A/N: Hi everyone! Here's the next chapter, and this time we not only have some action, but things are starting to look up for our friends in the Conspiracy. I won't say anymore since I don't want to spoil anything, so here's hoping you enjoy it!

Please read, review, and enjoy, and I'll see you next time! Next chapter's written and ready to go, so I should have it ready soon enough! See you then!

Diabolical defeat! Though Republic victories outnumber their losses, the Jedi have been unable to stop Separatist advances in the Outer Rim. The ever-elusive General Grievous stays one step ahead of his opponents. With thousands of droid armies at his command, the Jedi can never predict where Grievous will strike next until now….

Only two weeks after the attack on Geonosis, Grievous had finally reappeared and captured Eeth Koth. The Jedi Master had done his best and would have succeeded in his fight against the cyborg, but Grievous had made sure the Magnaguards kept the odds in his favor, having learned from his fight with Kit Fisto to make the odds as hard to beat as possible for the Jedi. And so Eeth was taken to the cyborg's juggernaut, but not before the cyborg sent a message to the Jedi Temple:

"Greetings, Jedi. It would seem, once again, one of your Order has lost his way. And even better, a leading member of your Jedi Council," holding a groaning Eeth by the back of his neck and causing Mace and Yoda to look at each other with concern before turning back to Grievous as he said, "Listen to me, Jedi, I do not care about your politics. I do not care about your Republic," throwing Eeth on the ground, where he stayed, "I only live to see you die," as a Magnaguard came into view and used its electrostaff to deliver a dangerous shock to the Zabrak Jedi and making the few younglings that were watching look away, Ahsoka comforting them as best she could as she went back to watching the transmission as Grievous spoke again, "But death will not come so easily for Master Koth. I will make him suffer endlessly because I know that is more painful for you all," laughing loudly before suddenly starting to cough as the transmission ended.

Murmuring and quiet conversation was heard around the room then, with Obi-Wan easily being heard to say, "He is a monster," as Yoda said, "Away with the younglings. Much there is to discuss," Ahsoka and Bariss leaving with the younglings and a few other Jedi.

Once they were gone, Anakin said what they were all thinking, "It's time somebody finally put an end to that monster."

"On that, agreed we are," Yoda said, "How to find him, the question remains," as Wolffe appeared in the transmission with Master Plo and started whispering in his ear while Obi-Wan said, "After engaging Grievous, we lost contact with Master Koth. He could be anywhere."

By then, Wolffe had finished speaking with his general, with Master Plo saying, "Commander Wolffe has found a message in the holo transmission. Play back the message."

The holotable again showed the message of Grievous and Eeth Koth, but this time the Jedi paid attention to Eeth's left hand, which was doing something familiar to the Jedi, Anakin saying, "Look. Hand signals," as Obi-Wan leaned down to get a better look.

"I admit my skills are rusty," Obi-Wan said before slowly decoding the message, "but….Saleucami system, sector J….19. Zero….eight….zero….five….two nine."

"Saleucami?" Adi asked, "But intelligence reported Grievous has no ships near that sector."

"Yes," Master Yoda said, "But so often inaccurate our intelligence is."

"I shall go," Obi-Wan said immediately, followed by Anakin agreeing, "So will I," with Adi volunteering as well, "And I."

Hours later, they were ready to get underway, with Obi-Wan on a small escort ship and Anakin and Adi in a smaller ship with Rex and his clones, "Are you ready?" Obi-Wan asked, and Anakin replied immediately, "Ready and waiting."

"I shall engage the Separatist fleet and send you the coordinates of Grievous' command ship," Obi-Wan said, Anakin unable to resist poking fun at his old master: "Just make sure you get it right."

Obi-Wan clearly saw some humor in the situation because he said, "I always do."

"How do you plan on getting Grievous aboard your ship?" Adi asked, seeing a minor flaw in the plan, but Obi-Wan was confident, "Not to worry. The good General and I have a history. I'm sure he'll want to even the score face-to-face."

"Meanwhile, we'll jump in undetected and board the command ship," Anakin said, Adi adding, "If Master Koth is still alive, you will find him."

"Hopefully," Obi-Wan said, "by the end of this mission, we will have saved Master Koth and...captured General Grievous," the transmission ended then, and the other ships jumped into hyperspace, Anakin hanging back until he got the coordinates he needed to get to Grievous' ship safely.

Unaware that rescue was on its way but hopeful, Eeth Koth hung suspended in a force field on the juggernaut's bridge, unable to do anything but wait for whatever happened next. As he was hanging there, he meditated on the Force as best he could to distract from the pain and was fairly successful, especially when he sensed another presence on the ship that wasn't Grievous. Reaching more deeply into the Force and focusing all his attention on it, he was surprised when he recognized the presence.

Kit Fisto!

The other Jedi Master was here on this ship, but for some reason, he couldn't focus his own attention enough to respond to the Force or Eeth when he sent his mind out to the Nautolan Jedi. All Eeth sensed from him was pain and confusion, not the usually focused thoughts of a Jedi. Whatever was wrong was serious, and clearly he needed help soon. His presence and connection to the Force felt garbled and….blurred….for lack of a better word. Kit needed help sooner than he did, and he could only hope that the Jedi had gotten the message and were on their way to find him.

As this was happening, Grievous came onto the bridge, having returned from whatever he had been doing, and Eeth could only hope it wasn't torturing Kit. The tactical droid turned to the cyborg then, "Sir, we have entered the Saleucami system."

"Begin preparations for our landing," Grievous ordered, and the droid replied with a bow, "Yes, my lord."

The battle droid at the station behind him said suddenly, "Uh….sir? There are several ships coming out of hyperspace."

Grievous was quick to ask, "Are they Republic or Separatist?"

The ships exited hyperspace, and the droid replied, "Republic. Three cruiser class, four escort class."

"You see?" Grievous said as he turned to Eeth, "Your compassionate friends have come to rescue you, just as I knew they would," making Eeth realize the cyborg likely had a plan of his own. The tactical droid said a few minutes later, "One of the Republic ships is hailing us, my lord."

"Put him through," Grievous said as he stepped forward, Eeth forcing himself to pay attention as best he could. The tactical droid did so and revealed Obi-Wan Kenobi, who said, "General, I knew one day I'd catch up to you."

"Kenobi!" Grievous said in fake surprise, "What a surprise. I assume you are here to bring me to justice."

"You know me too well," Obi-Wan said, causing Grievous to reply with, "Indeed, I do," cutting the transmission before saying, "Prepare to fire all cannons. And be alert. Where there is Kenobi, you will always find Skywalker not far behind," as he walked farther out onto the bridge to get a closer look at the Republic ships.

"The enemy ships are faster and more maneuverable," the tactical droid said, "I suggest caution," but Grievous had no intention of being too cautious as he said, "Draw them in. I want to board that vessel. I shall kill Kenobi face-to-face," before turning to Eeth and saying, "And after I have killed him, I will kill you, and Kit Fisto. Let's see how long that resolve of yours lasts when faced with death," even though he had no intention of killing Kit Fisto.

Sidious would have his head if he did that before the Sith Lord ordered it.

The Republic ships started their attack then, doing what they could to distract Grievous and his ships from the fact that Anakin Skywalker and Adi Gallia were sneaking in with a smaller ship: "Coming out of hyperspace," Anakin said, "Hang on," exiting hyperspace at such a high speed that they shot past the Republic ships and found themselves unbelievably close to the Separatist flagship; Anakin just avoiding the cannons before docking upside down under the ship, "Primary power down," Anakin said before turning to Adi and asking, "So, was that close enough for you?"

"Any closer, and we'd be flying down hallways," Adi said, and Anakin replied with, "Ehhh….next time," before standing up and heading for their way into the juggernaut, quickly cutting a hole in a tube that emptied into a hallway. He and Adi were the first ones through, looking around carefully before Anakin said quietly, "Coast is clear, Rex."

