A/N: Hi everyone! So here's chapter 24, and it has one of the most intense fight scenes I have ever written to date for any of my stories. I hope you like it, and please let me know what needs work, what should be taken out, and what else I can do to improve it. I aim to please but would like to know where to go to make these scenes as epic as possible.
In other news, I do have a few medical scenes happening in this chapter as well. To avoid confusion with me describing Star Wars medical equipment, I have decided to combine the names of medical equipment from Earth with the equipment being used in Star Wars when I need to do so. Just think of it as Star Wars medical equipment being the same as Earth, just a bit more advanced. For example, if I use the term nasal cannula for this story, it's the same for Star Wars as it would be on Earth. And so on and so forth. I hope this clears up any confusion (or makes it worse :) if so, send me a PM, and I will try and clarify a bit better).
The next chapter hasn't been started yet, so give me a few days to write that, but in the meantime, please read, review and enjoy! See you next time!
Abandoned! After an assassination attempt by his forsaken apprentice, Asajj Ventress, Count Dooku launches a brutal counterattack against the Nightsisters, massacring the entire clan. Forced into exile, Ventress wanders far into the Outer Rim, among the castaways and vagabonds of the galaxy, seeking her new life that was foretold by Mother Talzin...
The test was over.
Ventress had realized it was a test the second the job was done on Quarzite. There was no way she would have been sent on the job if it hadn't been a test. The half-Nautolan, by manipulating them all, had made it possible for Ventress to complete the job. Sending Oked over in the tavern on Mos Eisley, making her kill him, being forced into the job to avoid the authorities; it had all happened because of the half-Nautolan. All this had happened only a few days after she arrived on Tattoine after the Nightsisters had been slaughtered. Ventress had found herself being put through a different test than she was used to.
And somehow, she wasn't upset about the entire thing.
Instead, she was eager to see what else the half-Nautolan had in store for her. Having left the bounty hunters at the orbital elevator station above Quarzite, she had returned quickly to Tattoine, only to find the safe house abandoned and empty of people. The only thing there was a note with a message on where to go: Raydonia, where things would come to a head very soon. Arriving outside a small village on the planet, she was greeted by the half-Nautolan, who only looked at her with a raised eyebrow before Ventress said, "I get why you sent me on that mission to Quarzite. You wanted me to learn that not everything is black and white or light and dark. There are more than two sides to every story if I bother to look, and more ways of being than just good and evil. I also learned that I need to keep sight of what's important, not just when fighting to make money but also fighting to survive. If I want to fight Sith like you, I need to know why I am fighting them and what I hope to achieve. Is that what you wanted me to learn?"
The half-Nautolan only stared at her a moment longer before slowly shaking her head, a slight smile playing with her lips for a few moments before Ventress sighed in exasperation and said, "Fine, I also learned that there is more to life than making money and that I shouldn't just be focused on that at the end of the day. There is more to life than that; I know that. Rescuing that girl was part of your plan, wasn't it? Rescue her so I could remember that I was that girl at one point in my life, helpless and unable to change my fate until someone came along and changed it for me? Was that the point of all this?"
The other woman kept staring for a few moments longer before slowly nodding. Her smile widened gradually as Ventress seemed to deflate. She knew Ventress, knew her very well, and knew that the only way for her to learn was the hard way. And she also knew that the more exasperated she seemed, the more likely she was to actually remember everything she had just learned. Looking carefully at the former Nightsister, the half-Nautolan decided there was only one thing left to do: complete Ventress' training and get her ready for the next big test she had in store for her.
These tests were nothing like what the Sith were subjected to, but that didn't make them any easier. It may even make them harder, mostly because she would make Ventress confront not just herself but many of the mistakes she had made in her life. And those mistakes were enough to break just about anyone. It was time to complete her training, the training that had been interrupted by Dooku, and turn Ventress, who wasn't good or evil, into someone who just was, like so many others in the galaxy. The time was now to complete that training and give her the edge she would need to have a chance against a Sith, even if the half-Nautolan didn't think she would have Ventress fight one anytime soon. Raydonia may be the perfect place to continue her training, but Ventress still had a long way to go before she was ready for the unbelievably hard task of killing a Sith.
Especially since the half-Nautolan knew they wouldn't be alone for long.
A darkness awakes! Count Dooku's bitter betrayal of his former apprentice Asajj Ventress resulted in the creation of a new menace in the galaxy: Savage Opress. Caught in a deadly game of revenge between Ventress and Dooku, Savage barely escaped the carnage. Beaten and alone, he returned to Mother Talzin, his creator, who gave him a new quest: to pursue his long-lost brother...
While the half-Nautolan started Ventress' training once more and Savage Opress continued searching for his missing brother, Kit Fisto had a quick meeting with Padmé and Bail in the Senate. It had been a long time since their last Conspiracy meeting, and Kit wanted to assure them that everything was going as scheduled. The two senators were glad to see him, Padmé saying, "I'm glad to see you safe, Kit. This war is proving itself to be an unpredictable one," as they settled into seats around a small table in her office.
Kit nodded as he settled himself, wincing inwardly when his insides complained. Things had been going downhill for him the last few months regarding his stomach, and he found himself relying heavily on a rather illicit drug to keep the pain from becoming overpowering when he was on missions or fighting in the war. In time not even that would work, he knew that, but for now, he had no other choice but to keep going as best as he could.
"I can agree with that, Padmé," Kit said softly, "And I am sorry that neither myself nor our friend has been in communication with you recently. I am busy fighting the war while our friend pursues something even more dangerous than this war. And she wanted to plan things carefully after the success of Zygerria. She didn't want to show her hand prematurely, especially now that she has the attention of one that is much more deadly than we think. She will be planning every move much more carefully now, and we need to be ready to help her with whatever she needs."
Padmé nodded while Bail cocked his head, confused, "What exactly is she doing, Master Fisto? Who is she looking for?"
Kit smiled painfully before saying, "I'm afraid it is rather complicated, but I'm sure you are aware of the death of King Katuunko on Toydaria?" the two senators nodded. Kit continued, "That was the result of a creature the Nightsisters of Dathomir created and is now loose in the galaxy. This creature, a Nightbrother named Savage Opress, is the brother of Darth Maul," Padmé gasped at that, remembering what happened the last time she had heard that name, and Kit nodded, "Yes, I remember what happened then as well. Our friend wants to use Opress to find Maul, whom she is convinced is still alive. She is the one to know for certain if that is the case, so she is using Opress to find him and track him down. I think she plans to fight him, but I'm not sure where she plans for this fight to happen or if the Jedi will be involved in it, but I know she will want every advantage she can get. To that end, she is having a spy of hers get close to Opress and Maul so that she can more easily find them."
The two senators were instantly confused, with Padmé asking, "What good would getting close to Opress and Maul do, Kit? Aside from getting this spy killed?"
Kit smiled slightly, "Our friend is an incredibly powerful Force-wielder, Padmé, as you know. She can plant a suggestion in someone's mind and have them follow through on that suggestion like it was their own idea, which she will do with Maul and Opress. But she cannot get close to them; she doesn't want them to know about her or get wise to what she is. That is why she must use her spy. Neither brother will suspect a thing, and it will make sure it will be on her terms when the real fight happens."
Padmé nodded slowly while Bail asked, "Who is this spy? We know she has a few in the Separatist Parliament like Mina Bonteri was, but who is this one?"
Kit only shook his head as he stood up, the others doing the same, "I'm afraid I can't reveal that, Senator. Aside from the fact I have been asked not to, there is a real danger to this spy's life if their identity is revealed. And while I don't think anything will happen to them, it will make our friend look more and more like a traitor to the Republic. To that end, it was decided a long time ago that this spy would stay secret until the end of the Clone Wars if possible, and so that is what we will do. I mean no disrespect, but I am just passing along instructions in this case," smiling gently as he said this.
Bail wasn't bothered by the lack of an answer since he immediately said, "I had to try and get a straight answer, right?" causing the others to chuckle slightly before Kit left to head back to his fleet. At the same time, Bail also left to return to his office and the work he had stopped to speak to Kit. That left Padmé alone, which gave her time to think about all that had happened and all that would happen.
With the half-Nautolan doing things that were causing some havoc and chaos throughout the galaxy, it was natural for those in power to be disturbed by it, and she couldn't help but wonder what the rest of the Jedi were thinking about this entire thing. According to Ahsoka and Kit, there was quite a bit of guessing about what the half-Nautolan had planned next, but that was all there was. She was using every trick at her disposal to hide from the Jedi and the Sith and was doing such a good job that no one, not even Kit, knew what was next.
All they could do was be ready for whatever happened and hope that it was for the best. At least, that was what Padmé was hoping for.
That, and a galaxy free of the Sith that would destroy and enslave so many if given the opportunity.
Brothers reunited! Darth Maul, the sinister Sith thought to have been destroyed so many years ago by Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, was found alive by his brother, Savage Opress, and taken back to Mother Talzin on Dathomir. Though Darth Maul's memory has yet to be fully restored, his need for vengeance has awakened, more powerful than ever...
Having found his brother, Savage Opress was quick to bring him back to Dathomir and Mother Talzin. Returning and finding the village in ruins, he was nonetheless greeted by Mother Talzin. She worked her magics on what remained of Darth Maul and brought back his sanity. He was freed from the clouds that had darkened his mind, and now it was time for his revenge.
And he had every intention of starting with Obi-Wan Kenobi.
To that end, he and his brother headed for Raydonia and started slaughtering the inhabitants of a village there. Ventress and the half-Nautolan were still training there and were able to watch what happened with sick dismay, powerless to stop it. While the half-Nautolan could have stopped it, she knew this wasn't where her fight with Maul would take place. Ventress was actually crying slightly as she watched the two Nightbrothers kill the villagers, knowing it was her fault this had been allowed to happen. The half-Nautolan only shook her head; it wasn't entirely Ventress' fault this was happening.
Some of the blame lay with her as well, and she would carry that blame with her for the rest of her days.
With the brothers distracted, it was easy for Ventress to sneak down and slip aboard their ship while they waited for Kenobi, who came soon enough to try and stop the bloodshed. He surrendered himself to the brothers quickly, and they took him aboard their ship and took off, leaving the half-Nautolan behind.
When the time was right, Ventress would reveal herself and rescue Kenobi, giving the half-Nautolan the window she needed to plant the seeds of an idea in Maul's mind. With nothing else to do, the half-Nautolan decided to put herself to use and see what she could do for the villagers. Not even she could undo this much death, but she could give them the dignity of a decent burial. With that thought in mind, she set to digging, always keeping an eye out for anything out of place. After about an hour, she stopped and listened to the Force, realizing that Ventress had revealed herself to the brothers and was in the process of fighting them with Kenobi.
