Chapter 23
Slaves of the Republic
ZYGERRIAN SYSTEM
Separaitst Fleet
A large fleet of Separaitst cruisers and a command ship was on guard in a key point of open space. The fleet had four Providence class cruisers and two Dreadnaughts, with a single command ship at its center. Squadrons of vulture droids flew around them in case of any surprise attack with others crouched on the hauls of ships walking the ramparts with their massive legs. Inside the command ship, the gigantic orb-like bridge with its ring hanger and propulsion system, a large section of the ship's center had been modified for Count Dooku, and his new apprentice. The room was filled with the trophies and great works of art from Kiros adorning the interior while the center had been kept open for training purposes.
"Form three." Count Dooku snapped as Leo raised his saber to guard Count then parry him, Leo attacked him using the third form of jedi training "Seven." Count Dooku said and again Leo switched.
"You're holding your lightsaber too tightly." Leo said hacking and swinging at him with the double bladed lightsaber "Now your holding it to-" Before he could disarm Leo, the boy raised his hand and the Count was knocked off the metal floor and back flipped before landing on his feet staring daggers at Leo who didn't advance despite a clear chance to do so. Leo held his lightsaber on guard before the Count rose and turned him off "Hmm, impressive you feigned poor form to distract me?"
Leo stood up straight two, keeping his lightsaber on though "Luring enemies into a false sense of confidence was one of the first things I learned in war Master." Leo replied.
"Indeed, I must say you are an improvement from that treacherous animal Savage Opress." Count Dooku said to him "Thank you Master, perhaps when he resurfaces I can bring him to you for his betrayal, and the witch Ventress." Leo offered as Leo looked over at some of their loot.
"Perhaps, but it is time for your next lesson in the ways of the Sith, the second line of the code, recit it." The Count ordered before kneeling.
Leo nodded at him "Through passion, I gain strength." Leo answered by taking a knee in front of his new teacher.
"Why is passion the path to strength?" The Count asked.
Leo looked at the floor thinking, the Count gave him a hard stare "First I'd have to consider what strength is."
Dooku's left silver eyebrow cocked "The colonists on Kiros, they had no martial skills to speak off, no warriors, not defenses yet they dedicated their passion to art and from it created a strength in beauty maybel?" Leo asked, looking at some of the stolen art.
"An interesting query apprentice, is that all?" The Count asked him.
His apprentice continued "Through passion I gain strength, whatever our passions are the more we pursue them, dedicate our lives to grow stronger as individuals, if a farmer's son dreams of becoming a poet but has to work fields like his forefather he will become bitter, resentment will twist his soul?" Leo asked him looking at the Count who gave a smile.
"The concept is there, but for Sith it is very different while the Jedi like Master Yoda or your former teacher Obi-Wan would have you reign in all emotions, refuse all pleasures of vice and flesh we Sith indulge in these things for what is the purpose of living if not to live?" The Count asked him holding his hand out, a chest of some kind started to rise and levitated over to them before setting down. Dooku opened it with the force to reveal a rack of bottles "Corellian wine, my spies indicated you had a pension for drink, most unusual for a padawan and most frowned upon by the jedi."
The Count summoned two glasses from across the room and filled them, never once touching the bottle, showing his master of the force but uncorking the bottle and pouring the two glasses in front of them, before he made one go to Leo the other to his own hand.
"Hmmm a fine vintage, wouldn't you agree, apprentice?" The Count asked.
Leo only stared at the Sith before looking at the wine sniffing it "It smells strong my lord… forgive me Master, is this part of our training?"
Count Dooku took an elegant sip not staining a silver hair on his beard "In part, we began this discussion over passion and how it unlocks strength now tell me as a student to his teacher, what is your passion that draws you to seek strength?"
Taking a drink to clear his head and not to be rude "I thought I knew once, but it was fools passion Master, the same way the colonists knew art and beauty was there's."
"Why do your thoughts dwell on those pathetic colonists, they are no threat to us only a means to an end." Count Dooku said.
"The Empire of the Sith." Leo said it out loud for the Count to smile and knod toasting to it "Slavery has been an essential part of the Sith Empires since the dawn of Naga Sadow."
"But what of the Confederacy's Parliament, how have you been able to hide this from them if they discovered what we did, you'd loose all credibility Master?" Leo asked him.
The Count shook his head brushing it off "I control all aspects of the Separaitst Alliance, the senate thinks its in charge much like the Republic, but nevermind politics we're discussing your passion and how it relates to strength?"
"Continue." Count Dooku ordered him to hold out an open hand for Leo to speak freely. "Yes Master, when I was younger, Master Yoda asked me why I craved power even though I still feel the fear he had when I told him why I trained the way I did, why I risked myself in so many battles not for the Republic or the Jedi even, well the whole order." Leo confessed to taking another drink.
