Chapter 3: The Hunt for Jabba's Son

"This? This is bullcrap." grumbled Naruto, hacking his way through the dense foliage of the Teth jungles. Ahsoka smiled to herself and shook her head.

They'd learned, through the resourcefulness of two veteran Scout Troopers, that the bounty hunters Jabba had hired to find his son had discovered a possible location of the missing Huttlet: the B'omarr Monastery on Teth. Secondary scouting and reconnaissance had turned that possibility into fact, as several ships had landed and deposited Separatist droids onto the Monastery's grounds, rather ironic for being a purported place of peace.

After being informed of this development, and the lack of return on the bounty hunters' part, it was decided that Naruto and Ahsoka would take up the challenge, and attempt to scale the imposing cliffside. First things first, however, they needed to clear a path through the foliage, so their tanks could make it without incident.

Hence, why Naruto was griping.

"'Sir, would you mind clearing a path for us? You've got that strange ability of yours that allows you to duplicate yourself, and your lightsaber would SURE come in handy."' he mimicked in a low-pitched voice, mocking Rex's seemingly benign request of his assistance. "Go from being General Namikaze to General Janitor in the space of a heartbeat. Friggin' HATE menial labor."

"Maybe if you stopped griping about it, you could get it done faster, Master." offered Ahsoka, her smile hidden behind her hand.

Rounding on her, he holstered his lightsaber even as his shadow clones continued cutting a suitable path.

"Maybe if you stopped picking on me ever five minutes, I'd stop griping!" he argued, arms flailing in a rather comical manner. This only served to break Ahsoka's restraint on her laughter. He folded his arms and pouted.

Composing herself somewhat, she patted his back. He swatted at her hand. "Come now, Master. Rex asked you for a favor. Most troopers don't ask their commanding officer for favors. It shows just how much he trusts you, you know?"

Naruto sighed, and nodded. "I know. I'm just stressed, is all."

Ahsoka blinked. "Why's that?"

"Well, I have a feeling I know who's behind this kidnapping, but I don't want to jump to conclusions."

Ahsoka's eyes widened a little. "Really? Who?"

Naruto shook his head. "I'm not going to say until I have definitive proof."

It was Ahsoka's turn to pout. "Aww, that's not fair, Master~"

He grinned. "Turnabout's fair play, Padawan."

She huffed, but grinned. Their playful banter was interrupted by Rex. "So, finished with the path, General?"

Naruto shot him a look. "Sure that isn't 'Janitor'?"

Rex laughed. "If only."

Naruto mumbled something about defunct commanders, but Rex shook his head. "In all seriousness, are we nearly ready?"

Nodding in the direction of the now-cleared pathway, Naruto nodded. "Yes, and no." At their looks of confusion, he elaborated. "We have a working path, now, but I had to keep it small, so it wouldn't attract attention from the Monastery. We can only go single file with the tanks, but once we clear the jungle, we should be able to spread them out. The key is to keep undetected until then."

Nodding, Rex turned and made the signal for the troops to gear up. "Right, then. We'll make sure to keep a low profile until then."

Watching their forces work their way into single file, Naruto reconsidered their plan of attack. 'No, this is the best course possible. Slow and steady wins the race, they say. Stealth is also part of a ninja's repertoire. If we were to go barreling in with guns ablazing, we'd attract unwanted attention, and put ourselves under heavy fire. This way, we can get into position before they even know we're there.'

Nodding to himself, he leapt forward to follow the caravan even as Ahsoka leapt after him.

Space Above Tatooine...

"Sure, Naruto gets the fun missions, while we're stuck doing delegation." grumbled Revan.

Obi-Wan grinned. "Beats having to scale a mountain."

She pouted. "But I wanted to scale a mountain!"

Shaking his head with a grin, he directed his starfighter to land outside Jabba's palace, Revan following suit as the massive steel door opened, letting Jabba's personal translator and several guards exit to greet them.

"What do you think about Jabba? His mood, I mean." she asked him.

