Summary:

Lux confronts Ahsoka about the kiss he witnessed.

Ahsoka's mission goes wrong.

Jinn and Ventress go to Mandalore.

Warning: character death.

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17.

Lux greeted Ahsoka bright and early in the morning with a flower in hand. He knocked on her door and waited for her to answer. After a moment, the door opened, and she looked at him with surprise.

"Oh, good morning, Lux. Is there something you need?"

"No, no, I wanted to invite you for a walk around the city."

Ahsoka saw the flower in Lux's hand. She was confused by his friendliness. She remembered Padme saying that Lux saw her with Rex, and he wasn't happy. She thought he would try and avoid her.

Lux noticed her looking at the flower in his hand and he smiled brightly and handed it to her. "A beautiful flower for a beautiful flower."

Ahsoka rolled her eyes at the corny pickup line. She plucked the flower from his hand and said, "Thanks, I appreciate the gesture but I'm not a flower."

Lux smiled and said, "Yes, but you are beautiful. So, how about it?"

Ahsoka said, "Thank you for the offer, but I'm not here to take in the sights. I'm here to make sure you are all safe."

"Of course, but we aren't in any danger now. Surely it wouldn't hurt to take a break."

Ahsoka put her hands on her hips and said, "Yes, and I want to keep it that way."

Lux said, "And you are doing an admirable job. We don't have to leave the property. I just want to talk and get to know you better."

"Fine, what would you like to know?"

Lux blushed and took Ahsoka's hand and lead her to a sunroom. It was beautiful and filled with windows and exotic plants. Ahsoka realized where Lux got the flower.

"Lux, what are you doing?"

He leaned in close and whispered, "I wanted to tell you that I saw you and Rex in the garden yesterday."

Ahsoka frowned and crossed her arms over her chest and said, "What exactly did you see?"

Lux looked away and nervously said, "I saw you two kissing."

Inside, Ahsoka was relieved. She was afraid Lux saw her and Rex doing a lot more than kissing. Ahsoka's lekku stripes darkened with a blush as she remembered how they marked each other and how Rex had gotten her to climax. She absently ran her fingers over her lekku at the memory.

"Lux, that was private."

Lux said, "Ahsoka, I know not to tell anyone what I saw. I know that Jedi aren't allowed to have relationships, but I'm concerned. If you want to do those sorts of things, do you really think Rex is the best person to be doing them with?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he's a lot older than you and you might not be able to enjoy the same things as you would with someone closer to your own age."

Ahsoka extended her hand to count off her reasons and said, "Alright, first Rex is not older than me. I'm older than him. Clones physically mature twice as fast as a normal human. Second, I have lots in common with him. I told you that Rex is my friend."

Lux said, "Yes, but how can you be sure if you haven't kissed anyone else?"

Ahsoka frowned and said, "Lux, I appreciate the offer, but I-"

Her last sentence died on her lips. Lux took hold of Ahsoka's shoulders and gave her a kiss. Then, at the worst moment, Rex appeared at the door of the sunroom. The Clone Captain saw red and marched up to Lux and pulled him off Ahsoka and pressed him up against a wall with his strong hands pressed against his collar.

"What the kriff do you think you're doing!"

Lux struggled to break free from Rex's hold, but the Captain was stronger than the teenage boy. Lux grabbed hold of Rex's arm and shouted, "No! Let me go!"

Ahsoka put her hand on Rex's shoulder and said, "Rex, let him go."

The Captain glared at Lux but dropped him. He took a step back and stood at attention with his hands folded behind him. Lux fixed his collar and sneered.

"What is wrong with you, clone?"

Rex said, "A better question is what's wrong with you. Why were you forcing yourself on Ahsoka?"

Lux was stunned and said, "No! I wasn't forcing myself on Ahsoka."

Rex crossed his arms over his chest and said, "Well, did you get her consent?"

Lux frowned and said, "Consent? It was mutual."

Rex raised his brow and said, "Did you ask her?"

"W-Well, no-"

Rex darkly said, "Then you didn't have her consent."

Lux hotly said, "I didn't take advantage of Ahsoka. Why don't you ask her yourself?"

