A/N: Hi everyone! Here's the next chapter, and I hope you like it. This chapter falls under the NOT A DOCTOR disclaimer, especially a doctor from a galaxy far, far away. If anyone has any comments about what needs improvement, please shoot me a PM, and I will do what I can. These next three chapters are originals that have absolutely no place in the canon and are the definition of AU. I hope you like them and the new characters we will be meeting in them. They're almost all written and just need some checking over, but I have no idea when they're getting posted, so please bear with me. You all know how bad I am at updating and posting chapters.
Until next time, please read, review and enjoy!
Jedi Temple in chaos! While looking into the training schedule of younglings at the Temple, Jedi Elder Tera Sinube has noticed fewer younglings on the attendance logs than there were in the past, prompting an investigation. This investigation has led to the discovery that over a hundred children are missing from the Temple. And the most recent one to go missing is one the Jedi are most concerned about….
The communication center was more crowded than usual with Jedi and clones. Chancellor Palpatine was there via hologram because of the distressing news that Quinlan Vos' cruiser had crashed somewhere in the Outer Rim. No distress signal was sent, and there was no sign of the ship. There was no sign of where the ship had crashed in its last known location, and search parties had turned up nothing so far.
But what was more distressing to the Jedi was that children were missing from the Temple. Over a hundred, and the recent one to go missing was one the future of the Order rested on. Yoda was incredibly concerned, as was the rest of the Council gathered there. The only ones not there were Kit Fisto and Shaak Ti. Master Ti was back on Kamino, where a rainstorm and a solar storm were disrupting communications, and Master Fisto was with his fleet in the Mid Rim, having left only a few hours ago to rendezvous with the fleet.
The news children were missing from the Temple was distressing, and the Council was trying to figure out when and how they had started going missing and, more importantly, why no one had noticed until then.
So far they weren't having much success, but after a few hours, Master Windu was able to quiet things down by saying, "We need to look at this from a different perspective. Someone was able to break into the Temple, undetected, and take younglings. We need to find the person doing so, bring them in, and then figure out where the children are."
"If we can find the most recent child taken," Obi-Wan said into the silence, "We can find the others. Perhaps the Force can give us some insight into this."
"Excuse me, Master Jedi," the chancellor interrupted just then, having just gotten a message that secretly made his day, "but Captain Tarkin has something you may want to see. He has been investigating another matter for me and thinks this may provide some clues."
"And that would be?" Obi-Wan asked, and a hologram of Tarkin appeared, looking more than pleased with himself and rather smug.
He looked around at the Jedi before saying, "I've been monitoring the surveillance cameras of the underworld for the last few months, looking for the half-Nautolan. She's been seen on cameras down there a few times, so I have them programmed to look for her. When I heard younglings were going missing from the Temple, I refreshed my search of the cameras and started at the Temple. Because we know when the most recent youngling went missing, it was easier to track them down. And the fact the youngling himself stood out a bit more made it easier to find him."
"And did you?" Mace asked, to which Tarkin nodded and typed a few commands on his datapad. The holotable in the middle of the communication center immediately showed an image of the Temple and then zoomed in on the lower levels of the Temple, where a door was hidden. This door was for droids to come and go and led into the depths of the city as well. As everyone watched, it opened, and a cloaked figure with their hood up and hiding their face stepped out carefully, their hood moving left and right as they looked around, before they stepped out of the Temple entirely and the door shut behind them. They started walking into the depths of Coruscant then. After a few minutes, they must have decided the coast was clear and allowed the youngling they had been hiding in their cloak to come out.
He did, his little face and large ears visible. He held onto the person holding him tightly with three-fingered hands, but there was no fear on his face, and he seemed very relaxed. Whoever he was with, Grogu trusted them.
Seeing this, the Jedi in the center looked at each other before watching the surveillance feed as the figure carrying Grogu headed into the underworld. They kept to the shadows and avoided large crowds and populated areas, eventually reaching one of the lifts that would bring them down into the underworld proper. They got on it, riding the lift down many levels until they finally got out and started walking again. They walked for quite a while, not pausing or stopping, until finally, they reached someplace that was clearly a meeting place. Here they stopped, and Grogu looked up at the one carrying him before looking around, clearly confused about what they were doing there.
The answer came in the form of a being appearing, and it was the last person the Jedi gathered there wanted to see. A Mandalorian, in full armor and wearing a helmet, came into view, and the figure holding Grogu seemed to stare at them for a few moments before nodding and passing Grogu over to them. The Mandalorian, clearly female judging from how her armor covered her, took Grogu gently and stepped back a few paces. Grogu only looked up at her before settling into her arms, clearly trusting her as well. Her jetpack activated, and she flew away, leaving the one who had taken Grogu watching for a few moments before they also started to turn away, which was when Tarkin froze the holovideo and turned to those gathered there.
"I don't know who the Mandalorian is," Tarkin said, "Their armor does an excellent job disguising them, and there is no way to run an ocular scan through the helmet. But the other one," nodding at the cloaked being, "That is one I did not expect to see."
Anakin turned to him, "Who is it?"
"Keep watching, Master Jedi," Tarkin said and started the video again, and they all turned to watch as the cloaked being in the video moved. His cloak slipped and a head-tentacle appeared, and the Jedi immediately started wondering if it was who they thought it was before dismissing the idea as impossible.
He would never do such a thing.
That resolve was tested when the being started heading back towards the upper levels. They kept to the shadows for most of the time but were forced out once when a group of drunken beings exited a tavern, talking and yelling loudly while waving their arms. The cloaked being ducked around them but moved too fast, and their hood slipped off their head for the briefest of moments, revealing a face no one there had wanted to see.
It was Kit Fisto.
The Nautolan Jedi quickly put his hood back up and kept going, but Tarkin didn't continue the video as he turned to the Jedi, many of whom were utterly shocked. That shocked state lasted for quite a few minutes before the chancellor turned to Tarkin and asked, "You are assigned to General Fisto's fleet, correct?"
"Yes, sir," Tarkin said, and Palpatine continued, "Where is he?"
"He's been detained, sir," Tarkin said bluntly, "After I saw this footage, I decided to take unilateral action and detain him. I wasn't sure if he was working for the Separatists or not and didn't want to take the risk of sensitive information getting into their hands."
"That was not your decision to make, Captain," Obi-Wan said warningly, "This is a strictly Jedi affair. Whatever his reasoning, Master Fisto is to be judged by us, not the Republic."
"But Master Kenobi," the chancellor interjected, "This matter has expanded beyond the Jedi since they became generals in the war. And Master Fisto was captured by the Separatists at one point; what if they convinced him to become a double agent while holding him? General Krell lost his way as well, I believe. Isn't it possible that Master Fisto could have done the same?"
The Jedi Masters gathered in the room looked at each other, knowing in the more suspicious parts of their minds that it was possible, but Master Yoda spoke up then. Until then, he had been silent, especially after seeing his former Padawan do such a thing, but now he spoke, "Speak to him, I wish to. Be at his fleet soon; we will. Masters Skywalker, Kenobi, Windu, Secura, Tiin, and Plo, come as well. Find answers, we will."
"Of course, Master Jedi," the chancellor said, "But if he doesn't give a reasonable explanation that can be backed up by evidence, I'm afraid the Senate will pressure you to turn him over to the courts for judgment as a traitor to the Republic. Once that happens, there is nothing I can do."
Yoda nodded slowly while Mace turned to Tarkin and said, "We will be there as soon as possible, Captain."
Tarkin nodded and ended his transmission, turning to the clones behind him. These clones had been brought in by the chancellor when Fisto had been detained and taken over the ship, relieving the clones that had been at their posts for years of their positions. These new clones were completely loyal to the Republic and his orders, not Fisto's. The ones loyal to Fisto were confined to their quarters, but one clone was missing. And that was the clone that would keep the others in line:
Commander Monnk.
No one had seen him or knew where he had gone, not since Fisto had been detained, but Tarkin knew he would show up sooner or later. They were in the middle of nowhere, and the escape pods had been locked down. There was nowhere to go, and he would eventually show himself.
For now, Tarkin would bask in this victory. Finally, after so many years of dealing with that Nautolan and knowing there was something off, now he could prove it and be rid of that Jedi. It was a good feeling, almost as good as the moment the new clones arrived and they took Kit Fisto into custody….
"Be ready," he warned the clones with him as they stood outside the door to Kit's quarters, "I don't know if he will be expecting this or if he'll fight back. The element of surprise should work in our favor, though, if we're quick enough."
"Yes, sir," the clone in charge said before they stepped forward, weapons set to stun and moving as silently as possible. It opened just before they reached the door, and Kit Fisto stepped out. He barely had a moment to look around before a stun bolt hit him, and he fell back a few steps. He still tried to stand up, but the clones were on to him too quickly and stunned him again. This time he fell down and stayed down, raising his head a few inches from the ground to look at Tarkin, who only said, "I win," before Kit's eyes rolled up into his head, and he went limp.
"Cuff him, and bring him to the detention level," Tarkin said, "I want two of you guarding him at all times. Don't let anyone else, especially the clones from his fleet, near him. They may help him escape."
"Yes, sir," the clones replied, stepping forward and cuffing Kit's hands before dragging him out of his quarters and towards the detention level, unknowingly leaving his lightsaber behind as he had hidden it in his quarters.
