In the dark passages of the ventilation shafts, the surviving group ran with all their strength, desperate to find a way out before Master Monn was no longer able to contain that metal beast.

Thirteen Jedi or two Padawans faced that monster, and now only five of them were running for their lives to who knows where. Roy remained silent the entire time, helpless that he hadn't been able to do anything else. From now on I'm just dead weight for the group. His leg had received considerable damage, and his motor mechanism was seriously affected. Without the intervention of a specialist, he would not be able to walk again on his own.

The rest of the teachers limited themselves to following the leadership of teacher Nunes, hoping to find a way out as soon as possible. Their race against the clock was not only against Grievous if he caught up with them, but they also had to reach his ship and flee as soon as possible. Although everyone knew that would be much easier done than said.

Huulik: Look! A light!

Eakar: It must be a way out!

Meters ahead, a beam of light seemed to infiltrate the dark conduits from a hole in the structure. Where it led was a mystery, but anywhere was better than where they were right now.

Eakar: I'll go investigate.

Pablo: Be careful.

The calamari used metal stairs built into the structure to ascend. Apparently, it was an entrance to the ventilation system, which seemed to be buried in the city. Lorrd was a planet with a very stifling atmosphere due to the heat, so this underground system covered almost the entire city.

The calamari reached the hatch, and after pressing a few buttons on a panel, the metal composite opened completely, letting the bright light from outside blind everyone after the prolonged exposure to darkness. Eakar poked his head out, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that they were in a quiet alley in the city, and after checking that there was no danger in the surroundings, he signaled to the rest to follow him.

The first to climb was Master Huulik, and once up and with the help of the rest of the teachers, they raised the convalescent Padawan with the use of the Force, with Masters Pablo and Nunes being the last to reach the surface. They had managed to escape a fateful fate for the moment, but they had another problem just as big on them.

Nunes: Do you know where we are?

Huulik: It seems to be the southern residential area.

Eakar: Our ships are in the port, north of the city.

Pablo: That's quite far away.

Nunes: We have to hurry.

Roy: We won't make it in time. Not with me in tow.

Pablo: It's not even your dreams, brat. This is not the time to be a hero.

Roy: But... Master...

Pablo: No buts, Padawan.

Nunes: I have an idea. Master Pablo, remove your tunic.

No one would be able to guess what the Keldorian had in mind, but this was not the time to ask questions. After a brief sequence of instructions, Roy rested on his master's shoulders, and the ancient robe now covered both of them equally, giving him the appearance of a completely different alien species, which seemed to have a protuberant bulge on its shoulders.

Nunes: We have to move. And whatever happens, we must not draw attention to it.

Even though they were the five most wanted individuals in Lorrd at that time, to passersby and local patrols, the group of five teachers were nothing more than other settlers of the city, blending in with the crowd, and advancing towards the north of the city. with the lowest profile they could have. They didn't know how much time they had left before everything turned into chaos. But they had to take advantage of every second.

Eakar: Droid patrols are becoming more frequent.

Nunes: Surely they are protecting the port. We will have to find an alternative route to enter.

Huulik: A distraction?

Nunes: Very dangerous. None of us will be safe if we stay on this planet.

Paul: We must return to the temple. Report what happened.

Roy: We must find another way to escape.

The Padawan, who had not said a word so far, could not contain his mouth. Until that moment he had not wanted to accept that feeling of discomfort he had been experiencing, but at that moment he decided that it was better to share it.

Eakar: Another way? We don't have many options.

Pablo: Roy?

Roy: Any other way. Any way other than through the port.

Huulik: Why do you say that?

Roy: Think about it a little. The profession, the rumors, the ambush. How we got caught with that... with him. They wanted us to see them, they wanted us to know they were there.

Huulik: Are you suggesting that... it was all a setup?

Silence fell on the group immediately, interrupted by the natural bustle of the area they were in. But this showed a new perspective, and if the Padawan's words were even remotely correct, it wasn't something that could simply be ignored.

Nunes: Over here. Let's find a quieter place.

Moving away from the main keys, the group followed teacher Nunes to a barely crowded alley, where teacher Pablo was able to place Roy on the ground, leaning against a metal structure so he could rest. He sat next to the padawan, who had clear concern on his face. And immediately, the rest of the teachers gathered around them, still alert for any sign of danger or that they were being followed.

Eakar: A trap?... That could make a lot of sense.

Huulikr: That would be too many coincidences considering how things ended.

Pablo: How did Grievous know about our movements?

Roy: Someone betrayed us. -His words were sharp like the edge of a knife.

Nunar: Accusations carry great weight, young Padawan. Words that cannot be taken lightly.

