AN: I don't own Naruto/Star Wars: Legends


4:9:5 (BBY 31)


Tracking the trail of someone who didn't want to be found was simple. Even with simplicity though, there was always one other issue that could come of it. Or rather, many issues, if one wasn't readily noting them as possibilities.

For one, attempting to go through the sky meant that they'd miss too much, leaving them more blind and further behind than if they'd simply attempted to track them on foot. Worse in some ways was attempting to follow on speeders. The speeders would be fast, and could potentially gain on someone, but they had no access to such. Additionally, one time ducking behind an outcropping, or other such simple diversion, and again they'd speed past and into a distance without any way to actually find them again. The same could be said if they attempted to ride beasts, but at least that would give them a chance, should the beast have a good sense of smell.

Sadly, Kiffex wasn't known for it's many creatures with such abilities save for the flying bathwa, of which Deadend had none, and so on foot they remained. Perhaps for the best, with some of the dangers they faces. For while the wilds of the land were in and of themselves at times a challenge, there were those who knew it better, and were hunting them as well. For while Deadend was behind them, from Deadend came the Anzati. Like a swarm across the landscape, a plague of mayhem and disaster to those in their wake. And they were close on their tail, almost always seeming to be perking up and attempting to find them.

Killing them was not entirely impossible, but the sheer number of them made that an improbable victory. Naruto nearly tried once against a smaller group, but had been held back by Zao. When given a few moments to watch, another pack had come up, which might've caused more than a few issues. Getting injured, slowed down, or distracted did not do them any favors, especially with how much they were slowed by the Anzati packs.

It was frustrating the pace that they'd been slowed down, but then Naruto wasn't in the forests to slip between and ambush those who didn't have the common sense to peak up now and again. When he'd mentioned it to Aurra, she'd struggled to hold back a smirk at the description of Naruto falling out of trees trying to learn to do so without knocking leaves aside and making noise. Much harder than it sounded, but also very useful for getting around other hazards as well. Nature was intentionally a noisy, loud entity; what various people had made tended to be loud in unnatural ways, making slipping through the all to easy in comparison.

Coming up through many of more stony, rugged outcroppings, Zao slowed slightly, peering about curiously. He had done so time and again, causing Naruto and Aurra to begin taking further note of their surroundings. He'd spoken up once about sensing something, and Aurra had thought to question him. Naruto hadn't, and that had been the end of any arguments. When Aurra pressed Naruto to understand later, he explained that he knew another Jedi Master back at the temple who was blind, but had more insight into everything around her that most others missed. He'd learnt already to trust the Jedi who couldn't see the natural world around them, and trusted in the Force. So, while initially begrudgingly, Aurra had begun slowly but surely listening and trusting the reactions of the Veknoid Jedi Master.

"What is it this time?" Aurra shifted her blaster pistol, then slowly put it away in favor of her slugthrower. If they were further away, it might be better to take the ranged advantage. It would be noisier, but could save them some future stumbling blocks.

"You are quick to your weapon." Zao answered, a faint curl of his lips. "Do not jump so quickly to it now. Someone is coming... eventually. An ally, if I am understanding correctly."

"... an ally." Aurra glanced to Naruto, exhaling with a frown. "And you're certain of your 'if'?"

"Yes." Zao tapped his walking stick, rubbing his chin. "I wonder if we'll find a bit more food to accommodate the newcomer. Or, perhaps it is the Force way of telling us that we are closer than we believe?"

"... I don't like it." Aurra muttered, flicking her slugthrower back onto her back. "It's all been quiet for near a week, and now we're suddenly getting more company? I swear the Force is trying to frustrate me more and more Jedi."

Naruto's hand slipped onto her shoulder, and while she leaned into it, she idly glanced to Zao. She'd been okay with the open affection, and idly had craved it, but had an idle feeling of worry and anxiousness around the Jedi Master. He was blind, but he knew too well what was going on around him. Likely he'd already noticed Naruto's actions, knew what he was doing, but had said nothing. For some, that was a sign of respect. A Jedi on the other hand tended to be using it as a way to eventually teach a lesson from her experience. Would one of them slip up on something and he'd make a passing comment? A remark about their closeness that shouldn't be?