Obi-Wan shrugged. "Honestly? I don't know. We can only hope that he's in a decent one."

The translator droid stopped before them. "The Mighty and Gracious Jabba has been expecting your arrival. We mustn't keep him waiting." Turning around, it hastened back to the doorway, the guards following.

Looking at one another, they nodded before heading inside.

B'omarr Monastery...

"Sergeant, for the last time, NO! You cannot be relieved of guard duty because you're BORED!"

"But Commander! This is pointless! The only ones who knew we were here were those bounty hunters, and they're dead. Surely we can relax."

"If you want to relax, that's you're prerogative. But don't come wailing to me when Commander Ventress guts you for slacking on the job."

The sergeant made to reply, but was cut off as the ground shook slightly. Looking down at their feet, they watched as several pebbles jerked and tumbled to and fro, the ground starting to shake with stronger and stronger tremors.

"What the...soldier, report!"

Whipping around to face his commander, the scout droid held up his hands. "I don't know, sir. We've seen no sign of any intruders, nor have we seen any fighters, vehicles, tanks, infantry-"

"Alright! I get it. Any idea as to the source of these tremors?"

He was about to reply, but a sudden increase in the strength of the tremors caused him to pause. A faint scraping noise could be heard, and the sergeant cocked his head. "Sir? That scraping. It sounds...like...metal?"

The commander's head whipped around, his hand in the air to signal the rest of the troops. "BATTLE STATIONS! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!"

No sooner had he given the command then an AT-TE crested the lip of the mountain, its' turret cannon coming to bear as it locked onto the nearest enemy, which unfortunately happened to be them.

The commander widened its' neural processors slightly as the sergeant summed up their collective feelings: "Motherf-"

The three droids were blasted into scrap as troopers crested the lip as well, their rifles discharging blue bolts immediately. Droids fell in heaps of twisted scrap as the Republic's ambush worked perfectly, completely catching the droids off-guard. More AT-TE's pulled themselves over the ledge, setting up a rather imposing perimeter as Naruto and Ahsoka leapt off one, landing and surveying the droid remains. A few pockets of resistance were visible, but otherwise they'd secured the landing platform and outer courtyard.

After the last of the droids were mopped up, Naruto, Ahsoka, and Rex convened.

"That was...surprisingly easy, sir."

Naruto shrugged. "When you've been a ninja for as long as I have, stealth becomes second-nature."

Ahsoka chuckled. "And yet, you seldom employ it in your everyday life."

"Hush."

Rex couldn't help but smile. "She's got a point, sir. If you were more inclined to be...less rambunctious, I could foresee the Jedi Council readily accepting you as a Master."

Naruto shrugged. "If they can't accept me as I am, then I'd rather not be a Master, Rex. I hope they see that before long." He jerked a thumb at the open doorway. "Now, let's get in there and rescue that tiny bundle of irritation."

As they made their way inwards, Ahsoka poked his shoulder. "Master, you shouldn't talk about children like that. It's mean."

Naruto scoffed, even as Rex and the accompanying soldiers turned on their floodlights to see better in the dark hallway. "Sure, because being nice to Hutts has always been rewarded in kind."

"I didn't mean it like that. I meant be nice because it's an innocent; it didn't ask for this, and it certainly didn't want it."

Naruto sighed, and made to turn to face her. "I know, it's just-" Whirling around, he ignited his saber, the blade stopping centimeters from a rather frightened droid. Naruto relaxed slightly as he noticed the droid's features, clearly marking it as a non-Trade Federation model. However, he kept his guard up, wary of treachery.

"Who are you, and why are you here?"

The droid completely ignored his request. "Oh, thank you, kind sirs..." It paused and regarded Ahsoka, before making an addendum to its' statement. "...and ma'am. You have saved me from those dreaded battle bots. I am ever so grateful."

Sheathing his lightsaber, Naruto regarded it with an eye, reiterating his previous question. "Who are you, and why are you here?"

"I am merely a humble caretaker of this proud establishment, kind sir."

