From the perspective of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

  It was the sed day of our infiltration into the Zygerrian pa hopes of resg the eogruta tribe members. Anakin mao ehe pace without much trouble taking Ahsoka with him while me and Rex were hiding iy built around the pace. We spent the day the guards guarding the sve pits and different private au houses that were made to sell higher quality sves.

  It was immensely disturbing to see these people, selling other se races left and right. Even on the arket, aside from the differeables a just a few stands away, they were selling people like it was the most normal thing in the world. It was a terrible experieo see this many hopeless and lost people in these inhuman ditions. It was hard to withe raw and terrible sequences of this gactic war. We have failed these people, and even now as I walk o them, I am uo help them. What could one man do against such corruption. In the very fabric of the force that surrouhis p, I felt myself standing against an eide of darkness. There were another few spec of light around me. But they were weak and scattered, haunted by their own troubles. They could make a ge if they found each other, but how would they mao do that, and even if it happens it would be a struggle till the very end. This p was soaked in the dark side. Not as potent as the famous Ex-Sith-trolled ps like Korriban, bless the force, but it was still unusually strong in it.

  The dark presence of this p haunted me as well, especially on the first day of our arrival. It was hard for me to fall asleep, and even then bad dreams tio disturb me.

  The m I slept lohan usually and woke up around seven AM. Rex was not in the room. He must have woken up earlier ao eat something and tihe search. es were like that, mission-oriented, aremely punctual. A good trait.

  I pushed myself off the bed, and proceeded to wash my fa the refreshingly cold water. This p was not a desert p, but its current temperature, especially at day time when the sun rose high up in the sky was very hot. Of course we arrived here in the middle of summer. This was not helping our search progress, at all.

  Suddenly a cold shiver ran over my skin, as an ominous feeling began to settle in my stomach. It was makiense. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, trying to extend my senses with the help of the force. After a few minutes of this, I found the source of this troubling feeling. It was ing from the dire of the pace...

  -Bst it! What did you do this time, Anakin!

  Not long after, I heard a series of hasteeps closing towards the room. I reached out with the force again to check if the presence of the person was familiar. Luckily, it was, as I sensed Rex's preseting closer. I waited for him to reach the door. He basically burst into the room. I immediately khat something crazy must have happeo make him act like this.

  -Report, trooper! ~ I ordered.

  -Yes, sir! ~ He saluted. - The pace is utack by Separatist droid forces. The Zygerrian guards, and other local military forces had been pushed back to the pace perimeters. I also heard an ominous rumor from the guards that the queen had been assassinated by Separatist forces, in her own castle. A pwide separatist blockade is currently under stru.

  I listeo the report and realized that my ominous premonitions seemed to have taken form. I looked out of the nearby window, as rge billows of bck smoke were indeed rising into the sky from the general dire of the pace. We did not have a direct view of it from this simple rented room. But it was clear from does smoke clouds, that the situation was bad.

  -... Sigh... Anakin, what did you do this time?

  -General, what are your orders?

  I thought about our ces, it will be risky, but we may be able to pull this off in the middle of this chaos.

  -I will try to taakin, but regardless of his situation, we will try to infiltrate the pace's mais, and rescue as many sves as possible. We 't leave these people in the middle of the crossfire. her the Separatists, nor the Zygerrians will care about them. There are only us.

  -I uand sir. I will pack up ear, and wait for you in the corridor, while you make the call.

  -Thank you Rex.

  Ten mier.

  I tried to call Anakin, for five miraight. Of course, he didn't answer my call, at this point. I am not even surprised. Currently me and Rex are running towards the sve pits, where the pace sves are kept. It was the most logical pce to attempt a prison break, as we had already infiltrated into it oherefore we are familiar with its internal yout, at least to a basic degree.

