Rise of the Phoenix

by Elfwarrior96

What if Skywalker wasn't the Chosen One? What if there was another maintaining the balance in the Force by whatever means necessary, protected by an order and a Jedi willing to die for them? What if that person came to restore the balance and revealed truths about the galaxy that had been ignored and forgotten by the Jedi for so long? Can they succeed? Or will they all fall?

23. 22: Kidnapped, Slaves, Escape

A/N: Hi everyone! So here is chapter 22, and I can say with absolute certainty that this is the longest chapter I have written to date for this story. I hope you like it and find it interesting. Also, I made some adjustments to the opening monologues that would usually accompany an episode of the Clone Wars so it would make a bit more sense. Finally, here is my usual medical disclaimer: I AM NOT A DOCTOR! There, all done. Also, I'm not that great at writing fight scenes, so please use your imaginations as best you can or shoot me a PM to make them better, and see you next time!

Until next time, please read, review, and enjoy!

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A planet of peace! The artisan colony of the planet Kiros created a society without weapons. Instead of war, they pursue art and beauty. But in the Clone Wars, even peace-loving worlds are seemingly forced to change sides...

Three months after her adventures on Lothal and more or less recovered from her broken leg even though it was still a bit stiff at times, the half-Nautolan had paid a visit to the artisan colony of Kiros. The people of Kiros were incredibly kind and open to her, allowing her to explore their ways and culture to her heart's content as long as she wanted to. It wasn't often she got to appreciate the artistry of the Togrutan culture, and she found herself missing it.

But she was unaware of the governor, Gupat Roshti, deciding to align his people with the Separatists to keep their way of life. If she had known, she would have tried to talk him out of it and keep him from subjecting his people to a fate crueler than death. But she didn't, and so was just as surprised as the colonists when the droid ships started landing and the droids started causing havoc. She fought them when they discovered her, but there was only so much she was willing to do with just her fists, not wanting them to find her blades. The droids soon overpowered her, binding her hands behind her back with binders meant for Jedi.

As this was happening, the commander of the droids, a Zygerrian named Darts D'Nar, watched in fascination and satisfaction when he saw the droids successfully capture the half-Nautolan. D'Nar was almost happy that he had been the one to catch her; his queen would be thrilled. Ever since she had revealed herself to the galaxy, every criminal, slaver, and bounty hunter had been after her, knowing she would fetch a high price to anyone willing to buy her.

That half-Nautolan was worth more than every potential slave in this colony combined.

Finally, she was restrained and brought before D'Nar, crashing onto her knees on the hard stone of the village square. On the other side of the square, the colonists had been rounded up and watched carefully by the droids. The governor had been forced down from his mansion to join his people. Look at him, the half-Nautolan could tell the exact moment he realized he had made a grave mistake, and that was when he saw the fear in his people and the half-Nautolan forced onto her knees in front of the slaver.

Roshti frowned when he saw her restrained; he knew how much her freedom meant to her.

The half-Nautolan paid him no mind after a few minutes as D'Nar stopped in front of her and addressed her, "Well, well, well, the most elusive prize in the galaxy, in the one place no one would think to look for her. And here for the taking so easily, although your fighting spirit is impressive. It will be interesting to see how long that lasts."

There was no response from the half-Nautolan, who continued to stare at the ground, refusing to look up at anyone no matter what they threatened her with. Her blatant refusal and clear lack of fear of him only made him angry, so angry he activated his electro-whip and brought a lashing blow straight down on her back. As the Kiros colonists cried out and begged him to stop, he sheathed the whip and leaned down to say, "Look at me, slave. Show me you know who your master is."

The half-Nautolan still refused, just kept staring down at the ground as the slaver's anger climbed even higher. Again he dealt a blow from his whip, and again she stayed silent. He tried again and again and again, but still she refused to yield to him. After a few more blows, his holotransmitter started flashing, and he put his whip away to answer. Doing so revealed a small hologram of his queen, Miraj Scintel, who asked, "How are things going on Kiros, Commander? Is the merchandise meeting your expectations?" as the colonists were being forced onto the ships to begin the long journey to Zygerria.

"Yes, my queen, it is," D'Nar replied, "The colonists will make excellent slaves once they have been processed and properly trained, and I even found something else that may interest you," moving so that the half-Nautolan was in range of the holotransmitter.

The queen wasn't impressed by what looked like an ordinary human woman and said as much to D'Nar, "And why should that human interest me? There are many humans in the galaxy, D'Nar; why would this one hold any interest to me?"

"This is no ordinary human, my queen," D'Nar said as he walked behind the half-Nautolan and grabbed her hair. He yanked her head up by her hair, revealing the sunken-in cheeks, raised eye-ridges, and red-purple eyes of a Nautolan. She was dressed in black; a black multi-split skirt, black leggings, and a black half-top. The wraps around her arms were also black, and so were her boots. Her necklace was still about her neck, and her hair was half-braided with a single braid down her back while the rest was loose. Unimpressed, she glared at the queen of Zygerria before looking off to the side and deciding not to give these slavers anything.

She wasn't afraid of them.

Queen Miraj only said, "Well, that is a prize indeed, commander. Please make sure she survives the journey to Zygerria undamaged and unspoiled; she would fetch the highest price at auction. We wouldn't want her to lose value."

"Of course, my queen," D'Nar said with an evil grin, "I will make certain she arrives as soon as possible. There will be much excitement during the auctions."

"Even more when we reveal what other captives we have in our dungeons," the queen said with a smile of her own when she ended the transmission, leaving the half-Nautolan confused but hiding it as best she could. Her sources on Zygerria had said something was going on in the personal slave dungeons of the palace, but they didn't have access to them and therefore had no way of knowing what was happening down there. But they were convinced it had something to do with the recent rumblings in the underworld, and so she had come to Kiros not just to relax but also to see if there was a way to infiltrate those dungeons. Knowing how much of a prize she was wherever she went, she knew the Zygerrians wouldn't be able to resist, especially with what she had planned for Zygerria in the coming days.

D'Nar gripping her hair tighter only made her more irritated than she already was about the entire situation, even if it was entirely voluntary on her part. The second he let go, she whipped her head around faster than anyone could blink and delivered a bite to his hand. He cried out in pain as he yanked his hand away, not expecting a slave to have so much fire. He shook his hand for a few moments to ease the pain before seeing the perfect outline of her teeth and blood.

She had broken skin.

He looked up at her then and was surprised to see her smiling slightly as a line of blood trailed down her chin. Knowing it was his didn't make it any easier to accept such a blow to his pride, and he backhanded her. She fell to the side, unable to catch herself with her hands bound behind her, and D'Nar snapped, "Get a collar on her! Now!"

The droids rushed to comply, but the half-Nautolan put up such a fight that fifteen droids had been destroyed by the time the collar was around her neck, and she was still bound. The frequent shocks from her binders, and now the collar, seemed to have no effect on her, and she fought back as hard as she could as she was forced onto a separate ship from the colonists.

There was no way D'Nar would give her a chance to rally the people of Kiros to fight back.

---

When the Jedi arrived on the planet Kiros, they were already aware that something wasn't right, and it had nothing to do with the missing colonists. Over the past few months, Jedi had been going missing. And it wasn't younglings or Padawans that were disappearing; the missing were highly skilled and experienced Jedi. They vanished without a trace, because even though the Jedi were on the frontlines of the war, they were still peacekeepers. There was still work to be done negotiating treaties, overseeing elections, and working towards that peace they had known before the war.

For Jedi to suddenly disappear made no sense, especially when one took into account the Jedi that had disappeared: Adi Gallia, Plo Koon, Eeth Koth, Luminara Unduli, Ki-Adi Mundi, and Saessee Tiin were unaccounted for and there had been no sign of them. Master Gallia had been the first to disappear after supervising an election in the Mid Rim and had never returned. The planet she was sent to had reported she had arrived and then left after the election results were formalized, but there had been no sign after that. Her ship had been found in a hangar on the planet, but she and her lightsaber were gone.

That had been several months ago, after the mission to Lothal, and more Jedi had disappeared over those months. It was becoming such a problem and concern Yoda had become convinced that whoever was taking these Jedi wanted them for something, and it wasn't as trophies. He was certain it was for something worse.

But the Jedi still needed to complete this mission to Kiros and see what had happened to the colonists. Arriving and finding the town deserted, they were soon confronted by droids and Darts D'Nar, who had rushed to Zygerria with his prize and delivered her safely to the queen before hurrying back to Kiros to meet the Jedi. And instead of negotiating, he waited until they had separated from their clones and detonated explosives throughout the village, knowing the resulting destruction would separate them from their soldiers even more.

Which it did, knocking the three Jedi and their communications out long enough for them to be grabbed and taken aboard a ship. By the time the clones had gotten through the destruction and debris, the Jedi and D'Nar were gone, with no sign of where they went to be seen. At least, that seemed the case until Rex noticed on the side of the fountain in the village square a word carved into the stone: ZYGERRIA. It was enough for Rex and Cody, who immediately contacted the Jedi Temple.

"There is no sign of where Master Skywalker and Kenobi, or Padawan Tano, were taken?" Mace Windu asked while Yoda listened closely.

"No, sir," Cody replied, "Just like the others, they, and the citizens of Kiros, seem to have disappeared completely. The only clue we may have is a word carved into the fountain. I think one of the colonists left it before they were taken."

"And what word is that?" Windu asked, to which Rex replied, "Zygerria, General Windu. That is the slaving world, right?"

Mace didn't reply right away, looking down at Yoda for a few brief moments. Yoda only looked at him before saying, "A slaver's world it is. Toppled during the Old Republic, the slaving empire was. Now, during the war, perhaps bring back the slave markets the Zygerrians want. Go to Zygerria, you should, as quickly as you can."

"We will have a fleet meet you a system over to coordinate a plan," Windu said, "Until then, do not land or engage anyone on the planet. We don't want to show our hand until we know what it is."

"Yes, sir," Rex and Cody said simultaneously, and the transmission ended. Once the conversation was over, the two clone officers went to organize their troops. They would let the bomb squad finish their work before leaving just so the Kiros survivors would have homes to return to once they were found.

---

Numbing pain in his hands was his first awareness, and a massive headache was his second. Realizing those two parts of his body hurt caused the other aches and pains he had to make themselves known. With an inward sigh, he let his body complain for a few minutes before it faded into the background, and he started paying attention to everything else happening around him. Keeping his eyes closed allowed his hearing to pick up the sound of quiet conversation nearby, and he finally recognized the voices he was hearing.

