────── ✩✩✩ ──────

────── ✩✩✩ ──────

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟑𝟐
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐘𝐋𝐎𝐓𝐇 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍

────── ✩✩✩ ──────

It took Aurora almost a full month to fully recover from the Blue Shadow Virus. She was grateful that Obi-Wan offered to train Laken in her absence. She didn't want her Padawan to miss out on anything important during her recovery. The pain from the virus subsided very quickly, leaving the Jinn woman with nothing but a dull ache. The main part of her recovery consisted of regaining her energy, which took much longer than anyone had anticipated. Lucky for her, Aurora had a surplus of visitors to keep her company. Anakin and Padmé, who recovered a lot quicker than Aurora, stopped by every now and then. But her primary visitors consisted of Laken, Grizz, and Obi-Wan. It surprised the Jinn woman that the Kenobi man was the one who visited her the most, but she never questioned it. She would never admit it out loud, but she enjoyed his company far more than that of anyone else.

Now Aurora found herself standing between Obi-Wan and Laken as they journeyed to Ryloth. The planet was currently under Separatist control, something that the Twi'lek weren't happy about. The Jedi Council had sent Anakin and Ahsoka ahead of them, wanting them to clear the blockade before their allies' arrival. Laken tried her best to remain professional, but Aurora could see straight through her facade. She knew her Padawan was excited about going to Ryloth, it was the farthest she'd ever been after all. But Aurora also knew that the Diem girl was trying to hide her excitement, mainly because Mace was standing on the other side of her. Despite slowly warming up to her Master, Laken didn't want to give the Windu man another reason to dislike the Jinn woman.

It wasn't long before they came out of hyperspace right outside of Ryloth. Obi-Wan's eyes scanned over the scene in front of them, unsure what to make of what he was seeing. His attention never left the window as he pressed a button in front of him to another young Padawan. "Ahsoka, this is Obi-Wan. May we begin our landing?"

"Yes, Master. You're cleared for ground assault," Ahsoka responded, her voice full of confidence.

"I won't even ask where the rest of Anakin's fleet is," Obi-Wan muttered under his breath.

A smirk instantly appeared on Aurora's face at the sight of a small ship floating through space. "Or why Anakin's currently in an escape pod."

"That's probably for the best," the Tano girl told them in a much less confident tone.

The Jinn woman exchanged a somewhat concerned look with Obi-Wan as soon as Ahsoka ended the call. But neither of them said a word as they turned and followed Mace out of the main deck. Laken walked on the other side of Aurora. The Jedi Knight was trying not to laugh at the serious look on her Padawan's face, something that was forced. It wasn't long before they finally reached their destination. The Diem girl couldn't help but gasp at the sight of all the clones boarding the ships to Ryloth. She had never seen so many of them in one place. That was all it took for her to realize how dire the situation was, causing her serious expression to become less forced.

"First trick will be getting our troops on the ground," Obi-Wan announced as he, Aurora, Laken, and Grizz boarded a ship with a small group of clones from the 212th.

"If you take the city of Nabat first, we'll have our landing zone," Mace told them before his attention landed on the Diem girl, "are you sure your Padawan is ready for this?"

"Laken has come a long way since Teth. She's more than ready," Aurora responded with a hint of annoyance in her voice. Lucky for her, she was able to mask it with enough pride for her Padawan that only Obi-Wan seemed to notice. "Time for us to meet the natives."

Before the Windu man had a chance to respond, the ship's doors closed between them. Not even a second after that passed when they began to take off toward Ryloth. No one said a word as their ship broke through the atmosphere and soared through the sky in search of a safe place to land. The clones surrounding them prepared themselves by putting on their helmets and grabbing their blasters. The only two clones who remained without their helmets were Cody and Grizz, who were looking over a map of Ryloth.

"We need to remember why we're here," Obi-Wan said, drawing everyone's attention toward him before he continued speaking, "we came to aid the Twi'leks, not destroy their home. Cody? Grizz?"

The clones in question looked up at the Kenobi man and sent him nods in response. After Obi-Wan went to stand beside Aurora, Cody and Grizz stepped up to address their brothers.

