Chapter 007:

Chapter 7: From the Dumpster into the Fire

34 BBY (Before Battle of Yavin) - 2 Years before Canon

Sector/System: Mandalore

Location: Above Planet Mandalore

"Hold on tight, this is going to be a bumpy ride!" I told Sera while using one hand to strap myself into the seat, watching her do the same.

Right after I activated the overclocking of my engines which gave me a speed boost that allowed me to barely stay in front of the missiles, there were only two but who is to say more won't come?

I did a quick roll to the right, followed up with a steep dive down.

"Sera look at the sensors and find out what missiles they are, these are too good to be from pirates." I ordered in the harsh tone I used, back when I was about to leave the shipyard.

"On it." Sera gave her answer, short but to the point and just when she was to type on the console to follow my order, I pulled on the steering wheel, making us rise back up steeply.

I still have no idea how I can do this at all, but something compels me to just follow the instincts or sense and I do just that.

I mean it has not failed me yet, when I did agree to follow it in the fighting, it was almost as if someone was there yet was not there.

'No time to think… fuck it, hope the bigger ships can assist or at least have their shielding still in good shape.' I thought quickly, barely following this weird sense that told me to steer straight at an enemy ship.

'Fuck it… this is do or die might as well follow this feeling.' I thought this mainly due to it having saved me, for this long already, and following it lets me evade the missiles or laser fire from the ships.

"The missiles are our own…" I heard the shocked Sera tell me.

"Fuck, CHUCK!" I yelled into the coms in pure anger, getting a reaction right away.

[Kid it ain't us! you got a fighter on your tail.] I heard him tell me

"Is it 'Slave 1', if it is, it's Jango here to deal with me for whatever reason." I said while turning my ship in a sharp left downward spin letting me barely evade the enemy ship's bridge.

*BOOM!*

Somehow it worked out when one of the missiles hit the bridge exploding in a bright flash of light, leaving nothing remaining where it hit the ship.

[No, it is a headhunter fighter, but it's definitely an Elite pilot, those moves are too good and advanced.] Chuck answered me

"Alright you and the others keep going back to your new home, I got a bone to pick with the guy, he's been on me ever since I arrived in Mandalore space." I growled out

— — — — — 

While this happened, on the bridge of the biggest converted freighter way in the back.

"Commander that is the 'Wayfarer' and we lost contact with all who went to the shipyards." A green-skinned Twi'Lek spoke up.

"So Buzz is dead then, good riddance." Zorbak the Zabrak captain mumbled out.

"Good then the plan to clean up is going well. Are all the experienced personnel on the ship, Zorbak?" The beautiful Human, Hutt executioner and current commander asked.

"Yes ma'em, the only one left out is the pilot and headhunter trying to shoot down 'Wayfarer'" Zorbak mentioned right away

"Good, start a timer for 5 minutes, and tell that pilot to finish the hunt in that time or return when the timer runs out. Because we will be leaving and leaving them behind," she said in a cold tone of voice, which gave Zorbak chills down his back.

'We do not have much time left, if we do not leave soon, we will be unable to leave at all, at least the Hutt bastard will be weakened immensely losing this much, that up-and-coming Hutt will likely take him out and take everything he has left. Sigh, guess I will lose my job soon enough.' the woman in question thought.

"These Mandalorians are working better together than they did when they all arrived bit by bit… Seems they got a capable leader who is well regarded or this weird mix would not do this well and would have fought among themselves." Zorbak said taking her out of her thoughts.

"It was a matter of time until we got too close to Mandalore, but the secondary objective is already complete Zorbak. We know more about their current power and numbers in space, how many did we take out?" the woman stated with a request at the end.

Zorbak stayed silent looking dead ahead into the space battle, unwilling to answer it.

"Zorbak…" she asked her gaze on him making him grumble a small curse under his breath.

"Non-commander… nothing at all. Any ship or fighter, that we damaged was pulled back before it would become a real issue… their leader knows what they do, combining all aspects of each faction to such an extent." Zorbak spoke up begrudgingly showing some respect to be heard in his voice.

"Interesting, time is up tell the hunter to return now or be left behind." she ordered.

'Dam woman… so good looking but so deadly. almost like a night sister…' Zorbak thought to himself feeling the sense of dread grow making him pale and shake in fear.

The woman in question looked at him with a side eye so intense he could almost feel something surrounding him.

"Hunter back on board." the same Twi'Lek as before called out.

"Then send word of retreat, as long our ship and the five near us get out, this entire ordeal was worth it. All the disloyal elements will have been dealt with." the woman was heard saying making all the people on the bridge start sweating in fear at how disregarded their fellow faction members had been.

'True to her job as an executioner… at least we managed apparently to complete a secondary objective or I doubt any of us would be left alive.' Zorbak shuddered at the thought.

— — — — — 

Back with Jack, we could see his ship fly all around the place in an erratic movement, with no sense left of procedure moves to try and dodge.

When the alarms went off that even more missiles had been launched, Jack flew in the direction of the Allied fleet.

"This is 'Wayfarer' too many missiles on my six! Need some cover asap!" Jack growled over the communicator connection he had with the allied fleet.

No response came, making Jack sweat in frustration about this endeavor.

"Note to self, if we survive upgrade the bloody ship!" Jack grumbled

Just when Jack and Sera thought they were done for a group of four corvettes flew over from the Mandalorian side spraying laser fire behind them.

"The enemy fighter pulled away." Sera's unmodulated voice sounded out making Jack confused hearing such a young and soft voice.

The four corvettes had destroyed the missiles easily enough, and took up a X-grid screening formation around Jack's ship, with his ship being in the center.

[Return to clan grounds… the Chief wishes to have a word with you.] came the voice of a man that somehow made Jack feel goosebumps, and he did not know why.

