Chapter 9: Tipping Point
Five more Jedi were dead.
Qui-Gon and Anakin stood in the Council chamber, the entire room somber and silent, Eeth Koth's seat remaining empty, and Anakin couldn't keep his eyes off of it. None of them could. The exchange had not been worth it. They lost so much, and learned very little. The Negotiator was confirmed Sith, as they had expected, and he had traveled with a droid that was capable of lightsaber combat. Interviews could not be conducted. After all, Kabal had declared for the Separatists, and the Jedi dared not risk sending people there to question those who may have seen something. They were left to piece together what had happened through the little bits and pieces that had been recorded and uploaded to the holonet.
One thing was clear. The Negotiator didn't kill the Jedi. His droid did. Five dead Jedi, one of those a Master on the Council, and they were no closer to learning anything about the Negotiator. However, they were learning a bit about the Separatists, and the possible direction their droid armies were going. If it came to war, and the Separatists came with an army of droids like the one in the Negotiator's possession, than the Jedi Order was finished.
Anakin looked to his Master for comfort, but there was none to be had there. Qui-Gon was just as lost as he was, though the Master was openly grieving as well. This was much too close to what had happened six years ago, and Anakin knew his aging Master was suffering dearly. He inched closer to the taller man and gently took his hand in his own, sending what comfort he could to his friend and mentor, and Qui-Gon closed his eyes and softly smiled.
"Do you want to meditate with me after this is over, Master?" Qui-Gon couldn't help but choke back a strangled laugh, the Council members glaring at the Master as he straightened up and got a hold of himself. "What? I'm serious!"
"Since when has Anakin Skywalker ever willingly meditated?"
"...yesterday?"
"That was a nap, Anakin."
"It was an insightful nap."
The Master quietly hushed him. "This is serious, Anakin, it's hardly the place for joking."
"Well...do you know what to do?"
"We wait for Luminara to get here."
Anakin huffed. "But what would you do?"
Qui-Gon sighed, standing quietly for a moment and collecting his thoughts. "...I would avoid the Negotiator. He's too dangerous to engage. A Master of the High Council is dead."
"...but the Negotiator didn't kill him, Master. His droid did, and we can take a droid apart."
"Do you have something important to say, Skywalker?" Mace Windu snapped, and the Padawan scooted closer to Qui-Gon.
"N-no, Master..."
"Than I would advise silence."
"You aren't being fair, Mace," Qui-Gon said softly, and the Master's dark eyes narrowed at the towering Jedi. "Anakin has a right to his opinions, and he's ready to discuss out next course of action, as we all should be."
"Five Jedi are dead, Qui-Gon."
"And when my student died, the Council wasted no time in going after Dooku." Mace got to his feet, fury on his face, and Qui-Gon held his hand up. "I understand that this is personal now. Eeth Koth was your friend, and you all were close to him, but we don't have the time to grieve right now. We will, but right now, at this moment, we have a job to do." The Masters began whispering, silently nodding, and their opinion was clear; Qui-Gon was right.
Windu sat back down, eying the Master and his Padawan carefully. "Very well. You have an idea, Qui-Gon."
"No." He pushed Anakin forward. "He does."
The young Skywalker could feel the weight of the Masters' appraising gaze, and he blushed deeply. He didn't do well being put on the spot like this. He'd rather get into a lightsaber fight with the Council than talk to them. At least he wouldn't make a complete fool of himself then, he'd be expected to lose. Presenting a good idea was something totally different.
"M-masters, I..." He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, and Skywalker felt his Master's warm, comforting presence in his mind. He could do this. "The Negotiator, from what we can tell, didn't kill the Jedi. His droid did."
"That makes him responsible," Mace growled.
"I didn't say it doesn't make him responsible, Master Windu," Anakin said quietly, cowed slightly, but he wouldn't stop now. "The Negotiator is a killer, but there's no blood on his hands, at least as far as we can tell. He's using a droid to kill for him. So...we did learn something about him, didn't we?"
The Council erupted in whispered discussion, the Masters quietly driven to action by the young Skywalker, and Anakin was beaming. His Master's heavy hand gripped his shoulder. "Well done, Padawan."
"Do you think so?"
Qui-Gon nodded. "I needed someone to prompt me into action as well after the last time. This is too personal for them. They're going to need to rely on the likes of us to help them as they let go."
"Even Master Yoda?"
Qui-Gon looked at the tiny Master, his eyes closed, his face relaxed, silent since this whole ordeal began. "Master Yoda is in a league of his own. A life as long as his gives him focus and perspective that us humans can't even imagine."