"That means we'll be taking it back the hard way," the commander declared before holding up a small object, "minimal destruction with blasters and droid poppers only. No rockets or detonators."

"Always check your aim and keep an eye out for the locals," Grizz added, only to receive silence in response from the clones in front of them, "are we understood?"

"Sir, yes, sir!"

The next thing anyone knew, the ship started shaking uncontrollably. The clones immediately reached for the handles above them while the Jedi used the Force to keep themselves balanced. It wasn't long after that when they barely made out an explosion in the distance, causing Aurora to exchange a look with Obi-Wan. They both knew that they would be running into trouble on their mission to Ryloth. That was why they were being sent there in the first place. But what they didn't expect was to be shot out of the sky.

It wasn't long before a soft beeping cut through the air, signaling that they were receiving a transmission. Aurora didn't hesitate to press the button beside her, allowing a connection to be made. Everyone on the ship waited in silence for a long moment before the holographic image of Mace Windu appeared in front of them.

"We're taking on a lot of enemy fire," the Jedi Master told them, not bothering to hide his urgency, "we can't risk landing the larger transports until you take out those cannons."

"Pull back. We'll take care of it," Obi-Wan responded with determination in his voice. Not even a second after that passed when Mace's image disappeared, causing the Kenobi man to turn toward everyone surrounding him. "Who's up for a challenge? We're not getting any reinforcements until those cannons are out of commission."

Aurora watched as the clones had inaudible conversations among themselves. It wasn't long after that when she looked over at Obi-Wan. "Is this a challenge? Or an impossible mission?"

A large grin soon appeared on the Kenobi man's face. "I guess we're about to find out."

The Jinn woman couldn't help but let out a long sigh as she turned her attention toward Laken. "Stay by Obi-Wan, Grizz, Cody, or me the entire time. And please don't do anything that Anakin would do."

"What does that even mean?" the Diem girl questioned, not bothering to hide the confusion in her voice.

"It means, don't be reckless and get yourself killed," Grizz clarified, earning small chuckles from Obi-Wan and Cody.

The Jinn woman soon felt their ship pick up speed before descending. Usually, the pilot would slow down to make their landing, but Aurora knew they needed to land sooner rather than later. It wasn't long before the ship stopped moving, signaling that they had reached Ryloth's surface. Not even a second after that when the doors on either side of them slid open. None of them hesitated to jump off the ship and sprint into the forest, giving themselves cover as they made their way toward the nearest city.

They just barely made it to the outskirts of the town when droids began firing at them. The Jedi trio didn't hesitate to ignite their lightsabers to deflect their enemy's attack, allowing the clones to take over behind the nearest trees. They did their best to return fire, but the droids had the higher ground and a much better point of attack. The Jedi and their allies were defenseless. They wouldn't last much longer if they stayed behind the trees.

"That bunker's gonna be a problem, Generals," Cody announced after dragging an injured clone behind one of the trees.

Aurora turned to look at the bunkers, hoping to find a way to get themselves out of danger. But what she didn't expect to find was Laken doing the same thing. The Diem girl's eyes scanned the landscape in front of them, taking in every detail. Instead of devising her own plan, the Jinn girl waited, keeping her eyes fixed on her Padawan. It wasn't long before Laken turned her attention toward her Master, a large grin plastered on her lips.

"I have an idea," the Diem girl declared, drawing Obi-Wan's attention toward her, "and I promise it isn't reckless. Well, maybe a little reckless. But it won't get us killed if we're careful."

The Kenobi man quickly glanced over at Aurora, who sent him a reassuring nod. That was all it took for him to turn his gaze back to the clones. "Leave the bunker to us. Bring in your troopers on Laken's signal."

"You two wanted action, right? You're with us," Laken told two clones beside her. The same two clones who were complaining about their mission back on the ship.

Neither of them hesitated to follow the Jedi as they sprinted toward the bunker. Laken led them through the clearing with ease, using the large boulders as cover as they went. What felt like an eternity passed before they reached the last area of the clearing that had enough cover for all five of them. The Diem girl quickly peeked over the boulder to see how far away from the bunker they were, only to find they were farther than they realized. A wave of dismay washed over her as she ducked back down behind the boulder.