The two turned to face her. Ahsoka froze under their gaze. Up until that moment, she had been enthralled by Rex's territorial behavior. It excited her to see Rex easily dominated Lux by pushing him up against the wall. It proved to her predator side that he was a strong mate. Though, Ahsoka really didn't need Rex's help dealing with Lux. She was a Jedi after all. She could have easily thrown him across the room with the Force if she wanted to. If anything, Rex's interference probably made the situation worse because instead of letting Lux down gently, now she had to explain consent. Yet, Ahsoka figured it was an important lesson.

"Lux, you didn't ask me if you could kiss me. You didn't let me finish what I was saying. I was going to tell you that I don't need to kiss somebody else in order to know for sure that I want to kiss Rex. That's not how relationships work. I kissed him because he's important to me."

Lux said, "You're important to me, Ahsoka."

She shook her head and said, "You just met me."

The teen said, "I know, but you're the most amazing person I've ever met. I can't help how I feel about you."

Rex said, "It's true. You are pretty amazing, Ahsoka."

She glared at the him and said, "Rex, that's not helping."

Rex said, "And he's missing the point." He turned to face Lux and said, "Listen, kid. Ahsoka never gave you the word and you gave it a go anyway and it didn't work. Now, are you going to be a man and accept her rejection or is there going to be a problem?"

Lux lowered his gaze and said, "No, there's no problem, Captain." He then turned to Ahsoka and said, "I'm sorry I acted poorly, Ahsoka. I hope that you can forgive me. I hope we can still be friends."

Ahsoka smiled and said, "I accept your apology, Lux and of course we can be friends."

Suddenly, all the glass in the sunroom broke and the ground began to shake. Dust and smoke began to fill the room. Rex grabbed Lux and brought him down to the ground. Shattered pieces of glass were everywhere. Ahsoka also got down and closed her eyes.

A second later, they got up and looked around. The sunroom was a mess. Plant pots, soil and glass littered the ground. They saw that the main house was badly damaged. A fire raged through the windows.

"No! Mother!" shouted Lux. "We have to go rescue her."

Rex grabbed his shoulder and said, "No, there could be another explosion. Go wait outside in the garden. Stay out of sight. Ahsoka and I will go get Senator Bonteri and Senator Amidala."

"But-"

"Go!"

Lux wanted to refuse, but there was no room for argument with the Clone Captain. Meanwhile, Ahsoka was on her comm and got in contact with Echo. She talked to the trooper as she and Rex began racing towards the main part of the house.

"Echo, there was an explosion. I need a team down here. Secure the Senator's son in the garden and search the area."

"Yes, Commander. I already sent a team. They should be there any minute."

Rex found the two Senators under a pile of debris in one the bedrooms. He tried clearing it, but the smoke and flames were slowing him down. Ahsoka raised her hands and used the Force to move the debris away. Rex dove into the flames to save Senator Bonteri who was unconscious. Padme followed behind him. Ahsoka used a Force-push to snuff out the fires in their paths.

Rex said, "Come on, let's go."

The group ran outside into the garden. Rex was relieved to see that his brothers had arrived. They were dressed as civilians, but there was no mistaking the same familiar brown eyes under their various disguises.

Echo approached him and said, "Captain, what happened?"

Rex passed Senator Bonteri to a medic when he answered, "It was a bomb. There was obviously a leak in our intel. I want all our communications equipment scanned or any bugs. When Bonteri wakes up, I want her questioned."

Enraged, Lux shouted, "You think my mother did this?"

Rex said, "No, but she might have been overheard. Come on, we need to leave. This place will be swarming with the local authorities."

Padme frowned when she overheard the Captain. She realized that she might have caused the breach in security. She had told representative Jar Jar Binks where she was going just in case, he needed to contact her, but she didn't tell him the Chancellor's identity. She feared that the secret would be too great for him to keep and now her mistake might have cost them Mina's life.

XXX

Meanwhile, across the stars, Jinn and Ventress landed on Mandalore. They arrived in a private ship that was part of Ventress' salary requirements. Jinn was glad to have a partner who cared about such practical things. Jinn lived most of his life as a rebel, so he was used to either offering his serves for transport or using a Jedi mind-trick to sweettalk his way on board a ship.

