Star Wars: The Great War

by ShootingStar25

Chapter 26: Jedi Crash

Greed and fear of loss are the roots that lead to the tree of evil.

Recap: The Republic fleet is on the defensive and pushed to the brink, as war rages in the much-contested Outer Rim Territories. Chaos and fear mount as the Separatist army rages an epic battle against heavily outnumbered Republic ships. In the far reaches of the Quell System, Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan, Ahsoka, along with Storm and Twilight, race across the galaxy to aid Jedi Master Aayla Secura, who is in the midst of a fight for her life, as the sinister droid army closes in.

"Our shields are gone!" said a clone as their cruiser was hit.

"Hurry, Skywalker. We're depending on you," said a Force-sensitive Rutian Twi'lek female named Aayla Secura.

Her entire fleet was currently being bombarded by the Separatist ships as they wouldn't last long. At that moment, our heroes had arrived as their cruiser had emerged from hyperspace and into the system's orbit.

"Prepare the gunners," stated Anakin.

A field of blue and red shots was being traded in the sky above the planet as small explosions occurred.

"We have them now. Send in the super droids," said a tactical droid who was in charge.

The tactical droid now had its forces launch from their ship as they descended to Secura's ship as a few were shot down.

"Commander, get out of there and stop those droids."

"I'm on it," said Commander Bly.

"This way," said a droid as he was near a hole in the ship as he was signaling his comrades where to enter.

Back with our heroes, both the girls and the boys all got on a gunship. Each of the boys had their clone commanders with them as they held on.

"We're ready, Admiral," said Anakin through his comlink.

"General, Skywalker's here!" said a clone to Secura.

"And none too soon. We're entering the atmosphere," said the Jedi Master as her ship rocked some more.

The cruiser stopped above them as three gunships were launched. They were now flying towards Secura's ship as the outline of it had now caught on fire. However, the rocket droids that were about to enter the hole in the ship looked up. They saw our heroes as they all flew up to intercept them from helping.

"Rocket droids incoming!" shouted the pilot.

The gunships fired some missiles taking out some of them. They began to fire their guns hoping to destroy the droids before they got any closer.

"Those droids are boarding Aayla's ship," said Anakin.

One of the rocket droids landed their gunship as it took the shield off of the pilot as he was now exposed.

"Take care of that clanker. I'll be boarding Aayla's cruiser," said Anakin.

"Master, are you sure that's the wisest thing--" said Ahsoka as Anakin wasted no time in jumping. He landed on a nearby rocket droid as he guided it down to the ship.

The pilot was able to dodge the droid's shot as he leaped out of his seat as Rex managed to catch and pull him inside. As for Skywalker, he managed to land through the hole as he turned his lightsaber on. He was now running taking care of the droids that were walking in a line. The others were now heading towards the ship as with no pilot it looked like they would crash.

"Hey, guys," said Rex.

"We know, we know. We're hanging on," said Ahsoka as they braced themselves.

Their ship managed to land through the hole as it hung there, which soften their landing. They all jumped out with all three Jedi turning their lightsabers on as the clones began to fire both in front and behind them. They all moved in the direction that Anakin went hoping to catch up.

"This is taking too long," said the tactical droid. "Destroy that cruiser."

"But, sir, there are still hundreds of droids on board," said a B1 droid.

"I don't care."

"Roger, roger."

All of the Separatist ships now opened fire on Aayla's cruiser as they wanted to rid themselves of their enemy. Inside, Anakin was still slashing away at droids as he was focusing on the ones in front of him as behind him there was a group trying to shoot the boy. It wasn't long as three lights were shown as they were slashing the droids behind Skywalker as they managed to catch up. Ahsoka, Storm, and Twilight all doing some fast moves and flipping as they sliced the droids in half with their small group of clones behind them. Anakin pulled a droid to him as he stabbed it through with his lightsaber and then used the Force to push it towards the line of B1 droids as he bowled a strike.

Aayla heard this as she looked behind and saw the group as they managed to take out the enemy that was blocking her off.

"Nice entrance, boys," said Aayla to both Skywalker and Storm. "How do you plan to get out of this?" asked the Jedi Master as the whole group was running down the corridor with her, Storm, and Anakin deflecting any incoming shots.