They also didn't know they had been watched the entire time, the clone impostor posing as Monnk having seen the whole thing go down from around the corner. Seeing his general being taken away and Tarkin being responsible for it, he knew only one option was left. He wouldn't be able to help General Fisto, not directly. But there was a plan for something like this, and it was time to act on it. Turning and running as fast as he could, he quickly made it to the meeting room where the remaining officers loyal to General Fisto were waiting. Their men were just as loyal as were the others in the fleet, which was a good thing.
That loyalty was about to save them all, and possibly the Republic as well.
The clones gathered there all looked up when he came into the room. He said breathlessly, "Tarkin just detained General Fisto after knocking him unconscious," Grumblings were heard around the room at that, but they quieted as he continued, "We need to start evacuating everyone from this ship loyal to our cause onto one of the other cruisers. We won't be able to bring all the cruisers with us; Tarkin will make sure the Jedi come and prevent us from doing so. We must have as few of our men here as possible when they come. And make sure the other ship starts evacuating as well. By the time the Jedi get here, there should be no one who knows anything they can interrogate. One cruiser is better than none, and we must act while Tarkin's distracted."
"And you need to leave now, sir," the head deck officer said, "If Tarkin finds you, he will have you executed. We know he knows you and General Fisto are working together. He will make sure you meet with an "accident" before the Jedi get here."
Impostor-Monnk nodded slowly before asking, "You can handle all this on your own? Your troops and subordinates will listen to you?" knowing if they didn't, this would end badly.
"Yes, sir," the deck officer said, "Once they hear what happened to General Fisto and that Tarkin is to blame, they will help us. They hate Tarkin and have too much respect for General Fisto to not do as he ordered now. It's time to put those orders into effect and get things squared away."
Impostor-Monnk nodded again as he looked around at those gathered there before saying, "I'll see you at the rendezvous then," he smiled suddenly, "Let's go ruin Tarkin's day, shall we?"
The clones gathered there all nodded and smiled at each other, glad they could finally show Tarkin what they thought of him.
This was going to be fun.
Kit's first awareness was stabbing pain in his abdomen that only climbed and kept climbing as he woke up more and more. He almost tried to move and get up, just to know what was going on now that he realized his hands were bound, but then his memory started working. He lay still, remembering how Tarkin had stunned him and he had fallen.
He must have done something when he had fallen, and now the pain was out of control.
Before he could dwell on it anymore, a voice entered his mind, and he lay still, knowing that voice instantly, Don't move, alright? I've got the Force blocking your consciousness from the Jedi; they don't know you're awake. I want to keep it that way for a few minutes longer. We've got to get you out of there. Your cover's been blown.
How? Kit asked as he lay there, keeping his breathing deep and even, which was a struggle because of the pain.
That can be figured out later, but I'm guessing his name starts with a 'T,' the voice said, For now, we need to get you out of there before the Jedi, or the Senate, has a chance to interrogate you fully. We both know you can't reveal what's happening or who else is involved.
And I won't, Kit said firmly, What do you need me to do?
Say nothing when the Jedi try talking to you, the voice said, Nothing you say is going to get you out of this mess, mainly because they won't believe you. We're on our way to get you out. Unfortunately, it will look like you're working with the Separatists, but there's nothing to be done about that. Just be ready to get going. We won't have much time.
I'll be ready, Kit promised, but then pain spiked in his stomach and he added, Hopefully.
The voice said, I'm doing as much as possible, but the damage is becoming too much. We'll take care of it after we get you out. For now, are you ready for the Jedi?
Kit nodded internally, and the voice said, slowly fading away as the muffled voices he had been ignoring got louder and clearer, We'll be there soon.
And then the voice was gone, and Kit was left lying on the ground, waiting for the right moment to show he was awake.
"I do not approve of this, Captain," Mace said as he stood outside the cell holding Kit with Tarkin and the other Jedi. Ahsoka was there as well and was watching everything happening with a fair amount of confusion, "You should have told us you have been stunning him repeatedly to keep him unconscious. That can cause damage in the long run."
Behind them, in the cell, Kit lay unconscious on the floor. He was on his stomach, his hands outstretched above him and bound with binders, and his face was turned away from them. His head-tentacles lay haphazardly all over, and his breathing was the only sign he was still alive. He hadn't moved since they had arrived, and his consciousness was far away from him, leaving the Jedi to draw only one conclusion. Tarkin only said, "I was under orders from the chancellor to keep General Fisto detained by any means necessary. I thought this would be the least harmful option."
"It is not an option that should have been exercised in the first place, Captain," Obi-Wan said, "You should have asked Master Fisto to stay in his quarters and treated him with dignity instead of stunning him and dragging him through the ship like a common criminal."
"But he is a criminal, General Kenobi," Tarkin protested, "Otherwise, why would he do such a thing?"
"Why don't we ask him and find out?" Aayla asked softly as she looked into the cell, and they all turned to see that Kit was finally stirring. His hands were clenched now, his head moving slightly, and he moved his legs. Seeing this, Tarkin nodded at the two clones standing guard at the cell, their armor painted bright orange instead of the usual green and brown of Kit's troops, and they went into the cell. They hauled Kit not-so-gently to his feet and put him in the chair before he was fully aware enough to stand on his own. He let out a strained grunt as he was forced into the chair and his back slammed into the chair's back, shaking his head a couple times to clear it before looking around. Seeing where he was, he said nothing, staring at his hands and refusing to look at anyone.
The clones left the cell then, and Tarkin turned to the Jedi and said, "You're welcome to try and get answers out of him, Master Jedi. You have until we get to Coruscant, and then this becomes a Republic military issue."
Not appreciating being given an ultimatum, Mace narrowed his eyes for a few seconds before looking beyond the captain to where Kit sat in the cell. The Nautolan was silent, not paying them any attention, and Mace sighed before heading into the cell. The ray shield turned back on then, and whatever Mace said was said too quietly to be heard over the sound of the shield, but Kit was clearly unimpressed. He only sat there, refusing to look at Mace or even speak, and after a few more minutes, Mace gave up and left the cell.
Once outside and the shield turned back on, he turned back to look at Kit, who was now resting his cuffed hands on the table and staring at them sullenly. Mace shook his head before turning to the others and saying, "He's shut down. He wouldn't even acknowledge that I was there. Whatever is going on, it can't be good," as Obi-Wan entered the cell and also tried to speak to Kit, with the same results. He left after a few minutes and was in time to hear what Master Plo had to say.
"We can't force him to give up whatever it is he knows, or whatever it is he's doing; his mind is too strong for that," Master Plo said slowly, "We need to convince him it's in his best interests to tell us what he knows and why he took Grogu from the Temple."
"Mhmm," Yoda hummed before saying more loudly, "Speak to him, I will. My former Padawan, he was. Speak more freely with me he may."
"As you wish," Mace said, and they all watched as Yoda entered the cell and used the Force to jump up in the chair opposite the table and Kit. He stayed there a few minutes, but Kit paid no attention to whatever he said. The Nautolan only looked away from Yoda, narrowing his eyes and focusing more on his hands, refusing to look at him or even acknowledge he was there. The lack of respect he had for Yoda was strange to see, as was his reaction at being confronted by his old master. Yoda spoke to him for several long minutes, but finally, it became clear Kit wasn't going to say anything to him either, and Yoda left the cell. Once outside, Yoda shook his head, "Know this one, I do not."
Hearing the sadness in his voice and how much it pained him to admit he no longer recognized his old Padawan, the other Jedi were even more confused about the entire thing, but Aayla asked, "May I try, Master?" Yoda looked at her, and she continued, "Master Fisto did save my life once, on Kamino. Maybe that will help me get some answers," leaving out the fact the two of them had had a relationship for a few months before deciding to dedicate themselves to the Force and the war.
Yoda nodded slowly, and Aayla entered the cell, wondering how this would go. They hadn't been alone in the same room since they had decided they were better as friends and allies than anything more. Seeing him now and how changed he was, Aayla couldn't help but wonder if the war had done this to him, made him turn against the Jedi and betray them so utterly.
Sitting down in the chair, she waited for him to show he knew she was there, but he continued to stare at his hands, his mouth set in a hard line. After a few minutes of this, she said softly, "Remember how you saved my life on Kamino? I do, and I will never forget it. You kept me from drowning, and we became closer friends because of it," there was no reaction from Kit, and Aayla continued, "You saved me because it was the right thing to do, and allowed me to return to the Jedi and the Order. But now, after what you have done, I don't understand why. You know the consequences of your actions, so why do it?"
There was still nothing from Kit, and Aayla leaned in closer, "What is going on, Kit? Why won't you tell us what is happening and help us understand?" Kit was still silent, leaving Aayla more confused than ever. Despite being quieter than most Jedi, Kit would always answer honestly when asked a question, so this silence was unnerving. Deciding to take a risk, she reached out and rested a hand on his cuffed hands, and that actually garnered a reaction. He looked at her, his head cocked, but his jaw was still set stubbornly. Aayla asked again, "What is going on, Kit?
Kit looked at her a moment longer before saying quietly, "Nothing I can share, Aayla. And nothing I say now will get me out of this mess," pulling his hands out from under hers and away, and he returned to staring at nothing, completely rejecting the offer of help she was giving him. Before Aayla could begin to pressure him again, an explosion rocked the ship, and she stood up and went to the ray shield, getting there in time to hear the captain on the bridge over Captain Rex's comlink say, "Droid boarding ships inbound. There are a couple fighters too."
