Chapter 3 - Landing on Tatooine

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The door slams shut – thanks to that annoying little droid – right as Ahsoka gets a glimpse of Skywalker standing alone on the platform. She ignites her ruby blades, starting to cut through the door. She will not let him get away with Rotta. She can't afford to fail. Dooku would be furious, and Ahsoka hates disappointing her master.

After what seems like forever, the blades finish cutting a large circle through the door. She kicks it outside, jumping through as the piece hits the ground with a crash. Skywalker is still there all right, but there are no signs of that droid of his. Or Rotta. On the bright side, she doesn't really see any route of escape.

"Where is the Huttlet?" Ahsoka demands, stalking forwards in a failed attempt to sound threatening.

"Some reason you think I'd tell you?" he replies with a knowing smirk.

And why does he have to be so incredibly annoying? Fine, then. She'll do it the hard way. Ahsoka lunges forwards. He parries the blow with altogether too much ease, only serving to make her angrier. She slashes at him again, and he blocks it, before catching one of her blades on his and wrenching it from her grip.

Ahsoka growls angrily, attacking him again with her remaining lightsaber. The landing platform trembles violently as shots from the spider droids working their way up the wall from beneath strike in. The rocks on the underside start crumbling, the edge of the platform beginning to tilt. On second thought, Ahsoka realizes, maybe telling them to come here and attack the Jedi was a bad idea. Now she needs to get off this before it collapses.

Their lightsabers continue clashing despite the blasts from below, blades finally trapping in a saber lock. The Jedi Force-shoves her back, a push catching her off balance when she stumbles away. Ahsoka hits the ground several feet away, rolling over a few times before finally stopping. She looks up sharply, realizing she'd dropped her other lightsaber, only to see the sapphire blade hovering over her.

The thought instantly flickers through Ahsoka's mind that he might kill her, he certainly could, until she reminds herself that Jedi don't kill people they consider defenseless. She remembers that from... before, and Dooku told her that multiple times. It's senseless, given Force-sensitives always have some sort of defense, but she's not going to complain.

"I won," Skywalker smirks.

Ahsoka glares back at him. She needs to get up, to keep fighting. She can't fail. This is purely ridiculous. She's a Sith, and they're supposed to be stronger than the Jedi. Her fingers twitch almost imperceptibly, discreetly reaching through the Force for her nearest lightsaber. Only it freezes mid-movement, flying into the Jedi's outstretched hand.

"That's not gonna work," Skywalker informs her way too smugly. The platform trembles beneath Ahsoka again. She can feel it so much more clearly now that she's on the ground. It's vibrating from the explosions tearing it apart. "It appears your army isn't too concerned about the possibility of killing you," he remarks, though he doesn't seem particularly concerned. And she still hasn't seen any signs of Rotta or that droid. Are they already gone?

Everything shakes again, and this time, danger ripples through the Force. Skywalker spins around and deactivates his lightsaber, tossing hers back to the ground. He jumps over the edge out of sight – hopefully to his death – right before the platform starts tilting even more. Ahsoka scrambles up, darting up the nearly vertical slope to safety, reaching out to grab her lightsabers.

She jumps the rest of the way to the doorway as the platform gives out entirely, collapsing towards the forested ground far below. Looking up, she spots the Jedi Knight riding on one of the bug-like creatures that were staying on the former landing platform. He's heading towards a towering structure in the distance, standing out against the setting sun. She hadn't even noticed it before, but it's another landing platform. And there's a ship on it. Ahsoka will never be able to get there on time, unless the battle droids can stall him, which is unlikely. He's far too skilled to let that happen.

"Count Dooku demands a report on your mission," announces a battle droid, walking out of the room behind her. No. Not now. Ahsoka still has a chance to stop them. Dooku will be less than pleased if they escape. A stab of fear shoots through her. She can't fail him, and Sidious... "Should I tell him they got away or what?"

Stupid droids. Too angry to care, Ahsoka grabs it with the Force, tossing it over the edge of the cliff. "Whyyyyy?!" it screams as it falls out of sight into the flaming chaos below.

Ahsoka takes a deep breath of the cooling evening air. It's time to go face her master. If it were her choice, she'd wait until the mission is over. He will be less than happy about the report, but she doesn't have a choice. Turning, Ahsoka hurries back into the building to contact him.

"Have you recovered Jabba's son?" demands Dooku as the hologram materializes in her hand.

Ahsoka lowers her gaze. "Skywalker is still in possession of the Hutt and has temporarily eluded me, but they will not escape the system."

No, he does not look pleased at all. "Need I remind you whoever gains Jabba's favor will control the war in the Outer Rim? Only we must be allowed to return Jabba's son to him alive."

"I know, Master," she nods. "I will double my efforts."

