Chapter 29
The Box
SERENNO
Dooku's Palace
The Rogue Shadow flew down into the Courtyard where Count Dooku was waiting alongside various other ships Leo had never seen before. As the ship made its final descent Leo was forced to resort to piloting the ship with one hand, his other still burnt and rotting from Anakin's lightsaber. The cockpit had been filled with his crew, Turok and Proxy along with Oculus on Leo's chair. Including their three Bounty Hunter passengers Cade Bane, Moralo Eval and 'Rako Hardeen' the disguised Obi-Wan Kenobi.
"At long last." Eval said seeing Serenno from the air.
"I will convey my utmost respect for your aid to your Master my friend." Eval chortled from behind Leo, who ignored him.
When the ship landed everyone left to the already waiting Count.
"My Lord, apologized for the delay." Eval said coming up to the Count gave Eval a deadly glare "Moralo Eval, I am most displeased at this delay."
Eval shrunk back from the sight of the Sith Lord, who looked up at Bane, Hardeen and Leo approaching him. "Well done apprentice, and this must be the infamous Rako Hardeen."
"Yes, the sniper who killed Obi-Wan Kenobi, and I have also brought you-" "Cad Bane we meet again." Count Dooku interrupted dismissing Eval again.
"Look I'd love to stay and talk but this one owes me money." 'Hardeen' said towering over Eval, Bane got closer too "Me too, and we still haven't settled up for the last time Count." Bane growled.
The Count smiled "I assure you gentlemen you will be well compensated for your efforts, but should you decide and stay for our contest you will be greatly rewarded."
"I'm in if he is." Hardeen said, shooting Bane with a challenging look under his helmet.
"Very well, rest and recover here until the others arrive." The Count said before he looked behind them to Leo who had his left hand's wound, the smell of burnt flesh too pungent to ignore any longer "Apprentice, tend to that wound come find me afterwards."
Leo gaffe a bow "As you wish Master."
Leo had returned to his quarters inside the Count's palace, he was sitting on the edge of his bed. He'd taken the medical kit from the Rogue Shadow with Oculus wrapping up his hand after applying a full tank of bacta. The probe droid was using its two front arms to wrap his hand up before cutting the final end and stabling the thick bandages around his palm. Oculus asked Leo something in droid speak after Leo tested to see if the bandages were too tight for his hand to move, they weren't "No Ock, some things are much more painful."
The door to Leo's room suddenly burst open and someone entered "Ahsoka?" Leo asked seeing her in shock "Traitor!" She said before striking at him with both her lightsabers, Leo summoned him and caught her blades "Damnit Proxy!" Leo screamed seeing it was his training droid behind the disguise.
CORUSCANT
Jedi Temple
Anakin walked into the Masters meditation chamber, it was a small and modest room with windows on all sides often covered in blinds allowing for dim slits of light to pour into the chamber. Three meditation stools were positioned around the room for whoever could use them, waiting for the knight was Master Yoda who sat there legs crossed "Skywalker, sit will you?" Master Yoda.
"I'd rather stand Master." Anakin asked back, still upset.
"Wrong we were to deceive you of Kenobi's mission, see that now we do." Master Yoda said blatantly.
Anakin stiffened "I knew it, he is alive isn't it."
"For the sake of his mission, lie to you, we had to, wrong we were." Yoda added as Obi-Wan shook his head "But what if he's in danger, what if he needs our help?" Anakin asked.
"Trust you, Obi-Wan does, trust in him you must for the sake of his mission." Master Yoda explained.
Anakin shook his head furiously "But what if Dooku discovers him, what if Leo does and… he already knows?"
Master Yoda said nothing back to Anakin's query, "Does Leo know that Obi-Wan is undercover?"
"Skywalker, sit please." Master Yoda asked humbly to him.
Anakin took a spot across from him to brace himself to the truth "Long aware we have been to Kenobi's Padawan's struggle with the Dark Side, greater was our fear when we learned of what had happened to Master Krell."
"You mean when Leo killed him?" Anakin asked him "Read the reports have you?" Master Yoda asked him.
The young man looked soberly at him "The files were all damaged or erased before I could, but the clones said Leo was protecting them when Rex and he mutinied?" Anakin asked "Right they were to mutiny, destroy the files and records we did the turning of a Jedi Master to the enemy the Republic's legitimacy cannot afford." Master Yoda said, every word made Anakin's face sink lower and lower.
