Amethyst's life has taken a turn towards the dangerous. After working with Cid on their first job, they've found themselves embroiled in an even riskier endeavor—one that makes the taunting of slave traders seem like child's play.

Presently, Amethyst sits at the bar where Cid works and lives. The green-scaled alien studies her with a concerned gaze. "You're not feeling too good, are you?" Cid asks.

Amethyst glances up at the sound of a small bang, observing Omega and Echo as they practice with a bow and arrow. She turns back to Cid, her expression somber. "The state of the world weighs heavily on everyone," Amethyst says with a sigh.

Cid's yellow eyes flash with a hint of irritation. "The war is over," she states coldly.

Amethyst leans back against the table, watching Omega and Echo intently. "Humans are always at war. It's never over," she counters, her voice tinged with sadness.

Cid scans the room, her gaze settling on the group of clones she's taken in—all deserters, all traitors to the empire. She releases a heavy sigh, handing Amethyst a glass of wine. "Don't let your heart grow cold," Cid advises. "These guys need someone they can trust."

With that, Cid moves away to help other customers, leaving Amethyst alone with her thoughts and her wine. She sits in silence, sipping the crimson liquid as she ponders the uncertain future that lies ahead.

~❈~

Cid's patience wears thin, and soon she's shooing Amethyst and the others away. "Leave now," she says, her tone brooking no argument. "You've been hanging around here too long."

Amethyst stops briefly, pressing a few credits into Cid's hand. "In case we don't survive," she explains, her voice tinged with gratitude.

Cid grabs Amethyst's arm, stopping her before she can board the Havoc Marauder. "Remember what I said about your heart, Amethyst," Cid reminds her, a hint of concern softening her features. "Only love can lead you far."

Amethyst nods, understanding the weight of Cid's words. "Thank you," she murmurs, before climbing the stairs and disappearing into the Marauder.

As the ship lifts off, Amethyst finds herself reflecting on Cid's parting wisdom. The journey ahead is perilous, but she clings to the hope that perhaps, just perhaps, love will guide her through the darkness.

~❈~

"Are you okay?" Hunter inquires, sliding into the seat next to Amethyst.

She glances up at him, a thoughtful look in her (e/c) eyes. "Yeah," she sighs. "I'm just thinking about this mission. Picking up a tech droid doesn't sound particularly dangerous."

Hunter snorts, his skepticism evident. "Since when has anything been safe with us?" he retorts, a wry grin playing on his lips.

Amethyst meets his gaze, a spark of determination igniting within her. "Where there are hearts, there is always a home," she asserts, her words punctuated by a sense of conviction. "Home is safe."

Hunter studies her for a moment, taken aback by the intensity of her words. But he doesn't press further. He doesn't need to understand Amethyst; he just needs her on board. With a slight shake of his head, he backs away, leaving her to her thoughts.

~❈~

Amethyst's back stiffened as she rose from her seat, abruptly abandoning the task that had consumed her attention. Omega, sensing something amiss, approached. "What's that you've got there?" she asked, curiosity piqued.

But Amethyst remained silent, her posture rigid and unyielding. There was a palpable tension in the air, an unspoken knowledge that something was not quite right.

As the others watched, unease settling in their hearts, Amethyst moved with a determined stride, her focus locked on an unknown objective. In that moment, they knew—without a shadow of doubt—that danger lurked just around the corner.

Without a word, Amethyst turned to Tech, her voice steady and commanding. "Get the ship ready for takeoff," she ordered, leaving no room for argument.

Striding towards the ramp, Amethyst was closely followed by Hunter and Echo, both sensing the uneasiness that seemed to emanate from her. They knew that when Amethyst acted this way, there was little time to waste—whatever threat they faced was swiftly approaching.

As the ship touched down, Amethyst drew in a deep breath, steeling herself for what lay ahead. It's time to face the fear in white eyes, she thought grimly, her resolve unwavering.

This was what she was made for—to confront the unknown, to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. Whatever horrors awaited them, she would meet them head-on.

~❈~

In the grand halls of the Empire's cruiser, Crosshair strode purposefully towards the chamber where Lama Su and Nala Se awaited. With a firm knock on the ornate door, it irises open, revealing the two Kaminoans. Their bulbous eyes showed no hint of sternness or hatred, just a lack of interest.

"Yes, Commander?" Nala inquired, tilting his elongated head to the side.