She stopped digging then, and a few minutes later, Ventress was close enough to Maul the half-Nautolan was able to jump from her to Maul, planting the idea of going to Florrum and possibly recruiting pirates into his mind. It was only a fraction of a second, but it was more than enough time for the idea to be planted. She jumped back to Ventress' mind before going to Kenobi's, pretending to be his subconscious telling him they were outmatched and it was time to go. Thankfully he listened to it, and the two of them were able to leave the fight quickly, Maul and Opress being forced to stay behind when Obi-Wan disconnected the cockpit from the rest of the ship.
The half-Nautolan breathed a sigh of relief then and left the village, sensing that people from another village were on their way and had seen the reason for the massacre before them. She disappeared just as they arrived, dismay and grief on their faces when they saw what had happened there and immediately got to work to finish burying the villagers. The half-Nautolan watched from a distant ridge where her ship was still cloaked and stayed there as she watched Obi-Wan and Ventress return to the planet. While the Jedi stayed behind to talk with the villagers and tell them what happened and apologize for his part in this, which wasn't entirely his fault either, Ventress slipped away and headed for the half-Nautolan.
When she arrived, she said, "I did as you asked. Please tell me I don't have to go anywhere near Maul again. I'm not ready for that kind of a fight or opponent, and I won't be for a while," displaying a level of humility that hadn't been there when she had been Dooku's apprentice. Now training under the half-Nautolan, she was expected to be honest with herself and the other woman, who shook her head at the idea of Ventress fighting a Sith successfully.
She needed a lot more training before that idea became a reality.
Seeing that head shake, Ventress sighed in relief and said, "Good, let's get out of here. I want to be long gone from here, and we need to get to Florrum as soon as possible if you're to be believed. You want me in the starfighter, right? To be ready to pick you up after?" and the half-Nautolan nodded with a slight smile as they headed onto the Ghost and took off. Behind them, Obi-Wan turned his head in that direction, sensing Ventress disappear back into the depths of the galaxy without even a backward glance.
Oh well….she had brushed off his attempts at thanks for the entire short journey back down to the planet, so he knew she wasn't too badly hurt or anything from the encounter out in space.
And who knows? Maybe they would see each other again soon. How that would go, he didn't know, but it would certainly be interesting.
Back on the ship, Maul and Opress regrouped in the aft bridge as they plotted their next move. Savage was worried about what the Jedi would do and said as much: "What now, brother? Do we go after them?"
"No. We will be patient, Savage," Maul said as he sat down at the controls, "I've waited so many years for my revenge, I can wait a little longer," clasping his hands in front of him.
"But the Jedi will know that you have survived," Savage protested, having a pretty good idea of what the Jedi would do, "They will be coming for us."
But Maul was anything but concerned as he said, "I am counting on it."
Savage shook his head before asking, "Where do we go now?"
Maul was silent for a few moments before saying, "We will find ourselves some credits that cannot be traced, and then we will go to the Sertar sector and recruit some followers to our cause."
"What is in the Sertar sector, brother?" Opress asked, to which Maul replied with a smile, "Florrum, where we will find pirates. Let's go now," setting the coordinates and activating the hyperdrive, already anticipating what would happen next as they got ready to make their presence even more known to the galaxy.
The time had come for the Sith to return.
In her quarters aboard the Ghost, the half-Nautolan sat in deep meditation. After a few minutes, a smile crept onto her face; the pieces were falling into place, and now it was time for one of the most critical fights in the war to date. This fight would decide the fate of many, and she was ready for it now.
The time had come for her to finish what Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had started so many years ago.
Death and destruction! Darth Maul and Savage Opress spread chaos as they descend on the Outer Rim. After rescuing his brother from despair, Savage and Maul murder and pillage at every turn. Fueled by rage and vengeance, they search for meaning in their new alliance as reports of their brutal attacks spread across the galaxy...
Only a week or so after the attack on the village on Raydonia, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Adi Gallia had finally tracked Maul and Opress down to the planet Florrum. Arriving there, they were greeted by the sight of a stolen cargo ship descending on where Hondo Ohnaka made his base. Unknown to them, there was already someone there who had every intention of stopping the Sith as well. Watching the cargo ship head down to the planet's surface, Obi-Wan turned to Adi and said, "There's a fleet nearby, with many members of the Council aboard. Let's see if they will reinforce us before we head down there. These Sith may be more than a match for the two of us."
Adi nodded and put the transmission through, and a few minutes later, they were looking at a hologram of several members of the Council: Mace Windu, Saessee Tiin, Plo Koon, Eeth Koth, Ki-Adi Mundi, Evan Piell, and while not part of the Council Anakin Skywalker and Pong Krell were there as well along with Ahsoka. They all listened as Obi-Wan explained the issue, and then Mace said, "We can be there in half an hour. If you can wait that long, do so; if not, we will meet you on the planet's surface."
"Thank you, Master Windu," Adi said before the transmission ended, and she turned to Obi-Wan, "What do you want to do?"
Obi-Wan stroked his beard in thought before saying, "Let's head down to the planet and see what we can find out. Perhaps we can observe without being seen for a few minutes. It will give us a chance to possibly get an edge over Maul and Opress."
Adi looked doubtful but, in the end, agreed with his decision, piloting their ship down to the planet's surface and landing near the base. Shutting down the engines and disembarking, the two Jedi looked around to get their bearings before heading for the pirate base. Hondo's base was situated in a canyon-like depression in the earth, surrounded on all sides by stone walls. Those stone walls had many outcroppings and ledges, which the pirates used to store scrape and salvaged equipment. In front of their actual base were many more piles of odds and ends they had taken from various ships and vessels over the years. Looking closely, Obi-Wan thought he saw a clone helmet or two scattered about also.
What he didn't see were the pirates or the Sith, and turning to Adi said, "We may be too late. The Sith could have killed Hondo and his men and taken over the base. Hondo isn't stupid," he raised an eyebrow at that, "for a pirate anyway. He chose this place because it was easy to defend and difficult to overrun from the outside. If those attacking were normal people. But there is nothing normal about the Sith."
Adi nodded before something caught her attention, a slight disturbance in the Force she couldn't quite place. Whatever it was was gone as soon as it arrived, leaving her to wonder if it had happened at all. But it did make her turn around, which was a good thing.
"Obi-Wan, look out!" she called as Maul and Opress charged them from behind. Her warning was right on time, and the two Jedi leaped down into the crater below with the two Sith right behind them. As soon as they had gained their feet, the two Jedi ignited their lightsabers and engaged the Sith, who fought back with the rage and ferocity they were infamous for.
Outside the crater, gunships arrived, Jedi and clones running out of them and to the crater's edge, where Mace said, "We're too late," as he watched Adi and Obi-Wan fighting for their lives, knowing better than to break their concentration while they were fighting two Sith. Master Krell, next to him, nodded, but movement caught his eye and he turned to see Weequay pirates were standing on one of the ledges along the crater wall, watching the fight.
"It seems the pirates are enjoying the show," he said as he nodded in their direction before something else caught his eye, and he looked more closely at some piled rocks towards the far side of the crater. They were piled haphazardly about and were several meters tall, and as he watched, he was surprised to see a familiar figure jumping onto the tallest rock and crouch there, watching the fight with intensity and focus.
"What is she doing here?" Krell asked, nodding in that direction. The other Jedi and a few of the clones there turned to see and were surprised to see the half-Nautolan crouching on the rock, watching the fights between Adi and Obi-Wan and the Sith. She was dressed in her usual blue outfit, her necklace around her neck as always and her lightsaber now on her belt, her long hair loose with only a band of blue fabric holding it back from her face. Her focus was on them completely, ignoring everything else around her, and as they watched, her gaze sharpened and intensified. She was there and clearly had some stake in this fight for whatever reason.
What it could be, the Jedi had no idea, but suddenly there was an animal-like roar from down in the crater. Whipping their heads around, they were in time to see Opress Force-push Adi into what might have been an engine at some point. She was dazed and winded and likely had some broken ribs, but before she could recover, Opress had put his head down and charged her.
The half-Nautolan drew in a breath at that and raised her head, and seconds later, she was off the rock and running flat out for Opress as he impaled Adi on the horns on his head. Adi wrapped her arms around her midsection immediately and collapsed onto her stomach on the ground, her lightsaber falling out of her hand, leaving the Jedi watching in shock at her falling. Opress stood over her, raising his lightsaber and ready to kill her, but he was suddenly reeling to the side before he had a chance. The watching Jedi were again shocked as the half-Nautolan kicked him away from Adi, sending him tumbling through the sand.
He stood up and shook his head before looking around. Seeing the half-Nautolan standing guard over Adi and clearly ready to fight him, he surged to his feet and charged her. The half-Nautolan only Force-pushed him away, with so much strength and power from the Force it sent him flying back into a pile of scrap metal and parts, tangling him up so much it would take several minutes for him to get out.
After a few seconds of watching him, the half-Nautolan turned to Adi, crouching down and reaching under her stomach with her right hand. It came up covered in blood seconds later, and the half-Nautolan narrowed her eyes. She looked up then, looking around for a few moments before her eyes fell on the pirates watching from the nearby ledge. Picking up Adi's lightsaber and putting it on her belt next to her own for the moment, the half-Nautolan gently rolled Adi over and picked her up, running with her to the side of the crater. Seconds later, she was scaling the wall with the help of the Force and was putting Adi down on the ledge with the pirates.
Seeing this, Eeth said, "It seems she trusts the pirates more than she trusts us. That is unfortunate."
Mace nodded, "Let us hope that the pirates trust her; otherwise, this will end badly. Not just for her, but for Master Gallia as well."
The other Jedi gathered there had nothing to say to that and could only watch the fight between Obi-Wan and Maul or what the half-Nautolan was doing. Obi-Wan was holding his own rather well and, after a few seconds, was able to push Maul into some scrap metal and give himself a breather to look around. Seeing that Adi was nowhere in sight, he looked around before seeing the half-Nautolan on the ledge with the pirates. He almost headed for her when he could just make out Adi with her, but Maul cutting himself free caught his attention again, and he had to focus on the Sith again.
As this was happening, the half-Nautolan was tending Adi. The Tholothian was barely conscious but was in so much pain that it nearly took the half-Nautolan's breath away. Deciding there was nothing else for it, she reached out and passed her hand over Adi's face, sending her consciousness as far away as she could, wanting to give her some relief from the pain her body was in. Once sure she wouldn't wake, she turned her attention to the wounds in her stomach. They were many and deep, and the Weequay that was the pirate's version of a medic was keeping pressure on the wounds as best he could, but there were too many of them.
