sith armada and army bowed to him, and he would have it no other way.

*****

The air speeder was brought low under a series of elevated streets and guided straight ahead to a large rectangular hangar bay cut out of the sides of the city's many colossal skyscrapers. The vehicle settled down gently inside the wide mouth of the building where the lights shone brightly inside, a vast contrast to the dingy lights from the buildings outside. This was clearly one of the less desirable sectors of the city as everything appeared to have a gritty brown haze to it, probably mostly from pollution from the Lower City. 

The hangar bay was kept neat and tidy, though, and several alien workers buzzed about working on various vessels. Mostly speeders or air cars, but no starship. The Mandalorian led them out of the hangar and into a small waiting room of sorts which was decorated in a rather simplistic manner, but with an air of luxury about it.

"Canderous!" Came a cheery manly voice as a heavy-set man who seemed to be in his early fifties with dark greying hair came out of a doorway to greet them. He clasped the Mandalorian on either side of his broad shoulders. "Welcome back, my friend. I'm so glad to hear you were able to acquire the codes I so desperately need." Behind him, emerged a second familiar man, Calo Nord. 

"Of course, Davik." He responded respectfully. 

"So, Canderous – I see you have brought someone with you. Most intriguing, if I do say so myself. You usually travel alone." Davik said to him intrigued.

"It's not like you to take on partners, Ordo." Calo remarked in his usual bored tone but with a slight smirk. "You're getting soft."

"Watch yourself, Calo." The Mandalorian warned with a slight snarl and frown. "You may be the newest kath hound in the pack, but you aren't top dog yet!" 

"Enough!" The Exchange's man addressed both firmly with a raise of his hands between them. "I won't have my top two men killing each other – that's not good business. I'm sure Canderous has an explanation as to why he's not working solo anymore." He glanced at the Mandalorian in question expectantly. 

"This is a special case, Davik." Canderous stepped to the side and motioned to the Last Knight. "Meet Georgian Dynamo. He helped me acquire the codes and I think he's someone the Exchange might want to recruit. You may have heard of his exploits already." 

He nodded with a rather curious expression as he looked the demonic mutant over. "Ah, yes – now I recognize your companion. The rider who won the big swoop race. Very impressive… as was your display in the rather heated battle afterwards. Not to mention the incredibly short yet memorable stint in the duelling scene."

The Mercenary simply nodded, his hands clasped behind his back. "All in a day's contract. It was well within my abilities."

"With a recommendation from Canderous – and a thorough background check – you could become part of the Exchange." Davik encouraged with a pat of his shoulder. "Many would kill to prove themselves worthy of this honour."

"I see. I'm well aware." The mutant demon hybrid gave a simple nod of acknowledgement. 

He motioned with a hand "Come with me – I will give you a tour of my operations. I'm certain you'll be most impressed."

The Mercenary just followed and nodded along, paying attention but not in the way Davik might have wanted. He was looking at how to effectively dismantle this operation once he was past the blockade and able to coordinate his Watchdogs again. The most important, or rather the one that Dynamo paid attention to the most, was the hangar section.

"Ah, there she is – the Ebon Hawk." Davik began with a smile as they walked past the ship, motioning to it with a hand. It was grey with parts of it a reddish-orange colour, with two circular engines at the end of it.

"My pride and joy; the fastest ship in the Outer Rim!" He boasted, still grinning widely before he pointed to the faint force field around its perimeter. "Note the state-of-the-art security system I had installed to protect her. The shields are completely impregnable. Nobody can get past them without the codes to try and steal my baby. Unfortunately, the Sith military blockade has grounded my vessel. The Ebon Hawk can outrun any vessel in the galaxy, but even she isn't fast enough to avoid the auto-targeting laser cannons of the orbiting Sith fleet. Now, having acquired the Sith departure codes, I will be able to come and go as I please. However, we should continue our tour."

And they continued down a long corridor where they passed the guest quarters and a large open room with several small pools where several scantily clad Twi'lek women were giving massages and performing various dances. The whole floor oozed opulence and luxury, if it wasn't for the shock collars around the Twi'leks necks it could have easily passed as a spa for the rich. 

"Too bad we don't have a little time for some of that, huh?" Canderous asked with a side grin as he pointed with a thumb over.

The Last Knight gave a small nod though in the sense that he wished he had the time to help them, as it had sadly been something he had seen far too many times, especially regarding Twi'lek women. He couldn't help but think of Mission and how, if it weren't for her Wookiee protector, she would have likely been forced to perform similar work. 

The hydraulic door of one of the guest rooms opened to allow the group of four inside, with Davik turning to the demonic mutant as he was flanked by his bounty hunter. 

"These will be your accommodations." He said as he motioned with a hand to the inside of the spacious and luxurious room.  "The slave quarters are just down the hall. If you need anything during your stay – food, a massage – feel free to call upon their services. If all goes well with your background check you will be invited to join the Exchange. I'd advise you to accept the offer when it comes – or suffer the dire consequences of refusal."

"We shall see how it goes." Dynamo said vaguely but with a nod, his mind only on the task at hand. 

"You will stay in these rooms as my guest for the next few days; I will not accept no for an answer." He informed with an underlying threat in his otherwise friendly voice. "Feel free to visit the slave quarters at any time during your stay. I must warn you that if you are found anywhere outside the guest wing during your stay – or if you bother my other guests – my security forces will deal with you most harshly. I will return after the investigation into your background is complete. Until then, make yourself comfortable." He motioned to the bounty hunter next to him. "Come, Calo, let us leave our guest in peace, he is in good hands now."

The two took their leave and the door closed with the two mercenaries now left to their own plans and devices. 

"Okay, we're inside," Canderous said with determination as he checked the rifle on his back. "Now all we have to do is figure out a way to get past the Ebon Hawk's security system and we can get off this planet."

The Last Knight lifted his left hand, showing the device on his left gauntlet as he assured. "I can have T3 hack it remotely thanks to his connection to my SMI."

He nodded with an eager grin. "Alright then, no sense waiting around here until then. The sooner we get off Taris the better."

They walked out, the Mandalorian in the lead down several more corridors, past the rec room right next to the guest area, which was crowded with all sorts of rowdy thugs and criminals. But they all averted their eyes and got out of the path upon which the mercenaries walked which led to them being alone in front of the locked door that led to the Hangar. Without wasting time, Dynamo plugged his SMI into the socket.

*****

The young Twi'lek leaned over the edge of a small lookout down the street from the apartment, the few benches and potted plants were neatly maintained. The sky had turned a shade of gray and rosy red as the sun began to set while she looked over the city as far as she could see, watching the many air cars and speeders fly about the sky lanes.

She had seen the smoke rising off in the distance from the skirmish they had witnessed and she couldn't believe that the people of the Upper City were actually starting to fight back. She expected it from the Lower City inhabitants as they were accustomed to fighting. Something had changed and she wasn't sure if it was for the better or worse. 

Mission was going to miss this place. It wasn't the best place to live as a Twi'lek as it certainly had more than its fair share of problems and bigotry, but it was her home. She knew Zaalbar was going to follow The Mercenary and the others now because of the lifedebt but a part of her did want to stay behind. Not that she had anyone else to stay with, it was the simple fact that she was used to the environment the planet bestowed. There was still so much that she hadn't seen.

Suddenly, loud thunderous booms echoed from the sky and she could hear several screams off in the distance before looking up, her eyes widening in disbelief. The silhouettes of the Sith dreadnoughts seemed closer than usual and the space around suddenly lit up with a crimson glow as they all began to unleash a torrent from their laser cannons. Brilliant red beams of light streaked down towards the surface of the planet like comets of pure destruction. 

The first plasma bolt hit a skyscraper several kilometres away, cutting through the top and disintegrating the upper portion in a fiery ball of flame and debris. The scene replayed over and over as more plasma bolts rained down on the planet, sending fire, smoke and rubble in the air.

Tears began to stream down her face as she fell to her knees, feeling a pit in her stomach when she watched her world literally come crumbling down around her. She saw a Sith fighter come flying through the air in her direction before it sent a brilliant beam of light searing through the side of a building and erupting in a ball of flame. The young Twi'lek barely even felt the furry arms of her Wookiee friend wrap around her from behind as he carried her back towards the hideout. She didn't fight him as her body simply went limp, witnessing the city begin to burn.

*****

The hangar door slid open just as a violent tremor shook the whole compound, yet The Mercenary kept his footing as the floor quaked and a deep thunderous boom echoed throughout the mansion. Alarms began to blare as the two mercenaries slipped inside just as the sounds of running footsteps were heard bouncing off the walls outside.

Only one other time had Dynamo heard something similar. "The Sith are leveling the planet...!" He shouted to Canderous with a grit of his teeth.

"Dammit!" He cursed as they moved with some difficulty in the quacking environment. "We gotta get outta here and fast!"

The only ship the hangar held was the light Correllian dynamic-class freighter and the two rushed towards it but stopped as someone else was there with them

"Damn those Sith – they're bombing the whole planet!" Davik came running into the hangar with Calo Nord right beside him. "I knew they'd turn on us sooner or… well, look what we got here!" He slowed down to a stop, smirking as he spotted the two mercenaries on the other side. "Thieves in the hangar. So, you figured you'd just steal my ship for your get-away and leave me high and dry while the Sith turn the planet into dust?" He asked with a peeved frown. "Sorry, but that ain't going to happen!"

"I'll take care of them, Davik." Calo said eagerly as he readied a thermal detonator. "I've been looking forward to this for a long time!"

"Make it quick, Calo." He ordered impatiently with a narrowed glance. "The Sith mean business. If we don't get to our ships and find somewhere safe, the bombs they're dropping will kill us all!"

"Oh, don't worry, we'll be quick!" The Mandalorian exclaimed as he fired his repeating blaster towards the bounty hunter, pinning him down behind the rubble.

The Final Knight took advantage of this and sprinted, drawing his collapsible vibranium bow from his left gauntlet before launching himself in the air. An arrow was let loose with masterful precision and it flew right into Davik's left eye socket. The man stood, shell-shocked for a few seconds before a massive piece of permacrete crushed him where he stood.

Seeing this, Calo frowned and pulled out his ace from his sleeve. "You may have me outnumbered and outgunned, but if I'm going down I'm taking all of you with me! This thermal detonator will blow us all to bits!" He threatened both of them when an orbital laser hit right near him, causing him to lose his footing. "Damn those Sith! They'll bring this whole hangar down around our ears! Argh!!!" He screamed as the collapsing roof buried him.

With the bombardment in full force the two mercenaries made a run for the Ebon Hawk. "Let's get this ship fired up. We have to get off this planet!" Canderous shouted as they boarded, swinging his rifle on his back as he sprinted while the engines got started. 

As the ship began to hover Dynamo rushed to the pilot's seat and gritted his teeth when he saw fire everywhere through the cockpit of the freighter. After taking the controls, he brought the ship up in a wide arc over the tops of some of the skyscrapers, watching as red glowing streaks rained down from the sky. 

"Carth! Bastila!" The Mercenary called over the comms of his SMI. "Come in! Do you read me!?"

There was no answer, only static. 

"Să-mi bag picioarele!" (Put my feet in it) He cursed through gritted teeth as his grip tightened on the controls. "Bastila, come in!"

"This whole planet is being turned to slag!" Canderous exclaimed, walking up behind him, urging. "We need to leave, now!"

At the suggestion his eyes flashed blood red, snapping towards the Mandalorian with a half beast half demon snarl. "I'm not leaving them to die!"  

"They're probably already dead!" He was undeterred by the enormous rage, at least in the heat of the moment almost not registering it. "Do you see what's happening?" He retorted as he pointed to the pandemonium that was unleashed upon the planet's surface. 

"No, they're alive." The demonic mutant said with certainty regarding the fact. "I know it." He suddenly turned the ship to the left and accelerated towards a building in the distance, guided by instinct and his predatory senses, senses that had been tenfold keener. There was a gaping hole in the top of the tower, smoke and fire billowing out, but it was still standing. "There, that building. They're there."

"You better know what you're doing," Canderous grunted in annoyance with a frown.

Dynamo furrowed his brow with a quick glance. Nu-ți face tu griji. (Don't you worry.) He thought as he brought the ship in low towards the street level then pressed a switch on the dashboard to have the loading ramp descend. 

The Mandalorian left the cockpit and ran to the loading ramp before the ship slowly lowered. That was when he saw several figures emerging from the entrance to the tower as Bastila, Carth and the others ran towards the loading ramp as fast as they could. Canderous helped them all aboard just as the tower was hit by another orbital strike. The plasma bolt struck the tower at its base, sending it toppling down towards the ship.

Seeing this, the other mercenary shouted towards the cockpit. "Go go go!" 

His senses confirming everyone was aboard and accounted for, the Final Knight wasted no time and accelerated the ship at top speed. He watched with still gritted teeth several civilians and troopers running on the streets below, desperately trying to escape the path of the falling colossal tower rapidly descending on them. 

Everything was going to weigh on his mind, but right now the crew was much more important. He brought the ship to the right and up towards the atmosphere of the planet as the tower struck the street below, cutting through the bridge-like walkway and continuing to plummet further down towards the lower levels. 

The Jedi Sentinel and Republic pilot swiftly joined him in the cockpit as he accelerated the ship vertically towards the blockade. 

"You certainly like to cut it close!" Bastila quipped with a seemingly annoyed frown. 

"Better late than never, keeps the adrenaline pumping!" Dynamo retorted, internally smirking yet his expression was one of full focus. 

Then eyes went wide as they saw a hail of plasma bolts heading straight towards them.

"Strap yourselves in, this could get pretty hairy." Carth sat himself down in the co-pilot's seat, quickly asserting the controls. "Forward deflector shields at 100%!" He reported as he flipped some switches while the freighter weaved in and out between the raining lasers with surprising skill. "Preparing to transmit orbital departure codes!"

"Bastila!" The demonic mutant called with a quick glance, requesting. "Can you use that Battle Meditation!?"

She simply nodded and knelt down on the floor before closing her eyes. Reaching out with the Force, she used it to aid The Mercenary as he guided the ship through the maze of lasers raining down upon them. She could feel them drawing closer to the fleet until she could feel the presence of the massive ships right on top of them.

"Transmitting departure codes!" Carth reported as he tapped on the transmitter, muttering to himself. "Let's hope they buy it." 

"Hope for the best and expect the worst." The mutant demon hybrid remarked, feeling the positive effects of the Battle Meditation, aiding his already keen senses and instincts. "That way nothing will surprise you."

The Jedi Sentinel reached out deeper into the Force and she felt the minds of all the officers and pilots stationed on the dreadnoughts. Methodically, she began to feed doubts into their minds, prodding at their consciousness to lose the will to fire on their ship. She felt the minds of hundreds of thousands of soldiers beginning to fill with apathy and a sense of hopelessness. 

Suddenly a tremor shook the ship and it broke her concentration. 

*****

"Admiral Karath, sir!" An ensign called from a nearby terminal. "There's a ship broadcasting clearance codes to leave the planet. The codes check out."

The Admiral's eyes widened in realization as he nearly jumped when he shouted the order. "Don't let that ship jump into hyperspace!" He leaned on the railing. "Scramble fighters now! Lock on with a tractor beam!"

"Scrambling fighters now, sir!" He reported as he quickly relayed through. "They're too far out of range to pull in with the tractor beam."

"What's the situation, Admiral?" Darth Malak asked as he loomed menacingly in his shadow, hands clasped behind his back. 

Karath turned and looked up as he replied. "There's a Correllian freighter trying to leave the planet. They're broadcasting the correct clearance codes."

The Sith Lord narrowed his eyes as he peered outside the viewport. "Bastila is on that ship..." He said lowly. "I can feel it."

*****

A dozen Sith fighters swarmed out of the hangar of the Leviathan, engines screaming as they headed on a trajectory straight for the Ebon Hawk. Their plasma cannons opened fire as they closed the distance but only a few l shots hit their mark with the shield absorbing the brunt of the hits.

"Transferring auxiliary power to the rear deflector shields!" Carth called out as he executed, flipping the right switches.

Theoretically, Dynamo could dodge all day and take them out by himself, but he had to think of the others. "We need to work on plotting a jump to hyperspace?" He ordered sternly. 

"Punching in coordinates for Dantooine now! There's a Jedi Enclave there!" Bastila informed as she went to the map console. 

"Good!" The Mercenary nodded before he made the ship avoid more blasts at just the right moment.

"Prepping hyperdrive," The Republic pilot informed. 

"[One down, eleven more to go!]" Canderous shouted over the intercom as he blasted one of the enemy fighters with the swivelling plasma cannons before the ship shook as it took several unavoidable hits.

"Can't you fly this thing better!?" The Jedi Sentinel cried out as she almost lost her footing. 

"I'm trying!" The Final Knight shouted in annoyance, more at himself before asking. "Carth, how long until the hyperdrive is ready!?" Then took a hard banking turn to avoid enemy fire.

"Two minutes!" He reported with a glance. "Almost there!"

"[Three more down!]" The Mandalorian exclaimed with an excited grin in his voice. "[Now this is more like it!]"

"Glad somebody is having fun in all this," Carth commented as he wiped the sweat from his brow. 

"Just focus on getting us out of here...!" Dynamo said through his teeth as brought the ship into an aileron roll while Canderous shot down two more fighters. 

"One minute!" The Republic pilot reported. 

"The dreadnought is launching more fighters!" Bastila shouted to the mutant demon hybrid. 

"[Ha ha!]" Canderous boomed over the comms ecstatically. "[Bring them on! I live for moments like this!]" 

"I think we may have a murderous lunatic on board." The Mercenary quipped with sarcasm to ease his tension. 

"Now you notice!?" Carth exclaimed incredulously. 

"Now is not the time!" The Jedi remarked from behind them. 

"Hyperdrive ready!" He reported.

"Punch it!" The Supreme Commander ordered.

Not one second later, the Republic pilot pushed forward on a lever to his left and the Ebon Hawk launched into hyperspace as the stars suddenly became long lines in the viewport and then a swirling blue vortex. 

Everything fell eerily silent. 

And everyone let out a deep breath as it all started to sink in, glancing at each other. They had just escaped certain death, but they had also watched a planet die, each taking it in differently.

"[How much longer until I get some more people to fight?]" Canderous' impatient voice came over the intercom. 

"Be patient, otherwise they won't come." Dynamo replied, at this point doing anything to distract himself from the coldness of his dogtags and the ache of his scar. 

"Someone should probably go check on Mission," Carth said, running a hand back through his hair as he leaned back in his seat with a long sigh.

"I suppose I could…" Bastila said as she began to turn. 

"I'll go," Dynamo spoke up as he got to his feet, looking between them. "I may be a hardened demon but I know how this feels. And it's probably not the best idea for her to talk to someone who doesn't believe in emotion at all."

"That's not-" She protested, but then thought better of it after registering his words and finding that he was sincere, yet she couldn't shake the 'demon' part before setting it aside and conceding. "Very well… perhaps I wouldn't be of much help."

The Final Knight nodded to both before he left the cockpit and walked through the corridors of the freighter, getting a good look at the interior of the ship for the first time. 

The corridors were circular with a main central room with a table and a pantry. Walking down another hall, he found a small workshop where a speeder bike was stored and next to it another larger room that served as the cargo hold. He realized the layout of the ship was kind of like a 'U' shape, with the rear of the ship being at the bottom of the 'U' and the crew quarters at the top left of the ship. Tracking the distinct scent, he made his way over to the crew quarters and found the young Twi'lek curled up on one of the beds.

The coldness creeped even more and it froze the void where his soul had been, his massive mangled heart aching as much as his scar did. Taking slow steps, The Mercenary sat down at the edge of the bed, looking to Mission with compassion in his royal blue eyes. 

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry about all that has happened…" He spoke lowly, yet sincerely, reaching out and placing a hand on her shoulder trying to console her. "I understand how hard it is… to see your home die before your eyes… Know that we're here for you."

She lifted her head up slowly, tears streaming down her face as her bloodshot gaze turned to him and she suddenly threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him with as much strength as she could muster. She cried into his shoulder, tears blackening his jacket even more. 

The demonic mutant was shocked by the gesture, his eyes widening as he froze up for an uncertain moment. But then his arms wrapped around her lightly and protectively.

"It's alright..." He reassured in an uncannily soothing whisper. "We're here for you."  

Chapter Text

While they were in hyperspace, Dynamo, Carth and Bastila each took shifts supervising the cockpit while the rest of the group took some time to eat, sleep and clean themselves up a bit. The Mercenary had taken the first shift watching the cockpit and after an hour of nothing, the Republic pilot came to take over.

The demonic mutant perked up at the scent, lifting his head from his chin as he had been absent-mindedly rubbing his beard. "Is it time already?" He asked as the other man walked through the threshold. 

"Yeah... not the first time you've seen something like this." He stated as he took to co-pilot's seat based on the calm and seemingly stress-free demeanour that the Final Knight had, even if his royal blue eyes told another story. "You deal with this stuff easily at this point, huh?" He asked with a bit of a wry grin.

He sighed as he got to his feet, speaking lowly. "It never gets any easier… it only gets harder… Especially when you can't forget anything." Again, the dog tags felt cold, the scar ached but he kept his right eye from twitching. "Keep the ship in one piece while I'm gone." He requested before he left the cockpit. 

"Somehow, I feel like I should be telling you that." Carth muttered with a bit of a smile as he watched the mutant demon hybrid walk out before he turned his attention fully to motioning the Ebon Hawk. 

He silently shrugged in reply, keeping himself from cracking a smile before he walked out of the cockpit down the hall to the crew quarters with silent steps as always. 

The Wookiee was snoring with a growling edge to it on one of the bunks and the young Twi'lek was cuddled up next to him, sleeping soundly.

For a moment, Dynamo almost smiled at how adorable they looked and the brief, somewhat ridiculous thought crossed him as he wondered what it would be like to have your Wookiee as a pillow. Then his keen nose reminded him that Wookiees don't really believe in bathing or grooming. 

With a barely audible sigh, he walked over to the empty bunk that was right across from the Jedi Sentinel, glancing over to see her sleeping peacefully under the blanket. Even when she was resting, she looked like she was scowling, something which brought the ghost of a smirk on his expression. 

However, he had to admit, she looked serene and… he stopped himself, shaking off the thought. He didn't have time for it and he didn't want to risk the Jedi perceiving anything from him. He wasn't concerned about his mind being read, as his Adamantine skeleton prevented any cognitive tampering, but she was likely to feel his emotions through the Force so he maintained his walls up.

The Second Hellwalker took off his brown backpack, both gauntlets and black nanofibertech jacket, leaving the white undershirt and gloves along with his left blade sheathe. He laid them out neatly on the bed before he kneeled in front of it with a deep breath, not allowing himself to even lie down. 

Sleeping was not for him and he avidly avoided it since it only brought nightmares from which he could seemingly not awaken. Meditation was his only alternative to get his thoughts in order and quench the demon worse than demons within. 

And yet The Final Knight found himself distracted by the sleeping Jedi Knight right behind him in the other bunk, glancing subtly over his shoulder. It was odd, even terrifying for one like him but he felt connected to her in some way... as if they were drawn to each other or something was drawing them together. 

Either way, it was a fact that deeply disturbed him as no one should be connected to him, for their own sake. The things he'd seen and done, what he had been through, the burden he bore, not to mention what he kept inside. No decent individual deserved such a cruel fate, to be bonded to the Bearer of The DOOM Slayer. 

Dynamo refocused his attention on other matters, closing his eyes and his senses reached inward and outward.

Tei Slaven ben kar en tuk… (The Slayer will rip and tear)

It was strange but The Mercenary felt as if he belonged here, at least for the time being. He was supposed to be here, with these people on this ship. It somewhat reminded him of his own Watchdogs. A diverse group of individuals, banding together to defend what is right, united by their desire to protect their world. 

Kar en tuk Hust en Vitar…! (Rip and tear Hell and Heaven.)

The demonic mutant tried to remember back to a few weeks ago, but it was still a blur, a mishmash. Not to mention that he had a gap that nagged him. The only thing he remembered clearly was taking a special contract for the Endar Spire. At the time, he didn't think much of it as he'd taken special contracts before. 

Who would have thought it would have led to this and it felt only like the beginning. 

Kar en tuk du tei exunt! (Rip and tear until the death.)

The chant was repeated over and over, for the few hours it took for him to regain himself. The shift in the environment came as the Ebon Hawk exited hyperspace and his eyes snapped open. Saying nothing and wasting no time, he re-equipped himself and walked out of the crew quarters back towards the cockpit, sensing that Bastila and Carth were there already. 

"Managed to catch some sleep?" The Republic pilot asked from his seat with a glance to The Mercenary as he entered.

"Meditation." He replied succinctly as he stopped between them, folding his arms. "I don't sleep."

The Jedi Sentinel cast a glance at him as she had seen him doing it, feeling that he had a reluctance to sleep, to say the least, but she didn't think it was this bad and it made her wonder.

Carth blinked a little at his bluntness, muttering to himself. "Oh... Well… Alright then."

Their attention returned to the planet coming into clear view, a small relieved smile spreading on Bastila's expression. 

"Dantooine…" She mused thoughtfully. "It seems like a lifetime since I last set foot on her surface, though in truth it has only been a few months. We should be safe from Malak here... for now, at least." 

The Republic pilot's eyes turned to her suddenly. "Safe?" He asked with incredulous disbelief. "You saw what his fleet did to Taris: there wasn't a building over two stories high left standing! They... they turned the planet into one big pile of rubble."

"Even the Sith would think twice before attacking Dantooine." She argued calmly yet sternly. "There are many Jedi here, including several of the most powerful Masters of the Order. There is great strength within this place."

The Final Knight gave a nod as he added. "Not only Jedi but my men are watching over this place as well. I agree with Bastila." He stated with a similar calm, yet also coldness. "We should be safe here for the time being."

She glanced at him with a fleeting smile before continuing. "We can get supplies here and recuperate." The Jedi Knight informed them. "The Academy is a place of mental and spiritual healing; something we could all use after what we've been through."

"Maybe you're right." Carth relented with a long sigh as he rubbed the back of his head. "It isn't easy to witness the annihilation of an entire planet. I know Mission must be taking it pretty hard."

"She will find a way to come to terms with her grief. She is stronger than she appears." Bastila said with a bit of a sigh and a solemn tone. "We just need to give her time."

"Time as well as support." Dynamo added knowingly, his dog tags cold yet again, much like the ache of his scar. The buried memories of his own loss had been triggered and now he had to deal with their heaviness, by himself. Ironic considering his words, but he was far different from the young Twi'lek. "She needs to know that she is not alone."

The two turned their gazes to him, with the Jedi feeling that heaviness within and even if she had no real idea what he had been through, there was compassion in her silver-grey eyes. 

Before any could say anything more, a light on the Hawk's board as they were being hailed.

"Hold on, I'm getting a transmission from a nearby space station orbiting the planet," Carth informed with a furrow of his brow, his tone slightly alarmed and even confused as he glanced and asked. "Bastila, do you have any idea about this?"

She shook her head, just as confused as he was. "No, the Masters never spoke about anything like that."

"[Approaching ship, this is Delta Sierra Semper. Identify yourselves. Over.]" The stern, even respectful voice of a female soldier on the other side requested. 

"Delta Sierra Semper?" The Mercenary muttered in his beard, more to himself, as the designation clicked in his mind, pieces assembling even if many were missing in that gap he had. There was something that happened months ago but he couldn't quite make out what, just that he gave his squad the orders to come to this station and wait for him to regroup.

The Republic pilot's fierce gaze turned to him with suspicion. "What, you know these guys?" He asked lowly.

"Yes, they are under my command," The demonic mutant nodded and grabbed the communicator as Carth looked at him, actually stunned by what he said without hesitating.

"Delta Sierra Semper, this is Watchdog aboard the Ebon Hawk." He relayed to them in a strong tone, The Soldier persona, the Supreme Commander in clear view. "We're coming in for R&R after Tango was obliterated. Over."

"Wait a minute... Watchdog?!" The final piece clicked in place as Carth realized. "The Mercenary is the leader of the Watchdogs… and you are both!?"

While waiting for the reply from his men, The Second Hellwalker simply glanced at him briefly and nodded.

"[It's good to hear you're back, Boss!]" The soldier's relief was almost palpable, as was her excitement. "[Now the Sith are really gonna get it…! What are your orders? Over.]" She asked eagerly.

It didn't take much to think of what he would have them do and it was fairly simple. "Maintain orbiting pattern." He relayed firmly. "Defend against any Sith attack. Over."

"[Understood, Sir!]" She said energetically. "[D.S.S. over and out!]" 

Once the transmission ended, the Final Knight turned to the Republic pilot apologetically. "I'm sorry for not telling you before, but I thought it best to keep it to myself." He said sincerely. "At least until we were off Taris."

Carth eyed him for a second, he wanted to get angry at him, but then he thought about what the Supreme Commander had done for him these past few days and what the Watchdogs under his leadership had done during the war. The lives they had saved carrying out covert operations that no one knew or would ever know about. 

Even he believed they were second-hand rumours, mere legends that were created to scare the Sith and embolden the Republic's soldiers because the Jedi had failed them. 

Yet here he stood, face to face with The Mercenary in the flesh.

He gave a heavy sigh, acceptant, but still a bit suspicious as he glared out of the corner of his eye. "Fine, but don't think just because you're their commander I won't keep my eye on you."

"Wouldn't expect anything else," Dynamo replied as Carth began to guide the ship down to the surface.

The Jedi Sentinel had said nothing throughout, she didn't feel the need to, yet the revelation was just as surprising for her as well and it made her wonder just how much she didn't know about the Final Knight. She had seen his façade, the calm, cold, calculated Mercenary, she glimpsed the demon worse than demons within but there had to be something else there. She could feel it.

With ease and smoothly, the ship landed right at the Jedi Enclave in a circular spaceport dock through the open roof with the blue sky above.

"Now I must go speak with the Council," Bastila said as she got up to leave, walking out of the cockpit and casting a glance back at Dynamo and Carth. "I need their advice on... recent developments." She said the words carefully. "After I have met with them I will meet you outside the ship."

"Alright, stay safe." The Mercenary said with a nod, one mirrored by the Republic pilot before she left down the ramp right in front.

The Jedi Sentinel walked briskly through the Enclave, not wasting a moment until she came

"Bastila, long time no see." One of the Masters walking through the Enclave greeted her with a soft smile and a somewhat reminiscent look in his glazed over, scarred grey eyes. "Ever since your apprenticeship with me ended."

"Master Crokess?" She turned to him with a small, subdued smile, but genuine. "Yes, it is good to see you again."

"Still 'master' after all this time." He said a bit jokingly and with a tilt of his head before giving her a quick embrace, relief in his tone as he pulled away. "I'm glad that you're safe… especially after hearing what happened to Taris… It is saddening to say the very least… But at least some good can come from such a tragedy."

"Correct… But I didn't make it out on my own." Bastila recounted with a glance back to where she'd come from. "I was helped by someone whom you know of. A mercenary by the name of Georgian Dynamo."

"It has been some time since I've heard that name, let alone met the man." The Jedi Watchman remarked with a smile and a hand on his chin before asking. "Where is he now?"

"At the landing pad with the ship that we escaped on." She replied. 

"Thank you, Bastila." Crokess nodded gratefully before assuring. "You can go on ahead, no need to wait on me."

"I should be the one to thank you, master Crokess." She said before calling as they both went on their ways. "May the Force be with you."

The Jedi Sentinel continued until reaching an entrance that opened up into a large circular room with several chairs arranged in a half-circle, but inside there were only four Jedi present. As she entered the room, they rose from their seats to greet her warmly.

"Bastila, it is good to see you alive and well," The middle-aged Twi’lek man in navy blue Master robes said as he gave her a brief hug.

"When we had heard about Taris, we had feared the worst," The balding stern-faced older Jedi in red Master robes remarked with his arms folded.

"Thank you, masters," Bastila said with a cordial bow, "It was a harrowing experience to be sure, but it seems the Force was on our side. Without the aid of a man named Georgian Dynamo, we would not have been able to escape.”

“The Mercenary and one of the Supreme Commanders of the Watchdogs.” The dark-skinned Chronicler of the Academy remarked with a fold of his brown robes. “Quite the character from what I can remember.”

“A darkened character as well.” The older Master added in a cautious tone.

One which made the small pale green-skinned Jedi Master with pointy ears counter knowingly and amiably. “And yet with good intentions only ever did he use his powers."

The Sentinel gave a slow nod before she relayed her opinion. “Yes, even now, I have felt and feel what lies within him… It is something of unfathomable proportions. I believe that he would benefit from Jedi training, given that he already is sensitive to it.” She suggested before recounting. “From surviving the crash landing from the Endar Spire to finding me in the middle of a swoop gang war in the Lower City, becoming a swoop race champion and, only a short time after, duel champion as well in less than a few days, infiltrating the Sith Base as well as helping the people of Taris, he certainly has the makings of a Jedi. I should also mention that he experienced a vision of me fighting Darth Revan before we reunited on Taris.”

And yet the stern Master was wholly unconvinced as his brow wrinkled. “But this power that he has… it is not of the Force.”

"By the Force, they are connected, everything and everyone is." The small Master in dark blue robes spoke knowingly.

"Even if it is not of the Force, he would certainly benefit from it." The dark-skinned Jedi argued calmly yet with some urgency. "It is a ferocious, wild and endless power, one that can lead to a very dark path worse than any Sith we have ever seen or recorded since the beginning of the Republic."

"And what of our training only feeds this uncaged beast that he has inside?" The same stern-faced Master retorted.

"Masters, if I may." Bastila spoke up and waited for a nod of assent before continuing, the Twi'lek Master giving it to her. "Shouldn't we be discussing this with him?" She suggested, for some reason, bothered by the tone that the older Jedi had taken when talking about the Final Knight. "It is only appropriate since we are speaking of this man's future."

"Yes, that is correct." The same Twi'lek Jedi nodded and kindly requested. "Bastila, please, bring him to us for an audience."

She bowed before them again before she turned to walk outside, the Council behind her continuing to debate until she would return with the demonic mutant. 

*****

The Mercenary had disembarked the ship for some time, finding the need to stretch his legs somewhere other than the metal hulls of the ship, finding the clean air outside refreshing.

As the demonic mutant roamed around, a figure wearing navy blue Jedi robes with a purple tint approached him, but this was no ordinary Jedi if the crossguard lightsabers on his belt were any indication along with the slight mechanical hum that came with his every motion. A hum the demonic mutant could hear thanks to his keen senses.

His face was also shadowed by the hood until he pulled it down to reveal his short dark brown hair and glazed over storm grey eyes crossed by a vertical scar each.

A small smile appeared on his lips at the sight of the Last Knight. "Commander Dynamo, it has been quite some time." 

His expression softened somewhat at the sight of an old friend from the Mandalorian War. One of the very few whom he almost viewed as a brother. "It has, Master Arkenstone." He gave a respectful bow of his head.

The Jedi Watchdog gave a light laugh. "Please, just call me Crokess." He requested in his soft, serene voice. "It is only fair after how much we've worked together."

"Very well. That means you don't get to call me Commander either." He nodded and retorted with a fold of his arms, almost smirking before muttering. "At least you didn't use the full name of the rank."

"Yes, indeed." Crokess nodded as he adjusted the folds of his robe. "Anyway… How have you been, brother?" He asked with some concern in a more careful tone. "I've… heard what happened to Taris. Thank the Force you're able to escape."

The Mercenary let out a long sigh as he nodded and replied. "I've been better, just having a lot on my mind, especially after everything."

"No rest for the weary?" The Jedi asked with a wry grin, almost knowing.

"For the weariest of them, never." He answered with a light shrug. "I'll probably get a new mission from the Council, focused on stopping the Dark Lord Malak."

"That would aid the Republic greatly." Crokess remarked with a more genuine smile, a serene strength in his voice. "I know that your Watchdogs are hard at work, under your sister-in-arms' leadership no less, at least while you were stuck on Taris."

Dynamo raised an eyebrow and stared right into the blinded storm grey eyes of the Jedi Watchman. "Alright, who talked?" He asked seriously, yet he almost grinned.

"Your two Spartans." Was the simple reply with a slight raise of his shoulders. 

"Of course they did." The Last Knight sighed with a shake of his head before he amended. "Of course they did to you I should say."

"Is that a problem?" Crokess asked rather jokingly, but there was concern in his tone.

He shook his head, assuring. "Not for me." Then he warned in a half-joking way despite his serious tone. "But be careful, Bulldog gets… excitable."

At that, the Jedi laughed warmly and raised a hand. "Don't worry, I am. A simple nudge with the Force and a stern word from Quake have him settled."

"Good." He nodded with a satisfied look before asking. "What about you?"

Crokess paused for a moment, adjusting his robes again as he replied with a bit of carefulness. "I have my own more… personal mission. The Council doesn't fully agree, Master Vrook being as unbending as ever, though Master Vandar and Zhar both said that the Force is guiding me on this one. And I should be the one to do it."

The Mercenary could understand why he was being cautious as he remarked simply. "Tracking the Exile."

"Correct." He nodded before saying with a small sigh. "But at the moment I am attempting to help out a local human here, Rundil ot Sulem." He informed him as the mutant demon hybrid could aid him and speed up matters. "His ranch has had considerable difficulty with the Mandalorian raiders that have cropped up on Dantooine for many years. His young daughter was kidnapped by those raiders many years ago and has not been returned, neither did they ask for a ransom or anything."

"I understand…" Dynamo gave a nod, rubbing his beard as the gears of his mind turned. "Probably because they want to raise her as a Mandalorian." He surmised before asking. "What is her name?"

The Jedi smiled, glad to see that even after months, even years and the darkness he seemed to carry, the Final Knight was the same helpful and kind man. "Her name is Sasha." He replied simply. 

He gave a small nod, not thinking much of his actions. "Alright, I'll keep my eye out for the girl."

Crokess nodded himself, thankful. "I would appreciate that, Dynamo." He paused for a moment, simply listening before sighing. "And I feel like I should take my leave. It was good to see you again."

"Very well, Crokess. It was." He could only agree before bidding him. "Stay safe."

"You as well." The Jedi smiled and half turned before stopping at a realisation, looking back to The Mercenary. "Oh, before I go, your Spartans requested I relay a message to you from your sister." Seeing his curious expression along with the fact that he stayed silent, he continued. "She left something for you here."

"Oh…" He rubbed the back of his head in confusion almost, his brow furrowing as he asked himself. "What could it be…?"

He shook his head once, but still had a small soft smile. "I'm not sure, but it's very important and personal from what I understand." 

Dynamo gave a slow nod as his brothers-in-arms prepared to leave. "Alright, thank you again, Crokess. Hopefully, our paths will cross again."

The Jedi Watchman called one last time with a wave. "May the Force be with you."

*****

Mission had heard when they landed, when Dynamo, Carth and Bastila disembarked and it had been some time since then. Still, she couldn't seem to bring herself to get out of bed, just laying there, paralyzed by her thoughts. She had slept all through the night, so it wasn't that she was tired, but she felt a nagging weight in her chest that seemed to be suffocating her. Memories rose from the depths of her psyche, burdening her with pain and despair. 

She remembered how she and Zaalbar had first met several years ago. She had gone into Javyar's Cantina late one night after scrounging up enough credits for a meal. The bar was occupied by some especially rough types that night. A couple of Rodians and a Zabrak from the Vulkar gang. They came over and started harassing her, trying to get her to come with them back to their base but she called them all 'Hutt-lickers' and told them to get lost. 

Then they had grabbed her by her arms and began to drag her outside when she heard a loud roar. She remembered falling to the floor as the two Rodians were lifted in the air by Zaalbar's huge arms and smashed together into a heap on the floor. The Zabrak didn't even bother, he just ran off out of the cantina screaming. 

The two of them had stuck together since.

It had been nice to have someone to partner with after her brother had left Taris, leaving her behind by herself. Even still, she did look back fondly on the memories she and her brother had shared when she was young. Yet, all of it, everything she knew and called home had been destroyed in a matter of hours. 

She had heard Carth listening to the HoloNet earlier. The report was that Taris was completely destroyed, all that was left was the rubble of the city. Republic rescue teams haven't been able to get to the planet's surface because of the remaining Sith flagships continuing to bomb the planet even now. She also heard Dynamo giving out orders to his men, realising that he led a faction that was far-reaching and extremely powerful if he was telling them to break the blockade and save whoever possible… as well as avenge the losses.

But she didn't care. She had no energy anymore. She was lost in a galaxy bigger than she could comprehend, with people she had only met a barely week before.

"Mission…?" The voice of The Mercenary sounded shortly after he knocked on the entrance to the room distinctly. 

"Hey… Dynamo." She replied in a weak voice. 

The Final Knight could understand perfectly how she felt because he had been there, he had lost his home as well and he carried the scar even now. The one that never healed. "How are you?" He asked carefully as he walked over to her bunk and down at the edge of her bed.

"I was thinking... about Taris." She said quietly, still staring into nothing as tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. "I just… can't believe it's gone...! I mean, I grew up there and now it's… it's just gone...!"

He sighed quietly and shifted a little closer, reaching out and placing a hand on her shoulder lightly. "I'm sorry… for all of it." He said in all honesty. "I know all too well how this feels and how difficult it is..."

Her head turned slowly to him, but her gaze didn't fully set on the demonic mutant. For all of the hardness that he had, there was compassion and kindness in his royal blue eyes that she rarely ever saw from anyone. She could count on the fingers of one hand. "You do?" She asked rather tentatively. "How do you deal with it?"

"You remember the good, you forgive the bad, you live in the present and you look to the future." He advised in a slightly warmer and sympathetic tone. "I know that it is a massive shock and it takes time… Sadly this just shows how evil the Sith are. That is what this comes down to in the end, us doing our best to prevent the tragedy of Taris from ever happening again."

The young Twi'lek gave a slow nod as he took in his words before asking as she shifted into a shifting position. "Us?"

"Yes, us." Dynamo confirmed with another nod, speaking with certainty. "We're a team, Mission. We look out for one another."

"Yeah… you're right." Mission said with a brightened expression, but she couldn't quite bring herself to smile yet. "The more time I spend dwelling on Taris the more chance some other planet will get wiped out." She looked right at the Last Knight "Thanks." She said sincerely. "I mean, I knew the Sith were evil and all, but the reality of it kind of slaps you in the face. Don’t worry about me... I'll be okay. And if you need my help against Malak or the Sith, I'll be there for you."

"A commander looks out for his teammates so I will worry." The Mercenary retorted rather jokingly with a warmer tone, but there was no grin on his expression. "Until I see that smile of yours." He added before nodding gratefully. "Nonetheless thank you, Mission. I truly appreciate that."

"Oh, and um… I'm sorry for the way I acted before." She said a bit sheepishly before admitting. "It's just that when it comes to Lena I tend to get a little worked up." 

The demonic mutant raised a hand in assurance. "It's alright, don't worry." He said before asking curiously. "What did she do to make you hate her so much?"

"My brother and I had a good thing going." She began to recall, shrugging with a small pause. "Sure, Griff had his run-ins with the law on Taris. But we got by okay. Until Lena came in." Her tone lowered with disdain as she frowned slightly. "She was a busty skank and a no-good homewrecker who was only interested in how many credits she could get from him. She was always talking him into these get-rich-quick schemes. He said he had a huge opportunity on Takodana. He promised once he had the money, he and Lena would come back and get me, but I never saw them again."

He held a hand to his chin, rubbing his beard as he took her words in. So he had one side of the story, plus, he also wished to find her brother, if at all possible. "So he could still be out there somewhere." He said with a clear intent underlying his calm voice.

"I guess..." She said with a small shrug before gazing out the window, almost as if she were searching for him, "I just assumed that Lena sunk her teeth in and now he's stuck somewhere doing her every bidding."

"The galaxy is big and he could be anywhere, but I've already got plenty of information to narrow it down thanks to you so it would be far from impossible to find him." The Final Knight said matter-of-factly and knowingly, as he had plenty of experience with tracking people down. "Reunite you two and simply let him know you are fine and most importantly alive."

"I would like that, thanks." Mission said gratefully and for the first time since Taris, she let herself smile.

The demonic mutant was glad to see her smile again before his senses picked up on the scent, Bastila had returned and would likely be looking for him.

"Seems like I should be going." He said with a small sigh as he got to his feet but he took the time to place a hand on her shoulder and give a reassuring squeeze. "We're in this together. Stay safe, Mission."

"You too, Dynamo." She said with a small smile lingering. "Thank you again."

He gave a nod before walking out and heading to the ramp, meeting up with the Jedi Sentinel and Republic pilot just as she was asking for him.

Bastila turned her silver-grey eyes when she saw him, approaching with quick steps. "I have spoken briefly with the council; they request an audience with you." She said to the demonic mutant before urging. "We should go at once."

"An audience with the Jedi Council?" Carth glanced briefly at Dynamo with a raise of his eyebrow and his arms folded, remarking. "That's pretty unusual for someone who isn't a Jedi, even if he is The Mercenary. What's this about, Bastila?"

"I'm sorry, Carth, but I cannot tell you." She shook her head resolutely. "All I ask is that you trust in the Force and the wisdom of the Council."

"Well, I don't like being left out of the loop, but I'm not looking to get you in any trouble with the Jedi Masters," Carth said, a bit reserved as he rubbed the back of his head before sighing. "We'll do things your way for a while."

The Jedi Sentinel gave a brief yet grateful nod to him before glancing to the Last Knight. "Come, they are expecting us." She motioned with a hand. "I will lead you to the Council chambers."

Dynamo obliged with a nod and followed down a ramp to a tunnel exiting the docking bay to the north, leading to the Jedi Council Chambers. On simple instinct, his keen senses had scanned out and mapped the entire compound in his head. There were mostly humans with a few aliens intermixed with the population. From what the intel told him, Dantooine was mostly a farming world with settlements like this one few and far between. 

It had a very peaceful atmosphere and the infrastructure of the Jedi enclave had a simplistic yet elegant style. There were neatly maintained flower beds and sidewalks with reddish stone benches. In the middle of it was a circular water fountain with a statue of a Jedi in the centre. If he were, to be honest, it felt nice to be in such a place after the events of the past week. But he couldn't allow himself to enjoy it, he had a job, a mission to fulfil. 

As they walked he noticed that Bastila's robes weren't as plain as the rest, figuring that she did have a special status among the Order, apart from being a Jedi Knight and Sentinel. Either stemming from her taking down the Dark Lord Revan or thanks to her talent of Battle Meditation. 

Entering the Council chambers, he took a quick glance around with only his fierce eyes, taking note of the four Jedi Masters present and recognising them from his line of work, also thanks to his perfect memory. Most of the time.

The Jedi Sentinel stopped before them and The Mercenary did as well, clasping his hands behind his back as The Soldier persona began to assert itself. 

"Ah, so you are the one who rescued Bastila." The middle-aged Twi'lek man said as he took the mutant demon hybrid with a small smile on his expression. "It is only appropriate that you are here. We have been discussing your rather special case." He pointed to himself. "I am Zhar Lestin, a member of the Jedi Council." Then to the others,  starting with the stern-faced older man. "With me are Master Vrook Lamar." After which came the small pale green-skinned one. "Master Vandar Tokare and, of course, the Chronicler of our Academy, Master Dorak." The dark-skinned Jedi took a slight bow. "Knight Bastila I am sure you are already familiar with." His eyes roamed from her to the Last Knight with a kind smile. "It has been quite a while since we have collaborated, Commander Dynamo, and now, here you are."

"Indeed it has, Master Zhar." The Mercenary respectfully bowed his head, calm, cold and calculated as ever. "And as always I am willing to lend a helping hand in any way I can. What would you ask of me?"

"Bastila tells us you are strong in the Force." Master Zhar informed him, watching carefully how he reacted. "We are considering you for Jedi training."

There was no way he was strong in the Force, he figured that they must've mistaken The DOOM Slayer within him for what it was. But, on the other hand, Jedi training could have provided him with benefits in quenching the demon worse than demons especially sickness since he had been a lot more volatile in the past weeks.

And as a saying went, as long as one lives they learn. "Nothing would give me greater honour than learning the ways of the Jedi." He replied in a determined tone, honest in his words.

"Master Zhar speaks out of turn, perhaps." Master Vrook spoke up with a doubtful tone and his arms folded. "We need indisputable proof of your strong affinity to the Force before we would even consider accepting you for training."

Hearing this, Bastila couldn't help but speak up to the Council. "Proof? Surely the entire Council can feel the strength of the Force within this man…!" She proclaimed in his support. "And I have already related to you the events that took place on Taris…!"

"Perhaps it was simple luck." The older Jedi offered with an unconvinced tilt of his head, somewhat cutting her off.

"We both know there is no luck." Master Zhar countered him with a thoughtful glance. "There is only the Force. We all feel the power in Bastila's companion, though it is fierce and endless. Now that this power has begun to manifest itself in such a way, can we safely ignore it?" He asked them, concerned.

"Jedi training is long and difficult, even when working with a young and open mind. Teaching a child is hard." Master Vrook declared staunchly before posing the question to them. "How much harder will it be for an adult to learn the ways of the Jedi?"

The Mercenary narrowed his eyes for a moment, bothered by the elder Master's assessment of him. "I have already been through gruelling training regiments, but I am always willing and ready to train further." He argued in a firm tone. "My age is of no matter." 

At that Master Vrook glared at him with a piercing gaze of disgust. "Such pride! Such arrogance! Ach. This one is already on the path to the dark side!" He exclaimed with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"As are many who are not given proper training, Master Vrook." The small Jedi with pointy ears intervened amiably and knowingly with a glance. "Only through our guidance can we hope to lead those who have strayed back to the path of light."

For a moment, the demon worse than demons had stirred, ready to show just how dark his part already was but the demonic mutant held it back. "I am willing to do my best." He stated firmly.

"Traditionally the Jedi do not accept adults for training, though there are rare exceptions in the history of our Order." Dorak the Chronicler spoke as he seemed to examine the Final Knight. "And you are a special case."

"I agree with Master Dorak." Master Vandar said with an incline of his head. "Many of our own pupils are leaving the Jedi order to follow the Sith teachings, we need recruits to stand against Malak! With Revan dead…"

"Are we so certain Revan is truly dead?" Master Vrook inquired cautiously and with a snap of his gaze. "What if we undertake to train this one, and the Dark Lord should return?" 

Brow furrowing, it was clear that the elder human Jedi was pushing The Mercenary's buttons, which wasn't good, though sadly he was used to being doubted, Vrook's perception of him not uncommon among others. So he maintained his stoic demeanour in front of it all.

The aged expression of the small Jedi wrinkled at the sensitive question, eyes widening a little. "Please, we should discuss this matter more fully in private." He affirmed with an air of finality before he turned his gaze to the two Knights of different Orders. "Bastila, Dynamo, please pardon us, but this is a matter for the Council alone. Take some time to rest up and we will summon you tomorrow morning. May the Force be with you."

"As you wish, Master Vandar." The Jedi Sentinel bowed respectfully and deeply before them. "We shall return to the Ebon Hawk and leave you to your deliberations."

The demonic mutant did much the same. "Thank you for the consideration, Masters." He said sincerely. "That alone is a great honour to one such as I."

They all gave him a mutually respectful nod except for Vrook, who almost scoffed and rolled his eyes, thinking that the Bearer of The DOOM Slayer was merely playing a part and judging him wholly unfit for the Jedi based on what he was and held within.

As the two made their way back to the ship, his royal blue eyes kept flickering to Bastila as he thought over what just happened. She stood up for him, strongly, she seemed to believe in him. But she hadn't said a word since they left the Council chambers.

"Bastila… thank you for standing up for me." Dynamo said somewhat suddenly, but honestly. 

"Don't mention it." She replied simply with a glance.

He was silent again for some time before asking, more curious than anything. "Why did you do it?"

"Because I see you as someone who could be an extremely viable candidate for the Jedi, even if your… abilities might stem from a darker side." She answered sincerely yet chose her words rather carefully. 

His brow furrowed at that, muttering in his beard. "Being a Jedi isn't for me of all people… But I will accept the training should they offer it, add it to my repertoire."

She looked at him almost doing a double-take. "I believe you of all people should be a Jedi." She argued. "There's something different about you. You could be one of the greats-"

He cut her off firmly but not unkindly with a small raise of his hand. "No. Not a demon worse than demons. I have nothing to do with the light. I am merely a shadow in its service. A means to an end..." 

The Mercenary trailed off as they stopped in the main room of the Hawk, letting out a small sigh before he spoke. "I'll be in the quarters meditating if you have need of me. Rest well, Bastila." He said before leaving, feeling how her silver-grey eyes lingered on him.

So this was it. A glimpse of what he had within. Not the endless rage but how the man viewed himself, as something not only inhuman but unholy. And it was all in spite of what he had done. It made her wonder why he was this way, what could have happened that led to such a contrast. 

It also made her wonder if it was warranted, from the rage to the brutality which he could display, the predatory nature, perhaps Master Vrook was onto something.

Soon enough, she felt the need to sleep as well, going inside the crew quarters and finding the demonic mutant deep in his meditation. He was humming something in a deep baritone, sounding like a chant. It was almost soothing in a way as she tucked herself in, her eyes lingering on his form.

She noticed that there was some sort of instrument case next to his kneeling form, based on the shape of it, it seemed to be a guitar. It made her wonder if it was his, she figured that it was but who gave it to him was the question. And it also made Bastila curious if he could play.

For a moment, she thought she could hear what seemed to be chanting, but his words were intelligible, or she at least couldn't understand the language in which he spoke.

Before she could figure it out, sleep overtook her, a vision filling their minds.

Chapter Text

A dream? A vision? A memory of a past life?

Two Jedi walked through tall brown grass against a backdrop of a dark, grey and foreboding sky as a light breeze licked the air. The first Jedi wore long brown robes that flowed in the wind, his head and face were covered by a hood and a red and grey Mandalorian mask. The other Jedi, a tall bald man with blue tattoos running along the top of his head, wore a slim fitting brown tunic and pants.

"Revan, I can feel it," Malak said with an excited glint in his yellow-tinted eyes. "We're close."

As the two walked through the field, a clap of thunder sounded in the distance. A gust of wind swept through the plains as they made their way along further over to a sloping hill. They climbed to the top of the hill and as they looked down they saw the ancient ruins. Strange stone pillars were placed sporadically throughout the area below. Further out, carved into a smaller hill, was a stone entrance of some sort sealed by a large heavy stone door.

The two Jedi made their way down the first hill into the ruins below. Upon closer inspection, they saw the pillars held all sorts of strange markings and patterns. The stone was a dark colour, almost black with a tinge of purple. They had never seen anything like it. They approached the entrance at the smaller hill, slowing their pace as they made their way to the large stone door. They stopped in front of it. Revan began pacing back and forth as if pondering what to do next.

"The dark side is strong in this place – I can feel its power!" Malak clenched his fists, letting the power of the Force wash over him and revelling in the sensation, before turning to Revan. "Is this wise? The ancient Jedi sealed this archway. If we pass beyond this door, we can never go back. The Order will surely banish us."

Revan suddenly turned toward the door and reached out a hand. The door began to groan and the sounds of smaller stone locks moving around inside the door reached their ears.

"Are the secrets of the Star Forge so valuable? Can its power truly be worth the risk?" Malak pondered, curious and worried at the same time. 

Suddenly, the stone door slid upward, locking in place in the ceiling of the stone entranceway. Beyond lay a dark and gloomy passageway.

"Anything for this is worth the risk," Revan replied in a dark, chillingly familiar voice as he stepped into the chamber beyond...

*****

Choking and breathless.

That was when his eyes snapped open, a red mist lingering in the white of his eyes as he still kneeled and supported himself with his hands on the bed. Beads of sweat were slowly dripping down his face.

With a long sigh, he wiped it and got to his feet, that vision from his meditation still haunting him as he put on his jacket and gauntlets before swinging on his backpack, noting that the Jedi Sentinel had awoken before he did. Judging by the scent, only ten minutes earlier. 

Just as he was about to leave he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror of the refresher and he stared at it for a long moment, eyes narrowing. 

Then he walked closer to his reflection as if entranced, staring deeply into his own royal blue eyes. He placed a gloved hand on it, the reflection doing the same. He could see the anger, burning deep within them, his uncaged beast, his unchained predator, his demon worse than demons. 

The DOOM Slayer. 

But now there was something else, much different, malevolent and hateful, evil...

Dynamo clenched his fist against the mirror letting the whites of his eyes fill with blood-red rage before it changed back to white.

He couldn't, he wouldn't let it win.

The Final Knight stepped down the ramp of the Ebon Hawk, finding the Republic pilot outside, rubbing the back of his head with a thoughtful expression. His gaze turned to him, noting his rather distressed expression. 

"This morning's getting stranger by the minute," Carth commented under his breath. "First Bastila comes out looking like she saw a ghost, and now you." He gave a small sigh before informing. "Well, Bastila did mention that you should go to the Council chambers before she left. It is no doubt urgent, so you shouldn't keep them waiting."

Dynamo gave a nod before his eyes roamed in the direction of the Council chambers. "Did she say anything else?" He asked with a glance. 

"No, she didn't." He shook his head before his brow furrowed a little. "She didn't seem well, as I recall... and for that matter neither do you." His gaze set on the mutant demon hybrid as he asked with some concern. "Are you alright?"

"I just had a rough night…" He rubbed the space between his eyes with a sigh. "I should get going. Keep the ship safe."

"You got it." He nodded as The Mercenary left.

At his brisk pace of walking and having memorised perfectly where it was, it wasn't long until The Second Hellwalker returned to the Council chambers, they once again spoke to him as he approached.

"Commander, it is good that you have joined us. Bastila has told us of a most unusual development." Master Vandar said, watching the Final Knight with intrigue as he stopped and stood to attention before them. "She claims you and she have shared a dream, a vision of Malak and Revan in the ancient ruins here on Dantooine."

"These ruins have long been known to us, but we believed them to be merely burial mounds." Master Dorak informed with his hands clasped under his brown robes. "Perhaps they are more than we first suspected if Revan and Malak found something there."

"They seemed to be searching for something," Dynamo told them what he could remember, his tone calm even if the vision disturbed him. Not the contents but the supposed implication. "They talked about secrets and the dark power that this place supposedly holds. Along with something called a Star Forge."

The Chronicler of the Academy nodded as he spoke. "Bastila has described this shared dream to the Council in great detail. We feel it is more than a dream. It is a vision." Dorak informed him, thoughtful. "The Force is acting through you as it acts through Bastila."

"To me, it felt like a memory of a past or somehow alternate life," The Mercenary admitted, partly to himself before he asked with a furrow of his brow. "But it was brought by the Force?"

"You and Bastila share a powerful connection to the Force... and each other." Dorak continued with a musing hand in his chin. "This is not unheard of. Connections often form between Master and student, but rarely does a bond develop so quickly."

"Whatever dangers may lie ahead, we cannot ignore the destiny that has brought you and Bastila here to us. Together." Master Vandar stated resolutely.

It was as he had feared, the two Knights were bonded and this bond was sure to grow stronger as time passed. Which meant she would be exposed first hand to the demons within him, something that he could not allow.

At the small Jedi's words, Dynamo couldn't help but glance to the Sentinel next to him, with her doing the same, their eyes briefly meeting. She hid it as best he could, as did he, but both were worried about this bond and both could see that in the other.

The Mercenary turned his gaze back to the Council as he muttered in his beard. "So we are linked…"

"Yes, as is your fate to hers." He nodded and explained. "Together, you two may be able to stop Darth Malak and the Sith."

"But do not let your head be filled with visions of glory and power!" Vrook intervened sternly with a judgemental glare. "Such thoughts are the path to the dark side. The way of the light is long and difficult, as you must learn. Are you ready for such hardship?" He demanded of him.

The DOOM Slayer within snarled and growled in the back of his mind, his royal blue eyes glowing as they stared intently at the elder Master. It was annoying that the man thought so little of him and yet at the same time, the demon was quenched and the mutant demon hybrid resigned himself to the assessment. He would simply let his actions speak for themselves as it seemed that his past ones were not enough. 

"Yes…!" The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer's voice reverberated with confidence and certainty. "I am ready for any challenge that lies ahead."

"Understand that there is little choice in this matter, for you or us." Master Vandar stated with a benevolent gaze though a saddened frown crossed his expression. "Across the galaxy, the numbers of our Order dwindle. We have sent many Jedi in quest of a way to thwart Malak's advance... many have not returned. The Sith hunt the Jedi down like animals, ambushing and assassinating our brothers wherever they are found. We fear it is only a matter of time until they discover even this hidden refuge."

"Other Jedi have fallen from the light and embraced the dark side, giving their allegiance to the Sith and Malak, their Dark Lord," Vrook said with his arms folded and dissatisfaction in his tone.

The Supreme Commander knew well the troubles through which the Jedi Order was going through, his Intel team keeping him and the rest of his troops updated, not to mention the efforts of the Hunters to thwart the Sith assassins. Even if the refuge on Dantooine were to be attacked, the Watchdogs Space Station orbiting the planet would undoubtedly defend them at any cost.

But the lure of the dark was something he also knew, all too well considering what he held within. How he was always fighting against its darker impulses and how it had grown more difficult in the past weeks. "What is making them turn to the dark side?" Dynamo inquired in order to know their perspective and add it to his own.

"The lure of the dark side is not easy to resist." Vrook replied with a hand on his chin and caution in his tone. "Malak's power grows as more and more planets fall to his conquering armies. If Malak is not stopped the Republic will fall, and the Jedi will be hunted to extinction. The galaxy will enter a time of darkness and tyranny not seen for a thousand generations."

"The Council has decreed that you and Bastila must investigate the ancient ruins you dreamed of... once the Council deems you ready." Master Vandar declared definitively.

"Perhaps there you will find some clue, some explanation, of how Revan and Malak were corrupted." Master Dorak offered with a musing even hopeful tone. "And perhaps there you shall find a way to stop them.

The Mercenary gave a nod of understanding, it was only fair in his mind. "I'm ready to accept this mission and everything adjacent to it." 

"The Force flows through you like no student we have ever seen." Vrook looked at him warily with a narrow of his eyes. "But you are willful, headstrong and harbour deep anger within... a very dangerous combination."

"Before we send you to investigate the ruins, you must be trained in the ways of the Jedi so that you can resist the darkness within yourself... within all of us." Master Vandar stated, his aged and knowing eyes only on the Final Knight. "Otherwise you are doomed to fail. We understand that you know how to resist the lure of great power, as demonstrated by your role as Keeper of the Triforce, the greatest power in your homeworld and as Supreme Commander of the Watchdogs." He said understanding before continuing. "But this is a whole new world that you have been thrust into. And you need to understand it from the inside."

"With the greatest power, there must also come the greatest of responsibilities," Dynamo stated knowingly before he bowed to the Council. "As you wish, Master Vandar."

“Excellent.” He said with a pleased nod before looking at the Twi'lek Jedi. “Master Zhar will oversee your training.”

“Thank you, Masters.” The demonic mutant gave another respectful bow of his head. 

“Bastila.” Vandar continued, his aged eyes now looking at her.

“Yes, Master?” She replied with a slight bow of her head as her gaze focused on him.

“The Council is most impressed with your handling of the situation on Taris and of guiding Commander Dynamo to us." He said with a small encouraging smile. "You displayed yourself as a model Jedi Knight, it won’t be long before you become a member of this Council yourself.”

“Thank you, Masters.” The Sentinel gave a nod.

“Your patience and perseverance have paid off.” Master Vrook said, surprisingly pleased. “We have decided you will assist in Dynamo’s training.”

“We believe that the dreams you’ve shared are evidence of a Force Bond, similar to those between a Master and his Padawan.” Master Zhar continued. “Because of this, you will take to training Dynamo as if he were your own Padawan. Perhaps together, you both can draw on each other’s strength.”

Bastila kept the apprehension out of her tone as she gave another nod. “Understood, Master.”

“Follow me this way.” The Twi'lek Jedi said to both as he began to walk. “Your training will begin immediately.”

*****

For combat, the Twi'lek Jedi Master brought them to a large circular training room, with waterfalls pouring down into small little pools at the edges of the room. There were several racks with sparring blades and practice sabres. To the right side of the room, was a doorway that led to a smaller room which seemed to be a changing room of sorts. 

Zhar pointed to the room, instructing. “In there you will find a set of training robes. Once you’ve changed, you may come back out to begin the lesson.”

"I'm keeping these on." He said as he took off his black nanofibertech jacket and gauntlets, leaving his white nanofibertech t-shirt on and black nanofibertech boots. "As much as I respect you and your Order, I am The Mercenary first and an apprentice second."

"Very well then, commander." Master Zhar nodded in understanding before he handed him a training sabre. Which looked like someone had just stuck a long metal rod into the hilt of a lightsaber.

“Bastila tells me you are quite skilled with your own hidden blades, but we use swords when fighting.” The Twi'lek Master said as The Mercenary took the weapon before informing. “You will face Bastila in a sparring match to get an idea of your skills. Then we will work on refining your technique and teaching you how to attune the weapon to yourself through the Force.”

As the two spoke the Jedi Sentinel walked over to them, twirling her staff with expert skill. 

The Final Knight gave a nod to Zhar before he pressed the button on the hilt of his training sabre and the long metal rod, which served as the ‘blade’, lit up a glowing yellow, crackling with energy.

Preferam albastru… sau negru. (I would've preferred blue or black.) He thought as he weighed it in his right hand, getting a feel for it. It wasn’t much different from other swords he’d trained with, but it had been quite some time since his last sword fight, so he knew that it would take a bit to get into the groove.

“Your goal is to either disarm or deliver a killing blow to your opponent.” Master Zhar explained as he took a step back and clasped his hands behind to observe. “Of course it’s only a training sabre, so it will only administer a non-lethal stunning shock.”

Bastila flipped the switch on her hilt and both blades lit up in the same yellow glow before she spun it again and got into a balanced stance. 

The demonic mutant steeled himself, twirling the blade once in his right hand and switching to a defensive reverse grip as he widened his stance a little, sliding his right foot slightly behind and lowering his centre of gravity. He kept his breath calm and focused as the Jedi circled him slowly, studying his stance and posture with fierce silver-grey eyes.

He waited, knowing his strengths, and, for a moment, they seemed at a stalemate. Until she swung at his left abdomen only to be quickly blocked with his blade and he used the momentum of the rotation to aim a spinning left heel kick. The Sentinel rapidly stepped back, expecting to take some time for him to recover, but The Final Knight switched his guard on the right.

Abține-te. (Restrain yourself) Dynamo thought as he breathed out. 

Don’t hold back! The Darkness demanded ferociously and maliciously. 

Man ben richi madrypher! (I will not manifest) The DOOM Slayer side boomed in endless wrath. 

Again, he waited with that same cold calmness and Bastila narrowed her eyes at him. 

This time she aimed for his right ankle, sensing an opening but it was a fake as he jumped over aiming a downward thrust which made her roll out of the way just in time. Before she could stand back up, he aimed a tempered spinning left backhand which connected to the side of her head, only making her recoil back with no bruises. 

Swiftly, the demonic mutant followed up with an upward slash, but the Jedi Sentinel brought up her sabre in time to block and they entered a tense lock. He put both hands on the hilt, pushing down and slowly overpowering her thanks to his far superior strength. 

Do it! The Darkness screamed in the back of his mind. 

Nu! Neer! Both Dynamo and The DOOM Slayer shouted back.

Bastila noticed what seemed to be a lapse in his concentration and broke the lock, making him stumble a few steps and, before he could recover, she slashed upward with the other end of her blade. It grazed him across his chest, making him recoil back, bringing him down on one knee with his head bowed and eyes tightly shut as the electricity coursed through him. Nearly a killing blow, but the Final Knight was still in the battle as he felt the crackling energy of her blade right next to his face.

“Perhaps you’re not as skilled as I thought,” Bastila said with a triumphant smirk, looking for ways to push him, to see if he could get out of an unwinnable situation. 

It was far from over as his royal blue eyes snapped open, the whites filled with blood-red rage and an aura of the same crimson emanated from his whole body. With incredible speed and mobility, The Mercenary weaved out of the trajectory of her blade and brought up his own with a furious shout and such force that when their swords connected, hers went flying out of her hands as she was sent back. Eyes still flaming red, he switched the grip to an offensive one mid-air and brought the tip of it mere millimetres from the Jedi's neck as she stood in momentary shock at the agility and the rage that seemed to seep from his very being.

She's weak! Finish her! The Darkness shouted in the back of Dynamo's mind as he pointed the tip of his blade at her.

Nu! He ground his teeth, breathing intensely from the effort of holding it back, determined not to let it touch her.

I said to finish her! It demanded in an infuriated frustration.

En man stener NEER! (And I said no!) The DOOM Slayer's anger made the Darkness recede once again.

The Mercenary quickly lowered his practice sabre as he stepped back before dropping it to the ground while his eyes shifted to normal. There was an almost mortified expression on him as he caught his breath when the aura receded.

Bastila could only stare for a long moment having witnessed what he had inside, the sheer power and brutality, but most importantly how he kept it at bay and didn't lose himself. Quickly, she glanced with only her eyes to the Twi'lek Master, who merely observed with a careful gaze. Subtly and almost imperceptibly, he nodded to her that they could continue.

One never dropped their guard with a Force user, and it was time to teach The Second Hellwalker that lesson. She used a Force Push to knock him off balance, before bringing her blade back, quickly igniting it again and bringing it down vertically. She expected him to try to dodge away from her, planning to use the second blade to hit him if the initial attack didn't work.

So she was caught completely off guard when the mutant demon hybrid charged forward, his movements simple instinct as he grabbed her robes at the left shoulder and right arm. Then he started to roll back as he applied pressure with one foot at her waist level, flipping her over him and causing the Jedi Sentinel to land hard on her back, knocking the wind out of her while he quickly got up, breathing in and out from the effort of it all.

After a moment of careful consideration, The Mercenary took a few steps and offered a hand, even if he expected her to try and attack again. He hoped not, he was on edge enough as it was by that point. 

She knew that it was over and she was defeated, so she took his hand to stand, asking curiously. "What was that last move?" She asked as she got to her feet. 

"Tomoe-Nage, it translates to circle throw in Basic." He replied somewhat stiffly, fiddling with his left glove. "It's a sacrificial technique from the Kodokan Judo fighting style usually used as a last resort during a battle." He explained as he stepped away from her, his voice quieting at the end. 

"That will be enough for today regarding the combat." Master Zhar called to both of them as he walked closer, kindly gazing between them. "Gather your belongings and head to your chambers. Think about today and we will continue tomorrow." He instructed with a small bow before he took his leave, the two Knights remaining alone in the training room.

Silence set in between them as they glanced at the other, the demonic mutant still having a remorseful look.

"I'm sorry," He said quietly, disturbed with himself. "I… I almost--" He cut himself off, not quite able to say it but he saw it all too clearly in his mind's eye. How he would have thrown the training sabre at the Twi'lek Master to distract him for long enough for him to rip the Sentinel apart with his bare hands.

Something he would never do even in his most savage of moments… but with this Darkness inside… he didn't know… and that chilled him to the void where his soul once was.

"No, Dynamo, I should apologize," Bastila told him with a firm raise of her hand, her voice gentler. "I'm the one who pushed you in that… dangerous state."

"But it's my responsibility to control myself in it." He said with firmness as well, not able to accept it. "So don't apologise" He was still distant as he gathered both their training sabres then placed them on the racks.

Bastila watched him, noting that his stiff motions still held frustration directed at himself. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asked worriedly, having seen and felt firsthand the rage that lurked within him.

The demonic mutant didn't look at her as he walked to where his equipment was. "I got angry and almost lost it." He roughly put on his jacket and slid the gauntlets in his forearms, buckling the straps. "That's all there's to it."

"But you did manage to control yourself." She countered, taking a few steps towards him as he swung on his backpack. "That was an act of willpower. It was a test for yourself. And you passed it."

"I can and have done much better." He muttered in frustration with his royal blue eyes set on her. 

Right as he turned to leave she called to him. "Dynamo, if I may ask, what was that?"

The Mercenary stopped with his hand reaching for the door, his head turning slightly towards her. "The uncaged beast… the unchained predator… the demon worse than demons..." He replied as the door opened. "The DOOM Slayer that is me…" 

And it just closed behind him.

Tomorrow was another day.

*****

'Meditation will teach you to channel the power of the Force. To truly understand the way of the Jedi, you must open your mind to knowledge. Seek wisdom in the teachings of the great Masters of our Order.'

The words echoed in his mind as he read through yet another book that detailed the long history of the Jedi Order.

It wasn't only the power of the Force that he channelled, but his own as well. While The Final Knight couldn't exactly use the Force like a traditional Jedi, he could feel his power evolving for lack of a better word.

More than once did he feel himself accelerate as the world slowed around him or his senses suddenly being even keener. But they were only fleeting moments for now even if they were becoming more consistent. 

Learning the history of the Jedi and more importantly understanding it. The demonic mutant read through countless texts detailing the different aspects of the Force, to understand these changes in him. But he found no mention of a 'Force Bond', which was curious if not odd, yet this was only a fraction of what must be on Coruscant. 

Ar trebui un upgrade de câțiva zetabiți. Am mai multe pe SMI. (They should get an upgrade of a few zettabytes. I have more than this on my SMI) The Mercenary thought as he moved to the next book from his desired stack.

Memorising and understanding the Jedi Code was another extremely important matter, one with which Master Dorak, the Chronicler of the Academy and his Padawan, a green Twi'lek man named Deesra Luur Jada, were more than willing and glad to help.

'There is no emotion, there is peace.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

There is no passion, there is serenity.

There is no chaos, there is harmony.

There is no death, there is the Force.'

He'd also heard of sealed texts, writings and holocrons that had been locked away in the temple on Coruscant because they were deemed too dangerous. The more the Bearer of The DOOM Slayer learned and understood, the more it seemed like they were the architects of their own enemies because of their extreme views on emotion. He could agree with the other aspects of the Code, but the emotion one was hypocritical to him. 

Peace too was an emotion, to be at ease was a state of being. 

The way The Second Hellwalker chose to interpret it, they warned against negative and extreme emotions. 

How can you not be joyous when you accomplish an outstanding deed? How can you not at least feel something in the face of injustice? 

How can you not feel rage when facing demonic corruption...? 

Dynamo fell back on his principle Fifth Freedom. The freedom to do anything to defend the other four freedoms of the living. Freedom of speech and expression, of religion, from want and from fear. Anything for the greater good of existence and if that meant not agreeing with the Jedi on their views on emotion for the greater good of this entire Realm, then so be it.

There was more to the texts though, ones from a more recent history which caught his fierce eyes. Tales of creatures that were born of the dark side, monsters of pure evil. The worst of these abominations was the terentatek, a beast that fed on the blood of those who are strong in the Force. Over the centuries, many Jedi had fallen to their ravenous hunger.

He didn’t like how much this reminded him of the demons he was so accustomed with fighting. Especially those that were of a higher ranking from what he was reading about this terentatek.

A predator and the Jedi were its prey, involuntarily The Mercenary felt the rage boil at that one. Incredibly strong, with a primal cunning and an inborn resistance to the Force. There were theories that the terentatek was a monster bred by the ancient Sith and spread throughout the galaxy to destroy the Jedi. Fortunately, the terentatek seemed to be quite rare. They only dwell in the most dangerous and darkest of places and not one had been seen in nearly forty years.

Yet this was not the first time the terentatek had vanished for long periods of time. Theories suggested that they could lay dormant for years, only to rise and hunt when the power of the dark side waxes full. As such, it was likely that Malak's rise may have woken these creatures from their dormant state. Once the Sith were beaten, it would not be surprising if the Council organized another Great Hunt to try and exterminate them. With him getting the contract for it this time.

So that other Jedi would not suffer the same fate as those who disappeared after the Great Hunt.

Finishing up, he set the books away and let out a long sigh, running a gloved hand back through his hair, his mind swirling from all the information. 

"Master Crokess said I'll surely find you here." A familiar voice, but kinder sounded from the entrance of the archives. 

His head turned and he gave a nod. "Good evening, Bastila." He said amiably but a little tiredly. "Well, he is one of my brothers-in-arms, apart from another. So he knows me fairly well."

"Evening was six hours ago." She said in the same tone with a small smile, seemingly a little different now. More open in a way. "It's almost midnight now."

Dynamo raised an eyebrow and blinked before staring up at the opened roof. "Seems so." He remarked simply as he glanced back down. "You should head to sleep then. I'll come after I try to meditate a little." He said before beginning to walk to the middle of the circular room.

The Jedi Sentinel frowned a little, sensing the turmoil of his mind. "I'll join you." She said resolutely as she stepped after him, a curious thought crossing her mind. "How did you and Master Crokess meet?"

He kneeled in the middle of the room, under the clear starry sky, taking in a deep breath of the cool night air.

"It was during the Mandalorian War, near the beginning of it, when I first came to Dantooine as part of my contract to help the Republic." The Mercenary replied in a reminiscing way, glancing at her as she sat down cross-legged at a respectful distance. "He was actually the Watchdogs liaison to the Council during the war, relaying to us missions that Jedi could not do. You can say that we got our hands dirty so that theirs would stay clean and none would be the wiser."

Bastila nodded, the fact that he had such a close relation to one of her Masters making her respect him more. "Did you do it for the credits?" She asked, knowing what his reputation across the Galaxy was.

"No." Dynamo replied truthfully, shaking his head once. "Those who can't defend themselves come first." He stated as his gaze turned to her near him. "The greater good above all else. Fifth Freedom."

"That's truly admirable." The Jedi Sentinel remarked with a smile. "I can see why someone like Master Crokess respects you so much."

He looked away with a small sigh. "He's a good brother. One of the best in existence." Then he closed his eyes, trying to meditate.

Her silver-grey eyes remained on him, narrowing a little. "Your mind has so much noise, more than it used to."

Royal blue opened and looked at her, giving another sigh. "I know… can't seem to empty it now."

"Close your eyes, Dynamo." Bastila instructed, her voice kinder and softer. "Focus only on my voice. Breathe and feel your own heartbeat, then feel the shape of the room around you and everything in it…"

The mutant demon hybrid nodded and did exactly as she said. Letting her voice take over his thoughts, he found it surprisingly soothing as he listened to his own heartbeat slowing down and was able to feel the Jedi's as well. Then he began to reach out, his senses sharpening by the second as he picked up sounds and scents from outside of the Enclave.

A river flowing steadily, the grass rusting under the slight breeze which made the branches of trees move as well. The growls of kath hounds and sounds of iriaz grazing the planes.

'Tei Slaven ben kar en tuk…' (The Slayer will rip and tear) He mouthed his mantra and chant, nodding with its rhythm. 

From the blackest corners of his mind, it began to creep forth, demanding. The Slayer will slaughter and massacre! 

"Kar en tuk Hust en Vitar…" (Rip and tear Hell and Heaven) His teeth gritted as he felt it try and take him over again.

Slaughter and massacre the Jedi and Republic! It snarled and chuckled insanely. 

His eyes snapped open, royal blue eyes shining brightly and the whites pure. "Kar en tuk du tei exunt…!" (Rip and tear until death)

Slaughter and massacre until the Galaxy's death!

Then they flashed blood red. Ucigașul… Tei Slaven ben… KAR EN TUK VUL!!! KAR EN TUK DU VUL EXUNT!!! (Slayer. The Slayer will rip and tear you. Rip and tear you until death.)

Bastila had watched the entire time, concern welling up in her as she felt the back and forth of two natures, but was relieved to feel that he remained in his normal state. "Dynamo…?" She asked a bit tentatively. 

"Yes?" He glanced at her, once more his three C self. "I'm better now. Thank you, Bastila." He gave a grateful nod as he stood and turned to leave. "I'll see you in the morning. Rest well."

Before she could say anything else, he was gone, leaving her with her thoughts after she whispered. "You too, Dynamo." 

Master Zhar's words crossed his mind as he walked away, figuring that they did apply somewhat.

'A Jedi is never alone – others in the Order will always stand by you. You and Bastila share a special bond. Do not be afraid to turn to her when you need help in your training.'

But the question was, would they stand even when seeing, feeling firsthand what his real self was.

He would find out… sooner or later.

Tomorrow was another day.

A day of many.

*****

Over the next few weeks, Dynamo trained heavily under the guidance of Bastila and Masters Zhar and Dorak. Altogether, the training wasn't physically demanding as much as psychologically taxing, but he adapted his already impressive repertoire at an incredibly rapid pace. 

Bastila's combat training was especially unforgiving, not to mention unable to be done by most beings in the Galaxy safe for the most powerful Masters, and he wouldn't have it any other way. Yet she always offered kind advice and encouragement. He saw a different side of her during his training with her and Zhar. She seemed at home with the Jedi, at ease.

Again, he couldn't help but be reminded a little of himself, before the Watchdogs, before the burden that was placed on him, before the scar, centuries ago

In the present day, the Final Knight did a quick bow before entering the training circle, the Jedi Sentinel waiting on the opposite side brandishing her staff and the Twi'lek Jedi Master observing from off to the side. 

He had done this so many times over the previous weeks, several times a day, in fact, so it became routine and near instinct. Just like swimming. The mutant demon hybrid shook his left arm, then his right arm, gripping the hilt on both of the blades that he held, right normal grip, left reverse grip. 

Finally, he had taken off the massive gravity weights that he had worn for training. He was at his peak, even with the sweat that dripped down the sides of his head, he was just getting started. 

The demonic mutant took a deep breath and flipped each training sabre once as he shifted his stance. He looked more like an athlete ready to run than a fighter before a battle as focused all his senses at once, tuning them even further with the Force. He could hear Bastila's heartbeat clearly, her breathing as he closed his eyes, now focusing on his own.

His eyes shot open and he ran across the room in a blur, that sensation of speed and increased perception washing over him. The Sentinel brought her staff up to block, but he leapt through the air, soaring over her head. Then he landed fluidly against the wall behind her, kicking off with his feet propelling himself further upward in a high arc before coming down with a downward thrust with both weapons. Swiftly and precisely, she spun a Force augmented kick straight into his chest, which made him stagger a little backwards, but he was otherwise unfazed. 

The Last Knight sprung off the ground and stabbed low with one of his sabres but she whipped her staff down to block it and then spun the other end to jab at his jaw. It whizzed past him as he nimbly dodged and delivered a paralyzing palm with his other hand at her that sent her flying backwards. Luckily, Bastila had Force Armor which absorbed a majority of the impact as she backflipped with the momentum and strength of the hit then landed on both her feet, skidding back a few centimetres along the stone floor. 

It was her turn to take the offensive as the Jedi Knight ran forward jumping into the air, her body turning and twirling along with her staff, arching down to meet him. Her staff struck his blades hard, the energy from the training sabres sparkling and crackling. 

Not wasting a second, she drove a hard onslaught of quick strikes, trying to bombard him with a flurry to defend against, but to her surprise, Dynamo blocked every hit she threw at him with uncanny ease seemingly. So Bastila pressed his defences harder and harder, but he met her strikes every time with no apparent effort. 

Seeing that his close combat defences were Adamantine solid, she drew her power inward and pushed him back several steps, then with a twirl of her staff, she sent one end purposefully hard against the stone floor. Immediately as she did, Bastila sent out a powerful surge of energy that coursed through the staff and let out a powerful shockwave. 

The mutant demon hybrid responded by driving both blades hard against the stone floor to anchor himself in place, using his massive strength to his advantage in order to hold his ground.

She looked up to see he hadn't been swept backwards by her wave of Force energy so she concentrated and continued to increase her power, channelling it all towards her opponent. 

He felt her power increase and focused himself on her, royal blue eyes dead set. Time seemed to slow down, he could hear her heart beating against her chest, her intense yet controlled breathing, he could feel the power she emitted wash around him and his own flowing like electricity in his veins.

With a tremendous war cry, he used all of his might to dash through the wave, eyes flashing red with yellow lines as he slid down across the floor and brought his training sabres into her ankles, sending her falling onto her back. 

The Sentinel caught herself and stood, quickly bringing her staff up to block The Mercenary as he leapt forward with both swords. And he proved too fast for her as he swiftly manoeuvred his left blade under her staff as the right one struck atop it. One brought from above, the other from below, in one quick motion Dynamo sent her staff flying and before Bastila could move or even react he brought both blades to her throat.

There was no turmoil this time, his eyes were glowing intensely, but they were glowing royal blue, the whites immaculate. 

She slumped backwards in defeat and let out a deep breath while he let the blades down at his sides and bowed. As he straightened, they locked eyes for a moment and, to his surprise, she smiled. Sheathing the blades, he offered a hand and helped her to her feet as Master Zhar walked forward, clapping his hands enthusiastically. 

"Well done, Dynamo!" The Twi'lek Jedi said with a grin. "You are progressing at an unprecedented rate. I and the rest of the Council are extremely impressed by your display thus far. In a matter of weeks, you have displayed power and fortitude that goes beyond most if not all Jedi Knights."

"Thank you, Master Zhar," The demonic mutant said as he bowed his head slightly. "I appreciate your guidance as well." 

"It is time then." He declared rather cryptically.

Vague, but the Final Knight caught on, the time was just right. "To construct my lightsaber." He stated rather than question. "So I’m finally getting an upgrade," He commented sarcastically and was surprised when the Twi'lek Master smiled in response. 

"Yes, you are." He gave a nod. "And that is why you are about to complete your first task alone."

"What do I need to do?" He asked, ready for anything.

"There is a cave not far from the enclave, about a three-hour hike north from here," Zhar explained evenly and clearly. "Inside there are various Kyber crystal formations and one of those crystals will call out to you through the Force. That will be the crystal that powers your lightsaber." 

"Yes, Master." The Last Knight nodded simply. 

"Be careful in there...!" Bastila said. "Kinrath spiders sometimes make their nests in those caves. They're drawn to the energy the crystals give off."

"As long as they are not demonic and the size of a skyscraper, I'll manage just fine." He commented matter-of-factly, adjusting his gauntlet straps. 

"That I'm sure of,  Dynamo," Zhar said, clasping a hand on his shoulder. "And remember, violence is not always the only option. Remember this in all things." 

"Of course, Master. Fifth Freedom." The Mercenary said with one last bow of his head to both. "I will leave at once."

Chapter Text

Calo Nord's eyes opened to dusty darkness, feeling a bit of pressure on his legs. His goggles adjusted to the low light allowing him to see that there was a slab of permacrete resting on top of his legs. Luckily, his legs were fine as his extremely durable custom-made armour saw to that. The bounty hunter sat up and struggled to shift the slab of rubble off of his legs. It moved slightly and he was able to slip out from underneath. Groaning and creaking sounded all around him and he realized he was still trapped under a pile of rubble, with only enough room to crouch. The built-in interface in his goggles began to map out the wreckage around him highlighting the most unstable areas. It also monitored the integrity of his armour and he was pleased to see that no real damage was sustained to it.  His armour had been custom made out of cortosis alloy, one of the rarest and strongest metals in the galaxy as it was even resistant to lightsaber blades. It had been crafted by one of the galaxy's finest armortechs and, upon completion, Calo had put a blaster bolt in the man's skull to ensure the armour could never be replicated. That very armour had saved his life on countless occasions. He chose the weakest part of the wreckage, moved as far away as he could, and primed a wrist rocket. Carefully, he fired and a small explosion broke open a hole just big enough for him to crawl through. The bounty hunter went through and was surprised when he looked up, seeing the open sky where the ceiling and thousands of other floors should be. Smoke rose in the distance and all around as he looked out on a dark and smouldering city, lifeless and stripped bare. 

How long have I been out? He thought with a frown as he brought up his vitals history on his goggles. Apparently, it had been a few weeks. His armour diagnostics showed it had been giving him steady kolto injections within that time, slowly nursing him back to health. He must have taken a bigger hit than he thought.

The bounty hunter needed a way out of this place as the Ebon Hawk was gone, stolen by Canderous and that other guy. He brought up the video feed from just before he lost consciousness and displayed the picture inside his lenses, pausing and zooming in on the other man's face. Then he ran a facial recognition scan and waited for a result. 

After a few moments, it came back with not one but five matches. The first one said he was a highly skilled mercenary by the name of Georgian Dynamo. The second and third showed a partial match with The Assassin and The Most Wanted, though that was to be expected because there were no good holo images of them. The fourth and fifths results, though, were especially puzzling. 

It couldn't be, could it?

Whatever the case, he realized there was only one thing to do. The Sith would pay a fine price for bringing this man in, and if he was indeed The Assassin and The Most Wanted then he could probably get double for the Jedi he was with. How fortunate then that there just happened to be a Sith battle fleet overhead…

The bounty hunter extended his right arm and a grapple shot out of his armoured gauntlet, snagging on a building across the way. He tapped a button and the line began to reel him in, launching him over an ominous and unforgiving drop. Should he fall, not even his armour could save him. Fires burned as far down as he could see, casting an orange-red glow against the lower parts of the buildings. It made it seem like there was a raging inferno waiting for him below. He hoisted himself up onto the ledge of the other building as he was reeled in, spotting a Sith fighter patrolling in low, heading in his direction. He retracted the grapple and primed it for another shot, crouching low as the fighter neared, aiming his wrist towards the incoming aircraft. He had to time it just right or he would miss his shot. 

Just a little closer… 

The grapple shot out hitting its mark in the underbelly of the fighter and the sharp arrowhead pierced the hull underneath, lodging itself into place. Calo was swept up as the fighter passed, slowly reeling himself in as he was towed behind in the open air. Once he was right up underneath the ship, he reached out and placed a small circular device that tapped into the fighter's comm circuits. Now he could listen in on everything the pilot and command were saying. 

"[No survivors spotted, finishing up my run and returning to port.]" The static voice of the pilot sounded.

And the reply was quick to come. "[Acknowledged. You are clear to dock.]"

The small aircraft swooped up underneath the largest of the battlecruisers. The underbelly of the massive vessel split open by two large sliding panels that spread out wide as if it was some sort of colossal beast swallowing them whole. As soon as the fighter was within the interior of the ship, Calo retracted his grapple and dropped down onto the floor of the hangar.

Within moments he was surrounded by silver armoured soldiers and several tall silver battle droids. Calo held up his hands in a surrendering gesture and with a sly side smile as he requested. "Hey boys, what do you say I get a meeting with your leader?"

"And why would we do that?" One of the soldiers barked, finger on the trigger ready to pull.

"Because…" He started slowly, offering. "I can find the Jedi he seeks. For a price, of course."

*****

As The Mercenary headed out, he noticed the crew was looking antsier by the day. Hopefully, it wouldn't be much longer before they took off to a new destination. Until then, he set off on his journey, leaving the grounds of the enclave and making his way to the edge of the settlement. On his way, he automatically catalogued everything around him with his senses, which he noticed would grow keener every time he focused on them. He could sense each individual along the street more vibrantly than ever before. A shopkeeper arguing with one of his employees, a mother holding the hand of her child, a Rodian merchant selling maps of the area. Well, he had his SMI to guide him, on the off chance that his senses failed him. But that was highly unlikely. The Final Knight walked on instinct to the other side of the settlement, opposite to where Master Zhar instructed him. It was early afternoon and grey clouds had obscured most of the sky, a light breeze swept through the air and flowed through his hair along with the golden-brown grass of the plains as he drew in a deep breath. He left the settlement behind and ventured out into the long grass that stopped just below his knees, walking until he could no longer see the settlement of the enclave. Then he stopped and got on one knee, putting one hand on the ground as he closed his eyes and tuned his senses. The whites flashed red with yellow lines as something tugged at him from the inside. He opened his now pure eyes and looked in the direction as the gears of his mind turned. It was coming from far away, approximately an hour of running at his normal pace. It was no swimming but it would still help him clear his mind.  

With one last deep breath, he took off towards the source, running athletically through the field. He ran for dozens of kilometres, keeping an even pace throughout when his ears picked up something that sounded like scraping, just over the other side of a small hill ahead of him. His teeth gritted as he ran up and jumped off the edge, landing in a dirt patch five meters below with the source of the scraping noise was behind him, but the sound had ceased as he straightened. A deep guttural growl reached his ears and turned to face the pack of six wild furry canine-like creatures which he recognized as kath hounds. He'd heard about them from some of the Jedi back at the enclave, vicious beasts that will attack just about anything on sight as of late. The demonic mutant stood his ground with calm coldness as they formed a circle around him, growling and baring their teeth. The alpha leader was twice the size of the others with a pair of large horns that curved around in a circular shape around its ears. He bared his own predatory canines at them, centring himself and setting his fierce eyes on the alpha hound. It let out a ferocious bark, signalling the attack, and lunged forward swiftly but Dynamo ducked under its jaws, extending his right blade right through its belly, lifting it over his head and then slamming it hard into the dirt. He snarled as he gutted the second hound which had jumped from behind and then waited for the others to come. But they didn't, as they retreated with a frightened whimper into the wilderness. 