"Relax." Naruto's voice cut through her worry, and she found herself mired in an internal battle to listen to him, and her still budding anxiety. "Just a bit further, and we'll get some rest. Then we can meet this... newcomer."

"... right." She leaned against him, openly this time, trying to ignore the Jedi near them. An idle thought hit her, and she couldn't help but laugh. "I almost wish Gonk were here. He'd have so much to say about this place."

"You wish Gonk were here?" Naruto asked, incredulous. "I mean, yeah they'd be great, but they're not exactly built stealthily. They're a damn tank, walking on two fancy feet that leave deep marks to run across any world."

"The fact it can run is what would make it funnier. They have such short, stubby legs, but your little friend can sometimes make me think it can outpace most of us."

"Most? You mean you?"

"And you."

Naruto beamed at that, and the smile he gave was a ray of warmth that swept over the area, making everything better. It made her wonder how often Naruto recalled positive remarks and compliments. Likely less than he should; even the Jedi weren't so foolish as to not remark when someone was doing well. Though, how often was another matter... and with The Dark Woman, was that even a possibility? A shadowy thought, but one for another time.

Making their way into a small outcropping of stone, with a lip that jutted out just enough to give them more concealment from the elements, the three of them slipped in and began setting themselves up for another evening, each of them taking a few moments to stretch out the kinks in their backs from moments where they'd had to drop down and stay completely still to avoid Anzati detection, and from standing on their feet the entirety of the day.

"Who's taking watch?" Zao asked as he poked around the light cavernous indentation, getting a feel for his surroundings before he found where he'd nestle into. Better to know the terrain to better react if they got ambushed.

"I will." Naruto responded immediately, getting a light elbow from Aurra. "What?"

"You need to sleep too bolt brain." She rested her hand against his chest, trying to nudge him back towards to where he could lay himself down. "You should get some rest."

"I did. Last night. Now I'm up and ready."

"You were on watch for two nights straight. Twice."

"And then I got some sleep, felt better, and am now taking watch."

Zao smiled as they moved around a bit further away to give them their moment. They weren't subtle, but their bickering wasn't with anything that felt of negativity, or danger; only worry, compassion, and a closeness that only the truly close could feel of. He'd seen it before, more than once, and he knew what was going on. Still, he let his own mind wander into its own thoughts, rather than dwell on theirs.

The Force would guide them, whether they were fully paying attention to it or not.

"Look, all I'm saying is I've had the best track record of sleep to awake ratio, and I've proven I'm fine."

"You also could pass out without realizing, and I know you don't want that."

"I can handle it."

Aurra looked up at him with such an exasperation, shoving against his chest to no avail. He could simply be so stubborn, but he had some good points. He could handle himself, and she trusted him to do so while watching their backs. Yet, no one else would care for when Naruto pushed himself; certainly not Naruto himself, as his words and actions constantly showed. So she would. Just, doing so was impressively difficult when her biggest enemy was Naruto's own stubbornness.

"... one more night, then you lay your sweet head down to rest tomorrow night." She whispered, reaching up and placing a hand on his chest. Feeling the pulse of the Force, she idly moved her hand to her own chest, where her krayt pearl pulsed in the Force as well. Sighing, she stepped back. "Just be careful. If she's leading a group of these creatures, we have to be on guard, even if we're trying to protect her."

"... I'll be careful."

Watching her nod and step back to set up her bedroll, Naruto let out a shaky breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Between everything, he almost had bent and let her drag him to sleep again, wishing for the sweet peace that was sleeping with her.

It was strange, how that one action, that one choice to break down and accept, had led him to some of the best rest he'd had in so long. Part of him wanted to point at the two pearls and his crystal, all tuned in a way to try and bring peace to those who held them, but he knew it wasn't just that. It was Aurra. Her presence, the way that the two of them bonded, and simply were, had finally slipped past his defenses and given him the most peace and comfort he'd felt in years.