"Where's the Hutt?"

It seemed to think for a moment. "The battle bots kept their prisoners on the lower levels, in the detention area. I wouldn't recommend going down there. It's rather...dangerous, especially for a servant girl." He finished, pointedly looking at Ahsoka.

She glared at the droid. "Does a servant girl carry THIS?" Igniting her own blade, she placed hers where Naruto's had been, and the droid seemed to sweat. "I'm not a servant girl. I'm a Jedi Knight."

"Yeah, and I'm Supreme Chancellor."

Letting her lightsaber turn off, she glared at Naruto, who put his hands up in a placating gesture. "Just saying. You're a Padawan; you're not a Knight yet, young one."

Scoffing, she pushed past the droid and deeper into the chamber. Turning, Naruto regarded Rex, who'd been silent throughout the entire exchange. "Commander, I'll need you to keep an eye out for any droids we missed. Think you can handle that?"

Rex grinned at the intended barb. "Who do you think you're talking to, sir?"

Naruto slapped his back, the clone stumbling forward before rubbing his armor. "That's my boy! See you when we get back!" Waving, he ran after his fuming charge, Rex shaking his head at his commander's antics.

Deeper in the bowels of the monastery, Ventress, surrounded by B-2 Battle Droids, whipped a communicator out of her robes, thumbing the switch as Count Dooku's visage appeared.

"They have taken the monastery, Master. From your description, I can assume that this Naruto you mentioned is here, as well as what appears to be a Padawan. They're on their way to rescue the Hutt."

"Well done, Ventress. All is going according to plan. You should tread carefully around Namikaze, though. He is a formidable foe."

"I could easily take them now, Master."

"No, you mustn't engage Namikaze. He is too much for you to handle, Ventress. That aside, you must have patience. You must collect the data I need. If you do encounter the Jedi, you may deal with the Padawan as you wish, but leave Namikaze unmolested. He would dispatch you with ease, with your skills as they are now."

Growling to herself, Ventress nodded nonetheless. She would obey her Master...for now. Switching the communique off, she turned to regard a commander droid. "Report."

"Mistress, the Jedi have entered the dungeons."

Nodding, she let the droid leave. 'So, I can only have fun with ONE Jedi, huh? No matter. Master may be right regarding this Namikaze, but I will have enough power soon. Eventually, even Count Dooku will fall before me, let alone this blonde miscreant.'

Naruto casually strolled down the corridor, already having a location on the Hutt. Ahsoka was not concerened with that, however.

"Master, can we PLEASE just do something?"

Ignoring her, he groaned inwardly as she continued. "You know you're walking us into a trap, right?"

"Yes, Ahsoka, I know."

"Then shouldn't we DO something about it? I can take care of them now. PLEASE?"

Sighing, he turned to her. "If you're SO inclined to do so, by all means."

Grinning, she ignited her saber, the green blade shooting out and stabbing a droid in the gut, its' whimper cut off as she bisected it with a flick of her wrist, a second droid falling as she decapitated it. The third managed to get a shot off, but she deflected it easily enough, her saber carving though the barrel of its' blaster before she sliced through its' chest, the droid falling to the ground with a groan.

Turning, she beamed up at Naruto with a look that made his heart burst. 'Such unbridled joy and spirit for one so young. Never mind the fact that she just sliced and diced three droids; she looks like a kid in a candy store. Can't believe I'm so proud of a Padawan that isn't even mine.'

"How did I do, Master?"

He smiled back at her, and she grinned. "Pretty good, Ahsoka. Although..." Reaching to his left, his hand enclosed around a droid's head, and the screeching sound of metal crumpling made Ahsoka push her hands against her ears. 'Like nails on a chalkboard' she thought idly. Several sparks shot from the droid's crushed head, and Naruto released it as it slumped to the floor.

