Chapter 11
Bound for Rescue
FLORRUM
Leo finished off the last bandage around his leg, he'd wrapped up part of his torso and both forearms, in addition he'd added a layer of wrapping round his forehead to patch up the cut Ahsoka had made on his eye after she discovered the contact lenses.
He was sitting in the pilot chair next to Ganodi while the younglings worked around the ship trying to fix it, Ganodi looked at Leo as he cut the bandage with his teeth and tightened it as best he could.
"Padawan sure beat the crud out of you?" she said, Leo gave her a sideways look and her head shot forward as they came out of hyperspace. The ships declining speed brought the rest of the future Padawans to the bridge to see the brown ball of dirt before them.
"Florrum." Ganodi said as they entered the room. "Guess we're in the right place." Katooni said while the ship swooped down to the planet's upper atmosphere. Leo took over from the young Rodian girl when he saw Proxy and Oculus fly into the ship, the probe landed on Leo's wrapped up shoulder causing him a slight bit of pain, but he ignored it.
He turned to Proxy "How's the ship?" he asked.
"Severely damaged Master, but the tholothians work is impressive for a biological." the droid calculated.
"My name is Zatt." the tail head snipped "Is it, I don't care." the droid replied.
He gave the droid another look "Detach the Rogue Shadow before we land, have it on standby in case this ship can't get off the ground." Leo ordered.
The droid nodded "Yes Master." before landing the ship before the group made their way to the training room, the Rogue Shadow following closely behind.
"Artoo, finish fixing Huyang while the rest of us head out." he ordered, earning an affirmative beep and a few more squeaks.
He patted the droids head "I don't know, I'll try." Leo said "What's he saying?" Katooni asked not understanding the droid "The droids asking if we're going to get Padawan Tano back or not?" Zatt said.
Leo walked over to the training room looking at a few of the lightsaber models hanging on the wall, he started to reach for one but stopped just short of touching it when Huyang spoke "The sabers will do you no good, they have no crystals to ignite them."
"All the same." Lowering his arm he looked back at the younglings and droids "Younglings keep working on the ship, I'll be back soon." he said leaving the training room to the hallways.
Occuls was there waiting on a pile of weapons left by the pirates, an old zygerrian blaster rifle on the floor, a Weequay scythe axe and blaster pistol, a DX-13 with a slightly rusted tip.
"Thanks Ock." he told the droid picking up the weapons, he tossed the rifle over his back and stuck the pistol in his belt when he saw the younglings behind him "What are you doing?"
Petro put his hands on his hips "What's it look like we're coming with you."
His left brow rose up and he tucked his lip "Yeah, no, you'd just slow me down." he told them when he felt one of his wounds reopen, he quickly pressed his hand against the bandage feeling the blood seeping between the fold of the wrapping.
"You can barely stand, what hope do you have of saving Padawan Tano?" Katooni asked him while he kept walking.
He took his hand off and looked at the blood. "A wounded animal is always more dangerous than a docile one." He said catching himself on the support of the loading ramps hydraulic beam, he focused on the pain before gritting his teeth his eyes opened and Leo could feel the green of his iris' burn gold "... no." he whispered "I won't." he said to himself under his breath not focusing on the pain, not being a Sith, not again.
"We're coming with you, and its not a request." Petro said walking past him "Try to keep up."
Leo rolled his eyes "Wait." He called out stopping them.
"I may be dating myself with this question, but do any of you have any flight experience?" He asked.
Ganodi raised her hand slowly when no one else did.
"Rodian, what's your name?," he addressed the youngling. "G-ganodi?" she asked/answered.
"You're staying with the ship, I need someone to direct Proxy and Oculus with the repairs." he answered, she looked back at the others and Petro gave her a confirming nod.
"Oh… Okay." she said, looking a bit down.
As Gandoi returned to the ship the younglings reached the bottom of the ramp, Katooni took a look through her macrobinoculars. "I don't see anything. There's no one." she said, scanning the area in front of them.
"Are we sure we even landed near their base?" she asked, still looking around.
Well, we couldn't land too close, could we?" Petro rhetorically asked her.
"My scanner's indicating a strong power source that way." Zatt said, pointing ahead of them. "It must be their base." he added.
"How are we going to get inside and find Ahsoka?" Katooni asked Leo, looking suddenly at Leo.
