Bounce Back

[The Eternal (?)]

Valentine had his head down, his arms now completely numb from how long they've been suspended above him. He almost lost the will to stand but the chain that was holding his arms together kept him from completely falling to the ground. The only light source in the room was a fan built into the wall, the sun's rays coming through as the blades would start to chop them and make it flicker. Even with the low visibility, it was easy to see that Val had been beaten, stretching across his entire abdomen was bruising. It spanned from dark yellow to dark purple and it hurt to cough or sometimes breathe, a few of his ribs were either misaligned or bruised as well. Valentine's right eye was completely closed shut, the skin purple as well and matching his stomach. It was pretty obvious to say that he was in a bad situation.

Val had heard reports of a lowly imperial outpost on Phindar and with his newfound power and training, he believed it was time to pay a visit. But he was in completely over his head and even though he got his licks in, they quickly swarmed and subdued him. They paid him back for his intrusion and the lives he took and that was evident with marks all across his body. Val also had no clue where his lightsabers were and he was too weak to summon an ounce of the force to him right now.

After a few silent minutes, he finally heard footsteps echoing outside of his small cell and Val rolled his shoulders and his neck, a few pops coming from it. The door slid open and the officer who did this to him and his typical outfit of imperial bodyguards entered. The soldiers took their corners in the room as the officer stood in front of him with his arms behind his back. They thought the Jedi were eradicated and discovering one like Val, they wanted to have their own fun with the rare specimen before reporting it in.

Val looked up at the officer before offering a smile, "I've missed you." The officer immediately used the back of his hand to slap him, the sound of it echoing throughout the cell slightly. "You will speak when spoken to filth." Val swirled his mouth before glancing back and spitting blood right on the man's chest, "Nice suit." The officer then launched a punched right into Val's already bruised and hurt abdomen, causing the Jedi to hurl up stomach acid that burned his throat before dry heaving.

While that happened the officer reached behind for a chair before placing it in front of Val and calmy sitting himself down on it. He crossed one leg over the other before offering the same humorless smile that Val offered him, "Now please, can we have a civil conversation?"

 

[Raz Solus]

“Any Sith in there?”

“I don't give a kriff. They will die all the same.”

Raz put away the macrobinoculars, her jaw tightening as she thought about the attack they were about to launch. It had only been a few weeks since Clan Solus had been brutally attacked. If not for the aid of Clan Saxon, her people would never have survived such an assault. The aftermath of the attack left the clan reeling and thirsty for vengeance. Too long had her clan abstained from combat, never wanting to align itself with the Sith. Now they were caught in the web all the same and it was time to strike back.

She had led the life of an independent bounty hunter, but Medriaas was the tipping point. Mandalorians everywhere began to rally and come together to fight the Sith war machine. It didn’t matter if they were Old Empire or Republica, they were all filth. Raz finally got caught up in the fight, taking up the role of gathering her people. She also began to make efforts to bridge gaps with other clans. Clan Saxon stood by her in a time of need, and she did the same to aid Clan Eldar after they had been devastated by Imperial forces.

Today was a day to get the jump on the enemy instead of reeling to lick their wounds. She bristled with rage as she thought about the vacant eyes of her brethren. There were children and women that wouldn’t see another day, and all because they were Mandalorian. Raz spat on the ground and rose up, putting on her trademark T visor helmet. She was adorned fully in traditional beskar’gam, making no effort to hide who she was anymore.

She turned to look at her people and nodded, turning ahead and beginning the assault with a blaster cannon. The cannon tore into the building, shaking it down to its foundations. The troops stormed forward, the Imperials caught with their pants down as the attack began violently and abruptly. The cannons kept firing, tearing out entire chunks of the building and rippling through it.

Raz was ahead of everyone else, peppering anyone that flooded out with her rifle. Her brethren charged in next to her, meeting the incoming Imperials head on and without fear. Every man and woman here was driven by rage, each and every single one having suffered a loss at the hands of Imperials. Today there would be no mercy, and they didn’t care about collecting any intelligence or information. It would be a slaughter.

Inside the building, entire walls began to collapse, every Imperial soldier inside panicking and scrambling to defend the base. They would rue ever poking the beasts that were the monstrous children of Kad Ha'rangir.

 

[The Eternal (?)]

Val laughed after he took a few breaths of air before wiping his mouth against the inside of his arm, "Why yes, of course, you should start." The officer gave him a nod before leaning forward, "Now, tell us why a Jedi of all people, decided to come here of all places?" Val shook his head before opening his one good eye to gaze at the officer, "I enjoy the weather." He shrugged his numb shoulders as best he could nonchalantly. The man scoffed slightly before standing and dusting off his suit, offering a soft sigh as he stared down at Val. "I also couldn't wait to meet you." The officer was known to torture local inhabitants to force the people to help the imperials build more outposts or whatever they wanted, part of the reason why Val came here as well. The man gave another smile before violently gripping Val's head to the side and throwing a volley of jabs right into his ribs and specifically where they were already broke.

Val screamed in pain as his vision blurred, tears forming in his eyesight as his head went limp and dropped once the man let go. He couldn't feel anything except pain blossoming from his side but despite that Val couldn't help but laugh despite the extra pain it brought. "Well, that was civil, huh?" The officer gave him a scowl before arching his arm back again to swing but as he did a violent explosion rocked the building, nearly knocking the men off their feet and jingling the chains loudly. After a few moments, the man cleared his head before reaching and pulling out his blaster. The officer spun around aiming his hand at the door, "GET OUT THERE RIGHT NOW!" The soldiers immediately fled out, intending to find the immediate threat as the Mandalorians flooded in. The first wave of Imperials that met had no chance, immediately cut down and caught off guard by the ferocity of the attack. But as they pressed deeper the resistance grew harsher, the Imperials now radioing and focusing their efforts enough to coordinate a basic defense as they used the layout to their advantage.