  As we got closer to the pace, the streets were gettiier. Everyone had already run away, or most likely hid in their houses waiting for the battle to end. We took a turn to the right, and finally we had a direct vision of the pace. Most of it was the same, at least from the outside; yet the pace walls had a giant brea them. That was evidently caused by a burned-out separatist tank crashing into it a few minutes ago. The still burning tank was left behind the partially destroyed wall half covered in debris. A bunch of broken droids were id out on the ground. Just as dead unlucky sves and civilians who mao get caught in the crossfire. There were also dead military personals, guards hideously burned by psma; some to an unreizable degree. The pace guards didn't have the pstoid armor as the e army had. They less effective armor many times simply caught on fire from direct psma shots. The siing, sweet smell of burned flesh had interwoven with the disgustingly heavy smell of burnt body hair that thinly covered most of the zygerrians bodies. They are a feline race, after all.

  There were still heavy shootouts around us. It was a small miracle that this part of the pace was calm at this moment. I stopped Rex as he wao walk further since I realized that a few of the dead bodies were still burning. This massacre was ret. This means it's not a miracle but a trap instead. I looked at Rex, then poi the partly burning corpses; he gave me an agreeing nod as he uood my meaning without words. I reached out with the force to search the nearby area for threats. After a few seds of this, I mao find five presewo hiding behind rubble, and three others hiding in some type of bushes a bit farther, oher side of the wall. From their presence I khat they were living beings. Therefore, they could be civilians, sves or members of the zygerrian army. I could not sense any other presenearby. I waved for Rex to cover me, while I walked into the trap head-on, deg ter it and see what would happen. There was no other way for us to get ihe pace garden. The sve pits were o the garden, and you could only access them from that dire. Last time we entered we acted like possible buyers and were let io ihe merdise.

  Soon after we walked through the destroyed se in the wall, we saw a rge quantity of destroyed droid parts c the ground. Then a single shot of a red ser beam hit the broken off head of a nearby b1 droid. We stopped in our tracks, ready for anything.

  A voice came from the dire I sewo of the five presehe other three were farther behind the bushes and stras of the pace garden. They were still unmoving.

  -Stop! One more step, and it will be your forehead that is charged by a bster shot, bastards. Show me your hands and take off your helmet; I want to see your fabsp;

  Well, that was an iing request. I looked at Rex, who was standing a few steps behind me, aiming with his two bster pistols towards the general dire of their voices. We couldn't see them yet, but I seheir presence ying behind some of the debris just in front of us. Although Rex didn't have his ented vision without his sers that were otherwise built into his helmet. Unfortunately, these zygerrias were not as advanced in military teology.

  -Why do you want to see our faces? ~I asked.

  -Why do we want... Really, why do we want that boss? ~Asked the same voice that gave us the previous warning.

  -Why else would we want that you fug moron! They be ando droids in disguise from all we know! Take off your helmet before I lose my patience! ~Shouted a sed voice from farther behind the barricades from the dire of the other three presences I sensed.

  -Yeah, you heard the boss take off your helmet!

  -Okay, okay. We will do it.

  I waved for Rex to cover me until I took off my helmet, and only after that take off his own. After we pleted their request, there was silehat stretched out for a while.

  -We did, as you asked, we are not droids; I think it is time to show your face as well.

  There was a sudden movement in the bushes behind the rubble as a shadowy silhouette of a thin man appeared, or more like crawled out of them.

  The man was wearing a red long coat currently covered in fallen leaves and branches. As he began to walk closer while tinuously cursing as he futilely tried to shake off the leaves. An ominous feeling appeared in my chest as the form of an obnoxious pirate captain walked out of the shadows in front of my eyes.

  The man spread out his arms as if he was expeg a hug from an old friend. His unusually sharp eyes and smug smile shred any still remaining doubts about the identity of this man.

  -Hondo Ohnaka. ~ I stated factually.

  -The one and only, at your service. ~He finished my sentence shamelessly, while me a small overly enthusiastic bow.

  As he straightened his back, he immediately tinued.

  -Of all the pces, I thought I would met you, I never imagined running into you here...