They disembarked out on a platform wearing long robes to conceal their identity. It was an uneventful trip and Jinn was eager to stretch his legs. He and Ventress were due to meet the Duchess at the capital. During their trip, he had sent the Duchess a formal request for an audience, and he was glad that she had accepted, but he didn't know she'd come to greet him in person.

Jinn approached Satine with a respectful bow and said, "Greetings, Duchess. It's a pleasure to see you again."

Satine said, "I was surprised to receive your message, Master Jinn."

Jinn then turned to his companion and said, "Duchess Satine, allow me to introduce you to my partner, Miss Asajj Ventress."

The ex-assassin eyed the Duchess with suspicion. Jinn had told her that he had met the Duchess twice before on Coruscant. He described her as kind, and she had a reputation as a pacifist. Ventress had her doubts that the Duchess would accept their help dealing with the Death Watch. However, if she agreed then they could earn more credits. She was glad that Jinn didn't fuss like most Jedi about earning a living. In fact, he was more than willing to agree and took her advice to heart.

Satine had no idea that Jinn had a partner. She thought Jedi normally worked with their Padawan. She suspected that Jinn did not have a Padawan of his own.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jedi Asajj Ventress."

"You're mistaken, Duchess. I'm not a Jedi. I'm a freelancer."

"Oh, my mistake. Please, join me in my transport. I'm curious to learn more about the reason behind your journey."

Jinn bowed and offered the Duchess his hand and said, "We would be delighted, my dear."

Satine shook her head at Jinn's courtly behavior and accepted his hand. He held her hand and followed Satine's party to her transport and helped her inside. Satine had to admit she enjoyed the attention, even if he was the wrong Kenobi. Though, she was a little startled when he offered the same treatment to his partner.

Ventress rolled her eyes at him and said, "I can get inside a transport just fine on my own, Jedi."

Jinn smiled and said, "And lose the chance to hold your hand, Miss Ventress? Never."

"Are you going to act like this during our entire stay?"

Jinn got into the transport and said, "How would you like me to behave?"

Ventress turned away from him as they headed towards the capital and said, "Not like an idiot."

Satine noticed that Jinn didn't seem offended at all by her remark. Instead, he smiled at her as she continued to gaze out the window. She saw how he looked at her profile with tenderness in his amber eyes. Satine recognized that look. It was the one Obi-Wan used to give her a long time ago.

It wasn't long before they arrived at the capital. Once inside, Satine took her seat in the main chamber. She would have preferred a more informal settling, but if Jinn came to her while representing the Jedi then she had to present herself as the head of Mandalore.

"Now, please state the reason for your visit, Master Jinn."

The amber Jedi bowed and said, "My partner and I would like to offer our serves to you and deal with the Death Watch on your behalf."

Satine scuffed and said, "Since when do the Jedi care about the Death Watch?"

Jinn replied, "We are not presenting the Jedi. We are offering our serves as freelancers."

Satine raised her brow and said, "You expect me to believe that?"

Ventress stepped forward and said, "Yes, and we expect to be paid."

One of Satine's advisor scuffed and said, "This is preposterous. Do you expect us to believe that you are not a Jedi? And what can the two of you do against the Death Watch?"

Jinn said, "If it's a legal matter then I am more than willing to sign a contact to offer my serves for a fee. And as for what I can do against the Death Watch, well that remains to be seen."

The advisor said, "Duchess, this is a waste of time."

Satine raised her hand to silence the advisor. She folded her hands in her lap and said, "Thank you for your offer, Master Jinn but I can't accept it. I will not support violence of any kind. Even from those under my employment."

Jinn said, "What about your people? Surely, they deserve safety and justice. If you hire us, I will do all I can to ensure they are arrested and made to answer for their crimes."

Satine said, "I don't doubt what you say, Master Jinn but Mandalore must deal with our own threats ourselves. We can't rely on outside forces to protect us."

Jinn lowered his gaze in thought. He then rubbed his beard in a very Obi-Wan-like way. Satine was struck again at how similar the two men looked. The only noticeable difference were their eyes. Obi-Wan's eyes were blue while Jinn's eyes were amber. Though, she saw that Jinn wasn't dressed in white robes like Obi-Wan. He wore black robes over grey under his long brown outer robe.

