PART 2: THE RAXUS GAMBIT
CHAPTER 4: THIS IS NOT THE DROID YOU WERE LOOKING FOR
Obi-Wan landed on the barren world of Hypori , the planet was near separatists space and was being colonized by the Zurrtati. Masters Tarr Seirr, and K'Kruhk had been asked to intercede by the Zurrtari and were dispatched to the system to Hypori to help calm tensions the Zurrtati were having internally. Obi-Wan had been sent to locate the two masters who had not made contact with the temple for several rotations. His arrival on the planet was surprisingly uneventful. There were no Zurrtati around, it bothered Obi-Wan how quiet the planet seemed to be. On reaching the settlement Obi-Wan found nothing but empty dwellings. Everywhere he looked the Zurrtati seemed to have abandoned the settlement. "This isn't good," Obi-Wan said to himself as he looked about the many small houses. A mound lying mostly behind a turn in one of the many hilly cliffs caught Obi-Wan's attention. Moving with caution Obi-Wan rounded the cliffs corner and paused. Closing his eyes and letting the grief exist for a moment, Obi-Wan let it pass on and then investigated into the two Jedi who lay slain.
Master Windu's brows furrowed, "killed?" he repeated to the miniature holo Obi-Wan.
"Yes masters, and… it appears at least Master K'Kruhk may have been killed with a light-saber." Master Yoda leaned forwards a little.
"A lightsaber you say?"
"Yes, they've been dead at least a week, and Masters there's no sign of the Zurrtari, I believe they've abandoned the settlement," Obi-Wan said.
"Look into this matter further you must, investigate into our friends death you will." Master Yoda closed his eyes and was silent for a long moment.
"Yes masters," Obi-Wan said, when he ended his transmission Obi-Wan began to look about. He found the battle field, and from what Obi-Wan saw it had been a terrible fight. He examined the strange clawed prints that were everywhere about the battle sight. Obi-Wan's attention was brought back to the horizon when he heard a tinny voice around the cliff corner saying "roger, roger."
Obi-Wan looked around the corner battle droids, like the ones he'd had seen on Naboo when he was a padawan, were moving about scavenging the area. "I don't see anything" one droid said as it kept its head down scanning the ground.
"The general wants that light-saber, keep looking," the other droid said, "Look there it is." The two droids picked up alight-saber and headed towards the distance where a transport was sitting.
Obi-Wan followed the droids quietly; whatever was going on these droids would lead him to it. "What are you doing all the way out here? you're not supposed to be around anymore?" Obi-Wan said quietly to himself as he followed the droids. Slipping onto the droids ship Obi-Wan found a quiet place in the cargo bay and waited to be taken with the droids to meet this general.
Starkiller waited in the black of space for 18 hours before the ship's sincere started beeping. "Looks like it's go time," Anakin said sitting up in the pilot's seat.
"Are you sure it's the transport?" Bail asked,
"Let's find out," Anakin said, flipping switches across the dash.
"I don't see anything?" Bail leaned forward to look out the view screen.
"That's because there's nothing beyond the view screen," Anakin said.
"What? But I thought…" Bail started; he wasn't playing with Mon's life, if something went wrong-
"Calm down, they will be in a moment," Asajj said, "Try not to alarm the passengers Anakin."
"Everybody ready?" Anakin asked.
"Ready for what?" Bail asked, his heart was tight as he waited for whatever was about to happen.
"Where going to jump right alongside them," Anakin said,
"And then away again just like that," Asajj gestured with one hand.
"You can't be serious; you're going to jump through hyperspace into the oncoming path of another ship, that's less than a parsec away?" Bail's eyebrows were raised incredulously; he hadn't really given the particular mechanics of this kind of boarding much thought.
"Yep," Anakin said and all further conversation about the matter was cut off as Anakin engaged the hyper-drive and a blink later they had dropped out of space into the path of a huge passenger ship.
Anakin maneuvered the Starkiller underneath the larger ship and started looking for a docking port.
"When we come in fast like that, they have a hard time picking us up if at all," Ahsoka said, turning around in her seat.
"Alright we've docked, Ahsoka get the airlock breaker," Anakin said.
"Already on it," she replied as she headed into the back of the ship. A few minutes later Bail stood in the airlock with the Starkiller's crew while Ahsoka cracked the locks on the other ship's port.
"I'll stand by for a quick getaway, don't be long," Asajj said before heading back to the cockpit.
Referencing a schematic map provided by Mina, Bail led the way to the detention level. It was quite on the ship as they took turn after turn and went down several levels, reaching the detention level they finally found where some of the security was. Standing in the hall were several battle droids. "Looks like we have some company," Ahsoka said, she placed a hand on one of her light-sabers.
"Let's take care of them," Anakin said, reaching for his blaster.
Bail already had his blaster in hand; taking aim he shot all four in quick succession. Ahsoka and Anakin looked at one another surprised at the senator for a moment. "Nice shot," Anakin said.
