Disclaimer – all original Star Wars characters in this fanfic (excluding my OC's) are the property of Lucasfilm and Disney.
Chapter 53 "The New Apprentices - part 2"
Coruscant, Undercity, Ziro's Palace.
Built along a wall of the Arandonti Ravine, a gap between building blocks in the ecumenopolis that covered the surface of the planet Coruscant, Ziro's Palace was the personal residence and lair of Hutt crime lord Ziro Desilijic Tiure. It had a giant marquee upon the entrance and was covered in advertisements and was frequented by a powerful political clientele with whom Ziro had forged Hutt operated a nightclub within the palace, but it also served as the headquarters for his criminal organization.
Deiven never liked such places. They sickened him to the core. "Twi'lek dancers, drunken thugs, assassins, spice dealers, and other scum," the Firrerreo growled slightly under his nose as he sat at the bar counter, clad in a gray hooded cloak, which allowed him to hide his identity. HK, who stood beside him, put on a holographic disguise of a standard protocol droid. "A palace... tch, more like a dirty dive. I could show this Hutt, a true palace on Shili. He would turn green instantly."
"Impatient query: Can I just kill all these meatbags, young Master?"
"No yet, HK," Deiven replied quietly. "Simply wait for my first move."
When they passed the Coruscant security unnoticed, and Deiven landed the Silent Shadow on the landing pad near the entrance to Ziro's palace, they were approached by an IG-86 sentinel droid. The young Firrerreo told the droid that he had an important business with Ziro the Hutt and was surprised that the droid allowed him to enter the palace without any issues. He understood why when he entered the room in which Ziro was present. At least four armed IG-86 sentinel droids stood around the dais and watched for anything suspicious, but Deiven was sure armed thugs and other criminals watched them from shadows as well.
The jazz music, played by the four Bith musicians at the stage, echoed in his ears. With his amber-colored snake-like eyes, Deiven saw the purple-skinned Hutt, who talked with a green-skinned Rodian.
When the Rodian bowed his head and left, it was Deiven's turn to speak with the Hutt. The IG-86 sentinel droid escorted him and HK to the dais.
"Your majesty, you have an important visitor," said the droid as Deiven stepped forward and revealed his face.
The Hutt's green eyes widened when he recognized the Firrerreo. "ArchKnight Deiven of the Kingdom of the Force? What brings such an important figure to this neighborhood?" he asked, puffing his hookah pipe.
"We have an important issue to discuss," the young Firrerreo replied as the amber color of his snake-like eyes intensified and the room filled with the chilling presence of the dark side. "The issue with your scheme against the Kingdom."
"Excuse me?" Ziro asked, confused. "I don't know-"
"HK, activation code 6C4-87B," Deiven said, and HK turned off his holographic disguise. The droid's blue-colored photoreceptors started to glow red as his body began to emanate the Force.
In one moment, Deiven activated his black-indigo Forcesaber and slashed the IG-86 sentinel droid, which was right beside him. HK aimed at another two IG droids and shoot two times with his blaster rifle, resulting in two headshots. Three assassin droids were destroyed before the rest could react. The assassin droid of the Kingdom used his rocket propulsion systems to fly up and draw the majority of the blaster shots.
Screams and sounds of blaster fire filled the room. The unarmed guests, Twi'lek dancers, and small astromech droids, which carried trays with drinks, rushed out of the room while the rest attacked the two members of the Kingdom.
No matter how dangerous and skilled the IG models and bounty hunters were, against a nearly indestructible assassin droid powered by the Force and genetically modified Firrerreo with a crazy healing factor, they had no chance.
The young ArchKnight used the Force to crush another assassin droid into a pile of scrap metal, and HK killed an armed bounty hunter, who tried to shoot him down. With a Force lightning, Deiven fried a Devaronian, who charged at him with a knife, and HK fired an exploding dart a two Weequays, ripping them to shreds. Many opponents began to run, noticing how powerful the two were.
Ziro tried to run as well, but it was a hard thing to accomplish for a large, slow gastropod. HK used his rocket propulsion systems and landed in front of him, aiming with his blaster rifle at his panicked face.
