A/N: Sorry I had to get one more of these kinds of chapters in, only this and one more before Kamino.
Chapter 17
Return to Ryloth Pt 2
CHRISTOPHSIS
Republic Outer Rim Senate Hall
Leo was looking out the window at the crystalline city skyline of Christophsis, the glass spiders towering as far as the eye could see. Glistening in the sunlight was far more interesting the "Sir Rock am I boring you?" The voice of the Viceroy snapped Leo back to the mission at hand beside him O-Mer slapped his tall forehead, his string mustache swaying at the hit.
"Forgive my counterpart Madam Viceroy." O-Mer said leaning forward under is dark brown jedi robe, the long baggy sleeves draped over light beige tunic, the two Knights were sitting across from a Trade Federation representative, the female neimoidian was joined by an ambassador from Raxus, a twi'lek with pink skin and a trandoshan "He merely sensed a disturbance, right Sir Rock?"
Leo turned to cerean jedi, he was dead, not alive, not fully grown and not a Knight, but he was staring right at him, "… O-Merr?"
"Is something wrong Master Jedi, we are here at the behest of the Senate to discuss our worlds allocating troops to the Grand Army?" The Viceroy asked him. Leo looked at the Nemodian woman and looked over his shoulder, they were in a crystal conference room. There were Republic troopers in the room, but they weren't clones. The armor was the same Kaminoan design but altered, instead of the closed face clone helmet, they were open faced strapped on helmets. There was a rodian, a twi'lek, a wookiee and an onderonian human woman.
O-Mer nodded "Yes, as we all know when the Clone Wars ended, the Kaminoans could no longer provide clone soldiers do to Chancellor Amidalla's veto for more, and instead the reinstatement of the Old Republic military branch, soldiers are volunteered enlisted from the Republic worlds."
"But you still have clones?" The trandoshan said skeptical.
"That is right Senator, even after the Fives Bill passed forbidding governments from creating synthetic soldiers, the clones who've remained in military service will train and drill your citizens to protect your worlds from pirates, crime syndicates and should they ever return the Sith." O-Mer said.
Leo looked down at his hands, they were both there all ten fingers oves, his robes dark green baggy sleeves with no bracers, a matching brown robe covered his body and he felt it. Real as his own flesh and when he turned his head to the side he saw his hair, his bright orange red hair and at the tips a bit of white. Seeing his own reflection he saw a faded scar across his face, his red hair tied back in a top knot with long hair flowing down his neck.
"The Sith." The twi'lek delicate said scoffingly.
Leo looked to him "That's what you jedi all pinned the last war on wasn't it?"
"Indeed, after Chancellor Palpationes assassination and Count Dooku's capture at the siege of Serenno and subsequent suicide, we uncovered a trove of sith artifacts and connections to crime syndicates in his possession and various deals with Kaminoan offices to prolong the war when we revealed them to the public he lost all credibility." O-Mer explained.
"Sir Rock, you were at the battle of Serenno were you not?" The Viceroy asked him.
Leo couldn't focus on what she was saying, the war was over, O-Mer alive, no more clones, a new Chancellor "Leo?" O-Mer asked in a whisper.
"— Yes Viceroy, my forces helped break through the Separaitst blockade and hold of the subsequent counter attack, nearly a million brave clones lost their lives and many jedi." Leo confessed to her.
"Ah and you will help train and lead the enlisted soldiers?" The trandoshan senator asked.
O-Mer cleared his throat "No Senator, as with the new charter created by the Council and office of the Chancellor, the Jedi are no longer permitted to hold military ranks, we can however act as diplomatic liaisons and advisors." The cerean told them.
The Viceroy and her fellow senators all looked at one another, nodding "We accept this proposal, the semantics of the military bases and new Republic guidelines can be dealt with later well done Master Jedi." The Viceroy said standing up.
Both Leo and O-Met stood up "Don't thank us, thank the new promise of Peace you bring to your people." Leo said smiling.
RYLOTH
Black Sun Hideout
Wolffe Karkko, Sith Lord and fallen Jedi Master stood over Leo who was on his knees, his green eyes glazed over with Sith Magic, a cloud of dark force energy haloing around his head. Karkko snickered as the Black Sun Captain and Durge stood over Leo with him "This was your plan, to drug him?" Durge asked, his cybernetic voice sounding irritated and bored.
"The plan was always to lure Rocka nod his followers here, now that we have their leader the others will come soon enough." Karkko said, smiling at his word.
"Lord Karkko I fail to see the importance of keeping him alive, one jedi as a prisoner is dangerous enough more coming after us will be far worse?" The Black Sun Captain asked, he was a green Falleen man with a thick black goatee over his so-called green skin, wearing gold tinted armor under his purple robes.
Karkko turned to him "Leverage Captain, should they come we have him as a prisoner if he were dead these Jedi would have nothing holding them back to destroy us."
"But these ar Jedi, they live by a code yes?" The Black Sun Captain asked.
"Not these Jedi." Durge said, folding his metal arms walking around the darkened room.
Karkko nodded at him "Quite right my cybernetic companion, these are Rogue Jedi there is little holding them back from unleashing their full power, no Council, no Senate, we must prepare they will soon begin looking for us and then we will know who is the hunter and who is the hunted." Karkko said, looking down at Leo smirking.
"Dream well Leo Rock, dream well."
LESSU,
Ryloth Capital, Taa Estate
"I don't understand how they get past us." Jinx said standing in the room Leo had been sleeping in when they first arrived, everyone was gathered in the room looking at the bed all messy. The window opened and the curtains blew in as everyone tried to make sense of the kidnapping. In the doorway stood Cham Syndulla with two of his most trusted soldiers both covered in the scars of battle wearing armor carrying blasters and a set of daggers.
Tholme looked at the broken wine bottle Leo had smashed across the wall rubbing his fingers across the stain "We thought we were setting the trap, instead we walked right into one." Tholme said he and everyone else were still dressed in their Ryloth Venture's costumes.
Ahsoka looked at the bed where Leo had slept, his imprint still in it her heart beating fast to where he could be. "Master Vos, I was told you had the ability to track someone's movements through the force with only an object they touched could you use the bottle fragments?"
Vos was already holding a shard of the bottle "I've been trying to, but something… somethings not right, I see Leo but he's not here or there, it's like he's stuck… someplace in between?"
"Master?" Jinx asked confused.
"I can't explain it but I sense…" Quinlan's voice trailed off.
"I sense it too." The Dark Woman said.
Cham stepped forward "Not to interrupt but sense what?"
"The dark side is at work here, whoever the Back Sun are working with, they're a powerful force wielder in the dark side." The Dark Woman explained to him.
Cham's yellow fangs gapped hearing that "Dark Side force wielders you mean the…." He paused, almost too afraid to say "The Sith?"
"You know of the Sith General?" Aayla asked him, Cham begrudgingly nodded, sweating a bit hands behind his back as he paced the room looking at the mess.
"My grandfather spoke of them, your ancient opposites had I known such danger awaited you here, I would not have put you at such risk." Cham said sincerely bowing to them "I beg your forgiveness Master Jedi."
The two guards with Cham looked like they were about to protest seeing their General bow to offworlders, "We knew the risks when we came General, Master Vos, Master Secura doesn't this seem familiar to you?" Jinx asked.
"Now that you mention it, it does, these are the same tactics Wolff Karkko used on Kiffu." Aayla said.
"Karkko?" Ahsoka asked "Who or what is a Karkko?" She asked.
Aayla and Vos looked at one another "Shortly after you left Ahsoka, there was a series of kidnappings, people being taken by Anzati."
"Anzati I thought they were a myth or all dead?" Petro asked with the other padawans.
"The myth came to life, we learned a fallen jedi master who the order had locked away was creating an army of Anzati, feeding on people from across the galaxy on Kiffar, it was quite the adventure but to make a long story short Karkko used the same method to kidnap all of Aayla, Jinx and I, including Master Plo who was with us at the time." Quinlan explained summoning up the story to save on time "Leo was the only one they hadn't captured, in the end he saved us all and captured Karkko." Quinlan added.
Jinx was already walking to the door. "There isn't a moment to waste, I'm not leaving my friend with that monster."
Tholme flipped his cane up in front of Jinx's path making him stop dead in his tracks "Patience Jinx, we must find where is before we rescue him, if Karkko's allied himself with the Black Sun and Shadow Collective he'll be well guarded, and expect us to come looking." Tholme told him.
"You know what that monster is capable of, Master?" Jinx snapped looking at Quinaln with pleading eyes. The Kiffu jedi Master took a deep breath.