Seeing this and seeing Adi's life-blood drip away into the sand beneath her, the half-Nautolan decided there was only one thing left to do. She reached out and rested her hand on Adi's wounded right side for a brief moment, leaving something behind that would always be there, and then reached out with her mind and her spirit. As she did this, her left hand went over Adi's heart for a moment, resting there long enough for her to feel her heartbeat. Seconds later, Adi's heartbeat became hers and strengthened as she bound the Jedi's life-force to her own. At the same time, she opened her eyes and passed her right hand over Adi's wounded stomach, healing what little she could and hoping it would be enough.
There was nothing else she could do from there, and looking up at Hondo, she saw that he would help her, especially since he knew she was helping him by getting rid of those Sith. Turning to Adi, she looked her over one more time before deciding there was nothing else she could do.
All this happened in minutes, and then the half-Nautolan was backflipping down into the crater just as Opress finished detangling himself from the scrap and metal she had thrown him into. He was more than furious now and charged her again, but she was ready and ignited her own blade, easily deflecting his blows and landing a few of her own, even though he blocked them. But his technique was sloppy and his moves impulsive, and the half-Nautolan was more than capable of fighting him, even with his two blades against her one.
She trapped his blades with hers, pinning them to the ground for a moment before kicking him in the chest and sending him back a few steps. He recovered quickly and rushed back in, but she ducked under every blow he sent her way before flipping over his back and running for the edge of the crater. He snarled and followed her.
Looking closely, the Jedi watching the fight could see that her eyes were half-closed, and she wasn't running nearly as fast as she could, "She's baiting him," Master Mundi said suddenly, "She wants him to follow her."
"And he's falling for it," Master Piell said as he watched. The two of them, along with Mace, Plo, and the others, had climbed down to a ledge beneath where they had landed, the clones staying up and out of the fight since the Jedi knew they wouldn't stand a chance against a Sith. It was rather small, ten meters by five meters, if that, and there was a pile of scrap and rusty metal at both ends that had plenty of sharp edges and steel bars sticking out every which way. It was a very dangerous place to fight with a Sith, yet the half-Nautolan seemed to have chosen it specifically because she continued to bait Savage Opress towards it. As they watched, she slowed and ducked backward under his blade, coming back up in a spin that got her to the left of his blades and out of his way. She danced around him then and easily ducked his blades before landing a few more of her own before racing off again. Opress only deflected those blades and ran after her.
The half-Nautolan raced for the side of the crater and climbed up quickly, barely putting a hand or foot down before moving on again. She was incredibly light on her feet and hands, and when she reached the ledge, she flipped over the side and onto it, ducking under a red lightsaber that would have taken her head off if she had been upright. She balanced on the balls of her feet precariously for a moment before using a hand to flip over herself again and roll out of the way, coming up on her feet with a lightsaber already in hand and ready. She stayed crouched for a moment as Opress climbed up onto the ledge, breathing heavily from having to move his massive bulk around. While he had the edge when it came to strength, that was also his handicap because it made him slower and tired him out more quickly.
On the other hand, the half-Nautolan was lithe and thin, and while also strong, her strength was more subtle and didn't slow her down at all. She watched through her eyelashes at Opress as he scowled at her, but that didn't intimidate her in the slightest. Instead, she ignited the lightsaber in her right hand, revealing a cyan-blue blade tinged with green. She stayed where she was for a few seconds longer before suddenly launching herself forward, right at Opress. Opress wasn't expecting it and took a step back but recovered soon enough and ignited his blades. The fight continued then, but this time the half-Nautolan had the edge, even if she was slightly limited.
Using Form I exclusively in such a small space and having to avoid hitting a Jedi standing nearby meant she couldn't use the wide, sweeping blows Form I was famous for and had to keep her attacks small and close to her. But watching the fight, Mace could see it work to her advantage. Even when defending, she was attacking and using much less energy than Opress. The Dathomiri was relying on brute force, but not skill, to win this fight, and it would be his undoing. Brute force might have won against Master Gallia, but it wasn't doing him any favors against an opponent that was much more prepared for his fighting style and more skilled as well.
Opress attacked the half-Nautolan recklessly, attempting to get her on the defensive, but she never allowed it. Because of her speed and skill, she could land light blows before dancing away, not giving him the chance to truly cause some damage. It infuriated Opress; that was clear. After a few seconds, he launched an aggressive attack, battering her with blows before she could dance away, but she didn't panic. She only blocked those blows as quickly as they came before kicking Opress in the face. It had the effect of kicking a stone wall, in which there was no effect, but the surprise it caused Opress gave the half-Nautolan the three seconds she needed to reach down. Opress recovered too quickly in that time and charged her again, but this time when he bore down on her with his double-sided lightsaber, she was ready with a surprise of her own.
At the last second, she blocked both lightsabers with two lightsabers of her own, both blue, and the Jedi were able to recognize Adi Gallia's lightsaber in her left hand. She had taken it from the wounded Jedi and was now using it when it was needed most. Anakin Skywalker, standing near Mace, wasn't entirely pleased about this development, but before he could say anything, the half-Nautolan kicked Opress in the stomach to duck under his blades. Opress fell forwards but quickly recovered, but the half-Nautolan was still there and kept up an attack of her own. Now on the defensive, Opress could barely keep up with her lightning-fast blows and deadly counter-strikes. Even in the confines of the ledge, Form I suited her well, and she was using it to its fullest to keep Opress off-balance.
Opress made one last attempt to gain the upper hand, reaching out with the Force and attempting to push her back and away, but the half-Nautolan only crossed her lightsabers in front of her and deflected that Force attack, using the Force like a shield. While the Jedi were knocked back a few paces, she wasn't affected at all; looking up after it was over with an almost curious expression on her face. That lasted all of two seconds before she was sweeping her blades over her head, the Force collecting to her before she drove her lightsaber into the ground, the Force becoming stronger and stronger as she did so. It became so strong that when she pulled her lightsaber out of the ground, in a move that looked like she was shoveling the dirt with it, earth and rock came out of the ground and battered Opress, who was too surprised to get out of the way.
The Jedi watching were similarly surprised, but their surprise lasted longer than Opress'. He charged her again, and she let him get too close this time. She still blocked his blows and attacked, but after a few seconds, something happened. In a move that no one there could see, the half-Nautolan got under his blades and impaled him on hers.
Opress was staring at her in surprise, and the Jedi were just shocked in general. It was like everything had frozen in time; the half-Nautolan was still standing there, using the Force with her mind to keep Opress' blades away from her. But finally, the frozen state ended as Opress looked down at his chest and the two blades through his heart and slowly fell to his knees. The half-Nautolan moved with him as she turned her blades off, watching warily as he collapsed to the ground, having no fight left in him as death beckoned.
Down below in the crater, there was a roar of rage from Maul, who had been fighting Obi-Wan the entire time and just sensed what had happened to his brother. He kicked Obi-Wan away from him and ran for his brother, who was staring at the sky as he slowly died. The half-Nautolan watched a few paces away and the Jedi against the crater wall and out of the way. Maul leaped up to the crater, surprising the Jedi at the sight of his cybernetic lower half, but that was quickly ignored when he crouched down next to his brother, who only looked at him slowly before saying, "Brother…."
Maul said nothing, just watched as his brother finally died, bowing his head for a few brief moments while the Jedi looked on. Even though they were traditional enemies, the Jedi would give Maul the moment he needed to accept his brother's death.
What would come after that, they all knew.
Looking over at the half-Nautolan, Saessee Tiin was surprised to see that she was watching all this with a wary expression on her face and lightsabers still in hand. She knew this fight was far from over and needed to be ready. Seconds later, she was backing up, snorting slightly as she bobbed her head in surprise, and Saessee turned to where Opress lay and was shocked as well. Now that he was dead green light and Force-energy were leaving his body, turning him from a hulking, powerful brute of a warrior back into what he had been before. He was smaller than his brother and his horns not as long, and his muscles weren't as pronounced. Recognizing this for what it was didn't make it any easier to watch, and the Jedi looked at each other before nodding.
The Nightsisters had worked their magic on Opress, and now they were seeing the reversal of that magic.
Maul was similarly surprised, but once the energy and light went away, he rose to his feet slowly, saying softly, "You will be avenged, brother."
That was all the warning the half-Nautolan needed since she became even warier in seconds. Maul only looked at her before saying softly, "You defeated my brother easily enough, but let's see how well you do against a trained Sith Lord!" igniting his lightsaber and his brothers' before charging her.
The half-Nautolan only ducked under his blades, not igniting her own for a few moments. Not understanding what she was doing right away, the Jedi could only watch as she dodged and ducked his blows, incensing the Dathomiri and making him even angrier. But there was a reason for this, and that became clear when she finally ignited her own blades and started blocking and deflecting his blows. She wasn't attacking just yet, preferring to remain on the defensive for a few moments longer, but then Maul did something that surprised her so much she couldn't compensate. He charged forward and kicked out with his pincer-like foot. The half-Nautolan dodged quickly enough but went the wrong way as Maul grabbed her throat and threw her.
She twisted in midair and landed on her feet but could not defend herself or deflect the Force like she had done with Opress. And so, when Maul Force-pushed her backward, she couldn't stop herself and slammed into the scrap metal behind her with quite a bit of force.
Her eyes blew wide, and her mouth opened in shock, unable to breathe for a moment before letting out a small, strangled gasp. She coughed slightly before looking down slowly at her side. The Jedi and Sith followed her gaze, Maul gleeful and the Jedi horrified to see a piece of rebar sticking out of her left side. Blood was already flowing down her side and leg, and she was clearly stuck. She looked up slowly then at Maul, and seeing his cruel grin, she gripped the lightsaber in her left hand, Adi's lightsaber, just a bit tighter before reaching behind her.
"No!" Maul said as he rushed forward, but wasn't fast enough as she ignited Adi's lightsaber and cut the metal pinning her to the pile. She fell forward, turned the blade off, and rolled to get away from Maul, coming up with her lightsabers already ignited and blocking the blow Maul had aimed at her back. She blocked them a few moments longer before dropping her shoulder and rolling again, keeping the blades ignited, and this time came up on her feet with blades ready. She was facing Maul now, and could block the blows he hit her with with ease.
For some reason, that wound to her side wasn't bothering her, or she was ignoring it. The Jedi didn't know how that was possible, but after a few more seconds, it became clear she needed more room. While this ledge had been perfect for battling Opress, who didn't have much in the way of technique, Maul was much more trained and was using the narrow space to his full advantage. But the half-Nautolan knew her Form required more space, and after a few seconds, she disengaged him and backed away, leaving Maul to say, "You are a skilled warrior, I will give you that, but you are no match for me. Just accept your death, and I will make it quick. Quicker than you bleeding to death."
