Disclaimer: Disney owns Star Wars, not me. All the characters and places (except for my OC Analise) belong to them.

"aaaa"-talking out loud."aaaa" (bold and italics)-talking through a holo or com. 'aaaaa'-inner thoughts. aaaaa-talking through a Bond. "aaaa" (bold)-another language.

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Chapter Twenty-Four

"Artoo close the door!" The last think Anakin wanted was for Ahsoka to face Ventress before she was fully ready. Not that he didn't think that Ahsoka was any klutz with her lightsaber...Even if used the wrong grip. After all he had helped train her alongside Plo Koon...But Ahsoka had never faced a warrior of Ventress' level.

As Artoo plugged into the port by the door, beeping all the while as he rushed to shut the door, Anakin could just make out a pair of red blades glowing in the darkness beyond. Sky-blue eyes glanced over to his baby sister. She stood brave even as her legs shook a little and her bright green lightsaber trembled just the smallest amount in her grip.

'I need to get Ahsoka to safety...Rotta too.' Anakin took a deep breath. He need to stay calm. Needed to trick Ahsoka into thinking that everything was okay. She would feed off his emotions as they leaked over their Bond. If Anakin became worried or scared, Ahsoka would be too.

"Come on Snips, we need to retreat?"

"Retreat? I think that's a new word for you Skyguy. You've never said that before."

"We'll head to the jungle. We could loose them there." Anakin dashed to the edge of the platform, Ahsoka on his heels of course.

"Really? Because I remember the jungle was a bad place." Just thinking of the jungle brought back the memories of that first real battle that Ahsoka would much rather forget. Of cries and screams from troopers as they fell beneath the blasters of the droids. Of blood painting the jungle floor. Of the smell of burned flesh and melted metal mixing together.

"I don't like it either Ahsoka, but we don't have a choice at this point. We need to find someplace we can loose Ventress, at least for now." Ahsoka winced, but nodded. There would be time enough later to focus on the memories of the jungle battle.

It was a long way down to the jungle floor, but nothing that Jedi couldn't handle with the Force to direct their handholds on the cliff and cushion their falls just in case. A skill many a Youngling and Padawan practiced by climbing and then jumping from the large waterfall in the Room of a Thousand Fountains at the Temple. On the sly of course...

Anakin lunged back, pulling Ahsoka with him as red laser bolts flew up the side of the cliff and narrowly missed the Knight's head leaning over the side. A pair of darwf spider droids were slowly making their way up the edge of the cliff, red opitcal receptors seeming to glare at the place where Anakin's head had been.

He wanted to curse himself for being a fool. Of course Ventress would have brought more than just a pair of doidekas with her. Trained by a former Jedi Master, she would know how Jedi thought and planed when faced with few options. She would have guess that Anakin would have thought the jungle the best option to loose her in and had therefore planned accordingly.

Their shots hit the platform beneath them. There were shrieks as the shots woke a group of large, flying insect-like creatures that had been nesting on the bottom. They took to the air, upset and angry that their home had been disturbed. "Well I guess we can't go that way," Ahsoka smiled as she did her best attempt at what they had long ago dubbed Obi-Wan humor. A dry, observation of the obvious meant to lighten the situation.

"You got that right!" A frantic squeal had them turning to the door. Artoo had left his post at the door and was speeding as fast as he could to his master and little mistress. A pair of blood red lasers had cut through the metal door like it was a sheet of flimsy. Slowly, coolly the hands that held them began to carve a large circle out of the door.

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The hope, renewed vigor that Rex and Analise had injected into the troops was starting to wane as the battle went on. Rex hadn't been joking when he had told Anakin that they were pinned down, though he hadn't been truthful about the exact number they had been facing.

Droids surrounded them on all sides. It was Analise who had thought that they needed to gain some high ground and directed them to make use of a downed AT-TE. They climbed its legs, its roof. Analise herself darted all over metal beast like it was some kind of twisted child playground structure.

Her blue blade spun and hissed. She would fly down light as a feather to slice and dice some unsuspecting battle droid before darting back to deflect a bolt that could have injuried one of her men or spelled his end.

Rex could see that she was tiring though. Could see as her moves became a little more jerky, less fluid. He looked to the sky where he could just make out GAR fighters as they pushed back again and again against the droid fighters. Somewhere up there was General Kenobi, the other half of his Commander thought Rex couldn't pretend that he totally understood the concept of the Natural Bonds that Jedi could have with one another.

All he knew was that Commander Analise was fighting and would keep fighting to keep him and his brothers safe until she dropped. Something Rex had seen happen far too many times for his liking.

"Where's General Skywalker?" The frantic voice of one of his brothers pulled Rex from watching over Analise. The trooper next to him was new, still in many ways a Shiny. "I thought the General said he would be here."

