A/N: Hi everyone! So here's chapter 21, much sooner than I was expecting in that it's happening so soon after I posted the last one. Definitely don't get used to that *laugh*since I have no idea if this will keep happening over the summer. I honestly don't know when the next chapter is coming, but I hope you'll bear with me until it does. Until then, please enjoy this chapter. In it, we visit a place any Rebels fan will know, but that is the only spoiler you're getting out of me today.
Until next time, please read, review, and enjoy!
War on many fronts! While battles are fought by clones in the field, a different war is waged in the Galactic Senate. As heavy losses add up, a group of senators led by Halle Burtoni of Kamino propose an escalation of troop production. Senator Padmé Amidala, recognizing that more troops will only prolong the fighting, works tirelessly with her allies to introduce a bill to cut down military spending and stop the creation of more clone troopers.…
They were running fast, trying to keep up with someone who was just running flat out as fast as possible, ground-eating strides taking them farther and faster than the Jedi could hope to match.
It had been two months since the attack on Coruscant, and now that things had calmed down, the Jedi were back to leading the war effort and tracking down the half-Nautolan. The war was progressing as usual, but the search for the half-Nautolan had stalled for months, so long the Council had almost decided to give up the hunt and refocus its attention on the war and the Republic. But then, Captain Thrawn had found someone that said the half-Nautolan frequented the Outer Rim planet of Lothal and knew when she would be there.
So the task force had arrived, some of them anyways: Saessee Tiin, Ki-Adi Mundi, Adi Gallia, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Plo Koon, along with Thrawn. Clones had come with them to this prairie world with its conical mountains, and the hunt had begun in earnest. The capital city had yielded nothing, but Thrawn's contact, a Trandoshan, had told them where the half-Nautolan liked to spend her time when on the planet: in the mountains of the southern hemisphere. They had journeyed there quickly but found nothing in the beginning, but just when they were about to leave, the half-Nautolan had appeared out of the tall grass surrounding the mountains and had seemed surprised to see them.
And now the race was on.
She was a fast runner, easily dodging around the Jedi and clones and disappearing into the mountains, the Jedi following along close behind. While Anakin and Obi-Wan pursued her on foot, the others followed on bikes and speeders, trying to keep up without crashing into the sides of the mountains. But the half-Nautolan was just too quick and agile; carving out hairpin turns and sliding on one leg to carve out turns around the Jedi and clones that could get ahead of her, none getting close enough to touch her or stop her.
This had been going on for almost an hour now, and the half-Nautolan showed no signs of tiring. She kept running, and the Jedi and clones kept chasing her until finally, they came to a small clearing in the mountains, the trails leading out of it blocked by clones. The half-Nautolan was dodging any that came too close, running in loose circles so that no one could catch her, shying away from the Jedi when they arrived and watching them warily.
The Jedi had only been there a few minutes, needing a little bit of time to catch their breaths in the cases of Anakin and Obi-Wan, when the half-Nautolan decided it was time to leave. Suddenly finding a hidden reserve of speed, she charged forward, straight for a group of clones guarding a trail that led north into the mountains. The clones stood their ground, but right before the half-Nautolan would have either run them down or fought them out of the way, she launched herself into the air, the Force responding and giving her the lift she needed to reach the near-top of the mountain. She ran sideways along the top of the mountain for a few paces before the Force gathered to her again, and she leaped to the next mountain peak twenty meters away. She ran along the side of that one for a few paces before leaping again, Obi-Wan and Anakin right behind her while the rest of the Jedi and clones followed on foot.
Thrawn followed more slowly in the speeder but took a few moments to train his macrobinoculars on the mountain top the half-Nautolan had jumped to, seeing something he hadn't been expecting, but it did answer a few questions for him. He shook his head and narrowed his eyes; this had just gotten much harder for him and the Jedi. He turned to the speeder driver and said, "Let's go; we need to catch up as soon as possible," the clone nodding and setting off.
Thrawn and the speeder were quick to catch up with the Jedi and half-Nautolan, Thrawn using his macrobinoculars to look up and see the same thing over and over again on the mountains the half-Nautolan was leaping to. Finally, they reached another clearing, and the half-Nautolan jumped back down to solid ground to continue running, but before she could go more than ten paces, Thrawn called out calmly, "Wait! Just stop!"
The Jedi and clones all stopped and turned to him, and surprisingly, so did the half-Nautolan. She stopped running and looked at him as well, breathing somewhat heavy from all the exercise but not too much. Certainly not as heavy as the Jedi that had been chasing her. She raised an eyebrow at him, clearly wondering why he had stopped the chase and her fun. She wasn't sweating at all and was ready to start running again, legs apart and weight resting on her back leg, ready to spring forward once more in the chase.
"She's just taunting us," Thrawn said as he stepped out of the speeder, "She wants us to follow her and keep following her until she decides the fun is over," he looked directly at the half-Nautolan then, who answered his stare with an unflinching one of her own, "This is all a game for you, isn't it? The mountains you have been jumping from one to the next are worn near the top, and there are boot prints up there. This is what? A training exercise or something for you? Or is it just another game for you to play with us?"
