Present Day
Aurora's POV
We landed the ship on a landing platform as soon as we could. As we walked off, I took in my surroundings. This was my first time on Mustafar, and quite hopefully my last. The climate was rather hot, which made sense considering all the planet was covered in volcanic ash and lava, although there were no volcanos located at all on the planet.
"You sure we're in the right place?" I questioned with absolute disgust.
"We're gonna find out." Anakin responded.
I rolled my eyes. "That's reassuring."
Geenine let out a loan moan, making Artoo beep at her in fury. Geenine then pushed Artoo, and Artoo retaliated by pushing Geenine back.
"Hey!" I interjected standing between the two droids. Anakin and Ahsoka just looked at me in confusion. "Can you two stop it for one minute? I know you hate each other, but it's only a little while longer before we are back where we came from…is that clear?"
Both droids beeped in response.
"Thank you." I sternly replied and continued walking toward the blast door that was at the end of the landing pad. Artoo rolled forward and tapped into the security mainframe to unlock and open the door. Once the door was opened, we proceeded down a long and dark corridor.
"I sense something, Master, and I don't like it." Ahsoka said with fear.
"It's the dark side, Ahsoka." Anakin explained. "This is the right place."
We continued down a long corridor and came to a large center where 6 different hallways met up. We looked confused but just as we were about to split up, we all heard a noise that sounded like a child crying.
"Did you hear that?" Ahsoka asked.
"Yeah, I heard it." Anakin confirmed. "The question is, where are they?"
I closed my eyes and tried to focus, I tried to block out any sounds that could be coming from anywhere that wasn't a child crying and as I was concentrating, I felt something. I can't explain what I felt, but I felt that the children were being held in a room that was down the hallway just ahead of us.
My eyes snapped open and just as they did, I felt the sounds of a child crying. I quickly glanced to Anakin and Ahsoka who were in their own thoughts, and I realized that they couldn't hear the child.
I pointed straight ahead. "This way!" And I broke out into a run down the corridor.
"Ro!" Ahsoka called as she ran after me. "Wait!"
"Who the hell is Ro?" Anakin said in confusion as he chased after us.
"Ro, how do you know the children are this way?" Ahsoka asked as the three of us continued to run with Artoo and Geenine rolling after us.
"Just trust me okay! I can't explain it, but I know it, call it a hunch!" I explained quickly as we turned down a hallway.
We came to a door and before Artoo or Geenine could unlock it, Anakin and Ahsoka activated their lightsabers and began to cut through the door. As soon as the door was destroyed, we walked into the room, the only problem was the fact that it was dark and somewhat empty. I walked over to one of the many empty cribs in the room.
"We're too late." I explained with sorrow.
"I can sense they're still here." Anakin explained just before he and Ahsoka activated their lightsabers. I powered up my gauntlets and had one of my blaster's ready to go. Just then two rather advanced medical droids came in, holding the children. What was surprising was the fact that both droids tried to attack us even though they were holding the children. One went after Anakin, and one went after both Ahsoka and I.
"Be careful of the younglings!" Anakin instructed.
"We know!" Ahsoka and I both responded at the same time.
We tried our best to dodge the attacks that the droid was throwing at us, but at the same time, we couldn't use our weapons as one wrong move could hurt the children. Just then an alarm started to sound as the whole ground began to shake.
"They activated the emergency protocols!" I called out as the floor began to separate. My eyes widened as the bubbling hot river of lava came into my viewpoint below me.
As the floor began to separate, one of the droids started to fall through one of the cracks, even though it was still holding onto the child. Ahsoka grabbed the child, before I activated one of my flamethrowers, which was powerful enough to launch it into the lava. I quickly glanced over to Anakin who had successfully grabbed the other child.
"The panel's fried." Ahsoka explained gesturing to the control panel that activated the door.
"Where's Artoo and Geenine?" Anakin questioned.
As if on cue, the door opened revealing Artoo and Geenine who both beeped in response. Anakin gave me the child he's holding.
