The Marvelous Association for No-Good, Drunk, and Obnoxious Sociopaths

I Sing A Ragged and Crooked Song

43 BBY

Galidraan

Haat Mando'ade Camp

Maa Miraal jerked awake, gulping in burning mouthfuls of air.

It took a long moment for the world to come into focus, and when it finally did, all of the nausea and pain came with it.

She sat up slowly, every muscle in her body aching. She couldn't see through the right side of her visor, but that was normal, wasn't it?

Her head hurt so very much. Was Kenobi here? He would be disappointed at her for getting hurt again, but then he would sigh and smile, and everything would be fine.

But, no...Kenobi was gone.

And so was Jaster.

Everything came back in one terrible wave. It was too much.

Mara ripped off her buy'ce and threw it as hard as she could. She bit her tongue and cursed at the intense pain the motion caused, but the pain in the Force was infinitely worse. The energy swirling around was dark, bleeding like an open wound into the Force.

Mara tried to struggle to her feet, but her muscles didn't seem to be working properly. The world tilted. Her knees and hands hit dirt, and she threw up. The smell of it, and the stench of blood overwhelmed everything. She rolled to her side and stared up at the dimming sky.

"Miraal!" a voice distantly called. It came again, shouting her name over and over.

"Miraal!"

Mara rolled her head to the side to look. It was Myles. She tried to reply, but the words stuck in her throat. Luckily, he spotted her anyway.

"Miraal! Mara! You're alive!" He helped her sit up. "Thank the ka'ra! I thought..."

He trailed off.

She got to her feet somehow. Myles and the Force supported her.

"The Jettise?" she asked. She had to know if Dooku and Vosa had escaped. "And what about Kyr'tsad?"

"Tor Vizsla is dead. Most of the Jettise, too." Myles said succinctly. "We only found one Jetti, along with the kid you grabbed. The boy is still unconscious, but the other one is demanding to talk to the leader."

Mara frowned at him. There was something he didn't want to say.

"What else?"

"Jango and Arla...they're missing."

Mara stumbled. "What?"

"They went after Vizsla together. No one's seen them since."

She quickly searched through the Force. Even though neither of the Fett siblings were Force-sensitive, she should still be able to find them. But the Force was so clouded, she couldn't feel them. Even Obi-Wan's bright presence was dimmed.

"Can you...use your...thing to find them?" Myles asked hesitantly.

She shook her head. "I can't feel them."

Myles deflated.

She didn't say anything for a long moment. In the absence of the Mand'alor...well, Mara supposed she was the Mand'alor. Another thing poked at her overworked mind.