"...you missed one." Turning around, he was able to hide his smirk as she stared at the droid's head...or what was left of it. "Remind me to never get on your bad side, Master." she quipped. Naruto would have dignified her with a response, but they'd reached the Hutt's holding cell, and he told her as much. Sticking a finger out, Ahsoka watched in disbelief as he slowly pushed it through the slit between the door jam and the door itself, the metal squealing in protest as his finger pushed it aside.

Curling the digit around the other side of the door, he applied some of his infamous strength and flew the door open, said object slamming into its' slide with a BANG. A wailing cry greeted them, and Naruto's eyes widened at the tiny Huttlet that greeted them, even as Ahsoka cooed upon seeing the baby Hutt.

"He's a LOT smaller than I thought he'd be." he remarked.

"Ohh, he's SO CUTE!" she squealed, and he could only palm his face as she bent and picked him up. "He's just a tiny thing. This will make our job a LOT easier. Isn't he just the sweetest thing?"

Naruto banged his head against the durasteel door jam, willing the sweet numbing sensation to envelop his brain, as well. "Yeah, well wait until you see what he grows INTO. Not so cute, then. Trust me."

She glared at him, then returned to making baby noises at the Huttlet, who merely gurgled and grinned up at her. "Don't you listen to Master. He's just a meanie poopie pants."

Banging his head harder against the door, Naruto sighed. "When you're done jibbering to the worm, we've got a mission to complete."

She shrugged and pushed past him, heading for the surface while Naruto mumbled something about women and infants."

Tatooine...

"Took every last ounce of willpower I had not to throttle that translator droid." mumbled Revan.

"Now, now, you should take it as a compliment. Not everyone gets asked to be the Hutt's personal concubine. Some would consider it a great honor."

Turning and leveling Obi-Wan with a glare, she dutifully ignored his hand-hidden smirk. "Yeah? Well, where I come from, that makes you nothing more than a common whore, regardless of who you 'belong' to." Huffing, she resumed her trek to their fighters, sending several more glares at the overly-curious Jawas hovering around her craft.

"Scram, you moochers!"

Squealing, the lot scattered as they saw her. Obi-Wan shook his head, but did the same in scaring off the poachers, not wanting part of his craft gone when he made the jump to hyperspace. Flying itself was suicidal enough, he thought. Doing so with parts missing was even worse.

Hopping into the cockpit, he strapped himself in even as he opened a comm channel. "You know, I thought that went rather well, all things considered. We didn't even have to draw weapons once."

Revan's snort came back over the line. "Sure, you might as well go ahead and say 'it'."

Obi-Wan blinked. "What? Something like, 'What can possibly go wrong'?"

Her groan was his answer. "Yeah, like that. Congrats. You've just cursed us."

"Huh?"

"You ought to know that if anyone says that, said person and any party affiliated with them will be fucked."

Obi-Wan scoffed. "Please. That's an old wives' tale. Such superstition doesn't become you, Revan."

"Yeah? Tell that to me when the shit hits the fan."

Shaking his head, his pre-flight checks complete, he let his craft ascend and shoot into the atmosphere, Revan hot on his heels. Little did he know that Revan's quip would prove to be all-too true.

Watching the Jedi leave the planet's surface, Count Dooku smirked, even as he headed towards the Hutt's palace.

'Time for a little subterfuge. Let's see if we can end this farce of a contest.'

Soon, he was standing before Jabba, his smirk still in place even as he bowed slightly, showing respect when it was clear, to him at least, it was not due.

Jabba spoke in his native tongue, and the translator droid was quick to clarify. "What brings the likes of the Sith to my doorstep?"

Composing and securing his features, Dooku shifted his cloak so his hood fell back, letting his face bask in the midday sun. "Oh, Mighty Jabba. I come before you with words of wisdom, and yet of great treachery."

Cocking an eyebrow, Jabba spoke again. "What information do you bring me, Count?"

Inwardly, he was grinning ear-to-ear. 'Attention garnered. Now to put the nail in the coffin, so to speak.' Clearing his throat, he spoke, "Powerful Jabba, it has come to my attention the true nature of the kidnappers. They are none other than the Jedi who seek to aid you, their lies all but palpable in nature."

