The Raging Galaxy
BOOK 2
I do not own Star Wars the Clone Wars or Avatar the Last Airbender. They both belong to their respective owners.
Chapter 10 - Lightsaber Lost
War creates opportunities for the criminal underworld! Ruthless mercenaries conspire with the Separatist to disrupt and exploit the unstable situation within the Republic.
Now, Anakin Skywalker and Rose Sapphire, along with their apprentices Ahsoka Tano and Avatar Aang, descend into the treacherous gangster havens in an effort to find a corrupt and vile arms dealer who is buying weapons on the black market and selling them to the Republic's enemies.
Anakin, Rose, Ahsoka and Aang walked casually through the streets of Coruscant's Underworld.
"I can't believe this is what's below our feet here." Aang said quietly, watching as a pair of shady looking Twi'leks walked passed them and into a dark alley.
"Yeah," Rose said nodding, "well over 5,000 levels of this place. Perfect for the seedy 'business' conducted right under our noses." She said as they passed by another alien species who was coughing violently, but then went back to his most likely alcoholic drink.
Ahsoka stepped away from the man and walked faster to catch up to everyone else. "Do the Jedi or the Senate ever try to help this place?"
Rose and Anakin exchanged looks and shook their heads. "It's kinda complicated, Ahsoka." Anakin answered, "there have always been attempts to try and fix this place up but the Underworld is too far gone to really save I'm afraid. All we can do is try to police the area best we can."
Ahsoka nodded and they continued walking in silence.
"Car Affa, the guy we're looking for, is an arms dealer selling Republic weapons on the black market." Rose said, breaking the silence.
"Who is he selling them to?" Aang asked as they stopped walking.
"The Separatist." Anakin answered and gestured to the bar they were in front of. "According to intelligence he's inside this joint. You two stay here in case he tries to escape. Me and Rose will look for him and... quietly arrest him."
Rose rolled her eyes and followed after him. "Since when have you and me ever arrested someone quietly."
"Well, there was that one time... you know what good point. I don't think we've ever done that..."
"Mmhm, exactly. Bet you ten credits you'll start the noise." Rose said smiling, waving her hand to open the bar door.
"Ha, you're so on."
Ahsoka and Aang watched them leave in amusement. "Why would the Council send those two to arrest someone?" Aang asked, "when they're together nothing is subtle."
Ahsoka shrugged, "we were the only ones available in the Temple."
They fell into an uncomfortable silence, watching the mostly shady people around them.
Sitting on some crates a few feet away were four Weequay pirates, openly carrying blaster rifles, watching Aang and Ahsoka closely.
Ahsoka glared at them, and placed her hand on the lightsaber at her hip.
The pirates simply laughed and started drinking again, still watching them.
Suddenly, blasterfire and shouts could be heard inside the bar, along with the swinging of a lightsaber. Almost immediately, the door slid open and people began running out of the joint in a panicked frenzy.
The crowd engulfed the pair, shoving and bumping them around.
"Ah, hey watch it." Ahsoka said trying to weave through the people. She grabbed hold of Aang's arm, trying to stick to his side.
Then, a larger alien barreled passed and knocked them both off their feet. Once they were on the ground, Aang wrapped his arms around Ahsoka's waist and rolled out of the way, avoiding getting trampled by more people.
Feeling that something was off, Ahsoka reached down to where her lightsaber was supposed to be. "My lightsaber! It's gone!" She said, starting to panic.
"What?!" Aang exclaimed, and reached for his own. "Monkeyfeathers! Mine is gone too!"
They looked around frantically for whoever stole their weapons and spotted a yellowish-green colored Patrolian looking over his shoulder back at them with a sly grin on his fishy face. Looking at his hands, they noticed both of their lightsabers, held firmly in his grip.
"Hey, stop!" Ahsoka called out and gave chase, Aang right behind her.
Eventually, the two of them slowed to a stop, looking around. "Oh no we lost him." Aang said, crestfallen.
"My Master's gonna kill me. Both of our Masters." Ahsoka said, still looking around at all the people. "This can't be happening." She added, shaking her head and groaning in defeat.
Aang sighed. "Come on, we have to get back before Rose and Anakin notice we're gone and have a panic attack."
Ahsoka looked around one more time but then sighed and followed after the Avatar back to the bar.
• • • • •
"I want my ten credits." Anakin said, laughing at a pouting Rose.
The two of them had Car Affa, the human arms dealer, by the arms, his hands already bound behind his back.
"It wasn't my fault," Rose argued, still pouting, "that guy was looking at me like Sokka does when he sees food, more specifically meat. Then he had the nerve to try and flirt with me."
"Yeah but that doesn't mean you had to knock the guy out." Anakin said smirking.
"It does when he completely ignores my warning the first time. I calmly said, 'Back off, or you'll regret it.' He laughed and tried to touch me anyway, soooo I had to defend myself. And I only drew my weapon when his buddy decided to jump in and open fire on me"
Anakin laughed again and nodded. "Okay you have a solid point but I still want my credits."
Rose groaned and pouted once again. "Fine."
They both stopped walking when they saw Aang and Ahsoka walking towards them.
"Where were you two?" Anakin asked with a raised eyebrow.
