I do not own Star Wars The Clone Wars.
Odette woke with sore muscles and a tingling across her skin. "Forgot how unpleasant stun bolts were."
"Better than a blaster knocked against your head." Odette heard Ashoka speak behind her. She tried to look over at her fellow jedi, but found her arms in the way. She was being suspended in a status field by her arms. "I see your negotiating paid off."
"I guess politics aren't my thing." Odette was distracted as Hondo entered her field of vision.
Hondo looked at the two jedi. "This reminds me of the first time I met you jedi. I had Skywalker and Kenobi in a similar position."
"You caught Master Skywalker?" Ahsoka asked in disbelief.
Odette paused as the information clicked in her mind. "These are the pirates hey keep running into?"
"One and the same." Ahsoka told her fellow jedi. "Now then, Hondo, let us go. The council will retaliate."
"Neither of you are in any position to be threatening." Hondo pointed between the two females.
"Then let us out of these restraints and we can negotiate." Odette tried to persuade the pirate as she had on the ship.
Hondo clicked his tongue in disappointment. "If I let you down, you will simply try to escape. You lost me my profit. Letting you go or allow you to escape will be losing me my profit, again!" He picked up one of Ashoka's sabers from a nearby table. "Now, if you were to say give me the crystals in your lightsabers, I could be persuaded to let you down."
"Not going to happen." Ahsoka responded immediately.
Hondo shrugged his shoulders. "Have it your way then." He turned to his men. "Let's celebrate!"
Odette looked around trying to spot her sabers or possibly Ahsoka's other saber, but she couldn't see them from her vantage point. She sighed as she simply hung from her binders. "Did the younglings get away?"
"Yes, but the hyperspace jump they made wasn't to anywhere far. They should still be in the area." Ahsoka didn't try to break free, she would nee her strength for later. "I hope they don't do anything reckless."
"Dad should be close enough for them to contact. Hopefully he can send Cody out to retrieve them." Odette tried to find a comfortable position. So long as they were going to be held here, she might as well meditate and prepare. She heard Ahsoka chuckle behind her. "What?"
"It's nothing. I've just never heard you call Master Kenobi 'dad'." Odette thought over Ahsoka's comment. She never did outwardly address obi-wan as her father.
"I guess I've needed felt comfortable calling him that in front of someone." The two quieted, not knowing how long it would be until their opportunity to escape would arrive. Or when help would arrive.
After a few hours Hondo returned with some men. Odette noted they were armed again. "So, what's changed?" Odette asked with a forced smile. "Did you miss our company?"
"Hondo, you know the republic won't pay a ransom for us. And the Separatists can't be trusted." Ahsoka argued.
"The Separatists and I are not on good terms." Hondo agreed. "For some unfathomable reason, the Count is crossed with me. Something about out last encounter offended him." He walked around the two as he spoke. "But it is not either of them I am looking at. There is a group of Mandalorians who seem rather interested in young female jedi. Almost as though they are looking for one."
Odette didn't doubt Death Watch would jump at the opportunity to get their hands on her. "You should be careful. Mandalorians hold honor above all else. Show any lack of honor and you're as good as dead."
"You have experience with Mandalorians?" Hondo asked the jedi. "You do look similar to that Duchess woman. Any relation perhaps? You should tell me, it'll make me more money." He let out a laugh along with his men. "Business can wait for now. There is entertainment coming. We must prepare!"
The pirates set about moving things, though they never stopped drinking or celebrating. Odette could feel a bit of dread settling into her stomach. She and Ahsoka needed to escape.
Eventually someone ran up to Hondo. The Pirate leader cheered loudly. "They're here! Bring the Jedi! They'll love to see this!" He laughed as he ordered his men to carry him out to the front.
Odette and Ahsoka were released from the stasis field. Neither of them had strength in their legs form lack of use. The pirates dragged them out to the front to watch whatever entertainment Hondo was waiting for. They were both forced to kneel and watch.
"May I present, the Animal Instincts." The entertainer announced before giving the stage to a group of children in costumes. Ahsoka and Odette shared a look as they both recognized the younglings in disguise.