Hearing that, Aayla and the other Jedi turned to Kit, with Mace asking, "What have you done?" Kit glanced at him before looking away, leaving Mace to shake his head as Aayla left the cell. Turning to the others, Mace said, "Repel the droids and don't let them near the detention level. Whatever is going on, Master Fisto doesn't leave that cell. Where are the clones assigned to his fleet?" turning to Tarkin.
"The chancellor ordered them detained until it was established how widespread this treason went," Tarkin said, "They've all been detained at crew quarters. Except for their commander, Monnk. We can't find him anywhere," unaware that those clones had just been freed and were quietly evacuating to the Dauntless nearby, courtesy of a Republic frigate quietly moving between the flagship and the Dauntless and getting the clones off.
Mace nodded, realizing this needed to be brought under control quickly before sensitive information got into the Separatists' hands. Then they left, with Mace looking at Kit one last time before running to deal with the droids, leaving Kit alone with two clone guards outside his cell. Seeing and sensing he was now alone, Kit quietly reached for a button on his comlink and pressed it, knowing he had never hit that button in over five years. It would make everyone start scrambling, but the time to do so was now.
Outside the cell, the comlinks on both guard's arms started beeping, and they looked at each other, knowing what it meant.
The droids were easily repelled and destroyed by the Jedi and clones, with Anakin saying, "That was easier than I expected," as he sheathed his lightsaber.
"Too easy," Obi-Wan said as he also sheathed his lightsaber, "If this was an attempt to get Kit, it went badly. It leaves me wondering what plan the Separatists came up with."
Anakin nodded as they started walking out of the hangar. As they and their clones left, a messenger arrived, "Sir! General Windu requests you on the bridge. The rest of the generals are there, and the Council is being brought up to speed about developments here. The chancellor is there as well."
"Let's go," Anakin said, running after the messenger and taking the lift to the bridge. Arriving, they could hear Mace say, "The droids have been repelled before they could get to Kit. There weren't enough of them to take the ship or get to the detention level."
"This was a distraction," Master Plo said, "But for what?"
At that moment, Tarkin's comlink started beeping, and he answered, "What is it?"
"Sir!" a rather panicked clone exclaimed, "General Fisto has escaped! The clones guarding the cell are gone too!"
"What?!" Tarkin exclaimed, "What happened?"
"I don't know, sir," the clone said, "The cell was open when I arrived, and the binders are open on the table!"
"Search the area immediately, trooper, find him!" Tarkin snapped, ending the communication and turning to the Jedi. They were shocked to hear this news, while Palpatine said softly, "Escaping makes General Fisto look even more guilty. What is happening there?"
"I don't know, Chancellor," Mace said gravely, "None of us do."
"This reminds me of the time Ventress broke Nute Gunray out of our custody," Luminara Unduli interrupted just then, "She used droid boarding ships to distract from the fact she was there."
"Yes, but Ventress has abandoned Dooku," Obi-Wan said, "So who is helping Kit now?"
Tarkin was typing something on a datapad while they were talking, and after a few minutes said, "I think I may be able to tell you, Master Jedi. If the Chancellor will let me reveal the assignment he gave me after General Fisto was rescued from Grievous?" turning to the chancellor as he said this. The chancellor nodded, and Tarkin turned back to the Jedi and said, "After General Fisto was rescued, the chancellor asked me to keep a close eye on him, mostly for this very reason. To that end, I installed a surveillance bug in his lightsaber," seeing the glares he was being given the captain added, "It was under direct orders of the chancellor, Master Jedi."
"I felt it was prudent," the chancellor said, "Master Fisto had suffered greatly at the hands of the Separatists, but I felt that he was holding back when he said Grievous had tortured him for information so much. I thought there was more to the story and asked the captain to keep an eye on him."
"And now we can find his lightsaber," Tarkin said as he drew up a hologram of the cruiser on the holotable, revealing a moving red dot that was heading for the lower levels of the ship, "That's the lightsaber, moving towards the hangar it looks like."
"Go, Skywalker," Mace said, "Bring him here, but be careful. He is one of the most skilled duelists in the Order. And I don't know what to expect from him now."
Anakin nodded and left with Ahsoka right on his heels. The Jedi turned back to watching the blinking red dot, leaving Tarkin to slip away in the chaos for a few minutes. Unlike the Jedi, he knew precisely where Kit Fisto was, and he had every intention of making sure the Nautolan Jedi couldn't reveal what was happening.
Kit, at the moment, was pressed up against a corner, hiding as a squad of clones ran down the hallway. He had been playing a rather interesting game of hide and seek with them for the better part of an hour, ever since the clones had released him and then left to evacuate. The two clones were from his troops; they had overpowered and stolen the armor of the clones Tarkin had brought and taken their place, and Tarkin hadn't even noticed the swap.
Just like he hadn't noticed a few other swaps that had been made over the years.
Now that the coast was clear, Kit headed down the hallway again, knowing where he was supposed to go and there was a time limit. He was moving as fast as he could, but the pain was almost too much. It was causing him a fair amount of distraction too, and taking his focus off where it needed to be.
That turned out to be possibly lethal as he turned a corner and found himself face-to-face with Tarkin. The captain smirked and lunged forward, and Kit's reflexes were too slow to get out of the way. He slammed into the wall behind him, but that wasn't what stole his breath. What stole it was the pain he was suddenly in, the worst pain he had ever been in in his life, and he looked down slowly at the sight of a dagger sticking out of the right side of his stomach. Blood was already pouring from the wound, more than there should have been, and the pain seemed to climb as he watched it leave his body. He looked up slowly then at Tarkin, who only smiled and said, "Looks like I win, Jedi. Enjoy bleeding to death," turning on his heel and leaving without looking back.
Behind him, Kit slowly slid down the wall, his hand pressed around the knife as a groan escaped him.
Tarkin quickly arrived at the bridge and was in time to see that the chancellor had pulled up the live feed from the bug in Kit's lightsaber. Tarkin couldn't help but sigh with relief when he saw that it wasn't Kit that had the lightsaber. He had known that all along, but to see it confirmed was a welcome sight. But the person who had it wasn't someone he recognized, and he asked, "Who is that?" nodding at the woman running down the hall of the cruiser.
Obi-Wan shook his head, "That's Ventress. She certainly has changed, a lot," as he took in her now elbow-length hair braided in a single tail down her back and the mismatch of clothing she wore. She had Kit's lightsaber on her belt but wasn't using it for whatever reason. She also didn't have her lightsabers, but that didn't slow her down as she fought through clones with her fists and feet.
Finally making it through the clones, she took off running again, diving into an open air vent and squeezing her way through to one of the lower levels and altogether avoiding Anakin and Ahsoka, who would have to take the long way around, kicking a vent opening out before leaping out and landing on her feet, fists ready to take on whatever was waiting for her. Nothing and no one was, and she kept running, heading for the lower part of the ship where the escape pods were.
As this was happening, Obi-Wan said, "I don't understand why she is here. She isn't working for the Separatists, so why did she come aboard this ship? It's not like the Separatists would trust her with any information or getting Kit off this ship," a thought came to mind then, and he reached for his comlink, playing around with the frequencies for a moment before finally finding one and sending out a signal, waiting to see if anyone would answer.
At that moment, Kit still sat where he had collapsed, the knife still in his side and half-conscious, but the beeping from his comlink made him wake up a bit, and he reached for it with bloody fingers.
Obi-Wan wasn't sure anyone would answer, and so was more than surprised when someone did and immediately put the hologram image on the holotable; and was shocked by what he saw a moment later, as were the others.
Kit was there, using the wall to keep himself upright, sitting on the ground with his legs underneath him. His right hand was pressed against his side, where a dagger was embedded deeply. Blood was pouring from the wound, and his breathing was labored and heavy. As they watched, he coughed and blood appeared at the corner of his mouth, and Obi-Wan shook himself inwardly before asking, "By the Force, Kit, what happened? Was it Ventress?"
Kit was actually able to smile at that, not opening his eyes as he leaned his head against the wall, "No, it wasn't," coughing again as more blood welled up in his mouth, "She isn't responsible for this."
"What is going on, Kit?" Mace asked, leaning on the holotable as the rest of the Council and the chancellor gathered closer since Kit's voice was getting softer and harder to hear, "What are you doing? Why did you take Grogu from the Temple?"
Kit didn't seem to hear him, and the Jedi had no way of knowing he was listening to another voice in his mind: You are the descendant of Queens uncounted, and you do not give up so easily. You are stronger than this and can endure more than this. Now – GET….UP!
The Jedi were shocked and surprised as Kit suddenly surged to his feet, finding some inner strength and walking, even though he was leaning heavily on the wall for support. Obi-Wan said, "Stop, Kit. Stop and let us help you. We have your location, just stay there and wait for the medical team to get to you."
Kit didn't seem to hear him since he only coughed slightly before saying breathlessly, "You were right, Obi-Wan. Something is going on, something I know that no one else does," the Jedi all looked at each other before looking at Kit as he kept walking as best he could, "And my silence has been kept for a long time on it. But death is a bit closer to me now, so maybe I should say what I know," he smiled suddenly before laughing slightly, "But there are people who trust me to keep my silence, and I won't betray them. Not for you, or the Republic, or the Jedi. I'm sorry," as he stopped suddenly.
"That doesn't matter now, Kit," Obi-Wan said hurriedly, "We just want you to survive; let us help you," seeing the red dot that was now moving closer to Kit's position, Obi-Wan realized where exactly Ventress was going, "Kit you need to find a place to hide. Ventress is heading right for you!" turning back to Kit, and was devastated to see him collapse to the ground against the wall again, unable to go on.
