Chapter 2
DISCLAIMER I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT CHARACTERS OF MY CREATIVE GENIUS
As Ventress descended on him Russell did the one thing the Sith didn't expect. He leaped toward her with out his lightsaber, slamming his shoulder into her chest. The assassin slammed against the wall and fell to the floor as Russell retrieved his lightsaber from the floor. Turning to see Ventress climbing shakily to her feet, he prepared for the next onslaught and took a defensive stance.
"You will make an interesting opponent child." Ventress said, raising her wrist he saw blinking lights on her guards, seconds later the ship was rocked by explosions, knocking him off his feet, the Sith chuckled before opening the elevator door with the force and leaping into the shaft. Running over he peered down the shaft, seeing nothing he pulled back just as the elevator zoomed past. As he made to follow he heard footsteps approaching and turned to see Luminara and Ahsoka.
"Where's the assassin?" Luminara asked, Russell pointed down the elevator shaft. "Alright you two stay here and guard Gunray and I'll go after the Sith."
Russell shook his head back and forth at this. Ahsoka looked confused at this, why was he disobeying a direct order.
"No this ends today!" he exclaimed, leaping down the shaft after Ventress before Luminara could stop him. Sighing to herself she turned to the other Padawan. "Go and guard Gunray I will go after Russell. The foolish boy does not know what he's gotten into."
"Yes Master Luminara." Ahsoka replied, turning back to the cell where Argyus and several Commandos stood.
Luminara leaped down the shaft and kicked off the wall when she came to the open door. Using the force she could sense Russell's energy nearby and followed it, hoping she made it in time.
Russell slowly made his way through the core, looking around carefully, straining his ears for the slightest sound that signaled his opponent. He could feel her watching his every move, waiting for the chance to strike at him. He would be ready.
"Come out and face me coward." he called, his voice echoing. He rolled to the side, barely dodging Ventress' attack and quickly leaped forward and slashed at her. She pivoted and blocked the strike before kicking him in the stomach, knocking him against a boiler. Slicing it with her lightsaber steam billowed out and hit Russell in the eyes, severely blinding him. He let out a yell and rubbed furiously at them with the back of his hand, trying to stop the pain.
"Try and fight me with no sight child." she taunted, leaping back into the darkness to watch his pitiful attempt at trying to find her. Russell pushed out with the force by accident and ripped pipes off the wall, sending them flying around the room. In his mindless destruction he heard a voice echoing in his head.
"You don't need your eyes to see. The force will guide you."
He stopped suddenly, breathing deeply he closed his damaged eyes and concentrated. He felt the force take control of his senses, enhancing them beyond normal. He could hear every little sound, smell the oil and steam of the boilers. The soft hum of Ventress' lightsabers out in the darkness. He listened as she maneuvered around to ambush him, her soft, quick footsteps were like drums to his ears. When they stopped he knew she had leaped toward him.
The air currents changed as she flew through the air. When she swung her blades he parried them with ease and started his own assault against her. Her fear resonated from her in waves at the prospect that a blind child was still alive, he would show her that he was blind by no means. Leaping forward he slashed at her, taking the Sith by surprise at the bold move. She swept his feet from under him but Russell twisted in midair and landed on his feet. Ventress charged forward and slashed at him with fast furious blows, he dodged and parried these with ease.
"How are you still alive?!" she asked, the anger in her voice masked the fear he felt.
"Because I was trained in the ways of the force." he replied, "Your nothing but an Assassin. You'll never be able to beat me."
Ventress let out a shriek of rage and leaped up in the air. Russell prepared himself and dodged at the last minute, before slashing with his lightsaber, cleaving Ventress' right arm at the shoulder. Russell could tell the Sith was finished, even if she survived this her days as an assassin were finished. Mostly her confidence in her skills would be her undoing, being bested by a blind child would severely shake anyone's confidence, regardless if they were Sith or not.
Ventress leaped away toward an open vent, using the force to bring her fallen saber to her. Placing his lightsaber back on his belt he listened as the door opened and Luminara ran up to him.
"Russell where is the-" Luminara began but her voice faded when she looked at his eyes, then to the twitching arm lying on the steel grating, blood still oozing from the stump. "Let me help you, hold still."
He felt her soft hands cover his eyes, the scarring immediately faded and he felt his vision returning to him. Looking around he saw the damage caused by his lashing out recklessly.
"Tell me Padawan, how is it you fought with your vision gone?" she asked.
"Well it all started when I was a youngling." he said, his vision started to cloud as the memories came back.
9 years ago
He had been left to his own devices after Master Plo Koon's lightsaber practice. The other Younglings went to lunch but Russell wanted to practice more, activating a ball droid he watched it as it flew around him slowly, before blocking a blast with his training saber. He kept this for the better part of fifteen minutes before a voice caught his attention.