"This is highly unusual for a Sith," Master Plo Koon said, his muffled voice deep and commanding behind his respirator. "I feel this is a weakness we can exploit. Your Master has said you have a talent for mechanics, Skywalker."
Anakin's chest puffed in pride. He may have been struggling to be a Jedi, but he had always felt one with ships, droids, and machines. "I'm quite good, yes."
"Watch your pride, Skywalker," Mace warned, his voice a low growl, and the Padawan faced him.
"It isn't pride, Master Windu, it's confidence. I am that good. I may not have your combat skills, or Master Yoda's skill with the Force, but I dare you to find a better pilot in the entire Jedi Order." The Masters were silent, each of them looking at the upstart Padawan, and Anakin suddenly felt himself flush deeply, creeping back to stand beside his Master, bright blue eyes starring at the floor. "I-I apologize, Masters...I-I'll strive to be more humble in the future..."
Plo Koon wasn't phased by the Padawan's outburst. He was a learner, after all, he wasn't supposed to be perfect. His Ahsoka struggled with overconfidence as well. "Can we do anything about this droid?"
"W-well, yes..." He cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure, reassured by his Master's presence. "Even with the best programming, a droid is still a droid. We just need to know how the Negotiator is controlling the thing, and we should be able to disable it easily."
"It's not a droid." All eyes fell on Master Luminara Unduli as she entered the chamber, her Padawan following silently behind her, head bowed and fine featured face streaked with tears, and Anakin felt his heart go out to his friend. Luminara stood next to Qui-Gon in the center of the room, bowing deeply. "I'm deeply sorry for our loss, Masters. These Jedi, like the Jedi before them, will not be forgotten."
The Masters all bowed their heads, except for Master Plo. His filtered eyes looked straight at the Mirialan Master. "It's not a droid?"
"No." She took out a datapad and flicked it open, the holographic image of the droid that served the Negotiator displayed in the air before them. "Meet Grievous, the cyborg commander of the Collections and Security Division of the InterGalactic Banking Clan."
"A cyborg..." Anakin felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. "That's...not the same as a droid."
"No, it isn't."
"The Banking Clan?" Mace was putting so much weight on his hands, it appeared if he'd stand, but he stayed barely seated, hovering just above his chair. "Luminara, if the Banking Clan is aligned with the Separatists-"
"I understand the implications, Master Windu. The Senate has reached out to Chairman Hill, but we have yet to hear back from him on the matter. I will, as always, keep the Council informed on the Senate's proceedings."
The Masters were silent, each of them contemplating the potential disaster of a Separatist cause supported by the financial might of the galaxy's bankers. Qui-Gon frowned, looking at Luminara and feeling her disturbed. "Is there anything else?" he asked gently, and the woman nodded.
"Mandalore has excused themselves from all future dealings with the Republic."
The Masters were silent, and Anakin could feel their distress. He tugged on Qui-Gon's sleeve. "Master, is that bad?"
"Very bad, Anakin."
"Why? Mandalore isn't even part of the Republic."
Qui-Gon sighed. "No, it isn't, but Duchess Satine has been a voice of peace and reason since the Separatist Crisis began. With her gone-"
"Without her support and her continuous effort," Luminara continued, "all hope of peace and reasonable discussion has ended. Even worse, she took nearly a thousand systems with her."
"A thousand systems..." Mace said quietly, leaning back in his chair and shoulders dropping. Anakin had never seen the proud Jedi Master look so defeated.
"All of them are staunch supporters of the Republic, but they oppose this conflict, and the Duchess has created an alliance of systems that wish to remain out of war, if it comes to it."
"If even she believes that it will come to war..." Mace huffed, crossing his arms. "We need her here if we want a hope for peace, the negotiations must continue. Qui-Gon, you know the girl."
"I did," the Master said softly. "A long time ago."
"We can send you and your Padawan to talk to her, see if she can see reason and her importance-"
"Mandalore has closed its ports to Republic and Separatist delegations," Luminara cut in. "Chancellor Palpatine has already reached out to her to ask for a meeting to discuss her position, and she has refused."
"Oh, perfect." Mace's dark eyes drifted to Eeth Koth's empty seat. By the time this was over, there would be many more dead Jedi. "...we need to elect a new Council member." The room was silent before, but now, it was deafening, the grief of the Masters drowning out even the comfort of the Force. "We need to discuss names to put forward for the position...I take it neither of you are willing to step forward."