He still had the strength to smile, though, and said, "Sorry, Obi-Wan," coughing again, "But I don't think I can do much of anything right now. I'm….too….tired….," his voice fading away as he shut his eyes for a brief moment.
"No, Kit!" Mace said, his worry and now fear easy to hear, "Don't give up now! Stay awake just a bit longer!"
It didn't look like Kit had heard them, and they were silent as Ventress suddenly rounded the corner and came face-to-face with Kit. She stared at him in surprise for a few moments before walking over slowly, and Kit opened his eyes and looked up as she approached. They stared at each other for a moment before Ventress said, "You're just short of where you need to be."
Kit smiled slightly at that, "I've been busy," he said breathlessly, looking down at the knife in his stomach. Seeing it, Ventress was clearly concerned as she walked over and asked, "Can you walk?"
Kit shook his head as he looked at the knife again, and Ventress sighed before coming around to his side and looping his left arm over her shoulders. She pulled him to his feet as he moaned low in his throat and clearly in pain; Kit's right hand still pressed around the knife, and she said, "Don't pass out. I'm not carrying you if you do. Mostly because we both know I can't."
"You're stronger than you look, Ventress," Kit said softly as he leaned on her and they started walking, causing Ventress to snort and say nothing. Seeing this and seeing how the two of them knew each other, and knew each other well, the Jedi looked at each other in confusion while Palpatine looked at Tarkin. Tarkin quickly switched the feeds from the comlink to the lightsaber bug, allowing them to watch and listen in on what was happening without putting Kit's life in danger if they started talking.
"What is going on here?" Anakin asked as he watched the hologram, "How do they know each other?"
"I think we're about to find out," Master Plo said as they watched Ventress and Kit finally arrive at the escape pods. They climbed into one, Ventress helping Kit into a chair where he sat down and kept breathing heavily before she turned to close the door behind them. Just before she did, there was a whistle from a droid, and Kit seemed to wake up a bit and ask, "R6?"
"What?" Ventress asked, and seconds later, Kit's astromech R6 flew into the pod and beeped in concern when he saw his master. Ventress was less than impressed, but before she could force him out, Kit said, "He stays, Ventress. No one can have what he has."
Ventress only shook her head as she shut the door, and the Jedi were even more confused as they watched all this. What was Kit talking about? And what did any of this have to do with a droid?
They weren't given any time to think about it because Ventress was mumbling to herself, "'Get to the escape pods, get in the middle one and shut the door, but don't launch the pod.' What did she mean by that?"
Kit was barely paying attention, and looking closely, the Jedi could see he was losing his grip on consciousness with every drop of blood he was losing. His breathing was heavy, and more blood was coming from his mouth, dripping down his chin as he continued trying to put pressure on the wound in his side. He hadn't taken it out for whatever reason, making it hard to stop the bleeding.
Ventress was becoming more distressed and said more loudly, "'Get to the escape pods, get in the middle one and shut the door, but don't launch the pod.' What is that supposed to mean?!"
At that moment, there was the sound of knuckles hitting glass three times, and Ventress looked up at the viewport of the escape pod. She froze in surprise for a few seconds, and that was when the viewport opened out into space, and a familiar face became visible. It was the half-Nautolan, dressed in her usual attire, and she looked around. She took in Kit's slumped body and the blood pooling underneath where he was sitting, her eyes narrowing in anger before they softened, and she looked up at Ventress, who was still staring at her in surprise. After a few seconds, the half-Nautolan again looked at Kit before looking at Ventress and saying, "Time to go."
Everyone on the bridge was shocked to see the half-Nautolan so close and even more shocked to hear her speak. It was the first time, as far as they knew, that she had ever spoken, and they all watched as she reached for Kit, who had looked up and smiled slightly at the sight of her. Ventress came over then and handed her Kit's lightsaber, which the half-Nautolan immediately put on her belt next to her own.
Between the two of them, they were able to get Kit into position, with the half-Nautolan's elbows under Kit's shoulders and able to pull him towards her while Ventress lifted his feet. Seeing the knife in his side, the half-Nautolan said quietly, "That's got to sting a bit."
Kit said nothing, only shut his eyes, and the half-Nautolan turned to R6 and said, "In you go, R6," jerking her head behind her. The little droid immediately flew in and got out of the way, while the half-Nautolan turned to Ventress and asked, "Ready?"
Ventress nodded, and the half-Nautolan said, "Alright, one, two, three!" lifting and pulling Kit back and out of the pod. She said then, voice strained, "You are not light," but kept pulling, and seconds later, she was putting him down on the floor of another ship. He lay where she had put him as she went back for Ventress, and then the Jedi in the bridge could feel the Force settle. It had been roiling and anxious since Kit had been detained by Tarkin, but now it was relaxed. Watching the half-Nautolan, the Jedi could see her put the viewport back in place after getting Ventress on her ship, and then she ran her hand along the cut in the metal. The metal immediately melded together and was solid once more. Then the half-Nautolan was turning away as a door shut behind her. She immediately went to Kit, putting her hands around the knife for a moment before looking up as Ventress said, "I'm going to go turn on the deflector shields."
"No, wait!" the half-Nautolan said, "Help me get him to the common room first. I need to get this bleeding under control and need more light."
Ventress still hesitated, but then the half-Nautolan said bluntly, "The Jedi aren't going to shoot at us, even if they could find us. Not with him onboard," nodding down at Kit, who wasn't paying them any attention, "He has answers to questions they want answered. Answers only he has. Now, help me move him."
Ventress nodded and came over to Kit's left side, and they were able to lift him between them and carry him deeper into their ship, arriving at a common area a few moments later. There was a holochess table in one corner, with two passageways leading deeper into the ship, one opposite the way they had just come out of and another to the left of that hallway. In one corner, near the passageway opposite they had just come out of, there was a stretcher lying on the ground, and they went there. They lowered Kit carefully, but he still groaned as the knife was jostled and the pain flared. The half-Nautolan immediately turned to the knife wound, and this time Ventress stayed and waited for instructions. They came soon enough when the half-Nautolan turned to her and said, "Go get my medpacs, please."
"Which one?" Ventress asked, and the half-Nautolan looked at Kit before turning back to her, "All of them."
Ventress nodded and disappeared down the immediate hallway while the half-Nautolan turned back to Kit. She was gentle as she picked up the head-tentacles that usually went over his shoulders, seeming to know to only hold them as lightly as possible, and moved them off his shoulders. She picked up his torso a bit, reaching her left arm under him and pulling his head-tentacles out to the side, laying him back down and wrapping the tentacles in a blanket nearby for warmth. Once that was done, she turned to his belt, easily taking it off and proving she knew her way around Jedi equipment. The belt was tossed behind her, and then she was turning to the vambraces around his forearms. They took a bit more doing, with Ventress coming back with at least four large packs and a cooling pack as she worked on the right arm. Ventress opened all the packs, left them near the half-Nautolan, and then looked around.
She immediately headed for Kit's left arm, and between the two of them, they were able to get the vambraces off. They also joined Kit's belt, and then the half-Nautolan was reaching into one of the back pouches of her utility belt. She pulled out an object and pressed a button on it with her thumb, and a knife blade sprang up. She reached down then and started cutting through Kit's robes, cutting from the knife wound out, and soon his robes were clear of the wound. The tunic he wore underneath was also cut through up to his neck, and then Ventress and the half-Nautolan were lifting Kit up and pulling his robes off him but leaving his trousers and boots on and laying him back down on the stretcher.
The half-Nautolan took the robes then and looked them over before saying, "Well….those are scrapped!" tossing them behind her and reaching for bandages and gauze from one of her packs, "But maybe Kalana can do something with them."
Hearing her speak, the Jedi were increasingly surprised with every passing moment. Her voice was deeper and softer than they expected and heavily accented. It was similar to Kit's but much thicker, and there was a burr to it that made it sound exotic and strange. As they watched, they could see she knew what she was doing as she put bandages around the knife in Kit's stomach, getting the bleeding under control while Ventress looked on. Once finished, she turned to look at Kit's face, who looked as though he was watching, but his eyes were almost completely closed. Shaking her head, the half-Nautolan turned to Ventress and said, "We need to get out of here soon. He needs better help than I can give now."
"Why aren't we going anywhere then?" Ventress asked, and the half-Nautolan raised an eye-ridge and said, "Because Chopper didn't fix the hyperdrive all the way. We're stranded until it's repaired."
Hearing that, Tarkin and Thrawn, who had just joined via transmission, looked at each other before getting to work to find their ship. At the same time, the half-Nautolan turned to an older C1 astromech model that was talking to her. The half-Nautolan raised her eye-ridge again as she said, "We make it all the way out here, and then you tell me the hyperdrive wasn't completely fixed five minutes ago? Seriously?"
The droid spoke again, and the half-Nautolan looked even less amused as she said, "You finished the important repairs! What did you define as important?!" whatever the droid said was lost as she said, "I don't care what you have to do, Chopper, just get us out of here! R1 and R6 are already working on the hyperdrive, so I suggest you go make yourself useful," again the droid spoke, and the half-Nautolan's dry humor came apparent as she said, "Really? You won't be working any slower than you normally do."
