A/N: So here's chapter 27, and I hope you like it. Again, not a lot of in-depth fighting and action, but we do have two characters that have only met in the shadows meeting officially for the first time here. The next chapter is written and ready to go, almost, it just needs some polishing and re-reading for editing purposes. It should be posted soon, though, don't worry! In the meantime, please read, review, and enjoy!
Water wars! Tensions run high on the ocean world of Mon Calamari, where two separate peoples, the aggressive squid-like Quarren and their peaceful neighbor, the Mon Calamari, struggle to maintain a fragile co-existence. Adding to the strife, the king of the Mon Calamari has been found mysteriously murdered, leaving his young son, Prince Lee-Char, to guide his people alone. But the Quarren race will not accept the new ruler as their king. Senator Amidala and her Jedi bodyguard have arrived to help resolve the matter and to avoid plunging the planet into civil war….
The waters of Mon Cala were warm and pleasant today, and the half-Nautolan was enjoying them immensely. It had been a long time since she had gone swimming, and the ocean world's beautiful reefs and rock formations appealed to her. It had been almost two months since the death of Pong Krell and the capture of Umbara by Republic forces. In that time, the half-Nautolan had healed even more from her injuries on Florrum, and she could also sense Adi Gallia was healing.
Soon, only scars would remain, for both of them.
For now, though, the half-Nautolan wasn't swimming the seas of Mon Cala just for the fun of it. She was here on business, and the king of the Mon Calamari had greeted her warmly, as always. They had had a long discussion about the fragile peace he was now struggling to maintain between his people and the Quarren, and it was becoming increasingly more difficult with the Separatists whispering in the ears of the Quarren that they shouldn't bow down to the Mon Calamari. And those whispers were starting to work; the prideful Quarren were beginning to listen to them more and more, and the peace was disintegrating bit by bit.
The king was aware of the tensions building once again and was getting ready to call a meeting of the Council to ease fears and reaffirm the alliance. Knowing she couldn't be involved more than she was and needing the opportunity of Nossor Ri being absent from his office for a few hours, the half-Nautolan was ready for the meeting to be announced. In the meantime, she would enjoy the warm seas and indulge a bit on what was offered by the sea. She had been traveling for quite a while and was rather hungry.
Having left the king and Captain Ackbar, who had also met with her, the half-Nautolan immediately headed for the sea bed, looking for her favorite snack from Mon Cala: shellfish wrapped in seaweed. Diving down to the bottom of the ocean, far below the city, she was able to find the ones she preferred and took her knife to their shells, easily opening them before wrapping them in seaweed and swallowing them down. While even the Mon Calamari preferred to cook their food, she did not if she could help it. She preferred it raw, usually swallowing it down without chewing, and seconds later, she was moving on to another bed of shellfish and mollusks.
This continued for a few hours, the half-Nautolan arriving too early for the meeting, as usual, and needing something to do to pass the time. And since she wasn't in a rush to get involved in the politics of a planet if she could help it, it wasn't difficult to ignore the tensions building in the city above her, knowing the king would be able to handle it.
But right before the meeting could take place, a ripple through the Force had her looking up and stopping eating, and she reached out with her senses. Seconds later, she was recoiling slightly in shock when she felt the life of the king leave him, not understanding what had just happened for a few moments before it suddenly made painful sense to her. Someone had killed him, and that someone had done so because they knew he could be able to unite his people and the Quarren once more. Getting the king out of the way had guaranteed his young son, Lee-Char, would have a more difficult time gaining the acceptance of the Quarren and make him more open to political machinations from the outside. Without the strong guidance and skill of his father, the prince would struggle.
Realizing all this didn't make it any easier for her; she had considered the king a friend for many years, and his help in the Conspiracy had made it possible for her to get equipment and parts for the ships they were using. Those parts made their ships just a little bit harder to find and catch up with. Losing him was a heavy blow for her, and she knew the Mon Calamari would feel the same way.
Deciding her appetite wasn't coming back anytime soon, the half-Nautolan put her knife back in its sheath on her waist, next to her lightsaber, and headed back towards the city while keeping to the shadows. Today she was only wearing light blue briefs and a light blue half-top that was snug and tight around her chest. It exposed her stomach and revealed the deep scar on her left side. The scar was black and huge, but it was healing well. In time it would flatten out and fade a little at the ends, but it wouldn't ever go away or look any better.
Her skin turned black when it was burned, which would remind her of what she had accomplished for the rest of her days.
Today her hair was tied back in a long, single braid to keep it out of her eyes, while her feet were bare except for blue wraps around her calves and soles. Her light blue wraps around her lower arms and wrists were still there, as were her comlink and bracelet. Her necklace was still around her neck, as always, and actually glowed of its own accord in the depths of the sea. Her dark eyes easily saw through the gloom of the depths, and she swam quickly through the currents and tides until she reached her usual meeting place with Ackbar.
If he could get away for a few minutes and tell her what was going on, she would have a better chance of planning her next moves as well.
Sure enough, a few hours after arriving at the cave, Ackbar appeared, looking around for a few moments before seeing her hiding behind some long strands of kelp. He came forward, saying, "You know the king is dead?" when she nodded, he sighed and said, "The Prince needs training and guidance for the next few months. He will do well, I think, but the meeting with the Quarren can't be avoided or postponed. I need to be there to help him in any way I can. The Separatists have sent an ambassador, a Karkarodon named Riff Tamson, but he is only there to stir up the Quarren. This isn't going to end well."
The half-Nautolan nodded slowly before looking at him, and he sighed again and said, "You still want to break into Quarren headquarters at Quarren Town?" when she nodded again, he said, "We can't help or acknowledge you were there if you get caught. You will have to find your own way in and out of the area, and you will have to be quick about it. The meeting will likely take a long time, so that should give you all the cover you need."
The half-Nautolan bowed her head in thanks, and Ackbar shook his head, "When things have settled, the Prince will need to meet you and understand why you are here. He will want to help; his heart is always in the right place. He has a lot of courage on the inside; it just needs help getting to the outside."