"I must decline," Luminara said quickly. "I have my Padawan to tend to, and I intend to continue my work with the Senate and, if it comes to it, I want to engage the Sith."
Anakin gasped, bright blue eyes focused on Qui-Gon. "Master, this is your chance," he whispered. "You can finally be on the Council!"
He felt his Padawan looking at him with admiration, the Masters all apprehensive, and Qui-Gon sighed, shaking his head. "I can't. I do not follow the Code well enough to deserve the place."
"Master," Anakin hissed. "You should be on the Council! Even your last Padawan thought you should sit here!"
"Obi-Wan wasn't right about everything, Anakin. I'm sorry, Masters. I can't. I would be happy to put forward a list of names of those I feel would be worthy candidates."
"That would be greatly appreciated," Mace groaned, covering his face with his hand. "Now, if that is all the bad news you have, Luminara..."
"It isn't." The frustrated cry of Mace Windu echoed the sentiment of the other Masters, but Luminara was not deterred. "A situation has developed on Antar 4. A fringe terrorist group has set off bombs in the Antarian Ranger chapterhouses across the moon."
The Council erupted into chaos, and Anakin stood close to his Master. The Jedi were furious and afraid, and Anakin didn't know what to make of it. Even stoic Qui-Gon was tense. "Master..."
"The Antarian Rangers are Jedi allies, they exist solely to support us." Anakin bit his lip, the weight of it sinking in. This wasn't just an attack on the Republic, this was an indirect attack on the Jedi Order.
"When did this happen?!" Mace snarled, and Luminara crossed her arms, face stoic, and Anakin couldn't help but feel that the calm, collected Jedi Master should have been on the Council after all.
"Not an hour ago. I came here as soon as I heard."
"And you didn't think to tell us immediately?!"
"Master Windu." Her voice was cold, harsh, straining to contain her own frustration. "The Council had other matters to discuss that were just as important. The events on Antar 4 would end our session immediately, as is happening now."
The Master was furious. He rose from his seat and strode over to stand before Luminara, towering over her and entire being filled with rage, when Master Yoda softly said, "Right, Luminara is. Control your temper you must, Master Windu." With a growl, Mace submitted to Yoda's wisdom, throwing himself back into his seat and crossing his arms tightly across his chest. Slowly, the other Masters began to calm, taking their seats, but fidgeting uncomfortably.
"Thank you, Master Yoda," the Mirialan said softly when the room became silent. Yoda nodded, his little three fingered hand gesturing for her to continue. "The terrorists have used the chaos that ensued to issue an Article of Secession."
"Separatists, these people are, but loyal to the Republic, Antar 4 is."
"Yes, Master. This is clearly orchestrated by the Separatists. I'm wondering if the Negotiator had a hand in this. Violence worked out very well for him on Kabal. He may be trying something new."
"He's trying to force our hand," Qui-Gon said softly, and the Masters all looked to him. "We had every advantage on Kabal, and he completely destroyed us. If this is his work, than attacking the Antarian Rangers was meant to bring us to him. The Jedi must get involved if our allies are attacked."
"Matters not, if the Negotiator this is," Yoda said softly. "More Jedi, we must not lose."
"We can't do nothing!" Mace growled, and was silenced when Yoda held up his hand.
"Said that, I did not. Jedi, we will send, but in great force."
Mace nodded. "I agree. We must reestablish order." Two of the Masters stood, Saesee Tiin and the newly elected Coleman Trebor, and both came to stand in the center of the room beside Qui-Gon.
"We'll lead our forces on Antar 4," Master Tiin softly growled, and Windu nodded, pressing his fingers together and trying to focus.
"We have...much to discuss. Master Unduli, Master Jinn, we thank you for your presence and your opinions. They are always valuable. If you would excuse us, we need to plan for the fight on Antar 4. We have many variables to account for, and not enough time to do it."
The two Masters bowed, Anakin following suit, and he could see silent tears dropping from Barriss' face. "My the Force be with you, Masters," Qui-Gon said softly.
"May the Force be with us all..."
"Ixian, wake up!"
The knight groaned, a deep pounding in his head, and he opened his eyes to find darkness. "Master, I can't see..."
"Give your eyes a moment to adjust. It's dark, but not that dark."
The Knight breathed deeply, calling on the Force to clear the pain in his head, and his eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light in the cell. Both he and the Master were suspended in a stasis field, their hands and feet cuffed to the top and bottom of the frame that was generating the field. They were trapped, and there was nothing around that they could manipulate with the Force. The cell was clearly designed to hold Force users.
