Disclaimer: I have no claim to either Star Wars or Samurai Jack

The weather was muggy and miserable, a condition considerably exacerbated by the cramped quarters and poor ventilation inside the dingy bar. A cloaked figure leaned against the bar top in the back, a forbidding scowl gracing their half-obscured face. Their drink sat untouched on the counter.

Clear blue eyes scanning the room for the umpteenth time, the figure swiped moodily at the sweat beading on their upper lip and seemed to scowl even harder, if that was possible.

"Obi-Wan. It's been five days and there's still no sign of any Sith," Anakin grumbled into his hidden commlink, absently tugging his hood further over his face.

"As always, Anakin, your powers of observation are astounding," Obi-Wan responded dryly over the comm.

"That's not what I meant and you know it, Master." Anakin glared out at the patrons for lack of a better target. "We've already wasted two weeks on this wild bantha chase with Ventress, plus another five days just sitting here waiting for something to happen. No way she's still here with how much she's been hopping around the system. We're wasting our time. We should be back on the front, where we're actually needed."

A longsuffering sigh crackled over the comm receiver. "Anakin, the Order is more than capable of compensating for our absence on the front," Obi-Wan pointed out with the tone of someone who'd said much the same several times over already. "I assure you, the other Jedi are just as capable as you or I."

"They're not half as likely to make the Council throw a fit over their stunts either," Rex piped up over the line unhelpfully.

Anakin pouted as Obi-Wan huffed a small laugh. "There's no rush, Anakin, the front isn't going anywhere. If the Sith think this quest of theirs is important enough to send one of their own haring off to Ciutric IV in the middle of a war, then it's in our best interest to sabotage them. This mission isn't a waste of our time – it just requires patience."

"Easy for you to say when you're all holed up with actual ventilation," Anakin griped sullenly.

"I'm sorry, would you like for me to switch out with you for today, Anakin?" Obi-Wan offered mildly, teasing. "It must be so tiring, sitting and drinking in a bar all day. I'd hate for you to exhaust yourself."

"Careful Obi-Wan, or I might actually take you up on that offer," Anakin warned as he began to nurse his depressingly lukewarm drink, idly filtering out the toxins to keep his mind clear.

"The horror," Obi-Wan responded dryly.

Anakin grumbled as he went back to listlessly inspecting the bar.

The main bartender and owner was a tan-skinned Barbadelan with a disarmingly friendly, gap-toothed grin. He was likely involved with one of the planetary crime syndicates, but was too far out of the main population centers to be anyone of importance. It was unlikely he was involved with their target. The location of the establishment didn't appear to have any relevance either. That just left the patrons.

There were two Twi'lek who'd come in together three out of the five days Anakin and the others had been observing the bar. They usually had grease and dirt streaking their clothes, and they were always loudly intoxicated within an hour of arriving. The green one had a nice laugh, if a bit loud. Nothing out of the ordinary there.

Humans were the most prevalent, with at least a dozen men and women scattered around the room. Most had plain brown or black hair, though there was one with light green and another with blue. A handful of Sullustans and Rodians were clustered at a table with two of the humans. Judging by the group's casually displayed weapons, they were either criminals or bounty hunters. Wonderful.

Honestly, Anakin had no idea just what Ventress thought she'd find in this miserable backwoods bar that would lead to the Siths' rumored Dark artifact of unfathomable power. But he wished she'd hurry up and get on with it.

The Council couldn't even tell them what or where this Dark artifact was. Just that the Sith were positive it existed and it would be disastrous should they get their hands on it. So Anakin and Obi-Wan were sent to track down and sabotage the Sith. Best case scenario, they capture or kill whoever was sent and possibly obtain a mysterious Dark artifact to study. Worst case scenario, well – same old, same old.

The locals they'd asked had placed Ventress around the bar not long before they'd first tracked her to this podunk shipping settlement. From what Anakin and Obi-Wan could gather, she'd been asking around looking for someone, and decided this bar was her best bet. She'd bribed some people to keep an eye on the place, probably inform her whenever her mystery source showed up too. Disappointingly, the Jedi had not been able to find said informants for further questioning or counter-bribing – but they had managed to bug the bar. Then they settled in to wait.

Hence, the five-day-running stakeout.

Anakin took petty comfort from the thought that Ventress was likely suffering from the wet heat as much as he was. At least, he hoped that was the case.

The Jedi sat a little straighter as the comms crackled to life. "General Skywalker, sir, we got activity at street-level," Echo announced promptly from his vantage point outside. "Ventress is heading your way and the crowd's thinning out quick. Something's up."

"Yeah it is, she brought friends," Fives added. "Clankers inbound, sir, looks like they're taking up position around the bar and along the nearby streets."

"Hold your positions and be ready to move on my signal," Obi-Wan ordered calmly.

Anakin saw a couple of the more situationally aware bar patrons make themselves scarce, but there were still enough oblivious drunks lingering to cover his presence. He was dismayed to notice his armed friends from a few tables down had also opted to stay. As a matter of fact, they were starting to look quite expectant, and moving to place themselves around the room. Looked like Ventress had hired the locals for more than just spying.

