The Mandalorian and Jedi agreed that he would be deflection duty with her firing behind him. Jake was careful enough where he wasn't going to deflect one of her shots onto himself, the Jedi didn't train him for nothing. They stand at the middle of the hallway beside one another as their Mandalorian opponents fire a few meters away from them. The shining halls were very obviously newly constructed, because the entrance was old and rusty, as if something made 4000 years ago.
A shot would occasionally fly over Jake's blade and go toward Daini but she was moving from Jake's left to his right as she fires. After years of a war, Jake knew to keep a close eye on someone when fighting them. The men in front of him were making no movement besides pulling the trigger. Jake sensed something wrong. Stalling, perhaps. Waiting in for more men so that they can overwhelm.
Jake couldn't deflect any more bolts then this. A skilled enough Jedi could, but he never spent enough time on the teachings of Soresu to be that fast. He spent too much time on the more aggressive forms. He couldn't defeat them like this.
"I hope you're a quick shooter." He says, talking louder than usual so that she can hear him over the blaster-fire. He didn't need to turn around or have her remove her helmet for him to understand that she has a confused expression.
He drops the saber's defensive positions and instead runs towards the Mandalorians. He ran up to one and sliced through his chestplate, then spun around and stabbed the other through the stomach. He didn't leave his lightsaber in the Mandalorian's melting intestines for long, not less than a couple seconds later he moved to slash aggressively at the next.
Daini continued to fire, but at the sides of the halls behind boxes instead of in the center of the hall. Jake slashes and cuts ferociously, with a new found skill and speed that Daini hasn't seen before. He clears out the room quickly after.
"Come on, there's more on their way. I'd like to meet them rather than wait." He says, flourishing his lightsaber's blue blade and already running forwards and down the hall.
He could hear her following after him as he ran, and he reached out with the Force. Where's my brother? He couldn't feel anything as he searched and felt the entire building and it's people and objects until he finally felt a familiar presence, that was faint with the Force. It was down two lefts and a right. He's cut off from his thoughts when the blaster fire of the Mandalorians appear, whizzing by him.
His lightsaber would block some of the shots, but he let many fly by him as he ran towards the Mandalorians to gain a true advantage. He once again started slicing, with Daini's shots coming from behind. These men were actually competent in hand to hand fighting, Jake could tell. The last group were reliant on their blasters and paid the price for it, but these men would have some fire as another tries to get him from behind without a blaster in his hand.
Jake had to block punches with one hand and shots with his other, which held the lightsaber. He questioned switching this tactic, but then he would leave himself open to the blaster fire. As a fist flies his way he ducks, and see's the sharp shine of a knife pointing out from the Mandalorian's fist. Part of his weapons compartment, Jake would assume. Jake tries to close in on the marksmen instead and slices ones gun tip and another's entire left arm. Unfortantely, he left his back open and felt a stab to his gut.
His lightsaber swung completely around, going from one mandalorian's arm towards the other's body. The lightsaber only grazed his armor. Jake could feel the mandalorian's smile of pride, but it quickly would've washed away because he got kicked in the back of the head, causing him to fall to the ground. Daini stood above him on the floor, digging her own wrist knife into his neck, inbetween the armor gap.
Jake doesn't waste any time watching, he turns around and slices towards the others as he uses his hand to hold his wound to delay too much blood loss. He'd deal with it. He's gotten worse injuries before and fought on. Jake could resist the pain and fight on, he had the will to do so and find his brother, but if he doesn't stop and get some care and rest in a few hours he'll definitely die from his wound.
Daini mixes her hand to hand combat weapons and blaster pistols as Jake uses his lightsaber to whip through. Soon these men also fell, Jake and Daini's combined strength overwhelming the Mandalorians. Once they're all down Jake and Daini don't wait another moment before running. Jake leads, with Daini following behind less than a meter away. Left turn, left turn, right turn.
They approach a hallway of doors where they find one last Mandalorian standing in front of them with a vibroblade. He was alone and in front of a door. He stood there as Jake and Daini moved closer, not changing his position. The young Jedi and Mandalorian pause two meters away from him.