"Let's go," was Bail's response, "Mon's cells is supposed to be at the far end of the hall," the three moved quickly and opened the cell.
Mon was seated on a metal bench in the cell and looked up when the door opened. Seeing Bail she jumped to her feet and ran into the hall hissing "you shouldn't have, if we're discovered war could break out."
"Never mind," Bail said, turning with Mon and went back up the hall the way he had just come.
The droid ship Obi-Wan was aboard docked with another ship that had separatist's markings. It was clearly a war ship, which bothered Obi-Wan; it would seemed that the separatists were preparing for war.
As the rescuers came back up to the main level that led back to the docking port that Starkiller was attached to they had to duck down other halls to avoid stray patrols. All the small patrols were made of droids, and Anakin was beginning to believe that there were not any living beings on the ship, just mindless droids. They were half way back to the ship when an alarmed squeal came from a battle droid down one of the many side halls. "Intruders," the droids said and turning ran back up the hall before anyone could do anything. Alarms started going off and red lights started to flash as the blast doors started slamming down.
"Go!" Anakin yelled, throwing himself sideways, a moment later the blast doors slamming down along the hall cutting off all routes of escape. Bail and Mon charged forwards back along the way Bail had taken to the detention level and were cut off from the pirates who had gone down side halls to avoid the doors.
The two senators looked at the heavy doors in front of them and again behind, "well there's nothing for it, we're going to have to tray and hot wire them," Bail said.
"Bail you don't know anything about hot wiring," Mon said,
"It can't be that hard," Bail said,
"What about our friends?" Mon asked,
"For now they'll have to take care of themselves; here's my com, call the ship and ask the pilot if there's any help she might render?" Bail took the com from his belt and handed it to Mon.
Ahsoka was slowly cutting her way back into the hall where she had left Anakin and the two senators. She was about a fourth of the way through cutting herself a whole when suddenly she felt someone behind her and a prickling of danger. Ducking and turning at the same time Ahsoka felt the hiss of pure energy as if slashed into the door where her head had been a moment ago.
With a hacking cough a huge droid slashed down at her again. Ahsoka rolled between the towering legs into the other end of the hall, springing up she turned and met the next attack, blacking it with her sabers blade. It didn't take long for Ahsoka to realize that the droid was much more skilled in the light-saber then she was. It was the force that kept her from losing her head, and at the next opportunity she got Ahsoka ran down the hall adjacent to the one with the droid in it. She needed to put some space between them, and if she wasn't careful with the paths she chose she'd be trapping herself with the creature. A shiver went down Ahsoka's spine and she could feel the cold sweet on her neck. She had thought it was a droid at first but when she'd gotten close to it she'd realized that there was something alive inside the metal casing.
"Come back little Jedi, don't you want to fight?'' The creature's taunting call echoed in the halls after her. Right, left, two more rights, Ahsoka could only follow the path already cut open by the droid creatures saber back the way it had come. Another right and then nothing, just a solid blast door and Ahsoka felt her heart jump in fear. Running to the door she started cutting into it as quickly as she could, but it was a blast door and it was going to slow. A minute later the not droid creature had come into the hall with her.
Anakin felt Ahsoka's fear and took another left; he needed to find her, his own fear was bubbling to the top and he felt like he couldn't breathe. Anakin took another turn and found himself faced with a door. Igniting his light-saber, Anakin started cutting into the steel. It was taken so long, too long; Ahsoka's fear was a crescendo swirling around his own in the force. Something terrible was happening to his little apprentice, and he wasn't there and wasn't going to be able to get there quickly enough to help her. The space in the door Anakin was cutting gave way and he was through the whole to the next corridor. He could only go half way along it before another heavy blast door blocked his path and once again he was forced to stop his mad dash and take costly time in cutting a path once again.
Sweat beaded on his brow as Anakin pulled his blue blade through the door, kicking the piece he had cut into the next hall Anakin leapt through. He was getting closer to her, right, left, and another left. Anakin stopped and felt her behind the far door, but there was something else with her. Looking for a way through that didn't take time, Ahsoka needed him now ! Anakin saw the vent, using the force he pulled the cover off and sent it skittering along the hall. Jumping up he caught the edge of the duct and pulled himself through. A second later he was forcing the vent open on the other side, a much easier task then cutting through the huge door, and a brief second after that was done he was jumping down into the hall with Ahsoka.
A huge droid had Ahsoka by the neck with one of its feet and had her pinned against the wall choking the life out of her. The droid also had a light-saber and had pulled its arm back to take off her head. Anakin charged forwards and igniting his own light-saber he blacked the fettle blow. He felt the force of the hit jarring in his arms, throwing out one hand Anakin force shoved the thing away from Ahsoka with more power than he had been able to use in a long time. Ahsoka fell gasping to the floor a moment and Anakin put himself between her and the droid.