"Your doing it wrong." a voice said. "Your supposed to be blind."
Russell turned to see a tall Jedi he was dressed in clothes similar to Master Qui-Gon Jinn except his jacket was a sandy brown color. As he looked at the older Jedi the droid had continued and fired a blast at his rear end, causing him to jump with surprise.
"Master Tenkage what do you mean?" Russell asked, confused. The Jedi Master was supposed to be on Nar Shaddaa looking for the Separatist's hidden droid factory.
"I mean your supposed to do this either with a block helmet or with your eyes closed." he said moving closer he grabbed the droid in his hand. "Now close your eyes."
Russell did as he was told and was met with darkness, almost immediately he was assault with memories of the attack on his home and the deaths of his parents. He felt the tears welling up but before they fell Tenkage's voice caught his attention again.
"Clear your mind of everything." he said. "Your memories only seek to hinder you here Padawan."
Taking a deep breath Russell felt the memories fade away, before the force took the void left. His senses amplified, every sound was clearer, every smell was more defined. The soft hum of the droid was louder and circled him.
"Be ready." Tenkage said. "I turned it all the way up."
Almost immediately the droid sped up, firing blast after blast every second. Russell felt his hand move purely on reflexes alone, blocking the blasts with ease he almost missed the lightsaber coming at him. He parried that quickly before rolling to avoid more blasts.
"Good now lets see how you do against two opponents." Tenkage said, his voice full of excitement. The Jedi Master leaped forward and started hacking and slashing with quick blows, Russell blocked these and spun to deflect the blasts from the droid as well. "Good Padawan keep yourself loose, don't force your movements let the force guide you!"
Russell thought of a fun idea and blocked a blast from the droid and sent it bouncing off the metal columns where it ricocheted off and hit Tenkage in his rear. He heard the Jedi Master shriek before he started chuckling.
"Ooh your gonna get it now." he said, his voice full of mock hate. He speed increased to where Russell could barely fend him off. As he felt he would soon be overtaken a voice shouting out stopped them.
"Tenkage what are you doing?!" Quimm shouted, the Twi'lek Jedi shut the droid off and made her way over.
"Calm down Rajma, I'm just training the boy." Tenkage said, patting Russell on the back. "He's strong in the force I've been thinking of taking him on as my Padawan."
Russell looked up at him, that explained why the Master was calling him Padawan instead of Youngling.
"You'll do no such thing. You've lost two Padawans already, one on Hoth and the other on Nar Shaddaa." Quimm said. "You left Trent Polanski to die just to complete your mission."
"You know that isn't true-" he began but was cut off by a hard slap to the face.
"It might has well have been. You could have saved him but you let him fall into the abyss so you could still pursue Nute Gunray." she said, by now Tenkage had averted hid eyes. "Now I can't stop you from taking a Padawan, but I can't stop you from taking mine."
Russell had already ducked out of the room, as the fighting between them got worse. He missed the most important part in his haste to get away.
"Ventress is still out there. She already killed my brother and his wife!" he exclaimed, losing his cool. "And I'll be damned if she takes my son from me!"
"He'd be safer with the Sith than as your Padawan." she replied and left the room and the shaken Jedi Master to his thoughts.
Present
Luminara had listened to Russell's story with interest as he talked about Tenkage. She along with nearly all the Jedi, but Russell knew nothing of this and she would not tell him, she'd leave Bren to do that when he was ready. Footsteps caught their attention and they turned to see a frantic Ahsoka.
"Master Luminara!" she exclaimed. "Argyus betrayed us Gunray's gone!"
"What!" they both said at once. Getting up they made their way quickly back up to the cells and found Gree laying on the ground knocked out.
"Ventress came up through here and I saw she was injured and gave chase. I lost her but when I came back Gunray and Argyus were Gone and Gree was the only surviving one here." Ahsoka said.
"What do we do now Master?" Russell asked, looking at the fallen Clone. "Do we give chase or return to Coruscant?"
The Jedi Master was quiet for several minutes before speaking.
"The ship is mostly crippled from those blasts. And your lashing out didn't help either." she said. "We return to Coruscant."
Several hours later when the ship touched down. They were met by Quimm and a Clone Trooper, he wore standard armor with yellow, Russell thought this was Commander Cody but this Clone was slightly taller.
"Welcome back Master Luminara, Padawan Tano." Quimm said, before looking at Russell. "Master Figgins."
"What?" he asked, shocked.
"The Council has been talking about you and decided to give you the rank of Jedi Knight for your skills in defeating Asajj Ventress." she said, patting him on the back. "As of right now you are a General in the Clone Army. Meet your Commander."
The Clone stepped forward and saluted.
"Commander Weddy at your service General Figgins." Weddy said.
"A pleasure to meet you Commander." Russell replied.
END CHAPTER 2
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