For the second time since being captured, Verita found her wrists cuffed by thick chains. However, unlike the previous time, she was chained to Sha'ar, both wrists attached to his left. Irritation bubbled in her gut, not at Sha'ar, but rather the circumstances in general. Isaos and Kaikai were gone, held captive somewhere until she and the other bounty hunter could find them on Obstillia's surface.

She could still see the fear that had briefly flashed across Isaos's face when he had been taken away, could remember hearing herself promise to find him, to come back to him. Verita closed her eyes briefly before turning to look at Sha'ar. He was a silhouette in the darkness, but his eyes glinted in the small amount of visible light.

"Where to?" she said roughly, and the man shrugged.

"Straight ahead seems just fine."

There was a lack of worry to his words that irritated Verita, but she said nothing. Instead she focused on walking, something significantly harder when chained to someone else. They fluctuated between speeds, neither of them ever quite achieving moving in sync with the other. For several steps it was silent, and Verita felt her shoulders tense with unease.

Then the ground of them changed, a tall shape rose into the air. Verita squinted, mouth dropping slightly when she realized it was a mountain of sorts. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. There was no time for her to wonder at the sight though, as barely had the mountain risen when bolts from a blaster shot past her. She jerked in surprise, the movement tugged Sha'ar's arm forward as well. A quick glance around her showed shadowy figures,which were recognizable in their white armor, advancing with blaster rifles from every direction, save for in front of them, where the mountain stood imposingly.

As though everything else moved in slow motion, Verita found herself running forward, dragging Sha'ar along with her, towards the mountain. With each step her wrists scuffed the chains, her injured hands screaming in pain. As they reached the base of the mountain, Verita slowed, uncertainty filling her.

"What are you doing?" Sha'ar snapped.

"How are we going to get past the mountain?"

"We'll just phase through it to the other side." Sarcasm dripped from every word, and it made Verita's lips curl into a snarl. Sha'ar rolled his eyes, both hands rose to touch the side of the mountain, forcing Verita to raise hers as well. "We climb. Preferably before we get shot to death by those bucketheads with the blaster rifles." His left hand found a small protrusion from the surface, and he grabbed it. Verita copied his movements. With each passing moment the blaster shots came closer, and Verita's heart beat erratically in her chest, a constant rhythm of don'tdiedon'tdiedon'tdie.

Sha'ar and Verita's movements were made slow by panic and their chains. Each time one of them found a path up, the other struggled to match it. Both of Verita's hands were red and throbbing, and as they attempted to climb she knew they would only get worse. Still, they had no choice, but to continue, the blaster shots getting more accurate with each passing minute.

Despite this, the two of them made slow progress, right up until a blaster shot nicked Sha'ar's left arm. Verita flinched in surprise. Her body jerked backwards, pulling Sha'ar down as well. His right hand slipped off the handhold he'd found in the mountain, resulting in the two of them freefalingl through the air. Wind rushed past Verita's face, a scream swallowed by air. Her wrists pulled uncomfortably tight against the chains, limbs bumping into Sha'ar. She landed on the ground in a tangle of chains and bony limbs. A litany of curses escaped her mouth, mirrored by the ones she heard from Sha'ar.

He scowled at her before looking around them. "Kriff," he swore, shaking his head. Then he turned to look at her, mouth pursed. "Guess we'll have to fly up the mountain." A shadow of a grin crossed his face. "How much do you weigh?"

"Are you serious?" Verita demanded.

Sha'ar didn't answer, instead he inhaled deeply. Then his skin changed, turning from a deep olive skin tone to dark blue, brown hair turned darker until it blended with their surroundings. His arms grew slimmer, but the chains remained firmly in place. Already nearly six feet, he grew even taller, wings emerged from his back to the sound of tearing skin. A S'kytri. There was no time for Verita to wonder; barely had the transformation been completed when a thin arm circled her waist and she was in the air. Her stomach dropped and Verita closed her eyes, her breaths turned into short puffs of air. Don't look down. Don't look down.

The flight up the mountain was quicker than their attempts at climbing had been, but it was still far from smooth. Sha'ar zigzagged up the mountain to avoid blaster shots, a feat made harder by the Mandalorian he was holding. His breathing was labored, the slim S'kytri form was not made for flying with someone else.

Verita's eyes remained closed the entire flight. They only opened once she felt Sha'ar land on solid ground. She hastily moved to stand by herself, heart still pounding.

Glad that's over.

Upon landing, Sha'ar started to return to his Mandalorian form. He gritted his teeth as the painful transformation took place. Once he had returned to his base form, he scanned his environment. In front of him stood a black door with the words Finish written in white letters, but in order for them to get to it, they had to fight off the three stormtroopers standing in their way.

At least I have something no one else does, he thought as he drew the blaster that was given to him with his free hand.

The male bounty hunter dove to the ground to avoid the blaster shots ripping through the air. That was not an easy task though due to the extra weight attached to him, causing him to fall backwards, along with the other bounty hunter.

Kriff! Who's idea was it to attach us together? the Shi'ido glanced at Verita. This is so stupid I need to file a complaint!