With the rumbling of the building and the officer's back turned to Val, he knew the opportunity when he saw it. With the noise outside drowning out everything, Val started rolling his forearms into the chains, making it so it straightened his back before he launched his legs upward and wrapped his legs around the man's neck. His ribs protested as he did the movement, nearly making him pass out from the pain but Val squeezed his legs tight with all his worth around the Imperial's neck. The man struggled wildly, thrashing out of control as it made Val groan painfully while he felt each movement in his ribs. The officer in a panic shot behind him, emptying the clip trying to hit Val but unable to move his head to find his target. Val twisted his body, making his legs squeeze even tighter as the veins in his neck started to strain and show, "Come on... come on... come on," Val spoke stained. The officer started throwing his elbow repeatedly into the already weakened thigh of Val's and he grimaced in pain as he violently thrashed his legs to show his frustration, "Come on!" The man's punches weakened before stopped altogether a few moments after that and his body collapsed like dead weight, making Val swing back as he seethed in pain.

Waiting a few moments for the pain to subside, Val glanced upward toward the ceiling where the chain was connected to. He slowly dragged his feet under him, breathing hard as his whole body was covered in sweat. Val repeated the same motion as before, rolling his forearms up in the chain as it straightened his body. He groaned softly before swinging softly, building momentum until he launched his legs upward and planted his legs on the roof side by side with the base of the chain. Val glanced to the door, hearing the blaster fire and fighting closer than before and he glanced back to the chain link. Wrapping his forearm deeper in the chain, Val exhaled a view times before putting all his strength in his legs to rip the chain off the ceiling.

The veins in his neck and arms become pronounced and enlarged, Val's face turning red as the pain in his ribs seared throughout his entire body. He screamed loudly to let it out as the metal started to groan and pop slightly. He continued to pull with all his strength until it eventually snapped, dropping him from the ceiling and causing Val to land square on his back. It took all of the air out of his lungs and he gasped for it loudly, the pain mixed in it nearly making him pass out. He rolled over to his least injured side, gulping for air before finally coughing uncontrollably. Val couldn't get off the ground, in a certain agony as feelings slowly rushed to both his arms and legs after so long being in the same position.

 

[Raz Solus]

Raz had no room for mercy in her heart as she continued the assault. The sounds of battle resonated all around her, and she felt the heat from the fires erupting everywhere. She made a beeline directly for the base, cooking a grenade and tossing it ahead of herself. She watched the explosion erupt in front of her, sending tattered remains of Imperials everywhere. Raz was unfazed by it, walking through the gruesome rain of viscera down to the main corridor that led into the base. There were no orders except to kill everyone on sight. If someone moved, they were mowed down.

Some of her people fell here and there, but they moved as one unit, completely focused on the destruction of Imperials. It was hot in the armor, and she felt sweat beginning to line her skin. However, there was an unnatural satisfaction that came from seeing the Imperials fall. She peppered soldiers with blaster bolts, drawing out her vibrosword as she came closer. Her signature method of battle was a blade in one hand, a blaster in the other.

As she approached closer to a soldier that looked as if he were high ranking, Raz knew she had a fight on her hands. Alarms blared all around her, and people ran in all directions. She kept her gaze trained on this man, her people mowing down everyone else around him. She strode past the dropping bodies, casually stepped over others and made her way towards this man that leveled his blaster towards her. Raz was quicker on the draw, firing from her hip into his chest.

The man staggered and stumbled back a few steps but Raz was already on him. There was a flash of silver, and the man’s torso crumbled to the ground, missing a head. Raz didn’t pause, walking past his falling frame towards the inner chambers of the base. Blood dripped from her blade, and more of it was splattered all across her armor.

“Prisoner!” Someone shouted into her comms, asking for instructions on what to do. Raz kicked a soldier on the ground till he was on his back. Doing so confirmed he was alive and pretending to be dead. Raz didn’t hesitate before shooting him directly in the face, “I don’t care. Kill ‘em,” She muttered, but then paused for a moment, “Actually, I’ll come look.”

Raz made her way towards where the cell was, spotting a fallen form on the ground. She leveled her blaster, intending to put him out of his misery. She had no room in her heart to help anyone today. The Imperials would die, and so would any pets they collected. Out of morbid curiosity, she stepped forth into the cell, glancing down at the battered form of the man on the ground. She stared for a long moment before recognition flickered across her face, her eyes widening.

“Valentine..” She whispered quietly.

“What’s that?” The next ranking soldier had come up next to her. Raz waved her hand, “Nothing, go secure the perimeters.”

After he left, Raz crouched down next to Val, observing him silently as she was close enough for him to gaze into the metallic T-visor helmet. She sighed, shaking her head, “Looks like we traded places….Mud.”

 

[The Eternal (?)]

Val heard the violent screams of death outside of his cell but he still couldn't move even if he wanted. To him, it felt like he just found out what arms and legs really were. He still was barely able to move them, his limbs completely numb and if someone found him now he would have been dead meat. Slowly, Val drew his arms back to himself, the chain jingling slightly as he did before rolling over onto his stomach. He counted the seconds that passed by before he slid one knee underneath his torso and then doing the same after the other. It felt like he was about to throw up all the contents of his stomach again so he just sat there for a few moments, breathing unsteadily in order to control his battered stomach.

Val was ready to get up and he put his hands against the ground to do just that but then he heard the door slide open before footsteps followed after that. Whoever it was shouted that he was here to he was suspecting to be the commanding officer of this little raid. Val hadn't raised his head yet to see who entered, just taking his losses as it was and just remaining on the ground and trying to find some comfort. The Rebels had no clue he was here, which was stupid on his part, so he knew it couldn't be them and his second guess was either pirates or worse Mando's. Val heard more footsteps follow and counted each step as a second he had left before he was either shot or worse.

Everything was pushed from his mind then, not really hearing any outside his nose as he just focused on the pain that was pulsating through his body. Right now he preferred to sleep and the one eye that was still good was shut while he remained on the ground. After a few seconds through a voice interrupted his thoughts and it sounded familiar despite the muffled sound from the helmet. Val slowly turned from his side to his eye stare straight into the T-visor helmet of a Mando crouched next to him. He didn't say anything for moments, his gaze just locked on the helmet before he slowly glanced around the cell and eventually just dropped his head against the ground as he closed his eyes. "Is this real or am I in a coma?" Val placed a finger on each side of his temple in order to quell his raging headache, "Because I swore I just heard Pip's voice under some Mando armor." Val was gonna reserve judgment until his question was answered.