Well, that was a fun distraction. He thought sarcastically as he wiped away the blood. 

The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer locked on the sensation again and took off in a rush until he came to a tall cliff face that had a small cave carved into the side. He could hear the harmonious jingle of the crystal echoing from deep within the cave and he stepped inside. It was murky and damp, with no sign of life as he made his way through the narrow passageway of the cave, though he could smell something. He also felt a warmness coming from up ahead, more from within himself than the actual temperature. The melodic chime in his head grew louder as he walked through. He came to a large area in the cave where the roof sloped upward in a dome formation. There was a small hole at the top where the daylight shone through like a divine light from the Ghostly Ether, shimmering off a small pond in the centre of the cave. All around on the walls and hanging from above were clear kyber crystal formations, along with small boreholes from where the strange scent from earlier seemed to come. 

Suddenly, as he walked closer to the pond, all the crystals began to glow white. There was a formation in the centre of the pond that jutted out of the water, these crystals shined brighter than all the others and he was certain these were the ones calling for him. The jagged formation began to dim a little as The Mercenary neared, but the peak began to glow brighter still. His nanofibertech boots trudged through the water until it reached just above his knees. Looking up at all the formation he reached with one hand and using his Adamantine blade cut the shard out precisely as if something steered him. All at once the rest of the crystals ceased to glow, returning to a clear translucent state. His chosen shard of crystal now in the palm of his gloved hand, it turned a dark shade of metallic blue. The demonic mutant twirled it over with an intrigued gaze, feeling the smooth texture and the warmth it radiated. He could feel it somehow connecting to his own being and mind as if it were alive, a part of him.

Right then, a shrill hiss that multiplied over and over pierced the air and he closed his fist around his crystal as several large Kinrath spiders began crawling out of their boreholes. They were grotesque-looking creatures with two insect legs on either side of their bodies. The body itself was sloped upward in a crescent shape where a fifth leg struck out where its face should be and at the end, its leg was adorned with a sharp sickle-like stinger where he could smell the potent poison. They quickly surrounded him on every side, shrieking and hissing in haunting tones. Despite being completely blind, with no eyes of any kind, they navigated by seeing through the Force which was uncommon for a simple life form. The ends of their stingers dripped with poison and even if Dynamo knew that one or several nicks wouldn't kill him, they would surely be agonizing. Remaining calm, cold and calculated, his Splinter Cell nature took over, drawing into himself and the darkness to become as inconspicuous as possible. Royal blue eyes flashed red with yellow lines again as he mapped out a route without disturbing the spiders. Moving faster than before and with great agility, he ran and leapt over the creatures blocking the way, landing with a roll then remaining crouched. They made no motion towards him as he made his way out and they crawled back into the holes they had come from. Back outside, The Final Knight took a moment to breathe, gather his thoughts and refocus. That went rather well in all fairness. It was better to deal with large man-eating spiders that you can avoid rather than demonic ones that rip everything apart on sight and have Goddamn chainguns attached to them. 

The mutant demon hybrid opened his hand to look at his crystal once more, noting that even under direct sunlight it glowed that same blue colour. If he were to be honest, it was remarkable as he'd never seen anything like it before. He pocketed it and set off back towards the settlement. When he finally returned to the Jedi enclave, it was late afternoon and he found the Twi'lek Jedi Master and the Jedi Sentinel waiting for him in the training room. He figured that they must've sensed his arrival. With a rather contented expression but remaining silent otherwise, he took out his crystal to show the Jedi.

"Welcome back!" Zhar said with a smile. "You have passed this trial."

"I figured it was a test," Dynamo gave a nod as he pocketed it again. 

"Yes, but maybe more than you realized," Bastila explained in a more benevolent tone. "Master Zhar told you to go and seek out a crystal cave in the North of the enclave. The truth is, there are many similar caves in that area, but there is only one crystal cave. Despite vague directions, you were able to follow the Force to that location. That is a trait that will be most helpful to you. In time, you will learn how to find what you seek on a planet-wide scale."

The Final Knight gave a nod to her before shrugging lightly. "I'm a good tracker already so this isn't all that new to me. But my senses are keener as a result of it all, my perception's sharper as well."

"It means you are progressing." Master Zhar remarked, admittedly impressed. "For now, it is time to construct your lightsaber." 

The Twi’lek Jedi Master led them out of the training room just down the hall to a little workshop of sorts. There were crafting tables, benches and many cabinets with drawers all arranged neatly about the room.

"All the materials you need to build your lightsaber are in this room." He motioned to it all with a hand as his eyes set on Dynamo. "The lightsaber is a Jedi's weapon, but it is also much more than that. It is an extension of your essence and your personality and as such you must make it yours. There are diagrams on the crafting tables of basic matrix designs so that your lightsaber will function properly. Other than that, the hilt can be designed in any way you want." 

"It may take several hours for you to complete your lightsaber," Bastila added. "If at any point you require some assistance you may ask me or Master Zhar for help."

The demonic mutant simply nodded, though gratefully before getting to work. Over the next several hours, he searched and dug through the various drawers of materials that were available to construct his weapon as well as carefully studying the design matrix before committing it to his perfect memory. 

After he was satisfied with the materials he had gathered, he knelt on the floor and laid them all out before him. His crystal glowed dark blue amidst the scraps of metal and various inner mechanisms of the lightsaber. With glowing royal blue eyes of focus yet closed, his gloved hands took hold of each piece one by one as if guided by an external force. He already had an image in his mind of how his hilt would look and the power matrix within.  Piece by piece, he began assembling his and when he finally opened his eyes, there was his lightsaber, fully complete, in the palm of his gloved hand. His fingers curled around it and the Final Knight ignited it, the dark blue beam of energy extending into a blade and crossguard from the hilt with indents on the silver grip, the rest being metallic black, the sigil of the Watchdogs carved into the hilt at the bottom. He felt the energy from the weapon vibrate in his hand and ears, humming steadily.

"Remarkable." He heard Zhar's voice from behind. "It seems you set your crystal perfectly. It is extremely rare for an initiate to accomplish this the first time they construct their lightsaber. Let alone do it by hand."

"It just felt right, how to set it all in despite me not even handling a lightsaber before, let alone construct or take apart." He said rather modestly, not thinking much of his accomplishment before rubbing the back of his head and asked. "What does this mean?"

"It is time for your final trial." The Twi'lek Jedi Master stated simply as he clasped his hands behind his back. 

"What must be done?" Dynamo asked with a nod of understanding, deactivating his lightsaber and strapping it to his right gauntlet, next to his hidden blade sheathe.

"Not far from the settlement there is a Grove that is strong in the Force." He informed evenly. "Recently, it has been tainted by the dark side. It has driven the kath hounds in the area mad and especially aggressive. You must find the source of the corruption and cleanse it."

A fairly straightforward trial, but one crucial detail was missing and The Mercenary folded his arms as he asked. "What's causing this corruption?" 

"The kath hounds are but a symptom of the true problem." Zhar replied with some mystery to his tone before stating with finality. "You must journey into the grove and confront the true source of the darkness. That is your main task."  

He could almost smirk at the elusiveness, picking it up from a mile away as he tilted his head slightly to the side, but not looking down at the Master despite him being visibly taller. "You know more than you're telling me…"

"Perhaps." The Twi'lek Jedi nodded with a small, somewhat sly grin before becoming fully serious once more. "Remember, there is always more than one way to solve a problem and the one that bears the best results may not always be the most obvious choice." 

Only in hindsight would the choice be obvious, but the mutant demon hybrid had somewhat of an advantage here thanks to his principle of Fifth Freedom, which always encouraged looking for another, hopefully, better option to get the best outcome. "Yes, of course." He nodded briefly. "I am more than aware… but a reminder doesn't hurt I suppose." He mused lowly to himself before asking. "Anything more you can tell me?"

The Twi'lek Jedi shook his head once. "Only to rely on what you have learned, and may the Force be with you."

He sighed for a moment as he remarked. "Cryptic as always, Master Zhar…"

"Would you really expect anything else?" Zhar said with a slick smile. 

He feigned thinking of it for a moment. "Honestly, no."

Suddenly the Jedi Master took a step forward and put his hand on his shoulder. "You've done well, Dynamo." He said, his voice taking a serious tone. "You have the potential to be greater than many Jedi even if you cannot wield the Force as they do. However, not everyone in the Order is going to see it that way." His voice lowered a little, The Mercenary having an idea of who he was referring to as he continued. "Some members of the Council take an overly rigid view of the code." Then he emphasized every word, almost ordering The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer. "You must follow the path the Force guides you on, regardless of what others around you may say."

He gave a determined nod as that was what he planned to do anyway, but he was curious about his intentions so he asked. "Why are you telling me this?" 

"I'm afraid the cards are stacked against you." He admitted in reply with a small sigh. "You will have to prove yourself more so than normal initiates and Padawans. The Council is taking a special interest in your progress." A smile spread on his expression as he encouraged. "Trust in the Force, my friend, and you will be fine."

To The Final Knight, that meant to trust in his instincts, something which he always did and had not led him astray thus far. And he knew why he had to prove himself more than the others, he was a demonic mutant, he held the darkest of beings within himself, the demon worse than demons. But all he did was simply nod. "I will, Master Zhar."

He gave him a pat before withdrawing his hand. "Go now. Your trial awaits."

Dynamo bowed respectfully before seeing himself out of the chamber at a brisk pace. He figured that the others needed to get out as well, after so much time cooped up in the Enclave. Sure, it was peaceful and serene but one could only have so much until seeking some excitement. Upon reaching the spot where the Ebon Hawk was stationed, he spotted the young Twi'lek and her Wookiee friend sitting on some cargo crates that had been emptied, with the larger of the two munching on a grilled iriaz leg.

"Greetings, you two." He said amiably as he stopped near the two, his hands resting on his hips.

Mission looked at him with a smile, jumping to her feet. "Hey, Dynamo!"

Zaalbar growled in greeting through a mouthful of meat. 

"So, what do you say?" He asked with a rather knowing look. "Wanna step out of the Enclave and stretch your legs a little?"

"What, you're done with all the Jedi stuff?" She asked curiously, if not excitedly. 

He shook his head once and explained. "No, I still have my final trial, probably a few more until then, but I won't mind company on the way there."

"Oh, sure!" She nodded readily before motioning with a hand. "Come on, Big Z! Time to work out all that food you stuffed…!" She teased a little as she followed in Dynamo's footsteps. 

The Mercenary shook his head once, admittedly amused by the two, but in an endearing way. There was still no smile on his expression, despite it seeming less cold and hardened. 

They walked through the courtyard outside the Jedi Council Chambers heading east to the enclave exit leading to the Outer Courtyard, where a Jedi droid was standing to the left. His stride slowed as he noted it, seemingly scanning him.

"The Council has decreed you may come and go as you please." The droid stated to the Final Knight as they approached.

He simply gave a nod before the wooden doors slid open and they came out of the Jedi Enclave at the south end of the outer courtyard. Like usual, his senses reached all through, catching bits of information as they passed, overhearing the casual conversations of the various people and putting pieces together.  Some were concerned that the Sith were beating the Republic, with fierce fighting coreward, and they didn't understand why the Jedi Council was 'hiding' as they put it. One of the Masters had been wounded during training, by their own apprentice and around the same time, the kath hounds had become more vicious. On top of that, Mandalorians were apparently raiding the farms around the Enclave. There was plenty to be done, and the Supreme Commander knew of the first and last one thanks to the updates from his undercover Intel team operatives.

A human male Jedi with receding, greying hair was standing on their left to the northeast, just before the path to the north. He was wearing pale, almost white robes as he stared out at the grasslands and hills beyond with his hands clasped behind his back. "It is good, sometimes, to stop and reflect on the beauty of nature and the Force." He commented idly with a content look as the three walked.

The young Twi'lek and her Wookiee friend slowed their pace as they looked at him confused, while The Mercenary looked at him with intrigue while stepping closer.

"I am sorry, I tend to get carried away…" The old Jedi said with an apologetic smile as he turned to them, nodding to the pair but with his eyes on Dynamo. "I do not believe we have met, apprentice." He gave a small but respectful bow of his head. "My name is Nemo."

"Georgian Dynamo. The Mercenary." The demonic mutant returned the gesture as well, despite towering over. "An honour."

"Ah, yes, of course." Nemo nodded and mused. "With your affinity and connection to the Force, it's a wonder why we didn't offer you the training necessary. But that is the Council's debate, not mine."

"To be honest, I only discovered it fairly recently." He replied with a small shrug. "It's pretty new to me, but for as long as one lives they must also learn."

"Ah, true words of wisdom." The Jedi said with a smile. "It's very promising." 

"Now, I must be going." Dynamo stated as he turned. "I have a trial to complete." 

"Remember, no one is irredeemable." Nemo called to him as he prepared to leave. "That is a lesson you must know all too well."

His brow furrowed for a moment as he was unsure how much he still believed in that because some beings were simply irredeemable, no matter how much he tried. Even so, a part of him still had that hope while the other expected the opposite. Nonetheless, he gave a nod.  "Thank you for the advice, Master Nemo. Stay safe."

"I hope your time is well spent here on Dantooine." He said as the Final Knight left with his companions. "May the Force be with you." 

As the three walked, there were two settlers that sat on a bench to the side, conversing when they suddenly stopped at the sight of them, The Mercenary especially. 

Quite eagerly but somewhat apprehensive as he took a second look, the man approached him with a slightly strained but friendly smile. "Greetings, friend. I think I can safely assume you are a member of the Jedi Order. Has the Council agreed to hear our petition?"

That was to be expected for the mutant demon hybrid from the moment he set his lightsaber at the ready as he did have the look of an experienced Jedi, though his rage full aura was more akin to a Sith. "I am merely an apprentice. You can call me Dynamo." He said with a raise of his hand, not wanting to speak with authority that he didn't have yet while Mission and Zaalbar hung back for this one. "Who are you?"

"My name is Gar." He pointed to himself, then to the one beside him. "Me and my fine wife Rilka here..." 

"A pleasure." She said with a small smile and nod before her husband continued to explain.

"... live on one of the northern farms. But the kath hounds and the Mandalorian problem have been getting really bad of late, and we're here to ask the Jedi Council to help."

The Mercenary gave a nod of understanding as he folded his arms. "I see. Mandalorians and kath hounds?" He asked, figuring that he could handle both, especially with the two backing him up.

"Recently the kath hounds have been acting much more aggressively." The settler explained. "They've even attacked some of the settlers! Those Mandalorian raiders have been milking the outlying farms dry, too…" He scratched the back of his head as he muttered. “I hear Jon got hit really bad... Too bad about his daughter, she got killed when their farm was raided and he's been taking it pretty hard. I'm not sure exactly what the Council will do about it, but we need some help with this. I only hope they'll listen to me…" Gar trailed off with a long sigh as Rilka placed a hand on his shoulder. 

It was as the Intel team had informed him. Ever since the Republic beat them years ago, little groups had been roaming all over the place. With the Sith invasion, the Republic didn't have the manpower to hunt them down and the Jedi were even worse off because Malak had been hunting them specifically. And the Watchdogs were split, a large majority of the fleet stationed at Forward Operating Base Semper Whiskey had been deployed to support the Republic and the staff stationed on the Dantooine Space Station were occupied with guarding the entire planet.

That left very little room for action, meaning that the settlers were exposed, especially if the Dark Lord was covertly funding these raiders, which would deter the Jedi from facing them directly. 

Yet that also meant that the Last Knight was perfect to deal with them. "I understand." He said with a firm nod as he promised. "You have my word, we will deal with them."

"Thank you. Farewell, then," Gar said by a slight bow of his head. "May the Force be with you, is that how it goes? Yes, may the Force be with you."

"For as quiet as it looks, Dantooine is not that peaceful it seems." Mission remarked with a glance after they had moved on.

"During war-time, even so-called safe heavens face hardships." Dynamo replied knowingly and with determination laced in his tone. "And it's up to us that those seeking refuge feel safe, by dealing with the internal problems as well as defending from the obvious external one."

"You! Jedi!" A man seething with anger called out as the three approached the intersection that led to the outskirts. "How dare you sit comfortably on your ass inside the Enclave while claiming to protect us from the Mandalorians that are killing us? Protectors? Ha! My daughter's blood is on your hands, false idol!" He shouted out as he stomped in front of them, getting in The Mercenary's face as he spat. "Ilsa had twice the spine you cowards do when she stood up to those brutes."

He looked down at him with a clearly displeased expression, speaking lowly and coldly. "I'm no Jedi.” Suddenly he grabbed a handful of him and sneered in his face. “So shut up before my patience runs thin and I take my rage at the Mandalorians out on you…!" He set the one who he was sure was Jon down. "Got it?!”

The man just stood in frozen shock, his face blanched as the three walked away with the demonic mutant in the lead once again.

“Hey, um, Dynamo…?” Mission asked a bit reluctantly as she caught up to him. “You weren’t seriously gonna hurt him… right?”

“No.” He shook his head and replied succinctly. “But he was in the second stage of grief. Anger. It is the most dangerous one apart from the fourth.” 

With that, he closed the subject, one that he had plenty of experience in based on the tone he used. They went over a small bridge across a river which separated the courtyard from the plains to the south and east just as a landspeeder was coming in. When the woman that drove it saw The Mercenary, she immediately slowed down to an abrupt stop and hopped off the bike, walking over to him at a quickened pace yet hesitating once every few steps. She stopped a ways from him, staring up at the demonic mutant as she mustered up the courage to address him.

"Greetings, young Jedi, I wonder if you could assist me." She spoke, a bit reluctantly. "I seem to have lost my... companion, you see..."

Dynamo gave a nod in greeting of his own before his arms folded and placed a hand on his chin, inquiring. "Your companion?"

She nodded and explained. "We were working on my farm to the north of here." She pointed in the distance in the general direction. "I was working in the garden outside, and he was working inside. I heard the door to the house open, but not close. I went to see and found it wide open!" Her tone became more and more frantic. "I searched everywhere, and could not find him! I worry so much. I need him back so badly. I wonder if he…" She trailed off as her breath hitched.

He could sense the weariness and see the desperate worry, rubbing his chin a little, The demonic mutant asked. "Does anyone hold a grudge against him?"

"Not that I know of... Er…" She shook her head before cleared her throat a tad nervously and continued in a lower voice. "None of my neighbours really know he's there." She began to pace as she thought out loud. "Maybe it was the Mandalorians... or maybe kath hounds. But... no… Kath hounds are not intelligent enough to open doors. Although they have been more vicious lately... No, it must have been someone who could open the door by himself." She stopped as she remarked in realisation. "Come to think of it, the door was locked!"

This was getting more intriguing by the moment, the gears of his mind turning as he inquired. "Could someone have bypassed the lock?" 

She shook her head. "No, the door was undamaged and showed no signs of tampering…"

"Then could it have been opened from the inside?" He followed up the question, trying to make an image in his mind. 

"Well…" She thought for a second, before nodding. "Yes, it could have. But he had no reason to run away!" She rushed and a word slipped from her lips. "His programming…"

"Wait, your missing companion is a droid???" Mission, who had been quietly listening, asked in surprise and even shock.

The woman hesitated a bit as she glanced back and forth between them. "Well... yes... he is a droid. But he is very valuable to me all the same! He is the last piece of my poor, passed-away husband that I have left. He is very dear to me, my precious is. I don't know what I'd do without him! He's the only companionship I have on all of Dantooine!" The desperation was visible from a mile away.

This was certainly strange for The Final Knight and he could even consider it unhealthy,  depending on the circumstances. "You live alone with this... droid?" He asked carefully, reassessing the situation. 

"He is a personal assistance droid." She explained, fiddling in place. "My husband was a genius at constructing droids. He made this one capable of taking care of me for the rest of my life. As the last legacy of my husband, for my own personal ease of mind, I need him back! His absence gnaws at me like a gaping wound. Please, I beg of you, return my droid to me!" She took a few steps almost reaching to cling onto him, but drew away at his rage-filled yet calm and cold gaze.

"I will help you find your droid." He said simply in order to calm her down.

"Thank you!" She nearly exclaimed gratefully. "Thank you, Master Jedi! If you find him, please send him home to me. I need him so much!"

With a simple nod, The Mercenary walked off, letting out a long sigh after they were away from her.

"So, that just happened." Mission commented to break herself out of it.

"Doesn't sound like a healthy relationship for her. She's clinging on when she needs to let go." He said knowingly. 

"Will you still help her?" She asked curiously.

"I said I will, didn't I? Let's go...!" With that, the group of three walked into the plains of Dantooine.

Chapter Text

They headed south out of the enclave when suddenly the roar of a lone kath hound sounded from the ridge on their left. The rest of the pack came out of hiding and ambushed them, the alpha heading right for The Mercenary with its claws and fangs.

He rushed it and managed to catch it midair by its throat before igniting his lightsaber with a sear right through its ribcage and instantly killing it.

The Wookiee used his massive strength and stature to his advantage, lifting two of them off the ground and throwing them into the rocky wall below the ridge with loud cracks. Another hound jumped at him from behind, but the young Twi'lek ran her signature vibrosword through it. The last hound roared and lunged for both, but Dynamo hastily threw a grappling hook at it and pulled it towards him, before slashing it clean in half.

"There's definitely something wrong with them." The Final Knight mumbled concerned as he looked over the corpse of one of the kath hounds, sniffing after taking a knee. "They've been corrupted by something, someone."

"How can you tell?" Mission asked curiously as she looked over his shoulder. "Some super smelling Jedi power or something?"

"No, it's part of my abilities." He replied after shaking his head once, tapping the side of his nose. "I have enhanced senses, which includes smell." 

Her face lit up and she nodded in understanding. "Oh, kinda like Zaalbar?"

"Yes, kinda like him." Dynamo gave a nod of his own as he got to his feet. "Let's move…!"

They continued down to the southwest corner, taking them to the west end of the Matale Grounds. As they walked the path, they noticed that there were two landspeeders to the east along with a Mandalorian in blue armour, accompanied by three Duros warriors who were having a not too friendly conversation with an old farmer in modest robes.

"You've been holding out on us again." The Mandalorian shouted, aggravated as he violently grabbed the farmer by his collar. "Since you haven't given us enough money, I guess we're going to have to take it out of you piece by piece!" 

"No! Please!" The man begged as his knees went weak and he hung from his grip, lips quivering. "Take my wife and children instead!" 

Without a moment of hesitation, he raised his blaster pistol to his head and pulled the trigger before dropping the body at his feet.

"Ha-ha! Mmm… Wife and children. Sounds like a good idea…" He mused delightedly as he looked at his victim through his T-shaped visor, running his fingers along his pistol.

Suddenly, a dark metallic blue crossguard lightsaber flew past him, his armour managing to protect him and it went right into the neck of one of the Duros, killing him instantly. Surprised, the Mandalorian looked behind him and only caught a glimpse of the demonic mutant that ran his hidden blade clean through his chest armour and coming out the other end. The remaining Duros aimed as Dynamo retrieved his lightsaber swiftly, beginning to nimbly dodge and deflect their bolts, drawing their fire to provide a clear opening for Mission and Zaalbar. She ran one clean through while he picked the other up and threw him against the speeder in full force, knocking it to the side as the alien's body crumbled. With a mutual nod, The Mercenary went and searched through the belongings of the Mandalorian, quickly finding a datapad.

Jarg, did you remember not to take the XT-model bike out today? There was something funny with one of the intakes, and I thought it could jam.

Ha! Consider yourself lucky! If someone was dumb enough to take that thing out he would have ploughed right into the ground within a kilometre.

Good to know in case he ran into their camp. The group continued on their path and into the area near the grove. He picked up the scent in the air along with the distinct sound, a river ran from north to south to the east of where they were with a bridge crossing over. As they approached it, The Final Knight could sense that someone was beyond it, a Jedi along with two other human males and a droid.

"Welcoming committee?" Mission asked curiously with a glance as the Twi'lek Jedi walked closer to the group.

"We'll see." Dynamo replied succinctly as they stopped before each other, exchanging a nod of greeting.

"Apprentice, your arrival here is well-timed." The Jedi said to The Mercenary, smiling amiably as he bowed respectfully, despite his higher rank within the Order. "I am Bolook, a Jedi from the Enclave. "I was sent by the Jedi Council to investigate a killing that took place here a few hours ago." He explained evenly, arms clasped behind his back. "Communication does not pose a problem, as both the suspects and I speak Basic and Huttese. I was going to handle this case myself, but now that you are here this could be an excellent opportunity for you to demonstrate how well you have been learning your lessons at the academy. Though you are not yet a full Jedi, perhaps you could assist me in sorting out the truth from the lies."

That was right up his alley as he could pretty much smell when a person was lying thanks to subtle changes in their bodies. He simply nodded and asked. "What do you want me to do?"

"Listen to the stories given by the two suspects," Bolook instructed as he turned and led the ground to where the others were. "I have brought an information retrieval droid with access to the archives both at the Jedi Enclave and the planetary capital. I will use my wisdom and experience to offer you some guidance, but I will not solve the case for you. There is little benefit if you do not solve this problem yourself. Consider each man’s account and check the facts with the information droid. Once you have gathered all the evidence you think you need, run through the possible scenario with me. If you are unable to come to a satisfactory resolution, then I will take these men to the Enclave and deal with this myself." He stated in warning.

Walking into the west bank, he spotted the two men and the information droid. 

"According to the accounts of the participants, these three men were out here in the field together earlier, before the clouds broke." The Twi'lek continued as they stopped at some distance from them, turning to the demonic mutant. "I find that very odd, for most people would seek shelter indoors when the sky is filled with dark storm clouds as it was earlier today. But that is not the most puzzling aspect of the case. The dead man, Calder Nettic, was shot in the back with a blaster rifle. A rifle was found lying near his body with bloodstains on it. It has been sent back to the Enclave for analysis. Two other men were found at the scene when I arrived. One was Handon Guld. He was unarmed. The other was Rickard Lusoff, who was carrying a hunting laser. Both men say they did not do anything, and that they came across the body. But both also accuse the other. Obviously, there is more to this than what we have been told."

Dynamo took all of the information in and sifted through them, creating various possible scenarios in his mind already, running through every possibility. "Is there anything else I should know?"

"There is one last thing." He held up a finger and informed. "When I arrived Handon was holding his side and Rickard was favouring one of his legs. You would do well to remember this as we progress through the case. If there is anything else you need, I will remain here while you question the witnesses."

"Very well then." The demonic mutant nodded before he turned and signalled for the two with him to wait until he was done solving the case. He figured that he should be done within the hour, considering both suspects were here and he had access to all the information he needed. 

Nonetheless, he didn't take anything for granted while walking over to the body of the murdered settler which lay in a cordoned-off section to the east, by the river bank. He took a knee next to the victim and looked him over, using his gloved hands to move the body carefully as he examined the wound. Calder Nettic. Blaster shot to the back. His eyes moved to the weapon next to the body and he picked it up, lifting it to his nose and sniffing. Blood on the blaster. Not his? Hm. Noted. After finishing the preliminary inspection he walked over to the first suspect, Handon Guld.

"Ah, greetings." The rather athletic man who seemed to be favouring one side said with a small friendly smile but a formal tone. "You must be assisting Master Bolook in his investigation. I am Handon Guld, perhaps you've heard of me?"

"No." The Mercenary shook his head, only one interest in his mind as he folded his arms. "Just tell me your perspective."

"I shall tell you, of course, but there is not much to it." He stated with a nod, quite sure of himself and the account he would give. "I am sure that you'll agree that Rickard is quite obviously guilty of murder. You see, I was out here running earlier today - yes, running, I do that a lot. Can't stand speeders, never use them. Keeps me in shape too, you know! Anyway, I was out running on the other side of that bridge there... When, all of a sudden, I heard a shot coming from over here. I ran over and found this man Calder lying on the ground dead!" He paused for a brief moment before continuing. "I saw Rickard come skulking out of the shadows of the rocks south of the river, and I knew something was wrong. I hit my emergency button and called the Enclave right away."

At the end of it, Handon let out a long sigh "Well... there, that's my story." He said before requesting quite impatiently. "Now please hurry this up and arrest Rickard so I can get on with my day!" 

Yet the demonic mutant wasn't done, nor was he going to listen and hurry this up. His brow furrowed as he spoke, eyes going to the hand the man held at his side then his eyes. "You're holding your side. Are you injured?"

"In... injured?" He immediately let it down. "No, of course not! Why would I have been? Fit as a bantha! Har har!" He gave a nervous laugh. "Yes... I run. I don't know if I mentioned that."

Minte. (He's lying) Dynamo's senses told him if the man's demeanour and manner of speaking wasn't enough indication. Either way, he spoke calmly with a lift of his hand. "Nothing more right now." 

"Of course, of course." He said, a bit flustered while nodding. "Listen, if you need anything I shall be glad to assist."

The Final Knight nodded himself before he turned to the other suspect, who already had quite the peeved look on him as he approached. 

"Another Jedi, eh? You don't have the look of one but what do I know. Helping that Twi'lek investigate, no doubt." He said crossly with a fold of his arms. "He seems stumped. I'm Rickard Lusoff. Maybe you can figure this out and let me get out of here."

"Keep your opinions about him to yourself," The demonic mutant said, already getting bad vibes from him as he narrowed his eyes and requested firmly. "Tell me what happened."

"Well, I was out hunting iriaz, when I spotted one over here by the bridge." He recounted with some indignation. "I pull out my rifle and aim at it. I couldn't see it that well, mind you, cause the damn sun was in my eyes. So I shoot it and it drops. I walk over here and find Handon standing over Calder's body!" He nearly exclaimed with a slight snarl. "So why don't you get this whole farce over with and send that whiner Handon to the prison he belongs in!"

Now that was a bald-faced lie if he ever heard let alone smelled one. "Bolook said you were limping." He stated before asking. "Are you hurt?"

He paled a bit and scratched the back of his head. "Well... uh... I kind of sprained my ankle running through the bush before I found the body. But it's nothing that serious."

That part was more truthful but he didn't have anything more to gain from him. "Nothing more right now." That was all The Mercenary said before he walked over to the Jedi Master to talk over everything, now that the picture was becoming clearer. "Master, I want to discuss the murder."

"Very well." Bolook nodded. "What have you found, apprentice?"

"Rickard is lying in his account." Dynamo informed him matter-of-factly. "It was cloudy; there was no sun glare. But that doesn't prove his guilt… yet. I'll need to discuss their relationship with the victim to get an idea for a motive from both of them."

"Sounds like a plan of action. I recommend speaking with the droid as well."

The demonic mutant nodded and took his advice, going to the droid. "What can you tell me about Calder and Handon?" He asked with a fold of his arms.

"The Southwood speeder rental business has records that, over the past several weeks, a speeder had been rented by Mr Nettic and Mr Guld." It stated in its usual amiable but robotic tone.

Deci se știau destul de bine de au închiriat un speeder împreună de mai multe ori. Nu este orișicine. (So they knew each other pretty well to rent a speeder together on several occasions. He's not anyone.) The Final Knight concluded before asking for the other pair. "What can you tell me about Calder and Rickard?"

"According to the municipal authorities near the Garang spaceport, there had been news of violent drunken activity in a cantina attached to the port." The droid informed. "Apparently, a Mr  R. Lusoff was making accusations at a Mr. C. Nettic about cheating him in a business deal. Jedi Tooka was dispatched to the scene and restored order."

Am găsit un motiv pentru Rickard. Business. (Found a motive for Rickard.) He thought with a musing expression and a hand on his chin before going to Handon for further questioning. "Mister Guld, did you know the victim?" He asked, hands clasped behind his back. 

"I knew him a little bit, but I was not any sort of great friend to him or anything." He nodded and shrugged with a bit of a wry look. "I never really associated with him that much. In truth, I didn't really want to. He had a... reputation. Very inconsiderate of his family, I heard. But merely having heard unkind things about someone wouldn't make me want to kill him!"

That didn't feel like the whole story, he was avoiding the answer and the matter of the issue at hand here. "Then why have you rented a speeder with him several times across the last few months." He stated with a scrutinising glare. "You knew him better than you admit."

"But I…" He started but stopped himself, trying to choose his words carefully. "I realize this must seem like a motive to you, but I assure you it isn't. I dislike Calder, true. I would punch his face in, given the opportunity, yes." He gave a long sigh before adamantly declaring. "But I would not kill him!"

The scent of the man was odd on that one. He wasn't lying, not entirely, but he wasn't completely honest either. "Tell me the truth. That's all I want." Dynamo said reassuringly and amiably despite the stern expression.

"My wife was cheating on me with him." He admitted with hate seeping into his words. "They slept in my own bed while I was in the next room. But... as much as I may hate him for that, I could not kill him." He said with a heavy sigh. "It may have been my own fault for driving my wife away. I must try not to take the law into my own hands. I was just out running, trying to clear my head for the divorce proceedings, not stalking him to kill him." He emphasised. "Running is not a crime."

On the surface, it seemed a good enough alibi, but even without the senses, such an offence would make many attempt to murder the perpetrator. But with the scent he could tell that he was lying... again. "We'll see how innocent you are in the end," Dynamo stated to him with a glare similar to before. 

Matters were starting to be more clearer as the Final Knight went to the other and asked with the same amiability as before. "Mister Lusoff, did you know the victim?" His hands clasped behind his back, his stature was more imposing.

"Yeah, I knew him." Rickard nodded and informed, not entirely intimidated but a bit apprehensive. "Hell, we've known each other for a good long time. Doesn't mean I really have to have liked the slime-ball." He gave a small sigh with his hands on his hips, looking down. "Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on him... especially now that he's dead. We actually got along pretty well most of the time, just had our... differences. We were actually business partners, involved in some orbit-to-ground transport operations for Aratech."

There was some truth there, but some lies as well, though he would have to discern which was. which. "Listen. I have solid reports that state that you thought Calder was cheating you," Dynamo stated, looking at him carefully to pick up on the subtle cues.

"Now, I don't love Calder, but we go back a long way." He said, suddenly defensive in his tone. "We run a sub-orbital shipping and transport company out of Garang spaceport. We've been partners in that business for well over twenty years, and we've been doing just fine the way we are."

There it was, filling his nostrils, the scent of the lie. "We shall see." Was all The Final Knight said with neutrality before he turned away.

"Right…" Rickard muttered with a slight glare as he watched him go back to the Twi'lek Jedi to discuss the findings. 

The Mercenary made a mental recap of what he knew. Lusoff already had a black mark so to say, because he had lied before. And now he had another one, because he knew the victim well and were business partners though he didn't acknowledge the violent argument they had. Violent most likely, because a Jedi had to be dispatched to quench it. On the other hand, Handon had found him in bed with his wife. Such an action led many times to murderous desire and until proof otherwise, it looked like a good motive to kill Calder.

In fact, both had a good motive. 

After a brief talk with the Twi'lek Jedi, it was time to question them in regards to the murder weapon, beginning with Mr. Guld. "What do you know about the weapon found by the body?" He asked calmly while folding his arms.

"That blaster was stolen from my house last week!" Handon stated with outrage. "I never knew what happened to it. I hardly have enough money to afford a single blaster, let alone another. I can't tell you how important it is to have a weapon on hand with all these ravenous kath hounds around. Even an iriaz can take a man down if it gets in the mood so every settler has a weapon. It's our most prized possession." He gradually calmed down before requesting amiably. "I would most appreciate it if I could have that back after you determine that Rickard is the killer."

With a simple raise of his hand, the demonic mutant accessed his SMI, which he'd linked to the droid that was connected to the Enclave. Looking through and through, he found no record of a missing weapon report filed by the man with the authorities.  Deci nu l-a pierdut. (So, he didn't lose it.) He thought succinctly as he went and took a closer look at the victim, specifically the blaster. He scanned it over with his senses and picked up the scent, however muddied it was there, thanks to the fact that he'd been getting brief bouts of tenfold keener senses. The blood on it had the same signature as Handon. The more he looked around the scene pieced itself together in his mind's eye.

The sky was cloudy and Calder was out while Rickard was aiming from the bushes. Handon was coming, running and dead set on his murderous intentions, shooting first and killing Calder in cold blood. Right after, Rickard shot Handon, thinking he was Calder, after which he panicked and called the Enclave hoping he could convince them he was innocent and Rickard guilty.

"So, what have you determined about the weapon found by the body?" Bolook asked The Mercenary as he came to him, noting the content expression he had.

"The blaster didn't belong to the victim," Dynamo stated with complete certainty. "It's Handon's. He lied about it being stolen."

"So we have caught Handon in a lie." Bolook nodded with a hand on his chin, impressed. "Interesting, but I think we may need one final piece of the puzzle. There was a blood sample on the weapon that had been sent back for analysis just before you arrived. I assume the blood on the weapon belongs to the victim, but I want to be thorough. What have you learned about the blood on the weapon?"

"It didn't belong to the victim." The Mercenary informed him based on his own predatory senses. "It's Handon's blood. He is clutching his side and the scent is the same."

He nodded, thoughtfully. "Hm... Handon has been moving oddly since I arrived... Perhaps we should examine him a little more closely." His gaze moved to Handon and he walked closer.

Without warning, he took the man's hand away from his side and lifted his clothes to inspect him.

"Hey! What are you doing!" He tried to protest but it was too late, the wound was in full view.

"There is blood!" Bolook exclaimed with a glance to The Final Knight. "Handon appears to have suffered some sort of blaster wound to his side. It would seem there is one logical scenario: Handon killed Calder for having an affair with his wife. Rickard was out hunting and accidentally shot Handon after he had killed Calder." He concluded, stepping back and clasping his hands behind his back.

"No, they are both guilty," Dynamo stated firmly, looking between all with fierce royal blue eyes.

"A bold conclusion... one most people would not arrive at." The Jedi looked at him intrigued and silently impressed. "But we are not like most people, we are Jedi. Still, I would like to know how you came to this conclusion."

The Mercenary nodded and went on to explain. "We already know Calder was having an affair with Handon's wife and that Rickard thought Calder was cheating him in business. Both men had a reason to want Calder dead." He declared firmly before continuing as he paced around them. 

"This is my theory of this morning's events: both men knew Calder would be out here this morning and each plotted to kill him. Handon found him first and shot him because of the affair Calder was having with his wife. Shortly after, Rickard arrived on the scene. From a distance he saw Handon and thought it was Calder, so he shot him in retaliation for the credits Calder had cheated him out of in their business. Handon would have dropped his blaster - the one we found at the scene covered in blood. He probably thought Rickard was going to kill him so he called us, hoping he could convince us it was Rickard." At the end, Dynamo stopped his pacing and looked between them again, the accused men staring at him dumbfounded.

"Damn you! Damn both of you!" Rickard said through gritted teeth before being silenced with a raise of his hand and the Force.

"That is enough," Bolook said to both firmly. "The culpability of both of you in the murder - and attempted murder - of Calder Nettic is evident. Additionally, Rickard Lusoff can be charged with aggravated assault and attempted murder of Handon Guld. I place you both under the arrest of the Jedi Order, and will escort you to holding facilities in the Jedi Enclave." He turned to Dynamo with a grateful look. "You have done well here, it is obvious you have been studying your lessons carefully. I will be sure to inform the Jedi Council of your performance in this little test."

The mutant demon hybrid simply nodded as the Twi'lek Jedi took his leave with the two guilty men and the droid back to the Enclave. Running a hand back through his hair, he let out a long sigh while glancing at the Twi'lek, Wookiee duo.

"Wow, never thought I'd see you in the position of a lawmaker." Mission said with a smile and near giggle as she remarked. "It was kinda cool to see you in action. Very righteous."

He said nothing even though his brow furrowed, holding back a beastly hum from the back of his throat. "I am what is required of me." He said succinctly as he turned. "Let's move on now."

They continued travelling east, which led to the Sandral grounds. Just to the west of the east path south to the Sandral grounds were two Mandalorians in blue armour and two Duros warriors, moving among some stones with a landspeeder parked by the west wall. With The Final Knight in the lead, he stopped and observed from a distance, peeking from around the corner and sniffing to locate their enemies precisely. 

"What's the plan?" She asked in a whisper, crouched on his right.

Like always, the gears of his mind turned as he relayed. "I'll throw a stun grenade. That should give you two enough time to take the Duros while the Mandalorians are mine." 

Without hesitation, both nodded in unison that they understood and were ready. From his right gauntlet, he launched a stun grenade right in the middle of the group, with it exploding shortly after. The Duros were both blinded and dazed, but the Mandalorians only had their ears ringing, thanks to their protective visors. Thus the two were able to spot Dynamo springing from his spot running at them. Immediately they opened fire, but the unstoppable Bearer of The DOOM Slayer ran through the shots even as several seared him and plunged his dark blue lightsaber right into the armour joint between the torso and arm, making one of them scream in agony. He flicked it up and left a gaping, simmering wound in the Mandalorian's shoulder as he fell to the ground in agony. Coming up from behind, his comrade swung his Cortosis alloy sword down on him, but the demonic mutant spun and cut into his hand with his hidden blade, the sword clanging to the ground, the fingers still curled around the hilt. The Mandalorian clutched it as the blood rushed out before the Final Knight rammed him through with his lightsaber, lifting his body in the air for a second before slamming him back down.

Shortly after, The Mercenary straightened and looked to his companions as they had just taken care of the Duros. With a mutual nod, his blade retracted and lightsaber deactivated before he went to search the Mandalorians, quickly finding a second datapad.

Jarg went missing in Sector B, then Reeza saw someone moving south of there. Take a couple of troops and find out who it is.

If they look suspicious: terminate .

Reading through, he nearly smirked. They now knew someone's hunting them. Good. They should be afraid of him. Afraid of what he held inside. 

Continuing on, they headed to the east end, which led to the respective ends of the Grove and walked north. When they stumbled across quite the scene, near a standing stone against the north wall between the path north and the cave entrance on the east side of the Sandral grounds, a protocol droid was being attacked by two kath hounds. 

"You got this?" Mission asked Dynamo with a quick glance. 

He was silent as he aimed with his right gauntlet launcher again and sent another stun grenade, colliding with one of the Kath hounds before it exploded in their faces but doing no damage to the droid.

"I believe I do." He said with the ghost of a smirk, his head slightly turned before walking as the Kath hounds fled into the wilderness while whimpering. "Come on."

While it had been downed, the damage wasn't critical, so it was able to lift itself up and look to the group of three that approached him. 

"Thank you for saving me, master Jedi." It said gratefully, a smile in his voice despite the lack of lips. "I am C8-42, a personal assistance droid."

Barely a few weeks part of the Jedi Order and they already called him a master outside of him. He knew it was only respect but, unlike being called Commander or Supreme Commander, master Jedi sounded wrong when attached to the demon worse than demons. 

"Personal assistance droid?" Dynamo asked to confirm his thoughts, arms folding as the two with him kept watch for other Kath hounds… or even Mandalorians and Duros. 

"Yes, a personal assistance droid." It nodded with an appropriate mechanical quality before its head tilted to the side. "Although in recent months the assistance I render seems to have taken on a disproportionate significance."

"You're running from something." He stated, noticing his wording and making the connections, only needing the confirmation.

"From my master, Elise." It informed him with a nod before realizing, eyes brightening with apprehension. "Wait... Did she send you to find me? Please do not tell her you saw me!"

"Why is that?" He asked, intrigued if there was more to this or just more to validate his conclusion.

"Yes... But I have my reasons!" It nodded and rushed to explain. "I'm afraid my owner became a bit too attached to me. Obsessed even. She... she tried to treat me as her dead husband. It was not healthy for her."

The demonic mutant gave a long sigh, glancing down with a hand on his chin. "So it is as I feared and suspected." He murmured in his beard.

"She is obsessed." The droid continued with clear concern. "She rarely sees other people and appears to be fixated on me as her husband. She was becoming more and more insular... I thought it best that I leave. She may meet other real people this way. In fact, that was the reason I came here and sought out those kath hounds."

He could understand the reasoning behind its actions, which made him surmise. "You sought them out. That way you would no longer be a factor and it would get her to move on." 

It nodded and looked at Dynamo with one last request with hopeful bright eyes. "Please... will you destroy me?"

"Alright." He nodded and took slow steps closer, his lightsaber igniting. "As you wish… Să te odihnești în pace." (May you rest in peace) Were the last words before he ran the sabre and ran it through C8-42's torso.

Its eyes began to flicker as the dark blue blade was turned off and he fell limply into his grip. "Thank you, kind sir...!" It stammered and began to power off, its voice fading away as it was lowered to the ground. "You have my eternal gratitude…"

With a heavy sigh, The Mercenary straightened, glancing back to the two others. But there was nothing that was needing to be said, with him merely nodding that they were set and ready to move on. He led the way to the west and finally south of the North East Path. 

There they came across two Mandalorians with the same blue armour of the normal soldiers and four Duros Warriors by landspeeders in the south corners, with a wrecked landspeeder to the southeast, blocking the way into the deeper groove. Out in the open and with little time to spare before getting spotted, the demonic mutant rushed the Mandalorians before they got a chance to react, leaving the Duros for Mission and Zaalbar. He rammed his shoulder into one, ramming his left hidden blade right through the armour of his chest, while he deflected several blaster bolts from the other with his dark blue lightsaber. Keeping the moment, the Final Knight delivered a swift kick to his helmet that rattled his brain and sent him staggering back, before thrusting his lightsaber into the Mandalorian's shoulder joint, twisting and slashing oblique and upward, killing him. Dynamo glanced with only his eyes and saw the last Duros coming up behind the Wookiee. Using his grappling hooks from his left gauntlet, he quickly pulled the Duros towards him and slashed his torso apart. Zaalbar growled gratefully and the mutant demon hybrid replied with a short nod. They were getting closer to the source of the taint, the Bearer of The DOOM Slayer sniffing the air and looking to the path the six were blocking. With a motion of his hand for the two to follow his lead into the groove.

Chapter Text

The evening was beginning to stroll forth over the region, bringing with it a rosy sunset that accentuated the sky while the air around them had cooled down substantially and a light breeze licked the air. 

"Wait here." He said to Mission and Zaalbar with a glance, stopping for a moment. 

"What, why? We can help." She protested with her hands on her hips.

"Yes, you can, but this is my trial." He gave an incline of his head and amended, eyes burning intently as they set on the groove. "I have to do it alone." 

"Oh, Jedi stuff." The young Twi'lek nodded genuinely, smiling encouragingly. "Okay, I understand. Good luck!"

While The Mercenary walked on deeper into the groove the Wookie gave a roar of a similar quality. 

The Ancient Grove was a place strong in the Light Side of the Force, a place of tranquillity and peace that Jedi would often use to meditate and to focus themselves before and after being deployed on a mission. Now though, an overwhelming amount of vicious kath hounds had taken up residence in the grove, preventing many younglings and Padawans from being able to focus their power there. Just as Master Zhar had said, the demonic mutant sensed a dark presence here as he walked through the tangle of trees that provided a sheltering canopy of leaves overhead.  Throughout the area, there were stone meditation circles constructed hundreds of years ago by previous Jedi. Statues of hooded figures were scattered about the area and a clear reflection pool in the centre of the grove. The stone structures and statues here looked old, with a worn mossy texture to them. A conspicuous quiet filled the area and there were no kath hounds around that he could see. But he could smell them, along with another, unknown scent. He cautiously walked over to the reflection pool, his padded nanofibertech combat boots not making a sound. The water was still like a glass surface and clear as he stared at his reflection. He wasn't much different than when he first arrived, his beard and hair had been trimmed a little, better maintained. His royal blue eyes exuded calm and serenity, yet deep within forever burned the rage of The DOOM Slayer. And that same Darkness, but thankfully it had been quiet for the past weeks. Probably thanks to the positive effects of the Jedi. Or was there something more 

Suddenly, he felt a cold chill run through the air and he stood up as he sensed the unknown scent drawing nearer.

"Who dares enter my sanctuary?" A chilling female voice whispered through the air as if coming from all directions. 

His voice was unwavering as he replied with his own question. "Who are you?"

"Leave this place… unless you've come to die…" The shrill voice responded succinctly.

"I'm afraid I can't die, miss." He informed her matter-of-factly before asking rather amiably. "What is your name?"

She ignored his question as her whisper grew colder still. "So be it. Death it is."

Suddenly, the Final Knight saw the reflection of several pairs of eyes twinkling back at him through the shadows of the grove. Deep growls began to emanate from the kath hounds lurking, their eyes of a yellowish tinge to them as they walked towards him from all sides. He ignited his lightsaber, the dark blue beam of energy humming and lighting up the area, burning like his fierce royal blue eyes.

"Fine." He mumbled in his beard. "We'll do it the hard way then."

The wild beasts surrounded him, growling through gritted teeth and salivating at the mouth. No more responses came from the mysterious voice as he prepared for the inevitable attack. 

"Hai, s-o facem și pe asta." (Come on, let's do this as well.) Dynamo muttered to himself with a breath of deep focus. 

Just then one of the wild beasts lunged forward snapping its jaws towards his leg. He swung his lightsaber to counter the blow, the blue beam of energy searing through the creature's jaw, severing it from the rest of the body. The large animal slumped to the ground, shrieking and howling before The Mercenary stabbed down with his weapon through its skull, ending its suffering.  The rest of the pack was undeterred however and three of them began to move in together for a simultaneous strike. He responded with a powerful spinning heel kick at the one behind him, snapping its neck backwards, then stabbed at the one to the side with his hidden blade cleanly through its skull before slashing forward at the last one as it lunged at him, severing the head from the body in one swift motion.  Making use of his grappling hooks again, he grabbed the other two kath hounds and launched them clear across the other side of the reflection pool. Their bodies struck against the bow of the tree and fell to the ground motionless.  The last two kath hounds let out a shrill bark and barreled towards him from opposite sides through the air. Brow furrowed at the pincer strike, he rushed one with his lightsaber, cutting straight through the middle of it and then ducked under the other, gutting it with his adamantine blade while covering himself in blood.

He straightened and looked around, keeping a firm grip. "Are you done now?" Dynamo called out to the darkness with a chilling calm yet honest in his offer. "Why not come out so we can talk?"

"Be careful what you wish for…" The mysterious voice sounded closer and he turned his gaze as he could now pinpoint the direction. 

The water had turned jet black and rising from it was a humanoid female figure, now walking towards him. She wore a tight-fitting suit with a long tattered battle skirt flowing down from the hip. Her skin was covered in short light tan fur and her yellow eyes had a feline quality to them, same with her ears were pointed and the longer fur on top of her head had been combed down the back of her scalp. 

Dynamo recognized her as a Cathar, a race of humanoid feline people native to a planet on the Outer Rim. She stepped completely out of the pool and stood only a few meters from The Final Knight. 

She looked young, maybe late teens or early twenties as she pulled out a lightsaber from her belt and ignited a crimson glowing blade as they stood regarding each other for a moment, both studying their opponent.

Suddenly her face split into a spiteful snarl. "I will be your doom!" The Cathar shouted, filled with hate as she brought down the blade on the demonic mutant.

He quickly blocked the strike, tempering his strength as a barrage followed. Their blades locked and banged off each other over and over as she used her full strength to try and push her back, but even with The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer holding back it was clear he was far superior to her. La asta se refereau. (This was what they were referring to) He thought as he parried her blow and delivered a swift elbow to the Fallen Jedi's chest, knocking the breath from her lungs. Don't kill. Incapacitate. He followed up and delivered a roundhouse kick that sent her to the ground.

But he stopped and didn't attack any further as he could see her breathing heavily and gripping the handle of her lightsaber tightly.

With a scream of anger, the young Cathar leapt into the air with a spin, whirling her red blade through the air as she came down on The Mercenary.  Yet he was ready for anything, his mind thinking many steps ahead, so when she threw at him an onslaught of furious barrages, he blocked and weaved through all of them with uncanny ease. Analyzing her fighting style, he noted that it was powerful with clear potential and talent, but full of uncontrolled rage. She unleashed a blast of Force energy from both hands that sent him flying backwards, but he had gone with the momentum. He turned mid air before grabbing the ground with one hand and sliding for several meters then coming to a stop. He looked up to see the Fallen Apprentice running towards him, lightsaber back in her hands so he leapt to his feet and rushed towards her. Just before they met, she suddenly disappeared right as he grabbed the air, swiftly stopping after and sniffing the air. She was nowhere to be seen, but now he knew her scent and he never forgot it.

Suddenly her voice filled the air with a sinister cackle, but there was no cracking of the cold and calm demeanour of The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer. 

"So you want to play hide and seek? Should've just asked, though I must warn that I am a tracker." He called out as he looked in the direction where the source of the scent was subtly.

"You want to play games?" The Cathar hissed in the frigid air. "How about a game of cat and mouse!"

Just as she spoke the last word she reappeared behind him, thrusting her blade, aiming for his head, but The Final Knight dodged, letting the blade go past by mere millimeters before he grabbed her arm and threw her over his shoulder. She landed on the stone floor with a crack, the lightsaber flying out of her hand, and remained there as his looming shadow towered over her. 

Triumphant.

She painfully rolled to the side. "You... you are strong." She said in a strained tone, shocked as she struggled to get up. "Stronger than me, even in my darkness." She remained on her knees, clutching her right side, her eyes watching him from beneath her brow with a mixture of rage and awe.

"Who are you?" He asked in a calm voice since he needed to know more in order to bring her back from the brink.

"I am Juhani, and this is my grove." She declared with hostility, snapping at him with bared sharper teeth. "This is the place of my dark power. This is the place you have invaded. When I embraced the dark side, this was where I sought my solace. It is MINE!"

If he were to be brutally honest, her dark power was fairly weak when compared to the demon worse than demons. Not to mention that there was something more here to this fall, apart from the fact that she could be brought back from it.

In a way, it was a test and lesson for both.

"You embraced the dark side? Why?" Dynamo asked with hints of compassion in his cold tone. 

"When I slew my Master, Quatra, I knew I could never go back." She recounted with resentment,  her sharper teeth gritting for a moment. "And now I revel in my dark power. Power enough to crush the life from someone such as you... or so I had thought…" She trailed off, hanging her head low in defeat and shame, not daring to look up at him.

"How did you slay Master Quatra? What happened?" The demonic mutant asked as he took a knee in front of her. Though he sensed that she spoke truthfully, he doubted that she would've been able to kill her Master. 

She nodded, her voice quieter. "Yes, I struck her down in the middle of training, consumed by my anger, embracing the power of hate!" Then she trailed off, still full of resentment and regret. "But... it was not enough…" 

"I see… it never is… that is the failing of the Dark Side." He spoke somewhat knowingly as he looked her straight in the eyes and spoke calmly. "Look, Juhani, I just want to talk." 

"Talk?!” She asked doubtfully, almost spitting at him. “You who have beaten me so easily just want to talk? I do not believe it. Kill me now, while you still have the power." She tried to goat him.

But he simply shook his head, sheathing his blade and lightsaber. "I have no desire to kill you, Juhani. It wouldn't be for the greater good." 

"You... you do not?” The Fallen Jedi looked at him confused for a moment, then let her gaze fall again, filled with sorrow. “I am pathetic. I sit here and think myself to be great by embracing the dark side, but I am nothing! There is no way I could be turned back!" She wailed almost, looking at her hands and tensing. "I always thought they held me back, were jealous of my power. But it is only because I was not good enough to meet their standards... I never have been. How can the Council ever take me back with what I have done?" She asked but didn't really expect an answer. 

"I think they will take you back. I certainly would." The Final Knight said with honesty. This wasn't a Dark Jedi in front of him, just a misguided one. "Before Master Zhar sent me out here he made a point of telling me that violence isn't the only and not even the best solution. That tells me he wants you brought back peacefully."

"Probably to kill me himself." The Cathar muttered dejectedly to which he frowned a little and sighed.

"I may not have been considered one of the Jedi for a long time, but I've seen them in battle." He spoke from clear experience, arguing with calm sympathy. "The Jedi don't kill if they have an alternative. Besides, if you were to come on your own volition, to seek redemption for your mistake, they would take you back without a doubt." He encouraged, placing a hand on her shoulder. "When I look at you, I don't see a killer, nothing even close. Trust me, I've seen plenty. I see someone who is afraid and scared. I can sense your regrets… your fears."

"You shouldn't have lowered your defences." She said coldly, glaring at him from under her brow. "I could kill you."

But The Mercenary's guard was up as it always was. "You could try." He admitted with a brief nod before arguing. "Yet you won't. You have great power, and yes, it can and has hurt people. But you could use that same power to help people and make up for the life that was lost. Wouldn't that be worth the risk of coming back to the enclave?"

Juhani listened to him, finding that he was right, but when he posed that most important question, she still had her fears. "What if they don't believe me?"

"I can vouch for you." He replied reassuringly. "My word as a Jedi may not be worth much, but as The Mercenary it does."

She stared at him for a long moment, her eyes not as fierce as they were before. Now he could see a kindness in them, a hopefulness that wasn't there before. 

Finally, she simply nodded. "Okay."

"The name's Dynamo." He said, extending a hand. "Georgian Dynamo."

And she smiled a little as she accepted it, letting him lift her to her feet. "I... I thank you, Dynamo. I will return to the Council, then." She let go of his gloved hand and stepped back as she spoke resolutely. "I shall submit myself to their judgement, and hope that they will forgive me. Again, I thank you." She bowed deeply and respectfully. "I am sure I will hear great things about you in the future." Then gave one last small smile before turning and walking out of the grove.

With Juhani brought back from the darkened path he could feel as if a weight had been lifted from the grove, the taint going away with the breeze.

"Wow, just, wow…!" She said at a loss for words.

"Never thought I'd see you speechless, Mission," Dynamo commented, folding his arms.

"Hey, you can't have a snarky comment for every single thing." She said in mock annoyance, but smirking nonetheless. "Besides, that was incredible."

Zaalbar gave an impressed sounding growl shortly after.

"Thank you, both." He said to them with a grateful nod as they started walking back to the Jedi Enclave.

"For what?" The young Twi'lek asked sarcastically. "You did all the work."

"Moral support." Dynamo clarified with a brief shrug, the area around the Enclave now coming into view. "That counts in my book."

As such, it wasn't long until the woman from before spotted the demonic mutant and his two companions.

She had been leaning on her speeder waiting for what felt like hours, no days, for him to get back with news for her precious droid. A nigh desperate need for it filled her, but gave little thought to the potential that it might be an obsession. 

"My droid is still missing." She ran over to them in distress. "I can feel him like a hole in my aching heart."

Well, that hole wasn't going to be filled by a machine that itself admitted wasn't up to the task. She needed something more human, as well as a rude awakening. "I am afraid your droid had to be destroyed," Dynamo said bluntly after stopping and clasping his hands behind his back.

Elise just stood in shock, feeling like her whole world just fell apart with those simple yet devastating words. "My droid... destroyed?” Slowly, she began to take steps back, shaking her head. “No, no! This cannot be happening! I can't bear to live without him!"

Tears streamed down as she shrieked before turning and running towards the Enclave but without any clear direction. 

The Mercenary ran a hand back through his hair after it all, giving a sigh that was shared by Mission as well and even Zaalbar gave a similar growl.

"Well, that was for her best." She said as she folded her arms. 

"Yes, I know." Was all that Dynamo could reply with before a sudden male voice called out to them.

"JEDI!" And they recognized it, it was Jon and the young Twi'lek had 'Oh, no' written all over her expression when the mutant demon hybrid glanced at her. Then they turned to face the man as he ran up to them and eagerly asked. "Have you found the Mandalorian raiders yet?" 

Arms still folded, The Final Knight gave a nod. "Yes, we ran into some of them on the plains." 

"Now those Mandalorians know what it's like to be hunted!" He exclaimed to himself with hate seeping through. "But now that you've killed some of them, they won't stop until you've defeated their leader. You must find him and kill him, too.”

For anyone else, killing the Mandalorian raiders leader might have seemed like a daunting task, but Dynamo didn't think much of it. Instead, he thought of the crew of the Ebon Hawk and how they could use a stretch in the plains as well. And if he was to go up against the leader, might as well have his own Mandalorian by his side as well as a veteran of the War.

The young Twi'lek and her Wookiee friend went back to the ship in order to catch some rest, especially since it was getting rather late in the night. Not long after, the Mandalorian Mercenary and Republic pilot met up with The Mercenary outside of the Enclave. Canderous had an eager look on his face and eyes that craved battle, he was a warrior through and through, his signature Repeating Carbine on his back. On the other hand, Carth was focused but didn't crave the fight specifically. He wanted to help, though he didn't exactly mind getting some payback at the Mandalorians, despite fighting alongside one. It was somewhat ironic that he was using Bendak's signature blaster pistol as his second one, along with his own. Not long after and in the dead of night, the three men were back in the grove, scouting out a group of Mandalorian raiders. The Leader was easily identifiable among them, wearing the red Bes'kar of Rally Masters and having a lightsaber strapped to his belt. A sight that made Dynamo frown slightly at the implication, a trophy from a previous battle.

The Final Knight motioned for the two to deal with the others while he dealt with their head. In more than one way.

"Now this is what I've been waiting for...!" Though thankfully hushed, Canderous exclaimed excitedly with a disturbing grin.

And Carth couldn't help but cast a concerned glance, if not distrusting. He was still a Mandalorian, who was to say he wouldn't betray them now. But he kept silent, seeing the fierce glance that The Mercenary cast to both. Then the demonic mutant nodded and all three leapt to attack. 

The group was taken by surprise completely, with the Duros being the first to fall. Their Mandalorian companions kept their composure and returned fire.

"Ah, so this is the meddler…!" Their Leader, wearing the red variant of the Mandalorian Really Masters, exclaimed excitedly in the heat of battle, spotting Dynamo taking charge, weaving his way with his dark blue lightsaber. "You have caused us far too much trouble for a mere Jedi…!"

He reached to his own belt and pulled out his own, a grin beneath his helmet as he eyed him through his T-shaped visor. "I will add your head to those of the other Jedi I have killed, and take another lightsaber for my own! Now you will know why the Mandalorians are feared!" He exclaimed threateningly as he ignited the green beam and charged at the unrelenting Bearer of The DOOM Slayer. 

Dark blue and green clashed against each other, the Force of impact sending a shock through The Leader's whole body. The Mercenary used his strength, agility and superior experience, beginning to quickly overwhelm him with every repeated blow.  The Mandalorian barely blocked a hit, the force of it making him stagger back a few steps. Making use of this opening, Dynamo swung his blade, cutting his main hand and keeping his momentum he thrusted his lightsaber through his neck. He audibly choked and hacked, reaching with his remaining hand to do something, but there was nothing he could have done. The Final Knight slashed to the side and the knees of the Rally Master buckled before the corpse fell limp on the grass.

Soon enough, the conflict died down as the last of the Mandalorian raiders had been eliminated, the sounds of the night filling the atmosphere around them with a light calm.

The demonic mutant walked to the lightsaber, the hand still curled around the hilt and he wrenched it. “Asta nu-ți aparține...!” (This doesn't belong to you.) He muttered irritated under his breath as he gripped it tighter.

"Pitiful for someone calling himself a Mandalorian." The derogatory remark from Canderous came as he hoisted his Repeating Carbine on his back. 

Carth glanced at him and narrowed his eyes, almost taken aback by the word. "Pitiful?" He asked incredulously before exclaiming. "We could have died!" 

"Ah, come on!" He retorted with a side grin that conveyed his lack of worry over the fact. "Carth, you fought in the Mandalorian Wars, didn't you? We may have faced each other in combat. What battles were you in?" He asked the Republic Pilot as the two of them began to follow Dynamo's lead back to the Enclave. 

"I try not to think about my past battles too much," Carth replied honestly but reservedly. "The horrors of war are something I'd rather not relive."

"The horrors of war?" Canderous asked in slight disbelief before proclaiming. "My people know only the glory of battle. I'm disappointed in you, Carth. I thought a warrior like you would understand."

"Canderous…!" The demonic mutant intervened with a glance over his shoulder at both. "Carth isn't like you."

He nodded with a grateful look before shooting back at the other mercenary. "I'm not a warrior, I'm a soldier." He clarified with steel in his tone. "There's a difference. Warriors attack and conquer, they prey on the weak. Soldiers defend and protect the innocent – mostly from warriors."

"Nice speech." The Mandalorian looked at him with a smirk of contempt. "I bet you tell yourself that every night so you can sleep. But I accept who and what I am. I don't have to justify it with words – victory in battle is my justification!" He declared proudly with a fist over his heart.

"Justification through victory?" The Republic pilot asked incredulously before challenging. "So what happens when you lose? You know, like you did against us."

"You had us outnumbered five to one. You had more ships, more troops, more supplies and the Jedi on your side. And we still made the Republic tremble before we fell!" The Mandalorian boasted proudly with a hearty laugh at the end.

"Nice speech." Carth threw his words back at him with just as much bite in his low tone while glaring at him from under his brow. "I bet you tell yourself that every night so you can sleep. I don't want to talk about this anymore, Canderous. The war is over. You lost." He said with finality while waving a hand. 

Nothing else was discussed while the three soldiers arrived back at the Courtyard in the dead of night. The Mandalorian walked on and back inside the Enclave to tend to his rifle and armor, not caring much about anything else, but the Republic pilot lingered a couple of steps away from The Mercenary. 

Dynamo had stopped because he had sensed Jon coming from a mile away to say the very least. The man surely had waited for his return and he turned just as he came up to him

"You're back, Jedi…" The settler began, much less hostile than before but eagerly asking. "Are they dead, all of them?"

The demonic mutant nodded. "Yes, we fought and killed their leader." He replied and assured. "There shouldn't be any more issues with the Raiders."

"Thank you, young Master." He nodded and sighed in relief, glancing to the sky. "My daughter can now, I think, rest in peace." He reached into his pocket and held out a substantial amount of credits. "Here is the reward I promised you." 

He hesitated as he thought it over. He was a Mercenary, yes, but did the Supreme Commander of the Watchdogs need a grieving father's credits. Short answer, he didn't. As such, he held up a hand to stop him and spoke firmly. "There is no need for a reward."

But Jon insisted, practically shoving the money in his hand. "No, please, take it.” He then stepped back, truly thankful and at having some level of peace. “This pitiful amount will never be enough for what you have done for me. Again, I thank you. I will be sure to tell the Council of your great deed." As he nodded, the settler stepped back and left, heading towards the Enclave. 

The Republic pilot took a few steps closer and remarked. "You did good, Dynamo."

He only glanced with a slight dip of his head before saying. "Let's move."

The two soldiers walked the path to the Enclave as the first lights of dawn were breaking through the horizon. Only the merchants were up at this hour mostly, seething up their stalls and restocking their supplies. But they were also gossiping and conversing, which meant that The Mercenary eavesdropped on anything that seemed of interest.  Apparently, they were already speaking about the young Cathar apprentice and how she had returned, the Council accepting her and redeeming her. Even on a remote planet, news travelled fast it seemed. It was a bit surprising to him, in all honesty, especially when remembering Master Vrook.  Now, there was another issue that concerned those that the two had passed by, between the fathers of two prominent families who'd been feuding for some time. There were fears that it could escalate to a full scale conflict, something that was bound to be bloody.

The mutant demon hybrid glanced at the Republic pilot, asking respectfully. "Think we can continue our discussion from before?" 

“I thought I said I didn't want to talk about it anymore.” Carth gave him a glare and low tone.

Dynamo gave a slight sigh, since he needed to know where the trust issues came from, maybe even help the Republic Soldier with it. Plus, he did save the man's life though he hated hanging that over his head. "Carth… I think you owe me an explanation."

He glanced away and rubbed the back of his head. "I… suppose you're right. Fine, then. But I don't know why you're so interested, but here it goes." His voice became filled with resentment after he drew in a deep breath. "When I think of all the men who have betrayed us, the one that stands out above them all is the one I respected the most. Saul." 

"That name sounds familiar." He remarked as he thought of the man. From what Intel told him, Admiral Saul Karath was the commander of the entire Sith fleet. Incredibly skilled, he was part of the reason why Malak was doing so well in the war. He had served the Republic well during the Mandalorian Wars. "I have known him ever since the Mandalorian Wars. He was a commanding officer back then. But I didn't meet him personally at all."

Carth gave a nod before continuing. "Saul was my commanding officer back when the wars first began. He taught me everything about being a soldier… and I looked up to him." His voice trailed off regretfully, taking a breath and moving on. "Saul approached me before he left. He talked to me about how the Republic was on the losing side… and about how I should start thinking of my survival. I know now that he was trying to recruit me into the Sith, but I couldn't have conceived of it back then. I argued with him and he got angry and he left. I never saw him again."

The pieces were coming together in The Mercenary's mind, the picture becoming clear of how much the man's trust had been broken and the fashion in which it was. "You didn't think he would betray the Republic." Dynamo stated rather than ask.

He merely glanced at him, though the answer was clear in his eyes. "Saul was my mentor… he led us to so many victories against the Mandalorians, even when things looked to be at their worst." He paused, his voice dropping with disappointment at himself as he tried to find his words. "I just… I couldn't conceive of it. He… he couldn't be serious. I was wrong, of course… he not only left us for the Sith, he… he gave them the codes to bypass our scanners."

A heavy pause came, the walking being the only thing that kept him there, his voice low and gruff though The Final Knight could hear the pain all too clearly. "I remember waking up as the first of the Sith bombers snuck past our defences and began destroying half of our docked ships. I knew right away what had happened." His fists clenched and he spoke through gritted teeth, voice trailing off. "I… could have stopped him. I could have stopped it all." 

"But you didn't know, that is only hindsight." Dynamo said after he quiteted, beginning to understand more and more. "You weren't sure, you trusted him. You can't blame yourself for that and you can't let that erode your trust into the paranoia of everyone."

"I blame Saul, not myself." He clarified, seething at himself. "I was… I was stupid and I ignored the danger. He nearly destroyed us all. I've fought Saul for years now, and if I ever catch up to him… he will regret what he's done. He will regret it." He emphasised with venom in his eyes and determined tone.

The Mercenary understood the feeling all too well, to have his trust completely broken by someone who was a role model. “I'd do the same thing in your place.” He said with a long sigh as the two slowed down near where the Ebon Hawk was stationed before placing a hand on his shoulder. 

Carth gave a long sigh, glancing to the floor. "Well… there's more to the story, I guess." He said with a dejected shrug, before firming up and looking at him. "But I don't want to talk about it right now. I'll get back on the Hawk for now. You should finish up whatever the Council made you do."

He nodded, drawing his hand away. "Alright, stay safe, Carth." 

The two parted for now, with him beginning to walk towards the chambers. A curious scent entered his nostrils and he recognised it as being the woman with the droid. The obsessed woman with the droid. Though, there was another scent coming from the same direction and he actually caught a glimpse in passing. Elise had found herself a man. 

Though he didn't have time to catch up with her, even if the demonic mutant was pretty much the reason why the two had met in the first place.

Entering the inner courtyard, another familiar scent came, along with a thick accented female tone. 

"Commander Dynamo!" The young Cathar Jedi caught up with him, a much brighter expression on her. "I must give you my thanks." She insisted though kindly by comparison to how she was in the grove. "Because of you, I am once again welcome within the Jedi Order."

The Final Knight turned to her with a bit of a more friendly expression, though it was still hardened, calm and cold. "Just 'Dynamo' is fine." He assured with a brief raise of his hand before speaking honestly. "That is great to hear and I'm glad that they did without me needing to speak with them as well." Then he asked as he folded his arms. "Have you spoken to the Council?"

She nodded with a much more relaxed expression, same with the softer smile she had. "I have and they helped me see the truth. The truth about myself, and the truth of my actions. Quatra's injuries were not so severe as I first believed. I was foolish to believe I could harm a Master such as she with my... my clumsy efforts. The fierce confrontation between us was nothing more than a part of my training. Quatra wanted me to understand the threat of the dark side, to see how easy it was to fall from the path of light."

It was quite an approach, not to mention an extremely risky one considering that they sent out The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer to redeem her. Though he was right in the fact that she didn't have the ability to slay her Master. In a way, this really was a trial for both of them by coincidence and considering the fairly positive outcome he knew that he chose best for the greater good. 

"That is quite a way to get a point across… Though I can't deny how effective it is." Dynamo mused a little while rubbing his beard for a moment. 

Juhani nodded and explained. "After our last battle, Quatra had nothing left to teach me." A rather bittersweet smile was on her lips as she recalled. "I needed time alone to explore the turmoil of my own spirit. Only then was I ready to follow a guide – you – back to the light. When I left, Quatra knew her work with me was done. There are other disciples who need training throughout the galaxy, and she could not stay to see if I passed this most difficult trial."

That was certainly something and it clashed with his usual darkened mentality, the one that said he was a shadow. But he still served the light and this was a testament of that. It was like he was the mentor for a moment, the mentor veiled in darkness ironically guiding the apprentice led astray. 

He just gave a light sigh and finally pushed his conflicted thoughts aside, scratching the back of his head for a moment. "I'm glad I could be of service." He said humbly.

She looked up at him with an optimistic smile. "With your help, I have passed this difficult trial. The Council now feels I am ready to continue with my training, though they have asked me to wait here for the time being. I do not know what the Council has in store for me, but I will trust in the Force and the way of the Jedi to help me through whatever is to come."

The Final Knight nodded and raised a hand as he bid her goodbye silently, continuing on towards his destination. It wasn't long before he found himself walking through the open doors of the Council chambers, approaching the four Masters with certainty in his step.

"Masters, I have returned," Dynamo stated in a confident tone as he stopped before them and stood to attention, hands clasped behind his back. 

"Well done!" Master Zhar said to him from his seat in the Council Chambers. "You brought Juhani back to us and cleansed the Ancient Grove. You could have easily decided to kill her and it would've cleansed the darkness, but you chose an alternative path."

"I only did what I felt was right," The demonic mutant stated matter-of-factly. It was something that he almost always did, so no need to boast about it. "She was afraid there was nothing left for her after her mistake and that caused her to give in to the dark side. I simply advised her on how to keep going and turn back from a self-destructive path."

"Yes." Master Vandar spoke up, his green skin wrinkling on his forehead though he had a pleased smile at the words used. "This is the Jedi way. We don't seek to destroy the individuals who use the dark side as a first resort. Our first attempt should always be to return them to the light."

"Those who have returned from the dark side are in a better position to warn and help those who risk falling themselves," Vrook spoke up, his demeanour softened a bit compared to the usual. Though the implication was not lost on The Mercenary.

"I understand, Masters." He simply bowed his head, there was no need to argue.

At that moment, he sensed The Jedi Sentinel enter the room through the entranceway behind him. She walked up next to him and stood there at attention as he glanced sideways at her for a brief moment.

"You have made astounding progress, Commander," Zhar said with a smile of his own, though subdued in his pride. "The Council has decided you will officially join the ranks of the Jedi. Welcome to the Order, Padawan Dynamo."

"Thank you, Masters," The Final Knight said with a bow. "I am honoured." Though his thoughts did pick up after that.

Încă un titlu. (Another title) He mused silently. Assassin, Knight of The Huniarzi Order and the Kingdom of Romania, Soldier, Splinter Cell, Watchdog, Most Wanted, Mercenary, Supreme Commander, Hellwalker… The DOOM Slayer. He nearly chuckled. Multe… iar acum Jedi în ochii multora. (A lot. And now Jedi in the eyes of many)

"My time training you, however, is over," The Twi'lek Master informed him before glancing at The Sentinel beside him. "The Council has granted you as Padawan to Bastila Shan. She will complete your training."

"It is no coincidence that you and her share a bond," Vandar explained, his aged eyes looking at both. "The Force has brought you two together. You must take advantage of that bond. Rely on each other for strength and endurance."

The two Knights of different Orders shared a glance as the aged Jedi spoke those words.

"For good or ill, you are now a true Padawan." Master Vrook stated, not overly delighted as he held a hand to his chin. "The time has come for you and Bastila to investigate the dream you shared. The secrets to stopping Malak may lie hidden within the ancient Dantooine ruins you both saw in your visions."

"Your training is now complete, young Padawan." Master Dorak informed him, much more positively than the aged Jedi and more confident in him. "And perhaps now it is time we dealt with the matter of the dream you and Bastila shared."

The small Jedi continued in a rather grave tone. "When we heard of the ruins in your dreams, Master Dorak recognized it as one of a series of ancient structures here on Dantooine. This one in particular lies to the east of this Enclave. We sent a Jedi to investigate... but he has not returned." He paused and looked away with a heavy sigh as he spoke lowly. "Perhaps sending him in the first place was a mistake."

His knowing eyes glanced back to the two and he continued. "The Force is guiding you through your visions; it may be that exploring the ruins is a task tied to your destiny. That is why the Council has now decided you should be the one to investigate this. The secrets to stopping Malak may be hidden within those ruins. You must investigate them and find what Revan and Malak were looking for."

It was quite a lot to take in but The Supreme Commander was used to it, his brilliant mind taking it all in readily. The fact that these ruins had potentially claimed the life of a full fledged Jedi showed that this wasn't going to be easy. "Any idea what happened to the Jedi who went to investigate?" Dynamo asked in an even tone.

The aged Master shook his head. "We do not know. That is one of the things you must investigate. We... fear the worst."

Yet they still hoped for the best as the two Knights of different Orders shared another glance, both with the same determination and drive. In full agreement as they looked back. "Then we will investigate the ruins right away." The demonic mutant declared in his firm tone.

Before they had a chance to take their leave, an aged balding man suddenly burst into the Council chambers, clearing fuming and even irate already. 

"I demand justice!" He raved with his fist clenched. "The Sandral family is a blight upon Dantooine! They must be punished!"

All eyes turned to him, giving him the desired attention to some extent, considering the ruckus he was already making.

Master Vandar stated calmly. "The Council will look into this matter, Mr. Matale." Then he urged. "You must be patient. Your accusations have no proof, and we do not want you stirring up trouble with the Sandrals if there is some mistake."

"Mistake?" The head of the Matale family  asked in outrage. "My son Shen is missing! How can there be any doubt the Sandrals are to blame?"

"There are other possible explanations for your son's disappearance." Master Vrook said to him with his arms folded and a light shrug.

He threw his hands up before resting them on his belt. "Bah! You Jedi are good for nothing but talk!" He began to turn away, warning them all with his teeth gritted. "I shall only wait so long before I take action on my own!"

Just as sudden as he came in, Mr. Matale was gone and all let out a collective sigh more or less.

"As dangerous as the threat from Darth Malak and the Sith may be, we Jedi cannot simply abandon our other responsibilities." Master Vandar stated after the irate older man left, looking to the two Knights of different Orders once again. "The Council has promised Ahlan Matale we will look into his son's disappearance." He informed then kindly urged. "Should you have time, you two may want to investigate this matter." 

"If Shen Matale is not returned to his father it may ignite a savage and bloody feud between the Matale and Sandral estates." Master Vrook warned them sternly, arms crossed and a hand on his chin. "We must not allow that to happen."

The Mercenary gave a nod, somewhat eager since this would be his first assignment as a Padawan of the Jedi Order. It was something rather new to him. Which was saying something for a being that had lived for centuries. 

"This task has its own importance," Bastila spoke, now looking at the demonic mutant. "It may also serve to divert our minds for a short time... something which carries its own rewards." 

He glanced at her and nodded. A mental break did sound good, though with how full his mind was, effectiveness remained to be seen. "Then let's be on our way." Dynamo said and they both bowed before heading out.

Chapter Text

Quiet, conspicuously so, that was what The Mercenary thought of The Sentinel as he walked with her down the hallways of the Enclave. On the outside she seemed composed as he was, but he could sense her uncertainty and apprehension, not to mention that she seemed to be avoiding his gaze. 

"You're weary about the Council's decision, aren't you?" Dynamo asked with a rather knowing sideways glance.

"I am not weary. You've earned it." She said stiffly, not glancing at him. "It was about time you became an official Padawan."

So that wasn't it, but there was still something there and now would get to the bottom of it. "Then, you're weary that I'm your Padawan."

"What makes you think that?" A defensive tone crept into her voice as her gaze finally snapped to him. 

"You haven't said a word since we left the Council chambers and it's written all over your face." The Final Knight said matter-of-factly. 

"Oh, please, I am a Jedi." Bastila scoffed with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I'm above broadcasting my emotions through something as crude as facial cues."

"Sure. Then I am wrong." He said sarcastically with a shrug and knowing tilt of his head.

"Yes… Yes you are." She replied and nodded, completely serious. 

Dynamo dropped the jokes before he asked, still looking at her. "You've never had a Padawan before, have you?" 

"Um… no." The Jedi hesitated for a moment then shook her head, admitting. "No, I haven't."

"You're nervous." He concluded out loud before remarking rather sarcastically in his beard. "Not to mention that I'm the perfect first Padawan for any Jedi."

"I am not nervous!" She denied adamantly, raising her voice before she caught herself, lowering it. "Look, it's just that…" She paused and tried to pick the right words. "Everything about this is… unusual. You being trained, learning as quickly as you have and then being assigned as my Padawan. Not to mention the Force Bond we share."

When The Sentinel put it like that, it certainly sounded unusual. Add to that who he was, that being The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer and even he was weary. For her especially. Which is why he nodded in complete understanding. "I can definitely see what you’re saying."

"I have always had a clear path throughout my life as a Jedi." Bastila said with a long sigh, her steps slowly as she almost grasped at her arms but didn't. "I always had a clear purpose. I followed the Council's wishes, carried out my assignments for them, I even fought Revan. But now… I feel like my path has suddenly become unclear…" Her steps slowed to a stop and she finally looked at him. "Things are changing, Dynamo. I have a feeling things will change even more very soon."

The Mercenary stopped just a few steps away, glancing at her with his calm and cold royal blue eyes. Though he didn't show it as much, neither he was sure of it. It felt like a lot had changed already in just a few weeks. He didn't know what could happen going forward. So, he fell back on the usual adage that he had. "Then let’s hope that it's for the better, but expect anything. Even the worst." He offered with a sigh before rubbing the back of his head, glancing away for a moment. "By the way, I want to talk to you about that dream or vision or memory, whatever it was that we shared." 

The Sentinel was taken by surprise a bit but quickly regained her composure as she nodded. "Of course. I am certainly willing to answer any questions the Jedi Council did not."

Dynamo nodded as well, grateful before requesting. "I want to understand why we shared it and not any other Jedi here." For a moment he looked at his clenched left fist. "I don't even have any Force abilities, just my own that are derived from my own body. Mutations basically."

"Are you wondering why we shared the vision? Or why did we even receive it in the first place?" She asked rather thoughtfully before replying. "To the first, I can only repeat the answer that the Council gave us. Our fates are linked, and for two as strong as we are in the Force that amounts to a near-physical bond. As to the second, I don't truly have an answer for you. The Force works as it will, and perhaps we should be grateful for what we have been given."

Not exactly the answer that he was looking for, the bond bit was making him quite anxious, not to mention the fact that Bastila's fate was now linked to his. To the demon worse than demons'. Yet there was a piece missing to this puzzle. "But how did our fates become linked in the first place?" He asked with his brow furrowed. 

The Jedi hesitated to reply for a moment, since she had to admit. "I... I don't know. Believe me, I certainly don't find the prospect of being joined to you enjoyable in any fashion." She huffed a little with a fold of her arms.

"Well, didn't really expect anything different." The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer said sarcastically and resigned at the same time.

"Please forgive me." She rushed to say sincerely. "I did not mean to imply that you were repulsive in any sense of the word." She tried to explain. "That we share something so personal is just not something I'm used to."

The Final Knight nodded with a raise of his hand in assurance. "It seems a little... convenient." His hand moved to his chin and he rubbed his beard slowly as he thought the facts over, beginning to pace slowly down the pathway. "Me suddenly having a connection to the Force. Then having this bond between us that it's said to help against Malak. It seems too good to hear." He let his hands fall back down.

She walked after him as she stated rather enigmatically. "The Force often seems to cause events that bend the laws of probability, especially with those that are strongly affiliated with it. In this respect, you and I will simply have to become accustomed to such 'convenience'. We are the tools of the Force and we will do as it wills." 

But The Mercenary was not affiliated with it. He had never been. Something happened to grant him a sort of connection or at least draw it out somehow, make it more pronounced, able to be felt. "It sounds like the Force is alive." He remarked as he watched her while they stepped.

"There is no evidence one way or the other." The Sentinel said as she looked up at him. "What you believe the Force to be ultimately will decide who you are."

"So it's more of a mirror. A reflection of oneself." He stated with a nod of understanding before asking. "But why did we dream of Malak and Revan?" In that regard, it made more sense for him to have visions that were relevant to him, like the death of his Realm, his love, the countless encounters with The Butcher of Realms. 

"Perhaps because we desired to." Bastila offered with a slight raise of her shoulders, unsure herself though she had a few hunches. "Perhaps because they came to this planet and were strong enough in the Force to leave a... a trace."

That was a good suggestion which got Dynamo's gears turning. "Something of note that left an imprint." He finished her train of thought, a conclusion that he too had arrived at.

"Of that I am certain." She nodded resolutely. "It may simply be that we are sensitive to that event. Or it may not. We dreamed about Revan and Malak either because we were meant to or because we needed to. There is no other way to look at it." She stated definitely.

The Final Romanian Knight rubbed his beard again. "Do you think we will receive more of these visions?" He asked with intrigue. 

"With luck, we will." Bastila replied with a quick nod before confessing somewhat. "I would rather not rely on such visions to guide us, but when we have so little else to go on and the galaxy hangs in the balance…" She trailed off, rather unsure.

"We'll have to make do with what we've got," Dynamo said with conviction and determination, his mind putting it together. "These ruins certainly hold a piece of the puzzle. We just have to find the rest of them and assemble it." He finished looking at her with fierce royal blue eyes.

She stopped in her tracks and stared at him for a moment, surprised and intrigued as her brow furrowed for a moment. "You've done this before."

"I have." He nodded in confirmation. "But this is different. I was never bonded to another in such a manner." A quiet sigh left him, fiddling with his left glove for a moment before motioning with his head. "Come on, let's be on our way." He said as he continued towards where the Ebon Hawk was stationed. "Who should we get to accompany us?"

The Jedi glanced at him, a little surprised that he asked for her advice, but replied nonetheless. "I was thinking Carth." She suggested as they entered the area. "Out of everyone, I think he possesses the best set of skills for what we need to do."

Dynamo gave a nod and continued on while she waited at the threshold. "Very well."

The Republic pilot was outside, inspecting one of the landing gears and checking its hydraulic pressure. He was deep in thought as the demonic mutant approached. 

"Carth!" Dynamo called to him "Wanna get out for a while again." He pointed over his shoulder in the general direction of the exit. "We could use an extra pair of guns."

He straightened and glanced over almost electrified, frankly craving to get out again. "You got it." He nodded with a slight smirk as he walked closer, patting his and Bendak's signature blaster pistol in their holsters.

Not long after, the three made their way out of the Enclave and into the vast green plains of Dantooine. Thanks to the vast data held within the SMI of The Mercenary, they were able to head straight to the area owned by the Matale patriarch. It was quite vast and as such it wasn't well secured by droids, or perhaps Matale himself pulled them back to his mansion. At least the plains at the east end weren't. The reason The Final Knight thought that was the presence of Kath hounds, but his fierce eyes and keen scent noted something else. They were gathered around a corpse, human at that, the group of three stopping at the top of a hill downwind and observing carefully. 

"So how do we do this?" Carth asked with his hands on his belt.

"I'd say scare them off." Bastila suggested with a hand rested around the hilt of her lightsaber, her eyes turning to the demonic mutant as she continued. "There's no reason for further aggression."

Silent, Dynamo only nodded with a glance to both as he took a few steps forward, loading up the launcher of his right gauntlet with a stun grenade. He aimed carefully and fired right in their immediate field of vision. It exploded, blinding and confusing them, making them whimper as they turned and fled.

Now in the clear, the three approached the scene and it was heartwrenching at a closer look. 

"It's just a kid…" Carth said, all voice almost leaving him. He glanced at the demonic mutant in the lead while he stopped at a respectful distance. "How long do you think he's been here?"

He took a knee next to the body, sniffing audibly. "By the smell… around a few days." His own voice was lowered and hardened. "It's a wonder the hounds didn't pick it to the bone."

"Poor boy… he didn't stand a chance." Bastila said with no small amount of compassion. "Search his belongings? Maybe it will give us an indication as to who he is."

The Final Knight looked at her with a nod. "My thoughts exactly." Then his gaze turned, his brow furrowing. Then he reached into his pack for some clue as to who he was. Before long, his hand stumbled upon a book and he pulled it out.

Copertă frumoasă. Încuietoare. Pare a fi un jurnal. (Nice cover. Lock. Seems to be a diary.) He turned it over, then opened it and read a few lines through it. The diary belonged to Casus Sandral, amateur archaeologist. It detailed his efforts to discover the source of the ancient ruins found across the surface of Dantooine. Upon reading it, he gathered that he had found some correlation between the ruins and something called the 'Rak'.

The 'Rak'? Hm. Dynamo thought as he closed it with a sigh escaping him. Casus Sandral, fiul patriarhului Sandral. (The son of the patriarch.) He placed it safely in his backpack, before looking at his SMI for a moment then glancing at the others.

"Bastila, do you have any idea if any of the Sandrals filed a missing person's report?" The demonic mutant asked.

She shook her head. "No… I'm sorry, but I'm not involved with that side of matters."

"Who was he?" Carth questioned since he could see that The Final Knight had clearly found something useful. 

"Casus Sandral." Was the simple reply that gave them both pause.

"Do you think…?" The Sentinel started slowly, but didn't quite finish.

"We shall see." He stated, rubbing his beard with a musing look. "There's still a lot of information missing from the bigger picture." Then he stated. "Let's move on."

And both nodded, following The Supreme Commander's lead through the plains without further incident. 

They could see the Matale estate rising in the centre of the grounds with the same name. It was an imposing structure made of the best permacrete, yet built as such that it was harmonious with nature around it, the exterior walls sloped and covered by grass. There was a war droid, armed with a blaster rifle, guarding its west door. It immediately turned in their direction as they approached, raising its rifle.

"This is private property. I'm going to ask you to leave immediately." It instructed in a resolutely deep yet robotic tone, aiming for Dynamo first since he seemed like the biggest target. 

Which he was, but a blaster rifle was rather useless. A shot in the way would slow him down, but it couldn't stop him. Nothing could. "We come on behalf of the Jedi Council." The Mercenary spoke amiably, The Sentinel letting him handle this one. "And merely wish to speak to Ahlan Matale."

Hearing those words, the rifle was lowered as the droid processed the new information. "You have come from the Jedi Council? Master Matale wishes to speak with you. I will inform him that you are here. Remain at this location until he arrives." It instructed then turned and entered the estate, the door locking behind him.

"I have a bad feeling about this." The Republic pilot muttered, keeping a hand close to his right personal blaster.

A few minutes passed in silence before the door opened once again and an old man with a bald patch and grey hair stepped out, flanked by two more armed droids along with the one from before.

"My protocol droid tells me you are here on behalf of the Council." Ahlan Matale stated, setting his gaze right on the demonic mutant. "I was beginning to think my demands had been ignored. Though I think your time would be better spent interrogating the Sandrals as to the whereabouts of my son Shen!" He pointed up with venom in his voice, invading his personal space. 

That was the wrong foot to start off, Dynamo folding his arms over his chest with a clear disliking of his tone. "You can't accuse the Sandrals without proof." Yet his tone remained… calm, cold and calculated. 

"Proof? How dare you talk to me about proof!" He snapped at The Mercenary, raising his hands to the side in disbelief at the sheer gall. "I have more than enough to satisfy any reasonable person! Many years ago I brought my family here to Dantooine to escape the crush of humanity on the Core Worlds. Soon after we settled here, the Sandrals arrived. And they have been a plague upon my house ever since!" He declared firmly and believed wholeheartedly in his words.

"Somehow I imagine the story from the Sandrals would sound just about the same, don't you?" Carth commented to Dynamo who glanced over subtly and nodded approvingly. 

Meanwhile, Ahlan continued raving, slowly reddening because of his anger. "The injustices the Sandrals have committed against the Matales are far too numerous to name, but the Council is well aware of our many disputes. Recently, I discovered several Sandral droids trespassing on my land."