He took her binoculars and looked out scanning the horizon "My Ma- my former Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi told me a story of how he and another Jedi escaped from Hondo's fortress?"
"I'll use the same way to get in and get out with her." He said dropping the binoculars in his hands.
Byph buzzed something in his language while pointing ahead and starting to walk. "Byph is right. We better start moving,." Petro said as the group followed the white haired warrior.
The party walked in silence for a long time, everyone looking at Leo's back while he walked ahead of them. It was Petro in front with Zatt beside him, Katooni following closely behind, both Byph and Gungi were bringing up the rear. Katooni walked up to Petro and whispered something to him "Are you nuts?"
"Just ask him." She pushed.
"No you." Petro said back.
"I can hear you." Leo said loudly from the front.
The younglings nearly went white when he spoke "What is it?" He asked.
"Nothing." Katooni squeaked "Good, keep it that way." He told them.
Silence resumed an-"Did you really fight off a hundred Geonosian warriors?" Petro blurted out.
Leo grumbled "Yes."
"And you fought off two Sith Assassins alone after surviving a ship crash?" Zatt asked him.
Leo sighed, remembering both horrible memories "Yes."
He kept walking when Byph spoke up with his own question "That's right, I heard you led an army of criminals in the Citadel."
"Doesn't really matter now, most of them died." Leo added "But I heard two escaped with you, a trandoshan who swore a life debt and a commander Dylan?" Petro asked him.
"It's Dallin and yes." Leo answered.
The younglings continued their inquiry "Where's the trandoshan, I thought life debts were like… for life?" Zatt asked looking to Gungi who nodded
"A trandoshan life debt's different then a wookiee, once the debtors life has been saved so has the sworn repaid his debt, so his service ended." Leo explained to them "And Dallin?" Petro asked.
Leo's mind could see Jace Dallins scared but stoic face like it was yesterday, "He returned to Rendili soon after."
"Rendili, oh I'm sorry." Petro said, scratching his wrist.
Leo stopped and turned around "About what?"
"Oh uh, Rendili erupted into Civil War eight cycles ago, the planet was split between the Republic and the Separatists." he reported, Leo's eyes fell to the dirt "Hmmm I wonder which side he chose." he said before turning around.
When the group stopped Byph checked ahead of them with macrobinoculars. After a few seconds of scanning the young Ithorian clacked excitedly as he pointed ahead. "A ship? What kind?" Petro asked as walking around Leo who was still deep in thought.
"The side of the ship says 'Preigo's Traveling World of Wonder.'" the Knight said, mentally groaning.
"They're a traveling carnival act." the human youngling said in excitement.
Leo's head snapped up hearing that, his mind went straight to the vacation he and Ahsoka took years ago, "You've got to be kidding."
The six of them stood on the path the ship was moving towards before stopping about 40ft from them. The ship was a heavily modified ground transport that had hove repulsors on the side and various lights strung across the top of the ship making it easy to spot. Leo noticed the troupe was much smaller then the last time he had seen it on Telerath seeing it as a padawan "I've got an idea, follow my lead." Leo said rushing up.
The group made their way towards the ship before Leo saw a familiar face, wearly a gilded burgundy jacket of his kind the Dug had long curly mustache sprouting from the end of his nose. When the ship came to a stop the Dug popped his head out of the driver's seat and the younglings addressed the Dug who seemed to be in charge. "Excuse me. Are we to understand you were on your way to the pirate stronghold?" Leo asked.
"Yes, what's it to you? Who are you? How did you get out here?" the Dug asked.
"Our ship crashed and we've been stranded, but our misfortune is to your benefit." replied smoothly." bowing.
"Oh, really? And, how is that, my curious friend?" Preigo asked, sounding intrigued.
"My employees here are acrobats! Entertainers. We would love to join your act and travel with you to your next destination." Leo explained, giving the padawans a look to make them start dancing as the younglings showed off a bit. They began flipping and spinning in the air and some of the other performers came out to watch, a group of twi'lek dancers, a gamorrean clown, etc.
Leo rolled his eyes watching the younglings land in fighting poses that looked like a dance routine.
"Really? All of you wish to join my act, huh? Right. You would like to come with us when we go to entertain Hondo and his pirate horde?" the Dug asked, not quite falling for their lie yet tapping his arm.