"Calm down Mix! The General will be here as soon as he can if he is able to!" There was no time to explain to this Shiny that missions came first. No matter how much Rex might wish he could scoop Analise away from the battle and keep her safe until her brother or husband came for her, no matter how strong his longing was to ditch the battle and make for his General and the kid who was probably scared right now; the mission came first.

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Step by step Anakin, Ahsoka, and Artoo were pushed to the edge, their eyes on the door. The cut made by the lightsabers slightly glowing like embers. In his head Anakin kept cursing himself.

"Looks like we're out of options..." How those words stung him to say. He powered down his lightsaber and nodded to Ahsoka to do the same. Closing his eyes he sought the Foce to show him the way.

How could he have let himself and more importantly Ahsoka get caught in a situation like this? He needed to get both sister and Huttlet to safety, but there seemed to be no clear way out.

Rotta began to squeak and jabber. His arms waving as they sought to catch their attention. "Not now Stinky...We need to think." The Huttlet had quickly decided that of the strange beings who had come to take him from the monastery, he liked the girl with the funny markings on her face the best. He gestured again, letting loose another rather high-pitched squeal.

Ahsoka turned to calm the Huttlet down and saw his arms waving. She followed their waving...

And saw another landing platform! One with a ship on it. It was across the gorge, but there was a ship! One they could use to get away from Ventress and the droids. "Anakin! Look another landing platform with a ship! Good job Stinky...But how are we going to get over there?"

It did seem a little hopeless. The wide gourge with a deep drop separated them from their ticket to safety. Drawf spiders crept closer and closer. Ventress was nearly through the door. Anakin smirked. "Leave it all to me." Before Ahsoka could say another word her big brother had returned his lightsaber to his belt and was running forward, reaching the edge of the platform and throwing himself off of it.

She followed, worried only to feel as Anakin reached out through the Living Force and connect with one of the bugs flying below them. He landed safely upon its back and began the task of getting it use to him being there. She looked at Artoo who gave a sad and resigned little whistle. "You got that right Artooie...I hope I'm not expected to learn that."

There was flash as one of the drawf spider's shots hit too close for comfort followed by a metal bang. Ahsoka spun around, lightsaber blazing to life as she watched a tall, bald and seemingly grey-skinned female step through the hole she had just created in the door.

A smirk was upon her lips. One that quickly turned into a frown upon seeing that the only ones on the platform were an astromech and a Togruta female fresh from the Temple.

With a growl Ventress attacked and Ahsoka found herself rushing to bring her blade up to block. Her mind was quick to recognize the form that Ventress favored. Makashi, just like Analise. Only Analise's Makashi wasn't so twisted and hard. It was elegant and simple with flavors of other forms thrown in.

Ventress used a Makashi that was hard and harsh. She brought her blades down again and again. Ahsoka had been trained by some of the finest duelists the Jedi had among their ranks; her siblings, Obi-Wan, and Master Plo included. Yet Ahsoka had never faced such an opponent before. One who was using raw hatred to power their attack.

With a little cry Ahsoka found herself landing on the hard ground, her lightsaber automatically switching off. She pushed herself up, Artoo hovoring nearby.

"Where is Skywalker brat?"

"Like I would ever tell you...You bald harpy!"

"Such an inoslant tongue! Maybe I should cut it out!" Ventess raised a blade high...

"Looking for me Ventress?" Ahsoke sighed at her brother's voice and quickly stood. He rode upon the insect's back. His mouth smirked even as he eyes were hard and glared at the wannabe-Sith.

"Skywalker...What a pleasure..." The Padawan wanted to shiver. Ventress was acting almost flirty and it just sounded wrong. Was that how she lured in her male vicitms? Coated her voice with sticky-sweet honey then pounced when they were under her control.

Ahsoka's pondering would have to wait. Anakin ordered his mount into battle. Lashing out not with his lighsaber, but with a kick. A kick with the Force behind it.

Unprepared for such a physical assault, Ventress went flying backwards.

The dwarf spiders never stopped their attack the whole time. Ahsoka stumbled back and gasped when she saw a crack in the landing platform. A crack that went all the way through. She stumbled again as the edge of the platform began to break, to fall away. The edge she and Artoo were on.

"Come on Snips! Time to go!" Anakin reached one with one hand and caught Ahsoka.

"Like I have a choice!" He laughed and pulled his baby sister up behind him. There was loud, shrill squeal as Artoo fell...Only to remember the rocket boosters built into his struts and used them.

For the moment they were safe.

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"Count Dooku demands a report...Should I tell you failed?"

Not a word passed her mouth. A arm went up and the droid went flying. "Wwwwhhhhyyy?" It's final word echoing through the jungle night.

Skywalker may had gotten past her this time.

He would not be so lucky next time.