However, it also gave him more worry and anxieties. She was strong, smart, quick, but could be attacked as quickly as any else. If he wasn't on top of his game, she was dead. If she wasn't, she was dead. If she died...

He'd reviewed the situation a few times. Time and again though, his mind ended with a vision of a blaze of fire, the heat blowing against him, the sound of shrapnel falling around him as he screamed, and he had to shut his eyes. He would not allow her to go the way of Kummar. Failure happened, and you learnt from it, or you repeated your mistakes. This was one his heart would not allow him to repeat. Thinking back to Kummar, then to Aayla, Naruto slowly shifted, then hesitantly he opened and closed his mouth.

"You should speak your mind with confidence." Zao spoke so softly, it almost made the two of them jump. "You've had a good head on your shoulders so far. If you feel there is wisdom to share, perhaps voicing it will be for the best."

Naruto considered that, while Aurra looked on in confused skepticism. Gritting his teeth, he tried to process what was said fully, trying to gauge if the Jedi Master had attempted to read his mind or not. Seeing no change, no inflection, or indication of his mental state, Naruto eventually relented that he was likely simply sensing the conflict in Naruto. He was still quite terrible at hiding it, as it made little difference to those who could sense it, but even so, the fact he'd been able to place it so well caused him a brief increase to that turmoil.

"Aurra," Naruto motioned to her, getting her to pause in setting up her bedroll. "When you're set up... I'd like to refresh you on some stuff."

"Refresh me?" Aurra smirked, flipping her bedroll carelessly. It was something she could do more of later if she had the need; this sounded like it would require more from her than a simple bedroll.

"Yeah." Naruto shifted for a moment, then withdrew his lightsaber from its place at his belt. "You've been away from the Temple, and I doubt they taught you any of the forms that you remember, so I thought -"

"Thanks, but I really don't know if that's the best option for me." Aurra frowned, staring at the lightsaber. Moving a hand to her own, she quickly shook her head. "If we fight them, I'll shoot them, and that will be that."

"Anyone skilled with the Force and a lightsaber will send them back."

"I'll shoot them with slugs then."

"Aurra..."

"Naruto, I don't need to practice those old forms."

Breathing out in exasperation, Naruto idly glanced to Zao. The elderly Veknoid didn't move, simply setting up a bit of food he'd begun cooking for them to eat. Nothing with too much heat so as to not draw attention, but that would help them likely feel better, and like they'd gotten to sleep with a decent meal at least. Turning his attention fully on Aurra, he backed up when Aurra stepped up to him.

"You don't need to impress him." Aurra whispered, her eyes imploring, trying to break him down.

"Impress... Aurra that's..." Naruto choked on his words, trying to think of why he'd need to impress the Jedi Master. Had that been what he'd been trying to do? Thinking about how he'd said it, he internally cursed. He'd brought it up after Zao had very blatantly told him to speak his mind. Maybe he was. Still, "I want you to be safer."

"I have two blasters, a slugthrower, a lightsaber, and you. Not to mention a pair of thermal detonators. I think I'm plenty safe."

"Aurra..."

She turned and went back to her bedroll to move it further from the Jedi Master, leaving Naruto hanging. Naruto stared after her, lightsaber still in his hand as he tried desperately to form words. Eventually, he was forced to give up, moving instead to begin going through the lightsaber forms on his own.

Zao hummed, pausing in the cooking as he considered what had happened. Small rifts, but not ones that were between the two of them, but ones that could drive rifts between them in time. The Jedi, being such a rift, was not uncommon, and without wisdom could break people. Then again, some people learnt the best when they hurt themselves, learning to not do it again, or how to do it better. Would they overcome this falling, or get up and do so better? Sighing, he continued his cooking, letting the Force guide him, as it would them.

Sensing a presence, Zao nodded slowly. "You have troubled thoughts, and are seeking advice?"

"I..." Naruto leaned back, staring at the cooking food idly. "I'm not trying to impress you."

"No, you are not."

"But she thinks I am."

