Ahmose Inarus
Disclaimer: I do not own "Criminal Minds" or "Star Wars". Or "Avatar"…
SLASH WARNING! Hotch/Reid
Chapter Two
PLANET: SLUIS VAN
LOCATION: BAU
TIME: LATE AFTERNOON
When the starship Black Asp of Uvena came out of lightspeed, the vista before them was of the planet Sluis Van, and the massive ship yard that orbited the planet. The end of it was burning.
"Looks like Elle didn't kill Darth Allegro before he set off the first blast…" Rossi observed.
"Damage is bad…" JJ mumbled.
"Could have been so much worse." Sighed Emily, and JJ nodded.
"We have permission to dock." Jordan announced.
"Take us in, then." Hotch nodded, and the ship moved in on the shipyard. Upon docking, the team disembarked to be met by Sluissi soldiers. Reid winced at the sight of them, immediately thinking of Master Hssa Sssraa who had perished in battle several years ago… Reid still blamed himself for that… He wondered if these Sluissi knew who he was, and that it was his fault that Master Hssa Sssraa had gone into the battle that had killed him…
It's not your fault. Hotch murmured to him gently over their Bond. We are Jedi and they were the Sith. We are always going to clash, and there will always be casualties. And I guarantee you… even if Master Hssa Sssraa knew that he would be going to his death, fighting in that battle, he would have gone anyway.
Reid gave the man a grateful smile, and then they reached the Sluissi.
"What brings you here, Jedi?" Asked the head of the group, bowing respectfully.
"We got word that Darth Allegro was killed in his attack on this facility." Hotch said calmly. "We have been hunting him, and we heard that he died at the hand of Darth Sassin."
"He died, but we don't know the name of the one who killed him." The Sluissi admitted, slithering alongside Hotch as he strode down the corridor.
"Is his body still here?" Reid asked. The team and the Sluissi looked at him.
"It is… in the morgue… we are trying to get rid of it as soon as possible."
"I want to see it." Reid announced.
"… Take him there." The Sluissi said, pointing to one of the other guards.
"Dave. Go with him." Hotch said. Rossi nodded and he and Reid followed the Sluissi soldier into another direction. "Do you know where Allegro's killer went?" Hotch asked the soldier guiding them.
"No."
"Did you allow her to leave?" Morgan asked.
"We did. With our thanks." The soldier nodded. Then he glanced at Morgan. "Should we not have?"
"The killer was another Sith Lord." Emily announced. The Sluissi paused, then continued, scowling.
"It does not please me to hear this."
"There are two Dark Lords of the Sith at war in this galaxy." Hotch said, darkly. "And their Sith Lord servants are hunting each other down…"
Reid and Rossi stepped into the cold room that was the Shipyard morgue, and approached the fresh body that was laid out on a slab. And sure enough, it was Darth Allegro. Reid approached the body and knelt, inspecting his head.
"Blood from the ears." Reid announced as Rossi drew closer behind him. "Elle's Force Scream ruptured his ear drums." He turned and looked at Rossi. "She's the only one of the Reaper's servants who can do that."
"So we can be pretty sure that it was Elle who killed him."
"We heard it straight from the Reaper's mouth." Reid said with a nod. "Combine that with the physical evidence here, I'd say there's no doubt."
"… Now we have to find her." Rossi said as they left the morgue. "Are you ready?"
"I am." Reid nodded. "I just hope that she can be brought back…"
"… And if she can't?" Rossi prodded.
"I'm prepared to do what it takes to stop her." Reid said firmly. Rossi nodded and clapped him on the back.
"What did you find?" Hotch asked as soon as Reid and Rossi walked in.
"Ears bleeding with ruptured ear drums and petechiae in the eyes." Reid announced. "Those are the effects I've seen from Elle's Force Scream."
"Cause of death was a Lightsaber straight through the heart." Rossi added.
"After she took off both of his hands at the wrists…" Reid scowled.