Anakin and Ahsoka, of course, but there were others that he couldn't quite believe. It was such a surprise Obi-Wan opened his eyes and was confronted with a rather upsetting sight once his eyes adjusted to the too-dim light.

He was in a cell with a tiny window high up the wall to his right. The cell itself was rectangular with bars on the one side opposite him and a stone wall behind him and to his right that the window was in. The bars went all around the side to the front, where there was a door made of bars with a highly complex lock.

The reason for the numbing pain in his hands was because they were being held above his head in binders attached to the wall. They were heavy and strong, and another thing he noticed, rather belatedly, was the collar around his neck and that his lightsaber was gone. He realized it was a slave collar, and it was rather uncomfortable. Reaching out with the Force proved to be difficult, and after a few moments, he gave up as he looked around at his cellmates, they waiting for him to realize what was going on and what the situation was.

Anakin and Ahsoka were there, restrained in the same way he was, as were Adi Gallia and Luminara Unduli. The two Jedi Masters had clearly been there for some time since Adi and Luminara looked pale and thin in the face, Adi sporting a rather deep cut near her left eye and heavier breathing. Seeing him awake, Master Gallia said quietly and rather breathlessly, "Welcome to the block, Master Kenobi," before stopping and catching her breath, and getting her heart under control. It was beating much too fast, and she struggled to control it.

"Quiet, Master Gallia," Luminara said gently, "Your heart isn't doing well; you need to stay calm and relaxed," turning to the others there and saying, "Our captors have been shocking her every day, multiple times a day, mostly to torment the rest of us. I don't think her heart can take much more of this. The strain is becoming too much."

Obi-Wan nodded, concern written all over his face as Adi bowed her head and started the breathing exercises they had been taught as younglings to calm their minds and bodies. The others in the cell watched as she struggled for a few moments before they saw her slide into a fitful sleep, but seconds later, there was a small shock from her binders and she jerked awake, misery all over her face she didn't have the strength to hide, at the near end of her endurance and desperately needing a medic or the Temple healers. But until then, whoever was holding them was also watching and was enjoying making sure she suffered. Obi-Wan shook his head, working on getting his anger under control before asking, "Where are we?"

"Zygerria," Master Luminara said, "And don't talk too loudly. The slave drivers come if it gets too loud and will electrocute us. The binders and collars are designed to deliver a nasty shock, and I would rather not experience that again. And like I said, the less Master Gallia is shocked, the better."

"I can agree with that easily enough," Obi-Wan said as he looked around, seeing that Ahsoka and Anakin seemed none the worse for wear, with Anakin adding, "Good to see you awake, Master. In case you're wondering, Masters Koth, Mundi, Plo, and Tiin are two cells over," nodding through the cage bars at the darkened cells beyond, "I'm not sure why they are being kept in the dark, but it can't be good."

Obi-Wan nodded slowly before saying, "I'm sure the Republic knows something has happened by now. The last thing I remember is an explosion on Kiros, so hopefully Cody and Rex have sent word to the Council, and a plan is being formulated."

"If they know where we are," Ahsoka said softly. She, along with Obi-Wan and Luminara, was bound to the stone wall, while Adi was bound to the bars opposite them along with Anakin, who looked rather upset about the entire situation.

And, considering his history, was no surprise. Hopefully, he would keep his emotions in check during this so they could escape.

Knowing he couldn't speak loudly without alerting the Zygerrians, Obi-Wan reached out through the Force to the other cell with the other Jedi in it. Or tried to, but for some reason, couldn't. After a few minutes of trying, he gave up and looked at Luminara questioningly, who explained, "They have given us something that suppresses the Force and our connection to it. I think it's a gas, which we can't escape. If it was in the food, we just wouldn't eat it, so that is the only way that makes sense. Which reminds me, the food we are given is barely enough for one person, let alone two. It is the same with water, so we have to be careful with how much we eat and drink. They release us from the walls to eat, but we don't get to finish if we don't eat quickly enough. And sometimes they….forget….to feed us, so be ready to go hungry."

Obi-Wan nodded while Saessee Tiin added quietly from the darkness nearby, "We can guess why we're here, even if I would rather not think of it. There is a lot of noise from the markets outside, and the haggling doesn't stop day or night," he paused for a moment before adding, "I think the slave markets are returning."

"An astute assumption, Master Jedi," an accented female voice said from outside the cell, and a Zygerrian female appeared, "And a correct one too, I might add."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow at her, ignoring the contempt he could feel from his former Padawan as he looked at the Zygerrian. She was dressed in gold and blue, with a crown on her head, and after a few moments, he asked quietly, "And who might you be?"

The Zygerrian smiled and said, "I am Queen Miraj Scintel of Zygerria, Master Jedi. You are now guests in my palace, and I hope you are enjoying your stay."

Obi-Wan looked pointedly at his bound hands, "If this is how you treat guests, I would hate to see how you treat prisoners."

Queen Miraj actually laughed at his words before saying, "You certainly are not one to mince words, Master Kenobi. I like that. After the auction, I may keep you for myself; you never know."

"So we are to be sold as slaves?" Luminara asked, "You realize that may be harder than you think, correct?"

"Perhaps," the queen nodded before shrugging, "But there are rumors circulating around my people, an old story about a Jedi captured during a mission and brought to our markets. She was sold into slavery, and the Jedi were none the wiser. Perhaps history will repeat itself here."

Hearing this, the Jedi exchanged a glance, wondering if this was a clue to Sundali Abazza's disappearance. Adi was the one who decided to ask, drawing in as much of her strength as she could, "And who was this Jedi? What did she look like?" before breaking off and coughing as her chest complained. All the electricity she had been subjected to was causing her problems, and it was clear that even the fabled endurance of a Jedi could only last for so long.

Queen Miraj only shrugged, "All I know is that she was human and young. We don't entirely care what our merchandise looks like, so long as it's healthy when it goes up for auction," pausing then and taking in the two Jedi masters that looked a bit thin, "Speaking of, you may want to consider eating something. You will drive down the price if you starve, and we can't have that. Not that it matters, judging from the look of you," sniffing at the sight of Master Gallia, who only glanced at her before letting her head hang.

The queen's eyes narrowed, and Luminara said, "She needs a medic if you want her to live; her heart can't take being electrocuted for much longer," hoping the queen's desire to sell a Jedi Master would have her see reason and get a medic down there.

Queen Miraj waved her hand dismissively, "If she lives or dies makes no difference to me. She was captured to prove Jedi could be taken captive, and we never intended to sell her. Tholothians make poor slaves; trying to sell her wouldn't be worth the time and effort. Besides," ignoring the indignation on Luminara's face and the contempt on the faces of the other Jedi while Adi just shut her eyes and tried to block them out, trying to gather what strength she could, "it doesn't matter in the end. You aren't why I am here right now. There is another reason."

"And that would be what?" Anakin asked, speaking for the first time and unable to keep the contempt out of his voice.

The queen didn't answer; instead, a deep voice the Jedi all knew answered, "It means, Skywalker, that there are higher prizes here," Count Dooku appeared then before turning to the Zygerrian queen, "Isn't that so, my lady?"

"Why yes, Count, it is," the queen replied as she led the way down the small hallway outside the cells, a stone wall opposite the cells, "I believe this prize is well worth your journey, and I will even give it to you for free if you are interested. As a sign of fellowship and goodwill between you and us."

The Jedi all looked as she walked away, Adi and Anakin having to crane their necks to look behind them as the Count and queen stopped in front of the cell next to them, Adi resting her head on the bars so that she wouldn't have to force her body to work harder than necessary. There was a few moments of silence and darkness, the queen clearly building the suspense, before suddenly a light was turned on. After the near-darkness of the dungeons, the light was too bright, even if it was quite dim, but their eyes adjusted quickly enough and they were shocked at what they saw. In the cell on the far side of the one just next to them were Masters Koth, Plo, Mundi, and Tiin, all restrained in the same way; Eeth Koth unconscious for whatever reason. Master Plo was restrained against the cell bars and had to look over his shoulder at what was happening, while Masters Koth and Tiin were being held against the wall with another small window high above. Master Mundi was bound against the far wall, and they all had slave collars around their necks to keep them from fighting.

But that wasn't what shocked them. What surprised them all was who was in the cell between them.

It was the half-Nautolan, dressed all in black, suspended in a force field with her hands bound in front of her with strong binders. A slave collar was around her neck, and her feet were also bound with binders. She was floating in the field with her head down and eyes closed, but as Dooku and the queen watched, she opened her eyes and slowly raised her head, contempt and what might have been hatred easy to see. She stared at the Sith and the queen, and then Dooku said, "You are right, Your Majesty, this certainly isn't what I was expecting, but it is a welcome sight. I would be most pleased if you didn't have her be part of the auction tonight and would be willing to take her off your hands right now."

The queen smiled before saying, "I knew you would like this gift, Count, but please, let us have dinner first and discuss the finer details. She isn't going anywhere, and neither are the Jedi. I am certain we can reach a suitable arrangement," extending a hand and beckoning him down the hallway. Dooku smiled and allowed himself to be led away towards the far end, where there was a door. That door opened and led out of this part of the dungeons before sliding down and shut with a satisfying slam. It wouldn't open without the proper access codes.

Once the two of them were gone, Obi-Wan turned to the half-Nautolan, who only floated in the force field, not paying anyone there any attention. She stayed silent and turned her attention to her hands, and looking closely, Obi-Wan could see some blood on her wrists. The binders were now too tight and cutting into her skin, clear signs she had been struggling for a long time to free herself.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes then and shook his head when he saw Master Tiin look at him from the far cell, the same question in his eyes.

How were they going to get out of this?

---

Kidnapped! During a Separatist invasion of the planet Kiros, thousands of peaceful colonists are abducted by Zygerrian slavers. Determined to find the missing colonists, the Jedi travel to Kiros, only to be taken captive and taken to Zygerria, home to the galaxy's most notorious slave empire.…

The newly captured Jedi had only been in the cell a few hours when two guards came into the hall, both Zygerrian and cruel. Seeing them, Adi, who was closest to the door, said quietly, "The guards come through every few hours or so. Mostly to torment us. It's best to –" cutting off with a cry of pain as she was viciously electrocuted, one of the guards saying after it was over, "You speak when spoken to, Jedi. Not before or after, you got it?"

There was no response from Adi, who hung there with her head hanging low and panting heavily as she got the pain under control, too weak to stand and just hanging from her wrists. She had already been there the longest and was starting to reach the limits of her endurance if the pain and suffering in her eyes were any indications. The others with her weren't sure how much longer she would last, but it clearly wasn't very long, and her heart would likely give out soon if it was subjected to more electricity. The Jedi in both cells weren't pleased about the situation at all, Anakin throwing himself against his binders in a useless attempt to get to Adi. At the same time, Master Tiin called for them to leave her alone, and all had to work to control their anger. Still, it was nothing compared to the anger they could feel coming from the half-Nautolan.

