Chapter 4: Ventress
"Ventress," Obi-Wan said flatly. "And here I thought this mission was going to be unpleasant."
The black-robed Dark Acolyte of the Sith stalked close behind him, her long fingers tickling across the back of his neck. "The pleasure's all mine, Obi-Wan," she whispered into his ear, making him shiver. Or shudder. With Ventress, it was sometimes hard to tell the difference.
"Ventress... can we do this later?" he said uncomfortably.
"Do it later?" Ventress breathed huskily. "What's the matter, Obi-Wan? Too good to flirt with me in front of her?" She looked scornfully at the Duchess of Mandalore, resplendent in her ceremonial robes and headdress. Satine stared back at her, not intimidated.
"Hello, everyone? Can we take care of business before pleasure?" Judan cut in. "You're willing to pay 12,000 credits, lady?"
"Of course," Ventress said, her voice honey-sweet. "I will pay all of it up front. You will not regret doing business with me."
"Let me see the credits."
"Surely you don't think I am so stupid as to carry that many credits around with me, in a place like this, with crooks like these around?" Ventress gestured contemptuously at Obi-Wan and Satine.
"Look, lady, I pride myself on not taking sides," Judan said. "I don't care who I sell to, but I've got to see the credits with my own eyes."
"I will take you to it. It isn't far."
"She can't be trusted," Obi-Wan cut in quickly. "She will cheat you as soon as look at you, but we have our credits here, now. We're ready to give them to you."
"Let me see them, then," Judan snapped. "I grow impatient."
Obi-Wan gestured to Padme, who emerged from her hiding place with a lockbox in her hands. Ventress laughed as she took in the sight of Padme's perfectly coiffed hair and elegantly draped cloak.
"Another noble lady, Kenobi?" she said incredulously, looking back and forth between Padme and Satine. "Which do you favor, the blonde or the brunette? Or are you starting a harem?"
"I don't care much one way or the other, as long as she has hair," Obi-Wan said before he could stop himself.
Ventress smoldered with rage.
Padme opened the lockbox, tilting it so Judan could see the contents. The credits rattled against the side of the box.
A smile spread across Judan's face. The spy pulled a datachip out of his jacket pocket and slowly extended it. Satine took the box from Padme and held it out to Judan at the same time, so they could make a simultaneous trade. Obi-Wan casually stepped to the side until he was standing between Ventress and the datachip. Her hands were hanging loosely at her sides, nowhere near her twin lightsaber hilts - he knew from past experience that she kept them clipped at the back of her belt - but Obi-Wan felt nervous just the same. Ventress was not going to let the datachip go without a fight, he was sure. Instinctively he touched his own lightsaber hilt. Ventress saw the gesture and smirked at him just as Satine and Judan made the exchange.
Suddenly, Ventress lifted her hand in a swift movement and Force-pushed Obi-Wan with violent strength. He couldn't block the blow in time and flew back, crashing into Satine and Judan. All three of them tumbled to the ground. Credit chips fell like rain, clinking on the durocrete. The datachip skittered away and, from his prone position on the ground tangled up with Satine and Judan, Obi-Wan saw it come to rest against a stylish black boot.
His gaze moved up and he saw a flash of brilliant purple as a cloaked figure stooped swiftly and picked up the datachip just as Padme dove for it and came up empty-handed. An instant later, Obi-Wan lost sight of the newcomer as Judan shoved him over and frantically began gathering the spilled credits.
Ventress shrieked in rage and charged in the direction of the purple-cloaked figure. Satine scrambled to her feet just in time to jump in front of Ventress. Both women crashed onto the ground. Ventress kicked at Satine viciously and tried to get up, but the Duchess fiercely clung to the Dark Acolyte's ankle.
Obi-Wan finally managed to get around Judan and ignited his lightsaber, running straight at Ventress. Satine suddenly let go of the boot and the two women split apart, rolling to their feet simultaneously. Obi-Wan leaped in between them. Ventress had her red lightsabers ignited now too, and she eyed Obi-Wan warily. They both risked a glance in the direction the datachip had just gone. The purple-cloaked figure had disappeared, and so had Padme. There was no sign of Siri anywhere. Obi-Wan prayed that Siri, or Padme, or both, were in pursuit of the mysterious thief. He had his hands full right now with Ventress. He felt Satine's presence behind him, and vowed silently to make sure no harm came to her, no matter what happened.
"What are you waiting for, Jedi scum?" Ventress snarled. "Attack!"
Obi-Wan looked back uncertainly at Satine. "Aren't you going to tell me not to fight?"
Satine thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. "Her, you can fight."
"Oh," Obi-Wan said, surprised. "Thank you very much."
Judan apparently decided this was a good time to depart. Leaving the last few credits on the ground, the spy skittered for the exit.
Ventress wore a feral smile. "I'm all yours, Obi-Wan," she purred. Swift as a viper, she leaped forward and two red blades came slicing down at him. Obi-Wan lifted his blue blade and parried the double blow with ease.
"Coming here was a mistake, my sweet," he responded. "You cannot win."
"We'll see about that!" And Ventress unleashed a whirlwind of spinning blades, flicking here and there at Obi-Wan so that he was forced to give ground and move his blade as fast as he could to keep up with the onslaught. Ventress nearly had him backed into a corner of the alleyway when he suddenly turned and ran up the wall a few steps, gaining enough speed and height to flip neatly over her head and Force-shove her so hard that she slammed against the wall and dropped both lightsabers.