The Jedi were surprised to hear that and turned to the half-Nautolan, who only stared at Thrawn for a few moments before cocking her head and looking down the way she was facing, clearly thinking about taking off again. Before she could, though, Thrawn spoke again, "You are thinking of running again, and you know these mountains well enough to not get caught. So what are you doing here, and where are you leading us?"
The Jedi all watched the half-Nautolan closely, waiting to see if she would answer, but she didn't. She only stared at Thrawn for a few more moments before suddenly whipping her head around and staring down the northern trail, her attention wholly fixed on whatever was there. The clones and Jedi looked and were somewhat surprised to see a white loth-cat suddenly appear down the trail. He stopped and sat down on his haunches, watching everyone and meowing. When he saw the half-Nautolan, he meowed again and turned around, trotting a few paces down the trail before looking over his shoulder at her. He stayed there then, waiting.
Thrawn was surprised to see the loth-cat, as were the others, but movement caught his eye and everyone else's. He looked then as the half-Nautolan turned slowly to look at them all before a mocking light came into her eyes, and she smirked.
"Grab her!" Anakin ordered, but it was too late and the half-Nautolan too fast. She raced off again, running after the loth-cat, and they had no choice but to follow her again. She raced through the mountains, following ancient trails and the loth-cat, who eventually started climbing the mountains with her right behind him. The Jedi followed along as well and were hard-pressed to keep up with her. She was always a few paces in front of them, always out of reach and too quick to pin down. She stuck to the loth-cat, not letting him out of sight and following him with determination and skill as she leaped from mountain to mountain again and dodged anyone who tried to grab her when on the ground.
She slid under the outstretched arm of Master Tiin, ducked around Master Plo, and kicked the feet out from under Anakin when he landed in front of her. She pushed Master Gallia aside with the Force, causing her to correct herself so she wouldn't slam headfirst into the mountain, and sent Ki-Adi Mundi a few paces back with a kick to the midsection. Obi-Wan drew his lightsaber and ignited it. She just looked at him with a bored expression on her face before ducking around him, twisting his right arm behind his back, which made him drop his lightsaber if he didn't want to break his arm or wrist. She held his arm there as she spun them around and pushed him into Saessee Tiin, who quickly caught Obi-Wan before he could fall to the ground.
The Jedi were quick to regroup and chase after her again, but they saw they weren't alone this time. Also running with them were shadows. They followed along with the half-Nautolan and the Jedi, keeping pace and staying just behind them, following trails parallel to the one they were on but with a mountain chain between them. The half-Nautolan gave no indication she knew they were and kept running, staying just out of reach, leading Master Plo to call to the others, "She's taunting us! She knows she can outrun us, so what is she waiting for?"
"I think we're about to find out!" Anakin said as he pointed ahead of them and the half-Nautolan. They all looked and were surprised to see that the shadows following them belonged to four large wolf-like creatures, one white and the others black. They had stopped at the point where the trail they were on ran perpendicular to the one the half-Nautolan was leading them down and watched as the half-Nautolan came closer and closer.
"Don't go any closer!" Obi-Wan called to her, but she ignored him as the white wolf started growling and showing its teeth. She ignored him and it, going into a slide as she reached out with one arm to grab the mountain and swing around to run along a new trail. The loth-wolves followed then, the white one no longer growling, and the half-Nautolan easily kept pace with them as they and the Jedi and clones kept running. After a few minutes, the half-Nautolan slowed slightly and reached out with a hand, resting it on the white wolf's head for a few seconds, and the Jedi felt the wolf respond with the Force as it stopped growling.
Still running, Adi Gallia asked, "The wolves are Force-sensitive? How is that possible?" to which Master Mundi replied, "It's happened before in other creatures, and they are clearly sentient. Perhaps the answer lies in wherever we are being led."
No one answered that, all of them running hard and panting to keep up with the wolves and woman. After a few minutes, the half-Nautolan and wolves reached the edge of the mountains, where a few feet below the prairie started again. Long grass came up to their waists, but the half-Nautolan and wolves didn't stop. They kept running, hitting the grass and not breaking stride at all, and as the Jedi and clones started to follow, the half-Nautolan grabbed the scruff of the white wolf in both hands and leaped onto its back. The wolf didn't react or try and buck her off, and the half-Nautolan only leaned down and flattened herself against its back. The four wolves kept running, but then something incredible happened.
As the Jedi, clones, and Thrawn watched and followed, the wolves started sinking into the grass. They didn't break stride or stop running, and the Jedi could feel the Force respond to them again. They sank lower and lower into the grass, and just before they disappeared, the half-Nautolan looked over at the Jedi for a brief moment before facing forward again, holding on tightly as she and the wolves sunk into the tall grass and disappeared. Seconds later, the Force settled, and the Jedi stopped running, knowing there was no way of following them now when they had no idea what had just happened.