"We have a ship docking in the lower hangar as we speak," stated Anakin as they were upfront taking out any droids they closed in on while running as the girls were behind them deflecting shots for the clones as they provided cover fire.

"Activating docking port," said the pilot.

"On it," said the co-pilot.

The whole group turned a corner as they saw a single B1 droid standing guard.

"Uh, hold it," said the droid as both boys smiled smugly as they turned their lightsaber on.

At that moment, the door behind the single droid opened up as more droids were lying in wait.

"Ah, ha-ha!" said the B1 droid as he was glad to have backup.

They began to fire at the group as the clones turned back the corner as all five Jedi deflected some shots as they too ran. They kept on running as they soon came to another door.

"We made it," said Ahsoka as she pushed the button on the door. It opened up ad extended the pathway to connect to the ship that was waiting for them.

"Gangway locked in, sir." said the pilot.

At that moment, the entire ship was now being destroyed. A huge explosion was going off as it was traveling along the corridors of the ship. It was taking out any droids and other clones still on the ship as they were caught in the blast radius. It was heading towards our group as Anakin turned around to see the blast was mere seconds away from getting them as they couldn't board and take off in time.

"It's too late," said Anakin to the whole group.

"Hurry up," said Twilight.

"Sorry, Sparky," said Storm as he and Anakin used the Force to push the entire group into the gangway.

"Master!" shouted Ahsoka.

"Storm!" yelled Twilight.

Both girls saw their partners use the Force to close off the door they were behind and turned around to hopefully close the door in front of them, but the explosion was but inches from their faces. The doors closed, but even with the use of the Force, the impact and momentum from the explosion were too much to stop all at once that the door flew apart and pushed both boys back as Anakin hit the floor hard while Storm collided with the door as he felt his back against the metal before he slid and collapsed on the floor.

"Don't move the ship!" shouted Ahsoka through her comlink to the pilots.

"Are you guys all right down there?" asked one of the pilots.

Ahsoka then tried to open the door to see what happened, but it only slightly opened. Both of them saw the boys as they were injured badly as they managed to grab them and their lightsabers through the hole as the ship was still going off.

"Girls, we need to leave now!" shouted Aayla as she saw the girls drag the boys' bodies. "Hurry, get them on the ship!"

Aayla helped the girls to drag both boys to their side as Commander Bly pushed the button to seal the doors.

"I'm gonna turn on the deflector shields," said Commander Bly as he ran while the girls checked on both of their friends.

"Gangway release," said the pilot as they disconnected from the walkway and flew away from the exploding ship.

"You'll never be able to dock with our ship in the middle of this battle," stated Admiral Yularen on the overhead monitor.

"We have no choice, Admiral. General Skywalker and Storm's condition may be critical. We must get them on board The Resolute." said Aayla.

"Are all Jedi so reckless?" said Admiral Yularen.

"Just the good ones," answered Aayla with a smile.

Their ship was about to dock into the cruiser. Vulture droids were now aiming at the ship as they hoped to take our heroes out. Some shots were fired as the ship rocked back and forth as one blast took out the co-pilot who slumped over the controls and accidentally activated the hyperdrive.

"The hyperdrive been activated," said the pilot as beep sounds were heard.

"Shut it down!" shouted Aayla.

"I can't!" said the pilot.

"General Secura, what's going on?" asked Admiral Yularen.

"We're going into hyperspace. Detach! Detach!"

"They'll take us with them," said a clone to the Admiral.

"Evasive maneuvers," said the admiral.

The ship managed to detach at the last second as it then zoomed away and disappeared.

"Plot every course along their last known trajectory," said Admiral Yularen. "We need to finish this battle and find them."

---

The ship was traveling in hyperspace. Both girls were now in the medical room and they each stood in front of their partners as they were concerned about their injuries. For Twilight, she was really beating herself up that Storm had to sacrifice himself to save her. At that moment, Aayla then appeared as the door opened.

"I need you, girls, with Commander Bly up on the bridge right now," said Aayla.

"We should stay," said Ahsoka.

"Commander Bly doesn't need our help. The boys do," stated Twilight.

"You can help them by getting this ship to safety," stated Aayla.

"General Secura, we have a problem."

"What is it, Commander?"

"In our haste to escape, the navicomputer's coordinates were inputted incorrectly. And, well, we're headed right for a star," said Commander Bly as he pushed a button on a monitor in the medical room to show them.

