As they waited for the next task to begin, more than anything Akane dreaded going to another realm. Another realm, another fight, more young and innocent lives lost. Rather than the ship they all gathered on transporting them to where they needed to go, as Akane had expected, the massive steel doors to the concrete warehouse opened.

Akane walked up to the edge of the ship. No matter how old she was, she would protect these young'ins with her life. Shifting her legs into a firm, unbreakable earth-bending stance, Akane was prepared to bend earth at whichever Gamemaker came through.

Instead of one of the Gamemakers, a group of people walked in.

"More of our tributes, I assume?" Morthil asked.

Akane missed Isaac. Morthil was a good man - or elf, in his case - but he wasn't Isaac. He didn't know or care about the tributes the way Isaac had. Her chest ached at the thought that Isaac was dead. He hadn't deserved it; none of them did. "No. The file said we only received 33 more tributes."

One of the men, with sandy blonde hair and a beard, glanced up at the ship. "Are you prisoners here? We received a distress signal and have been sent to rescue you. My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Obi-Wan?" Kanan leapt from the ship and then froze as he stared at one of Obi-Wan's companions. "Anakin..."

"Do I know you?" Anakin asked.

Kanan stood there rigidly as the other Jedi - Lina, Dreras, and Julani - joined him.

Akane made an earth tower and lowered herself to the ground beside them. "Is this a trick from the Gamemakers?"

"No. I assure you we're only here to help." Obi-Wan smiled and something about the man-made Akane trust him. He didn't have the same madness and lust for power in his eyes that the other Gamemakers did.

"How do you plan to free us when our families are on the line?" Matt asked, leaping from the ship to join the others. Akane had noticed that ever since Isaac's death, the young soldier had stepped up and taken charge. After all, he knew the tributes just as well as Isaac had.

"We have a plan," Anakin said.

"It's actually pretty good," one of their companions, a boy wearing water tribe clothing, said.

*****

Unease settled itself in Kanan's chest as he stood side-by-side with one of the Magi, Nalae. Together, he and the group of Jedi and Magi had decided to split themselves up with the groups that their team had been divided into ensure to each one had either a Jedi or a Magi to protect them. Ever since they had agreed to work together, since it was their responsibility to protect and help the innocent, the Magi and Jedi group had become close. In both of their realms, both Jedi and Magi served as protectors and keepers of the peace, so that was what the ten of them decided to do in order to keep their team from losing any more people.

Their entire team had been divided into three groups. Five of them - Nathaniel, White Feather, Matt, Andrew, and Mowgli - had gone with Obi-Wan, Sokka, and Toph on a stealth mission to obtain a datapad that listed where their families were being kept. Meanwhile, Kanan and Nalae joined a large group of their tributes attending a political meeting.

Fire Lord Ozai sat at the head of the table, with Master Yoda at the other side. To Yoda's left sat Katara and Zuko, a water tribe woman and Fire Nation man. Yisu sat beside Padme on Yoda's right with Rhivaria sitting on Padme's right. Daetron stood behind her. Rhys, Adrienne, Deonte, and Rheesa were sitting at the table, filling in the other seats as they watched Ozai closely. Their plan was to profile him and see what information they could find out. Rheesa was a new tribute not involved in law enforcement, but she was a journalist and quick at taking notes.

Kanan shifted his eyes to the back of the room by the door, where the group of their other teammates stood. Jecht stood at the front, glaring at Ozai, with Clark, Garrett, Akari Kondou, Lolita, Blake, Khulan, Konosuke, Katai, Jaeah, Jakaya, Midaji, Eogan, and Dakota. Hovering in the doorway, was Vymik, so Kanan stretched out with the Force. Zira was with him, along with another Force-user named Kheshih. Kanan could sense her emotions fluctuating.

The rest of their tributes were either on starships preparing for battle or below deck on The Liberty Valiant with more Magi and the Chosen to protect them. Aria had put the animals in her bag and sat in the Impala with Rhavvi, Sarah, Odette, Aurora, and Kristee, along with Lina, Tyson, and Uvenya to protect them and Liam to teleport them to The Liberty Valiant if their team had a chance to escape.

Kanan kept his senses intuned to everything around him as he listened to the meeting. They were trying to convince Ozai not to join Dooku and the Separatists, but it was also a distraction from the stealth mission.

Seeing Anakin again caused Kanan's anger and rage to come back. Part of him had wanted to warn Obi-Wan and Yoda. Another part of him was excited and hopeful. Not only had he become friends with more Jedi from other realms, but now Jedi that he himself knew had died in Order 66 ended up being alive.

Anakin was still a Jedi. How long before he turned to the Dark Side and killed them all? If they were alive, then Kanan had a chance to save the Jedi Order, at least in one realm, even if in his they were still dead.

Shaking his head to banish the thoughts, Kanan focused on the meeting.

"Joining the Separatists would be unwise," Padme started, ever the bold one. "Dooku is self-serving and he will betray you when the opportunity arises."

"Join the Republic you should, yes. Protect the Fire Nation, we will." Yoda looked at Ozai with a smile on his face. Kanan was happy to see and hear him again.

Ozai leaned back in his chair comfortably. "How can you guarantee me your protection? More than Count Dooku? He has already given me his assurances."