Even though the Force had been suppressed, it was still there. Even without it, it was clear she wasn't happy about what had just happened; for some reason, she felt protective of Adi. Her head was up and her lip was curled, eyes glaring and hard. She almost seemed to be daring the guards to come into her cell and pick on someone who could and would fight back, and they noticed. The one who had electrocuted Adi nudged his companion, saying, "What do you think, Luca? Should we….invite….ourselves in? I'm sure these Jedi wouldn't mind seeing a show."

Luca nodded, eyes lighting up with glee, "She bit Darts D'Nar on Kiros when she was captured there with those pathetic artists. I wouldn't mind putting her in her place. After all, she is nothing but property now; it's high time she learns that."

His friend nodded and opened the door to her cell, sauntering over as the Jedi all watched and wondered what was going to happen. The half-Nautolan was literally unable to move, and it was clear she wasn't interested in anything those two were thinking of. She had stopped glaring at them and was now staring at the floor, disinterest written all over her face. Adi had recovered by this time as much as she could and was watching as well over her shoulder while panting incredibly heavily, worried something terrible was about to happen.

For whatever reason, she still felt a connection to this half-Nautolan, even if she couldn't explain it, and didn't want her getting hurt.

The half-Nautolan and the guards weren't paying the Jedi any attention; the guards slowly circling around the force field the half-Nautolan was trapped in while the half-Nautolan stayed silent and staring. After about a minute of this, the one guard, Luca, finally stopped circling and stood in front of her, standing so close he was invading her personal space, something the Jedi had learned wasn't a good idea.

But the half-Nautolan still didn't react, or even speak, as Luca came too close. After a few seconds, the guard said, "You can talk, can't you? Or are you just someone who has to be beaten into speaking? Most slaves have to be beaten to shut them up, like that one," nodding at the still-unconscious Master Koth, "Do you need to be beaten to speak?" he leaned in closer and narrowed his eyes, "Answer me, now."

The half-Nautolan still didn't speak, and that was when the other guard said, "There might be another way," smiling cruelly and unfurling a whip, delivering a light blow to her back. She only kept staring at the ground, refusing to give them what they wanted. The guard only shook his head before saying, "We might have to get inventive here. Maybe we should ask the queen if we can have some personal time with her. Behind closed doors."

Luca grinned in agreement, while the Jedi were only horrified at the suggestion. But before anyone could do anything of the sort, the half-Nautolan finally reacted. She looked up slowly through her thick eyelashes, so it may have been called seductive, and it was enough for the guards. As Luca kept circling, his friend grabbed the half-Nautolan's chin and forced her head up even more, saying, "Is that the best you can do? Silence and look? Where's the fight we were promised with you? These Jedi put up more of a fight than you did."

The half-Nautolan only looked at him for a few moments before slowly opening her mouth….and biting down on his forearm and not letting go. She kept biting, chomping down again and again, biting deeper and deeper, as the guard screamed and reeled back, the Jedi unable to feel anything but shock as she kept at it, not expecting that reaction at all. The guard falling back was enough to pull her out of the force field since she didn't let go of his arm, and she landed on top of him. Luca was there in seconds, trying to pull her off his friend, but it didn't work.

Her jaws were locked down, and wouldn't let go until she was ready or forced to.

The screams and sounds brought more guards and slavers rushing into the cell, and seconds later, the half-Nautolan had been forced to let go through sheer brute force and was being dragged away from the guard. The Jedi could only watch in surprise and even some admiration as she was forced away from the guard. His blood was dripping down her chin, and as they watched, she even swallowed some of it but clearly didn't mind, which was rather disgusting. But after a few minutes, things calmed down as the queen and Dooku appeared, with the queen saying, "What is the meaning of this? I made it clear no one was to enter this cell for any reason, not even to give food or water. What did you think you were doing?"

Luca started to answer, but suddenly there was another scream from the other guard. All turned to him and were shocked as he began to convulse. Froth came from his mouth, and his eyes rolled back into his head. He started hitting his head on the floor uncontrollably as he seized, but minutes later, it stopped as he went limp, one of the slavers near him shaking him before checking and saying, "He's dead," looking up at the queen.

Queen Miraj, indeed everyone there was shocked to hear this, including the Jedi who had never seen anything like it, but then Luca said, "All she did was bite him, that's all. On the arm," pointing at the arm in question. The slaver that had checked the now-dead guard carefully picked up the arm to reveal where he had been bitten. The flesh was already black and dead, and there were two deeper puncture marks where the half-Nautolan's canines had gone in. The queen and those in the cell then turned to the young woman, who only looked at them before opening her mouth and slowly running her blood-soaked tongue along her now bloody teeth before closing her mouth and swallowing more of the guard's blood. She yawned after that, much like a cat, pulling her lips back to reveal canines slightly longer than the rest of her teeth, and the queen frowned. Long strings of saliva were dripping from those canines, and as they watched, some of that saliva hit the stone floor and started bubbling and dissolving the stone like acid.

"It seems our newest acquisition has a rather poisonous bite," she said as she turned to Dooku, who had been silent the entire time, "I am sorry, Count, I was not aware of this development."

"It is quite alright, Your Majesty," Dooku said, hiding his surprise rather well, "I do not think anyone was."

The queen nodded before saying, "Yes, well….if you would excuse me, Count, I think some punishment is needed for this. I cannot just let her get away with killing one of my guards. Other prisoners may have the same idea," looking over Count Dooku's shoulder at Skywalker and smiling brightly. The young Jedi only scowled and stayed silent, knowing she was trying to bait him.

"Of course, my lady," Dooku said, "Don't let me stop you. But perhaps refusing to feed her for a few days would be a suitable punishment? I can't imagine her fighting back if she is too weak from lack of food," as the half-Nautolan was dragged over to the force field and put back in by two guards, her not resisting the entire time with so many people ready to restrain her if need be.

Queen Miraj actually shook her head at that, "I'm afraid that won't do much good, Count. She has already been here a few days and hasn't been given any food already, mostly because she does that," pointing at the half-Nautolan. She looked like she was dry-heaving, but instead of throwing up, she only seemed to bring up a previous meal before swallowing it again, clearly not needing to eat anytime soon.

Seeing this, Count Dooku raised an eyebrow, "She certainly has plenty of surprises. By all means, my lady, do what you must to discipline your slaves. I will be watching from outside," turning and leaving the cell as the queen turned on her own electro-whip and started hitting the half-Nautolan, who only shut her eyes and blocked out what was happening.

If only the Jedi could have done so. They were all watching, including Eeth Koth, who had finally regained consciousness with all the noise coming from the next cell, and they all winced every time the whip made contact with skin, but the half-Nautolan still didn't react or seem to care. After about fifteen minutes, the queen finally stopped when it became more apparent that she wasn't going to get any reaction from the half-Nautolan, turning her whip off and going over to inspect her handiwork on the half-Nautolan's back. The Zygerrian queen only shook her head before turning to Count Dooku and saying, "There isn't a lash mark anywhere on her back. Her skin is too tough. I'm afraid I would have better luck beating a rancor."

Hearing that caused a few Jedi to smile, while Dooku only scowled and said, "Perhaps more efficient punishment can be dealt later. Let us go for now, my lady, and see what meal your cooks have come up with. I am sure we will think of something over dinner."

"As you say, Count," Queen Miraj said as she left the cell, the guards and slavers leaving and taking the dead body. After all had exited and the door was closed and locked, the queen told the half-Nautolan, "You will be lucky if you live through today. The punishment for a slave killing their master is death. Think about that as you wait," leaving with Count Dooku and the others. The last one to go was a young Zygerrian guard with a red ribbon tied around his upper right arm, who looked over the Jedi and half-Nautolan with something that might have been pity on his face before following the others out the door.

What that meant the Jedi had no idea.

Once the door was closed and things had settled down a bit, Anakin looked at the half-Nautolan and said, "So what was your plan? Bite a slave guard and get yourself killed? Some plan," as he turned to look at the others in the cell with him, missing the irritated look the half-Nautolan shot his back. But Adi and those watching the half-Nautolan saw it, and a few moments later she was again fighting, but this time against the force field.

And it wasn't to free her entire body; it was just to raise her hands a few inches. As they watched, she fought against the force field again, and this time succeeded in crossing her wrists in front of her and reaching under the wraps on her left arm. Looking over his shoulder, Master Plo watched in surprise that quickly turned to awed amusement as she produced a small vibroblade she must have taken from the guard when she fell on him. Glancing at the others in the cell, he saw they were similarly impressed at her daring and skill as a pickpocket.

Not paying them any mind, the half-Nautolan carefully held the knife in her bound hands, twisting it ever-so-carefully so that it was alongside the binders. Even watching her, the Jedi couldn't see what she did, but seconds later, the binders were off, at least on one wrist. She immediately got them off the other one before reaching down and undoing the bindings around her ankles. Moments later, the force field was also deactivated, and she was leaping down to the ground, shaking her entire body as if to shake off her captivity.

No one came into the hallway, so either the guards were changing shifts or believed she couldn't get out of the cell. It was actually neither, but the half-Nautolan decided to keep that surprise to herself for now.

She reached up after that and took the knife to the collar, and seconds later, it was on the ground as well. She looked around for a few moments before straightening her back and shaking herself again, walking to the cell door and looking at the lock. She looked it over carefully for a few minutes before looking at the window in her cell. Unlike the windows in the Jedi's cells, this one was a bit bigger and had an excellent windowsill that someone could sit on if they could get to it. The half-Nautolan seemed interested in doing so, but not at the moment. At the moment, she was more interested in her right arm, reaching around with the knife in her left hand and cutting into her right arm as if it meant nothing.

The Jedi were all disturbed at what she was doing and didn't know why she was doing it, especially since it didn't seem to bring her pain, but Anakin understood what it meant right away: "They put a slave tracking device in her arm. She remembered where they put it and is taking it out so they can't blow her up when she attempts an escape."

"I'm impressed," Ahsoka said as she watched the half-Nautolan for a few more moments before saying, "But that doesn't help us right now."

"It might," Luminara said as she watched the half-Nautolan, "Although I'm not sure what she's doing now."

