"Even if he stopped their primary production facility and they can't produce the big boys anymore, I'd bet there are other locations pumping out these variants." I don't shoot, simply keeping my blasters aimed at it as it slinks forwards, but it's in no hurry, almost as if it's waiting for something. "Not to mention, I don't think it's alone. It's waiting."

I keep a close eye on the droids movements, slowly spacing my feet so that I may leap into action at a moment's notice. "So, what are you thinking? Stick around to fight it and it's potential pack mates? Or make a run for the shuttle and hope there isn't another one waiting inside... if that's even an option."

I slowly move backwards, watching the doorway behind the droid, the droid and the walkway we were on. "Keep an even pace towards the shuttle, but watch our rear, I'll watch the front. Hopefully we're not moving towards its help."

I turn towards the shuttle, making sure to move with slow, deliberate steps. Whoever the last person who tried to use this shuttle didn’t last very long, as the blood on the ramp proved. I could not sense any danger from inside, but that didn’t prove anything seeing as how I didn’t sense the cat droid tailing is this whole way either.

As soon as I set foot on the ramp, my fears were justified as a second feline droid stalked out from the cockpit area and locked its glowing eyes on me. “Uhh, Mando...” before I can say anything else, the droid springs into action, flying towards me with claws and razor tail lashing. I barely manage to duck out of the way in time. “Time to fight!”

Instead of opening fire with my blaster pistols, I holster one and aim the at the one leaping at Hayden with only my wrist before firing a concussive blast at it, knocking it over the edge of the landing pad, though we can hear the sound of it's tail catching the edge made me frown and meant, that as I blasted the other with a wrist rocket and sent it sailing into the other two coming through the door way, we didn't have much time. "Get on that shuttle and go!"

I activate my jetpack and fly low, peppering the one who's tail was allowing it to climb back up with bolts, even though it didn't seem to do much. Swapping tactics, I blast it with another concussive blast, knocking it off it's tail, but it's tail remained firmly caught. And my thanks for the blast was a flurry back from it's hidden turret. "Hurry!"

I run at Force augmented speed into the shuttle, hitting the ramp controls with my elbow as I go. The ramp begins to close as the droids charge towards us. As one tries to climb aboard after us, I unleash a blast of kinetic energy towards it. However, it digs its claws in and is only pushed back a little bit. The ramp is unable to close as the droid’s head and arms are wedges between.

With an electronic roar, the droids claws and bites, trying to reach me through the small space. I back out of range, then begin to hack at the droid, trying to sever its head and knock it off the shuttle.

Hayden would find her strikes were mostly ineffective against its armor plating, but that wouldn't matter as it was soon yanked out of the ramp as I did a flying tackle into it. I carried it off the edge of the platform, far enough away it couldn't use it's tail to save itself, and then stop, letting it fall into the depths of the city-planet. "You're clear, get out of here, quickly!" I zip around to blast the one still hanging off the edge with my concussive blaster again, trying to keep it off balance. I hadn't seen any others try and come through the doorway we'd come out here through, but I wasn't about to try and get through there when Hayden left.

I run to the cockpit and begin flipping the switches to activate the ship. With more care than is probably necessary, I place Jude in the copilot seat and strap him in. “Not much time for a preflight check.” I skip a few steps as I ready to lift the shuttle up. With a slight stutter in the engine, it rises off the platform and blasts off in the direction of the hotel. Belatedly, I look back towards the Senate Tower. “Don’t die, Mando. You’re one of the few people left I actually kinda like.”

As soon as Hayden is clear of the landing pad, I put significant space between myself and it, watching as the cat that had been hanging by it's tail finally pulled itself up. Unable to get me or Hayden, the droid lets out a howl that is echoed all across the Senate building and my blood runs cold. I speed towards the front of the Senate building, even as the droids stalked back inside. This might not be the safe location we thought it was.

I, along with Hunter and two other Mandos, have retreated to higher up in the hotel. The model three Sith Hunters, the humanoid ones, proved to be a lot more of a hassle than expected. We destroyed most of them, but more have since arrived and are trying to make their way up to the command center. I fused the stairwell doors shut, but that will not hold them for very long.

I take out my commlink, blowing the hair out of my face. I can hear the banging from the doors as the droids try to force their way in. “Jerus, please tell me you are having an easier time up there then we are down here.”