"Very much so, yes." replied. "Oh, no, no, I'm sorry. The pirates are an unforgiving audience. I couldn't possibly…" he said, looking away for a moment before one of Aleena's clacked, getting his attention back to the younglings who formed part of a pyramid.
"How did you… Oh, my, my. Artists, true artists!" he praised before turning his attention back to Leo, who he didn't recognize at all.
"Young man, how many of these tricks can your friends do?" he asked excitedly as the youngling made an upside-down pyramid before jumping down and taking stances. "How many do you want?" Katooni asked back with a smirk behind his mask. "Ho, ho, ho, welcome to show!" he said excitedly while the other carnies clapped at the younglings performance before the Jedi group jumped onto the ship.
As they were brought on one by one, Preigo approached the young apprentice "Tell me one ring master to another, do you have any special talents?"
"Simply protecting my interests, I trust we'll be well compensated?" he asked, touching the DX-13 blaster to keep up the lie.
Priego laughed harkly "Goodness gracious of course, onward." he ordered the driver.
When the land tank moved on Leo moved back through the ship a bit when a Gamorean clown came up to him and squealed and as the younglings got settled in "What he say?" Petro asked.
"Nothing." Said Leo when sat down across from the younglings wincing at such movements but when he was down he let out a relaxed sight "But they did recognize you didn't they?" Katooni whispered.
"What?" Leo asked her.
"Well, I heard a rumor that-" "Shhh Katooni don't." Zatt insisted.
Leo glared at the tholothian and then at Katooni so she could speak "Heard what?"
"That two padawans were taken to T-telerath and fought a rancor that escaped from a circus… is it a coincidence we ran into a circus here?" She asked him.
Leo was quite for a long time before he heard the sound of broken glass, everyone looked back into the very far end of the tank to see a cot with a drawn curtain and a bottle rolling out from under it followed by the sound of grumbling. Leo got up slowly saying "Stay here."
Lightly stepping across the he floor, he drew back the curtain to see a white haired old man with an eyepatch, he had wrinkles on his face and both cheeks were flushed from long hours of drinking. Leo picked up a flat brimmed hat off the floor and looked at it "Who's you?" He drunkenly asked.
The old man rose slowly and Leo saw he was holding a blaster "I'm Malcolm Jetstream- fastest gun in the gurgluxy." He mumbled waving the blaster around.
Leo didn't flinch or draw away. He knelt down and picked up the bottle, smelling it "Good vintage Jetstream."
"Wha…?" The old man said hearing his name, it was Malcolm Jetstream, the same man who Leo and Ahsoka had met on Telerath. Leo pulled up a crate and sat across from him about to drink the bottle before he put it down feeling high and tremble from the withdrawal.
The old man rubbed his one good eye "Wait a second, I know your face?"
Leo looked at him "We met once." Leo said up to him "Yeah you had that little torgruta with you… Jedi, Leo?" The young man felt his hand on the back of his head rubbing the scar over where his padawan braid use to be "Not anymore." He answered.
The old man's one eye looked at Leo long and hard "Hmm you've seen some pain, felt more I see." He said, poking his nose.
Leo didn't answer him "I need your help."
Jetstream looked at him then saw a set of big youngling eyes poking out from behind the curtain "We need your help." Leo said looking back at the younglings and making a 'tich' with his tongue for them to get.
"Considering how you helped us on Telerath, this will make Priego even, does he-" "Doesn't know who we are, we'd like to keep that way since we're going straight into Hondo's fortress to get something." Leo told him.
"And why would you be crazy enough to do that?" Jetstream asked the boy, Leo opened his mouth "Unless you're getting something back, or someone?"
Jetstream scratched is chin gray bristles poking out over his lip and chin "Hmmm do you know what Hondo Ohnaka does to people who try to sneak into his fortress?"
"Kills them?" He asked.
"He makes them wish they were dead, sure Ohnaka had his charm but he didn't become the leader of a pirate gang by being nice." He told the young apprentice.
Leo gritted his teeth "If you think he's bad, wait till I get there, I'm not that little kid I was last time we met."
Jetstream paused "I can tell, but what else are you right now word gets around when you're as famous as you Berserker."
"Don't call me that." Leo hissed, his tone and glare would have made others tremble but Jetstream just smiled "I heard you go by a new name anyway, Darth Primus or do you not want that name either?"