That was an interesting bit of information and he wondered if those droids were somehow connected to the body they'd found. "What were they doing here?" The Final Knight asked, trying to keep his tone even, yet the annoyance was eating at him.

"I have no idea what nefarious purpose lay behind their arrival - my own assassination, perhaps." He answered paranoidly with a quick glance at the landscape around. "Destruction of my property. Maybe a simple spy mission. I wasn't about to find out. My own security droids destroyed the invaders - not a single one survived. It was shortly after this incident that Shen, my only son and heir to the Matale estate, vanished. Obviously, Nurik, the unscrupulous head of the Sandral clan, has abducted my son in retaliation for the destruction of his droids!"

Well, that was a leap in logic if he had ever seen one or heard one. "You are jumping to conclusions," Dynamo said firmly, narrowing his eyes for a second.

"Why does the Council insist on stalling? The life of my son is at stake!" Ahlan exclaimed before he turned away with a hand on chin at a 'revelation'. "Is it possible... yes, of course. Now I understand." He nodded to himself then looked up at The Mercenary with a devious glint in his eye. "I am a man of the world, Jedi. I know how things are done. I will make a... contribution... of 1,000 credits to the Council in exchange for rescuing Shen from the Sandrals." His voice had a sly edge to it, same with the side smile on his lips. "I will present the credits directly to you, of course. Whether the Council ever learns of this 'donation' is completely up to you."

Bă, ești prost. Deci chiar ești prost. (God, you're stupid. Like you're really stupid.) The Final Knight did his best to contain himself from facepalming and keep his cool. The Sentinel and Republic pilot with him had similar incredulous expressions at the ridiculous offer the elder man just made. Yet The Jedi had to cast a glance at The Mercenary because of his profession and title.

He felt that silver grey gaze, though his mind was made from the moment he'd heard the word 'contribution'. "I understand you are upset, Ahlan Matale. Rest assured we will find Shen, but none of us need your credits to do so."

"Nevertheless, my offer still stands. A thousand credits for Shen's safe return." Ahlan reiterated, hands on his hips as he puffed out his chest a little. "Know, however, that I will not sit idly by much longer." His tone was one of warning, deadly serious over the fact. "Eventually I will take whatever action is necessary to rescue my son... including razing the entire Sandral estate!"

At that, Carth had to intervene, asking with incredulous disbelief. "You would be willing to risk open war over this?" He demanded of the Matale Patriarch. 

"It is the Sandrals who have started this. Not I." He stated with a raise of his shoulders as if that exonerated his every action.

"And here I thought you would blame us if we failed." The Republic pilot muttered in his growing stubble, eyes narrowed accusingly. "It seems everyone is responsible for your actions except for you." 

"I don't need to stand here and listen to such impertinence!" Ahlan declared, deciding to ignore him as he turned away and waved a hand dismissively. 

"I'm impressed, Carth," Bastila said with a glance and rather proud look. "That interjection was very Jedi-like."

"What can I say? You pick up a few things." He shrugged it off with a side grin.

"Until you find Shen, Jedi, we have nothing further to discuss." Ahlan addressed the demonic mutant for the final time, in the same demanding tone as before. "I suggest you hurry south to their estate, lest I take matters into my own hands."

He turned and took his war droids back inside, leaving only the one outside.

"Dynamo, I'm afraid Ahlan is not just making idle threats," Bastila warned him as she took a step closer to his side. "He is rash and foolish enough to attempt a full assault on the Sandral estate. Such action would result in an all-out war between the families."

"I've seen men like Ahlan Matale before." Carth said with a fold of his arms. "He's so convinced that his hatred is justified he's prepared to do anything. And if we don't intervene, there will be war." He ended with a grave warning.

"You're right, both of you. And I'm willing to bet their kids are the exact opposite of their parents." The Mercenary said as he turned to them, gaze fiercely burning. "Let's stop this from escalating." 

They nodded with determination to his words before beginning to make their way south across the plains under the high sun of noon.

It wasn't long before they'd crossed the boundary into what the SMI denoted to be the Sandral Grounds. The estate was in the midst of the plain at the west end built in a remarkably similar way to the Matale one. Something which caught The Final Knight's attention making him wonder why that was the case.

 A droid was guarding its main door, located in the northern side. Unlike the other one that greeted them, this one was of the protocol type and as such, unarmed. 

"This is private property!" It exclaimed upon detecting the three, much like last time. At least no staring down blaster barrels. "By what authority are you trespassing on this estate?" It demanded of them as they stopped slowly at a distance. 

"We come on behalf of the Jedi Council." Dynamo declared in an unwavering voice.

"The Council? If you are here because of Shen Matale's disappearance you are wasting your time. The Sandral's are not involved. This is nothing but a Matale witch hunt." The droid stated in a rather confrontational manner. 

"It's a matter of great importance." The Final Knight argued, keeping his tone even as he informed honesty. "It's about his son, Casus."

It remained silent for a few long moments before speaking. "Nurik left orders he was not to be disturbed, but given the circumstances, I will make an exception. Go into the main hall." The droid directed before turning to lead. "Nurik will meet with you there."

The demonic mutant nodded briefly before exchanging a glance with the other two then following after the protocol droid. The door opened into a rather spacious main hall, with a high ceiling where sunlight came through and even two cherry blossom trees grew on either side.

With a hydraulic hiss, the door right in front opened and through it came a balding dark-skinned man with a bushy moustache that had strands of grey hair, flanked by two assault droids. 

There was no doubt this was Nurik Sandral. He stopped almost dead in his tracks at the sight of the massive Final Knight, tense and even afraid. The presence of the Jedi Sentinel did help quench some of it, same with the one of the Republic pilot, though there was a sense that if he cut loose, none would be able to stop him.

"I have been informed by my protocol droid that you have news about my son Casus." Nurik Sandral stated in a rather careful tone.

Dynamo did his best to be as calm and sympathetic as possible, even with the inherent air of intimidation. The Supreme Commander had been placed in similar situations, having to inform families of their loved ones' demise or disappearance without much chance of them being found.

"Yes… we do, Mr. Sandral.” He nodded slowly before delivering the news. “Your son, Casus, is dead. We have seen his body in the plains. He was unfortunately killed by kath hounds while exploring the Dantooine ruins."

"Casus... is dead?" Nurik blinked as he paled, barely having a voice now as his gaze and overall demeanor fell. "I was afraid of this, yet in my heart, I knew it must be true.” He shook his head as he tried to take it all in. It just didn’t seem to fit in his mind. “I... I was so certain the Matale family was to blame…” His face split in bitter grief as he declared. “But this changes nothing! My own son is dead - why should I shed one tear about the disappearance of my bitter enemy's son?" The patriarch demanded, full knowing of the real motive of their being here.

Oh, for God's sake… The Mercenary could almost feel himself facepalming, again, though he only sighed internally. He would keep the three Cs. But his senses told one more thing: Nurik was lying.

"Typical." Bastila crossed her arms with a displeased frown, commenting lowly and rather judgemental. "Anything to continue the feud which has become so customary to you people."

Nurik gave her a fleeting glare then looked up at The Final Knight. "I must ask you something, though it is difficult for me.” He did his best to keep his voice even, yet the sorrow and grief were more than clear, “My son had a diary. His private, personal thoughts. Now that he is gone, I have nothing else to remember him by. Please, the diary means more to me than it ever could to you." His hands began to search his pockets as he rushed to assure. "I will give you a hundred credits for its return."

It was saddening to witness everything, including the assumption that he needed money to return something so personal. A gloved hand was quickly raised to stop the elder man, the other reaching into his brown backpack. "Here is the diary, Nurik, but keep the money." He said he held it out.

The mournful father shakily took it in his hands, nodding slowly. "I thank you for this. The diary is all I have left of my son. We have nothing further to discuss. Please, leave me to my grief." He slowly turned and began to walk.

As Nurik exited the main hall via the door in the middle of its south wall, he walked past a young dark-skinned woman, presumably his daughter. She only briefly stopped, visibly shocked at the sight of him. 

The door closed with a hydraulic hiss and she was left alone with the three. Immediately, she stepped over to them with urgency. 

"You are here from the Council, are you not? Looking for Shen Matale?" She asked before introducing herself with a motion of her hand. "My name is Rahasia - Nurik is my father. He has not been himself since Casus disappeared. He is mad with grief, and he is convinced the Matales are responsible. He is not thinking rationally."

If informing a loved one of their child and sibling's passing once wasn't bad enough, The Supreme Commander had to do it twice now. "Casus was killed by kath hounds." Dynamo informed with as much of a compassionate tone as he could, since her father wasn't able to break the news. "The Matales had nothing to do with it."

Her eyes widened in shock and she blinked. "Casus is dead? It is as I feared, though I am relieved the Matales are not responsible." A heavy sigh escaped her. "My father is a good man. When my mother died, he raised me and my brother by himself. He loves his children, and we love him. I just don't want you to judge him too harshly." She spoke rather cautiously, somewhat wary of the demonic mutant especially. 

Well that was a rather interesting way to word it, folding his arms. "Judge him?" He asked inquisitively, though he kept his tone calm, trying not to sound like an interrogator. "What has your father done?"

"You must understand that Father has been under a terrible strain." She chose her words carefully, glancing between all three. "I have no wish to disobey him, but there are matters where even my father's authority is not absolute."

"Tell us what happened and we will do our best to help you." Dynamo assured with a nod.

"My father has kidnapped Shen Matale." She explained worriedly and in a lowered tone. "He is holding him prisoner here in the compound. He feels this is a way to get back at the Matales, a way to get even for the disappearance of my brother Casus."

Bastila nodded before stating with a glance between The Mercenary and The Republic pilot. "I see. Well, there is the answer we seek." She stated with finality. "The Jedi Council should be informed of this at once."

"You don't think that perhaps there's more to look at here, do you?" Carth asked in challenge with a raise of his eyebrow. "That maybe everything isn't what it appears?" 

"Of course not. It seems very simple to me." The Sentinel concluded with a light raise of her shoulders. "The Council must be allowed to decide the next step."

"Doing that will only incite a man in the most volatile of states… grief." The Final Knight said knowingly, having lived through that very thing, urging her. "We need to be patient, quiet and cautious here.

 She shot him a piercing glare, but before she could open her mouth to retort, Nurik's daughter spoke up.

"Exactly! Since Casus went missing my father has become unstable, he might hurt him if you do that! He no longer even cares if the Matales are responsible for what happened to Casus." Rahasia warned the three of them. "I am afraid my father will simply kill Shen out of a mad, misguided lust for vengeance!"

"What do you need us to do?" Dynamo asked readily. 

"Shen is an innocent victim in all this. My father is not a bad man, but his grief has driven him to madness. He must be stopped. Please, find Shen and rescue him before my father does something he will regret forever. I would take you to the prison, but I cannot let my father see me with you." She quickly took The Final Knight's gloved hand and put something in his palm. "Take this key. It will open an unguarded door at the rear of the estate. You and Shen can make your escape through there."

His fist around it with a nod, taking all of the information in and committing it to his perfect memory 

"There are many security droids guarding the halls." She warned him before pleading with a glance between all three. "Please hurry... you are Shen's only hope." 

The Mercenary gave another firm nod as he placed it in his backpack. 

"What is the problem between your families?" Carth found himself asking, wanting to get the other side of this feud.

Rahasia glanced at him and replied, holding her arms. "Ahlan Matale and my father have had problems ever since they settled on this world." She retold what she had experienced. "To hear my father tell it, Ahlan is a brute and a bully, but a rich one. He feels his credits give him the right to step all over normal people. My father stands up to Ahlan because no one else will. But now he thought that Ahlan had taken Casus and has imprisoned Shen as revenge." With every word, her tone became more panicked until she begged the three of them. "Please find Shen and free him! You are my only hope!" 

All nodded to her request before they exchanged a glance, with The Mercenary motioning for them to move out. Shortly after, they exited via the door in the north wall behind, going around the estate to the rear entrance located in its east wall. Before using the key, the demonic mutant glanced at two others with him and they signaled that they were prepared, The Republic pilot with his blasters and The Sentinel with her double-bladed lightsaber. It opened with a hydraulic hiss with Dynamo leading the way in, his Splinter Cell training taking over again. Through the rear entrance was the east arm of the hallway around the north and east perimeter of the estate. Mere moments after entering, they spotted a Sandral sentry droid at the south end of the hallway, but it still had its back to them during its patrol cycle. Immediately, Carth snapped two blaster bolts, one to the chest and one to the head, destroying it immediately. With his predatory senses, The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer sniffed the air around them, taking a few steps forward as he looked around to see where they might have come from. There were only two humans on this floor, apart from them. One of them he could identify as Rahasia, while the other he didn't know yet, so he surmised that it must've been Shen. And it was coming from beyond the east door. Going through it and into a hallway, they found another set of smaller hydraulic doors lining the left wall, with one of them mined and locked. With the two keeping an eye out, The Final Knight recovered the mine before he picked the lock and, finally, the door sliding open to reveal that the one inside was indeed Shen Matale.

The young man jumped back at the sight of the massive beast of a mutant demon hybrid in front of him. "Who are you?" He demanded of him, trying to hide the fear and shaking of his voice but slipping, his eyes darting between all three. "What do you want with me? Are you working for my father?"

Dynamo shook his head and replied succinctly, informing. "No, we are here to rescue you, Shen." 

"Rescue me?" He raised an eyebrow before he shook his head adamantly. "No... I won't leave. It's too dangerous."

"Shen, we'll protect you." The Mercenary assured him firmly before urging. "Let's go."

"It's not my own safety I'm concerned about." He clarified at a fast pace, clearly worried. "I am worried about the fate of Nurik's daughter, Rahasia. She has been trying to convince her father to release me ever since I was captured. If I escape, Nurik will think Rahasia is to blame. He's insane with grief over the loss of his son Casus. If I leave with you, it is Rahasia who will suffer. I cannot allow that."

The demonic mutant would have been lying if he said that he didn't see this coming. But there had to be a way to get them out. Maybe even both of them. "How can I get you to come with us?" Dynamo asked calmly as he folded his arms.

Shen placed a hand on his chin before replying. "If you can convince Rahasia to escape with us I will accompany you - though I do not know if she would be willing to turn her back on her home and family." He let his hand at his side and gave a wry chuckle. "Who could imagine a Sandral doing such a thing for the sake of a Matale. But if she will not go, then I too shall stay." A stalwart look crossed him. "I would rather face my own death than have her face her father's because I escaped."

"So that's the only way, huh?" The Final Knight asked, though it was clear that was the case. 

"Both our fathers are too unreasonable to be talked to about the other. I think the only hope Rahasia and I will have is if we can escape both of them... Please find Rahasia and speak to her. Get her to flee this place with me."

One more thing that was clear was the situation these kids had found themselves in, a Romeo and Juliet type. It was concerning to see, especially knowing how that story ended.

The young man nodded. "Yeah... They're both too unreasonable to be talked to about the other. I think the only hope Rahasia and I will have is if we can escape both of them... Please find Rahasia and speak to her. Get her to flee this place with me." He almost pleaded with him.

Dynamo nodded before turning and glancing at Bastila and Carth with an unspoken request, one that both understand. 

"We'll keep an eye on him." The Jedi Sentinel assured with a serious nod, one mirrored by The Republic pilot. 

The demonic mutant already knew the daughter's scent from before so it was not difficult to track it to her room at the north end of the South Hallway, the most direct route to which was through the Storage Room at the west end of the north hallway. Along the way, he encountered a few war droids, but his Splinter Cell training came in useful in destroying them without triggering any alarms and avoiding getting recorded on the cameras. For a moment, he considered using a localized EMP,  but that would have taken down the electricity to the whole thing, which was something he didn't want. The old-fashioned way of sticking to the shadows worked out well anyway and he arrived at the door to Rahasia's room. He knocked on it a few times in a rather distinct manner, to be clear that it wasn't her father at the very least. She perked up inside the room and walked closer, cautiously opening the door and nearly jumping at the sight of The Mercenary. 

"What are you doing here?" She questioned once she regained her bearings. "Have you found Shen yet?"

Dynamo nodded and quickly explained. "I'm trying to rescue Shen, but he won't leave without you, Rahasia." 

At that, a light laugh escaped her, covering her lips with her hand for a moment. "Shen can be so stubborn sometimes...!" She shook her head before musing it over out loud. "If one of the security droids sees me wandering the halls Father will get suspicious. I can't risk coming with you and him. I know Shen would rather die than leave me here alone to face the wrath of my father. Tell him I will meet you outside the gates." She instructed while packing up whatever she felt was absolutely necessary for her. "I will wait as long as I can, but you must hurry."

Her determination and devotion were rather admirable, same with the courage she displayed. "Alright. We'll meet up outside." He nodded before he hurried back through the shadows to the captive son.

It was a slight relief for all three to see The Mercenary walking back, though none could tell what was on his mind based on his stone-faced expression.

"Rahasia promised she would meet us outside the gates." He informed with a glance between all three, his gaze settling on the young man in the end.

He nodded with a relieved smile. "I pray she is not just telling me what I want to hear," Shen said more to himself. "But I'll have to take that chance. Let's hurry then…!"

All three nodded in complete agreement with The Final Knight taking the lead to head outside, not the way they came, but through a more direct route, through the door to the north. The very moment that the group came out of the estate, the two heirs of opposing fathers saw one another and their expressions brightened instantly. 

"Shen! You're safe!" She called as she saw them approaching, breaking into a run with gleaming eyes.

"Rahasia!" He couldn't help but exclaim as well. "Thank goodness you managed to escape!" He caught her in his embrace, lifting her off the grass for a moment before setting her down.

Then they pulled away a little, holding each other's hands when she spoke. "It was all thanks to this kind Jedi that we managed to get this far at all." Her deeply grateful gaze turned to the three, looking between them and trying to face The Final Knight. "I thank you, Jedi, for all that you have done for us."

They nodded, each in turn, with the demonic mutant assuring. "Don't worry about it. We only did what was right of us." Dynamo said witn a glance between both.

But the son shook his head rather stubbornly. "No, we know that you must have gone to great personal risk to get us out of the Sandral estate undetected," He said 

The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer held up a hand and insisted with a shake of his hand. "No reward is necessary." 

Shen frowned yet was determined, pressing on. "But surely we can-"

Suddenly he was cut off and before they could go on any further they were ambushed by Ahlan Matale… 

"There you are, Shen!" The Matale Patriarch's voice rang out as he stopped and folded his arms with a clearly displeased frown, two war droids flanking him and an entire squad backing him.

Shortly after, Nurik Sandral came out of the estate with an escort of his own and a squad of his own droids in his wake, prepared for battle.  

Both men had a dozen behind them and their children were right in between them. They turned, standing back to back, still holding each other's hand as they stared down their respective parents. The Mercenary, Sentinel and Pilot stood with Nurik to their left and Ahlan to their right. All three were well aware of what was potentially coming. A bloodbath and they were the only ones who could stop it.

"I knew this was all your doing! I knew you had captured my son!" Ahlan declared with something between frown and grin as he glared at Nurik.

"You had taken my Casus from me long before that!" Nurik retorted with grieving g resentment, thinking that his son had died on Matale grounds and as such, Ahlan was responsible. "You started it!"

"I don't want to hear any of your excuses!" He countered, cutting his off with an enraged motion of his hand. "Now I will get revenge for your transgressions!"

This was getting out of hand fast. The Final Knight had to do something. "Both of you need to calm down right now!" Dynamo demanded of the two opposing fathers.

"Please listen to him, father!" Shen begged him.

"Why should I listen to the Jedi?" Ahlan spat out with a frown of disgust. "All you want is to remain with that Sandral harlot."

"My daughter is not a harlot, Matale dog!" Nurik yelled aggressively, moments from ordering an attack.

Recognizing how this was going worse and worse, he still made an effort to intervene. "Why don't you at the very least try listening to your children?" He asked both parents, his tone even calm and firm.

The Matale Patriarch scoffed, shaking his head. "Our children don't know enough of what's good for them to make a reasonable decision!"

"It's better to let older, wiser heads like ours make the decisions." The other patriarch completed his statement, unknowingly.

At least they can agree on one thing… Dynamo thought to himself as he reexamined the situation carefully. 

"Rahasia and I don't want you to make decisions for us! We want to live alone away from you!" Shen declared staunchly.

"You... You insolent boy!" Ahlan puffed with anger, seemingly ready to burst out of his skin, his tone becoming more threatening with each word. "If you want to live alone then so be it! I disown you! Never set foot in my house again!"

They were getting on the demonic mutant's nerves too now, his teeth grinding. "You've no right to keep them apart!" He declared firmly, irritated by the way they treated their own flesh and blood.

"I have every right!" The Matale patriarch shot back arrogantly. "Shen is my son! You-"

Dynamo cut him off, fed up completely as he stepped closer. "No, you don't! He's NOT your property! He is a grown man capable of making his own decisions!" He declared, getting in his face before he then turned to Shen. "What do you want? Tell him!" He pointed to the father as he addressed the son.

"I want Rahasia!" Shen declared firmly with a determined nod, emboldened by his words.

"You can't have her! I will fight to keep her from you!" Nurik declared, disgusted and insulted by the prospect.

At that, the Republic pilot intervened as well. "Your children should be allowed to live their own lives."

Shaken from The Mercenary getting up his face, the adrenaline was coursing through Ahlan, his whole aged body was shaking but he remained staunchly stubborn. "My son doesn't know his head from his backside!" He declared, pounding on his chest twice. "I am the only one qualified to be making his decisions for him, and I say that he will leave with me right now!"

"No, I won't!" He shook his head, unwavering in his decision. "I can choose my own path!"

"Shen!" Ahlan looked at him with a mixture of shock and rage. "How dare you!?" 

"I am tired of you controlling my life!" He shouted back. "I love Rahasia and I want to be with her forever!" His eyes briefly glanced at the woman he was still holding hands with.

A glance that was shared as she declared to Nurik. "And I want to stay with Shen forever, father!" 

At this point, The Sentinel was getting involved as well, since The Final Knight needed all of the support he could get with the two brickheads and avoiding conflict. "You two should stay together no matter what," She staunchly said to the two.

"Don't disobey me, Shen." Ahlan snarled and threatened. "Come to me now and leave her! If you don't I'll disown you!" 

"I don't care!" He shook his head, adamant. "Rahasia and I will live on our own if you won't accept us!"

"You will do no such thing! I am your father and I order you to come back with me!" The Matale Patriarch's tirade continued. 

"No, father, I won't!" But the heir continued to hold his stance.

"Rahasia!" Nurik called to his daughter, disgust and fury in his voice at the whole situation. "You will not leave with this... this Matale boy!"

"I am, father, and you can't stop me! We're leaving for the Enclave!" She declared definitely, holding tightly to Shen's hand. 

The pair exchanged one last glance before looking to the three that had helped them and were still trying to help them. And there was reassurance in all of their gazes that The Mercenary, Sentinel and Pilot would protect them. 

So they broke into a run, a run to freedom from the oppressiveness of their families. 

"Let them go," Dynamo said coldly with his fierce eyes moving between the two fathers.

"You expect us to just let them leave???" Ahlan asked, outraged. "Droids! Stop them!" At the command the entire squad took aim with the tension rising beyond any limit.

"You will not turn your droids on my daughter!" Nurik declared, already inflamed. "Droids! Don't let them take Rahasia!" Now the other squad took aim at the Matale Droids, but thankfully neither opened fire yet. 

"We appear to be at an impasse then…" The Matale Patriarch glared with hostility at all who remained. "And they got away!"

"It is your fault, Ahlan!" The Sandral Patriarch screamed at him. "You were always too violent for your own good!"

"ME?! You were the one who rushed out here with war droids!" He pointed, ready to attack. 

God Almighty did his patience run thin ages ago. He'd had it up to his limits and beyond at this point, unable to tolerate him any further. "SHUT UP!" Dynamo's more beastly voice boomed as he had reached his boiling point. 

And everyone who remained froze at that moment, all eyes looking to The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer. But he cared little for their gazes as he walked with a plan in mind to Ahlan, picking him up and turning to Nurik, now striding towards him. He figured that if they set the droids on him, Bastila and Carth could easily take care of them. Though the fact that they were still as stunned by what he was doing as the two fathers wasn't helping. Rather roughly, he set the Matale patriarch down next to the Sandral one, an expression of displeasure etched on him. 

"For God's sake, would you just listen to yourselves!?" His voice dripped with frustration as he folded his arms, looking at both. "Look at the way you're behaving. Look at the way you drove away your own family...!"

Ahlan had opened his mouth to protest, but The Mercenary shut him up yet again with a slight snarl. "Don't argue with me. Both of you, you need to accept the fact that your children are adults and they love each other in spite of what you taught them. And now, in your selfishness, you just drove your only family away! They left you! They will go on to live happily together while you two will sulk around in your estates all alone, but for the coldness of the droids, for the rest of your lives!" He tried to drill the fact into their heads before firmly asking both. "Is this what you wanted?"

Hearing the words, it allowed the Sandral Patriarch to better comprehend everything. So this was what his care had led up to, the exact opposite of what he'd wished to do. And his eyes widened in understanding. "What have I done?" He turned his gaze to Ahlan in realisation. "He's right, Ahlan!"

But the old man refused to accept, his arms folding as he bitterly retorted. "No, you are wrong! All a Sandral wants is a Matale's money!"

Now that was a lie and fabrication based on matters that they had seen themselves mere minutes earlier. "Then why did Rahasia leave with Shen, even after you disowned him?" The demonic mutant questioned with a skeptical raise of his eyebrow.

A question that the overbearing father had no good reply to. It didn't fit into his view but he was left speechless. 

"Children grow up," He said to both fathers with an air of finality, strongly urging. "Let them lead their own lives."

"I… I suppose you are right…" Ahlan struggled to say the words, looking from the massive beast of a mutant demon hybrid to the Sandral Patriarch. "Nurik… I apologise for my behaviour…"

"I apologise as well. What I did and said was wrong." Nurik said to him with a nod of understanding before looking at The Final Knight. "Is there some way we can redeem ourselves in their eyes?" He asked almost desperately. 

Now that was going to be a difficult one, because they had to win the trust of their children back. "Work together to give them something." Dynamo advised the two of them, his demeanour becoming less intimidation even if it was hardened. The benevolence was there and felt. "Show that you can get along and offer them something." A lightbulb went off in his head and he suggested. "Build them a house."

It was a rather simple sounding idea but it would prove to their heirs that they could indeed cooperate without killing each other or hurling baseless insults. "Yes! Yes, Ahlan we can do this!" Nurik glanced at him as he declared.

He looked at him as if he were insane, unsure if this would work, maybe even skeptical. "But how?"

"With your money and my droids, we can build them the greatest estate, bigger than all others." He replied with a growing smile, admittedly getting rather excited. 

Ahlan placed a hand on his chin and slowly nodded with a growing smile. "Hmm, bigger than all others, you say? I do like how that sounds!" 

The two fathers walked off, further discussing their plans and actually sharing a few laughs as they looked for the perfect spot to build their gift for their children.

Dynamo watched them, satisfied, but he still rubbed a hand over his face and through his hair. "Doamne, ferește și apără de dobitoci și egotiști…" (God, evade and defend from idiots and egoism.) He mumbled in his beard with a very long and heavy sigh.

"That..." Carth tried to put thought into words as he blinked a few times, processing what they'd been thinking. "That went better than I expected." He remarked as they slowly began to walk on the trail back to the Enclave.

"Thank you for what you've done. Through your actions, a great conflict has been avoided between these families." Bastila said sincerely and even admiring as she walked next to him. "I admit, I was a bit worried for a moment. I thought you were going to abuse your power but you didn't."

Oh, let The DOOM Slayer out. Well, that wouldn't have helped in the slightest because he wanted them to be rational enough to listen. "It's better to have them see on their own, rather than force it on them," Dynamo replied simply.

The group of three was quiet as they arrived near the Enclave, that was when they discussed their plans moving forward. The two Knights of different Orders still had to explore the ruins and with Dawn coming, it was the perfect opportunity. Going over to where all the speeders were located, they only rented out two, since the Republic pilot headed back into the Enclave at the Ebon Hawk and maybe even find the two children. 

Soon enough, The Mercenary and The Sentinel departed into the plains in the direction of the Dantooine ruins while Carth managed to find the pair which had just taken refuge in the Jedi Enclave. Of course, they had wanted to give him a reward but The Republic pilot graciously refused before informing them of the good news regarding their fathers. And both were left stunned by the whole thing, yet they were elated and incredibly thankful. It was clear that they wouldn’t soon forget the good that the three did for them, The Final Knight especially. Their lives had been forever changes for the better.

Chapter Text

It took some time to arrive in the east end of the plains, time which would have been exponentially longer if they had walked. The ruins were the furthest away from the Enclave, tucked away almost and nearly forgotten as the two speeder bikes arrived and slowed down, their drivers dismounting.

"This is it," Bastila said with a glance around, noting the ruins they had seen in their vision. It was exactly as they had seen. The dark stone pillars scattered throughout the area, the entranceway into the side of the sloping grassy hill, and the heavy feel of the entire area.

"You feel that?" Dynamo asked, slightly tensing as the hair on the back of his neck stood on end.

"Yes." She replied with a slow nod. "The dark side is strong here…"

He took a deep breath, cataloging the scents as was instinct. "No one living is around here, except for us."

"I don't think there ever was…" She surmised as they walked closer, musing out loud. "It seems more like a tomb of some sort… though why Revan and Malak would be interested in some old tomb I have no idea."

They made their way over to the stone entranceway which was sealed by a heavy stone doorway, just as they had seen in their vision. There were strange markings carved into the stone surfaces of the pillars and the entranceway, which The Jedi Sentinel took note of as she ran her fingers over one of the symbols carved into the stone. 

"This… this symbol." She whispered in realization. "It's the same symbol Revan used for his Empire…"

The Final Knight cast a glance and nodded with a beastly hum. "Figured as much." He thought back as he continued. "I saw this back on Taris inside the military base and it was displayed on his ships as well."

She gave a nod of her own and surmised. "Perhaps this will shed more light than we thought." 

They took a step back before the Jedi reached out her hands toward the door and, using the Force, began to unlock the stone mechanisms within. The stone ground and rumbled horribly as the door parted open, retreating into thin slots in the walls. Inside was a long dark passageway awaited with no discernable lights and a heavy, foreboding mist. They glanced at each other and ignited their lightsabers, walking inside almost simultaneously.  The dark blue and yellow glow of the lightsabers lit up the path before them and after walking several dozens of meters, they realized it was shorter than they had originally thought. The hallway opened up into a large rectangular room with three sealed doors, one to the right, another to the left, and one straight ahead. In the center of the room was a single body lying on the floor in pale brown Jedi robes.  When they got closer, both recognized who it was, it was the elderly Jedi which The Mercenary had met just after getting out of the Enclave, Nemo. He was dead, his skin cold and icy to the touch, his robes tattered and singed in parts, the smell of char lingering on him.

"Poor Nemo," Bastila said, her voice taking a sad tone as she watched Dynamo take a knee next to him and look him over. It was a bit unnerving to see that calm coldness on him at this moment. He was colder than the atmosphere around them. "He didn't deserve to go out like this." She walked closer slowly and picked the Jedi's lightsaber off the floor. "We will return this to the Council when we get back and see to a proper burial for him."

The Final Knight straightened and nodded in complete agreement when, suddenly, a humming sound reached their ears and a floating cylindrical droid with several protruding mechanical arms descended from the ceiling. Both Knights got into a ready stance, lightsabers ready as it stopped directly in front of them. But it didn't attack and instead began speaking to them in a strange language that was unfamiliar to both.

Not even the vast archives of the Supreme Commander's SMI had any record of what the droid was saying, coming up empty. His brow furrowed as he glanced and asked. "Bastila, do you have any idea what this droid is saying?"

"No." She shook her head and frowned, placing her lightsaber back on her belt for now. "I've never heard such a language before."

Suddenly, the droid began speaking in a completely different language, but they still couldn't understand it. 

"I think the droid is trying to communicate with us by cycling through a variety of languages." The Sentinel offered, realizing that it was switching the apparent dialect with every phrase almost. "Each time it spoke it was using a very different alien dialect. The droid can probably understand us. The only problem is it may not have been programmed with the phonemes of a language we can understand."

It was a similar conclusion to the one he had reached, partly surprising yet not unexpected. "This droid must be extremely old, I'm surprised it still functions." He noted the old rusted dark metal with which it was constructed. 

Suddenly the droid uttered a series of guttural sounds with a wet almost gargling quality to it, but they were sounds that they could comprehend. "I can reproduce any of the languages spoken by the slaves of the Builders."

Dynamo blinked and looked at it with a slightly narrowed gaze. "I recognize this language." 

"Me as well." She nodded as she stared at it carefully, a hand on her belt. "It is an archaic variant of the Selkath dialect spoken on Manaan. But why would a droid on Dantooine be programmed to speak ancient Selkath?" She asked with a glance at The Mercenary.

Before he could reply, the droid succinctly interrupted and explained. "Communication was vital to ensure that the slaves constructed this temple according to the wishes of the Builders." It paused for a moment as if analyzing them then reporting. "But you are not of the slave species. Neither are you of the Builders. You are like the one who came before." 

"It must be referring to Revan." Bastila deduced quickly, her gaze on Dynamo again, who nodded. "The Dark Lord and Malak likely encountered this droid when they explored these ruins."

That likelihood was definitive for the demonic mutant. He folded his arms and firmly asked the droid. "What are you? Why are you here?" 

"I am the Overseer." It introduced itself without pause or hesitation, explaining clearly. "The Builders programmed me to enforce discipline among the slaves while this monument to the power of the Star Forge was constructed. At project completion, all slaves were executed. I was reprogrammed to serve should a Builder return in search of knowledge of the Star Forge."

A lot of things to ask now and this droid was willing to answer them when he posed the questions. The perfect opportunity to gather intel about this. "How long have you been here?" He further questioned.

And it replied to The Final Knight just like before. "My chronological circuits have marked over ten full revolutions of this system's outermost planet around the sun since the Builders left." 

Hearing that, The Sentinel blinked in pure shock. "Ten revolutions would take more than 20,000 years." She looked between the droid and Dynamo as she made the calculations swiftly and was left in disbelief. "If this is true then this droid is nearly 5,000 years older than the Republic itself! There must be some mistake."

"There is no mistake." The droid declared staunchly. "The Builders constructed my chronological circuitry using the technology of the Star Forge itself. My calculations are infallible."

Well, since it was completely mechanical, there was no way for him to smell if it lied or not. So, they had to go along with what it said.

One bit caught his attention so Dynamo questioned it further. "Who are these Builders you keep talking about?"

"The Builders are the great masters of the galaxy, the conquerors of all worlds, the rulers of the Infinite Empire, and the creators of the Star Forge." It replied and even declared, somehow pridefully. 

Bastila slowly nodded to herself before she mused out loud. "These Builders must have been an extinct people, though it is strange there is no record of their existence," She glanced at him, informing. "Even the archives at the Jedi Academy make no mention of them. In the years before the Republic, the Hutts were a dominant force in the galaxy, but they never constructed an empire. I know of no species that would fit with this information." 

There was only one scenario that The Mercenary could think of, nodding to her words. "Something must have happened to wipe the Builders out. Something of catastrophic proportion." 

But the droid picked up on their conversations and countered. "The empire of the Builders is infinite and everlasting. None can stand against their might and the power of the Star Forge."

Yet the current state of the Galaxy showed that clearly wasn't the case. His brow furrowed at it and calmly challenged. "Have you seen a Builder recently?" 

"I have been here ever since the completion of this monument." It replied with the requested information with no hesitation. "In all this time no Builder has returned to seek information on the Star Forge." 

Now came the million credits question, the demonic mutant's arms folded as he asked with a tilt of his head. "What is the 'Star Forge'?" 

"The Star Forge is the glory of the Builders, the apex of their Infinite Empire." It stated but rather vaguely. "It is a machine of invincible might, a tool of unstoppable conquest."

"Could you be a little more specific?" He rubbed his chin looking at it with a tilt of his head, the possibilities coming to mind.

It stammered for a second and just repeated itself. "The... The Star Forge is the glory of the Builders, the apex of their Infinite Empire. It is a machine of invincible might, a tool of unstoppable conquest."

"The droid is obviously not programmed with the knowledge we seek," Bastila concluded with a long sigh based on its response. "The Star Forge sounds like some type of weapon, perhaps... though, in fact, it could be anything."

Though some pieces of this puzzle were coming together in the Supreme Commander's mind. "The name 'Forge' may imply a factory or a weapons plant and 'Star' maybe refers to its dimensions or its destructive capabilities." He kept a hand over his chin as he thought, royal blue eyes wandering all over. "A Forge that creates weapons that can destroy Stars or even systems." 

That certainly seemed quite plausible and it was rather impressive how he was putting it together. "Maybe... that might explain how the Sith were able to amass a fleet so quickly." The Jedi nodded in agreement. "Maybe the droid has more information we can use. It seems to respond to you; perhaps you should ask it something else."

With a brief motion of his head to her, his eyes moved back to the droid before he requested. "Tell us about Revan and Malak… the ones who came before us."

"The ones who came before you – the ones like you, not Builders but not slaves – sought knowledge of the Star Forge and its origins." It answered succinctly. "Though they were guided, they proved themselves worthy. They discovered the secrets of the Star Forge locked beyond the sealed door behind me. But there was another who failed to unlock the secrets and paid the ultimate price."

"The droid must be talking about poor Nemo." Bastila looked at him for a moment with regret, her voice quieting. "The Council sent him here to investigate... and it cost him his life."

"What happened to Nemo?" Dynamo demanded from the droid, though he kept up his triple C demeanor. "Did you kill him?"

"I am not programmed for combat, I did not harm the one who failed." The Overseer replied, explaining. "This temple's own protections will destroy those who seek knowledge of the Star Forge if they are deemed unworthy."

"Who guided them?" He inquired with a furrow of his brow. 

It stammered again and gave no real reply. "They… they were guided."

"Another dead end," The Final Knight mumbled in his beard before gritting his teeth for a moment. "Fine. How can we prove ourselves worthy?"

"Enter the proving grounds to the east and west." It directed and informed, pointing with its mechanical arms. "Within them, those who understand the will of the Builders can unlock their secrets and open the doors. But those who fail will be destroyed by the power of the temple itself. More than this, I am not programmed to say."

Bastila exchanged a grim glance with Dynamo. "What's behind the door?" She asked with a slight tilt of her head. 

"An answer." Was the only response given.

"Very well, droid." She said, sighing. "We will submit ourselves to the test."

"Let's do this!" Dynamo nodded and cracked his fists together. 

Slowly they moved over to the door on their left and as they approached the door slowly opened to reveal another rectangular room with a single ancient computer terminal at the rear of it. In the center, stood another guardian droid that seemed to be scanning the room continuously.  As they walked into the room, the door suddenly shut closed behind them with a thud. The droid suddenly turned to regard them, the lights on its exterior turning from light green to a bright red. 

"Here we go…!" He said sliding on foot back and dropping into a balanced stance.

Suddenly, a bright beam shot out from a nozzle on the droid. It was cold and seemed to freeze the very air around it. Bastila and Dynamo dodged out of the way as the cryogenic beam struck the door behind them, freezing it with a sheet of ice.  The Mercenary ran forward and leaped at the droid through the air. Just as he was coming down to deliver a strike, the droid emitted a powerful shockwave that threw him back hard. Going with the momentum, he managed to catch himself with one hand, sliding to a stop against the wall.  Right during it, the droid fired another powerful blast of its cryogenic beam aiming for The Sentinel. She stood her ground and held her lightsaber up at the last moment deflecting the beam into the ceiling.  The blade of the lightsaber hissed and crackled as the beam strained against the powerful blade of energy. With a grit of her teeth, Bastila let out a straining grunt as The Final Knight charged at the droid again. 

Moving at a speed much faster than he was used to in his base state. "Kar-!", he slashed the droid once clean through with his lightsaber, "-en-!" then kept his momentum to spin and cut it with his hidden blade. "-tuk!!!" 

The pieces fell to the ground, the circuits sparkling as the red lights flickered off. They both let out a deep breath and exchanged a glance with a mutual nod.  They then turned, approaching the ancient computer hummed. Its screen flickered to life and a stream of incomprehensible characters scrawled across it. Bastila squinted at the characters as she tried to make out what the ancient language was saying.

Dynamo stared at it, rubbing the back of his head as he was trying much the same. "Alright, what do you want from us?" He asked in his beard rhetorically.

Suddenly, the computer went silent, its screen blank. Then a few extremely unusual characters appeared on the screen. 

"What did you do?" She asked as her gaze snapped to him, alarmed. 

"I spoke to it." He replied matter-of-factly, shrugging. 

The computer emitted a rapid sequence of tones, making The Final Knight's ears twitch. One of those tones softly echoed by his SMI and a small data receptacle and opened in the front of the ancient machine. With a thoughtful hum, he took out his SMI and went to insert it.

"Wait." She grabbed his arm to stop him, speaking succinctly. "We don't know what it will do."

His head tilted to the side as he challenged, though did so rather amiably. "Do we have another choice?"

For a moment The Sentinel paused, then realized that she was still holding his arm. Quickly, she let go of his arm and her cheeks turned a shade of crimson. "Just… be careful with it." She tried to hide it away from him.

Dynamo feigned the fact that he didn’t notice. "If you're nervous about it exploding, you can take a step back." He said with some sarcasm as he inserted his SMI into the receptacle.  The computer seemed to be interfacing with his SMI and soon enough the screen went blank again. Then more familiar characters began to appear on the screen, though it was still a jumble of letters.

He could only stare at it in confusion, trying to figure it out. "What are you interpreting?"

"I think you broke it." She teased him a little smugly as she folded her arms.

Then the computer went silent again, humming softly. It seemed to be processing data from his SMI.

"Have a little faith." He retorted with a near snicker, though he was observing the thing carefully. 

Soon enough, his SMI was released from the receptacle and the machine went silent for a moment before flickering to life again.

"Oh, look, it worked." He said sarcastically as he set his device back in his left gauntlet, Bastila casting him an annoyed frown at the words.

"[DATA INTERPRETATION – COMPLETE

LANGUAGE ANALYSIS – COMPLETE]"

And the demonic mutant simply pressed to continue.

"[INTERROGATIVE:

IDENTIFY THE THREE PRIMARY DEATH-GIVING SEED WORLD TYPES]"

Death-giving? Dynamo thought as he looked at the list given by the computer. "[Desert, Volcanic, Barren]" He typed in quickly and nimbly.

"[PLANETARY TYPE CONDUCIVE TO DEATH BREAKING DEATH SEAL]"

There was a groaning sound all throughout the place which had them admittedly worried but it quickly came to a halt. 

"And done." The Mercenary said as he straightened and stretched his shoulders as if it was nothing. 

"Your recklessness is going to get us killed!" She exclaimed accusingly, seeing his seemingly nonchalant behavior. 

"Then it's a good thing I can't die. I can just take the brunt of everything." He replied with a shrug as he turned, already prepared to move on.

The Jedi blinked and shot him a piercing glare. "That is not… you… ugh!" She threw her hands up in annoyance and began walking towards the exit.

"After you, Master." He said almost slyly and teasingly, pointing with his hand to the door, though that momentary slip of his Mercenary persona was quickly fixed.

She didn't fire back at that, not when she was that cold return to him all too soon. They moved on to the second room, the door opening automatically as they approached. The chamber was exactly like the previous one, with a single computer terminal and guardian droid to match.  The demonic mutant looked around the room and saw that parts of the stone had been blackened and charred, a collapsed beam splitting it in two from north to south that suggested Nemo at least put up a fight. He could smell the fumes and char in the air all too clearly.

"We need a different approach for this droid." His fierce royal blue eyes quickly flickered to her.

"I see it too." She confirmed with a nod and glance back. "We don't have much time to form a plan it seems…"

But there wasn't much time to form said plan either as the door shut closed behind them.

"I have an idea." The Mercenary said as he dropped into a more offensive stance, requesting. "Can you draw its fire?" 

She glanced at him a little warily. "What are you thinking?"

"No time to explain, follow my lead!" He said as the droid's eyes lit up red and shot out a long stream of flames at their position. 

Dynamo rolled to the side, the flames singing the end of his boots as Bastila again stood her ground. She returned her lightsaber to her belt and held up her hands as if to stop the flames in their tracks. The flames proceeded to bend around her, surrounding her in a ball of fire but leaving her safe in the center.  There was no time to waste as The Final Knight flung his lightsaber clear across the room with deadly precision. The lightsaber struck the droid right in its red eye, making it recoil back a little.  He leaped through the air and came down with his hidden blade, stabbing down into the top of the droid's cylindrical body. One of its mechanical arms whirled around, aiming for his face, but he swiftly blocked it with his gauntlet. The droid's circuits began to overheat from the extensive damage and the steady stream of fire ceased, allowing The Sentinel to be free from her fiery prison. 

"Watch out!" She yelled as the droid exploded just as he leaped off it, shooting out parts all around the demonic mutant. Almost on instinct, she reached out with the Force and caught several of the sharp pieces before they struck him. 

He fully expected them to graze him at least, so when he landed and looked up, seeing the metal shrapnel floating above his head, he was genuinely surprised. 

"Thank you," Dynamo said with a small nod, setting his lightsaber back on his belt as he mentally added. Deși nu era nevoie. (Though there was no need.)

"Be more careful next time." She admonished but not unkindly, setting the debris off to the side, trying desperately not to look amazed by his antics. "You may heal faster than a normal person, but you are not immortal." 

"Takes more than some shrapnel to truly harm me." The Mercenary said as he calmly walked to their objective. Mai degrabă pe mine decât pe tine… (Rather it be me than you)

The ancient computer hummed and throbbed as they approached it, The Jedi catching up to him quickly. Its screen flickered to life and a stream of incomprehensible characters scrawled across it.

"Alright," He said to it, figuring that it was the same as the last one. "Show us what you've got."

The computer went silent, its screen blank. Sure enough, a few extremely unusual characters then appeared on the screen. Then that similar rapid sequence of tones was emitted, one mirrored by his SMI.  Just like before, a small data receptacle opened in the front of the ancient machine and he inserted it into the machine without any protests or second thoughts.  As before, the computer seemed to be interfacing with his SMI. The screen went blank again, and then more familiar characters began to appear on the screen.

"[Hrsiki? Jsoofs oiuwn so h itasoo'khf?]"

"Yeah, just like before." He talked to it simply.

The computer went silent again, humming softly as it seemed to be processing data from his SMI like the other did. His SMI was released from the receptacle and the machine went silent for a moment before flickering to life again.

"[DATA INTERPRETATION – COMPLETE

LANGUAGE ANALYSIS – COMPLETE]"

Without delay, he pressed to continue.

"[INTERROGATIVE:

IDENTIFY THE THREE PRIMARY LIFE-GIVING SEED WORLD TYPES]"

Life-giving. He thought as he selected them from the list of six, just as before. "[Oceanic, Grassland, Arboreal]"

"[PLANETARY TYPE CONDUCIVE TO LIFE

BREAKING LIFE SEAL]"

Sure enough, there was a horrific noise that shook the whole structure once again but it ended fairly soon, with the Knights of different Orders letting out a sigh. Together, they turned and made their way back out into the main room where the Overseer and the previously locked door were.  The droid hummed idly in the middle of the room with little regard for them, not replying to any of their inputs. When they approached the door to the chamber that they sought they suddenly began to open, old gears and cogs turning inside the walls to raise the heavy stone. How it was being lifted, they couldn't tell, but the path beyond was now open to them.  Behind the door was a short hallway that opened up into a large circular room that was completely empty save for a single odd-looking object at the rear of the room. It consisted of a round, flat-topped dish-like structure with three prong-like hinges pointing towards the ceiling. As they approached, the three prongs lowered and opened up and a holo-image projected from the circular dish in the center.

"This... this must be what Revan and Malak found when they entered this temple," Bastila said with silver-grey eyes wide with realization, examining it while stepping around. "It must be where their journey down the dark side began." 

"It's a map." Dynamo looked it over as well, his hands clasped behind his back and a scrutinizing gaze. "Some sort of intergalactic navigational chart." 

"Revan and Malak must have used this to lead them to the Star Forge." She hypothesized before suggesting with a glance to The Mercenary. "We could use this map to follow their path and find the Star Forge ourselves. But we must be wary… they may have laid traps or concealed what they found.'

He stopped and folded his arms, placing a hand on his chin. "So what is the Forge, exactly?" He asked to get her opinion on it.

"I... I don't know, but Revan and Malak were very interested in finding it. It must be a tool of some type... or maybe a weapon." She suggested as she looked it over. "Perhaps the Council can tell us more. But I think this map might be the key to finding the Star Forge, whatever it is. See this world here?" She pointed to a planet on the map. "This looks like Korriban, a Sith world. And if that's Korriban, then this is... Kashyyyk... and Tatooine... and here's Manaan. But there are pieces missing: incomplete hyperspace coordinates, corrupted data... and there doesn't seem to be anything indicating where the Star Forge itself might be."

"Perhaps those worlds have more clues." Dynamo thought out loud, rubbing his beard. 

"I was thinking that, too." She nodded with a glance. "This map can't take us to the Star Forge, but I know that Revan and Malak visited Korriban at least once. Perhaps they discovered something more there. They may have found something on each of the other worlds that completed this map. Maybe if we find all the pieces they will lead us to the Star Forge… and some way to destroy it. We can't ignore this. Finding the Star Forge might very well be the key to defeating the Sith! We must inform the Council of what we have discovered. They must decide our next course of action, though I suspect our task has only just begun."

They seemed to be of the same opinion on that one. The fact that the former and current Dark Lords had been to Korriban and the planet was on a map that showed three others, their mission was becoming clearer.  With it all cemented in the mind of the Supreme Commander, he glanced and nodded to her that they were done. Both turned and headed out of the ruins in a rather uneasy silence.  Their mission for the Council was done, at least on Dantooine, with a bigger one surely on the horizon. The quest for the Star Forge had just begun...

With their speeders, they headed back to the Jedi Enclave, though, throughout the ride, The Mercenary noticed the expression that was on The Sentinel. But he kept his silence throughout, that was until they pulled up to their garage.

"You look like something's bothering you," Dynamo remarked as he dismounted, his royal blue eyes looking at her.

"No, not bothering me." She shook her head, though not looking at him as she amended. "Not exactly. I've been thinking about what the Jedi Council said about the two of us. There is a bond between us, I do not dispute that. I can feel it, as I'm sure you can. The nature of that bond and its effect on our mission remain in question."

Knowing how other such bonds worked, the demonic mutant asked. "Doesn't the bond mean my presence is necessary?"

She partially agreed with a tilt of her head. "Necessary, perhaps, but it is no guarantee of our success. I admit I'm a little disturbed that such a bond could be possible in the first place." She admitted with a sigh, concern in her eyes as she stole a glance from him. "I saw your service records when you were transferred aboard the Endar Spire, but nothing beyond that. I know very little about you. I'd like to ask you some questions, given our relationship."

"Alright, I'll answer a few questions." The Final Knight agreed without hesitation, understanding her worry since he had his own for her because of it. "What do you want to know?"

"Don't worry, these are simple questions. Nothing too intrusive." She assured him with a slight but warmer smile before asking. "First, what kind of background do you have?"

"I'm a mercenary. People call me THE Mercenary. Commander of the Watchdogs." He replied honestly, with clear pride for the ones under his command. "The Republic hired me and my forces to help with the war effort ever since the Mandalorian War."

"Good." She nodded with that same small grin, seemingly satisfied for now as she continued. "On which planet were you born?"

For a moment, he rubbed his beard. "The records say Deralia, but I'm actually from Earth." He clarified in order to be honest. "It's far beyond this Realm."

Bastila did a double at him, surprised by his answer, but she didn't sense any deceit from him. Not even through their bond so she continued, nodding to herself. "Excellent. Your current age is?"

The demonic mutant eyed her, his gloved hand lingering on his beard as he put it together. "Wasn't all of this on the records?" He purposely avoided the age question because she surely wouldn't have believed that he'd been alive for centuries. 

She paused a little and glanced away. "Yes, well… The truth is I was studying how you responded to my questions." She confessed before explaining. "Your reactions help me judge you; this was a test for me to learn more about your character."

"And what did you find out?" Dynamo asked with a rather curious raise of his eyebrow.  

"You were honest, which is good. And you treated this as a serious matter, which it is." She said, her voice having an honest note of admiration, content for now. "This bond we share will shape both our destinies, it is not to be taken lightly." There was a pause as The Sentinel mused something over. "But I imagine you've had enough questions for a while. So many things have happened to you since Taris. It's probably a lot for you to absorb."

That was rather considerate of her, letting his hand on his side. "Yes…" He slowly nodded and simply stared ahead on their path. "It's been, different I suppose."

Silence set in as they arrived back at the enclave and returned to the Jedi Council Chambers to tell them of their findings without delay. Just like before, the four Masters rose from their seats upon their entering. 

"Ah, you have returned, young Padawan." Master Vandar greeted them kindly with a bow of his head in reply to The Knights of different Orders. Then he inquired rather eagerly. "Have you discovered what it was that Revan and Malak sought in those ruins?" 

The Mercenary nodded and immediately informed. "We found an incomplete Star Map and mention of something called a Star Forge." His eyes glanced between all four.

"This news of a Star Forge is disturbing." He said distressed with his arms folded and a hand on his chin. "Action is required, but we must not do so in haste. We must discuss recent events in light of this new information."

Master Vrook glanced at his colleagues. "We should consult the Jedi archives to see if there is any mention of this 'Star Forge' and what it might do." He suggested rather calmly. "We must learn why Revan and Malak sought it out." 

Zhar nodded in agreement, as did the others before he turned back to regard Bastila and Dynamo. "You have both done very well in your handling of this matter. It is, of course, regrettable that Master Nemo did not make it back. We have sent to retrieve his remains and give him a proper Jedi burial."

Master Vandar bowed his head in affirmation and turned to the two before them as well, instructing. "Return to your ship and we will summon you when we are done."

"Of course, Master Vandar," Bastila said succinctly as both bowed. "We will await your call."

"You are dismissed." We're the final words of the small Jedi before they turned and left rather quickly.

At the ship, they were greeted by the Republic pilot who was leaning against the wall at the top of the loading ramp. He was tapping his fingers against his sleeve, looking more impatient than usual. His facial scruff had grown more and frankly, he looked restless. 

"Where have you guys been?" He asked a little more accusatory than he'd meant. 

"My trials are finally over," Dynamo said calmly. "I've been accepted as a Padawan of the Order with Bastila as my teacher."

"Right… What about us?" Carth asked, standing with his arms still folded. "I've reached out to my superiors in the military and they said the Jedi requested me to remain with you here. What's going on?"

"We can't tell you anything until the Council deems it necessary," Bastila replied before The Mercenary could. "I'm sorry, Carth. However, it seems as if the Council will have a mission for us very soon. They have instructed us to begin preparing the ship and the rest of the crew." She informed him kindly but a bit sternly.

"Perfect," The Republic pilot grunted with a furrow of his brow. "More Jedi secrets…"

The Sentinel sighed a little. "I'm sorry, Carth, but the truth is there isn't much to tell." She said before itching to be on her way. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must inform the rest of the crew."

As Bastila went aboard, Carth inched closer to Dynamo as if he were about to say something he didn't want to be overheard.

"So, you're in the loop now." He said in a lower voice, asking. "What did the Jedi say?"

"We have a lead in tracking down the source of the Sith's battle fleet, but the Council is trying to determine exactly what it means," The Final Knight replied without hesitation, but his tone was quieter as well.

That definitely caught the attention of the Republic pilot as he further inquired. "What do you mean 'source of the Sith battle fleet'?"

"The Sith couldn't have amassed such a fleet so quickly on their own," Dynamo explained evenly and knowingly, a hand idly rubbing his beard. "We discovered a partial Star Map that Revan and Malak found. It leads to something called the Star Forge, but we don't really know what that is."

"Interesting…" Carth said thoughtfully, glancing away and back with his brow furrowed. "It would explain some things, that's for sure." 

He nodded before requesting with a hint of urgency. "Just so we're clear, this stays between us."

"Sure thing, soldier," The Republic pilot said with a nod and slight smirk.

"Commander." The Mercenary corrected in a joking manner even if his tone was wholly serious as both men started to head up the ramp. 

They were greeted with quite the scene upon entering the ship. Everyone was gathered around the main crew area with Zaalbar eating, as usual, and creating quite a mess in the process. Canderous had his blaster rifle disassembled on the table with parts scattered about while T3 was performing diagnostics on the ship's functions. During it all, Bastila and Mission were engaged in a rather heated argument. 

"What do you know???" Mission shouted incredulously. "If it weren't for me Dynamo and Carth probably would have never even found you!"

"You're not going to make this easy for me are you?" The Sentinel huffed in frustration, folding her arms. 

"No, I'm not." The young Twi'lek confirmed indignantly, her hands on her hips as she glared at her. "I'm not going anywhere. And don't even think about using those mind powers on me!"

"Hei!" The demonic mutant chimed in a firm tone as he stepped between them with a commanding presence, demanding calmly. "What's going on?"

"Bastila doesn't want me aboard the ship!" Mission protested, motioning to The Jedi. 

"That's not…" She started but stopped and took a deep breath as she reformulated. "I was only suggesting that we might be going on some dangerous missions and this ship may not be the safest place for a child."  

"A child!?" She fumed with wide eyes.

"Of, Doamne… (Lord)" Dynamo mumbled with a sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose for a moment. He held his hands up for them to be quiet. "Alright, settle down. No one is going anywhere, not yet at least. We haven't even been told what our mission is yet."

"I can be useful, you know." The young Twi'lek said matter-of-factly, turning away and still fuming. "While you two were out playing Jedi, Carth has been teaching me how to repair the ship and run diagnostics and stuff."

"It's true," The Republic pilot confirmed with a tilt of his head. "She's pretty good at it too. She's already optimized some of the ship's major functions. Should be running even smoother than before."

"See?" Mission exclaimed with a motion of her hand. 

"She's like thirteen!" Bastila protested.

"She's pretty mature for her age," The Mercenary said calmly, crossing his arms. "It takes a special kind of resilience and skill to live on the streets like she did. She's done more than her share thus far. From my perspective, she's earned a place aboard."

"Fine." She sighed, not overly pleased if at all. "Assuming the Council allows it."

"We'll deal with it when we have to," Dynamo said resolutely with a glance. 

"Besides, if anyone should be leaving it's Mister Trigger Fingers over there," Carth added, nodding to Canderous.

The Mandalorian looked up from his weapon for a moment, let out a short grunt, and then returned to his work as if nothing happened. 

"Alright, I'll say it again," The Final Knight added with a little sarcastic exasperation. "No one is getting kicked out."

"Just saying," The Republic pilot said with a shrug, crossing his arms and leaning up against the wall.

He sighed before informing everyone with a glance between them. "Fine... I'm going to get my thoughts in order," With a quieter tone, he muttered in his beard while running a hand back through his hair. "Maybe even rest a bit."

"Dynamo, do you need a cuddle buddy?" Zaalbar got up from his seat and wrapped his arms around the very Bearer of The DOOM Slayer in a big hug.

He immediately tensed up and looked comically uncomfortable. "Zaalbar... I don't need a 'cuddle buddy'..." He said as calmly and kindly as he could. "I'm good, thank you very much…"

"I'm not a good one?" The Wookiee asked with clear worry.

"No, you're fine." He quickly amended and assured. "Don't worry about it. It's not you."

"You know Wookiee fur is very soft." He tried to convince, almost trying to lift the Final Knight off his feet.

But he proved too heavy, even for a Wookiee's strength. "Yes, I'm sure Wookiee fur is very soft, but I can assure you that I am fine." Dynamo tried to convince him with a wry look, almost squirming to get out.

"But still." Zaalbar groaned rather dejectedly but the grip around him didn't loosen quite yet. 

The demonic mutant turned his head to see Bastila, Carth, and Mission staring at them, clearly amused by the interaction. 

"What are you looking at?" He asked with a glare at them, but he couldn't be hostile about the whole thing. At the same time, he tried to pry himself away from the furry alien as gently as possible. 

"Oh… nothing," The Republic pilot said with an innocent shrug but an amused smirk. 

"That's adorable." Bastila teased him with a similar sort of look.

"Oh, is it?" Dynamo asked sarcastically, his brow furrowing. "Wanna swap places?"

Her face immediately changed to a disapproving scowl as she scoffed. "You can be so immature." 

"Now we're talking!" Canderous suddenly spoke up, cocking his now assembled blaster rifle. He aimed down the sights and grinned madly, admiring his polished weapon. 

"Huh… reminds me of someone." The Mercenary muttered in his beard before glancing to the others. "Anyone uncomfortable?" 

The rest of the crew simultaneously raised their hands, with their faces twisted into concerned expressions. 

"I like guns," The Mandalorian said with a wide, disturbing grin.

"That much is clear." He mumbled quietly, thinking to himself. Note to self. Don't give him a BFG. "Alright, I'm going to the quarters. Bastila?" He looked at her with a silent request.

"I'll make sure he doesn't shoot anything." She assured with a small nod and smile. 

"Thank you." A nod that he returned before leaving as he ran his hand back through his hair once more.

The Mercenary left the main hold and went to the crew quarters, the door opening then closing behind him with a soft hiss after having crossed inside. Walking to his bed, he took off his backpack and left it on, before sitting down. He then reached to the black case and picked it up, resting it on his lap. Opening it revealed a metallic black 9-string guitar with metallic blue accents.

Mersi, Geo. The Final Knight thought gratefully as he settled it in his hands. Crokess, Bulldog și Quake. O să prețuiesc acest dar. (Thank you. I will cherish this gift.) He strummed it a few times and adjusted the chords to get the sound just right.

He breathed in and out, calming himself as he thought of a tune for a moment. A hand went to rub his beard before the lightbulb moment came. Something simple, yet suspenseful, a melody that he associated with a lab on Mars' moon of Phobos.  The melancholy song echoed in the room and even went beyond the door, its soothing and yet tense mood filling the Ebon Hawk from within. He let himself get lost in the music as it usually happened when he played.

But his relative peace of mind was unceremoniously disturbed by a familiar dark tone. Long time no see, Mercenary… The Darkness taunted him as it emerged from its dormant state. 

Trebuia să fie mult mai lungă! (Should have been a lot longer) He gritted his teeth as he continued his tune, trying to use the music to bolster himself. 

En man ben prowce agegur atia ri renat atia gale. (And I will make sure that it stays that way.) The rumbling demonic tone of The DOOM Slayer resurfaced as well, roaring against the corruption of Dynamo's psyche.

Outside the mental scape, the melody had continued, reaching its relentless climax as he played it on instinct. As the turmoil settled so did the song wind down, ending on the last few notes with the same nimble motions, sighing after it all. Ruffling his hair, he set the guitar aside and moved to kneel in front of the bed, closing his eyes to meditate for another hour. Until a familiar and much more soothing voice by comparison to the ones in his head broke him out of it.

"Dynamo," Bastila called him kindly yet firmly after stepping through the threshold. "The Council has requested us."

He glanced over with a brief nod. "Alright." He said simply as he got up and grabbed his backpack. "Let's go." 

His steps were somewhat heavy as he walked through the halls of their ship, nodding to the few crew in the main area before they stepped down the ramp.

"I heard you play." The Sentinel spoke up with a small, rather admiring smile. "Pretty much everyone did."

Dynamo simply glanced over and bowed his head slightly, somewhat embarrassed by the fact though he knew that it was inevitable. "I hope you enjoyed it. Helps me to relieve some of the stress."

"You could definitely feel it in the melody." Bastila began as they walked through the Enclave, giving her take on it. "Started rather desolate and foreboding, like the dark side was encroaching on everything, but it swelled with a relentless nature… As if beings much more powerful rose to stand against."

Admittedly, he was somewhat impressed by her assessment, since it wasn't that far off. "That… is a pretty good interpretation." He said with a hand rubbing his chin for a moment. 

"Personally, I have never heard any song similar on any of the planets that I've been to." She remarked with a slight raise of her shoulders before asking rather curiously. "What is the name of it?"

"It wasn't likely anyway since it's a tune from back on Terra Prime." He said with a tilt of his head before replying simply. "Suspense."

"A fitting name." The Jedi nodded, her curiosity lingering in her silver-grey eyes. "Did you… compose it?"

Immediately, The Mercenary shook his head and held back a chuckle, yet the humble expression remained on him. "Oh, no no, I really don't have that kind of talent, if any. I believe it was Bobby Prince who composed the original."

Somehow, she found a frown making its way on her expression at that, at the way he seemed to demean himself. A silence fell between them, one that was maintained as the two arrived before the Council, stopping and standing to attention as they rose from their seats. Each nodded in acknowledgment of the Knights of different Orders. 

"You have done well in discovering the Star Map hidden within the ancient ruins." Master Vandar began in his naturally gruff yet kind tone. "But there is more you must do in the battle against Malak and the Sith. We Jedi know victory over the Sith will not come through martial might. The Council has a mission for you."

After that, Master Dorak continued and informed them somewhat distressed, based on his body language. "I have consulted our vast archives in an effort to discover the nature of this 'Star Forge', but all my efforts have been in vain." 

"Still, the Council is in agreement: the Star Forge must be found!" Master Vrook said definitely with a rather scrutinizing look, especially towards The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer. "Revan and Malak sought it out when they began their tragic fall; the Star Forge is surely a powerful tool of the dark side."

The smaller of the Jedi's eyes narrowed for a moment and his pointy ears twitched at his jagged colleague before looking to The Mercenary and The Sentinel. "The Star Map in the ruins showed you four planets, but it was incomplete. It did not show the location of the Star Forge itself. We believe there may be similar Star Maps on other planets. Each Star Map is likely a small piece of a larger puzzle." 

There was a pause, nodding to himself before instructing them. "Find the Star Maps on Kashyyyk, Tatooine, Manaan, and Korriban and we believe they will lead you to the Star Forge."

The two Knights of different Orders shared a quick glance before bowing their heads, Bastila speaking for both. "We are ready, Master. When do we begin?"

"The Jedi numbers have been ravaged by this war, by defections to Malak's cause, and by Sith assassins." Master Vandar said gravely with a downcast look, his pointy ears falling a little. "But we realize the importance of this mission. Yet if we sent a company of Jedi Knights with you we would surely draw the full attention of Malak and the Sith, dooming your efforts to failure."

"Then, will this be a solo mission?" Dynamo questioned so that he knew how they would prepare. In all honesty, he would have preferred to be alone in the field, the crew would have been protected from him. But, at the same time, there was strength in the right numbers and people by his side.

The right person, at the right time and place, possessing the right set of skills could make the difference between failure and success. 

With a somewhat thoughtful and yet understanding look, the smaller of the Jedi Masters addressed him. "Secrecy is our best defense against the Sith, but it would be foolish to send you on this quest without someone to aid you, Padawan." Using his title within the Order, showing that he was now one of them, more than just an associate.  

His eyes then went to The Sentinel beside him. "Bastila, you will accompany him as he will you, for there is a powerful connection between you two… a connection that might be the key to unraveling the mysteries uncovered by Revan." A slight pause came and there was a hint of controlled, even subdued pride at what he continued with. "And Juhani has also asked to accompany you. After long deliberation, we have granted her request."

Master Vrook nodded before glancing to The Mercenary with an ever scrutinizing and doubtful look. "Juhani nearly fell to the dark side. Perhaps her presence will serve as a reminder to you of the dangers of that path." 

The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer held back the rumble that came to him, just sclera thankfully remaining clear without much effort.

"There are others that we wish to join us," Bastila spoke up, having felt the turmoil within the demonic mutant next to her and hoping that diverting the subject would aid him. "Those who have provided invaluable aid on Taris."

Once more, Master Vandar nodded in agreement. "Of course; they possess skills you may find useful in your quest." Before advising kindly. "Remember that secrecy and discretion are paramount to your success. You will not be able to hide the fact that you are Jedi, nor should you. But the true nature of your mission must not reach Malak's ears. You may return here at any time." He assured with a smile on his aged yellowish-green expression. "Dantooine will be a sanctuary for you, a safe haven. Here you can find supplies and whatever advice or other aid we may give you."

"You can leave whenever you wish; the sooner the better." Master Vrook advised, arms folded and that stone-faced scowl on him. "The longer you wait the stronger Malak becomes." He paused for a brief moment, looking right at The Mercenary with some concern, genuine one… though it was marred by persisting skepticism. "But first a warning, Padawan: The lure of the dark side is difficult to resist. I fear this quest to find the Star Forge could lead you down an all too familiar path."

"The fate of the galaxy is in your hands, young Jedi. We pray you are up to the challenge." Master Vandar declared, the irony of indirectly calling the demonic mutant young not lost on him, considering that he rivaled his own age. "May the Force be with you." 

The Knights of different Orders bowed before turning and heading out of the Council chamber with determination in their step. They didn't need to say anything more, it was clear what they had to do.

Yet, as they walked up the ramp to the docking bay of the Ebon Hawk, a familiar voice called to them, accompanied by a slight, nigh imperceptible mechanical hum. 

"Ah, I was hoping to catch up with you two." Master Arkenstone said to both of them with a kind smile, glancing between both despite the glassiness of his eyes. "How have you been?" 

With a more open demeanor, The Mercenary turned and nodded in greeting before rubbing the back of his head for a moment. He couldn't believe the first wore that had come to him. "Is it fair to say surprisingly well?"

Crokess gave a light laugh and nodded, knowing full well how he could get. "Coming from you, it's more than fair." His attention then turned to his former pupils as he kindly asked. "And you, Bastila?"

The Sentinel nodded a little stiffly, stretching the truth somewhat. "I have been well myself, considering… everything." There was a slight pause before she spoke again with a heavy sigh. "Excuse me, but I must head to the ship and make sure everything is prepared for when we get the clearance." She smiled a little, genuine, yet there was something else too. "It's always wonderful to see you, Master, but we have a very important mission from the Council."

"Of course, Bastila, I understand." He nodded slowly, blind eyes narrowing for a nigh, imperceptible moment. "May the Force be with you." Were the final words he said as his former pupil headed to the ship with hastened steps. When she was out of earshot, he folded his arms, adjusting his navy blue robes for a moment. "You're thinking what I'm thinking, aren't you, Dynamo?" He asked The Final Knight with a bit of a sigh.

"Probably." He nodded and looked back at The Jedi Watchdog, there was a slight uncertainty in him. "I'll… try and talk to her, see where it stems from. Though I have a hunch already."

"This new mission that you have." Crokess was definitely to which Dynamo only nodded in confirmation. "I suspect that you're right. And I also know you'll do the same thing." He stated with complete confidence before perking up a little. "Oh, did you get the package?"

A near smile crossed the usual stone-faced expression. "Yes, I did." He nodded sincerely. "Thank you."

"As a certain someone would say, always my pleasure." The Veteran Jedi said in a knowing and slightly mischievous way, but it was all well-meaning.

The demonic mutant folded his arms and rubbed his beard with a narrow of his eyes. "Stealing now are we?" He teased his brother-in-arms a little.

He shook his head with feigned innocence. "No, simply inspired." Then shrugged it off, slightly playful. 

Dynamo nodded slowly. "Ah, I see how it goes..." Yet his voice trailed off as he looked where The Jedi Sentinel had gone.

"You're not as well either," Crokess stated resolutely and with an almost scrutinizing gaze, even with the blindness. 

And he was compelled to admit with a sigh. "Guess not." Running a hand back through his hair. 

"Then go, Dynamo. We'll surely meet again. May the Force be with you." He assured.

"Thank you again, Crokess." The Mercenary nodded gratefully. "Always, stay safe."

The two brothers-in-arms went their separate ways once more, yet both knew that the words of The Blind Watchman would come true. Until then, Dynamo boarded the Ebon Hawk, as they had to wait for clearance to take off. 

Walking into the main room, he came across the Cathar Jedi as she was inspecting one of the two lightsabers that she possessed as a Guardian. Gone were the slick black wraps and battle skirt she wore during their duel. Now she was adorned with the fitting red robes of a Jedi Knight. 

One was the same one she had dueled with. Now though, The Mercenary could sense that it had been cleansed of the pain that had infected the kyber crystal within. She was sitting alone off to the side as he subtly went over to her.

"May I?" He gestured to sit across from her at a respectful distance. 

She was visibly surprised by the sudden appearance and request for him, but she was compelled in a way to say. "Oh, of course….!"

"Thank you." The demonic mutant nodded and sat, clasping his gloved hands as he leaned on his knees. His tone was calm and amiable yet cold. "I see that you've joined us."

"Yes, thankfully the Council has granted my request." Her voice trailed off a little as she hesitated for a moment. "I feel I must apologize for the way I acted towards you before, in the grove," Juhani spoke, sincerely regretful as she couldn't seem to look him in the eye. "It was wrong of me."

A thoughtful hum came from him for a moment. He briefly contemplated reaching out and placing a hand on her shoulder but he held it back out of uncertainty. He was still The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer. "You thought the dark side had consumed you." He said with a note of compassion to his cold and calm voice. "So I don't hold it against you."

But that didn't seem to console The Jedi Guardian as she sighed, still unable to quite face him. Perhaps she was also feeling the oppressive rage and pain he held within. "I am sorry for attacking you. I am sorry for thinking you would only try to kill me. I hope that by helping you in your task I may redeem myself in your eyes… and my own."

The Mercenary nodded and assured with a slight raise of his hand. "Apology accepted, Juhani. I forgive you." He put it into words before also encouraging as he got to his feet. "And I know that you'll be able to do more than just redeem yourself. You'll go beyond."

She was left speechless for a moment and the words he'd given so freely. "Thank you…" She looked up to him, grateful sincerely. "It is most reassuring to know that you can forgive me, even though I tried to take your life. I can only hope that in our time journeying together, I will succeed."

"We have a saying back where I was born… Hope perishes last." He remarked knowingly before bidding her. "Stay safe, Juhani."

It was time to do the final check-ups before finally taking off and being on their way, though he fully expected more delays. As the saying that his father instilled in him went 'hope for the best yet expect the worst and nothing will surprise you most of the time'.

How accurate would that saying turn out for him, he contemplated as he made his way to the cockpit. He found Carth silently sitting alone in the pilot's seat, just staring into nothing.

"You've been very quiet lately, you know that?" Dynamo remarked with a glance as he walked in, at the same time looking through the panels on the side to check if everything was in working order.

The Republic pilot cast him a sideways glance. "Have I been quiet? I suppose I have. I guess I just don't like being left out of the loop." He said with a twinge of resentment.

"I'm not the one leaving you out of the loop, Carth." He replied amiably, not wanting to start a conflict.

"No? Well, you certainly aren't helping matters that much either and it's really starting to irritate me." His voice began to rise as he got to his feet before walking closer to him. "For one thing, I want to know exactly what the Jedi Council said to you. They pulled you in there and refused to tell me a thing about it." He motioned with his arms in an exasperated way.

The Mercenary had opened his mouth to reply but his senses picked up the rapidly approaching presence and he was cut off by the Jedi Sentinel as she came in. " That is none of your concern, Carth, and you would do well to leave the matter be." She stated resolutely, with her hands on her hips.

He frowned with a rather displeased look, glaring at her as his tone steeled. "I respect you, Bastila, but you've been as close-mouthed as the rest of the Council," Carth replied, still on the offensive as he folded his arms. "If you won't talk to me, then maybe somebody else will."

Dynamo sighed a little before answering. "They thought it was more important that I aid in finding the Star Maps rather than stay,"

The Republic pilot raised an eyebrow with a tilt of his head, still glaring. "And why is that? You were a great help on Taris, but why would they keep you with us?" He asked, trying to understand. "Don't they… don't they have to train you?"

"Not necessarily, because of my past experiences. What I received for now is enough." Dynamo explained calmly before motioning briefly between him and The Sentinel. "They said there's a bond between Bastila and myself. We have to do this together." 

Carth tilted his head at his words. "A bond?" That caught his attention. "What kind of bond? You mean to say that they told you you were 'tied' to Bastila in some way?" He chuckled skeptically. "Heh, I have trouble believing that. You're a neophyte Padawan who's been saddled with the responsibility of tracking down these Star Maps. Sure, you may be a legendary soldier and leader but still, that's not normal!" 

After his voice had risen, he sighed and backed down a little but remained irritated along with somewhat confused. "I'm not trying to provoke you or imply that you're somehow responsible for the Jedi Council… but give me a hand, here! There has to be a reason!"

The Jedi Sentinel only scoffed and shook her head, turning and exiting the room rather frustratedly, leaving The Mercenary to deal with him.

Dynamo sighed and cast her a glance before looking back to him. "Bastila and I have a bond. We have to do this together. That's all I'm going to say." He stated firmly and with finality.

"And what does that mean? Is this more of that destiny garbage that the Jedi keep talking about?" Carth asked with contempt and a raise of his eyebrow. "Well, that can't be it! I'll tell you this much… I am not going to wait around until I'm betrayed again!"

That irritated and frustrated him as well, glaring at The Republic pilot with burning royal blue eyes. "I am not going to betray you! I am not Saul!" He emphasized his words. 

He glared back with a narrow of his eyes, muttering under his breath. "Well, we'll see about that, won't we?" Then it struck him what he did and he took a step back, letting out a long sigh to relieve the tension. "Look, I didn't mean it that way. I want to get to Saul, not…" With a grunt of frustration, he cut himself off, waving a hand. "No… no, forget it. It seems all I can do is insult you, isn't it? Just forget I said anything. Let's… let's… just get on with what we were doing."

The Final Knight rubbed his face before running a hand back through his hair and letting out a long sigh. "Fine. Have it your way." He conceded half-heartedly, turning to leave him alone as he went on with the final preparations on his end.

Barely a few steps into the hallway that linked the cockpit to the main hold and he saw The Jedi Sentinel, leaning against the wall with her hands together in front and looking out of the corner of her eye. She'd been listening in but he didn't mind it since he was careful with his words.

Her gaze caught his form and she looked at him fully, lingering as if she wanted to speak but nothing came out as she glanced away.

"You have something you want to ask me?" Dynamo stepped closer, having taken note of the gesture, though he kept a respectful distance. 

Her gaze went back to him as she nodded with a little curiosity in her silver-gray eyes. "I do. How did you know?"

The Mercenary shrugged in reply. "Educated guess, from the way you keep staring."

Her eyes narrowed for a moment in slight irritation. "I believe we discussed this already. I am a Jedi." The Sentinel declared rather indignantly with her hands on her hips and staring up at him. "I am far too disciplined to betray my emotions with outward physical displays. We both know the real reason you have some idea of what I am thinking: the bond we share."

He almost cracked a side smile at that since she still had a long way to go in his eyes, but it was endearing in a way. "Then I must be even more so for picking up on the obvious clues." Then he tapped the side of his head. "Since you can't get in here."

She sighed a little at the perceived light-heartedness. "Our connection allows us glimpses into each other's minds." She said seriously but with a softer, even enigmatic, and concerned tone. "We can feel some of what the other feels and what I feel within you troubles me... A Padawan must receive considerable training. They must learn to control their emotions and darker impulses. Often it takes years before using the Force can be considered safe. The fact that you are so powerful in the Force and have had such relatively little training could have terrible consequences. For you, and for everyone around you, Dynamo."

The Final Knight became more serious himself as he stepped closer, assuring. "Only a little in the case of the Jedi training, because I have my own. Not Jedi, but disciplined and regimented, tempering what is inside me as much as possible. Besides, I can't use the Force in the traditional way, so I'm still relying on my skill set." Though there was something that prompted him to ask with a growing worry of his own. "What do you feel?" 

"You are calm on the outside, disciplined and collected, but there is something in there, deep within," Bastila said concerned and almost scared, were it not for the fact that Sentinels had a greater resistance to fear to the point of immunity. "A rage and hate of unfathomable proportions… along with pain. More pain than I've ever felt in anyone."

Dynamo knew all too well what she was talking about, he'd lived with the rage, hate and pain for centuries, yet he saw how she could fear it and completely understood where she was coming from. Because he did as well, he was afraid for her, even if it was tempered. "What are you proposing for me to do?"

"I don't think there is much you can do." She sighed, resigning herself to their current situation with a slight raise of her shoulders and glance away. "If things were different I would recommend several years of training under one of the Jedi Masters. But I fear that won't be possible. Thankfully you have exhibited a degree of compassion and self-control up to this point." Then she looked back up at him with relief before continuing. "I sincerely hope you can maintain these traits in the future."

The demonic mutant rubbed the back of his head at the praise and the words after. "I will do my best in that regard. Just because I have gained another title and been inducted into the Jedi won't change how I act. Nor will this mission. It's not my first rodeo so there's no reason for it to change me for the worse."  He spoke honestly and with determination over the fact.

"That is good to hear." She nodded at his conviction and sincere words before she began to pace somewhat restlessly. "We must all resist the influence of the dark side! It is everything we are fighting against!" Her tone raised and even became a little condescending when her silver-gray eyes went back to him. "This is doubly important for you, with your natural affinity for the Force!"

"I've been living with trying to control myself for the better part of my life, Bastila. I know all too well what it means." He said calmly before asking with a raise of his eyebrow and fold of his arms. "Why are you getting so heated?"

The Sentinel blinked as she realized, motioning with her hands in a diffusing way. "I'm sorry if I come across as harsh." Her voice fell back down as she continued, her hands slowly beginning to grip at her arms. "But I am concerned. For you, for our mission, and for myself, as well. Our destinies are intertwined. Everything one of us does will have consequences for the other." She explained as best she could. "Any reckless behavior on your part is likely to affect me as well."

"I understand, Bastila," Dynamo assured sincerely as he took a step closer before her with a bit of a softened expression. "You have my word, I won't do anything to hurt you, directly or indirectly. It's not the way I operate." His voice carried the firmness and determination of a Supreme Commander, though it wasn't as hardened with her.

"I believe you truly mean what you say." The Jedi said with a slight genuine smile of relief. "For now. But sometimes it is not so easy to keep such promises. Your power is a gift or a curse." She stated rather knowingly before offering sincerely. "When you need guidance, or advice, or support I will do my best to help you stay on the path of the light."

So she could understand that part though, within, he was already a mess of broken promises. Yet here she was, willing to aid him on all fronts despite him being The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer… or because of that. "Thank you, Bastila." He replied with a slow nod, still less hardened before her. "I would appreciate any help you could offer."

"I only hope I will have the wisdom to help you through the dark times." She said with a slightly softer smile before suggesting more firmly. "But for now, we should return to our mission. I'll head over to the cockpit to make the final preparations."

"Yes, that sounds like a plan." He nodded, leaving his hands at his sides, prepared to be on his way. "I'll go check and see if we need anything before we go." He took a few steps before pausing and turning to her. "I'll be seeing you, Bastila." Bidding her with less hardness and more kindness showing. "Stay safe."

"You as well, Dynamo." She replied with a nod of her own and a wave of her hand. "May the Force be with you."

With that, they went their separate ways, the Final Knight going to look over their suppliers and even armament located in the cargo hold. What he found kind of left a lot to be desired which left him with a long sigh as he muttered.

"Guess we'll have to make do with what we've got…" He ran a hand back through his hair before he heard the sound of footsteps drawing closer and the door sliding open.

In walked The Mandalorian Mercenary, smirking at the expression The Final Knight had. "Not the best weaponry here, huh?" He asked knowingly as he set his weapon in its casing. "You seem as disappointed as me."

He glanced over and shrugged with a long exhale. "I suppose you can say that, Canderous."

"Yeah, well, you can't expect top of the line here, on an agricultural planet of all things… but I know where we can find the very best. One trip there and we should be set for the rest of this journey." He said with a glint of his eyes as he began checking his other equipment, grenades in this case.

That really caught his attention as it could save a lot of time down the line. "Is that so?" Dynamo asked while folding his arms. "Tell me more."

"Yavin Station," Canderous replied with that same glint as he held up an incendiary grenade closer before packing it. "I checked to make sure and the coordinates are still there. The Hawk used to make a lot of runs there and the place has the best of everything in the galaxy. Though the Baragwin weapons are the true highlights."

He rubbed his beard rather thoughtfully as he was putting it together in his mind. "So you suggest we detour there then be on our way?"

"Yeah, something like that." The Mandalorian nodded, smiling slightly but it had a sinister edge. "Yavin IV is a stone's throw away… who knows, maybe your Jedi friend will be interested in that one."

He had an idea why they would be since he'd read up on it. Supposedly that was where the tomb of Exar Kun was, the Jedi turned Sith and the one that started the Great Sith War decades ago. "We shall see… though I think the trip there is worth it."

"Glad you could see things my way." He grinned somewhat unnervingly with a nod.

Dynamo began to make his way out, casting the other mercenary a glance over his shoulder with a near smirk on his cold expression. "Don't get used to it, Canderous."

At that one, he chuckled, lifting his rifle in his hands. "Whatever you say." He shrugged it off rather jokingly as The Final Knight left.

He went over to the navigational chart near the cockpit, beginning to look through the coordinates available. In relation to the map, he was already charting which they would approach first, but he figured that he should talk it over with the others as well.

Just in time as Carth noticed Dynamo after a little while, frankly, he was a bit unnerved at how silent the demonic mutant could be. He didn't even hear him come in. "Oh, hey, so I take it that we're ready to move out?"

The Mercenary glanced with a bit of a wry look. "Not really." He replied as he rubbed the back of his head a little, informing. "We need better armaments if we're to accomplish this mission well. Equipment that is not found here."

"I figured." The Republic pilot sighed a little. "For one, Aratech isn't nearly as developed as Czerka is, not to mention this is an agricultural planet and you have the Jedi here. Along with that space station of yours." 

Dynamo silently nodded with his arms folded and a hand on his chin as he seemed thoughtful. 

With a deep breath, Carth asked somewhat uncertainly. "So, what do you propose?"

"Canderous told me about a place, Yavin Station." The Mercenary replied with a glance, his lips slightly parted to continue before the Jedi Sentinel also joined them cockpit conversation.  

"Yavin Station?" She asked with subdued curiosity as she took the co-pilot seat as before, though her full attention was fully on them.

"Bastila." The Republic pilot nodded to her and confirmed with a brief explanation. "Yes, we need better supplies." Then he continued with a much more cautious and reserved tone. "The Mandalorian told Dynamo about it."

Her brow furrowed with distrust, glancing at the man in question. "And you think he can be trusted?" The Sentinel inquired, their newest crew member on her mind. "You know what his kind did to Cathar."

"Gotta admit, she's right… I don't trust him on this one." Carth admitted with a sigh, thinking much the same. "And I'd be careful with him and our other Jedi. There might be some lightsaber sparks flying."

"Not if I have anything I say about it," Dynamo muttered, mostly to himself before arguing calmly. "I know his past and where he might have been and served-"

"You mean slaughtered." The Republic pilot interrupted with no small amount of bite to his voice.

"Carth…!" Bastila shot him a glare.

"What, it's the truth." He retorted, glaring back at her.

"Enough…!" The Final Knight interjected before the discussion escalated, folding his arms as he spoke with the firmness of The Soldier, the Supreme Commander. "As long as he is on this ship, contributing to our mission and not jeopardizing it, he stays." And that was resolute as he stated. "Right now, we're wasting time by bickering instead of getting airborne."

Both were silent at that, glancing at the other before they settled into their seats and roles.

"So Yavin Station it is," Carth said with a bit of a long sigh as he looked forward at his instrumentation. "As much as I hate to admit… I am inclined to agree." 

"Coordinates have been set from the navigational chart," Bastila reported after checking up on her own side, seeing that it perfectly mirrored the one dedicated to the pilot.

"Well… here we go then." Was the last remark before the yoke was pulled and the Ebon Hawk took to the skies. Before long they were out into the atmosphere, bidding a temporary goodbye to Dantooine just as The Mercenary did to the two, nodding before heading back into the ship's main room. 

He sat down on one of the chairs, taking his SMI out and placing it on the table. A light blue projection came from it as he accessed the data sent over about The Mandalorian of the group. He would make the most of the hyperspace trip to their destination and learn more about him.  The first report was brought up and it described the other mercenary of the group as Canderous of the Mandalorian clan Ordo. He'd been fighting across the galaxy for forty conventional years. As per Mandalorian tradition, it was the honor and glory of the battle that ruled them. They believed that through combat that they proved their worth, gained notoriety, and made their fortunes. Though The Final Knight quickly noted that he didn't have everything that he wanted here, so, not before long, he was discussing it with The Mandalorian himself, who'd been perhaps surprisingly open to speak about the matter. There was a mutual respect that existed between them, from warrior to warrior.

While discussing the culture of his people, Dynamo posed the question on his mind. "Is that why the Mandalorians attacked the Republic?" 

"The Sith came to us with an offer: to fight a worthy enemy in a battle that would be remembered forever," Canderous recalled and explained as he polished the barrel of his heavy repeating rifle. "Win or lose, as long as the fight is worthy, then honour is gained. The glory at having triumphed over impossible odds is what drives us. If there's nothing at stake – your possessions, your life, your world – then the battle's meaningless. We Mandalore take everything we are and throw it into battle. It's the true test of yourself – the battle against death… against oblivion."

That definitely caught his attention, his brow furrowing thoughtfully. Here it was, right from the mouth of a Mandalorian, that war had been sparked by the Sith. Though, in the mind of The Supreme Commander of the Watchdogs, there was something deeper, because the Sith had been weakened and fragmented before Revan's rise to power. The possibility existed for someone to have manipulated both Sith and Mandalorian… the perfect candidate was none other than The Butcher of Realms… his best friend and worst nightmare. 

Setting the thoughts aside for the time being, he asked Canderous with a tilt of his head. "Then what are you doing now? Staying with the crew in the hopes of capturing the same feeling as those years gone by?"

"The days of combat and glory and cheating death at every turn seem to be over now…" He replied with a twinge of regret as his motions paused and he let out a sigh. "I take what I can. Times have changed now. The Mandalore clans have been scattered across the Outer Rim, the Republic is in decline and the Sith Empire rises to take its place. The clans as they were aren't a threat, but the galaxy still fears us. Ha!" He laughed derisively. "People think we war out of spite, or bloodlust. They don't understand and fear that. We only wanted the challenge of the battle, and glory from it – win or lose. And we lost. But now I have no real challenges. Crushing Davik's enemies and the pathetic gangs in the Lower City of Taris could not be considered the most glorious of tasks. When I think of the battles I've fought… the thousands I've killed… the worlds I've burned… I weep for my past."

That was quite a lot to take in from The Ordo Clansman. He'd basically laid out the highs of his life and it definitely seemed like he was near the lowest point of his life. It was only natural in a way and to be expected, the Mandalorians had fought against insurmountable and unwinnable odds. Once the Watchdogs and Jedi got involved, their fate was sealed and it was merely a matter of time. Though nothing warranted the brutal and nightmarish way in which it all ended. Nothing.

"Then perhaps this is a sign of the times… That you need to move on and stop clinging on to the glory of the past, desperately seeking it in the present." Dynamo advised, rather knowledgeable on the matter before asking. "Within the clans, what were you?"

"I was one of the best youth warriors in clan Ordo in my time. No one before me had mastered the power of our Basilisk war droids as quickly as I had." He boasted with a proud smile, hefting his rifle and admiring it. He quickly added matter-of-factly. "Except Mandalore himself of course. In those days we were sweeping across the Outer Rim. Destroying all who fought us. Young Mandalores would prove themselves in real combat with unknown opponents above a thousand worlds. Each brought back the story of his achievements."

A fighter since young, it was rather clear to The Final Knight that the fires of warfare burned within Canderous' very veins ever since young. Born and molded by war, perhaps even bred for it in a way, yet with a clear innate talent for it. "And what was your story?" He asked, rather curious to compare the experiences that the two mercenaries had.

"I remember it well, orbiting high above a placid world, its defences just stirring." He began his retelling passionately, his rifle in one hand and the other on his chin. "As was tradition, I would go ahead of the first wave to find enemies in the thickest fighting. I remember sitting there in my armor, linked directly with the Basilisk thrumming beneath me. My heart was racing with fear at the coming battle."

That was quite the mental image, impressive even for The Final Knight who had experienced something similar, though he was already a seasoned veteran by that point. The mention that someone like Canderous had been afraid back then might have been surprising on the surface but on second thought it made sense. He figured that was barely a teen and here he was in his first ever battle. 

Anyone would have felt fear.

"Seems even Mandalorians got afraid," Dynamo remarked with a tilt of his head, following along.

