Chapter 8 - Cloak of Darkness

DISCLAIMER: We do not own Star Wars or any of the characters in it, though we wish we did. xD

Author's Note: If this chapter isn't as well written as the last one, it's because our brains were being buzzed out by annoying flies while we were writing. xD

In which Ahsoka is given the mission to free Gunray... and of course, runs into Anakin again. :P

~ Amina Gila

Anakin can hardly believe the news. With Padme's help, the Republic has managed to capture Nute Gunray, the head of the Trade Federation. Unless something else goes wrong on the way to bring him to Coruscant – which is likely, knowing Anakin's luck – there will be a much faster end to the war. It's been raging for months now without any signs of dying down, but at least there's now hope in sight.

The Trade Federation may be less willing to continue the production of more droids for the Separatists until they manage to free him. Or it might make them more determined. Either way, it's going to have an impact on the war. As long as one of the Separatist leaders is in their custody, it has the potential to turn the tide of the war, especially if they learn more about the Sith from him. At least the Republic should now be able to get the upper hand. Anakin expects Gunray has a lot of information, even though he's not going to be cooperative to give any at first.

"Captain, have you made contact with the cruiser?" Obi-Wan inquires, stepping up behind the clones at the controls of the small ship.

"Yes, General," the clone confirms, "We'll patch you through now." He pushes a button, and the screen above them lights up to reveal Captain Argyus and two other Senate guards. Gunray is being taken to a more secure facility than normal to avoid any potential rescues. The biggest problem will be getting him there and preventing any potential Separatists attacks while they're transporting him.

Leaving Obi-Wan to deal with receiving docking permission, Anakin turns back to the group of clones guarding Gunray in the back of the ship, several feet behind them, as he hears the prisoner start speaking. "I am a man of great wealth and I can be very generous to my allies," Gunray insists, a devious grin on his face. Seriously, does the idiot think that's going to work? Literally everyone nearby can hear him, and even if someone wanted to accept his stupid offer, they'd never do it in front of so many people.

"That is a very tempting offer, Viceroy," one of the clones informs him sarcastically, "In the meantime, I have a gift for you." He holds up a pair of handcuffs. Gunray scowls.

"Finally," Anakin exclaims, turning back to the main area as the ship prepares to dock, "It's been such a boring trip."

"This is an outrageous miscarriage of justice!" Gunray rants as the Jedi and a few clones lead him through the halls of the ship. Yes, sure it is. Maybe he should have considered that ten years ago when this all began. Anakin is seriously starting to get tired of his constant rambling. Having to babysit the prisoner is bad enough. Listening to his constant chatter is even worse. "I demand my litigator!" he growls, glaring over his shoulder at the rest of the clones, only to be shoved forwards by one of them.

"Keep moving," he snaps. And be quiet. Anakin's getting tired of listening to his whining.

A group of armored Senate guards awaits them down the dimly lit, gray hall.

"Greetings General, we have the brig all ready for this traitor," the captain informs them.

"Very good, Captain," Anakin says before glancing back at the clones behind them. "Let's get underway."

"Right away, sir," he replies, nudging Gunray forwards down the hall. "Let's move." The Senate guards turn and march away after them.

"Now we'll see if all this is necessary," the Jedi Knight remarks cheerfully as they head towards where the prisoner will be held. Gunray will be interrogated immediately. Anakin can only hope they'll actually be able to get some useful information out of him. They should. Gunray's a coward. He'll probably give everything under a simple threat or two, but Anakin hopes Obi-Wan will be able to get the information they need through... more pleasant means.

**w**

It's been a couple months since the battle of Christophsis. Time is flowing by much faster than Ahsoka would like, and she's been sent on one mission after another with hardly any time to breathe. It's been almost a month since she'd seen Anakin and Obi-Wan back when they'd crashed on Maridun. There have been times she admittedly almost misses fighting alongside them, but it's stupid and pointless. She's an assassin, and she won't betray her master.

