Don't Tempt

Connan pressed the button for the elevator to open as Anakin turned around and gasped.

"Destroyers!"

Connan whirled around, lightsaber in hand. The machines rolled up and turned on their shields, firing at the three Jedi.

Connan backed up into the elevator as the Destroyers began shooting at them. She ignored Carth's worried orders in her ear as she blocked another blow that would have hit Anakin.

"Connan, is there any way for you to be discreet?"

"Not possible." Connan answered as the elevator doors closed and she turned off her saber.

"Drop your weapons."

Connan flicked her eyes to Obi Wan, who looked a little amused. The voice behind them was dull and monotone, and Connan knew it would be those weak little army droids that the Sith had in the millions.

"I said drop them."

The three turned, and Anakin scoffed a bit, his tone obviously disbelieving. There were nine droids in the elevator along with them. Each in its turn replied to the other with "Roger" and held their guns ready to blast.

Connan flipped her lightsaber in a half-circle around her, re-igniting it as four of the annoying droids were smashed to pieces.

"Well," Obi Wan said as the last few were killed. "That was annoying."

"Quite." Anakin poked the top button for the top level of the ship.

"At least they were the easy kind," Connan observed. "Could you imagine the three of us fighting droidekas in the small space?"

"Point taken." Anakin said.

The elevator stopped abruptly. Connan growled.

"Did you press the stop button?" Obi Wan asked.

"No, did you?" Anakin shook his head, looking around for a way out.

"No,"

"Well, then," Connan surmised. "There must be another way out of here."

"Connan? What's going on?" Carth asked in her ear.

"We're trapped in an elevator," Connan seethed. "I despise closed spaces." She looked around and poked Anakin, pointing to the ceiling. He nodded and drove his blue lightsaber into the roof as she did.

"We don't want to get out, we want to get moving." Obi Wan pulled his comm. link out of his pocket and pressed the button. "R2, activate elevator 31174."

Nothing. Connan's saber spiraled in one direction as Anakin hacked away at the other.

"Come in, R2."

Still nothing.

"R2, do you copy?"

"R2, activate the elevator number 31174. R2, we—"

"Force, Obi Wan, shut up!" Connan seemed a bit aggravated. "I'm sure he heard you. Don't go driving us nuts about it."

The hole in the ceiling crashed heavily to the elevator floor. Obi Wan leapt back to avoid being hit. Without a second thought, Anakin jumped through the hole and stood on the roof.

"How's it looking up there?" Connan called.

"Oily." The joking reply came. Obi Wan sighed.

"Always on the move," He muttered. Then the turned on the comm. link again and began repeating his instructions to R2-D2.

"Obi Wan, I think if he heard you the first time, he's not going to just ignore it and—" Connan shrieked, stopping her lecture as her feet rose in the air. Obi Wan cried out as well.

"What? What happened?" Carth sounded a bit frantic. "Are you all right?"

"Ah, blast it." Obi Wan squeezed his fists together. "Stop, stop. R2, we need to be going up."

"Whoo," Connan crossed her arms and looked through the hole in the ceiling. "I hope Anakin's all right."

Another crash sent Connan sprawling on top of Obi Wan as the elevator came to an abrupt halt. They both groaned, and Connan rubbed the back of her neck.

Inexplicable pain seared through Connan's mind, coming from her neckline. She hissed, and imagined she pulled something out of place when she hit the floor.

"I'm going to be feeling that one in the morning." She cringed.

"You all right?" Obi Wan asked, sitting up and pulled Connan along gently.

"I think it threw my neck out of whack." She tested it, turning it from side to side, experimenting. "It hurts."

Obi Wan stood, helping Connan up as much as possible after the elevator started moving upwards again.

"Now," He commented. "That's better."

Another presence entered through the hole in the ceiling and Connan's injury was temporarily forgotten. Two sets of lightsabers came out, and Connan worked to stop herself from attacking who she perceived as Anakin.

"Oh, it's you," Obi Wan said gleefully. He put his lightsaber up and his hand was once again at Connan's neck. She let him.

"What was that all about?" Anakin asked, frowning as Connan winced.

"Well, R2 has been—"

"Hey!" Connan warned.

"No loose wire jokes." Anakin ordered.

"He's better than R9." Connan agreed.

"Did I say anything?" Obi Wan looked away from Connan for a moment.

"He's trying." Anakin admitted.

"I didn't say anything." Obi Wan sighed, still exasperated, as he turned back to Connan and her neck.

"What's wrong?" Anakin asked.

"It looks like she either pulled a neck muscle or jammed her neck." Obi Wan explained. "But I don't have time to fix it."