 

[Raz Solus]

She didn’t know how she felt seeing him like this. The last time they met, she had been the one in the helpless position. He and his men had confused her more than she ever had been before, and she had developed an odd kinship with them. As she remained crouched there, she had to reflect on the fact that this man had a hand in shaping who she was today whether he knew it or not. The sounds of the assault blurred into the background, and she was lost in her thoughts for a long moment. As he spoke quietly and used a name she hadn’t heard in years, she couldn’t help but smile.

“We got this place locked down!” A voice chirped in her comms jovially, “….Ghost?” Raz was shaken out of her reverie, muttering something back about doing a clean sweep to collect any intelligence they could get their hands on. She focused back down on Valentine, remaining silent as he slowly faded out of consciousness. Raz remained there in silence for a while, pondering her situation and her past. He hadn’t known she was a Mandalorian, but that was out in the open now. However, the fact that he was captured by Imperials meant they at least had the same enemies.

---​

Several hours had passed since the assault on the Imperial base. It was night time now, and they were back in a temporary camp the Mandalorians had set up. By now, Valentine would be blinking awake. He would find himself in a large tent, on a cot and bandaged up with bacta salve on all his wounds. His chains were removed and his other eye was covered and healing. For a moment, he would be alone and left to his thoughts, but he would slowly begin to hear voices outside. Most of it was a language he didn’t understand, and he would hear a familiar voice amidst it all.

After a moment, the tent flap opened and a Mandalorian crouched into the tent to peek inside. Raz saw him awake and stepped in, pausing for a moment to gaze at him, “I see you’re still as reckless as ever,” She muttered before remembering he wasn’t used to her constantly having her helmet on. Raz reached up and removed it, revealing a face that was similar but notably more mature. She had seen genocide and experienced raw anguish since they had last met, and it reflected in her eyes.

Raz didn’t move any closer, holding her helmet under her arm as she surveyed him quietly, “Why were you alone?”

 

[The Eternal (?)]

Val definitely had to be dreaming, the last time he had seen Pip was years ago when the two of them and his men took on a pirate fort on all by themselves. There was no way he had heard her voice after all these years and on Phindar of all places where he got captured. Maybe the Imperial did do some screws loose through the beating but before he could do anything else, his vision already started to blur and Val was conscious enough to know what came next. His vision went black and he lost track of everything, the pain, the shock and all that weighed on his shoulders.

---​

What felt like an eternity to him, Val's eye eventually fluttered open and stared at the top of his tent, able to hear the sounds of men and woman outside through the fabric of wherever he was. His body was drained of everything he had, with no adrenaline no longer in his body he felt everything and his body wasn't gonna let him get out of bed if he wanted to. Slowly turning his head he gazed down at his stomach, spotting the bandage job that sported it before gazing over to his wrists, seeing bandages there as well where the chains rubbed deep into his skin and made it bleed. Val heard someone step inside before he could finish examining himself and he swung his gaze over to them, spotting the famous T-visor helmet and armor of Mandalorians. "You didn't shoot me?" Val asked slightly surprised despite her comment, attempting to sit up before it felt like an icepick slammed into his head and sent him back down again. He palmed his forehead with both of his hands as he groaned, "You should have shot me."

Glancing over again as the Mando took off her helmet, Val's eye widened at actually seeing Pip in the flesh now. Val didn't really know what to say, he was chalking it up to just mixing her voice with whoever rescued him after his head got beat in. But after a few moments he just closed his one good eye, "Holy shit, it is you Pip." Val had to breathe carefully, still feeling the slight movements reverberate throughout his injured ribs and making it even hard to speak sometimes. He kept his eye closed while he rested his arm on top of his forehead, enjoying the pressure from it. "Is being an idiot a suitable answer?" Val murmured, doing what he could to coast through his migraine and wait for it to pass.

 

[Raz Solus]

Raz eyed him quietly for a moment as he struggled to get up. Right away she could see blood seeping through his bandages as he began to cut his injuries open. She rolled her eyes, not telling him to stop either. She would observe and watch him make a fool of himself till he learned on his own. Sure enough, he plopped right back into the bed a moment later. As he mentioned that she didn’t shoot him, she grinned, “Well actually..” She almost blurted out the time she had shot him before remembering that he never realized that. Raz cleared her throat instead, running her fingers through her hair like she always did when she felt awkward.

“Should have shot you?” She gazed at him humorlessly, “Did some girl break your heart or something? If you want to off yourself, there are less theatrical ways to do it than walking in alone into an Imperial base,” Raz walked closer to him, ignoring much of what he said next as she began to undo some of the bandages. She knew he was utterly useless when it came to doing bandages, and she doubted that part of him improved at all over the years.

After a moment, she was done applying more of the salve, cleaning up the blood that had seeped through. Raz turned to look at him again, “I suppose the secret’s out. You know I’m a Mandalorian now. Raz Solus is my name,” She grinned sheepishly. Raz stepped back from the bed and walked over to pour him some water.

After she came back, she leaned in to help support his head with one hand, gently lifting him up to drink from the cup, “It’s foolish to go against Imperials now. They’re larger than ever and are actively striking out against everyone in their way. You should go into hiding, Val,” She muttered, stepping back after he was done taking his fill.

Raz rubbed her chin in thought, glancing away, “I’ll be back later. My soldiers are very suspicious of a lightsaber we found with a purple blade,” She rolled her eyes, “Not the usual red they see so they’re going nuts over it,” She began to step away to leave the tent.

 

[The Eternal (?)]

"No, my heart isn't broken but I'm afraid everything else is." Val caught her catching herself and he wondered if she did actually plan to shoot at him at first. "And yes, better then what I'm feeling in my head right now." Val's gaze followed once more as she walked over to him, slowly peeling away the bandages and revealing his battered abdomen. It was clear he had been tortured for a while, the skin still purple and healing even with the salve after hours of rest. It would probably take weeks for him to get back in his top shape but he pushed that fact from his mind now. Val laid there silently as she changed out his bandage, not really knowing what to say until she finally spoke again. "Thanks," The best he could do with his knowledge of medicine.