"How long-"
"I don't know. I just woke up myself." Master Koth's eyes slowly roamed around the cell, the glow of the mechanism that held him giving him enough light to see that the room contained nothing of use.
"What could a droid want with us?"
"It isn't the droid. It's the Negotiator."
Ixian's eyes closed as memories from Kabal came back to him slowly. "The others..."
"They're dead." The Knight's head dropped, and his shoulders began to shake. "Hey, hey! You are a Jedi and you will not succumb to grief, not now, not when there's a job to do. They are dead, but we are still alive, and if we're not focused, we're going to be dead too."
"Oh, don't be ridiculous." Master Koth shivered, the voice crisp and accented and colder than the room they were in. The cell door swung open and the man walked in, the Jedi Knight glaring viciously, but the Master would have fallen to the ground were he not suspended. "I never planned on killing you. The deaths of your companions was...unfortunate."
"You don't scare us, Sith!"
"Sith," the man purred, mocking the Jedi and smirking as the Knight fumed.
"I knew I recognized your voice..."
Ixian looked to the Master, his anger forgotten, and the Sith Lord's laugh echoed in the cell. "You know him, Master?"
"I know him. I knew him," The Zabrak swallowed, trying to wet his dry throat, but it didn't help. "Obi-Wan Kenobi..."
The Sith bowed, yellow eyes glowing wickedly in the low light. "So glad you remember me, Master Koth. I certainly remember you."
"Obi-Wan?" Ixian looked to the Master. "Obi-Wan Kenobi is dead, Master, that can't be Obi-Wan!"
"Master Koth, tell your Knight to shut up. I didn't bring him here to listen to him."
Ixian snarled. "I will not submit to you, Sith!" His eyes were narrowed dangerously, but the anger was replaced by fear when the Sith grinned.
"That's what I'm counting on, sweetheart!" He smirked wickedly, his golden eyes watching the Master as he struggled to regain his balance in the Force. "Now, Eeth, I want you to watch this. Breaking you is going to be difficult. After all, you are a Jedi Master, but breaking this Knight?" Kenobi laughed. "This is going to be a pleasure."
"Why are you doing this?!" The Zabrak strained against the force that held him, struggling as best as he could, but to no avail. "Obi-Wan, why! You were the best of us! You wanted to destroy the Sith! What happened to you?!"
Kenobi laughed. "Do you think I'm stupid enough to just tell you everything you want to know? Master Eeth, if I have learned anything from the Jedi, it's that talking to members of the High Council is pointless."
"Please, we can see eye to eye, Obi-Wan, we can talk about this! You're the Negotiator, aren't you?"
"I am."
"Than talking is what you do! Please!"
"Master, that isn't Obi-Wan, that's a Sith! There is no reasoning with it!"
Kenobi smirked. "Would you like to see what I do, Master Koth?" He extended his hand, fingers splayed, toward the Knight and he brought the weight of the Dark Side down on him. The Knight shut his mouth, jaw clenched and eyes wide as he felt the Sith's presence around him. "Are you trying to keep me out, Jedi?" the Sith purred, and Ixian shook with effort, his brow knit in concentration as he strengthened his mental defenses. "Good. I want you to. Go on, Jedi, build your resistance, get used to this pressure. Center yourself in the Force."
"Obi-Wan, stop it!"
"Stop what, Master Koth?" The Sith smiled wickedly. "I'm helping him. After all, isn't this part of a Jedi's training? Strong mental defenses, resisting the Dark Side? You should be thanking me. Go on, thank me, Jedi." The Knight glared defiantly, shaking slightly and sweating from the effort. "That's alright, sweetheart, you will."
"Let us go..." The Master's voice was low, even, the weight of the Force behind his words in his desperation, and the golden eyes fell on him, wide in disbelief.
"Did you...did you just try to mind trick me? Me?!" The Sith laughed, cold and harsh, and his grip on the Knight was released, the shaking Jedi breathing fast and deep, his energy drained from the effort of keeping Kenobi out of his mind. "Oh, Master Koth! You sweet, beautiful Jedi!" He smiled, drawing close to the horned man. "Shall I show you how it's done?" the Sith purred, his sinister yellow eyes drifting to the Knight.
"No, Obi-Wan, please, don't touch him!"