The girls and the commander now began to leave, but Twilight hung back a bit to look at Storm as he lay on the bed unconscious.

"Storm, please... survive this," muttered the girl as she clutched her heart as she was worried for her partner.

The girls all ran to the bridge as Rex and Sark were doing their best to get the ship repaired. Both girls began to touch some dials and buttons hoping to do something but nothing.

"It's no use. The navigation computer's completely fried," said Commander Bly as he slammed his fist on the panel.

"Shut down all power circuits to reset the coordinates," instructed Aayla to both Rex and Sark.

"But that will cut off Storm and Anakin's life support," said Ahsoka.

"I don't like it any more than you do, but it's a risk we're going to have to take," said Aayla.

The girls looked at each other as they were concerned if this was the right move. Eventually, they listened to the Jedi Master as they began to do as she instructed.

"We're switching off primary units," stated Twilight.

"Cutting it awfully close," said Rex as he looked at the map that showed them about to collide.

"Ready to shut off auxiliary power," said Aayla.

"On three," said Ahsoka as the Jedi Master nodded. "One, two, three."

The switch was then flipped. It caused the entire crew to be jolted back a bit as the ship was coming to a halt. The equipment in the medical room now shut off as it left the boys without any support. The ship came out of hyperspace as they managed to stop before colliding head into the star. However, they were still on course to hit it.

"We're out of hyperspace, resume all power!" said Sark.

The force of the ship caused Rex to be flung back as he collided with Aayla as they hit the back of the ship. They were floating as they were about to crash.

"Switch the power back on!" shouted Commander Bly. "What are you waiting for?!"

Since she was floating, Aayla couldn't do it manually. So instead she put her hand out and was trying to use the Force to flip the switch.

"Hurry. Hurry!" shouted Commander Bly.

The Jedi Master was trying her best to concentrate as the ship twirled. She then got the switch back to its proper place as all systems were restored. The gravity was back as she and Rex fell to the floor. Their ship now steered to the side of the star as Ahsoka pushed the lever to help them to stabilize.

"Well, we're not going to crash into the star, but we're definitely gonna hit that planet," said Ahsoka as they were heading towards it.

"This is one crash landing that I don't mind," said Twilight.

Their ship now entered the planet's orbit as it caught on fire from both entering and the momentum they had. The whole ship was on fire as one of the engines blew apart. The ship crashed onto the ground as the windows shatter and everyone held on, in the medical area, the boys felt the bump. The ship skidded along the hard, rocky terrain eventually coming to a halt.

The door was then kicked open by Rex.

"Everyone, out!" shouted the captain as they all listened. The girls had made it to the medical area as they helped the boys as at the last second an explosion went off inside of the ship.

"Well, we made it," said Aayla as she placed the boys on the ground and sat down. They were all covered with dirt on their bodies and clothes as they looked at their injured comrades. "Master Skywalker and Storm are still alive."

"I'm just glad they weren't awake to see that landing," said Ahsoka.

"They would have been proud," said the Jedi Master.

"I've certainly perfected the art of demolishing ships and almost getting my Master killed," said Ahsoka as she dusted herself off.

Sometime later, the group had made camp. They were able to use some of the wrecked parts from the ship to create a shelter to treat the boys. But they were still stranded. Commander Bly had his men stand guard for any threats. Rex and Sark were putting the final touches on the shelter they built to keep their generals safe. Both Twilight and Ahsoka were approaching the tent as inside, Aayla was checking on the boys.

"Anakin and Storm don't have much time," said the Jedi Master to the girls. "We have to find help tonight."

"Okay, you and Bly go south. Sark and Twilight will go north. Rex and I will stay here with the boys," suggested Ahsoka.

"No, Ahsoka. In order to get help quickly, we must work together," said Aayla. "You and Twilight must come with us."

"I can't leave him," said Ahsoka. "Master, I know if I was hurt, he'd never leave me behind."

"Same with Storm. We may butt heads at times, but even he wouldn't leave a friend behind. So neither will I," stated Twilight.

"I know this is hard, girls, but the boys have to stay behind, and we have to go now!" stated Aayla. "There is nothing more we can do for them." Her response got the girls to have sad faces at the idea of leaving behind their pals.

