A/N: So here's the next chapter, with a rather interesting confrontation. I hope you like the cliffhanger at the end. Next chapter's written and ready to go, but you know how terrible I am about updating, so don't hold me to a schedule. Until next time, please read, review, and enjoy!
The rebels elect a new leader! With their training complete, Obi-Wan and Anakin have left Ahsoka on Onderon to monitor and advise the rebels as they continue to strike Separatist targets under the command of Steela Gerrera. Facing an escalation of rebel attacks, the Separatists have sent reinforcements to straighten their hold on the city of Iziz as the battle for the planet unfolds….
The queen of Naboo's winter palace stood tall and proud against the backdrop of a shimmering ocean. Nestled against cliffs that led down into the water, the palace occupied a large area in the southern parts of Naboo. Used by former queens generations ago, the palace now stood abandoned and falling apart. But it was still a beautiful structure, with several towers and spires reaching for the sky. The many stories of the palace allowed for many places to hide, and there were several entrances and exits. A landing pad on the highest roof allowed for a quick escape should it become necessary, and a large garden with a stream running through it was surrounded by a moss- and ivy-covered stone wall.
All in all, Obi-Wan thought as he looked at the structure from a distance, it was the perfect place to hide someone from those looking for them. If Grogu was here, getting him back wouldn't be straightforward. And there was the fact they would have to deal with Seeker and the Mandalorian, and whoever else was here that had captured Grogu. Looking around, Obi-Wan could see that the rest of the Council also knew this. They had been called away from their fleets, ships, and other locations throughout the galaxy. Anakin was there with Aayla Secura, and seeing the resolve on all their faces, he knew they were ready for whatever came next. They were watching the palace, and reaching out with his senses, Obi-Wan could feel something was happening or about to happen. There was a tension in the air that was hard to ignore, and it was hard to wait in the forest. He wasn't sure what they were waiting for, but he knew it wasn't time to move in just yet. Nearby Mace seemed to know this as well since he said, "We wait for proof that Seeker is here before moving in. She made sure we wouldn't find this place the last time we were here; she knows this planet too well. We can't afford to be reckless."
That last bit was aimed at Anakin, who was almost jumping out of his skin in anticipation, and the younger Jedi settled as best he could. They were waiting in the forest surrounding the palace, keeping an eye on the overgrown road that led to the palace. The rest of the Council was spread out throughout the forest. The road led out of the palace and past them, disappearing into rough and rocky terrain and some mountains. Mace shook his head inwardly when he saw all this; how Seeker had known about this place was a mystery to them. Not even Queen Neeyutnee had known this place still existed.
Turning his attention back to the road, Mace could understand Skywalker's desire to get moving and find Grogu. They had already been waiting here for several hours, and it was quiet in the palace, and there was no sign of Seeker or the Mandalorian. At this point, Mace wasn't sure if they had already been there or not, but Yoda seemed to think they weren't there yet.
It was already past midday, and Mace had resigned himself to waiting even longer for them to show, but suddenly the shadows changed. The road had been bisected by the shadow of a cliff edge that rose behind them, which was more or less a straight line, but suddenly it was no longer straight. Two tall shadows were suddenly there, from one moment to the next, and looking behind them the Jedi were able to see two people standing on the cliffs. It was hard to tell who they were because of the sun at their backs, but they were leaping down from the cliff and rocks and racing down the road seconds later. They ran hard and fast, much faster than the Jedi thought they would, passing where they were hidden and revealing Seeker and the Mandalorian.
Seeker was wearing her usual blue attire, and the Mandalorian wore armor made of pure beskar. He kept pace with her pretty well, but it was clear she was checking her speed so that he could keep up. They suddenly split up and left the road, Seeker heading east while the Mandalorian went west. Seeker didn't keep to the ground after that, barely touching a tree as she climbed it, then started leaping from branch to branch and tree to tree. She came down to the ground after a few minutes, only pausing for the briefest moments to catch her breath, and then she ran again. She navigated the swampy terrain with ease, expertly dodging around quicksand and a few poisonous plants, before suddenly taking to the trees again as a patrol of battle droids appeared. She stayed in the tree and stayed still, not destroying them, and they passed on their way. The half-Nautolan only watched them a few moments longer until they were out of sight, then leaped to the branch of another tree and kept going. Seeing this, Anakin asked quietly, "Why didn't she destroy those droids? That makes no sense."
"It does if she doesn't want anyone to know she's here," Mace said as they ran to keep up with her, "If a patrol misses a check-in, then the one commanding the droids will know there is something wrong."
Anakin shook his head as they struggled to keep up with her, and a few minutes later, they reached the clearing surrounding the palace. High walls made it impossible to see into the courtyard beyond, and Seeker had vanished from sight. At first, they thought she had already scaled the wall, but movement caught Obi-Wan's eye and he looked over to see that Seeker was crouched down and hiding in the nearby tall grass. She watched the droid patrols along the wall, following them with her eyes and analyzing their movements. She paid no attention to the Jedi, her focus solely on her task and not being seen.