Anakin said it best when he walked over to where the wolves had been running and looked around, "They just disappeared," he looked up then, "How is that possible?"
"I don't know," Obi-Wan said as he stroked his beard before turning to the other Jedi gathered there, "But did you feel the way the Force reacted when the wolves arrived? Those wolves were sentient and deeply connected to the Force."
"Aren't all living things?" Anakin asked, and Obi-Wan shook his head, "This was different, more focused. They were aware and drawn to the light side of the Force, and they helped the half-Nautolan before we could do anything about it. She's connected to them as much as they are connected to the Force and this planet."
"And now we don't know where they went or how they went there," Master Mundi said, "Where does that leave us?"
Thrawn approached then, "I was able to get a tracking device on her before the first time she stopped. The receiver is trying to find the signal right now."
Anakin immediately looked interested, "Where does it say she is?"
Thrawn only looked blankly confused, if that was possible, "Right now, it says she is nowhere, as if she doesn't exist. I can only assume it's a software error."
The Jedi were surprised to hear that, but a few seconds later, one of the clones approached and said, "Sir, the signal is back online and coming from the planet's northern hemisphere now. We can get there in an hour if we hurry."
"How in blazes did they get there that fast?" Obi-Wan asked no one in particular as they boarded the gunships that had arrived to get them to the northern hemisphere before turning to the trooper and asking, "Where exactly in the northern hemisphere are we going?"
The trooper didn't answer, just showed him the coordinates plotted on a small holomap. He studied it for a moment before saying, "That is right where a Jedi Temple is located. At least now we know where she is going," turning to the other Jedi there, "But I can't imagine why she is going there or what she wants with that place. She has always shown a reluctance to have anything to do with us."
"Let's get there and find out," Anakin said, and the rest of the journey passed in silence as the Jedi recovered from all the running and the clones checked their weapons. When they finally arrived at the Temple, they were surprised to see no sign of the half-Nautolan, even when the trooper said, "The signal from the tracking device has her right below us, sir."
"Well, she's not here," Anakin said impatiently, "Unless physical invisibility is a talent of hers also, not just being invisible in the Force," everyone looking below them for any sign of the half-Nautolan or the loth-wolves that had brought her there.
Nothing.
Master Plo finally said, "Let's land and see what we can find. Keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary," the clones and other Jedi all nodded as the pilot brought the gunship down for a landing. Once the gunship was down and the engines powered off, the Jedi and clones disembarked, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Thrawn immediately went searching for the tracking device, finding it a few moments later and returning, saying, "It seems she noticed I hid this on her. It was left right out in the open where we could find it. She knew we would track her."
The Jedi only looked around before turning to the Temple before them. Built into the mountain itself, the strength of the Force here was one of the reasons the Temple had been constructed here. The mountain itself was large and stretched into the sky, and there was no sign of the half-Nautolan. The Temple hadn't been opened and looked as though it hadn't been opened in years. After a few more minutes of looking around, Obi-Wan said, "Let's spread out and look around. Stay alert for anything out of the ordinary. We still don't know what she was doing here or where she went. She could be anywhere, and I believe she is more dangerous than we think."
Thrawn turned to him in surprise, "I thought Jedi were taught not to give in to fear, Master Jedi?" genuinely curious about why the Jedi Master was so cautious about this half-Nautolan.
Obi-Wan only said, "You haven't seen her fight, Captain. We were given a front-row seat on Geonosis, and that was after she was severely wounded. I wouldn't want to face her at full strength, which is what she is at now. Even if she is exhausted, she's probably ready for whatever we can throw at her. Underestimating her is a mistake we should not make."
Everyone that had been listening all nodded before spreading out to look around. It was a slow process, with everyone looking for any clue or sign of anything out of place. There was nothing for the first few hours, but then Anakin's voice came over the comlink, "Uh….I think you all should come and see this as soon as possible. I'm on the southern side of the Temple."
Unsure about what Anakin was talking about but curious all the same, they all converged on his location, where he was standing on the edge of a large crater-like site right against the Temple and looking down. They were all surprised to see it, with Anakin asking, "Was this here the last time anyone came to this Temple?"
"I don't think so," Master Mundi said, having memorized everything he could about Lothal on the journey, "But it looks fresh," a few rocks and boulders crashed down on the far side of the crater, causing Master Mundi to add, "Very fresh," as they started climbing down into the nine-meter deep crater that was about twenty meters wide and thirty meters long. Once at the bottom, they started looking around even more, and Master Tiin quickly noticed something odd.
"Does anyone know what this is?" he asked, walking over to the exposed lower section of the Temple, causing the others to look while the clones spread themselves out to keep an eye out for anything out of place. After coordinating their positions, Thrawn joined the Jedi as well as they stared at a surprising painting on the Temple wall.