"Understood will be going there now, sensors show the enemy retreated after the last volley of missiles." Jack mentioned quickly distracting him from that feeling of dread.

[We won't chase but only follow making sure they leave, I will not leave openings to be exploited… oh and Jack…] Came the voice again.

"Sir?" Jack answered in slight confusion and fear.

[Welcome home, glad you're back in one piece.] the voice mentioned, making Jack breathe a sigh of relief.

"Thank you it is good to be back." Jack started saying this when he paled from the next words.

[That way I can grind you into the ground myself… Hahahahaha! Welcome home kiddo welcome home.] the voice said ending in a laugh that sounded so evil to Jack his hands could be seen shaking.

That was when the connection was cut.

— — — — — 

Jack's POV:

'Fuck, why do I feel like this? Who is that man? why can't I control my body? did it lock up from fear? what is this feeling?' I wondered in my head, unable to shake off the thought of looming death.

"The engines sir." Sera's unmodulated soft voice sounded in my ears, shaking me from my thoughts and apparent locked in fear body.

"Right, we're no longer in danger of being hit by missiles." I pressed the command for engine overclocking to be stopped and saw some moderate damage due to the long duration and all the maneuvering I did.

"So why the real voice?" I asked Sera.

When she turned her seat my way and took her helmet off.

"To show my sincerity and willingness to be on your side, I am not an enemy I am here to prove myself and regain my honor." Sera said.

When I looked her way I could not look away, she was just that beautiful to me. I had seen many good-looking and beautiful ladies in my old world, but somehow my body could not look away from her.

I saw this caramel-colored young woman with dark brown flowing long hair kept to the right side of her face with brown eyes.

'Slightly pointed ears, so not fully human but easy to be mistaken as one.' I thought with a slight gulp looking in front of me.

"I see, but to me looks are secondary, actions are what matters most to me. If you wish to regain your honor, to prove yourself worthy, then this is a good first step I guess." I said with a shrug of the shoulders.

I could vaguely hear her sigh in relief, I guess it mattered more that I reacted but…

"You like what you see… I should have known you are a man after all around my own age as well." I could hear her deprecating voice, aimed at me or herself I'm not too sure.

"Well to show you some goodwill… this is my voice." what came out without the voice modulator was still a voice-making that would make you think I was way older than I am.

My voice sounded gruff but with the undertones of a baritone or bass, I was not sure what to call it… I think it is closer to a bass in sound.

Looking at her widening eyes, I guess my voice had the same effect on her, as her looks had on me.

I reactivated my modulator.

"That is the reaction I tend to get from women… so I guess you like what you heard, seems we are in the same boat now. Hahaha!" I said laughing at the end.

"I guess so…" she said putting her helmet back on and reactivating her modulator as well.

We will be reaching the compound soon. This is going to be a long day.

I saw a large area close to a massive mountain range with a few landing platforms where I could see a large group gathered with the Kom'rk and Fang fighters parked to one side leaving a large opening for my ship to land on the other side of them.

When I landed, Sera and I walked outside to be met by the glaring sun of Mandalore in the desert heat, I saw the temperature rise from a comfy 20 Celsius all the way to 45 Celsius and that was with the sky filled with clouds and us still being in the shade.

I pressed a button on my gauntlet retracting the ramp and locking up the ship.

All done I looked around me with Sera walking right behind me in a guarding or follower position.

What I saw among the people were Chuck, Nora, and their men clustered near their ships while near my current position, I saw two lines of five heavily armored and armed troops all lined up in a ceremonial stance with rifles pointing skyward with both hands on the weapon.

One hand on the back and the other on the barrel.

'Is this not what they call an inspection lineup? guess it's here to show to important people we are here! do not mess with us! or something, were Mandalorians… would not surprise me at all.' I thought walking further and looking at the woman and man at the end of the corridor of people.

'There is that feeling again when I look at the man… fear unbridled fear… why? and the woman why does it make me feel even more dread than the man does?' I thought feeling Sera's eyes on me in wonder, likely wondering why I was shaking… I think I am shaking.

"So you brat does know how to return home… thought after last time you would never come back until I dragged you back." The harsh-sounding voice of the women was heard.

Before I knew it one word slipped my lips and I knew why my body reacted so badly, since I had read up soon after waking up with half a day still in hyperspace about my family.

"Mother" I said this and I knew why she was feared when I flew backward passed a surprised Sera.

"Hold!" I yelled out to Sera, Chuck, Nora, and the others from Deathwatch who were about to start a fight.

"Pathetic, not even dodging a concussive shot like that? you're weak… you have become this weak. I will make a man out of you when I'm through with you! If this is what happened to you in the Republic acting as a trader, maybe we should join Deathwatch!" I heard her say when she turned her head to the side not moving further at all.

I was surprised I had my arm raised with my blaster in hand.

"That is more like it, but still too slow, get up and follow." She growled out turning around and walking away.

"Yes, Chief." I said doing just that.

She hated the fact I became a trader and made sure I knew it before I left, I saw some glimpses of that when I was flung back, she forced me to call her chief since I no longer was allowed to call her mother until I made a name for myself and gained enough honor to get rid of the shame of a lowly trader.

'This is going to be a hard time… life ammo exercises… I think I know why most cargo is medical related now.' I thought walking on watching a worried group of former Deathwatch be guided away by the two lines of troops.

"Hang in there, you knew what you got into when you followed me here." I told them before quickening my pace, to get in line with my mother.

'This is truly going from a dumpster into the Fire… not sure what If I rather fight the Wampa or a bare-handed cage fight with that Trandoshes leader I killed off or be here.' I thought before I felt pain and heard my mother's voice in a sweet tone.

"Welcome home my son… when you wake we will talk." I felt my body shudder in fear before everything turned black.