  -Who is he, boss? Is he someone famous?

  Asked the previous voice from behind the rubble.

  -YOU FOOL! Of course he is! This is no one else, but the legendarily infamous jedi diplomat, Obi-Wan Kenobi!

  I sighed... He hadn't ged at all...

  -OOHHH!!! ~ The other two person behind the rubble elicited a loud awe sound.

  -Also, he is one of my old acquaintances. ~ With that stated he turned bay dire and wi me. ~We are more like brothers in arms; holy, we have this spiritual e through the force. Yes that is it! As if we are the opposite sides of the same !

  -It is not spiritual. We are in fact the opposite sides of a , and that is called the gactic w. ~ I decided to correct his delusions; but the others seemed to pletely ighe part I added.

  -Boss, you are in cahoots with this Jedi! ~Said one of them.

  -You indeed have friends in high pces. ~tihe other. At this moment both of them stood up, and I could see two weequay behind the rocks equipped with a heavy ser maegun.

  Hondo turned bae, and said while walking closer to grab my shoulder and lead me behind the cover. Rex was tagging along a few steps behind us.

  -Ah, Kenobi, you shouldn't get caught in the smallest details. We are friends, there is no need for you to be this shy about it...

  -I am not...

  -As a Jedi Master, you must know how the saying goes, a friend in need!

  -... sigh... is a friend indeed... I have a feeling that I am going tret whatever the hing you say...

  -Haha! He is a joker. I always say!

  I sighed one more time. Then hid behind the cover of the rocks with the others, as the two st presences appeared from the bushes. My eyes widened as two small togruta kids around six to seven year old ran towards us and hid behind Hondo, while desperately hugging his legs.

  He suddenly raised his arms and began to fake a shout.

  -Ambush! Enemy attack, oh no! Don't kill me. ~ Theurowards me, and said in an annoying pleading way. ~ Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you are my only hope!

  I shook my head weakly, then said.

  -You are enjoying this, a bit too much...

  Oher hand, the obviously scared kids, suddenly began to giggle.

  -These togruta kids, are likely part of the tribe I came to rescue. ~ I said, when the momentary chaos seemed to normalize.

  -What? ~Said Hondo, obviously surprised by this oute. - Are they yours, now that I take a closer look. I think there is a slight resembnce... And you three are equally annoying. Now I see.

  -What? Are you mad, of course they are not mine. I am a Jedi Master! ~I shouted while feeling partially horrified by the very suggestion.

  -Nah, don't e up with that nonsense again. Jedi or not, you still need a good shag here and there.

  -What is a shag? Mister? ~Asked the little togruta girl who was now sittio the ruta kid, that was a boy. They seemed to be siblings from the way they tinuously supported each other by holding hands.

  Hondo looked at the kids, then said it without missing a beat.

  - It's a type of bird like animal, if yood I will get one for ya.

  - I want a shag too! Said the other boy immediately.

  - Okay-okay, you will get ooh.. little leeches are already stealing my money; I am kind of proud. ~Sniffs while he wipes away a ent teardrop from his right eye.

  I looked at the kids, who seemed to be happy and rexed.

  -You are surprisingly good with children. A quality that I didn't expect from a pirate of your calibre.

  -And you are not so surprisingly annoying for a famous Jedi Master. I would say we are quit.

  I nodded slowly. Then asked him a different question ging the dire of this awkward versation.

  -Where did you find these kids?

  Hondo, turned serious hearing that question, and the kids seemed to turn sour and sad.

  I looked him in the eye, questioning him with only my eyes, while nodding with my head towards the dire of the nearby sve pits.

  Hondo's eyes narrowed with a flicker of anger, as he very slightly shook his head. It was only now, that I saw that a very rge part of the bck smoke cloud above the pace inated from the sve pits. There was a fire burning at rge in that pce. I felt as if my stomach had tracted with the realization. We were te... But why did they kill the sves, there is no reason for that...

  -Emergency protocol, in case of a rebellion. The droids must have missed these two hiding in a dark er.

