Hello again, everyone, and Happy Thanksgiving! I am back once again, SuperHeroTimeFan, and here I have a special new chapter for my Star Wars and Young Justice crossover story of the Ahsoka Saga, Journey of the Knight: Honor Bound! It has been a while, but now I've returned for the first major holiday of the end of the year to please you all. Thank you for your reviews and your continued support. That goes out to MinuteMan76, MartyrFan, The Mandalorian Terminator, Jacqueline Karst, Logan GC, FusionBase27A, Ezra Wren, Ultimate Advent Story Dude VII, Eubulon Zenith Extreme, Geo Hikari The 2nd, Cycomatrix Eternal, fire-storm-amagi, Jack Sparrow 475, Hay Lin x Tsukasa Kadoya, Ross Blum the IV, Rebel Sabine Bridger, HarmonyGirl567, Riku Soncazenosee, Dwayne McDuffie, Bowser3000000, animebella09, Slade The Terminator, High Supreme King Of Awesome, Tines Sensahthe, Ultra Neo Kamen Rider 15, Awesometacular Extravaganza, 17lakect, Tristan Riddle, Hodges Jaxon, Tristan Riddle, the conman w, Dark Knight Discord, PHL360, Maximum Rhapsody. Spartan of Chaos, Tristan Riddle, GundamTachiagate, Phily76, WanderingMD, crea9587, dragonslayerajahn, LadySerentity22, Draco91, DJ Meltdown of Ground Xero, Dragon Slayer John, rspendragon, SuperFlarrowLover, Houndini, Just a Crazy-Man, SethBloodFallen, The Dark Warden, Wolfman2010ism, ItsJustABook, StoryBrookFields95, Joey Lumbley, Mr. StrangerMan98, Rebecca Chambers Rules, Sleeping Skeleton, Nibra Ha Rishon, Mr. FNAF Fan-Gamer, LadyStar10, Neos the Final Builder, wolf579, Kat1017, Maniiikz, 1049, Taiski, ToLegitt2Quit, RebeccaSnow23, Carlos Jacob, Armando Andres Romero Lozano 7, Wolfslick, CT7567Rules, Outplace, supcus175, TheGreatGodzilla, Darth Sicarius, AbbyDobbie, Maximus Potter, Darth Khan, Virgil1989 The Crossover King, and of course, all of you Guest Reviewers. All of your support means oh so much to me, so thanks a ton. Now, before I start, I would like to address the Reviews. To the Guest reviewer, please stop asking me to adopt stories, add in characters that you want, or take stuff from other media. For the last time, it will never happen. To The Mandalorian Terminator, thank you for your most recent review, and your ideas from Private Messages. They will be taken into consideration. To T-Bone, as for your questions, let me address them now. I have seen the new Lego Star Wars Holiday Special, and I love it. You might see some hints of it here, just to add. I really am enjoying the new Season of The Mandalorian, and can't wait for more of it. I have not read Star Wars Lost Stars, nor have I thought about Wedge returning, to be honest. I don't know about having Kor Vastor. I can try to have the Kaminoan Jedi known as Kina Ha appear, I just need to figure out how to make it happen. I'm working on the side story for Barriss. I can try to have Ahsoka and the Young Justice go to Separatist-controlled Planets. Not sure about the Bounty Hunter chapter, though. Now, with all the questions out of the way, here is my newest Chapter! This one will have no lightsaber action, since it is a breather Chapter, but please enjoy it nonetheless, and be sure to review and rate too!
Chapter 33: Families and Thieves
In memory of Sean Connery (August 25th, 1930 – October 31st, 2020)
And…
In memory of Kirby Morrow (August 28th, 1973 – November 20th, 2020)
Never let the important matters of life go to waste.
A time of war and worry! In the struggle against the Shadow Collective led by Darth Maul, both sides of the Allied Forces, the Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, have started to struggle with the ongoing crises. Patrols have been placed on many Planets, while crime families are being investigated by Yejyo Vanzig of the 31st Crime Investigatory. Following a pyrrhic victory in retaking his captured generals, Darth Maul has gone silent. Now, to address the matter, Chancellor Padmé Amidala addresses the Senate.
Much of the Galactic Senate, filled with members of both the Republic and the Separatists, were in uproar over the most recent events that had transpired. Obi-Wan was with Serena Jinn Ranos as they watched over what was about to happen.
"Father always did talk about the Senate," Serena said. "But it was a bit more…"
"Quiet?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Louder," Serena joked, letting out a chuckle. "Always talking about how voices overlapped and never ceased until an agreement was made."
"That sounds like Qui-Gon." Obi-Wan said.
Padmé looked to everyone and cleared her throat. "Order! Order!" she called out. Soon, everyone's yelling subsided, allowing her to speak. "Thank you," she said calmly. "I will not deny the fact that Darth Maul and his Shadow Collective are becoming one step ahead of us, as shown when he freed his generals that were captured during the Battle of Crait. But I can assure you, manhunts for him and the Legion of Doom are underway, and we will ensure that what they stole from us, we will compensate tenfold times ten and beyond," she announced. "For now, while their activity has been quiet, I recommend everyone go home and focus on Life Day coming up," she said, getting some silent nods from a majority of the Senate. "We have Jedi and Clone Troopers on the job in case something happens, and I will be on alert at all times as well. For now, consider this point in the Clone Wars on hold, and take the time to enjoy what you have."
"Wise advice." Serena noted.
"She always is." Obi-Wan added on.
"Dismissed," Padmé bid to everyone before they went off to their separate ways. As they were, she took out her wrist-comm. "Okay, we can meet now." She said with a smile.
Aboard the Equinox, Anakin was walking into the Hangar Bay. As he was, he saw the Young Justice scattered on the floor, groggily getting up.
"Um… what happened here?" Anakin asked as he helped Serra and Barriss up.