"Copy that, sir," the clone said as he climbed up into the hallway, followed by two more clones, Anakin saying, "Stay here and guard the entrance. This may be our only way out," as Adi's comlink started beeping, telling her where Eeth was. Adi said quickly, "Skywalker, Master Koth is located on the bridge. This way," pointing down the hallway and leading the way and out of sight of the clones.

After many long minutes and quite a bit of running, the two Jedi finally arrived at the bridge, making a bit of a grand entrance in the form of a super battle droid flying through the doors, cut in half, "Surprise," Anakin said as he and Adi ran into the room, the two of them ready to fight, even though it looked like it would be over quickly since the only one there aside from Master Koth was a tactical droid.

"Not exactly," the droid said, commando droids appearing and surrounding them on all sides, two dropping down from the ceiling behind them, all with blasters ready, Anakin saying somewhat optimistically, "Well, at least they're not destroyer droids," as he stood back-to-back with Adi.

"The General's description of your tactics have been 100% accurate today. Very impressive, even by my standards," the tactical droid said, somehow sounding even more arrogant than Dooku could ever hope to be if that was possible.

Seconds into what would have been a long standoff, the tactical droid hit a button on his wrist, causing electricity to shoot through the force field Master Koth was suspended in, causing him to spasm in pain. Anakin stepped forward once the droid stopped, but the droid only shocked Eeth again, "One more step, and your friend will die," he said, laughing mechanically, causing Anakin to suddenly reach out with the Force and pull the droid towards him, causing the commando droids to attack. Anakin only cut the tactical droid's arm off and kicked him away before turning to help Adi with the commandos. He ducked down, allowing Adi to cut the one behind him in half before she Force-pushed another away and over the side of the bridge command center, the other commandos rushing in while the tactical droid looked around. Seeing his arm, he started to crawl over, but just as he reached it, the arm was kicked away by another commando who was running to reinforce the others.

Anakin kicked that droid into a command monitor that made the droid shut down, while another leaped into the air. The two Jedi were quick to get out of the way as the droid landed right where they had been, his vibrosword missing them by inches as he brought it down.

Adi cut another droid in two before ducking and dodging around another commando droid trying to slice her into pieces with his vibrosword. While this was happening, the tactical droid was trying to crawl to his arm: "Got to get it…."

"Behind you!" Anakin called suddenly from where he was dealing with another droid, Adi turning quickly and seeing what the tactical droid was up to. Using the Force, she threw it out of his reach so he had to go crawling again, allowing her to help Anakin with the last commando droid. They finally cut the last droid down just as the tactical droid reached his arm and stood up but couldn't do anything to hurt Eeth without a hand. Smiling at the sight, Anakin quickly cut him in two before the two Jedi hurried over to free Eeth. Adi caught him as Anakin destroyed the force field generator, the Zabrak Jedi falling and being caught by Adi.

"I see you got my message," Eeth said as he was held up by Adi, taking a deep breath before asking, "Where's Grievous?"

"If everything's gone according to plan," Anakin said, "he's on board Obi-Wan's ship," causing Eeth to say hopefully, "He's been captured?"

"If we can cut off his escape, there's a good chance of that," Skywalker said, knowing that time was of the essence now if they wanted to actually capture Grievous.

Eeth nodded slowly before saying, "Kit's here, on this ship," causing the other two Jedi to freeze and look at him in surprise before Adi asked, "Are you sure?"

Eeth nodded again, "I can feel him, but his presence in the Force is weak and sometimes feels like he is fading away. Sometimes I can't feel him at all. It's like he is slipping in and out of it, but he is definitely here."

"That's good enough for me," Anakin said, turning to his comlink and deciding to risk the droids picking up the communication, but since they had destroyed all the droids on the bridge, it seemed unlikely the droids would catch on to what was going on, "Rex, come in."

"Yes, sir," the clone responded immediately, and Anakin continued, "Rex, General Fisto is on this ship. I need you and a few of your men to find him and get him to the shuttle."

"Right away, sir," Rex said quickly before asking, "Any ideas where to look?"

"Ummm," Anakin said, looking around before seeing one of the monitors nearby, his eyes lighting up, "Standby Rex."

"Yes, sir," the clone said, Anakin going to the monitor and quickly looking through the information stored there and actually finding Eeth's lightsaber at the same time sitting on the armrest of the seat. Moments later, he said into his comlink, "He's on the detention level, Rex," tapping a few more keys before saying, "The lowest level, halfway down the hall."

"On our way, sir," Rex said, "We'll meet you back at the ship," signing off and turning to the men guarding the access point. He looked them over before saying, "Kix, Hardcase, Jesse, with me. The rest of you stay and guard the exit. We'll be back soon."

The clones all nodded, the selected clones following Rex down to the detention levels, quickly shooting down the droids in their way and finding the lowest detention level. From there, it was the work of only a few seconds to rig a droid popper and fry the circuits of all the droids, not wanting any droids in the cell with the Jedi Master to kill him before they could get to him if they heard blaster fire. Once the droids were down, they started looking down the rows of cells, trying to find the right one and not having much luck in the beginning. But suddenly, Jesse clapped Rex on the shoulder, and the captain turned to him. Seeing that the clone was pointing down at the ground, Rex turned to look at what he was seeing and was immediately sickened.

There, on the ground, were a few droplets of blood.

Green, dried blood.

The droplets led straight into the cell before them, and Rex quickly signaled his men to get ready. Seconds later, they were all in position, Hardcase and Kix on either side of the door, Jesse to the left of Hardcase to open the door, Rex ready in front of it to charge in. On his signal, Jesse opened the door, and they all rushed in, Rex going first and quickly shooting the only droid in the room in the head before the others could have the chance. The other clones only looked the room over quickly to search for more droids, but there weren't any, so they turned their attention to the only other occupant of the cell.

And it was quite a shock for all of them; Rex had to take his helmet off to grasp the situation fully.

It was indeed General Fisto, and he looked terrible. His robes were torn, and his face was covered in bruises and blood. Shreds of his robes were wrapped around his left leg, and blood was seeping through the makeshift bandages in places. He was suspended in a force field, his head hanging down and eyes closed, hands over his head and pale from the lack of blood being allowed to flow into them. He didn't move when the clones entered the cell and didn't bother opening his eyes.

Rex had no idea whether he even knew they were there, but it was time to get him out.

Turning to Hardcase, he said, "Turn that force field off, now," the clone immediately obeyed, Rex and Jesse catching the Nautolan as he fell and lowering him gently to the ground so that Kix could look him over quickly. The medic checked the Jedi briefly but, in the end, only said, "We need to get him to a medical station, or the Jedi Temple, soon. He needs better help than I can give now."

Rex nodded, "Let's get him out of here," the others nodding as Kix gave the Jedi Master a quick injection in the neck, trying to ease whatever pain he was in. That needle going into his neck actually caused Kit to wake up a bit, and he opened his eyes slightly. Seeing this, Kix asked slightly loudly, "General, can you hear me? Do you know where you are?"

There was no response, Kit's eyes closing again before he opened them again as he groaned low in his throat and clearly in agony, and so Kix only shook his head as he took in the dull look in the Jedi's eyes and the way he only lay there, unwilling to move, "He's been drugged, I think."

Rex shook his head before putting his helmet back on and signaling Jesse and Hardcase to pick the Jedi Master up. They did so, one on either side of him, with Jesse being careful with his shoulder when he felt that it was out of place, and once he was upright, he seemed to wake up a little bit; attempting to walk for a few paces before his strength gave out and his feet started dragging.