  -What do you pn to do with them?

  -What do I pn? Nothing! They are kids, I couldn't leave them behind like that... I have a heart too, you know? e on, I love kids!

  - But boss, didn't you say just a week ago that you hated kids?

  Awkward silenbsp;

  The two togruta kids looked up at Hondo, with surprised arayed gazes.

  Hondo looked down at the kids, then decred it aloud.

  -That was then and this is now! Today I love kids!

  -I see. ~ I stated, dripping with sarcasm.

  -Now I have to make a request to you, Obi-Wa me help get these two kids to safety and you take them back to your precious order, or whatever.

  -Are they force sensitives?

  -How would I know?

  -You are right... I guess we find them a new home at least.

  -No, we want to stay with Mister! He is kind and funny.

  -Look at that, they e over Kenobi. you believe this, and people say kids are good at determining others true personalities. Or wait... could it be? Are you a Sith Kenobi?

  -You saved their lives, for them; you are the hero, not me... ~I sighed.~ In this case, they are right too; but no... I am not a Sith.

  Hondo, looked at me with a certaiion in his eyes.

  -That is exactly what a Sith would say!

  I rolled my eyes.

  -Bah, it was just a joke. What happeo you, Kenobi. I didn't know that you were the lethargic brooding type, and what about your e friend, he hadn't even spoken oence since you arrived. I guess, even Jedi will eventually burn out in the pany of such b people.

  -Shut up, pirate scum. ~Said Rex with obvious hostility.

  -The dog that barks usually doesn't bite.

  -Try me.

  I interrupted them.

  -Rex Rex, and you too; Hondo. We o figure out a pn to escape with the kids and also rescue anyone else we .

  -General, there is a bunch of b1 approag from the pace. They are clearly ing towards us.

  -Oh for the love of the force. We should get away through the cra the wall!

  -I am afraid that is not possible. ~Stated Hondo.

  I looked at the wall, and saw as a group of armed militaered through it, hastily getting into shooting positions behind the various types of wreckage. They hadn't noticed us yet, as the marg droids distracted them, yet it was only a matter of time.

  -The only time I need you, Anakin, you are not here. ~I said in a whisper, as the battle tension engulfed the surrounding.

  One of the zygerrian militants began to shout a short motivational speebsp;

  -Show them, that we are not some backwater cowards that let anyone freely trample over our p! HisSS!

  The other felines also joined in an animalistic hiss, as one of them unched a rocket into the midst of the droids. Immediately destroying five of them, while injuring another dozen. There were still twenty five droids remaining, funal, while o zygerrian soldiers came through the wall. The droids now have activated ter ambush protocols, as they were slowly pushing forward, effectively using every cover they could find.

  Two other droids were destroyed, this way, as the first casualty happened on the zygerrian's side. One man got hit in the face with a well-aimed psma beam. It happened wheried to fire over the meagre barricade he had. He died immediately, at least.

  The droids were quickly analyzing the zygerrians simple strategy. As they suppressed them with tinuous fire while getting closer. Anerriahis time no droids were destroyed.

  If this goes on, we will be killed by the droids. I looked at Hondo. It seemed that he also got to this clusion as a wide smirk appeared across his face. Our current position was more thao fnk the droids. They didn't expe attack from this side at all. I pushed the kids to the ground and took a defensive formation, to defley ining bster shot, the two weequey began to fire with the heavy bster gun. Hondo, and Rex were also shooting at the droids with increasing fervor. Eight b1 was destroyed iter of seds, while the others were fused. This was our only ce, the few seds of time, while the droids were re-evaluating the situation and ging to the most ideal battle protocol. They were currently trying to s every new detail around them. It only took a few seds, but it was enough. It had to be enough.