"We... we were checking out a suspect. We had a bad feeling about him." Ahsoka explained, nodding.
"And? Did you find anything?" Rose asked.
"No." Aang shook his head. "It was nothing. False alarm."
Anakin nodded and gestured for them to follow him. "Alright, come on. We have to take him to the Jedi Council then to the detention center."
• • • • •
Rose and Anakin escorted their now blindfolded prisoner through the extensive halls of the Jedi Temple in silence while Aang and Ahsoka nervously followed behind them.
"Uh, Master?" Ahsoka called stopping behind Anakin. She waited for Anakin to turn to her before continuing. "Is it alright if I go to the library and do some research?"
Aang nodded. "And I have to go and, uh, feed Appa."
"Sure, though I'm surprised you actually want to go to the library." Anakin said.
"Go on ahead. We'll take care of our new friend here." Rose said, somewhat lightly shoving the arms dealer, who grunted in annoyance and cursed her in a language she never heard before. "I think he just insulted me." She said as they continued down the long hall while Aang and Ahsoka, unnoticed by their Masters, ran away quickly.
Anakin rolled his eyes and smirked at Rose. "What are you gonna do about it? Cut his arms off? Or maybe his tongue? OR just knock him out?"
"Ha, ha, ha!" Rose laughed loudly and sarcastically. "That's a good one, Skyguy."
"Don't forget my creds, Rosie."
"Like you would even let me forget."
"True true. You got me there."
"Yeah and let's not tell Obi-Wan about what happened at the bar."
"Are you crazy? Of course I wouldn't say anything. You insult my intelligence, Rose."
"Trust me, your intelligence has been wounded for as long as I've known you."
Anakin stayed silent for a moment. "Ouch... That actually hurt."
Rose laughed and they continued towards the Council Chamber, still jabbing each other with snide comments playfully.
• • • • •
"I'm sure if you explain your loss to your Masters, they'll understand." Jedi Master Jocasta Nu said to Aang and Ahsoka. The three of them were sitting at a computer terminal within the Jedi Archives, searching for potential suspects who would steal a Jedi weapon. So far no such luck.
Ahsoka shook her head, rubbing her left arm nervously. "No. Master Skywalker tells me over and over, 'Your lightsaber is your life. Don't lose it.' Ugh, there has to be a better way to find this thief." She said in frustration as they continued flipping through the files of known criminals on Coruscant.
"I'm sorry, children." Madam Jocasta Nu said, sitting up from the computer. "Pickpockets aren't my field of expertise." She explained while Aang sighed in disappointment.
"At this rate, it'll take us years to find him. Coruscant is just too big." Aang said.
"I may have another idea." Jocasta said thoughtfully and pointed to the computer terminal to her far right. Sitting at the computer was an old, Cosian male, native to the planet Cosia.
"That is Jedi Master Tera Sinube. He's an... elder Jedi and happens to be an absolute expert on the Coruscant crime world." Jocasta said and led them over to the old Jedi.
"Uhh, I think he's sleeping." Aang said quietly, hearing the Jedi snoring softly.
"Yes." Jocasta said simply. "Well, he will be able to help you both."
Ahsoka walked up to his side and lightly tapped his shoulder. "Uh, pardon me, Master Sinube? Can you hear me?"
Sinube stopped snoring and woke up immediately, looking around in confusion. "What? Who?" He turned and saw the three of them behind him. "I-I was just resting my eyes. Yes, that's it."
Madam Jocasta chuckled and stepped forward. "Hello, Master Sinube."
Tera Sinube bowed his head to her. "Good morning, Jocasta." He then turned to Ahsoka and Aang. "Uhh, I don't know you two... do I?"
"My name is Ahsoka Tano." She gestured to airbender next to her. "And this is Avatar Aang. We were told you could help us."
Sinube looked at them with confusion. "Help you, hmm?"
"I'll leave you three to your business." Jocasta said, bowing to them before walking away.
"A thief stole our lightsaber and we only got a quick look at him." Aang explained quickly.
"He definitely came from one of the aquatic planets," Ahsoka continued, "you know, one of the water worlds?"
Sinube stroked his chin in thought. "So you're saying there was something fishy about him, eh?" He started to laugh at his own joke while Aang and Ahsoka groaned quietly and gave him a look.
"Well, I thought it was funny." Sinube shook his head and turned back to his computer. "Let's try and find out where he went, shall we?"
Ahsoka sighed, walking away from the terminal and started to pace around. "We were near the slum district, G17."
"Hmm, where would he go, your little pickpocket?" The old Master said to himself while typing away on the computer keyboard. "To a gangster hangout? Unlikely, but possible." He said, looking over a holomap of that district. "Maybe a gun market to sell the lightsabers, within the radius. Just-Just a moment. Let me see."
Behind him Ahsoka and Aang paced back and forth with impatience.
"He was a Patrolian. That's a fish guy." Sinube said, still talking to himself. "Maybe... is it one of these fishes?" He asked, gesturing to an image of six different criminal Patrolians in and around the slum district.
"That's him!" Ahsoka said excitedly, pointing at a yellowish green Patrolian.
"Hmm, interesting indeed." Sinube said, nodding thoughtfully. "According to the file his name is Bannamu, a petty thief. He hangs out in the slum district."
