While considered only a moon of Trandosha, that is hardly the defining trait of Wasskah. The jungle moon is instead best known as a game preserve used for hunting sentient beings. Its surface contains islands with sandy beaches and thorn-filled forests. It is primarily the jungle that will be seen by those who have been brought there against their will. However, with enough effort, one might escape to an island.

Beneath the jungle canopy, Wasskah is alive with the sounds of convorees, momongs, and other local fauna. Lush, green plants and vines cover the trees and hide the muddy ground beneath foliage. It is hard to find true daylight through the thick growth, but it is not impossible to come across bright rays of light.

While any sign of technology is nearly non-existent, some hunting nests remain to be discovered by the more tenacious of those trapped there. There isn't enough tech for a scavenger, but in a fight for survival every little bit counts. And every corner hides a potential threat.

You awaken at night in an open cage to a humid and vibrant jungle island filled with exotic flora. Any memory of how you got to this situation comes up blank, and the constellations in the skies say nothing as to where you are in the galaxy. However, a mark painted on your cage reveals a vaguely familiar emblem. The memory is fuzzy, but you recall recognizing the symbol as a crest for the Trandoshan Game Hunters: a league that kidnaps worthy prey to hunt for sport. You are now the next target of the hunt, and by the looks of the identical cages nearby, you are not the only one playing in the Trandoshans' most dangerous game.

ACC - Appius vs Deezn

Deezn Jarok curled up against the bars of the cage, head between his knees, hands cradling his ears. Was this someone's idea of a joke? Where could he possibly be? There had to be a mistake. He'd never set foot in a jungle before in his life. In fact, his feet had never left the cold, hard comfort of concrete and durasteel. How could he end up in a place like this? Why him? He'd only heard of the Trandoshan Game Hunters in passing. It was said that they snatched up people they deemed worthy in order to hunt them for sport. One of his old companions had had a run-in with them, but then, his old companion had been a mighty warrior. Deezn was a slicer and only a decent one at best, he had no qualms admitting it. How could this be happening to him? What bog-bitten, backwater, laser-brained mudscuffer could have mistaken him and his twig-thin arms for worthy prey?

Deezn moaned in despair, "Oh, I'm going to die!"

A hand tapped him on the shoulder and Deezn's heart nearly leapt out of his throat. When he looked up, he found himself staring into the piercing blue eyes of a brown-haired human. The man pressed a finger to his lips.

"Keep quiet," he whispered, his tone calm and composed.

Deezn swallowed hard and nodded. Who was this man? Where did he come from? The man let go of his shoulder, turned away and moved to the opening of the cage in a half-crouch. He stopped, planting one knee on the ground. He scanned the area. He was a tall fellow, pale in complexion. He moved with the assurance of a warrior despite his casual attire and the fact that he carried no weapons. Deezn’s eyes went wide.

Weapons.

Deezn whimpered at the thought and immediately patted himself down. His hand found the butt of his blaster and a wave of momentary relief washed over him. He slipped it out the holster and hugged it tight to his chest, realizing only after a moment that his captors would have left it on him as a sign of mockery, a signal that they did not fear him. If he had had an ego, Deezn would have taken offense. As it was, he was just grateful he still had some means of defense. He did not relish the idea of firing the blaster, never did, but he reckoned he didn't have a chance of surviving the jungle without it; not that he liked his odds of survival with or without. Quaking in his boots, he pulled himself up and joined the would-be warrior. He crouched by the man's side and scanned the area in a pitiful attempt to emulate his new companion.

"So, huh, what's your name?" he whispered.

"Appius. Now, quiet," was the answer.

The name was familiar, but he couldn’t quite put a finger on it. It didn’t matter, the galaxy was large enough for half a million Appius. The man started moving again, out of the cage and across the small clearing, vanishing into the thick brush on the far side. Deezn scampered after him first on hands and feet then stumbling over the uneven, surprisingly crunchy floor of the jungle. His foot cracked against something. He yelped as he lost his balance and fell rolling forward into the undergrowth like a Droideka. He ended his course groaning on his back amongst the roots and the ferns.