The others looked as the half-Nautolan pulled the knife, now covered in her own reddish-green blood, out of her arm and reached out for the Force. At first they thought nothing would happen with the Force-suppressant in the air, but she surprised them again with her strength in the Force. It responded to her even with the drug, and she was able to slowly and carefully pull out the tracking device in her arm. She held it carefully with the Force, not moving it at all so that it would think it was still in her body, before walking over to the window and easily climbing up with the help of small cracks in the stone. Seconds later, she was settled on the windowsill, watching the world outside for a few minutes. Seeing this, the Jedi couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Clearly, she was a free spirit and not meant to be caged or contained, yet she was seemingly unable to escape.

After a few minutes of staring out the window, the half-Nautolan hopped down and brought the tracking device over to the window since it had been hovering next to the door the entire time she had been at the window. It stayed near the window, which didn't have any glass but did have bars to keep people in. As this was happening, the half-Nautolan went again to the door and the lock, only this time she reached through the bars with the vibroblade she had taken from the dead guard.

She jammed it into the lock then and used all her weight and strength to push the knife down inside the lock, seeming to jam it shut. After that, she only went to the nearby corner, closest to Master Plo, who looked over his shoulder at her and asked, "What are you doing now?"

Again the half-Nautolan didn't answer, only glanced at him before reaching down and drawing two blades from her boots, shocking the Jedi. Seeing the blades, Obi-Wan said quietly, "Either the Zygerrians didn't search her very well, or she didn't give them a chance to, and they decided the force field would contain and restrain her. Clearly mistakes on their part, but I don't think anyone, especially her, is complaining."

This time the half-Nautolan glanced at him with some amusement before tucking herself even deeper into the shadows of the corner and looking over at the floating tracking device near the window. She sat there, silent and still, for several minutes, waiting. After a few minutes more, she finally looked up at the door and reached out with the Force, dividing her attention and causing the tracking device to fly through the window and instantly explode while also yanking up on the knife in the cell door with the Force, causing the lock to malfunction and the door to open. At the same time, she ducked down into the shadows, tucking her head under her arm and hiding her face as her hair moved down to hide her as well, becoming one with the shadows so completely it was like she wasn't there at all.

Explains the black, Obi-Wan thought as he saw how she just disappeared into the darkness around her before looking outside the cell as the door near them opened. The explosion outside had caused guards to enter the hallway and come rushing in, over twenty Zygerrians armed to the teeth. They all congregated outside the now-open cell door. They mingled out there for a minute, clearly unwanting to go inside, before one of them decided to take the risk and enter, looking around carefully with two vibroblades out and ready. He started searching the cell when suddenly there were more explosions and the sounds of fighting coming from outside. Alarms began to blare inside the palace, and the guards looked up and around as they entered the cell to look for the half-Nautolan.

Which became their mistake as she suddenly materialized out of the shadows.

She attacked viciously, cutting the throat of one while slamming her other knife into the stomach of another guard before almost beheading him. She cut them down one by one, utilizing every skill she knew to the utmost, revealing why Obi-Wan had always advised caution when dealing with her. She sliced through the tendons of one guard's knee, disabling him and giving her a chance to cut his throat. Another guard grabbed for her arm and she dodged him, slamming her knife into the side of his neck and then yanking it forward, making blood spatter all over the ground and her.

Outside, the fighting intensified, if the sounds were any indication.

More guards had come inside the cell and hallway, but it wouldn't have made a difference. As the Jedi watched and could not do anything, the half-Nautolan kept fighting and killing until she reached the cell door and fought her way into the hallway, where everyone could see her without craning their necks. She fought the Zygerrians back on her own, clearly unintimidated by their numbers or afraid. She kept fighting, fighting them back until there were only a few left. Those few were quickly dealt with, and then there was only one who unfurled an electro-whip and started using it as a weapon. It flew through the air and wrapped around one of her knives, but the half-Nautolan wasn't worried. She had a steel grip on her blades and instead yanked the Zygerrian forward, leaving him no choice but to turn his whip off and retract it if he didn't want to lose it. He turned it back on instantly and sent it flying towards her again, and this time she let it wrap around her arm.

Unable to do anything, the Jedi could only watch as she grimaced slightly in pain, causing the slaver to grin. But that grin was soon replaced by fear as she grabbed the whip, ignoring the electric shocks it was giving her, and yanked it forward before the Zygerrian could react. He lost his footing and fell forwards as she leaped into the air, coming down behind him and wrapping an arm around his neck, the other hand going around behind his head. Seconds later, he slid to the ground, limp and dead, his neck completely broken. The Jedi were shocked to see that, but a voice could be heard from the other end of the hallway past the cell holding Master Plo and the others with him: "Impressive work, young one, you certainly are living up to your reputation."

They all turned to that voice, the half-Nautolan doing so slowly, almost to emphasize the amount of blood she was covered in. They were greeted by the sight of a somewhat larger Zygerrian male in a hoverchair. He was lounging rather comfortably in the chair, a confident smile on his face, which widened when the half-Nautolan took a step towards him. He only said, "Come now, young one, I know a Jedi won't kill an unarmed man," opening his rather large hands and revealing he was, in fact, unarmed.

The half-Nautolan only looked at him for a brief moment before looking down at her bloody blades and hands, but that lasted all of a moment before she tossed the knife in her right hand up in the air and caught the blade. She threw it then, with all her strength and the grimmest expression the Jedi had ever seen on her face. The blade went right between the Zygerrian's eyes, shocking the Jedi even more.

They had known she was dangerous, but they hadn't thought she would so willingly kill someone who was unarmed.

But apparently, she had no tolerance for slavers since she only watched dispassionately as the hoverchair lost control and spun around a few times before crashing into the control panel next to the door and causing it to open. At the same time, the binders holding the Jedi to the walls and bars of their cells opened, freeing them even if the doors still didn't open. Adi collapsed down to the ground and clearly didn't have the strength to get up, Luminara immediately going to check on her. Rubbing their wrists and getting the circulation back into their hands, the Jedi watched as the half-Nautolan ran down the hallway towards the now-open door and disappeared through it, ignoring them. Seconds later, the young guard from earlier came back, blaster in hand and followed by a few others, all with a red ribbon wrapped around their right upper arm. Seeing this, Obi-Wan asked, "What's going on?"

The guard didn't answer for a few moments, trying to get the lock to the cell that held Master Plo and the others open and surprising the Jedi there, but nothing he did worked. He growled before saying, "These locks must be tied in with the main system. They won't open without the right code," even shooting the lock a couple times but to no avail. The others with him only shook their heads, one of them muttering, "Blasted queen," before suddenly shooting and killing three guards coming through the doors.

Even more surprised than before, if that was possible, Luminara asked as she stood up, "What is happening here?"

The guard only turned and said, "Ever witness a successful slave rebellion, Master Jedi? With the help of others that think slavery should be a thing of the past?" nodding at those with him.

"Are you serious?" Anakin asked in disbelief, to which the guard nodded solemnly, "Very serious, Master Jedi. We've been working towards this day, in the shadows, for over twenty years. And now we're ready to fight. It's time to end slavery on Zygerria for good. Now, we just have to get these doors open," slamming the butt of his rifle into the lock but still having no luck. He looked up at the Jedi and asked, "Any chance that magic thing you can do is working now? It would probably help."

The Jedi all had to shake their heads; the Force-suppressing gas had stopped being pumped into the area, but it would take some time before their connection was back. Until then, there was nothing they could do. Seeing this, the guard said, "I think I know where the main control is for these locks. Come on," he said to his companions and ran down the hall past Anakin and the other's cell. As they passed, though, Ahsoka asked, "How do we know this is real? It could be a trick to get us out and punish us for attempting to escape."

The last guard through the door turned to look at her and stopped long enough to say, "If this were a trick, Master Jedi, wouldn't we be more surprised at all this?" sweeping an arm out at the bloodbath around them left by the half-Nautolan, "We didn't just decide to end slavery; there was a catalyst, and I think you've already met her," running after his friends a moment later and leaving Ahsoka to turn to the others and say, "Is it possible for the half-Nautolan to inspire this? Convince an entire society to turn against their culture?"

"Yes, it is," Master Tiin called from the other cell, "If the people are willing to do so and want to. It is hard to change minds; even harder to change hearts. Those guards were young; they must have been taught from childhood that slavery was wrong."

"And we're seeing the results of that teaching," Adi said breathlessly as she pushed herself up and leaned against the cell bars, clearly still weak from the lack of food and the electricity she had been subjected to. Seeing this, Obi-Wan came over and decided to use the Force and was finally successful, even though his connection still wasn't strong enough to open the door. Crushing the internal workings of the collar, he was able to remove it from Adi's neck, the others doing the same with each other as Obi-Wan removed his own. Once free of the collar, he looped Adi's arm around his neck and picked her up, the Tholothian Jedi clearly unable to walk and him not wanting to put her heart under greater strain. Master Tiin was helping Eeth Koth walk in the other cell until the Zabrak signaled he could do so on his own. However, they were still in the dilemma of not being able to open the door.

Adi only rested her head on Obi-Wan's shoulder and closed her eyes, not having the strength to do anything else.

Surprised at how much weaker Adi was than he had first thought, Obi-Wan turned to Luminara, who said softly, "She was here first and told me the slavers wouldn't let her sleep. I don't think she's had a full meal or full night's sleep since she was brought here," looking at the other Jedi with concern. Hearing that, Obi-Wan shook his head as he carried Adi to the cell door just as the half-Nautolan came through the door at the far end past Master Plo and the others. Whatever she had been doing wasn't clear, but now she had a knapsack looped over her shoulder. Her remaining vibroblade was nowhere in sight, but that didn't bother her as she looked around. Seeing that the doors were still not open, she went to the panel the hoverchair had crashed into. Using the Force, she pushed it out of the way, not the least bit bothered when the dead Zygerrian rolled out of the chair and lay limply, her knife still in his head.

She only looked at him in mild disgust before turning to the panel. Reaching in and pulling out quite a few wires, she started re-wiring everything there or removing the wires altogether. She was clearly an experienced slicer or electrician. She only had to work on it a few minutes before the locks started humming and going through their unlock sequences.

Or at least one of them did.

The other had been jammed when she had slammed a slaver into it and wouldn't open. The half-Nautolan almost didn't notice, but as she was running past them Anakin called, "Wait!" and she stopped and looked at him. He only added, "The lock is broken. We need our lightsabers if we want to get out."

The half-Nautolan cocked her head briefly, staring at him, before walking back a few paces to look at the lock in question. She cocked her head again as she looked at the lock, but just then, there was a buzzing sound as the other cell door started slowly opening. Whipping her head around to look, her eyes widened briefly before she again looked at the lock. She backed up a few steps then and brought her hands up, palms facing her for balance. Seconds later, she gave the lock a powerful kick, spinning around on the ball of her other foot to not lose her balance.