Leo gazed down into the wine glass looking at his own reflection, he squeezed the glass before it shattered in his hand cutting his palm and mixing blood and wine together"My passion was to have power to I could protect those I once called friends, now I will seek power to make them pay for what they've done to us."
"Us?" Count Dooku asked him to give Leo a look "Yes my lord, you were one of the twelve Masters selected to be on the Jedi Council, last trained by Master Yoda even though the Masters called you enemy and Sith, behind their words I could sense a respect that could not easily be broken." Leo told him as he picked out pieces of glass from his hand.
"When you voiced your objections to the Council on how politics had corrupted the Order they ignored you, rejected your wisdom and had the courage to forsake the ignorant and forge your own path." Leo expressed as the Count listened to him "But I chose the Sith, would you not have called me traitor?" Count Dooku asked him.
Leo slightly shrugged and smiled "In my ignorance yes Master, but now I see that one cannot exist without the other, like the pyre's of cremation there must be fire to light and dark… a balance, a balance the Jedi have broken." Leo said. Dooku hid his surprise hearing Leo behind another sip of wine "Ineed."
Count Dooku set his wine glass down and stood up, Leo put his down too and stood as well "Come let us resume your training." Count Dooku ordered his lightsaber Leo drew and the duel resumed.
ZYGERRIA
The planet experienced success during the thousands of years the Zygerrians maintained their slave labor industry, but after the Jedi cracked down on the slaving operations, it faded from glory after their slave empire was broken by Jedi Knights of the old Republic. The planet was covered in plains, mesas and highlands that were ruled over by towering cities built on the broken backs of slaver whips. Unbeknownst to the slavers, a Zygerrian slaver ship was descending down to the planet below containing not slaves but Jedi.
The Jedi, Rex and Artoo came out of hyperspace near Zygerria using D'Nar's ship as a means of disguise. Obi-Wan, Anakin and Rex had all dressed up to look like slavers using Zygerrian helmets and armor hey found in the ship, Obi-Wan and Anakin had taken wearing the simple gilded leather breastplates while Rex had stripped out of his armor to wear a yellow tunic. They were gathered on the bridge awaiting Ahsoka who was getting changed in the back.
"Looks like Zygerria is a popular place these days." Anakin said as they were waved through the many ships orbiting the planet. "Whatever is happening is attracting plenty of high-class scum." Obi-Wan said taking note off the various yacht ships and pleasure crafts heading toward the planet's surface like them. The ships were all massive cargo haulers meant to carry large loads of cargo, that being people.
Anakin flew the ship towards some kind of palace and landed not too far away. "Let's just hope the information our spies gave us about the queen is accurate. Remember. I'll keep her occupied while you locate the missing people of Kiros." Anakin said as he, Obi-Wan and Rex slipped on slaver headgear.
"How do you plan on keeping the Queen occupied?" Obi-Wan asked him.
"With my magnetic charm, of course." Anakin replied with a smirk. "Oh, yes, of course." Obi-Wan sarcastically agreed. "Hold onto this, will you, buddy?" Anakin asked Artoo as he and Obi-Wan handed their sabers to the droid who hid them inside its dome.
"Remind me why, I'm the one playing the part of the slave?" Ahsoka asked the padawan was dressed in robes that covered all of her except her hands and eyes while underneath she was wearing something completely different, they walked own the ships ramp as they spoke. "I tried it once. I wasn't any good at it besides, the role of the master comes easily to me." he replied with a smirk and folded his arms.
Ahsoka rolled her eyes under her burqa "Really? Well this time try to be convincing at it." she said with some of her snippy attitude being heard.
The group walked through the gate and into the city, the Zygerrian city had high stone walls with ships flying in and out of the ports. Ahsoka watched the crowds of people in shackles shoved and pushed along by the slavers holding electro whips "How can a civilization this advanced, still practice slavery?" Ahsoka asked in a hushed voice.
"It makes them wealthy and powerful at the expense of others before the Hutts bought my mother, she was sold in a market just like this." Anakin said darkly.
They suddenly stopped when a Twi'lek slave fell to the ground a few feet in front of them and a Zygerrian walked up to him. "Get up, you useless skug!" The overseer ordered the Twi'lek. "Master, the bonds, they are too heavy." the man said in a weak voice. "Tell it to my whip!" he snarled, taking it out.
Without thinking Ahsoka stepped forward and caught his wrist before he could whip the man. "You don't want to do that." she growled with a glare. The Zygerrian deactivated the whip and ripped his wrist out of her grasp, he had reddish fur and armor to match, different then D'Nars but similar in model. "You dare touch me?!" he demanded before Anakin pushed past her stopping the slaver from turning his whip on her.
"Excuse my slave- friend. She's freshly caught." Anakin said with a fake smile. Two Zygerrian guards ran up behind the other Zygerrian.
"What have we here, you wear Zygerrian armour but you are not one of us who are you?" he asked, folding his arms. "I've come for an audience with the queen." the older Knight answered confidently. "Then you have an invitation? We can't just let anyone in, to speak with her majesty." The slaver said.