"But Leo… his eyes, I could see he had embraced the dark side?" Anakin asked, still confused.
Yoda did his best to clear up "Embraced the darkness he has, sought out a new master in Count Dooku we believe, otherwise says Kenobi."
"What do you mean?" Anakin asked.
"Trust his padawan Obi-wan does, a spy in Dooku's inner circle we have now posing as Count Dooku's apprentice." Yoda said.
Anakin rocketed to his feet "Master with all do respect, are you-!" Obi-Wan took a moment to compose himself remembering his Jedi training, he sat back down "Does the rest of the Council know of this conspiracy, what about Selene's murdered?" Anakin hissed in restraint.
"Know they do not, save for Masters Kenobi, Windu, myself and now you as well." Yoda told him as Anakin looked away at the floor squeezing his hands into a balled fist, his mechanical arm almost breaking his fingers "And Selene?"
"Faked her death, we did, hidden away on a Jedi retreat until recovered is she." Master Yoda said.
"Loyal to the Republic Kenobi says his padawan is, in search of an answer we have long sought, one that goes back to the day you joined the Order." Master Yoda told him getting Anakin's full attention
Anakin raised his brow "What do you mean?"
"Recall you do, the fate of Master Qui-Gon Jinn, close to him you were hmm?" Master Yoda inqueried this time "What does he have to do with all this?"
"Destroyed by a sith warrior, who was in turn slayed by Kenobi, at the funeral of our fallen spoke Master Windu and I did, who was destroyed apprentice, or Master." Master Yoda told him.
"So Leo has gone over to the Sith, to Dooku to find his Master and spy for us?" Anakin asked in summary "Spy for us yes, seek out this mysterious Sith Lord on his own he has, doubt their very existence we do." Master Yoda said before Anakin took a deep breath.
"Are we sure we can trust Leo, to return when the time comes?" Anakin asked him.
Yoda closed his eyes "Clouded in shadow, the future is uncertain of his destiny of Leo Rock are we."
"And if he should betray us, betray Obi-Wan to the Count?" Anakin asked "Then the fate of both your friends, sealed it is."
In another part of the temple, Ahsoka had entered into the Hall of a Thousand Fountains where she spied O-Mer and Barris sitting together by one of the fountain streams under the same tree that Leo and she used to relax under. It made her heart ache at the sight of the two of them reminding her of him, but she put the pain aside to show a strong face for her real friends. "Ahsoka, your back." Barriss said rising.
"I am, and sit Barriss I could use a break." Ahsoka said joining them by the water.
O-Mer looked at Barriss sideways then back at Ahsoka "When we heard you were gone, none of the Masters could tell us where so we had a bet going?"
"O-Mer no." Barriss whined "A bet?" Ahsoka asked, smirking "Okay, if I'm right Barriss has to jump off the top waterfall into the lake and she's right-" "O-Mer has to wear pink spotted robes for an entire cycle." Barriss giggled, Ahsoka cringed at the last one "Uh okay shoot."
"You first." Barriss told Jinx "You and your Master went into the underworld to go after arms dealers again." O-Mer almost shouted "Barriss?" Ahsoka asked.
"Senator Amidalla had been kidnapped again and needed to be rescued?" Barriss asked "Both wrong, the Supreme Chancellor sent us on a secret mission after the escaped prisoners from the riot a few days ago." Ahsoka told them, both Padawan groaned at the two of them being wrong.
Ahsoka couldn't help but giggle for neither of them winning "So if you're both wrong, does that mean I win?"
"Does it?" O-Mer asked Barriss who just replied by shoving him in the water with a loud splash.
SERENNO
Leo had departed his chamber and returned to the Count who was waiting in his office looking out the window where Leo saw a loading craft was dropping down a massive cube shaped complex in the courtyard. "My lord?" Leo asked.
"A magnificent structure is it not?" Count Dooku asked as his apprentice joined him "What is it?" Leo asked.
"Moralo Evals prized creation, the Box, the ultimate test of a Bounty Hunters skill can be measured within, it is where we shall see which of our contestants shall be seen as worthy we will need them if our plan is to succeed." Don't Dooku told him.