The droid beeped again in annoyance and left, leaving a few of the Jedi slightly amused at the byplay between the half-Nautolan and her droid, but that went away as she turned to Ventress and said, "As soon as the hyperdrive is fixed, we head for Home Base. Kit needs surgery if he's going to survive this."
"Why not let the Jedi have him?" Ventress asked, "They could probably do the surgery."
The half-Nautolan shook her head, "It wouldn't do any good. What's wrong with him is beyond what the Jedi can fix."
Ventress shook her head before asking, "Are you going to take the knife out here?"
The half-Nautolan immediately shook her head, "I can't."
"Why not?" Ventress asked, unknowingly asking questions the Jedi wanted answers to, and the half-Nautolan grimaced before saying, "It's the only thing keeping him from bleeding to death. His liver is right here," placing her hands in a loose circle about half the size of his abdomen around the knife, "and his kidney is right here," her middle finger tracing down the path the blade took behind where his liver was, "If I pull that knife out now, with no way to stop it, he will bleed to death before I can do anything. It must stay until we can get somewhere where he can have surgery."
"Like Home Base," Ventress filled in the gaps quickly enough. The half-Nautolan smiled again, "You finally get to see where I live, Ventress. Lucky you," turning back to Kit, the half-Nautolan said softly, "Home Base has everything I need, and more besides, as well as people that know what they're doing," she looked up at Ventress then, "People that can help me fix this."
Ventress was silent, but before she could ask any more questions, the half-Nautolan was turning to Kit again and cocking her head this way and that as she listened to his breathing. She didn't like what she was hearing because seconds later, she looked up and nodded at Ventress. The two of them got up and tried to switch places, but they kept getting in each other's way. The half-Nautolan finally said, "I'll zig, you zag," and then they were able to switch places as she walked in front of Ventress and Ventress walked behind her. Finally settling, the half-Nautolan reached into one of her packs and pulled out a large syringe and some wet gauze.
The gauze must have had some disinfectant on it because she rubbed it on the left side of Kit's chest, right below his hearts, before taking the needle cap in her teeth and pulling the needle free. Seconds later, the needle was in his chest, and he had turned his head slightly but did nothing more as she pulled the plunger out of the needle, and even over a transmission, the Jedi were able to hear air escaping from Kit's chest.
Ventress looked at her with confusion, and the half-Nautolan said, "Tension pneumothorax; collapsed lung. Air trapped in his chest, putting pressure on his lungs, making it harder for him to breathe and for his hearts to beat. But this is only a temporary fix," turning back to the needle she was holding before reaching for a patch of gauze and some medical tape. A few seconds later, she was pulling the needle out and putting the patch over that spot on Kit's chest as she looked at the needle carefully before turning to Ventress and saying, "Blood's clotting the needle," seconds before Kit started coughing violently and blood welled out of his mouth.
The two women immediately rolled him onto his left side, Ventress being careful of the knife in his side, while the half-Nautolan held some gauze to his mouth as he coughed. For the Jedi watching, it was hard to watch Kit struggle to breathe around the coughs and hacks, but it was over a few moments later, and he was being rolled back onto his back, breathing heavily and clearly exhausted. The half-Nautolan looked up at Ventress, showing her the blood Kit had coughed up covering the gauze, and then said, "His lungs are filling with blood. If we don't get it out, he'll drown."
"A Nautolan drowning? Seriously?" Ventress asked in disbelief, and the half-Nautolan nodded, leaving Ventress to ask, "You know how to do that, right?" clearly out of her element, and the half-Nautolan nodded. She got onto her knees and reached over Kit, reaching into one of her packs and pulling out a scalpel, some more gauze, and a long, thin tube with a needle attached at one end and a clamp in the middle. She put them all on Kit's chest as she sat back down before looking over at Ventress and saying, "This is going to hurt, a lot."
That was clearly an unspoken cue because Ventress moved forward as the half-Nautolan put Kit's left arm over and above his head, Ventress pinning it to the ground, along with his right arm down by his side. The half-Nautolan adjusted how she was sitting too, pinning Kit's legs to the ground with her left leg over them. After one more look at each other, the half-Nautolan picked up the gauze and cleaned a site on Kit's left side about halfway down. She took the scalpel and pulled the cap off with her teeth before bending down and starting to cut. Kit didn't react to that at all, even though Aayla and Luminara had to look away at the sight of the half-Nautolan's fingers going into Kit's side as she cut deeper and deeper. Finally, just when even Mace thought he would have to look away, the half-Nautolan stopped cutting and said, "I'm at the chest wall," she looked up then and said, "This is the part that is really going to hurt."
Ventress tightened her grip as the half-Nautolan picked up the needle and tube after capping the scalpel. She again took the needle cover off with her teeth and started inserting it into Kit's side, which was when Ahsoka had to look away. The half-Nautolan, after a few seconds, looked up at Ventress, who tightened her grip even more, and then the half-Nautolan was putting the needle into Kit's lung, which had an immediate reaction.
The Nautolan Jedi jerked and tried to get away from what was being done to him but didn't have the strength and was easily held down by the two women. He moaned, long and low, several times as the pain flared, and he fought again, but the half-Nautolan only undid the clamp on the tube, and blood started to drain out of his lungs. The half-Nautolan then reached up and cupped Kit's jaw in her hand, reaching out with the Force and calming the pain in his mind. She couldn't make it go away, but she was able to make it easier to bear. After a few minutes, Kit settled, and the half-Nautolan signaled Ventress to let go, which she did slowly. The half-Nautolan took Kit's left hand, putting it back down by his side and crooning low under her breath, and the Nautolan settled even more.
Now that Kit was relaxed and his breathing was improved, after a few more seconds of watching, the half-Nautolan and Ventress switched places again, allowing the half-Nautolan to watch the knife wound for fresh bleeding more easily. They had just settled themselves when someone entered the room and seeing who it was, the Jedi were shocked: it was a clone, dressed as a civilian, but his hair was still military regulation. Seeing the two of them, the clone asked, "Is everything alright, sir? Do you need any help?"
"No, Commander, thanks," the half-Nautolan said softly, "Just get us underway again as soon as possible. We're heading for Home Base as soon as we can."
"Yes, sir," the clone said and left, seeming to know there was nothing else he could do. Just before he left, he turned back to them and asked, "Do you need him?"
The half-Nautolan froze for a moment before saying, "No, I don't think so, Monnk. If we do, I'm sure he'll be here in seconds."
The clone nodded and left then, and Ventress turned to the half-Nautolan, looking completely confused. The half-Nautolan only shrugged and said, "The only good thing about having soldiers that share the same face? They can be swapped out, and no one can tell the difference. Especially if you're an idiot like Tarkin who never bothered to see there was a difference," Tarkin narrowed his eyes at that as the half-Nautolan continued, "I doubt he noticed that the clone called Monnk on the cruiser was actually another clone called Chipper. The real Monnk has been helping me since the war began. Kit organized the replacement and was even able to swap their military records and ID information, so no one was the wiser."
"Impressive," Ventress said, looking down at the Jedi between them. Seeing how he was doing, which seemed terrible, she looked up at the half-Nautolan and said, "He shouldn't be this bad off, right? A knife to the gut shouldn't do this, right?" nodding at the damage.
The half-Nautolan froze for a moment before saying softly, "No, it shouldn't do this," reaching out and running her knuckles over Kit's cheek. Kit shut his eyes as he kept trying to breathe around the pain in his body. She looked up at Ventress then, saying, "But there are extenuating circumstances. Circumstances the Jedi know nothing about."
"Like what?" Ventress asked, and the Jedi listened closely, wondering what it was she knew they didn't.
The half-Nautolan sighed as she looked again at Kit before looking at Ventress and saying, "Thirty years ago, Kit was attacked by a Sith. That Sith impaled him on his lightsaber and nearly killed him. The only reason he's here right now is because he's got the strongest will to live I've ever seen," she looked down at Kit before reaching out and pushing his trousers down slightly, and the Jedi were just able to make out a circular scar in the center of his stomach, "The damage was extensive, but he was able to survive. There's just one problem."
"And that would be?" Ventress asked, the half-Nautolan staring at the scar for a moment before looking to her right, clearly thinking about what she should reveal. After a few seconds, she looked at Ventress and asked, "Do you know the difference between old- and new-breed Nautolans?"
The Jedi all looked at each other, wondering what she was talking about and having never heard of such a thing. Neither had Ventress since she asked, "There's a difference?"
"Oh….yes," the half-Nautolan drawled slightly before saying, "New-breed Nautolans are the ones you see pretty much everywhere in the galaxy. They are more similar to humans and live about as long and aren't that extraordinary in the grand scheme of things. But old-breeds…." she trailed off for a moment before saying, "They are another breed altogether, even though outwardly, they look rather similar."
Ventress stayed silent then, and after a few moments, the half-Nautolan continued, "Old-breed Nautolans are basically a separate species from new-breeds. They are tougher and stronger, and their bones are reinforced. It takes a lot of strength to break one of their bones, and they are built to last. It doesn't get much tougher than a fully mature, old-breed Nautolan. They are ten times stronger than an average human and twenty times as tough, making them incredibly hard to kill. They also have an incredibly high tolerance for pain, much higher than a Zabrak even. Once mature, an old-breed Nautolan can walk off injuries that would kill a new-breed. I have seen old-breeds get shot point-blank in the head and keep fighting until the fight is done and they recover fully from the wound. They also have a rather annoying habit of always landing on their feet and can survive falls and jumps that would kill a human or new-breed."