"We must do all we can to get off this planet. As a Jedi, it's your duty to do what is best for the group. Remember girls, Jedi don't form attachments." stated the Jedi Master.

The girls were given a few moments with the boys to say goodbye before they headed out.

"General Secura, look," said Commander Bly as he approached her. "We're not the only ones on this planet."

Aayla grabbed the tablet as both girls also looked at it. On it was a carving of an image that appeared to be a giant tree of sorts.

"There has to be some kind of something here," stated Commander Bly.

There was a noise heard as both Rex and Sark looked out into the grass as they tried to see what could have made that sound. They and the other clones all turned the lights on their helmets as they began to scan the tall grass. They saw nothing as they shut off their lights.

"If you don't mind me asking, General Secura, where exactly are we going?" asked Commander Bly.

"To go find the people who live on this planet."

"Where are we going to find them?" asked the clone. "We have no idea where they are."

"It seems to me that the people we're looking for, live near a giant tree," said Ahsoka looking at the tablet.

"Then based on the terrain, it would have to be near a place where there's a sustainable source of water. And if this grassland is an indication, the water hole must be nearby in order for all foliage to grow," said Twilight.

"Very perceptive, girls," said Aayla as she was impressed by the girl's intelligence.

"Be strong, Master, just a little bit longer," said Ahsoka to Anakin as Rex appeared behind her. "Rex will watch over you."

"It's time to go," said the Jedi Master.

"Don't worry, kid. I'll take good care of him," stated Rex.

Twilight bent down to look at Storm as she put her hand to his forehead.

"Storm, I'm just going to be gone for a while. I'll be back for you, promise."

"Best get going, General Sparkle," stated Sark as he was going to stay behind with Rex.

"Right," nodded Twilight as she cast one last look to her injured partner. "I promise to come back." She removed her hand from Storm's forehead as she got up and joined her friends.

"Captain Rex, Commander Sark, keep your locators on. We should be back by daybreak with whoever or whatever lives on this planet," stated Aayla.

"Understood, General Secura," responded Rex.

"Hey, girls, good luck," said Sark to both Ahsoka and Twilight.

"Come on, guys. Let's move out," said the Jedi Master.

The girls now joined her clone commander and his men as they all began to take off in a direction. They were hoping that they could find help and make it back in time to treat the boys' condition before it got any worst. The sun was starting to set as soon it would be nighttime.

---

Sometime later, the group was still traveling. Jedi Master Aayla looked at the girls as even without using the Force, she could tell what was on their minds.

"I can still sense your worries for the boys, your attachment to them," said the Jedi Master as it got the girls to look away for a bit.

"It's just-- I get so confused sometimes," said Ahsoka.

"It's forbidden for Jedi to form attachments, yet we are supposed to be compassionate," said Twilight.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, girls. I went through the same process as you both with my own Master," said Aayla.

"Really? You?" asked Ahsoka as Twilight was also surprised.

"He was like a father to me. I realized that for the greater good, I had to let them go. Don't lose a thousand lives just to save one," said the Jedi Master giving the girls advice that they needed to follow.

"Maybe. But that doesn't mean that we can't try to save their lives," said Ahsoka.

It was nighttime. Back at the camp, both Rex and Sark were standing guard. Sark had just come from doing his round of scouting as it was Rex's turn to take over. He sat down next to his friend as they prepared to switch. A twig was heard as the clone commanders only fainting heard it. They both went back to cleaning and making sure their blasters were working when another breeze caused the grass to move. Both clones turned the lights on their helmets as they began to scan the grass, but didn't see anything. They soon turned their lights off as they looked back inside the tent to see their buddies still unconscious.

"Careful, Rex. Anything, contact me," said Sark to his pal as he was about to start his shift.

"Copy that, Sark. Keep an eye on the generals," said Rex as he left to scout as Sark now stood in front of the tent to protect the boys.

With the group, they were still trekking through the grassland when they came to some trees that looked like the ones they saw in the carving. They all cautiously approached the tree to see if there was anything that might be a clue as to who or what might live on the planet. They began to scan the tree, but it was just a regular old tree.

"I don't see any signs of life," said Commander Bly.

At that moment, a giant seedpod began to fall.

"Watch out!" shouted Aayla as she pushed her clone commander out of harm's way.

A few more seedpods began to fall as everybody ducked them.

