Chapter 3: The Battle of Teth
[Play Star Wars The Clone Wars (2008) OST Courtyard Fight 0:00 - 0:30]
The skirmish was quick, but it unfortunately wasn't in favor of the Republic, as the droids' overwhelming numbers were being used to their full advantage. Vulture Droids bombarded the courtyard that the clones and Jedi were at, destroying the Jedi Starfighter that Anakin had used to contact his master for help. He and the clones tried to hold the droids back, but they flooded in through the main entrance on the landing platform. "Get inside!" The Jedi ordered his Padawan.
Ahsoka, who was carrying Jabba's son in a backpack she had on, was the first inside the monastery, while the clones covered her retreat. Artoo followed closely behind her. The Dwarf Spider Droids targeted the ATTE and with a few well placed shots, they took the walker down. "Fall back!" Anakin ordered his men.
The clones did as ordered and began to retreat into the monastery, while Skywalker did his best to cover their retreat. Most of the clones managed to get in, but some unlucky few were killed before they could reach the door. "Fall back! Fall back!" Rex repeated the order as the door to the monastery began to close. Anakin, who had just reached the doorway, quickly rolled under the closing door just before it had shut completely and locked itself.
[Silence]
The droids stopped firing and soon, Ventress walked over to the entrance, where a B-1 relayed the news to her. "Mistress. The Jedi have barricaded themselves inside the main vault."
"They have nowhere to run." She said with a smirk on her face.
Inside the monastery, Skywalker spoke to Rex. "Captain, we'll stay here until General Kenobi arrives with reinforcements." She looked to Tano, who did not seem too thrilled about that idea. "What?"
"Master, do you honestly think we can hold them off?" She debated. "We've got to find a way out of here."
"Our mandate is to protect this hutt, and that's what we're going to do, Ahsoka." He reminded her.
"Our mandate was to get this hutt back to Tatooine, and time is running out." She reminded him.
"I suppose you have a plan." He replied.
After Artoo beeped a few times, Tano responded to her master. "Yes...well...I think so. Artoo willing."
"Alright, Snips. I'll trust you on this one." Anakin decided to go along with this. He then faced Rex again. "Captain, hold them here as long as you can."
"Will do, sir." Rex replied before rallying his brothers. "You heard the General! Get ready to turn those clankers into scrap metal!"
[Play Star Wars The Clone Wars (2008) OST Tower Battle I 0:03 - 0:30]
Elsewhere in the Galaxy, the Venator carrying the 212th attack battalion was on its way to Teth, and the clones and pair of Jedi inside were all preparing for that moment to arrive. Obi-Wan and Orion were in their Jedi Starfighters with their astromechs slotted inside them, while the clone pilots were getting into their V-19 Torrent Starfighters. "All flight crews, man your stations." was being repeated over the intercom in the hangar bays as all pilots prepared themselves for when they are dropped out of hyperspace.
"I guess that rest time will have to wait." Dusk told himself from inside the cockpit of his starfighter, before he started it up. "Okay. Ready to deploy on command."
"When we exit hyperspace, take off and form up." Kenobi instructed.
"Yes, Master." Orion replied, before taking a deep breath. Now he was about to get his first taste of actual aerial combat. Time to see how well his Jedi flight training has paid off.
[Play Star Wars The Clone Wars (2008) OST Escape From The Monastery 0:00 - 3:12]
Back on Teth, Anakin, Ahsoka and Artoo made it to the throne room in the Monastery and found a socket for the astromech to plug into. "If there's a way out of here, Artooie will find it."
"Make it quick." Skywalker said before he noticed that the huttlett had fallen asleep. "Finally asleep, huh? Put him down. Get some rest yourself." He suggested to his Padawan. "It's been a long day for you, little one."
"I can hold him, master. I'm not tired." She replied.
"Okay, suit yourself." He said as he sat down in front of her. "I don't see why you won't just listen to me."
"I do listen to you, Master." Tano told him. "I just don't like being treated like a youngling."
"You must have patience." Anakin told her. "What are you trying to prove, anyway?"
"That I'm not too young to be your Padawan." She said to him.
Anakin stood up and then remembered the words of a former father figure of his. "Ahsoka, a very wise Jedi once said, 'nothing happens by accident'. It is the will of the force that you're at my side." He put a hand on her shoulder. "I just want to keep you there in one piece."
After hearing that, Tano took off the backpack and set it down, taking up her master's suggestion for rest.
Outside the entrance to the Monastery, a few B1 droids were trying to undo the lock on the door. "The red one?" One asked.
"No." The other replied.
"The blue one?" The first one asked.
"No. Not that one." The second one replied again.
Then, a red lightsaber blade cut through the locking mechanism, before Ventress, the wielder of that lightsaber deactivated the blade. "That'll work." The first B1 said.