"And the name old-breed?" Ventress asked, to which the half-Nautolan smiled and said, "They were the first to evolve, Ventress. They are the oldest type of Nautolan in the galaxy."
Hearing all this, the Jedi were shocked and surprised to learn these things, especially the fact Kit had been attacked by a Sith, having never heard of any of it before, but the half-Nautolan wasn't done as she added, "They are also a bit of a mystery, and there is a reason for that. They've had a hard road."
Ventress nodded slowly before asking, "So Kit is old-breed?" and the half-Nautolan nodded and said, "Yes, he is," she looked at the other woman and said, "Being old-breed means he can survive things that should rightly kill him, even though he isn't fully mature yet. Anyone else, right now, would have the sense to be very dead right now, but he's still hanging on. He shouldn't have survived that fight thirty years ago, yet here he is, although it's come at a cost."
"What kind of cost?" Ventress asked, clearly interested and listening closely, and the half-Nautolan sighed and said, "After he was attacked, he was brought to a surgeon. That idiot surgeon thought he was new-breed and his internal organs were in the wrong place. Old-breed physiology is different from new-breed physiology, and there are a few more internal organs in old-breeds than in new-breeds. So the surgeon thought he would just….put everything back where he thought it was supposed to go."
Ventress was staring at her in shock while the Jedi glanced at each other, wondering where this story was going next. They found out soon enough when the half-Nautolan continued, "His kidneys should be in front of his liver, and his liver should be lower down. His stomach is not where it's supposed to be either; it should be farther down, and his intestines are a mess. And that's just what I know about. There could be other things wrong I don't know about," looking at Kit's face as she said this.
The Jedi were shocked to hear that and even more surprised to hear that all that had happened without them knowing and the kind of pain Kit must have been living with for so long, but then the half-Nautolan was looking up at Ventress and saying, "Old-breed Nautolans have millions of years of evolution behind them that have turned them into top predators. Because of this, they will hide something is wrong with them unless something is really, really….wrong. And if you are seeing signs something is wrong, they can't hide that sickness or injury any longer. Which means he's closer to death than we know, and it may already be too late to do anything for him. But," here she looked up, and the Jedi were surprised to see the determination in her eyes, "He's survived this long with all that's wrong with him, so I know he isn't going to give up without a fight. And I'll be more than happy to help him with that fight."
"Why?" Ventress asked, "What do you owe him? And how do you know about that fight with the Sith?"
The half-Nautolan smiled sadly as she looked at Kit before looking at Ventress and saying, "Because I was there. I was the one he was fighting to protect," she looked at Kit and said, "I couldn't help him then, but I can now. So I will," she looked up at Ventress, "I owe him my life, and if this is one small way I can repay the debt, then so be it. I won't run away, not this time."
She said no more on the subject, and Ventress didn't push, leaving the Jedi to try and fill in the blanks. Eventually, Obi-Wan turned to the others and said, "We've been looking at this all wrong. Kit wasn't betraying us for the Separatists; he was trying to protect her. He's known her all along and lied the entire time about it."
"Which begs the question," Mace said, "How did they meet?"
Obi-Wan shook his head, but movement on the holotable caught his attention, and they all turned back to the half-Nautolan and Ventress. The half-Nautolan was watching Kit's breathing and pulse closely and, after a few moments, took his wrist and started counting beats silently. As this was going on, Ventress waited for her to finish and asked, "What happens now?"
The half-Nautolan shrugged, "We get to Home Base and do what we can. Only those that know where it is can find it, and that number is very small for a reason. It's not just my home; it is home to half-Nautolans and their parents. Some of them have never left and don't know what the galaxy is like outside the base, but it is the only place where they can be safe. Otherwise, the Monarchy would hunt them down and kill them."
"You really think Home Base will be able to help you?" Ventress asked, "You said yourself on the way here this may be out of their depth. But you did say there was one there who would be able to help you."
"Tristan can help us, and it won't be out of his skill set. Just the skill set of a few others," the half-Nautolan agreed, "But out of mine? I don't think so. And he is old-breed; that gives him slightly less crappy odds than a new-breed would have in this situation. I wish he was a bit older, then his odds would actually be better."
"I don't understand," Ventress said, clearly reaching the ends of her patience, "What does his age have to do with anything?"
The half-Nautolan looked up then and smiled, "Old-breed Nautolans are also called old-breed because of their lifespan. It's a bit….different than new-breeds."
"Different in what way?" Ventress asked through gritted teeth, clearly tired of having to slowly pull the answers to her questions out of the half-Nautolan.
Her companion's smile widened a bit more as she said, "An old-breed Nautolan is considered mature at 200 years old, Ventress, middle-aged around 8,000 years. Anytime before that, they are still, technically, younglings, in the eyes of their clan."
Ventress was clearly shocked to hear that, and so were the Jedi, but then Ventress asked, "How long do they live?"
The half-Nautolan cocked her head for a moment, thinking, before saying, "The oldest one I know about will be 14,000 years old in a few years. And will likely live another 6 or 7 thousand years before she starts to feel the effects of old age," she looked at Ventress then, "Old-breed Nautolans live longer than any other being in the galaxy, Ventress, and every single one of them is a living history book. The older ones remember the Old Republic and the time before it. This one," nodding down at Kit, "will likely outlive every Jedi alive currently, including Yoda. Assuming he survives this."
Ventress shook her head in surprise, while the Jedi and people gathered around the holotable were completely shocked to hear that news, but before any of them could properly recover from that news, a holoprojector on the half-Nautolan's belt started chiming, and she was reaching for it. She activated it, and a full-size hologram of another Nautolan appeared. This one was dressed as a doctor and easily a head taller than Kit, somehow, and looked over everything there with concern before turning to the half-Nautolan and asking, "What happened, Seeker?"
"He's been stabbed, Tristan," the half-Nautolan, Seeker now, replied, "It's in his liver and kidney. I've managed to control the bleeding, but his lung collapsed and also filled with blood, and he's bleeding internally," she looked up at him, "We need to get him to surgery, soon. The droids are working to repair the hyperdrive as quickly as possible, and the few clones we have with us are also helping."
"Alright, we'll get everything ready for when you get here," Tristan said as he crouched down to get a better look at the injury before looking up at Kit's face. He looked him over carefully before turning to Seeker and asking, "How's his breathing and pulse? And his blood pressure?"
"Blood pressure tanks, then skyrockets, then tanks, then skyrockets," Seeker said, "His pulse is too fast, but also weak and thready. His breathing is almost nonexistent," she looked at Tristan, "I think I'm going to have to get drastic soon."
"Not soon, now," Tristan said bluntly, "Get an IV line into him, then put him under and tube him. He can't breathe on his own anymore, at least not enough for it to be enough. And we're going to have to put him under for surgery anyway, might as well do it now and save ourselves the trouble later. You know how he can be," standing up as he said this, "I'll be ready when you arrive," ending the transmission abruptly.
Once he was gone, the half-Nautolan put the holoprojector away and turned to her packs, leaving the Jedi confused about the other Nautolan's abruptness. Ventress wasn't as confused, saying nonchalantly, "Tristan Darka's bedside manner still leaves something to be desired, Seeker. I've met Sith that are friendlier than that."
"The only Sith you have met are Dooku, Maul, and Oppress," Seeker said mildly, "And Tristan is only short like that when he's worried. But he is one of the foremost experts on old-breed Nautolans and half-Nautolan genetics. He's also one of the best surgeons in the galaxy regarding old-breeds," as she rummaged through her packs for a few moments before pulling out an IV bag and some needles and drugs. She started filling the needles with various drugs and was ready to go a few minutes later. As they were trading places again, Ventress asked, "What did Tristan mean when he said 'you know how he can be'?"
Seeker only shrugged, "Ever met a warrior that liked going to the doctor?" which apparently answered Ventress' question and left Seeker to focus on what she needed to do. Within minutes the IV needle was in a vein in Kit's left hand and taped into place, a tube running from it up into the IV bag Seeker had hanging on a hook behind her. She stood up then and released the clamp, getting fluids into Kit while adding a few of the drugs she had chosen. Ventress was curious about all this and asked, "What are all those?"
"Antibiotics, vitamins, minerals, electrolytes," Seeker said as she added them to the bag, "They won't do much, but they will help. Because of how messed up his digestive tract is, he hasn't been getting the proper amount of nutrients he needs, and it hurts to eat some days. On bad days, he would rather go hungry than actually eat," turning away from the bag after watching the flow rate for a few moments, "So he isn't as healthy as he should be to survive an injury like this. Because he isn't fully mature as an old-breed, his body won't handle the trauma of all this very well. Overall, things aren't looking that great right now, but I'm feeling optimistic today."
"Oh no," was all Ventress said, but there was a slight smile as she said it. Seeker only shot her a bemused, annoyed look before handing her two needles. The former Sith apprentice looked at them before looking at Seeker, who only said, "Inject those when I tell you to," bending down and tapping an injection port directly on Kit's vein.
Seeing this, the Jedi looked at each other, wondering how the half-Nautolan, apparently named Seeker, could trust Ventress so much but were left with no other option but to keep watching as they again swapped places. But this time, Seeker went to Kit's head and set up a small machine. As this was happening, Ventress asked, "Why'd you wrap his head-tentacles anyways? It looks weird."