"It's a matter of perspective, Duchess. Instead of considering us outside forces, consider us as allies under your leadership." Jinn then drop down to one knee and drew his black sword from his sheath. The hiss of the metal breaking free startled Satine's advisors, but he ignored them and laid the sword out in his hands.

"While I am here, I am willing to pledge my sword to you and bring the Death Watch to justice. I make this vow in my name alone, not as a Jedi but as a warrior. This sword is a symbol of my honor."

Satine rose from her chair and approached him. She had never seen Jinn's sword before. She hardly ever noticed it, but the black sword was beautiful. The surface was polished. She could see her reflection in the blade. The handle was curved and natural and had an elegant design of a long-necked bird in flight. The sword wasn't terribly long, but it was old and tempered. It was the sword of a warrior. Satine felt like she finally got a glimpse into Jinn's true nature. This sword, this was the real Jinn Kenobi. He was handsome and dangerous and belonged to a different time. It belonged to a time of warriors and one that Satine had worked hard to turn her people away from.

Satine placed her hand over the blade and pushed it away.

"I can't accept your help, Jinn."

Jinn got up and sheathed his sword and said, "Then we will leave, Duchess. May the Force be with you."

XXX

Once they left the Duchess, Ventress followed Jinn out into the street. She watched as he paused and looked skyward. The sun was setting and soon it would be dark. A transport zoomed by and lit his eyeshine.

"Well, what now?"

He turned to face her with a mischievous smile and said, "Now, we go pick a fight."

Ventress narrowed her brow and said, "You still want to take on the Death Watch without getting paid?"

"It can't be helped. Asking her was a formality. I hoped that her pacifism wasn't to that extreme." Jinn then narrowed his brow and said, "Where do you think we can find members of the Death Watch?"

Ventress rubbed her chin and said, "I think I know where we can find them."

Every world in the Core had a criminal underground. It wasn't hard to find the right information when you had credits. Usually, a little bribery was all you needed to loosen lips. She learned that members of the Death Watch frequented a bar not far from their location. It was a common meeting place that Death Watch used to gather intelligence from their supporters.

Jinn followed Ventress into a bar. They sat down at a table and ordered some drinks. Ventress casually scanned the room and spotted the person her contact had told her was a member of the Death Watch. It was a young woman with short red hair speaking quietly with a group of men.

She whispered, "Her name is Bo-Katan Kryze. She's a lieutenant in the Death Watch. Their leader's name is Pre Vizsla. She's also the Duchess' sister."

Jinn raised his brow and said, "Well, the Duchess failed to mention that little detail. Perhaps we can spark her interest if I pretended to be a Sith. Would you be interested in pretending to be my apprentice?"

Ventress said, "No offense, but you look too much like Obi-Wan to pull that off."

Their drinks arrived and Jinn picked up his Jawa juice and swirled the blue liquid in his glass. He thoughts turned inward before he took a large gulp and wiped his lips with the back of his hand. "Alright, I can keep my face hidden. Let me borrow one of your lightsabers."

The ex-assassin sighed but handed over one of her weapons under the table and said, "You better know what you're doing."

Jinn smiled and drew his hood down to completely covered his face. He then got up and approached Bo-Katan's table. Soon her companions noticed him and turned to face him.

Bo-Katan said, "What do you want?"

Ventress stepped beside him and said, "My Master wishes to speak with your leader."

Bo-Katan rose from her seat and said, "Well, you can tell your Master that Death Watch has no interests speaking with Jedi."

Jinn raised his hand and curled his fingers into a loose grip to raise Bo-Katan off her feet with the Force. She struggled to break free and kicked the table over between them. Her companions tried to stop him by Ventress ignited her red lightsaber to keep them away.

In a deceptively soft tone, Jinn said, "Who said we were Jedi."

He then brought Bo-Katan closer to him. He kept her suspended in mid-air. Bo-Katan tried to resist, but she couldn't move.

Jinn said, "You can tell Pre Vizsla that Darth Malice has a proposition for him. Tell him to meet me at the statue of Tarre Vizsla at midnight."