"What is our next order?" Crosshair asked, his voice rough from years of service.

Nala glanced at his medic before returning his gaze to the clone. "There is no order for now. You may rest with your new squad."

"Officer Rampart mentioned you had a new mission for me," Crosshair stated steadily, though doubt flickered in his brown eyes. Truth be told, he didn't really have anything to occupy his time right now, and he would love to get his mind off Amethyst and his former team.

Nala sighed, running two long fingers along the frill on his head. "Very well then. You might go over the reports on Rebel leader Amethyst Blaze. We want to know more about her and why we've heard nothing about her over the years," he instructed, nodding to Nala, who handed Crosshair a datapad displaying the image of a masked purple dragoness.

Crosshair clenched his toothpick between his teeth, biting down hard before nodding curtly. "Shall do, sir," he responded, then bowed and exited the chamber.

~❈~

On the planet where the Bad Batch had landed, Amethyst felt a heightened sense of alertness. Something in the Force had whispered to her that today was significant, perhaps she would encounter someone who would ignite a spark of hope within her, something she hadn't felt in years. They ventured into the abandoned (or slightly abandoned) factory, navigating its dark corridors. A few police droids patrolled the halls, and Amethyst swiftly dispatched them with Hunter, who expertly hurled his vibroblade at her targets.

"You didn't tell us there'd be droids here, police droids too," Hunter hissed at Tech, who merely shrugged his padded shoulders. "They didn't tell us everything," he replied simply.

Amethyst rolled her eyes. She didn't wear a helmet like the others, but she did wear a mask fashioned from pure dragon fire and scales, shaped like a dragon as well. It was an extra layer of protection for her head, though she had begun to take on the form of a human to blend in more easily. If people saw her as a Dragonhorn or a dragon, they would know who she was.

"Well, that's the last of them in this quadrant," Tech remarked before tilting his head upwards, noticing a section in the rusty roof. "There, we may go up," he pointed out, and Amethyst looked up, smirking. "Oh, I easily can get you there," she said confidently.

She then tapped into the Force, using it to lift them all gently upward, even Wrecker, who proved a bit of a burden to levitate and yelped a lot as he floated in the air. "Keep still!" Amethyst hissed, closing her eyes, and soon felt Wrecker touch down.

"How are you going to get up?" Omega whispered through the comms. Amethyst smirked and shook her head, tilting it another way, her snout gleaming. "Not going to join you. I'm going to find another way in here."

"What?" hissed Hunter, while Echo added, "You're not serious." But Amethyst just shrugged nonchalantly before walking away and disappearing into the darkness.

~❈~

Venturing alone into a cramped droid removal facility wasn't the smartest decision Amethyst could have made, but right now, she didn't want to be cramped up with her friends. Her mind was consumed with thoughts racing faster than she could process. The Force whispered to her, calling to other enigmatic entities she had sensed before, back when the Empire was but a seed of corruption, spreading like a malignant infection. It was a time before the galaxy was ensnared in the iron grip of tyranny, a time when Ahsoka Tano was cast out, abandoned by her own order.

Sighing, Amethyst tapped a finger to the embedded communicator built into the ear of her mask. "I found a way in. How's it going over there?" she asked.

Hunter's staticky voice crackled through the device. "All's well. We're in, too, looking for the droid now. Can you see him?"

Amethyst hummed softly, moving across the platform soundlessly as a panther, utilizing the Force to guide her. She peered down, the mask's eyes flashing in the sliver of moonlight and artificial illumination that pierced through the darkness. "I don't," she said, her voice tinged with uncertainty, "not yet."

"Keep looking, we'll have him soon," said Hunter before the line went silent. Amethyst perked up as the Force signatures she was feeling grew stronger than ever. Suddenly, she felt a blaster barrel press right into her neck.

"I don't think the facility has dragon faces here," a voice remarked, and Amethyst turned slowly to see a masked woman, undoubtedly younger than herself, perhaps around Ahsoka's age if not younger.

"Trace," Amethyst breathed, the woman startled. "Who are you?" she hissed, the barrel still pressing against Amethyst's chest.

Amethyst lifted her hands slowly and unclipped the mask, revealing her dragon face. Purple scales flashed in the dim light.

Trace's eyes widened behind her goggles. "Master Blaze," she whispered, and Amethyst dropped her head.