Zuko clenched his fists and Kanan could sense a dark anger inside him. "All you want to do is rule the Four Nations, Father. Don't pretend that you need any sort of protection."

"If anyone needs protection, it's the other nations from your tyranny," Katara said.

"Our purpose here is to find a peaceable solution." Rhivaria placed her hands on the table.

Yisu nodded. "Surely both sides can come to some sort of agreement?"

*****

Zira sighed. Not only did she have to listen to several of the tributes droning on and on at the meeting, but she had to deal with the Gamemakers - the very jerks who kidnapped her and forced her into this mess - with it. The situation just kept getting worse.

Hanging out with Vymik the Sith and Kheshih, whom he kept trying to "train," wasn't exactly ideal. Zira supposed that it was better than being around the other tributes. Although, Vymik's emotionless attitude did get on Zira's nerves...Less so than the others.

Zira crossed her arms, leaning against the door to the main hall. The people kept talking back and forth - "join us," "don't join Dooku," "he's evil..." The entire thing was pointless. The more time passed, the more irritated Zira became.

"Why are we even here?" Zira demanded as she glared at Vymik.

"I sense Dooku's presence."

Zira glanced around the room. "Uh, hello moron? He's not here!"

Vymik glared at a doorway behind Ozai. "He will be. I have foreseen it. Kheshih, focus on your pain and hatred for the Jedi. They will give you power."

Zira groaned. Could this day get any worse?

*****

"... Here's your comlink - we'll communicate with each other and the other ships in the squad through it. And that's basically all you need to know," Anakin said as he gestured to the controls of the starship.

"Got it. I think we're good here." Kaito pressed several buttons and the ship turned on.

Anakin nodded his head and exited out the back of the ship.

"You better let me drive." Aya grinned.

Kaito shrugged. "I can drive just fine."

Aya shot him a look. "I taught you to drive, remember?"

Kaito sighed and switched seats with Aya.

Enek, the alien mechanic that offered to stay on their ship to help with any type of mechanical issues, gestured to the back. "Look, I'm gonna keep an eye on the engines. Talk to me on the com. We'll also probably need one of you at one of the guns."

Aya looked at Kaito, who stood up and followed Enek as he showed him where the tiny hole for the gun was. Kaito dropped down into it and realized it was below the ship as they began to take off. From his seat, he had control of the gun and could swing it in any direction, with triggers to fire the lasers. The window provided him a clear view as they followed behind the other starships in Anakin's makeshift squad.

Over the comlink, he could hear Anakin explaining the starship's controls to Justin, another human who had driving experience on earth.

Kaito supposed it didn't take Anakin long to catch up to them and lead their group in his Jedi starfighter as they exited the planet's atmosphere. Darkness took the place of the blue clouds, with silver stars littering the horizon.

Ships of all kinds - large triangular-shaped ones, tinier ships about the size of their own, and hundreds of others - all surrounded the space around them. Ahead, there were already other ships like theirs fighting, red and green lazers darting across the horizon.

"This isn't good," Anakin said over the com. "We've got two cruisers, one star destroyer, a dreadnaught, two assault ships, two warships, five gunships, four battle cruisers, and hundreds of starfighters. Red team check-in."

"Red One checking in," Aya said over the com. Kaito was glad she knew what she was doing. He was lucky he barely knew how to fire the gun he was in.

"Red Two checking in," came a voice over the comlink. Kaito thought it was one of the other aliens, the one with a group of six that formed their own little team.

"Red three checking in." Julani's voice was just as strong as Anakin's had been.

"Red four checking in." Kaito couldn't remember whose voice it was, but it sounded like another one of the aliens.

"Red five checking in," Justin said.

"The Liberty Valiant is right behind you," Peyrce, the pirate captain said.

"How are you on the com, exactly?" Anakin asked.

"It's a spell I cast. Because I'm just that awesome." Mythix's tone was arrogant and cocky.

Kaito rolled his eyes, watching as their ship followed behind the others. Lazers and shots blasted all around them. His fingers clutched the triggers, ready to fire.

"Right, well form up behind me in a V formation." Upon Anakin's command, the five ships in the squad shifted their ships to form up behind him.

"Kaito, you've got three ships heading your way," Aya said.

"Shields are up - I'm directing power from the hyperdrive to the front." Enek's voice popped over the com loud and clear.

Kaito turned his seat to the right, aiming the gun at a starship heading straight for them. He fired the trigger, shooting two large green lasers toward them. The lasers just grazed the ship as it shifted and twirled to the right. Kaito cursed and shifted his seat again and fired. This time, the lasers slammed against the ship, exploding it.

"Vulture droids - don't let them land on your ships," Anakin announced.

"Two of the gunships have surrounded our other ships - the other three are coming up behind the squad!" Julani shouted. "What are you doing?"

"Shooting magic. What does it look like?" The voice sounded like one of the Magi, her companion, Malron.

"What? Why are you shooting magic out of the gun hole?" Julani's voice sounded shocked.

"Where I'm from, we do this all the time!" Malron shouted.

"Kaito! Those other two ships are shooting at us hard!"