"No invitation, but I do bring news, the Queen will be eager to hear." Anakin replied. "I doubt that. You're nothing more than a brigand." he said noticing an observation droid in the backdrop by the palace gates they were outside of. "I wouldn't say that. Especially when the queen learns, you prevented her from hearing the news about Bruno Denturri." The slaver took a few steps towards Anakin and snarled before two more guards came up from behind Anakin and an observation droid stopped in front of the Zygerrian.
The droid approached Anakin "Halt! Cease all hostilities this man is to be escorted to the palace by order of the queen." the droid said. The Zygerrian said nothing and instead started walking towards the palace followed by the guards and Jedi in disguise. Meanwhile Rex and Obi-Wan walked off their disguises still working to let them blend in with the other guards "So what do we do now General?" Rex asked Obi-Wan.
"Now Rex, we find out where Governor Roshti is." Kenobi told him.
Anakin and Ahsoka along with Artoo the astromech droid and one Zygerrian walked up to the queen as three Kiros birds were with her on her throne. The Zygerrian Slaver Queen was a beauty unto herself, tall and slender with a gown of gold matching the golden metal work on her blue gown which clung to her frame. Unlike the male Zygerrians who appeared more bat the queen had the eyes and face of a cat staring down at a small pack of mice. The throne room was grand and carved of the same stone as the walls, but it was polished and scrubbed made to shine in the sunlight coming in front the windows behind her throne giving the queen a halo of light around her.
"Make sure all preparations are complete for this evening." The Queen ordered a Twi'lek girl before noticing Anakin and smiling down at the strapping man before her dressed in her people. "And fetch refreshments." she added with a grin, the slave girl bowed before leaving. "My queen. I present: Lars Quell." the slaver said before gesturing towards Anakin who stood in the middle of her throne room.
The queen turned her attention back to Anakin. "So, you're the man who claims to be acquainted with Bruno Denturri?" she asked him, Anakin took off the headgear revealing his flowing auburn hair, a trait that humans took care to show off like a peacock in a mating dance.
"Yes, your highness however he failed to mention your beauty." the Queen chuckled at the compliment
"Really? And did Bruno speak of my intense hatred of him?" she said as a look of anger crossed her face and the other Zygerrian suddenly drew his weapon pointing a blaster at Anakin.
"Or did that escape his memory as well?" she asked a Anakin barely even noticed the blaster in his face. Anakin pushed the end of the blaster away from his face. "He needed not speak of it, your majesty. In fact, Bruno Denturri will not be speaking. Ever again." he replied with an evil grin.
"What do you mean?" she asked with one eyebrow raised. "Bruno Denturri is dead, by my hand." he replied before gesturing to Ahsoka with a thunderous shout so anyone else in the palace could hear his boast. "Here is a slave from his palace compensation for my efforts." he said before taking the robes off her and grabbing her arm.
Ahsoka was dressed in a golden head dress with jewels on her lekku, golden bands on her arms and legs to match with a pale blue dress skirt and revealing top that showed over her young healthy body, her white markings on hear shoulders with matching blue sleeves that were the same fabric as her gown. She had a golden collar around her neck with green gems running down over her chest and around to her back, a matching belt with a single green gem held up her dress with two jewled sandals "Unhand me, brigand!" she snapped as best she could trying to show she was a slave princess of some kind, pulling her arm free. Anakin gave her a 'really?' look and she gave a small shrug.
The queen smiled and stood up walking down from her throne to take a better look at his 'slave'. "You impress me, Lars Quell. She's quite a prize." she said, walking towards them while the slave girls and other Zygerrians kneeled. Anakin placed a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder and she kneeled. "And you have defeated Bruno Denturri in battle, you must be quite the warrior." the Queen praised as the others stood back up and she inspected Ahsoka.
"The slave is certainly of fine stock. Bruno always knew how to choose a beautiful female." the Queen said, rubbing the back of her fingers on Ahsoka's shoulders. Ahsoka slapped her hand away and took a step back. "Don't you dare touch me." the padawan snapped, glaring at the Queen. The Zygerrian female took a step towards her and struck Ahsoka across the face.
"Though she will have to be processed." the Queen said before turning back to Anakin. "Her demeanour leaves much to be desired what is your price for her?" the Queen asked him.
Anakin bowed to the Queen hand on his chest the other out reached in his bow "With respect, how can I price the beauty of this slave, when I look upon the magnificence of your highness who's beauty would make the brightest star seem dull by comparison." he said with a smirk, earning an eye roll from his padawan and even Artoo.
"Lars Quell, you flatter me." she replied with a smile.
The knight rose up "No, your majesty. However-." he said before whispering in her ear. The Queen chuckled. "Lars, stop it, stop it!" she said, lightly smacking him on his armoured shoulder. "You are a bold one aren't you?" she asked.