The half-Nautolan smiled as she followed Ackbar out of the cave, the two of them going their separate ways then; the half-Nautolan towards Quarren Town and Ackbar back to the city. Ackbar hadn't even gone that far before he turned around and looked at where the half-Nautolan had been. She was gone, having disappeared into the murkiness of the depths to remain invisible, and he shook his head.
That young woman was more than he could imagine, and somehow she was ready to risk everything for a galaxy that wasn't willing to do anything for her.
It never ceased to amaze him.
Reaching Quarren Town a few hours later, the half-Nautolan slipped through the darkened waters surrounding the city much more easily than she would have thought. The Separatists hadn't sent troops yet, and the Quarren were still getting their troops ready for an attack, so there was quite a lot of activity outside the buildings but almost no guards inside. Sneaking into the city would be easy.
And it was.
The half-Nautolan was inside the city in no time, avoiding the few patrols there. She navigated the city easily, relying on not just the mental map she had made the last time she was here but also her sense of smell and hearing to help her detect when someone was coming. After a few twists and turns, she was at Nossor Ri's office and had slipped inside, looking around for a few moments before heading to his desk.
The unfortunate side effect of Ventress no longer being her spy close to Dooku was that she now had no way of knowing what the Separatists were planning next or where they would be looking for her next. And while the information Nossor Ri had access to might not be much help in that aspect, it was still better than nothing. Accessing the data would take only a few minutes; her comlink would do the rest.
She would analyze it when she was off-world and send anything important to others in the Conspiracy then. For now, she just needed to get the information and get out of here.
To that end, she swam quickly to the desk and found the central computer server. She carefully opened the casing, looking at all the wires before finding the correct port. Her comlink screen then flashed blue; it had already broken through the access codes and was ready for whatever information she wanted to download. She turned her attention to the screen, scrolling through the data for a few seconds before deciding to just download all of it. She didn't have time to nitpick and wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.
The commands were typed into her comlink, and the download began. She watched the progress bar intently as it slowly filled, and after almost five minutes, everything had been downloaded. The half-Nautolan quickly put everything back the way she found it and left the office, heading down another hallway when she heard voices coming from where she wanted to go. She made it around the corner just in time, peeking out a few moments later to watch as Nossor Ri and the Karkarodon entered his office. Seeing the Karkarodon, she was surprised when she realized she knew who it was.
It was the same Karkarodon that had chased her on Naboo when she had first revealed herself to the galaxy. It was more apparent now than before that he was working with the Separatists.
Knowing that didn't change a thing for her, though, and once the door was closed, she raced past it and down the hall, disappearing around the corner and out of sight before anyone could stop her. She easily evaded the guards and soldiers assembling outside, as well as the droids, and was soon free of the city and heading back to Coral City.
If the Quarren truly did leave the Republic, there would be a fight, and the Republic would send reinforcements. Already she could sense that Padmé and Skywalker were on the planet, which meant Ahsoka and Kit would likely be leading the clones when the Republic came. She smiled to herself then; this would be the first time she officially met Kit. The other times had been in secret, so this would be an interesting experience.
How he would react to seeing her for the "first" time was something she was curious to find out.
A government toppled by civil war! Refusing to accept Prince Lee-Char as the next ruler of Mon Cala, the Quarren people join the Separatist Alliance and launch an all-out attack on the Mon Calamari. Caught unprepared, the young Prince and his Jedi protectors are quickly overwhelmed and forced to retreat in the caves far below the capital city, leaving Count Dooku and his allies to plan their next move….
Having been forced to retreat deep into the caves below the city, the Jedi and remaining clones, along with Ackbar, the prince, and Senator Tills, were able to get word to the Jedi Council, who promised aid soon. But with no way to know when they were coming and not enough troops, the Jedi decided the only option was to get to their ship and get off the planet, despite the prince wanting to stay and defend his people. But in the end, logic won out, and they were soon on their way to the surface.
Reaching a spot to look at the patrols passing overhead, Kit watched them closely, his large eyes more than capable of seeing in the dark. Behind him, he could just hear Padmé and Anakin joking with each other, all stemming from Padmé's concern regarding what they were all able to see, "That's a lot of enemy troops between us and the surface," as they watched droids and Quarren patrol above them.
Anakin was less than concerned, saying with a smile, "It's no problem. I just hope you're a fast swimmer," making Kit smile slightly at the banter between them when Padmé shot back, "Says the boy from the desert planet."
Senator Tills had other concerns than whether or not the humans in the group would be able to keep up and voiced them, "Are you certain your ship is still there?"
"There's only one way to find out," Anakin said as Kit turned around from where he was watching the patrols and said, "I'll create a diversion so you can get past those patrols."
"All right," Anakin agreed, "Try to get a mini-sub or two. It'll help us speed to the surface."
"No problem," was all Kit said before he sped to the surface, quickly finding a patrol leading some clone SCUBA troopers to prison camps. The clones were more than willing to help, and seconds later, mini-subs were being pushed down to the bottom with the Force as Kit and the clones dealt with the Quarren and droids attacking them. Behind them, their friends started heading for the surface, but Tamson knew what they were planning and already had a trap waiting for them.
Seconds after sighting their ship, an explosion rocked it, and the ship was blown to pieces. Those pieces immediately started to sink, while at the same time, more droids began attacking. Activating his lightsaber and deflecting the laser bolts, Skywalker said to the prince, "Well, Prince, how do you feel about fighting again?"
"Master Jedi, we're too vulnerable here," Lee-Char said as they avoided debris and blaster bolts, "We must reach the seafloor."
"Grab on to the debris," Anakin advised, "Let it carry you to the bottom," grabbing a piece of heavier debris. At the same time, Padmé said, "I think I'm getting seasick," as she and Senator Tills grabbed another piece of debris.
Seeing them coming, Kit signaled the clones with him to head for the debris, asking, "Back so soon?" as he joined them.
"Yeah, the ship had some problems," Anakin said sarcastically, Kit actually seeing the humor of the situation enough to say, "I can see that….all around me."
"This is our only chance," Ackbar said suddenly, and the two Jedi turned to him, "We need to split up and hide the prince's whereabouts."
Anakin was doubtful about whether that idea would work, though, and said, "I'm not sure that's the best strategy."