"Going somewhere, Ziro?" Deiven asked, forcing Ziro to turn around and look at the intense amber hue of the young Firrerreo's eyes. If the Hutt crime lord would be a Force-sensitive, he would easily sense the dark side emanating from the ArchKnight.
"It's never a good idea to mess with the Kingdom!" Deiven growled and placed the tip of his Forcesaber in front of Ziro's face.
"This is a big misunderstanding!" the Hutt said with a panicked tone, defensively raising his hand.
"Oh?" Deiven arched his ginger eyebrow. "I know that you and Darth Vundus planned to kidnapped Jabba's son and blame it all on the Kingdom. Am I wrong?"
"Y-yes!" Zero replied. "The Republic was meant to send Jedi and they were suppose to be blamed for Rotta's death! That would lead to a conflict between Jabba and the Republic! With him removed from power, I would be in a position to seize control of the Hutt clan! The Kingdom was never suppose to be involved or blamed for anything! Honest!"
"Are you telling me the truth?" Deiven asked, squinting his eyes.
"I swear it on my life!" Zero replied.
The ArchKnight lowered and turned off his weapon. "I believe you," he said as the hue of his eyes returned to normal. "And I think Jabba beliefs you as well."
"W-what?" Ziro asked and turned around. HK, who deactivated his Force-powered mode, held a holoprojector in his hand, and Jabba's holographic image stared daggers at Ziro. When Deiven began to speak with Ziro, HK established a transmission with Jabba's palace, and the Hutt witnessed the entire conversation.
Ziro was shocked and speechless but snapped out of his shock when Jabba dropped the transmission. After a few seconds, Ziro's personal holocomm unit, which was located on his dais, began to beep and flash, signaling an incoming call from Jabba.
The purple-skinned Hutt looked at Deiven, realizing that the ArchKnight tricked him into revealing his plan to his nephew. "You tricked me!" he stated.
"Yup!" Deiven replied casually with a grin. HK placed his holoprojector inside his side pack and approached the ArchKnight. "Now since we got everything, we'll be on our way. Let me just take this for you," Deiven added, approaching the holocom unit and pressing a button on the console. Jabba's holographic image was displayed above the device, and he immediately began to speak angrily to Ziro in Huttese.
Deiven could only imagine what profanities came out from the Hutt's mouth. But, since their mission was over, he and HK left the room and returned to the Silent Shadow.
Planet Christophsis, Chaleydonia – Capital of Christophsis, Lookout Post.
The abandoned skyscraper was a useful observation point. When visibility was good, the clones could see for thirty klicks in every direction. Smoke, which hanged in the air, had cut that down dramatically, but it was still an excellent vantage point. The Republic forces could direct long-range artillery from here.
Anakin knew he had to grit his teeth and take a certain amount of Jedi Council bureaucracy, but there was a war on. And there was every chance that they could die here. He didn't have time for a Padawan and what made it worse was that Ahsoka was thrilled to be one. To be his Padawan in particular, and that worried him. As her friend, Anakin didn't want to see Ahsoka on the front lines, battling upgraded battle droids and the likes of General Grievous. This war was too dangerous for someone so young.
The young Togruta jumped on a rail to look out from the top of the abandoned skyscraper as if she were sightseeing. She wasn't tall enough to peer over unaided. Anakin grabbed her by the belt and pulled her back down.
"This isn't a training exercise, Ahsoka," he said sternly. "The Separatists use live rounds. They're awkward that way."
"I know what I'm doing," Ahsoka readjusted her belt. "Why don't you send a couple of squads to infiltrate the..."
"Skyline yourself like that again and you'll get your head shot off, Jedi or not," Anakin added, interrupting the young Togruta. "The new battle droids have deadly accuracy and can even kill a Jedi Master."
Captain Rex, who finished observing the surroundings through the binoculars, approached the three. "What's the status, Rex?" Anakin asked.
"Quiet for now," the Captain answered. "The clankers are probably preparing for another assault." The clone looked at Ahsoka and squinted his eyes. "Who's the youngling?"
Ahsoka looked at him. "I'm Master Skywalker's Padawan," she replied, accentuating the last word. "The name's Ahsoka Tano."
"Sir, I thought you said you'd never have a Padawan," Rex said calmly, looking at the Jedi Knight.