It was a beautiful painting of three beings: a woman dressed in white next to a man with a long beard dressed in gray robes. On the other side of him was another man dressed in black with painted red eyes and red markings on his bald head. The woman had a strange bird-like creature on her shoulder, her left hand laying flat against her stomach and surrounded by a golden circle. The man in the center also had his hand raised, flat, straight up and down, surrounded by a golden ring. The man on the right's hand was in a fist and stretched out to the side, again surrounded by a golden circle. Surrounding them were even more circles of gold and what looked like planets and moons around them. At the base of the painting, loth-wolves stood in silent and regal guard. It was a beautiful painting, but what it was doing there was a mystery to the Jedi they didn't understand.
"What is this?" Anakin asked, "I've never seen anything like it before."
"I don't know," Obi-Wan mused quietly, "But I think the answer to what it is lies in the Jedi Archives. I feel like I have seen this before, but I can't remember where."
"Does it connect with the half-Nautolan?" Thrawn asked, "It would explain why she led us here."
"I don't know," Obi-Wan said again, "But I think –"
"Watch out!" a clone suddenly yelled behind them, and they all whipped around in surprise to see the half-Nautolan had suddenly appeared. She was running along the crater's rim before suddenly leaping down from boulder to boulder at the far end of the crater, flipping over the clone's heads and landing before running straight for the Jedi and the painting. She dodged as a clone shot at her from behind, causing Adi to dodge as well, but that didn't stop her. She just kept running and, at the last possible second, went into a slide that brought her past Masters Plo and Tiin, kicked the feet out from under Anakin again, and used a jump to pull herself out of the slide right next to the painting. She reached out with a hand and touched the woman's gold-circled hand. It was only for the briefest of moments, but the Force responded so strongly it felt like a physical blow.
The wind picked up, and the painting moved. As the half-Nautolan kept running and leaping up the side of the crater to stay out of reach while Anakin and Master Plo chased her, the painting of the woman moved. Her head turned while the figure in the center pointed his left hand at the far right figure's fist. As this was happening, the loth-wolves at the bottom of the painting seemed to come to life and start howling before walking across the wall. The Jedi, unbelieving of what they were seeing but feeling the Force so strongly, followed the wolves as they went into a nearby shallow cave. Once there, they watched as the wolves formed a circle in the rock, going from walking to trotting.
Outside Anakin and Master Plo kept after the half-Nautolan, keeping her away from the painting and the cave while also attempting to get a grip on her, but neither were successful. She was too agile and too quick, easily keeping herself from falling as she leaped from rock to rock and boulder to boulder. Every time the Jedi thought they would be able to corner her, she surprised them by keeping them just out of reach, not letting them get anywhere close.
The wolf paintings kept going in a circle, but now they were running. As the Jedi watched, they could hear ancient voices echoing through the rocks and the Force, which was getting stronger and stronger the longer this went on. Moments later, the Jedi were suddenly pushed back by the Force, all of them keeping their feet but unable to stop the half-Nautolan from running straight for the circle. She leaped forward, ignoring Obi-Wan's cry of "Don't! It's solid rock!" as she leaped again and went straight for the circling wolves.
The Jedi's shock and near-horror of watching the woman run full-speed for the rock wall were replaced with awe and surprise as she went through the wall, disappearing as the wolves suddenly stopped running. It took a few moments for them to realize what had just happened, but finally, Adi went over to the wall and reached out, touching the wall right in the center of the circle. Her hand didn't go through the wall; it just stopped there as it was met with solid stone. She turned then and looked at the other Jedi, but they were just as surprised as she was. Thrawn finally broke the uneasy silence by asking, "What….just happened?"
There were no answers from any of the Jedi, none of them able to believe what had just happened or what it could mean.
Or if the half-Nautolan could come back from wherever she had gone.
The half-Nautolan, despite knowing what to expect, still crashed when she exited the Gateway on the other side. She fell hard and slid a few yards before finally slowing and stopping, staying on the ground for a few moments before slowly raising her head, shaking it a couple times to clear it.
No matter how many times she went through the portal, it still threw her every time and always took some getting used to. After a few minutes on the ground, she finally stood up slowly and looked around, even though there was nothing new to see.
The World Between Worlds hadn't changed all that much since the last time she was here.
Walking along the pathway before her, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she felt the Force pull at her, welcoming her back home. This wasn't where she belonged, but she always felt peace whenever she visited. As she walked, she looked through the various portals surrounding her, seeing visions of the past, present, and future. She ignored the ones of the past; they were set in stone and could never be changed. The present only had her passing interest, mostly because she was never interested in what it had to bring for her and was content to let it pass her by at times.
The future was her interest right now, and as she walked, she started looking for the one that would show her the next steps in her long journey. Finally, she found it, looking through the portal and stopping to watch as beings fought on a desert planet full of plains and acid volcanoes. She could just make out those involved and grimaced when she realized that some of those waiting outside the Gateway right now would be involved in this later fight. As she watched, a presence started gathering next to her, and after a few minutes, a voice from long ago said quietly, "I knew you would come."