The door began to open up, and the clones present had their weapons pointed right at the entrance, taking cover behind the slanted columns. "They've cut the lock!" One of the clones spoke up, as the troopers had their fingers on the triggers of their firearms.
The door was almost fully open when the light seeped in and Rex shouted out "Here they come!" The B1 and B2 battle droids marched inside and began to open fire on the clones, who returned fire. Droid bodies began to fall as they briefly stood firm. "Hold the line!" More B2 droids came in and began to push the clones back, gunning a few of them down. "Second wave. Second Wave!" Dwarf Spider Droids came in behind the B2s and began to fire on the clones as well, making it difficult for the troopers to fight back. "Watch your left!" They were getting quickly overwhelmed as more droids came in.
The battle could be heard by the two Jedi from where they were at. "That sounded bad." Skywalker pointed out.
Artoo then found something and displayed a hologram of the monastery, before highlighting a certain part of it. "A backdoor landing platform." Tano saw it.
"We'll call for a gunship when we get there." Anakin stated. "Lead the way, Artoo." As the astromech took point, the Jedi knight then noticed that the backpack on the ground was empty. "Ahsoka, wait. Where's Stinky?"
"You told me to put him down." She replied as she also noticed the empty backpack.
"Find him." He told her, before the pair heard the huttlet close by. Skywalker looked under the platform throne and saw the huttlet crawling under there and he grabbed it by the tail, pulling it towards him. "Come out of there, you grubbly little slug." He did not care about the huttlet screaming as he got it out of there and began putting it back in the backpack while Ahsoka put it on her.
Back at the entrance, the fighting stopped, as most of the clones were either dead or knocked out, except for one, who was leaning on a column, pretending to be knocked out as he heard Ventress give out orders. "Take care of what's left of the clones. I'll go after Skywalker."
"Roger Roger." The B1 replied.
"Seal the main gate and all portals. Let nothing escape this castle." She told the B1, failing to notice Rex slowly shift his arm to aim one of his pistols towards her.
"Yes, mistress." The B1 said but it then got it's head shot off when it walked in the way of her and Rex's shot by accident.
The clone captain kept shooting at her, but Ventress was able to activate both of her red lightsabers and deflect the next three shots, before using the force to disarm Rex, then to choke and lift him off the ground. "Where's Skywalker?" She questioned.
"I don't talk...to Separatist scum." He replied to her while trying to breathe.
She let him go and he fell to the ground. She then waved her hand and tried a different approach. "You will contact Skywalker now."
"I...will contact Skywalker now." Rex repeated. Ventress smiled, believing that the mind trick worked on him. The clone captain got on his wrist communicator.
Back at the throne room, The Jedi in question had put the huttlet back in the backpack while Ashoka had it on. "Let's see you get away this time."
"Anakin, come in." Rex's voice came in through the commlink.
"Anakin?" Tano repeated, sounding confused.
"We've held the droids sir." The captain said on the comm line.
"That's not like Rex." Skywalker immediately knew something was off.
"What is your location?" Rex asked.
"Ventress." Anakin figured it out.
"Dooku's assassin?" Ahsoka realized.
"She's here to kill the hutt. Come on." Skywalker began to leave the area, while Tano and Artoo quickly followed suit.
Back near the entrance to the monastery, a B1 commander reported to Ventress. "Mistress, I must inform you that Republic reinforcements have arrived."
"We must hurry." She said.
"Roger Roger." The B1 Commander replied before a pair of Droidekas arrived as per the assassin's orders.
[Silence]
Just outside of Teth's atmosphere, the Venator carrying the 212th had arrived and the hangar doors opened up, allowing the Torrent Starfighters and the pair of Jedi Starfighters to exit the warship and form up, while making their way to the planet's surface. "Skywalker is in trouble. You know the drill." Obi-Wan told his men.
"Copy that, sir." One of the clone pilots replied.
Orion took a deep breath, feeling anxious. "Ok. Here we go."
"Don't tense up, Orion." Kenobi instructed his new Padawan. "Relax and trust in your reflexes."
"Right." Dusk responded before quickly calming himself. "Understood, Master." The starfighters then entered Teth's airspace.
On the courtyard of the monastery, Separatist forces holding Rex and the other clone prisoners, received a call from Ventress. "The Jedi warships have arrived. You must hold them off until I finish my mission. Do you understand?"
"Yes sir, I mean ma'am...uh...sir?" The B1 commander said. "Launch all fighters!"
[Play Star Wars The Clone Wars (2008) OST Courtyard Fight 0:00 - 2:41]
Every Vulture droid that was stationed there took off and made their way towards the approaching republic starfighters. Orion saw them come up on his scanners. "Bogeys inbound."
"Vulture droids. All wings, engage." Obi-Wan ordered.