Vos paced the full length of the room "I do Jinx, and you know Leo stopped his ability to feed, if anything they'll use Rock as leverage against us if they don't hand him over to the Republic for the reward that is."
"Then we don't have a moment to lose, we start looking yesterday." Ahsoka said addressing all of them.
Cham gave her a firm nod "You'll have my full resources at your disposal, Ryloth must repay its debt to the Jedi for freeing our world."
JEDI T-6 SHUTTLE
Enroute to Coruscant
A blue tinted and mostly white bodied Jedi T-6 shuttle was soaring at the end of a hyperspace lane, Jinx and Leo in the cockpit "That went better than I'd hoped, the Council's already sent their congratulations, so has the Chancellor's office and are expecting us back at the Temple." O-Mer said from the copilot seat.
Leo was behind the pilot seat "Wasn't that hard to convince them, with how pressed the self defense forces are in the outer rim the expansion of the Republic garrisons will bring security, jobs to build the bases and settlers from the core looking for something bigger than an apartment the size of a closet." Leo said as Jinx giggled hearing that.
"I like my quarters at the Temple, especially since the new renovations convincing the Council to turn the Hall of a Thousand Fountains into an inside beach for the order was your best idea yet." O-Mer said.
"Better than my plan to use the Resolute II as a battering ram to break the Separatist flotilla around Serenno?" Leo asked him.
O-Mer thought on it for a second "That plan didn't have shaved ice?"
Rolling his eyes he heard the navcomputer signal they were at the end of the hyperspace lane "Coming out of hyperspace, good to be home." The shuttle dropped out of hyperspace and flew to the surface of Coruscant, the jewel of the Republic was busy as usual with ships from across the galaxy coming and going. Massive transport vessels and old Republic War Ships lined refugee camps at space ports as they flew by.
"Resettling plan is almost over, that's half the number of ships we saw before we left?" O-Met said hopeful. "People going back to rebuild their worlds, the Republic Military making sure they get there safely, what more could we ask for."
Leo looked down at the Republic cruisers taking former refugees back home "What more… yeah, O-Mer do you remember Master Sora Bulq?"
"Bulq, yes of course he almost killed us on that moon when we discovered he was trying to break the order." O-Mer Leo stared at him, his mouth ajar.
"Right… remind me of what happened?" He asked.
O-Mer gawked at him swiveling in his chair "How can you forget, he deceived you and me into leaving the Order, albeit you made a lot of good points about the last Council's failures but when the time came to choose, Bulq revealed his true colors and we stopped him together before we went back."
"Last Council?" Leo asked him.
"Are you feeling alright, your acting really strange? The last Council headed by Master Yoda and Master Windu because of how much he talked, they disbanded. Remember Master Yoda stepped down with half the other Masters before they assembled the current one, and took Padawans out of combat, revealing that the Sith were behind the war—- LOOK OUT!" O-Mer shouted as Leo almost flew right into a cargo container ship.
Leo dodged at the last minute before he pulled them up above the traffic "They what?" He asked.
"Why are you so surprised it's what you wanted in the first place, yeah it took the people some time to come around but after the Republic fleet attacked Serenno and caught Dooku, it all came out, Count Dooku was behind the whole war and Chancellor Palpatine resigned in shame because of it, that's when the then Senators Amidalla was elected to Chancellor, are you sure your alright?" O-Mer asked Him.
Leo looked at the shining Jedi Temple in the distance that they were approaching fast "Better than alright, I'm perfect."
Smiling in the real world, Leo's head swayed around as if it were looking, the Black Sun guards outside his cell saw Karkko approaching with Durge, the two parted so they could stand outside the cell. Durge leaned on the bars looking at him "This isn't sporting." Durge complained.
"You'd prefer to fight him and his jedi all at once?" Karkko asked him.
Durge glared at the Anzati sith "I did it before."
"And had your metal arse handed to you, with your own armor as the platter this is far more poetic." Karkko said, opening the cell and walking into the cell. He ran his clawed fingers across Leo's white hair "Elegant wouldn't you say."
Durge didn't answer, he just watched "The enchantment is an ancient sith technique, one that took me many years to master, entrapping the victim in prison they never want to escape because it's everything they ever wanted."
"What do you get out of it? I thought Anzati had to feed on brain juice or something to survive, this just seems petty?" Durge said as Karkko grabbed the roots of Leo's hair, the young jedi not even clenching.
"Oh this is beyond petty, this is perfect revenge, because even if the Jedi come to try and set him free, he won't want to leave and it'll be a deadly mistake."
LESSU
Market Place
The Ryloth Ventures entourage had made its way out of the estate in full parade, entering into a very open and populated bazaar. Merchants and craftsmen were practically throwing their wares at Aayla who was sitting on a large cushion, her wrists covered in jewels and gems, holding a large diamond in one hand. Ahsoka sat next to her on a smaller cushion as the four guards in disguise surrounded them. Tholme stood in front of her with the Dark Woman and the padawans in their disguise as servants. "Mistress, should we not consult your father about these purchases?" Tholme asked Miles Croft.
"Oh pish posh Croft, we can afford it, we have credits burn here. It was my father who said I needed to experience the mother world's culture, fool." Aayla said using her heiress accent completely disgusting her thick Ryloth accent with a Coruscant one.
Tholme or Croft bowed his head "Of course mistress, forgive my ignorance." He said playing along.
"That's Miles Croft for you everyone, always worried about money and it's barely anything at all." Aayla said in a loud voice so all the twi'leks to hear, she reached into her purse and through a handful of credits into the crowd "Nothing at all hahaha, wouldn't you agree Ashla?" Aayla asked Ahsoka who watched the twi'leks start to scramble to pick them up.
Ahsoka gave a fake smile and nodded "Yes, indeed."
"Speaking of, I heard a rumor that the Black Sun is here, how exciting?" She asked.
The merchants all grew very quiet, "Did I say something wrong?" Aayla asked playing dumb.
Again silence, no one said a word "The Black Sun is here." A old voice said from the back, the crowd parted to reveal an old green skinned twi'lek woman with a young boy by her side, she was blind and only had a few hand woven baskets on her feet. "They come in the night, with armored warriors, they take everything we have and disappear back to their lair." The old woman said.
"Oh my and where's their lair?" Aayla asked.
"No one knows, not even General Syndulla's men." One of the merchants said "the people who survive tell us they are vicious, always bringing a cold wind with them the off-world warriors have frost on their armor, like they come from the coldest depths of hell." He added.
Aayla stood hand cupped "Oh stars this is to much, Croft take me back to the estate please." Aayla said pretending to cry.
"At once my lady." Croft said taking her by the arm.
"Oh and see to it everything I bought is paid for, and not forgotten." She said also still pretending to be an heiress.
Later the entourage returned to the Taa Estate were Rafa and Trace were now lounging about playing a game of Pazaak before the jedi and Ahsoka walked in. "So did you find out where they took the snowflake?" Trace asked them.
"No." Jinx said tossing off his straw hat and then throwing it at the wall "We're wasting time, pretending to play richly rich while the Black Sun and Crimson Dawn do who knows what to Leo." He barked.
"Actually, I think we do know where he is?" Ahsoka asked, looking at Tholme, Dark Woman, and Aayla.
Stepping forward Tholme began to speak "We know the Black Sun comes at night, we know they gather in large numbers and that wherever they come from must be cold if Mandalorians armor frosts over."
"With so many soldiers they'd have to hide them in a place suitable to house a force and close enough to Space port to ship their plunder off world?" Aayla said, scratching her chin.
"Lessu is to secure, Cham's made sure of that." The Dark Woman said.
Ahsoka walked over to a holotable and turned on a map of Ryloth, bringing up all the space ports, she slimmed the search down to one's near mountains and one came up "Kala'uun, it's located in the Lonely Five Range." Ahsoka said getting everyone's attention all of them coming up to gather around the table. Just then a knock came at the door. Both Fives and Dogma put on their straw hat disguise and opened it to see Cham Syndulla.
"It's General Syndulla." Fives said.
"Let him in." Ahsoka said.
Cham slid in through the door "Have you learned anything?"
"We have General, we believe the Black Sun has Leo hidden here in this mountain range."
Cham walked up to the map "Kala'uun is clear, my men have scoured the city for any Black Sun operations and have found none there or at it's spaceport?"
"Hmm, but being close to the spaceport could give smugglers a chance to refuel before stopping by a hidden base." Rafa suggested.
"Good idea Rafa." Ahsoka said, smiling at her.
Cham looked hard at the map "During the occupation, we used an ancient fortress in those mountains to attack droids, we abandoned it after the liberation. It was indefensible."