The lock beeped in protest but still didn't budge.

She did it again, kicking with enough force the metal around the lock gave way slightly, but the lock still wouldn't budge. She stopped for the briefest of moments, but a small groan from Adi had her looking up, and that was when something flashed in her red-purple eyes, something that looked like a mixture of concern, compassion, and for a moment looked older than she was. Whatever it was was gone as soon as it came, and she was kicking the lock again.

And this time, she put so much strength into it the metal and the lock gave way.

She took off running then, but not before dropping the knapsack she had with her. The doors had opened by then, and the Jedi had left, walking carefully to not step in a pool of blood or on someone's severed hand or head. Anakin was quick to pick up the knapsack and look inside, and his face lit up when he reached in and pulled out a lightsaber, which he gave to Ahsoka. Within moments they were all armed again, with Luminara saying, "It was nice of her to give us our weapons. It would be nicer if we knew what was going on," turning to the others.

"Let's follow her and find out," Master Koth suggested, "If nothing else, it will get us out of this hallway and perhaps to a place where we have a better chance of fighting if necessary."

They all agreed and left the hallway, following the half-Nautolan and the guards before her. Without knowing the palace's layout or even where they were inside the palace, the Jedi decided their best option was to follow the half-Nautolan's bloody bootprints, which led up several flights of stairs and down long hallways. Once those ran out, they followed the sounds of heavy fighting, eventually coming to what looked like a hangar, with several ships along the walls and two large hangar doors at either end. It was longer than it was wide, and there was plenty of space for ships to take off and land.

It was also full of people fighting, blaster to blaster and fist to fist. As the Jedi watched, they were shocked to see not just Zygerrian fighting Zygerrian but also slaves fighting. And those slaves were armed. The slaves were being freed by Zygerrians with red bands wrapped around their arms, deactivator wands and keys ready for tracking chips and collars. Seeing this caused the Jedi some surprise, but then Obi-Wan was heading for the young guard from before who was waving at them from where he had taken cover behind some supply crates and barrels. Apparently, he had been pinned down before he could get to the central control room.

Luminara and Ahsoka ignited their blades and stayed to either side of Obi-Wan since Adi had lost consciousness, clearly having run out of strength and energy. At the same time, Anakin and Master Plo dealt with the few droids that had noticed they were there. Masters Mundi, Tiin, and Koth protected the flank as the group ran for the guard. When they got there, the guard grinned briefly before calling over the sounds of fighting, "Welcome to the party, Master Jedi! We've secured the palace, and the rest of the revolt is going as planned. We just need to catch the queen before she escapes!" Obi-Wan laying Adi down behind the barrels to give her more protection.

"Why?" Ahsoka asked as she deflected lasers coming at them along with Master Koth and Master Tiin. The guard answered, "Because if we don't, she will start up the slave markets somewhere else with her followers. If we stop her from leaving, we can hand her over to the Republic to be tried, which is ideal. We just need to find her."

"Found her!" another Zygerrian called as he, dressed as a slave driver but with the same red ribbon around his arm, crashed to his knees nearby, panting heavily, "She's heading for the ships with Count Dooku," he cracked a grin then, "But they're about to have problems of their own! Our friend is delaying them so we can get there!"

"What does that mean?" Obi-Wan asked, deciding he was truly not enjoying this day. Aside from having to protect an unconscious Adi, which was a concern for him since nothing he did could wake her and taking her pulse revealed her heart was going too fast, he had to put his trust in people whose culture hadn't generally been kind and friendly to the Jedi in the past. It was a lot to take in for one day, and he didn't like the fact so much of what was happening was out of his control.

"Come with me!" the Zygerrian dressed as a slave driver called, "Things are about to get crazy!" standing up as much as he dared and starting to run deeper into the hangar, but stopped when he saw the Jedi weren't following. Obi-Wan was still crouched next to Adi, and the others weren't inclined to leave her either, but they couldn't take her with them. It was too dangerous where they were going, and she was defenseless.

These thoughts passed through their minds in a matter of moments, and then the guard was saying, "Go, I'll protect her," seeing their continued distrust, the guard sighed and said, "You have my word, on the life of my daughter, that she will be safe. Aren't Jedi supposed to know when someone is lying? I'll bring her as soon as it's safe; you have my word."

Obi-Wan still hesitated before looking at the others, but he could see they all sensed what he sensed: this Zygerrian was telling the truth and would do as he just promised. The Jedi Master turned back to the guard and nodded, asking, "What's your name?"

The guard looked surprised but answered all the same, "Rannek, my name is Rannek Su," a laser hitting the box near his head and making him duck.

"Alright, Rannek," Obi-Wan said, "We will see you soon."

Rannek nodded as he reached over and pulled Adi closer to him and more out of the line of fire, going back to shooting those that wanted slavery to continue. The Jedi left the cover of those crates and barrels and ran after the other young Zygerrian that had told them to follow him. He nodded as they ran after him, Anakin and Master Plo joining them as they went deeper into the hangar. When they arrived, they were again surprised.

'This is getting old,' Anakin thought as he tried to get his surprise under control, 'Why is it that everything involving this woman is a surprise?'

The half-Nautolan was there already, and she was fighting Dooku while behind them, the queen and her followers had already been subdued by the rebels. Actually, fighting might be too strong of a word. Rather, she was ducking and dodging Dooku and his blade, leaping through the air and twisting to stay away from him, and Dooku wasn't letting up. He wasn't letting her take a breath or stop; wasn't giving her a chance to regroup and draw her own weapons, and for some reason, she wasn't concerned. It was then that Obi-Wan realized his connection to the Force was back as strong as ever because he could sense what she was thinking. Glancing at those with him, he realized they could feel it too.

Turning to the fight at hand, Obi-Wan was ready to go in and take over the fight from the half-Nautolan, but before he could, she was able to get under Dooku's defenses for the briefest moment and deliver a kick that sent him sprawling. It wasn't enough time for her to get away, but it did give her a chance to regroup for a second. Dooku was back on her instantly, his blade in an overhand blow to take her head off, but at the last possible moment, another lightsaber blade appeared out of nowhere and blocked his.

Dooku was just as surprised as the Jedi, if his face was an indication, especially since the half-Nautolan had always fought with vibroblades in the past and yet clearly had a lightsaber of her own. He disengaged from her and took a step back, and she was able to bring her lightsaber into ready position while he collected his wits for a few moments, giving the Jedi a chance to get a good look at her lightsaber for the first time.

It was a cyan-blue with a tinge of green around the outside of the blue, revealing she was both a scholar and warrior of the Force. The hilt itself was beautifully crafted from what they could see: it looked made out of pure silver polished to a mirror shine, and was carved with ancient tribal symbols they couldn't see clearly. Part of the handle along one side was a glass vial of water, and two buttons indicated it had been modified for underwater use as well. Clearly a beautiful weapon and well-crafted, she held it in a ready position, ready for whatever Dooku was planning next.

Whatever it was came soon enough as Dooku charged her and started reaching into the Dark Side to allow his anger and hatred free rein and give him the edge he thought would win him this fight. The half-Nautolan only blocked the first few blows from him before leaping backward a dozen meters. She did a backflip and landed on her feet, landing square and strong. Dooku's anger welled inside of him then as he called the Dark Side to him and Force-lightning erupted from his fingers.

It went straight for the half-Nautolan, who didn't get out of the way. Instead, she raised her right hand and did something Obi-Wan had only seen Master Yoda do once: she caught the lightning in her hand and held it there, allowing it to get stronger and stronger. As she did so Obi-Wan, and the other Jedi, could feel the Dark Side well inside of her, but it was tightly controlled, and she was only using as much as she needed to. It still was almost overpowering to the Jedi, who were surprised at the level of skill she was displaying.

Every time they met this woman, she threw one more shock or surprise at them.

Dooku finally stopped sending lightning her way, but it didn't disappear or dissipate. Instead, it gathered around the half-Nautolan, and as they watched, she moved her hand to the side, revealing her face. It was an interesting sight in the flickering light of the lightning, and there was an arrogant smirk on her face. Dooku actually took a step back when he saw it, and not even a second later, she was sending the lightning right back to him, much stronger than what he had sent her. Dooku barely had a moment to bring his lightsaber up to catch the lightning, and the half-Nautolan could have kept going for as long as she wanted to; that was clear to the Jedi. But instead, she eventually stopped the lightning, leaping into the air to come down on top of Dooku. Without his quick reflexes, she would have crushed him, but he still got out of the way of her in time and spun on the ball of his right foot to regroup himself. His lightsaber was up just in time to block a blow from her lightsaber, and she jumped back a pace so that he could prepare himself for the next round of this fight.

All around them, the fighting for a slave-free Zygerria was still going on. The Jedi had to help in that fight at times, but for the most part, they were able to watch the battle between Dooku and the half-Nautolan. Dooku brought his blade up in front of his face to bisect his face vertically in his traditional way of saying he was ready for this fight. The half-Nautolan only brought her blade forward in a reverse hold in her right hand, one foot behind the other with her weight resting on her back leg, also ready. Her face was blank and serious, with no emotions or clues to be seen, revealing she was a seasoned fighter. She lowered her blade, putting it almost behind her, still held in reverse, and waited.

Dooku wasn't impressed by her display of leaving herself open to attack, but didn't let it stop him as he charged forward and began an impressive display of his mastery of Form II. In contrast, the half-Nautolan settled into the aggressive style of Form I, and it was clear after just a few blows she was a master of the form. Not even Master Fisto, who was considered one of the finest duelists in the Temple, would have bested her skill. Dooku was hard-pressed to keep up with her sometimes, and he was soon struggling. Despite all his mastery, he wasn't a match for the half-Nautolan, but he still gave it his all.

Watching the fight, Anakin wanted to get involved but before he could, Obi-Wan said, "Wait, Anakin, let's see how skilled she is. She may be able to defeat Dooku all on her own."

Anakin disagreed with that assessment, not entirely, but decided to play along with Obi-Wan for the time being as he turned back to the duel, noticing offhandedly that the fighting around the hangar had died down, and it seemed the fighting in the palace was over. What was happening outside, he couldn't say, but he would deal with that later. Right now, he actually found himself wanting to watch the finest display of lightsaber skill he had ever seen before, and it was clear the others felt the same way. Dooku had been considered one of the finest duelists in the Order while he was still a Jedi, but he was clearly out of his league as he fought the half-Nautolan.