The clones continued out of the cell and quickly left, heading for the shuttle. Anakin was just arriving with Eeth when they got there, Adi having left to reinforce Obi-Wan and keep Grievous from escaping, and both Jedi were shocked at their friend's condition.

"We need to get going," was all Anakin said, helping pass Eeth over to Rex and Kix so he could be first in the ship to get it ready. Eeth could get into the ship by himself, but Kit wasn't aware enough to even attempt it. In the end, the clones and Anakin had to lower him down slowly, Anakin and Rex catching him in the ship and laying him down on the ground near where Eeth was sitting, the wounded Zabrak keeping a close eye on their companion. As they were getting ready to leave and head to the Republic cruisers, a transmission came through from Obi-Wan: "Anakin, come in. We're in a bit of a spot, and we need a way off of Grievous' ship."

"There's a large hangar near your position," Anakin said as he detached from the juggernaut, "Make your way there, and I'll pick you up," he added as he started piloting the ship in that direction.

Not even five minutes later he was at the hangar, where Obi-Wan, Adi, Cody, and another clone were waiting. The four immediately boarded the shuttle, the two Jedi heading for the cockpit as Anakin got out of the hangar and started heading for the Republic cruisers. As he was doing this, Obi-Wan and Adi settled themselves, Obi-Wan in a seat while Adi kneeled near Eeth and Kit. She looked Eeth over quickly before turning to Kit, the Zabrak Jedi not minding now that they could all see the Nautolan's wounds in the light. The Nautolan was lying still on the ground, not moving, even though his eyes were half open and moving slightly but not focusing at all, jaw clenched against the pain.

Adi shook her head as she took in all the wounds that covered his body, seeing the broken ankle that had been left untended for the Force knew how long, feeling the dislocated shoulder that didn't seem to register to Kit, before saying, "These wounds are serious, and deep. These are infected," looking at the deep cuts and gashes in Kit's left leg. The Nautolan was lying half on his left side and half on his back to take the weight off his dislocated shoulder, which did nothing to hide how serious his leg was.

Turning her attention to Kit's head, Adi reached over and gently pressed her hand against Kit's left cheek, turning his head slowly towards her and looking into his eyes before saying, "He's been drugged, very heavily," watching his eyes close and open slowly, the Nautolan trying to swallow before hacking slightly, clearly dehydrated, "I think –" but was unable to finish her sentence as Kit's eyes suddenly rolled up into his head and he started seizing. Adi was hard-pressed to hold Kit down, Kix hurrying over when he saw what was happening and holding the Nautolan's head still so he wouldn't hit it on anything.

As for the others in the cockpit, they could only wait and watch in horror as Kit's body continued to convulse. After a few minutes, it started to slow and then finally stopped as Kit went limp, unconscious and still, and after a few seconds Kix and Adi slowly let go, although Adi was badly shaken by what had just happened, as were the others. Kix opened Kit's mouth when he saw blood before saying softly, "He bit his tongue and cheek during that seizure," he turned to Anakin, "He needs a medical transport, now, sir."

"Understood," Obi-Wan answered instead of Anakin before turning to the younger Jedi and saying, "Anakin, get me Admiral Yularen," the younger Jedi nodded and put the transmission through, Yularen's voice coming through a few moments later with a report on the battle: "Several craft detached from Grievous' ship, and attempted to land on Saleucami."

"Then we'll have to land and follow them," Obi-Wan said, "Prepare the tanks and get a medical transport ready."

"Yes, sir," Yularen said immediately and ended the transmission, leaving Anakin to say, "There must be several landing sites. It may be hard to locate the good General."

Obi-Wan stroked his beard in thought as Anakin spoke before saying, "You'll have to command the space battle while Rex, Cody, and I head to the surface," causing Anakin to look over his shoulder and ask, concern easy to hear, "You sure you can handle this on your own?"

"I think I can manage," Obi-Wan said, and the rest of the short journey passed in silence. Once safely in the Resolute's hangar, the Jedi and clones disembarked while a few medical droids entered the ship with a stretcher to get Kit. As this was happening, Adi said, "I'll get Master Koth and Master Fisto to a medical frigate," as the wounded Jedi was handed over to a medical droid waiting for them.

"You all took a great risk rescuing me," the Zabrak Jedi said as a way of thanks, and Obi-Wan said with a slight bow of his head, "You're welcome, Master Koth."

"Since you divided your forces, Grievous is still at large," Eeth said, "I would have gladly given my life if it meant bringing that monster to justice!"

"Well, at least we all live to fight another day," Anakin said as they watched the stretcher bearing Master Fisto come past them, the medical droids hovering around to begin treating him as he was taken straight to the medical transport being prepared. It would go straight to Coruscant and the Jedi Temple. In the bright lights of the hangar, his wounds looked even worse, if possible, and many mechanics and clones in the hangar stopped what they were doing to watch him go past, a few even saluting in respect.

As this happened, Adi, Eeth, and the medical droid with them followed the stretcher to the medical transport while Anakin and Obi-Wan began coordinating their strategy to find Grievous and win the space battle.

Watching all this from the cloaked Ghost, the half-Nautolan smiled as she sensed Kit being rescued, running her left hand up and down her right arm and feeling the scar the kath hound had left behind as she did so. She had recovered well and quickly from the injury, the only reminder the scar that was about two inches wide and an inch high. The three transfusions she had gotten had helped as well, and she was ready for her next mission, which thankfully hadn't been rescuing Kit. The Jedi had finally done what she had thought they were capable of and rescued him, even though it was still touch-and-go.

She had panicked when she sensed him seize, but once he was calm, she had relaxed. He was safe and back with the Jedi, which was all that mattered. Now all she needed to do was get her passengers to Coruscant before the medical transport arrived back at the Temple, and considering how fast the Ghost was, she was sure she would be well ahead of them.

With that thought, she set coordinates for the city-planet and left the system, heading quickly for the one place she had promised herself she wouldn't step foot into unless she had to.

When the medical transport arrived on Coruscant, it went immediately to the Jedi Temple, where Temple healers and doctors waited. Two teams took charge of the situation immediately; one team taking Eeth Koth and got his wounds tended and him settled, while the other didn't even stop to answer questions from passing Jedi as they rushed Kit into the back room where Rig Nema was waiting. Not even Yoda or Mace Windu were given a chance to ask questions before the doors shut behind the healers.

Immediately, they started re-hydrating and getting fluids into him and purging the drugs in his system, setting his ribs and his shoulder, but his shoulder slid out with an alarming crack after it was put back in. Rig had no other choice but to have it put in a sling and put a brace on until it was healed and set the Jedi Master on a physical and Force therapy schedule to help him regain full use of his arm again. Once that and his ankle were set and splinted, Rig turned her attention to his leg, having the medical droids and others leave. The healers and doctors didn't protest, knowing she had reached out to outside help that preferred to remain unknown and respecting that anonymity because of that help's skill. Once they were gone Rig went to her office, opening the door and saying, "No one's here; you can come in now, Tristan."

The person there nodded before stepping out of the darkened room, revealing an olive-green skinned Nautolan with long head-tentacles dotted with dark brown spots. He was taller than Rig by almost half a foot and moved with confidence and determination. He followed her into the room where Kit lay unconscious, taking in every inch of the other Nautolan before his attention was drawn to the wounded leg. Rig had cleaned it when they had washed the rest of the Jedi Master to get the residue of his captivity off him, but it still needed quite a bit of work done before anyone would be satisfied it would heal. Tristan only nodded to himself before saying quietly, "I will be quick, don't worry. Just make sure he doesn't use that leg too much in the beginning. Give it a few days before you start letting him walk around," his accent thicker than Kit's, with a bit of a burr and lilt to it and his vowels were strange, even though his Basic was flawless.