A dogfight in the skies began as the Vulture droids and Republic starfighters began to exchange in blaster fire.
Meanwhile, in the back of the monastery, Anakin, with the huttlet on his back, Artoo and Ahsoka reached the landing platform and The Jedi Knight got on the commlink. "Skywalker to Obi-Wan. Mark my position. I need a medical ship immediately. Do you copy?"
In the skies above, the message was heard and Kenobi responded. "Anakin, do you read me?" There was no response, and a static sound was beginning to be heard between their comm line. "Anakin. Come in!" A vulture tried crashing into his ship, but Orion shot it down. "They're jamming our transmissions." He realized. "I hope Anakin is having an easier time than we are."
Another Vulture droid flew past his ship and made a b-line directly towards Dusk's, but the Padawan was quick to roll out of the way of the suicide charge. "What in the heck is with these droids?"
Back at the rear landing platform, Skywalker spoke up. "I can't get a hold of Obi-Wan. I'll see if I can find Captain Rex."
Over at the courtyard, Rex and the other clone prisoners were being guarded by the droid ground forces, until his communicator began beeping and Anakin's voice was coming through. One of the B1s heard it. "Did you hear that?"
"It came from the prisoners." Another B1 realized.
"Let me show you how it works, clanker." Rex showed his beeping wrist communicator to the B1 in front of him. When the droid leaned forward to get a better look, the clone captain seized the opportunity and struck the droid in the head with his forearm, making it spin and deactivate it. The other droids then began to shoot at him, but he used the B1 as cover and returned fire with its blaster.
The other clones followed their captain's lead and attacked the closest B1 droids then took their weapons to fight back. By the time all of the clones armed themselves, the droid forces focused fire on them, killing a few before they could take cover behind the destroyed ATTE. "Captain Rex, respond." Anakin's voice came in on the captain's wrist communicator.
"I read you, General." He replied before avoiding a blaster bolt aimed at his head. "We're pinned down in the courtyard."
"Do you need help?" Skywalker questioned, only to be answered by the sound of blaster fire on his end of the comm line. "I'll take that as a yes, Captain. Stand by. We're on our way. Skywalker out."
Anakin was ready to go, but his Padawan spoke up. "Master, Stinky is really sick. He's turning every shade of green except the one he's supposed to be! Our mission is to get him back to Tatooine, alive."
"Obi-Wan will get here eventually." Anakin said. "Right now, we need rex to help us find a ship."
The sound of metal rolling was heard as a pair of Droidekas rapidly approached the two Jedi. "Great. Rolling death balls." Ahsoka recognized the droids.
The Droidekas deployed and opened fire on the Jedi, who quickly ignited their blades to deflect the blasts away from them. "Artoo! The door!" Skywalker ordered the astromech, who quickly made his way to a socket right next to the door. As the pair of Jedi kept deflecting the blasts away from them, Ventress arrived and walked towards the pair of preoccupied Jedi. Before she could get outside though, Artoo had managed to shut the door just in front of her and the Droidekas. That wasn't going to stop them for long though, as two red lightsaber blades pierced through the door and began carving an opening. "I think now is a good time for a retreat."
"Retreat?" Tano repeated. "That's a new word for you."
"Maybe into the jungle." Anakin proposed, moving to the edge of the backdoor landing platform and looking down.
"Wait. I remember the jungle was a bad place." Ahsoka commented before, blaster fire began coming from below, as two dwarf spider droids began shooting at them, and hitting the lower platform, causing some large flying bug creatures to wake up and fly away in a panic.
"So much for going that way." Skywalker noted before looking back to see the lightsabers about halfway done carving a big enough opening.
Back in the courtyard, most of the clones were killed off by the droids, with only Rex and four others left fighting, taking cover at the center section of the ATTE where the armor plates were separated. "We can't hold out much longer sir. Where's General Skywalker?" one of the clones asked.
"He'll be here." Rex assured before they continued to shoot at the droids coming from all sides.
Back with Anakin and Ahsoka, Ventress was almost done carving an opening. "Looks like we're out of options." Skywalker conceded.
But then the huttlet began to stammer, catching Tano's attention. "No, not now, Stinky." She then noticed the huttlet point behind her. She looked and saw what he was pointing at. "Master! Another landing platform!"
Anakin looked and noticed it too. "With a ship on it." He added.
"Nice work, Stinky." She thanked the huttlet, who seemed to understand and responded with a wave. "So how are we gonna get over there?"
"Leave that to me." Skywalker said before jumping off the landing platform.
[Play Star Wars The Clone Wars (2008) OST Battle of Teth 2:03 - 2:45]
Anakin landed on one of the panicking bugs and began wrangling with it to get it under control, while Ahsoka watched. "I hope I don't have to learn that." She then heard the cutting stop before a chunk of the door was kicked down, and Ventress came through it.