Gasps of surprise and outrage flitted through the crowd, even as Jabba's roar of indignation filled the room. "How have you come upon this information, Dooku?"

"I have my sources to thank, O Great One. More importantly, I bring a solemn warning: The Jedi plan to destroy you. You and your son are marked targets of the Order, so that they may acquire passage through your shipping lanes."

Growling, Jabba leveled a glare at Dooku. "The Most Wise Jabba demands proof of such steep and heinous accusations."

"And he shall have it." the Count replied, his head inclined slightly to show absolute faith in his own words. "My apprentice is gathering the evidence as we speak. Wait patiently, Mighty Jabba. You will have your information, and then your son, in short order."

Teth, B'omarr Monastery...

"Seriously? I have to carry it? C'mon, Master! He smells!" griped Ahsoka, even as she lugged the not-so-tiny bundle of wailing Huttlet. They were working their way back to Rex and the others, and Naruto was making good on his word, making her carry the Huttlet despite her protests.

"What's the problem, Ahsoka? I thought it was...what was the word you used? 'Cute'?"

Sighing, she shifted the bundle in her arms, the wailing only increasing as he was jostled around. "My Jedi training prepared me for a lot of things, but not this."

Naruto smirked. "Children are something you are NEVER prepared for, Ahsoka. Learn that now, and save yourself the headache later."

She would have responded, but the sudden coughing that cut out the wailing coming from the Hutt caused her to stop. "Master? I think he's sick. He's been doing that more and more, lately."

Stopping as well, Naruto turned and put a hand on it. Grimacing, he nodded. "It's sick, alright. From what I can tell, it's not taking too kindly to the air here. I can stop its' coughing, and make it more comfortable, though the permanent solution is to get it back to Tatooine." Closing his eyes, Naruto used some medical Ninjutsu that he'd learned way back, and the coughing immediately stopped, as a contented look came over the Hutt's face. It cooed, and wrapped its' pudgy hands around Naruto's, sputtering happily.

Ahsoka couldn't help but grin, as Naruto took the infant from her and kept pouring soothing chakra into it, whispering words of comfort to the little Hutt as he started forward again. 'He's such a kind person, despite his attempts to look otherwise. I wish I had a man like th-" Blushing, she caught herself before she permanently wore that shade of red, and hurried to catch up to Naruto. 'Revan would kill me if she knew I'd just thought that.'

Standing on a ledge overlooking the two Jedi, the droid they'd 'rescued' earlier was watching them with a keen look, its' photo receptors flashing so often. Seeming to blink, it turned and headed back into the monastery, stopping next to a hooded figure before reaching out and plugging itself into a communicator. It buzzed momentarily, then disconnected itself from said device and disappeared into the dark.

Grabbing the communicator, Ventress flicked it on, the visage of Count Dooku springing to life. "I have the data you requested, Master."

"Good. Upload it immediately." She did as commanded, then blinked at his new orders: "Your next objective is to retrieve the Hutt. Alive and unharmed, I might add."

"...Very well, my Master. It shall be done." Flicking the communicator off, she hummed in thought. 'I suppose it makes sense: Jabba wants his son back, and he doesn't really care who it is, so long as the end result is the same. If we reunite him with his son, WE get access to his shipping lanes, instead of the Republic. Clever move, indeed, Count. Alright, it sounds like a rather good plan, so I'll go along with it. After all, I might 'accidentally' encounter that blonde boy, and I might have to 'accidentally' engage him. Even so, as long as I get the whelp, it shouldn't be a problem.'

Nodding to herself, Ventress melded with the darkness, disappearing as if she'd never been.

Tatooine, Jabba's Palace...

Even as the recording ended, Jabba's roar of fury echoed through the halls of the palace.

Dooku spoke, the weight of his words thick and unyielding. "As you can see, I spoke the truth, O Wise One. The Jedi have your son, and are plotting to destroy your lineage as we speak. Truthfully, it brings sadness to my heart to see the Order I once served reduced to thievery, treachery, and underhanded tactics such as this."