"I'm sure," the prince said suddenly from behind them, "Captain Ackbar's words are my own. It will give us the best chances of surviving if we split up."
Despite his misgivings, Anakin decided to go along with it, saying, "As you wish," before turning to Ahsoka and saying, "Ahsoka, you and the prince go with Kit and take the clones. I'll take the senators and Captain Ackbar. Lay low. Our only hope is that Master Yoda can send help in time," heading for the senators to tell them the plan.
"No, Prince Lee-Char is our only hope," Ackbar said softly to the prince, resting a hand on his shoulder before leaving to go with Anakin, leaving Lee-Char feeling more unsure about himself than before, even with Ahsoka wrapping a comforting arm around him for a few minutes.
Seconds later they had split up, with Kit, Ahsoka, and the clones taking Lee-Char deeper underwater and away from the debris as it settled on the ocean floor, using the silt and muck it stirred up to hide themselves. Once safely back at the caves Kit said, "I don't think we've been followed. Commander Monnk, post a lookout," the two clones leaving to keep an eye out for anything coming their way.
"We have no army, and we don't know if reinforcements are coming," Lee-Char said then, summing up their situation rather accurately, "What are our options?"
"We sit tight," Ahsoka said, knowing it would take patience, "There's not much we can do."
"Sir, you'd better come see this," Monnk said suddenly, turning to face them, and Kit swam over, followed by Ahsoka and Lee-Char in time to see prisoners being forced past them.
"So many prisoners," Lee-Char said, horrified, "Where are they taking them?"
"To become slaves," Kit said softly, knowing what the Sith did to those they conquered and defeated. Lee-Char couldn't believe it, saying, "I can't believe Nossor Ri and the Quarren agreed to this."
"Count Dooku rules here for now, not the Quarren," Ahsoka said, having seen this before whenever the Separatists took over a world with something they wanted, like resources.
"What you see, prince," Kit said as he turned to the prince before looking at the parade of prisoners moving past them, "is the future of all the people on this world, Mon Cala and Quarren….all slaves for Count Dooku."
"Not all people of this world, sir," Monnk said suddenly as he looked behind them, and they all turned to see a young woman swimming towards them from the back of the cave. Seeing her, and seeing her without scuba equipment, Lee-Char was concerned and asked, "What is going on? Why is she here? She'll drown!"
"No, she won't," Kit said with a small smile as he swam over to bring her closer since she was slightly nervous about meeting the prince. Whether anyone could believe it or not, she was actually rather shy sometimes, especially around new people, "it would be very difficult for her to drown."
"What do you mean, Master Jedi?" Lee-Char asked, but his question was answered as she came more into the light and he could see the gill plates on both sides of her head and the blackness of her eyes that matched Kit's in the low light, as well as the eye ridges that were distinctly Nautolan. She looked at the prince curiously before turning to Kit, snorting underwater and blowing some bubbles through her nose. He seemed to understand what she was saying because he turned to the prince and said, "She wanted to let us know that this cave dead-ends and is a terrible place to hide. She recommends a different one on the other side of where we are."
The tension seemed to break then, with the half-Nautolan settling in with them for a few minutes so that Kit could look at the wound on her side while the clones returned to guard duty, even though Monnk was secretly excited to finally meet her face-to-face. But he couldn't let it distract him from the job he had to do. She allowed it and seemed to relax slightly as his gentle fingers prodded the scar and checked how it was healing. After a few minutes, he looked up and said, "It's not causing you much pain and is healing well. A few more weeks it will be likely nothing ever happened."
The half-Nautolan nodded and turned to Lee-Char, who had been watching the entire time. Seeing how he was looking at them, Kit turned to him and said, "You have questions, Prince?"
The young Mon Calamari nodded, "A few, Master Jedi, and I think you know what they are. Why is she here is my first question. My next would be how do you know each other? Is she going to help us win this fight? I don't understand anything that is happening right now."
Kit smiled slightly as he said, "She's here because she was a friend of your father's and wanted to speak to him about something. She sent word he had been murdered to me and that Riff Tamson was here," he turned to Ahsoka then, "You remember the Karkarodon that chased her on Naboo?" Ahsoka nodded, and Kit continued, "That was Tamson," the half-Nautolan shaking her head in agitation and snorting before Kit rested a hand on her shoulder. She settled as he turned back to Lee-Char, "As for how we know each other, that is a complicated story that we don't have time to tell right now. But know that I do trust her and that her skill is impressive. If she decides to stay and help in this fight, it would be to our benefit, but I can't force that decision on her. It has to be hers and hers alone. She doesn't respond well to others trying to make her do something, even if it is something she was going to do anyway. It has to be her choice from the beginning, otherwise it won't happen at all."
Lee-Char had been listening closely the entire time, and once Kit was finished speaking he turned to the half-Nautolan, who had settled on a nearby rock and was listening to what was happening. The Prince looked at her for a few moments before saying, "You won't betray where we are, will you?" to which she shook her head, "Will you help us in this fight?" Lee-Char asked next, now understanding it had to be her choice.
The half-Nautolan stared at him for a few moments before nodding, and Lee-Char said, "You have my thanks then, and whatever help I can give afterward. My father spoke of a friend he had that needed his help sometimes, and now I understand what he meant. You are his friend, and he was helping you with ships and parts you need. I will be honored to continue with that help for as long as you need it."
The half-Nautolan nodded and bowed her head, and Kit said, "Now that that's settled, I think it is time we come up with a strategy for our next attack. There are only a few of us; we will need to have a strong plan in place if we want to win this fight."
"What do you suggest, Master Jedi?" Lee-Char asked, "I want to do what I can for my people now; I can't bear seeing them in chains," as outside, more of his people were forced to swim to prison camps below the city.
Kit nodded, understanding his pain but well aware that any plan they made would rely on reinforcements they weren't sure were coming.
It would be a tense wait.
Having been assured by the Gungans that they would be sending their army to aid the Mon Calamari, Yoda and Mace Windu were finally able to step away for a few minutes and go to the medical center. When they got there and entered the inner room, they were greeted by a rather welcoming sight: Master Gallia, on her feet and walking. Her steps were slow and uneven; so much time in bed and unable to walk had caused her to develop weakness in her legs, and there was the issue of some nerve damage. It would take time for her to be as she was in the past, but thankfully she was already making steady progress.
