Star Wars: Tremors/story

The following are the chapters of ''Star Wars: Tremors'.

Chapter 1: Kolto Seed
[Day: 10- Month: 8- Year: 36 ABY- Time: 0940]

Bryn awoke, the promise of a new day tearing from his peaceful reverie. He scanned the perimeter of the beach he had fallen asleep on, looking for any potential threats. He never had learned to just calm down and relax, like all the others told him to.

I guess ten years of constant peril will do that to a guy he thought solemnly. The Yuuzhan Vong War had exacted a terrible price from the Jedi Order, if not the Galaxy as a whole. Eventually the scourge had been defeated and the aliens had seen the error of their ways, but not before mayn good men and women had died, Bryn's parents among them. The effects of that war would continue to be felt for generations to come, Bryn felt.

Had already been felt, Bryn corrected. Raynar Thul, a former Jedi thought lost during the War, had emerged as the leader of the Killik swarm, a mostly benevolent species that was subltly being influenced by Welk and Lomi Plo, two Dark Jedi who had also gone missing at the same time as Raynar. The Killiks, and their shadowy leader, ignited an explosive war with the Chiss Ascendancy, one that the Jedi were inexorably drawn into.

Bryn, along with his friend and adoptive sister Jaina Solo, defeated a vengeful Sith spirit nmed Daslic Hur during the climactic Battle of Tenupe, while Master Skywalker single handedly defeated the Dark Nest and Lomi Plo.

It was after this conflict that Bryn, at the behest of Jaina and his long lost sister Bryt, decided to take a vacation on the peaceful planet of Manaan.

They, along with Zekk, Bryn's former lover Tahiri Veila, and the Masters Skywalker had taken a reprieve on the planet.

Bryn stood up and stretched his limbs, taking in the simple beauty of Manaan's capital, Ahto City. His sister Bryt reached his side and laid her head upon his shoulder. He hadn't seen her in over a decade. He had presumed her dead after their family's massacre on Dubrillion. It turned out that she, in fact, had survived, and fled to Dathomir, where she trained under the Force-witches that had trained their mother, Terra.

Kirana Ti, a Dathomiri Jedi, had discovered the girl while looking for evidence of Killiks on dathomir, and had immediately taken her to the Jedi temple on Ossus. That is where Bryn found her, after returning from the Hell that was Tenupe.

When Bryn had last seen her, she was fragile and peacful, not one to stir up any trouble. But it seemed she held some hidden strength, to be able to survive the Yuuzhan Vong invasion on dubrillion and make it to Dathomir.

Now, as she smiled and brought him a drink purchased from a local vendor, Bryn couldn't help but wonder.

''What would have happened if I'd gotten there sooner. If I had been able to get her out of there. What kind of Jedi would she have become?"

Bryn shook these thoughts out of his head almost as soon as they had cropped up, for Bryt was still young. She was barely

Chapter 2: Comatose
[Day: 11- Month: 8- Year: 36 ABY- Time: 1040]

Bryn woke suddenly, shaking the cobwebs out.

''What happened? Where's Jaina?''

"Right here," she answered suddenly, and it was then when Bryn realized where he was.

He was in a hospital. He tried to sit up, but Jaina placed a hand on his chest, easing him back down.

"You should be alright, Bryn. Someone tried to poison you."

Suddenly, it all came back to him.

"That boy! Is he alright?" Bryn asked, sweat forming on his brow. He tried to sit up again, but Jaina eased him down again, a little more forcefull this time.

"He's fine, Bryn. We think someone made him give that drink to you." Jaina's voice was strained, she seemed to be pleading with Bryn to lay back down.

"Jaina...what's wrong with me?" Bryn asked, still sweating far too much. Something felt seriously wrong.

Jaina seemed to resign, then she sighed, and look towardsd the door. A Selkath doctor entered, and began to speak in a very coarse accent.

"The poison was the Kolto Seed, a rare, diseased strain of our planet's natural resource, Kolto. It usually kills within half an hour of exposure, but you have survived far longer than should be expected." The long-winded doctor paused to catch his breath, and then continued, Bryt entered, looking as if she had been crying for the past few hours.

"I would like to be honest, but I can't see you living out the day, Jedi Fulcron." the doctor hung his head slightly.

"I've done everything I can..."

Bryn looked up towards Jaina, who had tears in her eyes. It wasn't fair, for him to have finally found peace with Jaina and with himself, for it to be swept away so suddenly.

"If I ever find who did this..." Bryn queried out loud. Jaina stopped sobbing quietly and turned towards him.

The doctor looked stunned. "Master Fulcron, I don't believe you understand. No one has ever survived the Kolto Seed. You won't be going anywhere."

Bryn grinned, and then shocked everyone in the room by hopping out of bed. He was shaky, but determined nonetheless.

"Well its obvious the Kolto Seed has never infected a Jedi, then." --- Bryn squinted as the medical droid activated its retinal scanner. The last few days had been a blur of tests and procedures, all of them with Jaina and Bryt by his side. Someone had gotten in touch with Masters Skywalker, and they had both arrived for moral support.

Mara, who had once survived an un-survivable disease, knew what Bryn was feeling. She was present for this hourly checkup. The still nameless Selkath doctor, after his pessimistic talk with Bryn, seemed to be more spirited every day. Maybe he thought Bryn could beat this disease.

The droid finished, and Bryn sat back down on his bed. He felt tired, but still felt optimistic.

"Feeling better?" Mara asked, sitting down beside him.

"Not really." Bryn admitted. "But don't tell Jaina. She seems to have some hope."

"So should you, Bryn." Mara retorted.

Bryn drew inward for a couple seconds, and then looked up at Mara.

"I always have hope,"

"That's good to hear, Mr. Fulcron," Bryn's doctor said as he entered, looking quite tired.

"It seems we may have found an easier way out of your predicament." the doctor continued. Bryn was all ears.

Chapter 3: Troubador
[Day: 13- Month: 8- Year: 36 ABY- Time: 1102]

''Bryn woke up, his abdomen on fire! The pain was blinding, almost unbearable! His eyes wouldn't focus, couldn't focus. He heard voices, but couldn't make out what they said, or even whom they belonged to. He couldn't stay awake...''

-

Jaina screamed as Bryn faded back into unconciousness.

He wasn't supposed to wake up! she thought, shooting a dirty look towards the Selkath Doctor. This procedure was supposed to slow the growth of the Kolto Seed virus, but it wasn't working. Bryn wasn't supposed to wake up. Jaina looked down, trying to shield her eyes before anyone else saw her tears. She had to be strong.

With that, someone slipped their arm around her shoulder. It was Tahiri. Jaina smiled weakly back at the younger woman. They held each other, each using the other woman to hold herself up.

After a few minutes, the Doctor got Bryn stabilized. Or so he thought. Jaina only had a second's warning before Bryn unleashed an involuntary Force wave, disconnecting his painkiller and sending his doctor sliding across the floor.