"It is Darth Allegro, then?" Hotch asked.
"Yes." Rossi nodded. "… I'll tell Gideon."
"Gideon? Why tell Gideon?"
"The Council."
"You said Gideon." Reid insisted. Rossi fixed a look on Hotch, who just sighed and shrugged.
"Go ahead and tell him." The leader said with a smile, and walked away.
"Tell me what?" Reid asked, with an eager childlike curiosity. Morgan chuckled.
"Darth Allegro was once in the Jedi Order." Rossi sighed. "When he was a Padawan, it was discovered that he was… mentally unbalanced. He believed that his Master was, in fact, his mother. Gideon was the Master who ultimately stopped him before he killed his Master for denying that she was his mother, and tried to get him help… he fled before he could be contained."
"When was this?" Reid asked, frowning.
"… A few months after you were taken by the Sith, and before Darth Livion appeared." Rossi answered. Reid nodded, considering this.
"Do you have any idea where Darth Sassin went?" Hotch asked, turning to the Sluissi before him. He shook his head.
"I am sorry, Jedi. I do not."
"Could it be in your computer logs?"
"We can check…" He said, and turned to the console. "… Nothing. But I have a general hyperspace route."
"We'll take it." Hotch nodded.
"I am sorry that our savior is to be hunted down." The Sluissi admitted.
"So are we." Morgan said. "But she's killed innocents, just like Darth Allegro…" The Sluissi nodded.
The team remained on the shipyard just long enough to restock and refuel, and then they bid the Sluissi goodbye, and went on their way.
"Garcia." Hotch said, getting straight to business. "This is the Hyperspace Route that Elle took." He explained, giving her a disk. "I want you to look into every possible destination along that route and gather information on any possible sightings of a Sith Lord on any of those worlds."
"Yessir. C'mon, Kevin."
"As you wish." The droid said, and followed her.
"Reid… are you okay?" JJ asked, and the team looked at Reid, who blinked.
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"
"You were really tense the entire time we were on the Shipyard… I could feel it." JJ clarified.
"Oh…" Reid mumbled, drooping. "I uh… I couldn't take my mind off of… Master Hssa Sssraa…"
"Spencer…" Hotch said firmly. "His death was NOT your fault." Reid looked at Hotch for a moment, then looked away. "Spencer?"
"It is."
"No, it—"
"It was my disobedience that caused all of it. My actions… my fault…" Reid mumbled. "And I will carry that guilt all my life."
"You shouldn't."
"… I do." Was all Reid said, then stood and left the room. Hotch watched him go with a sigh.
PLANET: DATHOMIR
LOCATION: FOREST FLOOR
TIME: EVENING
Darth Rashio watched the dark ship move into the clearing and set down. A few minutes later, the ramp lowered and Darth Sassin emerged, hips swaying in the sensual manner she always carried herself in. Elle approached Rashio.
"The trail was laid?"
"It was." She said, and the pair strode into the forest, mindful of the massive dangerous creatures that made it their home… "They have already left Sluis Van and are following my ion trail. I've set some of our people to pass them information."
"And with your ship out in the open, they are likely to set down nearby." Rashio nodded. "We should prepare our forces for their arrival."
"How do we play this?" Elle asked.
"We need to split them up." Rashio announced. "As much as possible."
"The goal is to get Reid away from the others."
"They won't let him off on his own." Rashio pointed out. "They know better."
"We can manage it…" Elle said. "We split them up into two groups… and when we have them far enough away, we have those two groups split up into four… And then split them again."
"And if they won't split?"
"I'll handle that… I'll take care of the group that Reid is in… you just make sure that the other group doesn't catch on and runs to the rescue…"
"And why would you take the group with the boy?"
"You sure as hell can't stand up to him." Elle snorted.
"And you can?"
"Face to face? Force to Force? No… But I know him… and I'll know better how to handle him than you. And he'll be less likely to fight me than you…"
Rashio nodded, begrudgingly accepting what she had said.