The half-Nautolan only cocked an eyebrow before taking a few steps forward and lowering her blades. At first, Maul and the Jedi, if they were being honest, thought she would surrender, but instead, those few steps gave her the space she needed to jump back and then up. She leaped high, using the Force to its fullest, and easily leaped a good fifteen meters over the crater's edge. From there, she started running, with Maul right behind her, ignoring the clones and gunships around her as she ran, knowing of just the place to go to even the playing field just a bit.
Behind her, the Jedi stayed where they were, even though Obi-Wan, Anakin, Ki-Adi, and Plo Koon went after the two fighters to see if they could help in any way. Those that remained hadn't been there very long when an accented voice behind them asked quietly, "Master Jedi?"
They all turned and were surprised to see the leader of the pirates, Hondo Ohnaka, and a few of his men had joined them on the ledge. Hondo was carrying Master Gallia as carefully as he could, a pirate walking with him to keep pressure and gauze on the wounds in her stomach. Reaching them, Hondo carefully lowered himself to the ground, the pirate with him following. He gently laid Adi down on the ground and stepped back, giving Kix the medic room to work as he came over with his backpack. The medic wasn't wearing his helmet and quickly took a peek under the bandages already covering Adi's midsection. Not liking what he saw, he put them back and let the pirate continue holding the pressure as he reached into his medpac for more supplies. He quickly put more bandages on, the pirate not letting up the pressure, and between the two of them, they were able to start getting the bleeding under control. It wasn't enough, though, and Kix said as much as he looked up at General Windu, "We need to get to a hospital station immediately, sir, if she is to have any chance. She needs surgery as soon as possible."
"Understood," Mace said, "But we can't leave until she is more stable, so do what you can until then. Once we get a stretcher down here, we will get her to a hospital station."
Kix nodded and returned to what he was doing. At the same time, Mace turned to Hondo and said, "Thank you for looking after and bringing Master Gallia to us," as Ahsoka came over and kneeled down, gently pulling Adi's head onto her thighs to give her some comfort from the hard ground. And offer what she knew of Force-healing.
Hondo only shrugged, "Anyone the half-Nautolan decides to defend can't be all bad, Master Jedi. We've known her off and on for years, and she isn't someone you say no to. She already took care of one of those maniacs, so if she can deal with the other, all the better for us. They already killed a few of my men, so I'll be satisfied if she can make them pay for that."
The Jedi couldn't really find any argument with that, even if they disagreed with revenge, and there was silence for a few moments while they watched Kix and the pirate helping him. This pirate actually looked like he knew what he was doing, and Mace looked at Hondo, who only shrugged and said, "Even pirates need medics, Master Jedi."
Mace raised an eyebrow at that, but his attention was drawn back to Master Gallia when he saw Kix frowning as he took her pulse. Thankfully, the Tholothian was still unconscious, which a few Jedi were thankful for. From what they could see of the wounds, they were many and deep, and she was still losing a lot of blood. But that wasn't what had Kix confused, and Master Koth finally asked, "What is wrong trooper?"
"I don't know, sir," Kix answered thoughtfully, "To be honest, I would expect her pulse to be either too fast or too slow from shock or blood loss or both, but it's stable, and she isn't in shock. That might change, but for now, she is stable. We can move her whenever we need to."
The Jedi were surprised to hear that and looked at each other before looking up the side of the crater above them, wondering how the fight was going between Maul and the half-Nautolan.
And if the half-Nautolan had anything to do with what was happening there with Master Gallia.
Having run as fast as she could away from the crater, the half-Nautolan had finally stopped at a plain of bare sand and rock about a klick away from the crater. She stopped so suddenly that she had reached behind her with one lightsaber and blocked a blow from Maul simultaneously, but it was all she needed to do. Now that she was out of the confines of the crater and the ledge, she could use Form I to its full potential and possibly win this.
Maul seemed to think he had an edge, now that his opponent seemed tired and was wounded, but the half-Nautolan wasn't one to give up. She stood tall and away from Maul, giving herself a breather as he sized her up. The two of them were standing a few meters away from each other, observing each other and looking for the first sign it was time to fight. The arrival of the Jedi in a loose circle around them seemed to be the cue they were waiting for because suddenly Maul was attacking with unbridled rage and ferocity, not letting up and hoping that her wound had weakened her enough that the half-Nautolan would eventually collapse.
But that wasn't the case; the half-Nautolan kept fighting and giving her all even though she was clearly starting to tire. She didn't let that stop her, though, reaching deep inside herself for the strength she had protected and stored as a last resort. She used it now, and her blows and blocks increased in power and complexity. She kept to Form I but started putting much more strength behind her blows before Maul finally had enough. He leaped into the air and came down behind her. That wouldn't have been a problem, but his last attack had left her on her knees, and she hadn't regained her feet yet.
Her reflexes were quick and finely honed, though. Seconds before his lightsaber could have sliced into her back, her lightsaber was blocking his single blade and his brother's double-blade. She held it there, staying on one knee, not getting up and just holding her position there, her blade not moving an inch and clearly much stronger than the Jedi had thought. The Jedi almost moved in, but before they could, she raised her left hand up to her face, still holding Adi's deactivated lightsaber, and the Jedi felt the Force move. She then slammed her hand back down to the ground beneath her, and the Jedi and Sith could feel rumblings from inside the earth. Again, she raised her hand and used the Force to slam down whatever was inside the ground, and Maul asked almost fearfully, "What – what are you doing?"
She didn't answer, just kept blocking his blades as she again, for the third and final time, raised her hand before slamming it back down, and Maul was jumping back with a cry of pain as acid erupted from the earth.
He jumped clear and away before whipping around to see what was left of the half-Nautolan, who hadn't moved at all. At first, it seemed like there was nothing left of her, but seconds later, a mound of acid moved. It stood taller and taller, surprising the Jedi and Sith, before suddenly, what looked like two hands and arms were raised. As they all watched in shock and surprise, the Force responded, and then it was like a shield was dropped. From one moment to the next, the half-Nautolan appeared, the Force peeling away from her and taking the acid with it.
The Force had acted as a personal shield against the acid for the half-Nautolan, and the half-Nautolan had controlled it to such an extent that not even her free-falling hair was singed.
She stepped out and away from the acid before shaking herself and even sneezing from the smell of the acid, but that lasted all of two seconds before she was igniting her blades and leaping into the air, coming down on Maul. Maul barely had time to ignite his own blades and block hers before stepping back and regrouping. The fight continued from then on, and this time it was the half-Nautolan on the offensive. Her blows and strikes were lightning fast, Form I giving her the edge she needed over Maul, and soon he was panting heavily from the fight. But he still gave it his all and was determined to win the battle by any means necessary.
And since he was a Sith, he would use any weakness he could find in the half-Nautolan. And he found it, during a brief lull in the fight while they were slowly circling each other, the Jedi around them watching as well. The Jedi had their lightsabers ready and were more than prepared to use them, but neither fighter gave them an opportunity or an in into the fight. Maul had three lightsabers, his own and his brother's, while the half-Nautolan had hers and Master Gallia's. Maul held his to his sides as he circled, while the half-Nautolan held hers diagonally at arm's length, the tips pointing at each other as she warily watched Maul, her face carefully blank to not give away what she was thinking.
But Maul could sense some of what was going on and said as much, "You are a skilled fighter, I see that now. More skilled than I would have thought in the beginning. This fight would have been over a long time ago, even with that wound," nodding at the metal lodged in her side, the blood still pouring from the wound but not as heavily as before, "but you are not fully focused on this fight, are you?"
The Jedi looked at each other when they heard that, but Maul ignored them as he continued, "No, your attention is split. Part of it is on this fight, but the other part…." trailing off for a few seconds as he closed his eyes, "….the other part is back in that crater, where a life is struggling to survive," he opened his eyes then, "And you are sustaining that life with your own, aren't you? You have bound your life to hers until she is safe. You care about her, don't you? I wonder why that is?" he smiled then, a cruel smile, "Let's see what happens when that life is snuffed out, shall we?"
The half-Nautolan understood what he meant right away, that was clear if her widening eyes were any indication, but the Jedi didn't understand half of what Maul had said. It didn't matter as Maul suddenly pushed them away with the Force. It sent them all sprawling, even though the half-Nautolan only crossed her blades in front of her again and blocked the Force again. It didn't even send her sliding back a few feet, and she was able to watch as Maul took off running back towards the crater. She only watched him for a few seconds before following, reaching deep inside herself for the speed she would need to match Maul's.
Shaking his head and getting up as quickly as possible, Obi-Wan said into his comlink, "Mace, Maul is heading your way! He's after Master Gallia!"
"Mace, Maul is heading your way! He's after Master Gallia!"
Hearing those words, the Jedi that had stayed behind with Adi quickly gathered in a circle around her, Kix, and the pirate medic, all with lightsabers drawn and ready. Hondo and the few pirates with him also got their blasters ready. Ahsoka stayed where she was on the ground but quickly grabbed one of her lightsabers in case she needed it.
It seemed like she would as Maul reached the crater's edge and started to leap down to the ledge they were on. But before he could begin to fall, there was a clang as something hit him and sent him flying into the crater far below. Seconds later, there was a scream of pain, causing the Jedi to rush to the edge and look down, almost unable to understand what they saw for a few moments.
Maul was down at the bottom of the crater, a good five meters or so away, while the half-Nautolan was hanging from a small handhold below them. Seeing how she was hanging, the Jedi could understand why she had screamed in pain. She must have grabbed the handhold as she was falling, and her weight suddenly stopping had pulled her arm out of its socket. The right shoulder was dislocated, and she struggled to get her fingers to let go of the handhold. But finally, she did and dropped the rest of the way down to the bottom. As she did so, a few of the Jedi dropped down into the crater to join her and help end this fight.
Whatever she had been thinking taking on both Maul and Opress, it was clear it was now too much for her, and the Jedi were more than willing to take over. But she wasn't willing to let them, and that became clear as Masters Koth and Mundi started to walk over to where she was kneeling on one knee, her left hand on the front of her shoulder. Her eyes were closed, and she was taking deep breaths. Before they could reach her, she suddenly opened her eyes as she yanked her right arm forward before snapping it up against her hand and then yanking it forward again, the joint sliding back into place with a disconcerting crack.
She rolled her shoulder a few times before surging forward, running straight towards Maul, who had just regained his feet, slamming into him again and forcing him back a few more paces. She backflipped and ignited her blades simultaneously, in a ready stance once more. One blade was overhead, the other was upright in front of her, and Maul grinned when he saw this. Clearly, he was actually enjoying this fight and was more than ready to end it.