Seeing her, Anakin started heading over to her, attempting to sneak up on her behind, but she suddenly moved her head and half-closed her eyes. She knew they were there and was making it clear they wouldn't be able to surprise her. Anakin stopped then and decided to see what she had planned next. It didn't seem to be anything good, because she just crouched there and watched the droids for several minutes. Mace shook his head as he watched her; even after all this time, her mind was a mystery to him, but before he could try and figure it out the half-Nautolan was suddenly looking up and over to the west.
The Jedi looked as well but couldn't see anything. But Seeker clearly could since she stared for several moments before turning back to the droids. Seconds later she was on her way, racing for the stone wall that surrounded the garden. The rest of the wall seemed to be made out of durasteel since it was smooth, and Seeker ran right past that as she also avoided the droids. She kept to the tall grass for a while, not a blade moving as she ran through them, until finally reaching a point where the droids weren't. She headed across the clearing then, heading straight for the wall. Seeing this, Mace turned to his comlink and said, "Seeker's heading for the wall. Be ready to breach in two minutes."
No one answered, not that Mace was expecting them to, and he turned back to watching Seeker. She was still running for the wall, and as he watched, she reached the wall and suddenly leaped up. There was what seemed to be an old watchtower built onto the wall, and that was what she jumped for. Anakin and Obi-Wan headed her way then, hoping they could catch her, but she was able to grab the underside of the tower and haul herself up by her fingers. They were hooked under a lip in the underside of the stone, and she used her momentum to do a chin-up. From there, she reached over to the wall itself and grabbed a handhold with her right hand, hauling herself up again onto the wall. She started climbing the wall, using hand and footholds so small they were almost invisible. Minutes later, she was on top of the wall, kneeling there as she reached over to another portion of the wall that was taller than where she was currently sitting. She pulled out a loose brick, reached inside, pulled out a key card, and then put the brick back. She stayed perched there for several moments before jumping down into the palace grounds, and Anakin turned to Obi-Wan and asked, "How did she know that was there? And what was that?"
"I think we're about to find out," Obi-Wan said as they ran back to Mace and the others and prepared to breach the wall.
As for Seeker, she hadn't moved on in the direction of the palace. She had taken a few moments to look towards what remained of the garden, knowing a small grave was hidden among the trees and checking to make sure it hadn't been disturbed, which it hadn't been. The Force made the area sacred ground, not to be transgressed upon, and no Jedi or Sith would ever go near there. She turned back to what she was doing then, staying against the wall to watch the droids and their movements, looking for gaps. She found one easily enough at the same moment the Jedi breached the wall. She looked over as the droids immediately went to repel the attack, not that it made much of a difference. This was the Jedi Council, some of the best warriors in the galaxy, and they weren't interested in waiting around to deal with the droids. Seeker shook her head as she watched Anakin and Obi-Wan fight side-by-side, but seconds later Anakin saw her and she took off running. She headed straight for the palace side, leaping up and finding another handhold, easily climbing up with Anakin behind her. But she was faster and knew how to climb this wall, and seconds later, she reached a window on the third floor. Holding on with one hand she took the key card and swiped it on an automated window lock. The window opened immediately and she slipped inside, shutting it behind her. Anakin reached the window seconds later and cut his way inside. Entering the room he was surprised to see it was empty except for old furniture and dust, and Seeker was nowhere in sight. He looked around for a few moments, and that was when Obi-Wan called from below, "Is she there?"
"No," Anakin called back, going to the window and looking down at Obi-Wan, Master Plo, and Mace, "She's gone!"
Obi-Wan shook his head while Mace said, "Let's get inside and find her and Grogu."
Anakin nodded and jumped down to the ground, following the others to the front doors and stepping around the battle droid pieces around them. Inside the palace Seeker had met up with Mando, who had entered from the west, and they ran for the dungeons. Reaching them moments later, Mando following Seeker since he had no idea where he was going, they waited around a corner as Dooku left a cell and shut the door. He looked up as a droid appeared and said, "Uh sir, the Jedi have arrived. They've already destroyed the guards outside and are inside the building."
"They want their youngling back," Dooku said before walking away with the droid and leaving a couple droids to guard the cell. As soon as he was out of earshot, Seeker and Mando moved in. Mando quickly shot down the droids as Seeker opened the cell door and easily cut down the commando droids guarding Grogu. Mando entered the cell as Seeker smiled gently and picked up the unconscious Grogu, easily removing the binders around his tiny hands. She held him in one arm for a few moments as she reached out with the Force. Holding her hand above him, she nodded to herself and said, "He'll be alright."
Turning to Mando, she handed Grogu over to him. He took the little one and got him settled instinctively, asking, "Why are you giving him to me?"