Kaito grunted in acknowledgment of Aya's comment, whirling his seat around, and fired at one coming toward them from the right. The other fired at them and as the lasers slammed against them, their entire ship jolted. "Aya... I love you."

"... I love you too, Kaito," came her heartfelt response.

*****

Rhys kept his gaze on Ozai, watching everything about his body language. The Fire Lord leaned back in his chair casually, perfectly relaxed. He was confident and didn't seem interested in the conversations in the room.

Adrienne and Deonte sat beside Rhys with Rheesa across from them, taking notes on her notebook.

"The Fire Nation will never agree to peace with anyone, especially not nations beneath our own." Ozai leaned forward, glaring at Yisu.

He's an arrogant narcissist who believes his country is above everyone else's, Rhys thought. Ozai's gaze was wild and crazed, the look of a killer. He's defensive when it comes to peace. It's like all he wants is war. He quickly texted that to Adrienne.

Look at how he's glaring at Yoda, Yisu, and Padme. He will kill whomever he has to in order to get what he wants. We just need to figure out what it is he wants, Adrienne replied to him.

"The Fire Nation has done nothing but hurt the four nations! You heard Ozai; he'll never agree to peace!" Katara shouted, shaking her head sadly.

"The four nations will be united - one, powerful empire that I myself will rule. There is no need for any talks of peace and no need for any other alliances - Dooku and the Separatists have proven useful." Ozai's eyes narrowed at Katara as if she was a bug to be squashed.

Rule. He wants to rule, came a text from Deonte in the group chat.

Then nothing that they say here will work. Not to mention with his alliance already being on Dooku's side, I think it's too late for all this, Rhys replied.

What else can we find out from the profile? Deonte asked.

If he's arrogant and sees others as beneath him, then that means his alliance with Dooku is fragile, Adrienne's message said.

You're right; groups involving narcissists hardly ever stay together. They're too arrogant. Alpha males need to be the ones in charge, Rhys said.

Maybe we can turn them against each other, Deonte suggested.

"The Fire Nation... a voice in the Republic it would need, yes?" Yoda asked, looking at Ozai politely.

*****

Matt followed behind Obi-Wan, Sokka, and Toph with Nathan across the hall from him. White Feather stood behind him, with Andrew and Mowgli bringing up the rear. White Feather and Nathan had been trained by templars and assassins. Mowgli knew how not to be seen, and Matt and Andrew both had military experience. From what Matt understood, that's why they were the ones on the secret mission.

"The control room is at the bottom level, so we must find our way to an elevator," Obi-Wan said.

"There are shadows of two men ahead." White Feather's voice was a whisper.

Nathan quietly tip-toed to the edge of the hallway, leaning around the corner. Before the shadows even shifted, he whirled around, using his hidden blades to stab them both.

Matt followed behind him, immediately turning to the right with his rifle out. "Clear," he said.

Andrew had searched inside the elevator. "Clear."

Obi-Wan gestured for them to follow him, so they all piled inside. "At the bottom, we will follow the corridor to the end. As soon as we break through the doors, we should be inside. The datapad will be inside the control room somewhere."

"No doubt they'll have men guarding the room," Matt said.

White Feather and Nathan stood opposite of the elevator from each other, as far away as they could get. Nathan's eyes stared at White Feather with the same look Matt knew he looked at Noalia.

White Feather met Nathan's gaze and shook her head at him.

Nathan's eyes pleaded with hers. "I love you," he mouthed.

Matt knew he should have looked away and given them privacy, but he couldn't.

White Feather shook her head, tears in her eyes.

Matt thought of Naolia, and his chest ached. He hoped she was okay.

*****

The Gamemaker who sponsored them, a crazy man obsessed with dragons named Vamik, had given any tribute with a connection to dragons an increase of power. Mystee was shocked to watch as Azroh's bones broke and shattered, allowing him to be in his dragon form for the first time in "eons," according to Azroh.

Mushu shifted into his dragon form, body growing ten times larger. Mystee had seen dragons, had fought and killed them, but watching a human turn into one was a whole different ordeal.

The bald monk kid named Aang formed an air ball beneath his feet, glancing at her. "How are you going to get up there?" He gestured to the tinier ships in the atmosphere, preparing to land droids and troops on the ground.

The people inside couldn't fight that many droids. So it was up to them to destroy as many of those ships as possible.

"Mushu, can I have a lift?" Mystee grinned.

Mushu shifted his tail around, giving her a makeshift ladder up onto his back. Mystee darted up onto him, settling behind his neck as he flapped his wings and took off into the air.

Azroh was already high in the sky, with Mushu following behind him.

Aang opened up his glider, quickly darting through the air in between them.

Mystee held her hands out to steady herself. Once she was confident that she had her balance, she stood up all the way, glaring at the oncoming ships. "FUS RO DA!" she yelled.

A powerful wave of energy shot from her mouth. It slammed against the ship, whirling it around in the air before the ship crashed to the ground.

"Whoa! That's a cool power!" Aang shouted to her over the rush of the wind as it blew her hair backward.

Mystee grinned as the air whipped her face. She whooped and then prepared for another Shout.

*****

Before Yoda, Yisu, or Padme could respond to Ozai's comment about it being too late for the Fire Nation to join the Republic, the back door behind Ozai opened up. Standing inside of it, was Count Dooku. On either side of him were two other Gamemakers: Zai and Avek.