He attacked ferociously, giving no quarter or reprieve, and it was then the Jedi were able to witness the sight of someone willing to win at any cost. Two someones in this case, since Maul looked like he wasn't interested in losing either.
The half-Nautolan was clearly tired of this fight, though, and likely exhausted in general, and so was quick to go on the offensive again, even if defense might have been the better move. It certainly seemed that way to Maul, who was able to grab her right wrist in his hand. This close, the Jedi could see she wasn't wearing her usual bracelet and comlink. Maul grinned as he started squeezing her wrist, the half-Nautolan gritting her teeth as her forefinger and thumb reflexively let go. But the other three fingers refused to for some reason, and she couldn't use her other hand for anything because it was blocking Maul's other lightsaber from taking her head off.
The Sith only continued to squeeze, his face only inches away from hers, but still, she didn't let go of her lightsaber. Finally, he said, "Just let go, and let's end this fight. You know you have to eventually. Especially since I just broke your wrist."
The Jedi were horrified to hear that, but the half-Nautolan still didn't let go. Instead, she turned to look at her other blade, the one blocking Maul's from cutting her head off, and the Jedi could almost see the crazy idea enter her mind. She looked back at Maul, who only had two seconds to react. She dropped down and extinguished both her blades, sliding between his legs and forcing him to extinguish his own blades so he wouldn't accidentally behead himself.
The half-Nautolan kept sliding for another few feet before twisting on herself and using her momentum to get to her feet, her right foot going to her left side as she used her powerful leg muscles to pull herself to her feet. Seconds later, she was charging Maul again and Obi-Wan, who had just returned with Anakin, Plo Koon, and Ki-Adi, asked, "Has she let up at all?"
"No, she hasn't," Mace said as they followed the fight, trying to get in and take over, but neither Sith nor half-Nautolan were letting them do so, "She keeps fighting, but I don't know for how much longer! She's losing a lot of blood with every blow she makes!"
Hearing this, Obi-Wan turned to the fight and couldn't help but agree. The blood was still coming out of the wound to her side, turning her legging and split skirt a dark greenish-red brown, and if her shoulder and wrist were damaged, she must be exhausted and in severe pain. But still, she kept fighting, ducking under Maul's blows and giving herself some room to maneuver by pushing him back with the Force. As he regrouped, she started throwing nearby boxes at him with the Force, almost as a last resort.
Maul only cut them into pieces and started advancing, but that was what she had been waiting for. Now, with all the Jedi in the crater and watching, except for Ahsoka, who was still with Master Gallia, she was ready to end this fight.
And end it she would.
She stopped throwing things at Maul and just stared at him for several moments before he got uncomfortable and attacked her, and this time it was a melee that was actually rather beautiful to watch. Even though she was covered in quite a bit of her own blood and dirt and mud from the area, the half-Nautolan and the Sith were still engaged in a deadly dance of blades and footwork that was incredible to watch. It seemed like they were evenly matched, and every Jedi in the loose circle around them had a fascinating view of the fight.
The half-Nautolan attacked, swinging her blades forward repeatedly and giving Maul no choice but to block them. She spun away then, Maul going in as close as he could but having to jump back as she spun her blades around her counter to the direction she was going. Maul snarled then and tried again to engage her, but she only blocked both blades and danced around him again, kicking him in the side and sending him sprawling. He collected himself quickly and spun around as he attacked her, but he was still on the defensive and couldn't get past her defenses for even a moment. She sent both blades towards his head, crossed over each other in an x, making him almost bend over backward to not get those blades through his head. She pulled back then and let him recover, but only for a moment. Then she was on him again, and this time she had no intention of letting him have any opening at all. Reaching out with the Force, she started up a bit of a sandstorm, making the dust fly everywhere. Once it settled, the Jedi and Sith could barely see anything as they got the dust out of their eyes. But the half-Nautolan clearly had no troubles with the sand since she attacked Maul again and didn't let up.
Finally, he was where she wanted him as he was forced down onto one knee, and in a move that was too quick for the Jedi, his double-bladed lightsaber was flying through the air out of reach, and the other was blocked by the half-Nautolan's lightsaber. The other lightsaber, Adi's lightsaber, was through Maul's dark heart, and he was staring in shock at the blade in his chest. Slowly he looked up at the half-Nautolan, who only stared at him dispassionately before asking softly, "What are you?"
She didn't answer, only pulled Adi's lightsaber out of his chest and watched him fall to the ground slowly, rolling onto his side as his life slowly ebbed away. The half-Nautolan stepped back as Obi-Wan came over and rolled him over even more. Maul was actually able to smile slightly as he said, "Kenobi, it seems neither of us wins this match, and I don't think there will be any more," Obi-Wan only nodded at that. Maul continued, "I'll make sure to say hello to your master when I see him," his eyes closing slowly and his last breath leaving him on the outflow of a sigh, and then he was dead.
Darth Maul, killer of Qui-Gon Jinn and who knew how many others, was dead and wouldn't threaten anyone ever again.
Watching this, the half-Nautolan stepped back a few paces, quietly reaching for and hitting a button on her comlink hidden under her arm wraps for protection. The button flashed red, but at least her pickup was on its way. All she had to do was stay conscious long enough to get on it.
Until then, her exhaustion hit her like a wave, and she felt her hand go numb. Adi's lightsaber dropped then, hitting the ground with a small thud, but it was noticed all the same. Obi-Wan looked up then and stood as he looked at the half-Nautolan, the others with him turning to her as well, with Pong Krell saying, "Well, now that Darth Maul is dead, what are we going to do with you?"
There was no answer from the half-Nautolan, who only stood there, exhaustion in every line of her body as she looked at him with half-shut eyes as Krell took a step towards her. That was a mistake because even though she was exhausted and wounded, she was still willing to put up a fight. She ignited her blade as she took a step back, wariness coming to her eyes again as another reserve of strength was used, and Obi-Wan immediately stepped in, "Wait, Master Krell, let's try something else," unaware of the light on the half-Nautolan's comlink turning yellow.
But the half-Nautolan knew and started quietly gathering the Force and her strength to her, getting ready to leave while not letting the Jedi sense that. Obi-Wan turned to the half-Nautolan then, who watched him warily as he took a slow step towards her. But he didn't act hostile; he didn't yell or do anything that would have appeared threatening and only asked, "Can we at least ask why you did this? Did you hope to gain something? Or were you just trying to impress us?"
There was no answer from the half-Nautolan, who only cocked her head to the side for a moment as she stared at him, but seconds later, the whine of an engine caught their attention, and they all looked to see a familiar starfighter heading right for the crater. It checked its speed at the last moment as it entered the crater and skimmed low to the ground for a few meters before starting to rise, and the Jedi suddenly felt the Force surge. Whipping their heads around, they were just in time to see the half-Nautolan leap into the air high above them before free-falling. But the starfighter caught her, and seconds later she was gone; the starfighter cloaking itself as it disappeared into the cloud cover.
Master Krell immediately contacted the fleet waiting in orbit, "Commander, a cloaked ship is attempting to get past you. See if you can track its magnetic signature! I don't want it leaving the system!"
"Yes, sir!" was the immediate response, and then Master Krell was turning to the others as they stood over Maul's dead body. They were all silent for a few moments, but then Obi-Wan said, "Perhaps we should start a fire. They're both at peace now; let's give them a proper funeral," walking over and picking up Adi's lightsaber so that he could give it to her when she was healed.
Mace and the others actually agreed with that, seeing it as an act of forgiveness to the two brothers, and in no time, the pyres were being built with help from the clones and pirates. In that time, the cruiser got back to Master Krell and said there was no sign of the starfighter or its magnetic signature, leaving Master Krell in the unpleasant situation of realizing he may have just met someone too clever for him. Which may be more than his pride could take in the long run. As this was happening, Hondo met with the Jedi for a few minutes, with Mace asking him, "You said earlier you've known the half-Nautolan for a while. How long is a while?"
Hondo actually had to think about it for a few minutes before saying, "I would say the last twenty-five years or so. She's been a good ally in the Outer Rim, and her connections are useful if she wants to give them to you. She pays us to leave people alone, and we give her our smuggling routes when she needs them. It's fair trade as far as I'm concerned."
"But you mentioned anyone she decides to defend," Eeth Koth said, "What does that mean?"
Hondo shrugged, "I stopped trying to understand how that mind of her works a long time ago, Master Jedi. She's someone you don't really want to know how her mind works, and it's kind of a scary place. We always thought she was Jedi, to be honest. Especially since she had the laser sword, but I guess not?"
"No, she isn't," Obi-Wan said, "We don't know what she is."
"Mhmmmm," Mace murmured before saying, "Let's get Master Gallia to the Temple; I want to look something up in the Archives that might explain what we witnessed today."
The other Jedi nodded, but Hondo wasn't entirely interested, "Yes, yes, yes, you do what you want. Is there any chance I can get a rental fee out of this?" always the opportunist.
Obi-Wan turned to him with a raised eyebrow while the other Jedi just looked amused, "A rental fee?"
"Of course, Kenobi!" Hondo exclaimed, "You know – renting out my compound for this fight, lending you my medic, giving away hard-to-come-by medical supplies. Those kinds of things. Hosting a fight is not an inexpensive proposition, after all."
"And if we were to run the serial numbers of the weapons you have around here, how many would come up as stolen from Republic cargo freighters?" Obi-Wan asked, making Hondo look slightly sheepish, "And how many would be illegal to sell, much less own?" his amusement more than clear.
"Ah! The thanklessness!" Hondo exclaimed as he threw up his hands before walking away, "I am gone! I will send you my bill!" pointing at Obi-Wan before heading over to his men, even though he knew he had gotten off easy since the Jedi weren't going to seriously check the entire compound.
Obi-Wan only shook his head in amused exasperation as he turned to the others, who looked similarly amused at the conversation, but the amusement faded as a gunship came down near them with Master Gallia already on a stretcher on board. Ahsoka was still with her, and it was clear from her face that things were deteriorating rapidly. Kix was applying more bandages to control the bleeding, and another medic had put a tube down her throat so that he could push air into her lungs. The Jedi were quick to get on board, but Obi-Wan and Anakin decided to stay until the next gunship came so that they could start the funeral fires for Maul and Savage.
If nothing else, Obi-Wan would make sure Maul would be granted the same peace his Master had right now.
Several klicks away from the compound, the starfighter had landed. The half-Nautolan and Ventress had gotten out, the half-Nautolan with Ventress' help, and she had directed Ventress to start a fire. Ventress had done so, not fully understanding why, but the half-Nautolan didn't care at the moment. Reaching into the cockpit and pulling out a clean rag, she dropped down to the ground near the fire and put a knife into the fire to heat it up.