"Then that's where the Black Sun will have to be, I'd bet my life on it." Jinx said staunchly "what are we waiting for, Martez's prep your ship." He told Trace and Rafa.
"I applaud your courage young one, but this isn't just your fight, give me time to gather my forces, I can get a hundred men from Kala'uun to reinforce you." Cham declared looking to the senior jedi.
Tholme nodded "They're greatly appreciated, we'll depart for Kala'uun and meet you there." He said.
Cham nodded "Very well, I will meet you at Kala'uun." Before he walked to the door leaving.
"Trace, Rafa, let's go get the Silver Angel ready?" Ahsoka asked the two pilots.
"Oh yeah." Trace said, jumping to her feet and clapping her hands, "I'm going with them." Jinx said eager to get a move on.
CORUSCANT
Jedi Temple
The Jedi Shuttle landed inside the hanger and both O-Mer and Leo walked out their robes over their arms like coats, O-Mer let out a long sigh of relief "So much better than hunting Sith on Trandosha." Leo didn't say anything at first he just looked around the hangar as an abyssinian man walked up with a blue cap on holding a holopad. "Master Jedi, welcome back, how was the shuttle?" He asked.
"Jackcar, good to see you again." O-Mer said to the abyssinian.
"Shuttle was a fine Jackar, as always your a master of your craft." Leo said, patting the man on the arm "Give Letta my best." Leo said.
"I will Master jedi." Jackar said as he signaled a squad of maintenance droids to start refueling and taking care of the ship.
Both knights walked into the Temple side by side, Leo looked around him unable to believe he was back in the Jedi Temple, they walked into the main hall where he remembered the schism started "A quick rest here and then onto the celebration." O-Mer said, cutting off his train of thought.
"Celebration?" Leo asked him.
Jinx turned back shaking his big head "You are acting strange, it's the first celebration since the war ended, there's going to be a party at the Senate Tower and we're invited remember?"
"We are?" Leo asked him.
Jinx flung his arms out "Uh yeah, when the jedi who led the assault to end the war isn't invited it's kind of a big deal, besides Jinx, Selene and Ahsoka will be there, we haven't seen them in ages."
"… Ahsoka?" Leo asked.
"Yes, Sir Ahsoka Tano, Jedi Knight, our friend your uh… special friend?" Jinx asked, nudging him on the smile, wink and double nudge.
Leo pushed her off "Be quiet, you know we can't talk about that stuff in the Temple." Leo said looking over at some passing Temple Guards.
O-Mer groaned with a long eye roll "Fine, not like the Council would even care with you two ending the war, especially with Master Kenobi and Skywalker there."
Leo stopped mouth ajar "Master… Skywalker?"
Walking ahead, O-Mer dropped his shoulders irritatedly, "Did someone say my name?"
The two young knights looked behind them to see a middle aged man with short darkening brown hair combed back neatly with a trimmed beard and mustaches wearing gray robes with a scar on his left eye and a mechanical hand "… Anakin?" Leo gasped seeing him. He reached for Leo and put his mechanical hand on his shoulder patting him
"Yep, I barely recognize myself sometimes." Anakin said laughing.
"I heard the Christophsis mission went well, good job you too though I doubted they'd say now after the Chancellor gave them so much resources to rebuild." Anakin said as he started to walk with the two knights.
They headed down the temple hallway "Master Skywalker when did you return to the Temple?" O-Mer asked.
"Just a day before you, there was more Sith cult activity in the outer rim building up but your friends Jinx, Selene and I broke it up, General Rex is securing the moon they were on, he should be back in time for the party." Anakin said.
In the real world, Karkko had Leo dragged out of his cell through the fortress walls to the exterior courtyard where Black Sun ships were filling up with stolen loot and slaves. There were modern structures and fortifications built into the ancient walls and keep. Inside the largest one where two Mandalorians in red armor stood signaling them as Crimson Dawn, both Karkko and Durge stood before a hologram of a hooded figure.
"As you can see Lord Maul, I have the Jedi who's been troubling you." Karkko said as the Black Sun guards brought Rock in on his knees.
"Hmm your spell working Karkko, perhaps your proposition to become my apprentice was not misguided after all." Maul said, Karkko's left eye twitched at the word 'apprentice' but he bowed all the same "Now, kill him and leave."
Dropping his smile he rose and spoke "My Lord, I thought we had agreed to use Rock to lure the other jedi here to kill him, if we ended him now they would sense it and we would looser our leverage?" Karkko countered.
"These jedi don't belong to the Order, they aren't bound by the Jedi code keeping him prisoner will only incentivize them, killing him will break their spirits." Maul told the Anzati from across the galaxy.
Karkko clenched his fists behind his back "Lord Maul, this Jedi wronged me greatly, I am Anzati he tore apart my ability to feed, to survive for that he must suffer when these Jedi arrive to save him, the second part my enchantment will be unleashed. They will try to free him from it, but it counters and he will see those he calls friends and allies into foes, we already know of Rock's skill and ferocity. This turned against unwilling opponents. He will kill them all and when they are dead, I will break the spell."
"And he will see what he has done, hmmm, very well you may proceed but without my men the Black Sun are yours to command." Maul said, just then the Mandalorians warriors started to leave the tent and head to their corsair shuttles to leave.
Karkko didn't hide his displeasure "As you wish Lord Maul, when I finish on Ryloth I shall join you on Mandalore to begin my training."
"That all matters upon the matter of your success?" Maul's holographic form growled before he cut the signal.
Karkko spat on the ground "Pathetic, groveling to a failed apprentice." He said to himself. Durge walked around the holotable and grunted.
"I don't get it, we cut his head off, show it to Separatists and the Republic gets paid double, it's a win-win, literally.' Durge asked, holding up both hands to show what he meant. The Black Sun Captain nodded it over thinking Durge was right.
Pressing his clawed fingers together and exhaling a deep breath "This is why I am making the plan, in order for us to infiltrate the Shadow Collective so the Black Sun may gain a great power over the other Syndicates, I will play role of Maul's apprentice until he lowers his guard and take his place." Karkko said baring his fangs in an evil grin.
RYLOTH
Silver Angel
Shortly after leaving the capital, the Black Knights had returned to the Silver Angel, enroute Kala'uun they soared over the planes. "So what's the plan?" Rafa asked in the copilot seat while Trace flew, she was looking back at Ahsoka, Tholme and Aayla. "We will rendezvous with General Syndulla's forces outside of the city, there he will guide us to the area where the fortress is, we'll need a scouting party, both clone troopers have volunteered with Master Vos and Jinx. If Black Sun is there we will strike together and rescue Rock." Tholme said.
"Not to poke holes in your plan, but I will, doesn't Princess whatever her name need her royal guard, all four of those guys are the guards?" Rafa pointed out with four fingers like it was a quadent into Tholme. Ahsoka tapped her foot, anxious for them to get to the mountains and find Leo.
He gave a disapproving glare "The Ryloth Venture gambit has served its purpose."
"Oh good so we can finally get out of these outfits." Ahsoka said, tugging at her thin white dress.
"What, you want to go back into that mechanic suit?" Rafa asked Ahsoka, she put her hands on her hips "Dresses really aren't my thing."
"Oh come on you look great, besides Rafa and I are keeping ours." Trace said, flicking her leather helmet goggles.
Tholme pressed the door control with his cane "There yours, I'm going to go prepare the others."
Ahsoka rubbed her fingers against her palms knowing she was going to regret not asking "Master Tholme, let me go with the scouting mission I can handle myself."
Clearing her throat Aayla spoke first "I think that's a poor decision, we need you to focused here Ahsoka."
He was halfway out the door when he stopped, he did say anything at first "You may go with them Lady Tano." Ahsoka gave him a thankful smile before Aayla followed him out of the cockpit.
Both Aayla and Tholme passed the quarters where Fives and Dogma were getting prepared, loading up with the weapons they brought. In the other, Jinx and Quinlan were meditating with Leo's lightsaber to try and locate where he was. "That was the wrong choice Master Tholme, Ahsoka is emotionally attached to Leo."
"Of course she is." Tholme said.
Aayla's face scrunched up "Wait you knew?"
"It's painfully obvious." The Dark Woman said, poking her head out of another room, "What is Master?" Petro asked while he was training with Katooni in lightsaber combat under the Dark Woman's supervision.
"Nothing, continue your training." The Dark Woman said, walking out, closing the door to speak with the Masters alone.
Still baffled by the fact they knew Aayla faced them back and forth "When, how?" She asked.
The Dark Woman only chuckled "Oh Aayla, we may be old but we're not blind."
"I'm half blind without the eye, but even I can tell when two people are in love, Jinx is also emotionally attached to Rock but as a brother would be. As are the padawans, to an older sibling for each of them." Tholme said.