"My reputation precedes me then," he said. "Perhaps we can find a way to put a price on your slave. Come, walk with me." she said, holding her arm out. Anakin wrapped his around it and the two walked towards the exit, followed by Ahsoka, Artoo and the other Zygerrian slaver.
SEPARAITST SPACE
Dooku's Fleet
Leo emerged into the command ship's hangar to find Turok and Oculus had torn the Jedi transport apart from bow to stern. Oculus was hovering over a hole in the ships haul where Leo could see parts and tools being tossed out left and right "What have you done to so much ship?" Leo asked the trandoshan.
Turok came out covered in grease wearing goggles, he'd lost his furred jacket and instead was now wearing a gray fatigues with the sleeves rolled up, something a Separaitst officer would wear as it bore the Confederate Shield on his shoulder. The fatigues were mostly ray with baggy pants and shoulder pads with white lines running down them "Looking for this." He said
Leo saw Turok throw something at him and he caught it, Leo recognized the small device in his hand as a locator beacon, a strong one "Tracking system, hmmm yeah that's Skywalkers handiwork right there."
"Took me a while to find it." Turok said sliding off the haul of the ship taking a rag to wipe his claws, "Connected right into the power converter, smart move removing it well… this ship ain't flying ever again." Turok said before he saw something over Leo's shoulder.
Count Dooku was approaching him from behind with two magna droids for guards "My lord." Leo said bowing.
"What seems to be the problem apprentice?" The Count asked him, Turok got one look at Dooku and bowed his head as well.
Leo held up the beacon "A tracker in my ship, one that led the Jedi to follow me to Yavin 4." Leo said holding it up.
"Hmm a trap of their own making after you dispatched that meddlesome Knight Selene." The Count said taking the device out of his hand "She was hardly worth the effort, her arrogance in thinking she could best me was her undoing." Leo replied proud of his recent victory.
The Count dropped the tracking device on the floor, before Oculus flew over and picked it up, taking it back over to Turok so the two Sith could speak. "Your companions, who are they?" Count Dooku asked looking at the droid and trandoshan.
Leo took a step aside "The droid is just a droid, it goes by Oculus an advanced probe droid given to me by the Jedi Council. I assure you I've scanned him multiple times, he has no spyware to speak of."
"Regardless it must be examined by our own droids." Count Dooku said as his magna guards came up and grabbed the droid "Of course my lord, this beast here is Turok Skell he has sworn a life debt to me and proven his worth by helping me escape from the Jedi." Leo said as the Count approached Turok looking at him.
The Count forced Turok's head up so he could look at him "Ah yes, you were sentenced to the pit in the Citadel after killing a Separaitst leader."
"It was good money." Turok growled tearing his head free, the Count then did the strangest thing he chuckled "I know, who do you think hired you, apprentice follow me your servant as well." Turok and Leo gave each other a glance and Leo held his hand up trying to get the trandoshan to calm down as they followed him.
Count Dooku led Leo and Turok down the command ships hangers passed droids and walkers moving across the haul "The death of a jedi, a former comrade no less deserves some recognition wouldn't you agree apprentice."
"Your teachings are all I require of your generosity Master." Leo said behind him "Even so, an apprentice of the Sith must be able to move through the galaxy to serve his Master unabridged, therefore- a gift." The Count Said as he gestured to a ship standing in the only untaken dock in the hanger.
The starship before Leo was unlike anything he'd ever seen, it was heavily modified a Siena's fleet systems model, it had an wide arrowhead mody with an opening in the middle for the cockpit at its center, the hyperdrive was located on the port side with two additional wings pointing forward, and one large on on the starboard side giving it a unique shape instead of a symmetrical designs most had. Leo's smile spread across his face as he walked toward the ship rubbing his hand on the cold metal "What's her name?" Leo asked.
"The ship is called the Rogue Shadow, it's former owners are no longer in need of it." Count Dooku said walking up beside him and handing him the code keys to it "Thank you my lord, I will put it to good use in destroying our enemies." Leo replied bowing respectfully to him.
Count Dooku put his hand on his shoulder "Indeed you shall, depart for Zygerria our spies have discovered that Skywalker and your old Master are plotting to rescue the colonists."
The Count said walking away, his apprentice still bowing, Leo's face was down but his eyes got a bit wider "As you command My lord."
"I trust facing your former colleagues will not deter your commitment to me?" Count Dooku asked "On the contrary my lord, you are too generous to offer me such a gift as to punish my old friends." Leo said, putting his hand on his lightsaber squeezing it, anger seething from him. The smell of fury in the force filled the Count's senses "I will join you shortly after you've captured or killed them." The Count said before leaving Leo to the ship.
ZYGERRIA
Back in Zygerria, Obi-Wan and Rex had infiltrated one of the slave quarters, the walls were painted with green and red, mixed in with yellow levels around dozens of pits filled with the enslaved. Rex and Obi-Wan went unnoticed by the other Zygerrian slavers around them. The large flying gecko mounts of the slavers stood perched on the walls around the pits for extra security "We need to find the colonists." Obi-Wan said to Rex. They walked past a pit with Tull children before Rex moved on looking inside another pit to see an elderly torgurtan.
