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" Where have they taken her? " the Mandalorian demanded. In his grip, a frightened pirate captain was shaking, barely able to speak from all the shock of seeing a mad Mandalorian take out his freighter's crew all by himself. " I don't know. I just smuggle spice. We don't deal in slave trading. " An armored fist slammed right into his face, bloodying his nose and nearly sending the bone into his skull. " Last chance. Where is she? " " I swear, I don't know! " < He would appear to be telling the truth. I cracked their coded messages and they've only had dealings with spice smuggling. > Letting go of the pirate's neck, the Mandalorian spun him around and cuffed his hands behind his back. " You may not know anything, but you're still a pirate with a reward for bringing you in. " A short while later the freighter is tractored in and the battle cruiser heads off to turn it and its captain over to the nearest authorities.

Link felt the electricty shoot through his body, but it was weak, a low jolt from someone who was tired and beaten.
It wasnt enough to slow him down, just more encouragement to finish the job.
He released the woman's wrist, then smashed the flat of his left hand into the woman's sternum twice in rapid sucession and followed up with a right cross across the face.

Calra hissed at the slumped body of her comrade, "Damn it Revak!"

The woman stepped forward, her brilliant white hair and short stout figure given a bloody hue by the emergency lights. Her vibroblade glinted in the light as Calra ignited her blade and set herself. The woman's face turned taunt an expressionless.

Calra felt a chill roll down her spine all the way to her tail, this woman was a trained killer. Not the brutish bravado of a bounty hunter or pirate but the cool watching stare of a professional bodyguard. She was here to stop them, and Calra was uncertain as to whether they'd make the bridge for the first time, this opponent was like her a trained warrior, it would be the first time in a long while she'd get a chance to fight against a peer.

The woman struck with lightning speed, the vibroblade flashing in her hand its humm echoing in the silent chamber.

Calra's lightsaber leapt to block and stopped the blade, sparks and miniscure chips of metal flaked from the blade's edge as it skittered across the shaft of golden energy. Calra twisted her wrist and sent the crooked end of the weapon twisting toward the woman's flank. The second blade nearly sliced into the woman who twisted away and stepped back, her blue eyes flicking across the form of the Raporan warrior before her. She swiftly reknewed her assault.

The Echani's blade hissed as it's flurry of blinding fast attacks met a wall of golden bladework. Then suddenly the blades locked as each female warrior put her strength into the fight pressing against each other. Then with a flash the blades slipped. The jolt of the sudden release threw the lightsaber from Calra's hand. The Echani raised her blade and charged, hoping to bring a finishing blow.

Calra stepped out of the line of the blade slashed down with her claws catching the Echani's arm slashing into flesh. The woman dropped the blade in pain and spun away, a grimace flashing across her face. With a flurry the woman pulled a cylinder from her hip and snapped it out to its full length. Without pause she spun the quarterstaff in her hand and charged.

Link held his stance, his eyes watching Kar'en fall.
"Passion is like fire. It is a powerful tool and weapon. But left uncontrolled, it consumes all, including the one who uses it. Strength means nothing if you can not learn control. Peace offers that control. And so I say again: Passion, yet serenity, Emotion, yet peace."
He stood, wincing from the injuries he had taken, and held his hand out, calling his sword back to him.

Link drew some bacta pellets from his belt pouch and swallowed them, letting them work their effective magic upon his damaged body.
He looked upon the shattered Sith, a firm set in his jaw.
"This one is a leaf, blown by the winds of the Force. He defends the weak when no one else will, he takes up causes few care about, and he brings peace and justice when both are in want."
He walcked over to the woman, knelt down, and placed one of his bacta tablets in her mouth.
"This one is a Jedi of Old. And in this age of strife, that is what this galaxy needs."
He stood, tipped his hat to the woman and walked off, determined to find the next transport back to the dock where his ship lay waiting.