Aurora took a moment to study her Padawan, watching as her confidence slowly faded away. She waited a moment to see if it would return, only to find disappointment in the Diem girl's eyes. "What is it, Laken?"

"I don't know if my plan's going to work," the brunette girl admitted while looking over at her Master, "we're too far away."

"Then change the plan. You can do this, Laken. I know you can," the Jinn woman told her, completely unaware of Obi-Wan watching her with pride in his eyes.

Laken hesitated for a moment as a million thoughts bounced around in her head. Despite the urgency of the situation, no one said a word while they waited for the young Padawan. It wasn't long after that when her eyes widened before turning toward Waxer. "Throw one of your droid poppers."

"We're too far away, Commander. We've gotta get closer to the wall," the clone replied after grabbing one of his droid poppers from his belt.

"Trust me," was all the Diem girl said in response.

Waxer simply stared at her for a moment before offering a slight nod. It wasn't long until he hurled his droid popper at the farther bunker. Everyone held their breath, watching it soar through the air, convinced it would drop just shy of its mark. But what they didn't expect was for it to be lifted back up and land on its target. Aurora glanced over at Laken, only to find her Padawan's hand held out toward where the droid popper had landed. An excited smile instantly appeared on the Diem girl's face as she looked over at her Master, who was staring back at her with pride in her eyes. Obi-Wan and Boil didn't hesitate to copy their allies' actions, using another droid popper to take out the remaining bunker.

With all of the droids taken out, their remaining allies were able to take out the remaining droids on the ground. The three Jedi, along with Waxer and Boil, climbed to the top of the bunkers, knowing it would be a safe place to wait for their allies. While the two clones went with Laken to make sure all the droids were deactivated, Aurora stayed beside Obi-Wan, both of them taking the time to survey their surroundings.

"Something tells me this is going to be a lot harder than we originally thought," Obi-Wan admitted without taking his eyes off the eerie smoke in the distance.

"It may be harder, but it won't be impossible," Aurora responded. Her words caused the Kenobi man to look over at her, making a small smile appear on her face. "Like you said back on the ship, we're here to free the Twi'leks. We can't fail them."

Just as the redheaded man was about to respond, Cody approached them. Obi-Wan glanced over at Aurora one last time before turning his full attention toward the commander. "The wall is secure, Generals. Are we moving on to the cannons?"

"Not yet. We need to know what the droids have in store for us," the Kenobi man responded before looking back at the smoke in the distance, knowing that was exactly where the droids' leader was stationed, "send your best men to scout ahead."

"Will do, sir. Grizz, Boil, Waxer, come with me," Cody called out to the three clones, who didn't hesitate to follow their commander into what appeared to be a deserted town.

But looks could be deceiving.

────── ✩✩✩ ──────

A few hours passed before Cody and Grizz returned with crucial information. They quickly set up a holotable to display a map of Ryloth while Laken worked on making contact with Mace. It wasn't long before both connections were established, allowing the clones to describe what they had seen during their scouting mission.

"Found the cannons. They're in the courtyard here and here," the commander explained while pointing to two places on the map in front of them, "but there's a complication. They've taken the locals hostage and they're using them as shields."

"The Twi'lek prisoners will make this difficult but not impossible," Obi-Wan responded before looking over at the Windu man, "I still have a good plan for taking out those cannons."

"Getting the villagers out of harm's way is our first priority," Mace told them, receiving nods from everyone surrounding him.

"From what we've seen, there are a lot of droids in the center of the city," Aurora responded, wanting to save the prisoners as soon as possible, "we'll have to go in with everything we have to get to the hostages."

"I have faith in you, General Kenobi," Mace declared before looking over at Aurora, "as well as in you, General Jinn. Don't prove me wrong."

The Jedi Knight did her best to mask her smile. "Thank you, Master Windu. We won't let you down."

After receiving a nod in response from the Jedi Master, the transmission ended, leaving them to figure out the next phase of their plan. Obi-Wan instantly turned his attention toward Cody, ready to give him his orders. But what he didn't expect to find was a concerned look on his clone commander's face. "What is it, Cody?"

"Waxer and Boil are not responding. They never returned from scouting," Cody explained, not bothering to hide the worry laced within every word.