"Looks like Ventress bought some new friends at the bar," Anakin muttered over the comm.

"Roger that, sir," Echo acknowledged.

Then the woman of the hour herself was strolling into the bar, beelining straight for a lone human who'd been delicately sipping at some hot beverage for the past fifteen minutes or so. Anakin internally perked up – looked like they had their lead.

"The table at my ten o'clock, the far left. We got ears there?" Anakin murmured over the line, holding his drink in front of his mouth.

"Patching the audio feed to you now, sir," Rex confirmed.

In the meantime, Anakin took the opportunity to better examine Ventress' target. He wasn't much to look at, if Anakin was being honest.

Human, male, with straight black hair tied up at the back and a beard that looked like it needed a trim three months ago. He had dark eyes that tilted up at the corners and was wearing a pale, worn robe, cinched around the waist and cut in startlingly similar style to the standard Jedi uniform. His age was difficult to tell, but Anakin wouldn't put him at more than forty years or so, probably younger. Interestingly, his face didn't so much as twitch when Ventress sat down across from him, uninvited.

"You're a difficult man to find, Samurai." Anakin saw Ventress smile from across the room – it was not a pleasant expression.

"Yes," Samurai responded, and offered nothing more. He took a sip of his drink, watching the Sith calmly. Ventress sneered.

"I'm here to give you an offer, Samurai – one you won't be able to refuse." Even shielded and concealed as Anakin was keeping himself in the Force, he still shuddered as the Sith imposed her fury and menace over the room, a heavy miasma of hate. The patrons previously unaware to the imminent danger quieted and looked around the bar in trepidation. Still, Samurai didn't so much as flinch. Anakin found himself reluctantly impressed.

The man looked up at Ventress from beneath his brows, mouth downturned at the corner. He said nothing.

A man of few words - Ventress will love that, Anakin thought with some amusement.

The Sith apprentice bared her teeth and leaned toward Samurai, half-standing and bracing herself on the table as she loomed over him. "My master has a keen interest in the information you carry. Come quietly, and you won't be hurt…much. Or don't – I have several frustrations I'd like to take out on your hide. Personally - I'd prefer if you tried to struggle."

Still frowning lightly, Samurai sipped his drink. The man's expression was almost chastising.

Ventress snapped.

Even as the sizzle-snap of a lightsaber reached his ears, Samurai was throwing his drink in Ventress' face, flipping the table at her as she spluttered. The man threw himself back, drawing a vibrosword from his waist that had been blocked from Anakin's view.

"Well men, that's our cue," Obi-Wan said.

And the world erupted into pandemonium.

Anakin stood and leapt for Ventress, drawing his own lightsaber as people screamed and the Sith apprentice's mercenaries closed in on Samurai. He heard shots start to go off outside as he brought his blade down on Ventress. She spun around and blocked him, swiping a hand across her eyes. "Take Samurai alive!" she screamed and sent Anakin flying with a push.

He flipped and landed on his feet, neatly side-stepping a blaster-bolt and reflecting another with his blade. Ventress swung at him and Anakin ducked, his saber arcing toward her middle. She blocked with her second blade and swung for his neck with the first. Anakin dropped to the floor and kicked out at her feet. She stumbled and snarled as he threw her back with the Force.

"I'm hurt, Ventress – you forgot to invite me to the party," Anakin said with a glower as he got back to his feet.

"Not at all, Skywalker." Ventress spat his name like a curse. "Your exclusion was perfectly deliberate," she sneered.

They both turned at the sound of a crash and cursing. Anakin caught a glimpse of a pale robe as it disappeared out the door before Ventress was rushing for the entrance, completely ignoring his presence. Anakin followed and raised a brow at the bodies sprawled on the floor when he passed them. Looked like this Samurai had some skill.

He stepped outside and saw Ventress charging at Samurai's back. The man was busy fending off several droids who were attempting to disarm him. He struck them down one-by-one, but didn't notice Ventress bearing down on him.

"Behind you!" Anakin shouted, still pursuing the Sith.

Samurai grabbed the last droid and spun, throwing it into Ventress' swing as he jumped backward. The Sith cursed and advanced over the newly destroyed droid, her blades hissing as they came down on the man. Anakin grit his teeth – he was still too far away, and Samurai's vibrosword would be toast as soon as it touched Ventress' saber.

Samurai ducked and swayed around the Sith's strikes as Anakin drew closer, keeping his blade well out of reach of the blood-red saber. Then, between one blink and the next, Samurai's blade slipped through Ventress' guard and scored a bloody line over her hip. The hit surprised her enough that Anakin's next strike staggered her. Anakin locked eyes with Samurai, and the man gave him a small nod of understanding. Then they both moved in on Ventress, Anakin keeping her sabers occupied while Samurai kept pressure on her guard with quicksilver strikes too swift to block.