"No wonder it's deserted. It's a death trap. You'd have to be crazy to want to dodge those on a daily basis," said Ahsoka.

"You might want to check this out," said Twilight as she got the attention of the whole group. She was currently looking at the ground as there were tracks.

"It looks like someone or something intelligent enough to figure out a use for the pods has dragged them away," said Aayla as Commander Bly turned on his headlights as it shined on them. "All we have to do is follow the trail. Let's go."

The group now began to jog behind the Jedi Master in a single file as they followed the trail. Back at camp, Rex had come back from his patrol as Sark was currently sitting in front of the fire, making sure it didn't go out.

"Anything, buddy?" asked Sark as he pointed the fire with a stick.

"All clear," responded Rex.

Unbeknownst to them, there was something. Lying in wait of the grass, only a pair of eyes were shown as well as a beak. The boys were still hurt but their instincts as well as the Force was sending them a message. Both opened their eyes as they looked outside of the tent. They didn't see it at first, but the Force was telling them, danger. A low growling was soon heard as the boys now saw the face of the thing that was hiding. Both now sat up, still injured. They tried to stand up but only collapsed as both Sark and Rex rushed over to their pals.

"Generals?" asked Rex to both Jedi Knights.

"Are you all right?" asked Sark.

"Be... behind you," warned Anakin.

Both clone commanders then turned around.

"What the--" the thing leaped out of the tall grass as it now grabbed Rex by the arm.

Before Sark could help his pal, he was then grabbed by his arm by another creature as he was then flung to the side. The things that were hiding turned out to be Mastiff phalones. Which were carnivorous avian quadrupeds as they were looking to attack the weakened boys. The creatures now had the clone commanders pinned as they tried to attack with their beaks but both Sark and Rex weren't allowing it to happen. They tried to reach for their blasters near them, but the beasts stomped on their arm reaching for it.

Rex then got an idea as his arm was pinned down. He pulled the trigger of his blaster as it frighten the creature. It was now scared and ran off as it got off of Rex. The creature that pinned Sark tried to stomp the clone commander, but he managed to roll out of the way. He then stood up and hit the thing in the face with his gun as it took off. Both clones tried to shoot at the creatures as they disappeared into the grass.

"What the hell were those things?" asked Sark.

Both Storm and Anakin saw their clone commander were fine as they passed out again as both clones let out a sigh of relief.

The group was still following the tracks. They came to a clearing as it was surrounded by the grass. The Jedi heard a noise as they began to scan and listen for it. Running through the grass were the same creatures that attacked the boys at the camp.

"Watch your left!" shouted Commander Bly.

The clones pointed their weapons as the girls turned on their lightsabers. The creatures now jumped out of the grass as it landed and flung one of the clones as he let out a scream. Everybody moved to the side as both Commander Bly and Aayla saw the creatures as another clone had its throat in the jaws of the creature as he flung him around eventually crushing it. The other creature tackled the other clone as he was trampled over. The girls reached out for their lightsabers as they flew into their hands. Commander Bly was on the floor as he grabbed his blaster and aimed it at the eye of one of them as it went down.

The one that had the clone in its jaws was scared as it flung the clone over to the commander as they collided. It then ran off as the girls had their lightsabers out as they watched the beast disappear. Commander Bly then got the clone off of him as he began to shake the body of his comrade but to no avail.

"Cameron's dead. So are Lucky and Flash," said Commander Bly as his men were gone as he was the only one left.

The girls and Aayla all bent down to their fallen comrades as they had sad faces. Aayla took a moment for her fallen men but knew she couldn't let it distract them from the mission.

"We have to keep moving," instructed the Jedi to the group.

"Which way?" asked Ahsoka.

They all looked at the grass as they were trying to figure out what direction they should head in. Twilight then looked up at the night sky. She could see the stars as they shined in the girl's pupils. At that moment, she was reminded of something.

Remember, Twilight. If you're ever lost, look to the sky. Follow the stars, they will guide you.

"Follow the stars. They will guide me," muttered Twilight to herself.

She then lifted her finger as she pointed at the night sky. She began to scan the many lights as she moved her fingers. Twilight was trying her best to connect the dots as a way to figure out where to go. She eventually finished connecting the dots as they made an arrow as it pointed in the direction that they need to go.