"That isn't like them," Aurora announced. She knew both of those clones had more opinions than anyone should have, but they were good at following orders. Maybe even two of the best. "It's possible they ran into some trouble. Maybe a droid battalion?"

"It's possible," the commander muttered under his breath before looking over at the clone beside him, "Grizz, use the high-powered transmitter to see if you can reach them."

"On it," the lieutenant announced then began walking toward the transmitter. He was only halfway there when he called out to another nearby clone. "Chord, you're with me."

"Let's get the rest of the men moving," Obi-Wan said before catching the concern in Cody's eyes grow, "the others will catch up."

Aurora was about to speak when Laken tensed beside her. The Jedi Knight instantly looked over at her Padawan, only to see her staring at something in the distance. She followed the Diem girl's gaze to find a probe droid observing them from a nearby rooftop. Determination flowed through the Jinn woman's veins as she studied the droid. Even after all the years that had passed, her guard instincts took over. She didn't hesitate to use the Force to get Cody's blaster from his belt and fire at it, hitting it directly in the center of its camera. No one said a word as they watched the probe droid fall to the ground, causing it to shatter.

A satisfied smile soon appeared on Aurora's face as she handed the commander his blaster. It was only then that she saw the shocked looks on their faces. "What? Just because I'm a Jedi doesn't mean I forgot how to use a blaster."

Obi-Wan just blinked at her for a moment before letting out a long sigh. "They may know that we're here, but the plan doesn't change. We need to get those hostages out of there."

────── ✩✩✩ ──────

After waiting another thirty minutes for Boil and Waxer to respond, the Jedi and the clones decided it was time to move on to the next part of their mission. They quickly gathered everything they needed before heading toward the center of town. No one said a word as they walked through the abandoned streets. They were all on high alert, waiting for the enemy to attack them at any moment. The clones had their blasters held high while Aurora and Laken kept their hands on their lightsabers. The only one who seemed calm at that moment was Obi-Wan, but his exterior didn't match his emotions. Aurora could practically feel the uneasiness radiating off him.

They had just reached a fork in the road when the silence was broken by a low growling sound. Not even a second after that passed when three clones came running toward them. What followed them shocked Aurora to her core. What could only be described as large insects chased after the clones, who were heading straight toward their allies. The clones immediately fired at the gutkurrs, only for their blasts to bounce right off their hard outer shells. That caused the clones to fall back, thinking they were safer in numbers.

A voice calling out for help drew Aurora's attention. A thousand emotions bounced around in her head the second she saw Grizz on the ground with Laken standing protectively in front of him. She firmly held her lightsaber in front of her as two gutkurrs crept closer and closer to them. But then all of her emotions were replaced with a memory from Geonosis. Something she knew would help them out of their current predicament.

The Jinn woman didn't hesitate to let her lightsaber fall to the ground, where it immediately extinguished. Her hands shot out in front of her as she focused on connecting with the gutkurrs. What felt like an eternity passed when they turned away from her Padawan and her friend, their attention landing on Aurora. Not even a second after that passed when she felt a presence by her side. She didn't have to look to know it was Obi-Wan. With their links to the Force combined, they were able to connect with all the gutkurrs. Neither of them said a word as they walked backward in sync down another street, one with a lot less space. The gutkurrs followed them without an ounce of hesitation, calming hissing as they kept their eyes glued to the Jedi.

It wasn't until they were halfway down the street that they finally made eye contact. That was all they needed to do to know they both agreed with the next step of the plan.

"Shoot the bridge!" Aurora and Obi-Wan called out to the clones in sync.

Not even a second after that passed when the sound of blaster fire cut through the air. The Jedi did their best to keep their hold on the gutkurrs until the bridge was down, trapping the beasts. The clones' actions instantly broke the Jedi's connection with the gutkurrs, but they no longer needed to be connected. Obi-Wan didn't hesitate to use the Force to throw Aurora into the air, something she was prepared for. She soon landed on top of the gutkurrs' backs and sprinted toward the fallen bridge. The Jinn woman channeled the Force to propel her to the top before turning back toward Obi-Wan. After letting out a breath to calm her nerves, Aurora used the Force to lift the Kenobi man into the air and out of harm's way. Her eyes stayed glued to him as he floated toward her before she placed him gently on the bridge beside her.