Nalae's heart pounded and adrenaline coursed through her veins. The air was intense and silent - the calm before the storm of a fight.

Ozai leapt up, throwing the table forward. Rhys, Adrienne, Deonte, and Rheesa jumped backward to avoid being crushed. Yoda did several backflips and landed in front of the gathered group by the doorway.

Kanan stepped forward just beside Nalae. On his other side, was the Sith, Vymik, who ignited his lightsaber. "Dooku," Vymik hissed.

Count Dooku smiled and ignited his own bright crimson lightsaber. Immediately, the two clashed.

Kanan ignited two of his own then threw Nalae one. "It works just like swords, but avoid the laser."

Nalae nodded, clutching the hilt. It was lighter than a sword, with just the weight of a hilt. After a few swings, she felt comfortable. By that time, droids and firebenders had joined in the fray, but the tributes who had been in the back all jumped into battle.

Ozai engaged in a fight of the elements with Zuko, Katara, Jecht, and Katai while Zai turned her attention to Akane, Rhivaria, and Daetron. Avek grinned and just as Nalae dashed his direction, he swung his saber in a wide arc. The laser slashed through the pistols that Rhys, Adrienne, and Deonte had out and sliced across their bodies all in one movement. As they fell to the ground, dead, Nalae blocked Avek's lightsaber with her own. By that time, Eogan sliced toward Avek's back with his gladius.

Avek laughed and lightning shot out from his fingers, hitting Eogan in the chest. His body fell backward, slamming against the wall with a hard thud. Nalae just barely had a chance to see that his chest wasn't moving before Avek's saber went to strike her face.

Nalae brought hers up just in time to block him. She pressed against him, sliding her feet from a defensive to an aggressive stance. Avek was stronger and shoved her backward. As she stumbled, she kept her feet shoulder-width apart, making it harder to knock her over. Even though she was using an alien weapon, Nalae's sword techniques helped her keep up with Avek.

He front-flipped over her, giving her just enough time to whirl around and keep his saber from slicing off her head. Then he was moving again, dancing around her. She had no time to attack him; it was just about keeping him from killing her.

With a laugh, he used his empty hand to shove against her. It felt as if an invisible hand shoved her backward. She rolled and leapt back to her feet drawing Mathanos into her hands. As Avek struck his saber toward her ribs, she placed up a magical shield to block him. The block left him open on his right side, so she slashed his side with her own saber.

He growled and lightning shot out from his hands toward her. Nalae placed up a large shield to block it and then formed one beneath her feet. She placed more as she darted up and over him, using the shields like a staircase. When she was above his head, she bent down and stabbed her saber toward his head.

Avek jumped up and swung his saber, slicing through her shield. Nalae fell to the ground, breathing heavily.

*****

White Feather had no desire to work with Nathan. He was the reason why her entire tribe had been killed. The wasichu broke their promises, stealing her people's land, and taking their lives. Yet the pain in her heart mattered not; the important thing was finding out where the Gamemakers had captured their families. Even if they didn't have their own, it was important to rescue the innocent people who had been dragged into this.

"It's just ahead," Obi-Wan said. He wielded a strange glowing blue stick, the same color as the sky.

Matthew and Andrew lifted their white men's weapons, the ones that could spit fire as Mowgli clutched his dagger. Nathan had his hidden blades extended and ready to kill.

White Feather held her bow up, nocking an arrow.

Obi-Wan's special weapon tore through the door like a knife through a buffalo's hide. Matthew and Andrew both kicked it and the hole Obi-Wan had made opened up. They all crawled through. Inside were several metal things shaped similar to humans, as well as several other white men.

The white men raised their hands in the air and out of them exploded fire.

Obi-Wan held out his hands, holding the fire off, while Matthew and Andrew fired their white men's weapons. The young girl named Toph had pulled metal around them to protect them from the fire. Nathan was already moving across the room, taking out the metal things, and other unsuspecting white men, with Sokka moving almost as fast as he was.

White Feather loosed her arrow at a man who had come up behind Nathan with fire on his palms. Nocking another arrow, she ducked beneath a metal thing firing a white man's weapon similar to Andrew and Matthew's. She slammed the edge of her bow against the center of the metal thing, but her wooden bow had nothing against its hard metal.

Nathan stabbed its center with his hidden blade and sliced it through. As the metal thing crumbled, he glanced at her. "White Feather, are you harmed?"

White Feather shook her head, pulling out her arrows to reuse them. The other white men were all dead.

"Here," Obi-Wan said, pressing his hand against a strange metal log. Lights flashed on it, bright like the sun. White Feather's mind could not understand what she was seeing. Not even white men had this type of power. A square shape appeared in Obi-Wan's hand, but White Feather had no words to describe what it was. "This is the datapad. According to this, the families are kept in a magical pocket world, but in order to open it, we must obtain something known as a Portal-Key. Unfortunately, this Portal-Key is kept on King Sargon at all times."

"He isn't here at the base," Matt said. "From what I've heard, he's always somewhere else."

Nathan nodded. "Keeping the key this close to where we could possibly reach it would have been foolish. We must discover King Sargon's location."