Roy: So how did the separatists know exactly where to ambush us? Someone who knew about our plans betrayed us... And I assume that none of the dead... of the fallen were responsible.

The young Padawan's words did not hide his fury. His poison. He said it with a certainty that could not be ignored. In any other situation, any of the teachers present would have reprimanded him for such statements. However, his thoughts were too foggy to pay attention to these details. Roy was right. This was no mere chance of fate or a whim of the Force.

Huulik: What will we do?

Pablo: The port is ruled out. If they knew we were coming, I wouldn't be surprised if they were waiting for us in our ships.

Eakar: We can't leave them behind either. Our computers have information that would compromise us.

Roy: We have no alternatives. How many ships are there?

Nunes: Seven in total.

The silence that continued spoke volumes.

Roy: No option then.

The teachers looked at the Padawan, who did not hesitate at such statements. In his hand, the saber of the fallen master Isaiah, which he used to face that metal monstrosity. Roy had a blank look, but inside he was really furious about what had happened. Hiding his emotions was his best specialty, and by not possessing stable ties to the Force, the masters present could not perceive his darkness. However, his master didn't need any of these tricks to know that something was wrong with his padawan.

Pablo: Don't let frustration cloud your judgment, Padawan.

Roy: It doesn't. The more I think about it, the fewer alternatives I see.

Nunes: What are you thinking about?

Roy: We must destroy them before leaving. If we can't take them with us, we can't leave them here either. It's only a matter of time before they find out what they are, and our secrets are revealed. It is not unreasonable to think that the Separatists have the technology necessary to hack our computers.

Eakar: - I understand your point, but... Are you suggesting that we infiltrate the ports and just... blow up our ships? Do you know how many civilians could be harmed by that?

It was not an easy decision. Both the padawan and the calamari were right. They couldn't take such a desperate measure. They were Jedi, and their role in the galaxy was to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. However, if they left that information to chance, the Jedi Order itself could be affected by a possible leak of relevant information. They had to find a solution.

Pablo: Can we pilot the ships remotely? - His comment caught everyone's attention.

Nunes: It won't be easy.

Eakar: The most difficult thing will be accessing the commercial port. Once there, we can contact the astromech droids to pilot the ship back to Coruscant.

Roy: Don't forget the biggest of our problems.

The teachers turn their gaze to the Padawan, who pointed his index finger towards the heavens. And he was right. Above the planet's orbit, that separatist colossus still remained. The Invisible Hand. The flagship of General Grievous himself.

Inside, there would be thousands of fighters waiting, and their tractor beams would not allow them to escape so easily. Not counting Lorrd's own planetary defenses, which would be enough to intercept seven ships and prevent their escape.

Pablo: That will be a problem.

Nunes: One problem at a time. Let's try to make a plan before taking any action.

Huulik: We'll need a distraction.

Minutes passed, and ideas were proposed and debated by the group, but there was always a possible failure or a risk rate that was too high. Among the many problems, they knew that all seven ships had to take off at the same time, or they would risk losing one in the process. They also risked having their communications jammed, which would put them at a significant disadvantage if the separatists knew of their plans.

Pablo listened to his companions and proposed ideas, but always with the same result of uncertainty. However, he found it strange that Roy didn't participate at all.

The young padawan was very enthusiastic when it came to proposing crazy ideas with a somewhat unpredictable result. However, Roy remained on the sidelines, staring into the planet's azure sky, his pupils focused on the Separatist frigate that was ruining the landscape.

The teacher didn't take long to notice those small details that revealed the padawan's emotional state. The slow way of his breathing. The strength with which he held on to Master Isaiah's saber. His fury hidden behind a face of exhaustion. He knew that there was something brewing in his student's mind, and although he feared to know what it was, in the current situation he didn't have many options.

Pablo: Roy...

His sudden call not only caught the attention of the padawan, but also that of the teachers who were trying to find a way to escape from this situation. Teacher and student exchanged glances, and both were able to recognize the other's fears and frustrations.

Roy, with his seemingly neutral gaze, but that bionic eye shone with a more intense red light than normal. Pablo, with a serene face, but afraid to ask. But... What other options did they have?

Pablo: Do ​​you have any ideas?

The Padawan didn't respond immediately. His mind tried to find a way to say it, but he couldn't think of friendly words to hide the harsh truth. The young man took a deep breath, and looked at the Separatist frigate one last time, before turning his gaze towards the masters. A look so cold, it didn't seem like that of a living being. So... His voice was not afraid when it came to facing the truth.

Roy: Yes... I have it. But you're not going to like it.