Rig Nema was helping her walk with the aid of another healer on the other side and looked up when the two Jedi Masters came into the room. Adi didn't notice them because she was focused on putting one foot in front of the other, but the excitement she was working to contain was easy to feel, and the two Masters shared a smile as they watched her walk.
It was hard to believe that only a few months ago she was fighting for her life, but today they were able to see the results of that fight and her determination to survive. It was an amazing thing to witness.
After a few more minutes of slow walking, Adi finally got to a chair near the window and sat down rather heavily, breathing hard but clearly pleased with herself. Rig only said, "You are improving quickly, Master Gallia. A few more weeks, and you'll be well enough to start training again. Another month or so, and you will be fighting in the war effort again."
Adi smiled at that before noticing Yoda and Mace waiting for her, and then she looked up at Rig, who understood what was happening easily enough and said, "If you will excuse me, Masters, I have some work to do. Let us know when you are ready to get some rest," placing a gentle hand on Adi's shoulder for a moment before she and the other healer left.
Once they were gone, Adi turned to Mace and Yoda and said, "Master Yoda, Master Windu, it is good to see you again," as they walked over and sat down in chairs nearby. Mace nodded as he looked her over, glad to see she seemed to be doing well. But she held herself stiffly and was sitting carefully to not put pressure on something painful, and Mace knew she still had a long way to go before she was healed. The bandages still wrapped around her entire torso were visible under her sleeping tunic, and she was still pale from blood loss. But still, he was glad to see her doing so well and healing.
Yoda said it best, "Good to see you active, Master Gallia. Heal sooner, you will," he said with a gentle smile. Adi smiled as well before saying, "I'm looking forward to leaving. It is tiring, being here, although I find myself enjoying Master Nema's company. But I am anxious to hear how things are going with the war and if anything else has been happening."
Mace shook his head, "The war is proceeding as it was in the past; we suffer casualties but gain victories and have some losses. As for the half-Nautolan," he looked at Yoda before turning back to Adi, "Aside from her appearance on Umbara a few weeks ago when she killed Master Krell, there has been no sighting of her at all. She knows how to disappear, and the galaxy is too large for us to dedicate teams to look for her now. There are plenty of uninhabited planets and moons she could disappear to, and plenty more where she could disappear into a crowd if she wanted, so finding her has been impossible," he looked more closely at Adi then, "Unless there is something she revealed while she was bound to your life-force…?"
Adi shook her head, "I have had a chance to think about it often over the last few weeks, Master, and there is nothing I can think of that would lead us to her. She revealed nothing to me and said nothing while we were….connected. I still don't understand why she is protecting me or what she hopes to gain. It is very confusing, to say the least."
Mace nodded, while Yoda only shook his head, "Revealed in time, the answers may be. For now, recover you should. You back on the Council, look forward we do. Your insight, missed it is."
Adi smiled at that, knowing she was also anxious to get back to leading her troops and combating the Separatist threat. It would be an exercise in patience until then and would be a good lesson for her in that very thing.
Perhaps there was something to be gained from this entire experience.
The arrival of the Gungan army had turned the tide of battle in favor of the Republic, but it wasn't meant to last. The Separatist Trident ships churned up whirlpools when they started spinning. Even though Skywalker was able to disable the one causing them trouble, the other one stirred the waters where Kit, Ahsoka, and Lee-Char were fighting, making it impossible to see what was happening. The half-Nautolan, who was there and fighting as well, started having trouble seeing as the currents pulled her hair out of its ties and caused it to get in her face.
Seeing this, Riff Tamson had attacked her. Even though she held her own fairly well it wasn't enough once he committed aqua droids to fight her while also attacking her from behind. She was a skilled fighter, even and perhaps especially because she was underwater, but there was only so much she could do in the middle of a whirlpool with her hair flying every which way and dirt getting in her eyes. Seeing this, Kit intervened, not just to protect her but also Lee-Char, and jerked his head at the half-Nautolan. She immediately swam off, breaking free of the whirlpool with the help of the Force, leaving Ahsoka and Kit to protect Lee-Char from Tamson. As much as she wanted to stay, getting captured wouldn't help them now. Tamson noted her leaving but decided at the moment not to go after her or tell Dooku she was there until she had been captured.
And the prince killed, which had to be his priority for the moment.
Now that the half-Nautolan was gone, it was time to deal with the prince. Realizing things weren't going well, Kit called out to Ahsoka, "Ahsoka, stay with the prince! I'll hold him off!" before turning to face Riff Tamson. Ahsoka quickly used a grappling hook and cable to get her and Lee-Char away and out of the whirlpool, where they were able to watch as Kit was outnumbered and forced to surrender.
They had no choice but to leave then and missed the moment Kit was knocked unconscious and carried off by Tamson, who threw him at a droid before ordering everyone in hearing, "Find the prince! Find him!"
Hidden away in the caves, Ahsoka and Lee-Char could only watch as their friends and allies were imprisoned, again, with Lee-Char saying, "Now you and I are the only ones left," shrugging off her hand on his shoulder and she said, "I'm sorry, Lee-Char."
"I know what I must do," the prince said, swimming deeper into the cave, "I know my people need me. I just don't know how to win this war."
"Look, I know you're scared," Ahsoka said, swimming over and taking his hand, "but you can't let your fear control you."
"Aren't you scared?" Lee-Char asked, needing the assurance that he wasn't alone in his fear. Ahsoka reassured him, though, with her following words, "I used to be, all the time, until I realized that if you make decisions out of fear, you're more likely to be wrong."
"I will unify Mon Cala again. I promise," Lee-Char swore, but just then, a noise came from outside as a Trident ship passed close by, and Ahsoka said urgently, "We have to go."