"Um, guys... I feel eight more bad guys coming our way!" Toph said.

Sokka, Matthew, and Andrew stood at the doorway's entrance. White Feather nocked an arrow and stood behind them as Obi-Wan, Nathan, and Toph joined them on the left and right.

Toph formed more metal around them as the white men shot at them with waves of fire.

*****

Vymik, Dooku, Yoda, and Kanan viciously attacked each other with their lightsabers. Dooku used the Force to throw pieces of the concrete wall toward Vymik, but he easily used the Force to throw them backward, crushing several droids in the process. Yoda whirled around Dooku, but he managed to block every strike.

Kanan jumped forward, bringing his lightsaber toward Dooku's neck, but his own lightsaber blocked the attack. At the same time, Vymik brought his toward Dooku's chest, but he shot lightning from his free hand toward Vymik and Yoda.

As Yoda consumed some of the lightning in his hands, Vymik caught the rest of it and sent it back to Dooku while Kanan front-flipped over him. Dooku was just as fast and slashed toward Kanan's right shoulder. Kanan's droid limbs made him faster than the older man's and with Vymik right at Dooku's back and Yoda dancing and leaping around him, they kept him on the defensive.

Dooku shifted sideways so that he could block their attacks from all sides. Suddenly, the speed of his blocks increased, surprising both Kanan and Vymik. Both of them leapt backward, forced to block Dooku's quick attacks toward their bodies. Yoda continued attacking Dooku aggressively, moving faster than Kanan expected. It was as if they were both on the same level, completely different from Kanan and even Vymik.

Dooku force-pushed Yoda backward. Kanan barely blocked in enough time before Dooku's lightsaber narrowly missed slashing his mechanical right arm.

Dooku grinned and sent lightning exploding toward Kanan. Kanan was forced to hold up his lightsaber to block it, leaving his left side open. Dooku leapt toward him, jabbing at him, but Vymik was there, slicing across Dooku's lightsaber. Yoda stabbed toward Dooku from behind. The movement forced Dooku to back-flip and once again Vymik, Yoda, and Kanan leapt toward him.

*****

As droids and firebenders attacked everyone in the room, Khulan sped around, knocking out as many firebenders and destroying as many droids as possible. Padme held a blaster and fired at droids, but the firebenders surrounded them, easily blocking her blaster shots. Vuiewa wielded two spears and helped Clark fight against two larger droids stalking toward them. Akari darted around the room at a fast human pace, slashing droids and firebenders to pieces with her katana. Lolita used sound waves to block fire attacks from the benders, while Katai, Jecht, Katara, and Zuko fought against Fire Lord Ozai. Blake sped around the room just as fast as Khulan, using his seraph blade to attack firebenders. Konosuke had joined Akari in slashing droids one after another with Jakaya using two hook swords to do the same. Jaeah was in her wolf form, mauling firebenders with Dakota using his Hunter strength and speed to fight. Garrett stayed in the back with Rheesa, trembling, but Khulan could sense it wasn't from fear. Midaji and Yisu were beside them.

"Hey, Blake! How come the fire doesn't burn you?" Khulan called as he quickly zipped in a wide circle to avoid a wave of fire heading toward him. He hated fire; it was one of the few things that could kill him.

Blake gestured to a tattoo on his arm. "Rune of fire-resistance, mate!"

Suddenly, Midaji stabbed Yisu with his katana.

Khualn's body froze, staring at her crumbling body in shock. Back in the 1200s, he had known her before he had been turned into a vampire. White-hot rage gripped him so furiously, he couldn't breathe.

As Midaji tried to kill Rheesa, Garrett's trembling body transformed. Claws extended from his fingers and his face turned into that of a horrible beast. Khulan went straight to rip out Midaji's throat while Garrett growled and clawed toward his chest.

Midaji sped around them, faster than even Khulan could see. "You're fast, vampire and you're both strong, but not strong enough to defeat me," Midaji taunted.

Khulan hissed as Garrett roared and the two attacked Midaji. He kept jumping around them, but not even Khulan could see him moving. Midaji stopped as he stood over Yisu's body. "Aw, did you know her? Was she an old girlfriend? I think she might still be alive..."

Khulan cried out in utter rage, but by the time he reached Yisu's body, Midaji was gone. Khulan glanced down. Yisu's eyes were widened with fear and terror as she reached a hand up for Khulan. He grabbed her hand and knelt beside her, despite the chaos around him. Her breaths came in harsh, wet wheezes as blood trickled from her mouth. Crimson blood gushed from her wound.

The sweet, spicy smell reached Khulan's nose and he froze, staring at it in shock.

Midaji fired out a bright beam of energy that pierced Garrett directly in the chest. Before Khulan had a chance to react, Midaji darted toward them, slicing Yisu's throat. He stood back and watched as Khulan's entire body shivered.

Yisu's delicious blood spurted out of the wound, spraying into Khulan's mouth. Khulan growled as his veins and eyes blackened. Before he knew what he was doing, Khulan extended his fangs and drank from the wound in Yisu's neck. The flavor of her blood exploded in his mouth, satisfying a primal, animalistic urge inside him. For a minute that felt like a lifetime, the entire world faded away.