"Get in my bag, Anakin," Connan insisted. "There's a syringe in the outer pocket and a bottle of liquid." Anakin nodded, unzipping a part of Connan's bag as delicately as possible.

"What's it for?"

"It was for my treatment after the Star Forge a few years ago." Connan cleared her throat. "Or, whatever, considering the obvious time change.

"Anyway, after I killed Malak, I was trapped underneath a large piece of machinery until Æliesha came and found me some time later. This medicine is sort of a numbing medicine of sorts."

Anakin pulled out a needle and a bottle, holding them up to Connan for confirmation.

"Yes, that's it." She nodded. "Stick that in my neck."

Anakin broke the skin of her neck and almost pulled it back out as Connan cried out.

"I'm fine," She insisted, as if sensing his unease. "That just hurt a lot."

Anakin narrowed his eyes as he pushed the needle in and dispensed the liquid inside into Connan's neck.

"Won't this make your head all flippy?" Anakin asked, for lack of better words, as he limply threw his hand back and forth on his wrist.

"If you put in two, yes." Connan answered. "But since there's only one, I should be fine. As long as I don't take a neck injury, nothing bad should happen."

Seconds later, her neck numbed over, not enough for her lose the strength to hold her neck up, but enough so she couldn't feel the wound.

"That's better," She said, rubbing it slightly and feeling awkward as she couldn't feel her neck reciprocate the feeling. "At least until we're through with this."

Just at the point, the elevator stopped. The doors opened, leading into a huge room.

They had arrived.

The chair at the other end of the room spun slowly around, revealing Chancellor Palpatine, bound to the chair by his wrists.

Connan glared, not taking her eyes from the man as she followed Anakin and Obi Wan down the stairs. And toward the man.

Obi Wan bowed slightly in acknowledgement.

"Chancellor."

"Are you all right?" Anakin asked.

"Count Dooku." Palpatine's eyes focused behind the three Jedi, and they spun around to see what he was staring at.

Count Dooku stood in the doorway, a horde of B2 Super Battle Droids behind him, their arms cocked to fire.

"Well, this won't work," Connan surveyed the droids expectantly.

"Dibs on Dooku." Anakin growled.

"Someone's got to help him." Obi Wan insisted.

"I know," Connan nodded. She smirked at Obi Wan. "You handle the droids, I'll help with Dooku."

"Deal."

Count Dooku leapt into the air, flipping around and landing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Show off," Connan broke the tension.

"Get help. You're no match for him." Palpatine insisted. "He's a Sith Lord."

Connan turned her heel to face Palpatine as Obi Wan did.

"Chancellor Palpatine, Sith Lords are our specialty." He explained.

"That's sort of the whole reason for being a Jedi," Connan seethed. "Weeding out the cannoks, and the Sith, along with other repulsive species is our whole reason for being."

Obi Wan threw his robes off as Anakin did. Connan shrugged, keeping hers on and pulling them closer.

"Your swords, please." Dooku had the audacity to hold out his hands. "We don't want to make a mess of things in front of the Chancellor."

"I have a feeling he wouldn't care either way," Connan chided.

"You won't get away this time, Dooku." Obi Wan made a point of not venturing down Connan's remark. He ignited his lightsaber and held it menacingly. Anakin followed.

The Chancellor blinked. Connan jumped.

Dooku's lightsaber was out quickly enough, as Obi Wan leapt over all of them to get to the mass of Super Droids.

Connan's saber clashed with Dooku's before she realized she'd called it to her hand, and a moment later it was again striking Dooku's as she flipped around him toward the other side.

Count Dooku seemed to be able to hold his own against the onslaught of attacks from the two Jedi. His one lightsaber gracefully tossed between hands and deflected every blow sent his way.

"Holding back, are you?" Count Dooku asked of Connan. "I saw you fighting ten times this much with your old friend."

"You're not my kill," Connan answered. Dooku laughed.

"I've been looking forward to this," He continued.

"My powers have doubled since the last time we met, Count." Anakin boasted.

"Good. Twice the pride," He made a point of leering at Connan as he finished. "Double the fall."

Anakin struck at the same time as Connan. Dooku blocked both of them and went for a strike of his own. Connan blocked an attack that would have hit Anakin straight in the chest before throwing her weight back onto Dooku and almost knocking him off of his feet.

In response Dooku twirled up the stairs, Anakin and Connan following, slashing at his feet and knees.

Obi Wan finished with the multitude of droids and collided his saber into Dooku's, just as Connan and Anakin whirled around and crashed theirs together, too. Dooku broke the confrontation and held his hand up.

A wave of Force washed over Connan, and she resisted the urge to fly backward, compelling it with her own burst of Force. Anakin, who hadn't been expecting the burst of pressure, fell backward into the doorway and Obi Wan rose into the air.