"Weirdest dream that felt so real," Ahsoka replied. "We were testing a new upgrade on the Bioship and the Arrowhead when suddenly, we were pulled into some sort of portal, and the next minute, we were fighting all sorts of people on Tatooine."
"And there was a girl with a gold lightsaber too…" Artemis added on.
"Plus… I tripped on a glass of blue milk." Kid Flash added on before taking a sip of the aforementioned bottle.
"Suffice it to say… we all had the same dream," Miss Martian said. "And I can't tell if it was real or not because it seemed so crazy you could put it on Netflix and it would get the best reviews."
"That's… very descriptive," Anakin noted before hearing his comlink beep. "I need to go meet with Padmé," he told everyone. "If anything comes up, let me know." He said before getting into a Gunship.
"Will do," Ahsoka called out before seeing Nomad and Jessica stretch around. "Was it me or was Anakin in that dream too?"
"Him and half of Darth Maul," Jessica said. "I swear, the adventures you got yourselves in before we joined…"
"Yeah," Nomad said. "I just hope it was a dream."
"So, you said Life Day was coming up," Zatanna said. "Why didn't we celebrate it before?"
"We did, before the New Year," Ahsoka said. "And when I was still on Earth as a Padawan. Your Earth equivalent is Christmas."
"Right," Robin recalled. "So, with the activity of the Shadow Collective gone quiet, what do we do?"
"We can help with some of the patrols in the city," Ahsoka said. "But remember… be on alert."
On Coruscant, Padmé was in her office, using the Force to levitate her lightsaber. As she was, Anakin walked in, and the two hugged.
"Ani, it's been so long," Padmé said with a smile. "And we finally have time to ourselves."
"Even better, I made sure that Obi-Wan doesn't send anyone to ruin our moment," Anakin said. "We need a good place for our honeymoon."
"Well, we already met my family before the Clone Wars started," Padmé said thoughtfully. "Maybe… we should visit yours?"
"Owen and Beru, and my step-grandfather?" Anakin asked. "Given that Mom married into their family, I suppose a visit to them would be good," he considered before looking back to his wife. "But what about your duties as Chancellor?"
"I'm on call," Padmé said. "If I'm needed, I'll respond."
"Great," Anakin said. "Shall we take your Cruiser?"
"That would be good," Padmé said before one of her handmaidens walked in. "Teckla, before you go to Naboo to visit your family, can you please accompany Master Skywalker and I to our shuttle? I promise that I will deliver you to your home first."
"Of course, Milady," Teckla Minnau replied, bowing as she did. "I would be honored."
Anakin smiled before pressing his comlink after seeing the Bioship start to fly down. "Ahsoka, I'll be out of touch for a while," he said before he and Padmé laid out their lightsabers. "And I'll be leaving my lightsaber in your care. Just have M'gann or Zatanna come by and pick it up."
"Sure thing, Master," Ahsoka replied in a sly voice. "Wherever you're going, I hope it's with Padmé… and that you get a good look at her all the time."
"Ahsoka!" Anakin stammered, getting a laugh out of the other end before the transmission ended. He let out a sigh. "How in the name of the Force did she ever piece together our relationship?" he asked.
"I was surprised too, but she's agreed to keep it a secret," Padmé said before giving Anakin a peck on the cheek. "Now come on. It'll be nice to see your distant family again."
As the Naboo Shuttle was leaving, a cargo transport was making its way to the Delivery Area. However, as it was, several men on speeders noticed, and followed after it.
Ahsoka chuckled to herself as she tossed her comlink into the air before placing it onto her belt. The rest of the Young Justice looked to her with confusion.
"Something funny with Anakin?" Lux asked.
"You could say that," Ahsoka said before looking to Miss Martian. "M'gann, do you think you can head over to Padmé's office?" she asked. "Anakin left his lightsaber there, and you should probably go over to pick it up."
"On it," M'gann said before noticing a young Bothan boy playing around near the platform. "Oh, how cute," she awed. "He's playing again."
"Hey! Kid!" Nomad called out. "Get away from there!"
The Bothan boy looked to Nomad with his head tilted in confusion. After a while, he went back to playing around.
"Can't he understand Basic?" Nomad asked.
"That was Basic?" Connor asked.
"Yes, Kon-El," Nomad replied. "I was telling the boy to clear off."
"Allow me," Connor said before looking to the Bothan boy. "Hey, Dennis!" he called, getting the Bothan to turn to him. "Now, I've told you before that this isn't a playground. It's dangerous for you to be running around the loading dock all haughtily," he scolded, much to the surprise of everyone else except for Miss Martian. "If it happens again, I'll tell your grandfather. Do you want that?" he asked.
"No…" Dennis, the Bothan boy, responded.
"So be a good boy and toddle off." Connor calmly ordered.
"Okay…" Dennis submitted before walking to where other kids were playing around.
"You see?" Connor asked, looking to Nomad with a smile. "Nothing to it."
"Oh, yes," Nomad replied before looking back to Connor with a smirk. "But threatening to tell his grandfather? That's just cruel."
"Oh, don't worry," Miss Martian said. "He'd never hurt the boy. Just give him a stern talking to."
"Maybe we shouldn't wait to have a word with him, then." Nomad huffed.
"No," Connor replied. "I said that I would only if he came around again, and that's what I'm going to do," he declared. "That's how it works."
"How did you become so good at parenting?" Ahsoka asked.
"Stuff we picked up from when Asomei was here," Connor replied. "She gave me some tips on how to be a father."
"Whatever this is all about, I hope you've gotten it taken care of," a teen said as he walked over. He was wearing a navy jumpsuit with the symbol of the Republic on the back, wore glasses, had red hair, and wore a wristband with the words WAGR on it. "Evening. The name's Cuthbert, new assistant to the head officer." He said in an Australian accent.
"Hello," Ahsoka said. "We came to help with any relief efforts going to the people of the city."