Aayla gritted her teeth "But the code teaches us the dangers of attachments, what about-." "Remus?" The Dark Woman asked.
The twi'lek went absolutely silent hearing that name "Remus died at Geonosis because of those emotions, and you left the Order because of it." Aayla whispered to the Dark Woman.
"I left the Order because the Jedi went into politics, my last padawan went to war to protect the people he loved, to protect you what better motivation do they need." The Dark Woman said.
Aayla frowned looking at the floor "But the pain they'll face if they fail, it'll consume them."
"That's the risk we take when we love someone, as my wife is often fond of saying." Tholme replied, cupping his chin and smiling. This made both Aayla and the Dark Woman snap their heads at Tholme who just kept his soft smile and gave them a wink "What, you didn't think I left the Order just because of the war, I'm not made of stone."
When he left the hallway for the cargo hold, Ahsoka walked out of the bridge toward her room that Petro and Katooni were training in, "Oh hey Ahsoka." Katooni said. She smiled at them.
"Sorry kids have to kick you out so I can change." She gestured for them to get out.
Both padawans turned a different shade of embarrassed. "Um about that." Katooni said, looking over at the bunk where Ahsoka's jumpsuit was. It was for a lack of a better phrase, completely ruined. There were burn marks running up and down it and when Ahsoka picked it up it fell into two pieces.
"What-how did you—?" She asked speechless, both padawans stood there sheepishly awkward.
"Katooni disarmed me and I dropped my lightsaber on top of it, uh sorry." Petro said scratching his arm, Ahsoka sighed with anger realizing she was going to have to scout out a dangerous cold mountain, fight and rescue Leo all in a dress thinner than a silk curtain "… sorry?" Petro squirmed while Katooni dragged her hand back and forth over her neck to try to get him not to say anything.
Squeezing the remains of her clothes tightly Ahsoka let out a rancors growl "Get out." The two padawans scurried out like two mice from an angry cat, Ahsoka dropped the ragged mechanic suit and shook her head. Reaching under the bed she pulled out a pack which she started to pack for anything she could use for the scouting mission. She fitted on her leather bracers and gloves and added a pair of binoculars, a water bottle and other items.
"So you're going on the scouting mission too I hear?"
Ahsoka looked over her shoulder to see Maris standing in the doorway, still dressed in her servant disguise.
"Something you want?" Ahsoka asked.
"Just wondering why you're still here, not like you owe us Jedi anything?" Maris poked leaning in the doorway, arms folded in disapproval.
Ahsoka glared at the young jedi "I don't need to be a jedi to help?"
Maris rolled her eyes taking a step in "You know I was wondering who Jinx was talking about when he told me I was wasting my time with Leo."
"Wasting your time?" Ahsoka asked her attention and peaked at whatever the young zabrak could be talking about.
Scoffing at now finally getting Ahsoka to pay her some mind "Relaxy, he's only got eyes for your torgurtan, though I don't know why?"
CORUSCANT
The Senate Tower
"PRESENTING JEDI MASTER AND KNIGHTS, ANAKIN SKYWALKER, LEO ROCK AND O-MER MUNDI." A herald shouted their names loudly in a grand hall large enough to fit a cruiser. There were the flags and banners of every world in the Republic. A table a mile long was filled with the food and drink of a thousand worlds. The three jedi walked into the sound of applause from the front of the hall. Leo looked around and noticed scattered around the hall were relics and trophies of the Clone Wars; deactivated droids, a full deactivated Republic Tank, The cape of General Grievous, a deactiavted bomb of the Blue Shadow Virus, an Umbaran starfighter hanging from the ceiling across from a Clone Starfighter to pretend they were in combat. Among the crowd Leo could see Clone troopers all dressed in white or gray uniforms with medals on each of their chests.
Leo walked by each of the relics before he stopped in front of one a red and black Mandalorian armor designed to look like "Whoa, been a while since I saw one of these?" Anakin said holding two glasses of wine, giving one to Leo and Jinx before he used the force to grab one for himself.
"This armor looks… I've seen it before?" Leo said.
O-Met shrugged as Anakin said "You should, I brought back like a hundred prisoners from Mandalore?" Anakin said.
"PRESENTING THE ONDERONDIAN DELEGATIONS GENERAL STEELA AND SENATOR LUX BONTERI." The Herald at the entrance said while Anakin explained it.
"Yeah, you remember after the Council reformed the Jedi approached a new strategy, we started hacking Droid stations and deactivating entire planetary garrisons before your plan to assault on Serenno after Dooku allied himself with the Crime Syndicates to kill Chancellor Palpatine." Anakin said, shaking his head, Leo looked at the red armor, at the markings on the helmet with the blade horns. Then he noticed a twenty foot tall solid gold statue of Chancellor Palpatine standing in a regal pose.
Drinking his wine "Right, you were there?"
"What, no, when they left the Council Master Yoda, Windu and I went to Mandalore to face Maul and save Mandalore, we defeated the Sith all at once and in one day the war was over." Leo was speechless hearing Anakin's tale "aaaaaaaand I was finally made a Jedi Master." Anakin said, puffing out his chest with pride.
"PRESENTING THE JEDI COUNCIL LED BY GRAND MASTER OBI-WAN KENOBI." Leo looked to the entrance of the Grand Hall where a loud applause came and walking in with their brown robes, beige tunics were the twelve Jedi Masters who sat on the Jedi Council; Masters Tholme, Aayla Secura, Shaak Ti, Luminara Umduli, Sian Jeisel, K'Kruhk, Eeth Koth, Quinlan Vos, Plo Koon, A'Sharaad Hett. Anakin was already standing next to Leo and at the front of the order leading them in was a man with greying brown hair wearing a long robe like Koth with a pointed jedi hood he pulled down.
Obi-Wan Kenobi, "Master Yoda and Windu aren't on the Council?" Leo said under his breath.
"Hard to believe it I know, both of them taking the Barash vow, last I heard they'd been seen traveling together through Hutt Space, the Hutts are not happy." Anakin said sarcastically.
Heading over to join their fellow Jedi, the three bowed to Obi-Wan and the other Council members, "Rock, Mundi welcome back to Coruscant." Obi-Wan said seeing them.
"Thank you Grand Master, our mission was a success." O-Mer said.
"We had little doubt it wouldn't be, two of our finest Knights rarely fail." The Dark Woman said smiling at them, Leo's face scrunched up feeling something wrong about the smile.
Leo looked at Obi-Wan's smiling warm face, the worries of war were all a distant memory, a new Pax Republic, the Sith defeated once and for all Master Kenobi, his Master at the head of the Order. Leo grabbed his forehead shaking his head "This isn't right…" he mumbled walking away. Leo looked around the hall for an exit but there weren't any doors for him to find.
"Rusty are you alright?" Leo snapped his head back looking at a torgurtan woman with a tall white and blue striped lekku. She had a golden tiara, a white dress with sequined strings around her neck holding up the backless dress, she had white stripes on her shoulders like her face, and legs exposed from the splits on the dress side, a pair of sandal heels. He focused on her face, white stripes over her brow and under her cheeks with diamonds above the brow and two blue eyes "Snips?" Leo thought, no, he knew it was Ahsoka.
She nodded "Yeah, who else would be here as the Chancellors head of security?"
"Head of Security?" Leo asked.
"Hmm O-Mer said you were acting strange, come on you and I need some air." She said taking his hand in front of everyone walking with him she leaned up and whispered, "I missed you." Pecking him on the cheek.
LONELY FIVE RANGE
Outside Kala'uun
The SIlver Angel landed on the most level part of the mountain range, in the distant was the mountain city of Kala'uun was a large subterranean city on the planet Ryloth, within the Lonely Five mountain range, and one of the planet's two capitals. Like all cities on Ryloth, it was located along the twilight terminator separating day from night. It had a large spaceport that was the center of interplanetary commerce for the Twi'leks. To protect it from heat storms and the native lylek, a massive portcullis blocks the only accessible underground tunnel to the city. The Silver Angel's exhaust ports opened and the ramp lowered for Ahsoka wearing a supply pack, Jinx, Dogma, Fives and Quinlan walked out.
Both clones were holding their blaster rifles, while the Jedi carried only their lightsabers. "Feel it Jinx?" Quinlan asked his padawan.
Jinx held up Leo's lightsaber, Ahsoka eyeing the new model concerned "I can practically smell it."
"Jinx, can you track Leo?" Ahsoka asked him.
"Not like Master Vos Ahsoka, but he's showing how to look into the force with my senses." Jinx said holding out Leo's lightsaber for her to take, everyone watched Ahsoka draw her hands away from the hilt.