Jabba looked as if he would explode. No translation was needed for the next words: "JEDI POODOO!"

"My droid armies have just begun to initiate a rescue operation. You will have your son back, and the Jedi shall suffer greatly for this...injustice."

Jabba seemed to think for a moment, then turned back to the Count. "The Mighty Jabba wishes to know what compensation he can offer for such a service."

'And the contest is over. Separatists: 1. Republic: 0.' he thought, unable to hide a small smile as he bowed. "If the Gracious Jabba would be so inclined, perhaps safe passage though his shipping lanes would be suitable? Or better yet..." He inclined his head with a grin that bordered on wicked. "...perhaps you would consider joining us in our struggle against the Republic? Someone of your high esteem would be most welcome amongst the Separatists."

'Might as well pull out a pen and parchment. 'Saving' his son will garner much sympathy from Jabba, and he will be highly inclined to join us. With the Hutt clans backing the movement, we can turn the tide of this war decisively in our favor, and strike a major blow against the Republic. It's as good as done.'

Teth...

As Naruto finished explaining the situation to Obi-Wan and Revan, the duo adopted matching postures of deep thought. Naruto smirked. "Becoming twins now, I take it?"

Revan scoffed. "Been around Ben for too long. Started to catch on his quirks." Said man's cry of indignation was ignored. "Regardless, this has Dooku's stench. He's probably using this entire scenario to garner the Hutt's backing. If he acquires a treaty with them, we can kiss the Outer Rim Territories goodbye, as they will all but belong to Dooku. If that wasn't bad enough, Kamino IS in the Outer Rim. If we lose our cloning facilities..."

Naruto nodded, the implication grim. "This war would be over before it even began. The Jedi would buckle under the strain of the war, and the Republic would be finished." Looking down at the Huttlet, he stroked its' head, the youngling cooing as it gurgled happily. "Who knew that one so small could have such a big impact on the fate of the galaxy?"

Revan chuckled. "Same goes for you, dear. You were but a newborn when you saved your village, remember?"

Naruto grinned. "Yeah, I've always been awesome."

Obi-Wan sighed. "Way to inflate his ego, Revan. Not like he needed it, mind you."

Naruto grinned even more. "You're just jealous of my awesomeness."

"Hardly."

His retort was cut off as Ahsoka tapped him on the shoulder. "Masters, we've got a situation." Turning, Naruto's eyes narrowed to slits as he watched two Separatist dropships headed straight for them. He didn't need to turn to know Rex was right behind him. "Commander, I want every gun trained on those dropships. We've got heavy cannons, so I suggest we use them. Concentrate fire on their engines."

"Yes, sir. YOU HEARD HIM, MEN! FIRE ON THOSE SHIPS! TARGET THE ENGINES AND DROP THOSE CLANKERS OUT OF THE SKY!" Rex roared, a chorus of agreements rising as the 6 AT-TE's drew a bead on the dropships, opening fire as soon as they were in range.

While this was taking place, Naruto turned back to the hologram. "Sorry hon, Ben, but we've got to go. Need to focus on the battle, and all that."

Revan huffed as Obi-Wan nodded in agreement. "I'm not that much of a distraction, am I?"

Naruto smiled. "No." At her frown, he finished his statement. "You're much, MUCH more than that."

Smiling, she blew him a kiss before the connection broke, the last words coming from Obi-Wan. "We'll be there as soon as possible. We're already en-route, so try and hold out until we get there."

Turning back to the battle at hand, Naruto noticed the addition of a squad of droid starfighters, the roaring whine distinct as they closed in on their position.

"Orders, sir?"

"You know me too well, Rex. Target the fighters. Take them out, or we'll lose our only defense."

"Already on it, sir."

Orders issued, the AT-TE's turned their attention to the fighters, several going up in flames and billowing smoke. Despite the loss of 3 fighters, the squadron continued to swoop and dive, one AT-TE catching a bolt in the cockpit and exploding, shrapnel and debris killing several clones nearby as the burned chassis of the tank groaned before slamming to the ground.