"I hope so, for your sake," he replies ominously. Before they have a chance to say anything more, a sudden sound and presence simultaneously catch Ahsoka's attention. She shuts off the comm, whirling around and activating her lightsabers. Kenobi pauses a short distance away. Just who Ahsoka was hoping to run into. Not. She needs to go after the huttlet. Why do those Jedi always have to show up at the worst time?

"General Kenobi," she greets with fake cheer, "Always chasing after Skywalker. How predictable."

"Anakin leaves quite a mess," he retorts, activating his lightsaber in preparation, "Which I knew would lead me to you."

Ahsoka motions to the super battle droids on either side of her, and they raise their firing arms to shoot at the Jedi. It wasn't meant to kill him – she knows such a thing would be fruitless – but to slow him down. Spinning around, Ahsoka breaks into a run. She has to get out, but she doesn't get farther than making it into the next room by the time the firing behind her ceases.

She jumps onto a ledge, crouching against the wall out of sight. Kenobi enters below her, his blue lightsaber lighting the way. There are thin wall-lights around the circumference of the room, providing a dim illumination in the twilight of Teth. "Ahsoka, I know you're here," the Jedi calls, stepping into the mostly darkened room. "You can't hide."

Maybe he'd failed to realize, Ahsoka ponders, but she can hide. That's exactly what she's doing. Why couldn't those droids have held him off a bit longer? She needs to get out. "I feel your frustration. Let me guess, you're after Jabba's young son too."

Ahsoka almost snorts. Frustration? Fear would be more accurate. Must Jedi be so stupid? It's good she's not among them anymore. The Togruta looks up, scanning the area for any route of escape. The only way is up, which he'll see. Seeing no other option, she jumps down from the beam she was perched on. Her lightsabers ignite as she lands, and Kenobi whirls around to parry the blow.

"You'll have to do better than that," he chides as he easily blocks her next attack, pushing her back. She spins around, backing away. He's a Jedi Master, and she won't be able to defeat him, or even slow him down. Reaching deeper into the Force, Ahsoka lets the entirety of the Dark Side overwhelm her. She remembers everything, everything she'd gone through because the Jedi failed her, all the pain she's ever felt. How they failed so many, everything that they've done. The darkness wraps around her, fear and anger morphing into a deadly weapon. After all, that's all she's ever been good for. A weapon.

Ahsoka attacks Kenobi relentlessly, blades slashing wildly towards him repeatedly. She's certain her eyes just started turning yellow. Who cares? It may not be something she likes doing, but it doesn't matter as long as she accomplishes the mission. Finally, she knocks the lightsaber from his hands.

"Well, now I'm impressed," he comments, still the picture of complete calm.

Stupid Jedi. They were supposed to be the protectors and peacekeepers, but when have they ever helped anyone? Ahsoka dives at him, lightsabers aiming for the kill, but he ducks and dodges aside, backing away as she slashes at him. A sudden Force-shove catches Ahsoka off-guard, and she stumbles backwards. Looking over at him again, she realizes Kenobi has already retrieved his lightsaber.

"Shall we continue?" he questions lightly.

Ahsoka's desperation has given way to a fierce, blinding rage. She's not thinking clearly, or she'd jump out right then. Sure, he'd follow, but she'd have a head start. She lunges towards the Jedi Master, growling. Lightsabers clash furiously as the fight continues to progress, weaving its way between the pillars circling the perimeter of the room.

The three blades pause in a saber-lock, and Ahsoka kicks him back into the wall. She slashes at him, but he ducks aside, and the ruby blade embeds itself in the wall. She rips it out, whirling around to see Kenobi jumping to a ledge farther up in the room. Without even thinking twice, she jumps after.

Kenobi is standing a distance back, waiting for her. "We know of Dooku's plot to turn the Hutts against us. It will not succeed," he warns.

"It will," Ahsoka retaliates. But only if she can get out of here. Some of her anger has marginally begun to fade, and she glances upwards, eyes zeroing in on the outside opening above. She jerks back, leaping over his head, darting down the ledge, and finally jumping through the opening. Fresh, cool air from the thin Teth atmosphere greets her. The sun is completely set, and the sky has darkened, though the moon shines brightly. It's reflecting on the now dark-purple clouds hovering far above. The thought dawns on her then that Skywalker is probably past the clouds already.

Glancing around, Ahsoka realizes she's standing on a bridge connecting two parts of the monastery. She breaks into a run but doesn't make it beyond a few feet before the Jedi lands behind her, lightsaber still in hand. Why must he follow her everywhere? Ahsoka spins around to face him, hurriedly backing up farther. She needs to go. The Dark Side has faded back from her again, being replaced by desperation. And determination. She'll be able to get out of here and go in chase of the Hutt now.