"Yes, she does."

"But I'm not."

"Are you?"

"I - no." Naruto blinked, then grit his teeth again as he rubbed his face. Reasserting himself, he exhaled and tried to center himself. "No..."

"Mm." Zao pushed some of the food, making sure to lower the warmth to prevent it from cooking to fast; no need to spoil a good meal while teaching after all. "Then why bring up to her a good piece of wisdom that you thought she would ignore?"

"Because..." Naruto made a soft choking sound, his head dropping in shame as he slowly interlocked his fingers, his voice a low murmur. "... because I'm afraid."

"Yes, you are." Zao slowly waved a hand over Naruto, letting the Force sink into him, telling him only the briefest of tales as he considered his words against Naruto's feelings. The boy was young, but strong. Foolish, yet wise. Alone, yet bound to so many that the stars may one day welcome him as one among them. It was heartwarming, and disheartening to see one in such conflict between the light and dark, yet balanced so perfectly that any would be in awe. "You fear not your own death, but even the idea of the death of others brings a pain for you. While you do not praise your own intellect, you wrap yourself in the wisdom of your youth like a protective cloak to shield you when you worry that your feelings will bring you pain. All the while, you forget that the pain shows so clearly to those who can sense it, notice it, that you try to cling to it until you fly away, to another place, to another problem where you find others who see through you, and you start again. There is a cycle you are living, right before you. Do you see it?"

"... yes master."

"Then, if you cannot prevent their deaths, or the pain you feel... how do you suppose to overcome it?"

Naruto softly exhaled, closing his eyes. "... I have to... overcome it?"

"How?"

"I - I don't..."

"You do. You've already done it, but when the emotions have come again, you have fallen back to old habits. Think."

Considering his words, Naruto chewed on his lip, trying to determine what was meant by that. Opening and closing his mouth, he felt himself coming with an idea, then snapping his head towards the entrance. "... someone's approaching."

"Yes," Zao frowned, turning down the heat as he listened intently.

The screech of bathwa overhead seemed to echo deeply, making them all shift and stare upwards. Then, a feeling, like a pulse through the Force, then a second chorus of screeches.

"They found us."

All three of them gripped their items, quickly regathering everything and moving quickly. The Anzati had learnt quickly how to sense out the Jedi, even despite all of them cloaking themselves in the Force, by using their mounts with the Force to enhance their senses. Despite their best efforts, even their best efforts were showing to be for naught as they were again forced to take off out of their outcropping.

It would be another long night to the wind, rather than laying upon even the hard-packed earth for a moment's rest.

[=-x-=]

4:9:7 - Swampland

Naruto internally winced at the murky waters around him, glancing back to his companions as he tried to explain and move as quickly as he could. This place was perhaps the worse place for them to find themselves, as two of them did not have the same skills he did in this matter. So while he tried to explain and help them learn to walk on water, he was surveying and trying to cover all avenues that could bring an ambush; which, in a swamp, was everywhere.

"It's not as easy as you're saying." Aurra grimaced, trying to push the Force into herself and out the bottom of her feet. Keep it balanced with the rippling water, then using that to stand on like solid ground? It sounded ludicrous. As ludicrous as watching Naruto walk onto the water without even a second thought for a full minute before they'd bothered to bring up their own difficulties. "Look, I'm trying alright? I just -"

"You're doing great." Naruto held out his hands, smiling down at her. "Let me help."

"... no, I - I've got this." She held out her hands, not taking his hand as she tried again to push herself onto the surface of the water. She was getting better, moving up in the water rather than sinking all the way to the bottom. Still, it was not the easiest, as she found herself almost immediately pushing herself back down to the ground.

Zao hadn't made any motions to attempt, simply watching what Naruto did. Through the force, Zao could see what Naruto was doing, and he found himself internally astounded. He required so little of the Force to use, that anyone who was sensitive even to the smallest degree could potentially utilize this to some extent. To great effect as well. This sort of thing could allow people to move in areas of great water where no one else could reach in time, where speeders were not made for such, or for helping to get people out of situations where they were underwater. And, with the way that it moved, it taught about the Living Force; that it was ever moving, ever changing, like the ripples of water from a single step, that one would have to adapt and work with to progress. It was a perfect teaching tool.