She didn't answer, and that voice came again as its owner coalesced into a tall man with long brown hair and a mustache and beard. He was dressed in the simple robes of a Jedi Master, and his blue eyes were wise and kind. He was smiling gently as he waited for her to acknowledge him. After a few moments, she did just that, turning to face him, and he said, "It's so good to see you again, old friend. What took you so long?" his smile still in place and a teasing light in his eyes.
The half-Nautolan only bowed her head slightly, and the ghost of Qui-Gon Jinn bowed his head as well. It had been so long since they had last spoken, and they wouldn't have much time now.
Outside in the gathering dark of night, the Jedi and clones waited. Large spotlights had been brought in to illuminate the painting and the circle of wolves, and now they were waiting to see what happened next. Several Jedi were meditating as they waited, attempting to make sense of it all, while Anakin and Master Plo were watching the portal. Thrawn and the clones were still providing security, waiting for whatever came next.
The visions of the future in the portal before them were still moving, the future always uncertain except for several key moments that were locked in place, and Qui-Gon sighed before saying, "I know why you are here: to close the portal and prevent others from discovering this place. But you can still get in, and that is all that matters. As long as you can, and can still speak with me even outside this World, that is all that matters to me. I will still help you as much as possible, though; you have my word on that."
There was no answer from the half-Nautolan, who only turned back to the portal before them and continued watching what would happen. Qui-Gon didn't seem to mind her continued silence, knowing where it was coming from, and so only turned back to the portal as well. After a few moments of silent watching, he said, "I don't regret my choice; sacrificing my life for another. I would do it again. Thank you for allowing me to save a life that still has so much to do and accomplish. She will never know, fully, why I did what I did, but I am at peace with this decision. I want you to know that," turning to the half-Nautolan, "I want you to know I have no regrets. Perhaps I lived in the present too much in life, but now in this World, as its caretaker for you, I can see the future and do nothing about it. It is a humbling lesson to learn; not taking anything for granted and trusting one's instincts. I hope I taught you that lesson as best I could, even if you were never my student for long. And even if you taught me more than I could ever teach you."
The half-Nautolan still said nothing, and Qui-Gon sighed again as he finally said, "It's time for both of us to go. You know what will happen next, and there is no backing away from it now. Just be ready; that is all I ask of you. You cannot do what you set out to do if you are dead."
This time there was a response from the half-Nautolan in that she turned to him and nodded before bowing her head deeply to him. Even if the other Jedi had always thought Qui-Gon was a bit of a loner and his opinions regarding the Force were strange, she had always respected him and his skill, and that was likely never going to change.
Whether or not she agreed with his choices was another matter.
But it was time to leave, and after one more bow to her old friend, she turned and left, heading back for the portal and those that waited beyond for her, even if they had no idea what she was planning on doing next.
It was time to close the portal, for good.
Staying behind, the ghost of Qui-Gon Jinn took a deep breath and let it out slowly as the half-Nautolan started running, building up speed for what came next and knowing she would need all her courage and cunning to escape the next few minutes. He only closed his eyes and waited a few moments longer before looking over his shoulder, but she was already gone.
The night was fading outside the Temple as the sun peeked over the horizon, but the crater was still well-lit from the spotlights. The Jedi and clones had been waiting for hours, waiting for something to happen. The Jedi had contacted the Temple on Coruscant and given a progress report, but all Master Yoda could think to do was have them all wait for whatever came next, if anything came next, since even he wasn't sure what it all meant.
It may be a long wait, though, and so the Jedi cruiser orbiting the planet had sent down a relief crew of clones so that the ones that had already been there the entire time could go and get some rest.
The Jedi that had been meditating finally stopped, realizing no more answers would come to them, not that any had come in the first place. Now they were all sitting around, waiting. The clones were patrolling, and the night was still. It would have been an enjoyable evening if the circumstances had been different.
Anakin had just come back from speaking with Rex and Thrawn, and as he sat down on the hard ground, he said, "The cruiser just sent word. If nothing happens by late afternoon, we need to leave. They don't want Separatists fleets knowing we're here and sending ships. They could strand as here."
Obi-Wan shook his head, "We may be forced to leave by then anyway. It's a shame we haven't discovered anything new about this place. Or what happened to the half-Nautolan."
"We may be about to," Master Plo said as he pointed at the circle of wolves. All there looked and were shocked to see the wolves were again moving. They were running in a circle again, and the Jedi could feel the Force responding and reacting. Moments later, the wolves started to glow, as did the golden rings surrounding the three beings painted onto the wall, and that was when things started changing more and faster. The wind picked up, and the clones moved closer to the wall, unsure what to expect.
Before the Jedi could move any closer, except for Master Plo, who was right next to the circling wolves, the half-Nautolan leaped back through the circle's center, already cutting to the right with extreme agility. She hit the ground running but only went a stride before ducking to the right towards the painting. She stayed just out of reach of the Jedi running towards her, ducking and dodging around them and using the Force to push them aside. Master Tiin wound up being the closest to her and made a grab for her arm, but she only flinched aside and kicked him in the stomach, sending him sprawling.