Suddenly, she notices something, or rather the lack of something. The brilliant presence shining through the Force moments ago is gone. Skywalker got away... with the Huttlet. Ahsoka glances upwards, eyes widening. She's failed. Again. How many times will it take before Dooku gets tired of her constant failures? There is nothing worse for a Sith than failure, and Ahsoka is no exception. She owes Dooku everything' he's the only person she actually has a level of respect for. She can't keep... doing this. She always fails.

"I sense it, too. Anakin is gone. You've failed, Ahsoka. Your master will not be pleased." The Jedi's voice breaks Ahsoka out of her thoughts, sending her spiraling back into her rage. They're all the same. They don't care what happens to anyone, unless it's for their own gain. How many nights had she spent wishing they'd find her, but they never came?

She lunges at him with renewed fury, the pain of years of slavery flooding back to her like yesterday.

"The Hutt is safe," he remarks as he backs down the bridge connecting the two structures, "There's no point to fighting any longer. We've won. Lay down your weapon." What, does he really think things are so simple? Either she goes back to Dooku or surrender to the Republic where Sidious will punish her himself.

"You're delusional," Ahsoka informs the Jedi Master, discreetly pressing a button on her wrist. She still needs to go, though not as seriously as before. Fighting now is pointless. She's not skilled enough to win, and maybe if she gets out fast enough, she'll be able to beat Skywalker to Tatooine. And intercept him on the way to Jabba's palace.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spots the vulture droid approaching. Ahsoka steps back, jumping off the bridge onto the droid. It zips upwards, disappearing into the sky.

**w**

Ahsoka can only hope Dooku won't be too upset. She'd done her best, as always, but it wasn't good enough. "The Republic had too many clone troopers, my lord," she reports. There are other presences nearby, she realizes. He's not alone, which is probably a good thing. At least any punishment will be delayed. He's probably still in Jabba's palace. Ahsoka needs to watch what she says, lest she give them away. "By the time I figured out where Jabba's son was, Skywalker had already escaped with him to Tatooine."

"Most unfortunate," Dooku replies, "This is a very unexpected turn of events. I'm sure you did the best you could." Of course, she did, but Ahsoka still gets the feeling the only reason he's reacting so calmly is because he has an audience. "We will discuss your failure later."

Yes, she's right. She will be hearing more about this later. Ahsoka nods. "Yes, master."

"Come here to Tatooine, and we will defeat the Jedi before they can cause any further damage," he commands before disconnecting the call.

Ahsoka is going to be in so much trouble later, but maybe she can try to minimize it by not failing again. She hates this. Always has. She's a Sith assassin, and for her, failure is unacceptable. It's the one thought that's stuck with her since she was a child. Maybe they can at least defeat Skywalker on Tatooine. Hopefully this isn't a major part of Sidious's plans because if it is, she'll probably have to answer to the Sith Master himself.

Some minutes later, Ahsoka finds herself in hyperspace. She'll arrive shortly after the Jedi, but he'll be intercepted on the way with some droids. Hopefully that will delay him long enough for her and Dooku to get there and stop him from reaching the palace. Ahsoka hardly knows why, but there's a small part of her that hopes they won't be able to. She doesn't want to see Rotta harmed, and she isn't sure she wants to see Skywalker dead, either. It doesn't make sense, though. She shouldn't care. He's a Jedi.

Ahsoka tries to shake the strange thoughts out of her mind, focusing back on the present. It will be several hours before she exits hyperspace, the perfect time to get some sleep. She's hardly slept long since the war started several months ago. Maybe even since before then.

A few hours later, she's awoken at the sound of the alarm blaring through the ship. Ahsoka sits up abruptly and scrambles off the cot, hurrying to the cockpit, sliding into the pilot seat for landing. The surface of the planet looming in front of Ahsoka is various shades of brown, an occasional swirl of white above it indicating the scant cloud cover. Judging from the two suns nearby the planet, she'll be landing on nothing but a desolate, sand-covered wasteland. The ship glides through the atmosphere, touching down near the large structure of Jabba's palace.

Thankfully, the suns are already really close to the horizon, and the light is slightly golden. Good. At least it should be a little cooler than in the middle of the afternoon. The sky is still bright blue, though, so she assumes it'll still be a couple hours before sunset. By the time Ahsoka disembarks, Dooku is already waiting for her. Three MagnaGuards are standing nearby, deactivated electro staffs in hand.

"Ahsoka," he greets her, "Go with the droids to the far side of the sand dune near the path to Jabba's palace. Skywalker may find a way to get past me when I try to stop him. If so, you will be able to intercept him there."

"Yes, Master," Ahsoka acknowledges. Skywalker has always been known for improvised plans, and she can't imagine him not being able to come up with one now. He probably will. She'll have to be ready and waiting when he comes.