The two of them disappeared into the caves then, with Lee-Char looking back one more time before following Ahsoka. At the same time, outside the caves, the half-Nautolan reappeared. She had gotten away in the chaos of everyone surrendering but returned as soon as possible. Now she was looking through the grit and silt churned up by the whirlpools the Separatist Trident ships had created. Using her hands and sneezing every once and while from the muck as it got in her eyes and nose, finally her hands hit something with a slight clink, and she smiled. She had found what she was looking for as she pulled out Kit's lightsaber. It had been pulled out of his hand during the fight with Tamson and then lost in the whirlpool, but she had found it quickly enough. Taking it and putting it on her belt, she headed for where Skywalker had lost his and found it within minutes since it was sticking half-out of the ocean floor.
She held it for a few minutes before looking up at the city, wondering how she would help her friends now. Fighting a war was easy, but getting them out of a mess like this was hard.
She may have to get creative or wait for someone else to think of a better plan.
A last gasp of hope! After the assassination of his father and the fall of his kingdom beneath a planetary civil war, Mon Cala Prince Lee-Char has gone into hiding with Padawan Ahsoka Tano as his only protector. With his armies captured and friends imprisoned, the situation seems hopeless for the Prince. Count Dooku commands his sinister agent, Riff Tamson, to use any means necessary to bring Prince Lee-Char out of hiding, for he knows that hope does remain as long as the Prince is alive….
Feeling the pain Kit was enduring through the Force caused the half-Nautolan to be a bit more reckless than she would otherwise have been. Instead of hiding in the shadows, she was venturing out and looking for Kit and Padmé, following not just her sense of where Kit was but also the scent of two humans. Humans on this planet weren't normal, so following the scent they both left made it easier to find them and where they were being interrogated. Especially the pheromone trail they left as a bonded pair made them easier to find. As she was doing this, she was also doing what she could to block the pain and damage the electricity would cause Kit, knowing that it could be fatal otherwise. Very few people knew what was wrong with him and how pain made it worse, so she did what she could to keep it under control.
Knowing no more Republic reinforcements were coming made it possible for her to feel a bit more comfortable moving around. Since it was dark, she was able to blend into her surroundings a bit more easily. A few minutes later, she was looking down into the destroyed building where the Jedi, Padmé, and Jar Jar were being held. Seeing Tamson swimming around and the eels holding Kit and Anakin angered her, but she worked to control it before looking more closely at what was happening. From what she could see, there was something wrong with Padmé since Anakin focused more on her than on what Tamson wanted. Watching a few moments longer, the half-Nautolan could see a hole in Padmé's helmet, slowly filling it with water.
She could drown very quickly if nothing was done.
Her concern for her friend almost drove her into the building without thinking, but at the last second, she felt a presence brush against her mind with the Force. It was Kit, warning her to be patient and wait for the right moment. She settled then, knowing he was right, and watched as a message was received by Tamson. Whatever it was seemed to make him happy since he started to swim away, but Nossor Ri said something that made him stop and laugh before swimming out of the building, Nossor Ri following a few seconds later. Now that they were gone, the half-Nautolan could see there weren't any guards, but that didn't mean they wouldn't come back.
And Kit was giving her the perfect opportunity as he and Anakin held the water back with the Force.
Anakin and Kit were still holding the water back when movement caught Kit's eye, and he turned his head slightly to see what it was, unsurprised to see the half-Nautolan swimming down the side of the building. She moved slowly and carefully, keeping an eye out for wayward guards or droids. After a few seconds, she decided the coast was clear and started coming closer.
Anakin saw her then and asked, "What's she doing here? This is no place for her," as he continued to hold the water back with the Force. The half-Nautolan only looked at him before looking at Kit, blowing out a few bubbles from her nostrils. She headed for Padmé then, swimming slowly and looking almost curious as she came closer, cocking her head to the side as her eyes flew over Padmé's form before stopping at the small hole in her helmet.
Padmé only stayed still, wondering what the half-Nautolan was thinking. It was so hard to tell sometimes, especially underwater, where her eyes were completely black and not as expressive as they would usually be. But she didn't look hostile and clearly wanted to help, swimming a bit closer and taking a closer look at Padmé's helmet, slowly reaching a hand out to touch it.
"Wait! What are you doing?! Leave her alone!" Anakin called suddenly, and the half-Nautolan jerked in surprise and shot off in a cloud of bubbles. She was up the side of the building and gone before anyone could stop her, disappearing into the murkiness of the water at the exact moment one of the eels decided it had had enough and bit Anakin on the leg. Unable to concentrate on the pain of being electrocuted and holding the water away from Padmé's helmet, Anakin lost his connection to the Force at that moment, and Kit couldn't hold back the water by himself. It seemed like Padmé truly was going to drown, but at the last moment, Jar Jar could be the hero as he spat something at Padmé's helmet. It splattered onto her helmet but also sealed it, even though Padmé was thoroughly unimpressed and said as much, "Jar Jar!"
The eel was done shocking Anakin by this point, allowing him to say, "Padmé! I'm sorry I couldn't…." but the news from Padmé was good as she talked out of her helmet, even though she couldn't really see out of the one side, "I'm here. Jar Jar sealed my helmet with his...ahem," prompting Jar Jar for the name of whatever it was covering her helmet and the hole in it.
"Yesa," Jar Jar said, "It'sa Gungan waterproofing. It'sa why wesa swim so good."
Hearing that, Anakin couldn't help but smile with a raised eyebrow as he looked at Kit, who only shook his head with an amused smile. His smile faded a moment later when he turned to Anakin and said, "I think the half-Nautolan wanted to help, Anakin. She was ready to help free Senator Amidala, but you scared her away. Perhaps next time, you should give her the benefit of the doubt and see what happens. She may be dangerous, but I don't think she is a danger to someone like the Senator."
Anakin nodded slowly before saying, "I guess I was worried when I saw her put her hand on Padmé's helmet. I didn't want to know what would happen if that was all that was needed to make it break. Or what would have happened then."
"The half-Nautolan might have taken her to the surface," Kit said, "Now, there is no way to know what she would have done. Perhaps a little patience next time wouldn't be the worst idea?"
Anakin nodded again, and the next few hours passed in somewhat silence as they waited for whatever happened next, even though Jar Jar had many questions about a few things Padmé answered so that the Jedi didn't have to be shocked every few minutes by the eels containing them.
As Kit had realized early on, less talking definitely helped and didn't aggravate the eels as much.