"Smart plan," Obi-Wan told her as they jumped down from the bridge and landed beside the clones.

"Thanks. Glad you were able to catch on quickly," Aurora responded while she and the Kenobi man received their lightsabers from Grizz and Cody. It wasn't long after that when the Jinn woman turned her attention toward Laken, who was standing beside the lieutenant. "You're doing great. Keep this up and you won't need me for much longer."

The Diem girl couldn't help but laugh as a large grin appeared on her lips. "You can't get rid of me that easily, Master."

Before their conversation could continue, a clanging sound cut through the air. The Jedi immediately ignited their lightsabers while the clones aimed their blasters at a sewer cover. Adrenaline rushed through all their veins as they prepared for another battle, but that was until Obi-Wan sensed something familiar. "Wait. Don't shoot."

Not even a second after that passed when the sewer cover fell to the ground, revealing Waxer and Boil. The pair of clones rushed to get out of the sewer and get into formation as Cody approached them. "Waxer, Boil, where have you two slackers been?"

"Sir, there is an explanation," Boil told them while keeping his eyes glued to the clone commander.

"We got sidetracked," Waxer added with a long sigh.

A small smile instantly appeared on Aurora's face when a young Twi'lek girl peeked out from behind Boil. She stared at the Jedi and clones with a hint of fear in her eyes. The Jinn woman didn't blame her for being cautious. She had been through a lot in a very short amount of time. But what none of them were expecting was for a young human girl to climb out of the sewer to stand beside Waxer. What shocked them even more was the lightsaber hanging from her belt.

"I think I see what sidetracked you," Obi-Wan said as he studied the Twi'lek girl before his attention fell on the young girl, "and who might you be?"

The blue-haired girl hesitated for a moment, as if trying to decide whether to trust them or not. Like the Twi'lek girl, it was obvious she had been through more than she should've. Her hair was disheveled, and cuts littered her face. Even her eyes held a sadness that appeared as though it would last a lifetime. But a hint of hope soon mixed with her despair after Laken stepped out from behind Grizz and Cody. "Akari?"

Just the sight of a familiar face was enough to relieve the tension in Akari's body. A small yet somewhat forced smile appeared on the Loxley girl's lips. "It's really good to see you, Laken."

"Uh, Laken. Who's your friend?" Aurora asked her Padawan without taking her eyes off the blue-haired girl.

"Akari Loxley. Ahsoka and I trained with her as Younglings," the Diem girl explained before turning her attention back to Akari, "Akari, this is my Master, Aurora Jinn, and Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. I thought you were training under Master Di now. What are you doing out here alone?"

The smile instantly fell from Akari's face as the sorrow returned to her eyes. "I was. Master Di and our entire clone battalion were killed when the Separatists took control of Ryloth. I was the only one who survived. I rescued this Twi'lek a few months ago from a droid battalion. We've been helping each other ever since."

"I'm sorry to hear about Master Di and your battalion. We'll get you off Ryloth as soon as we can," Obi-Wan promised the Loxley girl. After receiving a small nod in response, the Kenobi man turned his attention toward the Twi'lek girl. A welcoming smile soon appeared on his lips as he kneeled in front of her. "Hello, little one."

"They brought us here through the tunnels," Waxer explained after looking back at Cody, "know their way around them pretty good, sir."

"Loonala kwee jannweelo?" the Kenobi man asked while pointing down the street that would take them to the center of the city.

A large grin soon appeared on the Twi'lek girl's face as she stepped out from behind Boil. "Ooh yana-yana. Wah nerra. Kumee nerra."

"The girl can lead us through the tunnel to the prisoners," Obi-Wan announced before turning his attention toward the commander and the lieutenant, "Cody, Grizz, we're going to need a diversion."

While the Kenobi man went with the clones to come up with a plan, Aurora approached Akari with Laken. The blue-haired girl fiddled with her fingers as she watched them, unsure what to think about the pair. But her nerves instantly calmed when the Jinn woman sent her a smile. "Are you sure you're up for this, Akari?"

"Whatever it takes to get me off this planet," the Loxley girl responded, not bothering to hide the disdain in her voice.