"This is just some mistake," Anakin replied. "I don't have a Padawan and I can't have a Padawan. There's normally at least some discussion about this kind of thing first with the Jedi Council."
Ahsoka stepped in front of him and frowned. "I'm still here, Skyguy. Stop talking about me as if I'm not."
Rex laughed and covered his mouth after hearing the nickname. Anakin wasn't in the mood. He fixed Ahsoka with a don't-mess-with-me look. "Your're not helping and besides, you're too young to be here," he said harshly.
"I'm fourteen!" Ahsoka pointed out. "Anyway, Master Yoda thinks I'm old enough."
"Ahsoka, were not on Coruscant in a safe Jedi Temple," Anakin stated. "This is a battlefield and I don't want you to get hurt. And seeing as I can't ship you back to Coruscant yet, I might as well make sure you don't get killed. Rex, make sure she learns how things work around here."
"Very good, sir," Rex checked the charge on his rifle and both sidearms, then gestured to the stairs. "Come on, youngling."
"Padawan," Ahsoka muttered under her nose, but she followed him without further argument. She really cared about her status.
When Ahsoka and Rex left, Asajj spoke to Anakin. "Don't you think you're a little hard on her?"
"No," Anakin replied immediately. "This isn't a game. She's too reckless, impulsive, and to eager prove herself."
"You know the three of us were never perfect in terms of self-discipline," Asajj said with a gentle smile. "We got ourselves in trouble a few times, but we always had each others back."
"That's why I can't allow her to be my Padawan," Anakin replied. "If I would be sure that she'll stay out of the harms way and do exactly what I say, that's a different story, but I know she'll come charging along with me. You know exactly how dangerous our enemies are."
"Yes, I know," Asajj assured. "And I know how strong you are. You won't let anything bad happen to her. At least not before something bad happens to you first."
"Gee, thanks," Anakin arched his eyebrow and sighed. "We could really used the Kingdom's help right about now. I wonder what are they doing anyway?"
Planet Teth, B'omarr Monastery, Detention Level.
Aritia beheaded a B1 battle droid and used the Force to slam another one against the wall. Just like they predicted, a few battle droids remained inside the monastery, but it wasn't a big deal. Since the narrow corridors didn't provide much space, only two Sentinels accompanied Zai'shira and Aritia while Zek'To remained outside the facility.
More focused this time, the female Firrerreo carefully moved forward. With Zai'shira's montrals, the ArchKnight was able to easily pinpoint the locations of the battle droids and deal with them swiftly.
"I sense a dark presence," Aritia noted as she cut a battle droid in two. "It's our assassins."
"This means the Huttlet is nearby as well," Zai'shira replied. "Deiven finished is mission so we need to be successful as well." The young Firrerreo contacted Zai'shira and informed her of his success.
"I think I can smell him... ugghh, and I really regret that," Aritia winced and covered her nose. The Firrerrero stopped at the door and looked at Zai'shira, who gestured her to take a step to the side.
Aritia moved to one side of the door and prepared her lightsaber. "Watch our backs," Zai'shira instructed the two Sentinels, who split up and turned their backs to Aritia and Zai'shira, watching the opposite directions of the corridor for any attacks.
The Togruta sensed a movement inside and prepared for a fight. She activated her black-yellow Forcesaber and opened the cell door with the Force. A wall of noise hit her immediately as the Huttlet cried and screamed. He was carried but unharmed. The Togruta slowly entered the cell.
Aritia peeked inside and entered as well. "He's much smaller than I thought," she said, raising her eyebrows. "But he smells as bad as an adult Hutt."
Zai'shira's comlink beeped, and she raised her wrist to her mouth. "What is it Zek'To?" she asked.
"One small ship flew out from behind the monastery and tries to leave the planet," informed the Rakata. "I assume the assassins try to escape."
The Togruta looked at the Huttlet and replied. "Let them go. We have the Huttlet so we don't need to waste our time on them."
"Understand, I'll tell our pilots to let them go," the Rakata replied and ended the call.
Aritia carefully approached and grabbed the Huttlet. "Ugh, I need to wash my hands after this," she complained.
"Hmm?" the ArchKnight noticed a holoprojector that was placed on the ground in the middle of the room, and when she approached it, a full-sized, holographic image of Darth Vundus appeared before the two females.