Finally, some droids came and took them to where Lee-Char was going to be executed, but at the last moment Nossor Ri and the Quarren rose against the Separatists and Tamson and helped overthrow the Separatist presence on the planet. The half-Nautolan made a brief appearance then, tossing Kit and Anakin's lightsabers to them like she had done on Geonosis before disappearing back into the fighting, helping destroy a few droids before deciding it was time to leave as Tamson showed a little bit too much interest in her again. She easily disappeared into the dark of the water, Tamson unable to see to follow her. Once Lee-Char killed Tamson, things accelerated, and before anyone knew it, the prince's coronation was taking place. The celebration lasted quite a while, with the Jedi and Padmé staying for a few hours to be polite, but finally, it started to wind down and Kit was able to separate himself from the celebration long enough to meet with Ackbar. They left then, heading down a hallway for an out-of-the-way room, opening the door and revealing the half-Nautolan, who looked up when they entered.
Ackbar nodded respectfully to her before turning to Kit and saying, "The king has already signaled his support for our work. He won't stop us from doing what needs to be done and will continue with the support he has been giving," turning to the half-Nautolan he added, "If you need spare parts for your ships, or just need a place to disappear for a few days, Mon Calamari and its shipyards are here for you."
The half-Nautolan bowed her head in thanks, a small smile playing on her lips, and then Ackbar turned to Kit and said, "I need to go before anyone notices I am gone. If Skywalker or anyone asks where you have gone, I'll just say you are sampling some of the local cuisines that wouldn't appeal to anyone else and will be back soon. Hopefully, they'll believe that," turning and leaving before Kit could offer any suggestions about what he was doing.
Kit shook his head with an amused smile before turning to the half-Nautolan and swimming closer. Up close, he could see a few scrapes, cuts that hadn't been noticed before, and also what looked like a small gash on her shoulder. Reaching out and looking at it, Kit was sickened to see that it looked like there were teeth marks in the flesh, and he looked at the half-Nautolan, who refused to look at him.
"Riff Tamson did this, didn't he?" Kit asked softly, "I lost track of him during the fighting, and no one saw him again until he confronted Lee-Char, which means he saw you and wanted to finish what he started on Naboo, right?" the half-Nautolan still refused to look at him, and he reached out and put his fingers under her chin, lifting her head so that she would look him directly in the eye. She did, and the look on her face was resigned acceptance and inability to lie. Kit shook his head again as he gently pulled her to him, holding her close for several minutes and feeling the tension melt out of her.
While in public, she would always appear strong and capable and confident; in private with him, she was more willing to show what she was feeling and thinking and if she was hurting or not. It was something Kit was glad to be trusted with, and he knew why she trusted him so much. She was strong, but even strong people needed someone to lean on.
Finally letting go, Kit placed both hands on her shoulders while watching out for the gash on her arm and said, "You have something you need me to do, don't you? Something that you can't ask anyone else for?" the half-Nautolan nodded. Kit smiled before saying, "I'll get this assignment through another of our friends, correct?" again; she nodded. Kit continued, "Alright, I look forward to learning what it is. For now, I think it is time for me to go," looking towards the door behind them, where beyond it, they could both sense Skywalker was getting rather impatient looking for them. Turning back to the half-Nautolan, Kit smiled and said, "I will see you soon, alright? Let me know if you need anything," before turning to leave.
Unfortunately, he turned too fast, or maybe all the fighting the last few days had caused some damage. He was suddenly doubled over in pain, barely resisting the urge to cough up blood. His eyes screwed shut as he leaned on a nearby desk, waiting out the spasm. It ended a few moments later, and he was able to look up into the worried eyes of the half-Nautolan, who was resting a hand on his stomach, easing the pain and healing what she could, which wasn't much.
In this case, Force-healing would just make everything worse.
Kit was still grateful for what she was able to do, though, especially when he felt the pain subside considerably, and said in a strained voice, "Thank you, for doing this. I know I need help, but I don't think the time to get it will present itself soon. But you will be ready when I need it?" to which she nodded fiercely. Kit smiled, "Good, I wouldn't want anyone else doing this for me," he looked towards the door then and said, "But I still need to go before Skywalker actively starts looking for me," he turned back to her, "I will be ready for whatever you need me to do. Perhaps by the time our friend and I are alone to discuss it the pain won't be so severe. Until next time, young one, stay out of trouble!" he said with a smile that did nothing to hide the pain he was in, turning and actually leaving this time, leaving the half-Nautolan with no other choice but to wait in the room until things had settled down and she could leave without being seen.
Anakin was indeed waiting for him when Kit finally reappeared but said nothing about where he had gone, and the offworlders headed for the surface after saying goodbye to all there. Once at the surface they were quickly picked up by a shuttle, which took them to a nearby Jedi cruiser. The Gungans needed to return to Naboo and the cruiser would drop them off on the way back to Coruscant. As this was happening, the half-Nautolan could finally get to the surface, coming up onto some rocks a few miles away from where the cruiser was collecting the Gungans. She watched for a few minutes before walking to where Ventress was waiting with a datapad and twirling a lightsaber around her fingers. Seeing who it was, she said, "Took you long enough," tossing her a towel which she caught one-handed, and Ventress continued, "Can we go now?"
The half-Nautolan nodded with a small smile, knowing Ventress must have been bored out of her mind waiting for her to finish up underwater. They headed for the cloaked Ghost, getting on and taking off a few moments later, even though the cloaking device did have a couple glitches before it started working properly again. The ship was revealed for a few minutes but was soon hidden again.
On the cruiser, a clone technician in the bridge found it on his scanner but said nothing, deleting the find as soon as the ship was cloaked again and saying nothing to Tarkin standing nearby, who was supervising the loading of the surviving Gungans and clones onto the cruiser.
If Tarkin wanted their cooperation and loyalty, he needed to treat them and their general better than he did.
A few hours later, the last of the Gungans and clones were finally onboard as the Mon Cala and Quarren started the difficult task of rebuilding, together, and the cruiser was heading for Naboo. Having finally entered hyperspace, the Jedi and clones could relax and rest as they dried off and changed clothes. Padmé changed as well and was quick to head to Kit's quarters before Anakin came looking for her.
