CORUSCANT,
several months later
The passing weeks and months had come and gone in a blur. By the time Valanthe was able to get off Coruscant, Asajj Ventress' trail had grown cold, making tracking her down rather difficult. Vala had once liked planet-hopping, chasing down suspects and leads.
Nowadays not so much, not when it was so much at stake, so personal. This woman was directly responsible for the death of her friend, mentor, and boss, Xander Night. She was directly responsible for manipulating an innocent man into selling Night a poisoned item which ended up killing him.
She, who had once been a Jedi and was now a Dark Acolyte of Count Dooku. This in itself directly implied CIS involvement in the death of a high ranking RMOI official. Except, she had no real proof, just Tomno's word, as the security footage only showed so much. If there was proof, then perhaps there was a chance to bring it to authority, to organize legal action against Ventress, Dooku, and the CIS.
Perhaps…
Her last-ditch effort to locate Ventress had lead her to Dantooine. She hadn't found her on that Ancient Jedi planet. No. She'd found something worse, something she had hoped not to find, ever, despite the rumours she had heard from Vanth.
Dantooine, a week earlier
Dark green clashed against light green as former friends faced off. Valanthe found herself more than evenly matched though she'd attributed it more to shock and surprise than actual skill.
She had not sensed any form of presence in the old Jedi ruins on Dantooine, where her trail had lead her. So when she narrowly dodged a lightsaber strike, shock set in as she realized who it was that had attacked her, and why she had not sensed their presence in the Force.
Quinlan Vos had been a Jedi Shadow, like her. He knew how to hide in plain sight, as well as use the Force to find things hidden to others, especially through touch.
To find him here of all places, going at her as if he were Sith himself was jarring, to put it mildly. Instead of countering, she spent a good deal of time blocking and dodging his attacks.
"Quin! What are you doing? This isn't you!" Vala blocked yet another attack.
No reply came as he lashed out again, their blades locking. Then she saw his eyes, a bright, burning yellow, instead of his usual warm brown. Shock quickly turned into dread as she pushed against him and darted away yet again, down a half-collapsed hallway of the ruin.
It took her a moment to realize that he was fully in control of this battle and that he was guiding her where he wanted her to go. But why? What was his motivation? If he had truly, fully turned to the Dark Side as his eyes and behavior seemed to suggest, why not just end her? He had the upper hand on the battle since the start.
As she dodged another swipe and used the Force to roll aside swiftly and escape the following motion, memories of times spent in each other's company came to mind. Quinlan had been one of her tutors when she had been training how to cloak oneself in the Force to become invisible and how to hide your own Force signature.
He had also given her some training in the seldom use form of Niman and the art of double-bladed lightsabers. Vos had always encouraged Vala to be herself and to trust in the Force.
Trust in the Force. She told herself as she pushed out with her hand, using the Force to propel Quinlan back rather violently, in an attempt to gain some ground and a breather to recompose herself.
Trust in the Force.
As the Kiffar male was thrown back by the onslaught, Valanthe closed her eyes for a moment, shimmering out of sight and moving away from him as best as she could.
The damned thing was, with Quin's skill of psychometry, she had to be extra careful not to touch items that could be used to track her. At least not until she figured out what the kriff was going on, and how to not get killed by her old friend.
When he came to, the hunter in Quinlan became more pronounced and it echoed, especially in his now eerily yellow eyes. She could see him immediately search for tracks, indentations, marred foliage, anything he could use to track her.
Quickly, Valanthe dashed up the nearest tree, thankful for the winds in the forest that masked her passage and then onto the next tree and the next, until she was certain that she was far enough away to return to the ground and continue her search elsewhere. Provided she didn't run into Quinlan again.
Would he use the connection they had once shared against her, now that he had turned? Was he in league with Ventress? Could he be covering her escape?
Those thoughts perished from her mind for a moment as her thoughts turned to her own tracking of the wayward Rattataki. There was one place left to look. The old Jedi Temple. It had had a small, severely disused landing pad, the one other place on the planet where the Mirialan hadn't yet looked.