Val arched an eyebrow before chuckling softly, "I hope you know I'm sticking with Pip." The has always stuck with her since the moment it was given to her and he only referred to her in that in his head. When he heard the sound of water Val snapped his head toward it, his body reminded of how thirsty he was and clamping his throat down now knowing it's so close. He didn't resist when she lifted his head, actually grateful for it as he gulped down whatever he could. When she placed his head down he gave a few sputtering coughs before responding, "But let me guess, you'll continue to attack despite how larger and aggressive they are?." Both of them already knew the answer to that one.

Val was ready to just fall asleep again, either wait for Pip to kick him out or stay until he could heal at least somewhat better. He knew that Pip was still there and he didn't know why but when she spoke again his eye snapped wide open. "Wait," Val called out, shooting out his hand to grab onto the pole that was propping the tent up in the first place. He groaned the entire way up as his other arm cradled his stomach, Val's face in a permanent scowl because of the pain. He exhaled a view times before swinging his legs over, it feeling like his skin ripping along his stomach while he did even though no blood came out. There was already a thin sheen of sweat covering him from the effort and Val grabbed the sides of the bed, bracing himself to stand up.

After a couple seconds be basically launched himself into a standing position but his legs were so tired they couldn't support him the moment they did it, making him nearly fall into the table until he shot his arms out and steadied himself with it. Val coughed a few extra times before spitting on the ground and slowly turning to face towards Pip, "Alright, lead the way." The headache was enough to nearly make him pass out already but hearing that his lightsabers were found, Val would suffer through anything to get them back.

 

[Raz Solus]

Raz grinned at his words, “They may be bigger, but I don’t think they’re more aggressive,” She almost walked out of the tent before she realized he told her to wait. Raz turned to look at him, watching as he struggled to get up. This time, she made no secret of her displeasure, speaking in a flat voice, “You are wasting my supplies by repeatedly reopening your wounds. I’m not going to keep using bacta on you when my men and women need them,” There was an edge to her voice, and she found it difficult to keep her tone well mannered. She calmed down shortly after, realizing that there was no use being stern with him.

As he casually asked her to lead the way, she didn’t budge from where she stood. Raz stepped back inside, the tent flap closing once again. She eyed him for a long moment, as if seeing him for the first time. It began to dawn on her that he was always close to Imperial grounds. The pirates they had attacked years ago ended up having ties to Imperials, and today she found him as their prisoner. He had a retinue of soldiers when no such group should have been moving out and about on those obscure planets.

Raz took a few steps forth and reached a hand out to gently push against his chest. It would be enough to make him plop back down to sit on the bed. For a moment, she said nothing as she gazed down at him with a grave expression on her face, “Who are you?” Raz finally asked, locking her gaze with his, “Cut the bullshit. Why did the Imperials have you in a maximum security cell? Why did they want to keep you alive?”

All thoughts about the purple were forgotten as she cornered him. There was no denying the sliver of anger that shot through her. She was taking a risk by keeping him here. Her past with him began to conflict with her new role as her clan’s leader. She wasn’t the same young teenager anymore, and keeping him safe could very well endanger her people, “Start talking, Valentine,” She commanded, the jovial and friendly demeanor from before gone. This was the Mandalorian clan leader talking now, and her patience was thin.

 

[The Eternal (?)]

Val just stood there and took it, not really able to offer anything back as she was right and that he was more focused on being upright. He breathed unevenly, sweat still pouring down his body as it tried to heal itself. She was right and Val was wasting supplies for her people, he would leave once he retrieved his lightsabers. Pip had given him enough bacta already that he could the make the return trip back to his ship without too many problems at least. But he would need his lightsabers for that and there was no way in hell he was leaving without them, even if it meant having to sneak out of the camp and disabling a few guards. Val didn't say anything back, just giving her the look that he received her point.

When he saw Pip pause Val knew it was another obstacle he was gonna have to hurdle and Pip stepped back into the tent, making sigh softly as he saw the intensity of her gaze. It was easy to see the gears turning in her head and realizing the questions she failed to ask when they first met. He stayed planted where he was, his eyes tracking Pip as she came closer before putting a hand on his chest and pushing him back onto the bed. Val landed with a soft thud before giving a coughing spurt, wiping his mouth of blood before spitting a glob of it onto the ground as he looked up to Pip. He put his head into one of his hands, rubbing both of his eyes as a million thoughts came to his head. From one Imperial to a Mandalorian asking him questions, how it came around.

The steel in her voice was undeniable, causing Val to look up as she told him to start talking. He stared into her eyes for a moments before finally speaking, "Since we're revealing who we are I might as well, I'm a Rebel. But I wouldn't be surprised if you've guessed that already." Val paused for a moment, obviously thinking on past memories before speaking again, "I don't know what you known of Dantooine but I was there. Me, Rab, Hops, we were all there after the strike we committed and the Empire showed us just how unhappy they were." He smiled humorlessly, "I was in charge of an evacuation group and I led them down one of the tunnels before it collapsed in on us, nearly killing everyone that I lead. The rest of the squad went their own separate way after that and I've been trying to make up for my mistake ever since." It was the basic rundown of where he had been in the past, sparing the more gruesome of the details as he didn't want to recount any more of it.

"Reports are everywhere that the Jedi are eradicated and there's no stopping the Sith. Well, I've been doing my damnest to hunt them down in hopes they can turn the tide because we need someone. One of my contacts said he heard lightsabers were at this outpost and that's why I came here myself, I don't know I was hoping to find some clue or anything on them that could help me find the Jedi." Val shrugged his broad shoulders, now looking down at the ground before in the direction of the Imperial base, "I snuck in and finally found them in the CO's office, I actually had them in my hands before I got caught. Then they did the typical interrogation if I was a scout, knew about larger forces or if I knew anything about the lightsabers." Val then slowly brought his gaze to Pips, his amber locked with her dark brown, "That's the truth."