"Every new warrior has to fear to understand how to beat it," Canderous stated certainly, looking right at the demonic mutant. "You of all people must know that." There was a hint of knowing in his tone before continuing his passionate retelling, motioning with free hand. "The doors opened in front of me and the air was sucked out of the drop bay, scattering crystals of frozen vapor across my path. I can't describe what it feels like to look directly down at a world, falling continuously as you circle it, with barely fifteen centimeters of armor plate protecting you. When the magnetic locks disengaged on my droid I plunged out of the drop bay towards the battle that waited below."

"Dropping from orbit while riding a droid." The Mercenary was admittedly rather impressed by the fact even if he'd done similarly insane actions plenty of times. "Sounds like an upgraded version of the H.A.L.O. drop." He remarked, a hand on his chin and rubbing his beard as he was pretty engrossed by the tale.

"Exactly!" He exclaimed enthusiastically, satisfied at Dynamo's interest. "The exhilaration, the euphoria, I felt as I streaked into the atmosphere, dodging self-guided projectile and beam weapons, was unmatched. An 80-kilometre plunge through the atmosphere, dodging and weaving, the outside of my armour glowing like the sun with the heat of re-entry. And with barely thirty meters to spare, I twisted and skimmed the surface, firing at the giant beam generators that were in my path. The explosion from that sent shockwaves that levelled the entire complex around it. It was the moment of my life."

The Final Knight took it all in and he was actually able to see what was described within his mind's eye. For someone who was most likely younger than his equivalent of teenage years. "That was some fight." He nodded a few times.

"I'll never forget those times. But… things are different now." His enthusiasm dropped as he lowered his rifle, placing it on the workbench in front of him. "We can't go on fighting the way we had. There are too few of us left now. But I don't really want to talk about this anymore." He waved it off and stated succinctly, his fierce gaze turning to the other. "I trust I've satisfied your curiosity for now?"

"For now." Dynamo nodded as he got up to leave, assuring in a way with a raise of his shoulders. "We'll speak later, or if I need to crack a few skulls."

There was still plenty of time until they were supposed to reach Yavin and he wasn't one to sleep through a trip. He didn't feel the need to meditate either, at least for the time being while walking through the hallways of the Ebon Hawk.  They were rather empty as it was technically nighttime, based on the clock on his SMI, though he did come across The Jedi Guardian of the group as she was meditating in the main room. Her slitted feline eyes opened and they looked to him, blinking in surprise before she got to her feet rather hastily. 

"Oh, Dynamo, greetings." She actually bowed to him, something that dumbfounded The Mercenary. "I thought you were resting with the others."

"I was just busying myself by talking to Canderous about his past, learning more about him and such. It's good to know about the crew, it helps us work together much better." He stated rather matter-of-factly in each word, though he was careful in his tone, considering the past that the Cathars and Mandalorians had. With a raise of his hand, he assured firmly. "I do not need rest for now… and you don't need to bow to me."

"I do not trust the Mandalorian," Juhani stated with a frown, her sharp teeth gritting as the memories were rushing back, accompanied by the fiery feelings. "His kind decimated my planet and forced us to flee. Their ships massacred our people as they tried to escape…!"

The Final Knight was silent for a moment, his brow furrowing but he wasn't uncompassionate to what happened. He'd seen such tragedy before and he held no small amount of regret over not being able to prevent it. "Look… Juhani." Dynamo started with a long sigh, looking right into her slitted eyes. "While his actions with us certainly don't excuse what he's done during the Mandalorian War without him we wouldn't have the Ebon Hawk, we wouldn't have been able to get off Taris." He wasn't arguing, simply laying down the facts.

She glared at him almost, that hate and rage boiling in her as she looked away. Try as she might to formulate her words and say something but all that came from within was an angered grunt.

There was another sigh from him, fiddling with his left glove and almost itching to place a hand on her shoulder but he held it in. "I'm not saying you become friends with him… I am simply asking you to tolerate him." He requested with a somewhat placating motion of his hand.

Her gaze moved back to him, not as wrathful but thoughtful. It was going to be hard for her to cope with this but, for the sake of The Final Knight to whom she began to look up to. "Alright… For the sake of our mission, I will try and cooperate with the Mandalorian…"

He let out an exhale of relief at her words, running a hand back through his hair. "Thank you." His hand remained there and he scratched lightly as there was a curiosity to be satiated. "I was curious, how did you come to be a Jedi?" 

"How I came to be a Jedi?" She was asking herself more, rather surprised that he wished to know. "I am sure you would not find it very interesting… Are you sure you would like to hear?"

The demonic mutant shrugged lightly. "I did ask so, yes." He encouraged with a near smirk on his slightly less cold expression. "Please,  continue."

"Well…" The Cathar Guardian began, a little reluctant pacing and going to sit down in one of the spots within the main hold. "It goes back a number of years… Back on my homeworld, we did not see Jedi very often, especially where I lived."

A number of years that most likely went back to her childhood, at least that was what he figured. He followed after her, sitting down across and clasping his gloved hands together. "Where did you live?" He asked with genuine curiosity.

There was a clear frown as contempt entered her tone. "The hind end of space. A pit of a world, to be sure." She glanced away,  adjusting the folds of her red robes. "Where Jedi rarely tread… But we had heard of them." A small smile made its way on her lips as she amended. "Well, everyone had, so that is not to be unexpected. Champions of truth. Defenders of justice. Heroes of the Republic." She enumerated with deep admiration before admiring with a small laugh. "It was very easy for a child to be enthralled by their image, their mystique. Maybe I was one of those children."

It seemed to him like that was a very sensitive topic not to be discussed yet, so The Mercenary opted for something more positive from the words she'd spoken. At least the description did narrow it down to which world. Cathar was clearly out of the picture though some of those that came to mind included Nar'Shadaa and Taris.

"Did you meet a Jedi during those days?" He asked though he suspected that could be the case based on how The Cathar Jedi had described them.

"Yes… Yes, I did." She nodded a few times with joy, beginning to smile. "When I saw a Jedi for the first time they lived up to everything my imagination had created them to be. I was awed… and maybe a bit enamoured…" She admitted with a nervous look, though with a rather small endearing smile.

"Enamored?" Dynamo raised an eyebrow with a tilt of his head and a rather knowing look, considering how children of any kind could be.

"They were quite striking… especially the tales of their leader." Juhani continued after nodding, speaking with conviction. "From that moment on I knew that I would have to try to become a Jedi. To lift myself out of the rut I had been living in for years and to make a real difference, as the Jedi were. The foolish delusions of a child. But THIS child made it happen!" 

She pointed to herself with much-tempered pride, yet it was completely warranted. "As soon as I was able I left my world and went in search of them. I found them and was accepted. I had been living my dream on Dantooine for several years before you came."

Her voice quieted as she continued after a rather heavy pause. "Although… perhaps I was not entirely ready for it… or not completely suited to the task. Otherwise, I would not have fallen… But thanks to you I have been redeemed." The Cathar Guardian looked at him with hope and admiration, yet… not directly in the eyes. "Perhaps I may yet live to see that dream of mine come true."

The Final Knight had listened intently to her monologue that very briefly retold her struggles. There were more details but for now those could wait. Though one thing was clear in his mind, she and the whole crew of the ship would survive this mission even if it meant that he would be broken by the end of it.  He could bear it and he would do it gladly for his comrades, the ones that were quickly becoming brothers and sister-in-arms… droids as well for that matter.

Chapter Text

In an unknown part of space within the Outer Rim where the Dark side permeated to the point of being touched, the massive Sith Flagship known and feared as the Leviathan cruised in search of prey. Like a predator biding his time, the burning yellow-orange eyes of the Dark Lord peered into the abyss, arms folded as his grey half hung loosely off his right shoulder. 

The hydraulic hiss of the doors to the bridge opening signalled a new arrival. The series of salutes that followed let Darth Malak know who it was but he didn't turn.

Admiral Karath stopped at a respectful and comfortable distance from the giant of a Sith, comfortable for himself. "Lord Malak, the Star Forge is operating at 200% capacity – far beyond our expectations." He reported succinctly, hands clasped together at the west before him.

There was a robotic hum before he spoke. "I am more interested in the young Jedi Bastila and her Battle Meditation." A snarl was heard in his tone as he turned to face the smaller man and demanded lowly. "Have you learned how she escaped the destruction of Taris?"

Thankfully, he did and so he nodded. "She was aided by Carth Onasi, a decorated war hero of the Republic and a legendary soldier." He informed, his tone cold and devoid of any emotion towards his former pupil. "During the Mandalore Wars, he was honoured many times for his bravery."

The Usurper Lord raised an eyebrow and tilted his head to the side as he glared his Admiral down. "You know this man?" His voice didn't rise but it was chillingly demanding. 

Saul nodded and clarified. "Yes, Lord Malak. He served under me when I still followed the Republic." There was no remorse in his tone. "You could say I was his mentor." 

"Interesting." Malak placed a hand on his metal plate that served as his whole lower jaw. "How did you acquire this information, Admiral?" 

"An eye witness, Lord Malak." The Admiral replied as he turned to the door to the bridge through which he'd entered. He motioned with a hand to the Sith troopers and they parted to let a certain bounty hunter enter.

His outfit remade and cleaned up, Calo Nord approached the duo, the difference in height very noticeable between the Dark Lord and him as the former looked down with a chilling, scrutinizing stare.

Saul motioned with a hand and explained with a glance from the shorter man to the much more intimidating one. "Calo Nord, a bounty hunter, was there when Bastila and Carth escaped the planet. Apparently, they left him for dead." 

Malak tilted his head and looked him over again, rather curious. "A Jedi and a war hero – it's a wonder you survived the encounter."

"I am hard to kill, Lord Malak," Calo shrugged simply though wholly confident in himself.

"Calo has agreed to help us capture the young Bastila – for a very hefty fee, of course," Saul informed the Dark Lord, clasping his hands behind his back. "But I assure you he is well worth the price. His reputation as a bounty hunter is well earned."

The Usurper Sith nodded slowly before instructing. "Her companions are nothing to me, Calo – but I desire the young Jedi taken alive if at all possible," 

"Lord Malak, forgive me." The Admiral spoke up with the utmost respect,  informing and requesting. "There is something else. May we have a private audience away from the ears of the common soldiers?"

"I trust you are not wasting my time, Admiral Karath," Malak said coldly with a narrow of his orange-yellow eyes.

He nodded and assured. "I promise, both you and The Butcher will be very interested in what Calo has to tell you about Bastila's other companion, Lord Malak."

*****

Exiting out of hyperspace, the Ebon Hawk was nimbly guided and arrived at the gas-giant Yavin. The coordinates had pointed to a small outpost that was orbiting around the planet's fourth moon, one which held a rich past for both Jedi and Sith.

The Mercenary walked into the cockpit as they docked, nodding to the two inside when they'd looked back at him. The only way that The Republic pilot had known to turn was because The Jedi Sentinel in the co-pilot seat had sensed him coming in. Other than that, the demonic mutant had been as silent as ever.

"Welcome to Yavin Station," Carth remarked with a slight side smile. "Another happy docking." He undid his belt and got to his feet before Bastila did the same.

"We need to split up the tasks in order to save up on time." She suggested as all three of them headed to the main hold. "Dynamo, I also need to speak with you after." 

That caught him by surprise a little, though he figured that it was to be expected for her to wish to speak to him in private. As such, he simply nodded as they stopped, folding his arms as the gears of his mind turned. "Alright." A hand was on his chin, lightly rubbing it. "Here's how we'll do it." His royal blue eyes darted to the crew present. "Carth, take Juhani and see who runs this place." He reached into his backpack then offered a good amount to the Republic pilot. "Here's enough credits for anything that we might need. Mission, Zaalbar, T3 and Canderous will watch the ship from inside." He instructed them assertively, earning a nod from each before looking back at Bastila. "We'll talk outside since I'll trust you with the outside security as well."

The Republic pilot clapped his hands together after he'd placed the given credits safely in his pocket. "Well, let's move people…! And droid." He quickly added, much to the beeps of joy coming from the ship's resident astromech. 

And move they did as The Final Knight had instructed them, becoming pretty clear that he'd risen as a leader of sorts among them. It was for that very reason that the Wookiee of the group approached him once the others had left for their given tasks except for the young Twi'lek. There was clearly concern in his demeanour. 

"Dynamo...!" He growled with worry. "I was checking our supplies in the cargo hold and something's not right."

"Someone's been into the emergency stash of food." Mission explained. "Big Z and I asked everyone, but nobody knows anything about it."

The Mercenary hummed in a beastly way, unnerved by what the two had said. "Sounds like we have a stowaway on our hands." He remarked as he headed over to investigate, the duo trailing behind him.

He'd just been there with Canderous before leaving and he hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary. So whoever this was, they had evaded him for this whole flight. Examining the supplies more closely revealed something curious. There were no half-eaten or torn packages to indicate the theft was from pests or vermin. It looked more like some unknown person had been conducting clandestine raids on their stores. Whoever the thief was, they had managed to avoid detection by him and his companions so far which was quite the feat. 

"So?" The young Twi'lek asked curiously, looking over The Mercenary's shoulder as he was crouched investigating.

He turned to her after having sniffed one of the packages, still sniffing like a predator and looking around. "I have their scent… they're here… and they are…" There was a long pause before he caught it clearly, cold and metallic sweat. "Afraid."

Mission became peculiarly quiet as she was able to relate. "Then we need to find them. Help them."

Dynamo nodded as his eyes roamed and set themselves on the service panels of the ship. "In there. That's where the scent is coming from." He pointed before walking closer and crouching. 

Quickly after, the young Twi'lek came over, with the Wookiee guarding the exit diligently while The Mercenary opened up the panel. What or better said who they found inside was rather shocking, it was a little pale-skinned girl,  and with green eyes, no younger than eleven. 

The moment she saw The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer, she panicked and backed further into the ducts. "Ahhh!" She screamed as her back clanked against the metal. "Na abds! Na abds!!!"

That certainly wasn't good and The Final Knight backed away immediately, looking to Mission almost pleadingly for her to take over. That was exactly what she did since she could see that the demonic mutant could be unintentionally intimidating. 

She raised her hands. "Hey, calm down, little girl. We won't hurt you." She said calmly and with a reassuring smile.

Said girl looked at Mission for a long moment, her breath calming as she tentatively crawled forward. "You… yooba me na abds?" She asked as she reached the threshold, looking up at the two.

The young Twi'lek didn't understand a word as she glanced at The Mercenary for some direction, but he didn't know what language she was speaking either. Though he did have hunches and intuition. "If you're asking if we'll hurt you, no don't worry, we won't." He assured calmly as he watched her reaction.

She smiled and glanced at both. "Yooba gon-disen! Yooba me kapsie?"

They exchanged a glance, with Dynamo scratching the back of his head. "Can you tell us your name?" He asked, trying to figure her out though he had a hunch that this was the girl that The Jedi Watchdog was looking for.

The girl looked at him oddly, raising an eyebrow puzzled as she didn't understand a thing.

He pointed to himself. "Dynamo." Then to the young Twi'lek. "Mission." Then to her with a questioning look. "You...?"

Her face lit up as she proudly pointed at herself. "Waaba soosa Sasha!"

"Sasha… so you are Sasha." Mission reiterated to double-check.

She nodded. "Waba soosa Sasha. Sasha na esowon in bristag. Bristag me laesfa."

The Hawk's Scoundrel blinked a few times and glanced at The Final Knight. "Um… what did she say?"

He rubbed his beard as was usual when he thought. "I'm not sure… it's like a hybrid of sorts... Many of the words spoken are Mandalorian…"

Hearing a particular word, Sasha pouted and folded her arms angrily. "Manlorey! Manlorey is na gon-disen! Manlorey abds!".

Mission blinked at the reaction. "Woah, that got her riled up."

"Manlorey... that's your word for Mandalorian? So you do know of them. You don't like the Mandalorians." Dynamo deduced before asking. "The Mandalorians hurt you? Is that what you're saying?"

"Me na esowon Manlorey! Manlorey abds!" She said in the same tone, turning away with her nose up.

"It sounds like she really doesn't like Mandalorians." The Twi'lek Scoundrel remarked. "Can't blame her." She said, glancing at Big Z guarding the door in case Sasha ran off at this point. "Guess we better make sure Canderous stays away from her." 

The Mercenary nodded and requested. "Think you can keep her company after we figure this out."

"Yeah, sure." Mission nodded readily before looking down at the little girl. "So you... hid from the Mandalorians? Or are hiding?" She asked based on what she'd been able to catch.

But the girl obviously didn't understand as she tilted her head to the side in question. 

"Okay, let's try something else then…" She glanced up at the demonic mutant. 

And he nodded, asking Sasha. "Esowon? Na esowon?"

She pointed to herself, exclaiming with a smile. "Me esowon!"

"I see you? Or you see me?" He tried, his brow furrowing thoughtfully. 

The girl hid her face behind her hands for a moment while exclaiming. "Me na esowon!"

And it clicked for him as he nodded a few times. "I understand. 'Esowon' is "see' but 'na esowon' is 'hide'."

The girl appeared unsure of what he said, asking. "Yooba esowon nuh ghis?"

Mission appeared unsure herself as she muttered. "I didn't get all of that…"

Though thankfully Dynamo did. "Yes, we do see you, Sasha." There was a reassuring glance to The Young Twi'lek, a sort of 'I have you covered' before he thought of something else that Sasha said. "Bristag? What is that?"

The girl waved her hands all around her, taking a few steps and happily twirling in place. "Bristag! Bristag me laesfa!"

"It's your home? Is that it?" Mission tried to deduce.

The girl waved a hand about, making a 'swooshing' sound before exclaiming with her arms extended and a wide, innocent smile. "Bristag!"

Dynamo was still very thoughtful. "'Bristag'... it means 'starship', doesn't it?" Another piece of the puzzle that was this strange patchwork language.

"Bristag!" She nodded happily. "Sasha na esowon in bristag. Bristag me laesfa."

The young Twi'lek blinked a few times and pondered. "Laesfa... everything is safe? Is that it?" She asked unsurely.

She pointed towards one of the Ebon Hawk's service panels, smiling. "Me laesfa. Me stin-quiw in laesfa."

Dynamo was very much trying to figure it out himself. "You... sleep there?" He ran a hand through his hair with a somewhat wry look. "'Laesfa"' means 'sleep'?"

The girl looked puzzled before she lit up and gestured around her, twirling with that same smile. "Bristag me laesfa!"

Then the revelation hit him as he too looked around. "The panel... all of this... it's your home. 'Laesfa' means 'home'. The ship is your home." He looked back down at Sasha with more understanding.

The girl smiled up at the pair. "Sasha na esowon in bristag. Bristag me laesfa!"

"You're hiding in the starship. It's your home." He translated for Mission to catch on faster too. "We understand."

"Wow, you're really good at this." She said with no small amount of admiration. 

"Comes with the territory." He shrugged it off humbly.

"Yooba gon-disen!" Sasha exclaimed joyfully as she looked up at him specifically.

"You've said that before." The Scoundrel Twi'lek noticed, asking. "What is 'gon-disen'?"

The girl laughed and pointed at them. "Yooba gon-disen!"

Another lightbulb moment for Dynamo as he nodded. "You like me… or us. I get it."

"Yooba na abds?" She asked with a glance between them, a mixture of hope and concern on her face.

"'Na abds'... you said that when we first found you." He furrowed his brow a little.

The girl slapped her leg with a deep scowl. "Abds! Me abds!"

"'Abds' means 'hit'? Is that it?" Mission asked with a tilt of her head.

She frowned even deeper and slapped her leg again. "Abds! Is na gon-disen!"

The demonic mutant was steadily rubbing his beard with his brow thoughtfully furrowed. "So... 'abds' is 'to hurt'? 'Na abds' means 'not hurt'? Is that it?" He asked to confirm.

"Yooba na abds!" She exclaimed happily, clapping her hands a few times.

"I understand." The demonic mutant nodded before assuring. "No, we won't hurt you." He replied and almost smiled.

There was a pause in the little girl as she held her arms around her stomach. "Me awnts kesta-won yum nuh ghis."

"Yum? What kind of word is that?" Mission raised an eyebrow while asking. 

The girl seemed puzzled before she got an idea and she pointed towards elsewhere on the ship. "Yum. Me awnts kesta-won yum."

"You want something from elsewhere?" Dynamo asked while scratching his head, looking at where she pointed.

She mimicked an act which looked like she was chewing something. "Yum. Me yum gon-disen!"

"Yum... you mean food, don't you? 'Yum' is 'food'." Dynamo nodded slowly as he deduced.

"Does that mean she's hungry?" Mission glanced at The Final Knight. 

"I think so." He shrugged lightly and watched The Twi'lek Scoundrel get a pack of food before offering it to the little girl.

When she stepped back next to the demonic mutant, the smaller one quickly took off the wrappings and began to eat the rations inside.

"She really is a ravenous one…" Mission remarked with a small endeared laugh.

The Mercenary merely glanced with a nod, rather softened by this whole ordeal.

When Sasha finished up, she smiled contently and exclaimed. "Me awnts kesta-won yum nuh ghis!"

"'Nuh ghis'? Is that all one phrase?" The Twi'lek Scoundrel asked with a glance between them. 

The girl thought for a moment and then stabbed downward several times with her finger. "Me kapsie nuh ghis!"

This one gave both of them some trouble understanding. "The floor? 'Nuh ghis' means floor?" Mission attempted.

She shook her head and covered her mouth with her hands. "Me na kapsie nuh ghis!"

"You're not speaking... now? 'Nuh ghis' means 'now'! 'Na nuh ghis' is not now... or "before"?" Dynamo tried with a rather wry look, as this was rather challenging.

"Nuh ghis! Me awnts kesta-won yum nuh ghis!" She nodded a few times as they were catching on. 

And they indeed did, with Mission remarking. "You... want some food now. You're hungry."

"Tabed me yooba!" She said excitedly.

"Tabed you? What do you mean?" The Final Knight raised an eyebrow.

The girl pointed at her mouth. "Yooba kapsie... tabed me yooba."

"You... want me to tell you a story? About what?" He asked rather wryly since most of his stories definitely weren't for kids.

She pointed at him again with an innocent smile. "Yooba! Tabed me yooba!"

"So... 'tabed' means 'tell me about'." He nodded understandingly. "I get it. You want to know about me, do you?"

She claps her hands excitedly. "Tabed me yooba, awnts!"

Dynamo rubbed the back of his head with a wry look again. "I don't think that's the best idea…" He glanced to Mission to 'save' him.

"Yeah, he's a gritty Mercenary with a heart of gold." She said with a snicker and clear certainty. "That's all, Sasha."

Her eyes lit up and she clapped happily while The Mercenary still had a hand on the back of his head and was looking away, the praise getting to him.

"I think I know enough to talk to her." He spoke, opting not to argue with her on the opinion.

"Oh, that's great… and that was fast." Mission blinked with a rather impressed smile.

He merely shrugged it off before looking at the little girl, asking in the same calm and amicable way. "Why are you hiding on our ship? Sasha na esowon in bristag?"

She tilted her head thoughtfully before replying. "Me palkie bristag na nuh ghis! Me hoot abd liaz!"

"You came to the ship before. You were very scared." He translated for Mission to understand too then followed up. "Why?"

"Me palkie Manlorey! Me na esowon!" She exclaimed with a pout.

Slowly, he nodded and listened. "You left the Mandalorians? And hid here on the ship."

"Me na palkie awnts! Bristag me laesfa!" She declared and folded her arms.

"You don't want to leave. The Ebon Hawk is your home." He rubbed his beard once more, as was his habit. 

She nodded, looking back and staunchly declaring. "Bristag me laesfa."

There was something deeper there and he asked carefully. "Why are you scared of the Mandalorians? Hoot bad liaz Manlorey?"

"Manlorey kesta-won Sasha na nuh ghis! Manlorey abds!" She exclaimed with a deeper frown and hiding her tears.

That was something that made the demon worse than demons within snarl, but he kept his voice even. "They took you before? And hurt you?"

"Manlorey bristag na laesfa." She frowned with a shake of her head, shutting her eyes. "Manlorey bristag is na gon-disen!"

His tone softened a bit more and he heard Mission's breath hitch for a moment. "The Mandalorian ship wasn't home. You didn't like it."

"Me palkie Manlorey bristag," Sasha muttered, looking to the floor. "Me na esowon in bristag laesfa."

There was a long sigh from him before asking, more to confirm. "You sleep here on the ship? Yooba stin-quiw in bristag?"

She nodded and pointed at a nearby service panel, leading Dynamo to understand that she must have been sleeping in the ship's repair ducts. "Sasha stin-quiw there. It gon-disen."

Now came the difficult part, convincing her otherwise. "The Ebon Hawk is not your home, Sasha." He said amiably with a slow shake of his head. "Not your first home, anyway. Bristag na Sasha laesfa."

"Bristag me laesfa!!!" She exclaimed adamantly, slamming a foot on the floor.

There was a long sigh from him, but he'd get through. Maybe another approach would help. "Tell me about your home before. Tabed me Sasha laesfa na nuh ghis."

The girl thought for a long moment and quietly answered. "Dantooine. Dantooine me laesfa na nuh ghis."

Just as he suspected. "There is someone there who will take you home. Crokess kesta-won you laesfa."

She seemed uncertain as she asked, looking up at him. "Me palkie laesfa? Me palkie Dantooine?" 

"Yes, you can go home. I'll take you there myself after we take off from here." He gave a short, comforting nod at her before glancing to Mission with a silent request to which she obliged without a word and only a nod.

There was a slight warmth in his chest at what had happened, since the lost girl was one step closer to getting back home.

It was… only partly thanks to him since he couldn't bring himself to take anything near full credit for this.

"Alright, I'm here." The Mercenary said as he walked down the ramp, seeing the Jedi Sentinel turn to face him with a stern look. "What did you want to speak to me about, Bastila?"

"Good." She nodded as she looked at him with her hands on her hips and a rather scrutinizing gaze. "I wanted to speak to you about our mission. About what lies ahead for us. It seems fate, or the Force, is driving us into a confrontation with the Dark Lord. You must prepare yourself for when we face Malak. The confrontation will be difficult for you. I remember how hard it was when I first faced Revan." Her voice was rather calm and serene by the end of it, but there were notes of being burdened and maybe even remorseful. One other thing of note was that she'd looked away from him entirely when thinking of that day.

"I am well aware that it is inevitable. Especially now." Dynamo said amiably though he could understand where she was coming from. "Though I've faced difficult confrontations before… with Dark Lords ironically enough." He folded his arms with a slight raise of his shoulders before his brow furrowing. "They say that you killed Darth Revan? Is it true?" He asked, especially since that made his head fuzzy for some reason. He was there, was he not? He remembered him and The Watchdogs being there.

She nodded as she recounted. "It's true that, due to my Battle Meditation, I was with the Jedi strike team that boarded Revan's ship." She held her arms closing her eyes with a sigh. "We did not kill Revan, however."

That was what he'd thought, so she confirmed the clearer of the fragmented memories. The Mercenary placed a hand on his chin. "Then, who killed Revan?"

"Our mission was to capture Revan, if possible," Bastila replied, her voice distant but still regretful. "It was Malak who turned on his own master, firing upon Revan's ship while we were still on board it. It was his desire to kill us and his master both. Thankfully we narrowly escaped the vessel as it exploded."

The Final Knight let out a sigh, his fuzzy memories telling him that the Watchdogs fearsome Hellborne Battlecruisers had covered them in their escape. Though there were gaps and thinking on it made his head hurt. "Well, I guess that was to be expected from the Sith."

"True, I suppose." The Sentinel nodded with a sigh of her own before continuing. "And yet the outcome of that battle was… unexpected. To all of us." She visibly paused as she paced restlessly. "Revan's end was… unforeseen. As I said, we were there to capture Revan alive. The Jedi do not believe in killing their prisoners." She paused as she declared wholeheartedly. Her silver-grey gaze was right on him, but she couldn't quite look him in the eyes yet. "No one deserves execution, no matter what their crimes. Remember that Revan and Malak were once great Jedi. Heroes in every sense of the word. They demonstrate the danger of the dark side to us all." She suddenly paused and rushed to say. "I'm sorry. We really shouldn't speak of this anymore. The memory of my confrontation with Revan is… painful. Let's return to the mission, please."

Again, he was understanding of her request and he could respect her convictions, even if he was more of the belief that some were irredeemable. At least one person in existence was and he had the scars to prove the countless failed attempts. "Of course. As you wish." The demonic mutant nodded before continuing on his way. "Stay safe, Bastila." He bid her with a raise of his hand.

She simply bowed her head slightly, still distant. "May the Force be with you…"

Heading over to the small shuttle that would take him to the surface, he remembered back to his visions of her fighting Revan and how they were from his perspective. As if he was there. He had attacked the Dark Lord at the time when he had held the woman whom he was pretty certain was Bastila in mid-air. Then there had been the massive energy discharge between them, one that had sent both him and Revan reeling to the ground, gravely injured. He recalled the lightning crackling around him as Bastila approached him. Then all he could remember was the pain. Like he'd only felt once before. Long ago, when the adamantine had been bonded to his bones. The shuttle descended towards where the supposed Tomb of Exar Kun was and he was left with these thoughts swirling in his head. He remembered the events one way… but the others didn't. The records said that he wasn't on the ship itself… his instincts were all blurry on this one and he would have to be patient in order to make sense of it. Dynamo entered the Yavin station at the west end of its airlock. Using an access panel mounted on the south wall to the right opened the door behind him to the Ebon Hawk: similar access panels opened three doors to the east. When he used the third panel to the east, the door didn't open and instead, a Rodian appeared on the screen

"Eh? Eh?! Who is that? What do you want?" He questioned thoroughly confused. "I recognize your ship... Davik's, isn't it? But who are you? You new or something?"

"Yeah, I'm new. Very new." He nodded.

"You don't sound like a Trandoshan, and you're not one of Davik's…" The Rodian noticed before asking. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"I'm trying to save the galaxy from the Sith," Dynamo replied.

"Eh? Sith? They haven't been here in 50 years... not since the last war." The Rodian commented. "Don't see why they'd start making a habit of it now... Still, all my business with the Sith is old news. Politics ain't my affair, so as long as you don't get all worked up, I guess I can let you in. It would be nice to have someone to talk to for a change... Trandoshans and smugglers aren't exactly stunning conversationalists."

"Trandoshans and smugglers? What are you talking about?" He asked intrigued.

"They come by here every once in a while, it's how I keep in the loop, you know. But Trandoshan lizard-speak is kind of hard to follow and they have pretty limited imaginations…" He complained. "Smugglers aren't much better either…"

"What are you doing here?" Dynamo asked.

"Look, this is getting kind of awkward through this door, if you'll just hold on a minute, I'll open this damn thing up and we can talk more face to face." He suggested as he got to work. "Just have to fiddle with this damn door lock... thing keeps jamming… There we go."

The door opened and he stepped inside the room. The east wall had a window through which Yavin and one of its moons could be seen, blue and to the right, a short ramp leading up to it, and two other ramps leading up to doors in the north and south walls. All around the room were several storage tanks and canisters and a few partly dismantled droids.

"Hm... you don't look like I thought you would." The Rodian commented inspecting him with his eyes as he rubbed his chin. "Too... human. Don't see many of your kind out here at all anymore... not since the war at any rate. What brings you here?"

"I'm on a quest for the Jedi Council."

"The Jedi Council?" He said surprised. "Don't tell me you're a Jedi... you sure don't look it!"

"I am their only hope."

"Only hope, eh? That's a lot of pressure to put on someone. I hope for their sake it's not misplaced. So if you don't mind saying, what exactly is the Council sending you out to do?"

"They have sent me to stop Darth Malak."

"Darth Malak? Never heard of him…" He shook his head. "Or is he that new Sith Lord who's giving the Republic such a hard time now? I haven't been keeping up on recent news."

"He is the Dark Lord of the Sith," Dynamo confirmed.

"A new Dark Lord, is he? It always seems a new one pops up, no matter how many you kill... Your business with him is none of my business, of course, and I don't want to pry, but why are you way out here? Running?"

"When I... acquired the Ebon Hawk, it had the coordinates for your station." Dynamo chose his words carefully.

"Acquired, eh?" The Rodian gave him a conspicuous look. "Well, figures Davik would be lazy enough to leave it in the nav computer... Didn't leave anything about this system, did he? Ancient ruins or anything?"

"What ruins?" He asked, intrigued.

"Yavin's fourth moon used to hold a great number of temples dedicated to the ancient Sith." He explained. "When Exar Kun came here 50 years ago, he used the temples in his effort to crush the Republic. He failed, obviously, and the Republic bombarded the surface almost into oblivion during their counter-attack. Now, all that's left are a lot of craters and a little bit of jungle. You could find stuff there for years afterwards, but I've got pretty much everything there was to find there. Mostly all I've been doing for the last couple years has been tinkering with what I've found there, getting some of it to work, and modifying the stuff the smugglers and Trandoshans bring me to look at."

"You spend all your time here in this station? Alone?" Dynamo asked, more curious than anything.

"Eh? Yes, of course!" He said nonchalantly. "You don't see anyone else around, do you? Well, not entirely alone at any rate... Trandoshans or smugglers come by every so often and drop things off and pick some of my inventions up."

"Alright, thanks for your time. By the way, is there a shuttle to Yavin IV?" Dynamo asked, as maybe he could find something useful that had been overlooked.

"Yeah, just next to your ship." The Rodian pointed in their direction. "You can go down there if you want, not sure how much you can find through."

Dynamo went back through the corridor and accessed the panel closest to the Ebon Hawk’s landing bay. There were controls for a shuttle to the ruins of Yavin IV. Presumably at the Tomb of Exar Kun. Three Jedi took the shuttle down to the moon's surface.

Chapter Text

The ship landed at the preset coordinates within the navigational computer, at the feet of a hidden tomb on a lush planet that had seen plenty of conflict between the Jedi and Sith. It was the final theatre of operations within the Great Sith War decades ago and witnessed the final great conflict.  His nanofibertech boots were noiseless as he stepped up to the massive black stone tomb. While very much an imposing structure, it was surprisingly hidden by the vegetation. The stone ground horribly and split in half in jutted chunks, pulling to the sides and into the thick walls.  From within the dark corridor beyond came an incredibly oppressive feel, like all oxygen was sucked out of the atmosphere. Though The Mercenary's swimmer lungs coped with it as he braved the darkness, soon enough coming face to face with the disciplines of Exar Kun.  Dark Jedis, in grey garbs with black hoods, chest pieces and cover over their nose and mouth. Their fiery yellowed eyes seemed to glow in the dark, but they didn’t attack right away, instead, one of them stepped forward and spoke to Dynamo in the language of the ancient Sith.

"You who have dared to defile the tomb of Exar Kun… You must prove yourself worthy to us, the guardians…!" The Jedi demanded in a terrifying voice, lightsaber in hand. "And the way to prove yourself…" There was a long pause as scores of red lightsabers ignited in the long dark hallway behind him. 

The Mercenary was certain that this would be what it came to so his stance was already balanced and he was chanting lowly. " Tei Slaven ben kar en tuk… " (The Slayer will rip and tear.) His sclera began to be filled with the red rage from within. " Kar en tuk Hust en Vitar…!" His voice began to morph into one that could strike fear into demons from the darkest pits of Hell. ( Rip and tear Hell and Heaven.)

They visibly paused at the sight of the blood crimson aura that began to emanate from him, but they were Sith and he wasn't even a Jedi. “...Is to fight all of us!” The Dark Jedi ignited his lightsaber, drawing on the fear to make himself stronger in the face of this uncaged beast before them. “Prepare to die!” He declared as the horde of countless sabres came towards The Final Knight.

" Kar en tuk DU TEI EXUNT!!! " (Rip and tear until the death) Was the ferocious reply that shook the very foundation of the ancient tomb as The DOOM Slayer emerged completely and there was no stopping him. His crossguard dark blue lightsaber ignited while the glow of the plasma danced in the reflection of his Adamantine lined blade. 

The first of the Dark Jedi brought down his sabre, but The Mercenary easily deflected it with his while using the blade to slash him deeply across the chest. His ribcage torn open, he stumbled back with a shriek of agony before Dynamo thrust his lightsaber through him.

There was no remorse in his crimson royal blue eyes as he charged at them and they came down on him. He allowed his instinct to take over as he cut an absolute swath through their ranks, continuously swinging his lightsaber and blade in a rotation akin to a red-blue whirlwind of death. They stood absolutely no chance against the demonic mutant, their Force lightning only seemed to fuel him, no amount of draining his life or choking him seemed to stop him and they fell lto the brutality of the demon worse than demons.  His hands were coated by the blood of the Sith and his teeth bared into a fearsome snarl as the massive doors of the main chamber opened. The air immediately felt even heavier because of the presence that was stepping out.  It was none other than the Force ghost of Exar Kun who stepped out and approached the leader of the group. He wore a shining, black armour, with a hood and a long cape draped over his shoulders. A red aura emanated from him and his eyes burned yellow-orange.

“Welcome..." The spirit spoke as he walked, his voice was strangely soothing, but unnerving as his dead lips curled into a grin. "You seem to have proven yourself to be quite formidable… and yet you are not a Jedi.” He stopped in front of Dynamo, clasping his hands behind his back as his gaze took in the demonic mutant eagerly. 

The aura of The DOOM Slayer seemed to flare against the darkness that he felt coming off him. "Cyne reshil vul?" (Who are you?) He demanded with bared teeth, speaking in Argenta on simple instinct.

Incredibly, the Sith ghost understood his words and was unflinching. “In life and beyond, I am called Exar Kun." He declared impassionedly and even excitedly. "Your power is extraordinary, greater than any Jedi or Sith that I've ever known…! Your rage and hate rival those of the greatest Sith Lords!"

Yet The Mercenary wouldn't have any of it, the demon worse than demons wasn't going to be used and manipulated by anyone, let alone a dead Sith. "Ke kri vul driota?" (What do you want?) He gritted his teeth as the Darkness within was stirring, but the DOOM Slayer was keeping it under control as it wanted to get out.

Ah, Exar Kun… The Darkness goated and spoke in a slinky smooth voice. I have heard great things about him. He would provide invaluable aid to you . 

Cyne serks vul atia vul plod verbad?! (Who told you that you can talk?) The DOOM SLAYER boomed with rage within his mind, keeping its nefarious influence at bay. Renat inth vul legoth!!! (Keep in your place!)

Exar Kun's spirit frowned and declared. “It was the will of the Force that brought you here. You have proven yourself worthy." His fist clenched before him. "To learn the way of the Sith, crush the Republic and bend the galaxy to your will!”

Yes! The Darkness exclaimed in the back of his mind. Think about it, Mercenary! Think about what you could achieve!

Neamind atia men arda richi inatriva / Nimic ce nu am reușit înainte . (Nothing that I haven't before.) The Mercenary and The Slayer retorted in unison before he replied firmly in his demonic voice. "Man'e richi itresor inth byrus." (I'm not interested in conquest.)

The Sith Lord's frown deepened, his face contorting with outrage as he exclaimed. “It is your destiny! You can’t deny it!”

There was almost an audacious side grin on his expression but it was merely a snarl that showed his predatory canines. "Acynki Lekerdor." (Fifth Freedom) Was the simple defiant reply given.

Exar Kun was as disappointed as he was infuriated, revealing the shining black hilt of a double-bladed lightsaber. “Then you will pay the price for your lack of vision!” Though a spirit, he was still very much tangible, extending his arm before him as both ends ignited.

Using the Force to augment his speed, the Sith Ghost brought it down on The Final Knight but Dynamo managed to block it with his sabre. Thanks to his superior strength, he managed to push Exar Kun off, but he retaliated, using the other side of his lightsaber to swing up.  The Mercenary barely dodged right, but the blade still grazed the left side of his face. Pushing past the pain, he swung both his blades through him, searing right through the armour as the spectre let out a shriek of agony. It echoed countless times and even permeated through the Force itself, The Final Knight feeling like a massive weight had been lifted off this place, the clank of the armour serving as the last toll of the bells.  He stared down at the remains while sheathing his blades and placing his crossguard lightsaber on his belt. With a nonchalant gloved hand, he brushed off the last stains of blood from his face, not even a scar remaining. Thankfully this time while heading into the burial chamber. The sarcophagus seemed locked, but upon approaching it, the stone cover was pried open by an unknown force and what he found in there shocked even him.

Two crystals shimmered dimly, pulsing as if calling out to him and he knew what they were and their significance.

The Mantle of the Force. It appeared to be the remains of an even older artefact of unknown origin. It was not known if it had been used by Exar Kun or just uncovered when his temples had been destroyed nor was it known what the original properties of the item were, but given the current abilities, in its original state, it must have been fearsome indeed. It was a crystalline lattice, resembling a lightsaber crystal in many ways, but having the additional property of being able to radically alter the flow of energy that passed through it. When combined with other crystals, the Mantle warped their properties, often enhancing them to incredible levels. Additionally, the Mantle seemed to almost act as a focusing tool for Force-sensitive individuals, leading to the idea that the original artefact may once have been a powerful tool of the Sith, or perhaps something they took with them when the dark Jedi originally split from the Order.

And.

The Hearth of the Guardian. Though its origins had been lost, the legendary artefact known as the Heart of the Guardian was rumoured to have been instrumental in the founding of the guardian order of Jedi. Nothing further is mentioned in any Jedi archive, but both Sith and Jedi whisper their own legends. According to the Jedi, the Heart will appear in a time of greatest turmoil and deliver the galaxy into salvation. The Sith, however, believe it to be an object of their heritage, which will bring the galaxy under their dominion. It appeared to be a magnificently shaped lightsaber crystal of unknown composition with which all known lightsaber crystals seemed to have a strange resonance, their properties being altered or enhanced when in close proximity to it. Additionally, energy focused through the Heart resulted in a beam of unique clarity and colour.  Without hesitation, he grabbed them both and stored them in his backpack, knowing exactly what he wanted to do with them. With nothing else remaining in the tomb or on the surface of the planet, The Mercenary to the shuttle and piloted it back up to Yavin Station. 

"Carth, Juhani." He spotted the pair as they were coming back towards the ship with hover tows after them, carrying what they needed including supplies to replace the emergency ones. "I see that we synchronized perfectly."

"Oh, Dynamo… where have you been?" The Republic pilot asked after waving in salute.

"There's something… different about you." The Cathar Jedi found herself remarking with a blink of her slitted eyes.

"I just had a first-hand encounter with the ghost of a Sith Lord." The Final Knight replied matter-of-factly, hoping that there was no crimson lingering in his eyes.  "At least I got something very good out of it." He reached into his backpack and showed them the two unique crystals.

"Wait, these are…?!" Juhani cut herself off, breathless at the significance and staring right at him.

He merely nodded to confirm that they were what she thought they were, curling his fists around them and placing them back in his backpack. 

"What are they?" Carth asked with a raise of his eyebrow and looked between them. 

Suddenly, a third voice spoke, belonging to The Jedi Sentinel. "Those are the Mantle of the Force and the Heart of the Guardian… they are crystals of legend for both Jedi and Sith." She spoke in almost reverence at what The Mercenary held in his gloved palm.

"So what were they doing in the tomb of a Sith Lord?" The Republic pilot asked while scratching his head somewhat wryly.

"That is for us to theorise and the Force to know," Bastila stated rather enigmatically.

Dynamo closed his hand over them and placed them back in his backpack. "Well, we don't really have time to theorise now. Let's go. We need to divert back to Dantooine to drop off the little girl."

All present were in agreement as they headed up the ramp, Juhani going to make sure all the cargo was secure and in place while Carth went to fire up the Ebon Hawk. 

"Agreed, this ship is not the right environment for her." The Sentinel stated before following after The Veteran Pilot, stealing a glance from The Final Knight. 

Not long after, they were back in hyperspace, with the duo of Mission and Zaalbar tending to Sasha, keeping her entertained while The two Jedis meditated but the Guardian of the pair kept an eye on the Mandalorian as he tended to his arsenal as always. The Republic pilot was monitoring the cockpit, having the invaluable aid of their astromech in his endeavour. 

Out of all of them, The Mercenary proved to be the most restless, though he was able to unwind a little by listening to the war stories from Canderous. 

“If a world isn't strong enough to defend itself, it's basically forfeit." The grizzled warrior began in a definite tone "But this story is about something a little different. We were going through the asteroid fields of the Crispin system at the very edge of the galaxy, playing with the pirates and smugglers we found there. The main belt in the Crispin system consists of mainly small rocks covered in frozen methane gas shells and the pirates were using them for cover." He chuckled at the memory with a wicked side smile "Ha! I remember using a thermal generator to cause the outer layer of one of the asteroids to vaporize in a picosecond. It blew out and shredded the three smugglers using it for cover! But… that was a mistake…”

While Dynamo didn't share his view on the matter completely, he could see where he was coming from. Though this was about something a tad more mundane, sounding more like mere practice for him. Until the Mandalorian paused and he raised an eyebrow, urging him silently to continue. 

“The asteroid I had targeted was smaller than most, maybe a dozen meters on a side." He was motioning with his hands in order to emphasize. "On the outside, it looked the same as any other; just a ball covered in frozen gas. But something must have been inside it… something inactive in the cold." He became thoughtful as he polished the reload chamber. "The heat of my blast might have triggered something or woken something up. After I had hit it, spots of light and heat appeared all over the thin shell still covering it, evaporating the gases. What lay underneath looked like some sort of rocky growth… a deformed rock pitted by scores of micrometeorite scars. I think something even older might have been inside that.” He said while rubbing his stubble.

That clearly wasn't an asteroid or any celestial body, at least in the traditional sense The Final Knight's brow furrowing as The Mandalorian Mercenary continued. 

He lifted a finger and mimicked what he was speaking of. “It started rotating – faster and faster as we watched it. After a second it started spraying fire – thermal projectiles that melted our armour like wax. We were caught completely by surprise. Before we could counter-attack, it fled at an incredible speed.”

That merely confirmed the demonic mutant's suspicion and he tried to think what was hot enough to melt even Bes'kar. The Mandalorian iron was capable of withstanding lightsaber plasma, it was very much like Cortosis in that regard. “A ship of unknown origin…!” And not even he had an idea where and what it was, despite having encountered plenty. "Did you go after it?"

“We couldn't catch it, but we could follow its hyperspace wake," Canderous replied, his fierce glance right on Dynamo. "We followed its trail as far as we could, heading away from the galactic core. When it finally led beyond the edge of our galaxy, we abandoned our efforts. Anything that wants to commit suicide in that great void is not worth our trouble trying to catch." He waved a hand dismissively and with a shake of his head.

That was the end of the tale, the two Mercenaries parting ways and minding their business as the Hawk was on its way back to Dantooine. Setting his mind to the task, The Final Knight went straight for the workbench located in the hangar of the swoop bike. He placed the two crystals carefully on it, then his two lightsabers, one normal and his crossguard one, followed by his two hidden blades and the extra crossguard that he had found.

He looked at the Mantle of the Force crystal, then set it down, before disassembling his metallic dark blue lightsaber, pulling out his crystal from within. He lifted the two kyber crystals and they seemed to react with each other.

His brow furrowed in focus, he glanced up and to the inside of the ship. "T3?" Dynamo called to the little astromech as it was rolling through, doing routine checks. "Can you come here for a moment?"

It immediately complied and rolled over to him beeping and booping all excitedly.

"Can you merge these crossguards and these crystals for me?" He asked as he held them up to it.

T3 beeped in approval and went to work, taking the components and pulling them within itself to assemble them. In less than a minute later, he had his desired custom crossguard emitter and he moved on to the second one.

Around an hour had passed in total until he placed the reassembled hilts on the inside of his gauntlets. He stood up and stretched out, rolling his shoulders before glancing at them. With a flick of his wrist, the blades ignited, right burning red from the Hearth of the Guardian and the left a dark crystalline blue from the Mantle of the Force combined with his personal crystal, both emanating a crossguard at wrist-level and encasing an adamantium blade lined with adamantine.

The Mercenary swung a few times, getting a feel for the slight weight now added. Overall, there wasn't much different from before. Right now he owned the only two hidden lightsaber blades and he was a little proud of it. He may be an expert at lightsaber combat, but fighting with a hidden blade was in his blood, it was almost fully automatic.

"So that is what you spend all this time on?" Came the rather sudden question from The Jedi Sentinel as she was observing him.

"Yes." Dynamo nodded and part of him wondered how long she'd been looking at him. He'd sensed her but he had partly dropped his guard when it came to known scents. "A little personal project based on my own preferences."

There was an amused huff from her but she didn't mean anything negative by it, stepping closer with her hands on her hips. "I'm not sure how much the masters would approve." She almost had a smirk on her lips.

"Vrook would have a field day." Dynamo shrugged and sheathed his blades, letting his hands at his sides. None of them are but he's the one that I respect the least…

"I'm sure he would." She smiled before giving it more idle thought, her smile growing actually. "Zhar would be much more accepting… Crokess, I don't think I need to mention."

"It's not biased on his end." The demonic mutant remarked in his brother-in-arms' defence before becoming a little thoughtful. "Speaking of… I don't mean to pry and you don't have to tell me, but I'm curious as to how you joined the Jedi Order."

The Sentinel contemplated for a moment before she nodded. "Yes, I suppose I can understand your curiosity, given the bond that connects us. Very well, I'll tell you a bit about myself." There was a long sigh as she took a few steps and leaned against the swoop while beginning her tale. "I was found to be strong in the Force at a young age, as most Padawans are. As a girl, I was given to the Order to be trained. When I joined the Order I left my family on Talravin, as all Padawans do. My family is still there, the last that I heard." She said with slight remorse underlying her quieter voice. "I have had little contact with them, as it is discouraged."

That last part made him furrow his brow, arms folded as he leaned on the wall across from her. He'd thought of the Jedi Order as being similar to his own Brotherhood of Harbingers, though it seemed like they were more different than at first glance. "Discouraged? Why?" He asked with a slight tilt of his head.

"Relationships with family members are fraught with powerful emotions." She explained, trying to keep any emotion from showing in her voice. "Such extremes are to be avoided. Anger and hate are the worst, but even love can lead to folly."

He furrowed even more and rubbed his beard a little. While, yes, anger and hate were the worst and least controllable emotions, he had first-hand experience, after all, still feeling an endless amount along with the pain, love wasn't something that he considered to be negative. Until he gave it a second thought and he could see the perspective, but that one didn't have what he considered to be the true definition of love, be it familial or romantic. "I can definitely understand those two but even love? How can that be?"

"Emotional entanglements can be dangerous." She answered, her voice still low and with a note of sad resignation. "They can impair rational thought, they can lead to outbursts of uncontrolled emotion. A Jedi must be above such things."

That again was true but it shouldn't have been an absolute. One should be above such thanks to the emotional entanglements not by cutting them off. Not to mention that any cognitive beings, anyone that could potentially feel emotion couldn't be completely emotionless, it was simply impossible. "But don't you miss your family at all?" Knowing how much he missed his own, the burden was heavy on his broad shoulders.

"Like all who join the Order, I have learned to embrace the life I have chosen. I had to let go of my attachments to my family." Though she did her best, he could tell that remorse and longing crept into her voice.

It showed both strength, yet at the same time, he could barely comprehend the hardship. His own were absentee but at least he saw them… until their shocking and untimely demise. The scar across his right eye was aching. "That must have been difficult." He said with complete understanding while looking at her.

"It can be a hard lesson to learn." She admitted with a nod and keeping her hands together, fiddling a little as she continued. "I was not on good terms with all of my family, but I do remember missing my father terribly for a very long time."

He could tell the longing in her tone and it only served as a reminder of his own. His father was his hero after all, but even heroes fell, the dog tags he carried serving only as a reminder "You and your father were close." He stated rather than ask since it was pretty clear. 

"Very close." She admitted with a small smile over her lips. "I was only a little girl when I left my family, but I still remember him fondly. He was kind and gentle and doted on me. My mother, however, was different." The smile faded and he could tell the resentment from her tone. "I was not on good terms with my mother. I was only a little girl when I left, but I was old enough to resent her and the way she treated my father. She pushed my father into treasure hunting. I spent all my young life on ships travelling from one false lead to the next. She whittled away my father's entire fortune, and I hated her for it. I think she was relieved to give me to the Jedi, but my father was heartbroken."

The Final Knight listened in silence, looking at her with compassion, though he was glad to hear that they were at least alive. There wasn't much he could potentially do, he wasn't one to mend familial relationships he was the demon worse than demons. "Have you ever tried to get in touch with your father again?"

Bastila glanced back at him with a slight frown. "A child is too young to understand the sacrifices that must be made." She said in a resigned voice while averting her gaze. "It is better if they have no contact with their family once they are removed. Once I was older I realized the wisdom of this policy. A Jedi must do what is needed, personal desires notwithstanding. Love can only obscure and confuse the matter." She spoke quickly, trying to hide any emotion. 

Though he picked up on it immediately, not just because of the bond they had. "You sound very sad when you say that." He said compassionately, since he believed that it would be the opposite… until it was love that left him scattered. It wasn't a choice on his end… or maybe it was, but he didn't feel like he had any on that particular matter, even with Fifth Freedom. 

The Sentinel kept her eyes away from him, though she could feel the sorrow. "Even a Jedi cannot always control the feelings of the heart. We must do our best to guard against it, no matter what the cost but some sacrifices are harder than others. I'm sure you'd understand that."

"I do… all too well." Dynamo nodded slowly, not facing her either as he spoke lowly. "At least you still have someone to call family, even if you’re far apart. It’s a comforting thought. knowing they are still out there and that maybe, just maybe you’ll meet them again."

Bastila didn't even need the bond to notice the regret and grief in his tone, looking at him only confirmed the longing in those royal blue eyes of his. "You... lost yours? How?" She asked tentatively, careful not to pry too hard as she held herself.

"I did…" Again, he nodded, letting out a sigh. "But it's long in the past now… It doesn't matter." He stated, his fist clenched under his chin and just staring out blankly. "Especially when I'm the only one who remembers..."

"I'd like to know." She said, tentative again as she could sense the tremendous trauma that he had on this topic.

"Very well then…" There was another sigh from him as he began his own recollection. "I myself was born into The Brotherhood of Harbingers on Terra. Sworn protectors of the free and the innocent and keepers of the Triforce and the Eden, the two fundamental forces of our Realm. They had three tenants to live by, similar to the Jedi Code." He lifted a finger as he counted them. "One, stay your blade from the flesh of the innocent. Two, hide in plain sight. Three, never compromise the Brotherhood."

She took in his words and description, finding herself rather fascinated by it all, though she was very much able to understand what he was saying. "It sounds like your Harbingers were very much a benevolent force in your Galaxy." She remarked as she eyed him carefully and curiously at the same time.

He nodded and continued, keeping his tone even and emotion away, he wouldn't break under the burden of the memories. "We were. We had to be in order to fight against the Templars of Oblivion. You can say that they were our equivalent to the Sith. They wanted to control the Triforce and the Eden and enslave the world under their will."

The Jedi Sentinel followed along, nodding slowly as she spoke, finding the similarities as well. "So you've been engrossed in conflict like we've been since you were a child." Now came a difficult question but she dared to ask, tentatively once more. "Did you stop them?"

Dynamo looked at her and his eyes said it all, filled with grief and seemingly inconsolable regret. "We fought them, yes… but we didn't stop them.” He paused gravely and closed his eyes as he uttered the words. “We failed…. In the worst way possible… I failed."

She blinked and looked at him confused. "What do you mean?" Came her careful question, though her tone didn't lack compassion for the burden that became clearer and clearer to her. "You don't have to tell me if you can't, I understand." Bastila rushed to assure, though wholly sincere.

The Final Knight lifted one hand and shook his head as he assured. "No, it's fine. I just, never really talked about this before to anyone." Dynamo took a deep breath and continued. "It only took a few days for it all to come crashing down… My parents, Dracul Vulcan and Olimpia Atena, along with three of my best friends, Merila Silverstone, Damian Desmond and Vladimir Nero Makarov, were sent on a mission, their most dangerous mission yet." There was a note of something else in his tone and eyes when he said 'Merila', a deeper regret. "The six of us were the best team the Harbingers had, the Titans Regiment. I stayed back because I was to take part in an experiment for which I volunteered as I had already manifested my healing factor, enhanced and increased attributes. I knew that I was the only one who could possibly survive and become what we called 'The Assassin', the greatest Harbinger."

Bastila was shocked by how little time it took to shake him so much. The Mercenary was very much a strong person, in character… though maybe that stemmed from this, this was what made him. This was what broke him. She was a little anxious over hearing the details of it, this experiment not sitting right with her since they weren't harmless. Just by his words and the echoes of the memories she could feel in him, she was certain of that. "What was this experiment?"

"To bond metal to one's bones." He replied while fiddling with his left glove, though his tone and expression were unchanged. "More specifically Adamantine, an unbreakable metal from which the weapons of the gods are made."

The Jedi shifted in place uncomfortably and worriedly at what he was saying and what he had to go through in his younger years. Though she had no idea just how much younger that meant for him. She was thinking decades when the reality was centuries. "And how did everything go?"

The pain was unimaginable. I've never felt anything like it before or since . He thought of saying, but didn’t, instead, he just said the last part, what was most important. "It was incredibly successful… my bones and body adapted, bonded perfectly… But at a grave cost."

She bit her lip at it all, feeling the echo of the memory and his pain with it. It was almost unbearable, like having molten lava injected under one's skin with a shout of agony so intense that it tore the vocal cords apart. "What happened?"

"Their mission failed." He recounted, straining to keep the emotion from showing as he curled his left fist. "My parents were killed and my friends captured. The moment I heard I immediately went to rescue them, barely twelve hours after getting my bones bonded." There was a long pause as he gritted his teeth and firmed up. "I had the help of our best pilot, Nikolay… but I only got Damian and Merila out…" His voice began to trail off as he pushed through. "I couldn't find Vladimir… and because Merila's condition was critical along with the incoming storm… We had to leave... I abandoned him… at the hands of the Templars..." He trailed off and stared into nothing for what felt like an eternity.

Bastila watched patiently, compassion in her silver-grey eyes even if she hadn't lived through anything similar. She could see how much this had affected The Final Knight and she already figured that he'd cared deeply for this Merila person. In the silence, their gazes met and she nodded for him to take his time and continue if he could.

“A few days later, the base that kept the Eden contained was attacked and decimated, resulting in the Templars taking the Eden." Eventually, he continued in a low, cold tone. "Then, they attacked us, our main fortress, where we kept the Triforce. They came at us with everything and none of us could believe who was leading them, wielding the Eden's power..."

"Your friend, Vladimir." She deduced from his words. "They had corrupted him?"

Dynamo simply nodded. "They did." His voice was losing its emotion. "We didn't stand a chance… It was a massacre... Me, Merila and Damian, we retreated to the Chamber of the Triforce. Something has started happening, a chain reaction of cataclysmic proportions between the two powers. Damian, he realised what was going on and the inevitable. He convinced me to take the Triforce and it somehow accepted me." He briefly showed her the Golden Relic on the back of his left hand before folding it back. "He then activated a portal, a one way trip to another Realm, beyond our Multiverse. Me and Merila, he pushed us in telling us that we will uphold the legacy of Harbingers... I tried to grab him too, but it was too late…”

The retelling was awful enough, what made it worse was that The Jedi Sentinel could feel that The Mercenary was being honest with every word and just how much this affected him. This was a man that had lost everything he'd ever known and yet was still doing good. It was awe-inspiring and yet so saddening to see and feel. "You lost him too…"

"Not just him." He went on, his voice slightly rising with bitter hate towards himself. "The planet, the galaxy, the universe, the multiverse, everything was destroyed. The massive explosion sent beams of pure energy everywhere… I wrapped my arms around her, trying to use my own body as a shield. A beam came out of nowhere... I felt how it grazed my right eye from top to bottom." He ran a finger across the scar across his right eye. "When we finally arrived on the other side, I just stood there, with her in my arms…"

"Did she…?" Bastila asked him, but he didn't respond, he just turned her eyes to her and she didn't need the bond to know. Merila had died in his arms that day and he was left all alone, the sole survivor of a world that no one would know or remember except for the demonic mutant. "That is how you got your scar... Protecting those that matter to you."

"That is how I got every scar… but this one never healed. Not even after centuries…" Dynamo straightened from where he was, his mind very much in turmoil because of the memories, his dog tags cold against his chest. "Thank you for listening… Bastila. Let's get back to the mission." He said succinctly as he got up and left.

So weak! The Darkness returned, clawing its way through its psyche. Why do you confide in her!? It demanded of him with disdain.

Las-o în pace. ((Leave her in peace.) The Mercenary growled internally, gritting his predatory teeth. Sau vrei să-ți trag o bătută!?   (Or do you want me to beat you up)

Yes! Get angry! Tap into it! Tap into your hate! It goated with a twisted, sick grin in its voice.

But that was an invitation for The DOOM Slayer side to make its presence known, this was its domain. Man kri neer newoye vulra ory lu diaviron raxye. (I don't need hate or to become angry.) The demonic tone in Argenta filled his head. Man'e meran raxye ben aramintet dre vulra en derorer. (I am always enraged and fuelled by hate and pain.)

You again! It shouted angrily at the demon worse than demons asserting its place.

Man bernov. Phreanga. Ther. Syngur. (Me again. Leave. Her. Alone.) The uncaged beast began to dominate, beating back the oppressive malice that the Darkness brought. Renat. LERNESHTE!!!  (Stay. Quiet.)

The Darkness had to retreat and Dynamo's eyes returned to their normal colour, the sclera clearing up the faint red mist as the Ebon Hawk touched down once again on their safe haven on Dantooine. 

Chapter Text

In a darkened corner of space, unknown to many and outside of any hyperspace routes, a massive space station orbited around an ancient star and had been doing so for many millennia. It was where the current Dark Lord ruled from and now, his apprentice, Darth Bandon walked through its halls. He had spent most of his training here under Malak, spending gruelling hours sparring with special training droids, all while his Master watched with cold piercing eyes. He hadn't spoken to his master since the assault on the Endar Spire.

It had been over a month since that attack. He had led the boarding party that had swept the ship after it was disabled. Having carefully planned out the assault beforehand, going over every inch of structural plans for the cruiser, he had been incredibly disappointed that Bastila had still somehow escaped. The only thing that had made Bandon feel better at that moment was choking off the airways of the two soldiers who had delivered the news to him.

What had really raised his ire though, were the two supposed Republic soldiers that had narrowly escaped his grasp through the only remaining escape pod and his blood boiled just at the memory of it. Shortly after, the Dark Apprentice poured out his rage on the first person he saw; a squad captain that came to report his sweep of the ship. He remembered the screams of the man as he had systematically cut him to pieces one limb at a time, leaving him writhing in pain on the cold floor. There was a grim smile on his lips as he relished the memory.

Bandon walked down the long hallway that led to the throne room. It was a long grand walkway lined with dark side obelisks that channelled dark power, designed to instil fear into ones not strong enough in the Force to resist it. He channeled that power into himself as he walked, feeding on it, feeling the euphoric sense of strength that came over him.

The hallway ended in massive double doors that slid open as he neared, revealing the room beyond. It was a large circular observatory of sorts, with the walls and ceiling being made mostly of large viewports, looking out at the empty space beyond. The far side of the room was elevated slightly where the steel grey throne was erected. Bandon noticed in half circles to the left and the right of the room were arranged several bacta tanks. There appeared to be about a dozen in total. The normally transparent tanks had been frosted over, obscuring whatever or whoever was inside.

The Apprentice walked across the expanse of the room until he reached the foot of the throne and kneeled as his master gazed down on him. Darth Malak slowly rose to his feet, still staring with cold orange-yellow eyes at his kneeling apprentice. Slowly and menacingly, He began to walk down to where the young man was doing obeisance.

This was unusual and it made Bandon's mind race. Every time he had been summoned before Malak had always told him to rise after a short kneel. Something had changed and there was a sense of dread in the air.

“Do you know why I summoned you, apprentice?" Malak said with haunting robotic tones.

"No, my lord." He replied without looking up at his master, for fear his eyes might burn right through him.

The Dark Lord began to circle him, hands clasped behind his back. "It has occurred to me that you have caused me a great deal of trouble," His voice was low and chilling.

"My lord? I don't-" Bandon was cut off when he was seized and lifted into the air with such force his body jerked violently before he was suspended in front of the Dark Lord. Panic rose in him as he felt his throat begin to squeeze shut while the air was drained from his lungs.

"The assault on the Endar Spire should have been a success," Malak explained with unnerving calm as his pupil gurgled and choked. "You failed me." He let Bandon fall to the floor with a thud, gasping for air.

“My lord, the men you gave me were incompetent,” The apprentice said through gritted teeth, curling his fists against the floor. “If they had followed my orders specifically, we would not have lost her."

"From what I heard, you have already punished your men severely… But you were their commander so surely some of the blame lies on you as well." His cold metallic voice echoed off the walls.

"My lord, I did everything I could!" Bandon tried to explain, desperation finding its way into his voice.

If he had a mouth, he would have snarled at his pathetic apprentice, snapping at him as he whirled in place and glared down at him. "I grow tired of hearing your excuses!" His voice echoed off the walls of the observatory countless times. 

The apprentice's lips began to quiver as he begged, still not looking up at him. "My lord, please..."

Unflinchingly and without mercy, Darth Malak stretched out his hand, holding his pupil in place with an invisible grasp. He could feel his apprentice trying to resist him through the Force, but it wasn't enough. 

"This was a gift from my old Master.” He said as he ran his other hand over the metal casing around the lower half of his face. “Perhaps it is time I bestow upon you a gift of my own." 

With that, he made a sudden gesture with his hand, splaying out his fingers and Bandon screamed in pain as the corners of his mouth began to separate, ripping open. Blood splattered the floor as flesh was torn apart with screams of pain and torment filling and echoing throughout the throne room, going down the long hallway. The cries were gruesomely cut short when, with a final motion of his hand, he removed the man's tongue from his body.

"There." The Dark Lord said with chilling satisfaction as he cast the bloody organ to the floor. "No more excuses."

*****

Talking about the events that had changed the whole trajectory of his life had left The Mercenary rather shaken on the inside. After so long, three centuries, he still wasn't over it, the feelings associated with the trauma being all too easily triggered. Though this wasn't as bad as the other times, no panic attacks or shortness of breath, no hallucinations, visual or auditory at least yet.

Some of the others had disembarked, with him requesting of The Cathar Jedi to find his brother-in-arms within the Order. Now it was simply a matter of patiently waiting.

The Final Knight was in the main chamber, leaning and staring intently at the projection in the middle, though his gaze was rather empty, the voice of The Jedi Sentinel breaking him out of it. 

"Dynamo, I wished to speak with you." Her tone was serene and kind even since she felt partly responsible for the way he was feeling at the moment. 

He glanced at her, straightening and folding his arms. "What about?"

She eyed him as if sizing him up before averting her eyes for a second. "I admit, I've been watching you. Studying you closely to see what kind of progress you have made even since before your training at the hands of Master Zhar."

"I feel like I'm back in school with that phrasing." He remarked sarcastically though it was partly joking. The sarcasm remained as he asked. "How bad have I been doing?"

His pessimism was rather unnerving but she tried not to let it get to her. "It is quite the opposite. I've seen how you have resisted many temptations and continue to walk the path of the light side." The Sentinel stated with a slight admiring smile, though what she saw in his eyes still cast some doubts and concerns. "Very commendable, but I'm afraid you might stray from this path. You need to see what the dark side represents in its entirety, for it is what we Jedi battle." She emphasized but tried not to be too condescending with it. "Only the wisdom of a Jedi Master can truly explain this, but I will do my best to help you understand."

It was highly likely that the demonic mutant already understood, though, in all honesty, he only ever had an outside perspective when it came to the Force and those corrupted by the dark side. So far, the only thing that was similar for him in that regard was The Butcher of Realms, Makarov, corrupted by the Eden or the poor souls twisted by Hell itself. "Alright, I'm listening." He nodded willingly. 

"The dark side is not simply giving in to anger or temptation to use the Force to destructive ends." She went on to explain, glad to see that he was open to it. "These things only lead to the dark side. The dark side grows stronger and more insidious the closer you draw to it. It begs you to surrender to it, to release all its terrible power… and it becomes harder and harder to resist. And once you stop resisting, it is too late. It twists you up inside and… and turns you into a mockery of everything you once stood for." There was both knowing and perhaps disappointment in her voice.

That sounded a lot like the Maddened Savagery of The DOOM Slayer or whatever uncontrollable state this darkness that he'd been dealing with was pushing him towards. Luckily and perhaps ironically, that very demon worse than demons was keeping him there. "While I don't explicitly have a connection to the Force… I'm aware of that temptation. It's not easy keeping it in check…" A long exhale left him as he sat down on one of the couches, his eyes moving to her. "You seem to do as well, Bastila."

"I am no less resistant to temptation than any other." She stated, taking a seat across from him. "I simply have the benefit of training that you do not. But even the training of the Jedi might not be enough to save us. We need only to look at the atrocities which have been committed by those under its sway to understand the terrible, corrupting evil of the dark side. Millions dead, and far more suffering. What sort of person would you have to become to perform such deeds gladly?" She asked rhetorically with a furrow of her brow.

I know them… I know them all too well… Some just want to see the Realms burn. He thought with a hand on his chin, letting out a long sigh. "I've seen them too many times… fought them too. But I couldn't see myself ever doing such things." There was a quiet conviction to his voice regarding the fact. 

His willpower on the matter was admirable but The Jedi Sentinel didn't know how far it would be able to take him. What she also didn't know was that the will of The Second Hellwalker was unbreakable and as sharp as a sword.

"And that is why the dark side is so insidious." She warned though it was well-meaning, her tone quiet and calm. "If you are not careful, you do not even see each small step you take towards it until it is too late. It is so easy to think that we would never fall prey to such a horror; that we have unlimited control, vigilance and foresight. If only that were true." She said wistfully with a resigned and even saddened look. 

"The Sith have become powerful because there are many Jedi who have succumbed to the lure of the dark side and joined their cause. What greater weapon is there than to turn an enemy to your cause? To use their own knowledge against them?" Bastila asked, more rhetorically before continuing. "We are weakened while they are strengthened. So we must harden our hearts and do whatever is required to fight against the dark side, even when the battle becomes wearying."

The Mercenary knew that he had to be careful constantly in his subconscious, that eternal rage, hate and pain was always directed towards those that deserved to feel it. Turncoats were always key factors in wars, from the emotional strife caused to the invaluable information that they could provide. And when they met on the field of battle, emotion and how much one could disconnect themselves was crucial.

"Everything and anything for the greater good… Fifth Freedom." He stated with a sigh, leaning with his elbows on his knees. "The hardest decisions and sacrifices." 

"I hope it doesn't come to that." She said wistfully before becoming thoughtful. "But the vision of our future is clouded by shadows cast from the dark side. I sense something ominous lurking in those shadows."

*****

It hadn't been that long since they had spoken, barely a little over two days and the distinct ship that was the Ebon Hawk had returned. The Jedi Watchdog wondered why though he was bound to find out soon enough as he walked up the loading ramp with his good brother. 

"Crokess, greetings again." Dynamo bowed his head briefly, clearly more open than he was with the other crew.

"Greetings…!" He waved with his biomechanical hand and a small yet friendly smile. "Juhani has told me that you wish to see me for something important." He said amiably as he stopped before the larger man. "I must admit that I didn't think we'd meet again so soon. What is the reason?"

There was almost a smirk on The Final Knight's expression as he said and motioned with a hand. "Follow me and you'll see."

"Oh, alright." He blinked for a little before obliging with a nod. "Lead the way."

Either way, The Mercenary did inform him as they walked through. "There is a stowaway on the ship by the name of Sasha." He said with a glance to him. "Ring any bells?"

Crokess nodded with a pleasant smile. "That is most certainly good news. Are you certain she is the one I'm searching for?" He asked Dynamo.

"Yes, I am." He nodded without hesitation. "She only speaks a smattering of Mandalorian, but I was able to figure it out."

"Wouldn't have expected anything less from The Legendary Mercenary." The Veteran Jedi remarked with a hint of a tease in his voice.

The demonic mutant eyed him and let out an amused huff despite not smiling. "What, is that a book in the works?"

He chuckled with a side smile. "Possibly. I'm pretty sure Master Dorak has a chronicle of you specifically." 

There wasn't enough time for The Final Knight to retort when they had reached the cargo hold, finding the small girl playing with some opened packets under the supervision of the Twi'lek Scoundrel and her Wookiee friend.

"Mission, Zaalbar, thank you both for looking after her," Dynamo said to both of them with a grateful nod.

"Ah, don't worry…!" She assured, waving it off with a smile. "We're heading out for a bit, don't take off without us…!" She quipped as the pair of them walked past, though she did nod towards The Jedi Watchdog. 

"I see you've taken some under your wing… or should I say paws?" He teased his brother-in-arms a little before taking a knee in front of Sasha but at a distance that she was comfortable with. "Greetings, young one. I am Crokess and I am here to return you to your father." He spoke gently towards her with a reassuring smile and look in his glazed-over eyes.

"Yooba na abds?" She looked up at him a bit wary, shifting in place.

"I see that Dynamo was correct about your linguistic difficulties." He remarked to himself with a bit of a wry look. "But I'm certain that your parents can assist you with that." Briefly, he glanced at The Mercenary over his shoulder. "What did she ask?"

The initial tease was left in the air, as he'd only let out a hum and roll of his eyes at that moment. Without delay, he translated and informed him. "If you're going to hurt her." 

"Me abd liaz! Me na awnts palkie!" She began to panic, tears starting to form in her eyes as she protested adamantly, slamming her foot on the floor. "Sasha na esowon in bristag…! Bristag me laesfa…!"

Thanks to what he knew from Dynamo along with his own deduction and a little trust in the Force, The Jedi Watchdog was able to understand her language much quicker than his brother-in-arms. "Me na bads. Nuh-gisen laesfa, Sasha." He spoke gently and reassuringly, reaching out and placing a comforting hand on the little girl's shoulder.

"Laesfa? Me palkie laesfa?" She looked at him with a sense of serene calm coming over her. "Yb, bristag. Yb-abu, Dynamo, Crokess!"

He simply nodded as he got to his feet, smiling softly as he offered his organic hand to the little girl who took it with a wide grin of her own.

"Thank you for your help, Dynamo." His blind gaze moved over with the demonic mutant gratefully. "I couldn't have done it so quickly without you, brother."

"Don't mention." He said modestly with a raise of his hand. "You just make sure she gets home safe."

"I will…" Was the swift reply with a hint of mischievousness for some reason. "As you, Watchdogs say, I'll see you in the field." With those rather cryptic words in a way, the two Mandalorian War veterans parted ways yet again, both knowing that their next reunion might be sooner than a couple years like last time.

*****

None could truly predict just how spot on her senses were and they moulded perfectly to the saying that guided The Mercenary's way of life. Though, for now, all that lurked in those shadows were news, surprising news for The Jedi Sentinel as she was in the area near the area where the Ebon Hawk had landed.

A middle-aged green-skinned Twi'lek woman was passing through and she stopped suddenly, looking right at her. She blinked in seeming surprise before walking closer. "Excuse me… I know it's been a very long time, dear, but aren't you Bastila, Helena's little girl?" She asked in Huttese with a slight squint of her eyes before they widened and she smiled. "Yes – it is you! I can see it in the eyes. My, how you've grown!"

"I am Bastila, yes. I take it you know my mother?" She asked, inquisitive, but careful not to show the fact.

"Oh, yes. I worked for your father on an expedition years ago." She explained with a smile that had a hint of nostalgia. "Your mother showed me holos of you before you… well, before you left. Such a pretty little girl you were."

The Jedi Sentinel felt that she didn't have time to sit and reminisce about matters that she found rather useless, especially to the mission. "Is there something I can do for you, miss?" Bastila asked firmly. "As you can see, we are in quite a hurry."

"Oh, I didn't mean to take up your time." The Twi'lek woman said apologetically. "I just wanted to ask you if your mother's condition has improved any since I saw her."

Those words caught her attention and off guard, prompting her to ask with a narrowing of her eyes. "My mother's condition?"

"Oh, you… you don't know?" She began to reply in a careful tone, glancing away then back as she informed her. "Oh, dear. I just thought… I assumed that she had found you. When I last talked to her, she was desperate to find you…"

"I have not seen my mother since I joined the order." Bastila clarified, before inquiring with reigned back urgency. "Do you know what has happened? Did she… say anything about my father?" She'd hesitated on that question, but this was her one chance.

"I'm sorry, dear, but your mother is very ill." She said sorrowfully with a slow shake of her head. "So she told me. She didn't say anything about your father, however. I didn't see him."

"I see." Came her flat reply, but the turmoil within was undeniable, her heartbeat accelerating slightly. "Where did you meet her, do you remember?"

"I saw her on Tatooine, dear." The Twi'lek woman replied readily and rather hopeful. "She said she'd been there for a while. Maybe she's still there?" 

"Thank you for informing me. I really must be going, now." Bastila nodded before she rushed to leave and board back on the Ebon Hawk. 

There was no second glance given to anything, she hadn't even noticed that one of her dear Masters had been aboard, almost running into The Final Knight. "Oh, Dynamo, excuse me, I didn't see you." She hurried to say as she stepped back, holding her arms.

"It's alright." He assured her honestly. "What's this all about?" Dynamo asked, curious and concerned as he could feel it all within her, the restlessness that could even potentially cloud her judgment. 

"It seems my mother has been looking for me. Strange." The Sentinel said with as calm a voice as possible, but still asked him. "Should we get the opportunity, could we look for her on Tatooine?"

He agreed readily, nodding and assuring. "Certainly, if you think it's important."

"It is important enough that my mother was attempting to seek me out." She was glad to hear that he had no objection, musing. "Perhaps it has something to do with my father. Part of me would rather not see her at all. But if she is really sick… well, we shall see."

"Don't worry, Tatooine is one of our target planets, so we won't be diverting." He assured her.

"That's good to hear." She let out a small sigh of relief as they were finally gathering to talk about their plan of approach. 

*****

The Young Twi'lek was eagerly looking through the wares of a little Aratech shop run by a fellow Twi'lek named Crattis Yurkal, located near the landing pad of the Ebon Hawk. Her eyes picked out the best equipment to put on T3-M4, she didn't have to worry about having enough credits which was quite the unusual yet nice feeling. Her Wookiee friend had next to no idea what any of the equipment on display did so he was quite happily resigned to snacking on some Iriaz bits.

It was in her internal musings that a familiar face ran into her, one not seen since her younger years on Taris. 

"Mission? Is that you?" The yellow-skinned Twi'lek woman exclaimed as she approached her. "It's me, Lena. Remember? I was dating your brother back on Taris!"

"Lena? What… what are you doing here?" Mission looked at her shocked, blinking before nearly demanding. "Where's Griff?"

"I'm just passing through." She said passively taken somewhat aback by the hostile attitude but remaining rather amiable. "Griff and I broke up a few months after we left Taris together. Probably for the best. Your brother can be charming, Mission, but he's bad news."

Those were not the right words to say when it came to Griff and her expression contorted with anger. "Don't you start trashing my brother, you cantina rat!" She spat outraged. "Take that back or I'll smack you so hard your head-tails will pop off!"

"What-??" Lena stared at her, shocked by her reaction. "Mission, what's wrong with you? Why are you acting this way?"

"Why am I acting this way?" She mocked incredulously with her hands on her hips. "Maybe because you're mocking my own flesh and blood…!"

"I'm not mocking him." The older Twi'lek retorted with an exasperated huff. "Griff can be pretty frustrating. I guess that's why you didn't want to come with us when we left Taris."

"You liar!" The Scoundrel burst out. "Griff told me you didn't want his little sister tagging along – that's why he had to leave me behind!"

"Is that what the Hutt-spawn told you?" She scoffed with a roll of her eyes before explaining. "I wanted you to come with us Mission. I even offered to pay for your ticket! Why not? I paid for everything else while I was with that freeloader. But he told me you didn't want to leave Taris. I said we shouldn't even go then, but he said we'd come back and get you after we struck it rich on Tatooine – just another one of his lies!"

"No – you're the one who's lying!" She exclaimed in denial but she wavered. "Griff wouldn't… he wouldn't try to leave me behind!"

"Think about it. If Griff wasn't trying to ditch you, Mission, then why didn't he tell you where we were going?" Lena tried to convince her of the fact, her arms folded. "After we left Taris he told me looking after you was holding him back – Griff's always looking to blame other people for his own problems. That's why he abandoned you. He did the same thing to me, too, as soon as I ran out of money. He started blaming me for all his problems. Like it's my fault his get-rich-quick schemes never work out!" She waved a hand dismissively with a shake of her head. "As far as I know, he's Still on Tatooine." She opted to let her know either way while also advising. "Not that I really care anymore. And if you're smart, you'd forget about that no-good con artist!"

"But Griff is my brother!" Mission exclaimed, appalled by the suggestion. "I can't just pretend he doesn't exist! If he was here to defend himself you wouldn't be saying all this bad stuff about him!"

"Hey, if you want to talk to Griff go ahead." She said uncaringly, shrugging it off. "Last I heard he was going to make a fortune working the Czerka Corp mines in Tatooine. But as far as I'm concerned he's out of my life forever!"

"Griff's better off without you anyway, you table-dancing, brother-stealing homewrecker!" The Young Scoundrel threw one last insult at her.

Lena sighed, shaking her head as she turned away. "I guess that's my cue to leave, then. I didn't mean to upset you, Mission. But one day you'll see I'm right about your brother. I only hope it's not too late by then."

That was one way to get her blood going and her force glare was shooting daggers at her back while she walked away. She hadn't realised that she'd kept her fists curled until they opened and she relaxed a little. At least she got some good information, even if the rest of her story was bantha poo-doo! Mission couldn't trust someone like her but at least Griff was free of her clutches. Hopefully, once they got there, she'll get to speak with the Czerka Corp rep on Tatooine and maybe even arrange to see her brother again.

Thankfully, within two measly sentences, she got The Mercenary on board with her request, the fact that they were heading to Tatooine most likely aiding in his decision making. Either way, she was grateful for his readiness and support on the matter.

*****

"What are we looking at?" The Final Knight asked as he took a closer look at the holographic map that floated before them. His arms were folded with a hand on his chin as was usual when he was thoughtful and with him were the Republic pilot and the Jedi Sentinel. 

"We have four planets to scout for more Star Maps or artefacts that could give us a clue to the whereabouts of the Star Forge," Bastila replied evenly as she began pointing to several locations on the map. "Tatooine, Kashyyyk, Manaan and Korriban."

"Korriban?" Carth mused with a partly alarmed raised of his eyebrow. "Isn't that a Sith world?"

"Yes." She confirmed with a swift nod. "It's not just any Sith world though. You may also know it as Moraband."

"The Sith homeworld?!" Carth asked incredulously. "How are we supposed to scout a planet literally infested by the enemy."

"We'll deal with it when we come to it," Dynamo said succinctly  "Looking at our optimal route, it seems that it should be the last planet on our journey. That will give us time to form a plan."

"Agreed," The Sentinel said simply. 

"Our best approach would be to hit Tatooine first." The Mercenary pointed out, running a hand through his beard. "It's the closest planet to our current position and it's a port I'm somewhat familiar with."

"It's settled then." She said with another nod before looking at the Republic pilot. "Set course for Tatooine."

"Setting course," He nodded himself as he started punching in coordinates into the console, informing them at the same time. "It's going to be a little bit before we get there. Might be a good time to get some rest before we search the hot dunes."

"Good idea, Carth," The Sentinel said before musing to herself more. "Perhaps some shut-eye could do us some good. I need to meditate and see if I can't focus on any clues to where we should start looking."

Dynamo rubbed the back of his head with a suggestion coming to mind, shrugging rather innocently. "We could meditate together. Two minds work better than one." 

"I don't even wanna know what that means in Jedi," Carth remarked with an amused smirk.

"That's not funny!" Bastila protested with a glare, before thinking it over. "Yet… perhaps if we joined our consciousness we might be able to use this Force Bond to our advantage."

"You know, it doesn't sound any better when you say it like that." The Republic pilot jested with a chuckle.

"Does 'meditation' mean something else here?" Dynamo asked rhetorically with an amused furrow of his brow.

"Ugh!" She threw up her hands in defeat and stormed out, with The Mercenary following after. "I will never understand men…" She muttered with a dismissive shake of her head. 

A somewhat amused huff escaped him as he sighed rather contently. "Oh, come on, lay off him." The Final Knight said as they walked through the hallways of the Ebon Hawk. "Carth is actually in a good mood for once. Let him have his jokes, it lightens the air."

"How can you say that with a straight face?" She asked exasperatedly with a perplexed glance. 

"Just like that." He shrugged before teasing with a tilt of his head. "Also, I know you enjoy it as well."

"Oh, please!" She said, forcing away the involuntary smile with a wave of her hand and looking away as she crossed first the threshold to the empty crew quarters.

The door slid shut behind them and she lingered while holding her arms, not facing the demonic mutant as he took off his backpack and left it on his bed, where his guitar case was. 

He looked over his shoulder at her, deciding to leave everything else on him as he turned and asked with genuine concern. "By the way, do you want to talk?" 

She was a bit taken aback by his interest, looking up to him then away.  "About my mother?" It was completely rhetorical as she let out a long sigh. "It is strange to hear news after all this time and quite distracting. Should we have the opportunity, I would like to find her on Tatooine. It's not that I look forward to seeing her, I just can't help but wonder what she wants. But… perhaps we have better things to do." She'd tried to keep her voice even throughout all that, but he could tell that she was nervous, her silver-grey eyes betrayed that.

"We will, for certain." The Mercenary tried to assure her, his voiceless hardened and cold towards her as they were alone. Even his expression seemed lighter somehow. "Don't worry, we'll find her there and see what she wants. I have a knack for finding people." He even joked despite not laughing or grinning before speaking knowingly. "This is a personal matter and, resolved, it can bring you a level of peace."

The Jedi Sentinel nodded with a smile up at him before sighing and suggesting succinctly. "For now, let's try to focus on the task at hand. It's simple, by meditating together we might be able to incur another vision which will hopefully give us some sort of clue as to where to start looking for this Star Map." She spoke as she sat down cross-legged, smoothing out her personalized Jedi robes as she closed her eyes and calmed herself.

He nodded and kneeled next to her, taking in a deep breath. "Alright, let's do this." His own eyes closed as he exhaled and lowly chanted, his voice a mere whisper as the Knights of different Orders began to meditate in tandem.

Chapter Text

The Veteran Weapons Master's brown tattered cloak whipped the air behind him as the wind swept across the dusty dunes. Sand caked the visor of his Mandalorian mask, making visibility poor.

"I hate sand…" He said with an annoyed huff through muffled tones to his right-hand man, who was also wearing bundles of fabric to keep the sand out.

"We're close," Malak replied dully and gruffly. 

A gust of wind whipped past them, forcing the tattooed Jedi to pull his cloak tighter around his body. He pulled out a pair of quadnocs and scanned the dunes off in the distance, spotting several bantha lumbering about in the sand, large furry creatures with curved ram-like horns on either side of its head. The creatures were packed with pouches and saddles, indicating they were domesticated. 

"Sand People?" Revan asked with a knowing glance.

"By the looks of it," The Veteran Guardian nodded simply. "No sign of them though." He kept scanning through the magnifying lenses, sweeping the dunes for any sign of life. Then he noticed a rock formation jutting out of the sand off to the left of the bantha herd before zooming in and out to discover a large cave cut through the large rock mass. "I think we found our Star Map." He smirked as he lowered the quadnocs and stored them in his pack.

They began walking down the slope of the dune they were on, heading towards the large sandstone cave. The wind did not cease or let up as they pressed forward, the slightly taller of the two trudging behind Revan, drawing up the tattered cloth scarf he was wearing up around the lower half of his face. At around three hundred meters away from the cave they suddenly stopped. The Jedi Weapons Master stood motionless in the sand as the wind whipped his long cape wildly in the air behind him. Malak's eyes searched the area through the protective goggles he was wearing, but there was seemingly nothing there. 

"Can you sense it?" Revan asked without even moving.

"Yes," The Jedi Guardian said lowly and chillingly. "I can sense their hostility."

"Then we will give them something to fear." He opened and closed his fists, grinning beneath his helmet. 

Suddenly two dozen cloth-wrapped gaffi stick-wielding Tusken raiders emerged from their hiding place in the sand as if rising from the dead. They rose from a short distance from the mouth of the cave and began charging towards them. Immediately at the sight, Malak ignited his lightsaber and dropped into a battle-ready stance. On the contrary, for a moment, The Weapons Master did nothing as the Sand People charged ever closer, screaming and shouting cries of war. They resembled grotesque mummified husks running along the sand.

Finally, once they were close enough and almost upon them, Revan ignited his lightsaber and flung it straight through the air, sending a whirling blue blade of light piercing through the chest of the nearest Tusken raider. It began to slump to the ground as the lightsaber exited cleanly through and out the back of the man before it continued to the next charging raider only to deliver the same fate. 

Two down.

Three down. 

Four. 

The lightsaber made its way through each of the charging Sand People, leaving behind a pile of bodies, before returning to Revan's outstretched hand. There was no sign that he'd even exerted himself as he returned his lightsaber to his hip before raising his gloved hand yet again and forming it into a fist. A deep rumbling sound began to fill the air and several more Tusken raiders emerged from the sand behind them and floated up into the air. They grasped at their throats, gurgling and gasping for air. One by one, their necks snapped at unnatural angles, the sounds of bones cracking just barely audible over the howling wind. Shortly after, their bodies dropped unceremoniously to the ground. 

Malak deactivated his lightsaber as The Weapons Master resumed his walk to the cave. He looked around at the bodies that lay around him, then he looked up at Revan, stepping closer to the cave. As they entered, the windswept sands of Tatooine reclaimed the bodies of the fallen Tusken raiders, enveloping them in a blanket of coarse sand.

The cave was large with a tall ceiling with hanging stalactites. The main chasm went back about 800 meters before it sloped down in a dead-end. There, at the very back of the cave, was an ancient terminal, a three-pronged holoprojector that displayed a long lost hyperspace lane. 

Another Star Map. 

*****

The Ebon Hawk shot out of hyperspace over a large brown planet orbited by two twin suns. There was no orbiting space station, no fleet, nothing but the planet itself. 

Just like The Mercenary remembered it, though he was only familiar with the planet because he had scouted it around a decade back when he and the Watchdogs first arrived. Seeing how hostile and barren the environment was made them quickly reconsider establishing a Forward Operating Base there, but he had spent time on the rock nonetheless. 

"We are in orbit over Tatooine," The Jedi Sentinel said after they gathered the crew into the main lounge area.

"I'm not familiar with the planet," The Cathar Guardian remarked curiously in her thick accent. 

"Tatooine is a desert world which is pretty much unsettled, safe for a few small settlements," Dynamo explained with his arms folded as usual, along with the hand on his chin. "There's not much there except for heat and sand."

"So, where do we start?" Carth asked as he leaned on it, glancing at each crew member. 

"Anchorhead," The demonic mutant responded firmly, his tone was much more assertive as his Soldier side was showing. "It's the largest port on the planet, though that's not saying much."

"What's the mission?" Juhani asked, looking at her fellow Jedi specifically. 

"That… is... confidential," Bastila replied immediately with some steel in her tone. "All you need to know is that there is something important down there and that we need to find it."

"How are we supposed to help if we don't know what we're looking for?" Mission folded her arms with a frown and outraged look.

"The kid makes a fair point," Carth said with a rather distrustful glare. 

Though a certain word triggered The Young Scoundrel, shooting daggers with her glare at the Republic pilot. "I'm not a kid!"

"When do I get to shoot stuff?" Canderous muttered with the exasperated roll of his eyes.

"Enough!" The Sentinel shouted with a firm frown as she tried to assert herself. "This mission is mine to command. Only those who really need to know will be informed of the details." 

"Great speech, commander…" Carth muttered sarcastically. 

"Alright, everyone, calm down," The Mercenary spoke up firmly, arms folded and garnering their full attention. "This assignment is crucial as it may very well turn the tide of the war and even end it, but we all need to do our part and work as a team. Can we do that?"

"I don't see how we can if we don't know what we're doing." Mission said with an annoyed huff. 

There was almost a smirk on his lips but this was very much The Supreme Commander showing. "Which is why I'm telling you now that we are looking for an ancient Star Map," He stated succinctly.

"What are you doing!?" The Sentinel snapped at him with a glare and her voice laced with steel.