“Dank farrik, get a grip, boy,” the man stood over him, frowning. He held a hand out.

“I, uh, can I just stay down here?”

“Oh yeah, sure,” the warrior rolled his eyes but there was a hint of a chuckle in his voice as he spoke. “I hear Momongs love snacking on Rodian.”

Deezn took the man’s hand and climbed to his feet. He brushed the dirt off his clothes, which he realized was a futile notion considering he was likely to take another dozen dips or so before they reached safety, if they ever did. He retrieved his blaster from the vegetation and when he turned, the man was glaring at him.

“Where are we, uh, going?” asked the Rodian.

“I’m leaving. You can tag along if you manage to keep u— wait, someone is coming,” Appius crouched low, disappearing amongst the ferns.

Deezn did the same, squeezing the hilt of his blaster rifle. At first, there was no sign of newcomers. The jungle danced about them, unaffected by their presence. Vines and leaves swayed to the light kiss of the wind, bioluminescent insects danced in the underbrush, but he saw no one. Nor did he hear them, just the sounds of nature and the distant cries of animals. It all seemed so alien to him. Surely, the man was mistaken. He was about to say something when he finally saw them in the distance: a Twi’lek male and a stocky insectoid that could only be a Gand. They were moving slowly, creeping forward like a pair of prowling Nexu.

“How did you know they—'' began Deezn but Appius clamped his hand over Deezn's snout. There was a roar of engines and a pack of Trandoshans burst out of the jungle riding on skiffs, two per. They were snarling and hooting, the passengers brandishing rifles and vibro-axes. The Twi’lek and the Gand broke into a run, dashing and vaulting over roots, rocks and tree trunks. They moved swiftly, running straight in Deezn’s direction. The Rodian felt a sudden urge to run and was half-way out of the bush before Appius’ hand snaked around his collar and yanked him back down. The Trandoshans leveled their blasters and fired. Red plasma lanced through the jungle. The first shots missed the runners but the assailants were gaining ground fast.

“We have to do something,” Deezn croaked. He raised his blaster but Appius interfered again. The man snatched his wrist and lowered his arm.

“No,” was all he said.

The Gand was the first to go down, shot straight in the back. He disappeared amongst the foliage without so much as a cry. The Twi’lek tried a different route. He climbed from one massive root to the next, trying to gain elevation. He then jumped up on a low-hanging branch, swung from vine to vine and climbed higher and higher still. It was a futile effort. He was hit in the side and flopped over, his limp body crashing from branch to branch on the way down. There was a single thud. The Trandoshans whooped and laughed, firing their weapons in the air. Their skiffs reached the clearing where Deezn’s cage sat empty and hovered for a moment. The hunters fell silent as they searched the area. Deezn held his breath. His knees were shaking so hard he worried they’d start clacking together.

Then the skiffs jetted off, disappearing into the jungle. Deezn hurled the meager contents of his stomach all over his boots.

“Had you fired that blaster, we’d be dead now,” Appius said.

“Like them,” Deezn whimpered.

Appius grabbed the Rodian’s shoulder, spun him around and shook a fist at him. “You pull anything like that again, I’ll kill you myself. Now let’s go.”

Deezn rapidly nodded his head. The last thing he wanted was to get on anyone's bad side, Trandoshan or not, in a place where everyone and everything was out to get him. At least Appius wasn't actively trying to kill him.

Not yet, anyways…

Appius wandered into the clearing, dropping onto one knee before the dead Twi'lek and Gand. He let out a low huff. "Poor frackers never stood a chance…"

He forced himself to swallow his pride as he rummaged through the pockets, searching for anything useful.

Deezn stood next to Appius, peering over his shoulder. "W-What are you doing?"

Appius stopped what he was doing and ground his teeth to stop himself from snapping at the poor boy.

"Oh, you know. I thought I'd try my hand at corpse roulette. What lucky prize do you think I'll win today?" The taller man shot back up to his feet, giving Deezn an intense glare. "What the hell do you think I'm doing!?"