Tano activated her blade, and Dooku's assassin displayed her skills against Skywalker's Padawan, quickly attacking the togruta with both of her blades, and overwhelming the young Jedi, before kicking her down. Ventress pointed one of her blades to Ahsoka's throat. "Where is Skywalker?"
Just then, Anakin appeared, riding the flying bug creature, catching her off guard. "Right here, Ventress." He answered, before the bug creatures slammed its tail into Ventress, knocking her away.
"Time to go." Ahsoka realized that the landing platform was about to collapse.
Skywalker noticed this too and moved towards his Padawan. "Hop on, Snips!"
"Like I have a..." She was grabbed by her master. "CHOICE!"
The pair of Jedi flew away as the landing platform began to fall from the constant blaster fire from the spider droids. Artoo fell with it, but quickly activated his jet thrusters to save himself and follow the two Jedi, while the platform fell and destroyed the spider droids that had shot at it.
Ventress wasn't on the section of the platform that fell off, and was fine. She deactivated her blades and then a B1 showed up. "Count Dooku demands a report on your mission. Should I tell him they got away, or what?" The assassin did not like that comment and used the force to throw him off the mountain. "WHYYYYYYYY?!"
[Play Star Wars The Clone Wars (2008) OST Battle of Teth 2:03 - 2:23]
Back in the skies above, The Torrent starfighters and Vulture droids were still going at it. One Torrent starfighter was currently being chased and shot at by two Vulture droids. "I'm hit! I can't shake them!"
Obi-Wan's Jedi starfighter got behind the Vulture droids. "Just relax, Odd Ball. I'm right behind you." After he said that, he soon took out the Vulture droids pursuing the pilot.
"Thank you, sir. Sorry I panicked." Odd Ball apologized.
"That's all right Odd Ball, it happens to everybody." Kenobi replied to him.
Orion's starfighter flew by and took out another Vulture droid before Dusk himself looked down at the monastery and noticed something in the courtyard. "Master, there seems to be a small battle happening on the east side of the palace."
Odd Ball looked and saw it too. "He's right, General. I see it too."
"Well, if there's a battle, Anakin's probably in the middle of it." Obi-Wan told his Padawan. "We'll start looking for him there. All ships, follow me."
[Silence]
Back with Anakin and Ahsoka, the pair reached the landing platform and jumped off the bug before it flew away. Artoo made it as well and the three looked at the ship, seeing that it was a Corellian G9 Rigger-class light freighter. "We're taking this junker?" Tano commented. "We'd be better off on that big bug."
"Get aboard and prime the engines...assuming it has engines." Skywalker ordered his Padawan.
Ahsoka made her way to the ramp of the ship, then noticed a protocol droid grabbing a crate. She recognized the droid. "Hey! You're that caretaker droid. I wondered what happened to you."
"Oh, uh young one, I mean...soon to be, Jedi Knight." The droid stammered. "I...had to get away from that terrible..."
He was interrupted by three B1 battle droids coming out and one of them speaking to him. "Okay. Everything's loaded. Let's get out of..." He noticed the Jedi. "...here."
"Why you tin plated traitor." Tano activated her blade.
"Blast her!" The protocol droid ordered. The B1 droids shot at her, but she defected a bolt back at the first one, blowing its head off. The protocol droid moved as fast as he could and got behind the other two B1s who continued shooting.
Anakin strapped the backpack holding the huttlet to Artoo then noticed Ahsoka's scuffle. "She's at it again. Let's go." He told his astromech, who beeped a few times before following Skywalker.
Tano cut her way through the other B1s and pointed her blade at the protocol droid's head. "Don't you dare." He said, but she dared and cut off his head with one clean stroke. The head rolled down to her master's feet and he and Artoo followed her up the ramp and into the ship.
[Play Star Wars The Clone Wars (2008) OST Obi-Wan to the Rescue 0:00 - 1:24]
Back in the skies above, Kenobi contacted his clone commander. "Commander Cody, prepare the gunships for ground assault."
"Yes, sir." Cody said from inside the Venator hangar bay, before ordering the first wave of gunships to depart, before getting in one and taking off with the first wave. Obi-Wan and Orion's starfighters accompanied them, to ensure they make it to their landing zones without getting shot down by Vulture droids.
Back in the courtyard, only three clones were left fighting, blasting away until they managed to disable a grounded Vulture droid. Rex saw an opportunity to advance and spoke to the one clone next to him. "This is it. SCRAP EM!" He yelled out before he and the clone leapt off the ATTE and reached the disabled Vulture droid, using it as cover.
The last clone at the ATTE kept shooting from there until his blaster jammed. He took cover to avoid getting hit by blaster fire, but when he noticed a B2 making its way towards Rex and the other clone, he got out of his cover and charged the B2, slamming its right wrist blaster with the bud of his gun before going for the head. The B2 caught the attack and held the clone up by the wrists before using his wrist blaster to shoot through the clone's stomach, killing him. It then tossed his body to the side.