He looked at the large cube, it had no distinct shape to it with various lines of glowing blue magnets going up and down it, "A bounty hunter is no match for the force, allow me to enter the contest and prove it."
Count Dooku gave him a malicious smile "Your eagerness to prove yourself is noble my apprentice, but it is time you learn that the true power of a Sith is having others do your bidding and execute your plans." The Count told him as he faced the apprentice.
"And this plan of yours, you promised to reveal it to me if I proved myself?" Leo asked.
"Indeed, when you were younger you were part of a rescue of kidnapped Senator Padme Amidalla were you not?" Count Dooku asked walking over to his desk and fiddling with the controls "I was, back when i was still dumb of to be a Jedi." Leo.
"A most daring rescue it was, Cad Bane remarked upon your ferocity in dispatching many of his accomplices." Count Dooku said as he pulled up a star map that zoomed into Naboo, a planet that shared many bitter memories for Leo. The mere sight of the world in holographic form made Leo tense up "Naboo?" Leo asked.
"Yes, my spies inform me that the Supreme Chancellor will be attending their festival of light, tell me apprentice can you guess what our plan is?" Dooku asked.
Leo walked around the table thinking, looking at the Republic fleet outside it to strong for any single Separaitst fleet to break "The armada around it is to strong for an invasion and the Gungan army and the Naboo's alliance has never been stronger, you've hired a group of bounty hunters for a contest for something on Naboo, are you planning to assassinate the Supreme Chancellor? Leo asked him.
The Count frowned but something behind his eyes twinkled "Nothing so bold, whichever of our contestants survive the box will kidnap the supreme Chancellor and force him to sign a treaty assuring us victory in the war."
"A treaty?" Leo asked him.
"You're wondering why we don't assassinate him instead?" Count Dooku asked.
Leo took a step back and bowed "I would never question your wisdom Master, only your reasons?" Leo said, kneeling.
"Speak your mind apprentice?" Dooku's fingers reached up to stroke his beard "Among the Separatists and the Republic the Supreme Chancellor is your only equal in this war, but the Senate continues to grant him emergency powers without him the Republic would be in chaos, surely it would work to our advantage?" Leo asked him.
"Perhaps, but the death of their leader could turn him into a martyr pushing the Republic to the deadliest enemy the Sith have ever faced since our orders birth." Count Dooku told him "And that is?"
"Hope." Count Dooku said almost spitting it out in a hiss "Hope?" Leo asked looking up "Yes my apprentice, is is the one thing that a Sith Lord must know how to defeat, destroy, eradicate entirely within his enemies for when hope is all they have left then we truly see who our enemies are."
Count Dooku bid him to rise "Enough of lessons, it is time for our tournament."
Outside the Palace, Bane couldn't believe his eyes at the sea of bounty hunters gathered outside and one Ithorian in a very nice wide brimmed hat "That's a nice hat. Where'd you get it?"
The Ithorian responded with an apprehension grunt. Then he made a motion to grab for his blaster, but Cad Bane was quicker. But before either could fire a blast, their blasters flew out of their hands and were caught by Count Dooku and Leo.
"Please, Bane no deaths until you are inside the Box, now for some introductions." Count Dooku said as the twelve Bounty Hunters circled around the Count. "Kiera Swan, two time winner of the Obsidian Sphere. Derrown, simply nown as The Exterminator. Sixtat, The Outlands Butcher. Embo, whose bounty tallies were only second to one last season. Cad Bane who needs no introduction. Rako Hardeen, the marksman of Concord Dawn. Jakoli, known for never bringing anyone back alive. Onca and Budulga, the duo known as The Plague of Ithor. Twazzi, your acrobatics once earned you praise from Chancellor Valorum. Sinrich, inventor of the Holographic Disguise Matrix. Mantu, your people were once a peaceful race, how far you have fallen." At these words Mantu chuckled at the mention of the word peaceful.
"And our latest entry." Count Dooku said as Leo heard the sounds of scaled feet walking up behind them, "Turok Skell, a living legend returning to contest." Leo's eyes grew wide seeing Turok approach them "What are you doing?" Leo asked Turok.
"Do not be angry with him, my apprentice. It was I who asked Skell to partake in our contest, he accepted gleefully." Count Dooku said as Leo scowled at Turok.