"It is I, Trace," Amethyst confirmed, her smile faltering slightly. Trace's eyes filled with tears, and she ran forward, wrapping her arms around Amethyst's chest and torso.

"Oh, it is you," she repeated, burying her nose in Amethyst's neck. "I thought the Empire would kill you for sure."

Amethyst let out a broken chuckle and buried her nose in Trace's hair. "The Empire won't ever take down the dragons."

Trace chuckled, then stepped back, wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry, it's just that I haven't seen you since you last visited with Ahsoka. Where is she?" she asked, looking around.

"I..." A bark of pain cut amethyst off, and the facility came back online or stopped; she wasn't sure. "Wrecker," she whispered before patting Trace on the back and sprinting off, grabbing the dragon mask. "Wait! Rafa still has to meet you!" Trace called after her, but Amethyst was gone, disappearing into the shadows before long.

"Amethyst, we've got the droid's head," said Echo, and Amethyst huffed, smoke billowing from her lips before she took a leap, gracefully crossing some jagged platforms.

"I know. I'll be with Wrecker. Something is wrong," she insisted before shutting off the communicator and finally finding the hulking figure of a man, sprawled on his side, his head hanging down towards the platform.

"Wrecker, answer me!" she barked as she rushed down, tearing off her mask to listen to his heart. She heard it beat steadily, but he was in pain, she could hear it in his heavy breathing.

"Good... soldiers follow orders," he breathed, and Amethyst froze, realization dawning on her.

"No," she whispered and turned him over onto his back, checking him over. His face was twisted in pain. "Wrecker, no, not you too," she murmured, tapping his cheek gently. He grunted in response.

"Ugh, go away," he groaned.

She let out a huff of laughter before leaning her forehead against Wrecker's, her long black hair coiling around them. "Wake up, my dear," she urged softly. "The Batch needs you. I need you."

"Are you going to step away from the thing or not?" a voice said from over her shoulder, and Amethyst turned, startled. Rafa, she thought, and with a swift movement, she pinned the older Maz's sister against the railing, snarling in her face. Now, her pretty face wasn't that of a human, but of the dragon Rafa knew so well.

The woman yelped as her blaster was wrenched out of her hand. "You foolish folk, I thought I told you all a long time ago to stay off the black market, to stay off the war's path."

"Grunt Well, it's hard when the war comes to you," Rafa grunted, struggling against Amethyst's grip. "Now, why don't you let me go for old times' sake, hmm?" she suggested.

Amethyst narrowed her (e/c) eyes. "And why in the Maker's name would I do that? You may shoot my batchmate here," she hissed.

Rafa sighed, the weight of urgency pressing down on her words. "Just... please, we have a mission here, and I'd like for us to get paid," she implored, her voice a blend of frustration and determination.

Amethyst turned away, her back to Rafa, her mind tuning into the deeper currents of the situation. With the force she possessed, she could feel Trace struggling to catch up with the rest of their squad. The connection pulsed like a heartbeat through the ether, guiding her senses.

Letting go of her brief annoyance, Amethyst faced Rafa again, her expression hardened with resolve. "You'll take the lead if we secure the information," she declared, her tone leaving no room for argument. The stakes were clear, and their roles were set. Now, all they needed was to execute the plan flawlessly.

As they secured the droid's head, a wave of relief washed over them, thanks in part to some decommissioned droids that had unexpectedly aided their escape. Amethyst sighed, clutching the head tightly. A nagging sensation tugged at the back of her mind, a whispering premonition that their feats were far from over in this vast galaxy.

Turning to face Rafa and Trace just as they ascended the ramp to their imposing ship, Amethyst called out, her voice carrying a mix of camaraderie and solemnity. "If you ever see Ahsoka, tell her I said hi," she said, her words floating in the air like a farewell.

She then slipped inside the ramp, her silhouette merging with the shadows, Hunter close behind. His concern was palpable as he watched her. "You alright?" he asked, his voice a low rumble in the quiet of the ship.

Amethyst snorted lightly, a wry smile playing on her lips as she lay back on her bed, handing Hunter the data stick. "As nice as I can be, sir," she replied, her tone a blend of fatigue and defiance.

Turning her back to him, she faced the wall, her mind racing with thoughts she couldn't quite silence. Hunter stood there for a moment longer, staring at her retreating figure, a mix of worry and respect etched on his face. The journey was far from over, and Amethyst knew it all too well.