"Because you're covered in armor, and I'm going to need both hands in a minute," was all Seeker said as they prepared to leave the cell. She looked left and right for a few moments before motioning Mando to go ahead of her. He did so, heading left out of the cell, and just as Seeker was leaving the Jedi appeared, having followed their sense of where Grogu was. Mace was there, along with Anakin and Obi-Wan. Seeker turned to look at them for a few seconds before whipping around and taking off running with Mando in front of her, the Jedi right on their heels.
But Seeker knew more about this place than she was letting on, and seconds after turned a corner and ducked into a hidden door and shut it behind her and Mando. When the Jedi arrived, the hallway was empty, and Obi-Wan asked, "Where did they go? There's no way they could have disappeared that quickly."
Deep in thought, Mace stared down the hallway before shaking his head and saying, "Old palaces like these had hidden tunnels for staff and for escape purposes, right?" turning to the others, "Maybe we should consider that."
"But how would either of them know where to go?" Anakin asked, "Neither have ever been here before. No one knew this place was still here," as Masters Plo, Tiin, and Mundi appeared from the other end of the hallway and approached, "Any sign of her?" Anakin asked, and they all shook their heads.
Mace suddenly activated the bug on Kit's lightsaber, wondering if it would have the answers they were looking for. They watched as it revealed Seeker and Mando running down a narrow hallway. Tapping a few buttons on his comlink, Mace was able to zero in on their location, and seconds later they were running to reach that location. They arrived moments later, but weren't fast enough to prepare an ambush. A panel in the wall opened and Seeker and Mando appeared, Mando carrying Grogu. The Mandalorian had his blaster out and was ready for anything, while Seeker was just watching everything warily. Her senses were on high alert, and as they ran towards them Seeker's head whipped around as Mando took off running away from them.
Seeker raced after him, following him up a flight of stairs and down another hallway before they ducked right into a large room that might have been a library at one point. Seeker took the lead then and led him to what might have been a gaming room. She cut left as more Jedi appeared, racing up some stairs while Mando used his jetpack to reach the landing. From there, she went left again and ran down another hallway, disappearing with Mando back into the passageways and shutting the door behind them. With no way of knowing how to open the door Mace activated the bug again, but this time waited a few moments before activating the tracking device. They watched as Seeker and Mando exited the tunnel and paused for a few moments, with Mando panting slightly and saying, "We need to get out of here."
"I know," Seeker said calmly, not the least bit winded, "I know where I'm going."
"Are you sure?" Mando asked, "It feels like we're just going in circles."
Seeker turned to him and said, "If you want to strike out on your own, be my guest. You'll just have to fight your way through about a dozen of the best warriors in the galaxy, and then make it back to your ship with them right behind you. We both know you can handle one or two, but that's it. And holding Grogu means you can't fight as much as you want to. But if you want to take your chances, go right ahead. I'm not stopping you."
Mando stared at her a few moments before looking down at Grogu in his arms. The little one was still unconscious, and Mando shook his head before saying, "Just tell me how you know where you're going. What makes you so sure you can get us out of here? You keep going up, but the way out is down."
Seeker looked at him before turning her head and staring down the hallway they were in. She stayed that way for several moments before saying quietly, "I was born here," surprising the Jedi and Mando. She turned back to the Mandalorian, "Third door on the left was mine," nodding in that direction, "I called this place home for the first four years of my life."
Mando stared at her for a few moments before nodding slowly as she headed down the hallway past her old room. Seeing this, Mace said, "Explains why we haven't been able to pin her down. She knows this place inside and out."
"Where are they going?" Anakin asked, and Mace activated the tracking device. Studying the holomap for a few moments he said, "It looks like they are heading for the landing pad. We'll need to be quick if we want to head them off."
Those with him nodded, and a few left while Mace and the rest headed downstairs to the courtyard. Since what went up must come down eventually, he decided to be ready for whatever plan Seeker had dreamed up to get out of here. She may know the palace inside and out, but her luck would eventually run out.
They just needed to be ready for that to happen.
Reaching the landing pad, Seeker and Mando quickly ran to the other side and looked down into the courtyard far below them. Seeker shook her head then before whipping her head around as the Jedi appeared behind them. It was Obi-Wan, Anakin, Aayla, and Master Plo, all of whom weren't interested in whatever games Seeker was playing. Seeing them, Seeker said quietly, "Probably should have thought this through a bit more," before turning back to look down at the ground far below them. Underneath his helmet, Mando raised an eyebrow as he watched the Jedi coming closer, his blaster out and ready. Grogu was still in his arms, protected by his armor-covered forearm and chest.
Whatever happened, he would make sure Grogu stayed safe.
It looked like things were about to happen as the Jedi advanced slowly with their lightsabers ready, but just then Seeker turned to Mando and asked, "Are you afraid of heights?"
"No," Mando said without taking his eyes off the Jedi, "Why?"
Seeker glanced at the Jedi before shrugging inwardly and saying, "Apologies in advance," giving the Jedi and Mando no other warning as she suddenly kicked Mando in the chest and sent him over the edge.