I duck behind cover again as the two droids unleash another volley of fire with support from the Republic troops behind it. "It's hard to say. The Republic's trying to hold until their droids in the hotel take the command center, but they're running out of troops to spare on this attack. I can't get away though."

“Great. They’re trapped up there, we are trapped down here.” As the banging continues, I ready my blaster rifle. The other two Mandalorians do the same.



I raise my hand to hold them. “We aren’t trapped. The droids are. But they will break through soon. We need our best to stop them, but the Republic Troops up top are keeping them occupied.” I look at Hunter. “We may need to give up this command post. Relocate somewhere else.”



One of the two Mandos shakes her head. “That isn’t your call to make, Jedi.”



“Of course it isn’t. It’s Hun... I mean Kam’s call. Mand’alor left him in charge, along with a meager garrison of warriors to defend this place.” I hold both hands up defensively. “Now, I don’t mean to criticize your leaders tactics, but I believe she expected the battle to be a lot shorter than this, and that the Republic would be too focused on her offensive to think to go after her home base. Now we’re here, undermanned and surrounded. Either a miracle occurs or we get out while we can.”



I pause to think about what Becca is saying, the banging non the doors punctuating the direness of the situation. “Alright. I’ll give the order to wipe all of our data from the computers, then we can make a plan to regroup elsewhere. Mand’alor won’t like it, but it might be the only way.”



“I’ll hold out here. You take these two and get going.” I look into his helmet visor, hoping to catch his eyes. “Make sure Korre gets out safe. I’m leaving her life in your hands.”



I wanted to argue, but the intensity of Becca’s glare made it impossible. I nod my head slowly. “Alright. Come on, guys. Good luck to you, Becca. We will see you at the rendezvous point.” I motion to the two Mandos and head off towards the upper levels.



I watch them go, then turn to face the doors, activating my golden blade lightsaber in Ataru form. There was no way I could stand against those droids alone, but I could at least buy everyone time to get out.

It was... *sigh*... the Jedi thing to do.

Another bolt pings off my shoulder plate as I close with the pair of troopers and cut them down, my sabers singing as they cut through the armor and the men underneath it. Another Mandalorian, Geralt Fett, fought with me, his twin Beskad matching my twin sabers in pace. "You're needed at the command center." I grunt, deflecting another shot back at it's owner.

"And I'm needed here to help hold of-" The man cuts me off as he dodges another shot from a nother trooper, cooking him in his armor with his flamethrower.

"This battle is won, the Republic is just taking it's time. Go and aid in the defense inside. If you don't, I'll cook you next." I start to argue and then realize he's right. The gunships were flying in support now, trying to take out positions that we had secured without giving the anti-air a solid target for too long. Overall, I really was just wasting time and if we broke the attack by those droids...

"Fine, but if any of you die, I'll kill you." Jetting back towards the hotel, I opt to bash in through one of the windows instead of going through the doors, knowing that opening them would unintentionally present the gunships an opening to really do damage, plus it would get me closer to where I needed to be. Setting down, I shake my head to get the glass off me. "Becca, I'm coming to you, what floor are you on?"

“I’m on level 3. Currently holding the humanoid hunter droids at the stairwell.” The doors bang again, and this time they sent in a bit. “At all costs, we can’t let them get to the upper floors. We have wounded that can’t defend themselves.”

MEANWHILE



The medical bay is a mess. I sit with a kolto patch wrapped around my head, watching as a medical droid lifted Jakito Twilight out of a kolto tank. In the corner, a second droid is 3D printing a prosthetic arm for him. Then there was Korre, who seems to be the main attraction of our chaotic circus show.

Senator Naberrie is close by her bedside, and a swarm of tiny medical droids zip circles around them, working to the best of their programming to make her labor as easy as possible... which I imagined wasn’t easy. The girl wasn’t ready to give birth. Sucal might have accelerated the gestation, but Korre’s body was still lagging behind. To be honest, part of me doubts she will survive, and if she does, she will be permanently damaged. Hopefully whatever magic Xan was weaving over her head would at least help in some small capacity.