It was a shame that it wasn't quite the time to commend him, or to utilize it fully.

"They are coming."

Naruto nodded solemnly, his hand moving from Aurra to his blaster. "Yeah, I know."

"Just, give me a moment." Aurra grimaced, realizing how bad this would get. In the water, they weren't given the speed advantage the Jedi normally held. With the more feral, primal tactics the Anzati had begun using, ambushes and traps abounding and assailing them, it was becoming more and more clear that attrition was their greatest weakness in the current moment.

"Take it." Naruto flicked his blaster out, checking his ammo pack before shifting to check how many more he head. "I have enough."

"You'll draw them to us." Zao warned, though he sensed Naruto's resolve and was nodding to himself.

"Yeah, but if I don't, they'll find us anyway, and we'll have the same issue. This way I can do something for you two at least." Shifting, Naruto began walking away, glancing back to them. "Keep an eye out... If you see any more of them, I-"

"We'll handle them. Go, you crazy bolt brain." Aurra smiled reassuringly, nodding to him solemnly.

Gritting his teeth, Naruto bolted across the water, the slap of his boots against the water fading as he raced off, his intentions all to clear. He was going to draw them away, and attempt to interfere with them finding the others.

"Hm... very well." Zao slowly placed his hand on the water, pulsing the Force through it till he found himself with a firm handhold to push off of and pull the rest of himself out of the water. Now standing over Aurra, he smiled cheerily as he very slowly began to walk across the surface of the water. "If you wish for a few pointers, I could give them, but you seem quite insistent on learning this yourself. Worry not, I will keep my senses open for any who will attempt to assail us."

Aurra stared up at him, her scowl growing. Damn, uppity, know-it-all Jedi...

[=-x-=]

The gentle splash of swamp water with the heavier displacement behind it seemed to resonate after some time, followed by the occasional, ever grown sound of blaster fire. Such sounds were not common in a place like this, nor should they be with what they implied. Still, one individual who heard such things was able to easily discern where the sounds were coming from, and began moving towards them.

She was not of this world, which some could tell at a glance, yet some others might mistake until they looked closer. A woman of humanoid appearance, with darker skin, but brown tendrils reminiscent of bark rather than hair, and no nose upon her face, the cloak of a Jedi upon her shoulders. To many she could be a race they simply hadn't met before; to others who had seen her in action, she was of the so-called 'mythic' race that was the Neti.

Jedi Master T'ra Saa watched patiently as she heard the oncoming commotion, feeling the need to move, and to be present as much as she could. Hearing the sound of something slamming far more violently into the water, and the cursing that followed, she picked up her pace. Whatever was going on, it sounded all to close to that of of a battle, or a small scale war.

Slipping between various bits of trees and bramble, she slowed slightly, noticing some circling bathwa's and their terrible mounts. Anzati. Inwardly she sighed, feeling no hatred, or dislike of the people. Yet, they chose poorly in their actions, leading them to dangerous, often conflicting actions with many. Worse, if they could believe it, they were the kin of the reason that had brought her here.

She'd been asked by Master Windu looking into some of the problems occurring upon Kiffex after receiving some concerning news regarding the sector. According to waht she'd been told, the Archives had noted that an old holocron had opened, and withing it, the data it had revealed the history of one Volfe Karkko; former Anzat Jedi Master turned Dark Jedi after thinking himself to be above the temptations of his race's desire for the "soup" of others, and tempted himself. She'd been allowed to review some of the information, to know what she was getting into as she was the Jedi Watchman of the Kiffu sector only just recently. However, while she accepted it, she had thought over the problem that she had.

When she'd come to take her place as the Jedi Watchmen, Tinté Vos accepted her arrival, but there was clearly a lack of communication, as the Kiffu Guardians had then fired upon her ship as she'd approached. Only through the Force, and the skills in piloting she had, she'd been able to land the ship. Crash land, but it was one she'd been able to walk away from at the very least.