An elegant overhand swipe was met with a block that didn't budge a millimeter, proving the physical strength of the half-Nautolan. She kicked him in the stomach while his blade was blocked and disengaged her blade, retreating back for a few seconds as he collected himself, which he did soon enough and charged back in to engage her again. She only began an aggressive counterattack, not letting up and using Form I to its full potential and aggression. Dooku could only swipe at her head once, which she dodged by flinging her head back and retreating a step before charging back in. She teetered on the edge, as did any practitioner of Form I, and soon Dooku was struggling even more. The complexity of Form II was proving ineffective against the sheer strength of Form I, and Dooku knew it.

Especially when he realized he was fighting a master who was clearly playing with him.

Finally, it was clear it was enough for him since he again tried to use Force-lightning, but to no effect as she leaped clear out of the way and landed hard, the Force responding to her so strongly it emanated out of her feet and sent Dooku sprawling on his back. It was enough for her to leap forward and point the tip of her lightsaber at his throat, her foot on his right arm and pinning it to the ground, his lightsaber trapped as well.

For the Jedi, it had been an impressive display of skill and ability they had never experienced before. The half-Nautolan had shown her skill in Form I and her mastery of it in a matter of minutes, and it was clear that Dooku had no way out now. The half-Nautolan's eyes were empty of emotion, and she clearly wanted to end this fight, and possibly Dooku's life. Thinking back to what she had done down in the dungeons, the Jedi couldn't help but wonder if she would end his life right then and there when he clearly was defenseless.

Her opponent being unarmed and defeated hadn't stopped her in the past.

The Jedi stayed where they were, deciding to let her make the choice, but it wasn't made by her in the end. She stayed over Dooku, her blade not moving a millimeter, when something changed. From one moment to the next she went from staring at Dooku to turning her head to the left, almost as if she was listening to something over her shoulder, but the only ones there were the Jedi, and none of them were speaking. Her eyes slid half shut and her breathing quickened before suddenly slowing. She looked back at Dooku then, and something changed in her eyes. They were still guarded and wary, but something was in them as she looked at the fallen Jedi. It wasn't compassion or mercy; it was something ancient and older than Jedi or Sith. In the end, she leaped backward, a backflip that took her a few meters away and let Dooku get up, which he did. He got up slowly, surprise written all over his face that she had let him live, but the moment was short-lived as an ancient familiar starfighter zoomed into the hangar. The half-Nautolan took off running then, sheathing her blade as she did so and putting it on her belt. She raced along, heading straight towards the Jedi, but she leaped onto the starfighter about five meters or so before she would have run into them. She held on tight as it carried her out of the hangar, and seconds later, she was gone.

The Jedi all looked at each other, but the sound of another ship powering up caught their attention. They turned in time to watch Dooku's solar sailer speed out of the hangar the other way and disappear. Anakin grit his teeth at seeing the Count get away again, but before he could go think of going after the Sith, the hangar was again abuzz with the sound of ships. But this time, it was Republic gunships, all of whom landed and let clones disembark, who immediately took charge of the prisoners collected in the hangar. And coming towards them were Rex and Cody, Rex saying, "Good to see you, general. The planet has been secured."

"Secured?" Anakin asked, clearly confused, and Rex added, "Yes, sir. The Zygerrian rebels responsible for orchestrating this rebellion sent word to the Republic and the Temple about what was happening, and the Republic sent a large fleet. All those in government positions throughout the planet who supported the previous slave empire are being rounded up to be tried on Coruscant."

"That's impressive, Captain," Obi-Wan said, "I'm afraid we're a bit behind in the times since we weren't aware of any of this. We were just freed ourselves from one of the dungeons."

Rex clearly had no intention of commenting on his general and superiors needing to be rescued, again, and so Cody only said, "The Council wants a report as soon as possible, sir, once things are settled here," before he was called away by one of his men, Rex and Anakin going with him to coordinate the gunships. Ahsoka decided to go too and see if anyone needed her help with anything.

"Understood," Master Plo said as Commander Wolffe approached with the rest of Wolf-pack; other clone units whose generals had gone missing approaching as well, "We will deliver a report as soon as we know what will happen here. Does anyone know who will lead Zygerria now?"

"That would be me," a surprisingly female voice said behind them, and they all turned to see a young Zygerrian woman approaching with a small group. Also with her were Queen Miraj Scintel and her Prime Minister Atai Molec, both with their hands bound in front of them. Miraj was glaring daggers at the other Zygerrian woman, who ignored her as she approached the Jedi, "My name is Mirhala Scintel," she said, bowing her head to the Jedi in a show of respect that was uncommon from a Zygerrian when addressing a Jedi.

Luminara raised an eyebrow at that, "Scintel?" she asked as she and the others looked at Miraj. Now that they were next to each other, the Jedi actually could see the resemblance between Miraj and Mirhala. Mirhala seemed to be older, but not by much.

Mirhala nodded, "We are sisters, with widely differing viewpoints and opinions. I have always maintained the slave empire of our ancestors should be left where they are, in the past, but some had no interest in hearing it," turning to look at her sister before turning back to the Jedi, "Our parents weren't entirely inclined to believe it either, and so sent me away years ago and forcibly abdicated my throne for my sister. But that allowed me to build a network of supporters all throughout the planet and galaxy over the last twenty years or so. Through the work of people brought here, supposedly as slaves, we could gather weapons and plan a rebellion that we knew would be successful. It is a long time coming, but thankfully it is done, and the slave auctions will never open again."

The Jedi were impressed to hear that, but Miraj couldn't contain herself any longer, "Traitor!" she yelled at her sister, "You think this will work? You think you will succeed? How will you when the people realize there is no way forward for us? How do you plan to feed your people?" mockery in her eyes as she glared at her older sister, who only looked at her calmly.

Mirhala only said, "I was thinking of taking advantage of the arable land we have and that we are on a major trade route to transition our economy into something else. The Galactic Senate has even offered to send emissaries and help give us every advantage in our economy. No one will starve, and the plans are already in motion. Perhaps you would have noticed this sooner if you didn't have your head in the past," turning back to the Jedi and ignoring her sister, "Excuse our family drama, Master Jedi, she is just upset that in the great game of deception we have been playing for so long, I have finally won it seems."

"She is right in some respects, though," Master Mundi said, "How do you plan to keep your people loyal? For some, slavery is all they have ever known."

Mirhala smiled softly, "We waited twenty years for a reason, Master Mundi. By doing so, we can change the hearts and minds of young people, and they now outnumber our old people that cling to that way of life. Waiting twenty years allows us to teach our children slavery is wrong in every sense, and gives us a chance to put the long-term foundations in place to make sure the people are happy and thriving."

"And what of the slaves that are already here?" Master Koth asked as around them those same slaves, now freed, helped the clones load prisoners onto gunships to be tried. Mirhala looked at them, and the Jedi were surprised to actually sense the sadness in her at seeing so many that had spent so long in chains.

"The best I can offer is freedom, Master Jedi," she said softly, "We can get those that want to back to their homes and families, but there are some who have been slaves their entire lives. They don't know any other way to live. But," here she looked up, and there was determination in her eyes, "whatever they want to do I will honor it. If they want to leave, I will help them do so; if they want to stay and make lives, free lives, for themselves here, I will help them. They are my people now, and I will do what I can to protect and care for them. That is my vow."

Hearing this, the Jedi were surprised, but Rannek Su arrived with Master Gallia just then. He carried her easily but gently, and when he reached them, he handed her over to Obi-Wan, saying, "See, Master Jedi? Even Zygerrians keep their word every once and a while."

"It will take some getting used to," Obi-Wan said with a slight smile as he looked down at Adi, seeing that she was still unconscious and clearly spent. Seeing her, Mirhala asked, "Does she need a medic? I know some are checking the wounded right now," genuine concern was easy to hear in her voice, and the Jedi could sense she actually cared about how Master Gallia was doing.

Obi-Wan shook his head, "She needs healing the medics here won't be able to provide, I'm afraid, as well as sleep and a few good meals, but she will be fine. Thank you for your concern, though."

Mirhala nodded again, but then Rannek asked, "Where did our half-Nautolan friend go? She just disappeared."

"She left, Rannek," Mirhala said, "We both know she isn't one to bask in glory."

Hearing this, the Jedi were surprised, again, with Master Tiin asking, "You know the half-Nautolan? How?"

Mirhala smiled fondly, her eyes clouding with memories, before saying, "She is an old friend. When I was forced out of the palace as a teenager, she stood by me and convinced me it was possible to organize a slave rebellion. It was hard, convincing people to wait over two decades for the right moment. Still, she kept the movement going and kept now-former slaves from rebelling too soon. She was able to get into major cities here, map their layouts and weak points, and arrange for weapons to be smuggled onto the planet and stored where no one could find them until the right moment. Without her and all her hard work, this wouldn't have succeeded at all."

"I see," Master Tiin said, while Rannek added, "She was also an incredible teacher. She taught many here how to fight so that we could have a chance at this rebellion, and I don't think it would have been won without her skill and her patience. Imagine….working on ending a slave empire before it can start by getting ahead by twenty years. I can't imagine anyone else doing so."

The Jedi had apparently stopped being surprised by all this because Obi-Wan only asked, "You wouldn't happen to know where she is going by any chance?"

Rannek actually nodded, "I think she is going to Kadavo. It is where the colonists from Kiros are. We were planning on shutting down the slave processing camps there next. I think she wanted to get a head start and see what she could do. She probably also wants to save as many colonists as possible."

"We need to get to Kadavo, now," Obi-Wan said as he turned to Master Plo, who nodded, "Let's get Master Gallia to a medical transport and make sure things are secure here, then we will go."

"I appreciate your skepticism, Master Jedi," Mirhala said quietly, "And I can understand where it is coming from," as Rannek walked over to join her, "but it is misplaced. I won't bring back the slave empire; you have my word. On our daughter's life, you have my word," Rannek glancing at her as a little girl suddenly ran over, having clearly gotten away from her nanny droid or whoever was looking after her. She immediately leaped for her mother, who caught her quickly enough and held her against her hip, the little one hugging Rannek as best as she could while still being there.

Luminara couldn't help but smile at the young girl, who smiled shyly back. Mirhala said, "She is why we decided on this fight, Master Jedi, even though she wasn't even a thought in my mind when we decided to do this. Otherwise, she would have just become a slave to this system, like my sister, like our parents, like so many others who can't see another way of living outside slavery. We decided to be the last generation that would understand what slavery truly means for those that are subjected to it, and we will make sure it is taught in our schools for what it is: a cruel, archaic, brutal trade that shouldn't have been allowed to exist for so long. We will stop it now, I swear."