Ventress looked at her in confusion when she did so, but the confusion went away a few minutes later as the half-Nautolan put the rag in her mouth and bit down as hard as she could. At the same time, she drew another knife and cut into her side, cutting down until she had reached the metal bar. She pulled the knife through her skin and flesh, and Ventress had to turn away. It would have been difficult to watch that if it was a stranger, but the fact it was a friend doing this to herself somehow made it all the harder.
Because she couldn't watch, she missed the moment the half-Nautolan finished cutting her side open and pulled the rebar out. But there was no way to miss the smell of cooking flesh, and she had no choice but to look as the half-Nautolan took the now-hot knife out of the fire and pressed it against her side to stop the bleeding, burning the wound closed so that she wouldn't bleed to death so quickly. Her eyes screwed shut then, and she groaned low in her throat, biting down hard on the rag. Once that was done, she leaned back against the starfighter, just breathing heavily as she got the pain under control and rested, pulling the rag out of her mouth as she did so.
Knowing this was all the half-Nautolan had wanted to do with the fire, Ventress quickly put it out so it wouldn't attract attention, and after a few minutes, the half-Nautolan was again ready to go, pushing herself to her feet with Ventress' help and getting back into the starfighter. Ventress got back in as well, and moments later, they were heading for the atmosphere, getting ready to leave the planet and get somewhere safe so that the half-Nautolan could get the care she needed.
Thankfully the droid knew exactly where to go and was quick to re-cloak the fighter before heading for the atmosphere since she definitely did not, and the half-Nautolan had closed her eyes and was resting. Ventress nodded when she saw that in the back cockpit camera; her friend had more than deserved a rest after all she had done today.
It was time to head for home.
It had been a few days since the fight on Florrum, and thankfully Adi Gallia had survived not only the fight but the journey back to the Temple. Once there, she was immediately rushed to the medical center for surgery, where Master Nema was certain she would die at any moment; it was that serious.
But somehow Adi survived, clinging to life with determination and tenacity, and it was a relief for many on the Council when Master Nema sent word that she was finally waking up. It had been a tense few days, but finally Master Nema had sensed her spirit and her mind come together once more and return to her body, and it would be a welcome sight to see her awake and healing.
When Masters Yoda, Windu, Kenobi, Skywalker, and Plo arrived, they were greeted by Master Nema, who said respectfully, "Masters," bowing her head before leading them towards the door that led to the inner room where the more critically wounded were treated. Before opening the door, she turned to them and said, "Fair warning, Masters, we have given her very powerful painkillers and a few sedatives to keep her calm and quiet. I don't want her getting upset or tearing her stitches. She will be here a long time already; let's not make it longer than it needs to be. I can see and sense that she is lucid, but the wounds are painful, and her lucidity sometimes comes and goes. Don't wake her if she falls asleep in the middle of speaking with you. The only way she will recover is with rest."
Having said her piece, the doctor opened the door and ushered them inside, closing the door behind her and leading them to the far side of the room towards the only occupied bed. This bed was also closest to the door that led to the operating room, making Mace and Obi-Wan exchange a glance at the implications.
They continued walking, though, and finally were able to sit down in the chairs around Master Gallia's bed. Many healers had been sitting with her the last few days to monitor her condition and do what they could, and after a little while, they hadn't bothered to remove the chairs. Force-healing was an intense effort, and so whenever another healer came to help, they brought a chair and didn't remove it when they left, so there were plenty to choose from. The fact Master Gallia had needed so many healers in the first place was unpleasant to think about, but Obi-Wan refused to dwell on it when he saw her move her head back and forth a few times on the pillow before slowly opening her eyes.
They were slightly glazed and a little unfocused, but after a few blinks, she was able to see who was sitting with her and attempted a smile, but it ended in a wince as she moved a little and the pain spiked. The monitor nearby also beeped as her heart rate accelerated for a moment, and Master Nema came over and adjusted the painkillers, giving a bit more; after a few seconds, the pain settled and went away, and Adi was able to open her eyes again. Seeing that she was awake, Obi-Wan smiled and said gently, "It's good to see you back, Master Gallia. You gave us quite a scare."
Adi smiled slightly at that before swallowing hard and asking quietly, "What happened?" clearly not remembering as much as she should. She wasn't dressed in anything, her entire chest and torso covered in bandages from the intense surgery she had needed to survive, and the doctors had decided not to put a sleeping tunic on her just in case they had to rush her back into surgery. The blankets were up past her chest, her arms lying limply on them, and she was paler than normal from the blood she had lost. Nearby were several hanging bags of fluid and blood that had tubes coming out of them and going into her arms, and she had a nasal cannula under her nose taped to her cheeks to help her breathe. All in all, she was incredibly weak and just holding onto life, but the fact she had survived that surgery and was still fighting was enough to convince Master Nema that she may have a chance.
Obi-Wan froze for a moment, not sure how to respond, but thankfully Master Nema knew, "You were injured in a fight with a Sith, Adi, don't you remember?" leaning down and resting a hand on Adi's forehead, using the Force ever-so-slightly to nudge her mind to work, "It was on Florrum, but thankfully you survived."
Adi shut her eyes as she tried to remember, and Anakin looked at Rig with concern that Adi was so out of it, but she ignored him as she focused on Adi. A few moments later, Adi's eyes opened again. They weren't as glazed as her mind started working again, and she said quietly, "I remember….fighting….on Florrum. And then something hit me….pain….nothing else," her eyes glazing over again as the drugs took control for a moment. Rig only used the Force again, helping Adi keep her tenuous hold on reality for a few minutes longer so that she could hear Master Windu's next words.
"The half-Nautolan saved your life, Master Gallia," he said gently, and she turned her head to look at him, her eyes again clear and aware for the moment, "She got Opress away from you and carried you up to the pirates, who then brought you to us. She then killed Opress and Maul, with your lightsaber. I think she wanted it to stand in for you since you couldn't finish your battle with Opress. But you likely still wouldn't have survived the journey back with how serious your wounds were."
Adi nodded slowly, and Master Yoda said softly, "Did something to you, the half-Nautolan did. Respond strongly, the Force did to her. Uncertain we are what it was, but think you know we do."
Adi was silent for a moment, closing her eyes in thought for a moment before saying softly, "The last thing I think I remember was feeling myself start to die," opening her eyes then and looking at Master Yoda, "I could feel my life leaving me, and the Force calling out to me. But then….I don't know," frowning slightly, she and those with her missing the sound of the door opening quietly behind them, "It felt like my heart was slowing down, and it was getting harder to breathe. The next thing I knew, it was suddenly easier, and my heart was stronger, and then it felt like I was flying through the stars and time. It felt like the Force supported me and kept me alive, but that is all I remember."
"Hmmmmm," Yoda murmured softly before saying more loudly, "A powerful Force wielder, we know this half-Nautolan to be. Possible it is, bind you to her life-force she did. Keep you alive until able to get to help, she might have done. But usually, stay nearby the person has to. Fight and kill they should not, weaken the connection those two things do."
"Perhaps this half-Nautolan is so powerful in the Force distance is not an issue," Master Plo said, "And perhaps she can defend the part of her spirit keeping Master Gallia alive while she is killing others. If she truly did bind you to her life, then she may be still doing so now until you are strong enough to survive on your own. The Force does feel a bit stronger here than it does elsewhere in the Temple."
"Which begs the question," Obi-Wan said softly, "Why is the half-Nautolan all of a sudden showing an interest in protecting you?" turning to Master Gallia, "You have no connection to her, and she has proven she doesn't care who lives or dies sometimes. Why would she suddenly care about you? Is it possible you have crossed paths with her in the past?"
Adi was already shaking her head weakly, "I don't think so; I would have remembered that. It isn't every day you come across one of the rarest beings in the galaxy, especially one that Force-sensitive. I don't think I would have forgotten such an encounter."
"And yet she has saved your life, not once but twice," a familiar voice said from behind them, and they all turned to see Captain Tarkin standing there with Dr. Boll. The two of them approached, with Tarkin saying, "There must be a connection there, Master Jedi; you just need to remember what it is."
Adi frowned, her eyes starting to glaze over again as her grip on reality started to slip, and Rig looked in concern at the nearby monitor, watching her vitals carefully. Adi only said quietly, "Don't remember….can't…." her eyes glazed over even more as her heart beat faster, becoming a bit distressed by Tarkin and his impatience.
"Yes, you can, Master Jedi," Tarkin said urgently, "You just need to think hard about it."
"Can't….think…." Adi said softly, "Where….?" raising her head as much as she could before she collapsed back into the pillow, but that caused the pain to spike as she moved, and she cried out. Rig only hit the alert button near the bed before she gently but firmly held Adi down to the bed, not wanting her to move. Obi-Wan came over and helped as well, but Adi had clearly lost whatever hold she had on reality and tried to struggle. Seeing this, Obi-Wan almost let go, but Rig said firmly, "Don't let go, Master Kenobi; we need her to stay still. If she tears her stitches, we have to take her back to surgery. You won't hurt her, I assure you."
Those words didn't really bolster Obi-Wan's confidence in the matter, but he stayed where he was until more healers and doctors arrived, and he could let go. Only once Rig said, "I will be out there in a moment, Masters," clearly dismissing them from the room did they leave, making sure Tarkin and Dr. Boll went with them. Tarkin didn't look pleased about being almost forcibly removed from the room. At the same time, Dr. Boll seemed rather upset about the entire scene she had just witnessed.
Clearly, she had never seen a Jedi Master so weak and wounded before.
Once outside the inner room, Mace turned to Captain Tarkin and said, "There won't be a next time for you, Captain, but you should know we were getting close to finding out if Master Gallia and the half-Nautolan have met in the past. It is important to be patient with someone that wounded and that heavily drugged."
"My instructions came straight from the Chancellor, Master Jedi," Tarkin said, not intimidated at all, "He asked me to figure out why Master Gallia means enough to the half-Nautolan she would bother to save her twice, and so I was following his orders. My apologies if my doing so caused an issue."
Mace only frowned at the captain, but before anyone could say anything else, Master Nema finally opened the door and came out, the door shutting behind her. She looked around at those gathered there, briefly narrowing her eyes at Tarkin before turning to Master Yoda and saying, "We had to sedate her again; she was fighting us too much and delirious from the pain. A few of the stitches did tear, but they were on the outside, so they were easily replaced. The internal stitches held, thankfully. We are changing the bandages now, but I don't want her disturbed for the rest of the day and well into tomorrow. I will let you know when she is well enough again for visitors."
"Disturb her rest again; we will not," Yoda said with a bow of his head before walking out of the medical center, followed by the others, Obi-Wan and Anakin making sure Tarkin went with them. The captain only looked between the two of them before shrugging inwardly.