"No!" Obi-Wan cried as Seeker leaped off the edge as well and started falling. Racing after them, the Jedi were in time to see Mando activate his jetpack and fly away with Grogu, while Seeker kept falling to the courtyard below. Seeing this, the Jedi raced back the way they came, wondering what they would find when they finally reached the ground.
Seeker was still free-falling but getting ready to land safely. It was a ten-story fall, and her speed increased every second. But just as she reached the fifth floor she suddenly flipped in the air, slowing herself down tremendously, and flipped again to slow herself even more. But she was still going very fast, and that was when Dooku, watching this from his ship, decided to have some fun.
Reaching out with the Force, he pushed her through the air as she reached the second floor. Unable to stop herself or compensate for what Dooku had done, she hit the ground, hard. And because of the speed she was going there was no way for her to stop. She kept going, hitting the ground every few seconds and likely breaking bones, her fingers leaving deep tracks as she tried to stop herself. The Jedi there were unable to stop or slow her, and they watched in horror as she seemed to skip across the dust-covered courtyard in the direction of the durasteel wall. Seconds later, there was a terrible scream of pain as her back slammed into the wall, and the Jedi were quick to run over as she collapsed to the ground.
Seeker pushed herself up with her hands and looked around. Seeing a hole in the wall behind her, she tried to drag herself by her hands through it to fall down into the sea, but that was when Anakin said, "Oh no, you don't," racing over and pulling her away from the wall by her arm. Seeker had no chance to react as Anakin used the Force to throw her into the middle of the courtyard, where she lay still. Her breathing was heavy and there was dust in her hair, and she didn't move.
She didn't try to get up or fight for several moments but finally leveled herself upright with her hands. But that was all she did, turning to look at her legs. She was lying on her side, her lightsabers under her, and then shook her head as she tried to sit up more. But something happened, and she collapsed again, leaving the Jedi confused.
Seeker had always gotten up before and kept fighting, but now it looked like she couldn't. The half-Nautolan grimaced suddenly and stared at her legs again, and that was when Eeth Koth noticed some blood on the ground underneath her, right where her spine was.
All of a sudden, he understood what was happening.
Her spine was broken, and she was paralyzed.
War in the Inner Rim! Rebel leader Steela Gerrera has joined forces with General Tandin after boldly rescuing Onderon's former king from execution, evading a trap set by Separatist ally King Rash and the droid general Kalani. Amid growing public support and rising unrest, Ahsoka continues to monitor the rebels' efforts as they rally around Ramsis Dendup to restore his reign as the rightful king and finally put an end to the Separatist occupation of Onderon….
The Jedi had formed a loose circle around Seeker, watching her warily as she lay on the ground. Her legs were out to her side, useless, and her breathing was hard and heavy from the pain she was likely feeling. Kix was on his way from the cruiser orbiting the planet, but until then, there was nothing anyone could do for her. Knowing this, Mace stepped forward and Seeker looked up at the movement. Her teeth were clenched from the pain and she relied entirely on her hands to stay up, but that didn't stop her from almost glaring at Mace. Mace stared back at her, saying, "We have a medic on the way. I think you know him."
Seeker cocked her head, "It wouldn't make a difference if it was Kix or Tristan," her voice harsh and rough from the pain, "There is no fix for this," attempting to stand again and failing.
"So I guess that means you are at our mercy until Kix says there's nothing he can do," Anakin said. Seeker glared at him while Mace said, "You've done an admirable job staying ahead of us all these years, but I think you know your time is up. You're going back to the Republic with us."
"And what waits for me there?" Seeker asked quietly, "A blaster squad? Or a lifetime in prison?"
Mace only said, "What you have done is considered treasonous, and punishable by death."
"Then throw me into the sea and be done with it," Seeker snapped, "I know what waits for me there, and I'd rather go out on my terms."
"You can't be serious," Obi-Wan said, "We know you'll survive that."
"I'm not so sure about that," Seeker said quietly, not looking at him, "I would need to survive the sharp rocks down there, and then whatever else is down there. And we both know it isn't just colo clawfish and gooberfish. There are worse things in those seas, and I would need to be able to feel my legs to have any chance against them."
"And you would rather face that than the Republic," Anakin said, and Seeker glanced at him, "I live life on my terms, always have. No one tells me how to live, or die. I make those decisions, no one else."
"And yet now you can't walk, or run, or fight," Anakin said smugly, "I don't think you have a choice in the matter."
Seeker snorted quietly in amusement before shaking her head and shifting her weight from her left hand to her right. She shook her head to get her hair out of her eyes and looked up as her comlink suddenly started blinking. She reached for it slowly, not taking her eyes off Mace, and a few seconds later, Mando's voice came through: "Seeker, I'm coming back for you."
"No," Seeker said, not intimidated as Anakin stared at her and made it clear she should lure the Mandalorian back there, "Get out of here."