Some time passed before Vala managed to reach the overlook that towered over the ruins of the Temple. Dropping her cloak, she dropped to her stomach, looking over the edge of the overlook with both her eyes and her senses. She grabbed the macronoculars from her belt and used them to scan the area as well.
Nothing, no sign of life, or any recent presence. Bringing the macronoculars down, Valanthe sighed. She stilled her mind for a moment, reaching out with the Force to sense Asajj's presence. The trouble was, not being familiar with it, Valanthe didn't quite know what to look for, so the green woman focused on darkness, rage, hate, fear.
Nothing. Nothing but a strong sense of the Force nexus still existing beneath the Temple's innards. Yet, the nexus seemed uncorrupted. It didn't feel clear either. There was something there, under the ruins, but she couldn't tell what. Not without going in there herself.
Her thoughts couldn't help but return to Quin. Ever since they had known each other they shared a likeness of mind and thought, except Vala acted out much more rarely than Quin, but when she did, events like those on Dalleron II happened. Over the years the two had had several physical encounters, though both favoring their commitments to the Jedi and to the Force, it remained rare and it remained physical rather than developing into the taboo subject of emotions and attachment.
In hindsight, Vala was glad for it, though her fondness of the unorthodox Jedi never went away. Which was why the earlier encounter had hit her so hard. He had been a friend. It did explain though why Obi-Wan and the others had refused to talk about him.
He had turned on the Jedi at their greatest hour of need.
He had betrayed them.
He was bearing down on her from a Force powered jump, his lightsaber drawn and ready, a charged ball of energy forming in his left hand. Vala's head screamed momentarily with the pain of the Force vision but she didn't dawdle. Quickly she rolled away only to find the very same man impaling the ground she occupied mere seconds before with his lightsaber.
Vala quickly drew her own lightsaber and was about to Force push him away when the ball of energy from his left hand impacted her with force and knocked her on her back. It also burned, Force, did it burn. Her lightsaber had disappeared in the fray.
Too late did Vala realize that he had shot her with a full blast of Force lightning. Breathing heavily, her chest ached and even smoked a little from the strength of impact. Her vision swam and she felt weak, disoriented.
A heavy boot pressed on the burn, the light green lightsaber now firmly poised against her throat.
"Quin, stop, this isn't you…" She felt the blood rising up from her lungs and a few dribbles sliding down the side of her mouth, "aaaaaghh!" Vala screamed as the boot pressed harder.
His yellow eyes were angry. They were also...urgent?
"Remember…" Quinlan growled at her, "Dalleron."
Just like that he stepped away from her and used the Force to jump down the overlook.
Vala didn't have the strength to get up and follow, as the pain and shock, and a deep sadness overtook her. She had to let him go, she had to let Asajj go. For now.
Then, she blinked.
"Remember Dalleron." He had said. Why that specific line? Why Dalleron?
Back on Coruscant
Dalleron had been a disaster in so many ways and the final catalyst for Valanthe's leaving the Jedi Order. It had also, in itself been a revelation. Things were rarely what one thought they were. The more things changed, the more they remained the same.
So what did that mean in this context?
Valanthe still wasn't sure and could dwell on it no longer as her holo-comm went off, signaling an incoming transmission.
Seated at her desk in her apartment, Valanthe leaned forward, tapped the authorization commands, and opened the channel.
"Commander Riis, Lieutenant Siarra, Vadarre Republic Naval Intelligence. I'm the new Operations Coordinator for your intelligence section." The woman in the hologram said, nodding to the Mirialan. "I understand you've been on… unrestricted assignment since the loss of Captain Night."
"I'd been seconded to the GAR Office of Special Operations. My absence these last few months had me utilizing my leave options." Vala countered, frowning. "What do you need?"
"There's been an… incident on Umbarra, a very delicate incident, one that needs to be handled with the utmost discretion." The woman tugged on her uniform a moment, trying to find the right words. She didn't quite agree with this decision, but they needed the job done. "Captain Night often said you were his best, and frankly that's what I need."