  The still-alive six zygerrian soldiers were just as surprised as the droids. But they quickly adopted to the new situation as they realized this was likely the only opportunity to turn the flow of the battle into our favor. This was the time for living anisms to shine over puters. Living beings are still quicker to adapt to new situations. It is what we do from the very moment we are born, after all. We react to external impulses. While puters, and therefore droids, will always try to make the best possible decision. They will recalcute until they find the ideal result. People oher hand, simply react by instinct. It usually means, that we don't choose the best possible solution. But we chose it almost immediately.

  Three of the still alive zygerrians hissed at the droids, as they charged at them while jumpi and right, dang around the ser bolts the fused droids shot towards them while the other three focused on shooting down those exact droids that were firing at their friends. In the meantime, five more droids fell to the ground from our trated shooting. One of the charging cats, a female one, got hit in the leg, ao the ground, where it was bsted apart in mere seds. Seeing this, the other two charging soldiers basically hurled themselves at the droids. A high-pitched vibrating sound emerged as the zygarrians, one female and a male one, pulled out a pair of vibrobdes and began to shred apart the droids, while dang between them in an incredibly dexterous mahe st ten B1 droids were either bsted down or cut apart by furious vibrobde swings.

  Everyone around was silent after the st droid hit the ground cut in two at its mid se. The two zygerrian warriors who mao get into enemy lines were breathing heavily. One of them, the male suddenly throw up blood. As he fell to the ground, violently shook a few times, then stopped moving forever, he was hit iomach with a ser shot. He likely didn't even notice it until the very st moment. I looked to the other three who were supp their friends with bster guns. One of them got hit in the chest and died. The other two seemed to be alright, mostly. They gave us a simple nod, then they began to che their fallen friends. Unfortunately, it soon became clear that none of the fallen troopers survived.

  In the end, our ambush was successful. I didn't even have to ignite my lightsaber, as none of the fused droid shots that came our way were close enough to actually hit us. This seemed to be a fortuhing, because if the three still living zygerrian soldiers realized that I am a jedi, we would likely end up trying to kill each other.

  That very moment I heard a familiar noise and looked to the sky, searg for something... I found it.

  -Boys, it is time for us to leave.

  Everyone, eveher zygerrians heard my ominous void simultaneously looked to the sky. There was a military voy of smaller HMP Droid Gunships heading towards our position. It was also followed by a huge C-9979 nding craft in the distahis is getting out of hand.

  We watched helplessly as the gunships got closer. Soon they opened fire, but they were not aiming at us. They were shooting at the pace. The symbol of the New Zygerrian Empire. These tactics were familiar, ruthless, but effective in their nature. Inteo humiliate aroy the national pride of systems, and nations. Often used by t Dooku, a decisive attack to lower the enemy's morale.

  The roof of the pace's throne room, was already partially colpsed from the tinuous attacks. It would only take a few more shots and it would give iirely.

  Instead of that happening, a few dozen rockets hit three of the droid gunships. Two of them blew up in a ball of fmes, while the third oarted to spin aually crashed down somewhere outside of the pace garden.

  The zygerrian guards o us began to cheer loudly, as they saw the droid ships being bsted to pieces. Three much smaller but also much faster ships appeared. They were clearly f a squad as they flew in formation. But the happiness was short-lived, as one of the zygerrian fighter pilots was shot down by a precisely shot ser beam from another droid gunship. There were more of them, and this time a pack of vulture droids came too. They immediately began to chase the two remaining pilots; they broke formation and engaged in a hopeless battle. They mao destroy three vulture starfighters, before they were destroyed.

  The three ining gunships desded towards the pace courtyard, and that caused us to end our daydreaming session. I picked up the kids, ahe way we ehe garden. The other three zygerrians also followed us, a woman with a vibrobde and a handgun, and two men with antipersonnel bster rifles. While we were running, the sounds of heavy sers currently shredding apart the pace apanied us.