Grievous temporarily surprised when the other Jedi had shown up recovered quickly and went on the attack. A single leap covered the distance the man had thrown him back and he locked blades with the Jedi.
Anakin held off the attacks but he could tell the creature was better trained then he was. Anakin was getting pushed back, and was only narrowly avoiding losing his life, Ahsoka was pretty banged up but she jumped into help. It didn't matter though, the creature reached behind itself and took out another light-saber. Now wielding one in each hand, it was still making more and more headway against them. A series of powerful blows were laid down on Anakin's blade. The creature hit harder and harder, his next blow would have taken off Anakin's hand at the wrist if Ahsoka hadn't reached in with her blade at the last second and turned the burning energy upwards slashing into the droid creature's own cap. Instead the handle of the saber came down on Anakin's wrist; he didn't feel the pain as more than a dull sting. But he wasn't able to hold back the creature anymore with that hand.
Suddenly the blast doors opened and Obi-Wan stood in the hall on the other side. The Jedi didn't waste any time; razing one hand he shoved the droid-like creature back down the full length of the hall. The metal talons that had been gripping the deck making a terrible screeching sound and sending sparks everywhere as it went.
"This way." Obi-Wan called to the two pirates, they ran past him and Obi-Wan and the blast doors slammed down sealing the creature on the other side again.
Asajj had felt the fear of her companions, more fear then she had thought they might ever feel. She had left Starkiller at the call of the senators who had been trapped by the blast doors. Cutting her way through took time but when she reached the senators they were already three doors closer to her then they had reported. Bail had hotwired three of the doors successfully into opening.
"Where are Anakin and Ashoka?" Asajj asked in the closed off corridor.
"I don't know, we got separated," Bail said.
"There they are, blast them," came the tinny voice of a battle droid before any further conversation could take place.
Bail opened up fire on the droids and Asajj deflected back the bolts sent at them, un-strapping her blaster from her hip Asajj tossed it to Mon. The senator needed no instruction, she was not about to become a prisoner again. Fire was exchanged for several minutes before all the battle droids lay in pieces, Bail was an excellent shot and Asajj had no mercy.
"Quickly this way, back to the ship before they cut us off." Asajj didn't want to leave her crew lost somewhere in the massive war ship. But she also needed to make sure that they had a way off the ship. If she was cut off from Starkiller they all might find themselves in a cell adored the huge prison ship. They were met by two more small patrols on the way back to the Starkiller, when they did reach their ship Asajj went to the cockpit and tried raising her crew members on the com.
Anakin and Ahsoka were ragged and out of breath by the time they reached Starkiller . Not giving heed to the many dismembered droids they passed on the way there it took them a few seconds to seal the airlock doors of Starkiller . Obi-Wan left the pirates he had rescued in the hall and ran up to the cockpit saying to the pilot with much urgency "get us out of her now."
Asajj felt Anakin and Ahsoka's fear still radiating in the force they were on the ship, she detached and started making calculations for the jump to hyperspace.
The ship rocked a moment then gave a huge shutter as the prison ship's lazar cannons started firing on them.
Anakin came up to the front and took the co-pilot's seat and started helping Asajj with the ship. They were able to out maneuver most of the blasts but as they tried making the jump to light-speed their ship rattled and shook, and stood still.
"What's happening?" Mon asked from the back of the cockpit.
"Were caught in a tractor beam," Anakin said as he fought the tractor beam for control over Starkiller "everyone get strapped in now!" Anakin said as he ranched the yoke trying to keep Starkiller steady.
"What are you planning?" Obi-Wan asked from the back seat, he could see that the young pirate was losing control of the ship. They were still steadily moving back towards the docking bay like the open mow of the larger prison ship. He could also see that the pirate was physically tired after his fight with the droid creature, and was having a hard time with one of his wrists.
Flipped several switches Anakin said "hold on" and letting all the fuel go at once he flooded the ingénue and engaged the hyper-drive. Twisting the yoke violently to one side the craft lurched sideways and Anakin broke free of the tractor beam with a terrible rasping noise, punching the light-speed a second time, there was a horrible grinding sound and everything lurched into star lines and then came slamming back into focus a few moment latte with Statkiller complaining loudly.
"What did you do?" Ahsoka moaned as she saw every alarm Starkiller possessed light up on the dash.
"Using that move strips all the gears," Anakin said.
"Then why do it?" Bail was incredulous.
"Excuse me if I didn't want to stay on the prison ship and have another conversation with that thing." Anakin snapped and turning in his seat he rose and headed for Starkillers pit.
"Where out of fuel," Asajj said as she checked the readouts "Anakin get back up here." Asajj pulled on the yoke as Starkiller started to drift sideways.
A moment later Anakin was back, "what is it?" he asked but he didn't need Asajj to tell him he could see. They'd come out of hyper-space too close to the system they had jumped to, it was more than obvious they were within the most upper levels of the atmosphere now, and falling.