Deezn held up his hands in front of him. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

He shrunk away from Appius like a timid Loth-cat.

Appius pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a heavy sigh. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm stressed, and I just want to get my armor, weapons, and hell off this planet. If they gave you a weapon, they might have given others weapons too, but apparently not. You're special, kid. What's your name?"

"D-Deezn."

"Deezn?" Appius raised a brow. He folded his arms across his chest and cocked his head T a slight angle. "We can do better. I'm gonna call you… Little D."

"Wha… why?"

Appius shrugged. "Because I can."

"Please… Just… Deezn is fine…"

"No can do! We're friends now," Appius gave him a wink and a pat on the shoulder. "Listen, I might not look it, but I'm Mandalorian. My word is my honor, and I promise I'll get you out of here, OK? Just do what I say, and we'll get through this. No problem."

Deezn appreciated that. It gave him some much-needed relief, even if it was only minor.

"Thank you…"

Appius smiled at him. "Don't thank me yet. We still have to get out of here. Now, there must be an outpost or something where we-"

He suddenly stopped talking, his face taking on a stern look. His face turned towards the outward jungle. Deezn tried to follow his gaze but couldn't see anything.

"What's wrong?"

Appius placed a finger on his lips. "Shush."

Deezn didn't need to be told twice. He remained silent, though he kept his eyes on Appius as he watched the Human's face tense, sweat dripping down his brow.

"Oh, kriff…" Appius suddenly latched onto Deezn's arm with enough strength that it hurt. "We need to run. NOW!"

Before Deezn could breathe, he was pulled into the adjacent foliage. It brushed past his face, and bits of leaves stuck in his snout. Branches from the trees scratched his cheek, and he could barely see a few inches in front of him from within the darkness. He could feel his heartbeat thundering in his chest like drums with each step crunched along the jungle floor. Then, he heard Appius' voice;

"Stop!"

Appius had let go of his arm, and unfortunately, Deezn was not as brisk to stop as his Human companion was.

Deezn tumbled over the edge of the small cliff he never realized existed. He wailed loudly as he toppled down the rocks, bumping on every edge and hard surface on the way down. He landed squarely on his coccyx, pain filling his senses. However, the sight that greeted him made him want to fall down one thousand cliffs to get away from them.

Four Trandoshan Hunters on a Skriff.

Deezn's eyes widened as fear overtook his body. He trembled as the four large, lizard-like giants approached him. They chuckled at the whimpering mess of a Rodian as he reached for his blaster. He pointed it up and had his finger on the trigger until it was swiped out of his hand by a giant Trandoshan claw. The closest Trandoshan gripped his sidearm and pressed it against Deezn's forehead.

This was it. This was the end. He was going to die.

Deezn hyperventilated, his chest heaving up and down. He felt numb and dizzy. The Trandoshan pressed his scaly finger against the trigger of his blaster…

Then went flying in the opposite direction.

Deezn wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes. One moment he was bracing for the unwelcome embrace of death. The next Trandoshan was sent soaring back into the jungle like it had a rope tethered around its waist. What happened!?

The remaining three Trandoshans quickly searched for whatever could have caused that to happen, but not seeing anything, they turned their sights back on Deezn.

Deezn pressed his back against the cliff so hard that he hoped he'd meld into it. Yet, as another Trandoshan approached, he too went sent soaring into one of the jungle canopies.

The last two panicked, brandishing rifles, pointing them at Deezn, believing that somehow, he was the one doing it. The third Trandoshan also soared through the air, but vertically instead. Their landing was far from graceful as they spun in the air and crashed onto the ground head first, a sickening crack, ending their life.

The last Trandoshan panicked, trembling with his rifle in hand as he stepped away from Deezn.

"It's not me! It's not me!" Deezn pleaded for his life.

Appius leaped down from atop the small cliff, landing in-between Deezn and the Trandoshan. "Hello, there."