Rig nodded, "You know more than I do, Tristan. That was proven a few times too many over the years. You do know that the Jedi Council is aware of your work with half-Nautolans, right?" she asked with a smile as she went to monitor Kit's pulse and breathing while Tristan started repairing the leg and setting the bones more securely. Settling near the heart monitor, she watched it carefully while also watching Kit, looking for signs she needed to increase the pain medications or the sedatives being used to keep him asleep. They didn't want him waking up and feeling what they were doing to his leg.

Tristan only looked up for a moment before saying, "And yet they think I died a long time ago. I think my secret is safe for a while longer, don't you?"

"Overconfidence is a mistake," Rig said lightly, Tristan countering with, "So is arrogance."

Rig only shook her head, knowing this was a debate they had every few years that neither won. The next half-hour passed in companionable silence as Tristan continued the delicate work of salvaging Kit's leg. Rig kept herself busy running a damp cloth over Kit's face to try and keep his fever under control and trickling water into his mouth every few minutes. Thankfully, he could swallow, and his fever wasn't too high.

Tristan paid her little mind, cleaning out the dead and dying tissue and a few teeth that had become deeply embedded in the flesh and caused some rather nasty infections. He flushed those areas out and started stitching the muscles and tissue inside the leg back together after thoroughly excising the dead and dying tissue around the infection sites. Only once that was done did he start stitching the skin, putting the stitches on the inside so that the scarring would be minimal. Finally, he sat back with a sigh and said quietly, "He'll heal in time. The emotional wounds will likely last longer than the physical, which we both know he will hide as best he can for as long as he can," turning to Rig as he said this.

Rig nodded as she looked down at the peaceful face of the sleeping Jedi, "How much longer do you think he can keep going like this? With everything that is wrong with him?" she asked quietly as she looked at the other Nautolan.

Tristan froze for a moment before saying just as quietly, "He will keep going as long as he has to, Master Nema; that is the way of our people. We keep going, even when logic and common sense say we should give up," he looked up at the Jedi healer, "I can only hope when it is time for that help he needs, he accepts it. He may not have another choice in the matter."

Rig only nodded, moving the sheet that covered Kit's chest and torso slightly to see the scar on his stomach. It was circular and right in the middle of his stomach, made with a lightsaber from long ago, and Rig knew it only told part of the story.

The rest of the story would have to wait until later.

Tristan moving brought her out of her thoughts, and he said, "I will help you get him settled and give him something that will help flush out the drugs in his system more quickly, and then I will go. I have no interest in spending any more time here," helping Rig move the table Kit lay on to one of the nearby beds. Once there, the Nautolan lifted him easily into the bed as Rig held the covers back before tucking the Jedi in, making sure his leg was elevated and his shoulder hadn't been jostled too much. Once confident he was comfortable, Tristan gave him the injection he promised before saying, "I know the way out, so I won't ask you to show me. If you have any questions or concerns, you know how to reach me."

Rig bowed her head, "Thank you for coming; I know it is something you are reluctant to do."

Tristan bowed his head in return before smiling slightly as he turned to where Kit lay, saying quietly, "His brother is not someone you say 'no' to easily, Master Nema. Neither is anyone else in his family," he turned to the healer then, head cocked in curiosity, "Do the Jedi know about them?"

Rig shook her head, "No, they don't; Master Fisto has ensured that."

"Probably for the best," Tristan muttered before saying more loudly, "I will go now, and you should go out and tell everyone gathered out there what's happening. I'm sure they will be relieved to know he will recover."

Rig nodded as she turned to look in the direction of the door and sensed those waiting in the room beyond before looking at the Nautolan once more, but he was gone. She looked around in confusion, but Tristan was well and truly gone. She shook her head then; how that Nautolan disappeared so easily and quickly was a mystery to her.

And she hadn't even sensed him leave.

Once outside of the Temple, Tristan Darka quickly navigated the streets of Coruscant to a nearby spaceport, finding the Ghost and getting onboard. Seconds later the ship was taking off and disappearing into the night and space, heading for faraway worlds, while two of its passengers stayed behind for a few weeks more.

They had unfinished business here.

When Rig opened the doors that led to the outer medical center, she was surprised to see many Jedi were waiting for news. The majority of the Council was there, Master Yoda was there, and so were many others that were friends to Master Koth, Master Fisto, or both. All had varying degrees of worry on their faces, but the worry went away when Rig smiled and said, "They will both recover soon enough; never fear."

Nods and murmuring were heard, and Mace asked, "How serious were their wounds, Master Nema?"

Rig sighed slightly as she said, "Master Koth will be healed in a matter of days and will likely be released by tomorrow afternoon. I would just like to keep him here for observation until then."

"And Master Fisto?" Master Plo asked, "How are his injuries?"

Rig closed her eyes before saying, "A bit more serious than Master Koth's, I'm afraid," she opened them and said, "He has been starved and is also severely dehydrated. A few ribs are broken, and so is his ankle. Bruises on his back indicate he was whipped, which likely broke the bones as well. The worst wounds are to his leg. I found the teeth of a kath hound in a few of the gashes."

Master Plo shook his head while Mace said, "And what of the seizure Master Gallia witnessed?"

"He has almost-lethal levels of truth serum and ryll spice in his system, Master Windu," Rig said, "I can only assume that those are wreaking havoc on his system, and being dehydrated hasn't helped things either. I am confident for his complete recovery in time once he has had a chance to rest and regain his strength. We are purging the drugs right now as well as hydrating him. The drugs should be purged in a day or so, which is when he will likely be awake."

Hearing and understanding the unspoken hint, Mace inclined his head and left the medical center, the other Jedi with him going as well to let the two wounded Jedi rest peacefully. The only one who stayed was Master Yoda, and Rig said quietly, "If you would like to stay for the night, Master, it is fine with me."

Yoda only nodded as he followed the healer into the inner room, stopping to check on Eeth Koth, but the Zabrak Jedi was sleeping peacefully. Nodding his head in satisfaction, Yoda continued, following Rig to where Kit was lying. Rig brought a chair, and Yoda sat down in it, looking over his former Padawan as he did so. The Nautolan was also sleeping, covered in several blankets to keep him warm as he shivered with shock and cold. His right arm was bound to his chest to keep it still, and what could be seen of him was covered in quite a few bruises. Pillows elevated his left leg to give him some comfort, and his head-tentacles were out to the side so that his head was turned to his left, facing Yoda. Yoda looked up as Rig checked Kit's vitals before saying, "I will be in my office if you need me, Master."

Yoda nodded again, and Rig left, leaving Yoda to settle comfortably in the chair as he waited for his former Padawan to wake up, deciding to stay for the rest of the night.

After leaving the medical center, Quinlan Vos quickly hit a button on his comlink, sending out a signal far and wide throughout the galaxy with a message attached. The message was received by many, and they all breathed a sigh of relief when they read it; Padmé and Bail almost hugged, while Chuchi and Onaconda relaxed when they saw the news. Mon Mothma smiled a rare smile; the Conspiracy could continue now that its leader was back.

And hidden far away, someone smiled as he felt his brother was safe through their bond. He relaxed and calmed his mind, grateful it was finally over.

Fugitive! Though the Republic has won many decisive battles against the Separatist army in the Outer Rim, the Jedi have failed to capture the elusive General Grievous. After specifically targeting members of the Jedi Council, a trap was set. But following a fierce confrontation, the droid general managed to escape to the surface of the planet Saleucami. Now, the chase is on as General Kenobi leads a squadron of clone troopers and closes in on his desperate target….

Grievous had just escaped from Obi-Wan Kenobi, barely avoiding being captured by the Jedi Master on Saleucami. Now back in Separatist space aboard his juggernaut, the cyborg was shaking with anger at the damage to his ship and had decided there was only one way to ease his anger and frustration.

And that was torturing Kit Fisto.

