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Blinking awake, Galen sat up painfully & surveyed his surroundings. He appeared to be in some kind of cargo hold, as evident by the pile of boxes being surrounded & penetrated by wispy, imaginary fingers of black in the darkness. "Finally awake? 'Bout time. I was starting to wonder if that blast had killed you." Turning in the direction of the voice, he squinted as a shadowy silhouette sitting in a corner swirled & morphed into Ahsoka Tano. She looked worse for the wear, a large, purple bruise swelling one eye shut & a thin trickle of dried blood running down her cheek from the left corner of her mouth.

Grinning, she said, "Don't look so surprised. You got it worse than I did." Taking a quick look at himself, he saw that she was right. His robes were a worn & tattered mess, welts, cuts, & bruises covering his skin like an ugly road map. His wrists were red & raw from a pair of handcuffs that bound them together. "How come I'm wearing these & not you?" Galen asked. "They must've considered you more of a threat." Ahsoka replied. "They considered right", he growled, "Because as soon as someone comes back to get us, their neck is getting snapped & we're getting out of here." "Senseless killing isn't the Jedi way", she reminded him, "Plus, not only are there other Rebel soldiers who need rescuing, we have no idea where we are. Better to behave for now & get our bearings before concocting an escape plan." Taking a seat next to her, another thought crossed his mind. "Did Juno & Kota get out okay?" he asked. "They took off right as we got blasted", she said, "They're fine." Smiling, Galen closed his eyes & said, "Good."

"Wake up, you lot! Move it!" Harsh sunlight streamed in as Galen jumped to his feet. "I think we're about to find out where we are." he whispered to Ahsoka. A Weequay male of about 35 stood near the open cargo door, barking orders at the captured soldiers slowly filing out. A bandana & goggles streched over his eyes, several bandoliers of ammo slung across his chest. "Come on, come on!" he shouted. "Pick up your pace, or I swear I'll blast you to Quay knows where!" Shielding his eyes, Galen staggered down the ramp & dropped to his knees in soft sand. A sandy landscape greeted him, dotted with rocky crevices & long, winding canyon-like passages. A crudely constructed palace sat on the edge of the horizon, the dying sun burning brightly behind it, casting a long, purple shadow onto the smooth sand.

"Yep...Florrum", Ahsoka said, walking up behind him, "This is exactly where I thought we were headed. I know the leader of these pirates. I may be able to work out some kind of deal." Nodding, he got to his feet as 2 large speeder tanks screeched to a halt in front of the captives. "All right!" the pirate shouted. "Half in one tank, half in the other! Move it!" Waving the guard over, Galen indicated his handcuffs & said, "Can't really climb with these on." Considering the statement, he drew the key ring from his belt & unlocked the cuffs. Smirking, Galen rubbed his wrists & quickly, unnoticably, reached into the pirate's holster & pulled out the blaster pistol nestled inside, whipping it behind his back. Blinking, the guard shoved him roughly & shouted, "I unlocked your damn handcuffs, now get in the tank!" Clambering up the smooth, metal surface of the tank, Galen dropped in through the hatch, hitting the hard metal floor beneath. Quickly jumping out of the way, Galen slumped against the cold metal wall as Ahsoka dropped into the tank. "Well, we know where we are now. Any crazy escape plans?" she asked. "I've got one." he said, grinning as he held up the stolen pistol.

As the tank screeched to a stop, Galen popped open the hatch & looked around. They appeared to be at the palace he had spotted earlier, right outside of a market on the eastern side. Several pirates walked around, looking at the second-rate goods being peddled by merchants in ramshackle booths. Pulling himself out of the tank, Galen hopped down & landed on the worn path as another Weequay, dressed in a ridiculous getup, strolled up, escorted by 2 armed pirates. "So you are the Jedi who slayed a good number of my men", he said, his emotionless face breaking into a smile, "I like it when a slave is feisty. Makes their training more interesting." Turning his head towards the tank as Ahsoka leaped down, he laughed hysterically & said, "Well, well, well, if it isn't my old friend, Ahsoka Tano! How many times have we found ourselves in this situation, now? 3? 4?" "Nice to see you too, Hondo." she growled. "You know this guy, Ahsoka?" Galen asked. "His name's Hondo Ohnaka", she replied, "I dealt with him a lot during the Clone Wars...When he was working with us, and when he wasn't." "Yes, good times, good times", Hondo interrupted, "And now, this is quite the situation we find ourselves in. I believe I could negotiate with the Rebellion for your release...For the right price, that is." "We're not hostages to be bartered with, Ohnaka." Galen growled. "And", he threatened, "If your Rebellion will not pay your ransom, I promise you that you will be sold to the farthest corner of the galaxy and forgotten about. How's that sound?"

Gripping the blaster behind his back, Galen said, "Sorry to burst your bubble, Hondo, but I don't think that's gonna happen." Whipping the pistol out, he fired 2 shots directly into the chests of Hondo's guards as Ahsoka ran forward & slammed her foot into the pirate boss's stomach, grabbing their lightsabers off his belt simultaneously. Backflipping & catching a pair of sabers as Ahsoka threw them, Galen ignited them in a blaze of blue light, locking them in front of him in a defense position. "Kill them!" Hondo shouted. Running over to Ahsoka, his hands were a blur as the bright blades blocked the incoming volley of blaster fire. As the last of Hondo's men fell, Galen stepped forward to survey the carnage. 5 lay dead or dying, the rest nursing their wounds. "Yoo hoo! Jedi!" a voice called from behind him. Readying his saber, Galen spun around to find Hondo holding Ahsoka hostage, a vibroblade to her neck. "This has been fun, but I think it's time to call it a day", he growled, "So I give you two choices...One, you run, she dies. Two, you surrender, she lives." "Run, Galen!" she shouted. "Forget about me! You're the one who'll become the guiding light for the Rebellion! Take the other hostages & get out of here." "I'm sorry, Ahsoka", he replied, "But I can't do that. I would never forgive myself." Deactivating his lightsabers & dropping them into the soft, warm sand, Galen dropped to his knees & placed his hands on the back of his head. "All right, Hondo", he muttered, "I surrender."