The last Trandoshan charged at Appius with reckless abandon, raising his fists for an overhead strike. Appius quickly closed the gap between them, landing a hard, amplified knee to the Trandoshan's gut. Appius then hooked its arm and swung it over his shoulder and onto the ground.

Appius stood over it, his hand outstretched towards its face. "Too slow."

Tendrils of purple lightning emerged from Appius' fingertips, causing Deezn to recoil at the sudden brutality. The Trandoshan writhed in pain as Appius unleashed his torrent of darkness into the Trandoshan's body until it was finally dead.

"Phew, well… That handles that!" Appius approached Deezn and offered him a hand. "You OK, Little D?"

Deezn took Appius' hand and was gladly pulled to his feet. He'd be lying. I'd he said the experience hadn't shaken him up.

Yet, that lightning. There was only one person Deezn had ever seen do that before;

Bale's daughter.

Of course! that made sense! Appius was one of them Forcies, just like her! That would explain why those Trandoshans went flying out of nowhere too! He began to piece what information he had together.

His name was Appius, he was a Mandalorian, and he was a Force User.

Admittedly, it wasn't much, but why did that sound so familiar?

Deezn took note that Appius was breathing heavily. "A-Are you OK?"

"Who? Me?" Appius pointed at himself. "Yeah! I'm fine, just give me a minute, and I'll be as right as..."

"Appius!"

Appius went wide-eyed as he spun to see the Trandoshan Deezn spotted approaching them, the same one that was sent flying into the jungle canopy. It grabbed Appius by the cuff of his shirt and threw him as hard as it could into the side of the small cliff. Appius crashed spine-first, gasping for air as he slid down the rock face.

The Trandoshan glared at Deezn, with the smaller being backing up against the wall as best it could. The Trandoshan scoffed and spat at Deezn before turning his back to him. It grabbed Appius by his throat and lifted him, so he was eye-level. It brandished a small vibroknife.

Deezn had to do something. He scrambled for the blaster that was knocked out of his hand, gripping it with his small fingers. He pointed it at the back of the Trandoshan's head and pulled the trigger.

The blaster bolt echoed throughout the jungle. Avian creatures flew into the sky to escape from the sudden sharp noise. The shot had connected, and the Trandoshan slumped to the ground.

Appius coughed, thankfully getting the air he so desperately needed. "Thanks, kid. I owe you one."

They both paused when they heard a rumbling in the foliage around them. The creatures were not the only ones to hear the blaster bolt.

"Oh, that's not good…" Appius said. He then took note of the skiff that now had no occupants. "We can use the skiff! Can you drive it?"

Shaken, rattled, but otherwise fine, Deezn gave a small nod.

"Good, because here they come!"

The Trandoshans burst into the clearing whooping and hooting, their guttural cries sending tremors down the Rodian’s back. He reached the skiff, hopped aboard and quickly took hold of the controls. Finally, something I’m good at, he said to himself. A smirk split his snout as the repulsor engine roared to life. He swung the platform away from the oncoming hunters as Appius landed behind him and latched onto the railing.

“Come on, little D. Don’t crash us,” he said, slapping Deezn’s back.

“Don’t plan to,” he answered, his voice steadier than it had been since he woke up in that blasted cage.

White-knuckled, Deezn aimed the skiff for the treeline as red plasma erupted around them. He flew left then right, banking hard around a tree then back around another, keeping their flight trajectory erratic. The low light, the winding branches, the rising roots, it made navigating the jungle a nightmare. A single dangling vine could swipe him off the skiff if he didn’t see it coming. The Trandoshans had the home advantage. They knew the jungle. Deezn had never flown in such an environment before, not even in simulations. These monsters had done so all their lives and it showed. For all of his prowess navigating over, under and around the countless obstacles strewn in their path, their attackers were gaining ground. It wouldn’t be long before they caught up to them.

“Watch out,” called Appius.