When she was completely drained of blood, Khulan pulled back, staring at the carnage of what he had done. Yisu's head was completely severed from her body, which was pale and lifeless. Khulan froze, staring at her body in shock.

All he could hear was Midaji laughing.

*****

The Liberty Valiant followed the other oddly shaped metal ships that formed the Red Squad into battle. How many times had Peyrce been here, at her wheel in space, fighting battles and wars? Peyrce was home.

"Vulture droids coming straight ahead," Anakin said as Mythix used a spell to project his voice over the entire deck. "Don't let them land on your ship."

"Uh, pretty sure it's a little late..." Shinji noted as a bunch of metal contraptions that looked oddly like spiders landed on The Liberty Valiant's deck.

Straight ahead of them was a massive-sized ship, firing dozens of laser shots toward them. Peyrce cursed. "Och, hold on! Bloody lasers," he muttered as he turned The Liberty Valiant's wheel hard starboard. The entire ship shifted and turned just in time to avoid the lasers.

Meanwhile, Shinji and Skull used darkness to attack the vulture droids, who crawled all over the ship. Their lasers and electricity began easily tearing through her wood.

"Och, get those bloody things off my ship!" Peyrce screamed.

Even though Mykkan was a merman, he darted through the air, using a sword to slice one of the droids in half. Shinji and Skull used an explosion of darkness to destroy another two or three dozen, while Mythix laughed and threw balls of fire everywhere. One of the fireballs caught the mainsail on fire.

Peyrce cursed. "Mythix, what are ye bloody doin'? My ship's on fire!"

"Oh, you know. I thought it looked better that way." Mythix grinned.

Skull rolled his eyes as he used darkness to shoot him up the mast.

Shinji glared at Mythix. "Mythix, you moron, with no sails, our ship crashes!"

Mythix glanced upward as a desperate Skull tried to save it. "We're good!" he called down.

Peyrce sighed in relief but turned the wheel so that the ship could avoid the larger ship still firing at them. "Shinji, Skull, give her a boost!"

Together, Shinji and Skull used light to propel the ship forward at a much quicker pace. Just when she was even with the larger ship, Peyrce grinned. "Fire all!"

From below deck, the cannons exploded out either side, completely decimating the larger ship.

"Nice shot, Liberty Valiant," Anakin said over Mythix's makeshift comlink.

****

Before Rhivaria or Daetron had a chance to react, Zai grimaced and extended her hand. Rhivaria froze and her limbs couldn't move. Daetron was in the same state behind her, grunting. Akane fell to her knees, her eyes widening.

Suddenly, her breathing stopped and her body fell.

Rhivaria screamed. "No! Wh - What di - What did you do to her?" Rhivaria shifted her eyes to Zai in horror.

Zai looked at her with an impassive expression. "I used my bloodbending to stop her heart."

Rhivaria felt tears in her eyes, looking down at the older woman's still body. First Isaac, now Akane... Her chest ached and her stomach twisted.

Zai moved Rhivaria's limbs, forcing her to turn and face Daetron. "I can see it in your eyes. You two are in love, aren't you?"

Daetron met Rhivaria's eyes, his calm brown eyes filling Rhivaria with warmth, even now.

"Daetron," Rhivaria whispered.

"It will be okay," his blue energy wrote in the air between them.

Zai laughed, but it was a horrid sound that would have made Rhivaria cringe if she could move. "Don't lie to her! I want you to look at her and tell her the truth - that it won't be okay. That you're both going to die."

Daetron's jaw clenched. Exhaling sharply, blue energy exploded away from him, heading straight toward Zai. She pulled water around her, batting away Daetron's energy with ease.

"You're crafty, I'll give you that. But it won't save you. Now..." Zai forced Daetron to take a step toward Rhivaria, and then another, and another. Just as they were inches from each other, she forced his hand up, unsheathing the sword at his hip.

Rhivaria's heart pounded as tears streamed from her face. "Daetron... I - I love you."

Daetron's eyes met hers and then Zai's, silently pleading with her. "Don't - Don't make me." The blue energy that wrote the words trembled and for the first time since she had met him, Daetron looked afraid.

"I read about you, you know, Daetron. You're her Guardian, right? Which means you're supposed to protect her." Zai laughed as she brought his hand up, forcing him to slice Rhivaria's side with his blade.

Pain exploded in her side as blood trickled down her hip and leg. Rhivaria screamed, wishing she could close her eyes and run away.

Daetron's expression twisted in pain and sorrow. "No!"

Zai smiled and forced Rhivaria's arms behind her back. She kept pushing them further back. Rhivaria's muscles stretched painfully to their limits until she felt something crack. Agony wrapped around her and she screamed. "Please - please stop!" Rhivaria cried out as she sobbed, but Zai just kept laughing and laughing.

Daetron growled, breathing out more of his energy. It exploded away from them, knocking Rhivaria and Zai backward. Distracted, Zai lost control of them both. Rhivaria's body landed on the floor as pain burned through her.

Daetron stood to his feet, bringing down explosions and waves of his blue energy on Zai's body as she desperately tried to waterbend it away. With one final breath attack, Daetron's energy wrapped around Zai's body and crushed it.