Kenobi and Dusk's starfighters could see that the last two clones left were surrounded and Obi-Wan spoke to his droid. "Take over Arfour." To which the astromech beeped in response. "Orion, aim at the droids behind the clone stragglers."
"Yes, Master." The Padawan readied his starfighter's guns.
The droids surrounded Rex and his last clone ally. "Surrender, Republic dogs." A B1 ordered.
"We've got you outnumbered!" The captain replied to the droid.
"Outnumbered?" The B1 was confused. "Wait. One...two...three" It was blasted to bits by the Jedi starfighter's guns.
The droids behind the pair of clones also got blasted, and the two looked up to see Obi-Wan jump out of his starfighter and join the battle, while Orion and Arfour cleared out to make way for the gunships, who were right behind them. As Kenobi kept sliding away at the droids that were shooting at him, the gunships fired away at the droid transport until it began to crash down to the forest below. The doors to the gunships opened and when the LAATs stopped just above the landing platform, Cody and the 212th descended from the transports and began shooting at every droid they could see.
Two more gunships arrived and began shooting at the ground forces as well, before deploying more clones. To the battlefield. Rex and the clone he was with were given DC-15 rifles, which they gladly took over the E-5s they had. Obi-Wan reached Rex and spoke to him. "Where's Skywalker?"
"Best guess is he's still in the castle, sir." The captain told him.
"Keep the droids occupied. I'll go and find him." Kenobi ordered Rex before contacting his Padawan. "Orion, stay close to the castle and tell me if you find Anakin anywhere outside."
"Yes, master." Dusk replied before talking to his master's astromech. "Come on, Arfour." The two Jedi starfighters began their search for the Jedi Knight.
[Silence]
Meanwhile, inside the castle, Ventress was reporting her mission to her master. "Have you recovered Jabba's son?" questioned Dooku.
"Skywalker is still in position of the hutt, and has temporarily eluded me." She answered. "But he will not escape the system alive."
"Need I remind you whoever gains Jabba's favor will control the war in the Outer Rim?" Dooku told her. "Only we must be allowed to return Jabba's son to him alive."
"I understand, Master." Ventress replied. "I will double my efforts."
"I hope so, for your sake." He threatened.
[Play Star Wars The Clone Wars (2008) OST Escape from the Monastery 2:01 - 2:34]
The assassin then sensed someone approaching. "Wait." She activated her lightsabers and cut her transmission. She saw who it was. "Master Kenobi. Always chasing after Skywalker. How predictable."
"Anakin leaves quite a mess, which always leads me to you, Ventress." Obi-Wan got into his form three battle stance.
"Take him." The assassin ordered the two B2 droids, who began to shoot at him while she dashed away.
Kenobi easily deflected the blaster bolts while casually walking towards the B2s and cutting them apart with two strokes of his blue blade. He then went in the direction where Ventress headed and found himself in a room surrounded by pillars.
[Silence]
Meanwhile, with Anakin and Ahsoka, the Jedi had reached the cockpit of the freighter. Tano kept the huttlet entertained by playing with his arms while Skywalker got in the pilot seat. "Now let's get Stinky out of here." He pressed the ignition button, only for the engine to stutter and not fully start. "Uh...if we can." He tried a few more times and the same result, which annoyed both Ahsoka and 'Stinky'. "Relax, Snips. Artoo, see if you can spark the ignition couplers." Artoo whistled a few times before plugging into a socket and doing so, only for the same result. "No, that's not it. Try opening the fuel lifters all the way." Artoo tried that and then the ship finally powered on. "Good work, buddy." The astromech excitedly whistled at that praise before Anakin powered up the engines and got the freighter airborne.
[Play Star Wars The Clone Wars (2008) OST Escape from the Monastery 1:00 - 2:10]
Close by, Orion picked up something on his scanner. "I'm picking up something on my short range sensor." He inspected it. "Another ship just came online and is approaching the castle." He looked to see a freighter in his sights. "There it is. I'm gonna hail it."
Anakin and Ahsoka then heard a transmission in the cockpit. "Corellian freighter, identify yourself."
"Orion?" Tano recognized his voice.
"This is Jedi General Anakin Skywalker." The Jedi Knight replied.
"Master Skywalker?" Dusk replied. "What are you doing in a beat up freighter?"
"No time to explain that. We need to get through and reinforce my men. The troops need our help." Anakin told him.
"How are we gonna help?" Ahsoka spoke up. "Stinky is getting sicker and sicker."
"But we promised Rex we'd help him." Skywalker reminded her.