"Very well then." He said as they moved into a dark cave… and once they made it into the first large cavern, they were faced with several dozen Dark Jedi. Elle looked around at them.
"… Aaron Hotchner's Team of Jedi Shadows are on their way… We need to prepare to… greet them."
PLANET: HYDIAN WAY, DESTINATION UNKNOWN
LOCATION: BAU
TIME: LATE EVENING
Hotch was resting. Dinner was over, and he had bathed… Reid had declared the need to meditate, and JJ had joined him, sensing that he was still distressed from earlier. Hotch had given her a grateful nod and went to bathe… on his way back to his room, he had peeked into the meditation chamber. JJ was sitting cross-legged on the floor, and Reid was lying on the floor on his back, his head in her lap. She was running her fingers through his hair and talking to him. He was smiling lightly.
JJ had glanced up and spotted Hotch in the doorway. She had smiled to him and nodded, and he nodded back. All was well, and she was soothing Spencer. Hotch appreciated it.
He smiled slightly as he felt Reid approaching their room, and a moment later the door opened. Reid stepped in. Hotch was pleased to feel the calm serenity that was coming from his mate across their Bond. JJ had helped. A lot. He had to remember to thank her later. He felt Reid approached and sit on the edge of the bed, and then lean over him. He kept his eyes closed and his breathing even. But then, something cold dripped onto his bare chest and he sucked in a startled breath and shivered.
Reid laughed. "That's what you get for faking sleep on me."
Hotch opened his eyes, giving his lover a glare. Reid's hair was dripping wet from bathing. Another drop fell to Hotch's chest, and he quickly rubbed it away, making Reid laugh again. Reid playfully shook his head, and Hotch howled as he was showered in cold droplets. Reid giggled as the man thrashed and flailed, then yelped as Hotch used the Force to push him off of the bed. Reid landed on his bottom, and continued to laugh. Hotch sat up and glared at the young man.
"You're a pain in the ass." Hotch snarled, and Reid quirked a brow.
"I'm quite sure that you're a literal pain in my ass more than I'm a figurative pain in yours." He chuckled. Hotch's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but he smiled as Reid climbed to his knees and shuffled over, leaning over. The pair kissed. "I love you…" Reid sighed.
"I love you too… even when you're a figurative pain in my ass…" Hotch murmured. "But right now, I'm thinking I would like to become a literal pain in yours…"
"Mmm…" Reid purred in approval, and Hotch drew him up onto the bed beside him, curling his hand under Reid's leg and lifting it to wrap around his body, pressing their groins together and making them both groan into one another's mouths...
"I've got her!"
"AAH!" Hotch and Reid both yelped, breaking their kiss and jumping as Garcia burst into their room. They turned and stared at her, and she stared at them, then grinned. Hotch was clearly naked under the sheets, and his hand on Reid's robe showed that Reid was about to be in the same state of clothing... or lack thereof... As it was, his bare leg was already curled around Hotch's hip and it was painfully obvious that a little bump and grind action had been taking place.
"Oh… sorry. Please continue. Don't mind me." She said. Reid's eyes widened and he flushed, and Hotch just gave a reluctant sigh, sitting up.
"What did you find, Penelope?"
"Some hot entertainment." She blurted, then shook herself. "Oh! Sorry! I mean… I found Elle."
Reid groaned and let his head drop to Hotch's chest. Hotch glanced down at him and smoothed a hand over the boy's hair, then kissed his head and nudged him away.
"Gather the team, Penelope. We'll dress and be there in a moment."
"… Yessir." Garcia nodded, and bustled away. Reid groaned, and Hotch chuckled.
"Come on, baby." He said, kissing the top of Reid's damp head again. "We'll have our alone time… we still have to travel to where she is."