Jinx grunted "You'll need a weapon Ahsoka, and you know how to use this." Jinx insisted, but Ahsoka shook her head.
She grabbed onto her pack straps "I left the order Jinx, it's not right."
Jinx laughed "So did we more or less, we still have our lightsabers." Jinx said, patting his and O-Mer's. "Our faith is not in the order of Ahsoka, it's in ourselves, Leo taught me that." Jinx said, putting the lightsaber back on his belt.
"WAIT UP!"
The jedi and clones stopped before they were about to leave, Rafa was running down the ramp with a pack on her shoulders holding a blaster. "Rafa, what are you doing?" Ahsoka asked.
"What's it look like, I'm making us square." Rafa said.
"Can you keep up?" Dogma asked her.
Ahsoka answered before Rafa could "She's not coming, we need you here with the ship?"
"Trace flies the ship, I'm more of the deal maker besides, you five need all the help you can get." Rafa said, leaning her blaster on her purple jacket's shoulder.
"Rafa we're already enemies of the Pykes, you really want the Black Sun after you too?" Ahsoka warned her trying to dissuade the stubborn Martez.
She just flipped her hair back and cocked the blaster "Haha- and miss the chance to charge double, not a chance."
Quinlan snickered, "I like her, come on." Quinlan said, taking command and heading off into the mountains. Ahsoka followed them, just as Aayla and Tholme watched the two of them run off.
Not far from where they landed, sitting at the peak of the mountain range stood the ancient fortress the Black Sun had commandeered for their own use. Karkko sat outside the battlements sitting alone meditating when Durge and the Black Sun Captain approached him. The Anzati sith's yellow eyes opened "The Jedi are on their way, Durge would you care for some sport?"
Durge released a long sigh of satisfaction "Finally."
The cyborg activated his jet pack and flew off the battlements into the mountains, "Prepare your Black Sun Captain time to deal with these Black Knights once and for all." Karkko ordered.
"What about the prisoner?" The falleen asked.
Karkko stood, "I'll make sure he's ready to assist us."
In the dream, both Ahsoka and Leo were sitting outside the Senate hall on a balcony overlooking Coruscant, the sky was starting to set and fireworks were beginning to go off in celebration to the end of the war. They had found a bench away from the party and behind the thick walls they could still hear laughter and music. "It's all so much Ahsoka, I can barely believe it's real." Leo said to her as she sat with him.
"I know, the war took so much from everyone, us especially, our childhood, our innocence, if we hadn't held onto each other the way we did I don't know how we would have survived." Ahsoka said, taking his hand and leaning on his shoulder. "It was one of the hardest things for me to leave the Order, harder still to come back." Ahsoka added.
"We could never have stopped Dooku without you, remember the clones and other jedi were outside his palace, I had him cornered like when we were first captured by him, he almost killed me before you swooped in with those Martez Sisters, I swear Trace was the best pilot I'd ever seen, where are they now?" He asked her, smiling as he pressed his head against hers.
Ahsoka smilled "Last message I heard they were stealing from what remained of the Black Sun."
"Black Sun." Leo said standing up pacing away, "Black Sun, Ryloth… I was just there." Leo said.
Ahsoka followed him off the bench "Leo relax, it's another episode."
"Episode?" Leo asked her, as she took both of his hands in hers "The post traumatic stress remember, the nightmares we aren't on Ryloth, there is no Black Sun anymore listening to my voice-."
Inside the dungeon of Karkko's fortress, the Sith Magician spoke with Ahsoka's voice "Listen to me, you are not on Ryloth you are here with me, with all your friends, you're safe, trust me… Leo." Leo still on his knees, chained to the floor still under the spell.
Shaking his head of the idea, he cupped 'Ahsoka's' cheek like he was actually touching her "I'm here, with you, that's the only place I need- want to be." He said
"Well don't speak too soon, you may want to be inside for their toasting to us and the Council has an announcement to make." Both of them looked to the entrance to the party with Anakin walking out smiling at them.
"Oh that so Skyguy?" Ahsoka asked, still holding Leo's hand.
Anakin laid his hand on each of their shoulders "I'll take armies of battle droids and legions of Mandalorians over a room of politicians, come on I need you in there." Anakin said, walking them back in.
Back in reality, the scouting party were climbing up one of the mountain trails, Ahsoka kept watching both clones and Dogma glanced back at her "Something troubling you Commander?" He asked seeing she was starring
"I'm not a Comma- uh never mind, Dogma right you were assigned to the 501st right, so was Fives, how did you two end up with Leo?" She guessed.
Dogma nodded "Yes ma'am, I was there when General- when Pong Krell betrayed the Republic, I was so blinded by training I couldn't see it, after Umbara the brass sent be back to Kamino, the doctors there said I was defective and it wasn't until General Rock came to meet his troops, he hand picked me to be part of his command." Dogma said.
"You're loyal to him?" She asked.
"He's my General, but he's also my friend. When Fives was accused of insanity and attempting to assassinate the Chancellor, General Rock saved him while we searched for the truth even after the way they treated him." Dogma added.
"They, the Council or the Republic?" Ahsoka asked skeptically.
Dogma gave her a side glance "Take your pick, if it wasn't the Jedi Council berating him for doing what he was told, it was Admiral Tarkkin or Chancellor Palpatine who had an issue with his service, 703rd got disbanded because of it still wonder what happened to Admiral Dallin." Dogma sighed.
"Dallin, you were there on Rendili with Leo, he never talked about it with me much?" Ahsoka said as he headed over a taller rock
The clone trooper helped her up a larger rock "I was there, Rock kept us together the whole siege, even when assassins infiltrated the base he led us to victory there." Dogma said.
"And you still follow him, even after everything?" Ahsoka asked.
"A—lot's happened Commander Tano, we'd all be dead three times over if not for him." Fives said.
Ahsoka walked on ahead where she saw Rafa panting hard "How are you feeling?" Ahsoka asked her.
Rafa used her rifle butt to traverse a larger rock, Ahsoka helped her up while Jinx and Quinlan scouted ahead "I'm… I'm fine, you, your slippers are worn through." She panted pointing to the matching white shoes which were now a dark brown from all the dirt they'd absorbed. She reached down and tossed them away, her bare feet pressing against the mountain's rough terrain.
"You're going to walk barefoot?" Rafa asked.
"I'll be fine, my people have naturally thought feet- ow." Ahsoka stepped on a sharp rock and tossed it aside. "Though I wouldn't mind a better pair of boots." She said,
Rafa smirked "You really do love him don't you."
The torgurtan stopped looking at her, Rafa saw the pain in Ahsoka's face, something she couldn't fully understand. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry."
"No, we should focus on the mission." Ahsoka said quickly remembering her training and discipline.
"You mean him." Rafa asked giving her a wink, Ahsoka sighed "Am I that obvious to you and Trace?" She asked.
Rafa shrugged while they pressed on "We're only mortal, I don't really think about that stuff but the way Trace says you look at him, sounds like something out of a fairy tale."
"What, Trace is talking about it?" Ahsoka asked.
"Heh, Ahsoka you look at him every time he walks in the hangar." Rafa said, tossing a hand in the air to show how many times she'd done it.
Blushing with embarrassment, Ahsoka walked ahead "Let's just find him." Rafa followed her not dropping the issue, "Whoa, whoa, I know your worried about him, it's like me with Trace but also not, the point is we'll get him back."
Ahsoka smiled at Rafa's assurance, but that smile didn't last she sensed something "EVERYONE DOWN!" Jinx shouted before a barrage of rockets obliterated the trail ahead of them. Everyone dove behind cover of the boulders and the screech of a jet pack soared over head, looking up Ahsoka saw Jinx and Vos draw their lightsabers at the sight of Durge landing on a nearby clifsside.
"Hey there Jedi, remember me." Durge said holding up his front arms and his two mounted Gatling guns opened fire on them. They all shifted around the other side of cover.
Rafa tucked herself close beside Ahsoka "Who- what is that?"
"A bounty hunter, he came after us a while ago thought he was dead." Fives gasped.
"Thought wrong, shoot him." Dogma said coming out of cover to draw Durge's fire. He ran across the ground shooting up at Durge. Ahsoka saw a piece of Durge armor open and a rocket launcher appear.
Springing into action the moment Durge loosed the rocket, Ahsoka pushed Dogma out of the way before the cyborg flew toward them. Coming in low Durge kicked up clouds of dust behind his jet pack before he grabbed Rafa by the face and started to squeeze. Her screams made Durge start to laugh "Rafa!" Ahsoka yelled.