"KEEP AT IT! BRING THEM DOWN, BRING THEM DOWN!"

The dropships were nearing the landing bay, and the clones were forced to redirect their fire, exposing themselves to counterattack. Regardless, if they let both of those dropships land, they were screwed. They needed at least one taken out, and they got their break when several bolts managed to slip through one ship's shields, striking true on a fuselage and exploding, causing a cascading chain reaction which ripped the lander apart, the other one veering sharply to the right to avoid the flaming wreckage as it plummeted to the jungle below, the burned-out chassis causing severe tremors as it struck the ground.

"One down, one to go." Naruto mumbled, even as a second AT-TE exploded in a hail of flaming metal and screaming troopers. Turning to Ahsoka, he clasped a hand on her shoulder to get her attention, quirking an eyebrow when she blushed. "I need you to take the infant inside the monastery. Can't have our package getting blown up."

Normally, she would have protested, but having Naruto touching her seemed to dissuade that idea, and she merely nodded before taking the proffered infant and heading into the hallway.

Drawing his lightsaber, Naruto leapt onto one of the 4 remaining AT-TE's and used it as a springboard, shooting directly towards a starfighter, his blade carving straight through the left wing.

Using his elemental prowess, he bounced off the air, using it as stepping stones to guide him to the next fighter. Cutting this one down, as well, he landed and groaned as the lone dropship managed to withstand the barrage of fire peppering its' shields, the lander's doors opening to allow several dwarf spider droids to exit, passing though the shield before opening fire on the AT-TE's, providing cover for the B-1, B-2, and droidekas being unloaded.

Flinging his lightsaber, Naruto took care of the last of the fighters, his blade slicing the tip off of the right wing, causing it to spiral wildly into the side of the cliff, shrapnel flying as it impacted the face and exploded. Calling his saber back to him, he sprinted forward to deal with the ground forces.

Even as the battle raged around him, Naruto had a rather foreboding feeling in his gut. It seemed similar to that time in Theed, only this one was a different person; this he could tell.

Keeping the Hutt snugly secure in the backpack they'd procured from a trooper, Ahsoka sighed and watched from a distance as her master took care of the air support. Startling herself, she blinked as she replayed her last thought in her mind. 'MY master? Since when did I start thinking him as MY master? I'm Master Kenobi's Padawan, right? HE should be my master, right?...Right?'

Shaking her head slightly, she didn't miss the sudden spike in killing intent, and rolled to the side as a red blade passed overhead, the blade arching through the air where her neck had just been. Getting to her feet, she drew her lightsaber and blocked a second strike, then a third. Shifting to a defensive position, she glared at the woman across from her. "You sure know how to greet a person, huh?"

"Hand over the infant, and I promise I won't kill you."

"What do you want with the Hutt?"

The woman snarled. "I have my reasons, youngling. Now hand it over, or I ALSO promise I'll kill you."

Ahsoka shook her head. "Tsk, tsk, tsk~ That's no way to talk to someone. We should start from the beginning. I'm Ahsoka, and you are?" 'NICE COMEBACK! Master would be so proud!'

Roaring, the woman leapt forward, dual lightsabers flashing though the air as she aimed to decapitate her. Rolling out of the way again, Ahsoka took off at a sprint, leading the woman away from the battle outside and deeper into the temple. 'Gotta keep her away from the soldiers. She'd slaughter the lot of them, including Rex.'

Ducking, she let the saber fly over her head again, the spinning blade coming back to its' owner in a wide arc. Looking around, Ahsoka grinned as she saw a possible opening. 'Let's see just how good she really is.'

Turning slightly, she ran at a pillar, making sure the other woman followed, before leaping straight at the structure, using her feet to cushion the blow as she bent her knees and propelled herself off of it, using it as a springboard and soaring back towards her attacker, lightsaber poised to end this fight quickly and decisively.