Seeker shrugged as she set the machine up before reaching for a sterilized tube wrapped in plastic and a strange metal device in one of her packs, "Old-breed Nautolans control their body temperature through their head-tentacles. Best way to keep him from going into shock is to keep him warm, and keeping his head-tentacles warm is the best way to do that."
Ventress nodded slowly, looking down at the needles in her hands again, but Seeker was ready to go as she looked up and said, "Alright, Ventress, inject the needle in your left hand."
Ventress nodded and started reaching forward with her right, and the half-Nautolan rolled her eyes and said, "Your other left," making Ventress stop and blush for a few seconds. This time she got it right, and a few seconds later Kit's eyes slid shut and his body relaxed. Waiting a few seconds more, Seeker then reached up and tapped the inside of his eyes a couple times before using a couple fingers to push the eyelids up, "What are you doing that for?" Ventress asked.
Seeker only said, "Best way to tell if an old-breed is asleep is to play with their eyes. If they're even slightly aware their eyes will stay open as a defense against predators, but if they're completely unconscious their eyes will stay closed. Like now," letting go of Kit's eyes and watching his eyelids fall shut. She looked up then and said, "Now the other one," and Ventress did so.
As she did that, Seeker took the metal tool she had and gave it an experienced flick with her wrist. It extended out to reveal a curved piece of metal at one end. Seeing that Rig Nema, watching from the Temple, said quietly, "That's a laryngoscope. This isn't good."
"What does that mean?" Anakin asked, but Rig only shook her head as she watched the half-Nautolan. Anakin also turned to watch and watched as Seeker took the laryngoscope and opened Kit's mouth. The laryngoscope went in gently, going down Kit's throat, the half-Nautolan clearly knowing what she was doing, holding it in place with her right hand as she reached for the plastic-wrapped tube. That she opened with her teeth, taking the tube out and holding it in her left hand. Seconds later, she was putting the tube down Kit's throat, and Anakin asked, "What is she doing?"
"Making it possible for Master Fisto to breathe more easily, Master Skywalker," Rig said softly, "That tube is going straight to his lungs, and now a machine will breathe for him so his lungs don't have to work so hard. It may buy him some time."
Hearing that, Anakin settled and watched as Seeker took the laryngoscope out of Kit's mouth but kept the tube in place. She put the laryngoscope down and reached for the machine she had set up earlier, connecting it to the tube in Kit's airway and turning it on. It started to hum silently, and everyone was able to see Kit's breathing stabilize. Seeker seemed pleased since she nodded to herself and reached for some medical tape. She started taping the tube to Kit's cheek while also closing his mouth, which is when Ventress asked, "What did you make me give him?" looking down at the needles in her hands.
Seeker kept working as she said, "The first was a sedative, the second was a paralytic so his body wouldn't fight me when I put the tube in. They'll last until we can get to Home Base and get him properly under for surgery."
Ventress nodded slowly at that before reaching for the laryngoscope to get a better look at it, but the second she did so, Seeker snapped her head up and said, "Don't touch that! Old-breed Nautolans are venomous!"
Ventress snapped her hand back while Dr. Boll, who had joined what was happening from Coruscant, looked up with interest, and Seeker explained, "Old-breed Nautolans have a rather poisonous bite, Ventress. Females are much more venomous and more likely to bite, but males can still kill. One bite from an old-breed Nautolan, male or female, is enough to kill at least ten grown men. With females, it's actually closer to twenty. It's an adaptation to hunt and take down large prey because there was a time when old-breed Nautolans found Karkarodons to be good eating. Thankfully that way of thinking has faded into history, but the venom remains. And there is no antidote; every old-breed's venom is slightly different than another's. Death is neither painless nor quick."
"That's how you killed that Zygerian in the dungeons," Ventress said quietly, "You knew it would kill him, and kill him painfully," she shook her head, "That's crazy."
"I have no tolerance for slavers," was all Seeker said as she finished taping Kit's mouth shut so that it wouldn't dry out before getting something out of her pack and stepping over Kit to get to his left arm, Ventress moving out of the way as she did so. Once they were settled, Seeker opened the little pouch she had, revealing even more needles and tubes and a clamp. She took a tourniquet from the pouch before reaching for a needle. That needle was already attached to a tube, and she had it ready after a few seconds. She tied the tourniquet around Kit's arm, just above his elbow, and put the needle at the other end of the tube in his arm. She removed the tourniquet then and tied it around her arm with her teeth and right hand, reaching for the needle and putting it in her arm. Seconds later, the tourniquet was off, the clamp was released, and then her blood flowed along the tube into Kit's arm.
As this was happening, Ventress asked, "Are you sure that's a good idea? What if he gets human blood?"
"He won't," Seeker said, "I have three main veins in my arms. One is only Nautolan blood, another is only human blood, and the one in the middle is a mix of the two. Human blood is red, and my Nautolan blood is green, so it's easy to tell them apart," she looked up at Ventress then, "This should help until we get to Home Base, but I won't be able to do it forever. He will need quite a few transfusions to survive this."
"Where are you going to get transfusions for him?" Ventress asked rhetorically, "It's not like you have a fully stocked blood bank there, even I know that!"
"We need one," Seeker said thoughtfully, but seeing how unimpressed Ventress was, she said, "I have another idea."
"Which would be what?" Ventress asked, "Just scour the galaxy for another old-breed Nautolan? I've never heard of an old-breed Nautolan before today, which means the odds of finding another in time are slim to none!"
"No, they're not," Seeker said calmly as she rolled the IV clamp up and stopped the flow of blood out of her into Kit.
"What are you talking about?!" Ventress asked, her patience finally spent, "Please stop talking in riddles for once in your life and just answer me plainly! How do you know you can find another old-breed in time?"
At that moment, watching Ventress speak that way to Seeker, many of the Jedi realized that Ventress was asking because she actually cared. She was scared for Kit, which was clear, and that became more clear when the half-Nautolan said softly, "You're scared, Ventress."
Ventress seemed to deflate then, wrapping her arms around her legs and looking small for a moment as she looked at Kit. She said softly, "He's the only one that has treated me with anything remotely resembling kindness the last few years," that admission was a shock to the Jedi, but it didn't last long as she suddenly looked up into Seeker's eyes and said, "Well….maybe not the only one," smiling slightly as she said this.
Seeker smiled back, saying, "I know you're scared for him, Ventress. But there is a way to help him and get him the blood he needs."
"What way is that?" Ventress asked, and the half-Nautolan asked, "You know how society is structured on Glee Anselm, right? There is a Monarchy, but the people themselves are divided into individual clans. Those clans constantly fight each other, but the tourists never see it because they keep to the main cities. And the Monarchy hides it whenever the Jedi or the Senate come looking. They don't want anything seeming wrong."
"Yes, I know. What does that have to do with anything? Old-breed Nautolans could be from any of those clans. The more uncontacted ones aren't friendly to outsiders," Ventress said impatiently. Seeker smiled and said, "There is only one clan of old-breeds in the galaxy, Ventress, and that is Clan Fisto."
Hearing that, the Jedi were again surprised, especially when they heard the name of the clan, but Ventress was even more surprised when she asked, "What?"
Seeker sighed and nodded her head, and the two of them again switched places since the wound in Kit's side was bleeding again. It was silent while she added more bandages and gauze, and once the bleeding had stopped, she looked up and said, "Clan Fisto is the oldest and most respected clan on Glee Anselm. It has survived the longest intact, mostly because of who leads it. It is led by a female, and the clan itself is female-oriented. Male-oriented clans, like the other clans on Glee Anselm, tend to fold and collapse because of infighting and fights for territory and dominance. In Clan Fisto, there is no such thing because the clan is led by a female, and since she leads for thousands of years, there is always stability in the clan."
"And it's named Fisto because…?" Ventress asked, and Seeker smiled sadly as she said, "The family that leads the clan is the Fisto family. They have led it since the beginning and kept it going, and they are loved by their clan and respected by the other clans. Every single member of the family is well-regarded and loved by their clan."
"So he's…?" Ventress asked, nodding at Kit, and Seeker nodded, "He is part of that family, which will be a problem for whoever hurt him," Tarkin looked up at that. The Jedi started paying closer attention as Seeker continued, "His mother is the clan Chieftess, as you know, and has led it for her entire life, almost 9,000 years. His father can't lead the clan, not technically, but he is his mate's strongest supporter and closest confidante. They aren't who I'm worried about, even though his mother will be furious when she sees him like this."
"Who are you worried about?" Ventress asked, and Seeker said, "Kit is the youngest of eighteen brothers, Ventress," and the Jedi looked around at each other, only now realizing how little they knew about Kit and how much they were being forced to learn now as Seeker continued, "Every single one of those brothers is more dangerous than a Sith on a bad day, and they wholeheartedly believe in revenge. You've already met a few of them through knowing me; you know what they're like. He's also the favorite of his brothers and parents, which means they will want blood for this. Nothing and no one can protect whoever did this, not even the Jedi. Tarkin had better watch out."
"But Jedi aren't supposed to acknowledge blood ties or having anything to do with their families," Ventress said, clearly confused, and Seeker smiled gently and said, "Ventress, Kit reached out to his family when he was fifteen. Only his loyalty to his friends in the Jedi Order kept him there, otherwise he would have gone back to his family a long time ago. But his family has always been near, watching out for him and keeping him safe, because there are some things not even the Jedi would be able to protect him from."
"Like what?" Ventress asked, clearly getting a history lesson from this like the Jedi, "What's so dangerous that not even the Jedi can protect him?"