"Same," Cuthbert replied. "A couple ships are scheduled for departure, so you can help convoy it and make sure that thieves don't try to steal their contents."
"You in charge of any?" Aqualad asked.
"Just the next one that has to go out to the Senate Suites," Cuthbert replied. "One needs guidance to the newly renovated fashion store."
"We don't have a fashion store on Coruscant." Ahsoka said in confusion.
"Oh, it happened, alright," Serra corrected her friend. "See, around the time we came to Coruscant with the Young Justice a year ago, the diner, Ziro's Palace, was remodeled after his arrest, and then his death. It was turned into a new fashion mall for all people in Coruscant," she explained. "And ironically, it was sponsored by Naboo."
"Well, we'd better get these deliveries there," Ahsoka said, looking to all the crates. "I'd hate to see the look on Padmé's face if her shop was robbed."
Meanwhile, Padmé's Naboo Shuttle came out of Hyperspace over Tatooine. Teckla had already been dropped off on Naboo to visit her family, leaving only Anakin, Padmé, R2-D2, and C-3PO.
"Well, looks like we're home again," Anakin said as he looked down. "I never get a chance to see her whenever I come." He said to himself.
"You will this time, Ani," Padmé said. "We don't have to focus on the war for now."
"It will most certainly be a pleasure to see my second masters again," C-3PO said before hearing Artoo beep. "Yes, this plating is still the same from Mistress Shmi, it was just painted over. I will never have it replaced."
"I like that, Threepio," Anakin said as he flew the Naboo Shuttle down to the surface. "And as for me, I can't wait to see my family again."
On the surface, Beru Whitesun was checking on one of the machines. She pounded it a few times and turned it on again, but nothing happened, much to her frustration. As she was looking through her tools, she spotted the Naboo Shuttle flying over.
"Owen! Dad!" Beru called, getting Owen and Cliegg Lars to come out. "You won't believe it!"
"The Vaporator is working again?" Owen asked.
"No," Beru said with a chuckle before pointing to the Shuttle as it landed. "Your stepbrother is back."
Own and Cliegg looked to see the ramp to the Naboo Shuttle open up. Anakin walked out, helping Padmé out before R2-D2 and C-3PO walked out as well. Anakin looked to Owen and smiled. Owen smiled back as Anakin held his hand out once the group reached the Lars family.
"Owen, good to see you," Anakin said. "How have you been?"
"Doing well, doing well," Owen said, shaking Anakin's hand. He chuckled at the pressure. "Bit of a grip there."
"Yeah, I lost my hand sometime after Padmé and I left with Threepio," Anakin said. "Sorry again for taking him from you."
"He's yours, Shmi did say you were the one who built him," Cliegg said as he floated over. "Guess new limbs run in the family."
"Dad, that's a bit of a touchy subject." Owen whispered.
"Are you kidding?" Anakin asked. "I never knew my father. Knowing you three as my family makes it better for me."
"That's good to hear," Cliegg said with a smile before it faded. "So, what brings you back?"
"The activity on the frontline has been quiet, so we decided to come here and take a break from all the action," Padmé said. "Plus… we thought this would make a good place for our honeymoon."
"You're married now?" Owen asked. "Congratulations!" he said, patting Anakin on the back.
"Thanks," Anakin said before looking to a grave. "But before I go on… there's something I need to do."
Cliegg nodded as Anakin walked over to the grave. He knelt down and wept a little.
"Mom… I miss you," Anakin said. "When I left with Qui-Gon, I wanted you to come with me so badly. Not a day had gone by that I hadn't thought of you. I wanted to come back and save you, but it was too late then. I wish you could see the man I have become today. You met Padmé… I'm married to her now," he said with a slight smile. "If you could be here with me… I wouldn't trade it for the Galaxy. Wherever you are, Mom… I hope you see what I have become… because I will always remember and love you."
Everyone watched Anakin speak to his mother before he got up again. For a moment, both he and Padmé felt like they saw her smiling at them before the image faded. As soon as he got up, Padmé walked over and hugged his arm.
"It's okay, Anakin," Padmé said. "I know she's here with you."
"She'll always be with me," Anakin said before looking back to Owen, Beru and Cliegg. "So… how can we help out around here?"
"Wait, you want to help us out in the farming?" Beru asked.
"That's one of the reasons we came here," Anakin said. "I wanted some time away from all the action, and just try something else for a change," he explained. "I even left my lightsaber behind."
"Well, I never knew a Jedi to just find the time to relax," Cliegg joked before floating over to Anakin. "How good are you with machinery?" he asked.
"I spent the first years of my life working in Watto's shop," Anakin replied with a shrug. "You got something challenging for me?"
"The Vaporators have been acting up, and we need to collect the water by the end of the day, or else we won't have much to thrive on until the next humid weather comes," Owen explained. "We've tried everything, but nothing seems to work."
"Let me have a look at them," Anakin said as he looked to all the Vaporators. "I'm sure I can get them working."
Back on Coruscant, the same cargo frigate from earlier in the day was still traveling to the loading dock as soon as night fell. As it was, a crashed speeder suddenly appeared in front, causing the pilots to stop.
"Flight control, this is Delivery Cruiser 421," the pilot said. "Gravity-bound debris is blocking our way. We need a cleanup crew."
"On its way," the person manning flight control replied. "Stand by for support."
Unknown to the pilots, as they were busy waiting for their help, the same speeders as before pulled up. One by one, several Togruta males and females started to board. However, from the back, the guard watching over the frigate saw them. He tried to press the alarm, but stepped on a dented piece of metal. The Togruta bandits saw him and advanced at him slowly, all pulling out knives.
From the front, the support carriers were starting to arrive. Before any of them could get to work, a blaster went off, surprising everyone.
Each of the Togruta bandits in the back scrambled back into their speeders, taking off as the guard lowered a blaster pistol. They all flew off, with Lenny, having been nearby, chasing after them,
At the Loading Dock, one of the pilots, revealed to be none other than Bera Kazan, was relaying what had happened to the Young Justice. Needless to say, they were all in shock.