"I am Vincan Sawvor, leader of clan Sawvor." He introduces himself before pointing the tip of his vibroblade to the door beside him. "Inside is your fellow Jedi. You have both fought honorably, and I wish to fight one of you in one on one combat. If you win, you get your Jedi friend back and an old Jedi or Sith artifact we found. If I win, I avenge my brothers and kill the three of you."
Jake and Daini share a glance, before Daini shrugs. They saw the light on his wrist for a comm glowing, proving that he is showing the message to his fellow Mandalorians so they know the deal. They both knew that it's probably not best for a injured Jedi that's slowly bleeding out to fight a Mandalorian clan leader, no matter how peaceful they may seem in comparison to other clans. Daini steps forward, leaving Jake at the side of the wall to think of any other and more efficient ways to slow his bleeding.
Sawvor is quick to jump forward, slashing his vibrobalde at her. She rolls to the side in response because she has no vibroblade of her own and she surely can't handle Jake's lightsaber or Jim's, which was hanging from Jake's belt. Jake watched him slashing and her dodging as he holds onto his gut. His worry only stemmed from the fact that Jim is in that room, and that his depended on this fight. Jake could not kill this entire building alone while trying to take out Jim, at least not with this injury.
Daini wasn't fighting anymore, instead she was reacting. What object of hers could fight a vibroblade? Jake tries to brainstorm.
Over a minute she did begin to throw some punches as Jake squirmed in pain at the wall, until Sawvor got close enogh to grab her arms, and roughly throw her into the other wall. He was quick to put his elbow at her neck, and Jake heard Sawvor's own wrist knife come from it's hatch on his arm. Her legs are free and the two have enough space inbetween. A rough idea comes to Jake's mind.
Stomach! Jake reaches out to Daini's mind, but he was too inexperienced with that area of the Force, so instead he points to his own stomach while standing up while leaning against the wall. Daini's eyes did probably flicker to him and she did see him pointing at his stomach. She got the message and when Sawvor moves his arm across her neck, about to slice it open with his wrist, she kicks his stomach.
Due to the armour her wore, he did not get an injury. But he did get thrown off her in shock and the sheer force she used in her kick. He steps back in a moment of surprise, which Daini uses to her advantage. Jake watches as she forces the vibroblade out of his arms with a kick, which he was stupid enough to not use. The vibroblade collapses to the floor. Sawvor's mind turns back to normal and begins racing after it but has failed. Daini has already grabbed it.
She holds it very closely to his neck, backing him into the wall. He looks around quickly for possible ideas of how to get out of this situation, but he falls short. She kept the distance between them and the vibroblade perfect. A true warrior under Pre Vizla.
"Your clan needs you. I can offer you-" Daini begins gets abruptly cut off.
"No." Sawvor replies, "You won. A deal is a deal."
"Where's the artifact?" Jake asks.
"My second in command will give it to you on your way out."
"Thank you. You fought honorably, Mandalorian."
And Daini sliced the vibroblade tip in between his armour and into his skin. Jake quickly moves to the door, and presses the button on it. The door slides open, revealing someone with light brown hair in the center sitting in the center of empty the room with his legs crossed.
"Brother?" Jake asks.
He turns his head, revealing his face. It's Jim. Daini runs into the room and throws her helmet off. He attempts to push himself up to stand, using his arm, only for him to fall. Daini ran and then went down to a crouch and wrapped her arms around him immediately, his chin laying on her shoulder. Jake also ran to Jim, and he removed Daini from Jim's arms to give his older brother an embrace.
It's been years, but finally he has seen his brother once again. At least one sibling of his is safe.
Jake parts away from his brother and stands as Daini puts her hands on Jim's shoulders in comfort. It seems Jim had a small smile the whole time, and for the first time since Jake met Daini, she had a look of relief.
"You wouldn't believe how much I've longed to see a face." Jim says, his voice slightly raspy. Jake realizes why his Force presence was so faint. He was drugged, Jake could tell easily.
Jake stood up while extending a hand, and asked, "Can you stand?"
Jim grabbed his hand, though his arm did seemed to do so almost lazily. Jim weakly gripped his brother's hand and Jake dragged him up. Jim kept a tight hold for someone with such lack of energy. But the moment Jim stood directly on his legs, he almost went limp completely, Jake and Daini reacting instinctively to prevent him from falling. Jake grabbing him by the arm and stomach while Daini rose to get his shoulders.