Bryn began to scream in pain. Jaina tried to grasp hold of his hand, but it was covered in fresh blood. Bryn's still open chest was seeping blood at an alarming rate. The doctor scooped himself off the floor with remarkable grace, and hurried over to his patient's side.

Within seconds, he haad reconnected Bryn's painkiller, calming him slightly. It was then that Bryn seemed to remember where he was, and he apoligized tearfully to his wife.

"There's no need for that, Bryn. It's alright. We're not leaving."

Bryn nodded slowly, and then slipped into unconciousness. - Bryn woke up several hours later, unsure were he was. The room was almost completely black. Bryn couldn't discern up from down, left from right. He sat up, trying to feel his way out of the room. He called out for Jaina, realizing that she wasn't there. No one was there.

Feeling well enough to stand up, Bryn slipped out of his bed and inched his way towards the door. As he reached for the handle, the door slid open. There stood a shadowy figure, outlined in light. Bryn could feel the Dark Side in the intruder, although very faintly. Bryn slipped to the left of the doorway before the intruder could register his presence.

Bryn kept his eyes glued on the shadowy figure who was creeping throughout his room. The fuigure reached BRyn's bed, unsure whether or not anyone was in it. The assassin produced a short, ruby hilted lightsaber, activiated its blood red blade and driving where Bryn had been minutes before. After assuring himself that the room was empty, the assassin checked some sort of chronometer and sat down upon the bed, removing his helmet.

Bryn, motionless, didn't take his eyes off his pursuer, still unwilling to believe that the intruder hadn't noticed him. Bryn couldn't see the man's face, but was confident now that he needed to escape and find Jaina.

The assassin seemed relaxed, and sweat was glistening on his rather unremarkable face. Bryn inched closer, surprised at the supposedly trained assassin's niavete.

"Hey?" Bryn whispered when was mere inches from the assassin's face, the man's eyes flew open, and he refelxively struck out toward the source of Bryn's voice. Bryn caught his thrust easily, spinning to the right and delivering a knockout blow with his palm. Fatal or not, it took the haphazard assassin out of play either way.

Bryn continued down the hall at breakneck speed, barely glancing in each room as he sped by. For just having surgery in the past...however long he had been out, Bryn felt remarkably good. He was breathing fine, moving fine, even that palm strike had been the best he'd delivered in a bantha's age. It was almost as if the Kolto Seed had cleared him, rebooted his system. His arm, recently fractured on Tenupe, was full yhealed, as were the myriad of other injuries he'd sustained on that hell of a planet.

Bryn sprinted into a semi-circular breifing room of some sort. Two more assassins were casually sitting amidst dead and wounded civilians, some of whom Bryn recognized from his stay on Manaan. Rage boiled in Bryn's chest. As he stopped, taking in the devastation, both the assassins reached for their lightsabers...only to both be subsequently kicked in the mouth by a charging Bryn, who had leaped over the space couch situated between them.

Pausing to consult the map of the facility on the adjacent wall, Bryn sped off in the direction of the Dormitories, likely where Jaina was. He had to find her before these assassins did. If he didn't, then pity for any who got in his way.

Chapter 4: The Path of Rage
[Day: 15- Month: 8- Year: 36 ABY- Time: 0451]

He arrived on the catwalk overlooking the dormitory lobby. There were fires spread as far as the eye could see. There were more bodies strewn throughout the once serene lobby. Four more assassins stood, this time ready for Bryn. They held a bound captive in their midst. It was Bryn's Selkath doctor. He looked amazed to even see Bryn walking, let alone fighting.

The apparent leader of the assassins gestured towards Bryn. It was simple enough:

Join us or he dies

Bryn slowly shook his head, knowing he was condemning the noble doctor. The assassin slowly smiled, and motioned to one of his cohorts. The cronie withdrew a vibroblade, silently slicing the doctor's throat. Blood spilled from the open cut, and the doctor gargled weakly. The assassin leader slipped out a blaster, mercifully shotting the doctor in the head, ending his suffering.

Anger boiled in Bryn's veins as he slowly decended down the stairs.

"You'll pay for that" he said quietly. The assassin seemed to snigger, withdrawing his lightsaber and gesturing for his companions to do the same. At this, Bryn sneered callously. He found it amusing that they thoguht they were going to fight with lightsabers.

Bryn snapped his hands up, grasping two of the assassins with a Force grip. He quickly suffocated them, feeding his dark urges. The other two rushed him, Bryn dropped one of the deceased and used the free hand to snap of a peal of Force Lightning at the oncoming assassin. The assassin was caught full in the chest and fell to the floor, smoldering.

Six seconds had passed, and the only living beings in the room were Bryn and the Assassin Commander. Bryn called two of the slain assassin's lightsabers to him, igniting them in a blaze of ruby. He gestured for the commander to strike, which the assassin foolishly did. Bryn quickly took off the oncoming assassins saber arm, dropping him to the floor. The commander, speaking for the first time, begged Bryn to kill him quickly, to show mercy, as he himself had shownt h good doctor.

Bryn's features contorted into a mask of rage. He used the Force to lift the assassin off the ground, dangling him by his throat while blood trickled from the severed stump of an arm. Bryn poured his rage and anger and frustration into the man, who began to scream in pain. Tears welled in Bryn's eyes.

"WHERE'S JAINA?!" he bellowed, "WHERE'S BRYT?!"

The assassin attempted to gargle out something, but Bryn's questions had been rhetorical. Bryn threw down the assassing, finally ending his suffering with a lightsaber slash to the throat.

Bryn let his hands drop, the stolen lightsabers clattering, bladeless, to the floor. He began to weep. As far as he could tell, there was no one else alive in the hospital. The black rage he had felt just moments before had been replaced by colorless sorrow. Bryn fell to his knees, numb with pain. He didn't know where anyone was, he didn't even know if they were alive. As he began to contemplate whether or not he would even get up again, his sister's voice rang out to him from across the lobby.

He glanced towards the direction of her voice. She had been backed into a corner by two assassins, one of whom sported a nasty lightsaber slash across the chest. It seems they wanted Bryt alive. Not if Bryn could help it.

He bounded across the lobby, not even bothering to scoop up the lightsabers he'd left behind. He leaped in front of the injured assassin, catching the man in the face with a snap-kick. The assassin fell to the floor, motionless. The second kller, face partially exposed, slowly circled Bryn, lightsaber held at the guard.

The man seemed to be in his 40's, with a ragged brown goatee around his jagged mouth. Bryn could feel a substantial Force presence from the man.

The assassin leader sneered, daring BRyn to make the first strike. So Bryn did. He exploded into action, delivering kicks and punches with sickening speed and ease. But the assassin leader was never struck by more than one at a time. HE simply absorbed Bryn's strikes, occaisonally deflecting one or two. He wanted it to be a war of attrition.