Hearing her words and her determination convinced the Jedi more than anything else, and so after a few more minutes, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, Anakin, and Master Plo all left, taking Master Gallia with them so they could head to Kadavo and find the people of Kiros. And so that Adi could get treatment and some rest. Masters Tiin, Koth, Luminara, and Mundi would stay behind to help coordinate the rebels and ensure the leadership transition to Mirhala was as quick and seamless as possible.

While the slave empire of Zygerria wouldn't be able to rise again, some of its outposts would still fight that fact as long as they could, and it was the Jedi who would have to make sure they weren't allowed to continue one day more.

---

Far above the planet, the half-Nautolan set her course for Kadavo after making sure the Jedi had taken Adi Gallia back to one of the cruisers orbiting the planet. Even though some would say she didn't care, her reasons for carrying about Adi Gallia were her own and intensely personal, hence why very few knew what they were or would have understood them anyway. Turning her attention back to the space around her, she couldn't help but look around in admiration at what the cruisers had done to secure the space around the planet. They had blasted through the blockade and warships guarding the planet rather quickly, and the debris from that battle was all around her. Content that everything in space was under control, the half-Nautolan reached out with her senses so she could check on Adi's heart and frowned a moment later. Adi's heart was still beating too fast due to all that electricity, and she winced. She knew what the treatment was to fix that, and she hoped Adi stayed unconscious for it.

It was painful and scary, even for a Jedi, and it wasn't something she would have wanted to subject anyone to. Hopefully, after that, Adi would just need rest and healing back at the Temple, and all would be well with her. Nodding inwardly, the half-Nautolan brought her fighter around and activated her hyperdrive, heading for Kadavo to stop slavery there for good.

---

A people enslaved! To locate the abducted colonists of a peace-loving world, the Jedi infiltrated the slaver planet of Zygerria, only to be captured by its ambitious queen, who plots to rebuild her empire of oppression. But having miscalculated the will of her people, the queen has been overthrown, and slavery will be no more on Zygerria. Now, the Jedi race to find the missing colonists of Kiros, following a mysterious being who is showing she is more than she what seems...

Finally arriving in the space above Kadavo, the Jedi team led by Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Plo Koon came with a plan formulated but open to change as necessary depending on what was happening on the planet's surface. Ahsoka was there as well but had offered to stay with Master Gallia since she was still in a critical condition but heavily sedated. She was semi-awake but needed to be kept calm. The medics on the cruiser had immediately given her the strongest sedatives they could, then given her a drug that had stopped her heart for a few brief minutes before restarting it while also running tests to see how the rest of her organs were faring. Those tests revealed her to be very close to liver and kidney failure and severely malnourished and dehydrated.

Giving her that drug had allowed her heart to reset and return to its normal rhythm, but the Tholothian Jedi was still seriously ill and needed the healers at the Temple. Ahsoka had volunteered to stay with her and ply what she knew of Force-healing to Master Gallia, which was likely more than what Master Plo or Obi-Wan knew. Anakin definitely knew nothing about healing, so Ahsoka was the best option.

Once convinced Adi was in good hands with Ahsoka and the medical team, the three Jedi Masters had taken a strike team down to the planet's surface, quickly finding the crater the facility was perched over. Master Plo was in his starfighter while Anakin and Obi-Wan approached in gunships along with their men. Warthog, one of Master Plo's pilots, and another were in two fighters and ready to dogfight if it came to that.

When they arrived, they were surprised to see a lone figure wielding a blue-green lightsaber on one of the facility's landing platforms, quickly cutting down the guards and even throwing some over the side and into the crater below with the Force. Flying around were two strange ships and a familiar starfighter; the two strange ships flying off when the Jedi approached and disappearing into the cloud cover above the planet. The starfighter kept circling the facility, distracting the gun turrets from the half-Nautolan on the platform and giving her a chance to leap to the top of one of the turrets and cut a hole in the top, disappearing inside. Seconds later, the guns started firing on the other turrets. Once they were all destroyed, the half-Nautolan climbed out and leaped down to the ground, running a guard through with her lightsaber before apparently deciding enough was enough. She reached out with the Force, grabbed all the guards there, and threw them off the platform and into the crater below.

Just then, the doors to the facility opened, and Togruta ran out and towards the half-Nautolan, and she disappeared among them for a few moments. But then she reappeared, running towards the edge of the facility. She leaped off the edge and into the crater below, falling several meters before her starfighter came around under her and picked her up, disappearing into the cockpit and flying away as the Togruta on the platform waved and cheered. Seeing this from the gunship, Obi-Wan remarked lightly, "It seems we are too late. Let's land and see if we are needed at all and what the story is. Be ready, though, for any guards that may have survived, even though I highly doubt it," turning to the troopers with them, who all nodded.

With Master Plo and his fighters flying overhead and keeping an eye out for trouble, the two gunships came in for a landing on the platform, the Jedi and clone disembarking and being met by the colonists of Kiros. The Governor of Kiros, Gupat Roshti, greeted them respectfully as the clones spread out to secure the area while the medics started looking the colonists over and removing slave collars.

"Master Jedi, thank you for coming to our aid," the governor said, while Obi-Wan said, "We're glad to be of some help, but it seems the situation here is well under control."

Governor Roshti nodded, "It would seem so, but we are still left with no way to get home. Our friend left us here and said you would help us get off this planet."

"What else did she say?" Obi-Wan asked in amused curiosity. Apparently, this half-Nautolan knew Jedi very well since she could guess what they would do.

Roshti shrugged, "Not much, I'm afraid, but that is expected. She and her friends fought the guards while we were trapped in a cell, and then she led us here. She had us wait inside while she dealt with the guards here, and that is when you arrived."

The Jedi were interested in the story and even more interested when the governor said the half-Nautolan apparently had friends, which would explain the two strange ships they had seen. Anakin was quick to ask, "Any chance you saw what these friends looked like? Or heard anything they said that could help us find her?"

There was murmuring from the Togruta gathered around, and Roshti said, "I'm afraid not; we could not see what was happening. We only know there were more people than her because of how the blaster fire sounded, and we could hear her lightsaber deflecting a few bolts but not all of them. I'm sorry, but there wasn't much we could do or see from the cell."

Anakin nodded while Obi-Wan asked, "Why don't your people want us to look for her? She has saved your lives; surely that deserves some credit from the Republic."

Roshti looked over his shoulder at his people before sighing and saying, "She has been a frequent visitor to Kiros over the years and always stays to enjoy our festivals and our art. We know what she is and the fact there are people, like the slavers, that would pay much money for her. But we have found her to be an untamed spirit, as I'm sure you have noticed by now," Obi-Wan and Anakin nodded at that. Roshti continued, "Because of this, we have kept her secret. We don't want anything happening to her without her permission. Even if it means you finding her. If she doesn't want anyone to find her, we will not tell anyone how to find her."

"And you don't know how," Anakin realized then. Roshti looked at him and nodded seriously, "We have never known where she comes from or where she goes when she leaves. We just find her a delight, and her knowledge of art and culture, not just ours but many thousands of others, is an inspiration for us and a joy to learn about. If we can protect her, we will, especially after all she has done for us today. She and her friends, whoever they are, didn't just save those of us in the facility today; they also rescued those that were dropped into the crater from falling to their deaths and returned them here," a few Togruta in the back nodding and applauding quietly, "I don't know how they got their ships into the crater without anyone noticing, but I am eternally grateful that they did and my people are safe."

"Right," Obi-Wan said, knowing there was no way to find her now and seeing the Togruta weren't going to tell them how even if they knew, "Well then, let's get off this planet and destroy this facility, shall we?" he asked, to which the Togruta gathered around nodded fervently, more than eager to go home. The gunships weren't big enough for everyone, but thankfully the landing platform was large enough for a Republic escort ship to come in for a landing and pick everyone up. Once all were on board, the ship had taken off, along with the gunships filled with clones; the gunships, Master Plo, and the fighters circled back to torpedo one of the support struts of the facility.

The facility had been built over a large crater, with three struts holding it in place over the crater. Just destroying one would cause the rest to collapse into the crater, but before the Republic forces could think of doing so, there was an explosion in one of the struts and it fell apart, the rest of the facility slowly falling into the crater. Seeing that, Master Plo asked, "Did someone fire prematurely?"

Negative responses were his only reply, but then Governor Roshti's voice came over the communications: "She told us before she left that as soon as the Republic got us to safety, she would trigger an explosive set into one of the facility struts. I think one of her friends put it there."

"I see," Master Plo said before turning to his ships and saying, "All ships, return to the cruiser. It is time to go."

"Copy that, general," Warthog said as they headed for the ship. Once onboard, the people of Kiros were transferred to the cruiser to be more properly assessed by medics; the ships taking off into hyperspace. Once they were gone, the half-Nautolan's starfighter de-cloaked as it joined up with the Ghost that had also been cloaked and not involved in the fighting at all. They left for hyperspace as well, the two ships and her friends taking another route to another place.

Her friends might have been involved in freeing the colonists of Kiros, but they preferred to remain in the shadows until they were needed again, so they would leave for the more forgotten corners of the galaxy.

Once safely inside the Ghost, the half-Nautolan exited her fighter and headed for the bridge, where a rather enthusiastic Chopper greeted her as they entered hyperspace, who was just as happy to hear slavery was over as she was, heading for home. After they made a quick stop to pick up some supplies for the people of Kiros. There was no point sending them home without a way to rebuild when they got there. From there they would go home to prepare for their next adventure, as well as send a message to thank Kit for all he had done to help the slave revolt be a success.

Getting his brothers involved had taken quite a lot of convincing, but she was glad he had been able to do so. Not that there was anything they wouldn't do for him, and they all knew it.

---

A few days after being freed from Kadavo, the people of Kiros were returned to what remained of their home with the firm desire to be part of the Republic after all the pain they had been subjected to by the Separatists. Arriving home, they were surprised to see some Zygerrians there along with other colonists that had been found as slaves all over Zygerria, the new queen keeping her word about freeing all those in chains, and as the transport ship was landing, a large cargo ship was taking off. Landing, the Jedi were able to see large supplies of lumber and equipment to rebuild the colony, with many people hard at work already. Governor Roshti was surprised at this as well, asking one of the colonists already working, "Asuni, where did all these supplies come from?"

Asuni answered enthusiastically, "The half-Nautolan, I think. She paid for all these supplies to be gathered and delivered and even paid to have the crew stay and help us unload and start building. The ship arrived a few days ago and just finished today."