She knew what the half-Nautolan wanted from Kit, and it was time to give him his assignment, which felt a little strange since usually, it was the other way around with Kit giving her and others assignments and missions from the half-Nautolan.
Arriving at his quarters, she arrived just as Ahsoka did, and opening the door they were greeted by Kit talking with Monnk, the Jedi back in his robes and the clone in his usual armor, neither of whom seemed the worse for wear after the fighting from the last few days. The clone looked at them when they arrived before turning to his general and saying, "I will let Tarkin know about it at once, sir," standing at attention for a few seconds before leaving. As this was happening, Kit turned on the device the half-Nautolan had made for him, keeping whoever had bugged his lightsaber in the dark about what was being said during this conversation.
Once the door closed behind him, Padmé turned to Kit and asked, "Your troops really don't like your captain, do they? I don't think I have ever seen such blatant disrespect for an officer before," as she and Ahsoka settled into chairs and Kit continued to lean against the bed.
Kit shrugged, "The clones don't like him because of how he treats me, and they aren't impressed by him. He has no respect for them, or me, which is something they don't tolerate very well. If I wasn't here, they would turn on him in a heartbeat, without question. They won't put up with him for much longer, and our allies will be more than willing to help them get away from him if it comes to that. A certain friend of ours doesn't like him either."
"I can imagine why," Padmé said, "He has been pursuing her for years, and even though she stays ahead of him and the Jedi, it has to be annoying for her. And she is committed to you; I doubt she can tolerate his lack of respect for you either."
Kit shrugged before saying, "There's nothing we can do about it now, I'm afraid. We must make do with what is happening around us to the best of our abilities. Which reminds me, our friend indicated on Mon Calamari that she had something she needed me to do and that you knew what it was?" looking at Padmé.
Padmé nodded seriously, "Yes, she wants you to get her a map of the Jedi Temple."
Kit cocked an eye-ridge at that, "She already has one, and the entire Temple layout memorized as well. She's snuck in there often enough over the years," Ahsoka smiling at that, remembering the first time she had met the half-Nautolan.
Padmé nodded, "Yes, I know, but this map is different," Kit looked at her more closely then, and Padmé continued, "She wants you to get her a map that details the hidden tunnels and passageways throughout the Temple. She wants to be able to navigate them, or have outside friends navigate them, and you are the only one who knows their entire layout. Not even Quinlan Vos knows it, otherwise she would have asked him."
Kit nodded slowly before saying, "It will take some time to get the map together. In truth, the layout of the tunnels is in the Archives; it's just been divided into sections and logged in different parts of the library so that no one can figure out how they are connected. I can put them all together and make it one complete map, at which point I'm assuming you will get it to our friend since it would look suspicious for me to send the information to her?" looking at Padmé again.
The senator nodded again, "Yes, that's the plan. I can send it on our secure network so that no one else can access it. Who she shares it with is beyond my control, though."
Kit shook his head, "Don't worry about it, Padmé, she will only share it with those she trusts, and there aren't that many of them. We won't have to worry about someone using those tunnels to overthrow the Temple from the inside."
Padmé nodded, while Ahsoka asked, "How many people are involved in the Conspiracy outside the Temple and the Senate, Master? I know Mina Bonteri and her son Lux were involved, but is there anyone the half-Nautolan turns to for help when we can't give it?"
Kit smiled almost painfully at that, "Yes, there are, Ahsoka. She has many people throughout the galaxy that will help her without asking why and many more that will fight beside her if it comes to that. Don't worry about who they are; their identities are protected because they aren't the nicest people. Many of them are incredibly dangerous. If I am being honest, I consider some to be more dangerous than her."
Ahsoka nodded slowly at that, and then Kit turned to Padmé and said, "I should have the map she wants by the end of the week. I can send it to you easily enough; no one will question a secure and encrypted transmission from the Temple to the Senate."
Padmé nodded before standing up and saying, "That would be great. For now, I think we should get going before Anakin starts looking for me. It's almost time to give the Council the report for what happened on Mon Calamari anyway. We don't want to be late," as she and Ahsoka headed for the door.
"No," Kit agreed as he left his quarters after turning off the scrambler, "We don't want to be late. It would make Tarkin's day if I wasn't on time, again," sounding more than a little fed up with his captain.
Padmé only turned to him with a slightly admonishing look on her face, while Ahsoka looked like she was ignoring the conversation as best she could. Finally arriving on the bridge, Anakin greeted them, who looked between them all before turning to Tarkin and saying, "We're ready for the Council now, Captain."
Tarkin only nodded, and a few minutes later, they were looking at the Council and delivering their reports. The Council listened closely and seemed pleased over how things had gone on the ocean planet. But when Anakin mentioned the half-Nautolan making an appearance, their attention was truly drawn in, with Ki-Adi Mundi asking, "And how did she seem?"
"Healthy," Anakin said, "the cut on her side didn't look like it was bothering her, but it looked black. It could have been the lighting, but I thought the scar was black. Maybe I was just imaging things?" as he turned to look at Kit, who only shrugged with an easy smile on his face before saying, "Perhaps it got a bit infected and needed some help. There are a few healing herbs in the waters of Mon Calamari she could have been looking for, and saltwater is very good for wounds sometimes, even though it would have stung badly."
"I see," Ki-Adi said, while Mace asked, "How close did she get?"
"Pretty close," Anakin said, "Riff Tamson had cracked Senator Amidala's helmet to try and get us to reveal the location of the prince, but when it became clear we didn't know where he was, Tamson left her to drown. Then the half-Nautolan came, and it looked like she wanted to save her. If I hadn't scared her away when she reached out to free the senator, she might have taken her to the surface. But because I did, she turned and swam away so fast we couldn't really see her. She's a really fast swimmer."
Mace nodded slowly while Master Plo asked, "This is your first time actually meeting her, Master Fisto?" when Kit nodded, Master Plo asked, "What did you think?"
Kit shrugged again, "She seems strong and capable, and healthy. She didn't try to speak to me, but it could have been because she was focused on Senator Amidala and knew she didn't have time to speak with us. None of us knew when the guards were coming back, so she could have decided to focus on saving the senator and not making friends at the moment."