After a couple of minutes, Bryn's pace began to slacken, and the assassin, battered as he was, still had enough energy to capitalize on Bryn's exhaustion.

He lifted his knees into Bryn's stomach, using Bryn's own weight to slam him into the floor. Stars exploded in front of Bryn's eyes. Bryn tried to return to his feet, but the larger man simply kicked him in the back. Bryn cried out in pain.

"You see, Jedi, if you aren't strong enough to defeat me, you will never be strong enough to challenge my master." The man held Bryn's chin in his hand.

Ever the crafty one, Bryn sensed an opportunity to coax some info from the deadly assassin.

"And who, exactly, is your master?"

The assassin smiled. "Not so fast, Jedi Fulcron. I don't think you need to know that yet."

By that time, Bryn had regained his breath, and his composure. He rose to his feet, easily, breathing in slowly, deepening his connection to the Force.

The assassin smiled, his dark eyes full of malice.

"Come, Jedi, we're not done yet."

The assassin leaped backwards, re-igniting his lightsaber and challenging Bryn to onrush him. Which Bryn did, without a lightsaber. The assassin almost fell over in surprise.

He reared back, almost sickeningly easily, and swung a precise strike at Bryn's head. The younger man dodged in with blinding speed, grabbing the man's wrist and reversing the lightsaber's grip with ease. The man gasped in pain as the business end of his own lightsaber protruded from his back. He collapsed to the ground, dead on impact.

Bryn stood up slowly, speaking to Bryt for the first time.

"You okay?" She nodded, and wrapped him in a bearhug.

"Where's Jaina?" he asked, He hoped she was alright. With that, two more assassins burst into the room from the upper level, each one snarling their anger at Bryn. He readied himself for the attack, which never came. Jaina dropped down from the rafters, killing each assassin in seconds.

"I think she's fine, Bryn" Bryt remarked cooly.

Chapter 5: The Crusader's Vow
[Day: 26- Month: 8- Year: 36 ABY- Time: 1104] After Jaina confirmed what Bryn had already supposed, that the assassin's were hired by his old nemesis, Tarc Rethcoe, Bryn had sped off to Ossus to speak with the rest of the Jedi.

So here he sat in the Jedi COuncil Chamber on Ossus. Many venerable Jedi sat before him, including Masters Skywalker and Bryn's Master, Kyle Katarn. They all looked fit enough.

They'll need to be for what I'm proposing

Jaina stood at his side, silent and stern in her old Rogue Squadron pilot's uniform. Tahiri and Bryt had come as well, although they stood in the background. Bryn stole another gaze at the Jedi around him. Tresina Lobi, Markre Medjev, Kyp Durron, Corran Horn, Saba Sebatyne, even Streen. All of them had their attention focused on him. So he started to speak.

He quickly relayed his an Tarc Rethcoe's history to keep them all on the same page. He told of how Tarc had egineered the death of Bryn's Padawan Nyanni, how Rethcoe had hired the Mandalorian Arkoan Fai to kill Bryn and Jaina, and how Bryn had succesfully stopped the man, turning him to the path of a Jedi.

He then told of the recent happenings on Manaan, and how Jaina had determined that Tarc was behind the killings. Luke then asked the question they had all come for.

"So you want permission to adopted nephew.

"No!" Tahiri interjected, stepping to the forefront. "We don't want to kill him, we want to apprehend him." Streen spoke up.

"So you want our help?"

"Yes," Jaina carried the conversation, "if the assassins on Manaan are any indication, we'll need all the Jedi that can be spared."

Kyle Katarn spoke up for the first, scowling at his former Padawan.

"I really don't think we should spread the Jedi any thinner than they are right now. We need every additional Master here just to keep order."

Mara picked up on Kyle's words. "You can go if you want, Bryn, but you do NOT have our blessing."

Bryn, incensed, didn't even bother to bid farewell to the Master as he stormed out. Master Luke called out to him to stop, which he did, barely.

"We might not be sanctioned your quest, Bryn, but I know that Tarc is a menace. You have my consent to hunt him down and bring him to justice. But do not, under any circumstances, kill him."

Bryn didn't even bother to turn around as he strode from the chamber. But he had a smirk on his face.

-

Four hours later, Bryn, Bryt, Jaina and Tahiri gathered in the Jedi hangar with all the Jedi who wanted to accompany them. The roster was more than satisfactory for Bryn's tastes. Valin Horn, now a Jedi Knight, stared at him from the top of the nearest cruiser. Valin, who had only been a boy during the Yuuzhan Vong War, probably wanted a chance to prove himself, a trait very much his fathers.

Bryn had seen the boy training with his father, and figured he should be able to handle himself. Zekk, Jaina and Bryn's old friend, had volunteered to come as well, and Bryn was glad to have him. He was as tall as a Wookiee, and twice as mean.

Speaking of Wookiees, the massive Lowbacca had growled his consent as soon as Jaina had asked him. He still wanted to fulfill his uncle Chewbacca's life debt to Jaina's father Han, and he probably saw this as a decent substitute. Plus, he probably wanted a good fight. Wookiees are like that.

Bryn's aunt Kirana Ti, a Jedi Master in her own right, had surprisingly come along. She had said she wanted to make sure her neice and nephew stayed out of trouble, but Bryn knew she still had a grand adventure soemwhere in her.

Doran Tainer stod off to the left, tall and brooding. Bryn didn't know the younger Jedi very well, but he seemed capable enough.

The young Rodian Jedi Twool had come along as well, despite Bryn's insisting he stay. Bryn appreciated the enthusiasm, but Twool had only been a JEdi for two years. Then again, Bryn thought, he himself had fought at Duro after being one for only one.

Bryn's old friend Octa Ramis had come as well, pushing the count of Jedi Masters to two.

Unsurprisingly, Bryn's old friend Arkoan Fai had come as well. It was Tarc who had hired anbd decieved the Mandalorian, convincing him that the Jedi were evil and slaughtered his people for fun. Arkoan ddefinately had a bone to pick with young master Rethcoe.

The biggest surprise of all was when Kam Solusar and his wife Tionne had shown up minutes before, telling Bryn their intention of joining him. He stared at Jaina bemusingly. She had only shrugged. The to older Masters had not seen any action during the Yuuzhan Vong War, maybe they felt like they had something to prove.

Bryn told them all how honored and humbled he was that they had all volunteered to assist him. He knew none of them, with the exception of Octa and Arkoan, had ever been personally affected by Tarc's actions. He tried to tell them sopmething inspiring, but quizzical looks from Jaina and Tahiri stopped him. Instead, he asked the other what name they should go under.

After a few minutes and some terrible suggestions from himself, Valin and Doran, who Bryn was starting to like, Lowbacca garbled out a suggestion, which his new translation droid interpreted as "The Crusaders". Pleased with this nickname for now, Bryn and the others left for the interim capital of Mon Calamari.