Deezn yanked back on the controls and the platform climbed sharply, skimming the top of an oncoming branch. He brought the skiff around the trunk of a particularly massive tree, then dove down through the canopy of lesser trees below. Leaves and branches lashed at his face on the way down but he kept a steady eye forward. When he burst through the canopy, Deezn yelped. The Trandoshans weren’t missing a beat. They were on them already. A first skiff side-swiped them but Appius was quick to react. He reached through thin air with an open hand then yanked it back as if he were tugging on invisible reins. The Trandoshan piloting the skiff shrieked as the controls were ripped from his grip and his vessel took a hard turn into an incoming tree. A fireball lit the jungle gloom.

“Where are we going?” the Rodian asked.

“No clue,” answered Appius. “We need to lose the others.”

“Not gonna happen. I can’t outride them out here.”

“Then we need—”

Blaster fire rained down from all around them. Deezn tried all that he could to avoid the brunt of it, swaying this way and that, diving and rising at a moment’s notice. Appius, standing with his back to his, threw his hands out, one on each side of him. The blaster bolts that reached them exploded in mid-air as if colliding with an unseen force field. It seemed that for a moment they might just get away, but one lucky shot took out one of the thrusters and sent the skiff careening through the air. The centrifugal force pulled them both into the railings, threatening to throw them from the vehicle.

“Hold on,” warned Deezn as he strained to reach the controls and flicked a switch.

The remaining thruster sputtered and the skiff leveled out, but before he could fully regain control, another hit killed the engine outright. There was nothing more he could do. The skiff spewed black smoke as it smashed through the jungle, riders clinging on for dear life. Someone was screaming. Deezn couldn’t quite tell if it was him or Appius or both. It was most likely him. Try as he might, he couldn’t understand how he’d been dragged into this mess and as the ground reared up at them, he was shocked to realize that he wasn’t afraid. No. He was angry. He’d lived his entire life trying to do the right thing and here he was about to die for no better reason than for some barbaric game; for the enjoyment of cruel, bloodthirsty monsters.

E chu ta!

Deezn roared at his inevitable fate.

A hand snatched his collar and he found himself flying through the air. The skiff exploded against a tree close enough for him to feel the heat of the deflagration on his skin.

---

When he regained consciousness, Deezn was lying on his back in the brush. His ears were ringing, drowning out the sounds of the jungle. The trees spun out of focus, around and around above him, swaying the darkness. The full, ominous weight of the jungle bore down on his senses as a wave of nausea washed over him. A strange sound caught his attention nearby, muffled, something between a whine and a cry. Was someone screaming? No, it wasn’t loud enough. It was something else, something not organic. He sat up, scanned for the source in the dark but nothing caught his attention. He slouched onto his back with a groan, disappearing inside the thick coverage of ferns and other plants. He wanted to lie there, Momongs be blasted. If they wanted to snack on Rodian, they could have him for all he cared.

There was that sound again, sharper now that the ringing was subsiding, and he recognized it. Could it be?

He brought his wrist link up to his lips and whispered, “D3-C0Y? Is that you?”

An affirmative beep came through the comm. How is this even possible, he wondered.

“D3-COY, where are you?” he asked.

The wrist link emanated a string of beeps and whirrs. The sentry droid explained that he was hovering in the trees above him. He’d been looking for Deezn since the Trandoshans had landed and had been drawn by the explosion of the skiff. The droid stopped speaking abruptly and after a few seconds prompted him to stay down. D3-C0Y fell quiet once more and for a moment, there was near complete silence in the jungle.

A twig snapped somewhere nearby. Deezn’s breath caught in his throat.

“I know you’re out here," hissed a shrill, slithering voice. “I can smell you.”

Deezn swallowed hard. It was all he could do to keep himself from whimpering. A faint rustling of leaves grew into loud, crunching footsteps, drawing closer and closer though he couldn’t tell from which direction they were approaching. Slowly, careful not to ruffle the plants around him, he slipped the blaster from its holster and brought it up to his chest. Every fiber of his body wanted to scream. Where was Appius? Was he dead? The footsteps drew closer still until a clawed foot crushed a fern near his head. He could see the Trandoshan standing over him through the leaves, pouring over the area with his vicious, yellow eyes, the eyes of a predator. Deezn curled his lips back in a half-snarl, feeling the anger rising in him again. The hunter sniffed at the air, flicking his tongue as he did so. He looked down and their eyes met. Deezn brought his blaster to bear screaming. He hesitated for a split-second but his fury tipped the scales. The Trandoshan stood no chance. The bolt hit him square in the throat.