"You'll have to do better than that, my darling," he taunted.
Ventress glowered at him. "How about this?" she spit out, stretching out her hand toward him and then clenching it into a tight fist. Suddenly, Obi-Wan clutched desperately at his throat; he couldn't breathe. Ventress laughed wickedly, squeezing tighter and tighter so that stars swam in his vision.
"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" she mocked.
Behind Ventress, Obi-Wan could see Satine tiptoeing forward to scoop up one of Ventress' dropped lightsabers, but she never even got the chance to activate it; without looking back the Dark Acolyte stretched her other hand out and Force-yanked the hilt out of Satine's hand and back to her own.
Luckily, the incident broke Ventress' concentration for a moment, and Obi-Wan was able to break free of the Force-choke and immediately lunge forward with his lightsaber. Ventress brought her single blade up just in time to parry, and they launched into a furious series of blade-clashes in which neither one was able to land a blow.
It seemed for several minutes that they were at an impasse there under the shadow of the water tower when they heard the roar of a engine approaching, and out of the corner of his eye Obi-Wan saw a speeder appear and abruptly halt at the other end of the alleyway. The mysterious purple-cloaked figure who had stolen the datachip was seated at the controls, a translucent veil obscuring most of her face. Siri was seated next to her and Padme was in the back of the speeder.
With a tremendous leap, Siri was out of the speeder and by Obi-Wan's side in moments, her lightsaber joining his in the dizzying dance of death with Ventress. Obi-Wan and Siri moved in perfect synch, gracefully weaving around each other to take turns driving Ventress back.
The Dark Acolyte's expression had lost all mockery and her pale skin was covered in a sheen of sweat as she tried to fend off two Jedi Masters who fought in perfect harmony with one another. In desperation, she seized the opportunity when Obi-Wan was slightly off-balance from parrying a blow and lashed out with her fist, landing a jarring blow to Obi-Wan's nose; a cheap shot. He staggered back and felt blood pour down his face.
Siri momentarily lost her Jedi cool. "Get your hands off him, Sith witch!" she screamed, and with blue eyes flashing she Force-pushed Ventress into the stone wall so hard that it collapsed, loose stones tumbling down until they pinned Ventress to the ground.
Breathing hard, Obi-Wan and Siri looked down at Ventress, now disarmed, dazed, and half-buried in rubble. As one they deactivated their lightsabers and clipped them to their belts.
Siri smirked at Ventress and brushed off her hands with satisfaction. "Don't you ever touch him again, or I will personally see to it that you pay the price!" she added as a parting shot as she tugged Obi-Wan toward the speeder to make their escape.
Obi-Wan hesitated to leave Ventress in such a predicament; although he knew he shouldn't, he found their fights immensely entertaining and he would hate to see them end. He glanced back and was relieved to see the largest stone covering Ventress rising smoothly into the air; using levitation, the Dark Acolyte would be free in a minute.
"Obi-Wan, come on!" Siri shouted at him. The speeder's engine revved.
Reluctantly, Obi-Wan turned away from Ventress. "What about the datachip?" he asked Siri as they jogged toward the speeder.
"I have it," she answered, holding it up and gesturing toward the purple-cloaked and veiled woman seated at the controls of the speeder. "She gave it to us. She says she's on our side."
Curious, Obi-Wan looked closely at the woman as they approached the speeder. The fluttering veil hid most of her features, but somehow he knew that underneath was a face more beautiful than any he had seen before. She stared back at him through the gap between her hood and veil; she had sea-green eyes fringed with lush, soot-black eyelashes, and a sorrowful gaze.
And that's when he stopped dead in his tracks. Siri tugged at the sleeve of his robe, but Obi-Wan stayed rooted stubbornly to the spot.
"Obi-Wan, what are you doing?" Siri hissed at him.
"I know those eyes," Obi-Wan said, struggling to keep his composure, "and Siri, I think I'd rather fight with Ventress than go with her."
"Why? You know her? Who is she?"
"She always claims she wants to help me," Obi-Wan said grimly, "but whenever she shows up I always end up getting hurt."
"What nonsense are you talking now?" Siri said impatiently, bodily pulling him toward the speeder.
"I just realized," Obi-Wan said. "She's exactly like Anakin in that respect. Remember the incident with the gundarks? How he took all the credit for saving me, when he was the one who knocked me into the nest in the first place? That's just the kind of thing that happens when she shows up."
"Obi-Wan, you're babbling! Don't be a baby and just get in!" Siri swung into the front seat. The speeder only had four seats, so Obi-Wan perched on the edge of the back seat with his feet resting between Satine and Padme. A quick glance to the left revealed that Ventress was now free of the rubble and charging full-speed towards them, empty-handed but terrifying nonetheless.
"Hit the accelerator!" Padme yelled, and the veiled woman obeyed just as the Dark Acolyte neared them.
"Come and get me!" Ventress screeched at Obi-Wan, whipping off her confining black skirt as she ran.
Stunned by the unexpected sight, Obi-Wan forgot to hold on to the speeder. The force of its sudden acceleration sent him tumbling off the back end and into a disgraceful heap on the durocrete. By the time he staggered to his feet, the speeder was already far out of reach. In the distance he could see Siri half standing in her seat to look back at him with a surprised expression on her face.
"You see what I mean?" he shouted piteously to her just as Ventress tackled him from behind.
TO BE CONTINUED