The half-Nautolan didn't stop when he fell, just kept running towards the painting. Seconds later, she was there and climbing, using small groves and minuscule handholds to climb up the wall. Before she got very high, though, she reached out with a clenched fist and touched the clenched fist of the painted figure on the right for a few seconds. That figure only brought his clenched fist in and held it with his other hand, bowing his head as the painting sank into the ground as the Temple and area started to shake. The wolves came back to the painting and dropped into the ground with it, disappearing as the rest of the painting also began to disappear into the ground.
The Jedi were shocked to see what was happening, but movement above the painting caught their eye, and they watched as the half-Nautolan climbed above the painting and ran along an incredibly thin ridge of rock to reach solid ground above the crater. Seconds later, she was on solid ground and had paused for a moment to look back at what was happening. She stared as the painting disappeared entirely into the ground, the Jedi watching her and the painting. Finally, it was over, and the painting was gone. The ground stopped shaking, the wind stilled, the Force settling as well, and the half-Nautolan was moving again. She raced off into the night, Anakin and Adi leaping up to the top of the crater to see where she was going.
After a few moments, Anakin turned back and called down, "She's still running and is already pretty far away. She sure is fast."
"Stay up there, Anakin, and watch her," Obi-Wan called, "We'll let the cruiser know we're going after her and set up a rendezvous location."
Anakin nodded as he turned back to the prairie the half-Nautolan was quickly disappearing into, unaware that Master Gallia wasn't thinking about the half-Nautolan, not entirely. For a few moments, before she had appeared out of the rock, it had felt like she had recognized the presence in the Force, like she had felt it before. She just couldn't remember where, but every time she had come into contact with the half-Nautolan, it was like she knew her from somewhere, but the memory was elusive and refused to show itself fully.
Like a dream of a dream, it wasn't making things easy for her.
Unaware of Master Gallia and her turbulent thoughts, the Jedi down in the crater had sent a message to the cruiser about their plans but hadn't started following the half-Nautolan right away as they went and looked at the wall of the Temple. After a few seconds of silence, Master Mundi said, "I don't understand how any of what just happened was possible. All the information about this Temple didn't mention that painting or those wolves. This doesn't make sense."
"No, it doesn't," Master Tiin said, "And it won't make sense unless we can find that half-Nautolan and bring her in. I think she is the only one who can answer all our questions and help us understand what just happened. For now, let's go. We don't want to lose her trail."
The others all agreed and quickly mobilized the clones, and a few minutes later, the gunships were taking off. However, Master Gallia was still quiet and clearly distracted. The others left her alone, leaving her alone to understand her thoughts, although after a little while, she gave up when her thoughts only became more and more confused. Half an hour later, the sun started coming up, and the trail of the half-Nautolan was more visible. So visible they landed and got the speeders out, the Jedi and Thrawn mounting those while the clones followed in the gunship. They sped after the half-Nautolan, following her trail for another hour or so before they finally caught up to her near some canyons with a mountain range on the far side. She was running along the side of one about fifteen meters wide but stopped for a few brief minutes when she saw the Jedi. She was breathing hard and seemed tired, but that didn't stop her from running again, heading away from the canyon toward the Jedi.
For a moment, Anakin thought she would let them get close, but at the last possible moment, she twisted her body almost on itself and cut back towards the canyon, running full speed again. The Jedi and Thrawn went after her and were surprised to see her check her speed slightly and slow down as the canyon came closer and closer to her. After a few moments, she reached the speed she wanted and leaped over the canyon gap, the Force giving her the extra strength she needed to clear the gap. The Jedi's surprise turned to shock and then to horror when she slammed into the mountain wall on the other side of the canyon, clearly having misjudged the distance and hitting the wall too hard.
She slammed into the wall and couldn't compensate or recover, falling down to a ground-high ledge and lying still. The ledge was strewn about with boulders and rocks, and somehow she managed to land without hitting any of them, although her right leg hit one such boulder at the shin. She lay limp for a few seconds, catching her breath, before slowly sitting up, pushing herself upright with her hands before suddenly collapsing. She tried again and collapsed again, laying still after that and resting.
The Jedi had stopped their speeders and dismounted, running to the canyon's edge. Anakin got in touch with the gunship and told it to come quickly, knowing Kix was there. The gap was too wide for the Jedi to jump across and then back safely with the half-Nautolan if she was seriously injured; they would need help getting her to safety. While Anakin did that, Masters Tiin and Plo watched the half-Nautolan as she finally got up the strength she needed to sit upright. But it was clear she was hurt, badly, as her face twisted in pain, and she looked over at where her legs lay stretched out to the side. Getting a pair of macrobinoculars, Master Tiin was able to see what the problem was right away: "Her leg is broken badly. I can see the bones in her thigh and shin. We need to get over there, now," lowering the macros and turning to the others.