 

[Raz Solus]

Raz had been expecting him to beat around the bush or make more excuses. She was ready to actually deck him if he did so. After all that, when he actually opened up, she was beyond surprised. Raz remained silent as he spoke, hearing him out and keeping her gaze locked on his. She drank in every word, her face stoic and not betraying a single bit of emotion as he spoke. It was surreal hearing about all this. There had been ‘rumors’ about rebels, but this was the first time anyone admitted to being one.

His comments about the Jedi were especially troubling, and she sighed at the end. After he was done speaking, there was a moment of silence. Raz drummed her fingers atop her helmet for a moment, looking away. She paced slowly back and forth inside the tent, bringing out a cigarra and lighting it. Though the tent was large, the smoke would soon fill the air, but she was craving it for now. For a long while she said nothing, drawing in the smoke and blowing it out thickly.

“The Jedi are extinct,” She stated flatly, “Are the rebels so desperate they’re trying to chase after heroes in fairytales to solve their problems for them?” Raz lifted the flap of the tent and pointed outwards, “That’s what’s real, Valentine. Those men and women that are fighting, their families being butchered, people being slaughtered. The Jedi may have been there to save the day once a long time ago, but they’ve been butchered and slaughtered all the same. You are wasting your efforts, and you are endangering your people to do it.”

It was clear she was angry at the mention of Jedi, “Why would you ever place your faith in people that wield the same, horrific powers that the Sith do? Why would you ever want those that can change their stances at the drop of a hat to ever come back? With the Jedi gone forever, at least a large amount of the potential people that could become Sith are dead. The Jedi were monsters in their own right,” She paused there, pondering over her words for a long moment. After a while, Raz sighed, “I owed you a great debt, and I consider it paid now. You will rest here until you are healed, and then you will be on your way,” She met his gaze sternly, “I will be keeping the sabers for myself. There is nothing more to uncover from them,” Her tone was one of finality.

 

[The Eternal (?)]

Val didn't know how Pip would react, hoping beyond anything she would just accept it and just let him go to his lightsabers and then get out of her hair. She had her own moment of silence now, Val using it just to watch as she paced back and forth while also lighting her own cigarra. He just lowered his gaze as he clasped his hands together, looking over all the callouses and the tiny and small cuts he received over years. When she told him that the Jedi were extinct it made him nearly laugh, the irony of one sitting right in front of her now and that they had met years before. "No, this is a solo venture. I'm that desperate enough Pip." Val was desperate enough even though he may not have been speaking about this situation right now, they needed whatever they could to curb the empire and their endless slaughter.

Val was willing to do what needed to be succeeded and the fact that Pip stood there and lectured him about what was real set a fire in him that he never felt before. But knew who he was and what he was and as quickly as the fire came he fanned it out, still figuring out how to not act out on his emotion. He was so used to the soldier life that sometimes it was blurred but he was getting a better grasp. "You don't think I know what's real Pip? You don't think I know about the men and women fighting out there?" Val snapped his head to Pip, his gaze containing a new resolve that she had crafted. "I was there on Dantooine, when the Empire didn't give a damn what they were doing and bombarded us with everything. I was there in the tunnels when the rocks fell and crushed children and mothers trying to escape. I was there where the cave was so full of dust that people choked from their lungs caked in it and fell right beside me. You do not get to tell me what is real."

Val pushed off the bed, straining and grunting as he did while using the table so he was at least standing up as he breathed heavily, "You ask me why I have faith? Because right now I need to put faith in something to at least get-up and do it all again the next day. I have faith for the exact reason you laid out, they have the ultimate power at their whim but they choose not to use it as the Sith they do. They use it for the better, for the good of people." Val then laughed again humorously as he shook his head, "Maybe you're right, maybe a large number of people could have become Sith if they weren't killed. But how many people have actually died while the Sith remained unchecked?" Val let the question hang in the air, his tone no longer carrying the familiar feeling that used to be shared between them.

When Raz stated that she would keep the lightsabers for herself, Val grimaced slightly before shaking his head, "I can't let you do that Raz. As much as I appreciate you healing me, your people aren't the most... delicate when it comes to certain things." Val finally lifted his hands from the table, taking a few wobbly steps away from it so that he was standing by his own accord.

 

[Raz Solus]

She bristled at his words, a chink in her resolve forming after his last words that cut like daggers. She stared at him, her eyes betraying her rage. Whatever kinship she felt with him began to wash away rapidly, and her fingers curled into fists. Raz crushed the cigarra in her gloved hand, releasing some of the rage that began to wash over her, “If you want to have faith in something, have faith in your people. Have faith in the men that stood with you through everything,” Her tone was ice, “I saw those men, I knew who they were. They loved you like a brother and would have laid down their lives for you. For them to walk away from you…..you must have betrayed them in a way that you can never come back from. You have done something unforgivable,” She felt confident in her words. She had gotten to know them quite well, and for one of them it had been quite a close encounter.

“You are running,” She said sternly, crossing her arms over her chest, “You would rather chase after this delusional idea than face who you are and what you’ve done,” Raz scoffed and shook her head, “You are in no position to tell me what I can and can’t do. If the hospitality of my people is not up to your standards…” Raz opened the tent flap again and jutted her chin, a storm beginning to roar outside, “I welcome you to kindly get the kriff out. I recommend doing so as soon as possible before I forget you saved my life once. If you are not good enough for Hops, Rabbit and the others, you are not good enough for me."

Raz walked out of the tent then, feeling the cold rush of the wind right before a storm on her face. She never would have imagined regretting saving Valentine’s life. She had a hard time believing this was the same man she had actually put herself in danger for all those years back. She had gone back to help him and his men, she had gotten close, very close to one of his men. Whether she liked it or not, Valentine had been a part of her story. And now, she was walking away from a stranger and he was no better than just another prisoner to her.

Raz waited outside his tent for him to leave, scowling in his direction. She had her weapons at the ready if he considered the stupid decision to actually attack her. Raz had to keep her temper in check, her normally bullheaded nature threatening to creep through.

 

[The Eternal (?)]