"Darth Vundus," Zai'shira smirked. "How can I help you?"
"I believe I should be asking you that question," the Sith Lord replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "The Kingdom had no reasons interfering with our plans. This trap was set for the Jedi and the Republic alone."
"Oh, we did have a reason," Zai'shira stated. "With Jabba staying neutral, neither the Republic nor the Separatist will get access to the Hutt's hyperspace lanes, which is good for us. Not to mention Jabba himself asked us for help and he now owes us a favor."
"We just wanted the Huttlet," Zai'shira continued with a shrug. "And since your lame assassins used their brains for once and decided not to mess with us or escape with him, we allowed them to leave the planet without being shot down."
"Heh," the Sith smirked. "As you can probably guess, Komari really wants to kill you due to your history during your days as a Padawan. So don't blame me for any attempts on your life."
Zai'shira squinted her blue-colored eyes for a moment and heard a beeping sound. She and Aritia turned their heads to the side and noticed a large explosive charge attached to the cell's wall. Immediately, both females turned on their heels and dashed out of the cell.
"Explosive charge!" Zai'shira exclaimed. The Sentinels quickly turned around and entered the cell while Zai'shira and Aritia rushed down the corridor, enhancing their speed with the Force. The Sentinels moved towards the explosive and fearlessly pressed their shields against it. The explosive charge went off with a flash and a loud bang, shaking the nearby area.
The Sentinels took the majority of the impact, and while they were destroyed, the two females reached a safe distance on time, thanks to their quick reaction. Still, the impact of the explosion knocked them off their feet. Aritia fell sideways, not wanting to land on the Huttlet, who cried loudly.
"Ouch!" hissed the Firrerreo. "That was rude and spineless!"
"Tell me about it," Zai'shira replied and shook her head. She got up and looked behind her, noticing the smoke and flames. The part of the ceiling above the cell and a few walls collapsed. She was aware that the two Sentinels were destroyed, but their sacrifice kept the damage to a minimum. Zai'shira's comlink beeped, and Zek'To's voice issued from it. "ArchKnight Zai'shira! We heard an explosion! Is everything alright?!"
The Togruta helped Aritia back to her feet and raised her wrist to her mouth. "Yeah, we're alive, but the two Sentinels were destroyed. The assassins left us a nasty farewell present."
"They left the system a few moments ago," informed the Rakata. "Too bad we didn't stop them."
"No matter," Zai'shira replied. "The Huttlet is unharmed so our mission is successful. We'll surely meet the assassins again and pay them back for that stunt. Right now, we need to contact Jabba and inform him that his son is safe."
"And smelly," added Aritia, making Zai'shira smile. "Send someone to dig up the destroyed Sentinels and we can fly to Tatooine," added the Togruta.
"Understood," replied the Rakata.
Zai'shira ended the conversation and looked at Aritia. "You survived your first mission," she noted. "Congratulations are in order."
Aritia shrugged. "It was nothing special," she said humbly. "I did similar things as a Jedi Knight."
"Keep in mind that the mission are going to become much harder," warned the Togruta. "You'll face stronger enemies, possibly members of the Jedi Order, and tough situations, which you won't handle if you'll think like a Jedi."
Aritia nodded slowly. "I will," she assured. She was aware that sooner or later, she'd have to face Jedi in battle. And when that time comes, she'll be ready to face them like a true member of the Kingdom of the Force.
Planet Christophsis, Chaleydonia – Capital of Christophsis, City Plaza.
Rex made his way through the rubble of what had once been a beautiful city square with Ahsoka at his side. The young Togruta looked up at him and asked. "Shouldn't you be wearing your helmet?"
Rex's boots crunched on a shattered marble relief that looked like part of the fountain. "I've got my comm earpiece," he replied, tapping his ear. He thought she wanted to learn SOPs, standard operating procedures. "And we're monitoring for snipers."
"Have you thought about moving that line back, Captain?" Ahsoka pointed to the artillery position. "They'd have better cover that way."
"Thank you for the suggestion," Rex replied. "General Skywalker thinks they're fine where they are."
"But they need cover," Ahsoka argued.
"They also need range," Rex pointed out.