The younglings began performing acrobatics as Hondo and his pirates laughed in enjoyment. After their stunt they asked Hondo to join them. To Odette's surprise the Pirate did in fact join the act. He stood on the plank of wood that the younglings had used to launch Petro into the air. Their gaze was drawn up to Byph who would obviously be the one to launch Hondo into the air.
Katooni snuck her way through the crowd towards the two captured Jedi. "You guys shouldn't be here." Ashoka scolded the young girl who had her arms full with four lightsabers.
"Don't worry, we have a plan." Katooni announced looking at the distracted crowd. She then looked up at Byph atop the ship that brought them to the stronghold. "I think."
Odette shook her head. "Ahsoka, I think we've corrupted these youngling with Skywalker energy." Their attention was drawn back to the fake act as Byph sent Hondo flying into the air and crashing into boxes. While the pirates were busy checking on their boss, Katooni freed the two from their binders and returned their sabers to them. "Let's go."
They ran towards the other younglings, then continued as a group. They needed tog et away form the pirates. It would have been best to remain undetected, but luck was not on their side. Soon he pirates were firing at them.
Odette and Ahsoka stepped between the younglings and the pirates. They ignited their blades and deflected blaster bolts back at the pirates. With the ship above them they had decent cover.
"Keep moving back." Odette told the yonglings as they continued to defend their front.
Dust picked up as the ship above them took off, leaving many animals from their act behind. Ahsoka looked around, hoping to find an exit. She spotted a tank directly behind them. "Get to the speeder." She ordered the younglings.
As a groups they retreated and covered each other until they reached the tank. Odette and Ahsoka stayed at the back to continue deflecting shots. "Get us out of here." Odette ordered to the younglings behind her.
The tank glided forward, leaving the pirate strong hold behind. The pirates scrambled to follow, but they had some distance between them at least. Odette and Ahsoka continued to watch in case the pirates caught up to them on speeder bikes or some other speeder or ship they had hidden somewhere.
Odette reached out with her sight to see ahead, but nothing was revealed to her. She supposed there was nothing to see then. That comforted her.
"How do you both feel?" Katooni asked gently.
Odette relaxed beside Ahsoka as she deactivated her sabers. "Better now." Ahsoka answered as she accepted a water canteen from the youngling.
"We should pretend to be angry, but you all were very brave." Odette looked around at the younglings with a smile.
"We disobeyed orders." Petro admitted.
"Well, yes." Ahsoka spoke up. "But if I learned one thing from my master, it's that sometimes to do the right thing you have to bend the rules a little." Odette nodded in agreement. "Let's get back to the ship. Hopefully we can get off this planet before Hondo catches up to us."
Odette made her way past the youngling towards the controls. "So, did you even try to contact someone before coming to rescue us?" She asked light heartedly, not trying to scold them.
"We got through to Master Kenobi." Zatt informed her. "He said he would send someone to get us, but they never came."
Ahsoka frowned. "That doesn't sound like Master Kenobi. Something must have happened."
"Let's just hope they don't bring the trouble here." Odette steered the tank towards the direction of their ship.
Their luck ran out as a tank came up behind them, gaining on them. "Everyone into the tank." Ahsoka ordered the younglings, knowing the pirates would starting firing on them soon. "Odette, think you can deflect shots from them?"
Odette looked at the turret on their own speeder. It would be a heavy round. "I could possibly stop it, but I would have to focus. Not to mention I might end up using the dark side."
"If it gets us out of this, I think the council will forgive you. If they hear about this from a youngling." Odette smiled as Ahsoka admitted she wouldn't be telling the council about this.
Odette took up the rear guard as she sent the younglings down into the tank. She watched as the speeder pursued them, gaining ground. As the pirates began firing on them, Odette reached out to try and stop or deflect the shots. The shots were being deflected a bit, but were getting closer to them.
Odette gritted her teeth as she pushed out with the force more. Why wasn't she able to do it? What was she lacking? 'Desire is the essence of the dark side.' She recalled the Son saying once. Odette closed her eyes and focused. She wanted to protect these kids. She wanted to give them the chance to escape. She wanted to show these pirates they messed with the wrong jedi.