Leo didn't answer "Hmmm alright, I get it, so who did Hondo take, one of these younglings?"
"No, the one protecting them." Leo said "You're girlfriend?" Jetstream asked him.
"She's not my girlfriend." Leo said standing up suddenly, the sudden motion made the wounds Ahsoka had give him feel like hot knives forcing him to sit back down "Why does everyone keep saying that, she freaking did this to me." He said back.
Jetstream only smirked "What you do?"
"I lied to her." Leo said "Hmm seems like a bit of an overreaction-" "Also I tried to kidnap the younglings." Jetstream's jaw almost dropped before he let out a burst of laughter.
"Hahahaha, this is why I don't mess with Jedi, you're all crazy." He chuckled, wiping a tear from his good eye.
"So you won't help us?" Leo asked.
Jetstream's laugh stopped "Never said that, but if this is going to work I assume you have a plan?"
"The younglings will distract Hondo while I sneak around and take him hostage, we get Ahsoka out and make our escape back to the ship." Leo explained.
Jetstream reached under his pillow after that and took out another bottle "Hmm it sounds good, but what happens when it goes wrong I'm not saying it will but, something will." Jetstream told them.
"We'll deal with it." He said.
"Speaking of deal, what are they here for?" Jetstream asked looking at the younglings, "Ideas?" He asked.
The old man scratched behind his ear, "Hey Priego!?" Jetstream asked, walking around the curtain up to the ringmaster.
"Yes Mr. Jetstream?" The Dug asked "We still got those animal costumes those Jawas wore?" He asked.
Priego climbed down from his spot up top and looked over at the younglings "Ah yes we do, though they haven't been washed?"
"Eh no big deal." Jetstream said "Cause we got yourself a new troop of Animal Instinct."
"Wonderful, wonderful Hondo will be most pleased." Priego said as Leo looked at the younglings "Animal what?" Katooni asked "Just go along with it." Leo told him to walk past the youngling so he could climb up to the top of the land ship. The sun was starting to set on the planet when he got to the top he sat down and watched the horizon go past him, time passed and eventually someone else joined him.
Leo saw Petro dressed up as a gundark "What do you think?" Petro asked him strutting atop the ship like he was a model on a fashion runway.
"I think you look ridiculous, what do you want?" Leo asked.
The youngling sat down taking off the gundark mask, "It's too crowded in there, I needed some air, guess we both did?"
Leo ignored him "Why are you carrying a blaster, wouldn't it be easier to use one of our lightsabers?" He asked.
"It's your lightsaber, not mine." Leo told him taking out the blaster and look at it.
The two of them sat there in silence before Petro spoke again "I was curious, what made you change your mind?" He asked.
"Why do you ask so many questions?" Leo inquired with a question of his own "Uh I'm a youngling its what we do?" Petro scoffed "You still haven't told me why your helping us."
"I owe Padawan Tano, so call it honor" Leo told him.
Petro sat down next to him "But the Masters always said Sith had no honor."
"How many Sith have you met?" Leo asked him "Uh… You're the first Primus." He told him.
"... Leo, my name is Leo." He said as they got closer and closer to Hondo's fortress.
Night had fallen just as the ship reached Hondo's base and the carnival was now entertaining the pirates while the Jedi stood behind one of the larger cages inside the hold, with the younglings now dressed up in carnival clothing. "I don't see Ahsoka." Katooni whispered as she and Leo looked between two of the cages.
"Looks like I won't be sneaking in, I have to go around." he whispered back. As the pirate leader talked with Preigo he moved his right arm from his lap and
Leo noticed Ahsoka's sabers hanging from the Captain's belt. "Okay, keep them distracted, I'll sneak around and take Hondo hostage, think one of you can get the lightsabers off his belt before then?" he whispered to them.
"I can try." Katooni replied.
The apprentice hid back waiting knowing Hondo would recognize him if he were seen by the pirate leader while the younglings went out when they were called "And now presenting Animal Instinct!" Priego shouted as Leo walked out to the other end of the ship, where Jetstream was getting dressed, he was wearing a white shirt with a vest and assembling one of his blaster pistols into a sniper rifle with a scope, barrel and stock.
"Plan B?" Leo asked seeing the sniper "Plan B, always have a plan B." Jetstream answered.