"Hold this for me Princess." He said with a small smirk.
I glanced down in disgust and horror at the small child who was giggling at something (probably my facial expression.)
"What am I supposed to do with…this?" I said holding it at least a foot away from me.
"Hold it." Ahsoka said as she and Anakin ran down the corridor.
I looked at the child. "You better not throw up on me." I murmured and ran after them down the corridor.
As we ran onto the ship, that's when I realized that the entire facility was falling apart. Whoever wanted these kids, sure didn't want to be found. As we walked on the ship, both children started crying from the explosions that was caused by the facility being destroyed.
"It's crying." I said in confusion as I sat down next to Anakin.
Ahsoka took the child from my arms. "Be quiet, it's okay."
"Oh, thank god." I murmured.
"Not a big fan of kids Ro?" Anakin asked with a smirk.
"Don't start…and who said you people can call me Ro?" I frowned as the ship once again took off, leaving the now destroyed facility to melt in the lava.
It took us a while, but we finally brought the children back to their families. For some reason seeing them reunited with their parents made me feel something inside. Now I know how my mother felt after all of these years whenever I'd go and adventure when she was on-world, and she didn't know where I was. Sure, she was being over-protective, but I was her only daughter, she had a right to be. The same can be said with these children's parents.
As soon as we got back to Coruscant, I was rushed to the medical bay. Apparently beskar and lava don't mix very well, as my skin started to burn quite badly. That along with the fact that I did have a huge cut on my head from the explosion aboard the Separatist freighter lead for Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka, to suggest a couple of hours in the bacta-tank…which I didn't object to at all. After all, I could use the relaxation for once, and take the time to heal. I didn't however inform the Jedi on any of my 'experiences' that occurred while doing this mission. I don't know why I became entranced by the holocron, though I'm probably suspecting that it was the very bright light it shown, and I don't know how I was able to find those children in such a large facility…maybe I was just good at listening.
As soon as my few hours in the bacta-tank were up, I got dressed and headed out to the landing pad where the three Jedi, that have grown on me these past few days were all standing.
"As much fun as this was," I began with a smile. "Let's never do this again."
"You're never coming back?" Ahsoka said with sorrow.
I let out a laugh. "I didn't say that, but I meant never put me on a mission to rescue children…I am pretty much useless."
"I wouldn't go that far." Obi-Wan explained. "Since our bargen has been completed, we have scrubbed every system of your criminal record. You are no longer wanted, and your credits have been transferred."
I smiled and nodded. "Thank you, but I transferred the credits you gave me to the families of the children who were affected. I figured they could use them more than I could since you know…I'm literally a princess."
His eyes widened in shock, but then nodded. "Very well, thank you for your help Your…Aurora."
My smile grew. "Anytime."
He nodded once more before walking back into the temple.
"Is he always like that?" I questioned as he walked away.
"You get use to it after a while." Anakin explained with a shrug.
Ahsoka stepped forward and engulfed me into a hug that I wasn't prepared for, but I gladly accepted.
"I'm going to miss you." She said before letting me go.
"I'm going to miss you too." I said warmly. "If your ever on Mandalore and ever want to get away from Flyboy." I said as I gestured to Anakin.
"Hey!" He said in annoyance.
"Give me a call, I'll show you around the palace." I said and she nodded in response.
I then turned towards Anakin. "Admit it. You're going to miss me."
He shook his head. "Nope, not at all."
I shook my head with amusement. "You're a terrible liar."
"How do you know I'm not lying?" He questioned.
I smirked. "It's one of my many talents…reading people without reading their minds."
He smiled before both of us engulfed each other in a hug.
"Be careful." He murmured.
In the past few days, the two of us went from hating each other, to having such a sibling relationship…the brother I never had.
"I will." I murmured back as we broke away from each other.
"Well, even though I got injured over the last few days, this was fun…we should do it again sometime." I said with a smirk.