Unflinchingly, his fierce and rage-filled royal blue eyes glanced at her. "Be reasonable." He urged, looking right into her eyes. "The Council said the mission was confidential, but that doesn't mean we can't tell our crew the details of the mission. They asked us to work together, a team."

"A team, yet you are still a Padawan within the Order." She stated rather defiantly.

The calm, cold and calculated nature of The Mercenary was unmoving and even intimidating without a sign of The DOOM Slayer leaking from him. "Before being a Padawan, I was and still am the leader of the Watchdogs first and foremost." He continued, rather irritated by the idea of his authority being undermined as such. "Which includes going on missions similar to this one. In my experience, a diverse crew works best when the members know exactly what their mission is, not just vague details. We need to trust each other."

Bastila regarded him for a moment, frustration written all over her face but she was compelled to defer to him. Finally, she gave him a small nod, sighing. "Fine, go ahead."  

Whether it was surprising or not, The Final Knight bowed his head and mouthed a 'Thank you'. Then, he turned back towards the rest of the crew and began to fill them in on the details of their mission. 

The Sentinel straightened with her hands clasped behind her back, feeling the heat on her face as she tried her best to suppress the frustration and embarrassment. She was furious with Dynamo, her own Padawan, for standing up to her yet at the same time, there was no way she could compete with his skills on that front. Her brash and headstrong nature had to come to terms with that. She might be a Jedi Knight with a nigh mastery of Battle Meditation but she was no match for the Supreme Commander of the Watchdogs. His reputation very much preceded him, not to mention the commanding air he possessed when his Soldier side showed.

"So with these visions you're saying you can retrace Revan's steps?" The Twi'lek Scoundrel asked curiously. 

"Pretty much." The Mercenary confirmed with a nod. "We only get bits and pieces, but that was enough on Dantooine and, hopefully, it will be enough here." He looked at the pilot with an amiable request. "Carth, can you pull up a map of Anchorhead and the surrounding area?" 

He nodded and tapped a few keys on the holoterminal before a holographic map projected into the air overhead, displaying a rectangular topographical map of the settlement. "What am I looking for?" He asked as he was sliding the projection through. 

"We're looking for a completely barren area with a lot of dunes." The demonic mutant informed, his ever fierce eyes taking it in. "There was a large cave, big enough to fit a small starship in." 

"I'm not seeing anything like that within this section of the map," The Republic pilot said with a sigh and shook his head. "Though it is possible with the changing sands that the topography is different than it was when Revan came through."

That was likely the case, the sands of Tatooine must've certainly shifted in the past decade and a half or so. "Alright, a small group will be the best option to find the Star Map." He said, relating the plan in his mind. "Bastila, Canderous, we're heading out. The rest of you, guard the ship." He looked at the crew. "Any questions?" 

"When do I get to shoot something?" The Mandalorian asked gruffly under his breath, bored out of his mind by the explanations. "My trigger finger's itchy."

"You get to scratch it soon enough," Dynamo assured with a glance and almost devious grin before informing all of them. "This is an independent world so the laws of the Republic hold no weight here."

"Everyone, stay alert," The Sentinel spoke up, much more amiable than before, more of a right hand. "We've detected no Sith presence here, but there could be spies. Malak will surely have every available resource scouring the galaxy for us."

The Mercenary nodded approvingly before he added assertively. "Remember, many innocent lives depend on the success of this mission. Let's do this...!"

Shortly after, the Ebon Hawk set down in the dusty run-down spaceport, one of the few on the hostile desert surface of the planet. Like almost every building in Anchorhead, the spaceport was made of mostly pale brown sandstone, with a few elements of metal, around the shielded from the sun doors to prevent the metal dilation as much as possible. The ship landed into a circular walled off landing zone and several mechanics began rushing out to perform routine maintenance on the freighter as was routine in a public spaceport. 

"Where's your outfit?" The Sentinel demanded of Dynamo before they disembarked, seeing as he only wore his white shirt with the red stripe running up his neck, showing his well-toned physique and a few scar marks that ran on his arms, along with his signature gauntlets. "And your lightsaber?"

"Right here." The Mercenary replied with a flick of his wrists that ignited both blades, holding them up for her to see before retracting them a moment later. "Plus, those robes stand out too much for my taste, especially since we're supposed to be undercover. Desert Operations is much more fitting and nothing can compare to nanofibertech weave." He explained evenly as he crossed his arms and leaned back on the wall. "If you want to argue some more, I'm ready."

"No." She shook her head, feigning indifference as she sighed. This was an argument that she didn't want to get into, she would most definitely lose. "Like you've said, you have far more experience than me when it comes to these sorts of missions. I will defer to your better judgement."

"Alright." He nodded with a sigh of seeming relief as he used the SMI to begin lowering the platform. "Because I honestly wasn't in the mood to argue over something meaningless in the end." His royal blue gaze turned to her with something that was close to gentle firmness. "Look, my judgement can most certainly be skewed or plain wrong. Being a leader means being able to take advice and criticism, especially when it's warranted." He assured her more openly. "When you have them, my ears are open."

That was a little surprising for her and yet she also expected it at the same time. She was starting to see more sides of him and understand them, this being his more mentorship side and she saw that she did indeed have something to learn from him. It reminded her of The Jedi Watchdog in a way, even if The Mercenary was much more closed off by comparison.

"Noted, Dynamo… and thank you." She didn't say what for, but it honestly was for his patience and calmness on the matter. Others would have easily blown up and escalated into an argument… but not him. "You did say you were ready for it." She couldn't help but tease him with a slight smug smirk.

He sighed and ran a hand back through his hair. "Being ready and wanting are two different things." He said with a rather wry look before shrugging. "As the saying goes, hope for the best yet expect the worst and nothing will surprise you most of the time."

With those final words of wisdom and experience as well The Knights of different Orders along with the Young Twi'lek disembarked the Ebon Hawk. Of course, since it was their first time here, they had to deal with the Twi'lek customs officer on hand, employed by Czerka Corporation as his name tag so proudly implied, if the fact that the name of his employer was bigger than his own. 

Thankfully, the demonic mutant had a way with words and managed to avoid the upfront overcharges, since he was well aware that Czerka services were overpriced and subpar more often than not. Better convince him that the money would be spent later anyway… even if that wouldn't always be the case.

Either way, the customs officer was kind enough to provide some information as well. Czerka Corporation was failing in its endeavours on the planet, their mining operations which were supposed to cover their expenses weren't because the ore was practically useless. There wasn't money to be made on the planet, just endless dunes of sand. The only opportunities we're the hunting-related ones thanks to the many fearsome native species and the lengthy barren wastes that served as fine swoop tracks.  They went through the spaceport door of the docking bay, which was in the northwest corner of Anchorhead and onto the streets themselves which were mostly just packed down hardened sand. Everywhere they looked they were greeted with pale cracked sandstone buildings. There were several Duros miners and Anchorhead tradesmen around though overall the people here were simple. Many different species roamed the streets here, with no sense of hierarchy or social structure, some of the miners were covered in a thin coating of dust.

Travelling southeast from the spaceport along Anchorhead's main thoroughfare, they passed a ronto on their left where the door to the Hunting Lodge was, in the north wall. The tradesmen around commented with a sense of dread about the destruction of Taris, while the miners were lamenting the raids on the sandcrawlers and the Czerka Corporation's consistent loss. Among those people was a woman holding a fairly impressive looking bone plate in her hands. She was lingering around the entrance of the hunting lodge and trying to catch the attention of any of the hunters that were coming in. Her worried and partly panicked gaze eventually landed on the two Mercenaries and the Jedi, hesitating but the desperation compelled her. With hurried steps, she walked into their path as they passed the hunting lodge.

“Please, will you help me? I have nothing, nothing left.” She pleaded with them, breathless and near despair.

"Miss, calm down." The Sentinel urged calmly, taking a step forward and ignoring the annoyed grunt that came from The Mandalorian. "Tell us what you need and we'll help you if we can."

The Mercenary for his part glanced at him with a slight rumble from the back of his throat before looking back and listening silently. 

“Oh thank you." She nearly beamed as she looked at them, explaining her situation. "I don't have anywhere else to turn. If you are down-and-out on Tatooine, you're on your own. My husband was a hunter… killed out on the dunes. This wraid plate is all I have left. Please, will you buy it?" She asked pleadingly.  "I don't need a handout, I just can't sell it to Fazza without a license. Please, I'm worried about having it because of the Gamorrean hunters. They are so rare… and we need the credits so that the kids and I could get out of here, maybe buy passage to Coruscant.”

"Miss, we wouldn't be able to sell it." Bastila had to inform her with a saddened look. "We don't have a license as you say.”

“No? But you looked…" Her eyes flickered between them and she took one step back as glanced away for a moment. "I'm sorry, I thought you looked equipped like hunters. Are you sure you aren't going to be getting a license? I mean you don't look like farmers, and the only way to be allowed out of Anchorhead is to get a hunting license.”

That was good to know in fact since The Final Knight wasn't keen to climb over the walls and sneak out every time. Not to mention that Mandalorians weren't known for their stealth expertise. 

"Maybe we can offer you the equivalent of it?" Dynamo asked with a step forward, looking to the woman in need.

“You will?" Her eyes rekindled with hope as she looked up at him. "Oh, thank you so much. Please, I know it is worth at least five hundred credits.”

The Sentinel was admittedly a little surprised that the demonic mutant acted so, reaching into his backpack and offering a full seven hundred credits for the plate since they had plenty to burn. “We can part with that and some extra.”

She took them, almost not believing it. “Oh, thank you. It is more than generous of you. I don't know what to say, I just don't…!”

“You don’t have to say anything.” He assured with a raise of his hand as he turned to leave for the Hunting Lodge in front.

“For whatever it means, may the Force be with you.” She said with gratitude as the three walked away, the demonic mutant in the lead. “You've saved us…!”

"What was that all about? Are you going soft on me?" The Mandalorian asked gruffly and with a slight snarl even.

Dynamo simply glanced over his shoulder with that unending fury in his eyes. "Vent your armour there, Candy Mando." He teased with his eyes narrowed and a glint over them. 

He recoiled at the nickname and was only seconds away from snapping into a rage but seeing a much deeper one made him seriously reconsider every trying to go up against The Mercenary in a fight. Frankly, he'd already made his decision and didn't feel the need to actually challenge him.

The Sentinel was smirking at the whole exchange, especially since Canderous did make her wearier than the demonic presence within the larger man even. “Thank you for helping this woman,” Bastila said to him appreciatively. “It may not seem like such a great thing to you, but you are making a difference.”

Dynamo glanced in acknowledgement but remained silent as he pushed the door in.

“Well, new faces…!” the Ithorian at the counter greeted them with no small amount of surprise. “Come to test your skill on the endless dunes of Tatooine? Fazza's lodge is the place to arrange it. This world may not have much, but it does have the meanest predators this side of the Galactic Rim. A hunter's paradise.”

That remained to be seen and considering first impressions, that being the widow of a hunter, this was as far from paradise as you could afford on Tatooine. The Mercenary went to talk with the hunters present, as they might know something about the Dune Sea. The hunters were gathered around the tables on the north and west sides of the lodge. Firstly, they came across the Twi'lek hunter Komad Fortuna at a table in the northeast corner, writing his exploits in a datapad. He was quite talkative and friendly even if there was no real new information, there was an expectation that they would get to see each other again. The human hunter Dorak Quinn sat at the centre table on the north side of the lodge, between Komad Fortuna and the Gamorreans. Not as friendly as the Twi'lek hunter, but still able to talk to. Then came the loudest of the beings present and the ones that made their presence felt the most with their loud squeals and disgusting noises. The Gamorrean hunters that sat at the table in the northwest, their leader Gurke, was at the head of it with Narkal and Ugzak to the right and left respectively… despite the fact that they were sat at a circular table so there would be no way to have a head of it... It was like trying to talk to drywall and they just ended up insulting each other as the three backed away, deciding that they had much better things to get on with and do. Lastly and before exiting, another human hunter, Tanis Venn, caught their attention because stood apart from the other hunters at a table by the west wall. He was quite a slimeball to the extent that he got a full-on stare into the depths of the royal blue eyes of pure rage. On top of that, Tanis was resented by Dorak and Komad for hunting with droids, though the two didn’t spell it out, conversations with them made the fact pretty obvious. They went back outside, having the tip to go to the Czerka Office in order to get a hunting license so that they could actually go outside of Anchorhead and the fact that the Sand People and the Jawa know the dunes better than any Czerka guide. On the rather brief walk towards, they did come across a Duros miner and raving bloody murder about… something. It wasn't clear but what was clear was the fact that the rest of them avoided his path of venting.

“That... human woman! Her... arrogance…!” He mumbled, then his voice rose to breakpoint, then his beady eyes spotted a group of three humanoids, two burly men and one woman that looked a lot like the one that frustrated him to his breaking point. "Do all of your species place yourselves on such annoying pedestals! I swear, 'Helena' must be your word for pit rancour…!”

Canderous couldn't care less and he was quite prepared just to blast the Duros into oblivion but didn't, mainly because Dynamo was liable to pummel him into the sand for it. The demonic mutant for his part had his ears twitch at the name while the Jedi furrowed her brow at him. 

“My mother was supposed to be here somewhere." She remarked to the taller man's glance, her voice devoid of emotion as she asked. "Sir, did you happen to have seen her?”

“Seen her?” The Duros asked sarcastically yet still very much frustrated, motioning with his arms exaggeratedly. “Human, you couldn't miss her if you tried. She strolled into the cantina like she owned the place.”

“Is she still there?” The Mercenary inquired of him.

“Probably.” He shrugged, not really caring. “I don't think anyone else could top her attitude, so she won't be leaving. I won't be going back while she's there, though.”

“We should try to find her,” The Sentinel suggested with a glance at The Final Knight. “I doubt she wants to be kept waiting.”

“You're actually looking for her? You humans, you're all out of your mind…!” The Duros waved them off as he continued on his way, preferring to get as far away from the cantina as possible. 

After that brief and yet fruitful interruption, they reached the Czerka Office building, which was indistinguishable from the rest save for the yellow and green flags draped off the edge of the building. They entered the reception area, it was modest, consisting of a small couch and a desk along with a shop against one of the walls opposite to the main desk. 

It was anything but calm inside as the voice of a Duros cut through “You'll be hearing about this, you Czerka puppet!” He shouted resentfully and slammed his hands on the desk. "I'm not going to let this drop! You can't just murder a whole village! And don't tell me to take my concerns to your corporate kiosk! I know when I'm not wanted!” With a snarl, he turned to the door, stomping towards it and past the three newcomers. “I'm done talking in this office.” Huffed in annoyance and disdain. “They aren't interested in listening to me. I doubt they will even acknowledge I was here. Typical corporate evasion. That's what happens when they own everything. No accountability. Don't even bother bringing it up.” He declared towards the three as he left.

The Protocol Officer at the desk sighed before addressing the small group that had just entered the office. “Can I help you?” She asked with a plastered smile before continuing in the same fake tone. “These are the offices of Czerka Corporation. I trust you have business with the company? If this is about employment, I'm afraid all regular mining positions are full. And before you ask, we are also no longer selling hunting licenses." Then she added under her breath rather condescendingly. "There are too many people cavorting about outside the walls as it is.” 

Though they had to get their hands on one somehow, which was why The Mercenary leaned on the table forward as he asked. "We possess a particular set of skills, ma'am." There was no need to flaunt the fact that they were Jedi, frankly, with the rage in his eyes he would much more quickly pass off as a Sith. "Perhaps we can offer them in exchange for one of those licences." 

Now that was a great opportunity and she didn't need to look twice to know that they could indeed take care of business efficiently. “Well, normally we charge two hundred credits, but I could make an exception if you agreed to perform a task for us. It's similar to hunting." She tapped a few times on a datapad before placing it on the desk, rotating it and sliding it towards The Final Knight. 

"The Sand People are becoming a problem because they destroy our sandcrawlers and kill our miners. One particular tribe is the worst as if their chieftain has decided to wage a war against us. I would like their attacks... terminated." The Protocol Officer stated succinctly before counting to inform of the terms of the agreement. "Bring me their gaffi sticks as proof. If you agree to do this, I'll give you a hunting license now and pay a bounty for each stick later. I'll give a bonus for the chieftain's.”

The notion of just terminating a group of people didn't sit right with two of the three people in the group, The Mandalorian being quite eager to test his mettle against this supposedly bloodthirsty group of Sand People. Though the demonic mutant did see an opportunity since Czerka merely wanted their Gaffi sticks, so maybe he could get his hands on some without any bloodshed. “Very well. The terms are acceptable.”

For a moment, The Jedi's lips parted to speak up but her silver-grey eyes caught the glance from the royal blue and the 'Don't worry' that his gaze communicated to her.

“Excellent." The Protocol Officer said with a satisfied smile. "Now, just so we understand each other, this is an enforceable contract, Czerka Corporation takes this very seriously. Here is your license, and a few directions." She placed them on the desk and slid them in his direction. "We believe one of their enclaves is in the far south of the Dune Sea. You might try following one of our sandcrawlers. They are regularly attacked so I wouldn't mind you escorting them.”

Honestly, The Mercenary could have chuckled at the whole thing, though it was kept well inside. No way was he going to accept any enforcement action from Czerka, heck, normally he would have just used his Watchdogs status but he didn't want to attract attention. Avoiding the truth was best here, he wouldn't say since none asked so far. “One more thing." He said as he scanned the directions and saved them into his SMI before picking up the license and storing it safely. "We're looking for a miner, a blue-skinned Twi'lek man named Griff.”

“Griff?" She perked up and stumbled over her words, hesitating. "Uh... there's no Griff here. Never heard of him. No, I... I don't remember a single Griff on the Czerka Corporation payroll.”

He didn't need enhanced senses to know that she was lying, just the body language was enough. “Are you certain of that? We would be on our way sooner if you did.”

“Oh, you mean that Twi'lek!" She said as if having a sudden revelation with a theatrical motion of a hand. "Must have slipped my mind for a second. Yes, of course, I remember Griff. We hired that Twi'lek some time ago. But he was lost in a Sand People raid we suffered not too long ago. There were prisoners taken, but our rescue parties never found anyone alive. In the end, it just wasn't cost-effective to keep searching. All miners sign a waiver absolving Czerka Corporation of liability in these circumstances.” All words were matter-of-factly spoken and with little regard for those she spoke off.

And that was a great way to make the demonic mutant silently simmer, especially considering his rank in the Watchdogs. At the very least it seemed like they were likely to find him while dealing with the Sand People, hopefully not what was left to him. “We will be on our way then,” Dynamo stated succinctly as he turned and left the way out rather quickly, the frustration building up in him as he was thinking of how he could change this… but nothing quick was coming to mind. Maybe it wasn't in his place to make that change.

“Czerka Corporation thanks you for your time.” The Protocol Officer called to the three as they left.

On the way towards the Dune Sea, they passed the Duros conservationist from earlier, ranting to one of his kin who seemed to be the only one willing to listen to what he had to say. He was proposing communication with the Sand People, finding that their main encampment was likely to the southwest in the Dune Sea. He mentioned that there was even a Jedi on a planet a few years ago but even they couldn't seem to get through to them. That ended in blood too, but there was something else presently available, an unusual droid in the shop here on Tatooine. It was owned by someone named Yuka Laka and he even claimed that it could speak a Sand People dialect.

It was definitely a lead that was worth investigating and The Mercenary noted the fact in his mind, subtly distracted by the conversation that The Mandalorian had struck up with The Sentinel. 

"So, Bastila, I heard a rumour that back on Taris you got captured without much of a struggle." Canderous began with a rather wicked side grin, holding back laughter it seemed. "It must be embarrassing to be bested by a handful of street thugs." 

She could've rolled her eyes at him and she in fact did. "There were extenuating circumstances and I can assure you it took far more than a handful of Vulkars to subdue me." She retorted with growing annoyance. 

"Whatever you say." He shrugged with a devious grin still. "All I know is that if we had more Jedi like you fighting against us in the Mandalorian Wars, my side might not have lost."

"Bold talk from a broken-down mercenary who was serving at Davik's heel." The Sentinel retorted yet again with more bite to her tone. "I'd call you his pet kath hound, but they have enough loyalty not to turn on their masters."

"Insults?" He raised an eyebrow with a furrow of his brow. "Maybe if your Master had trained your lightsaber to be as quick as your tongue you could have escaped those Vulkars, you spoiled little Jedi princess!"

"I was not spoiled!" She snapped at him with growing indignance. "I was given the same training as everyone else in the Order! You are nothing but a... no." She paused and took in a deep breath with her eyes closed. "I must not do this. There is no emotion; there is peace."

"That's the problem with you Jedi," Canderous remarked disappointed, shaking his head once. "Always chanting about peace and control, never up for a good fight. Well, except for Revan, I guess." Curiously, his steel-grey eyes flickered to The Final Knight in the lead.

"Enough, Mandalorian, I won't rise to your bait anymore," Bastila stated succinctly as he looked away from him, towards their path. "The game is over. Let us continue with what we were doing."

Chapter Text

Silence had settled in between them as they came to a small town square with various shops and establishments all around. Many citizens were roaming about, however, a small crowd of them began to part as five dark hooded Sith headed their way. They wore dark grey almost black sleeveless tunics with skin tight grey undershirts, lining their arms were various crimson tattoos that pulsated like veins. The leader wore a mask that covered the lower part of his face and a short cape hung from his shoulders, the warm breeze making it flail. 

"Well, well…" He said in a deep voice as they stopped, folding his arms with notes of derogation. "I know that the scent of credits would bring mercenaries and Watchdogs to this backwater planet, but what is a Jedi doing here?"

The demonic mutant had stopped a ways from them and he already knew that the only way this was going to end was in a battle. No way he would retreat and negotiating with a Sith was out of the question. A deep rumbling sound came from the back of his throat. "Why do you care?" He asked with a slight snarl, letting his predatory canines be glimpsed.

"Your arrogance demands a lesson." The Marauder leader replied in kind, a malicious grin curling beneath his mask as he glanced at the other Dark Jedi. "Maybe we should show him his place." They nodded in assent with vicious chuckles.

"Do try not to provoke them more than necessary," Bastila whispered to The Final Knight with a cautionary glance. 

"And if it isn't Bastila Shan." The leader continued with a mad glint in his orange-yellow eyes. "Lord Malak has been scouring the galaxy looking for you. He has promised a great reward for whoever brings you in." 

The leader was the first to ignite his lightsaber, making the others follow suit, frightening the crowd walking around them as they backed away in a wide circle around the group of combatants. 

"Now this is more like it!" Canderous exclaimed with a wide grin as he unsheathed his custom Cortosis sword. 

"Oh, just you try…!" Dynamo bared his predatory canines and immediately got into a low balanced stance, hands extended to the side as his blades ignited. 

Bastila's did the same simultaneously as she shouted to the people around them. "Everyone, get inside where it is safe!" She spun her sabre and got into her stance as well. 

"Pitiful dogs." The Sith leader sneered before him and his men swiftly lunged forward, twirling their crimson blades menacingly and skillfully. 

The first assassin brought his lightsaber down in a powerful chop, aimed straight for The Final Knight's head. Narrowly yet masterfully, he dodged the blade, feeling the heat of the superheated plasma on his face before swiftly retaliating with his left one to pierce the Sith from front to back through his chest. 

There was enough strength in him to cave it in with a horrible hissing sound and series of cracks, though the demonic mutant didn't stop there as he brutally lifted the Dark Jedi into the air with one hand and a beastly roar before slamming the now dying Sith into the hard sand, quaking the surrounding area.

At the same time, The Sentinel had her opponent on the defensive, pushing him back with a flurry of quick precise strikes as she used both ends of her double-bladed lightsaber. She delivered a wide powerful swing, spinning the sabre as she went, forcing the Sith to backflip out of the way. 

Seeing an opportunity, Bastila used her momentum to leap into the air and come down hard with a fist into the ground that created a powerful shockwave through the Force. The Sith assassin who'd landed on the sandstone immediately flew backwards, carried by the Force and landing hard against the wall of a cantina. 

On The Mandalorian's end, he had his hands and sword full with two Sith Assassins at the same time. Thankfully, his Bes'kar was easily able to absorb most of the hits that he wasn't able to dodge or block, him having to be careful when it came to his exposed head. Even in his older years, he was still able to fight with the younger Sith, all he needed was an opening. 

With a forearm, he managed to parry a flaming red blade before his sword clashed with the second shorter lightsaber of one of the assassins. Yet Canderous' hand was free now, the launcher opening up with four projectiles being sent out at extremely short range, whistling extremely briefly as they shredded through their ribcages and skulls. 

There was no time for them to react and their bodies slumped at the feet of the warrior, crimson beginning to pool at his feet, though another kind of crimson had caught his attention.

Just as The Mercenary was about to straighten and pick his next target, the leader attempted to blindside him with an onslaught of whirling blows. He ducked underneath the crossing swing of his opponent and rolled around him, coming back up behind him and uppercutting with his right blade. Suddenly, a second red blade ignited from the back of the Sith leader's hilt and barely blocked Dynamo's attack.

The Assassin Leader stumbled back from the sheer force of it but quickly gathered his power and moved swiftly on The Final Knight. Using all of his strength and rage, he sent a devastating Force Wave towards him, one that had him take a couple of steps back while the wall and wooden storage boxes behind cracked and groaned horribly, almost flattened in an instant. 

He regained his balanced stance quickly and stared at the Sith with cold fury in his royal blue eyes, waiting, goading the Sith leader to attack. The Sith simply stood his ground, glaring right back at him with menacing yellow-orange eyes. Unexpectedly, he shot a hand towards The Mercenary and unleashed a torrent of Force Lightning that struck him and made his whole body seize up and convulse, sending him back hard against the remains of crates.

Before there was any chance for her opponent to recover Bastila was on top of him. The hood of the man had fallen down revealing his face and her eyes had briefly widened in recognition. While she didn't know him personally or even what his name was, she did remember him as a Jedi walking through the halls of the temple on Coruscant. Which meant that he was a traitor. 

Pained but fueled by hate, the assassin sneered at her with disgust as he tried to get to his feet, but she didn't let him. Within an instant, she let forth a wave of the Force that slammed him hard back into the wall, cracking his skull and killing him instantly.

The incredibly intense electric current continued to wrack his body, what was worse was that he found himself drawing from The DOOM Slayer more and more, the sclera of his eyes reddening. While violently jerky in his motions, he did manage to begin to stand, teeth gritting as the pain mounted and the demon within fed on it. He could hear the people around, watching the battle from afar, the worry in their voices, he could smell their fear, coming off them in waves.

With a twisted smirk beneath his mouth cover, the Sith Leader walked closer, keeping up the lightning. "I am sick of your hypocrisy, demon!" He shouted as the torrent grew in intensity, making The Final Knight hiss as he shut his eyes to resist. "The lies you tell and spread. Protecting those that can't protect themselves!?" 

Quickly placing the hilt of his lightsaber on his belt, a hand ominously rose to the side before he forcefully pulled one of the onlookers into his grasp. He was an older man, mostly bald with patches of grey hair and wrinkles that carved deep chasms into his face, now suspended in midair by an invisible iron grip, gasping for air. 

"People of Anchorhead!" He continued with a mad glint in his orange-yellow eyes, glancing around them before his glare stopped on an almost completely incapacitated Dynamo. "Behold your protectors!" His fists clenched and the demonic mutant heard it all too clearly, snapping countless times and flesh torn asunder, the poor man's lungs had been crushed, his lifeless body dropping to the sandstone with an unceremonious thud.

A moment, that was how long the silence lasted, the silence before it broke loose. The Assassin Leader had triggered it and now would suffer the horrible consequences, his orange-yellow eyes widening at the feeling he suddenly got from The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer. Oppressive, endless rage, hate and pain, it was terrifying even to a discipline of the Dark side and the roar chilled him, freezing him on the spot.

"Kar en tuk aldty MARANTEN!" (Rip and tear your guts.) His voice now morphed, all pain was ignored as he charged in a frenzy at him, the red rage aura engulfing him. The Sith leader had no time to react as The Mercenary's right blade pierced through his skull before he grabbed his head, burying his smouldering skull into the hard sand.

Then he lifted it, still holding the now deformed head and slammed it again and again and again until a voice cut through the near savagery. "Dynamo!" It was The Jedi Sentinel's and he paused, breathing intensely.

Slowly, his blood red royal blue eyes glanced up at the hand she offered, it was unflinching, yet he could see that her double-bladed lightsaber was still ignited. She couldn't help but be guarded and weary in the presence of the unleashed DOOM Slayer. 

His hand lifted from the remains of the Sith leader and clenched as his blade sheathed. He closed his eyes with a grit of his teeth, grunting demonically before it shifted back to being beastly as The DOOM Slayer reigned back in him. 

'He's… a monster… no better than the Sith…' The first whisper from the shocked people around them reached his still keen ears as his clear royal blue eyes looked to Bastila's still outstretched hand. 'He saved us… but what if he turns on us?' Gradually, he lifted his left gloved one which was cleaner up the other and took it. 'Hey, the Jedi will take care of him… but what if he kills her like he did the Sith… Nothing can stop him.' The Sentinel helped him to his feet, hearing the whispers as well, though any guard she had was gradually dropping, her lightsaber deactivating as she placed it on her belt. 

'We are next…' An aged murmur made its way through the crowd still staring at the aftermath. 'Beware the crimson blue-eyed demon in human flesh…' It warned everyone, garnering hums of assent. 'Beware the crimson blue-eyed uncaged beast…'

"Alright, enough gawking…!" The gruff voice of the Mandalorian rose over the crowd, sheathing his Cortosis sword and getting a grip on his Baragwin heavy repeating blaster. "Get back to what you were doing before the sand buries you…!" He commanded and the crowd began to part, not willing to anger a Mandalorian that was in cahoots with the demonic mutant. He sighed tiredly as he looked at Dynamo and Bastila, informing them. "I'll wait inside, I need a drink." The last part was made off-handedly as he went inside the cantina. 

She glanced at the older warrior and nodded silently before looking back up at The Mercenary, sensing that he wasn't all there in the slightest. Tentatively, she reached out and placed a hand on his arm but he was as still as stone. "Dynamo?" She asked, trying to get some outwards reaction from him, noting that his gaze was wandering around emptily and finally landed on the body of the old man. He was  silently carried away by a distraught pair of people, a younger one following after with quiet sobs, not quiet enough for The Final Knight not to hear. 

"I should've saved him…" He said in a low voice, his fists clenching as his teeth gritted with anger at himself. Another face to the endless list in his head but something worse had just happened. "Then… they wouldn't have seen it. You wouldn't have seen it."

"Dynamo… what's done is done." She stated succinctly but not without sympathy, giving him a small squeeze of his arm before withdrawing her hand. "We just have to live and deal with the consequences of it. There wasn't anything else that could have been done for him." 

"Consequences… I know them all too well. I'm a demon worse than demons so I have to live as such." He sighed in a resigned way before remarking with a wry look. "At least now I won't be lying to you anymore." He looked down at himself, noting that his gloves were covered in blood and some was on his shirt. "There's always something that I could've done better."

"You have been honest with me so far and you need to be honest with yourself as well." Bastila countered with a slight narrow of her eyes before advising benevolently. "Then do so from now on. Do not allow this to repeat ever again. That is why we were given this mission in the first place. To put an end to this war and the senseless killing."

There was a rumble of slight denial from the back of his throat as he put his black nanofibertech weave jacket on. He'd change his shirt back on the Ebon Hawk. "I will and I know." The demonic mutant sighed yet again as he turned. "Let's… move on."

He went to quickly inspect the contents of the Sith leader's satchel and found a datapad. Once connected and hacked through with his SMI, he found that contained detailed descriptions of him and Bastila along with a brief message:

Bastila has escaped Taris. Whoever can find and capture her or dispose of her and her companions will be greatly rewarded by Lord Malak himself.

"What did you find?" The Sentinel asked, looking over his shoulder at the screen on his left gauntlet. 

"A datapad." He replied matter-of-factly, gaze unmoving. "Seems like Malak put out a bounty for us."

She sighed as she straightened while he did the same soon after. "Then we need to be careful with future Sith Assassins." She advised to which he replied with a silent nod.

In that same quiet, the Knights of different Orders walked through the door to the Anchorhead Cantina which was just near the opening of the main thoroughfare and against the south. A ronto was standing by it, undisturbed by any of the events that had transpired so far.

The rather calming and moody jazzy music filled the room as the Bith band played their tunes, a couple of them mere holographic recordings but it worked for what it was. The scent of various alcoholic drinks permeated the air, as well as the laments of some of the more downtrodden clients, miners especially. They spotted the Mandalorian, drinking shots at the bar while looking at the Twi'lek dancers with a wide grin. Other patrons sat at their tables while the Jawa servers catered to their needs as fast as they could. One of them stood out, a woman to the left at a table in the northwest corner who sat alone, more importantly, whom everyone seemed to avoid. What caught his attention was how similar she looked to The Jedi Sentinel. 

Rather boldly and mainly because he didn't want to waste any time, The Final Knight approached her table. "Madam." He stated amiably and sat down, with The Jedi following suit as he asked. "Do you have a moment?"

"Yes?" The older woman blinked in sheer surprise at just who sat down before she narrowed her eyes at them with some bite to her tone. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"I am here, Mother," Bastila said, quite distant and cold, glaring right back. "Or don't you recognize me?" She asked in the same manner. Like mother, like daughter, The Mercenary surmised.

"What do you expect, when I haven't so much as had a picture of you since you left?" Helena reprimanded and scolded her daughter folding her arms as she leaned back in her seat. "Do you know how long I've been trying to find you?"

"You knew as well as I communication would be impossible once I joined the order." The Sentinel stated with anger seeping into her voice before demanding. "Now, what is this about? Where is Father?" 

The question brought a realization to the elder woman's face, pausing for a little before remarking more to herself in a voice that trailed off. "Then you haven't heard. I should have known."

"Has something happened to him?" Bastila demanded, narrowing her eyes rather accusingly. "Are you going to tell me or not?"

There was a visible hesitation as she averted her remarkably similar grey eyes from her daughter. "Your Father is dead, Bastila." Her lower, pained voice replied, glancing back as she revealed. "That is part of the reason why I was looking for you."

The Sentinel blinked in sheer shock at what she'd heard, leaning back in her seat as she almost paled. "Dead?" She asked in a strained tone before the bite returned to it. "What happened? What did you do to him?!"

Helena almost scoffed at the hostility, glancing at The Mercenary as she asked sarcastically. "Isn't this a lovely reunion?" There was a bitter smile of almost disbelief at the fact. "Already she is flinging insults at me. Tell me... you're one of her friends. Do you treat your mother this way?"

That wasn't the best question to ask The Final Knight, but he kept the beastly hum within as he replied with chilling calmness. "My mother is long dead if you must know."

"Is that so?" She raised an eyebrow, not indifferent to the fact yet there was a certain resignation to her. "Well, I'll be joining her soon enough, I suppose."

"I was told you were sick," Bastila stayed as her piercing silver-grey glare narrowed again, leaning on her hands on the table. "Are you actually dying, or is this merely melodrama for my benefit?"

Again, there was that bitter sarcasm in the elder woman's voice "Such sweet things you say." And the heavy sigh she gave. "Perhaps I should tell you everything, first, before we start arguing again."

"You could start by telling me what you got Father into that killed him." The Sentinel almost spat in demand.

"I hadn't realized the Jedi were so spiteful." She crossed her arms as she looked at her daughter, tilting her head with a raise of her eyebrow as she looked down on her. "You want me to tell you I brought your father here for an expedition, do you? You want to blame me for his death? You never accepted that your father loved going on his treasure hunts, leaving you alone with me. I was always to blame for everything, what else is new? So yes, fine. I brought your father here to look for krayt dragon pearls. He took an expedition into the Tatooine desert and he died."

"How can you be sure of that?" Bastila questioned her every word, despite the fact that it was the truth. "Father is an experienced --"

But Helena cut her off as she nearly snapped in question. "Do you think I would look for you if I wasn't sure? They were attacked by a krayt dragon and one of the guides fled the battle. He saw your father killed." Though her tone didn't rise all that much.

"I... see." The Jedi paused for a second rather unsurely before asking further, still hostile, perhaps now even moreso. "So what do you want from me? Credits?"

"Don't be insulting." Her gaze narrowed and brow furrowed before she informed. "I want you to use those senses of yours. I want you to find him. I want you to bring back his holocron."

"Why? So you can sell it?" She asked, with spite and suspicion.

Helena sighed and lightly shook her head. "Is it too much to ask that I have something to remember your father by?" Her expression softened for a moment before it hardened again as she nearly spat. "Of course it is, isn't it? You couldn't be bothered."

The Sentinel was like stone and there were daggers in her eyes as she spoke with quiet anger. "We're very busy on a mission from the Jedi Council so I doubt I'll have the time." Then she nodded towards The Mercenary next to her. "Ask my companion if you doubt me."

He'd kept mostly silent because this was something that mother and daughter had to solve, though her words just know where cause for concern as he glanced at her. "Don't you want to find your father's remains, Bastila?" The Final Knight asked somewhat carefully, since he was able to feel and tell the toll that this was taking on her, no matter how much she would deny it. 

"What remains would there be?" She asked him with a twinge of hostility as well as grief that she fought to keep contained. "Krayt dragons are huge predators, easily able to devour a human, and the desert is a harsh environment. Finding my father's remains would be an even more impossible task than finding his holocron. An ignoble end to a fine man."

While she wasn't wrong she was certainly being pessimistic about it, something that he usually was but mostly in matters that pertained to his own person. Frankly, the demonic mutant hated seeing The Jedi so and he wanted to do something to help with it. "But what about your mother's sickness?" He asked, especially since he didn't feel any deceit in the scent which was rather rare.

"It doesn't seem to have anything to do with what she's asking." She stated succinctly before she turned to her with skepticism in her inquiry."Are you actually sick, Mother?"

"What difference does it make to you?" Helena retorted with a scoff and roll of her eyes. "None, I'm sure. Just find your father's holocron and you won't have to worry about me again either way."

"That's the kind of response I would expect." She said more to herself and almsot chuckled derisively. "Very well. We'll look for the holocron if we have time. I can't promise any more than that."

At least they managed to get somewhere in between the arguments, something that the elder woman was honestly glad for. "I believe your father was headed north towards the Sand People enclave." She advised them. "I would check along that route, dear. Do please hurry." Helena urged, her tone sounding somewhat fake at the 'dear'. 

Without even bidding her mother a 'goodbye', The Sentinel got up from the table abruptly and left, The Mercenary following soon after but he did nod towards the elder woman before he went after The Jedi. In his trailing, his eyes scanned over the crowd and met the fierce ones of The Mandalorian, silently telling him that they were leaving. Seemingly begrudgingly, the warrior downed two more shots before getting up and after the two Knights.

Once all three got outside, Bastila stopped, holding her arms and with Dynamo in her shadow, reaching out and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Do you want to talk?" He asked, sensing that Canderous was leaning on one of the sandstone walls, waiting for them to be done with the sentimentality. 

"About my mother? I am unsure." She perked up a little, somewhat surprised by the small gesture he offered though she replied in a downtrodden voice. "I seem to find it difficult to remain objective when it comes to her. I find that... disturbing."

"She certainly seemed to upset you." He said with a bit of a sigh, glancing back for a moment as he withdrew her hand but not before giving a rather gentle squeeze despite the firmness.

"I told you that my mother and I never got along. Obviously, that has not changed and now Father is dead." She did her best to keep her voice even despite shuddering and pausing briefly then continuing. "That... leaves a hurt inside, that I'm sure you know all too well. I hadn't seen him in so long…" Her voice trailed off before she suddenly firmed up, trying to bury her emotions as she requested, looking up right at the demonic mutant. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. Let's... keep going."

The Final Knight obliged to the request with a nod, glancing over to The Mandalorian and motioning for him to follow after. The group silently crossed through the main thoroughfare and towards the southwest corner of it, going north from the cantina. The jury rigged sign above the door read Droid Shop and there was a utility droid refurbished with mismatching scrap pieces to the right of it. A very promising advertisement for what awaited them inside regarding the quality of the craftsmanship. 

"Are you sure this is the best course of action?" Bastila asked with doubt seeping into her voice as they entered, her silver-grey eyes moving from the rickety robot to the demonic mutant. 

"For the most part..." Dynamo said half-heartedly, looking about the disorganized shop, noting that Canderous opted to wait outside for them, something that would prove to be a loss for him. It was clearly meant mostly for repairing droids as there were tools and parts scattered about with several workstations set up. "My instinct tells me that we should give this a shot. I'd rather try this first, before needing to rip and tear."

Not long after they entered and having heard the hydraulic door operate, an old Ithorian man came walking out the rear office. "Welcome to my shop!" He said in his native language, though there were notes of joy and amiability in his echoey voice. "I am Yuka Laka. How can I help you?"

"Greetings!" The Final Knight nodded, trying to be more amiable and less cold as he informed with a rather curious, even interested look. "We heard you have a droid for sale that speaks Sand People dialect."

"Oh, yes!" Yuka Laka said excitedly, nodding a few times before clarifying a little wryly. "Well, at least that's what the droid claims. He's quite a stubborn one. Something in his programming. Bit of an odd model, never quite seen anything like him before."

"May we see it?" He requested as he rubbed his beard with a hand, the other behind his back out of simple habit as he remarked. "If it can do what it says it can, then we're very much interested in purchasing it."

"Certainly." The Ithorian said while motioning them over to follow, bringing them over to the far corner of the shop.

Right there stood an orange droid of a make and model none of them recognized, which was saying something especially in the case of the Supreme Commander. It appeared that its armour was made of a surprisingly strong alloy as evidenced by some blaster scoring in some areas, yet it was otherwise in pretty good condition for where they were. 

"Droid," Dynamo addressed it firmly as he requested. "What is your designation?"

"Answer: I am HK-47." The droid responded in a warbled mechanical voice, its yellow eyes flickering with every word spoken. "Query: Are you meatbags here to purchase me from the insufferable Yuka Laka?"

Now that was certainly a way to grab his attention. He'd been called many things but this was a first and he was frankly more amused than disturbed. Whoever programmed this droid clearly had a morbid sense of humor. "Meatbags?" He asked with a raise of his eyebrow. 

"Clarification: Meatbags equals squishy organics." It stated matter-of-factly and even condescendingly. 

"I see." Dynamo nodded along with it. "What are your functions?"

"Recitation: I am programmed for a variety of tasks, Master. They include, but are not limited to, the facilitation of communications and the termination of hostilities."

The Final Knight blinked twice at that before his brow furrowed, mostly surprised by how upfront and loose with the information the droid was being in a way. "What did you say?"

"Annoyed clarification: Yes, facilitation of communications." Its warbled voice carried said annoyance along with a bit of pride… a bit more. "I am fluent in over three million forms of communication and am quite capable in translation so that dim-witted meatbags like yourself may understand despite their overwhelming… meatbaggery."

He could have smirked at the droid's antics as he folded his arms and rubbed his beard. "You're quite the handful by the sounds of it, especially if you're to come along with us."

"Reciprocation: I must admit I myself am most pleased by the prospect of you as my Master. I am most eager to engage in some unadulterated violence." It stated with a tone that oddly contained said eagerness. 

His rage filled royal blue eyes narrowed as he tilted his head to the side. "Are you sure?'

Its sensors were going haywire from the scan of The Mercenary, so it quickly amended. "Correction: Err, ah, or course Master, only if you require such services. I only meant that you seem like the sort of person who might require a droid with proficient combat capabilities."

Slowly, he nodded while rubbing his beard. "Right… You are able to speak to Sand People, aren't you?"

"Boastful proclamation: Of course, Master! After all, I am of top quality construction and programming. I can perform whatever you require, just get me out of this dump… please." It pleaded by the end of it.

Well, that was actually something that he was considering but not because of the pleading of a rather… bloodthirsty bot. Turning his gaze to the owner, he asked. "How much for the droid?"

"Five thousand credits." Yuka Laka responded immediately with his arms folded.

There was a beastly hum from the back of his throat and he raised an eyebrow. "That's quite the steep price," Dynamo said, turning fully to the Ithorian.

"He's a very rare and valuable droid." He argued, more confident than he actually was in the face of The Final Knight. "As far as I can tell, he's one of a kind."

"Interjection: If I might point out," HK-47 spoke up quite eagerly, looking right to The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer. "Ithorian physique is especially… doughy. Should you be able to remove my restraining bolt, new Master, it would not be difficult to bludgeon him into a glorious bloody pulp, allowing me to accompany you free-of-charge."

At that, Yuka Laka gasped with both mouths and his eyes went wide in shock as he suddenly looked over at the tall orange droid, a similar look of shock and appallment on The Sentinel's expression. 

Only a beastly rumble came from The Mercenary as he spoke cautiously. "That will not be necessary…" His low tone came while remarking. "Who would've thought… an assassin droid masquerading almost as a protocol one."

"Condescending correction: Oh 'assassination' is such a crude term, Master." HK replied with a voice that feigned hurt almost as if it would have smirked if it had the capacity to show. "The service I provide has been likened more to 'wanton slaughter'."

The shop owner blinked a few times and stammered before exclaiming in panic. "Just take it! Take the droid!" He backed away and hit one of the workbenches, not even caring that he sent a whole toolbox to the ground and made a mess. "I don't want this thing in my shop anymore!"

Hearing that, the assassin protocol droid almost quivered from the anticipation coursing through its gears. "Joyful exclamation: It warms my circuits to finally leave this place, Master." 

There was only an internal sigh and roll of his eyes since the demonic mutant had genuinely taken a gamble on this one. He hoped that he wasn't overconfident in his abilities to handle the deranged droid, even if it seemed to be fairly responsive to him. After several minutes of assuring Yuka Laka that they never were considering killing him, and a Jedi Mind Trick courtesy of The Jedi Sentinel to calm him down, The Final Knight was finally able to pay around half of the original asking price, which seemed a pretty reasonable price by comparison.

Evening was steadily beginning to set on Anchorhead while they headed back to the Ebon Hawk, accompanied by their new protocol-assassin droid who kept asking both Mercenaries for a blaster despite the demonic one's continued refusal. Once aboard and with the team all gathered, they began to go over the plan. It was twofold because not only did they need to find the hidden Star Map, but they also needed to rescue Mission's brother from the Sand People. There was also the matter of the holocron belonging to Bastila's father, but he kept it to himself, since The Sentinel didn't bring it up at all and he sensed that she was rather reluctant to. With all that in mind and some deduction, The Supreme Commander surmised that it was very likely the Sand People knew the desert better than anyone and probably knew where to find the Star Map which made a peaceful approach all the more important.

"I'm going with you." Mission spoke up after the overall plan was laid out

A sigh came from Dynamo as he muttered in his beard. "I thought you might say that. You can, but only as long as you know that the desert is nothing like Taris. There's a very strong chance that things could go very wrong out there."

She nodded a few times in understanding, at least what she thought was understanding. "I will deal with it. I'm still going, my brother is out there." She remained adamant. 

"Fair enough." He replied with a nod of his own, silently promising himself to keep an eye on The Twi'lek Scoundrel out there on the harsh dunes of Tatooine. What was rather curious was when he caught the silver-grey glance of The Sentinel and felt it was mutual. With that silent agreement between them he turned to the new droid. "HK, you're with us."

"Wonderful, Master!" HK responded before turning to Carth. "Query: Do you perchance have a spare blaster I can borrow?"

The Republic pilot simply stepped away from it with a look of concern clearly on his face, shaking his head in negative.

After a warbled grumble of disappointment came from it before Bastila spoke to the rest. "Everyone else," She began to instruct. "Look after the ship and see if you can't dig up anything else on anyone who might know the dunes and where to find our artefact."

With mutual nods from the others, the decided team headed over to the gates to the desert. On the way there, HK-47 still had a particular request from The Mercenary.

"Persuasive statement: You know, Master, it doesn't have to be a blaster, really." It walked closer to the mountain of a demonic mutant without much reservation as it pleaded. "Any blunt force instrument will do."

Dynamo stopped suddenly in his tracks and glared down at the droid. For a moment Bastila and Mission thought that he was going to either slash or rip it apart. Instead, he reached into his backpack and handed it a blaster rifle which had been stored in the Hawk's storage room. "Here," He said simply but with a tone that implied that he was all around done with the matter.

The Sentinel raised an eyebrow in question and caution. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" 

He glanced and nodded while using his blade to quickly remove the droid's restraining bolt. "We are going into Sand People territory," He replied evenly. "It will be helpful to have an assassin droid handy, just in case things go south and we can't communicate with them."

HK promptly interjected somewhat condescendingly. "Correction: I prefer the term 'slaughter bot', Master."

The Final Knight only rolled his eyes at that and continued on, asking it with some intrigue. "Who was your original owner?"

"Informative statement: It seems that even without my restraining bolt, much of my memory core is unauthorized, even to me, Master." It reported rather bemused by the fact. "It seems the blocked access is leftover from whoever programmed me, though more than that I do not know. Rest assured though, Master, my functions remain unhindered by this lapse in memory." The warbled mechanical voice remained strangely and the derangedly upbeat tone it had was unchanging. "Shall I kill something for you?"

If it was going to do that every five minutes, he was going to rip and tear something. "Not right now, HK," Dynamo said with a shake of his head and slight sigh then stated. "But be ready for anything out there."

There was almost a smirk to its tone. "Boastful declaration: I always am, Master."

The huge gate at the east end of Anchorhead which separated it from the Dune Sea beyond rose before them. As their hunting license was validated by the gate's guard and they were about to climb on their chosen speeders, a small brown-robed being approached them, looking up with their signature glowing yellow eyes which hidden behind orange gemstones to protect them from bright sunlight. A Jawa.

Their kind was well known for their passion for trading and seeking out more technology, usually to also trade it. Much to the annoyance of other species they were also known for swindling, meaning that faulty droids, outdated equipment and other malfunctioning tools were a common occurrence upon purchase..

"You there, of your kind, can you help Iziz of Jawa?" The Jawa spoke in a fast paced, high pitched voice, looking up to The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer. "There are troubles from the ghosts among the sands."

Dynamo glanced down at him because of the sheer height difference, with him being more than double the height. He did understand that his name was Iziz and he was in a predicament with these 'sand ghosts'... Sand People, most likely… hopefully. "

"Leader of the tribe that is mine." He pointed to himself, then to him as it spoke. "You are the same in kind, a leader that stands before your tribe? There are troubles that we have. The giants made of sand, they are horned ghosts that take us away."

Now there was a lot to unpack and it left The Mercenary scratching the back of his head. Sounded like his people were in trouble because they were getting abducted by the Sand People. Though double-checking didn't hurt… hopefully considering their newest company. "HK-47, can you help me out here?" He asked it.

"Translation: 98% probability that members of the miniature organic's tribe are being held by Sand People, master." It confirmed what he thought. "Doubtless, he wishes assistance."

Though something was… curious about that percentage so he asked a little warily. "What about the other 2%?"

"Translation: 2% probability that the miniature organic is simply looking for trouble and needs to be blasted." It stated but did admit with a slight jerk of its head to the side. "That may be wishful thinking on my part, master." 

He merely sighed with a shake of his head. "So, Iziz, what do you want me to do?" Dynamo folded his arms as he looked at the smaller being.

"There has been no help given by asking the great group that digs with machines." He began to explain, fast paced and barely comprehensible. "Now Iziz asks you. Here is where we could be friends, for the Jawa find important things all the time. Things from before. I ask that you find us and then bring away from the People of Sand. Then we will offer a trade with you. Long have we scavenged, among you and those that came before. We have things you will like for this service."

That sounded like a good trade to him and even if what he would be given wouldn't be of much use, there's also no loss on his end, since the matter lined up well with their current goal. "Why have they taken your people?" He asked, though he had some deductions.

"We find things, and they use them. Jawas slave, serving. They lead with the whip and gaffi." Iziz explained with his voice gaining a dejected note.

"So these Jawas are scavengers who are enslaved by the Sand People." The Sentinel remarked after having listened intently, nodding along. "I think I am beginning to understand his plight." 

"With the group that digs, we trade and are free," Iziz continued, glancing between the two Knights. "With People of the Sand, we serve and die. We prefer you."

To say that it was understandable would be an understatement. For as shady as Czerka was, they spoke the language of the credits, so the Jawas had the perfect way of making themselves at the very least tolerable. "We will look into it on our travels." Dynamo assured as they got on their speeders, The Mercenary with the droid and The Jedi with The Young Scoundrel.

"Iziz hopes you have the luck you need." He said as the speeders powered up and they left towards the Dune Sea, a trail of sand lifting up behind them as evening was approaching.

*****

It eventually settled over the barren landscape and shifting sands for the night as the wind died down, much like the people of Anchorhead,. Echoes of predators and Sand People came from beyond the sandstone walls, far out in the dunes.

Alone, in the lounge area of the Ebon Hawk was The Cathar Jedi, sitting cross-legged while meditating and communicating with the Force. The rest of the crew had arrived a couple of hours ago and, after they had all eaten and went to get some shut-eye, she found herself unable to get any rest.

She took a deep breath and focused, reaching out into the Force, sensing her surroundings. She could hear the restful breathing of the Mandalorian in his bunk, Zaalbar's snoring, though she wasn't sure if she needed the Force to hear that, and T3's motor gently humming as it went about the ship.

Time seemed to slow down as she enveloped her consciousness in the Force, allowing it to take over and heighten her mental abilities. She opened her feline eyes before he even entered the room.

"Something weighs on your mind, Carth?" Juhani asked calmly and kindly without even turning to face him.

He'd paused before rubbing the back of his head and muttering. "Right… Almost forgot Jedi can do that…" The Republic pilot muttered as he walked over and sat down at the table with his eyes on her. "Hope I'm not disturbing you… I just can't seem to sleep."

"Not at all." She assured him with a shake of her head and kind slight smile. "I must admit I am finding that sleep eludes me tonight as well."

"I'm not surprised," Carth said with a sigh and sympathetic look. "You've been through a lot recently and even with Jedi training I imagine it can't be easy."

"You speak the truth." Juhani nodded slowly before musing out loud. "I find there is still much for me to learn. More than that, I find that without the presence of the Jedi Masters and the temple…" She paused for a moment, looking at the metal floor before admitting. "I feel… lost." 

"That's understandable," He slowly nodded himself, pouring a glass of water and taking a sip as he contemplated seemingly. "I felt much the same way not too long ago on Dantooine." He looked right at her as he spoke. "I'm a soldier, I'm used to being out on the battlefront, not cooped up on a ship waiting around for weeks for someone to tell us where to go. At first, I wondered if this crew… being here was right for me… if I could do any good here." At the end, he sighed and leaned with his elbows on his knees.

The Cathar Guardian blinked a little, finding some kingship in his words before she spoke, quieter and voicing that. "I feel much the same way."

A slight even reassuring smile spread. "Then give it time," Carth advised rather simply. "You'll get to know the crew better and I think you'll see that what we're doing here is important. It might not be what we're used to and outside of our comfort zone, but you can still play an important part. Even though we're not in the lead, we can support those who are." He rubbed the back of his head. "I'll admit though, it took me a little bit to realize that."

That made Juhani rather curious, her ears twitching as she tilted her head to the side as she asked. "How come?"

The Republic pilot was a bit hesitant as he replied carefully with a rather wry look. "Let's just say… I have trouble trusting the decisions of the Jedi Order."

Slowly and thoughtfully, she nodded once. "I see," She sighed and confided that she was in a similar situation. "Well, I myself also find it hard to accept sometimes. I wonder if it was wise for them to send me on this journey without the supervision of a Master. I worry I might hinder the mission more than help it."

"I don't think so." He replied reassuringly and without hesitation in his honest words. "I think you have already proven yourself by your decision to face the Council. Not many would have had the courage to do that. Besides, I think that, as far as Jedi matters are concerned, you possess a viewpoint that the other Jedi on the team don't more or less."

Now that surprised The Cathar Guardian since she didn't consider it to be so. She was barely a Knight, more than that, she was one that had fallen and even if she'd been brought back from it, it had been done by someone who wasn't even technically a Jedi, just in name only, an honorary title. "How so?" Her simple question came. 

"You know what it's like to fall. You've tasted the Dark Side and came back from it." He explained with genuine respect in his tone. "That puts you in a better position to guide those who haven't. You know what warning signs to look out for. I would say you probably know better how to guard against the Dark Side than most of, dare I say, the entire Jedi Council."

Of course, there were those that walked the line masterfully and a great example of it was the Jedi Watchdog. While The Cathar Guardian didn't train under him, she knew of him and his impressive reputation, not to mention that he could very well serve as an excellent source of inspiration. "Thank you." She nodded once appreciatively. "You are kind to say those words, Carth."

"I'm just telling you the truth, because the truth is, Dynamo and Bastila are going to need your help." The Republic pilot stated with absolute certainty as he leaned back on his seat and took another sip. For a moment, he paused thoughtfully then lightly shrugged. "Maybe less in Dynamo's case, since the man is used to the kinds of things that are being asked of him, considering his position and such, but Bastila definitely." 

Now that made her blink repeatedly. "Bastila is a highly accomplished Jedi Knight." She said, surprised by his statement and almost in disbelief at his assessment. "She defeated Darth Revan and the Council views her as the key to ending the war. She's a hero to the Jedi, I doubt there is anything I can teach her."

"And that is where you're wrong," Carth said, shaking his head but not out of a place of animosity at all. He considered that the Cathar Jedi was selling herself short. "She might be gifted, but she's headstrong, she can be prideful and her time with Dynamo might cloud her judgement. I'm no expert but I would be so bold as to venture that her relationship with Dynamo isn't your typical example of Master and Padawan in the slightest."

Juhani was silent as she thought for a moment before nodding. "That is a fair assessment, considering what Commander Dynamo is… but I still don't know how I could aid her."

"Maybe you haven't observed them enough." He explained evenly. "To the rest of the crew that has been with them since Taris, the tension between them is obvious. Given how much time they are going to be spending with each other along with the time already spent, I think it's safe to say those feelings will only grow over time."

"I see," Juhani nodded thoughtfully before coming to a firm decision. "Then I will do what I can. Let's hope their journey to the Sand People Enclave goes smoothly."

Carth sighed, finishing up his glass and looking at it thoughtfully after. "I doubt things will end peacefully," He mused wryly. "Sand People are known to attack first and ask questions later."

A sigh that was shared by The Cathar Guardian. "Then may the Force be with-" She paused suddenly and her feline eyes narrowed on concern.

"What is it?" The Republic pilot asked as his hand shot over the holster of Bendak's blaster pistol.

"We're being spied on!" She exclaimed through gritted teeth as she leapt from her seat, igniting both of her blue lightsabers while running through the halls of the ship and down the loading ramp. Her eyes narrowed as they peered through the darkness and she spotted the dark figure of a man running towards the spaceport exit.

The man looked over his shoulder and fired several blaster shots at her, the red beams momentarily lighting up his face. The Jedi Guardian glimpsed the ear-length hat he wore and the goggles over his face. She didn't recognize him but it was apparent he was a bounty hunter or mercenary of the more unsavory sort.

Juhani deflected the incoming blaster fire away from her, sending them to dissipate into the walls of the spaceport. Making good use of the Force, she let it flow through her as she dashed forward in a blur, closing the gap rapidly. 

He extended his arms upwards, firing a grappling cable from his wrist and shooting up into the air just as she swung her lightsabers where he had been, escaping by the skin of his teeth in that moment but the pursuit was far from over.

The Cathar Guardian thrust her head upwards to see the bounty hunter hoisting himself up onto the roof of the spaceport and wasted no time in Force leaping right up to the roof. Up ahead, she saw the figure jumping off the edge of the spaceport roof and landing on the roof of a nearby building.

Juhani gave chase, leaping steadily and rapidly closing the gap to the bounty hunter. Her blue lightsabers cast a brilliant contrast to the nighttime air around her before she switched them off and focused on increasing her speed, augmenting her pursuit with the Force.

She caught up to him quickly and was right on his heels right before he took the jump to the next building over. With a burst of speed, she soared through the air, tackling him as they arched downward to the roof of the next building.

They landed hard on the sandstone with a thud and he escaped from her grip. The Cathar Jedi heard the scraping of his armoured suit on the roof as he rolled. Swiftly, she got up and he was back on his feet as well, but this time he was not running. In anticipation, she ignited her lightsabers, feeling his glare on her through his tinted goggles.

Now, she was able to get a much better look at him. The brown jacket with blue and white patches, the heavily armoured suit he wore underneath and the clean-shaven face she could see from under his hat.

"Bounty hunter!" She called firmly and commanded. "Stand down!"

He regarded her for a moment without a word, studying her as he tilted his head to the side and one word came from his lips after a ling silence. "One." 

That completely threw her off as she looked at him confused. "What? I said stand down!" She demanded again.

The Bounty Hunter was undisturbed as the only reply of sorts was the single word. "Two." 

This charade had reached its end and Juhani charged for him. "That's it you're coming with me!" She moved swiftly to close the gap and grab him in a Force hold.

Before she could, the final word came. "Three." And he whirled quickly, tossing a flat, disc-shaped device onto the floor before her that immediately began beeping loudly.

Instinct took over and The Cathar Jedi ripped the device off the floor with the Force, flinging it into the sky where it detonated harmlessly. Distracted in those moments, her guard was down for more than enough. She felt a powerful strike to the side of her face as his armoured gauntlet delivered a jarring blow. She stumbled backwards, her hand going to the wound on her feline face, using the Force to quickly mend it as she gritted her teeth.

The Bounty Hunter charged again to strike with his other gauntlet, but this time she was ready and she brought both her lightsabers up to block. His fist struck the beam of the lightsabers and bounced off as sparks flew.

At that moment, her feline eyes widened and her mind raced… That shouldn't be possible…!

Instantly, his hand shot out and grabbed hold of the lightsaber beams, wrenching the weapons from her grasp as she was stunned on place. He tossed them aside as they deactivated, their hilts clattering to the roof and near the edge. The man didn't stop there, nor did he hesitate to follow up with two quick punches to her jaw and then a jab to her throat. It sent her stumbling backwards and she fell to one knee, gasping for air.

"Armor's made almost entirely of cortosis." The bounty hunter explained in his bored monotone, reaching down and wrapping an armoured hand around her throat. "One of the rarest metals in the entire galaxy… and one of the only known metals to resist lightsaber blades." Then he lifted her effortlessly into the air.

With a powerful shout, Juhani sent a shockwave out through the Force, immediately releasing his grip on her and sending the Bounty Hunter flying backwards off the roof, falling several stories down the streets below.

She gasped and tried to control her breathing, listening to hear him hit the ground, but there was nothing by silence. The Cathar Jedi called the hilts of her lightsabers back to her hands and attached them to her belt, moving to peer over the edge of the building but her feline eyes caught no more trace of him.

Chapter Text

The view of the Dune Sea was dominated by a damaged and abandoned Sandcrawler far in the distance to the southeast, beyond which lay the Sand People Territory. Another path to the eastern part of the desert was barely visible in the distance beyond the northeast end of the Sandcrawler. Their speeders tore up over the land, leaving a cloud in their wake for the past hour or so, the twin suns lowering more and more. 

A curious scene arose over the dunes, a darker-skinned man surrounded by droids, though the droids were jerking around uncontrollably and he seemed to be caught in the middle of what must've been a trap or sudden malfunction. He noticed the two speeders coming closer and desperately waved to them. "Anyone out there...?! Could you help? I seem to be... ah... doomed…!" Thankfully, the two speeders slowed down and stopped near him, a quizzical look on the riders that were actually able to show it. 

He recognised the one that seemed to be in the lead of this hunter party, at least that is what he thought they were. He could never forget that distinct scar and those royal blue eyes that made him completely unable to face them in the slightest because of what lurked in their depths. The fact that the recognition was mutual made him rather nervous, as the beast of a man didn't look like he was one to be trifled with. Frankly, those with him were more pleasant, not the young Twi'lek since she looked like a kid, not the droid since he wasn't into that kind of thing but the human woman, now she was something.

"Hey there, thanks for stopping. I appreciate it." Tanis said with a sigh of relief as the demonic mutant dismounted and stepped closer. "I've been stuck without water for hours. Wasn't looking good." He watched him stop at a safe distance from him and the jittering droids. "Look, uh, I remember you from Fazza's place. Could I get you to help out a fellow hunter? Please?" He asked, keeping his eyes solely on The Mercenary. 

"What happened here?" The Final Knight asked as he folded his arms, his eyes taking in the rather curious and maybe even amusing scene closer.

"Well, ah, it would appear that I wore out my welcome with my wife Marlena." He replied wryly and with a dumbfounded look over the whole thing. "She fixes my droids... heh, fixed them good this time." A dry chuckle left him.

"Commentary: One would hope the female is better at repairs than Yuka Laka," HK remarked and requested eagerly. "I still would like to crush his neck, master." 

"This should be interesting…" Bastila remarked to herself, almost looking forward to what was to follow.

The hunter simply rolled his eyes at the droid and ignored it as he explained to Dynamo. "I triggered some sort of trap she programmed. She probably figured I wouldn't be smart enough to get out." He paused before admitting bluntly. "Uh, she was right." 

"You sit back and let your droids do the hunting?" The Final Knight asked as he tilted his head to the side, narrowing his eyes in a scrutinizing way.

"You know, now really isn't the time for a lecture." He glared at him before giving a somewhat strained but still sly side grin. "Of course, I might be more receptive after I'm rescued."

"You do know that I'm not obligated to help,  you know." The demonic mutant stated matter-of-factly and was rather annoyed by him. "Might be the thing that got you into this predicament in the first place."

"Look friend, some may talk about honour in the hunt, but they still sell their trophies," Tanis argued before rolling his eyes dismissively. "Something about me not following her archaic rules for proper conduct in a marriage." He replied dismissively. "I swear, I never saw this coming."

"You don't seem too concerned about what triggered this," The Mercenary noted as he rubbed his beard.

"Hey, I'm the victim here." He burst with a glare at him but still didn't look him in the eyes. "I'm not sure how divorce works where you're from, but this is a little extreme, don't you think?"

"Depends." Dynamo shrugged rather uncaring overall. "What do you want me to do?"

"The wife put a kink in my battle droids." The hunter motioned with a hand around to them. "They're in some sort of discharge loop, and if I move from this spot, they're threatening to blow up. She knew I wouldn't know how to fix them. Could you try to do some repairs? They don't care if you guys move. It's just me who's stuck."

"I say leave him," The Sentinel suddenly suggested to The Final Knight. 

Tanis glared with what seemed to be hurt in his eyes. "You're pretty heartless for such a pretty lady, you know?"

"I take it back." She eyed him with a bite in her voice. "Let's congratulate his wife."

"Commentary: I say we blast the meatbag and save you the trouble, master," HK said as it eagerly primed his rifle.

"What's with all the droids, lately?" Tanis asked incredulously though rhetorically as his rather weary glance went to the 'protocol' droid. "My wife get to you, too?"

Immediately, it shook its head once. "Negative. I just don't like organic meatbags. Except for the master, of course. Ha ha." It let out a sinister chuckle.

The hunter in the current predicament wanted to take a step back, but quickly remembered that he couldn't, all he could do was raise his hands and plead to the demonic mutant. "I'd, ahh, really appreciate a bit of help. Please?" 

Dynamo sighed heavily and exasperatedly, this really wasn't worth the effort but maybe something good can come out of it. "All right, we'll see what we can do... but I want something in return." He stipulated, a hand still on his chin.

"Uh, what did you have in mind?" Tanis asked wryly, slightly worried.

"You'll have to give up hunting with droids," The Mercenary demanded firmly and almost smirked but his tone didn't rise.

He seemed appalled by the condition, his brow furrowing. "Hey, wait for a moment  I need these rigs…! I'm no marksman." He shook his head adamantly and was even dumbfounded that he asked such a thing of him. "No way I can agree to that. No way."

"Look around." The Final Knight still had that near smirk as he pointed to the jittering battle droids with a gloved hand. "What do you think got you into this mess? You don't have much choice."

Tanis paused and thought it over. "Well, when you put it like that." He muttered then cleared his throat. "Very well then, if it will get you to help me…. Just access each droid's repair interface and be careful with it when tinkering…! If one blows, we're all dead…!" He warned before quickly adding out of the corner of his mouth. "Oh, and ignore the message Marlena left in there..." He quickly added with a wry look. "No way do I deserve this, I swear..."

Somehow, The Final Knight didn't believe him, though he could agree that death was rather harsh, a sentiment shared by the two others since the 'protocol' droid was still eager to just blast any meatbag in sight. As such, The Twi'lek Scoundrel had already tapped into all four droids, giggling a little to herself at the message that Tanis' now ex-wife had left for him there. Either way, it wasn’t long until she had the droids out of their feedback loop and back in working order without any issues… hopefully and as long as the hunter kept up his end of the deal.

"That was... unpleasant," Tanis said as he dusted himself off and stretched out with a long sigh of relief, finally able to move. "Thanks for your help. I would have been a goner. Heh, and the old bat thought I was dead. HA!" He chuckled with an almost wicked smile before looking at the group. "You wanted me to give up my trade. Well, consider it done." He stated genuinely, for the first time in a while actually before musing to himself. "Maybe I can rent my droids for security or something."

They left him to return to Anchorhead by himself, in all honesty, not that worried for his well being and just hoping that there would be no need for such drastic action in the future. Travelling through the dunes, they were suddenly ambushed by a group of Tusken Raiders. They rose from the sand like predatory ghosts that were just waiting for their next victims.

Pulling on the brakes hard, The Mercenary drifted around them while dodging their blaster fire and having HK-47 promptly return it. Most ducked out of the way but not before the assassin droid scored two consecutive headshots, boasting all the while though it was largely ignored by The Final Knight. Instead, once he was close enough, he leapt off the speeder, leaving it to slide and collide with one of their attackers, crushing their body because of the inertia. Swiftly and powerfully, Dynamo landed on two more, ramming his Adamantine lined lightsabers through the armours of their with a hiss and loud bone-shattering sound but there was no sign in his eyes of The DOOM Slayer emerging, there was no need.

The other speeder zoomed by him, with The Jedi Sentinel slashing once left and once right, making use of both ends of her lightsaber to cut through their ranks with frightening ease and even serenity in motion. Right behind was The Young Twi'lek who did the same but with her twin vibroblades, striking on the opposite side when the other did so, trying to compliment her movements even if hers were clearly less refined.

In less than a minute after the initial strike, the group had taken down the ambush party and there were no injuries on their end. They departed towards the northeast while the corpses of their assailants were left in the Dune Sea to be buried beneath the ever-shifting sands. 

A curious sight rose over golden ridges and that was two wrecked speeders surrounded by refuse piles, though what caught their attention was the cries of help that came from the site.

"Don't let me die under here! Please!" The voice, a female one, shouted desperately from somewhere under the wreck. 

Both speeders slammed on the brakes as all eyes and photoreceptors took in the smoking scene. "There is someone trapped under there!" Mission exclaimed, getting ready to head over. "We have to-!"

"Wait!" Dynamo exclaimed firmly with a raise of his hand before he sniffed the scents in the air. "There's no one there. It's just a decoy." He lowered his arm with a glance to the other two.

"You're right… I can't sense anything through the Force…" Bastila remarked warily before bluntly stating. "It's a trap."

The demonic mutant gave a nod before dismounting. "I'll go see what it is, wait here." He ordered sternly since he had an inkling based on other scents as to who was responsible. 

Even though his nanofibertech material was able to dampen most tripwires and make him seem invisible to them, but not this time as he heard a distinct click. It took him one hundred and fifty milliseconds to react but that wasn't enough as the whole crash site exploded and sent him barrelling through the sand.

The Sentinel immediately rushed to his side as he covered the left side of his face. It had been burned and cut in places so deep that the Adamantine bone beneath was showing though his healing factor was working to mend it. Incredibly or not, his outfit was only dirtied when he raised his other hand to stop her.

"Don't worry about me, watch for them!" His commanding tone sounded as he got to his feet while his wounds closed up.

Suddenly they were surrounded on all fronts by the three Gamorreans that they had seen back in Anchorhead, HK-47 quite eagerly readying to fire when The Final Knight stopped him with a motion of his hand. The Jedi didn't even reach for her lightsaber, figuring that such weak-minded dolls could be easily influenced by the Force though she would wait to see how Dynamo approached this. Mission was the only one rather tense since stupid didn't mean harmless. More than often that proved to be the very opposite. 

"Haw haw!" Gurke, the one that seemed in control of this charade, laughed then snorted. "We gots you good now!"

Narkal squeaked approvingly to their right, brandishing his battle axe.

"We did a good ambush and you and you better pay... uh... maybe 500 credits now! You die otherwise!" The 'leader 'demanded a bit unsurely and more putting up a facade.  

"How do we do this…?" Bastila asked The Mercenary with a cautionary glance. 

"Simple…" He muttered in reply with a glance before his fierce gaze set on their supposed assailants. "Who are you to threaten us?" Dynamo growled from the back of his throat, showing his canines. "It's four against three… "Don't you know me? I'm the crimson blue-eyed demon worse than demons…!" He let his sclera fill with blood-red rage but the aura didn't appear as he snarled. "Run, little piggies… run before the unchained predator feasts on you!"

Gurke flinched and he stepped away hurriedly. "Ah... maybe... maybe this time we play on the safe side. Yeah, maybe this time." He nodded to himself and began to run away

"Gurke, are we leaving? Who's gonna pay for the ambush stuff?" Narkal asked, confused as he and the other ran after him.

"Shut up, stupid!" He croaked mid-run and snorted loudly. "Just go!" The three disappeared beyond the ridge though their absolute fear could be felt still. 

"Commentary: A most impressive display, master." The 'protocol' droid remarked. "Though I would have hoped to see it in action as well. A droid can dream."

Both Mission and Bastila had their eyes on him and with the complete opposite sentiment. There was dread in having him draw on that side of him and the Jedi could feel the self-hate festering in him. While The Young Twi'lek couldn't, she was more outspoken. "Dyna-" But she was cut off as the demonic mutant firmly stated.

"Let's move." He mounted back on and glanced at the skyline, declaring. "The suns are setting and we need to find shelter for the night."

She didn't really like setting that matte aside but she supposed that it would have to wait until they had some privacy. "Agreed, I can try and reach out through the Force and maybe…" Her eyes closed in focus before they snapped open soon enough. "I found something. Over there." She pointed in over the ridges.

"Smoke… promising." The Mercenary nodded as the wind was blowing from that direction and he could tell the scents. "Thank you, now, move out!"

The source of the smoke turned out to be a wayward Sandcrawler that Czerka had assumed had been taken by Sand People weeks ago. In reality, the vehicle had taken some damage in a bad wind storm that knocked out communications. The crew did their best to restore the Sandcrawler's functions, but progress had been slow, so Czerka had assumed they were dead.

As a matter of fact, they would have been dead because of a Sand People raid. Luckily for them, the group had managed to intercept the attackers just in time to save the lives of the crew with only seemingly minor injuries. It became apparent quickly that they had come across the remains of the crew and they were gracious enough to allow them inside before locking down the vehicle for the night.

The three human men were the last ones alive because the others had recklessly ventured out to scavenge for parts or to try to make it back to Anchorhead. For as much as they'd hoped… it quickly faded when the reality that none of them would return set in. 

So, the four coming across them gave them a well-needed glimmer of hope, especially when they learned what each of them was. With The Twi'lek Scoundrel's smarts, they would be able to quickly repair the communications console and she got on that right away, working to patch all the frayed wires, occasionally jury-rigging the thing but overall making it work. They had the protection of a… curious droid, despite his inquiries regarding the 'killability' of each. Having a Jedi reassured them tremendously, not to mention the serene aura she had about herself, though it was likely a somewhat conscious effort on her part to keep them calm. That proved to be especially important when it came to the beast of a man because none could look at him for too long, intimidated despite him being amiable.

Some anxiousness remained as they sat and waited, the silence wearing on them. Eventually, one of the restless crew spoke up and asked. "What will happen if we can't get the comms back online?" The man, lieutenant by the look of his tattered uniform, looked between those present. 

"You won't have to worry about that, Kristep." The demonic mutant said calmly, nodding towards Mission. "She's good, very good at what she does."

Hearing that, The Young Scoundrel tried her best to conceal the smile that was forcing its way across her lips at the praise. 

"But…" Bastila began to add. "Just in case she can't, Dynamo will stay here to make sure you're safe while me and Mission shuttle you and Hardund back to town, then come back.."

"It sounds like a plan." Hardund himself said with a few small nods. "It's a miracle that a group with Jedi showed up out of nowhere."

"Oh, it wasn’t a miracle that brought us here," The Sentinel spoke matter-of-factly. "It was the Force."

He gave a wry and even doubtful look. "I know you Jedi have powers and everything, but I don't believe that the Force controls everything like you say it does."

"Think about it." She replied a bit more sternly and with conviction, stating. "We needed shelter and you needed help. The Force guided us to you."

Hardund furrowed his brow and tilted his head from side to side. "Yeah, but-"

Dynamo interjected with a slight raise of his hand. "You don't want to argue with her. She always wins…" He nearly smirked at her slight glare as he leaned back with his arms crossed, sighing. For a moment, he could've sworn that he heard the near insane cackles from his brother-in-arms, but his senses were drawn to the third crew member, curled up in the corner rocking back and forth. His senses told him that something was very wrong with him. Dynamo turned back to the others. "What happened to him?"

"Oh, Roleve...We don't know…" The one from before said with a shake of his head. "One night he went outside to repair a fuse and we heard this scream. When we ran out we found him on the ground like he is now. There was a gaffi stick a few feet away under the crawler."

The Final Knight furrowed his brow, rubbing his beard as he asked. "Did he have any injuries?" 

"Yeah, he had a cut on his shoulder," Hardund nodded but shrugged a little as he continued somewhat dismissively. "It wasn't deep, we treated it."

That drew the attention of The Jedi Sentinel as well. "Do you still have the gaffi stick?" She asked, an edge of concern in her voice. 

Kristep nodded and got up. "Yeah, I'll go get it."

Once he was out of the chamber, the demonic mutant's gaze moved to Bastila. "Fear toxin," He whispered. "That's what you're thinking, right?"

She nodded and replied. "Yes, Master Crokess mentioned during my time as a Padawan that some Sand People tribes employ toxins in some of their tactics. One report suggested one type that drives the victim mad."

He hummed with a glance to the entryway then back as he remarked. "We might have something like it on our hands."

"Perhaps but we can't be too sure until we see the gaffi stick." She said with a long sigh. "If it is, we have trouble. It means the Sand People will return, or they have been watching the crawler this whole time." He remarked a little cautiously before informing. "They wait until the victim turns on the rest of his crew before they go in and kill everyone."

The Mercenary furrowed his brow for a moment and noted in his beard with a slight realisation. "That sounds familiar." And it wasn't because of the vast experience he possessed, but specifically the one within this Galaxy. 

"Usually, Sand People don't attack as coordinated as that." She observed in a quieter tone, very much thoughtful. "It seems select tribes have only learned that more recently, shortly after the war with Mandalore."

A beastly hum came from the back of his throat as he kept a hand on his chin. "I remember some of the tactics Revan used in the war and there is one that sounds very similar to our current situation." Dynamo mused in his beard. "He would send out a light walker scout rigged to detonate on a timer and purposefully have the driver get captured. The Mandalorians would almost always escort them back to the enemy base. Once there, the walker would finally detonate and cause chaos, allowing his forces to move in and finish them off. A couple of times I was the one captured and I tore the bases apart from within… but that was after they had caught up to the scheme. Crokess would oftentimes be my only back-up."

The Sentinel nodded a few times as she took in what he said. "It is similar, after all, we are retracing Revan's footsteps. We know he came here to Tatooine to search for the artefact thanks to our vision. Though a matter to consider was that Revan was fighting Sand People. It didn't seem like they were on good terms."

A fair point, yet there were ways to explain them, ones which the demonic mutant voiced. "That could've been their first encounter, with him subduing them and offering a deal, military strategy in exchange for valuable information. It is also possible that it simply wasn't the same tribe."

That was certainly something that Bastila hadn't exactly thought about, so it was good that Dynamo had brought up. Her silver-grey eyes glanced away and around, reaching out instinctively with the Force when she made a realisation. "Wait- where's Roleve?"

They all looked in unison to where the cowering crew member had been before to find that he was gone. The trail of his scent remained for the one with predatory senses.

"Kristep isn't back yet either…" Hardund muttered rather warily. 

Which wasn't good in the slightest, Dynamo immediately getting to his feet. "We need to find them now...!" He commanded with urgency, already taking a few steps and finding the clear trail. His gaze turned towards Bastila. 

And she nodded in reply, assuring firmly in reply to his silent request. "I'll stay with Mission."

Mouthing a genuinely grateful 'thank you', he motioned for Hardund to follow him. They made their way through the crawler, the demonic mutant hot on the trail of the other crew members. Blood was one of the ones felt and he gritted his teeth since it came with the one of Kristep. 

With The Mercenary in the lead, they entered the darkened droid repair room, the sound of laboured breathing coming from within. It was Kristep propped up against a pile of old mechanical parts, a large cut on his forehead, leaking blood down the side of his face. Footsteps clanked behind them and both men turned in that direction to find the assassin protocol droid in the doorway. 

"Statement: It seems, Master, that the other meatbag holed up on the barge has gone rogue. Permission to grind him to dust, Master?" HK-47 primed his blaster rifle as if to prove his eagerness if its voice wasn't enough, eyes glowing menacingly in the dark. 

Yet the demonic mutant was even more unflinching, walking over to the wounded crew member as the other began to tend to him.

"Your droid… saved me…" Kristep said through slightly panicked breaths, holding a piece of gauze over his cut. "Roleve has gone insane… Something is... wrong with him." 

Stepping closer, the droid indignantly interjected. "Correction: I did not save this meatbag. Master. I simply prevented him from dying in case his terminal should be required later. It would greatly disappoint me should I be denied the pleasure myself."

"Sorry to rain on your parade but that will be the case," Dynamo replied sarcastically then lifted a hand commanding all to be quiet as he sniffed. The scent had no clear trail anymore and he cursed himself for not being able to get into that state that he began to get from time to time. When his speed and perception would increase greatly for fleeting moments. 

The droid rolled its non-existent eyes as it grumbled. "Mockery: Meatbag compassion is so... dull."

With a slight growl from the back of his throat, he turned to Kristep and asked. "Did you see where he went?" 

He shook his head, his breathing having calmed down. "I don't know," Kristep replied with a grunt. "He ran off when your droid hit him." Then fully processed what had been said. "Hey, did he just say he was gonna-"

The Mercenary interrupted succinctly, really not having the time for it. "Don't worry about him. He gets like that sometimes."

HK-47 seemed to glare at him based on the brightness of his eye receptors. "Indignant rebuttal: There's nothing wrong with my-"

Suddenly, The Final Knight raised a hand after passing by it and they all fell silent. "We're not alone anymore." He muttered with a glance around, taking a few muffled steps.

"What? Roleve?" Hardund asked quietly and warily.

"I can sense him, yes." He nodded slowly a few times, closing his eyes as he focused on his hearing and smell. "But he's no longer the only threat. We've been boarded." 

With that, The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer dashed out, both blades igniting along the way as the mountain of a demonic mutant rushed to meet their assailants. 

*****

All the while, within the main hold, The Sentinel vigilantly kept watch, covering The Young Scoundrel as she was working hard and smart within the dim light on the crawler's systems. 

"Almost there…" She whispered to herself in encouragement as her blue hands were hard at work on one of the last wall panels.

Somewhat cautiously, The Jedi walked over and asked. "How's it coming?" While peering over The Young Twi'lek girl's shoulder. 

For a moment, she paused, her eyes narrowing but she didn't glance over at all as she muttered. "Fine. Better without you hovering."

Bastila sighed and drew back a little, assuring amiably. "Just checking."

"...Aaand there!" Mission gave a final twist of the wrench and suddenly the lights in the crawler came on, going from dim to bright brilliant lights. She smiled proudly and turned her smile instantly gone as a terrified gasp escaped her at the sight that greeted her. 

In the doorway right behind The Sentinel stood a Tusken Raider staring at them with his head tilted slightly to the side. Barely a split second later and without her being able to make a sound, Bastila ignited her lightsaber and spun, the tip of her yellow blade striking the raider across his chest. A howl of pain came as his dying form fell to the floor. 

Right after, it seemed like the whole of the Sand Crawler quaked, followed by the sound of several bangs which echoed across the hull. There was a beastly roar without a clear source before more Sand People began running in from the other doorways. They seemed to be running from something when coming face to face with the two, immediately brandishing their gaffi sticks. It was better to face a Jedi and a kid than an uncaged beast. 

Mission swiftly drew her blaster from her hip and fired several shots into the oncoming assailants, hitting some but merely wounding them, making them take cover. Using the opportunity given, Bastila spun her lightsaber expertly, slashing through a few of the Sand People trying to rush her. Giving herself space, she then used the Force to lift a few others into before throwing them hard against the bulkhead, bones shattering as they made impact. As she turned, she saw The Twi'lek Scoundrel about to be overrun by three of the invaders and didn't hesitate for a moment in launching her lightsaber across the room, slicing through the three Tusken Raiders and then retreating it back to her hand. 

Full focus was still etched on The Sentinel's expression as she prepared for more to come when the cry reached her ears and it made her blood run cold.

"Bastila!" Mission whimpered out through quivering lips. "Help me! Please!"

Another raider had ambushed Mission from behind and now had her in a chokehold using her body as a shield against the Jedi. She froze for a moment, unsure of what to do but then the coming presence was felt and her full focus reasserted itself.

"It's going to be alright, Mission," Bastila said reassuringly with a slow motion of her free hand. "Just trust me. All will be well."

"I'm scared." The Young girl whimpered as she felt the breath of the savage at the back of her neck.

The Sentinel steeled herself, keeping her glare right on the raider as he kept his on her. She would not break it. "You're going to be fine. I promise."

A sharp guttural barking sound came from the Tusken as he menacingly brought the sharp end of his gaffi stick up to Mission's throat, pushing it into the skin. 

Suddenly and without warning, it was seized in place for the briefest of moments, at the same time a blue and an orange blade ran through his neck and head respectively. Mission closed her eyes in fear as she felt her captor's grip slip from around her neck, the sound of sizzling flesh in her ears while stumbling away. Bastila rushed forward and caught the Young Scoundrel in her arms, surprised to feel that she returned the embrace. 

With a beastly growl from the back of his throat, The Mercenary ripped his blades out of the corpse and let the body fall limply to the floor. 

"Thank you…" Mission whispered with clear relief though her voice still shook. "I've been in a lot of tough spots… but nothing like that…"

"It's alright," Bastila reassured as she cradled her in the embrace. "You're safe now." Her gaze briefly met Dynamo's, who bowed his head once then began to draw closer cautiously.

"Thank you..." The young Twi'lek mumbled softly, her bratty façade dropping in that moment of vulnerability as she took full comfort in the presence of the two Knights of different Orders. 

"Are both of you alright-?" He asked with clear concern before being cut off by the clanking of footsteps from HK-47 coming in, blaster at the ready in one hand while the other restrained Roleve roughly. 

Once its visual receptors processed the scene, it spoke. "Annoyed query: Why do I never get to slaughter meatbags, Master?"

"Your time will come, HK." He glanced and assured with a slight huff of annoyance of his own then his full attention turned to the pair.

"We're alright." The Sentinel assured with a nod, letting go of The Young Scoundrel as they both stepped back. "We held them off just fine." There was a note of pride in her voice, but it was towards the Twi'lek. 

Dynamo nodded with a glance between both. "I'm glad to hear that. Good work, both of you." He specifically gave Mission a squeeze of her shoulder then his eyes went to Bastila with a hint of teasing. "Perhaps if you pay attention, you can learn something from her."

Surprisingly or not, Bastila smiled genuinely and took the tease in stride. "I'm sure I could." 

"Pleading query: Can I at least dispose of this meatbag, Master?" HK asked as he pointed the blaster at the insane yet subdued man's temple.

"No, HK," Dynamo ordered firmly, informing. "Kristep and Hardund will be taking him back now that their crawler is fixed and secured."

"Rebuttal: But he's rabid. I can do it quickly. Meatbags are easy to kill, Master!" The droid persisted in an almost whiny way.

The Mercenary frowned and commanded coldly. "Hold your fire unless I give you the weapons-free." To which HK thankfully obeyed. 

"Maybe while you're at it, tell him to stop saying 'meatbag'," Bastila suggested with a slight huff. 

"If I could, I would." He replied with a shrug as he rubbed the back of his head. "It is something left by the original owner… and that cannot be interfered with anymore." There was a grimace on his expression, the fact that he was not a fan of it either. "It is... an annoyance." A slight pause followed, denoting that he was putting it very lightly. "We have to deal with it for the time being. Come on, we have a territory to get to."

Chapter Text

The twin suns of Tatooine rose as a warm breeze rustled over the sandy surface. With morning came the nigh unbearable heat beating down on the riders of the two lone speeder bikes, leaving clouds of sand in their wake. They persevered through, some easier than others, The Mercenary seemingly the least affected out of all of them. Even the assassin protocol droid warned that his circuits were beginning to overheat. The Sentinel was as stone-faced as the demonic mutant, but she was beginning to get worried based on what they had learned the previous night after the raid. 

From the Republic pilot, they had received crucial information regarding developments on their end. A bounty hunter was not a good sign by any count, because that either meant that the three Sith they fought the other day had managed to get a message out to the Empire or they came together from before then split up on the surface. It was curious, though, the reason they chose to send a bounty hunter and only five assassins. At least they hadn't sent a whole battalion of troops, considering the importance or significance of the mission. 

Bastila felt something off about it, especially when because the Sith they had fought had recognized her. Why had Malak sent only a bounty hunter when only a few weeks ago he had destroyed a planet to ensure her demise? The Force churned within her as she meditated on the matter.

They reached the top of a large sloping dune that swept downwards and off in the distance, atop another large dune, sat the Sand People enclave. The walls were made of scavenged metals and hide, with large canopies covering most of the stronghold, which let the searing light from the suns in while providing ample shade as well. Even from first glance, it appeared that the Sand People were much more organized than one might have anticipated. 

But The Supreme Commander was a being who did, always thinking ahead and anticipating. "We should go on foot from here," Dynamo suggested as his eyes scanned the enclave exterior. There were scavenged turrets aligned along the outside walls of the village, making it look more similar to some primitive military base rather than a settlement. "Look, see those turrets?" He asked as he pointed towards the general direction. 

"Good idea." The Sentinel nodded and remarked. "They're less likely to blast us on the spot if we come walking in slowly."

He simply glanced and nodded as well. "My thoughts exactly."

"Of course, they'll probably try blasting us either way." She retorted before adding. "I hope you know what you're doing, Dynamo."

His royal blue eyes remained on her; the unbreakable will was burning like the endless rage inside. Then, his gaze turned to the others. "HK, Mission, you ready?"

The droid eagerly primed its blaster. "Excited affirmation: Oh, I am most ready should these savage meatbags try to kill us, Master. I do hope they're not friendly."

On the other hand, The Young Twi'lek didn't look at him; her misty glare was dead set on the armoured settlement in the distance. "He's in there," She muttered to herself. "My brother is in there."

"He has to be." The Mercenary said with a kind fort of conviction, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. "We'll find him, Mission. Though… keep this in mind… Hope for the best yet expect the worst… that way you won't be surprised as often."

Mission simply nodded, steeling herself for what was to come.

"It is possible that the Force has led us here for more than one purpose," Bastila added before urging. "Let us proceed."

The group left their speeder bikes on top of the dune and steadily ventured down the slopes of the hot sand banks towards the Sand People Enclave. As soon as they reached the bottom, they heard the distinct cries and hollers of the Sand People coming from within their stronghold. In mere moments, about two dozen of their warriors came running out of the main entrance of the enclave, coming towards them with gaffi sticks and slug-thrower rifles.

"Bine, hai s-o facem și pe asta" (Alright, we're doing this as well.) Dynamo muttered to himself before directing the others. "Here they come. Stand your ground," He commanded as they continued to walk forward, undaunted, then he spoke towards the droid. "HK, wait until they're within range and then begin broadcasting that we come in peace."

"Begrudging compliance: While I am not fond of this tactic, Master, I shall acquiesce." Though it didn't seem like The Final Knight cared at all whether HK liked it or not.

