Passion

Chapter 3

By Chungdoo

Location: Korriban

As Anakin's feet touched the surface of korrabin he instinctively reached for his lightsaber. This place was the former home world of the sith in the times of the old republic and still the evil of this place lingered, located more strongly around the tombs of the old sith lords though little was left.

"It has been a long time since I have been here." Commented Obi-wan from his position next to him.

Anakin knew that he had to take backup for him to come successfully and rescue his padawan. The jedi could spare only Obi-wan with the war effort still consuming most of the Jedi's attention.

Anakin ignored his master and reached out with the force for any trace of his padawan. With much dissatisfaction he pulled back his search. He could not find any trace of his padawan. He knew that they must have blocked her force powers so they could keep her under control but he had expected to at least feel some sort of life sign from her.

"I can't sense her master." Anakin relayed trying to hide his disappointment from his voice.

"Relax Anakin" obi-wan told him, "If she's here, we'll find her".

"Then lets start at the old sith academy" Anakin told him, taking the lead and moving as fast as he could to the location that the republic ships picked up from space.

'I'm coming Ashoka'

Location: Unknown

Ashoka knew something was wrong, the usual guard that watched over her during the day wasn't there today and the hallways around the jail cells seemed unusually busy compared to how it usually was. Ashoka couldn't help but fear the worst; Ventress had mentioned how they were going to kill her publicly, to inspire all the troops to rally against the Jedi.

"Perhaps they intend to do just that," she said to no one in particular. Her hand reached instinctively down to her stomach to rub her belly. Her thoughts flashed immediately back to Anakin. She wished he were here; perhaps isolation would not be as bad if he was there to share it with her.

Something tingled inside her stomach and Ashoka gasped. For a second…she could feel the force again. The force-draining cage she was in had stripped her from that but just then she could feel the flash of life again, and she could briefly see Anakin, could see him running. But she couldn't see where he was. She touched her belly again, to rub her child. She knew that with two force sensitive parents it was very likely that the child would be force sensitive but with power this strong the child would make a very powerful Jedi.

"I will have to see that he/she gets the proper training." She said.

Her thoughts flashed back to the instant of the force power, if she could somehow replicate what happened she could open her force cage and make her way out of the building. What she would do after that she had no idea what she was going to do after that but she needed to get away from this place, her life and the life of her child were in danger.

'Please, child of my love, help me escape.' She thought to her baby.

She waited…. and waited…. and waited and when she was just about to give up she felt the power flow into her again. She smiled as she was again connected to the world of the force. Slowly almost clumsily she focused her energy into her hand like her master had taught her in what seemed like decades ago. She felt the force fly from her hand and slam against the cell that kept her prisoner here. The wall collapsed, flying against the wall and hitting the floor with a large thud.

Ashoka wasted no time in moving out of the cell, desperate to feel the call of the force once again. The force energy from the baby was used up, she felt that. But now that she was out of the force training room the force was flowing back to her, slowly but surely she felt it.

"Finally" she said out loud.

In a few seconds she began running towards the exit to the room, she had no idea how to get out of the building but she wasn't going to give up just yet. She was just about out the door to the training room when she felt him, it was a feeling that sent her heart fluttering and she seemed light headed.

'He's here!!' she said excitedly 'he didn't forget me'

Location Korriban

Anakin stopped running as soon as he felt her. It was barley a flicker but he caught her force signature, he would recognize it anywhere.

"Master it's her!" he said when Obi-wan stopped by his side

"I don't sense her" Obi-wan said back then closed his eyes so he could focus harder.

"She's here master, I'm sure of it," he said back.

"Can you tell where she is?" obi-wan asked, opening his eyes so he could observe his old padawan.

"…She's at the sith temple up ahead." He answered and before Obi-wan could say anything else he took off full speed towards the location of his padawan.

The ruins of the old Sith temple were upon them quickly, for the force had allowed them to travel at inhuman speed towards their destination with only draining small amounts of their energy. Although the temple had been destroyed by the multitude of sith students who had at one time adorned the halls the temple still had enough structural support to hold any person who wished to reside in there. The energy of the dark side of the force could still be felt deeply within the temple and within the very walls themselves. The sheer power of the walls caused Anakin and Obi-wan to shiver as they entered through one of the numerous doors.

"The dark side is very strong in this place" Anakin commented to his master as they made their way through the shadows to where Ashoka's force signature.

"Indeed, this would seem the most logical place to hide a Jedi, their light side energy would be completely blocked out by the dark side resonance within these very walls" he answered.

Both Jedi kept their eyes open for any sign of Ashoka or a sith soldier. While both Jedi could feel the presence of sith here, their exact location was hidden from them, no doubt another trick played upon them by the old temple.

"Anakin, can you feel her?" Obi-wan asked, eyes still focused straight ahead of them.

"Yes master, she's close" Anakin answered.

Location: Korriban

Ashoka made her way through the hallway's quickly, she stretched out with what little force power had connected to her body to search for any of the sith soldiers that she had no doubt had already discovered that she had escaped.

"We're almost out" she said, rubbing her belly.

Ashoka tried once more to reach out with the force to where her lightsaber was stored, she knew that the sith had kept it here but she had absolutely no idea where they would store it.

"It's got to be here somewhere!" she said frustrated.

Suddenly a green blade ignited a few steps ahead of her, it's glow showing the face of Dokku's assassin, Ventress.

"Missing something?" she asked, a cruel smile on her face.

Ashoka was in trouble, she knew it and Ventress knew it. The dark side of the force that surrounded this place gave her an advantage over usual self and with her force power weakened from all the time in containment she had no chance against a sith of her strength. All she could hope for was an opening so she could get away. She had to summon enough force power to run away. But it would take time.

"Ventress" Ashoka spoke, her voice even.

"You say may name with anger Padawan," ventress spat.

"I think it might be because you have personally enjoyed my capture during these past months." Ashoka answered, her own anger poring over.

The two began to circle each other, like two wolves before a fight. The corridor in which they found themselves was pitch black, no light shone through and the only source came from Ashoka's lightsaber.

"Your outmatched" she observed with a sadistic smile.

"Depends on your definition of outmatched" Ashoka answered, her face calm.

Normally Ashoka would not be afraid to die, a Jedi is not afraid of death and she has certainly come close to death more times while she was a padawan than any of her friends but Ashoka wasn't concerned with her life at this moment, her was concerned with the life of her child. She had often heard from people throughout her journey with her master that a mother would do anything she could to protect her child. She had never fully understood that meaning until this very moment. She would gladly sacrifice her life to safe the life of her child.

"That right Jedi" Ventress said, almost as if she could her Ashoka's mind "If you surrender now, your child will survive but if you stay and fight I will strike you down".

Ashoka stopped and soon after ventress did the same, Ashoka was seconds away from agreeing until ventress smiled again.

"That was what my master wanted me to offer you, but I have something different in mind, I think you refused the most generous offer and attempted to flee, leaving me with no choice but to strike you down…yes I like this idea very much." She said smiling.

And then, before Ashoka could fully comprehend it, Ventress pounced. She came at her with such quickness that Ashoka had no hope of defending herself and it would be useless because in a few seconds she would be dead..Her and her child would be dead. With the last of her strength she transferred her force energy to her child, allowing it to live for as long as it could survive off the force, she knew it was dangerous, a person had to eat and with the mother dead the baby could not survive, but she had seen the force do things that people would never believe. She was willing to take the chance, she knew that Anakin was around here, she had sensed him she only hoped he would get here in enough time.

"Goodbye my child, Goodbye Anakin….I love you."