"Your guard shot them?!" Rocket exclaimed.
"No, he shot at them," Bera corrected. "A single shot fired above their heads to frighten them off, and it worked. They scattered."
"Did he get a good look at them?" Katooni asked.
"Not really," Bera replied. "But you can be sure that the 31st were keenly interested," she stated. "Eliza held us up at the crossways taking his statement. However, according to him, they seemed more concerned by his blaster."
"Why was the guard armed anyway?" Ahsoka asked. "Was there any cash on your ship?"
"I think so. Those cads wouldn't have tried to rob it otherwise," Bera replied. "But in this case, Dogoier was mugged last month, and he feels safer carrying a weapon on him."
"That was lucky," Nomad said. "And I mean very, very lucky."
"You're right," Bera said as she looked to Dogoier, the guard, still being questioned. "And it didn't take much to make the ship stop. And had he not been armed, they may have well have broken into the hold and made off with the loot! It would be terrifyingly simple to rob a delivery ship when you think about it. It's an absolute miracle no one has ever tried it before!" she realized in horror.
"This'll cause a stir for sure," Paula said with her arms crossed. "Maybe they'll start putting actual security on these runs."
"Agreed," Bera said with a nod. "Though, from experience, I would be very interested to know the reactions of the would-be thieves. No doubt they were thrilled to be pulling off such a successful heist," she joked as everyone else grinned creatively. "They must be seething in disappointment."
"Let's hope so," Miss Martian agreed. "I'd love to be the fly on the wall of that conversation." She joked.
Unfortunately, the conversation was unanimous. While the thieves were understandably frustrated over their failed robbery, they had a backup plan, one that involved the Coruscant bank. The day after, in the morning, the Republic bank was robbed of twenty-million unmarked Credits. It was an act that the Young Justice was quick to respond to.
"Did you get a good look at the thieves?" Robin asked the banker.
"Togruta," the banker replied. "With respect to you, Knight Tano, I would recognize the Montrals anywhere."
"Have they been around long?" Ahsoka asked.
"Recent thieves," the banker replied. "Sprung up around the time Maul was collecting Kyber Crystals. That's when Yejyo has his people come and double security around the Planet."
"Well, we'll keep an eye out for them," Ahsoka said, crossing her arms. "I'll tell Yejyo himself to lock down the Planet. No one leaves."
"Good idea," Aqualad said before looking to the banker again. "If you find anything else, please be sure to let us know."
"Of course." The banker replied.
Miss Martian flew over, with two Togrutas levitating next to her.
"I caught this Bonnie and Clyde double trying to make their way to the space port," M'gann said. "I probed them, but couldn't find out where their mates were hiding out."
"This is a good start. Thanks and hello, Megan," Ahsoka said with a smile. "You find anything else?"
"Just these two when I was coming back from the Senate building," Miss Martian replied before taking out the lightsabers of Anakin and Padmé. "Got these. They were left secure in a safe that only one of the Young Justice could use. We'd better hold onto them," she advised as she held the lightsaber hilt of Padmé Amidala. "I'll hold this one."
"So I'll hold onto the other," Ahsoka said, clipping Anakin's lightsaber onto her belt. "I hope they're doing okay."
On Tatooine, Anakin was having a look at the other Vaporators. He wiped some sweat off of his forehead as he went to grab a tool. After adjusting some of the bolts, he used the Force to close the latch tightly before getting up.
"Try it now!" Anakin called out to Owen.
Owen nodded and powered up the Vaporator. It let out a soothing whir before collecting the incoming excess humidity.
"How in the name of the Hutt Clan did you ever fix seventeen of our Vaporators so quickly?" Owen asked as Beru and Padmé were working at another one of the Vaporators. "It almost took half of our old crew to fix these last time."
"You work in an auto shop and be around machinery for so long that you begin to be able to fix almost anything," Anakin replied, tossing the wrench into the air before putting it back in the toolbox. "Been able to fix a lot over the years. Droids, lightsabers, fighters, you name it," he said. "Some stuff is relatively easy to fix compared to what I did when I was a kid."
"Sounds like you had your work cut out for you," Owen mused. "You think you can help with a couple more things? There's something I've been meaning to repair, but with the farming, I never found the time to get around to it."
"Well, I hope it's not much," Anakin said. "Truth be told, I actually wanted to know what Moisture Farming is like firsthand."
"Come around to the workshop, and I'll show you." Owen said.
Anakin nodded before looking to Padmé. "You okay with Beru?" He called out.
"I think I'll manage," Padmé replied with a chuckle. "You boys just run along. We'll be fine here."
Anakin chuckled and walked with Owen to the workshop.
"How long have you two been married?" Beru asked, getting Padmé's attention. "Owen is still my boyfriend, and I've wanted to be together with him for a while."
"Well, you two need that special moment first," Padmé said, remembering the times she and Anakin had when they were on Naboo. "When you both have the same feelings towards each other, you'll find that spark of love, and you'll be married before you know it."
"I honestly didn't know if Owen would still want to be with me, especially when I learned you used to be the Queen of Naboo," Beru admitted. "We're just farmers."
"If I have learned anything from my time as Queen and Senator, it's that even the people with the smallest roles in the Galaxy help contribute to the biggest events," Padmé said. "It helped when opposing the bill to make more Clone Troopers when I brought up one of my handmaidens, Teckla Minnau. The way her family was struggling through the Clone Wars helped to move a lot of people into defeating the bill. The Senate might not know about the Moisture Farms, but I bet that when they realize the effect they have on the Galaxy, you'll be sure to go down in history as a major supporter of helping the people of both sides. It just comes to show you don't have to be majorly famous to make such a big impact," she said. "Keep that in mind, and you'll be able to accomplish anything."