"Are you both alright?" Jim asked as he used their shoulders to hold himself up to stand. Jake couldn't believe that Jim was asking that question, when they should be asking him that question.
"I won a duel for our lives. You're getting out of here." Daini tells him softly, in such a way that Jake could hardly tell that she was Daini
Jim's head went down and he smiled smally, and almost pitifully. "Will we?"
Daini held onto his hand and smiled to him, "Yes, you're safe now."
Jim lets out an exhale of relief and then looks at his brother. Even after all this time, Jim still looked slightly down to look at his brother.
"Did you get taller?" Jim asks him, his face looking puzzled for a moment. Jake holds back a chuckle before patting his brother on the back lightly.
~
The ship was starting up as Jake sat at the ramp. The Mandalorians had told them that they had recieved Jim by another clan, and they weren't told why he was captured. But for their own safety and because Jim was already drugged, they kept him in there. A part of Jake felt bad. That was a lot of Mandalorians that were kille for something they had no part of. But the glee of his brother being back overpowered his surge of regret.
Jake watched the crystal water fall into the pond as a Mandalorian bounds it up. After so, the Mandalorian leaves. Jim and Daini were in the barrack, Jim probably sleeping and Daini guarding, as EO watched the ship's systems. All that kept them on Dxun was the artifact. Jake didn't really care of the artifact, but it had pitched his curiosity.
A Mandalorian in green armor that matches the vegetation, making her almost blend in, walks up to him.
"Sawvor promised you this. It's a Jedi or Sith artifact made from at least 4000 years ago. We found it while doing a sweep of the outsides of the old walls and base here. We are unable to open it." She says and she hands it over. "Good luck."
Jake examines the object in his hand. A holocron. Except it was the strangest holocron Jake had ever seen. It was not a Jedi square or a Sith triangle, but instead it was a rhombus. Jake called upon the Force to open it. It floated over his hands for a moment but wouldn't budge. Whatever information was stored inside wasn't his to learn, because Jake was well aware that holocrons usually only if they grant the readers "worthy" of it's contents.
Jake questions if he should destroy it, but that would be a waste of it's potential. If he finds someone who can open it one day, then perhaps he can learn what's inside. The Mandalorian said it was ancient, so it must have something interesting inside. He'll get Jim to try to open it later, when he can call upon the Force fully.
He walks up the ramp and closes it, walking to the cockpit. He sits down and pulls the lever, directing the ship up. The ship then goes upwards and heads to the atmosphere. He chooses not to go to Onderon, which is Empire controlled now, and instead the opposite direction. He puts The Guardian into a normal speed of flying and tells EO to control the ship and alert him if there's any trouble
Jake then walks to the barrack, where Jim and Daini are talking. Daini had her helmet in her lap as Jim had his now returned lighsaber on the floor. They both silenced and turned to Jake when he walked in.
"So where's Aunt Ell? Wouldn't she usually join along on these type of missions?" Jim asks, trying to make conversation. Jake and Daini share a nervous glance before Jake looks at his brother.
"Jim... Aunt Ell... She's dead." He says slowly and sorrowfully, "She died five years ago, when the Jedi were purged."
Jim looks to the floor, not letting anyone see his face before asking shakily, "I've been in there for five years? And the Jedi were purged? What do you mean by purged?"
"Five years ago, only a couple days after you left for Umbara, Ell and I were in the Temple like any normal day. But then the entire 501st and their general stormed in... and they started killing everybody. Even younglings." Jake says, his voice as calm as he could make it.
"Why didn't you help her?" Jim looks up at his brother with anger.
"Because she wouldn't let me. Trust me, I tried."
Daini puts a comforting hand on Jim's shoulder. He puts his face in his hands for a few moments before recalling his Jedi training and looking up again.
"Do you know if anyone survived?" Jim asks.
"It's unlikely they killed every single Jedi, especially if someone such as Jake lived." Daini says, earning a glare from Jake for the insult.
"If Master Windu or Master Yoda survived the Order would have started rebuilding by now. And our masters are dead."
"Who's in rule? Why did the 501st attack?"
"Not just the 501st, Jim. Every clone. That's how great the Jedi were purged. Your kind were being killed all over the galaxy." Daini says, "And in the fall of the Republic rose Palpatine's Empire."