Hearing that, Yoda nodded slowly before saying, "Speak with the Monarchy of Glee Anselm, we will. Convince them to leave her alone, we will attempt. Give your opinion of her, you should," turning to Kit, "Believe you, they may."
Kit nodded slowly, his expression unreadable, but Padmé knew what he was thinking behind that expression and knew the Monarchy would never listen to him. She knew they wanted him dead as much as the half-Nautolan, and the only thing protecting him was the fact he was a Jedi.
Take that away, and they would hunt him down as brutally as they hunted her.
Turning back to the conversation, Padmé was able to hear the Council thank her for her work on the planet, which she accepted with a nod and a slight blush. The meeting ended then, the transmission ending, and then Kit was turning to Tarkin and saying, "We are on schedule to arrive at Naboo?"
"Yes, general," Tarkin said, "Barring any complications or attacks, we should be there soon."
Kit smiled at that, "Good, I'm sure the Gungans are eager to get home. Will we be leaving you on Naboo, as well, Senator?" turning to Padmé and knowing that wouldn't be the case but needing to ask anyway to keep up appearances, who shook her head and said, "I'm afraid not, and I hope you don't mind my intruding on your hospitality for a few days more. There is an important vote coming up in the Senate soon that I cannot miss, as well as a few other things I must attend to on Coruscant."
Kit's smile widened a bit at that, "It is never an intrusion, Senator, never fear. We will get you there in time, don't worry," turning to Tarkin as he said this, who nodded quickly.
"Thank you, Master Jedi," Padmé said, "If you will excuse me, I'm afraid I have some things I need to take care of before we arrive on Naboo. I want to prepare a thank-you for the Gungans and a small tribute for all their soldiers who didn't survive."
Kit nodded, and the senator left, accompanied by Anakin as an escort to ensure she didn't get lost on the ship. At least, that's what he said. Once they were gone, Kit turned to Ahsoka and said, "You asked me to show you the modifications I had made to my starfighter, correct?" Ahsoka nodded, even though it wasn't true. She knew he was looking for any excuse to get away from Tarkin. Kit smiled before turning to Tarkin and saying, "If you need me, Captain, I will be down in the hangar bay. Commander Monnk will still be here," the clone in question nodding as he looked at the other officer, face carefully blank. Still, Ahsoka could feel the tension between the two when Tarkin refused to even acknowledge the clone.
"Yes, General," Tarkin said, not looking particularly happy about this development but deciding not to add a cutting remark while Ahsoka was there, seeing her as nothing more than a child that wasn't worth the time to get to know. Or understand why she was trusted so much by the Jedi and the clones.
Kit nodded before leaving the bridge with Ahsoka, quietly turning on the scrambler device the half-Nautolan had made for him that she had finally gotten to be pocket-size so that it was easier to hide, both missing the condescending look Tarkin shot Kit, but Monnk saw it and his hatred and dislike of the captain went up another few notches. Once alone in the lift Ahsoka said, "I think I know why you don't like Tarkin, Master. I just met him, and I don't like him. There's something…." she struggled with the word needed to describe him before landing on one that may be the most polite she could think of, "….off about him. I don't trust him," as they left the lift and headed for the hangar.
"You're not the only one, Ahsoka," Kit said as they headed for his starfighter, "You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone on this ship that likes, or even remotely respects, Tarkin. They only put up with him because I ask them to. And they are too loyal to me to ignore my orders regarding him."
"Orders?" Ahsoka asked as they reached the starfighter and Ahsoka climbed up near the cockpit, Kit joining her a moment later. Kit nodded, "Yes, orders. Everyone here is under orders to do as he says, unless he does something they can't forgive. Trust me, he will find himself lacking friends on this ship when that happens. And the other ships in my fleet. Not a single clone that serves under me can stand him, and it will come back to bite him when he least expects it."
Ahsoka nodded slowly, but before she could ask anything else, Kit was showing her the modifications he had made to his starfighter that made it somewhat capable of being in water since the last starfighter he had had crashed after getting wet, turning off the scrambler as he did so now that they weren't talking about anything related to the Conspiracy.
At least, the starfighter crashing was the story he was sticking with whenever anyone asked where it had disappeared to so suddenly while he was meeting a contact.
Back on Coruscant, a dark man stood in his darkened apartment, reaching out with the Force to try and do something his master had told him was possible. He reached out a bit farther, reaching for the nearby Jedi Temple, and after a few minutes, found who he was looking for. It wasn't Kit Fisto this time; this time, it was someone else the half-Nautolan protected.
He was going to kill Adi Gallia and use the Force to do it.
The Tholothian Jedi was still weak from her fight on Florrum but gaining strength every day and would soon become too strong to attempt this. He had to do it now, while no one was expecting it. While Adi Gallia was still weak her mind was also vulnerable, making it possible for him to manipulate it and the midi-cholrians in her body. He would kill her, and it would look like she had succumbed to some dormant injury from the fight on Florrum.
He started to push against her mind and her body, started to turn her body against itself, but before he could truly begin, a wall in the Force came down abruptly between them. It stopped him dead in his tracks, protecting Gallia from him and not letting him do what he wanted. His anger spiked then, and he tried again, but again he was blocked and forced to retreat. He did so unwillingly, realizing that the mind protecting Gallia was too much for him, and he would need to think of another way to get to her.
Sidious would need to find out why the half-Nautolan was protecting her and what she had to do with all this, and he knew their was only one person who could answer that question.
He just needed to get Kit Fisto alone again, and this time he would torture him himself for the answers he needed. Fisto wouldn't defy him again, and he wouldn't win.
Not this time.
Far away from Coruscant, on the distant world of Nevarro, a transmission was accepted in a rather seedy town crawling with bounty hunters and mercenaries. The one receiving the transmission accepted the job that came with it, knowing that this job would gain him even more notoriety and a powerful bargaining chip if he played his cards right.
He would have to be careful, though, and he would need a specialized team capable of pulling off the job in question.
It was time to finally fight back and stand his ground. He wouldn't back down, not this time, slowly reaching up to feel the scar on his left cheek.