Beru nodded and smiled. "Thank you, Padmé," she said. "I think I know when to make my move now."
Down in the workshop, Anakin was busy looking over some of the other machines. Cliegg floated by on his chair as Owen was showing him everything that needed to be fixed.
"So, here's what you want to do," Anakin said to his stepbrother, doing the repairs as he was showing them. "Each of these machines are like an extension of yourself. Keep everything in check, make sure you have the right tools for the job. A few power converters, energy rods, and maybe some proper circuit breakers. Those should help, and if you know these by heart, you'll know just how to fix them," he said before getting back up. "All fixed now," he announced, showing that he fixed what appeared to be a land speeder. "It's a real piece of work, a great challenge."
"That's all real fine work there." Cliegg said as he floated over.
"Thanks," Anakin replied with a smile. "I'm starting to see why my mother liked it here."
"Shmi was a good woman, the best one I've ever met," Cliegg said, placing his hand on Anakin's shoulder "And you certainly make for a good man, son."
Anakin looked to Cliegg upon hearing the last word be said. Cliegg seemed to notice this as well as he apologetically took his hand back.
"I'm sorry," Cliegg apologized as Owen walked over. "I didn't mean to strike a nerve there."
"No, it's not that," Anakin reassured. "As I said before, I never knew my father, or if I ever even had one. Hearing you call me a son… it gives me the best feeling of knowing I have a father." He replied, smiling once again.
"Surely, one of your fellow Jedi is like a father to you too." Owen pointed out.
"Obi-Wan," Anakin said, causing Owen and Cliegg to recall that his name was mentioned when Anakin left them after giving Shmi a proper funeral. "He's looked after me for years, and he's like a father to me too. Honestly, both of you are like fathers to me, Obi-Wan a Jedi father and you a father by blood," he said. "It feels satisfying to have someone I can call a brother and a father too."
"I'm honored to share the title," Cliegg said with a smirk. "You certainly have a way with both machinery and people, Anakin."
"I try my best," Anakin said before using the Force to bring another toolbox to his hand. "How about we get to work on the rest of what needs fixing?" He asked.
"I like your gumption," Owen said as he, Anakin and Cliegg made their way back up. "How do you think your Jedi friends are even doing without you around?"
"I'm sure that they're fine." Anakin said confidently.
On Coruscant, Fives and Jesse were with Connor as members of the 31st Crime Investigatory were looking through several crates of spice, the cargo transport having been halted for inspection ever since the robbery. Cuthbert was with the three too, also having been stopped from leaving for his delivery round.
"This is ridiculous!" Jesse muttered. "Do they really expect to find the Credits in a box of spices?"
"They are, or they wouldn't be wasting their time," Cuthbert remarked. "But I reckon they are anyway."
"How so?" Connor asked.
"Even the dumbest crook always knows to have an escape plan," Cuthbert explained. "They probably had some way of leaving the Planet; skiff, fighter, even stowing away on some high priority ship," he went on. "And likely use it that night. My view? They're long gone."
"That's pretty insightful." Fives noted.
"My home planet formerly was settled by convicts, you know," Cuthbert said. "My kind dealt with some pretty rough people. It's enough to make you wet."
"Sounds like it," Connor said. "Let's hope this gets solved soon."
At the portal wall entering the Coruscant Underworld, two men were in a shop, where a dark-skinned girl was checking a ship of theirs, which was badly damaged.
"Can you fix it?" One of the men asked nervously.
"Don't know what happened, but I can at least try to get it up and fueled again, it it's still holding fuel," the girl replied. "I'll stop by the garage and get more parts. Should be ready by tonight," she said before walking away while also looking to a large tarp. "You'll fly soon, my angel." She said before walking out.
"You're sweating." The other man told the nervous wreck.
"I don't like this." The nervous man said.
"Stop worrying. It will be fine."
"Fine? Is that what you call it?!" The nervous man almost yelled before noticing a couple in a speeder passing by. "They've already called in the coppers and hauling anyone suspicious in for questioning! What if they pick us up?"
"We tell them the truth," the calmer man responded. "Once they see we know nothing, they'll boot us out and move onto the next scruff," he explained haughtily. "Don't go losing your nerve. We're so close!"
"Not close enough," the nervous wreck retorted. "I have a bad feeling about this."
"Two more days, Ron," the calm man said. "Just two more days, and we're done. Think what you can do with that money. Your mum still needs her medicine, doesn't she?"
Ron sighed. "Yeah, she does," he conceded. "Okay, where and when?"
"West of the former Chancellor's suite once that Martian Bioship has gone through at 10:20," the other man said. "You'll have fifteen minutes until the next cruiser comes by. Can you do it?" He asked sternly.
"Yeah, sure," Ron replied, letting out another sigh. "I really hope this turns out like you say it will, Ed. I really don't fancy going inside." He said, unaware that Dennis, the Bothan boy from the day before, who was playing around the shop, was listening.
"It'll be fine. Trust me." Ed said.
Dennis narrowed his eyes, trying to make out what to do in the situation.
On Tatooine, Anakin had just finished setting up the last of the Vaporators. Closing its hatch, he stepped back.
"Now, to turn these on." Cliegg said.
"Allow me." Padmé said. She held out both of her arms and let the Force Link do its work. All of the Vaporators started to turn on immediately, each giving a hum and a whir to signal its proper functioning. Soon, they started to fill up, lights going from red to green.
"So what happens now?" Anakin asked.
"We collect them harvest in the time of the season," Beru explained. "It'll take us a while, though, and we never manage to get it all in time."
"How about I try this time?" Anakin asked, flexing his fingers. Like with his wife, he used the Force to gather all of the harvest before it emptied from the Vaporators. "Now, where to?" He asked.
"Right in the tank." Owen said in am impressed tone as he gestured to a large tank filter.
"Got it." Anakin said. He and Padmé both used the Force to send the gathered harvest into the tank. It soon filled up, and with a series of flashing lights, it shone a blue color.
