OK, there's good news and bad news.

The good news: as you can see, I was able to watch the episode again before the DVD release, meaning that this update is early.

The bad news: I've cut the five chapters I was planning on doing, shortening everything down because my muse has truly gone. In short, this is the last chapter.

I would like to apologize so many times for this, but it would never make up for it. So many hopes in this story, so many ways I could have taken it... And now I have to cut it short :(

I do hope this last chapter is OK and wraps things up nicely. I also hope Hondo is in character; I swear, the difficulty writing him is the main reason my muse vanished...

A New Hope

The Onderon run became the first of many runs in which the pirates delivered weapons – and Bacta on some occasions – to small rebellions on Empire-controlled worlds. Hondo knew where to get the best weapons for the lowest prices, and so, began an arms trade which kept his small band on its feet. Katooni was satisfied that they were doing good; she had a feeling Hondo was doing this for her sake, but never brought it up.

A month had passed, and the group had landed on a small back-water planet in the Outer-Rim, where they were intending to collect a batch of rocket-launchers to deliver to a band of rebels on Dantooine. But upon arrival, they'd found the pick-up sight deserted, so Hondo had sent Jiro and Goru on ahead to see what the hold-up was.

Hours later, Hondo grew suspicious.

"Tooni, do you sense anything through your Jedi mind tricks?" he asked the girl.

Katooni closed her eyes and concentrated. The Force on this planet felt...unusual. Almost false, somehow, although she couldn't put her finger on how this could be. She couldn't sense danger, or what had happened to Jiro and Goru, and this didn't sit well with her. Something was up.

"I think we should go check it out," she said. "Something doesn't feel right."

Hondo frowned, before silently gesturing to Gwarm and Parsel. The two pirates prepared speeders for them; there were only two, and while the two pirates took one, Hondo and Katooni took the other. The two monkey-lizards and R3 were ordered to stay with the ship in case anything happened.

The two speeders sped across the dry landscape towards the only sign of life in the area. As they drew closer, Katooni tried using the Force again to determine what had happened to the other pirates and the traders, and yet, she still couldn't get anything. It was almost like something was blocking her access...

Her eyes widened when she realized why.

"Wait! We need to stop!" she yelled. "It's a trap!"

"And you figured this out now?" Hondo questioned her, but he did as she said and drew to a sudden halt.

Gwarm went to do the same on the other, but it was too late. The blasts came seconds later, hitting the speeder and causing it to explode, taking the two pirates with it. As it happened, Katooni leapt to the ground to avoid the blast, and Hondo leapt on top of her in an attempt to shield her. Thankfully their speeder took most of the shock.

When the two climbed to their feet, they found themselves surrounded by Troopers, all of whom had their blasters pointed at the two. Katooni didn't hesitate to take out her lightsaber, and Hondo too out a blaster ready.

The Force lifted, and Katooni could feel again...only to feel a great darkness. The Sith Lord was close.

Too close, she realized, when Darth Vader stepped out from where he had hidden himself among the Troopers. He stared directly at Katooni, and she stared back.

"Leave us," he commanded the Trooper in command.

It looked as though the Trooper was going to protest, but a glare from Vader silenced the matter, and the Trooper did as ordered, taking the others with him. Soon it was just Katooni, Hondo and Vader.

"You made an unwise choice, Pirate," said Vader.

Hondo blinked in surprise.

"Well, I admit I've made a few...decisions which didn't turn out so well. In hindsight, so to speak," he said in response, casually twirling his blaster around in his hand. "Perhaps you can enlighten me as to which one you are referring to?"

"There are many choices you have made which will cost you your life," Vader explained. "But one stands out above the rest. In shielding that Jedi scum from the Empire, you have committed the highest of crimes; one punishable by death."

"But she was so useful to me!" Hondo informed. "Can you blame me for taking advantage of that?"

"Even when the high price on her head would have made you rich for the rest of your life?" questioned Vader. "Even though in keeping her, she has directly caused the destruction of your base, the death of your crew, and a cease in your operations? No. There is something more too it, is there not?"

For the first time in his life, Hondo looked uncertain how to answer. It was enough for Vader.

"Do not tell me you actually care for her?"

Hondo, again, had no answer for that, and even if he did he wouldn't have had the chance to say anything. Katooni placed herself in front of him.

"What do you want from us?" she demanded. "If you were going to kill us, you would have let your Troopers do so already. But you didn't."

"You are very observant, young Jedi," said Vader. "I did not kill you because I have a demand."

"Demand?" Katooni questioned. "What demand?"

"I serve the Emperor," Vader explained. "But he is a fool, and I wish to overthrow him. But I cannot do so alone. You, young Jedi, were able to defeat me by using only the Force; something which even adult Jedi have not been able to do. The Force is strong with you. All I ask of you is to become my apprentice, and together, we can destroy the Emperor."

The offer took both Katooni and Hondo off guard.

"But what would I get out of it?" Katooni asked. "And what would happen if I were to refuse?"

"If you were to accept, your pirate friend will go free," Vader replied. "But if you were to refuse, your friend will be killed, and you will be tortured into giving up the location of the rebels you have been delivering arms to. And in order to solidify your choice, there is also this."

He took out something from his belt...something familiar...

"Petro's lightsaber," Katooni realized.

The last time she had seen it, it had been in her friend's hand as he'd leapt at that Trooper so she would escape alive... Now it was in Vader's hand, reminder her of the sacrifice her friend had made to ensure her safety; reminding her of all the Jedi that had been killed, including her friends...

Joining Vader would betray them all.