He then turned around and released her. Bo-Katan dropped to her knees with a glare. She reached for her blaster, but Ventress cut the weapon in half with her red lightsaber. Ventress then kicked Bo-Katan in the face with a sneer.

In a venomous tone, she said, "Next time I'll have your head."

Ventress then deactivated her lightsaber. Her robe flowed behind her as she followed Jinn back out into the dark Mandalorian streets. They kept to the shadows as they made their way to the statue. It wouldn't be long before it was midnight.

XXX

Jinn wanted to get their early and scout the area. They still had plenty of time before midnight. It wasn't long before they found a comfortable roof top that overlooked the statue. Jinn sat down and pulled back his hood. He then looked through his pockets and found a protein bar. He opened the wrapper and took a bite. Ventress remained standing and crossed her arms over her chest.

"So, you really think Pre Vizsla will come, Darth Malice?"

Jinn sheepishly shook his head at his Sith name. He broke the protein bar in half and handed Ventress a piece and said, "If he thinks Darth Malice is a Separatists then he will want the backing. I'm sure we got his attention."

Ventress took the protein bar from him and ate it. She gave him a sideways glance and said, "That little act was convincing. Maybe a little too convincing."

She then sat down beside him and gestured for him to return her lightsaber. Jinn shook his head and handed her his blue lightsaber instead. "Here, let's switch for now. I have to remain in character."

She gazed at his weapon in her hand and asked, "Are you going to kill him?"

"Maybe, maybe not."

Ventress narrowed her brow and said, "I thought Jedi don't kill."

Jinn said, "I'm not a Jedi."

"I thought you told the Duchess that you were going to arrest the Death Watch."

"I said I would if she hired us."

Ventress looked away from him and said, "I thought you would be against killing."

Jinn looked up at the night sky and said, "If I were then I wouldn't be carrying a sword and a lightsaber. Killing should be the last resort. Though, I do have a code. I will only draw my sword to defend the weak or to fight a worthy opponent."

Ventress asked, "So, which is it? Are you defending the weak or is Pre Vizsla a worthy opponent?"

Jinn said, "I don't know. I'd like to believe I'm fighting for noble reasons, but I'm probably not."

She frowned and asked, "Why not?"

He turned to face her with a smile and said, "I'm enjoying this assignment far too much for it to be for noble reasons. I think it's because of the company."

Ventress lowered her gaze. She didn't want to admit it, but she enjoyed his company too. He wasn't like anyone she had ever met. He didn't judge her or question her past. He didn't treat her like someone who needed saving. He didn't ask her if she wanted to be redeemed. He never asked her to let go of her hatred. He didn't have to. She realized that somewhere between sparring and meditating, she began to change.

Suddenly, they heard noises by the statue of Tarre Vizsla. They looked over the roof top and saw Pre Vizsla and the Death Watch. They scattered around the area with jetpacks.

"No sign of the Sith."

"Good, secure the area. Make sure they don't set a trap."

Ventress turned to Jinn and said, "It looks like their early."

The amber Jedi said, "Well, at least we won't have to wait. Come, let's go say hello."

The two Force-user used their powers to quickly and silently scale the building down to the street. They saw that there were at least a dozen members of Death Watch, including Bo-Katan. Jinn put up his hood. It covered up his vision, but it helped sell his persona of a Sith. He saw that Ventress had pulled her hood down as well.

He teasingly turned to Ventress and asked, "Are you ready, my apprentice?"

Ventress sighed and said, "Sure, Darth Malice."

She couldn't see his face under the hood, but she could hear the smile in his voice. She was about to scold him for being an idiot, but he had already made his way to the status. His long brown robe concealed his identity. She had to admit, he looked menacing.

Pre Vizsla said, "So, you must be Darth Malice. What is it that you want from me?"

Jinn kept his face hidden and slowly began to circle him. He started projecting Darkness into the streets. Ventress felt her skin tingle as the energy inside the lights around the statue began to flicker and dim. She had never seen Jinn display his Dark powers so openly.

In a calm voice, Jinn said, "I have come to challenge you for leadership of Death Watch."