"Not the way we'd usually do it, but we don't have much men as we used to," Cliegg said. "Good work, son. You too, Chancellor."
"Thank you," Anakin said. "This is actually the first time since the beginning of the Clone Wars that I've done something other than fighting."
"And what did you think?" Owen asked.
"It's a good change of pace," Anakin replied. "Truth be told, if I had more time, I'd like to stop by here every now and then and settle on farming to rest."
"I thought you like the Jedi life." Owen said.
"I do, but honestly, I don't think I've ever considered what I would do once the war is over," Anakin admitted as he looked to Padmé. "I know we never thought about that much."
"This could be a second home, since I am still thinking of a good first home myself." Padmé said.
Anakin smiled before turning to his stepbrother. "Owen, I have a favor to ask you." He said.
"For family, anything." Owen said.
"If I ever have a son, daughter, or both, and if I decide to have a home here on Tatooine, promise me that you will raise them in a good life of farming like this," Anakin said. "While I wouldn't mind any of my children being Jedi like me, I also wouldn't mind if they have something simpler in life."
"Being an uncle to your future children? I'd be honored." Owen replied, beaming happily.
"You'd really want this for our children if we have any?" Padmé asked.
"Just something now that I've tried this out for myself," Anakin said. "Besides, even though I've had a share of tragedy here, it is still my home."
"That reminds me, you're here on a honeymoon, right?" Beru asked. "I've got some rare dragon meat from a while back, and I've been saving it for a special occasion."
"You finally got it?" Owen asked.
"For a day like this… and maybe a double date," Beru said while blushing at Owen. "We are still a couple, after all."
Owen smiled. "Then it's the right occasion for a great double date," he said. "I love you, Beru Whitesun."
"And I love you, Owen Lars." Beru said with a smile.
Back on Coruscant, a mist started to roll in. Waiting at the loading dock, Cuthbert was on a speeder, waiting to take off with the cargo ship he would be acting as security detail to.
"What's taking so long?" Cuthbert asked before Tup arrived.
"You can go home now, Cuthbert," Tup said. "This ship isn't going anywhere."
"What?" Cuthbert asked in disbelief. "Why?!"
"The 31st has closed down all outgoing shipments. Senatorial flights allowed only." Tup explained.
"This is an important delivery." Cuthbert replied, as if he were trying to remain calm.
"What's so important about a shipment of fashion items?" Commander Fox asked, walking over. "It's not that essential."
"You'd be surprised," Cuthbert replied. "This wasn't the first delivery job I've had. One time on Corellia, I had to guard a shipment of thick clothes for the people of Jakku for what they called the longest night, and you know the temperature the sandy places get at night. I was late getting there, and a majority of the village had frozen to death."
"That's horrible, but these aren't the same thing," Commander Fox said, trying to be reassuring. "Unless couture counts as life-saving."
"I still feel a need to fix my mistake." Cuthbert said.
"Go ahead, then," Commander Fox said. "Yejyo didn't say all shipments were canceled, and this one was cleared for departure."
"Cheers," Cuthbert said as he started up his speeder. He signaled to the pilot, who took off. "You're a real lifesaver."
"No problem," Commander Fox said before seeing a brief glimpse of the pilot and the crew. Under his helmet, he narrowed his eyes. After they left, he turned to Tup. "Find me the nearest Crime Investigatory officer, and let them know I want a word with them effective immediately."
"Right away." Tup complied before running off.
At the same time, near the suite of Chancellor Valorum, near a signal tower, Ron had arrived. Quickly, he started to get to work, the green light for allowing passing ships to travel starting to blink until it turned red.
With his work done, Ron climbed down from the tower and looked around. He was about to walk away until he turned back, seeing that an elderly man with raven hair and a long beard with a navy jumpsuit was standing before him.
"Evening, Ron."
"By the light of Lothal's moons!" Ron almost yelled in surprise. "Where'd you come from?!"
"The mists of time." The man replied dramatically.
"Very funny," Ron drawled. "What are you doing here?"
"My job," the man replied. "I wouldn't be much of a control officer if I stayed indoors," he pointed out before tapping his finger against Ron's chest. "Now what are you doing here? A little late to be tinkering with the signals, don't you think?"
"Not if they're on the brink." Ron protested.
"They were working fine until they started lighting up like a Rhydonium bomb," the elder pointed out. "And I could've sworn it was green before."
"You're imagining things, Connery," Ron said as he went around the old man. "Now if you don't mind—"
"You know," Connery spoke up without even turning around. "My grandson told me and Shauna the strangest thing today. He was afraid to, thought we'd be angry at him for being somewhere he shouldn't. But he wanted to do the right thing," he said as Ron started to mount his speeder. "That boy's a menace, but he's got a good heart."
"How touching." Ron spat, hardly caring for the talk.
"Right. What do you care?" Connery remarked, turning to Ron. "Anyway, he overheard a conversation between two men," he started, surprising Ron. "Sounded like they were planning something with this tower, at this time," he said, pointing up. "And wouldn't you know, I find you here. Who was the other bloke? Your mate, Ed?" He asked.
Ron clenched his fist. "Listen here, Granddad," he said, getting off. "If you know what's good for you, you'll keep your mouth shut."
"Say that again." Connery said.
"What?" Ron asked.
"Say. That. Again."
"If you know what's good for you—"
At that moment, Connery ran and threw a punch at Ron. Ron was sent tumbling over his speeder, and got back up. He threw another punch, hitting Connery, but he regained himself and kicked his knee. In retaliation, Ron grabbed him and held the old man in a chokehold, only for him to elbow him in the chest before kicking the controls of his speeder. It went out of control and spiraled into the air.
At the same time, the Bioship was flying with a fighter with Ringa inside.
"Anyone see those thieves?" Saw asked.
"No, not—" Lux started before the out-of-control speeder flew into the air and exploded.