With a rapid slice the hand holding onto Rafa was severed by Jinx, while Quinlan kicked Durge back "Cyborgs, you guys are the worst." Quinlan said.
Durge snickered as a severed hand jumped off Rafa's face and flew back to him "Thank you." Durge chuckled before he pressed a button on his armor. A small ticker went off before a loud pulse sounded sending a shockwave in every direction, both Jinx and Quinlan's lightsabers suddenly short circuited going off along with the others blasters.
"What did you-" "Emp upgrade, to bad your weapons don't reset like mine." Durge drew two blasters opening fire, a swarm of blue stun rings flying at the two jedi, Jinx and Vos dodged them before Rafa was hit in the chest knocked out cold, but alive. Running to her friend's side both Jedi attacked Durge with their special training, dodging the massive juggernaut of metal and kicking at his joints before both Clone troopers joined them with their vibro staffs. Dropping to her knees Ahsoka checked to see if Rafa was okay, she could see no immediate injuries turning her attention and anger on Durge. The bounty hunter had Dogma over his head and smashed his I'm on the ground stomping on him, without his armor Dogma would be paste on the rocks.
Fives slashed and cut the vibrostaff across Durge's armor but it did little to stop the monster, he smacked Fives across the face with his massive metal forearm and then shot him with a stun ring. Jinx came at him from behind but Durge held out an open palm, an electro net shooting out of his hand as if it were a spider. Jinx hit the ground hard getting electrocuted till he passed out. Vos landed on top of Durge and with one powerful force blast cratered the cyborg into the ground.
"Your going to pay for that." Vos said standing over him.
"Yeah yeah." Durge said jetpacking up and grabbing Quinlan by his right leg and smashing him into the ground and against the rocks till he went limp. "Now ladies, where were we?" Durge asked, dropping Quinlan and seeing Ahsoka was the only one left standing.
Durge snickered the whole time staring her down "Well aren't you a pretty thing?"
"Where's Leo?" She asked for venom dripping off of every syllable "Tell me, and you get to leave here in one piece."
"Leave here in hehehe… hahahahahaAHAHAHA, oh you got moxie girl, I hate moxy." Durge said raising his right arm a new flamethrower popping out, it spat out flames before Ahsoka grabbed it with the force and tore it out of his arm into her own hand.
She crushed it with force saying "You took something important from me, someone tell me where, last-chance." She growled.
Durge holding his forearm snarled back "Okay I'm going to-URK." Durge felt an invisible noose tighten around his neck before the metal implants on his vocal cords tore right out of throat onto the dirt of the trail in front of him. Durge let out coughs and wheezes as he stumbled forward holding his neck gushing blood and fluid as Ahsoka held up her other hand walking toward him "That was your last chance, you won't get another." Durge turned on his jet packs to charge her but he felt them suddenly unable to respond. Like his voice box and flamethrower they jumped from his body ripping out chunks of his armor and what remained of his flesh. Durge held in a scream of pain but Ahsoka was only getting started. Durge ran at her but Ahsoka used the force to knock his feet out from under him. Durge headed to the ground before he felt himself hovering. Ahsoka raised him up, arms pulled out to the side like he was strung up by all four limbs.
"It's not the Jedi way to seek revenge, but I'm no jedi." Ahsoka said focusing on Durge's right arm, he started to groan when the metal began to whine until it was ripped right from it's socket. Durge screamed before Ahsoka did the same to his left leg, then his right arm then left leg till he was just a torso and his head. Ahsoka flung the limbs to the four winds before she pulled Durge close with the force "Think about this next time you come after him, me, or any Jedi you think about hunting."
Durge's body dripped whatever he had for blood before Ahsoka flung him off the mountain and into the abyss bellows. Ahsoka watched it till there was no sign of him left, with Durge gone she took a step back and sat down.
She took a few deep breaths to regain her composure, then stood up walking over to Rafa to shake her away "Rafa, Rafa you still with me?"
"Uhhh what happened?" Rafa groaned sitting up.
"The bounty hunter stunned you." She said, before she walked over and slapped Jinx across the face.
"I'm up, I'm up- Durge where is he?" Jinx asked as the others started to wake up "Gone, something made him leave?" Ahsoka said using the force to hide the leftover of Durge's armor.
Vos sat up rubbing his neck "I doubt that's the last we'll see of him."
"We need to get moving." Jinx said pushing to his feet and looking for the trail when he found it he moved in."
—
"So then, I told the Cult Leader, I'm sorry that's not kosher." Jinx said making O-Mer and Ahsoka laugh while Leo rolled his eyes, the twi'lek jedi had joined them with Selene who was wearing a sleeveless jedi robe to expose her big arms, and Jinx wore regular robes like O-Mer. The young knights all stood together talking and reminiscing as Leo looked over to see The Council Members speaking with the Chancellor, Padme Amidalla. She was dressed in a radiant gold dress with the Republic shield done in on her gown and headdress, her brown hair let down to flow around her shoulders instead of up tight in a bun or elaborate headdress. Far more relaxed and simple, breaking away he started to approach her.
As he passed by Senators and dignitaries who nodded and greeted him, Obi-Wan saw him smiling and broke off from the Chancellor, letting Anakin speak to her. "Ah there you are Leo, tell me how was the mission to Christophsis."
"It was fine Master, how's the Council?" He asked.
"In all honesty, I almost miss the war, at least then it was all strategy and battle now it's making sure we pass the right reforms." Obi-Wan joked.
This got Leo interested in "Reforms?" Leo asked.
"Indeed ever since we decided that Jedi had a right to meet their families, even visit the Council has been thinking of all sorts of things for the code, at first I was hesitant, but the amount of public approval for this has made the people slowly start to trust the Republic again." Obi-Wan said as they looked around the crowd of so many jedi speaking with people in such a familiar way.
"Did you know because he's Cerean Ki-Adi Mundi has five wives, and over two dozen children, Master Koth has petitioned that we allow these children to come to Coruscant and the wives, the Council will probably annul forbiddance of emotional attachment soon." Obi-Wan added.
Leo looked over at Ahsoka "Yes, Leo that means you and Ahsoka."
"Master I-" "Oh come now Leo, I trained you well enough to know that, it's not like it's much of a secret nor is it much a problem ever since you two stopped Dooku together." Obi-Wan said approvingly. "The Order is evolving Leo, you and your friends are leading us into a golden age for not just the Republic but the Order, more padawans and pursuing art, science, even philosophy of the force."
Obi-Wan walked Leo by the trophies of the war saying "In fact, I have a proposition that you, Ahsoka, and the other young knights embark on a good will mission to the other force sects, the Whills, Dathomir, even maybe the dark side cults that are propping up, what do you say?"
"Thank you Master…. It would be…. An honor." Leo mumbled while he was still in his cell, Karkko stood over him eyes glowing green with Sith magic he continued to hold Leo in his spell. Outside the fortress, Ahsoka, Jinx, Rafa, Dogma, Fives and Vos were looking over the ridge at the fortress, it's three walls were all guarded with cannons and Black Sun soldiers.
Jinx looked at the wall with his binoculars counting the guns "I count four e webs, two on each side and two over the gate." He said.
"I sense Rock is inside so is… someone very powerful in the dark side, Karkko I'm sure of it." Quinlan said.
Ahsoka could feel Leo in there, "So what do we do, wait for backup or go in now." Fives asked.
"We go now, there's only a handful of Black Sun, Fives, Dogma, Rafa cover us from up top, Ahsoka with us." Vos said as they jumped out of cover and snuck up to the walls while the guard on the battlement wasn't looking. Using the force they jumped over the wall and Jinx took out the guard with a single kick knocking him off the wall and into the courtyard for the other Black Sun Guards to hear.
"We're under attack!" One shouted, followed by an alarm sounding "As Anakin would say, this is where the fun begins." Ahsoka said.
Jinx drew both his blue and green lightsabers and with Vos attacked them, Ahsoka heard blaster fire coming from overhead knowing it was the clones and Rafa. Ahsoka scanned the courtyard and saw the doorway to the keep unguarded as the Black Sun focused on the Jedi, sneaking around the battle of lightsabers versus blasters. "Ahsoka!" Jinx called out, before he tossed away Leo's lightsaber toward her "Find him." He yelled as she went inside followed the hallways to a pair of stairs leading deeper into the keep. Sensing Leo down there she grabbed the nearest torch and passed by a series of rooms. A barracks made for the soldiers, a larger room full of cages.
Running into it she knelt down to see the cages were filled with twi'leks, "Don't worry we're going to get out of here." She said.