Reid let out a loud whine, but dragged himself to his feet. Hotch got out of bed and Reid whimpered as he appreciated the sight of his lover's nude body, and pouted when the man put on clothes. Grinning in amusement at the younger man, Hotch leaned over and kissed the pout away, and the pair made their way out to the meeting room. The rest of the team had already gathered; Rossi was sipping some abrax and was looking mildly annoyed at being disturbed.
"Okay." Garcia announced, and a map of the Galaxy popped up. "Okay… We are HERE." She said, and a little pulsing beacon representing the BAU appeared. "We left the Sluis Sector and followed Elle's ion trail along the Rimma Trade Route… I made a few contacts… she stopped to fuel up at the Star Port at Eriadu and then took the Hydian Way."
"That cuts across the entire Galaxy!" Jordan blurted, eyes wide. "She could be going anywhere!"
"Ah, but I have sent out a message to watch for her. Every stop she makes, we'll know. For example… Not only was she seen and logged at Eriadu, but at Malastare and Denon. And when she refueled at Denon, someone remembers her mentioning that not only would she be continuing on the Hydian Way, but that her destination would have her LEAVE the Hydian way somewhere just beyond Mandalorian Space." And the holographic map of the galaxy zoomed in. "Here's the Hydian Way." Garcia said, and a line through the stars lit up brightly. "And here is Mandalorian space!" And a large blob of area lit up.
"And here are the planets beyond it. Bandomeer is a planet at the junction of two hyperspace routes. The Hydian Way, and the Braxant Run. Now, if she's takin that, she would hit Er'Kit, Polus and Borgo Prime."
"But if she continued on to Agamar," Jordan pointed out with a frown, "She would intersect the Celanon Spur. And we have another hundred planets she may be heading to."
"… True." Garcia acknowledged. "But she didn't mention using any other hyperway. So I think she's heading to someplace close to the Hydian Way. If you were to move PAST Bandomeer, you would hit Harloen, and then Botajef."
"Let's narrow our search to planets around Bandomeer, Harloen and Botajef…" Morgan offered, and Hotch nodded his agreement.
"So what does that leave us?" The Leader asked.
"Well…" JJ said, leaning in. "Looks like… Drackmar and Phindar on the Salin Corridor—"
"A planet not on a hyperrun." Hotch interrupted. Garcia looked.
"… Ord Cestus, Dathomir and Cathar."
"Cathar?" Reid asked, his head jerking up. The team all watched as the view moved in. Sure enough, only three planets were in that sector and not actually ON a hyperrun.
"Rule out Ord Cestus." Rossi nodded. "The best way to reach it is on the Salin Corridor."
"But Dathomir and Cathar are right out there in the open…" Emily observed. "Framed by the Hydian Way, the Salin Corridor, the Braxant Run and the Celanon Spur."
"… Cathar is Master Syr's homeworld… She must be going there…" Reid breathed.
"Call the Council." Hotch ordered abruptly. "We have to inform Master Syr…"
PLANET: CORUSCANT
LOCATION: HIGH COUNCIL SPIRE
TIME: MID DAY
"I disagree…" Master Bre Mong said, leaning back and shaking her head. "Ashley Seaver has… much fear in her."
"Can you blame her?" Amna Kao asked. "This war is becoming more and more real by the minute, and her time with Aaron Hotchner's team showed her the power of the Dark Side. It was something she was not prepared to see. And that is why she asked for a new Master when David Rossi began his training as a Shadow."
"Andi Swan has been good for Padawan Seaver…" Gideon nodded slowly. "Seaver is not prepared to battle the Sith. With what she saw, how can she not be afraid?"
"But fear leads to the Dark Side." Bre Mong pointed out.
"Do not most Jedi fear the Dark Side?" Asked Sa'Eeya'Da.
"No." Raahn Syrn rumbled, shaking his head.
Ralko Cereni spoke up. "We should NEVER fear the Dark Side. For fear leads us to the Dark Side."
"But we should carry the proper respect for it, and its power and seduction." Noria added. "I agree with Bre Mong... Ashley does not carry the proper RESPECT for the Dark Side… she FEARS it."