"Thank you so much, Master Sinube." Ahsoka said, still excited, pulling on Aang's arm, trying to get him to hurry and follow her.
"I'm sure I-" Sinube said, trying to get a word in.
"Your help has been invaluable, Master. Thank you again." Aang said and started to follow Ahsoka out. "If there's anything we could do for you-"
"Yes, there is." Sinube said, standing up from his seat. "I haven't been on assignment in years. And if you two don't slow down, you're not going to find what you're looking for. I'll come with you."
Ahsoka sighed but reluctantly nodded. "Okay, gramps. It would be nice to have some, uh, extra company." She said and followed Sinube out of the Archives with Aang.
"Splendid. Let's get a move on."
Coruscant's Underworld - Slum District, Sector G17
Ahsoka, Aang and Master Sinube walked through the seedy streets several levels below the surface of Galactic City towards a small food vendor being operated by a Quarren male with a cybernetic right eye.
The Quarren placed a bowl of steaming noodles in front of an Ithorian sitting in one of the bar stools.
Sinube gestured for Aang and Ahsoka to sit and the three of them sat at the remaining stools.
"Can I help you?" The Quarren asked, leaning against the counter facing Ahsoka.
"We're looking to buy a lightsaber. Any ideas where we can do that?" Ahsoka asked.
He stared at her for a moment, then nodded. "Follow me." He walked to the side of his small food bar and stopped next to a red colored speeder. Also there was a blue skinned, male Twi'lek with a blaster pistol on his hip.
"So, you want to buy a lightsaber?" The Quarren asked quietly, "how much are you willing to pay?"
"If you have it, you'll give it to us." Ahsoka said dangerously.
Aang grabbed her arm and gently pulled her back. "What my friend here meant to say is, how much?"
"Twenty thousand." He answered, as if it were nothing.
"Twenty thousand?!" Ahsoka said in shock.
Turning to her, Aang whispered, "don't worry Ahsoka. I have experience with bargaining." He strolled confidently over to the two dealers and leaned his back against their speeder.
"Gentleman, what say you to... three copper pieces?" He said, tossing three, copper Earth Kingdom coins up and down, smiling.
The Quarren stared at him as if he was crazy. "The price is twenty thousand."
The airbender reached back into his pocket and pulled out more money. "How about, six copper pieces and two silver?"
"Again, boy, the price is twenty thousand Republic credits. This is Coruscant, not some Earth Kingdom village. It's a rare weapon, a Jedi weapon, therefore the price is twenty thousand."
Master Sinube stepped forward. "Do you have the item with you?"
"No, but I can get it."
Getting annoyed, Ahsoka took out her holoprojector. "From him?" She asked as an image of the Patrolian, Bannamu, appeared in front of them.
"Hey, who are these guys?!" The Quarren said in surprise, stepping back.
"Ah, they are Jedi!" The Twi'lek accused, pointing at them.
"And if we are?" Sinube said, raising an eyebrow.
The Quarren shook his head. "I don't want to get mixed up with Jedi. We were just doing our old friend Bannamu a favor."
"Well, I think it's time you forget about him and do us a favor. That's our lightsaber he stole." Ahsoka said, gesturing to Aang and herself.
"Oh... well, uh, that does make a difference." The Quarren said nodding slowly. "What do you want us to do?"
"You can tell us where he is." Aang said.
The Twi'lek spoke up. "I hope you remember this and someday do me a favor. He's not that far away. He's at the Spider Arms hostel."
• • • • •
Ahsoka and Aang walked ahead of Master Sinube, too eager to reach the Patrolian before he could escape. Occasionally, they would slow down to allow the elder Jedi to catch up.
Once he was caught up, the three of them entered the somewhat run down hostel where they found a female Rodian sitting at the receptionist desk, holding a large and round blue fruit.
Upon seeing them enter, she put down the fruit and gave them a small glare. "May I help you?" She asked with mild annoyance.
Master Sinube waved his hand at her. "We know where we are going."
"Y-you know where you are going." The Rodian repeated, eyes glazed over, and watched them walk down a hall.
"We must be careful not to warn him." Sinube cautioned as they looked for the correct door among the many different ones here.
"But, Master, we don't know where we're going." Ahsoka said with frustration.
"Ugh," Aang groaned and crossed his arms, "he could be in any one of these rooms."
Sinube stopped walking. "You need to be more quiet young ones." He chastised.
"Okay, okay." Ahsoka conceded.
The Master shook his head. "Not quiet with your mouth, quiet with your mind." He said, tapping a finger on Aang's head for emphasis. "You're both so anxious to find this pickpocket that your worry is equal to his."
Ahsoka and Aang watched as Sinube continued down the hall, examining each door. "You mean if we relax we can sense Bannamu's anxiety?" She asked thoughtfully.
"Yes," the Master nodded and stopped next to the door furthest down the hall, "if you both relax you would realize he's in this room."
Aang nodded. "You're right. I can sense him."
Ahsoka quickly went to the door and shoved it right off with a powerful Force-push.
A Patrolian, who was sitting at his personal computer terminal, squeaked in fright as his door slammed against the wall across the room.
"Well, well." Ahsoka said, glaring at the frightened alien. "Bannamu, I assume."