"Great Scott!" Barriss exclaimed. "Where the hell did that come from?!"
"Down there!" Katooni called out, pointing to the fistfight on the ground. "That's Shamus!"
"Ringa, let's see what this is all about." Ahsoka said.
"Right with you!" Ringa called as she flew her cruiser down.
Shamus blocked several punches to his face from Ron before kicking him backwards. Angrily, while wiping some blood from his mouth, he ran at Shamus, who knocked him out cold with a straight punch to the face.
The Young Justice, who had just arrived, looked in amazement while Ringa landed, with Eliza and two other members of the 31st Crime Investigatory landing next to her.
"Evening, Ahsoka." Shamus said, feeling his wrist.
"Evening, Shamus," Ahsoka replied before recovering. "You alright there?"
"I am now," Shamus replied as he gestured to Ron. "I caught this scoundrel messing with the signal tower."
"You're saying this was another attempted robbery?" Serra asked in surprise.
"Pretty daft if it was. There's no one else around and I checked before coming up to him," Shamus said. He looked to Ringa, Eliza and the other members of the 31st Crime Investigatory. "Good thing you were all traveling with the TFCI. Saves me the trouble of finding an officer myself," he complimented before saluting them. "Officers, I'd like to report a crime." He announced.
"Alright," Eliza said. "Step aside and we'll take your statement," she said before looking to Ringa as she was looking down to Ron. "You wanna watch him?"
"And see if he's still alive?" Ringa asked, still amazed at how well Shamus Connery took care of Ron.
"That too," Eliza said as she motioned to Shamus. "Come this way."
"No worries," Shamus replied as he was led away for questioning. "Nice seeing you lot again."
"Same with you, Shamus." Aqualad replied back.
"Now that's a hard man." Jaybo said.
"You got that right," Ahsoka agreed. "Devoted too. There needs to be more people like him."
In the morning, Anakin and Padmé had arrived back. Despite their plans to go straight to the Senate Dome to land their ship, the sight of the 31st Crime Investigatory taking in Ron and Ed caught their attention.
"What's going on down there?" Anakin asked. "Why is Yejyo talking with the Troops?"
"I don't know, but I intend to find out," Padmé said as she looked to R2-D2 and C-3PO. "Take us down." She ordered.
R2-D2 beeped and chirped in confirmation as he landed the Naboo Fighter. The Young Justice, who were also watching what was happening, noticed Anakin and Padmé walk out before they all made their way towards them.
"How was your Eve of Life Day?" Ahsoka asked.
"We got some stuff done," Anakin replied, looking to Padmé with a smile. The secretly married couple turned back. "What happened here?" he asked before seeing Shamus talking with some officers. "And what happened with Shamus over there?"
"Shamus Connery got word from his son, Dennis, that Ron and Ed, the two workers in the industrial section, planning for a robbery," Jessica explained. "He took out Ron with his bare hands, and we caught Ed sneaking out crates of deliveries shortly after. They're being taken to the 31st Crime Investigatory Base on Dantooine."
"That's a real shame," Padmé said, sending the two failed thieves a glare. "Ron and Ed never seemed like the type to break the law. I should have kept a closer eye on them."
"The good ones never do, and you should never blame yourself for what you didn't know," Yejyo said as he walked over while handing a datapad to one of his men. "No one knew until young Dennis spotted them at the portal garage."
"You think they have something to do with the bank robbery?" Connor asked.
"A bank was robbed too?!" Padmé exclaimed.
"We probably have a lot to catch you up on." Serra said shyly.
"I'm not sure," Yejyo admitted. "A good chief investigator never assumes," he pointed out. "That's why we have interrogations."
"You should give that job to Connery." Kid Flash said.
"From what we heard, he could have taken out the whole gang without breaking a sweat," Anakin said. "That's a hard man right there."
"He's being questioned right now," Yejyo pointed out. "He may be facing charges of assault."
"What?!" Artemis exclaimed. "That's a load of crud!"
"No, it's the law," Yejyo countered. "You all aside, we don't need any more vigilante justice," he said. "If Shamus Connery suspected criminal activity, he should have informed the authorities."
"The same authorities who never left the Planet to save Chairman Papanoida's daughters, prejudiced against a Kaminoan senator, and smashed apart a Refresher Room to find the missing loot?" Nomad muttered.
"That's right, Nomad." Yejyo replied, having heard the entire remark.
Everyone chuckled as Nomad stuttered nervously, just as Obi-Wan, Serena, Tup and Commander Fox arrived.
"Uh, uh… what I meant was…" Nomad stammered, trying to get the right words out before seeing Obi-Wan Kenobi, Serena Jinn Ranos, Commander Fox and Tup arrive. "Oh, Master Kenobi, Serena, Tup, Fox! Good morning!" he announced, breaking away from the topic. "How are you?"
"Very… confused." Obi-Wan said.
"We just got back from the Loading Docks." Tup said.
"Did you ask Wilhuff if he's made a move with my Mom yet?" Artemis asked.
"Didn't get a chance to," Obi-Wan replied, albeit rather uncomfortably due to the question. "He was talking with Lenny."
"According to him, one of the cargo ships have gone missing." Serena explained.
"How does an entire cargo ship go missing?" Kid Flash asked before realization hit him. "Wait, Rob?"
"Yeah," Robin replied before looking back to the four. "From here?"
"Yeah, from the most recent shipments that came in yesterday," Serena replied. "Specifically, the one Cuthbert helped to convoy last night."
Yejyo dropped his holopad in absolute shock. "Cuthbert?!" he nearly yelled, getting the attention of every other 31st Crime Investigatory Officer within earshot. "Is he a Corellian with the letters 'WAGR' on it?" he asked.
"Um, yes…" Ahsoka replied, taken aback by the sudden shift from Yejyo's calm attitude to his panicked state.
"Where is he?" Yejyo asked angrily.