The surviving droids were still getting their bearings and determining the damage to the ship while making repairs to critical systems, and Grievous was too angry to deal with the dim-witted droids right now. Not only had he almost been captured by Kenobi, but he had also failed to kill the Jedi and had nothing to show for the trap he had set.

Dooku would not be pleased.

With that thought in mind and deciding he needed to vent his frustration, even if it finally killed the Nautolan Jedi, he headed for the detention level and Kit Fisto's cell. When he got to the level, though, he saw that the Jedi's cell was open. Panic filled him then, and he rushed forward, hoping that the open door didn't mean what he thought it meant. Reaching the cell and entering, he looked around for a few seconds before his gaze was drawn to the disabled force field.

The disabled force field where the Jedi had been.

Now it was empty; the medical droid that had been there shot in the head, and Grievous felt his fear suddenly climb with his fury. He roared before taking out one of his lightsabers and destroying everything in sight. Outside the cell, two droids on patrol saw what was happening and immediately turned around and walked back the way they came, deciding together to stay alive just a bit longer.

As for Grievous, destroying the cell did nothing to curb his fear. He had lost Sidious' prize, and at the same time he had lost Eeth Koth, and he knew Sidious wouldn't just forget about it.

And Dooku would make sure he paid for it.

Obi-Wan and Anakin had returned from Saleucami only the day before, having spent the last two days on and above the planet attempting to capture Grievous, without success. The cyborg had been able to get away again, leaving the two Jedi rather frustrated.

The only bright side to the whole situation was that Master Fisto had finally been found and was healing, although he hadn't woken since he had been found. Rig Nema couldn't explain it until she got the report on the levels of spice and drugs in his system and saw that the Nautolan needed to sleep off the effects of sedatives also in his system.

Master Yoda hadn't left his former Padawan's side the entire time, waiting patiently for Kit to wake up, meditating and thinking. It had been like this for several days, with various Jedi coming and going to see how the Nautolan was doing, and Yoda hadn't left at all. His concern for the Nautolan was rather touching, and there was no denying he still cared even if he practiced detachment from his Padawans when they became knights.

Fortunately, Kit only had one more seizure since he was rescued, which happened during his first night in the medical center. Rig was able to get it under control quickly, knowing it was a result of the drugs and the fact he was still dehydrated. Adjusting the medications and getting more fluids into him was all that was needed, and so it just became them waiting for him to decide to wake up.

And so, a few days after he was rescued, Kit's eyes finally blinked open blearily as the sun rose in the morning, wincing slightly as the bright light hurt his eyes that were no longer used to it. Seeing this, Yoda leaned forward in his chair, waiting for Kit to figure out what was happening. After a few minutes of staring out the window nearby, Kit slowly looked over at Yoda, who still waited. A few seconds later, Kit smiled slightly, and Yoda relaxed. His apprentice was still there and seemed none the worse for wear. Kit swallowed slightly before saying quietly, "Master, it is good to see you again."

Yoda nodded, "And you, my old Padawan. Hopeful for your escape, we were. Glad you are here; we are."

Kit smiled again as Mace Windu and Plo Koon, accompanied by Saessee Tiin, came into view, the Nautolan not feeling like he had the strength to turn his head. As they settled, Kit closed his eyes for a few moments as he took stock of himself. His leg was no longer as painful as it had been and was healing well, his shoulder was back in place but braced, and there was a sling to keep it immobile. His ribs were set, and his ankle no longer felt like it was on fire. The bruises that covered his body were a dull ache now, and he was no longer as thirsty as he had been. The pain in his stomach was still there, but nothing could be done about that right now.

Finally opening his eyes, he saw that the other Jedi had settled and were waiting for him to come back to himself and speak with them. Seeing that his eyes were focused and aware, Mace said, "It's good you are back, Master Fisto, and we won't keep you from your rest for long. We just have a few questions we were hoping you could answer."

Kit nodded slightly, and Saessee Tiin asked, "Do you remember how you were captured?"

Kit's expression darkened slightly as he nodded, "Grievous captured me in his lair after killing the clones and Nahdar. I don't remember as much as I should after that. He kept me drugged and in that cell most of the time and wouldn't let me out of the force field for days at a time. Longer if he was angry at me."

"Of consequence, that is not," Yoda said softly, "Information you gave to Grievous; compromised a few missions you did. But of your free will, it was not."

Kit shook his head slightly at that, not understanding, and Master Tiin said, "Master Nema said you had enough truth serum and ryll spice in your system to kill anyone who wasn't a Jedi. The fact you are still alive is impressive in and of itself. Master Nema thinks that because of those levels of drugs, you weren't able to hold your silence. Especially if you were in pain the entire time."

"I see," Kit said softly, "I don't remember if I told Grievous anything. The last few months have passed in a fog, and I can't see past it. But I am sorry if I did compromise our efforts."

Mace shook his head, seeing how the Nautolan hadn't even made an effort to sit up; he was just too weak and exhausted for that right now, "We were able to change things, and many of our missions have been successful since. There is no need to apologize. We are just relieved you are safe."

Kit nodded slowly before asking, "How was I rescued?"

Mace raised an eyebrow, "You don't remember?"

Kit shook his head, knowing he couldn't reveal anything about his brother to anyone, "The last thing I remember, clearly, was a kath hound ripping my leg to shreds on Grievous' ship. I have been in and out of consciousness since then."

"You still had the presence of mind to rip your robes and use them as bandages," Master Plo said, "Because of that, Master Nema believes that your leg will completely recover soon. As will the rest of your wounds."

Kit nodded but still looked as though he was expecting an answer, and Mace said, "Grievous captured Master Koth a few days ago. Master Koth was able to send a message when Grievous sent a transmission to taunt us, and that led us to Saleucami. When Masters Kenobi and Skywalker arrived, along with Master Gallia, Eeth told Skywalker and Adi that you were on the ship. Skywalker sent a few of his clones to rescue you and bring you to safety. You and Master Koth were then brought here. Master Koth has already been released; you will need to stay a few days more."

Kit nodded slowly, taking it all in, and Mace looked at him critically before exchanging a glance with Saessee and Plo. The Nautolan Jedi was still awake and seemed to have enough strength for now, but he looked a little paler than was normal for him and wasn't trying to convince them he was well and able to leave, which said more than anything else. Kit was clearly feeling too unwell to even think about sitting up, much less leaving the medical center, but he seemed to have the strength for the news they had to deliver.

"There is one more thing," Mace said slowly, watching Kit carefully to see if he really could handle what needed to be said. At his inquiring look, Mace continued on, still watching the Nautolan for signs of too much fatigue, "A few weeks after you were taken, a half-Nautolan appeared and has proven herself strong in the Force. Have you ever heard of such a thing?"

Kit's lips twitched in an attempt of a smile, "A half-Nautolan or a Force-sensitive half-Nautolan? The answer to either is I have not. I never thought such a thing as a half-Nautolan was possible. Have you found her?" giving away no indication that he was lying, his exhaustion creeping up on him already. This conversation had drained him more than he expected. Already he felt his eyelids growing heavier.

Mace shook his head, "No, we have not, but she has found us, several times. I will tell you more when you have rested," he looked up then to someone on the other side of Kit that Kit was too exhausted to turn over and see, "But for now it seems we have worn out our welcome. Master Nema would like us to leave so that you can rest," he looked down at the Nautolan Jedi but refrained from speaking when he saw that Kit had fallen asleep once more, clearly exhausted from the conversation.

Yoda smiled slightly at the sight while the other Jedi left, Yoda leaving as well after making sure his former Padawan was resting comfortably. They would speak again later when Kit was stronger and able to stay awake for longer.

Right now, his old Padawan needed to rest.