"Palpatine? He's the Emperor? I knew we should have never trusted him." Jim says, standing up and leaning on the bed, in regret. "Who do you think could have survived?"
A moment passes by before Jake speaks up, "Obi-Wan."
"Who's-" Daini begins.
"He was the master Jedi with us when we left Mandalore, Daini. He covered up for us three." Jim tells her, answering her question in advance, "Why do you think he could survive, Jake?"
"Well, I mean he's very skilled and intelligent enough to outsmart the clones. And the Jedi Temple sent out a message. I never got to watch it but I believe that if anyone can get in that Temple it would be the defense master. Especially if he had another Jedi with him." Jake says, "He was in the outer-rim. On Utapua. The only clones that could've been there were his own legion because Utapua was a neutral planet. And at least ten-percent of his legion were gone and went searching for his apprentice."
Jim thinks of this carefully, and finally accepts his brother's idea with a nod.
"I'd trust him to rebuild with us."
"Wait, did I miss some of this conversation? Who said we're rebuilding the Jedi?" Daini asks.
"The Empire is a threat. We need the Jedi to get the galaxy out of this despair. And just me and Jake aren't enough." Jim says.
"But that's just it. The Empire will kill you all before you can even attack."
"We're not gaining that much numbers quickly, Daini." Jim tells her, "Before we completely restart the Order, the Emperor and his Sith must be destroyed."
"And why do you care so much of the Jedi Order's fate?" Jake asks her.
"Because Jim's a part of it. The Empire will kill you or turn you to the dark, and you have said yourself years ago, Jim, that being a Sith is worse than death."
"So we should let the Empire continue doing what it's been doing to Force-sensitives? Because of one person?" Jim asks, "Daini, a Jedi's life is sacrifice."
"She's a Mandalorian, she wouldn't understand that." Jake says, and Jim puts his arm on her shoulder, stopping her advance towards Jake. She looks at Jake with pure anger. "Your dead pasicfistic duchess decided her reputation was more important than an entire ship's life by not shooting someone. She wasn't that admirable."
"On that, we agree." Daini says. "Satine was not only shameful, but forced us all to take her shameful views. She got what was coming."
"Daini," Jim says, "You weren't there. You didn't see how she was killed. It was-"
"Our dislike for that failed attempt at changing Mandalore is off topic. Jim was right. Our lives are sacrifice. We may be forced into it at childhood, but it's what we grew to be. I'm not going to stand around and let the Empire continue it's tyranical rule. The four of us are enough to go around the galaxy and search for masters because Jim and I cannot rebuild alone." Jake says.
Daini walks a couple meters away from them and turns her back to the Dynast brothers, staring at the wall. Jim says, "So we will start with searching for Kenobi."
"And we already have a lead on where he could be." Jake says. Jim holds a confused expression on his face. "Dantooine."
"Tatooine?" Daini asks, "Why would Kenobi go to Tatooine of all planets?"
"Dantooine. I said Dantooine." Jake tells her. "You heard me wrong."
"Why would Master Kenobi go to Dantooine?" Jim asks.
"Because he knows that's the last place Kaylie was seen." Jake answers. "Wouldn't he try to find her? Especially since he accidently sent the clones her way and put her in danger? He'd want to make sure she's okay."
"He's not that invunerable to his emotions."
"You don't know him as well as I did. He's gone through a lot with both of his apprentices. I think he would have checked on his second one after losing his first one." Jake says.
"And what do you think we're going to find on Dantooine? It's been five years." Daini returns to the conversation.
"A clue."
"A clue? Really, Jake?" Jim says in disbelief.
"A clue helped us find you. Ell always said to have faith in the Force. Let's do that." Jake says.
Daini adds, "Dantooine isn't Empire controlled. We'll have a lot more freedom there than most planets to search around. And I don't mind looking for Kenobi. He seemed like a decent man."
"Fine. We will go to Dantooine. I think we should check out the old destroyed Jedi Enclave after maybe the hangar. Maybe he or Kaylie would have been searching around in it because it does hold a lot of history." Jim says to them. "But what if we find nothing there? Then what?"
"Now, now. Let's see if we can find him first."