Anakin nodded, "The gunship will be here in five minutes," as he walked over to stare at the half-Nautolan, who only lay there and breathed heavily, trying to get the pain under control, "We'll be able to get to her soon enough and get that leg fixed. We just have to wait a few more minutes," the younger Jedi said as he turned to the others.
"We may not have that long," Thrawn said quietly, pointing at the half-Nautolan. The Jedi all turned to look and were surprised to see that she was again sitting up and was feeling the breaks in her leg. She didn't seem surprised to see the breaks or how bad they were, and after a few seconds looked up and around to see what she could use to her bind her leg.
At least, that is what the Jedi thought she was going to do.
Instead, Master Tiin called out suddenly, "No, don't do it! Let us help you!" as she wedged her foot between two rocks and took a deep breath. She only glanced at him briefly before pulling her leg straight, her face twisting in pain, but surprisingly she stayed silent. No sound passed her lips as she clearly bit her tongue, but seconds later, it was done. She relaxed and collapsed back to the ground, breathing heavily as she clearly struggled to keep the pain under control.
After watching this with sick horror and honestly thinking he was about to throw up at the sight and sounds of bones cracking and sliding back into place, Obi-Wan told Anakin, who was clearly thinking of jumping the distance and helping her, "Don't even think about it, Anakin. There isn't enough space on that ledge for both of you, and you do remember what she did with Kix when he did something she didn't like?"
"She tried to bite him, correct?" Master Plo asked, and Obi-Wan nodded, "Yes, she did, and I have no interest in dealing with that. Let's wait for the gunship. She kills when she feels cornered, we know that from Geonosis, I don't want to know what will happen in a situation like this."
"I think she is planning on running," Thrawn said quietly, having not taken his eyes off the half-Nautolan the entire time. The Jedi turned to look and were shocked to see that she had torn some of her skirt to get the bleeding from the breaks under control and was now edging towards the edge of the ledge she was on. She looked down into the canyon then, but it was pitch black and impossible to see what was waiting down there. That didn't seem to be a concern of hers, and perhaps with her Nautolan eyes, she could see into the darkness, but the Jedi had no such luck as she continued to stare into the canyon, clearly weighing her options.
But whatever was down there was clearly better than waiting up there, at least in her opinion, because she edged closer to the edge again and only looked up in irritation when Master Mundi called, "Don't do it! You won't survive that fall any better!"
She actually looked at him with such an unimpressed glare on her face Master Mundi almost took a step back, but before anyone else could react, she had pushed herself over the edge headfirst and disappeared into the darkness. Everyone rushed forward but almost immediately stepped back as a familiar starfighter rose out of the darkness of the canyon, the downdraft from the engines forcing them back. The tinted windows made it impossible to see who was inside the first cockpit, if anyone, but the second was closing as the half-Nautolan settled into her seat and took up the controls.
Seconds later, the thrusters were going, and the fighter was speeding away, the gunships chasing after it for a few seconds before breaking off the pursuit as the fighter cloaked itself and disappeared. As for the Jedi, they could only watch in resigned surprise as she and the fighter disappeared before Anakin shook his head and said, "Why am I not surprised that happened again?" turning to the others, "She always manages to get away, and we are never in a position to stop her."
"And with her ship being able to cloak, there is no way to follow her," Obi-Wan said, "Unless you were able to put a tracking device on her ship?" as he looked at Thrawn, who only shook his head. Obi-Wan only sighed and said, "Let's go; there is nothing else we can do here. She's gone, and the Council will want a report."
"Where is she going to go?" Master Gallia asked suddenly, "She needs treatment for that leg, and any doctor in the galaxy will be more than willing to reveal they treated her if it means recognition or credits or both, so she isn't going to risk that. Should we check the more dubious doctors in the galaxy?" she and the rest of the Jedi knowing there were doctors that had no qualms or issues about treating criminals or anyone who paid enough credits. The half-Nautolan may not be a criminal, but she certainly was someone who needed those she met to stay silent about what she was and where she was going.
"She knew how to stop herself from bleeding to death on Geonosis, General," Thrawn said slowly as they boarded the gunship that had landed nearby, "And she set her leg just now without any issues, even if it was painful for her. She has some skill in medical procedures; it is safe to assume she may treat that leg herself without any help, or she knows someone that will treat her and not say anything," the ship taking off as he said this. The other gunships would bring the speeders.
"Perhaps," Master Tiin said, "And while we wait for answers, she will disappear and heal before coming back to do whatever she wants. It is not a situation I am fond of."
"Neither am I," Master Mundi said, "But I don't think we have a choice in the matter. We will have to wait and see….again."
"She certainly is frustrating," Master Plo mused, "It would be nice to know more about her; if we knew her name, we might have an easier time convincing her to trust us."
"And until then, we will have to make do with what we do know," Obi-Wan said, "Which isn't much. That's just great."