Later that night, Ahsoka was in her quarters and sleeping peacefully when out of nowhere a hand was over her mouth and she jolted awake. Reaching instinctively for her lightsaber, she panicked slightly when whoever it was kept her hands pinned so she couldn't grab it. At the same time, a voice said softly, "Easy Ahsoka, it's just me. It's Quinlan Vos."

Those words broke through the fog of sleep in her mind a few seconds later, and she calmed. Once sure she wouldn't cry out, Quinlan let go of her mouth, allowing her to sit up and say, "What are you doing here so late, Master Vos? It's past midnight. Every other sane being in the Temple is asleep."

Quinlan's mouth twisted in a slight smile, but there was no humor in his voice or eyes when he said, "Master Fisto wants to see you, now. Now is the only time when a visit from you won't be noticed or questioned. We have to go," standing up and giving Ahsoka room to get up, which she did.

She shook her head then, "I could have visited in the morning; no one would have suspected."

Quinlan nodded, "Yes, you could have. But doing it now guarantees that no one notices, and the surveillance system won't be able to see us if we keep to the shadows and back hallways. And if you waited until later in the day, it would have seemed suspicious. You don't know Master Fisto well enough to have a reason to visit him while he is recovering. Now is the only time to do this," saying nothing more as he led her swiftly through the halls of the Temple, keeping to the corridors and passageways that weren't monitored or guarded at all. After a few minutes of this, he took a turn that led them to a hallway of rooms that hadn't been used in a while, opening the door to one halfway down and leading her inside. He locked it behind them before going to the back wall and using the Force on a hidden lock on the other side of the wall. A door opened then, and Quinlan turned to Ahsoka to say, "These hidden tunnels are all throughout the Temple. They have been forgotten by many, but not by us," leading her into the tunnel and closing the door behind her. He kept going through the tunnels, leading her up and down a few flights of stairs and down several long hallways until Ahsoka's sense of direction was completely turned around.

Finally, they apparently arrived at their destination since Quinlan opened another hidden door a crack to look through before opening it even more to let Ahsoka through before he entered. She entered the room slowly and relaxed slightly when she saw she was in one of the medical center's inner rooms. She had never been there before and made a point not to go there if she could help it.

Looking around, she saw a few beds in this room, all but one unoccupied. The only occupied bed was occupied by Kit Fisto, who had progressed enough throughout the day to sitting up with the help of a couple of pillows and the bed being adjusted. Mace had come back around midday and caught the Nautolan up on all that he had missed, and after that, he spent the day resting and regaining his strength.

The real work of repairing his shoulder and healing his leg would start the next day.

Kit was dozing when Ahsoka came into the room, but the second the door was closed he opened his eyes and blinked a few times to bring the room into focus. Seeing Ahsoka standing there, looking a bit uncomfortable and clearly feeling out of place, Kit smiled softly and said quietly, "Ahsoka."

"Master Fisto," the Togruta said, and Kit's eyes softened a little as he said, "Come here," patting the bed with his hand, inviting her to come closer. She did so hesitantly, looking over at Quinlan for a second. When he nodded encouragingly, she moved closer, finally sitting down on the bed next to Kit and being careful about his leg since she was sitting next to it and didn't want to jostle it. She stared at her hands for a few moments before stealing a look at the Nautolan. Seeing the way he was looking at her caused her to turn her eyes back to her hands, where they stayed until a green hand gently took one of her hands in his, making her look into the compassionate eyes of the Jedi Master.

He smiled gently again before saying, "Quinlan tells me you met a friend of ours, rather unexpectedly and unplanned. He also tells me you have kept the secret and helped her leave Geonosis, and for that, you have my thanks. I know it isn't something you want to do."

Ahsoka looked at him before saying, "I don't like keeping things from my master, Master Fisto. It feels wrong. And to know what you and she have planned, and why you are planning what you are, it's…." she trailed off for a few seconds before saying quietly, "It's scary."

Kit nodded, "I know it is. I also wish you hadn't been involved at all. But there is no changing what has happened; otherwise, things would be very different from now. The Republic may not be in the danger it is now. But if you want to leave right now, you can. I won't hold it against you, and neither will our friend. I think she would rather you stay out of it all, but she, and I, won't force that decision on you either way."

Ahsoka shook her head before saying, "I've thought about it a lot over the last few months, ever since she showed herself on Naboo. I can't help but feel I'm doing the right thing by not saying anything, but at the same time, it feels wrong to lie. I feel like I'm being pulled in two different directions, both of which feel right, but it's hard to choose which one to take."

Kit smiled at that, "She tends to have that effect, I'm sorry to say. There is no one answer to this; you need to figure out what you are going to do on your own. I, Quinlan, and the others cannot push you one way or the other."

Ahsoka nodded slowly before saying, "When thinking about it led to no option I was comfortable with, I meditated on the Force. It kept leading me towards keeping the secret and helping you, but I have questions."

"I know you do," Kit said quietly, "And unfortunately, I won't be able to answer any of them right now. They are likely the same questions Grievous and Dooku had, and I didn't answer them then either. I can't promise you will like the answers when they come out, but I can promise that you will get the answers you want in the end. You will have to be patient, just like everyone else involved in the Conspiracy. Many don't know the full extent of what is happening or what she is; they are just involved because they want to help preserve peace in the galaxy."

"I understand, Master Fisto," Ahsoka said quietly, "And I want to stay and help if I can. It feels like the right thing to do, even if I can't explain or understand why. Ask me what you need me to do, and I will do my best."

Kit smiled, "For now, there is nothing for you to do, Ahsoka. I will only ask that you keep doing as you have been and say nothing about the Conspiracy or what you know about the half-Nautolan. It may not be much, but it will put you in greater danger if it becomes common knowledge that you know about her more than everyone else. That danger follows Quinlan and me every day; I don't want it following you. If something is needed of you, it will come from myself or Quinlan; disregard anything that comes from anyone else unless you know they can be trusted. The senators you have met in the meeting can be trusted, but I don't think they will ask you to do much. And if they do, they will route it through us," nodding at Quinlan, who was standing over at the door leading to the outer chamber to listen for anyone coming, "so that you know the assignment is coming from someone we trust."

Ahsoka nodded before asking, "Should I tell Master Skywalker? I'm sure he would want to help."

Kit was already shaking his head, "The fewer people that know, the better, Ahsoka. And I will be honest; our friend doesn't like Anakin Skywalker. She doesn't trust him or his ability to control his emotions and therefore wants nothing to do with him. Say nothing to him."

Ahsoka nodded again, then said, "Is there anything else you think I should know?"

Kit shook his head, leaning back into the pillows as he did so, clearly exhausted, "I don't think so. If something comes up that you need to be aware of, I will get the information to you, but she likes to keep us on our toes by not telling us what she is doing or where or when it is happening. You might know she is up to something before I do, if I'm honest," his voice got quieter as his body demanded sleep.

Seeing this, Ahsoka stood up and said quickly, "I think I'll go and let you rest, Master Fisto. Let me know when you need something from me."

Kit only nodded sleepily as his eyes slid shut and stayed that way, giving in to his body's demands for sleep. He was asleep in seconds, and then Ahsoka was walking over to Quinlan, who said quietly, "Some people are just destined for things beyond our control. Master Fisto is one of them; none of us knows how this will end for him," looking over at the now-sleeping Jedi Master, "but I know it will be a blow to the Order no matter what happens."

Ahsoka only cocked her head, not understanding, and Quinlan said quickly, "Don't mind me, Ahsoka, I'm thinking out loud, which should be ignored at all costs sometimes. Let's get you back to your quarters," walking over and opening the hidden door and holding it open for her. She walked through and waited for him to close it before following him back through the tunnels, neither speaking nor wanting to speak the entire time. Finally, they arrived at the door that led to the room, Quinlan opening it and letting her out before closing and hiding it again. Once he was confident it looked like nothing had happened, he opened the door and left, Ahsoka right behind him.