Chapter 6: All Hell
[Day: 2- Month: 9- Year: 36 ABY- Time: 1312]

Bryn glanced up as he heard the animalistic scream. There hung Cinc Hular, Senator from Rodia and prime candidate for the office of Cheif of State of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances, quite dead, the same assassins from Manaan around him.

They had only just arrived on Dac, and all hell had broken loose. The Crusaders had drawn straws to see who would be left to gard the ships. Kam, Tionne and Twool had drawn the short ones this time.

Lucky them, Bryn thought, as three assasins dropped in front of him, lightsabers blazing.

He ducked, parried, and snapped out a kick at the assassin bearing down on his sister. The assassin flipped backwards, barely phased by the attack.

Bryn formed a defensive circle with Bryt, Doran, Valin and Jaina. He saw Arkaon, Tahiri and the others doing the same. Excpet Lowbacca. The Wookiee had been backed into a corner by two assassins. Bryn nodded at Jaina who in turn glanced to Zekk. The three old friends advanced on the two clueless assassins, killing them in seconds.

"They're trying to surround us!" Tahiri shouted over the din of battle.

Doran answered back, "Protect the civilians, it's a feint!"

Instinctive... Bryn thought of the younger Jedi, and agreed with his plan.

For the next 3 hours, they cleaned out assassins from every nook and cranny in the city, finally killing the last one in front of Senator Hular's body. The authorities, perplexed and confused, thanked The Crusaders for their help, but asked them to leave until the crisis could be sorted out.

On his way back towards the Wampa's Eye II, one of the myriad of ships that made up their patchwork fleet, two old familiar faces approached the newlyweds, drawing a grin from both of them.

"Mom! Dad!" Jaina exclaimed, knocking the wind out of both of them with a bearhug. "What are you two doing here?"

After exchanging hellos with The Crusaders, Han explained:

"Well, kid, we stopped by to do a favor for Lando," cutting Bryn off before the obligatory 'Another One?'

"We saw what happened, and it's a good thing you were here, or there might have been a lot more casualties." Leia continued, before Han picked the conversation back up.

"I'm not naming any names, but we might have heard a rumor that the CEDF might know more about your buddy Rethcoe's whereabouts." Han said with a not-so-innocent look on his face.

"What does that mean?" Valin asked.

"It means," Leia said, smiling at her hudsband's apparent lack of humility,"We're going to Csilla."

-

Baron Soontir fel approached the travel-weary group, familiar stoic expression on his face. He showed no warmth in greeting former allies.

He did, however, tell Bryn in no uncertain terms, that the Chiss were not willing to divulge their secrets unless The Crusaders helped them with a small pirate problem.

Unfortunately for The Crusaders, taht meant that they all had to fly Chiss Fighters, with Chiss pilots, and they would have to do it with two wingmates.

This should be fun, Bryn mouthed to Han. The older man's eyes seemed to agree.

Chapter 7: Peas in a Pod
[Day: 8- Month: 9- Year: 36 ABY- TIme: 1451]

Bryn pulled his Chiss Clawcraft out of the hangar, opening up a link with his two assigned wingmates, Chiss pilot Shawnkyr Nurudo and Jaina. They had been named Sword Wing by Baron Fel. The group was under Nurudo's control, being as she was the most experienced pilot of the three. They were flying cover for Vornskr Wing, which Bryn called Geezer Squadron. It consisted of Baron Fel, Han Solo and Kam Solusar. Leia, Tionne and Twool weren't flying with the rest of The Crusaders.

Doran had been paired with Valin and Tahiri in Ysalmiri Wing. In Bryn's estimation, they were the weakest wing. Colonel Jagged Fel, Sontir's son, was leading a Wing, called Shield, which flew in tandem with Bryn's. Lowbacca and Octa Ramis flew with him. Kirana Ti, Arkoan Fai and Zekk flew in the fifth and final wing, named Broad Arm.

The plan, according to Baron Fel, was to surround these troublesome pirates, with Vornskr, Sword and Shield Wings leading the charge. The other two Wings would fly cover. It made sense to Bryn, having the nine best pilots out of the group do the most fighting. Bryn had never flown a Clawcraft before, but he'd seen what they could do, and with Jaina as a wingmate, he was confident he'd do fine.

"Sword three, quit daydreaming and fall in line!" Jaina's voice called to him over the com. Bryn smiled slightly. He loved it when she did that. Bryn squinted at his HUD, trying to understand where each relevant peice of data was coming from. He'd done his recon work, however. The planet the pirates had holed up in was called Threshold, the moon they were currently behind had no name, just a string of numbers and coordinates. Bryn shuffled in his seat as he brought the clawcraft around the moon, right in line behind Jaina.

She sent him a wave of excitement through the Force. He knew why. It had been far too long, in her estimation, since her last space battle. He knew she would be ready. He might be the lightsaber expert, but the final frontier of space was where the Sword of the Jedi was truly unleashed. He felt sorry for the pirates...

-

Twenty minutes later, Bryn wasn't so sure. As brilliantly as Jaina was flying (and Han for that reason, he could hear the awe in even Baron Fel's voice), they were almost being overrun by the pirates. They were flying a patchwork squadron of uglies, patched together form various ships. Bryn could see peices of X-Wings, A-Wings, Y-Wings and even the Chiss' own Clawcraft. As far as pirate fleets go, this was one impressive.

Bryn corkscrewed to his right, using his shield to absorb a volley thrown at Jaina, who was seeing the worst of the fighting. Shawnkyr hadn't even been touched yet, neither had Bryn. Zekk's Wing, on the other hand, had been torn apart. Baron Fel had ordered them to return to the cruiser minutes before.

They knew we were coming, Bryn thought to himself, gritting his teeth through another blast ricocheting off his shields.

They knew we were coming, and they baited the trap for us.. They had hit Zekk's Broad Arm Wing first, nearly destroying all three craft. They hadn't even targeted Ysalmiri Wing, apparently not deeming them a threat.

The other three Wings had since been pitched in a desperate battle, since they were outmnumbered 5 to 1. Jaina and Han had seen to close the gap, but they weren't out of the frying pan yet.

"Sword 3, break from your sqaud and rally to me." Baron Fel's soothing voice interrupted over the com. "I need you to check something with me."

s much as it "hurt" Bryn to disoey the Baron's orders, he knew he would be better off with Jaina, so he volunteered Shawnkyr to take his place.

"She is the more experienced pilot, and her ship is less damaged. What do you have that she doesn't?"

Jaina, Bryn and even Han all answered at almost exactly the same time, although Han's voice had a weary resignation.

"The Force."

Baron Fel breathed a sigh of exasperation, and then called Nurudo over to him. They slipped behind the enemy front and disappeared into the abyss...

Bryn couldn't watch the two ships depart, however, because he and Jaina came under fire almost immediately.