The minutes seemed to drag by as the approaching band of hostile warriors made their way to them across the sand. As they got closer, they stopped and raised their hands as a sign of surrender. They were only several meters away when Dynamo signalled for their droid to begin broadcasting the message. 

An odd and boisterous series of noises and hollers began emitting from the assassin droid's vocabulator, the message projecting clearly and carrying well through the open air. As soon as the Sand People heard it, they all stopped in their tracks, looking back and forth at one another through their grotesque wraps and masks. One of them stepped forward and addressed the assassin protocol droid with a series of grunts and growls. 

The yellow ocular receptors moved to the demonic mutant as it informed him. "Translation: He demands to know why we are here and why we are trying to speak with them."

"Tell him that we mean no harm," Dynamo directed firmly and undaunted by the position that they were in. After all, they couldn't even hope to comprehend the DOOM Slayer within. "That we simply seek an audience with their leader to barter along with their knowledge and wisdom of the desert." 

The droid relayed the message through another series of harsh barks and growls. In response, The Tusken Raider seemed puzzled by this, but it was clear he still held a great amount of animosity towards the newcomers based on the tone of his reply and general demeanour. 

"Translation: He says he will take you to their chief, only because an outsider has never attempted to communicate before. He wishes to make it clear that he still does not like you and does not wish you well and that we must surrender our weapons. Shall I space him now, Master?" HK-47 primed his blaster rifle yet again, just waiting for the magical phrase.

The Mercenary gritted his teeth, already mentally preparing for the worst as he ordered. "No, just tell him that we are grateful and that we will surrender our weapons as he has said." He moved to unbuckle his backpack, stalling as much as possible when it came to giving up his hidden blades. 

"Expostulation: Master, I would like to remind you that I just received this blaster and have barely had the chance to fire it." It argued and even whined to some extent, suggesting. "Now would be as good a time as any…"

"Just do it, HK!" Dynamo commanded, handing his backpack and only the right gauntlet over to the warrior, the two others following in his lead.

"Despondent statement: Goodbye, old friend…" HK said as he handed over the blaster. 

It went about as well as one could expect with beings that hated one's existence to their core and attacked on sight. At least it was only a rough treatment, which they could all handle being shoved about, and they didn't get handsy either. As such, the DOOM Slayer within was mostly calm but ready to emerge at a moment's notice when the chant was invoked.

The Mercenary found himself shoved to the ground, but while he could've withstood it, he had to play the act and bide his time for now. So he went with the momentum, and his face hit the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust and sand stirred up at the impact before two other similar sounds were heard next to him. He spat out the bits of it that had forced their way into his mouth and hung from his beard before his fierce eyes flitted upwards, and his senses scanned around the room they were in. The Jedi and Twi'lek lay on the floor beside him, beginning to sit up themselves. 

Behind them stood the Sand People that had brought them in there, and the assassin protocol droid. They were in a large tent-like structure of some sort of hide and scrap; in front of them was a large flap-like doorway of sorts with symbols and designs embroiled into the fabric. All of them that were of the living were forced to kneel as they waited, each with a sharp gaffi stick or blaster behind their heads to ensure cooperation, a sensation that he hated. It made the demon within snarl and growl. He noticed the cautious glance from The Sentinel, almost as if she could hear his demonic self too.

Suddenly, the flap opened, and a large man covered in a darker brown variant of the Sand People wrappings and armour entered the room. The mask he wore was especially terrifying and grotesque, except before stood a being that was worse than all, The Second Hellwalker. 

"Explanation: This is their leader," HK informed. "Chieftain Guor'urrors."

The Mercenary kept the beastly rumble from coming out. "Tell him we wish him and his tribe peace," Dynamo stated firmly, without hesitation. "Tell him we wish to understand their ways and culture and that we seek a trade for information."

Right after, the droid responded with a series of mutilating calls and grunts, to which the Chieftain responded with his own.

"Translation: He says he is impressed with your effort to communicate with his people, but he does not trust you. He demands a show of good faith."

The Final Knight exchanged a glance with the one of The Jedi Order, sensing the weariness in her despite neither of their hardened expressions showing much. "Ask him what he requires." He glanced at HK-47. 

"I hope you know what you're doing, Dynamo." She whispered coldly, her face like stone.

Hai, mă…! Ai un pic de încredere în mine. (Come on. Have a little faith in me.) He thought, even if he could feel her worry as he waited for HK. She didn't like being in such a situation. Neither did he, but he wasn't going to let them be harmed if this proved to be a mistake on his end. That sensation of greatly increased speed and perception, it came again at the thought of how fast he had to potentially move. Nu-i prima dată când mă regăsesc într-o astfel the situație. (Not the first time I find myself in such a situation.)

"Translation: He demands that in order for there to be a trade between you." The protocol-assassin droid informed him succinctly. "You must prove your worth by bringing them two industrial-sized vaporators. He also demands that while the rest of us may leave to perform the task, you shall stay behind."

Of course, the Chieftain would want some sort of insurance, who was better than the apparent leader of their group, the demonic mutant. "What does he want me for?" He inquired in a lower tone, slightly beastly. 

"Explanation: He wishes to face you in hand-to-hand combat." It relayed and even sounded rather excited at the prospect. "His people believe it is the most basic form of communication and that by duelling, he may better understand your true intentions. An outsider has apparently never attempted to communicate with them before. He wants to understand why."

If they wished to see a demonstration of skill and power, then who was he not to oblige. "Tell him we agree to his terms," Dynamo didn't hesitate in the slightest. 

"You can't be serious," Bastila whispered through gritted teeth, masking the worry in her voice. "They might just kill you while we are gone."

While he did appreciate the concern, there was no need for it. Many have tried to kill The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer before, and all failed, himself included, even if it was only indirectly. "They can surely try, but they won't at this point." He stated confidently. "They would've tried it already. Either way… their efforts would be in vain."

Soon enough, HK interrupted and settled the issue. "Translation: He says your agreement to his terms is irrelevant as you have no choice in the matter."

"Well, there you have it," The Mercenary muttered with a glance before looking at The Jedi. "Contact the Ebon Hawk. Have them purchase the vaporators from Czerka and fly them out here."

Bastila hesitated and bit her lower lip before relenting. "Fine," She said, seemingly annoyed by the situation. "Don't get yourself killed."

The two were hoisted up on their feet by the warriors who stood behind them, leaving the droid and demonic mutant behind. As they were dragged out of the room, The Young Scoundrel called out to him pleadingly one last time. "Find my brother! Please!"

Silently and holding the Chieftain's gaze, the demonic mutant promised such to her. A promise made was a sworn duty as an idiom of his home kingdom gone stated. After they were escorted out, Dynamo and HK were brought to a holding cell and thrown in with several other prisoners. The room was fortified by walls of scrap metal and jagged steel spikes that lined the top of the walls, over which a tent-like canopy was draped to provide adequate shade. Though The Mercenary furrowed his brow, thinking that it was more likely that it was to make it difficult to signal for help. 

With a fierce, attentive gaze, he looked around at the other captives. There were three Jawas huddled into a corner, tinkering with a piece of scrap metal, a few humans in tattered Czerka uniforms, and a blue-skinned Twi'lek man wearing a torn and bloodied uniform himself. Most of the captives were in bad shape with cuts and bruises on their skin, their clothes torn and dirty. Some of them seemed malnourished as well. 

It looked like he'd found his quarry, which meant that this was going according to plan so far. 

The Final Knight walked through and sat down next to the Twi'lek man with a long sigh. He seemed to be only a few years younger than himself, or at least his appearance, though the bruises and swelling on his face gave him a weathered look.

"You are Griff, correct?" He asked the Twi'lek succinctly, his eyes closed and, with his head leaned back against the wall. 

"What?" His eyes went wide as he drew away for a moment. "How did you know- Ah, did Czerka send you?" He questioned with slight confusion since they weren't the kind to do that at all.

Dynamo shook his head and replied simply. "No, your sister did."

"My sister?" Griff blinked and shook his head in disbelief. "No, you must be mistaken. She's dead. She was on Taris when… I left her there… I shouldn't have left her there."

"She's alive," The demonic mutant assured firmly before motioning to himself. "My name's Dynamo, Georgian Dynamo. I'm The Mercenary, working with the Jedi. I helped Mission escape Taris during the assault."

The Twi'lek man stared at him for a long moment and dared to believe him. "That's- is she here?"

"She's on the planet." He confirmed before reaching out and firmly squeezing his shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll get out of this soon enough." Then he drew away and closed his eyes again, calm, cold, and calculated. 

Griff nodded with an almost blind hope before he stared up emptily yet thoughtfully at the canopy for a moment. His eyes narrowed, and he looked quizzically at The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer. "So this, this is part of the plan then?" He gestured to the prison around them. "Getting caught in here?"

He almost smirked, keeping his eyes closed as he assured. "It's all part of the plan." His tone was a little cryptic but had confidence. 

Over the next several hours, The Mercenary answered Griff's questions and filled him in on what his sister had been up to the past months she'd been part of his crew. Griff also told him why he'd left Taris. 

The Twi'lek man had done what he needed to survive the mean streets of the Lower City back on Taris. As a young boy, their parents had brought them to Taris to have a new start. He had later learned that they had chosen to flee Ryloth when slavers had come to the planet and had all but taken over. Things hadn't been much better on Taris though, with the planet being run by racist bigots and privileged nobles.

His mother had grown sick shortly after they had arrived and his father did all they could to provide. They had opened a small droid repair shop in the Lower City but he was killed when he refused to pay a 'protection fee' to Davik Kang. Griff was pleased to learn that Davik had finally gotten what he deserved. 

With no one to provide, their mother died shortly after, leaving him to care for his little sister. He resorted to stealing from markets or pickpocketing off-worlders, becoming quite good at it too. One day, a member of the Hidden Beks noticed him and brought him into their gang. With them, he had honed his skills as a thief and con artist and was soon able to score large amounts of credits at a time.

As Mission grew older he began to teach her what he'd learned. Turned out she was a natural and proved quite useful. She could get into smaller spaces he couldn't reach, which allowed her to enter apartments and homes through windows and air vents. There had been one apartment he had been scouting for weeks which had come to his attention because his girlfriend, Lena, had overheard the man who was the owner bragging about a huge score he'd made. So the Twi'lek had figured, whoever that man was, it wouldn't really be stealing if you stole from a thief.

"It turned out he was a member of the Exchange." Griff continued. "And he apparently caught me on a holo-recording standing outside his apartment and disconnecting the alarm system."

A hum came from the demonic mutant as he inquired. "Wouldn't they have seen Mission too?" Somewhat pleased that he hadn't sensed any deception from him. 

"No, she infiltrated through the air duct." He shook his head and assured him in a way. "Thankfully, she wasn't implicated." He paused before going on to explain. "They put a bounty on my head, so I had to pack up and leave. Lena stuck with me for a little bit, but ultimately we never settled down long enough to make friends or even hold a steady job. She left me after a few months." There was a note of resentment in his voice but there was more resignation than anything. 

Again, the Twi'lek was telling the truth and it all flew in the face of what had been learned from Lena. Granted, he hadn't been present to sniff out any deception on the other's end, but it was clear that he was at least sincere.

"I assume that you didn't take Mission with you because of that Exchange bounty." Dynamo surmised, rubbing his chin as he spoke from experience. "They are ruthless in their contracts and don't care for family or close ones, just a means to get to their target." His eyes opened as if he came out from meditation and looked over at the other man. "I would assume she was younger than now too. At least Lena is an adult so she could make her own decisions."

"Yeah, that's pretty much it…" Griff nodded before sighing at the mention of his once girlfriend. "Though now that I think about it, maybe not as much as she thought. I left Mission with Gadon and the Hidden Beks. I told her I was going away for a while but that eventually, I would be back." His teeth gritted for a moment, his shoulders drawing up as he clenched his fists. "I just… I just wanted to have an actual place I could show for myself. I wanted to create a life for us, an actual honest life. I wanted to show her what I was building for us while I was gone…" He trailed off as he stared emptily into the sand. "Things turned out harder than I expected..."

"It will be alright, Griff." The Mercenary assured with quiet certainty. "When she gets here you can explain all of that to her yourself," 

"Not a day goes by when I don't think of her," Griff muttered desolately, a few tears escaping his eyes and running down his blue cheeks. 

However, their talk was interrupted when a group of Sand People entered the cell and barked out something. Right afterwards, they came over to where the two were as The Mercenary stood to his feet, already anticipating what this meant. They grabbed him by the arms and he allowed them to pull him. 

"Translation: it is time for your duel with Chieftain Guor'urrors," HK said with an odd tone of excitement in his warbled voice as it walked beside them. "I am most eager to witness your combat capabilities, Master. Should you need any assistance I would be happy to carve the limbs off of every meatbag in this place."

They had no idea what was coming to them, putting The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer in the duelling ring with their Chieftain was a death sentence. What the protocol-assassin droid had offered was mercy compared to the demon worse than demons who feasted on the blood of the wicked.

The battle ring was a large open circular area in the centre of the enclave. Above the combatants, the blue sky was dotted with puffy white clouds which shielded them from the hot suns. Around the edge of the battle circle, much of the tribe was gathered under the tarp canopies to watch the battle unfold, cheering and hollering like savage beasts.

A cloud of sand was kicked up as The Mercenary slid back on it, trying to adapt to the subpart stick that he was given but not managing to do so. It irritated him to no end but he had to measure up. Or did he. The thought crossed him that he didn't have to play by their rules when they really hadn't set any.

His eyes were set on the opponent in front of him who brandished his sturdy engraved gaffi stick. Guor'urrors stepped around him, goading him to attack almost. Despite being large and imposing, he wasn't more so than the demonic mutant. Sand People cheered from outside the battle ring as the blue-eyed demon in human flesh wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. 

Then with a beastly growl, he broke the stick over his knee and tossed the pieces into the sand before bringing up his almost clenched fists in guard. His heels were slightly lifted off the ground and he was bouncing slightly in his perfectly balanced stance.

The Chieftain swung his gaffi stick with sharp precision and speed, a crosscut aimed for Dynamo's neck. He was ready for it, diverting it with his left forearm and delivering a strong uppercut to his opponent. The tribal chief stumbled a few steps back, then shrugged it off, seemingly more enraged. 

Though The Final Knight was well aware that the internal damage had been done. For all of the strength that  Guor'urrors had, with his muscles bulging even from underneath the cloth wraps and mask, he was surprisingly agile, yet he couldn't compare to the experience under Dynamo's belt. His opponent quickly dashed forward and struck at him, yet The Mercenary swiftly rolled under and around it, launching himself with a devastating flying knee into his spine. The sheer force of it sent the Chieftain flying through the air to the other side of the duelling ring, but he was able to flip himself midair and land crouched, sliding back through the sand.

Without any hesitation from either, they ran forward to meet the other, each shouting their own battle cry. Guor'urrors aimed his gaffi stick out in front of him like a spear while the Argenta chant of The DOOM Slayer sounded from The Mercenary. "Tei Slaven ben kar en tuk…!" (The Slayer will rip and tear) It made his eyes fill with crimson rage, the aura emanating from his body as he leapt into the air. "Kar en tuk Hust en Vitar!" (Rip and tear Hell and Heaven) And down he came with a devastating punch as the final verse echoed. "Kar en tuk DU TEI EXUNT!!!" (Rip and tear until the death) With The DOOM Slayer awakening in the midst of the battle circle.

At the very last moment, the Chieftain rolled out of the way but was still caught in the shockwave of the hit that left a crater in the middle of the arena and quaked the whole area. He was sent flying as a cloud of dust engulfed the entire field of battle. 

Guor'urrors landed on his back and rolled head over heels a few times because of the momentum. When he finally reached a stop, he quickly picked himself back up, but visibility was scared. He could only see a shadow with its royal blue eyes glowing red dart through the cloud.  For a moment he could swear that he saw sparks and yellow lines in this… demon worse than demons' form. Then it was gone. There was the crimson blue-eyed demon shadow again, just outside his field of vision.

Suddenly, The Tusken Chief was struck hard in the back of the head and sent falling on his front. He rolled over to see the dust cloud clearing and The DOOM Slayer standing over him, royal blue eyes still flaming red. Guor'urrors felt fear seize him as he stared into the endless rage, hate and pain. It rolled off him and înto the area almost palpable. Effortlessly, The Mercenary grabbed him by the neck and held him into the air, taking steps around the arena and displaying his defeated form to all of the Sand People present.

Murmurs of dismay and alarm echoed from onlookers around the edge of the battle ring. The warriors didn't dare make a move, frozen in fear. Some of them let their weapons drop to the ground, while others brought themselves low. 

Then, one of the Sand People left the edge of the circle and walked out to the centre towards The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer. The demonic mutant regarded him with a tilt of his head, noting that he seemed to be a shaman of sorts. He'd stopped right in front of Dynamo and dropped to both knees, bowing to him before he let out a series of calls and shrieks to the rest of those gathered. 

He heard HK come into the battle circle before he spoke. "Translation: It seems as if they believe you are some sort of deity, Master." There was something in the warbled tones, something akin to reservation as it interpreted the readings from his master. "Expostulation: I believe we might be able to use this to our advantage."

"That's exactly what I was thinking," The Final Knight glanced to HK, making an active effort to speak Galactic basic as his demonic tone boomed. "Tell them, I have come bearing a message for them."

HK began translating as The DOOM Slayer continued to speak. "Tell them that they must move their tribe deeper into the Dune Sea and away from Anchorhead." He still held up their Chieftain, putting him up for display as he took calculated steps, eyeing them. "Tell them, times of good fortune will come to their tribe if they heed my command. Tell them that, if they accommodate me, they will receive the moisture vaporators they have requested." After that, he dropped Guor'urrors to his knees in a defeated heap. With a growl from the back of his throat, he closed his eyes, the sclera clearing as the aura and frightening presence faded away. 

When The DOOM Slayer withdrew back within the demonic mutant, there was a feeling of relief, like the air pressure dropped and it was easier to breathe. They reverently escorted him from the battle ring to the shaman's tent. 

The shaman looking one was known as the Storyteller among his people. Such was easy to note as his tent was filled with artefacts and murals painted on large pieces of hide. There were also stone tables displayed on a homemade shelf.  He was the Chronicler of his people's history, the keeper of knowledge passed down from generation to generation. 

What he had to say was astounding to Dynamo. With HK translating, he told The Mercenary about how Tatooine was once a vibrant lush world full of jungles and vast oceans.

Their story was one of pain, loss and war,  almost a repeat of what he'd seen and lived too many times over. The Kumumgah were the native species over twenty thousand years ago. They were highly technologically advanced, well beyond their time. They set up a peaceful government for themselves in this paradise world, even developing space travel and beginning to reach out, to explore other worlds. According to the Storyteller, this gained the attention of a vast evil Empire that was setting itself up as the main power in the galaxy. They had already enslaved thousands of worlds by the time they set their conquest against Tatooine. The Kumumgah fought hard to defend their homeworld against the invading Builders.

It was a long brutal war and the Kumumgah held off the invaders as long as they could, but their defeat at the hands of this Infinite Empire was inevitable. So they launched one final desperate attack against the dreadnought overseeing the invading forces. Their mission was successful and the Empire's invading fleet was crippled. However, unknown to the Kumumgah, the Builders had launched their own covert attack. They deployed a doomsday weapon to the planet's surface that sent out a powerful superheated shockwave that swept the entire planet during the course of one rotation. 

Many of the Kumumgah had retreated to underground bunkers prior to the detonation of the weapon. They were forced to remain there for several months until the planet's surface cooled down enough that it was safe to walk on. When they finally emerged, their beloved paradise world was gone, only sand and dust remained. They were forced to adapt to the harsh new climate and the hard life that resulted. Eventually, their species evolved into two new factions. 

The purest of the Kumumgah became raiders and warriors. They wore fearsome robes and called themselves Ghorfas. While the other group became scavengers and traders, their bodies adapted to a smaller form which made it easier to fit into small areas in shipwrecks. They called themselves Jawas.

For the Ghorfas, the desert served as a sacred reminder of the destruction technology can unleash. To them, technology was a blasphemous and invasive offence. According to the Storyteller, this was why they attacked and waged war with any and all outsiders. As the old shaman put it, the outsiders made the gods angry with their machines of war and heresy on sacred ground.

It was incredible for The Final Knight to hear that they had such a detailed account of their people's history. All of this knowledge had been unknown and even inaccessible by the vast majority of the galaxy for who knows how long. It seemed no one had ever taken the time to truly communicate with these people or even make an effort to understand them. The Republic, Czerka, even the Jedi and, he had to shamefully admit, most of his Watchdogs had all seen them as savages, mindless bloodthirsty creatures that attacked anything that moved. No one realized their landing on the planet, building settlements, mining the planet for ore, all of that seemed like an invasion to the Ghorfas. The last time sentient beings had brought machines to their world, it had meant the end of their society as they knew it. No wonder they distrusted outsiders. 

After several hours, the distant familiar rumble of plasma engines was heard, spooling down as the Ebon Hawk settled on a dune outside the Sand People Enclave, stirring up sand and dust. The Mercenary joined the 'welcoming party' of warriors that surrounded the freighter, wanting to make sure that they wouldn't attack his crew. Any mercy would be out the window. On the other hand, he hoped they were able to procure the moisture vaporators, otherwise, this would turn ugly very quickly.

Hope for the best, expect the worst and nothing will surprise you most of the time… He thought to himself as the boarding ramp descended with a loud hiss and a cloud of steam.

From the fog, The Jedi Sentinel was the first to emerge, holding up her hands as The Republic and Mandalorian soldiers followed her down with two industrial-grade moisture vaporators in tow on a couple of hover carts. They pushed them up to the village, the whole way being surrounded by Sand People Warriors, while the Tuskens themselves were monitored by the fierce royal blue eyes of The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer. 

"Are we sure this is such a good idea?" Carth asked quietly and with an uneasy glance. 

"Just keep calm," Dynamo assured in a quieter tone of his own. "They're not monsters, but they greatly distrust outsiders and for good reason."

"Whatever you say, boss..." He muttered with a swift exhale, focusing his gaze ahead.

"What's the matter, Carth?" Canderous jested with a slightly deranged side grin. "A few desert warriors got you scared? And here I thought you fought Mandalorians."

 "I don't like our odds or our position if they turn on us," He clarified with a glare. "We are at a severe tactical disadvantage here."

"That only makes it more fun," The Mandalorian remarked with a snicker.

Once they reached the entrance of the village they were greeted by Guor'urrors and more raiders. The two soldiers transferred the vaporators over to a couple of Sand People guards. Their Chieftain barked a few orders at his men and a few minutes later, HK-47 was escorted out to join the rest.

The Sentinel watched it all carefully, walking up next to The Final Knight as she asked quietly. "Has he told you the location of the Star Map yet?" 

He glanced over and shook his head once. "Not yet," Though he did assure. "But he did say that he knows its location."

"There's also the matter of Mission's brother." She continued with genuine underlying concern, inquiring. "Have you found him yet?"

"Yes." He quickly nodded and assured in a firm, confident tone. "I will handle this."

Bastila sighed with a glance away, her hands on her hips as she whispered. "I hope you know what you're doing, for all our sakes."

Have some faith. It's been going smoothly so far. Dynamo thought as he stood, undaunted, while the towering Sand People Chief walked forward a few steps, meeting The Mercenary at eye level. For a few long moments, they stared intensely at one another before he suddenly dropped to one knee and bowed his head low. The Jedi raised an eyebrow in surprise while Carth and Canderous exchanged concerned glances. 

Soon enough, HK-47 was translating and interpreting the growls that were coming from him. "The great and mighty Guor'urrors commits himself as your humble servant." There was a note of pride somehow for what had been accomplished, though also disappointment likely because of the lack of bloodshed. "You have blessed his tribe with good fortune and have been generous enough to demonstrate your power in their midst."

The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer gave a brief incline of his head before speaking in a commanding tone. "It has been an honour visiting his people," His strong voice resounded. "However, there are a few matters left to settle."

Guor'urrors looked up at Dynamo expectantly and even rather meekly. Right after, HK informed. "He has already given me the coordinates for your desired Star Map, Master." 

He acknowledged with a nod, folding his arms as he stated. "Then there is one final matter to settle."

The Chieftain bowed his head deeply, the droid interpreting his growls. "Translation: He is at your command, Master. Anything you ask of him, he will do. He is most eager to appease you." Though, of course, the droid had his own takes. "I would wager that he would even slaughter his own village for you, Master. Though, I had hoped to do that myself."

A low beastly rumble came from The Mercenary as he assured. "That will not be necessary, HK," His attention returned to the kneeling Chieftain. "There is a Twi'lek man among your captives. I want him released into our custody along with the other captives."

As HK translated to the War Chief, he studied his reaction with a keen gaze. Though his face was covered by the mask, his body language was still readable. The side tilt of his head indicated that he was confused as to why the request was made, perhaps even a reluctance to carry it out. That only earned a narrow of the eyes of The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer. But when the droid finished speaking, the Warlord lowered his head as he spoke, indicating submission. 

"Translation: He will send for them to be brought to you at once," HK confirmed to which The Final Knight nodded with satisfaction.

A matter of moments later, all of the captives were escorted out of the Sand People Enclave to the Ebon Hawk. With bated breath, Mission waited atop the boarding ramp as the freed captives walked slowly up, many of them struggling, severely weakened from malnourishment and mistreatment. Among the small crowd of people, she spotted a flash of blue skin and her eyes went wide, blurring with tears. There, walking towards her, his head hung low, was her brother. He looked tired, weary, much older than she remembered him, with lines on his face that hadn't been there before.

"Griff!" She called, pushing her way almost desperately through the group of people.

Immediately, he looked up in sheer surprise as their gazes met, compelled to try and move fast towards her. The Young Scoundrel practically leapt into his embrace and he caught her, both relishing in it and fighting back tears of longing and relief. 

A short distance away, The Knights of different Orders observed the reunion, though Dynamo's attention quickly returned to the map in his hands. He quickly scanned it with his SMI before stashing it safely in his backpack. 

"That was admirable," Bastila said suddenly, her arms folded as she turned to look up to him. "What you did for Mission."

"It's nothing any decent person wouldn't have done." He said as he crossed his arms, his face as hard as ever.

At that, she begged to differ. "Not even most Jedi would have sought a peaceful solution in dealing with the Sand People. As a matter of fact, the only one that would have been able to is Master Crokess. Of that, I am most certain." The Jedi stated firmly but kinder, perhaps more open as she admitted with a little shame in her voice. "I cannot say I would have made the same decision." She paused and sighed before smiling genuinely. "But I'm glad you did."

"It was worth it, despite the extra effort. Perhaps Kessi did guide my wits, we are like brothers after all." He said as he rubbed the back of his head. There was a feeling of being watched over in a way. Bringing his hand back down and folding it, he looked to Bastila. "Another matter, if you don't mind… I wanted to thank you for your words before… In Anchorhead. It is… difficult sometimes and the whispers don't help. Thank you for not dismissing me… even after seeing what I hold within…"

"I can understand. I have felt the fear that comes from that state of yours… it is the same one that subdued the Sand People… but I also feel that you do not relish on it." She said kindly again, her silver-grey eyes still on him. Thankfully the fact that she was a Sentinel granted her a much greater tolerance to it, which helped along with simply being rational and letting feelings get in the way, at least the negative ones. "Even if they say that you are no better than a Sith the reality is that you are worthy of being in the ranks of the Jedi." That was an admittance on her part, pausing to take a breath before she continued, somehow emboldened by his presence."I am sorry, I became aware that I  can be too… overbearing at times. I must confess I still struggle with emotional matters, even if being a Sentinel allows me to temper the most extreme ones." 

Bastila clasped her arms before confessing. "I don't feel I am the best choice to train you and in a lot of ways, I feel I am not ready to train a Padawan of my own. As Jedi, we are supposed to be free of attachment, yet the Force itself has connected us through a strong bond not easily broken. Perhaps that is also why I lash out at you at times. I've begun to notice this bond strengthening over time and I have begun to feel that our destinies are intertwined… I think that scares me. I don't know how I am supposed to train you."

The Mercenary listened, his hand going to his chin and rubbing it as he thought. This was clearly something that was weighing on her, affecting her more and more. He wanted to be a source of comfort, not distress. Somewhat cautiously, he reached out a hand and placed it on her shoulder, feeling her relax at the contact. "Then maybe we should see it more as a partnership where we are on equal terms. Comrades instead of Master and Padawan, the same way I am with Crokess. We both can learn from one another and it would be easier this way, less stressful for you. I don't want to seem above you and to make you feel inferior to me despite you being the Master. You have your expertise, I have mine and we work together."

When he mentioned that they would have a similar relationship to the one that The Final Knight had with her mentor, she couldn't help but smile. For a moment, she was silent in thought but eventually nodded. "I think… I think I would like that." 

He extended a hand to her as a sign of their renewed partnership. "Georgian." He said simply and almost smiled.

She looked at his gloved hand then at him, somewhat taken aback by the gesture. He just asked her to call him by his last name, not his family name. "Oh, very well then." Bastila nodded with an accepting grin. "I just assumed that was what you preferred."

The Mercenary gave a bit of a wry look and tilted his head to the side as he shrugged somewhat humbly. "It's 'Georgian' for those that I trust more."

She nodded yet again, her face brightening as she quickly realised that this went deeper. "Alright, Georgian it is then." The Sentinel found herself quietly remarking. "I quite like it actually." 

Dynamo remained silent but glanced in acknowledgement with a bit of a side grin as he folded his arms again. For the first time in quite a while, he actually felt good and he didn't mind it in the slightest surprisingly or not.

After they got everyone loaded onto the Ebon Hawk, they took off towards Anchorhead, churning up sand and dust behind them. Bastila had suggested dropping off the survivors before venturing to the location of the Star Map, to which the whole crew, with the demonic mutant at the forefront, agreed. On the way there, Mission tended to her brother's wounds in the medbay, their reunion a long time coming.

"I can't believe it's really you, Mission," Griff said before wincing as his sister applied some sort of medical paste to a cut on his forehead. "I was sure I would never see you again..."

"I wasn't so sure myself." The Young Scoundrel admitted with a bittersweet smile before muttering with some resentment. "I thought Lena dragged you away for good."

The Older Twi'lek blinked unsurely. "Lena? What do you mean?"

"You don't have to tell me." She stated resolutely. "I knew it was her idea to leave. She was the one who convinced you about striking wealth outside of Taris."

Again he blinked and looked away. "I'd almost forgotten, with how long it's been," Griff let out a heavy sigh before looking back at her. "Mission, it was my idea to leave. I had to. The last job you and I did together… I never told you the truth. I was caught on holo… The Exchange… they have a… had a bounty on my head. I couldn't bring you into that. So I left you on Taris to protect you. I was going to come back for you, I swear… I just… I never wanted things to turn out like this…" He could see the tears welling up in her eyes just as he felt them welling up in his. His voice threatened to give out as he soldiered on. "Then, when I heard what had happened to Taris… I… I thought for sure you… that I would never…" His voice completely trailed off and he broke down, a hand over his face uselessly trying to hide his tears.

The Young Scoundrel didn't know what to do at first, just sitting there as her own tears rolled down her face. She stood there, tears running down her face. On one hand, she wanted to throw her arms around her brother and tell him it was ok. On the other hand, she was angry at him for leaving her. For not taking her with him and instead of trying to protect her when she would rather have been with him. In the end, she felt like he had treated her like a child like everyone else had.

Nevertheless, she wrapped her arms around him, whispering that all will be well, just like The Mercenary once did to her.

Chapter Text

It hadn't taken them that long, thanks to the efficient directions and orders given by The Supreme Commander. No more than an hour later, the Ebon Hawk had landed in the depths of the eastern part of the desert when heading out from Anchorhead. Jutting out and towering over the dunes and yet blending it when looked at from a distance was the large rock formation that The Knights of different Orders had seen in their shared vision.

The crew looked at it, each already briefed on the matter when The Republic pilot broke the tense silence.

"I really don't like how this looks." He muttered as he looked into the foreboding dark abyss. 

A hum similar to a purr came from the Cathar Jedi. "I sense a dark power in here." She mused and glanced with her fierce feline eyes. "It reminds me of the ruins on Dantooine."

The Mercenary walked up in front, staring out as well from the bottom of the loading ramp. "Are you alright?" He asked as the warm breeze ruffled his short black hair. 

"I will be fine." She replied with a firm nod. "I will guard the entrance to the cave, but I will not go inside."

He acknowledged with a bow of his head before he turned his attention to the rest. "Me and Bastila will go inside," Dynamo commanded in his usual tone. "Carth, Canderous, stand guard with Juhani. Cover our escape route. HK you're with us, weapons ready."

Immediately the protocol-assassin droid primed his blaster rifle. "Excited declaration: I thought you'd never ask, Master."

The mouth of the cave was enormous, easily large enough to fit the Ebon Hawk if they wished. He sniffed and his eyes burned red with yellow lines for an unnoticeable moment, feeling the energy that The Jedi Guardian spoke of as they stepped inside. It made him tense up somewhat, the demon growling within him against it. There was great power here, but it wasn't coming entirely from the Star Map, something else was there… Something very large and powerful. 

As they explored deeper into the cave, The Jedi Sentinel ignited her lightsaber to provide more light while HK switched on a tactical light on the side of his head. The Final Knight on the other hand did nothing, his fierce eyes peering through the darkness as he was in the lead. His gaze roamed upwards, finding that the ceiling was full of hanging stalactites and it seemed to slope up the further they walked in, giving it a growing claustrophobic feel. The floor was filled with odd impressions in the sand that filled the cave, but further in the floor was made of hard and rough stone. They began to see pieces of the stalactites on the floor, most likely fallen from the ceiling. There were also bones scattered among them and what looked like it used to be a bantha along with several, humanoid chewed corpses. Most concerning was that two of them had identifiable Jedi robes.

"Something lives here..." The demonic mutant muttered in his beard after sniffing in a beastly way again. "Massive. Those impressions on the sand are definitely footprints." 

"Yes, I noticed that as well," Bastila confirmed with a cautious nod. "Whatever it is, we should be cautious."

"Declaration: Combat systems set to extreme prejudice." HK sounded out from behind them, scanning all around.

"We really need to do something about your new droid," The Jedi whispered, quickly catching up and walking next to him.

He rumbled within him, muttering. "Yes, he is quite eager to kill…"

Though the droid picked up on their conversation and chided in. "Observation: I am a droid, Master, with programming. Even if I did not enjoy killing, I would have no choice. Thankfully, I enjoy it very much." 

He turned to him with his lips parting, sounding out. "That's-" When suddenly, Dynamo was cut off by a huge clawed arm swinging through the air and slamming into him. Mere instinct made him bring up his forearms to try and block, but he was sent flying across the cave with a huge cut on his chest that was bleeding profusely. He was slammed into the wall hard, cracking the stone before falling to one knee. Through gritted teeth, he held an arm over the deep wound as blood began to pool beneath yet it also started to heal rapidly. 

A deafening roar filled the cave as a large krayt dragon entered the beam of light from HK's headlamp. It was enormous, even larger than their starship as it lumbered towards them on its four legs

"Obvious statement: That is a very large meatbag!" It sounded out before opening fire.

Bastila wasted no time as she flung her lightsaber through the air, hitting its mark above the shoulder blade of the giant beast. With the aid of the Force, she ran forward leaping through the air as her weapon came back to her hand on command. Immediately after she landed on its back, she ran towards its rear, jamming the lightsaber into its back and cutting into its spine.

The dragon roared in pain as it swung its massive tail back, knocking The Sentinel off and sending her falling to the floor. She landed with a thud and was forced to roll out of the way as one of the creature's hind legs smashed down right where she had been.

All the while, HK unleashed a rapid-fire volley of blaster bolts on the giant monster, extending its left arm where a small explosive rocket fired from his wrist. The krayt dragon howled as the rocket exploded against its neck, its head recoiling to the side before the killer glare came back on them.

"Commentary: This. Is. So. Much. Fun!" The protocol-assassin droid remarked with complete glee and honesty as it dodged the dragon smashing down on the hard stone.

Out of nowhere, The Mercenary leapt at the dragon's neck, shouting as the red rage literally rolled off him. "Kar en tuk DU TEI EXUNT!!!" His Adamantine blades extended and ignited mid-air before piercing deep through its tough hide. He held on to it, ruthlessly cutting his way up as it whirled its head left and right, trying in vain to throw him off by hitting itself against the walls.

Using the opportunity, The Sentinel dashed in between its legs and under the belly of the beast, slashing at its joints with her lightsaber. 

However, the monster became annoyed with HK's relentless barrage, so it snapped its massive jaws at the droid only for it to roll out of the way with precision as the massive maw snapped shut. HK fired another volley of blaster bolts, one of them shooting out a tooth from its socket.

The jerky motion eventually threw the demonic mutant off and made him hit the sidewall, yet he clung to it with his nanofibertech boots and gloves. Not wasting a moment, he pushed off and smashed into the beast's head, the Unchained Predator brutally ripping and tearing into it, the blood beginning to fuel him.

As the dragon went into an agonized frenzy, The Sentinel was kicked back against the wall by one of its tree trunk-sized legs. She bounced off the hard rock and fell to one knee as HK hunkered down, a panel on his back opening up to shoot several missiles at the krayt dragon. 

Right before they collided, The Mercenary leapt off, landing on the ceiling before pushing off and rolling on the ground, coming to a stop near The Jedi. 

"Everything in one piece?" He asked with considerable effort to speak basic and less demonic, masterfully distributing his attention as he witnessed explosions peppering the dragon's hide. 

"Yes, don't worry about me, worry about the dragon!" She almost snapped at him, her voice drowned out by the angered bellow of the beast.

It barreled towards the assassin droid and swung its massive tail around, managing to HK in his legs and flip it on its face.

"This isn't working!" Bastila shouted over the growls of the beast as she stretched out her hand, wrenching off the larger stalactites free above the dragon and sending them crashing down on his head.

They struck off its now jagged and ripped bony horns and snout, dealing very little damage. She reached out again with the Force, ripping large chunks of rocks off the stone walls of the cave, hurling them at their foe. Again and again, the dragon was barraged by large chunks of stone, slowly forcing him back away from them and against the opposite wall of the cave.

The protocol-assassin droid started to get to his feet as The Final Knight landed beside him, hefting it to its feet shortly after. Right before he stepped forward again, the aura of The DOOM Slayer cast a red light over both of them.

"I am glad to see you are not dead, Master," HK said as he primed his weapon, weirdly genuine at that moment. 

Dynamo's eyes shifted back to normal. "You can't kill me." He replied. "I have an idea, do you have any rockets left?" 

"Sarcastic response: I am programmed for violence and-" It began then was promptly cut off.

"I got that part, now follow my lead and fire at my command!" Dynamo said running down to get closer to the howling monster. "Bastila, cover me and get ready…!" He directed firmly in-between focused breaths before leaping into the air and firing his grappling hooks into the ceiling right above the krayt dragon. 

As it was roaring and had its gaping maw right open, The Final Knight slammed into the upper part of its jaw. At the exact same time, The Sentinel locked onto the lower side and both of them pulled with all of their respective mights wrench it open. The creature began to fight back, trying to snap its jaws shut in response to the strange power it felt coming over it and the intruder that was keeping an Adamantine grip on it.

A shout of demonic rage drowned out the roar of pain as something within its skull cracked and splintered beneath its hide. "HK, weapons free!" The DOOM Slayer commanded through gritted teeth. 

Right on cue, the droid unleashed a torrent of missiles straight down the dragon's throat."Eat fire, meatbag!" 

A Series of explosions tore apart the creature's stomach before it fell to the ground in a massive heap. It let out a final groan soaked in pain as its final breath left its body. 

The Mercenary landed and rolled on the ground after, closing his eyes and focusing. With a grunt of effort, the aura of the demon worse than demons receded in him, straightening with a deep breath. 

"Commendation: That was wonderful, Master." HK chided as his rocket launchers folded into the compartment on his back.

"Indeed," Bastila said, walking over as she caught her breath, a hint of relief in her voice as she saw that he'd let go of his demonic power. "That was good thinking… despite your recklessness." She lightly admonished but was well-intended

"It's not recklessness when I've killed bigger," Dynamo replied rather coldly and uncaringly towards his own being. Shortly after, he pointed towards the apparent nest of the beast. "Look."

There were large, black stone obelisks that resembled the same stonework in the ruins back on Dantooine. The obelisks formed a stone circle, in the center of which sat the Star Map they were looking for. It was clear that the obelisks were filled with the same language and symbols they had seen at the last Star Map but they were still largely unable to be discerned. 

Again, like the first time, the map opened up automatically on their approach. The Mercenary scrunched up his nose for a moment as he felt the strangely familiar presence and power the map gave off. At a simple nod and signal, HK set off to patrol the cave to make sure there were no more threats to be found.

The Final Knight got on his SMI and began to download the information, silent and hardened. 

Instead, The Mercenary had gone over to a tattered equipment pack in the north corner of the cave and began searching through it. There was a Holocron inside it, which had been cracked and worn by the sands and wind. He turned it over and found that, miraculously, it was still marginally operational. When activated, it showed the holographic image of a middle-aged human man and appeared to have been used as a means to record his personal thoughts over many years.

Out of respect, he didn't look through much of it, only enough to confirm his hunch. The demonic mutant stood and turned to The Jedi as she approached him, holding it out. "I believe this belongs to you, Bastila." He said with a compassionate and less hardened gaze.

In complete and utter silence, she took it in her hands and just stared at it. After a few long moments, she stashed it safely in her pack, trying not to look troubled.

Yet The Final Knight could sense it all too clearly. "Do you want to talk?" He asked with a note of gentleness and tentativeness.

She seemed to snap out of her thoughts, clutching at her arms as she looked at him. "About my mother? I am unsure." She admitted with a long sigh, avoiding his gaze almost ashamed. "I seem to find it difficult to remain objective when it comes to her. I find that... disturbing." 

Though there was no judgment from the demonic mutant, only concern for the distress she was in. "Are you going to give the Holocron to her?" He asked carefully. 

Her whole being seemed to tense, grip on herself tightening as she looked at him, sincerely questioning. "Do you think I should?"

There was a brief hum from him. "Do you need it more than she does?" He replied with an inquiry of his own and a note of sincere worry in his tone.

"I would like to keep something to remember Father as much as she would." She admitted with an underlying reluctance, glancing away again. "I'll think about it. I should... try and remember my training. I should be able to let go of this, but I can't." She shut her eyes and turned her head away. "I don't want to talk about this anymore."

Which The Mercenary understood, nodding and redirecting his attention to his SMI for a few minutes, simply monitoring the download. His brow furrowed as he let his mind wander and he glanced at The Sentinel. She hadn't moved away and kept near him. He hesitated at first but eventually spoke his mind after fixating his eyes on the swirling holographic image.

"Do you feel… connected to these maps somehow?" Dynamo asked rather suddenly yet thoughtfully. 

Bastila looked at him before she shook her head. "No, not really," Her silver-gray eyes still on him, she questioned. "You do?"

With a façade of hardness, he nodded while fiddling with his left glove while his arms were folded. "Yes… it's kind of hard to explain." His hand curled into a fist and he set it against his chin. "It's almost as if… they want me to find them... calling out for me… or for us…"  There was a pause and a long sigh before he continued. "It isn't only the maps, but the visions as well. Unlike the nightmares that I would have gotten… They're so vivid but I can tell that they are not my own." Again, his brow furrowed and he glanced away into nothing, his voice lowering. "There's one that keeps playing over and over in my mind..."

The Jedi looked at him with an expression that had compassion and a want to understand him better. "Which one?" She asked somewhat tentatively, stepping closer and into his vision.

There was a brief grunt from him, keeping his voice as even as he could. "All I see is darkness… suffocating as if I'm underground… the pressure, like a whole planet is crushing me…" He let his right hand down at his side while looking at his left one, tensing while speaking. “My bones… they ache worse than ever… Every sense of mine is overwhelmed. Chaos, destruction, death, they surround and suffocate, drown me… Then the voice… No matter how much I focus, I can only make out one phrase… repeating over and over." Dynamo paused tensely, composing himself before continuing, giving no indication of whom the voice belonged to. "'Remember Malachor V'. I feel like… there's something beyond it that I can't quite place." His brow furrowed even more as he finally looked at The Jedi, asking. "You don't sense it?"

"No." She admitted with a frown of concern and thoughtfulness. "It is curious that I have not. Be mindful, we don't exactly know what we're dealing with here with this alien tech. It could be clouding your mind."

That was largely likely, the main reason being that his Adamantine skull prevented any mental tampering. "And if it's not?" The Mercenary posed the all too important question. 

"Then we will know soon enough." She replied with a sigh before seemingly firming up and stepping right in front of him. "There is one more thing though. I have done my best to ignore it but… I sense a lot of… rage, hate, and pain within you. Even if you meditate, you are not getting any sleep during the night. Even with that chant, you are still struggling."

Dynamo didn't say a word, keeping his gaze away in a heavy silence. 

Bastila wouldn't have any of it, frowning as she stood stalwart in front of him, demanding his attention wordlessly. "How deep does this go?" She asked firmly yet compassionately. "Tell me, what is the matter?"

All that he replied with was a grunt from the back of his throat, still not looking at her. "I've lived with those for the vast majority of my long life. I can keep going." He stated with an adamant stubbornness. "It does not concern nor does it affect you."  

Her frown deepened as she argued. "Georgian, we are tied together now." She stated as if it hadn't dawned on him what that meant. "We need to be honest with each other. Our lives quite literally depend on it. You can talk to me." The Jedi tried to coax him, placing a hand on his muscular left arm.

The Final Knight was silent for the longest time, his head lowered before he looked off into some unknown point, sighing as he muttered. "I… I carry a lot on my shoulders, Bastila… Regrets, guilt… They are what fuel the rage and hate… mostly towards me. Pain… every second, every waking moment, every breath and motion… It just hurts. It's as simple as that." There was a note of resignation as he placed a hand on the side of his head, his teeth gritting as he continued, the façade of The Soldier beginning to break before her eyes. "To top it all off… for months I've been having this… thing in my head… this darkness. It wants to control me and I have to constantly fight it so that I don't lose myself…" Dynamo drew in a deep breath, his voice no more than a whisper as he looked right into her silver-gray eyes, asking with a note of desperation even. "Do you have any idea what any of this feels like?"

She could only look up at him, her lips slightly parted as she put her other hand on his arm. "I had no idea…" Her compassionate whisper came. "Not until we shared our first vision."

He blinked and nearly panicked, feeling vulnerable and exposed. Too much, he'd shown way too much, but it was almost as if he couldn't stop himself. "You felt it… You felt everything…?" A deep concern was growing in him at that.

Bastila wanted to rush and reassure him, but both were cut off by a beep coming from the demonic mutant, signaling that the information had been downloaded. 

"Looks like we have everything." She said as he stepped back from her and looked at his SMI. "We should rejoin the others." She suggested, noting that he was keeping silent on the outside while a deep turmoil raged inside. So, The Sentinel placed her hands on his shoulders, glancing up at him again and assuring him sincerely. "Even if I do feel it, that will only make me do my best to be there for you. As you have stated, we're partners, comrades. We have to and can get through this together."

All that The Mercenary replied with was a genuinely grateful nod before he walked away, leaving her slightly frustrated with the way he replied. She sighed while he motioned for HK to regroup with them, the three beginning to walk back to the mouth of the cave. They passed the corpse of the krayt dragon and the rubble it had left in its wake, stepping through the threshold where hard rock turned back into sand. The darkness began to give way to the blinding light of the twin suns as a breeze from the dunes blew in. 

And Dynamo gritted his teeth after instinctively sifting through the scents. "Do you feel that?" He asked with a quick glance, appearing ready to bounce and charge.

"Let's move!" She nodded and both broke into a dash.

Arriving on the scene, the Ebon Hawk sat exactly where they had left it, but most of their crew was being held at gunpoint. There were about twenty armed soldiers with some of them sitting on speeders idling in a circle around the group while the others stood with their blasters aimed at the crew members. The Mandalorian, Republic pilot, and Wookie were kneeling in the sand with their hands behind their heads. Notably, there was no visible sign of The Cathar Jedi, but the scent was there. Standing front and center was the bounty hunter, Calo Nord, holding the young Twi'lek in a vice-like grip.

There was a wicked grin on his expression at the sight of The Knights of different Orders. "Nice of you to join us." He spoke in his usual slimy and slightly bored seeming tone. "You were a hard bunch to track down, but it was very much worth it. The things I've learned along the way… People would pay well for such knowledge."

Bastila frowned but kept her composure well in check, her stone-like silver-gray eyes dead set. "I see Malak has stooped to hiring low-level bounty hunters," She taunted derisively, already drawing on the Force and preparing for battle. "And here I thought he wanted me caught."

"Oh, trust me, sweetheart." He chided with a chuckle. "This is all for me. Let's just say that I don't appreciate being left high and dry on an exploding planet. Besides, I have a reputation to uphold. The payment from Malak is just a bonus. Now…" Slowly, he held up his blaster against Mission's temple while she closed her eyes with a grit of her teeth. "Allow my men to restrain you." He ordered, his tone cold and clear that he wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger. "I assure you it will be quite difficult to break out of these neural inhibitors. Malak and his… friend… have many things that they want to discuss with you."

Something terrible snapped inside The Mercenary at the sight as his crimson aura immediately burst forth. The air thickened with the frightening presence though there was a noticeable difference as bright yellow sparks flew off his form and lines of the same yellow crisscrossed the red sclera. His speed has increased to a staggering fifty-five kilometers per second, his senses were ten times keener while his perception slowed down to the same extent allowing him to more than properly react. Within the time that it took Calo to process what he was seeing and react, the demonic mutant had already gotten in his face. Disarming him and keeping an Adamantine grip on him, Dynamo hurled him into the dunes over his shoulder, sending the Bounty Hunter tumbling in the sand. Right after, the demonic mutant leapt with his left blade igniting in mid-air and coming down on him. Calo barely got on one knee to bring up an armoured gauntlet across his face. Yet while the plasma of a normal lightsaber would have been ineffective, the Adamantine blade pierced through easily, deeply cutting into his forearm. It sent the Bounty Hunter recoiling back with a scream of agony and shock, blood pouring from his deep, long gash and mixing with the sand. 

The rest of the crew took the advantage of the chaos caused and the fact that their captors were stunned by the terror of The DOOM Slayer. Without a moment of hesitation, the Republic pilot elbowed the thug guarding him and wrenched the blaster from his hands, before firing two shots, one in his head and one in his chest. 

At the same time, Canderous roared and took on three of the thugs with his bare hands, knocking them back just as The Cathar Guardian came out of her camouflage. With war cries, she ran her blue lightsabers through them as The Mandalorian picked up his heavy blaster and fired off a volley of rapid-fire at the ones on speeders now zooming around firing at them with their blasters. 

Two of the speeder bikes blazed right towards the assassin protocol droid and Jedi Sentinel. With deadly accuracy, HK fired a single shot that struck the head of the speeder pilot, sending the man tumbling into the sand, before it sprinted and commandeered the vehicle. "Commentary: You should all just lie down. You're already dead."

While the droid began hunting down the assailants, Bastila waited until the speeder was right in front of her to spin her lightsaber and swipe it across the front, slicing it clean through. It careened into the sand with the driver tumbling for several more meters before he was seized by the Force. In a panic, he tried to fire off a few shots in The Sentinel's direction… but she wasn't the one holding him. 

With deft skill, she deflected every bolt as he was finished off by purple Force Lightning then hurled away into nowhere, The Jedi Watchdog being the one that had come to the aid of the crew.

"I couldn't let you have all the fun now, could I?" Crokess remarked with a flourish of his purple lightsaber before he dove into the fray, shoulder to shoulder with his former pupil. 

"Master Crokess?!" Bastila exclaimed as she deflected a series of incoming blaster fire, glad to be fighting side by side. "Your arrival is well-timed and welcomed…!"

He simply nodded, easily and masterfully throwing his crossguard lightsaber through three attackers and taking them down at once. "Go to Dyna…!" He urged her firmly with an urgent look in his blind eyes. "I get the feeling that he'll need an anchor with that form…!" He thrust his hand into the air, letting out a volley of chaotic purple Force Lightning that bounced from attacker to attacker, letting out his righteous fury on them.

She was visibly surprised by the order, so much so that her situational awareness was briefly disturbed allowing a bandit to nearly get the drop on her before she spun and slashed him down with one end of her double-bladed lightsaber. She didn't even comment on the fact that he'd used what could be considered a Force technique of the Dark Side. "But Master-"

Almost instantly, he cut her off, urging again. "Trust me and go now!" There was a dead serious gaze when his blinded eyes met hers. "May the Force be with you…" He bid her with the last part remaining unspoken ... in tempering The DOOM Slayer…! 

And that very demon worse than demons was bearing down on Calo as he scrambled back through the sand in a heap of agony. "I-impossible!" He shouted with eyes wide beneath his goggles. "Lightsabers can't cut cortosis!"

There was almost a terrifying smirk on his face as he swiftly picked up his prey. "Neklyntine, tei raten ory tei zerit, tyre tor…!" (Adamantine, the metal of the gods, cuts all.) He cared not for the fact that the Bounty Hunter didn't understand a single word of what he'd said, the pungent scent of fear was enough for The Overdrive DOOM Slayer to know that just his presence and demonic voice had done the trick. 

Effortlessly, he threw him across the desert, flying into the mouth of the cave they had just emerged from. With a sickening crack, Calo struck the wall hard, his heads-up display showing all sorts of red warning lights before the crimson aura was all he saw again as The Mercenary instantly closed the distance between them. In a desperate panic, he extended his uninjured arm and fired a grappling cable that managed to pierce Dynamo right through the shoulder… Terrifyingly… he hadn't even flinched, in fact… he'd let it happen. 

Grabbing the cable with both hands, the Bounty Hunter swung as hard as he could… but the mountain of a demonic mutant would not budge. Instead, he ripped the hook out with that same look of pure rage and hate, beginning to drag Calo towards him. Beneath his goggles, his eyes went as wide as saucers as he scrambled to press a button on his wrist and disconnect the cable. All the while... The Mercenary was slowly, menacingly walking towards him, his wounds healing before the Bounty Hunter’s eyes in mere moments.

He spat at him through gritted teeth as he seethed venomously. "You think you're a Jedi!? You think you're invincible!" His armour was working hard to mend the severe wound as he dragged himself back as far as he could. "I've spent my entire career learning and developing techniques to counteract your power…! I've killed twenty-nine Jedi in my lifetime, two of them were Masters….!" Anger and panic echoed all around from his cracking voice as he fumbled for his weapon. "Do you really think you can defeat me?! To me, you're like a child!!!" 

The Second Hellwalker could have laughed at what he was hearing, his face between a terrifying grimace and sinister smile. "Vul sakar, inghast mityer nantare… Man'e neer Jedi…" (You poor,  narrow-minded fool… I am no Jedi…)

At that moment, the denial began to go away as he realized just who and what he was dealing with as The Overdrive DOOM Slayer grabbed him and violently flung him into the ceiling, letting him fall back down with a crack.

"Man'e tenea…" (I am fear) He continued in that same demonic tone, drawing closer as Calo rolled on his side and tried to crawl away. "Man'e garmar… Man'e exunt inkranath…!" (I am nightmare… I am death incarnate…!)

In a futile attempt, he reached for his blaster and fired off several shots înto The Mercenary’s face, sending his head recoiling backwards… Yet as he lowered it and the white smoke dissipated… He stared at the golden skull looking right at him while the muscle and skin healed, coming closer and closer. "En vul neer plod dromor men!" (And you can't kill me!)

The shock was visible on the Bounty Hunter's face as he desperately fired another blaster shot and another one, but he walked through them like they were nothing. In the blink of an eye, Dynamo grabbed him again and began tearing away the suit he wore. Calo's sensors were going red and flashing in his goggles as his chest piece was torn away violently before being cast aside.

"You Watchdogs are no better than the Jedi…!" He muttered as the demon worse than demons easily lifted him by the neck, his left hidden blade casting an eerie blue glow. "This is what the Jedi do, calling themselves the keepers of peace, the protectors of the galaxy…!" He sputtered out yet he felt the Adamantine grip tightening, closing off his airways and the pressure on the jugular began to deprive his mind of precious oxygen. "But they don't care how many bodies they leave in their wake…! They don't care who gets caught up in their wars…!"

The Demonic Mercenary sneered, baring his predatory canines as he brought his face closer. "Gavant col den ad nantare voltia kre imbertith typhm… Ad phimun bardath jukadent rekrubas venortor gur vuil exdravent kosdun en jekadri…" (Empty words from a fool living on borrowed time… A little boy playing bounty hunter with his fancy suit and toys…) 

With pure brutality, he slammed his body into the wall, making Calo cough up blood. His voice was demonically calm and cold as he continued. "Vul ershil marad dekad neamind gurant tem. Man styvul aldty fen tor pre dun, meran vynery aldy, sedythid hunos oryund rei dakte…!" (You are worse than nothing without them. I know your kind all too well, always blaming others, sowing chaos wherever they go.)

He was right up in his face, his voice lowered and twisted as the Bounty Hunter trembled, weakly grabbing at his wrists to try and loosen Dynamo's grip to no avail. "Tei sarmar rin ad phanteyich rekrubas venortor…! Neer skrapeul, neer hothra, neer etyki…! Neamind dro ad nernorcythed aarghida…! Seegurach colatirye lu Hust!" (The epitome of a pathetic bounty hunter. No scruples, no honour, no ethics. Nothing but a wretched paycheck. Safe trip to Hell!)

A loud crack and sizzle sounded as The DOOM Slayer plunged his burning blade completely into the Bounty Hunter's chest. Calo's mouth went agape, eyes forever wide in frozen fear as his lips quivered when the lightsaber Adamantine seared through the middle of his body. Not a moment later, his head slumped forward before he dropped his lifeless body unceremoniously on the cold cave floor.

Crimson royal blue eyes crossed by the yellow lines looked up… 

*****

Thanks to the timely arrival of The Jedi Watchdog, the fierce battle on the dunes ended quickly and efficiently. Also thanks to The War Veteran, the crew of the Ebon Hawk was uninjured for the most part, with only minor scrapes and bruises that were quickly mended by the two lingering Jedi. Strewn across the area were the bodies of the thugs being already reclaimed by the sands of Tatooine.

Behind the fallen Calo Nord was The Jedi Sentinel, having come to render aid as soon as she had dispatched her opponent and heeded her Master's order. She had just rounded the corner as The Mercenary had delivered the killing blow and the lifeless body hit the ground. She had felt his anger and hate surge, the burden, and sheer, choking pressure, but held strong in the face of it thanks to her Sentinel training. 

Their gazes met, silver-grey and crimson royal blue with yellow criss crossing lines. For an unending moment, she just stood, her lips slightly parted and her face a mixture of surprise and scorn. The heavy silence remained between them as he deactivated his left lightsaber blade.

"What have you done?" Bastila asked accusingly, her voice no more than a sharp whisper.

The Overdrive DOOM Slayer simply stared back, tilting his head to the side. There was no shift in his voice, nor did he control himself to speak in Basic anymore. "Ke terbie lu phi der." (What had to be done.)

While it didn’t frighten her to the point of being frozen, she was deeply concerned by what she was witnessing. Even with that, she didn't keep her lightsaber ignited. Perhaps she was being reckless and foolish in thinking that her command of the Force could potentially stop him in place, even with how gifted she was. "Georgian, you have to get out of that form…!" She urged him firmly, biting her lower lip for a moment before continuing, her voice rising and holding. "It made you do that…! He was beaten, he was unarmed!"

The Mercenary again stared at her silence, but he heeded her words, closing his eyes and focusing. The yellow sparks diminished and went away, followed by the crimson aura. Though there was a lingering deep demonic tone as he opened his lips and spoke. "So?" He asked with a sneer. "As long as he lived he was a threat and he just proved it." While the demonic influence was going away, his tone was still lowered and beastly, snarling almost. "He would have never been truly beaten… but you're right, I should've just broken every single bone in his body and left him whirling in agony…!"

Bastila frowned deeply, her eyes boring into him. "That is not what I mean and you know it." She countered, frankly dismayed by how he was acting. "We do NOT kill the defenseless! It's not the Jedi way!" 

Dynamo nearly laughed in her face, his head tilted to the side with narrowed eyes. "What about the Sith Governor back on Taris?!" He asked, his voice still low and chilling. "You struck him down when he was, as you say, beaten!" He argued with venom seeping into his voice. "But said that he wasn't after that!" Then he turned away and muttered in his beard with a glare from the corner of his eyes. "Hypocrite."

The words stung her because he was right in a way but she had a good reason to do that or at least that was what she wholeheartedly believed. "Yes… I did strike him down." She gave a slow nod, pangs of guilt rushing through her. "To save you from yourself." They both made errors for the best of reasons and she averted her eyes. She realized he could sense her feelings when she saw his face soften and his tone lose the beastly quality.

"I'm sorry…" He started, now looking away in shame as his shoulders dropped. "You were right to do it-"

"No," She interrupted. Her voice was still raised but it was directed more towards herself now. "No, I was wrong to do that, even if I had good intentions. I let my anger get the better of me. If we let ourselves lash out when we are angry then we are already on the path to the Dark Side. You already hold great anger within you, but you can't let it dictate what you do. We don't get to decide who lives and who dies. We are defenders, not warriors."

And here was where the difference in experience showed. Perhaps The Supreme Commander was more cynical due to all that he'd been through, but he was realistic. "You say that you're defenders… but to defend laws, freedoms and even your own principles must be broken. This is what war is, even on a galactic scale. The only certain freedom is Fifth Freedom." He stated, finally looking back at her. "The Mandalorian Wars reinforced that lesson to me and taught the same to your master and my brother. It is the same with this war."

The Young Jedi's brow furrowed, placing her hands on her hips as she retorted. "We fight for freedom and peace, not for the glory of war."

“The ‘why’ doesn’t change the ‘what’..." He corrected evenly and perhaps understandingly. There was an illusion here, one in which the harsh reality was cracking and peeling away. "The Jedi and the Watchdogs are very alike. The main difference… we don't lie to ourselves, Bastila. Kessi is the best example of a Jedi that understands. Heed your Master's lesson." The Mercenary turned away, beginning to leave as he uttered his last words on this matter for now. "Everything for the greater good."

It got her thinking on the matter as she let out a long sigh and followed him back out. She would have to meditate on this matter. This principle of Fifth Freedom is something very powerful and even dangerous… but in the right hands, used in the right way. All one had to do was not falter.

Easier said and done. Though her Master did it with such grace…

And that same Jedi Master broke her out of the reverie of sorts that she was in. 

"Bastila." Was all that he needed to say for her to turn her attention to him. She didn't reply with anything, sighing in frustration with her hands on her hips. Just from the body language, Crokess was able to discern. "You're infuriated with him…" It was a statement, not a question, one to which The Sentinel didn't reply. Part of her felt oddly ashamed, but there was no admonishment in his strong yet soft-spoken tone as he continued. "Even if Georgian had left Calo alive and just incapacitated, what would you have done with him then? If you let him go, he would have come back with more. Imprisoned? What use would that have been to you?"

Again, she was quiet as she listened, taking in his words and beginning to understand what he was saying. Though, her problem wasn't necessarily the fact that The Mercenary killed the Bounty Hunter, it was doing it while seemingly ruled by The DOOM Slayer. 

"If it was Malak instead, would you have admonished Georgian?" He asked with a familiar gentle firmness while placing a hand on her shoulder. 

“No, I suppose I wouldn’t have…” Bastila admitted with a long exhale, her gaze only on the ground.

"Not everyone deserves mercy, Bastila." He advised in the same tone, blind yet ever watchful eyes right on her. "Those that do... have the desire to change, subconscious or not."

She looked up to him, nodding sincerely. "I understand… I just don't want him to lose himself to it."

"He won't." He assured with a slight smile. "Have faith in him as you do in me and as he does in you."

*****

The twin suns of Tatooine began to descend on the horizon and were already hidden by the walls of the docking area in Anchorhead. It was where the Ebon Hawk had settled upon successfully returning from the eastern desert.

At the bottom of the loading ramp and leaning against one of the pistons that raised and lowered it was the demonic mutant with his arms crossed. The slight evening breeze flowed through his short black hair. A few meters away, the Young Scoundrel gave her brother one last embrace. 

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" Griff asked, holding his little sister closer protectively.

"I'm sure," Mission nodded with a small yet genuine smile, looking up at him. "You don't need to protect me anymore, nobody does. I've found my place, now it's time for you to find yours." 

There was nothing but pride as he tipped his head. She really seemed like the older one here, who'd outgrown him and he didn't mind in the slightest. "You've grown up so much," He said in almost awe and patted her head gently. "I'm proud of you… Mom and Dad would be proud too."

"I know," Again the Younger Twi'lek nodded with a tight-lipped smile, blinking back tears. "You don't need to worry about me anymore." A slight laugh came from her as she shrugged. "Besides, I have like three Jedi and a Wookie looking after me. Not that I need them to."

"I wouldn't have thought," Griff mused as he gently leaned down and kissed her forehead. "So long, Mission." He turned to go and began walking away towards the spaceport entrance with one last. "May the Force be with you!" Before he disappeared through the spaceport doorway.

Mission waved slowly as he was going away, knowing now that even if this was a goodbye, it would only be temporary. It was odd and bittersweet as she watched the last rays of light get snuffed out one by one, wanting to be reunited with him for so long and here they were, going their separate ways. Sighing and reflecting on her decision, she turned and walked back to the ship.

The Mercenary seemed to break out of his reverie as she approached, straightening and glancing at her. "For what it is worth, Mission, I am proud of you." He spoke firmly yet kindly, placing a hand on her shoulder. 

"Thank you, Dynamo." She brightened up somewhat, smiling up at him. It seemed like even though she'd been one of the people to witness the awakening of The Overdrive DOOM Slayer… her feelings hadn't changed towards the demonic mutant. "I found my place here and it's time he finds his as well." She stated resolutely, becoming more certain with every word. "I'm going to see this through to the end." Then, she suddenly threw her arms around his much larger figure, just holding the familial embrace. 

For the longest time, The Second Hellwalker was frozen, until he returned the embrace, his whole being protectively enveloping the petite by comparison Young Scoundrel. It was warm and comforting for both until he broke the silence. "You can head inside, Mission. I'll be right along." He assured, pulling away. 

"You're a great person, Jedi or not… always remember that, okay?" She simply smiled up at him and nodded, walking up inside to finally get a good night's rest. 

"She's a good kid." Came the sudden voice of The Jedi Watchdog as the steady hum of his steps reached The Mercenary’s much keener ears. 

He glanced to see him coming from around the ship, nodding only. "She is."

For a moment, his blind eyes narrowed as he could sense it through the Force, the turmoil in the demonic mutant, more than usual. "Are you alright?"

There was no way he could weasel out of this one, letting out a heavy sigh as he muttered in his beard. "I don't know..."

That was far from good enough for Crokess, folding his arms over his navy robes as he asked. "What happened back there? With the sparks?" His voice was calming and carried genuine concern for him as he thought it over. "Your power didn't have that… and the speed… it was equal if not beyond that of a Master drawing deeply on the Force."

Dynamo rubbed at his beard thoughtfully, muttering. "All I know is that I… snapped." He tried to remember exactly, but it was like everything was happening in slow motion and he wasn't fully there. "Just… I already had a lot on my mind and that one sight broke something in my head…" Though it wasn't just the sight, but the potential one that the Bounty Hunter had presented to The Knights of different Orders. 

"Or it just unleashed what was already there." He offered with a tilt of his head and a raise of his eyebrow. 

"Maybe." He nodded, the gears of his mind still spinning. "I have an idea about what it is." The motions had stopped, his gloved hand remaining on his chin as he informed. "The First Hellwalker has something similar. Haste or… Overdrive."

The Jedi War Veteran nodded himself, though once and slowly as he advised kindly. "You need to be careful with it. I know you're used to it but you can't let it get to you like that." There was understanding and compassion in his rather firm tone, despite the usual soft-spoken nature of it. "I'm not saying what you did was wrong… I wouldn't have let him walk away from that one either, yet you have to keep the urges in check."

A rumble came from The Mercenary as he nearly chuckled derisively, eyeing him. "So you're siding with your pupil…" He mumbled in his beard. "Expected."

At that, he frowned and glared right back, unperturbed as his tone rose a little. "Dynamo, listen to yourself and think, use that brilliant mind of yours." He admonished and advised. "You did the right thing for the wrong reason. There are fates worse than death after all and both of us know it. At the same time, he couldn't be allowed to live, for the sake of everyone else."

So, he did, taking a deep breath and doing his best to think rationally on the matter. "Forgive me for getting like that, Crokess..." It really wasn't fair of him to be saying that, sighing heavily with an apologetic note. "You're right…"

The Jedi Watchdog reached up and placed a firm hand on his shoulder, urging with a squeeze. "Learn from it. As you told me that your sister says: for as long as one lives they learn." He lightly shook him as a slight smile broke over his expression. "Now go get some rest, brother. You really look like you need it."

There was no use in arguing that one and The Final Knight knew it well. "I'll see you around then since you're tagging along somewhat."

"Well, not really. I have my own mission but I do not mind crossing paths." He replied with a wider smile.

He nodded and placed a hand on his shoulder in return, mirroring the gesture that'd been offered. "Stay safe, Kessi." Then he stepped back and stepped up the ramp, back into the Ebon Hawk 

"You too, Dyna." Crokess raised a hand as he bid his brother-in-arms like he frequently did. "May the Force be with you always."

Chapter Text

Even before the twin suns of Tatooine rose again, The Mercenary was already wide awake on the rooftops. Already making use of his keener senses, he tilted his head back as he was crouched on the corner of the roof of one of the taller buildings. The wind began to pick up with the rising suns, carrying with it many scents that he breathed in. Owerdryve. (Overdrive) For a moment, his closed eyes flashed red with yellow lines beneath the lids. This allowed him to immediately identify the scent that he was seeking, like a predator moving on the trail.

They needed to tie up a couple of loose ends within Anchorhead before leaving, the most pressing one in his mind was the matter of Bastila's mother. So, he was looking to get the other matters resolved before he went with her to the cantina that morning. This was one of them as the scent that he was tracking belonged to Iziz, the Jawa whom he'd promised to help with his captured brethren. It came from what looked to be a patched-up garage of sorts located within one of the sandstone buildings close to the Gate to the Dune Sea. 

Heading inside, The Final Knight recognised that the scents of the rescued Jawa were also present. There were around over a dozen Jawas inside, picking apart various technologies that they'd scavenged but he was able to single out Iziz. 

The small being had his yellow eyes right up at Dynamo, approaching him quickly while the ones around kept working.

"You of your kind, Iziz of Jawa would thank you for what was done." He spoke in the usual fast-paced and barely comprehensible language, but it had a clear note of gratefulness. "Mine have returned thanks to you. It is as was agreed, as Iziz hoped it was. I have things to give you... take and be welcome." From beneath his robes, he pulled out what seemed to be pieces of circuitry or some sort of technology. 

It was so haphazard that The Second Hellwalker wasn't going to risk it, even if he did appreciate the intent. "Thank you, but I have no need for such." He assured with a raise of his hand. "Stay safe, Iziz… you and your people" He bid him, satisfied and nodding to himself as he turned to leave. 

"You are a good friend of the Jawas," He remarked to himself as he watched The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer walk away. "We will remember when your kind are gone."

*****

The other matter that needed attending was the agreement made with the Czerka Corporation in order to be able to leave Anchorhead. To save on time, The Jedi Watchdog opted to head in, having the Chieftain's Gaffi stick on his person to be able to fulfill The Mercenary’s end of the deal.

With a slight mechanical whir to each of his steps, he walked straight to the desk where the Protocol Officer sat. She looked up at him in confusion, recognising clearly that he was a Jedi. It was strange, first the female Jedi with a Mercenary and even a Twi'lek girl in tow, now this rugged Jedi Veteran had come into her office.

"Hello, master Jedi." She greeted him with an overly large smile. "What can I do for you?"

That fake look that she had plastered on was something that Crokess abhorred and was ironically glad that he was blind in the traditional sense of the word. "I have gaffi sticks to redeem for bounties. I believe that they are part of the contract that a Mercenary friend of mine has struck with you." As he spoke, he set a series of them on her desk, making very subtle use of the Force simply to make things easier for the both of them.

"I see that, but do you have the all-important Chieftain's Gaffi?" She asked, wanting to be done. "That was what we agreed to get for us."

Crokess nodded and laid it on the table, having gotten it from Dynamo already. "Yes, here it is." 

"Well, that is a very big headache that you have removed." She nodded with a pleased look, partly influenced to get on with it faster, though she wanted to be done with the matter as fast as possible as well, however haphazard. "I'm sure there are still Sand People out there, but they will be quieter now. I think I'll give you a bonus for this." She prepared some credits for him though she was rather apathetic with it. "You've more than lived up to your side of the bargain. Czerka Corporation thanks you."

The Jedi Watchdog nearly scowled in disgust, but his overall neutral expression held firm as he raised a hand to assure. "I have no need for your credits." He masked the bite of his voice masterfully before turning swiftly. "Have a good day." He didn't even wish the Force to be with them. They didn't deserve it even if they were inevitably a part of it.

*****

Whatever lingering tension might have remained from the day before, it had been set aside and reconciled by The Knights of different Orders. Barely a few rays of light were peeking over the rooftops as they had arrived at the cantina. They wanted to get this done before the streets were bustling, especially The Mercenary since he wished to avoid their stares.

So they had gotten word and, as expected, after they stepped through into the empty cantina, their person of interest was waiting for them in the same corner of it.

The Sentinel made a beeline for it, the demonic mutant trailing after, much calmer by comparison. She sat down rather roughly in front of her with him taking the seat beside her.

Helena sat with her arms crossed, looking between them with a raise of her eyebrow. "Back already?" She asked her daughter rather hautly. "Have you even looked for the Holocron, yet?"

Bastila frowned as she reached into her robes and placed it on the table somewhat roughly. "I have the Holocron, Mother." She spoke with quiet resentment as her grip tightened. "I'm just not sure I want to give it to you."

Her gray eyes narrowed as she glared with contempt. "And why not? Would you deny me even that?"

"I've never denied you anything, Mother," She retorted with resentment. "You may think I don't remember what it was like before I left for the order, but I do. You were the one who pushed Father to go on one treasure hunt after the other." She spoke accusingly and with a piercing glare. "You loved living in wealth. Do you think I don't remember the fights? You were eager to send me to the Jedi, even though I didn't want to go. You took Father away from me, and now this Holocron is all I have of him."

"Foolish girl!" Helena scoffed with a dismissive wave of her hand and shake of her head. "You have a strange way of remembering things. That wasn't-"

Bastila cut her off with a stern frown. "No. I don't wish to argue with you anymore, Mother. It's time we parted ways, now, for both our benefit."

The Mercenary had kept silent throughout the exchange, leaning on the table with a hand and glancing between them though it finally set on The Sentinel. His senses and the slowly growing only helped him feel the distress that she was in as well as the fact that there was no smell of lies. "Perhaps you should listen to what she has to say," He urged calmly and with some more gentleness to his firm tone.

She turned to him with a beyond irritated glare. "You don't know her. My mother is notoriously deceptive when she wants something. Why should she have the Holocron?" Almost involuntarily as she asked that, she slid it closer to her, not letting go of it for a moment. 

Helena couldn't help but be saddened by her daughter's assessment, unfolding her arms and keeping her hands together on her lap. "Is it too difficult to believe that I am a dying woman who simply wishes to see her husband one last time?" She asked with a genuinely sorrowful tone.

The Jedi glared harshly and replied bitterly, even antagonistically. "I find it difficult to believe anything you say, Mother." 

A rather suppressed rumble echoed from within him, glancing between them again. "I'd suggest both of you give the other a break. Stop pushing, take a step back and let go of the unnecessary antagonism. You still have one another, work together to mend the rift before both of you regret it. Let go of the past and move on to something better together, because you can do so." 

Bastila gave a heavy sigh at his words, averting her eyes from him and looking at the battered Holocron. "You're right. It shames me, but I just... I find it difficult… to do so..." With a burdened yet apologetic gaze, she found the strength to look at Helena. "I'm... sorry, Mother."

She nodded in understanding, her voice gentler as she reflected and admitted. "I was hard on you, dear. I wasn't a very good mother to you, I know that."  It took courage to admit so and own up to it and she sincerely wanted to make this better between them. "Your father loved you so." She began to get a little misty-eyed at the memories. "He wanted you to be just like him... he wanted to take you on his hunts, but I said they were too dangerous."

The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer hummed from the back of his throat, remarking partly in his beard. "Treasure hunting is a dangerous occupation not suitable for a child..."

She nodded, still reminiscing in a bittersweet way. "I always tried to keep him from the dangerous ones, but he would have none of it." A light laugh escaped her before continuing. "It was a reckless life we led, always moving... I didn't want that for you."

There was a look of realization in Bastila's silver-gray eyes, the quiet question coming from her lips. "So that's why you gave me to the Order?"

"What do your father and I have to show for all those years of hunting? Nothing. That was no life for anyone, especially not someone as gifted as you." Helena went on to explain much more gently than before. "Your father... he spent all his last years trying to pay for my treatments. That's why he went for the pearls. I begged him not to, but…" She trailed off with a shuddering sigh.

Now, the word truly registered along with the gravity of the situation, leaving The Sentinel nearly breathless. "Your treatments…" 

Her mother only nodded with pain in her dulled gaze. "I'm dying, Bastila..." She spoke with resignation. "I did not lie about that. It's been a long time in the coming, and there's really nothing that can be done anymore. I told your father to let me go, but you know how he was." A bittersweet smile came to her lips. "Stubborn. Like you."

She blinked at the shock and the weight, averting her gaze as her voice caught in her throat. "I'm so sorry, Mother." Though she did look back at her eventually. "I don't know what to say…"

Helena slid a hand across the table, placing it over hers as she urged. "Keep the Holocron, Bastila." She smiled more genuinely and gratefully. "It would do me good to know you have it. This... talking to you... this is what I really needed before I…"

She couldn't help but smile in return, even if it had a hint of sorrow. "I know, Mother. Thank you." She placed her other hand over hers. "I'm glad we talked, too."

The older woman nodded, grinning still. "Well, now. You said you had important business, and you were never one to mince words." Her silver eyes glanced at The Mercenary as she addressed him firmly, yet with a protectiveness indicative of motherhood. "You there… You take care of my daughter, you hear me?"

"She's more than capable in her own right to do so…" The Final Knight replied with a note of admiration towards The Sentinel and understanding towards her mother, promising sincerely. "But you have my word that I will be watching over dutifully." 

"That's good." She nodded gratefully, even smiling slightly. "I'll feel a lot better knowing there's someone to watch her."

Bastila's eyes flickered to Dynamo before they went back to Helena with a pressing question. "Where are you going to go?" Her voice was laced with genuine concern. 

She shook her head, giving her a small smile. "It doesn't matter, dear. Don't you worry about me."

That wouldn't do for The Sentinel and she reached into her pack with one hand while taking her mother's in her other. "Here. Take these 500 credits." She said with firm gentleness while putting them in her hand, curling it over them. "That's all I have. Go to Coruscant and find a doctor. I'll meet you there after…" The words lodged in her throat for a moment. "After what I have to do."

Helena blinked a few times and rushed to speak. "But I already told you there's nothing that can-"

"Please, take it." She cut her off and implored,  for a moment searching her words. "I... want to see you again. When we can talk."

The demonic mutant had kept silent out of respect but he eventually felt the need to interject.  "If I may…?" He asked to speak up, drawing both of their gazes before he continued. "When you reach Coruscant, go to the Republic's headquarters and ask for Curie." He instructed Helena firmly yet benevolently promising. "Tell them Watchdog sent you. You won't need to pay them anything, they'll take good care of you… You have my word on that."

She could only stare at him with her lips slightly parted, unable to believe what he was implying. It was too good to be real. She glanced at her daughter as if seeking confirmation but she looked just as dumbfounded. Though Bastila was able to assure her mother that he was being genuine with a firm nod.

There was no way she was going to argue here, sighing with relent even if there was a slight smile on her lips. "Alright, I will." Her eyes set on her daughter as she got up and walked closer to her. "Now you do what you have to, Bastila. You go make your father and me proud."

The Sentinel nodded as she got up as well, embracing her mother for what felt like the longest time. "I'll try." She promised, only letting go after one last squeeze. "Farewell, Mother. May the Force be with you." 

With their goodbyes said and done, The Knights of different Orders left, emerging on the streets of Anchorhead as they were getting more and more crowded. Thankfully, their route was a quieter one. That or the effects of the presence of The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer were being seen yet again. Though that wasn't a point of concern for him, more so for the Jedi besides him.

"Do you feel better now?" Dynamo asked with a glance in his stride.

"Yes." She nodded, looking over with a grateful smile. "That brought me a lot of peace, more than I thought it would have." Her gaze was up at him, sincere with every word. "Thank you for urging me towards it, Georgian. After all my training, I would have thought it would have been easier. Apparently, I still have much to learn."

He nearly smirked but nodded in acknowledgement either way, musing knowingly. "A person, for as long as they live, they learn."  Though he fell rather unusually silent after, turning his head away and on the path ahead. "Bastila..." He started carefully. "Can I ask you something?" 

"Of course, Georgian." She nodded, much more open this time. The Sentinel had to admit internally that she was slightly worried, but she was willing to aid. "How can I help?" 

There was a question rattling around in his mind, especially when he compared their relative levels of experience. It didn't quite make sense. "Why did the Council send us on this mission?" 

"Why? I could not accomplish this on my own, I need the aid of others – especially one who is strong in the Force." She replied matter-of-factly though rather self-centered. "The bond between us made it a natural choice. Besides, the events on Taris proved that the Force wanted to bring us together for this mission, and there is little left to chance when the Force is involved." She replied, very much accepting of their circumstances before inquiring with a raise of her eyebrow. "Is that not enough for you?"

No, it wasn’t, not for his way of being. There was something about this whole thing that just felt off, hidden from him specifically, despite it being a genuine endeavor. "It just seems odd they would send us off without a Master. While, yes, we did have aid from Crokess, he's not tied to our mission and we have no guarantee that we will run into him again. It just so happened that our paths crossed."

"I admit, there were times that I wondered if this was more than just a mission to stop Malak." She pondered in stride, folding her arms with a hand on her chin."There were times when I wondered if this was also a way for the Council to test my own abilities."

The Mercenary frowned ever so slightly, not particularly liking that way of thinking. While it was a possibility, since every field mission was a test, it wasn't the reason or the purpose. That was merely tangential. Though other matters were at the forefront as he muttered. "I get the feeling that there's more going on than I, even we, are aware of..." And that was saying something considering the network that the Intel branch had.

Though The Sentinel didn't quite catch it, continuing with her own musings. "I wondered if the Council wanted to see how I would help and guide you on our quest." Though that he found more reasonable, considering his caliber. "I wondered if they were testing me to see if I was ready to become a Jedi Master myself. And then I realized how foolish such thoughts were. As the Council explained, sending a Master in our group would only have drawn unwanted attention from the Sith. The fate of the galaxy is at stake, the Council would not risk it merely to test me. They calculated the risks and in the end, chose the only option available."

For a second there, her reasoning was more understandable, considering the prestige that The Final Knight had, much to his ire in a way. Though he could understand that line of thinking, that this was a trial for her. In some ways, that was possible, but it wasn't the focus which she definitely stated. Surprisingly or not, he shook his head once in his stride. "Right… that can all be the case, factors… but I'm still not convinced it's all there is." Perhaps he was being hypocritical, because he'd dealt and withheld information himself, having it be classified, though never with operatives of a mission of this caliber.

"Georgian, you must learn to trust in the wisdom of the Council." She instructed him with a slight tone of admonishment. "Your destiny will come in its appointed time. You mustn't be so impatient."

He could have broken down in a holler of laughter at that one but kept his composure without issues, even if his retort was dripping with teasing sarcasm. "Me? Impatient?" Dynamo asked rhetorically with a near side grin before continuing. "You're the one who thought this was her big audition for 'Masterhood'."

"Must you be so frustrating?" Bastila groaned and rolled her eyes then glared harshly at him. "I admit, I had a moment of foolish pride." She gave a sigh of relent before adamantly stating. "But I'm over it. Now I am focused on my true responsibilities. I am simply trying to help you and complete this mission, and yet you battle me at every turn!"

"Well, I'd say that you have succeeded at helping so far, though there's nothing I can do when my skull is so literally thick." He tapped the side of his head with a rather smug look, though his praise had been sincere. "Besides… you started it this time."

"I started it? You were the one who brought up the issue of the Council!" The Jedi raised her eyebrows incredulously and pointed her finger at him. "You were the one who questioned our mission! You're the one who mocked me for thinking I was being tested!"

Were he not so thickly skulled and skinned, he might have taken offense to that. His Romanian must have been showing as he replied with a teasing near smirk. "Careful there, Bastila. Remember your self-control and rational thinking." 

Bastila could only stare at him, blinking the befuddlement out of her eyes. "You… you are a very odd man, do you know that? I simply don't know how to deal with you. All I want to do is help you, but you seem determined to drive me mad."

"Complain all you want, but I know you love it." He rubbed at his beard as he spoke, taking note that she called him a 'man'. It didn't matter the adjective… it was… humanizing for the demonic mutant. "At least it is the good kind of madness, trust me. It's not bad once you accept it."

She looked at him all mixed up, letting out an exasperated sigh as she fought the smile that tugged at her lips. "I don't know if I should be outraged that you keep joking about serious matters, or I should be grateful that you can always lighten the mood. Come on, come, let's move on… there's much to be done."

The Jedi led the way up the ramp and back in the Ebon Hawk. She took note of the fact that Dynamo's expression had become more serious now and for some reason, it brought a slight sense of sadness. She… liked when he was a bit more open, when she saw less of The Soldier and more of simply Georgian. 

Their paths split for a little while as she went to the Nav chart where Carth and T3 were. The latter were working on getting the coordinates loaded and adding to the set they had while also charting out a route to resupply. This was mainly because the prices on Yavin Station were much better than anywhere else and the quality was far beyond anything that Czerka made on Tatooine. 

On the other hand, The Mercenary headed to check on the crew before departing and planning out the next planet. Their last conversation had stirred something dark in him… and The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer was fighting to hold it back.

My, my, what is this…? Is the Mercenary getting soft? It crawled back out from the recesses of his mind, chuckling derisively 

Da, și? Am și eu dreptul! (Yeah, so? Even I have the right!) Dynamo snapped at it through gritted teeth.

Even you. Though he couldn't see its face, it was like he could hear the twisted smile it had as it continued taunting him. It's going to feel even better when I take it all.

Man ben kar and tuk vul…! (I will rip and tear you.) The demonic voice of The DOOM Slayer boomed, drowning out all else as he sought to assert himself. Atcea est richi aldty demind…!  Algi MAN imardre ultremate! (This is not your domain. Here I reign supreme)

And assert himself he thankfully did with the suffocating feeling fading away, just time as he entered the storage room. There, he found the Mandalorian hunched over on the workbench, upgrading his rifle with parts picked up from the weapons of their attackers. 

"Here for another war story?" He asked the demonic mutant with a simple glance over his shoulder. 

In his stride, he raised a hand and replied. "Just here to check on you." Before leaning back on the metal wall next to him and folding his arms.

"We both know how tough I am, there's no need to," Canderous replied rather gruffly and even harshly as he cleaned the barrel. "That squabble can't even be called a fight…! I had to go bare-handed to make it fair and, even then, it was lackluster against those bantha fodder."

True, he didn't exert himself that much either, it was more the mental one that was costly. "Fair enough." 

"Ah, but the battles of the past… The war with the Republic. The one where the Jedi Revan beat my people. We started by conquering worlds just outside the Republic. We did it quietly so the Republic wouldn't really know what was going on until too late. When we finally did hit the Republic worlds, they had no idea we were coming. We came in through three invasion corridors in adjacent sectors. Anyone who put up a fight – or wouldn't fight – was crushed. We razed whole worlds trying to provoke the Republic into fighting us. I don't particularly enjoy wiping out worlds for its own sake, but the cowardly tactics the Republic defenders used left us little choice."

That was a good tactic, all things considered. While there was no way he could condone it, he could see how the mind behind it thought. That in turn allowed him to devise countermeasures. It was very much a brute force kind of assault, fitting for the Mandalorians. His brow furrowed and he found himself asking. "No honour in defending themselves?" 

"Hiding in the homes of civilians," Canderous explained with a snarl of disdain. "Using families as shields. Thinking we would not use appropriate force on their bases inside major cities. They underestimated our resolve and what measures are acceptable in war. Those who cannot defend themselves should not be around those who can in battle. If annihilating a city is the kind of power it takes to overwhelm a Republic shield device, then that's what we did. Necessary force to destroy all opposition."

That had been a grave error on the part of the Republic, since making sure that the innocent were safe should have been a priority. Indeed, they had underestimated the Mandalorians, something that the Watchdogs never did when acting in the background of it. Though still, war carried rules of engagement and there were many, even more effective ways to accomplish what the Mandalorians had. "You could have found another way." Dynamo offered calmly, even knowingly thanks to having the wisdom of a Supreme Commander. 

"I have no time or patience for cowards!" The Mandalorian snapped frustrated, slamming his hands on the workbench and making several pieces fall to the floor. "They deserve to be hunted down and exterminated like vermin! There was no honour in wiping them out like rats." With a deep breath, he gathered what had fallen, continuing in a calmer tone. "But some of your forces did redeem the Republic in our eyes… especially later… when Revan and you explicitly had joined the war. But we'll get back to that, we've wasted too much time already." He said with finality, his attention going back fully to his rifle.

The Mercenary had frowned initially, though he found that he could understand the mentality and he could work with it, mold it maybe into something better, greater. If he wanted honor through combat, then The Final Knight would give him exactly that. "Very well, Canderous. We'll speak another time." He straightened and nodded, getting one from the other in reply before he left.

Thanks to his enhanced senses, he could feel that they had taken off from Tatooine, being now airborne and exiting the atmosphere. Soon enough, the constant droning hum of hyperspace around them was the only thing that was heard.

Though for his keen Overdrive senses, at least when focusing and tapping into it, there was another. The soft yet urgent steps of the Cathar Jedi.

With a rather stern yet hushed tone, she spoke first upon making sure that no one else could possibly hear them. "You should be warier of the Mandalorian…" She warned with a clear edge to it. "Their kind are not to be trusted."

"Juhani, I know what his people did…" Dynamo spoke calmly as he folded his arms, urging. "But you cannot let that cloud your judgement on who he is now. People have the capacity to change."

There was a visible pause before relenting with a long sigh. "You… are correct." She had to admit, having noted the wisdom in his words.  "I should keep my mind clear of these darkened thoughts." Her voice held a note of admonishment towards herself before reminiscing. "I should act more like the Jedi I met back home. They were so… invigorating." 

"Focus on the bright side, quite literally in this case. Though it is healthy not to lose sight of the other aspects." The demonic mutant advised with a note of kindness and ever knowing, before becoming quite curious about the assessment. "Invigorating? How so?" 

"They were so very alive." She recalled awed, going over to sit down on one of the benches in the common room, though off to the side where her usual spot was. "So full of hope and energy and zeal. In retrospect, I can see it was a little bit tragic…" Her voice trailed off as she looked away.

He could see what she meant, especially when remembering how his brother-in-arms had been before the Mandalorian war. "In what way?"

"These Jedi were going to fight the Mandalorians just after they had invaded. Many of those Jedi perished in the fighting." The Cathar Guardian explained in a bittersweet way before her eyes sparkled with the awe of the memories. "But to us, they seemed invincible, especially their leader, who they talked about all the time. Paragons of light and justice, sweeping away all iniquity before them. It was like looking at gods…"

With many of those who survived turning, that was what crossed the demonic mutant's mind. It was quite endearing, how the mind of a child perceived those like his good brother. At the same time, while he did trust her to a certain extent, he still felt the need to warn her in a way. "Careful with the comparisons there." Though there was a note of light sort of teasing. 

"I know that! I was merely using poetic license!" She frowned slightly though senses that he was being light-hearted with it. There was a sigh from her that fought back a slight smile before continuing. "But those Jedi… They were enthralling… Everyone wanted to just touch them. Some people thought it would bring them luck. Not that the peace they brought lasted very long…"

It was quite common to see such a reply from people toward savior figures. It came down to them to steer and inspire them for the better hopefully. Sadly, he already knew why the peace hadn't been durable. "Because the Jedi left for war after and no one really remained to maintain it."