"Master Kenobi and Commander Cody are on the ground reinforcing your troops as we speak, Master Skywalker." Orion spoke up over the transmission as he heard the two's debate. "And if the huttlet is as sick as Ahsoka is saying, then I recommend you let me escort you to the Jedi Cruiser for medical attention."
"Orion's right, Master. We've got to get him to the medics on the Jedi Cruiser." Tano agreed. "It's our only chance to get Stinky back to his father, still breathing."
Anakin looked over to his Padawan and then saw how sick the huttlet was. He then replied to Dusk. "Alright. Lead the way."
Orion then hailed the ground forces and fighter squadrons. "All units, I've located General Skywalker. He and Commander Tano are still in possession of Jabba's son, and are onboard a Correlian G9 freighter. I'm going to escort them to the Jedi Cruiser."
"Understood, Commander." Captain Rex came in on the commlink. "Tell him not to worry about us. We'll be alright."
Anakin heard that and spoke up. "I heard you, Captain. I'm sorry that I couldn't come to help."
"It's fine, General." Rex replied as he saw Orion's starfighter escorting the G9 freighter over and past the battle he was in the middle of. "The mission always comes first sir."
[Play Star Wars The Clone Wars (2008) OST Courtyard Fight 2:06 - 2:16]
A Dwarf Spider Droid began approaching Rex's position and was starting to become a problem for the other troopers. "Cover me!" The clone captain ordered as he pulled out a thermal detonator and went straight for it. The troopers took out any droids that tried to shoot the captain and once said captain reached his target, he slid underneath the droid and planted the thermal detonator under its head, before clearing out. The droid turned to fire at him, but the explosive device went off and took it out of commission.
[Silence]
Back inside the monastery, Kenobi had heard the message as well, but was more focused on his upcoming duel. "Ventress, I know you're here. You can't hide." He spoke up while he was in the center of the pillar filled room. "I feel your frustration. Let me guess you're after Jabba's son too."
[Play Star Wars The Clone Wars Lightsaber Duels OST Act03Set02 0:00 - 0:30]
Ventress jumped down from her hiding spot and attacked Obi-Wan, who quickly blocked her attack before pushing her away. He got into his combat stance and watched as Ventress removed her long black skirt and threw it towards her opponent to obstruct his view. Kenobi sliced through it and blocked Ventress' follow up attack. "You'll have to do better than that, 'my darling'."
Dooku's assassin was once again pushed back by Obi-Wan, but when he went for an attack of his own, she defended herself and managed to swat Kenobi's lightsaber out of his hands. "Well, now I'm impressed." He said before quickly dodging multiple slashes from Ventress, until he was backed into a pillar.
"Now you die." She told him before she thrusted one of her blades towards his face.
Obi-Wan ducked under the first blade, avoided a follow-up slash from her other blade, grabbed both of her wrists, and then pushed her away from him. He used the force and pulled his lightsaber back to him, reigniting it. "Shall we continue?"
"My pleasure." The assassin growled before clashing blades with him once more.
[Silence]
Back in the skies, The two Jedi Starfighters and G9 freighter were on their way to the Venator. "We'll be coming up on the Jedi Cruiser soon." Orion told Anakin and Ahsoka over the comm line.
"Master." Tano spoke up. "Today, I did my best to stay calm, focused, and when I did, everything seemed so easy."
"Incoming!" Dusk said over the comms, as the freighter had barely avoided an explosive blaster bolt.
[Play Lego Star Wars The Clone Wars OST Shadow of Malevolence (Action) 0:00 - 1:35]
The pair of Jedi inside said freighter looked ahead to see where that came from and the aerial skirmish happening in front of them. "Well, get focused, because things just got a lot harder."
A Vulture Droid was being chased down by two Torrent starfighters, but then changed course to try and shoot down the incoming freighter, however Orion used his starfighter cannons to shoot it down before hailing the Venator. "Jedi Cruiser, this is Commander Orion Dusk. General Skywalker and Commander Tano need to board immediately. They're inside the G9 freighter I'm accompanying."
More Vulture Droids came in, this time from behind the G9 and began to open fire on the ship. "Damn it." Anakin reacted in time and began to avoid the incoming fire. "Hey, Orion. You mind taking care of the ships shooting at us?"
Dusk noticed the Vulture droids shooting at them. "Understood!" He performed an split S turn and flew past the G9 before shooting down the lead Vulture Droid and flying in between the opening between the wingmen. He then performed another split S turn and began to pursue the pair of Vulture Droids that were shooting at the freighter.
"Jedi Cruiser. This is General Skywalker." Anakin spoke up while still trying to avoid the blaster fire. "We have Jabba the Hutt's son. He needs medical attention. We must board immediately."
"Stand by." A clone navy officer replied over the comm line.
"Stand by?" Tano repeated. "That's helpful."
Another starship bolt narrowly missed them. "Orion, they're still there." Skywalker spoke up to the Padawan as he began to take evasive maneuvers.