Even between the two of them, fighting Ventress was no easy task. Still, they were wearing her down, Samurai's blade visibly stained with her blood. She would not win.

Then the Force screamed in warning and a kriffing droid blasted Anakin in the back. Ventress lunged to disarm him with flick of her sabers. Horrified, he watched the hilt of his saber tumble through the air - then all he could see was Ventress. She was too close for Anakin to dodge as her blades bore down on his neck.

Kriff - Obi-Wan was gonna kill him for this.

Angry-hot sparks flew as a blood-stained sword blocked Ventress' swing. With practiced ease, Samurai redirected her blades to the side, immediately taking another swing and forcing her to jump back. Samurai moved to stand defensively between the Sith and Anakin, his blade held in an experienced and unfamiliar fighter's stance. Both of the Force users looked at the man in incomprehension.

"No mere vibrosword can block a lightsaber, Samurai. What trickery is this?" Ventress demanded, blood dripping from a small cut over her brow.

Samurai said nothing, and Anakin had the pleasure of seeing Ventress' eye actually twitch in rage.

Damn, but he liked this guy. Didn't hurt that he'd just saved Anakin's hide either - Anakin tended to appreciate things like that.

Shots continued to ring out up and down the street, but it was clear the fighting was winding down, and not in the droids' favor. Ventress was injured, outnumbered and Obi-Wan was walking up the street toward them, casually reflecting any blaster-bolts sent his way back at their shooters with his saber. They had her.

Ventress smiled, backing away with a smug smirk that didn't reach her eyes. Her rage burned in the Force.

Anakin reached with the Force for his lightsaber and Obi-Wan started running. A small, unmanned speeder arced down into the street and Ventress jumped on as it flew past her. Within seconds, she was just a small dot in the distance. Anakin grit his teeth at a powerful surge of frustration – they'd had her!

Anakin grudgingly drew the frustration in tight and released it into the Force. There'd be time for that later. Besides, they still had Samurai – Ventress had lost.

Obi-Wan pulled up beside them, eyeing Samurai with interest as the man tore off a part of his cloth sash and used it to quickly wipe down his blade. That done, Samurai straightened and drew the length of his sword along the opening of its scabbard before sheathing it. Anakin's master opened his mouth to say something, but Samurai just turned on his heel and headed back to the bar. Anakin didn't even try to smother a grin at the bewildered expression on Obi-Wan's face. Obi-Wan spoke up a they hurried after the man.

"Excuse me, Samurai? We would like to ask you some questions…" Obi-Wan trailed off as they got inside and saw Samurai hop over the counter and behind the bar.

"What are you doing?" Anakin asked, still amused.

Samurai mumbled something back, but neither Anakin nor his master understood it. "Come again?" Obi-Wan queried.

"I did not finish my drink," Samurai said as he returned to the counter with a steaming pot of…water? He filled a small cup from behind the counter and withdrew a small pouch from his robes. He added a pinch of something to the water, and the familiar scent of tea began to waft from it. Obi-Wan looked at the cup with sudden longing.

"Would you like some?" Samurai offered, clearly having noticed Obi-Wan's interest.

"If you don't mind," Obi-Wan accepted gracefully, as if he hadn't been staring at Samurai's drink like a sad and pitiable puppy. Anakin politely declined while giving his master a look for accepting a drink from a stranger with potential ties to the Sith. Obi-Wan cheerfully ignored him, patiently waiting for the tea to steep.

Anakin went to go in for the interrogation while Obi-Wan was preoccupied, but stopped at a stern glance from Samurai.

"You may ask your questions when I have finished my tea," the man informed him coolly. Anakin raised a brow but acquiesced. Obi-Wan hummed in agreement as he sipped his tea - he was practically radiating delight in the Force.

Anakin gave an internal sigh of exasperation and got up to give the two space while he contacted the clones. This could take a while.

NOTES: Whether it's canonical or not, I'm pretending Japanese is a lost human language in Star Wars. Jack goes by the name Jack Samurai and no one knows the meaning of his last name anymore except himself. Our boys haven't heard his full name yet, so they're just calling him Samurai for now. That'll change next chapter

And for those of you that are gonna argue how a vibrosword can block a lightsaber, I'm gonna leave a quote from Wookieepedia.

"A vibroblade could be fitted with cortosis-weave, allowing it to parry the blows of lightsabers and energy swords. The cortosis-weave became less common when the probability of fighting a lightsaber-wielding opponent decreased. By the time of the Galactic Civil War, knowledge of the cortosis-weave had faded, and the cortosis mineral itself had become exceedingly rare."

We're right at the GCW, so I'm just gonna assume that basically no one actively knows about this anymore. Yeah, the Jedi probably have record of it in their archives, but it's not relevant information right now so they wouldn't know unless they were a historian or had reason to go researching. Also, none of it applies to Jack's sword anyway, cuz magic.

If anyone has important info on star wars canon to offer me, I welcome it. Just don't get on my ass about it. Be civil.

As always, many thanks to BeyondMyReach for being an amazing person and beta!