"I'm not going to touch him." Kenobi held up his hand toward the Knight, and feeling the Jedi tense as he prodded at his mental walls. Breathing deep, the Sith grabbed hold of the Jedi's defenses and applied the pressure of the Dark Side until he felt the defenses shatter. Grinning wickedly, the Sith plunged into the Jedi's mind, and Ixian screamed, a bloodcurdling, agonized sound made only worse as it echoed around the cold walls of the cell. He didn't want the Jedi's memories, but they flooded into his mind all the same. From youngling to Knight, all Jedi shared more or less the same life. It was drab, dull, sparse, and it disgusted the Sith.
"When did it happen?" Kenobi let go of the Jedi's mind, his body falling slack in his restraints, and he looked at the Master, the Zabrak's eyes focused on the floor. "When did you betray the Jedi?"
"Does it matter?"
"Yes."
Kenobi rolled his eyes. "I told you, I'm not interested in sharing things with you. I don't owe you an explanation." He smirked, looking at the Jedi Knight as he struggled to rebuild his mental walls, but the task was proving to be difficult. "That's right, Jedi, fight. Resist the Sith, you can do it!" he chuckled softly as Ixian struggled, his hazy, unfocused eyes tired. "Let me explain what's going to happen here," Kenobi purred, leaning in towards the Master. "Your Knight here is going to rebuild his walls, and I will break them again, and he will suffer unspeakable agony. Resisting me when I enter his mind results in agonizing pain. Or," the Sith said, smiling warmly at the Zabrak, "your Knight won't rebuild his walls. They will stay broken, and when I touch his mind again, he will invite me in, accept that everything within him is mine."
"He is a Jedi Knight," Koth snarled, his eyes narrowing in anger. "He will never submit to you, Sith!"
"The way you say that makes it sound like being Sith is a bad thing. Really, I'm hurt."
"Obi-Wan Kenobi did die all those years ago, you aren't him!"
"Oh, don't be stupid." The Sith was angry now, his golden eyes blazing. "Obi-Wan Kenobi didn't die, he grew up. I understood the foolishness of the Jedi, I understood the weakness, the waste, the corruption that your filth have infected the galaxy with! And so help me, I will bring order and balance back to your precious Republic."
"There can be no balance in the Dark Side!"
"How wrong you are. The Dark Side balanced me, centered me in the Force, caught me when I was falling, and I embraced it. I won't turn away from that which makes me stronger!" He looked at the Zabrak Master and Kenobi's face relaxed, laughing easily. "Oh, look at that, you got me talking. Good, good, well done, Master Koth." The Sith turned furious yellow eyes onto the broken Jedi. "Come now, Knight Ixian, be a good boy and rebuild your walls again."
"Y-yes, Master..."
Kenobi grinned at the Zabrak. "There, see? Shall I make him say it again?" The Master said nothing. He just looked at his fellow Jedi, his body limp and his eyes distant, and Kenobi grinned as he watched the Master's heart break. "Tch, you're no fun. Honestly, you Jedi are all so...somber. I can't imagine why." The Sith reached out, dove into the Jedi's mind again, and Ixian shuddered in pain, but not for long. His resistance was shattered, broken by Kenobi's first violent entry, and there was no rebuilding it. All he could do was silently submit to the Sith in his mind, groaning softly as the intense pain was soothed away by the dark presence within him.
"Are you watching, Master Koth?" Kenobi growled, his voice cold and harsh, and the Jedi Master looked away. "It's so much easier to just let me in. Even your young friend understands that now, don't you?"
Eeth Koth shivered as Ixian purred, calling the Sith Lord Master in a voice that was distant and not his own. "He will recover from this, he is a Jedi Knight."
"I expect him to." Kenobi laughed, stroking the broken man's cheek, and the Jedi leaned into it. "If he doesn't, he's useless to me. I can't practice on a slave, they submit too easily."
"The Jedi will stop you." Koth glared at the Sith, his voice quiet but defiant, and Obi-Wan just smirked. "They will come looking for us, they-"
"They believe you dead, just as they believed I was dead. Did you ever go searching for me?"
"This is completely different! The bodies on Serenno were mutilated beyond all recognition, we had thought-"
"Your bodies were lost in a riot on a now Separatist planet. They will never recover anything of your dead."
"The Jedi will learn about you! Think about your old Master, what will this do to him when he learns the truth!"
Kenobi growled, instinctive rage burning in his yellow eyes. "Don't you speak to me about Qui-Gon Jinn. Do you think to sway me with mentions of him?" His comlink began beeping, and Kenobi nearly threw the thing against a wall. He took a deep breath, calmed his racing heartbeat, took hold of the fury within him and lulled the raging flames into quiet, burning embers. He held up his finger to the Master and turned away from him to take the call. The hologram of Darth Sidious appeared before him, and the Sith Lord bowed his head.