She felt a chill run up her spine, she had found her desire. Odette reached out once more, stopped all the shots in their tracks. The pirates had to weave around the stationary shots, losing them ground. Odette let the blasts go once the pirates were passed them. All the shots missed and hit the rocks, but it lost the pirates more ground.
A ship flew overhead, it was the jedi ship. 'There's our rescue.' The ship came around, lowering it's ramp for them to board in motion. The youngling came up from inside the speeder, ready to get onto the ship. "Let it get closer." Odette told the younglings as the ship steadied itself. "Go!" Odette ordered once she thought it was close enough for them to make it.
Byph went first, grabbing onto Ganodi's hand to try and get up. The young Rodian was having some difficulty lifting the Ithorian youngling. Even with Gungi's help, the distance was still a bit too much.
Odette went over to help, but the speeder was firing on them again, forcing Odette to focus on the pirates. This time deflecting with her yellow and purple sabers. 'That's new.' Odette commented to herself as she sent shots back at the pirates.
"Brace yourselves!" Ahsoka called from the steering before they took a sharp turn to the right.
Odette took a knee to steady herself. She watched in worry as Gungi and Byph dangled off the ramp to the ship as it flew over a cliff and then a canyon. She hoped Ganodi would be able to hold onto them.
She turned her attention back to the pirates, feeling a familiar chill run up her spine. The pirates fired with their large turret. Odette swung with her red saber, sending the blast back at the pirates and nearly hitting them.
The ship came back around, the ramp coming up near the front of the speeder. Odette took a moment to look back and check to see if the younglings had gotten a hold of Gungi. Zatt had jumped up to grab the Wookiee and Katooni was holding onto Zatt.
Odette looked back to see the pirates take a shot at the ship's engine, rupturing it. "R2, get out of there!" She ordered the droid, knowing the ship was lost. "Everyone, let go! Jump down!" She ordered the younglings who followed her order.
Once R2 and Huyang were on the speeder Odette turned her attention back to the pirates. "Ahsoka, bank right!"Ahsoka turned the wheel, but the crashing ship hit their engines, sending them rolling to the right.
Everyone got tossed around the speeder and off the speeder. Odette shook her head as she pushed herself to her knees. She looked for her sabers, spotting them beside the feet of a pirate. "Nice try jedi, but it looks like you'll be coming with us."
She sent a glare at the pirates. She could kill them both and take their speeder, but they still didn't have a ship to get off the planet. But if they went with the pirates, they could take one of their ships. Odette got up with her hands up, showing her surrender. She hoped the others would follow her lead.
The others surrendered to the pirates and they were all bound and loaded onto the speeder. The trip back to the pirate stronghold was quiet. Mostly the jedi and younglings recovering from their crash. The pirates didn't seem too worried about being outnumbered by the jedi. They seemed to think they had the upper hand since the jedi were unarmed.
That all changed when the pirates pulled over, observing their own stronghold. "A bunch of droids? It's an invasion!" One of the pirates announced. "Those scraping droids are dismantling our ships."
Ahsoka and Odette shared a look. "Grievous?" Odette theorized.
"Most likely." Ahsoka confirmed. "And the fact that he is here with an invasion fleet means that Master Kenobi was most likely overrun. This entire system is now in separatist controlled space."
Odette hoped her father wasn't dead. The fact that she hadn't felt him join the force made her believe we was still alive somewhere.
"What should we do?" Katooni asked. "There's nowhere to run."
"You're not running anywhere." The pirate spoke up as he approached the group. "You're still my prisoner. Maybe i can trade you to the Separatist in exchange for my freedom."
"Not likely." Odette countered. "Grievous already controls the system and the planet. You hand us over to him, he'll kill us then kill you."
"We have a common enemy." Ahsoka looked between the two pirates. "Together we can get out of this. You must have another ship somewhere. You are pirates."