"You're sure it was the half-Nautolan?" Obi-Wan asked, to which Asuni nodded, "I can't think of anyone else it could be. She has the resources when she helped us rebuild the governor's mansion after it was destroyed in an earthquake, and it is something she would do."

Roshti nodded as Asuni continued on with his work, turning to the Jedi and saying, "She is a very good friend and asks for nothing in exchange for these acts of kindness. Her help has nothing attached to it, and it is always there if we need it."

"Do you get in touch with her when you need that help?" Anakin asked, to which Roshti shook his head and replied, "No, we don't. She just seems to know when we need help or are about to need help and is there to give it."

Obi-Wan stroked his beard in thought before saying, "It seems like your friend has perfected the art of not just being a skilled fighter, but also winning people over more completely than we thought possible," turning to Anakin and Plo behind him, "Perhaps we need to rethink how we go about this situation with her."

Roshti didn't look entirely happy about that, but a Togruta passing by heard his words and asked, "Can't you just leave her alone? That's all she wants."

In surprise, the Jedi turned to her, with Roshti saying, "What do you mean, Amaarsha?"

Amaarsha shrugged, "I heard her say once that she just wants to be left alone and free to do as she pleases. She knows what she is and how dangerous it is, but she still wants to be alone. She doesn't think the Jedi can do anything for her."

"We can give her some protection," Master Plo said, "The government of Glee Anselm wants her dead; we can prevent that if we could just talk to her."

Amaarsha shook her head, "She isn't coming back here, not now. She won't come back until you are gone," looking at the Jedi, "She doesn't trust you."

"We haven't entirely given her a reason to," Obi-Wan said quietly before saying more loudly, "But that doesn't change what the monarchy of Glee Anselm will do if they catch her. They will kill her."

Amaarsha set her jaw stubbornly, "They haven't caught her in the last thirty or so years, and that was without your protection. Do you really think that she'll be able to avoid them any easier with it?"

Before this conversation could devolve even more Roshti cut in, "You make some good points, Amaarsha, and I'm sure our friend will appreciate you standing up for her. But the Jedi do care about her and what happens, which is why they are looking for her."

Amaarsha didn't seem to believe that if the slightly narrowed eyes were any indication, but she only nodded respectfully to the governor and the Jedi before walking away to join a group of Togruta and Zygerrians who were walking in the direction of a home that needed to be rebuilt. Apparently, forgiveness was quick for these two peoples since they talked and laughed amiably amongst themselves as they walked. Watching them leave, Roshti said, "Amaarsha's parents were killed in the same earthquake that destroyed the mansion," turning back to the Jedi, "We all helped raise her afterward, and she was always the first to greet the half-Nautolan whenever she came. They are great friends, and Amaarsha is very loyal. She meant no disrespect."

Obi-Wan smiled at that, while Master Plo said, "We can respect her passion, Governor. And her loyalty. I am sure it is appreciated. For now, let us get your people set on the path to rebuilding. Our learning about the half-Nautolan should not hinder you."

The governor bowed his head and extended his hand, inviting them forward into the city, their clones unloading even more supplies and tools they would need to rebuild their homes. With all the help they were being given, the people of Kiros would have a place to call home again very soon. Perhaps the Zygerrians helping them rebuild would stay, a few of them trying their voices at some of the Togruta traditional songs and not sounding too bad.

Perhaps things were capable of changing for the better on Zygerria.

---

A few days before….

Dooku had just fled Zygerria after his encounter with the half-Nautolan, feeling somewhat shaken by the whole ordeal. Once safely back with his fleet, he immediately sent a message to his master, who answered within a few hours and was incredibly displeased, "What is so important you risk a message now, my apprentice?"

"Our plans for a Zygerrian slave empire have failed, my lord," Dooku said, kneeling on one leg as he said this and knowing it wouldn't be received well, "The half-Nautolan spent the last twenty years organizing a slave rebellion with the Queen's sister, and they successfully overthrew her and seized control of the planet. And not just the planet. They have trained the next generation to have no tolerance for slavery. The Republic is already sending ships to help them transition away from a slaving empire."

Sidious' mouth curled in anger, and Dooku could feel the rage building before his master forced it back down as much he could, "Then there is nothing for it now. The Republic will work with the rebels to keep slavery off Zygerria. The small pockets of slave drivers that have managed to escape won't be enough to build another empire. This endeavor has failed."

Dooku bowed his head then before looking up and saying, "The half-Nautolan fought on Zygerria after allowing herself to be captured. We dueled in the hangar briefly, and she revealed she has a lightsaber, my lord."

Sidious grew still before asking, "And was she capable of using it?"

"Yes, my lord," Dooku replied, "Her skill with Form I was the most masterful I have ever seen, and she would have bested Kit Fisto," Sidious' anger climbed when he heard that, and Dooku continued, "She was more than I could fight, Master, and more than I could handle. She redirected Force-lightning back to me, and defeated me. The only reason I am alive now is because she let me live."

Sidious clearly didn't know what to make of that, but he answered quickly enough, "I may need to intervene, personally, if she becomes more of a nuisance and hindrance to our plans than she already is. For now, turn your attention to the war and our mission. I am not surprised she is so skilled at Form I; her teacher is Kit Fisto, and it would make sense she would learn her technique from him. I will deal with the half-Nautolan the next time she appears. And I will push the Jedi to focus more on finding her."

The transmission ended then, and Dooku stood up, scowling as he looked out the view windows of the bridge. Listening outside, Ventress smiled as she walked away to get her hidden transmitter and congratulate the half-Nautolan on a job well done. It wasn't often Dooku was defeated so soundly and quickly, and it was well worth the risk of being discovered to send her appreciation. Behind her, a tactical droid followed carefully and silently with a signal grabber, having been instructed by Count Dooku to find out if Ventress was as loyal as they thought she was.

If not, steps would have to be taken to ensure her loyalty was without question.

Or to destroy her, whichever came first.

---

Finally returning to the Temple, the Jedi that had been missing for so long were received and welcomed home. Master Gallia was still too ill to take part in the reunions and immediately taken to the medical center, the healers plying their trade with skill and experience. Soon, she was resting comfortably and on the mend. With Adi resting but unable to give her account of all that had happened until she was stronger, the others had told their stories of capture to the Council before explaining all they had witnessed on Zygerria and the fight with Count Dooku.

"It was an impressive display of skill," Luminara said thoughtfully from the center of the Council room where she stood with Anakin and Ahsoka, "I have never seen such clear mastery of a Form."

"Her skill with Form I was greater than yours, Master Fisto, I'm sorry to say," Anakin said with a grin, "She was able to trounce Dooku, but she didn't kill him."

Kit inclined his head with an easy smile, his pride clearly not damaged by this revelation. Obi-Wan added, "She may have been there to organize and fight in a slave rebellion, but she wasn't there to help us; that was clear. I think the only reason we were freed was that she felt sorry for Master Gallia. If not for her pity, we would have had to wait in those dungeons for quite a while before we were released."

Mace Windu nodded slowly before asking, "And did the colonists of Kiros know where she came from or where she was going?"

Master Plo shook his head, "No, they did not. They are friends of hers, but she has taken great steps to make sure they do not know much about her. They gave us a name, Reetar Sond, but there is no record of that name existing anywhere on Glee Anselm or elsewhere in the galaxy. So it is an alias, and we are no closer to finding her. Her lightsaber was well-crafted; whoever taught her to wield it also taught her how to craft one, and from what I could see, the symbols carved onto the hilt are not something I recognize."

Luminara nodded in agreement, "I searched the Archives earlier for any mention or similarity to other cultures in the galaxy and came up with nothing. It wasn't familiar to the people of Kiros or their culture either. Wherever it comes from is as unknown as she and her history are."

Yoda nodded slowly, bowing his head for a moment and closing his eyes, thinking carefully. After a few moments, he opened his eyes and said, "Look for her more, the chancellor requests. Commend her for freeing Zygerria and the people of Kiros; he wishes to. But find her; with caution, we must proceed. A skilled fighter she is; merciless she can be. Your tale of a venomous bite, unheard of this is for a Nautolan. Think we know all about her; we should not."

"She cared about Master Gallia," Ahsoka said hesitantly, "I could sense that. She baited those guards so they would leave Master Gallia alone and then freed her and us. I don't think she just felt sorry for her, it was something else, but I can't place what it is."

"Powerful, your perceptions are becoming, young Padawan," Yoda said, "Think more deeply on the matter you should. Find the answer, in time you may. For now, move forward cautiously we should," looking at Mace Windu as he said this.

Mace nodded as he turned to the three Jedi in the middle of the Council chamber, "The task force to find the half-Nautolan will continue its task as scheduled, with the understanding more care is be taken if we come across her again. There is a reason we are all taught Form I first as younglings; let's not forget why. It is a powerful form designed to combat multiple opponents at once, so we need to be prepared if we try and outnumber her. She has proven she is more than capable of fighting Form II, so I wouldn't be surprised if the others are known to her. Someone trained her, and I am leaning more towards Master Abazza every day. She preferred Form I over the others if I remember correctly, and I believe more and more she is the missing link. Who those flying the other ships and fighting with the half-Nautolan on Kadavo should be investigated as well when there is a lead to pursue, but our priorities should still be her and Master Abazza."

Luminara nodded, "The former queen of Zygerria did say a Jedi was taken captive as a slave and sold in their auctions many years ago. Perhaps it was Master Abazza who escaped on her own but decided not to return to us. Why that would be the case, I don't know, but a better theory has not presented itself yet."

The discussion moved on then to talking about finding Master Abazza and the half-Nautolan, and possibly finding the connection between them as well, but Kit wasn't entirely focused on the meeting. Anakin, Ahsoka, and Luminara had left to get some rest in Anakin and Ahsoka's case, and Luminara to check on Master Gallia. Kit was thinking over everything he had learned today, knowing there were only a few people in the galaxy the half-Nautolan would turn to for the help she had needed on Kadavo. This meant he would have to reach out to them as soon as possible and make sure they were alright.

It wouldn't help find the half-Nautolan, especially since he knew where she was, but it would calm the unease in his heart that his brothers may have gotten hurt during the fight on Kadavo, even if his mind was convinced they were fine. He would never forgive himself if something happened to them because he had asked them to do something they hadn't been entirely interested in doing in the first place. His brothers preferred to stay invisible, so convincing them to do the right thing was often a challenge, but their hearts were usually in the right place when he did ask for something, which wasn't often.

But now, he was struggling to hide his anxiety, and only decades of experience hiding what he was truly feeling kept anyone in the Council from sensing it. Hopefully, the meeting was over soon, and he could check in with his brothers and make sure they were alright.