"Follow the stars," smiled Twilight, "Thanks, Dad." She then turned to the group as she got their attention.

"This way."

"Are you sure, Twilight?" asked Ahsoka.

"I'm positive," said the lavender girl.

"Then let's hurry," said Aayla.

The girls followed the Jedi Master as Commander Bly was behind them. Back at the camp, Sark and Rex were both on high alert. They were crouched in front of the tent as they were trying to not be caught off guard in case the creature might attack again. They both looked at their generals who lay unconscious as they went back to scanning the grass. There was some rustling as they turned their headlights on, they didn't see anything as they held their position.

---

It was now daybreak as the girls and Bly were still jogging in the direction that Twilight had stated. They were running along the trail as when it panned out it showed that there was a nearby village that they were heading towards. The four of them came over the hill as they saw the village and the huts.

"Pod central," stated Ahsoka. "We made it."

All of them then slid down the hill. The village was alive and well, as the inhabitants were starting their day as the sun was up. The village was home to a community of Lurmen. They saw the group approach as they backed up as they were scared.

"Hello?" shouted Ahsoka as she gave a wave to show they didn't mean any harm.

"We don't want to hurt you," said Twilight.

The group of Lurmen then allowed their village elder to pass through as he saw the group. The girls saw the creature as they traded looks and expressions with each other.

"What have you come here for?" asked the village elder who was named Tee Watt Kaa.

"We are peacekeepers. We are Jedi from the Galactic Republic. Our ship crashed a few miles away, and two of us are very badly injured." said Aayla. "We need your help."

"Violence breeds violence. Jedi are no peacekeepers," stated Tee Watt Kaa as he pointed at the girls' lightsabers that were on their hips as it got them to look also.

"We're fighting for freedom," stated Ashoka.

"And freedom and peace require fear and death?" countered Tee Watt Kaa.

"That's... not... well..." said Twilight as she had a difficult time trying to come up with a justification as both Ahsoka and Aayla had similar looks.

"We colonized this system to find solace from your wretched war. We came here to find peace. You must leave. You will only destroy what small amount of peace is left in the galaxy." stated Tee Watt Kaa. "You will only bring the destruction of us."

"Regardless of the Clone Wars, and our part in them, we still need your help," pleaded the Jedi Master.

"I'm afraid I must do what's best for my people. We cannot help you," said the Lurmen as he began to walk away.

"Please. Can you at least give us some medical supplies? Our friends are dying," pleaded Ahsoka to the village elder.

Tee Watt Kaa heard the girl's plea as he let out a sigh. He then looked in front of him as a certain Lurmen walked up as he called him over. The Lurmen then began to approach the group.

"I cannot ignore a plea for help. I will send my son Wang Too to help your friends. He is a healer." stated Tee Watt Kaa, "But only one Jedi may go with him. The others must stay as insurance. We wouldn't want a surprise attack on our village or the kidnapping of our only healer."

"Bly, Twilight, and I will stay," said Aayla. "Padawan, go and help your friends."

"No, the clone and his blaster cannot stay. He will go with the youngling," ordered Tee Watt Kaa.

"I can handle it. I don't need help," said Ahsoka.

"Ahsoka!"

"Don't worry."

"Be mindful of your surroundings, Padawan. Those creatures are still out there."

"Got it," said Ahsoka. She turned to leave when Twilight spoke up.

"Let me go as well," said Twilight to Tee Watt Kaa, "I need to make sure that my friend is safe."

"Impossible! Only one," said the Lurmen as he stressed that fact.

"You don't understand!!!" shouted Twilight at the top of her lungs. She then fell to her knees, "I need to go back! I need to check on my friend. I made a promise... I promised... that I would return. That I would be there when he wakes up. I need to be there for my friend, my partner. Please! Just let me fulfill the promise I made to him!!!" said Twilight as she could feel tears starting to form in her eyes.

The girl sniffed a bit as Tee Watt Kaa looked at the girl. He could see that Twilight was worried about Storm as if she didn't be there, then it would be her fault if the boy didn't make it. He stared at her as he was also seeing something hidden behind Twilight's expression; he could see that the girl did care a lot for her friend. He just let out a heavy sigh.

"Very well," said the village elder.

"Thank you," said Twilight as she wiped the tears from her eyes and stood up.