"Bryn! Pull In!" Jaina screamed as Bryn dodged an errant Proton Torpedo. HE fell in next to Jaina, aligning their ships shields slightly. He felt her presence in the Force reach out to him, so he melded with her. It felt...cold. He could feel her battle calm. Next to Jaina, Bryn's own emotions were a raging inferno.

Almost by instinct, or possibly Jaina's hand, Bryn slid over and dialed up his inetial compensators to 98%. Jaina wanted to give these pilots a ride. Away they dove in unison. They flipped, twisted and corkscrewed, never seeming to be where the pirate's shots were. BRyn could feel Jaina guiding hmi where to go, where to shoot. He also could feel that she couldn't keep it up. She wasn't strong enough in the Force. But he was. Bryn used himself as a conduit between his wife and the Force, pouring raw energy into her, full stop.

Then things dissolved into a blur. Bryn couldn't tell which way was "up", and colors swarmed. All he knew was that he wasn't dead yet, but after a while he wasn't sure. He had no recollection of the passing of time, nor did he care. It was...euphoric. There were no words to describe what was going through his body at that time. His only bearing the entire time was Jaina.

He could feel her next to him, almost as far gone as he, but more...focused. It seemed she at least could tell what was going on.

Keep it going Sticks, I think we're winning he tought to her.

''Keep what going? Its over.'' she replied, her voice icy-cold in his mind.

Then his vision cleared, and he saw what they had done.

There were no more pirates in this system, and Bryn had an idea the there wouldn't be for the rest of all of their lives.

Chapter 8: A Jedi's Worth
[Day: 14- Month: 9- Year: 36 ABY- Time: 1115]

As they flew back to Csilla, Bryn asked Zekk what had happened.

"What, you couldn't tell?" Zekk bemused quietly. Shawnkyr was more than happy to fill him in.

She told him how he and Jaina had flown straight into the enemy armada, how they had destroyed every ship in their reach, and how the rest of the pirates had fled without looking back.

Bryn felt slightly disturbed about his loss of control, and mentally chided himself about it. No one else noticed, except possibly Jaina. One look in her eyes told him she felt the same.

After they landed, Baron Fel was more than happy to report to Bryn that their last scouts had seen Tarc Rethcoe on Mandalore, so that's where they headed. But not before saying their goodbyes to Han and Leia, who were headed to Ossus. Bryn didn't get to say much to Han, for the man was still going on about his and Jaina's flying.

They were "replaced" by Shawnkyr Nurudo, who had volunteered to join The Crusaders. While not neccesarily a Jedi, she was welcome to come if she wanted in Bryn's eyes. So off they set for Mandalore. -

While waiting in orbit above Mandalore, Bryn was privately commed by Arkoan.

"I can't join you on the surface, Bryn." the older Jedi confessed to his friend.

Before Bryn could even ask why, Arkoan continued.

"I was once one of Fenn Shysa's Protectors. I was banned."

Bryn tried to coax more out of the man, but Fai had closed the channel. Resigning, Bryn slowly brought the Eye II down to the landing pad set up for him in the capital city of Keldabe, walking out ot meet the planet's envoys. The figure he saw was one he'd never met, but it was one he knew immediately.

Who in the Galaxy wouldn't? Bryn thought to himself and the figure came fully into view.

"Boba Fett..." Tahiri gasped next to him.

Bryn grunted as he blocked another stun bolt aimed at his face.

I really need to thank Fett for not letting me use my lightsaber, my hands really appreciate it...

He was one of the three remaining unarmed combatants in the Mandalorian Battle Dome. At Boba's Fett insistence, Bryn, Valin, Doran, Zekk, Kam and a few Mandalorians, including Fett himself, had been entered in the monthly competition. They were allowed to use whatever weapons they had, but Fett had insisted that they all fight unarmed, to 'prove a Jedi's worth'.

So here Bryn was, fighting blasted droids with his hands. He could see Doran and Valin on the arena's upper levels, their wounds being treated. Master Solusar had already healed. Zekk had his back to Bryn, and was fighting like a madman.

Boba Fett however, was a man on fire. None of the droids could hit him, and the gloves his alloyed suit were surprisingly easy to crush droids heads with. Bryn and Zekk were backed into a corner. Bryn glanced up at the Arena Clock. They had been fighting the droids for almost 10 minutes.

''Just a couple more seconds...and we'll make it to the limit. That should show Fett.''

Then, without warning, Zekk dropped from an errant stun bolt. He was tought, but there was no doubt about it. He was done fighting for a while.

Stunned, Bryn looked in the direction of the blast, to see a droid Fett had thrown into the air as the source of the shot.

Griamcing, Bryn leaped to the left as the droid fired again, narrowly singing the edged of his head.

THAT HURT!!! Bryn thought to himself, quite loudly. He noticed Jaina and Bryt smile slightly.

Don't you even start... he thought to them as he flip kicked a droid under the "chin".

He landed, dodged a stun bolt and locked arms with a droid as the counter wound down.

3...2...1... Bryn counted down in his head, exhaustedly loweing his arms at the final buzzer. He looked around, searching for Fett. The older man had been knocked off his feet by three droids, and was out of the tournament. Bryn had won!

"Well done, Jedi. It's not often that one sees one of your kind with such figthing prowess. You've earned my respect, for now."

With that, Fett told Bryn of the suspicious man they'd seen on the city's borders. He fit Tarc's description.

"We could have killed him," Fett continued, "but we felt it better to leave him alone, see what he does. I think he knew we were following him."

Satisfied, Bryn nodded his thanks to Fett, and promised that he wouldn't leave the planet until The Crusaders had checked out this lead.

Bryn turned, smiling at Bryt. He knew she would understand what he'd been told. He expected her to be happy that they'd finally found Tarc. But the look on her face said otherwise.

Be careful, she thought to him. I have a bad feeling about this...

Chapter 9: Two Blades
[Day: 17- Month: 9- Year: 36 ABY- Time: 1100]

Bryn turned the corner, still staring at the datapad Fett had given him, the one that had the intruder's last known position marked.

Funny, I should have seen him by now... the red dot blinked back at Bryn menacingly.

Guess I'll just had to look the old fashioned way.

Frustrated, Bryn pocketed the datapad and began to search every alleyway, every nook and cranny on the city block he was on. The area in question was old and dusty, and seemed to be covered in a fine red powder.

Bryn thought about sniffing or tasting some of it, but the smell wafting up to him from the street below quickly dispelled any notiojns he had.

Bryn pulled out the datapad, focusing on the blinking dot. He focused inward, using the Force to pinpoint that exact spot on his sight.

It was right...there, in a dumpster to the right, that Bryn ascertained the dot was originating.

He again pocketed the datapad, and then slowly walked over to the dumpster, slowly lifting the heavy metal lid.

There was nothing inside. Angered, Bryn was about to slam the lid down, until he heard a familiar voice echoing from one of the corners.

"Hello Bryn, long time no see." Tarc's arrogant voice spoke to him.

"I was wondering when you'd find my little gift. I must say I'm impresed that you followed me here. The Mandalorians are picky about who they let on their planet, especially Jedi."