Everyone else was silent for the rest of the journey back to the cruiser. Once back on board, the ship took off for Republic space, the Jedi heading for the bridge to deliver their report. The Council members on Coruscant, including Masters Yoda and Windu, were surprised by their story, but there was nothing they knew that could explain the events at the Temple or what the painting represented. In the end, Windu said, "It seems the half-Nautolan knows more than she is letting on about the Force. We will have to proceed carefully the next time she appears."
"And be ready for possible violence," Captain Thrawn said quietly, "If what happened on Geonosis is any indication, then she is much more dangerous than we are aware, and it may be fortunate that all she did was a few kicks and punches to get us out of her way today. Next time we may not be so lucky."
Master Windu nodded, while Yoda said, "Search the Archives we will, look for information about the painting. For now, return to your fleets you should. Another engagement of the enemy, there will be soon. In place, your ships must be," his expression became grave, "Unfortunately, disturbing news we have. Murdered, Senator Farr of Rodia has been. But in custody, his killer is."
"Who?" Master Gallia asked, to which Mace replied, "His aide, Lolo Purs. She blamed him for bringing war to their planet and for his brief misguided dealings with the Separatists. Thankfully Senator Amidala was able to piece the riddle together and bring justice for Senator Farr. Lolo Purs will answer for her crimes," his expression became even graver as he said, "But there is nothing we can do about it now. Now, we must prepare for our next engagement with the Separatists. May the Force be with you."
The Jedi on the cruiser all bowed their heads as the transmission ended. After a few minutes of farewells, many left except for Anakin and Obi-Wan since the cruiser in question was Obi-Wan's and Anakin's fleet was close to where Obi-Wan was going. As they prepared to get underway, Anakin couldn't help but think that the half-Nautolan wouldn't stay hidden for long, especially after what he had sensed from her today.
It wasn't fear or anger or anything like that.
It was anticipation and excitement, like she wanted them to follow and chase her. Like she wanted them to help her get her exercise for the day and she wanted them to keep chasing her. Today had been fun for her, he realized, and now she knew where to go for that fun again.
Perhaps that meant she would reveal herself more quickly next time.
Far away from Lothal, the half-Nautolan exited her starfighter in the hangar of her base, greeted not just by Tristan Darka but also Satine and Mina. They were all worried when they saw her broken leg, but Tristan put their minds at ease when he said, "That will be mended in a few months. Let's get it properly set and get you comfortable with something to do. We both know you heal better if your mind is distracted," helping the half-Nautolan walk out of the hangar and into the medical center down the hall, knowing her pride wouldn't tolerate a stretcher.
As they walked, the clones guarding the base saluted and got out of the way as Tristan helped the half-Nautolan walk. As they did so, a clone fell into step beside them and said, "Sir, when you have a moment, you wanted a progress report on what is happening around here? I have it ready whenever you need it. As well as…." he trailed off for a moment as he exchanged a glance with Mina and Satine, "some news you aren't going to like."
Satine winced internally as the half-Nautolan frowned, not liking that tone and knowing what it meant. Satine couldn't help but feel sorry for her; Senator Farr had been a good friend of hers and someone she had respected. The news of his death would be a brutal blow to take.
"Give us a few hours, Commander Monnk," Tristan said in a tone that left no room for argument, "I'll let you know when she can have visitors."
"Of course, sir," Monnk, the actual Commander Monnk, said, "Whenever you are ready," walking away down another hallway to wait for when Tristan said he could visit. The Nautolan only shook his head and took the half-Nautolan into the med center as Satine and Mina waited outside, with Satine shaking her head and saying, "I know Jedi who wouldn't be able to walk with a leg that badly broken. Her tolerance for pain is something I don't understand. If that was me I would be screaming from the pain," looking at Mina as she said this.
Mina nodded, "I know I was, but thankfully Tristan is an incredibly skilled surgeon. Without him, I wouldn't have a leg right now. She's in good hands."
Satine nodded in agreement as they waited for Tristan to finish with the half-Nautolan and let them in to see her. They would keep her company as long as she tolerated them and take her mind off the fact she wouldn't walk on that leg anytime soon. But knowing her, she would be on her feet well before it was recommended. They may need Kit Fisto to keep her settled and quiet so that her leg could heal.
He was the only one who had a chance of getting her to do something she didn't want to.
Back at the Temple, Yoda searched the Archives for any mention of the painting described by the Jedi on Lothal but found very few references and nothing concrete enough to act on. Whatever that half-Nautolan had done at the Temple was something he didn't understand, making him uneasy.
Whatever she had done couldn't be good, and he desperately wanted to know what it was so that he had a chance of being ready for whatever she did next.
Even though he had the sense that he still wouldn't be ready no matter how much he prepared.
Having left the task force for the time being, Thrawn delivered his report to the chancellor, who only said to keep doing as he was doing and find the half-Nautolan again as soon as possible. The captain had agreed and the transmission had ended, leaving Palpatine to smile cruelly as he thought over all that he had learned from Thrawn.
He may have lost a way to get into the World Between Worlds and the power there, but there were other ways to get to that power.
He just needed to find the right one, and now he knew the half-Nautolan was the key to that power.