Well, it's sure been a hot minute, hasn't it? Last time, Kadann had murdered Cere Junda and had defeated Mace in a duel - even shattering his mechanical arm - before taking him prisoner. Will the crew of the Stinger Mantis be able to rescue him? Or will this be the end of our intrepid heroes at long last?
Let's find out!
Far and away on Chandrila, Yoda is attempting to interrogate Cronal, who is still in the custody of the Jedi after the battle back in Part 10. He has not been particularly helpful, and his efforts to try to reach out to Kadann have gotten more and more powerful as time has gone on, hindered only by the Jedi keeping him moving around between safe worlds. Even Yoda is having some difficulty keeping the man contained. However, through Cronal, they have learned of the war between the Prophets and the Inquisitorus and of the Prophets allying themselves with the Empire.
Yoda and Obi-Wan discuss all that has occurred since Mace's attack on Palpatine and come to the belief that they might be being deceived yet again. There is something to all of this that they're missing.
Slave One arrives on Bogano. Yes, it's Boba Fett, who we haven't seen since Part 7 where he and Mace had their inconclusive fight. It seems he has actively been tailing the Jedi Master over the past five years. Now a young man of eighteen, Boba is in his prime and looking for a rematch against the much older Jedi Master in order to avenge the death of his father, Jango. He is witness to Mace and Cere's battle against Kadann and Mace's capture as well as the rapid escape of the Stinger Mantis from the scene.
Having no interest in the crew from Fallen Order, Boba takes to his ship and follows Kadann out of the system. He does notice the signal from the homing beacon being sent out by Mace's arm, but elects not to check it out and follow Kadann.
The signal is picked up by the Stinger Mantis as it prepares to leave the system, coming face to face with the Pathfinder. It seems that Tialna and Ram are back in action, having picked up the signal. It seems when Ram reconstructed Mace's arm, he put a tracking device in it that would activate should it ever be removed. The two crews compare notes and decide to go after Mace, learning of the location of the Prophets' base of operations from the captured Trilla onboard the Stinger Mantis. Tialna sends a message to the rest of the Jedi, telling them of Mace's capture and their attempt to rescue him.
On Dromund Kaas, Mace Windu says nothing - not a single word - as he is brutally tortured by Kadann as the Prophet demands to know where the other Jedi are hiding. Mace gives nothing, neither by physical or Force-induced torture.
Some hours later, the Stinger Mantis and the Pathfinder get to Dromund Kaas and land on the far end of the planet. When asked what to do with Trilla, Cal speaks to her and asks for her assistance. Perhaps, together, they will be able to help her back to the Light. She agrees, albeit hesitantly.
The two teams make their way through the swamps, dealing with Imperial forces as they go along and they eventually do reach the Palace of the Prophets of the Dark Side. They bust in, attempting to sneak around in Imperial uniform for a bit before actually coming into conflict with the Prophets, or at the very least their underlings. Cal, Merrin, and Trilla have to pull out the stops in Force power while the others attempt more mundane methods.
Eventually, they do reach a control center that Tialna hacks to find out where Mace is being held. However, the jig is up - Kadann has known that they're inside the palace and has been allowing them to get this far. Stormtroopers start to swarm them as do more of the underlings of the Prophets. It is then that the Force users feel a pull in the Force.
The remaining Inquisitors have arrived and curbstomp their way through the already spread thin Imperial forces. Kadann orders that a distress signal be sent to Coruscant for assistance...only for the Inquisitors to reveal that they've taken over and then disabled the communications center. It is around this time that Slave One descends and Boba joins the fray as well.
In the chaos, Tialna unlocks the cell block holding several prisoners that the Prophets had taken over the years. These include such Jedi as Jocasta Nu, Caleb Dume, and Tialna's own brother, Lunn.
Deeper within, Ram finds and releases Mace and the two have a happy reunion for moments, Ram even giving Mace a new robotic arm (joking that it will be the final time he will do this for him). Unfortunately...it proves to be true.
A lone Stormtrooper, turning the corner into the room, immediately fires on Mace and Ram leaps in front of him to take the hit. Mace uses Combustion to shatter the blaster and take out the Trooper. Ram is heavily injured, but Mace is determined to save him as he can still be saved. He uses a bit of Crucitorn...but it's too late. Ram, already old for a Duro, begs to be let go. He makes Mace promise to finish this, to get it done and he agrees. Thanking his old friend, Ram passes away on the cold floor of the interrogation chamber. Mace leaves him there, giving the standard Jedi farewell, and goes to do the good work.
He leaves the cells to find all bedlam has broken loose. Inquisitors and Prophets and Imperial soldiers are all tripping over one another to kill one of the other two. He even recognizes a few of the Jedi who he had thought would have died in Order 66...and Boba Fett, who stops him from intervening in a fight between Kadann, Cal, Merrin, and Caleb Dume.
Kadann mocks the clone for his foolish obsession, easily batting aside the attacks of the two Jedi and the Witch of Dathomir to do so. He tells him that he can tell him who is truly responsible for the death of Jango, the man who conspired to set up events so that Mace and Jango met in that arena. Boba doesn't believe him, so Kadann grants him a vision of Darth Sidious...Emperor Palpatine. Kadann insists that he can lead him to Palpatine, so long as Boba helps defend him and takes him off the planet. In a fit of rage, Boba starts firing on him, which Kadann deflects...and which leaves him open to an attack by Cal and Trilla.
Kadann is slain by Cal and Trilla, avenging the death of Cere Junda. The diminutive Prophet falls to the floor in pieces. With his death, the remaining forces that aren't getting taken down are fleeing for their lives. The Inquisitors have suffered heavy casualties, but are still more than willing to fight the Jedi, who they still hold a large numerical advantage over. However Trilla, as the Acting Grand Inquisitor, tells them to withdraw. While Cal tries to encourage her to stay, she denies him - her destiny lies along a different path. She decrees a ceasefire with the Jedi...for now. Hunting down Kadann's last confederates shall be the next task for the remaining Inquisitors...
After they reveal that they rigged the complex to explode via it's fusion reactor, everyone gets out quickly. Back at the landing spots for the Stinger Mantis and the Pathfinder, Boba asks Mace if what Kadann said was true, if he could take him to Palpatine. Mace informs Boba that Darth Sidious is indeed dead - he witnessed the man's death himself. Boba leaves without a word after this, returning to Slave One and getting off planet just before the Rebel forces arrive.
. . .and that's where we're leaving off with Part 13. Boba has had his reality crushed for the second time and the Prophets of the Dark Side are on the back foot along with the Empire losing one of its biggest weapons against the Rebellion...or has it? I guess we'll see as we go on...when we get into Part 14...
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