Bryn frantically searched for the recorder, lifting up empty bags of trash, causing a swarm of insects to descend on his face. He batted them away absent-mindedly and continued his search. Tarc, meanwhile, continued to speak.

"Imagine my surprise when I found out that you were to married to Jaina. Needless to say, I couldn't have that..." Tarc laughed, and then continued.

"Then, another surprise. Your sister, Bryt, returned seemingly from the dead. No one had heard from her in 11 years. No one except me, of course."

Bryn stopped what he was doing, nostrils flaring.

"I found her, Bryn. 9 years ago, after I left that pitiful excuse of an Order, I found her, on Dathomir. I told her I was a Jedi, and that I knew you. I told her I would take her to you. I didn't. I broke her, Bryn. I broke her body, mind and spirit. I was intending to use her to get to you, Bryn. You or your precious Jaina. But, I miscalculated. After torturing her for months, I became complacent. It seemed she had some spirit after all. She escaped into the Nar Shadaa night. But I didn't worry. No one could make it alone on that planet, especially with the Yuuzhan Vong bearing down upon it. I thought her dead. Until a few weeks ago. Have no fear, Bryn, I plan to rectify that situation immediately."

Bryn heaved the charred remains of a droid aside, finally finding Tarc's recorder. He reached for it eagerly.

"One more thing, Bryn," Tarc's voice sneered out of the small speaker.

Bryn paused, content to listen out his former friends message.

"Boom..."

Bryn reacted just in time. He shielded himself with the Force. But the explosion was still strong enough to send him through the dilapadated wall adjacent from the dumpster, which was completely destroyed.

Bryn stood up and shook off the dust, any pain he felt covered up by the boiling rage he felt inside at Tarc's revelation. He hoped it wasn't true, but something in him knew...

If he hurt her... he thought to himself.

"Forget what Master Skywalker said," Bryn thought out loud.

"I'm going to kill Tarc Rethcoe."

--

Boba Fett ducked as a cannon bolt flashed over his head, destroying the wall behind him. HE shot the attacker in the head in return.

Where the hell'd these guys come from? Fett thought to himself, shooting another of the lightsaber wielding assassins.

He activated his jetpack, soaring above the melee. Where's the damned Jedi when you need em?

--

Jaina hurled herslef and Bryt behind a partially-destroyed wall, gaining a few seconds respite from the attackers. She reached out with the Force, urging Bryt to do the same. They had to find the rest of The Crusaders, and fast.

Tahiri, Zekk and Lowie were in the old bunker on the right, Jaina surmised, and they weren't in trouble. It felt to her that all three of the Masters were there as well. Jaina could, as far as she could telll, account for every one of her fellow Jedi, except...

Then she felt him, and realized who had been missing. Bryt glanced up at her, fear in her eyes.

"Bryn's coming...and he's angry." -- The young Red Dawn general plopped down on the chair provided for him by his men. He studied a readout of the battle, making sure that all the key figures were accounted for.

''Solo. Check. Fett'' he paused. Check. He quickly glanced over the rest of the map, not overtly concerned about the rest of the Jedi. HIs boss had assured him that Fulcron wouldn't be a factor in the battle, and he believed him. After his predesessor's death on Manaan, the young General had no desire to fight the ace Jedi.

"Sir, all systems go on the DawnBringers. They should be operational within the hour," the head Liuetenant reported, snapping a quick salute.

"At ease, soldier. I don't think the battle will even last that long, but there's no harm in unveiling our droids here. Maybe it'll teach the Mandalorians what happens when you harbor Jedi." The Lieutenant smiled.

"Yes, sir."

"I don't want anymore interruptions unless its a Jedi kill confirmation. Understood?"

"...Perfectly sir." The Liuetenant snapped another quick salute, and walked away slowly.

The General relaxed and drifted into a relaxing sleep. He felt as if he'd hardly closed his eyes before the Liutenant woke him up.

"Sir! We have a problem, Sir!" the veteran soldier seemed anxious, almost afraid.

"Are the Jedi still in the same relative places?" the General asked. The soldier nodded. "Do we still outnumber them twenty to one?" the man nodded again.

"Then we have no problems, dismissed." the General sat back down, stretching his limbs fully.

"But sir!" the liuetenant shrieked.

"WHAT?" the General bellowed back. The Liuetenant, growing pale in the face, pointed behind his superior, away from the battlefield. The General slowly turned his head.

A sole figure stood there, an orange lightsaber blazing in each hand. The street behind him was littered with the bodies of the General's rear guard.

''Fifty men. I didn't even hear them die...'' the General backed away slowly.

The Lieutenant bellowed in rage, and bullrushed the Jedi, who simply held up one hand. The Liuetenant flew backwards, smacking the adjacent wall with a loud *crack*. He slumped to the ground, motionless.

The General looked back towards where the Jedi had been, to find him gone. He had dissapeared.

Where the hell?-- The General heard a loud flash, and froze. He glanced down to see an orange beam of light protruding from the middle of his chest. He looked back up, noticing that he was the last living Red Dawn member in the vicinity.

"I guess Rethcoe wasn't kidding when he said that--". It was never revealed what Rethcoe had said, because Bryn promptly separated The General's head from his body.

Bryn deactivated his lightsabers, feeling no remorse in the way he had just killed the entire Red Dawn rear guard.

They were in my way... he thought to himself with a smirk. Then he bounded into a landspeeder and veered towards the sounds of battle.

Chapter 10: Protector Forever
[Day: 17- Month: 9- Year: 36 ABY- Time: 1532]

Arkoan Fai sat with his hands clasped in anxiety, staring at his viewscreen. HE was still in orbit over Mandalore, and now had the best seat to the ongoing battle.

"They need me down there. The Crusaders need me. My people need me." Talking to himself, Arkoan shifted nervously in his seat. He could at least do a flyby, servey the damage, determine if he was actually needed.

Yeah, that's what I'll do... he blasted towards the east side of the planet, where the battle was raging. He flew closer, until he could pick up a few distress calls. One voice in particular stood out. It was one of Boba Fett's personal guard.

"All Mandalorian Protectors, rally to me. Rally to me and these coordinates."

The voice was speaking in Mando'a, so the enemy couldn't translate it. But the Protectors didn't know Tarc Rethcoe like Arkoan did. He was willing to bet any sum that Tarc had hired any and all former Mandalorian protectors, even a few protocol froids, just in case of this very circumstance.

Sure enough, Arkoan's sensors picked up a massive amount of Red Dawn soliders moving towards the designated coordinates. Arkoan began to panic. He had to go down there now!

But wait... he thought to himself. ''What if that's just what Fett wants them to do? What if its a trap?'' Arkoan stopped himself in mid motion, his hand still hovering over the throttle.

"It's not." a familiar voice said over Arkoan's intercom.

"Fulcron?" Arkaon gasped. "How did you..." Bryn cut him off.