"I'm working on it." Dusk told the Jedi Knight as he followed the Vulture Droids pursuing the freighter, which was now flying extremely close to the hull of the Venator, moving from the bow, up towards the bridge, before passing by it and quickly descending towards the engines. Orion had to be careful of when to shoot, as the Venator had to lower it's deflector shields if Anakin was going to board it, and he also did not want to shoot at Skywalker's ship either. As soon as the G9 had passed the bridge, he opened fire at the Vulture Droids pursuing the freighter and shot down another one, leaving one left.
That Vulture Droid kept shooting at the G9 and almost landed another hit, as they flew past the engines. "Hang on!" Anakin told his Padawan before performing an extreme maneuver, first performing split S then multiple aileron roles as he went through the opening in between the command bridge's twin towers, which actually made Ahsoka and the huttlet scream from the extreme flying.
Orion could barely follow this as he kept trying to get a lock on the last Vulture Droid. He followed the G9 and Vulture Droid as they flew through the opening between the command bridge and back over the hull of the Venator until it passed the bow. Dusk finally had a clear shot and took it, shooting down the last Vulture Droid. "There we go!" He cheered. "You're clear, Master Skywalker."
Then the clone navy officer spoke up on the comm line. "General Skywalker, we think we can lift the shields on the lower rear hangar."
"Thanks. We're on our way." Anakin replied. He saw the hangar doors begin to open. He made his approach, before another squad of Vulture Droids was seen rapidly approaching it. "Heads up! More droids, heading for the hangar!"
"I'm on it!" Orion performed an aileron roll to the right and immediately opened fire at the Vulture Droids, taking out two of them, but the last one managed to shoot up the hangar and crash itself into it, blowing up the other starfighters in there and making a chain of explosions happen. "NO!"
"General Skywalker! Report! REPORT!" One of the clone navy officers in the hangar screamed on the comm line before the explosions reached him.
Anakin quickly changed course. "Well that changes our plans!" He then began to move away from the battle as one squad of Vulture Droids broke off to pursue them. "Looks like we're gonna have to take this bucket of bolts to Tatooine." Another starfighter blast barely missed them.
"I'll get these droids off your back." Orion told the Jedi Knight before shooting down one of them from behind, then speaking to the clone pilots on the comm line. "I need a few wings to clear a path for General Skywalker!"
"Understood, sir!" A few Torrent Starfighters began to clear a path from the front as they also began to protect the G9 freighter.
[Play Star Wars The Clone Wars Lightsaber Duels OST Act03Set02 0:30 - 0:58]
Back inside the monastery, Obi-Wan and Ventress continued their duel, as the assassin continued trying to break the Jedi Master's defense, to no avail. Kenobi quickly jumped back and then waited for Ventress' next move. She tried to slash at his legs, but he jumped up and then made his way to the upper section of the room by pushing himself off of one pillar and up towards the side of another repeatedly. Ventress followed him up the second level, by using the force to reach up there in a single jump.
"We know of Dooku's plot to turn the Hutts against us." Obi-Wan said. "It will not succeed."
"It will when the truth dies with you." Ventress replied. The two clashed blades once more. As Kenobi defended himself from the vicious onslaught of Ventress' dual lightsabers, he soon pushed her away from him. The assassin then combined the two hilts of her lightsabers to make a double bladed saber. Before she could continue her attack, Obi-Wan jumped out of an opening that led outside. "You can't run." She said before giving chase to him.
[Play Star Wars The Clone Wars (2008) OST Battle Won 0:00 - 0:23]
Back in the skies, the G9 was still being pestered by the two Vulture Droids, but one was soon taken out by Orion's Jedi Starfighter. The other one kept shooting at the freighter as Orion was trying to get a clear shot. "Stay still, you annoying droid."
Then, a Torrent starfighter in front of the G9 executed a split S turn and flew past the freighter, before blasting the last Vulture droid to oblivion. "Gotcha, clanker!" The pilot of that starfighter cheered.
"Whoa. Good flying there." Dusk complimented.
"Nice one, Odd Ball." Another clone pilot said over the comm line.
"You're clear to make the jump to hyperspace, Master Skywalker." Orion told him. "We'll leave you to it."
"Understood." Anakin replied over the comm line. "Have fun back there."
"Yes, General." The clone pilots replied over the comm line before they went back to the Venator to continue the battle that was raging there.
"Good luck on your mission, Master Skywalker." Dusk said to the Jedi Knight.
"Thanks, Orion. And good luck to you too." Anakin replied before he began plotting coordinates.
Dusk then turned his starfighter around and began to make his way back to the aerial battle below.
[Silence]
"Artoo, program the navicomputer." Skywalker told his astromech, who began to do as instructed.