"Umbarra?" Valanthe frowned, "weren't the 501st and the 212nd deployed to Umbarra to take the Capital from the CIS?"
"They have, just a few hours ago in fact." The hologram split to show the planet and the position of the Republic forces, as well as a couple of CIS units on the planet. "There are some hold outs, but that's what we need your services for. The Commander of the 501st has been killed by his Clone Captain."
Valanthe blinked, then gaped, then blinked again. "I'm sorry, Lieutenant, are you saying Captain Rex killed General Skywalker?"
"Skywalker? No, no he was recalled by the Chancellor after the initial landings. General Pong Krell carried on the attack in Skywalker's… absence." The Lieutenant obviously didn't like the whole situation. "The Clone claims that the General betrayed the Republic and was too dangerous to be left alive."
Valanthe frowned at the dire implications. Though she could see how the mercurial state of Krell could have gone from one extreme to another. Was it really necessary for Rex to kill him though?
"I understand. What's my role in this though? As you are contacting me for a reason, I trust?" Vala had to tear her thoughts away from theories.
"The Jedi have tried to make this an internal matter, push our people out of the investigation. As you can imagine that has not sat well with the Admiralty. We have convinced them that, because the matter involves a Clone Officer, it falls under the jurisdiction of the GAR. We need someone who knows both the Jedi and the Clones." The Lieutenant sighed, "You are to determine if the Jedi truly was at fault and if the Clone needs to be destroyed or not."
Valanthe's gut clenched at the implications. Of all the clones to it have been Rex.
Finally, though, she nodded. "I will do my best but I will need help."
"You may choose your team, however, we do have the final say in all assignments. The Jedi will also be assigning a member of their order, I believe you know them…"
Star Destroyer Dauntless
Renia groaned as she practically collapsed back into her bunk, the last few weeks… months had been catching up with her. Near constant combat, since the 442nd last deployed, first Mygeeto, then Ryloth and finally Agamar… So many battles, so many losses, she just couldn't… wrap her head around it all. Somehow she should have known that things weren't going to go well. The first moments of Mygeeto had been hell three transports lost in the first few minutes of the drop.
Ren felt the blast as Charger's LAAT went down, the large transport spiraling toward the surface of the planet, becoming lost in the clouds surrounding the city. Closing her eyes, Ren took a moment to mourn and pay respects to her comrades, her troopers. She knew each one who fell; many had been with her since Geonosis. "Goodbye, my friends." She said softly, even as another LAAT exploded.
The battle had continued on like that, first Charger during the drop, Buzz on the second day, the whole of Aubesh Company on the thirtieth. Ren herself barely made it back more than once. And yet somehow Ryloth had been worse.
Ren howled in agony as the blaster bolt got through her defense, putting a hole in her shoulder. She could hear Mina's cry as her Padawan saw Ren fall to her knee, desperately trying to keep the Super Battle Droid at bay. When Mina finally reached her she could feel her Padawan pulling her away, back from the battle. She couldn't let Mina pull her back, not with Locket and his squad cut off from the rest of the Battalion. They'd gotten so close, she could see them, at the forward barricade just barely holding on… the Magna-Guards closing in on them.
She'd fought to get to them, desperately to save them… She fought the droids, she fought the pain, she even fought Mina. But in the end, she couldn't get to them, she watched their position be overrun as the Battalion fell back. Their cries… she couldn't get them out of her head.
The loud incessant beeping of the comm line brought Renia out of herself. It was the last thing she wanted to deal with, probably another battlefield for what was left of her battalion. She thought about ignoring it, letting whatever it was sit for another day. But duty wouldn't allow her, she could just hear Obi-Wan's voice scolding her for ignoring the needs of others.
"Yes," She called out, slipping into a meditative stance, desperately trying to center herself for whatever it is.
An image of a blue Twi'lek woman in tight clothing appeared on the holo comm. She wore a typical headdress and harness of women who saw a lot of battle. There was also the telltale lightsaber at her hip.
"Master Vinree. It is good to see you again." Said Aayla Secura.