Switching gears again, Ferno vaulted himself into a forward kick. Hiko moved again, but Ferno's rebound came right back at the jedi just as fast and hard, weapons swinging jsut as voraciously.

~~~~

Maladi would lead the way to a fairly small passenger compartment, muttering and swearing to herself. Sitting down in a meditative state, she began to focus into the future what events could take place. What she found was most distressing, since many avenues wound up with Ferno staring at her, but she shrugged off the feeling. Glancing back at her new apprentice, she thought up a task for him to perform. She reported to the pilot to change course, heading for a midpoint between the capital and the new destination.

"We are changing course so that you can retrieve something for me. You will transfer shuttles when we exit hyperspace. From there, I want you to go to Ilium, home of the crystals used by jedi in the Old Republic. There, take command over the ship commanded by Admiral Veers, and bring it back to me. Slay any whom resist."

Something was wrong.
Normally, Hiko would have been able to fight off an attack like this, but his arms were slowing, his reflexes were dulling, and the clouds at the edge of his vision were begining to thicken.
He had been in these caves hundreds of times during his stay on the planet, and nothing like this had ever happened before.
It wasnt exaustion either. Long as this battle had been going, he still had energy left to give.
This was the Sith's doing. But it wasnt through any trick of the Force. It was something else, some kind of chemical agent released through the air, or some kind of poison coating the edge of his sword.
I'm not going to win this one. He thought. Not with Ferno's trick slowing me down. One of these hits is going to land, and that will be the end of me.
He was unworried. He had been prepared for this day for a long time.
He had a good run, he had lived longer than he had expected. There were many things left undone, but he was certain he was not the first nor the last to lament that fact.
Death, yet the Force...
One of Ferno's sabers slipped through his guard, slashing a burning gouge across his chest. A Claw ripped his shoulder open, and another saber slashed a line through his abdomen.
Oddly enough, he didnt feel any of it.
He fell, dropping from the rocky pinace that jutted up from the floor.
Only his clothes and weapons hit the stony cave floor.
Death, yet the Force...

A blast blew open the T-Visor on the running Mandalorian. The body hit the sand pavment of Concord Dawn. Ree let off a few more rounds as more came around the side. The Mando'ade next to Ree looked over the corner quickly then to Ree.
"This planet hasn't seen things like this since Vizsla and the Death Watch! We need to move the civs out!"
"Right! Move them to the Q-Carriers if we must!"
"Got it!"
The Mando'ade signaled over two more armored warriors.
"We cover the civs! We will not let Immortals forces do take this area! Ke nu'jurkad sha Mando'ade!"
"DARASUUM!"
The three warriors moved around the corner giving the enemy all they had.
Ree looked to Akey who was helping the wounded onto a transport.
Damn... how did I get myself into this mess...?

A Few Days Earlier

Ree moved onto the ramp, dragging a fighting body with him.
"Please! Anzle! Don't kill me! PLEASE! I SAID I DON'T KNOW WHERE GRAKA IS!"
Ree slammed the man onto the ramp hard, Akey came running.
"Listen you scum. Your going to tell me, or I feed you to the Hutt's Nexu! GOT ME?!"
The man began to cry out for help, but shut up quickly when he was slammed by the Mandalorian's armored fist.
"I... I... Don't know..."
"Re- Anzle, he doesn't know..."
Ree's T-Visor moved up and looked at Akey. Ree dragged the man off the ramp, and went to the cockpit. He opened a transmission.
"Jool, this is Anzle. Graka is gone. I think he left soon after he gave me the contract. Also, I believe he knows I am working for you. This could pose a problem. I will cover my tracks for now. I sent a message to them saying I am still tracking Iust, and that he set up a very well placed decoy. Anzle out."
Ree turned to Akey, who was preping the launch system.
"Well, my girl... seems this might be the first bounty that ever gets away."
She looked back to the controls.
"To bad. You really needed the add that money to the other 5 billion credits you already have."
She laughed a bit.
"Hey, its only 4 billion."
She looked at him surprised as he took his helmet off. He wasn't one to make jokes. Not in a long time.
As they reached the atmosphere, a destress beacon was picked up.
"Hmm... its a Q-Carrier. A old Mandie ship if I'm correct."
"...I'll get the med kit ready."
She started out of the cockpit.
"Wait! What says I'm docking...?!"
She popped her head in quickly.
"I says we're docking. So, we're docking."
She shot him a smile, then her head dissappeared. Ree dropped his head into his hands, and preped his ship for docking...