"What if I gave you an order to move the cannons?" Ahsoka asked. "You're a captain, and I'm a Jedi, so I technically outrank you, right?"
"In my book, experience outranks everything," stated the clone Captain.
"Well, if experience outranks everything, I guess I should start getting some," Ahsoka replied with excitement. Then, she scanned the horizon slowly, her huge blue-colored eyes slightly narrowed. "What's that?"
Rex hadn't noticed it before. From the sudden burst of comm chatter in his ear, the observation post had spotted it at the same time Ahsoka had. It was a huge light red ball, translucent and glowing slightly as it slowly swallowed buildings on the far edge of the city. It was expanding.
Rex's stomach knotted. Not good. They've got an energy shield," he stated. "That's going to make things damned near impossible. If you wanted experience, little one, it looks like you're about to get plenty."
The Jedi and the clone Captain gathered around a holotable to discuss the strategy for the upcoming battle. Anakin watched the moving points of light that indicated droid troops. They were advancing behind the leading edge of the energy shield, moving back into the center of the city. One column headed straight for the artillery position in the square. He felt helpless, and he didn't handle helplessness well.
Obi-Wan tilted his head slightly to one side. "It's hard to pinpoint the field generator precisely, but it's got to be in this area somewhere," he said, prodding his forefinger into the meshwork of light and made a loop to indicate the range of positions. "The field's elliptical, which means it's probably within this radius."
"Cannons are not going to make a dent in that, so I say we save our ordnance for later," Rex stated. "In the meantime, all we can do is try to engage them in confined spaces."
"We can draw them into the buildings," Asajj said. "They've got to find us to fight us. They can't fire their own cannon from inside the shield, so let's make their defenses work against them."
"I could work with normal droids, but with the upgraded ones hiding somewhere amongst them, it will be a really dangerous tactic," noted Anakin. "We could lose many troops and I don't want that."
"Well, charging inside the shield with our AT-TEs is not a good idea as well," Obi-Wan stated.
Ahsoka watched in silence for a moment and then spoke. "If the shield is going to be such a problem, we can just take it out."
"Easier said than done," replied Rex.
"Well, I..." Anakin cleared his throat. "...actually agree with her. Someone has get to that shield generator and destroy it. That's the key."
"Right," Obi-Wan agreed. "Then maybe you two can tiptoe through the enemy lines and solve this particular problem together."
"I think that's a great idea," Asajj seconded, smiling to Anakin.
"Rex, Asajj, and I can stage a diversion here," Obi-Wan said, pointing at a specific place at the hologram. "That should make it easier for you to slip through."
Anakin looked at Asajj and Obi-Wan, who looked at him and expected a reply. Even Rex observed the Jedi Knight. Anakin could order Ahsoka to stay with Obi-Wan and Rex while he and Asajj would try to destroy the shield generator. However, he had a hunch the young Togruta would get herself into a much worse predicament, trying to prove her worth. Just like Asajj said, it was better to have her nearby so that he could have an eye on her.
The young Jedi Knight pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled resignedly. "Fine," he replied and looked at Ahsoka. "You're coming with me."
The young Togruta smiled widely and almost hoped in place. Asajj smiled and nodded when Anakin looked at her.
Anakin turned and walked away with Ahsoka. "If we survive this, Snips, you and I are going to have a nice long talk."
"Snips?" she said indignantly.
"That's what you get for being snippy," Anakin explained. "Got it?"
"Got it, Master!" Ahsoka replied. "Let's go."
She almost bounced as she walked. Anakin hoped she wasn't excited, as if this were some game, and he tested the eddies in the Force around her to discover her state of mind. She was excited but also scared.
Anakin tried to recall how he'd felt when he walked into hostile situations at her age. It was hard to remember; there were headline events in his past that he recalled all too clearly because the pain was still there, but that had never gone away, so he hadn't had a chance to forget.
"They make quite the pair," Rex noted and looked at Obi-Wan. "You think they have a chance?"
"They better," Obi-wan replied. "If they can't turn off that shield generator before it reaches the heavy cannons, we're going to have to engage them with our own forces inside the shield. It won't be pretty."
"They'll make it," Asajj assured with a confident smile. "I'm sure of it."
Please R&R ;)