While she's currently back on Serenno, she expects it'll only last for a few days. Even while she's here, she's training incessantly. She's young and still has much to learn. With the war, Asajj is almost always on the front lines in one place or another which means that Dooku is the main one overseeing her training. Any hopes of having time to relax disappear when Dooku summons her. She supposes that her break has just ended.

"Gunray's capture could be a serious threat us, my friend." Sidious's dark voice reaches Ahsoka as she approaches the room. Nute Gunray had been captured, which is not good news for the Separatists. Someone will probably be sent to rescue or eliminate him. Probably Ahsoka, since she's the only one here and available to the best of her knowledge.

"The Viceroy will not last long under Jedi interrogation," Sidious continues. She pauses outside the door to wait until the call is over to enter. Ahsoka has no desire to get anywhere near the Sith Master's line of sight if she has a choice. Hopefully, Dooku won't be upset that she was eavesdropping, but seeing as he called her here, he has no right to be.

"I have already put a plan into action, my Lord," Dooku replies, "One of my best agents, Ahsoka Tano, will infiltrate the Jedi ship and either free Gunray or silence him."

"Tano?" repeats Sidious, "You are putting a great deal of faith in an operative who has failed us in the past."

"She is a gifted assassin. You have my word. She will complete her mission to the letter," Dooku insists. At least he still has faith in her. Ahsoka won't let it be misplaced this time. She can't.

"Very well. You may proceed," Sidious rasps before the call disconnects. The darkness in the room almost instantly starts to dissipate, and Ahsoka hesitates a long second before stepping cautiously into the room.

"Master."

Dooku turns around to face her, a severe look on his face. "There is no margin for error this time, child. You must prove yourself worthy of being my apprentice." And from his tone, Ahsoka knows she'll be in serious trouble if she fails again. He's been rather upset about the entire crashing incident on Maridun.

She needs to prove herself again. Maybe this mission will give her the chance. It's one of the most crucial missions she's been given so far. She must succeed. Sidious's plans would be in jeopardy if the Jedi get information from Gunray – not that she cares, but it won't be good for her sake if she fails. And she must do this. She needs to prove that she's worthy of something, that the time and effort Dooku has invested in her training isn't meaningless.

"I will not disappoint you," Ahsoka promises, bowing slightly. As the time goes by, she sometimes questions more and more if the war is really worth it. Dooku claims it's going to help fix the galaxy in the long run, but she hasn't seen anything beyond senseless destruction. On both sides. Even the village fiasco was proof of it. Sure, it might be important to have a weapon like that, but to test in on innocent civilians? Especially so many? Regardless, there's nothing she can do. Ahsoka's job isn't to end the war; it's to obey Dooku and keep fighting, whether she likes it or not.

And how badly she yearns for his acceptance, his approval, though she rarely is worthy of it.

**w**

Predictably, the interrogation is interrupted right when Gunray agrees to start talking. A droid army is incoming, as Anakin was afraid of. He and Obi-Wan step outside the cell when a clone hurries up to give the report.

"Captain! Status report!" the clone calls into his comm.

"Droid fighters incoming! They've brought boarding ship," comes the reply.

"We have to help them!" Anakin insists urgently, looking at his former master.

"One of us should stay here and guard the prisoner," he objects, "Stay here, Anakin. I'll go." He hurries away, and Anakin steps over to stand in front of the cell. The battle will be reaching the detention level in no time. He really doesn't like the thought of Obi-Wan going into battle without him to help, but the most danger is here. The droids will be coming, that Anakin is certain of. Gunray is here, and the Separatists don't want him to talk. He's fairly certain that the primary attack is meant as a diversion to distract them from the prison area. He's needed here.