"Who are you, huh?" Bannamu said, speaking with a slight Italian accent. "What do you want?" Ahsoka roughly picked up the short Patrolian and slammed him into his desk. "Hey!"
"Our lightsabers, you slimy thief. I want them back, now!"
"Hey, hey, hey, hey, I no have it, I swear." Bannamu said, holding up his hands. "I got rid of them. Yeah. I almost kill myself with those things, ah."
"What did you do with them?" Aang asked, stepping forward.
He refused to look either of them in the eye and shook his head. "No, no, no. I don't recall."
Getting angry, Ahsoka raised her fist. "Why you little-"
"Ahsoka!" Both Aang and Master Sinube shouted, stopping her.
Dropping her fist, she backed off and let Bannamu get up. "It's not smart to steal from a Jedi and the Avatar."
"Uh, you're looking a little to young to be a Jedi."
"Oh really?" Ahsoka extended her hand, seizing Bannamu and lifted him off his feet.
"Ah, hey!"
Ahsoka shoved him across the room, slamming him hard against the wall above his bed.
"Ow! Hey, hey! Come on!"
Ahsoka walked across the bed, hand still outstretched, holding him there.
"Okay, okay, okay. His name is Movers. Ah, yes, yes, uhhh, Nack Movers." Bannamu confessed, grunting in annoyance as Ahsoka released him, allowing him to fall to the bed.
"Nack Movers?" Aang asked, turning to the Jedi Master next to him.
Sinube nodded and stroked his chin in thought. "He's a very dangerous one, well known in the underworld."
"Yes, yes, exactly!" Bannamu said excitedly, rubbing the back of his head while pointing at Sinube. "I sell it to him, yeah, yeah. You should be afraid." He said, somewhat ominously. "I got a good price, huh? He was very, very motivated. You can find him with his girlfriend. She has a place on the upper-east side of our happy land." He snapped his fingers. "I bet he's there now. Oh, he's always there-"
Ahsoka glared down at him, "you can stop talking now."
He looked as if he was going to continue but decided better of it. "Okay, I shut up."
"Well, at least you know where your lightsabers are." Sinube said, noticing the downcast expressions on both Aang and Ahsoka's face.
Aang nodded. "Yeah, they're in the hands of a killer."
Ahsoka shakes her head sadly. "This is exactly what I was afraid will happen."
• • • • •
The two Jedi and Avatar walked through the expensive halls of an luxury apartment in east side of Galactic City. Ahsoka and Aang were frantically searching for the apartment of Mover's girlfriend.
"Master, we've got to hurry." Ahsoka urged Sinube, who was walking slowly behind them.
"Patience young one." He said, catching up to the two. "You worry that if people die at the hands of your lightsaber that you will be as guilty for their death as the one that strikes the blow. A valid concern, young ones, and one for you to both puzzle out."
He suddenly stopped walking at one of the doors.
"What? What is it?" Aang asked.
Sinube gestured to the door's control panel on the wall. "I believe we've reached our destination."
Aang moved to the door and used the Force to pry it open.
Ahsoka entered the apartment as soon the door was opened but stopped. "Oh, no." She ran the rest of the way inside and knelt next to the body of a large Trandoshan male. "Let me guess. Nack Movers."
Sinube walked in after Aang and looked at the body. "Hmm, a reasonable assumption."
After checking over Mover's body, Ahsoka stood and sighed. "He's dead."
Suddenly, a tall floor lamp tipped over and crashed onto the floor. "Are, are they gone?" A timid voice asked.
From behind a wall, presumably a hallway, an pink aquatic-like alien species with oval-shaped yellow eyes appeared, looking at the Jedi and Avatar nervously.
"Who's gone?" Aang asked walking over to her, followed by Ahsoka and Sinube.
"The men who killed Nack." The women said and began to cry into her hands.
"Who are you?" Ahsoka asked in confusion.
"Ione Marcy." She sat on a long, luxurious couch, hugging her knees close. "I came home and found him here like this."
Ahsoka approached the crying women and put a hand on her shoulder. "Ione, did you call for help?"
"Yeah," Aang added, "why were you hiding?"
"I-I was afraid." Ione said and continued crying.
Master Sinube motioned silently for Ahsoka and Aang to come to him. "She seems terrified." He said quietly, eyeing the distraught and sobbing women carefully. "And yet… I sense something else is troubling her."
Aang nodded. "We'll search the other rooms." He gestured for Ahsoka to follow him and they both went the direction Ione seemed to be hiding in.
"Here's the bedroom." Ahsoka whispered, pointing at the door to there immediate left.
Extending his hand at the door, Aang threw it open, allowing Ahsoka to jump into the room in a fighting stance.
She relaxed, seeing no one, and waved for Aang to enter.
"Let's check the room together." Ahsoka suggested and walked slowly, cautiously towards a closet door on one side of the room.
Quickly, the Togruta waved her hand at the closet to open it, finding it completely empty.
"Maybe this room is empty?" Aang suggested with a shrug.
Ahsoka and Aang, not paying attention, didn't notice a female Terrelian Jango Jumper, an alien species with blue-skin and long-limbs, rise up from behind the queen-sized bed. The woman hid her face behind a mask made of white bone, segmented at the mouth, and her red hair atop her head was tied in a topknot.