Aurora's smile faltered after hearing the young girl's words, but that didn't stop her from speaking. "We aren't going to leave you here if you don't help us. That's not how we work. If you're not up for the mission, tell us now. We'll leave a pair of clones here with you and come back for you once we're finished."

Laken wasn't surprised when she saw the skepticism in her friend's eyes. Especially since she hadn't been acting like the girl she knew. "You can trust her, Akari."

The Loxley girl hesitated for a moment before a wave of determination washed over her. "Master Di and I came here with our battalion to help the Twi'leks. I won't let his death be in vain."

"I like you," Aurora declared before gesturing for the girls to follow her, "now let's go before Obi-Wan leaves us behind."

No one said a word as the Jedi, along with Waxer and Boil, followed Akari through the sewer tunnels. Obi-Wan carried the Twi'lek girl in his arms, wanting her to feel safe as they headed toward their enemy. The rest of their battalion was making their way toward the city through the streets, searching for the perfect opportunity to cause a diversion. It wasn't long before they arrived at at a dead end with the only exit being right above them. Akari didn't hesitate to point toward the metal cover above them before sending them a small nod. That was all it took for Laken to use the Force to lift the cover and place it gently to the side. They then climbed out of the sewer and prepared themselves for what was to come.

Aurora and Obi-Wan soon took the lead after passing the Twi'lek girl to Waxer. They were paying close attention to their steps, not wanting to draw unnecessary attention to themselves. They didn't have to walk very far before running into a small group of droids. Lucky for them, the droids didn't notice them. Instead, two of the battle droids were watching the third scrubbing the floor of a large cage. It didn't take a genius to figure out that was where the gutkurrs came from.

"Yep, this is about the worst job in the droid army," they heard the droid in the cage say right as the Jedi used their lightsabers to take out the two droids standing in the hall. The remaining droid instantly turned his attention toward them before letting out a long sigh. "And it just went into overtime."

The Jinn woman wore a large grin on her face as she waved at the droid. Not even a second after that passed when Obi-Wan held his hand out, using the Force to press the button to close the cage.

"Bin-bin-kooneena," the Twi'lek girl said while pointing to the staircase in front of them.

"We'll take care of this. You two stay here and wait for my signal," the Kenobi man told the clones, who nodded in response to their orders.

Obi-Wan then led Aurora, Laken, and Akari up the staircase before they crouched down at the top, wanting to stay out of sight. Determination coursed through the Jinn woman's veins at the sight of a Twi'lek group being tormented by droids. She wanted to jump out and take down every single one of the droids for their actions, but she knew that would just be a death sentence. So instead, Aurora waited in silence for the perfect moment to strike.

As if sensing her impatience, the Kenobi man signaled for them to move. They stayed as low to the ground as possible as they snuck passed a battalion of droids. The Jedi didn't stop until they made it to their next hiding spot, which was only a yard away from the Twi'leks. Not even a second after that passed when their clone allies spotted them from across the clearing. Obi-Wan didn't hesitate to give them the signal, causing Cody and Grizz to begin their diversion. With the droids distracted by the clones' attack, the Jedi were able to continue with their plan. The Jedi easily took out the remaining droids before heading toward the Twi'leks. They quickly got to work freeing the Ryloth natives by using their lightsabers to cut through their restraints. With the four Jedi working together, it didn't take them long to free all of the Twi'lek prisoners.

"Wa-janeel! Wa-janeel!" Aurora called out while waving for the Twi'leks to follow them.

The Ryloth natives didn't hesitate to follow the Jedi toward the tunnel, hopeful that they would lead them to safety. As soon as all the Twi'leks were in the tunnel, Obi-Wan turned his attention toward the clones and Padawan beside him. "Waxer, Boil, Akari, come with me."

"We're with you, sir," Boil declared before he and Waxer chased after the Kenobi man. Akari only hesitated for a moment before following, leaving Aurora and Laken to protect the Twi'leks by guarding the tunnel.

The Loxley girl stayed right beside Obi-Wan as they ran toward one of the cannons, taking out numerous droids along the way. While the Jedi Master jumped into the control seat of the cannon, Akari stayed with the clones to load it. She used the Force to lift the heavy ammo into the air, allowing Waxer and Boil to place it in the cannon.