"It appears you are in no position to negotiate after all," Gunray laughs from inside his cell, stepping dangerously close to the ray shield, "Perhaps after my rescue –"

"Rescue?" the Jedi Knight shoots back, "Maybe they're here to make sure you won't talk." He instantly shuts up at that, and Anakin turns back to the rest of the hall. Gunray is such a fool. Why does he think Dooku even cares what happens to him? He should know better than to trust a Sith.

**w**

The droid army finally emerges from hyperspace above the enormous Republic cruiser. So far, so good. The plan is fairly simple, as long as Ahsoka doesn't run into any Jedi on the way. Distract the clones with the army and sneak past their ranks. Getting to the detention block should be easy.

The vulture droids are sent out first, firing down onto the cruiser. The guns on the ship open fire in return. Ahsoka watches the battle's progress from the viewport in her pod, a droid flying the ship. Normally, she'd fly, but since this is a stealth mission that could easily go very wrong, she might need to have a fast escape.

Three pods are heading down towards the cruiser, each with its own batallion of super battle droids. It will be more than enough to keep the clones busy.

Laser blasts from the cruiser fire all around her as the descent continues. Only a few of the explosions come close enough to actually strike the pods as they dive about, trying to avoid being hit. Any laser bolts which do hit are absorbed by the shields. The pods finally come up to the ship's surface stabbing into it and dropping super battle droids down inside.

Ahsoka jumps up from her seat, heading to the exit of her pod. She can hear the battle raging down below and reaches out with the Force. No one is near enough to see her, not yet. She drops lightly to the ground, ducking around a corner out of sight. The mission will be better if no one realizes she's there. She's already cloaked her presence as much as possible, but she's certain any Jedi will be able to sense her. At least if they don't know exactly where she is...

The clones are kneeling behind large crates for protection. The battle is relatively fast. The droids continue advancing on the clones, shooting them down as they go. The clones fire back, taking down most of the droids. Ahsoka doesn't move from her hiding spot, though she very badly wants to. She can't afford to give herself away.

Ahsoka remains hidden until everything has gone quiet. All the droids have been destroyed, and all the clones are presumably dead. Finally, she darts out of her hiding spot, only to promptly lay eyes on an injured but still conscious clone, slowly sitting up next to one of the crates. He instantly starts reaching to push a button on his comm. He's going to warn everyone, and she can't let that happen. If they realize Dooku sent an assassin, the prisoner will be far well protected for Ahsoka to get to.

"All units!" the clone calls into his comm.

Ahsoka throws a hand towards him, hurling him into the wall. He falls to the ground motionless. Hopefully, that was the right decision, but she couldn't bring herself to kill him. How could she? He's already injured.

"Trooper. What have you found?" demands a voice from the other end of the comm. "Come in, trooper! Do you copy?"

Except luckily, he's unconscious, and won't be answering. Ahsoka suddenly realizes that this is a perfect opportunity. If she takes his activated comm, she'll be able to keep track of her surroundings, and hopefully locate Gunray. She'll know what the clones are planning, where the safest places to go are. She picks up the comm, sliding it onto her other wrist. Ahsoka jumps up onto the top of a pile of crates, ruby blades slicing into the ventilation shaft. Turning off her lightsabers, she jumps into the darkness.

"Super battle droids are everywhere! Fall back to the detention level! We have to protect the prisoner!" a voice calls over the comm as Ahsoka continues heading through the shaft. The faster she goes, the better. It's unlikely that unconscious clone will be going anywhere, but there's always the possibility. She needs to hurry in case he manages to warn someone.

Using the Force to guide her, Ahsoka finally makes her way to the engine room of the cruiser. If she can't get Gunray off, she'll detonate the entire ship. It's not an option she wants to take, but if all else fails, she will. It's a very convenient way to make sure Gunray doesn't say anything. Ensuring the Republic finds no crucial information is more important than anything.

Ahsoka is about jump down into the room, but approaching presences stops her in her tracks. The door slides open, and two clones step into view.

"See anything?" asks one of them as they scan the room.

"Engine room seems clear. We'll lock it down," replies the other.