The other woman was caught off-guard, but not enough to warrant her death. Instead, she brought her lightsabers up in a cross guard, and was hurled off her feet when Ahsoka's lightsaber slammed into hers, the force behind the latter's causing her to soar backwards.

Landing on her feet, Ahsoka was disappointed to see the other woman do the same, although her tactic seemed to have partially worked, as the other woman had stopped chasing her.

"So, gonna tell me your name?"

The other woman scowled, but acquiesced. "Ventress. Asajj Ventress. Remember it well, for it is the name of your killer, whelp."

Ahsoka clicked her tongue. "Hmm, killer? Naw, that doesn't sound right. How about sparring partner? I haven't had a lot of action lately, despite the mission we're on. Master seems to like taking care of things himself, so I don't have a lot to do, actually. Maybe I should talk to him about that. Yeah, sounds like a good idea. Oooh, maybe I can get him to-"

"ENOUGH!" Ventress roared, and hurled one of her lightsabers at Ahsoka, who deflected it before hurling her own. The blade spun through the air, and Ventress raised hers to block it, sparks flying as they met and grated against one another. Flinging the blade aside, Ventress' eyes widened when she saw it fly back into the outstretched palm of Ahsoka...who was mere feet from her and closing fast.

'SHIT!' she mentally cursed, calling her second lightsaber back to her, the blade springing to life as she blocked a flurry of blows, each coming too close to her skin for her own liking. 'This child is exceptionally skilled for a Padawan. She knows techniques that Jedi KNIGHTS utilize. I've underestimated her, but I won't do so again. Time to take off the kid gloves, and show her what a REAL swordswoman is capable of.'

Pushing Ahsoka back, Ventress snapped her hands together, the hilt of each lightsaber pushed together with a resounding 'CLICK' before she twirled the doublesaber in the air, bringing one end down in an attempt to decapitate her opponent.

Although surprised, Ahsoka was not caught off-guard, and was able to dodge the swipe, before retreating further into the cavernous temple. 'Crap. I think I'm in trouble. The master at the temple taught me how to face Jar'Kai users, but he didn't teach me how to fight against a doublesaber! I'm so screwed!'

Decapitating the last battle droid, Naruto watched as the lander attempted to take off, the pilot obviously fleeing in panic. Forming a cross seal, a single clone popped into being, his hands at the ready as Naruto provided both the chakra and Shape Manipulation, the clone providing the Nature Manipulation.

The clone poofing out of existence as the Rasenshuriken was completed, Naruto heaved back and threw his original technique at the lander, the spinning ball screeching as it soared through the air. It met the right wing of the C-9979 landing craft. Upon coming into contact with said wing, the screeching noise was accompanied by a loud rending noise, as the rotating blades sawed their way through the durasteel plating.

Reaching halfway through the wing, Naruto chose to let it go at that moment, the blade expanding rapidly as it completely sheared the wing off. The appendage barely had time to fall to the earth below before the Rasenshuriken expanded again, this time taking on the form of a giant ball of slicing winds and rotating destruction, the lander partially engulfed in the destruction, the glass around the cockpit shattering with ease as the droids inside were torn to shreds.

As the technique died down, the crumpled mass of metal gave one last cough of protest, before its' engines sparked and the whole thing exploded in a massive display, pieces and parts showering the landscape as it went off like a huge firework, the flaming remains letting gravity take its' course as they plummeted to the ground below.

As the troopers watched the display, some making 'oooh' and 'ahhh' noises and a few even clapping at the wonderful 'show', Naruto was frowning, unable to shake the nagging feeling that something was remiss.

A bolt of electricity shot up his spine, and he turned to stare at the monastery, before taking off in a dead sprint, ignoring the sudden exclamations from the surrounding troopers as he shot into the darkened hallway.

'AHSOKA!'

And a little cliffy! Yay.

Now, I want to point this out before anyone even thinks of it: I will not be updating on a regular basis. I'm surprised I've gotten this far, as it is. You may take it for what it's worth, but I'll try and continue this story as much as possible.

-Sgt. Assassin