Deezn moaned in relief as his attacker collapsed next to him, his last bit of energy drained from him. He let the blaster flop down onto his chest and covered his face with both hands. He screamed again.

Good shot, bleeped D3-C0Y through the wrist link.

He climbed to his feet, scrubbing the dirt from his clothes without thinking about it. The sentry droid appeared out of the darkness, a floating ball of metal, looking more like a half-complete prototype than fully functional droid. Deezn tapped it with a finger as it drew near.

“I don’t get it, how did you get here?” he asked.

The droid whooped and bleeped. When he was captured, walking home back on Chyron, the Trandoshans had overlooked the droid. D3-C0Y used the opportunity to follow the kidnappers to their ship, where it hid.

“Wait. You know where I can find their ship?”

An affirmative beep.

The answer was like a shot of adrenaline. He bounced from one foot to the next as he considered his next move. Finally, things were looking up. He had a way out of this hellscape. He just had to follow the droid, sneak aboard their vessel and leave them to a taste of their own medicine. He quite liked the idea.

“We gotta get out of here,” he said, “but first, we have to find someone.”

He’d never felt quite so alive.

Appius groaned as he shuffled along the jungle floor. He'd had better landings. Every part of his body ached as he crawled to the nearby pond for water.

That sweet, liquidy relief.

His throat was dry, and he had to get rid of a distinct iron taste in his mouth. Once he was at the water's edge, he forced himself onto his knees and looked at his reflection upon the shimmering surface of the pond.

Appius' face was dirty, and there was a thin streak of blood flowing down the left side of his face. He must have hit the ground harder than he thought. His shirt was in tatters, revealing the horrific burn on his shoulder from a couple of years prior.

He cupped his hands in the water and splashed his face. The water was cold, with a sharp contrast and a welcome break from the jungle's humidity. Appius shoveled some water into his mouth. It needed to be more.

He stared back at his reflection in the water.

Frack it…

He fully submerged his head in the water, taking a big gulp of water. He rose a few seconds later, chilled and satisfied.

Much better.

Appius stood back on his feet, trying to recall how he got here in the first place. His head hurt as a wampa rancor had stomped on it. He remembered being chased, he remembered the skiff, and he remembered Deezn…

His eyes widened.

Deezn!

Appius needed to find him. He'd given his word he'd get him off this Force-forsaken planet. He gave his word, and he was honor-bound to do it.

A quick search through the Force told Appius what he needed to know. Deezn was alive, and he wasn't too far away. He sighed in relief until he heard rustling from the nearby bushes.

Deezn was close, but he wasn't that close.

Emerging from the cover of the nearby trees was a large group of Trandoshan Hunters. There were no smiles, no chuckles, just beady reptilian eyes that bore into him with contempt.

Appius did a quick count. Six. There were six of them. They were either the ones chasing them earlier or were nearby and heard the crash. It didn't matter. Appius only had one thing on his mind.

Survive.

Appius summoned the tendrils of the Force to his command. Static electricity formed in his fingertips. The closest Trandoshan was faster and grabbed his wrist before Appius could attack. The barrage of lightning soared into the air, out of harm's way.

Appius, in response, kicked the Trandoshan as hard as he could between its legs. It whimpered pitifully before keeling over.

A second Trandoshan approached with a shoulder tackle. It slammed Appius against a tree, driving its shoulder into his gut. Appius winced in pain but repeatedly punched, kicked, and clawed at the Trandoshan as best as he could.

A third Trandoshan approached and struck Appius in the side of his head with the butt-end of its rifle. Appius slumped over, feeling weightless as the galaxy faded to black.

---

Deezn saw the lightning; last he checked, lightning was supposed to descend from the sky, not rise towards it. There was only one explanation.