"Jedi do not form attachments," muttered Aayla to herself as she observed Twilight's behavior.

Twilight then walked over to Ahsoka as the girl gave a nod and smile to her friend.

"We won't be long," said the Padawan as they began to head back in the direction of the boys.

Wang Too then jumped into the air as he transformed into a ball as he could keep up with the girls as they ran with Commander Bly also joining them.

As the group was heading back to the crash site, Jedi Master Aayla was with Tee Watt Kaa. She was inside of a homestead as she was talking with the village elder. She was looking at the decorations of the home as she sat down by the fire.

"Here. It will restore your energy," said the Lurmen offering a cup to the Jedi.

"Thank you. I am sure you are aware that the Jedi did not initiate the Clone Wars," said Aayla. "Our only intention is to end it and restore peace to our galaxy."

"What difference does it make who started the war and who only wants to end it?" said Tee Watt Kaa to the Jedi. "No side is free of fault. It takes two to fight."

"But isn't liberty worth fighting for?" asked Aayla.

"But is it worth killing for?" countered the Lurmen.

"Fighting for something doesn't necessarily mean you have to destroy everything in your path. Only when you lay your arms down and pursue a course of nonviolence can you make this claim to me that the Jedi are peacekeepers," said Tee Watt Kaa. His response got Aayla to think.

The girls and Bly were running as fast as they could to get back to their friends. They had managed to pass the tree they saw during the night as it served that they were getting closer. Back at the camp, Rex and Sark still were on guard duty. In the grass observing them were more of the creatures that attacked them. They were waiting for the right moment to pounce. The boys now began to stir as they sat up with groans of pain.

"Generals, you need to maintain your rests," said Rex to his buddies.

"Where's Twilight?" asked Storm as he was still out of it.

"She's gone to get help. She said she'd be back, now rest," stated Sark as he got the boys to lie back down.

"We can't rest," said Anakin. "Rex, they're coming," stated the Jedi Knight as he and Storm sensed the creatures.

"We can hear them," said Storm as he and Anakin stood up, still in pain.

"We must fight," said Anakin.

The four of them now turned to the grass as out emerged the creatures. They saw the group as they began to claw at the ground. Storm and Anakin reached for their lightsabers and turned them on as both clone commanders pointed their weapons at the beasts. The beasts began to charge as Sark and Rex each took one of them out dead-on as they fell over. The last one kept charging as all four moved out of the way as the creature destroyed their tent. The boys hit the ground hard as they fell as did both commanders.

At that moment, the girls had arrived as the Lurmen leaped into action. He had a rope with him as he flipped forward and dodged a swipe from the creature as he began to run around it with the rope around its leg. Ahsoka and Twilight then turned their lightsabers on as they looked to attack the beast.

"No, don't!" said the Lurmen as he then backflipped and pulled on the rope.

"Fine," said Ahsoka as she and Twilight put their lightsabers away.

The girls then went to help the small Lurmen as they pulled on the rope that was tied to the creature's leg. Both Rex and Sark were coming to as they saw this, they got behind the girls and pulled as they tried to take the creature off its feet. Eventually, all five were able to yank hard enough that the rope closed in on the legs as the creature fell over. Wag Too then took the opportunity to use the last bit of rope to tie all of them together to avoid it escaping.

"Good work, little guy," said Ahsoka.

The girls then saw the boys as they were stirring.

"Master!" cried out Ahsoka.

"Good to see you, Snips," said Anakin.

"Storm!"

"Twilight," said the boy as the girl slid over and held him in her arms.

"It's alright, I brought help," stated the girl.

"Heh, I knew... I... could... count on... you" said Storm as he trailed off and shut his eyes.

"This is Wag Too. He's a healer. He can make you and Storm well again," said Ahsoka.

"Don't you worry. I can fix you and your friend right up," said the Lurmen with a smile.

Both boys were now on med bays as they were being carried back to the village. Tee Watt Kaa and Aayla were talking when they saw the group coming back as they noticed the condition of the boys. Seeing both Jedi Knights got the elder to have his eyes widen as he thought of some things. Seems the whole Lurmen community now gathered around the boys as they opened their eyes.

"Uhm... Snips," said Anakin as he didn't like that all the eyes of the Lurmen were staring at him.

"Sparky! Tell them to back off!" shouted Storm as he wanted some personal space.