"General over here sir." Rex called the Jedi.
Kenobi sprinted over and looked down into the hole "Keep watch." The jedi ordered before he dropped into the pit.
The sight of what the torgurtan thought was a Zygerrian slaver made him flinch looking at Obi-Wan, immediately Obi-Wan recognized him as the Kiros Governor, Roshti.
"Governor Roshti." Obi-Wan said seeing the torgurtan, but the old man curled up in the nearest corner "No, no, no, no-" "Governor its okay, I'm a friend."
"No, no- no." The governor said before he passed out from sheer fright, even after Obi-Wan removed his helmet the man was in sheer shock.
The Jedi cradled the old man close "I'm getting you out of here, now."
Obi-Wan picked him up over his shoulder and with the force leapt out of the pit near Rex, "We need a ride out of here." Obi-Wan said looking up to one of the walls seeing one of the slaves riding his brezak's. Using the force Obi-Wan did the same thing in the pit and jumped up twenty feet into the air landing on the back of the slavers mount. He kicked the slaver off the brezak and flew it down to Rex and Roshti. But all the sudden commotion drew the attention of one of the guards. When he saw them putting Roshti onto the brezaks back the guard started to approach what he thought were two overseers like himself.
"Hey, what are you doing with that slave?"
When they saw Obi-Wan in the armor and not a zygerrian overseer, Obi-Wan used the force to push them back before they could get off a single shot.
Obi-Wan and Rex fled from the pits to the nearest wall as guards began to fill the slave quarters, but before they could make the wall one of the guards aimed his blaster rifle and shot Obi-Wan in the back knocking him and Roshti off as Rex fled the scene as the guards surrounded Obi-Wan and Roshti.
Meanwhile Anakin and Ahsoka had stopped on the upper balcony with the Queen, and her guards, a Twi'lek girl brought two glasses of wine. "Slavery is the natural order of things." the Queen said as she and the Knight in disguise took a glass, it was the same twi'lek she'd ordered at her throne room to bring them refreshments, but something was off about her demeanor.
"The weak deserve nothing more than to kneel before the strong bound to our service. I will need men with your talents, to spread our ways across the galaxy." she said before the slave girl suddenly tried to assassinate her. Anakin grabbed the wrist holding the knife and disarmed her. "Let me go!" she demanded, pulling her wrist free and falling down as the Zygerrian aimed his rifle at her.
"You dare raise a hand against your master? Clearly you require further processing." the Queen said. "No! I won't go back there!" she protested, stepping to edge.
"Wait! stop!" Anakin said, as he rushed to stop her but the girl yelled before jumping off plummeting to her death.
"Such a waste; but perhaps she was more trouble than she's worth." the Queen sighed dismissively, inspecting her nails after sitting down. "But you Lars, you are proving quite resourceful very well, I will pay your price for this slave girl. It seems I am in need of a new servant." the Queen said, chuckling at the end looking to Anakin who bowed before presenting Ahsoka again.
"She is a gift to you, your highness." he replied. "You are a man of many surprises. It pleases me. I wish you to be my guest at the slave auction and to sit at my side." she said, offering her hand Anakin took it and helped her stand up and escort her to the auction. Up above in the sky however the Rogue Shadow descended down with its Captain and first mate. Leo was sitting in the copilot seat as Skell flew him directly toward the palace.
"So now we deal in slaves?" Turok asked Leo as he walked in, after he finished examining the interior of the ship.
Leo leaned on the chairs "Means to an end Turok, did you give the Zygerrians our transmission about the Jedi?" Leo asked.
"I did, looks like they already caught one too your old Master." Turok said, Leo squeezed the headrests of the chairs he was leaning on.
"I thought I wouldn't see him again, so soon." Leo said avoiding the lizards glare.
The trandoshan landed in a courtyard within the palace walls, "Wait here, when I get back I want to know everything about this ship and I mean, everything." Leo said pointing at small spot in the wall before he threw his hood over his head and walked out of the cockpit heading for the exit. Turok got up from the pilot seat and walked over to the panel opening it with his claws, beneath a sea of wires and computer chips Turok tore out a small listening device.
Leo walked out of the Rogue Shadow down a ramp of exhaust blowing behind him, as he approached by the red armored Zygerrian "Greetings I am Minister Atai Molec, emissary of the Queen, Count Dooku honors us by sending his new apprentice before his arrival Lord Rock." Molec said rising.
"Where is the prisoner?" Leo asked.
"We are holding him in a cell, the Queen has something special in mind for the treacherous Jedi at the slave auction." Molec told him before they started to make their way to the slave auction "He shall be whipped personally by the Queen in front of her guests." Molec said with a toothed smile.