"Yes, and the people grew complacent." Juhani nodded as she recounted sorrowfully. "Those who had been wronged saw their chance at revenge… and so the cycle continues. The oppressed become the new generation of oppressors. The human oppressed that is…" An edge of resentment laced her voice. "The non-humans were never treated well in any case… We felt the brunt of both administrations…"

Just as The Mercenary expected, unfortunately. Without an active struggle, change was not permanent or even longer-lasting. What was worse, without leadership and attention to every walk of life, people, good people, ended up suffering needlessly. "All species are capable of intolerance. Sadly, humans seem to be specialists." It was something that he'd come to note time and time again, across whole Realms even

"Yes, they seem to be the most pervasive… the most consistent." She nodded with resentment building up, before continuing. "They took their frustrations and hate out on us because the people they wanted had already fled or were too well protected! But no one looks out for the injustices we suffered!" Her voice snapped with anger before she recoiled at herself in shock, even horror. "Oh, no! But…" She stopped herself and shook her head in embarrassment. "I am sorry, I should not have outbursts like that."

Dynamo reached out and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It is alright. As long as you do not let your anger influence you," He nodded in understanding. 

"Don't you see? The very fact I mentioned it means it has its influence." She stated then sighed, averting her distraught feline eyes while reciting. "Anger can lead to the dark side and I must be ever careful that I do not fall back into those ways."

The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer knew all too well how it was to live with anger, with hate, with the pain of the endless kind. "It is normal to become angry at such situations, but it is important to control it, temper it, or even focus it to achieve what you strive for. The most important aspect is keeping sight of what is wrong and yourself."

"I… I thank you for your support." Despite the nod which indicated that Juhani was appreciative of his words, she still apologized sincerely. "My outburst was uncalled for, but you did not lash back at me. You are a much better Jedi than I, it would seem…"

He was immediately humbled by the assessment, raising his other hand to assure. "Don't worry about it, we're in this together after all." The Final Knight stated benevolently and with sincerity in each word. "I had and have no good reason to. Plus… I am no Jedi, Juhani. Merely an honorary one. You're the actual Jedi between the two of us." 

The Cathar Guardian could only stare at him for the longest time, almost in disbelief at his assessment. Before she could reply in any sort of way, he simply bowed his head to take his leave silently. She was quite honestly left in awe, having seen, having felt what it was like to be in the vicinity of The DOOM Slayer, but at the same time observing how… human he truly was. 

This was no crimson royal blue-eyed demon in human flesh, but a man with some of the heaviest burdens and responsibilities in all of the Galaxy, maybe even beyond that.

*****

"Statement: HK-47 is ready to serve, master." The warbled voice sounded out with unhinged eagerness upon spotting The Mercenary coming into the loading ramp area.

Being called 'master' was something that irked him to no end. He could accept 'Boss' since that was what The Supreme Commander was but 'master'... it just left a bad taste in his mouth. Most likely because of Sleheyron and the slave trade problems that plagued the Galaxy. The Watchdog persona had been invaluable, but even he with his vast network wasn't able to put a full stop to it. 

Though, it was better to focus on the present and, in this case, HK-47, a droid that felt… oddly familiar, yet not to him specifically. It was… very strange and unnerving, like a buried side unknown to him was being tugged at. "I would like to know more about your functionality, if at all possible."

With rather jerky movements, it nodded. "Statement: I know some elements of my functionality, master, but not all."

That was odd, furrowing his brow as he rubbed at his beard, asking. "I thought you said that removing your restraining bolt would restore your memory?"

"Qualification: I suspected that it might, master. But without memory, I had no way of knowing whether or not I knew that was true."

Now that was an unfortunate choice of words, one which got on Dynamo's nerves with its technicality. "So you basically lied to me."

"Qualification: Err… not so much, master. I spoke out of ignorance." It tried to argue in its slightly strained robotic voice. "I assumed the Ithorian was responsible for my memory loss. That does not mean I am not a fully loyal droid willing to serve its master. Right… master?" A rather sleazy note crossed its tone.

This whole situation smelled worse than a Selkath on Tatooine to the point that he didn't even need his enhanced senses. "How can you not know parts of your functionality?" He asked incredulously. 

"Answer: There have been numerous repairs and tampering made to my system, master. Several systems are not operating as they should be." It explained rather evenly and believable. "The fact that my memory is incomplete may be due to meatbag incompetence… or something else I am unaware of."

That last part could be quite concerning. For all intents and purposes, the droid could have very well been housing a bomb for it to self-destruct. That was the case more often than not. Though The Mercenary went with the simpler explanation first, inquiring. "Are you damaged?"

"Answer: I believe I have been damaged several times in the past, master. I have always been repaired… but perhaps full functionality has not been restored." It said with notable annoyance over the fact.

Dynamo gave a long sigh, running a hand back through his hair as he leaned back on one of the walls. "Tell me what you can, then."

"Observation: I am sure that you are aware of the majority of my skills, master." It stated rather proudly. "I can handle various sorts of heavy weaponry with ease. My physical abilities are well-above those of your average meatbag, as are my sensor functions… an assassin if you would."

Though it wasn't unheard of in the slightest for The Final Knight. "So an assassination droid?"

"Caution: Shhhh, master! Such a function in a droid is highly illegal." It 'whispered' deviously, a smirk in its tone.

The demonic mutant huffed with a roll of his eyes. "Well, it's not like I'll tell anyone."

"Commentary: Good, for I would truly hate to be turned into spare scrap, master. That would be a waste of my genius engineering." It remarked rather dramatically before its tone shifted to an informative one. "Answer: My assassination functions are currently non-functional, having been de-activated by the meatbag Yuka Laka on Tatooine. Were they functional, you as my master would be able to specify a target and I would operate independently to the best of my ability to terminate it." Again, despite it not having the ability to visibly emote, there seemed to be a snicker in its warbles.

That first one wasn't off the table quite yet, though as long as it didn't step out of The Mercenary’s instructions, HK-47 wouldn't be ripped apart bolt by bolt by his very hands. He could see the potential asset that such a function could be, were it able to be used, but he could also anticipate the downsides. "I assume that function has been used more than a few times."

"Answer: I have no way of knowing that, master." It shrugged jerkily, still 'smirking' as it tapped the side of its head plate."My memory has been deleted, remember?"

With his perfect memory, there was no way he would forget. The demonic mutant rubbed at his beard with a simple idea coming, offering almost. "Is there any way to repair it?"

"Answer: Some of my motor functions can be safely repaired, master… but anything in relation to my memory core is extremely sensitive. I have safeguards installed to protect that core that I cannot deactivate. It is not impossible that other, lesser, memory functions could be restored, however." It explained, rather intrigued by the prospect. "You may attempt to restore portions of my deleted memory, master, but some skill at repair is required. The deeper functions of my core memory, however, would still be inadvisable to tamper with." There was a slight pause as it proceeded. "Conjecture: It is possible that some external stimulus might result in the memory core being reactivated… but I am unaware of any program existence to do so."

That was a good start so to say. Hopefully, he had enough technical knowledge though the SMI would certainly be of aid as well, maybe HK would offer its own advice during the fact. That would be preferable if it wanted so badly to stay in one piece. "So you're saying your memory might just… come back?" He nodded along, motioning with one hand before folding it again. 

"Conjecture: There may be hidden programming that awaits certain conditions to reactivate my memory core, master… but there is no way to know." HK seemed to sigh as it had to voice the dire possibility. "It is quite possible that tampering has simply erased my core permanently. If that is so, a meatbag will surely pay!" It snarled though its voice box didn't crack.

In all honesty, The Final would prefer the first one, it made sense and it would prevent the bloodbath, or in this case, bolt and scrap bath. Either way, he was quite eager to get on with this. "So how do I go about restoring part of your memory?" He asked, stepping closer while leaving his hands at his sides.

"Answer: Simply tell me that you wish to make the attempt, master, and I will attempt to walk you through it. Please do be careful." HK-47 pleaded somewhat on the last part, though the offer sounded genuine.

Dynamo simply nodded and requested sternly. "Then I would like to try restoring some of your memory."

"Affirmative: If you believe your skills are up to the task, master, then I can certainly guide you through the process." It stated rather chipper at the prospect, though quickly added. "Request: I only ask that you be oh so very careful, master. I am too valuable and well-crafted to perish at the hands of ineptitude."

The demonic mutant rubbed at his beard and almost smirked as he assured. "I happen to be very good at what I do."

It nodded a few times, somewhat derisively even before pleading. "Appeasement: Yes, master. Of course, master. Could we begin?"

With a deft hum from the back of his throat, he simply nodded.

"Statement: As you wish, master. The first stage is the simple one, and that is accessing my central control cluster. This may take a while. First, you will need to open three panels…"

Soon enough he'd settled into a sort of routine as he listened to each of the assassin protocol droid's instructions without any issues. Being inherently patient was a blessing in this case because the hour passed rather quickly with his gloved fingers working almost masterfully while being instructed. Dynamo was certain that he couldn't have done this on his own and from his own knowledge, he'd never worked on droids before, but he was good at following instructions and had enough common sense to not mess up and potentially cause HK-47 to self-destruct.

"…and now rewire the last three relays… yes, good. Well done, master. I believe your operation was a success." HK stated triumphantly before pausing, informing. "Accessing new memory… Access complete: I have restored a great deal of information about my previous owner, master. Would you like to hear it?"

Dynamo only nodded,  folding his arms and leaning back on the metal wall. "Of course."

"Recitation: The earliest memory of my last owner specifies that he was human, a low-ranking commercial officer for Systech Corporation. I am unaware of his designation. He purchased me from an acquaintance I cannot identify, for the purposes of protocol and bodyguard duties."

Pretty mundane start in all honesty, but he figured that it would ramp up soon enough. Somewhat curious just for the sake of it, he asked. "Why can't you identify his acquaintance?"

"Explanation: That previous owner is part of memories that are still deleted, master." It stated evenly and shrugged jerkily. "It is customary for a droid's memory to be wiped when it is sold." 

"Right." He nodded rather simply before urging inquisitively. "Back on track though. This man needed a bodyguard?"

"Observation: Not that I could perceive, master." It replied before a note of amusement crept into its tone. "The human believed that accompaniment by a bodyguard droid would increase his importance in the perception of others."

"This man… is he still alive?" The Mercenary asked though figured that was likely not the case.

"Answer: Negative, master. The human was terminated by this HK-47 unit prior to system shut-down." It replied proudly, again smirking in its mere tone

It was pretty much what he expected. "So you killed your own master." He stated bluntly, tilting his head to the side.

"Affirmative, master, though I had not been programmed to do so. The human's termination was accidental." There was an odd twinge of… more disappointment than regret before continuing. "Explanation: My former master had owned me for a duration of two standard months before discovering my assassination protocol. He was pleased by the discovery. The human informed me that a competitor corporation was preparing to market a product that would ruin him personally. He was most agitated. He activated my assassination protocol and instructed me to kill all those responsible for the competing product. I proceeded to carry out my order."

Oddly convenient how that happened. Thankfully this whole thing stunk only metaphorically because if it actually did so, even the demonic mutant would have been sick. "Did you recover more about this assassination protocol?" He asked, his hand on his chin and lightly rubbing at it.

"Information: This HK-47 unit is complete with a protocol that, when invoked, will set me to independently carry out a termination. I will go to whatever lengths, travel whatever distances are required, to complete the termination. This is the reason for my combat skills. Advisement: Unfortunately, the assassination protocol is currently non-functional. You will not be able to activate it."

His brow furrowed, though it wasn't like he would ever have a need for it… although one never knew. "What caused it to be inoperable?" His hand remained in his beard, in a way, he settled in to listen to the tale.

"Answer: several of my actuators were damaged by my former owner. They cannot be repaired, master, sad though that is." And indeed its voice had a note of lament, not that much though. "My former master was unaware of this, but the competitor was, in fact, an arm of Systech Corporation, my master's own employer. It did not take long for my master to realize his mistake. By then, I had already terminated 104 corporate officers." Pride had entered its tone.

Now that was quite… hilarious in a very messed up sort of way, morbid irony was perhaps the operative word. "So he set you upon his own company?" Maybe Dynamo would have laughed at that one, but he was still far from being that open. The limit was as such, quietly amused.

"Observation: While it may have been unintentional, my master's wording of his orders left little room for me." HK-47 shrugged lightly. "Systech was responsible for the product, after all. I do not know why my master was so upset. He was an officer of Systech and a potential target, but I cannot terminate my own master. I would assume that being the sole officer remaining, he would surely be promoted. Instead, however, the human chose to go insane with rage and attack me." It ended with a note of clear disappointment yet no regret. 

Oh now this was just getting better. Part of him felt a little bad for what the guy must've been going through, but a bigger part of him believed this to simply be the best case of karma in all the Realms. Maybe that was an exaggeration, most definitely actually. "And that's when you killed him?" Dynamo questioned, figuring that would be the most poetic justice fate weaved.

"Objection: Naturally not, master!" It stated in clear outrage. "As I said, I am incapable of purposefully terminating my owner. That would not be allowed. My master was not a smart man, however. While he was screaming and stabbing me with a writing utensil, he managed to pierce one of my actuators. The resulting shock terminated him and, sadly, destroyed my assassination protocol. Pure luck on his part, I suspect." HK was much more regretful for its function than its previous owner. 

"So you destroyed his life and then killed him, basically." Was the succinct conclusion that The Second Hellwalker came to.

"Observation: Effectively, yes. This is a most pleasing memory, master. Thank you for recovering it." It nodded and spoke surprisingly genuine before continuing to recall. "I shut down immediately whenever my master dies. I can only assume that while I was shut down Systech was dismantled and I was auctioned off as former corporate property." HK paused for a moment in the thought, becoming rather indignant and surly. "Observation: No doubt my sale price was quite cheap, leading to Yuka Laka's purchase. How very demeaning."

He furrowed his brow with a tilt of his head, asking. "Didn't they know what you had done?" Then again, he quickly considered the fact that any buyer would likely not look into its past records and just 'enjoy' the protocol-assassin droid's functions. 

"Statement: How could they? The vast majority of the officers had already been terminated. They likely assumed I was mere… chattel." HK was again very indignant about the fact, annoyed even.

Dynamo figured that was the case, though he found the droid's irritation to be mere karma as well as oddly amusing in its mannerisms. "Did you recover any other memories?" Was a much more important question. 

"I have recovered knowledge of some other actuators which will enhance my performance, master. I will activate them now." There was a long pause as it went still while processing. "Access complete: I have recovered information on my owner previous to the commercial officer, master. Intriguing."

If HK-47 found it so, then the attention of The Mercenary was captured beyond just mere curiosity. "What's so intriguing?"

"Statement: It appears that my previous owner was a human senator on the planet Coruscant." The note of intrigue remained in its tone, rather eager to go through its recovered history. "A man of importance who obviously appreciated quality craftsmanship."

Several ideas of how this person was already began to crop up in Dynamo’s mind. More often than not, senators were not the best, to say the least, and were the reason why he preferred the military organisation of the Watchdogs, however alike it was to running a nation. "And how did he get a hold of you?" He inquired.

"Answer: I am unsure, master." Its tone elicited the same as it had the reason for the fact. "Any knowledge of my owner prior to him is still deleted. The senator did assume I was a protocol droid, however. I do remember that I was very pleased to be the property of a senator. One of his assistants discovered my assassination functions later through questioning. The assistant was quite alarmed and told the senator I should be scrapped quickly to avoid a scandal. Naturally, the senator had me eliminate the fool."

Expected. Very much expected on the part of The Mercenary. The mental image of how that happened, or at least the way HK-47 recounted it made it morbidly hilarious. "So we're not talking about a nice senator, I see." He remarked with a wry grimace.

"Observation: Senators are not nice, master." It stated before it tried to emulate the voice of its senator master. "They are either on top of the game or yesterday's news." Then it went back to its usual one. "My master told me that frequently, you see. I was most proud to have partaken in the political system of the galaxy. During the time my owner possessed me, he gained significant rank. Given time, I believe he could have become Chancellor." There was a clear fondness in its robotic tones. "I even eliminated a few key opponents that he did not ask for… freebies if you will."

The Final Knight had to let out a sigh at how right the protocol-assassin droid was on that first one, though he still found the wording darkly amusing. "So he just killed all his opponents?" He asked with a note of amusement underlying his voice.

"Answer: There are a lot of politicians on Coruscant, master. I could spend decades slaughtering them and still not make a dent." It spoke, clearly amused as well and even fantasising about such a scenario. "And it is not as if I walked into the Senate chambers with a carbonite explosive. I was very discrete. My best work to date… that I can remember." The last part was quickly added before getting back on track. "Observation: I think he would have done far better had he not allowed his use of me to become personal. He set me on his wife."

A note of sarcasm crossed his voice. "And why would he do that?" The Final Knight inquired, merely to confirm what was a rather obvious suspicion. 

"Answer: I am unsure. The human was most agitated and angry. I believe his wife had done something that had displeased him greatly." HK stated with more wonder than anything, not that it cared. "I was to go to their summer estate and terminate his wife… along with whatever male companion I discovered there."

Just as the demonic mutant expected. "So his wife was cheating on him."

"Answer: I have no idea, master." The protocol-assassin droid shrugged. "Cheating seems to be a relevant term only when one is caught in the act. Otherwise, it is viewed as intelligence, no? I journeyed to the southern continent, but it appeared my master was not far behind me. Apparently, he regretted his activation of the protocol. When I found the wife and her companion, I proceeded to launch my attack… but my master interposed his own body and was destroyed. It was rather a strange meatbag thing to do, do you not agree?" It asked rhetorically before continuing. "Naturally, I shut myself down, my master being terminated."

This was just getting more and more morbidly hilarious, remarking. "So that's two out of two masters killed."

"Observation: Only so far, master," HK-47 stated smugly. "There are still more memories not recovered, remember?"

With a brief nod, he asked, sensing that it was nearing the end of it and it would lead to the first recovered memory. "What happened to you then?"

"Statement: I believe the senator's wife was unsure of what I was or what to do with me." It was rather indignant of the whole thing,  almost scoffing at the first part. "It was she who sold me to the corporate officer, an acquaintance."

He rubbed at his beard with a remark under his breath. "Well, it appears he got a conscience at the end." Though he was aware that it was more wishful thinking and it did not really matter now.

"Observation: I find that unlikely. Perhaps he was more concerned that the death of his wife would be more likely traced back to him." HK merely shrugged on the matter.

And so did The Mercenary, moving on with his inquiry. "Have you recovered any other memories?"

"Answer: As previously, I have found a few more programs which will enhance my performance. A most gratifying discovery, in fact." The protocol-assassin droid stated proudly before going silent again as it processed. "Access complete: I have accessed information on my owner prior to the senator, master. Most… unexpected."

Now that sparked his attention and curiosity more if even HK-47 was surprised by what was uncovered. "Why is that?"

"Answer: It appears that previous to my ownership by the senator, I was the property of one Bochaba the Hutt on the planet Sleheyron." It related with genuine intrigue in its warbled tones.

That was very fitting for HK-47 and he figured that he was right at home, considering the degeneracy of that planet. et. The only way to definitively deal with it was to blow it out of existence… but each implication had too many consequences, both able to be foreseen and unexpected. "So you were a gangster's assassin droid." He said with a near smirk.

"Statement: So it appears, master." HK-47 nodded with a pleased tone. "A rather suitable occupation, would you not agree?" It asked rhetorically before humming. "Hmm. My memory tells me that, for a time, Bochaba was one of the most feared gangsters on Sleheyron. I helped him with his reputation greatly. Over a span of one year, I terminated a grand total of three hundred twenty-two sentient meatbags. These contracts made Bochaba very wealthy."

In the area of contract killings, that was a rather impressive number, though it was a drop in the bucket of blood spilled by The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer. As such, he was impassive to it, more interested in something else. "And so what happened to stop that?" It had to have slipped up, frankly, he was more intrigued to find out how the Hutt met his demise.

"Answer: It was unfortunate but inevitable that eventually, Bochaba would overstep his bounds. I had just cleared two Hutt households when the Exchange retaliated." It replied matter-of-factly then continued. "Statement: I was not even present when my old master was assassinated. I did appreciate the artistry behind his demise upon my return, however."

Again, it was expected that was the case, now to see how exactly, or at least get an idea. He knew it had to be gruesome, the simple question was what made it so. "If it got you to appreciate the method, then it has to be something… special."

"Answer: Allow me to say that I have little doubt that residents of that sector were fishing pieces of Bochaba out of their soup for weeks afterward." There was a clearly amused way of speaking to it. "At any rate, I quickly shut down upon my master's death. The rival Hutt claimed me along with my master's other possessions." It shrugged and remarked. "Observation: If that Hutt had only known my true function, he surely would not have sold me to a senator he bribed regularly."

And there they had come full circle so to say, reaching the point where the senator came into play. "You would have preferred to stay on Sleheyron?" He asked just out of curiosity. 

"Observation: It would have suited my character, master," HK replied proudly. "I have enjoyed my existence since, more or less, so I do not miss it."

Considering the antics that followed and its glee during them, that wasn't much of a surprise. He also surmised that just being out of that corrosive atmosphere was better. "Do you remember anything else?"

"Answer: Affirmative, master. I believe I can restore several programs the Hutt installed to improve my performance." It paused a little before a grin entered its tone. " Yesss… they are now active." Another pause came, followed by the appropriate tone to the statement." Contemplative: I wonder how many more dead masters I might have out there. A droid can live for a long time, you know."

Dynamo merely nodded and shrugged, urging. "Then let's see what that remaining memory is."

HK-47 nodded as well, informing. "Access complete: I have recovered the last of my deleted memory, master. Unfortunately, my history is still not complete."

That was to be expected and he spoke while rubbing his chin. "Because the majority of your memory is still locked within your core,  right? So you need the appropriate stimuli, but we, unfortunately, have no idea what that might be." There was a sigh from him before inquiring. "Are you sure your core isn't just damaged?"

"Observation: If it was, master, your restorations will certainly have ensured that the proper stimulus restores my core's functions. Sadly, that could have already happened and we missed it, and my core was too damaged to activate." It shrugged and then lamented in an overly dramatic way. "Oh, woe is me." 

That would have been unfortunate but he didn't believe that to be the case. They'd spent too little time working together to come to such a pessimistic conclusion. Frankly, the fact that he managed to fix up as much as possible with HK-47 gave them a better chance. "You are eager to find your origins, are you?" He remarked in question, slowly rubbing his chin out of his usual habit.

"Query: Wouldn't you be, master?" It asked rhetorically and knowingly to some extent. "Here I am, surrounded by all these meatbags and all I desire is true perfection. Surely there are more droids like me out there, or is that too much to hope for?" It asked with a slightly mocking undertone.

Dynamo grimaced with a rumbling beastly hum, tilting his head to the side and glancing away as he muttered in his beard. "Well…"

"Objection: Oh, fine. Laugh at me, master." It grumbled in annoyance. "Humiliate your pet droid, go ahead."

The Mercenary just dismissed it all with a wave of his hand and moved on as he requested. "So tell me about this last owner, then. Technically your first if we're talking about it chronologically."

"Correction: The first I can remember." It stated before retelling. "I had completed an assassination in Mandalorian space… though I have no knowledge of what my target was or who sent me. Regardless, my motor function had been damaged and I could not return to wherever I had been sent from. A Mandalorian soldier claimed me as ‘booty', I believe." HK paused and his next words came as a grumble. "He repaired me… poorly, I might add… and proceeded to use my assassination protocol to raise his rank."

Because of course he did, it was amusing at this point how predictable it was. Dynamo rubbed his temples as he remarked. "It appears no one could resist using your protocol." 

"Query: Do you not have enemies that you would desire eliminated, master? If my protocol still worked, would you not use it?" HK-47 spoke with a smug tone, practically smirking if it were able to.

"Same overall matter, but vastly different purpose." The Final Knight argued with a near smirk of his own. 

"Statement: If you say so, master." It shrugged rather uncaringly. "At any rate, it seems that my Mandalorian owner finally decided to send me against Mandalore, himself. My poorest performance, sadly."

Not that unexpected, Mandalore The Ultimate had been quite the proficient warrior. Even with how skilled HK-47 was, there was a good chance for him to fall, though he was curious as to how that happened. "It was inevitable for it to backfire eventually, especially for a backstabber like him. How was it your worst one?"

"Answer: I was captured by this Mandalore during the attempt." There was the confirmation that the demonic mutant expected. "He was able to reverse my programming and send me after my own master. It was quite distressing. There was little I could do. Needless to say, I dispatched the Mandalorian soldier efficiently. Once I deactivated, I believe I eventually ended up on the black market and was sold to the Hutt on Sleheyron." HK gave an electronic sigh. "My darkest day."

"So you killed that master directly." Was the conclusion that he'd come to.

It nodded. "Statement: So I did. I am not very proud of that, master. The soldier seemed very startled, I must say." There was a slight note of wonder almost.

Well, of course he'd be startled and give a perfect opportunity. There was almost a chuckle from Dynamo. "You are just a travelling piece of bad luck, aren't you?"

"Objection: That is so unfair, master!" HK-47 exclaimed, completely appalled and hurt… though he could see that he was exaggerating for the most part. "Have I not brought you a great deal of satisfaction?"

The demonic mutant grimaced and muttered in his beard, replying without much thought. "You don't want to hear the answer to that."

"Statement: You are a very harsh master, master." HK then paused gravely before practically smirking. "I like you."

He just sighed and moved to another subject. "So you couldn't kill Mandalore, hm?"

"Statement: With all due respect, master, he is the leader of the Mandalorians. Perhaps my old master was foolish to send me after him." It mused a little, but that was a foregone conclusion.

At least in the mind of The Supreme Commander. "So can you remember anything else?" He asked, noting that they were already at Yavin Station, their pit stop or sorts thanks to the fact that the prices were the best.

"Answer: There are a few Mandalorian implants that I can activate now. They will improve my performance." There was a brief pause as the process was completed. "Beyond that, master, there is nothing more I can relate to you. With luck, we will discover the stimulus to unlock my core very soon."

While he somewhat doubted that would be the case, he was aware that it was bound to happen. "Then we'll just have to wait and see." He said with a firm nod as he went to leave. There was one other thing he thought about, asking one of the crew to take a look at him, perhaps they'd have better luck, being specialized in the matter. 

A mental note was made.

"Of course, Master." Was the last thing HK-47 voiced as The Mercenary began to head towards the Galaxy Map. 

Walking into the main atrium of the ship, he found that the rest of the crew were already around it. Their gazes turned to The Final Knight and silently nodded in salute. There was a silent question in the gaze of The Sentinel that he'd noted if he'd even rested at all, but he would not answer that. What they had in front of them was much more important, in his opinion as he folded his arms.

"Alright, now that we're all here and nearly ready to depart, we must decide what our next course of action is," Bastila spoke as the group looked at the projection.

Carth nodded and informed with a glance over all. "The data from the Star Map charted out a section of the Unknown Regions, but it's very small." He pointed towards the patch that had been filled in by a quarter from before. "We need much more information if we want to explore out there." 

The demonic mutant nodded and spoke firmly, crossing his arms. "Well, that is to be expected. We have three pieces of it left so we're going to be looking towards the next one."

She nodded and suggested, motioning to a particular spot. "Looking at our optimal route, Kashyyyk should be our next point of interest. Our next area of investigation is a remote one… governed by none other than Czerka Corporation... Luckily we have an expert on the planet on board." Bastila tapped a couple keys on the holoprojector and a hologram of a forest planet shimmered into view.

The Mercenary slowly rubbed his chin. "Kashyyyk…" He mused with an intent stare. "A planet covered in a forest made from kilometre-high trees. The Wookiees live in the higher branches, leaving the surface unexplored."

"Probably because of the dangers that live there," The Republic pilot muttered with a bit of a weary look. "Neither the Republic nor the Sith have a presence there, though I heard some corporation has been setting up shop there over the past decade or so." 

He acknowledged with a glance before continuing. "Czerka has it listed as Edean, but the locals call it Kashyyyk. Considering the size, our search area is incredibly vast, so we will need to narrow it down. Using a combination of my predatory senses and the Force, Bastila and I should be able to guide us to a general area. Gathering more intel with boots on the ground will be an asset as well." His commanding royal blue eyes went to the Wookie, who was standing rather withdrawn from the group compared to other times. "Zaalbar, your insight would be invaluable here as you know this planet better than anyone."

Everyone turned and looked at him as he appeared notably more reserved than he had just a moment ago. There was concern spread on The Young Twi'lek's expression as she began to run her hand soothingly through the fur of her friend's arm.

"Yeah..." She began in a worried way, clear concern in her eyes as they glanced around the group and landed on Dynamo. "Zaalbar has some history with this place… It's not all good. He may not exactly be... welcome here."

Through a series of melancholy guttural grunts and growls, the Wookiee expressed his apologies. "I'm sorry, I should have told you sooner, but I am an outcast from my people. I'm afraid I can't help you…" With that, he swiftly excused himself and went off to his bunk, silence falling over the group.

It was broken by The Mercenary when he sighed and stated assuringly. "I will do my best and speak with him on the matter."

"That would be good. Having someone who is native to the planet will give us an advantage in finding the Star Map's location." Bastila concurred with a nod.

"Alright then. Setting course for Kashyyyk." The Republic pilot concluded in a way, typing in the coordinates. There was a long pause in which the others left to their own tasks, leaving only him and the Knights of different Orders. "We've got some time until we get there. You guys go do your meditation 'thing'." He said with a smirk and glanced between them. 

The Sentinel glared with her hands on her hips, irritation rising. "It's not just a 'thing'." She nearly snapped at him. "It's a crucial process that gives us valuable information on the location of the Star Maps." 

He chuckled with a raise of his hands. "I know, I know, I'm just joking." 

"Ugh!" She scoffed as she walked out and muttered in frustration while shaking her head. "By the Force…"

Dynamo rolled his eyes at her reaction, shrugging to a still smirking Carth. He followed her out while the Pilot went to the cockpit. 

She noted that the demonic mutant had followed her and was catching up to her, prompting her to remark. "He's as bad as you are." 

He nearly snickered with a note of teasing. "I take that as a compliment." 

She rolled her eyes in annoyance, keeping as serious as ever even if she did secretly enjoy a more relaxed Second Hellwalker.  This was unfortunately not the time for it, in her opinion. She sighed and requested. "Let the others know. After that, we should focus on receiving another vision."

He nodded and assured. "Very well, I'll get right on that." As they began to part ways, there was one last rather joking remark that he made. "I'll get my receptors ready." 

Bastila shook her head with a groan, trying her best to hide her grin by looking away from him. "Oh, by the Force, I don't know how I got stuck with you…!" 

"I guess it is something to be found out." He was so close to fully smiling, but it all too quickly went away after his last words. "I'll see you in a few."

When The Mercenary entered the crew quarters, Zaalbar was busy with his back to him, tinkering with something at the workbench.

"Excuse me, Zaalbar, do you have a moment?" He asked as he carefully walked closer, stopping at a respectful distance. 

He turned, revealing that he'd been working on what looked like a modified vibro-blade. He moved a little to obscure while growling with regret. "Dynamo… Forgive for leaving the briefing earlier so suddenly…"

The Second Hellwalker raised a gloved hand in assurance. "It's alright, I understand why you did." There was an apologetic tone to his sincere words. "I did not know the feelings that this was bound to bring up." 

Zaalbar growled with anger at himself and regret. "No, I should have told you sooner. I swore a life-debt to you. You should know I am an outcast of my people."

He slowly nodded and spoke reassuringly again. "Having a life-debt does not mean that I'm privy to your personal life and struggles. That is still your choice to make in confiding on the matter." Though, this was now a matter that concerned him as well. The Wookie did not seem to be the kind to do something so drastic enough to warrant him being exiled. "How did you become an outcast?" 

"I did something which is forbidden in our culture. I used my claws as a weapon…" Zaalbar explained with desolate growls as he looked at his hands. " They are only to be used as tools, to craft with, and for climbing, never in combat. I was labeled a 'madclaw' and banished from my homeworld."

The demonic mutant could already tell that the matter had to be extremely severe to make him do that. Everything pointed to the fact that it was a dire situation, one that caused him anger to an extreme extent. "What happened that made you do that?" He asked, still careful and even understanding as he usually was.

"I didn't mean to." He shook his head and clenched his fists, speaking through gritted teeth. "My father is the chieftain of our village. He is a great leader and tried his best to shield our people from the slavers that invaded." His growls became more and more pained. "Czerka Corporation captures and enslaves our people and trades them for profit as workers in harsh mines and work camps off-world… Because of them… we've suffered greatly."

"God…" Dynamo muttered, growing colder in simmering anger at what he'd been told. "I was aware that the situation was dire… but not to this extent, which I am ashamed to admit." He was The Supreme Commander… so he took full responsibility in his mind. He had to do better with his Watchdogs and, thankfully, this was a chance to bring about that needed change. "Did you organise any resistance? Stall or disrupt them in any way?"

"No." Zaalbar shook his head again, this time with disappointment. "My father simply tried to hide us from the slavers. He added barriers that made it difficult for Czerka to navigate the trees." But the anger and resentment was quick to creep in. "But it gets so much worse… I discovered my brother Chuundar had secretly made a deal with the slavers and had been helping them capture some of our people." His fists clenched tighter. "I lashed out in anger and attacked him with my claws… I tried to explain to my father what Chuundar was doing but he didn't believe me…" Slowly, he let them open as his shoulders drooped desolately. "I had already brought dishonor to the family… No one is willing to believe the word of a madclaw…. So I am here in exile while my brother continues to sell our people into slavery… I only hope that since I've been gone father has seen the truth of what I found."

The Mercenary had listened intently, frowning ever so slightly in frustration and growing rage at the fate that befell them. He did not want to dash the hope, but he was very much cautious here. Hoping for the best yet he expected the worst. Hopefully, by working together, they would be able to make a difference. "That is… very saddening to hear, Zaalbar. I can understand how difficult it all is for you. It is unfair, what is happening, everything, and you have my word that I will do anything in my power to help you and your people." He reached out and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Listen, if you wish to remain on the ship, you are more than free to. You don't have an obligation to-"

"No, I will take you to my village," Zaalbar interjected with clear determination in his growls. "Anything as old as these Star Maps you're looking for are likely in the Shadowlands. Very few outsiders are permitted to go there. You will need my help if you are to find it."

"Very well, my friend." The Final Knight nodded, glad to see the fire in the Wookiee's eyes, echoing the perpetual rage of his royal blue ones. "We would be honored to have you as our guide."

He bowed his head in return and growled proudly. "The honor would be mine, Georgian Dynamo."

Chapter Text

Howls and shrieks cut through the thick foliage of the jungle around the two Dark Jedi as they descended through the tangle of branches and vines. It had been a long and grueling descent through the giant wroshyr trees, one that left their robes dirty and tattered as they neared their destination. The forest floor was aptly called by the natives the Shadowlands.

The Dark Guardian let himself drop the last few meters to land on the soft damp ground, mud and water splashed at his feet. The Dark Marauder followed suit, landing behind him a few moments later. He glanced back at his companion before looking down at his hand. There was a small ancient-looking device that seemed to resemble some sort of compass that he consulted before starting through the jungle.

A bit reluctantly, the tattooed one followed, muttering gravely and with a slight snarl. "It appears that we are nearing the end of this path.."

An eerily distorted and sinister chuckle escaped the Mandalorian masked one. "There are no paths down here." 

"I meant our journey to uncover the secrets of the Star Maps." Malak clarified with a slight snarl or disdain.

"No." Revan replied succinctly before consulting the compass again, "We've barely begun… There is so much more left…"

Suddenly, the bushes and foliage began to stir and hiss around them, as if calling out the intruders. The two Dark Jedi ignited their lightsabers, casting the darkness in a blue glow just as several large kinrath spiders crawled out of the bushes and surrounded them. 

The spiders edged in closer, screeching and snapping their hungry jaws at them. Once they were in a favorable position,  one of them lunged forward for a strike. The Dark Weapons Master easily sidestepped the large creature and, with a precise swipe of his blade, chopped off several of its legs. Then he seized it with the Force, lifting the massive spider as it shrieked in pain and threw into another lunging kinrath, crushing the both of them instantly on impact. 

At the same time, The Dark Marauder leapt onto the back of the spider closest to him, jamming the burning blue plasma deep into the back of the creature. Making use of the momentum, he let himself fall backwards, still gripping the hilt of his sabre and causing it to slice open the back of the creature before he leapt backwards. With a dying shriek, the kinrath collapsed on the forest floor. 

Three more had surrounded Revan, hissing and snapping at him as he stood calm and undaunted. The ground rumbled beneath them as the Force swirled around him. His free hand rose, clenching it into a fist. Suddenly, he opened it and thrust it around with a flourish of his robes accompanied by a massive Force Wave. It washed over the three spiders and blasted them into the air, smashing them against the massive roots and rocks. Their hard shells offered little protection as the force of the impact was enough to crack and splinter them apart, pungent green blood splattering and hissing.

Silently, they continued through the jungle, using their lightsabers to cut through a path through the tangle of vines and vegetation as a dense mist permeating through the area. They crossed a small stream, unfazed by the distinct sounds of the tachs, small monkey-like creatures that hopped and paced around the flowing current. The whole planet was alive and full of energy, it was strong in the Force, though, notably, at the forest floor, it felt darker, hungrier, and more foreboding the deeper they went. 

The Dark Guardian stopped, drawing in a deep breath and feeling the flowing currents before checking the compass again, "Almost there." He spoke succinctly and continued. 

"Yes… I feel it as well…" The other remarked with an eager grin as he followed. "Close… very close."

They sliced their way through the foliage and entered a small clearing, finding a massive, ancient device with large tubes sticking into the ground. It seemed to be far more advanced than any technology currently available in the Galaxy yet it was very similar to the one that they'd encountered in the ruins of Dantooine and more recently on Tatooine. It was clear to Revan that they were all connected.

Passing beneath an archway made by the roots, they could see the structure fully. It was covered in vines and moss. With great care, they used their lightsabers to clear some of the foliage away and reveal any sort of controls that they might be able to use.

"What is this…?" Malak asked with awe and intrigue as both of them deactivated their sabers.

"A facility… a seeder of some sort." The Dark Guardian mused as he ran a gloved hand over it, finding a panel and holoprojector. With a grin beneath the mask, he began to tinker with it. "The data for the Star Map must be here… I wonder…"

He raised an eyebrow when his 'master' trailed off. "What?"

Revan looked over his shoulder silently and merely grinned widely beneath his Mandalorian mask, his yellowed eyes boring into him through the slits… "We shall see…"

*****

The Ebon Hawk shot out of hyperspace and settled in orbit around the large planet that was Kashyyyk. From a simple glance, it was clear that the vast forests and oceans which covered this world were teeming with life, mostly untouched… Though, the two massive frigates embroidered with the Czerka Corporation logo coming in and out were evidence of a change… One for the worst for the denizens of the planet.

There were no records of any advanced civilizations ever being on Kashyyyk, but the native Wookiees had carved out a prosperous existence in the upper branches of the trees by constructing large settlements around and even carved into the massive trunks themselves. Based on the reports from the Intel Field team given to The Supreme Commander, Czerka found profit in Kashyyyk through two means: precious metal ore deposits located beneath the surface and the Wookiee slave trade. 

A light appeared on the communications console of the Hawk, signaling that they had an incoming call from the local Czerka command. The situation seemed to be worse than Tatooine, with the insidious corporation having full control.

The Republic pilot rather begrudgingly opened up the channel. "Ebon Hawk here, ready to receive instructions, over."

From the other side came a male voice, very corporate sounding somehow. "This is Czerka Control to the Ebon Hawk. Welcome to Edean, please standby for scan and docking procedures."

"Copy that… Standing by..." Carth said in response, leaning back in the pilot seat with the transmitter in hand. 

"This is Kashyyyk." Bastila muttered with a frown forming. "What do they mean Edean?"

"Czerka doesn't see Wookiees as anything more than beasts of burden, animals to be used and exploited without any real rights." Dynamo explained grimly, arms folded as his eyes stared intently at the planet. "As far as Czerka is concerned they are the first settlers of the planet and they chose the name Edean. They don't recognize the local, real name."

The Sentinel was left in horrified silence for a few seconds, glancing out at a passing ship belonging to the Corporation in question. "Can you feel it? Their suffering…?" She asked quietly, not really expecting an answer. "I can feel the sorrow of the Wookiees being transported off-world…"

There was only a dangerously low rumble from The Mercenary, one indicatory of the demon worse than demons within.

"Czerka Control to the Ebon Hawk." The male voice from before came over the comms. "You are cleared for Docking Platform 25-DE, over." 

"Copy that. Ebon Hawk, over and out." The Republic pilot said as he began flipping switches on the cockpit panels. Using the control column, he guided the ship down while the others strapped themselves in preparation for landing. He kept a keen eye on the navigation panel and followed the crosshairs to the right docking platform.  

As they descended through the atmosphere, most of the crew was silently awed by the luscious forests that spanned the entire horizon. With nighttime steadily approaching, the woods gained a rather haunted feel. The massive complex that had been built around one of the enormous trees came into view. For the young Scoundrel,  they reminded her of the towering skyscrapers of Taris, yet, for her Wookiee friend, it was much more distressing, eliciting a soft groan at what was to come. 

The Czerka outpost was constructed from massive platforms that were hung from supports all around the tree, stretching to a neighboring one. The entire area was lit up by massive floodlights that only further accentuated how out of place it all was. There were also several catwalks that led from the main circular hub to smaller but still admittedly large wooden platforms which served as docking spaces for incoming freighters. 

Smoothy, the Ebon Hawk was guided and set down on the assigned platform. The hydraulic pressure had barely been released when a Czerka inspection officer with two guards began to approach the ship.

The Republic pilot frowned at the sight and looked at the Knights of different Orders in the cockpit with him. " One of you better deal with that." He nodded towards the outside with a note of warning. 

"Leave it to me." The demonic mutant said with a crisp nod, turning and beginning to head through the ship. His mind had already come up with a plan on how to approach this. Of course, he was well aware that he'd potentially have to adapt. "Carth, I need you to watch the ship with the droids. Bastila, Mission, Zaalbar, you're with me on the ground. Juhani, Canderous, I need all the Intel you can find regarding Czerka Corporation and their operations here. Anything you can record can be used as evidence when forwarded to the Jedi and the Republic." 

In all honesty, he already knew specifically which Jedi he wanted to help him on this matter but it remained to be seen. Either way, he knew that his brother-in-arms would be willing to help him, hopefully, he'd actually be able to as well. 

Most of the crew acknowledged their tasks with a firm nod and crisp reply, but the Wookiee was rather confused by the sudden lead that The Mercenary had taken. Yes, he was the informal leader of the group and they all followed his lead… but something was different here. " What are you doing, Dynamo?" He growled in befuddled questioning. 

"What I should have done years ago." The demonic mutant replied with a slight grit of his teeth, turning to him and speaking with conviction. "Zaalbar, I understand how difficult coming back to your homeworld can be, especially with the undeserved stigma attached to you. This will only get more difficult, even if we manage to get the word out there to the right people. There is no way to wait for them to act first, we need to and we will. We have the Fifth Freedom for it, for the greater good."  

For the longest moment, The Wookiee was stunned, having never before seen such an ardent support for his people. His cynicism made him think that there had to be some ulterior motive, but he was still bound by his life-debt. "Thank you." He growled genuinely and promised solemnly. "I will do my best to guide you."

"Let's move out then." The demonic mutant motioned with his head and all three followed him down the loading ramp. 

At the bottom of it awaited the Ithorian Czerka officer and his guards, all three being visibly surprised upon seeing them. As was always the case, they couldn't eye The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer for more than a few seconds, but they had a vague idea about the crimson blue-eyed demon. The Sentinel had immediately sensed their unease, so she did her best to project a sense of calm as well as openness to more easily persuade them potentially. 

"Greetings, Mercenary and Master Jedi." The Officer began, dipping his head to both. "We are honored… by your presence. I am Janos Wertka, the Senior Representative of the Czerka Outpost on the planet G5-623, otherwise known as Edean. What brings the Jedi here?"

"Simple archaeological exploration to uncover a Jedi artifact." Dynamo replied, toeing the line between truth and lie masterfully. "I have been contracted as extra support against the more vicious indigenous species on the planet's surface, where our search area is located."

Janos seemed to accept the words and motives, the fact aided by Bastila's subtle influence. " Ah, the Shadowlands as they are referred to." He nodded a few times then shrugged to himself. "Well, you are more than welcome to stay here while you search." His eyes flickered to Zaalbar for a moment, asking. "I take it your slave will be joining you?"

Dynamo's eyes narrowed dangerously as he straightened, seeming much more imposing as he towered over the Ithorian. "Zaalbar is our guide… Get it right." His voice was firmer, colder than the depths of Hell.

"As long as he doesn't cause any issues then we will not have problems." His voice shook ever so slightly, something in the back of his head telling him that the two guards wouldn't be able to stop the mountain of a demonic mutant in front of him.

"There will be no problems from him, you have my word." And it was the truth because The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer was going to cause more trouble than he could ever imagine. 

"Very well then." It was clear he did not understand the veiled threat. "You are welcome to visit any of our vendors here for supplies if you like. Personally, I would recommend Eli Matton's emporium." A sly sort of look crossed him, trying to ward off some of the intimidation. "Other than that I cannot tell you much about how to get where you need to go. The jungles and trees here are very dangerous and I'm told the Shadowlands are especially so. There is a Wookie village nearest to this outpost. Not that they'd be much help I suppose, even with the rather amiable agreement we have with them."

"Noted." The Final Knight simply nodded, arms folding while remarking coldly. "We will make do as necessary." 

"Right then, very well," Janos said with a rather satisfied look, turning to get on with the tour of the facility. "We will have your ship serviced and fueled for you by the time you return. Standard fees apply, of course. Now, allow me to showcase how we operate. I am sure even the mighty Mercenary will find it quite impressive." He boasted with a glance over his shoulder.

Again, the demonic mutant only nodded, exchanging an uneasy look with the rest of them. It was clear that all of them were more than ready to end this horrendous operation right then and there, but it would prove disastrous and likely not solve the inherent issue. The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer had to go deeper with this, and have a basis for when the slavers would be driven out for a long time. He also needed to station a squad of Watchdogs on Kashyyyk to prevent this from happening again.

"Welcome to Edean." The Ithorian began rather enthusiastically as the tour of sorts commenced. "I trust you will find our facilities pass inspection. Czerka Corporation is very efficient."

The Wookiee noticed the proud demeanour and was beginning to lose his patience more and more. "You have nothing to be proud of,  fool." He growled irritatedly and more to himself.

Janos was unfazed and more confused than anything. "I'm sorry, I don't understand Wookieespeak. Shyriiwook, I think it's called?" He shrugged, not truly caring, asking Dynamo more out of simple curiosity, "What did the Wookiee say?" 

The Mercenary raised an incredulous eyebrow at that, though, what did he expect? For them to have the decency to learn their language. It was giving Czerka way too much credit. "You work on Kashyyyk and don't understand the language?" He asked with a slight frown, more indicative of disappointment in his lack of professionalism of sorts.

"Czerka Corporation calls the planet Edean, and no, I don't understand the language." He answered a bit condescendingly before shrugging, showing that he really had no respect for the rightful citizens of the planet. "The local Wookiee leader has made it so we don't need to. Wookiees are unable to speak basic, but for the last decade the residents of all local villages have been trained to understand it."

In the eyes of The Final Knight, that sounded like treason of the highest order. Sure, there could have been some applications but they seem like they were the purpose here. "And why would a Wookiee leader do that?" He asked, his hand rubbing at his chin for a moment. 

"I understand he works very closely with Czerka Corporation." The Ithorian replied quite readily and matter-of-factly. "He wants his people to work well with us. It eases tensions."

Behind Dynamo and to the side slightly, Zaalbar growled dejectedly. "And it makes my people more desirable as slaves." Which was similar to the train of thought which The Mercenary had.

Understanding the growls, the young Scoundrel silently rubbed the fur of his arm, trying to soothe him while glowering at the Ithorian. 

"What did he say?" He inquired with a bit of wonder in his eyes, though it felt dehumanising towards their Wookiee companion. "I don't usually have a translator I can ask."

Ever so slightly, he gritted his teeth. "That knowing Basic just makes his people better slaves." Dynamo translated with a bite in his voice.

There was something, a mistake in glancing in those royal blue eyes of his. Janos stammered ever so slightly in nervousness. "I just work here in the lab. I... I don't have anything to do with the taking of slaves."

Such an answer was far from satisfactory for The Mercenary, making him question with a slight snarl. "Why don't you do anything to stop it?" 

He shrugged with an impassive look. "I'm just an employee." Then diverted the blame, his tone clearly defensive. "You'll have to take your concerns to the headquarters of Czerka Corporation."

The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer could've absolutely gored him right then and there for that, or at the very least gave him the scare of his life. Though… he still needed the information that he had to offer and this tour was the perfect opportunity to learn as much as possible from the Czerka perspective. "Let's just move on with this." 

And that was exactly what they did, with the Ithorian Representative seemingly relieved that the subject had been dropped somewhat and he was still breathing. The aura that the mountain of a demonic mutant let off was absolutely terrifying and even The Jedi Sentinel's calming presence could not possibly hope to fully offset its endless oppressive nature.

As the crew had observed when coming in, it was a circular complex built around the center of a massive wroshyr tree. The large platforms were a mix of wood and clean white metal, housing a market where several vendors sold all sorts of inventory to off-worlders, a maintenance shed, and two lodging buildings for housing employees and customers.

"Czerka Corporation has branches in many systems, mostly concerned with weapon production for personal and ship-mounted use." Janos explained as they walked, motioning with his hands. "Of course, the many outposts on this world are only concerned with bio-acquisitions."

Those 'bioacquisitions' were the Wookiees of the planet, Dynamo had just seen them being sold like mere livestock. The cruel irony was that livestock was liable to have been treated more humanely, but this was Czerka they were dealing with and he'd already been exposed to the pure corporate greed they encompassed. "Tell me about the planet." He coldly requested, demanding even. "You called it G5-623 before."

"G5-623 is the numerical designation." Janos clarified readily and matter-of-factly. "The galactic Basic name is 'Edean', chosen by corporate ballot among stockholders. It would seem you are already acquainted with this world, given your choice of traveling companion." He remarked with a fleeting glance towards the Wookiee. 

There was a growl from the back of Zaalbar's throat as he commented. "I have been away for a very long time…" 

The Ithorian blinked a few times in surprise as this was the third time that he'd been allowed to say anything without any sort of reprimand. In his mind, this was still a slave-master relationship especially when he couldn't quite comprehend it being anything else. "You let the beast speak for you quite oftentimes?" He cast a surprised glance towards the demonic mutant, remarking. "You allow it more liberties than most of our customers."

It took every bit of The Second Hellwalker's willpower not to rip out his guts right then and there. Judging by the appalled expression that The Jedi Sentinel and Young Twi'lek had at what they'd heard, they had the same difficulties as him. "What is that supposed to mean?" Came the rumbling, beastly demand from him.

Zaalbar's rightful fury and disgust dripped from every bit of his growl. "He means that they are slavers." He loomed from behind The Final Knight. "They take my people from their homes and sell them to the highest bidder." 

As it was expected, all that Janos understood was the tone of the growls and he was blissfully ignorant towards anything else. "Your current Wookiee seems displeased with the situation, but I fail to see a concern." He shrugged and spoke in befuddlement towards Dynamo. "You seem to be a satisfied customer." 

A low rumble echoed from within The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer as he coldly clarified. "Zaalbar is no slave. He has pledged a life-debt to me."

The Ithorian smirked slyly and almost chuckled deviously as he thought he had it all figured out. "Ah, a very difficult thing to stage." He remarked with a note of misplaced admiration. "I commend you for it. So much easier than relying on restraining collars."

If Dynamo hadn't raised a hand and Mission hadn't intervened as well, The Wookiee would have torn him right then and there. Even so, it was difficult to hold him back as he roared at Janos. "Do not demean the life-debt! Do not!" 

He jumped back in fright and he spoke with a trembling voice. "I must warn you that you will be blamed for the actions of your Wookiee. Please… call him off."

With chilling calm, the demonic mutant lowered his hand and folded his arms with an uncaring tilt of his head. Zaalbar certainly was not his. "Why should I? It would be better to let him kill the lot of you!"

He blinked a few times as he tried to explain. "I am merely a servant of the corporation!" He pleaded with his hands together nigh desperate. "The Wookiee leadership is in agreement! Harvesting is made as delicate as possible!"

That was the time for The Jedi Sentinel to intervene, on one hand keeping everyone involved calm, even if she wasn't sure how much of an influence she would have in the face of the Uncaged Beast, she would do her damndest. On the other hand, all it took was a quite simple nudge with the Force. "You wish to tell us more about this agreement with the Wookiee leadership." She nearly whispered with an odd calm that hid her true feelings.

Thanks to being both intimidated and overall weak-willed, Janos was quite ready to speak on the matter, nodding. "I can tell you about the agreement." His voice was calmer and more composed overall, but it still shook a little. "We supply arms in exchange for a supply of healthy Wookiees. We are kept profitable and an agreeable leader is kept in power. It keeps the process from becoming a constant firefight."

There was a brief thankful glance from Dynamo towards Bastila but it chilled as soon as it was back on The Ithorian, seeing that he was much more open to sharing what could prove to be crucial information. "What is this leader's name?" 

"I believe his name is Chuundar." He told them almost immediately but with a note of disgust in his words. "I don't deal directly with them, thank goodness. Far too brutish."

Hearing that, Zaalbar growled to himself with both worry and anger. "That was not a name I wanted to hear."

Janos raised an eyebrow at that, this time choosing his words a bit more carefully. "It sounds as though your thrall has an opinion about our arrangement with this leader, but it doesn't matter." He shrugged a little, his words definitive, seemingly at least. "Chuundar is unquestioned." 

The Mercenary snarled ever so slightly before looking at his Wookiee friend. "What about it, Zaalbar?" He asked with more genuine concern. "What's the matter?"

He shook his head immediately and spoke with low growls. "This is not something I will talk about. Not yet." And that was that.

Actually walking around the place allowed him to catalogue what they could see of the Czerka headquarters. Durasteel and plasteel had replaced what was once the internal bark of the tree. He could only try and anticipate what else Czerka had invaded on this planet, any way he viewed it, too much.

The main attraction for anyone that was not a Wookiee was the market, where, in comparison to the vendors that sold medical supplies, food, armor, and weapons, the slave trade was by far the most profitable. It was revolting to see how they could be purchased as 'single stock' or in 'bulk'. More than a few times did they pass by a number of Wookiees in chains that were being hauled off to their new owners. 

Dynamo noticed and could even smell how sickly they were, their fur was matted and even torn or bare in some places, scars, and marks that had not been properly tended to being visible. The demon worse than demons within him growled and snarled in anger and hate at what he was witnessing, but he kept it within as the tour was beginning to wrap up.

"I see it as well." The Jedi Sentinel whispered as she walked beside him, advising as she felt his endless rage stirring. "Remember, there is no emotion, there is peace."

His royal blue eyes motioned over to the Wookiees being led off in chains. "There will be only once these bastards are dead…"

Soon enough and right on time, their 'tour' ended, with Janos turning to them rather nervously. "Please, is there anything else? I have work to do." He said impatiently.

Dynamo glared at him and muttered. "Go and be on your way."

He nodded, almost relieved. "Very good, feel free to inspect our operation here, but I would advise against going too far from the main landing area. The planet is still very much untamed, and we do not send out patrols for lost tourists."

"We are not tourists." He stated as they walked away.

After parting ways with Janos and being left to their own devices, it was nigh time to head through the market and towards the exit which led to Great Walkway. In their stride, his gaze went over to where the landing platform was. There was a Czerka patrol guard and a green Twi'lek male Czerka liaison officer which patrolled the eastern perimeter. He wondered if they had been tipped off to keep a close eye on the Ebon Hawk. The walkway exiting east from the landing platform was patrolled by another Czerka guard.

Within the marketplace and by the sturdy wooden handrail were two Czerka merchants on the south side of the walkway as it curved north. Further on, an orange Twi'lek male Czerka liaison officer patrolled the north of the walkway before they turned northeast in the market and were approached by a salesman of sorts.

"So, new spacers have come to wild Kashyyyk?" The man asked with a sly grin, motioning with a hand towards his stand. "Please, look well upon the wares of Eli Gand. I live to serve your needs."

"Just be sure to pay in cash." The other human male present behind the counter spoke, easily confused with an associate or collaborator but his disgruntled words indicated otherwise. He leaned back against one of the support beams with his arms folded. "The interest on his loans will drain you like a Deluvian fatworm on a Hutt's backside." 

"First off, Matton, Hutts are ALL backside." He glanced over and pointed with one finger before lifting another. "Secondly, I don't much like the comparison. No need to get personal. It's just business." He remarked with notable passive-aggressiveness before turning to his customers to-be. "Poor fellow, he's been waiting for his friends to return with my money for a standard month now." His words dripped with a fakeness of sorts that stung the demonic mutant's nostrils before the sly merchant waved it off. "Ah, but you don't need to hear of this. What can I get you?"

The Mercenary folded his arms at the stench of lies, inquiring with a suspicious glare. "Do you always enslave your debtors?"

"Enslave?" He feigned offense with a shocked look, complaining. "I resent that. Simply fair business." He went on to explain matter-of-factly. "This man's fellows left without settling their debts, so he must make up the difference."

Matton sighed heavily and scratched the back of his head. "I know, I know, it's standard trading rules." His words progressively got quieter as he spoke them more to himself. "I just want to know where my crew went. I was only gone for two days… This isn't like them."

"Yes, very sad that they would abandon you, especially while you were doing me a favor and helping repair one of my freighters." Eli commented without that sly look leaving him.

This whole situation was off to The Second Hellwalker and all he had to do was probe Eli and find a way to bring Jim down. One less sleazeball on Kashyyyk. "Do your debtors have a habit of running off?" He asked him with a slight snarl which showed a peek of his canines.

"Ah, it happens from time to time." He shrugged it off with a smirk. "Credits are scarce out here, and not everyone is as honest as Mister Dasol here." 

"An honest man and a good mechanic." The Jedi Sentinel commented passively, sharing The Mercenary’s suspicion as her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Seems like you got a favorable trade, sir." 

Matton was shooting daggers at Eli with his glare, on the other hand, muttering under his breath. "You'll get your money... My crew will be back…" 

"Of course, they will." The sleazy merchant said with an exaggerated voice. "Until then, however, I can make use of you as a mechanic. Very rare to find skills of your kind out here."

With a tilt of his head, Dynamo narrowed his eyes down at Eli, inquiring coldly. "How much debt buys a man's life?"

"Oh, it isn't about the amount." He quickly explained, shooting down that idea so to say. "After all, as a skilled mechanic, Matton is worth much more than what is owed. Especially on this remote planet."

"Oh, you flatter me, Eli." Matton rolled his eyes as he muttered under his breath, tone dripping with sarcasm. "I guess we're best buddies now."

The sleazy merchant glared at him for a moment before looking back at the demonic mutant as he cleared his throat. "As I was saying, it's a matter of principle. I am nothing if not honest in my dealings, and I demand the same. He will be free to go when his friends turn up and the debt is paid." He stated staunchly, hands on his hips as he declared. "I honour my deals. Let no one say otherwise."

Dynamo's eyes still narrowed ever so slightly as he rubbed at his beard, thinking it over and offering still. "Perhaps I could settle some of his debt?" 

"Thanks, but no thanks." Matton quickly spoke up with a raise of his hand. "No offense, but there's no point in exchanging debt to Eli with debt to you."

The shady seller smirked and followed up with a shrug. "Besides, he is a hard worker. I'd prefer to keep him."

Dynamo rumbled within him and grunted slightly before turning to leave without saying another word. His mind was already set to task to solve this issue as well.

"See you soon, I hope." Eli called with a slight smirk as they left. "Always open." 

They passed through the junction beyond the marketplace, where the offices of Czerka had been on the southeast end. There was a clear view of the lobby and those within it. Liaison officers and even scientists walked about, discussing amongst themselves. Within it, there was also a glimpse of a few Wookiees, their cages so small that they were able to fit in them only by laying down. Through an archway in the southeast wall was Janos' office, with a desk by its back wall and the Ithorian himself at the table dealing with some other employees. 

Instead, the group headed north and on the walkway curving to the northeast past another pair of Czerka patrol guards. The captain stepped forward and raised a hand for them to stop, which they did, cautiously.

"Hold there, spacer." He spoke rather amiably but very much formal and a bit commanding. "Czerka Corporation doesn't recommend traveling in wild Edean. Katarn attacks are especially bad right now. Wookiee hunters usually keep numbers down, but I think they leave certain areas infested, just hoping a Czerka guard will get killed."

A slight frown crossed him as he looked down at the man with narrowed eyes. "We've paid all the fees, so we go wherever we please." He stated firmly.

The captain was as still as stone, his jaw clenching. "I won't stop you, but you leave this area at your own risk." He relented and stepped to the side, figuring that it was better not to stay in their way. "We're here to protect the company, not you."

He figured that would be the case, but this wasn't a company worth dying for. All would see and the plan would be steadily implemented as the group headed out into the Great Walkway. 

*****

The Cathar Guardian found herself walking through the outpost of 'Edean', the uniforms and marks of the Czerka bringing back sour and bitter memories. Her people's blood, most of all her family's blood, boiled in her veins at the wrongs done by Czerka. Justice had to be done and she was determined to see through. 

She was acutely aware of the awkward and weird stares cast her way from some of the customers and Czerka staff that were mingling about the market. With the use of the Force, she could hear their whisperings and noted the gestures in their direction.

"They're wondering why a Cathar would ever even consider traveling with a Mandalorian..." Canderous remarked with a glance, his signature bes'kar armor clanking against the wood and plasteel.

"As it happens, I am wondering about myself." She replied coldly, not even sparing him a glance. "But the mission is more important than personal feelings."

The Mandalorian nearly rolled his eyes at that one, feeling rather affronted and even misunderstood. "Not all of the clans agreed with what happened on Cathar." He spoke up rather suddenly, even sincere. "There was no honor in what happened to your people. Cassus Fett was nothing but a brute and a coward."

She almost laughed derisively at that, sarcasm mingling with her deep accent. "Right, because enslaving worlds is so much more honorable."

"I understand you don't like us, but we always gave the worlds we conquered a choice to join us, to become Mandalorian." He argued firmly, briefly explaining. "We accepted them as our own. We became a family."

"And those who didn't became slaves." Juhani intervened and waved him off in disgust. "Spare me your history lesson, please."

"Not slaves, servants, and we treated them well." Canderous corrected, though did amend somewhat. "At least Clan Ordo did."

The Jedi Guardian glared at him out of the corner of her feline eyes. "Well, aren't you the noble conqueror." 

"And the Jedi are so much better?" He countered right away with a narrowing of his eyes.

This time she turned fully, insulted and outraged though managed to keep her tone even. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Say what you will about Mandalorians but we've never pretended to be something we are not." The Mandalorian Mercenary argued with brutal honesty. "And we never kidnapped children from their families to be inducted into an order that trains them to deny themselves everything worthwhile in life,  fearing that it might somehow turn them evil."

That was the straw that broke the bantha's back as she did everything in her power not to let her rage boil over. "The Jedi saved me." She started in low, cold anger. "They did not take me from my family, I chose to go with them, to dedicate myself to their cause."

Canderous seemed rather impassive regarding her display and what she had been through, seeing the lingering pain in her feline eyes but not caring for it. "Then you are more fortunate than most Jedi." His voice was as cold and stern as ever, posing the question. "Why do you think so many of you have left?" Though the answer was clear in his opinion. "Even your greatest hero,  Revan, saw the hypocrisy of the Jedi."

"You forget, I already had a taste of Revan's path." Juhani countered. "I've felt the Dark Side course through my veins. It offers nothing but corruption."

"I'm not talking about the Dark Side." He clarified with a frown. "Even before Revan left for the Unknown Regions, he had renounced the Jedi Order and exposed them for the cowards they truly are."

"And yet these very same Jedi are the ones who defeated you." She retorted with a near smirk.

The Mandalorian simply and slowly shook his head. "No, the Jedi didn't defeat the Mandalorians, Revan did."

Chapter Text

The heavy wooden gates of the Czerka Outpost closed behind the group of four as they headed out into the Great Walkway from the northwest end. The gates were flanked by a heavy defence turret on either side a damaged defence turret by the wall to the right, and a corpse by the handrail to the left. The structure they were on itself was an extensive system of large wooden catwalks which used the wroshyyr trees as perfect support beams. Just by looking at the way they were made, it was clear that they had been constructed a long time ago, made to last, just as sturdy as the trees of the forest.

The three that were more foreign to the planet glanced around with the Young Twi'lek's glancing over the railing and into the dark below. It was impossible to see the forest floor through the lower mists. She whistled at the sight and it echoed several times before she quickly joined back with the group after The Mercenary motioned for her to catch up with a nod,

Moving away from the outpost allowed the natural sounds of the forest to come through, a sense of serenity permeating as dusk was falling. It was all too quickly gone when one peered just a little deeper. A disturbed, discordant symphony. 

Suddenly, several shrieks sounded out behind them as a couple of kinraths descended onto the walkway. Not a few moments after, the functioning heavy turrets opened fire and shredded them. 

A testament to how perilous mere walking could be, the four had to press on.

The Jedi Sentinel had extended her senses through the Force, taking in everything while striding besides The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer. "You can feel it as well, can't you?" She asked knowingly. "The Force is strong here. Everything around us lives in harmony… except…"

"Except the Wookiees." The Mercenary picked up where she could not, using his newly developed Overdrive senses when his eyes briefly closed and they flashed red with yellow lines. When they opened, he had a much better understanding of their vast surroundings to a greater extent than before. "I can smell it… the pain, rage, fear… Splintered apart in more than one way when they should be unified."

Behind them, their Wookiee companion had a very simple explanation for the dire fact. "Because of Chuundar… My brother is likely behind all of this…" But there was a sort of bittersweet tone to his growls as he stepped. "I feel it all now that we are away from the spaceport. This walkway is partly new, probably rebuilt by the slavers, but I remember the trees. My village is not far from here."

That was good information actually and Dynamo readily asked. "Is there anything that can be done to help?"

"It is kind of you to offer, but my problems are very personal." He was genuinely appreciative of the offer, but some matters were his own as he growled lowly. "I'm not sure if I am ready to deal with them."

"We will have to sooner rather than later, but know that you have our full support." The demonic mutant assured firmly.

Zaalbar glanced away as he continued lowly, not at all encouraged. "That is what I am dreading." He admitted with a clench of his claws and grit of his teeth. "My shame was meant to be forgotten in some faraway world. I never thought I'd come back." Then he stopped himself and sighed, "I'm sorry, I've taken enough of your time. We should press on."

The Final Knight nodded silently but found that they had to stop soon enough at a… intriguing scene they had come across on a larger section of the walkway. Just by their uniforms, it was clear that the three men were Czerka, with one of them wearing the same outfit as the captain from earlier. That meant that he was in charge of the two goons that presided over a recently killed Wookiee by the looks and even smell of it. 

Judging by the fresh scent of burnt flesh and discharged plasma from a cheap blaster pistol, it was quite easy to put it together. 

"This isn't good. I can't afford this." One of the guards muttered, disgruntled as he crouched and looked over the corpse. 

"You think I can?" The other asked indignantly, rubbing at his temples. "Do you know what they get for a healthy one of these things?"

"We'll work it out later. We've got company." The patrol leader spoke up firmly to both of them, having seen the group out of the corner of his eyes. He turned and stepped before the mountain of a demonic mutant, figuring that he was the leader. "What do you want, spacers?" He asked, trying to be intimidating even with a significantly smaller stature. "I'm Patrol Captain Dehno and you're interrupting Czerka Corporation business."

There was no way for The Mercenary to be intimidated, simply tilting his head to the side as he inquired lowly. "What happened here?" 

"This Wookiee slave got a little... rebellious. We had to put it down." The Captain explained with a chilling calm, matter-of-fact in what he perceived as having to do.

Zaalbar was immediately outraged, nearly lunging for them if not for Mission holding him back and Bastila tempering him through the Force. "You 'put it down'!? We're not animals!" He roared at them.

The Final Knight could understand the sheer outrage for he had his own, especially when faced with how he'd seen mutants treated, how wildly it varied. "Zaalbar, let me handle this." He requested after casting a grateful glance to the two for helping in this matter. 

He gritted his teeth and snarled at Dynamo. "But their disregard for the life of this Wookiee is too much!" He protested in outrage.

The demonic mutant kept an eye on both the Wookiee and the Czerka guards in front of them. "I have asked you to let me handle this." His firm words were directed to the furred being, not at all lacking in compassion for his plight. "Please, honour my request."

Zaalbar relented, prompting the Young Twi'lek to release her grip on him. "I will do so…" He growled lowly. "For your sake, not theirs." 

"Careful now... those growls sounded pretty threatening." One of the guards warned as his hand slowly moved to his blaster pistol, glaring threateningly. "Keep your slave on its leash or we'll have another accident." 

Without another word and with a deep frown, the weapon was snatched out of its holster by Bastila using the Force, crushing it in mid-air when clenching her fist. The guard recoiled with a look of shock, frozen in place though he was broken out of it by a smack over the head from his superior. 

"Just shut up, you trigger-happy idiot." The Captain snapped at him as the other rubbed the spot where he'd been hit. 

After giving a brief, approving nod to The Sentinel, his rage-filled gaze bore down on the Czerka Captain. "Do your superiors approve of you killing Wookiees like that?" 

"No, of course, they don't." Dehno replied immediately and oddly truthful perhaps, clearly infuriated by the ordeal. "Why would you ask me that?" He inquired with a suspicious narrow of his eyes, doing whatever possible to face him, but finding that he couldn't look him in the eyes at all. "Are you doing some sort of snap inspection? You're trying to get me to admit to incompetence, aren't you? Not going to happen. I stand by my patrol." The staunch declaration came. "This Wookiee got out of hand and had to be put down. We'll find another one easy enough."

For a moment, one long enough for the three Czerka to see clearly, the sclera of The Final Knight were filled with the blood-red rage of the demon worse than demons inside. "You really believe you can just keep doing that, don't you?" His words were low and beastly, rumbling from deep within his chest.

All that were facing the demonic mutant flinched and drew away, only Captain Dehno having the guts to speak meekly rather than incredulously. "What in all of the Galaxy are you…!?"

Dynamo stepped closer, right in front of him with his hands at his side. It seemed like he was prepared to kill the lot of them on the spot, something that made an observing Jedi rather weary, but she trusted him to be better at this point. "This posting is trouble, friend." His voice was gravely and he let his demon be glimpsed again. "Get out while you can still walk and breathe."

The Czerka Captain took a step back, with a look frozen in fear. "You make some sense…" He muttered quietly to himself before his gaze turned to his subordinates. "Men, I think we should petition for a transfer." He spoke resolutely, his words having been influenced by The Jedi Sentinel ever so subtly through the Force. "The corporation will survive a fight here, but us frontline guards won't."

"If... you say so, Captain." One of the guards nodded rather unsurely.

"Yes, I say so. Move out." Dehno ordered them with a deep frown. "This place isn't worth the trouble." And he was already on his way back to the outpost with the two scrambling to keep up the pace.

A series of harsh glares from all four were cast their way until they were out of sight, the group moving on after that.

"That was rather adequately handled." The Jedi Sentinel remarked as they strode on the walkway. "For a moment, it seemed you were going to allow them to be killed or even do it yourself."

"Those thugs weren't worth it." The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer replied with a slight frown of disgust towards them, adding with a light shrug. "Besides, they'll still die at some point, everyone I've met will. Considering how slow Czerka moves, they'll still be here in a few days. Let them enjoy the time they have left."

"Mines ahead…!" Mission warned suddenly and all paid attention to where she was pointing. Right at the threshold where the walkway opened up to a platform, there were a series of three fragmentation landmines jutting out ever so slightly from the wood. With a simple, mutual nod with The Mercenary, she and Zaalbar moved forward to begin disarming them.

From near the exit of the platform near the southeast, a shriek sounded out,  followed by several others as a series of winged predators named mykals descended upon their position. 

Swiftly with a mere hum from the back of his throat, The Mercenary brought forth his collapsible vibranium bow and let loose several arrows. At the same time, the yellow lightsaber belonging to The Sentinel flew as she called out to the other two. "We have you covered…!" She assured quickly as the dying calls of the mykals sounded out. They were cut down readily, one of the shredded carcasses hitting a railing of the platform before they disappeared in the fog of the Shadowlands. 

"We're clear." The demonic mutant said after sniffing and letting his eyes flash red with yellow lines beneath his closed lids.

"Mines are clear too." Mission informed upon letting out a sigh of relief and dusting herself off. She nodded with a slight but grateful smile to the Knights of different Orders. "Thanks, you two."

Bastila bowed her head ever so slightly, a tad more open to the Young Scoundrel than she had been.

"Let's move." Was all that Dynamo said, only silently acknowledging as he took the lead yet again out of the platform and on the ensuing walkway to the southeast.

It wasn't long until another series of shrieks were heard and they all dropped into combat stances, blades igniting, vibroswords drawn and bowcasters readied as a series of kinraths descended onto the ground. 

One came right at them, pincers bearing down on The Young Scoundrel but, with a crisp shout, she slashed her signature vibrosword right through. At the same time, a series of bowcaster plasma rounds shot through it, ripping it apart as it let out one last dying holler.

As the two dealt with that one, another leapt at Dynamo as he charged at it. He slid beneath its body as the pincers smashed into the thick wooden planks, the plasma-coated Adamantine-lined blades splitting its belly open and the whole of it in half.

The last one was swiftly dealt with by Bastila when it too tried to ram its pincers into her. She spun her lightsaber expertly and dismembered its front two legs, before running the other side of the burning yellow blade right through it.

After quickly checking if any of them had been harmed and finding that all was well, they regrouped before proceeding to move forward. The walkway curved south down to another platform, where there was another corpse in the southwest corner. A pair of forest kinraths feasted on the decaying body as the call of a mykal was heard as it descended upon them from the treetops. It sunk its claws into one of the kinraths, the predator turned prey stumbling around until smashing through the railing. The both of them careened to the depths with the second kinrath leaping after them, descending from trunk to trunk until they were out of view. Their calls echoed for a few more seconds until the usual ambience of the luscious forest during dusk returned.

The group had held their positions and had stayed as silent as possible so as to not disturb the encounter. Thankfully, that was the case and they were able to move on quickly before they reached a split in the walkway. 

"Which way?" Mission asked as she glanced between all of them.

"This way." Zaalbar growled lowly and headed towards the northeastern pathway. "I can feel the scent of my village and we're getting closer."

Dynamo followed silently after, motioning with his head for the others to do the same.

Barely a few steps in, another group of three kinraths descended onto them, shrill shrieks sounding out in series. There was not a moment of hesitation as The Jedi Sentinel hurled her lightsaber at them, the spinning, burning blade searing through one of them. Splintered in half, its corpse hit the wooden floorboards it was a resounding 'thump', quickly followed by a second one, brought down by the Wookiee's bowcaster bolt and the last one by a single arrow clean right through its body.

Not a few meters away, set up against the trunk of a tree, was a supply station. While they did not possess the right codes to access it, Mission was able to slice the system open and grant them access to the numerous supplies inside.

Continuing onto the walkway and beyond the supply station, the path led to another platform located to the northeast. The Mercenary took a single step beyond the threshold and stopped in place, The Jedi doing the same followed by the Young Twi'lek and the Wookiee. They could all feel something dark and oppressive, drawing closer to them.

"We are not alone here." Bastila whispered cautiously, a hand over the hilt of her lightsaber.

Dynamo's only reply was a rumble from the back of his throat as he tuned his keen Overdrive senses. A sudden rustle in the branches and a gust of wind, closer... closer… until. "Above us!" He shouted and all of them rolled out of the way as three Sith Assassins plunged their crimson lightsabers into the thick wood right where they'd stood.

"Lord Malak was most displeased when he learned you had escaped Taris alive!" Their leader declared fiercely, pointing the tip of his red lightsaber to the Knights of different Orders with burning yellow eyes. "He has promised a great reward to whoever destroys you…!" 

"Tei Slaven ben kar en tuk…!" Dynamo began chanting, his voice beginning to shift as his metallic blue and burning orange crossguard lightsaber hidden blades ignited. "Kar en tuk Hust en Vitar!" The crimson aura began to emanate from his body and fill his sclera. "Kar en tuk DU TEI EXUNT!" His rage unleashed and with one last word leaving his lips. "Owerdryve!" The yellow sparks and lines appeared, dashing in a blur and bearing down on the leader.

The Sith barely had enough time to bring up his two sabres and block, even then, the force of the impact was enough to crack and fissure several of his bones. No amount of drawing from the power of the Dark Side was enough for him to do anything regarding The Mercenary's immediate follow-up. The demonic mutant brutally plunged his searing blade and even hand through his chest caving the Sith's ribcage in. With choked shouts, he sputtered out blood, yet it got stuck in his mouth cover, rendering him unable to breathe. His agony and suffering were soon ended when The Overdrive Slayer's other blade plunged through his skull.

It was over in less than a second. 

In that same second, Mission barely blocked a swing from the Sith's double-bladed lightsaber with her cortosis augmented vibrosword and the next one seemed poised to hit the Young Scoundrel's midsection. When, all of the sudden, a caster bolt seared through the Assassin's forehead,  followed by the Wookiee ramming his shoulder into her and sending her body careening through the railing and into the abyss.

At the same time, Bastila and her opponent seemed to be evenly matched as both swung their double-bladed lightsabers, the yellow and crimson sending sparks all around as they banged off each other. She stepped back, letting him think he had the upper hand. The Sith leapt at her head, sabre held high as he came down, but she swiftly rolled under him. With one hand, she threw her lightsaber before unleashing a tremendous Force Wave with her other once her sabre had cleaved through his side. His broken and lifeless body smashed through the wooden beams after the first one, disappearing into the mist.

The Second Hellwalker had monitored both conflicts, just in case, but once he saw that they were resolved, he closed his eyes. Gritting his teeth, he reigned back the sparks of Overdrive and the red rage of The DOOM Slayer. "Everyone alright?" He asked with a glance to all, his voice back to normal, commanding yet benevolently concerned.

"Yes, I am fine, thank you." Bastila with an incline of her head, while Zaalbar growled in confirmation and Mission, gave a quick smile and thumbs up. 

He acknowledged with a nod, then spoke. "Alright. Let's move on." He said as they continued down the wooden walkway and to their destination. 

Soon enough, as they headed east from the platform, they were able to see the skyscraper-high trees rising from the massive wooden foundation of the entire village came into view. Around the perimeter of the encampment were massive and reinforced wooden walls. Considering how adept at climbing Wookiees were in general, Dynamo figured that it was more likely made to keep Czerka out.

The wooden gates of the village were guarded by two Wookiee warriors who seemed to blend into the environment at first glance. Their gazes set on the newcomers warily yet curiously, especially considering who was among the group. The Mercenary could sense Zaalbar's turmoil and easily distinguished from his body language his distress. The usually mighty and powerful Wookiee now seemed small, with his eyes cast downwards. 

One of the guards roared powerfully. "Stop where you are, outsiders." Then declared with a snarl. "You enter the domain of Chuundar, Chieftain and leader of Rwookrrorro!"

The other Wookie, much calmer but still with disgust and distrust towards them, growled in question. "What is your business here?" 

"We seek an audience with your Chieftain in order to travel to your Shadowlands and uncover an item of great importance down there." Dynamo replied, keeping firm and cold, yet not threatening towards them, at least not intentionally. "We understand that he is the brother of my companion here."

"And why do you come with the madclaw?!" The more hostile of the guards growled and snarled, stepping in their way and seemingly resolute to not let them pass.

Zaalbar frowned and stepped forward, roaring with a burst of courage. "Stand aside!" He demanded with a clench of his claws. "They are with me and I want access to the home of my people!" 

"You have no rights here, madclaw!" He exclaimed furiously, taking a step as well. "This taint should not have been brought upon our land! You must answer to Chuundar!"

"What does he mean, Big Z?" Mission asked him quietly with a furrow of her brow. "What taint?"

The Wookiee Scout gave another snarl before looking at The Young Twi'lek. "He means me." There was a growl under his breath. "I am the taint that you have brought back."

"Shut up!" The guard gave another mighty growl. "You are nameless with dishonour, mad-claw! Yours is a foulness that disgusts me!

"Enough, Chorrawl." The first guard snarled at his companion before glaring down at the others. "You and the outcast mad-claw will be taken to Chuundar." And that was the final decision, with him making a motion with his hand.

The gate was raised as they stepped aside, two more guards coming forward to escort the four through. As they were led, The Final Knight took note that they had positioned themselves at their one and eight o'clock but that was far from the only thing upon which his Overdrive senses were set. All of the Wookiee guards were armed with heavy repeating blasters manufactured by Czerka as opposed to their traditional bowcasters. They also seemed perturbed by their arrival and presence, not just because he was The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer, while the common villagers regarded them with desperation and even a restrained hope at the sight of a Jedi and Wookiee. Of course, there were the normal reservations regarding him, which he understood, and he was silently glad that The Jedi Sentinel's presence could offset some of it.

They listened discretely to the dejected, concerned, angry and disgusted growls from the Wookiees around them. A well-respected Wookiee named Rorworr had recently gone missing; most suspected slavers took him, considering how many slavers he had apparently killed. Another, younger, named Woorwill was desperately asking for him, being one of his last living relatives along with the elder, Rorworr. The compound's Holder of the Laws, Worrroznor, was looking into it, but he was swamped by all the problems plaguing their home.

All around longed for those who'd been taken, for years gone by when they didn't have to fear the Czerka Corporation and many others prayed to a being named Bacca, making references to his blade or wisdom to keep them safe during these most trying times. 

If there was one thing the demonic mutant absolutely despised, it was slavery. Suppressing an individual's liberty, making them do your every bidding no matter how twisted or demented. 

Războiul nu se schimbă niciodată… Nici cei care profită de pe urma sa. (War never changes… nor do those who profit from it…) Dynamo thought bitterly.

The group of four was led to a massive building carved into the largest wroshyyr tree at the very heart of the encampment, southeast of the gates from the Great Walkway. Considering the intricate carvings on display, it was undoubtedly the chieftain's residence. Inside, it was a large and spacious hall, resembling an exquisite longhouse of some planetary baron. There were unarranged banquet tables, fire pits and various supplies stacked inside of baskets stacked in corners off to the side. Though the hall was mostly empty, with only a couple of guards in uniform and, at the far end, sitting on an intricately carved wooden throne, Chieftain Chuundar,  flanked by a Czerka guard on each side. The entire guard force was armed with Czerka weaponry, as was expected. 

"Step forward and address the mighty and wise Chuundar, outsiders." He beckoned with a lazy motion upon seeing them enter. "I don't often allow visitors of your kind."

They walked the length of the room and stopped in front of the large throne, The Final Knight only bowing his head ever so slightly out of courtesy, the Jedi Knight doing the same with a short bow, while the Young Scoundrel and Wookiee Scout did nothing. The Wookiee Chieftain glared at them from beneath a grey-brown furred brow, realising just who was within the small company. Even while sitting, it was apparent that his build was exceptionally tall and stocky, more so than the average Wookiee warrior even. When he stood to his full height, he towered even above The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer, who was as tall as the Chieftain's brother, by around thirty centimetres. At least that was the rough estimate the demonic mutant had, not in the least bit intimidated for he had killed bigger… much, much bigger.

Chuundar snarled and spoke lowly. "What is the meaning of this?" He demanded, glare setting on his brother. "Why have you dishonoured us by returning, madclaw?" 

Zaalbar didn't let himself be intimidated in the slightest, eyeing him right back and retorting. "You talk about dishonour yet you are flanked by Czerka slavers! Are they not outsiders or have you sold all of Kashyyyk to them?!"

"Ah, dear brother… You shouldn't speak in that tone." He growled twistedly, looking down with nothing but contempt. "You've been exiled for a long time, things are different now. You are a mad-claw without honour, without a voice among your own people." With his claws, he pointed at him before motioning to himself with a smirk that showed a row of sharpened teeth. "I, on the other hand, am Chieftain." Then he let his claws at his side and took a step closer. "So, why have you returned, brother?" 

The Wookiee Scout frowned but didn't bare his canines yet, explaining briefly. "This is The Mercenary, Georgian Dynamo. I've sworn a lifedebt to him and I follow wherever he goes."

Chuundar's gaze now bore down on The Second Hellwalker, though, despite the height difference, he couldn't look in those rage-filled royal blue eyes. They frightened him, but he wouldn't dare show it. "And why have you come here, outsider? Why have you brought my exiled brother back here?"

Un frumos cuib de minciuni, ți-ai construit, nenorocitule. (A nice nest of lies, you have constructed, bastard.) Dynamo thought with a stony expression before replying firmly."I am here as part of a specialised contract with the Jedi Order." It was the truth in very broad terms, which helped with being persuasive. He was aware that the Jedi Sentinel wasn't going to risk using the Force to influence them, their wills were likely too strong for her at this time. "Escort and tracker as part of a search for an important artefact on the planet. Clues that we have uncovered so far have led us to believe it is located in your Shadowlands. I brought Zaalbar here as an invaluable guide, especially considering his connection with you, in order to be granted an audience with you and ask for your permission to search the Shadowlands for the artefact ct."

The Wookiee Chieftain was silent for a long, heavy moment, eyeing the mountain of a demonic mutant before him. "The Jedi have no say out here." He stated succinctly with a brief show of his canines. 

"I am no Jedi." Dynamo countered without a second thought, his arms folding as he straightened, arguing with cold calmness. "I am a Mercenary, as such, perhaps we can come to a mutual agreement."

His eyes narrowed somewhat thoughtfully as he rubbed his chin for a moment, a tad surprised by the readiness of the answer but pleased by it. "Fine." He finally spoke, turning his back to them… perhaps he could look him in the eyes no longer. "You may search the Shadowlands, provided you don't interfere with my operations here under any circumstances." He sat on his throne, smirking sleazily as he continued. "And... you must deal with something for me."

The alarms in the back of his mind had gone off long ago, this was just a matter of playing along for the time being. "Very well, I'm listening," He said simply, catching a sideways glance from Bastila. Both of them could sense deception within the Wookiee chieftain through keen senses and the Force respectively, though it remained to be seen what it was exactly. 

"A simple thing, really," Chuundar informed while shrugging nonchalantly and picking at his claws. "Another Wookiee has suffered the same fate as Zaalbar, gone mad and been exiled. He now lurks in the Shadowlands. More importantly, he's pestering my Czerka allies during their Shadowland expeditions, killing my guards and attacking my supply chains." He grinned deviously and leaned towards him. "I want you to kill him."

Bastila looked at him appalled, though restrained for the most part as she stated firmly. " The Jedi are not assassins." 

"You are not… but he is. Mercenary, assassin, it's all the same. Selling your deadly skill for the highest bidder… As long as the credits are good." The Wookiee Chieftain replied deviously before declaring definitively. "These are my terms." He paused, his smirk growing as he went on. "That and Zaalbar must remain here under my supervision until you depart. You can flee the planet if you want, but he'll stay until the mad-claw is dead. The Czerka would never let me hold you, but they don't care what I do with fellow Wookiees."

Dynamo snarled and bared his canines, growling lowly. "Keeping Zaalbar only makes this proposition even worse. What makes you think I'm willing to abandon him to you?"

"It isn't your choice, Georgian Dynamo." He growled in annoyance, waving him dismissively. "I already have him. I have a personal matter to discuss with him. You, on the other hand, have other duties and won't need him. My people are trained to understand you. I tell them it's to better understand the enemy. They think it will make the Czerka easier to fight. Actually, it makes them easier to obey. Remember, you can't beat me here. No one would dare oppose me to join an outsider or an exile."

The Wookiee Scout was glaring at his sorry excuse of a brother, utterly disgusted and defiant. "You are wrong, brother... Someone would..."

Chuundar raised an eyebrow, still very much ignorant as he inquired, amused. "Do you speak of Freyyr, our father? Why?" He held back a cackle at how low Zaalbar was willing to go. "He was the one that ordered you exiled when you attacked me. He went as mad as you when he finally discovered the slavers. He dared challenge them alone and has not been seen since. That was years ago. Let him go, Zaalbar. I rule now. I'll take the Wookiees forward, but there are prices to pay."

He rumbled within him and nearly snarled before looking at Dynamo, stating resolutely. " I will stay. Do what you have to, I'll be fine when you come back."

The Second Hellwalker didn't like it in the slightest, but he knew that this was a needed compromise. A Cincea Libertate, Georgian… A Cincea Libertate… Calm, rece, calculat… (Fifth Freedom, Georgian… Fifth Freedom… Calm, cold, calculated.) He repeated in his mind, keeping the demon worse than demons within at bay, opting to play the long game and, most of all, trust Zaalbar's conviction.

"Then I suppose we have little choice. We should proceed with caution, however." Bastila whispered to Dynamo with a long sigh.

He nodded with a glance before looking at The Chieftain, steeling his voice even more. " We accept your terms." 

"I will stay with Big Z." Mission interjected, trying to be just as firm and seemingly not intimidated, at least on the surface. "If that's ok."

Chuundar didn't seem to care, disregarding the Young Scoundrel completely as just a kid and addressing the demonic mutant, still trying to be the dominant one. "I will have two of my guards wait for you at the elevator to the Shadowlands. Gorwooken is the one that will lower you. From there, you're on your own."

The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer briefly bowed his head, colder still. "Understood, Chieftain." With those last words, two Wookie guards stepped forwards from the sides to escort them out, though not before the demonic mutant took The Young Twi'lek aside quickly. "Here, take this earpiece." He whispered and instructed as he slipped it into her pocket. "If anything happens, contact me ASAP. If I don't answer, you have the frequency to get in touch with the Ebon Hawk."

"You got it." Mission nodded briskly, keeping her voice just as low when asking. "Are you really gonna kill that Wookiee?" 

"No." Dynamo didn't hesitate to reply, though one never knew what blood had to stain his blades. "But we'll see what happens." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm counting on you, Mission."

She snickered a little confidently, asking rhetorically. Hey! Have I ever let you down before?"

"I believe that you know the answer to that. Stay safe, both of you… and good luck" He replied with a near smile, squeezing her shoulder before giving a two-finger salute and being escorted out with The Jedi Sentinel.

The two Wookiee guards walked in front of them, leading the way out of the Chieftain's Hall, the Knights of different Orders falling in step with one another. 

"I have to say," Bastila started with a glance up at him. "I'm really amazed as to how everyone on the crew has really taken a liking to you. They all respect you and Mission looks up to you." There was a short sigh before she continued. "I must say that I am not completely comfortable with leaving them in Chuundar's care."

There was a brief rumble from within him at the first part. The Supreme Commander had noticed and felt it, he was seen as a leader and had led before, but he didn't do well with the praise. "Neither am I." He spoke only in regards to The Chieftain matter. "Mission is more than capable of handling herself. She and Zaalbar have been a dynamic duo for a long time, so they can take care of one another, even in more dire circumstances."

A smile broke over her lips a little, silver-grey eyes still up at him but he didn't meet them. "You've been a good influence on her." She attempted to get him to open up just a little bit, even if their bond told her that he was resisting it. 

The Mercenary was silent at first before muttering simply. "Curious… Considering everything… It's good to hear that it has been positive."

Her smile became rather bittersweet at how he wasn't willing to accept even the least bit of praise. Even compared to a Jedi, The Final Knight was almost shockingly humble to a fault. No more words were exchanged between them as they exited the Chieftain's Hall. Two other Wookiee guards were positioned on each side of the door, barring entry. They had no choice but to head from the central platform of the village towards the gates to the Great Walkway in the northwest, leaving Rwookrrorro behind for now under the direction of their escorts. 

Chapter Text

Silence had fallen between them while the Knights of different Orders were escorted. The Mercenary knew that the Wookiees could understand Basic. An alternative would have been using a different language, like the Romanian of his homeland or the Argenta of The DOOM Slayer. The problem with that was that The Jedi Sentinel knew neither yet. No amount of bond could grant such a fast understanding of a whole different way of speaking. Their minds were as one in keeping quiet until alone.