"Hondo's got a private fleet, but only he knows where the ships are." Odette ad Ahsoka shared a look, knowing neither of them were going to particularly like what was going to happen next.
Ahsoka looked over at the pirates. "Then we'll have to rescue him."
"We know Grievous, and we know droids, with our help you'll stand a better chance." Odette offered as a deal to the pirates.
The main pirate watched them for a moment before walking behind them. Two blaster shots went off, freeing Odette and Ahsoka from their binders. "You've got yourself a deal, jedi."
Sneaking into the pirate stronghold was not going to be easy. They had sent R2 and Huyang in with the tank to distract the droids, R2 had done it numerous times before. Meanwhile the rest of them snuck in using the scraped metal as cover.
"Really wish I had my armor." Odette complained under her breath. "I hate being squishy."
"Do it more often and it won't be as bad." Ahsoka teased her friend.
They snuck past the droids, their patrol pattern was easy to figure out. Getting through the door was also easy since there wasn't an actually door, just an entrance. The pirates led the way to the detention cells. Finding Hondo's cell was easy, it was the only one with droids standing guard.
Ahsoka and Odette rushed forward, each of them cutting down a guard droid. They opened the door and found Hondo being restrained in a stasis cell. "Jedi, I would have thought you would have made your escape by now."
"There were...complications." Odette explained. "But now we need to put aside our differences, or else we are all going to die here."
"I see you have gone back to negotiating." Hondo teased. "I knew you did not come back to save Hondo. No, no, you need something from me."
"A ship." Odette looked down at the youngling as Katooni spoke up. "To be specific."
"A ship?" Hondo spoke up. "A yes a ship, but where would we find one of those. My good friend General Grievous has destroyed all my ships."
"We know about your pirate fleet." Petro spoke up, calling the pirate on his lie.
"A fleet?" Hondo asked while looking at the other pirates in the room. "It seems one of my old friends has been talking too much." He sighed in defeat. "What does it matter? We will never make it. Grievous' army is too big!"
"Don't give up." Petro responded confidently. "We can fight."
"If I may sir?" Everyone turned to look at the armless droid in the room. "I have instructed younglings for over a thousand years, and these are among the best I have ever seen."
Hondo observed the children before him. "Well then, show me. Show me your swords tiny jedi. Show Hondo you are ready to fight." Odette smiled as each youngling ignited their saber. Until it reached Katooni. "And you child? Where is your saber?"
Katooni looked at the pieces to her lightsaber that lay in her hands. "I haven't finished it. I've done everything, but it just wont work."
Huyang bent down to speak to the youngling. "You must believe that the components that form your light saber are meant to be together. There is no other way. It is the Force that binds them."
Odette noticed Hondo about to speak. "Don't speak about something you don't know anything about."
"I was going to say nothing of the sort." Hondo defended before looking back at the young jedi. "Well, what are you waiting for? Finish it! Finish it! This is worth the price of a ship. To see the construction of a jedi lightsaber...this is- well this is priceless!" Odette was surprised how encouraging Hondo was. Perhaps this is how he got away with so much. "Finish it! And together we can defeat Grievous."
Katooni sat on the ground with the pieces of her lightsaber. She took a deep breath before closing her eyes and focusing on the force. The pieces lifted and spun, orientating themselves . "Amazing." Hondo cooed as Katooni worked. She reaches into her bet and took out her kyber crystal, adding it to the pieces before her. She focused and let the force guide her into finishing her saber. "Well done. Now cut me down little jedi! It's time to go."
Katooni cut through the emitter holding Hondo suspended in the air. Odette didn't think Hondo would be so quick to agree to help them, but it seemed they had found a weak spot on the pirate.
Ahsoka and Odette walked up to Hondo while the younglings congratulated Katooni on finishing her saber. "Why the show?" Ahsoka asked. "You didn't really have a choice. You know we have to work together."
Hondo pulled the front of his hat down to fix it's position. "You both know what we are about to attempt is very dangerous. And I may be a pirate, but I don't like the idea of taking children into battle."
"You didn't seem bothered like that when you attacked us." Ahsoka countered.