Once out in the hallway, though, Ahsoka stopped as her senses let her know there were people nearby, one at each end of the hallway. As she opened her senses to see who it was, they moved away and disappeared into the Force, leaving Ahsoka clueless. She turned to Quinlan, who only said, "You, me, Rig, and Kit aren't the only Jedi involved in the Conspiracy. There are others, but they prefer to stay hidden for now. You may meet them; you may not. Only time will tell. For now, let's get you back to your quarters before anyone notices you missing."

Ahsoka nodded and followed him back the way they had come through the halls and passageways of the Temple, all the while wondering who among the Jedi could be involved in the Conspiracy and if she would even be able to tell. Sensing where her thoughts were going, Quinlan said softly, "Don't dwell on it, Ahsoka. You won't be able to tell which Jedi are involved even if you tried. Not even Master Yoda knows this Conspiracy exists or that Jedi are involved, much less who they are, and the one leading the Conspiracy is his former Padawan. Keep your suspicions to yourself and do your best not to reveal them to anyone. You must carry on life as usual."

Ahsoka smiled slightly and said, "Then it's a good thing I'm away from the Temple so much now. All I have to do is keep it a secret from Master Skywalker and Master Kenobi. That shouldn't be too hard."

Quinlan actually laughed at that, "It will be easier than keeping the secret from the entire Order. Kit and I have been doing it for much longer than you, and trust me when I say it is no fun at all."

Finally reaching her quarters, Quinlan turned to her and said, "I know he didn't have a chance to say it, but Kit is glad you are willing to help and grateful you kept the secret even if you don't fully know why yet. So am I."

Ahsoka only nodded and said, "I keep my promises, Master Vos, even if I don't fully understand why I am keeping this one. It just feels like the Force wants me to."

Quinlan smiled softly, "It feels that way to me too, kid," Ahsoka smiled in return, and then Quinlan said, "See you tomorrow, and remember, we don't have a reason to know each other well, so we don't know each other well, understood?"

Ahsoka nodded and went inside her quarters, shutting the door and leaving Quinlan to wander the halls for a few hours more, knowing that sleep would elude him that night, just as it had done for the last few months. Even with Master Fisto safe, it would take a while to settle his nerves and get some sleep.

Ah well….at least now that Master Fisto was back, he could deal with Captain Tarkin. Quinlan had thought Kit was exaggerating when he said the captain was completely insufferable and highly annoying, but having spent the last few months serving with him, Quinlan couldn't help but agree with Kit. Tarkin was annoying, arrogant, and difficult to work with, and Quinlan had found himself agreeing with Kit more and more as the months had gone by. At least soon he would go back to being Kit's problem and not his. Quinlan had a strong friendship with Kit, but still – there was only so much he was willing to put up with.

Captain Tarkin was one thing he was tired of putting up with.

Deep in Separatist space, Dooku stared out the viewports on the bridge of his ship, knowing he would be delivering bad news to his master in a matter of minutes, but there was nothing he could do about it. It wasn't his fault Kit Fisto had been lost; it was Grievous', which had to count for something in the end.

Grievous could deal with the consequences of his actions and his pride, and the Count would make sure he did.

Suddenly, one of the droids said, "Sir, there's an incoming transmission for you."

Dooku nodded as he headed for the command post of the bridge, "Put it through."

The droid did so, and Dooku quickly kneeled when he saw his cloaked and hooded master. Before he could say anything, though, Darth Sidious spoke first and said, "Kit Fisto has been rescued. This makes our plans a bit more difficult. We no longer have any leverage over the half-Nautolan."

Dooku nodded, "Yes, my lord. Grievous thought he could hold onto two Jedi Masters at once and kill them both and Kenobi, but he failed in the utmost."

Sidious said nothing for a few moments before finally saying, "I expect you to mete out sufficient punishment, my apprentice. In the meantime, I will have our agents in the Republic and Kit Fisto's fleet work harder at discovering ways to discredit him. If he speaks the truth, we need to be ready to say they are lies as quickly as possible."

"I understand, my lord," Dooku said, "I am ready for whatever commands you have."

"Deal with Grievous," was all Sidious said, "I will deal with the half-Nautolan and Kit Fisto. He won't be journeying beyond the Republic anytime soon; we will need to be ready for that," ending the transmission and leaving Dooku to decide what punishment would work best for Grievous and what he had done. Before he could truly begin thinking about it, though, the communications droid spoke up again, "Sir, there's another transmission coming through for you."

"From whom?" the Count asked, to which the droid replied, "The planet of Glee Anselm."

Hearing that, Dooku shut his eyes for a brief moment before saying, "Put them through," and an image of the King and Queen of Glee Anselm immediately appeared. Not bothering with pleasantries, the king went straight to the point, "Kit Fisto has escaped, Count?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Dooku said, "I'm afraid it is true. The Jedi made sure of it, and the half-Nautolan remains elusive."

The king shook his head, while the queen only said, "If that is the case, then there is no point to this alliance. We wanted Kit Fisto, but if he isn't a prisoner of yours, there is no way to draw the half-Nautolan out. Losing him has cost you the chance to get both of them."

"I'm sure we can retrieve Kit Fisto eventually," Dooku said, "If you are patient, I will be able to deliver him to you."

The king shook his head, his head-tentacles floating gently in the water, "Patience is something we don't have, neither is time. There are people that protect him we and our forces don't stand a chance against, and if they hear we are going after him or are waiting for you to deliver him to us, they will get preemptive and head us off. Our warriors don't have the skill to match them."

"I see," Dooku said slowly, even though he was somewhat confused by it all, "Who are these people you are so worried about?"

The queen answered instead, "That is none of your concern, Count. Just know he is protected by people more violent than a Sith could ever hope to be, and you have run out of time. Our arrangement is off, and there will be no trade if we capture the half-Nautolan or Kit Fisto."

"Are you sure you want to make this decision?" with more than a bit of warning in his voice Dooku added, "It could end with an invasion of your planet. Many could die."

The king smiled slightly at that, "We would have to care about our people to be worried about that threat, Count," surprising Dooku, who hadn't thought the king and queen were so cruel in regards to their people, "And besides, if you were to attack a planet aligned with the Republic, the Republic would send its army to protect us. They may even send Kit Fisto, which may lure in the half-Nautolan. So either way, we win, and the only thing you lose is quite a few battle droids."

Dooku was silent for a few minutes, knowing they were right, and there was nothing he could do about it. In the end, he said, "If that is the way you want it, so be it. But if the opportunity comes to work together again, perhaps I will reach out if I require your services or your warrior's skills."

The king only looked at him strangely before ending the communication, leaving Dooku with no other choice but to leave the bridge and find Grievous. The cyborg had been avoiding him ever since he had lost Eeth Koth and Kit Fisto, and now it was time for his punishment. He couldn't help but think about everything he had just learned as he walked.

Something was going on here involving Fisto and the Monarchy, and now he actually wanted to figure out what it was and how it could be used against the Jedi.

Whatever was going on was his weakness, and Dooku would do what he could to exploit it once he found it.

Two weeks after being rescued, Kit was finally released from the medical center. He was still a bit stiff and ginger on his leg, and his shoulder was still braced and in a sling, but Rig knew that he would continue healing on his own rather well. She also knew he was anxious to meet someone who would be even more healing to him than anyone else, so she released him from her care with a light heart and a smile. Master Yoda had spoken long and hard with Kit, and returned his lightsaber to him, about what he had endured during his captivity and what it could mean in the future.

Kit hadn't been too worried about it, but he knew that was because the drugs had kept him somewhat oblivious to what he had been through over the past few months, and so he was glad he and Master Yoda had talked about it.