At the last minute, Ahsoka sensed someone behind her and turned around. As soon as she turned, the Terrelian punched her in the face, throwing her back and into Aang behind her.
Rubbing her face in slight pain, Ahsoka looked up at her attacker.
"Time to die." The young Terrelian said menacingly, reaching down on her hips and pulled two Jedi lightsabers into her hands. "Ugh, how does these things work." She complained, trying to activate the weapons.
Ahsoka and Aang gasped in surprise. "My lightsaber!" They exclaim at the same time.
Shocked, the Terrelian took a step back, eyes widening in surprise. "You're Jedi?!"
Without waiting for an answer, she ran towards one of the large, glass windows in the back of the room and delivered a kick to one of them, shattering it. Without stopping she jumped out onto the metallic, sloping roof of the massive apartment skyscraper, effortlessly sliding down.
"After her!" Ahsoka shouted and jumped out the busted window with Avatar Aang right behind her.
The Terrelian soon approached the end of the slope and, without pause, jumped over the ledge and onto the second tier slope of the massive building.
Once she reached the end of this slope, she then leaped off the edge, over a large gap, the street level thousands of feet below, to reach another skyscraper, landing on a narrow ledge.
"How did she do that?" Aang asked aloud and used airbending to propel himself up and over to the building with Ahsoka behind him.
They easily landed on their feet and kept running after the girl. "Master Sinube, you were right." Ahsoka said into the comlink on her wrist. "We've found the intruder and she has both of our lightsabers. She's a Terrelian Jango Jumper."
"And she's hard to keep up with." Aang added, speaking into his own comm.
"Hmm, so the assailant is a female?" Sinube mused over the comm then disconnected.
Finally, the Terrelian thief reached the end of the long, narrow ledge. She jumped off the edge, feet together and arms up to move faster through the air, landing on yet another building below, tucking into a roll before springing to her feet.
Ahsoka and Aang finally caught up to her and also jumped off the ledge, flipping through the air before landing easily on the building.
"She moves as fast as any Jedi or airbender I've ever seen." Aang remarked.
Eventually, they chased the woman into an alleyway between two buildings.
Surprising both the Avatar and Jedi Padawan, she began to jump and flip from wall to wall and ledge to ledge, going higher and higher.
Ahsoka groaned in annoyance and followed the girl's lead, performing the wall jumps with ease, Aang easily doing the same.
The Terrelian reached the very top of one of the two building quickly then began toying around with Aang's lightsaber, trying to get it to work.
"Come on, work!" She complained in annoyance.
Finally, she brushed her hand over the activator and the yellow-colored blade appeared, startling her for a brief moment.
"Aha, got it!" She shouted in triumph and used the weapon to slice through a medium sized, metal satellite.
Ahsoka and Aang jumped to another ledge, grabbing hold of it. Hearing the sound of a lightsaber activating, followed by scraping metal, they looked up to see the severed satellite tumbling through the narrow passage from high above them.
"Oh, no." Ahsoka groaned and the two of them reluctantly pushed themselves off the ledge with their legs, flipping over to the next ledge below them, pressing themselves against the wall as the satellite tumbled passed them, crashing loudly into the ground.
"Well, that's just great. She found out how to activate our lightsabers!" Aang complained gesturing up to the woman who was already on the move again.
"Technically she learned how to activate your saber, Avatar." Ahsoka said and used the Force to propel herself high into the air towards the top of the building, Aang right on her heel.
"They're both activated the same way, Ms. Snips." Aang replied as they once again ran along the rooftop after their assailant.
• • • • •
"I'm sure my little friends will catch up to your intruder." Master Sinube was saying to Ione, sitting next to her on the couch. "You have nothing to worry about." He put his arm around her, patting her shoulder.
Unnoticed by Ione, the old Master placed a small tracking device on her right shoulder as he hugged her before pulling back.
"Right," Ione said, sounding nervous, "of course."
She stood and walked over to a table on the other side of the room, picking up a cup of water.
Sinube watched closely as her hand were shaking, causing the liquid inside to splash around before she held the cup with both hands to still the shaking and took a drink.
The Jedi stood and walked over to the dead Trandoshan. "Your friend Nack wasn't a very good fighter, was he?" He asked, nudging the corpse with his cane carefully. "Or maybe he was poisoned." He glanced over at the girl to see her reaction.
She visibly stiffened up and turned to him. "What?"
"Well obviously he's come to an unfortunate end. He'd be stronger than your average man, though, wouldn't you say?"
Ione turned away from him again, looking down at the cup in her hands. "Yeah, I… guess…" She responded slowly.
"Hmmm." Sinube stroked his chin, eyeing her curiously.
• • • • •
"Spirits that's a long drop…" Aang said, looking below them.
Currently, both Aang and Ahsoka have followed the Terrelian onto a very, very narrow ledge in the midsection of a skyscraper, where one slip of the foot could send them plummeting to their doom. Below them, more than a thousand meter drop to the street level with hundreds of speeders speeding past, completely ignoring them and going about their business.
"Just try not to loo down to much, Aang." Ahsoka advised as they kept their backs against the wall and shuffled carefully long the ledge, following the thief who was doing the same.