Leo didn't share the sentiment "Three jedi for one whip, I hope the Queen doesn't tire herself out."
"Three Jedi?" Atati asked him to stop just short of the palace gates.
Rolling his eyes Leo held up three fingers "Has anyone unusual arrived here lately?" Leo asked him.
"Yes, a brigand by the name of Lars Quell, he offered a female slave to the Queen as a gift?" Molec told him.
"Did he have a scar under his eye and was the female a torgurtan?" He asked, Molec's eyes goth wide as they approached the palace "Yes, how did you know?"
Leo scoffed "They are Jedi, alert your Queen."
At the salve auction the Jedi, droid and queen were in her private area as they watched and listened to the announcer in the pit. The auction was being held in a large arena with high walls and boxes holding prominent figures from the outer rim territories ruled by power and greed, the sky's were clear and sunny shining down on civilization's original sin. The walls were beige with dark brown support beams, around the other boxes blue pillars held up the windows. As Anakin and Ahsoka joined the queen in her box, Rex had infiltrated the slave auction still in disguise as Zygerrian slaver, wearing their armor but Obi-Wan was nowhere to be seen. As the auction started to get underway an auctioneer walked out to the center of the arena to speak to the crowd "Your highness, Zygerrians, guests from a thousand worlds! Our auction begins, with slaves of unmatched quality and impressive quantity I give you, Togruta from the Kiros system." he announced before a door opened and the governor of Kiros, Roshti, was shoved out and walked towards the announcer his body weighed down heavy by chains.
"Oh, no..." Ahsoka said quietly, seeing the elder.
"This handsome sample represents a lot of numbering no less than fifty thousand beings. Note the compliance, virtually untrained in combat. There will be no rebellion from these slaves." he called out much to the crowd approval.
"So, where do you keep fifty thousand slaves, like the people of Kiros?" Anakin asked the Queen in her private box. Before she could answer, the Zygerrian from earlier walked and pushed Ahsoka aside. "Your majesty, I have urgent news." he said before whispering to her. Ahsoka moved over to stand by Anakin.
After the zygerrian in red armor spoke to the Queen, she looked over at him "All will be revealed in time." she replied to him before standing up and addressing the everyone surrounding the pit. "Before we begin the auction, I would welcome our most special guest, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Jedi Knight." she announced.
The two Jedi's eyes widened in surprise and Anakin moved closer to see. Obi-Wan was escorted by two guards, shackled and collared like an animal. He was met with gasps of fear and horror from slavers, the irony not lost on Obi-Wan.
"My friends, my good friends. Do not fear the Jedi; they are no different from others that we have forced into submission. For they have forsaken their ideals to serve a corrupt Senate every Jedi has become a slave to the Republic. The Jedi Order is weak and we will help break it." she said triumphantly before grabbing a whip and holding it out to Anakin.
"Teach the Jedi his place." she said. Anakin took and gave her a fake cruel smirk before exiting the room.
Ahsoka watched as a guard hit Obi-Wan and the man kneeled with his hands on his head as Anakin stepped up to him and the people started to cry out 'Whip the Jedi!'. Up above in a corner Leo was watching from the shadows arms crossed squeezing them in fists hearing the shouts of a scum.
In the yard Anakin walked up behind Obi-Wan "Looks like I have to rescue yo again old man." He taunted.
"I knew you'd have a plan." Obi-Wan whispered back to him, hands behind his head.
"Prove you are a slaver, swing that whip! Or die beside him." she commanded.
Anakin grumbled to himself "Those are some lousy options."
Anakin gave a subtle nod to Rex and the two younger Jedi before looking back at the queen. "You leave me no choice, highness." he said, giving her a mock bow and activating the whip. Anakin smirked and gave Artoo a two-finger salute. One of the droid's top compartments opened and it was ready to give Anakin his saber back. The Knight wrapped the whip around the guard's gun and pulled it away before Obi-Wan rolled forward and pushed him away with the force.
Artoo launched both of their sabers into the pit and Anakin caught both before activating his and tossing the other to Obi-Wan who did the same. "Guards, subdue them!" the Queen ordered pointing to both Jedi in the pit started deflecting while Rex took out the one near him before moving. Ahsoka took the Zygerrians by surprise and slammed him to the ground before she got her saber from Artoo and deflected both bolts from the guards in the room back at them.
"Ahsoka, the Queen!" Anakin said to the two youngest. Leo started to watch the Jedi resist with all their might, even saw Rex throw a grenade into some of the guards shooting up from the palacades before he was tackled down into the pit trying to flee. Anakin, Obi-Wan and Rex were going to be overrun soon and Ahsoka still had a slave collar on her.