After repeating their actions until the cannon was filled, the Loxley girl looked up at Obi-Wan. "Ready, Master Kenobi."

That was all it took for the redheaded man to locate his targets, which were two other cannons across the clearing. Once he confirmed he was locked onto the cannons, he pressed one of the buttons on the panel in front of him. That caused his cannon to fire, hitting his targets directly. Not even a second later, he moved his cannon toward another pair, taking them out with ease. He continued his actions until all of the droids' cannons were out of commission.

But what they weren't expecting was for the tactical droid to turn his tank and fire at the cannon. Obi-Wan, Akari, Waxer, and Boil were able to get clear of the cannon, but not the explosion. The force of the blast sent the three of them flying through the air, landing on the ground hard enough to keep them down. Aurora's blood instantly ran cold at the sight of the tank turning on the Kenobi man.

"No," the Jinn woman muttered under her breath before igniting her lightsaber and sprinting toward Obi-Wan. Little did she know she wasn't alone. Right as the tactical droid was about to fire his tank, Aurora used the Force to propel herself to the top before using her lightsaber to slice the droid in half. The Twi'leks were right behind her, using all their strength to tear apart the tank as well as what remained of the tactical droid.

After watching the Twi'lek girl reunite with her father, Aurora jumped down from the tank to help Obi-Wan to his feet. A smile was plastered onto his lips as he looked over at the Jinn woman. "Thank you. I don't think I would've survived that."

"You definitely wouldn't have survived that. And you're welcome," Aurora declared while the two young Jedi approached them.

The Kenobi man couldn't help but chuckle as he turned his attention toward the Padawans. He sent Laken a proud smile before his gaze fell on Akari. "You did well today. Master Di must've been quite the teacher."

A sad smile appeared on the Loxley girl's face. "He was. I learned a lot from him in our short time together."

────── ✩✩✩ ──────

About an hour after sending a transmission, a command ship was spotted in the sky. Aurora and Obi-Wan walked side by side as they approached the ship. While waiting for reinforcements, the Jinn woman had a long conversation with the Kenobi man about what should happen with Akari. They both knew that the Jedi Council would assign her to a new Master once they arrived back on Coruscant, and even the Loxley girl was aware of this. If it were up to Aurora, she would take on Akari as a second Padawan, but that wasn't an option. This led the Jinn woman to try to convince Obi-Wan to train her. But their conversation was interrupted when the allies arrived.

Aurora and Obi-Wan stood at the bottom of the ramp as they waited for Mace to exit. The former's eyes were glued to Laken, who stood a few yards away with Grizz and Cody. The three of them were talking with Akari, who wore a genuine smile on her face.

"Great job getting rid of those cannons," Mace told them after exiting the command ship to join Obi-Wan and Aurora. The three of them walked side by side as they approached their temporary command center. It wasn't long before his attention fell on the Padawans conversing with the clones. "It's also impressive that you found Akari Loxley. We've been trying to make contact with her for months. We were starting to believe she met the same fate as her Master."

"She's quite skilled for a Padawan. She still has a lot to learn, but I'm impressed with her knowledge," the Kenobi man responded. His words earned him a hopeful look from Aurora, who he couldn't help but smile at. "If the Jedi Council approves, I would be more than happy to continue her training."

"We'll discuss it with them after we free Ryloth. For now, Akari may stay with your battalion," the Windu man responded before his attention fell on the Twi'leks watching them from a few yards away, "now we have a more difficult objective. We must take the capital and free this world."

"Nerra! Nerra!" the Twi'lek girl, Numa, called out from her place beside her father. The two of them wore matching smiles on their faces as she watched the Jedi and clone battalions head toward the capital. Numa energetically waved at Waxer and Boil.

The two clones waved back at the Twi'lek girl before turning their attention toward the Jedi in front of them. "Generals, what is that she keeps calling us?"

"'Nerra.' It means 'brother.' Quite fitting if you ask me," Aurora responded with a large grin on her face, "looks like the two of you made a lifelong friend."

────── ✩✩✩ ──────

────── ✩✩✩ ──────