• • • • •
"You said a group of men killed your friend Nack Movers, correct?" Sinube questioned, his back to Ione. "And yet my Padawans described the assailant as a female."
"There was a group of them," she clarified turning to him then looking away, "I-I didn't get a good look."
"Oh, I also contacted the authorities to come here and help you with your unfortunate friend."
"Oh… You're very kind…"
• • • • •
The female Terrelian finally reached the end of the extremely narrow ledge and turned the corner to run across the next ledge, which was much bigger than the other one. She ran to a maintenance arm with a powerful magnet attached to a wire,
She jumped on top of the arm on the side of the building and activated Ahsoka's green-bladed lightsaber to slash through one of the operating antennae, causing the machine to malfunction and rapidly lower the flat magnet.
Quickly, the girl jumped straight down towards the magnet and easily landed, riding the line all the way down until the wire ran out.
Not missing a beat, she leaped of the magnet as it started to free fall to the street below, landing on one of the many floating, bright advertising boards, featuring a speech from Chancellor Palpatine himself.
At that moment, Aang an Ahsoka finally made it safely across and peeked over the incredibly long drop to see the woman smirking at them.
"This is crazy…" Aang muttered and leaped off the now sparking arm, Ahsoka doing the same.
The two of them tucked their knees in closely, spinning through the air before righting themselves and landing on the floating board with a loud, metallic thud.
To their increasing annoyance the Terrelian was already on the run, moving across the board with perfect balance befitting a Jedi or airbender. She jumped across the board to land atop another one.
Once she reached the end of that board, she swiped the green blade in her hand, leaving a deep cut in the top of the board where the gravity generators and such were located.
Immediately, the generators emitted a low humming sound and the entire board began to tip drastically.
Ahsoka groaned in annoyance as she and the Avatar almost lost their balance, sliding forward steeply. When they reached the end they were forced to jump higher to make it to the next board.
Not deterred in the slightest, the Terrelian ran across the next board before slashing through this one as well, causing it to tilt in the opposite direction, the other side raising high as the other tilted low.
Unfortunately, both Ahsoka and Aang timed their jump way off and completely missed the top of the board.
Ahsoka gave a startled shout, sliding along the front of the large, bright screen of the billboard, trying to get a grip on the smooth surface.
Aang too fell but grabbed hold of the top of the ever tilting board, then looked down to see Ahsoka still trying, in vain, to hold onto the slippery board. Thinking quickly, the Avatar extended his hand to the Togruta, using the Force to hold her in place.
The Padawan could feel her descent slowing to a stop and looked up at Aang, "Thanks, Aang." She breathed a sigh of relief, hugging the board tightly.
"No need to thank me," Aang said then looked forward at the hundreds of speeders flying passed them at a fast pace, moving around the large, tilted board as it continued to play a speech by Chancellor Palpatine.
"I have no doubt that the Jedi are doing there very best to ensure the safety of every citizen in the Republic." The Chancellor was saying, sitting at his desk in the Republic Executive Building in the Senate District. "The accusation that the Jedi Order created the Clone War to give themselves more power over the government is absurd, and I will not stand for it." He said firmly.
"Ugh, she's getting away." Aang said, nodding his head to the woman who was now already on the ledge of another building and was climbing a long maintenance pipeline.
• • • • •
"You should have a seat." Master Sinube said to Ione, gesturing to a seat next to him on the couch. "You might have been distraught before, but every since the intruder left your apartment," he stood up and walked over to where she was pacing, "you've become even more nervous."
"I'm upset." She replied, glancing at him but not looking in his eyes. "This whole ordeal I just endured, it's upsetting."
• • • • •
"...Count Dooku and his droid army." Palpatine continued on while Ahsoka and Aang looked for a way over to that building their thief ran off to.
"We could hitch a ride on one of these speeders?" Ahsoka suggested, still hugging the board.
"Hitch a ride? How do we stop one of them to ask?"
Ahsoka smirked at him. "Who said anything about asking?"
"To support the Jedi's efforts in the war, I ask the Senate, no, plead the Senate, to pass these new laws, giving more jurisdiction to…"
Ahsoka pushed herself off the board, flipping through the air, a reluctant Aang following. They landed on the blue speeder with a soft thud, causing the driver, a Nautolan, to look over his shoulder at them.
"Huh?" He looked at them questioningly.
"Sorry, just hitching a ride." Aang apologized, waving at the man before diving off the speeder with Ahsoka, tucking into a roll as they landed on the building's ledge, looking up at the thief, who was still climbing the long pipeline along the side of the skyscraper.
• • • • •
"Or is there a reason you might be concerned?" Sinube accused, pointing at Ione.
Not noticed by the Jedi, she discreetly pushed a button on her wrist band.
Outside the high-rise apartment, a light-green passenger airspeeder activated and remotely flew off to her location.
"You weren't afraid cause you were in danger." Sinube continued, "you were afraid we would find your friend hiding in the other room! You're in league with the bounty hunter!"
At that moment, three Republic Police droids entered the apartment, walking towards them.
"Arrest her!" Sinube ordered as Ione ran out of the living room and onto the balcony, leaping off and landing in her already waiting airspeeder.
"Off she goes," Sinube said as he and the police droids arrived to see her speeding off. "always rushing."