Hondo smiled as he turned to the two jedi. "That was a different day. And lucky for you, today I like children. Now, lets free the rest of my men." They followed Hondo out of the cell and down the hall, opening the rest of the cells in the area.
"Take out the droids, but don't stand your ground. Keep moving. Droids have a hard time hitting a moving target." Ahsoka told the younglings as they turned a corner and encountered a squad of droids. "Scatter!"
Odette ran straight for the control center, deflecting shots with her green saber. She found droids meaning the camera system and the controls. One was trying to call for help. Odette cut them all down before they could figure out how to call anyone. She then headed out to find other droids.
Odette came across Zatt and Petro tag teaming droids. One had a connected com. Odette stepped up to it and picked it up, giving the droid General a grin. "Hello again, General."
"The other Kenobi. I had wondered where you had gone after a wiped out your fleet." Grievous taunted the jedi. "Now I have best both you and your father. My victory will be complete once I add your sabers to my collection. Then I shall kill Kenobi with them."
"I wish you the best of luck with that General." Odette taunted the droid right back. "But as you can see I'm still alive after our last encounter. And it sounds like my father survived as well. It seems you are having a hard time killing any jedi." She chuckled as Grievous growled at her. "I'll be sure to pass on the message to my father next I see him." She hung up on the droid, rather pleased with herself.
"Kenobi is your father?" Odette looked over as Hondo stared at her in shock. "Why didn't you tell me!? Your father and I go way back!"
"Come on!" Ahsoka spoke up. "We should get moving. If Grievous is aware that we are escaping, he's going to bring the building down on us." They al nodded and headed for the front door. They found the droids firing on the building, and them.
Ahsoka and Odette rushed forward cutting down droids as they went. Odette spotted R2 and waved the others over to the waiting tank. The younglings joined them on the tank as R2 fired on the droids. Hondo and some pirates ok speeder bikes, leading the way. They soon left the droids behind, the droid's tanks were much too slow, but Grievous would not let them get away.
"Have you faced Grievous before?" Ahsoka asked Odette .
"Once on Dathomir, but I had Ventress and Son's help then." Odette hoped with Ahsoka she wouldn't need help from the Son, but Grievous was not an appointment to take lightly. "And even then, we lost that battle. Grievous will play dirty, like he always does."
Blaster bolts shot at them from behind, announcing Grievous' arrival. R2 maneuvered the speeder as best as he could in the confined space. He managed to avoid a speeder bike that got hit in front of them and falling rocks from above. Somewhere along the way they lost the other speeder bikes. They must have taken a turn somewhere.
"Looks like Grievous dislikes you more than Hondo." Ahsoka teased.
"I think he's attracted to the shiny things we have." Odette teased back as she ignited her green and blue sabers.
Grievous pulled up alongside them, splitting his arms in order to fight with two sabers and drive his speeder. Ahsoka and Odette attacked together, but Grievous pushed them back. His robotic arms certainly gave him the strength advantage. He easily leapt off of his bike and onto the tank, grabbing his remaining two sabers with a cackling laugh.
Ahsoka and Odette shared a look before attacking as one. Odette took his right side as Ahsoka fought his left. They managed to keep him occupied enough that his attention never moved to the younglings. Although they didn't have to fight him for long as R2 began weaving about, possibly trying to shake Grievous off. It got a bit too much as they climbed the side of the tunnel they were in, flipping over and cresting up onto the surface above. The impact knocked Grievous clean off the tank, along with everyone else.
Odette picked herself up, done with being tossed around like a leaf in a sandstorm. Luckily this time she had kept ahold of her lightsabers. She felt panic rise from Gungi as Grievous came crawling towards them on six limbs. She couldn't blame him, it scared her a bit.
She and Ahsoka stepped between Grievous and the Younglings as he stood up and ignited two of his blades. The younglings behind them ignited their blades. Grievous gave a chuckle. "So many lightsabers to add to my collection."
Odette smirked at Ahsoka. "Told you he likes shiny things." She and Ahsoka ignited their blades. "Well General, it appears you are a bit outnumbered."