That would have to come later as the stormtroopers advanced on them, their blasters raised. Thinking quickly, Sha'ar fired a few bursts, downing two of them in the process. As the remaining trooper came over them, Verita kicked his legs out from under him. The trooper let out a grunt as he fell on his butt. Wasting no more time, Sha'ar took him down with a headshot.

As soon as they rose to their feet, albeit clumsily, his partner nodded at the door.

" Let's head inside before more of them show up!" she informed him.

"I don't need to be told that," Sha'ar responded.

The door opened as they left the purplish mountain obstacle course and entered a silver-themed room with the insignia of the Empire hung from the walls. They were surrounded by the other rebels in the room which meant that it would be time for the next obstacle.

"Congratulations on making it through the first obstacle," a voice resonated across the room, probably from an intercom. " However, if you think it would end there, you are gravely mistaken as we have a new and more improved obstacle for you. Our hardworking staff have worked hard to recreate a famous battle in the Clone Wars and you all will have the pleasure of being able to experience it. The question is will you survive it? We will find out....now!"

The silver doors bearing the Imperial crest shot upward to reveal an environment filled with grassy and even dusty hills surrounded by tall brown mountains under the late afternoon sun. Sha'ar and Verita gazed around the environment as they followed the other rebels into the next obstacle course. The environment seemed a bit familiar to Sha'ar, bit he couldn't quite place where he had before.

I wonder what they have in store for us, he wondered.

As if on cue, a blue flare was shot into the air northwest of their location, illuminating the environment in a blueish hue. Then, blaster shots streaked at them from all directions. Sha'ar redrew his blaster as his eyes darted side to side vigilantly. His movement were still a bit hindered due to being chained to someone and not to mention coming into the obstacle courses after narrowly surviving a crash landing.

"On you right," Verita told him.

Startled, he looked where he was told and his eyes grew twice their size once he saw the troopers. Stationed to their right were clone troopers donning the blue stripes of the 501st.

"Impossible," he breathed.

The last he heard of the clones, they were decommissioned a few years back to be replaced by the stormtroopers. Were these guys really clones or where they Imperial cadets dressed as them to recreate an event of the past?

Sha'ar saw a flash from the corner of his eyes and noticed blazing shapes streak toward them. Most flew over the rebels as they moved along the path, but a couple landed right in the middle of the rebels, exploding and sending dust rising up into the air among bloodcurdling screams. Sha'ar raised his free hand, covering his eyes from the dust.

" Droids!" a Zabrak in front of them pointed to their left.

As soon as the dust cleared, Sha'ar saw the thin, gangly shapes of B1 battle droids flanked by the bulkier shapes of the B2 Super battle droids.

They must be low on battery, the bounty hunter assumed as he scrutinized the ancient relics of the past.

Behind the droids, the wide shapes of new vehicles materialized. After scrutinizing their designs, Sha'ar instantly recognized them as Separatist Armored Assault tanks . Seeing how their turrets were smoking, Sha'ar had assumed they were the ones that had fired on the rebels. His partner nudged him.

"We should use this chance to get away before things take a further turn downhill," Verita told him.

" As if they aren't bad enough," the bounty hunter grumbled, but he understood her point.

Right when they were making their way through the awed rebels, both sides were already firing on each other with them caught in the middle. Sha'ar ducked and dodged laser fire, at least tried to with to the best of his ability as he had someone chained to him. In front of them, two droids were talking to each other when they spotted the bounty hunters heading to them.

" Are they clones?" the first one asked.

"I don't know, but let's shoot them!" the other one responded.

"Roger roger!"

The beige droids aimed their weapons at them, but Sha'ar and Verita had barreled through them, knocking the droids to the ground.

"Hey, that wasn't very nice!" the first battle droid complained.

" Aren't you going to apologize?" his partner asked.

Unbelievable, Sha'ar thought as he tried not to laugh. Why would anyone commission these droids?

Everything happening was surreal. It was as if they were running inside a reenactment attraction at HoloWorld, except that here they would be killed if blaster bolts had hit them. He turned his gaze to the gray and brown landscape, scarred by the battle when it hit him.

Woah! This must be Ryloth!

He had seen similar a similar landscape that had taken a beating when Separatist and Republic forces faced off on that planet. He had been there on a mission for the Republic to capture General Grievous and bring him back to the Republic Forces. It was a dangerous mission yet the amount of credits it offered was too tempting for Sha'ar.

"No!"

Sha'ar and Verita stop to see three of their fellow rebels surrounded by various droids. One of the super battle droids fired its lasers at them, felling a Cathar in the process. Sha'ar and his partner turn around to flee, only to see their path blocked by droids as well.

"Kriff!" Sha'ar shouted as he fired at them with his blaster.

He took out a few, but for every one he took out , a couple more would take its place. He decided it was time to retreat.

"This way!" he took Verita with him toward a nearby boulder off the path and ducked behind ti to keep them safe from blaster fire. They were pinned behind it as Sha'ar tried to return fire. He already knew they were far outnumbered and it was a matter of time until the droids got to them.

"Sha'ar, you see the convoy?"