They managed to get the boys into separate huts as Wag Too was currently working on Anakin.

"The oil from the pods will aid in the healing process," said the Lurmen as he began to work his magic. He put some of the oil on a piece of cloth as he placed them on Anakin's face and over the bruises along his body.

"Don't worry. You'll be well in no time," said Wag Too as his father was outside of the hut looking on as he was thinking about things. He then began to head over to the hut that Storm was in to treat the teen boy.

On the outskirts of the village, was Ahsoka and Aayla as they sat on a hill watching the village. The sun was starting to set as a few creatures fluttered around them.

"You were right all along, Master Secura."

"About what?"

"If I had stayed with Anakin and Storm, we probably wouldn't have found this village in time to save them. At least this whole ordeal is over now," said Ahsoka as she stood up.

"We still have to find a way off this planet," said Aayla as she stood up as well.

"Well, I'm sure Admiral Yularen and the Republic fleet are looking for us," said the Padawan. "It shouldn't take them too long to get here."

---

Wag Too had entered the hut that Storm was in as he saw Twilight was kneeling by his side.

"Hang on, Storm. You're going to make it," said the girl softly as she put her hand over her partner.

"You show a great deal of compassion for your partner," said the Lurmen.

"I made a promise. That I would be there for him, and I hate to let him down. He's my partner, and we've been through so much in such a short amount of time since our masters put us together to improve our training and get to the next level of experience we need to become Jedi Masters." said Twilight.

"Well, he's lucky to have someone as caring as you as his partner," smiled Wag Too. "Now, mind helping?"

Twilight nodded as she began to help the Lurmen to make the medicine for Storm. Wag Too showed Twilight how it was prepared as the girl pulled out her personal notebook that she carried with her at all times. She wrote down the recipe and the steps as they could prove useful for future uses. It took a while as eventually Storm had the piece of cloth over his face and the areas where his injuries were as he laid there.

"Now, all we can do is wait. Let the medicine work," said Wag Too.

"Thank you. You don't know how grateful I am for helping my friend," said Twilight.

"My pleasure, Jedi," he said as he left through the tent.

"General Sparkle, it's time for you to rest," said Sark as he appeared near the entrance of the tent.

"I'm gonna stay with Storm. In case, he wakes up. I want to be here so that he knows that I kept my promise to him," spoke Twilight.

"Very well, do get some rest, yourself," said Sark as he left.

The overhead small lantern was on as Twilight pulled up her sleeping arrangements and kneeled next to the boy's side. She then grabbed Storm's hand as she felt it would help him to know that he wasn't alone. That he had a friend who was right there, helping him to fight through his injuries and get better.

"Storm, you're gonna be fine. Just know... I'm here by your side. I'll keep you safe," spoke Twilight.

Hours passed as it was the dead of night. The stars were out and about, like the moon, lit up the night sky. Every single hut was dark, even the ones that Anakin and Storm were recovering in had the lanterns shut off. A grunt was heard as Storm was starting to stir. He made an effort to sit up as he could still feel that his body hadn't fully recovered. His forehead was wrapped with bandages as he brought his left hand to clutch his head. He felt slight dizziness as he looked to his side. He saw his right hand was being held by another. It belonged to Twilight who had fallen asleep by the boy's side as her hands were still intertwined with his.

Storm looked at the girl as she was sound asleep peacefully. He let out a small chuckle and smile as he undid the bandage around his head. He slipped his hand out from under Twilight's and put it on top of hers as he clutched it.

"Thanks, Twilight." said the boy.

Storm then felt himself lie back down as he needed to get more rest. He laid back with a smile on his face as he drifted off to dreamland. His hand still held Twilight as he was grateful that the girl was able to help him to survive.

Comments

[Darth_krayt]

Storm and Twilight getting quite attached to one another

[Vakama95096]

11157976
Jedi are not supposed to form any attachment. Sometimes attachments leads to the Dark side.

[ShootingStar25]

11158011
Exactly.

[Postwarmonkey50]

Ah, I love this episode and the one that will soon come after. Aayla Secura happens to be one of my favorite jedi's. The way she moved and fought was awesome.

And the elder lurman could see that it was more than friendship. I think he can tell. Or I'm just taking a wild guess here.

All and all, love this episode.