Dooku hadn't expected someone to disrupt his Force Push, and pushed again, harder this time. Connan pushed back, her palm facing Dooku. They found themselves in a match of minds, each pushing with equal Force.

Connan could see from the strained look in Dooku's face that she was going to win. She wasn't even using all of her Force power, and she was still making his break a sweat and pant. Dooku wasn't helping himself, what with keeping Obi Wan restrained in the air. If she could just give one final push—

Anakin stood, rushing over to the circling pair, breaking the concentration. Both sides were knocked slightly backwards. Dooku turned and kicked Anakin in the gut, sending him reeling backwards and back where he was.

Before Connan could react, he'd flung Obi Wan behind him. The Jedi's back hit the railing of the stairs, and he hit the ground. Connan's mouth dropped as the railing he'd just bashed into fell and crushed onto his waist.

Connan cried out, turning to Anakin, who shared her look. Fury and worry hung in his eyes, and he silently pleaded with Connan for his chance to beat Dooku on his own.

She gave it to him.

Connan turned and ran to Obi Wan, skidding down the stairs and landing in front of him.

"Please don't be conscious," She whimpered over and over. She knelt and checked him as Anakin struck at Dooku. He was indeed unconscious. She sighed out of relief and studied what she'd have to move. The large railing that covered Obi Wan was probably going to be heavy, and she'd been to be sure that someone couldn't come up behind her as she worked on it.

Even as she thought this, more super droids filed into the room. They wouldn't meddle in their Master's affairs, which right now were solely Anakin, but they would go straight for the two stragglers.

Well, that would be all right. She had ways around it.

She'd have to split her mind.

It wasn't like she'd never done it before. There were always two parts of her mind, one specifically for Revan and one for Connan. When the two realized each other, they sort of melded together to form one supermind, far more powerful than Revan and any other Jedi. But before they had come to that point, Connan had trained herself to split them apart; and thought it was a bit painful, they could do two things at once.

It was a tactic that was used mainly for emergencies, or times when she was panicked and was in kill-now-ask-later mode.

Technically, she was panicked now.

Connan closed her eyes, focusing on her thoughts. She drew a mental line through the middle of her mind and forced them apart from each other. Her vision split; she felt a line run across her, right down the middle. Her right hand moved without her acknowledgement and twirled experimentally.

About time you called me out, her other mind said. I thought you'd wait until we were dead for sure.

Connan ignored the remark. She knew her other mind would talk to her; they were even friends before they melded together and became one entity. But right now she didn't have the time or the mental capacity to answer her.

As if the other mind knew what to do, Connan felt half of her turn around and watch as the droids made their way to Connan. The other mind took out one of Connan's purple lightsabers and threw it behind her, using the Force to guide it into the droid's chests.

Connan herself kept her other hand, holding it up in the air, concentrating on the rail. It slowly shifted into the air. As the pressure decreased on Obi Wan, she could hear him take him a huge breath in his unconsciousness.

Her resolve newly regained, she hauled the railing up and flung it across the room, almost hitting Palpatine with it.

Her other mind wasn't finished with the droids, however, and she found the half of her body she'd given over to the other mind turned in an odd angle as the other mind slashed down the last droid.

"I sense great fear in you, Skywalker," Connan heard Count Dooku say as she bonded the two minds back together. Her eyesight straightened, and the line retracted as she recovered control of the whole of her body. "You have hate. You have anger. But you don't use it."

Connan turned to see Anakin and Dooku locked in a test of strengths, and as Dooku talked, Anakin's strength and anger grew. Connan's hackles raised up as she growled.

She backed up toward Obi Wan, turning him over and checking his pulse. He seemed to be alive still. She touched his nose and sent a Force Cure through his body, healing anything that might have been wrong with him provisionally; he'd have to get it fixed himself by the med droids back on Coruscant.

"Connan?"

Connan's heart gave a lurch. It was Carth.

"Connan!"

"Carth's don't scare me like that!" She nearly screamed.

"What's wrong?"

"I just split my mind; I have a headache."

"Why did you split your mind? You know what that does!"

"Obi Wan was suffocating and—WHAT THE—"

Anakin had twisted his lightsaber around, cleanly slicing both of Dooku's hands off.

"Connan?"

Connan stood, gaping and running forward, closer to Anakin as he caught Dooku's saber and held both of them to Dooku's neck.

"Good, Anakin, good," The Chancellor had said. "Kill him."

"Connan?"

"No, Anakin," Connan was saying. "Don't do it."

"Kill him now."

Connan saw the look of surprised horror on Dooku's face. The bastard probably hadn't known this would be his test to remain Apprentice.

And alive.