But then she was reminded of Hondo, who still stood behind her. He was a pirate, and he had attacked her and her friends that time...but then he had saved them. And he had taken her in when the Jedi were killed, despite the huge risk of sheltering a Jedi, and despite the huge profit he could make in handing her over.

In the short time she had spent with him, he had become more than a friend; he had become her family, as crazy as that sounded. She couldn't let him die.

The choice was clear; save Hondo but turn her back on the Jedi, or honour the Jedi and allow Hondo to be killed.

Releasing a deep breath, she crossed the space that separated herself and Vader.

"Do you promise that he'll go free?" she asked.

"I am a man of my word," said Vader. "If you join me, he will go free."

Katooni sighed again, before holding out her hand. Vader knew what this meant and dropped Petro's lightsaber into it.

"A wise choice, young Jedi," he said, turning away. "It seems you have a better sense of wisdom than your pirate friend. But why you would want to save such scum is beyond me."

What came next happened fast.

Katooni leapt into the air, ignited both lightsabers on the decent, and aimed for the Sith Lord's neck. Vader sensed her coming at just the last moment, and raised his arms to prevent her from decapitating him. But it didn't stop her from slicing his arms clean off.

Sparks flew, revealing his arms to be mechanic, but Katooni didn't have time to stare in shock; she turned and hurried back over to Hondo and the speeder.

"Little Jedi!" Hondo exclaimed, genuinely shock, as he climbed onto the speeder. "That was such a back-stabbing thing to do!"

"Well, I did learn from the best," said Katooni, smirking at him as she leapt on behind him.

"I'm so proud!"

They took off at full speed, and it wasn't long before they found themselves pursued by Troopers, who began firing at them. Katooni ignited the lightsabers again and stood herself up, turning and deflecting the blasts as she kept her balance. She was able to knock a few Troopers from their speeders this way.

A fully trained Jedi would be able to keep this up until they reached the ship. Katooni, unfortunately, was not fully trained, and when Hondo swerved to avoid a large rock Katooni paused to regain her balance.

That's when a blast hit her.

She cried out, and tried to hold onto the speeder, but her vision was going dark and her strength was weakening. Having heard her cry, Hondo looked over his shoulder...in time to see Katooni fall from the speeder.

He instantly spun the speeder around, drawing to a halt, and leapt off. He saw the Troopers getting closer, and new that if he attempted to save Katooni, he would be caught, if not killed.

The pirate hesitated for barely a second before gathering the girl up in his arms and climbing back onto his speeder. He wasn't sure how he was able to pilot the speeder, hold onto her and shoot at the Troopers behind him – killing all but two – but somehow he managed.

Upon seeing the ship up ahead, Hondo aimed the speeder for the ramp. R3, who was already on the ramp, saw them coming and immediately rolled inside to prepare for take-off. Putting his blaster away, Hondo put all his focus on directing the speeder, and was able to get it in just the right position and slow it to the right speed.

Once he pulled up inside, the ramp closed and the ship took off. Hondo then carried Katooni into a back room, where he laid her down upon a bed and inspected her wound. It was thankfully not fatal; her shoulder had only been hit.

He sat himself down and sighed, rubbing his face and wondering how and why he'd gotten himself into this mess.

Katooni awoke to a dull pain in her shoulder and realized she was lying on a bed. Recalling what had happened before she blacked out, her first thought was that the Troopers had caught her and had brought her to Vader...

She thought this until she sat up and recognized the room as the one on Hondo's ship. What was more, Pilf and Pikk were sat on the bed, watching her; Pilf left the room, while Pikk moved closer and gently nuzzled her side. Katooni stroked the monkey-lizard in response.

"You're awake!"

Katooni turned to see Hondo enter the room, with Pilf on his shoulder; the red monkey-lizard hopped off and landed next to his brother as Hondo sat himself down.

"What happened after I blacked out?" asked Katooni. "I thought I felt myself fall from the speeder."

"No, you didn't," said Hondo. "By some miracle, you stayed on until we got back to the ship. Know that because if you had fallen, you would have been left behind. I'm still a pirate, remember?"

Katooni knew a lie when she saw one. During her time with Hondo, she had learnt to ignore them; it was part of being a pirate. But this time – with the rest of the pirates dead and after what had happened – she couldn't just forget it and move on.

"I did fall, actually," she told the pirate. "I only said 'I thought' because I wanted to see how you would answer. I know that I fell. Meaning you must have gone back for me. Don't lie to me, Hondo; it's only us now."

Hondo stared at her, long and hard, before he sighed.

"Do you remember, Jedi, when you asked me if there was one thing I had which I know is worth a fortune, but keep anyway because it means a lot to me?" he asked. "And I replied that I didn't?"

"Yeah," said Katooni with a nod.

"Well, I lied," he admitted. "There is something."

When he spoke those words, he looked directly at her, and Katooni knew exactly what he meant – or rather, who he meant. Katooni couldn't help it; she leapt forwards and hugged him, as she had done that short time ago when the two had been reunited.

And likewise, Hondo didn't know how to react, exactly like last time, and just patted her until she pulled back.

"And I've been thinking," she said. "I've never really had a second name; it's always just been 'Katooni'. So I was wondering...could I use yours?"

His genuine smile was all the answer she needed.

I'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, faved and alerted this story. It really means a lot to me.

Like I said at the top, my muse has pretty much gone, so I won't be writing anything more for this story, be it a sequel or oneshots. But if anyone wants to write a oneshot set in this story universe – or a story similar to this one – then feel free, but be sure to credit this story as your inspiration.

Once again I thank you all for reading, and I apologize for cutting this story short.