"Cassie, the Jedi know I'm involved." Ione said, flying through the crowded airways of Coruscant, speaking to the Terrelian on a comlink. "I had to run."
• • • • •
"Just get over to J Street and pick me up." The Terrelian, Cassie, said, stopping momentarily to speak into her comm then continued climbing.
Below her, Aang and Ahsoka stopped at the foot of the pipeline, looking up at her.
"Ugh, we don't have time to follow her up there." Ahsoka said and held her hands up, as if she was actually gripping the pipes, then pulled them towards her.
The pipes began to groan before splitting in two right in the middle, causing it to bend drastically. This startled Cassie as the long pipe fell to the side and she held on tightly.
Finally, the pipe stopped bending, leaving her dangling over hundreds of airspeeders and the street thousands of feet below her.
Quickly, Aang and Ahsoka stepped onto the pipe, arms outstretched to keep balance, and started to walk across over to her.
Again surprising the two, Cassie pulled herself up to stand on the pipe, then proceeded to jump up and down on it, causing the metal pipe to groan under pressure.
Above them, a light-green airspeeder approached them and Cassie jumped harder, bouncing the pipes.
"Whoa!" Ahsoka exclaimed, loosing her balance and following backwards.
Aang quickly dropped as well, wrapping his legs around the pipe and grabbed hold of Ahsoka by the arms. "I got you."
"Thanks… Again…"
Aang smiled. "No problem."
Cassie used her jumps momentum to launch herself up, right as the airspeeder flew by above, landing flawlessly in the passenger seat next to Ione.
Both the Jedi Padawan and Avatar could only watch, dangling from the pipe with speeders flying back and forth constantly, as Ione and Cassie flew further and further away.
• • • • •
About a half-hour later, the two sat on the large ledge beside the still bent pipe, Ahsoka hugging her knees in defeat while Aang laid across the floor looking at the sky. The sun was already starting to rise again, bathing the cityscape in sunlight.
"I see you've learned patience, young ones." A voice said as a massive flying-bison flew over to them.
"Appa!" Aang shouted happily, using airbending to push himself up onto his feet. He jumped onto the bison's head, hugging him tightly.
Ahsoka smiled and also stood up, petting the side of the beast. "How'd you get him here?"
"I contacted the Temple for transportation, curiously your magnificent beast is what I was sent. Your friend, Sokka was it? He dropped him off for me to use while he was shopping in the city." Sinube said, gesturing for them to get aboard.
Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "What is it with him and shopping?" She asked, getting into Appa's saddle with Aang while Sinube continued to steer the bison in the right direction.
Aang shrugged. "Who knows?"
• • • • •
Appa flew alongside the hundreds of speeders going about their morning business, cruising along very slowly.
"Hey, you're flying to slow!" Ahsoka complained,shouting over the loud speeders. "We need to move faster!"
"Patience!" Sinube shouted back, looking over his shoulder at them. "We'll cut them off at the train station!"
"How do you know that's where they're heading?!"
"Did I mention I planted a tracking device on Ione," he said pulling out his tracker which was emitting a signal from the device on the girl, "the girl that ran away?!"
Ahsoka and Aang stared at him. "Nooo you didn't mention that at all…"
• • • • •
Finally, Appa landed at the train station, kicking up a lot of dust on the ground and earning them a lot of stares of wonderment. People on Coruscant never really see animals such as the bison.
The two Jedi and the Avatar climbed off the bison and set to work, scanning the crowd of people who are leaving the just arrived train and those preparing to board. Sinube held his tracker, leading them in the right direction.
Cassie and Ione stood in a relatively long line of people, preparing to board the train, looking around cautiously, police droids walking up and down the station, obviously looking for them.
Hearing a faint beeping sound, Cassie turned to Ione and finally noticed the small tracking device on her shoulder. She pulled the device off and showed it to Ione before throwing it roughly on the ground, then brought her boot down on it, crushing it and cutting the signal.
Master Sinube stopped walking as his tracker ceased its transmission. "It appears they've noticed the device."
Aang nodded and ran into the crowd with Ahsoka behind him. "Excuse us. Pardon me." He said, moving people aside.
Eventually, the amount of people lessened to a point where they could see more clearly, just in time for the two of them to spot their thieves standing in line.
"Hey! Stop them!" Ahsoka called as she and Aang ran towards them.
Two police droids appeared behind Ione and grabbed hold of her arms while two stepped towards Cassie. "Halt! You're under arrest."
Starting to panic, Cassie activated Aang's lightsaber and slashed at the two droids, cutting them right down their midsection.
The crowd of people gasped audibly as she ran off, swinging the blade at anyone in her way. Luckily no one was hit by her rampage.
She looked over her shoulder to see the Jedi and Avatar still in pursuit. "Stay away from me!" She yelled and turned to enter the 6-B hover train, the repulsorlift speeder train used in Coruscant's mass transit. Before she could, the doors slid shut.
Whirling around in a panic, she could see that her pursuers were getting closer.
Quickly, as the train was starting to move, she leaped high into the air, landing on the very top of the train, which was picking up speed fast.
Of course, Aang and Ahsoka followed with little difficulty.
"Did she really have to jump onto a moving train?!" Aang complained, having to call on the Force to keep himself from falling off.