"There is a situation on Antar 4," the Master drawled.
"There's a situation in my dungeon. I'm breaking Jedi."
The Master's eyes seemed to glint even over the hologram. "Good," he purred and Kenobi shivered in pleasure, his Master's satisfaction reaching him through the power of the Dark Side. "Are you there now?"
"Yes, Master."
Sidious nodded. "You can return to your studies after you deal with the situation on Antar 4. I will send the mission report to your ship."
"Can I bring help?"
Sidious frowned. "Keep Grievous out of it. He is a fine tool that I would not waste. Bring me Antar 4, and do it subtly."
"As you wish, my Master." The hologram cut, and Kenobi smoothed his hair as he turned to the captive Jedi. "I encourage an escape attempt, but I don't recommend it. Dooku is hanging around here somewhere, and he isn't as nice as I am."
"You were a Knight with the Jedi." The Zabrak Master smirked when the Sith frowned. "How does it feel to be slave to a Sith Master?"
"It's amazing," Kenobi purred, and the Jedi's smirk dropped away from his face. "Didn't I say I wasn't ready for Knighthood? My new Master agreed. He's taught me so much. And shall I tell you a secret?" He leaned in close to the Master, and the Zabrak unsuccessfully tried to wriggle away from him. "It always felt peaceful being a Jedi. It's easy to be calm when you feel nothing. But my Master taught me pleasure. As much of it as I want, all at my fingertips through the power of the Dark Side. You just have to want it." The Jedi said nothing. "And besides, as a Jedi, there would always be many Masters above me. As a Sith, there is only one. My Master is wise, powerful. He deserves my loyalty like the Jedi never did."
"Loyalty from a Sith?"
"I'm not like the others. Now!" Kenobi clapped his hands. "I have a job to do, as do you. Fix your Jedi. I may have broken his mind, but you are a Master. You can repair him." The Sith grinned wickedly. "Memorize the way he looks, Eeth Koth, because when I return, I'm going to do the same to you. And you will thank me for it, just as he will. Go on, Jedi, thank me for this."
The knight looked up, his eyes vacant. "Thank you, Master..."
Kenobi smirked and left the cell, ignoring the glare of the Jedi Master as he shut and locked the cell door. He quickly made his way through the dark, narrow halls of the dungeon, MagnaGuard droids patrolling the halls and allowing him to pass unhindered, and the Sith grinned. Dooku had reprogrammed them.
He followed the muffled sounds of outraged howls and screeches, rage and pain and fury hanging in the air like an oppressive haze, and Obi-Wan breathed in deeply, loving every moment of it. He entered through a large, heavy door to a spacious training room to find Dooku, red blade drawn and standing relaxed, his free hand tucked behind his back and glaring disdainfully at the panting, raging Ventress, two red blades gripped in her hands.
"Things are going well then?"
Dooku snarled. "Hardly. She is useless. Filled with rage, but it is unfocused, random, unrefined."
"Aw, I think she's doing fine!" Kenobi stalked behind the panting, furious woman, her pale eyes following him suspiciously, and she shivered when he brushed her he shoulder with his long fingers. "Relax, sweetheart," he purred in her ear, and she closed her eyes, gasping softly, his breath warm against her cold skin. "He's just an old man. Rage makes you strong, but not if it rules you."
She nodded, breathing deeply as she felt the strength of the Dark Side that surrounded the Sith behind her like a storm. Once again, she tore after Dooku, blades arching gracefully, and Kenobi sat back to watch the woman fight. It didn't last long, though, as Ventress soon found herself disarmed, the Count's red blade slashing across the woman's neck and chest, the pale skinned woman howling in pain and fury.
"You are not improving fast enough," Dooku drawled, circling around his apprentice, and the woman hung her head.
"She's just tired," Kenobi drawled, standing up and brushing himself off. "I can take her off your hands, if you like. Our Master is sending me on a mission, I'd love to have her along."
Dooke glared at the younger Sith. "What mission."
"Antar 4. I haven't read the objective yet."
Dooku grinned, his eyes glinting, and Kenobi frowned. The Count knew something he didn't. "I don't claim to know what our Master wants, but Antar 4 was attacked this morning. The Jedi will almost certainly be dispatched."
"Oh, perfect, Ventress can prove herself on the field." Obi-Wan grinned. "Wanna come, Asajj?"
"Anything to get out of here..." Kenobi offered her his hand, and the two Dark Siders left the training hall for Antar 4.