All around them, however, the forest was as alive as ever, even with night falling upon this side of the planet. Chirping, hooting, hisses and snarls, a veritable chorus of the various wildlife rose towards the darkened sky as they walked down the southeast fork of the walkway, 

"This path is seldom used, outsiders." One of the Wookiees, the one known to them as Gorwooken, growled in annoyance. "Normally, we would've climbed down to the basket from the upper branches, but we have to walk because of you. There may be vermin nesting along it. Be ready to fight."

Ahead on their path, the walkway split into two. They took the one to the south which led to a platform before it continued. Casting a glance down the east revealed a dead end where three Mykals were feasting on the freshly killed corpses of two forest kinraths. The walkway continued to the east through the southeast corner of the platform yet, barely a few steps in, they were accosted by three kinraths, coming from above.

"Stay back, outsiders!" One of the Wookiees roared as he charged at them, growling in pain and anger as one of the pincers slashed him across his left shoulder

Neither Knight listened as they leapt into the fray without hesitation, lightsabers igniting. Making use of their superior speed, one drawing on the Force and the other on Overdrive, they cut their way through two of the kinraths, their bodies severed in half. Keeping their momentum, they moved in near perfect synchronisation to sever the pincers of the last one before slashing it to pieces.

"We're clear," Dynamo said after, his breathing barely disturbed as he and Bastila deactivated their sabres. His royal blue gaze went to the wounded Wookiee, already reaching for a first aid kit in his backpack. "Here, I have something that can help you with that." And behind him, The Sentinel was ready to provide further aid thanks to the Force. 

"Chorrawl is not here for your amusement. I will deal with it myself." The light-brown furred Wookiee growled at him aggressively.

"With all due respect, even with the famous Wookiee strength and resiliency, if it gets infected it will leave you debilitated." He argued calmly, offering the kit to him. He briefly glanced at Bastila to silently tell her to refrain from offering her aid, not out of spite, but because they had to be very careful in order to build up some level of trust, to show that they were far better than the Czerka slavers. "Here… You can use it yourself." 

"Feh!" The Wookiee Warrior scoffed through gritted teeth, holding his injured side, glaring at him. "What do you know of Wookiees, outsider?! Your kind is here only to take or destroy…" Though the pain compelled him to reluctantly take the kid and patch himself up quickly. He cast him an uneasy glance, considering something but keeping silent as he continued forward. 

The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer and Jedi Sentinel followed after, with him asking. "Do you know of a crazed Wookiee in the Shadowlands?"

"The only crazed creature I know of is one of your kind, outsider, not mine," Chorrawl informed him with a grunt, not sparing a glance even. "We see him from time to time but we leave him alone. He has our respect because he has braved the lands alone. Sometimes he helps lone travellers. He is crazy, though. Our finest warriors hunt the Shadowlands in groups, yet he lives there alone. Avoid him. Madness is to be feared."

Now that was quite the curious bit of information. On one hand, their Chieftain hadn't told them about this crazed Wookiee that had been banished down there. On the other hand… Un om care trăiește singur în Shadowlands. Ar trebui să aibă niște abilități aparte pentru a reuși , adică este un Force-user. (A human living alone in the Shadowlands. They must have some special abilities to be able to, meaning that they are a Force-user) Dynamo mused in thought and decided to ask some more since the Wookiee Warrior seemed to be more willing to answer. "How long have they been down there?"

He shrugged with a growl as he didn't have an exact answer. "Many years. It is impossible to know how many. A decade or two? Perhaps he can answer your questions… or kill you."

Quite ominous, though he doubted that to be the case. Exchanging a glance with The Jedi confirmed to him that they were thinking the same thing, this wasn't a Sith, so they wouldn't have to worry about being attacked on sight… hopefully. The demonic mutant would remain ever wary. Seeing as Chorrawl was being rather receptive, all things considered, he inquired with calm curiosity. "What do you think of Chuundar?"

"He is our chieftain and will be obeyed." The Wookiee Warrior replied with a resigned shrug. "That is our way. Whether I trust what he says or not doesn't matter. In time, someone will replace him. For better or worse, I don’t know. That will be for Bacca to decide."

The Mercenary's ears twitched as his brow furrowed. That name again. "If I may ask, how will Bacca decide? What does that phrase mean?" He questioned respectfully. 

"Bacca was our greatest warrior." He explained with no small amount of awe at the tale. "His ancient sword is the tool of ascension, the mark of a chieftain. Chuundar no longer displays it, not since he took the role of chieftain years ago. If someone else could produce it…" He trailed off before grunting at himself, waving it all off. "Bah! I talk like a mere child! This is foolishness."

More useful information that would work well with the plans forming in the mind of The Supreme Commander. In order to get a better idea, he kept inquiring. "Could a blood relative of Chuundar potentially challenge him?"

Surprisingly or not, Chorrawl did reply. "It truly would take Bacca's Blade for that to happen." He informed them, still resigned over the current state of affairs within their village. "Chuundar is the last member of his family. There were others, but they were marked with madness. We don't speak their names. They are without honour." Was his last statement as the discussion ended and they continued in silence.

So they did know of both Zaalbar and his father, both marked by madness… and they were being sent to put down a rebellious crazed Wookiee. Connections were being made in his mind but there were gaps to be filled and confirmations made. The answers lay on the surface of the planet. 

The Wookiees brought them to a makeshift elevator operated by a crude pulley system, motioning for them to step on.

"Rrrgh." The dark-brown furred Wookiee growled with disdain as they did. "Chuundar has commanded that I grant you access to the Shadowlands. Gorwooken is what I am called. Walk with care! Only our bravest return from these lands. Your soft feet are a barely tolerated insult…" He muttered under his breath. "The descent is long. Be still, or we will attract… unwelcome visitors."

Neither Knight gave him the satisfaction of a reply, though the demonic one glared out of the corner of his eyes, paying close attention to the way the Wookiee operated the basket. One of their guides began pulling on one of the ropes and they began descending towards the forest floor, which from this height, wasn't quite visible. The elevator platform creaked and groaned a little as Gorwooken pulled on the rope, slowly but steadily lowering them into a clearing at the west end of the upper Shadowlands.

Down on the planet's surface, perpetual darkness loomed, a heavy fog permeating all around. Even during the daytime, the thick tangle of branches and vines and leaves drowned the light before it reached the forest floor. The only light that did reach was only about as luminous as a moon might be. The Knights of different Orders stepped out and into the clearing ahead, moving away to not be overheard. A chill blew through the air, shadows cast all around them by the massive trees. 

"Can you feel it..? The dark side permeates in these lands..." Bastila mused as they stepped through. "I suspect that the creatures we will face down here will be much more fierce. "

"To say the least…" Dynamo remarked as he looked around and took a deep breath. "But the source of it is coming from much deeper into the Shadowlands."

"Can you try to pinpoint the location of the Star Map?" She asked, her silver-grey eyes moving to him. "You mentioned that they seemed to call out to you specifically." 

"I can give it a shot." The demonic mutant nodded as he took a few steps in the direction from which he felt the dark power emanating. He took a knee, placing a hand on the ground and closing his eyes as he focused, his eyes turning red beneath the eyelids, crossed by yellow lines. His breath shallowed as his senses became in tune with his surroundings. The Mercenary could feel the dark power, reaching out from its source with several invisible tendrils, spreading all around the planet. He traced it back to the point of origin and his eyes shot open. "I got it." He said as he swiftly stood up, glancing at The Sentinel with a firm nod.

"Good, then let's get moving." She urged and remarked. "With the dangers that this place holds, we can't afford to stand still for too long."

They went down the path that exited the basket clearing to the north. Around a hairpin bend to the west, almost as if to spite The Sentinel's words, a high-pitched screech pierced the air as several katarns leapt down from some branches overhead and surrounded them. Instantly, their lightsabers and blades ignited, the yellow, orange and blue glow illuminating their foes through the eerie fog. The cracking plasma contrasted the snarls of the circling predators. 

Though The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer was a predator in his own right, barely sparing an obvious glance as he counted four katarns, each roughly the size of a bantha. They bared their teeth at them before two of the katarns lunged toward them. The Knights of different Orders backflipped out of the way moments before the ground they were standing on was crushed by the sheer weight of their attackers. Dynamo swung his lightsaber with a quick precise arc towards the nearest katarn, removing two of its legs, keeping his spin and coming with his other blade and slashing it in half.

After the green blood was splattered everywhere, the second katarn lunged at The Second Hellwalker, but his senses and instincts were too keen to be caught off guard by it. Dodging beneath its snapping mandibles and jaws, he rammed his blade in its belly, roaring with significantly more intensity as he slammed it into the ground with a tremendous crack.

At the same time, Bastila pushed the two spiders closing in on her back with the Force and sent her lightsaber whirling in an ark in front of her. The twin yellow blades spun through the air and cut through katarns with frightening ease, their corpses falling to the floor. 

Though it wasn't over, judging by the chorus of sounds coming from around them, they might have stirred up a hornet's nest. Moving to stand back to back, they eyed their surroundings carefully, both sensing numerous sets of glares at them as more katarns had come. The Sentinel held her lightsaber out in front of her in a defensive stance while The Mercenary was more balanced, yet leaning towards offence.

Right before any of them could act, a green whirling light came arcing through the air cutting through the nearest katarn that had briefly flinched to lunge in an attack. The green light retreated into the hand of a shadowy figure that was leaping into the battle from above. He landed with a powerful Force shockwave that knocked the other beasts back. The hooded figure leapt up and onto the back of the next katarn that was rushing from the side, driving the green lightsaber into its back as it let out a painful, dying shriek. Before the last katarn could charge, he lifted it into the air with Force and flung his lightsaber into the beast's underbelly. Green blood rained down onto the ground,  followed by the now lifeless body of the katarn. 

The Knights of different Orders looked on, one with subdued intrigue, the other in amazement, as the brown hooded figure hopped off the back of the creature and nonchalantly extinguished his lightsaber, clipping it to his belt. He pulled off the hood of his brown robes, ones that were usually used by Jedi Knights, to reveal an aged man with slightly wrinkled dark skin and balding grey hair along with a goatee.

"Ah, the damnable racket of battle…!" He complained under his breath before he noticed the two looking at him more or less stunned. "Watch yourself, even more of these crawling beasts are usually hiding in the underbrush." There was a pause as he glanced between them with a frown forming."What?" He asked incredulously,  raising an eyebrow, "Stop fawning at me like I'm some ancient relic in a museum. You got names?"

The demonic mutant only nodded and answered succinctly, eyeing the old man impassively.  "Georgian Dynamo, The Mercenary." He was already certain that this was the 'crazed one of your kind.'

She followed up with a brief incline of her head. "Bastila Shan of the Jedi Order." Then she inquired with no small amount of curiosity. "And who might you be?"

"I'm Jolee, Jolee Bindo." He replied matter-of-factly as he walked near, a spring in his step despite the age on his face. "Follow me to my camp and we'll talk a bit without beasts breathing on us from every side. Keep close."

"You wield a lightsaber… You are a Jedi." Dynamo noted as he looked at it hanging from his belt, asking the mysterious old man as they went down the path exiting the clearing to the east, passing by a corpse on the north side of the path, to the left.

"I follow the Jedi Way and I command the Force, yes, and I suppose that makes me as much a Jedi as anyone… but what of it? Why should being what I am compel me to entertain others with tales of the 'good old days', huh?" He asked rhetorically and dismissively in stride as their pathway led to another clearing to the southeast, in which there was some rubble, during which time he began to explain. "I've seen my share of the dark and the light and frankly, both extremes annoy me. Of course... I have felt the rumblings of change…"

"I can feel the power of the Force within you, old man, but I do not sense the taint of the dark side," Bastila remarked as she observed him, the three heading through the clearing and the southwest into another open area. "I think you are a servant of the light, despite what you claim."

"Well, I assure you, I see more grey than dark or light," Jolee replied with a light raise of his shoulders as his boots sloshed through the mud and grass. "I'm just a stubborn old man, tired of the foolishness of others."

The Sentinel was very much intrigued by him, glancing to the hut coming into view on the west side as she asked somewhat uncertainly. "You... live here?" 

" Oi! Don't you judge me!" Jolee snapped rather irritatedly, rolling his eyes. "I'm too old for that nonsense… Yeah, I live like some burrowing rodent under a log." He scoffed and huffed with contempt. "I fought the Sith… now look at me. Hmph!"

She blinked in sheer disbelief, rushing to amend. "I didn't mean anyth-"

"Bah!" The Old Grey cut her off with the exclamation, throwing his arms up dismissively. "Just leave it. We're already here." 

Jolee's hut was small, modest as could be and rustic. It was carved out of a large knot in the base of one of the massive tree trunks, roots, vines and moss that had grown since last disturbed. There was a campfire outside with a cooking pot set up over the small flames. Inside, the small living quarters were lit by makeshift candles that the old lightsaber wielder had likely fastened himself. 

"Well, welcome to my home, such as it is." He spoke as he motioned with a hand and turned to them. "Pull up a stump and be comfortable." A sigh left him as he sat down in front of the pot and poked at the fire. "We should discuss a few things."

The Knights of different Orders each took a stump, with The Mercenary first asking. "How long have you been down here?" 

"Eh, who knows?" Jolee shrugged without glancing. "A decade? Two decades? What does it matter? It isn't because I like the stink of dead kinrath, I just have no better place to be." Finally, his gaze moved up and he glanced between them. " The real question is, what are you two doing down here?" 

"We're on a mission from the Jedi Council," Bastila explained, despite him not saying that he was still a Jedi, trusting him with more sensitive information thanks to his past allegiances and the fact that there was no taint in him, "We're looking for an ancient star map that we believe Revan and Malak found before they disappeared into the Unknown Regions."

The Aged Jedi grinned in his goatee and muttered to himself. "I knew that had to be why you were here. The problems of a few Wookiees don't amount to anything before the concerns of the Jedi." Then he began wagging a finger at them. "No, you are here for the map." After which he resettled himself on the stump as he mused with a mischievous glint and slight grin. "Kashyyyk is an interesting place, more so than anyone suspects. If Czerka Corporation knew, heh, the planet would be a strip mine. The Wookiees have their legends that they were not always here, but it is more than that. The trees themselves are strangers..." His voice trailed off in an enigmatic manner, leaving The Sentinel quite perplexed though it didn't break the stern calmness of the demonic mutant. 

"We are also looking for a madclaw Wookiee," Dynamo informed, his voice cold and even. "The only way to properly get down here was to gain Chuundar's permission and handle the matter." While not entirely true, it was the only way to be as discreet as possible and not cause a ruckus. At the same time, a perfect way to gather crucial information on overthrowing him and booting Czerka Corporation from Kashyyyk. 

" Hmm..." Jolee scratched his chin as he cast a curious glance over to him, "Chuundar will betray you." He spoke bluntly. "He doesn't like outsiders coming and poking their noses around his business, even if they're Jedi or brooding mercenaries."

"I am aware of the matter, just as I'm aware of the Wookiees' plight." The Second Hellwalker assured with a brief raise of his hand, remarking a tad deviously and nearly smirking."Let's just say that matters are set in motion and shaping up." He eyed The Old Jedi right back, noting that he couldn't look him in the eye… like the vast majority of others. "I'm fairly certain that he is not good company for a former Jedi."

"Hmph, you're not entirely wrong there." He scoffed and folded his robes. "Chuundar doesn't concern himself with me much. I was here long before he became Chieftain, and even had a good relationship with the previous Chieftain, Freyyr. I believe Chuundar killed him."

The scent caught his attention immediately… his Overdrive senses telling him that he wasn't being entirely honest with that fact. He theorised that this madclaw had to be Freyyr… though perhaps the exile had crazed The Former Chieftain to the point that he couldn't stand against his usurping son. They'd have to wait and see how matters were. "Very well then… Do you have any idea where the Star Map is?" Dynamo asked with a hand on his chin, opting to trust Bastila's judgment on his character. "In our visions, we saw it was deep within the Shadowlands, near a massive contraption of sorts." 

" Yeah, I know what you're talking about," The Aged Grey said with a nod. "I've tried to open it many times and haven't been able to." With a peeved glance away, he muttered. "Stupid hunk of junk, that is…"

"It is crucial that we locate it." Bastila urged hurriedly. "The fate galaxy as a whole is at stake until we-"

"Is it really?" Jolee interrupted with a somewhat doubtful raise of his eyebrow, hot dismissing but wanting to put matters into a more open perspective. "Or is it just your part of the galaxy that's in trouble? After all, the galaxy is a very big place. The Republic being in danger and the galaxy being in danger are two different things." 

She paused before trying to amend. " I simply meant that-"

"Bah!"  He cut her off with a wave of his hand, almost chuckling at himself derisively. "What do I know, though, right? I'm just an old hermit living in a swamp."

"No offence, but we don't have time for such back and forths." The demonic mutant interjected sternly, glancing between them.

"You'll have nothing but time if you don't take what help you can." The Old Grey advised a tad smugly and joking regarding the whole thing. "I've been here for many years. I know things. Remember that. My days of glory are behind me, but… perhaps there is something I can do for you… There are literally walls in your way, and you won't find what you need without my help…"

He looked right at the other, knowing already what that trailing off meant so he asked with a near smirk. "I'm sensing a catch."

"Ooh, wow…! You sensed that with your Force powers, didn't you?" Jolee teased with a smirk.

"More like a demonic beast." The Mercenary retorted with a similar glint in his eyes. 

Bastila cast them a disapproving glare as she stated. " Jedi are supposed to help people without the expectation of anything in return." 

"That so?" The Aged Force-user glanced with a raise of his eyebrow, shrugging. "As I said, I'm no longer a Jedi, and I'm not Sith either." Then he muttered in annoyance under his breath. "I forgot how narrow-minded the Jedi can be. Light versus dark, Jedi versus Sith. No room for in-between with you people is there?"

"What do you consider yourself to be then?" She inquired, partly curious and the other scrutinising. 

He nearly sighed and asked in exasperation. "Can't I just be an old weary guy with a lightsaber?"

She had no real reply and didn't have the opportunity to find one before The Final Knight asked. "What do you need us for, Jolee?"

"Since they began expanding in the Shadowlands, the Czerka has left me alone,  for the most part. Until recently, anyway." The Old Jedi explained with a peeved look. "A group of them set up camp not far from here. Poachers are all they are. The Captain of the lot is the one that earned my ire. Mishandle my garden, will he?" He mumbled in his goatee, scoffing. "Hmph!"

Something felt a tad off, with The Second Hellwalker asking while raising his eyebrow. " You haven't been able to do that yourself?" 

"They already know who I am." He replied matter-of-factly."I can't get close without them taking a shot at me, and I'd rather avoid violence than whip out my plasma sword at the first sign of trouble."

"Alright then, we'll take care of it." The Mercenary nodded succinctly, motioning with a hand. "Lead the way."

The Aged Force-user nodded and got up, beginning to lead them through the dense underbrush of the jungle. Using their lightsabers, they carved a path through the numerous tangles of vines and thorns. For how old he must've been, Jolee kept a steady pace. It was clear he was strong in the Force and the environment in which he lived had kept him fit.

Their path led them south from The Old Hermit's hut, beneath several arches made by the massive wroshyr roots. An unnatural metal glint caught the attention of The Mercenary and, upon further inspection, discovered that it was a broken droid. 

"What's that, kid?" Jolee asked while peering over Dynamo's shoulder after the demonic mutant had taken a knee to inspect it, Bastila glancing around to cover them just in case.

"A droid." He replied succinctly as he took out the SMI to catalogue and scan it thoroughly. 

When suddenly, the robot spoke, stammering. "Malfunction… My primary motivators are… incapaci… error. Damage terminal." It informed them, completely unable to do much else. "Playback… cause of malfunction…" 

The recording began, with a female voice speaking. "I don't get it. That merchant said there was salvage down here. We need Matton to work the sensors."

It switched and a male one was heard. "When he gets back we'll…" The man paused, his voice wary. "Wait… I'm getting something. Oh, it's Eli. Good. Maybe he'll point us in the right direction." He sounded relieved."

"Eli! What the…!" The woman suddenly exclaimed, shocked and infuriated. "But you got your money, you double-crossing snake! We had a deal--." 

A series of blaster fires cut off the transmission.

It was all that The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer needed to know and the information he needed to get Matton out of his predicament. Heading back now to the Czerka dock was out of the question, but he sent over to the Ebon Hawk all of the intel on the matter. That meant one of the crew could take care of it in his stead, maybe also learn something of use along the way or gain a valuable ally.

"Let's move on." The Mercenary urged and the three Knights did.

The three continued through the Upper Shadowlands, going on the northeastern path from the clearing in which they first encountered Jolee, to the north of his hut, coming across another peculiar scene. 

With his keen, predatory senses, The Final Knight picked up on the stench of a decaying body from the west side of the northeast path leading to the Czerka hunting ground. Upon further investigation, he came across the body of a Wookiee, though he seriously doubted that this was the one they'd been sent to eliminate. Dynamo took a knee next to it and examined the body. It was a male Wookiee, with brown fur, killed with a single shot from a Bowcaster at close range. Curiously, the length of time which he estimated that he'd been deceased matched up with the one of Rorworr's absence. Searching inside his belongings, he found a Slaver Contract, his Bowcaster and next to his body was a Bowcaster Bolt Casing that didn't belong to him. 

The datapad card contained a contract to trade weapons for slaves, along with a manifest of goods already delivered. It would seem that Rorworr had sold a number of Wookiees previously, and intended to do so again.

Dynamo furrowed his brow as he was making his analysis, not like, ingredients this one single bit as he moved on to what the killer had left behind. The bolt casing was abandoned next to Rorworr's corpse, likely by whoever killed him. Bowcasters and the accompanying bolt casings were very personal items among the Wookiees and were adorned with traditional family symbols and other identifying marks. It was possible the owner of this one could be identified by a knowledgeable Wookiee, most likely the village's Holder of the Laws. He brought it close to his nose and sniffed a few times, finding that the scent was familiar. A Wookiee he'd passed by in the village was the one responsible. 

With a sigh, he placed whatever he deemed of use safely in his backpack. The case seemed solved, but it wouldn't end well. 

For now, they continued forward, on the path turning east then southeast. Various creatures of the night stalked the roots and branches all around them, watching them from hidden perches in the trees and the shadowy tangle of bushes and shrubs. However, none even dared to make a move against them as they made their way along the forest floor. 

They positioned themselves crouched in a taller patch of grass and behind a couple of thick roots, spotting the small Czerka camp set up on the forest floor ahead. The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer sniffed a few times cataloguing the scents in the air as his eyes flashed red with yellow lines for the briefest of times. He counted a dozen armed guards along with a team of half as many scientists. 

"What are they doing here?" Dynamo asked Jolee in a whisper. 

"Harming the ecosystem is what they're doing," He replied with a grimace of disdain. "They're farming tach glands. Right now they aren't farming enough to be a problem but I've seen their plans, they want to build a massive factory here on the forest floor."

The Mercenary hummed from the back of his throat as he thought. Tachs were small monkey-like creatures native to Kashyyyk. Their glands were the key ingredients in the making of Tarisian Ale. Taris had plenty of farms for this explicit purpose, meaning wild tachs wouldn't be at risk… except. "Makes sense from their purely profit-based standpoint." He muttered in his beard with a grin of his teeth.

"I imagine Tarisian Ale has had quite the markup on every market since Taris was destroyed." Bastila frowned slightly upon remarking.  

"Indeed, which is why Czerka will stop at nothing to set up shop here." The Aged Force-user confirmed with a nod. "They stand to make a veritable fortune." 

Dynamo nodded and then asked. "How do you propose we deal with them?" 

"No, no, no…!" He said as he waggled a finger, smirking ever so slightly. "That,  you must figure out on your own."

The Mercenary hummed from the back of his throat before moving into a better position which overlooked the whole of the camp. His eyes closed as he drew from The Overdrive Slayer's senses, clearly feeling every single in and out of everything around them for an incredible three hundred and twenty whole kilometres. Twelve guards were armed to various degrees, from medium to heavily so, along with six scientists and researchers, judging by the more sterile scent. There was another, one that fueled the demon worse than demons within, blood. In this case, it was the blood of a tach that was being examined.

All around the perimeter of the camp were the Czerka guards, with the six others in the middle. Another thing of note was the devices, pylons with spinning antennas, a pair of guards keeping watch at each of them. He knew those devices, sonic emitters. It made perfect sense for some lousy, puny Czerka to make use of those. No matter how heavily armed, they were no deterrent to the beasts and predators of the Shadowlands, unlike two powerful Jedi and the very Bearer of The DOOM Slayer. As such, they had to disrupt them with ultrasonic frequencies. By the looks of it, they were multispectral, but another key thing he noticed was that they had no shielding, a fact that made him wickedly grin internally. 

The Final Knight moved back to his previous position with an easy plan in mind, sensing The Jedi Sentinel coming up next to him.

" What are you thinking?" She asked, sensing the gears turning in his head and seeing him get on his SMI.

"Let's see what happens when..." Dynamo muttered slowly as his fingers tapped away swiftly. Using his device, he connected himself to all of the pylons by finding which exact frequencies they were operating on. Simply switching them was child's play, but he chose ones that were likely to attract predators towards them. A quick sniff confirmed that something massive was already on the way. For the setup to be complete, he also launched out an electromagnetic pulse that completely fried the sonic emitters. "Boom…!" Was his last whisper.

A few of the guards jumped as all of the pylons they guarded short-circuited and their panels burst in a cascade of sparks. 

"What the Hell just happened?!" One of them called out, immediately getting a grip on his heavy blaster rifle.

Another tried to get a closer look at a pylon but stepped back when he was nearly showered in sparks by a secondary arching event and burst. "All the emitters must have shorted out again!"

"Quick, get the fuses!" A third called out as firmly as he could, but his voice wobbled as desperation seeped through. "Where are the fucking fuses!?'

The scent of cold, metallic sweat filled the air, the scent of fear. Fear in the whole Czerka camp. There was another, one of hungered darkness which was fast approaching, drawn by it most certainly. 

One of the guards who was also a technician made a dire realisation. "We don't have enough to fix all of them!" He called out to the others, looking up from his toolkit. 

Another glanced over incredulously, motioning towards the wrecked pylon spewing sparks and darkening with char next to him."This one needs more than a fucking fuse to fix it! It's completely fried!"

"Same over here!" Yet another informed before his voice completely left him.

"We're sitting ducks out here!" The very lieutenant by the looks of it was losing it.

The three listened from their hiding stop how the camp descended into absolute chaos. The scientists had come out of their tent to see what the commotion was about. Not even two words were exchanged with the stressed and fearful captain when they all heard it. A shrill roar cut through the air around them followed by thunderous footsteps as a massive hunched-over beast emerged. It had fangs curved inwards coming out of either side of its mouth, thick and scaled dark greenish skin and a powerful tail which it swung methodically from side to side along with deadly claws. Froth dripped from the row of teeth which it bared, what seemed to be the blade of a vibrosword sticking out of its back.

Dynamo recognised it from the writings back in the Jedi Temple, a terentatek. He'd known that he'd taken a risk by using the frequency that he did, though, thankfully, it looked like the Jedi hunter was more interested in the Czerka and perhaps his own presence worked well as a deterrent against a terentatek as well.

They didn't need to be told twice or even once, all of the Czerka dropping everything and just bolting where they could, hoping to get away from the beast which gave fast chase to them. Their only hope was getting to the landing zone in time to get pulled up. 

In a few minutes, everything had fallen silent once again, with the usual ambience of the night setting in.

The demonic mutant straightened and glanced over to The Old Grey as he did the same. "You've done this before, making them leave by frying the pylons." 

"Yeah, yeah," Jolee said, waving his hand dismissively. "Call me a crazy old coot, but I wanted to see what you would do. It was… interesting, you spared them overall." He eyed The Mercenary with a bit of a mischievous glint and a hand on his chin. 

"Killing them wouldn't have accomplished anything." The Second Hellwalker replied with a slight shrug. "Giving them a taste of the Shadowlands, however, did, by the sounds and scents of it. They will survive if they run and climb fast enough, it's all up to them."

"Wasn't there anything to be accomplished? I suppose not, but the environment would say otherwise if it could talk." He challenged with a smirk but waved it off. "No matter." Even if he hid it well, Dynamo's experience told him that Jolee was quite pleased with the way he'd handled it.

The Final Knight narrowed his eyes in intrigue for a moment."If you didn't care about the outcome, why have me do this?" 

"You were here and it needed doing," The Old Hermit replied simply, shrugging with a smirk. "Besides, dealing with Czerka is a dirty business. I hope you washed your hands."

"I wear gloves." He retorted with a near smirk of his own then quickly returned to more serious matters, folding his arms. "You mentioned barriers, ones that you know how to deal with."

"Yes, yes, in the east past the poacher camp," Jolee said with a few nods, sounding apathetic or at the very least dismissive, though without any ill will behind any of it. "I saw it when it was installed. It's a very effective barrier, but I know how to get past it." His tone bordered on the edge of sarcasm as he motioned with a hand."Let's get moving. I noticed the old paths some time ago. You probably wouldn't have found them on your own. There's a Czerka repulsor field blocking the way, past the poacher camp in the east. I saw it when it was installed, so I know how to pass it. And on the other side... ancient answers,  perhaps a Wookiee you were seeking." He smirked rather enigmatically, commenting to himself mostly. "I hope he's in the mood for visitors."

The path beyond the Czerka camp continued to the southeast before turning northeast, winding towards the west before finally bearing southwards. Right in their way was a massive light purple force field built into the ark of a giant root. It shimmered as they approached, standing in stark contrast to the foliage around it.

"There, you see? Beautifully subtle, isn't it? At least, compared to other Czerka equipment dumped down here." Jolee commented with a slight smirking, looking it up and down as they stopped in front of it. "It's only been here a short while, or the Wookiees would have disabled it." He remarked with a slight raise of his shoulders while placing his hands on his belt. "They wouldn't have had an easy time of it, though."

The Mercenary glanced up at the whole of it, his brow furrowing. "Why place this thing here?" 

"There are others, each blocking similar points on certain paths. It is all very calculated. Very precise." He replied with a clear note of sarcasm. "It would have been effective if it hadn't relied on the creatures to be walking. Climbers don't have much trouble getting around it."

He figured that was the case, even though he could already see ways to climb it, even if it might have proven a bit of a challenge. "I trust you can get past it? You said so." He said as he glanced at The Aged Force-user. 

"I can manipulate it for long enough to let us pass." He nodded and went to a circuit panel on the side, beginning to fiddle with the wiring inside. "Let me see... how did the Czerka engineers do it…" He muttered to himself before the field flickered and faded away."Ahh, there we go. Now keep moving." Quickly, all three went through as he spoke, informing. "These are the most dangerous depths of Kashyyyk. A few surprises await us, I'll wager."

*****

With ferocious yellow feline eyes, The Cathar Guardian overlooked the whole Czerka outpost from one of the higher branches. Her natural ability to camouflage herself was coming in quite handy at the moment. Assisting her with her survey was The Mandalorian, who brought his decades of battle experience to the table.

"[What do you see?]" Carth's voice came over their communicators. 

"Czerka seems to have organized their operations around the main building built into the wroshyyr tree near the middle" Juhani reported in her thick accent, angered by what she was seeing yet keeping calm. "The courtyard is the marketplace… Where they display the slaves for sale and buyers bid for them."

"[The presence of slavery alone won't be enough to make the Republic intervene.]" The Republic pilot sighed over the comms, audibly trying to make something work. "[The truth is the Republic has no jurisdiction out here and Czerka supplies a lot of their weaponry. They won't risk that relationship to free slaves on what they see as some backwater planet.]"

She gritted her teeth, wholly disliking the sound of that. "Then we need to find something that the Republic can't ignore." 

He paused and tried to think, looking over the map of the compound which The Supreme Commander had made in their swift passing and tour on the ground. "[It looks like anything significantly incriminating would be kept securely in the main offices.]" 

Canderous grunted briefly upon hearing that. "It's going to be a challenge getting in there without causing attention." He spoke as he scouted that area in particular. "They have that place patrolled pretty tightly." 

The Cathar Jedi frowned, determination burning in her feline eyes. "If the Republic won't free the Wookiees then we must do it," 

"I'm sure that between me, the HK droid and your lightsabers, we can tear this place to the ground in no time." The Mandalorian grinned wickedly at the proposal, an eager glint in his eyes as he was already preparing his signature blaster rifle.

Juhani frowned still but was more thoughtful this time. They had to be patient and plan this right, otherwise, they would jeopardise the safety of the Wookiees as well as their whole mission. "No... if it was that simple the Wookiees would have done that already themselves long ago." She remarked and scouted the area again. "There's more to this operation than meets the eye…" Her brow was furrowed as she mused internally. This is not right. A Wookiee should be able to easily hold their own against several Czerka… Not to mention their exceptional knowledge of the planet and their skill at navigating it… They have every advantage to overcome this and yet are unable to.

It was very concerning, especially since, even if she knew that the current chieftain, Chuundar, was selling his own kin through several deals with Czerka, there would have certainly been a rebellion, not this complacency. There was more to this than the simple tradition of following the acting Wookiee Chieftain unconditionally and going along with whatever lies he fed his people.

Then something caught her attention, namely a series of pylons with transmitter dishes on top of them, their antenna aimed towards the outer perimeter as well as towards the canopy above. They were positioned at intervals along the outer walls of the outpost. Height-wise, they were about the size of an average person.

"Carth," The Jedi Guardian called through the comms, asking with her eyes narrowed. "Have you seen the pylons arranged around the edge of the outpost walls?"

There was a brief pause before The Republic pilot's reply came. "[I see them.]" He confirmed and informed her. "[They look like Sonic Emitters. I've seen them deployed in warzones on planets where the fauna can be extra hostile.]"

Something was definitely off, especially with the sheer amount used, it was overkill. "Are this many necessary to keep kinraths and mykals away?" Her voice was laced with doubt.

Again, there was silence as he considered the fact. It definitely seemed more plausible if he thought about it and didn't just take it at face value. "[You think there's more to it?]"

She nodded, the gears turning in her head. "Perhaps... How are they operated?"

Carth hummed thoughtfully before replying. "[I'm not exactly sure, lemme pull up some schematics.]" Shortly enough, he informed. "[Alright, so… they can be tuned to different sonic frequencies, though they usually operate on a frequency that only certain animals can hear to keep them away from the camp. We hear nothing but to them, the sound is high-pitched and deafening.]"

Now that led her to a frightening possibility. "Would it be possible for Czerka to use a frequency that affects the Wookiees only?"

"[Yes, it would be.]" The Republic pilot confirmed, barely now realising it himself. "[The Wookiees can likely detect a wider range of sonic frequencies than most other humanoid beings…]" He rubbed at his stubble at the conclusion he'd come to. "[It would've been a simple matter of finding out what specific frequency would cripple them without affecting anyone in the outpost.]"

Juhani nodded to herself more. "Then we need to find it. It could be the key to helping the Wookiees take back their territory and free them from slavery." 

The Ordo Clansman however had a much simpler approach in mind as he suggested with a light shrug and itchy trigger finger. "What would happen if we just take them out?" 

She glanced at him for a long moment and found that wasn't such a bad idea, as long as they weren't found out. "Let us find out…" Her voice trailed off as she reached out a hand towards the furthest emitter that they could see from their position. Through the Force, she felt how her grip had grasped it and she clenched her fist, crumbling the dish in the distance before she wrenched it upwards. The debris fell into the abyss below, sparks and wires trailing behind it.

Instantly, alarms began to blare and a squad of heavily armed Czerka guards poured out of the main barracks and positioned themselves in a tight perimeter around the broken pylon. Their aim was pointed upwards and all around, scanning for any sign of the culprits though they were thankfully too far away to spot the duo responsible. 

With the area well covered in seconds, a team of Czerka technicians hurried out with a new dish and a ladder. They swiftly climbed the wall to install the dish as fast as possible, the whole process being completed in less than a minute. All the other pylons now had a glowing red light at the top of them, most likely indicating that the ultrasound had been intensified to completely cripple any would-be attacker. 

The Cathar Guardian frowned and muttered. "It appears our task will be much more difficult than anticipated." 

Canderous only grunted with a slight snarl and nodded a few times in agreement. 

*****

The soft patter of boots against the sturdy wood was accompanied by a gentle mechanical hum as the Jedi Watchman discreetly made his way through the Czerka outpost. His travels had brought him near the path of The Mercenary and his crew yet again. Something that he didn't mind one bit, though he was focused on his own mission, finding the location of the Jedi Exile.

For the moment, that was tangential with another task, that being assisting the demonic mutant with a simple matter, just like back on Tatooine. He idly checked his datapad again and made sure that he had all the information which Dynamo had sent over to the Ebon Hawk's systems. 

It had been a quick visit to simply catch up with them, though only found the Republic pilot tending to the ship along with the trustworthy astromech and a new… special droid to say the very least. Getting called an 'organic meatbag' had been a new one and nearly not as bad as other labels that had been unfairly tacked on. Thankfully, those days were behind him for the most part and, back in the present, he walked right towards the emporium owned by a certain Eli Gand. 

Though he did not speak with the sleazy merchant, instead approached the mechanic who was working on a patchwork protocol droid. "Excuse me, Mister Matton?" Crokess called out, pulling out a datapad from his navy blue robes which displayed the photos taken. "I must ask you about a droid."

"Uh, Mister, all requests are to be made to me." Eli intervened and only earned a cold glare from The Blind Master, one that made Gand rethink his life decisions as he froze up.

The mechanic glanced over and blinked furiously for several moments. He then bolted and cast a long look at the images. "What in all of the Galaxy!? That's D-A02, the repair droid from my ship!" Matton exclaimed in shock as Crokess silently handed him the datapad. "What was this doing in the forest?" He asked incredulously as he swiped through the photos and soon enough found the droid's recording stored.

"It managed to record an ambush." The Jedi Master informed as he crossed his arms over the folds of his robes his gaze going to the sleazy merchant again with the inklings of a devious grin on his otherwise calm expression. "And Eli's name is clearly mentioned."

Upon hearing the whole thing, Matton's grip on the datapad tightened and he growled. "Eli, you snake!" He shouted and nearly threw the device at him when he got in his face. "You said my crew jacked the ship without paying the repair bill!" 

Eli held his hands up and stepped back, but hit the metal wall behind him soon enough. "Well... that is... eh... it's not how it looks." He stammered to form some miserable explanation. "You see, a good mechanic is hard to find and-"

Immediately, the mechanic cut him off in sheer outrage "And what? I thought I owed you!" He shouted and stepped towards him with the full intent to beat him into nothing. "You tricked them into the Shadowlands and killed them all while I fixed your freighter in orbit!"

Yet he was stopped from this darkened intent by the firm synthetic hand of The Blind Watchman. "Don't act rashly, Matton. Eli is through. Violence won't help." He urged kindly with the slight aid of the Force, understanding the impulse perfectly. It was more than warranted but there were more… effective ways to deal with those like Eli.

"Now keep your head, Matton." The sleazy merchant slipped towards any way out that he saw at first glance. "It was just business…!" Was his pitiful excuse and motive before making a break for it.

The mechanic watched him run with his proverbial tail between his legs. "That Thaylian bog-slime…!" He spat and glanced at Crokess. "Do you know that I have been here 36 days, slaving to pay a debt in good faith?"

He nodded in acknowledgement and understanding, a slight devious look remaining on him. "Don't worry… He won't last long hiding in the Shadowlands." It was a very simple matter to implant the idea in Eli's head.

A long sigh came from the other as he muttered. "Well, I could have shot out his legs and let him crawl around for a while, but I consider this far more merciful."

There was an idea that came to Crokess, looking to Matton as he suggested. "His reputation's shot so someone honest could take over."

His eyebrows shot up and he nodded a few times. "Well, there's not much for me to do but stay here." He shrugged a little as he mused out loud. "I've no ship, so I may as well make a few credits. It'll probably take a while to convince Eli's suppliers that I'm the new boss, but eventually, I'll buy my way off this rock."

"And you won't owe anyone a single credit." The Jedi Watchman nodded with a more genuine smile. "I'd recommend doing it as fast as possible."

"That's the idea." He confirmed with a rather proud smirk before realising. "Actually, I should toss you a few credits for helping me out. Take them... maybe even spend them here." A light chuckle came from him at the end of it.

He raised a hand and requested. "Oh, no need, please route them to the ship named the Ebon Hawk." Then assured. "I have no need for credits."

The mechanic and new boss of the emporium nodded quite readily. "Alright, sure thing. Thank you again for all the help. Safe flying out there…!"

"I'll be sure to pass that along." The Blind Jedi turned to leave, bidding him. "Stay safe as well and may the Force be with you…!" Before he vanished into the crowds on his way to the Ebon Hawk. 

It was time to set the stage…

Chapter Text

The Cathar Guardian and Mandalorian Mercenary returned soon enough to the Ebon Hawk, regrouping with The Republic pilot who had been waiting for them. Also waiting for them, rather curiously, was the very Blind Watchdog who had caught up with them in a wayyand wished to assist them in their endeavour. After a quick greeting between the Jedi as well as a look exchanged with The Ordo Clansman, they moved on to the more important points

"Do you have any information about Dynamo and the others?" Juhani asked, an ever so subtle hint of impatience in her thick accent. 

"No, I was telling Master Crokess the same thing," Carth informed her with a shake of his head. "The locator on Dynamo's device shows that they are down on the forest floor, but there is so much interference from the trees that the margin of error is too high for it to be relevant."

"It's not only the tree cover, there are energies down there doing the same thing." The Jedi Watchdog added, his arms crossed beneath the folds of his cloak.

The Cathar Jedi nodded before swiftly moving on to the most important current matter. "We must deactivate those sonic emitters without the Czerka realizing." 

Both Carth and Crokess noticed the distinct urgency in her voice, realising that something was eating away at her. The Republic pilot spoke first, since he was closer to her in a way. "Look, I agree with you." He started slowly and carefully. "I'm all for taking down Czerka's operations here... but truthfully I'm not sure there's much we can do. They're operating outside of Republic space and anything they do out here falls outside our jurisdiction. The Republic, or even the Jedi, for that matter would likely disapprove of our involvement." His words were sincere and even  Who knows how far they'd take it? The Republic would likely issue a court marshal and you'd probably be expelled from the Order-"

"I don't care…!" She cut him off and nearly snapped, staunchly declaring. "I have to do something…! Those Wookiees are suffering! Czerka needs to pay for all the damage they've caused…!"

He quieted, but The Blind Watchdog stepped closer to the other Jedi and placed his synthetic hand carefully on one of her shoulders. "I do not meant to pry but you have a personal stake in this, don't you, Juhani?" He asked tentatively and even compassionately. 

She paused and even hesitated, before nodding with a heavy sigh. "I… Yes. I admit that I do." Her voice became quieter, almost as if she wanted to make sure that only they would hear and not the Mandalorian of the crew who'd gone off to another part of the ship. "When I was a little girl, after we managed to escape Cathar's destruction, my mother and father worked for Czerka on Taris." She drew in a breath, trying to form the words as she averted her eyes from them. "I don't want to get into details now… but both of them worked themselves to death because of Czerka's greed… And because of that same greed, I was almost sold as-" Her breath hitched as she cut herself off, unable to continue. 

"It's alright, Juhani." Crokess assured kindly with a slight squeeze of her shoulder. "You don't have to say it, we understand." His blind eyes glanced to The Republic pilot for a moment and he nodded in silent assent. "You want to make them pay for what they did to you and what they are doing to others. You want vengeance yet, at the same time, you want to prevent what has happened to you from happening again."

Another heavy sigh came from her as wiped away through onset of tears, "I can't let it be personal. I'm a Jedi. Vengeance and retaliation... I'm supposed to be above such things. I've already tasted the Dark Side once... I will not go back there again."

"I am certain that you have the strength to resist giving into these darker urges." He encouraged firmly, yet kindly, with another squeeze of her shoulder as he spoke words intended tk all present. "What we do here, we do for the greater good. It does not matter if the Republic or even the Jedi Council has anything to say against it, we will still do it." His blind yet knowledgeable gaze went to The Republic pilot. "Carth, if you're worried about them cutting off the Republic from what are most certainly precious resources…. Then all we need to do is have plausible deniability." A devious sort of smile spread as he looked between them. "We will work covertly, without them realising who hit them. We work… like Watchdogs…" The Blind Watchman declared definitively. "Anything for the greater good. For the Wookiees."

There was a long moment of silence as both of them looked at him and nodded. "For the Wookiees…!"

*****

It took them several hours of walking through the thick vegetation to reach the deepest parts of the Shadowlands located to the south of where they had been. Around them, the fog thickened and the sounds of the fauna became more ferocious. It was becoming increasingly apparent that something dark had made its home in the lower regions. Despite the more difficult terrain, the two Jedi and Mercenary were able to traverse it quite readily, occasionally making use of their searing blades to clear a path while the beasts and predators kept their distance. The latter was due to the power that the three exuded through the Force… and the oppressive, bloodthirsty aura of The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer. 

A narrow path exited into a clearing to the southwest, turning south and ending at an intersection flanked and surrounded by massive, dark-brown roots. They kept more towards the vegetation, especially when the demonic mutant's predatory senses picked up on the sound of battle coming from in front. Intriguingly, they could hear metals clashing against one another along with the distinct roars of a Wookie Warrior. Remaining hidden, they witnessed a worrying sight. Several Wookiee corpses littered the ground and one last Wookiee was barely holding out against a Mandalorian while two others watched, cleaning their cortosis swords.

The grey brown furred Wookiee roared powerfully and desperately as he thrusted his sword in-between the blue Bes'kar plates of his armour, ending his Life. Though the two other Mandalorians immediately drew their respective swords. Before they could overwhelm and strike down the wounded warrior, The Mercenary had already sprung from his spot, blades igniting. His roar distracted the Mandalorians and they turned to him right as the demonic mutant rammed his blades through their Bes'kar armour. Choked gasps of shock and pain escaped them before they were smashed into the ground.

Dynamo pulled his blades out of them, burning royal blue eyes turning to the wounded Wookiee as he fell against the massive roots, clutching at the ugly gash that ran down his bleeding side. 

"Great Bacca, let these outsiders be different than the slavers…" He growled weakly as he watched the other two Jedi walk out of the foliage, the Sentinel approaching him carefully while the Aged Consular covered them. "I beg you... can you heal my wounds?" He pleaded as he looked between them. "An attack... from nowhere. Please, I need to be healed..."

"I can." Bastila replied readily as she crouched next to him and hovered her hands over his wound. "Stand still, this might sting a little." With the use of the Force, she stopped the bleeding and closed up the gash with minimal pain, assuring with a small smile at the end of it. "There. Should be all better now." 

The Wookiee Warrior looked at her with surprise upon feeling that he'd been healed. "I... I thank you." He growled a little reluctantly, yet pleasantly surprised. "I would not have expected outsiders to aid me. My name is Grrrwahrr… Perhaps... Perhaps you will help again?"

Dynamo folded his arms and exchanged a glance with Joleee before nodding willingly. "What do you need?" 

"My hunting party, all of them, killed without honour." He rumbled regretfully and resentfully, gritting his beastly teeth. "I barely survived. I want the murderers to suffer the same. Their kind… I've never seen it before, not even among the Czerka. You saw them, armoured head to toe, yet blending with the forest." The Wookiee explained. 

The Old Grey frowned worriedly,  folding his arms over his brown robes. "They were Mandalorian. Poachers, by the looks of things. They use stealth units to stalk their prey… I've only ever seen them in these parts of the Shadowlands."

"They followed us for a long while." He recalled, motioning with his other paw. "We found bodies to the southwest, and then again further south after the west branch of the path. Their speed was amazing. They fought like outsiders, waiting until we were unarmed. They would not attack until we had put our weapons away!" Grrrwahrr roared with disdain, spitting. "They strike like cowards!" 

The three exchanged a glance but the decision was quite clear in their minds. Taking care of these Mandalorians was crucial since they would interfere with their search for the Star Map,  not to mention that they could prove a problem in the coming future. "We'll take care of it." The Second Hellwalker assured. 

"I thank you." He growled somewhat weakly and nodded as he sat slumped back. "I am afraid I will have to wait here... I am too weak to fight them again, but I refuse to leave the Shadowlands unless vengeance is sated… Please, if you kill them, I will reward you with whatever I can. They are not worthy of life. Look for them where the bodies of my fellow warriors are." He directed while holding his side. "They will only attack you if you are not armed... The cowards."

Bine că sunt neînarmat. (Good thing I am unarmed). Dynamo thought of his hidden blades that were on the inside of his gauntlets. He glanced to the other Jedi to see that they hid their lightsabers beneath the folds of their clothes as well, understanding the hidden message relayed.

They went down the southwest path, the scent of blood, burnt fur and skin permeating through the misty air. Death. It was coming from the clearing in front of them, where three Wookiee corpses were strung out on the ground. Sifting through the scents, The Final Knight counted three Mandalorians. They couldn't see them but they could feel them positioned all around them as they stepped into the clearing.

Moments later, the visual camouflage was turned off and the Mandalorians spurn with their cortosis swords at them, thinking them easy prey.

Unbeknownst to them… the unchained predator was their 'prey' and they were easy prey to the demonic mutant. All three ignited their lightsabers and could sense the surprise of their assailants as they each met their foe in one to one combat. Dynamo didn't waste any time as he slashed upwards to counter the downwards swing of the one in front of him. The Mandalorian expected the blades to bounce off each other in a parry, yet The Mercenary's cut through his like it was nothing. Stunned, the Mandalorian stumbled and nearly crashed into the ground. He spun to regain balance and tried to plunge the remains into him, but the demonic mutant caught his wrist. He flipped him over his shoulder with such force that he pulled the warrior's shoulder out its socket and cracked the ground. The only thing that kept him from ripping his arm was the armour worn as the Mandalorian lied still, unable to bear the internal damage done.

Bastila and Jolee worked rather well in tandem, even changing their opponents to further confuse them. Despite his age, The Elder Force-user was able to readily plunge his green lightsaber in-between the plates of Bes'kar, ending the foe instantly. At nearly the same time, The Sentinel did the very same. Shortly after, they positioned themselves to keep an eye around the area as The Second Hellwalker searched the body of the one wearing a red variant of the Mandalorian armour. 

In the satchel, he found an encrypted datapad, which wasn't difficult to break into and get the information out of. The most notable was a request, in Mandalorian of course, though it wasn't like the demonic mutant would have any difficulties understanding it.

[A stump disabled the stabilizers on my swoop. I request parts before other systems fail. If the generator goes, my blending field will stop working and I'll be visible to our prey.]

They really thought themselves apex predators or something of the like. Such a ridiculous matter nearly make The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer laugh. They'd hunt them down, all of them soon enough. Within it, he also found a personal log, which was rather interesting. 

[This hunt is no challenge. How will attacking unarmed creatures train us to use these Jedi toys? You want new warriors to learn? Watching a comrade lop his own arm off fighting a real opponent would teach more than these pointless battles. I obey Mandalore, but with protest. The blending field generators on the swoops grant near-perfect camouflage. Why only attack unarmed opponents?]

Pretenders, what else could one expect. The picture was clear now, with this pitiful 'Mandalore' stand-in with a backwards logic that showed just how narrow-minded they were. All that was left to do was take care of them and end their threat permanently. 

They continued down the path southwest and beyond the southeast path where they came across more Wookiee corpses, the same scent having led them there. Considering the fact that the other predators of the Shadowlands hadn't reclaimed their bodies, this slaughter was recent. Deliberately, they stepped into the open, seemingly unarmed and vulnerable… Yet one with the Force was never vulnerable, one with an unchained predator was always a threat. Their three Mandalorian assailants were about to get a lightning crash course on the matter.

Dynamo, Bastila and Jolee, all ignited their lightsabers and blocked the attacks, sending their opponents back with crisp shouts of determination.

The Mercenary kicked his assailant in the helmet, hearing how his head snapped back and hit itself against the inside of the helmet. Loosing all balance and with a severe concussion, the Mandalorian poacher was flung into the mud. Groaning in pain, The Final Knight cut it short as he leaped and landed on his torso, at the same time plunging both blades into his neck.

Right at that moment, with a combination of Stasis from The Sentinel and a tremendous Force wave courtesy of The Old Consular, the other two were also sent into the mud with relative ease, before they were swiftly ended by a yellow and green lightsaber. 

Once again, the two Jedi watched the perimeter while The Second Hellwalker checked their belongings and found a Swoop Bike Signal Device on one of the Mandalorians. He took it and stashed it in his backpack. When the device was attached to a swoop bike, it transmitted any field data that had been collected on it to the Mandalorian Commander, which was a perfect way to lure them out of hiding.

They followed the path to the west through denser vegetation and into a secluded clearing lined by three Mandalorian swoop bikes. Upon checking all three of them, they found that they were still warm to the touch. One of the bikes had a Signal Device on it, however, it contained no field data to transmit. Another Swoop Bike showed signs of more recent use, as it was missing its Signal Device. One of the Mandalorians must've taken it to collect data, perhaps the same one from whom the demonic mutant had taken it. He simply placed the Signal Device in its socket and activated it.

Suddenly, they felt it, despite the ambiance around them, they were being surrounded by the Mandalorians again. Their commander, wearing a red variant of the signature Bes'kar, appeared out of thin air seemingly right behind Dynamo, his four subordinates doing the same right after.

"You have interrupted our hunt, interlopers." The commander was fuming, grip tightening on his Cortosis sword. "The inhabitants of this world could do little against us, but you appear to be a threat. Our training here will continue... without your interference." Without any more warning, he lunged for The Mercenary.

In the moments as the blade was coming for his neck, the thought briefly crossed him. How disappointed Canderous would have been to see once proud and ruthless warriors reduced to such a sorry state, he wouldn't have hesitated to end them.

And neither did he.

The Second Hellwalker caught the sword with one hand and slammed his other fist into the commander's gut, feeling how the impact ripped internal tissues and made him collapse on his knees in agony. At the same time around them, the last of the Mandalorian poachers were readily struck down by the Old Grey and Young Sentinel respectively. Their time 'hunting' unarmed opponents had gravely dulled their skill and it showed in how readily they were disposed of. The demonic mutant glared down at the dying Mandalorian, his left blade burning as he decapitated him readily and ended his suffering. 

Another presence was felt, one more familiar, that being the wounded Wookiee Warrior who'd slowly made his way after them. The Commander's head was rolling on the forest floor and stopped against his legs. Grrrwahrr bent down and picked it up, attaching it to his satchel, his eyes glancing to The Second Hellwalker and the two Jedi keeping watch. 

"Animals in armour, with no honour among them." He growled lowly and with clear disdain for them. "Their bodies will not last long in the Shadowlands. Of that, I am glad. The taint of them, their cowardice... the forest will consume it all. I hope this gives my hunting brethren peace."

"I hope for the same." The Mercenary stated with an incline of his head. "Now we part ways."

"Wait…" Grrrwahrr called out and spoke. "You have helped in avenging my fellows." There was a note of admittance within his growls. "I must acknowledge that, even though you are outsiders and are not to be truly trusted... You have acted as a fellow Wookiee would have." He took off the sheathed vibroblade he possessed and handed it to The Second Hellwalker. "This is the symbol of my hunting clan." He explained. "You served them, so you deserve it. When you look at it, remember that we reward respect, even from outsiders."

Dynamo graciously accepted it, takin git in his gloved hands and looking it over. It became clear thst it was an Echani Vibroblade, one of the best in the Galaxy. Even if it couldn't compare to his blades, it would serve as a good reminder indeed. 

Shortly after and without further delay, they parted ways, with the three heading down the southeast path from the first intersection to the south of the entrance from the Upper Shadowlands. It winded until they reached an intersection with a path that went down south path from the intersection and one to east. Taking g the eastbound one, the path ended in a clearing to the southeast with a single to continue. Though it wouldn't be for long since the way to the northeast that they were looking at was a dead end. 

Someone was there… a lone grey furred Wookiee tending to his blade and bowcaster, sat beneath the trunk of a fallen wroshyyr…

They exchanged a glance, with the silent warning from the Jedi Consular being that they should exert extra caution when it came to this Wookiee. The Mercenary had acknowledged with a nod and took the lead, The Sentinel at his side and all with resolute steps. When the wind blew past them, they saw how the lone Wookiee immediately perked up and growled upon glancing at them.

"More of you Czerka core-rats?" He roared menacingly, using impressive strength even for a Wookiee to wield his Bowcaster in one hand and double-bladed sword in the other. "Is even the heart of Kashyyyk not free from your kind?" 

"He is almost feral after all this time…" Jolee muttered warily before attempting to use the Force to calm him. "Calm yourself, Freyyr…! We are friends." He urged and asked more kindly. "Don't you remember me?"

That seemed to make him hesitate even if it didn't have a lasting impact. "After years in the Shadowlands, I remember only that outsiders are not to be trusted!" He roared and aimed his Bowcaster, firing off several bolts. "I'll see you dead!" 

They all dodged just in time with The Old Grey remarking after having rolled out of the way. "Well, this may prove difficult." 

"We must subdue him without injuring him…!" The Sentinel stated with a worried look and glance at The Mercenary. 

He nodded, since he had the sheer physical power for this, with the Jedi working to soothe the feral rage. "I'm on it…!" 

Freyyr lunged at the charging Final Knight, swinging his sword down, but Dynamo dodged to the side and uppercutted him in the jaw, knocking him back. The demonic mutant was holding back significantly, since he was liable to uppercut his head off if he used his full power. The feral Wookiee recovered and blindly rushed at him, but The Second Hellwalker used his own momentum against him by throwing over his head, slamming him hard into the ground. Dynamo did not press on the attack but leaned towards defence, carefully observing as Freyyr stood back up, panting from effort and bruised up. He bared his teeth and roared as he slashed with his sword in another attempt, but The Mercenary sidestepped and delivered a devastating knee to his gut that brought the Wookiee down, gasping for breath as he lost his grip on his weapons.

"I... I am beaten." He growled in defeat, glaring up at The Final Knight with hostility. "Take my head, Czerka filth, you won't get another chance…! So swears Freyyr of Kashyyyk…!"

Dynamo sighed and stated. "I'm not here to kill you, I simply need you to listen." He offered him a helping hand to stand.

Freyyr batted it aside in disgust, roaring. "The words of outsiders are tainted with lies…! You can't convince me otherwise…!"

He tilted his head to the side, keeping his voice even as he asked. "Do you know Zaalbar and Chuundar?" 

His glare intensified and demanded with growing intensity. "What? Those are the names of my sons! But they are lost to me now: one exiled, the other a traitor! Why do you speak the names of my sons? How do you know of them? Tell me!" 

The demonic mutant kept his usual triple Cs composure as he informed amiably. "I am Georgian Dynamo, The Mercenary. In our mission we came to Kashyyyk with Zaalbar as part of our crew." 

"To my shame, Zaalbar was exiled and enslaved." He growled regretfully and still very much doubted that Dynamo was being wholly truthful, again demanding. "Do you dare claim to be my son's owner, outsider?!"

He shook his head immediately and clearly stated. "No, he follows because of a life-debt ever since I helped save him from a bunch of Gamorrean slavers on Taris a few months ago." As he spoke, he offered a hand once more.

More clarity seemed to come back to Freyyr as they spoke, definitely thanks to the efforts of the two Jedi as well. "Does he? Then he sees something of worth in you..." While there was a note of disbelief, he was more willing to put his trust in the mountain of a demonic mutant before him. He hesitated a little bit yet took the offered hand and was helped to his feet. "I will listen... cautiously… Gullibility has harmed me in the past." He recounted with a long sigh of disappointment at himself. "If I had seen the lies of Chuundar, he would have been exposed as a slaver. Zaalbar would not have been exiled… I did not believe Zaalbar's claims; I believed the elder boy, as tradition dictated." He averted his gaze. "The shame of Zaalbar's attack blinded me."

"Can you go over exactly what happened with Zaalbar?" He asked since he was the last one that could potentially give more insight. "He was… reluctant to speak on it and my trust in Chuundar goes about as far as he could through me…" Which, even taking into consideration a Wookiee's strength, wasn't very far, especially with how complacent the Usurper Chieftain looked to be.

The Ousted Patriarch sighed heavily yet nodded and began to recount. "Zaalbar saw it first." His gaze was kept away and towards the grassy floor around them. "He learned that Chuundar was dealing with the Czerka, leading them to our hunting parties. Chuundar would blame disappearances on the dangers of the Shadowlands. Zaalbar was crazed when he found out and attacked Chuundar with his claws." There was a heavy pause before his growls lowered upon continuing. "I thought he had gone mad... shed his honour… I was bound by the old ways."

To The Mercenary that sounded like making excuses and denial, though, with how rooted in tradition their culture was, he could understand how he had been blinded from the truth until it was too late. What remained to be seen was if the ousted Wookiee would be willing to right his wrongs. They had already suffered enough from the consequences of this dire mistake. "Which led to Zaalbar's exile. When did you learn the truth?"

"A year later." He answered, still very much ashamed and burdened. "By then, Chuundar had spread lies of my own madness. I had no allies when I confronted him. He and his Czerka guards attacked me. I had to retreat to the deepest Shadowlands, but even there they followed."

"That's when I first saw him." Jolee chimed in, stepping closer and glancing between them. "I helped his pursuers lose him for a moment." He explained with his eyes on Dynamo before they shifted to the other, asking rather kindly. "Do you remember me now, Freyyr?"

"Yes, I think I do…" He nodded with a grunt and thoughtful furrow of his brow. "I am sorry about the attack... It's been so long since I have offered my trust, or accepted that of someone else."

"We're going to need to trust each other then, Freyyr, because I have a plan to free the Wookiees and I will need your aid to do it properly." The Second Hellwalker informed, folding his arms as all seemed to be set in place and they had found the missing piece to tie his side of this operation together. "You know your people's customs and traditions best, even with the web of lies that has been constructed. Is there a way to challenge Chuundar's right to leadership in the eyes of the larger populace?"

The Wookiee Patriarch nodded a few times. "Yes, if I appeal to the traditions of my people, I might be able to gather support…" He hummed thoughtfully before explaining. "There is a legend of a great warrior from the old times. Bacca was his name, and he is greatly revered. Bacca found a crashed starship, our first hint of life elsewhere. He was a cautious old wook and feared the taint of invaders. He constructed a vibroblade from the wreckage. It has long symbolized our independence. Only destined leaders have held it."

He nodded in understanding, remembering that he'd spotted what seemed to be the hilt of an intricate vibroblade displayed within the throne room. "From what I observed, Chuundar only has the hilt in his possession. What happened to the blade itself?" The demonic mutant asked, sensing the opening they had.

"That is the problem." He growled, shoulders dropping in near defeat. "It was the symbol of our great chieftains for centuries, but it was damaged a generation ago in a ritual battle." He motioned around with a clawed hand before pointing right in the direction where the those very grounds were, not too far away. "Here in the Shadowlands Rothrrrawr fought the Great Beast. He sought a challenge, but this arrogance got him more than he could handle. He survived, but the blade of the sword stayed in the creature's hide." His gaze went back to The Mercenary. "Our tales say it was taken because we had become undeserving. If the blade could be found, Dynamo, tradition could cast doubt on his rule."

Once again, he acknowledged before inquiring. "Where can we find it?"

"Many have tried to hunt this beast, but only a few who have seen it have lived to tell the tale and none have ever managed to kill the creature." He recounted with an air of mystery. "Many years ago, when I was far younger than I am now, a Jedi came to hunt the creature... a proud and boastful young man. Like many before him, he did not return. The beast is cunning." He warned and advised. "It will not appear if there is an overwhelming number waiting to slay it. But if you gather in small numbers, we know how to lure it out. Fresh blood will draw it out." He instructed. "Before Chuundar's rule put an end to the ritual, fresh kills were often left as offerings in the south of this area."

"A Jedi?" Jolee muttered in his beard, sighing heavily. "I think I know who he's referring to…"

"Who exactly?" The Sentinel inquired as there was more than one possibility in her mind, the most prevalent one being Revan himself.

"Guran, during the Great Hunt decades ago." He shook his head and scoffed. "Bah, I don't want to talk about it now…"

"It's alright, Jolee." The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer assured with a nod of confirmation from Bastila. There was a peculiar scent coming from Freyyr as well as his general demeanour which made him question. "Do you not believe yourself worthy to be a chieftain again?"

He shook his head and replied honestly. "No, I don't, but better me than Chuundar." A fire had been lit in his eyes. "He sells his own people for power but you've brought me hope that we can change it… There is a place of ritual south of here." Freyyr directed. "If the Great Beast is to be lured out of hiding, it must be done there, using the old ways. The flesh of a fresh kill would be tempting bait if displayed properly. Find an appropriate beast of sufficient mass to attract it. I will stay here and gather my weapons… I must also try to think of what I will say to Zaalbar. I have wronged him so much... I hope he can forgive me… I must make things right."

With their parting words told, The Mercenary and Jedi headed south, following the path as it winded west and turned around a massive wroshyyr root upon nearing a crossroads. Sounds approached them from the southwest ones familiar from the upper branches and yet distinctly more ferocious. More rapacious viper kinraths were descending upon them, screeching as they attacked. The Final Knight immediately got his collapsible vibranium bow to extend and loosened a swift series of arrows. At the same time, a pair of lightsabers whizzed through the air and cut several of them in half, their bodies hitting the ground. 

There was minimal blood on the ground thanks to the embedded arrows and the plasma cauterisation of the lightsabers. As such, the demonic mutant hefted one of the bodies over his shoulders and they moved quickly towards the ritual marker. They took the southeast path, which went east before turning south and ended in a large clearing with a ritual marker and a dangling vine in its northeast corner.

There were ancient symbols here, worn as though traced by generations of Wookiee claws. Layers of moss and dirt suggested that no one had been here in many years.

The beast comes when summoned, if you are generous.

It comes to battle, if you are worthy and wise.

It grants you glory, if you are fearsome and brave.

Feed the beast and it will heed your call.

Take vipers from their lair and hang them from above.

Let blood scent the ground of our ancestors.

Obviously, this was once a place of great ritual importance. A nearby kshyy vine ascended high into the canopy above but there was no indication why its growth had stopped at this point. The ground beneath it was stained by years of blood, suggesting that freshly killed animals had been suspended from the vine many times in the past.

The Mercenary tied the viper kinrath corpse to the vine and the creature was easily wrapped in it, which didn't distort at all under the weight. It was obvious that it had adjusted over years of use. His senses picked up on the movement, rustling from off in the distance, right behind them and approaching swiftly. All of them went on high alert as they turned to face it, blades igniting at the ready.

To the north of them, the ritual beast burst out of the shrubbery, cutting off the exit to the clearing. It roared as it eyed The Knights of Different Orders and he could feel the dark taint around it, choking the atmosphere and filling the air with dread. The Great Beast was a terentatek, the spawn of the dark side that he had been warned about back on Dantooine and it was the same beast that he'd made use of to scare off the Czerka. 

With a grit of his teeth, he leapt on his back and began slashing into it with brutality befitting of his legend. The beast roared as it tried to shake him off his back. Bastila and Jolee jumped into the fray, going for its flanks in order to immobilise it. It spun in place, trying to get its claws on them, but both dodged out of the way while retaliating with swift and precise swipes of their lightsabers. The demonic mutant leapt over its head, his burning divine metal lined blades slashing through its skull. It reared its head back with a deafening howl before it fell defeated at their feet, blood beginning to pool into the grass and ground.

After checking that all of them were all well, The Second Hellwalker went to examine the corpse of the Terentatek. The most glaring thing found was the blade lodged in its side. It had been there foe so long that skin had grown around it. While certainly painful, it appeared that the blade caused only superficial damage to the creature. By a rough estimate, he surmised that it had lived several years with this injury. He removed the blade from the corpse and glanced over it. 

Judging by the intricate craftsmanship of it as well as the distinct signs which indicates that it was a vibroblade component, there was no doubt that it the one that Freyyr spoke of, the lost portion of Bacca's sword, a powerful symbol of his people. Part of Bacca's Ceremonial Blade, damaged due to the arrogance of Chieftain Rothrrrawr. He underestimated a creature that matched the description of a terentatek in the Shadowlands, later dubbed the Great Beast, and lost the blade in its hide. The hilt then remained in his court, passed to other chieftains.

Among the remains, he found a datapad and a Jedi relic, the Circlet of Saresh, belonging to Guun Han Saresh, one of three Jedi that had been tasked to exterminate the remaining terentateks. The Final Knight made the grim realisation that he didn't make it, likely none of them ever did. The remains must have been devoured by the beast. It appeared to be the personal journal of Guun Han Saresh and it was somehow still intact and somewhat functional. The last entry explained what he was doing on Kashyyyk.

Duran and Shaela have given in to their passion for each other, and are doomed to fall to the dark side. I tried to warn them against expressing their love, but they called me arrogant and accused me - ME! - of being the one on the dark path. I left the fools on Korriban.

But I am not about to abandon the mandate given me by the Jedi Council. I will destroy the terentatek wherever I find them. I have heard rumours such a beast may exist in the Shadowlands of Kashyyyk.

I shall go there and slay the beast, proving that I do not need either Duran or Shaela with me to defeat these creatures!

A sad end for a great Jedi and he could see how the very Jedi code that was supposed to give them strength, to keep them on the right path and away from the Dark Side, instead splintered them apart and drove Gruan to a pitiful end. At the very least, an overly strict adherence to it did…

Dynamo noticed that Bastila was taking a keen interest in the Circlet of Saresh while Jolee was being very… detached. He could understand The Aged Consular's grief, he was alive during that time and likely knew the three to some extent. "Do you wish to keep it in your care?" He asked of The Sentinel, since it was clear that The Old Grey would outright refuse.

"Yes." She nodded. "I will give it back to the Council as soon as we return to Dantooine. At the very least they will know what came of him. Do you think we'll find the others as well?" She asked rather carefully as all three started to head back.

"Possibly on Korriban but that remains to be seen when we get there." Was the only real answer which the demonic mutant could offer at this time.

They became quite on the short trek back to where they had left the Old Wookiee, finding that he was all prepared to return and hopefully oust the Usurper Son from his position. 

"I greet you again, Mercenary and Jedi." Freyyr said as they came up to him, bowing despite his significantly more imposing figure thanks to the increased confidence. "I am humble before you, hoping you have found the blade of Bacca's sword." He straightened and spoke sincerely, unable to help it for a moment as he daydreamt. "Imagine... Chieftain Freyyr... humbling. Please, tell me you have made progress, having the blade will gain me valuable support."

"Yes, we have located and retrieved the blade of Bacca's sword successfully." Dynamo told him as he pulled it out of his backpack and presented it to him, assuring. "I'm certain that it is the one."

He took it swiftly yet reverently and looked at the blade in his claws in disbelief. "It... it is! It may not look like much... but it is a very important relic of my people. Tradition dictates that it is to be respected." He was a little thoughtful as he admitted with newfound determination. "I didn't think I was worthy to search for it, but I realized that was selfish despair. I should have challenged Chuundar long ago and I will make amends now." His fiery gaze went to The Mercenary. "You have led me to this, this new hope. Perhaps that is what the Great Beast wanted."

"We should proceed carefully," The Second Hellwalker advised him. "Climb to the surface as quickly as possible and do what you can to gather as much support as possible." He laid out his plan on this front. "We will join up as soon as we've done what we came to do down here. As soon as we rendezvous, we will confront Chuundar in the throne room."

"My people will no longer be slaves." Freyyr finished with that staunch declaration. "Very well, Dynamo. I will see you when the time is right. Bacca guide you." And with that  The Old Wookiee swiftly departed towards the upper branches.

Not long after, the three also made their way deeper into the Shadowlands, on the trail of the permeating Dark Side influence and towards the very source of it… Close … Very very close…

Chapter Text

There was one area nearby that the group of three hadn't scouted out. As it happened, it was the one that got The Mercenary's Overdrive senses tingling the most, making the hairs on the back of his head stand on end. From where they first encountered the Mandalorian poachers, they took the only remaining path into the lower Shadowlands at the intersection to the southwest, beyond another intersection and a clearing to the northwest. Then they took the southeast path to another intersection, where they saw a dead end to the southeast and another intersection to the southwest. To the south were paths to the southwest. In that dead end to the southeast, there was the faint outline of a giant sort of machinery and the dull green outline of a hologram. The vines and vegetation were especially prevalent and blocked most of the way, the mist and pressure being exceptionally weighty as well. It was clear that it was exactly what they sought as it fit what The Knights of different Orders had seen in their shared vision of Kashyyyk. The device attached to the ancient monolith had some sort of motion and proximity sensor as it sprung to life upon their approach. 

A holocron-interface activated, showing a being unlike any species in the known Galaxy. It was humanoid, with an oval head, hunched over slightly and which its eyes protruding to the sides. "Life forms detected." It informed them in monotone. "Determining parameters. Initiating neural recognition." Its empty gaze began to scan each of them in part.

"Yes, there's the thing, obstinate machine…!" Jolee said with an annoyed grimace, placing his hands on his belt as he looked at it. "I've no doubt it holds what you seek, but good luck getting it operational."

"Why is that?" Bastila asked as she scrutinised it with her gaze.

"You'll see soon enough." He replied with a frown.

Until a statement most unexpected came. "Primary neural recognition: complete. Preliminary match: found."

"Match found...?" The Aged Jedi stammered for a moment and even seemed outraged. "What the... it always muttered something about 'rejected patterns' for me." He grumbled while folding his arms.

"Begin socialized interface." The hologram stated as it looked right at The Mercenary. "Awaiting instruction. Greetings. This terminal has not been accessed for quite some time."

"If this thing was put here by Revan… I am not entirely surprised then." Dynamo remarked though it was more to himself before addressing it. "What is your purpose?"

"Error. Subject displays unfamiliarity to environment. Behavioral reconfiguration will be needed before access." It informed them in general before again speaking directly to the demonic mutant. "I am sorry, I did not mean to confuse you. I will answer questions to the best of my programming limitations."

The Second Hellwalker really didn't like the way that sounded, furrowing his brow as he asked cautiously. "What do you mean by behavioural reconfiguration?"

"I have been programmed with a very limited field of knowledge, and I must restrict access to only those that fit my allowed pattern." It replied readily.

That could be a problem, especially since, with Fifth Freedom in mind, he wasn't going to compromise his principles when another way always existed. "And what if I don't fit that pattern?"

"I can't say." The hologram said flatly. "I will try to bring forward the behaviour that you need to proceed, as outlined by my programming."

Those specific words were really starting to irritate him, though there were others questions to be answered by it so he would profit from the grant given. "Why have I been allowed access?"

"I can't say." It stated with a brief pause. "Preliminary matching allows for you to be coached."

He noticed the wording, which led to the follow-up as he rubbed his beard. "Do you not know why, or are you restricted from saying?"

"I can't say." It repeated yet it was able to relay that. "Likelihood of restriction by the previous user: 100%."

If he was to be tested, he needed to know more, especially when he was already noticing workarounds. However strict this machine seemed, he could make it work in his favour. "I want to ask questions about you and this installation."

"I utilize a retro-adapted holocron-interface." Now that tidbit caught his attention and got all of their gears turning. "Clarify your questions and I will attempt to access the original system memory."

So this holo-interface was recent and they all exchanged a glanced, thinking of the one likely person to have installed it. Revan. That led to Dynamo asking it. "Who built this installation in the first place?" Referring to the ancient machinery.

It paused and stammered for a moment. "Error. Corruption. Extrapolating. This utility was built to monitor planet-wide agricultural reformation. It has since malfunctioned. It can be theorized that the super-growth of Kashyyyk's forests is a direct result."

Such a bombshell of an information was quite shocking, with The Aged Grey remarking. "Well, that is surprising. I doubt any Wookiee would support such a claim. The forest is millennia old." Yet that very thing didn't disprove the claim, especially since the utility looked to be millennia old already.

"Malfunction occurred 241 years after the last builder communication." The hologram calculated and informed. "Last builder communication... 29,642 years before the current Republic standard."

"If this place was built 30,000 years ago it predates the Republic," Bastila said, surprised by the machine's statement."Much like the droid and facility back on Dantooine."

"Error. Information regarding the builders of this installation has been corrupted. No evidence of such a civilization exists in the galactic record." It informed however it could.

Though Dynamo took note of the fact that it didn't rule out such a possibility. After that, he asked. "Why was agricultural reformation needed?"

"Agricultural record indicates this planet was incapable of sustaining sufficient levels of production." The interface replied before pausing. "Error." It unfortunately said. "Specific conditions: corrupted. It can be theorized that produce was being exported to support a larger demand."

The demonic mutant rubbed at his beard as he commented generally. "That is a short period for adaptation of native creatures."

It listened and did try to give an answer. "Error. Records corrupted. It can be theorized that bio-seeding allowed the ecology to remain balanced." A hypothesis that looked to be right, judging by the sheer vegetation around them. "It could be expected that the same energy feeding the trees of Kashyyyk also accelerated the evolution of various species."

There was a confirmation that he needed so he asked. "Who installed this holo-interface?"

"This interface was installed to better access the ancient data stored within the pre-existing system." The hologram stated again, quite ready and willing to answer Dynamo's questions to the best of its abilities. "The exact date is unavailable. Programming keys indicate no earlier than five years before current Republic standard." 

Jolee rubbed at his goatee as he commented. "Hmm, five years ago? I didn't notice it." And he was honest with his words. "This must have been installed in strictest secrecy. It couldn't have been Czerka."

"No other information on time of installation or identity of user available. Likelihood of removal by user, 100%." Even with that small setback, the information provided was quite invaluable and offered a clearer picture. 

At least that was the case in Dynamo's mind as he asked. "Who last accessed this installation?" 

"Sorting by identity." There was a brief pause. "Three attempts by the Wookiee Freyyr, all denied. One hundred and fifty two attempts by human Jolee Bindo, all denied."

The Knights of different Orders glanced towards the Old Consular silently.

"Heh... call me stubborn, I guess. Heh…! There wasn't much else to do around here." He just chuckled and shrugged.

"Error." It said after another pause. "List of access attempts prior to these is corrupted. Likelihood of removal by user, 100%."

"Five years ago is about the time Revan and Malak passed this way," The Mercenary voiced what both him and Bastila were thinking about. Everything pointed towards a single conclusion, even with the missing data.

"Error. Data regarding subject 'Revan' corrupted." That only seemed to further confirm the theory.

"But there was an entry at some time?" He asked with a near smirk, figuring the machine out.

"Error. Data on 'Revan' unavailable." Though the wording implied that it had existed at the very least. 

"Was there any further contact with the installer of this interface?" There shouldn't have been, not directly at least since the time frame didn't allow it.

"That information is unavailable, but contact is not required for the execution of my programming." It confirmed more or less and gave another interesting bit of intel. "Scanning range of this facility is well beyond planetary boundaries."

He nodded once, arms crossed over his chest with another inquiry. "What's the current function of this installation? 

"The current purpose of this installation is defence." The simple reply came.

"Defense of what?" He tilted his head at it.

The reply came with a pause. "Error. That information is not available."

Now to see where exactly the boundaries lay. "What limitations have been placed in your programming?"

"Corruption has resulted in gaps appearing in my memory and in that of the original installation. It could be theorized that these gaps are intentional, but I have no information on that." Yet it was quite likely for that theory to be accurate. 

"What gaps are we talking about?" He asked with a hand on his chin, steadily rubbing at his beard.

"Error. I can't present a non-presence. Perhaps you could ask other questions and data corruption will become evident." It suggested. 

To which The Final Knight nodded and decided to ask what it had to know. "We seek information regarding the Star Maps."

"Accessing…" It paused and then affirmed. "Yes, I have found a Star Map in the original system memory. Access is restricted."

"Original system memory?" The Jedi Sentinel chimed in. "So the map is as old as this installation."

It attempted to properly answer that but could not. "Error. Data regarding author of the Star Map is corrupted."

The demonic mutant nodded  more to himself, though they already knew that the mysterious Builders wete the ones that constructed the Star Maps. "What do we need to do to gain access to the Star Map?"

"Your request requires additional security access." It informed them definitively. "You must be made to match the parameters I have been supplied."

He gritted his teeth and hummed, his hand clenching into a fist as he questioned. "How can I match them when I don't know what they are?"

"There are measures available." The impassive informative tone was unchanged. "Personality profiling will verify the basic structure of your conscious mind. With that, I will determine whether you are ready to receive the Star Map, or can be made ready."

Again, he didn't like the sound of that in the slightest,  though he knew that he could mold the strict machine. "What do you mean by that?"

"Information unavailable. If you have further questions, ask them now." The hologram suggested and warned. "Access will terminate with success or failure of evaluation."

"What if I fail?" That wad always a possibility, though he would do his damndest to succeed. 

"Then you are not worthy of further access. You will be rejected as unsuitable." It declared matter-of-factly. 

"What will rejection mean?" The question came from worry about his companions, since it was very likely that rejection meant termination.

And he was met with an earlier reply. "Information unavailable. If you have further questions, ask them now. Access will terminate with success or failure of evaluation."

With a deep breath and fierce determination, Dynamo declared. "You may begin the evaluation."

"Evaluation commencing. Results will be compared against the pattern in memory. Just act like you should." The wording of that phrase was quite peculiar and there was a brief pause before the first scenario was presented. "You travel with a Wookiee and have encountered complications. Hypothetical: you and this Zaalbar are captured and separated. If you both remain silent, one year in prison for each of you. However, call Zaalbar a traitor, and he will serve five years, while you serve none. He is offered the same deal, but if you both accuse the other, you both serve two years. What do you do? What do you trust him to do?"

The Mercenary didn't like the way it was phrased and the relations made in the slightest, grunting as he remembered that the machine was capable of scanning beyond the confines of the planet… though this brought on the implications that it might have been looking out for him specifically. Either way, he would stick to his morals and principles. "I trust Zaalbar. I would say nothing, and neither would he."

"Are you sure?" It questioned with surprise if not disappointment. "If you turn, you risk two years or none at all. If you rely on loyalty, you risk one year or five. Your loyalty is dangerous. Your companion could take the opportunity to benefit by turning on you. Zaalbar's family is mired in treachery. What loyalty do they know? Your answer is incorrect."

He didn't like its judgemental tone in the slightest, finding that the interpretation was far too cynical. Yes, The Final Knight wasn't the kind to trust easily though his senses were more than capable of picking up lies, not to mention his vast experiences. There were many variables not considered. "The choice is mine and I refuse to alter it."

"You cannot refuse. Evaluation must continue. You must match the pattern in memory. Your memory." It emphasised and declared. "I must demand honest acceptance of proper behaviour. That is a condition of my programming."

The gears of The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer's mind were turning rapidly. 'Your memory'? Though the machine and parameters were surely set up by Revan, so that would mean The Sith Lord's memory. While, sure, him and Revan were alternates of each other, their memories overall were vastly different… Still… it had him thinking… "Continue your evaluation then." 

"The previous incorrect response will be discounted. Future incorrect responses will result in rejection." It informed, giving him a pass and a second chance in a way.

So the hologram did and presented the next scenario. "Hypothetical: you are at war. Deciphering an intercepted code, you learn two things about your enemy. A single spot in their defence will be at its weakest in ten days, and they will attack one of your cities in five days. What do you do with this information? What is the most efficient course of action?"

As it happened, he'd actually dealt with a similar situation before. It had been a daring and dangerous strategy that relied on the skills of just a few dozen people as well as the quality of their equipment… A gamble that had thankfully paid off. "I prepare my main forces to attack in ten days. At the same time, I send a Watchdogs Spartan Platoon to defend the city."

It was evident that the holoprojector was not satisfied with the answer. "And in doing so you achieve nothing-"

That was when Dynamo cut the computer off firmly, with the assertiveness of a Supreme Commander. "You underestimate the prowess of my Watchdogs. They are elites. They wouldn't fail and their small numbers would trick the enemy into thinking they were just the local garrison and keep secret the fact that I breached their code." He explained his line of reasoning. "So I would still be able to defend and attack five days later."

"Accessing data on Watchdogs Paramilitary Forces. Data found." There were several pauses as it went through the motions. "Description matches data in memory. Adjusting results. You achieved the proper result with logic that does not match the pattern in memory. I shall adjust my evaluation." 

A satisfactory outcome for The Mercenary, seeing that he could indeed mold this things programming, however strict. They key was just getting the proper outcome, regardless of the pattern in memory. 

After a short while, the new scenario was presented. "Hypothetical: remove the ongoing war from the previous example. Consider enemy states to be weak and remote. With no external threat, your empire stagnates. Your people become complacent and begin to question you. Same scenario as before; you discover an impending attack, but also a weakness that will come after. How do you react?"

He grimaced and grunted, not liking the idea of being any sort of despot. Sure, he was a Supreme Commander and one could argue that running the Watchdogs was similar to running a country, but with how the nature of conscious beings was, there would always be conflicts. "I stop the attack before it happens and inform the people regarding the full scope of it, showing that I saved them."

"But if nothing happens, your people will have no need of heroes." It countered with clear cynicism. "No, they don't see a threat. You have coddled them. Your empire will be brought down by introspection. You have failed to match the pattern in memory." It declared." Access denied. This system will purge the subject as false. Defence mode initiated!"

Suddenly, two pairs of four legged defence droids popped out of the machine on both flanks, seemingly cutting them off. Within moments, the turrets on the top part of their chassis aimed and opened fire on the three, yet their main aim was The Mercenary.

"Not this again…!" Jolee cursed as they ignited their lightsabers and blocked the plasma bolts coming for them. 

"I thought that you were approved…!" Bastila called out as she spun her double-bladed sabre and retaliated with a Force Wave that knocked the two on their left flank off-balance. 

"I was until I didn't want to bend my morals to the thing's whim…!" Dynamo retorted as he used the opening given to rush the droids, eyes glowing red with yellow lines for a few moments as he briefly tapped into The Overdrive Slayer. His burning blades slashed through them whole, cutting them clean in half and letting the sparking debris clatter to the ground.

Inevitably, they self-destructed though both Knights had already turned to their other flank and out of the radius. Any shrapnel careening their way was blocked with the use of the Force by The Sentinel. 

With his nigh mastery and inclination towards using it, The Old Consular used the Force to stun and completely disable the two droids on his side, leaving them wide open.

Already having momentum in motion, The Second Hellwalker leapt into the air and landed feet first on one of them, the inertia breaking and bending the droid, burying it into the ground.

At the same time, Bastila threw her lightsaber at the second one, one of the blades cutting deeply, disabling its motor functions. As her blade returned she grabbed it and slid under it, slashing its underside, disabling it completely.

The risk of those exploding as well was clear and all three quickly feel back to the site where the holoprojector was as they predictably detonated. This time, both Jedi used the Force to shield themselves and there were no injuries. 

To their surprise, shortly after, the hologram sprung to life again. "Neural scan complete." It informed and paused in processing, its empty gaze on The Mercenary. "Analyzing... It would appear that initial assumptions about you were incorrect. Secondary scans during battle have revealed much. Under duress, your emotions were easier to read. Programming now instructs that I give you what you seek."

That came as a surprise to all of them but they certainly wouldn't complain, even if The Final Knight did have an inquiry. "What did your scan during the battle reveal?" His eyes narrowed at it.

"That information is not available. Soon you will recognize the proper course to follow." Its cryptic reply came. "The Star Map is yours. This unit has now completed its primary duty and has finished with the subject. Executing final action. Activation of Star Map commencing. Parameters reset. Stasis initiated. End communication."

With that, it shut itself off and the three pronged installation opened up its maw-like structure. The projector within it lit up and displayed its part of the Star Map, with Dynamo beginning the download to add it to the data already gathered. Just two more pieces of the puzzle left.

"Well, well." Jolee rubbed his beard rather thoughtfully. "A Star Map. An ancient artefact of dark side power." He remarked and a chuckle almost escaped him. "Can't say I'm surprised. I always knew there was something funny down here." He felt the gazes of the two other Knights as he mused. "I wonder if the Star Map has had an effect on the evolution of the creatures here in the Shadowlands. Might explain why it's so dangerous down here."

Bastila nodded a few times in agreement, arms folded. "It is certainly possible, especially with how long term exposure to the Dark Side can twist a being." 

The Old Grey shrugged. "It's an interesting theory, but I suppose we don't have time to test it now, do we? Now that we've got what you came for we should be heading back up to the treetops." He suggested, with all of them in agreement. 

All three of them began to make their way back to the upper Shadowlands, in the clearing where the basket elevator had been. Thanks to The Grey Consular's knowledge of the area, they were able to traverse through the vegetation on a shortcut of sorts, ending up near where the Knights of different Orders had first arrived. Upon emerging from the shrubbery and deactivating their sabres, they were greeted by Gorwooken, the Wookiee who had lowered them initially, along with four other warriors… Except… something felt off for all three of them.

"You!" He roared at them, Bowcaster in hand and already taking aim, the other Wookies doing the same. "Our spies say that the mad-claw you were sent to kill is on his way to Rwookrrorro right now! You should have followed the will of Chuundar! Now you will face his wrath!" Then they all opened fire in a seemingly inescapable barrage.

Immediately, all lightsabers were ignited again, focused shouts coming from the two Jedi as The Mercenary charged through the hail with little care for his wellbeing. He was far too fast for them, two assailants already struck down with brutal efficiency before they even realised that The Bearer of The DOOM Slayer was upon them. The Old Consular was able to use both his sabre and the Force to deflect the projectiles, even sending a massive Force Wave their way, creating a prime opening for The Young Sentinel to throw her double-bladed sabre at them. It flew and spun tried and true, cutting down two more of them and leaving only Gorwooken standing. That was not the case for long, before the warrior was able to draw his blade or do anything else, he was smashed into the ground with extreme prejudice by the demonic mutant, ending his life in an instant.

Sheathing his blades, he knew that time was of the essence, drawing into The Overdrive Slayer as he prepared to bolt towards Rwookrrorro. "Bastila, can you operate the basket on your own?" Dynamo asked as his form leaked out of his body, yet his voice was unchanged.

"Yes, I've memorised how he did it." She nodded and looked at him quizzically. "What are you planning?"

"I'll head on ahead and support Freyyr, maybe even buy us valuable time." He replied with a glance between them.

"Then are you doing, just standing here? Get on it, boy…!" Jolee urged with a note of seemingly annoyance.

The Mercenary nearly smirked as he looked at The Aged Consular, chanting in his mind. Tei Slaven ben kar en tuk… Kar en tuk Hust en Vitar…! Kar en tuk DU TEI EXUNT! With the final shout in his mindscape, the crimson aura of The DOOM Slayer burst out of his body and filled the sclera of his royal blue eyes. Owerdryve…! The keyword spoken, the yellow sparks and lines of Overdrive coming forth. With one last nod towards the two Jedi, the silent message that they would meet in Rwookrrorro relayed, he bolted at unmatched speeds through the branches of the trees, beginning the long ascent to the upper boughs of Kashyyyk.

*****

Patience was a virtue that few truly possessed. Thankfully, it was one that The Blind Watchman did as well as intuition and leadership, learned from his time as a liason for the Watchdogs during the war. However difficult it may have been, those experiences had served him well.

Carth, HK-47 and T3-M4 were to keep the Ebon Hawk safe and clear out the Czerka guards at the first indication that their insurrection had begun. The protocol assassin droid was quite giddy at the prospect, his trigger finger as itchy as Canderous'. 

There were other plans for The Mandalorian Mercenary, as he made his way to the upper branches again, armed with his signature heavy repeating carbine but amped up for extra damage. From where he was looking down, he could spot the majority of the complex, most importantly, the vast majority of the sonic emitters and sentries. The directions were quite simple, wait for pandemonium yo be triggered and rain death upon the Czerka… At least that was what he'd gathered and cared about most for that matter.

The Jedi Guardian, however, had perhaps the most important role. She was to follow in The Blind Jedi's wake and disable all the security systems and alarms once they had infiltrated Janos' office. She was to cut off the complex from possibly receiving any aid as well as giving the whole operation plausible deniability, especially with Canderous' actions. They could simply blame the Mandalorians, which they could already find evidence of. The grizzled Veteran did not mind it and, in fact, took pride in jt.

Crokess found himself striding through the Czerka headquarters at the heart of the outpost, making heavy use of the Force to have the guards just nod and let him move along without a second glance or thought. Their quite gullible minds almost made it too easy. He sensed Juhani right beside him, yet she was using her Cathar heritage to camouflage herself with the aid of the Force, making her virtually impossible to be detected for most but those with the keenest of senses.