"But –" Mando started to say and was quickly cut off by Seeker saying, "No, Mando, get out of here," she grimaced before saying, "There's probably a tracking device on your ship," Ki-Adi, who had arrived late, stared at her in surprise that she knew that was what he had been doing, but was silent as she continued, "Find it as soon as you can and get rid of it."
Mando was clearly thinking about coming back for her, but before he could start, she said suddenly, "This is the way," and ended the communication. A few minutes later, a ship took off from the mountains and was soon gone. Mace turned back to Seeker and said, "That was a mistake."
"How do you figure?" Seeker asked as she tried to shift herself into a more comfortable position before giving up and resigning herself to a bit of discomfort. Mace stared at her before saying, "Grogu is part of the Jedi Order, and you are in no position to keep him away from us."
"And yet I just did," Seeker said quietly, "and I'm pretty sure we all remember it was a Jedi that took him from the Temple in the first place."
Mace glared at her while Anakin said, "Call him back here," Seeker glanced at him before snorting and saying, "That's not going to happen. He's out of range, and not stupid enough to fall for what he knows is a trap. He's gone."
"But you're still here," Obi-Wan said, "and have no way to escape."
Seeker nodded slowly when she heard that, again trying to move her legs and failing before settling and muttering, "Blasted land mine," she looked up then and said, "Mando's gone, so there's no point to this conversation. Might as well throw me into the sea. At least then I die on my terms," clearly wanting the Jedi to honor that, but Mace had no intention of doing so as he shook his head.
Seconds later, Seeker shook her head and stared at him before saying quietly, "There is one thing I should have thought about earlier. One thing no one thinks about when it comes to Sith hunters. Something that wasn't included in your Archives but is known to those who train hunters."
"And that would be what?" Mace asked, unaware of the sand and dirt slowly starting to shift and move under their feet as the Force was quietly used without their knowledge and without them sensing it.
Seeker suddenly sneezed on some sand before saying, "We never work alone," she looked up at the Jedi then, "We always work in pairs, even if our partner is on the other side of the galaxy. That's what's been happening for the last few years with me and my partner. We've rarely been on the same planet together for the last few years. If I'm causing chaos and mayhem on one planet, I'm distracting everyone from what he's doing on the other side of the galaxy. And if I'm hiding the shadows," she shrugged, "Then we're possibly working together on the same planet. That doesn't happen often, but when it does, watch out. My partner is almost as dangerous as I am. And they're on this planet," she looked up at Mace and said, "I think you know what happens next."
Realization came to all the Jedi there as they understood what was about to happen, but before they could do anything a sudden gust of wind sent dust and sand flying everywhere, blinding them. Seconds later, there was another cry of pain, followed by the sound of galloping hooves and a whistling whinny. Galloping hooves were heard again, and seconds later the dust settled and they could finally see.
And see that Seeker was gone.
But Mace didn't seem too worried as he activated his comlink, "Master, she's heading right for you!" running after Seeker with the rest of the Council right behind him, following the hoof prints in the sand and dust. Minutes later those tracks ended but they were still able to find the trail and catch up with Seeker and Aineislis, who was going a bit slower than her usual gallop. The trail they were following didn't allow for her to run full speed, but she was still able to jump over a fallen tree in her path and keep going.
The Jedi raced after her and were able to keep them in their sights. Suddenly Seeker yanked the reins hard as they came to a clearing surrounded on two sides by large and small moss-covered rocks and large trees on the other sides. Aineislis didn't appreciate her mouth being pulled so suddenly and skidded to a stop, rearing and whinnying loudly. She pawed the air with her hooves and refused to come down, but Yoda stayed where he was: sitting on the rock in front of them and waiting patiently and calmly. Aineislis whistled then and stayed on her back legs, Seeker using her knees to stay on. The half-Nautolan had a grip on Aineislis' mane before reaching up and stroking her neck with her other hand. She didn't say anything, but Aineislis seemed to settle as she lowered herself back onto all fours.
But she wasn't that settled because she suddenly kicked out with both back legs, bucking several times as she went into a tight, bucking circle a few times. Seeker rode out her outburst, and finally Aineislis was able to settle enough to stand still and face Yoda. She let out a groaning whinny then and opened her mouth, pulling her lips back to reveal her front teeth and the bit in her mouth. She whinnied again and pawed the ground, Seeker again stroking her neck to settle her. It didn't work that well, and now that he was there in front of her, Yoda could sense a wild spirit that had never been tamed.
The animal was as wild as the land she had come from and loved to run on.
Once Aineislis was somewhat calm, Seeker stared at Yoda for several moments, ignoring the Jedi gathered around. Aineislis only shook her head and sent lather flying before bobbing her head, her ears pinned back and not liking being surrounded in the way she was. Seeker ignored it and continued to stare at Yoda. Yoda stared back, and it was hard to see how this was going to end. But finally, Seeker cocked her head and said, "I stay. She goes," nodding down at Aineislis.