Outside, I can hear the battle raging on. I want to join them in the defense, but I still feel weak on my feet, and when I move too fast, the room spins. I would have to stay here for now... but if any Republic soldiers get through the defense, I would not stand aside and be killed easily.

Running into the hall, I head for the stairwell, passing the makeshift medical bay with both sabers in hand. I was on level six and had three levels to get down. Meeting with Becca in the stairwell would allow us strength of three sabers, but if I went down the elevator shaft..."Bingo." Reaching the doors, I level my wrist and fire a rocket, blasting them open with a dull thud to those below. The elevator chassis itself was down a level, but that offered an excellent distraction. Or lure.

"Becca, I'm coming to you right." I level the orange bladed saber with the wire holding the contraption itself. "And, uh, be ready to push into the droids." A flick of my wrist sends the thing careening down towards the bottom of the shaft and after a count of three, I jet after it. Meanwhile, the droid handlers, as the position had been called in the official records, heard the sounds coming from the shaft and frowned.

"Wanna check that, Harold?" The one nearest the shaft sighs and nods, going over and prying it open. The effort takes a moment, but once it's done, he leans over to look up towards the noise, just in time for the falling hunk of metal to remove his upper body. The other handler, Transon, jumps back. "HOLY SHI-" The word is cut off as a blaster bolt lances from my pistol. Landing and looking around, I frown. Why hadn't they been with their droids?

"Sonova-" Sprinting, I head for the stairwell I could hear pounding echoing down the hall from. "Almost there Becca."

Shortly after Jerus finishes speaking, the doors are bashed open and 5 humanoid Sith Hunters rush in. “Oh great. They brought help.” I raise my lightsaber and charge in, immediately clashing with the closest droid’s vibroblade. With my usual Echani style, I duck and weave my way through the group, deflecting blows from all sides. If only the droids were slower, I might have been able to use this to my advantage, but their reflexes were better than I could have imagined. But if I couldn’t beat them, I could at least keep them distracted.

Coming around a corner, I back pedal just in time to avoid a violent vibroblade slash from one of the droids in the hall, which chases me around the corner and attacks again. Blocking the slash with my silver blade, I pull a plasma grenade from my belt with the Force and jam it into the neck socket after priming it as I'd lifted it. Jetting backwards, the high-heat explosive almost instantly turns the droid into slag as I jet around the corner and spot three more droids between Becca and I along with the ones she was engaging. "Never simple." Deactivating both lightsabers, I focus a powerful Force Push between the palms of my hand before unleashing it, knocking the three droids into their fellows to buy Becca some breathing room as I run over to her.

"So, I'm about done with these Sith Hunter droids."

“Yeah, me too.” I move to a better vantage point, readying myself for the droid’s next wave of attacks. “I have Hunter making preparations to evacuate if necessary. At the very least, get our wounded out until we can finish clean up here.” The droids start towards us again. “Let’s not let them down.”





Upstairs, I sent the two Mandos to the command suite. If the situation got any worse, they would wipe the data and sound the evacuation. I am on my way to the medical bay. On my way, I encountered a few small pockets of Republic soldiers, but I make short work of them. Breathing heavily, I whisper to myself. “This is going all wrong. I don’t know what to do.” For some reason, I could feel myself reverting to my previous self; my weaker self. I thought I’d buried it a long time ago, and given into Kamari’s confidence. But now, surrounded by droids and enemy troopers...

In my mind, I can hear my father’s voice: “Mercy.”

I sigh and shake my head. “I don’t know what that means! Why don’t you ever tell me anything by important?”

“Mercy.”

“That’s what I thought you’d say.” I continue towards the Med bay, trying my best to avoid any further confrontations.

I grimace as she says she had them go begin wiping the data. "This is the last group here, the Republic's in tactical retreat outside. We just need to finish off this last major offensive and hopefully their ranks will fully break." The droids began to pick themselves up and turn towards us and I bring my sabers to bear. "On the upside, their handlers are dead, made sure of that."

"Good work. Hopefully they don't send in a replacement. You should know by now that 'tactical retreat' is just another word for 'gear up for round two' Hopefully Ava's army can end this before that happens." I step forward and raise my blade just in time to parry a strike from the nearest droid, then I spin down to slash at it's knees. My lightsaber cuts a streak in the armor, but doesn't go all the way through. Typical Sith Hunter plating.