Despite what the Jedi thought, he still had a job to do.
A few minutes later, they arrived at the communication center, where the rest of the Council were waiting, some via hologram. Chancellor Palpatine was also waiting there via hologram. Once they had entered the room, he turned and said, "Ah, Master Windu, it's good to see you again. How is Master Gallia?" his concern clear to see.
"Resting comfortably, Chancellor, but will need some time to recover," Mace said, and the other Jedi in the room were able to breathe quiet sighs of relief at the news, "The healers and doctors are optimistic she will heal fully, so long as she is not disturbed unnecessarily," turning to look at Tarkin as he said this.
The chancellor was immediately confused, "Was there a problem, Master Windu?" to which Anakin replied, "You could say that, Chancellor. Captain Tarkin's questioning distressed Master Gallia so much that she tore her stitches and needed to be sedated again. If he had waited, we could have learned more, and she wouldn't have gotten more hurt than she is."
"Oh my," the chancellor said, looking rather upset, "I asked Captain Tarkin to look into the matter as well since he is part of the task force tracking down the half-Nautolan, but I didn't think he would be so forceful with a Jedi as badly wounded as Master Gallia. You have my apologies, Master Yoda," turning to the Jedi Master in question, "and please send my apologies and regards to Master Gallia as soon as she is well enough to receive them."
Master Yoda nodded, while Master Plo said, "While Master Gallia was not able to tell us much about the fight, we were able to piece together a theory as to how she survived it. Those wounds were serious and deep; her surviving them was no accident. Someone was able to do something that has not been attempted in a long time, and the results were thankfully successful."
"What is that, Master Plo?" Master Tiin asked, to which Master Plo replied, "We think the half-Nautolan bound her life-force to Master Gallia's, keeping her alive until she was brought to help. It is also possible that she is still keeping her alive now. The Force is strong around Master Gallia right now; it would stand to reason that is the case. We are uncertain about why she would do so, especially since Master Gallia is convinced they have never met. But this is the second time the half-Nautolan has saved Master Gallia, the first time being on Zygerria, so perhaps there is a connection there."
There was silence in the room for a few moments before Master Koth said, "I have never heard of binding one's life-force to another. Are you certain that it is even possible?" turning to Master Yoda as he asked this.
"Certain, we are not," Master Yoda replied, "Considering the circumstances, makes sense it does. An ancient skill it is; abandoned long ago as too dangerous for both parties it was. Destroy both spirits; it could."
"And yet this half-Nautolan not only attempted it," Anakin said, "but seems to be a master of it since nothing has gone wrong since Master Gallia returned to the Temple," he turned to Mace then, "Why's it always feel like we are a few steps behind this woman, no matter how many times we try and get ahead of her? She's always thinking ahead of us."
"That is because of what she is, Skywalker," Mace said quietly, "I had a hunch when you told me about how she kept fighting on Geonosis even when badly wounded, and it was strengthened on Zygerria when she revealed her skill with a lightsaber. It has now been confirmed after this most recent fight on Florrum."
"And what is she, Master Windu?" Dr. Boll asked into the tense silence.
Mace sighed and closed his eyes before opening them and saying, "A Sith hunter."
There was silence for a few moments, with Jedi exchanging glances, but the chancellor was somewhat confused and said as much, "I'm sorry, Master Jedi, but my knowledge of your lore is rather remiss in this area. What is a Sith hunter?"
"It's essentially what the name suggests, Chancellor," Obi-Wan said, "They are Force-sensitive beings trained to hunt down and kill Sith. They were utilized during the wars of the Old Republic to find Sith, and are incredibly skilled warriors, as we have all witnessed."
There were nods and murmuring all around, but it quieted as Mace continued explaining, "Sith hunters were a more military branch of the Jedi Order during the Old Republic. Back then, there were a lot of Sith and not enough Jedi to track them down. Even fewer had the skill to kill them. Sith hunters were created as a way to combat the Sith on a more equal playing field, and they did so better than the Jedi. But there was a drawback: the mental and emotional trauma of training someone to be a Sith hunter is extreme. You are asking someone who wants to be a Jedi and only kills when necessary to become a trained killer. They are somewhat outlawed now by the Order. It isn't completely forbidden to train one, since there may come a time when they are needed again, but it is highly unrecommended. There is also the fact the training regime is incredibly intense. Sith hunters are trained to ignore pain, ignore injury, ignore everything happening to them until the task is finished and the Sith they are fighting is dead. Or until they themselves are dead. They are also incredibly skilled Force-wielders trained to use the Force on the elements to even the fight. As we saw on Florrum, the half-Nautolan did exactly that with the acid lying beneath the ground. Their tolerance for pain can also rival a Jedi's, hence why they keep going and keep fighting."
"Like the half-Nautolan did on Florrum," Master Mundi said, "She acted as though everything that had happened to her was not important and kept fighting when it would have been better to just stop and let us take over," he shook his head then, "Why would anyone willingly subject themselves to that? And who in their right mind would train them? It is barbaric."
"It was an older, more dangerous time, Master Mundi," Mace said quietly, "At the time, it must have seemed like the only option that made sense, but thankfully training someone to be a Sith hunter was considered a thing of the past. Whoever trained this one can't call themselves a Jedi, not after everything they would have had to do to train her to be such a skilled fighter and killer. Not to mention hunter."
"So anyone can train a Sith hunter?" Anakin asked into the quiet, to which Mace shook his head, "It's not that simple, Skywalker. These warriors are not evil, but they aren't good either. They walk a tightrope between the Light and Dark, and sometimes they fall. It's next to impossible to guess which side they will fall on, but it was never the Light in the past. Because they walk that edge, the only ones that can successfully train a Sith hunter are Form I masters. That is why I think this half-Nautolan is a Sith hunter; Master Abazza is a missing link in everything happening with this young woman, and she is a practitioner of Form I. It can take decades to train a Sith hunter, explaining why she disappeared so suddenly. She needed to start training this one, although how she got the information to do so, I don't know. The only information about Sith hunters can be found in the Jedi Archives, in the restricted section, and Madame Jocasta checked the records. No one has looked at that information in over fifty years."
There was silence for a few moments before Anakin said, "So….now that we know what she is, how do we find her?"
"We can't," Master Mundi said, "Sith hunters are highly trained and organized, Master Skywalker. They are not just trained in the ways of the Force; they are also trained as soldiers and spies. They are saboteurs and must be incredibly intelligent to do the task assigned to them. They are highly skilled in espionage and other forms of combat, not just lightsabers and blades. They have to be. Knowing their way around explosives and biological weapons is a must, and they are incredibly careful to remain invisible. They aren't chasing common criminals and bounty hunters; they are going after the epitome of evil and need to be smarter than them if they want to survive."
Anakin nodded thoughtfully before suddenly realizing, "If the half-Nautolan is a Sith hunter, she must be reporting to somebody, right? She is a soldier in the sense someone has to give her targets, and soldiers follow orders after all. If we can find the person giving those orders, perhaps we can find her."
Mace nodded slowly, while Yoda only shook his head, "Find Master Abazza, we have been attempting. But our focus, always been on the half-Nautolan it has been. Perhaps, turn to someone else for a little while we should," looking at Mace as he said this.
"If the half-Nautolan was as wounded as you say, Master Kenobi," Kit Fisto was speaking now, for the first time since the meeting had started, and everyone turned to him, "She may go hide until her wounds are healed. Considering the fact we don't know where she is operating out of, it may be for the better to leave her alone to heal and search for Master Abazza for a time, then start again with the half-Nautolan once she shows herself again. And from what you have said, Master Skywalker, she isn't someone that likes to be wounded and cornered. If she feels threatened in that way she will likely attack, which could be disastrous for us."
"We could ask Master Gallia to volunteer –" Tarkin started to say but was immediately cut off by the Chancellor, "I think not, Captain, we can't ask Master Gallia to do such a thing, not after what she has survived. And my understanding of this – connection – between her and the half-Nautolan is that the half-Nautolan has only appeared when her life was in extreme danger. I am not willing to ask anyone to do such a thing."
"Master Gallia is in no condition to do anything of the sort anyways, Chancellor," Obi-Wan said softly, "She won't be healed for many months and will still need to spend another few months regaining her strength."
"I understand, Master Kenobi," Chancellor Palpatine said, "And I'm sure Captain Tarkin didn't mean insinuating such a dangerous thing."
Tarkin looked, at that moment, like he had either swallowed something sour or was biting his tongue to keep himself from saying something disrespectful.
Kit somehow found himself hoping it was both.
Turning back to the conversation at hand, Kit caught Mace saying, "Tracking down Master Abazza may be a dead end in the long run. She has had over thirty years to learn how to stay invisible; she won't be easy to find, and any information we have on her isn't current. Her homeworld is Alderaan, so we should start there and see what we can learn. Perhaps Master Plo, and Master Koth, will have a chance of finding her," turning to the two Jedi in question, "Your fleets are currently on leave, and no one will mind you exploring this for a few days. Perhaps we can find a trail, even after all these years. And you were the one to bring her to the Temple, Master Koth; if she has any kin left on Alderaan, they may be more willing to speak to you than a stranger."
"We will do our best, Master Windu," Eeth said softly, bowing his head, while Master Plo only said, "We will leave tomorrow; this trail is rather cold as it is. One more day will not make it suddenly heat up again."
Mace nodded before turning to the chancellor and saying, "We will keep you apprised of the situation as it develops, Chancellor, and let you know if anything comes of the investigation."
"Thank you, Master Windu," Chancellor Palpatine said before something caught his eye, and he said, "If you will excuse me, I must return to the grand adventure of politics," bowing his head to Master Yoda before ending his transmission.
Once he was gone, Mace turned to the Jedi and said, "There is one more thing I didn't want to bring up while the Chancellor was here," before stopping suddenly.
"What is that, Master Windu?" Master Tiin asked, but Mace still hesitated as he turned to look at Dr. Boll and Captain Tarkin.
Tarkin immediately said, "I need to speak to the Chancellor about some other issues that require his attention. If you will excuse me, Master Jedi?" bowing his head slightly before leaving, and then Dr. Boll was saying, "You asked me to look into how much blood someone of the same size and weight as the half-Nautolan could lose before things get dangerous?"
"And?" Anakin asked impatiently, to which Dr. Boll replied, "If my calculations are correct, then by the end of the fight on Florrum, she has lost perhaps a third of her blood volume. Almost two liters. She will need several transfusions and fluids for a while, and that is assuming there was only soft tissue damage from that bar of metal. Suppose an internal organ was nicked, like a kidney or large intestine? In that case, she could be looking at even more blood loss, sepsis and infection from the rust on the bar, and many other severe complications. Hopefully, she knows a skilled doctor; otherwise, her odds of surviving are rather woeful."