Yoda stared at her for several moments before nodding, and Seeker reached forward and grabbed Aineislis' mane with her right hand. She leaned forward and swung her right leg over Aineislis' haunches, not needing any help and revealing that her back seemed fine again. She dismounted and landed on the ground safely, her legs supporting her weight and able to walk, surprising the Jedi that had thought she would have been paralyzed for the rest of her life.
But that wasn't the case as she let Aineislis circle her again, holding the horse's reins as she bucked before prancing in a circle, rearing on her back legs and lashing out with her front several times. Seeing this display, Obi-Wan couldn't help but smile at her free spirit and wild nature, watching as Seeker was finally able to settle the horse.
Once Aineislis was calm, Seeker reached up and undid a buckle near her mouth. The bit slid out and Aineislis licked her lips before shaking her head with a snort. Seeker reached for the reins then and brought them up to her ears, resting them there as she picked up the slack and made a single loop out of it. That single loop went under the strap at her throat to the one at her mouth. Seeker undid that strap and fed the reins through it before redoing the buckle there. Once that was done, Seeker stroked her neck before suddenly saying, "Home, Aineislis, home!" urging her on into the forest. The horse ran a few strides before suddenly slowing to a trot and then stopping between Mace and Master Plo. She turned her head to look back at her rider, thinking and watching her rider. Seeker did nothing, and seconds later, Aineislis shook her head and spun on her heels, trotting back to her rider and not wanting to leave, throwing her head and prancing a bit as she returned to Seeker. Seeker only shook her head and smiled slightly as she led the horse in a circle again, but this time she reached up and rested her hand against the horse's forehead. Seconds later, the Jedi felt the Force move, and then Seeker said again, "Home, Aineislis, home!"
And this time, Aineislis kept going and didn't look back. She charged away into the forest, and it was quiet for a few moments before Yoda turned to Seeker and said, "Loyal, your animal is."
Seeker shrugged without taking her eyes off him, "I've had her since she was two days old and her mother was killed. She's six years now. I wouldn't trade that loyalty for anything. Wouldn't betray it either. She'll realize what I did once she stops and thinks about it for a minute. She won't be happy then, but will keep going and get to safety."
Yoda nodded slowly, "Powerful you are in the Force, but not that powerful. Much to learn you still have."
"Do I?" Seeker asked quietly, her head canted to one side, "I don't think so."
"Arrogance is not something I would expect from you," Mace said, "You've been too careful to become arrogant."
Seeker glanced at him, "And because Kit Fisto taught me, there is no way I can be arrogant, is the unspoken part of that statement. And yet I am, but that is because Sith hunters are overconfident by nature. We have to be. The second we show fear or indecision, the Sith we are fighting will use that and we'll be done."
"Where is he?" Anakin asked, "You must know you can't hide him forever."
"I don't have to," Seeker said without turning around to look at him, "Just like I don't have to tell you where he is. That is something no one is getting out of me."
Yoda shook his head when he heard that but only said, "Certain you are; you can keep that secret?"
"I've kept a lot of secrets in my life," Seeker said quietly, "What's one more?" Yoda didn't answer, and Seeker added, "I should probably mention now that this conversation isn't going to go as long as you want it to be. I will get bored with it, and will just have to wait long enough to be found. My partner is long gone, but the second Aineislis returns to the Ghost alone, Ventress will know something happened and start looking for me."
"She won't be able to find you," Anakin said.
"You want to bet on that, Skywalker?" Seeker said as she slowly raised her right arm to reveal a flashing beacon tied around her wrist, "Cloaked binary beacon. The second Ventress activates hers, she will find me, and I'll be gone. I have better things to do."
Anakin shook his head and almost started walking towards her, but a glare from Mace had him stop. Seeker didn't seem to notice, still staring at Yoda, who finally asked, "Sent for me, you did. Want something from me, you do. What is it?"
Seeker cocked her head, looking slightly confused, "I never sent for you. I knew you were listening when Mando contacted me and assumed you would be here, but I never sent for you specifically."
"Don't lie," Anakin said, "We know you used the Force to lure Master Yoda here."
"I freely admit to lying when I have to," Seeker said, "but I am not lying now. I never sent for you."
Seeker continued to stare at Yoda, and Yoda stared back, trying to get a sense of her emotions and thoughts, but it was impossible. She guarded herself too well and wasn't about to let anything out she didn't want to. She cocked her head then, and her eyes flashed, seeming to change color. Before they were the purple and red of a Nautolan, they now looked human, with a blue iris and white sclera. But they were familiar eyes to Yoda, eyes he had seen before in a Jedi Master that had perished on Naboo many years ago. But that couldn't be possible, even though those eyes stared at him with the wisdom and kindness their owner had been known for. He shook his head inwardly as her eyes turned back to their normal color in seconds without anyone else noticing. Yoda finally blinked, but her eyes didn't change again, so he asked his next question and wondered if she would give an answer that couldn't be possible, not with Qui-Gon Jinn being dead, "If not you, who?"