There was some manner of intrigue that Tinté Vos was trying to perform, likely push out or remove the Jedi from watching over what she was doing, but without proof, she could only follow through with the tasks that she'd been given. It wasn't much in the eyes of some, but then the prevention of a Dark Jedi rising again to cause even some of the damage and destruction hinted at was enough.

Slowing to a stop, she slowly lifted her arms, closed her eyes, and let her body shift in shape. Her body in some ways unraveled, then reformed, becoming something different, standing out far less in a swamp like this. With her arms splitting into branches, and body twisting in just the right ways to make herself appear as a tree. As a Neti, shifting her body like this was a simple matter, though one not many could say they'd seen one such as her do.

It took some time before anything happened, but she was patient; holding in place, waiting, watching. Through the Force, she could feel the bathwa flying towards her with the Force-sensitive Anzat riding upon them; a dangerous, and startling development she had not anticipated. Them, and another.

When they rounded the corner, T'ra Saa internally felt a small start upon seeing what was happening. There, running upon the water, with several bathwa flying close to the water in hot pursuit, was a young man. He was vaguely outpacing the flying creatures, though even with that speed, there was still a chance that others could cut him off, sensing another bathwa flying towards them. With them pinned between several of the creatures, the danger was increasing exponentially.

Even upon seeing this, she noted no fear from the young man. With two nearly upon him, he simply pulled a blaster out and shot the wing of the new bathwa, causing it to screech and attempt to bank away, causing it to fly nearly into the first. The Anzati, more versed with their own fighting and seeming to have sensed even this, moved as though through prepared motions. One dropped from the injured bathwa, gripping the reigns, while the first moved up the bathwa's head, and leapt violently towards the young man.

The young man turned to fire upon them, hitting it twice squarely in the chest, but he could not stop the momentum it had. Each both slammed into it, but it in turn slammed into him, knocking him off his feet as they rolled across the surface of the water. By the time he got up even slightly, the bathwa had gripped him in tight talons, pulling him off the water and suddenly banking, throwing him violently against a tree.

As he pushed out of the water, he was drenched from head to foot. The look in his eyes was of one who had been too long without rest, and of one who'd been running a long time; perhaps too long, even by the standards of most. Yet, with defiance, he glared down the Anzati who bounded through the water, dropping off the ray-like creatures, or springing out of the swamp around him. There were a good number of them, nearing on two dozen. So many, for one man.

She'd been listening to some, faint words of "bring him to the Dreamer", "an offering to the great Dreamer", and so forth, gave her further pause. The Dreamer? If she was right, these Anzati had chosen to follow Volfe, and in the process had become near-feral, bestial, but were still at the end of the day the very same, ever dangerous Anzati they'd always been. More so, as these acted without the usual social restraints others might, making them a wicked fighting force, and a danger to any who crossed their path.

Yet, the man stared them down, spitting water off to the side and pulling out a chromium plated lightsaber. A lightsaber. A Jedi? She'd been told nothing of backup, or anyone else arriving from the Jedi Council. And he was too young to be a Master. A wandering Knight then, at the very least. Were he a bounty hunter, he would have no purpose here, though the chromium signified someone of royalty, or value. It was not out of the question, but one she didn't feel matched his determined eyes.

The Anzati fell upon him all at once. There was little that could be done against such an onslaught, yet with blaster in one hand, and a shoto lightsaber that couldn't have offered near enough reach against the creatures, he made it appear as though he had expected to take on droves more. Ultimately futile, but not without its own merits.

Moving herself, she began to reform herself into her more comfortable, human-like shape. Calling on the Force, she reached out and began gathering the water from around the Anzati, before using it to slam into them with a powerful crash. The first few were caught off guard, but the rest would not be nearly so as they turned to face her. Her golden lightsaber snapped to life, quickly moving into the fray alongside the orange glow of her fellow Jedi.