"A secret," Seeker said, "a secret worth killing for. And a secret that can only be kept by shedding blood," looking over at Kit's face for a moment before looking at Ventress and saying, "There was a time when Glee Anselm was very different than what it is like now. The clans weren't constantly at war, and there was peace and good times. Back then, the planet was ruled by the Queen of Glee Anselm, who was of Clan Fisto. But 9,000 years ago, there was a coup, and the clan was overthrown and forced into exile. Now they barely survive, and 4 out of 10 children starve to death before the age of two, despite their parents doing everything in their power, including starving themselves, to keep them alive."
Ventress shook her head while the Jedi could only be shocked as Seeker continued, "Kit and his family are a reminder to those traitors that hold the throne that they are not welcome and aren't supposed to be there. To that end, the family is constantly hunted. Kit's mother and father are powerful and influential on Glee Anselm; they have to go. Without a female leader, the clan will fall into chaos and destroy itself, which is a problem. Kit's mother can't rule forever; sooner or later, someone will have to take her place. There is little infighting or jealousy between her sons, mostly because they know they can never rule and have deep love and respect for each other, but that doesn't stop the Monarchy from doing what it can to get rid of them because they can all sire children. Which leaves their mother with a problem. Her sons, and their mates, have only had sons, but only a daughter can lead. The only one who hasn't children, yet, is this one," nodding at Kit, "And so the Monarchy hunts him as best they can, hoping to kill him on a Jedi mission or now, during a war, and stop the chance of the female bloodline from continuing."
The Jedi and those with them were shocked to hear this, the clone technicians around them having stopped what they were doing to listen as well, and so were able to hear Ventress ask, "Does he know about all this?" nodding at Kit.
"Of course he does," Seeker said, "It's the only way he would tolerate one or more of his brothers shadowing him on missions and during the war. He's pretty level-headed, but his brothers could test the patience of a saint. Or a Jedi. They're very frustrating sometimes. You'll see soon enough. We're about to meet all of them."
"All of them?" Ventress asked faintly, looking a bit afraid at the idea, and Seeker nodded, "All of them. They don't have a lot in common, to be honest, but they all agree Kit is their favorite, and they would do anything for him. I know a few of them are at Home Base already, and the rest will come as soon as they get word about what is happening. Tristan has their blood types on file; those who can donate will get there as quickly as possible. And hopefully, it will be good news when their mother gets there."
"Hopefully," Ventress agreed. The next few minutes passed in silence before Seeker sighed and looked up, seeing something out of range of the surveillance bug. Whatever it was caused her to look at Ventress, who quickly got out of the way and switched places with her, Seeker going to the needle she had used to give Kit some of her blood and changing it for a clean one. As this was happening, Ventress looked up and saw something that clearly disturbed her since she turned and asked, "What is Ky Lan doing here? You know what he's like, right?"
Hearing that name, the Jedi immediately became wary, especially for Kit since he was defenseless against such a dangerous bounty hunter, but Seeker didn't seem worried as she sighed and looked at Kit's face for a minute. She worried her jaw for a moment, chewing her lower lip, before looking up and saying, "Kailan Fisto is Kit's identical twin brother."
If the Jedi had thought they couldn't be more shocked or surprised, they were again proven wrong by this revelation, and the same could be said for Ventress, who only asked faintly, "Twin? Brother?"
"Yes, Ventress," Seeker said slowly as she nodded, "Identical twin. Identical DNA, identical faces, the same midi-cholrian count. Which doesn't count for much; the entire family is Force-sensitive. Kailan's count is a bit higher than Kit's, and he's about twenty minutes older. Which he holds over his brother's head constantly, and Kit just takes it as best he can. Typical brothers."
"How…?" Ventress started to ask, and Seeker easily guessed the question, "Female old-breeds give birth to live young; they aren't hatched from eggs. Which is good news for us because Kailan has the same blood type as Kit. It will help a little until we get to Home Base."
Ventress only nodded slowly as Kailan Fisto came into view, and the Jedi were able to see that Seeker was right. He really did look identical to Kit now that the fake scars he had used during the hostage crisis in the Senate were gone, except for a massive scar on his left cheek that was actually real. But the rest of him was identical, and he even wore his head-tentacles in the same way. He was silent as he sat down next to Seeker, eyes only for his brother and not noticing as she rolled up his sleeve and put the tourniquet on. He didn't even flinch when the needle went into his arm and continued to stare at his brother as if waiting for him to open his eyes and say he would be fine.
But that didn't happen, and he just stayed silent and still the entire time his blood went into his brother. After about five minutes, Seeker stopped and took the needle out, and Kailan looked at her, clearly wanting her to go on. But Seeker wasn't having any of it, saying, "No, Kailan, you're still injured from fighting through those bounty hunters on Nevarro. You can't give any more without putting yourself in danger."
Kailan looked like he didn't care about that, and Seeker said, "Two hours, and I will ask for more. In the meantime, find something to eat that has protein and iron; that will get your blood count up and make it possible for another donation. Deal?"
Kailan stared at her a moment longer before nodding and getting up. He looked a bit wobbly and had to reach out and hold onto the wall for a moment as the lack of blood he had just donated made him lightheaded. But he recovered soon enough and headed for the couch-like seat around the holochess table. He lay down there and was still, closing his eyes and resting as best he could.
"That doesn't look like eating," Ventress said as she turned to Seeker, who only shrugged and said, "I knew he wasn't going to go eat, but I had to try. Old-breed Nautolan twins don't like to be separated, and these two have been separated for decades. He won't be letting Kit out of his sight so quickly again. The twin bond they have is one of the strongest bonds in the galaxy, and there is physical pain and extreme anxiety when they are separated. It's incredibly powerful and impossible to ignore. They can feel and sense each other's pain and thoughts, even if they aren't Force-sensitive, no matter the distance, and know when the other needs help. If one dies, though, the other can't live without them and usually dies soon after. If Kit dies, Kailan likely will," looking seriously at Ventress as she said this, "And if Kailan dies, so will Kit. This kind of bond doesn't survive on opposite sides of death."
"So Kailan was able to feel what was wrong with Kit, and Kit was able to know where his brother was the entire time?" Ventress asked, "Even when he took the Senate hostage?"
Seeker nodded, smiling gently as she looked at Kit's unconscious face, "It must have been an interesting dilemma. Tell the Jedi and betray his brother, who means everything to him, or betray the Jedi and keep his brother safe?" she looked up at Ventress then, "I think we both know which option he went with."
"Not the best option," Ventress muttered, but Seeker heard it all the same and said, "None of the brothers are saints, Ventress, you know this, or even anything resembling good people. They have to help support the clan and keep it going, which means applying every skill and talent they have to keep credits coming in. Some are pirates and smugglers, others are mercenaries and bounty hunters, a couple are thieves, and one is a slaver. They do what they have to to keep the clan going, and they don't care what it is as long as the money is good. Kit's the only one that might pass for a saint, but he knows what his brothers do and says nothing to the Jedi, so perhaps he is okay with it. It's hard to tell sometimes. His relationship with his brothers is none of my business, so I don't ask."
Ventress nodded, and a few seconds later, Seeker looked up as she sensed something and said, "We're out of time," surging to her feet and yelling, "Spitz, we're about to be cooked!" as she headed for the bridge and leaving the Jedi wondering what she had clearly sensed. Seconds later, another clone raced for the bridge, allowing Seeker to return to Kit, and the Jedi recognized him. Clone pilot Spitz was the Republic's best pilot, and his skills and reflexes could match a Jedi's. But he had been shot down during one of his first missions, or so they had thought.
"Spitz was assigned to Master Fisto's fleet," Anakin said suddenly, "He must have faked the report so that Spitz could work for the half-Nautolan."
"Sir!" the clone bridge officer said suddenly, running towards them, "Enemy fleet coming out of hyperspace!"
Seconds later, a Separatist fleet came into view, and with it, the half-Nautolan's ship also appeared on scanners. It was an old freighter much more maneuverable than a usual VCX-100 light freighter, which became apparent when Spitz took the helm with Kailan. The two of them piloted their ship skillfully, and as that was happening and the Republic was getting ready to launch its own attack against the Separatists, Seeker reached for her comlink and said into it, "Time to leave, boys. You know where to go."
"Copy that," a clone's voice answered over her comlink, but before the Jedi could understand where it was coming from, Tarkin said suddenly, "One of our ships is veering away," racing out onto the bridge with the others in time to watch the cruiser come about and change course. Its shields were still up, and as they watched, one of the clone technicians said, "Sir! Its hyperdrive is activating!"
"Jedi cruiser Dauntless come in!" Tarkin ordered, "You are not cleared for hyperspace. Shut down your hyperdrive and come about to our current heading," nothing but static greeted his order. Seconds later, the cruiser was gone, jumping into hyperspace and disappearing.
"Track that ship, now!" Tarkin ordered, but the technician said, "I can't, sir; the tracking beacon's been disabled."
"What?!" Obi-Wan asked, but there was no time to look into it as the Separatists were engaging their fighters and the half-Nautolan's ship, which, now on scanners, actually had a name: the Ghost. Returning to the holotable, they were in time to see the half-Nautolan say quietly from where she was still sitting next to Kit, "Time to leave," unknowingly repeating what she had said when she had first come for Kit. Seconds later, they were in the clear, and as the Jedi watched from the view windows the Ghost jumped into hyperspace, taking not just Kit, but what seemed to be their only chance for answers with it as well.