Leo snuck past him and exited out a back window and ran to the nearest speeder bike rack jumping behind it as the younglings started their routine. They were all dressed in bright animal themed costumes, using their jedi training to perform acrobatic feats to awe and amaze the pirates who were drinking and making merry. Staying low, Leo prowled around the pirates fiest. The smell of hot food and strong drink was rank in the pirates laughter and cheers to the circus performance in front of them.
As the show continued, the younglings managed to get Hondo to join in a bit, giving Katooni the perfect opportunity to grab the sabers and hide them behind her back. Byph soon became the centre of attention as he performed from the edge of the ship's roof, about to jump into a board being held below. Leo could see what the younglings were doing "So much for my plan." He said as he moved closer to Ahsoka, when she looked over and saw him.
She gave him the nastiest glare he'd ever seen. She shook her head seeing him and he gave her a gapping look as he got closer. But Ahsoka shook her head when he got up behind her "No, not you, anyone but you."
"Really, you want to stay here with the pirates?" He asked undoing her bindings.
"They're better company." She hissed as the younglings drew Hondo away.
He rolled his eyes "I know you don't mean that."
"I can't believe you brought the younglings here." She growled "Have you met them, they're as stubborn as you at that age." He said.
The young Ithorian buzzed in his language before jumping from the roof of the ship and landing on a sheet of metal that had the other end stood on by the pirate leader. smirked as Hondo was launched into the air "I'M FLYING!" before crashing into some crates. The other pirates stopped what they were doing to check on him "Time to go." Leo said breaking off Ahsoka's restraints.
Ahsoka rubbed her wrists before she suddenly threw a fist at Leo, but he caught her wrist "Can we not- for-five-minutes?" He asked, throwing her arm away. The two of them got up seeing the pirates distracted, digging Hondo out of the crates "Five-minutes, then it's back to the usual." She told him.
The two former friends and younglings quickly started running back to the ship before having to stop as the pirates noticed who they were.
A drunken Hondo screamed as the crew opened fire on them. Everyone minus Katooni and Leo activated their blades and started deflecting for a bit before two pirates got onto speeder bikes and zoomed towards them.
Leo drew the DX-13 blaster pistol and started shooting behind the cover of Ahsoka
"Stupid-uncivilized-blasters!" He snapped missing a few shots before one connected, then he noticed it wasn't his.
He looked up to see Jetstream shooting from the top of Priego's ship, "Get us out of here Priego!" Jetstream shouted at him, the entire circus was taken by surprise by the Jedi's plan "Jetstream what the hell is going on?"
"Oh nothing Priego, just an old debt being paid." He snapped as he shot another pirate down. The circus piled up onto their land ship as it started to take off, Ahsoka looked up at the ship and when she saw Jetstream she gapped "Is that?"
"Yeah I was surprised too." Leo said as he kept shooting, "Proxy get the Shadow ready." He ordered into his coms.
They only got so far before the ship was fired up and the dust that was kicked up caused them to steer out of control and crash. "Quick, get the younglings to that speeder!" Ahsoka ordered, gesturing to the WLO-5 battle tank before deflecting more blaster fire.
The younglings jumped on first followed by the two who jumped on and stood near the back to continue deflecting fire. "Get us out of here!" the Padawan ordered.
"We're on our-." Leo said turning over the engine but the second it came alive it puttered out "Cheap arse pirates." Leo said smashing his hands on the dashboard.
"I can fix it." Zatt said running up from behind "We don't have time." Ahsoka said deflecting the pirates who were starting to get to close, the younglings did their best to cover them but they had to start to doge some of the pirates' shots. Leo kept trying to turn it over but he saw it was no use, suddenly Gungi got clipped in the leg and let out a howl of pain "Gungi!" Ahsoka screamed, pulling him behind her.
"Get him behind cover." Ahsoka ordered, Leo jumped out of the drivers seat hurling the axe right into a pirate who was about to shoot Ahsoka in the back and pulled him around behind the cover of the speeder.
He passed by Zatt who had opened up the engine "Engines fine but it needs a jump, we need a surge of electricity." Zatt told him.
Leo leaned up the whimpering Gungi and looked at Zatt "... Stand back kid." Leo said, pushing Zatt aside "What are you doing?" The green skinned boy asked.