" Clearly!" he replied through his comlink as he viewed the approaching Separatist convoy with macrobinoculars.

He had a feeling that General Grievous would be present inside one of those vehicles. Without thinking twice, he had shifted into a droideka and rolled down the wet, green grassland and trailed the convoy to the Separatist base on the planet. His form had let him enter the base without any problems. Once he reached a secluded area, he returned to his Mandalorian form.

Yikes, he shivered. Note to self: never shift into a droid. Ever.

He continued down the hall to a room that was guarded by two battle droids. He approached them calmly.

"I need to see General Grievous now," Sha'ar ordered, playing it cool.

"Oh, are you a bounty hunter?" one of the droids asked.

"Perhaps you didn't here me," Sha'ar tried again. "I need to see him now."

"Oh, right!" the droid replied. "Roger roger! Come right inside."

He pressed a button and Sha'ar sauntered into the room.

It's about time.

He walked down a cold, dark hallway until he entered a room filled with electrical junk. In the middle of the room sat Grievous himself, his back turned. Upon hearing the intruder enter the room, the cyborg general turned to face him. Sha'ar couldn't help, but feel cringe a bit as the yellow, feline eyes of the general bore into his own.

"Have you come for me, bounty hunter?" Grievous's voice resounded in the room.

"Yes, I have," Sha'ar tried to sound brave. " I suggest you come quietly to save ourselves any trouble."

"You think catching me is that easy?" Grievous chuckles. The cyborg summoned his bodyguard droids who immediately engaged the Shi'ido. Thinking quickly, Sha'ar managed to take them out with his blaster and a Vibro axe. He noticed Grievous using the chance to escape him so he tailed the cyborg out of the room.

That was smooth. Distracting me with your worthless droids as you bail out on me!

Sha'ar pointed his arm forward and from his wrist shot a cable hidden in a opening on his red Mandalorian armor. The cable wrapped itself around Grievous, who struggled as Sha'ar came up to his ensnared prey.

" You gave me quite the chase ," Sha'ar smiled. "However, it is time for us to leave."

" Oh, I am not done yet, bounty hunter!"

From the general, extra sets of arms sprouted. Each arm sported a lightsaber which the cyborg started to spin, cutting himself loose.

"Now, we can talk!" Grievous snarled as he lunged at a petrified Sha'ar.

" Hey, did you hear me?"

The Shi'ido shifted out of his flashback and turned to his partner. His hand involuntarily went up to his cheek where the scar from the past encounter with General Grievous remained as a telltale sign. Then, an idea took a hold of his devious mind.

"Hold on, I have an idea, but you will have to play along and not ask questions," Sha'ar informed Verita, who just looked at him strangely, but didn't question him.

He began the painful process of morphing into General Grievous. Once the shapeshift was complete, he walked out with her toward the attacking droids.

"What the-" one droid was taken by surprise at Sha'ar's form. " General Grievous! I thought you were dead!"

"Apparently not!" Sha'ar boomed.

"He's a ghost! Aaah!"

Several droids turned and ran, dropping their weapons.

"Silence!" Sha'ar smacked a droid like he'd seen Grievous do. "I want you to fire on the enemy there!" He motioned to a Zabrak and a human ahead of them.

"Roger roger!" The droids turned to the targets and fired, felling the Zabrak in the process.

The human, whom Sha'ar recognized as Mazhdar, tried to flee, dragging his dead comrades with him. Sha'ar easily caught up despite having the other bounty hunter chained to his arm and grabbed Mazhdar by the scruff of his neck and turning the smuggler to face him.

"Remember me!" Sha'ar cackled, having fun with his prey.

Mazhdar's eyes darted between the two, a terrified expression on his face.

"Too bad!" Sha'ar raised his blaster to Mazhdar's face. " Any last words?"

"Kriff!" Mazhdar muttered.

"That's it?" the fake Grievous growled. "You are no fun!"

"Just hurry up and do it!" Verita snapped. " We don't have all day !"

"Very well," Sha'ar then pulled the trigger on his hold-out blaster, resulting in the smuggler's demise.

Then, they continued on their way to the end of the obstacle, which was door marked by a sign with digital letters blazing neon red that read Finish. However, there was a squadron of droidekas guarding the way.

It looks like I have to take care of them.

Sha'ar stalked up to the destroyer droids, shining a light brownish color in the sunlight. They turned warily to him, but froze once they saw who he was. Verita gazed at him as if telling him to carry on.

" Out of the way!" Sha'ar growled at them.

For a moment, it seemed like the droids were refusing to budge, but one by one they rolled away from the door. Sha'ar returned to his base form again as the door slid open. They entered a room that had the same silvery design with the Empire's insignia all over the place. Ahead of them were prisoners who were held in cells with blue force fields.

"Mr. Sha'ar!"

Startled, Sha'ar turned to see where the familiar voice was coming from and noticed a young boy in a cell to the far left. His eyes softened and his heart leapt with joy once he saw the familiar face.

" It is good to see you again, Kaikai!" the bounty hunter smiled as a couple stormtroopers came to unchain them.