Val went silent again, their gazes just meeting as he let Raz speak again. She didn't know the whole situation, the fact that he was a Jedi and what happened on Dantooine but it was obvious her words had his effect. When she mentioned his squad she would be able to see his jaw harden, a sensitive subject for them as he thought the same way of those men. She was near the whole truth but it was enough to hurt just the same. Raz told him he was running but really he was chasing, chasing any lead he could find about others like him. Val wished he could just burst her bubble and reveal his true nature but he knew how important the secrecy around it was and he kept his mouth sealed.

When she gestured to leave, of course, a storm had to roll in and Val could only smirk at the outcome of that. She told him to get the kriff out and Valentine would do just that, continuing not to speak as he reached for his clothes with a grunt. He slowly slipped on his shirt and jacket, ignoring the searing pain that was stabbing through his torso as Raz waited outside the tent for him. Valentine was angry but he didn't assume how angry her words actually made her. He didn't know why her thoughts of him burned into his mind, she went on one mission with them and now she used their names like they were the same thing. Val hadn't seen her in so many years and yet her words still struck him surprisingly hard.

After minute Val eventually exited from the tent, limping outside with one of his arms cradling his battered but bandaged stomach. He was still sweating and didn't look healthy at all and it was really a surprise that he was standing at all. Despite that, his eyes remained lock on Raz's, the scowl clear as day on her face. Other Mando's around them noticed their silent standoff and slowly stood up, some of them taking a few steps forward and even fewer taking out some of their blaster pistols as well. Val glanced around before nodding as he started to limp past Raz and toward the thick forest, "Thanks for patching me up, appreciate it." Like that, whatever they had before them seem shattered in an instant because of what he was.

The Mando's heads surrounding them followed Val as he exited from the base, not looking back as he got drenched instantly in the crazy downpour. Slowly he extended his reach to force as he walked, able to sense the signatures of the Mando's and able to tell if he was going to be tracked or not. Val would continue deeper as he went into the thick vegetation and left Raz's camp. He would continue walking for some time before he immediately veered right, ignoring the pain that blossomed through him as he started a jog in a wide arc back to the Mando camp. Val was going to get his lightsabers despite his condition, he wasn't going to let himself lose them in such a reckless way.

 

[Raz Solus]

Raz watched him as he left, her jaw tightening and her arms crossed over her chest. She had been thrilled when she first saw him, and all those feelings shriveled up as she saw his injured form leaving the camp. She couldn’t bear to keep watching, a part of her still nagging that she was letting him go out alone and unarmed. He was still healing and bleeding from his wounds, and if an Imperial caught him he would be dead in no time. Her mind clashed with itself, replaying his cutting words to her, which also clashed with when he had saved her life.

“Who was that?”

Raz was taken out of her thoughts when a fellow clan member approached her, “He is….was a friend,” She sighed, shaking her head, “Never mind that, make sure we’re ready to move out soon,” Raz stepped away, pushing the thoughts of Val from her mind as she walked back towards her tent. To think she had given up her tent to him made her blood boil now. He had spat in her face, and for what? To chase some legend that didn’t even exist? All of that meant more to him than his people, more than showing even the faintest of gratitude for her saving him. Raz slammed a fist down on a desk, growling in frustration. He was nobody to her, and that’s how it should remain.

Meanwhile, while Val was cutting back towards the encampment, a group of Imperial soldiers were approaching from the woods. They hadn’t spotted him yet, but he would have line of sight and sense them arriving. The clan wasn’t aware yet, preparing to pack up and leave the area. For a long moment, there was nothing but silence as the soldiers took up position and prepared their rifles.

Within seconds, blaster bolts began to fly from the cover of the woods. Several mandalorians that were walking along the outskirts of the tents dropped at once. Raz, hearing the noise, quickly darted out of the tent, grabbing her rifle and barking orders for everyone else to take up position. She knew retaliation would arrive, but she couldn’t imagine it would be so quick.

Thunder cracked above them and the first drops of rain smattered her armor and helmet. Raz ducked as a blaster bolt flew above her, peeking up to level her rifle and fire at a soldier before he could duck back behind a tree. She wasn’t sure exactly what kind of force they were dealing with until someone shouted “TAAAAAAAAANKS!”

 

[The Eternal (?)]

Val slowed down after a few minutes, his side no longer letting him able to jog around the camp and forcing him to walk. He breathed heavy, the air humid and his body already starting to be covered in sweat. Despite all that, Val couldn't help his mind from continually going back to Raz. Why couldn't she have just shown him the way to his lightsabers? They would probably still be on talking terms right now and he could be in the warmth of the tent and resting. The rain didn't care who was outside, the clouds emptying its contents as quickly as possible while Val heard thunder and saw some lightning in the distance. It was incredibly loud and nearly drowned out everything but something stuck out, it didn't mesh with the other sounds and it didn't sound natural at all.

Val slowly turned his head, staring into the clump of trees for a few moments. The weather made it incredibly hard to see but after a few seconds, his eyes widened, instantly diving for cover as multiple Imperials exited from the trees. The storm came in at a good time, preventing the tanks from being heard off in a distance and the men didn't have to worry about being quiet with the rain. Val was prone in some bushes, hearing the numerous footsteps of multiple soldiers before the rumbling of tanks. Knowing exactly where they were headed for, he cursed softly to himself wondering what to do now with the newest addition of Imperials. That's when the idea came to him and he remained still as possible, not even daring to breathe as soldiers passed and a tank shook the earth he was laying on. Just to be safe Val waited a few extra mins and that's when he heard blaster fire, the battle had just begun.