"Good, Captain. The enemy is advancing toward the prison level," warns a voice over their comms.

"We're on our way," the first assures as they head for the exit. The clone pauses for a moment, glancing back at the little guard droid – who definitely stands no chance against her. "You keep watch here, 327."

The droid beeps in annoyance.

"Okay, okay, 327-T," he repeats in an exasperated tone.

"You know droids never like to be called by their nicknames," the other reminds as they step outside and the door slides closed behind them. Clones. Ahsoka would probably take a little more time to laugh at their antics, but there's no time. The coast is clear, and she needs to hurry.

Dropping down into the room, Ahsoka darts around, taking cover in the shadows out of sight of the droid. It doesn't take long to finish setting the detonators around the reactors. The few times the droid gets too close to seeing her, she jumps over its head. She finally darts back up into the ventilation shaft, mission completed. Now, to the detention level. Ahsoka scrambles along through the darkness of the shaft once more. Almost there.

Suddenly, a familiar presence makes Ahsoka stop in her tracks. Anakin. Oh no. Obi-Wan's here too, farther away. She does not like the feel of this. If they're here, she'll definitely not have an easy time making it out. She might have to resort to killing Gunray. At least that way, she'll still have done her job. There's no way Ahsoka will be able to defeat Anakin, but she can't keep stalling, so she continues moving along through the darkness, finally arriving at a spot above the detention center she thinks will be an effective entrance. Hopefully.

Taking a deep breath to prepare herself for the battle she knows is coming, she reactivates her lightsabers, stabbing the blades into the ceiling and cutting a large circular hole. As the piece crashes to the floor below, Ahsoka leaps down after.

The two guards standing on either side of the room facing the controls whirl towards her, the first raising his blaster about to shoot. She kicks him into the wall hard enough to stun him before throwing the other across the room. He crumples to the floor as she turns to face the hall leading to the prison cells.

Anakin is standing in the doorway at the bottom of the staircase, lightsaber drawn.

"I would have expected Dooku to send someone other than the same very clumsy Togruta to fight me," he smirks. "Let's see if you're more up to the challenge today."

"Tell you what," she shoots back, "I'll give you a merciful death." Not that she'd ever actually be able to kill him. Even if she had the opportunity, she's not sure she could bring herself to anyway. She hates it. Mercy isn't the way of the Sith, but she hates killing. He's a Jedi. She shouldn't feel like this towards him. Or maybe it's just that he's anything but an ordinary Jedi. He's far more compassionate, and it feels wrong to end the life of someone like him.

He scoffs. "I'd like to see you try."

Alright, then. If he wants a challenge, she's going to give him one. Ahsoka jump forwards at him, and he instantly raises his lightsaber to block the blow. She swings her lightsabers at him furiously, but his blade always intercepts before she has a chance to score a hit. After a few moments he starts raining blows down down on her, forcing her to switch onto the defensive to block them.

Their blades clash repeatedly as the fight starts carrying them closer to the doorway. She parries his strikes, finding an occasional opportunity to take a swing of her own. She's improved a lot in the past couple months, but if the fight keeps up for too long, she honestly doesn't think she'd be able to defeat him. He's already rapidly gaining in the fight.

Three guards from further down the hallway suddenly run into view as Ahsoka parries Anakin's next strike. Oh, great.

"Shoot her!" shouts the one in command. She jumps backwards to the top of the stairs, swinging her lightsabers to deflect the shots as they open fire on her. Anakin ducks out of the way to avoid being hit in the firing.

The two on either side of the lead guard – the one who's going to help Ahsoka later – go down as the shots bounce back, striking them. The last one ducks behind part of the wall to avoid the bolts before firing at her again. He has to put on a good show, what can she say? And she has to avoid killing him if she's ever going to get Gunray out of here. She picks him up with the Force, throwing him over her shoulder into the wall headfirst, hard enough to stun him, at least for a little while, before the Jedi attacks her again.