Leo looked over in the Queen's box to see she had Ahsoka's lightsaber in his face "Looks like your slave empire is finished, again." Ahsoka said with a smirk, holding her saber to the Queen's neck. "Get that thing out of my face, you little skug!" she demanded before pressing a button on her chair. Ahsoka cried out in pain as the collar shocked her before falling to the ground unconscious, Leo grabbed one of the pillars hearing her scream and the other on his lightsaber. Every fiber of his being told him to join in the battle, to either jump into the pit and attack the overseers with whips who had already taken Rex to his knees. His master's screams when electro whips coiled around him made him want to take the Queen's head right then in there, soon only Anakin was left standing swinging a whip around like a flail while beating back the other whips with one arm, clutching his lightsaber.
Then his lightsaber was locked from his hands, the whips piled onto him electrocuting him but despite the immense pain Anakin fought on trying to break free. Before even the great Anakin Skywalker's mighty strength gave out, Anakin fell over in the center of the arena face down, defeated.
Leo looked at all four of his friends, then over to the Queen who appeared to be thinking. Suddenly the arena was filled with chants and cries "Kill them, KILL THEM, KILL, KILL, KILL, KILL."
The Queen heard her subjects and guests before she raised her hand "Silence!" She bellowed to the crowd.
"We will not Kill the jedi, death would be a mercy for these dogs instead we shall show them the volley of their actions and make them our newest slaves." She said to the audience, her command was met with resounding boos and disapproval's and the Zygerrian Queen didn't seem to care "Enough, I have spoken the auction is concluded!" She thundered.
Suddenly her guards started to push and shove all the dignitaries and buyers out of the auction when one of the guards came over to LEo and grabbed his shoulder "You two-" "GRAH!" Leo tore out his lightsaber and cut the mans head off in one swing getting the Queen's attention.
Before the guards could rush him "No not him, he is Count Dooku's emissary." The Queen ordered and her men backed off "You come here." Leo pushed through the other guards forcefully before he made his way to the Queens box. When he entered, two guards were already dragging Ahsoka's body away and starting to take the others out of the auction yard too.
"I must thank you my lord, without your timely arrival my Empire might have fallen today." The Queen said her eyes glued to the unconscious Skywalker "Guards, bring Skywalker to my chambers." She ordered before turning to look at Leo.
"What will you do with them?" Leo asked watching them take away his old Master and friends.
The Queen smiled "As I said, I will turn them into our newest slaves, when the Republic sees how we have broken them it will stand as a testament to our power." She said smiling when Atai came too.
"My Queen, are you alright?" He asked rubbing his head "Fret naught Molec, all is well how is your arm."
"Think nothing of it my Queen." Molec said his head bowed low "I do, when Skywalker is broken you may take the female as your own, a reward for your services today." She said.
Leo grimaced hearing the what would happen to Ahsoka "You disagree Lord Rock?" She asked him.
Looking from the zygerrian male to his Queen Leo answered "My master, Count Dooku would want you to kill them and from the sounds of half your Kingdom so do they." Leo said walking up to stand next to the queen, He was at even height with her despite his youth.
The Queen rolled her eyes "It matters not what they think, I am Queen here, I rule Zygerria."
"You rule through the goodwill of my Master." Leo said suddenly, the Queen spun around about to strike him but Leo caught her arm, much like how Ahsoka caught Atai's in the market. "Do not forget your highness, it was by the grace of Count Dooku you acquired the slaves you have now. Make no mistake when the Count arrives he will be most displeased. I hope your argument on breaking the Jedi will satisfy him." Leo said letting her go.
The Queen looked into Leo's smoldering sith eyes, the yellow and red in his pupils burning into her in a way the Queen had never felt before, fear. For so long she had been the deadliest animal in the jungle and now something far worse now stood before her. "Very well, we will await the Count and you… shall pay for this insolence when I tell him of how you treated me." The Queen said before she started to leave.
"Where will Kenobi and the clone go?" Leo asked before she could "Kadavo, we will process them there."
The Zygerrians left Leo in the box alone before he took out a communicator and turned it on to reveal Turok "So how'd it go?"
"My old Master and my friends have been captured, will the Count be pleased and you?" Leo asked the hologram of the trandoshan.
Hissing Turok answered him "Eighteen listening devices in all, even in the shower this Count Dooku's paranoid I'll give em that." Turok answered.
"With any luck he will trust me now as his apprentice, delivering Skywalker and the others to him will ensure my loyalty is beyond question." Leo said confidently.
Turok shrugged again "You're playing a dangerous game Rock."
Leo cocked his brow "So are all games that deal in power, now I need contact with the Count, keep the ship ready in case anything happens."
Cutting off the transmission to the Rogue Shadow, Leo waited a few moments until a hologram of Count Dooku appeared before him "Apprentice, report?"
"Master Kenob and Skywalker have been captured by my lord; however the Queen refused to kill them, she insists on breaking the Jedi into slaves." Leo told him.
The Count put his hands on his hips "Curious, the will of a Jedi is not so easily broken."
"No my lord, shall I end the Queen's reign now?" Leo asked him.