Daetron rushed to Rhivaria's side just as a firebender sent waves of fire toward them. Daetron stood over Rhivaria, protecting her. She couldn't move her limbs even though she wasn't being bloodbent anymore. Agony pulsed through her arms and she screamed, just wanting the pain to stop.

*****

No matter how many missions Andrew had been on, this one was by far the most important and the weirdest. He and Matt made a good team. While Obi-Wan and Toph took care of the firebenders, Nathan and Sokka took out the droids, White Feather fired arrow after arrow into the fray, with Matt and Andrew using their rifles to take out firebenders and droids before they entered the room.

They had followed the exit of the room to a hallway, which opened up into a large chamber. The elevator was across the room if they could reach it. Once at the top level, the main hall was just down a long corridor. Wave upon wave of firebenders and droids kept entering the room, making it impossible for them to reach the elevator.

Suddenly, Obi-Wan and Toph were pinned by several firebenders on the left side of the room. Andrew glanced at Matt. "Cover me."

Matt fired a dozen shots into a group of twenty or more droids. Andrew darted past them, firing his rifle at a firebender charging toward him. He shifted his rifle, shooting the three firebenders surrounding Obi-Wan and Toph.

Behind him, he heard Matt shooting several dozen droids. Just as Obi-Wan called out a warning, fire erupted along Andrew's body, licking his legs, up his torso to his arms, exploding with intense pain. Screaming, Andrew dropped his rifle on instinct and fell to the floor to roll and put the flames out.

Just as Obi-Wan jumped over Andrew's fallen body and stabbed the firebender, the bender shot one last explosion of flames toward Andrew.

Agony the color of flames consumed Andrew's entire world and then...

Nothing.

*****

Averella stayed below deck while Jared leaned against the wall, resting. His head was hurting him so badly he could hardly move, so Averella told him to stay put while she, Akari, Lynia, and Jace loaded the cannons when Peyrce gave the order from above deck. In the other chamber, which was the barracks, Zaylee, Suzi, Zia, Tyvon, Lyzerri, Ahorra, Azumi with Kytrian, Journey, and Azaki, all stayed. They wanted to stay in the Impala away from the battle, but Liam couldn't teleport that many people at once in the case they found a way to escape from here. And the Chosen all had to tend the canons, so they had placed a few people in the Impala and left the rest in the barracks of The Liberty Valiant. Takayo, Tyler, Nia, and Tohhri stayed with them for their protection. Just in case The Liberty Valiant crashed, Averella, Akari, Lynia, Jace, and even Jared would work together to teleport all of the tributes safely to the ground.

The ship jolted as laser shots slammed against it, causing Averella to lose her footing. She leaned against the wall to steady herself. "I hate being below deck in a battle," she muttered.

"Fire all!" Peyrce shouted.

Averella held her torch to the cannon she stood behind as Akari, Lynia, and Jace each did the same. The canons exploded, slamming against another ship beside theirs. The sound made Averella's ears ring and she winced.

Suddenly, the wall directly in front of her exploded, forming a giant hole. Averella was thrown backward and as her head slammed against the floor, her vision blurred. Something yanked her body downward and by the time she blinked to clear her vision, the ship disappeared from around her.

The cold bit at her skin with furious teeth, making Averella shiver. All sound disappeared as she floated in empty space. Ships in the distance darted to and fro - bright green and red laser shots traded back and forth. The Liberty Valiant was far below her. Averella could faintly see Peyrce and the other Chosen on deck, fighting against metal spiders.

Out of the hole in the side of The Liberty Valiant, Zia, Tyvon, Lyzerri, and Journey's bodies were torn out into empty space, just like Averella had. Their bodies were pale and lifeless. Her stomach churned and a lump formed in her throat.

Averella called out to scream for help, but no sound came. It was weird - being able to see but not hear any sound. It was like her mind knew there was supposed to be sound, so she expected it - explosions, bangs, ringings, screeches, screams, murmurs of voices - but it was all silent.

The freezing air wrapped around her, squeezing and slicing her. Averella gasped, but no air came. Her lungs burned, clawing her chest for air as the cold paralyzed her agonized body.

Her eyes blinked as her vision slowly began to fade to black. She thought she felt someone's arm around her and warmth spread back into her limbs, but blackness surrounded her, dragging her deep into its fold.

*****

Jecht and Zuko worked well together, fighting against Ozai. Katara and Katai gave them extra support.

Ozai kicked toward Zuko's face but he blocked it with his arm, both of them putting fire in between them. Jecht formed flames around his arms and punched Ozai several times in the chest. At the same time, Katara formed water tentacles around her, whipping Ozai's body. Katai took a deep breath and shouted, "Cosmic Dragon Slayer's Roar!" Out of his mouth poured a giant attack of energy.

Ozai barely had enough time to form fire in a ring around him as the energy merged with his flames. The energy and fire exploded, forming a hole in the ceiling.

Jecht rolled forward to avoid pieces of the crumbling ceiling crushing him. He twisted, forming fire on his feet as he kicked Ozai's face. Ozai exhaled and fire exploded away from him. Rather than attack toward Jecht and Zuko, like they both had been expecting, the flames headed toward Katara. She was ready, using water to dose out the fire.