Appius!

D3-C0Y floated down to him, whirring and booking in Deezn's ear. He practically paled from what he heard.

"They're taking him to their base? Why didn't they just kill him?"

More beebs and Deezn groaned. They were taking Appius to the Huntmaster, probably to have him executed in front of an audience. They were savages.

"We need to follow them."

D3-C0Y sounded a low-tuned hum.

"No, I'm not sure, but…" Deezn took a deep breath. "We need to help him. I'd be dead without him. Lead the way."

He just hoped his newfound courage didn't get him killed…

---

It was about what Deezn expected. Appius was there, tied to a post, his head hanging low. Several Trandoshans gathered around him, more than Deezn had ever seen and more than he'd ever want to see again.

Deezn knew needed to get closer. The area was littered with skiffs, crates, and scattered pieces of equipment that would make any looters green with envy. It wasn't for Deezn. He just wanted to get Appius and get out of there.

Deezn locked eyes on what felt like salvation.

A YV-666 Light Freighter.

That was it. That was their ticket out of here. All he had to do was free Appius, sneak on board, and hightail it out of there.

It was a simple plan, but sometimes simple was best.

Deezn inched towards Appius, practically hugging the side of a crate as he did so. He peered his head around the corner as an uproar began.

There was one larger than any Trandoshan there, and larger than any Trandoshan Deezn had ever seen. It bore a scar across its cheek, dilated pupils, and a ferociously large, clawed hand which it used to grab Appius' jaw.

It snarled and hissed like a viper. "Wake him up."

A bucket of water was thrown on Appius' face. The shock of the cold woke him from his slumber as he coughed and gasped for air.

Appius blinked and looked at the Trandoshan Huntmaster, his jaw still firmly in its grip.

"Several of my men are dead because of you. Good men. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Appius shrugged and let out a muffled response. "You started it."

He was promptly struck by a clenched fist by the Trandoshan Huntmaster. A small trickle of blood seeped from the corner of Appius' mouth.

Appius, however, let out a low chuckle. "My wife punches harder than you."

The Trandoshan Huntmaster grabbed Appius' jaw again, snarling. "She's about to be a widow!"

Appius glared daggers back at it. "How about you untie me and see if you can back that up?"

The Trandoshan Huntmaster gestured towards one of his minions to bring forward a crate hovering on a trolley.

There it was, Appius' armor and weapons in all their crimson glory.

Appius went wide-eyed as he was punched again by the Huntmaster. Deezn recoiled at the brutality. That just seemed unnecessary.

The Trandoshan Huntmaster turned to its men. "Get the rest of the supplies ready. Then we'll deal with this one nice and slow… We'll pack his carcass into his armor."

The Trandoshans laughed to themselves as they disappeared out of sight to complete their tasks. Appius' weapons and armor were left on the trolley near a set of supply crates. This was Deezn's chance!

Deezn turned to his droid. "D3C, keep an eye out."

The little probe droid hummed as it floated into the air to get into a vantage point. It whistled back at Deezn, signaling the all-clear.

He broke into a light sprint towards Appius.

Please don't see me, please don't see me, please don't see me!

He got to Appius and immediately began searching for a way to untie him.

"Little D?" Appius asked, surprised to see the little Rodian. "What are you doing here!?"

"Shush!" Deezn pressed a finger to his snout. "They'll hear us!"

It was no good; no matter how hard Deezn tried, he couldn't break the lock on Appius' wrists. They were made of chainlink durasteel but weren't electronic, so slicing was out of the question.

"Damn it, damn, damn it!" Deezn slammed the palm of his hand against the tree.

"Little D… Deezn…" Appius locked eyes with him. "Just take a ship and go. You can get out of here."

"No!" Deezn shook his head. "I can't… you promised to help me and… and I want to help you too. It's the right thing to do…"

Appius smiled at the young man. "You're a good kid. You know that?"

"Being a good kid isn't going to help me get you out of here," Deezn kicked the tree in frustration.

"In that crate over there," Appius gestured with his head towards his armor. "There's my weapon in there. Go grab it."