But before the trandoshan could follow him Leo grabbed him and pulled him aside "Doesn't this interfere with your life debt?" He asked him.
Skell was quiet but looked at Leo attentively "Turok?" Leo asked him.
"I have to know…" the trandoshan said in a hushed voice looking at the Box "For stars sake know what?" Leo whispered at him.
Skell glared back at him "I-have-to-know." Leo could sense tension in Turok's voice in a way words failed, the two of them sharing a gaze that transcended both age, species and faith to one simple idea, the dedication to one's practice as hunter to warrior.
"Very well, now if you will all come with me I will lead you to The Box." Moralo Eval said gesturing for the hunters to follow him.
A droid came up with a cart bucket "Before you enter, you will surrender all weapons." Eval told them. Reluctantly but willingly the Bounty Hunters all gave up their weapons to Eval before they walked onto a lowered platform that when all of them were aboard lifted themselves into the box, so the game could begin.
Leo joined Eval and Count Dooku inside the control room where they saw a wide screen of monitors watching the hunters as they went in. Leo did his best to hide his uneasiness while on the inside of the box, Skell was beside Hardeen while it rose into the box. "Care to let me in on why you joined us?" Hardeen whispered to him under his helmet quiet enough so the microphones of the Box and the other contestants couldn't hear "Someone has too in here." Skell said with a wink.
The front wall came alive then, revealing a group of holoscreens revealing Moralo Eval's face "Before we begin our first challenge, let me say there is only one rule inside the Box." Eval said.
"There are no rules, the point my friends is to escape quickly because only the survivors will pass to the next challenge." Eval said before he vanished from view. .
The bounty hunters walked around the room when suddenly Sinrich by accident stepped onto one of the squares activating a trap, the center square opened up and thick green gas began to rise from the floor "Dioxis, you breath it you die." Hardeen shouted to everyone. Zalmger panicked, running to the edge of the room to try and put as much space between himself and the gas, tripping another trap a series of pillars randomly sprung up from the floor. "Every man for himself." One of the hunters yelled climbing onto a pillar kicking another off, one by one Hardeen, Skell and Bane climbed onto a pillar when one of them taller ones collided into the ceiling. It's occupier jumping off at the last second only to fall to his death into the gas.
Back in the control center Leo and Dooku watched Eval snicker at the death "What is the point of this exercise?"
"To weed out the meek from the strong, a form of forced natural selection my young friend." Eval told him.
Leo and Dooku watched the Bount hunter's bicker inside the tubes when suddenly Hardeen jumped into the gas "What's he doing?" Leo asked suddenly.
"Hmm Hardeen seems to have beaten your first test Eval?" The cameras changed to show the other bounty hunters following Hardeen into the hole in the floor and crawling through it.
Leo watched them enter into another chamber, minus some of their hunters "Well done my friends." Eval said into the microphone.
"This next test will see how well you do thinking on your feet." Eval said, the Sith watched the walls inside the Box blast out in more metal columns from the floor and walls and ceilings.
Rako and Skell looked around the chamber, Skell gave Hardeen a nudge and pointed to the exit up on the highest level "I see it, it's a pattern watch." Hardeen told the others before he started to leap across the bursting metal planks to get to the top and escape. Bane and Skell followed him like the others "Impressive wouldn't you say apprentice?" Count Dooku asked Leo.
"Perhaps. A child could solve this puzzle" Leo said, scratching his chin looking at Eval.
"My apprentice has doubts of your test Eval, and so do I?" Eval snarled under his breath before he started to enter in some more commands.
CORUSCANT
Padme Amidalla's Suite
Padme walked into her apartment with Threepio holding a series of boxes and bags with the latest fashion, when she walked in ahead of Threepio; the poor droid was practically falling over with all of the items he was carrying "Mistress Padme, might I ask why you need so many headdresses?"
"First impressions are imperative as a Senator Threepio, you should know-" She cut herself off when she walked into the living room to see Anakin brooding by the window unaware he was even there. "Threepio you can leave those at the door, and why don't you take the blue one back?"
Threepio dropped the bags and boxes "Ah yes, the blue one let me see hmmm."
With the droid distracted, Padme walked over to her husband "Annie?" She asked.
"About Obi-Wan, I can only imagine what you're going through." She said reaching for him, putting her hands on his arm and back resting her head on his shoulder.