Pre Vizsla laughed and pulled out his blaster and said, "Really? How do you plan to do that? In case you haven't noticed, you're outnumbered."

Jinn wanted to end things quickly but knew he couldn't. He needed the other members of Death Watch to fall in. He needed to insult his honor. He needed to do it quick. He took two quick strides up to Pre Vizsla and laughed.

"I'm disappointed. I thought the great Pre Vizsla wasn't a coward. I didn't know you'd cower in fear at the thought of facing me one-on-one like a true warrior. I should have known you were nothing more than a terrorist."

Enraged, Pre Vizsla pulled out the Darksaber. "I'm not afraid to fight you, Sith. If you want to fight me then I'll be happy to kill you. No one interfere. He's mine."

Jinn ignited his red lightsaber. It was the one he borrowed from Ventress. Pre Vizsla drew the Darksaber. Jinn was intrigued. He had read Ahsoka and Rex's report and knew about the dark weapon but seeing it in person was a different matter entirely. It was an elegant weapon. It was something Jinn's fingers itched to clash with his black sword.

However, Jinn wanted Pre Vizsla to come to him. The leader of Death Watch didn't disappoint. He attacked Jinn with downward swing that he easily deflected with his red lightsaber. They began to trade thrusts and parries. The Death Watch members watched on and cheered, but Jinn easily saw through Pre Vizsla's defenses. He wasn't a swordsman. He was the sort of man used to guerilla tactics and hand-to-hand combat.

It didn't take Pre Vizsla long to realize he wasn't getting anywhere and took to the skies on his jetpack. He landed on the statue of Terra Vizsla and started shooting him with his blaster. The distance did nothing. Jinn easily deflected the blaster fire with his red lightsaber.

Jinn Force-leaped onto the statue where the hands of Terra Vizsla were wrapped around the larger image of the fated Darksaber.

"You're good, Sith. Maybe we can make a deal."

However, Pre Vizsla talk was a distraction. He shot Jinn at close range and grazed his arm. Jinn grabbed his arm against the pain. Pre Vizsla then tackled him and pulled off his robe and revealed his face.

"You! I've seen your face before. You're no Sith."

Jinn was done playing games and headbutted Pre Vizsla in the face. While distracted, Jinn used the Force to shove Pre Vizsla away from him. The amber Jedi took off his robe and drew his black sword.

"You fight pretty dirty for a Jedi."

"I'm no Jedi."

Jinn raised his hand with the black sword and used the Force to crush Pre Vizsla inside his own armor. He cried out as his armor pressed against his ribs and dropped the Darksaber. Pre Vizsla raised his hand in surrender.

"No! Wait, stop! You can't do this."

Jinn ignored his plea and stabbed him in the chest with his black sword. Pre Vizsla's body grew limp and fell from the statue and down onto the ground. Jinn deactivated his red lightsaber and picked up the Darksaber and slipped the hilt into his belt. He then Force-leaped off the statue and headed towards Ventress.

He handed her back her red lightsaber and said, "Thank you, nightingale."

Bo-Katan and other members of Death Watch raced to Pre Vizsla's body to confirm if he was dead. When there was no doubt that he was gone, she balled her hands into fists and rushed to Darth Malice.

"You killed him! How could you!"

Bo-Katan's fury faltered when she saw that Darth Malice was Obi-Wan Kenobi. She grabbed him by his black robe and shouted, "Kenobi? Did my sister know about this?"

Ventress grabbed Bo-Katan's wrist and pulled her off Jinn. "You've made a mistake. He's not Obi-Wan."

"What do you mean, he's not-"

Bo-Katan stopped when she took a closer look. He had strange inhuman amber eyes that glowed in the dark street. She saw no remorse in his gaze.

"Is your honor as a warrior so fragile that you can't accept Pre Vizsla's defeat?"

She glared at him and said, "What would you know about honor?"

Jinn narrowed his brow and said, "Enough to know that you don't negotiate with terrorist." He then marched up to Pre Vizsla's body and lifted it over his shoulder.

Bo-Katan asked, "What are you doing?"

Jinn turned to her and said, "Come, I want the Death Watch present when I take down the Duchess Satine."

XXX

TBC

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Note: Thank you for reading and your reviews.

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