With no better ideas, Deezn did as instructed. While it was different in design from what he was used to seeing, there was no mistaking the workings of a conversion hilt lightsaber when he saw it.

He held it out in front of Appius. "OK. Now what?"

"Press the activation switch, and cut the chain."

Deezn hesitated. "A-Are you sure? What if I cut you by accident?"

Appius shrugged. "Then you'll answer to my wife."

"That's not funny," Deezn deadpanned.

Appius nodded his head in agreement. "I never said it was."

Deezn activated Appius' weapon, a single Violet blade rupturing through one side of the hilt. He carefully positioned himself to cut the durasteel chain.

Easy, Deezn… easy…

Deezn held his breath as he cut through it without harming Appius.

Appius picked up Deezn and squeezed him tight. "That's my boy! Didn't I tell you that you could do it!?"

Deezn swallowed the praise, even if he struggled to breathe in Appius' grip. It was nice to have someone believe in him like that. He hadn't had that feeling since…

Since Bale, really.

He handed Appius back his lightsaber as D3-C0Y beeped and whirled above them.

"Oh no…" Deezn said. "They're coming back!"

Appius' eyes widened. "Grab my armor and get to the ship!"

They both loaded the crate with Appius' armor into the ship. Deezn hopped on board first and was ready to pull Appius up when a blaster bolt careered into the ship's side, millimeters from Deezn's face.

The Trandoshan Huntmaster had returned with a small contingent of its reptilian brethren. Some additional had arrived on skiffs, all pointing their blasters at them.

Fifteen.

That's how many there were.

Appius smiled at Deezn, then patted him on the shoulder. "Get the ship running. I'll be right back."

He turned and began to walk toward the Trandoshans.

Deezn called out to him. "What are you doing!? They'll kill you!"

Appius cast back a glance towards Deezn. "They can certainly try."

The Mandalorian activated his weapon. Twin Violet blades erupted out of each side of the hilt. Appius maintained a casual pace as he split the lightsaber in half, holding a single blade in each hand as he marched toward the Trandoshans.

The Huntmaster seethed. "Such arrogance from a Human... Shoot him!"

A bombard of blaster fire threatened to slaughter Appius, where he stood like a swarm of hungry mynocks on a starship. However, he could block them as they came toward him, using his lightsabers to casually deflect them away from him and, in some cases, back toward the Trandoshans. He never broke his pace towards them.

---

Deezn grimaced and hid within the ship for safety. There was no escaping the sound of blaster fire outside. He'd seen firsthand what Bale's daughter could do and hoped that Appius was at least somewhat capable in his own right.

Deezn tore the panel of a computer in the cockpit. He was in his element now. Circuitry, wiring, and digital complexities. This was his wheelhouse.

D3-C0Y appeared beside him, having seen its master enter the ship. It beeped at him.

"I know, I know!" Deezn kept fiddling with wires until finally…

The engines burst to life. The lights in the ship turned on, and the thrusters began to lift them off the ground.

---

Trandoshan bodies littered the floor. Appius had hacked and cut away at his foes as he got within striking range, but more and more Trandoshans arrived by the second. He was getting overwhelmed. It wouldn't be long until his injuries and fatigue caught up to him.

It was like the Force itself came to answer his prayers. He heard the ship behind him first, then the rush of wind through his hair.

With Deezn piloting it, the ship hovered in the air, its dual armament canons unleashing hell into the Trandoshan militia.

The explosions shook the ground, and even then, Appius couldn't help the ear-splitting smile on his face. "YES! That's my guy!"

More Trandoshans were on their way; Appius could sense it. Deezn turned the ship sideways and opened a side hatch. Appius immediately leaped into it, using the Force to jump a distance no normal being should be able to.

The Trandoshan Huntmaster snarled at the chaos around it and then screamed into the air. Appius gave him a mocking salute as the side hatch closed.

Appius and Deezn escaped from the Wasskah atmosphere and then into the eternal blue stream of hyperspace.

That blue vortex had never looked so good.