  No oopped to look back. We simply ran in silehe kids in my arms were looking at the sky, with wide open eyes, so I also looked up for a short moment. There were hundreds of different ships currently engaging the swarms of vulture droids. Heavy stationary anti-starfighter turrets from the ground began to support the zygerrian fighter pilots somehow stopping the invading force. Every sed there were a bunall lights flickering in and out of existence. Ead every one sighe destru of a fighter ship. Somewhere from the left of us big ns of ser beams were shot towards the sky. There was a military base nearby, it was clear to me. Therefore, at the possible turn I headed in the exact opposite dire.

  The three zygerrian soldiers stopped iracts, and shouted after us.

  -Where are you going!? The base is that way! We o get reinfort! ~Shouted one of the male troopers. The other two also seemed to agree on this, from their questioning expression.

  I slowed down, and turned around and shouted back at them, as a dark expression appeared on my face. I have experienced many battles against the separatist fleets. And if this one is indeed led by Dooku...

  -No... there will be nothi for us by the time we reach it.

  -What do you mean by that!? ~Shouted the female warrior bae.

  -I pray that I am wrong... but...

  I saw as the sky's color above us suddenly turned e, then red as five secutive super heavy turbo ser beams flew across the sky, vertically, crashing into the pce where the military base was supposed to be located. The very first shot melted through the shields that were defending the base. It was clearly not created to defleetary bombardment. The pce robably an hour's walking distance from our current position.

  The earth tremored with each hit under our feet, as the whole city shook. Then the deep r sounds also reached us creating a hat I have experienced far too many times iwo years... They were still haunting me in my dreams, and they will tio do so... for many years to e...

  The zygarrian girl, fell to her knees, witnessing the sheer destru of separatist ons for the first time. She was clearly shocked at this moment... I reized that expression. I see it far too many times these days, and I have experie myself. Oime...

  -You have my sympathy, for your loss. There will be time to mourn ter. Your family and your friends wouldn't want you to die either. ~Then I took up the pace, as the pirates followed me.

  The woman stood up, and with the help of her still alive crewmates, they began to follow us.

  In the air above us, the invasion forces began to overwhelm and in the end cut through the weakened resistahe ground defensive bases around the p were destroyed one by ohey still mao thin enemy numbers, damaging a bunch of battleships aroying thousands of starfighters.

  On the horizon, the sky color was flickeriween red and blue, as the bombardment happened around the whole p. Luckily, it was focused on military bases, for now.

  -Where do we pn to go? Kenobi? ~Asked Hondo out of the blue.

  -I have a ship in the docks. If it is not destroyed we use it to find Anakin...

  -Ah, so he is here too, now I see! So those kids are his!

  -... I don't know about that... but if they are... I will kick his ass, straight out of the order.

  -HAH! I watch it? He is annoying as hell.

  Outside of the city, underground in a cave. From the perspective of Nizzal.

  -Aachuuuu!..

  -Did you get cold, Master?

  -I hope not... Snips, but I already hate this pce... There are two things that I hate, and both of them are present here.

  -Let me guess, master? One of them is sand?

  -...? How did you know?

  -Well, oime when we visited Naboo as representatives of the jedi order, you fell asleep, in your seat o me, and began to speak in your dreams, stantly mumbling about sand and how you hated it... It retty hirious, so I remembered it.

  -Ahsoka... did I often speak in my dreams, like that?

  -No? Otherwise, you would be kicked out of the order already... I guess that is only a matter of time now...

  -Ahsoka! What do you mean by that?

  -Heh. Make me to tell you, then! ~She ran away.

  -What? Don't you start and act smug with me, e back here! Right now! ~He began to shout after her.

  -Sigh... what is this pce? You told me, that you know of a good hiding pce? This is nothing but a cave and it's creepy as hell, at least the kids are getting along. ~ I stated just as loudly for them to hear.

  Both of them turowards me and shouted.

  -Shut it!

  -Shut up!

  -Sigh...

  -Both of you could bey grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand... children.

  -You are ridiculous, and b. ~Stated Laora, who was standing just behihen she walked away. That was the moment when I realized that everyone had left me here... Fuck... This is awkward.

  -...