Katai grinned. "Cosmic Dragon Slayer's Solar Flare!" As another wave of energy whipped around Ozai in a furious storm. Ozai used his flames to attack all of them at once. Jecht simply took Ozai's flames and turned them into his own, sending them flying back toward him.

Jecht glanced at Zuko. "Let's light 'em up."

Zuko nodded, clenching his fists. At the same moment, they both formed flames around their fists and charged toward Ozai. Together, Jecht, Zuko, Katai, and Katara simultaneously attacked Ozai. They were on fire as they teamed up together, erupting flames to light up the entire room, energy, and water merging together as it attacked Ozai.

They all stopped and stood still, panting as the energy, flames, and dust settled.

A shape formed in the flames as Ozai inhaled. Jecht tensed just as Ozai exhaled. Flames exploded, taking out that whole section of the room. The force of it threw Jecht backward as he slammed painfully against the wall, feeling his ribs crack. Breathing became difficult and harsh as he groaned and struggled to stand to his feet.

Was Ozai truly this powerful?

*****

Ajez gripped the wheel of their starfighter, yelling out a curse. "R3, you seriously need to finish repairing the hyperdrive!" Another starship sailed toward them, so there was no time for Ajez to read the screen to find out R3's reply.

"Um, sir, if I may," Stez's protocol droid, C599 started, "the odds of us surviving are 1,759 to - "

"Stez shut her down!" Ajez growled, whirling their ship around in a circle before winding it left and then right. As the starfighter chased them, right on their tail, Ajez bent their ship down to circle it upside down. "Mizlu, shoot it!"

With their ship being upside down, it opened up Mizlu for the perfect shot where she sat in the ship's lower gun. Two proton torpedos sailed through the air. When they landed against the starfighter, it exploded.

"Nice shot, Red Two," Anakin said through the com.

Ajez looked at Kescos, who turned the com off. They could hear the other tributes, but Anakin and the others couldn't hear them - just how they wanted it.

"Red Five, you've got them all over your - " Before Anakin could finish, there was an explosion right behind their ship. Ajez pulled their ship up higher to avoid the debris.

"What was that?" Julani's voice echoed through the com.

"Red Five. It was Sedro," came Anakin's reply.

"Got the hyperdrive fixed yet?" Ajez yelled back to R3.

"Not yet!" Uhro shouted. "We're working on it!"

"Hurry up; we really need to get out of here! I'm going to punch a hole through their blockade, then we're home free," Ajez said.

"Only one problem with that." Kescos gestured out the window.

Ajez glanced up from the controls.

Directly in front of them, a dreadnaught command ship appeared out of hyperspace.

"Uh-Oh...." R3 squealed.

******

Harsh clanks of metal on concrete reached Lolita's ears, joining the other myriad of strange sounds: the humming of the lightsabers, the crackling and hissing as they clashed, the flames roaring as it burned the back of the main hall down, the grunting and yelling of fighting, the blasting of the laser shots from the droids, the screeching of metal scraping on metal... The list continued.

Lolita held out her hands, forming sound waves in front of her powerful enough to knock droids backward. Clark and Vuiewa worked together against a firebender, while Akari, Konosuke, and Blake darted through the front of the room, where the fighting was the thickest.

"No!" Clark screamed as a droid fired a shot while Vuiewa was stabbing a firebender with her spear. The laser shot landed in her heart as Clark darted toward the droid, slamming his fists against it. The droid slammed him against the wall.

Lolita grunted and formed a sound wave that picked the droid up before she slammed it against the ceiling and dropped it to the floor. "Are you alright, chico?" she asked, not looking at Vuiewa's nine-foot-tall dead body. All the grief she and the others had suffered lately kept her from being able to look at it - she couldn't face the grief; the sounds were bad enough.

Clark shook his head. "I'm powerless with this thing." He held up his wrist to reveal a bracelet. Lolita helped him stand as they shifted back to back. More droids marched toward them from both directions.

"Don't think about that now, chico. Atencion."

*****

Fire circled around him, trapping Dakota inside its red-hot flames. With a wild outcry, Dakota darted toward it and leapt over them. The flames licked his skin, but he landed on the other side of them, surprising the firebender. Using his speed, Dakota darted behind the firebender and broke his neck.

Khulan stared at Yisu's dead body, her head severed.

Pure rage and a killer instinct overtook Dakota as he darted toward Khulan, who wasn't expecting him. Dakota loaded his crossbow and fired a wooden bolt at Khulan. It landed in the vampire's chest, who groaned and looked up at him in shock. "I - I -"

Dakota didn't give the bloodsucker a chance to finish. He fired his crossbow three more times, littering Khulan's chest with wooden bolts. Khulan writhed on the floor as Dakota pulled out a stake and leaned over him.

"Khulan!" someone shouted.

Before Dakota had a chance to react, a glowing blade was pierced through his chest. Dakota looked down at it in surprise. He didn't feel any pain, not even as the sword was ripped out. He collapsed on the floor across from Khulan, meeting the vampire's gaze. Blake leaned over him, seraph blade in hand.

Blake looked at Dakota with pained eyes. "I - I'm sorry..."

Those were the last words Dakota heard.