"Surrender and we might not turn you into scrap metal." Ahsoka threatened.
Grievous laughed. "You both are nothing compared to Kenobi and Skywalker. You are children compared to your Masters."
"Takes one to know one." Odette jabbed back as she and Ahsoka adapted to defensive grips on their sabers. This would be a hard fight, especially with the younglings close by.
A humming behind them alerted them to something. Out of the corner of her eye, Odette could make a ship out. Then she heard Katooni shouting behind them. "Hurry! Come on!"
"Run." Ahsoka ordered without looking away form Grievous. "All of you run!" She ordered again. The younglings ran for the ship, leaving the Padawan and Knight to hold back Grievous.
Odette and Ahsoka held their ground as Grievous stalked towards them. The droid split his arms and ignited his third and fourth blades. Odette and Ahsoka ran at him, splitting apart to try and split his attention. The two were tired, but they had to hold him back long enough for the younglings to reach the ship. Then they could worry about escaping themselves.
Grievous fought against them easily, he had hardly expended any energy in the past few battles. He was ready for this fight. While the jedi seemed slow and tired. This would be easy to kill them. He grabbed the Mandalorian in his foot and tossed her into the Togruta, knocking them both down.
Odette pushed herself to her knees. Both she and Ahsoka were in no condition to take on Grievous. Perhaps she could with the Son's help, but Ahsoka had no extra help. "Ahsoka, go. I'm going to hold him back."
"You think you can come back?" Ahsoka was worried if her friend would lose herself to the dark side this time.
Odette held out her arm. "Count on it." Ahsoka smiled as she took her friend's arm.
White lightning crackled along their joined arm, building with each tendril of energy. Odette recognized the feeling, but didn't know what she was doing. "What's happening?" Ahsoka asked in worry. Grievous was getting closer.
Odette had a thought as she recalled old cadet drills. "Do you trust me?" Ahsoka gave her a nod. Odette offered her other hand, which ahsoka took without hesitation. A jolt of electricity hit her body as they completed a circuit. A bright flash and blast blinded the two for a moment.
Odette coughed as she gathered her senses. Her ears were ringing and her vision was blurry, but it was no different than a flash grenade. She grabbed onto Ahsoka and took off running towards the ship. Ahsoka regained her footing and ran with her. Once they were close to the edge of the cliff they jumped for the departing ship, landing on the ramp.
It was only once they were on the ship that Odette looked back to try and find Grievous. She spotted the general shouting at them. His body was scorched and he looked to be missing one entire arm, but he was very much alive.
Odette sat down once they got inside the ship and flew off. "What was that?" Katooni asked the two older jedi. "Was that some sort of force lightning? When do we learn that?"
Odette and Ahsoka shared a look. "We don't know what that was either." Ahsoka explained. "Force lightning is a Sith ability, however there are jedi who use a similar ability. Perhaps once you are older you can look into training to use such an ability." The youngling set about talking amongst themselves as the two jedi relaxed for the first time in a few days. "What was that?"
"I've used force lightning before through the Son's power, but this felt different. It felt...light? I can't explain it." Odette thought it through in her mind. Somehow she and Ahsoka had triggered a new ability, one she wasn't sure who's it was. "The Daughter used her power to revive you on Mortis. Do you think a piece of her power reacted to the Son's power inside me? Activating some kind of combined power?"
Ahsoka frowned. "I don't know." She looked up at the ceiling in thought. "I don't remember much about what happened on Mortis. I guess whatever happened to me erased those memories. Or maybe I've just forgotten them."
"Hello Jedi!" Hondo called from the cockpit. "I hate to interrupt your rest, but I'm going to need some frequency codes and clearance codes to contact your republic fleet to get you home."
"I got this." Ahsoka said as she slowly got to her feet and hobbled into the cockpit. Glad this was finally over.
Well that was long.
And this is not the last time we will see Hondo, or these younglings.
But possibly the last time I'll be throwing in canon plot. I kind of like going off on my own, but also basing it around the canon plot makes it easier to write. So it's kind of up in the air.
But it seems I'm on a writing streak.