Anakin nodded while Mace asked, "Have you had any luck tracking down a doctor that has treated her, in the past or now?"
Dr. Boll shook her head, "I'm afraid not, Master Windu," she said, "Whoever this young lady is going to is more secretive than she is and much harder to find if that is even possible. Finding her doctor may prove a greater challenge than finding her, but I will keep looking."
"Thank you, Dr. Boll," Mace said; Dr. Boll hearing the polite dismissal in his voice and bowing her head before leaving as well. Once she was gone, Mace turned back to those gathered there and said, "As for what I was about to say earlier, there is one more thing I want to discuss regarding the half-Nautolan before we start our debriefs from our last few battles against the Separatists."
"And that would be?" Master Plo asked, to which Mace turned to Yoda for a moment before turning back to those gathered there, "Master Gallia is certain she has never met the half-Nautolan, and yet the half-Nautolan protects her more than any other Jedi from what we have witnessed over the last few months. While Master Gallia is certain there is no connection, I think there is, but only the half-Nautolan may know what it is. I was hoping for a quick discussion on why that may be the case and what it could mean for the future."
"You think the half-Nautolan is protecting Master Gallia for reasons outside of just wanting to do the right thing?" Obi-Wan asked, to which Mace nodded and said, "It is a reach, but we are in the business of making leaps when it comes to a Sith hunter. If we can think ahead of her, even by a few steps, we may be able to catch up with her. Sith hunters are trained to think nine or ten moves ahead, but I think she is thinking nineteen or twenty moves ahead. Any edge we can get over her will be worth it if we can figure out what it is."
There was silence for a few moments before Obi-Wan said, "Well, then, let's see what we come up with," walking closer to the holotable in the center of the room to begin the list. They kept at it for a few hours more before finally ending the meeting, several Jedi leaving in groups or alone to think over everything that had happened.
Once outside the communication center, Kit and Quinlan looked at each other before heading for Kit's quarters. They needed to reach out to their friend and see how she was doing. And send her the message that she needed to be more careful.
Especially when it came to those she was trying to protect.
Dooku was planning another attack on the Republic when he suddenly received a transmission. Seeing how it was, he immediately kneeled, asking, "Master?"
Sidious didn't waste time on pleasantries, "We have a serious problem, my friend. The half-Nautolan we have been trying to pin down for so long will be harder to find than I had originally anticipated and will need even more attention than we have given her. I have just learned that she is a Sith hunter. We will need to think more creatively about finding her."
Dooku frowned when he heard that; he knew what a Sith hunter was and knew how dangerous they were, "I will double my efforts to find her, Master, but it is difficult. She is elusive and skilled; clearly, someone trained her."
"I agree," Sidious said, "The Jedi think it was a Master Abazza who trained her, but I am certain it was Kit Fisto. It is something he is more than capable of doing, and the half-Nautolan's heavy reliance on Form I reinforces that fact. She was able to kill Savage Opress and Darth Maul on Florrum, succeeding where the Jedi have failed. She is an established hunter, and I do not want her continuing her hunting."
"I understand, my lord," Dooku said, hiding his surprise that both Maul and Opress had been killed by the half-Nautolan, "I will do everything in my power to track her down and end her."
Sidious nodded and ended the transmission, leaving the Dooku the not-so-envious task of tracking down someone who was incredibly skilled at disappearing into the galaxy's far reaches without even a backward glance.
How in the name of the Force was he going to find her?
Once finished with Dooku, Sidious removed his cloak and cowl to again become the well-respected Chancellor Palpatine. Exiting his bedroom, he found himself in his study, where Captains Tarkin and Thrawn were waiting for him. They waited until he was seated behind his desk before Tarkin asked, "What is the plan, my lord? There is no way for us to track down the half-Nautolan, correct? Not if she's as well trained as the Jedi think she is."
Palpatine only rested his elbows on the desk before him, his clasped hands under his chin as he thought before shaking his head slightly and saying, "No, there is no way to track her down easily. The only one who can find her is Kit Fisto and possibly Quinlan Vos. I am convinced he is another Jedi working with Fisto and the half-Nautolan, but I'm not sure to what degree. Either way, we will have to be more careful about what happens next. I don't want you aggravating the Jedi again, Captain Tarkin," turning to the man in question, "If they freeze you out of the search for the half-Nautolan, we won't be able to know if they find her or not until after they bring her in and convince her to work with them. That would be disastrous for our plans."
Tarkin nodded while Thrawn asked, "Has General Fisto revealed anything that would lead us to her? Anything, no matter how small, could prove useful," as he turned to the other captain.
Tarkin scowled now, "No, he hasn't, and it isn't from lack of watching. I watch him all day and all night with the help of the bug in his lightsaber, and he reveals nothing about the half-Nautolan. If it hadn't been for that meeting with Senator Amidala and Senator Organa and a few more in the past few months, I would have been convinced he wasn't involved at all. I think even he was surprised to hear about Zygerria. He may be part of whatever the half-Nautolan has planned, but I think she sometimes keeps him in the dark. It doesn't help us find her now, unfortunately."
"No, it does not," Palpatine said softly as he furrowed his brow and thought for a few minutes. Finally, he said, "For now, keep working to track her down. The Jedi will be focused on attempting to track down a Sundali Abazza. She was a Jedi that disappeared many years ago, and the Jedi think it was to train the half-Nautolan to be a Sith hunter. If we can find Master Abazza, perhaps we can find the half-Nautolan. But it won't be easy," scowling himself as a memory from a long time ago came to the fore of his mind and reminded him of the event that had started all of this for him.
Thrawn was confused, "Why not, Chancellor?"
Palpatine sighed as he stood up and said, "Because Master Abazza has successfully evaded the Jedi for several decades already. She knows how to hide and avoid them, as well as their sources and contacts throughout the galaxy. And if she is working with Fisto and Vos, like I suspect she is, they will make it even harder to find her. They can keep her away from us through coded messages, and there is the fact that if she is involved in this, it may be impossible for even them to find her if she is so far underground. We may be forced to think outside the box to find her."
Tarkin nodded, while Thrawn said, "We can probably still find her without the Jedi, Chancellor. We just need to keep finding information that could prove useful. If you have been careful," turning to Tarkin, "then General Fisto doesn't know you are the one who bugged his lightsaber. We can still use this to our advantage if we are careful in our planning."
Palpatine was already nodding along with what Thrawn was saying and after a few minutes, said, "That sounds good to me, Captain. Keep me informed of what you learn. I expect regular reports," effectively dismissing them.
The two captains immediately understood the message and left, leaving Palpatine to return to his desk and sit down. Once settled, he again put his elbows on his desk, clasped hands under his chin as he closed his eyes and reached out with the Force as much as possible. The half-Nautolan wasn't someone he could sense, she was too elusive in the Force for that, but perhaps he could find Master Plo or Master Koth and see what there was to be learned there.
Perhaps their search for Master Abazza would lead him right to the half-Nautolan.
Once in Kit's quarters with Kit's lightsaber in one of the other rooms, Kit turned to Quinlan and said, "We need to check in with our friend, now. She wants an update on how Master Gallia is doing, and we need to let her know what is happening."
"You got it," Quinlan said, immediately sending out a secure transmission on a secret frequency. A few minutes later, a hologram appeared of the half-Nautolan, who looked rather well after such an intense fight on Florrum. Her midsection was as bandaged as Master Gallia's, but she was sitting upright and didn't seem the worse for wear. Her shoulder had an ice pack on it, though, and her wrist was splinted and braced, so perhaps the fight hadn't gone exactly as planned.
But nothing ever truly did go according to plan, and the fact Maul and Opress were dead still counted for something.
Kit looked her over a few moments longer before asking, "You are alright?" to which she nodded. Kit breathed a slight sigh of relief when he saw that before saying, "Good. Master Gallia is expected to make a full recovery as well. A week more, and you can probably unbind yourself from her. She should be strong enough to survive on her own then. Master Nema will let me know so that I can let you know when exactly that should happen."
The half-Nautolan nodded again but still looked expectant, and Kit knew she knew there was something else going on. Thankfully Quinlan was the one who decided to tell her this part, "There are a few things you should be aware of. First: the Council has tasked Masters Plo and Koth with tracking down Master Abazza. I don't think they'll have any more luck than last time, as I'm sure you know how that went. Still, we will let her know all the same as soon as we can to watch her back even more than she already does," the half-Nautolan slowly smiled at that. Quinlan continued, "Second: now that you have proven you are a Sith hunter, it won't just be the Jedi looking for you. The Sith will be looking for you as well, now that you have proven you can kill them so effectively. Darth Maul was the most powerful Sith apprentice in the galaxy, Dooku pales compared to him, and you know it. Now that you have killed Maul, the Sith in hiding will likely come after you. Be ready for that."
Quinlan stopped then and turned to Kit, who sighed as he said, "Finally: the Jedi are aware there is a connection between you and Master Gallia, but they aren't sure what it is. Be careful in your dealings with her; you don't want to show your hand until you're ready. If the Sith find out what your connection with her is, they will kill her."
The half-Nautolan nodded, knowing how serious the situation was. Kit turned to Quinlan, who only looked at him and shrugged. Kit turned back to the half-Nautolan and said, "I think that's everything for now. If something comes up, we will let you know. In the meantime, make sure you get some rest and heal as well. You are no good to anyone, especially Adi, if you can't see straight from exhaustion."
The half-Nautolan actually smiled tightly at that, and the transmission ended, with Quinlan turning to Kit and saying, "So now we have to pretend to help try and find someone that we kind of know where she is but aren't really sure. While keeping up the pretense we don't know anything new about her."
"Sounds about right," Kit said tiredly as he leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, thoroughly exhausted and feeling the pain in his stomach more intensely than usual today.
Quinlan shrugged then before turning to shut down the transmitter and leave the room, knowing there was nothing he could do for Kit when it came to the pain in his stomach. How much longer Kit would last with such extreme pain, Quinlan didn't know, but he knew it would be interesting to see what happened when Kit's strength of will or body finally gave out.
Hopefully, he would actually accept help then.
He may not have a choice in the matter.
Far away from Coruscant, the half-Nautolan entered her quarters on the Ghost and sat down on the bed, thinking over everything that had happened in the last few days. The fight on Florrum had gone well, but there was still something she wanted to find out.
And it involved Anakin Skywalker.
She didn't like him, that was clear to anyone that knew her, but she was curious to see how strong a grip his emotions had over him. Perhaps it was time for a little test to see if he truly could be an asset to the Jedi.
Or the greatest of liabilities.