The apprentice placed his hands on the ship's battery and focused, he focused on the engine, the cold steel under his hands, then on the force of emotions around him. The fear of the younglings, drunken anger from the pirates he needed more. He needed the darkness, focusing on his pain from his wounds, summoning the energy he needed Zatt and Gungi watched lightning spring from his hand into the speeders engine "Give it everything you got." Leo told them eyes open. The two of them saw both green eyes were Sith Gold, the eyes of the Sith.
"I said turn it OVER!" Leo yelled at them, Zatt clambered up onto the pilot seat and turned over the key the engine roared to life.
"Everyone on now." Ahsoka said before she force pushed the first line of pirates into the ones behind him, getting the younglings on to the speeder Leo walked back around his eyes still burning yellow when Ahsoka saw him "What are you doing?" She asked.
"Go." Leo told her holding up his hands summoning the axe he'd buried into one of the pirates hands "What?"
Leo ran right toward the pirates with the axe in hand dodging their incoming fire before he took out one of the pirates, another tried to shoot him and Leo dodged using the force to throw him into the others. Suddenly a larger weequay tackled Leo and he threw him off hacking him to death with the axe. "Rush him, he's only one man!" The pirates roared charming Leo with blaster, dagger and axe, one of them almost shanked Leo in the back before he moved out of the way making him let go of the axe to dodge the knife wielding pirate. He caught the weequay arm and twisted it behind his back.
"Kill'em." One pirate shouted he saw three of them holding blasters at him, he shoved the one who tried to stab him in front using him as a shield before he threw them into the others.
Panting hard Leo noticed he was surrounded "We have to help him." Katooni said when she got in the driver's seat, she looked over at Leo fighting alone, suddenly he stretched his arms and the younglings saw what the true dark side was when force lightning exploded out of his fingertips. The pirates who weren't fast enough got blasted back into Hondo's fort walls or vehicles but it wasn't enough.
One of the pirates popped out of cover and let loose a laser bolt striking Leo in the lower back "He can take care of himself." Ahsoka said before she hit the gas pedal and drove off when Leo began to falter.
"But we can't just leave him." Zatt argued while they drove away, Ahsoka squeezed the wheel tightly.
Back in front of the fortress Leo held his ground summoning one of the pirate shock staffs to deflect the incoming fire. Pirates were coming at him from every direction, he swung the staff at any who got close countering attacks and electrocuting them away before a loud blaster ran out over all the pirates head.
"He's Mine!"
The pirates parted around Leo to reveal Hondo walking toward them with a blaster holding a cutlass in his other hand before he dropped the sword "Oh my dear dear boyo you could have just walked away, but now you come and do this?" Hondo said.
Leo planted the shock staff on the ground "You left me to rot Hondo, consider this payback." Leo said, charging him.
Hondo met his staff with his sword "One way or another I will get this crystal and that pretty torgurtan of yours."
"All talk, no bite." Leo said back parrying, swinging his staff around to try and take Hondo's feet out, but the pirate was slippery jumping over it he slashed at Leo's face cutting off some of his hair when Leo ducked. The pirates around them cheered on their leader hurling insults and threats at Leo, but he ignored them and focused on the fight.
They crossed weapons again, Hondo driving the offensive at Leo teasing him "Not a Jedi, not a Sith, what are you boyo, a traitor, a loyal friend or just some foolish youngling in over his head I'm betting the ladder." Hondo chuckled before Leo broke Hondo's assault by smashing the center of his staff into Hondo's face. He was about to smash the staff over Hondo's head when one of the pirates drew a zygerrian electro whip and lassoed it around the apprentice's neck, yanking him backwards into the dirt.
The whips tight choke around his neck only got worse when the pirate holding it electrocuted him. The pirates laughed merciless as Hondo got up rubbing his face. "Almost got me boyo." He said as Leo started to get up but another pirate threw a whip on him, another came up with an axe and smashed Leo in the back of his leg keeping him down on one knee he tried to pull the whip around his neck off. But any effort to free himself only caused more pain, Leo screamed out in defiance his roar echoing loudly across the barren rock of Florrum when the Pirates heard such a roar their laughter vanished.
When his lungs gave out Leo dropped down to his hands and knees, spent.
The pirates were speechless, looking to their Captain Hondo was at a loss for words too before frowned "A valiant effort my young friend, but a wasted one."