"I don't think he's gonna make it, Master." Ahsoka soberly said as she looked at just how weak the huttlet was getting. "There's gotta be something we can do for him."
"Take a look in the back." Anakin suggested. "See if you can find some medical supplies."
"I'm on it." Tano replied as she put the backpack holding the sick huttlet down on her seat and left the cockpit to check the storage bay for any medicine.
Skywalker looked at the huttlet, seeing how miserable he was feeling, then the Jedi Knight gently rubbed his head. "Don't die on me now, little guy. Just hang in there." He was ready to make the jump. "If you've locked the coordinates Artoo, let's go." Atroo whistled in response to that and then the freighter soon jumped, leaving the system.
[Play Star Wars The Clone Wars Lightsaber Duels OST Act03Set02 0:58 - 1:26]
Back on the ground, Ventress felt Skywalker's presence leave the system. Obi-Wan then spoke up as well. "I sense it too. Anakin is gone. You've failed Ventress." The assassin did not like hearing that and she went on the attack again, but she still couldn't break Kenobi's defense. She was pushed back, but then the Jedi Master swung at her and split her hilts apart with his blade. She then clashed with her dual blades once more. "Your master will not be pleased." Obi-Wan said before swiftly disarming her of one of her lightsabers, letting it fall off the bridge they were dueling on.
Ventress quickly pressed a button on a wrist bracelet, before speaking to Kenobi. "Jedi Scum." She then went on the attack again, but was easily pushed back by the Jedi Master.
"The hutt is safe. There's no point in fighting any longer. We've won." Obi-Wan told her. "Lay down your weapon."
Ventress was about to continue her attack, but then her wrist bracelet beeped and a Vulture Droid soon came flying by, maneuvering under the bridge so that the assassin could jump down and onto it, which she did. She held onto the Vulture Droid as it flew away, leaving Kenobi alone on the bridge.
[Play Lego Star Wars The Clone Wars OST Destroy Malevolence (Part 1 Action) 0:00 - 1:11]
Back in the skies, Orion and the clones were taking out multiple Vulture Droids, though the Padawan had a few close calls with some trying to ram into him while shooting at him, or when some would get behind and pester him. "Out of all the droids I've fought so far, these Vulture Droids are the most annoying of them."
"I hear ya, Commander." Odd Ball replied before he began to pick up something on his scanners. "Looks like we've got some strays coming back from the ground."
"I'll handle them, Odd Ball." Dusk said as he broke off to intercept the incoming group of Vulture Droids, approaching. "You're not gonna be causing the clones any trouble." He began to fire at the droids, but then he noticed something, or rather, someone on the head of one of the Vulture Droids "What?" He was distracted enough to get grazed by the Vulture Droid's laser blast, which then snapped him back into reality. "Yikes!" He did a barrel roll to corkscrew around the two Vulture Droids left, before performing a split S maneuver to fly behind the pair. He shot at the Vulture that didn't have the person on it, and blew it out of the sky.
What happened next took the Padawan by surprise, as the person on the Vulture Droid leapt off of it and towards him. She was so fast that he couldn't get out of the way in time and then she took him by surprise again as she activated a red lightsaber and slashed at his ship when she got close, cutting through the right side and chopping off a section of the ship, making him lose control of it. She then landed on another Vulture Droid that began to descend into the forest.
Arnine worriedly beeped and whistled and the terminal showed in basic 'hurry and level the ship, before we explode on impact.' Orion firmly held onto the controls of his ship as he attempted to save himself and his astromech from meeting a fiery end. He managed to pull up and make the Jedi Starfighter's decent more angled, and not straight down. As he got closer and closer to the ground, he could see a long enough stretch of land in the forest that he could reach and hopefully survive landing on. He struggled with the starfighter as its burnt up right side soon blew out the right engine, making the descent even more difficult. "Come on...come on!"
The Jedi starfighter then reached the ground and it slid on the dirt hard, making the Padawan inside brace and hold on tightly as he could no longer control what would happen at this point on. The starfighter kept sliding, and bits and chunks of it flew off from the incredibly bumpy crash. It then quickly approached the treeline, and Orion braced himself, closing his eyes. The starfighter hit the trees making it come to an abrupt stop.
And now I'm back in a Star Wars mood, so I wrote this chapter. We've now covered the Battle of Teth, as it was seen in the movie, but since Orion is with Obi-Wan's unit of clones, I get to write how the rest of the battle will unfold. The question is weather or not, I should keep writing about what is happening with Anakin and Ahsoka, now that the action won't be on them as much. And we have all seen the movie, so we know what happens there, but I can still go the whole dual perspective of the Anakin/Ahsoka relationship, compared to the Ob-Wan/Orion relationship for until the end of the movie portion of this fic. I'll think it over when I start writing chapter 4 of this fic. Until then, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and until I decide to upload again. ;)