The half-Nautolan cocked her head before saying, "Perhaps Dooku was telling the truth on Geonosis when he said there was a Sith Lord more powerful than him. I know Sith lie, but perhaps he was telling the truth then, and that Sith Lord was the one who lured you out here?"
"That Sith Lord is a myth, made up by Dooku to make us lose faith in the Republic," Obi-Wan said, "You have no proof he exists."
"And you have no proof he doesn't," Seeker shot back without turning to him, "What an interesting problem to think about. If that Sith truly doesn't exist, my job just got a lot harder. Hunting Sith is easier when they're being told to go someplace by someone controlling them. Lone Sith with no clear goal are harder to find."
"How do you know what Dooku said?" Anakin asked suddenly, "You weren't there."
"Kit," was all Seeker said, "He's been giving me information for decades, mostly to avoid you. I prefer solitude and have no interest in getting mixed up in the affairs of the Jedi or the Republic. I'm no fan of politics and prefer my own path. My task is to hunt Sith, nothing else. It's easier if people don't know I'm doing it."
"If he told you how to avoid us and what Dooku said," Master Tiin said, "why would he do such a thing?" not quite believing Kit would have betrayed his oath so completely, even after everything they had learned about him and his family.
Seeker cocked her head again, not taking her eyes off Yoda, "I wouldn't blame him completely for that. I'm an alpha female; my nature dictates he tells me what I want to know. He never betrayed your Order's more important secrets, mostly because I didn't ask. I have no interest in those; I just wanted to be sure I was nowhere near a Jedi while doing my work."
"Your work is dangerous," Luminara said suddenly, but Seeker wasn't falling for that as she said, "Life is dangerous. How much danger you want in it depends on how you choose to live your life. I decided to become a Sith hunter; my life became much more dangerous. But I wouldn't trade it for anything."
Luminara shook her head when she heard that while Anakin started inching towards Seeker, attempting to get into a position where he could jump and grab her. But she was having none of that as she looked at Anakin from the corner of her right eye and said, "Careful, Skywalker," and he stopped dead as she continued, "There's an unfortunate rumor circulating around Home Base that I don't like you. Personally, I think it was Yak that started it; that clone can't shut up to save his life. It's unfortunately true, though; I don't like you. Not even Kit could change my mind about you, and he tried almost every time we met. He certainly is persistent when he wants to be. Ten years later, and he still hasn't changed my mind."
Anakin stopped when he heard that, while Seeker turned back to Yoda and asked, "What happens now? It's not like I will come quietly; we both know that's not my nature."
"Return to Coruscant, we will," Yoda said, "With you, without you, no difference it makes, does it? But simpler for you, if return to Coruscant, you do. Plead your case to the Senate you can."
Seeker cocked her head then, "I'm not good at doing as I'm told. Kit ever wakes up, you can ask him how many headaches I gave him from not listening to him. And, like I said, I do have a schedule to keep. Ventress and I have plans and places to be. Here is not one of them."
"Outnumbered you are," Yoda pointed out as he stood up, "An easy fight this will not be."
"A bit of exercise then," Seeker said with a slight smile that faded seconds later, "One thing Kit taught me is that quantity doesn't matter; quality does. He also told me that if you understand your opponents, the battle is half won," she looked closely at Yoda then, "I wonder who taught him that? It definitely wasn't his family, although they teach the same thing in a different way."
Yoda stared at her before suddenly cocking his head, which was when Anakin suddenly attacked. He leaped forward, but Seeker was ready for him. Without even turning around, she grabbed her lightsaber and blocked his two blows before suddenly spinning around and kicking him in the stomach, sending him back towards Obi-Wan. Her lightsaber spun around her hand before she deactivated it as she said, "Like I said, Skywalker, I don't like you."
Anakin picked himself up then, while Seeker looked around with half-shut eyes, clearly bored, and a few seconds later turned to Yoda and said, "If you think you can win this fight, then come ahead. Dooku isn't worth the challenge of a fight, which is why I haven't gone after him," she cocked her head then, her eyes and face suddenly hard, "Yet."
Yoda stared at her before saying, "Confident you are in your skill and abilities. But still flawed it is."
"Because of my back?" Seeker cocked her head again, "I've had that injury for so long I've learned to use it to my advantage. Even now. I could tell you to fight me as hard as you could, but you won't because you won't risk hurting me even more. That is the one thing you can count on with Jedi: they are compassionate to a fault."
Yoda shook his head before suddenly launching himself into the air with the Force, the rest of the Council igniting their blades at that moment, the element of surprise at their disposal. But Seeker wasn't surprised, flipping over herself backward and igniting her lightsaber. Anakin rushed in but she was ready for him, kicking him again, this time in the shin, and sending him against the rocks with the Force. She looked up then as Yoda came down for a landing, flipping again and moving her arm backward to disperse the Jedi behind her before suddenly igniting Kit's lightsaber and having two weapons at her disposal.