"And as long as she carries this fear, I do not feel that she is ready to face the Trials to become a Knight." Bre Mong nodded. "She has potential. She is a brave young woman and is loyal to the Order. But she MUST settle into an understanding that while she is right to be WARY of the Dark Side, she should not FEAR it."
"That is something she will need to come to grips with on her own…" Eesa K'Tal nodded, waving an elegant hand. "We can guide her, but we cannot teach her this. I agree… Ashley Seaver is a Padawan with MUCH potential. But she is not ready to face the Trials."
"I believe…" Master Virr piped up. "That this war will force her to face this. We will see where the future takes her."
"Then it is decided." Kitata Ree announced with a nod. "We will inform Master Swan that we do not believe her Padawan is ready to face the Trials. What is our next order of business?"
"Well…" Strauss said, looking down at the holorecord before her. "It appears that—"
She was cut off by the hologram of a Jedi in the middle of the room. "Master Aaron Hotchner wished to speak with the Council."
"Thank you, Anderson." Kitata Ree chittered. "Please put him through."
"Yes, Master." Anderson nodded, and a moment later, a life size hologram of Hotch appeared.
"Masters." The man greeted, bowing. "We are tracking Elle. We are following her along the Hydian Way and have information about a general area for her final destination. We believe that she may be going to Cathar." And he looked at Master Raahn Syr. The Cathar's whiskers bristled and his eyes narrowed.
"… I'm on my way." He snarled, standing. "Amna, contact the Watchman and warn her."
"Of course." She nodded.
"Hold on." Max Ryan blurted, and Raahn Syr glared. "Why is she going there?"
"We don't know." Hotch said. "We are following her from Sluis Van. Darth Allegro tried to destroy the shipyard. She killed him before he could."
"Do we know why she wished to protect the shipyard?" Strauss asked.
"I don't think she cared." Hotch admitted. "I think that's just when she happened to catch up with him."
"Hm…" Sa'Eeya'Da harrumphed, sitting back in his chair and frowning in thought. "Raahn… I wish to come with you. I find this… suspicious."
"Of course." Raahn Syr nodded.
"And I." Bre Mong announced, also standing. "I agree with Sa'Eeya'Da… something here doesn't feel right."
"Very well." Kitata Ree said. "Aaron. Bre Mong, Sa'Eeya'Da and Raahn Syr will meet you on Cathar."
"As you wish, Master." Hotch nodded, and then looked at the three Masters. "See you soon." And the transmission ended.
"I'll go contact the Cathar Wathman." Amna Kao said.
"Bre, Raahn, Sa…" Kitata Ree said, and they looked at the tiny Grand Master. "Proceed with caution."
"Of course, Master." Bre Mong nodded.
"Right…" Master Virr snorted with a grin, standing. "Because you three are SO well known for your senses of caution…"
"HAH! Look who's talking!" Raahn Syr thundered, pointing an accusing finger at the Miraluka.
"At least I'm honest and open about it." Master Virr shrugged, still grinning. Then he turned his head. "Mind your temper, Max. I can See it bubbling up from here."
"And that's why I hate Miralukas…" Bre Mong snorted, shaking her head.
"Ah… you wound me, Bre." Master Virr chuckled, clutching at his heart.
"Alright enough." Sa'Eeya'Da snorted. "Let's get moving. I don't want to listen to that moron any more. Tarash, you are NOT coming with us!"
"And may the Force be upside your head." Master Virr snorted, following them out.
"UP YOURS!"
And the doors closed after the four Masters.
Eesa K'Tal sighed and shook her head. "Sometimes I wonder what has happened to this Council…"
"When they start acting like that, I prefer not to think about it." Kitata Ree admitted, letting out a chittering trill of laughter.
Max Ryan let out a disgusted sigh and let his face fall into his hand as Gideon chuckled merrily.