Dooku shook his head "No, I will arrive shortly to deal with her personally in the meantime we shall look for another to replace the Queen if she doesn't comply." The Count told him "By your will my Master." He replied coldly.
"Hmm again I sense you have more to say?" Count Dooku asked him "Better spoken when you arrive Master, it's weighed on my mind heavily since becoming your student." Leo told him, the Count didn't care for the response of not getting a straight answer but seemed satisfied enough to end the a few moments of silence Leo got onto the boxes railing and climbed up the pillars, till he reached the roof of the auction house. Running over the rooftops jumping over city gaps Leo landed on a corner and looked down to see Rex, Roshti Obi-Wanbeing dragged through the city streets. Following along the rooftops he arrived at the city docks, where they were loaded onto a large transport ship that would take them to Kadavo.
Later, Leo was standing in the palace overlooking the city alone when he saw Atai Molec walking around the palace walls. Leo slowly followed him before he saw what he was up to. The slaver was there to make sure Ahsoka was still in her cage. It was suspended above the palace and city walls giving her a view of the Zygerrian slave empire, Ahsoka was mediating in her cage having awoken from her slumber only to be interrupted by Molec "The Queen has promised once the other Jedi has been tamed, you will be mine, little skug." Atai said as she meditated in her cage. Ahsoka waved her hand and he almost fell off before Leo caught his hand and pulled him back up.
"You better hope that doesn't happen." she said. Atai grabbed the remote off his belt and pressed the button. Ahsoka cried out in pain as she was shocked. Atai let up for a moment and she panted quickly before he pressed again.
Ahsoka screamed in agony as Atai sadistically enjoyed every second of it, Leo watched the torture continue before turning away to leave.
Down below Atai continued his torture of Ahsoka before suddenly he found his hand suddenly not working, Atati looked up to see Leo behind him holding his hand out stopping Molec from pressing the shock button again "What it's he meaning of this?" Molec demanded, the sudden reprieve from torture got Ahsoka looking up at them, when she saw Leo dressed in all black her eyes got wide.
"She's not going anywhere, torturing her won't change that." Leo said cold letting Molec's arm go.
"You dare to instruct me in matters of discipline, my slave?" Atai growled standing face to face with Leo, clearly the man didn't have as such a weak spine as the Queen with how close he dared to get. Molec reached for his blaster and Leo barely noticed it like when Anakin did in the palace "You disagree with the Queen's willingness to let the Jedi live?" Leo asked him.
Atai's disposition changed "It matters not what I think, she is the Queen."
"I don't care much for Kings or Queens, I've always found elected officials to be more efficient such as… Prime Ministers?" Leo asked him.
Atai and Leo looked at one another "And the Count approves of elected officials?"
"I approves those who are loyal." Leo told him "Hmm very well." Atai said before he left the palace roof, leaving Leo and Ahsoka alone.
Leo waited till Molec was completely gone before he looked down at his friend in the cage "Are you alright?" He asked.
"What do you care about, traitor?" She hissed back, pressing her hands up to her chest arms around them. He knelt down over the ledge and looked at her back "I care because I wasn't honest about myself before I left Ahsoka."
"Honesty huh?" She asked turning around and grabbing at the bars around her cage to look him in the face "Then why don't you tell me, honestly, to my face why did you betray the Jedi?"
Scowling at her "The Jedi- betrayed me, after everything we've been through you actually think I'd turn on the jedi without a reason?" Leo asked her "Hmm did they tell you how Krell pitted the clones against each other, how he tried to kill Rex?" Leo asked her.
Ahsoka looked away squeezing the cage bars "I doubt it, you put too much faith in the Masters Ahsoka, well I've found a new Master." He said looking away.
Her head snapped back "I've noticed, tell how does it feel to enslave an entire people- my people!"
"Your people?" Leo asked spinning around "Yes, torgurtans."
"Torgurtans- heh… heh Hahahahah!" Leo suddenly burst out laughing "What are you laughing at?" She asked scornfully.
"Name one other torgurtan you've met besides Master Shaak ti?" Leo asked her walking past her cage "You weren't even born on Kiros, you're from Shili?" Leo asked her.
She looked up at him and said, "It doesn't matter, they're still my people and you enslaved them."
Leo didn't answer it at first, only when she looked back to see him looking over the city "I did… I committed the worst sin a sentient being could ever commit, I've stolen the right to live from another person, turned them into property for greed." He said, squeezing his fists till they trembled "Just like the jedi did to us."
Ahsoka's eyes rehardened "The jedi didn't enslave us?"
"Really, didn't they?" He asked pacing to the other side of her cage "Stole us from our families, our homes, our very people. Trained to do as we're told, to think like them be like them with no thought for our own well being but the Republic?" Leo asked, twisting the jedi order in Ahsoka's mind "It's like the Queen said, the Jedi are slaves to a corrupt Senate." He said holding his hands up "And you'll help break it?"
Leo looked down at her cage "Like Selene said before I killed her, I will do what I must."