Even if he didn't remember all that much.

And so Kit had left the Temple one night, citing the need to get some fresh air and take a walk. The healer had let Kit go under the condition he didn't go far and was back in the morning to work on his shoulder with her, and he had agreed. His robes had been repaired and replaced while he was in the medical center, and he was ready to get outside and stretch his legs a bit. His brother had retreated from his mind once he had been rescued and was back where he spent most of his time: on the periphery of Kit's conscience, always there in case he was needed but never interfering.

Besides, both Kit and the healer knew where he was going.

Arriving at Senator Amidala's apartments, he let himself in and headed for the balcony, seeing Threepio powered down so he would have no idea what was happening that night. Smiling to himself at the sight, Kit continued until he reached the balcony; when he got there, quite a few friends were gathered: Bail and Padmé, Chuchi and Onaconda, and Mon Mothma. Seeing them all gathered, he asked with a smile in his voice, "Is this a political gathering, or can any join?"

Five heads whipped around in surprise, not expecting him to be there, but suddenly Padmé smiled and exclaimed with relief, "Kit!" rushing over and surprising him by hugging him. He reacted instinctively and embraced her back, feeling quite a bit of anxiety and fear melt out of her when he did so, and she squeezed harder. Unfortunately, doing so put painful pressure on his ribs, and he drew in a quick breath that Padmé heard and made her immediately let go, "I'm so sorry!" she said in a panic, not wanting to hurt him even more.

"It's alright, Padmé," Kit said as she led him over to the others, "My ribs are still tender; they need some more time to heal," smiling at all those gathered there, "but it is good to see you all again."

"And you, my friend," Bail said, "You had us all worried for a long time. We thought things would fall apart without you. I'm glad they didn't."

"As am I," Kit said as he slowly lowered himself onto a nearby settee, clearly still sore on his leg, "But I have faith that this won't fall apart because someone goes missing, and I'm glad that faith wasn't misplaced," seeing the way they were looking at him and more specifically his lightsaber he said, "At this point, it seems there is a traitor of some kind in our organization, so we will need to take precautions while we root them out," the Senators immediately understood what he meant: he would keep his lightsaber with him at all times now, and they would have to be more careful about what they said around him when he had it, "And with a few things I will still insist on secrecy, just for the protection of a few that need to be protected."

"We know what you mean, Master Jedi, and they have stayed safe the entire time you were missing. The fact no one knew where they were or even who they are has helped as well," Onaconda said, "But the Jedi now have an interest in finding our friend and are committing a task force to do so. I don't think they will let her go that easily," Chuchi and Mon Mothma nodded.

Kit only smiled slightly, "That's part of her plan, I'm afraid. The last few years have been about putting her pieces on the board so that no one notices, and now she is ready to play. She hasn't reached out since I was rescued, and at this point, she won't, not until she is ready to include us again. What plans she has in the future, I don't know for the most part, but we will need to be ready for whatever comes next, and I have no idea what that will be."

"Well, I do," Padmé said suddenly. The others turned to her, "You stay and heal, Kit, and then go back to helping our friend. For now, though, there is someone who has been waiting to see you for a long time," smiling as she looked over Kit's shoulder, the Nautolan and the others looking as well, knowing it wasn't the half-Nautolan. She had left the planet with Tristan Darka and was coming back in a few weeks to take care of other things that required her attention, not that any of them knew what it was.

And if they were being honest, they didn't want to know at the moment.

Kit, drawing in a breath of surprise, caught their attention, and they all watched as he stood up as quickly as he could with Bail's help before handing his lightsaber to Padmé, who smiled as she took it. The senators watched as the Jedi limped over to those waiting for him as quickly as he could, having relied on them for the entirety of his captivity to keep his hope alive.

And that hope had not been misplaced.

As for the senators, they watched what was happening for a few moments longer before heading farther out onto the balcony, Padmé still holding Kit's lightsaber, to let Kit reunite with those that had waited so long for him.

As this was happening, Palpatine, Tarkin, and Thrawn met in the Chancellor's apartments to discuss recent events. The return of Kit Fisto to the Jedi Order had caused Tarkin to bring his fleet back to Coruscant space to pick up the general, allowing the captain to meet with Thrawn and Palpatine for a few hours before they left in a few days. Even though Kit wasn't ready to fight hand-to-hand anytime soon, he could still lead his fleet and take up his command once more, relieving Quinlan Vos of that task, something Tarkin was secretly glad about. If he had thought he couldn't stand Kit's leadership style, he had quickly found he couldn't stand General Vos's even more.

For some reason, that Jedi was more relaxed about protocol and procedure than General Fisto could ever hope to be.

But that wasn't what they were discussing, which became clear when Palpatine said quietly, "Kit Fisto has returned to the Temple, and it seems he has allies throughout the Senate that are willing to help him and the half-Nautolan. They are high-ranking and highly regarded Senators, so there is nothing we can do about them for now. Have you found out anything about him that could be used to discredit him or make it seem like he is hiding something? We need the Jedi to turn their backs on him," looking at Thrawn.

The Chiss captain could only shake his head, "Unfortunately, Chancellor, I have been unable to track down any family on Glee Anselm. The government has been very unwilling to hand over any documents or information relating to him. If I didn't know any better, I would think they purposely didn't have anything on him."

"Mostly because they don't," Palpatine said quietly before saying, "Our only option is to wait for his next move and see if that move corresponds to anything the half-Nautolan does. They are linked; there is a connection there that cannot be ignored. If we can figure out what it is, we can exploit it. I have an understanding of what it might be, but I can't say for certain until we find her."

"All due respect, Chancellor," Tarkin said, speaking for the first time, "But if there is a connection now, maybe there was one in the past? Perhaps a previous mission of his could shed light –?"

"No," the Chancellor cut him off immediately, "The connection between them is outside the Order. The Jedi don't know about it, and it wouldn't have been mentioned during his missions. We can't rely on the information inside the Temple for help."

Tarkin nodded, while Thrawn said, "Perhaps we just need to sit back for a little while and let the Jedi find her," Palpatine looked at him strangely but nodded for him to continue. Thrawn explained, "If the Jedi are about to set up a task force to find the half-Nautolan, we won't have to spend our time searching for her. We just need to wait. The Jedi will find her and do their best to capture her, at which point we can secure custody of her. If it comes down to it and they cannot, perhaps you can recommend my services to capture her? I will start studying her tactics immediately to figure out the best ways to find her and bring her in and see what weaknesses aside from General Fisto we can exploit."

Palpatine was already nodding in agreement with this plan, while Tarkin looked a bit upset he hadn't thought of the idea himself, "If we are careful and don't show our plans too quickly, we may be able to pull this off. I will have my apprentice spread the word among our double agents that she is a traitor to the Republic, which will give the Jedi the chance to use force with her if necessary and give the police here a reason to chase her down," Palpatine said before adding, "Very well, that's what we will do. Regarding Kit Fisto, though, Captain Tarkin," turning to the captain, "Keep an eye on him and see what you can learn. I'm afraid I won't have time in the future to watch the footage your bug is collecting, so I am trusting you to watch and analyze it for anything that can be of use to us."

"Yes, my lord," Tarkin said as he bowed his head, "I will stay on top of it."

The Chancellor looked at him strangely, "This has become personal to you, hasn't it?"

Tarkin couldn't help but nod, "Yes, Chancellor, it has. More because Kit Fisto infuriates me, and I want to see him out of the Republic. If he is outed as a traitor, all the better for me."

Palpatine smiled a cruel smile at that, "Then let's get to work on that as well. If we are patient, then the trap can be laid, and everyone will see him for the traitor that he seems to be. Let's get to work."

The two captains nodded; now the real work could begin, and soon the galaxy would be theirs.