With time being of the essence and not knowing the ferocity or how long this attack will play out, Val had to move and he had to move quickly. He crawled into a standing position, hearing the fire and screams before making his way toward it, narrowly leaving in between the trees and back to the Mandalorian camp. Back in the battle, more soldiers flooded from the trees, taking cover behind the various pieces of rubble from the destruction of the previous Imp outpost. When the Mando shouted at tanks, the first thing Raz would be able to hear was the sound. It was like something big was moving through the forest, knocking trees as they heard the echo of it around them. Eventually, the tanks just came crashing through the tree's, knocking them down onto the Mando base camp as some of them collapsed onto tents or other things. The tanks and Imps didn't hesitate, unleashing their cannons as massive bolts flew into the Mando's. explosions of rock shaking the ground as rubble would fly everywhere and so would body parts. "WE NEED TO TAKE THOSE OUT NOW!" That's when Raz is able to see one of the tanks slowly turn it's gun, lining up the cannon with one of the makeshift towers of stone before launching a shell right into. She would be able to hear the screams from the men inside as the tower crumbled in on itself and collapsed.

The storm was getting more brutal by the second, darkening the sky above them and highlighting the laser battle that went between the Mando's and the Imperials. Despite the screams he heard, Val kept pushing, remembering what he could from when he exited the tent to find anything that stood out. When he reached the edge of the base he could see the whole battle, multiple carcasses of Imps and Mando's lay on the ground just the same, either body parts blow off or just simply ripped to shreds before the tank's guns. Val quickly pushed his gaze away from it, hoping not to see Pip as eyes went to a tent that stood larger than the rest, even larger then Pip's personal. It was the best guess he had on where his lightsabers were and the others were too preoccupied with the battle to worry about him.

Val quickly dashed to the tent, using the cover to hide his movements as some Mando's just rushed past him to meet Imperials. His injury was taking his toll on him and he could feel it sap away some of his energy after how much he is spending without any rest. He needed to get to the tent and fast, Val giving one more grunt of effort before getting to his feet and rushing inside the tent. Escaping from the rain, Val came to halt once he was inside, spotting a Mando standing there as he slowly turned around to face Val. "Shit..." The man didn't hesitate, pulling out a vibro knife and rushing to Val. The Jedi was tempted to pull out his blaster and just shoot him a couple times, considering his state but he also knew these were Pip's men despite that and he couldn't do that.

The Mando came in with a wide arc, making Val lean back and slap the man's elbow when he passed, forcing him to turn more after his slash with the extra power. Val immediately wrapped his arms around the man's throat, kicking in his legs so he fell to his knees while squeezing even tighter. The Mando tried to stab him in the wrist, raising his blade but Val quickly adjusted, moving his arm to grab onto the man's own wrist and pull his knife hand away. The man pressed his fingers into Val's face while he stayed there but he eventually slipped from consciousness and Val tossed the knife into the corner. With the issue taken care of his gaze quickly scanned the area around him before his eyes locked on his weapons, both of his lightsabers in the middle of the table with some credits surrounding it.

Val didn't even hesitate, reaching his hand forward as both of the weapons flew into each hand. The Jedi slowly exhaled, feeling complete now and not so exposed/naked. With his weapons, Val could easily cut a slit into the back of the tent and make his way out of here. He moved to do just that but the continuous fire of tanks and other blasters made him stop, grimacing as he glanced towards the direction of the firefight and the back of the tent. "Goddamnit..." He growled to himself before rushing to the back of the tent, cutting the slit before exiting and rushing out the forest.

 

[Raz Solus]

They weren’t prepared. There was no way to be prepared for this. They had planned on attacking the Imperials and leaving the area at once. They never could have fathomed that they had such a large force ready to mobilize so quickly. The storm raged on above and Raz was still crouched behind her cover, watching as a blaster cannon tore through the cover next to her and right through the soldier behind it. The man was torn to shreds, his viscera and limbs flying in different direction. Just hours earlier, he had been sharing stories about his newborn daughter with the other soldiers.

Further off to the side, she saw another soldier flying back from the force of the attacks. She was sent tearing through a tent, bringing the entire thing down above her. They were getting slaughtered like animals and there was nothing Raz could do to help them. She ran from cover to cover, priming a grenade as she tossed it at a group of soldiers that were advancing on them. She had to keep her wits about her to carefully aim. She breathed in deeply and exhaled softly, looking through the scope of the rifle. She had to focus and ignore the sounds of her dying brethren echoing in a chorus all around her.

After a moment, she fired her shot, this one hitting one of the tank operators right in the face. However, this didn’t stop the advance as there were several others. She picked another one off and the cannon began to slowly shift towards her. Raz activated her jump boots and darted to the side as her cover was blown to nothing. She landed with a thud in the ground, rolling through the mud and grass as the rain picked up.

For Val, this would be an explosion of misery in his mind. He would feel the anguish and agony of every soldier there. He would experience their hopes and fears being shattered, would sense the pains and sorrows as they thought of those they loved being torn from them. This was what it meant to be a Jedi. This was the pain of it, this was the reality of it, of feeling every visceral and emotional pain of life, to sense the realities of war and the brutality of it.

“Retreat!!” She called out to the others, demanding for them to leave and escape. They asked about her, but she waved them off, remaining behind. They were overwhelmed, but she was determined not to budge until every last soldier behind her was gone. Raz knew the weight of responsibilities that came from being a clan leader, and it was something she took on knowingly. She knew the lives of most of her people mattered more than her singular life.

The sabers were far and forgotten from her mind. She saw the Imperial forces continue to advance, and she stubbornly stayed where she was, now accompanied only by a few soldiers that were just as pigheaded and not willing to listen.

 

[The Eternal (?)]

Val was sprinting as hard as his body could let him, ignoring the sharp stabs that ruptured through his side where the ribs were. The fire and explosions continued in the distance, letting Val know that the Mandalorians were still alive at least and putting up a fight. Val's plan was to at least get around the back of the fighting force, cut down whoever was straggling amongst the Imperial's and think of a clever way to take out the tanks. He would figure out what he needed to do when he got there and Val breathed hard with an effort to reach the battle zone before everyone was killed. As he weaved through the tree's he could see the smoke trails and small fires around him.

Val was mid-sprint when suddenly his head exploded in pain but not just that, a mixture of everything else that was felt in this sorry place. The lightsabers immediately slipped from his grip as he reached up to grab his head, trying somehow to stop the pain while Val just fell to all fours with a thud. He opened his mouth to scream but nothing came out, the veins in his forehead and neck became pronounced from him straining. Val had never experienced this before and he didn't know how to describe it, it was like he couldn't feel his own body but at the same time experiencing the same pain the others felt through his body. It was a rollercoaster for him, having never experienced this before and him freaking out adding more to it, not only feeling the pain but sorrow as well tenfold. He was almost overwhelmed by it, suddenly ready to just lay there in pain as some Imperial could walk him up and shoot him in the back.