"Good luck out there Aurora." Ahsoka said with a small smile.
"I think both of you have earned the right to call me Ro." I replied before waving goodbye to the two of them as I climbed into my ship.
"Ready Geenine?" I asked with a smile, and she beeped in glee.
I sighed with content as we took off from the landing pad at the Jedi temple, and back into space once again.
"Geenine, you know what to do." I said as she piloted the ship into the designated hyperspace rings before the ship took off into hyperspace. I sighed as I glanced around the blue tunnel came around me. I've been in hyperspace so many times now that it was almost a calming sight. Eventually, the ship jumped out of hyperspace and the planet that I had informed Geenine to fly us to came into view. I didn't fly back home to Mandalore, I had one more job I had to get done before I went home…speak with my employer.
Once the ship landed on the designated landing pad, I got out of the ship.
"Stay with the ship, this won't take long." I instructed Geenine and she beeped in response which acknowledged that she would obey my commands.
I walked into the facility and was met with my employer and my employer's second in command.
"I have done my best; however, I was unable to retrieve the holocron. It was destroyed by Cad Bane." I explained.
"You have done well." My employer explained from his seat. "It was destroyed before my Master had done anything with it…well done."
I sighed. "Is there anything you need me to do?"
"No." He instructed. "I will report your success to Pre Vizsla per our deal…just as long as you remember one thing."
"What is that?" I questioned.
My employer's second in command…his second-best assassin (next to me of course) stepped into the light. What little light that was in the room did nothing for her pale grey skin…an unfortunate thing from being from Dathomir.
'I should've known Ventress would be giving me the rundown on everything.' I murmured to myself.
"You are an assassin of Count Dooku, remember your place amongst your privileged lifestyle." She practically taunted and I distinctly remembered the day that I was told to work for Count Dooku.
Flashback
6 Months Ago
Third Person's POV
"You're sending me to work for Count Dooku!" Aurora screamed in anger at Pre and Bo-Katan.
"That hard drive you retrieved allowed us to blackmail Count Dooku into helping us take back Mandalore!" Pre yelled back.
Aurora crossed her arms. "So that's what I am to both of you…nothing but another pawn in your game?"
"You are not a pawn in our game." Bo-Katan explained. "The deal we made with Dooku was that he would help us, in exchange for our best assassin…I'm sorry Ro, but you are a rare breed. A person with your skillset comes once in a lifetime."
She frowned in anger. "I can't believe you'd do this to me! I trusted both of you!"
"Aurora, it wasn't personal." Pre explained. "You are like my daughter, I care about you and your safety, but this was needed to take back Mandalore."
Aurora sighed with tears starting to well in her eyes.
"Would you rather see your planet fall to pacifism…or rise with martial law?" Pre asked.
Aurora looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "You know my answer."
He nodded. "Exactly…remember where you came from but trust your new employer…you'll learn a lot."
She nodded in silence.
"This is the way." He replied.
Bo-Katan nodded. "This is the way."
Aurora held back her tears and nodded. "This is the way."
Present Day
Aurora's POV
I nodded. "Of course."
I then walked out of Dooku's fortress and back to my ship. I climbed in and once again Geenine and I took off, this time, I flew back to Mandalore. Thankfully, I made it back in just the nick of time as well as I had a few hours to sneak back into the palace, take a shower, and put on something presentable before my mother returned.
Sure enough within two hours, I was standing in the courtyard of the palace, dressed in a light blue gown, my hair curled with a crown on my head, awaiting for my mother, cousin, and the Prime Minister to return with Geenine by my side. Within ten minutes of me standing in the courtyard, my mother's transport arrived and everyone stepped off.
"Aurora." She greeted with a pleasant smile.
"Mother." I replied with a smile and a curtsey.
"How were things while I was gone?" She questioned.
I shrugged with a small smirk knowing the truth of everything that happened, but continued to keep my mother's innocence to the whole situation by responding:
"Oh, you know…pretty uneventful."