"Do not fail me again," Dooku warns, climbing onto a speeder and zooming off.

Ahsoka stands there, watching as he disappears into the sunset. She can only hope she will actually be able to defeat Skywalker if she runs into him again. With the help of the droids, it will be easier, but he's impossible to defeat, it seems. Maybe she can at least get Rotta away from him and get to the palace first. Even if the Republic tried to do damage control later, it wouldn't go over very well.

"Come on," Ahsoka tells the droids, glancing back at them before setting forwards. "I want to have a trap set up waiting when he comes."

**w**

As Anakin works on attempting to repair the ship, his mind wanders back to Ahsoka. The more he sees her, the more he gets the feeling she's only listening to Dooku because she doesn't think she has a choice, not because she wants to. He can sense the conflict within her.

Anakin finds himself wondering how she ended up with him, anyway. She probably still has a family somewhere... maybe. If she does, she might have been too young to even remember them. Anakin wonders if there's a way he could help her, though that's not supposed to be possible. He doesn't want to kill her. She's hardly a real Sith. It's impossible to look at a fourteen-year-old like her and tell himself she's evil.

Finally, the ship streaks out of hyperspace, and the altogether too familiar sight of Tatooine materializes in front of him. Anakin does not want to go back here. He never wants to lay eyes on the planet again, the planet which took everything from him. That was where his mother died, where - where he'd lost everything.

The scanner beside him suddenly beeps, indicating the two ships flying towards him. A fraction of a second later, the ship shakes as a blaster shot rips past it. Separatist droids.

"Artoo, turn the guns around!" Anakin calls, spinning the ship aside and diving down towards the surface. Rotta lets out a loud wail from his place on the seat next to Anakin, but the Jedi doesn't have time to worry about it. One of the blasts strikes the back of the ship, jolting the whole thing forwards. Sparks rain down around him as it trembles violently.

"Get him, Artoo!" Anakin commands, increasing the ship's speed. The two ships are continuing to pursue him. Another blast strikes the ship and more sparks rain down. One of the fighters disappears off the scanner as he hears a loud explosion from behind.

"Good shot," he congratulates the astromech droid, sending the ship spinning downwards towards the surface. Another blast catches the wing, and the ship starts spiraling downwards out of control. Again. This will be another crash landing.

Artoo fires up his rockets, flying over to the wall. The droid locks himself down on the floor before he can roll away again, holding himself in place as he plugs himself into the port again. He turns the guns and starts shooting again, blowing up the second fighter.

The ship continues plunging towards the surface, flames beginning to spark off the end of it. Anakin had better inform Obi-Wan he's arriving, he decides. Before the ship crashes and all means of contacting his master are destroyed.

"Obi-Wan, come in. Do you copy?" the Jedi Knight queries, as the hologram finally flickers to life.

"Kenobi here, Anakin. Have you reached Tatooine yet?" he asks.

"Almost, but we ran into some old –"

"Anakin, did you get shot down again?" he sighs.

"The ship is too slow!" Anakin protests as the flames on the outside start burning even more fiercely, "I haven't had time to modify it yet."

"Well, I'm still cleaning up your other mess, but I'll get there," Obi-Wan answers, before disconnecting the call. So much for reinforcements. Now, Anakin can only hope that Dooku doesn't have many droids waiting for him on the surface. He's going to be on his own for now.

He tilts the end of the ship up enough for them not to plummet head-long into the ground, the fire burning furiously outside. Finally, the ship strikes the ground, skidding across a sand dune and finally coming to a precarious stop at the edge of a hill. The flames are dying out already, but a long trail of thick, black smoke has been left behind.

Anakin stands up slowly, picking up the wailing huttlet and pulling the backpack back on. He'd taken it off Artoo after getting onto the ship, but for now, it looks like he'll be the one stuck carrying Rotta. He steps outside onto the exit ramp, suppressing the surge of emotions at the familiar sight of the sandy desert. The last thing he'd seen it... it was the night his mother died.

Trying to shake off those thoughts, he looks over the area. He does recognize it, and Jabba's palace is a good distance away. They'll have to hurry to get there before nightfall. Right now, he doesn't sense any nearby lifeforms, though there are a group of Jawas scrambling towards the smashed remains of the ship.

Anakin jumps down, ignoring the huttlet's startled shrieks. Artoo rolls to the very edge of the ramp, beeping unhappily at the sight.

"It's just an endless track of gritty, abrasive sand. I'll clean your serves later. Come on, Artoo," Anakin calls, turning to leave. The droid flies down and lands behind him, beeping unhappily again, but it rolls along anyway. They set out across the desert in silence, heading towards the palace.