Hondo held out his hand and one of the pirates tossed a blaster to him, Leo heard the leather soles of Hondo's boots getting closer "Your father would be so disappointed, fighting to save someone other than yourself?" Leo raised himself up looking down the barrel of Hondo's blaster.
"INCOMING!"
The pirates looked out to see the stolen speeder heading right for them Petro at the wheel younglings lightsabers at the ready, the pirates scattered in every direction when Ahsoka pulled a three sixty turn "Now!" She yelled to Byph who was on the speeder's turret causing more pandemonium. The last thing Hondo saw was the rear bumper of the speeder smashing him off his feet Leo looked up to see Ahsoka's arm outstretched for him to take.
He grabbed her arm and was pulled on board before they made their Hondo was on his feet seeing them escape he screamed "Get them- get them BRING ME BACK MY JEDI!"
The group deactivated their sabers once it became apparent they were no longer in danger as Gungi continued driving. "How do you two feel?" Zatt asked as she sat down before handing her a canteen.
"Better now." she replied with a smile before taking a small drink offering some to Leo, he took it from her and sipped it while they talked.
"I could pretend to be angry, but you were all very brave thank you." she said smiling at them before letting her gaze linger on Leo.
"We disobeyed orders." Petro said quietly. "Maybe." Ahsoka said, smiling and looking at her maskless padawans who grinned and rubbed the back of their necks sheepishly. "But, I've learned from my master that sometimes doing the right thing means bending the rules." she said as she sat beside Leo
"Ganodi, come in. Get the ship ready, We need to take off." Petro said to her over his comm as Leo piloted the speeder back to the ships, the younglings gathered around each other patting each of them on the back in congratulations of their rescue and escape.
Leo looked over at Ahsoka, "So, bending the rules, what does that make me?" He asked her glancing into her blue eyes with his yellow ones
"Your eyes say it all, Master Yoda was right, once you turn there's no going back so maybe you should go back to your real Master Dooku." She said leaning in her spot. He rolled both of the yellow eyes he kept driving when they saw the Rogue Shadow coming in, it flew over the ship and lowered its ramp.
"This makes us even, so you can leave." She said coldly. Leo rose up from his seat and looked at the younglings behind them. He jumped up onto the ramp without a word and started to climb aboard his ship arriving at the cockpit to see the speeder going in the direction of the Crucible.
Down on the surface the Younglings watched the Rogue Shadow rise up into the clouds "What will happen to him?" Katooni asked.
"... I don't care, all that matters is we get back to the ship." She told them to move into the pilot seat watching Leo leave her again.
"Shall I take us to orbit Master?" Proxy asked him.
Leo watched Ahsoka shrink farther and farther away "Master?" Proxy asked again.
He sat down in the seat putting the blaster on the dashboard "Master shall I-..." Leo looked over to Proxy, the droid had stood up and walked to the back of the cockpit. Before it stood up straight its holographic matrix turned on to reveal Count Dooku.
"Apprentice, report do you have the padawans"
Leo slowly got out of his chair, the adrenaline from the escape wearing off and the wounds making it hard to stand "No Master, there were… complications."
"The droid's transmission coordinates indicate you are on Florrum, a curious development?" The Count asked.
Leo nodded "Yes Master, the pirate Hondo Ohnaka attacked the Jedi's ship for the crystals hence my injuries, the Jedi captured me but I've escaped. I'm returning to you as we speak." Leo halfway lied sitting back down in the pilot seat taking the Rogue Shadow up "And your lightsaber, where is it?" Count Dooku asked him.
He avoided the Count's piercing gaze "... destroyed in the pirates attack."
"Hmm you plan to return without your weapon or the younglings most disappointing apprentice?" The Count told him while the ship rose to space "But the force appears to be with us, I have just dispatched some… assistance for you that should be arriving shortly."
"Assistance?" Leo asked when something dropped out of hyperspace, a Separatist fleet had appeared right in front of Leo's ship and at its helm was the Invisible Hand the flagship of General Grievous "Board the Generals ship, you will see to your injuries and then we will take out two birds with one stone." The Count decreed. Leo looked back down at Florrum knowing full well what was in store for the younglings and Ahsoka "As you wish, my lord." Leo said flying toward the cruiser.