"Anakin, think." Connan said. "He can't attack you—"

"I shouldn't." The conflict in Anakin's voice and eyes was obvious. Connan took it as an advantage, just as she knew Palpatine might.

"He's more use to us alive and—"

"Do it."

That voice gave Connan no doubt in her mind that Palpatine was the Darth. In his moment of bloodlust, he'd let go of his fake voice and revealed to Connan who he was.

"Anakin, stop." Connan sounded a little desperate. "Anakin, he's unarmed! Anakin—"

Anakin's arms flew through the air, and soon so did Count Dooku's head.

"Anakin, NO!"

"Connan?" Carth sounded frantic. "Connan, if something's happened, I need to know, now."

Dooku's head rolled around on the ground as Anakin sheathed the two lightsabers.

Connan nearly shrieked in rage and stomped over to Palpatine, ripping his bounds off harshly.

"You did well, Anakin," Palpatine encouraged.

"You shut up." Connan threatened. "Or I'll skewer you right now,"

Palpatine glanced at her as he rubbed his wrists, his relieved expression instantly changing into smug victory.

"He was too dangerous to be taken alive." Palpatine continued.

"He had no hands!" Connan screamed. "Are you insane?"

"He was an unarmed prisoner." Anakin admitted. "I shouldn't have done that; it's not the Jedi way."

"It's only natural. He cut off your arm; you wanted revenge." Palpatine explained.

"Anakin—"

"It wasn't the first time, Anakin." Palpatine continued. "Remember what you told me about your mother, and the Sand People?"

Connan shivered. She remember the inexplicable rage swelling through her being as Anakin obliterated the whole tribe. That was one mistake; he wasn't in control of what he was doing. This had been a conscious effort.

"It's not the same thing, Anakin," She told him forcefully. "And you know it isn't."

"Now we must leave, before more security droids arrive." Palpatine walked toward the door. Connan growled, making a show of walking over to Obi Wan's unconscious form. Anakin followed.

"Anakin, there's no time," Palpatine informed. "We must get off this ship before it's too late."

"He seems to be all right," Anakin observed.

"Yeah, I treated him as best I could at the moment." Connan answered.

"Leave him, or we'll never make it." Palpatine said simply.

"I'd rather die with him than live with you," Connan fumed.

"His fate will be the same as ours." Anakin said with finality. He glanced at Connan. "Help me get him on my back."

"Yeah," Connan nodded, picking Obi Wan up with Anakin's help and slung him over Anakin's shoulders. "You got him?"

"Yeah," Anakin nodded.

"Good," Connan smiled. "Let me contact the others."

"Others?" Palpatine asked with interest.

"Like you of all people don't know," Connan spat. She flicked her comm. link in a different direction. "Don Don?"

There was static for a moment.

"You're never going to stop calling me Don Don, are you?"

"Nope," Connan answered. "We've got him, so go ahead and start making your way back to the hangar. Any casualties?"

"Not really; Bastila would have died nine times already if I hadn't helped her. She's lucky I'm here with her." Donella boasted.

"You little liar!" Bastila screeched. "I've saved you way more times than you've saved me!"

"Well, good job, at any rate," Connan stopped the argument. "We've got to get going; I'm not sure how long Anakin can hold Obi Wan like that."

"Why? What's up?"

"Nothing much; I've hurt my neck, but I've got that stuff from the Star Forge still, so I'm fine for the time being. Obi Wan's been crushed underneath part of the structure, but he's still alive. We're going to get to the hangar. You do that, too, all right?"

"Fine, fine, we're going." Donella insisted. Connan switched the comm. link back to Carth.

"All right," Connan shrugged. "They're heading back; let's get out of here."

"Good." Anakin said. "We're almost done."

XXXXX

I love Wookieepedia. It's the best place in the world.

Hello again, guys! Not much really to talk about this time around; our football team made bi-district champion last Friday, and the band went to cheer them on. We beat Dunbar into the ground; both with the band and the football team. If we make it to state I'll let you guys know!

I've been getting into a new kind of writing, and I like it, so I'm going to branch it out into KotOR, too.

It's called "Based on a title". So send me a title and two genres you want and I'll write it out in a one-shot. The required to send is a title and two genres, but you can send other requirements for the one-shot, like "there has to be a huge fight", or "Candorous has to be drunk the whole time". Go nuts. The harder the better.

Of course I'll give credit. I'm not mean enough to take all the credit.

It gives me something to do with the rest of my week, anyway. So if you want you can send it in by review or by PM if you want. Whatever's cool.

I'll see you guys again next week!

Oh, and by the way, I'm on chapter 5 and I'm 0:15:42 of the way through. It's nice to have my old DVD player back.

Amme Moto