It twisted Val's stomach and he puked up the contents of stomach once again, having his fingers entangled with the grass as he grabbed clumps of it with his hands shaking. This was the first time he had ever been in a battle with his powers no longer dormant, the previous when he was a soldier and barely knew the force was a thing. This was completely new to him and it was nearly overwhelming him but Val tried to focus his mind best he could, honing in on it as flashes of Aurora, Leah, Master Reach, and others went through his head. It reminded him what he fought for and how many people relied on him, making something light inside him that stood out like a beacon compared to everything else. The pain, sadness and raw emotion that flooded him slowly started to slip away and was replaced by strength and a new fire that lit his core.

Val slowly stood up from the ground, wiping his mouth as he reached to a tree for support. The sound of the battle still ringed in his ears so thankfully he didn't miss it. Val stumbled forwardly slowly before getting back into his sprint, reaching out his hands as both of his lightsabers flew back to him. There was a new clarity to him now, knowing what had to be done and blocking the wave of emotion that hit him before. Instead of maiming him like before it now gave him fuel to keep going and eventually Val was climbing and jumping over rocks. He sensed other signatures and he recognized Raz's amongst them, making him glance around before spotting another one of those stone towers.

Building the force into his legs, Val rushed forward before leaping up, his hands finding the ledge before he pulled himself up and took cover behind one of the corners in the nest it provided. It gave Val a clear viewing of the ruins and the Imperials that were coming, two tanks in total and a platoon escorting it. They couldn't take this fight on straight on, now glancing over from his corner to find Raz and the small amount of Mando's still ready for this. These weren't the pirates they faced before, these were trained men now behind the controls. Val stepped back and glanced around, suddenly forming an idea as the four corners were also built supports to the top half of the stone tower.

Pulling out his lightsaber, Val carefully walked to the corner once more so neither parties spotted him, seeing the progress of the Imperial escort. The first tank would just be coming into view for the Mando's and just under the tower Val stood in. When it reached the tower, Val turned to the two back supports before activating his lightsaber quickly, the dark purple blade coming to life as he slashed the first support before the second. The structure groaned and before it collapsed in on Val, he deactivated his lightsaber before extending his hands forward and briefly caught the building in the force. It was certainly too heavy for him and he was too wounded to hold it up for long so instead he simply pushed it forward.

To Raz, she would suddenly see the tower start tipping forward, slight cracks starting to appear in before it fell to pieces above the Imperials. Some of the rocks landed on the soldiers, a couple of them looking just to see a boulder smash them. The tank was too slow to evade and the majority of the rubble fell on it, Raz able to hear a sickening crunch of metal and slight explosion as smoke suddenly started to pour out of it uncontrollably. The tower would be empty, Val having departed once he pushed and finding a new position to observe. He sat behind some cover, barely peeking over to see the Mando's. He hoped they just ran, there no point in wasting their lives to fight this and he hoped Raz was a good enough commander to see it.

 

[Raz Solus]

This was it. She knew this was their last stand. She could see the fields of Elysium in her mind, and she walked with Kad Ha’rangir, her fingers brushing past the grains as a gentle breeze fluttered through her skin. She could imagine it all so clearly. Perhaps it wasn’t so bad. Raz looked around at the others beside her, their faces trained forward. They looked so heroic, the helmets hiding the fears they felt. This was how they would remember one another. This was how they would die together, the last glimpses the traditional beskar’gam they wore, the tell-tale T visors that defined who they were. This was what gave them courage, and they drew it from one another.

The blaster bolts kept coming, the tanks kept advancing and entire chunks of their base was blown apart. On the comms she began to hear one of the soldiers begin to hum a tune, it was a traditional song that was sung about the great legends of the past. She listened to it, hearing a few other soldiers join in as they moved closer to keep firing. Their covers were getting blown apart, and they were running out of options. However, she knew that with each soldier they took down, it gave her people more time to run. It gave them one more chance, just that little sliver to pave their own path and tell the tale of what it meant to be Solus.

Raz drew in a deep breath and exhaled again, preparing to accept her faith. Her fingers flirted with a grenade, and she began to think about how to take herself out and as many of the Imperial shits as she could. Before she could act, however, the tower up ahead seemingly collapsed on its own. Raz was completely shaken out of her thoughts, her eyes widening at the sight. At once, the sick crunch of metal could be heard even from here. She watched as the thick plumes of smoke erupted and it immediately stopped the charge. There was another secondary explosion and it stopped the advance, the Imperials pausing and screaming as the fires began to spread.

She slowly began to smile beneath the helmet, “Kad Ha’rangir smiles upon us today,” She spoke into the comms, “Let us smile back,” With that, Raz shifted and darted directly towards the line of battle while the Imperials were in disarray. The Mandalorians were in the element, and their smaller numbers allowed for greater coordination, “Beskad only,” She whispered into the comms as she and the handful of soldiers dove into the mixture of smoke from the explosions and mist from the storms.

There was commotion, yelling and screaming from the Imperials. Most of them were shouting to go back as the Mandos had been eliminated. They had no visuals on one another. The remaining Solus members snuck into the fray, moving like shadows through the mist. Raz was crouched as she slinked through the lines, shifting towards the men by the remaining tank. She jutted out abruptly and clasped a hand around his mouth, slitting his throat and letting him slump to the ground. She kept moving, keeping a low profile and moving onto the next target to come up behind a man and jab the blade into his kidney.

Her men moved with the same deadly precision. One by one, Imperials kept dropping with a thud and no one could tell what was happening. There was a delay and no one could identify that soldiers were beginning to disappear. The focus was to kill the fires that began to spread and no one noticed that one of the tanks lost its entire crew in complete silence.

From Val’s perspective, he would begin to understand just how obnoxiously stubborn Raz and her people were.