The prisoners all spoke in twi lek begging to be set free, looking around for a key she didn't see any "I'm sorry, I'll be back, I promise I have to find someone first." She said running out of the room, passing by an armory and another larger room filled with stolen valuables till she came to an old wooden door. Kicking it open, it was a single dimly lit room and standing in the middle of it was "Leo." Ahsoka ran to him and looked up at his face.
She saw he was still under the spell "Leo, Leo it's me, can you hear me?" She asked not to sense that Karkko was right behind her.
"TO THE REPUBLIC." The entire Senate hall cheered in a toast as everyone held up glasses of wine in celebration of the anniversary of the end of the war. Leo looked at the wine and set it down on the nearest table not in the mood for a drink. "Leo, are you not drinking?" Ahsoka asked, walking up to him in her white dress.
He shook his head "Not anymore." He said as he saw a large amount of people starting to dance to music, even Anakin and the Chancellor were dancing.
"But do you dance?" She asked, putting her hands on his.
Ahsoka kept shaking Leo when she sensed Karkko behind her, he ignited his red lightsaber and Ahsoka turned on Leo's purple one by instinct to block his attack, "Hmm your new." Karkko said as Ahsoka pushed him off with her defense raising Leo's lightsaber up she stared down the Sith Magician.
"What's this I sense, too strong to be compassionate for him, not merely companionship oh this is great, you're in love with this man no wonder you are the one he's seeing right now." Karkko said holding up his hand at them.
"What have you done to Leo." Ahsoka hissed.
Karkko smirked, "Nothing compared to what he'll do to you." The sith magician advanced his lightsaber a blur of red flashes before Ahsoka could push Leo back and engage him. Leo's lightsaber was different then hers, larger for his hands, heavier too and worst of all she hadn't trained. Karkko swung from the left she blocked then as soon as he had he came at her from the right. She parried trying to strike at him but he countered locking his lightsaber on hers.
"Hmm someone's out of practice." He said, looking down, Ahsoka followed his gaze to see he was holding his lightsaber with one hand in form II and the other hand free to unleash a force push knocking the window out of her and into the wall. Where she dropped Leo's sword.
With The same hand he used to disarm her, Karkko picked up Leos lightsaber with the force and tossed it over to Leo. Like what's a droid he caught his lightsaber, Leo turned it on "Kill her." He ordered as Ahsoka gasped for air.
She tried to say his name but gasps were all she could manage, Karkko turned his lightsaber off when Jinx rushed in just before Leo could strike Ahsoka down "Brother no!" Jinx had both his lightsabers out to protect Ahsoka from Leo's misguided attack "Leo, listen to me what are you doing."
Leo's face showed no emotions because of the incantation fogging his senses, "It's Karkko…. He's done something to Leo." Ahsoka said, getting to her feet.
"I only gave him everything that he wanted and now that you're trying to take it." Karkko held up his right hand and snapped his fingers. Leo moved without saying a word attacking Jinx, going on the defensive Jinx backed away moving out of the cell. Karkko laughed as he evaporated into green sith smoke vanishing before Ahsoka's eyes.
Ahsoka chased the two dueling rogue jedi out of the cell and when she saw Leo's back to her, she ran up hearing Jinx trying to get through to him shouting "Leo, Leo stop!"
Inside Leo's mind however, there wasn't any fighting, there was partying, celebration, people were laughing and there was music all around them. Leo's smile was full and his eyes bright hopeful for the "…. Leo…. Leo…. Stop…." A voice, Jinx's voice? But that was impossible, Leo could see Jinx on the other side of the Hall with O-Mer and Selene enjoying the company of the Gerrera siblings and Senator Bonteri. Why was he-
CRASH
Screams began to fill the grand hall and the smell of lightsabers burning the air, Leo's hand went to his belt where his weapon was looking to see dropping from the ceiling and breaking out from the floors were black clad beings all of them armed with lightsabers "Death to the Republic, Long Live the Sith!'
"Assassins, protect the delegates to the exits!" A Senate Commando Naquila shouted giving orders.
Obi-Wan and all the other Masters and Knights in the temple tossed aside their robes "To me, my knights!" Obi-Wan yelled, taking out his lightsaber. Leo saw Anakin already escorting the Chancellor out of the hall and he looked to Ahsoka who squeezed his hand. "Go." She said.
Leo smiled kissing her on the cheek before he took out his lightsaber, spinning around the double bladed lightsaber he ignited the twin white blades and ran over to Obi-Wan where the other Jedi already amassing and on the other end of the hall a small army of Sith assassins. "Just like in the days of the old Republic." K'Kruhk said his lightsaber was on.
"And like in the days of the old republic we will vanquish these Sith, KNIGHTS WITH ME." Obi-Wan said, leading the charge. The two sides raced at one another the reds against the blue's and green's before meeting in the middle in a clash of laser sword and flesh. Leo focused on a black skinned twi'lek with two red lightsabers and met him head on.
Flipping over him he switched his double bladed lightsaber off to single use and moved ferociously swinging up and across switching grips to keep the assassins off balance. But every time he made a move the assassin blocked, countered, or paired him away before they met in a blade lock. "You sith never learn, doesn't matter we'll send you back to whatever dark hole you crawled out of."
The Sith assassin hurled sith insults at him but Leo could almost ear "It's me Leo… " more sith insults "Karkko…" something he didn't understand then "seeing isn't real…." Leo force pushed the assassin away looking around he saw another assassin running at him, a woman with a knife.
Leo had turned away from Jinx and moved at Ahsoka, slashing his lightsaber at her in the narrow hallway, thinking he was in some great hall in Coruscant. He turned to face her and swung, but Ahsoka leapt out of the way backing up "Leo you need to listen to me, focus, this is all part of the siths plan." Ahsoka tried to reason.
But Karkko's laugh drew her attention "He can't hear you, any of you only after he's gutted you like the dogs you are will I release him, a shame you won't be alive to see his reaction." Karkko said as Jinx squeezed his lightsabers tight sensing Karkko using the force to disguise himself in shadow.
Flipping around Jinx unleashed a blast of his own force lightning, Karkko appeared just in time to deflect it with one hand his laughing smile now an annoyed look. "Ah this one will be interesting, come then 'jedi' show me what this failed Sith has taught you." Karkko said drawing his lightsaber to accept Jinx's challenge.
"Gladly." Jinx said attacking.
Karkko used his form too while Jinx swinging his two lightsabers advanced with form four, lighting fast attacks mixed in the dark hall as red lightsabers bounced off the two blue and green ones. Carrying out into the keep where the fighting had started to grow more fierce, Karkko glanced over his shoulder to see the Black Sun guards were now being attacked by rest of the Black Knights. "Ah your cavalry's arrived, how quant." Karkko said as Jinx jumped over him and flipped his lightsabers into a reverse grip attacking with a spiraling move of upper and lower attacks.
In the courtyard, Vos was behind cover when Tholme and reinforcements bore down on the Black Sun, "I see you couldn't wait for us, my old padawan?" Tholme asked.
"Don't blame me, blame the girl." Tholme said jumping out of cover with Tholme to deflect blaster fire.
"All in due time, Syndulla and his men are on their way all we need to do is hold, where's Rock?" He asked.
Vos gestured to the inside of the keep, where Ahsoka had raced out from Leo's blinded attacks shouting at him "Leo, no." But he couldn't hear her.
"Fight me!" Leo shouted but the Sith assassin kept her distance, the knife but she kept running and shouting at him in her own sith dialect. All he saw was a Sith assassin running from corner to corner in his vision. Could looked around at the battle before him hearing the shouting and then it came again.
"….. It's not real…. None of this is real…. Come back to me Leo….." who was saying that?
The Sith assassin dropped her knife suddenly and held her hands up, Leo raised his guard sensing a trick but when he looked into the force he didn't feel any malcontent "Who… who are you?" He asked.
A scream then, looking over the two saw Obi-Wan was about to take off the head of the sith assassin with two lightsabers.
"JINX!" The female Sith assassin shouted running away from Leo and delivering a kick in the back to Obi-Wan who went down before rolling back to his feet and using the force to blast them both away, but it wasn't a force push, it was force lighting, and for a second he didn't see two Sith assassins he saw Ahsoka and Jinx.
This was wrong, this was "Leo, thank the stars you okay." It was Ahsoka who yelled after him, she was running up with both her lightsabers, Leo held him up as the fighting engulfed them on every side "Stay back."
Ahsoka stopped in her jedi tracks "Leo, what are you doing it's me?" She asked, smiling. But shaking his head fighting back emotion Leo's arm trembled "It is… and it isn't." Leo said before suddenly Obi-Wan appeared attacking the two sith assassins.