"Fett's making a last stand. At those coordinates. I'm heading there as soon as I find Jaina and the others. I suggest you do as well."

Not needing a second opinion, Fai blasted towards the surface, determined to help even if Fett didn't want him to...

''There's a lot of Jedi down there, and a lot of Mandalorians. But, as far as I know, there aren't any Mandalorian Jedi, and that's the scariest kind...''

-

Zekk turned, cleaving a droid in half. He spotted Octa Ramis and Tahiri to his right, fighting back to back against the mysterious droids that had just appeared. Each one was approximately two meters tall, and they wielded ligthsaber-resistant vibro-staves.

They're fast... Zekk thought, barely dodging a vicious blow from one of the hulking machines.

Really fast.... He twirled and decaptitated his attacker. He tried to stop, and catch his breath, but two more advanced on him, cutting off his only escape route. He parried and stabbed wildly, always on the defensive. There was no way he could hold out like this...

Suddenly, one of the droids collapsed from multiple lightsaber slashes, smoldering and in peices. The other, paused, seemingly stunned from its partner's sudden demise. It turned, facing the attacker.

It was Bryt. She lowered her lightsaber, daring the machine to attack. The droid wisely held its ground. So Bryt attacked instead. In a blur of color that Zekk couldn't even begin to track, Bryt sliced at her opponent.

Apparently the attack was too fast for the combat droid as well, as it fell in two at Zekk's feet. He wiped the sweat off his brow, impressed with the girl's fighting prowess.

"Thanks for that. Looks like it runs in the family." he laughed weakly.

-

Bryt stared at him sheepishly.

"What do you..." she blushed, turning away from Zekk quickly. Jaina approached the two, grabbing Bryt by the shoulder and turning her towards the west side of the bunker.

"That's what he means." she gestured towards her husband, who stood in the doorway, droids littered around him in various forms of dismemberment.

Bryn deactivated his lightsabers, approaching the rest of his fellow Jedi.

"That takes care of those walking junk piles, doesn't it?" he smiled savaagely. The Crusaders gathered around him, cautiously, for they could tell something was wrong in him. Machine or not, a Jedi wasn't supposed to relish death and destruction. Bryn seemed to be having the time of his life.

"Alright, listen up!" he called to his Crusaders. "Fett is trapped in a warehouse a few miles from here. Arkoan is on his way. How 'bout we meet him there?"

Bryt smiled as the rest of the Jedi whooped their support. They turned, piling into the Wampa's Eye II that Bryn had retirieved from its docking bay.

-

They landed a few minutes later, filing out single file. Bryt wasn't sure where they were, but she knew that it wasn't in friendly territory. She, being the last off the ship, turned to activate the ship's defenses, when Bryn grabbed her by the arm.

"You're staying on the ship. No questions asked." Bryt stopped in shock and confusion.

"But..." she started, but Bryn cut her off. His eyes were full of determination, and anger, and...fear. There was little use in arguing with him at this point, Bryt knew.

"Just...stay here, baby sister. Don't leave this ship. Do you understand?"

"...Yes, Bryn, I understand." she resigned, shutting the loading ramp behind her. She plopped down in the pilot's seat, weary enough as it was.

She was pondering why Bryn had made her stay. Was it because of her inexperience as a Jedi? Or did he not want to lose her again? She could understand that, but it still wasn't fair. She wanted to fight too. As she continued to think about Bryn's unfairness, a beeping sound on the console drew her attention.

Droid speak rolled across the screen.

MASTER BRYN TOLD YOU NOT TO LEAVE THE SHIP.

Bryt read slowly, wondering what Bryn's droid meant.

"What...I don't"

BUT HE DIDN'T SAY THE SHIP COULDN'T LEAVE...

Giving the droid equivalent of a wink, IG-18 lifted the Eye off the ground, soraing away towards the climactic battle. Bryt was going to be a part of the battle, whether her brother liked it or not.

---

Boba Fett shrugged off the sloppy kick, taknig his attacker down to the dusty floor. He finished the would-be assassin with a blaster botl to the face. The seasoned Mandalorian glanced upwards, pleased with what he saw.

The assassins were all but defeated, there were a dozen or so, holed up in an abonded warehouse who were holding out, but they posed no threat to the rest of the Mandalorians.

"Is this the best you can throw at us, Jedi?" another, larger Mandalorian bellowed out. Boba Fett paced up next to him, holstering his rifle.

Just at that exact moment, the larger Mandalorian was struck in the back of the head by a precise blaster shot, dead before he hit the ground. Fett hadn't even known his name.

A legion of towering assault droids, each armed with a vibro-staff, thundered into Fett's warehouse, expertly deflecting the bolts shot at them. They overran the entrenched Mandalorians with ease, their death cries barely reaching Fett's ears before new ones were added.

Boba Fett ordered a retreat, and they began to pull back into the smaller warehouse.

Where the assassins still are... Fett realized too late. His men weren't even ready, and the first dozen died without a fight. Trapped between two enemy fronts, Boba Fett did something he'd never done before is his long, illustrious career: He panicked.

"Fire at will! Fight for your lives!" He cried out. He killed one assassin with a precise kick to the temple, but there were still hundreds of droids on their tail. His miscue with the assassins had put the droids right on their tail, destroying all hope of establishing an organized front. It was guerilla warfare now.

Boba Fett turned, dodging an errant thermal detonator. Before even checking who had thrown it, Fett activated his jetpack, hoping to escape the explosion. He did, if only just barely. The detonator exploded, sending out shockwaves that leveled the warehouse, knocking all opponents, Mandalorian and DawnBringer alike, off their respective feet.

Fett had been nearly knocked unconscious. He couldn't find his gun. He could barely even see. He felt another explosion, this one farther off. It still was strong enough to rattle his teeth. He felt his way to his feet, coming face to face with three of the imposing war droids. They descended on him. They never made it.

Arkoan Fai soared down from the rafters, slicing downward with his sky blue lightsaber. He pulled the green up in an expert parry, deflecting a bolt back at the droid it came from, shattering that one as well. The third droid tried to press the attack, only to be promptly shot in the face by a recovered Boba Fett.

Fett offered his thanks to the Jedi, wondering where he had been the entire battle.

As Fai told the leader of the Mandalorians his tale, Fett composed himself more, recovering all his scattered gear. He was a little woozy, but confident he could still fight. As Fai finished, Fett offered his hand in respect.

"You might not be a Protector, but you're still welcome to fight for what you wish, I'm honored to have you as a comrade."

Fai turned as more droids entered their small courtyard.

"That's all I needed to hear, Mandalore." Fai responded.

"I'm not Mandalore." Fett replied, growing cautious of this strange Jedi.

"No," Fai admitted. "But you will be. That's why you're not fighting anymore today." Fai used the Force to lift Fett off his feet, hurling him into the smaller warehouse.