She fought Yoda then, but it was clear she was more than ready for him. Form I was at her disposal, and she had mastered it far beyond Yoda, her movements graceful and clean. She wasn't affected by Yoda's use of the Force, shaking her head to clear her mind of it before throwing up a shield around herself and launching herself back into the fight. Fighting more than two Jedi would have been a problem for anyone, but she was more than capable of handling herself. She ducked under Mace's blade, kicked Master Plo away, blocked a blow from Luminara while sliding under another from Aayla, and seconds later was back on her feet and using the terrain to her advantage. Moss could be slippery, but her boots had more than enough traction, and she didn't slip as she ran sideways along the rock before landing again and crossing blades with Saessee Tiin. Her other blade countered blows from Master Piell before she used the Force to push him away. Oppo Rancisis took his place and Saessee leaped away. Seeker raised an eyebrow at that but didn't do anything else as she leaped backward and dodged Master Rancisis' tail. His tail was a powerful weapon when he decided to use it, but Seeker was ready for him and slipped through his coils with ease and experience.
Whatever she had done in life, she had fought a Thisspiasian before.
She moved on to her next opponent then, which was Master Plo and Eeth Koth. The two Jedi Masters tried to pin her between their blades, but she didn't stay still long enough for that to happen. A kick to Eeth's jaw sent him down, while Seeker used the Force to send Master Plo into the rocks. His back hit them and he fell to the ground. Luminara, Adi, and Aayla started a deadly dance with Seeker then, but she wasn't interested after a few minutes. She leaped clear out of the circle and found herself facing Shaak Ti and Ki-Adi Mundi. The two Jedi were a bit more of a challenge for her, especially when Obi-Wan joined the fray, and Seeker found herself losing a few steps as she was forced to give up some ground. Behind her was Yoda, and that was when Seeker decided to cut her losses. She reached deep inside herself and brought forth Force-lightning, making a few of the Council step back.
They hadn't realized she was that powerful, and were surprised the Dark Side wasn't present as the lightning came to the fore.
But that power came at a price, and that price was her attention. She didn't notice Anakin leaping down from above, but she did notice when he suddenly appeared and she was forced to release the lightning. It went everywhere, creating an almost beautiful light show. But it started no fires and caused no harm, and Anakin was able to use Form V to its fullest potential. Seeker was ready for it as she suddenly ignited both blades again, and with Mace and Yoda backing up Anakin the fight might have been over. But Seeker was ready as she spun on the ball of her right foot, using her momentum to slide under Mace's lightsaber and off the rocks. She kept going, and a few seconds later, she was reaching for a few loose rocks with the Force. They were thrown haphazardly, making the Jedi dodge every which way, but Anakin cut the one aimed at him in half and body slammed Seeker. She didn't fall and instead turned on him, unimpressed.
She had been on the defensive for most of this fight, not using the offensive moves of Form I as she didn't want to cause harm to any of the Jedi. But with Anakin, her dislike of him came through, and she went on the offensive, something he wasn't prepared to match. While Form V was built off powerful offensive moves, Seeker's moves were much more powerful, and she was letting herself get closer to the edge than before. She soon had him on the defensive, something Form V wasn't designed for. The other Jedi weren't able to get close because she was fighting Anakin with one blade while the other was being swung in wide arcs to keep them back, and she showed no signs of tiring.
Anakin was still holding his own as she used her skills almost to the utmost because Yoda could sense she was holding back, and seconds later it became clear why. Anakin, unable to do anything else to complete his move, landed a light kick on her back, and it was clear that was a mistake as she turned around so quickly they missed it. She beat him down after that while keeping the others away, and Anakin couldn't recover or go on the offensive. A roundhouse kick to his stomach had him landing hard on the ground, his lightsaber falling from his hand. He couldn't get up as Seeker's lightsaber headed for his head, but seconds before things could have gone from bad to worse for Anakin, Seeker suddenly jerked and stopped herself from carrying out that final attack.
Her lightsaber stayed just above Anakin's throat, Kit's behind her and keeping the others away. The Jedi watched as she suddenly looked away from Anakin, her eyes falling half-shut as she felt something. The Jedi couldn't sense whatever it was, but there was no time to think about it as she suddenly opened her eyes again and turned back to Anakin. There was no emotion to be seen on her face or in her eyes, and her jaw was set hard, but seconds later, she shifted her weight as the Ghost suddenly appeared above them. The boarding ramp was down, and Ventress was waiting on it, ready to leap down into the fight.
But before she could, Seeker suddenly leaped high into the air and landed on the ramp, running inside with Ventress. The ramp closed behind them and the ship raced into the atmosphere, cloaking itself as it did so.
Back on the ground, Anakin picked himself up and asked, "What just happened?"
"I have no idea," was all Mace said, and the others couldn't answer either as they stared after the ship, wondering what had just happened and what it could mean.
What had made Seeker stop the fight?
What was happening now?
Back on Coruscant, Darth Sidious grinned cruelly when he heard about Seeker's injury and how severe it was.
Now he had a way to fight back, because unlike the Jedi, he wouldn't hold back.