"What?" Ahsoka asked.
"Where is he?!"
Meanwhile, at the warehouse district in the Coruscant Underworld, the same place where Ahsoka and Barriss once had their duel, a new group of thieves, each the same species as Ziton Moj, as well as a group of other men and women, were unloading crates from a cargo ship. The head Togruta was talking with an Ithorian.
"How much do you think we'll make?" the Ithorian asked.
"Enough to make every Queen of Naboo blush." The Black Sun lookalike replied.
"Excellent," the Ithorian replied before turning around as someone was mounting off of a speeder bike. "Great job. I can see why you come so highly recommended. When we heard about the bank job, I thought you would be bringing us a bonus."
"Sorry to disappoint," the figure replied in a familiar Australian accent. "I had nothing to do with that. I merely took advantage of the situation."
"And got very, very lucky, by the sound of it." The Ithorian added.
"You complaining, Gibken?" the figure asked in a serious tone.
"No, just saying," Gibken replied. "I guess that concludes our business," he said before holding his hand out, which was a red hook. "Thank you for your help… Mr. Balmorra."
"Please…" the figure said, now revealed to be Cuthbert as he revealed the skin of a Neebray Manta. "Call me Ryan."
"Ryan Balmorra?!" Paula exclaimed in shock.
"I think I'm missing something here," Katana asked. "Who's Ryan Balmorra?"
"One of our high-level threats in the crime world," Ringa said as all of the 31st Crime Investigatory officers started to get to their fighters. "He's a notorious gangster, one responsible for the virus spread on Mandalore, the thief of the V9 Drink on Naboo, and dozens of other felonies around the entire Galaxy."
"Wait, I've heard of him," Anakin said. "He paid off the guards on Tatooine to allow Jabba's son to be taken without a struggle."
"One of his many jobs," Ringa said. "And he always uses his alias of Cuthbert to blend in, making sure to wipe his criminal record from the system he's in."
"I'm surprised I'm hearing of him now," Ahsoka said. "What else makes him so dangerous?"
"You wanna know his Modus Operandi?" Jessica asked. "He takes products and shipments from other companies and sides to sell, his clients ranging from black marketers, gangsters, mobsters and mafias so they can resell the cargo."
"But the best fact about him?" Lux asked. "He steals from both sides, and he's highly popular in the criminal underworld for his constant successes, and being able to always disappear."
"He won't from us today!" Mathis exclaimed. "This Planet is on lockdown again! We're getting Ryan Balmorra or bust!"
"Fan out!" Yejyo yelled. "Don't let ships of any kind get out!"
"You might as well suspend me for a while," Commander Fox said. "He played me with a story of failing to deliver warm clothing to the people on Jakku during a long night, which allowed him to get away."
"I will talk about it with your superiors, Fox." Yejyo snarled as he made his way to his speeder.
"That's Comm—"
"Not after your slipup on letting the thief escape." Yejyo remarked before he flew off with the rest of the 31st Crime Investigatory.
"Wait…" Serena said before seeing a Crime Investigatory fighter start to head out of the port. "There!"
Everyone turned to the fighter, seeing Ryan Balmorra inside of it. Serena ran forward and used the Force to stop him just as he made the Jump to Lightspeed. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Serra, Ahsoka, Katooni and Barriss ran up alongside her to help her as she started to slip forward.
Yejyo noticed this and flew to the direction of the struggle. Ringa flew towards them as well before more fighters arrived.
Ryan Balmorra growled as he tried to press on. Putting an extra push into his thrusters, he tried to make the jump, but his engines started to burn and catch on fire. With no other choice, he leapt out of his fighter to land on the ground, only for Katana to sprint in and jump up, catching him and cuffing him before throwing him back onto the dock.
"You'll never hold Ryan Ba—"
Before Ryan could finish his rant, he was stun-shot. Everyone looked on in surprise before seeing Commander Fox with his pistol raised.
"Do us a favor, and shut the hell up." Commander Fox remarked.
Ryan succumbed to the stun blast and fell unconscious. As he did, Yejyo, Ringa and Eliza landed with thirty armed officers.
"Get the straightjacket," Yejyo ordered Eliza, who nodded before going to get the straightjacket. He turned back to the Young Justice. "Which way did he come from?"
"Up from the portal, in a northeast direction." Serena said.
"I want all units to head to the direction of that path," Yejyo said to Lenny and a few other officers. "We got what we needed from Ron and Ed."
"And, I would like to add, we caught these guys on our way back," Anakin said before R2-D2 came out of the Naboo Fighter, pushing the rest of the Togruta thieves while several hover-carts followed him, all with Credit boxes on them. "We found them all drunk outside of the Mos Eisley Cantina."
"I got the money back from the owner," Padmé added on. "It was all they used it on."
"Another day of justice, solved," Yejyo said. "Thank you all… especially Commander Fox."
"Just being a good soldier." Commander Fox replied.
"Very well-done to you too, Serena," Obi-Wan complimented Serena. "You certainly have the speed Qui-Gon had."
"So, I can start training soon?" Serena asked.
"Of course, Serena," Obi-Wan said, unaware that Rook Kast was watching from a distance. "I shall train you well."
Rook Kast grinned and turned on her comlink. "Kast to Lord Maul," she said. "Phase One is complete… we now have a DNA tracker on Skywalker."
Author's Notes: Well, what did you think of my new Chapter? I hope you liked it. It took me a while to figure out some stuff, but it worked out in the end. Sorry this wasn't over 10,000 words as usual, but I was requested to do a breather chapter before, and it was hard to do that usual quota for stuff like this. Still, I hope you enjoyed this Chapter. Lightsaber action will come in the next Chapter. Please be sure to review, rate, and if you can, Private Message me for anything on the Story. After all, I am always keen to hear from you, so long as what you say to me is positive. For now, this is SuperHeroTimeFan signing off. Have a Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I'll see you all soon!