Fett landed hard, and when he tried to get to his feet, Fai closed off the door, leaving himself alone with at least five dozen of the DawnBringers.

-

Bryn leaped over a pile of rubble, cleaving an attacking DawnBringer in two.

These things were made to fight me? he thought bemusginly.

They aren't doing to good a job... he thought as antoher fell to his dual-bladed attack.

Bryn continued to cut a swath through the waves of droids, occaisonally stopping to check on his friend's progress. After a few minutes, he could see the abonded warehouse in the distance, the one that Fett had supposedly taken his last stand in. Bryn had to get there before the waves of droids did. That was why they were preforming this 'run and slash' attack pattern, as Jaina had called it.

Speaking of his beloved wife, she was a few meters to Bryn's right, fighting at the same pace he was. Bryn turned on the speed, slicing through droids before they were even aware he was there.

He reached the final intersection before Fett's warehouse, when a massive explosion leveled the complex, sending debris flying through the air. Bryn shielded his eyes from the blast, one obviously fromed from something the magnitude of a thermal detonator.

Bryn blinked to clear his eyes, before realizing the droids were no longer targeting Fett as their main opponent. They were targeting him.

Two dozen battle droids had surrounded him in a circle, each one slowly advancing.

Bryn caught Jaina's fearful gaze, so he shot her a grin and a quick wink. The lead droid reached Bryn, and swiped at him. Bryn dodged at leaped upwards, slicing as he did. The droid exploded in a shower of sparks. Bryn pulled into a flip out of his leap, landing feet first on another droid. He used his leverage to slam this one in to the ground as well, finishing it with a quick slash to the throat.

Bryn spun around, marvelking at the ease with which the droids were dying. It was all too late when he realized why.

They're trying to lull me to sleep! he stopped, finally noticing the downed droid with the Thermal Detonator.

"Kriffing droids!" he yelled, sprinting at top speed to escape. When he realized it was futile, he turned back around, using the Force to try and shield himself and the others from the blast. It almost worked. Everyone else was safe, but the blast knocked Bryn down, deep into the blackness...

He awoke several seconds, minutes, or hours later, he couldn't tell. His vision spun in circles. Bryn searched for his lightsabers, which had been blasted free of his hands. He groped around, barely registering Jaina calling his name. His hand finally came to rest on of his trusty weapons, but a metal foot clamped down on it, breaking his fingers with a sickening crunch.

Bryn squinted upwards, where one single droid stood above him, vibro-staff glistening menacingly. It reared back, ready to strike, when...

A blast of laser fire caught it in the midsection, completely obliterating the war machine. A few more well aimed shots seared into the formation, burning all traces of the droids into the beyond. Bryn called his ligthsaber to him with his good hand, struggling to his feet in time to see the Eye land awkwardly behind him. Bryt struggling with the controls.

Weary as he was, wounded as he was, Bryn couldn't help but crack wide in a grin.

"It definitely runs in the family..." - Arkoan Fai turned to face his opponents, offering an ancient salute to them, one taught to him by Tarc Rethcoe. A probe droid floated through the ranks, coming to stop right in front of Fai.

The screen turned to static, and then focused on the face of Tarc Rethcoe, who began to speak.

Fai couldn't hear him, because the explosions in the warehouse had damaged his hearing. He had only heard what Fett said because of their radio link.

Fai shook his head slowly, causing the image of Rethcoe to recoil in shock, or anger. Or fear. Arkoan withdrew his hold-out blaster, and pointed it right at the image of his former master.

"This is from Bryn..." he fired once, destroying the probe droid. The next thing he heard from Rethcoe had been patched into his helmet radio.

"Have it your way, Jedi," Tarc sneered the last word into Arkoan's ears.

The droids in front of him snapped to attention, every last one of them coming into battle stance.

Arkoan sighed and leaped into battle.

-

Bryn sprinted the last twenty or so meters to the demolished warehouse Fett had taken refuge in, and halted when he reached the entrance.

There stood Arkoan, alone amidst a pile of destroyed droids. The man looked shaky, and as Bryn approached, he could see why.

Slashes and battle scars lined the man's body, evidence that he'd just been through on hell of a fight. He noticed Bryn apporached, and seemed to smile weakly.

"Bryn...you made it..." he said, voice almost inaudible.

"Arkoan...what happened?" Bryn asked as Jaina and the rest arrived at the warehouse, taking up holding positions.

"Fett...h-he's...inside...safe." Fai gasped, breath coming in short, ragged bursts.

"Arkoan, its-its okay now. It's over..." Bryn said heavily, reaching out to his friend.

"I know..." Fai gasped, and then collapsed into the pile which he'd created. Bryn rushed to catch him, but the older man was already gone.

Epilogue
[Day- 19: Month- 9: Year- 36 ABY: Time- 1055]

Bryn stood solemnly as Arkoan Fai's body was lowered into the ground outside Keldabe. Jaina stood as his side, crying silently, her head resting on his shoulder. The rest of The Crusaders were there, as well as the remainder of Fett's Protectors.

Historians would call the Battle of Mandalore a 'victory', but in Bryn's eyes it would never be anything more than a loss. A terrible, terrible loss. Arkoan fai had been a friend, a dear friend. Regardless of how they first met, Bryn had nothing but respect for the man who had once tried to kill him.

"I can't help but think its my fault, Jaina." Bryn said solemnly.

"Don't say that, Bryn." Boba Fett replied, walking towards the Jedi.

"He died a true warrior's death, and I, as a Mandalorian, couldn't be prouder of him. I'm bestowing the title of Mandalorian Protector upon him posthumosly, a title he will bear for the rest of our recorded history." Fett smiled proudly at this exclamation.

He looks strange without his helmet on, Bryn thought to himself, although he knew Jaina was thinking the same.

Bryn nodded slowly, at peace at least with the knowledge that Arkoan died on his own terms, after defeating over fourty-eight DawnBringers. As a warrior, Bryn had to admit it was an honorable death.

But it is still a death... Bryn thought solemnly. Jaina looked up at him with that, eyes glistening with tears.

"What now? Where do we go from here?" Octa ramis asked a few hours later, as The Crusaders prepared to leave Mandalore.

"Now?..." Bryn thought, wondering where they actually should go next. Tarc obviously hadn't been on the planet, and now they were out of leads.

"Now we go back to Ossus, and take a few days off." Tahiri said matter-of-factly.

"Sounds like a plan to me, captain." Jaina said sheepishly.

Bryn Fulcron was a lot of things. He was a warrior, and a diplomat. He was a pilot and a Jedi. But he was also a husband, and that meant disagreeing with the look on Jaina's face now would be the stupidest thing he'd done in his career.

"Uh...sounds good." He replied, like it was his idea in the first place. He caught Jaina and Tahiri exchange smiles. Shaking his head, Bryn wondered, even if he lived to 900, even if he became Jedi Grand Master, even if he became the Cheif of State, if he would ever fully understand women...