He reached up and took her hand "I was… I was just thinking of what happens when it's my time, how Ahsoka will have to go through this."
"Well, how are you handling it?" Padme asked him.
"I'm still processing it all, Obi-Wan, gone." Anakin lied knowing the full truth, it wasn't a good look on him and Padme could tell something was up "What is it?" She asked.
"What do you mean?" He asked her.
Padme, still suspicious, batted her eyes "Anakin, I think I know you well enough to know there's something else on your mind."
Anakin pulled away "How can you say that, after… after Obi-Wan's death, he's been our friend for so long he's like a father to me-... was a father to me."
"And you see yourself like that to Ahsoka?" Padme asked him sitting down on one of the couches.
He turned around in a whirlwind "Wha— no" Anakin sighed heavily sitting down next to her "It's not like I'm her father I could never see myself like that it makes me feel so old, she's like a sister to me."
"You two do bicker like siblings sometimes, how's she taking it with first Leo's betrayal and now Obi-Wan's death have you had a chance to talk to her about it?" Padme asked.
Anakin shook his head "I've tried to come up with the best way to talk to her about it, about how as Jedi we're supposed to believe death is a natural part of life but after seeing so much of it, my mother, Qui-Gon now Obi-Wan part of me can't help but be afraid of it when there's still so much left to do?" Anakin explained.
"I think we all feel that sometimes." Padme said holding his hand again "I don't know if that's comforting but I know it's true."
"It is Padme, I just- I just wanted to tell you how much I love you." He said taking her face in his hand and kissing her.
SERENNO
The Box
Back on Serenno, the Sith were watching the final test of the contest Rako Hardeen versus Moralo Eval. After a long struggle, Rako had Eval at his mercy ready to end him at a seconds notice "What are you waiting for Hardeen to finish him?" Count Dooku asked him from the control watched Obi-Wan in disguise as Rako Hardeen swell with anger, something had been cracked inside Obi-Wan a deep disgust for everything Eval stood for. They'd lost half their numbers in the Box, this cruel test of death had been easy for Obi-Wan.
He tried to save as many as he could, despite them being Bounty Hunters their deaths were still unwarranted for such cruel ends. But like a true Jedi Master, Obi-Wan restrained his baser emotions and instead of submitting Eval to every torture he'd done to others and ending him, he withdrew.
"With all due respect to Count Dooku, I don't work for free." Hardeen aid getting up and picking up his helmet and walking back over to the others as the platform they were on lowered.
"Very well." Count Dooku said.
The Bounty Hunters walked forward "Congratulations to all our survivors, you have succeeded where others have failed. In doing so you shall be part of the most pivotal moment in Galactic history." He said while Leo stood behind him.
He had watched the entire fight, all the pointless deaths and his own Mater pushed to the near brink.
In front of him Count Dooku sat, his back turned and attention on the screens completely open. Leo saw there was an opportunity, he was alone with the Count who was sitting in Evals chair, in one simple gesture that's all it would take. He could draw his lightsaber and shove it right into the back of the chair, turning it's switch on igniting the crustal and killing Count Dooku. He and Obi-Wan could escape easily, capture the others if need be and return to Coruscant as heroes. The War would be over without Count Dooku, or would it be worse like the Count had said without the Chancellor. General Grievous would be in command of the army no doubt and the boggling politics between both Senators would be never ending but-but the war would be over and he'd never know if the Secret Sith Lord existed…. perhaps there was another way.
"You will be transported to Naboo for a secret mission to kidnap the Supreme Chancellor and the one to lead this mission, is Cad Bane." Count Dooku said.
Leo watched Bane walk out front and smile at the others before he turned off the monitor and stood up, when he saw Leo starring at him with such a look the Count cocked a brow "Apprentice?"
"Why did you choose Bane?" Leo asked him.
"Hmm?" Count Dooku asked walking past him "Rako Hardeen was the clear choice, he led them through the entire test?" Leo asked him.
"True but he failed the most important test, obedience to one's master." Count Dooku said, passing him by.
Leo didn't follow at first "If that is truly the most important test, then there's something I must tell you my lord."
"Oh?" Count Dooku asked "Rako Hardeen, is not who he says he is." Leo replied.
So glad I'm done with this chapter