The skirmish was something that the Neti Jedi anticipated would go smoothly. Yet, the moment she got next to the young Knight, she felt him reach for her instinctively through the Force. As she accepted, she felt him, anticipated him quickly, and found herself impressed by how well he immediately used that bond to dance around and utilize her skills without knowing a single one beforehand. It was an art form few could master, and one fewer still could utilize so quickly. Yet, in the Force, she felt that to him, it was like breathing.

No Anzati was left standing by the time they were done, a moment of reprieve for the moment, though it was unlikely that it would remain so. Shifting about, she glanced to the young Knight, watching as he eyed one of the bathwa, watching as it rippled near the surface of the water, before a sudden grin crossed his face. Curious.

Moving towards it, they held out their hand towards the creature, watching as it rippled and moved away slowly. Then, there was a ripple that went through the water from them, visibly, as it surged towards the bathwa, and slowly, gently splashed at it. As it did, the bathwa slowly splashed back against the ripples, before seeming to soften and become almost playful against the water, shifting and moving about idly, letting the young Knight move over towards it without issue as he placed a hand on it and spoke soft, soothing words.

Watching the interaction, T'ra smiled softly, moving over next to him. "You are a long way from home, are you not?"

"Hm? Oh, uh..." They peaked at her lightsaber, smiling such a sheepish smile as they turned to more fully face them. "I uh, sorry about that. I, probably messed up something you're doing, haven't I?"

"On the contrary. I believe you're right where you need to be."

"Uh... thank you?"

"You're welcome." Glancing between him and the bathwa, she gently rested her hand atop it, listening to a faint burbling sound it made as it almost seemed to nuzzle up into their hands. "If I may ask, why are you on Kiffex? I was unaware that the Jedi Council had sent anyone else here to aid me in this venture."

"To... aid you?"

There was a moment of silence between the two as they stared at one another, the bathwa seeming to shift its gaze back and forth between them before sinking slightly into the water. Were they not focused on understanding what was going on, it might have been mildly comical to see the creature sink in.

"Let's start over." He said after a moment, holding out his hand. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm here to find and rescue Aayla Secura."

"That's fair." She gently took his hand. "T'ra Saa. I've heard nothing of one named Aayla Secura here, but I am the Jedi Watchman of the Kiffu sector. Though, admittedly, I have been... lacking in much of assistance from the locals to prevent a potential crisis."

"... you're, a Neti, right?"

"I am."

"Ah, so you'r the one that they wanted dead."

T'ra blinked, staring at him. "Oh?"

"Yeah..." Shaking his head, Naruto sighed, moving onto the bathwa's back and gently rubbing the spot next to it. "Maybe I should tell you more while we go back for my friends. It's, a tale..."

"... one you have my interest in hearing." With a gentle motion to slip onto the bathwa, she settled in as Naruto began telling her his tale, and of what he knew was going on.


Omake: Probably a Bad Idea... Part 3

"And this kids, is why you learn many skills."

Naruto's voice was so calm, collected, and composed. No one might think that he was internally screaming as he gripped the controls and forced a transport that should not be making such maneuvers to avoid crashing into walls of the undercity as they were swarmed by a swoop gang. Perfectly calm and composed, and turning it into a teaching experience on top of that.

The younglings, for their part, had only been screaming from the start due to the sudden dive Naruto had dropped them into. The acceleration and everything else had simply thrown them off before Naruto had leveled it out and more than a few had started either giggling or crying. It was like the galaxy's worst podracing track, where swoop racers were trying to run them down, and clearly should have had the advantage. They'd attempted to pepper the hull of the transport with blaster fire, to hit the windows, or the engines in some way that would inhibit their capacity to move.

As it was though, Naruto had managed to utilize methods that were beyond questionable. From maneuvering the bottom of the transport so that it was near to a wall to force the swoops to either attempt to follow behind them and risk the wall, or shoot at the top of the vehicle, to pushing down further before arcing back up towards topside to get more than a few of them to attempt to follow him after his first dive, only to have him moving back upwards as quickly as the vehicle could climb.

"And on your left, you'll see the residential district. Lovely place, but home to more than a few people who don't know that they're sitting just above some really crazy stuff."