"Exactly! Is this really that serious?!" Ahsoka replied, yelling over the whoosh of the wind in their ears.
They continued their chase, all three of them having to duck continuously as the train supports passed over them, the vehicle now moving at its highest speed.
Cassie moved to the other side of the train and peered over the edge into the window of a passenger car. She brought her fist back before slamming it into the glass, shattering it.
The people on the train screamed and gasped loudly as she jumped inside and ran through the middle aisle, Aang and Ahsoka still behind her.
They ran the entire length of the long hover train till they reached the back of the last car.
The Terrelian quickly grabbed a young Twi'lek female and her little daughter, making them scream in fear, activating Ahsoka's saber and holding it up to their frightened faces. In her other hand, she held Aang's blade, aiming it at the Jedi and Avatar, who held up their hands and stopped a few feet away from her.
"You're trapped." Ahsoka said, watching the girl closely. "Surrender now and turn the lightsabers over to us."
"Don't tell me what to do!" Cassie said aggressively, inching the green blade a little closer to the terrified Twi'leks. "I've got a lightsaber and I'm as powerful as a Jedi. Even as skilled as the Avatar himself!" She said, pointing Aang's blade at the airbender.
Everyone got silent as they waited for the other to make a move.
Finally, after thinking hard for a moment, Ahsoka spoke up. "I'll trade myself for them… We''ll trade ourselves." She emphasized, gesturing to Aang. "You know how much I'm worth to the Jedi Order."
Aang nodded. "Think about how much the entire Republic would pay to get me back. It's a good deal. All you have to do is let them go."
Cassie gave a chuckle, backing up closer to the wall behind her. "Once we're alone, you'd use some kind of Jedi Force trick on me. No deal." She looked down at the Twi'leks she held. "These two stay with me. And you-you stay out of my way if you want to keep these lovely people safe."
Ahsoka and Aang inched back a little as the train began to slow to a stop. They've arrived at the next station, the Temple Precinct station.
The Terrelian moved towards the exit next to her slowly, still holding her hostages.
Before she could open the door, it slid open on its own, revealing a smirking Jedi Master Sinube.
Cassie stood rooted in place for a moment, shocked to see him there so fast. The Twi'lek mother used this opportunity to slip out of Cassie's hold and ran off the train with her daughter.
Sinube removed the top of his walking cane, showing that it was a hidden lightsaber and activated its silver blade.
Regaining her composure somewhat, Cassie swung her green blade for the old Jedi's head, which he easily blocked then penetrated her not-even-there defenses, knocking the weapon out of her hand.
Ahsoka smiled as she caught her lightsaber as it flew towards her, back to where it belonged..
Still determined to escape, Cassie made a stabbing move for Sinube's chest with Aang's lightsaber.
He quickly brought his blade up and batted aside her clumsy attack, throwing the weapon out of her grasp and back to its rightful owner.
The Terrelian gasped, now weaponless.
Sinube shoved her against the wall with a Force-push, knocking her unconscious.
"For a guy that moves slowly," Ahsoka said as the Master Jedi deactivated his weapon and placed it back on his cane, "you always seem to get ahead of me."
Nodding, Sinube said, "the value of moving slowly is that one can always see the way ahead."
At that moment, three Republic police droids and two clone shocktroopers entered the train, aiming their blasters at Cassie, who was starting to regain consciousness.
The three of them got off the train to see the Twi'lek mother happily hugging her daughter close and stroking her head, bringing a smile to both Aang and Ahsoka's faces.
• • • • •
"Well, I best be getting back to Master Skywalker before he misses me." Ahsoka was saying as she, Aang and Sinube walked through one of the beautiful main halls of the sacred Jedi Temple.
"Yeah, Master Sapphire might be looking for me." Aang added.
"Certainly." Terra Sinube agreed, nodding. ""But first, I need one last favor from you both"
"Sure. Just name it." Ahsoka replied as they stopped at a big door at the end of the hall.
"Pass on what you have learned." He answered cryptically, the door sliding open.
Inside the relatively small chamber were four Jedi Initiates, wearing training helmets and wielding training lightsabers. At the front of the room was Jedi Grand Master Yoda who also had his lightsaber but deactivated it when they entered.
"Hello, old friend." Sinube said, smiling down at the diminutive, but powerful, Jedi Master.
Yoda bowed his head. "Greetings, Master Sinube." He then looked up at Aang and Ahsoka. "Padawan Tano, Avatar Aang, a lesson you have for us today, hmm?"
Ahsoka smiled and nodded. "Yes, we do."
"A lesson in the value of patience." Aang added, nodding as well.
"Gather round, younglings." Yoda said to the children, who did what he told. "Listen to the young Padawan and Avatar, you shall."
Both Aang and Ahsoka removed their lightsabers from their side and crouched down to the Initiates at eye level.
"Like my Master, Sapphire, says, 'this weapon is your life.'" Aang started, using the Force to levitate the hilt above his hand so they could get a better look.
"But," Ahsoka said, "it is also your responsibility. Don't let it out of your sight."
Well, that's that. :)
This was a shorter amount of time between uploads than last time, but hopefully the next one won't take as long.
Next Chapter: The Mandalore Plot
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