Recognizing the woman before she spoke, Renia could never mistake another for her old friend. "Aayla," Ren replied with a soft smile of her own, glad at the very least it was a friend bothering her rather than the Council. "It's good to see you too."
"I wish these were better circumstances, but we have a crisis situation that transpired on Umbarra." Ayla cut to the chase immediately.
Ren took a deep breath, she should have ignored the call. "My Battalion is severely depleted Aayla, what can we possibly do that the 212th & 501st couldn't." Her voice was tired, it wouldn't take an empath like the Twi'lek to hear a lot was being left unsaid.
"It is not a battalion assignment, Renia." Aayla sighed, "just you and your chosen two assistants. Republic Intelligence is sending an investigator as well." The Twilek's stance remained rigid. "In absentia of General Skywalker, General Krell assumed command of the 501st during the operations on Umbara. General Krell has been killed." Then Aayla paused. "By Clone Captain Rex."
This was visibly hard to say for Aayla, as she herself had quite a close bond with her own Clone Commander Bly.
Krell! As crazy as the whole thing sounded, knowing that Krell was involved made it just that slightly bit believable.
Krell had always been a stern man, forceful and direct, even before the war. What Ren had seen on Agamar… the sheer number of Troopers lost and the destruction wrought by those that remained. Ren had watched as Krell ordered his men into the capital city, fires raged as people fled. Her battalion was supposed to support his attack, instead, she had to resist turning them on their own; to stop the madness. She barely remembered their argument, the first time in a long time she lost control. Had anyone walked into the command center she would have seemed the unhinged one, the danger. Something had been said, sabers were in hand… but the battle was over. The Separatist commander had surrendered, his militia scattered and the few remaining droids shutdown.
"Aayla, you know how this sounds," Ren said banishing those memories from her mind. "A Clone killing his Commanding Officer? And Rex of all clones?"
The Twi'lek nodded, "I know. It is impossible to believe, yet it has happened. Rex has submitted himself for disciplinary measures as have the other Clone Officers present at the time. ARC Trooper Fives, Clone Medic Kix, Clone Trooper Jesse, and Clone Trooper Dogma."
"Now I know this is wrong, Fives? I can't think of a Clone who's a straighter arrow," Except maybe Fox, but that's different. "There must be some kind of explanation, friendly fire."
"All the reports received, from Clone Troops and the subsequent arrival of General Kenobi's forces confirm. General Krell was shot by Clone Captain Rex." Ayla shook her head. "He mentioned the fall of the Republic, seeing it in Force visions and that he will side with a new power that is rising, one that will rip the Republic from the inside."
"Wait, new power?" What would make Krell so fearful to throw the Order to the side? "You're saying Krell betrayed the Republic?" Krell was a lot of things, reckless, hard, single-minded… but traitor? Then again neither was Rex and Obi-Wan was rarely wrong.
"That is what the reports say, but we won't know for certain until we investigate the matter. As a Jedi who has had prior dealings with General Krell, and the Clones in question yet were not present for the Operation, you have been selected, along with the Intelligence representative to conduct the investigation. The two of you may select two assistants, provided they meet the joint GAR/Jedi Council approval." Aayla sighed.
"Great, a joint operation." That wasn't good, joint work between the GAR and Jedi had become more and more contentious over the last few months of the war. What had once been a partnership had become more a relationship of convenience. Now there would be politics involved. "I'll leave Mina here, the Battalion needs a familiar presence right now. I'll bring my ARCs, they also know the Clones involved. Hopefully, they'll meet the GAR standards…"
"I almost hesitate to ask, who's the Intelligence representative?"
Aayla shook her head, "I was not told. I'm sorry, Renia." Another sigh, "pick your assistants and submit them to the relevant Councils with all haste. You must leave no later than a standard day."
"I understand Aayla, I'll be prepared." With a bow, the comm channel closed and Renia was left in the darkened room, her thoughts and emotions swirling around her like a tornado. Leaving the room darkened Ren made her way to the window, the stars twinkling in the background. Kneeling the before then, she opened herself to the Force, trying to find some measure of comfort and guidance in the empty expanse of space.