Back in the real world, the Black Knights were fighting the Black Sun and Durge outside. Inside the fortress dungeon both Ahsoka and Jinx were now engaged by Karkko who was holding his red lightsaber, hacking and slashing, pushing the two of them back out of the dungeon. But Leo was standing there catatonically stiff in a statue while two Black Sun guards saw him standing alone, wondering if they should attack him.
While Leo thought he was seeing Jedi fighting sith it was actually the opposite, his idea of Ahsoka stood there hands up "Leo, relax it's me, you're having another episode."
He stepped back "No, no this isn't right…" he said lowering his lightsaber walking toward her.
"Isn't right, of course it is, of course it is, it's everything we ever wanted." She said dropping her lightsaber while walking up to him she put her arms around him "It's you and me, together."
Leo dropped his lightsaber and tucked his lip in, pressing his head on her forehead "It's not, you're not real and I know it." He whimpered. The vision of Ahsoka began to weep.
"You're scaring me." She wept as she held his voice.
Leo squeezed tight onto her trembling "I'm sorry, but I've cherished every second of every moment when you finally came back to us, as jedi, too when we finally told Anakin and Obi-Wan, to stop the war, it's was perfect and I'll never forget it." He said as he felt the old Senate hall start to tremble, out the great window he could see Coruscant began to shake, the great skyscrapers collapsing cruisers falling out of the sky "Please don't leave me." The vision said. Pulling her into a tight hug he closed his eyes as Coruscant, his perfect world came to an fiery end.
The green smoke around Leo's head evaporated and Leo opened his eyes, he looked down at his purple lightsaber squeezing it tightly. The two Black Sun Guards seeing the enchantment was broke raised their axes to kill him where he stood but Leo swung his lightsaber taking both their heads off in one strike.
Outside the fortress interior Karkko had Ahsoka in a force choke and was holding Jinx off with one arm, then they all heard the blood curdling roar of something very angry and awake. "No." Karkko said.
"Oh yeah." Jinx said when the fortress walls exploded and it wasn't Leo who walked out "Oh no." Ahsoka coughed when Karkko dropped her, because everyone in the courtyard wasn't looking at Leo, they were looking at the Berserker reawakened. The Berserker howled, shaking the very foundation of the fortress with his own force rage. Crimson streaks of red force lightning ran up and down Leo's body as Karkko prepared himself.
With blinding speed Leo was on him Karkko barely dodged when Leo came at him again his lightsaber strikes tripled in power with the force behind them. Karkko parked and blocked one above and below but Leo grabbed him with the force slamming him into the ground and throwing him into the nearest pillar. A trio of Black Sun guards charged at him shooting, Leo raised his left arm and without looking a burst of force lighting incinerated the Black Sun falleens to ash. The brutal and merciless display of power stopped everyone in their tracks including Karkko who was on his feet.
Attacking him again Leo hacked at Karkko's red lightsaber over and over till he sliced the blade's emitter right off the cap destroying it. Leo tossed his lightsaber away and grabbed Karkko by his collar and punched him so hard the magician was knocked off his feet. Picking him up with the force Leo smashed him into pillar after pillar like a rag doll.
Bleeding from his mouth from internal injuries Karkko gasped for air his ribs most certainly shattered, Leo flung him across the courtyard and walked toward him slowly. Jinx on his feet ran up to him "Brother it's alright, it's ove-" Leo swung the back of his fist forward and clocked Jinx in the face knocking him out of the way. The Berserker's eyes were only fixed on Karkko, his prey.
"What did Karkko do to him?" Jinx asked as he and the Dark Woman helped him up.
The Dark Woman watched as Leo used the force to separate both Quinlan and Tholme who were trying to stop him, sending the two masters flying off their feet with a force push "Karkko's spell, Rock had to give up his deepest desire to break it… it unleashed the monster."
The berserker snarled and frothed at the mouth snapping bad, biting his way at Karkko before Aayla stood between him "No Rock, don't do this you broke away from the dark side don't go back."
"It must have been like tearing out his own heart?" The Dark Woman guessed.
"Hahah-ahhh- it's no use Jedi, the dark side will always dominate your destiny once you embrace it hahah I did it… hnnnn." Karkko spat up blood as he clawed to his knees grabbing his arm seeing it twisted and dislocated, his fingers mangled "I win hahahahah." He laughed as Aayla held her ground in front of Rock. The Berserker grabbed a piece of fallen pillar from the ground lifting it up and hurled it at Aayla with the force. She deflected it with her own force. Leo grabbed a metal black sun spear and shot it right at her but Aayla sliced it in half before it could pierce her flesh.
"I will do what I must." Aayla said, taking her lightsaber and pointing it right at Leo's heart, she charged.
"NO!" Ahsoka screamed, reaching out to see Aayla's lightsaber reach Leo, but what happened next shocked everyone including Karkko, the Berserker was holding the tip of Aayla's lightsaber, with his bare hand.
Aayla could feel his tight grip on her laser sword. "It's… not possible." She stammered, Leo drew back his free hand and with an open palm smashed it into Aayla's gut, a force push knocking the wind out of her. Aayla collapsed on her knees coughing and gasping for air before the Berserker kicked her aside. Karkko's smile had disappeared after seeing him block the lightsaber with bare skin but it came back grueling delight when he saw the Berserker standing over him.
"Yes…. Yes…. Yes kill me, do it return to the Dark Side, let the Berserker live, let Darth Primus live again!" Karkko shouted, holding out his arms, not defending himself. The Berserker's right arm raised up and force lighting charged up between his fingers, splitting the air. The Black Knights watched him tethering on the abyss the padawans who'd snuck up to watch the battle were bearing witness to the execution. Leo got ready to drive his arm forward. Karkko flinched, the Berserker, Leo's arm had stopped just short of Karkko's face, the lightning seething back into the jedi. The red force rage withered and Karkko saw someone had wrapped their arms around the front of the Berserker chest. Ahsoka was standing right behind him, her head pressed into his back.
The Berserker growled and Ahsoka whispered "Stop… please stop Leo, come back, come back to me."
His arm lowered, raising his head the Berserker closed their eyes and Leo slowly woke up realizing where he was, and what had happened. Leo fell to his knees and Ahsoka caught him turning toward. Both on their knees he looked at her, the real Ahsoka, his Ahsoka "Ahsoka I-" she stopped him from saying another word by shutting him up with a kiss in front of everyone. The padawans all felt their jaws hit the floor.
Trace let out a cheer "Yeah you go Ahsoka!"
Jinx let out a sigh of relief "Finally."
Ignoring the mix of cheers and stares, Ahsoka helped Leo to his feet "Kill me." Karkko said, bringing them back to the present. Leo held Ahsoka's hand and returned his attention on Karkko,
"No, this is over." Leo said.
Karkko, bleeding and wounded, managed to stand "You have to kill, there's no way I'll ever stop hunting you."
"Rock's right this is over, and the Jedi do not kill needlessly." Tholme said, walking up sheathing his lightsaber back into his cane, the Black Knights surrounding Karkko. Who was already looking for a way to escape but saw none.
"THEN YOU WILL ALL DIE DO YOU HEAR ME NO JEDI CAN STOP ME!" Karkko screamed at them when a blaster sounded overhead; rushing into the fortress filling the courtyard on the backs blurgg's wars Cham Syndulla and his soldiers grabbing any Black Sun member still alive or hiding.
Cham rode his blurrg's up to Karkko and pointed his blaster at him "We are not Jedi." Cham said he gave a look to the Black Knights, Tholme and Leo exchanged glances and then Leo faced the Dark Woman who nodded. Tholme stood aside along with the other Jedi backing away as Karkko looked down the barrels of a dozen twi'lek blasters "Fire." Cham said, Karkko roared before he was riddled with blaster fire, his body contorting and thrashing with every shot still on his feet after getting hit ten times before he fell over dead.
A long gust of wind swept into the fortress after he met the earth for the final time, "We never go anywhere nice." Jinx grumbled as he got up clutching a wound under his arm.
"At least Karkko is finally finished, good job holding your own against him." Quinlan said next to him "Now let's get you some medical attention back on the Silver Angel."
Vos helped his padawan back to the ship while Cham's men rounded up the Black Sun who were now surrendering in droves at the sight of the overwhelming numbers.
"There are people inside the keep General, we should see them." Aayla said over too Cham, who like the other Jedi, saw Leo and Ahsoka walking off together.
"Yes, indeed once again the Jedi have helped Ryloth in a dark hour." General Syndulla said heading to the keep with Aayla.
Aayla looked over at Leo and Ahsoka holding hands, and couldn't help but begin to rethink some things "And we always will."