Anakin for his part was trying to think of any way to help Naruto. This wasn't the sort of thing where one really could help, but at the same time, he kept feeling like he had to so something. Naruto was pulling everything he could to keep him and the younglings safe - even the driver, who was now a sobbing mess on the floor, clearly exhausted and exasperated from Naruto's actions. Clearly this had been meant to be a simple grab, and Naruto had quickly and immediately thrown it all to the winds.

Looking back, Anakin stared back at the swoops. This was going to be absolute insanity, with their speed there was simply no way that they could outrun a transport like this. It was... it was an older model. One that had a few design pieces that...

Anakin frowned. It was a model that was capable of outpacing the swoops, if only barely, meaning that it had to be one of the models that had one of a few different kinds of engines. If he was right, then then there was a chance.

Moving up to Naruto, he stumbled and grabbed hold of Naruto's seat as they made another sharp turn. "Master!"

"Sensei!"

Anakin blinked, trying to process that. "What?"

"I'm not your master, I'm your teacher." Naruto explained, still hyper focused. "In my culture, the word for teacher is sensei."

"Is now the time?"

"I'm not going to have you call me master. I've never liked it."

"I - fine, sensei!"

"Yes my young padawan?"

Anakin grit his teeth, wanting to throw his hands up... but not wanting to lose his grip on the back of Naruto's chair. "I might have a way out of this."

"Do tell."

"Some of the older models of these have power couplings running through the underside." Anakin shifted past Naruto, moving to a panel next to him. The driver began to protest, but neither were listening to him. "If we can pulse it, turn off navigation and lights and redirect it through the engines, we can use it to give us a speed boost, and get ourselves out of here."

"That sounds like a great plan."

"It's a terrible plan." Anakin admitted, moving through some of the wires and mechanics looking for a specific couple of pieces that they would need. "If it pulses too strongly, it'll blow out our engine, and we'll be either sitting in the air... or..."

Naruto seemed to understand the silent words that went unsaid. Glancing back at the younglings, Naruto grit his teeth. "Do it."

"You sure?"

"Anakin..."

"...right."

Moving through the wiring, he quickly found it. Pulling at a few other small tools he's slipped into his belt from when he'd been tinkering with C-3PO, he shifted a few things slowly, hearing the vehicle immediately begin straining and slowing down. Shifting, he reached up, a specific part of it needed to turn. Glancing up to Naruto, he gave him a worried look. This felt like a very bad idea.

"Punch it!"

Gripping the piece, Anakin began to slowly turn it. The transport went dark, every piece of the panel began to dim and die out, and the entire vehicle began to slow to a near stop for an instant. The three up front held their breath, eyes widening as the swoops began to slow upon seeing the transport dying in front of them.

Then, hearing the sudden gunning of power couplings beneath them, the transports engines roared to life, blowing one swoop who'd mistakenly moved behind the vehicle completely off their bike into the expanse below, as it raced up and out of the undercity.

All the way, the youngling's screams echoed for all of them, while Anakin gripped Naruto's waist desperately. And all the way, Naruto whooped and cackled like a maniac, pushing the transport up and out, back into the light of upper Coruscant, and back on track towards the Senate building.


AN: T'ra Saa! What a legend. And some moments between Naruto and Aurra to show some more things I hope to explore more in the future. Hopefully it'll make for some good stuff going forward, especially with a bit more of one of the other fun things for the next arc!

I again made it from another perspective, not going fully into the battle as - while it has worn on Naruto clearly, with the addition of T'ra, they didn't stand quite nearly as much of a chance. That said, they are doing what others will consider in the future; attempting to use a numbers & attrition game against Naruto. Will it work out? Well, we'll likely get more into that.

Thank you all for your reviews, they are always great to read. If you haven't seen, there's a poll to go over the pairing options for Naruto for everyone, as well as those new to the story on my Profile. I look forward to seeing who you choose, and how I'll be able to consider and use it through the building story.

May this chapter find you well, and may the Force be with you.